The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Top NFL teams, CFB playoff, Lakers, Cowboys, & the Patriots

Episode Date: November 28, 2018

Colin discusses what the top NFL teams have in common, why the college football playoff is fine the way it is, what the Los Angeles Lakers need to do, why the Dallas Cowboys didn't over spend for WR Amari Cooper, and records the New England Patriots are about to break. Guests include Nick Wright, Kenyon Martin, Joel Klatt, and Mike Pouncey. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo, and every episode, we're cutting through the noise,

breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headlines. And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear. Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok.

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. Life is full of hurdles. So how do you keep going? On Hurtle with Emily Abadi, we're talking with the most inspiring women in sports and wellness from professional athletes, coaches, and Olympic champions, about the challenges that shape them and the mindset that keeps them moving forward. At our level, at this scale, being able to fail in front of the entire world. can do anything. I can do anything. Listen to Hurtle with Emily Abadi on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHart

Women's Sports. 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'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's a to the world that you not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to, listen to learn the hard way

on the IHard radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Thanks for listening to The HARD 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 Hurt at Fox SportsRadio.com

or stream us live every day on the IHart Radio app by searching Hurd. Now let's get to You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Ah, here we go. This is The Herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, live in Los Angeles. Iheart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS1.

Joy Taylor is joining me as always on a Wednesday tomorrow on Fox. It's a Saints Cowboys. Big game. Big game. Just came off a huge NFL weekend, college weekend. We'll get to some college football in a little bit here. I want to start our show. show today. What I do sometimes, Joy, it's a Wednesday. So I get in and I look at the standings.

And I say, guys, give me the standings. And then I try to see what comes to mind? What link can I have? So there's eight divisions in football. Eight divisions in football. Here's the current leaders, the Patriots, the Steelers, the Texans, the Chiefs, the Dals, Cowboys, the Bears, the Saints, and the Rams. Hmm. What do they all have in common? Let's talk about that for a second. Great defense. That's what it is. They all have a great defense. Oh, wait, no. Patriots are second to last in sacks. The chiefs have the worst passing defense in the league.

Yeah, it wouldn't be great defense. I'll tell you what it is. It's a great head coach. No, that's not. Is Bill O'Brien? Is he a great head coach? Is Jason Garrett? A great head coach? No, it wouldn't be that. Okay, okay, okay. It's a veteran quarterback.

It's got to be a Hall of Fame. Really, Mitch Trubisky is a Hall of Famer? Dak Prescott's a Hall of Famer? Okay, Colin, I'll tell you what it is. You got to have a great running back. Really, Texans have one of those? Really, bears have great running backs? That's interesting.

I have all these divisions. What is the common thread? It's very easy. The common thread is quarterbacks are on a discount. Three of the eight division leaders, here are the quarterbacks. Three of the eight division leaders are veteran quarterbacks giving the team a team-friendly deal. Breeze, Brady, Ben could make a lot more money on the open market, have a lot of leverage right now. Breeze only makes 24.

He's absolutely worth over 30. Ben 23, you kidding me, Brady 22. So three of the eight division leaders are veteran quarterbacks who are very good giving their team a break. The other five of the eight division leaders are quarterbacks on a rookie deal. Trabisky, Gough, Mahomes, Watson, Prescott, allowing, much like the previous deals, their general managers to have a more complete roster. Really easy. Only two teams leading divisions. Stark veteran quarterbacks giving their teams a break, not taking every penny,

allowing their GMs to put more good players around them, and the rookie quarterback, some good, some great, some okay, that the team doesn't pay their quarterback much so that they can get two more great defensive players and a really good slot receiver. That's it. The top six paid quarterbacks in the NFL. None of them lead a division. It doesn't even matter if your quarterback's great. Aaron Rogers is.

Third place. Doesn't even matter if your roster's good and your quarterbacks, good. Kurt Cousins. Second place. Doesn't even matter if your quarterback has talent, Flacco Stafford. Makes too much money, not in first place. That's it. If you want to make the most money on your deal,

let me ask Dak Prescott, who's the next. next guy coming up for contract. Dak, you want to win games? Give the Cowboys a break. Dak, want to have better teammates? Want to keep the latent van deroges for the remainder of your contract? Give the Cowboys a break. First of all, you're in Texas.

No state tax. That matters. Playing New York. Playing Los Angeles. Play in San Francisco. No state tax in Dallas. Dallas. No state tax in Texas. Dallas, of course, in Texas. Secondly, you think he has that Campbell Soup commercial if he's quarterback in the Jags or that Oikos yogurt commercial if he's

quarterback in the Bengals? I say this all the time. I've worked in my business for 30 years. A lot of people are chasing money. It will limit what your company can put around you. Breeze could make more money. Ben could make more money. Brady could make more money. But what they want to do is win games and be playing in late January. That's the only teams. That's what I've said about Aaron Rogers going forward. It's going to be very interesting with Aaron Rogers. Aaron Rogers is making $33 million a year.

For the remainder of that contract, Aaron Rogers is going to have to play with younger, cheaper players. That is not a debate. That is not an opinion. Aaron Rogers, and I'm not blaming him, made a choice. I want 33 million. That's 10 million more than Breeze. You can get for that $10 million per year

a better pass rusher and a better receiver, maybe a better left tackle and a better center. We all have choices, and I don't think quarterback's brand is based on what they make. I think 20 years from now, when we sit around and we talk about Elway and we talk about Marino, we talk about Elway much more. more fondly, he's got rings. Dak Prescott, you're next up.

Choose wisely. Give the Cowboys a team-friendly deal. All right, college football playoff. Joel Katt next hour. We'll yell and scream at each other. Nick Wright, 2, Kenyon Martin, Mike Pouncey of the Chargers, multiple-time Pro Bowl Center used to be a dolphin. So last night, they came out with the new college football rankings, and I, first of all, did have a problem with it. I have Oklahoma in my four. They had Oklahoma at five, meaning Oklahoma is going to get in when Georgia loses to Bama. So they had Bama, Clemson, Georgia, Notre Dame, and then they had Oklahoma 5, Ohio State 6.

The key to me, of course, is they have Oklahoma ahead of Ohio State slightly, which they should. I think Oklahoma is better than Ohio State. I've stopped listening to Ohio State fans. They didn't make any sense midseason talking about that coach they enabled, and they make no sense now, having lost a Purdue by 29 points, and they still think they could get in over Oklahoma, who lost to a rival on a neutral field and the last second field goal, and they'll go back and beat that team, Texas, this weekend.

Oklahoma's the clear choice. Oklahoma scored 40 plus points in all but two games. Oklahoma has done something, at least one thing, great all year. I'm not saying they have a great defense. I'm not saying their special teams are great. I'm not saying they had the best game plan for every game. but in 90% of the times they came out to the football field this year, Oklahoma was a great offense. They ran it, they threw it, they protected their quarterback, and they scored over 40.

What is Ohio State done all year to convince me they're a final 14th? Did they run the ball every week? Nope. Did they play great defense every week? Nope. Did they have great coaching every week? Did you watch the Purdue game? They scored under 33 times.

in the week big 10, where Northwestern's in the championship game, and Northwestern couldn't win one out of conference game, and then mopped up on the week big 10. Lincoln Riley, the coach of Oklahoma, and I'm all in Oklahoma here, their corner over Ohio State. Again, if you lose by 30 to Purdue and you don't get why nobody's into your stuff, I don't know what to tell you, but Lincoln Riley brought up the point about, we're getting too caught up on, ooh, people score a lot of points on Oklahoma.

Football's changed. I think the standards have certainly changed. I think we see that at all levels, high school, college, and pro, that the amount of offensive output that all these different teams are putting out is just simply different than what it's been before. Certainly every team out there is trying to be great on offense and be great on defense and special teams. Ultimately, you've got to find ways to win games, and that's what our guys have been able to do here. And by the way, Ohio State fans are saying, what about Oklahoma's defense? Buckeye fan, you just gave up 30.

points to Michigan's offense, which looks about nine years past its prime. 39 at home to Michigan State's sort of eye formation pound down the throat offense. Give up 51 to Maryland. I want to hear about your great defense. But by the way, even the SEC, which plays great defense, the best defense in college football, sorry, but didn't Oklahoma drop 48 in it last year? didn't UCF drop 34 on the Great Auburn team? Look around football folks.

Everybody's scoring over 30. Most teams, the good ones, are scoring over 40. Oklahoma tends to score over 50. I'm not, look at around the NFL right now. Everybody tells me how great the Chicago Bears defense is. You do get they gave up over 30 to New England. Aaron Rogers, I'm watching Chicago play week after week. move the ball up and down the field on them.

And that's the best defense in the NFL. I hear about the Rams, all their great players. They give up like 25 a week, 28 a week. Where are the great defense is in the NFL? I don't see them. Jaguars defense? Steelers lead the NFL in Saxes. Had a great defense?

I just saw Case Keene to move up and down the field. You're all caught up on Oklahoma's defense. By the way, Oklahoma hasn't had a great defense in years. Because they play in the Big 12, and the way to win in the Big 12 has spread the ball out. so many good quarterbacks. Warm weather. Everybody throws it, great receivers and backs. It's not a great defensive conference, but to win the Big 12, got to sling it.

And they do. But when they match up with the SEC teams, they also score 40 plus on them. Beat Alabama four or five years ago. Beat Auburn a couple years ago. Should have beaten Georgia last year? Nobody's shutting out Oklahoma. And as Lincoln Riley said, this is the new age. Forget your grandpa's football.

Forget your dad's football. it's not even your older brother's football. In the last three years, offense has exploded. In the past 12 months, it's been almost a meteor. And I am firmly entrenched. And I'm glad the committee sees it that way, too. Oklahoma's one spot ahead of Ohio State,

meaning if they both win this weekend and Georgia loses and they will to Bama, the Sooners will get in over the Buckeyes. Coming up next, Big Ben said something of the Steelers, which I loved. And I will see. support him, even though he does something that coaches GMs and owners hate their quarterbacks to do. And that is 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 I-Hard Radio app. By the way, Tommy John underwear, treat yourself this holiday, save 20% in your first purchase with the code H-E-R-D at Tommyjohn.com. Super comfortable. I've been wearing it for years. I'm wearing a black. Can you see it right now? Tommy John's shirt. Probably shouldn't undress on the set. That'd be a terrible experience for the viewer at home. That would really be awful. Joy Taylor is joining me. Nick Wrights around the corner. Love having him on. So Big Ben came out yesterday. And Big Ben, of course, I like Big Ben. He threw a

terrible interception against Denver. And Big Ben came out and he was kind of saying the receiver ran the wrong route and, you know, somebody else did this and I would have done this and whatever. But the quote that I really liked was this by Big Ben, I'm not changing. engine, I'm still going to sling it. I'm a quarterback that's going to go out and sling it. You know, you talk about gunsling or whatever I talk about. I'm not going to worry about interceptions. I hate doing them.

They bother me, but I'm going to go out and play my game and try to help us win football games. So, you know, you talk about guys that miss a basketball, right? You miss breeze or you're not making – do they stop shooting? No, they keep shooting because you trust yourself. You know, here's why I love this. If you go to Vegas, you've got to spend money to make money. The guy's making money in Vegas is not the grandma playing the nickel slots.

Okay, it's the big poker player, the big blackjack Taylor, the Baccarat player, the craps player. You're sitting at their table and you're throwing big money at it. You're not going to win big if you don't bet big. That's why I don't win big in Vegas because I don't like betting big. I mean, if I win $350, I'm overjoyed. That's why I've never won big in Vegas. And I don't play slot machines because everybody smokes around them and it makes me sick. So I never go to Vegas winning.

Most I'm going to win like $1,000. But I don't bet big. I love guys that go big in the NFL. Andrew Luck, some interceptions, Wence, Patrick Mahomes, Big Ben, Deshawn Watson. They throw the ball downfield. You're going to get a lot of picks with those guys, and I love all of them. I'm all in on all of them. But isn't it interesting?

My favorite quarterback is Brady. My second favorite quarterback could be Breeze and they're precision guys. In fact, my favorite four quarterbacks in this league are Brady, Luck, Breeze, and Russell Wilson. And they're all everything. You know, Luck throws picks. down the field. Brady and Breezer precision. Russell Wilson's a little of both plus incredible athleticism and mobility. There's a lot of different ways to win in this league.

The key with Big Ben is his organization. In the NFL, you can win with Ben. You can win with Breeze. You can win with Russell. The key is, does the team identify your strength and then build around it? Of the last 10 AFC Super Bowls, the Steelers and the the Patriots have seven. And the reason is they have two completely different quarterbacks. Brady's more academic. I think he's a more coachable, probably a better teammate. He's more precise,

less downfield. Ben's the opposite and all those things. He doesn't got a, he's not going to audible a lot of the line of scrimmage. He has very simple audibles. He's going to go back and crank it downfield. Yet between the two, they got seven to ten. And the credit goes to the Patriots and the Steelers for identifying what they are. The Steelers, give Big Ben deep threats, speed. The Patriots give Brady precision route runners. This is why Kansas City and Mahomes, Philadelphia and Carson Wentz, get deep threats, pay deep threats.

That's who they are. They're not as precise as they are deep ball throwers. Same with Deshaun Watson. Keep giving them deep threats. Dak Prescott didn't work with Des. Because Dak Prescott needs to see the open receiver and throw to the open receiver. That's why Amari Cooper works because Amari Cooper says. separates and gets open. Des Bryant doesn't separate. So the Cowboys realized Amari separates.

That's what DAC needs. By the way, Mitch Tribesky does not have a great arm. So Mitch Trebisky, what does he need? The bears have surrounded him with running backs who can catch and possession receivers with good hands that run precise routes. Same with their tight ends. It's all about identifying what the quarterback does. Jared Gough for the Rams, throws a beautiful 18 to 48-yard football. He throws great, long, intermediate routes. That's what they gave him with Robert Woods, Cooper Cup, Brandon Cooks. A deep threat, he's great over the top and good deep to intermediate routes.

And that's what they run. So I don't have a problem with Big Ben. If you want to look at attempts downfield, home runs, that's what he is. You can win a lot of ways in this league. The key is the team identifying your strength and building around. it. I want to talk about the Lakers for a second. Just a second. By the way, they lost the Denver last night. It's November. Who cares? Here is the thing. I want to jump on this early. They better go get Bradley Beale before the trading deadline. Bradley Beale is the best shooter in

the NBA has been hampered by his teammate John Wall, who's not a great teammate. He's the best shooter on the NBA in a shooters league that will be available over the next several years. I don't want to hear about Clay Thompson. Golden State's not going to make him available. This is it. But Colin, what about Anthony Davis? Can he shoot threes? What about Kauai Leonard? Sure you're getting him? Folks, we think LeBron James wins because of his sheer athleticism. If that was the point, he'd have won 15 straight titles. His first seven years in Cleveland, he didn't win anything. Why? Didn't surround him with shooters. He goes to Miami. His first year doesn't win. They can't shoot.

Then they get him battye. Mike Miller wins a title. They add Ray Allen wins another. Then that team gets old. He goes to Cleveland. They have Kyrie Irvin, elite shooter, and Kevin Love, who he chooses over a rookie. What do they keep adding? J.R. Smith, Kyle Corver.

There is an absolute template for LeBron. LeBron plus multiple shooters is his identity. And identity is what the Lakers don't have right now. What are they? Long, young, old, odd. What are they? They don't have an identity. Great teams have an identity.

One word, if I say Golden State, you think shooting. I say Alabama football, you think power. I say patriots, you think precision. I say Steelers, you think aggressive. I say Oklahoma. You think offense. I say Lakers, you say, they got LeBron. That's not an identity.

LeBron's identity that wins titles is LeBron plus elite shooters and Beals the best one now. And for the next several years, they're not getting Clay Thompson. Golden State's not letting him go. Joy with the News. No, no, no, no, no, turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Speaking of Clay Thompson, thank you for that transition, Colin. It may not be at the top of the standings in the West, but as of right now, the Warriors still have to be considered.

the favorite to the finals and they travel to Toronto to face the first place Raptors on Thursday and when he was asked about the upcoming matchup Clay Thompson made his respect for the Raptors very clear right now they're the best and I expect them to be there for probably throughout the whole season they got tremendous length they got so many two-way players and obviously Kauai's back and playing at MVP level and Kyle Lowry's a great leader as well as a bull he's a bulldog out there so it's going to be a great test for us and who knows might be a preview of June. Ooh. I don't think it will be but it's nice to say. You don't think that the

Raptors could make the finals? It's Toronto's a nice city. It's got wonderful Canadian citizens. I love Toronto but how many times you want me to fall into this We Are the North thing? You know what you are? You are out of the playoffs after the first round. It's a different east. It's a different east. The Ron's not there and they have Kwai. I just can't. You know, some teams are built for the regular season? Normally, I would agree with you. The past couple years, I would 100% agree with you. They're a very exciting regular season team.

They're going to win a couple playoffs series, and then they're going to meet LeBron, and it's going to be a wrap. But LeBron's not there anymore. I know, but I don't even think it's LeBron. I don't think they're getting past Philadelphia. That's got three great players. I don't think they're getting past Boston. That'll reboot. Boston will be fine. I don't think they'll get past Milwaukee. Listen, I can only fall for We're the North.

And I spent this summer, I went to Vancouver, B.C. I love Canada. I like the north. I'm a very pro-Canadian. I like Canadian bacon on my pizza. I have been, I don't know about that, but I've been off of this whole Toronto in the postseason thing for a while now. Yes, I agree with you.

But I just think it's a different team. I think Kauai in the playoffs is a different level of player. I think we've all forgotten because we haven't seen him in a while. Yeah, he's great. And LeBron is not there in the East anymore. All right. I don't buy it. I got to see.

I was on the Celtics spam wagon for the finals before the season started. I don't know. You know what? Ever had a friend? You can always tell a true friend because if you call them

and say, I got to go to the airport, he takes you? You ever had a friend who you thinks a friend every time you call him to go to the airport he can never take you? The Raptors are the friend that can never take you to the airport. They tell you they're a friend.

I'll be there for you. I'll deliver every time you call him for the airport. Yeah, yeah, Dennis. I'm telling you the last couple years I'm 100% with you, but I just feel like it's different this year. So former Texas Tech

head coach Cliff Kingsbury. He appears to be attracting teams in the NFL. This is a few days after aspiring. It might be one of the most viable candidates to earn an offensive coordinator role for some teams needing one. And according to NFL.com skill brant, he reported that the phone of former Texas tech coach

Cliff Kingsbury has been ringing off the hook from NFL teams, including two that have given him firm offers. College offense has infiltrated the NFL and Kingsbury's superb knowledge of it is in high demand. It's going to be a USC offensive coordinator within 72 hours.

There's my guess. I'm just guessing. Why would he go to USC? It's high profile. I think he likes Los Angeles. I think he's needed. I think they'll pay him a lot of money. I think that's a lateral move. All right. All right. I mean, if you're a head coach. A lateral move. Lubbock, Texas, to Manhattan Beach.

Is lateral? But, I mean, as far as title goes, yeah, if you're a head coach at Texas Tech, why would you go to an offensive coordinator position for a team I mean, quite frankly... I'm not saying I have any great insight. I'm just going to predict. Okay, I mean, you may just, you may have some knowledge of this.

And by the way, if it doesn't work out for Clay Hilton, maybe Kingsbury would have a... Would have the job? ...understanding that he would get the job. I'm not saying I have any sourcing on that. That is just, I'm saying, if that doesn't happen, because it seems like that is what's happening. If that doesn't happen, make the jump to the NFL. I'm just saying if I was Cliff King, Plingsbury, I would, that's a good looking man. so I can't relate.

But if I was him, I'd strongly consider USC. That's all I'm saying. Okay. All right. I might just be a little scoop for you guys. Finally, Leonard Fournett's appeal of his one-game suspension for fighting was denied. We all saw this ridiculous fights. Yeah, of course.

What did he deny that? He got into a fight? I mean, he's trying to just appeal the suspension for good reason. So the thing about this fight, which I just can understand it is. I mean, I understand fighting, you know, like it happens. Yeah. But the punch, you're wearing helmets. Yeah, it's not great.

It's literally designed to protect your head. Listen, when I get into fist fights, as I'm prone to do, first thing I don't do is punch a guy who's got a helmet on. It's just a terrible idea. I just makes no sense. I don't, okay. Anyway. By the way, you don't see that in the NFL.

I couldn't tell the last time I saw a fist fight in the NFL. Yeah, me either. 50 years ago. I don't get it. He has a helmet on. Anyway, his suspension obviously was for this fight, leaving the sideline and attempting to punch Shaq Watson. Yeah.

So he will sit out, the Jags, next game against the Colts and will be suspended without pay. But that's not the big deal here. The biggest concern, according to pro football talk, is that per multiple league sources, Fournette's contract contains sufficient language to support an argument that the suspension voids the remaining guarantees

of Fournett's four-year rookie contract, which wipes out a $7 million obligation that extends over 2019 and 2020. So basically that means that the Jags could save a ton of money if they cut Fournet and if it's guaranteed void.

Let's just put it this way. He's been a disappointment. Well, he's missed nine games total in two years, all to injury. Yes. And at that position and for where he was drafted, not great. Christian McCaffrey is over-delivered. He is under-delivered. That's fair to say.

You can't not be available that early in your career at that position. It's not acceptable. It's too much. But this contract situation is exactly why Roquan Smith held out, because you have to get those guarantees for your contract if you get suspended. This is a lot of loopholes in NFL contracts that I don't like. I don't like it. This is available to them to mess with his money.

But also, you know, don't throw punches like guys with helmets on. Yeah, enjoy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Heard Lie News. Okay. He's got a bone to pick with me. He always does.

Co-host of First Things First before Undisputed Every Day. Nick Wright v. The Coward Global Satellite Network. I didn't have a problem with Big Ben coming out, and Big Ben, just like, listen, I sling it downfield. This is what I do. I'm not going to change. Shooters got to shoot. I loved it. You didn't like it.

All right. Can I hear Nick? Can you guys hear him? I can't hear Nick. There we go. Let's see if we can fix it, guys in the back. There we go. I can hear you now.

Fire away. You can hear me now? All right, let's start this over. Here we go, my friend. Since 2015. Blake Bortals is the only quarterback with more interceptions than Big Ben. This year, Blake Bortals and Case Keena are the only quarterbacks with lower red zone passer rating than Big Ben.

Last year, they lost the one seed. Why? Because Big Ben threw a pick in the end zone. But none of that is what I have an issue with. What I have an issue with is his constant inability to take responsibility for anything. He didn't like the old offensive coordinator. We don't run enough sneaks. I want to spike the ball more. We want to, so he gets fired.

This one, we should have thrown the ball to Juju. I wish Antonio would have run a better route. This isn't the play I wanted to run. He's the only quarterback in the league that acts like this. He has his weekly therapy session, which is a radio interview with my friends in Pittsburgh, and he airs out the entire team. Cam Newton for three years got criticized for walking out of a press conference. Big Ben holds his own individual,

press conference weekly for 2,500 extra bucks a week where he kills everyone on the team and he's supposed to be some leader. I don't, he's a great player. And I can get past the interceptions too, even though the red zone interceptions have killed him this year and last year. But the inability to take accountability for his own mistakes and to air out teammates, I find egregious and unnecessary. Yeah, I think it's fair. They've always, he's a little bit of a drama king. I think that's a fair. Listen, I, I, I banged on can before and I banged on Aaron Rogers for being condescending. Big Ben, although there's so much I love about him, does tend to be overly dramatic, which I don't like for my quarterbacks.

I think it's fair. By the way, I said the other day the MVP's of the league, most valuable players are Drew Breeze, Andrew Luck, and who cares? You took umbrage with that. Yeah. Why? Who? Listen, first of all, let me say this. I was wrong. You were right about Andrew Luck. Thank you. I was seeing him play with an injury. that I didn't know he had, and I was looking at the numbers, and luck is the guy you have said he is. And so I will own that. In about 90 seconds, I'm going to ask you to own the absurdity of this.

Where is Pat Mahomes? Oh, his team's only the one seed. He's only on pace to break the NFL record for touchdowns in a season. Second in NFL history for passing touchdowns. Third in NFL history and passing yards, and he's 23 years old. How, in what universe is, listen, if you want to argue, Breeze has been slightly better than Mahomes, I'll listen to it. I disagree, but I'll listen to it. But to have Andrew Luck ahead of Patrick Mahomes, when luck, while he's been great this year,

you can argue Luck v. Wilson, Luck v. Rivers, as far as their impact this season. There have been two guys clearly better than everyone. Breeze, the 38-year-old, and Mahomes, the 23-year-old. And to not have him on your list to have your shrugging emoji, which I know you love so much, in place of Pat Mahomes, I personally find it offensive. Here's my thing. I'm a big believer in quarterbacks get judged in those big standalone games, the TV games, the playoff games, the Super Bowls. Kirk Cousins is good in everything except those.

Andy Dalton's often good in everything except those. Same with Matt Stafford. Same with Flacco. Okay, so here's my takeaway. In his two biggest games of the year, Patriots and Rams, he had seven turnovers. I mean, congrats on beating Cleveland. Okay. That's one way to look at it. Another way to look at it is he took in both of those games,

double-digit comebacks where his team had the lead in the final moments until his defense blew it. He also had 10 touchdowns in those games. In his two biggest games of the year against the Patriots and Rams, his offense averaged 46 points. So yeah, the turnovers were bad in the Rams game. He only had three with two minutes left when Orlando Scandrick drops the game-winning pick. But I mean, we don't, I guess, know how luck would play in those standalone games since the Colts haven't played any this year. So I guess we'll have to wait and see. Now you're going to make me flip on him again if when they make the playoffs, he can improve on his six touchdown seven interception playoff career record as far as in those

standalone games. I don't know. We'll see. I could have eliminated the angst by just taking the emoji out. I think that appears to really gotten under your skin. Let me shift to this. Go ahead. No, no, you just, I just, I already know it. I already know. Listen, Luxure guy and you really wish Mahomes would comb his hair. I know it. Like, yeah, it's my quarterback. Like, it's a little too wild for me. A little, a little angsty about it. I know it. Come on. Drew Bree's receding airline. Andrew Luck, bad neck beard. You can relate to those things, but go ahead. I'm sorry. That's funny. Okay, I was saying this about, I think we think, well, you and I love LeBron. and he is amazing.

But there is a LeBron that wins, and that is LeBron taking the ball, not Lanzo ball, not Ron. No, no, no. Give LeBron the ball. This is what he does and surround him with shooters. I don't want to hear about great athletes,

Anthony Davis, Kauai Leonard, who I think is going to be a clipper over a Laker. I really do. That's what my sources tell me. But here's the thing. Bradley Beale, great kid, committed to basketball, 34-inch waist, still young,

has overcome a difficult teammate John Wall, who is great, a baller, but can be difficult. I think his numbers would be getting better. Bradley Beals the best shooter on the market, a guaranteed player tomorrow. You're not getting Clay Thompson. Nobody's talking about the possibility. The Lakers are good, Nick, but they have no identity. LeBron wins titles when the identity is LeBron and shooters. Why aren't people jumping at this?

Because here's why, Colin. Because everything basketball-wise you're saying is correct. Bradley Beale is a slightly lesser version of Clay Thompson. Yes. And that is a compliment. Like Bradley Beal's a poor man's Clay Thompson, and that's not a bad thing. Bradley Beal would be an awesome fit next to LeBron. Brandon Ingram, I've told you my concern with Ingram.

He's a scorer who since high school has scored more than 26 points one time. When you're a scorer who doesn't pop as a scorer, it's concerning. Here's the reason you cannot make that move. They had a chance four months ago to trade Brandon Ingram and get back Kauai Leonard. They said no. They said, we have a plan. You cannot divert from that plan 20 games in because you're 11 and 9 instead of 13 and 7. Like if they had handled their business against Orlando, their third in the West right now.

You can't change plans. And while I understand the concerns about who's coming there, I personally would be shocked if by the beginning of next season, the Lakers do not have either Kauai, Anthony Davis, or I can't believe I'm saying this, Kevin Durant. The Lakers clearly have a plan and a belief that they are adding one of the six best players in the world next to LeBron. trading for Bradley Beal removes that possibility cap-wise. That's why you got to stand pat.

You got to stand-pat. Trust that LeBron's going to get you through this season, maybe make some small tweaks, maybe move on from a guy like Rondo at the deadline if Lonzo evolves somewhat so you can get shooting that way. But you cannot 20 games in change what the plan was. You can't trade a player for Bradley Beal that you refuse to trade for Kawhi Leonard.

it would just you can't do that you got to deal with it for the time being Nick Wright first things first he is right on that Mahomes thing you know I just I like neckbeards and that's what it is it's the receding hair line I used to have one it's why you brought me on the show initially Nick Wright good talking to you bud talk to you later by seller hold Joel Clatt Kenyon Martin Mike Pouncey coming up next what do you do with Lamar Jackson Michael Vic has some idea I'm going to ask you about The key word I'm going to talk about next is sustainability. What do you do with Lamar Jackson?

What would you do? That's next. It's a hurt. Welcome back. Great to have you in. By the way, untucket shirts are awesome. Wear them all the time. Perfect holiday gift.

Untucket.com, the original untuck shirt. Put in the code heard for 20% off. H-E-R-D. Good to have you in with Joy Taylor today. Next hour, Joel Clatt, Kenyon Martin, Mike Pouncey of the Chargers. Sustainability is a real thing. My mom went on a lot of diets. My mom was always on a diet.

And I'm always, I used to tell my mom, just like, you know, walk around a little more, eat healthier. You don't need diets. I don't buy into diets. I never have. I remember years and years ago they had the Atkins diet, which was eat at tea bone steak and fried eggs, no vegetables, no grains, just eat that and you'll lose weight. The good news is you lost weight. The bad news is you had a heart attack at 33, but at least you were skinny.

I don't buy into like Andrew Dice Clay. He was a schickie comic. Hickory Dickery Dog Day, how you doing? That's not sustainable. It gets hot, but eventually not good enough content. Dane Cook, not good enough content. You know what works in comedy? Leno writes jokes.

Bill Maher writes jokes. Chris Rocks write jokes. Seinfeld wrote jokes. They last for 40 years. It's good content. That's what works. Not hickory, dickory, d'acte. I'm going to make rhymes with vulgarity.

That doesn't last. So when I look at Lamar Jackson with the Baltimore Ravens, by the way, I'm all in. I think it's fun. I'm in the interesting business. He's way more interesting than Joe Flacco. He's fun to watch. But I keep going back to this. He's 6-2-209.

He's skinny. Michael Vick said yesterday, quarterbacks, we're not used to getting hit all the time. It shakes you up a little bit. I'm not saying that should deter Lamar or scare him. I'm just saying proceed with caution. I've seen RG3, Vince Young, very. Tim Tebow. I've seen him run around, and I've seen all the media fall in love with them. But I always go back to sustainability. Bitcoin is not sustainable. Not a single centralized

bank in the world recognize Bitcoin. I'm not saying you can't get rich on it. If you hit the timing right, Apple, Google, Facebook, Berkshire Hathaway, those are sustainable stocks. Hickory, dickery, dock, nursery rhymes, and swearing is not sustainable for 30 years. Segways, the wild cat offense, the run and shoot. So I've always been interested, like, I'm in on him. I think he's fun to watch. I like Lamar Jackson, but Michael Vicks started talking about him yesterday and he was on our show. And I'm just somebody that believes when you buy into something, how long is it going to last?

because there's a lot of things I've seen in my life. People fall for those scooters, those segways, Andrew Dice Clay, the Atkins diet. I see him fall for Bitcoin, the Wildcat offense. And Tim Tebow and the world, oh, this is the future. No, the future of NFL quarterbacks is guys that can throw the ball accurately from the pocket. And in 2018, I like him to have a little mobility. I like Carson Wentz. I like Andrew Luck.

I like Deshawn Watson. I like the run around a little bit. But Michael Vicks talked about Lamar. It's funny because he's talking about him yesterday. And he's fun. But is it a fad diet? 6'2-209 guy, skinny guy running around the field. Here's Michael Vick.

I think the most I've run was 15 times in the football game. That's it. Yeah, I never ran for maybe in the two games span close to 27 carries. But that's still allowed in your. your body, it takes a toll on you. Maybe 10. Because I knew at some point I was going to get some pressure, escape, use my ability to be effective in the game.

But as I got older, I won at least amount of runs in the game plan because I didn't want to put myself in jeopardy or harm's way. By the way, Greg Williams, who is loud, old school, bottom line, is working for a month in Cleveland. I don't think he's sustainable. Greg Williams as a head coach. As an interim coach, I think Greg Williams is sustainable. Loud.

My way. Old school. Rid. You want to deal with that for six years? Now, six weeks. We've all had the fun substitute teacher. Everybody loves the substitute teacher. She's funny.

He's funny. No homework. But your teacher is sustainable. Not the substitute teacher. That's why he or she's a substitute. You know, I'll tell you that my favorite. movie of all time is Silence of the Lambs. It's a very scary movie.

I've seen it 42 times. It's my favorite movie of all time. That is kind of creepy. It's about serial killers. But Jonathan Demi was the director of that movie. And when Jonathan Demi was making that movie with Anthony Hopkins and Jody Foster, he made a decision that he felt this was going to be an all-time great movie, that people would watch it 30 years later.

He was right. So Jonathan Demi said, listen. I'm going to dress all the actors in non-stylish clothes, very generic clothes. Why? Sustainability. When you watch it in 30 years, it's not going to feel dated. It's not going to feel dated. So some movies, which are just going to make some money, they're not all-time classics, you

don't have great actors or a script, you can seduce or really direct it toward the current hot style. Maybe in the zeitist, it kind of hits. It's funny. It's hot. But it doesn't last. When he was making Silence of the Lambs, his whole theory was, this is an all-time great movie.

I want people to watch this 40 years from now and it not feel dated. And if you watch it tomorrow, it does not feel dated. He wanted to make a sustainable classic that would wear well over time. That's right. You know, it is. And the other thing about having a running quarterback, your backup, because you're going to draft for him, build your line for him, get a step. Your backup has to be a running quarterback, too.

That's why I think guys like RG3 and Tebow always had a career in this league. You know, there's always going to be a need for a backup to a running quarterback. All right. Next hour, Bicel, hold, Joel Clatt, and Jerry Jones made the right move, whether you cowboy haters want to believe it or not. Next. Welcome back, hour two. So fired up.

Joel Clatt, Kenyon Martin. This is the herd wherever you may be. And however, you may be listening. Los Angeles, I heart radio, Fox Sports Radio, and FS1. Joy Taylor is joining us. I may have a scoop later in the show. I'm not joking. I am so...

I feel like you already had a scoop. I kind of did have a scoop. I am so tired of breaking stories. Seriously, my shoulders hurt from carrying America. It's like a soft break. It was. It was kind of like a doughy soft break. Yeah, because when you really want to break something,

you put the whole production behind it. I kind of broke the thing earlier. Can I just say this? I got a couple things to say. That's Joy Taylor. A couple things to say. You know, when you get older, and I don't consider myself old, I don't consider myself old.

I mean, I am kicking it, baby. Every night with me is Marty Grot at my house. It is fun. But you learn stuff over time. Okay, and I have learned over time. I've never overspent on anything that I use a lot. I've spent a lot of money on a grill, but I like the grill. I grill a lot.

So I've never thought to myself, boy, I overspent for that grill. I also like, I'm kind of a home body. I like to watch movies. I'll spend big money on a home theater. I've never once thought I'm getting robbed here. Now, I'm not a big fan of driving. I don't drive much to work.

I take Uber a lot. Cars don't mean much to me. I don't spend any money on cars. I'm not a car guy. Some people are. Some people have to, like salespeople drive three hours a day. I know people that drive an hour and a half to work, hour and a half home. Go buy yourself a nice car.

I don't drive that much. 20 minutes to work. worked 30 home and I'm not a car guy I use Uber all I can I walk places and I've been a big car guy So the Dallas Cowboys went out and they got Amari Cooper and everybody said well Well, you know it's a lot to give up for a first round pick and very expensive Let me ask you do they need a receiver and are they going to use it a lot? Who gives a rip? Don't jump over a $20 bill to get to a five Here's the stats on the Cowboys pre-imposed Amari Cooper.

Oh, wait, they're way better. For our radio audience, three and four before him, three and one after, 60 more yards a game, 50 more passing yards a game, significantly better on third down. They were going to use him a lot. They're using him a lot. They're targeting him a lot, and he separates. So whenever I, you know, Jerry Jones, and here's the other thing,

DAC needs receivers that separate. DAC is not an anticipation thrower. Dak is a, I see you open, I'm going to throw to you, you're open. Des didn't separate. That's why Dak and Des never worked. Jerry Jones talked about this. This is a great route runner. That's what Dak needs, and they're going to use the heck out of him.

Don't worry about spending a little too much if you use something. Here's Jera. Cooper does that. He is as no route runner as his error. has ever put on a Dallas Cowboys uniform. And he's running himself. He's right running himself open. You know, the other thing is they have their linebackers.

They have their running back. They have their left tackle. They have their slot receiver. They have what they believe is their franchise quarterback. They've got tremendous athletically linebackers. And I like one of their corners. What did they need? They needed a wide receiver.

They're going to have about the 23rd pick in the draft. and I don't think the two best college receivers are going to be available. In 2018, have you seen what people are paying for Sammy Watkins and Brandon Cooks? There's two great college receivers and multiple teams drafting ahead of them like, I don't know, the Jets need two receivers, the Colts need a receiver. The teams drafting ahead of Dallas who are worse than Dallas, most of them need receivers. You see what's happened with the catch rule being flipped. They wouldn't get one of the best receivers at 23 or 24.

They're going to have at least two receivers going to the top 20. So, but I'll go back to something. The older I am, I never overspent for something I get a lot of use out of. I always look at that and think, yeah, you know, my grill. If I spend a lot for my grill, I use the thing 75 times a year. So, I mean, you can spend 10 grand on a grill because grills last forever. Who cares if you're going to use something? By the way, Chris Carter talked about the acquisition of Amari Cooper.

I liked it from day one. Chris Carter did too. When I coach Amari in high school, before he went to University of Alabama, he was one of the most mature route runners that I had ever seen in high school. Him and Larry Fitzgerald, right up there. The one thing Jerry did good before he acquired Amari, he went back to Alabama. He talked to Nick Saban.

And Nick Saban wrote him a prescription of how to attack Amari Cooper, how to bring him into the fold, and how to get the best of him. I think it's a good move. I think Jerry was right. I think he's a great fit. I do not think they'll beat the Saints. But I think Dallas came down to a really simple thing. He's better than what the draft would provide.

We're going to use the heck out of him. Let's not get caught up in money. Jerry Jones had a great quote about a year ago about something else. He said, the only time I regret buying things is when I go cheap. Jerry Jones said, similar to how I believe, I've never regretted anything that I spent a little more money on if I thought it was elite. A car, a stadium, a team, a suit. I've never regretted anything that's great. Very rarely do you take your wife on a vacation, you spend a lot for the hotel, right? And then you leave the hotel and you're like, you know, that wasn't worth it. We should have been

we should have been crossed the street at the cheap hotel. It just, it pays. Spend a little more for nice stuff you're going to use. Let me segue to this. I hear this a lot. People think more is better. You ever watch like CNN? I don't mean either. But let's pretend we did. They have those shows on every night where they have like 13 panelists. I'd rather just watch like one guy or one woman. Rachel Maddow by herself.

Sean Hannity by himself. Bill Maher by himself. I don't need like 13 people on the set yelling and screaming. Maybe one, two, that's it. I don't think more is better. I think better is better. I don't believe you just add a bunch of teams. People do a set and it's better.

No, no, no, just give me good people. That's all I need. Better is better, not more better. So I'm hearing a lot of this in college football. The rankings came out last night. You got to have 18 playoff. Eight. God, can't just have four.

They got to have eight. Okay, okay. So let's say we did have eight. Let's look at the eight teams that would play in the playoff this morning. Oh, really? I need to see Michigan again. I just saw Michigan. They gave up 62.

I'm done with Michigan. I need to see. Oh, by the way, UCF, oh, congrats. Oh, wait, they lost their quarterback. And by the way, if they lose, you know who would be in instead of UCF? Florida. Oh, Florida would be in. That would be great except Florida has already gotten smoked. They got beat by Kentucky by 11, lost to Georgia by 19 and Missouri 21.

I need to see Florida again. Oh, by the way, if we had an 18 playoff, you know what wouldn't matter this weekend? the game everybody in the country wants to watch Georgia Bama. Why would I have to watch it? What would be the point of watching it? I don't have to watch it. They're both getting in. So everybody wants more teams. I've never in my life one time in my entire, I've been watching college football since the 70s.

I've never once thought, you know, that number eight team got hosed. That three lost Georgia team, they got hosed. They're the best team in the country, I bet. I've never said that. I've never even thought the fifth best team is number one. So I know everybody wants to more and more. When you go to a nice restaurant, if you ever really gone out to a nice restaurant, like, you know, you're like, oh, I may spend $150 a night, right? Like a nice restaurant. Maybe even more. You've got to go to couple couples. Is it a great restaurant because it's a buffet and they just keep piling food on? Or is it a great restaurant because the food's really great. That's why it's a great restaurant. Not because they

pile on more pudding. Stop with the more argument. Just give me better. I don't need any more than four teams. Give me Alabama, give me Clemson, give me Oklahoma, and then give me undefeated Notre Dame. I'm good with that. I don't need to see Michigan again. It would get rid of that pesky, deserving argument that you like so much. That's another one. When my kids say deserving, I'm like, talk to the hand. Oh, you're still using that. Oh, no, no. Yeah, I use the classics.

When my daughter will say, like, I deserve. I'm like, not even, not even listening. You earn life. You don't deserve squat. You know, the difference is you compare it to the NFL. And in the NFL, they're all NFL teams. They're all pro teams. You can win on a Sunday.

The difference between Alabama and the eight team is insane. The separation is not, it's unbelievable. Massive. Right. After you get four or five teams, the gap to like eight, nine, ten, Start looking at the teams. Florida. The separation is obvious.

Florida got boat raised by Kentucky basketball school, Missouri, neither. I'm not as against expanding as you are, but I see your point when you lay it out that way. Yeah. Not deserving. You got to earn your way into the Colin Cowherd College playoffs. That's right.

Talk to the hand. I do all the classics. You raise the roof, so? I do. We raised the roof at my house. Joy, I'm so glad you brought that up. Kenyon Martin around the corner by Seller Hold. Thursday Night Football returns tomorrow with two of the biggest teams in the league.

It's Ezekio Elliott, Dak Prescott, and the Dallas Cowboys take on Drew Brees, Michael Thomas, and the Saints. It all starts at 7.30 Eastern on Fox, NFL Network, and streaming on Prime Video. We had the Cowboy Linebacker late in Vanderex yesterday on the show. What a good kid. It was so fun. He played in Riggins, Idaho, eight-man football. Eight-man football. They'd be like playing three-man basketball.

Well, they had the big three. eight-man high school football. Nobody gave him a scholarship, goes to Boise State without a scholarship, becomes a real good player, and then kid growing up watching the Dallas Cowboys becomes a Dallas cowboy. That's what I love about sports. And when he called in, he was on the training table. Yeah, yesterday we did an interview with Leighton, and we had to do a preamble before he went on the air during a commercial break. He was on a training table. And there was like a masseuse working on him. And I'm like, can I do the interview that way? This would be the greatest interview ever. He's like, it looks kind of odd. I'm like, all right, we won't do it. Let's bring in a guy.

I love. Former number one draft pick. A tough guy, a no BS guy, Kenyon Martin, Kmart coming on the show today. And a Cowboys fan. Are you a cowboy fan? You're a big cowboy guy. Why? Oh, you're from Dallas. You know, whatever, I forgot. You know, everybody's a cowboy fan. Everybody. So you were a little kid? Why didn't you play football, by the way? Well, I did up to my sophomore year in high school. Why'd you quit? It's cold outside. That's a good excuse.

I've never heard anybody use that before. That's the real reason. It was just cold. And we had a game late in the season. It was like a state game. It went to this, and it was brutal out there. And I was like, you know, it's going to be my last one. You'd have been a good tight end, my man.

That's what I played. There you go. Yeah. You know, I got to ask you two things. So the Lakers go out last night and they just mail it in. They get crushed at Denver. I've always, and I don't know why this is, but I give NBA players excuses. Okay, you were a grinder.

Excuses. I do. of NBA teams about six games a year. Like when you go to Miami, if I lived in Milwaukee and I went to Miami, I'd go out and party. I was a 24-year-old player. I'd go chase pretty girls and party. They still got to show up to work, though.

Well, I've shown them to work hungover. All I'm saying is, don't you think that Lakers last night to Denver, high altitude, they just mailed it in? It happens, man. It's just one of those games. They didn't mail it in from the beginning, but... Yeah, they played good early. Yeah, but when you're playing there, the altitude, everything,

and it's just one of those days, like you said, it's one of maybe six games a year where you just get your doors blew off. It's what it is. I mean, you're a grinder. I don't see you as a take-a-game-off guy. But are there nights that you've Kenyon showed up to the arena and you could feel it in warm-ups?

You're just off. Oh, you can feel it before warm-ups. It don't take that long. Like when you get up from your nap and you're like, I want to go back to sleep. I get it. Like, I got to prepare to go play, but you, mentally, you're there. But physically you're not.

Emotionally, you're there. But physically, you just, like, you don't have it. Like, I remember a game in Denver one time where I didn't sweat. What do you mean? Like, during the game, I didn't sweat. I knew something's bad. Like, I had no energy dehydrated all. Ah.

After the game, I got, like, three bags of IV because I just, you don't have it. Right. Like, physically, you can't perform it like that. Like, but you're, you're not. you want to go out and play. Yeah. You're pride and all that, try to get in the way. You're a pro?

Yeah, but it won't let you. Do you have, I was saying this earlier, LeBron's great. There is something that wins titles with LeBron. He went to Miami. They had great players. But until they added Badiere, Miller, and Ray Allen, they weren't as good.

I kind of feel with LeBron, give him the ball. He's super smart. Let him navigate, surround him with shooters, and they win. When I look at this Laker team, the identity is LeBron. But if that was just good enough,

then he'd have 15 titles. I don't think they have enough good shooters. Why don't you go after Bradley Beale? Maybe the team that Bradley Bill plays for not willing to give him up. They can go after them all they want. And other shooters, but if the team is not willing to negotiate

or anything like that with you, then they're offering somebody that you have no desire to take. Yeah. Now, Washington would love to love. for you to take John Wall's contract. Yeah, I think about everything as of late maybe, you know what I'm saying? They would try to move John. Right.

Bradley Bill is a great shooter, but there's other people out there that you can go after that's less name, less money that does the same job. But the battalion-wise, the Lakers have talent. But like you said, the identity of every team LeBron plays on. They're better when they got shooters. Yeah, definitely, definitely. So throughout the course of the season, they can play this way, up and down, free-flown and all that, but when

playoff basketball star, you know what teams do. They force you to your weaknesses. And I think shooting has been that's going to be one of their weaknesses in the playoffs, so we'll see. I want to go back to a couple of weeks ago. There was a moment. And this is one of the reasons I really wanted to bring you on it, because I didn't

talk to you about this. You were a tough guy. You were a guy that walked into a locker room, and you had a presence. And, you know, Stephen Jackson had a little bit of that. Stephen walks in, you're a tougher team. Tony Allen's a tough guy. There are guys in this league that are finesse. Tyson Chandler's got, I don't know if he's a tough guy. He has a presence in the room.

Guys respect him. Definitely. So Kevin Durant and Draymond had an incident. One of them's a superstar. One of them's a really good player who's a tough guy. What was your takeaway on this? I think it got if Draymond said what was reported that was said.

The B word. Yeah, multiple of them. Yeah. A couple of. And Katie handled it at the time like you're supposed to at the time. We're teammates. We got a game to go in. Let's go do that. And after the game, we could address that.

I think that should have been addressed. You would have addressed it? Yeah, not just with words. That's a physical artication waiting to happen. Did you ever have one of those? Yeah, yeah, yeah. When you're in a game, what was said to me was way less than that. So who said it? Richard Jefferson. We were in Portland.

Well, you were in Portland. Towards the end of the game. Him and, I think it was Bonsie, some other to Portland Trail. double-a's going back and forth. I tell him to chill. He cursed at me. Whoa. I'm on your teammate.

I'm your team. So as soon as we get in the locker room, like, we're at it. What do you mean? What does that mean? I went after him. I attacked him, so we fought in the locker room right after that. We did that, and it didn't get in the way or nothing.

We went on to play again and all that. So I'm going to say, Richard will tell you, it happened. We did it. How long the fight last? It wasn't long, but we didn't. but we got after of it. That's what it is. Like, with me, you get the certain, like,

my whole thing with sports and everything, don't get disrespectful. That's right. We can play hard. We can go out. We can go after it. But don't be disrespectful. And what Richard said to me at the time,

we're disrespectful, what Drayman allegedly said to KD at the time. Disrespectful. Very disrespectful. So you just settle it in the locker room. Definitely got to. Ain't nobody got to know. We can close the door.

Everybody can get out. Sometimes it's just better to get it, just get a handle right away. If you had to linger. That has to be taken care of it. And you have five minutes later you can get along. Yeah, I'm cool. I got it out the way.

Because if not, it's going to eat at me. Yeah, if you get it out of your system. So every time I see you, I'm going to want to do something. So if I don't get it out of the way then, I'm going to feel away then. I'm going to affect the team. You know what, the guys are great like that. My wife, if I make a remark she thinks is snide six years later, she holds it against me. I like this whole thing.

We're just, yeah, yeah, yeah. We're just, yeah, yeah. Because it's emotions and feelings involved. I'm saying. Yeah, I don't like feeling. situation like you got to handle it well there's feelings involved like I'm saying like the situation that me and Neney had when I got to Denver we hadn't played one

game together one game when me and him got into it we got into it we had a fight before the season start a fist fight it sounds like you got in a lot of fights I didn't take no BS disrespect listen you said it yourself like no disrespect is being tolerated you know what I'm saying so Neney disrespected you yeah and then so we had

to handle it and we went to play seven years together and after that seven whole basketball yes and got a lot long. Yeah. We got a job to do, man. Like, we're going to take care of it.

I mean, it makes sense in relationships. Like, how many of my friends I had to fight with growing up? Yeah. You fight. That's what, listen, where I come from, we fight. And we're going to fight again if I lose. I don't think if I'd have grown up around you, people wouldn't have, I wouldn't have been like that.

I'm a peacemaker. We would have walked over you. We would have took your lunch money. We would have made you buy his lunch. You'd have to go to the candy house and spend your money for us and come back with the candy. Yeah. Because we couldn't afford it, so we would have used your money. All right, I'm done with this interview.

It's terribly uncomfortable. I'm being outed as a finesse guy. Hey, listen, I'm just, hey. No, listen, that's how you roll. If you grow up in a lion's den, basically. I grew up out in the sticks. Can't be a sheep among those wolves, man. You cannot.

I grew up around sheep. I was all sheep. See, I grew up around wolves. So if my neighborhood would go to your neighborhood, we would have no more neighborhood. Yeah, pretty much. Yeah. That's about the size of it. Hey, man, it's just facts.

It's just facts. Good having you. Joy with the news. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. I mean, it makes sense to handle situations before they linger. and fester into something bigger. Like, what do they say?

Don't go to bed angry with your spouse. I'm not saying that's how you solve it, obviously. Like, you have the conversation and hash it out. If you let it linger to the next day, it becomes something bigger and it snowballs. He does compartmental. I do think, this is very stereotypical. I do think men tend to be better compartmentalizers. Like, guys aren't as, guys aren't grudge holders.

I mean, guys just aren't, I can get mad at a guy and five minutes later do a deal with him. I don't hold, like, I can just, in my little head, there's like, friend, money. kids, work, everything's little boxes. Well, yeah, you're not great multitaskers. No. Women, we can find all different angles of why we shouldn't matter. If I say one wrong thing to my wife.

No, because, well, because then we have the drawer, the thing, the file cabinet of the other things are mad about. Listen, I still got to get... Because this actually goes along with this, and then there we have it. And then you have that. Yeah. Listen, I'm still trying to get past the sheep and wolves neighborhood thing. You're just, you can't do drawers on me.

Now, I'm failing water. You're starting to convince me that, you're starting to convince me that, you're You'd be giving me your lunch money. We're sending you to the candy house. Yeah. All right. So Michael Vic, arguably the best running quarterback in NFL history. He had some advice for Lamar Jackson when you're talking to ESPN about the toll that running has on quarterbacks.

He said we're not getting used to getting kid all the time. When we do it, it can either get you into the game or can shake you up a little bit. It's not like a guy sitting in the pocket. You run the risk of getting injured. I'm not saying that should deter Lamar or scare him. I'm just saying proceed with caution. Now, we've seen this before. He's essentially the same size as RG3.

And RG3 was amazing and exciting and, you know, had an amazing rookie season. And then he couldn't figure out how to slide. And it was a disaster. And now we know where RG3 is. He's backing up Lamar Jackson. Yeah, I mean, I don't even consider Michael. Yeah, I do consider a running quarterback. Oh, yeah, he's definitely a running quarterback.

But Michael could also throw it. Yes. But the thing with Lamar Jackson is, obviously, the 26 rushes, that's not the same. You can't do that. No one thinks that sustainable. His coaches don't think it is, and I'm sure Lamar knows that it's not. It was a fun thing to watch. It was exciting.

No one thinks that's the way they're going to run their offense moving forward. Because honestly, that's very easy to defend. All he's going to do is run. He's not going to throw the ball. Right. But if you look at his numbers, just moving in just to the next game. I mean, his first start, he had 19 pass attempts, 26 rush attempts. The second game is 25 pass attempts and 11 rushing attempts.

So they right away attempted to acknowledge this isn't going to work. To limit his rushes. He can be a multifaceted quarterback. You're just not going to do 26 rushes. Especially, you know, nobody's body could withstand that many rushes consistently. He's a rookie. Like, he can handle it. So over the past two weeks, Steph Curry has a strained left groin.

And even though MVP voters hardly look kindly on players who miss a lot of time because of injury, you can clearly see that Golden State has felt his absence. So after going 10 and 2 with Curry, the Warriors are now 5 and 5 without him. There's obviously some other factors we were just discussing playing into it. But on the court, he's not there. They're five and five. So the offense is clearly built around him, and his effect while he's there is very obvious.

We have some numbers here. Yeah, listen, Steph Curry is a real thing. Like, we're not doubting that, right? No, he clearly has an effect on this team. But MVP-wise, it's still possible. James Harden, now he's supposed to be coming back to practice this week. It's reported, they're not really sure. They're not being very open about it.

But James Harden missed 10 games last year and won MVP. Step has missed 10 games so far. I mean, he's probably going, it's a long season. He's probably going to miss more than that. Like, we're assuming later on in the season as well. But Alan Iverson missed 11 games in 2001. Like, it's not impossible that he could still win the MVP. And it really should be discussed because the effect of him not being there is very obvious.

Finally, just a few weeks ago, we were talking about Duke basketball going undefeated and winning the championship and it's a lock. And they're the best basketball college team ever. And they're going to beat the Cavalier. and all kinds of other stuff. But Gonzaga stunned them and beat them in Maui last week, and Coach Kay's squad rebounded with a big winner in Indiana last night. But after the game, Coach Kay had a message for Duke fans. And Duke fans, just cut it out, man.

These kids aren't perfect. So my kid wasn't playing hero ball. He's playing winner's ball. And if you don't like following them, then don't follow us. I'll go to war with my guys Let's get real about this whole thing Let's not get spoiled We got four 19 year old kids

They're trying to bust their ass To learn how to play And have a lot of pressure on them And let them grow Thank you Duke Duke not gets spoiled He's a comedian

Yeah I mean what are you talking about Coach Gay We do go crazy God a week two weeks ago No we did We were like they're a lock to win the NCAA championship championship. They're one and two.

They have two great players. They have three. They have three. They have three first rounders. But look, obviously everyone got a little excited after that win over Kentucky, which is fair. And Barrett did not have a good ending when 0 and 5 at the end of the game against Gonzaga. So everybody's coming down on him. And Coach Kay is right. They are 19 year olds. You're going to have bad games. They're going to miss some shots. But calling out Duke fans, like, yes, Duke is a little spoiled. It's okay. That's kind of the thing. That's kind of the thing with Duke, but Duke's going to be fine.

They're already back on track. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd-Ly. College football, BCS playoff rankings came out tonight. I don't buy into this eight-man playoff. Joel Clat and I will disagree on that because I think he's one of the, he wants more and more and more. And I don't think more is better.

I think better's better. And I'm fine with four teams. I don't need eight. I don't need to see Michigan again. to potentially see Florida. Again, I'm fine with four teams. I don't think Alabama should have to wade through some directional school to set up a game with a Clemson or a Notre Dame.

Before we get to Joel and take a break, it's buy, sell or hold. I'm the stock broker. I'll tell you, here's a stock, buy it, sell it, hold it. Here we go. Time to buy, sell. Colin will decide if he'll buy it, sell, or hold. All right, John. Buy sell or hold, these saints will not score.

more than 20 points against the Cowboys tomorrow night. Last two years the Saints offensive line has arguably been the best in football. So for the last 16 straight games dating back to last year, and again last two years their offensive line's been the difference. Not just Breeze and their running backs, they've scored over 20 for essentially an entire season. Here's something else to remember. You can't run on the Saints and the Cowboys have to run to win.

Dallas is going to have a handful of three and outs. So Drew Brees is going to have the ball a lot in this game. They're going to have a lot of possessions. Dallas is not going to have long extended drives. Now, Dallas may score, but they're going to have to do some deep throwing over-the-top stuff because you're not going to sustain nine-play drives running the football against the Saints. So John, Saints will score more than 20. Sicking with the Cowboys, buy sell or hold, they will win the NFC East.

Listen, here's the good news. Dallas is better against team with average defense. and over the next several weeks they're going to face Philadelphia which secondary is a mess Indianapolis which doesn't have a pass rush Tampa Bay which has the worst defense in the international football league

and the New York Giants who are all over the map so John Cowboys are 6 and 0 when Dak does not have a turnover he will not be uncomfortable in the next month and a half I think the Cowboys do win and they're also the healthiest team in their division the NFC East

by seller hold the Rams will not win a playoff game this season. Well, I've been pushing back on everybody in Los Angeles, and I tell people, I'm not so sure the chargers aren't better than the Rams. I don't like the Rams defense. I think it's a lot of hero ball. I think Indomac and Sue's playing to his brand,

not playing to assignments. I think they cheat, and I think their pass rush is inconsistent. But here's the thing. What I worry about with the Rams is going to Chicago and playing, going to Minnesota and playing. They are very good offensively when they're comfortable and they're 6 and 0 at home,

and they will win their division, have a buy and play at home. So, John, sell, sell, sell. Rams will win a playoff game. The Chiefs will win their first home playoff game since 1993 by Sillerhold. All right, they're the number one seat in the AFC, and the number one seed in the AFC has gone to the Super Bowl the last five years. but there's a problem they have lost six straight home playoff games

often as a favorite and there are teams when they go on these extended losing streaks that they play tight Andy Reed can be a little tight Patrick Mahomes, biggest game of his career so John I'm going to hold on that Kansas City is going to win their division

I want to see how they end the last two or three weeks of the regular season buy seller hold baker mayfield will finish with a better record than erin rogers both teams right now green bay browns four six and one now baker mayfield's had three weeks now everybody loves it that's been against atlanta's crappy defense Cincinnati and Kansas city but now he's got to face j jay j wott and houston on the road Carolina's front seven Denver's pass rush in Denver and Baltimore's pass rush in Baltimore so john sell sell sell yeah Green Bay is going to win four of their next five, Cleveland, and Baker-Mayfield are not. Last one, buy-seller hold. LeBron will finish with a better regular season record than he had last season in Cleveland. Well, they've won seven of their last 10 have the Lakers, and here's why I think the Lakers will win 51 games.

Here's why. Because last year in Cleveland, remember we talked about this in January, LeBron wasn't happy, they reworked the team, they made a trade. The spotlight is on. LeBron, and if you've noticed how LeBron has played this year in Los Angeles, after bad performances, he plays well. Records on the line, he plays well. The spotlight's big in Los Angeles. There's no fatigue here, so he's not going to go on extended losing streak.

So, John, I think the Lakers will surpass last year's Cavs team. Joel Clatt, around the corner, coming up next. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. By the way, holiday gift of the year, why don't you give somebody one of the those DNA genetic testing kits, 23 and me through Christmas. 30% off. 23andme.com slash the herd. 23 and me.com slash the herd. I did one of those things and what I discovered about my family, they don't like me.

Joel Klatz joining me. Oh, what's up, man? Hey, so here's the college football playoff rankings last night. I didn't have a problem with it because Oklahoma is ahead of Ohio State. When Georgia loses to Bama, then I'm going to get Oklahoma. I think Oklahoma wouldn't lose by 29 to Purdue, so are you okay with those rankings? Yeah, I didn't have a huge problem with it. I think the resume, the body of work for Oklahoma is certainly, I think, more impressive than Ohio State.

Thank you. I will say this, though. Ohio State's singular performance against Michigan is better than any singular performance that Oklahoma has had as a whole, as a whole. You think winning at West Virginia against an NFL quarterback is easier than beating Michigan in a 1988 offense at home? I will say that the flaws that I've seen from both, at least Ohio State has proven that they can fix some of their flaws. I mean, listen, in the last month, Oklahoma has had historically bad defense. They're right now 125th in the country and total defense in the last month. 125th. Do you know they've given up 189 points in November?

189. If you want to know some sort of context for that, in the calendar year, if you take Alabama's playoffs last year and their entire season, they've given up 194. That's five more points than Bama has in November. That's insane. Yeah, Oklahoma has a tackling problem. That I will acknowledge. Okay, so wouldn't you, hold on before you, wouldn't you say either team is flawed?

Like there's not a great answer at four. Right. So listen, my whole thing is, I was telling the staff this this morning. I was telling the staff this this morning. People think everybody wins. Average people get good jobs and have good days, right? Sure. And marry beautiful women, right?

you got to avoid catastrophe in life. Okay. So if I interview, I'm a principal. I'm interviewing for a wonderful high school. I'm going to interview you to be a principal. I could be great for two hours. But if the last thing I said was, I do like to date teachers,

especially the married ones. Check please, I'm out of the job. Right, you're done. When you interview for a job, it's not about saying smart stuff. It's about avoiding the catastrophe. You know, I've embezzled at every country,

company I've worked for. That's how you lose a job. That's not going to be a problem here, though, right? No, no, no. Oklahoma Ohio State. There's a bunch of good stuff I like. Ohio State had a catastrophe. They lost by 29 to per don't.

That's not good enough. I'm not disagreeing with you, but you cannot overlook the fact that Oklahoma also has a catastrophe. Well, what is it? I just explained it to you. What's their catastrophe? 189 points given up the- That's not a catastrophe? They're winning those games.

Oh, my good. That's not a catastrophe. No, a catastrophe is losing the Army. You just said, Colin, like you can say a bunch of great things in an interview, but one thing, I just saw it. They say a lot of great things offensively, and they've given up 189 points in a month. But a college football, a catastrophe is losing. They win all those games. They're winning those games.

You can't lose by 29 to an average football team. That's a job interview? You said the wrong thing in the last sentence. You're out. Check please. Month. Okay. Now here's another thing.

I am not into trends. You're very much a trends guy. Oh, really? I didn't realize that. I appreciate you explaining me. By the way, in my house, we still raise the roof. It's an all-time classic. You probably got a new hand thing you guys do in your family because it's cool.

I'm not into cool. So I'm not into this eight- That's clear. I'm not into this eight-team playoff. That's the hot thing. And my takeaway is, oh, really, I need to see Michigan again. I really need to see UCF now with a backup. Are you trying to say that I am an 18-te-playoff guy?

Let's be honest about this. I bet you'd like 16 teams. Never. Never. And let me tell you why. There's a very clear argument why I hate the fact that we're probably headed to eight teams. You think we are? The three two argument is compelling. You can make a case that the third team in the country deserves at least a shot at the national title.

I agree. That argument gets diminished when you're arguing between four and five. Four and five, you do what we're doing right here, arguing between fatally flawed. I think they were flawed last year when you had a non-champ Alabama against a two-loss Ohio State. Flawed resumes, right? Can you make a case? Maybe one of them deserves a chance at the national title? Maybe.

You really want to start arguing between three-loss Florida, three-loss LSU, Thank you. Two-Loss, Michigan, UCF out of a non-power-5. I don't want to have that argument. I don't want to have that argument. It's not compelling. No one cares about that argument. And quite frankly, those teams don't deserve a chance at the national-

So you're still raising the roof at your house? I don't know about that. Writing books over here, raising the roof. I told my daughter the other day, talk to the hand. I know it's like 1994, but that's in my house. We got 1994 all over the house. All right, what are you, you and I like Harbaugh? We do, but that was bad.

Not great. I'm going to be honest with you. I like, and I still think, by the way. Oh, you guys aren't going to do the bit? Oh, yeah. Oh, you know, I mean, I think you should do the bit today. Not when you give up 62. Bits done. Thanks a lot.

What do we make up? Because you and I still like Harbaugh. I still like Harbaugh, but here's the problem. Here's the, you love analogies. You ready? Jim Harbaugh is becoming dangerously close to falling into the Mike Leach realm. The Wazoo coach. Yeah.

And you might be thinking to yourself, well, is that a shot? Well, it's not necessarily a shot. Let me give you some context for this. There are two coaches that have wild success at a lot of places. I would say Mike Leach is having wild success of Washington State. Here's the problem. When you take away their one thing that they hang their hat on, they've got nowhere else to go.

They have no second gear. That's one of the reasons why it's been so hard for Mike Leach to win a division championship. He's never done it at the college level. He's never won a conference championship. Guess what Harbaugh's never done. Never won a conference championship. And what I saw last week was a team that came in favored, probably should have won and had nowhere to go.

once they couldn't run the ball effectively on base downs. See, because when they're ahead and they're running it effectively on base downs, now they can get the tight ends involved, and now it's play action pass, and it's what he wants to do. If you take his blueprint from him, he has an inability to win those games. Versus, I'll just say, Ohio State has won games all different ways. Oklahoma has had to win games all different ways. Running the ball, some games, pass the ball, other games.

Sometimes their defense shows up, maybe not a no use case, 189 in the last month, I don't know if you heard. But Ohio State is one of all sorts of different ways. You can't necessarily make that argument for Michigan. They don't necessarily win a game that they can't use their blueprint. Okay, that it's very fair.

Big Ben through a bad pick. I still love him. I can still love Harbaugh and think he's a great coach, but I don't think he's the greatest coach, but I still think he's fantastic coach. He just needs to adjust a little bit. You know, if they're able to throw the ball on base downs a little bit, be able to get off of blueprint and still be successful, he's the perfect guy from Michigan. They're having so much more.

They're so much better off right now than they were in the seven years under Lloyd Carr and Brady Hoke. Do you know that their overall record in the seven years between Lloyd Carr and Jim Harbaugh? So I'm talking about the Rich Rodriguez Brady Hoke era. Their record was the exact same as Oregon State over those seven years. Wow. So you tell me, everyone's like, oh, he's overrated.

Really? Because I think they would take this. They're in the top 10 and should be. And they lost a game to a really good Ohio State team that played their best 60 minutes. It should be noted. If they win their bowl game, they're going to finish about fifth. Is Michigan not happy with fifth?

It's an academic power. It's in cold weather. The state doesn't have any high school football stars. And they were 60 minutes away from being there. You know what I mean? I mean, wouldn't you take Michigan fan? I'm talking to you. Wouldn't you take every year being 60 minutes away from being a playoff team?

Thank you. Yes. Yes, you would. So stop it with the, oh, I don't know, maybe we need to make a change. You know what you need to make a change. What's your final four? Who are the four best you've seen? Who are the four best?

No, no, no, no. Who are the four best teams in America to you? Bama Clemson, Georgia, Oklahoma. Okay, that's fair. That's what I feel. But I'm going to put up. I mean, by a nose over Ohio. state. Like I said, the single game last week, I think all those teams beat Notre Dame this week.

You know what? I totally appreciate your honesty on that. But I, but they're going to however, I want Notre Dame in. They've earned the right to go and play for this national championship. They've earned it. I'll give you that. 100%. I don't want to take that away from them. But what I've seen, you saw the USC game. I mean, George is getting better. There are teams that are better than Notre Dame, but they've earned the right to go. I had an NFL exec. text me during the Notre Dame game and say, Clemson would blast this team by four touchdowns. He goes, they cannot run. He goes, I've scouted Clemson. They can't run with Clemson. By the way, I want to do something here. Joy, what does this stand for? Big J. Journalism.

Journalism. That's all this show is no opinions. All we do on this show is journalism. I'm going to throw a little one at you. Cliff Kingsbury's good looking. You ever seen that guy? He's really good looking. There's only a few guys that I blush in front of. He's one of them. Yeah. USC offensive coordinator next 72 hours. Oh, interesting. No sourcing on that at all. I'm just telling you, that's just my gut feeling. You got that for my tweet. I threw it out from my tweet. I don't follow your tweets.

Oh, you follow it. Journalism. You saw that tweet about Baker's last two games. You may have won the battle with Michigan. I won the war, sir. Here we go, hour three. This is the herd, wherever you may be. And however, you may be listening.

Live in Los Angeles, Iheart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, and FS1. Joy Taylor is joining me. That was a fun last hour. That was just fun. I thought we learned a lot. We learned a lot. We learned that I grew up. Well, you learned a lot.

I grew up in a neighborhood of sheep. And Kmart grew up in a neighborhood of wolves. You've never had to, how to settle in anything physically? I've had physical altercations, one. One. How many fights did you get into? Really? More than one.

You've got into a physical altercation. Yes. I mean, sometimes you got a fight. What do you mean? You've never got into a fight growing up? Like, won. Did you win? It was skinny, yeah.

I don't get a bunch of fights. Good for you. Oh, but you, yeah, I was going to say, John says you got picked on more. Well, I was always little. So you bet. But I was kind of, I don't say it was a bully, but I didn't take anything from anybody. And you were a jock. Not always.

So you got into a bunch of fights. I mean, you can't take any disfutable. respect. What are you going to do? Joy got into more fights than I did. Yes. That is clearly a fact. Yeah, you're a wolf. I'm a sheep. I got to read this spot real quick. It's getting lousy out. It's cold out. Vicks, Synex nasal spray. Clears your nose. Last to 12 hours, when congestion strikes, use as directed, Vicks, synex nasal spray. I'm way back on, as they say in the biz, spots today. All right. Coming up in 20 minutes, Chargers, all pro center, Mike Pouncey, funny guy. He and his brother are great NFL players. Chargers, defense and offense. I've said,

I've been saying this now for about a month and a half. I think the Chargers may be better than the Rams. I'm not sure. And I know the Rams beat him, but it's really close. He'll be joining us in about 20 minutes. Coming up and best for last, a stat about the Patriots that is hard to believe. But this morning, and I'm driving to work, and I get to work, and I have the division leaders in the NFL. And I'm looking at all the division leaders.

And what do they all have in common? Great defense. That's what it is. They all have a great defense. Oh, wait. No, Patriots are second to last in sacks. The Chiefs have the worst passing defense in the league. Yeah, it wouldn't be great defense.

I'll tell you what it is. It's a great head coach. No, that's not. Is Bill O'Brien a, is he a great head coach? Is Jason Garrett? A great head coach? No, it wouldn't be that. Okay, okay, okay.

It's a veteran quarterback. It's got to be a Hall of Fame. Really, Mitch Trubiskey's a Hall of Fame. Trubisky is a Hall of Famer? Dak Prescott's a Hall of Famer? Okay, Colin, I'll tell you what it is. You got to have a great running back. Really, Texans have one of those?

Really, bears are, bears have great running backs? That's interesting. We have all these divisions. What is the common thread? It's very easy. The common thread is, quarterbacks are on a discount. three of the eight division leaders.

Here are the quarterbacks. Three of the eight division leaders are veteran quarterbacks giving the team a team-friendly deal. Breeze, Brady, Ben could make a lot more money on the open market, have a lot of leverage right now. Breeze only makes 24. He's absolutely worth over 30. Ben 23, you kidding me? Brady 22. So three of the eight division leaders are veteran quarterbacks who are very good,

giving their team a break. The other five of the eight division leaders are quarterbacks on a rookie deal. Trabisky, Gough, Mahomes, Watson, Prescott, allowing, much like the previous deals, their general managers to have a more complete roster. Really easy. Only two teams leading divisions. Stark veteran quarterbacks giving their teams a break, not taking a break, not taking every penny, allowing their GMs to put more good players around them, and the rookie quarterback,

some good, some great, some okay, that the team doesn't pay their quarterback much so that they can get two more great defensive players and a really good slot receiver. That's it. The top six paid quarterbacks in the NFL, none of them lead a division. It doesn't even matter if your quarterback's great. Aaron Rogers is. Third place. Doesn't even matter if you're, Roster's good in your quarterback's good. Kurt Cousins. Second place. Doesn't even matter if your quarterback has talent.

Flacco Stafford. Makes too much money, not in first place. That's it. If you want to make the most money on your deal, let me ask Dak Prescott, who's the next guy coming up for contract. Dak, you want to win games? give the Cowboys a break. DAC, want to have better teammates?

Want to keep the latent van deroges for the remainder of your contract? Give the Cowboys a break. First of all, you're in Texas. No state tax. That matters. Playing New York. Playing Los Angeles. Playing San Francisco.

No state tax in Dallas. No state tax in Texas. Dallas, of course, in Texas. Secondly, you think he has that Campbell Soup commercial if he's quarterback in the Jags? Or that Oikos yogurt commercial if he's quarterback in the Bengals? I say this all the time. I've worked in my

business for 30 years. A lot of people are chasing money. It will limit what your company can put around you. Breeze could make more money. Ben could make more money. Brady could make more money. But what they want to do is win games and be playing in

late January. That's the only teams. That's what I've said about Aaron Rogers going forward. It's going to be very interesting with Aaron Rogers. Aaron Rogers is making $33 million a year. For the remainder of that contract, Aaron Rogers is going to have to play with younger, cheaper players. That is not a debate.

That is not an opinion. Aaron Rogers, and I'm not blaming him, made a choice. I want $33 million. That's $10 million more than Breeze. you can get for that $10 million per year a better pass rusher and a better receiver, maybe a better left tackle and a better center. We all have choices,

and I don't think quarterback's brand is based on what they make. I think 20 years from now, when we sit around and we talk about Elway and we talk about Marino, we talk about Elway much more fondly. He's got rings. Dak Prescott, you're next up. Choose wisely. Give the Cowboys a team-friendly deal. So last night they came out with the new college football rankings, and I, first of all, did have a problem with it. I have Oklahoma in my four.

They had Oklahoma at five, meaning Oklahoma's going to get in when Georgia loses to Bama. So they had Bama, Clemson, Georgia, Notre Dame, and then they had Oklahoma five, Ohio State The key to me, of course, is they have Oklahoma ahead of Ohio State slightly, which they should. I think Oklahoma is better than Ohio State. I've stopped listening to Ohio State fans. They didn't make any sense midseason talking about that coach they enabled. And they make no sense now, having lost a Purdue by 29 points, and they still think they could get in over Oklahoma, who lost to a rival on a neutral field in the last second field goal, and they'll go back and beat that team, Texas, this weekend. Oklahoma is the clear choice.

Oklahoma scored 40 plus points in all but two games. Oklahoma has done something, at least one thing, great all year. I'm not saying they have a great defense. I'm not saying their special teams are great. I'm not saying they had the best game plan for every game. But in 90% of the times they came out to the football field this year, Oklahoma was a great offense. They ran it, they threw it, they protected their quarterback,

and they scored over 40. What is Ohio State done all year to convince me they're a final four team? Did they run the ball every week? Nope. Did they play great defense every week? Nope. Did they have great coaching every week? Did you watch the Purdue game?

They scored under 33 times in the week Big Ten, where Northwestern's in the championship game, and Northwestern couldn't win one out-of-conference game. But Lincoln Riley brought up the point about, we're getting too caught up on, ooh, people score a lot of points on Oakland. Oklahoma, football's changed. I think the standards have certainly changed. I think we see that at all levels, high school, college, and pro,

that the amount of offensive output that all these different teams are putting out is just simply different than what it's been before. Certainly every team out there is trying to be great on offense and be great on defense and special teams. Ultimately, you've got to find ways to win games, and that's what our guys have been able to do here. Look around football, folks. Everybody's scoring over 30. Most teams, the good ones, are scoring over 40.

Oklahoma tends to score over 50. And as Lincoln Riley said, this is the new age. Forget your grandpa's football. Forget your dad's football. It's not even your older brother's football. In the last three years, offense has exploded. In the past 12 months, it's been almost a meteor. And I am firmly entrenched.

And I'm glad the committee sees it that way, too. Oklahoma's one spot ahead of of Ohio State, meaning if they both win this weekend and Georgia loses and they will to Bama, the Sooners will get in over the Buckeyes. Multiple-time Pro Boulder. Great O. lineman Mike Pouncey of the Chargers is joining us next. Get an extra 5% off every purchase at Lowe's. Bigger, small items are using the Lowe's Advantage card.

Start with Lowe's. Subject to credit approval can't combine it with other credit cards. C Store for details, U.S. only, Lowe's credit cards. By the way, I laugh at this. Whenever I hear qualifiers for stuff, I'm always like, yeah. It's like the best movie in the last two weeks in April. That doesn't make it a great movie. It's the best movie that's been released in April.

I just saw a stat on Marcus Mario, a quarterback for the Titans. Since the week eight by, he's completing 78% of his passes for 124.5 passer rating. Wouldn't it be great if seasons you could just skip the first seven weeks? Wouldn't that be awesome? Do you think Marcus Mario da'o is a great quarterback? I don't. I think he gets hurt too much. I think he doesn't throw the ball down the field enough.

Whenever I hear qualifiers, that radio host is great on Mondays during the football season. Anybody can do a Monday football show. How's Wednesday in August, champ? Then you can be a baller. I don't want to hear about you play well at home. You're good in – Tom Brady is good early. He's good middle. He's good late.

He's good in the playoffs. He's good in Foxborough. He's good in the road. He's good in cold. He's good in warm. That's good. I want to hear about, you know, since the week 8 by, Marcus Mario, do you think Marcus Mario dair is a great quarterback?

I don't. I don't. I watch the games. I don't. You think, I mean, he needs a running game, protection. Tom Brady's had multiple coordinators. Good old lines, not so good. Good running games, not so good.

Star receiver, no receiver. Slot receiver, gronk there, gronk not. Same offense. That's great. Don't give me qualifiers on Marcus Marioata. Internet. Also, Mike Pouncey. Yeah, I mean, here we go.

Marcus Mariotta's career record in four years, 23 and 28. Was that on the tweet? I mean, he's sub-500. You can make Kirk Cousins and Andy Dalton. Andy Dalton, not on Monday night, Sunday night or Thursday night stand-alone games, and no Pittsburgh Steeler games. He's probably got a winning record. But you've got to play the Steelers twice a year.

So, you know, Kirk Cousins, if you take him off primetime games, pretty darn good. Unfortunately, he plays the Packers a lot. They'll be in primetime games. He's not very good. Joy with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the Herdline News. All right, Baker, Baker, Moneymaker.

He made a few waves over the weekends when he refused to embrace former coach Hugh Jackson, and then he gave a few reasons why and got everyone upset because he was speaking his mind. Well, Baker just doubled down on those comments today. People took it as me personally attacking you.

That's not it. It's the fact that I get to have my own opinion on how it transpired and he gets to do what he wants. That's how it is. Although I'm an athlete, I'm not a cookie cutter quarterback. Never have been, never will be. I speak my mind. That's just how I am.

So I didn't like the move and people don't have to care. I'm not looking for anybody's improvement. I don't regret any of it. It's about this team and what we have. We have to stick together and play together. All right. Double down again. Just talking again.

All right. To each their own. You know, Brent, Trent Dilford told me I should just let him be who he is. I agree. I do not. I think you should just be authentic. Because here's what happens. He goes out there and he gives the bland quarterback speak answer.

I love that. And he's above that. Yep. My favorite. And then eventually he's going to do something Baker-like. And then everyone's going to freak out. Like, did you forget that this is what Baker is, this is who he is. Sometimes

you just have to let people be who they are. And in my opinion, you're going to see more and more of this speaking your mind and this big personality from quarterbacks and from all players. It's a different generation now. This whole like, we've got to follow the rules

and we don't have an outlet for our voice and all that's done. Yeah, I like the millennials but I still think quarterbacks who are respectful to the process quarterback heel. Russell Wilson's not an old man. He's respectful. Andrew No, he's not an old man, but he's older.

27, 28. He's in that regime of, like, he's played against Tom Brady, and he's been in the league enough. Baker is a rookie. I'm talking about this, the new wave. And also, I mean, they're establishing a new culture, or working on establishing a new

culture in Cleveland. What's that cocky? I mean, I don't think it's cocky. I think it's just, that's his opinion of the situation. And in all fairness, Hugh didn't go quietly into the night. He was sitting on a chair right there talking about what happened. He had no problem discussing what he felt like transpired. I don't think he told the whole story, but there were some things he let out the bag.

No one was flipping out about Hugh Jackson saying what he needed to say. Shouldn't Hugh be held to the same standard that you're holding Baker to? Well, Hugh doesn't have a job until about a week ago. I think Baker is the next 12-year quarterback for Cleveland. I just think he should- I mean, all the more reason why he should tell his side of the story. I think. I mean, if he chooses not to, that's an option, too.

verbal quarterbacks. I like people being authentic. Because I think when you're inauthentic, you set yourself up for failure. Because eventually you're going to do something that is truly you, and then you're going to get criticized for doing that, when in reality that's really who you are. But I don't say what I mean all the time. Like on this show I do, because I'm honest about my opinions,

but like in my home life and stuff, I kind of bite my tongue sometimes. No, I mean, everyone bites their tongue sometimes. I'm not saying just a wild person and just say the first thought that pops into your head. I'm saying this is how you feel about the situation, and you don't have any regrets about what you said, then stick by it. He obviously thought this through. He had some time to marinate on it.

So LeBron James might be 33 and playing in his 16th NBA season, but he's still quite dominant. And he is hoping to play for several more years because his plan is a safe fit enough to be able to play with his son, Ronnie. I would love to see the floor with my son. My son is in the eighth grade now. If he continues on the path that he's on right now,

he could possibly be in the NBA in five or six years. So that would be an unbelievable moment for not only myself, but for my family, for everybody. God, he's a good little player. Yeah, he is. I mean, I'm not a basketball scout, but if that's an eighth grader, that's an NBA player. At eighth grade, he's got moves.

Well, LeBron's going to have a four-year deal with the Lakers, obviously. We're assuming he's going to be in the league for at least another four or five years. If he pushes to six, he'd be 40 years old. he turns 34 in December. It's funny, though. It's possible if Ronnie could make it. It is interesting, though. So his son's life experience is going to be much different than LeBron's.

He's going to grow up with private jets and not a lot of fear of the next moment. You know, LeBron had like... No, LeBron has struggle. It was real. And so I always think it's interesting. He got dad's DNA, but so did Michael Jordan's kids. The toughest part is how do you create little mini-crime? for them to get over.

What is the chip on their shoulder? Well, I mean, you can make that argument about Steph Curry or Clay Thompson. You know, just because you grow up, it's privileged or you grow up in a different environment. But they're not going to, you may not have the, the dog and the fear of losing everything that you have when you come from nothing. But it's, it's not, you have to just motivate yourself a different way. But Michael Jordan and LeBron are billionaires. That's a different life. Like you never fly...

I don't disagree. You never fly Southwest Airlines. I love Southwest. So do I. But you don't as you're LeBron's kid. You're never, ever carrying on your own luggage. No, you're not. But I agree with you.

And I'm sure that LeBron has these conversations with his son. Like, you are going to have to be motivated another way. Finally, Kauai doesn't do anything like any other NBA player. And now he has a shoe, a new shoe endorsement deal. You've been talking about this a lot with Kauai. Yeah. Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported Kauai. is set to become the new face of New Balance basketball.

He has just signed a several-year deal with New Balance. That is Kauai laughing at all the haters. What does the shoe look like? I haven't seen the shoe. I don't know if they've released the New Balance-Kauai shoe yet. He turned down an extension offer from Jordan, Jordan Brand earlier this year. So he is now the new face of New Balance. Can I get that Kauai laugh one more time?

Fascinating. His laugh is fascinating. Remember they paid Darius Basley that 2019 NBA prospect to forgo the G League for a million-dollar internship with New Balance? So everybody's getting in the shoe game. Joy with the News. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd-Ly news.

I had the Pouncey. When I used to work at the other place, ESPN, I had the Pouncey brothers on my show. They were actually very, very funny. Mike played at Florida. They were a national champ. I got to ask him this because it is. interesting, like Michael Jordan's kid and LeBron's kid. Obviously, you get your dad's DNA, so you're talented. But what do you, how do you make your kid, if you're rich, if you're a

millionaire, how do you, those guys are billionaires, how do you make your kid have that hunger? I mean, I think you just have to love the sport. Like, I have two nephews that play high school football. My brother coaches them. And your brother was a, I mean, they did not grow up the way that we grew up. Your brother grew up rich. Or your brother didn't grow up rich, but your brother's kids did. Well, sure, yes. But they both play high school football, and for them, they just love the game. They watched him play. And look, I don't think that they have the same motivations that Jason did, obviously. But you just have to love the game. You have to hate losing and have that. What it is is you have to be born with that natural, competitive drive. All right.

So that's where I think it comes from. Well, let's go to the Coward Global Satellite Network. Mike Pouncey, eight years, first year with the Chargers. By the way, I don't know, Mike, do you, good seeing you again. Mike, do you have kids, Mike? Yes, sir. I have two of them. Okay. Do you tell me. So you probably, I don't know if your parents were millionaires, but you're a very successful guy and that you have these kids. Do they play football? Well, my son plays flag football. My daughter, she hates sports. She's just the ultimate girl. But my son, he's like me. He's very competitive. I don't think they understand that we have money, because we don't raise them that way. We kind of raise them the way I was raised. But they're awesome kids.

They love school. And my son, I can't wait to see what he grows up to be because I think he's going to be a heck of an athlete. So you don't raise them. So how do you hide? I mean, you live in a nice house, I bet, and how do you pretend that you don't have any money there, Mike? Well, it's hard, you know, it's hard because they get everything they want. You know, I love my kids. I spoil them in depth because when I grew up, I grew up very, very poor. And so for me, I went, I told myself when I was growing up, I wanted when I had kids that I was going to spoil them and give me everything that I wanted as a kid. And so they understand that we have money. They're comfortable, they get whatever they want, but we're very hard on them because we wanted to grow up to be successful kids too.

Now, it's interesting, Mike. You played in Miami, which is a just, I'll tell you, you played in Miami in L.A. You've played in fun cities. No Detroit or Buffalo for you. You are a grinder, but is it different? I mean, you've got brothers, you're brothers, teammates, Miami and the Chargers in L.A. And then you played college football in Florida. It's been a charm life for you. When you heard the Chargers wanted you, what was your first thought? I told my agent Joel Siegel gave me on the first flight out there. I was excited for. I knew the talent that this football team had. I wanted to play with Philip Rivers. Melvin Gordon, the running back's awesome. And I just knew this team had the best chance to make a run in the playoffs and do something special, especially at this point in my career. All I care about is winning games.

I want to do something special. I want to be remembered. And as the office alignment, the only way to get remembered is by winning. You played with Tebow, if I recall, in college. And you want, yep. So you had one of the iconic college quarterbacks. You now play with a guy, I think, is a Hall of Famer, Philip Rivers. you know, they don't look like the same quarterback, right?

But are there any similarities between Tebow and Phillips' perhaps personalities? I think the competitive part of it, how much, how competitive they are when we go out to practice when we were in games, I think they both have the competitive nature in them. I think that's the one and only similarities in their games because, you know, Philip is a guy that, you know, gets rid of the ball really, really fast. He understands the game of football so well. He makes it a pleasure for us as an office the line to play for him. And he makes us look good because he gets the ball out of his hands.

And he puts us in the best situations to go out there and be successful in plays. I heard he's a trash talker. Philip Rivers, he admitted to me once he's like, I do a little trash talking. Now, can you validate that, confirm that? Oh, he talks a lot of trash. By the time he's calling a play, he's so out of breath because he's talking trash the whole time. It gets us fired up because when he gets hit, he gets up. He talks trash to the guy that hits him.

He's talking trash to the defense of coordinator, on defense and it's just awesome because he's so into the football, into the game that this would make him so good of a player is so competitive and it keeps them going each and every play. Mike Pouncey, eight years, multiple pro bowl or one of the top two or three centers in the NFL.

You know, it's a situation with the Chargers that they were in San Diego, they're in L.A., and now you're in kind of a soccer stadium thing. It is a weird NFL situation. Has it been different for you? Take me through the process of you change teams, you're in kind of a different

stadium situation. You were in San Diego. It's now and L. Has it been odd? At first, it was kind of odd because, you know, our stadium's a little smaller than most NFL stadiums, but as a football team collectively, we've embraced it. We embrace that. Most of the times we're going to be at home, but it's going to feel like a way game. And I think when we have that edge as a football team, it makes us play better because we play awesome on road games. And for the most part, our home games are road games, too. Mike, fans may not realize this. Quarterbacks are. obviously audible. But the center, you call the signals for the line. And I've always known

you as a big personality guy. So obviously, you want a very smart dude playing center because you have to call the audibles. Now, when you have a quarterback like Philip, who is a veteran quarterback, he's going to audible a lot more than a rookie or a young quarterback. Are there, I mean, is it tougher to play with Philip sometimes because he demands more of you? I think it's easier. I'll go up there and I'll make the mic point, but he comes up, he'll correct me. And whenever he auditals plays, he's the guy that's going to make all the points. But I think it's awesome for office align because we just go up there and we got to focus on, hey, who we're going to block on this play.

And he sets the stage for us. And it's awesome because in the past game is the biggest for us because he knows where the blitz is coming from. And so he sets the protection to the side that the blitz is coming from. And it makes it easier for him to get rid of the ball when he knows the pressure is coming. It makes it easier for us because we're not sliding away from the pressure. We're sliding into it. Joey Bose is back last couple of games. Oh, yeah.

What's the difference? Practice games. What is he add, do you believe, Mike? I think he's the best pass rush in NFL. And what it does is it opens up a better pass rush for Melvin Ingram. And he's a guy that gets after the quarterback. But those two guys, when they work together, it's pretty much unstoppable on third and long situations. So just to have him back at practice, he just brings that excitement back. It gave us something to look forward to when we're going into games like, hey, Joey Bose is back. We can't wait to see him play. And he loves football. He's a big, important piece to our success as a football team. And so we're excited to see how he finishes out the rest of the year.

Mike, centers generally don't get drafted in the first round. You were the 15th pick. You're obviously a great talent. It's funny to watch football now, Mike. You and I mostly grew up. An offensive linemen were known as guys who pancake guys. You run the football. You establish physicality.

Well, now we play in a league. It's flag football. Okay. So have you had to adapt your game? it is a more finesse game it feels like. Yeah, I think so because, you know, when I first came in the NFL, the game was a lot more physical. And whenever you used to drive guys to the ground and pancake them, it used to be a glorified block. But now if you do that, the refs throw a flat because they figure that it's holding because the game moves much more faster.

There's more athletic defense alignment. And so you kind of have to adjust because you got to play on your feet a lot more. You got to keep your hands inside because they're looking for it a lot more these days. But I enjoy it. I think the league's awesome. I think it's headed in the right direction. It's going to be around for a long time. By the way, you face your bro Marquise this Sunday, Chargers, Steelers.

Is that strange? I mean, it's amazing. Did you play at the same high school? Yes, we play same high school, same college. Okay. Same high. God, that's incredible. Did you, when did you both know?

Now, by the way, who was the better high school player? I say my brother's better than everything. He's my younger brother. What about in college? Were you a better college player? Well, we both had the same accolades. You know, he started as a freshman. at right guard at Florida and he started every year he was there my freshman year I didn't start

the first six seven games I moved over to defense to tackle ended up starting the rest of the season so our careers kind of played out a little different but uh you know we're here and we we both you know have had the same goals growing up you know we're identical twins I think my hardest year was whenever he left his junior year to go to the combine and go pro I stayed back for my senior year and that was toughest year of our lives because it was the first time we were ever separated Isn't that amazing? My mom was a twin. They talk about twins. And when you guys are in a room together, you can't stop laughing. You're very funny guys. I imagine it was a very funny. Was mom funny, dad, funny, sisters funny? Because you guys together are like a comedy routine. Yeah, we have a really big family. And all of us are really close-knit. We love each other to death. You know, especially our sisters because, you know, growing up, you know, our family's focus was me and my brother because we figured this was our way out of poverty. And so our sisters kind of took a step back like, hey, let's, you know, let the boys do everything. And so we've always been a priest for our sisters.

We love and a death. And, you know, they're part of the reason why we're here in NFL this day. It's a sacrifice they took. Mike, it's great seeing you again. Congratulations. I appreciate you taking time out of your busy work schedule to come on our show. Thanks, bud. Thanks for having me.

Thank you guys. All right, Mike Pounce, a great player. A center pick 15th in the first round. That doesn't happen a lot. Didn't the kid for the Cowboys get picked? Was he a first rounder? end of the first. Yeah, I mean, when you get picked,

that's when you knew Quentin Nelson, the Colts guard was good. When you pick a guard in the top five picks in the NFL, you're good. By the way, Quentin Nelson is as good as any guard right now in the NFL. Certainly the best rookie offensive linemen.

Coming up, we got one stat, every patriot hater won't want to hear. That's next in best for last. One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the IHeart Radio app. Search Hurd to listen live. or on demand whenever you'd like.

Friday on Fox, the Pac-12 champion will be crowned as number 17 Utah, battles number 11, Washington. Then on Saturday, number six, Ohio State, and number 21 Northwestern go toe-to-toe for the Big Ten title. Coverage begins at 7 Eastern Friday and Saturday on Fox and the Fox Sports app. Can't wait to watch. Four for four, four great coaches there. By the way, it's cold and flu season.

It's awful right now. Everybody gets sick. I get sick every February. Not sure why. I usually get through the holidays. Please use Vix Sinex nasal spray. 12 hours. Congestion strikes.

Use as directed. Vic Sinex nasal spray. So listen, everybody knows, you know, the Patriots are great, right? Now, some of you don't want to hear it, but the Patriots are 8 and 3. There are three games up in the AFC East on their way to another playoff appearance. In fact, they're about to set an NFL all-time record. But before I reveal the record, I want to start with this disclaimer. Here is, there we go.

We here at the herd understand that many people in our audience don't want to hear about how great the Patriots are. Therefore, we'd like to apologize for this next segment. Okay. The Patriots are about to break the record for most consecutive playoff appearances. Patriots Colts Cowboys, different eras have made nine straight playoff appearances. For the record, the Patriot streak would have been much longer, but at 2008, Brady got hurt, didn't make the playoffs. They were 11 and 5. This could easily be like 18 years.

So they're going to break that this year. Now, there's another amazing all-time stat. But first, again, we understand. that many of you are sick and tired about hearing how much better the Patriots are than everyone else. Please bear with us as this segment continues. The Patriots

have now won a playoff game in seven straight years. Now, this is really remarkable, even by Don Shula standards, Tom Landry standards, Bill Walsh standards. The most consecutive seasons with a playoff win, the active

street in the NFL, Patriots have seven, the Falcons, have two, and that's about to end. And then there's five teams at one. So the five other teams, Titans, Jags, Eagles, Vikings, Saints. So a lot of those are going to end. Now, there's one more

amazing stats. Just to make this perfectly clear, we totally get that you really don't need any more mind-blowing stats about how the Patriots are, like, clearly, the greatest NFL dynasty, by a mile. But seriously, you've got to hear this next one. The Patriots

are 8 and 3. If they win just two more games, and if you've seen their schedule, they're going to win two more games, they will have 16 consecutive seasons with 10 wins or more. Now, again, I'm talking Chuck Knollers, Don Shula's Dolphins, Tom Landry's Cowboys, Bill Walsh 49ers. That will tie the 49ers for the longest streak ever. Here are the most consecutive 10-win seasons all time.

San Francisco, 16, Patriots 15, Colts 9, Cowboys, 7. Again, in 2008, the Patriots won 11 games with Matt Castle. That's amazing. Here's the remaining schedule for any of you watching. Vikings at home at Miami, at Pittsburgh, Bill's Jets at home. I think they go four in one. You know, Vikings at home this weekend is a five-point spread. I think it's close, though.

You guys think it's close? I kind of think it's close. The big game tomorrow, of course, the Dallas Cowboys on this network Fox Sports will host the New Orleans Saints. One of the things Jerry Jones took a risk and they gave up a first round pick to get wide receiver Amari Cooper. I like the move. A, they needed a receiver. B, college football has about two really great draftable wide receivers. And C, my theory on life is if you need something and you're going to use it a lot.

lot. Don't worry about the price tag. If you look at what the Cowboys have done, pre-Amarie Cooper and post-A-Cupert the numbers are palpable. Three and four without him, three and one with him, and their third down percentage, this is key, it moves the chains, 32% to 48%. They extend drives, they keep their defense off the field, they convert among the leading teams in the NFL with Amari Cooper. Jerry Jones talked why he made the deal and why he made the deal. And why likes Amari Cooper. That Cooper does that. He is as good a route runner as has ever put on the battles cowboy uniform.

And he's running himself. He's right running himself open. That's a real thing with Dak Prescott, who is not what they call it an anticipation thrower. He is a throw to an open receiver thrower, and Amari Cooper separates. Chris Carter was on First Things First this morning. also brought up a really interesting point with this move. When I coach Amari in high school, before he went to University of Alabama,

he was one of the most mature route runners that I had ever seen in high school. Him and Larry Fitzgerald, right up there. The one thing Jerry did good before he acquired Amari, he went back to Alabama. He talked to Nick Saban. And Nick Saban wrote him a prescription of how to attack Amari Cooper, how to bring him into the fold, and how to get the best of him. Jerry Jones was talking this offseason about risks, and he said, when I look back on my life,

I overpaid for my big successes every time. And when I tried to get a bargain, I end up usually either getting it and I'm not happy I got it or missing it. And I think when I look back at the Amari Cooper move, I heard a lot of people say it's kind of expensive. And I said this earlier. There are things like I like to grill. I like a nice home theater. I'll overpay for, according to the market. But I never feel five years later I overpaid for him because I get a lot of use out of them.

I'm not a big car driver. I don't drive my car a lot. I use Uber. I don't have a long commute. So I'm not into cars. I always feel like whatever I pay for a car, I'm getting ripped off. I never feel like I get a deal on a car because I don't drive it that much. Whereas a grill, a kitchen, which I like, a homebody, a theater, doesn't matter what I pay.

I always feel like I get my money's worth. and I think Jerry Jones felt with Amari Cooper, we need a receiver, we're going to use a heck out of the receiver. What do I care if I pay him 13 million a year or 9 million a year? What's it matter? I need him, we'll use him. I think people overvalue draft picks also. So do I.

They get so caught up and hoarding all these draft picks and, oh, it's a first round draft pick. How can you replace that? You've no idea what that first round draft pick is going to become, and you know what Amari Cooper is, and he's young. Think about this. when you look at a draft, a first round player lasts about nine years. That's the average.

But as you go to the second, third, fourth, fifth round, players stay in the league six years, five, four, three. By the end of it, the average NFL career, if you took quarterbacks out who last like 10 years if they're starters, the average NFL career is like three and a half, four years. So the bottom line, if you can get, it's not just that I draft got. I don't know how good they are. There are guys that physically get into this league, and they just have the bodies, and you're like, oh, I'm going to get that guy.

He's not had an injury since college. So I just like guys in the league that have proven they can play. Now, I understand that you need some, what they call cheap labor. You know, if you have a bunch of, you know, unsigned free agents, they're inexpensive. I get that. You have to have depth. You have to have depth, and you have to have about eight, nine guys,

real bargain shopping. Bottom end of your roster, can't pay everybody. but, you know, we talked about this to start the show today. If you go look at the teams that lead all the divisions, all eight, either a, you're on a rookie quarterback deal, you can sprinkle around the money, or you have a veteran quarterback taken a bargain deal so you can sprinkle around the money.

That's kind of what wins in the NFL. That's what's leading divisions right now. So, I don't know, I just, I like people in the league that I know what they can do and I know what they can't. I'm going to sparingly spend huge money. I don't think Amari Cooper at $12 million a year is huge money. That's probably, honestly, I'm going to guess this. That's 3% of their cap.

Well, in 2018, your number one star receiver is worth 3% of your cap. If your quarterback's worth 11 and a star receiver and a left tackle are worth 3 and 4, and a pass rusher is worth 4 to 5%, and then maybe one interior line. in a corner, if you can get all those guys combined for about 25% of your cap, those are your seven stars, there you go. And then there's 75% of your cap, there's about seven positions in football that matter a lot, like today. Okay, if you had seven positions, you had to have in football, Joy, I've asked this question before. Quarterbacks one. Right. Receiver. Receiver left tackle. I would say pass rusher, corner. Corner. And then we can argue, I would say a great,

Aaron Donald, an interior lineman. And then you start, I'm not sure. you don't go back to receiver. Now, I never thought that before, but increasingly, I'm like, of your top seven or eight football players. No, you probably used to argue running back. But unless you have an elite, elite level top three in the league, you're not going to pay them like that. We got a lot of teams in the NFL getting to the Super Bowl.

With running back by committee. A lot of them, Philadelphia, New England. So tomorrow, Greg Kosell, one of my favorite guys, PJ Hushman Zada, will be joining us on the show. So good stuff today. Nick Wright, Kenyon Martin, Joel Clat, and an always entertaining Mike Poutsy of the Chargers, stopped by. Last night, a blown call changed a game.

This morning, the internet lost its mind, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo, and every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headlines. And we're going straight to the source,

the athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear. Listen to Sports Slice on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 and the TikTok podcast network on TikTok.

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. Life is full of hurdles. So how do you keep going? On Hurtle with Emily Abadi, we're talking with the most inspiring women in sports and wellness from professional athletes, coaches, and Olympic champions about the challenges that shape them and the mindset that keeps them moving forward. At our level, at this scale, being able to fail in front of the entire world. Like, I can do anything. I can do anything. Listen to Hurtle with Emily Abadi on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. I'm Michelle McPhee, and I've been unraveling the strangest criminal alliance I've ever reported on, a Mormon polygamist and an Armenian businessman. Multimillion-dollar house, Ferraris and Lamborghinis, private jets, a billion-dollar fraud. How long can this alliance last? Tell me what you know. Is somebody coming after me? Listen to Kingdom of Fraud on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.