The Herd with Colin Cowherd - THE HERD - Hour 1 - Buccs have lost 5 of their last 6, Bills are taking Josh Allen for granted

Episode Date: December 12, 2025

Colin Cowherd breaks down why the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ fifth loss in six games reinforces his long-standing belief about offensive head coaches vs. defensive head coaches -- and how that philosophy directly impacts quarterbacks in today’s NFL He once again discusses why the Bills need to put better weapons around QB Josh Allen and the GM not taking the WR position seriouslySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Hey guys, it's us. The Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick. And guess what? We created our own podcast called, Hey Jonas.

We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions. Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it. But, you know, tired and sick. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you.

you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. 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 ice. Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

I'm Michelle McPhee, and I've been unraveling the strangest criminal alliance I've ever reported on, a Mormon polygamist and an Armenian businessman. Multi-million dollar house, Ferraris and Lamborghinis, private jets, a billion dollar fraud. But how long can this alliance last? Tell me what you know. Is somebody coming after me? Listen to Kingdom of Fraud on the Aihar Radio. Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

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 SportsSlice comes in. I'm Timbo. In every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headline.

And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear. Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slicelife 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Winning on Clay is an art. The rallies are relentless.

And at the French Open, only the toughest survive. I'd know. I competed there for decades. Join me, Renee Stubbs, on the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast for no nonsense breakdowns of the biggest matches, the toughest players, and the moments that define Roland Garris. Jen, she's an outsider to win the French name. and she likes Clay. Listen, Leonard Rabakina is arguably the best player in the world right now, and I actually can win on any surface.

Listen to the Renee Stubbs tennis podcasts on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. Thanks for listening to The Heard podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio and noon to 3 Eastern 9 a.m. to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the herd at Fox Sports Radio.com. or stream us live every day on the IHeart Radio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR.

You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. All right, it is a Friday. Let's wrap up the week with a strong one, the blazing five, off another winning week in one hour from now, like the numbers. J. Mack likes the dogs this week. I'm going with some flavor favorite. It's great to be here. I mean, I know the Bucks and the Falcons, not that fascinating.

But there's a bigger picture here that I'm watching all over. I saw it at Michigan, and I'm seeing it all over the NFL. So I love the fact, first of all, that Todd Bowles ripped the players after the game. Sometimes it's the player's fault. You can't lose a game when the other team has 19 penalties like Atlanta did. And you lost. Brutal. Now, I'm not sure Todd Bowles is a great head coach.

He's a great defensive coordinator. So got fired with the Jets. They've lost five as six. Third straight season in Tampa where they start strong and they fade fast. I don't know if he's a great coach. But the Baker may feel component here is interesting. So Baker lost two great offensive coordinators last couple of years. Liam Cohen, he's in first place with the Jags.

And Dave Canales, first place with the Panthers. So Baker's always been a great comeback story, but Baker Mayfield is one in nine in primetime games. He's not Mahomes, Allen, he's not Stafford, he's not that kind of talent. He's very dependent on his coordinator. And what did Tampa do when they lost Liam Cohen? You know what I don't like. They hired a guy who was in-house. Now the offense stinks.

Baker didn't get worse. They added Emuka, the receiver from my Ohio State. They should be a better offense. I'm like Agbuka. They should be a better offense. They're worse. Far worse. What did the Eagles do when they lost Kellynne Moore?

They hired in-house. The Eagles offense, broken. What did the Lions do when Ben Johnson left? Well, let's just hire the guy down the hall. Lions offense is not the same. Tampa Bay did it. Michigan football. Let's replace Harbaugh of the guy down, two doors down in the facility.

Stop. The NFL is too big of a business to higher proximity. Sometimes it works, but if you lose Ben Johnson, if you're losing Liam Cohn and Dave Canals, who are head coaches, is the guy you give the job to, the in-house guy, is he going to be an NFL head coach someday? So Baker last year, top five red zone offense in the NFL, now they're 22nd. How they added a great wide receiver.

Last year, they were first in the league on third, downs. Now they're 18th. Everything has dropped off a map. They were a top five offense last year. They add a star receiver out of Ohio State, and now they're a bottom feeder. So I know everybody thinks I'm crazy on this offensive defensive coach. I think you should hire offensive coaches. I think there are exceptions. And I don't know if Todd Bulls is a great coach. The problem being, if you hire a defensive coach, and he does nail it with the OC within a year or two leaves, then you've got to nail it again. And Todd Bowles went, oh, he nailed it again.

And then that guy leads. Who's going to go three for three on hiring brilliant offensive coordinators? So Shanahan, Andy Reid, McVe, Sean, Peyton, they don't have to worry about that as offensive coaches. They know the scheme. They're offensive guys. So that's the danger and a defensive head coach. I like Baker. But Baker's not a great quarterback.

He gets hot. He's a streaky quarterback. but he is very reliant on a sharp young coordinator. The Eagles did it. The Buccaneers have done it. The Lions did it. Michigan football has a whole different issues there, but Michigan football did it.

The greater the candidate who leaves, the greater the candidate you've got to replace, the wider the search has to be. The NFL is a massive business. The guy down the hallway is not, the best candidate 99% of the times here's a very

angry Todd Bulls after it's inexcusable you don't make excuses you got to f***er enough where the shit hurts you got to care enough where the shit hurts it's got to mean something to you it's more than a job

it's your livelihood how well do you know your job how well can you do your job well you can't sugarcoat that it was in the excusable and there's no way there's no answer for it. It has for no excuse for it. That's what you tell them in a lot.

Look in the fucking mirror. Can you imagine an NBA coach doing that? So sometimes it is on the players. So now I see a headline this morning. Well, Todd Bowles, he is officially on the hot seat, and maybe he should be. Can I offer another GM and a coach who could be? It's up in Buffalo. Buffalo is playing the Patriots this weekend.

Let's say the Patriots beat the Bills again this season. And at the very brisk business, by the way, Hurd-Herald, the headline is Patriots clinched division in Vrable's first year. MVP Allen falls short again. How's that going to play in Buffalo? Okay. How's that going to play? Worst receiving room in the league.

for a star quarterback. Matt Stafford has Sean McVeigh has an array of weapons, Devante Adams and Puka. By the way, he could have traded for Devonthe Adams. He was on the market. Greg Kosell, truth bomb yesterday on our show about the Bill's current roster. You'd be hard pressed to name an impact player that they have on the defensive side of the ball. They certainly don't have a receiving core. If we look at Shakir and say he's their best receiver. He's clearly a number three type. He's very good at that, but he's a number three type. So they're really not that good a football team. And I know that there's been a lot of talk about, well, this is Josh Allen's ear. And if he doesn't make it, you know,

that is so silly. They're just not that good overall from a talent perspective. Last week, Josh Allen completed 22 passes. 15 were to tight ends and running backs. It's the weakest wide receiver room in the league. And the general manager, Brandon Bean, when he was called out by local media, instead of owning it, because this is an awful receiving room. They don't have a number one or a number two.

Brandon Bean went after the local Buffalo radio hosts. You guys were bitching in 2018 about Josh Allen. You guys wanted Josh Rosen, and now you guys are bitching that we don't have a receiver. I don't get it. You got to have a show and you got to have something to bitch about. but pitching about wide receiver is one of the dumbest arguments I've heard. Really?

Worst receiving room in the league. Josh Allen's the quarterback, best deep ball thrower in the league. By the way, Brandon Bean brought back 20 of 22 starters. He thinks this group's good. They're not. They've got a handful of really good players at the trade deadline. By the way, Jacoby Myers was available. They talked to him.

Didn't land him. You know where he went? Jacksonville. three straight games with a touchdown, Jacoby Myers. Sean McDermott and Brandon Bean, both. They need a win, and they are favored, and they may match up very well with the Patriots. But they have the world's best football player at the most important position. I had Mark Slarathon this week, and I asked Mark, I said, you know, you've been around the bills,

and his quote was, I was thoroughly unimpressed with Buffalo as a football team, blown away by their quarterback, unimpressed with everything else. Greg Kosell watches the film. You watch the games, I do too. So Todd Bowles may not be a head coach, and I think Sean McDermott is more than capable, and Brandon Bean has hit on some really good players. But when he's barking at local radio hosts,

might take his last week is a prime example of why this team feels out of the Super Bowl bubble. 22 completions, 15 to tight ends and running backs. The local radio guys, probably right. Jacoby Myers on the market. Devante Adams.

Again, I'm watching the Rams go out. Landman. Devonte Adams. Emmanuel Forbes and nail every draft pick defensively for three years. I just don't think Buffalo's that good. And what if New England

in Mike Vrable's first year and the kid quarterback Drake May sweep them in Vrabel's first year. Maybe that's not, you're not going to pull the trigger like Todd Bulls getting fired after the season. I think this game is huge for the GM and the head coach, because Buffalo's got the owner. He's a good owner, new stadium, star quarterback, everything else to me on the table, everything. All right, Jay Mack, blazing five and one out. A lot of interesting stuff today. Yeah, I'm just looking at this Bill's Patriots game.

Interesting. It sounds like you like the Patriots. Too sweet. Buffalo. I think a rested team at home that does pretty much everything well against the Buffalo team with a superstar quarterback who's now turning the ball over. Has no deep threat. I think I get the better coach in New England.

I like home, better coach, well-rested, healthier, and oh, by the way, doesn't really have a bad unit. That's fair. I'm looking at the last meeting. So Buffalo fumbled inside their own 20, handing the Patriots. They did that last week, too. Josh Allen interception in the red zone. Josh Allen fumbled near midfield. They made a lot of mistakes.

Eleven penalties weren't really buttoned up early in the season. I think we get a max effort from the bills. Oh, I do too. I'm just saying. if they lose, that is a bad Monday in Buffalo. Oh, yeah. I think you're spot on. McDermott.

I want to find a real estate. And I got nothing against the general manager, but it's like you can't have the best quarterback in the league and be awful at receiver. Well, you know, Baltimore's dealing with that too, right? They have any flowers is better. He's better than anything Buffalo. Anything Buffalo has.

But, you know, Kincaid is good. Knox is good. I like them both, but Dalton King game got hurt earlier this year, and the offense is like, really, It's like you can't reel because a tight end. By the way, the Rams have four tight ends they can all play. Four. When do we have a reckoning with quarterback salaries?

Because the Josh Allen salary is, it's onerous. Like, I mean, I don't know how you build a team. I'm not saying it's, I'm not saying it's not harder. But it seems to me the Rams hit on all their draft picks. Therefore, they can go get Devonte Adams and steal Nate Landman. I mean, Howie Roseman stole the linebacker last year, became a pro bowler. You got to find some value on the market. I keep saying this.

I never understood where the Patriots let go with Jacoby Myers. I don't get what the Raiders did. He goes to Jacksonville. He's a touchdown machine. Maybe he's a problem in the locker room. I don't know. I don't think that's the case. Trevor Lourdes loves him.

I mean, he's throwing to him all the time. Yeah. 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. Fox Sports Radio is taking over YouTube. And you can be a part of it. Pay attention. Just go to YouTube and search Fox Sports Radio.

Hit that subscribe button and smash that notification bell. And catch all the videos from your favorite shows. Two pros and a cup of Joe. Dan Patrick. Collett Coward. Doug Gottlieb. Cavino and Rich. The odd couple with Rob Parker and Kelvin Washington.

The Jason Smith show with Mike Harmon. And the Ben Mallor show. Fox Sports Radio. On YouTube. Subscribe. Hit that thumbs up icon and comment away. Hey, it's us to Jonas Brothers. And guess what?

We have some big news. What's the news? Huge news. We created our own podcast called Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts.

Pretty, yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts throughout there. But this one's extra special. So how do we actually come up with a name Hey Jonas, guys? I honestly don't remember. I think it was on a call about what we should call it. And we were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band before Jonas Brothers. This is how you guys remember it going down? Yes.

I have a very different memory of this. We were talking about a thing, a bit for the podcast, where people could call in and say, hey, Jonas. And then I wrote down on my little notepad, Hey Jonas, and offered it up as a potential title for the podcast. But thanks for remembering that, guys. Listen to Hey Jonas on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. 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, S&L's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes.

Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Last night, a blown call changed a game. 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 athletes 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. SportsSlice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them.

Listen to SportsSlice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Trip Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing,

we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing and we're still chasing it and we don't know when we've done enough because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. 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 Games, 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. The French Open is one of the toughest tests in tennis. And I know firsthand because I competed there myself. I'm Renee Stubbs. And on the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast, I'm breaking down everything happening at Roland Garris. Every match, every upset, and what it really takes to win on Clay.

Jenchen win. I mean, she went down in three to Rabakina, but I'm delighted. She's an outsider to win the French for me. And she likes Clay. Listen, Lena Rubakina is arguably the best player in the world right now. And I actually can win on any surface. Because if she's serving, well, good luck. Consider this your court side seat to the French Open.

Listen to the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. So I got into this discussion last night. We were talking about Shador Sanders, and he's a fan of Shudder Sanders, and I said, you know, I could never understand how I missed that badly on a quarterback. I said, I thought he was like a mid-to-late first-round guy, maybe top of the second, and he dropped to the fifth round. out. But I was thinking about this. He's looked pretty good. I mean, Greg CoSell this week came on and said, yeah, it's early, but those are big-time throws. So let's just say Shadour Sanders does become a franchise quarterback. And through three starts with the weakest receiving room in the NFL,

32nd. Worst receiving room in the NFL, PFF, 32nd. Third worst offensive line, PFF. He's got nothing to work with. Five touchdowns, two picks, 94 passer rating. Should also be noted that Shadour Sanders did not get any work with the ones before he started. Right? It was Dylan Gabriel getting all of it because Dylan Gabriel was a

rookie. So he's got the third worst O line in the league, the worst wide receiving room in the league, did not work with number ones. And yet eight of the top 12 teams drafting currently in the NFL at the top of the draft

are desperate for a quarterback. And people thought should do her. NFL GM said, eh, he's a little immature. I agree. He's not serious enough for my taste. So I think the NFL wanted to send sort of a message. Straighten up, young man.

I'll say it again. Fifth round, every team in this league passed on him at least four times. Do you realize with the Worst receiving core in the league and the third worst offensive line since becoming a starter, Shadour is the best rookie quarterback in the league. Total yards, total touchdowns, big plays, passing yards and attempts. He's the best rookie quarterback since he got the start. Again, not much around him.

So some of these NFL teams, I think, said, we're just going to send a message. he thinks he's a celebrity. I kept saying he's the most accurate college quarterback in the sports history. He moves pretty well. He's a big play guy. And I don't know if he's going to be a franchise quarterback. I don't know. But I know what I'm watching and I know what he has to work with.

Now, I like Stefansky a lot. But it is interesting. Any time, go look at the draft order right now. Eight of the 12 teams at the top could use a quarterback. and everybody passed on him. And it's not like they passed on him. You could say, well, Brock Purdy. Brock Purdy was reckless and small.

He was not viewed by a single GM I talked to was a top four-round quarterback. Some liked him late fifth, six. There's a reason he dropped. And if he didn't have Shanahan and Kittle and McCaffrey, my guess is we wouldn't be talking about Brock Purdy every Sunday or every other Sunday. Shadour's got nothing to work with.

Shanahan is viewed as a higher-grade coach than Stefansky. I like both a lot. But it is pretty fascinating in a league desperate for a certain position. Eight teams minimum need one, if not this year, in two years. And he dropped to the fifth round as the most accurate college quarterback ever, not playing with a lot of NFL guys in college. That's one of the things I said. Dylan Gabriel, he played with pros at Oregon.

those guys get more open than Colorado guys on average. I mean, he was running for his life at Colorado as a two, three-year starter. He was running for his life. So here is Stefanski on the improving Shadour Sanders. There's a lot of quarterbacks that have always made plays outside the structure of their offense from when they were young to when they get to the pros. And you never want to take that away from a player. And Shadur has a ability to make plays off.

schedule. So that's something that you certainly want to promote and enhance and get the team playing to that style as well. You also, you learn that from playing, you learn that from being in these games, and I think he's making progress there. Yeah, and I had said, J-MAC is my witness, in all the years I've been doing this show, which is about 20, did some local for a while, but the syndicated stuff, I'd never projected a quarterback to be a first rounder, and they fell to the fifth. Like I had sourcing, people I trusted, I trusted my eyes. Fifth? Like, I get it. Top of the third, little immature. He's not serious enough for me. But I'll also argue, he's pretty good at the podium. But it's really interesting that I think the NFL wanted to send a message.

They did. Yeah, we should have drafted him because we need one now in this draft. And oh, by the away with NIL, many of the teams that need a quarterback, I don't think people thought about this. Dante Moore is probably going to stay in college. Ty Simpson may stay in college. More and more quarterbacks are going to stay another year in college. So if you get the opportunity to draft somebody as talented as Shadour, you may want to get out of the message business. Right? Like, it used to be guys would rush maybe a year early to the NFL. With the NIL, outside of Mendoza, if Dante Moore

Ty Simpson, sellers, they all stay in college. The supply doesn't meet the demand. So it's just, the NFL kind of got into the message business when you should probably, probably worry more about drafting the best players

available, that business. J. Mack with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. All right, let's go to that Cowboys Vikings game, Colin. Very good match. I stayed away. I'd miss my Blazing 5.

Yeah, Dallas obviously needs it badly at 6.6 and 1. They are unlikely to make the playoffs. Just an 11% chance to make the postseason. So it's basically you've got to win out. Dallas needs to win out. And here's Dak Prescott talking about it. I just got to go win every game. I mean, that's all I can control.

I'm going to root against them regardless. So whether we are in this position or not. So I got to control what I can control and go win games on my hand. Yeah, this is last week you did this too. You talked me out of this game. Well, them being the Eagles, obviously, in the division, they want to catch them.

I'm sorry for talking you out of games. I'll just say this. I think Dak became a father. Is it this year? You know, he had the burden. He seems so with it at the podium. Every time he's talking to the media, he just seems like a grown-up.

Very relaxed. I like him, man. I like this guy. I think he's a hard guy not to like. I mean, the problem, you know, the tough part is the contract. They gave him, you know, the richest contract in the league. Well, this is, for the record, this is Buffalo's would be their primary issue, which is we're paying, you know, Josh Allen's the second biggest cap. Dax, the biggest cap hit.

So it's, I'm not saying it makes it easier, but Dallas is making all sorts of deals. Well, they're trying. Yeah. Are they shuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic? Well, they're making deals to get them to the plate? brought back 20 and 22 players. So they're like, we're satisfied. Jerry's like, we're not.

So, and I also think you've got to give Dak credit. It's a noisy operation. It's a family business. This is not the easiest place to be an NFL quarterback. Cowboys, five and a half. So even if they win, we know the Eagles are not losing to the Raiders. Right. That's not happening.

Right. So I just don't see a world where they catch them. Same. I agree. It just feels, and then you go into the offseason, we got the picking stuff and then we're paying up three defensive tackles a ton of money. Two first round picks, which you can very easily because you don't need a quarterback, and you're getting a pass rush without Micah, you don't have to get an edge.

I would get a right tackle. My guess is Dallas goes right tackle, offensive tackle in the draft in the first round with one of their picks, and then tries to trade down the other one and get a bevy of picks. I'll argue this all day. I like Dallas's future. If they move those picks, because they've been a very good first round. picking team. I think Dallas is pretty stocked.

If they can nail the first two picks at the right positions, right tackle absolutely. You'd like to talk about roster strength? There's at least seven teams with better rosters in the NFC than Dallas, at least seven. And then you start looking at salary cap stuff. It feels like a big

mountain to climb. Look at the lions have way better players than the Cowboys. It's not even close. I mean, I don't know. I don't want to sue towns. Sound too down on Dallas, but let's get positive. Let's talk. Lions Rams, huge matchup on Fox Sunday. Obviously, big history between McVeigh, Gough, and Stafford. Both teams have profited.

Obviously, the Rams have the Super Bowl win. But ahead of this weekend's matchup, McVeigh spoke to the growth he's seen in his former quarterback, Jared Gough. Unbelievable accuracy and anticipation. Jared's played really great. And I've been truly happy to see, you know, what he's done and how he's really put that team on his back and done such a great job of being able to. to build. You know, I've been very open and very clear about I had a lot of growing up to do,

you know, back when that thing went down. There was a lot of great memories, a lot of really good ball that he did here that I'll always cherish and I'm truly happy for him. It's the best trade for both teams in the NFL in a long time. Like I, I mean, you can go to any sport. Everybody won with that deal. The Lions needed a little younger quarterback and lots of draft capital, and their GM nailed the picks. And the Rams said we need a little better in the pocket, a little more experienced, little bigger arm, both hit it out of the park. Yeah.

Where are you on this game? Because six is a big number for a lion's team. They can come in the back door easily. Lions defense is struggling, but more problematic. Their offense is not good on third or fourth down. And if you go on the road against the high-powered offense, you got to pick up first downs. Okay, and Detroit is punting more and not moving the chains.

The problem with Detroit is, are they going to get the Rams are going to get 13, 14 possessions because they're struggling to extend drives. It's not a lack of talent. It's a lack of third down conversions. It's almost like you're looking at my screen. So remember, Dan Campbell couldn't get a fourth down to save his life back-to-back weeks. He didn't go for fourth down once against Dallas.

Is he in his own head? I don't know, because like you said, said, extending drives are going to be huge. Colin, I'll just add this 54% chance for the Lions to make the playoffs. Gambler Dan Campbell, he's going to probably go for a few fourth downs here. This is going to be one of these games where it's like, oh my gosh, we need that. We've got to have it. This has been the year in the NFL, the year of coordinator value.

Eagles, Lions, Bucks, all these high-powered offense, all these just juggernauts. Go look at Tampa's numbers. numbers last year in Detroit's. And they didn't go big, broad, wide search on replacing excellent coordinators who became excellent head coaches. That is not a knock on the guys who got the jobs. But when you lose Ben Johnson and Liam Cohen, those guys are great, great offensive guys.

So, I mean, to me, I start looking around this league. We always think, oh, it's just quarterback. With Jared Goff didn't get worse. They can't pick up first downs on third or fourth. That's not a Jared Goff issue. Oh, and Ben Johnson currently in the playoffs. Liam Cohen currently in the playoffs. Dave Canales.

Dave Canales in the mix. Kellan Moore, well, the Saints aren't good, but they've been plucky for the last month. That's an interesting theory. All right, final story, Colin, let's go to Joe Burrow. Obviously, the inflammatory comments Wednesday. Well, I like Cincinnati this week. Okay. That's a bit of a shocker.

They are facing the Ravens. They are home dogs. But interestingly, after Burroughs comments about not having fun, Jamar Chase shined in and he seems just stunned that these are real comments. How much do you think Joe Burrow loves football? I thought this is an AI. Does this really happen though? That's real today?

Nothing's wrong with a little emotion at the end of the day, especially coming back from injury. The man loves the game. I think he loves the game from what I've learned from him also at the end of the day. You know what I'm saying? So I can't really say what he feels at the end of the day. But from what I see, man, he seems the same every day. Yeah, Joe Burrell this week, it had a little Andrew Luck vibe, little Trevor Lawrence vibe.

I don't, but I'm going to defend Burrow because Burroughs have to go into rehab multiple times. Rehab is really hard for all pro athletes. It's a grind and there's no payoff. So rehab is brutal if you have to do it once in your career. I think Burroughs done it three to four times. Secondly is the organization has failed to protect him. We talk about it on this show all the time. The offensive line is the insurance policy.

The quarterback's the Bentley. You'd never own a Bentley without an insurance policy. The Bengals have failed Burrough on the offensive line. Atrocious six years in a row. So this league is not that compliment. Not that confusing. Not that confounding. Not that complicated.

Get a great quarterback. Protect great quarterback. quarterback and then draft people who get the other team's quarterback. They have failed at number two miserably in Cincinnati. This is crazy. So I'm looking at his career arc. He's played six seasons. Three of them, he's played 10 or fewer games.

Like if we would call him Zion Williamson if he had not gone to a Super Bowl. I mean, Joe Burrow went to the Super Bowl in year two. Then he went to the AFC championship and then nothing. I don't know when he's going to get back to the playoffs, Colin. Like, I'm not saying it's over for Burrow in Cincinnati, Think about this. What's their path to success? He is won eight of his last nine stars.

That's why I love the Bengals this weekend. Everybody's staring at the record. He wins every time he starts. He's an incredible winning quarterback. Baltimore's offense is completely broken. Cincinnati last week, if not for kind of a fluky pick six, that one that was batted, that's a fluky play. You maybe have one of those in your career.

They beat Buffalo at Buffalo in a snowstorm. It's a different discussion. Yeah. I will ask you. Obviously, the Bengals aren't going to want to entertain a burrow trait, right? But could anybody make it moderately interesting? A sweetened, a sick pot of picks, players and Bengals? He's an Ohio kid.

I don't think the Brown family would listen. What if he went to them? Because we know he went to the team and was unhappy last season. Remember meeting with Zach Taylor after the game he's pissed? What if he does something like that in the offseason? Guys, this is not working. We're not going anywhere. What's your game plan?

I've said this before. If you come out of college and let's say you're a very talented attorney, you go to Yale, you go to Cal, you go to Virginia, great schools, Michigan, and you're an attorney. You can pick the city you want to go to in the law firm. The better you are as an athlete in college, generally you'll get picked by the worst organization. Joe Burrow got a Carson Palmer, Joe Burrow. Got a bad break. golf got a good one. Right?

Not the first year, but golf got a good one. Jeff Fisher. I mean, you start, Mahomes. Mahomes is unbelievable. And by the way, Lamar, Jordan Love, sometimes you get the break.

Yeah, and then other times you're like LeBron, Kevin Durant, Joe Burrow, you get crap franchises. And it stinks because in the NFL, you're kind of locked in. They can double franchise tag. Well, even in the NBA now,

I was talking to Danny Parkins about this, in the NBA. They make it unfair. Like, you have to give up hundreds of millions of dollars if you leave now the team that drafted you. Right. So they think, well, it'll keep players in a local market.

But what if that local market has a lousy owner, sagging attendance, a bad coach, and a cheap billionaire owner? So you're trapped because the NBA says, well, if you stay, we'll pay you so much more. 300 million. And that's supposed to be a players league. Let players go where they want to go. I understand a team drafting them,

but you should allow players. Stop worrying about protecting billionaires, protect your talent. Yeah, the billioners have it as socialism, basically. Everybody's going to get their guy, they get to keep them, and you're kind of screwed as if you're Joe Burrow. I feel bad for the guy. Yeah, that's where I think NBA players get hosed.

I mean, you'd have to give up $100 million. You can kind of make up for that in other areas, marketing. Not a hundred million. A lot of guys sell shoes. You want to win and have fun and enjoy your life for $150 million or just get paid $300 million to hate life? Again, it's relative to their industry. I nobody wants to hear this, but anyway, J-Mac with the news.

Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Lye News. Blazing five off a winning week in 30 minutes. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Hey, it's us, the Jonas Brothers, and guess what? We have some big news. What's the news, new?

Huge news. We created our own podcast called, Hey, Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to us. people to do podcasts. Pretty, yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts. We're starting a trend.

But this one's extra special. So how do we actually come up with a name, Hey Jonas, guys? I honestly don't remember. I think it was on a call about what we should call it. Oh, we were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band before Jonas Brothers.

This is how you guys remember it going down? Yes. I have a very different memory of this. We were talking about a thing, a bit for the podcast, for people could call in and say, hey Jonas, and then I wrote down on my little notepad, Hey Jonas, and offered it up as a potential title for the podcast. But thanks for remembering that, guys.

Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smigel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier.

This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel help an 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.

Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Trip Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing,

we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. 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. 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. 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. SportsLice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to SportsLice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slicelife 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok.

The French Open is one of the toughest tests in tennis. And I know firsthand because I competed there myself. I'm Renee Stubbs. And on the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast, I'm breaking down everything happening at Roland Garris. every match, every upset, and what it really takes to win on Clay. Jen, she won. I mean, she went down in three to Rabakina, but I'm delighted. She's an outsider to win the French for me.

And she likes Clay. Listen, Lena Rabakina is arguably the best player in the world right now, and I actually can win on any surface. Because if she's serving, well, good luck. Consider this your court side seat to the French Open. Listen to the Renee Stubbs Tennis podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports.

We got a huge SEC Big East battle on Fox College Hoops Friday, as Texas takes on solo ball and fifth ranked Yukon. It all tips off tonight at 8 Eastern on Fox. Yeah, J-Mack and I have talked about this. When you pay your quarterback what you're paying, Josh Allen, or, you know, you know the drill. Holmes, Josh Allen. It's harder to construct a roster. It's very hard to draft.

All the anonymous trolls on the internet, they're brilliant drafters. I know these guys. It's hard. It's really hard to draft. You just don't know. Especially positions like wide receiver. There were some ego and a big personality at wide receiver. And you know, some guys just, it

doesn't work. You're asking young people to come into a sport, travel cross country, different total offense. It's hard. I think it's much harder than drafting in basketball, you can spot basketball talent. I always tell the story. I was in Hartford, Connecticut,

watching my daughter play in a tournament. And there was seven, eight teams playing at once. I sit down next to a coach, and I said, who's that girl, like four courts away? And he goes, oh, yeah, she's the best players. Like seventh eighth-grade girls.

He's like, she's already getting a talk from Division I schools. You can spot basketball talent in one second. Football, it's maturity. It's not the biggest, the strongest, it's hard, it's intangibles. So I think it's hard. And I understand it. And Brett Veach is really good with the Chiefs. But Kansas City can be officially eliminated this weekend. Should be noted, Tom Brady went healthy made the playoffs 19 straight years. Tom took very favorable

team deals. So last week was the home game against Texans. It was must win. And they got worked. And I sat on the time, at the time, Houston's got better players. So Kansas City just doesn't doesn't look the part. And this morning, I was saying this to the team. I said, name the top 10 chiefs players, not on resume or legacy, guys who are playing at a high level right now. Number one is Mahomes. Number two is a center, Creed Humphrey, and number three is a corner, Trent McDuffie.

But the time you get to the fourth best player, you're saying, well, I mean, Chris Jones is having a down year. Or maybe he's old. Well, Trey Smith is usually good. He's taken a small step back. You know, Travis Kelsey's had some drops, but he's been reasonably... I don't know who their fourth best player is. They have an offensive tackle issue.

Conversely, let's go to a team that also has an expensive quarterback, but a more team-friendly deal. Matt Stafford Rams, let's go to their 10 best players. Folks, they're all having great ears. Stafford, Pooka Nakua, Jared Verst, Devonthe Adams, Kevin Dotson, Steve Avila, the guards are great, Kiron Williams, Puna Ford has been unbelievable. Byron Young, Nate Landman. I didn't mention any of their good tight ends.

They've got safeties I like. I didn't mention any of their safeties. They got two really good safeties. So my point is, trust your eyes. I don't know who the Chief's fourth best player is. I think Carl Loftus, a little overpaid, big salary cap next year.

I don't know if I'd be comfortable with it. So this is not anti-Kansas City. Kareem Hunt, isn't he their leading Russia? He was out of the league a couple years ago? Like, I just don't think, to me, the Rams and the Eagles and the Packers and the Lions, lot of these teams who are also paying their quarterback, Jared Goff and Matt Stafford, Jalen Hertz, you can get around it, but I just don't like, I trust my eyes, I don't like what

I see with Kansas City. So this is an interesting player. So this weekend is a, this is one of my blazing five picks. I won't say what side. Denver hosts Green Bay. And Denver's going to win this division, Kansas City is now third behind Denver and the Chargers. I think it's fascinating with Bo Nix. So the Broncos quarterback is Bo Nix. He's on a rookie deal. So the Broncos roster, especially defense, it's pretty stacked. But it's interesting about Bo Nix.

He is 21 and 9 as a starter. And you could say, well, it's the defense. Well, he's taken the few as sacks during these last two years. That's a skill. he leads the NFL in game-winning drives. Yes, leads the NFL last two seasons. That's a skill. Okay, he has the second most fourth quarter touchdown

since he entered the league. That's a skill. And by the way, this is where I will defend him. Outside of Mahomes, he also has the most pass attempts. Sean Payton's hard on his quarterbacks. He's incredibly demanding. It's a thick playbook. This is not big.

Ben, when he came to the NFL out of Miami, Ohio, went to the Steelers, and they were babysitting him for two years, and letting a dominating defense control the games, you know, Ben would make 17, 18, 19 throws. They were kind of babysitting him. That's not what this is. This is, here's the playbook, kid. Memorize it. We're going to use all of it Sunday. So there's no babysitting with this kid. They're asking him to do more. And I'm going to defend those quarterbacks who have to throw it 45 times a game. And I feel like with Bow Nicks, and people, you know, people do this, everybody's made up their mind on Bo Nix. Because you saw a lot of them at Oregon, and you've seen enough of them here, and nobody

wants just to acknowledge, he's really good in the fourth. He's got all those things I love. He's durable. He's coachable. He's athletic. He's productive in the fourth quarter. He's a winner. He doesn't listen to the noise.

You know, he's not on social media. he's a hundred percent team guy but it and I've said if you love Caleb Williams in Chicago you got to like Bo Nix both have good rosters both have excellent O lines both have brilliant offensive coaches both have nice weapons I like Denver's receivers I don't care what anybody says I love Cortland Sutton so if you like Caleb you got to like Bo Nicks both are uneven both are very very good in the fourth quarter

yeah I hear that oh I look at Superstar. Bo Nix I'm out on. So far, great offensive coach, great O-line, defenses that take the ball away. Right? One's leading a division. One's battling Green Bay to lead a division. Here's Bo Nix on being underdogs actually at home to Green Bay. Seems to be a playoff game. So this will be an intense game on the field. It'll be an intense environment. I don't really care. My mom thinks we'll win, so that's all it matters. You know, you can tell his dad was a coach. He doesn't take sacks, totally coachable.

And again, Sean Payton's not easy. You know, it's funny about this. Sean Payton, that's why I say Caleb and Bo next to this point, very comparable. Both now are in their second year. Both can struggle early in games, but both usually win and deliver late. both throw occasional interceptions, but not that many, really. But Caleb's got this kind of fandom behind him. I think Bo Nix is really good.

I think Bo Nix is way more athletic than anybody gives them credit for. And in that draft class, Drake May has been the absolute, inarguable star. Nobody can push back on that. But if you like Caleb, it feels like you got to like Bo Nix to me. In fact, Bo Nix has actually been more accurate as a thrower. a blazing five top of the hour the NFL schedule for the weekend it is a very important weekend

even the games that don't have playoff implications Minnesota at Dallas is fascinating because what are we going to see from J.J. McCarthy he just had his best game as a pro they need to watch him the next four weeks to make a decision what are they going to do with J.J. McCarthy? The Dallas defense doesn't let you run so he's going to

have to throw to beat the Cowboys on the road so even a game without playoff implications Dallas hosting Minnesota, to me, is a very interesting game. Atlanta won last night. Bucks are reeling. I think it's not a blazing five pick. I think Chicago wins this weekend, but I think it's an entertaining game. I want to see Shadour and Caleb Williams.

I really do. J-Mack, I ask you every week, where's the upset on the board? There's going to be a couple of them. Five double-digit spreads. I know. any of those. There's going to be an upset on the board. I mean, there was one last night.

Falcons were, what, five, six, something like that? I was looking at the Browns, but I don't think I can do it. I mean, the weather's bad. Shador's down his start, both tackles right now and his starting center. I don't see that happening. I guess if you're begging me to take a dog, I would kick the tires with the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night football. I mean, listen, I know you're smiling. You don't like J.J. McCarthy.

I mean, wait, wait, wait, wait. Stop with you. I don't like J. McCarthy, the current data leads me to believe he's not a franchise quarterback. Can we restate that? We can restate that. That being said, they won 31-0. He lit the world on fire.

We didn't even mention the guy all week, practically. Like, he had a good game. I know it's Washington. Very busy show. Yeah. There are no time to mention it. I think they'll be frisky. I like the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football.

So do I. Yeah, getting three and a half. I don't love the three. We got to give Miami credit. We bailed on everything. They have played their butt off. The club DJ, Mike McDaniel. That last weekend in New York cold weather, that game was over in eight minutes.

Lazing five next. Hey guys, it's us. The Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick. And guess what? We created our own podcast called, Hey Jonas.

We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions. Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it. But, you know, tired and sick. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio.

app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. 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. me with Robert Smygel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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 headline. And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear. Listen to SportsSlice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slicalif 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. I'm Michelle McPhee, and I've been unraveling the strangest criminal alliance I've ever reported on. A Mormon polygamist and an Armenian businessman. Multi-million dollar house, Ferraris and Lamborghinis, private jets, a billion dollar fraud.

But how long can this alliance last? Tell me what you know. Is somebody coming after me? Listen to Kingdom of Fraud on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Winning on Clay is an art. The rallies are relentless. And at the French Open, only the toughest survive. I'd know.

I competed there for decades. Join me, Renee Stubbs, on the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast for no nonsense breakdowns of the biggest matches, the toughest players, and the moments that define. Roland Garris. She's an outsider to win the French for me. And she likes Clay. Listen, Lerabakina is arguably the best player in the world right now and I actually can win on any surface. Listen to the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast on the IHeart Radio app,

Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHart Women's Sports. This is an IHart podcast. Guaranteed Human.