The Herd with Colin Cowherd - The Herd-HOUR-2-Herd Hierarchy, Bill O'Brien

Episode Date: October 6, 2020

Colin's new Herd HierarchyBill O'Brien is a good coach but he was a bad GMGuests: Drew Bledsoe, Mark Schlereth Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

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You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversation. with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. 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 Heard at Fox SportsRadio.com or stream us live every day on the IHeart Radio app by searching Herd. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Here we go. It's hour two. It's on a Tuesday. Lakers, Dodgers. If you live in L.A., what a night to be alive. Lakers, Dodgers tonight. This is the herd, wherever you may be and however you may be listening. Fox Sports Radio, FS2 for the rest of the show.

We have baseball playoffs on FS1, so we get knocked over to FS2, which is sort of the playroom for us. We can party a little harder. Bosses don't watch. They're all watching FS1 right now. Goulet, even more so than ever, just kind of zones out. You know, it's just a totally different vibe on FS2. So, Joy, tonight, you've got to make choices. I'll have mom.

You know, it's just so good. Like last night I went home, wife's out of town. And so last night I go home and it's great. Like I just cocktail, DoorDash, and sat and watched two NFL games back and forth. And then tonight I get the Dodgers in the playoffs. I get the Lakers in the finals. Nobody's home. not even the dogs, door dash it, cocktail.

It's such a great time. Are you going to do another burger night? No, tonight I'll probably do fish. I've got to lighten up. I've just been eating like crap. You know, it's just, it's, you know, when sports is around, I eat worse. Are you a big condiment guy? Oh, I love condiment.

Sometimes just eat them by themselves. Love them. Spicy mustard. I'm a yellow mustard person. Yeah, pesto. When I eat a burger by the end of it, it's just kind of like slop. Yeah, yeah. There's so much stuff on it.

That's what I do as well. Yeah. So it's great to have you. So Drew Bledsoe around the corner. It's the herd hierarchy. First time I've done it this year, I feel like every team. In fact, I feel good about 11 teams in the herd hierarchy, but I only have 10. So one of them, Tennessee is 11th, but let's go with our 10.

Heard hierarchy. Time is now. Let's go. The top 10 NFL teams, according to college, number 10. I'm going to go Cleveland Browns number 10 over Tennessee, because I think they're more explosive offensively. 30 plus points in three straight games. Only team to average 200 yards rushing rushing per game this year. Most rushing touchdowns in the NFL with eight. Their defense, though, I think it can be susceptible to the big play on the back end has the most

turnovers with 10. I think if you're in Cleveland, Kevin Stefansky feels like finally a grown-up, a teacher in the room for Baker Mayfield. I think Cleveland's a playoff team. That's what we predicted I have them at 10. Number nine. The Colts. Now they play this weekend and I like the Colts to win. That's why I put them at nine. Their offense is not as explosive. Philip Rivers is exactly one touchdown pass in each of the games, but their defense is the best in the league right now. Number one in everything. Points, yards, third down, passing yards, only team to allow fewer than 300 total yards in all four games this year. Again, a limited offense, but I think they beat Cleveland. and if I'm wrong, I'll flip-flop them.

Number eight. Steelers. Listen, they've beaten bad teams. That's what worries me. Giants, Broncos, Texans, or a combined 0 and 9. But it's hard to run on them. You can't deny their front seven personnel is out of this world good. And Tomlin's a defensive coach.

Plus, they have Minka Fitzpatrick behind that. One of five teams to average 25 points a game and fewer than 20. They've played bad teams. They are back. I don't know how high the ceiling is, but I'll put them at eight. Number seven. But I think Buffalo would beat him on a neutral field, so I have the bills at seven. I love their coaching.

I like their defense. It doesn't quite feel as ferocious as last year, but Josh Allen is the story. 15 touchdowns, one pick this season. Stefan Diggs has added a deep threat element. They did not have three games with a completion percentage of 70% or more. He looks like a baby Big Ben, but even more athletic. I really like Buffalo. They feel like a team capable, barring inch.

injuries of doing all the things you need to do. Well coached, don't turn it over, good run defense, and an explosive dynamic at wide receiver. Number six. Seattle. I don't know if Seattle is six. I'm just putting them up there because of Russell Wilson. There's so much about Seattle I don't like. They have no pass rush.

Their defense, they bat on the back end, but they hit. They've got some playmakers, and Russell Wilson is insane right now. He is the best player in the world. Aaron Rogers and Mahomes. argue for number two. I put them at six because I thought they'd beat Buffalo in a neutral field because of Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson. I think Buffalo's more complete. But there's, again, Russell Wilson's playing right now at a level that you just don't see. Tom Brady's best year, he wasn't this, because he didn't have the escapeability, Seattle at six.

Number five. Tampa Bay. This is interesting. Brady has increased his passer rating in each game. Brady's offense, totally yardage, increased in every game. We knew the defense would be good. It's second best in the NFL against the run. But I like that Brady has now, it took him a month, he has found his guy. It's Mike Evans. So Brady has Leonard Fernett. And they're doing it, by the way, without Chris Godwin.

And Leonard Fernett just got there and has been injured. This offense, O.J. Howard, is out now for the year. I know that's bad news, but now they still have two really good tight ends. But I like they're getting better each week, and he has found Mike Evans. as his go-to receiver. Number four. Let's not sell all of our stock on Baltimore. I'm going to have them at number four because they're the only team in the league.

27 straight games rushing over 100 yards. Lamar Jackson is still really good. Am I concerned they're 0 and 10 when trailing at halftime in the last two years? Yes, that is something. It's not good. I think Russell Wilson and Patrick Mahalms and certain quarterbacks are better when trailing. But, you know, they got the Bengals coming up at Philadelphia. They're going to post some more wins here.

I think we'll really know more about them. They face the Steelers in week seven, at the Colts, week nine, at the Patriots, week 10. This is still a championship level football team that just frankly doesn't match up with Kansas City very well. And who does? Number three. New England. They win that game with Cam Newton. I'm not going to punish them for last night because Cam Newton's coming back according to stories this morning.

Folks, best score right now, only team to hold the Chiefs without a touchdown in the first half in the Mahalms era. they've done it three times. It's a real football team. They just need Cam. I also would love if they went out and got a deep threat. But I'm not going to punish them. Their upcoming schedules got a lot of wins, Broncos, Jets. I just think they're really good with Cam.

Their defense has eight takeaways, that second most. And again, they have not played bad teams. They have played Seattle. They have played Kansas City. They're playing real football teams. I have them at three. Number two. But Green Bay's win last night,

missing their top two wide receivers, was the most impressive they had been. Again, the protection is excellent right now. Aaron's comfortable. He's got a running game. He's got time to throw. He's got multiple tight end and wide receiving targets. Aaron's got 13 TDs, no picks.

They also have the best point differential in the NFL at 51. And through the years, there's two things that generally matter in the NFL playoffs. What are you averaging yards per play? That matters because it means you're explosive. And what's your point differential? Baltimore's was huge last year. Those are things that matter as the seasons go on. Really great teams blow about seven teams out over the course of the season.

That's what the Niners in Kansas City and Baltimore did last year. Packers, number one in the NFL, and point differential, it matters. Number one. Kansas City, but I don't think it is by much as I thought a couple of weeks ago. I think Cam and New England would have beaten them last night. I think Aaron Rogers could beat him. Baltimore doesn't match up well, but I think if Seattle's O-line is not as bad as I think, they could maybe run the football on them.

I'm going to give them the number one team, but I don't think they're quite as dominating as I thought two weeks ago. And with that, he played in the NFL for a decade and a half, a Super Bowl champ, a four-time pro bowler, second most passing yards in Patriots history. Number one is, you know, Tom. Drew Bledso now joining us via the cowardice. Global Satellite Network. Listen, we know coaching matters.

And in your career, you had some great coaches, and sometimes personalities don't, they just don't work, and that's okay. But it does feel like, Drew, that Aaron Rogers is at least, he's more comfortable, more sympathico. You know, he and Matt LaFleure, generationally are closer in age.

Maybe that's it. I mean, can you speak to that? Kind of just connecting with a guy, connecting with a coach. Sure. Yeah, you know, it does matter, Colin. You know, the guy that I had eight different coordinators in the time that I played, there were a couple of guys that I really connected with.

And the big thing that happens is it's almost like you're reading each other's mind. I remember I was with Sean Payton just for one year in Dallas, and I'm on the field and we run one play, and then I immediately know what play is coming next. You didn't really even have to send the play in. And so you really get on the same page for the guy, and that can make life a lot easier. Plus, you know, shoot, they've got a healthy team.

They're running the ball while they're playing a defense. and all those things make life a lot easier for a quarterback. So Bill Belichick has a history outside of Russell Wilson of facing quarterbacks. And Peyton Manning, he had his number for years. Big Ben. So not just good quarterbacks. You know, Hall of Fame guys. What do you think it is that Belichick is doing to Patrick Mahomes in four different first

halves that are really making Patrick struggle game after game against Bill's defense? You know, the thing that was always frustrating in playing against those defenses is that they do what's called pattern reading and pattern recognition, right? So what that means is based on your formation and then based on the release of the receiver, they anticipate what's coming. So they're not reacting. They're being proactive. And a lot of times it felt like the defenders were running the route ahead of your receiver. Or they would read something and so, you know, one guy's crossing. so they would come off and then there's another guy's safety that would cut the route.

So it's not just covering guys. It's actually recognizing what you're doing, anticipating, getting in the middle of your route before your receiver even gets there. It requires incredibly smart defenders or requires a ton of work on behalf of their staff in order to do that. But when they do, man, it's a real pain in the ass of the quarterback. It's really not fun. Everybody but Russell Wilson appears to struggle.

Speaking of Russell, I said this, I'm a kid from the, Pacific Northwest. I don't know if I like the Seahawks. I just love Russell. I love what he's doing. But I look at it and I think he's a little bit of a life preserver for an offensive line, a tight end position, a secondary. I feel they're almost too reliant on Russell to save him.

What do you see as somebody from the Pacific Northwest with the Seahawks? Yeah, you know, I've heard it said before that a quarterback at the top of his game is kind of like a good marinara sauce. You can just put it over the top of everything and it covers whatever the flaws are in the meal. And, you know, Russell is that way a little bit right now. I do think the team is playing well around him. He does have some good weapons, better weapons than he's had in a little while. But boy, he is playing at an absolute elite level. And he's doing it sometimes where he's just got to create on his own.

The thing that's always amazing about Russell is, number one, he almost never makes the big mistake. And number two, you know, you watch him play. and he runs around and makes plays with his legs. The guy never gets hit very hard. You watch these other quarterbacks running around. I know you can't hit the quarterback and all that now, but he just never takes the big hit, and that allows him to be available all the time.

So it's been fun to watch. I tend to support quarterbacks who I think are good, but are struggling. Take Carson Wentz. I really like him. Big kid, big arm, good kid. But he has now dealt three straight years with incredible bad luck. He lost Frank Reich a coach. He's lost multiple receivers, offensive line.

Take your own career. I think there's a little mental fatigue that we forget sometimes. These are young kids. He's from a small town, small state. He goes to Philadelphia where they wake up angry. And, you know, he's losing people year after year. He loses coaches. He loses receivers.

Did you ever get to a point in your career where there is a mental fatigue? Forget the physical stuff. You feel like you're bailing water week after week. Well, so here's the thing. So, you know, when you see the injuries that have come up for them, you know, and I hear this said, well, oh, I know they have a lot of injuries, but Carson still has to play it better, right? Well, but here's what happens, though, Colin. So you lose linemen, okay? And you're like, okay, we're going to have a little bit less time.

Well, that means you have to process faster. It's like I would compare it if it in baseball, you know, hitting a hundred mile an hour fastball versus an 87 mile an hour fastball. You just don't have as much time to make that decision, right? that happens. But number two, man, anytime you have a defensive back on your show, ask them what their best friend is, and every one of them will tell you a great pass rush. And so that means you don't have enough time. Well, now the defenders can jump routes. They don't have to worry about double moves because they don't have to worry about going over the top. So now they're closer. And then you add to that that he's got receivers hurt,

so he doesn't know exactly where guys are going to be. So you've got to make faster decisions before you get hurt. You have to try to anticipate based on less information. And then you don't know where these guys are going to be. it's a really tough equation to try to solve. And if you're in your face to try to solve that over and over again while you're getting, while you're getting hit, there's no doubt there's some fatigue coming in when you have to deal with all of that. So Brady every week, passer rating's a little better. The yardage is a little better. So he's figuring it out.

But one of the things we said, I think it was last week, is that for the first time in Tom's life, he's got multiple running backs, multiple tight ends, he's got slot receivers, he's got deep receivers. He's clearly connected with Mike Evans. That is clearly the first guy he has a real connection with. But I do wonder with Tom is that he's trying to appease every. He wants to ingratiate everybody to this offense. He's the old guy. They're the young kids.

He wants to make everybody feel included. And I wonder sometimes if you can press as a quarterback trying too hard to spread the ball around. It worked this weekend late, not early. Your thoughts? Yeah. there is a tendency as a quarterback to try to feed everybody. You know, you get a lot of mouths to feed, right? And then you start talking about receivers, and they're, you know, by definition,

they're kind of divas, so if they don't get the ball a little bit, then they want to go cry. You have to go give them a big hug. So I do think that you can fall into that trap a little bit. But I do think what you'll see, you know, as the season progresses, and you saw this, and this is natural for every quarterback, including Tommy, you know, he starts to develop a real trust and rapport with certain guys. When the game's on the line, when they need a big play, you know, then, you know,

you're going to rely on those guys. But at the same time, you know, there is that natural tendency to try to keep everybody happy if you can. Finally, Tua. Justin Herbert comes out, and I'm like, oh, my God, he looks really good. And then Joe Burrow, with no support up front, looks really good. And so I'm sitting there with Tua, and I'm like, okay, I'm getting in pay. I want to see Tua play. And we made this argument yesterday, Joy and I did.

So Miami may not only have their top 10 draft pick. They have Houston's number one. They could have two top 10 draft picks. Could I make the argument organizationally, Drew? Get Tua out there. There's three great quarterback. If he's overwhelmed, Burroughs not. Justin Herbert's not.

The game is built for quarterbacks to be productive. If he's overwhelmed, I may just move up and get another quarterback. Arizona did and it was the right move. Do you think we're nuts to think that an organization would think, let's just get him out there and see if he can play in tread water here? You know, I think you have to be careful about what the situation is that you're putting him in because I do think, too, as a special player, I really, really do. I think he's going to be successful.

But what you don't want to do is put him out there in a situation that is going to hurt him, you know, from a development standpoint. You want to put him in a situation to succeed early, take care of. everyone keep the hits off them and allow them to have some success. So if they're going to do that, I might, you know, if I'm looking at it, I might look at the schedule ahead. You know, you know, when am I playing the Jets? I mean, I'll play him when we play the Jets. Yeah. You know, so he gets a win under his belt. But you don't want to do any damage. You know, the dolphins are a team that are likely not a playoff team this year, but can be going,

going forward with all the draft picks and all of that. But you want to make sure that if you're going to get him out there, that you, you know, you help his development and don't set him back. double-back winery and Walla Walla. You're clearly in the winery right now, right? Yeah, we're actually right now, we're in the middle of harvest. So our team, you know, shout out to Josh and Joe and CJ and all the guys that are working those 15-hour days right now, bringing fruit in and doing pumpovers and all that stuff. I'll be up and I'll come help later on this week.

But they're bustling tail and making great wine for us. I have a question. When you own a winery, are you? you allowed as long as it's labor intensive to have a glass of wine or two at like 1130 in the morning? Well, it's called work, Colin. You know, you should get a taste. It's called quality control. Now, I will tell you that if I'm tasting on purpose for work, my palate is best in the morning. But if I'm doing that, then I actually generally, you know, will spit the wine out after tasting so that I can be productive

that day. Because if you sit around and drink three glasses of wine with your breakfast, it kind of diminishes your productivity for the rest of the day. You're telling me. Drew Bledsoe everybody. Great seeing you, my man. All right, Colin, I always appreciate it, buddy. We'll talk to you soon.

Double back. Great winery in Washington State. All right, we'll take a break. The Texans fired Bill O'Brien. I will support him, not righteously, but I will support him to some degree and one of my biggest knocks on the media is him getting fired and the reaction to it that's coming up.

One 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'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 which I'm 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 what 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-tapped Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking.

What the hell does George Bush got to? do 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 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 IHeartRadio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests.

I'm talking. Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch.

Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross. Because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth. Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust.

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Check it out MDrive from N.com, the supplement I take every morning. So the reality is there's very little great in the world and very little terrible. Life is 80% pretty good, good, not quite as good as good as you'd like. Bill O'Brien is this year not quite as good as you like, but pretty good his entire career. Here's all you need to know.

Belichick could not win in the NFL, nor could Pete. Carol without the right quarterback. Bill O'Brien won a division with Brock Osweiler. And then he did it again with Brian Hoyer. And then he did it twice with Deshawn Watson, a brand new kid college to the pros. Four division titles. He won at Penn State, post-Jerry Sangadowski. What a mess that was.

What a mess. He actually won. I covered UNLV post-Jerry Tarkhanian. You have no idea unless you've covered a program that. it's gone through controversy, how hard it is to recruit, virtually impossible. He got Christian Hakenberg drafted. He won a division with Brock Osweiler. He is reality check.

Easily Bill Belichick's only coach, only disciple that won. In 20 years, Belichick had him five years. He gave him a tougher job every year. He is easily the most successful Belichick coach. And by the way, if you take out one year of his career, when I don't know, this seems important, Deshawn Watson tore his ACL. His records in the NFL are 9 and 7, 9 and 7, 9 and 7, 11, 5, and 10, and 6. Yes, in 2017, Deshaun Watson, as if Russell Wilson getting hurt, wouldn't capsize Pete Carroll in Seattle.

They were awful. He has a winning NFL record, which if Deshaun Watson doesn't get hurt, is probably going to be about 60 and 46. He's a good football coach. He's not Belichick or Andy Reed. He's a terrible general manager. So was Chip Kelly. So was Mike Holmgren.

And frankly, if you watch the Patriots draft picks, I'm not sure Belichick's a great GM. There are times offensively, he's lost. Belichick as a GM. So, you know, this is classic. He's terrible. There's very little great in the NFL. Russell Wilson's great.

Bill Belichick's great. It's a short list. Andy Reid, it's a short list. Very little terrible. Brian Oyer's not very good. That's quarterback in the NFL, that's fairly terrible. Everything else is good, pretty good, not quite as good as you'd like. Bill O'Brien's pretty good.

Bad GM, good coach. Really good coach. You win a division. You watched Brian Hoyer last night with Brian Hoyer, and you win a division with Brock Osweiler. You can't tell me that. the guy can't coach. He can coach. But general manager, they got no cap space and no draft picks. He was, he, it's a classic. He was good, but he was given too much power. And I say this all

the time. No, it's a really good answer in your career. Say, you know, I said earlier, hire slowly and fire quickly. It's the same thing in your career. I say, and I learned this very early. Say yes infrequently. Say no all the time. They offered him power. He said, yep, and just ate it. He gorged on the power. And it unraveled Bill O'Brien's coaching.

He should have said, no, let's get somebody in here. This isn't what I do well. Mike Holmgren had the same problem in Seattle, and Mike Holmgren's a great coach. Joy with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. The Cowboys

aren't quite as good as we'd like. They've struggled to get going through the season 1 and 3 through the first month, but Stephen Jones believe the team is right on the cusp of turning things around. I just think that we're not as far away as it seems, but we do have a lot of work to do, and we're very confident in this football team

in spite of what we've seen in the first four games. We really believe we've got a great head coach, a great staff, and a great group of players that will get the job done. This is why I said that Atlanta win was not a win to me. I understand that there are, there's a win column and a loss column.

We don't have moral victories, we don't have kind of almost won. It is what it is, right? So they got the win. But there was nothing about that game that they should have felt good about. All this, oh, you know, we rallied back and we can look back on that for inspiration.

The Falcons lost that game. It's by a luck and the football gods blessing you that day. It happens. That you won that game. Yes. You should not walk away from that game, feeling good.

You should have lost that game. You lose a game you should win. win and a game you should lose virtually every year. Something happens out of your control. And that's fine, but don't get crazy here. The Cowboys should be 0 and 4. Right? I'm not disagree with that.

The only reason that we're not completely freaking out about the Cowboys is because they're 1 and 3. But they should be 0 and 4. The problem with the Cowboys is clearly their defense. They're first in yards per game, third in points per game. Their defense is 30th in yards allowed per game and last in points allowed per game. Why are they so, you know, those numbers, though, are deceiving. Why do they start in a hole every game?

Yeah. We do get a lot of, I want to call it garbage time, but they have to, Dak has to throw so much to get them back into the game. So there is a little bit of a deception to those numbers, but I still don't think that the offense is their problem. No, I don't either. But, but I will say, and this is what happens when you're the Dallas Cowboys with, you know, all the, all the, the America's team label and, you know,

being the biggest brand in all of sports, there comes expectations every single year. and the Cowboys do have a new head coach this year in 2020 in a pandemic, shortened season, no preseason. We don't look at the Cowboys that way because they're the Dallas Cowboys because you still have Dak Prescott and you still have the offensive coordinator. But they are one of those teams that we probably need to give a little bit more time to get going. Well, they play the Giants, so there's your little time. Well, we're not going to give them time.

But like we've talked about it before the season started. There's just going to be some teams that are going to struggle early because they didn't have a preseason because they do have a new head coach. coach, or they do have a new quarterback. Yeah. But that's just not patient world that we're in these days. Now, to your point, they play the Giants next. Yeah.

Then they're Cardinals, and they're both at home, and then at Washington. So they could get rolling, if you will. But again, what are those opponents and how good are you really going to feel about it? You win the games that are on your schedule, right? They're going to beat Washington, New York, and Arizona, so we're all going to go, oh, they've got it figured out. But the problem with Dallas the last three years is they win a lot of games. They don't beat the right.

teams. I mean, the other issue is the NFC is a disaster. You know, we're banging on Philadelphia. Philadelphia has got a real road win, a real road win, and Wents was pretty good on that last drive to get a tie. Like, we think Philadelphia is man overboard, but I watched them Monday night and I was like, no, Philadelphia kind of ride

of the ship. They're limited until they get guys back, but Philadelphia flies home for five hours on that flight. And if you're a coaching staff, you're like, we just went to San Francisco against Kyle Shanan in their yard and won. That's a good flight home for five hours. I feel like they probably feel good about it because of the press and the conversations about Carson Wentz going off a cliff and all that. But I don't know how great of a win that really was.

Can we get Doug Peterson? I want to get Doug Peterson on the show. They don't have Garoppolo. So, I mean, again, you have to beat the teams that you play. You know, their schedule is what it is. That division is just a disaster. So whatever team comes out of that disaster on top is. going to be deserved, I guess.

So the Bucks victory over the Chargers on Sunday gave Tom Brady his 22nd career regular season win that moved him past former teammate, Adam Vinatieri, for the NFL record for the most wins by any player at any position. And Brady commented on the accomplishment on social media

saying, I'm so grateful to all the players and coaches and organizations that have made this possible. Nothing in football is achieved as an individual. I'm so thankful to be playing a game I love and so lucky to have made so many friends. along the way. By organizations, is he thanking the Bills, Jets, and Dolphins? Yeah, no kidding.

I'd like to thank the Jets dysfunction for getting me 30 wins. Because you only have a few wins with Tampa Bay, so the other organization is really not that many organizations to thank. You know, he liked Peyton Manning, though. Peyton Manning got a choice, and Tom got a choice later in life, and they chose widely. Payton looked at all the offensive lines and the receiving cores, and Manning and Brady inherited a team, built a little

empire, but when they were both given the choice of where to go, it wasn't just a money thing. They both chose Pat Bolin, good leadership, Tampa Bay weapons. So Manning and Brady are also really good when given the opportunity to make a call at the end of their career. They chose like smart teams where they wouldn't have to carry the entire load. He threw for five touchdown passes on Sunday, and he also surpassed Warren Moon as the oldest quarterback to throw five touchdown passes in a game. I know that there probably are some people who still hate Tom Brady,

but what we're watching with Tom Brady is historic. I mean, it's just, it's pretty incredible. Like, Tom Brady maybe suffer for 20 years, but I'm over it now. Yeah. I really was over it after the Atlanta Super Bowl. He's like, all right. He's just the greatest. Like, we just got to enjoy watching the greatest to ever do it.

It's a blessing. We're going to watch Tom Brady's career. So finally, Odell had a huge game for the Browns on Sunday, recording 154 total yards and three touchdowns. And Kevin Savansky has admitted they need to keep getting Odell involved as much as possible. He said, I've got to do a better job of getting him involved early. I feel like I can do better. He's somebody that can really affect the game, whether you throw it to him or hand it to him.

And we really just want to be mindful of that really in every game. But I felt like on that turf in Dallas, his speed would show up. Oh, that's interesting. So he felt that was a fast turf, and that would be the difference. That's smart coaching. I don't think about that. Five receptions on eight. eight targets for 81 yards, two touchdowns, two carries, and then 73 rushing yards and one

touchdown as well. Really great performance by the Browns. And I know we're banging on the Cowboys just a few minutes ago, but... No, it was a real win for the Browns. They should feel good about where they are right now and where they're trending. Now, Nick Chab was placed on the IR with the MCL injury, so that's a big loss for them. How long is he out? They're expecting him to return later this season, but he's on the eye right now. Well, they're well, staffed at that position. So he's a guy I want for the playoffs. Yeah. I mean, it's a big loss for them. But they're solid on the defensive side. And they are finally kind of forming an identity, which is why I think they're able to make calls like let's actively get O'Dell involved early

as opposed to forcing it to him, which I think is a conscious difference. Like forcing it to O'Dell as opposed to game planning to get O'Dell involved early are very very. very different things. And I think that Baker, you have to get Baker some credit. Like he's managing himself. He's managing himself and he's doing everything that he needs to do to get them to win. Yep, good stuff. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by.

The Herd Lie News. Mark Slareth, Fox Sports stops by wrapping up hour two. Can't wait to talk to Mark and his barking dog. He's got dog. It barks. We'll get past that. Mark Slareth coming up 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 IHeard Radio app.

Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth.

Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football,

or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for Raw, filtered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest

moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The 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 with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jek. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what we. went down and tried to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s.

To be clear, 84 was big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack all day, but just so you all know. I mean, at this point, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack, so I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now, so. Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people.

Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, We get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough.

Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on Earth. Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person.

Join me, Keir Gaines, as we have. conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. It's October 6 by tomorrow. If you make the switch to Geico, October 7th, Geico.com, you can save 15% motorcycle RV and credit on your car insurance.

Geico.com. Mark Schlair has got a bunch of Super Bowls, three in fact, multiple time pro bowler, Fox Sports NFL analyst. He's been doing a great job. He had the Rams Giants this past weekend, joining us now in Denver, Colorado, where I know his yard is perfect because it always is even though I can't see it. Okay, let's start with this. Aaron Rogers, Mike McCarthy, had a divorce. This morning, it looks like Aaron Rogers is the happiest he's ever been.

I mean, listen, let's just be honest about it. He likes Lafleur, generationally, they're the same age. Could it be just that simple? He likes his coach more. I don't know that he likes his coach more. I mean, I think that's part of it. I think there's no question that he likes his coach. But I really think it's Aaron Rogers looked at himself.

Seriously, my dog again. Unbelievable. Colin, my dog loves you. You know that. Romeo loves you. I think Aaron Rogers really looked at himself critically and said, how can I get better? I think it really was drafting a quarterback in love that really lit a fire underneath Aaron Rogers' rear end.

He said, I have got to. to be better. He went back. He critically looked at himself. He studied film from his MVP seasons. And he went back and he went to fixing things. And so I think that has a lot to do with Aaron Rogers and where he is right now. Certainly, I think he likes Lefleur better. But there were some, there was some reports early last year that he didn't necessarily care for, you know, the fact that he didn't have as much, he didn't have as much responsibility at the line of scrimmage. So I really think it goes back to looking himself saying, listen, I have one of the great franchises in history, the dynasty that never was. I need more, I need more Super Bowls. If I'm going to sit at the

the big people table when it comes to the quarterback conversation, I think it really was himself reflecting and saying, I've got to be better. So the Cowboys, literally they're struggling defensively. They got a new coordinator in a new scheme. Players have called it out. DeMarcus Lawrence said we're soft. Players have said it's too complicated. Everybody in Dallas is defending Mike Nolan. What would you have? What would you have? to see if you were in Dallas as an owner or Stephen Jones to say, okay, it's enough. Like this is, we're going to have to make a midseason firing of Mike Nolan. What would you have to see?

Well, I mean, you would have to see a complete and total collapse of the football team. I think the biggest, the biggest thing right now is the Eagles are leading that division at one, two, and one. You know, Dak Prescott has put up kind of MVP numbers that he's not getting credited for or talked about because of what Aaron Rogers is doing. what Russell Wilson is doing, what Josh Allen is doing in Buffalo. So, I mean, ultimately, that division is very winnable. So you've got to see some correction here in the next four or five weeks.

If you don't, if they continue to give up points, if they continue not to be able to get off the field, then I think you start to really assess that situation. But as of right now, I think you try to fix things marginally, keep it simple, stupid kind of process. And you see exactly where you end up fitting here in the next couple of. of weeks. So you had the Rams game this weekend and I unfortunately watched all of it. And I thought to myself, God, what is wrong with them? And for the record, I mean, let's be honest, Kansas City, you know, with Mahomes and Andy Reed will lay an occasional mini-dud.

I mean, it happens. Are the Rams good or not? I'm not sure after watching that Giants mess. Yeah, you know what was interesting. They really got away from what they had been doing in the first three weeks where they're hanging 30 points a game on people. I called it going into the game the illusion of spread. And they get you in formations with shifts very much like the 49ers do, pre-shifts and then motions,

and then basically just cram it down your throat in the running game out of three wide formations. And they've got two wide receivers in Robert Woods and Cooper Cup that are legitimate big-time football players, not just wide receivers. So I love what they're doing. And I was joking around with Sean McVeigh. I was like, hey, man, going into the film study,

I'm so glad you've remembered how to coach football again. Remember last year he had forgotten how to coach football. And now they're playing well again. They got away from what they had done on offense. And sometimes coaches get into this. They want to have a key break. So they became real static in their formations, really played a lot of 12 personnel,

two tight-end personnel. And they really got away from what they had been successful doing. So I'm not exactly sure why that was the case. Obviously, it was a game plan thing. but ultimately when you take the first quarter of the season and watch them on the offensive side of the ball, I think they've been exceptional. And it really is, you know, you fix your offensive line,

you go out and you get yourself a new center, and you move in from Guard, plays center in Austin Blight. You get a couple of new guards that are real physical at the point of attack. And it's amazing how well your offense is fixed. Because let me tell you, this is a team that wants to play Smash Mouth. They disguise it out of, you know, spread, West Coast, multiple wide receivers. But they are a smash-mouth football team.

That's what Sean McVeigh wants to be. And that's what they've been able to be, except last week was a little departure from what they had been doing. But that's just one of those does that happens every now and again. And I expect them to be really good for the remainder of the season on offense.

Dolphins Niners, you have that game, Fox Sunday. How much do you have to see before you put two in? What if they struggle in the first half or do you just keep going with Fitzpatrick? Well, right now, I mean, I would tell you that Chan Galey, Fitzpatrick, you know, Chan Galey, the offensive coordinator of Fitzpatrick,

they really have a great rapport together. So there's, like, offensively, don't let the final score fool you about that Seattle game. They were in that thing right up to the end. And, you know, Fitzpatrick makes some throws occasionally and make you scratch your head. And there are some things where he takes chances with the football. But I think Fitzpatrick is actually playing really good football.

They're a very young team, especially up front. Got a couple of rookies that are relying on on their offensive line, kind of running back by committee. They're still trying to figure themselves out. But, you know,

ultimately, if you get to the point where, you know, you're week eight or week nine and you're not competitive or you're so far out of that division, that's the time when you let to a play. But I will tell you this about Flores. You know, we talk about all the different coaches

under the Bill Belichick tree that have struggled along the way. You put on the film of the Miami Dolphins. They are playing their butts. off, man. They do play really hard for Brian Flores. So I don't think this is the same kind of attitude that we see with some of those other, you know, the other coaches that have been scrutinized for not being able to get out of the shadow of Bill Belichick. By the way, in L.A.

tonight, the, the Lakers are in the finals, the Dodgers are in the playoffs. I haven't checked lately. How are your Denver sports teams doing? My Denver sports teams are not good right now. I mean, obviously the Nuggets played pretty well. And so did the avalanche, right? But But, you know, I mean, you know, it's always funny to me that, you know, like for the for the Broncos, for instance, you know, we talk so much about speed. And everybody said, hey, man, this team really drafted speed. Now they're going to be able to compete with the Kansas City Chiefs. Like, like, to me, this is not seven on seven league. This is not, hey, we can run by you in seven on seven.

And so it's not fantasy football. You've got to have 11 guys on offense clicking together. And you've got to have an offensive line that can dominate the line of scrimmage. They haven't had that. Henceforth the reason they're one and three, and the only win, the only victory they have is against maybe the worst team in football, the New York Jets. Yeah.

Good seeing you, buddy. Mark Schlereth. He's going to have the Dolphins Niners, had the Rams Giants. Hopefully this one's better than that one. Good seeing you. Good to see you too, Colin. Take care, buddy.

Boost healthy T-levels, burn fat. Check it out. MDrivefor Men.com. MDrive for Men.com. We are lucky right now in the city of Los Angeles. The Dodgers are an incredibly well-run organization. I think they just won their seventh or eighth straight division title very very well run spend their money judiciously good manager

good lineup uh the rams are obviously well run the chargers now have a quarterback for the future they've got to be crazy happy with the chargers lafc is great lakers clippers both good it is a golden age in los angeles everybody's good and this could be the year you'll know after tonight if the lakers have a three one lead doesn't doesn't have much in your life everybody's good Everybody's good. It's a good time to be in L.A. Miami's got the heat, the hurricanes are playing good, and the Marlins are in the playoffs.

So, yeah, that coastal elitism is just taking over the world. You can't help ourselves. We're so good at everything. Hour three is coming up. 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 IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hard Way with your favorite therapist and host Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that's really not safe to have anywhere. but you're having him with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit or armor.

It signals to the world that you not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to. Listen to learn the hard way on the AHA radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English.

Each episode, we pick you here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it with our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. It was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.