The Herd with Colin Cowherd - The Herd - Hour 1 - Handling pressure is expected

Episode Date: October 19, 2023

Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy praises Dak Prescott for the way he handles the pressure of being the quarterback from America's Team and Colin pushes back by explaining this is the expectation for all franchise QBs He tired of the James Harden drama and NBA players forcing their way off multiple teams and why it's time to hold them accountableSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Our NFL meat sandwich every Thursday, 20 straight weeks during the season, Greg Kosel, won. One hour from right now. Get smarter. Always interesting. You know, J-Mack, people talk about pressure. You know, as the old saying goes, pressure is not being able to feed your kids. That's real pressure.

None of us face pressure, right? Pro athletes don't face pressure. Real pressure in society is your family, taking care of business, going through rough times. But I do think I was hearing something yesterday. Mike McCarthy was talking about DAC faces unbelievable pressure. So I want to start with that. Unbelievable pressure. Mike McCarthy, Sirius XM, and he says what DAC is going through being the Cowboys

quarterback, it is unprecedented. I just think the intensity of the microscope on DAC is I've never seen anything like it, especially with this year 8, 9 for him. So he's been dealing with this a long time here. The intensities, like I said, nothing like I've ever seen. But he indoors mentally and emotionally compared to the other 31 is. I've never seen. And speaking on experience of being around great quarterbacks,

this is consistency, you know, and his personality and work ethic and how he handles all that and navigates all that. It goes outperforms it every week. I think it's, I think it's special. Endure? Never seen anything like it? Fact. Dak is now the longest tenured quarterback in the NFL.

He's an old guy. He's a veteran. And we hold them to harsher standards. currently in the NFL, all the best quarterbacks, all of them, no exceptions, are younger than DAC. Josh Allen, Burrow, Lamar Malmhombs, Herbert, Jalen Hertz, Tua, Trevor Lawrence, Lamar Jackson, and Jared Gough, barely. All of them. Add to that, C.J. Stroud looks really good as a rookie. Brock Purdy, toe to dough twice with DAC, looks as good or better.

and we have two A-plus prospects coming out of college. So expecting more from DAC is not unreasonable. We are harder on veteran quarterbacks who get the bag and don't win much in the playoffs. Dak is almost a decade into his career. He has the same number of playoffs wins as Ryan Tannahill. And one more than Daniel Jones. one more. He has had two offensive head coaches, an incredibly supportive GM slash owner.

His offensive lines in his career have averaged top five. This year, their second. PFF. I looked up the defenses in DAC's tenure. They average fifth. Weapons always has won sometimes more. support weapons, elite O lines, top five defenses, and the same number of playoffs wins as Ryan Tannehill. This is not a star on the helmet issue.

Jimmy Garoppolo got to a Super Bowl. A Super Bowl. That's off in the distance for Dak and Dallas. A Super Bowl. They shipped him out of town. Jared Goff got to a Super Bowl. Number one pick shipped him out of town. Dak has two playoff wins in eight years and has unbelievable support.

Owner, head coach, GM, city franchise. Monday night's performance should be what you get for an eight-year, tenured veteran who is among the highest paid players in the entire sport, America's biggest domestic sport. Dak's one of the highest paid stars. One more win than Daniel Jones. And the Giants are rebuilding. Dak has never been with the rebuilding cowboy team.

His first year is a rookie. It was the top-rated O-line in the sport. Zeke, I believe, led the league in rushing. Hall of Famer at Tide End, if I recall back then. Weapons, offensive coaches. Didn't say they were the best, but outside of Mahomes, who does have the best offensive coach? Nobody's unrealistic. He is the longest tenured quarterback in the league, paid like it.

A couple of wild card playoff wins. That is not a star on the helmet issue. and the idea that he faces pressure, come on, man, quarterback in the NFL. I mean, outside of my homes, I live in Los Angeles. They're blaming Herbert, not the head coach for the Chargers losses. Seriously. Every reasonable fan knows it's not Herbert. He's getting blamed for him.

Stafford gets dragged weekly anytime he throws a pick, and he's got a ring. Not a star on the helmet issue. I like that. But this is, you get the bag, y'all wanted him to have the bag. This comes with the bag. We're not bagging on Brock Purdy because he loses a game. I'm not paying him anything. CJ Stroud's going to go 500 or worse.

Not paying him anything. Eight years, got the bag. You know, wind, as they say, blows a lot harder at the top of the mountain. All right. So I saw this story. You know I like the NBA. Don't talk a lot about it. until we get to February.

Starts next week. Really interesting at the top of the NBA tree. Some really big moves of the bucks, the Celtics, I can't wait. James Harden yesterday skipped practice. His coach said there's really no explanation. So the NBA deserves all the heat they get for James Harden. If you coddle kids or employees, pro athletes, this is what you get. get. The NFL did not coddle an aging Antonio Brown. See ya, we'll be fine without you. The NFL did not

coddle an aging Des Bryant. Cowboys said, been fun. See ya. James Hardin is in arguably a regressing player. Nobody would dispute that. And he's pulled this three or four times. Don't want to work out, don't want to show up, don't want to go to practice. Adam Silver, in my opinion, good commissioner, but at times a coddler defended James Hardin this morning on the carton show. James, there's no doubt that he's an emotional guy. I think when you hear it directly from the players, it doesn't, from their standpoint, feel as irrational as it does to us sitting here thinking, look at these huge guaranteed contracts, look at this opportunity you have. I think we saw with Ben Simmons that at the end of the day, you can't force a guy to play,

but also players have to understand, of course, they're not going to get paid. if they don't play either. There's two sides of these stories, but at the end of the day, everyone agrees, guys have to live up to their contracts. Listen, I'm not anti-player. I am, two things are always true with me. I'm for protecting the player's body. I've said in the NBA, I don't like back-to-backs. I think the playoff series should go three games first round, five next to seven finals.

We don't need more games to determine who's best. Fewer games, players healthier, have more juice. and energy, better for the fans, better for the player's body. I am also for NFL guys all playing on grass where it's possible. NFL, less hitting in practice. I was on that 10 years ago. Second thing, I'm in favor of players requesting trades. Not all the time, but Robert Sarver of the Sons, Donald Sterling of the Clippers.

There's some bad Dan Snyder, Washington. There are bad owners out there, and there are bad GMs out there. Like every other industry, 10%'s great, another 15% pretty good, 15% competent, and Drek, the bottom 50%, owners, GMs, coaches, players. Right? So like I am for protecting players' bodies, and absolutely some players are environments. I mean, the Chicago Bears have never gotten quarterback right. You can't blame just Justin Fields for this stuff. But what I'm opposed to is petulant, chronic, unreasonable diva behavior.

Ben Simmons, indifferent, chrie, petulant, Hardin, quitting if he doesn't get his way. So I'm not a player hater. I'm a brat, indifferent, diva hater. And so the NBA deserves all the heat. They got for Simmons, Kyrie, and James Hardin. The NFL, when you're a regressing player, Cowboys had a tough decision to make. They didn't have anybody in the room as good as Des. Steelers' offense, not the same without Antonio Brown.

But they wouldn't coddle. That's what bothers me. I get a little diva. I've supported Aaron Rogers. I get a little diva. I kind of like a little diva. I get it. Tom Brady goes to Tampa.

Get me a right tackle. Get me grunk. I get it. I don't have a problem in the NBA. LeBron doesn't want to play with young players. Like, get me veterans who can play in the playoffs. I totally support him with that. Lonzo Ball, love you, get me a veteran.

Kyle Kuzma, love you, get me a veteran. I support that. But I can spot diva. I can spot brat. I can spot petulant. And I think Adam Silver too often defends it with, well, they're emotional players. You know, my wife cheated on me. Well, she's emotional.

I mean, there's just certain things you can't use. Well, they're emotional as an out. all these players are emotional. I'm emotional. J. Mack's emotional. My wife's emotional. Your wife's emotional. Our kids are emotional.

Still got to show up to work. All right. That's where we are. By the way, good get. Carton got Adam Silver on today. Good get. I like that. You don't fire.

He had Robert Sala this week. I know he did. He's getting, you're in New York. Knock on some doors. Robert, get over here. Adam, show up. I'm here in Breeze Hall next week. Maybe Breeze Hall next week.

Garrett Wilson, the week after? Jason McIntyre. three weeks from now when the Jets are three games over 500? How about Brian Daibol? Let's get a giant mixed in there. We won't winning head coaches, Colin. Sorry. By the way, you and I are both NBA fans. I like it a lot. I mean, I like the NFL more. I love college football. There's things, but I really like the NBA playoffs. Really like it. But I do think David Stern ran things a certain way. By the way, little old school for me

sometimes. You should probably ask the players if you're going to replace the basketball. You know, he changed the basketball. Didn't really tell the play. players like a little old school for me. I'd probably lean on my stars. So there are things about Adam. I prefer to David. Less of a bully. You know, sometimes the late David Sturred. Great, great, great commissioner, by the way, saved the league. The league had the finals at 11 o'clock after the news on tape. So David Stern saved the league and that kind of dogma and his sort of, I mean, he was, there was no stopping, David. He literally saved the league. Adam Stilver is a softer

version of it, more progressive. I like that. But you can't fool fans. Fans love NBA players. Simmons, Kyrie Hardin. They're over it. And fans have a right to be over it. Yeah. There you go. All right. Greg CoSell is going to be joining us. Are you going to a mustache, by the way? No, no, no, no mustache. Does it look like I have one? No, maybe. It actually does. I had the mustache before the five and a week a couple weeks ago in the NFL. So I'm trying to get that good. vibe, good energy back. Feel good about this week. I don't, for the record.

I don't like my picks at all right now. All right. I got a parlay for you this weekend, thanks to Draft King Sportsbook. New users use the code heard when you download the app. Now for my parlay pick of the week via Draft King Sportsbook. I'll take Bills minus 9. They played terribly against the New York Giants at New England. Swallow the points.

have a better roster, more to play for, as Miami and the Jets now are charging fast. Chargers at the Chiefs all take the Chargers plus five and a half. Why? Chiefs are not a big favorite, still struggling offensively, connectability between Mahomes and that young receiving group. And I'll take the Eagles minus two hosting the Dolphins. When you punch back at Miami, they can fold. Not a physical team, I think they'll struggle to slow down the Eagles offense. I like the Bills minus nine, chargers plus five and a half, Eagles minus two. You want to take the herd parlay. Check out Draft King's Sportsbook. New Users Code Hurd when you download the app. 21 plus in most eligible states, but age varies by jurisdiction. Eligibility restrictions apply.

Gambling problem. Call 1-800 gambler. In New York, call 8778 Hope and Y or text Hope in Y. 467-369. See show notes for full details. 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-Hart Radio app. 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, 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 Cliverts Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or we're

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 it 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 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, so. Thank you for 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. You're now entering the No Bull Zone, sponsored by credible great rates, none of the bull. Not all one in three teams, one in four teams, one in five teams feel the same. Remember last year, Detroit got off to a one in six start, and we would go on the air. And I'm sure other shows did this because other shows were seeing what we were seeing. But we kept going on the air saying, this Detroit team is fun.

This Detroit team, they're going to win some of these games. In fact, last year, Detroit's first three games, they were averaging 35 points a game. Like one in three. They were in these wild shootouts. But you could see the identity. So Sean Payton used, referenced those Detroit Lions with his one and five Denver Broncos. There's a fine line here between a groove and a rut. And you take a look at, I'll give you an example, Detroit, you know, a year ago.

there's a grit element involved, you know, some mental toughness that's involved. And then pretty soon, you know, here they are at the end of the season. They win. They're eliminated before that game played. But they were in that contention. And then, you know, here they are now as one of those teams. And so, you know, we're kind of, you know, in that position where it's, you know, we're bowing up and we have to. Not to be negative or cynical, but let's go back to Detroit at one and six.

Trick plays, offense was rolling, dominant physical offensive line, pass rush was emerging. Dan Campbell had created, to his credit, a real identity. They had to make more stops. Amarron St. Brown, Gough, O line, physical, trick plays, going for it. Dan Campbell deserves a lot of credit. He created an identity. we're going to be super aggressive. Fake kicks, trick plays, fourth down.

Denver, one in five. What's their identity? Cautious offensively, struggling defensively. What are they going to do with Russell Wilson's contract? There is a negativity around this one and five team. There was optimism and identity around the Lions at one and I don't just look at records. The Bengals were one and three this year.

I have bet them and won the last two weeks. I said, I see stuff. They're good. The worst of the Bengals behind them. Jags were one and two. I'm like, now's the time to bet them. Lions were one and six. I totally lean into the franchise.

It is not always about just results. You see this in tech all the time. It takes years for companies to make a profit. what investors look at is do you have something special in the building? Do you have something special? Netflix for years did not profit. But there were like terms, Netflix and chill in society. It felt special.

Netflix just recently made a profit. A decade they did not. And investors poured money in billions of dollars. Where's your special? Where's your unique? you could look at those lions. You looked at the physicality, their identity, their risk-taking, their dominant O line, which right now is rated number one in the league by PFF, you were like,

this puppy going to turn around. They're going to start winning these games. They just got to make some stops defensively. They're going to win some games. So Sean Payton's job is to create now an identity because I ask you this morning. What are they? Other than, man, that Russell contract, that thing doesn't kick in until next. year. Holy crap.

So there is a difference. Not all one in fives are the same. I'll give you another example. The Vikings were 13 and 4 last year. That was their result. We were like, they ain't winning the division this year. We all picked Detroit to win the division.

Because the 13 and 4 was just based on results, winning one close games, one score games. There was no special to Minnesota. They kept winning games narrowly. Detroit finished 8 and 9. The Vikings finished 13 and 4, won the division. And my pick this year for the division was Detroit. What was Minnesota's identity?

I mean, it's nice that you got results, but you can't just, just go on results. The NFL's all about where's the momentum heading? New England right now does not have it. It's not just the record. They can't figure out offense for five years. it's not just New England's record. They have no momentum. They have no offensive identity in an offensive league.

That's Pittsburgh's problem. You're just not going to win enough games with that coordinator, that quarterback, and that inconsistent run game. Congrats on having Mike Tomlin and good T.J. Watt. What's their offensive identity? What do they do well? Nothing offensively. J. Mack with the news.

No. No. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. All right, let's start with Jordan Love. Man, it has been a rough start to his career. If you remove that opener against the Bears, where he looked good with Aaron Jones and everybody,

it's been brutal. So Jordan Love and the Packers come out of their by week with a sour taste in their mouth. That gross loss to the Raiders on Monday Night Football. Oh, it was gross. Love through three picks. Just disgusting. Here's what he said about his mindset. It's not a great feeling.

You know, definitely left a very sick taste of my mouth, you know, that whole week. But, yeah, I mean, it's part of the game. You know, you've got to, I've had three interceptions game before. You know, you've got to find a way to bounce back, and it's always on to the next play. But, you know, I think those things, like, just having that sick taste in my mouth is, you know, it's going to keep pushing me forward, keep motivating me to keep going, keep getting better. You know, I like when he talks. I like his mobility.

I like his coach ability. I like so far what I've seen, his maturity. You know what I don't like? He doesn't do what C.J. Stroud does really well. He doesn't quickly assess the field and accurately deliver the ball. There's so much I like about Jordan Love. But what C.J. Stroud isn't is mobile. He's not experienced.

There's so many things C.J. Stroud doesn't have that Jordan does have. Stability, offensive head coach, momentum, the franchise, learning from a legend in the NFL for three years. But, yeah, C.J. Stroud does one thing that Jordan doesn't. Hike, see the field quickly, deliver a perfect strike to multiple receivers. You've got to be able to complete passes downfield. C.J. Trow was big-time recruit, Ohio State. This guy went to Utah State. I'm looking it up now. I think he led the country in interceptions in 2019.

Well, he had a great junior year. He didn't do as well as last year. Yes, 32 touchdowns as a junior and everybody loved it. Could have been a coach. Could have been a receiver, offensive coordinator. Let's just talk pro. You have to be able, regardless of size, speed athleticism.

You have to be able to deliver the ball accurately downfield. That's why I've always said. Lamar Jackson wins 75% of his games. He's not doing it with his legs. He's become a very good pocket pass for the last two years. So don't tell me,

well, you're running around. Russell Wilson, you take away the running around stuff. What is he not doing? sitting in the pocket, accurately delivering the ball down the field, third, fourth quarters. So that's my thing with Jordan Love. I don't care about anything else. When I watch CJ Stroud walk in with all the boxes, they have not checked off for him,

can't run the ball, O-line injuries, no experience, no momentum. And C.J. Stroud, win or lose, you're like, oh, that's an NFL starting quarterback. My question, he goes out this weekend, Jordan Love, and just loses. to this team. What are we say on Monday? I don't really know what you could say other than like, hey, let's just trot him out all. It's not like the Desmond Ritter situation where the Falcons have an easy

schedule. We should make the playoff. We've got to bench Ritter for Heineke. I don't think there is that with Jordan Lutz. So it's funny, you say, down the field. So he's only completing 55% of his passes. We know it's terrible. Not just low. But if I have access to this database SIS and they have this thing, you know, intended air yards.

He's not, they don't either trust him to throw the ball down the field or he can't throw the ball down the field. That's the problem. So it's all checked down stuff, short, in the flat, dump-offs, and that's not a great sign for a guy who's been in the program for three years. We talked about this in the preseason. The preseason is the time you take big shots. You're kind of like, these games don't count. Let it rip and see what he can do. It was handholding with no pressure. Remember, he was the least pressured quarterback in preseason. Handholding. It's like these games don't count. CJ Stroud, they were letting them fling.

it down the field. Like, let's go. Let's see what he can't do. Because we like to give both sides, right? We should say Aaron Jones has played in one and like a quarter games. No question. Christian Watson has missed a lot of time. I think Dobbs missed some time. So they're working with like a rookie tight end. Like there's a lot of newness. Let me throw this. Let's tackle. Oh, sorry, left tackle. Bakhti are we going? Okay. Four of C.J. Stroud's offensive lineman haven't played. No run game. Never even had Aaron Jones in the building. Do not have anything close to Christian Watson. So all these things, I can argue,

CJ in a worse situation, looks absolutely significantly ready to go as a rookie. Well, he was the, like, what do you go? Number two overall? He was going to be the number one. There was discussions about him number one. Jordan Love was like the late first round. And the Packers traded up for him.

Remember there was that big like Aaron Rogers? Well, he was going to go top second. I mean, people liked him. People didn't. But he was considered a very interesting quarterback. It was like Mahomes. Let's just go in and. I don't care about college.

We're in the pros. One guy with major roadblocks is really crushing it. One guy, three years in a stable organization, is flailing. Yeah, LaFleur, offensive genius, mastermind. Well, I think Matt's good. I think Matt, why are they coaching this offense the way they're coaching the offense? Well, wait a minute, you think Matt's good. Like, okay, he had a Hall of Fame question.

quarterback in Aaron Rogers. And now he's got Jordan Love, a bit of a project. Let me ask you. How good was McVeigh last year when he was using backups? They were losing other games. Yeah. How good was Shanahan? How good was Shanahan with Trey Lance? He was one and two. Yeah. You can only do so much with so little. You do need somebody that's capable. I'm saying, I think when I've watched Jordan Love, my takeaway is I'm rooting for him, but it kind of feels like a backup. it should not be this hard. I don't want to hear about Christian Watson. Come on, stop it.

Is he more Deshawn Kaiser? Do you remember that guy? I don't know what he is. I'm rooting for him. But I'm just saying when Andrew Luck and C.J. Stroud and all these kids can come in. And it's like, it's not that hard to be capable. He's not. All right, let's move on to a good quarterback.

Patrick Mahomes already achieved a ton in his relatively short career. most recently becoming an investor with Travis Kelsey in the Alpine Formula One team for the F1 guys out there. But Mahomes doesn't want to stop there saying he doesn't plan to stop getting involved with team ownership until he owns an NFL franchise once he retires. Aim high, Patrick Mahomes. Well, you can't own while you play. Correct. So if you ever hear anything about a college quarterback demanding that. Total nonsense.

It's total nonsense. You're not going to own. I don't know why that story was made up. People make up a lot of stuff and a lot of networks. That's not a real story. So if you read it, it's somebody that doesn't know what they're talking about. Yeah. But Mahomes got a massive contract.

Sure, he should own a little bit of everything. Well, I mean, Magic Johnson's got Dodger ownership, probably 1%, but he's got something. I don't know. I think it's great. I think LeBron wants to own an NBA team. Michael Jordan owned an NBA team. I think it's great. Well, Jordan did do a good job, but yes, he did a very handsomically.

Yeah. Do you see what he sold it for? Well, listen, you don't, as a minority owner, of two sports teams. Those things are only going upwards, pretty much, right? I mean... Well, I don't know. I don't own any, so I don't even have partial ownership. Now, listen, you... I don't even own a car.

I lease it. I don't know if I should... You had told me many years ago there was a certain media member who was buying into a soccer team in L.A. And I... Do you remember this? No, I don't. Okay. He worked at a different network, but he had talked to you about it, and you had mentioned that. I was like, ooh, that sounds interesting. No, I've tried twice to buy into the MLS.

That's what I was talking about. And I have been... Rebuffed? No, I just... It's very hard. There's very few opportunities, and I'm not Magic Johnson. Basically, I'm not wealthy enough, but I have tried twice. I wanted to buy into the MLS when it was 35.

I didn't want to buy the team. I wanted to be, you know, be a passive... Minority owner. Small, small owner. But it's expensive. In L.A., it's like Will Farrell, Tony Robbins, Magic Johnson. Colin Cowherg? Kind of in a strange

Satisfarine. Final story. Deshawn Watson has missed the last two games with a rotator cuff injury. However, we don't know if he's going to play in week seven. It's starting to get interesting. Oh, Lord. Come on. What's going on here?

Come on. I'm not sure. This is my first time dealing with a rotator cuff. So I'm just trying to get as comfortable as I possibly can to go out there and perform at the level I know I can. And if I can't, then

you know, we just got to continue. to take it day to day. You know, I'm not going to put the team in jeopardy if I can't do certain things that is going to allow us to, you know, be handicapped in certain situations. So, you know, that's the reason why I haven't been able to, you know, step on the field. You know, I've seen people, you know, around talking about that, you know, go out there and play. I mean, if I can't control the ball, you know, then I can't throw it. Then, you know, there's no benefit of me being out there. But is he not medically clear to play? Hold on. I don't understand.

Producer says here, Amari Cooper revealed that Deshaun Watson is practicing today. But to go back, the timeline, you're right, is very fishy. How is it that they did clear him to play? Then it was like a bruised shoulder. Then it was an AC joint. Now it's rotator cuff. I'm not like Mr. Injury here, but Rotator cuff isn't that where you start talking about the Tommy John surgery? Is that the same thing?

No, I don't know. Okay. So rotator cuff does sound like a major injury, though. Yeah, that's my take. So how was he cleared? Well, the kind of nebulous, it's hard to get your arms around. When the medical staff, which by the way, medical staffs in 2023 are much tougher on players that are go either way. We're not talking 10, 15 years ago where you just shot guys with the foot.

No, no. There's much bigger microscope on teams and medical staffs and players, as there should be. It's ridiculous. So when a medical staff says you're clear to play, you're ready to play. Now, again, 10 years ago, and I do get players fight like crazy to get on the field. It is just very rare in my life that a quarterback medically cleared to play would not.

So I have to now trust Deshawn Watson. It hurts, which I would, with almost any player, I would. But based on his personal life the last two years, it hasn't been the most trustworthy guy. So I think it feels very weird. The Browns, let's remember, this is the franchise where Baker Mayfield, their number one overall pick, tried to play through pain with his non-throwing shoulder. And, I mean, listen, I'm not defending Baker, but he had gone to the playoffs a year prior

and totally ruined everything he had going. I don't know if you were on the show at the time, but I had said with Baker, dude, sit it out and get healthy. Because Baker clearly wasn't healthy. So listen, I don't want to go too far on this because I don't know. But I do trust doctors today in the NFL way more than I did 10, 20 years ago. Because I had so many players tell me, dude, you'd just go out there, pill, shot, foot. It's not as irresponsible. I think it's very fair to say 15 to 20 years ago in the NFL.

It bordered on at times, occasionally little irresponsible. At halftime, you just figure out a way to get a guy out there. That's not the way it is in the NFL. Roger Goodell takes a lot of heat. The NFL is much more responsible than it was. It doesn't mean they're perfect, but I do feel like, if you're cleared to play, you can play. Didn't know it was 20 years ago.

J-Mack with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Heard Lye News. There's a lot of say. By the way, there's a Ohio State plays Penn State this weekend. I like Ohio State. But I was thinking about something this morning.

And sometimes it's easy in our business, my business to jump on the negative side. So I was thinking about something driving in this morning. I got about a 15-minute drive, and it caught me about Ohio State Penn State. Am I just looking through the wrong side of the telescope with Ohio State? And I'll explain that coming up. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app.

Hi, this is Jay Glazer, and you may know me for the world of football or football. fighting or even shows like HBO's ballers. What you don't know is for my entire life, I have lived in something I refer to as the gray. Depression, anxiety. So now I'm coming out with a new podcast. Unbreakable, a mental health podcast

with Jay Glazer where each week while we talk about mental health, I hope to describe it. Give it words. Listen to Unbreakable with Jay Glazer 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 you'll say. 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 Jett. 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 for 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 Tonight on FS1, the ALCS heats up where Jose Altuve and the reigning champion Astros look for a big win against Corey Seeger and the Rangers.

Coverage begins tonight at 730 Eastern on FS1. So Penn State visits Ohio State, and the more I thought about it, the more I like Ohio State to win that game by about a touchdown. I'll tell you why. So Ohio State's, it's the biggest game in college football this weekend. going to be fantastic. Ohio State is in a strange spot. They're winning almost all their games, and yet something feels off. Ryan Day, 35 and 2.

In the Big Ten as a head coach, 35 and 2, two. Two losses to one team, Michigan. The Notre Dame game felt like they got a blunder by Notre Dame. What a break. they won, but time of possession, 10 men on the field outplayed. Two of the last three top 10 teams they've played have beaten them. Michigan, Georgia. Oregon a couple of years ago went into Columbus and won.

What feels off? What my feeling is, that's a negative way to look at it. There is more pressure this week on Ohio State. Penn State, a much, much younger team. Penn State is going to be a preseason top three next year. Very young team. First big road game for their young quarterback. Data tells you it doesn't go well, especially against Ohio State.

So I like Ohio State. Touchdown, play well, older team at home, more experience in big games with this roster. Joel Clatt talked about the pressure on the Buckeyes this weekend. there is a lot of tension and stress and pressure because, in particular for this game, because, well, really three reasons. Okay, number one, you're at home. It's like, hey, protect the shoe and we're not going to lose at the shoe. The second one is that there's this sentiment that Michigan is still the top dog right now

because of what they've done over the last couple of years. You can't lose to Penn State and put yourself in third position in the division. And then there's also, they're older than Penn State. They're more veteran. So I was thinking about this. Why does Ohio State feel a little off? They don't. The two best teams in the country, the last two years, have been Georgia number one and Michigan number two.

Ohio State's arguably third. And if you just take out two Michigan losses and one Georgia loss as the third team with Alabama, we wouldn't think about any of this. They'd be 37 and 0 in the Big Ten. So I thought to myself, not wrong with Ohio State. Michigan now and Georgia, last two years, are absolutely the best two teams in the country,

in my opinion. Ohio State's probably third. So Penn State isn't. Younger team in Columbus, they're going to get whacked. I think what you're going to see is Ohio State hyperaggressive, going to the air early. and Penn State playing from behind,

and young quarterbacks on the road for the first time in a big game against the top 10 team do not fare very well. So there you go, Mr. Positive. Kept thinking they're just off. No, no, not. They can't beat Michigan or Georgia in the last two years. Who is? All right, so I was doing some texting last night with Warren Sharp.

He's an analytic maven. and it's really interesting what's happening in the NFL. And for you betters out there or frustrated fantasy football players, here's what's happening. So the numbers bear it out. Fewer underdogs are winning in the NFL this year. Basically teams without star quarterbacks. The NFL scoring is down the last two years.

Why? As Warren Sharp points out, there's fewer holding calls on defense and a higher sack rate since 2000 significantly. So you're seeing fewer explosive plays, fewer explosive plays because the NFL now is slightly pivoting to help the defense. Remember 10 years ago if you grabbed a receiver, it was a penalty? If you watch an NFL game now, grabbing is allowed. You can grab guys up the sideline. And then our Fox broadcast team will be like, no, that's not pass interference. And that's what CBS's guys will say and ABC's guys will say and NBC guys will say,

because the NFL is allowing more defensive holding. And it's limiting the number of explosion plays along with more calls against the offense ineligible man down the field. With all this RPO stuff, quarterbacks that wait an extra beat, centers, guards get down the field. So the NFL knows and is hearing all the complaints, all the rules favor the offense. So they are allowing secondaries to grab and hold much more. And it's taken away explosion plays. So what does it really mean for you? Well, even the Chiefs, the Bengals, and the Ravens with Mahomes, Lamar, Jackson,

and Burrow have had declines in offense. But what it does create, this is why fewer underdogs are winning, is that star quarterbacks are the only ones that are able to navigate all this holding and still produce at a pretty high level. For teams with average to below average quarterbacks, they've never looked more inept. There's never been more blowouts, according to Warren Sharp. The blowouts are up, the inept offenses, the gap between halves and have-nots is increasing. It is much tougher with all the holding being allowed to just complete stuff down the field. And unless you have a star, forget about it. Some of these offenses look college inept. The Daniel Jones, sometimes Tennessee.

So this is why we've been talking about this. Underdogs, I bet all underdogs first two weeks, couldn't hit a bet. Then I started moving toward favorites. Why? Because the gap between great quarterbacks and average guys, the average guys can't overcome all the holding that's happening in the lack of explosive plays. The only thing. only guys getting explosive play nows are generally your stars. That's why of the 14 playoff teams annually, I've already predicted 10 of 14 and my other four are close. The league is getting easier to predict. And by the way, my predictions weren't zany. Basically everybody's got Buffalo, Kansas City, Detroit with golf, Philadelphia. My predictions are right in line with everybody else's.

You're picking the best quarterback. And that always mattered. It is now closer to everything. I mean, even Baker-Mayfield Tampa leading in that division, I can argue Baker-Mayfield's the best quarterback. I mean, Derek Carr and Baker Mayfield. Baker was a number one pick. Derek Carr's second-rounder, Fresno State. So as Baker-Mayfield leading his division seems like wonky and weird, not really. He's the best quarterback in that division. So even Baker, who he don't think is really a number-one-picked talent, kind of rebooting his career, look around.

And by the way, this is why everybody sold on the Rams, and I had told you during the offseason, J-Mack, I said, McVehan, Stafford, and Cooper Cop. They'll figure out a way to be viable. Remember I kept saying that? I said, I got a great top six quarterback, a great head coach, and a superstar receiver. They're going to figure out how to win eight or nine games. They're not a great team. But what's happening, underdogs have never won less, according to Warren Sharp.

Explosion plays are way down, really punitively punishing mediocre quarterbacks. The stars will still get theirs. Fewer of them, but they'll still get theirs. So folks, bet those favorites. I'm not a stock picker, but the numbers bear it out. Dogs are not doing well last two years. Greg Kossel next. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite.

Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the I-Heart Radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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 Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I 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. 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 Cliford Show. This is a place for raw, unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

So let's get to it. Listen to The Cliford show on the IHeard 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.