The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, Deshaun Watson, Panthers, OBJ, & the Blazing 5

Episode Date: October 11, 2019

Colin defends the New England Patriots offense, he explains why the gap between Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson is closer than you think, when teams decide to move on from a player, his thoughts on how the media treats Odell Beckham Jr., and his new Blazing 5 picks for the weekend. Guests include Eric Dickerson, Ben Volin, Brady Quinn, Rich Ohrnberger, and Jason McIntyre. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smigel 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. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hard Way with your favorite therapist and host Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit or armor? It signals to the world that you're not to be played. with and just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to listen to learn the hard way on the iha radio app apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast what's up guys

this is clivert taylor the fourth and on my podcast the clivert show i'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff like being an internet famous referee we're in the middle of a game this linebacker this linebacker walks up to me he goes a ref my mom wants you to wave at her what Time out. Quarterback on office blue with 42. Hey, Rhett, my mama want you to weigh better. What? Hey, Miss Parker.

Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Thanks for listening to The Heard Podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday from 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1. Find your local station for the herd at Fox SportsRadio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching herd.

Fox Sports Radio. Oh, here we go on a loaded Friday. Live in Los Angeles. This is the herd, wherever you may be. However, you may be listening. Iheart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, and FS1. One hour from now, our blazing five, which, Joy, this is your second football season with me? Yes.

I'm hotter this year than last year. And I was hot at the end of last year. I have never been this hot making football picks in my life. Well, it's pretty special. Maybe I've got to change of luck. How about that? Ever since Joy's been here. We're all making more money.

So it's interesting. I want to start with this. When you're as good as a guy like LeBron James or Tom Brady as you become a victim of your own standards. So LeBron James, and I started noticing this five or six years ago, he'd go 27, 7 and 7, 27 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, and people would be like, I don't think he played great. And I'm like, time out.

Only six NBA players ever, ever have averaged 27 points for their career. Kobe Bryant's career average is 25, 5, and 5. LeBron would get 27, 7, and 7, and people would be like, he doesn't play as well defensively. 95% of the people who have ever played in the NBA, maybe 98%, will never have one 27, 7 and 7. Once. LeBron gets, ah.

So Tom Brady last night, in 25 to 30 mile an hour wins, using the same three players in the second half to throw, They ran out of players. Goes 31 of 41, over seven yards of play, 39 minutes time of possession, runs for two touchdowns, did not have Philip Dorset, and his most talented receiver, Josh Gordon got hurt in the middle of the game.

And this morning, it's... Are you kidding me? Devante Adams gets hurt, and all I hear is, oh, Aaron Rogers won't have... Have you seen Green Bay's other receivers? They look like an NBA team. They're all six-six. Well, you know, Dak, Amari Cooper's heels not right.

What? The other guys can't catch? Randalli Cobb, Michael Gallup. Patrick Mahomes didn't have Tyree Kill. Travis Kelsey is the best tied in in football. Andy Reed's the best play designer in football. People say, what is wrong with Tom, Brady, and New England's offense? I don't know.

Jacoby Myers, an undrafted rookie was playing. Gunner Olzewski, a rookie from Bomiiji State was playing. Ryan Izzo, a seventh round pick, last draft was playing. What was wrong with their offense? They had two guys with Z's in their name catching passes. That's what was wrong with their offense. Gunner Oozuski, what is he, Moonlight as a fighter pilot? He was actually cut by New England.

They're like, you're not good enough to make the team. team, even with all our injuries, and they called him back. Of course, he was late getting back because he was doing a midnight shift at Sharkies as a bartender. You got to be kidding me. What's wrong with the offense? Nothing. Nothing's wrong with the offense.

Tom Brady went 31 to 41 and 25 mile an hour wins, ran out of players. Brady is so frustrated with the lack of cohesionate wide receiver after the game they asked him. Look at his reaction. Tom is a politician. Even he can't hide his frustration. What's your assessment of where you guys are as an offense right now? Do you think it's been good enough? We'll see.

Even he can't hide it. You know, here's the great thing about LeBron James and Tom Brady. And for this moment, let's stick with Brady. The who has never mattered. He's got touchdowns to 75 different people. It's never about the who. It's about the where. When the ball is snapped, where will you be as a receiver three seconds after the snap?

It's about what? What is your job? Do your job. Tom Brady's the only quarterback in NFL history that the who doesn't matter. Philip Dorsets out, I want to use some guy named Gunner and another guy named Izzo and another guy that sounds like a member of a law firm, Tobion Myers, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter that they use James White. Sometimes he's available.

Sometimes he's not. And then there's Sony Michelle played well last night, not as well early. And it's the precision. You know, in a league where all these young quarterbacks are coming in, these athletes, and they're all between like 510 and 6.2. He's 6'5, sees the field, very precise, rarely misses an open receiver. But he's the only quarterback of my life. The who doesn't matter.

James, went to an NBA finals. The Who was Matthew Delovedova. It never mattered. Now, winning a championship for Brady, the Who becomes more important, who's the opponent, who is on that defense,

who's the opposing quarterback and coach. But in terms of what's in his building, the what and the where matter, not the who. And last night was classic Brady. If you were dropped out of spaceship and had never seen the NFL for 20 years. And you didn't have these preconceived notions and the standard of Brady.

And you'd have watched that. You'd have thought, God, there's 25 to 30 mile an hour wins. He's playing with backups and undrafted guys and seventh round guys. And he goes 31 for 41. Well, that's pretty good. Pretty good. It was great. It was great.

I want you to think about this for a second. That this happens all the time. I'll give you an example in movies. Because this weekend, Patrick Mahomes, host, Deshawn Watson. They're both great. I just think won. Deshawn Watson deserves more credit. So years and years ago in the mid-70s, Godfather 2 won the Oscar.

It's a legendary Francis Ford Coppola, Godfather 2. But that same year, Chinatown came out. Chinatown's the movie for years and years, if you wanted to be in Hollywood, it wanted to be a director and you were a college student, you would break down Chinatown. Jack Nicholson's greatest movie. But it came out the same year as Godfather 2. Chinatown's many of film, cinema buffs and experts call it a top 5, 1620 movie of all time. But Godfather 2, after Godfather 1 got all the acclamation.

Nobody paid attention to it, right? We forget about Chinatown. It's one of the greatest movies ever made. I prefer it to Godfather, Godfather 2. A similar thing with Forrest Gump. Forrest Gump wins the Oscar, and you forget that year, Pulp Fiction, which I prefer over Forrest Gump, which I prefer over Forrest Gump. But sometimes films have a star in it. Francis Ford Coppola is the director, Tom. Hanks is in the movie. And that's something that same year, year that same time, it just gets overlooked. Do you realize in their last 16 games, Deshaun Watson's 12 and 4 and Patrick Mahomes is 11 and 5?

You do get that. And Patrick's got the better quarterback and Patrick's got the better offensive line. You do get that, right? The last calendar year, Deshawn's one more, been more. more accurate and has been sacked three times as many times, is that we forget how good this kid is. Deshaun Watson is absolutely unbelievable. Also, Patrick Mahomes has the better coach, the better offensive line, the more organizational structure, and actually he plays for a team that has a GM. Actually, Deshaun Watson was Mahomes before Mahomes. You forget about this. Because Forrest Gump had Tom Hanks

and Godfather to Francis Ford Coppola. You forget about Chinatown. You forget how great Pulp Fiction, the better movie is. Think about this. Deshawn Watson, his rookie year, this was with an atrocious offensive line. He faced Seattle. Maybe you've heard of Pete Carroll.

400 yards, 4 TDs, and 107 passer rating. Unlike Mahomes, he didn't get a sit. He had to play. He also had a five touchdown game that year as a rookie with that bad offensive line against Kansas City. Oh, by the way, he didn't get a sit and watch behind Alex Smith. He also faced Belichick in Foxborough. You know Belichick who humiliates all rookie quarterbacks?

He had 300 yards against Bill Belichick. You saw Daniel Jones last night against Belichick. It's rough. So then he got hurt. And then Deshaun Watson got hurt. Of course he did because he was running for his you know what life. And then we forgot about him. And then Patrick Mahomes plays the last game.

He replaces. He's got Andy Reid with him. He replaces Alex Smith. And Kansas City's got all these crazy weapons and he's got protection. And Patrick Mahomes is unbelievable. But just remember this. As a rookie, Deshaun Watson, again, bad old line, front office strife,

did not have much of a running game. As a rookie, Deshawn Watson, last five games is a rookie. Houston average 39 points a game. I'm not joking. 18 touchdowns, 113 passer rating. And four of those five were against winning teams.

So when they meet this weekend, you're going to be watching Mahomes and the pre-Mahomes. One, he's had to overcome far more. No GM, doesn't have the coach, doesn't have the offensive line just recently in the last two to three weeks. When Bill O'Brien had the guts to make a really smart move, in my opinion, nobody. else liked it, but he found a left tackle. They went and drafted offensive linemen. In the last two to three weeks, Watson's actually had some legitimate protection.

They went out and acquired Duke Johnson. They have a really talented running back. Now both of them have the same amount of weapons. Now Deshawn Watson's got a great receiver and a good two, Will Fuller, and Kenny Stills, and a running game, and a left side. So now, now let's

start comparing Watson and Deshawn, Watson, and Patrick Mahomes. Because now it's much more fair. Both have reasonable offensive line. Both have great perimeter weapons. Both have decent running backs. And Bill O'Brien's not a bad coach. I'm not saying that. But when you watch them this weekend,

I don't think the gap's what you think the gap is. I think Mahomes is better than Watson. I think it's real close. And I can't wait to watch them play. All right. Good stuff. Good stuff. Good stuff. Coming up next, I'm going to defend Odell Beckham.

Kind of. Because we're creating a story that really he had nothing verbally to do with it. So why are we? That's coming up. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened.

That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer-beaters to controversial calls, we break it down,

give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to SportsLice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slic Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Trip Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing,

we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross. Because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth.

Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure,

and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the hard way and listen now. What's up guys? This is Clivert Taylor the 4th. And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. Like being an internet famous referee.

We're in the middle of a game. This line. You know these kids. This linebacker walks up to me, he goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Time out. Quarterback on office blue of 42. Hey, rep, my mama want you to wave at her.

What? Where's she at? Hey, Ms. Parker. Listen to the Clifford show on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano and our podcast Point Game. is about defying 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 Nass would get that thing. That man, hell get the flying. He running up the court, licking his fingers why 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 ball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. Don't be the guy in the room with the long, sloppy look at Untuck shirt on tuckett.com. Perfect length. GQ called it perfection. Code's heard 20% off purchases on tuckett.com. Anybody out there have a dad growing up with a temper?

Any of you? And you would start to anticipate his temper. Oh, wait. Whoa. How's, uh-oh. What's dad going to do with that? Oh, boy. Don't, don't do that.

Dad's going to freak out. Don't do that. I remember years ago I had to do an interview at a network, not this one. And it was a big star. And I was told, avoid these questions, he can freak out, he can freak out. He ended up being a completely charming interview. But everybody was anticipating the drama. Because when you're an overly dramatic person, everybody's walking on eggshells,

anticipating Dad's going to blow up or the movie star is going to freak out. out. That's why try not to be dramatic. And, you know, everybody's walking on eggshells. So this past week, Odell Beckham had last two games, four catches for 47 yards. And Odell Beckham has said nothing about it. He has not complained. He has been professional. There's not a single time OBJ has, I want the ball. But yet Freddie Kitchens this week, as everybody anticipating it will become a problem for the very dramatic OBJ had to answer questions. You know, I think we threw the ball 24 times the other night and he got targeted six times. So, you know, I don't know what the magic number is.

I don't know what you guys are looking for. It's frustrating when he's not getting the ball and we're losing it. You can't blame him. That's one of the best receivers in the league. And if he's not getting the ball, he always has that in the back of his mind of what if I did get the ball and change this game. OBJ's never complained about this. By the way, why do receivers get doubled? They get game planned out.

And OBJ, you can't throw the ball to him when the quarterback's on his butt. Did you watch Monday Night Football? So Mike Evans had no catches last week. Week one, he had two catches. Mike Evans, I would argue, is better than OBJ. This has never been. We've not even asked a question about that. DeAndre Hopkins, probably the most talented receiver in the NFL.

His yards have gone through the floor. his yards are down, his catches are down, everything's down. Nobody's ever asked questions with the coach about that. Because Mike Evans and DeAndre Hopkins have never been dramatic. So everybody knows in the NFL, bad offensive line, quarterback running for his life, your numbers are down. The coverage can be rolled over on you. You know, Belichick will just put a linebacker in front of you, a safety behind.

He'll just take you out of the game. Tony Gonzalez talks about it. He goes, had the worst games as a Patriot. They just decided we're taking Tony out. But the reason you have to ask these questions, because we've seen this guy proposed to a kicking net, pee in the end zone, get highly dramatic, be bummed out. So we're anticipating, Dad's got a temper. Don't play ball in the house. Then dad walks into the house and he's like, oh, God, I don't care.

But you do anticipate drama and temper and crazy from those who have exhibited it. receivers had bad weeks and bad slumps all the time. Mike Evans didn't have a catch last week. Not a catch. He's like 6-7, you can't card him. DeAndre Hopkins. I mean, but with OBJ, you get stuck asking questions because we're anticipating, oh boy, this is not going to go well.

And by the way, here's what OBJ said. He wasn't, he's a total team guy. Hopefully he's matured, but it's not bothering him. I hate losing, period. So anytime we lose and I don't feel like I did anything to help win the game, I'm going to be frustrated. I feel like I was brought here to help this team win, and that's all I want to do. So if it has to be handoffs, it's whatever, just finding ways to have successful plays,

not just get me the ball to appease me or anything like that. It's more about having success within the game and within the team. guy, team answer. Total team answer. But we're anticipating dad's going to freak out, wide receiver's going to sulk. That's why drama, just keep it to a minimum. Because you don't understand it when you're dramatic, but you make everybody else in the family walk on eggshells. Oh boy, get this done.

Here comes dad. Oh boy. Here comes coach. He's going to scream. OBJ. No problem whatsoever. Total team answer. But we're all kind of waiting for him to blow up.

Joy with the news. No, no, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Last night, Gronk made his first appearance as a Fox NFL analyst. I guess you did. During the family during Thursday night's matchup between the Patriots and Giants. Granc retired from the NFL in March.

But yesterday, Robert Kraft revealed that the Y receiver has not filed his retirement papers yet. Tight-end has not filed his retirement papers yet. Our very own Terry Bradshaw, Weddenhead, and asked Gronk during prime time television if he'd ever play again. I would have to be feeling it, you know, feeling it big time to come back. I mean, it's always going to be open in my mind. I love the game of football, you know. I love playing the game.

I love being around the game. I even love watching the game of football now. It makes just appreciation to watch it, just seeing the hits, seeing the glory of it. You understand the game so much more and why fans are the game so much more. So, you know, I'll always keep it open. I'll always keep it open. I always keep it open. Keep the door open.

Sounds like he's keeping the door open. I don't see Grant coming back to play. I think the further you're away from the game when you have that many injuries, the more you appreciate feeling good when you wake up in the morning. Look at that. That feels good waking up after that win in the morning. It does. It does.

But, you know, sometimes you wake up after that one in the morning and your body doesn't feel so good either or the day after. Are these last year's highlights, Joy? Oh, my Lord. Don't get me going, Joy. If those are last year's highlights, he needs to come back now. I have nothing against Strong coming back. I have no problem with this whatsoever if he wants to come back. I just think that the reason why he retired is because he wasn't feeling well.

Well, sometimes you start to, you know, your body starts to get back to feeling good. And you're like, oh, maybe I could do that again. So obviously he is not, he has said very clearly he's not closing the door on the possibility of him coming back. But I'm going to remain skeptical. That said, he did a great job. And he would be absolutely perfect for Smackdown. I mean, I'm sure you saw his description of Julian Edelman. Yes.

I mean, it's perfect. Yes. This is why everyone thought he was going to go into WWE. But hey, WWE's on Fox now, Gronk. So you're in the family. It'll be a very easy transition if that's what you want to do. So despite the Cowboys currently being a first in the NFC East, Zach Prescott knows he has a lot of improving to do through five games.

He's already thrown six interceptions, but he's also tied for second in touchdown passes with 11. So he's doing some things right. But when he was asked about his performance, he is remaining positive. Some of them are frustrating, but at my position, you just got to let them go. You got to keep moving forward. That's the great part about this position. You get the ball in your hands to the next play. And for me, it's not about changing anything that I've done.

I like where I'm at mentally, physically. I've said that we'll continue to say that. So I'm just do a better job at it. But I'm not changing the way I play this game. And he shouldn't. Kind of an interesting game this weekend. It is an interesting game. You know, you all think, we all think, Jets crappy, Cowboys talented,

I would argue if you did the 10 best players You know how we did the 10 best players thing, Joy? Let's do this real quick. Okay. 10 best players in this game. So, Zemal Adams won, Zek 2. No, I mean, you got to put... Okay, Zique 1, Jamal Adams 2.

Despite the way that the running game is going. I think you have to put Zieg first. Okay. So Goulet, you count the number of jets in this. Two, you count the number of Cowboys. So 10 best players, Zique 1, Jamal Adams 2. Mari Cooper. Oh, no, no, I think...

I think Levian Bells. Okay, Levy and Bell. Levine Bell 3. Levin Bell 3, Amari Cooper. Tyron Smith. Then Leonard Williams. Is Tyrone Smith playing up playing? Oh, he's not?

So I would say then Leonard Williams, Jets. And then DeMarcus Lawrence, Jalen Smith. C.J. Mosley playing. Zach Martin. So I get at least three Jets in this game. I don't think that it's going to be. Look, my only, I don't think that the Jets are a bad team, first of all. I don't either.

We are confused about the Jets' record. Like, when you look at it, I do think that they are definitely having some issues on with, they should not be that bad without Sam Darnel. That's fair. Right. But they don't have Sam Darnel. So I'm not assessing anything that's going on with this team right now. Like, they're not in the Bengals category.

They're not in the Dolphins category. They're not pathetic. They're not that team. Like, we had expectations of this team to take at least a step up offensively with Sam Darnel. He hasn't been there. My only hesitation with it. is that I know Sam Donald's back, but he's back from an unpredictable illness. Like, is he going to cramp up in the middle of the game?

Like, is he going to be dehydrated? I don't know. So it's not like an ankle or something. You know, you can just put a tornado shot in it and hope for the best. Like, it's kind of an unpredictable illness. Finally, the Packers have been without star wide receiver, DeVante Adams, since week four against the Eagles due to a turf toe injury. Green Bay beat the Cowboys in his absence and are facing the lions this Monday night.

And Adam's description of his injury didn't sound. very promising for a quick return. It means that you strained or tore something, so there's ligament damage, like I said, and we just got to let that heel up. And, you know, from, you know, I've made a lot of strides, and I definitely am able to move around a lot better than what I was. But, you know, we still got some healing to go. I heard turf toe is totally a pain in the butt.

I've never had turf toe. I've heard it can be last for weeks, months. It's brutal. I mean, turf toe can end a career, really. So he's saying there's ligament damage. That's not a good sign. He doesn't need surgery, but he wants to rest up and get it to be 100%, which is smart. You don't want to aggravate it further.

But I think at least for temporarily, we're going to have to watch and see what happens with this. They don't have the Packer schedule in front of me. That division now is so competitive. They don't have a lot of lulls in their schedule. Green Bay schedule is pretty tough. It used to be that Detroit game was a day off. The Detroit game this week, they're at home. It's like a three-point spread.

It's a field goal game. That's a good game. Detroit's been playing well. So they play the Lions on Monday night, then they have the Raiders at home, then they go to Kansas City, and then they go to San Diego, and then they have the Panthers at home. Those are not easy games. Those are tough games with good defenses and good pass rushes.

Yeah, I mean, so you don't get that a couple years ago, that Bears game and that Lions game was a break. Those days are over. But, I mean, they have a defense now, and you just talked about it. They don't make these excuses for Tom Brady. That's right. That's right. No excuses.

Play like a champion. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Heard Lie News. Let's bring in Eric Dickerson, the Hall of Famer. Five-time, all-pro, six-time, Hall of Famer. Just say that, Hall of Famer. Just say.

When you wake up in the morning and you look in the mirror, you're looking at a Hall of Famer. Hall of Famer. That's all you have to say. So it's interesting. I watched New England, and I don't remember a team in my life that threw to running backs as much. Did you like being a receiver?

Was there a joy in that for you? getting a little swing pass, or will you always feel great? Eye formation, hand it to me and track meet. What kind of both? The swing pass, I liked a lot because I got a chance to get it and be running at the same time. Against one guy. Against one guy. Maybe two.

You know, we didn't throw the ball back in those days. I mean, my first year, I had 50-run reception, I think, for like 498 yards. And after that, we didn't throw it anymore. But, yeah, I like getting the ball in open space. It's interesting, Eric, because, you know, New England drafts are running back seemingly every other year. year. And it's hard to get into a rhythm as a New England running back. You know, they'll, they'll D&P you to rest you. Bolden sometimes will go two weeks and not play. Would you have actually liked if in New England system, if twice a year, you just, you weren't on the roster,

you just took a week off, or would you, would you want the carries, or would you have maybe in this world today liked his system? No, no. As a running back, You want to play. You want to run the football. I mean, that's what you do. It's bred into you. Once you do it, you just, you love it. You know, when they says, we're trying to cut his carrots back.

You know, we don't want to get him hurt. As a back in your mind, like, if I'm healthy or if I'm even 80%, I'm healthy. I'm like, I want to get that ball. It's like a quarterback. It's okay, a quarterback is a great quarterback. You can throw the football. Well, you know, we're not going to let you throw the football, you know, for a week. We're going to let you sit down for a week.

You're like, what? No, I want to play. Every player wants to play. I want to ask you about a running back. I always remember your straight up, your physicality. Christian McCaffrey looks like your little brother, right? He's like a bar stool. I wonder sometimes watching him, though, Eric, you couldn't hide from anybody.

You were big, you're big now, you stood up. McCaffrey will squirt out of that line. I can't see him. It is almost as if the first time the linebacker sees him, he's on him. And what do you think of McCaffrey? Oh, man. First of all, I liked him in college. And, you know, you think about why he went to college.

He went to Stanford. And so people would say, oh, man, he can't take the pounding when he gets to the NFL. He's going to be too little. But Stanford was boom. Yes, they were. All they saw was those 70-yard runs, a 60-yard run. But think about those other 25 carries he had before. I like Christian McCaffrey.

I'll say this much here. Christian McCaffrey does not get the credit. that he deserves right now because of what do you think? He's tiny? Nope. He's white. He's a white running back. That's like, what?

I don't have no white running back. Come on, that's like, back in my day, you don't have a black quarterback. He's a white running back. But let me tell you something, man, he can run the rock. Well, his dad was an NFL receiver. Greg CoSell came on this week, and Greg said he runs routes.

He's a running back who runs receiver routes. Like he breaks guys down. You know, most running backs swing out, give me the ball, and they immediately are transatl, transformed in their mind to running backs. McCaffrey goes out. He's a receiver who happens to have running back skills. McCaffrey's a very smart player.

And right, you know, it's a difference to be just run a route of being a route runner. And that's what he's a route runner. You know, he knows how he knows how to read the defense. Like he knows, you know, if the backers playing, if he's playing off, if he's up too close, you know, I'm going to break inside. I'm going to give me an inside move and give him an outside move. I mean, he's just an all around, all around running back. Joy and I said this week, last year, I can remember Joy and I saying something's going on with Gurley,

but we're not really getting, we're not really getting information. So now this week, even Sean McVeigh sounds surprised he's not at practice. People are sensitive about stuff when they're hiding something. Are the Rams hiding something about Gurley? Is there a strife inside that room? You know, I think Todd is like anybody. I think he's frustrated he wants to run. Football.

Look, when I think about our offense, our offense was set up for play action. That's how they, for the last two years, we've had the most play action of any team in the national football. No, this offense is around Todd Gurley. Yeah, exactly. It's his offense. And it's play action. But now he's not running the football. So if we're not running, you run the football five times, ten times, 13 times, that's not running the football.

The play action doesn't work. I mean, because I'm, if I'm, you see, you watch the game now, defenses, they're like, huh, that's not a run. This is a pass. So what they do, they're coming. By the way, I think golf's played well. He's played, he's played okay. 55 throws a game.

You know, but it's unfair, it's unfair to Jared. It really is. It's unfair to him because if you, you have to compliment him with the running game. He's a young quarterback still. He's not a guy that's in his eighth or ninth year. This is really, to me, it's his fourth year. Right. So he has to have that running game.

The running game helps so much. I'll tell you this, I watched the Kansas Chiefs play the Indianapolis coach. What, the Monday night or Sunday night? Sunday night. Sunday night game. And they showed a view of the defensive line of the Kansas City Chiefs. And the coach running the football. And all I saw was the guy's stomach was going,

I said, oh, they ran that rock on them. Because that wears a defense down. It really does. Defense's like, man, we don't want to deal with that running game. And that's what we don't do anymore. We don't run the football enough. So this weekend, you know, it's funny. The Cowboys, whether you like Dak or not, Zeke's a remarkable talent.

There's no disputing Zeke's a remarkable talent. His numbers have come down in recent weeks because maybe it is, frankly, people saying, you know, we don't think Dak's going to beat us. So Zeke, you go ahead and beat us and they put more in the box. Do you think when you were a running back and you were, you were Zeke, you could. could catch you. Do you think Zeke is frustrated because he's getting touches but not the yards?

I mean, was there a, because with the Rams you had great success with the Colts not quite as much. Do you think Zeech's getting frustrated with his lack of production, not touches, but his lack of, he hasn't had the pop plays. Well, you know, you don't get frustrated. You know, you just, you want it.

Because he understands this. When you fall behind early, when you fall behind 21 points, you got to hate to say it, you might to start throwing the football to try to get back into the game. You can't keep running because the clock keeps running. You've got to throw the football. So that's one of the reasons Zieg's isn't getting the touches. I mean, look,

the best play on that football team of the offense is 21. If I'm on defense, if I can take 21 out of the game, I got them. I'll say, okay, we're up 21 points. Cool. Let that throw. We're going to make him throw some interceptions. But you don't want it where it's close or they have a lead because now you're going to get a full dose of Zika,

a full dose of Zique. And then you watch, I mean, When you see the games, if the Cowboys didn't in it, Zika's playing, like, even last week, you know, he ran the ball well, but he couldn't keep running because they were out of the game. They had to start throwing it. It's interesting. So you like Baker Mayfield more than I do. I like Baker. I don't think you should ever motivate people. Andrew Luck used to help guys up after this act in.

Tom Brady goes on and on. Oh, my God, you're amazing. Deshawn Watson. They're just like, you didn't go out of your way to taunt Lawrence Taylor. Absolutely not. Okay. Baker this past week at San Francisco, Joey Boas is like, oh, yeah.

Oh, I was going after it. Would you at least acknowledge it is not a good practice to yap and challenge and be cocky? And Baker is, and it does tick off opponents. You know, the things you did in college, you can do in college. The things you do in the pros are a little bit different, especially in our era because they would come after you. You know, when you do something out, like to say, you, like this week, say, clown a guy.

Yeah. Oh, dog. I ain't going to forget that. It's going to come back to you. Seven years later. Yes, it comes back to you. And we're going to remember it. We're going to clown you.

So most definitely. Did you ever talk a little, did you ever once in your life? Because in college, you were so much better than everybody. But in the NFL, when did you learn? I mean, was there a practice, an epiphany where you're like, these guys run like I do? No, I didn't. I wouldn't, I wouldn't that guy. I just didn't.

I didn't say anything on the field. If it was something dirty or we got into it, I remember a couple of times. When I ran for 2,000 yards, we played the Houston Aarles when I broke the record that day, I wouldn't say it much. I wouldn't say anything at all. But Bostic, I think it was named Bostic,

was a strong safety for the Houston Arles. Oh, I remember that. Really physical strong safety. And he hit me, and he said, you're not getting no, you're not getting no 200 yards on us today. I said, oh, bleep, bleep, bleep, bleep, bleep. I'm going to get this record on y'all today. So I put $2.15 on them.

That was about to own it. It's a few times. But, I mean, I wouldn't dig into talking because it came back to you. I'm telling you. That defense, the defense got more shots than you, and you do it them. Right. Now, that's a good way to put it. It is.

You don't know, yeah, they got a lot more chances to whack you than you have to whack them. Eric Dickerson, you like the Rams over the Niners this weekend? Of course I do. I like my Rams. And I do this weekend, too. Yeah, I do. I mean, look, the Lennas are a good football team. Short week, short week.

Short week, short week. But they're there. Look, I can't take it. anything away from their good football team. They're well coached by Kyle Shanahan. That defense up front. That defense is playing very well. But I think it's, you know, we've let a few get away from us. And we're still a very good football team. I think so too. I just see we need to run the football just a little bit more. All right. Good senior. Good senior. Good senior. Good senior. Hall of Famer, Eric Dickerson. Coming up next, why I think there's real hope for

grunk coming back and it wouldn't have existed five, six, seven years ago in professional football. A trend that's a little bit of a micro trend happening in the NFL and why it's happening. That's coming up next. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in.

I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise. Breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them.

Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slic Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast. Learn the hard way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience

in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it, and we don't know when we've done enough.

Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about, wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth? Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro.

Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free, Our Heart Radio app.

Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. What's up, guys? This is Clever Taylor the 4th. And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff, like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker walks up to me, he goes,

A, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Time out. Quarterback on office blue 42. A rep, my mama want you to wave at her. What? Hey, Ms. Pard. Listen to the Cliverts show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano, and our podcast, Point Game is about defying 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 Nass would get that thing. That man, hell get the 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. 75% of people dissatisfied with their underwear.

Don't be one of them. Go to Tommyjohn. Tommyjohn.com code heard 20% off. GQ calls it perfection. Top of the hour, my blazing five picks. I've had five straight winning weeks. Last week, four and one. generally I'm like the Patriots I start okay little choppy barely above 500 in September then I get more data and information then I start rolling we have been absolutely on fire I absolutely love my picks this week and there a couple weeks ago I said I don't feel great

and I got I got four out of five but I didn't feel great I really like my picks this week a couple of upset picks this week I feel very very strongly about so Robert Kraft owns the New England Patriots he came out yesterday and said, we love Gronk. He hasn't signed the papers to retire yet. We still hold hope he would come back. There is a feeling, according to a story here I'm reading, that a personal plea from Tom Brady would get him back. So Gronk was asked about it last night, and, I mean, he could have easily said, I'm done. He would not say on Fox, he was done. I would have to be feeling it, you know, feeling it big time to come back. I mean, it's always going to be open in my mind. I love the game of football, you know. I love playing the game.

I love being around the game. I even love watching the game of football now. It makes just appreciation to watch it, just seeing the hits, seeing the glory of it. You understand the game so much more and why fans are the game so much more. So, you know, I'll always keep it open. I'll always keep it open. I'll always keep it open. I'll always keep the door open. I think we have Ryan Khalil retired and came back. Antonio Gates retired and came back. Jason Witten. I think we have a micro trend going on because sports cultures change and something's happening in the NFL.

It used to be they hit less, they practice less, they don't play in the preseason. That's a real trend here. The league is less machismo. Health and wellness are a real part of the league. It's a more cerebral league. It's a smarter league. We have seen fullbacks go away and come back. We've seen practices.

going to expand the season, get rid of preseason games. Years ago, there was a sense of resentment if you would parachute in having not done the work. In the 70s, in the 80s and the 90s, there was a sense like, bruh, you didn't have the boots on for 16 weeks. Can't just parachute in. I don't think that's the case at all anymore. I think smart veteran players, I think winning matters more than ever. I think players are smarter than ever. They know it's a league.

I think they know their bodies are their temples. I think there's a little less, you know, warrior. I'll play through concussion. I'll play through pain. And I think that transparency is good for the player. I actually think it's good for everybody. I think great players last longer. Jason Witten's been a very valuable resource.

Antonio Gates left came back and had a very big touchdown for the Chargers in the game last year. Ryan Khalil solved a problem for the Jet Center position. Jay Cutler didn't solve much, but Miami at that point was. a mess. The machismo, I mean, it's still take, it's a man's alpha league. I'm not disputing that. But the kind of knucklehead, meathead, play through pain, health and wellness is a real thing. I think Tom Brady's been part of that. And I think the league is smarter. And I think Gronk parachuting in, you know, in November 27th or December 2nd, I don't think it would be frowned on. I don't think there would be resentment. And I do think it's very difficult.

When you initially retire, and I've never retired, but I remember when I left the former employer and came here, I had six weeks off. And it really is for about four to five weeks, it is really fun to get up and go body surf and sleep in. And then you do get into a thing where you turn on the radio and I'm like, God, I wish I could have an opinion on that because I got a better opinion than that guy has. and I do think there's a little bit of this where Gronk is like, man, I feel really good. Now, again, if Gronk had another industry, but I think when you retire, you really miss the energy of it,

you start feeling good, and you watch that game at Foxborough last night, and you're like, man, they got rookies playing. If he could come back cherry pick and say, listen, I don't have to do camp, I don't have to do preseason, I don't do OTAs, I come in and I got three weeks of practice. I'm not going to be used as a blocking tight end much.

And you can kind of like Witten sort of cherry pick the situation. I think it's a micro trend. And I love it as a trend. I love great players taking care of themselves and playing longer. I wish I hope Mahomes is Tom Brady in place for 17 more years. I'm crossing my fingers on Wentz. I'm crossing my fingers on Mahomes. Yeah, I'm crossing my fingers on Darnold who got hurt last year and mono this year.

I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility. I think the game is smarter, more cerebral, more academic, more health-oriented. And I think he's got a chance to play. I really do. A real chance to play. And if you watch last night, I mean, we had that Brady bite.

I mean, it's Tom, they let go of Ben Watson this week. They don't have a tight head. I mean, they don't even have one. It's not like he compete against somebody. He may get to a point if they have more injuries. He has the rare leverage over Belichick where he's like, Listen, I'll be a verdict. I'm not going to do much blocking,

but if you want to bring me in for two sets at the red zone, I'll think about it. I don't think Belichick would say no to that. I really don't. At this point, look at their injuries. All right, Blazing 5 is right around the corner. Can't wait for that. Don't be the guy in the room, the long, sloppy-looking untucked shirts.

Go to Untucket.com. The code is Hurd. H-E-R-D. I'm wearing one today. Feels so good. 20% off. Untucket.com. Code Hurd.

Also retail locations. Blazing 5 next. Want more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the IHeart radio app. Search herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines.

We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves. their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slices Life 12 and the TikTok podcast.

network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses.

Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth? Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines,

as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way. Open your free, Our Heart Radio app. Search learn the hard way and listen now. What's up, guys? This is Clever Taylor the 4th. And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show,

I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff, like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker walks up to me, he goes, A, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Time out. Quarterback on office blue 42.

A rep, my mama want you to wave at her. What? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Clippers show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. 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 bases on offense. And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too. Steve Nash will get that thing. That man, hell get the 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. Oh, it is great to have you in on a Friday before we make our blazing five picks in two minutes. This is The Hurd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, we're on IHeart Radio, Fox Sports

Radio FS1, by the way, those in Southern California dealing now with the fires this morning in the Porter Ranch area. Thoughts and prayers with you and your family. It's made life very difficult. Fire season heavy winds right now in Southern California. Not much of this fire, if any of it, contained right now. So you kind of go through this if you live sort of north of the city, in the hills and with the trees and with the winds. It's a scary, scary time for a lot of families and kids. Schools are out today up there. So our best wishes. Joy, how are you doing today? I'm doing great. Good morning. Good morning, everybody. New England wins last night. So we're off to a, by our standards, or any standards, actually. Almost 75% of our picks have been right. I usually go into a weekend feeling

good, not great, okay. I feel very good this week. Sometimes the numbers line up. You know how I tend to watch how the public bets. And in the NFL, I just bet against the public a lot of the times. And my first game, 80% of the public is on one team. So that's called fading the public. So here we go, our Blazing 5. That's a hot one. Let's blaze it up. Fire it up.

It's Collins, Blazing 5. Seahawks at Browns. 80% of the public on the Seahawks all take Cleveland plus two. First of all, Cleveland's a young team. Young teams and young people are more emotional, a roller coaster. They lost, they won. They lost, they won. They lost last week.

I think they win this week. Cleveland does a lot of things very well. Well, defensively, sacks tied for sixth. Pass yards allowed, seven. Third down percentage allowed, fifth. This is an excellent Cleveland defense, which gets two of their best three cornerbacks back this week. And that allows them to add more pressure.

So I think the defense will be very stingy. Also, Seattle is a football team right now. You can throw the ball on them. Pete Carroll's a great coach. But it is a defense outside of Bobby Wagner that is sort of learning their way. It's not a great defense. I think Cleveland does more things good on the defensive end consistently.

I like their matchup in the trenches. I think Baker, Nick Chubb, Odell, Jarvis Landry bounced back. This was an easy one for me. I'll go against the public. Cleveland plus two wins over Seattle 2624. Saints at Jaguars. Love the Jaguars minus two. We keep asking the Saints to be in these wild emotional games.

with a backup quarterback. L.A. and Dallas and Seattle, and then the division game against a shootout against Tampa. That puts stress on a franchise. And I like New Orleans a lot. But this is the best Jacksonville offense in the franchise's history. Gardner Minshew doesn't turn the ball over. They're averaging 400 yards a game.

Leonard Furnett has arrived, baby. He has arrived. He is third in rushing yards from scrimmage. I think Jacksonville comes home. I think there's a natural letdown for the saints to have been these wildly dramatic games with the Rams and the Seahawks, Cowboys, and the Bucks. I'll take Jacksonville to win by a field goal, 26, 23.

Falcons at Cardinals. Okay, I'm going to take Atlanta minus two and a half. Now, Atlanta's not playing well, but here's the thing. Don't get fall in love with Arizona's win over Cincinnati. Cincinnati is inches better than Miami. Last week, Cincinnati didn't have AJ Green or John Ross and their offensive line is the worst in the league. It was a pop-gun high school college offense.

So Arizona goes in there with their defensive problems, and they look like world beaters. Atlanta's got way better personnel, and Arizona's defense is not good. Points, yards, rushing yards, they're lousy. Their bottom three or four in the NFL. Kyler Murray's a great athlete, but he's been sacked 21 times.

That's how bad Arizona's offensive line is that Kyler Murray has been sacked 21 times. Matt Ryan is still averaging 330 yards passing a game. I like Atlanta to win 28 to 23. Titans at Broncos. Listen, when Tennessee can run the football, they win, and they'll run the football here. Here's the thing about the Titans. They're a limited team, but they're a clean team.

They don't turn the ball over. In fact, Marcus Mariotta, the Titans have one turnover all year. Now, just think about that. Nobody's close in the NFL. The next fewest turnovers are Arizona with four. Okay, the Titans have a plus six turnover differential. Mario daughter, seven TD passes. He's one of three quarterbacks in the NFL with seven plus TD passes and no picks.

So again, Tennessee is not a great team, but they're a clean team. They're well coached. They're smart. They have good line play. They don't make mistakes. Joe Flack goes to better quarterback, I think, in this game. More mistake prone. The weather's bad, meaning low scoring.

I'll take any points I can get. And I've taken Tennessee a lot through the years. People bail on Tennessee all the time. There are weekends. I'm not so sure they're not one of the top two or three teams in the league. I think they go to Denver and win outright 2220. Cowboys at Jets. This game and line was eight and a half.

It's now down to seven. At eight and a half, I've already batted on Monday. But I'll still tell you it's the number the Jets is the right side to be on. Take the Jets plus seven. Here's the thing. Adam Gase, I was told. had so little confidence in his third-string quarterback that he just hit the playbook. What was the point? I'm not going to unveil our secrets,

our explosion plays, our tricks with my third-string quarterback who can't pull this stuff off. So basically Dallas has one half of film to really look at. They don't have any film on Sam Darnold with all these guys. And by the way, the Jets led Buffalo, a very good team 16-0 in the first game. So you've got a Dallas team that has to go back to week one to find any tape on the Jets. By the way, the Jets have averaged under Sam Darnold 22 points since he's started for the Jets. They average 11 without him. So Sam Darnold completely doubles this offense, and I'll say this about the Cowboys this year.

Last couple of games, Dax's not playing well. Offensive line is banged up. Receivers aren't totally healthy. I think Dallas wins the game. I'm betting a number here. I already bet it on Monday when it was bigger than this, but the numbers too many points to give the Jets at home. Sam Darnold, they don't have a ton of film. It's a lot of guess work. Jets are mostly healthy. Cowboys win 27-24, but I'll bet the number.

I'll take the seven and the jets. So here you go. We got underdogs and favorites. I'll take the Browns, the Jags, Atlanta, Tennessee, and the Jets. Okay, I want to go. By the way, everybody is saying New England didn't look good last night. And I'm like 30 mile an hour wins, undrafted guys. I mean, they got, they got, a guy named Gunner, Jacoby Myers. If you look at what they're dealing with here, folks, they're down to, they were running the exact same unit on the field. You know, they have so many multiple looks.

They couldn't do most of that last night. Well, they couldn't at all in the second half. And Ben Volan covers the New England Patriots be the Coward Global Satellite Network for the Boston Globe. All right, Ben. Tom was very short after the game. game and Tom's a politician. So when he's upset, he doesn't talk.

He makes it succinct. I think you were the guy that asked him the question, actually, and his reaction, which is, so I want to play this sound. Ben asked this question. Here you go. What's your assessment of where you guys are as an offense right now? Do you think it's been good enough? We'll see.

That's telling me, Ben. I didn't think it was a terrible performance given the search. What did you think? It was not the Patriots that we expect to see right now. When you have Tom Brady and Julian Edelman on offense and Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels and all these guys, and you're playing these teams with terrible quarterbacks and the Patriots have been favored by 15 plus points in four of their six games. So they're supposed to blow these teams out and they're just not playing efficient football right now. They struggle to punch the ball into the end zone.

Tom Brady had six quarterback sneaks last night because Sony Michelle just couldn't get it done. It was the first game in Tom Brady's history where he had. had two rushing touchdowns and no passing touchdowns. So the offense of line is a mess right now. They have injuries. Edelman's banged up. Josh Gordon went out within the injury. Philip Dorset didn't play last night. You're right. Tom Brady was playing with a bunch of undrafted rookies and seventh round picks last night. But that's kind of the point. They don't have great depth. And when you lose a couple guys, it really starts to snowball with them. And they just, you know, they have a long way to go right now. They're lucky that their defense is basically, you know,

the 85 bears out there and just dominating and forcing all these turnovers. But the offense is really not holding up their end of the bargain right now. You know, Robert Kraft, Gronk would not say no. And we have a trend here. Jay Cutler came back. Ryan Khalil came back. Antonio Gates. You know, Ben, the league is less macho and more cerebral.

Health and wellness is a real thing. Players are leaving Jason Witten coming back, parachuting in, signing contracts on their terms. They don't practice in pads like they used to. I don't think it's nuts to think that Brady could call Gronk, or am I off my rocker here and coax him back? I don't think you're completely off your rocker on this one. All it takes is one convincing phone call from Tom Brady. And, you know, Gronk doesn't necessarily have to become the previous Gronk that he was

where he has to put on 20 pounds of weight and be a real inline blocker. Like, he can probably just go out and run red zone routes and be a receiver for Brady and still be pretty effective. I don't think he's coming back. I think he's pretty done. And every time he talks, you keep hearing about how much is, how good his body feels now and just how much he's enjoying life, not getting beat up every Sunday. So I personally think he's done.

But he did, he keeps leaving the door open and you just, you never can predict when suddenly the guy gets the itch one day. And maybe the Patriots, they put up the bat signal and it's November and they need, they need some help and they bring him in because, you know, the offense, Brady needs some weapons right now. And he's, he's not sugarcoating it as we saw last night. He's making it very apparent that he's not happy with love. by the way, they do have a great secondary, and they do put pressure on the quarterback.

They may never lead the league in sacks, but they put pressure on the quarterback, and we saw this last year in the playoffs. I tend to think their secondary is great, that their defense is a little overstated based on who they're playing, but I do love. I think Belichick's a great secondary coach. When you talk to people around the league about New England, is it who they're playing, or do you buy this is the best defense, Ben, you've seen in 10 years? So it's a little bit of both right now. I'm not ready to say it's the best defense in 10 years. Their defense in 2014 when they had Revis and Browner in the secondary.

That was a pretty special defense that year too. And then obviously what they did in the Super Bowl last year, this is basically the same crew that shut down the Rams. They brought back nine of the 11 starters, but you have to take the opponents into account. Daniel Jones, who threw three picks last night, is probably the best quarterback they faced this year. They face the Jets

third string quarterback. They faced whatever the dolphins put out there in week two. They faced Colt McCoy last week. I mean, they are facing historically inept quarterbacks and offense. So you just, you have to take that into account and you have to wonder when the schedule does get tougher in November

when they play the Chiefs and the Eagles and the Cowboys. Is the offense going to be fine-tuned enough to be able to keep up in a high-scoring game? All right, Ben Volan, great stuff. Patriot writer, Boston Globe joined us on late notice. Ben, you know, I love it. Read his stuff. Join the Globe years ago. National NFL reporter for them. Thank you, sir.

Thank you, Colin. You bet. Yeah, I mean, it is the The wrong thing is it's not crazy. It's not crazy to me. And again, I'm not one of these, but I look at Gronk and I see his enthusiasm. He sounds young. He is young. When you get that first five or six weeks off, it is so fun not to go to work.

But it does pull at you. It pulls it you a little bit early. It gets, when you're someone who is used to working, working a lot and working at a very demanding job and a demanding career, when you have some time, off, like you said at first, it's kind of cool, because you're always talking about like, man, I just wish I could get two weeks off, wish I could get three weeks off, and then you have it, and you're like, I can't do that much vacation. Yeah, I'm like you that way, but the other thing about Gronk, Joy, he's a physical person. So does he miss the physical component of it a little?

I think he misses the locker room. I think he misses the guys. I think he misses the competition and I think the energy being in the stadium, interacting with the fans, you know, Gronk, Spike, I think he misses all of those things. How old is he, 31, 32 years old? He's a really young retirees. Because he got hurt in college at Arizona.

He was hurt in the NFL. What is he, 32, 33, he's not very old. I may be wrong on that. He doesn't feel like, okay, so he's 30. So he retired at a very young age. But why he retired is what matters. I get it. Like he's going to start to feel better.

He's going to start to feel 100% and all those aches and stuff are eventually going to go away. But it's that, you know, it's coming back and that one hit again when you're not playing the same way that Gronc usually plays, which is big and physical. How old was Witton when he retired? Witten was like 38. And Witten even said, because Witten had a lot of wear and tear in his body. When you retire at 30, that is, that's like tech money up in San Francisco.

That is young retiring at 30 years old. But he, I mean, Gronk, like the whole world is available to him. I mean, we talked about earlier, that Edelman promo is, I mean, I thought first, if you close your eyes, you're listening to SmackDown. Like, you're not even listening to a Fox NFL broadcast. So he has major possibilities of things he can do. It's just that I don't see it happening. I'm going to give it a 30% shot. I really am.

I would be shocked. Yeah, I don't think I would be. Now, by this time next year, it's over. But I think this November, December, December, I think there's, going to be. This year is the year. It's going to happen. 30-year-old kid. Goofy 30-year-old kid. High energy. All right, we'll see. One of my favorite guests, Rich Ornberger, came on a couple weeks ago. Former Patriot Offensive lineman. Fascinating guy. Knows the culture there. He'll join us as well today. And Brady Quinn from the Texas, Oklahoma game, former Notre Dame quarterback,

Notre Dame USC this weekend. He has super strong opinions. Jason McIntyre, too. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd. Weekdays. at noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions,

the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slic Life 12 and the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist,

Kear Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough.

Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth, or are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust.

I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free, our heart radio app, Search learn the hard way and listen now. What's up, guys?

This is Clever Taylor the 4th. And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff, like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker walks up to me, he goes, Hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What?

Time out. Quarterback on office, Blue, 42. A rep, my mama want you to wave at her. What? Hey, Ms. Parker. Listen to the Cliverts show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, fam?

It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. 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 running up the court, licking his fingers, why 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 ball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

By the way, Tom Brady surpassed Peyton Manning for second on passing yardage list last night. Nobody cares because it's football. That's what I love about football, that nobody cares about stats. You know, in baseball, it's very analytic and stat obsessed. But in football, I've never had a conversation in my life with. anybody in my entire life that we engage in a conversation about football and we talk about stats. We talk about games, memories, and moments and plays. We never talk about stats. I have no concept. I'm obsessed with Tom Brady and I have no concept of his stats. I know he

wears number 12 and he has six Super Bowls and that's all I know. People ask me, why don't you play fantasy football? Because it doesn't reward winning. I bet on football games because it rewards winning, winning the bet on the winning team. Years ago, I worked for a minor league baseball team. I won't embarrass the player, but he was a Norwegian pitcher. I remember that. I know his name. And I was up in the press box because I was a young announcer.

And he gave up a hit and he called. He went into the clubhouse and called the press box to argue that it was an error because that would help his ERA. And that is common in minor league baseball. Stats. in the NBA, when you see a player or a coach. After the game, they've got the stat sheet. Triple doubles.

Actually won somebody in MVP. Triple doubles. James Hardin had that 30-point game streak. It's gross. I don't care. Baseball has something. Think about this. Baseball has a stat called the War, the W-A-R,

wins above replacement. That is essentially an imaginary player. Just think about that for a second. They have a stat for a player. that doesn't exist. Wins above replacement. That's baseball. Football, I just care about

wins by Brady over Mahomes. Wins by Brady over Carson Wentz or Aaron Rogers or Sean McVeigh in the Super Bowl. In baseball, they have wins over an imaginary player. The Tom Brady apparently set some passing yards number last night

and I couldn't care less. I didn't know what the number was. I don't know who's second, third, fourth, fifth, until you just showed me on the screen. It goes, Breeze, Brady, Peyton, Farr, Marino. The number I know with Tom, 12 and 6. That's it. None of the stuff matters.

And that's why I love football. You don't get engaged in goofy conversations about stats. Plays, memories, moments, players, personalities even I'm okay with. Congrats, Tom, on a record I couldn't give a rip about. Joy with the news. No, no, no, no. on the news. This is the herd line news.

I feel like receivers are the only position and running backs. We only really talk about like how much their statistics matter. God, I don't even think... I'll be honest with you. I think DeAndre Hopkins is filthy.

I could not tell you how many touchdowns he's had. But I think like when we get towards end of their career like when we talk about Hall of Fame and so like that conversation came up with T.O. a lot about that. The only person who I think of when I think of statistics and records and numbers when it comes to NFL is Drew Breeze. Because if you look at the amount of records that Drew Breeze has, it's ridiculous. You know the only number I...

Like a tour date list. I think about 2,000 yards rushing. Like there's some record with 2,000 yards rushing. Like that's the all-time level. But I mean, like in football, a guy can play or he can't. Yeah, no, no. You're totally right. We don't pay attention to statistics.

The fact that you can't even remember... That record just shows you right there. It's so different. My favorite player, I have no idea. By the way, most of LeBron's numbers, I don't know, but I do know that his career average is around 27, 7 and 7. That part I know, but that's not why I love LeBron. Why I love LeBron is he's always been the Swiss Army knife of basketball. He does everything well.

Right. That's what I love about him, a non-stat. Well, someone who was putting up better statistics last year was Todd Gurley. He missed Wednesday's practice with a left thigh contusion and is listed as day-to-day. Yesterday, the Rams didn't practice because of the high winds and the recent fires because, you know, they're up there near. Their facility is near where all that is happening. They did hold a walkthrough. So Gurley was listed as a non-participant in a projected injury report and had this to say.

What's the day, Thursday? I mean, I got Friday and Saturday, but just worrying about trying to, you know, just get back right and, you know, make that decision, I guess, when the time comes. You know, he's not limping. Like I walked him against Seattle. They're not using him, but he's not limping. I just think this is important because the mystery surrounding Todd Gurley never ends. And the fact that Sean McVeigh said he was surprised by it. What do you mean he was surprised by it?

And he said, you know, it's because he plays through a lot of injuries. So, okay, so what kind of injuries is he playing through? Is that why this isn't happening? What injury? Because he's not carrying the ball. He didn't carry the ball much against Seattle. How do he get heard? I don't understand that.

It's the great unsolved mystery of the Rams. And the fact that they're having Jared Gough throw as much as they are would lend you to believe that there is a real issue here. Gurley's obviously not going to tell you exactly. And he may very well not know if he's going to be ready to go or not. It is only, you know, it's Friday now. So we're going to find out in the next day whether he's going to be available or not. But it's just I feel like we never get a straight answer on the Todd Gurley situation with the Rams. People hide what they're sensitive about.

It's just weird. It would almost be better if they came out and said he's dealing with this lingering injury. And I mean, I'm not going to compare the situations. But at the beginning of the season, I was very hesitant about what was really happening with LEP because we didn't have an answer. Right. And it turns out that it really was something. Like there was a reason why we weren't getting the answer. I'm not saying this is a Luck situation, but it's sometimes almost better to say, look, he's injured.

And that's why he's not getting the ball. That's why we're not running it through him. Well, in the Luck situation, we got. multiple answers, and here we have multiple speculations, so they are kind of similar. Yeah. So after five games, it's evident that the Brown's offense isn't clicking. Odell Beckham Jr. has been limited to only four catches for 47 yards over the past two games, and Baker is talking about how crucial it is to get the ball to Odell. It's frustrating when teams take them out of the game, but it's also an opportunity for

other guys to make plays. We've got to do our job with getting him the ball as many times he can't. He's a game changer. Twy's here. Twy's one of the best in the league. There is one-on-one. you have to be able to take advantage of it. I don't know what's make of Cleveland right now. I think they're going to play great. I really think they're going to play great. I think they will play better. I'm not so sure about great.

Here's the thing I worry about. The caution I had when I picked Cleveland to win is Seattle and Pete Carroll get three extra days to prep. Pete's a really good coach, and that's, you know, let's be honest about this. Young quarterback's struggle against great defensive coaches. Rex Ryan gave young quarterback's problems. Belichick.

Pete. But I don't think Seattle's personnel is great. And now I finally get, I think Cleveland's defensive personnel is actually better than Seattle's. And I think now Russell's obviously better, but let's not go crazy on Cleveland. They've got a bunch of good young players. They're young, and young people and young teams are all over the map. I mean, I don't, I'm not surprised by this. And we knew that they had a rough schedule to start the season. So we've talked about that a lot. And I'm not down on them. Like, I don't think that they're as bad as that loss. we are isolated that loss. We've isolated the Packers, Cowboys

loss and turned it into a bigger situation, I think, than it is, because we're paying the most attention to it. But I just, I don't know. I'm not, I'm not ready to say that they're going to win this game. I do think they're going to play a lot better than they did against San Francisco. It's the game. There's two or three games I want to watch.

Niners and Rams is a game I want to watch. And this is another game I really want to watch. I think they play really, really well. And by the way, credit to Baker Mayfield. Because Two years ago, I wasn't watching Seattle at Cleveland. I'm watching that solely because of Baker-Macon. They have been, they have lived up to the expectations of being interesting so far the season.

And not necessarily noisy in a bad way. I think that the noise has been mostly on the field, which is good. The standard for Cleveland at this point in the history of their franchise, interesting matters. It doesn't for Seattle or New England, Philadelphia. But for them, interesting and brand building is kind of somewhat important. I mean, they're trying to build a culture. That's right. And an identity, so, you know, we'll just have to take it step by step.

Finally, a lot of people are being critical of Kirk Cousins after having a frustrating start to the season. Last week, he came out and said he doesn't pay attention to any outside noise unless it's from family and friends. Ignorance is bliss. And during his weekly podcast, Cousins talked about what gives him an edge in games. Sometimes when I get frustrated and ticked off, you know, there's a little more fire there. and it can also get you in trouble if you're not careful,

but I think within reason it can help you. Play this position, things happen inside the building, outside the building that motivate you and you find motivation anywhere you can, really. That game I'm staying away from, here's the thing. Minnesota's got such good players. God. I mean, we know Philadelphia is great,

but again, if I said top 10 players in this game, I think the Vikings have four or five of them. They're so good. And when you get Kirk off television, you put them in those one o'clock games, he's pretty good. I mean, that is the trick with Kirk Cousins. I don't know how much I buy into the motivation thing.

Like, I don't need to be motivated to be great at my job. I just want to be great at my job. Now, everyone's different and wired differently, and some people find, you know, extra inspiration from critics. and naysayers and maybe that's what he's talking about. It doesn't make a lot of sense if he's saying he ignores that. If you get motivated, you feel like you play better with when you're paying attention to haters, it seems like you should just be in your mentions all day long.

But I just don't, I don't know that I necessarily buy into that. Like, I think greatness comes from within. Like, you don't need, like, Tom Brady doesn't need to go online and see the random guy taking a shot at him to be motivated to go out and work hard. Peyton Manning and Russell Wilson are self-motivated. Mike Trout self-mode. I don't buy that you need great players, great, great people don't need exterior forces to be motivated.

Right, and I do think, you know, there's chip on the shoulder guys. I can talk about Baker Mayfield. And Tom Brady is a chip on the shoulder guy, but it's not like, you don't need that fuel every day. It's that one thing that happens to you and everyone has that moment. It's like someone told you couldn't do it or someone didn't believe in you or something happened to you

in your life and you were like, no, I'm going to spend the rest of my life proving them wrong. I always tell my kids, one of the great gifts is are you competitive? Most people aren't competitive in life. I tell my daughter, like, you're competitive. She was really a competitive athlete. She's a competitive student.

And I'm like, that's a great quality. I didn't give it to you. You just got it. I don't get any credit. But competitive will win you most things. Because most people aren't super competitive. And it'll make you better at being yourself. Right.

There's Joy with the News. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Lie News. You know, it's interesting. Carolina had lost eight straight games that Cam started and now they have Kyle Allen and they can't lose. This week, I actually think they will over in London at Tampa Bay.

But Kyle Allen, is he better than Cam Newton? Well, no, no, he's not as talented as Cam Newton. DeAngelo Williams this week said, basically, listen to it to system. We ask Cam to do a lot more than we ask Kyle Allen to do. Kyle is much more than Mike Conley, the distributor, get the ball to the right people, whereas Cam is more of the star. But I will tell you this, and I've seen this most of my life. employers move off employees privately,

way before they move off them publicly. And I think Carolina privately, half that building is ready to move off camp. First of all, he's got an injury that is debilitating, and it's very possible he won't play this year, meaning he'd only have one year left on his contract, meaning it's not a huge salary. It's not a massive cap hit. Cam has been increasingly hurt, distracted, and the team has so many good players like McCaffrey,

once again a top eight defense under Ron Rivera. They're not really beholden to Cam Newton. They're winning without him. You know, years ago, the Kansas City Chiefs moved off Alex Smith well over a year before they officially moved off Alex Smith. Alex Smith got into a playoff game at home. The Chiefs did not surrender. a touchdown and they lost.

And it was that day they decided Kansas City were moving off Alex Smith. So they drafted Mahomes. They weren't going to kick him out of the building. But they had made a decision that day. We're at home. We didn't give up a touchdown. We had a game that gave Alex Smith 20 completions and he had under 175 yards. They moved off Alex Smith.

They went and drafted Mahomes, kept Mahomes under Alex Smith. a good guy and a great smart mentor for a year. But they made the decision to move off him. The New York Giants made a decision to move off Eli Manning a year ago when they started one in seven last year. In that building, they had made a decision. We're going to draft a quarterback. It was just a matter of what quarterback we're drafting.

So I think privately in the building, half the people or more have moved off Cam. That they're not beholden to them. They could bring in a rookie quarterback, hand the ball to McCaffrey, top 10 defense. Kyle Allen didn't play college football. And I think there's people in that building saying, listen, what's the point?

He's hurt. He's got other options in life. I mean, he's got plenty of money. So organizations decide long before they tell you or tell the media or tell the public, we're done. Kansas City moved off Alex Smith a year and a half before they let him go. And the Giants moved off Eli when they were one in seven to start last year. in the building, they were done.

It was over. Now it was just a matter of tell your scouts, look at the quarterbacks, which one are we getting, and develop them. All right, coming up next, Rich Ornberger played in the NFL for a year, so he'll join us in studio. Second time he's come on,

fascinating guy, played with New England, knows the system he's coming up next. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. Last night, a blown call changed the game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in.

I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context and ask the questions everybody wants answered.

Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slic Life 12 and the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations. with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark.

Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing and we're still chasing it and we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross,

because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth? Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now.

What's up, guys? This is Clivert Taylor the Fourth. And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. Like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker walks up to me, he goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Quarterback on office blue of 42. Hey, ref, my mama want you to wave at her. What? Hey, Ms. Parker.

Listen to the Clifford show on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano, and our podcast Point Game is about Default. find 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 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. Terry Bradshaw is adding a second Super 6 NFL Sunday game this week to celebrate the Panthers' Bucks game in London. Make sure you download the Fox Sports Super 6 app and make your picks before the game kicks off Sunday at 9.30 a.m. Eastern on NFL network.

Colin, give me a winner and final score. Buck sweep the season series. 3,1-24. Tampa's defense against the run is great. Forcing Kyle Allen to beat him, don't think he will. I'll take Tampa winning by a touchdown. And with that Rich Orrumburger played with the Patriots, drafted by the Patriots. drafted by the Patriots, been on that offensive line for years, knows the team, watched the game last night,

second time of the show, host the Loose Cannons and Radio. All right, let's start with this. When you watch the offensive line, it is not makeshift, but there are players moving into positions. Does it worry you? Do you see Tom having to move more? Because it feels like to me he's moving around more in the pocket. Absolutely.

And it's a big concern, and I know it's a concern for them because the game plan against Tom Brady, every single week, every single team tries to do it, get him off his spot. If he's moving his feet in the pocket, if he's uncomfortable, if he's feeling the pressure, if he doesn't have room to step up into the depth of the pocket, that's when you got 12's number. So you have to get him off his spot.

You have to take him out of his rhythm. Otherwise, he's going to be surgical on you. And so that's what you get to see when you're seeing a little bit of that. A little bit of that. There's shades of him being uncomfortable in the pocket. And also, he's running out. of favorite receivers to throw to. I mean, they're getting a little anemic on the receiver room side. So they need to sign someone. They need to get someone in there. They need

sort of an infusion of life somewhere or somebody's got to step up in a major way or they need to get healthy. It's a race to the bye week right now. By the way, Tom set some passing record last night. I'm not into records. Does he care about them? Did you ever talk to him about them? He doesn't care about records. You know, I remember one time we had a practice. that was pushed back. So we were supposed to be outside. You know, Nor'Easter blew in, whatever it was. We got torrential downpours.

We're playing a dome team on the road, so they pushed back practice while the equipment guys are just loading up our indoor facility. And I had an opportunity to sit down with them for a while. We didn't have a lot to say. I think we're watching the prices right on the television screen in the lunchroom. And so I just leaned over. I was like, how are you still doing this? By the time I got there, he was doing this a decade.

He had won three Super Bowls. I was like, what motivates you? And he goes, I just love this game. He's like, I loved it from when I was a kid. I still love it the same way I did back then. I just love it. I don't think he cares about his individual accomplishments. I think he just cares about being great at the game he loves.

Right. Do you buy into the Patriots defense so much? I mean, we all know Tom is working 25-mile-an-hour wind. Edelman's the only guy left in the second half. Do you buy the defense? I do. I'll tell you why. It's the greatest game plan defense in the NFL right now.

You know what they did last night? They didn't say, oh, we're going to just win with a rush. Yeah, we're going to win because our backers can run with their backs or tight ends or whatever. No, no, no. It was we're going to play tight man coverage on the outside. We're going to stack the box. We're going against their third string running back. We're not going to allow you to run.

So Daniel Jones, can you beat our tight man coverage? And the answer was no. No, couldn't. They forced turnovers. And you saw him. uncomfortable. The rush was getting home and some of those sacks were covered sacks. You know, some of those mistakes were due to the fact that he had nowhere to go. That was decent. And he actually is a good, tight window thrower. You saw it sometimes. Yeah.

Step into the face of a blitz and he'd deliver an accurate dart right on a slant. But Daniel Jones can't do that consistently, not in high wind, not in Foxborough, not against the Patriots, not knowing that it's Tom Brady and that offense looming. So they had a great game plan on defense. And that's what they do. It was a team. win. You know, I talked about this. Gronk retired at 30. Now, by the time you retired, you had had enough injuries. An offensive line is a beat down on a good year. But Gronk became at the end of last year. A lot of vertical. They didn't ask a ton of him. Don't think he practiced as much. And he retired at 30. Watch him last night. He's still a kid. He's not only 30, Rich. He's a young

30. He's like 30 going on 23. I could see the itch. Couldn't just see. By the way, we live in a new world. It's not as machismo. You can parachute in now. Players don't resent you. Right. This is like health and wellness. Rich is healthy helps us win.

I think in the 70s, 80s there may have been, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. We had the boots on. We had the work boots on. I think he could parachute in. I think so, too. You know what I'm doing? If I'm New England,

whoever his favorite guy is in the room, it could be Brady. It could be that personal, you know, on that level. Or it could just be a coach, McDaniels. Whoever has that relationship. Gronk, we're all set at tight end. We're not going to ask you to get on the edge of the line and seal off in the run game. We're going to want you on the outside.

We want you to get your receiver shoes on. You're going to come back. And we don't care about the weight loss. Like everybody says, he's lost all this weight. He would be the biggest receiver in the NFL if he came back and played the slot and played outside. Who is going to one up? Gronk, nobody. It doesn't matter if he's slower than most people's down the field threat.

You're going to have to roll coverage his way because of his height and his strength. lengthen his 50-50 ball matchup issues. You're going to have to double him. You're going to have to funnel him. You're going to have to find ways to make your coverage match his capabilities in the past game. I'd court him as a receiver. I wouldn't court him as a tight end any longer. You're not blocking anyone, Gronk.

You're going to be downfield 40 times a game. And most of the time, we'll be using you as a decoy. I think you can sell that to him. Again, I'll say it again. He's a young 30. Some guys are mature. Like Larry Fitzgerald, if I said, he's governor of Arizona. You'd be like, he was a grown-up when he was 12.

Right, yeah. You've been in locker rooms. Some guys are grown-up. Some guys are kid. I played with Larry. That's a great example. Larry was one. I mean, he was an orchestra of a symphony for a guest spot one night while I was there.

It's like, what is going on? I was like, what do you even wear to that? He's like, well, I had the coattails. I was like, of course you did, Larry. Of course you have that in the wardrobe. Who else does? You're right. There are some guys who just seem wise beyond their years who seem like,

who seem like they've never were wet behind the years. But Grunkowski, I mean, that's a dude, right? He could be on a surfboard at 48 years old here. Finally, you at, well, not finally, but Freddie Kitchens was a coach with you at Arizona. Yep. So I think Freddie, to some degree, is learning, not football, but he's learning kind of how to manage a team on the job, right?

Of course he is, right? He admitted that. Yeah, I mean, he's not learning football, but how do I manage this? And you take phone calls as a coach, you don't take as a, coordinator. I do think they bounce back. I do think there are times he's over his skis a little. I think it's hard to find an identity. I think they bounce back this week. Tell me about Freddie, what do you know? What do you like? What concerns you? Because Cleveland's got, I mean, at two and three, Rich, if they don't beat Seattle or two and four with the Patriots, Denver and Buffalo coming up,

this is his could be the biggest game in Freddie Kitchens's career this week. Teeth of the schedule, no doubt about it. You know, it's not so much what concerns me about Freddie Kitchens. It's what concerns me about all rookie head coaches. I sat down with Rocky Long, San Diego's stay head coach this past week, and I asked him, when you became a head coach, and this is 19 years ago, I said, was it, was it what you expected it to be? He goes, absolutely not. He goes, there's so much less coaching that you actually do when you're the head coach. Even if you're in charge of a side of the ball, like Rocky Long is, like Fred Kitchens used to be, he's sort of, you know, given some of that to his OC now. But there are so many other aspects to this job that really complicate actually

being on the field and coaching and doing what he was great at when I knew him in Arizona, like everybody has respect for him in the NFL. You have to be a great delegator as a head coach. You have to, like a director on a movie set, set the tone of this film. And that is very difficult to learn on the run. So there are going to be bumps in the road. Like a rookie quarterback, it'll be the same for a rookie head coach. Minute left for Rich Orenberger, joining us, former NFL offensive linemen drafted by the Patriots. Penn State are now part of the loose cannons sports radio,

also Sunday's Fox Sports Radio. About a minute left, Gurley, Joy and I are not getting straight answers. We didn't get them last year. When you're hiding something, you're sensitive about something. Guess on what's going on? I don't think that knee is right. I think the off-season surgery, I think they thought, was going to fix what ailed him.

I don't know this for sure. I'm speculating here, but we all are. When you see him come downhill on one side, there's one plant foot and gone, north and south. There's a side he favors where he's taking multiple steps to slow down. And that wasn't Todd Gurley's game when he burst onto the scene. I think he's still protecting one side, and I think it has to do with the injury from last season. Hey, it's great seeing you. You're always welcome.

Just love having you on the show. Did you have to drive up here this morning? Yeah, I did. Okay. You have to drive back today? That's fine. We ask a lot of our guests. Rich Orrumburger, the Loose Cannon's Extra 1360, San Diego Sports Station.

Listen to him. What a great guest. Good stuff. Back hour three next. Want more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week, within the IHeart radio app. Search Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like.

Tomorrow, start Saturday strong with the big noon Saturday game of the week. frontrunner Jalen Hertz leads number six, Oklahoma, against number 11, Texas, and one of the best rivalries in all of college football, the Red River Showdown. It all starts with the big noon kickoff pregame show at 10 a.m. Eastern on Fox and the Fox Sports app. Texas is very, very physical. I think they're a year away. I think Tom Herman's been great, but Tom Herman's a good underdog coach. He's not always been great as a favorite in his career. With that, we go just to turn from a quarterback to an outstanding broadcaster. of the Coward Global Satellite Network.

Fox Sports College, Brady Quinn, part of our great afternoon show, also an NFL quarterback. I want to start with something that I threw out to Joel Klaff this week. I think Brian Kelly is in the class of Sabin and Dabo Sweeney. I think there's academic standards at Notre Dame. It's a private school. It's a cold weather climate. I think Brian Kelly's absolutely fantastic. And as you know, Brady, he's a guy that has moved up the ladder everywhere he's gone.

never rushed it. He goes to a place. He creates a culture. He wins. And there's going to be six or seven NFL jobs. And I don't know if he can do more than he's done to rebuild Notre Dame. Am I just out of my mind to say this, that he has done the best job you can do at Notre Dame and that maybe he explores the next level of coaching? Because I think he can handle it. What say you? Well, I definitely think he's explored it in the past. I mean, I think it's hard to not as a head coach want to look potentially at moving up to that level and seeing if you can have some success there. Obviously, he's had a ton of success at the college football level. If you ask him, he'd like to win a national championship before he moves on to do that.

But I think with his coaching style and really how he's transitioned the last few years, bringing in Mike Elko and obviously, Chip Long as offensive coordinator. When Mike Elko left, Clark Lee was elevated. Really his management style of his staff and of the team is what's impressed me most. and I think now affords them the chance that if he was to go up to the NFL level, I think he runs Notre Dame like an NFL team now. So I think a lot of those kids in their transition don't have an issue. And I don't think he would have an issue too dealing with some of the differences

that I think a lot of coaches deal with when they go from the college level to the NFL level. Yeah, I think that's a very, very good point. So I think they'll beat USC. I think their programs going in the opposite direction. Working in Los Angeles, and you played in Miami, you played in big cities, you played in New York. The USC job, Brady, is a little different. It reminds me of the Miami Hurricanes.

It's college, mostly, but it's got a little NFL feel to it. Do you need a big name if USC hires a new coach? Or do you go with somebody that's a little bit of a lower name? What kind of coach would work in your opinion at USC? I think one that would embody what comes with being a head coach at USC. So you have to embrace the L.A. atmosphere and the environment there like Pete Carroll did. And it was one of the reasons why they were so successful.

So whoever that next head coach is, he's going to have to look at that as an advantage, not only for recruiting, but also to keep things fun and keep, you know, things enthusiastic throughout the course of the program there. But again, we're making the case that they're going to be gone. Look, if they were to upset Notre Dame this week, and let's just say they happen to go on, win the Pack 12 and maybe even luck out of win a Rose Bowl. I mean, it'd be hard to fire a coach who'd be in that position. I want to kind of write Clay Hilton off, but he also has done a solid job, I think, given what he's been dealt.

No one foresaw their season working out the way it has this year where they've been playing with their third string quarterback and error rate system where you know you're going to put the ball on his hands to throw the football over the field. So, you know, like this is going to be a rivalry game. That's going to be a tough one. I think tougher than a lot of people think. You may say Notre Dame is going to roll them. I think the win, I don't think it's going to be as easy as a lot of the prognosticators think. Now, shifting to Texas, Oklahoma, I think Texas, a very physical team will push back. This has been a crazy rivalry where the underdog often plays way over their skis.

I think Texas gives Oklahoma, Oklahoma has not played much of a schedule yet. Is that a disadvantage for Oklahoma? It's been pretty easy sailing so far. Yeah, I think it's a disadvantage in the sense that, you know, Jalen Hertz and his first year on a new system. granted, you know, Kyle Murray was in the system for a number of years. So he understood exactly how it was to be executed watching Baker-Mayfield and once he came in last year to replace him. But Jalen Hertz, he hasn't had as much time.

So now they're going to be tested. It looks statistically speaking. Texas has been terrible in their secondary, but they've been banged up and they will get healthier this week for this matchup. The difference is going to be their defensive coordinator of Todd Orlando. He's going to challenge this offense for Oklahoma with the different blitz schemes that he brings. and what he does throughout the course of the game

to try to not allow Jalen Hertz outside the pocket, making those big plays with his legs, and also try to get pressure on him to stymie somewhat of this passing attack too. So that's going to be the challenge. I think it's going to be the schematic one that Todd Orlando brings to really challenge Jalen Hertz, unlike anything he's seen yet this season at Oklahoma.

Granted, he's seen a lot playing in the SEC, but this is going to be a new challenge for him. Brady, I'm going to ask you, because you also played a lot of years in the NFL. I'm going to ask you to put your personnel hat on. We've got some terrific quarterbacks. Justin Herbert at Oregon from at Georgia to Trevor Lawrence at Clemson.

We got the kid at Utah State. Burrow, who is a backup at Ohio State, goes to LSU. Joe Burrell has been fantastic. And then, you know, Jalen Hertz. When you look at all these guys out there, is there you know, Tua's funny. I see a little Russell Wilson. I'm a little worried about the injury. I like, I got to tell you, the Justin Herbert kid is big, can move, and can sling it. There's Jacob Easton at Washington, who's got a huge arm, but not quite as mobile.

If there were one or two that I said, you know, you're a GM, you'd really be interested. Who kind of pops for you? But Jordan loved, the quarterback of Utah State you talked about. He had a bad showing versus LSU, but, you know, by and large, he's going to be a guy that I think flies under the radar. And we're going to start talking about at the beginning of 2020 as we get ready to head into the combine. If you're going to start looking at this young man, comparable to almost Marcus Mariotta, as far as his skill set. I think he's a little bit more of a polished pass.

Although at this point, at Utah State, he's a guy to keep your eye on. And I think you've got to love what Joe Burroughs done, in particular because Joe Brady comes from the New Orleans Saints. He's now their passing game coordinator at LSU. And so a lot of what you see LSU doing is exactly what Joe Burroughs is going to be asked to do once he gets to the NFL level. So I think his accuracy, his athleticism that also displays itself too

and is needed at the NFL game at this point. All those things are going to be. on display. So he's another guy to keep your eye on because I think there's a lot of people who are going to love the fact that he's a coach's kid, very competitive, and he's been able to continue to improve with the more reps that he's got and then running basically an NFL system at the college football level. So those two outside of Justin Herbert and Tua are obviously going to be in a conversation too. Yeah, I've been watching LSU football for LSU football for a lot of years. It's always been a power running school. And now they added the offensive

passing element that watch out for LSU. They may be as good as anybody in the country. And finally, you have a radio show, Fox Sports Radio with Jonas Knox. You talk to Dak Prescott this week, and I'm interested. I did not hear it, have not heard it yet. A couple of bumpy weeks. There's the contract talk. Quarterback for Dallas is like quarterback for Notre Dame. It comes with a very unique pressure. What did Dak have to say? I basically asked him, I said, have you been thinking about it on a week-to-week base? You know, with the contract negotiations with Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones and your agent. He said, look, I love my agent handle all of that.

You know, I think we've got an idea of where we'd like to get to. But until that point in time comes, I'm just focused on football. So he's putting the blinders on and moving forward. And I think, look, as a player, a former player, it's a wise approach, but it's easier said than done. Because, you know, we all know after the season, he's going to have the ability to be franchise tag, which actually works in his strength or works to. his strength because now that's the floor of his negotiation. Whereas if he accepts something now, it may be a little bit less of what he can get

in the future. But is he willing to wait? Is he willing to continue to play out this season depending on how he looks and to see what's there on the other side? So it's not an easy situation for him to be in, but I think he's handled it about as well as you can't give him the circumstances. All right. By the way, the Sam Ellen, Ellen, the quarterback for Texas, you're going to see this weekend.

He's got a little bit of a, there's a little T-bo. I think he's a better thrower than Tebow, but he's got a little Tebow with him. He's not, you know, your classic 6-4 guy. He's really a gamer. He's really, I really like watching him play. Does he remind you of anybody? Is he an NFL quarterback? Well, he reminds me of Tebow for watching him.

And in covering the past couple years, I think the difference is his growth and progression as a passenger, in particular downfield and throwing to the outside. Those are two areas where you've really seen him improve as far as his accuracy. and overall just understanding what the defenses are trying to do and where their weaknesses are. As far as if he's a quarterback at the next level, the biggest challenge for him is to be sometimes he relies on his running ability, especially towards the end of games and clutch moments,

to make a play. You and I both know, you've got to play from the pocket at the NFL level. So he's going to have to be more disciplined and staying in there and trying to make an accurate pass or looking to anticipate, something that he does a better job of this year, but still not up to the standard of the NFL level. Yeah, I love watching him. play, though. He is a complete

gamer. Great competitor. Yeah, great gamer. Well, Brady, you just do great work. Fox Sports College Football analysts. Thank you so much for stopping by on a Friday, bud. Thanks for having me, guys. Enjoy the weekend. Enjoy the games. All right, Will. Yeah, Saturday, I'm planted tomorrow in front of a tell of it. Texas, Oklahoma's a weird rivalry. It's crazy. The underdogs play out of their mind, and I think

Oklahoma's got better players, but they haven't played much, and Texas is physical. In fact, I thought Texas was going to struggle a little bit last week with West Virginia, but by the second half, they started playing downhill and blew them out. So I don't know why it is. I'm not really a uniform guy. There's something about Texas football that I like. I don't know what it is. It's a very simple uniform.

It's a simple uniform when I was a kid growing up. They were on all these big games. I just, and I went to the USC Texas National Championship game. And I sat next to all Texas people. And it's just there's something about the Austin, Texas. I think it's also there. It does a coolness. very unique color.

Maybe that's it. You don't see it in a lot of uniforms too. There is also, there's enough celebrity. They remind me actually, they remind me of a Texas version of USC. There's kind of a coolness to, you know,

a lot of college football are small towns. Austin's kind of a rock and roll place. Matthew McConaughey go. Yeah, Roger Clemens. I don't know. I just, I like watching Texas football games. I think they're really close.

They're not there yet. You got to give Tom Herman. One more recruiting class. I do think this game will be close. Texas is just physical enough to just get Oklahoma a little off their spot. Remember, Oklahoma goes in the big favorite. So Texas comes here, nothing to lose. We're not supposed to beat you until next year, so I can't wait for it.

Joy with the News. No, no, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. So last night, Gronk made his first appearance as a Fox NFL analyst during Thursday night's matchup between the Patriots and John. He retired from the NFL in March. But yesterday, Robert Kraft revealed that he has not filed his retirement papers yet.

That's right. And our very own Terry Bradshaw went ahead and asked Gronk if he'd ever play again. Journalism. I would have to be feeling it, you know, feeling it big time to come back. I mean, it's always going to be open in my mind. I love the game of football, you know. I love playing the game. I love being around the game.

I even love watching the game of football now. It makes just appreciation to watch it, just seeing the hits, the glory of it. You understand the game so much more and why fans are the game so so tell me that. So, you know, I'll always keep it open. I'll always keep it open. I always keep it open. I always keep it open. I always keep the door open. There you go. Terry. He is literally. You have to answer the question. I look. He's young. He's 30. Look at him. I get it. He's young

and I'm sure he's feeling a lot better. Look how much bigger than Tony Gonzalez he is. And Tony Gonzalez is. Have you ever met? Oh, yeah. Now, Tony Gonzalez is a, if he walked into any room you in America, he'd be the biggest guy. Yes, but Gronk is enormous. Massive. There's the reason why. Like Mike Strahan. Michael Strand is just enormous.

But he's, he also just towers that way. Like, he's just, he takes the air out of a room because he's so big. He's still young, I get it. And he's probably feeling a lot better. And his body feels better. Look at him. He looks like he is ready to. run a 12-yard hook.

That's a 16-yard seam pattern, ready to, he could run it in that blue sports coat. I think the door is open, as he said, for this year only. I think next year, it's going to be a little bit of... He looks like a player. Yes, because he was just playing. He's 30. Who retired? The only thing I do, the only thing that I think would bring him back outside of missing

the guys, which everyone, every player from any sport that you're going to ask, what do you miss the most about the game. Almost all of them are going to say, I miss the guys, I miss the locker room, I miss the camaraderie, because you really can't replace that. That and, of course, the competition. Whenever people say, are you going to get back together with her? Well, the door's open. They're getting back together. The door is open. That's getting back together. Well, that's assuming there's a mutual, the other side of the door is open, too, which in this case, obviously, Robert Kraft feels that way. Is Bill Belichick feel that way? He's got to a guy named Gunner running routes for him.

He's got a bunch of guys with Z in their last name running routes for him. I'm sure the Patriots would take him back in a second if he wanted to come back. And I'm sure Tom Brady would too. I don't think that Gromk is ready to come back. Are you guys going to date again? I just think he doesn't want to commit to it because then he's backed in a corner. It's better to remain flexible in that spot. Leave the door open for us dating again.

But that, that, I mean, rant about Julian Edelman. If you close your eyes, you're listening to Smackdown. So, Gronk, we've got WWE. on Fox Niles. It's in the family. Easy transition for you if you want to do that. So the Cowboys are first in the NFC East. And that doesn't mean that Dak Prescott doesn't have a lot of improving to do. They're three and two, so they are first in the division.

Oh, okay. Yeah. So through five games, he's already thrown six interceptions, but he's also tied for second and touchdown passes with 11. So it's all about balance, but he is remaining positive about his performance. Some of them are frustrating, but at my position, you just got to let him go. You got to keep moving forward. That's the great part about this position.

You get the ball in your hands of the next play. And for me, it's not about changing anything that I've done. I like where I'm at mentally, physically. I've said that, we'll continue to say that. So I'm just do a better job at it. But I'm not changing the way I play this game. You know, I kind of, a small part of me hopes that they just roll New York this weekend. Well, they could.

Because not that it's going to prove anything because everyone then's going to say that the jets and, you know, Sam Donald's coming back from injury, which is all true. But I just feel like everyone's really overreacting to the situation. The problem is not just Doc Prescott. Well, the Saints defense, it should be noted, is excellent. It's really good. The Packers' defense is good, too. Yeah, especially after they've been humiliated a week earlier,

they came out with their hair on fire. And Aaron Jones is not going to have another four touchdown game this season. I don't think as well as he's running. I don't think you're as bad as your worst loss or as great as your best win. Unless it's a Super Bowl, of course, and that's a little ways off from now. I just think everyone is putting everything always goes on deck. He's just one of those quarterbacks that that's the narrative. whatever's going wrong is on him.

There's some other places to look, including the offensive line. Finally, the Washington Mystics beat the Connecticut Sun 8978. Yes, they did. And a winner take-all game five. The Sun were up by three with just under seven minutes to play. But Mystics answered with a 13-2 run and went on to clinch their first WMBA championship title. So the Mystics and the Nats. It's not all bad in D.C.

It's not all bad in D.C. There you go. You got a championship already. John Wall and Bradley Biel were there in attendance, getting the United. getting the crowd fired up. Oh, I love seeing that. Yeah, they were having a great time. They were going crazy the entire game.

Oh, that's great. They're on the sideline. So, congrats to them. And Emma Misman, she scored 22 points. She was the finals MVP. And Elena Deladon, it was the league MVP. Yeah, she's a great player. She played with three herniated discs in her back, by the way.

She is a great athlete, and she is always injured. Yes. plays to those injuries. She came out of game two with the herniated disc with the back issue, which they then said was a herniated disc. And then her teammate, Natasha Cloud, revealed that she actually has three herniated disc that she played through in that game. So congrats to them.

And congrats to Mike Tebow, the winningest coach in WMBA history, getting his first title as well. So where to go? Yep. Ladies. Over the Connecticut Sun, which play at the Mohegan Sun. That's right. I've spent more than a few dollars at the Mohegan Sun.

Yes. Joy with the News. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd-Line News. We've had a great show today. We've really rolled on a Friday. It's been so much fun.

Look at this. Are you getting a Big J journalism update? Oh, my God. It's amazing what I get on this stuff. Hold on. I may have some journalism. Once a week this happens. Somebody texts Colin in the middle of the show,

and then he has to, on the spot, decide if he is going to reveal it or not. I can't put that out there. Right. Right. Well, people send me stuff, and if it's good, I'll put it on the air. But if it's not, if that wasn't sourced, that was an opinion. Just a note, Friends of Colin, if you're going to text him during the show, you should just, at the top of your text, just say, not for air or feel free to say. I always feel like you're- Don't quote me, but you can say.

I feel like you're debating if you should burn the bridge of that friend or not. That's what you're really doing. That's pretty much it, yeah. Yeah. And also debating if he needs another source in order to go live with it. Right, right. Because we have integrity around here. Yeah.

I mean, like, virtually every day. All right. We call it tomorrow's headlines today where we, and it's one of my favorite segments. It's one of our goofier segments with Jason McIntyre. That comes up. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the I-Hard By the way, Texas, Oklahoma, Cotton Bowl, Discover card key matchup.

Go further than ever with a Discover at Miles card. Discover.com slash travel. New match for new card members only, the cashback match stuff for new card members only. All right, Jason McIntyre, he founded the big lead and bailed on that thing. And then now he's at Fox Sports Radio, FS1. He's a big digital star. He loves gambling. And he comes on Friday.

By the way, how magnificent was Tom Brady last night? Stop it. Stop it, Colin. He was terrible. That interception? Okay, the interception in the first quarter was awful. He threw into triple coverage way behind the receiver. Then the lack of awareness in the pocket on the fumble that gave the Giants to scoop and score.

If you look at Brady's numbers, he's faced one top 12 pass defense in the league. Buffalo. He had 150 yards passing and a pick. He has faced the worst teams and he's looked old. That's undeniable. I know they're undefeated, Colin. This is not the three years ago Tom Brady that's like an MVP candidate. Well, yeah, he's 42 years old.

Okay, so it's okay that he looks bad and slow, and I know Gordon's hurt and they miss Grong. Yeah, he got a lot of offensive line. Philip Dorset, he's now a factor? No, but I think when you're, he's a veteran who Tom at least has been throwing to for three years. They're down to Edelman and guys named Gunner with Z's in their last name. Who is that guy? He's played some, he was like, because Beaumigi State, he was a corner.

You just making up colleges now, Beaumigi State? No. No, I mean, that's the real place? I didn't know where he played. I don't even know what that's at. The kid number 16 who caught his first ever pass. I was like, who is this guy? Jacoby Myers. Yeah, I never heard of him in my life.

And I've watched a lot of college football. I mean, Colin, the Patriots, when you look at that schedule, it's backloaded, the opposite of the Jets. The Jets schedule at the end. I know people will laugh. The Jets, who cares? Jet schedule is soft in the second half of the season. They'll be favorites in about six or seven of those games. Stop laughing.

The Patriots end of the schedule, a lot tougher. I'm telling you. I'm calling it now. 11 and 5, they do not go to the Super Bowl. All right, fair enough. It's called tomorrow's headlines today for the former newspaper man. What will be the headline after the Seahawks Browns game? We have to start with your best friend, obviously Baker Mayfield, right?

I mean, listen, we are both on the same side of this one, Colin. I believe the headline Monday will be Mayfield of Dreams. You're right. Cleveland, the dog pound, going to be barking a lot Sunday. I love them in this spot. Now, we do this Facebook video gambling, and one of my big tenets is nobody is as good or as bad as they were last week. So we know the Browns are not as bad as the 30 or 283 or whatever the score was against the Niners. The defense is faced, think about this, golf, their defense has faced Garoppolo.

Like they face good quarterbacks and they're still top seven in almost every defensive category. Baker Mayfield is going to have the, the field's going to be open for deep. passes, okay? The Seattle defense, you know, bottom 10 in the league against the pass, and we saw golf torts them up and down the field Thursday night. I think Mayfield has a lot of success. O'Dell Beckham, who you want to ship out of town, I think he's due for a big game. He's been very quiet. The Browns, this is the perfect spot for them. By the way, why would the line shift a week ago they were favored in this game? Now they're underdogs. Why is it's the overreaction to Monday Night Football? I totally agree. Baker's back, baby. All right. Tomorrow's headlines

today, Eagles Vikings game. Yeah, this is a lovely game because we like the Eagles a lot this year. I love them. In this spot, not so much. I think the headline Monday will be Dalvin and the Chipmunks. My kids watch that show during the week. I know they're not watching now. They're at school.

But, you know, listen, Dalvin Cook is second in the league in rushing. He is so good. Here's my favorite stat from last week, Colin. Dalvin Cook had more total yards than the New York Giants did against the Vikings. Cook just, he's a machine. He is. And I just, I don't think the Eagles can slow him down. I think it's going to be a tough one for Philly. They go on the road. The big number here, Mike Zimmer, okay, non-divisional matchups, teams are not as familiar.

At home, 18, 2, and 1 against a spread. They're a very good home team. The other thing is you get them on, you get Kirk Cousins off prime time, have those early starts. He's at home. He's a really good, he's a really solid quarterback. Is there something psychological to the 1 PM start? Well, I think certain people have anxiety in bigger spots. They get nervous. And I think Kirk, when the lights are off a little bit and he can just get into his routine, he's very comfortable. I think he's good.

And I'll say, if you put the 10 best players in this football game, and I think Philadelphia is loaded, I can make an argument. Six out of the 10 best players are Vikings. I think Minnesota is for real. I like your point on getting off a schedule. I'm very schedule-oriented, right? I go work out. I go play basketball. So this week I had to fly to Memphis for a basketball.

basketball thing and I got off my schedule. I didn't get to go to the gym for three days and I get all antsy and my wife's like, you need to get back on your schedule. I think Kirk Cousins gets off that 1 p.m. game and he just kind of is not very good. In prime time, he's been awful. Luckily, 1 p.m. start here. So we both, I was almost going to put this in Blazing Five, but to you I had worries about going to Minnesota.

All right. Tomorrow's headlines today. Undefeated Niners, go to L.A. to face the Rams. I will be at this game. I will be on the field, you know, big time Sunday afternoon. Yeah, look for me, people. And I will be obviously backing the Rams here. I know the Niners run defeated. The headline will be just another day at the golfis.

Jared Goff, taking a lot of heat, by the way. He signs a massive contract, seven TDs, seven picks, kind of uneven to start the season. As you've pointed out, that offensive line is a shell of what it was. Yes. Three new guys there. And the Todd Gurley situation, I just looked before I came. out here on the set. He wasn't at practice today.

Todd Gurley hasn't practiced this week. Are they beating the Niners without Gurley? I do believe it's a Jared Goff game. I thought he looked really good in that final drive against Seattle in the Kingdom. I thought he looked excellent. Yeah, he's been very sharp. And one of the big things is the Niners like to play off in Queens. Did I say Kingdom?

I don't think it's the Kingdom anymore. No, it's not. It's whatever it's called. Century Lake Field, yeah. The Niners' corners like to play off a little. golf is just going to eat them up on the crossing routes with Woods, Cup. I like the Rams in this spot. And again, as we talked about with the Browns game, it's a lot of perception.

Everybody sees, oh, well, wait a sec. The 49ers are amazing. They just crushed the Browns. It's like slow down. Nobody is as good or as bad. By the way, Niners are missing both their tackles, Joy, and their good tackles and their fullback, which generates a lot of their blocking and running leads. So where do they have to run now?

If your two tackles on the edges are out and your lead full, you've got to run up the middle. who's waiting in the middle for you? Aaron Donald. I just think this is a great spot for the Rams. I don't disagree. Beating the knives. Okay, tomorrow's headlines today to Sean Watson against Patrick Mahomes. Now, we were early on Watson on this show.

Two years ago, I came on and said, I'd take Watson over Cam Newton. People killed me. I love Watson in this spot this year. The headline will be Dr. Watson over Sherlock Mahomes. And Colin, this is not like some incendiary take. here. You watch this. Deshawn Watson's going to be your MVP leader on Monday because Russ is going down and I think Patrick Mahomes goes down. People are overlooking Deshaun. He's been phenomenal.

You know, as a rookie, his last five games is a rookie. This was with an atrocious offensive line. He was prima homes. He averaged 39 a game. This is a guy this year, I think it's 11 touchdowns in one pick. And every week, it's like Hopkins. It's Fuller. They've got tight ends I've never heard of. Kenny Stills didn't even play last week. So they know they have three legit receipts. versus Duke Johnson. And we all the media bashed the Laramie Tunzel move.

But the left side of their O lines, like a grown-up O-line now. How many sacks do they give up against the Falcons? None. This is, I'm telling, and it's not like the Chief's defense is good. Sammy Watkins hasn't practiced all week. He may not play. Tyreek Hill will see.

I'm not, listen, the Chiefs haven't covered in the last two weeks and they just haven't looked sharp. Well, they're beat up. Yeah. And also, people have not figured out Mahomes, but what Belichick did in that playoff game, he went man-to-man coverage, not the zone, which Mahomes can pick apart. What did the Colts do last week?

Exclusive man-to-man coverage. If the Texans have a clue, they'll play man-to-man on the shaky receivers behind Tyreek Hill. I think the Texans win this. I don't think you're crazy on this. I love Watson. I think he's just terrific. He's fun. All right, Jason McIntyre, great seeing you.

Don't forget on Monday where Colin Wright, Colin is wrong, do plenty of both. Trent Dilfer stops by. Fantastic games. and both of us like Baker and the Browns over Seattle. Competing today takes tremendous toughness and energy. That's where MDrive for Men.com comes in. Boost and burn. Clinically tested, pack with ingredients to elevate your natural tea levels.

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