The Herd with Colin Cowherd - THE HERD - Hour 3 - The Browns have their starting QB, the Shedeur Sanders circus, thoughts on Caleb Williams, Dave Wannstedt

Episode Date: August 18, 2025

Colin talks to former Bears head coach Dave Wannstedt about the new look Bears offense and how he would handle the drama that surrounds Shedeur Sanders trying to make the Browns roster.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Hey, guys, it's us. The Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick. And guess what? We created our own podcast called, Hey, Jonas.

We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions. Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it. But, you know, tired and sick. Tired and sick.

Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you. you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. 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 ice. Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Deanna Maria Riva, and on my new podcast, How Hard Can It Be? I call on my Gen X squad from Ohio to Hollywood as we navigate Midlife's most fantastic BS.

Unfiltered conversations from night sweats to futas to scheduling sex. Wait, what sex? Is it just me, or does every woman my age want to look at Pinterest instead of having sex sometimes? They say we can't polish a turn, but we're sure going to try. So let's get blunt with. laughs, tears, or tears of laughter. Listen to How Hard Can It Be with Gianna Maria Riva on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano. It's our favorite time of the year on our podcast point game, the playoffs. We're digging into the biggest surprises of the season. And I'm looking back on some of my greatest playoff moments. If we didn't talk ever again, I was hungry. You just understood. That's how personal it got.

Wow. Then after that game seven, Marquis come in to you, he's like, you know I love you, dog. You know, it's all love. This was just playoffs. This was just basketball. So listen to Point Game 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 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. What, 4-0 last year in the preseason? So they're all fired up about what happened. Dave Wonstadt, who's the last Bears coach to win a road playoff game, six years in Chicago, five with the Dolphins,

last head coach to win a playoff game. So listen, I guess my take is because of the style that Ben Johnson demands, it's a very precise exact style. He's like Shanahan. He wants his play run. And because of the style of Caleb Williams, which is a little Brett Farr, it's a little ad lib, I don't think they're a perfect marriage. I think it can work. But you've been at practice.

You said it was pretty rough a couple weeks ago. Yeah, and Caleb and Ben, everybody in Chicago here, I am in Chicago. Do you recognize a set call? Yes, I got your microphone right here. Okay. I mean, but I, and Caleb, everybody's admitted that it's been the last week that he's really turned a corner as far as, you know, how he's performed, how he's grasped the offense. Everything about his play has gotten better. And so that's a real positive.

When you think, how did the game start? I could have turned it. Think about this. He was up under center, which everybody in Chicago has been screaming about. The tailback was what I call a dotted position. you know, where he would be if it was a two-back eye formation. They fake a running play. You see Caleb's athletic ability on the move,

and they throw to the ball in the first-round draft pick. I mean, that was enough for me to see right there. I could have turned the TV off and said I saw enough. Let's get ready for the next game. So my point is, though, that I think Ben really, he understands that Caleb is a good enough athlete, that he's going to have enough movement plays for him. and at the same time we saw it going into the third quarter they had 21 runs and 29 passes

so they are going to be balanced and run the football if he does those things it's a quarterback friendly offense and i think caleb can really excel in that type of environment but let's could i argue this that the backup tyson begent is a better fit actually for the offense that Ben wants to run. He's not as talented, but you could make an argument that if you had, and again, they're going to play Caleb. This is not a quarterback controversy. But my argument is when you, the far, even with Mike Holmgren, Farrv could frustrate a coach, that Caleb's style coach is going to frustrate Ben Johnson at times. Well, I don't know that yet. I don't think anybody does, okay?

And Beijing had a great camp. I mean, if you went every day, and I don't have, the day I was up where, I was standing on the field, we were talking, I was Ryan Poles, and Bejew took him down the field and scored a touchdown. And I said to Ryan, well, at least you know you got a backup. And he says, oh, we definitely got a backup. So my point is that he had an outstanding camp, okay, and they recognize that. But I really think that, keep in mind, last night, Caleb, okay, we know the numbers. he didn't see it against pressure.

That, to me, is what separates quarterbacks now. Caleb said, okay, I had a good day. You know, every time they blitzed them, it wasn't a real good result. That's when he threw his incomplete passes. Opening day against Minnesota, Monday night, Brian Flores. He is a blitz king. So that's going to open up a whole other light for us to look at and say, okay, can he handle the blitz?

because everyone talks about Jared Goff, but if you look at Jared Goff's numbers against the Blitz, they're really good. They really are good. So I think that's going to probably be a big deal how far Caleb can advance, at least progress this first year. Not only were you a head coach,

you worked with a great head coach Jimmy Johnson. And I think I told you this privately, probably over a little Italian dinner or a cocktail. A couple years ago I said, I think Mike McDaniels smart. I'm not doubting the smart. thing, but I need my head coach. I need him to be a CEO. And I've been doubting him for a couple years. I'm like, I know he's got all the motion, but Miami's a hard place to win. As you know,

it's a distracted market. It's got perfect winter weather. It's got a lively port. Players, it gets loose very quickly there. And I think maybe Mike McDaniel in Boring Indianapolis, right, would be a better fit than distracted L.A. But I think they're cultural. off. I don't like there. I don't know what they are. Is that a fair criticism? You coasted Miami. You know it's a distracted market. Yeah, Miami is a little different.

And obviously, the thing that they didn't like about me, I never got caught up than that because we were a running team with Ricky Williams. We, you know, he led the league in rushing. So we were going to play defense and run the ball. Miami was, and we were winning games. Miami almost sometimes seemed to be happier

when they would lose, when they weren't running the ball, Marino was throwing, they'd lose 35, 34, and people would say, well, it was an exciting game. I mean, you know, so you're right. I mean, the culture down there is to throw it. When I had my doubts, and it really surprised me, because McDaniel, supposedly, he was in charge of the running game at San Francisco. Go back two or three years ago, that playoff game,

I think it was against Buffalo. And they had their third team quarterback in there, kids from Kansas State, I believe it was. And they threw the ball with their 13 quarterback. I think it was three or four times. You can look up the numbers more than they ran it. And they lost the Buffalo in that playoff game. And that was a big red flag to me.

Big red flag to me. And I think another way that a coach can lose your team by what's happening on the field. We're talking about the physicality, but also by what happens off the field. sometimes from a press conference standpoint. And last year, you know, with Tyree Kill, I mean, they had an outside shot of the playoffs. Let's be real. You know, a lot of things had to happen for them to get in. But they still were playing for a possible playoff game, their last game to season.

And Tyra Kiel doesn't go in on the field the last two or three sessions. And I'm watching the press conference. And they asked Mike, but what happened to Tyra? And he says, I don't know. I didn't, I haven't talked to him yet. Boy, you know, if you're a player, that just doesn't. can give you a good grasp, but you've got your hands around this thing. And I think it's caught up with them.

So hopefully they can rebound, but it's going to be a tough one. Yeah, staff just sent this to me. Skyler Thompson threw it 45 times in a playoff loss to Buffalo. Skyler Thompson. Thank you. Yeah, what are you doing? Yeah, what are you doing? Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific.

He's by Carmen. I'm Dan Byard. we have a fantasy football podcast called I Want Your Flex. That's right, Dan. Every week we're going to scour the waiver wire to find the pickups to turbo boost your fantasy lineup. It starts. Fantasy football players' rankings to get you ready to dominate the competition. Listen to I Want Your Flex with Mike Harmon and me, Dan Byer, on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts.

Hey, it's us to Jonas Brothers. And guess what? We have some big news. What's the news, new? Huge news. We created our own podcast. podcast called Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast?

Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to a... We're the first people to do podcasts. Pretty, yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts. We're starting a trend. But this one's extra special. So how did we actually come up with a name Hey Jonas, guys? I honestly don't remember.

I think it was on a call about what we should call it. Well, we were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band. Before Jonas Brothers was... This is how you guys. remember it going down? Yes. I have a very different memory of this. We were talking about a thing, a bit for the podcast,

where people could call in and say, hey, Jonas. And then I wrote down on my little notepad, Hey Jonas, and offered it up as a potential title for the podcast. But thanks for remembering that, guys. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it.

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. What's up, fam, Isaiah Thomas. And I'm CJ Toledano, and our podcast Point Game is about Define the Odds. like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what. He's the smartest player to ever play the game.

His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows without Luca and Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reid. He has to guard Julius Randall.

And then he has to give us everything. everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too. Steve Nass would get that thing. That man, hell get to flying. He running up the court, licking his fingers, why he got the ball, like,

after you go through a training camp with that, Isaiah, you figure it out real quick. Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Agency, the ability to, know that we're the experts in our own body.

On the podcast cultivating her space, Dr. Dom and Terry Lomax create a space where black women can show up fully and be heard. I wholeheartedly think, you know, you hit 30. You shouldn't have to share one with anybody. Mm-hmm. From navigating friendships and healing to setting boundaries and prioritizing your mental health.

These are real, honest conversations. We don't always get to have out loud. Totally unreasonable with different parts of life, right? Like, oh, have all three meals and make sure you're mindful during all of them? Absolutely not. During one meal, I'm standing. I'm standing and handing my children food. Because healing, empowerment, and resilience aren't just ideas.

Their practices. And this Mental Health Awareness Month, there's no better time to pour back into yourself. Listen to cultivating her space on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Okay, so I had said this. I think Shadur Sanders is probably more my cup of tea as a quarterback. He's a legit 6-2. He's accurate moves. I don't like the celebrity stuff.

Joe Flackle was named starter today. Coach, Parcells used to say no celebrity quarterbacks, but I think that ship has sailed. Some of these NIL guys come. Arch Manning's going to be a celebrity quarterback. You just got to deal. If you're a quarterback at, you know, Michigan or Notre Dame, you're going to be a celebrity quarterback.

I mean, what would you do with a situation? Do you like Soudre over Dylan Gabriel? Dylan's a little more serious. Shadur's a little more playful. What do you do in the backup role in that team? If you run the team, Flacco's your guy. Do you keep four guys? No, I don't think you can keep four guys.

I really don't. Kenny Pickett was my pick to come out of this thing, not just because he's a pick guy like me, but he was my pick when it started, that he was going to come surfacing this thing as the starter. And obviously injuries or whatever happened. So it sounds like that thing has gone cold. Sanders has the most talent in my mind, just watching them both play.

As far as the personalities, God, I mean, I don't know. Unless he's a distraction to members on the team, which I don't think he is, I think Sanders is probably your second best option. And Gabriel, will he ever get better? and that's the question mark i think you know what's the upside on on gabriel and i loved them just like everybody wants to talk about at oregon you know the guy had 75% completions or whatever it was but is that you know is he about as good as he's going to be right now can he improve i don't know that's a real tough one i try to keep the personalities out of it as long as they're doing all

the right things in the classroom and on the field so you didn't worry too much about you know, if some guys are quirky and some guys aren't, you try to just eliminate that. Well, yes, as long as it's not affecting your football team from the standpoint, are they on time for meetings? I mean, do they know what they're doing on the field, or they practice? Are they getting in early and staying late?

If they're doing all those things, you know, I think sometimes, you know, that off the field stories will get blown out of proportion to one extent. You know, that's a tough one. That's a tough one because Gabriel's not going to back away. I mean, you know, you got two good young, talented quarterbacks. Maybe you need to play them both and see what falls because the tough thing is Flacco's probably, it's going to be tough with Joe can last the whole season,

whether he just gets tired, he gets hurt or whatever happens. So you've got to be looking at that thing. If you're Stefansky and you've got to be saying, who can go in here and finish the season for me and win enough games to give us a playoff runner, save my job, or what? whatever the situation is. Who can win games for me? Who do I have the most confidence in? Because the thing with Joe, hopefully it lasts, but it probably won't.

He may not have confidence any of the three, to be quite honest with you. So we got into this discussion, John Middlok, my buddy here, he's a former scout. We were talking about Ashton Gentie. And he's just, he is tough. Dave, he is, he runs right. He reminds me Adrian Peterson. He is like a missile. he is seeking contact.

He's 5-7, 5-8, whatever. What do you tell a running back? I mean, when you're coaching men, you're seeking guys who like physicality. But there are positions in football, like quarterback and running back, where I feel like, I'll show you the clips of Ashton Genty, he is just getting throttled.

And I think to myself, how does a coach send the message, live for another day to a power, running back. I don't know if you do. I think it's just in their nature. And, you know, Ricky Williams, let's just use having an example because we were talking dolphins. You know, I remember my first year, we had Thurman Pomas, who I signed as a pre-agent. He was done at the Bills. So I was using Thurman and Third Don and Ricky in first and second Don. After about two games, Ricky came in my office and said, Coach, what are we doing here? And I said,

You know, you're playing first and second. I'm trying to, you know, keep everybody fresh. I want the ball. I want the ball. So I think the great running backs, they want the football. Can you change their style? I wouldn't try that. I would not try that.

I think you got a great back. You hand them the football and you try to win as many games as you can. I mean, that's, in my opinion, the philosophy I came up with looking at the Eric Dickerson's, I played with Tony Dorset, and we saw Emmett Smith firsthand. I was with him for four years. The great backs are going to win games for you, and we all know you throw with the score points, but you've got to run it to close out games.

And Genties, he's one of those guys. He will close a game out and win it for you if you got the lead. Dave Wonstadt. You know, you look good in that chair. You know, maybe someday they're going to, you know, my days could be numbered. You look pretty good in that authoritative chair. well i'll tell you what i'm gonna look better in the taffano's restaurant in about five hours okay in that

chair in little italy so that's thick about that okay i'm totally jealous by the way completely jealous uh Dave Wantsdena good seeing you what a good friend what a good guy all right he's got he's got they ever tell you my funny Dave Wontap that story no so I'm sitting when I first meet him and I said you know we I was talking he was uh me I think my wife was there or something I said you know I like going down in Naples Florida he goes oh I love Naples I said man they got this bar handsome Harries I love this place he goes yeah I own it I'm like what he goes well I did own it and then he told me the story I'm not going to get into that but I'm like oh I owe us that was my handsome Harry's it was just the best it's like

yeah I used to own that I had to Google how old he was he looks fantastic for 73. I've never met a storyteller like Dave Wantsett. I mean, like, just there, just out of the blue. He's like, I remember when I had Ricky Williams, and I told him, I'm going to try to save you for 30 because he's now I want the ball.

He has a memory, like a trap. He's got a million. First of all, if you were on a Jimmy Johnson's staff, you've got stories. They used to go on those walks, I think, at practice and talk football and talk life. Yeah, he's just, there's very few people that are more. fun. I don't think I've ever

golf with Dave, but going out and dinner drinks with Dave is about as much fun as I could have. All right, we'll take a break. We'll come and wrap it up with Heard Line on what has been a busy day. The Browns have named Joe Flacko as their starter, which is the only quarterback spot

I don't care about with the Browns. Who's 2, 3, and 4? We'll talk about that now. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Hey, it's us, the Jonas Brothers, and guess what? We have some big news. What's the news, new?

Huge news. We created our own podcast called, Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to a podcast. Pretty, yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts throughout there. But this one's extra special. So how do we actually come up with the name, Hey Jonas, guys?

I honestly don't remember. I think it was on a call about what we should call it. And, well, we were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band before Jonas Brothers. This is how you guys remember it going down? Yes. I have a very different memory of this. We were talking about a thing, a bit for the podcast, where people could call in and say, hey, Jonas. And then I wrote down on my little notepad, Hey Jonas, and offered it up as a potential title for the podcast.

But thanks for remembering that, guys. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. 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

smiglin friends on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm CJ Toledano, and our podcast Point Game is about defining the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what. He's the smartest player to ever play the game. His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows. Without Luca and Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reid.

He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too. Steve Nash would get that thing. That man, hell get the flying. He run up the court licking his fingers while he got the ball. Like, you go through a training camp with that, Isaiah. you figure it out real quick.

Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the balls. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Agency, the ability to know that we're the experts in our own body. On the podcast, cultivating her space, Dr. Dom and Terry Lomax create a space where black women can show up fully and be heard.

I wholeheartedly think, you know, you hit 30. You shouldn't have to share one with anybody. Mm-hmm. from navigating friendships and healing to setting boundaries and prioritizing your mental health. These are real honest conversations. We don't always get to have out loud. Totally unreasonable with different parts of life, right? Like, oh, have all three meals and make sure you're mindful during all of them?

Absolutely not. During one meal, I'm standing. I'm standing and handing my children food. Because healing, empowerment, and resilience aren't just ideas, their practices. and this mental health awareness month, there's no better time to pour back into yourself. Listen to cultivating her space on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. So a story today that I didn't think was much but has percolated over the last couple of weeks. Matt Stafford finally showed up to practice.

Now, again, I don't expect my old quarterback, Stafford, Aaron Rogers, Kirk Cousins to play in the preseason. You'd like him at practice. So Stafford slowly walked into practice today. Sean McVeigh, who keeps things incredibly close to the vest, almost sounded annoyed when talking about Matt Stafford. It's good to be able to have Matthew out there. He did a good job today. I thought he looked good, but I don't really have any updates.

I think there was a lot of intended information, but there's no updates. We're going to keep it a day. really a week at a time. What I'm not going to do is sit here and go back and forth every single day. I don't think that's fair to anybody involved. It's not accurate with what's going on with the situation either. And so we're trying to get our hands on it. We're trying to do right by the player number one in our team. And so, you know, it was good to be able to have them out there today. Yeah, I mean, it's, again, the Rams, and I've thought about this, I have a right to ask you

any question, but you have a right not to give me an answer. And Belichick for a year said on to Cincinnati and the Rams keep things very private. And I think John talked about this earlier. Shanahan is very loyal to the player. I mean, they've signed contracts I disagree with. The Rams have moved off. Cooper Cup, who felt like a ram for life. Jalen Ramsey, Todd Gurley,

Jared Goff was a shocker he got to the Super Bowl. So they're very business-like. I think that's how you should run an organization. Now, there are times I totally support the player. Trey Hendrickson and Cincinnati. What are you doing? You don't have a defense without him. Jamar Chase, Pam.

Micah Parsons, I'd move him. I would have before the season. So I'm not always for the player, but the Rams, and I don't, you know, it used to be like, oh, it's cutthroat. It's professional sports. They're not going to sign bad contracts. And so Matt Stafford got a year. That was it.

And they said, we love him. But there is a benefit, I will say this, John. There is a benefit playing for Sean McVeigh, Andy Reed. The leverage you get when you have a great coach. coach is that you don't have to always pay the star. Your coach is able to, you can move off Tyree Kill in Kansas City and get and win Super Bowls without them. You don't need the greatest receiving unit. And I think the way the Rams look at it is the advantage to having, I mean, they moved off Vaughn Miller quickly. The advantage to having McVeigh is they're going to defend

McVeigh's choices always. I'm usually anti-media, but I will defend. I know McVeigh was kind of edgy right there. They had said he was going to throw on Saturday like he had done the previous week, and then they just went, they just went mute. And then he comes out a couple days later and gets defensive about it. Like we're talking about your Hall of Fame quarterback that you go as kind of he goes. It is kind of a big story. I mean, and listen, he's Belichick, but he's 40 years old and he smiles.

That was kind of Belichickian in his version. He's getting mad. He's getting angry. But I'm sorry, this is a massive. NFL story. Yeah, and again, your backup situation is Stetson Bennett, who's not, you know, that's very debatable, whether he can start NFL games. Very debatable. And Garapolo has aged, I mean, when we watched him in Las Vegas, he aged very, very quickly. Now, again, can you keep him upright for a three or four games stretch and he wins a couple? McVeigh could probably do it.

He's a bit of a magician. But this is a huge story, because this is the only team in the league that can win the Super Bowl or win four games based on Mass Stafford. Well, and that's why when you see his reactions, I think he understands what's at stake here. If this back does not go away, they're in major, they have major issues. John Middlough with the news. No, no, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Okay, speaking of teams with major issues, the dolphins from buildoff season, they had a joint practice with the lions. Safe to say, it did not go well for Mike McDaniel. And the hot, seat that he is currently sitting on. Jaylon Ramsey, his former Star Corner, was just traded

out of Miami earlier this offseason, and he dropped some interesting quote referencing his former head coach on a podcast. I do appreciate the Dolphins and them working with me and David, you know, not just, hey, this team called and, you know, we're going to see you here and this and that. Like, it wasn't any of that. It was very open communication. Y'all been good to us. I've been good to y'all like let's do it the right way let's go to a team that's going to be able to compete let's go to a team where there's a lot of respect for the head coach yeah you know you know dave wants to hit on it what they want in miami because of marino i i've i've had this theory that it's really really difficult to win there for a long long time and now with the

explosion of money what pat riley did in miami for a long time with the basketball team was kind of an outwire situation. Look at that. It's falling apart. The baseball team's a joke. The football team. Is this a job because it feels inevitable now. This thing's going to get blown up. Are people going to be lined up for this gig? Say what you want about the Bears. Ownership's a little cheap. It's still the Chicago Bears. Football really matters. You can win in that town if you do it right.

I think if this job becomes available is the quote-unquote top candidate, a Mike Vrable, a Ben Johnson, whoever that guy is in this upcoming cycle, even interested in that gig? Well, Miami is, if you've never been to Miami, it's one of one in America. It's very international. I've said before, if every Super Bowl, the rest of my life was in Miami, I'd sign up for it today. I think it is the Super Bowl, Ocean Avenue, Collins Avenue, international. You can go eat Argentinian food one night, Chilean food the next.

It's an amazing city. But the culture is distracted. The people are beautiful. I mean, it's the best beaches in America. money in Maseratis everywhere. And you got a bunch of 24-year-old players. So when Wanstatt was winning there, Wanstatt was considered, you know,

boring. Defense, run-game, physicality. I mean, I don't know if people know this. When Wanstatt was in Miami through his first three or four years, he had a better record than Mike Tomlin and Pittsburgh. But Pittsburgh is an easier place to coach, right? There's less to do.

So I think Miami not only takes a good coach, it takes a certain type of personnel. Now, Tom Coughlin could have won in Miami. Tom, I mean, by the way, Brian Flores did turn the culture around, but he didn't get along with the quarterback and he rubbed people the wrong way. I think you need more Brian Flores-ish than Mike McDaniel pro-player-ish. I got a name for you, and I could see their owner who's gone after big-name guys before. Remember, he tried to get Harbaugh?

Kirby Smart. Yeah. He was there assistant coach with Nick Sabin way back in the day. Maybe he's a little tired of this N-I-L. and everything in college football. I could see that because a bunch of the top assistants might not be interested. They go other places.

Kirby Smart, keep an eye on that one. I can see that one taking place. Okay, the 49ers seemed to be a pretty well-run operation. Obviously, last season was a disaster with the injuries. San Francisco, they're already dealing with some injuries at the wide receiver position. Obviously, IUC had the back of knee injury. But Brock Purdy and the former first rounder Ricky Pearsall connection

that looked very, very good against the Raiders. They linked up three times for 42 yards. And Purdy discussed the chemistry with his young wide receiver. We watched a lot of stuff from last year, too, and understanding where we both need to be better when, you know, obviously I'm thrown to him. And I think we honed in on some things this year in camp. And in the game, man, we just go out there.

And I feel like it's pretty natural. Just both of us are chemistry and everything. Yeah, I mean, Piersall, isn't he viewed as sort of a yard after the catch guy? Yeah, I mean, he's a physical guy with the ball in his hands, but he can run. I mean, he's fast. But that's Shanahan's mantra. What he loves. Loves the yards.

I'll get you open. Catch it and break tackles. Listen, Debo, a couple years ago, had one of the coolest, most unique seasons we've ever seen. But he's not a great wide receiver. He's just a great football player. This guy is a true wide receiver. Him and Purdy have some early, you know, chemistry. They didn't draft him in the first round.

It's not like, this is like some fifth round fine. I mean, they used their first, first round pick since the Trey Lance trade. So they hadn't had one in years, and they used them. on him and the expectations are pretty high. Yeah. John Middlecoff with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by.

The Heard Lye News. Good show today. Dave Wanstatt and Matt Hasselbeck both stopped by. No, I thought, you know, Dave has got great stories. I think he's brutally honest. Is that the times I've talked to Dave about he loved coaching in Chicago. He still lives there. Absolutely loved it.

I think Chicago is one of those cities I would call loud. Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco media can be loud. L.A. is not as loud. It's kind of laid back. Dallas media can be loud where you get into these cities and it's almost cultural. You have to have a strong coach, a definitive coach. I think there's something that has happened in the league. I've talked about it ad nauseum and it bores people to death.

so I don't talk about it too much, but not only are offensive coaches better with quarterbacks. They're better with offensive lines. I've seen McVeigh rebuild the Rams O-Line three times. Andy Reid's done it in an off-season two to three times. And I think when Ben Johnson came to Chicago, Drew Dalman, Joe Tunney, Jonah Jackson, his first, and then draft the left tackle.

They want to get the O line right, because that's what happened in Detroit, when Ben Johnson was there. Let's get the old line right. A, you're protecting your number one asset. B, everything works when the O line is strong. So, I mean, Sean Payton immediately fixed a messy offensive line. He had Garrett Bowles at left tackle, and he went out and spent some money. Some thought he overspent for the right tackle from San Francisco McGlinchie. But his whole take was, if we don't get the O line right, see, offensive coaches prioritize O lines. because it's the insurance policy for your quarterback. So I look at Ben Johnson and I'm like, forget Caleb.

He got the O'line right. The play calling will be better. He and Caleb may not be perfect stylistically. Dave goes to the bear's practices. Here's Dave wants that thoughts on Caleb earlier. I think Ben really, he understands that Caleb is a good enough athlete that he's going to have enough movement plays for him. and at the same time, we saw it going into the third quarter,

they had 21 runs and 29 passes, so they are going to be balanced and run the football. If he does those things, it's a quarterback-friendly offense, and I think Caleb can really excel in that type of environment. Yeah, I think that, I think the best friend to the quarterback early is an offensive coach and a consistent run game. and I think all the offensive coaches get it. I mean, remember the criticism the Lions got for drafting Jemir Gibbs

and like four games in were like, yeah, that worked. And now they have, was it Montgomery and Gibbs. So now they have a two-prong run game with two different types of running backs. So I just think when I watch Ben Johnson, he's doing, I feel like I'm watching the next great offensive coach because all his moves look like McVey and Peyton. And, I mean, right now in the offseason, what have we said about the Vikings? Man, have you looked at their offensive line?

Like the offensive coaches, it's not just about quarterback. It's they are better with the O line, almost as a rule. That's why Brian Daibol has not done a great job with the O line. You could be a knock on him as that's one thing about DaBull. I have questions about why is the Giants O' line never good enough? By the way, the Broncos, my staff just sent this have the second highest rated O-line going into the season. It was a mess when he arrived.

I think a lot of offensive coordinators get jobs when they go work with a really good quarterback, and they may be an extent for one or two years. He showed up in Detroit. I think he was the tight ends coach at first, because remember Anthony Lynn was the offensive coordinator, but he saw it from the ground floor, and he saw them build it up,

and obviously he was a big part of it, but he got to witness in all those staff meetings and all those drafts. Like, he was a part of, like, we thought, a startup for nothing. They were a joke, not just of the NFL, but in all of professional sports. So he's kind of uniquely equipped to have a lot of perspective, even though a stardom, I would say his rise over the last couple of years was kind of like a rocket ship, but he saw the lowest of lows in the NFL.

Well, they were one of the more entertaining offenses in the league with Jared Gough as their quarterback, who's not a wildly athletic quarterback. You could not wait to watch Lyme. games. The tricks, the tempo, they gave you a little bit of everything. So now just add Caleb Williams athleticism to that. It's the hurt. Hey guys, it's us. The Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick. And guess what? We created our own podcast called, Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast. Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to our first people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions. Well, sick and tired

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