The Herd with Colin Cowherd - The Herd-HOUR-1-Chiefs, Kawhi, Cowboys

Episode Date: September 10, 2020

The Chiefs are on their way to becoming the next NFL dynastyKawhi Leonard is going to win another title and become top 5 all-timeThe Eagles are a better team than the CowboysGuest: Peter Schrager Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

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

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

I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the I Heart Radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok's podcast network on TikTok. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84's big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English.

Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Thanks for listening to The Heard podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday from 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1. Find your local station for the herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the IHeartRadio app by searching Heard. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Ah, here we go. The NFL season begins tonight, live in Los Angeles. This is The Hurt. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, we are live on Fox Sports Radio and right here on FS1. You know it's football season because one hour from now.

Greg Kosell stops by one of our favorite segments we do in the football. football season. One hour from now, it's Greg Kossel and it's Chiefs and it's the Texans tonight. Joy Taylor is joining me. Her brother, of course, Jason Taylor, the Great Hall of Fame football player. It's in her blood. It's in her family as well. And here we go. I can't believe it, Colin. I was literally, I was in the dressing room downstairs. Like, wow. In March with everything that's happening, like all of us in a panic. And here we are. We've got NBA, we've got MLB, MLS, and the NFL season is starting tonight. And thank to you, the fans.

We're all through it. The virus is still active. There's a vaccine hopefully around the corner, but we really got through tough times where we were indoors and couldn't go to restaurants, couldn't go to gyms, couldn't go to beaches, didn't have games. There's some positivity tonight as the NFL season begins in earnest. You know, it's interesting. We think of the NBA as the dynasty sport, you know, the, the, Celtics and the 60s and the Lakers and, you know, the spurs and Michael Jordan's bulls.

But the NFL's been a dynasty sport, too. The Pittsburgh Steelers in the 70s dominated the sport. They had challengers like the Raiders and Don Shul and the Dolphins, but it was the Steelers. Then it was into Joe Montana, Bill Walsh and the Niners. And then it was Troy Aikman, Jimmy Johnson, and the Cowboys. And then it was a Patriots for a long, long, long time. The NFL's a dynasty sport, too. You get the right coach and the right quarterback, right general manager,

boom, you're off for the races. And I think a lot of people right now look at Kansas City in Baltimore and think, oh boy, oh boy, I'll make a case for Kansas City and here's why. I'm having ribs tonight opening the NFL season. My wife told me we're having ribs. You never want to leave meat on the bone, right? And there's an old saying in sports, you don't want to leave a lot of meat on the bone. You want to give everything you have play as hard as you can, empty the playbook,

and don't look back. You lose, you win, but don't leave any meat in the bone. It's remarkable. I want you to think about this for a second. And I'm just going to take the great quarterbacks in the league, not the average ones. And there's a lot more average than great. There are questions about all of the great quarterbacks, Carson Wentz. Can he stay healthy?

Aaron Rogers. Can he get along with Matt LaFleur, Tom Brady? Can he win without Belichick? Deshawn Watson. Can he win big games? have great highlights. Jimmy Garoppolo. Can he gain the trust of Kyle Shanahan who took the ball out of his hands in the playoffs? Lamar Jackson. Can he win from behind? Trailing has to throw. But Nick Wright brought up an interesting point about Patrick Mahomes. There's no question.

And there's also no pressure on him. The fact that Mahomes knows he's a fully minted made man forever. And Lamar knows the exact opposite, which is no matter how brilliant I am, if Colin Gower's right and we go 16 and 0, no one is going to care. It's going to come down to 12 passes if I make or don't make in the playoffs this year. Mahomes can play with none of that pressure. It's a big deal. The ability to pay, play freely and without pressure and not worry about surrounding critics. Mahomes and Russell Wilson are really it. But Seattle is not Kansas City right now.

I like Deshaun Watson. We'll watch him tonight. But he had a 24-0 lead on Patrick Mahomes in the playoffs and lost by 20. Are we looking at the next decade, the next dynasty in the NFL? And this is where I think we may be. Because I think I've seen Baltimore mostly at their best. they shrink a little. Kansas City, I want you to think for a second, how much meat they left on the bone.

They couldn't figure out their defense until late in the season. They were outplayed in the Super Bowl for three quarters. Patrick Mahomes was 11th in completion percentage, seventh in passer rating, and in his last six games with Andy Reid, Tyree Kill, Travis Kelsey, threw eight touchdown passes. They trailed 24-0 at home in a playoff game. Mahomes was outplayed by Jimmy Garoppolo for most of the Super Bowl. They trailed Tennessee in a playoff game.

And they won the Super Bowl with a kid at quarterback. Kansas City left a lot of meat. on the bone. We haven't seen Kansas City's high end yet. You really think Patrick Mahomes is going to finish 11th in completion percentage? You really think they're going to trail in the playoffs at home 24-0 again? You think Mahomes, who just admitted, I just figured out how to learn and read defenses, is not going to get better. I kind of feel like Baltimore's really good, and I do think Baltimore is a more complete roster this year, especially on defense in the back end. despite the loss of Earl Thomas.

But what is scary for the rest of the NFL, we look at that Kansas City parade and we think, oh, it was just linear. They just rolled in it. Mahomes got hurt. Mahomes struggled at times. The defense was kind of a wreck for the first 10 weeks. They trailed huge at home in the playoffs.

They were outplayed in the Super Bowl. And they won. That's what's scary. when Brady won his first Super Bowl and he was a kid and they didn't even rely on him and then he won his second Super Bowl and you're like, oh now Brady,

not just Belichick, not just the defense. Oh, now Brady's great. That's what's scary for the rest of the league. Kansas City hit on about seven out of ten last year and won this thing. Frightening. Can't wait for tonight, Chiefs, and the Texans. So you are who you hang out with, and the Clippers and Kauai Leonard are getting in very interesting company.

I'm not into awards. I'm not into points. I'm into winning. Kauai Leonard is going to win the NBA championship this year, and he's going to be the MVP on the third different team. Did it with the Spurs, did it with the Raptors. He's going to do it with the Clippers. They beat Denver last night. Denver looks shot now.

They look tired. He won on a layover at the airport in Toronto. He won a title. But it's very interesting because you are who you hang out with, and I keep asking this question to the critics of Kauai Leonard. He doesn't have an MVP. He hadn't scored a lot of points. His career average is,

let's look at some of the clubs Kauai Leonard currently hangs out in. We'll call it the elite club. Finals MVP with multiple teams. only three people have ever done it. LeBron, Kareem, and Kauai. Let's call this one the Super Elite Club. We had a name to it. Michael, Akeem, and Kauai.

Finals MVP, defensive player of the year. Let's go one more. Let's get silly. Let's go VIP Elite Goat Club. You've been a finals MVP, an all-star game MVP, and defensive player of the year. Michael and Kauai. And now he's going to win his third championship and be the MVP with each.

Oh, there's nobody in that club ever. I'll say it again. He's the anti-hardened, the anti-Westbrook. When the light is brighter, folks, he's MJ. He's at his very best. He's better in the playoffs than the regular season. So was Michael. Last night's another example.

Okay, this is not Tuesday night against Memphis. This is the game you break the Denver Nuggets spirit. Oh, good God. He was so much better than everybody on the floor. Paul George didn't even play well last night. Kauai's like, I got it. That's what Michael did. I got it.

That's what LeBron does. That's what Magic did. I got it. You are who you hang out with. he's the anti-harden in Westbrook. If the NBA players were all lined up and we were at a YMCA and you could pick teams, you'd pick LeBron and Kauai. You would not pick Janice.

You would not pick Westbrook. You would not pick Hardin. You would not pick Jimmy Butler. You would pick Kauai and LeBron. And they're about ready to meet in a few days. I know he's boring. I know he's nonverbal. I know he wears new balance shoes.

I get it. But my top five of all time in a month when Kauai wins it, Magic at point, Kareem at center, Michael's my two guard, and LeBron and Kauai are my forwards. You can have Larry Bird. Kauai is a significantly better defender. You can have Tim Duncan.

I can marginalize him. I've already got Kareem. you keep telling me stats and MVP's all I know is I watch these games and there's only two players in my life that remind me of Michael Jordan Kobe Bryant offensively and a little bit of defense and Kauai defensively and a little bit of offense I know he just shoots a mid-range jumper I know he's boring I know he doesn't talk I get it but you can no longer deny this stuff last night's a great example Paul George doesn't show up this is what Michael did I got it. I'll break the spirit of the Denver Nuggets.

You are who you hang out with. You start naming all these clubs he's in now. He's in with Kobe, LeBron, Michael, Kareem. The worst one's Akeem. Sorry, but I'm all in on him. I'm all in on fun guy. I just know if there was a YMCA, two guys in this league. It'd be LeBron and Kauai.

And these general managers keep telling me they want centers. I want a guy who gets better in the bigger moments. There's only two in the league right now, LeBron and Kauai. He's on my all time starting five in a month. You can't all longer deny it. Well, he doesn't have an MVP. Carl Malone does. Who cares?

Russell Westbrook does. Who cares? At the why, who you pick it? Malone, Westbrook, or Kauai. Who you're picking at the Y? You're picking Kauai. That rhymes. Didn't even mean to.

All right, coming up next. I don't get it. Like when you, I got to talk Dallas Cowboys here in Philadelphia Eagles. Pro Football Focus has gone bonkers. They've gone bonkers. The whole world's gone bonkers. The whole world likes the Cowboys. You've all gone bonkers.

I'll reset something coming up next. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the IHeard Radio app. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential.

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

Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment. and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations,

stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tapped Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking.

What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s.

To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because, of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you finishing that sentence. Yes.

I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart 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, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase

that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses.

Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth, or are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines,

as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free, our heart radio app, Search learn the hard way and listen now. The key to staying cool all summer and fall. Sweat-free. Tommyjohn.com. Code heard, 20% off your first order.

It's their cool cotton underwear, men's and women's. So it's just bonkers. Pro football focus, I love those guys. But they have, of their 21 riders, 18 have picked the Cowboys to win the division over Philadelphia. In fact, pro football focus, the Cowboys are the second most common Super Bowl pick in the NFC, Dallas.

Fun, fluff, fireworks, I don't get it. So what are the seven things since I've been doing this show for 20 years? The seven things that matter in the NFL. Now, I've always said my core four. Owner, GM, coach quarterback. Let's add three more. O-line, D-line, you can't win if you're bad in the trenches.

And weapons. Weapons matters now. It's a passing league more than a running league. matter. I used to not be as big on weapons, but they do matter. That's why New England deteriorated last year. Their weapons were awful. The seven things that matter, let's line up Philadelphia and Dallas. Okay. Owner, I'm not into vain owners. I'll take Philadelphia. GM, Howie Roseman, as sharp as they get. Coach, Doug Peterson's more creative. They both have a Super Bowl,

but he's more creative than McCarthy. And I do think creativity is the new norm. quarterback, we watched at the end of last year, with deck chairs and lawn furniture, Carson Wentz beat DAC with all sorts of weapons. Offensive weapons, that's Dallas clearly. Great wide receiving court. Tremendous. That is Dallas plus Zeke. A defensive line, I'll take Philly, Fletcher Cox.

Offensive line should be noted, neither as is good as they were two to three years ago. Travis Frederick's a big loss at center for the Cowboys. Tyron Smith doesn't feel like a 16 game left tackle. Slight edge to Dallas. that's five to two folks and the seven things that matter. Dallas reminds me of a house with a plumbing issue and the owners tried to solve it by repainting the house. It looks great when you drive by.

Oh, my, Cowboys landscaping? Oh, my God. It's just like the talk of the neighborhood. Look at the landscaping. The lights all over the house, the paint job. Oh, my God. But when it comes to like plumbing and electrical and the kitchen, and the foundation.

I like Philadelphia. That's the stuff that wins in this league. Not the landscaping and the new paint job. You go inside the cowboy house. There's a leak in the bathroom. Lights don't work in the dining room. And two rooms don't have furniture. God, the landscaping CD lamb.

Oh, my word. I don't get it. What wins in this league? owner, GM, coach, quarterback, O-line, D-line, and some weapons. Philadelphia is the best team. They were last year overcoming massive injuries. It's going to be a very disappointing year in the state of Texas. Here's Joy Taylor with the news.

Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. I also pick the Cowboys to win the news. I do have the Eagles. the wild card. All right. So at least there's some respect. Of course.

Got respect it. I mean, what Carson Wentz did last year? Was ridiculous. Was ridiculous. I'm just, I'm going with the Cowboys in the Division this year. So the Celtics had a chance to end the series with the Raptors in game six last night, but couldn't close it out. Unbelievable game. Crazy.

Just pure entertainment. Right. What a great game. Toronto trailed in the fourth quarter and both overtime periods, but they were able to force a game seven with the 125, 122 win. Kyle Lowry read the Raptor. the Raptors with 33 points in 53 minutes. He played a while.

Including a clutch shot to put them up by four with less than 12 seconds to go. He did have a huge game. This is the first time since 2009 that a team has avoided elimination in a best of seven series by winning a game that went into multiple overtimes. It may have been the best game yet in the bubble.

Just pure entertainment value, craziness. There have been some really crazy games, but this one was like you could not take your eyes off the same. It was wild. Now, I will say this. the last 11 years Kauai LeBron or a Western team

have won the title 11 for 11 this year I'll make it 12 I watched that and I thought this is really fun but it's not these are not championship teams

well yeah I mean that's but it's always been the West right like even if we were expecting Janus and the bucks to be coming out of these but now LeBron and Kauai have gone out west and they want to eliminate each other so it's like I watched this game

and it's entertaining but in the end. Well, because you need a, you need a superstar and there's a lot of stars on the court there, but not necessarily yet. Not saying that none of them are not going to become superstars. There's a lot of young players. Yet, they're not there yet. Meanwhile, while they're battling out to a game seven, the Miami Heat are wrestling and preparing for whoever's coming up. Yeah. But this, this to me watching that game last night, I was like, man, this is why in the playoffs, every single moment counts. You let O.D. O.G. Ananobe hit that buzzer beater.

We could have gone up 3-0 on the Raptors and essentially ended the series. You gave them life. Now you're in a game seven. Like you can't, even without Kauai, they are the defending champions. Like they still have a culture. They're still the same coach. They have all the team players. You know, like this is, that's not a team you can just ignore either way. And it was looking like that.

Last second, OG hits that shot. Now you find yourself in a game seven. It was a great game. I'll take Boston game seven. So Baker Mayfield has not lived up. to the expectations of a first overall pick in his first two seasons with the Browns. And even though he's adjusting to his third full time coach in three seasons, he wants to show that he can do so much better. So, you know, yeah, that's approved.

But to be much better than what I've shown in the two years prior could be an excuse to use it. But that's not what I'm doing here. So singular focus on this year and what we can do. And that's the ultimate goal. So move forward. While this does feel like the maker break year for Baker Mayfield, has not all been his fault. It is not all been his fault.

I'll defend him on that. He came to a team with bad tackles and a high school football coach, eventually by year two. So I will defend him on that. Now, the maturity thing, grow up. But, but it has not all been his fault. But you know what, though, the maturity thing, Well, I do agree.

Baker has done some things that are questionable. Overall, I like Baker's attitude. I like his personality. I think he's kind of been pushed into this space where it feels like he's like tempering it a little bit. But that's fine because you have some things to prove. And sometimes in life, you got to take a step back and say, okay, you know what? I'm just going to focus on me. I don't need to talk so much.

I'm going to grind it out. And then I'll be able to get back to what I was before. but it's not all been his fault. And had the Browns, maybe brought someone in who was a little more steady-handed than Baker at that point. Yes. Even they would have to overcome the dysfunction of the Browns, but it might have been at least publicly different. I don't hold what has happened in Cleveland against Baker at all. I hold against, I hold with how Baker has performed against Baker and some of the extra things that he's brought.

Yeah. But I can't think of a player that could overcome what's happened in Cleveland in the last three years. I don't think he's done himself any favors. He hasn't. But when you really break down what's going on in Cleveland? Yeah. I just think Anderluck overcame. Outside of a veteran bringing a veteran quarterback in,

what rookie quarterback could excel in that situation? This goes back to my initial criticism. I said, whoever Cleveland picks is going to have to be good enough to overcome their dysfunction. Deshawn Watson, Mahomes, good enough to overcome, not win Super Bowls, but overcome physically. I don't think Baker is talented enough to overcome his immaturity or the chaos he inherited. Now, I don't think he is, period. I do think offensively now, if he can't move the chains with this roster, it's done.

I mean, like eight games in, if they're not one of the better offenses, you really have to have a hard look at Case Keen in the backup, who was always my comp for Baker anyway. Well, I don't know if they'll go to Case Keenum, but I don't know that it's necessarily fair to fully evaluate Baker off of this year, but that's just not the world we live in. Fares for, you know, Ferris will and fried Oreos. In reality, this is, you got to do what you got to do and deal with what you've been dealt. Realistically, if he had come in with Kevin Stavansky in this new culture as a rookie, there would be a whole different conversation. But he's probably not going to get that that extra year because that's how it goes. So the Saints have won more regular season games than any team in the NFL over the past three seasons,

but they've lost in the playoffs in heartbreaking fashion each time. And as Drew Brees enters his 20th season, he is not shying away from the Super Bowl or bust mentality. This time, man, I'm on ball of time. I got nothing to lose. So I'm turning it loose and letting the chips fall where they may. I know that everything happens for a reason. and that in most cases, failure is the best teacher. That's the approach I've always taken.

That's the approach this team is taking. And I feel like we found a way to garner strength from each one of these moments from over the last few years. And it's only made us better. He does make a point because there's been some rough goes for the Saints to the point where we were like, all right, guys, like, we got it. Well, I didn't think they'd be very good last year. My takeaway was how can you back-to-back years have these gutting losses in the play? I will say this, though. They've overcome them.

No team has more clarity in the NFL this morning than the Saints. We got Drew for one year. We went and got two good free agents. They are way over the cap for the next several years. Everybody's kind of playing the long game in the NFL. Even Baltimore. We got Lamar for a decade here. Like New Orleans is like all our money, all our chips.

Everything is in on this year. Yes, they should. And that kind of urgency often pays off. And they're returning with the same code. returning with that veteran future Hall of Fame quarterback. Big problem, though. Look who's in the division. I don't know.

I'm all in on the Saints this year. I got Drew Breeze winning the MVP. I got the Saints in the Super Bowl, losing to the Ravens. I'm actually all in on Louisiana because I have Clyde Edward Teller as working here too. All right. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by.

The Heard Lye News. Peter Schrager, Fox NFL reporter. He's fantastic. Also on Sunday NFL kickoff joining me. We kicked that show off again this year with Chris Thompson, Tony Gonzalez, Michael Vick. Everybody is on the show, so we're excited for that. And Dave Wonstat, of course, too. So let's bring in Shregs, brought to you by Mercedes-Benz, the best or nothing, joining us live in New York.

So it is really interesting when you look at the Eagles and the Cowboys, Pro Football Focus, they've gone bonkers. They're all in on Dallas. and my takeaway is Dallas had some issues with their plumbing and just repainted their house. I like Philadelphia's infrastructure, their general manager, their line play. So I'll just throw it out. I'm not high on the Cowboys this year. I really like Philadelphia. And I feel like I'm on an island this morning.

Your thoughts on that division? Well, last year, Week 16, Dak, Amari, Zeke, the whole gang go into Philadelphia with a must-win game. And they lose to Carson Wentz, Boston, Scott. Josh Perkins, Greg Ward, and a cast of guys who are from the pickups on the waiver wire. It's hard to have such great confidence. But here's what the Dallas Cowboys are preaching. New regime, new coach, new field. Everything's going to be different.

I am fascinated to see how this Mike McCarthy thing goes, Colin, because look, let's call it like it was. Steve Wilkes and the Arizona Cardinals led by Josh Rosen beat Mike McCarthy and the Packers. They fired Mike McCarthy midway through that season. season, and he was out of work all last year. So we're supposed to believe that all of a sudden Mike McCarthy is going to suddenly become this rejuvenated coach of the year type guy that's going to get them over the hump. It's been all rainbows and sunshine out of Dallas so far this off season. Everyone is preaching that this is a Super Bowl contender. Let's see if Mike McCarthy is the magic elixir that gets Dak Prescott over the hump because, yes, they did beat the Cowboys

many times when he was the coach of the Green Bay Packers. But there were a lot of people who thought the Cowboys were going to swing far bigger and go a different direction with head coach. But they went with Mike McCarthy, who was in his basement in Green Bay watching film and doing analytics with Jim Haslett all last season. Very interesting team. I am not 100% in on the Cowboys until I see what they look like actually on the field, not just on paper. You know, it's interesting. You were the first guy. I remember you did it in our Sunday show.

You said there's this kid, Patrick Mahomes, and we made fun of you. You were like, he's going to dominate the league. You're not going to believe how good he is. And we were like, oh, Shrags, come on. And then it's like, oh, he throws without looking, left-hand passes. It's funny, I said to start the show today. What's scary for the rest of the league, I do feel like I've seen about 90% of what Lamar Jackson is. I think he'll get better.

With Mahomes, he was 11th in completion percentage. His last six games, he had eight touchdown passes. He admitted he just learned to read a defense. They were outplayed in long stretches all through the playoffs. And they won the Super Bowl. I feel like they're just scratching the surface. What do we know about Mahomes in this camp and his improvement, improvement going forward? He's incredible.

And if you're not a Chiefs fan or if you like the Raiders, the Broncos, or any of the teams in the AFC that are contending for a Super Bowl this year, you might want to look away because this isn't going to change. This might not be just a one year, two year, three year deal. They've got him wrapped up for the next 12 seasons. He is the ultimate team player. And here's where things get even harder if you're an opposing fan. When he got his $500 million deal, he got congratulations from everybody,

he himself proactively reached out to Deshawn Watson and shared the details of the contract and said, hey, just FYI, if you and your agent are talking, let me help you with how this negotiation went for us. He wants everyone else to get paid also. Unfortunately for other teams, Travis Kelsey, took what was really an undervalued contract extension this offseason. Sammy Watkins did the same. They paid Chris Jones. They're going to have Tyree Kill there with with McCall Harbin for the next several years. And they add who Joy Taylor just mentioned

Clyde Edward Taylor, who I think tonight is going to put on an absolute show at Arrowhead. They're not going anywhere. He's so young and so good and the coaches are all coming back also. I feel like this is the Chiefs infomercial. Well, guess what? This is a happy, fun-loving, and really likable team. It's rare to see them to be the team that everyone's talking about. After 50 years of Kansas City not winning a Super Bowl, they're not just going to win it this year. I think we're going to have a few seasons where they're going to be the favorites coming out of the summer camp.

I've said this before. If the Jets aren't good this year, they'll fire Gase. They won't move off Darnold because they really like Darnold. He's been mature. He's been a gamer. It's Gase with some of the baggage. If Baker struggles this year, they were in the same draft class,

I think a lot of people in the building bail on Baker. Some maturity issues called out the medical staff, been hot and cold. And I think that's the value and the importance of maturity. You get a second and a third chance if people in the room feel like, hey, it's not all your fault. So let's dial in on Baker. This is his fourth coach, his third head coach. I do feel like he faces real pressure. They just have two good of weapons not to be an elite offense.

am I hating or is that fair? No, it's fair. And Colin, these aren't just new coaches. And you could say, oh, we're Kitchens wasn't really the guy and he wasn't ready for it. Baker had a big say in Kitchens being the guy. So look, he's had offensive coaches. Todd Haley, Hugh Jackson, Freddie Kitchens. Last year, there was other offensive.

Now you get Sifansky, who is an Ivy League guy who has done it for one team, the Minnesota Vikings and had a lot of success for more than a decade. And in comes Kevin Sofansky with Alphansky. Alex Van Pelt, who was with Aaron Rogers. There are like no more excuses. These are two really well-respected offensive minds that will be in his ear, and both are professionals. The entire summer, the key thing with the Cleveland Browns is that they have not been in the headline.

There has not been any hype. And I can tell you from talking to folks there, Baker has been very serious about football and not very serious about whatever else is going on off the football field. It's been all about ball. But if it doesn't work out this year with all the talent on the roster and them hiring a new coach and bringing in a new coach, and bringing in a new system and then feeling like now it's finally a professional environment for him.

I wouldn't be shocked if they said, okay, Baker, like, it's not going to be next year, but maybe the year after we'll talk contract negotiations then. I think Mayfield does bounce back, but the AFC North is loaded. Ben is healthy. Joe Burroughs really good, and the Ravens aren't going anywhere. So that's a very interesting team right now. You know, it's funny. Todd Bowles doesn't have a big personality.

So when he coached the Jets, at times he felt a little misplaced or overreward. But he made their defense better. And last year at the end of the year, Tampa's defense was nails. And I've said my prediction for Tampa this year, the defense leads the offense in September. It won't be Brady. He'll be working his way through a lot of different pieces. And then I think by Thanksgiving, it's like, oh, these weapons are good and they're rolling. I think Tampa Bay is going to be really good.

I think we're overthinking it. I think Ariens Bowl's second year of the system. But when you talk to people around the league, what are there one or two concerns about this Tampa Bay All-Star team on offense? Yeah, the concerns are the defensive backfield, which offhand, a lot of people won't know names like Antoine Winfield Jr. And Jamel Dean and Sean Bunting Murphy, these are the starting corners and starting defensive backs for the Tampa Bay Buccaneer. So as much as we want to go ooh and awe about Gronk and Godwin, at some point, those defensive backs who have been untested in big games are going to be going up against Drew Brees. and Russell Wilson. The other piece might be the offensive line, just that Brady hasn't played behind these guys, and that takes a while. But Colin, I'll come on your show right now, and I'll tell you,

I have them going to go to the Super Bowl. I think the Buccaneers are going to be awesome this year. And I think one of the reasons I am so high on the bucks is not just the offensive side of the ball. It's their front seven. Levante David's one of the best linebackers in football. We never talk about him. Devin White is a second year player at LSU is going to have a huge breakout season. Shaq Barrett, JPP, Vita Veya, and Domew. They're loaded. They really are loaded. And they had the number one defense over the final month of the season last year, and that was with James Winston throwing 30 touchdowns. I finally also look at it this way.

No fans in the stadium. And if there are fans, let's say it's 10,000 to 16,000 to start it off. Brady at the line of scrimmage at the Superdome on Sunday, and you're going to have Joe and Troy and Aaron. They're all going to be there, but there won't be any fans. There'll be 70 decibels of sound. I don't even know what that means, but it's not going to be drowning them out. Brady every week can sit at the line of scrimmage with no fans against him

in these opposing stadiums, do it at his cadence, at his pace, call out what he wants, isolate what he needs. It's going to be like practice for this guy against defenses that have not seen this offense ever. There will be no film on it. So everyone's taking the Saints, and I hear what Joy was saying,

say she's all in on the Saints. I don't know. The Saints kind of had a weird offseason, didn't they? I feel like Drew Brees was put through the crosshairs quite a bit this offseason too. And I feel like they might be coming together over that, or they might not. I look at the Buccaneers.

It's been all positive vibes. Everyone's all in on this. He's elevated everyone. And I think it's going to be Tampa Bay over New Orleans in the NFC South. And I think the Bucks represent the NFC at home in the Super Bowl come February. One of your best segments ever, it's just a great point. It's just a great point. I never thought about this.

When I looked at that Tampa Saints game, I swear to God, yesterday, I'm like, God, the Superdome is so tough to play. No one there. There's nobody there. That's, I mean, seriously, Green Bay and New Orleans and Seattle live on their home. field advantage. It's like, oh, we don't have one this year. Boy, I'll tell you what, that was good, Shrager. You know, that's why we keep you around at Fox. Thank you. You're so darn good. We'll see you Sunday on kickoff.

You're the best, Colin. Appreciate it. You enjoy. Keep on rocking. All right, Peter Shreger. That is such a great point. It's practice for Brady. The Saints' Big Edge at home, the emotion they play with. There is none. It's practice. God, you keep forgetting about this stuff. It's like in the NBA bubble, the young players were great because they didn't have this raucous, toxic crowds to go up against them. The old guys struggled early because where are my kids? Where's my family? So like the bubble we saw very early.

The young guys were like, this is an AAU tournament. I got no wife and kids. This is great. The old guys, Yonis is like I'm depressed. A lot of the older players were like, this is really difficult because they have family. In the NFL, Seattle, no home field advantage. Green Bay, no home field advantage. Well, Minnesota's got a better roster than Green Bay.

You take out Lambeau's crowd. It's at two losses. This stuff's crazy. It's going to be very interesting. Oh, my God. I'm going to bet so much money this year. Coming up next, I make my final adjustment to my NFL predictions. One tweak, this is it.

Coming up next, Greg Coselle, top of next hour. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human beings. potential. Either way, the podcast Superhuman documented it all

embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care where you're saying. Yep, that's me. Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show.

This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok.

Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with a little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down,

and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so you're just so you're not. But just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, this is the second episode

where we've discussed, correct. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you finishing that sentence. I don't think there's a more important year

for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it,

and we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth, or are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust.

I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as 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 hard way and listen now. Carsield.com code heard 10%. Deductable may apply. Coverage from Car Shields like a warranty when yours runs out.

Car Shield. Great to have you in top of next hour. Greg CoSell, our NFL meat sandwich, whether you bet games, you're into fantasy or you just love football. It's our often most requested football segment every week, except for Blazing Five, where that is just making everybody money. All right. So this is it. I make NFL predictions after the draft, after the combine, after free agency.

I wait for coaches to get fired, combine, free agency draft, and make a prediction. And then I let it sit throughout the summer. Then I watch the preseason. We didn't have one. And then I watch injuries. And then right before the season, the day the season starts on Thursday, I make my NFL predictions. And I, you know, at this point, it's just bits and pieces. But this is officially my predictions for the season.

So last night, I dive into schedules. I've been down on the Pittsburgh Steelers at 7 and 9. I'm going to put them at 8 and 8. Why? Look at their schedule. I went and looked at that schedule. Here's what I love about Pittsburgh. Tomlin's defensive mind and their defensive front.

God, there's a lot of young quarterbacks here. Daniel Jones didn't have a preseason. Drew Locke. Joe Burrow twice. Gardner Minshu. Dwayne Haskins. Josh Allen. Philip Rivers first year, not mobile.

And I started looking at it and I thought, you know what? I'm going to give them another win. Now, I think their division is a handful. And they do face lots of good teams, Dallas on the road, Tennessee on the road. I mean, there's some tough spots. Cleveland on the road, Baltimore, obviously. But I'm going to move the Steelers up to 8 and 8. And that's not a little thing, and I'll get to that in a second.

I'm going to move the Denver Broncos from 9 and 7 down to 8. Eight and eight, and here's why. They lost Vaughn Miller for the year. Bradley Chubba's hurt. And I looked at Denver schedule, and I thought, man, there's a lot of experienced or good quarterbacks here. I got Tanna Hill to start. Then I got Brady.

Then I got Cam Newton. Then I got Matt Ryan. Then I got Patrick Mahomes. Then I've got Tyrod Taylor that doesn't make mistakes. And Teddy Bridgewater and Derek Carr. And I start looking at this. And I'm like, if you don't have a pass rush, there's a lot of guys that complete 65 and 68% of their throws.

And you're not good at tackle. so that's going to limit Drew Locke. And now you don't have your best pass rusher. And I think to myself, with this schedule and these quarterbacks, I'm taking a win away. Now, why does this matter? Because now my AFC playoff picture

looks different. I have the Steelers sneaking in. The Bills, Ravens, Colts, Chiefs, win their division, that doesn't change. But by changing that win, taking one from Denver and giving the Steelers one, I have the Browns, Titans, and Steelers, they kind of went ugly but I'm going to have Pittsburgh in I don't have them going far

there'll be a one and doneer probably but I'm going to have them in you know pre-season's matter Pittsburgh looks healthy a Denver doesn't Denver's had their right tackle opt out their best pass rusher arguably their best players out Bradley Chubbs dinged up it matters it just matters and Mark Schleros was on the show yesterday and he said they've got major holes they got concerns in the secondary so now I got secondary concerns without a great pass right that's a problem even for head coach Vic Fangio. Now let's go to the NFC. I've got one change, well, two, but in one division.

Let's go to the NFC South. All preseason, I've said Carolina is going to be a losing team, but a feisty team. I'm flipping Atlanta and Carolina. I'm going to give Atlanta one more win, Carolina one more loss. Saints win it bucks, Atlanta, Carolina. It does not change the playoff picture at all. But the more I, you know, again, I deep dive on the schedules. I look at Carolina.

And I really think Carolina is going to be a lot of fun. But no preseason, new coach, college coach, new system. Atlanta's got a veteran coach. Matt Ryan, same system, same playmaker outside. Did lose Austin Hooper. So I don't think there was explosive. I'm just going to say Atlanta 7 and 9, Carolina 6 and 10. I don't love either one of them in that division.

I think they're outmaned both. Those are my officials, NFL standings and predictions. John, we recording that? That was recorded, yes. It's official. The devices for recording instruments are working. We're also live. Oh, we live right now?

On TV and radio. Yes. Okay, there's a lot of things going on right now. A lot of bells and whistles going on right now. All right, hour two, Greg CoSell, NFL meat sandwich football. NFL officially here is the herd. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guide, 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. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only. legal but encouraged.

It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On the Look Back at a podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors.

Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying.

Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Cliverts show on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcast,

or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, Follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.