The Herd with Colin Cowherd - The Herd - Hour 1 - The top QBs in the playoffs

Episode Date: January 20, 2023

Looking at the remaining QBs in the playoffs Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy has the most to gain this weekend The Giants are playing with house moneySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

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You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Here we go. It is a Friday. We're live in Los Angeles. It's the herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS1, 1 hour from now. A blazing four.

Four picks. Not sure if I like any of them. Kind of like one of them a lot. I'm going dogs again. Dogs are barking again. Been doing it all year long. I got to 55%. J. Mack is joining.

So here we are. Eight coaches, eight quarterbacks left. Are your dogs barking? You're going faves? Not a lot of dogs barking this weekend on my car, Kelly. Not a lot of dogs barking. I don't like my picks. I love mine. You do?

Oh, yeah. All right. Well, we'll see. Four quarterbacks left in the AFC, and they're all really special. They're great. They're generational. Mahomes, Trevor Lawrence, Joe Burrow, and Josh Allen. These are great.

These are not overachievers. These are first round, high picks, top 10, great. Build a franchise around him, can play from behind, can play with a lead. Anybody in this league, Baker Mayfield with a lead in a run game, nobody knows if he's going to throw can look good. These guys can play two touchdowns down on the road, playoff games, O-line beat up, win games. They're all-timers.

This year was a weird year for me predicting because I was so accurate. Why is that? In three divisions, I got it perfect. East, NFC East, and NFC North. First, second, third, fourth. And in fact, a fourth division, the NFC South, I picked Tampa to win and said the next three would be garbage. And they were, although they all tied.

So you could argue, I got four right, half the league. That's weird, right? That doesn't happen, right? But it does, because as the league is becoming more quarterback-centric, it's easier to pick division winners. Who's the best quarterback? The best quarterback won seven of eight divisions this year. You could say, well, Kirk Cousins, Kirk Cousins had a better year than Aaron Rogers. He was top five passing yards, top four passing touchdowns.

I may have reversed that. Top five passing touchdowns, fourth passing yards. The only division were the quarterback. What we view as the best quarterback didn't win is the NFC West, Stafford got hurt, and Kyler Murray got hurt. That's it. That's it. And so this trend,

as the league becomes more quarterback-centric is not going away. And I'll give you an example. So from 2003 to 2018, remember, back then you could be a team with a power running game and a great defense. You didn't have to have a great quarterback, though it certainly helped. But the league was less quarterback-driven. You could do things defensively you can't do today. yet from 2003 to 2018, the AFC in 16 years, 15 of the 16, was Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, or Big Ben, starting quarterback in the Super Bowl. There was one exception. Joe Flacco got bizarrely hot.

It was never the same. Baltimore had a great coach and a good defense, and Baltimore's always been culturally a very sound program, right? 15 of 16 years. So when you look around the AFC now, get used to this. Burrow, Mahomes, Alan, Trevor Lawrence. What about Justin Herbert? The chargers do charger things. They already did it once with him.

Oh, what about Lamar Jackson? I love him, but he's been hurt last two end of seasons. What about Deshawn Watson? I don't know. I watched him this year. Did you watch him? It's like he's not quite the same. Offseason should help, but I don't think he's as good as those four.

and I don't think he's as good as Herbert. Mahomes, Alan, Burrow, Trevor Lawrence. The league's getting easier to predict. NFC's different. That's overachievers. That's second round guys. Dax's a fourth round guy.

Purdy's a seventh round guy. Daniel Jones feels like a reach. AFC generational all-time talents. Three of the four with offensive coaches. I don't know. Get used to it. So let's talk Cowboys. So of all the players, we have eight quarterbacks left, various backgrounds.

Number one picks to the last guy drafted. And we have eight coaches. Now, I was thinking this morning, you know, there's pressure on one or two teams of the eight. But no individual, no quarterback or coach can change their reputation. Flip the narrative like Mike McCarthy. That's it. Doug Peterson won a Super Bowl with Nick Foles. Andy Reid's got his ring.

Brian Dayball's done wonders. Nick Seriani's a kid. I don't expect him to necessarily just run through this thing. Mike McCarthy. He beat San Francisco. He gets to the NFC championship. With a roster not as good as the one he'll face, Dak Prescott missed five games.

He had to rebuild the NBA. offensive line, Michael Gallup and Dalton Schultz, not available for portions of the season, and he ended up with the number one red zone offense in the league. Cooper Rush started five games. On Monday, that Aaron Rogers, Mike McCarthy divorce, it's going to feel different as Aaron continues three straight years to sputter at the end of seasons. At Lambo, losing to Garoppolo, outplayed by Goff and Brady. Increasingly needy, not really committed.

in the off-season. So we went as a staff, and I said, what Mike's done deserves a lot of praise. And when Aaron and him kind of divorced, people of myself included took Aaron's side. You know, he's the beautiful quarterback. He's dating celebrities. He's got the endorsements. He throws such a pretty ball. The feeling was, yeah, you know, Mike's kind of outdated.

It got a dumpy guy. I just, I don't know. They don't get along. I'm taking Aaron's side. I'm guilty. I did. McCarthy disappeared to the basement, talked to analytics. That wasn't a big market for him.

So I went and I said, let's go back and take Aaron's last 10 big games. Now, there's a lot of them here. This year, I took the Detroit playing game, the Miami Christmas game, that Philadelphia, Dallas Buffalo games that were huge TV games on Sunday night football. or on Fox. Big games. I went to the previous. I don't count division games.

You play somebody twice, Vikings, Bears, lions. I don't count those. I'm talking standalone, television games. Fox builds their week around it. Sunday night football.

Then I went to 2021. There were three games. The divisional round playoff game against the Niners. That game where Aaron at San Francisco was brilliant. End of the game. Won at that great throw.

And then the Rams game, which Aaron won as well. That was like McVeigh, Lefleur, three musketeers, coaches. And then I went, before that, there were two huge games. The first time he faced Brady and Tampa didn't play well and the NFC championship against Brady. And I, now, we can argue, we can argue on are those the 10 biggest games? They're 10 big games.

And 10's the number. I'm not going 20 deep. And all the playoff games, the playing game, the Christmas game, the Josh Allen meeting, the Brady meeting, big games. Aaron is 4 and 6, 16 touchdown, 7 picks, 230 yards throwing. That's it. That's what he is. Oh yeah, not necessarily all in, sipping tea in the rainforest in the offseason.

So what I'm saying is it's not like they've both had issues, right? Aaron's like, ooh, Devante Adams left. That's fair. That's hard. Mike McCarthy's got the most outspoken owner, had to rebuild his offensive line, DAC missed five games, had to start Cooper Rush in a division with three playoff teams. I'm just saying, it's not going to look great on Monday morning for Aaron in this divorce, back-to-back 12 win seasons.

The number one rated red zone offense, not Mahomes, not Burrough, not Allen, not Herbert, not Brady. Aaron's is 24th. How the hell are they 24th? Matt LaFlewer? Aaron Jones? A power back? A capable tight end? PFF's got a top six offensive line. And Aaron?

How are they 24th in red zone offense? Why are they so bad? Mercedes-Lewis is a top three blocking tight end. Mike McCarthy's team, number one, DAC missed five games. Rebuilt the offensive line. Gallup, Dalton Schultz. Not there every game.

Just saying, here was a perplexed Mike McCarthy, cowboy coach in Dallas on the radio in Dallas when he was told they're an underdog this weekend of San Francisco. So we're the underdog? By four. Wow. Okay. You know, it's a divisional round. So, no, we're very confident. And, you know, I think there's an underdog in all of us, you know, as you as you, as you, uh,

thrive and strive through this business. The line for this game is strangely close, three and a half points. Just saying, don't be shocked. If you look at Dallas's analytic matchup, very good against San Francisco. Find of the 16 quarterbacks or coaches left, who changes the narrative? Zach Taylor, he's already been to a Super Bowl. Josh Allen, win or lose, he's great. Mahomes got a ring.

Daniel Jones, Brian Dable House money. Kyle Shanahan's great. We all know it. He's dealing with the last guy drafted last year, a rookie. McCarthy wins. That Aaron Rogers McCarthy split. You're thinking about it in a different light come Monday. All right.

I also think there is one team left of the eight where the pressure is real. Obviously everybody wants to win. But there's one team if they lose. And I don't think it's the one you're thinking of. We're going to have some questions Monday. Could people lose jobs Monday? That's next. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific.

On Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds.

I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. Yep, that's me. Clipper Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skisks.

hits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger.

So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. 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 taun tons 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. Welcome back. Blazing five picks, four games left at the top of next hour. And so eight teams left. I can argue seven of them don't face massive pressure. I'll give you an example. Philadelphia Giants. Philadelphia is the number one seed. But Nick Seriani and Jalen Hertz combined have never won a playoff game. Like it's generally in this league of process. You're good. You make the playoffs. Maybe you get blown out the next year you win a game. I don't think the world's going to change her end if Philadelphia lost somewhere in this playoff. New York Giants, they're playing with house money.

Day Bulls the coach of the year. He saved Daniel Jones. San Francisco Dallas. Well, San Francisco's playing a rookie. They don't end up in Super Bowls. And Dallas is an underdog. And playing on the road with a 48-hour preparation disadvantage because they played on Monday night. Kansas City, everybody's got.

a ring there. Nobody's getting fired. They should win. They're favored, but everybody got the bag and everybody's got a ring. Jacksonville, they're a year ahead of schedule. Buffalo, Cincinnati. Cincinnati got there last year, and now their offensive line is completely decimated. Both tackles out and their best guard out. Remember when Mahomes played a playoff game, a Super Bowl missing both tackles? He got destroyed, and that's Patrick Mahomes. The pressure is on Buffalo this week. Last three years, 41 wins. That's tied for the most of any team that has not reached the Super Bowl. Six years, Sean McDermott.

The offensive line's still not very talented. And the running game is completely hit and miss, despite what the Bills Mafia tells you, they're overwhelmingly, overwhelmingly Josh Allen-centric, completely depend on him. At this year, earlier this year, Jemar Chase and Joe Mixen were gone. And the Bengals won in a winning streak. streak. This to me, you've got to start quarterback. You can't use the excuse if you eventually lose in the playoffs. Well, we lost to Mahomes. Actually, last year, Joe Burrow went to Arrowhead and beat Patrick Mahomes. Cincinnati, about a year ahead of schedule. It feels like Buffalo's about a year

late. The standard and expectation today for Buffalo and Josh Allen is Super Bowls. They were almost everybody, mine included, a Super Bowl pick. Super Bowls. Last week, they looked outplayed and out-coached by Miami with Skyler Thompson. Greg Kosell talked about this offense and talked about sort of the expectations and what Buffalo is. You know, I don't feel like there is really a synchronicity between their run game and their past game. As far as who you can count on every single week, you really have digs. Everybody else is week to week.

You're not sure. So they're Josh Allen-centric. The thing about Josh Allen is he makes throws that when you're watching on TV probably look pretty routine, but they're not. He's really a special player. I mean, in terms of pure physical gifts along with his size, he's the most physically gifted quarterback in the league. Yeah, can't lose this weekend.

Can't lose at home to Cincinnati. Can't lose to an offensive line that's missing both tackles and arguably their best guard. Can't lose. A lot of pressure. Monday they lose. Somebody's going to lose a job. Somebody probably should lose a job. J-MAC with the news.

No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Hello, friend. Hello. We're going to start with Jalen Hertz and the Philadelphia Eagles. Colin, I actually bet this game last night. The Eagles, listen, their offense has made a massive leap, obviously, this season.

They are number one seed in the NFC, and their road begins against the Giants tomorrow. at the by week, of course. Senator Jason Kelsey spoke about what makes Jalen Hurts so special. He's humble on the outside and in what he says, but on the inside, he's a killer. The best guys that I've been all around. All these guys have the confidence, but they're humble enough to gain the respect to their peers around them. But in their head, they're killers. He's made great intangibles since the moment he got here.

That's one of the reasons he's improved and gotten to this high caliber so quickly. You look at the comfort and confidence level he has. he's taking it to another level. Colin, now I'll say that Jalen Hertz confidence, a lot of that stuff, a little overblown. You know the story here, obviously, is their sneaks, the short yardage stuff. I saw a big breakdown.

They have 32 quarterback sneaks this season, most this century in the NFL. Nobody's ever done it that much. And 13 of them, according to the athletic, featured two guys pushing Jalen Hertz. You know, like the move we talk about? Yeah. I feel like that's extended drives

and made this team, honestly, like third and short, what are they doing? and short, what do they do? Like, it's kind of automatic. Yeah, I mean, I, Jalen's not probably 100%. Nick Seriani is still ascending as a coach. They should win. But I would be shocked if it's not close. I'm probably in the minority. Shocked. I, the two teams that had buys last year were flat. Tennessee was and Green Bay was. If you look historically beyond that, they haven't been flat. And the one thing that jumps out here, we talk about this all the time, Colin. No team is as good or as bad as they were the week before.

The Giants look great. Everybody likes them. I know. Against a terrible team. Well, we said this last week. When Dak had a stinker against the commanders, I had unbelievable confidence in Dallas because when good athletes, it's just the reality of the NFL.

The margins are tight. The Giants picked up, I think it was 28 first downs against Minnesota. If they get to 20 against Philadelphia, I'd be shocked. This is just a real defense. Daniel Jones is going to face real three. pressure. And Daniel, you know, the Minnesota defense was so bad. They fired their coordinator. Yeah, you saw that. They fired a yesterday. This week. Like I talked to an NFL coach last week about after that game, I texted a coach and I said, what do you make of Daniel Jones? His text was

Minnesota is going to fire their defensive coordinator. Like it was nothing personal against Ed Donatelli. It was a disaster. Daniel Jones looked like a pro bowler against the Minnesota defense twice. Bad. Now I will say Everybody's saying the same stuff out there. You know, you turn on TV radio because there's only a few games. Oh, Daniel Jones is going to run all over the Eagles. They get killed by running quarterbacks.

Okay, everybody's saying that. Probably won't happen. What people are not saying, this is the Giants' fifth road game in six weeks, Colin. I haven't heard that anywhere else. We talked about it yesterday privately. Now, they're not long flights. But going on the road every single week. I love Dayball and their coach. I think Philly pulls away for a comfortable victory here.

All right. Next up, Trevor. Lawrence followed up the worst half of his career with the best half of his career as the Jags overcame that 27 point deficit against the Chargers last week. Tougher matchup going into KC tomorrow. Patrick Mahomes though, he praised Lawrence for how he played in that comeback. When you throw three interceptions, especially in the first half, or four interceptions, especially if it's in the first half, even if it's your fault or not, that kind of can seep into your mind of how, man, like what decisions am I going to make going forward? Do I protect it or do I

stay aggressive? But he battled through, man. That's a true test of a competitor, man, that whenever stuff's not going your way to still pull your team to find a way to win. And he's done it at every level, high school, college, and now in the NFL, he's taking that team and they've turned it around fast. So he's a great competitor, man, and we understand it'll be a great challenge. You think Trevor Lawrence can work some magic here against Baham's? The question becomes, when Kansas City is leading late and they will be. The question becomes is backdoor cover for Jacksonville. There you go.

So I think the game I feel strongest about in terms of a winner is Kansas City. They'll win the game. But the question becomes, will it be sloppy or at the end is Jacksonville playing for pride, young team, they don't know what they don't know. Kansas City, shockingly, for all their talent, is not a great cover team. A lot of it is big leads. And, you know, get, we see it with the Golden State Warriors. When you've won rings and you're really gifted offensively, it is easy to think you can just turn it on and score points.

It's just the psychology of the Warriors because when Kansas City scores so quickly and easily, it is very easy to get into lulls and kind of lose attention to detail. So I feel strongly that Kansas City will win. I'm just not sure will they have a three and a half hours efficient, wrap it up, get a little. lead, ground game, eat the clock, or get a little choppy at the end which games can get. So you know what the best way to attack that is. Bet the first half Kansas City. And remember, the Jags trailed against Josh Dobbs two weeks ago. And then we're down big at the half.

They're slow starters. Peterson's a great adjuster. Kansas City, Andy Reid off the bike. I think first half Kansas City, I saw it five and a half or six. It feels like a layup. Final story, all eyes on Brady to see what he decides about the next step in his career. Will he stay with the bucks? I think we think there's no chance of that

go to a different team. Maybe he'll retire again. I like this. Bill's safety, Jordan Poyer gave his two cents on what he thinks Brady should do. I'm not going to tell anyone to retire, but the years of Tom Brady being that consistent QB of old are over. Tom, you know I love you.

I feel like we've been riding you all year. Be with the kids. Go be with the kids, man. You did everything you could have done in this league. I understand you love the game. go be with your kids. I always think, man, you and I,

have you and I, I don't think you and I've ever talked about this. So, think about, I always think that's overrated. Go spend time with your family. Think how long, I think it's totally overrated.

I'll tell you why. But I'll give you my explanation. A day is 24 hours. I sleep seven. Okay, we're down to 17. I work out, let's just say for an hour, and I eat two meals an hour.

That's nine hours out of 24. Let's say I Walk the dog, listen to music I'll give you an hour and a half Okay Long dog walk there Oof Okay

I take a nap And read Hour and a half You start reducing that You know how many hours I still have left? Seven to eight Days are long

The years fly by But days are long So this idea that Go home and hang out With your kids A, once your kids are 15, 16 They don't want to hang out with dad They got friends and stuff to do, their peers.

Secondly, days are long. This idea that you're spending all this time away from, dude, you can have a nap, a workout, meals, music, go to theater, a movie, sleep. Got seven hours left. This idea that, like, these athletes, they're not seeing their children. I think their kids have remarkable lives

compared to the average family in America. I never bought into this. Tom, go spend time with your kids. you think Tom's kids would trade their dad for anybody else's? They've probably not gotten the hours. Maybe he misses someday a recital or a little league game. And it's a pretty good life. Tom Brady's still cringy to his kids and their friends, right?

Even me, cool guy, Jason, you know? You're cringy to the kids. They're like, Dad, come on, chill. Can you get away from us? My daughter at one point said, Dad, I'm not kidding. And my daughter was like 17, 18. It's like, Dad, you don't need to call every day. I'm in college.

She was going to college. And I was calling her every day. Dad, let's get it down to like twice a week. Am I like, you got, you don't have a class? Doesn't that cut a little deep? She didn't even have a class like on Wednesday. Well, I had 24 hours. I don't get a two minute call.

Dad, very, very active social life. Yeah. So my takeaway is, I never buy into this. Oh, the poor kids of busy people. Days are really long. Listen, I don't need to tell you how many sporting events I drove my kids. We call it my wife and I, we're chauffeurs, essentially. On weekends and during weekdays.

Drive my daughter to dance class. drive my son to volleyball. We're driving them around. That's quality time in the car. I know you're Colin Coward, anti-family man. Man. What's you're selling right now? I'm not.

I'm not. Come on, how about a board game with the kids? I, well, game. Do you game? I take my kids to vacations, all of them, step kids. By a lot, I'm with my kids all. I call my kids every day. I talk to almost, I talk to my kids every day of the year.

Right? My daughter doesn't like it sometimes. She hides from me. But the point being is, it's not that I'm not family. guy. It's that it's overplayed that like Brady's kids aren't getting a lot of dad. Kids get to be forked. Once your kids get their license,

they're hanging out with friends. They're doing stuff. Even in California? I know a lot of the kids in California. They don't even want licenses. Yeah, but they're at the beach price smoking out. That's what kids are doing in California. Smoking out. That's what they do. Those man-hant-194. Smoke it out.

All right. Jay Mack with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The herd. It's like you ever seen here when athletes say this? And it's all leverage. I'm going to retire. I want to retire now and hang out on my family.

No, what they want, after about a year, they go into broadcasting, which by the way, you're traveling all the time, you're working all the time. Because after about a year with family, family tells the athlete, you know, we've kind of built a life where you're not here every second. Go do your stuff. You like it. We like it. My wife doesn't want me to be around the house all day.

You kidding me? She wants to go hang out with her horses and hang out with her friends. and hang out with her friends. They want me around the house all day. So I saw this last night. The Warriors played the Celtics. I thought it was interesting. So NBA seasons are, they're really hard.

Like hockey guys, baseball, at least, you got a lot of games in baseball, but you go to a city for three or four days. NFL, you only have eight roadies. Hockey and basketball. You're playing, you're burning 6,000 calories. You get on a plane, you're flying to a city at night, you get in a bus, you go to a home. hotel. There's the morning shoot around or the morning skate. They just wear you out. So really good

teams in the NHL and let's talk basketball, the really good ones, especially the great offensive teams, they flip switches, right? So the Warriors are a great team. But now they've got four trophies in eight years. And last year they won again. So after that long, long playoff run, a lot of these veteran players, Clay and Draymond and Wiggins and Steph. they got their trophy, right? Like, they're not going to pay a lot of attention in October, November. You get to December. Okay, January, you start, like, ratcheting it up.

So all year, here's all I heard about the Warriors. Oh, they're not playing defense. Big concern. They're terrible on the road. And then last night, rematch in the finals against Boston. Yeah, they were really good. Now, they lost the game in overtime. But I heard about their bad defense all year.

last night Jason Tatum, nine for 27, and Jalen Brown six for 18. The Celtics shoot about 47% on the year. Last night they shot 39%. Shocking, the defense showed up. Shocking, the Warriors controlled some of the game and were very good in one of the toughest places in the league to play. Shocking the Warriors had four guys over 20 points. You were watching that game.

Yes, they flipped a switch. We get upsets all the time. March Madness. World Cup, Olympic events. They're one-offs. There's pressure. We don't get NBA playoff surprises very often. Denver's not beating the Warriors in seven games.

Memphis, whose Memphis's second best player, as J. Mack said yesterday? These teams aren't beating Golden State. You're talking about four dudes that can give you 20 or 30 on every night. Pool and Steph and Wiggins and Clay and a great coach and the best defensive player in the league. and one of the best rebounders in Looney, Dre's the defensive player. They have some depth and some youth. Nobody's beating this team in the West over seven games.

The Clippers actually match up pretty well, but we never know when Kauai Leonard's going to play, and Paul George has struggled in big spots in the playoffs. But last night is a testament to what happens. Boston and Golden State. And I watched about half of that game. Those are two teams in the finals. The only team in this league that's going to disrupt those guys is Milwaukee.

If Ingalls and Middleton are healthy with Janus, They'll give Boston trouble. Boston's going to struggle with Yonis. His size, his flexibility, his ability to do things on both ends. He's a little bit of a match-up issue. But, I mean, the Warriors last night went small ball, had some success, especially early. Moving on them. They clamp down on Tatum and Jaylon Brown, two great players, by the way.

And I also think that the Warriors are a little bit in Jason Tatum's head. He hasn't played particularly great. And I thought for most of that game, Golden State was the better team, not significantly. Boston at home hit some shots late. They won. They deserved a win. But, you know, this idea that Golden State doesn't play defense, you can't trust them on the road. Did you watch the games in the playoffs last year in Boston?

I thought they were pretty good on the road. But when you ask these veteran teams, especially in hockey and in basketball, these schedules are brutal. I remember years ago talking to a member, who was a Portland Trailblazer staff? And I was doing like half marathons at the time and kind of, yeah, I mean, like I was having some fun and I was kind of measuring, you know, how many calories could you lose? And I remember talking to somebody on the staff and I think the number was 6,000. He said an NBA player plays 40 minutes. They can burn 6,000 calories.

And I'm like, I wouldn't burn close to that in a half marathon. I think you burn half that. And I'm like, wow. And my takeaway is this sport, the travel, playing on both ends. You know, in college basketball, if you're an NBA player in college basketball, you may not face more than one other NBA player or two all year. You don't have to play defense. You don't have to play defense.

Just get your points. You rarely in college basketball, even like in the Big 12, a good conference of the ACC, have an NBA first rounder up against you. You have to play any defense. You get to the NBA. You don't play defense. You score 28, they score 28. and Carmelo Anthony never figured that out.

He'd score 28 and give up 30. So it takes so much. These are the world's best athletes. It is so physically daunting to play an NBA season, 35 minutes a night. Don't be shocked. Now you say, well, Boston was in the finals. Boston has no ring. These guys got four trophies.

They all got the bag. They're all icons. Draymond's going to be a Hall of Famer. Steph's going to be a Hall of Famer. Clay probably ends up being a Hall of Famer. Kerr's going to be a Hall of Famer. So it's a different deal here. Milwaukee's got one ring. Boston, that game last night psychologically means much more to Boston.

They got to win these games at home against the Warriors. They got to win these games. But if you start looking at the Warriors when they flip a switch, it's always funny. It's when they're playing like a Milwaukee or when they're playing a Boston. Of course they flip a switch. Celtics held a 39% shooting last night. They shoot closer to 46, 47% on the year. Don't tell me the Warriors can't play defense.

The minute they play the Celtics, Tatum shoots terribly. Brown, All-Star shoots terribly. It's weird, Colin, how this is like a thing only in the last 15 years. I don't remember this as much in the 90s where the flip a switch was a deal. Like, everybody tried really, really hard. You know what I think it is? Is that the three-point shot for a team as gifted as the Warriors, scoring is easier. And so, I mean, Brooklyn, by the way, is like this.

When Durant and Kyrie are shooting well, Joe Harris, you know, do they still have Patty Mills? Curry, yeah. Yeah, I mean, they have enough guys. You have these 42-point quarters. Like, so I think what's happened in basketball is for the truly gifted offensive teams. Kind of psychologically, you know. We're never out of it. We're always in it.

And I think not that it weighs on you, but I think it's a reality of it didn't matter how good the Bulls were. They shot two-pointers. You can hit five straight baskets. It's a 10-0-0-0-run. Yeah. You hit five straight baskets now with the Warriors to 15-0-0-run. That's half the points you average in a quarter, in five shots. So it's a whole different ball game, and I think it's very easy for these really gifted

offensive teams and Golden States, clearly the class of the league offensively, it's easy to kind of like give up a little more on the defensive end knowing we can flip it, get hot and win games. It feels like the depth in the league. Now, there's just so many good players. Like, Luca Donchich doesn't even have, like, a number two, but he's got a bunch of decent number threes and fours who can make shots. And Dallas is never out of a game with him.

No. I mean, the league's never had more talent. It's so international. Players take better care of their bodies. But as I watched that game, I'm like, oh, God, I've heard all year. The Warriors on the road, the Warriors' defense showed up last night. Could have easily won that game against a great team. It's an exceptional basketball team.

Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Polly Fusco here with Tony Fusco. Yo. As you all know, we're the host of the number one rated show in all the sports talk, the Polly and Tony Fusco show. Numero uno. Yeah, and we know why millions of people tune in every week. Yeah.

They want to hear us talk sports, not our idiot guests who think they know more about sports than we do. Yeah, listen to these dummies. You don't know crap about sports. Nothing. You don't know nothing about football. This is the worst thing I've ever been to football. You're off the show. You don't know basketball.

If you want to hear how sports talk should be done, listen to the Polly and Tony Fusco show on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. 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, Cliver Taylor the 4th.

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

The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. 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. The NFC Divisional Playoffs presented by Intuit TurboTex are on Fox starting tomorrow, as Jalen Hertz leads the Eagles against the rival giants at 730 Eastern. Then on Sunday,

Dak and the Cowboys renew a classic playoff rivalry against the Niners at 6 Eastern All on Fox and the Fox Sports app. That's going to get a monster television rate. Is this a game where you watch it by yourself at home or you go to bar guy? No, no, no. Those are stay at home, take notes.

I'm not interested. Take notes. I love it. Yeah, I mean, it's, I'm not a huge fan of for big games. I don't need the clutter and the noise. Give me the TV, give me notes, give me a cocktail, I'm good. These games, Saturday night games don't need clarity. May have a glass of wine, sit down, have some fun. Can't wait.

Remember a couple years ago when everybody was like, I protest the NFL? Idiots. The numbers are insane. So yesterday was an interesting day. The GM of the Ravens is talking. The head coach of the Ravens is talking. It's been a weird couple of months.

Six, seven weeks with Lamar Jackson. Somebody I like a lot, but it feels a little kawaial energy. here like be verbal. Are you playing? Are you hurt or are you injured? Nobody has any idea. Lamar's going to Instagram, sort of cryptic messaging. Don't love this from my quarterback. Kind of Murray did this. I'm not a big fan of it. I'm really not. I don't like the Aaron Rogers passive aggressive shots at his management. I'm not a big fan. Be a grown-up. Talk. Let's go. We're adults. If you're mad, say you're mad. If you're happy, say you're happy. Whatever. A lot of cryptic stuff, not into it. But yesterday, the GM of the Ravens, the coach of the

Ravens talking about Lamar Jackson's future. I have every faith that it's going to get done, and we've got the best people in the world doing it. I mean, Eric DeCosta is nobody better. And Eric wants him here, I want him here, Steve wants him here, and Lamar wants to be here. So it's going to work out. I talked to Lamar today, as I said, and our focus right now is really to get a long-term deal done. That's our singular focus at this point. It's going to take some time.

It's going to take some effort. It's going to take great communication, give and take. but I'm confident that we'll be on the right path to get that done. So yesterday is the first day I was like, okay, they're going to get it done. I believe that today. Okay, people are talking. They don't owe us anything, but you know, you're going to get speculation if you don't tell us what's going on. We have a right to speculate if you don't tell us you're star quarterback.

So I felt yesterday like good organization, good owner, GM coach, we're all good. And I think it's the right move. You got Burrow in the division. Deshawn Watson's okay. He's not Burrow. Kenny Pickett looked pretty good. we don't know, good defense, good organization. You better get your quarterback right.

You're going to finish fourth. So I do feel, though, what's happening is kind of predictable. More and more young people are playing quarterback that move and they move a lot. And so they move a lot. They have success. They get dinged up year four, five, and they want to get paid because their agents on them. They see it. It's a reality.

This career's not going to last as long. And I kind of feel like there's three categories of this quarterback thing in terms of durability. You know, the first category is sort of definite pocket guys. Peyton Manning, Breeze Brady. These guys play for 20 years. You know, the decline like Breeze's arm wasn't the same, but Tom, Tom's declines gradual. Peyton Manning, I feel the same thing until the last year, Drew Breeze. It's gradual. They're pocket guys. They get rid of the ball. Willing to throw a pick, it seems like sometimes over getting hit. They're obsessed with their bodies. That guy, I feel like you can get 20 years out of. The second level guy is a pocket guy, but is more athletic. Aaron Rogers, Big Ben,

Dak. They use the athleticism. They get dinged up once in a while. That career feels like you see a decline at about 15 years. I think Aaron this year, I'll be honest with you, I think his lack of commitment in the offseason showed. I don't think he was the same quarterback. They were terrible in the red zone. I don't care about the MVP's. He didn't look the same. Big Ben had the elbow surgery year 15. I never thought he was the same. Dak Prescott just had his worst year. Some of it is. He's dealt with some injuries.

And then the third style is hyper athletic. They can throw from the pocket, but these guys' mobility is a huge part of their brand in game. Cam Newton, Russell Wilson. Mark Brunell is somebody. I grew up watching a lot because I watched in Huskies. I'm from the Northwest. Cam, Russell, and Mark.

Now, I still think Russell's got something in the tank, but it went off the cliff. Cam went off the cliff at like 32. Mark Brunel was very good for about a five, six year period, and it ended fast. I think Lamar is in that third group. I think that's obvious. The good news is that even if he signed a five-year guaranteed deal, if you look at these numbers in these years, it's about year 10 for category three when you notice a decline.

Well, Lamar's been in the league half that. And so for me, you sign him, you know he's probably more category three. So is Kyler Murray than category two or one. But I don't think we're at the warning stage yet. Now, he hasn't been good in the playoffs. Peyton Manning struggled for years then. He's been injured last two years. Again, it happens.

Kyler Murray, too. I'd still sign him. So I think Baltimore knows in the categories, he's not a pure pocket guy, and he doesn't just occasionally use his athleticism. It's his brand. He's the fastest, most dynamic athlete playing the position. He and Josh Allen. By the way, the other player I worry about is Josh.

Allen. Josh Allen and Lamar are category three. The running is a huge component to Josh Allen. He doesn't occasionally run. They build runs for him. I don't think Josh Allen, despite his size, and that size will give him about three more good years, he's not a 20-year player. I don't know if he's a 16-year player. I don't think they are. I think Josh, the difference with Josh and Lamar is Josh is four inches taller and about 30 pounds heavier. And that will buy him a couple extra years at the end of his career. I'm with you on the Josh Allen in that category with Cam Newton, but Lamar, are you sure? Don't you think Lamar and Vic kind of belong in their own category where there are designated runs for those two guys because Michael admits his biggest issue was maturity. Michael lasted longer

than people think. Lamar doesn't have an issue with maturity. He's totally in all-in, day one in the League. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day

and head writer Streeter Seidel help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your

Podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast'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. Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey,

or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it.

Listen to the Clivert Show on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcast, you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.