The Herd with Colin Cowherd - The Herd - Hour 3 - NFL top stories

Episode Date: September 6, 2023

Joe Burrow's contract is not done but should get taken care of soon Update on the status of Travis Kelce Sean Payton is making a difference   Guest: Diana RussiniSee 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 IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far far away, such as the biology of tauntons and wampas on the ice planet hot,

or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of the world. of two. Listen to Stuff to Bole Your Mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for listening to The Heard podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio in noon to 3 Eastern, 9 a.m. to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the herd at Fox Sports Radio.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.

Well, years ago, Jason McIntyre was out there. I think he was anonymous. He ran one of them blogs. And then somebody bought it and made him rich. But the whole time, I used to tell people all the time, that guy's a hustler. I like this J-Mack. Guy's a hustler. And then, you know, we work together.

That's very rare. So whatever happened in the cosmos, whatever, you're still a hustler. And for years, I watched Diana Rusini. and she was in news and then she did sports and then she went to ESPN and now she works at the athletic as a senior NFL insider and I've watched her break stories for years what a pleasure it is to finally meet you very happy for your success and okay let's let's just start with this you've been on the Joe Burrough stuff so I've been I follow you you know your stuff give me it doesn't feel like there's acrimony Diana, are they, is Bruy

on the Bengals, are they close? Is there any acrimony or are they going to get this thing done? Well, first of all, hi, Jason. Nice to see and hear you guys. Hello, Colin. Thanks for having me on. I'm obviously a very big fan of the show. I've been following for years and listening. Back in the day when I knew absolutely nothing about sports and I was living out in Seattle

trying to learn, I would listen to you. So if I say anything stupid during this appearance today, it falls fully on your lap because I learned from you. So the Joe Burrow story, Con, I just find this to be really interesting as you look at the landscape of the league as we're headed here into the start of this season. This is a story that needs to be talked about more. Joe Burroughs contract is not done. The owner has said he wants to pay him, right?

He's been very open about that. Joe Burrow feels confident that he's going to get paid. and the sense that I'm getting, just from talking to people around the league, people in the building in Cincinnati, people that are even close to Joe Barrow, that this is going to get done soon. Everyone is very optimistic.

I'm not sensing any concern that there's a big disagreement. It's just the timing of all this. So now here we are just a few days out from when they head over to Cleveland to open up against the Browns. And I've had people around the league call and reach out to me

that aren't with the Cincinnati Bengals who said, Are they crazy rolling out Joe Burrow, you know, the face of this franchise for perhaps maybe the next 10 years? And he's going to step foot on the field without deal? This may not be the smartest business. But from what I can gather from having these conversations, Joe is not concerned about it. The calf is good. He practiced full on Monday.

He practiced full today. So that's not going to be a problem. And apparently this contract isn't going to be an issue too. So he'll be out there no matter what. I just have question marks about what's the holdup here? Why not get this done? Okay. Now, Nick Bosa, you're talking about, you know, listen,

quarterbacks, edge rushers, left tackles, make a lot of money in star receivers. But the Niners have a lot of players now that are high-end players. Fred Warner, George Kittle, Christian McCaffrey, Trent Williams. And they've got a group of, a Debo now makes good money. And they've got a group of young players who are going to get paid here in the next year or two. So with Nick Bosa, you just can't give him what he wants. You got to negotiate this puppy. They do have Brock Purdy, so they get a break there on the salaries.

But the Nick Bosa thing doesn't feel like Burrow. It feels like there could be a little rigidity with the Niners. Where are we out on that one? Yeah, it doesn't feel like it because it's not like it, right? Joe Burroughs Camp, they know that this is happening. Everyone's on the same page, or at least they're close. This does not seem to be very close. And it hasn't seemed to be very close this entire summer.

This isn't a player. that has shown up to training camp and has spent time around the team. He's not there. He's not there today. Right? So they open up in just a few days as well. And there's a world here where Nick Bosa is not on the field for the San Francisco 49ers, you know. And you can understand where Bosa is coming from.

And when you get into really just the nitty-gritty of the money here of what he's looking for, you just have to keep going back to that Aaron Donald deal. Right. That's the kind of money he is looking for, right? And all these players here, you know, outside, obviously, Joe Burrow here, they're looking to be the highest paid non-quarterback player, including Justin Jefferson,

who is another player looking to get a new contract. But Nick Bosa, this one is the one that concerns me the most. Do I believe that Nick Bosa can show up if they agree to a deal later this afternoon, step on the field, and be completely fine? Mike Tomlin doesn't seem to be too concerned that Bosa will be there. He thinks he'll show up and they're preparing.

The Steelers, I know for a factor preparing, as if Bosa will be there, because they know one phone call, Colin, and I've had GMs telling me this for years. You can talk all day long about this. The deal's not far apart. It's not coming together. One call changes it all. And you can make a deal work.

And you know the Niners want him. And their defense is going to be exposed if Nick Bosa is not on the field. Yeah. Okay. So you've been around the Jets a lot. They got the hard knock stuff, but that's edited. You know, you're seeing the warts. You're seeing the tension, the O line.

And I've said it's very rare that I've ever seen. a team going to a season with huge question marks at offensive tackle both sides, and they're great, especially in a division where, you know, Buffalo's got a rush, Belichick defensive coach, Bradley Chubb now for the Dolphins. So I worry about the Jets. I do think there are some flashing warning signs here if they can't get it right at tackle. Just give me, you know, you've been around them a lot. Give me your, a positive and something that you did notice that maybe is a concern. Yeah, that's exactly how I would have presented it to you, Collin, because there is so much positive. And they are a kind of team when you step and watch them on the sideline and you're watching

them go through drills. You see the talent. Even going back a few months ago, the first time I actually saw Aaron Rogers in the offense going through drills. I looked over at my producers at the time and said, my God, he is so good. You just forget almost at times. You take him for granted all that ability. You hear all the.

and we've seen it for years, but when you saw him out there with this team, it just really stood out the talent level that he's at and really his fitness, what he physically looks like. And of course, you've seen, and we've seen it for the last few months, just the pure joy he's playing with and how happy he seems, right? And everything stems from Aaron Rogers. This is an organization that has given him full control. It is an Aaron Rogers show. and you have to give credit to this organization for at least allowing that,

because I do believe that there are teams across the league that may have not handed the keys over fully away. The New York Jets have smartly done. They sat there and go, you know what, we haven't gotten it right ever. So let's give it to someone who knows what they're doing. Similarly, what we're seeing over in Denver, right, with the Broncos with Sean Payton saying, hey, take it, full control here, but now we're seeing a player do it.

And to have a guy hold players accountable, that is more powerful than anything else you'll see on a field, I often think that sometimes that's even better than a coach, right? Because you have a player out there who's really in that hybrid position, coach and player. But the offensive line has been the issue. Colin, I think we're going to be talking about this again in October. This isn't something that's just getting fixed. They're going to try to piece it.

They're going to try to find ways to use other players to protect Aaron. But if we start seeing Aaron Rogers get hit over and over, you have to wonder come this trade down line, if this New York Jet team is going to make a move. Right. Kelsey, both Jason and I feel like Detroit's the play, just because Chris Jones is out, Lions O-Lines actually really good. I buy into Detroit. I don't think, I think the hype is legitimate.

I don't think they're a 13-win team, but I think they can be 10 to 11, and I think they'll give Kansas City a real test. Chris Jones not there. He's a dominant performer. Travis Kelsey, though, they've won a lot of games, a lot of shootouts, as long as Mahomes and Travis Kelsey are healthy. So what is the latest? Jason Kelsey's talking about it.

Do you think he plays? Yeah, I think Travis Kelsey, if that neat, the swelling is contained, I think he will push to try to play. So we don't know for sure at this point. I've had conversations with people that are close to the situation. And obviously, everyone's fingers are crossed to just see how he's going to feel on Thursday morning. This truly is one of those day-to-day situations. but this is a player who we know is that security blanket on offense for Patrick Mahomes. He's obviously crucial in the red zone.

We've seen it over and over again. He is their top receiver on this team. And you look at this young group here that is coming together in Kansas City. And yeah, maybe there isn't another guy that stands out. You know, Sky Moore, a lot of potential there. You're hearing tons of great things Andy Reid saying even in the offseason that that's the goal to get him as many targets as possible during training camp to sort of develop him. in the second year in the offense for him. That being said, they need Travis Kelsey out there.

Those guys can get the job done. But obviously, we know that he's going to be the most productive player there. So Travis doesn't miss a lot of games because of injuries. So I would be surprised if he wasn't out there. But then again, you know, it's early in this season here. They may want to play it smart. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart 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 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 is big to me not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on 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. Okay. So I don't know if you've covered them regularly, but I know you know Sean Payton. He sat on our chairs here for 20 weeks. Give me your just to wrap it up, Diana Rusini joining us for our radio audience.

I kind of think they're a nine or a ten, not a ten or a twelve. I don't think they make the playoffs. I think they're very captivating. All the stuff you hear, all your. sources, all your knowledge of Sean Payton, just give me your guess on what it looks like for Denver. There's a lot of moving parts, changing culture, changing staffs. What do you think it looks like? Well, I definitely don't have to guess that when you're trying to wrap them up to get to

commercial, it was probably impossible because we know how much Sean Payne likes to talk. And you're seeing him talk a lot about this team right now. And the thing is the talking that he's doing right now about this Broncos team from what I can gather and even just having conversations with him specifically about others on this team, people associated with the Denver Broncos, even players. There's a reason he's doing this. And he is trying to put the pressure on himself. He is trying to point out, hey, I can fix this.

Don't focus on the players. Put it on me and we'll figure this out. Look, I have all the belief in the world. This man pays attention to detail like no one I've ever seen before, that he is going to come up with game plans every week and make them competitive. I do believe, though, it is going to be very difficult in this first year to get this team with the playoffs with the way this roster looks at this point. Yeah, O-Line, they've got all sorts of new faces. Hamler, you worry about him.

Jerry Judy, now the injuries. Diana Rusini, great work. You'll be on again. Terrific career. Congrats at the athletic. I subscribe and read it all day long. Thanks for taking time first today in our New York studio, Diana, I appreciate it. Thank you, guys.

Appreciate you having me. All right. So good stuff. all sorts of that. You know the thing about Sean Payton, what I learned here, his attention to detail is crazy. So this is just a story, kind of piggyback on what Diana said. I asked him one time, not just the game plan, but I asked him, did you ever not get along with Mickey Loomis, the GM? And he said, we always agreed on personnel. So they would talk through things. They're good friends, very verbal golf, go out dinner. He said, but the Christmas card one year, I just hate it.

And I went, what do you mean Christmas card? He goes, you know, we would do the Saints Christmas card. And I told Mickey, I like the way it looked. Peyton, where you place the towels after games, where the Christmas card, the lighting for the media room, Sean Payton's attention to detail, like I had no idea. Operations, personnel, coaching, the crowd noise.

I had no idea that Sean Payton was involved in the Christmas car. I was like, and some of the stuff I won't divulge. But in my years of doing this, I'd never heard a coach that was that connected to stuff I would consider operations. I mean, the when they walked in, how they walked in, what it looked like when they walked in, team photos. To Diana's point, the detail Sean Payton. When he got to Denver, his first thing is, did you remember the story when he said,

who are all these people eating lunch with my players? We have to be talking football. So apparently the previous staff, you had executives and salespeople downstairs, talking to the players, getting selfies. We don't do that. It's not the way we operate here. You have the executive staff. You have the players. You have the players' families.

You have the executive staff's families. So it is, his attention to detail to me was not startling, that's the wrong word, but jarring. I never heard anything like it. J-Mac with the news. No, no, no, no, turn on the news. This is the herd line news. So with the Atlanta Falcons, we've talked about them because their schedule is super soft. But the question is their quarterback situation.

They're sticking with second-year guy, Desmond Ritter out of Cincinnati. He hasn't gotten universal acclaim after making four-staffirm. starts last year, but Drake London, the receiver out of USC, believes the haters will be eating their words. He only had four games last year. People didn't really see all of Des. Now they get to see him and get to see what he does, so I think he'll shut a lot of people up and silence those doubters for show.

Huh, Desmond Ritter. I don't know what to make. I don't know what to make. I just have to watch him play. Since you said the third hour is either the power hour or the hot take happy hour, I'll just put this out there. I think Matt Stafford's are starting quarterback next season. For Atlanta?

Yeah. Oh, Southern played at Georgia? Yeah, yeah. He goes back east. Unless, Ritter. If you were a GM, because I do think the Rams are going to draft a quarterback, reset the franchise. So what would you give up? You're a GM of Atlanta.

What would you give up to get Matt Staffer? A lot depends on how good Atlanta looks this year. I personally think you're like an 8, 9, 10 win team, and they're close. And Stafford could put you into, holy cow, can these guys be like a... Yeah, but with Desmond Ritter, you don't have to pay him for two more years. Do you want to move off that clock? Is he winning you? Is he going to beat you? Well, I don't know. I have to why. I feel like Desmond Ritter and Jordan Love, I see stuff, but I just don't know.

I just haven't seen enough of them play. They both have offensive coaches, so that's good. Is this defense good enough that Desmond Ritter can be a game manager? Is he going to have to go out there and have some fourth quarter big key drives that he can deliver? I don't know. I don't even have a take on Atlanta and Green Bay. I have to watch like three weeks. You know, like, all of Green Bayes, running backs, weapons, defense.

I don't know on Jordan. They got a lot of talent. I think Green Bay is going to have a very conservative game plan, very conservative for Jordan Love. So he may not be dynamic, but they believe their personnel top to bottom is better than the Bears. And they're just going to, they had 2320 is what it feels like. You couldn't have asked for a better Jordan Love first game. Bears have no pass rush. Their defensive line is nothing.

they worked on it in the offseason. It's still not great. If I'm Jordan Love, I trust my offensive line to hold it down. That's why I drafted Aaron Jones in all my fantasy leagues. I think he's going to be a monster. Plus, Jordan Love loves a good checkdown. He's not going to risk interceptions, you know? So Aaron Jones out of back.

So you like Green Bay in that game? Sorry, Bears Nation. I just do. As for Falcons, three and a half against the Panthers. Well, Carolina's got some injuries, don't they? Their offensive line, I don't know if they can hold up. I mean, it's going to be, we'll see. I think I like Falcons, but the Ritter is just such a mystery, you know?

I don't know what to expect. Next up, Arizona Cardinals haven't revealed a target return date yet for Kyler Murray, but they have said they expect him to play at some point this season, even naming him one of their six captains. O.C. Drew Petzing explained why Kyler earned the title, despite not being on the field with his teammates. He's been unbelievable, really, since we've. walked in the building just done everything we've asked from a rehab standpoint from a

learning the offense standpoint from an engagement in the offensive room and getting to know his teammates and things like that so really pleased with where he's at kind of how he's handled things and certainly expect that to continue moving forward and I think that's one of the main reasons you see him as a captain you know I certainly view him as a franchise quarterback and the leader of this organization I think his teammates do too so was really happy for him to kind of get that nod and it's been good three and a half is the win total for Arizona I don't know I report they're going to start Clayton Tune at quarterback.

Is that his name, Tune or Thune? Whatever it is. I don't know much about him. It's Josh Dobbs or Clayton somebody. I've seen Josh Dobbs play. Yeah. I just traded for him about, you know, eight days ago. He's talented, but I don't know if he's a franchise guy.

That's being generous. Final story is in college football where Coach Prime and the buffs coming off that big upset at TCU, vaulting them into the top 25. They're at now number 22. And Colorado renews that rivalry with Nebraska Saturday. on Fox and Dion's first home game with the buffs. Here's what Coach Prime and Shadur Sanders had to say about the matchup. Just learning the dynamics of the different rivalries are, I like it.

It's delightful. So I've learned the severity, the serious nature of this rivalry, and I'm embracing it 100%. This is personal. That's the message of the week. This is personal. Colorado, we don't like Nebraska. Simple. So that's just what it is.

We just got to focus on that. Okay, cool. We don't like Nebraska, but that's not going to, that's not really going to change, like, the preparation or anything like that. Because we prepare, like, nobody likes this because we know we're going to get everybody's best game. So it's just another thing on top of, like, a little bit more motivation, just a little bit. He was so much fun to watch. He was good. I'll say this, the TCU secondary, which returns some dudes, including a preseason All-American.

But they also lost. Well, they lost their quarterback, two of their star receivers. The defense was just hemorrhaging yards. How's this? I think the coach prime look with the shades in all interviews is pretty cool. I like it. So how's this? If they cover against Nebraska, can I do the news one day next week wearing shades?

All right. That would be a cool look, right? Now, I don't know if I have a gold chain as thick as prime, you know. But you would want to do, would you do a hoodie and a... I mean, I'm up for that. I don't know if wardrobe is going to be down with that, though. Oh, that's right. Does wardrobe choose your shirt you're wearing there?

I don't pick these out. By the way, a lot of guys are like, dude, where'd you get that shirt? And I'm like, I don't know. But I'll start to look at tags because, you know, I know the show's growing. Thanks to you, obviously. Well, no, you've helped too a little. No, no.

Okay, fine. Yeah, I guess I have. Okay. Are you done? Is that your last story? Yeah, officially done now. J-Mack with the news. Well, that's the news.

And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd-Lie News. Joel Clat was so happy when he walked in here today. He just bouncing. He was just. But, you know, you and I both are, I don't think we're contrarian to be contrarian, but I tend to be if the market,

I think when I bet the NFL, I just bet against the public. And if the public, like everybody now loves Colorado to beat Nebraska. And I'm like, okay, now I like Nebraska. And I don't know if it's the game, because they do have a better quarterback, but Colorado does. But I don't like everybody,

when anytime you get 94% of the. bets on a team. Like one of the first things I look at is like where are the bets going? And if it's over 85% or 80%, I want to go the other way. And so I think like I think Colorado is a great story. They're not a great team. They're not. Their defense is, will be exploited at some point. That's my guess. It's fun. Ever gotten a text from an unknown number that feels too good to be true? It probably was. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays and new Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific.

This is Steve Covino and Rich Davis. And together we are Covino and Rich. Covino and Rich. Thanks, buddy. That's right. Covino and Rich, Fox Sports Radio's newest hit show. Heard weekdays from 5 to 7 Eastern 2 to 4 Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the I Heart Radio app. Every Covino and Rich show is available as a podcast.

Just search Covino and Rich wherever you get your podcast and subscribe. I'm such a rockin dude. The show features our unique take on sports. Injected with some fun, humor, and relatability. Listen to Kavino and Rich five days a week on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Kovino and Rich, give me a hell, yeah. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games.

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

I don't care what 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 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-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 J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know.

I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for. 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. This fall settled back into a busier routine. Your home could be vulnerable though. Go to simply safecollan.com. They have 24-7

live guard protection. No safe like Simpleysafe. Great to have you in. So if the The end zone was the Super Bowl. How close is your NFC team to being a Super Bowl team? It's our Super Bowl field of dream. So the end zone is the Super Bowl. How close are your teams? You ready to go, Jay Mack? You give me a team.

All right, let's start with the Rams. You seem to like them this year. How close are the Rams? I have scaled back. They're out of field goal range. They've had a terrible preseason and Cooper Cup is hurt. So I'm going to put him at their own 45-yard line. They are out of scoring position.

I do think Stafford, Cam Acres, Tyler Higby, Aaron, Donald, Havenstein, the right tackle. I think they have some really good players, most on offense. Ernest Jones, excellent linebacker. But the Cooper Cup injury, they are weak on the perimeter if he doesn't play. So they're on their own 45 yards. See, that's like they could throw a Hail Mary and get the end zone. You need to push him way back. How close are the Niners to the Super Bowl end zone?

Five-yard line. Yeah. Last five years, four, you know, top five defense last four years. And the other thing is, Brock Purdy may pull back. Boy, do you know what their record is when Christian McCaffrey starts? Like, I think it's like 12 and 1. Like, and so I just think they have a really nice mix of young and veteran players. O-line, right side.

I'm not sure what you're going to get. But I know we talk about the Tray Lance mistake, but they have found some really good players, third round and beyond. I think they're close to the Super Bowl. All right. Seattle Seahawks, a team you were high on. 20-yard line. Bobby Wagner's back. That's good leadership. They're very young. They're very young. Now, the good side of that is young players get hurt. They bounce back sooner. I think they're built to last. I don't think today they beat the Niners.

but in eight, nine weeks, those older nineer players get bruised, banged up. Seattle is young, so they play with an energy and an enthusiasm that I think is redeemable. I do worry about Gino year two, but... Not in week one, though. I have them win in their division. Not in week one against every end secondary. How close are the... Oh, geez, the Cardinals to the Super Bowl end zone.

Own 25-yard line. It's not good. I just... When's Kyler Murray going to play? Do we like the head coach? They were the most penalized team in the football. I just think culturally... I mean, I think Kyler Murray's terrific, but I...

This roster's got like three players I like. And one of them, Kyler Murray, won't play in September, so it's bad. How about the Dallas Cowboys? Is this the year for Jerry Jones? Super Bowl end zone? Well, I'm going to put them... I'm going to put them with a Seahawks, 20-yard line. They had seven pro bowlers last year.

If you told me, C.D. Lamb and Tony Pollard were healthy at the playoffs. team. Because I do think DAC needs that. Because I think their defense will be top five in the NFC. I do think DAC's now just kind of a pocket passer, and there's limitations. But if Brandon Cook's Tony Pollard, C.D. Lamb, are healthy.

They're going to score over 23, 24 a game in that ballpark and they'll win games. Let's go to the defending NFC champion Eagles. How close are they? Five yard line. I don't think they'll be as dominant as last year. They lost Shane Steichen. They lost a couple of defensive players. But O-line,

quarterback great playmakers great that offense you go bulldo some people I don't think their defense will be quite as good although Jalen Carter the Georgia defensive I know so they're they're on the doorstep nine or a couple linebackers look the damn all right how about the G men the New York Giants 30 yard line added Darren Waller O line I think they've solved their interior issues I like their top three picks in the draft Daniel Jones gets better in year two with Daibol? What, didn't Josh Allen?

We're putting Daniel Jones in the same company as Josh Allen. Daniel Jones has a higher passer rating than Aaron Rogers last year. So I think this is... Wow, that seals it. He's better than Aaron Rod. I didn't say that. 30-yard line. How close are the commanders to the Super Bowl?

Back them up. Own 35-yard line. Defense is pretty good. They can defend the pass. pass rush, but Sam Howell, a defensive coach. You know, it's funny, I like a lot of their players. Yeah. And Sam Hal, I think, is Baker Mayfield.

That's what he looks like to me. You know, if he has time to set and throw, I think I mean, looks like Baker, the way he throws. I think Baker's got a little better arm, but... If they stump Arizona this weekend, like 34-10. So who cares? There are some signs in Washington. We could be a little lower on them than we should.

Okay. I'll just put it that way. All right, let's go next New Orleans Saints. Super Bowl says... 30-yard line. I think they'll probably win this division. It's the worst division in football. Derek Carr's got Chris Olavé and Michael Thomas. That's pretty good. So, I mean, Derek's got some nice weapons. And I think if you look at the drafting over the last seven, eight years, they got good players. Best players in the division.

How close are the Carolina Panthers to this? Well, I'm a 45-yard line. Hail Mary. I will say this. Frank Reich's a good coach. Bryce Young got beat up in the preseason. Don't go crazy on preseason. Also, I like their defensive front. And in that division, I don't see a great offense.

I think they'll hang around in games. I like Frank Reich's ability to supplement a quarterback, make Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz, Andrew Luck, they're most efficient. I think Bryce Young got a great coach. And I think they'll hang around games. I don't know if they'll close them, but they'll be in a lot of 2320 games with that defense. Wow. Okay. How about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? How close are they?

Their own 25-yard line. Really? Huh. I think you skipped over the Falcons. I skipped the Falcons. My bad. How close are the Falcons to the Super Bowl? 45-yard line. They have some really nice offensive pieces. Bejohn Robinson, they were the least penalized team last year, so maybe they're well-coached. I just don't know what I get with Desmond Ritter. So I feel like I like Atlanta's offensive potential. I like Carolina's defensive potential. And they're kind of the same team to me. I just know more about Frank Reich than Arthur Smith.

So I'm going to go with Atlanta finishing behind Carolina, but I'm in the minority there. Okay. Now we're doing the Buccaneers. And you've got Baker Mayfield. I'd say their own 25-yard line. They had no run game last year. None. So that's going to put more pressure on Baker Mayfield.

O-Lines had some injuries. I mean, they had one pro bowler last year, Tristan Worse. So I just, and they have a defensive coach. I think they're going to put a lot of pressure on Baker Mayfield. And I think he's proven when he has Nick Chubb in a good old line. He can be a good quarterback with a run game. But what happens when you have no run game? All right, let's go to the Green Bay Packers and Mr. Jordan Love.

Are they close to the Super Bowl ends up? No, 45-yard line. I don't. Here's my thing. They have a top eight offensive line according to PFF. but the 27th best roster according to PFF. So, I mean, again, Christian Watson and a bunch of rookie tight ends, I just don't know what they have on the perimeter.

If Christian Watson twists an ankle, what do they have to throw to? Romeo Dobbs. Well, he's a kid. They're all kids. All right, Detroit Lions, Super Bowl end zone. 20-yard line. Whoa. Well, listen, excellent O line.

Keep your eye on Jemir Gibbs, the running back. Listen, Jared Goff with time to throw gets to Super Bowls. No. Jared Goff is underrated. Dan Campbell still concerns me biting kneecaps, but I think they're going to score their way to the division title. Let's get to the Minnesota Vikings. Are they close to the Super Bowl end zone?

30-yard line, but they lost Alvin Cook, Adam Thielen, Various Smith. They had some losses that you pointed this out. They could be building for a better draft thing. Yeah, indeed. So Kirk Cousins 2 and 10 on Monday Night Football always worries me in big spot. All right, we'll wrap up with the Bears. Where are they headed toward the Super Bowl?

Ends up. Kind of 30-yard line where they've got some dynamic players. My guess is they are viable, but just not quite. They're just a little rough around the edges, but there'll be a lot of splash and a lot of fun and people will be excited, and they've got some playmakers. but their defense allowed almost four touchdowns a game. How do you turn that around in one year? One off season. Look at this.

Look at the board, Colin. The Cowboys have won 12 games two years in a row. Shouldn't they be closer to San Fran and Eagles than with like the lions and sea? So Dalton Schultz gone. Oh, no, not Dalton Shultz. Well, you just told me they have an injury on the O line. They do have an injury on the O. By the way, Dak got hurt again last year.

He's now a pocket guy. added Stefan Gilmore. Listen, I got him. I got him next to Seattle and Detroit, and I got those guys winning their division. I'm pretty positive, if you asked me. All right, we're done for today. NFL season starts tomorrow.

We'll talk about that. Chiefs Lion C. It's the third. 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 helped make you funnier.

This week, my guest, S&L's Mikey Day and headwriter, 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 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 Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars. related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of taun tons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.