The Herd with Colin Cowherd - The Herd - Hour 2 - Breaking down some of the NFL QBs

Episode Date: December 8, 2022

Colin discusses QBs Derek Carr, Joe Burrow, Mike White, Kenny Pickett, Brock Purdy, Geno Smith, Tua Tagovailoa, and Jalen Hurts Looking at the huge MLB free agent signings    Guests: Greg Cosell, Alex RodriguezSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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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. 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 Bole Your Mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for listening to The Heard podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday from 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1. Find your local

station for the herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the IHeartRadio app by searching Heard. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Oh, here we go. Live in LA, it's the herd. Wherever you may be, however you may be listening. I Heart Radio, Fox Sports Radio FS1. So I'm thinking here, J.Mack, Greg Hosell in a couple of minutes. I had a discussion last night with some buddies having some beers, watching the Orlando Magic and the Clippers game.

Yeah. Got it. All right. Got Ben Carroll Kitchin play a little bit. So we got into this discussion. And I like to go have a beer and listen to my friends. what interests them, what are their tapes? Because we're trying to connect with like everybody that's driving in a car right now are watching.

And we were talking about the NIL, the transfer portal. And one of the guys, we got into this discussion. One of the things the media, I think, is terribly irresponsible for, especially the political media. Everything's end of the world. We overreact to everything. We do a disservice to the public. I think I'm better served offering calm, reasoned, ideas, not, you know, I'm just a sports guy, but I watch the political media and sometimes

a sports media and we make a lot out of me. And the transfer portal simplify it to this. I watch some of the media people freak out about the transfer portal. So right now, everybody's like, look at all these players are leaving. One out of 13 players are leaving. So if you have a roster of 85, in college football, you will lose six players. That's about six to six and a half players.

Now, a college scholarship has 85 players on it, right? Like Stanford can never get to 85, I've been told, because it's hard to find that many kids that qualify. They're closer to 75. But it's 80, 85. You lose six kids a year to the transfer portal. You gain six, but you lose six. Well, if you're a company with 85 people,

isn't it a reasonable number? You lose six people a year. I mean, on our staff at the herd, we have a great staff. I've lost five people. They've got better jobs. And we've replaced them. And that's like, and we have a tiny staff. It's not even close to 20 people.

But the point being is, in an 85-person company, six people moving out, six people moving in is not an outrageous number. It's kids getting opportunities. USC's losing six kids. One of them was getting real playing time. Five weren't. USC with Lincoln Riley is upgrading their recruiting. Some of these guys will never play. They want an opportunity to go to Hawaii, UNLV, Fresno State.

They won't go play. So I think, again, everybody's freaking out about the NIL. It's fine. The transfer portal. It's fine. Bottom line is people in America should have the opportunity, especially young people to choose their field. If they don't want to go to work and work remotely, then don't go to work

work remotely. There's plenty of company. I got a small company. I like people that work remotely. But the media does a poor job, in my opinion, of this constant outrage and the world's ending. And it's not. We're, God, the Elon Musk Twitter stuff. Can you give him three to four months to figure out how to run a new company? Like, he'll probably figure it out. I think people are just terrified of change, Colin. They're just absolutely, this has never happened in college football before. How can this happen? The bowl system changing. People freak out. People just resisted change. I think that's afraid of it. I think that's a lot of it. Greg Kosell, 43 years, NFL films. So when the Raiders were losing, I said, settle down. I said, settle down here. They're

developing a run game without a great O line. They're getting the ball to Devante Adams. They've got a lot of injuries, and this is a chaotic franchise the last 10, 15 years. This is not a six-game rebuild. They need time. So now they're in a three-game win streak. What are you seeing from Derek Card? They don't have Hunter Renfro, they don't have their tight end, so they're missing some pieces, but are you encouraged by what you see with Josh and Derek Carr? Yeah, I am. And I thought Derek Carr, despite not having great numbers, played very well last week, Colin, for this reason. I thought Carr was very poised in the pocket with people around him. And I think that's one of the things that sometimes he struggles with. I think when he feels pressure, there are times he either gets

rid of the ball too quick, or he becomes a little frenetic. And I thought this week he played exceptionally well in the pocket late in the down waiting to make throws. The other factor, though, and this makes them difficult to play against, is they play with a fullback a lot. Josh McDaniels brought Jacob Johnson over from New England, and 35% of Jacobs runs this year, 35%, that's a high number, have come with the fullback on the field out of what we call 21 personnel, two backs and one tight end. And you know what? Not many teams do that. But And it's a little more difficult to prepare for on a weekly basis. And they have been very, very effective running the ball.

And Josh Jacobs is a really good confined space runner. He navigates inside through traffic and through bodies really well. So I was watching Burrow face Mahomes last week. And it hit me sitting on my couch that if I wanted to simplify Joe Burrell, because Josh Allen, we see the size and the arm. Lamar Jackson, we see the speed. Patrick Mahalms, we see the arm angles. You don't get a lot of that with Burrell.

And I thought, what's his secret sauce? And I boiled it down to this. This is so, it's almost sound silly, that he just usually throws it to the right guy really accurately. And that sounds. Yeah. How about, Yeah.

Is that it? How about he throws it to the right receiver at the right time with the right kind of throw with precise ball placement? Yeah. That's kind of what playing quarterback. And it's funny that we don't talk about that when we start evaluating college quarterbacks. And I thought this game was really interesting for the Bengals because one of the things Burroughs really good at and they're really good at is he attacks one-on-ones outside the numbers with

both Jason Higgins. This game, they didn't really do that. This was a patient methodical game for Burrow. He got sustaining completions. There were a lot of quick rhythm timing throws that essentially minimized and eliminated the Chief's pass rush. And I'm sure that was a factor going into the game that they did not want the Chief's pass rush

to be a factor against the O line. That's still a little bit of a work in progress. But the ball came out. It was to the right receiver. That's Burroughs game. You know, you remember when he came out, everybody loved all his traits. And the one thing they said was he didn't have a big arm.

And he doesn't have a gun. But he knows how to play quarterback and he knows how to throw the ball. Yeah. So, oh, I want to do, I want to talk about, I want to talk about Mike Wyatt of the Jets and Kenny Pickett of the Steelers. So let's start with Kenny Pickett. I think we both kind of felt the same way. I lean on you, but he's big enough.

He's got a nice army. He lets it rip. He can move pretty well. I'm waiting to see something truly special, but he does look like a professional starting quarterback to me. What is the film saying? And you know, Colin, you may not see special in the way we think special. He may be one of those guys that just, as he further develops, and by the way, he's incrementally getting better every week,

which of course doesn't mean he won't have a bad game, but he's getting better every week. He may be one of those guys that just is an executor of an offense that is a ball distributor with enough movement ability to be able to make secondary action movement plays when necessary. He may be one of those guys that never wows you, but just plays the position the way it's supposed to be played. Yeah, and for the record, again, It's burrow. Throws to the right guy, accurate.

Yeah. Like, it's a thing. So now I want to go to Mike White. You know, Jason's a huge Jets fan. And obviously, you can see Sala's fingerprints on this defense. They have a world-class corner. They really move well. It's a really good defense.

They gave Buffalo fits. They play him again. But I said this the other day. When I watched Mike White, I'm like, I don't know what he is, but he's big. And he made a throw to Corey Davis. And I was like, oh, whoa, that's a big time. Yeah. Yeah.

And I was like, oh, I was like. okay, okay. Now, he couldn't get him in the end zone. You always feel like Mahon, Alan, you know, the great ones can get you in the end zone. But just give me an honest evaluation of what Mike White is. Is he close to his ceiling? Is this, is he just kind of a guy to fill in for a while? You know, it's so funny you say that because I've watched him hard the last two weeks and talking to the guys here in my matchup room at NFL films. And I just said, I'm trying to figure out, Colin, what this guy is. I have to tell you, the last couple of weeks, he has played well. And you watch a lot of football, college and NFL. And the one thing that really stands out with Mike White, and you notice it as well, I'm sure, he doesn't get stuck in the pocket. Do you notice how he's never in the pocket where it looks

like he doesn't know what to do with the ball? The ball goes somewhere. And he plays with a really refined sense of timing. There's a rhythm to the way in which he plays. He certainly doesn't have a gun, but I wouldn't say he has a bad arm by any means. No. He made a couple of, yeah, he made a couple of throws this past week. There was an 18-yarder at the end of the first half to Garrett Wilson, a sideline out route. I think that sort of got him going. That was kind of a big-time throw.

Yeah. So look, the sample size is not large enough to make any definitive statement about his future. But, you know, like I said, I was talking to the guys in my matchup room and we're sitting here saying, you know, this guy's throwing the ball pretty well. You know, this is not, he doesn't have the long. look of a backup like with a rag arm that you come in for a week or two. Yeah. Okay. So now I want to do two other quarterbacks. I want to do Gino and Brock Purdy. So let's start with Brock Purdy. Yeah. So he was a four-year starter. He's not huge. He's 6-1-2-20, but you know, he's not,

that's not an issue. He is accurate and it's funny. We forget how many great quarterbacks. Romo and Warner weren't drafted. Stawback 10th round. Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for 35,000 yards in the seventh round, Mark Brunel in the fifth round, Brady, 6, Joe Monta. There's a lot. And quarterbacks now, as you know, they're coming from everywhere and they're better, earlier, with more snaps. I watched Brock Purdy being inserted into that game, taking no number one snaps all week. And Greg, I was like, I think you could win a playoff game with this kid.

Am I nuts? What's the tape say? Well, all we have is that game. And by the way, that's a challenge. challenging defense to play against. Miami is one of those teams that has a lot of pressure front look, six and seven people up the line of scrimmage. Then they move people just before the snap. The sky's late rotation. That's not an easy defense to play against. And he made some big time third down throws, one against pressure, where he clearly knew the pressure and he knew where to go with the ball.

Now, he was the last pick in the draft for a reason, despite 46 starts, because he doesn't have a big arm. he can be very streaky. You know, when you say he's accurate, I watched him in college, I broke him down. And there were games where he was just red hot and everything looked smooth and easy. And there were other games where he was just inaccurate. Yeah. So, you know, that's a factor.

But the one thing about him, and this could be good and bad, given that he's not a big gun guy, is when he's on, he is super confident, super aggressive. When he feels rhythm, he will turn the ball loose. And like I said,

that can be a positive and in negative because sometimes I think there are throws that he thinks he can make that he really can't. But we're going to find that out. But he's in a system, as you know, with Shanahan, that really defines Reed's and throws very well for a quarterback. Yeah, yeah. He's what they call what you call a rhythm thrower. When he's in rhythm, he's really, he gets really, like a shooter in basketball. When he's hot, he wants the ball, and he's hitting shots. You don't think he can hit. Now, now another one. So we've gone back and forth on this. This is fascinating. So the Seahawks have two firsts, two seconds, a third, two fourths.

And they don't have a ton of needs. They need an interior defensive lineman. Well, they could take that with their first pick from Georgia. They could use a center. They could use another receiver. But boy, after last year's draft, that old line looks pretty good. The corners look pretty good. They've got a one receiver.

They got a running back now. And I say to myself, do they just stick with Gino? And I think, oh, no, this is an outlier. You've watched him. What's the tape say on Gino? The thing, Colin, is there's no way to know the future, but obviously teams have to make decisions based on what they think the future will hold. He has been really efficient this year, and that's the word I would use.

I mean, his completion percentage is really high. Now, they've helped him a lot, by the way, because they do a lot of things that help quarterback. They use a ton of play action boot where they get him outside the pocket, and those are one-reed throws, but they're very effective because they do a really good job with misdirection elements. But he's made some very good throws as well in the middle of the field, intermediate throws, some deeper throws.

He's got some movement to him. He looks like an NFL quarterback. Yeah. And every metric you use this year to really analyze Gino beyond tape, the tape is really good, by the way, but even every metric, it's really high. Yeah. And, you know, the thing is, is how many quarterbacks, would you say in this league are truly those difference makers where you say,

hey, that guy is going to go in and you can win the game simply by what he does. There's not 15 or 20 of those guys. That's right. And it's funny. So the point is you still need to line up with a quarterback. And if you have enough team and enough good concepts and good tactics, you can compete. So since there's only four or five, you know, there's, there's Allen, there's Mahomes, there's borough. I know I'm leaving somebody out. But I mean, the point is, there's not 10 or 15 guys that,

you know, you say, hey, those are the guys. So you can't just get rid of every quarterback and say we need a quarterback. They don't fall out of the sky, Colin. You know that. Yeah. No, no. It's, it's, it's, there's a reason he was drafted up. A big guy can make the throws. He's got enough mobility. Like, I get it. It's just there's no precedent for looking like a bust hanging around as a backup and now starring. It's just weird, and that's why we love this sport. You know, the big question, if I could just throw out, is, and I was reading something about this, and it made me think, third down is, obviously, the money down in the NFL. So the question is, do you have to be able to play the game from the quarterback position outside the system in order to be great on third

down? Now, obviously, there are third downs where you can, you know, execute and ball distribute and everything works. But to be great in this league now, would people say that you have to be able to make secondary action improvisational movement plays on third down to be one of those guys? Yeah. All right.

Tua. Just off. Just, was it hurried? Was it, was he hearing footsteps? Is it the Niners defense? It was not a good performance by him, Greg. what did the film say on Tua? Yeah, it's a great question

because obviously they scored the touchdown on the first play, which was a bust by the Niners D. But I thought Tua, and again, I can't tell you what's in his head. He's normally very quick twitch in the way he drops, sets, and delivers.

But I thought in this game, he just looked faster. He looked hurried. And there were snaps where I thought, based on their route concepts, I thought his eyes were not in the right place. So again, I can't tell you why, Colin, but I thought he just looked fast in this game.

You know, you think back to the old John Wooden phrase, be quick but don't hurry. He hurried. He just looked faster. Like everything was just a notch faster than it normally is. Well, you know what? Some of that is he looks at tape and he sees Bosa and he sees that defensive line. Greg, you know, this stuff gets into players' heads.

There's a reason there's a saying, I see ghosts. I think the Niners make everybody. You look at that tape. I said the other day, the Ravens had a defense, the Ray Lewis defense that was so great, when I would watch it, I would think, are they playing with 12 guys on the field? And when defenses have linebackers that move well, they cover more ground. There are times San Francisco feels like they're playing with an extra linebacker, and I think he saw it on film and it got into his head a little maybe.

And, you know, you nailed it because I think Fred Warner, basically the best linebacker in the game. and he is he boy I just love watching that guy that's my bromance Colin Fred Warner okay so through the years I've been accurate on some of my opinions on Baker I think I was more right than wrong on Darnold I was more wrong than right I never ever saw Jalen Hertz as this kind of player I am blown away by his growth is it Sariani is it a J.J. Brown I don't know I mean they have maybe, you know, it's got to be a lot of him. What do you use?

I'm surprised by the development. I mean, I think most people would echo your sentiments. He was drafted by the Eagles to be the backup to Carson Wentz because they loved the fact that maybe they could have used him in a Lamar Jackson way as kind of an addition to Carson Wentz. He was viewed by most as around a fourth round pick. That was a maybe when he got into the NFL. Now, this is a really well-schemed offense.

The running element that he brings to the table is really difficult to defend. They've got a great offensive line, but you still have to make throws. And he is now making throws. And the thing that started to happen is just what I said with Burrow. They are starting to get into that situation where when he sees one-on-ones outside the numbers with Brown and Smith, they are taking shots. and he's making really accurate throws down the field. His deep ball, which was a concern, a major concern when he played as a rookie

and a concern through much of last year has become really good. So I guarantee much of it's him. I've heard great things about Shailen Hertz and his whole approach and work ethic, but he is playing at a really high level. But one final point before we get to the play. This is an offense. This is what you want with offense, Colin. You want to be in a situation where your run game and your past game,

can operate independently of one another, dependent on any given week. You don't have to do one thing for the other thing to happen. You can do either one depending on your game plan, choice, and your opponent. And let's go to our big play of the week with Jalen Hertz. All right, let's jump right in. This was the touchdown that ended the first drive last week against Tennessee. And this play was very representative of coaching as well as execution. because they were playing a Tennessee Titan defense that on first and second down, and this was second down, plays a lot of quarters coverage.

So you see Hertz in the gun right here. And what you're going to get is a three-by-one set. And you're going to get Sanders, the back, offset to the short side of the field. Now, as I said, the Titans were what we call quarters coverage with each defender responsible for a deep quarter. That safety to the boundary side of the field is the key guy. because in quarters, he's responsible for the inside slot running vertically. So what does that essentially do? That leaves Devontas Smith one-on-one on the outside versus the corner.

And that's what the Eagles knew in their game planning, because that's what quarter's coverage is. Quarters demands that the boundary safety, the safety away from trips, that he has to match up to number three, to the inside. slot and you can see that he matches up to him. So what do you end up getting? The one-on-one, as I said, and Smith runs an unbelievable route, which we'll see in a moment. And so the throw is defined. It's a beautiful throw, and it's a touchdown. But one point I want to make here, not just about Jalen, but about route running. And this is Smith. Look how he gets the corner to turn to the outside. And when you turn to the outside, you can't play an in-breaking route. So this was beautiful design, beautiful execution.

This is an offense led by Hertz that's executing at a very high level. Greg, happy holidays. We'll see you next Thursday as always. Thanks again. Thanks, Colin. I appreciate it. Good stuff. Love it.

The Gino-Smith situation is just fascinating. Dude's big. He moves well. They roll the pocket. It's crazy. You know who he's facing this week, Brian Burns of Carolina. He leads the NFL in pressures. Your big rookie tackle, tall order.

against Brian Burns. That's an interesting game. I need Carolina badly. For the haircut, obviously. Spending, that's right. You really do for a lot of reasons. Want more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day,

seven days a week, within the IHeart radio app. Search Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque.

Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast, Superhuman, documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people.

I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do a little kill? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill,

waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you finishing that sentence.

I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The quarterfinals at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. get underway tomorrow with a pair of blockbuster matchups. First, the last World Cup's runner-up, Croatia takes on Namar and the unstoppable

offense of Brazil. Then the unbeaten Netherlands battle Lionel Messi and Argentina. Coverage begins at 9 a.m. Eastern on Fox and the Fox Sports app. A-Rodd before the end of the show. Verlander now, two years, big money. Zander Bogart's the shortstop Red Sox, now a Padre. San Diego suddenly has a lot of money. They went after Aaron Judge and they signed Machado and they, I mean, they're big players now.

I never thought of the Padres. You know, Giants have money. Dodgers, Braves, Houston. Red Sox appear to be dialing back to some degree. Mets now. It's interesting. If Aaron Judge came to you and said, Colin, you know, I don't know much about this San Diego town. What do you think?

$400 million contract to live in San Diego? It's pretty desirable. That's a great fun little city. Hey, nobody wants to live in California. You hear that all the time. Oh, the taxes. Oh, they're great in New York all of a sudden. J-Mack with the news.

No, no, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. So the San Francisco 49ers are going to start Brock Purdy, his first start of the season Sunday against the bucks. Kyle Shanahan says that this transition from Jimmy G to Purdy won't be as big as the one from Trey Lance to Jimmy G earlier this season. We're trying not to make it a drastic change. I mean, they have a similar skill set. We've got a lot of confidence in Brock.

We've seen him in practice. Our players have. We have, and that's why we were confident in him. But, you know, he hasn't played a ton of football. I think it was a little bit bigger from Trey to Jimmy, just in terms of the running element that Trey had, just how we looked at a game plan, how we positioned other formations and stuff to kind of keep him always as a threat as a runner.

Jimmy and Brock aren't necessarily running threats, so you don't sit there and design stuff like that, but they're definitely both mobile enough to make plays with their legs. I'm really excited for him. I really am. I think the best way that Greg Kossel put it, Lance Zerlina, a scout I trust, and a radio host in Houston, he's a streaky quarterback.

When he's in rhythm, he can be really good. But he can go sideways fast. The good news is this defense, this coach, and this run game, you're not going to ask him to throw nine straight times unless they're trailing late in a big playoff game. See, this is a weird spot for them against Tampa, right? If they lose, it's like, oh, Brock Purdy can't get the job done. if they win beating Tampa, which is a pretty good team, despite not looking good,

I think we're going to get back on the San Francisco 49 or a Super Bowl train, right? I mean, I'm on it now. You're definitely on it. Yeah, because Jimmy Garoppolo is going to come back potentially for the NFC championship in the Super Bowl. I'm on it. I think they're back in the Super Bowl bubble. I asked the conductor to just slow down a little bit. He wasn't really feeling that.

I love the defense. I like the skill position, guys. It's incredible. You can tell it was into his head. He had a touchdown in his first play, and it still got in his head. Speaking of Tua, Dolphins Chargers, this week, massive Sunday night game. It was flexed into Sunday night. There's been a lot of talk of the matchup, obviously between the two quarterbacks who were drafted fifth, Tua, and sixth, Herbert, in 2020.

The comparisons have been more favorable to Herbert. We're going to show you some stats here in a moment, but first, Tua says he's not listening to any of that noise, Colin. I feel that I've been very blessed to have gotten chosen, regardless of if I got chosen before him or after him. You know, I'm just happy to be where I'm at. I don't think anything of it. You know, I know everyone else outside of our building, and, you know, fans want to make speculations about that. But for me, I'm just very fortunate, very blessed to be in this position. You know, I'll let everyone else handle the talking with that.

And, you know, that's my stance on it. He's an incredibly likable guy at the podium. He really is. You know what he is? It's a really great word. He's grateful. And that we should all be grateful or most of us should be grateful. He's highly grateful of his opportunity.

And that is a really heartwarming, easy person to root for it. I just don't like how in the Tua versus Herbert, if you're saying Herbert's better, you're painted as, oh, you hate Tua. You know, and listen to that interview. Like, he's a likable guy. I'm rooting for it. Of course. It's just not when they play the Jets twice the season. And let's be honest, Justin Herbert is a better quarterback than Tua.

You hammered this at the opening of the show. Yeah, yes. But that doesn't mean, you know, Greg Cosell, take out four guys. Like, Mike White, when you watch him or Gino Smith, they're big guys who make accurate throws. That's most of the league. I mean, Kirk Cousins doesn't move well. Kirk Cousins doesn't have a big arm.

He wins a lot of games. He's going to win his division. He's already won it going away. And he's won a playoff game before. So it's, it's, there's, there's not a lot of great in the world. Good is often good enough. Because there's not a lot of great out there. And good gets you a lot of wins.

Why you look for great. Tool was great against inferior defenses, right? Putting a massive numbers. I think he was leading the league in completion percentage. It's not like anybody else looks great against the Niners in the second half. Everybody's struggling except Mahomes. I'm just curious, Colin, if you were this guy, and this is kind of a random question, and you were being asked ahead of this game, your thoughts on, hey, so Colin, what do you think?

You know, this guy, this radio host over here was drafted after you. He's put up better stats than you. Are you thinking about that game? Here's my media question to you. I think you got to focus on you. I try not to worry about other stuff. Like, I think it's hard enough to do what we do. I don't really care about it.

I don't listen. Don't care. It's not a knock on him. It's just I'm pretty good at focusing it on my stuff. I don't worry too much about noise. We just lost a game last week. We need this victory. I don't care about Justin Herbert.

I'm focusing on the Chargers defense. I thought Tua handled it well, but it's got to be tough when you are struggling and facing microphones every single. His last coach didn't even like him. I mean, they didn't get along personally. Yeah. All right, wrapping up here, the Baltimore Ravens, big matchup against the Steelers. Listen, this is a great slate of the NFL this weekend. I did not realize that the Ravens are in a four-game losing streak against their rivals.

players say the streak has been the topic of conversation in the locker room. Linebacker, Patrick Queen, who hasn't been a part of the win over a Steelers yet, said the mantra in Baltimore is that you're not a true Raven until you beat the Steelers. Who you got in this one? Lamar Jackson out, by the way, it will be Huntley. Probably Pittsburgh. Again, if Lamar doesn't play, I would take Pittsburgh. I think they're going to get the ball to pick it this week.

I think, you know, yeah, I mean, this is... This is suddenly interesting. If the Ravens drop this scheme to Pittsburgh, all of a sudden you start wondering, are they going to make the playoffs? Are they going to miss the... Do you rush Lamar back? If Pittsburgh wins this, they're now six and seven. I know.

Right there with the Raiders and the Chargers. I know. Kenny Pickett, remember Tomlin, I think the status he's never had a losing season. I know. If he's able to pull this off. Oh, this would be one of Mike's great years. With a rookie quarterback? Absolutely.

Who didn't start the year? It was Trubisky got the nod. So he had to insert him after a couple of games. I can't believe you're traveling this weekend. You know, you've got to get in front of the TV for all of the games. No, I'm back Sunday morning. Okay. All right.

Just look it out for you, Colin. Jay Mack with a news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Lie News. 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. This is Steve Kavino.

And Rich Davis. And together, we are. Kavino and Rich. Kavino and Rich. Thanks, buddy. That's right. Kavino and Rich, Fox Sports Radio's newest hit show.

Heard weekdays from 5 to 7 Eastern 2 to 4 Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the IHeart Radio app. Every Kavino and Rich show is available as a podcast. Just search Covino and Rich wherever you get your podcast and subscribe. I'm such a rocking dude. The show features our unique take on sports

injected with some fun, humor, and relatability. Listen to Kavino and Rich five days a week on the IHeart Radio app. Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Covino and Rich, get me your hell, yeah. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games.

Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win.

A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, 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 Cliverts Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim?

Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jett. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack.

So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history.

Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Well, there's only seven players in baseball history with over 3,000 hits and over 500 jacks. And I'm talking like the Hank Garon's, Willie May's, A-Rod's in one of those guys' class. 22 years in the sport. Most seasons ever with 100-plus RBIs. He and Albert Pooleholz. So the well-appointed A-Rod is joining us, and you signed a big deal years ago, 10 years, 250, Texas, and it was the first contract where it was like, wow, and you were also, you were a great defensive player.

You were a productive, offensive player. You had your years ahead of you. I look at the Aaron Judge deal, and I'm like, he's going into 30. He's had injuries. That's a lot of money. I don't, I mean, I get, I'm happy for Aaron Judge. nine years to a 30-year-old with injuries? Couldn't I question that, Alex?

Well, you know, Colin, what happens is when you have players, whether Jacobi Brian, a LeBron James, a franchise player, you know day one that these guys have the goods. They have the goods and talent, Madison Avenue, great, great character. We learned nothing new the last 12 months. If the Yankees can have a mulligan, they would fast forward five years, signed him for 10 years when he was 25 and get him to 35

and then call it a day. But they back themselves into a corner that they just gave him the hammer and he used it. Yeah, I mean, they've still got issues with that team. Now, the Mets went out and spent money on Verlander. I tend to think, you know, he's still a horse in big spots. I just like, when he's on the mound in big spots, I'm, that's generally the side you like.

My takeaway is I get that move. Your thoughts? I loved it. I mean, look, I like Colin baseball-centric front offices. You look at Houston with Jim Crane. You look at Stephen Cohen and Buck Show-Walter. You have the Bray's most experienced baseball staff.

But the combination of Stephen Cohen and Buck Show-Walter, who I think is the smartest mind in the game today, I love that for two reasons. One, he's 1A, 1B. He's connected back with his old teammate Scherzerzer. That's a hell of a two-headed monster. I love the length. Two years, very controllable.

Yeah. And I just love getting those two guys back together. So it's interesting. Zander Bogart's goes Red Sox Padres. These short stops, like the biggest, it's short stops. Now, baseball's analytics has changed. But it is interesting who the sport pays now. Are you noticed?

I'm sure you're noticing this. Yeah, the short stops haven't changed. And I'm happy for that. I'm a big advocate for that. Colin, as you know, the other ones that are getting paid. incredibly well are the starting pitchers. Now, starting pitchers, take away the Verlanders and

and Gerard Coes of the world. But pitchers in this industry, in this era, have never made more money and have never been asked to do less. So you get paid more money, but you get yanked in the fifth or fourth inning. It's an incredible metric, and I think there'll be

a fix over time. I want to ask you about this. Some of the reason the Yankees, I always feel like the Yankees are overspers, and trying to catch up on mistakes. It feels not desperate, but it's, I don't look at them as, like the Dodgers, for instance, they've let good players go. They've, Machado, Kershaw got a one-year deal.

They just let Trey Turner go. And I look at the Dodgers and I think, excellent minor league system, excellent development. The guys they spend generally, it doesn't feel desperate. They let guys walk. So Trey Turner goes to the Phillies. I saw the contract. Is he that big of a difference? maker in your opinion?

I think so. And reuniting him with Harper, reunited him with a hitting coach, Kevin Long, world-class talent, runs like the win, has power, tremendous character,

and it just adds to that Philadelphia. Look, they can taste it last year. I was there in Philly for every game during the playoffs and World Series, and it was electric

and you've got to give the Phillies ownership a lot of credit, but you have baseball people making baseball decisions. The same thing with the New York, Mets going back to the Yankees. It just feels like they're a dollar short a day late every single

time. Yeah. Yeah. A bad poker player. But I mean, getting Aaron Judge is unanimous. You should have signed up four or five years ago. If you sign it for a hundred and you take that delta of $260 million and you then deploy that capital to other players to help you bring a world championship, awesome. The Mets do a great job. They let go de Grom and before the ink is dry and he's on the plane, they're already brought in Verlander. So they're playing very proactive check. versus reactive. And that's why I think the Mets have struggled. And the Yankees have struggled because there's no baseball people in their organization.

Tim Marion is the only guy left, I believe. So the Dodgers have, you know, their lineup is excellent. Let Bellinger go, who'd had a couple of bad seasons. Big hole in the swing. Let him go. I think most Dodger fans were okay with that. Now Turner's gone. So you think to yourself, all right, do we have the pitching now?

Kershaw, one-year deal getting older. Do the Dodgers have anything in free agency you look at and think, hey, they got a hole, they need to solve it? They have the trifecta. I would never doubt the Dodgers. They have two of the smartest owners in the game in Todd Bowley and Mark Walters. You have Friedman, who's a wonderful general manager. You have great baseball people all around. They're the smartest people in the group and the richest.

I believe the Dodgers are going to do something really good. And there's something up their sleeve. Don't sleep on the Dodgers. Finally, it was a lot of the team. interesting, you know, Met fans, when you grow up in a neighborhood and, you know, the Yankees, and you're the little brother, it's almost like being the Jets or the Clippers in Los Angeles. You're the little brother. And through the years, I've seen the Mets sort of react, you know, hastily or desperately. And when DeGrom left, I was surprised. They kind of freaked out. And I thought,

it's a good team. You know, DeGrom isn't always dependable. I don't think less of the Mets today. Like, what did you make of the DeGrom move? I thought New York freaked out. People were angry and I'm like, that's not a thing. Or is it? I thought it was a brilliant move. No one wants to lose DeGrom. Jacob DeGrom is one of the best pitchers of the game. But boy, if you can come back,

instead of giving five years, you give up two years and you reunite Scherzer and Burland. There's a wonderful move. Colin, there's nothing that calms down these baseball nations, right? Big franchises with rich history is when you have smart, people. Look, in a thunderstorm, you want a great pilot. There's no better pilot in the game today than Buck Showalter.

And to have Stephen Cohen's pocket, $16, 17 billion, the richest owner in the game of baseball, I said it when they hired Buck Showalter. They will win two championships in the next seven years. I stand by my comment. I got a question for you. And I'm not close enough to the sport to know. Mookie Betts left the Reds. I always consider the Red Sox like the third richest team. You know, it was like Yankees. maybe Dodgers, Red So Mookie Betts wouldn't pay for him. Senator Bogart's outbid by the Padres. What is up with the Red Sox? Is it, is it, you tell me, where are they as a franchise?

I'm not close to it enough, Colin, to comment with any, you know, I'm not close. And here's what I will tell you is I don't like pro, I like proactive. I don't like reactive moves. and it seems like the Red Sox are a little bit on their heels. If you're not going to sign Bogarts, then maybe you trade him a year ago and get some value for him. But having just guys in a season that you're not competitive, having Bogart's run out his contract

and then run off to the West Coast, to me, that's a big miss. Arod. Alex Rodriguez, Fox Sports, very well appointed in his office in, well, I can just touch Coral Gables. It's a nice area. That's why everybody knows you live down. there. It's great seeing you as always, Alex. Great seeing you.

Yeah, I mean, it's pitchers and short stops now. The Padres never had big boy money. About three years ago now they're just, I mean, I always thought the Red Sox, it was Yankees of the richest. Now, because of Steve Cohen, now the Mets are up there. But it was like the Braves had money. Dodgers had money. I mean, there's always a handful, like, Houston now,

big boy money. Texas had some money. I thought the Red Sox were in that class. I mean, they make, if you look at their TV, if you look at their revenues, Google them, their way up there. Monkey Betts was arguably the best overall town. Let him go.

This kid's big time shortstop. Out, you know, Padres pay. I don't know. What do you make, what's happened to the Red Sox? Well, I mean, I thought the Mets move of DeGrom. I like what Arod said, but I am curious. Do you know a lot about this Mets owner? Have you read about this, Steve Cohen?

Yeah, like, he's a Mets fan. But also his background. He's incredibly wealthy. There are some awesome stories about him online. This guy is just like a real legend in his industry. And I kind of like what he's done with the Mets. And I'm not allowed to say that as a Yankees fan. But I kind of like his aggressive nature as an owner.

So you tell me, DeGrom, would you trust him in a big spot as health? I mean, can you trust anybody, any of these starting pitchers of baseball? No, but I mean, Mets fans freaked out. And I was like, they were always complaining. You know, it was health issues. I don't know. I just didn't think it was like the Mets, to me, are capable of surviving the exit of Jacob de Grom. They need more sticks to me.

They need another stick. What are the Yankees need? Because they did nothing against the Astros. I think they had pitching issues. I think Garrett Cole hasn't been what they thought. I think they have a lot of issues. Very home run reliant, which I guess now in baseball is okay. Yeah, that's what everybody wants.

All right. Hour three is around the corner. Rams, Raiders tonight. My Raiders on a little bit of a heater. That's the hurt. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, Not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier.

This week, my guest, S&L's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not.

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. 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 podcast.