The Herd with Colin Cowherd - The Herd-HOUR-3-NFL panic meter

Episode Date: September 29, 2020

Colin lists the NFL teams that should already start to panicGuest: Brian Billick Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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you're listening to fox sports radio did the herd hierarchy we'll show it to you again before the end of the show I had Seattle and Green Bay a little lower than people thought so I had Kansas City 1 Tampa Bay 2

and I had I think I had Seattle 5 and Green Bay 6 it's not that I don't like them I feel they're really really dependent on Aaron and Russell saving the day now I still don't know if I'm going to know exactly what Green Bay is because the next two weeks they have Atlanta and a buy.

But they go to Tampa. Green Bay in three weeks goes to Tampa and they're going to need a running game. They're going to need the ability to protect Aaron and have other, because Aaron is not going to have a ton of time to throw. So that's going to be very interesting game. I like Seattle and Green Bay a lot, but I do feel like Russell Wilson is the life preserver way too often for that team. And I don't feel, even though Patrick Mahomes is great, they can run the board.

ball. They made stops last night. So it's, I want a great quarterback, but I don't want only a great quarterback. I feel Seattle's defense. Pete Carroll's got to, I don't know what it is. I mean, they got a great safety. Bobby Wagner's amazing, but they have no pass rush. That's why they invented or created the trading deadline to fix problems that maybe incurred in camp. Brian Billick hadn't had a lot of problems. Nine years, won a Super Bowl with a Baltimore Ravens. He was an offensive coordinator for the Vikings before that.

He's got a new book out called The Cue Factor, the elusive search for the next great NFL quarterback, and it focuses on the 2018 draft class, which is fascinating. Baker, Sam Darnold, Josh Allen, Josh Rosen, and Lamar Jackson. We clearly have a star in Lamar Jackson and an emerging star in Josh Allen. So two of the five are working at a very high level. And let's join in Brian Billick, who's up in Northern Minnesota. That is God's country up there.

And he is joining us. Great to see you, coach. Let's start. Why did you take that draft class in particular, the 2018 quarterback class? Well, going into it, it was supposed to be the next great class since the 1983 class that had Elway and Reno and that whole group. The fact that there were the five guys and the diversity of the guys. The book on each of these guys, there was a little something for each that you kind of go, okay, is this either going to make? or break this guy. So we thought it would be a great template, a good backdrop to looking at the

process. And that's what the book's really about. It's looking at the process of choosing the most important position in sports. And one that we, at best, is 50-50. And it ought to be better than that with the way we've evolved and our ability to evaluate. But it isn't. And it's 50, if you could just be a little bit better, as Bill Pullian said, if I can just bat 525, I'm going to be ahead of the curve because 500 is going to get me fired. You know, the kid that's really shocked me and I watched him at Wyoming. He was not a great high school prospect. He was an erratic but talented college prospect and he was a little bit of an erratic mess as a rookie. Josh Allen reminds me a big Ben. Whatever that staff is done, Brian, he has turned a

page. What is it? Because he looks like a star in the making. Yeah, because the question mark on him coming in was that lack of completion percentage. Again, he went to Ridley Junior College, really one year at Wyoming. So you only had so much data, obviously phenomenal talent, but his lack of completion percentage, sub 60%, that typically doesn't get better in the NFL. And in the first two years, we saw that. But this year, whatever that maturation process is, he's been brilliant, close to 70% better. He's on pace to be better than 45 touchdowns. And in addition, we saw in the game last week, there was one series. They got in the red zone. They had three straight quarterback design runs. Not scramble around. Design runs. One of them was an option. This guy is a true

talent and he is, again, one of the outliers and we're right at that 50-50 because Mayfield, we're still deciding. Darnold looks like the thumbs down. Rosen's definitely out. Lamar Jackson, clearly a plus. So our ratio of how difficult it is to find these quarterbacks and that miss ratio of 50-50 is holding true with this class. You know, it's interesting. We know coaching matters in the NFL. I could make an argument. that Josh Allen and Lamar have had the best coaching. I could argue that Carson Wentz, who is struggling, lost Frank Reich. He's never quite been the same.

He appears to be getting worse. Baker Mayfield, the further he gets away from Lincoln Riley, the more is mechanics, you know, kind of, you know, erode. So when you look at Lamar, I think one of his great talents is his coachability. They got him Greg Roman. Talk about Lamar. Nope. Yeah, no question, because the three factors, clearly are the physical skills. And no matter who the bust is in the first round, you can go to Marcus Russell and Vince Young and David Carr, whatever.

Physically it wasn't the problem. Next, it's the emotional and mental capacity to deal with the pressures of the position. Then finally, it's a marriage within the right system. And you're exactly right. You go get Bacon Mayfield, Joshua Rosen was the exact same way. How many different coordinator systems has he been through? The key to Lamar was Baltimore and Greg Roman, as you alluded to, buying into, okay, this is what we're going to do with this guy. We're not going to shove a square peg into a round hole.

We're not going to just live off his pocket passing. We're going to let him run 170, 180 times. And Josh Allen, the same way. We're going to embrace all those skills. So there's no question, the coaching element in being in the right place is a huge part of this, you know, bust or make 50-50 ratio we keep talking about. Brian Billick, the book is called The Cue Factor, The Elusive Search for the Next Great Quarterback. Now, I took a lot of heat for being critical of Baker Mayfield's lack of maturity. I did the same thing with James Winston, the same thing with Johnny Mandel.

And I took a lot of heat for it. And I said, listen, this is not a wide receiver. It's not a baseball player or a hockey goalie. It is the face of a $4 billion franchise. Maturity is a real thing. So you talked about the second thing being the emotional discipline. Go back to your career. Are some kids, maybe Brian, just not.

built to run and be the face of a franchise quarterback? Yeah, absolutely, because if you're going to be a good quarterback in the NFL, if you're going to be that franchise quarterback, there has to be some of that stability. Now, I understand the gunslinger, athletic arrogance of, hey, this is just the way I am. Well, that's all well and good, but it's got to translate and you've got to show that maturity. It's interesting, I'm doing a series of podcasts around the book as well. When I talk to people, whether it's Len Dawson, Jack, John Elway, Warren Moon, Troy Aitman, go back to some tape from Bill Walsh, Bill Pollyon, those that are commenting on it, when you talk about what are the elements of a great quarterback, very few talk about the physical aspect. Most of them will focus on the mental and the emotional aspect of it and the stability you have to have.

That fire, that drive, I get that, but there's got to be some stability as well. and that's where Baker Mayfield is going to have to show he's capable of stepping up. I want to ask you about three things. Let's start with Lamar Jackson. He's terrific. He's going to win a bunch of games. I still like him to win the vision. I like him a lot.

He's better than I thought he would be in the NFL. But there is a trend here where he's never won at trailing at half. Would you be concerned that there's a book being written, which is when he has to throw and everybody knows he's throwing, he's not quite down. distance the same quarterback late in downs. Is that fair or is it too early to make that call? No, and that's probably true of most quarterbacks, really, when you talk about having to do that from behind, but certainly you remove some of the dimension. Obviously, the full package for them, the ability to bludgeon you to death with their running game, him getting outside the pocket,

and then setting up when you have to bring down that eight into the box, now he's going to hit that into Marquise Brown or Mark Andrews. But when you can take away that deep threat, it still come with a five, four or five man rush that kind of keeps them in the pocket, makes them operate from the pocket, eliminate that deep ball, the lack of ability of consistently delivering at that underneath level. That seems to be a little bit of an Achilles heel form. Now, in conjunction with that, you're going to have the offense on the other side of the ball, do what Kansas City did, chew up the clock, move up and down the field, make

you trade touchdowns for field goals. So that's part of the element as well. But clearly if there is a book, that would be it. The book is called The Q Factor, Brian Billick, Super Bowl winning coach. You know, Peter King said last hour, he said, I don't want to sound hyperbolic, but when I watch Mahomes, I do think to myself, are we looking at Michael Jordan in football? Like he just does stuff other people can't. Whether or not that's right, take Mahomes out of it. Because he is obviously at the top of the food chain and this. I mean, he just does stuff nobody else can do. Was there ever a quarterback that you saw in your career?

Maybe you were an assistant that you literally thought, like Mahomes, he just, he's different. He just is different than everybody else. Well, you know, certainly in a different way. The sheer athleticism of Lamar Jackson is he's truly a unicorn. And we're at a point now where people going, well, let's go get another Lamar Jackson. Well, hold on. Not a lot of those cats walking around, okay?

He truly is a unicorn. and you have to give Baltimore credit for truly embracing the idea that if he runs the ball 170, 80 times in a year, that's fine with us. A lot of people wonder, can that be sustained in terms of the injury? But with that in that regard, yeah, I was fortunate to be around Warren Moon. And you talk about the pure ability to just spin the ball, the accuracy and no matter what the platform, for that to come out the way that he does, I think Aaron Rogers is probably in that category.

Yeah, Tom Brady may be the goat, but Aaron Rogers may be the boat, the best of all times. In terms of just the sheer mechanics, the ability to throw the ball, the placement, the touch, the timing, even athleticism outside the pocket. It's rare air we're talking about right now. It's interesting, Brian Billick, the book is called The Q Factor, that you won a Super Bowl, and you had to go to Trent Dilfer, who was a great college quarterback. He'd made a lot of money and say, hey, Trent, it's mostly going to be, don't lose it for us. Now, Tom Brady's defense in Tampa right now, Brian, I think it's the best along with Pittsburgh I've seen. I mean, they got a pass rush without blitzing for athletic linebackers. How do you go to Brady elegantly and say, you know, Tom, you don't need to take a lot of risks here?

We're going to win like 12 games with defense. Are those conversations you can have when you had the Ravens defense, when you have a Buccaneer defense, which really generates its own offense from time to time? Yeah, and like Trent, and I give Trent great credit for buying into recognizing if we run the ball and we were second in the and rushing that year, don't turn the ball over. We led the league in turnovers. But that greatest single season defense in the history of the game take over, yeah, you can win a Super Bowl. I imagine the conversation may go the other way because Tom Brady's all about winning and he's got the pedigree. I imagine him sitting down with Bruce Arians going to Bruce.

I don't have to do a lot of this, okay? Let's play great defense. We'll stay balanced. I'll make enough plays. You know, I'm how old's Tom? 58, 59, 60 years old now? He's probably fine with it. I only have to throw the ball 30 times a game and we can run and play great defense. Hey, I'm all in. Yeah.

The book is called Show It Again, The Q Factor, the elusive search for the next great NFL quarterback. He goes in detail in a fascinating 2018 class where Baker and Sam, the jury's out. Josh Allen didn't get opportunities. Josh, Rosen, excuse me. Josh Allen's an emerging star. and Lamar is one. It's a fascinating class, five first-round draft picks, and it shows you the coaching, the emotion, all the ups and downs. Brian Billick,

I won't give your, how far are you away from International Falls? Because that's always the coldest place in the United States. Yeah, you know, the locals around here in Cook, Minnesota get upset because every time they hear, oh, the coldest place America was International Falls, they're going, uh-uh, it's colder here in Cook, Minnesota, unlike for millions. So they take great pride back. We're close enough that we can, yeah, we can fill the chill. All right, Brian's great seeing you.

Congrats on your success. Great. Thank you. All right. He's doing it. He said, walleye fishing. Saw it. Walleye, is he say?

Nice fishing up there. But by the way, it's winter in 45 minutes. It gets very cold, very quickly in northern Minnesota. I remember when I was a kid, they'd show the map. Like your weatherman would say, oh, the coldest place to America goes, International Falls, Minnesota. And I thought, probably not going to vacation there. May drive through it, probably not going to vacation there.

Yeah, I grew up in Pittsburgh, so I know a little thing or two about winter, but that's a different level. 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 where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok.

Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jett. And I'm Alex English.

Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack, so I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now, so. They're 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. 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. Trip 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 here 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, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose

on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free, I-HartRadio app. Search, learn the hard way, and listen now. RecTech, more than grill, it's a lifestyle. R-C-T-E-C-E-Q.com. That's rec-T-E-C, built by grillers for grillers. Go to recTech withecu.com, and here's Joy Taylor with the news.

No, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. I always laugh at that when people say that's football weather. It's like absolutely bitter, cold, freezing and snowing. Like, that is not football weather, actually. Well, there's a reason we move bowl games in the Super Bowl to warm weather. So great athletes can perform at the 71 degrees is football weather.

Yeah. Light clouds, take out the glare of the sun. You can catch the punt return. 72, no wind, thin clouds. Yeah, rushing off the field to go sit on a heated bench and sit by the heater with the giant coat on. And think of the fans. I've sat in those stadiums. In Akron, Akron, Ohio?

Yeah. Watch my brother? Yeah. When it's so cold, you have to go into the bathroom for warm. So Dwayne Haskins has had a rough outing on Sunday, throwing three interceptions in Washington's loss to the Browns. It was only his 10th start in the last. NFL, but Rahmavara says there will be a point when they'll need to move on. He's going through this process. He's growing. He's developing, but we've got to continue to see

positive growth. We can't see a regression. And the one thing he has to understand is there's a certain point where you're no longer a rook. There are guys in that locker room that are playing well enough for us to win. And again, we have to make sure everybody is playing well enough to win at that point. And there is a there is a cutoff point for me. There is. He makes a good point. Jets and the Giants are not playing well enough to win. Washington is in games. Cleveland's are really talented team. I watched that entire game and I thought that's the problem when you have a bunch of

veterans and they're like, we're making things. I mean, Washington's defense is a real deal. Yeah, no, they were in that game and Washington's defense is good. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, this is a pretty serious call out by Ron Rivera of doing Haskins. But he's not wrong. Now, 10 starts is 10 starts.

So, you know, he does need more time. And I really believe when you're in a situation like this, you need to, almost give him more time than he maybe deserves because you really want to find out what you have with him. And their backups are Alex Smith, as we know, and Kyle Allen. I know everyone got a little crazy about Kyle Allen last year, but we know what Kyle Allen is. Find out exactly what Dwayne Haskins is before you move on from him. Size arm are A plus. He can throw it.

Now, he doesn't play like 2020. He's not a mover. In fact, when he moves, his accuracy dips. really interesting. Eight years ago, that is what size and arm. He's a pocket passer. He is a straight pocket passer. And Washington, to their credit, has done a nice job to get some young receivers. They have some really good young receivers. But when you've got an elite defense, the patience in that locker room runs really thin. Well, unfortunately, for Dwayne Haskins in Washington, their next opponent is the Ravens. Oh, that'll be awful for them.

What's the line on that? What's the Fox bet line on that? Let me guess, 12 and a half. Baltimore is going to be on fire. Baltimore is just humiliated on national TV. I don't have it if you guys can let us know. If you guys can tell us. They have the Ravens and then the Rams and then they're at the Giants.

Well, they'll be one and two on those. They'll beat the Giants. Yeah, but that's kind of a rough next couple games after coming off of that three interception game. So Patrick Mahoms continued to make history last night. he became the fastest quarterback in NFL history to reach 10,000 passing yards. He hit the milestone in the 34th game of his career. Kurt Warner previously held the record reaching 10,000 passing yards in 36 games. That's insane.

It's a hundred yards field. I'm not going to do math here. 10,000 passing yards. Oh, the line is Ravens minus 12 and a half. I'm still taking the, I think I'm making all those points. Oh, I take, and I never do that. I'd take Baltimore minus 12 and a half. I think I'd take Baltimore minus 18.

I think you're going to play the game of the year. Yeah, after losing like that to Patrick Mahomes on Monday Night Football, yes. Baltimore is, that's not Baltimore. As Lamar said, they're Kryptonite. Yeah, and for the record, they crush everybody else. It's just this one team. Take out the Tennessee loss. It's mostly Kansas City.

That's the issue. Patrick Mahomes was 31 to 42, 385 yards, four passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown last night. He was absolutely spectacular. His entire season, 67.8 completion percentage, 898 yards, nine passing touchdowns, one rushing touchdown and zero interceptions so far.

Not a huge Super Bowl hangover for the Chiefs. Not really. If it's a hangover, whatever the cure's been. Yeah, they figured it out. Pass that along to the rest of us. Finally, the Clippers part of ways with head coach Doc Rivers after seven seasons.

I guess it's his fault. I don't agree with that move at all. There's already speculation on who could replace him. Clippers assistant, Ty Lou. That's why I'd hire. Sam Cassell are both expected to be candidates. Jeff Van Gundy is also emerged as a top choice. I don't think Tyloos is a bad choice.

I just think, you know, Frank Vogel had Paul George, and then we fired him, and then he's got Anthony Davis, and we're all like, oh, my God, Vogel created such great chemistry overnight. It's like, you know, it's the year of the duo. Yeah. They didn't have a duo. I mean, to your point earlier, it's the second guy is almost more important than your star. You know what you're going to get from your star. You can't question what

Kauai Leonard is. Boston's a great example. So Jason Tatum's their star. Did you watch Gordon Hayward in the closeout game? I mean, he was like four against five. So it's like Gordon Hayward didn't play well in two big spots in that series. That's why Brad Stevens is home watching the finals. And meanwhile, Jimmy's your A and your B. Well, the B for the heat can be anybody on any night. But there's always going to be someone who stepped up. Yes, exactly. It was somebody always stepped up as a legitimate clutch too. The Clippers could also be looking at Mike Dantonie as well, although those reports that he's going to the 76ers. The Daytony to the Clippers is not the move. Tailu makes the most sense in this situation. I don't agree with moving on from Doc Rivers.

I think the heat are a perfect example of that. Every time that something does, you don't win the championship, it's like, oh, it's the coach. It can't always be the coach. Doc Rivers is the one that put this all together. Milwaukee is a great example. Didn't we say two years ago we're like, Oh, Budenhhhhhuser. It's like the Spurs system. Now it's like, I don't know. You guy can't win a big series. Well, it's easier to fire a coach than retail your entire team. Always is. Get rid of the guy's a bum.

Get rid of the coach. NBA is so bad to coaches. I mean, the coaching carousel on the NBA is insane. It never stopped. This is not falling on Doc Rivers. Yeah, I agree. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news.

And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Lie News. But it is funny how I was driving in the work this morning. Everybody said the same thing. All right, great guy, but he won a title in Boston. What do you mean, but? You know what he is? He's Joe Torrey.

Doc Rivers is Joe Torrey. Great in the room, respected by players, can get stars to get along, good enough situationally. But we don't think of them as like analytic mavens or schematic. That's not what we think of. We think of them as they're alpha males. They walk into a room, Joe Tori. And the guy's Joe Tori always looks like the stepdad. You didn't want to piss off.

Like that was a stepdad. Joe Tori's a stepdad and he said mow the lawn, you mow the lawn. And Doc Rivers is, you know, he's a big man. He comes in. There's an alpha and it's like Blake and D'Andre and Chris Paul, which we later found out was a circus. He kind of made it work. Joe Tori never won anything. He lost, I think, with the Angels.

He lost with the meds. He lost with the Braves. When you put him with stars and it all clicked. And by the way, Doc work with, when Doc had his most stars studded team, it was KG, it was Ray Allen. It was Paul Pierce. difficult enigmatic rondo when you put him with stars. And by the way, not easy stars to get along with.

He made it work. And this is a star-driven league. Yes. So Doc's not the issue. Now, you could argue they need a younger coach or whatever. I mean, listen, it's not that there's no blame on Doc. Right, that's right. They didn't buy in completely to the bubble. Obviously, you had the issues with Blue Williams. And there was a lot going on. It's not that he doesn't deserve any blame.

But he's not the reason why this didn't work. Yeah. Yeah. When Joe Torrey got pitching, he won World Series. And when he got the Yankee payroll, he won a World Series. And when you gave Doc four really good players, he won an NBA championship. Should have won two. Coming up, we play Panic Meter. What's real?

What's freaking you out? And what do I think is like, don't worry about it. It's not real. The panic meter, and best for last. 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 I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show.

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

this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, 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 with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jett. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack all day, but just so y'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. 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. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Keer 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?

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Check it out. Go to the website. It's good stuff. So we're a month of the NFL seasons in the books, and there's a little bit of panic setting in. People are freaking out, like in Dallas. So the question is one through zero through 10. Zero, no panic.

10, grab the life preservers. Joy, panic meter, here we go. What is your panic meter at for the Atlanta Falcons? I would say panic meter for the Atlanta Falcons is a nine. They're 0 and 3, despite scoring 90 points. So their offense is humming and they can't win. Also, Dan Quinn is a losing record? Is he close to losing the locker room?

They're the first team in NFL history to lose back-to-back games while leading by over 15 points, 15 plus points in the 4. So they're capable but blowing games. I think he's got probably two more games left and he's done. What's your panic meter at for the Dallas Cowboys? I would say very low. I would put it at four because I don't think they've looked particularly well coached. The good news is all three games have been one possession.

Losing at Seattle and to the Rams is not the end of the world. They're tied for the NFC East Division lead. Dack is healthy and playing pretty well. They have the best total offense in the NFL, and I do think there's some nice wins coming up in the schedule. What's your panic meter at for the Denver Broncos? That's a little more panic. I'd say a six. Vaughn Miller's out may not return until December.

They've used three quarterback, so it's a carousel. That's never good unless you're a kid. All other carousels are bad. Drew Locke has played, Jeff Driscoll, Brett Rippin. So once you don't know who's going to be quarterback, And I also think you're playing for a wild card in that division anyway. Kansas City is going to win it. So that is problematic to start.

What's your panic meter at for the Houston Texans? I would say it's even worse. I would say that's a seven. First of all, they're the only NFL team that has not forced to turn over. That's a problem. Meaning you can't get people off the field. Deshaun's sitting on the bench. They can't run the football.

and they don't stop the run. They're worst in the NFL in rushing defense, and I think they have the second worst rushing offense. So again, you're talking about, here's the good news. The reason they're not higher is him, Deshawn Watson. And, you know, there's hope. They do have some nice individual players, but it's getting to be panic time.

What's your panic meter for the L.A. Chargers? It would be a little bit less, I would say a six. Here's where I'll defend them. Everybody's Derwin James, Chris Harris, Mike Williams, Brian Beluga, Melvin Ingram, all out. Here's the problem. You got a young quarterback in a division where you've got Derek Carr and Patrick Mahomes. So you could look up. Herbert played pretty well, but you could look up and find yourself four games out of first

and three games out of the playoffs here if the Raiders can turn it around and play any defense. So you got some injuries and you got a young quarterback who's supposed to lead you out of them. That's tough. How about the Minnesota Vikings? That's even more worrisome. Seven. Mike Zimmer's a great defensive coach, and they have the second few of sacks by any team

and the second worst scoring defense. What's that tell you? They got a personnel problem. They don't have people. So when you have a defense, the GM and the coach are very good defensively. You have a nice running game. Can't get people off the field.

So that's a non-fixable problem to me. Dallas can fix most of its issues. Minnesota can't. That's why Cowboys are four on the panic meter. Minnesota's a seven. How about the New Orleans Saints? Four. Okay, Drew Breeze, doesn't throw the ball down the field.

That is not ideal. But Michael Thomas could return this week. Top 10 scoring offense. Here's also always good news. The Lions, Chargers, Panthers, Bears coming up. So again, you go on the road for Monday Night Football, you've got to face Aaron Rogers, everybody freaks out. But don't we believe that this is a playoff team?

I think we still be. believe. And again, those aren't real problems. Real problems are we can't get to the quarterback. We don't have good enough players. They got plenty of good players, and they're getting one of them back. What's your panic meter for the New York Jets?

10. There's nothing good. The coach doesn't get along with players. Sam Donald's regressing. The schedule's brutal. The division's better than we thought. And there's just, I don't see any hope. I mean, to me, if they lose the I've already been told that the owners

group is calling representatives like agents for coaching lists. None of it works. And I'll go back to something I've said ad nauseum here. You've really got to be concerned when your quarterback guru, Ryan Tannehill appears to be a better quarterback and more consistent since leaving Adam Gase. Outside of Peyton Manning, not a lot of Adam Gase defenders at this point. Panic meter for the Philadelphia Eagles. It's something. It's more than Dallas or the Saints, but it's a six. They're a half game out of first.

We know Carson Wentz. We saw last year as talent. I'll defend them. Again, cluster injuries. Jalen Rieger, the rookie receivers hurt. Alshan Jeffrey, Deshawn Jackson hurt, Dallas Goddardt. The tight end is hurt. So I don't know what's wrong with their training facility and their medical staff.

But once again, Carson doesn't have a ton to work with. I do think here's the panic part. Since Frank Reich took over the job with the Colts, his head coach, slowly, slowly Carson doesn't quite look like the same quarterback. And we know looking at some of these young quarterbacks, coaching feels like about 75% of it. So I think there is panic there. I think there's real panic.

But you paid them $150 million. You can't bail on it. You can't bail when your house has a leak. You got to still get a mortgage, got to sleep somewhere. So you got to figure it out. You can't run from every problem. You've got to figure this out. It's no fun, but the good news is the division's terrible.

I can't, in fact, I can't remember a division. I remember one year Seattle won a division at 7, 8 and 1. Was it 7 and 9? 7 and 9. That's about the, this. Yeah, they beat the Saints. Marshawn Lynch had that beast mode run, one of the all-time great runs. There you go.

That's our panic meter. So Jets are definitely a 10. Falcons 9 because they are scoring. I mean, the Jets aren't doing anything right. The Falcons are scoring. They're putting up like 30 a week. It's more frustrating. Yeah, because you're doing a bunch of stuff.

If you lead in the fourth, it's like, well, we had the right game plan. We adjusted it half. We're moving the ball, and we just can't hold it. It's got a very, it's got like Detroit's a cold weather version of Atlanta. You're like, they've got players, they lead games, and you look up and you're like, that one slipped away again. It gets very frustrating in a locker room. And I also, I made changes on my quarterback at Tier 1,

tier two board. Big changes. Very dramatic. I never said this was Mount Rushmore. It's made of graphics not granted. I can change it any time. So we started with quarterbacks. I have moved Lamar Jackson to the second tier. I've moved

Wentz out of all the tiers. Breezes off too, right? Breezes off, Wence is off. Aaron's back into tier one. So there he go. Russell Wilson, Mahomes, Aaron Rogers. For Joy and John, we'll see you tomorrow with her. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite.

Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, S&L's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform?

We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not 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. It was good, y'all.

You're listening to Learn the Hardway with your favorite therapist and host Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them 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 For 1979

That was a big moment for me 84 was big to me I'm Sam Jay 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 I don't think there's a more important 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 podcast This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.