The Herd with Colin Cowherd - The Herd - Hour 2 - NFL breakdown

Episode Date: August 24, 2023

Greg Cosell from NFL Films joins the show to breakdown what we can expect from QB Russell Wilson in his first year under new head coach Sean Payton Colin changes his opinion on Giants QB Daniel JonesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest,

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

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

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 a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s.

84 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. Thanks for listening to The Heard Podcasts. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio in noon to 3 Eastern 9 a.m. to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the herd at Fox SportsRedia.com or stream us live every day on the IHeart Radio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. Now let's get this party started. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.

Oh, here we go on a Thursday hour number two. It is a pleasure to be here. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening. Thanks for making us part of your day. I've got a hellacious head cold. I'm a little loopy. I'm a little loopy today. I forgot my phone at home.

I finally got it. Thanks to our staff's amazing. How good is that? My assistant, Savannah's amazing. You have an assistant now? I had to hire it. Yeah, I got a lot of stuff going on. You do have a lot of kids, a lot of stuff.

Yeah. She's great. And you have a coldish thing too. I got a thing going on. You're going to get it fixed. I'm going to go on the IR for a minute. A little surgical procedure, as they say. But I should be okay.

And if I'm not, you know, the show must go on. You'll be fine without me. I'm a bit of a fatalist. if you didn't know. A little bit. I'm the same way. I literally get, literally get very, you know, whenever I'm at a hospital, I always call my kids. Yeah, no, no, I do the same thing. I just wanted them to know dad's in the hospital, so they'll feel sorry for me. Yes. All the pressure and stress they create, I want them to know. Yeah. Okay, so I'm very close to solidifying. I'm going to put it out there, my AFC, NFC, NFC playoff teams. Not going to go to

division division yet. So here's who I think is going to be in the AFC and I have two teams. I'm keeping my eye on. So for a radio audience, dolphins, Bengals, Jags, chiefs, bills, chargers, Ravens, the teams I like. I am keeping my eye on the Broncos. See if they can get that O line kind of figured out here in the next 10 days and I'm keeping my eye on the Steelers. They won six of their last seven. I'm going to listen to Greg Kosell in a couple of minutes on Kenny Pickett,

T.J. Watt. So I'm just going to keep my eye on the Broncos and Steelers. You have a, are these the exact same seven teams that were in the playoffs last year? As of now. So you think the exact same seven teams are going to make it again? Well, that's why I'm keeping my eye on a couple teams. Now, at least four teams have changed every year for like three decades. But as I've told you, let's go to the NFC now. There's all sorts of stuff that's changing. That's where most of my changes are because you don't have the dominating quarterbacks. So in right now I have the Eagles, Lions, Panthers, Niners, Seahawks, Vikings Saints.

So obviously the Lions didn't make it in last year. The Panthers didn't make it in last year. Did the Saints make it in last year? No, they didn't make it. And that was beat three new teams. I'm keeping my eye on the Cowboys and Giants. First of all, the Giants just picked up Isaiah Simmons. They have Darren Waller.

I think their schedule, the toughness of it is overstated. I said that yesterday. I think everybody's selling their giant stock, not to be a contrarian, but I think they're going to be just fine. Good, I don't know. Very good, I don't know, good, probably. I'm keeping my eye on the Cowboys. Everybody loves the Cowboys this year.

Does everybody realize they just lost arguably the best young OC in the game? And now Mike McCarthy's calling plays, who I don't even trust with a clock. I don't think it's great. Don't think it's great. And also, as Greg Kosell told us last week, have we seen the best of Dak Prescott? He's now just a pocket quarterback, and he's never been a great pocket quarterback.

We don't get the mobility anymore. So we'll see. And I also think they're one injury away to a Tony Pollard or a C.D. Lamb from being a very limited offense, like very limited. So with that, we bring in Greg Kosell, 44 years at NFL films still have stuff to listen to so I'm gonna I can't wait for your Kenny Pickett stuff we'll get to that in a couple minutes so let let's start with the young guys

Bryce young Bryce young second preseason game you've looked at it any alteration of what you saw would you make a Bryce young second time around you know I think it's a hard evaluation for this reason. I think he's been under a lot of duress. I think we know what he is. You know, mentally he's outstanding, but he is small. He's not particularly, you know, firm in terms of body type. He does not have a great arm. You know, he's not necessarily going to stand on his back foot and drive the football in muddied and crowded pockets. So, you know, I think it becomes a function of how they use him once the regular season starts. Because don't forget, Colin, in these preseason games. They're not game planning. We don't know if they're trying to work on specific

things that they may or may not do once the regular season starts and they play their first opponent, who they've obviously been working on since the schedule came out. So I think it's hard to get a true sense beyond what we know about him based on his college tape. C.J. Stroud, a little better against the Dolphins. You see anything you like or didn't like? Well, I think, again, we know what Stroud is. You know, and I think you would agree. There's not a mystery to what he is. He's a pocket quarterback with outstanding ball location, ball placement. He's rhythmic. He's timing-based. If he can be protected in the pocket, then I think he can be an efficient player. Yeah. That's kind of what Stroud is. He's a ball distributor and an executor, and he needs to be protected.

And I think they'll need a run game to some degree. So much of that, again, will depend on the O-Line. and quite honestly the defense, because as you know, Colin, what's the last thing you want to have with a young quarterback? To have him playing from behind and feeling the need to put up 30 points. You don't want a young quarterback like Stroud, who's essentially a pocket player, not a statue, but he's a pocket player to have to drop back 35 or 40 times every week. Okay, so Jordan Love has not faced a single pressure in 18 drawbacks, dropback. So that's not the real life in the NFL, but the Packers generally. draft develop O-lines very well. So it's not a surprise he has good protection.

I find it this is a very well-run operation. They have been for 25 years. I don't see anything that scares me. I don't see a lot of juice. Could he be just a really good high-end game manager? What's the film say? What do you see? I think talent-wise, he's more than that.

Now, again, that doesn't mean I'm telling you he's going to be a great quarterback. I'm just talking about his quarterback, talent because he has a very good arm. He moves well. He can make throws at all three levels of the defense. You know, it's funny. Last week, you mentioned that badly inaccurate throw to a wide open musgrave on a crosser. This week, he made a really good throw on a crosser to the rookie read, which turned into a 19-yard TD. That was a crosser as well versus man coverage. So I think he's got higher level talent. Obviously, we need to see him under duress. We need to see him play each every week when he has bad moments.

But I think the talent level, and I think you would probably agree, I know you're a big college football guy, you would probably agree that he did showcase that talent as well in college. It's just, you know, we don't know how it's going to translate week after week after week until he plays like that. Yeah, I mean, he throws a pretty ball and he moves well. So I always say I think where you land matters unless you're Andrew Luck or Trevor Lawrence or maybe a Caleb Williams, you can kind of overcome stuff. where you lands about 80% of it. And I think Jordan Love, if he landed with a bad franchise, would be a miss.

But Green Bay is a really well-run company. So my takeaway is that's going to elevate him and help. He's going to have time to throw in a good run game. That's a huge asset. I was just going to say good run game, and they should have a pretty good defense. So, you know, again, same situation where you want to see a, I mean, he's not a rookie, but he's inexperienced. You want to see an inexperienced quarterback on a team that has dimensions.

So it's not all Jordan Love every week. Okay, so this one's really interesting because, you know, Steeler fans, I like Kenny Pickett. I don't see wow, but I will say he moves well. Every time he's like Jordan Love and Kenny Pickett. Every time they talk, they say the right stuff. They're grownups. They appear to, you know, they're adults. They want to run these franchises.

So Kenny says the right stuff. It's a great organization like the Packers. They've got nice weapons. I don't see a lot of wow, but, you know, people didn't see wow. with Brady until like year six. I mean, what do you see on Kenny Pickett? Yeah, and again, this is a good conversation, Colin, because Kenny Pickett is an efficient ball distributor. He executes an offense at a pretty high level. I thought in the preseason, his arm looked a tick stronger than it did a year ago. He moves well. So again, special or

wow is one of those terms that probably many of us would describe differently. We're certainly not saying that talent-wise, he's Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen or Justin Herbert, but if he can execute the offense the way it's structured at a high level, make quality throws, as we just saw right here. That was a tight window throw with precise ball location, and he does have movement ability, then, again, I'm not sitting here telling you now, oh, he's going to be a top three quarterback in the league, but I think he has a chance to be a pretty good player. Maybe I see him a little differently than you do, but I think the traits are there to be a, you know, again, I hate making lists like that, say top 10, top this,

but I think he can be a very good NFL quarterback. All right. Yeah. I mean, it's, I just love this roster so much. If he's good, not even very good, they probably are a playoff team. If he's good. All right. And I think I'm curious to see the backfield division of labor because Jalen Warren is a

juicier runner than Harris. And I'm very curious to see how they. they map out those carries. So I know he may not start, but Garoppolo's health is always a bit tenuous. So the Aiden O'Connell kid, if I recall in Purdue, kind of played from the shotgun. You're not going to, you're not going to, you know, he did. Okay. So you're not going to move the pocket with him.

But I got to tell you, when I watch him in the pocket, sets his feet, confident, lets her rip. Did they find themselves a Brock Purdy? Did they find themselves a guy that can start and win games? Well, again, you're dealing with a kid, and I watched his Purdue tape for a couple years, actually. He was playing in the air raid offense. So he was in the gun. It's obviously different in the way it's taught, and you need to learn more in the NFL. But again, it's preseason.

But I think if you just isolate him, you see a quarterback that I think shows a pretty refined feel for processing, for eliminating what's not there, getting the ball to the right person within the timing and structure of the route design. He's got good ball location. he's comfortable in the pocket. He's got some subtle movement. Obviously, he's not a second reaction dynamo. That's not his game, but he's patient in the pocket. And I think for the most part, you're seeing a guy that's naturally precise with his location.

So, you know, look, we don't know about Garapolo. Unfortunately, he seems to get hurt a lot. I mean, I never thought Garapolo got quite the credit he deserved with the 49ers for being asked to make a lot of difficult throws. But we'll see. If Jimmy Garoppolo does get hurt, my sense is that Josh McDaniels would feel comfortable with O'Connell out there. Yeah. Okay.

So, J. Mack and I disagreed a little. Sam Hal reminds me of Baker Mayfield without quite the arm strength, the way he sets and throws. He's fine. He was a big high school recruit. He had a couple great years in college. Then he lost a star running back at Carolina, and he kind of dipped. So I don't know how he's viewed. But I watched him, and I thought, you know, this roster's pretty good.

good. Sam, how to me, could win you six games. It looks like he's a more than capable kid. He moves a little bit. What does the film say on him? Yeah, I, again, just looking at the Ravens game, and I watched him the week before as well, but he did have a lot of dropbacks versus the Ravens. And again, we know it's preseason, so you always have to be a little careful. But I thought he looked very comfortable with what he was seeing. He was quick to process. I thought he did little things well. He was really quick and efficient getting his head around off conventional play action, and that gives you the opportunity to read coverage with clarity. I thought there was a rhythm to the way in which he played, Colin, his drop, his set, his delivery. It all looked fluid and comfortable.

Another thing that really stood out to me is he was able to work some full field progressions. So if he didn't like what he saw to his left, he came back to his right, and he got his lower body turned so he threw with good mechanics. He did not throw across his body. I thought he did a lot of the little things well. Now, keep in mind, he was a fifth round pick for two reasons. Number one, he's a six-foot quarterback, who's even though he can move is essentially a pocket player, and the history of six-foot pocket quarterbacks in the league is not strong. And also, he was a descending player his last year in college. So I think those two reasons are why he dropped in the draft. But again, pre-season, but I've been in

impressed with what the tape has shown through those two games. Okay, a story that's kind of blown up, and I don't think it, you know, I'm probably guilty of this too. I don't know if it deserves as much discussion as we're giving it, because Brock Purdy's the starter, but you saw Trey Lance again. I think from what I've seen on the Niners, I think Darnolds had the best camp of all of them, but what did you see, you know, second start, Tray Lance? What did the tape tell you?

What's the tape tell you on Darnold and Lance? Yeah, I mean, you know, I, I, I would say that, you know, Lance is an interesting guy to me. And in many ways, I feel badly for him because he just hasn't played a lot of football in the last four years. You know, and I think the way in which he was used and deployed in college, you know, he was a great athlete. He was used in a way where he didn't really have to learn all the subtleties and nuances of playing the quarterback position the way it's needed to be played in the NFL. So when I watch his tape, I think to myself, okay, does he have a natural sense of timing and anticipation? I'm not sure.

There are throws he turned down. There are times he doesn't turn it loose when throws are there. At times, I feel like he's not really seeing it the way he should. And then he'll make a good throw. That's where the throw is clearly defined. He's just a kid who unfortunately needs reps and experience, Colin, and he's not in a position to get that. So it's easy to say right now that he's not a good player.

He just hasn't played a lot of football. and because he's not a precision player by nature, he's more of a playmaker. He needs to play a lot of football, but that's not going to happen right now. All right. Well, the guy that is getting the snaps, Russell Wilson, you know, I think you, more than any really good quarterback in the league, in our relationship, I thought you struggled more with Russell. I remember years ago, you said, I think these are designed ad libs, and I thought that was funny. You said, you always said, and when you, you. You can't, after 44 years at NFL films, when you can't get your arms around it, I can't.

We know that. But Russell, Sean Payton said to me one time, here sitting down, he said, Russell is at his best playing basketball on grass, kind of point guarding it? And to him, it's like, he's got to get back to playing basketball on grass. I want you moving, setting stuff up, being quick. How important is mobility to his game? because I've never thought of him as a great pocket passer. Well, I think he's always thrown a beautiful ball,

but I think his game, you know, was so built on movement. And there's such a balance. And I think it's, to me, again, I'm not a coach, but I think that would be very hard to teach the balance between staying in the pocket and executing the offense versus getting out of the pocket. And don't forget, he's 5'10. So only he could tell you what he sees and what he doesn't see. I can sit with a clicker in my office all day and say, hey, I think that ball should have been thrown, but maybe he doesn't see it clearly.

And if he doesn't see it clearly, then, hey, he's going to take off because there's only a very limited amount of time. You know, everything's happening pretty fast. Again, you know, Sean Payton obviously had one of the best pocket quarterbacks we've ever seen and a true kind of anomaly in Drew Brees at six feet. you know, Breeze was not a bad athlete by any means, but he was a pocket quarterback who executed at a high level. I'm sure he'd like Wilson to at least move in that direction, but at the same time, I don't think you say to Russell Wilson, I don't want you to move. So it's almost as if Wilson has to figure out that balance himself, given where he is athletically and physically in his career. So I think one of the more intriguing players, and if you go look, if you take the splits last year of his first, you know, seven, eight starts and then the other ones, he did appear to get better as the O line

sort of came together in Chicago. It's young, but it kind of came together. Now it's all beat up. Now it's all beat up, unfortunately. But my guess is, same system. Young O line comes back, added dimension at tight-in receiver. My guess is Justin Fields is going to work. He's going to have, you know, more yards after the catch because they have more special weapons. What have you seen in the preseason? Where are you right now and Justin? Well, I actually watched a ton of his tape about a month ago from last year because I wanted to see his development last year all at one time, which I can't really do during a season. And I actually thought there was clear incremental growth as the season progressed in terms of being able to see things and then make throws. You know,

again, it's a similar situation to Russell Wilson. You're just dealing with a bigger, firmer athlete. I mean, he's probably 6-3, 230 pounds. So he has to find that balance between delivering the ball from the pocket within the structure of the offense when it's there versus taking off. And I thought there were flashes down the stretch last year where he clearly showed improvement in working from the pocket, doing some progression reading. And I would expect that to continue. I agree with you on him. I would expect that to continue. So it's, listen, I've never been, I thought Daniel Jones was a bit of a reach at six. I'm not a huge fan.

But if I said to you, is he a bigger, stronger Alex Smith? Straight line speed, not going to lose games. Knows what he is, knows what he's not. And then I look at him and I think, well, I liked Alex Smith. So why don't I like Daniel Jones? Because I think he's a bigger, stronger athlete. Is that a fair comp? What's the preseason shown you with Daniel Jones?

I think he's a better thrower than Alex. Okay. I think he's got a better arm, and I think he's a better thrower. You know, I'm fascinated to see this offense because I think that with a year with Brian Dable, you're going to see with more weapons and expansion of the intermediate and vertical passing game. I think the addition of Waller gives them so much more from a formation standpoint, because Waller stylistically. Again, I don't want people to think I'm making an exact comparison,

but stylistically, he's like Travis Kelsey in the sense that you can line him up anywhere in the formation. You can split him out. He can be the single receiver to the boundary, the short side of the field, which actually helps a quarterback pre-snap and poses significant issues for a defense. So I would expect to see an expansion of the past game concepts, and we'll find out, I think, sooner than later where Daniel Jones stands. But I think he's a bigger, stronger athlete than Smith and a better thrower of the football. Okay.

Well, that's significant. You know what? J-Mack? Think I'm going to tweak the Giants. Get them in the playoffs. I'm on the first. Who are you taking out then? All right.

Hold me think. I'm not taking the Eagles out. Eagles, lions will win their divisions. I'm not taking the Niners, Seahawks. I would probably take out the Panthers. Let me look at this. The Panthers. That's what I thought you would do.

Yeah. Because they're a bit of an unknown right now. Okay. Right now, Giants in, Panthers out. Why are you rolling your eyes? I am willing to evolve as a sportscaster. That's a good quality to have. Okay.

So I just, when he tells me that, I got into this. I'm like, I liked Alex Smith. Why do I hate Daniel Jones? And you, I know he's, you're telling me he's bigger with a better arm. I'm like, and he's got a great coach. All right, Giants and the playoffs. All right. Finally.

We talk a lot about Caleb. Williams. But the quarterback that's not quite as consistent, so I watched him, Drake May. You know, all the traits, big, strong moves, all that stuff. Doesn't feel to me when I watch him quite polished yet. Like he needs another year. I feel like Caleb Williams could come out now and be a nice NFL quarterback. There's something when I watched Drake, ma'am, like there's a lot there. A lot to like, but it doesn't quite feel sandpapered or refined yet. So you're the expert. You do this every year. What do you see with that kid? Well, generally, I would agree with you, but he is such an easy natural thrower with minimal effort. I mean, knee bend, hips, core talk.

The ball comes out so easily. I mean, he's an explosive armed talent. And he moves extremely well. There's a lot of positives to his game. But there are other, there are, you've kind of nailed it, Colin, and you're, you know, you study quarterbacks as well. I mean, there were times he drifted in the pocket to his left when there was no pressure and no reason to move. When you do that, you create your own pressure. And that's always an issue for quarterbacks.

You have to stay on the midline when you drop back. Too many throws in which he was not as balanced as he needed to be. And then you fall away from throws, and that presents ball placement issues. But these are things that can be corrected. The question is, will they be corrected? You know, neither you nor I, I assume, no Drake May. So, you know, we can't speak to how he handles all this. But there's such talent there.

I mean, very few guys deliver a ball like Drake May just with the E. He's a prettier thrower. And again, we're not saying better, worse as a player, but he's a prettier thrower than Caleb Williams. Yeah. Yeah, and he's got size and he moves well. So I watched just snippets. You watch films, so you're going to be more accurate than me. That's what a great show today.

So we came to this term. You like Kenny Pickett and think he has a chance to be very good. That matters. We both think Sam Howell has a lot of things that we like. We don't know how it plays out, but we both like him. You have sold me on Daniel Jones as a better Alex Smith. And I liked Alex and I don't like Daniel. So my takeaway is why, where is my bias getting in the way of this?

because I always thought Alex was a nice, nice quarterback. And we both like Drake May. He just got to clean some stuff up. That, you know, good plug. That's the cliff notes version of our conversation today, yes. That was good. I got a lot of stuff. My head is full.

Well, I got a cold, so it's full of a lot of things. But I'm full of Greg CoSell stuff. Great seeing you's always, Greg. Thanks, Colin. Appreciate it. So my whole thing is I don't like to fall into these like confirmation bias traps. And so last year I'm watching Daniel Jones and I'm like, I don't see it. Now everybody thinks he stinks. And then I go back and look at his numbers and his passerating

and completions and his mistakes. And somebody said, I don't even know who said it. They're like, well, he's his comp is sort of Alex Smith. And I went home and I'm like, wait, time out. I've got a bias here. Now, we have a new rule on our show we talked about. Nothing said in July counts because we're just trying to fill three hours because there's no sports. So anything I said in July just doesn't count. Now it starts to count. So if I said I didn't like him then, but I thought to myself, time out. You're saying you don't like him at all. Well, you like the other guy enough. So if he's a, and CoSell says, he's better thrower and he's a, and he's bigger than Alex Smith and they both have great straight line speed. Alex could move.

He's a bigger, better armed and he's got a great offensive coach. So why don't I like him? So I do. So I just made the shift. I'm going to go. I have. I can still pull back. I'm going to put the Giants in, and I love the Panthers in July, but that month doesn't count. Giants in the playoffs. It's going to go Philadelphia Giants. Interesting. So let me ask a question here.

You're keen on the Lions. You're keen on the Panthers. I'm not keen on them. They're over values. Well, the division's won in 10 games. So there's a team you have outside that has won 12 games each of the last two years. And in this offseason, they added a former all-pro corner match. and they added someone else,

oh, a good wide receiver. Why are you overlooking the Dallas Cowboys? A team that got eliminated the last two years in the playoffs by the Niners who have arguably the best roster in the league. The Eagles play a first-place schedule, and you got the Cowboys on the outside. Listen, I know you're going to do your thing and research and all that and talk to people.

I have these analytics-based guys on my podcast. Two of them have now taken the Cowboys to go to the Super Bowl. The numbers have said this Dallas team is the best they've had in a while. Yeah, but you know what nobody's done in the last 30 years? Have the Cowboys going to the Super Bowl and they disappoint us? That never happens. Certainly all the time, yes.

I don't know. 12 wins. These are the last two years. Let me ask you this. Coach, Dayball McCarthy, who do you like? From what you've seen, Daibol? I would lean Daibol. And then literally everything else goes to cowboys.

Oh, really? Literally everything. Running back, tight end. I like Tony Pollard, and I love me some Deuce Vaughn. Oh, give me a break. Give me a freaking break. You don't like Tony Pollard? Over Sequin Barclay?

I've been calling Tony Park. Well, all right. We'll give it a wash there. Sequan's hurt all the time. We're not going to give it a wash. It's check, check giants. Left tackle. Oh, by the way, tackles.

Giants. Coach. There's a lot of one-year stuff here. Brian Nebel. One year as a head coach. By the way, defensive front. Oh, no. Cowboys have arguably the best defensive front in the league.

No, they don't. No, they don't. Oh, my gosh. No, they don't. The Niners. Parsons is like the favorite for defensive player of the year. Camon Thibodeau, second year is going to be very good. Okay.

Dexter Lawrence. Interesting. Is Leonard Williams still around? Listen, Giants have some dudes. They're good. But this Dallas team is, wow. They're loaded, bro. And I don't even like Dallas.

This is what's weird about this show. I don't like a team and then you diminish them so greatly. I feel like, wait a minute, what am I missing here? And I'm starting to flip and like. I'm saying this. league has certain things that matter. Giants, quarterback in the prime, good weapons, excellent tackles, excellent defensive front, offensive coach. Don't love their wide receiving weapons. Okay, okay, it's not the end of the world. I wish they had another receiver.

Cuts are on Tuesday in the league. They can pick somebody up. But there's so much I like. They're defensive front. They have playoff momentum. The quarterback's in their prime. He moves a little. Starback, star tight end. Excellent. If their center can play, they just drafted a center early. If he can play, their all lines good. So the Giants got smashed. And when I mean smashed, I mean decimated by the Eagles last year. Well, the Philadelphia Eagles had arguably the best team in the league led Kansas City late. And they got, and also they got swept by the Cowboys. The games were, if I remember, fairly viable games. So I think the Giants in Day Bowl's system will improve.

I think the Cowboys losing Kellan Moore, Zeke, and Dalton Schultz, won't improve. Stephen Gilmore's... Giants won eight, one-score games last year. They're not doing that again. A lot of lucky stuff from Daniel Jones. Come on, man.

Come on. We like Day Bowl. But remember... I don't know. Just say it. Last year, we called the Giants on this show. You called him and I gravy trained. And you piggybacked me. You know, that's what I do. I'm telling you now, stay it far away.

This is like where the girl is like kind of making moves on you, and I'm your buddy, and I'm like, I, hey, this is not good news for you. This is not going to end well. Slow your role. And you're just like, I see greatness. And just sometimes you've got to listen to your friends. I'm going on vacation next week. I want to let it simmer.

I'll be out east. I'll be close to the Giants camp. Maybe I'll get some vibes. Will you? He said vibes on me. Will you have the clarity? Will you be drinking on this vacation? Or is it going to be locked in on preseason week three?

Well, Anne and I occasionally would have a martini of maybe an early evening martini and just enjoy the sunset. Is that before or after the funnel cake? We don't do funnel cake. Anne doesn't do corn dogs or funnel cake. That's not her jam. One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the I-Hard Radio app. Search Her 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 iHeart rating. app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, 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 Clivert Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. 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 Jette. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a 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 was big to me not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack all 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. Then you're finishing that sentence. Yes.

I don't think there's a more important year for blood. black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years from black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Now, as you know, I have the right to change things, but as of right now, due to Greg CoSells talk about Daniel Jones, I have made a, just over the course of a show, just a little change this hour. My NFC playoff teams, and here's the problem with it, is you've got to have at least four new teams in the playoffs every year because that's happened for 30 years and now I only have two. I'm going to put the Giants in as of this morning Panthers out.

But the problem is then only the Saints and the Lions would be new playoff teams. And I don't have any new playoff teams. So what that tells me is deep down my guess is I probably move the Steelers in over the Ravens. There's a lot. So if I go to the other side, Steelers Ravens, the thing I like about the Steelers, almost all their good players, their top players don't have an injury history. T.J. Watt got hurt last year, but the Ravens top players do have an injury history. So here's what I want to do this morning.

Steelers in, Ravens out. And that'll give me three, that'll give me three new playoff teams. Then I've got to find another one. How's that? Now, you don't like the Giants for another reason. You said something, and I think this is very interesting. So they went eight, four, and one in games decided by a touchdown or less. So that's better than average.

Right, and usually that regresses. Okay. The bigger number is against playoff teams last year, two and seven. So when they stepped up in class, they got knocked down. Beat up on the bad teams. And guess what happens when you make the playoffs? You have a tougher schedule in the non-conference or the non-division. And this giant schedule, when you look at it, they got to face some tough defenses.

Like, listen, I know people think, oh, you're just bashed them because you love the Jets. I'm looking at the schedule. And I'm thinking Daniel Jones is going to have a little tougher time than he had last year when he was, you know, the best season of his career. Defense will keep him in games. They'll be competitive. I just don't see playoffs. Well, and the eight, four, and one and one-score games, that stuff. It's like the Vikings, one-score games last year.

They were like unbelievable. Kirk Cousins led the league in game-winning fourth quarter drives. Like, come on. I did hear someone today talking about the Buffalo Bills, and I think Warren Sharp had the stat inside the three-yard line. Offensively, they were the worst team in the league. Yeah, strangely. It's like something's going on.

with Josh Allen, Red Zone, Dorsey, missing dable. I don't know. Leslie Frazier leaves the D.C. Greg McDermott. Is it Greg McDermott? Is it Greg McDermott? Sean McDermott. He was ticked off about that Steelers game over the weekend.

Preseason. Fired up. Some stuff going on with the bills. I don't know. In July, I had them fading. And now I'm like, come on, it's the bill. This is what summer's about. Vacations and speculation and flip-flopping.

Makes me very happy. And an occasional martini. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd. weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeardt radio app. He's by Carmen, I'm Dan Byard. We have a brand new fantasy football podcast called I Want Your Flex. Twice a week, every Tuesday and Friday, we come up with new episodes to not only look back at what happened, what you need to do at that minute, and also look ahead of what's coming up in the fantasy football world. That's right, Dan. Every week we're going to scour the waiver wire to find the pickups to

turbo boost your fantasy lineup, sits, starts, fantasy football players' rankings to get you ready to dominate the competition. Listen to I Want Your Flex with Mike Harmon and me, Dan Byer on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games.

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

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care 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 all day, but just so you 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. 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. Tonight on FS1, Rookie of the Year candidates face off as Ellie de la Cruz lead the Reds against Corbyn Carol and the Diamondbacks.

It all goes down tonight at 9.30 Eastern on FS1. Without further ado, J-Mack with the news. This is the herd line news. Holdout with the Chiefs. Whoops. Patrick Mahomes was asked about his all-pro teammates holdout yesterday. Here's what Mahomes had to say about Chris Jones. I don't think anyone expected him not to be here now,

but that's part of the contract negotiation stuff. So, I mean, I'm not looking down on him for anything. like that. He has stuff that he's trying to get done that he feels like he needs to get done right now. And so I respect his decision. And then whenever he gets back, like I said, we open him with open arms. And he's a vital part of this organization. And so I'm glad that he's on my team. Says the right thing. You know, Jared Gottgolf watching this closely, right? The opener. Nice to not have Chris Jones coming down your throat. Oh, it's in the opener. And the Lions offensive line is excellent.

Yeah, Lions O line and the Falcons O lines. People that. don't understand because they're not playoff teams, our top like 5 or 6-0 lines, like really good protection. Lions defense is trash, though. Well, they've added some corners. They've drafted some interior. It's not like they added sauce gardener, Colin.

They went and got a really good linebacker, I think, from Iowa. In the first round, that's right. Keep your eye in Detroit. You haven't in the playoffs, huh? You and every other person, and you and every other human being on the planet. Well, I have acknowledged I was a little hard on Dan Campbell

after about nine anti-Dan Campbell segments. Yeah. And I'm scaling back. I still think he's a little quirky, but they play hard and they've got a lot of good players and golf with protection. His entire career has been good. He was good in L.A. when he had protection.

When the O-line let him down, he doesn't throw well in a muddy pocket. He doesn't move. But their own line's great, and it's young. How about your guy Amaraw St. Brown? I heard you're going to definitely do everything you can to get him in fantasy in the Fox Fantasy. I don't.

I'm not in that. Who's playing Fox Fantasy? Is that a big deal? That's a huge deal. Is it? I heard you're hosting the draft. At least that's what Wes said. I don't know.

He's playing tennis somewhere around the country. Who knows? Anyway, next up, yesterday it was reported the Raiders were adamant about not trading Josh Jacobs despite his holdout. But that didn't stop the dolphins from checking in on the running back. And that's not the only star they've checked in on having. ongoing talks with the Colts about picking up Jonathan Taylor. This comes after Miami was all in on Dalvin Cook before he gave them the stiff arm to sign with the Jets.

What is this Miami? They're just pushing all their chips in the middle, huh? Well, you don't have any choice. Tua is the most fragile quarterback right now in the league in terms of that concussion changes everything. I think Miami's doing the right thing. We got no eye. We're going to go pay for Fangio, Ramsey, running back. and by the way

I don't think you know they've got to pay a two I think two more years so the bottom line is you know what Miami's going to draft next year even if two is good they're going to draft a quarterback Miami's Miami because they don't have a lot of holes they're going to go O-line and quarterback next year

so whoever comes out of college to play quarterback for the dolphins maybe backing up to or playing it's going to have a lot of good players Mike White Mike White could be the guy he's not the guy we'll see just a quick word on this Dolphins schedule. It is. It's wrong. Arguably the toughest in the league.

Several people have crunched the numbers and I'm like, dude, this is the toughest schedule in the league. But it's also a really good team. Colin, down the stretch, here are their final four games. Jets, Cowboys, Ravens Bills. Like, if you're teetering, can we get into the playoffs? Remember, late in the season, people are hurt. You have faced the Jets pass rush, the Cowboys Pass Rush,

Baltimore, eh, and then the Buffalo defense, which can be nasty up front. Miami's going to be boom or potentially massive bust. We'll see. I do have a bet on the dolphins. You know, you like to win money, but I'd rather have the Jets get in the playoffs. It's not like it's a $2,000 better. Final story. Ah, geez. Yankees, here we go. Finally ended their nine-game losing streak so you can stop bashing them. Got it picked up a 9-1 win over the nationals. They're now 61 and 65, still on track for their first losing season since 92. GM, Brian Cashman, did not mince words. When he spoke to the

media. Here's what he had to say. It's been a disaster this season. And yeah, it's definitely a shock. Certainly, I don't think anybody on our side of the fence from our player group, from our coaches, our manager, or even outside the organization, so I would have predicted this. We're going to evaluate it all, clearly. Unfortunately, we're going to have some time to do that. I'd say everybody's had a little bit of a hand in it, you know, from top to bottom. And it's our job to find out where. Doesn't look like he's had any sleep lately. I mean, you look brutal.

You can lose in baseball, hard to lose in New York with the Yankees. Fans are a little unrealistic. I think what did we do yesterday? They've made the playoffs 24 or 29 years. The Braves are the only team even close. The Giants have, I mean, we said this earlier in the season. We did this two months ago, a month and a half. ago. They were batting like

221. They were just ahead of the A's. Outside of Aaron Judge, they can't hit. They don't have good players. You know how we joke that there's a generation of NFL fans who don't know the Cowboys being a good team? There's a generation of baseball fans who only know the Yankees in the playoffs every year. They come up short, but they're always in the mix.

Under 500? I don't know. One of my buddies just texted me a hot take that Boone is going to get canned, and then he'll go to the Angels and coach them next year. Well, he would, his dad played for the Angels. Bob Boone. You say so.

You're Mr. 70s baseball. Wasn't Bob Boone a catcher for the Angels in the 70s? Yeah, thank you. Greg Toey, baseball expert. Yeah. Baseball family. Aaron, Brett, Bob. Oh, I think you're talking about Tui baseball.

All right, Jay Mack with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurdline News. Peter Schrager is stopping by next hour. Jason's off tomorrow. So tomorrow's headlines today on a Thursday. We love that.

Two down one to go live in L.A. It's The Herd. 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 I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games.

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

84 was a wild. 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.