The Herd with Colin Cowherd - The Herd - Hour 1 - The Broncos are in trouble

Episode Date: September 18, 2023

Colin has bad news for the Broncos after they lost an 18-point lead to fall to 0-2 on the season and what we know about Russell Wilson at this point He pushes back against all the praise the Cowboys are getting with another dominant win to improve to 2-0 The Dolphins are showing they are one of the best teams in the AFCSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year.

Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show.

This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but the show. celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford 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. 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 IHart Radio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. Now let's get this party started.

You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Oh, it's going to be a loaded Monday 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. Plenty of both. Colin was right and Colin was very wrong. Jimmy Johnson, the Hall of Fame coach, joins us in an hour as well.

Well, got so much to talk about on a Monday. So fired up to get into Today Show. I spent the weekend in Chicago, Friday, Saturday night. The Bears may stink. What a great city. I got to take you and the wife there. That city is so much fun. We had such a ball.

But we'll get to the Bears in a second. That's not pretty. I don't know, man. I'm almost ready to take an L on the Bears this season. That's how bad they look. Both sides of the football. Like, what's going on, Chicago? Well, you talked me into the Jones.

Giants, and you tried to talk me into the bears. I should have listened to you on one. Although I will say for the Giants, that's pretty impressive. Well, I know it's Arizona pretty impressive. Funny how Arizona didn't show up in the second half, huh? I went to Arizona just no-showed. Let's start with this. Okay, the Russell Wilson, Sean Peyton relationship, we got turbulence, and it's not in the air.

Clearly the coaching's better. How do I know? Because on scripted plays, they scored more points yesterday. than they did all last year. Okay, and they just added one rookie receiver. That's not the issue. On scripted first half plays, you can see it. The Broncos are plus 10 point differential.

That's top seven in the NFL. Russell Wilson on scripted plays is completing 85% of his throws, four touchdowns, no picks, and a passer rating among the league's best. Scripted plays. But in the second half, that's where great quarterbacks thrive. The Mahalms. The Brady's, the Mannings, formerly Russell Wilson, Aaron Rogers, you have to make a play.

It's off script. There's adjustments by the opposing defense. And he falls off a cliff in the second half. 56% completion percentage, one touchdown in two games, and it's a Hail Mary in a passer rating in the 60s. We know they're better coached. You can see the scripted plays. We know they can take leads. We know they can score.

That's not the issue. Scored more points yesterday than they did it all last season. That's not the issue. The issue is you pay these quarterbacks $40 and $50 million a year for the second half. A lot of guys are good in the first. Kirk Cousins on a one o'clock window in the first half is great. Second half. Last six minutes.

One drive. Got to make it count over and over and over. Take out the Hail Mary Pass, which is all luck. What did he do? Now, I'm not saying Denver's defense was great. Too many mistakes been disappointing. But there's only so much Sean Payton can do. Russell's studying. He's coachable. He's following the script. But to be great, to get the big money, it's the second half at home as a favorite. And this is what's so disturbing and bizarre. Go back to Russell Wilson in Seattle just a couple of years ago.

He was a magician in the fourth. He had a year in Seattle. I think it was 2017, look it up. His fourth quarter numbers, 19 touchdowns and one pick. He was a magician. It was fourth quarter Russ. He was a playmaker. He was smarter than everybody. He was more efficient.

He was more elusive. There's no mojo. It's gone. Once he's off script, it's trouble. And again, it's great to be good on script. Joe Montana was great on Bill Walsh's script. I'm not saying script doesn't matter. The Patriots for years with Brady and

Josh McDaniels took leads in games. Being great on the script is one thing. To make 40, 50 million a year, that's the second half. That's Mahomes yesterday. Running around making stuff happen. That's what great quarterback play is. And I don't want to hear about lack of weapons. Cortland Sutton's an excellent receiver.

Jerry Ud, he's got talent. Marvin Mims, that rookie they picked up. What a day for him. I like the backs, Javante Williams, Samagee Piron, more than capable running backs. The O line, they spent money. on it. It was upgraded. Don't tell me there's not weapons. You're at home against Sam Howe. And again, the defense made a couple of bonehead mistakes. I'm not saying they're perfect.

But you paid Russell Wilson. You moved him over. You gave up all that draft capital. You gave it up so that he would elevate others not need to be elevated. Sean Payton already unhappy. There was a number of drives, you know, where we're late, With personnel getting out of the huddle, we took a while. I mean, that's got to change. We had to burn timeouts in the first half, and I'm not used to doing. We've got to be better.

I've got to be better. Russ has got to be sharper with getting the play out, and then we've got to look at how much we have in. But, you know, if we need to wristband it, we will. There were big chunks of that game where Sam Howe played with more juice than Russell Wilson. Sam Howe. So it's like, you can blame everybody you want to. blame. But when we looked at the schedule, these were Ws, right? Two home games, Denver,

September, these were Ws. And you know the coaching's better. You can see it in the scripted plays. I mean, Russell in the first half, 85% completion percentage, up and down the field. The big money, though, goes to the second half, the playmakers. That was Russell in Seattle in 2017, 2018. What happened? I don't know. Emotional, confidence, physical, never had a major surgery. I don't have the answers. But Sean Payton's losing patience. Very, very quickly. All right.

So the Dallas Cowboys defense is a real thing. It's just going to overwhelm a lot of opposing quarterbacks. The Daniel Jones, I mean, he just doesn't have a chance. Zach Wilson, Josh Dobbs, Sam Howell, Mack Jones, who doesn't have a primary receiver, they don't, they're going to get knocked out. They're going to get suffocated. They don't stand a chance. If you have an average offensive line and you're an average quarterback like Zach,

Wilson or Daniel Jones. It's an avalanche. This defense is so good. They're hyper-aggressive, too, which is on the back end, they're hyper-aggressive, so you can occasionally burn them, but three picks for Zach Wilson. I always call this the Mike Tyson quality, where Mike Tyson just knocked out bad fighters fast. Nobody, not Ali, not Frazier, not, you can go Lennox Lewis. Nobody intimidated and knocked out bad fighters more quickly, more abruptly, more succinctly.

than Mike Tyson. But you couldn't judge Tyson's career just on that. That was a component to it. When he fought an Evander Holyfield, who was more patient, who was more experienced, who could take a punch, when he fought a Lennox Lewis, intelligent fighters, stayed away. That's where Mike Tyson struggled. Dallas is going to roll. Go look at their schedule.

Roll most of these teams with the defense. There are six games I care. about. At San Francisco, Justin Herbert, Jalen Hertz twice, at Buffalo and at Miami. Judge them on these games. Those are talented boxers who can punch back. What's going to happen when they don't jump out to a lead, when they have to play from behind, when the other quarterback can escape the pressure and make plays? Because last year, Dallas was the same thing. Remember that three-week stretch last year where they won a game 40 to 3 and 54 to 19? They did this last year.

But yet they lost to Brady and Trevor Lawrence and Jalen Hertz and Aaron Rogers and only beat Joe Burrow as a good quarterback, but he wasn't physically right then. This is what Dallas was last year. Tyson always, always to the end, knocked out tomato cans. Zach Wilson and that old line, come on. It's not a playoff team. that could end up being a fourth place team. That's not a team that's going to get in Dallas's way. But what happens when the game is tight and it's Josh Allen or Tua or Jalen Hertz or

Justin Herbert or the Niners and you can't just drop 30? Coaching matters, situational football matters, patience matters, can you play from behind matters? Dallas is just going to knock out about 10 or 11 teams on this schedule early. Yesterday is a prime example. next couple of weeks, Mack Jones, who doesn't have a number one receiver and Josh Dobbs, that's not going to be close. But last year, for the top five quarterbacks, they faced.

Burrow, not healthy, was the only win. They lost to. But this defense, it is, I mean, you start looking at San Francisco. You start looking at Dallas. Those defenses, you could throw 12 times. I mean, maybe you could throw eight. That defense is just going to win the game. It's going to be field position, turnovers, interceptions, force fumbles.

That's what this defense is going to do. Here's the owner, Jerry, after the game. Well, I like, we've done it in a different ways, and so that's good. I do feel very good about that. I think we've seen a lot of the fundamentals of our team, special teams, offense, defense, certain things that we're, putting in that we put in, if you will, we're trying, we're using them. Yeah, that's all great. It's all about the defense.

The defense is leading the way on this team. You can watch certain things on TV. You can see certain things in football jump out, right? Like really good coaching or a really good pass rush or a really good quarterback or a really fast Tyreek Hillwide receiver. Anybody can see it. You don't need game 22 film. Okay, Dallas's defense is just an avalanche.

Lance coming downhill, hyper-aggressive, really fast. And if you don't have decent protection and you don't have a star quarterback and you don't have a way to slow them down and burn them over the top, they're going to have a lot of games that look like this. But they had games that looked like this last year. They had a three-game stretch or they just annihilated teams. I can't take a ton from yesterday other than they're going to have about eight games look like this, just the way it's going to be.

I know that was disappointing for you. I don't know if Aaron could have won against that defense, but it would have been more competitive. But in the end, Zach, Justin Fields, there's some of these young guys, it just looks hard. Yeah, and when you can't move the football and your defense is on the field for 83 plays.

You know, you and I talked about this, and that's what I said. I know this defense is great. But the truth is when you're on the field for 83 plays, A, you get exhausted in that game. B, you get hurt. You start playing over 65 snaps for a defense, 68 snaps,

the key is for the Jets is when they get opportunities against average defenses, get that defense off the field. Because games against Dallas, you're just not going to be. Like, New England's a huge game for them. But Breece Hall is complaining after the game. I got four touches. What do you want me to do? Like, how do you give Breece Hall four carries the week after he torches Buffalo?

Like, it was a bad game plan from Hackett. Can I say one quick word on Russell Wilson? Yeah. Colin, I just looked at the box score. One of the problems is he got sacked seven times and hit four. 14 times. They spent a ton of money on a right tackle. What's going on with the offense and line? Let me ask, let me ask this, though. Do you think he sees the field well with his size? Because some of the times Russell is holding the ball. By the way, why is it getting

sacked? It feels like more in the second half. On the scripted plays where he knows to go with it, he gets the ball out, it feels like he's more comfortable. I feel like watching Russell, he's just holding the ball another beat. Now, I'm not the old. The old. line. Remember, they got two new starters on the O line and the left tackles back who missed last year. So it's three, they're trying to find cohesion on the O line. That's a fair question. But boy, when you watch them early drives, they're a machine so far this year. 21-3, you're leading at home. You got to put that game away. I mean, that's a bad loss. I think you probably are on to something. Quarterback watch this week for Denver? Like, Russell Wilson was going to get

yanked if they're in. Well, I mean, you and I both said, wasn't it odd that the day they could do it, they went and paid a lot of money for Jared Stidham, a pocket guy. Yeah, you know where they are this week, right? In Miami. Oh, boy. They saying Vic Fongio, who Sean Payton sat here and told us how much he likes Fongio. This is going to be a... What's the line on that?

Seven and a half, eight? I think I saw six and a half. Oh, yeah, Miami. I mean, Miami now gets to go home. They're doing this stuff on the road. Miami... Wow. Miami is a bunch of wow. I want to talk about the dolphins coming out.

Be sure to catch live editions of the herd. Weekdays at noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeard Radio app. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes

for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the 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, 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, 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 Clivert 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. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of Tontons and Wampas on the Ice Planet Hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the I-HartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

The show's sponsored by BetterHelp Therapy can bring it a whole new you. Make it easy. Match with a licensed therapist. 10% off your first mouth, B-E-T-E-R-H-E-L-P dot com. So, you know, I grew up watching Miami team. Don Shula was the coach. Dan Marino was the quarterback. They were always good, got to three or four AFC championships, got to a Super Bowl, didn't win it.

But Miami was good for a long, long time. And they were always exciting and fun with Dan Marino and that arm and those receivers. This is the best Miami Dolphins team I've seen since the Marino years. Speed. They can do power, finesse, coaching, efficiency, a quarterback who can get the ball out accurately and quickly. This is the best AFC team I've seen. The last two weeks, Mike McDaniel, rode on the road. has dueled and outmaneuvered defensive coaches.

Brandon Staley was a layup, tougher to do it with Bill Belichick, but they went power game last night at times. One of only two head coaches that went to the Ivy League, that can't hurt. Now, you're doing it with Tua, who small has an injury history, good arm, not great, but he looks like a top five quarterback. And here's the thing about Tua. He dealt with so much crap his first two years in the NFL, the Ryan Fitzpatrick Shuffling,

Brian Flores couldn't stand him. The Deshawn Watson rumors. It's as if the football gods just put a halo around this kid and said, let's give him a couple nice years. Now, again, two across your fingers. It could all come crumbling down if he gets hurt, but they're all in. They're riding them. But when I look at Miami, I think the thing that really jumps out to me,

you can see the coaching. You can see it. The scheming, the adaptability, the motion, the situation. the situational play calling, you can see how good the coaching is. And I was watching that last night, and I'm thinking, Mack Jones and all these young quarterbacks that have defensive head coaches have got to be looking at this thinking, man, that would be fun. That offense is just nuts.

It's just so much fun. It's the best watch in the NFL. It's all run by Tua. I think Mike McDaniel did something very early. and this is something I banged on Belichick when he got Tua, who'd been beat up physically and emotionally. He just wrapped his arms around Tua and said, young guy, we're going to ride you here for a couple of years. I think you're great. Even if you weren't being earnest or honest about it, and I think Mike McDaniel was, young people need support.

As long as when you support them, they listen, they're cultureable, they show growth. Tua just keeps getting better. He's now 5-0 against Belichick. But you got Vic Fangio. I think it's the best coach team in the NFL. If you take head coach and then the coordinator on the other side of the ball. So McDaniels handles the offense, Mike McDaniel handles the offense, Vic Fangio, the defense. It's sort of like in San Francisco or Pete Carroll handles the defense, who's their offensive coordinator.

If you consider coaching head coach and then the other coach on the other side of the ball, I think this is the best coach team in the NFL. It's not the most talented, though they're talented. but you got random guys making plays. Random guys, not first, second round guys making plays. That is coaching, the adaptability, the situational football. Belichick, I mean, he's yelling at refs on helmet-to-helmet hits. He sees it.

He's smart enough to see it. He doesn't have a chance. He looks like a 1994 offense. They don't have a speed receiver. It's a lot of possession guys. They have to drive down the field to score. There's no juice, no energy. they gave him a real battle.

It was not to his best game, but here he was after. It's never a me thing. And, you know, I don't think we ever look at it as, oh, we beat them once, we beat them twice, we beat them five times in a row. Every time we face Coach Belichick's team, you know, it's always a challenge, and we know we're going to get their best. But it's hard to play against a team like that, especially here on the road in Foxborough. You know, we're going to take them however.

they come. You know, when you watch young quarterbacks, and Tua still counts as a young quarterback, and they face Belichick through the years, he eats him alive. It always feels like the Patriots are playing with 12 or 13 guys. Everybody's doubled. Watch McDaniels coaching. How often last night were there dolphin players wide open over the middle of the field where Tua loves to throw? I mean, the motion is pulling Patriot players to the sideline. It's opening up underneath. There are a couple teams in this league. The Rams are one of them, and Miami's the other one. You are watching great offensive coaching on display. This Miami team is just smarter than who they're playing. And Belichick last night, they went power game on him. They ran between the tackles.

You just don't see a lot of teams do that against New England. Jay Mack with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line. It ended up being a pretty close game at the end. They were going for the tie. Patriots weirdly, close games the last two weeks, where they're trailing the entire time, and then they have a chance at the end, the chance. They don't look good, man.

Well, they've faced good teams, good offenses, and they just don't have anything themselves. You know, they have to win a certain way. Where are you on McEnroe Jones? I didn't think he played. I thought that interception up the sideline was an awful throw. But let me ask you this. Is that a high percentage route?

You ever notice with Miami how often the Miami players catch the ball moving, not stationary. They catch it yards after. How often they're wide open. Bill O'Brien's dialing up sideline routes with Kendrick Bourne and Devonthe Harper, guys that don't separate to begin with. Those are hard throws to make. I said it last week. Miami looks like they're playing something totally different on offense than any other team.

Guys are open all game. Over the middle. Belichick knows where Tua likes to throw. And they're doing so many of these. right before the snap motions that pull a linebacker just a couple of feet out, boom. I'm curious second half of the season if teams will adjust finally to what they're doing, because right now, everybody's playing catch-up against these guys. Today, if I said Super Bowl, San Francisco, Miami.

I mean, we know it's early. We know it's September, but overreact, have fun. If you're asking me, it would be Shanahan and Shanahan's protege. Would that be a rematch of the only Super Bowl Marino went to? Was it Marino against the Niners in, like, 85? or something? Joe Montana, Roger Craig, maybe you're the 70s guy. I thought I knew he's. They're running kind of the same offense. McDaniel is like the Ivy League Kyle Shanahan, where I think he's added some motion elements to it. Yeah. But I'm, I'd sign up today.

If you told me Niners, Miami, I'd sign up today to watch that. Such a fun watch. Oh my, there's, I just think between Vic Fangio dialing up pressures, Miami is so much fun to watch. We got the news, but one thing, that, that block the field goal by the Patriots. Where the guy came running in off the side? That was unique. You played high school football at a high level. Did you ever seen it anywhere? I did not play at a high level.

I played at a very low level. I've never seen it. A guy come running in to time it. Yeah. They only did it once, I think. By the way, it's an element of surprise play. But it got in the kicker's head on the second one, and Sanders kind of rushed it and hooked it badly left.

I don't know. All right, let's start with the New York Giants. I think they let you down. They definitely let me down in the contest. I mean, listen, you fall behind 20 to nothing to this. And it wasn't just that. Their defense in the first half. Wink Martindale's like beside they couldn't stop anything.

Zero sacks of Josh stops against a dumpster-fired offensive line. This was bad all around from the Giants. Yeah, they came back and got the W. But like, I mean, they're calling this the franchise's biggest comeback win since 1949. Brian Daibel, of course, is excited. I think it's about, you know, the will of the player. And, you know, when you haven't scored a point in a game and a half, and you come in at halftime,

and I'd say as a leader, there's a delicate balance between, you know, focused on the next play and maybe a little extra. So, but again, all the credits goes to the players, I'd say to the play callers, the assistant coaches. You know, it's good to get to this win. We made it hard, I'll tell you that. Made it hard.

Open the season down zero to 60. I mean, Dallas blanked them, Arizona up, 20-0. There's not a lot of jaw-dropping moments in the NFL where you're like, what in the head? The first half of this game was, if you had told me, oh, yeah, they're not going to score, they're going to get blown out in the first half. You'd have been like, how. Dobbs was like running around. The middle of the field was wide open. They couldn't get pressure on him.

It was like, and Wing Bartondale is one of the sharpest guys in this league on defense. Quick note, everybody, not just us, everybody in the media who watches and pays attention to football said a couple teams are going to be awful this year. Arizona. Tampa. Tampa. They're four and oh, against the spread combined. So you know what the books did?

They said, oh, nobody's going to touch those crappy teams. Let's inflate the numbers. And now they're covering. Like, Arizona this week against Dallas. You want to guess the number? 11. It was 13.

Now it's down to 12 and 1 half and 12. But it's like, nobody thinks Arizona's good. I don't. You watch that team. They're not good. They don't have talent. Well, Dobbs is really, I'm not, he's got some, he's got talent.

I think he's an interesting player. not building my franchise around him, but I think if you told me he was my backup, he'd be the best backup arguably in the league. I think he's got, I like him. I do, I think he's got talent. I really do. I like watching him play. Best backup in the league. Well, I'm saying, I don't think, I'm not going to build my franchise around a lot of quarterbacks, but there are guys in this league that you're like, oh, he'd be a great. I mean, right now, Carson Wentz is a backup. No, I don't think he's in the, he's unsigned right now. I know, but if he was. Oh. I mean, he would be like a really great. You think the Jets would be in better shape if they had Dobbs instead of Zach Wilson?

Yes, I do. Oh, damn. I do. You might not be wrong. No, I like watching him play. All right. Final word, Sequin Barclay had like an ankle. I don't know if it was a knee.

They're saying X-rays are negative MRI today. Giants are cautiously optimistic. When you saw him slam the helmet. Yeah, I was like, oh. Oh, like, dude. Yeah. Get paid running back. This is actually an ankle.

Great news for the Giants and Seekwan. By the way, Seekwan, Austin, Austin, Austin, Echler, already hurt the season. Austin Eklunds the game. Running backs, you know? Next up, Zach Wilson. Let's talk about your guy. Well, he's nobody's guy, really.

It was rough, man. He got Zach three times, three picks. I'm not going to say the interceptions were awful, except one of the late ones. And he said he needs to play better, which is obvious. Here it is. I feel like I'm seeing it well.

I really do, and it's really unfortunate to show that as an offense, you know, because we've got to be better. I need to be better. But, you know, we're right there. And so, you know, we're going to go back, and it's a long season. We're going to go watch this film and see how we can improve. And, you know, everyone trusts and believes in each other. And we all love each other.

So we're excited for the challenge. Let's be real. If you could dial up, like, the worst opponent for Zach Wilson's first start of the season. Well, yeah, Dallas is... It's Dallas on the road on a short week. Yeah. So a quick word on the Jets offensive line, okay? What the hell's Hackett doing leaving 37-year-old Dwayne Brown on an island against Micah Parsons?

What is he thinking? Where's the Titan end to help out? Where's the running back chipping? Like, they couldn't stop Michael Parsons and Dallas. And they had no game plans. Zach Wilson dropping back in the pocket, not rolling out nothing. He's a sitting duck. Listen, everybody in the world, including this show, we said over and over,

it's not going to be about Aaron. It's going to be about the O line. The whole season was on that they, their coaching was admitting during hard knocks. Our O lines, our tackles are bad. So you can survive with an iffy O line if you have a young athletic Justin Herbert quarterback Mahomes in their prime. You can't with an average deba bad quarterback or an old quarterback. So what do you do, Colin? You don't, the season, you can't do anything now.

You don't write off the season. You know, the season. Yeah. Stop. I'm not giving up draft. You've got to make adjustments. No. Tight end.

We're going to have a tight end right next to Dwayne Brown. They're going to win seven, eight games. Seven games. Robert Salo will be fired if they lose. No, he's not going to be fired. It's not his fault. He didn't, he'd. They won seven games last year.

Well, again, look at the quarterback play. They're going to win seven, eight games, seven eight games. They're going to draft the left tackle. There's three in the first round. They're going to have about the 12th draft pick. They're going to get a left tackle. Aaron comes back, and they're going to be fine. I don't want to hear that the season's over in week two.

Please stop. That is unacceptable. What, you think me saying seven wins, eight wins is. Yeah, that's season over. You're talking about the draft already on a left tackle. Let's talk about this week how we can protect the quarterback. Come on. There's got to be stuff.

Listen, Michael Carter's a better blocking back than Dalvin Cook. Need to see more Michael Carter. Well, you know I didn't love the Dalvin Cook signing. Well, listen, you got to make it work. And Breece Hall getting four touches. Like, I'm upset with Hackett. I'm getting a little warped up here. By the way, you know, the play that Aaron got hurt on, Aaron hated.

Yeah. Hackett. Come on, dude. Fix this. There are options. I don't want to hear it's over. We got the Patriots this week. That's the season. Because the Chiefs are up in week four.

I know. That's the season. Jet season. I'm excited for that game. Oh, really? Yeah, I think it's going to be a... Oh, yeah. The two watches last year, Zach Wilson against Belichick.

They were thrilling. Let me tell you. Freaking crying. All right, final story is awesome. The Colorado Buffaloes. I don't know how late you were up Saturday nights since you were not out here in L.A. A lot of cheap shots in that Colorado State. I didn't like that Travis Hunter moment.

By the way, 17 penalties for 187... 182 yards. Shadur Sanders, I'm taking him second quarterback in the draft if he's available. All right. I like him a lot. He had a great drive in the fourth quarter. Wild game. There was a great, great game.

They needed to go 98 yards with less than two minutes left, and he did it and got the two-point conversion. I know. Without his best receiver. I know. I think he's really good. I think it's a great story. Not only is Colorado a great story, that Dion Sanders son, the quarterback, how does he stay in college? He's got, by the way, you can tell when a quarterback's good.

He makes it look easy. His accurate, that kid's just born to throw a football. Need a quick 20-second timeout. They were 23-point favorites, Colin. Colorado State is not a good football team. Okay. So let's be fair. Let's be fair.

Let's be fair. They got Oregon next week. Yes. They came off a huge Nebraska game. They just were flat. They did not play well. They were at home against Colorado State. You got Oregon looking at you.

These are young kids. I think you have to give Colorado. The word on Travis Hunter. he's not going to play against him. He's not going to the receiver is lacerated liver, according to Skip Phelis that says the notes here.

He's going to be out three weeks. So that stinks. He won't be there against Oregon. He won't be there against USC. That will be the real test for standards, but let's also be real if we watch this game. Colorado State outplayed Colorado. They did.

Much of that game. Alabama got outplayed this weekend. Alabama's got big, big problems. I mean, I got big problems. J. Mack with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Line news.

Colin Wright. Colin wrong. Top of next hour. A lot wrong. Jimmy Johnson stops by. We have a great show today. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. Hey, what's up, everybody?

It's me three-time Pro Bowl of LaVar Arrington, and I couldn't be more excited to announce a new podcast called Up on Game. What is Up on Game, you ask? Along with my fellow pro-bowler, T.J. Hushmanzada and Super Bowl champion. Yep, that's right. Plexico Burris. You can only name a show with that type of talent on it. Up on Game. We're going to be sharing our real-life experiences loaded with teachable moments. Listen to Up On Game with me, LaVar Arrington, TJ Hushman Zada, and Plexico Burris

on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast from. 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 you're saying. Yep, that's me. Clivert Taylor the fourth.

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 celebrate. 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 a TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun,

thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of tauntons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to Stuff to Blow Your Mind on the iHeart radio app Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Sunday, it's a huge doubleheader on Fox,

starting with Derek Carr and the Saints, taking on Jordan Love and the Packers or other regional action. Then in America's game of the week, Justin Fields and the Bears battle Patrick Bowles in the Chiefs or Cowboys Cardinals all on Fox and the Fox Sports app. All right, it was my favorite bet of the weekend. It went into the tank. I thought the Bears would have this urgency,

Baker Mayfield. we don't see them as a viable team. And Chicago unveiled 14 first downs, 230 yards of offense, and had the ball for only 24 minutes. Everything looks hard for Justin Fields. Blame who you want. Zach Wilson and Justin Fields, they have the arm. They're really good athletes. It should work.

And it doesn't. Neither apparently sees the field great. It doesn't look like either does. They're reading the field and throwing it accurately. part is a real struggle. I just, Zach Wilson, though, we've already punted on. Justin Fields is the man in Chicago. I mean, when you're throwing on a big play, a pick six on a screen play near your goal line,

that's just not good enough. And he's been really bad on third down. That's the money down in the NFL for quarterbacks. The great ones are good on third down. So I'm not saying quarterback, playing quarterback isn't hard. It is hard. It's not that hard. And so the question, I said this last week, the question on Justin Fields is going to be,

who do you blame? Chicago's a big, loud market. I spent the weekend there. They love their sports. They're passionate. Somebody takes the blame. Is it going to be the head coach, the young GM of the quarterback? History tells me the quarterback's in trouble.

Here's why. Number one is, both the GM and the head coach can say, we didn't draft him. He wasn't our guy. They can go to ownership. He wasn't our guy. this is not who we would have picked. Whether that's true or not, they can say it. That's their narrative.

Secondly, it is an absolutely loaded college quarterback draft. I mean, there's six, seven guys that look unbelievable. Third, the bears have potentially two top five or six picks. They can get a quarterback and a tackle. I mean, they can go get a quarterback and a great rush end. So, I mean, listen, there's an old saying in football that winning is not a quarterback. quarterback stat. I think it is, but needless to say, you got to do better than five and 22 when your first 27 starts. But more than that, it's I don't see any growth. I mean, they got

him more weapons. DJ Moore's a great player. I think he's regressed. I think he sees the field more poorly. I mean, just that pick, six at the goal line, you just can't make that play. And a lot of people, and I feel this was Zach Wilson. Zach and Justin, they're great athletes with great arms. I don't think they have great instincts. They don't feel the pocket. I don't know what it is. I have no idea. But I mean, Justin's been sacked like over a hundred times since he entered the league. That's more than everybody else. Now, the Bears O' line's not great, but so much

of this is holding on to the ball. Some of this in the NFL is you got to see the play and you got to let it rip. And he doesn't. Greg Kosell talked about both Zach Wilson and Justin Fields last week, last Thursday on our show. I think Justin Fields is another question. quarterback that doesn't see things with the speed with which he needs to. He misses things. There are a certain concept he just really struggles with. Now, obviously, he can run. So he'll make some plays. I thought he showed flashes at the end of last season making me think, okay, if there's improvement, he's got a chance. But, you know, he just, he needs to be quicker,

much quicker with what he sees. All right. So again, in Chicago, a big, loud media city with a lot of powerful voices, it's going to be a blame game. And my guess is the loser is going to be the quarterback here. That's not always the case, but the GM and the coach can say, hey, wasn't our guy. That has a lot of power in a loaded college quarterback draft class. So with the chargers, we're not blaming the quarterback. Why? Because the GM did draft the quarterback.

And the head coach loves the quarterback. everybody loves Justin Herbert. In his last four games, Justin Herbert is a 98-passer rating, 7 TDs, no picks, 65% completion percentage, 1100 yards, and he's 0 and 4 in those games.

Brandon Staley is known as a defensive whiz. He couldn't stop Ryan Tanna Hill, near the end of the fourth or in overtime. The Chargers have the worst defense, number one worst defense in the league, yet the most expensive. they are allowing an egregious 15 yards per completion worst in the league. It's like Canadian football defense.

And I mean, listen, you know you're in trouble in Los Angeles when we're two weeks into an NFL season and the Chargers coach is getting heat. I mean, it's a Dodger town, it's a Laker town, it's a USC town, it's a Rams town, it's a shopping town, it's a beach town. The Chargers are somewhere around. around eight. And Brandon Staley is getting heat and you know he's getting heat and he's feeling the pressure when he starts getting chippy with reporters. Our team has played its hard out in two games and we've lost two tough games, but there has nothing

to do with the Jacksonville game. And if you ask anyone in our locker room, it has nothing to do with the Jacksonville game. And that's just the truth. It's a convenient storyline for you and for everybody else, but it's not the truth. We just lost a game in overtime, Jeff. So how do you think the mood is? how do you think the mood is how do you think it is it's tough it's tough it's tough it's tough group in there there's a lot of pride in that room okay and we put a lot into this and we got a good football team no they've got a really good roster um this is the worst situational defense in the NFL and again I don't need coaches to be perfect I hear some of you going oh what about Herbert

every GM in the league outside of Kansas city maybe a Jacksonville of Cincinnati would take Justin Herbert over their guy. There's very few teams that wouldn't. This defense is awful everywhere. Now, Khalil Max passed his prime, but still can be effective, and Bose is on the other side. They returned almost every starter. There's no reason for the constant confusion on third and long. And by the way, I said this on, I think J-Mack on Friday show.

I mean, they made Tua look like Marino. It was a video game. He threw it for 450 yards, three touchdowns. how was Tua against a less talented, less expensive defense last night in New England? Half the yards. Like, I'm not saying you can't lose to the Chargers. You've got to get people off the field. I mean, Tyree Kill, it was a circus.

Ryan Tannahill's last two big drives, they couldn't get a stop. Tennessee had lost eight straight games. This was a team with no inertia, no momentum, and you just gave them momentum. So you can go back and do it. You can't be taken seriously if you think Herbert's the problem. In the history of the National Football League, the entire league, every player, no quarterback has scored more points in this many starts than Justin Herbert. It's not a quarterback issue.

No GM in the world thinks it's a quarterback issue, including the Chargers GM. So I feel like we got an A-list actor with a bad director and a bad script, and there's not a lot he can do with it. We've all seen this, a great actor and a bad movie. You can blame the actor, but the actor is productive before the coach. The actor's got a really good offensive coordinator. Yeah, maybe Justin should have scored this drive or that drive. That's the reality of football.

You don't score every time you want to on every drive. But the offense over the last four games in which they're o' and four has been wildly productive. Seven TDs, no picks, passerating mid-90s. it's a problem. The chargers don't historically pay for coaches. You got to give Jim Harbaugh a call. You got to give Jim Harbaugh a call.

You got to get him on the phone. He's about done with college football. He's done with the NCAA. And that hand slap deal he dealt with this year. You know, buying a kid a hamburger, he's done with it. So to me, the Spanosas have gotten what they've paid for with coaches. I like Anthony Lynn, Brandon Staley. I'm saying bad guys.

Spend money. If you're going to spend money on your left tackle, a bosa, a quarterback, you got to spend money on the coach. Go watch the Rams. Look at the coaching. Go watch Miami. San Francisco. Look at the coaching.

Seattle yesterday. In Detroit, Pete Carroll, look at the coaching. It matters. I'm not saying it's 50% or 70, but even if it's just 30, 35%. Why would you take Justin Herbert and not give him a great 30, 30, 30. 35% of support. But this defense is so bad situationally.

It's not like they don't pay for it. Most expensive defense in the league. It's tough. It's a tough watch. And I'm trying not to be a homer because I have been so reluctant to embrace the Chargers. And this year I said, there's just too many good players. They're returning all of them.

I love the first three draft picks. And they all look good. It doesn't work. J. Mack. They're your jets to me. It's like I've been just reluctant to put my arms around him. I just think this roster is such a good roster. You're right about Staley, the big play. Elimination game this weekend against the Vikings, both O and two?

I mean, loser, that's done. You can't come back from O and three and make the playoffs. I think historically... If Staley goes O and three, do you give Kellanmore the job? I'm serious. Quick word on Kellymour. I watched the Chargers yesterday. I had money on them.

They were dominating this game early. 11-0 up and down the field. two for 14 on third down. And what the hell was opening overtime with a three and out? Did you see that? Yeah. It's like Herbert just slinging it. What are you doing?

Like move the ball down the field. I'm extremely disappointing from the Chargers. All right. Colin was right. Colin was wrong to start our second hour. The Great Hall of Fame coach Jimmy Johnson showing up to hour two. Hour 2. Live in L.A., it's the hurt. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends.

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

Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced. games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast 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. On the Look Back at a podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. Eighty-four was big to me.

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. 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.