The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Tua Tagovailoa, Colts-Texans, Cowboys, and load management

Episode Date: November 21, 2019

Colin discusses the Colts-Texans game, why he feels teams will be fighting to get Tua Tagovailoa, why Cowboys HC Jason Garrett needs to beat the Patriots, and his thoughts on how load management will affect the NBA. Guests include Doug Gottlieb, Greg Cosell, LaVar Arrington, and Brian Scalabrine. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

Hey, Ms. Parker. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Here we go on a Thursday. This, live in Los Angeles is the herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, we are live on IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, and FS1, hour from now. I think it's the best 15 minutes in American Sports Radio.

Greg CoSell, NFL Meat Sandwich. You're a gambler. You play fantasy football, or you just love the game. He'll give you tidbits, little pieces of information. You don't get anywhere else. And Joy Taylor is joining me. The coffee this morning is, frankly, it's delicious. I woke up at 2.45. I never went back to sleep, so I need a little extra caffeine this morning. Joy, how are you? I'm great. Isn't that the worst? I went to bed so early. What times you go to bed? 8.20.

I mean, come on. I watched the Clippers, Lakers, I watched the Clippers Celtics for a half and then fell asleep. I mean, what's happening to me? You missed the good part. I know. I missed the best part. So tonight is not just a football game.

Tonight is why that quarterback for Alabama, two of that got hurt is not going to drop in the draft. He's not going to drop in the draft. And tonight is why. Indianapolis does everything right. Their GM, Chris Ballard, is brilliant. Their coach, Frank Reich, is excellent. Their offensive line is the best young O line in years in the NFL.

It's like the Cowboys four years ago. Their defense, they get draft picks, they steal guys, free agent, they're smart. They do everything well. The cap, they develop players. And tonight, I'll take Houston. Because Houston has a great quarterback. Their offensive lines of work in progress. They don't actually have a GM.

Their head coach, Bill O'Brien, can be good at times, but I'm not sure he understands how clocks work. Situationally, they can be an absolute tire fire. But they have Deshaun Watson. And that is why Tua is not dropping in the draft. You can do virtually everything wrong. But I got Deshaun Watson. And you got Jacoby Brissette.

I'll take Deshawn Watson. I think there's going to be a I think there's going to be a bidding war for Tua. And tonight's why? Because you're going to watch that game tonight. And you know in the AFC and these teams are in the AFC, the winner tonight takes control of the AFC. South.

And do you know that since 2003, the last 16 years in the AFC, four quarterbacks have gotten to the Super Bowl. Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Big Ben, and one year Joe Flacco got ridiculously hot. Four quarterbacks, but mostly three. Hall of Famers. And in the next six weeks in the NFL, you're going to see guys like Aaron Rogers and Russell Wilson and Drew Breeze and Tom Brady and Deshaun Watson and Lamar Jackson. Separate because they're special.

And special is what wins right before Thanksgiving up until February. And Indianapolis does everything right. they still don't have the right quarterback. I like Jacobi Brissette. He's fine. They had the right quarterback, and then that quarterback retired. And then they got a guy, they signed for two years,

who's very solid. I'm not denying he's a franchise guy, but he's not special. Doesn't have special mobility. Doesn't have a special arm. He's good, fine. A lot of Kirk Cousins there. Got surrounded him with perfect stuff.

But when you watch tonight, I want you to watch very carefully on a team that is brilliantly run, shrewdly developed, does virtually everything right against the team that does not have a general manager, O-Line to work in progress, and we don't know if Bill O'Brien was given a watch as a kid because he can't figure out clock management,

and I'll take Houston. And that leads me to my second story. I read a story this morning. I don't want to call out the network, CBS, but it was a ridiculous story. I don't want to call out the writer. Okay, I won't. That Tua is going to go 32nd in the first round.

Oh, that's adorable. No, starting today, I'm going to play a game, and we're going to call it Hua gets Tua. He ain't going past six, folks. Hua gets Tua. And let me explain how this works. In the National Football League today, I am going to list the quarterbacks who lead their division. Tom Brady, Lamar Jackson, after tonight, Deshawn Watson, Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, who is having an MVP-level year,

Aaron Rogers, Drew Brees, Russell Wilson, and Jimmy Garoppolo. See a trend here? It's not the best O-line, not the best pass rush, not the best running game. No, this is a copycat league. Russell Wilson probably wins the MVP. Lamar Jackson wins it if he doesn't. Kyler Marie is outrageously good and shockingly effective.

I'm going to make a prediction. there's going to be a bidding war for Tua. Okay, but because of his injuries, he probably doesn't go one to Cincinnati and he probably doesn't go three or four to Miami. But never forget this. In 2018, five quarterbacks were drafted in the first round. Four of the five teams moved up to get them.

In 2017, three quarterbacks were taken in the first round. All the teams moved up to get them. In 2016, there were three quarterbacks taken, and all three teams moved up to get him. And you're going to tell me Tua, who Nick Saban gets Misty over, who Trent Dilfer calls the best prospect we've had in years, is going to drop to 32. And I've read three columns today. Drop, drop, drop, drop. I'm going to go the exact opposite of everybody I've read in the American media. There'll be a bidding war, and whoever's draft, whoever has the number four or five spot,

and today that's the Jets, I don't think they'll end up with a five. They could. I mean, I think they'll win a couple games. Whoever has number five is going to have a ton of power. If the New York Jets end at number five, they could call Carolina, they can call the Chargers, they can call any of these teams that have really good players and draft capital and make strong demands. We'll take boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, you give us your first round pick. But this morning I went and looked at the NFL draft order, and I counted 11 teams that either urgently need a quarterback or that I think would strongly consider drafting it.

Cincinnati, urgent need. Miami at 4, urgent need. Denver at 6, more urgent than they'd acknowledge need. Tampa at 7, they're moving off Jameson. They had drafted a quarterback. Chargers at 11. They're moving to a new stadium. They can't sell tickets.

Old unathletic quarterbacks do not work anymore. Tennessee at 15. Really think Ryan Tannihill's the future? Carolina at 16. Kyle Allen has been exposed. He's a nice transitional, in-season quarterback. Minnesota at 23. You bring in Tua for a year behind Kirk Cousins.

Make sure he's totally healthy, learns the system, and then he spends the rest of his next six years handing off to Delvin Cook. and throwing to Stefan Diggs. Indianapolis at 26. You think they gave Jacoby Brissette a two-year deal because he's the future? New Orleans at 29. Well, Drew Brees is 40 and Teddy Bridgewater is going to go on the open market and get a lot of lettuce.

And New England at 32. Yes. Yes, they're going to draft a quarterback first or second pick. That's 11 teams. There may be another one, but I gave it thought 11. and you think Tua's just dropping and dropping and dropping because he got a leg injury. Not happening. I'll go the exact opposite way.

Once again, starting today, our new game will probably do it once a week. Hua gets Tua. This morning, the Jets have the fifth pick, which is incredible leverage in this NFL draft in April. There we go. You know how I am with drafts, Joy. I get zany. Oh, I was going to say you're a huge draft nerd. Nerd.

Gigantic nerd. Of many nerdy tendencies. That's like another. That's like me taking chess classes, nerd. I have mock draft parties. Literally con over wear sweaters have some soup and do mock draft parties. So that's where we stand. Okay, coming up.

You know, listen, and I'm as guilty as anybody. It was always a great space filler. MJ, LeBron, who's better? But over this year something is happening with LeBron. And I think it doesn't elevate him above Michael, but it does create a stamp in NBA history with Michael and LeBron that will not, you will not be able to deny. And it may happen in about three to four months. And we're seeing it happen now with LeBron. And I'll explain that. Doug Gottlieb, 50 minutes from now,

Greg Coasell, NFL films 40 years, gambler, fantasy football player, must listen, sports radio TV. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in.

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And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing.

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

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I'm taking you behind the scenes on how I became one of Twitch's most popular streamers. We also love sports. And with the World Cup right around the corner, we'll be breaking down the biggest storylines ahead of the big tournament here in the USA. Listen to the 1021 podcast on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Get your free credit scorecard today, even if you're not a Discover customer, include your FICA credit score. More hurt your credit.com slash credit scorecard. Limitations apply. Colts, Texans tonight, Fox 730.

More talented overall team is probably Indianapolis. More well run. I'll take Houston. They got the quarterback right. So Magic Johnson, you know, great player. used to run the Lakers briefly, and now he just talks and he's on Twitter and stuff and stops by TV shows. He was talking about LeBron James yesterday and about how, I mean, he's going to be the MVP of the league. The numbers are outrageous.

And I think James Harden is scoring so much. He'll get a lot of votes. But I think the fact that LeBron is changing positions in year 17, I almost feel like the voters will feel like they're obligated to give LeBron James the award. We know James Harden can score. He's not doing anything he hasn't done before. LeBron is doing something he's never done before and Magic came out and he said 25 and 11

this is an MVP season. Nobody's playing better than what scary story is still being written. And I think that's an interesting line by magic. The story on LeBron is being written. Year 17, change positions and be the best in the NBA at that. Let's not get into the MVP award. That is not what this rants about.

I mean, Michael Jordan, how many MVP does he have in the regular season? Nobody cares with Michael at six for six in the finals. The number that matters six. And the other number that matters is six, six for six. Let's not waste the Michael Jordan-Lebron argument. But this would definitively enhance what LeBronzo has been is the greatest, most versatile Swiss Army knife in league history. You would never, Michael may be the more relentless offensive player and better player. I'm not disputing that. But you didn't see,

Michael was not capable in year 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 of being the best player at forward. It's just, just forget it. And I know the league is easier now and the nutrition is better. But to change positions and dominate it in a league full of all-time great guards really puts Magic Johnson, who I've always considered, are very close to Michael and LeBron. We freaked out when Magic played center for one game in the 1980 finals.

We freaked out. Kareem got hurt. He had to step in against the Sixers and Caldwell Jones. Oh, my God! LeBron's 17th year. I'll do it for the season and win MVP and be the best at it in a guard-driven league. I think it will clearly put Michael LeBron best ever. No Kareem, no wilt, no Russell,

No Kobe, no magic, no bird, the most relentless player and the most versatile player that we wrote a new chapter into the book in year 17. You can't say that with any other player ever. You can't say it with Kareem, Magic, Michael, you just can't say it. It's an incredible ability. And it's like comparing Michael and LeBron has always been sort of like comparing Beyonce and Bruce Springsteen. Like they're both great.

It's kind of a different genre thing, like different size for LeBron and different position for LeBron and really different skill set. And Michael's more the relentless score. But I mean, to do the point guard thing to me is just remarkable. And I think it's an incredibly difficult position to play in basketball. You have to be the brain. You have to be the coach. While you're playing at 100 miles an hour, you have to be the decision maker. It's hard in college.

It's hard in high school. It's absurd in the NBA. You have to often guard their best. player James Hardener, Steph Curry. So I don't care about the MVP thing, but what I'm watching right now, it is crazy. It is just insane

by LeBron. Here's Joy with the news. No, no, no, no, turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Well, Mason Rudolph spoke to the media for the first time since last Thursday's fight. Okay. He had a prepared statement before answering a few questions.

He took accountability for his role in the fight and said he has no animosity. towards Miles Garrett. That's nice. And he's also ready to move on. Okay. You know, I have no will, no ill will towards Miles Garrett. Great respect for his ability as a player.

And I know that if Miles could go back, he would handle the situation differently. You know, as for my involvement last week, you know, there's no acceptable excuse. The bottom line is I should have done a better job keeping my composure in that situation. And it falls short of what I believe it means to be a good. Pittsburgh Steeler and a member of the NFL. Unfortunate situation. And we're moving on at the Cincinnati Bengals at this point, though. By the way, he looks like a young Tony Robbins.

He does. Doesn't he? I couldn't play. We're going to beat the Broncos. It's the power within. Doesn't he a little bit? He does. He does.

Yes, he does favor him. I like what he said there. And that's very stealer-like. Now, I know Browns fans are going to flip out because I was not liking that Sheldon Richardson was talking about it, even though we've moved on. But this is the first time that he's spoken to the media. So obviously they're going to ask him about it, which is why he had a prepared statement. And he used my favorite line, maybe in all of sports, we're on to Cincinnati, which is exactly what they should do.

You do realize everybody in the NFL, that's their favorite hopeful sentence that you're playing Cincinnati next. Everybody wants to say, we're on to Cincinnati. But also just we're done with this. And he took accountability for it, which I also liked. And he is right. I'm sure if Miles was in the situation again, that's not how he would have wanted to handle it. And Mason did have play a role in antagonizing the situation.

He is going to be fined and he hasn't received anything yet. And reportedly he'll comply with whatever the league. Hands down to him. But look, look, that situation was a disaster. I think collectively we're all ready to move on from it. The bigger takeaway from that entire situation was, of course, nothing for the Steelers. Obviously, it was a bad situation for the Steelers.

But it was more on. the culture and situation with the Browns right now. So the Patriots and Cowboys meets in a highly anticipated game this weekend. Oh, huge ratings. Tom, but, yeah, I mean, it's going to be the best game this weekend. And it's also going to get the biggest rating since the Super Bowl. It's going to get a monster number. Well, it's America's teams.

By the way, San Francisco Green Bay Sunday night. So it'll be the two highest rated football games since the Super Bowl. It's between those two. Yeah. Well, Tom Grady, speaking of the 49ers, grew up a 49ers fan. and the Cowboys were their big rival, obviously, and he had some fun talking about his disdain for Dallas growing up. I've really not liked the Cowboys since coming out of the womb as a Niner fan.

But, no, I got a lot of respect for those guys. They've actually had a great winning organization, and they got a lot of great players in their history, guys that I just, you know, as a Niners fan, you know, you played a Cowboys, and every time they hand out to Emmett Smith would be a five-yard game, and then you would pull your hair out and throw it up to Michael Irvin and Troy was such a great player and the defenses is Ken Norton and primetime. So I think the history of great players, the tradition.

I feel like Brady and LeBron are very much alike in the sense that they're historians and their sport. Yeah, they love it. Yes. They appreciate it. You know, when I first met Mike Tyson years ago, he was a complete boxing historian. And then he, you know, then he went through some transformations, Don King, but when I first met him, first time I was at a gym and saw Mike Tyson,

he tony, Dempsey, Mike was really, like, he'd gone through a lot of books. Well, I think that in order to be great at whatever it is that you do, you really have to appreciate. Perspective, yeah. Have some perspective and just appreciate what it is that you do and people that have done it at the highest level before you got there and take different things from them.

But this is funny because this does actually just describe what the cowboys are. You either love them or you hate them. Right. But at one point in your life, you've had to just respect what they do. Like even now, I mean, they're a very polarizing team, obviously, but still the biggest, most profitable organization in all of sports. I can go back to 1972.

I hate aging myself like this, because I'm going to be on this radio mic for an hour 20 years. But in 1972, I'm a little boy in the coast of Washington. And I can remember sitting down. I'm six, seven years old. And it was George Allen, the legendary George Allen, coached the Washington Redskins, Billy Kilmer and all these Chris Hamburger and Pat Fisher, and Tom Landry and the Dallas Cowboys, and it was Roger Stobach.

I can remember those vivid memories, RFK, with the grass that was too long, and George Allen, and I'm thinking to myself, that's 45 years ago. I can remember it vividly. I can remember the Clint Longley game when he came in. I cried as a kid because I love Washington. Clint Longley beat my Redskins, which I thought at the time as a kid was Washington State. We didn't have a team yet. I didn't know it was Washington, D.C.

I'm seven years old. Hopefully I got smarter later. But the point being is, in my life, I can remember as a kid, the Redskins Cowboys was the NFL's biggest rivalry. If you're a sports fan or an NFL fan, the Cowboys are a part of who you are, whether you like it or not. That's why they're America's team. So finally, Kauai Leonard and Paul George took the court together for the first time last night in a thriller against the Celtics. Kauai stole the show with a couple highlight moments. Yeah.

He had a huge dunk near the end of the first time. fourth quarter, Anns got a we're showing video of it now. I mean... Oh! I was in bed by that time. Look at Balmer. I mean, that dunk was... I mean, obviously it was to... I mean, he posterized him, but also it just... It

set that place on fire. It was just like a reminder that Kauai... That's who Kauai really is. Like, for all the talk about, like, him load management and stuff, like at any moment, he's just an assassin. The two games this year that have felt like playoff games, Lakers Klippers, Kauai played, and Celtics

Clippers Kauai played. Like when Kauai is on the floor, you feel like you get a true sense of identity of what the Clippers could do. Right. And he also had a huge block on Kembo Walker's potential game time, three and overtime to secure the Clippers 107-104 win. After the game, Mark Medina asked Kauai about his two big plays and we got another great Kauai moment in return. Oh, Lord. Quai, can you take it sure the dunk you had in the block? What do you want me to say? Whatever you want to say, it's more of

Just the buildup lead into that play while you were seeing and your thought process with everything. Patrick threw me the ball. I took two dribbles to the pain and tried to jump high and dunk the basketball. And Kimba got open for a three and I jumped. My highest to try to contest and I got a block. The thing is he's not even, he's not being sarcastic. That's literally just quai. Just authentic quai.

I just gave you the most matter-of-fact answer. I don't dunked it over him. I mean, that's literally what he did. He walked away from that dunk. I mean, that block, if you block someone shot on a game-tying attempted three in that moment, you would think you'd be a little more excited. I just look like he's crossing the street to get some ice cream. Do-to-do.

Crazy. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd-Lie News. Doug, Gottlieb's host on the College Basketball Hall of Fame, inductions celebration this Sunday. The Doug Gottlieb showed. The Doug Erd Doug Gottlieb joining us here on a Thursday. By the way, I missed the fourth quarter last night. There was a big celebration in my hometown and everybody was doing stuff. I watched the first half and a little of the third.

Then I conked out. I know. It's pathetic. We're not on the East Coast anymore, Colin. We're on the West Coast. You get the benefit of it. It was the game of the year. You thought that was a game of the year. So far, yeah. He's played an incredibly high level. You had, I mean, Jason Tatum hit a three to send it to overtime where he made Paul George fall down with a little bump and step. back move. I thought, I mean, Lou Williams was arguably the MVP for the Clippers. Patrick Beverly played off the basketball, but showed, you know, why he has to be on the floor to make shots.

Look, I don't think anything less of the Celtics. I thought they got a couple of calls that went against them in regulation and in overtime. Sure. But the Clippers are real, man, and Paul George fits perfectly into what they want to do and how they want to do it. And though Kauai Leonard, you know, didn't make as many shots as he's made at other times in San Antonio in Toronto, his ability to to dominate at both ends of the floor and command attention, and willingness, both of them have a willingness to share the basketball with Lou Williams and Patrick Beverly. Clippers and Lakers are the two best teams in the NBA right now. Let's talk you were a, when you left college basketball, you were seventh all time and assist.

You play basketball today at a very high level. You're a great player at the Hall of Fame induction on Sunday. LeBron's always, like Michael wasn't a point, but late in games, Michael had the ball. Kobe wasn't a point, but late in games sometimes in the triangle, Kobe would have the ball. I'm not saying LeBron went from Tristan Thompson to. a point guard. But point guard is the hardest position on the floor in modern basketball. You've got to go 100 miles an hour, guard the best athletes, be the coach. By the way, you better be able to shoot a three. What LeBron's doing, Doug, is pretty remarkable year 17 transitioning to more point guard.

I'm kind of not blown away by it, but it is pretty impressive as a former point guard. Yeah, I mean, he's not really any different than he's ever been. He still dominates the basketball. and what they've done by changing the lineup, playing Alex Caruso more, allows LeBron to guard the power forward. So he's not really playing, not guarding the point guard and playing point guard. He's had to learn to kind of change his pace. He was playing way too slow. Yeah, he was.

Early in the season. But I think putting Caruso into the lineup, having Rondo back as well, having other point guards who can cover the guard. So he can be just a help defender and he can be the voice in the back of everybody's head where everybody should be. He clearly is when you watch him. No, look, and I want to make sure this is clear. LeBron James is playing great.

Like insane. Great. He defers to Anthony Davis so that Anthony Davis can feel a part of it. He's probably at times their fourth or fifth best defender, but his energy, his attention to detail, his demand for everybody else's energy and attention to detail. He's leading this team. This is a real thing.

If you've not watched the Lakers, last year I thought sometimes LeBron, as Doug said, played slow, was a little distracted. Well, no, even this year, like, look, when you play professional basketball, you learn as a point guard, you got to get the ball in the front court. You don't just have eight seconds to get it past mid court. Like, you get 24 seconds. You want to get up by four? Yeah, we need, we want to get, especially in the way the NBA's played now where you get multiple actions. You want to get multiple actions and then maybe LeBron playing downhill.

He was playing so slow early in the year because he was adjusting to playing the point guard position that it essentially became LeBron James, dribbling the ball of the court, kind of. old school NBA. Here's a ball screen. Everybody's spread out. That's not really what they want to do. Now he's really bought into, I got to play faster. Let somebody else bring it up. And then I'll, and then I'll get it. And I'll, you know, I'll, I'll, I'll be the guy who instigates the offense. But he's, he's in great shape. He's sharing the basketball. He's setting everybody else up. He's allowing Anthony Davis to flourish. He's allowing others to guard the guards because he physically can at this point. And they've gone from a complete dumpster fire. Last game of last season. Magic Johnson retires.

LeBron James is unhappy. You got all those guys that knew they had to be traded. What are they going to do, too? I think they're the best team in the NBA, even with the Clippers because they're playing the best defense of anybody in the NBA. And they have a LeBron James and an Anthony Davis to bail them out. Let me talk about, I said this. We're calling it Who It Gets Tua.

I did this morning. I went down in 11 teams, I think five urgently. But there's a lot of charger stories. There's a lot of Carolina stories. There's Indianapolis. There's Minnesota. India, Minneapolis. Vikings and the Colts have a guy for a year,

but if you really behind closed door or did a poll, Tua was available, I think they'd take him for a year. I don't think he drops because last year of the, let me think, of the last 11 quarterbacks taken in the first round, 10 times a team's moved up to get one.

I think we're going to have a bidding war for him, despite his injuries. Well, I think anyone who says they know right now is lying to you. it's all going to come down to the medicals. If the medicals are clean and he's fine, then I agree with you. Then I think he could have incredible value. And remember, there's going to be some adjustments to Tua.

Will he be ready to go? Week one, are you going to sit him for a year? Also, remember, he's left-handed. He'd be the only left-handed quarterback in the National Football League. There are no other. So would you have to change not just your scheme, but also your offensive line in terms of having a right tackle, be at the level of your left tackle,

Sure. And then there's the concern he is, he is Polynesian, he is Samoan? Is he going to gain weight, you know, because of his body type, because of his genetics while he's sitting out. But it all comes down to the medicals, all of it. I talk to two GMs who both should be in the market for a quarterback and they're like, I have no idea because I haven't seen the medicals. And until we see them before the draft, you can't make any determination.

It's the hip, you know, is it Bo Jackson or is it nothing? And if you don't think the hips are important, what's the dance that everybody he's making fun of, it's Dak Prescott. You throw the football with your hips, not with your arm. Plus, it's a mobility thing, plus is it degenerative? All of these things, all of this discussion, and no disrespect to what you're thinking,

because you're right, he could have incredible value. Until you see the medicals, until you see how it heals, nothing else matters. So I'm looking at the Cowboy Patriot game, and the line is six and a half. And we went through units this morning, outside of the secondary. Dallas has a better O line,

linebackers, weapons, it's not close, even tight end this year. They have the star running back. Dax's out playing Tom Brady at this point statistically. And then you go through all of it, and Foxborough's worth three. It's six and a half. That feels like a Belichick line over Jason Garrett,

and everybody, including the owner of the Cowboys, who's been in this league for 30, 40, they get it. Like if Dallas loses and it's not pretty, I think Jerry gets on that three and a half hour golf stream and has real discussions with Stephen Jones about Garrett's future. Well, I think those discussions are already being had. I think you're accurate there. I mean, they haven't beaten a team that's a playoff caliber team.

And if the Eagles lose to the Seahawks, they don't have one win over a team that's above 500. It's incredible. Like you're like, I thought Dallas is good. Maybe they're not at all. Well, now, listen, I mean, teams have been built on the success of beating bad teams before. I mean, the San Francisco 49ers, it's not like they've run through so far. Now, they have three really difficult games, but they've played a soft schedule. Carolina Panthers, when they went to the Super Bowl,

they only beat one team the regular season. They were 14 and 15 and 1, 14 and 2. They only beat one team with above 500 record. So it has been done before. But you're right. For the Cowboys, considering they think this is or thought this was a Super Bowl year, to not being able to beat any of the good teams on their schedule would be at least a disappointment. Probably doesn't matter because they make the playoffs anyway.

But the idea for Jerry to be playing on the road in the playoffs when you have, You played all this money for a running back. You're going to pay all this money for a quarterback and for a wide receiver, and you paid for a linebacker. The big thing is the defense isn't doing any good. Defense isn't stopping anybody. I know. The other thing that you worry about, I always look at this. This is what I worry about Green Bay.

Are you taking the ball away? Because taking the ball away means you're making the offense uncomfortable. You're hitting hard. You're stripping pursuit interceptions. When you're not taking the ball away, it tells me the quarterback's comfortable. Dallas doesn't take the ball away. Well, the three most important stats in modern football are not gross yardage, net yardage, any of that stuff. It's takeaway, it's third down conversion percentage, and it's red zone conversion percentage, right?

And if you're not doing those things well, what are you doing? And you look at how easily Detroit was able to score with a backup quarterback. Remember that's not, Matt Stafford did not play last week. Right. And Detroit pushed them. Yeah, Detroit, Driscoll move the ball. Right. So the question becomes, do they have enough defensively to win on the road in Foxborough going against Tom Brady who feels like offensively, hey, I don't have enough weapons?

Instead of the immovable object against the irresistible force, it's the movable object against the resistible force in Foxborough. By the way, I think the NFL is, it's in really interesting space. So we have three A prospects coming in quarterback prospects. Next year, we have two could be better than all of them, Trevor Lawrence and James. Justin Fields. So we have five world-class prospects. We've got 14 teams. Now, I'm not a Baker guy or a

Josh Allen guy, but we've got 14 young quarterbacks. I would say 10 I'm all into. I do count Derek Carr and Garapolo. They're both the same age 27-ish. And then we have some legends, Tom, Breeze, Ben, and then we have the middle guys,

Aaron Rogers, Matt, and Russell Wilson. There's this thing happening where we're all just about ready to say it got to be Kyler Murray, this is the future. And I want to say it, and I think it's true, because of how offensive lines have eroded. But are we being hyperbolic and overreacting?

Are we going, because we did this about six years ago with Kaepernick. Referendum, the league, and all of a sudden, Brady's at the Super Bowl wins every year. Well, no, I mean, I heard you on this rant yesterday, and it was basically, hey, because Philip Rivers can't move, you have to have a movable court. Like Philip Rivers has been a bad athlete before he tore his ACL. Then he tore his ACL and now he's in his late 30s.

Like he's, he can't move back there and he's still been really, really effective for a long time. Keep in mind, he didn't have either tackle when they're playing in Mexico City on Monday night and they still nearly won the game in spite of the fact that he had four interceptions, right? But the idea, yes, you have to be able to move. I mean, like, look, Kirk Cousin's season turned around.

when they figured out if you have him move, especially to his left, he's really, really good setting his feet. Russell Wilson, I still think you need to be accurate from the pocket and accurate throwing the football. Like, I understand Lamar Jackson the last three weeks has been spectacular. Yes. Okay, but history should be our guide. And history tells you, after about 20 games,

you better start being more accurate. And if you're not, the league does catch up to you. Is he Mike Vic with clean off the field? Yeah, he appears to be, right? He appears to be completely in on being a, better quarterback than Mike Vick was. With a Hall of Fame coach. With a Hall of Fame coach and a team that isn't fighting. Remember, when the Redskins had RG3, they let him play his Baylor style for a year. And they're like, now let's make you in an NFL quarterback. That never felt like

Washington loved this style. They didn't. They didn't. They drafted Kirk Cousins and they like Kirk Cousins better. But Harbaugh. But Harbaugh. But Harbaugh is like, you know what? Let's just go all in. What the hell? And the great thing about Lamar Jackson is he's not having to relearn how to play the position like an NFL quarterback. He's doing what he's always done. The question becomes, does he get hit? Does he get hurt? They've all gotten hit. They've all gotten hurt.

Hell, Cam Newton's the biggest body we've ever seen play the position as a running quarterback. And he's broken down and almost out of the league at 30 years old. So, look, I hear you. I do think you have to have great pocket mobility. But remember, you're judging Tom Brady who can't move and Ben Rothsberger and Eli Manning. Those guys have played longer than anybody else. So I still think that the pocket quarterback or the quarterback who can throw and throw accurate, like a Kyle LeMurray. Like I'm more in on Kyle Murray than I am Lamar because that dude can throw.

He's tiny, but he can, yes, he can move. But man, can he throw and throw accurately and with great velocity? Okay, stay, I want to talk about that. Doug Gottlieb around the corner because I have a Kyler thought. I had a whole rant in it today and he touched on it. That's next to the herd. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays at noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are

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

Listen to SportsClyce 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. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kier Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests.

I'm talking. Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it, and we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch.

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

Join me, Kear Gaines, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose. On my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free, our Heart Radio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. What's up, guys? This is Clever Taylor the Fourth. And on my podcast, The Cliver Show, I'm bringing you. conversations about all kinds of stuff.

Like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker, this linebacker walks up to me, he goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Time out. Quarterback on office blue 42. Hey, rep, my mama want you to wave at her.

What? Where's she at? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Clippers show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast. or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, it's Edwin Castro, also known as Castro 1021. And I'm Kunky, his best friend and business manager.

And we've got a new show called The 1021 podcast. I'm taking you behind the scenes on how I became one of Twitch's most popular streamers. We also love sports. And with the World Cup right around the corner, we'll be breaking down the biggest storylines ahead of the big tournament here in the USA. Listen to the 1021 podcast. on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. So Doug was reading my mind this morning.

I have a whole rant on this. And Doug, I know. Doug had no idea about this. So the NFC has so many fascinating stories. Aaron Rogers and Green Bay and the Saints and Drew Breeze. And, you know, you've got the Philadelphia Eagles, the Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco now fascinating. So nobody gets Arizona games. Like 3% of the country gets them.

Doug and I out west see him more than other people, or we both watch the Red Zone or whatever. But you're with me on this. The country doesn't know how good Kyler Murray is. He's insane. With a terrible offensive line. And a rookie head coach who got fired at his alma mater. Right.

And I will give Cliff a ton of credit because if you've watched their games, he seems to be figuring it out as he goes. Fair. Right? Yes. You know, he seems to be figuring out, okay, this works, this doesn't. It's a little bit of trial and error. Sure.

Same with Kyla Murray. Yeah. But when you check the boxes, like the reason that I've sat in your seat and told the world that I think Aaron Rogers is the best quarterback I've ever seen is because he checks all these different boxes. And outside of being tiny, this guy checks every box. He's Russell Wilson. He really is. He's a slightly smaller version and a more athletic version of Russell Wilson, right? Where he's faster.

He's much faster, much faster. Now, Russell Wilson is athletic, but what Russell Wilson does really well is, his ability to throw on the move, and Kyler has that. You know, the ability to move the change with your feet, but also throwing, but the accuracy, the velocity. He never throws picks like Russell. He never makes a really, his interceptions are tipped or it's covered. He doesn't make, like, I love Sam Darnold, but once a week, you're just covering your eyes.

He doesn't make a bad throw. Right. I think it's interesting that everything people wanted you to believe about Baker Mayfield is true about Kyler Murray, right? No, he's athletic. Not really. Kyle Murray is athletic. He understands football.

He's kind of a football savant. No, no, that's Kyle Murray. Remember, Kyle Murray is the most successful high school quarterback in the state of Texas high school football history. And Baker has judgment issues on and off the field. Kyler never, I mean, with a terrible offensive line, it would be hard to find two throws this year that he lets him go. And you're like, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Baker, that's about three times a game. Yes.

Like the only thing people could, the couple things people could find fault with Kyler coming out was, one, his size. That was my issue. Can't fix that. And then his dad has a little, little Levar ball to him. His dad was a player at A&M and kind of lives a little bit vicariously through him and is a big talker. But Kyler's not that guy. At all. And, you know, look, he's all about ball.

He's got a relationship with his coach going back to high school days. He's really, really good. And it is interesting. It's, we've done this. People didn't pay attention to the Chargers and the Chargers roster. And so it caught the world kind of by surprise last year when they won 12 games. Like, no, they have a great roster. And when healthy, they'd have one this year.

A team that people don't pay attention to is the Arizona Cardinals, and they have an absolute gem in the number one overall. How about they drafted a quarterback 10th overall last year? Bailed. Bailed on him and made the right call to go number one overall. And look, it's not like there wasn't other players available. Like Nick Bosa fell into the laps of the San Francisco go 49ers. He's the best defensive lineman maybe in the entire league, right?

He's an absolute freak of nature. But to get a quarterback, and that's going to be good for 15, 20 years. Barring injury is pretty remarkable. A couple minutes left. Aaron, we were talking this morning about Aaron Rogers. He's not the legend Brady is, Breeze is. He's not the young hot guy, Lamar Kyler is. He's not the most fun to watch.

Now, people say Mahomes is. And we were saying, what is Aaron today in the NFL? He's not going to be the MVP in his age bracket. Russell Wilson is. What is Aaron today? Why isn't he, like, look, why isn't he giving me the MVP? Is his team winning? Well, we'll see Sunday.

Why is his team winning? They're leading their division, which is, huh? Inches. Okay. He's playing great football in a new system, not turning the football over winning football games. I don't, we do this in TV. Like, look, we like Lamar Jackson. He's not a better quarterback or playing better throughout the entire season than Russell Wilson than Aaron Rogers.

He's just not. Right. So, look, this is a big game. for Aaron. Everybody knows. He grew up in Northern California. He liked one football team as the Niners. The Niners had the number one overall pitch. He's off a bye. And they took Alex Smith and not him, right? They took Alex Smith and not him. And he had to sit there in the green room. Remember, he was sitting there in the green room, trying to act like he wasn't completely upset. And now he's carried this, not chip,

bag of chips on his shoulders because the Niners were the ones that he thought he would go to. He thought he'd wear that uniform. Now, Jimmy Garapolo? Come on. That dude, is going to be on fire to win this game this weekend. Well, it's interesting is I could make an argument that the other Aaron Jones is the key to the game because the Niners actually have struggled to stop the run. Sure. And Aaron Rogers would be better served turning and giving it to Aaron Jones for three and a half hours. But I do think there's that.

I'm going to make a couple of throws today. Oh, I think he will. And he is, I would disagree with you in terms of the respect in the league. You ask guys in the league, they stop what they're doing when they're playing against him to watch him play. That's true. think he's the best or the most talented. Yeah, I think that's it. They have the respect for Brady and what he's won, but

the talent, it's Aaron Rogers. But if you listen to what Aaron Rogers has said this year, he said like, hey, Aaron Jones should be in the MVP discussion. He's the one who's helping us win. His versatility, ability to run wheel routes, his ability to run in between the tackles. So, I know you have this thing about Aaron

pointing out the flaws in his personality and how he can rub some people the wrong way, and those are all accurate. Thank you. But if you actually watch how he's playing, he's playing great, his team's winning, and he's handing the ball off and the credit off to Aaron Jones. That's fair. That's fair. I pointed out a couple of times some deficiencies.

I have never, never not at least acknowledged. He is one of the great talents, a Dan Marino of my life. The most talented. Dan Marino couldn't move. This guy can move. Okay. Doug Gottlieb. Hour to Greg Kosso next.

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

themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. SportsSlice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to SportsSlice 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. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist,

Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase

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

Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free iHeartRadio app.

Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. What's up, guys? This is Clever Taylor the Fourth. And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show, bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. Like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker walks up to me, he goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her.

What? Time out. Quarterback on office blue 42. Hey, ref, my mama want you to wave at her. What? Where's she at? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Clippers show on the I-Hard Radio app.

Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, I'm Jared Adano. You might know me as that loud guy who yells out, help on the internet. Help! Somebody! Please! But there's so much more to me than that. I'm an actor. I'm a comedian. And recently, I've become quite the helper myself.

And on my new podcast, Hope from a Hypocrite, I'll be changing lives, helping people in need with my sage advice and thoughtful solutions. Sike, I'm a comedian. I'm not qualified to give it. good advice. Join me and my comedian friends as we riff rant and recommend some of the most legally dubious advice known to man. If I'm calling you, even if you're on your phone, let it ring twice. One ring is too scary. Cream a chicken suit. Hey, cream. Cream a chicken suit. This is Help from a Hypocrite, the worst

advice from the dumbest people you know. Listen to Help from Hypocrat as part of the MyCultura podcast network available on the I-Hart Radio app, Apple Podcast. or wherever you get your podcasts. Oh, here we go, our two Greg CoSell in two minutes. Gambler, fantasy football player, just love the game. Greg CoSell, a couple of minutes, wherever you may be and however you may be listening, IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, and FS1. Joy Taylor is joining me.

What, I just so excited right now. The Herd Burger, we're going to have a staff party there. I'm very excited to try the burgers. It's getting reviewed, by the way, by food critics in America. Really? They are saying very positive. things. I may even have a beer. I haven't had a beer in like two years probably. What happened? I don't know. I just stopped drinking beer. I was more of like a cider person anyway. I can only

handle one beer. Well, a lot of people say that's filling. Herdburger beers are delicious. A low calorie, I'm sure. I'm not going to be counting calories that day. So Greg CoSell in a minute. I want to bring this up. I saw this yesterday. A couple days ago, Antonio Brown apologized to Robert Kraft. Bill Belichick yesterday referenced him. Don't ask me about AB. Go ask Mr. Kraft. I do think they may consider if AB gets

cleared, not saying he's going to, I think they would consider going after AB and giving him a second shot in New England because I think New England's offense is, lacks a vertical threat. I think you can all see it. I can see it. You saw it against Philadelphia. They had to go to a trick play with Julian Edelman throwing a touchdown

to win it. I also think A.B's not somebody. I I would trust. Sometimes I think he appears very unstable, but this is an organization that has rolled the dice multiple times and has, it's worked multiple times. I would say this, though,

is that every single dynasty has a hole. Alabama's dynasty, the whole is Nick Saban wears out assistant coaches and they leave quickly, and he's constantly having to replace great assistance. Golden State Dynasty, the whole. A couple of their stars were really fragile. and KD get hurt a lot.

New England's hole in their dynasty, they do a lousy job at drafting and developing college receivers. They're not very good at it. They're better at getting West Welker, Randy Moss, Josh Gordon, Chris Hogan, they're better. That's what they do really well.

They're very good at scouting the pro game. I've showed you this before, draft picks since 2003. That's a lot of whiffs. And there are a lot of guys drafted in the second and third round, and they are complete and utter whiffs. They just don't do this.

It's the hole in the dynasty. So you go get a Josh Gordon, a Chris, Hogan, a West, Welker, Randy, Moss, and A, B. By the way, they just went and got Muhammad Sanoo. And within an hour, he's got like 10 targets. Muhammad Sanoo is the perfect patriot. Smart, coachable, fits in, veteran, Tom Brady. But I would say this. Tom Brady deserves a little heat on this.

Tom is rigid and precise, and he appears to trust veteran guys much more, the new guys. I mean, good luck. Every single receiver works for Russell, Wilson. five minutes after they arrive in Seattle. Everybody works with Russell Wilson, and they all work instantly. Seemingly nobody works with Tom Brady out of college. Regardless of if there are first, second or a third round pick, Nikiel Harry, I thought he was great in college.

I thought he reminded me of Anquan Bolden. He finally played last week, a couple of sniffs. So it's the hole in their dynasty. I think that's why the A-B story won't go away. And by the way, Brady has acknowledged this, that young players, it's not his job to babysit him? I mean, we've had a lot of, you know, young players over the years try to come into our offense.

It's a challenging position because there's a lot that's put on receivers. You know, young players, it's hard to count on, there's been, you know, not a lot of young players that have had major contributions in our offense. That's just the reality of that position. We have, I think, a high level of communication, high level of detail. And I think sometimes it takes guys a few years to understand that.

Yeah, a few years or they don't work at all. And we've seen a lot of that. All right, 40 years in the business, if you gamble on football, you'll like you play fantasy football, or you just want the smartest guy who breaks down stuff as objectively as anybody can. It's Greg CoSell. Last week, we got into a very heated exchange. I think Mason Rudolph stinks and he likes him. So this week, of course, I feel great, but it doesn't mean much.

So I don't like Mason Rudolph, Greg. What do you say now? Well, let me ask you a question. Are we in the business now of just judging players game by game? So I guess now Kirk Cousins is a lead and Deshawn Watson stinks. In fact, I think we should judge players and evaluate them on each individual throw as opposed to letting them even play games. You're being sarcastic.

And by the way, I didn't say Mason Rudolph was great, but that's not the issue. The issue is the evaluation of players and how we do this now because social media is so big, and everybody's on Twitter or Facebook or whatever, and we now evaluate every single throw and every single run. And, you know, it gets a little silly. So let's go to Deshawn Watson. Let's talk about that because I thought that was as, I think he's a very poised player. I thought he lacked composure. I thought he played poorly.

What did the tape say? He did play poorly. and in fact, I thought it was arguably one of his worst games. And it started with that sack forced fumble on the first series. And the thing that immediately stood out to me on that play is when he took the snap from center, he drifted right into the pass rush. And then because he himself caused the pressure in order to avoid the pressure, instead of just sliding back to his right,

because he had Hopkins wide open on the dig, he ran to his right, and he made the play frenetic. So that started early in the game, and he played that way for much of that game. So it was just one of those games where he played poorly. I would expect he'll play much, much better tonight. I want to go to another young player. We haven't talked a lot about him. You know my affection for him, Sam Darnold.

I do not like the Jets offensive line. Lavian Bell can't find crevices either. But I do think in the last two to three games, he's more settled, he's more measured. Now, again, he'll uncork, an egregiously bad throw. every weekend. But I think the last two or three weeks, there's been some progress. At least that's what my eyes tell me. They play the Raiders this week. What have you seen? Well, I think Donald's a fascinating watch because I would say overall that his style is there's not a lot of rhythm or comfort to his game. He often has the look of a quarterback who's playing fast.

And he's a very odd guy in this sense, Colin. His feet in the pocket look heavy, but his feet look lighter when he's out of the pocket on the move. Fascinating. And that's very rare for a quarterback. So I think there's good things to like. He's an awkward thrower. His eyes and feet don't work together particularly well. There's too many throws where he does not step to his throw, yet he can make

throws when he does that. I think in the last couple of weeks there's been a little better meshing between Donald and Adam Gase, and there's been some well-designed plays that have worked very effectively. So I think that will continue to get better, but I always find him an interesting evaluation for me,

even going back to his days at USC. Well, it's not the Russell Westbrook thing. Russell Wexbrook's a great athlete, but was he ever a great point guard? Sam Darnold's a great athlete. Is he a great natural thrower of the football and a great quarterback? There are guys. Sam, to me, is just an athlete who makes stuff happen, but he can be inartistic. He can be in elegant sometimes when you watch him play. And those are two good words to describe him. I still think he must become a little more decisive in eliminating what's not there and isolating what is there within the structure of the play call. And then I think he'll become a better player because you can't live off outside of

structure plays. One of the games that's getting overlooked, we all know New England, Dallas is big, and we know San Francisco Green Bay is lost in that is the Rams Baltimore on Monday. And it's interesting. I just looked at a line out of Vegas and the spread is three. And I thought, boy, Baltimore, my eyes tell me Baltimore has a real identity. and the Rams kind of appeared to find there as a little last week. So let's address the elephant in the room, Todd Gurley.

He looked pretty good. They kind of feel like they're back to being what they kind of want to be. I mean, did you take anything from that Rams win over Chicago? The only thing we don't know is if that necessity was the mother of invention because they did not have crooks and woods. So what they did in that game, which they have not done under Sean McVeigh, is they had 34 snaps where they had two tight ends on the field. And in their previous nine games, they only had 65 snaps total with two tight ends on the field.

So they lined up with two tight ends, and they ran Gurley. And that's what they did in that game. He had 25 carries. But I must admit, watching Gurley, and this is watching the tape, I think at this point, and maybe it's injury, he's a straight line, stiff downhill runner. He's got very little wiggle, not much lateral agility. He doesn't have the burst he used to have. There's no more explosive violence to his running. where he breaks tackles.

This is what Joy and I said. He's good. But the juice, the wiggle, it's gone. This is what he is. And by the way, you're paying him. So give him his 18 to 20 tackles. By the way, let's segue to a team where I think they'll be in the playoff chase for another five or six weeks. But when Deshaun Jackson left the Eagles, so did all their speed.

You called it. They're flat. They're slow. And they're slow and they're flat. And I think you've been ahead. of this, you just kind of think they're a draft away from getting faster and more competitive. They need Alabama's receivers. I mean, and Wynce did not play well this week. There's no margin for error at all with their offense. Zach Gertz is a very good tight end, but not the kind of

tight end who can be your number one weapon because there's not a vertical element to his game. Right. So there's no margin for error on offense. They did not run the ball particularly well. They had one long drive, and they only had one play in that drive, I believe, over 10 yards, and that's a very hard thing to do in the NFL. And the one play over 10 yards was a 21-yard screen to Goddard. But they're a very slow offense. Their trio of receivers, even when Jeffrey comes back this week, is still bottom third, maybe bottom two or three in the NFL.

And I think the players they have and the quarterback don't mix. Because Wence is not a pinpoint Drew Brees type player. He's much more of, let's say, and I'm not, you know, I'm talking stylistic. I don't want people to think, oh, you're comparing him to a Hall of Famer. Once is much more, I think, of a Brett Farr mentality. Yes, I totally agree, yes. And so I don't think that goes together. Let's shift to the Cowboys and New England.

Speaking of weapons, the Cowboys are in the top two or three in the league. How does their offense match up against what appears to be the best secondary and the best defensive mind? How does the Cowboys offense match up against New England to you? It's going to be fascinating because let's assume Cooper is Cooper Health. We don't know that, but let's assume their trio of wide receivers is as good as there is in the league. Yes, yes. And then say what you want about Zeke. I know the last two or three weeks, the numbers haven't been big,

but I don't think we're going to say he's not a great player. So they have everything. Now, Collins will be out, but they still have a very good D-line O line. Prescott's pristine in the pocket most of the time. It's a really good offense. So I don't think that Belichick will dramatically change his approach. I don't think all of a sudden you'll see high percentage zone. They do play a lot of man.

The question is who does Gilmore match up to? Because there's different ways to do this. You can match up to the number one or you can match up to the number two and double the number one. There's many ways to go about playing. You can do combination coverages. He increases blitz frequency depending on the situation. To try to get into Belichick's head, hey, I'm not going to presume I know what he's going to do.

But this, to me, this unit matchup is the most fascinating unit matchup of the weekend. Good stuff. Now let's talk about the Patriots offense. We know Grong. Not very good. No, no. Now, it is very, it's customary to blame the quarterback. Like when the ram struggled, it's all golf.

But I will say this about the Patriots left tackle. It's not good. It's a problem. That seems to me, I thought Tom was very frenetic. He wanted the ball out quickly. It was in his head, not seeing ghosts, but hearing something. What do you make of their offense and the problems that persist? Well, without being in Brady's head, I think he's playing as if he does not trust his protection.

Yes. Because I think that he's starting to play a little fast at times. He's getting the ball out even quicker than he normally does. He's been inaccurate on throws that he's normally not inaccurate on. Really, at this point, and then we don't know what Nikiel has. Harry is yet. At this point, I think Edelman is the only receiver he feels really good about, and Sunu might not even go this week, and he's still new within that offense.

The big difference is they're not running the ball. People forget, because it's Tom Brady, and he deserves all the credit people give him for obvious reasons, but people forget they ran the ball down the stretch last year. Yes. They lined up with a fullback in Devlin who's out, and they ran the ball out of two back sets. And that was the foundation of what they did down the stretch the last 7, 8, 9 games. They have not been able to do that this year. Yeah. No, listen, I think people are just forgetting. This is not Brady's getting old.

Kicker, left tackle, gronk. They don't have special athletes. I think you're really right on this. I think Edelman's the one guy Tom feels comfortable with, and it ends after that. So let's go to San Francisco Green Bay. You know, it's funny. Aaron Rogers will get the press. Aaron Jones, maybe the most important player for the Packers, because I do think you can at times run against San Francisco. So, you know, let's talk a little bit about this game. Now, Russell Wilson and Kyler Murray twice in the last three weeks have given San Francisco's defensive line a little pause.

Do you think Aaron has that same kind of nimble ability to make the defensive line for the 49ers slowed down a bit? At times, but I think they'll start with the run game because I think that Matt L'Lfore's approach. And I think that the way Jones and Williams have been playing as a one-two punch, they feel pretty good about their ability to run the ball and work off that. And as we've discussed, I think that Aaron Rogers has bought in quite a bit,

because the record obviously is good, and that he's playing much more within the structure of the offense. And they're going to play a team that likes to play with a single high safety, although this past week they played a lot out of split safety. But if he gets Adams one-on-one, whether it's against Sherman or it might be Witherspoon being back this week, I think he's going to take his shots to Adams. I think that they'll try to run the football as a starting point of their offense.

Now, George Kittle, who is kind of Gronk-esque for San Francisco, don't feel like they have quite the offensive identity without George. Your play of the week involves Jimmy Garoppolo, who, again, sometimes I'll make a throw. I winced at, but I think overall I like him. I think he's got confidence. He plays with a little swagger. So what's our play of the week? Well, let's just come me prologged real quick.

the Cardinals went what we call zero blitz on second and seven just outside the red zone, almost the same spot of the field of my big play, with 447 remaining in the fourth quarter. So now that was on tape. The 49ers knew that. So now we get to this play, and it's later in the fourth quarter, obviously, okay? So let's just run the play. And we're going to run the play here, and we're going to see that it's going to be a touchdown to Wilson. and this was actually a really interesting play.

So we're going to see Wilson catch this, and it's going to be a touchdown. But what happened here, and it's interesting Wilson was in the game here, and not one of their other backs. So as we take a look at this, you're going to see that Garapolo is in the shotgun. Yep. Now, Wilson is going to be next to him as the offset back. Yep. Now, right now, it looks like there's a single high safety in the middle of the field. Trale and Thompson looks like that that's what the coverage is.

but this is going to be different. You see these three players now, they're all going to blitz, and this is not a double A-gap blitz. It will be a triple-A-gap blitz. Three defenders attacking the A-gap. You can't block that. Certainly not if you release your back, and the back released into a route.

So this cannot be blocked. Now, we're going to go back to the snap of the ball because we want to go back to the single high safety. He's going to vacate the middle of the field. There's the single high safety now. longer going to be there. He's going to vacate the middle because he's going to be part of man-to-man coverage on the trips side of the offense. So this is going to be zero blitz. Wilson now is the offset back is going to be covered by Chandler Jones. That's obviously a mismatch, but they're

hoping that the pressure will get there. Now the Niners saw the same concept, as I said, three, four minutes earlier in the game. So now you see Wilson run his angle route beats Chandler Jones. It's a touchdown. Really smart play call. I don't want to say they knew this was coming, but there's, I'm sure, an anticipation that you're going to get that because you would see it from the exact spot on the field a couple of minutes earlier in the game. And by the way, when it happens, Garapolo has less than two-tenths of a second. If he doesn't make that read, he's going to get smoked and be on his back because that got really close. Boy, that is. You talk about precision in the NFL. You've got to make that read. Boom, boom, boom, throw touchdown.

Greg Kosell, 40 years NFL films. Love having you on. Greg, thanks. Appreciate it, Colin. Thank you. You bet. Good stuff today. By the way, I was thinking about that. We have LeVar Erington in studio today. I think Jason Garrett's going to be on the hot seat. We'll talk about that.

You know, it's very funny about load management. So last night, first time this year, Kauai and Paul George played. And I have an analogy. I tend to do those about load management. And I want you to hear it because I think it's a it's a big risk, not for the NBA, but for individual teams. And I know not many are doing it, but I have some thoughts on that.

Plus, the hot seat, the herd hot seat. I think Jason Garrett is in big trouble if Dallas loses this Sunday. And I'll break it down for you. That's around the corner. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the IHeard Radio app. Last night, a blown call changed the game. This morning, the internet lost its mind.

Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where SportsSlice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real.

From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. SportsSlice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to SportsSlice 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. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience

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

and we don't know when we've done enough because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth? Are you a good person because you're afraid Because that's two different intentions, bro.

Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. What's up, guys? This is Clivert Taylor the Fourth.

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

What? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Clifford show on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, it's Edwin Castro, also known as Castro, 1021. And I'm Kunky, his best friend and business manager. And we've got a new show called The 1021 podcast.

I'm taking you behind the scenes on how I became one of Twitch's most popular streamers. We also love sports. And with the World Cup right around the corner, we'll be breaking down the biggest storylines ahead of the big tournament here in the USA. Listen to the 1021 podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Tonight, Thursday night football has one of the most dynamic players in the league as Deshawn Watson and the Texans host the Indianapolis Colts in a battle for first place in the AFC South. It all starts at 730 Eastern, 430 Pacific on Fox, NFL network, and streaming on Prime Video.

Now let's talk Thursday night football Super 6. The last question for tonight's game is which team will win and by how many points? Colin, who you got? Texans 2723 Marlon Max out for the Colts. Deshawn Watson has gone 26 games in his NFL career. without a back-to-back loss. Second longest streak in the NFL, I think, to the Saints. Texans don't lose back-to-back much.

Marlon Mac is out. Deshawn's coming off his worst game as a pro. I don't think he's going to stink. I think he's going to be good tonight. By the way, it's so funny last night, the Clippers. Paul George played and Kauai Leonard played. But there's a load management thing happening with the Clippers, primarily Kauai Leonard. And it reminds me there's a comedian out that are funny guy.

Sebastian Manikowsko does a bit on Uber. And I can't go too far into it. It can be a little explicit. But he goes, can you imagine 20, 25 years ago if an SUV pulled up to your house, somebody you didn't know said, get in. You'd be like, get out of my neighborhood. What are you talking about? It seems like a disaster. But Uber is revolutionized transportation.

I don't even use my car when I get home. So when somebody pitched Uber the first time 10, 15 years ago, investors probably thought, strangers? You're getting into a stranger's SUV. This is not great, but it has revolutionized it. Load management feels a little bit like this. It could revolutionize the NBA. Stars can play longer. They only play 58 to 62 games.

They're healthy for the playoffs. That's all, you know, we all talk about on these talk shows. And you win a championship and you don't have to play all the games. The problem with load management, it becomes very much. It's either a parade or it's really ugly. If you don't win in June, then it's crappy for fans. I mean, can you imagine in Michael Jordan's prime in Chicago? I mean, misses 15 home games.

That's why everybody in rural Illinois wanted to go to the games to see Michael. So it's bad for fans. It's crappy for TV ratings. We see the numbers. It's not good for your television partners. At Fox, we want Aaron Rogers to play if he can play. Your TV partners are yelling and screaming. I also feel that it can build up a little bit of resentment.

I mean, if you do it one year in Toronto, it's Canada. They want a title. They never do. But if you did it four or five years in Los Angeles, I do think you could build up a little bit of resentment. And frankly, the optics are kind of paying you a lot of money. You should probably earn your check a little, right? And that's what I feel with the Clippers.

I think, again, if it works and it worked in Toronto, because Toronto didn't have much of a history, I don't think the Clippers love this, but they're the Clippers. It was sort of like LeBron in Cleveland. LeBron's like, you do get on the best player in the world, and you're Cleveland. And so Cleveland acquiesced and said, just do whatever you want to do. Well, the plan will take off when you want it.

And I think with Kauai, they're the Clippers. And they're just going to do what we'll sign up for the 62 games. I don't think they love load management. I don't think they love that LeBron in the same building plays every night and is going to be the MVP, and he's generating the relevance and the buzz. Last night's a good night for the Clippers. They owned L.A. basketball.

And that's a good thing. And I think they signed up to own L.A. basketball for the next seven, eight years. but I do feel with load management, it is a little bit, if it works in June, then you're fine. Then it's all good. But in a very distracted competitive city, when LeBron's in the building,

if you don't, there is kind of a, I think it could turn pretty quickly. It would be like, all right, dude, we're not winning and you're not playing. Because I think owners eventually and GMs, you know, they want their guys out there. I know I do as a fan. I turned the game on last night.

Oh, I got Paul George and Kauai and Jason Tatum and Gordon Hayward. It felt bigger. A game felt bigger last night. Stars were playing it. This is a star-driven league. It's not baseball. Or by the fifth inning now, because of analytics, you go to a middle reliever. I like stars in the NBA.

And I turn that game on last night, and I'm like, oh, this feels big. And then you watch the crowd, and the crowd thought it was big. And the players thought it was big. And you watch that game last night. You're like, it feels like a first round playoff game. And I think that's because. there was no load management last night. It was just management of great players

who were all playing. Joy with the News. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. By the way, I was thinking about this, Joy, too. Commissioners, if you got Adam Silver off the record and say, who do you want in the finals, you know he's rooting for James Hardin or LeBron who play 80 against Yannus who plays 80. I mean,

commissioners aren't, Adam's not rooting for this thing to end up. Well, I feel like it's a little bit. like last year with the Rams were paying everybody it was very player centric and it felt like people were like kind of rooting for that to fit. I was rooting for it to succeed because it was incredible and we didn't even know

like whose money are they spending. But was the league rooting for it? I mean the higher ups and the owners probably not. Players yes because that's a pro player situation. Again, Kauai is the big winner here. At the end of the day he got a championship. So if they get a championship with him doing load management, it's going to

It's going to trickle down. It's going to become a thing. And I don't think that Kauai doesn't play because he's not healthy. I do think that Kauai, to his credit, has managed his body impeccably. Because the Spurs wanted him to come back and play, and he wasn't ready. He got the last lap. He got the championship. So if anything, like, run your body how you want to when you feel healthy.

So Bill Belichick never underestimates his opponents, obviously. He speaks very highly of them before every game. And this week is no different. Patriots are preparing for the Cowboys to come to town. and he's going into his first game against Stack Prescott, and Belichick says he's very impressed with the Dallas quarterback so far. Yeah, well, we haven't played him, so this is the first time we played him. But right now, yeah, he's super impressive.

I mean, this guy can throw the ball. He's very accurate. He's got great poise in the pocket. Stans in there. I mean, he can extend plays and run if he has to. He's got good weapons, but he's been. super impressive. Great quarterback.

I actually think he's being honest. He is. It's just that he does this all the time. He does, but if you just never saw Dak last the last four games, the only time you'd ever seen Dak. We didn't know where he went to college, and I said, here's a tape of Dak, what do you think? I think he'd be like, oh, he's like a top five quarterback in the NFL.

That's what he looked like for the last month. Dad's having an incredible season. He leaves the NFL in passing yards and yards per cent. He's second and touchdown passes behind Russell Wilson. He's having an incredible season for sure. Everything he's saying is true. It's just that Bill Belichick does this before every single opponent. I don't know if he calls every single

quarterback a great, great quarterback, but it's super impressive, but he does sing the praises of his opponent every single time. Now, Cowboys, where I receiver Randall Cobb said the game will come down to which team can break the other down mentally. I would agree with that. I feel like the Patriots always respects their opponents

no matter what, which is why they're so great, because they don't go into any... There's part of a psychology for what he's doing. So, like, we kind of joke about it. Like, he always He always speaks highly of the opponent, but you don't ever want to go in thinking, this is, you know, it's whatever. It's on to Cincinnati. It's just Cincinnati.

It's just Cleveland. Like, it doesn't matter. It's the NFL. It's not college. Anybody can beat anybody any Sunday. And that can change the outcome of your season. So I do think that it's a smart tactic, but it's, it's very Belichakian. Yeah.

So when the Raiders traded Kalil Mack to the Bears, to the Bears, obviously, it was the consensus that Chicago won the trade. We were just talking about this this week. But now the Raiders are leaning on rookie running back's judgment. running back Josh Jacobs and have a legitimate shot to make the playoffs. And John Gruden said that GM Mike Mayock might be basking in the glow of the success of the Jacobs pick. And he thinks he should get a little credit too. He's doing all the interviews, taking all the credit for Jacobs.

You can have all the credit, but Jacobs wouldn't be here if we didn't have the picks. John Gruden, cool. He's the best. Well, they received the 2019 first round pick and sixth round pick. pick in a 2020 first round pick in the trade for Khalil Max. So they did get Jacobs in that at the 24th overall pick, which is the pick from Chicago. He's been incredible for them this season. I wonder if he's even better than they thought.

I mean, I watched him in Alabama. I thought he was a really good back. He's the best Alabama. Am I crazy on this? Of all the Alabama backs last decade, is he the best? Looks like the best in the NFL. Well, I mean, he's having an incredible season. I think, I mean, he is still a rookie.

And he is 24th overall. It's not like he was, you know, a fifth round pick. No, but I mean, I watched him at Alabama and he wasn't one of their workhorse guys. Like, can you watch him in the NFL? I'm like, he's better than I thought. I thought he would be a nice NFL back. I thought it was a little bit of a reach. I'm like, he's more of a second round guy.

I think he's unbelievable. Well, he's fourth in rushing guards behind McCaffrey, Cook, and Nick Chubb. So, and a sixth in rushing touchdowns. He's having a great season for them. He felt like a second round running back to me. Like a Nick Chub. You're like, you know, Nick Chub. I mean, at 24th, yeah, like you, it depends on what you.

you need obviously that he could easily slip into the second round. I'm trying to think of the Alabama. Mark Ingram, Derek Henry, I think he's better than those guys. I'll tell you what, his first step, nobody gets a shot at him. I don't know. He's really clever. Pretty great. Naja Harris coming out here soon.

He's going to be really good. Yeah. Finally, the Rams will be the next team trying to contain Lamar Jackson. They face the Ravens on Monday night. That would be a great game. We got three massive games this weekend. Yes. And tonight.

So Lamar's been getting a lot of comparisons to Michael Vic, obviously. and Jalen Ramsey decided to ask Michael Vick for some tips on how to stop the current MVP frontrunner. He posted this on Instagram. So Mike Vick, how would you stop someone like, well, kind of like yourself with the 2019 version? I need tips for the game, and it's a picture of Jalen Ramsey and Mike Vick on the field. I mean, Michael Vick has a record for most career rushing yards by a quarterback with 6,109, and the most rushing yards by a quarterback in a single season with 1,039. So Lamar needs 259 to break a single season record.

It kind of feels like that's in jeopardy. I don't understand this line. I like Baltimore by double digits. I don't. I just don't understand it. I mean, it is a West Coast game. Okay. Again, it's not in Europe.

This is not in, you know, Russia. I mean, the Rams aren't. I bet you Baltimore's on a flight by tomorrow morning. I mean, it's just, I don't get it. I've watched both these two teams every week. How is it a field goal game? The Coliseum's a negligible, a one-point advantage at most. Home field.

It's not even a home field advantage. I don't know. I just don't think that the Rams are that bad. I think their defense is really interesting. I don't think, I don't, I think their defense is, I think it'll be a low story. They got the running game going last week. You know what it is? Is the line still three or three and a half?

What is it? Three. Boy, I like Baltimore. I'm sorry. I just three and a half, I'd kind of, you know, the half points everything in Vegas. The one thing about Baltimore last week, though, as great as Lamar Jackson was,

their defense was incredible. Both these defense are really good. You know what the line could be? Vegas is telling you, it's going to be 2320. It's just going to be too low scoring, so three points is a big deal. Yeah.

Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd-Lie News. Levar Arrington's around the corner. We don't get him very often. He's on speak for yourself a lot. He's got good stories.

is. Lavar Arrington's going to be joining us. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves.

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

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

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

Join me, Kear Gaines, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. What's up, guys? This is Clever Taylor the 4th. And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff.

Like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker walks up to me. He goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Quarterback on office blue with 42. A rep. My mama want you to wave at her.

What? Hey, Ms. Parker. Listen to the Cliffer Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, it's Edwin Castro, also known as Castro 1021. And I'm Conky, his best friend and business manager. And we've got a new show called The 1021 Podcast. I'm taking you behind the scenes on how I became one of Twitch's most popular streamers. We also love sports.

And with the World Cup right around the corner, we'll be breaking down the biggest storylines ahead of the big tournament here in the USA. Listen to the 1021 podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Valvar Arrington and Joy Taylor grew up in the 412. That's a Pittsburgh area code. That's right. That's right. Keeping it real.

I still have a 412. I know. The other day. No, I do not. I've gone through so many free phones that I've had area codes that I don't even know the area code where it is. No, I totally get that. So I was saying earlier that every dynasty has a small hole.

The Warriors dynasty, the problem is Stefan KD were fragile. Alabama's dynasty is Nick wears people out. After about three years, coaches split. My knock on the dynasty for New England is they don't draft and develop receivers at a college. And it always feels like they're a receiver shy. And increasingly, they never have a vertical threat. See, I would fight. I would push back on.

They, it's hard to say they don't develop their receivers because they've had some amazing receivers. And Troy Brown comes to mind, you know, David Patton, Dionne Branch, Dion Branch, uh, Givens. I, I can't remember what Givens's first name was. David Givens, was it David Givens? It might have been David Givens. They've had, you know, Wes Welker. They got, now they have, Amindola. They, they have always had receivers. I just think when we get into putting. knocks on that they don't have receivers or their one receiver away, I think it's because they're not having that elite, that elite moniker put on their receiving court.

And I think that that's not, I don't know that that's a flaw. I think that that's by design. What do you mean? I don't think, I think the way that that Belichick and his coaching staff assemble their, assemble their personnel groupings for their offensive side of the ball

is based off of a very, very specific skill set of what it is that they're looking for precision. And I don't think it fits a lot of times what us in the outside world looking in fits the criteria

of what we think they should have. We think they should have an A-B or a Julio-Jones. And they don't, that's not them. When have they? I mean, when have they? Randy Moss for... But that doesn't count. Like a year and a half.

They brought them in. When have they drafted a guy that turns into a... They don't. They don't. And it's never happened. 20 years, never happened. Pittsburgh's done it four times, six times. It's hard for me to justify saying it's a flaw when I think it's by design.

That's interesting. All right. And by the way, Brady's never been considered a great deep ball thrower. Russell Wilson is. Big Ben is, Aaron Rogers is. Maybe they just don't think that's... He was not considered a great quarterback coming into the league. Well, he wasn't considered a great quarterback after the first Super Bowl.

He was a system guy, remember? He was a system guy. By the way, the kid that I like, I mean, I like Lamar Jackson. Okay. But the kid, I think, is fundamentally the best quarterback in the last two years. You're about to go with Deshaun? No. Oh, wow.

Tyler Murray. Oh. Nobody watches Arizona play. I like that. First of all, he and Russell Wilson, baseball players. I like that. Great throwers. Sliders.

Athletes. They look like second baseman short stops. A fundamental understanding of how to work well with others. I think he throws the prettiest ball. He's got a nice ball. Better than Daniel Jones. Better than Lamar. Better than Baker Mayfield.

You know, Doug Gottlieb said this earlier. We thought this was what Baker was going to be. Baker, because, you know, Baker was a little short. We say, oh, he's short and athletic. And they're like, now this guy. short and absurdly. I mean, I know a lot of people haven't watched Kyler-Marie. I think we're looking at Russell Wilson.

That's exactly what I see. You know the interesting thing, you do all sports. Baseball players have a lot of times a different demeanor than other sports. It's very even kill, right?

162 games. Don't get overly emotional. Don't stare at home runs. Emotion is pulled out of you. Even the way they speak. It's just. different. There's like a different type of way that baseball players have about them, right? By the way, Daniel Jones multi-sport, Russell Wilson, multi-sport, Kyler Murray multi-sport. These are not just football dudes.

They speak like, I think, a Tony Gwyn, and great Tony Gwynn. Like, Ricky Henderson is a guy who's a big fan of. And you just listen to the way they speak and the way they handle things. It's very, very different, very cerebral. Not saying that they're smarter than other athletes, it's just different. How about this? when you're a baseball player, Russell and Kyler Murray, they strike out a lot.

That's okay. They don't get... Sure memory, right? Yeah, they don't get... Yeah, you strike out all the, you bat 300. So these guys play baseball, they can totally handle an interception. They can totally handle failure

because you're failing constantly. I was with Kyler Murray during UA All-American Week when he was coming out of high school. You were. And I got to tell you, I was so impressed with his,

work ethic, his ability to be taught and coached, his attention to detail during the course of the week. It was amazing watching some of those guys. There was always, I did that game for four years and there was always three or four guys that set themselves apart from the rest of the guys that were there. Leadership, maturity. And Kyler Murray blew me away with his, go figure he's not. in high school at the time, his professionalism.

And I think that that's what you're seeing right now. When you say the ability to get out there and use his mental and deal with failure and deal with the shortcomings, they're losing games, but his interviews seem to be on point. He seems to be really establishing himself as a leader of this team at a very young age. And he seems unmoved. He's not wavering in any way. even though the team could possibly be having a better season, you know, record-wise. So I thought he was an impressive young man during that time.

I followed his career in college and watched him grow. Let me ask you this, Tua. Yeah. Would you still draft him? Absolutely. Thank you. Absolutely. And I would not lose, I would not lose steam on what he can be as a player based off of this injury.

That's not the injury. There are a few injuries that you would say at this juncture in professional sports where you lose, you lose some steam on who that person is. Shoulder injuries for quarterback. Sure. Different things like that. That worries because the shoulders are, Sam Bradford got banged up and I'm like, never college pro feet stuff. Elbows, like, you know, like the Tommy Johns. I've seen guys, you know, I was covering the. The Nats, shots out to the Nats.

I was covering the Nats when Strasbourg, you know, had to go through all of that stuff. And you were wondering if he could come back and be that type of guy. And so when you're throwing, like you said, when it's something that has to do with you throwing, there are certain injuries where you say, eh, we can take our chances getting them later. But, you know, they said he's going to have a full recovery based off of this. It's not that Bo Jackson type of injury he's sustained. He was hurt. They spotted it.

get a surgery, you're out and you're a cover. I think two is going to be one fine professional depending on what franchise he goes to. By the way, I'm going to give you a game who wins. Dallas, New England winner is... I'm going to take an upset. I think Dallas is going to upset him. Baltimore Rams winner is.

I think the Rams are going to upset them. San Francisco Green Bay winner is. San Francisco is going to lose the Green Bay. So you got upsets. way across. All dogs. All dogs. I'm not saying you're wrong on that, by the way. I think they're all really cool games to watch. By the way, weather

can be tough. Mishol and endurance X.D. Silicon Wiper Blades available only at Walmart last two times longer. Lovar Arrington. Excellent work hour three. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeard

radio app. Right now, Tommy John, giving my listeners early access to their Black Friday sale. Tommyjohn.com use code herd 20% off sitewide. Brian Scalabrini is here. We're just talking about stuff that we would never talk about. Before we get into anything, big game last night. Celtics had it and lost it.

A couple of calls go either way against the clippers. You're an expert in mosquitoes. I'm getting eaten alive by mosquitoes, and you said something about sugar. Yeah, don't eat sugar. Because the mosquitoes like sugar. Yeah. Don't all bugs love sugar? I didn't know that until today.

They do. It's probably because you processed sugar through your skin. So I processed sugar through my skin. And I just had a power bar and they're all over me. There you go. So you got to watch out. I had no idea about that. You went to USC.

I would have thought Harvard. Yeah. No, definitely not that. Okay, 11 seasons in the NBA. So last night, the Clippers, it had the two big Clipper games of the year have felt like a playoff game. The Laker game in the opener, they won, the Celtic game last night. What is your takeaway?

Many believe the Clippers are the best team in the league. What is your takeaway after the game? Clippers only? Best defensive team in the NBA right now. best roster for the playoffs in the NBA might not be have the best regular season record but this team is built for a playoff run because they have multiple wing defenders

and with length. That's what you're looking for when you're trying to win. And clearly the road seems it's going to go through L.A. It's going to go through LeBron and AD and you're going to have to have multiple bodies to throw at LeBron. That's what the clippers have. I get it to calls and all that stuff could have went either way. The most thing I took away from when the Clippers locked down in the fourth quarter, it was impressive. By the way, Paul George, a tad underrated, perhaps.

I mean, O'Kowai is great. That goes without saying. Paul, in Indiana, we saw him as a guy that was a really big talent, but you couldn't trust him big. I'm being told the Clippers think he's better than they thought. The work ethic, the guy, the leader. He's a real player. He's a two-way player.

He can play on the ball and off the ball. Were you at all interested in where they were going to go when they had the last shot? Paul George just came off hitting that shot against Oklahoma City. But they pretty much said, we're giving the ball to Kauai. We're clearing out. You win it for us or you lose it for us. I said this before. If you're asking me, get me a bucket.

Kauai is the best player in the league? Get me a stop. Kauai is the best player in the league? Now, is he as, you know, does he have the depth, the Swiss Army knife qualities of LeBron? But if you want me to get a bucket in the NBA, the mid-range still counts to me. Late.

He is the get-a-bucket guy in the league. league. I agree with that. I think late in the game because he could shoot it. He can turn the corner. He could shoot the three. He could step back. By the way, that shot was, I mean, eighth of an inch from going in. It was online long. And by the way, most of his shots were

short in that fourth quarter, but he put a little extra on it. So quite Leonard's a stud. I was just interested in seeing where Doc went. Load management. Now, Boston's a very Here's funny about load management. You know, Boston's a tough town.

You go out and you play. Larry Bird plays with a chip tooth, hockey guy, Bobby, your tough guy. L.A. is kind of stars. Hollywood guys work three months, you know, three weeks a year. I think load management in L.A. is an easier sell than load management in Cleveland, in Buffalo, in Boston, in Philly. I don't like load management, but I think in L.A. You can sell it a little.

Do you like it? Okay, I want to ask you, I want to go back. you like when Jordan won 72 and 10 when that Bulls team they were they were really aggressive in that third quarter and they would try to sit in the fourth you see the pitchers with ice on the knees and laughing and joking when Curry and that team won 73 games they were hard pushing to try to sit in the fourth quarter isn't that like a version of load management get in there and and beat teams beat them quickly get off the floor well here's why I don't like load management because I grew up in a small town in America

and I would go to one Sonics game a year. Sure. And we didn't have, we weren't rich. So if I went to the game and downtown Freddie Brown didn't play or Gus Williams or Dennis Johnson or Jack Sykma, I get that. I literally drove to the kingdom to watch Larry Bird. I'd never seen him outside of TV.

And I thought he was, he was my, you know, first, second favorite player. James Harden, if a young daughter loves the NBA, she's nine years old, and you drive from Beaumont to Houston, and James Harden sits. That stinks because this is a star-driven league. This is not hockey where guys are on. You can't tell if the guy's playing or not. All right, but that's nothing.

We agree to a certain extent, but Quiet Leonard and his injury history, and he didn't look good for the first three quarters of that game moving around, but the fourth quarter, he was excellent. So is he heard or is he not hurt? Or if he did play 82 games in 30 minutes a night, he might not be able to give you what you expect in the playoffs. It's just his, he's not LeBron. LeBron is a freak of nature.

He's an outlier amongst the elite athletes. Kauai is not. I don't think Kauai is. I think if he played as hard as LeBron and the Miles and he did all that and the usage rate as a LeBron, I believe his body would break down. So the clippers are doing the best job they can with the situation that they have. And they do, and they are trying to win a championship. And we live in this championship or bust society now.

Fair. So for Kauai Leonard, he goes. there, he's going to tell him I'm not going to play back-to-backs. I have this injury that we're nursing and we want to make sure that I can play in the playoffs. And last year, I played in the playoffs and I was good. So I feel for the

for the dad and the people and people getting their money for their kids to go to one game. I feel for those people. But for the Klipper organization and what they want to do, they're probably best sitting them. Most of those back-to-backs. Well, you went to USC. You're from a wealthy enclave probably in Southern California. I grew up rural. We didn't have any

money. It's a big difference. You maybe can't relate. All right. You got way more, you got way more street than me, for sure. Because I didn't go to USC on an athletic scholarship. My parents definitely forked over the $60,000. Actually, they paid $200,000 for me to even get into school. I was so lucky. Really? Happened to you all the way back then. That's where it started. How do you think I made it? So let's talk about this. Kyrie Irving's gone. Wait. The Celtics are clearly better. Yeah, way better. What kind of better?

Brad Stevens is allowed to coach these guys from top to bottom. It was hard for him to hold Kyrie accountable last year, and now he holds Kempa so everyone follows suit. Kemba is also a superstar who left Charlotte not to be the best player in Boston. He didn't leave a great situation right next to LeBron to go to Boston. He left a situation where he was the man. He was the best player. That's a good point.

He was third team, all NBA, to go with a team where he can, he'll have some help. So the situation is very different. Kemba is in the space where he wants to learn and wants to win. Yeah, then that's a real key. So Kyrie comes to Boston with a ring. Correct. And he's got a lot of money and he's got commercials. This is like, you're coming to the Patriots a little bit. Correct. You're making sacrifices. Mohamed Sanu. Oh, okay, I have a chance to make it special. And you did the ball movements better that you can see it as a former player. Well, he's a little different as a player because Kyrie dominated. the ball. Kemba will score in bunches. Next thing you know

five minutes goes by, Kemma could have 12, 14 points in those five minutes and then the rest of the time, if Jaylen Brown has a hot hand, he'll go to him. If Tatum has a hot hand, he'll go to him. So he wasn't like, I'm going to play, and a lot of superstars are like this. James Harton's like this. I'm going to play my

way and everyone else adapt. Kemma's like, how do you want me to play and I'll play that style? Let me finally. Luca Donzich is, he comes from Europe, or he was one of the better European players at his age ever, like 16, 16 years old and was playing against men and really, really good. And Joey and I were talking about this. I guess there's a little airy bird.

He can put it on the deck, pull up. He ends up at 6.7, he looks bigger than that because he's long and angular. And he looks 6.5. And everybody said he's 6.7. When you see him, I watch his game and I'm like, he's not jumping over, guys. he's quick but not, you know, Lamar Jackson. You know, he's not like he's athletic, but he's not a freak. Why is he so dominant?

Like, nobody can stop him. So go right, go left, put the ball on the floor. He's a great handle. Great handle. And very similar to LeBron. I'm going to be careful when I say these things because, you know, like I'm not comparing him to LeBron. But when LeBron gets his shoulders by a defender, it's over.

I don't care who that is. Kwai Leonard, whoever, Patrick Beverly, Marcus, It doesn't matter. Because of his size? His size and his strength. And they have no problem playing through contact. Luca's in the same category. The difference is LeBron could elevate and get himself out of trouble and finish through contact.

Lucas is getting there. And they're both unreal passers. How many times have you seen Luca go with the guy on his hip, challenged a big, and then find the guy wide open in the corner. Plus he's got a beautiful jumper, a much better jumper than LeBron at his age. So there's conversations going on. Is he the greatest 20-year-old to ever play? I know. It's funny, I got into this discussion last night with a buddy texting, and I'm like, I don't have the numbers in front of me. He does not look 20. His game is refined. For sure. For sure. He's more refined than LeBron. But I went back and I looked at LeBron when he was 20. And then I remember the games that I played against him. Then I started remembering, LeBron used to turn around and call out all the action that you were running. So if you were saying 22 side, LeBron would turn around and say, hey, cross screen right here, watch the wide pin. down. He might counter and go back door. And he's 20 years old. And I remember sitting on the bench

saying, how is he doing this? And by the way, he was getting, you know, 28 points, you know, 10 boards. A little bit of a basketball savant. Yeah, he's been off the chart. So where I stand is magic with the unbelievable finals MVP against Philadelphia, no Kareem, you know, a jump center, 42, 15, and 8. I won't put him ahead of Magic and I won't put him ahead of LeBron. But everybody else in the NBA, I think he's better than most of those 20s. We said this yesterday. If you told me in 16 years, he's a top eight score. Like, he looks like 28 points a game.

It's unbelievable. No, I mean, he reminds me of there's a little bit of Dirk where it's a little awkward. He's long, but he's stronger than Dirk. Sure. Not as long, but stronger than Dirk. There's a little bit of LeBron, but he's not quite as vertical. Correct. But I tell you what, there are guys, you know, this is funny, Scala.

I grew up with a guy in Alex English. There are guys in this league. that they just dropped 27. And you literally can watch him. And the game is over. You're like, Alex, you don't remember Alex English. Play for the nuggets. And you're like, Alex English had 36.

Yeah. I remember like two buckets. You watch Luca and you're like, he gets to 17 to 20 points. Like that. It's effortless. And another thing just to bring up, and I'm not trying to like be a Luca hater on this in this conversation, but the league is, it's a no touch league right now. So it would be interesting what it would have been like for some of those other guys.

to play in a league where when you drove to the basket, all the big men were on the perimeter versus all the big men were in the paint. Obviously, it's a lot easier to finish when there's no one in the paint versus having, you know, like, you know, when Jordan drove, there would be two centers, one power forward defensively and the other power forward would be stretched. So he's driving and dicing through three defenders. Same thing kind of with LeBron. This whole range shooting thing is really opened up stats.

No, there's no question. I mean, it's the same. It's a reason why James Harden could average 40 points. game this year. LeBron struggled with Roy Hibbert seven years ago when there were still some domestic bigs in the league. Correct. I mean, so it was a different, it's nothing against LeBron, but LeBron's always struggled

against, you know, when Kevin Garnett would just sit under the basket or Tim Duncan, LeBron struggled. For sure. And at that point, he didn't have a great trustable jumper. That's why I think LeBron said, I got to develop a three, because the big guy in the middle of the basket, who does not exist anymore, gave LeBron trouble. It gave Michael Jordan some trouble. gave everybody trouble.

Right. But those big guys now, there's a five-man shooting threes, and that big guy now is if he's at the rim, then you're giving up a wide-open shot. So think about how that opens up the floor for a guy like Luca Dongeus. I mean, his five men are Keebler and Porzingis, both guys who stretch. So it is just, it's very interesting to watch how the game has changed right now,

and the numbers are showing that with, if you're a dynamic guard who can handle pass and get to the basket and shoot, oh boy. You can do a lot of things in this league. Scal, appreciate the help on the mosquito. I'm not going to have a power bar for the rest of my life. I looked at Joy, and she's like, oh, yeah, mosquitoes eat me alive too. As long as they're not eating me.

I mean, I'm sorry, Colin, but. I'm on my own. You are. Hey, guys, get your own. Dove Man Plus Care. Don't wear, don't use your girlfriend shampoo. Dove Men Plus Care. Brian Scalabrini, it's available at Walmart.

He is not. Thanks for coming on the show. Thanks, Colin. Thank you. All right, Joy, with the news. No. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news.

All right. Well, Miles Garrett had his appeal hearing with the NFL yesterday for his indefinite suspension. Yes, he did. According to ESPN, Garrett made a stunning accusation about Mason Rudolph. Adam Schepter tweeted the report saying, In an appeal with the NFL, Brown's defensive end, Miles Garrett alleged that Mason Rudolph called him a racial slur prior to last week's brawl on Thursday night football. sources tell ESPN's Josina Anderson and me

an accusation that the Steelers quarterback strongly denies. Mason's attorney has put out a statement vehemently denying the accusation. The Steelers rep said that Rudolph will not discuss this any further and is focused on the Bengals. He was scheduled to speak with the media today, which has been

canceled. I would obviously have no idea if it's true or not. I generally think people don't lie. Have the teammates said anything? Yes. So, more and more people are now being asked about it since then. Freddie Kitchens was asked about it. He said he's sure Miles presented himself professionally during the hearing. He's been nothing but professional with his responses since the incident. The team will respect the arbitrator's decision

on the appeal. He said he stands by Miles and wouldn't give details about what he and Miles talked about when he was asked if he knew about the slur. Cam Hayward was also asked about it. And he said, I don't condone racial slurs ever. Mason's dealing with that. He's going to be labeled for it. It's just not right. It's very serious. We all have a brotherhood in this league and we respect the league it should never get taken out of context and I think those words should be put in our game but to use that as an appeal and think that's okay one action doesn't deserve another they uh Garrett also used the precedent based argument uh allegedly during his appeal um based off the Antonio Smith suspension for swinging the helmet

at Richie and Cognito which was two preseason preseason games and one regular season game and they also obviously appealed the indefinite suspension based off of the CBA which doesn't allow for indefinite suspensions. So more and more of players are going to be asked about this, obviously. And this is an explosive accusation, which the NFL is going to have to handle very delicately because there was a point in this scuffle where it was just Mason Rudolph and Miles Garrett. And that would be the two or three, well, two second moment when you would yell it. When Mason, when Miles Garrett was on top of Mason Rudolph, and people were saying he was pulling his helmet off in those moments.

Because after that, there was three or four people around. by, and there's no way you could, I mean, I'm not saying there's no way you could hear anything, but, I mean, it's chaos at that point. But there was a moment where it was just, just me and Miles Garrett. So the NFL is going to have to handle this very, very interestingly. Every time I watch this, it gets uglier. Yeah, well, this is going to change the opinion of a lot of people about what happened in this incident. And if it is true, I don't know how the NFL is going to handle that, but it's certainly going to change the opinion of how people feel about Miles Garrett reacting the way that he did. So Kauai Leonard and Paul George took the court together for the first time last night in a thriller against the Celtics.

Kauai stole the show with a couple highlight moments. He had a huge junk near the end of the fourth quarter and got the block on Kemba Walker's potential. That is so Jordan. It's such a great dunk, yes. Game time three and overtime to secure the Clippers 107-104 win. After the game, Kauai gave us another wonderful moment. Mark Medina asked him about his two big plays and this was Kauai's response. Why, can you take it through the dunk you had in the block?

What do you want me to say? Whatever you want to say. It's more of just the buildup leading to that play while you were seeing and your thought process with everything. Patrick threw me the ball. I took two gerbils to the paint and tried to jump high and dunk the basketball. And Kimball got open for a three

and I jumped my highest to try. I got a butt. Poor Mark Medina. I mean, this is Kwai Leonard. I feel him, though. He's always authentic. He's never outside of himself. However he feels in that moment is exactly how he's going to act.

If everyone's cheering, he doesn't feel like cheering, he's not going to do it. Kauai is not Jordan-esque. But that is such a Jordan-esque play. The large hands, the hold it up, bad. That's such an, I think we get kind of desensitized to dunks. That's a great dunk. That's a man dunk. It's a man.

That is a man done. One-handed, I mean, he's... Over a great player. Yeah. Finally, last night was a big night for Ben Simmons on his 18th career attempt. He finally made his first three-pointer of his NBA career. Here is the call of Simmons Big Moment. Oh, good.

I like this. Simmons! Yes! He did it! Ben Simmons! What quarter was that? That was a first. That was the first quarter.

It's great, though. He actually, dude, it's funny. He's got a good-looking. jumper. It does. It's not an ugly jumper. It's a beautiful left-hand. Listen, Ben Simmons has a lot more years to work on his game and get better. We see all-time greats reinvent themselves all the time. Look at LeBron James this year. So it can happen for anybody. That's, well, we sit here from our comfy seats in my heated blanket and talk about how, how easy it is to make NBA three-pointers. It's not easy. Most of you would throw your shoulder out trying to reach the basket.

Thank you. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. Thanks for stopping by. The Herd Lye News. By the way, I thought this was an interesting quote. Michael Bennett played for the Seahawks, then the Patriots, then Dallas went and got him. Michael's had, you know, he's been polarizing in the news a lot. Martell's Bennett, his brother, super talented. He said Bill Belichick is a savant who taught me a lot about football.

And it's interesting because the coach that Michael used to play for, he's calling a savant. The coach Michael Bennett now plays for Jason Garrett's never been called a savant. Here's Michael Bennett talking about his brief time with Belichick in New England. I learned a lot of football in New England. I think at the same time, I think as a player, you go into the situation and you think you know football, and then you meet somebody who's above you and knows everything about the game for me. I learned a lot about football in that situation, learn how to execute a high level, learn what it takes to develop players.

I learn what it feels like to, you know, break down game planning from a different perspective. And I think it was good for me as a player, you know, if everyone wanted to be a coach, should be a good situation to take into that. First of all, Michael's always been a bright guy. That's a pretty cool thing to say to break it down like that. But I looked at the line this week in this game, and I've said this to Joy, it should not be six and a half. It doesn't make any sense.

Foxborough's worth three. Quarterback, Dak right now is playing better than Brady. That's not disputable. I'm a Brady guy. Dax playing better. Weapons, not close Dallas. Offensive line, not close Dallas. Running back Dallas.

Linebacker Dallas. Kicker, Dallas. Tight end Dallas. Edge rush or Dallas. Secondary New England. That line is a Belichick line. That is a Belichick line. Three points for home field, three points to four points due to Belichick.

And that's why I said, I think if Jason Garrett loses, he's in big trouble. That line makes no sense. It makes no sense. New England has no vertical threat, doesn't have a tight end, struggles at left tackle, Sony Michelle doesn't feel the same. Brady's 42. Dallas's star players are having star years. and it's a six and a half point line.

They haven't lost there in 20 games. Six and a half? That is... So we're going to play the herd hot seat today. So where is Jason Garrett? Where is Jason Garrett in terms of heat if he loses to New England? Here we go.

The herd hot seat. Colin explains which NFL head coaches are feeling the heat using his favorite thing in the world. Fire emojis. All right. They're very... Very useful. All right.

So I'll give you a name of a coach. And since you love fire emojis, you can give me a scale of one to five flame emojis, how hot the seat is for these coaches. Freddie Kitchens. I think it's a five. I think a lot of people thought he wasn't ready for the job. They're four and six. I also think they lead in penalty yards.

I think the word is out there. You've seen several reports. People feel like situationally, Freddie's kind of learning on the job. So I'd say he's a five emoji. Anthony Lynn. I'd say two. Okay, remember, this is his third year, and he's been very successful. Last year he went 12 and 4, a year before, 9 and 7.

And I also think, because Philip Rivers has thrown so many picks, the onus is on Philip. It'd be one thing if Philip was having an MVP year. Philip has regressed. They had the Melvin Gordon situation. They had the Derwin James injury. So I think there's a little heat, but it is just burning embers. It's two. Bill O'Brien.

Again, I'm only going to go, I'm going to go two. Most people think it's higher. But remember, he's been there for six years. He's only had one losing season. And the people have always said the GM situation was toxic. So he went out. He went and got running backs and a left tackle. So I don't think, I think they're going to give him the rest of this year.

I also think with Deshaun Watson, they're going to win the division, really hard to fire a guy that keeps winning his division. He's only had one losing season. Ron Rivera. Again, new owner, three emojis. So three burn emoji. New owner, less patient, never had back-to-back winning seasons. You can say it's Cam, but that's not, I mean, you've got a new owner,

and this guy's never had back-to-back winning seasons. There's a little, new owners change the temperature in the room. You go from two to three emojis. Dan Quinn. This is a five alarm fire. Arthur Brank has been very patient. By the way, since the Super Bowl year, their wind total has gone down every year since 2016. 11, 10, 7, and 3.

They have a sub-500 record since the Super Bowl, and Kyle Shanahan leaves, who we all acknowledge is a great coach, and it feels like Kyle Shanahan was a bigger part of his early success than maybe Dan Quinn. Matt Nagy. See, I think he's only a two-flame guy. First of all, he won coach of the year last year. And again, much like Anthony Lynn and Philip Rivers,

I think people say you can't win with Mitch Trebisky. Minnesota's really good. Green Bay is really good. Detroit's probably the best fourth place team, arguably, in the NFL. So I think Matt Nagy gets off the hook. Trubisky gets him off the hook, too. Yeah, I agree. Matt Patricia.

I would say only two now. It could easily be three because I don't trust Detroit's front office and ownership. But in the end, Matt Stafford got hurt. And the minute Matt Stafford got hurt, and he's got some impressive wins, he beat Belichick. There are a couple of wins in here. You're like, oh, okay. Matt Stafford's injury keeps him from three to two. Pat Shermer.

Now, I think Pat Schumer's at three. The Mara family is patient. This could easily before. They start slowly. They just lost to the Jets. Okay, and the Jets are considered a total rebuild with a, I mean, really a total rebuild. And the Jets in their building,

with the Mara standing there up in the box, beat him. I think he went from two to three. They're two and eight on the year. And frankly, there are times they have looked completely not ready to play. in the first half of football games. And finally, Jason Garrett.

I think it's four. If they lose to New England, I think it's four. Ten years, never made an NFC championship game. Six and four on the season. His contract, by the way, is up. It is a clean break. Lincoln Riley is down the road. You've got two college coaches, Matt Rule at Baylor,

and Lincoln Riley at Oklahoma. Jerry has been very, Jerry will go to the college ranks. He went to the college ranks with Jimmy. Jerry's not somebody that's afraid of the college ranks. Jason Garrett loses Sunday when he has a better O-line, better quarterback currently, better weapons, better linebackers, better linebackers, better edge rusher, better kicker. Ah, I think it's tough.

I think it's a tough spot for Jason Garrett. The herd hot seat. Coming up, my college football picks, three of them off a winning week. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd, Weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHard Radio app. Go with MDrive, support your body's testosterone. MDrive from N.com, code heard. Refind your prime, 20% off.

All right, last week I had my college football picks. Not going to lie, did pretty well. People are talking about it. So what is the point of slowing down? Let's do it. All our odds provided by Fox Bet. Here we go. Ready to make some sweet cash?

Colin's going to give you his three sure best. That's for the college football weekend. It's time for Collins Markey 3. Penn State and Ohio State. I'm going to take Penn State plus 19 to keep it relatively close. The last three games in this series have been decided by 1.1 point and three points, and Penn State can move the football. Listen, Penn State ranks top 15 in scoring and scoring defense and scoring offense.

So does Ohio State and Ohio State's better, but I'm getting 19 points. Also, Penn State 2-1 against ranked teams this year. Ohio State goes to Michigan next week. Guess what? They struggle every year before the Michigan game. Penn State's got a good coach. They've got weapons on the outside. This is a James Franklin's a world-class recruiter.

Ohio State's a better team. But 19 points is a huge number. Penn State covers. Ohio State wins at 33 to 20. Michigan at Indiana. I'm going to take Indiana plus nine and a half. Wouldn't be shocked if they won the game, but I'm going to take the points here.

I'm betting the number. Michigan again, before they play Ohio State in the last 12 years, Michigan has been four and eight against the spread. Indiana's got a real offense here, folks. In fact, if you look at the numbers, points per game, total yards, yards per play, Indiana is better in all three. Okay, they've scored 27 or more in six straight games.

Again, if you just look at numbers, Indiana can go toe-to-toe offensively and score. And I think this to them is their bowl game. I think Michigan wins it. It has to come from behind to do so, 2723, but I'll take the nine and a half with the Hoosiers, a legitimate move the ball offense. UCLA and USC. USC, I'll take them. I'll swallow the 14. They have dominated this series, have the Trojans at the Colise.

winning 9 of 10 at the Coliseum and 8 by double digits. UCLA, 3 and 17 in their last 20 roadies, O and 3 against teams currently ranked. They're a one-dimensional offense. Bruins can't throw the ball. And USC can still win the Pack 12 South. This is USC's last game potentially under Clay Hilton. Will they play to fight for his job?

They don't play next week. So are they playing to win the Pac-12? Are they playing to save Clay Hilton's job? By the way, when they don't lose the turnover battle at home, USC wins their games and they win them big. I think USC rolls over a completely rebuilding UCLA roster, 36 to 16. Tomorrow I'll have my blazing five, so excited for that. By the way, don't use your girlfriend, shampoo, get your own Dubman Plus care. Fantastic stuff.

I'm taking Penn State to cover, Indiana to cover, and USC to absolutely roll. We'll see you tomorrow. SFI is next. 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 SportsSlice comes in. I'm Timbo, and every episode we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the biggest moments in sports

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