The Herd with Colin Cowherd - THE HERD - Hour 1 - The McVay Magic Fails,  Mike Vrabel explains what makes Drake Maye special

Episode Date: December 30, 2025

Matthew Stafford falls apart against the Falcons as the McVay magic finds its level and the Rams suddenly look rough as the playoffs loom. The 49ers are surging and trying to stay at home for the Super Bowl. Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel joins Colin to discuss how he’s turned things around in New England, being the CEO head coach and what his star quarterback Drake Maye has done this year to be so special and set himself as the MVP favorite.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Patriots head coach Mike Brable stops by. Welcome in wherever you may be. However you may be listening. Appreciate you making us part of your day. So in the NFL, I think we all know this, the more ways you can win the better. Seattle's winning when Sam Darnel doesn't play well. The Niners won when Max Jones was starting. The Bears can win with their run game and not Caleb Williams.

Philadelphia won a game this weekend where they didn't complete a pass in the second half. A lot of different ways for the Seahawks and the Niners and the Bears. The Eagles, maybe more than any team can win. but with the Rams it's different. If Matt Stafford plays poorly, they lose. In the 11 wins this year for the Rams, he has 30 touchdowns and two picks. In the Rams' five losses,

he has 12 touchdowns and six picks. And people call Sam Darnold reckless, but when Darnold struggles, he still gives you elite mobility in playmaking. Stafford now took over the all-time lead in pick sixes. Like it's just not, good if he's struggling. Yesterday at the end of the show, I called it the McVeigh magic.

Sometimes when you watch the Rams, are they great, or is McVey just magical? Brandon Staley was McVeigh's brilliant defensive coordinator until he left the building. Zach Taylor, 10 games under 500 in Cincinnati. He was the next McVeigh. I hear that defensive coordinator, Chris Shula, is going to be a head. head coach, but I just watched B. Don Robinson have his best game as a pro, nine yards of carry.

And they didn't do a lot to adjust at halftime. Is he really a great defensive coordinator? I mean, the bottom line here, if not for an amazing play in special teams by Jared Verse, how close is that game?

And here's what's troublesome. Beyond being very dependent on Stafford is in the last three weeks, the Rams defense, second worst in the league and yards allowed per play. I'm not denying versus great, and Stafford's unbelievably talented, and nobody can defend Puka. But it is interesting when you have McVeigh and Kyle Shanahan in the same division. I talked about this yesterday.

Because with both McVeigh and Shanahan, it's like they're illusionists. Is Brock Purdy really a superstar? Last guy picked in the draft, but he plays like it. Is Joanne Jennings really that great? It's like a six or a seventh round player. Where he plays like it, is the Rams offensive line really that good, got bullied last night a few times? I mean, they couldn't block the edges,

or is it just again the McVeigh magic? Because what is absolutely clear with L.A., there's absolute deficiencies, and they're getting exposed. The O-line, all it takes is one injury. They struggle to protect. The defense, last three weeks regressing. Stafford gets reckless. Without Devonte Adams, they absolutely struggle in the red zone.

And then losing to Atlanta really hurts because they have Atlanta's first round pick. A couple weeks ago, that thing was like the eighth pick. Well, now that's dropped down to 12th. So beating Atlanta for no other reason to secure a top 10 pick was important. And they were completely worked, outschemed, outcoached, outplayed, out everything in the first half. And in the second, they still didn't do a great job adjusting. So in San Francisco, you know, it's like every quarterback with Kyle Shanahan looks so much better than potentially they are until they leave the building.

and with McVeigh's staff, I'm almost told how brilliant it is. And I watch all these guys leave the building, and they're not as brilliant. So McVeigh, totally dejected, keeps it really curt and succinct when he loses, says these starters will play next week in week 18. Oh, we're playing. Yeah, they're playing. No, they were going to play anyways. We need to play. We need to play better football. So, you know, I don't know what the consequence is.

are and those different types of things, but we've got to play better. So week 18 isn't great. Saturday, Seahawks Niners, fantastic. And then we've got the Ravens at Pittsburgh, and the winner goes to the playoffs. And a lot of the talk in this game is the future of John Harbaugh, the Ravens head coach. Feels like every five or six years he gets heat. And Mike Tomlin, the coach of the Steelers. I'm reading a column this morning. I'm reading a column this morning. Whoever loses, the coach could be in trouble, but I don't feel the same way. Two years ago, John Harbaugh was in the AFC championship.

The Ravens don't feel tone-deaf for out-of-touch to offense. The Steelers do. John Harbaugh's big problem is he can't beat Mahomes and Andy Reed in the playoffs. Mike Tomlin's issue is he can't beat anybody in the playoffs. Seven straight seasons, bottom 10 offense. In that same period, Harbaugh, on an offensive. league is out of top 10 offense four times. So when I look at

the Ravens as a whole in Harbaugh, I just see a roadblock almost like Phil Mickelson can't beat Tiger and the big ones. Right? Or the Blazers or a Gary Payton or the Knicks just couldn't get through Jordan. Like, let's be honest, John Harbaugh's

biggest issue is they couldn't beat Mahomes. Lamar couldn't beat Mahomes. He was struggling to beat Andy Reed. But they're making AFC championships recently. They've won't a Super Bowl more recently, I don't feel like the ecosystem with Baltimore is outdated. In Pittsburgh, I do.

Once again, they can't run the football. What's that seven straight years? I mean, go ask yourself, when's the last time a Mike Tomlin team beat an elite franchise quarterback in the playoffs? Go ahead and look. I went this morning. Mike Tomlin since 2009,

0 and 6 against Peyton Manning, Mahomes, Rogers, Brady, Lamar, Jackson, Josh Allen. So I don't feel like Tomlin, and I'd hire him in a second if I was the Miami Dolphins or Tennessee Titans. It's not that he can't coach. Same with Sean McDermott. I'd hire Sean McDermott in a second in Tennessee or a second

in Miami. But when I hear that, well, Harbaugh and Tomlin, I don't feel the same with those two. I mean, all you have to know is the Steelers have the second oldest roster in the NFL and spend the most money on defense. That's the influence of Tomlin, who's still an elite,

motivator. The Ravens, they spend their money mostly on offense. I mean, they'll pay for Kyle Hamilton. Great safety. They should. They'll pay for a great guy in the defensive line. They should. But I don't feel the same. Here's Harbaugh when he's asked about he and Mike Tomlin's future. You really don't have the space for that. It's just not something that you have the ability to think about. It's not important. It was important. You had an impact and a bearing. You know, I think you'd think about it. But you think about it because it's always that way, you know. So it's probably all that stuff makes it all kind of interesting and kind of fun and real.

It's sports. You know, that's how sports are. And I think that's part of the intrigue of it all. So I feel like really honored to be a part of that. My wife talks about this all the time. As you age, she says, everybody gets older. Just try to stay current. The Steelers don't necessarily with all the money they spend on defense,

the age of the roster, the quarterback mass, they can't run the ball for seven years in an offensive league. The Steelers don't feel current to me. Baltimore does. I like their ownership, the front office, their head coach, their quarterback. They can even win. Huntley the backup quarterback's good. They get efficient play when Lamar doesn't play.

So it doesn't feel the same to me. I can like a coach, Sean McDermott, and think it may be time if they lose in round one. And I can like a coach. Tomlin would be a great team. guy. He probably doesn't, he show no interest in that. He doesn't want to do college. But I just, I feel like we're at the end of the line here. I do like Baltimore to win the game because it's a rivalry. It will be low scoring and close.

But, you know, my feeling it's 23, 20, 2017, I would lean with what I believe is the more current organization. The more offensively friendly organization, I would take the Ravens to win that game. Jaymec had a good week of a good week of Let's just say with the numbers this week, you know, it's interesting. We have Mike Vrabble on today. That Stafford probably played his way out of the MVP last night. You know, it's a standalone game, fair or not. Those things always have major influence.

But the biggest game yesterday, you could argue on Monday, excuse me, or Sunday, was the Bills and the Eagles, and Josh Allen couldn't score, didn't have a point until six minutes left. so to me that opened the door for Drake May as MVP. Well, let me ask. I mean, you watch that game, Jets getting throttled by the Patriots. There's a video clip of Mike Vrable on the sideline up 353, essentially saying, yeah, we're going to blitz and a bad word, blank them.

You know, Vrables was really going all in on the Jets. I almost wonder, maybe you've got to a point. Maybe he was trying to get Drake May the MVP award. I don't know. They were pouring it on, Colin, in the second half. Yeah, I don't think Vrable's a guy that worries about any other coaches. feelings or any other organization. It was not forgotten

among Jets fans. Let's just say that. Like it'll matter. In a few years, we're decent. Maybe a few decades. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio FS1 and the IHeart

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We're the first people to do podcasts. Pretty, yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts throughout there. But this one's extra special. So how do we actually come up with a name, Hey Jonas, guys? I honestly don't remember. I think it was on a call about what we should call it. Well, we were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band. Before Jonas Brothers was...

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This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you. exactly what happened. That's where SportsSlice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context and ask the questions

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And I know firsthand because I competed there myself. I'm Renee Stubbs, and on the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast, I'm breaking down everything happening at Roland Garris. every match, every upset, and what it really takes to win on Clay. Jenchen win. I mean, she went down in three to Rabakina, but I'm delighted. She's an outsider to win the French for me. And she likes Clay.

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hear on earth or are you a good person because you're afraid because that's two different intentions bro absolutely and that that's two different levels of trust I want you to just really be a good person join me Kear gains is we have real conversations about healing growth fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app, search Learn the Hardway, and listen now. With Drake May, it's structural. He plays within rhythm. He's very accurate.

He's durable. He's tough. He's an excellent leader. He gets the ball out quickly. It's hard to embrace that stuff. It doesn't feel as great. And a lot of people have said, well, they've got an easy schedule. You play the games in front of you.

Shocker, the Jets and Miami weren't good again. That's not his fault. Brady led that division for years. Buffalo, the Jets, and Miami, all three were bad. At least Buffalo's viable now. So in the eight quarters, they played the bills, New England and May were better in six of them. So I just, it's a lot of times when you're doing,

like the NBA has always been about, to a large degree, style. I mean, Westbrook, is he a winning player? But he's a Hall of Famer, right? Like, it's style matters. But it does in the NFL, too. We like sacks from our guys up front. We like our quarterbacks for years and years when Brady was in New England. I mean, to the end, I was reading articles,

and you could tell people in the building, anonymous sources were saying, hey, a lot of guys could win here. A lot of quarterbacks could win here. Yeah, could a lot of those guys go to Tampa and win a Super Bowl first year? Could a lot of those guys do that? No, Brady did. So Tom was on this show and talked about, you know, one of the elements where he and he and Drake may be similar. With Drake, he has the physical ability.

He has the size. But I think in terms of physical skill set, his downfield passing ability is awesome. So, you know, Josh McDaniels has done incredible job this year for the Patriots. Drake is running the same system that I was in. I know how good that system is for quarterbacks, how Josh does teach these young quarterbacks, all the different reasons why he's doing what he's doing, why we're trying to beat this coverage,

or how we're going to protect to give you the best chance to be successful. Drake has Foxboroughed from Tom. He's got 12 games, 100 plus pass-a rating this year. That ties Tom Brady. And I also think a lot of times if you're a real, really good coordinator. You go to be a head coach and it doesn't work where we think less of you. Josh McDaniels has been the best coordinator. He's a OC now for the Patriots. There's an argument he's been the best coordinator 15 in the last 20 years in the NFL. Maybe 18 of 20. And so, you know,

the Patriots, to me feel like same owner, same O.C, same stylistic quarterback. The difference is Vrable is more player friendly than Belichick, but like Bill, super smart, culture builder, very demanding, doesn't pander. The difference is he's more player friendly, which you have to be in 2025 and beyond. But it,

I know completion percentage doesn't turn people on, but when you can lead the league in that and yards per attempt downfield, that is special. 35 to 3 lead on the road just does not

happen a lot. Think how good the Rams are. They were getting crushed on the road last night against the team that won't make the playoffs and a team in a wonky division. Jay Mack with the news. No, no, no, no, turn on the news. This is the herd line news. All right, let's bust right into it. The 49ers, Colin, the big store in the NFL right now is their quest to be playing at home in the Super Bowl. They're just a few games away. All they got to do, take down Seattle, Saturday night, they are a small underdog, as you see there on the screen. Kyle Shanahan is very excited. He said the 49ers have earned this, adding we love an opportunity to never leave here again entering the playoffs.

Colin, this is a big one. It sounds like it's going to make your blazing five. And I know you love going against Brock Purdy to the demise of your wallet over the years. Well, I do think Purdy is a different quarterback when there's a pass rush. and, you know, against Chicago, it was kind of a passive game plan. And I also think, I think Seattle arguably right now is the most consistently good team in football, half to half. Philadelphia may have a better roster, but you don't know what you get offensively half to half. Seattle's a handful.

Now, of course, Sam Darnold, when he faces pressure, can get reckless. But you and I both know the one thing San Francisco does not do without blitzing is they don't create a pass. rush. So I actually think it's not about Purdy and Darnold. I don't think either will be hyper effective. I think it's about Darnold and that run game without a lot of pressure had been successful this year. And Brock Purdy, whether trailing, because Seattle is a pretty good first F team, whether trailing or facing pressure comes down in efficiency. So I think it's a very, very close game, would not be shocked if San Francisco won, but it should be noted again, McCaffrey had another huge touch game.

I just wonder how many of these you can stack up after another. Yeah, I don't want to give away my pick yet, but Colin, I'm going to just give away. So two weeks ago, the Rams did whatever they wanted. Remember up and down the field, 30 points. McVeigh was going on fourth down, ultra confident, right? They end up scoring 37 in overtime. These are the other teams Seahawks have played recently. Carolina, which doesn't really have a functional offense all the time.

Philip Rivers, who is 45 years old, going back to the sofa. Atlanta, and I believe that was Kirk Cousins in a disaster. And JP, whatever, Brasmer, whatever, Max Brasmer, the kid in Minnesota. They haven't seen a good offense. The 49ers are going to score against these guys at will. I just don't, I'm really worried, Colin. How about that 49ers pass rush and your boy, Sammy D? Slaying Sammy D.

Can we get him to see some ghosts in the pocket maybe? Robert Salon cooked something up? I don't know. I just, yeah, I don't know. I think it's going to be one of the really, really entertaining game. Last week we got San Francisco and Chicago, which is as good a game as we've had this year. You're not topping that. Come on.

Well, I think it's going to be pretty good. I think it's going to be pretty good. All right, let's move on to the Philadelphia Eagles, Colin, and that mysterious team right now. I don't know what to make of them. By the way, it looks like they will host the ring. in the first round. Holy hell, that's a game. Anyways, Nick Siriani, you know, he's getting a lot of questions about that second half where they had 17 yards.

They've won two games, Colin, where Jalen Hertz did not throw a complete of pass in the second half. Zero completions and they won them. That's staggering. Anyway, here's Nick Siriani talking about the offensive game plans after halftime. I got to help. I put it on myself. I got to help, you know, with some things there, with some things that I know we want to get

called. You know, Kevin did a good job in that first half. But I got to help in that second half a little bit, getting some things that we want to get called there. And then, you know, in execution, it's everything, right? And so, obviously, I'm not going to get too much into it. I have some thoughts, you know, and we'll go back and look at it. But a lot of things that we can do differently and better there in the second half.

The Philadelphia Eagles remain the enigma of the league. Listen, it's crazy. they regularly don't complete three passes in halves and win all of those games in a passing league. I mean, so, and I'll give Siriani credit. I didn't think he was ready for the job when he got it, but you know what he does really, really well? He steps to the microphone, he takes a bullet.

He's always willing to say, it's on me, and that's like leadership. It's real easy to point fingers. We've seen coaches and quarterbacks, one of them in Pittsburgh, that love to point fingers, when things don't go right. Siriani takes it. He's always like, yeah, it's me.

So Philadelphia does. Philadelphia is the only professional football organization in America, okay, that does what bad teams do. They fire coaches who get to the Super Bowl. They get rid of quarterbacks that win Super Bowls. They hire coaches who aren't quite ready for it. They take players with red flags that other teams take off their board.

They literally have halves where they're the worst offense in the league. They have drama in the locker room with the quarterback and a receiver. All this, if I just wrote down on a list what they do, coach conjole with fans, you'd be like, oh, that's got to be like,

is that the saints? Is that the Jets? So you're like, no, it's a Philadelphia Eagles, a dominant professional football organization. So I think there's something about Philadelphia that you can't deny. Any industry you're in, when you are as passionate and you care as much as Philadelphia does about the NFL

and you've got a smart owner and a smart GM and you're willing to move off and into people quickly, it trumps a lot of other little frailties or vagaries you have in the organization. Yeah, it's interesting, Colin. I know some Eagles fans, you know, where I spent some years outside of Philadelphia, you. They almost are like, hey, man, this season's so stressful and exhausting. If we lose in the first round, it's not the worst thing in the world because maybe Siriani gets fired. And I've got to

ask you, like, it's in play that they could make a run to the Super Bowl. The defense is that good. But at the same time, they could lose to the Rams in the first round. And maybe that's what they need. Get Sireana out of here, right? Can you do that? Can you fire him after he goes Super Bowl? I don't think they will because I think he's grown into the job. I think he's grown up. I think we have to be fair. You know, I always tell my kids this. When you get a job, you shouldn't be ready for it. Your resume should be ready for it.

You shouldn't be ready for it. You should bail water for six weeks. Siriani, I didn't think year one was ready for the job, but I got to give him credit. I think he's more mature now. He's grown up. He's better. He takes one for the team. And there is something about Philadelphia.

He almost feels like an occasional caller on WIP radio. Oh, God. That's what you aspire to. So, Colin, earlier you were like, hey, he's really. good at the podium. He says, my bad, my fault, I messed up. Colin, if you went to management every single day after the show and said, yeah, we had a bad one, I was on me, and then you did it the next day and the next week, because that's what Siriani's doing. Every week he's taking bullets. I'm not saying he's as secure as Shanahan or as secure as Demico, Ryan's or McVeigh or

Harbaugh. I'm not saying he's that secure. I'm saying I don't think he's in trouble. Should he be? Maybe that's a better question. Should he be? Maybe that's a better question. Should he If they lose in the first round, I'm done with them. Get out. You got too good of a team. This is an awesome team. He can't fix the offensive coordinator. It's a very good roster.

I've prattled on a little too long. All right, let's wrap up Colin. Andy Reid, you know, there is some concern. Well, you know, Kelsey's retiring. Maybe Andy Reid just steps down not so fast. Andy Reid sounds like he has no doubt going to decide he's going to continue as head coach of the chiefs. hear as Reid talking about that situation. No, I'm, I'm, I think I'm coming back, right?

If they'll have me back, I'll come back. You never know in this business, Matt, so that's a, you know, that's a tough one, but I plan on it, yeah. Well, the good news for them is that they got a better draft position. They don't have to draft it. I mean, honestly, it's a very, I think it's a very good first round. It's not going to be as good at quarterback, very good at tackle. they could use a tackle.

I've been working on my first mock draft here. You are. What if Jeremiah Love is available? The Notre Dame running back. I would take him. I would take him. Would you take him over a tackle? Yes.

Ooh. Well, well, well, let me say that again. I would not take love over the two best tackles in this first round. One from Utah, one from Miami. I would probably take him over the third best tackle also from Utah. Well, the kid at Alabama, Caden Proctor, all-American. It's pretty good, too. Yeah, they like him.

I mean, again, you saw Mahomes when he don't have his tackles. You know, the wide receivers don't have time to run the routes. Nothing works without the protection. Most great left tackles in the history of football, 28 of 35, first round. There's a lot of great running backs in the third round and beyond. So there's an argument, get a running back later. I mean, look at this kid the Chicago Bears have at a Rutgers. I mean, the kid is such a grinder.

He's such a good player. Yeah, he helped carry me to the fantasy football. football championship over your boy Jeff Schwartz. Yeah, baby. It was a good weekend. It was good. J. Mack with the news. Well, that's the news.

And thanks for stopping by. The Hurdline News. College football playoffs starts tomorrow. I think Ohio State Miami's a really good game. I like Ohio State, but I think it's really close. I was thinking about this with the Buffalo Bills. This is crazy. Since week 10, this is with Josh Allen.

Pro Bowl left tackle. James Cook. Excellent tight ends. Since week 10, the Buffalo Bills are 23rd in the NFL in first half scoring. That is below Shadur Sanders in the Cleveland Browns. Basically, the bill's offense is Josh Allen, save us in the second half. So their first half point differential is 23rd. And if you want to know who's really good scoring on the first half, McVeigh,

Kyle Shanahan, Ben Johnson in Chicago, Vrable, Josh McDaniels in New England. And what's crazy is if you look at the construct of the bills, you would think with a great left tackle, great run game, good tight end, best quarterback in the league, that they would score a lot of points early, and then they would lean on James Cook in their run game to eat the clock in the second half and win going away.

In fact, it's actually remarkable that they are the number one run team in the league when they trail in seven of their last eight games in the second half. So that's, but when I look at Buffalo, I have had them at like 10th. Nick Wright finally loves Buffalo, and my take is, how do you win a Super Bowl? I mean, it's one thing that Eagles, you don't know what you get half to half, but they have great first halves and great second halves. How do you win a Super Bowl when you trail in the second half out of seven out of eight games?

So, like I've said before, that something isn't clicking when you have a great running back, a great left tackle, an amazing quarterback, excellent tight ends, and you are constantly coming from behind. Greg CoSell has talked about Buffalo and what he sees on film. So they're really not that good a football team. And I know that there's been a lot of talk about, well, this is Josh Allen Gier. And if he doesn't make it, you know, that is so silly. They're just not that good overall from a talent perspective. and they've got no receiving core. So they're a hard team.

They have to scheme up everything on offense and then hope that Josh Allen in a given game makes Josh Allen plays. So listen, I understand too. Kansas City's feeling this. When you have to draft at the bottom of the first round, it's hard. Most GMs I've talked to would trade out of the first round if you're drafting 20th and lower. You'd rather pay second round prices

is their second round talent. There's about 15 to 17, maybe 18 in a good year. Real true first round talent. And I think this, if, I think it's a really good first round. Good tackles, good edge rushers, a couple big time linebackers, one great quarterback. But it is remarkable. This team doesn't score in the first half. It's just, it's, it's just playing from behind.

I'll give them credit. They should not be this good. Now, they'll beat the Jets Sunday, but they really shouldn't be this good. You should not trail week after week in the second half. They were scoreless with six minutes to go at home against Philadelphia. And it came down to a two-point conversion, which they should have hit on. Mike Vrable, Patriots coach. Next.

It's the herd. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. On Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the I-Hard Radio app. Hey, it's us, the Jonas Brothers, and guess what? We have some big news. What's the news, new? Huge news. We created our own podcast called, Hey Jonas.

We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. Pretty, yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts. We're starting a trend. But this one's extra special. So how do we actually come up with a name, Hey Jonas, guys?

I honestly don't remember. I think it was on a call about what we should call it. Oh, we were thinking I'm originally calling it. one of the early names of our band before Jonas Brothers was... This is how you guys remember it going down? Yes.

I have a very different memory of this. We were talking about a thing, a bit for the podcast where people could call in and say, Hey Jonas. And then I wrote down on my little notepad, Hey Jonas, and offered it up as a potential title

for the podcast. But thanks for remembering that, guys. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. 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. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines.

We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves. Their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context and ask the questions everybody wants answered. SportsSlice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to SportsSlice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slicleaf 12 and the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. The French Open is one of the toughest tests in tennis.

And I know firsthand because I competed there myself. I'm Renee Stubbs, and on the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast, I'm breaking down everything happening at Roland Garris, every match, every upset, and what it really takes to win on Clay. Jenchian win. I mean, she went down in three to Rabakina, but I'm delighted. She's an outsider to win the French for me. And she likes Clay. Listen, Lina Rabakina is arguably the best player in the world right now, and I actually can win on

any surface, because if she's serving, well, good luck. Consider this your court side seat to the French Open. Listen to the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Trip Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase

that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross. Because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth. Are you a good person because you're afraid?

Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Keir Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway.

Open your free Our Heart Radio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. Well, it's one of the few things I do right. I make a prediction every year. I take an NFL team that was not good the year before, and I say they're going to double their wins and make the play. playoffs. Last year, I think it was Denver. This year it was New England. I said, if you give me Mike Vrable,

Drake May is really good. They're going to be really, really a playoff team. I didn't think they'd be this good, this fast. I didn't think they'd rebuild their perimeter weapons this fast, pretty remarkable. And the head coach, Mike Vrable, known him a while we all have as joining us three Super Bowls, three division titles. Well, you know, Mike, you are, I talked to a GM about you before you got hired and he said, Rabel is probably a top two or three coach because you get the intellect, but he's a culture builder.

And the truth is, in modern football, you need kind of a CEO. And a lot of guys can't do this. So how do you take, I mean, you got a good owner. You knew Josh and Drake. How do you build a culture? I mean, what's the first six weeks like?

What is the secret sauce? It's more than just knowing schemes. You got to build stuff. Yeah, and I appreciate you recognizing that. I think we wanted to have a program in place on April 7th that the players would be proud of that they wanted to take ownership of and they wanted to try to protect. So it's everything around the players making sure that that's good and it's sound, everything that touches them, great staff, great support staff. And then when they get back in here, I wanted it to feel different. I wanted it to have an energy to it.

And we were intentional with, you know, with getting to know each other. everybody's journey to this national football league, it looks a little different, whether it's a coach or a player draft pick, high draft pick, free agent, whatever it may be. But everybody's got a different journey to this league, and they've got a different story. And we were intentional with trying to find out what those were. And then the play started, you know, and then we started installing play. And I felt like what was important in the offseason was that we tried to get the right people

in the building at the right time with Elliot and Ryan and Stretch. and everybody that was involved in that process through free agency and the draft and everything else. Yeah, Elliot's a sharp guy. All the GMs I know in the league thinks he really, really like him. When did you know? Was there a moment that you said privately, maybe you didn't tell the players, or maybe you did, that you went to your staff and you said, guys, we're good, like right now. Like, was there an epiphany for you, Mike, watching film thinking maybe we're a little better

than a nine or a 10-win team? We were a 12-13 win team. No, I don't think I ever really thought that. I think that we just try to improve. You know, I try to tell them things that have helped me through the, you know, 30 years of being in this league of trying to improve along the way. And the teams that continue to improve are the ones that get to play in January and in the postseason. And we try to do that, you know, focus on some keys, focus on building an identity. And then once you build something that you care about, you try to protect.

You made a comment in camp that I remember, and I talked about it on the air. You said in camp, hey, to be great, you got to be a leader every day. Drake May, every day, you got a lead. And it was almost like you were kind of pushing him. Like, kid, I know you're the youngest guy in the locker room. Was that your intention that it is hard to be 23 and lead men that are often 33? Was that your intention when you said that? Yeah, and I think, you know, anything that I've said publicly,

I've said, you know, obviously privately to our players or staff or anybody else. So that wasn't, I've never tried to send a message through the media. But just talking about maturity, I don't think maturity has anything to do with age. It has everything to do with experience. And what Drake went through last year and his first year and the things that he experienced and what he, the opportunities that he had and then going into the second season and learning a new offense. and, you know, building and the training camp. And I think you just start to see each and every day, you know,

his spirit, his passion, his energy, his leadership, how much he puts into this, the excitement that he has for everybody on the football team when they have success. I mean, he's into this from the defensive guys. And we played a bunch of guys last week in the Jets game. He stayed in the game, and he's supporting every single guy. So I think his maturity has grown extremely high since, I first met him in January or whatever it was.

You're a defensive guy, yet you feel very current with offense. That is not the case with a lot of defensive coaches. They just don't feel like they quite have a sensibility for it. How do you stay connected to offense when your history is on the other side? Well, I spent a little time on offense back in the day, but I would say just having the experience to be in Tennessee and be to, head coach there. One of our best players, or if not our best player, was Derek Henry and how important

the run game was to us. And I guess maybe having a son that was an offensive lineman, I gravitated towards that room. I tried to learn. I tried to understand blocking schemes. But I also felt like as a defensive player, I wanted to know what the scheme was or what the other guy across me, what his job was. And maybe that would help me do my job.

I'm sitting in a lot of meetings and try to learn from, you know, the coaches, the coordinators. And because I feel like the one thing that I can do is have a connection with each and every player in every position. I can just have one or two things about the game plan or something that they can do to, you know, help them do their job better. That's an immediate connection, especially during the season. I can walk in and say, hey, you know, this is how they're running their games or this is the pressure or, you know, whatever it may be. If I can just have one thing, that's a good connection for me or good place

for me to be able to enter into a meeting. Mike, you have a, when you sit after a game, you stand up and you meet every player. You obviously connect with players. Is the hardest part of your job when you have to bark and not be a friendly guy? Because you're a guy that really connects emotionally. What happens when you have to turn on that guy the next day at practice and bark? Is that a tough thing? Well, we've always talked about that. When you, can make a connection with somebody and you, you know, you get on guys, I got to protect the team. That's my job.

I tell them that I don't have to do it all the time, that they can do it. And if they don't, and I'm more than happy to step in and do that. I know how hard their job is. That's why I've always stood out there, win or lose, thank them for what they do out there on the football field. We don't take those things or opportunities for granted.

there's a lot of pressure on them to perform personally and also for this team. And so there's never, I'm trying to be demanding and not be demeaning and certainly try to work on the way that I, my tone in the way that I try to hold everybody accountable. Does Brady ever call you and try to give you tips on Drake May or anything like that? Has he ever texted or anything like that? No, we're all set right now. I try to give him tips on broadcasting. He didn't want to listen to that.

He should. He should pay attention. Hey, good luck. Congrats. Really happy for you, Mike. You've kicked butt. Yeah, thank you for his support. I appreciate it.

You bet. Mike Frable. Yeah, I mean, I thought they were going to be really good. I thought they were going to be a playoff team. I didn't think they were going to be this good. I didn't like the receiving core last year at all. I thought they were just slow and didn't have any juice. And they've been outstanding.

So speaking of coaches, did you see, I don't use this word very often, courageous. Did you see the courageous Lincoln Riley yesterday willing to go to the podium and confront the issue with the Notre Dame USC rivalry and admit publicly that they should be playing? here's Lincoln Riley. Had Notre Dame lived up to their word and played us anytime anywhere, we would be playing in the next two years and looking ahead after that and hopefully continuing the series. They did not follow through on it, thus we are not playing them the next couple of years. We're hopeful something can be worked out in the future. That'd be fantastic.

We at SC would love for the game to continue and we have no problem following through on our promises in the future. That's what courage looks like. Let me ask the former angry USC Trojan player something, who are mad this, for the time being anyway, that this game won't take place. Let me ask you former Trojan something. Are any of you business people or entrepreneurs?

Okay. If you are. If you went into business with somebody and that person had a side deal that could potentially cut you out of profits. You still want to do business with that person? You do? Gosh, I'd like to do business with you then.

I'll have some side deals. You're okay with Notre Dame side deal, which this year, if they had it, would have knocked Miami out of the college football play. The Miami that went to Texas A&M and won and has the ability to beat Ohio State tomorrow night. You'd be comfortable with that side deal. In fact, USC next year could go nine and two in the regular season, be ranked 10th.

Notre Dame could be ranked 12th, and Notre Dame would get in, and USC would get knocked out because of automatic bids. You're okay with that? Yeah, I'm not going to apologize because I care more about trophies than tradition. Money than mementos. Sorry, I do, but I'm going to give Notre Dame credit for this. Notre Dame is clearly prioritizing due to the side deal the playoff. Notre Dame used to play Michigan every year. If they don't, they got over it.

Go look at Notre Dame schedule. Notre Dame said, no, we're not going to go play USC in September. We know we have a week schedule. We're not going to do it because Notre Dame prioritized getting into the playoff. The former Trojans that are angry seems to me are prioritizing history. Like, I'm not going to apologize because I use AI in the Internet. Like USC shouldn't have to apologize because they're prioritizing because their schedule as a fully committed member to the Big Ten is brutal.

At Indiana, at Penn State, Oregon, Washington, Ohio State, Iowa. Yeah, we'll play a, but you've got a side deal. So here's our deal. We're playing early. That's all USC said. You got a side deal, so here's our deal. We're not playing you in the middle of the Big Ten schedule. We got a trigonometry final.

You got Home X six times. So, you know, I appreciate Lincoln Riley going out and saying, you know, we kept up on our deal. But just ask yourself, if you're a Trojan and you're angry, if you went into business with somebody and that person had a side. deal that could cut you out of profits at the end of the deal. You still want to do the deal. Really? You're that naive. Well, well, I mean, they used to be trustable. Contractually, they have a side deal cut you out of the profits.

This was the only thing USC could do. It's the only smart thing USC could do. It may hurt your feelings. You may not like the lack of embrace toward history. I get that. I understand if you played the game, you love the game. game. But let me give you a heads up all you former Trojans on business. If your partner's got a side deal that can cut you out of the profits, you may hire a lawyer and wiggle out of the deal because it's not a good deal for you. It would be a great deal for Notre Dame. We get your strength of schedule and we get you after you just played Ohio State or Michigan or Oregon.

Yeah, we'd love to play USC in October fresh off being in Columbus the week before. That's great for Notre Dame. Hey guys, it's us and the Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick. And guess what?

We created our own podcast called, Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired

of being asked questions. Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it, but you know. Tired and sick. Tired and sick. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen.

We don't care where you hear it. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel. Help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes.

Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where SportsSlice comes in. I'm Timbo, and every episode we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headline. And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear.

Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slica Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Winning on Clay is an art. The rallies are relentless. And at the French Open, only the toughest survive. I'd know. I competed there for decades. Join me, Renee Stubbs, on the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast for no nonsense breakdowns of the

biggest matches, the toughest players, and the moments that define Roland Garris. She's an outsider to win the French for me. And she likes Clay. Listen, Lerabakina is arguably the best player in the world right now. and I actually can win on any surface. Listen to the Renee Stubb's tennis podcast on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHart Women's Sports.

I'm Michelle McPhee, and I've been unraveling the strangest criminal alliance I've ever reported on, a Mormon polygamist and an Armenian businessman. Multi-million dollar house, Ferraris and Lamborghinis, private jets, a billion dollar fraud. But how long can this? Alliance last. Tell me what you know. Is somebody coming after me? Listen to Kingdom of Fraud on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.