The Herd with Colin Cowherd - THE HERD – HOUR 1 – Caitlin Clark Is A Disruptor, Cowboys Are NOT Super Bowl Contenders, AFC Predictions

Episode Date: August 25, 2026

Colin Cowherd talks about Caitlin Clark hitting another historic mark with her 5th game scoring at least 30 points and at least 10 assists, more than the rest of the league combined. Colin explains why Caitlin is a “disruptor” and why the WNBA is on a good path despite some of the controversy surrounding the league. He pushes back against all the “Cowboys are Super Bowl contenders” claims and points out the number 1 reason why Dallas can’t keep up in the NFC.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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These are the Survivor Files. Every week, I'm with survivors who live through the unthinkable, abducted, stalked, controlled, and nearly silenced. These are stories about what it takes to make it out alive. Listen to The Survivor Files with Elizabeth Smart on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Hayes Davenport. And Sean Clements. We host the podcast, Hollywood Handbook. Each week, we talk to someone in show business and try to help them with their

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every day on the IHeart Radio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Here we go. On a lively Tuesday, it is great to have you in. It's the herd, wherever you may be in, however you may be watching or listening, whatever the platform is. We appreciate it. I was thinking about this yesterday is I always thought I chose the right career because, you know, I'm not, criticism doesn't really get to me and controversy sometimes.

I think it's funny. Some of the controversies out there. The WNBA is dealing with a lot of controversy and a lot of social conversation and Enos Cantor and Royce White, former NBA guys are trolling. And I do think the league could use better leadership. It feels like they're always reacting. instead of proactive.

But it's interesting. There is a singular reason that the league is now in a much better spot financially. And that reason is Caitlin Clark, who had 37 points and 10 assists over the weekend. By the way, she has more games with 30 points plus

and 10 assists plus than the entire league ever. She's got five. The rest of the league in its history has four. She is Steph Curry, but with kind of a Michael Jordan mindset, all business, all basketball has no opinion or comment on the controversies. The fever offense is not only number one in this league at 97 a game, it's the best offense in league history because of Caitlin Clark. So with all this drama and nonsense around her, Caitlin Clark, number one in assists, number three in scoring, best offense in league history, greatest shooting range in league.

history. She's not driving the controversy. Like Michael Jordan, she's all business. And ask yourself, is the controversy bad? I know what you're thinking. Oh, it's terrible. Okay. Well, if you want to climb Everest, there's going to be some storms at the top.

The path to growth is always through discomfort. When did the UFC explode? Connor McGregor. They have squeezed every ounce of sweat out of his career. And Connor McGregor, controversy, some of it ugly, follows him everywhere. Earned, by the way. When I love boxing, and arguably it was front page in American sports sections when

Muhammad Ali was a conscientious objector to the war. Yeah? Golden State. Stacked roster. Last Dynasty. Silver didn't like it at all. Literally changed the CBA. Patriots, SpyGate, Deflategate.

Dodgers dynasty, unfair, stacked, deferred payments. College football and basketball ratings up, up, up, last three, four years with NIL, transfer portal, the entire time, the entire off-seasons. Shrouted, clouded, in controversy. Now you got NFL guys going to college. and the ratings are going up. Sometimes to get distracted people focused,

got to shake things up a little bit. I mean, American Idol is the highest-readed music show ever. It's the one that had a really controversial guy on the panel, Simon Cowell. Go look at sports when Tiger Woods broke through. TV networks, I was at one, dealt with it for years. Over-exposure. Give me a break. We were following every single Tiger shot, lead or not.

And by year two to three, he was in the lead. always. So all I keep hearing about FIFA. We just had World Cup smashed the ratings, the World Cup, the entire time. Rigged, Argentina, getting every break. This thing looks rigged. Argentina, messy, the popular team getting the calls, the champions going for a repeat. And FIFA, by the way, there's been claims of corruption forever. The Olympics, actually very profitable last time for NBC, Has an IOC to many critics always been sort of, you know, highest bitter, wink, wink, nudge, find me all the purity in sports. Ali, Olympic movements, FIFA, IOC, Dodgers, stack deck warriors.

I mean, it's, the reality is in my lifetime, in my lifetime, it doesn't matter if it's Uber, which was sued by cities and states and taxi cab companies or meta that had to change its name or Steve Jobs, they're all disruptors. I mean, again, the WNBA was growing, and the reason it was growing is because the quality is pretty good. I mean, there's a pretty good players in this league. And the one that the North Star of the league's growth, they got on private jets, new TV deal, packed arenas, Taylor Swift and Tennis. is Caitlin Clark.

She's not driving the controversy, although she's surrounded with it sometimes because of the officiating what they allow. But like Michael Jordan, she is all business. And my takeaway is if she wins the title, very realistic.

If she wins the title in the next couple of years, all of this stuff, she'll be the cake, it'll be a little icing. It'll be like, well, you know, that's just part of controversy. You don't have to love the league, but people talk about the league. I mean, UFC was going on and it was profitable.

Dana White, the Fatita family had built a very profitable business. You know, cable tried to throw it off the air. The late John McCain didn't like it. States would ban it. It was making a profit. Then Connor McGregor arrived. Wow. My wife wanted to go to UFC fights.

And she's not really into sports. Like, that's kind of what I'm. it takes. You know, you're climbing Everest. It gets really windy up there. And to take a league or a sport that's, you know, growing and kind of profitable to wow, you're going to deal with some Mena's Canter, some Royce White, you know, people throwing whatever on the court. If you look at the history of sports, if you really inspect the history of sports,

most popular is often most polarizing. And it's just part of the growth, the discomfort. Here was Caitlin on another magical night this past weekend. I just came in with a mentality of knowing that my team needs me to step up tonight. Obviously going down, maybe going down like that, it hurts our team a little bit. So you know you got to carry a little bit more of the load. And I think it's all about your mentality coming into a back-to-back. Like you can either be like, oh, I'm tired, we've been on the road, this, that,

or you can, you know, buck up and go play basketball and have fun. I felt like our team had great energy coming into this game. Always about business, always about basketball, singularly obsessed and focused. Good for her. I can remember years ago, I was a local sportscaster. And I was golfing. I was just like a public course. And I remember guys in the pro shop getting mad at me because all you talk about is Tiger.

I'm like he's 12. He's winning tournaments. What do you want me to talk about? It's all you talk about. What about Lee Westwood? What about him? I mean, I'll talk about Tiger's Fairway Wood, nothing against Lee Westwood,

but it was like I was a sportscaster. Tiger was a phenomenon. And people would yell at me when I'm going to hit golf balls. Well, that's all you show. It was all anybody cared about. So I saw this headline. Oh, boy. I want to remind everybody,

I do think the Cowboys will be better this year, but they were 7, 9, and 1 last year. And awful against playoff teams. So the headline this morning, Cowboys are true Super Bowl contenders. Okay. Coaching matters. Just in the NFC,

do you think Brian Schottinheimer is going to outdual John Harbaugh, Sean McVeigh, Mike McDonald in Seattle? Do you, Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco, Ben Johnson, Dan Campbell? Let's say he does. Then he goes to the AFC and has to outdual Sean Payton or Andy Reed or D'Amico Ryan's or Jim Harbaugh or. Mike Vrable.

I'm not anti-Bryan Schottenheimer. He was surprising last year, but here are the coaches that Brian and the Cowboys beat. Aaron Glenn, a defensive coach, and the Jets didn't have an interception. Brian Dayball got fired. Dan Quinn's about to. He's the number one coach on the hot seat.

Pete Carroll, whose last year in Vegas was an abject disaster. Andy Reed's worst chief's team in week 13. They were all beat up. Syriani, who you know it and I know it and we all know it. We're kind of like, eh, all right, whatever. Dallas went one, five and one against playoff teams. Some of the losses were ugly. I like the Cowboys. But don't convince yourself that average meal you ate at the restaurant was great because it's better than what you cook at home. Like, I think

the Cowboys are interesting. I think they'll score points. I think they've upgraded their defense. Let's let's be careful here about the structure of the organization with Jerry having to talk on Mondays. Brian Schottenheimer did a good job, but they were 7, 9, and 1. Here's Dak Prescott this week on trying to break through finally. This team has had, you know, three, four years in a row or three years in a row, right, 12 wins or something like that, that, yeah, it is, it is time to break through. And, you know, I've said it before. Yeah, we can't can't do it by ourselves, but we are as to make up at times. You know, we are responsible for the position you put your team in.

So I don't take much into it. I tell you guys and you people who understand me now and know me. I'm harder on myself than anyone is and higher expectations and standards and goals. So when I hear it these days, I'm more just like, cool, you know, and you're right. All right. How about baby steps? The Cowboys will be improved, which I believe to be true, And they will vie for a playoff spot in week 17 and 18.

They'll be vying for a playoff spot. They will not go 7 to 9 and 1. They'll be better. They'll score a lot of points. DAC will stay upright. The schedule down the stretch, not exactly easy. Philadelphia, Seattle, Rams, Jags, rival giants. And even at Washington, we'll see what falls there.

But better vying for the playoffs. Let's not go cray cray, cray. on the Super Bowl talk. J-MAC, San Francisco 49ers yesterday had a weird day. Yeah, that's slightly weird. Hey, by the way, so I've been doing the show for almost four years now,

and that is the first time Lee Westwood's name has ever been. I started cracking up. I heard you drop that. I was like, I like Lee Westwood. He's excellent. He's been good for a long, long time, but I can remember getting yelled at.

Yeah. And networks were hearing the over-exhaired. exposure, a lot of golfers, like very quickly the smart guys, like Mark O'Meara embraced him. He understood rising tide, lifts all boats. Like the smart golfers understood the value of Tiger. But that first couple years, his father's everywhere, and there's Tiger and over exposure. And, you know, because golf is very much about lore and history and respect and earning your way into the country club. And it was like Tiger was like he was on every shot, every network pre-tournament leading up to the

tournament. And I can remember. People usually don't come up and yelled at me. But like old guys would be like, all you guys do, you're talk tiger. And I'm like, it's literally a wave. I'm just riding this insane tidal wave of enthusiasm for golf. Well, when you come back out here to go to some college football games with me in L.A., you will be hearing it about the Chicago Bears incest and chatter. That's your new Tiger Woods, right? Caleb Williams and company. 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. Hey, it's me, Rob Parker.

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Visit bell.ca for details and to check availability. Bell, connection is everything. When I was 14 years old, I was kidnapped and held captive for nine months. I survived and I've spent my life exploring how other people survive what should have destroyed them. I'm Elizabeth Smart, and these are the Survivor Files. I just remember this low, taunting voice next to my ear saying, shut up, don't say anything. Every week, I'm with survivors who lived through the unthinkable. I knew if he woke up, without a doubt, he was going to hurt me.

I started feeling that there was someone at the end of my bed, and I just started screaming. They are abducted, stalked, controlled, and nearly silenced. But these aren't stories about what's taken from them. They're stories about what it takes to make it out alive. Listen to the Survivor Files with Elizabeth Smart on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. If your bookshelf and your For You page are equally important to your personality, welcome home. This is Prose Society, the weekly podcast that's part bookbookbook. Club, part group chat for thought daughters, pop culture obsessives, and anyone who thinks pride

and prejudice and love island deserve the same level of discourse. I'm Eli Rallo and every week we're connecting the dots between books, the internet, and the conversations everyone can't stop having. I'm going to have to look up this story. Yeah, I'm obsessed. I'm obsessed. From best-selling authors and your favorite book talk creators to the latest pop culture moments, nothing is off the table. It's like if you can hide some real messages inside compelling. characters and that is a Trojan horse. Whether you're looking for literary deep dives, smart pop culture conversations, or a community of readers who love to think a little too much, you're in the right place. Listen to pro society on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or

wherever you get your podcasts. See you between the pages. I'm Hoda Kotbby, host of the podcast, Joy 101 with Hoda Kotby. If you know me, you know, I'm always searching for inspiration and useful tools to maximize joy. So this podcast lets us uncover those things together through meaningful conversations with fascinating people. Like when my friend Henry Winkler offered advice to aspiring actors and really anybody hoping to stand out. You're not hired just to fill time and space. You're hired to fill the space with you. You have something in your guts. You go with it. And Sean Johnson recalled the moment she realized her now husband, husband Andrew was the one.

He was just so unapologetically himself and knew nothing of Hollywood. He hadn't been on a plane before without his family. It was so pure. Listen to Joy 101 with Hoda Kotby on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. So LSU and Lane Kiffin are not breaking a moral or an ethical rule, taking an NFL player, and signing them up to play. at LSU. That doesn't mean anybody likes it. I don't think Lane likes it. You'll hear from him in a second. But the Big Ten, according to Pete Tamill, excellent reporter, is going to pass a rule today that

doesn't allow players to return from the NFL to play for Big Ten teams. So strong leadership is not that difficult. Sometimes you have to fix the pothole instead of leaving the city to fix it. Right. We've all gone. We've all done something and said maybe I'll just do it. I'm not going to wait for the city to get it done. Instead of waiting for the NCAA, the Big Ten said last night the SEC talked about it shouldn't happen this morning. The Big Ten said it's not going to happen. We're not going to allow it. So strong difficult. Now I think strong leadership's not that difficult. I do think maybe a player will sue. My guess is though, good luck. That's not what most players want to do. Do I think it's a disadvantage, maybe a competitive disadvantage if one conference allows it

occasionally? It's not like you're going to have a big run on it. There'd be scarcity to it. But be that as it may. I don't think, I think NIL and Transfer Portal has changed the game. Those can be competitive advantages. I mean, Clemson, it's like, we're not going to do the NIL transfer portal thing. Clemson's gone from national power to kind of a second tier program in the last four years. that's what you got to get right. The NIL and the transfer portal. Now, I do think sometimes things, we may be uncomfortable with them, but they sound okay. Paying college football players.

Took some getting used to, but feels right. Transfer portal. Well, guys, always transferred. It's a little wild wild west, but it does feel okay. Most players don't. Transfer, by the way. Nobody wants to say that. College football playoff expansion.

and, well, really, do we need even more? Again, we'd all sleep at night. But NFL guy goes to college. It doesn't feel right. There's all sorts of things in life. You're like, that just doesn't sound right. That just doesn't feel right. Even Lane Kiffin acknowledges,

and he's getting the former Cleveland Brown. He admits he's not a big fan of it. They're available to recruit. And so ourselves, like many places, around the country are recruiting them. And at the end of the day, you know, because of these rulings, they're either going to play for you or they're going to play somewhere else around the country.

So we've made a decision to recruit them like probably most people are. In general, should NFL players come back to college, I believe it doesn't matter necessarily what I believe. That answer would be no. But his belief is everybody else is recruiting them, right? They're either on your team or somebody else's. So that's up to the NCAA. So, you know,

again, if guys are available and there's poor leadership, I like what the Big Ten's doing. Like, we're just not going to allow it. Go ahead and sue us. We're not going to allow it. But I have defended the NIL, expansion of the college football playoff. Even when the PAC 12 went away, my take was, I don't blame USC. They're getting an equal share to Oregon.

Cal and Arizona. They shouldn't. L.A. market's incredibly valuable. That shouldn't be the way it is. Like I, I'm pretty much accepting of like new stuff. But this, nah, it's no good. Jay Mack with a news. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. All right, Kyle, let's start with Lamar Jackson. Hey, I got a great story on Lamar Jackson from him and Jesse Minter that I don't want to quite call it a bromance, but there's a report out of Baltimore that Lamar is more engaged than ever with the coaching staff this this season. There were some big off-season activities. Apparently, Lamar is initiating text chains with Jesse Minter and the OC.

And there's also a part of this report coming out of Baltimore was that Lamar Jackson was visited at his house down in Florida by Minter and Company when they took over. So, Colin, listen, I don't want to jump to conclusions, but I've been. prattling on about the Ravens, that 11 and a half win total, Lamar, Minter, Ben Johnson's guy calling plays. I'm just telling you, a lot of stuff seems to be lining up here. You go from an old, I don't want to call Hallbra of Battleax, but an older coaching staff to some young guys, Minter's young, the O.C.'s young.

I think there's some real optimism here. Well, I have them winning their division. I don't think it's a great division. And I'm basically trusting the owner, the personnel. I did not like losing Tyler Linderbaum. The O line by Raven standards is like almost a Bengal level O line. That's what it feels like. But I would say is sometimes I respect an organization so much that you're like,

they'll figure it out. Like I didn't know how good the Patriots would be, but I'm like Robert Kraft, Mike Vrable, Josh McDaniel, Drake Mays Town last year. They were my double the win total team. Like they'll figure it out. Like John Harbaugh, they're not going to win four games. They're going to get to eight or nine.

He'll figure it out on a daily basis. So I tend to look at Baltimore as a classy, smart, thoughtful, progressive organization that will get it right. I have said I'm not quite sure what Lamar is athletically. He's still a great athlete, but he didn't look like the same motor, the same guy last year. So I just want to watch September football. Was it the injuries? Was he checked out? Yeah, I don't know. Maybe he was out.

Remember, this is a guy who was allegedly sleeping through meetings. They would have to adjust the schedule. That was a story out of... That was the story out of Baltimore from a local reporter who probably didn't love having to write that and get crap for it. So there's a lot of noise in the offseason. Nobody's saying they're a fourth place team. We're saying is here's their standard.

Last year got wonky. Let's wait and see. So I'll just say this about Jesse Minter. So there was a moment with Derwin James with the Chargers where he was headed toward the guy's a headhunter, a lot of late personal foul. It's not great. Jesse Minter adjusted that,

and Durwin James was phenomenal. I wonder, can he do the same with Kyle Hamilton, who was on that top 25, under 25 list? Kyle's a great player. I'm just telling you, I like this Ravens team. This smells like 13 or 14 wins, Colin. Cool. All right, let's move to Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions.

Another team I'm bullish on. However, Goff has a new OC in former Cardinals guy, Drew Petzing. I like him. Arizona scored a lot of points last year without a very good O line and average a quarterback. Yeah, okay. That's fair. Here's what Goff had to say about his new offensive coordinator. I'm most excited about his variability.

Like he has, I think he gets this like a notion that he was like a tight end guy. They had Trey McBride. Yeah, he's a stud. Probably one of the best players on their team. So they were going to feed him. And Sam's one of our best players. So we will feed him. We have guys that seems like every skill position on offense.

So we've got a lot of variability on who we can get the ball do and how we want to get it to him. I think that's where you can kind of see his genius come in where he's able to move guys, put him in different spots, move around the formation, motion shift, the whole thing. I think we both think they're going to win the division, right? I do. I mean, I think it's schedule-related. I don't know why you're so bullish on PetSink. I guess I got to do some more homework. They were trailing in a lot of games, so he's got to be, he's got to have the quarterback's.

Chuck and Duck. But I like this offense a lot. I think Jemir Gibbs is in line for a monster season. They have a rookie right tackle, Blake Miller. If he works, they're going to be in a good space. Yeah. The defense should be better. I mean, it can't be much worse. And when you get the Jets, Cardinals, Panthers, and Saints in the first month, you know, you're probably going to be cooking a little bit. That Buffalo game is really interesting. You know, Detroit doesn't like cold weather. Well, you know, Buffalo, going there in September, they got the new stadium. I mean, that's off the list. Look at the lack of outdoor games that they had. Until the very end, they're at Chicago at Green Bay at the end of the season.

So they would like to have a little bit of a cushion going into December because their last two games at Chicago at Green Bay. Yeah. Other than those two outdoors at the end of the season, and they might have the division locked up. That's how easy the schedule is. And they do go to Munich, Germany, which I hear is just incredible in November, and they face the Patriots.

I think the Lions probably win 11 or 12 games. So do I. I'm all in on golf and company. Now, here's some good news about your New York Giants. Colin, that is Malik Neighbors, the Star Wide Receiver. We're covering from the torn ACL, only played four games last year. Hurt my fantasy team. Neighbors just cannot stay healthy.

He's only played, he's missed 44% of the games in his pro career. But John Harbaugh was asked about his status for week one, and things are trending upward. I just don't want to make any kind of statements like that. I think it's reasonable to assume that. You know, those are all kind of things that you can assume. It's just based on watching the guy practice. But, you know, the only thing I know more than you guys know is what the docs and trainers tell me as far as his rehab.

And that's doing well. He's doing really well with that. He's strong. He's in a good place. But how he gets through practice, how ready he is to play and protect himself, is really based on practice. I think they're receiving cores a little better than people think.

think the giants are going to be uh if neighbors comes back isaiah likely i thought is a guy that's going to get a lot of looks solid you still like jackson dart though yeah i do i'm okay better than i thought when he's down the blue tent better than i thought as a rookie i thought he was more of a top of the second pick they reached for him i thought and i was wrong he's been a nice player for them uh confident throws a good ball very confident runner i like him scatterboos healthy got a little one-two punch at running back, I'm good. Are they winning the division or second? Doesn't I just said they're my double the win total?

You think you'd be a little more respectful. Four years in a row, maybe it's five, I've nailed my double the wind total. Anybody can say the Rams will be good. But to say this crappy team is going to double their win total takes courage. You're looking at television courage every year. Are you going to feel at 0-1-2 after they lose

to the Cowboys and the Rams? Huh? I can't wait for that. the revenge game for Brian Dable. He is not calling off the dogs in that one. O. and three could be a real thing. I mean, Dable and Cam Ward, you could lock it in, over 300 yards passing, probably two or three touchdowns. Have you watched the Titans? Have you watched it?

I've got a life, my friend. I'm not watching the Titans. Well, I have a life, too, and I watched that Seahawk game in the first half when, like, some of the better players played. And it's, I don't know if Cam. saving the good plays for the regular season. Okay. You don't have burdened those in August, my friend. The good plays. All right. Yeah, great.

J-Mack with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd-Ly News. So there was a picture of Luca Dontich. He looks great, by the way. This is what he should look like. Tall and very lean. His fans are buzzing about

his off-season transformation. He looks terrific. He looks like Bradley Cooper actually with a headband a little bit on it, doesn't he? It looks fantastic. And let me just say this. Off season, your sleep is less interrupted. You're not having midnight dinners.

Your diet should be good. This is what you should look like as a pro athlete. After a season, you take a couple of weeks off and you have less disrupted sleep and diet. This should not be a big story. The last four years, Luca has played fewer games than 41-year-old LeBron James. and 38-year-old Kevin Durant. Durant turns 38 before the season. That's not good.

He's averaging 62 games a season. That is not good. And he's also, and he's very ball-centric. So between the cardio issues and increasing injuries, his style is ball-in-hands more than anybody in the NBA, some years by a long shot. So last year he couldn't make it past April. He just had a game at Oklahoma City got hurt, never came back. I always think I had a GM tell me this years ago, not all superstars are equal.

There's two levels of superstars. There's the Duncan, Kareem in his prime, Bill Russell, Magic, Michael Jordan, Kobe, where you kind of get the same guy every night. You know they're in premier shape. Steph Curry could be in this. You know they're in premier shape, totally focused, not a lot of wobbles. You're getting total commitment at practice. I mean, Michael Jordan and Kobe, Duncan,

were legendary practice players. That is, by the way, many elevate teammates. That is level one of Superstar. Level two of Superstar is Mello, Iverson, Barclay, Luca, Hardin. You know, you could put like a, you know, not a lot of titles in that group. None actually of the players I named. There's usually a hole.

Many don't want to play defense or practice at an elite, level. They're kind of independent contractors in a very team-centric game. I love them. Their first ballot hall of famers, but you got to protect them sometimes. Like Luca, you have to overpay for Walker Kessler. He's not a good defensive player. He will get hunted. So it is, there are two types of superstars, like iconic legends and just superstars. And here's the thing. A lot of fans think that like level two superstar, there's upward mobility. He'll become a level one. Nope. Your game's your game. Westbrook 18 years, all gas, no breaks. Nothing wrong with that. He's a Hall of Famer. I mean, Kevin Durant,

Kauai Leonard, never been like leadership guys. That's their personality. Most of the limitations to the second tier superstars are based on, you know, childhood. They can be based on just sort of your personality, your quirks, whatever. Does it mean you're not a super. doesn't mean you necessarily won't win a ring, but Luca's one of those second-level superstars where the cardio, the injuries adding up, he's getting hurt a lot. Four straight years, he's averaged in 62 games. So, Kauai Leonard, he's never been really a leader guy or like distribution, assist, make everybody better guy.

His personality, the Pablo Torre's stories, it always just feels a little off. It's a little enigmatic and mysterious. So Lakers made a lot of moves this offseason. And I do agree that Mulek Walker, Kessler, I'm for the overpaid, getting younger and getting better defensively and having a little more duality with players. I'm all four. I think they'll be about as good as last year. But when I see a picture of him slimmed down and people are buzzing,

guys, that's the baseline. I mean, he's a handsome kid. It very much is Bradley Cooper with a headband. But this is the baseline. This is what a pro athlete should look like. It shouldn't be buzzing every other year. Put him on men's health. He's a pro athlete.

I mean, you've got to just stay in shape, right? Work on the shape thing. It does kind of matter. Coming up next, I'm going to do AFC today, NFC tomorrow. I'm going to lay out my divisions before I go on vacay for a couple days tomorrow. Laying out the AFC coming up next. It's the herd. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific.

Get Bell Pure Fiber Internet with Crave, Netflix, and Disney Plus from $94 a month. Price guaranteed for two years on internet with a two-year term and auto pay credit. Visit bell.ca for details and to check availability. Bell, connection is everything. When I was 14 years old, I was kidnapped and held captive for nine months. I survived and I've spent my life. how other people survive what should have destroyed them. I'm Elizabeth Smart, and these are the Survivor Files.

I just remember this low, taunting voice next to my ear saying, shut up, don't say anything. Every week, I'm with survivors who live through the unthinkable. I knew if he woke up, without a doubt, he was going to hurt me. I started feeling that there was someone at the end of my bed, and I just started screaming. They are abducted, stalked, controlled, and nearly silenced. But these aren't stories about what's taken from them. There's stories about what it takes to make it out alive.

Listen to the Survivor Files with Elizabeth Smart on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. If your bookshelf and your for-you page are equally important to your personality, welcome home. This is Pro's Society. the weekly podcast that's part book club, part group chat for thought daughters, pop culture obsessives, and anyone who thinks Pride and Prejudice and Love Island deserve the same level of discourse. I'm Eli Rallo and every week we're connecting the dots between books, the internet, and the conversations everyone can't stop having. I'm going to have to look up this story.

I'm obsessed. I'm obsessed. From bestselling authors and your favorite book talk creators to the latest pop culture moments, nothing is off the table. It's like if you can hide some messages inside compelling characters, and that is a Trojan horse. Whether you're looking for literary deep dives, smart pop culture conversations, or a community of readers who love to think a little too much, you're in the right place. Listen to Pro Society on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. See you between the pages. I'm Hoda Kotbby, host of the podcast, Joy 101 with Hoda Kotby.

If you know me, you know, I'm always. searching for inspiration and useful tools to maximize joy. So this podcast lets us uncover those things together through meaningful conversations with fascinating people. Like when my friend Henry Winkler offered advice to aspiring actors and really anybody hoping to stand out. You're not hired just to fill time and space. You're hired to fill the space with you. You have something in your guts. You go with it. And Sean Johnson recalled the moment she realized her now husband, Andrew, was the one. He was just so unapologetically himself and knew nothing of Hollywood.

He hadn't been on a plane before without his family. It was so pure. Listen to Joy 101 with Hoda Kotby on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Starting September 5th, Fox Big Noon Saturday is back. start Saturday Strong with Big Noon kickoff live from Bloomington at 10 a.m. Eastern. Then at noon, defending national champion, Indiana. Take on North Texas. Big Noon Saturday, September 5th on Fox.

Okay, so today I'm going to do the AFC. Tomorrow I'm going to do the NFC at this time. I'm just going to lay it out all things considered 36 straight season since 1990 with four new playoff teams. And I've got three new playoffs. teams just in the AFC. So I got a couple more in the NFC. I think my number is five or six.

But over the last, you know, 36 years, you're going to have four new playoff teams. So anytime you suggest a new team is going to make the playoffs, people push back. But that's the reality of the sport. Over the last 10 seasons, the average is almost six and a half new teams. Injuries, free agent moves, strong drafts, it all tracks. So here we go. Let's start with the AFC East. bills are the largest favorite. They've won this division five or six years. I love the

DJ Moore addition. The only question is Joe Brady, but it's the same offense. So my take is they've spent a lot of draft cap of the last couple of drafts on defense. Some of these guys got to like pop. I'll take them to win the division. New England's schedule is much tougher. I think the team will be better. The record could be worse. They've upgraded the O line. Drake May does get a number one wide receiver. I think that is a big deal. I think the O line will be better, still not great. The Jets in third, they have too much talent. Gino Smith can guide you to some wins.

I love their first round picks. David Bailey on the edge is going to start. Omar Cooper, Kendrick Sadiq, the tight end. I thought they had a tremendous first round. Offensively, if Gino can be a C plus quarterback, they should win four or five games. Dolphins are rebuilding. I like to coach Jeff Halfley. I like Malik Willis.

They just, you know, they've got the biggest dead cap maybe ever. So it's a total rebuilding year. Let's watch the young players play, but I'll pick them easily for fourth. The AFC North, I don't think this one's difficult. I'm going to go with Baltimore just because a lot of changes, but they have the deepest roster. It's how I feel about the lions in their division. I just think Baltimore's got more good players. Trey Hendrickson comes over.

They could not generate a lot of sacks last year. I think they were 28th in the league. So I have the Ravens, kind of out of respect just for how well the organization has run. Lamar's going to be better than last year. How great I'm not sure. It's going to watch it. Cincinnati, I have as a new playoff team. Baltimore, by the way, is going to be a new playoff team too.

But I have Cincinnati as a new playoff team. Schedule is easy and you've got to give them credit. They've always been cheap. But Dexter Lawrence, cost of money. He's great interior. They brought in Jonathan Allen, Boye, Mafay. again, three guys, plus they got that second round draft pick, Cassius Howell. The defensive line, finally, finally, it looks like Joe Burrow will be able to win without a track suit on.

They can win an occasional 23-20 game. Steelers, listen, they've been a bad offense for years. They won't be. I like the Michael Pittman acquisition. I think Mike McCarthy and Aaron won 98 games in Green Bay. They've been bottom 10 in the NFL offense for seven straight years. That will not happen. I think they'll be competent.

I thought Aaron was better than everybody projected last year. I think he's going to be better this year. It's his final year, my guess, as a pro. I think they'll be viable as a playoff team until about week 16, 17, or 18. Cleveland, I don't hate them. I just don't know who's quarterback. I'd go with Shadour, the coaching staff likes Deshaun Watson. They played more rookies than any other team.

last year in the NFL, and they're going to play four or five more rookies this year. They're just too young to win, but I will say this. I like their GM. I thought their first five picks were the best in the draft. I think they have a lot of talent, but it's young talent. It's 23-year-old guys. NFL, you need more guys, 27, 28, 29 years old. Let's go to the AFC South.

I think D'Amico Ryan's has an argument as the best defensive coach in football. They went and got Kishan Bouti, a trade with the Patriot yesterday, who I actually thinks a really long, talented, wide receiver after an injury. They ended the regular season on a nine-game winning streak, and this is a team that shut down the Rams offense. I mean, there's a lot of good defenses in the NFL. There's one Texan's defense. And I think Domingo Ryan's is literally walked into this league

and is a game-changing coach. This is my toughest call in the AFC. I'm going to go Colts over the Jags. I actually like the Indianapolis roster. I think they have one of the most unharmed, at offensive lines in the sport and they return four starters. I think if you look at Tyler Warren, Jonathan Taylor, Alec Pierce, Josh Downs, now their past defense was atrocious.

That's why they gave up two firsts for Soss Gardner who got injured, so it looks like a bad move. But he's a long, hyper-athletic guy. You can put on a number one receiver. I like the Colts talent, but because they don't have a star quarterback, relative to who we view as a star quarterback, everybody looks at Indianapolis and doesn't really pay attention, to how damn good they were last year.

They started the year 8 and 2, went to Los Angeles and outplayed the Rams. They can play in the trenches. They're physical. They have offensive depth. The culture of good team. If Daniel Jones is upright, and I love Shane Steichen. Jags lost Travis A-TN, who was very productive for them. I like them.

I think Liam Cohen is super sharp. I thought at the end of the year, in the last two months, they averaged 34 a game, so they were humming. Then they go to the playoffs and kind of lay an egg. Whatever. Some young players, they depended. on. Travis Hunter thing comes back. They got better when he left. That was weird. So the Colts, Jaguars, coin flip. I think they're very even teams. I just like the composition of the Colts roster

better. And the Titans for fourth, I actually like Robert Sala and Brian Dayball. Is Cam Ward going to work? I don't know. Fourteen, lost 14 games in back-to-back years, and they're awful against their division. Oh and 10. The last 10 times they've played in division. So I don't know where they're at. coaching. Now, and I like their young GM out of Kansas City. There's a lot I like about them, but it's not on the field. I like the upstairs. I like the coaching staff. I don't really love the roster yet. Let's go to the AFC West. Boy, this is good. I have the Chargers. 11 and 6 with the worst offensive line in football. They upgraded offensive coordinators. They have both tackles back. Jake Slaughter, the second round pick, will now

play center, not guard. A little uncomfortable. They're fine there. Only team to rank top five in the NFL third down offense, third down defense. That is coaching and intelligence. They're very good in situational football. I have them winning the division. I think they're more talented than Kansas City that's going to rely on Mahomes off an injury. Travis Kelsey maybe in his last year and Chris Jones older off a bad year. I do think I'll give Kansas City credit. I think they get back to the playoffs. Kenneth Walker is a good pickup. Mahomes, Rishie Rice is back. So some of their key components come back. Mahomes and Andy. And he's never had back-to-back bad seasons. 27 years ahead coach. They're going to be a good team. I worry a little bit about losing Trent McDuffie,

although the first pick in the draft was from LSU. He was the best corner in an average corner draft. Now, the team that I actually think is super talented. I love the coach, and I like the quarterback is Denver. But what worried me about Denver was the inconsistency of offensive play. They were 11 and 2 in one-score games. Jay Mack and I talk about this all the time. It's like a team that has no fumbles one year. They're going to fumble the next year. A team that loses all the close games one year, 10, you know, you 10, with Denver, the regression to the mean as they say, they're not going to go 11 and 2 in one score games. Now, maybe they won't be in one score game. Maybe Bo Nix takes a jump. He's off

a surgery. They've added Jaden Waddle. I do think they, defensive line, create sacks, offensive line does not allow them. So maybe I'm bonkers here, but I think there's a regression. I still think they could be a 9, 10, 11-win team, but I think LA is going to be a 12-win team in Kansas City gets a slight edge to me. Raiders could be the best

fourth-place team in football. Maybe Minnesota, arguably Green Bay are in the running. I think the Raiders have upgraded. I really like Fernando Mendoza. My guess is he starts somewhere, somewhere before Thanksgiving, upgraded the offensive line, which was beat up

and bad. Tyler Linderbaum, to me, was the best acquisition in the offseason. I love centers, and I love Tyler Linderbaum. They were one in 11 against the AFC West in the last couple of years. That will get better. How much better I don't know. But I like Kirk Cousins and Mendoza in the quarterback room. Two really quality guys, work, obsessed guys, right? Like, they're going to go to work and they're going to put in the time. So I have the Bills, Ravens, Texans, Chargers, winning their division. Patriots, Bengals, Chiefs as wildcard. The new playoff teams would be the Ravens and the Bengals and the Chiefs. It's not that complicated.

I went with Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, and Patrick Mahomes now making the playoffs. That's the new NFL. And if you say it out loud, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, C.J. Stroud, Justin Herbert, Drake May, Joe Burrow and Mahomes make the playoffs. I feel pretty good with that. I think the NFC is really, really. really interesting. I'll do that tomorrow. J-MAC, fire away. Yeah, so it looks to me like you have new playoff teams, Ravens, Bengals and Chiefs. Both of there, right? And I would say this is the

chalkiest pick you could probably imagine other than Denver. But like, if you want to put Denver in, who are you taking out? And I guess it would probably be the Chargers? Well, here's why I'm chalkier than usual. Over the last so many years, I would say 5, 6, 7. The NFL due to rule changes have made one position clearly more important than all positions by a lot quarterback so look at who i picked alan lamar i mean i mean one one quarterback cj stroud regressed fair it's a weaker division and i think demico that defense jason last year i mean the rams couldn't pick up first down i mean you only left out bow nicks and i don't even know if he's that good Like who, what, you're not missing any good quarterbacks here.

Trevor Lawrence. Trevor Lawrence. Oh, Trevor Lawrence, yeah. Jags offensive line down a little bit. Yeah, can you believe the Jags won, was it 13 games last year? And nobody's talking about them? Absolutely nobody. Yeah, and they were last eight weeks.

They averaged over 30 points a game. All right, hour two coming up. I survived nine months in captivity, and I've spent my life. Exploring how other people survive what should have destroyed them. I'm Elizabeth Smart, and these are the Survivor Files. Every week, I'm with survivors who live through the unthinkable, abducted, stalked, controlled, and nearly silenced.

These are stories about what it takes to make it out alive. Listen to the Survivor Files with Elizabeth Smart on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Hayes Davenport. And Sean Clements. host the podcast Hollywood Handbook. Each week we talk to someone in show business and try to help them with their careers and see what they have to offer us. Everyone has a good time and no one gets mad at their publicists for letting them do our show. We've had a lot of great guests like Sarah Sherman,

Adam Scott, Danny McBride, Ben Stillard, and a lot of other big shots that wouldn't be where they are without us. Listen to Hollywood Handbook on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. If your bookshelf and your for you page are equally important to your personality, welcome home. Pro Society is a weekly podcast that's part book club, part group chat for anyone who thinks pride and prejudice and love island to serve the same level of discourse. Each week, we're connecting the dots between books, the internet, and pop culture with your favorite writers, book talk creators, and plenty of overthought opinions. Yeah, I'm obsessed. I'm obsessed. I listen to Pro Society on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Hoda Kotbby, host of the podcast, Joy 101 with Hoda Kotby.

You know, I'm always searching for inspiration and useful tools to maximize joy. Like when my friend Henry Winkler offered advice to aspiring actors and really anybody hoping to stand out. You're not hired just to fill time and space. You're hired to fill the space with you. Listen to Joy 101 with Hoda Kotby on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.