The Herd with Colin Cowherd - The Herd - Hour 1 - The Bills are on the brink

Episode Date: November 27, 2023

Colin tries to solve the Bills issues after they lost another close game and now find themselves in danger of missing the playoffs He praises the Eagles for finding multiple ways to win games despite not always playing to the best of their abilities Sean Payton is showing why coaching matters in the NFLSee 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. 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, unfiltered 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 IHeard 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.

On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 is 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. 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. Thanks for listening to The Heard Podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio in noon to 3 Eastern, 9 a.m. to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the herd at Fox SportsRadio.com or stream us live every day on the IHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FS on. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.

Oh, it's a loaded Monday. Coach is getting fired already in the NFL live in Los Angeles. It's the herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening. Thanks for making us part of your day one hour from now. What a weekend. What a great four-day stretch where Colin was right, where Colin was wrong. There was plenty of both.

I am here to tell you that was four. went to a hockey game. I was going left and right. Last night, the Chargers never failed to disappoint. But I want to be friends with Bradley Cooper, the actor. And I'm saying nice stuff about Philadelphia today, J. Mack. That team in close games, unbelievable. I'd say get it out of your system now because the Niners are beating them this coming Sunday. Well, let's start with this. I do not believe in coincidences. I do not believe in luck. I do not believe in fate. I do not. Philadelphia last two years is 14 and 2 in one score games. The bills are 8 and 9.

Why? They both have great quarterbacks, both have good enough rosters, both have very smartly owned franchises. Why the disparity? Because the Eagles, as I've said before, have an absolute offensive identity and the bills have a really talented quarterback. That's not an identity. They ask Josh Allen to save the day, and sometimes he can. He's a remarkable player, and sometimes he can't. And in fourth quarters, in crisis, in close games, it's not enough.

Seattle, defensive coach, Steelers, defensive coach, Chargers, defensive coach, Buffalo, defensive coach. What are their offensive identities? Eagles have an offensive coach. Josh Allen is now 0 and 6 in overtime in his career. You think it's a coincidence? I don't buy it. by fate, I don't buy luck, I don't buy coincidence. Three times

this year, the bills have faced an elite quarterback. Last night, Cincinnati, when Burrow was healthy, and the Jags, and their own three. Why would that be? Because when they face a team that has a quarterback that is at least in the stratosphere

of Josh Allen's talent, Burrow, Jalen Hertz, Trevor Lawrence, then the details matter. And the bill's run game, oh, it's a little better this year, but still incredibly Josh Allen dependent. He had both their rushing touchdowns last night and half their yards. And once they get to the red zone where Philadelphia can beat you so many ways, it's all

about Josh Allen making a play. That's what Mahomes has. Mahomes has the advantage of a coaching staff that can rebuild his offensive line in one-off season, that can rebuild the defense in a year and a half, that can rebuild the receiving core. Buffalo, six years in, their run game is still overly dependent on one guy, especially in the red zone, Josh Allen. Philadelphia in the first half played very lethargically, very flat,

and gave the bills twice a turnover and a short field. And Philadelphia led. But in the second half, when Philadelphia forced the bill, to drive down the field. Philadelphia had the drive down the field to. Then it looked like the Eagles were the better team. And they clearly have a better identity.

14 and 2 the last two years in one score games. I don't want to hear about officials. I don't want to hear about luck. I don't want to hear about coincidence. I don't know about the league is rigged. Yeah, yeah, that's what it is. They don't want the Cowboys to win Super Bowl

last 30 years. That's what the league is. They don't want the Packers. to make the playoffs last year with Aaron Rogers. That's what the league really wants. Now, Philadelphia is great with an absolute identity and the Super Bowl window. Let's be honest for Buffalo, for the time being, is closed. Because this year, Josh Allen, basically Superman,

is an $18 million cap hit. You want to know what Josh Allen is next year, a $47 million cap hit. So you've wasted all this time. You have no offensive identity. You're super. talented. I don't doubt that. I think you have really good people in the building. I think you have a smartly owned, smartly GMed franchise. You're not firing people left and write like that clown show

down in Charlotte. That's not about it. But again, I look at some of these teams that are very talented and they don't have an identity. You know who does? The Niners. Philadelphia. Offensive coaches. Dermott has some questions to answer. It's more excuses. Eight and nine in one possession games the last two years. Josh Allen, oh and six in overtime.

I do not believe in coincidences. Here's the coach after. There's a tough group of guys in that locker room, right? So a tough group of coaches. And, you know, we're a good football team, and we just came out on the short end here. So there are no moral victories. Each and every one of us have to look at ourselves. And like I told you, that starts with

me. And that's what you do. That's what the best do. And I know our football team's a darn good football team. Little less prickly last night. Little less dogmatic. Didn't have the answers. Sean McDermott knows mirrors have always been effective. People don't like to look at them. at least he's acknowledging he does, which I appreciate. You cannot be 0 and 6 in overtimes with Josh Allen. Nope, don't want to hear about it. Nope, NFL's not rooting against the bills. The NFL would love to have Josh Allen in a Super Bowl.

They would love to have Josh Allen in the Super Bowl. They would have loved to Aaron Rogers made the playoffs last year. Stop making excuses. Start winning close games. Build an identity. Philadelphia has it. Speaking of Philadelphia, the box score, it's just funny. That's why you've got to watch the games every snap.

The box score would give you no indication Philly won the game last night. It's crazy. Time of possessions. First downs. It was one-sided Buffalo. Out-gained in four straight games. Four and no in those games. And I don't want to hear, well, what about the Steelers?

No, no, because one team has a big boy quarterback. Philadelphia can beat you six different ways. They are the Major League baseball pitcher that has three to four out pitches. the dolphins can fill a stat sheet the Eagles fill the win column this is what they do they can play from behind they can smush you

they can roll in a track meet shootouts they can win ugly they like last night can have an awful first half awful and beat a good team not a great team Buffalo but a good team my only question about Philadelphia is is Jalen Hertz

underrated now that sounds ridiculous right because we talk about them all the time, but from IQ to resilience, to playmaking, to mobility, to deep balls, when trailing in the second half for overtime this season, these numbers don't make any sense. It is so hard to play this position when you're trailing. His passer rating is almost 140. He has seven passing touchdowns, three rushing touchdowns, and no picks. That's like better than Mahomes in the early days. That is Patrick Mahomes' territory. And Jalen Hurts is getting better. He's getting better. He did this without Lane Johnson. When he was missing

Lane Johnson last year, it wasn't the same offense. I mean, we have watched in the last couple of weeks, Mahalms, Josh Allen, and Jalen Hertz. You know, play one another, okay, in recent weeks, right? And I trust Jalen Hertz more. I know. Now, some of that's the Kansas City Chief's lack of star receivers. But I'm watching Jalen Hertz and he, that dude is presidential. People used to make fun of me when I used to talk about, I want my quarterback to be quarterbackial. I want him to be presidential, hat on forward, buttoned up from the way Jalen Hertz dresses, talks, podium, playing. He is so buttoned up. He is so dependable. There's a calmness. There's a calm to with him. There's a maturity

with him that last night that game goes to overtime. Everybody in America not living in the Buffalo area code is like, oh yeah, Philadelphia's going to win this game. He's got the ability to be calm without being low energy, energized without being hyper,

and clutch with no anxiety. It's really something special to watch. And we've had quarterbacks not drafted in the first round. Drew Breeze, second round, Brady, Russell, Wilson, Joe Montana. We've had a lot of good quarterbacks that weren't top 10 picks. But you start looking at Philadelphia right now. What separates them is their ability to beat you so many ways and absolutely always be the best time on the field if the game is tied or close late. And I think it all starts with Jalen Hertz. Think about this. The last two weeks,

we have seen Mahomes, Allen, and Hertz on the same field. Only one of them is two and oh with seven touchdowns and two fourth quarter comebacks. Like I'm to the point now. I always thought, hey, he's somewhere in the top 10. Should we just now put him in the Allen Mahalmsboro category?

Because what I'm watching from maturity to calmness, resiliency, to IQ, everything about this kid is right. The podium, the field, fourth quarter, post-game, what he says before games,

when he talks about injuries, I mean, if this is where the league is going, Jalen hurts. My only question about Philadelphia, am I underrating this kid? Here's their coach after. He's clutch. He's been clutch for us and clutch for this city and clutch for this team for the past, you know, three years now. And so, you know, he just kept, you know, going and put his head down and worked and made some big time plays at the end. You know, who knows, you don't have to be, you know, we understand in quarterback play.

It's not all linear. You're not great every Sunday. You have good halves, bad halves. It's really hard. It's really hard to be quarterback. But is there a more dependable quarterback late in games these days than Jalen Hertz? Fourth quarter, he just, you know, again, I'm not saying the old line doesn't help, but he's been missing Lane Johnson. I'm not saying the running backs, the coaching, the receivers, they always have good tight ends.

I'm not saying it's not a community, but boy, he is something. He is really something in games like last night. And yesterday there was a lot of bad quarterback play. There was a lot of average quarterback play. There was a lot of slightly above average quarterback play. And then there's Jalen Hertz. And it's just like, wow. And that second half, the ability to control things late, crucial plays.

And again, you go to the box score, you'd have to think Philadelphia lost by two touchdowns. And that's the art of it. they've got out pitches. They don't have to play great in the first few innings. They can play from behind. They can win ugly. Miami Dolphins fill a stat sheet. Josh Allen fills a stat sheet.

And I'm not knocking either because Miami's a fun watch and Josh Allen's amazing. Hertz wins games. And he wins them the way you got to win them in December and January and February. You're playing in cold weather. The margins shrink. You often trail. The pressure's intense. And that kid just gets better.

That is, that's innate. I think you're, some of that stuff, I don't think you can coach. Some of that stuff is just in Jalen Hertz, but how much fun is that to watch? All right, J. Mac, um, Colin Wright, Colin Wrong, 45 minutes from now. I really do want to be friends with Bradley Cooper. I think he'd like me. I want to be friends with Jalen Hertz. He's unflappable.

Like, I'm with that guy on my rec league basketball team. We're down 10 late. He's not afraid of anything. I will say, how excited are you for the MVP showdown? Jalen Hertz versus Brock Purdy this week in Philly. You know I'm pushing that. Brock Purdy MVP angle. Hertz is the leader.

By the way, seven for seven in the red zone the last two weeks. Philly gets down, they can't be stopped in the red zone. Unstoppable. Just touchdowns. Really fun to watch. Some thoughts on Jim Harbaugh in Michigan. You thought you had them. You don't.

And now they're even in a stronger position why I would make Michigan number one in the country today. 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 IHard 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 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're saying.

Yep, that's me, Cliford 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, Untiefer. filtered 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 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 we? went down and tried 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 was 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, 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. Oh, it is great to have you in. So we liked Michigan. We said whoever's more committed to the run in the Ohio State Michigan game is won 21 straight. It's now official. It's 22. They both averaged about the same yards per carry, but Michigan once again was more committed. Ohio State came into the game as the eight best rushing team. in the Big Ten and Michigan prevailed, as we thought. There's always a silver lining. Isn't this a good message for life? Even in the darkest, bumpiest, ugliest, most turbulent times, there is always a silver lining.

With Jim Harbaugh off the field, they are 6-0. In my opinion, Georgia is not undefeated if Kirby spart misses six games. There's no way Alabama's 11-1 if Nick Sabin, missed six games. They were lucky to beat Auburn this weekend. Texas, no way. They're 11 and 1 without Sark, play calling, being

part of that offense. Washington is not undefeated without Kalin-de-Bor's on the sideline. Yet Michigan is so good, they're 6-0. And that would make me propel them today to the number one team in the playoff

rankings. And that is huge because what nobody what he wants to do is face Georgia or Oregon first. That number one spot matters a lot. I think toe to toe, Oregon may be the best team in the country. What you want is that number one ranking so you can face Florida State with a backup, or Alabama with a weak quarterback, or Texas, who's very talented, but it's Texas. They stub their toe a lot.

To me, the only reasonable fairer, argument is Michigan number one. Oregon's got a loss. Texas does. Bama does. Georgia? What would propel you to vote Georgia over Michigan? Who's got the most impressive win? Michigan. Who's got a first round quarterback? Michigan. Who went undefeated without their coach on the sidelines? Michigan. Georgia's always been about defense. This year, who's got the better defense? Michigan. Harbaugh's absence now can only fairly be viewed as a strength, undefeated, beating two top 10 teams. Defense better than Georgia, don't have a loss.

All that controversy. Ohio State is a really good team. I wouldn't be bothered if somebody put Ohio State in is the number four team. I think they're better than Texas. I think they're better than Bama. Now, I don't think they're better than one loss, Oregon. I think Oregon, again, maybe the best team in the country. But everybody don't get too down.

The only reasonable fair take is that Harbaugh not being on the sidelines and able to beat a team as good as Ohio State. That is a real big-boy team. That defense is really good. And Michigan just kept getting the ball and mowing over them and running over them and scoring over them. here was Jim Harbaugh yesterday my focus has been with the team

you know the entire time this uh it's been a tremendous season right right the exact position that we hope for that we worked so hard to be in and and um it's onward now

there's uh we've accomplished many of our goals but not all of them yet you know now the next is is winning the conference championship and that's that's where our focus is. So I would say, you know, to be back, but I'd never left. Powerful.

Right. 6 and 0 without them on the sidelines. Georgia, Texas, Bama, Washington, Oregon. Could the other teams do that? Could they be to Ohio State? Ohio State's good. Ohio State's really good. J. Mack with the news.

Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Let's start with the Carolina Panthers. The breaking news here in the last, what, 90 minutes? They fired Coach Frank Reich. Carolina and NFL worst one and ten. Reich has now been fired in back-to-back seasons. Kind of brutal.

Colts let him go a year ago in November. You think this... You know, we saw this coming, Colin. We called it. I told you, Reich was in trouble. One and Dunn is in play. Okay, but they've now run through five coaches in five years since... You can't do this.

This is ridiculous. What top coach wants this job? Well, that's going to be a problem. Filling this job is, like, they don't have a quarterback. Sorry, Bryce Young ain't the dude. I'm sorry, it's just, it's not. You had an offensive coach in Frank Reich, and you can't score touchdowns. First of all, fire the general manager.

The talent hole on this franchise, they have no receivers. Well, they've got some pieces to sell on defense, we would agree. And you've got to do that. But their problem is, they can't score. And so, again, we can all bury. Frank Reich and Bryce Young. Why not at the trading deadline? You're not paying Bryce Young anything.

Why not trade off linebackers? You know, Chicago for all their problems. For the Bears play tonight. And for all the criticism the Bears get, they moved off expensive defensive pieces. They went and got DJ Moore. They went and got another tight end. They went and draft offensive line. They have tried, even Chase Claypool.

They tried to give Justin Fields a fighting chance. nobody in this league. I don't care who it is. This offense doesn't have a one, a two. I'm not sure they have a three receiver. There's no talent here. Bang on and now this job. Who would want this job now?

No, it's not a good job at all. You've got an owner that people are like, oh, that guy's firing people left and right. You don't have a top five pick when you should be picking number one. Listen, I'm not here to bash Bryce Young, but every game C.J. Stroud plays, Colin, that pick looks even worse.

I mean, CJ Stroud is lights out, and Bryce Young, like, they couldn't move the football against Tennessee. I think they're one, eight, and two against a spread this year. And they're getting big margins every game. Yeah, I mean, listen, beyond Bryce Young, they're going to let it go for the rest of the year and next year. They're not going to, I don't think they're going to draft another quarterback.

But they don't have their pick. Chicago against that number one pick, and they're going to take a quarterback. But again, the teams in this league, I'll say this, Desmond Ritter is not the guy. But Atlanta got a lot of criticism for drafting a running back. But what the Atlanta Falcons were saying is between Drake London, Kyle Pitts, Bejan Robinson, pretty good old line. We're going to see if Desmond Ritter can play, but there'll be no excuses because we have players.

We gave him an offensive coach. And that's what Chicago's done. No excuses. We're going to give Justin Fields a fighting chance here. Houston, by the way, hit on Tank Dell, Nico Collins. So there's some players there. They have a great left tackle. Caroline's got nothing.

And so you can keep firing. I say this all the time about Robert Saul and the Jets. Everybody in the league knows it's not solid. The D-F his side is good. I mean, you had to go pay Alan Lazzard. Who wanted that? You had to hire Nat Hackett. That wasn't Salah's call.

So the bottom line on this stuff is you can keep firing coaches. What is your available pool to get an elite coach now? I mean, Matt Ruhl, boom. Right, boom. I mean, you move your family. I mean, who's going to move their family cross-country to this nonsense? You're going to have to take, like, a coordinator or something. You know, a Matt Eber-Fluz-type guy who was in.

coordinator and is popping. But listen, I'm not defending the billionaire owner, but ownership is difficult, Colin. Okay, this guy wanted, he saw his guy and Bryce Young. We got to go get him. And they made a terrible move to go up and get Bryce Young. Like, I, it's tough. Tough being a Carolina Panthers fan.

Next up, the Chargers last night. Goodness gracious. I will do my best not to say a bunch of bad words during this segment because this team, I think you warned me. Don't back the Chargers in any way, shape, or form. No, no, no. I took the Ravens in this game. And for the record,

12 men on the field. Chargers. And I think it was after like a kickoff or something. I'm not going to get into the blame Justin Herbert nonsense. You know, the Gibronies on the Internet can do that. Justin Herbert didn't fumble like Echler did. Justin Herbert didn't fumble like, what's his name? Keenan Allen.

Like when your best skill position players are coughing it up, Herbert's got to do everything. Offensive line for the charges, by the way. What's going on? Corey Lindley has been out. And like, they haven't solved that thing. Well, they, Mike Williams got hurt. so that eliminated their deep threat.

Quentin Johnson, their first round receiver draft pick, is a mile from playing. He got bench yesterday. Did he see that? He's a whiff. So if he was a hit, they'd have a downfield threat. But Herbert has to dump off underneath because they have no downfield threat.

And when you get to Thanksgiving, people have the film. Everybody knows now they can't beat you downfield. So essentially, it is a 12-play drive offense. That's impossible. Like, the Philadelphia Eagles can do that, but they can beat you over the top with A.J. Brown. They can't beat you over the top. And these defensive coordinators, everybody in the world sees it.

You jam the line, you slow down the run game, you put pressure on Herbert. He can't beat you over the – it's not a punitive. You don't want to blitz Mahomes because he'll beat you over the top. When you can't beat me over the top, I'm going to put pressure on you. By the way, why isn't Herbert running more? Did you see the one scramble he had? It was all, like, 40 yards. You're like this guy's a gazelle.

And listen, I'm not going to bash Kellyn Moore. one other thing. Everybody's saying, oh, Philly, they didn't have Lane Johnson, and Jalen Hurts was fine. The Buffalo Bills, if you look at the box score, I think they hit Jalen Hertz once outside of the sacks. Justin Herbert got hit nine times besides the sacks last night. The Ravens just battered him. Like, he has no chance back there. This team is, I'm done with Brandon's Daly.

The other thing is, and I know this is very Los Angeles-based, but L.A. is a very crowded, distracted sports market. You got the Dodgers. You've got USC's football history. The Rams are emerging. I mean, what a year they're having considering we thought they were going to be a three-win team. You've got UCLA basketball. You've got hockey. You've got soccer.

You've got the Lakers. Right? Like, this is a distracted sports market. So the Chargers came into this market in Los Angeles as a very small brand that had turned off San Diego. They're now disappearing as a brand. They're viewed in this town as irrelevant and poorly, like, managed. Yeah. They're just not.

They're not well done. And the Spanoses are dying for, you know, publicity. And it's like, no, no, no, you came in as a weak brand in a powerful, distracted sports market with the Lakers and the Dodgers. And now you're seen as futile and underachieving. Like, you have no brand. You were playing in a soccer stadium a couple years ago. So to me, if you care about that stuff, how do you sell the chargers in Los Angeles now?

I mean, I got news for it. Dodgers draw about $5 million a year. The Lakers are going to be fine forever. Clippers have a new stadium opening. I know it's a Clippers, but it's going to be flaschy. This market bails on average really quick. 70 degrees here. We got beaches and mountains.

It bails on you. They came in as a weak brand. What is their brand now other than underachieving? I don't know who's advising Spanos, but those people might need to hit up J&C consulting because we can do a PowerPoint program to solve this team. You've got a Ferrari at quarterback, and he looks like a Toyota.

They're doing a horrible, horrible job. Like, I'm just disgusted. And I backed the Chargers last night, of course, and that plays into it. But let's get to the third story, because I do like this one, Colin. Mac Jones, the immortal Mac Jones, benched after another listless performance. Two laughable interceptions, one in the red zone. How do I know that? Because I watch this crap game, and I was backing the Patriots like an idiot.

Mac Jones completed 12 passes for 89 yards. Bailey Zappie came in, looked decent for a minute. And then they blew the game at the end. How about this? Brian Dable, with a third quarterback, has as many wins as the Chargers. So all these people banging on Brian Dable. Coach of the year to Brian Dable. This is where a win is a loss for the Giants.

They've now taken themselves out of the Caleb, Williams, Drake, Nase. That doesn't matter. They can get Bo Nix. We'll see. All I'm saying is, not a lot. Take DeVito three weeks ago. Oh, DeVito was crap yesterday. No, no, no, I'm not saying that.

But three weeks ago, I thought he was a college quarterback. Like yesterday, it was like, oh, yeah, a touchdown. Okay, hold on. So Belichick drafted a kicker in the fourth round. That kid missed a 35-yarder earlier this year, missed a 35-yarder yesterday that would have sent the game to overtime. Belichick drafted the kicker. I'm just saying right now, and I was right on the Panthers.

I said, what's Reich won and done? I'm telling you, if you ask me now, I don't think Belichick survives this. This is bad, Colin. Bailey Zappy goes in and is like, okay. They have no offensive talent of note. They just don't have... Douglas, Douglas, the kid who I advised on fantasy, got a concussion yesterday, the second half.

They had no offense. They can't move the ball. Yeah, they drafted three guards and two kickers. Robert Kraft at some point has to be honest about this. We'll build you a statue. But this team is so fundamentally, offensively tone deaf. I mean, as bad as Pittsburgh is, they at least can draft and develop receiving talent. And Pittsburgh's got their defensive culture and issues.

They're going to make the playoffs this year, by the way. They've got seven wins. If you look at Pittsburgh's schedule, they may end up being 11 and 4. Minka Fitzpatrick's coming back. Yeah, no, no, they got some things. The Patriots, though, they're a laughing stock. I know the jets are struggling. But we shall see what happens with Belichick.

Belichick watch over the holidays. Oof. Wow. Jemak with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd-Ly news. So Colin was right.

was wrong, top of next hour. So I think the Sean Payton, Denver Bronco story is incredible. So just think about this. The Chargers could have hired Sean Payton. They went cheap.

They are now circling the drain. Sean Payton left the Saints. They now look like one of the worst coach teams in the league, circling the drain. And Sean Payton and Denver are surging. anybody else noticed this hottest team in the AFC

do I think they're the best team in the AFC no but every metric and every data indicates that Sean Payton has got Russell Wilson Mr. Washed that's what everyone claimed Sean Peyton has got Russell back to be in mostly Russell in Seattle the passing yards are down all the other

metrics very even to Seattle also the Sean Peyton took a shot at Nathaniel hack that was inappropriate looks like it was very right. The Jets are an unwatchable Nat Hackett tire fire, and Sean Payton has won five straight. You may not have liked his opinions. They weren't wrong. And when you're truly great, and Sean Peyton, I believe, is as a play designer and an offensive coach, there is something called

the domino effect or the ripple effect, that you will have absolute influence on things you're not just directly connected to. You think the Chargers would be struggling with Sean Payton? You think the Saints would Derek Carr and Sean Payton would be this inept offensively? Yes, they gave up 70 points to Miami. Oh, I'm sure the trolls on the Internet. What a bum! Every smart business person knows sometimes you have to bottom out.

It creates clarity. And that created clarity in their five-game winning streak. They've given up 80 points total. When you watched that game yesterday, it was the defense. The defense was like physical and nasty and pushing Cleveland around. Four of their five wins, by the way, have come against teams with winning records. Like a Kansas City's mixed in there. It's a real team.

It's a real team. Sometimes you have to bottom out. They did against Miami. But Sean Payton, I said it before. This was a big lift. Way bigger than he probably presumed, and I don't think Russell Wilson is the perfect quarterback for his system. I think it's pretty difficult. This is not his ideal quarterback.

But he's making it work is what great coaches do and the ripple effect of Sean Payton, the Chargers, the Saints. Even the Jets now. Yeah, the Jets took that coach. That's a ripple effect. Here's Sean after. We felt like this was going to be a pretty physical game. We had a lot of respect for this team. And fortunately, we jumped ahead early on in that first half.

And again, we have a game. We have three takeaways. I think that's four weeks in a row now. We were better in the red zone. There were a lot of things we did today that I was pleased with. And we felt like we beat a good football team. They did. efficient,

buttoned up, low turnovers. Isn't an amazing tune? The NFL, it's crazy. And I don't think Denver feels like a playoff team. But when you get the quarterback playing well in this league, isn't it amazing how good the other players look? Go back one year.

And I was guilty. I was like, Patrick's or Tans are only good player. What would I? And then I'm watching it in yesterday, And Cleveland's a physical team, and Denver was more physical. The safety. Simmons is great.

I love both. Williams and P. Ryan, the running backs. Both can catch. Both are physical. Offensive lines playing pretty well. Jerry Judy. Mims was a great draft pick. Now, he's going to be a little inconsistent rookie receivers are, but he's explosive.

Their backup tight ends making great plays. That's why I say there's only one player in the NFL, one position quarterback worth more than a point of game. if you get that right, nobody talks about drop passes. Nobody talks about officials. Nobody talks about play calling. Sean's number one job, just get Russell Wilson right. He has, and now you watch Denver? It's like they got dudes.

They can match up with anybody. They can match up with Jacksonville. They can match up with Kansas City. They just beat them. They can match up with Baltimore. The way they're playing is run first, Russell's second. he's now moving like he did in Seattle. Excellent defense.

I don't think they're going to be a playoff team, but I start looking around and I'm like, Pittsburgh doesn't feel like a playoff team. And my guess is today, Steelers are going to make the playoffs. Look at their schedule. Look at their defense. This is what coaching looks like.

Fun stuff. Colin right, Colin wrong, top of the hour. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. What's good, y'all? It's your main man, Michael Smith, esteemed NFL analyst and certified fantasy football legend. Allow me to present to you your new favorite fantasy football podcast, The Dynasty Exchange, hosted by my first-round rookie picks, Davis, Dylan, and Josh,

three guys who most definitely know their stuff. They're the co-commissioners of the coolest and most cutthroat dynasty league you'll ever come across. The Yacht Club. And now they're the co-host of the most elite. Now make that the definitive dynasty program in the game. It's dedicated to only the most devoted of diehards, the guys like me who can't stay off sleeper in KTC. And trust me, you won't regret making the choice

to follow their dynasty advice. Listen to Michael Smith presents the Dynasty Exchange on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, 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 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 what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clivert 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 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 all 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 podcasts.

Sunday, we got a huge double header on Fox. First, the Lions take on the Saints or other regional action. Then in America's game of the week, Christian McCaffrey and the Niners. Take on Jalen Hertz and the Eagles in one of the biggest games of the year. Check for the games in your area Sunday on Fox. Oh, my God. That game, I'll tell you something. At Fox, we've had some big numbers.

Philadelphia, San Francisco. 30 mil? Well, that's a lot. That game's a rematch of the NFC championship game. There is so much talent on the field for Philadelphia, San Francisco. And it's interesting. So I bet Buffalo last night in the points, because I did think it was they would be flat. Philadelphia had just played.

They just beat Kansas City rematch the Super Bowl, and the Niners. Don't undervalue how impressive that Philadelphia win is. because they just came off their Super Bowl team and now it's the Niners. We watch week in week in week out in college and pro football, what we call sandwich games, where you watch a team, this is when the Bengals lost to the Texans at home.

Remember, it was a sandwich game. Do not undervalue how impressive that win is that you have a sandwich spot, biggest game of the year, you're circling it, it's the Niners, and you played like crap in the first half, and you still found a way to win. It sounds like you're talking yourself into the Eagles here.

Be careful. I'm going to give you one number. 92. That's how many plays the Eagles defense was on the field for. 92 plays. Usually over 80 is like significant. I didn't say I like Philadelphia. I do think there's a limit on how many times you can win close games.

There is a limit. And I think the game means more to San Francisco. Philadelphia can lose this game. They're fine. San Francisco doesn't want to go to like, say, Dallas. right like they want to win their division they want to get as many ws as they can because they had a three game losing streak so the game remember we watched Philadelphia people said revenge didn't matter go to Kansas City and win it matters San Francisco feels like after that Christian McCaffrey touchdown last year in the playoff game they thought they had them

and purdy got hurt Eagles were minus one and a half on the look ahead line they put out a line a weekend before you can only bet it in Vegas now it's San Francisco minus two so San Francisco which is zero which is huge, but it's a three and a half point swing. No, San Francisco's the side. Now, the best number's gone, but San Francisco... Brock Purdy revenge game, baby. Yeah, by the... I can love a team

and not for a weak situationally be on their side. San Francisco's totally the side. So I want to say this about Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. We got our first glimpse this year of the old Chiefs, down 14-0, suddenly leading

21-14, 3 possessions, later. So dynasties go in stages, and it's always turbulent when you're transitioning from stage one to stage two, which the chiefs are. But now remember, everything about them is Super Bowl-worthy. A-coach, a quarterback, A-O-Line, top four pass-rush team. So there's a lot to like about them. They're just very, very young at wide receiver, and they're trying to mature at wide receiver very fast. So Rishi Rice, second-round pick, very talented. He's a very talented. He's a very young. He's He's a baby. He's a kid. They're trying to speed up his maturity. Caderius Tony, who didn't play yesterday, super athletic, super twitchy, but he's just wildly inconsistent. Can't trust him. Doesn't mean he can't make big plays. Justin Watson, to me, is a two or a three, but he is productive, and Mahomes does appear to trust him. So I would say this about Kansas City. They have what they call first world problems. They're eight and three in the tougher conference, and now a better than we thought division, because Denver's good. it. They're 8 and 3, and one of their losses, they were missing Chris Jones, their best defensive player, and Travis Kelsey, their best offensive player, not named Patrick Mahomes. So it's like first world problems. And also remember this, Joe Burrow, gone. Josh Allen won't be in the playoffs. Justin Herbert won't be in the playoffs. Trevor Lawrence and the Jags can't beat the Chiefs. Oh, and three. Two, oh, give me a break, limited. Especially in

cold weather. And Lamar Jackson, who we love, deserves MVP votes. January, he's either been unavailable or lost. So it was a little bit of the old Kansas City. You got a little glimpse of it. I still think this team is trying to find its way at wide receivers. I don't think they have a one. Rishi Rice is really good. You can't ask a rookie wide receiver with a sophisticated system to walk in and crush pre- Thanksgiving. He'd getting there, and here was Mahomes after. When you have a short week, and you're playing a team like the Raiders, you know, always plays you tough. You have to bounce right back.

You wash it. You learn from it, and then you kind of just go back to the fundamentals and working. And so we still have stuff to learn from this game. I mean, there were certain situations where we didn't execute at a high enough level. But we're obviously took a step in the positive direction. Now let's just continue to do that throughout the rest of the season. For the record, we look at the Raiders as sort of dysfunctional. And we look at Carolina who fired their coach today.

What a mistake. dysfunctional. But I'll say this, it looks like, even with that loss, how competitive the Raiders were, they will give Antonio Pierce, we would suspect the gig. And I think that writes the ship a little, whether or not he's a great coach, I don't know. But when you're turbulent in the NFL, when you're a bit of a tire fire, the Jets, the answer is not always fire the coach. The Jets do not have a roster offensively to win a lot of games in the AFC. They do not. Carolina does not have a roster good enough to win. The Raiders, I've said this, the Raiders roster, they've got an elite pass rusher and some really nice offensive pieces.

There is no reason the Raiders could not be a playoff team next year. I don't buy this for... Carolina's got no offensive. Devonte Adams, Hunter Renfro, Jacobs, a good left tackle. Raiders got players. Raiders has offensively an elite pass rushers. Don't tell me the Raiders don't have players. They're not that far off.

But the story yesterday in this game is, we got a little old Kansas City. You know, 21-0-14-0-0-down, quickly, three possessions, a couple possessions, bang, you lead, you're tied. And that's something with Burrough gone, Herbert's not making the playoffs, Trevor Lawrence has never played well against the Chiefs, it's something. If you use debit, here's a game changer. Discover cash-back debit checking account that rewards everyone with cashback on every one. day purchases and no fees at all, period. Eligibility in terms, check it out at Discover.com slash cashback debit, Discover Bank member FDIC. Colin Wright, wrong 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 Acapella 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.

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'll say it. 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, 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 Clifford Show on the IHeard 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. On the Look Back at a podcast. For 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 you here, 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. It 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. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.