The Herd with Colin Cowherd - The Herd - Hour 3 - Mac Jones might be done

Episode Date: November 16, 2023

3-time Super Bowl champion Julian Edelman joins the show in studio to talk about Mac Jones' struggles and if he's the QB of the future for the PatriotsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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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 SportsRadio.com or stream us live every day on the IHeart Radio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Three rings, 12 years in the NFL, third most receiving yards in the history of NFL playoff football, Julian Edelman.

What a pleasure every couple of weeks we get you to stop by. You know, I was thinking about something with Mack Jones the other day. So when I went from the other place, ESPN to Fox, one of the reasons it was easy is because I knew people here, right? I was going on east coast to west coast. I knew Howie Long. I knew a couple of the producers. And I'm like, okay, this is fine.

But New England's very interesting. Their coaching staff is now Bill's kids, players that played for Bill. And some older dudes, you know, the Joe Judge, Patricia, Bill's guys. So you're Mack Jones. You walk into this. Alabama, this is not only NFL. It is an insular environment. And I could see Mac, you know, best,

players at Alabama going up there. And it does feel like it's gotten worse every year. And my takeaway on this is I think Mack is not athletic enough to overcome average wide receiver tight end talent. I think it was better at Bama. But I want to talk a little bit about this is that, I mean, even for you and Brady, it's a rough staff. It's not an easy culture.

It's demanding as hell. I mean, Tom probably doesn't play until Bledso gets hurt. you, one of the great receivers ever in playoff history, it was like year three. Four. Four. So is there part of it that you think, you know, if the kid went to a little looser culture, more offensive leaning, it'd be a little easier? Well, what about the example of, you know, you go to somewhere like San Diego for Justin Herbert,

who didn't have an offensive line, who had a defensive coach and Anthony Lee Lynn, in and didn't have the talent around them and was forced in the day before the game or hours before the game to go in and play. And he played. If you're a guy, you're a guy, okay? And I'm not going to come out here and just bash on Mac. Yeah, it's been terrible for the whole unit. You know, one play, it's the offensive line. One play the receiver slips. One player receiver drops the ball. there's a bad throw, and collectively they're not doing well. But this is National Football League. If you don't win, the quarterback and the head coach get the blame.

When you do win, the quarterback and the head coach get the blame. So, you know, that's this is a production business. Okay, and everyone keeps so wanting to say, oh, he's had three offensive coordinators. He's had the... So is Lamar Jackson. So is Lamar Jackson. And he's really only had two offensive coordinators. I had Billy O'Brien and Josh McDaniels, and that's the same.

same scheme. There's a couple wrinkles here and there, but you're fundamentally doing the same things. It's just been tough for Mack to execute in the high pressure situations, and it comes down to his confidence. He's lost his confidence. And once you lose your confidence in this league, it's tough. I mean, I remember there's a couple times where you drop a ball or something here or there, and you start thinking about it the next play. Easy play. All this is going to be easy. you want and you when you're thinking about things it's not allowing you to play fast it's not allowing your subconscious to kick in and instincts to play the game for you and that's what it's it's been right now he's he's just lost his confidence it sucks for him but you know that's what's

happened yeah um so i was thinking about a friend of mine went to dinner with tom brady the other day yeah and i said you know edelman and Brady. They need a year to go have fun, hang out with their kids. But I said, Brady's too aspirational. They're not going to sit around on the couch. He wants to get to work. And I thought about you, because I'm like, you can't disappear for a

year. And I'm like, now that guy, I'm like, people have asked me about you. And I'm like, he's going too fast up. You can't, this guy's not a couch guy. And do you think Tom is reaching that point of I've got to do something? Or do you think he's wildly busy every day and traveling

the globe? Where's Tom at now? I think he's somewhere in between. I think his mind's always going. He's a very motivated guy. Yeah. So he has a lot of ventures in his life that he's attacking right now, and he's spending time with his family and doing things that he's never probably done with them this time of the year. But naturally, you have a body clock, and my body clock still goes off in the off season in, you know, April where you're sitting there and you're like,

we have a month until we're supposed to be ready. That just happens, especially when you're an athlete, you're a creature of habit. Right. And I did it for 12 years. He did it for 22 years. So I can only imagine what he's feeling right now when his body's feeling good. He's not loading his body. He's not getting hit.

He's probably out there throwing the ball a little bit with Alex while he's rubbing his arm down still. Like, he definitely is probably a little anxious, but there's no way he's coming back. And he's definitely a guy that's working on a whole bunch of things. So tonight we have one of those standalone Thursday games. When the Thursday game started, the media was like, this is unfair. And then I called a couple coaches, and I said, what do you make of it? And they said, well, you don't hit that week.

You've already done the prep in the offseason. So some players look at it. Veteran guys look at it like, I might wake up a little sore Thursday, but it's almost like a second buy. Yep. Is that how you looked at it? Yeah, you just had to get through it. You know, when you knew you had a Thursday night game,

there wasn't going to be any physical practice. Everything was walked through. It was a very mental week, which kind of resembles like a bi-week. So, you know, you have to get through it. And it does suck, especially the older you get, because, you know, you need those days to get your body right. But, you know, as long as you get through it, and it didn't matter what kind of game you played, as long as you got away with a win, that's all that mattered, because then you had a three-day break, you had another, you know, baby bye week. So yeah, I fully agree with that. You can take it as like a baby buy.

That's what we used to call it. Yeah. The, you know, it's interesting. I watch C.J. Stroud's been terrific. He's, he has. Like, wow. And I ask all guys this. Quarterbacks different because, as you know, you played it in college. It's, it's not only cerebral, because all positions, there's memorization of plays and choreography. But there is, is a beyond cognitive there is a confidence aspect there's a do you see the field can you take the hard coaching it's it's the windows shrink i mean by the way college or pro there are certain things you probably did at both levels that you knew your body could do or not do then all of a sudden you go to the NFL it's like well people aren't open they ask you to throw people open that was a

terrible throwing college in high school you don't throw into coverage are you surprised um When you watch C.J. Stroud, do you look at that? Even Tommy needed a year to figure it out. Burrow, most guys need a year. Are you surprised by, like, and he doesn't have great personnel. Tankdale's a nice player, obviously. But do you look at that, and how is he doing it? What sticks to you on a guy like C.J. Stroud?

I want to apologize to C.J. Stroud because as soon as he got drafted, I'm sitting there looking like, oh, another Ohio State quarterback. We already seen this a few times. Right. Because when you play at a school, like that, you have the best players. By far. It's hard to evaluate that position when you have the best receiver in the country going against Louisiana Lafayette of the tech industry a couple weeks of the year.

So, you know, it was very surprising to me, but they've done a good job of keeping things simple. They've done a good job of play caller to quarterback relationship where it seems like he always knows where to go with the football. That's right. It seems like his one first read to his second read is there or there, and then that's it. You know, he never very rarely has to get to his third read. So I think it's a product of everyone in that organization.

Nick Casario doing a really good job of getting guys over there, finding that, you know, that C.J. Stroud. We all, at the beginning of this thing was like, we're like Bryce Young's, you know, everyone was talking about Bryce Young's, boy genius. Yeah. He's like Seth Curry. on the football field. And you didn't hear much about C.J. Stroud. Everyone talked about that test score.

Well, you know, he looks really good. And it's hard to, like, sit back and find a reason why. They just have a good relationship between that offensive play caller and CJ right now. So that's a huge, huge advantage when that relationship is thriving, like when those guys can finish each other's sentences, that's when you start to see the Brock Purdy's, the Dak Prescott's in his early career. Remember when he first came out?

That's what this reminds me of. He reminds me of Dak Prescott. I remember sitting back with Tom when Dak was bowling, what was it, in Fort 15 or something, whatever he came out. And we're sitting there like, what's this guy doing? You know, and it's a product of finding that formula, and they have found that formula. And hopefully they continue,

to keep on working that because early success is great, but early success creates expectations. So, you know, there's going to be bumps in this road. It's still early. I mean, look at Brock Purdy the last three weeks. You know, his first 11 games, the guy's undefeated or whatever, and then, you know, they miss a couple guys. They go three down, and everyone's talking about how he's not the guy anymore.

So, you know, I'm interested to see C.J. Stroud after that bit of a. adversity kicks in when, you know, this later part of the season comes because the ball is going to get a lot harder now. Now, this is a weird question. But Taylor Swift is great. Travis Kelsey is great. Yeah. But you were also good-looking guy dated very, you know, in your career.

You had, you know, I don't want to get into your personal stuff, but I read People magazine. You know, you're good-looking guy, and you had, and I always think about this. I have a great parlay for you this weekend, thanks to Draft King's sportsbook, new users. Use the code herd, H-E-R-D when you download the app. Now for my parlay pick of the week via Draft King Sportsbook. I always take good teams that have been humiliated the week before. Jags got hammered by the Niners. I'll take a minus six and a half to cover at home against the Titans.

No way the Rams beat the Seahawks twice. Seattle's minus one. A better, younger, healthier team. I'll take Seattle. Broncos at home minus two. I know it's a short week off the month. Monday Night Football win, but I think the Josh Dobbs story has limitations. Go Denver. If you want to take the Hurd, parley, check out Draft King's sportsbook. New users, please use the code Hurd. H-E-R-D

when you download the app. 21 plus in most eligible states, but age varies by jurisdiction. Eligibility restrictions apply. Gambling problem. Call 1-800-Gambler. In New York. Call 8778-8-Hope-N-Y or text Hope N-Y-4-669. See show notes for full details. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all,

embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying.

Yep, that's me, Clifert Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show.

This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream,

this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok. Podcast Network on TikTok. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes.

Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of taun tons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith Rule of Two. Listen to Stuff to Blow Your Mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. The two things the media never understands about pro athletes, they get traded. If somebody traded me, I'd be like, do I stink?

My self-esteem. I'm only worth like a backup producer and a copy editor. Like, I would be beaten if you traded me. I think we got to give players that get traded a little love, but that's not easy. The second thing is you hear about the football season. You guys are all beat up. You get very little time off. You get one by.

I mean, you're constantly, he's practices film. And I look at Travis Kelsey. I'm like, he's in Argentina. And I'm like, was he in Argentina? Taylor Swift. And I'm like,

I saw some pictures and I'm like, when you're a star and you date a star and the media talks about it, how do you compartmentalize it? Are you like hiding from the paparazzi? How's it work? You know, the people that I dated

and when I was playing, they were always very respective of our schedule and understood that during football season, you know, I wasn't going to go to Argentina. I couldn't meet you. Can't meet you in Paris for lunch. I'm sorry. Right. You know, but, you know, he's got that compartmentalization skill where if he's out there doing what he's doing, if he goes out and he's performing, everything's okay.

But I tell you right now, you know, the first game, You go out after coming back from Argentina, your eyes are a little droopy, the media. Drop a ball. You drop a ball. I never wanted to put myself in that situation. So, like, that's a tough, that's a tough, it's a tough thing to balance. You know, the personal life with, with football life. Okay.

So. I was a very selfish boyfriend. I apologize to all the girls that I dated throughout my career. Well. But, like, I had one thing on my mind, and that was football. You know, and I wasn't good enough. Like, Travis is good enough where he could go out and do all that. I couldn't do that.

I had to be in a mindset, and they had to understand that. No, I mean, seriously. That's tough. Oh, that's why I ask it, seriously, is that Andy Reid and Belichick are demanding high IQ, intellectual coaches. So it's harder than just, this is not your typical culture. Like, Kansas City is a, they move off people. By the way, they've rebuilt their O-line, their defense, the receiving core. This is an evolving, and Andy's one of the most creative coaches.

You could come in on Tuesday and get a game plan that's a lot. Yeah. Were you even with family members? Your mom, dad called. Was it like, hey, I can't talk now? My parents and my family understood the sacrifices that I made to try to play at the highest level that I could play at. I mean, Super Bowl week, you know, I was fortunate enough to go to a bunch of Super Bowls. I wouldn't see my family. I would see my family on Friday. I'd take them out to dinner,

and I'd be out of there by 8.30 because I was in my routine. I had to keep my routine to keep my confidence going, to keep my play-up. And, you know, guys are different. There's some guys that can go out, you know, and be the LTs of the world and go out the night before the game and come have six sacks. And, you know, there's guys that, you know, didn't do anything. So it depends on the guy you are as long as your plays there, it doesn't matter. You know, Andy Reed, just like Belichick, Belichick had a way of coaching guys. There were certain guys that I won't say, but they had it, like, they could do certain things because they were playing at a high level.

Gronk, yes, Gronk, Hernandez, back in the day. I know we're not supposed to talk about that, but there was, you know, if you were a baller and you had certain things you had to do, he would allow that, but as soon as your play slipped a little, he would remind you. And I'm sure Andy Reid would say, do the same thing.

Yeah. Do you, no, it weren't Thanksgiving. This is real football. This is when it starts. This is when the real football season starts. Did you like, like, is this the time of the year because Kent State, tough guy? You're a tough guy.

Did you always think to yourself, all right, this is the difference between the halves and have-nots? Yeah, it's a cream season. This is when the cream rises at the top. This is when guys are going on their playoff pushes or guys are planning their golf trips. You know, and I was never one of those guys planning golf trips. This is where you got your second wind because you just came off a buy. You're hitting November.

Coaches are bringing up the intensity in the building because this is when you need to start playing your best football. And everyone knew that. You know, we had a good group of guys that knew that. Just like an 18 when we went out to the Steelers and we lost on the road in three rivers in November. It was like a we had state of the unions after that. Like guys are sitting there like, guys, we can't do this. You know, we just lost back-to-back games in November. What are we doing?

We got to get on it and got to get it on the horse now. So, yeah, this is the cream season. If you want to make a run, you got to start playing your football now. And you hurt now. Nobody's healthy now, right? No one's healthy. But you, it's funny because early on the season, you have your excitement because the season starts the first three, four weeks. There's that middle pack of the season, which is like the real grind, that's six to ten where, you know, you get a banged up ankle, you get a, you tear a rib, your shoulders separated, and it starts, you know, and you have to do things each week to try to make that feel better.

It's kind of like NASCAR. How's your car running this week? My car is running all right. It's running all right. But by the time, you know, you had that sprain ankle for about six weeks. Things are starting to feel good. You're starting to get your football legs. Your body's starting to come around.

You get a, we always were timed with a good buy in the middle of the season where we can take that. And then that's when your body just, you get like a second wind. You know, and guys, you start to see the light at the end of the tunnel. And if you didn't, you know, you usually weren't on our team. because we had a good group of guys, like I said. So this is the time of year where, you know, your body's starting, it hurts, but you're starting to ignore that pain just a little bit more because you're starting to see where you're trying to get.

You're starting to see things shape up. You're starting to see the seedings. Are you going to get that by? Are you not going to get that by? How bad do you want that by to get a little extra healthier going into the season or the postseason? So this is the most crucial part of the season. now every game's important every game in the NFL is important but nothing's more important than

playing your best football right now did um after Thanksgiving all the teams you were on was there are you you talked about something last time and it stuck with me you said that every team has a new identity if and I remember talking to a baseball player Jimmy Rollins once of the Phillies years ago I did a commercial with him this was like 15 years ago and he said man idiot ruins a whole locker room. And I'm like, how? The pitchers are down? He goes, it's a small, small locker room. He goes, in Philadelphia, I think he said in Philadelphia are walls curve, so you can see everybody.

One jerk, and he mentioned the guy, he goes, ruins the whole locker room. In all your years in New England, did you ever have, if I said to you, what was the best locker room? Was there a year it was like you would have jumped in front of a train for every guy? Was there a best room? that 16 team i mean all the all the super bowl teams that we won were all great great locker rooms and and the ones that we didn't were we had really good seasons we had great locker rooms it's just we didn't stay healthy yet there was only one year of my career and that was 2009 where there were some a-holes on the team yeah and that was the only time and and that was kind

of like we were getting out of that that 2007 kind of span of team we were getting rid of guys there were a couple guys there that had bad attitudes that were kind of wanted more money than they probably had a lot of money and acted like they had a lot of money let's just put it that way and they were gone the next year and that's when we started over and that's when you know a new crop of guys came up and that's when the new nucleus came and then that's when we started you know building that nucleus because you need to have a nucleus of guys where the 53rd guy and the guy, the 53rd guy on the team sees the number one guy working hard. If he sees the number six guy working hard and he's not working hard, he's not going to make it.

So you need to have that nucleus because when your leaders work the hardest on your team, it makes everyone else have to work hard. You know, when you have a Tom Brady, guy who won five Super Bowls, three Super Bowls when I got there and he's still working the way he was working. and practicing the way he was practicing, or the Teddy Brewski's or the Kevin Falks, you know, that's what makes a team go. That's what makes the other guys fall in line.

You know, Bruceky played Desert Storm in Arizona. Yeah. Almost nobody recruited him. And I remember when I work with him at ESPN, he would come up with a briefcase. And I remember telling people, that guy's going to work here. Yeah. Like, he's going to be very good at ESP.

He came with a briefcase every day. I was like, that's not what guys do. Brew. And what was funny about Bruske is if Teddy Bruske is why the NFL's great. If you didn't know what Teddy Bruske did and you looked at him, because all you guys shed weight, you would have been like, oh, he's a pretty fit accountant. Hair, glasses, briefcase, I mean, bigger than guys.

Bruske, to me, is in my lifetime of watching the NFL, defensive players, is almost hard to explain. Unblockable. I mean, if you looked at it, him. When I first saw him, I'm like, that's the guy nobody can block. People don't realize he was defensive tackle in college.

Unblockable in the Pac-12. Unblockable. And then he goes to be a stand-up linebacker. Middle linebacker. Versatile. Was he that athletic? Yeah. Okay. I got him at the tail end. Like, you know... You could beat him on a move. No, I mean, I could beat him on him.

We lined up once together. It was like OTA practice. Uh-oh, what happened? And we were practicing our stab drill running down the field. And I was lined up with brew, and I start stabbing brew. And after the rep, he looks at me and he says, Hey, Rook, you ever touch me again, I'm going to cut your arm off. And so I got partnered up with them the next time.

And so the next time, you know, Scotty O'Brien are special teams coordinator is watching because, you know, I was trying to make the team. And so I'm sitting there, and I'm stabbing the air behind them. And Brew's just like, yeah, good job, bro. And, you know, that was brew. You don't mess with the bucks. Great seeing you, man. Always a pleasure.

Love your stories, Julian Edelman. We'll come back, wrap it up with J-Mack next. One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week, within the I-Hard Radio app. Search Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. Listen to comeback stories. I'm Darren Waller.

You may know me best as a tied-in for the New York Giants. You may also know me for my story of overcoming addiction and alcoholism. You may have heard a few of my tracks as an artist or a producer. You may have seen the work that I've done through my foundation. And you may know my friend and co-hosts Donnie Starkens as well. He's a mindfulness teacher, a yoga instructor, a life coach, a man fully invested in seeing people reach their fullest potential. And we've come to form this platform of comeback stories to really help. highlight not only our own adversity, but adversity in the lives of well-known guests with

amazing stories. Catch us every week on comeback stories 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 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 where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars.

fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of taun tons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith Rule of Two. Listen to Stuff to Bole your mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. You bring on Julian Edelman. You get stuff. You get stuff. I can't compliment a Patriots player, but he's easy. Seems like a good dude.

Yeah, well, you can compliment one. Good storyteller. J-Mack with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Brandon Staley, I think you said he's coaching for his job, right? They're coming off an abysmal defensive performance from their defensive coach.

533 yards of the lions, five touchdowns. Staley is not making any major changes, he said, because it's just one game. He will continue to be the defensive play caller in that he believes how this team plays. Colin, they can't lose this game to Green Bay. And if Jordan Love looks good against the Chargers? Well, Jordan Love last week against the Steelers made three really nice throws, one to the corner of the end zone for a touchdown. So Jordan's capable of making big throws if you're not great at corner and the Chargers aren't.

But the Chargers like the Steelers tend to put heat on you as a quarterback. So the question is, can the chargers discombobulate Jordan's timing with a pass rush? If not, this is one of these games. I almost don't want to put it in the Blazing Five because I really want to watch it without stress. Today, who would you take? Chargers. God. But I'm definitely not betting this game.

I'm trying to look at the line here. It's plus three now. So Green Bay plus three. Yeah, it looks like a juice three. So you've got to lay like $120 to win $100 if you want the Chargers. I don't think I can bet the Chargers on the road. You don't know what you're getting. They're too up and down for me.

All right. Next up, Josh Dobbs. How about this story with the Vikings? He's being called the Pastronaut, arguably the greatest thing game in the NFL right now because of his aerospace engineering degree. He said that engineering and playing QB have some similarities. Engineering and quarterback have a lot of crossover,

just in the mental aspect of both, right? Like when you're engineer in school, you show up day one as a freshman and they just throw a ton of problems at you and you're forced, like you're giving equations and you have to figure critically think of how to solve those problems, efficiently repeat process. Football is the same way. As a quarterback, you've got to get your team in the right play, critically think of am I in the right play now or what play do I need to get to attack this defense and repeat process. It's cool to be able to work that muscle or to have been able to work that muscle throughout

my college career off the field as well as on the field. I just like listening to that kid talk. You think the Browns are just crying in the facility? They traded him in, I know. In, I think, late August. You know, Jimmy Johnson always says, just fill a roster full of smart guys, just get guys like Josh Jobs on the team.

We were just talking to Julian Edelman off the break. The guy that we have, the DB, formerly the Titans, Logan, Ryan. Just get Logan Ryan on your team. Get Julian Edelman on your team. Josh Dobbs on your team. Get thinkers. It just, it's like ineffective players who don't think the game are like poised into a locker room. It spreads. Smart players similarly, they force everybody else to tighten up and be smarter. You go back, Gronk was a party animal. You put him with Brady and Edelman, Matt Slater, and smart people, like Gronk tightened up. Locker rooms either get tight or loose

depending on the leaders in the locker room. You put Josh Dobbs in the locker room. You put Josh Dobbs in the locker room. It's already, it's going to get smarter. I don't know what to do with Vikings Broncos. It's a fascinating game. Listen, I think Denver minus two is the play. That's what I thought, but Dobbs has killed me, the Vikings have killed me.

I'll say this, if Denver wins and a couple other games break their way, Colin, the Broncos will be firmly in the wild card mix, as crazy as that sounds, in the AFC. It's a huge game for them. I think the Vikings are probably trending toward the playoffs in the weak NFC, right? It's a really big game. It's the late

Sunday game. And Justin Jefferson, we'll see. You know, I need him in my fantasy team. Justin Jefferson returns. Dobbs, you know, has Addison. Jefferson, the running back situation is spotty. Acres is out again. I don't know what to do with this. A lot of games this week are tough. Feels like a toss-up. All right. Final story is tonight's matchup. Bengals Ravens, second meeting this season, Joe Burrow, still dealing with the calf injury during that week two loss. He did not look good. Here he is reflecting on why he didn't play his best. I wasn't obviously feeling my best at that point didn't quite have my full full toolbox in there but I thought we did some good things in the second half like you said you know first half we didn't

have a ton of plays they did a good job you know we we found some explosives in the second half that's what we have to try to do they do a great job of limiting those explosive plays and you have to try to find them because they're they're going to do a really good job on offense keeping the ball running it, scoring points, we're going to have to do the same. You got to score? I'm going to take the points. I would take Joe Burrow in a division game plus three and a half. I'm taking Cincinnati.

I just think in these divisional games, listen, this game last week, Houston deserves credit. I love with the story of Houston. I'm such a big fan of what they're doing there between Domingo and C.J. Stroud. But, you know, Boyd catches the ball, and they may have won that game. And also it was a sandwich game. Between the Bills and the Ravens, you knew Houston. I should have listened to my guy. My guy was trying to talk me into it.

It was one of the better bets of the week, and I missed on it. But I think they've been eyeing this game for a couple of weeks, and I think Cincinnati, I'll take the points. To win outright as well, you did call Denver on Monday. And I like Baltimore, but it's a long season. I don't care if Baltimore is a two-game losing streak. They're great. I'll say 27-26 Cincinnati.

I'll go 23-20 Bengals. That's a little scary. we both like the dog to win outright. And by the way, I don't think anything less of Baltimore. I got him like plus one. You're not going to sweep. In this division, you're not sweeping people. I think I got the Bengals like plus 165 on the money line.

I think I can win this game outright. Yeah, I think Cincinnati. I'll take Cincinnati and I still love Baltimore. I like Baltimore. I don't know if I love them. Why don't you love them? I mean, because it cost me money last week against Browns up 14 in the fourth quarter. Sounds like a you problem a little bit.

them problem they blew the lead in the fourth come on jac with the news well that's the news and thanks for stopping by the herd line this show sponsored by better help online therapy 10% off if you sign up today b e t t t erhelp

dot com slash it's nice to have a thursday game that i'm really looking forward to last week i had to was a carolina chicago or so just a junk fest it was yes so this one i'm all geeked up for tonight i'm gonna go get a workout in little pod. I can't wait. This tonight is one of those sit-home.

You got to get lubricated? No, no, no, no. Clarity. No cocktail night. Going to stare down this game. I'm going to take Cincinnati close. And I think that's where, you know, we're at the, it's like Julian Edelman said. Now is the cream time. Now let's see the best teams rise. I do think this has been, and all the years I've been doing this, this is the most accurate I've been on divisional predictions. So right now, and by the way, I did. not have Cleveland getting in, and I was in a little bit of trouble with Cleveland, but now that Deshawn's going, I got a break, a little bit of a break in my predictions. I think Cleveland will dovetail out and won't make the playoffs.

Division's too good. And that Pittsburgh probably is the beneficiary of that. So I think I've been this, I do think the NFC, I think we were both right. It felt like Philly, Dallas, Detroit, San Francisco, New Orleans. I kind of think that was an easier side. Can't pencil the St. Sanchez yet, I mean. I think they got a I have real problems with that staff.

I don't like what I see. Inconsistency. Again, Sala's team looks the same every Sunday. You don't have to love it. They're limited at quarterback. Jets look the exact same. I get the same effort, same team. I don't know what I get from New Orleans,

half to half. They've had horrible half, straight half, same game. And I like the organization, ownership, front office, roster, personnel. You know, who's turning in a number? one of those? The Buffalo Bills. I don't know. I don't know what you're getting against the Jets this weekend. I don't know if she's gone. Are they winning?

I would take the Jets and the points. Seven. Seven. That's a lot. A lot. We'll see tomorrow. In L.A., the hurt. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and headwriters, Street, Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter.

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Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my time. my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled of conversations 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 IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

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