The Herd with Colin Cowherd - The Richard Sherman Podcast - Wild Card Reaction: Packers upset Cowboys, Eagles faceplant vs. Bucs, Bills & Lions win

Episode Date: January 17, 2024

Richard Sherman reacts to the Green Bay Packers' upset over the Dallas Cowboys and then brings on Mitch to react to the rest of the NFL Wild Card Weekend. Does Baker Mayfield deserve a big contract after leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers over the free-falling Philadelphia Eagles? How electric was Detroit as the Lions beat the Los Angeles Rams for their first NFL Playoff win in 32 years? The Buffalo Bills beat the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Kansas City Chiefs got through the Miami Dolphins, setting up a Josh Allen vs. Patrick Mahomes rematch next week. How confident does Richard feel about the 49ers as they host Jordan Love and the Packers? #volume #herdSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. On The Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 is big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors.

Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild. I mean, it was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The volume. You know this, sir. You know for these.

Super Bowl. Championship. That should always be the expectation. All right. You're mad. That you go on here. Welcome back to the Richard Sherman podcast. And my goodness, I must say, and I must give the Green Bay Pack.

a ton of credit in Jordan Love. I said before the season, nobody will fear you. Nobody will fear you going forward without Aaron Rogers. And way to prove me wrong. They went into Dallas and became the first seventh seed to upset a two seed in NFL history. It was a marvelous game plan by Matt LaFleur. And that defense showed up in a big way. Darnell Savage made big plays.

Jair Alexander, I hope he's okay. He made huge plays in the game. They were stout against the run. They were stout against the pass. I mean, Kishon Nixon had a great game to all pro. But Jordan Love is the story of this game. That offensive line held up. I think he was only hit a few times.

And at the end of the day, he was making dime passes all over the field. Sidearm, off his back foot, off balance, on the run, in the pocket. I mean, he showed off a plethora of skills against the Dallas Cowboys. But the story of this game, I don't get to. do my dance. I don't get to do it. Now I got to make up new lyrics. I'm over here texting little Wayne seeing if he got something else because he's a big Green Bay Packers fan, so he's feeling really good. But I'm sitting there, divisional and done. Okay, it's going. They didn't make the divisional. The Dallas Cowboys didn't make the divisional. And I told you guys, I told you,

they don't get fooled by these home wins. They hadn't played anybody. I'm not going to be one to say, I expected them to get blown out. at home and get 48 points put on them the most in Cowboys history in a playoff game. Did I expect that? No way, no chance. But I knew that teams would have a chance. I thought Detroit would come in and beat them in a divisional. I did not expect Green Bay to blow them out. And regardless of what the score ended up, it was a blowout. It was a complete annihilation. And it should be questions. I would expect McCarthy to be gone, you know, after everybody spoke so highly of him and getting back he wanted to be, he's going to get fired. Dan Quinn's going to.

to get a head coaching job likely. And they're going to have to restart. And you're going to have to have to be listening to them, talk about Bill Belichick, potentially coming to the Patriots, because Jerry Jones has a tremendous amount of respect for Bill Belichick. But does that get them over the hump? Does that change where they are right now? I don't think it does.

Not necessarily because you're going to have to pay Michael Parsons, Max money, $35 million, maybe a little bit more. You're going to have to pay CD Lamb, max money. C.D. Lam. Great season. You were right. You are a number one receiver. You're about to get number one receiver money. And I want to see how Dallas Cowboys fans react to that. I hope you congratulate him. And I hope you appreciate him because he's getting 35 plus million dollars. And then you got to figure out what you're going to do with that. Do you get rid of a franchise quarterback that has won so many games for you over to, I mean, I think he's one of the most winning quarterbacks playing in the league right now. I mean, they're talking about McCarthy is second behind Andy Reed with 36 wins. in the last couple years, I would imagine that puts DAC in very impressive category to him, very impressive standing. So this loss does hurt.

It stings, but you're going to have to pay Dak Prescott, $50 plus million, whether you like it or not, or you're going to have to take a huge step backwards and rebuild from the bottom. You're not getting one of these top quarterbacks this year. You're not getting somebody in free agency that's better than Dak Prescott. Trey Lance is not ready and you don't have time to put him in there and learn try. out by fire. So you're not going to give him a chance. So what you got to do? You got to go with Dak Prescott. And you're probably going to have to, maybe you shorten the deal three years, 150, 160 million. But either way, these decisions are going to have to be made. Now you're going to

have to figure out Doran Bland coming off in all pro year. How much you pay him? You know, his guy. I mean, there are people out here that will pay him. He's played great, great, great ball. You're going to lose this whole staff. I would guess Al Harris has done. a fantastic job with this secondary. He's going to get him a defensive coordinator job somewhere on one of these staffs. It might be on Dan Quinn's staff. Who knows? But what a class by the Dallas Cowboys. Now, I was trying to go divisional and done. Wild card and done. Well, one and done. I got to talk to Wayne. We're going to take a postponement on that until me and Wayne get in the studio, we really dissect where we want to go with this because we got to put some lyrics on it.

You know, we got to put some lyrics. Y'all was the two seed. You know, you thought that's what you need. You know, things like that because they thought, hey, we got the number two seed. We got the easiest path. Well, Green Bay had something else in mind. And now it's even more devastating than if you were to win. And let's say, just lost in Tampa Bay.

Like people would have said, oh, you're on the road. You're struggling on the road this year. But the Dallas Cowboys know how to do. They know how to really torment their fans. They say, hey, we're going to win. 16 in a row at home. And then when it's the playoffs, and we're going to be spectacular.

These games are going to be blossed. They're not even going to be close. We've got to make sure you guys feel like, hey, if we got a home game, we're on our way. And then they're going to get to the playoffs and lay an egg. And I just, I could not believe my eyes while it was happening. I said before the game, the only chance that the Green Bay Packers had,

as if they got ahead early and started planting seeds of doubt in Dallas Cowboys' heads. And that's exactly what they did. They got up seven points. Then they got up 14 points. Then Dallas Cowboys start pressing. Dag Prescott started pressing. They ran triple slants with C.D. Lamb. It wasn't a great call.

I mean, you ran that all season. Defenses are going to be prepared for it, especially in short-yard situations. It was second and two. The defense was prepared. I don't know if they were in a robber situation or if they were in some kind of cover two or cover three zone. But Darnell Savage was definitely prepared for it.

pit. And then the play with Jayaeer Alexander was just man to man. He wasn't even supposed to play in this game. And he went out there and put it on a show, made a huge play to put his team in scoring position early in this game. And it was just backbreaking play after backbreaking play for the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers looked phenomenal. This was a welcome, welcome Jordan Love to the spotlight game because he has done some really special things during the season. They were seven and three over the last 10, over his last. last eight games, he had 18 touchdowns and one interception. But to do it in the playoffs, in the manner in which he did it, I think he had a perfect passer rating, perfect QB rate.

You got to give him a round of applause. You got to give him a round of applause. And you got to give Matt Lafour and that staff the youngest receiving core, the youngest team in the NFL. I think the average age is 25. They don't know any better. They don't know that they're not supposed to be doing this. You don't see these receivers celebrating after the passes. They catch passes and they just hand it back to the rep. And they're like, let's get to the sideline and talk about this. Like, they're just excited to be out there playing football. That's a tough team. That's a dangerous team. I did not expect them to be able to do what they did to Dallas Cowboys, but they got a lot of questions to answer because Michael Parsons, who's one of the leaders of that

defense, had high expectations for this team. He was doing podcasts every week saying, hey, this team is going to make it to the Super Bowl. We got that kind of caliber team. Guys are buying in. He didn't make a big enough impact in this game. And those are the guys. I'm sorry to say, you got to have, you got to have play well in these games. If you don't play well, then what are we expecting? What are we expecting for the team? We expecting them to win without you playing well? Dag Prescott has to play well.

C.D. Lamb struggled early on, found his rhythm late. But you got to lean on your good players in these games, especially defensively, Duran Bland. You got an all pro. They expect an turnover. You got to make some big plays. And that's what hurt them in this game. They're big time guys.

They didn't show up in a big time way and they lost. But you got to give Joe Barry, who's been. who's been highly criticized throughout this season by the public and Green Bay fans alike. Let's not be there. It's not kid ourselves. He came up with an impressive game plan held Dallas to seven points early on in that first half. And I don't even know if they earned that seven. It looked like an off-sides penalty by Tyler Smith that went uncalled.

But some of the pictures of Jerry Jones, some of the videos, some of the when the camera pan to Jerry Jones and how he was looking, I wouldn't be surprised if he fired McCarthy before he even got in the locker room today. Has he done his press conference? Because I wouldn't be surprised if in his press conference he said, hey, we appreciate everybody for what they did, but we're going to start off new next year with a brand new staff. I would not be, that would not surprise me in the least if they had somebody

pack up McCarthy's bags and boxes and said, hey, we don't need you to come back. because that was the kind of performance that happened right there where it's it it leads to that kind of dismissal and i you know you don't like to call for anybody's job but i could not imagine him surviving this with the expectations that this team had that ownership had that the cowboys fans had that i mean the NFL had i mean nobody expected nobody expects the nobody expects the number two seed in any either conference to be going home wild card weekend you know it didn't even used to be a game they just started to to play that the two seed and not give them a buy.

It used to be a buy and you just automatically advanced to the next round. But let it be the Dallas Cowboys to be part of history. I appreciate you guys joining me. We'll see what we do with this next game. If the Detroit Lions win this game against the LA Rams, then we may be right back at it. But everybody sent a prayer to these Dallas Cowboys fans. If you know one, send them a positive text. Give them a hug or something.

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Licensee partner, Golden Nugget, Lake Charles, 21 plus age varies by jurisdiction. Void in Ontario. See sportsbook.draft kings.com slash football. Terms for eligibility and deposit restrictions, terms, and responsible gaming resources. Welcome back to the Richard Sherman podcast, and we have Detroit's very own favorite son, Mitch Hicestine, their first playoff win in 30 plus years, Mitchie, how you feel it? Oh, my goodness, Rich. my heart is still racing from last night, to be honest with you.

I was at the game. Ford Field was electric. I mean, there's nothing like kickoff, you know, you hear lose yourself by Eminem. They pan to the suite and there he is, man. That crowd was hype. Dude, this is something we haven't witnessed in 32 years, Richard. I mean, I know I already told you offline, but in the suites, they were giving hats away. You know, not Super Bowl hats, not NFC North or NFC champion hats.

but simply Detroit Lions playoff hats. I mean, it's a rarity for us to be in the playoffs, let alone host a game. And Richard, they won it. I could not be more happy. Let's start with the Lions because I'm fired up, man. I could not wait to get on here with you

and chat about this team. Huge win. Matthew Stafford comes back into town and we can kind of finally close the chapter on Matthew Stafford. This is Jared Goff's team. Richard, what are your thoughts on these Detroit Lions beating the L.A. Rams. Well, Stafford did not make it easy for you, Mitchell.

For all those asking, hey, Stafford, could you just lay down and give us this one? No, he didn't do that. He threw 25 or 36 for 367 and two touchdowns. Pooka Niccoa went off, nine catches for 181, and it wasn't enough to beat Jared golf in these Detroit Lions. The football gods made up for everything that happened in Dallas. and said, hey, Detroit deserves two home playoff games. And by golly, you're going to get them.

David Montgomery ran the ball well. The ground game wasn't doing what they expected it to do, what they've done all season, but they stayed at it. They kept pushing it. They ran the ball 22 times between David Montgomery and Jemir Gibbs. Jemir Gibbs did some damage in the air, four catches, 43 yards.

but your boy, the Pro Bowl, well, the all pro. Amon Rock, St. Brown, seven catches for 110. Sam Leporter. So he's not 100%. He's not healthy, but he did enough. He got in that end zone when you needed him. For some reason, they had a de-lein guard him. And any time you see that, what are we talking about it?

This is barbecue chicken. You better find him. And Jared Gough did. Aidan Hutchinson, your guy. Was he the right pick, Mitchell? I think so. He's got short arms, though, Rich. He's got short arms, but he looks like the right pick.

Mitchell, T. Rex had two sex. And guess what, Mitchell? They have another home game where they're favored. Almost a touchdown, Mitchell. They've only had two playoff games in the history of their franchise. Is that true, Mitchell? I don't know about a home play. It's been a long time.

I'm rich, a long, long time. I mean, let me paint a picture for you. In Ford Field, you know, I know you're used to Seattle Seahawks hanging these Super Bowl banners and NFC West banners and all that stuff. They've got five banners in the middle of their stadium saying, World Champs, 1952, 1953, 56, 57. There we is. I mean, but guess what?

We got a 2023 NFC North champ right next to it, Richard. This is rare territory for these Detroit Lions. This is a brand new lion team. Dan Campbell, Rich, this guy came in here talking about biting kneecaps, changing the culture of this team. He's done just that. This team is so fired up to play for this coach. And you know what's crazy about it, Rich?

They're a very young team. They're flexible with their cab space going into the offseason. Who wouldn't want to play for Detroit? Who would not want to play for this team? I mean, I feel like these guys are going to be lining up, taking hometown discounts to stay here. Any play or any vet that's wanting to compete, I'm sure he's going to want to come here too.

But Richard, I want to talk a little about Matthew Stafford, because that was the talk of this game coming in. This guy came in, Mr. Professional, and it's weird watching him on the opposing sidelines slinging that ball. Holy shit, is that man good? And, I mean, he was creative. blitz in his face, sidearm throw, dime. Like, I mean, Richard, 367 yards.

This is not uncommon anymore against this Detroit secondary. Detroit secondary needs some help desperately. But there's somehow finding ways to win games. Who can the Kua? Like, holy shit, man. This guy is like the perfect combination of Cooper Cup and Golden Tate. The guy is run after the catch skill like I haven't seen. I mean, he's a rookie.

How does a guy like this slip through the cracks, Richard? I mean, how in the world does no one else spot this talent? Mitchell, I don't know. He was a five-star and a four-star, you know, depending on which website, coming out of high school, went to UW, transferred to BYU, got kind of lost in transition, didn't run the best 40, but man, can he play? And his GPS is tracking this year amongst ball carriers in National Football League.

He was six of all ball carriers overall. I mean, so again, the 40 doesn't determine everything. Football speed is different. But, I mean, Mitchell, I can't lie. I cannot. I was terrified for Detroit. Because the worst possible thing was looking like it had the potential to come to fruition. Matthew Stafford, who gave so much to the city of Detroit, so much good play, so many great memories.

But he never brought him a playoff. win, Mitchell. And he's going to come to town when you have your second home playoff game in the history of your franchise and try to take it away from Detroit. Mitchell, if Stafford would have took that win away from Detroit because Matthew Stafford never won a playoff game in Detroit, and he still hasn't. And if he would have chose to win his first one for an opposing team, Mitchell, I don't think he makes it out the stadium. I have. I don't think he makes it at the stadium that show. I don't know.

I don't know. Oh, my. That was going to be my worst nightmare. I'm right there with you. And it certainly looked like it was heading that direction. I mean, the Lions came out hot, scored 21 points right out the rip. And then they went stagnant in the second half. Old teams adjusted play.

What was a shootout in the first half became a defensive battle in the second. And it was all heading that direction. Matthew Stafford, heading down the field. And then Dan Campbell gets ballsy accepting a, holding call or whatever it was to push them out of field goal territory, ultimately resulting in the Lions picking up a huge first down. Richard, I don't think in the history of professional sports, there's been a more fair trade for both teams than the Matthew Stafford,

Jared Goff trade. Matthew Stafford goes to the Rams. They immediately won a Super Bowl. Jerry Goff comes to Detroit, revitalizes his career, turns this franchise around, gives the team to all the building blocks and assets they need to grow. And now it's Jared Goff's time in Detroit, Richard. What was crazy to me is when Matthew Stafford took the field, people booed him. I wasn't too surprised about that.

But what surprised me was the love this city gave to Jared Goff. All you heard in that stadium was chance of Jared Goff, Jared Goff. And I can only imagine what that would feel like having 65,000 screaming fans yelling to your name. And he backed it up, man, 22 of 27, 27 and a touchdown against his former team. pay this man, Richard, first off, pay this man, make him your franchise quarterback for the foreseeable future, and let's go on a run with this thing, Rich. 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, 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 Jek. 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's big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack all day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack, so I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now, so. Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes.

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. You played against Jerry Gough enough. Did you ever see this coming with him? Mitchell, I did not.

I did not. But I can say once Sean McVeigh got a hold of him, he did play better football, he did look more like the number one pick he was expected to be. when he's standing upright and he has time in the pocket, Mitchell, he can dissect. He can get the job done. He can play the game at a high level. When he starts to get hit, that's when all bets are off. And again, Mitchell, we're going to fast forward a little bit because you guys got another home game coming. And Jared Golf has earned his money.

He's won a playoff game for Detroit. But can he win a second? Because that's what get the statue built up in. Mitchell, he's earned his money, but can he get the statue? Because Todd Bowles in this defense, this Tampa Bay defense, Mitchell, they're going to bring pressure. He's going to see at least six, maybe seven, zero pressures in this game. They're going to get home a few times.

I'm sorry to say it, Mitchell, they're going to get home. And their corners, their safeties, they know they're going to have to cover for a little while and offensively. They're not the greatest offense, but they got Mike Evans, Mitchell. Mike Evans can make this go. And if you leave him one-on-one, which I hope Aaron Glenn knows not to do, it will be a long day for Sutton and whoever else you put out there on Mike Evans. So, got to have a plan for him.

But if Aidan Hutchinson can get home, hopefully they line him up opposite of Tristan Worf's because Tristan Worf's is an absolute beast. But Detroit can win this game, Mitchell. Detroit can get, what did you ever see yourself saying? And in the near future, Detroit can make it to an NFC championship game. Mitchell, they are a week away. I can't believe it, man.

I'm fired up. And, well, let's talk about the bucks. Because that game tonight that just finalized, Tampa Bay took it to Philly. And Philly's been reeling. I mean, Richard, I can't. can't even think about a team that has fallen this far from grace. I mean, granted, they were 10 and 1.

It wasn't a pretty 10 and 1, but they lost six of the last seven games. They were battling injuries. Prayers up for our boy, big play sleigh. But Richard, that's secondary. I mean, you saw Bradbury getting, you know, missing easy tackles. I mean, Kevin Byard, not out of position on the big play by Palmer. What do you attribute this more towards this? Bay hot or is Philly just that cold?

Well, it's a little bit of both. It's a little bit of both. Tampa is a veteran team that has had playoff success. There are a lot of guys on this roster that were on that roster that won the Super Bowl. Mitchell, that kind of experience is irreplaceable. It's irreplaceable. You talk about Levante David, Devin White. Jamel Dean was on that team.

Antoine Winfield Jr. was a rookie. Everybody remembers him doing the P-Sign of Tyreek. Carlton Davis was on that team. Shaq Barrett was on that team. Will Goldston, Vita Veaaa. Tristan Worf's was on that team. So all that, they have experience, Mitchell, Chris Godwin and Mike Evans were on that team. So when you have that kind of playoff experience, you don't get rattled by these moments. Like, and Philadelphia has been reeling. Their offense has been predictable. I said it before.

Now, I said it about Dallas's offense. You get to these playoffs, they know what you're going to do. So if you've been predictable all season, you've been running plays that guys on the TV can call out, then when you get to these playoffs, you're probably going home because that's not going to get it done. And that's what Brian Johnson and now, I guess, Matt Patricia. Matt Patricia, in the last two years, Mitchell, this is how crazy the league is. This is how insane the leak is. Matt Patricia has been not only a head coach in a national football league.

He's been an offensive coordinator. He was an offensive coordinator last year for the New England Patriot, Mitchell. Did you know that? Yeah, I did. He was awful at the job. So he's been a head coach, Mitchell. He was awful at the job. He's been an offensive coordinator, Mitchell.

It was awful at the job. Now, mid-season, they returned him to where he was with the New England Patriots. as a defensive coordinator. And guess what, Mitchell? He was terrible. Mitchell, he was terrible. And so Philadelphia, that's been the difference. The personnel hasn't changed dramatically.

There's not many different players, but schematically things have changed. Shane Steichen is gone. Jonathan Gannon is gone. They are head coaches now. They're doing really good jobs for the team, their respective teams. teams. But the Philadelphia Eagles are missing them. So I would guess next year, they will have

another set of coordinators, new coordinators, offensive and defensive. But I'm not, I'm, I don't, I don't predict the future, but I would imagine. But who would have thought that Baker Mayfield would have a better playoff record than Dak Prescott? Mitchell, how the tides have turn. Mitchell, coming into the year, Baker Mayfield, prove it deal, $4 million. Everybody's like, why did Tampa do that? Now Tampa with 88 million in dead cap, dead money, is going to the divisional round, playing your Detroit Lions. Baker Mayfield is probably going to make himself 40, maybe 45 million, depending on how you slice it and dice it. I don't know how they're going Dyson, Mitchell, but he's made himself quite a bit of money.

No doubt. You know what's funny, Richard? And this is why we got to have our guys Rory and Goldie help us out on the back end because I know that in our season preview, we talked about these Tampa Bay Buccaneers, maybe being a surprise team out of this NFC South. And you even said, Baker Mayfield has got a lot to prove this year. They're giving him this prove it deal. And he's got a chip on his shoulder.

And this guy is a winner at the end of the day. I mean, he might not have the prettiest game, you know, he might not be the prototypical size of a quarterback that you want. But by God, he gets it done, man. And he slings the rock. And they got a very good young running back and Rashad White. I mean, this guy can get it done in the past game, good blocker, you know, tough runner. Kate Otten, holy shit, man. I mean, eight catches for 89 yards.

I'm just, the lions played Tampa already in Tampa. beat them handedly. You know, it was a relatively easy game. Like, coming into tonight, I think as a Lions fan, I wanted to see Tampa Bay as our opponent. I don't know about that anymore, Rich. I think I would have rather seen in Philly. Tampa Bay is one of those teams. They can be, it only takes one, you know, so we shall see what happens. But Richard, let's move. Let's move a little bit to Buffalo because they had to move this game from Sunday to Monday because of inclement weather. I don't know why the Buffalo Bills don't just put a new roof on their

new stadium they're building, but whatever. I guess Bill's Mafia has voiced their opinion and they're keeping it open. Richard, this is a tale of two teams. This is a tale of two offensive coordinators. After Ken Dorsey left, this team is 6 and 0. You know, Joe Brady comes in there and Buffalo looks like a completely new revamped team. They're running the football and they're beating teams up physically. Richard, Vegas didn't like Pittsburgh in this game,

but Buffalo still runs away by two plus or two scores. Your thoughts on this game and your thoughts on this Buffalo Bill's team going forward. Well, I never thought this was going to be a game. Pittsburgh is working with their third string quarterback. No T.J. Watt, who's the best player on their team. I expected him to try to run the ball, you know, that maybe they'd have a chance in the snow. know to keep it close. Maybe Josh Allen turns the ball over or something, and things can be,

get a little hectic, but that's not what happened. Josh Allen ran the ball well. He threw the ball well. Stefan Diggs had a good game. I think they, they, they, you know, Dalton Kincaid had a, had a pretty good game. They made some plays on defense. I just, this wasn't excited. This was probably this was probably the least exciting game of the playoffs for me because it was the most predictable. It's like, oh, okay. Because even if Pittsburgh wins, you're like, Pittsburgh won. They're about to get beat by whoever they're about to play. But Baltimore, they're going to beat Baltimore? No, they're not. I don't know. I don't have a ton to say about this game. We expected Buffalo to win. Buffalo won. Now the real test comes with Kansas City.

Coming to Buffalo because Mitchell, it's what we talked about. Can he beat him? We did. We did. Can he slay his dragon? Can he, this is his adversary, Mitchell. This is, he is David. And right now, Patrick Mahomes is his Goliath.

Mitchell, I, they're, there. It's his Goliath because Patrick Mahones has been to the mountaintop. On this Martin Luther King's Day, he has been to the mountaintop, Mitchell. He has been there. multiple times. He has brought home the trophy, brought home the hardware. So can Josh Allen, in Buffalo, slay this dragon? Can he get over the Patrick Mahones hump? Because that don't mean something. Because if you tell me, Josh Allen has gone through Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson to get to a Super Bowl, Mitchell, that's an earned one. He has earned his way. He has earned his respect.

there's not going to be a lot of talk even with the turnovers. People are not going to have a top five list without him. But if Patrick Mahon sends him home, it'll be hard for him to get back in that conversation, Mitchell, because it's been a long time since that overtime game in Kansas City. There's been a long time. And this is your chance at redemption. You better answer the bell. You're at home this time.

If Josh answers the bell, and they've struggled offensively. We'll see. We'll see what they can do, Mitchell, but I don't know if he can do it. Let's turn the page to Kansas City. I mean, they took care of business at home against Miami, the fourth coldest game in NFL history. You know something about playing in the cold.

Seattle, Seahawks, what was it, 2016, Rich, Minnesota against Seahawks, the infamous Blair Wall Shank wide left game. Richard, what's it like? I mean, take, take, take, take everyone through it. What's it like playing a negative degree temperature? I mean, you guys are going sleeveless. I mean, I was outside today. It's five degrees here in Detroit.

And I mean, I'm fully bundled up. I'm like, dude, there's no way I can even be outside for three minutes. Like, tell me, what's going through your head when you guys are playing games in this weather? I want to give you some great story about how tough I am and how I just, you know, just, oh, just grit and determination. Mitchell, when I ran out there and my contact lenses froze onto my eyeballs, I ended my warm-up before I ever started. I turned around and I went back into the locker room. I said, put a visor on my helmet.

This is going to be a long day. Then we get into the locker room. We're getting dressed and we're putting sleeves on and bundling up layers, layers, layers, okay? Everybody's putting on layers. And cam's like, no, we're a legion of boom. No sleeves. The D-Line has sleeves.

A lesion of boom, no sleeves. So I put on my arm's sleeve. I send a prayer to God. And I go out there, Mitchell. And I tell you this. When we were on, when I was the corner to my team's sideline, Mitchell, I would be on the heater until the receiver was lined up to play. I'm standing at the heater.

I don't give a dang about nobody's talking about you tough or you're not tough. I'm standing in heat until it's time to snap the ball. Mitchell, I was trying to breathe and my lungs were freezing if I took too deep a breath. So those guys going out there and playing and executing and throwing a ball around the yard like Patrick Mahones did, they need to be applauded, admired. The worst thing about that is somebody has to lose that game because you feel like you double loss. Because you're like, I just went through all of this just to take a, loss and go home and pack my stuff, probably got frostbite on my pinky toe. Oh, Mitchell,

I wouldn't do it again. I've never wanted to quit in a football game outside of that game. I wanted to quit two plays in and I didn't. I finished it. Well, it looked like the Miami Dolphins wanted to quit, man. And that's what going into the game they were talking about, them consulting their friends up in the CFL and saying it's mind over matter. You got to keep your course. warm, you know, keep moving on the sidelines, etc., etc. And you just don't want to complain about the cold. But my goodness, it looked like Kansas City wanted to be out there, and it looked like Miami wanted to be in the beach on South Beach, man.

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 I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clipper 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-tapped Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to?

do a little kill. Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but yeah, yeah, literally.

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 fishing 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. Tua, 20 of 39, doesn't hit 200 yards. And, you know, Tyreek, an underwhelming 62 yards. 50 plus of it was on a touchdown throw. What do you make? Before we get into Kansas City, two is eligible for an extension.

He's had his history of injuries. Richard, what are you doing if you're the dolphins? Are you paying the man? Andrew, you got one or two, Joyce. You either trade him and hope somebody gives you what you think his value is, which is, you know, you hope to get a first rounder, which I doubt somebody will send you because he's not going to fit everybody's system. or you pay him and you go on and you got the franchise quarterback, Mitchell.

I think that's what you do. I don't think, I think taking a step back right now, you got Mike McDaniel. You know Tua's your guy. You got to pay him the money. That's the going rate. If Daniel Jones is getting 40 plus million, Mitchell, all bets are off. I expect Baker Mayfield to get that kind of money. I expect Tuotung of Vailoa to get a lot more than that.

It is what it is, Mitchell, at this point in time. That's the going to rape for quarterbacks. He should get his money. He didn't play well in the cold, neither did anybody else. At the end of the day, their season was over when they lost the Buffalo. You lost the division of Buffalo. You made your life's harder than it had to be. That's what you get.

But in terms of paying Tuotong Vaila, I think that would be the best decision they can make. Well, the Dolphins with his loss now own the NFL's record. for the longest active streak without a playoff win. Haven't won since 2000. Let's go Lions, dude. Setting a new, you know, setting. Getting out of the bottom.

Getting out of the bottom. Yes, sir. Yeah, but let's talk about the Chiefs because Patrick Mahomes candidly looked like Patrick Mahomes. This was his game, right? I mean, Richard, they dominated, start to finish. Rishie Rice. I mean, he finally might have a guy right outside of Kelsey. This guy's starting to take over games.

looks like a very, very good rookie. Richard, let's just get right into it because the Chiefs are going to play the bills. Talk to me about this matchup. What do you think? Is this going to be Mahomes another famous run through the playoffs, this time going on the road? Mitchell, I feel like I'd say it every year.

If he does it this year, I don't know what else you can say. I really don't. I don't know what else you can say about him. If he goes through through Burrow, I mean, through Josh Allen, he goes through Lamar Jackson, and he goes through

what has to be the San Francisco Green Niners or Jared Golf. Ben Mitchell, he's earned it again. And he's, he is the top of the food chain. He is the apex predator. There is no debate about that. We can only debate the second, who's the second best quarterback

in the National Football League? Because he is the best and it's going away. but I'm not sure they're going to do that this year. I think Baltimore is too dominant. I think they're too good defensively. I think they're too good offensively. They're going to have a hard time going to Baltimore and figuring that out. But I do think they can overcome Josh Allen.

I think you're right. He has a guy in Rashi Rice. Isaiah Pacheco is a workhorse, and he doesn't seem to be affected by the weather. He doesn't seem to care. Hot, cold, on the moon, in the desert. underwater in Atlantis, he's going to run that rock, and he's going to run the ball hard, and he's going to cause problems for your defense.

I think on the other side, Josh Allen, he's going to do everything he can to will of this team, but Spaggs. Spags is going to have a plan for Josh. He has had a plan in the past for Josh, and I think he's going to put pressure on him. Sneed looked like an all-pro against Tyreek. He'll have a good game.

They'll put him against Stefan D. Biggs now. I'm sure he'll do his best against him. Shakur, who's been fantastic in these playoffs, they're going to have a plan for him. Chris Jones only had a half a sack in this game. George Carl Loftus has had a sack and a half. I expect them to get added pressure on the Josh Allen. They're going to hit him over and over and over. I think the Chiefs win this game, but that's just my early predictions.

Maybe I can be convinced later on that it changes, but it's where I'm at right now. One thing's for sure. I mean, they're good in cold weather. They're going to be going up to Buffalo. They had their crash course tests in KC in the cold weather. I don't think it's going to bother him much playing up in Buffalo. We'll see what happens. Richard, the fairy tale season, the comeback kid himself,

Joe Flacco. Blacko. The run comes to an end. And it comes to an end in a wamping fashion. C.J. Stroud. This guy is playing like he's a. 10-year vet out there. No fear, Richard.

Houston obliterates to Cleveland Browns, 45 to 10. What are your thoughts on this Houston Texan team? Because they looked very impressive. When one building and story comes crashing down and crumbling and burns to a crisp, Mitch, something has to come from the ashes. And what came from the ashes was the stardom of C.J. Stroud, a top five quarterback, just like Jordan Love made his statement and a rival onto the scene. C.J. Stroud did the same thing. And he said, hey, y'all better look out for me in the

AFC as well. And now he gets to go against the MVP candidate Lamar Jackson. He played fantastic in this game. Mitchell, C.J. Stroud is the youngest quarterback ever to win a playoff game. I mean, he's going to be the rookie of the year, offensive rookie at a year. You would think it would be pooking Nicole, but when the quarterback's playing this well and gets his team to the playoffs with a rookie head coach, he's getting an award.

I'm sorry. Joe Flacco deserves a tip of the cap, a ton of respect for what he was able to do down the stretch for the Browns, get them in a position they were in, but they were overachieving, and it was still a cool store. Good for Flacco, got off the couch, had a fun run.

Cool. Enjoyed it. Good job. David Njoku. I'm sure he's going to be asking for him back because he turned into a pro bowler when Flacko got there. But Devon Singletary found some running room in this game. Stephen Nelson had to pick six. Derek Stingley, we talked about these foundational pieces. I feel like I do it every week because this team's going to be special. I think they got the fourth most cap space going into next season, Mitchell I. And you talk about free agents wanting to go to tax income tax free Houston, Mitchell, where you can buy a house for $500,000 and have you a couple acres and maybe a mule. Mitchell, they're going to be free agents that go there. Receivers, O'Linman, Laramie Tunsell is there, great left tackle, running backs are probably going to want to go there. Defensive players are going to want to play for D'Amico Rines. He's that kind of coach. Derek Stingley Jr. is playing elite football.

ball. He's tracking the ball. He's causing a lot of problems. Will Harris, Jr. Looks like he's going to be the real deal. Got him another sack in this game. Reverend Jordan only had one catch, but it was 476 yards, and you got to see his athleticism. And then Nico Collins, six for 96 in a touchdown. He's looking like a guy, Mitchell. He's looking like a top 10 receiver. And he's going to get in that conversation. And too bad, Tank Dale isn't available right now because if he's he was. It'd be very interesting this week. It's going to be an interesting game. I think Baltimore wins it. But I think, you know, C.J. Stroud and the guys can make it fun early. But Baltimore just has too much talent. Mike McDaniel is doing too much defensively. They have a great scheme.

Offensively, they're doing too much. Lamar is going to be too much. They're running a ball well. But, man, has this been fun to watch in Houston? So you think it's over next weekend? You think this fairy tale ride ends? in Baltimore or I mean Richard we just already talked about it C.J. Stroud's a young kid rookie he hasn't been in this environment he's got nothing to lose I mean he's carrying the team on his back rich you think he goes in there let me paint a picture for you before Dallas Cowboys game this weekend I asked you one simple question if the Green Bay Packers are to win this game how are they going to do it I'm going ask you the same question.

If the Houston Texans are to win this game, shock the world, how are they going to do it? Hmm. Hmm. That's a good question, Mitchell. That's a really good question. They're going to have to shorten the game, Mitchell. They're going to have to shorten it. They're going to have to shorten the game.

It's going to have to be a very short game. And what I mean by that is both teams are going to run the ball. And they're going to have some success. But then they've got to get stops in the red zone. they got to let Baltimore run it, and they got to get stops in the red zone. That's very difficult to do when Lamar Jackson's a quarterback of the opposing team, but you got to do it if you want to win this game. They got to get at least three turnovers, Mitchell, three, three turnovers.

They have to turn, get them to turn the ball over. It can be an interception. It can be a fumble. It can be special teams, but they have to get the, they have to give themselves three extra possessions. You know what they got to do with those possessions, Mitchell? They got to run the ball. They got to shorten the game.

And when they get in the red zone, they got to do the opposite of what I said. They have to score touchdowns. They have by any means necessary. May have to go for it on fourth down, but they have to score touchdowns. That's the only way that is the only way I have them winning this game, which is kind of, I mean, it's kind of a pipe dream right now because Baltimore doesn't turn the ball over very often. They run the ball well, so that's not crazy, but their defense. and Houston's going to have to not turn the ball over. They're going to have to have pretty much play a perfect game offensively.

If you want to bomb them, if Nico Collins can get down the field, they can protect C.J. Stroud, maybe one or two, but we got to run the ball. We got to run the ball. Even if you're having success in a past game, it's not where you want to live. Because this defense is eventually, they are amongst the league leaders in sacks for a reason, and they're eventually going to get home and they're going to cause chaos. And it may be Justin Matabike. It may be todayvian Clowny.

It may, I don't know who it's going to be. But it's going to be somebody getting home. So you got to shorten this game. That's their only way of winning. But I think Baltimore still comes away with this one, Mitchell. I don't think Baltimore is going to give this game away. All right. Let's take it to your San Francisco 49ers.

You know, we need to talk about them. They finally get the play next week. And they're going to play against the surprising, shocking, shocking of the world the Green Bay Packers and Jordan Love. Richard, it's a 10-point Vegas line. But this Green Bay Packer team, you want to talk about a team playing with nothing to lose. I mean, this is the youngest team to make the playoffs

and I don't know how many years. Is it NFL history? I don't even know what it is. I believe it's the history, Mitchell. I mean, this team doesn't know any better. Richard, walk me through this matchup. Who do you like in this game and why? Mitchell, I like the San Francisco 49ers.

For a number of reasons, one of them being Eric Armstead is healthy. He's playing in this game. Nicholas John Belsa, Chase Young, Fred Warner, Trey Greenlaw, et cetera, et cetera, Charverius Ward, Tashon Gibson, Trent Williams, Christian McCaffrey, et cetera, et cetera. I think they have all the tools in the world to win this game. they have to show up. They have to play with energy. They have to execute early on.

They have to find a way this young Green Bay team is really hot. They cannot turn the ball over. They cannot give this team hope. They have to stump the fire out early. I think that if Green Bay gets the ball first, if they get a chance to get the ball first, they're going to do the same thing they did against Dallas. They're going to take the ball.

They're going to receive it. They're not going to defer to the second half. I know if Kyle gets the option he's going to defer. So I would guess Green Bay is going to get the ball first. They have to get a stop that drive. They have to, well, any thoughts that Green Bay has that this is going to be just like what they did against Dallas. If they can do that and control the game, control the tempo,

this will be a, you know, it won't be an easy win, but it'll be a win. It'll be a win where, hey, they made the right decisions. They kicked the ball. They kicked field goals when they had to. They scored the ball when they had to. had to, they got stops when they had to, probably get an interception or two, and they walk away with the win, and you're still, you still walk away impressed with Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers and what they've been able to accomplish later in the season. And you go into next season with very

high expectations for them and what they were able to do to your Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving. And you give, you give them a lot of respect and you tip their cap and then you say, see you in San Francisco, Detroit. So we got the 49ers. I think you just alluded to it, but are you taking the lions over the bucks here? I'm going to take them for now, Mitchell. It's just may, my, you know, my mind may change midweek because the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin. I talked about all their championship experience.

Baker Mayfield is a gun slinger. I don't know, Mitchell, a puncher's chance. Hmm. We shall see, my friend. Well, Richard, this concludes a wild car weekend. It's been a wild wild wild car weekend. I will let you sign us off. Well, we appreciate you guys joining us.

It's the playoffs. It's Wild Car Weekend. Every team at home protected their home field except the Dallas Cowboys, unfortunately, for you Dallas Cowboys fans. Get them next year. But for everybody else in Tampa Bay, in Detroit, Michigan, in San Francisco, and in Green Bay for the NFC, we'll see you next week. And for the AFC, Baltimore, Houston. Buffalo and Kansas City.

Can't wait. The volume. 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. 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, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the I Heart 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. On the Look Back at it podcast. For 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84's big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year,

unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it with our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people.

Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.