The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Patriots-Chiefs, Jason Garrett, Antonio Brown, & the Eagles

Episode Date: January 15, 2019

Colin explains why the New England Patriots will have a huge advantage over the Kansas City Chiefs, why Jason Garett is simply a B+ coach, why Pittsburgh Steelers WR Antonio Brown is making a mistake, and the reason the Philadelphia Eagles are the best run team in the NFC. Guests include James Harrison, Geoff Schwartz, Eric Mangini, and T. J. Houshmandzadeh. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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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 podcasts. What's up, guys? This is Clivert Taylor the Fourth. 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 with 42. Hey, Wreck, my mama want you to weigh better. What? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Clifford show on the Iheart radio app,

Apple Podcast, 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 harmed.

You just understood. That's how personal it got. Wow. Then after that game seven, Marquis come in to her, 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 IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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We're on Fox Sports Radio and right here on FS1. My favorite time of the year, Joy Taylor is joining me in a Tuesday. How are you, Joy? I'm doing great. Good morning. Well, we've got the four best teams in the NFL. the four best offense in the NFL, the four best coaches in the NFL left. And New England is the one dynasty, but a lot of people feel like it's at the end of its, you know,

the last legs of the dynasty. Now, I would argue they have 12 draft picks. They'll move off Gronk. They'll have cap space. It's not, you know, Brady looked as good as he's ever looked. But they're going to Kansas City this week. And, you know, Kansas City's got the better offense. Kansas City's got the vertical weapons.

Kansas City's got the speed. Kansas City is one of the loudest places. Man, New England needs a break in this game. Oh, they just got one. Predicted weather forecast. Under 8 degrees. Possibly 9, 10, 11 below zero. That's going to hurt the better offense.

That will aid the better defense. that will hurt the more vertical passing game, that will aid the more consistent, better running game. First of all, Tom Brady is 15 and 2 in the playoffs in what is perceived as inclement weather. He's been here before. 13 and 2, excuse me. And by the way, complete 63% of his throws, 30 touchdown passes, 260 yards a game, and what's considered inclement weather in the NFL. He's the best cold weather quarterback of all time.

Dan Marino was great, so was John Elway. Brady's better. And by the way, the Patriots dynasty did begin in a blizzard against Oakland. But they're saying it's going to be an Arctic blast. Well, if I told you, there were two teams meeting and one relied on perimeter passing and speed, does that sound like it's better in an Arctic blast? If I said, this one team's really fast, but something's going to slow them down, would that sound like it's going to? to help the chiefs of the Patriots. If I said the weather appears to be the kind of weather, you'll have to run the ball significantly. And here's another one.

Outside of the Superdome, and don't kill yourself, noise is an element just like snow. There's a lot of different elements. There's wind, there's rain, there's snow, there's noise. The Superdome is a big advantage this week for the Saints because it's loud and you can't audible. Arrowheads considered one of the loudest stadiums in America. College or Pro, it'll be nice. Nine below.

Everybody's going to be wearing a ski mask. People aren't going to be standing and cheering. They're going to be huddled. Wearing wool. Trying to stay warm. Wearing something over their mouths. Home field advantage via the crowd. Done.

Gronk. A liability these days. Actually, the best blocking tight-in in football would be great. Nine below. Travis Kelsey is the best vertical passing threat. Not aided by this weather. Listen, sometimes you need breaks. If I told you it's going to be the coldest game,

potentially in Arrowhead Stadium history, and the coldest game easily this year and in the last two years. And I said there is one team that's got way more experience, runs the ball more effectively, never fumbles, has a short, precise passing game, and wins none a factor. And doesn't really have a vertical passing game to begin with.

You would take that team this weekend. Just close your eyes. If I say to you, lousy weather in January, what team do you think of excelling in that? By the way, it should be noted. Dan Marino didn't play well in the cold. Peyton Manning didn't play well in the cold. Just like crowd noise, weather is a huge detriment to teams that sling it,

speed teams, vertical teams that rely more on passing than they do running. If weather matters and if you look at the Saints history in the playoffs, Sean Payton and Drew Brees are one in five in the playoffs together on the road. If you think environment matters, and I really do, it's why I believe the Saints are favored over the Rams this weekend. Neutral field, they're not favored. In L.A., they're an underdog. The crowd is an element.

So is absolutely brutal weather. Tom Brady, Michigan, Foxborough, 20 straight years of lousy weather this time of the year. And by even bad weather standards, this is going to be historic. I believe New England needed a break to win this weekend. They got one from your local meteorologist. they're calling for an Arctic blast. Sounds like something you buy it, Dairy Queen. It's an Arctic blast, edge New England.

It changes the way I see this game. More on that later. So, you know, outside of a handful of teams in college and pro, everybody's always looking to fire their coach. Because psychologically, as a fan, it's easy to fire. a coach. Fans want to believe they're just a coach away from winning at all. You can't fire players, right?

Do you ever notice that? Fans will be overly loyal to average players, but really tough on excellent coaches. Because psychologically, you can talk yourself into, if we just get rid of Mike Tomlin, we'll win all our games. You know, if it's not for Bill O'Brien, we'd be way better than the Colts historically. You can't fire J.J.J. Watt and Jadavian, clownly, multiple players. So fans always want the coach out. The coach is often very good, more than like average players, troubled players.

You'll be loyal to him. So Jerry Jones was talking about his coach, Jason Garrett, who's the most criticized, successful coach in the NFL. And here's what Jerry Jones said. If Jason had been out on the market two weeks ago, he would have had five offers for head coaching. I know that. So you've got to look at what your alternative is. I believe there's 32 teams in the NFL, and I think 25% of them have an elite coach. Eight.

There are eight coaches to me that feel better. Belichick, Andy Reid, Sean Payton, Sean McVey. I think what Matt Nagy did in Chicago this year with limited offensive personnel in Trubisky was remarkable. Pete Carroll, Doug Peterson, and John Harbaugh. John Harbaugh lost a quarterback, took a rookie quarterback who's not really good at throwing the football, and they won their division. That is great coaching, and he'd previously gotten to a Super Bowl. I think there are eight coaches that fan bases mostly know they're pretty good. After that, you do realize that Jason Garrett falls in the class of the other guys who we all like way more than we love.

Mike Tomlin gets heat in Pittsburgh, but you like him. Bill O'Brien in Houston. Dan Quinn's been to a Super Bowl in Atlanta. Ron Rivera and Carolina. Jason Garrett, Mike Zimmer in Minnesota. They're clearly competent, all of them. They've won divisions. Players generally play hard for them.

And they win a lot of games. In fact, I can argue with all of them something really impressive. Do you know Bill O'Brien has won three division titles? one year with Tom Savage and Brock Osweiler. That's impressive. Mike Tomlin has been to two Super Bowls and one one. Jason Garrett, he's been in Dallas forever. He's had one losing season.

What about Dan Quinn, Ron Rivera? They got to a Super Bowl. My point is, a quarter of this league or eight coaches most fan bases get on every Sunday, you've got the better coach. Jason Garrett simply falls into a group of a bunch of guys who on a resume, I can certainly promote, market, and defend. But we mostly like them more than we love him.

And he falls into that Bill O'Brien, Mike Tomlin, Ron Rivera, Dan Quinn, Jason Garrett. Clearly competent. nobody better currently on the market, have won multiple division titles, rarely is the team not playing hard or man overboard. We can run Jason Garrett out of town, and I do not consider him in the Elite 8 club. Look around the league at who is getting hired.

Before you blast on Mike Tomlin and Ron Rivera and Dan Quinn and Jason Garrett and Bill O'Brien, and your Mike Zimmer's, look at who the Packers hired. Look at who Arizona hired. Look at Rundley. Look at who Cleveland hired. Take a deep breath. Matt Mosley covers the Cowboys, talked about Garrett yesterday and how many feel in Dallas.

I think something has to change. I think Jerry knows that. This Jason Garrett thing, he was ready to fire him. I mean, at three and five, he was getting ready and saying, not during the season, but he was ready and he was lining up and who knows Lincoln Riley, Matt Ruhle, the great Baylor coach, who knows who he was talking to. But he always has a note card of about three or four coaches ready. Jerry keeps that.

He never used it, it doesn't seem like. Used to use it a lot. The point is, though, Jerry younger Jerry was much more willing to ride guys out of town. Jerry overtime realize unless you've got a great replacement, having a solid good B-plus head coach beats the alternative. Coming up next, Antonio Brown wants to be a San Francisco 49er. The San Francisco 49ers could use as much as any other need an over-the-top wide receiver. My thoughts on this coming up.

Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo.

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And for more, follow Timbo SlicLife 12 and the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast, learn the hard way with me, your host, and your host, favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations

with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it, and we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch.

Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on Earth, or are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way.

Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. 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? Come on out. Quarterback on office blue of 42. Hey, rep, my mama want you to wave at her. What?

Where's she at? Hey, Ms. Parker. 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, and our podcast, Point Game is about defying the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what.

He's the smartest player to ever play the game. His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows. Without Luca and Austin Reeves, I got him, manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reid.

He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too. Steve Nash would get that thing. That man, hell get the flying. He running up the court, licking his fingers, why he got the ball like, After you go through a training camp with that, Isaiah, you figure it out real quick. Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball.

So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Dollar Shave Club, products you need, deliver to your door. More you buy, the more you save. It's called the handsome discount. Go to Dollar Shaveclub.com slash Colin's special offer. So Antonio Brown, the Pittsburgh Steelers, very dramatic year this year, a remarkable player. He's obviously going to end up somewhere because he's just too good of a player. He's one of the top, could be the best receiver in football.

A little bit of a me guy over a wee guy, but, you know, wide receivers historically been a lot of that stuff. Guy can absolutely play. But I do find it interesting. There's always a grass is owner always greener quality. I'll just speak for guys here to men. There's always a better job. There's always a better person.

There's always a, and the reality is many times in life. I mean, we've all seen this guy. Some guy has an affair and you're like, why did he have an affair with her? His wife's actually beautiful and really smart. I don't get it. you see that stuff all the time amongst guys. I can't speak for women. I can speak for men.

Almost every time I see a guy having an affair, I'm always like, yeah, but what's wrong with a wife? Great mom, good looking, smart, there for you. I don't get it. It's the grass greener thing. Guys are very susceptible, I guess, to it. Not going to speak for women, just dudes. Antonio Brown actually has the perfect team.

Does Antonio Brown realize it? Story today wants to be a 49er. That's not a good fit. What Antonio Brown could really use is a loose, tolerant head coach. Oh, wait, he's got that in Pittsburgh. What Antonio Brown could really use is a wide receiver, a veteran big guy who can stand in a pocket as he runs deep and throws a great deep ball. Oh, wait, he's got that. What Antonio Brown could use is a team that can also run the football forcing safeties in the box so he's not always double-teamed. Oh, wait, he's got that in

Pittsburgh. What he really needs to be part of a team that already has a culture that doesn't necessarily have to build around him so they can win even when he's a distraction. Oh, wait, Pittsburgh's got that. San Francisco's an awful fit. Kyle Shanahan is a rigid, no-nonsense, do-as-I-say coach. Bad fit. Jimmy Garapolo is a better version of Trubesky, a run-around guy who's very good, intermediate, and under to this point. That's not Antonio Brown's game. The ownership in San Francisco can be flaky, can be sometimes crazed and reactionary to bad behavior.

The Niners, let's be honest, when's the last time they had an amazing ground game? Like, Antonio, this is the perfect fit for you. a tolerant coach who deals well with stars, a quarterback who, because of his sheer size, can stand in the pocket as you run deep routes and then deliver them accurately, a running game to force safeties away from you and into the box,

a complimentary receiver limiting double teams, Juju Smith-Schuster, an ownership that is loyal and has dealt with stars favorably for 40 years. This is a grass is greener thing. This is where you should be. If you told me

there's this speedy wide receiver, got a little diva, unbelievable talent, runs great deep routes, you'd be like, and by the way, needs a coach who can handle a big personality.

That defines the Steelers. Those aren't qualities of Pittsburgh. That defines what the Steelers are. In fact, they are that to. will fault that they're not quite buttoned up. They're a little loose. They're a little too driven by me over we.

I mean, if you don't think fit matters in this league, you think Bell Belichick would deal well with Jay Cutler, Cam Newton, Baker, Mayfield nonsense? No. Brady and Belichick are a great fit. Passionate, driven, all-in, aspirational, can sit and watch film all-day. Brady and Belichick are a perfect tandem. DeMarco Murray, behind the Cowboys' Online, led the NFL in rushing.

He then went to Finesse Chip Kelly and Philadelphia ran for 700 yards. This whole league's about fit. The whole league is about fit. And Antonio Brown, and he can play anywhere. I mean, he's an unbelievable talent. I would make the argument there's no better fit than Pittsburgh. I mean, this team, the coach, the culture, the running game, the receiver, the complimentary receiver, the deep ball thrower,

right up his alley. Joy with the news. No, no, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. So the Cowboys were slammed nearly all season for being predictable, but that criticism was mostly for their offensive play calling. But in Saturdays, divisional round, loss to the Rams,

the Dallas defense gave up 273 rushing guards. That's almost triple their season average of 95. So what happened, well, according to Rams' offensive linemen Austin Blythe, the Cowboys were tipping their plays. Lithe told the ringer, they're a defensive line that really likes to move a lot. We had a pretty good tell when they were going to do that. We predicted plus 90% of their play calls. Yeah, that's not great.

Well, I don't know how it works with week to week in the playoffs. I imagine during the regular season, you may mix it up, but I don't know if during the playoffs you're going to change your defensive play call signals from week to week so that people don't catch on. But this is, to me, this is less on the cowboys and more on the Rams being prepared. Well, and I also think when you have 14 days to prepare over seven, you can watch more film and you can pick up on the tells,

what they call it poker a tell. Right. And I think this is harder to pick up on during the regular season. But there's a reason that Andy Reid, Sean McVeigh, Sean Payton, and Billaichick have very good records off buys because they take that extra time. and they, I mean, look at how sharp the Patriots and Rams were this weekend. That's the best game the Rams have played.

And the Chiefs. Why? Great coaches. More film. By the way, Dallas is trying to prepare a game plan. They don't have three and four extra day to look for tells. I mean, that's that stuff you get to open a season off a buy, buy in the playoffs. Right.

And in general, those teams that you mentioned, maybe not necessarily the Rams, but, you know, the Saints and Ballet's. check and even Andy Reid to a certain degree, they're not so much worried about preparing their quarterbacks to that moment. You know Tom Brady is going to watch an excessive amount of film. You know, Drew Breed is going to do that. I don't know how Patrick Mahomes prepares, but he looked pretty prepared to me. So you can focus on those extra little things. Yeah.

So for two straight years, Nick Foles led the Eagles into the playoffs. And for two straight years, Carson once watched. So he addressed the media yesterday and said the pressure of taking the reins back from Foles could come with additional pressure given the success that he's had over the past. last two years. I mean, it could. I mean, without a doubt, you mean, you look at that and you could say it could put more pressure. I mean, you could say coming into the season, there was more pressure, but I do everything

I can to block that stuff out. Get rid of all that pressure and anxiety or whatever it may be and just play the game freely. You know, at the end of the day, I can't control those. I can't control some of those things. And what I can control is just getting my body right, getting healthy and then getting myself back on the field to prove the player I can be. Wentz may be, I mean, unfortunately, because of, fortunately for the Eagles, unfortunately for Carson Wentz, Nick Foles has had some success, whereas Wence is kind of falling into that Andrew Lutz category where he's been consistently hurt, so we're kind of forgetting how good he is. Yes.

Hopefully that's what ends up happening when he does get healthy. We pretty much all assume they're going to move on from Nick Foles. But I got to tell you, it makes me kind of nervous. Well, the one criticism. He's been injury prone up until this point. Yeah, I mean, the one criticism of Wins, and it's a very fair one, is he struggled to stay healthy. And by the way, Andrew Luck. Now, Andrew Lucks was mostly, though, about a bad O-Lyne.

Wence has had really good O-Lines. He tends to be. And we talk about when you have certain gifts in life, if you have a great singing voice, you'll sing in the shower, you'll sing in the car. Wince is an unbelievable athlete. And so in high school and college, when he got into trouble, he just takes off. He just can't do that as much. And so he tends to be a guy that holds the ball, a lot. little longer tries to, by the way, Aaron Rogers. The criticism on Aaron has been he tries to

make a play, he holds the ball a little longer. If you ever notice guys that aren't overly athletic, Brady, Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, they get rid of the ball quickly. Right. They know they're not going to extend plays. So Wentz is a play extender and that's where injuries happen. But he does have a lot of pressure on him. He's aside from the fact that everyone assumes that he is the better quarterback, even though Nick Folse has had more success with this team, into the postseason. Everything's on him now. I mean, they want a Super Bowl.

You have to win at least the Super Bowl to match what Nick Foles did. Which sounds crazy because it's Nick Foles and he just doesn't really get a lot of respect. But that's a fact. If you ask me this morning, going forward who I like to win the NFC next year, I would pick the Eagles. I still contend owner, GM, coach quarterback, and quarterback being Wentz, all A. So this morning, I would pick. team in the NFL, the NFC, has an A-plus owner. Packers don't have one. GM, Super Bowl-winning head coach, and an A-talent quarterback. Bears don't have an A-talent quarterback. I would pick the Eagles

next year. I'd do it in the summer. Usually, like, June, July, I picked the NFL. And I don't know who they've drafted, but this organization is shown they can draft and get free agents. Philadelphia is still, to me, despite what we just saw. No, they should be the favorite. They should be the favorite in the NFC next year. By the way, I don't have a good singing voice and I still sing in the car in the shower. I usually sing in church when I was little. Really? Well, then you have a singing voice. No, I hit puberty and then now I have this awful squeaky thing I've been on right now. Finally, after, or Adam Gase's tenure, as the Jets new head coach got off to a little bit of an awkward start during his press conference yesterday, it wasn't Rex Ryan in 2009 predicting a trip

to the White House, but Gase did make it clear that his number one job will be driving Sam Donald's on the next level and that Donald was a big reason that he took the gig. I'm excited because this is really the first time I've been able to get with a guy this young, this early in his career. You know, we're going into year two. And, I mean, he's hungry. He's hungry for knowledge. He wants to be coached, which when you have that type of player that does have the physical traits,

this is an exciting thing for me to go through. Everybody's making fun of his intensity in his eyes. He's just an intense dude. I mean, he can see the future with Sam Donald. I'm sorry. That is just uncalled for. I had to do it. I mean, it's a good point, though.

He's worked with Peyton Manning. He's worked with Ryan Tannihil. He's worked with Jay Cutler. Now he has an opportunity. And he had some successes with them. So now he has an opportunity to work with basically a raw talent and prove what he's capable of. Listen, if you're a Jets fan and you don't like this higher, you're a dope.

If you don't get that of the eight. Well, in all fairness, I understand Jets fans being a little apprehensive about the direction that the organization has gone in for some time. Okay, but like this guy got Ryan Tannahill to the playoffs. Look at who's in the playoffs right now. There's no Ryan Tanna Hills. It's hard to get Ryan Tannahill to the playoffs. I agree.

It's less about him working with Sam Donald that worries me, and it's the rest of the roster and everything else that goes on there that would be concerned for me as a Jets fan. And I did have one solid year as a Jets fan, so I can claim that. All right. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by.

The Hurd-Ly News. 15 years in the league, two Super Bowl rings, multiple-time pro-b bowler, an NFL defensive player of the year, and the Steelers' all-time sack leader, James Harrison is joining us on the set today. It's a perfect guest for two reasons. Number one, the headline today in Kansas City is Arctic Blast. So, again, Pittsburgh's cold. It's not Kansas City generally cold. It's not Foxborough cold.

So take your time, James. Just tell us as somebody sometimes hand in the dirt. What is it like planning cold? How did it affect you? Early on in my career, it affected me a little bit, to be honest with you. I had one situation where we were in Cleveland. And dude, it was like cold, cold. And everybody's coming in from outside.

And they're like, dude, it's cold, cold. Like, I'm like, dude, it's not cold. Because I don't normally go out and warm up before we do our pregame warm up. So I'm like, it's not cold. Like I'm like I lived in Ohio my whole life It's not cold Right So we're playing you know

We're playing up there in Cleveland As soon as I step out Out the tunnel It's like rain, hell sleep And it's like needles hitting your arms And it's the coldest I have ever felt my life And I'm like oh my God

I cannot believe this And so psychologically Oh yeah It was in your head The whole warm up I'm like I can't get warm So I get back inside And we had a rule

Like as linebackers You couldn't wear sleeves So if you did it was a fine So I get back and I'm waiting on one person to put on sleeves because I am going to throw these sleeves on and I'm going to take this fine and keep it moving. Did anybody do it? Nobody did it.

We didn't tackle for nothing. Like 30 second timeouts, we're running from the middle of the field to the sideline to try and get warm. Like it was that crucial. Now, but as you aged, you were better in cold weather. I was better in cold weather because I got used to it. You know what I'm saying? and it's just a mind over matter thing.

You know really what it really comes to. Like, even when I went to New England, and I wasn't used to having to go outside again and, you know, like practicing negative 10, negative 12 weather. And they do in New England? Oh, yeah. They don't go inside for nothing. The fields freeze over.

You just go into the stadium. Like, we went inside one time, and it was because it was a blizzard, and we couldn't see, and he was mad that we had to go inside. Belichick was. Yes. Yes.

So take my audience into, because I said, Brady is 13 and 2 in what is considered inclement weather. When he would meet Peyton Manning in cold weather games, I always felt it was an edge for Tom. The way he uses his hips, he's a very good cold weather thrower, and Tom always has been. He practices it. I think it's just from practicing it, you know, even, you know, like I said, up there, and it's like negative 12. And guys are like, are he, is he really going to put us outside? Tom? I was like, hey, let's go.

It's nothing to him. Let's just go out there, get it done, get the work. And like I said, he's out there with some long sleeves on, a little hoodie, and, you know, a hand warmer with some sweats on. And, you know, he's out there slinging a ball like it's, you know, 70 degrees outside. Well, it is interesting because New England's a veteran team that's been in this before with a cold weather quarterback. And Kansas City is a younger team with speed, doesn't run it as well with a younger warm weather quarterback. I said to start my show today. I do believe my gut feeling when the two games ended this weekend, Kansas City.

cities the bet. But when I see Arctic blast and they say it could be 10 below, there's no question, James. My initial gut feeling was that's an edge New England. Yeah, I would think so. I think so too. I would think so. Because like I said, they're used to playing in it. They're used to practicing it. It becomes, you know, second nature, so to speak. And you get situations where if it gets cold enough, your field starts freezing. Now for a guy that's a quick in-out cut guy and your speed guy, that's going to slow him down. You know, he's not going to be able to take off the line as fast. He's not going to be going to stop on the dime as fast. It's going to be a lot of things that's going to slow down speed.

I want to shift to something. I'll get to the Antonio Brown story in a second. The Dallas Cowboys apparently tipped off the Rams on some of their defensive alignments. I don't want to be overly critical of the cowboy coaching staff because I do believe, James, that if you have two weeks to prepare and two weeks to watch film, that gives you an advantage to see poker face, the tells, they call it in poker a tell. I didn't hear this about the Cowboys all year long. I guess my question to you would be, did you play teams regularly where you felt they gave

away signals, gave away tendencies? You could watch certain players that can give things away, certain ways they stand, if they're heavy on their hands, if they're light on their feet, whatever it may be. we had a situation where we were playing a team and you have people that just sit there and they're just looking for, they'll look at one player the whole game and be like, okay,

if it's something that he does and it's 100%, they'll tell us. We had one team that we were playing where the fullback, anytime he lined up and he moved his hand like this, he couldn't help it. It was a run. So we knew run and pass just from watching him.

He lined up if he didn't wiggle, his hand, it was a pass. If he wiggled his hand, literally wiggle his hand like that, it was a run, and it was 100%. When you were in New England or Pittsburgh, were the Steelers or the Patriots more aware of that stuff? Because I think some of this is just Sean McVeigh being a really smart, good coach. Like, if you catch, it's normally like a player, like a stance or like you try to self-scout yourself. You know what I'm saying? Like, if I line up with my feet parallel, you know, it's a, a good chance that I'm going to like, you know, do a stunt in or out. Well, sometimes you need to

line up like that and not do that stunt. You need to make it to where you can try and get it to where it's a 50-50 thing. But that's only through the course of self-scouting. In New England, they actually like watch film with themselves and self-scout themselves. Do you, when you looked at the Rams game against the Cowboys, I don't think that that may have been the deciding factor. Wrap a bow around the Cowboys season to you. Um, I think they play extremely well at home and on the road, they just, they just, they don't. You've been on teams like that. Yeah.

Some teams play better at home. Yeah, definitely. I mean, that's why you fight all year to get home to Philly and Saints game. You take, you know, the Philly and Saints game. You give the Philly 14 points at home. It's over. The game's over. It's over.

But the Saints are at home. So now they have a chance to fight and get back into it. And who would have said, who would have thought that they would have been up 14 and lost 14 to 20? You know, it's funny. we were talking about this yesterday. You were a great player home and away. Teams do play better at home. Is it because of the noise?

It's the crowd. It's the crowd. It's the push, the roar. You know, the fans, you know, they scream and they want more. And then when you go out there and say, you guys go out there and you get a, you know, you get a great player sack. And you still, you know, you're celebrating with your teammates, but you don't have that thing or where you hear the fans. It's the crowd roaring at the stadium. shaking, you know, it's, it's motivation, man.

Well, I don't think the Saints would be favored over the Rams in Los Angeles. So to your point, it is an absolute factor. Your thoughts, Antonio Brown's a great player. No question. He's going to play in the NFL. He's just too darn good. You know, it's like Odell Beckham. You've got to find a place for him.

Now, he may not fit every staff. I would make this argument, though. what Antonio Brown needs is a veteran-tolerant coach, a quarterback that throws a deep ball, a team that has a running game to four safeties in the box, and a good complimentary receiver on the other side, limiting doubles. Doesn't he have all that in Pittsburgh? Could I not argue Pittsburgh's the perfect spot for him?

I mean, wouldn't you be better, James? All those things that you said, they are true. He has all that in Pittsburgh. but I think outside of those things, it's come to a point where I don't believe things can be, you know, burned out, so to speak. And, you know, I feel like it's time, you know, that maybe he gets a fresh start somewhere else

where he can build a whole different rapport relationship with new coaches, new, new, you know, teammates, and, you know, start off from there. What is his biggest frustration in Pittsburgh? What is the thing at night? Antonio Brown lays in bed and it just irks him. I don't know. I ain't in bed with him, so I couldn't tell you.

I think he just wants to, you know, get the same respect and, you know, say, you know, as, you know, he feels he or other players get that he doesn't get. He doesn't feel he has the power in Pittsburgh he's earned. To an extent. That's what I feel. speaking for him because I haven't talked, you know, directly like what it is, but I feel, you know, just from the vibe that I get. Is the Big Ben relationship poor? I'm not saying everybody has to get along. You're in a locker room with 56 guys. Not everybody gets along. You know, nothing is perfect, you know. I would say maybe it's a little strength, but I don't think that's the thing that would be like the killer because they work well together. You know, at the end of the day, I don't really have to like you to be able to work well with you.

I mean, we got to go out here and win games. If we win games, we both keep our job. So, I mean, I don't think someone's going to go out there and try and self-sabotized just to make a point or to make someone seem less of, you know, what they are to that team. Did he tell you you wanted out of Pittsburgh? He didn't tell me that. Did you sense he wanted out of Pittsburgh? I sense from everything that I'm reading now and seeing, you know, with the, you know, withdrawal of Stiller, you know, comment things from his, you know, his social medias and all that stuff.

So, I mean, I would feel that, you know, and the interview, I guess, or the, what Jerry said, I would, I would think that he wants to get a fresh start somewhere else. Money changes some people, not everybody. There are those that have said Antonio got paid any change. Do you buy that? I don't, I don't buy that someone changes. I buy that maybe you become more aware of who that person may have been before that. You know, I get, you know, if I run into a billion dollars, you know, today, you know, tomorrow I'm still going to be James Harrison.

Now, I may tell you exactly how I really feel about a certain situation because I no longer have to filter because I got a billion dollars. Right. But I'm going to still be James. I may just change about how I express, you know, my feelings or way I feel about you. You become more of who you truly are. Right. Finally, if I said to you, it sounds like there are certain places he wants to go. If you had to guess where he is in a year, just random guess.

Where he fits. Where his style personality fits. It's not style personality. that's about play. He can fit anywhere. The man is, you know, one of the best receivers to play the game today. So San Francisco isn't, I don't think it's a bad fit. You got, you got Jimmy over there. You know, he comes back.

You got a tight end that can open the field. Now you got a receiver that can do the same thing. I mean, it sounds like something that. Shaman's pretty intense. Hey, listen, it's a new start. You get set to a new way and this is the way it is. And it's not, you know, you're not giving liensies or, or being able to do what it is that you feel as a head coach is still,

it's not treating the same, but it's considered fair in your mind, then it's not an issue. If you come in and it's one is one and that's for everybody, then that's just what you have to roll with. James Harrison, good stuff. Appreciate your candor. Thank you. Coming up next, Green Bay hired Turtle and Drama.

We'll explain next, The Herd. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd, Weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. Great to have you in. And this is so strange. Like we all know, Joy, you would admit, I would admit, coaching is a huge thing in the NFL. In baseball, best pitching staffs win, basketball, best stars win, hockey deepest roster wins.

Football's the coaching sport. It's very crucial, yes. I mean, Clemsons had a million coaches. They get Dabo Sweeney. He's a great coach. They have a dynasty. Alabama's had two dynasties, Bear Bryant, Nick Saban.

Coaching's everything. I mean, the final four coaches are briefed. Andy Reed, Sean Peyton, and Sean McVeigh. Most believe the four best coaches in the NFL. So this is not a small story to me. This is amazing. So the Packers, not only do the Green Bay Packers hire as a head coach, Matt LaFleur, who's been a play caller one year in his life,

who the stories, and I had it from an NFL executive, he's not great in the room. He's not an alpha. He doesn't have a lot of gravitas, even in coordinator rooms. Yesterday, the Packers added to their offensive staff and hired the Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator. In business, that's comparable to the CEO of Blockbuster. Or in basketball, that's comparable to Shaquille O'Neal's free throw consultant. When you think of Jacksonville, have you ever considered offense?

So what Green Bay did to help Aaron Rogers get to the next level is fire Mike McCarthy who resurrected Brett Farv's career and helped develop Aaron Rogers, and they hired the Tennessee and Jacksonville offensive brain trusts. If I said to you, let's name the least creative offenses, I think I'd start with Jacksonville and Tennessee. Huh? Tennessee was 25th in yards, 27th in points, Jacksonville was 27th in points, and 31st in yards.

these are not Super Bowl winning coaches. These are now Aaron Rogers entourage. They're turtle and drama. They're boys that just run with him and make him comfortable. Have you ever thought of Jacksonville in Tennessee as elevated offensive artistic forms? Have you ever thought of those teams as offensive? I mean, this is amazing.

Coaching has never mattered more in football. I mean, look around. College football, who are the coaches left? Look around. Who are the top teams in college football at the end? LSU's got more good players. Bama Clemson, Ohio State, Notre Dame, they have the coaches. We don't think Notre Dame's got the best players.

We think Notre Dame's got a really good football coach. Belichick, Peyton, Reed, McVeigh. I mean, Aaron Rogers has tops five years left. At this point, commercials are better than his football production. and his commercials are great. But, you know, it's just, it's amazing. Everybody in the NFL now is trying to find the next great offensive coach. Why don't you just find the next great coach?

Belichick's history is on the defensive side. John Harbaugh was a special teams coach. It's not about offensive or defensive, although I do think the rule changes today. have such a high degree of offensive lean, you would be best served to lean offensive coach. But I wouldn't like Adam Gace or Kyle Shanahan if I didn't think they were good coaches. So, and this is really remarkable to me, is that you hired two coaches from two NFL teams at best.

Their offensive history is bland? I would make an argument you would have been better served going and getting a veteran defensive coach like a Vic Vagio, Fongio, Fangio, you would have been better served bringing that into Green Bay, elevating the defense, keeping teams under 23, and just letting Aaron run the offense. Sort of what the Colts did for years with Tony Dungy.

Like Tony will take a defense, polish it, and make it the best it can be. And then Peyton Manning ran the offense. And they just found a guy that worked well with Peyton. That I get. Vic Fangio, defensive coach, hire Matt LaFleur as a coordinator, and he can, you know, he can be the valet, Parkin Aaron Rogers car. But, I mean, I don't even get this.

I just, I don't even get it. Jacksonville and Tennessee's guys. Wow. And, you know, again, can you see Matt LaFleur holding a Super Bowl trophy? and Bill Belichick looking at him like, wow, I got out-schemed. I just don't see that happening. Call me Zaney. Coming up next, why I think the Saints are in trouble and what Wentz and Foles really says about the Eagles.

One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week, within the IHeart Radio app. Search Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. Ah, here we go, hour two live. This is the... heard wherever you may be and however you may be listening we are live in Los Angeles high heart radio Fox Sports Radio and FS 1 15 minutes former Panther giant Viking chief Jeff Schwartz offensive lineman he's great his brother

Mitchell Schwartz playing for the chief starting for the chiefs on the old line and they're saying now wind chill in Kansas City will be minus 15 degrees it's going to be the coldest NFL game in a half decade Arctic Blast, Advantage, New England. I am not built for that. Oh, no, Lord. Lord.

I went to college in a cold place, and then I went and lived in Connecticut, what's a cold place, and I really prefer living in Las Vegas and here, which is not a cold place. Yeah, Pittsburgh is also known for having the capability of getting an Arctic blast. Is it?

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. The blizzards. I mean, it's the same kind of weather is Connecticut or Kansas City. You know, I think there's three teams this weekend. The Patriots, Rams, and Chiefs, I think could win games on a neutral field, home and away. I got to tell you, I don't feel it with New Orleans. I don't think they could beat the Rams in L.A., and I don't think they could beat them on a neutral

field. I think if they do beat them, it's because they're at home. Here's an interesting thing. Seasons don't look at a season holistically. Bill Belichick historically, September they experiment. Early October they experiment. By Thanksgiving on, they're great. And they're always best in December and January.

He's the best coach ever and it's incredibly, incredibly predictable. Andy Reed has generally been great September, October, early November. He's had trouble finishing later for a variety of reasons. Maybe he's a play scheme designer. He spends his off-season, creative. new offenses, takes people by surprise early in seasons. By the end, you've seen as new stuff. I'm just making that up, but what it could be. But I want to show you something very interesting. I think you break seasons in the quadrants. I think September and early October or one season.

Then the weather cools, injuries, October to Thanksgiving. The next season's Thanksgiving to mid-December, and the final season is really, really cold weather and the playoffs. Let's look at the last four games for all these teams. And there are three steps. that's Vegas cares about. Vegas doesn't care about all. The three that Vegas believes are, what are you averaging points per game? What's your output?

What's the point differential? How much are you winning by? And what are your yards per play? Those are considered in Vegas numbers that matter. Vegas loves yards per play. Vegas loves point different. Historically, if you end up with a number one, number two, number three, number four point differential,

you're playing in the Super Bowl. So of all the four teams, New Orleans is last in the last month. Last in points. Last in point differential. Last in yards per play. But I know Saints fans are going, well, Colin, Teddy Bridgewater. Teddy Bridgewater played in one of those games. All right, then let's eliminate that game.

Oh, wait. They're still easily last in points per game, almost by 10. point differential by 30 to 40 points and yards per play by at least a half a yard almost more. New Orleans simply doesn't pass the eye test in the last month. Let's be honest, that game's in Philadelphia. They don't win it. Does everybody understand what Philadelphia overcame to have the ball late? They lost all three of their top defensive linemen for various parts.

They lost their best interior offensive linemen early. They lost their top corner, were on a four-string running back, and a backup quarterback. They were on the road for the fifth time in six weeks and dropped a key potential interception and a key catch from the usually reliable Alshan Jeffrey. Philadelphia had the ball at the 30 driving for the win. They don't pass the eye test. Terry Bradshaw from Louisiana, Saints fans fans. growing up said, just watch them.

They don't look the same as they did two months ago. The thing that bothered me was the last four games of the season. They had not looked good. And I said on the air, you can't put a key in the car and turn it on. And when you're run, run, and away we go, Jack, you can't do that. And on the commercial break up to a highway, you put a key and you turn it on. But with the Saints lately, you had to pull the choke out. There's some truth to it.

And the other thing is, I think the Saints got a couple of breaks this year. First of all, their division was awful. Cam got hurt. Carolina was bad. Atlanta walked into the season on crutches and Tampa's Tampa. So that gave them big advantages. Their division was bad. They also played most of their key big games at home.

They hosted Philly. They hosted the Steelers. They hosted the Rams. The other thing is their schedule worked out, so they got an injured Cam Newton and Carolina. both times late in the year. That's not to say the Rams didn't deserve the accolades. They do multiple things well.

They have a Hall of Fame coach and a Hall of Fame quarterback, a star receiver, and a very good running back, and it's hard to run the football on them. But when I look at them overall, last month, the numbers, the ones Vegas cares about, their last, even if you eliminate the Teddy Bridgewater game, they are easily dead last. I don't think the Saints are playing well.

And when I think about the games this weekend, like if you tell me in one sentence describe New England's, why New England would win this weekend, the first thing I would think of is Belichick Brady. If you said, okay, why would Kansas City win? I'd be like, well, Andy Reid Mahomes, MVP quarterback. If you said, why would the Rams win this weekend? I'd be like, McVeigh, Todd Gurley, O'Line.

if you say, why would the Saints win this weekend? You know what I think? They're in the Superdome. So I think they're incredibly vulnerable. I picked the Saints to get to the Super Bowl and win it. But, man, Breeze is going to have to pull this one out because I just don't like what they've looked like for the last month. All right, let me shift to this.

I said last hour when Joy and I got into this discussion, in the summer every year, I'm fairly accurate. About 60, 65 percent. I picked division winners. I picked teams. This past year I said the two teams I thought would go downhill were the Minnesota Vikings and the Jags, and they did. You know, there were certain teams. You know, I missed some.

I said the Baltimore Ravens were a dark horse Super Bowl team. That was pretty good. I also said the New York Giants would be good. That was a terrible pick. But I think more than usual, 60% I pick games, 60% I'm about right in my preseason predictions. I would take Philadelphia next year to be the best team in the NFC. and I think it's highlighted by something. I tend to judge people how they deal with crisis.

If your kid hits a home run at a little league game, every dad is cool. But what if your kid strikes out three times? And the last two, the umpiring was terrible. How's dad act then? Judge people on how they act in crisis, because that's who they are. They say alcohol is truth serum, so is Christ. cases. People at their point of stress become who they truly are. They can't fake it anymore. The Philadelphia Eagles, this Nick Foles Carson Went situation, has been a mess. It's a mess.

It would unravel most NFL teams. They came into the season on crutches. They're on their four-string running back. Their secondary is a nightmare. This quarterback situation, the media is saying it's a dilemma, and I think it's the opposite. What this Nick Foles, Carson Wentz, quarterback, quote, dilemma has proven to me is, this is the best run football operation in the NFC. People in Philadelphia think I don't like the Eagles, and I question whether Doug Peterson, who didn't even call plays in Kansas City was the right guy. I was wrong.

He is. I've said that multiple times. But Cleveland needed a quarterback. They traded away from Carson Wentz. Philadelphia needed one. They traded into him. And he will be the quarterback going forward, and he should be. Six, five, big athlete, great arm.

But when I think about the Philadelphia Eagles, what they're doing, injuries, quarterback situation, on the road, didn't get a single break this year physically. And they were going in the Superdome, winning drive, to beat the Saints in the Superdome. Listen, the New York Giants can't even handle a one quarterback situation. God, they can't figure out the Eli thing. Philadelphia has got two capable quarterbacks and has handled it brilliantly.

Wence appears to like Foles. Foles appears to like Wins. They both appear to like the general manager and the quarterback and the head coach. This is not a dilemma for Philadelphia. It is actually an illuminator for them to deal with this quarterback situation and there not be a bump in the road tells you this is an incredibly well-run organization. This is an incredibly well-run organization. The Giants can't figure out the one quarterback thing.

They got two guys who could start. The star is watching the backup when a Super Bowl. And every time I watch Philadelphia, I'm like, complete and utter harmony. You see it as a weakness. I see it as a strength. And I don't think it gets in the way of what will be next year going forward the best team in the NFC, Philadelphia Eagles. The whole thing's been magical.

It's unbelievable. This would unravel 80% of the teams in the league. Patriots had Brady Garopolo. Even that thing in the end got tense. That thing for three months got a little ugly. These guys are like, no, that's good. Wentz likes foals, foals like Wentz. both like Peterson.

That's why I like him next year in the NFC. Coming up next, Jeff Schwartz, smart dude, brother starting for the Chiefs, minus 15 degree wind chill. Just say that out loud. I can't wait for this. Jeff's next. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the I-Hard Radio app.

Last night, a blown call changed the game. This morning, the internet lost its... mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down,

give you context and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slic Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations. with so many incredible guests. I'm talking.

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

Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth? Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now.

What's up, guys? This is Clivert Taylor the Fourth. 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 walks up to me, he goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Time out. Quarterback on office blue of 42. Hey, ref, my mama want you to wave at her. What?

Hey, Ms. Parker. Listen to the Cliverts show on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, fam, Ms. Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano, and our podcast Point Game is about Define the Od. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what. He's the smartest player to ever play the game. His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before.

And he knows without Luca and Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reid. He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything.

everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too. Steve Nass would get that thing. That man, hell get to flying. He running up the court, licking his fingers why he got the ball. Like, you go through a training camp with that Isaiah, you figure it out real quick.

Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 10. Jose, the night, 10 Eastern, tonight's Discover card key matchup, free credit scorecard, even if you're not a Discover customer, discover.com slash credit scoreboard. By the way, a guy that played eight NFL years,

his brother now is a pro-bowl offensive lineman for the Kansas City Chiefs, Mitchell Sworge, and he's got a book out co-author of Eat My Schwartz, Jeff Schwartz via the Coward Global Satellite Network, thought he was a perfect guy today for this. Okay, so first of all, you're going to the game. it is going to be minus 15 as a spectator. What are you taking on the trip?

Just as a spectator? So I have the jacket from when I played in Minneapolis. So I have a negative 40 rated jacket. That'll be with me. I have the beanie. So I've ordered the thermal face shield. I ordered thermal long johns, essentially. Thermal pants and thermal socks.

I have hand warmers, feet warmers, and I probably will wear my snow boots. I haven't decided on that yet. I'm ready for this game. Obviously, first age of a championship game ever in Arrowhead. See my brother play. I mean, how many times can you watch your sibling play in a game that could basically overthrow maybe a dynasty and also make it to Super Bowl? Let me ask you, as a player, would you rather play on the road with a crowd disadvantage like the Superdome where you can't hear anything?

Or would you rather play on the road in an Arctic blast where you know that the weather will influence you negatively? What's a bigger negative? A crowd or lousy weather? I would say the frigid cold is a bigger negative. I mean, the crowd noise you can work through and you can lower the crowd noise, obviously, if you play better. The cold is it's a mental, it's a mental game. I mean, it ruins your routine warming up because you cannot get warm, obviously. You think about it all the time.

You think about it when you land. You think about in the hotel. You think about it warming up. You think about it during the game. If things, you know, start going poorly, you feel colder. So it affects everything mentally. the more times you do it, you get used to it, but you never really get used to the cold. I can get rid of crowd noise by scoring two touchdowns.

We saw the Eagles do this on Sunday. Score two touchdowns, crowd quiets down. I can't get the cold to go away if I score three touchdowns. Do you, I believe, Jeff and I said this, my gut feeling when the lines came out, and you're good with the lines was Kansas City's the bat. Kansas City is the bat. I don't think New England can duplicate that. That performance against the Chargers is as good a performance I've seen from any team

in the playoffs in multiple years. They were flawless for four hours. But I got to tell you, it feels like this weather is a break for New England. Am I wrong? I don't think you're wrong because Tom Brady has done this before.

Remember, you have to get used to play in the cold. And the wind is a big fact here. There's a difference between being cold and being cold plus the wind, because the wind messes with your past game. We often see actually in cold weather games, the overhits a lot, because the total is really low, but guys can still throw in the cold.

It's a matter of the wind, and the Chiefs just haven't had, especially Pat Mahomes, haven't had these opportunities to play in the Fridget Cold. New England's run game is very diverse. They can get after the Chief's run game. The Chief's run defense, by the way, 30 seconds still in DVOA. What happens when you play Kansas City is you have a game plan. Run the football, keep it away from Pat Mahomes. But when you're down 14-0, you abandon that plan.

If New England's down early, I don't think they abandoned that plan. So, yeah, running the football is going to be a key for New England. In the cold, it's easier for them to do. it. And plus, defensive linemen don't like to hit anybody when they're cold. No one likes to anybody when they're cold. James Harrison said that about 30 minutes ago on this show. You don't want to hit anybody so favors the offensive line. Have you talked to your brother Mitchell Schwartz, who has had a remarkable year? Where is he at psychologically in that team?

I called him yesterday. I told him I was coming to Kansas City. That's about it. I haven't asked him how the cold is. I mean, I don't know. He's going to probably say it's cold. We'll be fine. I mean, I don't think there's any big concern there. I trust my brother to be ready to play in the whole team. I'll tell you what, you know, Pam Mahomes is the big difference maker. He can do so much with this team that I think they always feel confident no matter if they're down early, if they're big early, that Pam Bahamas can bail them out.

Look at Saturday. The Colts block a punt. It's now 177. The game is like, oh boy, here we go again. I thought the same thing. Here we go again, Arrowhead. Pam Holmes comes down, takes him on a touchdown drive, now is 24-7 all of a sudden. That's the difference with Mahomes. And I love Alex Smith. That's the big difference. Mahomes has those drives in him where Alex Smith did not have that, and that

makes the entire team confident. So they, as long as long as Pam Holmes is upright and throwing the football, they think they can win every game. Jeff Schwartz joining us eight NFL seasons. He was a seventh rounder who put together a really nice career. His brother is a pro bowl offensive linemen for the Chiefs and they host the and are favored against the Patriots this weekend. Moving to the NFC, which you live in Carolina, so you see every NFC South game. Over the last month, Jeff, the Saints don't look the same. numbers that matter, yards per play, point differential, total output. They're the worst of the four.

Doesn't mean I don't like them against the Rams, but I do think home field is huge for this team. What has happened to them post-Cowboys loss? They don't look the same. Well, in the seven home games, Drew Brees started. So take out week 17, the average 37 points a game at home. That bad stretch they had was on the road. It was Dallas, Carolina, and Tampa.

So they're better at home, like you said. And I think on Sunday, the Eagles punched him in the mouth early on. Their offensive line had got a couple guys back from injury, left tackle, left guard, right tackle, took them a while to get going. But I think teams have figured out this. You can double Thomas as best you can. Obviously, he went off on Sunday and put a couple eyes on Kamar. They don't have many other offensive weapons.

They don't have a dynamic tight end. They don't have a dynamic slot or deep guy. Now, Ted Ging being back is huge. We saw the first play of the game. He was open for a touchdown, was underthrown by a breeze. That's not talked about, too. He under threw two balls that would have been touchdowns. That one and one later to Hill that was broken up by the safety.

So I think if you look at their weapons, they decide to run the football, trust the offensive line in the running backs, and let Drew Brees just find places here and there to make play. So there are different offense now without all these weapons. I want to go to a couple of topics. Rams offensive linemen said the Cowboys defensive linemen were tipping plays. Is that common or should that be alarming for Cowboys? fans, Jeff.

Oh, it's supremely common. They found the young offensive linemen who was willing to talk about it. Everyone knows what the Cowboys do. It's no surprise. They're a cover two team. You see two safeties, linebackers deep. They're going to pirate, but it takes a special group of offense alignment to be able to do that during the game. You can get all the keys

you want before the game, but you get the play call, you get to the line of scrimmage, you have to know what you're doing first. You have to look around the defense. Your guy, linebacker's safety. Here the snap count, know what you're doing, hear the other calls, and then also call out what the defense is doing. My favorite thing ever, ever, was telling our offensive line what the defense was doing. They got so upset. They tried to change their calls in the middle game. It did not work. You can

read safeties. You can figure it out. So you have to be able to put all those things together, and the best offensive alignment do that. And for the Rams, they found the young right guard, the youngest of the group by far, who is willing to tell the media exactly what they saw. This should not be a surprise to anyone who's ever watch a Cowboys play. They play fast. They play physical, you know what they're doing, but they trust that they'll beat you on their technique. And finally, you know, I was saying, when you say Jacksonville and Tennessee, you don't think of dynamic, clever offenses. So Aaron Rogers now hired a, not Aaron Rogers, the Packers hire a Tennessee play caller and a Jacksonville coordinator, and it feels like the show Entourage,

their turtle and drama, their guys rolling with Aaron. an appeasing Aaron, but I don't think in a sport where coaching has been magnified and amplified for the last four or five years with rule changes. This doesn't feel like a big boy coaching staff. Am I wrong in Green Bay? No, I don't think you're wrong. It doesn't feel like that, but people I trust Saylor knows what he's doing, but he's never really been in a position to lead a room.

He had the one year as the O.C. in Tennessee and things didn't go very well. I know someone said that they tried to, they should give him credit because he ran the ball and didn't try to bump up his resume. I don't quite believe that. Guys love to throw the football. If you're an O.C., it comes down to really Rogers being willing to change in a new office. It's going to be a new offense.

Is he willing to do something different than, you know, then he had with Mike McCarthy. And look, all reports are that he kind of likes to do things his own way. So they're going to have to find a way to meet. Look, they have all offseason to figure it out, obviously. But Roger's going to have to defer to his coach. His coach has a system. It's worked in the NFL, and he's got to trust him that he puts him

in the right spots. I think early on, the trust will be there, but if they don't play well to start the season, I think Rogers will try to do things more off script like he did with McCarthy. Yeah, he has a strong point of view, and I think Aaron has shown that he's not the easiest guy to coach, and he likes to do things his way, and to your point, they struggle early. Maybe he

abandons the young guys and loses trust. Jeff Schwartz, who's going to the game, he's all thermaled up. It's great talking to you, buddy. Same here, I enjoyed it. All right. Eric Mangini is going to join us this hour as well from New York. If you used to coach the Jets, the Jets have a new head coach, among other

things, here's Joy Taylor with the news. No, no, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the Hurdline News. So Andy Reid has now taken the Chiefs farther in the playoffs than any other year he has spent with the team since 2013, but obviously we have talked a lot about

the cold weather of Kansas City, and that's something that doesn't phase, Andy Reed, especially not with the possibility of the Super Bowl appearance this close in sight. Yeah, it'll be a little chilly and that's okay. I mean, we're at that time of the year, and, you know, you go play.

So I don't think it'll be an issue. We've continued to practice outside when it was cold. And so it's all part of it. I mean, you just kind of adapt. He's going to downplay it, obviously, and not plant a seed of doubt in the situation. This is not a normal cold game.

Minus 15. This is, the coldest, going to be the coldest game in history of the stadium. It's going to be, cold is an understatement. Last week in New England was cold. There's 26 degrees. That's cold. This is an Arctic blast. You know, it's like the difference between cold and Chicago cold.

Like, I've been in a lot of cold. I've lived in Connecticut. I grew up in the state of Washington. I've lived in Oregon. I've been in a lot of cold. And then there's Chicago cold. When the water's coming off the lake. Yeah.

And you're like, even with a jacket, you come out of like a restaurant or a bar, with your buddies, and it's like, oh. Well, it's just like it hits your face. Oh, it hurts. And it's just like James Harrison was saying earlier. It stings your skin. It's another level of cold. Now, granted, both teams are going to be playing in it.

But Bill Belichick kind of said the same thing last week. He was asked about the cold, and he said, we're playing the chargers. We're not playing the weather. Whatever it is, it is. You know, he's making his little Belichick joke there, too. But Brady is 24 and 4, has a 24 and 4 record in under 30-degree weather. So he is good in the very cold, but this is going to be brutal. This is going to be brutal.

By the way, I am 8 and 0 on my playoff pick straight up, and I've already got these games picked. I've already got the scores. I actually find these two games predictable. Like last week, I really didn't have a feel for the Saints and the Eagles at all. Like I remember I went into that game, I said, Saints are going to win, but I think it's going to be really close. And I got lucky because I really didn't think it was going to go the way it did.

I never thought Philadelphia was going to have them on the ropes in the first quarter. Philadelphia, I thought it would be close, but I thought it would be one of those things backdoor covered by Philly. They score lay, but they're never in it. So that game didn't look anything like I thought. It was just re. In fact, it didn't look anything like. Even with the final score, I never thought the Philadelphia Eagles would control big chunks of that game. But this week, I feel I have strong points of view on both.

And I would like to remind America, we are. 8 and 0 so far in the playoffs. Well, I feel like I might be going the other way with you on these games. I am throwing out a little curveball. I'm giving out my picks. Okay. How you're influencing. That's a tease.

I'm teasing people. All right. So Antonio Brown has been a member of the Steelers since they drafted him in 2010. Yeah. And Vegas has released their latest odds for AB's likely 2019 landing spots. And the 49ers have the best odds, two to one. And the Jets, Raiders, and Cardinals all come in ahead of the Steelers. The Jets.

Sam Darnel. That would be fun. I see Miami's on there. Yeah, they just go. You just go to die there. It's just not metaphorically, football life. I don't want to see him in Miami. I don't know.

You know, the longer this goes on, the more I think he may end up just staying in Pittsburgh. He's not going to Indianapolis, so that he's not going there and he's not going to Dallas. And I would not be happy to see him in Oakland's. By the way, I want to see the Niners. I think New York is interesting and the 49ers are interesting. And I don't necessarily know that the 49ers aren't a bad fit for him.

I think that, like James said, when you go to a new place, you are going in with the mentality of this is a new environment and a new start. So if you have how this, you come in, this is our system. This is how we do things here. This is how this person's treated. Let me. Let me, let me, if I was Cliff Kingsbury in Arizona and I just. want everybody to pretend you're Cliff Kingsbury. So I'm in a division with Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson.

I got to play them twice a year. I'm in a division with Sean McVey and Gough. I'm in a division with Kyle Shanahan and Garoppolo, and I'm Cliff Kingsbury. Would I not, I'm just saying if I ran the Arizona car, if I was Cliff Kingsbury, and I got to face Russell and Pete twice a year, Shanahan Garoppolo twice a year, this is the toughest division in football now, and now I've got to face McVey and Goff twice a year, and girly in that old line. If I'm Cliff Kingsbury, I'm like,

I would fight to get Antonio Brown. I got to have a difference maker. I got Josh Rosen. If that thing doesn't work, I'm a joke. I'm out of this league in an hour. Cliff Kingsbury's oriented and decided coaching disadvantage to Pete Carroll, to Sean McVeigh, to Kyle Shannon, in terms of experience. If I'm Arizona, if I'm Cliff, I'm walking into that GM and I'm like, get me, Antonio.

I'm trying to save my career. Yeah. And I'm not, I don't buy. into the idea that he is not going to work anywhere. He's far too talented for any team to be like, we're just, we're above that. Not at this point.

Receivers are so crucially important now. You know if you bring him in and you set it up from the beginning that this is how we do things and he buys into what you're selling that you're going to be fine. So, I mean, he's already got his money. I just think that the situation with the Steelers has gone south, but I do think it's fixable

if they all get in a room. Finally, Freddie Kitchens had his introductory conference yesterday. No. And according to Mary Kay Cabot, owner Jimmy Haslam wasn't at the podium and didn't take questions from reporters. The owner didn't. The owner did not, which is very unlike, which is very unlike his involvement in the

previous coaching searches. But Haslam sat in the crowd and he let GM John Dorsey take the reins. And Dorsey says kitchens will report to him instead of directly to the owner. Yes. Freddie and I are going to work together on a day in, day out basis. You know, there is a belief of a traditional structure. model in place, and sometimes I think that's best. But at the end of the day, Freddie and I are going to make, you know, unbelievable amount of decisions together in Udison because we are such like

my being in our thinking. Yeah, it's his franchise. It's not Bakers, it's not Freddie. John Dorsey, it is his franchise. Front and center, it's his. He is, this is, by the way, I'm not saying it's in the NFL, I'd much rather have my franchise be my coach and my quarterback over my By the way, it's not to say I don't love GMs, but GMs, I think, are best served dealing with scouts and owners. I don't think GMs are best served hovering over players and coaches. I know everyone thinks that we're just hating on the Browns's situation. The bottom line is the only reason that the Browns are relevant at this point is because of Baker-Mayfield. That is the only reason that they are relevant at this point because losing consistently does not make you relevant.

Baker-Mayfield makes you relevant. I like the idea of a traditional power structure. My issue with GMs and coaches, and this is what it comes back to earlier when you were saying, we can only fire the coach, you can't fire the players, you can't fire the owner, so it always kind of falls on the coach. Well, if the GM there is constantly involved in both sides of the situation, I'm with you.

I just feel like I don't want to know who the GM is. Chargers have a great roster and a great GM. I never see their guy. Colts have a great GM. I never see their guy. I don't want to see your GM. Dorsey is very front and center. This was, by the way, the knock in Kansas City.

He's very competent. But there's a lot of hubris, and I just, I think this stuff is problematic when the GM's hovering over a coach. I don't like it. Because the coach is the one who's down there on the field with the players, and the players are the one executing for the wins. I understand there's a macro thing that goes on here, but it just feels like there's a lot of power struggle that's continuing to go on here.

I totally agree. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Lye News. Eric Mangini is going to join us next from New York. The Jets have a new coach. I like him.

And some thoughts going into the weekend, what he suspects happens. He knows New England coached a long time in New England. His thoughts on the Patriots, the Arctic Blast going to Kansas City. Eric Mangini next. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. A big night of college basketball action comes your way Friday on FS1 with action from the Big Ten and the Big East. First, number 19, Maryland, battles Ohio State at 6 Eastern. Then at 8.30, Xavier faces off with the defending champs, number 22, Villanova,

college basketball Friday on FS1 and the Fox Sports app. Feel lucky today because the Jets have a new head coach and a guy that used to coach there and a guy that used to coach in New England, so he's uniquely qualified to join us today via the Coward Global Satellite Network. My friend Eric Mangini, I want to start with this. You know the New York media. I like Adam Gase. He's got Ryan Tannahill to a playoff. He's a grown-up.

He's done this before. I don't think New York will overwhelm him. I think he fits Sam Darnold, who is very coachable and wants to learn. What do you make of the Gase hire in New York, Eric? I think it's a good hire. Miami, he was able to go to Miami, learn how to be a head coach, understand what he liked, what he didn't like, make a bunch of mistakes. And now he gets a second opportunity, and he stays in the division.

Nobody has more intimate knowledge of the dolphins than he does. He's game-planned against the Patriots and the Bills over the past three seasons. And then let's say Flores goes to Miami. Great. That's the same defense he's been working against with New England. So I think this is a really good hire from New York's perspective because they're piggybacking off all the mistakes that he made in Miami. He was five and one against the Jets.

He gave the Patriots trouble. I do believe New York's got the defensive talent and the special teams players. What they need is an elevation of offense. So I agree with you. I think Adam Gase will provide that. Let's go to the, you know, it's funny, Eric, when you coach in this league with the Jets and Browns, you know, you're dealing with injuries. You get multiple personalities.

Belichick's never been great in September. He's remarkable in December and January. I don't like what I see with the Saints in the last month, Eric. They don't pass the eye test. they don't really throw the ball down the field. I kind of lean Rams this morning when I wake up. What do you make of the matchup because they met earlier in New Orleans controlled it?

Here's what I didn't like about the motivational tool that Sean Payton used. You bring out the $250,000. You bring out the Lombardi Trophy. Look, those are great things in terms of motivating guys for the longer term, but you lose track of what's in front of you. And I think you saw some of that with Philadelphia.

And when you go back and look at this first game against the Rams, they're going to be hard pressed to score 35 points in the first half. Everything pretty much went their way. And I think the Rams, to some degree, have guys that are big money guys, that are big personality guys. And later in the season, coasted a little bit. Yeah. But now this is the biggest game that a lot of these guys have played in, and you're not going to get that. And Marcus Peters, motivated, is a really good player. Marcus is one of the best players that I looked at since Dorel Revis coming out.

You get a keep to lead back. Adomicon Sue is this the biggest game that he's played in. Last game, nobody disrupted anybody. There are no sacks. There are very little pressure on either side. The Rams are healthy, especially on the offensive line, have the ability to run the ball. I like the Rams too. Yeah, no, I think you bring up a good point.

In Domican Sue, Marcus Peters, this is a real point. when you bring big veteran wealthy players in, they can pick their spots at times. This is not the hungriest team in October, and I do believe last week the Rams looked like a very focused team. Now let's go to New England, Kansas City. You obviously coached in New England for years. Listen, they're saying it's going to be minus 15. How much of a factor is that? I think it's a factor to some degree, but not an overwhelming factor. These guys have played in the cold. Last week was 31 degrees, and the energy, the excitement, the tension, all those things

allow you to really focus on what's in front of you as opposed to the elements. New England's going to have their hands full. You look at that last game. They picked off Mahomes twice in the first half. One, I thought, was a great defensive play. The second one was Mahomes trying to make a play, and that's what he needs to avoid, you know, going into this week. But there were two balls in the first half, too. that could have easily been touchdowns,

one to Hunt coming out of the backfield, and then he missed Travis Kelsey. Now, you fast forward to the second half. It's big play after big play. They sack Tom Brady, and he fumbles. They have the kickoff return down to the four. They hit the deep over to Tarek Hill. They have the coverage breakdown that allows Cream Hunt to score

on the wheel route. It's going to be an issue for New England dealing with the shifts, the motions, the multiple personnel groups, global quarterback. All those things are problems, and they haven't been as good on the road. Can you take me inside Tom Brady? He has been bizarrely good in lousy weather. Now, I know he's played at Michigan. He's played in Foxborough. Over time, you get used to it. But there is something about Tom. He's a good cold weather thrower of the football. You saw it firsthand. What is it?

Just preparation? Is it mental? Is it physical? Well, Tom has a tremendous ability to focus on what's in front of them. And Bill does a great job of doing that as well. I remember early on in New England, we'd go down to Miami and we'd be worried about the heat. And finally, Bill said, I think it was our second year, look, it's going to be hot there. You've got to deal with it. That's it. It's going to be hot there.

And you get past all those other things. It's going to be cold. It's probably going to be really cold, but it's going to be cold for everybody. and Tom has that ability to just be in the moment. And that, to me, is the advantage that New England has collectively is they're so used to being in the moment that the external things, they don't affect the group like it affects other groups. Sean McVeigh effect.

It seems like anybody that had a selfie with Sean McVeigh at a coaching interview. Do you think the league overreacted a little bit to his boy genius, you know, label and brand? I think coaching changes are a little bit like ties. They come in out of style. You know, when I got hired, I was 34, and then you had Lane Kiffin, you had Josh McDaniels, you had Rahim Morris. There was a whole group of younger coaches at that time, and then if that doesn't work out, they'll, you know, say Vic Fangio has a great year, and Bruce Ariens has a great year.

That shift could easily go back to older guys. It's a disproportionate amount of offensive coaches right now. that'll shift back to defensive coaches. Sean had a unique situation. He went into a team with a quarterback that was struggling. He was able to turn that around. Not everybody is entering into those environments. Each one of these environments, these young guys are going into,

totally different. Like the situation in Green Bay, dramatically different for LaFleur. By the way, Antonio Brown, Chris Ballard said yesterday, basically, not interested. Bill Belichick, though, a couple of times. has rolled the dice on big personalities like Randy Moss. If you ran a team today and you needed a dynamic playmaker, would you roll the dice in Antonio Brown?

Well, it depends on how good your locker room is. And one of the reasons that New England can roll the dice is they typically have 90% of the guys are pushing in the right direction, maybe even more. So you can handle one or two big personalities. And usually they conform to the majority as opposed to continuing. doing their own thing. It's when you start collecting those guys. That's when it becomes a bigger issue. Now, a motivated big personality that goes in New England and wants a Super Bowl, they're going to do whatever they're asked to do in order to achieve that objective.

You send that guy into an environment where the team struggling or the quarterback isn't very good or he's too empowered. Then you get the other end of the spectrum, which isn't very good. Yeah, I was just saying if I was Cliff Kingsbury and I had to face Pete Carolyn Russell Wilson twice a year, McGough, Sean McVey and Gurley and Goff twice a year, and now Shanahan and Garapolo, if I was Cliff Kingsbury, I'd tell my owner, yeah, I'd take him. I think certain teams need him. I think Arizona could use somebody in that division. Look, Sean's made it work in L.A.

Look at the amount of big personalities he's brought in. Marcus Peters, Namakinsu, Akit, those guys have all had different. different challenges wherever they've been. And when you win, it's fine. It's no problem with those guys. When it becomes difficult is when you go through a period where you're struggling, and suddenly those issues that maybe exist in the past, those things get highlighted and become much more dramatic than they are when things are good.

Eric Mangini, good talking to you. Make yourself available once in a while. We'll put you on the show. I want you lighten your schedule up a little bit. Yeah, I'd love to come back. Good to see you. Good to see you, Eric Mangini. Yeah, I mean, it is just funny about that, Joy.

I look at Arizona. I mean, you got McVeigh, Pete Carroll, Kyle Shanahan, and I just got fired in the Big 12. If I'm Cliff Gingsbury, I'm thinking, listen, I need a big piece. I'm a coaching deficit. And by the way, I got Russell Wilson, Gough, and Garoppel. Right now I'm at a quarterback deficit.

I need pieces. I mean, if I was Arizona, don't be shocked. of Arizona doesn't get Labian Bell or, well, they already have a running back. Antonio Brown. Yeah. I mean, they're at a coaching quarterback deficit today. You need somebody who tips the scales in your favor. Hour three coming up live in L.A.

It's the Hurd. One more Herd? The Herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the IHeart Radio app. Search Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. Ah, here we go, hour three. We are live in Los Angeles. Angelus, wherever you may be, and however you may be listening, we're on IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Ready on right here.

FS1. Joy Taylor is joining me. By the way, this sounds a little over the top. Okay. You and Erdle should go to the Laker game tonight. Why is that? Because Luke Walton's coaching for his job. I'm just going to, I'm going to tell you, later this, I'm not being crazy about this.

No, it's definitely a thing. It's a thing happening right now. I don't know why it's a thing. Okay. Do you know who they're playing tonight? Chicago. And I'll get to that. I want to talk about that in the next 30 minutes. So don't go anywhere.

I think Luke Walton is in a little bit of trouble. I'm not into firing coaches. I think Luke Walton is a talented young coach. I thought people were way overboard when he got the job. He was the next great thing. I was like, he's a kid, slow down. I'm going to get to. that in 30 minutes.

Okay. On the Luke Walton stuff. Also, T.J. Hushmanzada. We're also going to give you the four possible Super Bowl matchups. We'll give you a promo for each. How would you rank them in terms of interest you can play along? But let me start here. I'm not ready to predict the winner in the AFC championship game just yet.

But I want to start there. New England needs a break in this game. Oh, they just got one. predicted weather forecast under eight degrees, possibly 9, 10, 11 below zero. That's going to hurt the better offense. That will aid the better defense. That will hurt the more vertical passing game. That will aid the more consistent better running game.

First of all, Tom Brady is 15 and 2 in the playoffs in what is perceived as inclement weather. He's been here before. 13 and 2, excuse me. And by the way, complete 63% of his throws, 30 touchdown passes, 260 yards a game and what's considered inclement weather in the NFL. He's the best cold weather quarterback of all time. Dan Marino was great, so was John Elway. Brady's better. And by the way, the Patriot dynasty did begin in a blizzard against Oakland. But they're saying it's going to be an Arctic blast. Well, if I told you, There were two teams meeting, and one relied on perimeter passing and speed. Does that sound like it's better in an Arctic blast?

If I said this one team's really fast, but something's going to slow them down, would that sound like it's going to help the chiefs of the Patriots? If I said the weather appears to be the kind of weather, you'll have to run the vol significantly. And here's another one. outside of the Superdome, and don't kid yourself, noise is an element just like snow. There's a lot of different elements. There's wind, there's rain, there's snow, there's noise.

The Superdome is a big advantage this week for the Saints because it's loud and you can't audible. Arrowheads consider one of the loudest stadiums in America. College or pro, it'll be nine below. Everybody's going to be wearing a ski mask. People aren't going to be standing and cheering. They're going to be huddled. wearing wool, trying to stay warm, wearing something over their mouths, home field advantage via the crowd, done, gronk, a liability these days.

Actually, the best blocking tight-in in football would be great nine below. Travis Kelsey is the best vertical passing threat, not aided by this weather. Listen, sometimes you need breaks. if I told you it's going to be the coldest game, potentially in Arrowhead Stadium history, and the coldest game easily this year and in the last two years. And I said there is one team that's got way more experience, runs the ball more effectively,

never fumbles, has a short, precise passing game, wins none a factor, and doesn't really have a vertical passing game to begin with. You would take that team this weekend. Just close your eyes. if I say to you, lousy weather in January, what team do you think of excelling in that? By the way, it should be noted,

Dan Marino didn't play well in the cold. Peyton Manning didn't play well in the cold. Just like crowd noise, weather is a huge detriment to teams that sling it, speed teams, vertical teams that rely more on passing than they do running. Tom Brady, Michigan, Foxborough, 20 straight years of lousy weather this time of the year.

And by even bad weather standards, this is going to be historic. I believe New England needed a break to win this weekend. They got one from your local meteorologist. They're calling for an Arctic blast. Sounds like something you buy it, Dairy Queen. It's an Arctic blast, edge New England. It changes the way I see this game. So, you know, outside of a handful of teams in college and pro,

everybody's always looking to fire their coach. Because psychologically as a fan, it's easy to fire a coach. Fans want to believe they're just a coach away from winning at all. You can't fire players, right? Do you ever notice that? Fans will be overly loyal to average players. but really tough on excellent coaches. Because psychologically, you could talk yourself into,

if we just get rid of Mike Tomlin, we'll win all our games. You know, if it's not for Bill O'Brien, we'd be way better than the Colts historically. Can't fire J.J.J.J.J.J.J.D.J.D.D.V.M. Multiple players. multiple players. So fans always want the coach out. The coach is often very good, more than like average players, troubled players. You'll be loyal to him. So Jerry Jones was talking about his coach, Jason Garrett, who's the most criticized successful coach in the NFL. And here's what Jerry Jones said. If Jason had been out on the market two weeks ago, he would have had five offers for head coaching. I know that. So you've got to look at what your alternative is.

I believe there's 32 teams in the NFL, and I think 25% of them have an elite coach, eight. There are eight coaches to me that feel better. Belichick, Andy Reid, Sean Payton, Sean McVeigh. I think what Matt Nagy did in Chicago this year with limited offensive personnel and Trubisky was remarkable. Pete Carroll, Doug Peterson, and John Harbaugh. John Harbaugh lost a quarterback, took a rookie quarterback who's not really good at throwing the football, and they won their division. That is great coaching, and he'd previously gotten to a Super Bowl. I think there are eight coaches that fan bases mostly know they're pretty good.

After that, you do realize that Jason Garrett falls in the class of the other guys who we all like way more than we love. Mike Tomlin gets heat in Pittsburgh, but you like him. Bill O'Brien in Houston. Dan Quinn's been to a Super Bowl in Atlanta, Ron Rivera and Carolina, Jason Garrett, Mike Zimmer in Minnesota. They're clearly competent, all of them. They've won divisions. Players generally play hard for them.

And they win a lot of games. In fact, I can argue with all of them something really impressive. Do you know Bill O'Brien has won three division titles? One year with Tom Savage and Brock Osweiler. That's impressive. Mike Tomlin has been to two. two Super Bowls and one one. Jason Garrett, he's been in Dallas forever.

He's had one losing season. What about Dan Quinn, Ron Rivera? They got to a Super Bowl. My point is, a quarter of this league or eight coaches most fan bases get on every Sunday, you've got the better coach. Jason Garrett simply falls into a group of a bunch of a bunch of guys who on a resume I can certainly promote, market, and defend.

But we mostly like them more than we love them. We can run Jason Garrett out of town, and I do not consider him in the Elite 8 club. Look around the league at who is getting hired. Before you blast on Mike Tomlin and Ron Rivera and Dan Quinn and Jason Garrett and Bill O'Brien and your Mike Zimmer's, Look at who the Packers hired. Look at who Arizona hired.

Look at Runley. Look at who Cleveland hired. Take a deep breath. Matt Mosley covers the Cowboys, talked about Garrett yesterday and how many feel in Dallas. I think something has to change. I think Jerry knows that. This Jason Garrett thing, he was ready to fire him.

I mean, at three and five, he was getting ready and saying, not during the season, but he was ready and he was lining up. And who knows? Matt Rule, the great Baylor coach, who knows who he was talking to, but he always has a note card of about three or four coaches ready. Jerry keeps that. He never use it, it doesn't seem like. Used to use it a lot. The point is, though, Jerry younger Jerry, was much more willing to ride guys out of town. Jerry, overtime, realize, unless you've got a great replacement, having a solid, good B plus head coach beats the alternative.

Coming up next, Luke Walton sounds crazy, but is he coaching for his job tonight? They won't fire him tomorrow, but decisions get made before decisions are officially made. I'll lay it out for you. Is Luke Walton in trouble with the Lakers? Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the IHeard Radio app. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind.

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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?

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His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows without Luca and Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reid. He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense.

And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too. Steve Nash would get that thing. That man, hell get the flying. He run up the court, licking his fingers. why he got the ball like, after you go through a training camp with that Isaiah, you figure it out real quick. Get your ass up and down

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Onepellaton.com. I always struggle saying that. Peloton. OnePeloton.com. I don't know why I struggle with that so much. By the way, this sounds crazy as Luke Walton coaching for his job tonight with the Lakers. This is the easy stretch of their schedule. They got the Knicks at home, an awful team. Oh, wait, they lost.

They got the Cavs at home, an awful team. Oh, wait, they lost. They get the Knicks tonight at home. They get Chicago tonight riding a seven-game losing streak at home. An awful team. if they lose Luke Walton's in trouble. Magic and Rob Polinka did not hire Luke Walton. LeBron James is tough on coaches.

January is historically LeBron's restless month. He got David Blat-fired with a winning record in January. The Lakers are now 9th in the West. In the last month, the Knicks and Cleveland have won a game apiece. both the Lakers in Los Angeles. The Bulls are awful. Seven game losing streak. In Los Angeles.

The Lakers are now man overboard offensively, which is where Luke Walton is supposed to be at his best. They are now 25th and points and 29th and 3 point percentage without LeBron. This is a real thing people in the league are discussing. If they lose to the Knicks, calves and bulls at home without LeBron, who by the way, today is at shoot-around. He will not play tonight, at least to this point.

Maybe he is capable of playing. This is not good for Luke Walton. GMs like to hire their own guys. That's what they like. John Dorsey didn't hire Hugh Jackson. They like to hire their own guys. Los Angeles needs to win tonight. They need to show a pulse offensively.

Listen, we told you about the Anthony Davis rumor about four days before it hit the air. And then everybody said, oh, the Anthony Davis thing, there are people in the league now saying, Luke's in some trouble. It's January. LeBron's restless. They're awful without him. Five years into a rebuild. The really young Luke Walton, they're awful.

By the way, decisions in life are. made before they're signed off on. People make decisions. You know what they say about divorces? You make the decision six months before the divorce. Something happens, an epiphany, a moment. The decision is made before the day the divorce is announced. I think it's go time for Luke Walton.

I think it's go time. They have shown no pulse offensively, losing it home to horrible teams. I'm not saying I'd do it. I'm just telling you what I'm hearing. There's a little heat on him. What do we always say, though? The NBA is a star-driven league. They don't have their star right now.

They don't have a second option on that roster. So? I'm saying. But LeBron James isn't playing. I mean, how many stars you need to beat the Cavs and Knicks at home? How are the Cavs doing right now without LeBron James? Well? But they beat the Lakers.

In January. And Nick's beat him. planning on seeing them in the Eastern Conference finals? I'm just saying, hey, I'm just, you know, just throwing it out there. Listen, I'm not saying that it's not a thing and it's not being discussed. I'm just saying, what is that solved? Who exactly are you bringing in that's going to revolutionize this, the coaching side of it? Now, now the players, sure, I'm all yours.

The Cavs and the Knicks are literally tanking and the Lakers can't beat him at home. That's bad. If you and I ran a race and my goal was to finish last. I'm not saying that they're not in a slump. But I'm saying it just, is this Luke Walton's fault or is it the roster? Hey, was it David Blatt's fault? I'm not saying it's, listen. I know, I didn't think it was David Blatz's fault either. All right. Joy Taylor with the news.

No, no, no, no, turn on the news. This is the herd line news. I'm not saying some of it doesn't go on Luke Wallen. I'm just saying we are always talking about how important the stars are in the NBA. and this is just another example of how important LeBron is to that roster. I'm just hearing from people who I trust that Polinka is pacing. They've had meetings. LeBron is, life preserver LeBron has not jumped in in any expedient way to play again.

Letting it slowly develop. It's a much easier argument for LeBron to walk in a room and go, come on, you couldn't beat the calves, the Knicks and the Bulls at all. Because LeBron doesn't want to meet the heavy and the bad guy. It becomes a very easy argument for LeBron to say, fellas, we can't be the three worst teams in the league on losing streaks when I'm not there. You'll probably need another player, LeBron. So the Cowboys were slammed nearly all season for being predictable,

but that was on the offensive side in Saturdays. Divisional Round Loss of the Rams, the defense gave up 273 rushing yards, almost tripled their season average of 95. And according to Rams' offensive linemen, Austin Blythe, the Cowboys were tipping their plays. He told the ringer their defensive line likes to really move a lot. We had a pretty good tell when they were going to do that. We predicted plus 90% of their play calls.

Now, I think this has a lot to do with preparation. James Harrison said it's a lot to do with individual players' tells. But you are able to see that by watching a little bit of extra film. When you watch the video of the Cowboys Rams, look at the holes that are created by, you know, it's amazing. when you get Dallas has that many great players and in the space of about 16 feet you have like

four feet wide holes I mean they were doing what they wanted God it was just it's one of the great offensive line performances of the season it was just like the whole game was like you know golf got hit once forget sack golf got hit once in three and a half hours

they were just they were really impressive they just came out and they were the team that we saw at the beginning of the year which is why I feel very strongly about this weekend. You like the Rams this weekend? I do like the Rams this weekend. And I want Drew Breeze and the Saints to move on,

but just because it's Drew Breeze, I feel like we're going to get a lot more from this Rams team in Chalmic Bay. But I just, I think that performance was just so dominant. And I don't know. Did I remind you that I... The Saints are not scoring a lot. Did I remind you I am 8 and 0 so far in the players? That has been the 10.

talk of a nation, frankly. Yes. So for two straight years, Nick Foles led the Eagles in the playoffs, and for those two years, Carson once watched, and he talked to the media yesterday about taking the reins back from Foles and the pressure that comes with that. It could. I mean, without a doubt, you mean, you look at that, and you could say it could put more pressure. I mean, you could say coming into the season, there was more pressure, but I do everything I can to block that stuff out. Get rid of all that pressure and anxiety or whatever it may be and just play the game freely. You know, at the end of the day, I can't control those.

I can control some of those things. And what I can control is just getting my body right, getting healthy, and getting myself back on the field to prove the player I can be. He'll be fine. He was in the MVP running a couple years ago and he was healthy. He's like Andrew Luck. Get him upright, get him healthy. They'll be fine.

He'll be fine. I think he'll be fine. I think he has to win a Super Bowl. Well, he didn't have to. He'll live a charmed life if he doesn't. He's going to have a wonderful life, I'm sure of it. But if he is going to measure up to what Nick Foles did, he's got to win a Super Bowl.

All right. All right. I mean, are we playing for participation trophies around here? I thought I didn't like that. What if he won two? Everyone gets a ribbon. What if he won two MVPs but never won a Super Bowl? Then he never won a Super Bowl.

And Nick Foles did. And Nick Folls won a Super Bowl MVP. I think a lot of that. We're way too much on titles. Sure. I love just being in the room. So, yeah, is Jeff Hostetler? Good point, John.

Is Jeff Hostelterler better than Phil Sims? As a quarterback, no. but he's a winner. Is Jeff Hostel or better than Dan Marino? No, but Dan Marino never won a ring. He's not, he can't say, Dan Marino cannot say, and I like all the respect to Damarino, obviously. He never won a championship.

He cannot say he is a Super Bowl champion. But you can put him in the top. Here's a question. Would you rather win a Super Bowl or not win a Super Bowl? Well, I'd always rather win a Super Bowl, but I would rather be an all-time great without a Super Bowl than average with one. I just feel like Nick Foles is getting really good.

He's not getting a lot of respect. I asked Chris Carter this once, and he was brutally honest. Chris Carter said, I'd rather be a Hall of Fame player without a Super Bowl than an average player with a Super Bowl. Because Chris Carter's entire life for the next 100 years, you're like, he's an all-time gold jacket great. I would rather be an all-time great. I'd rather be Dan Marino than Jeff Hosteller. Yes, of course. And I agree with the notion of being a Hall of Famer.

You'd rather be a Hall of Famer, be an all-time great legend. I'm just saying, the pressure on Carson-Wenst now is win a Super Bowl. Is it not? They just won a Super Bowl with Nick Foles. And they're moving on from the quarterback that won them a Super Bowl and won another playoff game. I sound selfish saying that, but I would rather be Dan Marino than Jeff Hostel. I think most, I mean, I feel like I'll be disrespectful again.

Of course, everyone would agree with you. Even Jeff Hostelder. I don't know about that. I don't know. I think he would agree with me. Most people would, and I do too. Finally, Adam Gays' tenure. As the Jets new head coach got off to a bit of an awkward start during his press conference yesterday,

it is the talk of the sports world. But Gates made it clear that his number one job will be taking Sam Donald to the next level, and that is a big reason why he took the gig. All right. I'm excited because this is really the first time I've been able to get with a guy this young, this early in his career. You know, we're going into year two. And, I mean, he's hungry for knowledge.

He wants to be coached, which when you have that type of play. player that does have the physical traits, this is an exciting thing for me to go through. Listen, this guy's going to work. This guy, this guy had a winning record with Ryan Tannahill. That's all I'm going to say. He's going to work. I have no doubt about him working with Sam Darnold and his ability to work with a quarterback and take them to the next level. That's not my concern with him. My concern is the rest of the roster. Here's what. The Jets special teams in defense are fine. They're actually exceptional. They have a really good defense and they have really good special teams.

They're a mess offensively except for Darnold and a young tight end. He'll elevate average pieces. Plus, they got seven draft picks. They're going to mostly pay attention to the offensive line. They have to get those right. This is a stock you want to buy. This is a $13 stock that is going to be a 17 by the end of this year and a 25 and two years. This is going to work.

But you got to win your division first. Yeah, that's not easy. That's not. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The He played for over a decade in the NFL, my friend, T.J. Hushmanzada. Come on here.

I want to ask him a question. I'm sounding like a weird guy here. I would way rather be an all-time great with no ring than a marginal player with a ring. 100% of players would agree with that. Well, that's because I'm a player. Yeah, everybody would agree with that. Joy. When you're an all-time great, you get TV shows, you get endorsements,

You make a lot more money as well. The rest of your life, I mean, Dan Marino is a legend in America. I would 100% agree. I think that the Nick Foles, Carson, Wentz situation is interesting because you have this roster with Nick Folles who won a Super Bowl, Super Bowl MVP, and then got you back in the playoffs again. Very interesting. Let's say Carson Wentz 10 more years. This is realistic.

Three MVP's, because this is a really well-run organization, wins his division seven times. is considered the first or second best quarterback in the NFC for a decade. Kind of an Andrew Luck thing, but he can't win his Super Bowl. He'll take that. Isn't he bigger than Nick Foles in Philadelphia? That's their first Super Bowl. So, no. He's not bigger than Nick Foles.

Okay, so let's say Foles does that. Eight division titles, MVP three, he does get to a Super Bowl and loses, and that he and Nick Foles, 10 years from now, walk into a bar. Who's getting free drinks? Wentzer Foles. Probably both of them, but Farson's going to get more.

They'll both get free drinks. Nick Foles will always be remembered in Philadelphia. Like, he wasn't just one of those quarterbacks that managed it. He played a big part in the Eagles winning that Super Bowl. He played extremely well in that run. How much does Super Bowls mean to player? It means more when you get towards the end of the game. your career. I mean, when we're in Cincinnati, I was like, oh, we're going to have to playoffs

every year. We're young, we're good, and then, oh, we didn't make it the next year. I'm like, how does this happen? You don't really, you want to play well individually. And if you can get to the Super Bowl, you'll take that. But you don't want to go to the Super Bowl, and when you retire, you have no money at all. Okay, no, I agree. I was thinking about this this weekend. McVan Gough, deep in their psyche, probably feel like we're going to get to some Super Bowls. 100%. Breeze and Peyton may think

is about one of the last ones. Nothing against Teddy Bridgewater. But you can see Sean Peyton and Drew Breeze. I could argue T.J. There's a little more urgency in the psyche of their mind that this could be our last run. We're going to have to start paying some of these

young players we drafted. I mean, to me, if you ask me, where is the urgency? Ram's Saints. I'd say Saints. Both teams will be very urgent. But if Drew Breeze, he came on my draft class, and he's still playing. And so this is a sense of urgency because he knows how hard this. The thing is, when you've played as long as he has, you know how hard this is to make it to a championship game, the NFC championship game at home.

It's very hard to do. And the sad part is it's looking like it's not going to happen. And Shelton Rankin's tearing his Achilles is a big blow to the Saints. That's a big blow because up front defensively. He's our second best player behind Jordan. And so that's going to hurt him. Nobody's talking about, oh, him tearing his Achilles is really going to help the Rams run the ball. It's going to alleviate the pressure up front.

It's a big blow. Eric Mangini came on my show. Joy feels this. Everybody I've asked likes the Rams. Listen, my takeaway is right now, our perception of the Saints isn't reality. They're just a grind team. They don't throw over the top anymore. I think the Rams are a better team this morning than the Saints.

I would agree. The Saints can go. Tegan, Jr., for some reason, he's not slowing down. The boy can still run like a deer. First play the game is a touchdown if Drew Brees done out and throw him. He underthrow him. It's intercepted. Michael Thomas is probably one of the better receivers in a game.

Contested, goes up and gets the ball. Nobody talks about him as one of the top receivers in the league, and he is. but that's all they have. It's Michael Thomas, Alvin Kamara. That's it. Via the air throwing a ball. And so you need more than that to make it to the Super Bowl. Sounds like you like the Rams.

I do like the Rams. And I've played in a Superdome. It's extremely loud. It's tough to play in. But the Rams have a little thing. You know, I heard you guys talking about the Cowboys tipping their defense. Yeah. it's going to take some time.

When Peyton Manning in the Indianapolis coach would go no huddle. They're going no huddle because they didn't have the earpiece for the defensive player, if you recall. Defensive coaches would have to signal in their defense. Well, that offensive coach is telling Peyt Manning what the defense is. So we got a player from Indy come to our team. We started going no huddle in Cincinnati. So now our coach is telling Carson what defense they're, in, we started rolling.

Everybody started doing it because they were getting the signal from the coach on the sideline, even still to this day, when you go to a huddle offensively, somebody signal as a defense, but you still have a coach on a sideline doing hand signals. Advanced scouting, which they call analytics now, they have all these hand signals. So they're telling the quarterback in the air what coverage it is. So who's the advantage for? I mean, to me, it's the advantage for the team that goes no huddle. You keep the crowd quiet because you're going no huddle.

They're not going to screen for five, ten minutes straight. And you help the quarterback out by telling him the coverage on the back end. Now, the O line, we have to protect. But if I'm a quarterback and I know the coverage, that's one less thing I have to think about. Let's go over to the Arctic blast game. Take me in your career. I tend to think awful weather, because I've seen Brady playing it so many times, edge New England.

He's 13 and 2 in inclement weather games. He went to Michigan. He's been in Foxborough for 18 years. I tend to think it's an advantage. Doesn't mean I think New England will win. I do think it's an advantage. Whether you do or not, take me to your coldest games because Kansas City is thought of as a receiver speed team.

So as a receiver, what did cold weather do for you? I remember one game. We played in Cleveland, and it was crazy. It was clear skies. sun was out and it was like negative eight degrees unreal it was like the 15th game of the season late in the season i believe it was 2008 and it was freezing cold it was a regular season game we weren't going anywhere we weren't playing for the playoffs for me cold does not bother the players it's the win that has an effect if it's a wind chill and it's really windy that's going to affect the game

playing through code is all the mindset when you're younger it's like godly it's cold especially come i'm from California. And so when you finally get out there and you fill it, you're like, whoa, I'm standing next to the heater. I'm sitting on the bench the whole game. And once you get used to it, it is what it is. This is aFC championship game. Nobody's thinking about how cold it is. We're trying to get to the Super Bowl. If it is windy, that will play a effect. But it just being cold, I don't know how much it matters. Advantage the Patriots because they've been there. This is nothing for Tom Brady. Nothing. He's been there. He's had so many games in this type of weather. I will say this.

I don't think in the NFL you can play as well as New England did again. That was virtually a perfect football game. It's almost like a baseball player going four for four with two home runs, a double a single, or hitting for the cycle. Can't do it the next night. It's tough. I'm picking against New England. I didn't think they would win a playoff game.

So I damn sure don't think they're going to win this game. So there we go. I just sit. I thought New England was as good as I've, and I'm serious. I've never seen New England, even in a playoff game, home play against a roster that good and play flawless. Colin, it was Brady goes 34 for 44, 343 yards. 24 of those catches were the two guys, Edelman and James White.

248 of the 343 yards were to the same two guys. And I'm watching the game and I'm like, Gus Bradley, will you please try to play man to man? Blitz them, play man to man, change it up because they just went down the field the first drive. Boom, boom, boom, boom. Touchdown. Charge your score.

Patriots get the ball. Boom, boom, boom, boom. Touchdown. Gus Bradley, change it up. And he didn't. No, I, listen, my, it's really funny because I think your gut feeling is mine. I'll make my picks later. My gut feeling is Kansas City Edge, New England cannot duplicate the effort.

My gut feeling is, I don't buy the Saints. I just don't buy what I'm seeing. I think Philadelphia should have won. I like the Rams. Now, this is one of these things where you just wait for stories, you wait for injuries. There'll be little tells and stories. TJ, good seeing you. Thank you guys.

Coming up next, we'll give you the best and worst potential matchups. Who would networks? Like, what would that, if I was a network exec of the four potential Super Bowl matchups, what order, which would I prefer? Have that coming up. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. Cold and flu season, try Vic Synex nasal spray. Works up to 12 hours, use his directed Vic Synex nasal spray.

By the way, I've had three different players text me and say, Hell yes. All time great over one Super Bowl every day. I agree. Yeah. I mean, like fans are like, it's all about Super Bowl. If you can be... I do think that playing with Super Bowl is important because you play... That's what everyone is playing for. Right.

But I think having a great career, being in the Hall of Fame, being known as an all-time great, is better. I'm just saying specifically with the Eagles and that situation, it's unique. Who's on pregame shows? Dan Marino or Hostetler? In the end... Poor Hostel. Yeah, you want to be an all-time great.

Yeah. You can live without the Super Bowls. You want to be an all-time great. Okay, four teams left in the Super Bowl, and that means there are four possibilities on who's going to play in the Super Bowl. And, you know, Joey and I have worked in TV combined probably about 50, 40 years, a long time. The way networks look at Super Bowl matchups is different than how fans look at Super Bowl matchups. There are certain things that are just easier to sell to advertisers.

there are things that are easier to market and promote to the fans to create a bigger number. So of the four matchups in Best for Last, here is what I think is the fourth best Super Bowl to promote. This February, the quarterback who set nearly every statistical record, squares off against the phenom who's on pace to shatter all those records. Chiefs, Saints, Super Bowl 53. By any measure, that's an interesting Super Bowl. Sure. That is a very interesting Super Bowl.

I think it's the least smallest TV rating of the four. This is the third best Super Bowl. This February, it's a dream matchup nearly 20 years in the making. Two quarterback legends squaring off for the game's ultimate prize. Patriots, Saints. Super Bowl 53. Now, I would say that our guys butchered it. That's the best one.

I think that's the best one. Yes, I do. I agree. Tom Brady, Drew Brees, iconic players, iconic franchise, that's the best matchup. To me, that's the best.

Throw the other ones out here you have of the four matchups. One Monday night in November, we all witnessed what many people considered to be the greatest game ever played. This February, get ready for the first. rematch. Chiefs, Rams, Super Bowl 53.

That's number two. I don't know, though. You're basically saying, remember the greatest game you ever saw? Rematch. But it's the two, this is why I like this game. This could be a future rivalry. It's two of the youngest quarterback stars in the league. It's the future.

Like you said, it's going to be a lot of offense. I don't know. It's one, one, A. Like, it's very close between. Okay, is Patriot Rams? Let's do the Patriot Rams. Let's see if you can sell this. Oh, they don't have it.

Okay. Well, Patriots Rams would be genius coach against boy genius. Right. Yeah. That to me is... To me, selling a Super Bowl is all about storylines. I think Brady Breeze is the best by far. I think rematch of the greatest game ever is second.

Do you agree with that? It's very close for me, though, because I think that the better game would be Chiefs and Rams, but I think it's just more nostalgic the Saints and the Patriots, because if it's Saints and Patriots, I'm going to assume the Patriots are winning. Listen, if the worst, see, I think Chief Saints, it'll get a big number because it'll be wild. And I do think there's some subplots like Andy Reid winning a title. Andy Reid's maybe the best coach in football. I think he is the best coach in football without a Super Bowl.

Yeah. Yeah. Andy Reid's the last, you know, like Dan Marino was always the last great quarterback without a Super Bowl. Elway won them, Peyton won them, Brady won them, Breeze one of them, Rogers, Farve. Marino's the one great great player, like Charles Barkley

is one of the few great NBA players. I mean, like great players, Charles doesn't ever ring. Marino didn't ever ring. Andy reads the last great coach in America that does not have a Super Bowl. And you'd be watching Drew Breeze go. for what, to me, at least, cement his legacy as being one of the absolute greatest quarterbacks of all time. I mean, to me, he's already ahead of Aaron Rogers, but that I think

would just... Remember last year? Remember last year, we came within an inch? Last year, we came within an inch of getting this. Coming February 2018, undrafted backup quarterback Case Keenum squares off against the greatest quarterback of all time whose name is Blake, Vikings, Jaguars, Super Bowl 52. People forget. Programming note, the Super Bowl has been canceled. That's haunting. That is haunting.

It is really, to get the four best coaches, the best offenses, this year has been, you know, I was talking about this to an executive recently. It was not a great year in college football. It was not. It was not a great college football year. We got Alabama Clemson again. the ratings were way down in the semifinal games. They were down in the national championship.

Urban Meyer had that, Ohio State had that awful story. USC's a mess. Texas is a year away. I mean, Notre Dame was a nice story, but it was not a great. And in the NBA right now, you'd have like Toronto against Denver in the NBA finals. LeBron's not playing. The Warriors are just sort of rolling their eyes through the regular season. It has not been what I perceive to be a great NBA season so far.

It may be post-trading deadline and All-Star break. It has really been an amazing NFL season. Yeah, it hasn't. You can't lose with any of these matchups, really. I mean, really, to me, Chiefs, in fact, the funny thing about Chief Saints, I'd be more into the Andy Reed thing, and I'm more of a football guy. That would be the best story for me. I don't think that's nearly as compelling as Brady against Breece.

I'll say it again, if Breeze wins a second Super Bowl, and I said this a year ago on this show, No, I said this six months ago on the show, and people rolled their eyes at it. If Breeze wins a second Super Bowl, he has moved ahead of Aaron Rogers. Yeah. Because he's better than statistically not close. Postseason, not close. No, I think it ends that conversation. It is.

Now, and so, and I also, the Saints have some really good young players. They got to start paying some of them. So it kind of feels like for the Saints, there's incredible urgency this year. Tomorrow on the show, Nick Wright, Derek Johnson, former Chiefs, Pro Bowl linebacker. We'll be on the show tomorrow as well. So this is a, we've been very, this has been as good at NFL seat. Now, Wence got hurt and Rogers got hurt. By and large.

No, when you look at the injuries that we had last year. And Garoppolo, so Garoppolo comes back next year. Yeah, Aaron played every game. So next year, Wence is back. And who else? And you had Wins for a lot of the season too. What's that? You had Wens for a lot of the season too.

Yeah. No, and then by the way, we'll add a couple of people. and very exciting NFL year. Draft and Free Agent is going to be, free agency is going to be huge this year in the NFL. 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 Sports Slice 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 headlines. And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves. Their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment,

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