November 27, 2023 • 51 mins
Colin tries to solve the Bills issues after they lost another close game and now find themselves in danger of missing the playoffs despite having an elite QB in Josh Allen. He praises the Eagles for finding multiple ways to win games despite not always playing to the best of their abilities. He tells you why he was right about Sean Payton and wrong about Jordan Love. Plus, Fox Sports NFL analyst Michael Vick joins the show in studio to talk about Jalen Hurts establishing himself as one of the top QBs in the league right now.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Herd podcast.
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Speaker 2 (00:19):
This is the Best of the Herd with Colin cowher
on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Oh it's a loaded Monday. Coaches getting fired already in
the NFL, live in Los Angeles. It's the Herd. Wherever
you may be and however you may be listening. Thanks
for making us part of your day. One hour from now.
What a weekend. What a great four day stretch where
Colin was right, where Colin was wrong, there was plenty
(00:47):
of both. I am here to tell you that was full.
I even went to a hockey game. I was going
left and right last night. The Chargers never failed at
disappoint But I want to be friends with Bradley Cooper,
the actor, and I'm saying nice stuff about Philadelphia today.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Jmac.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
That team in close games, unbelievaboy.
Speaker 4 (01:08):
To get it out of your system now because the Niners.
Speaker 5 (01:10):
Are beating them this coming Sunday.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
Well, let's start with this. I do not believe in coincidences.
I do not believe in luck. I do not believe
in fate. I do not Philadelphia last two years is
fourteen and two in one score games, the Bills are
eight to nine. Why. They both have great quarterbacks, both
(01:32):
have good enough rosters, both have very smartly owned franchises.
Why the disparity Because the Eagles, as I've said before,
have an absolute offensive identity, and the Bills have a
really talented quarterback that's not an identity. They ask Josh
Allen to save the day, and sometimes he can, he's
(01:54):
a remarkable player, and sometimes he can't. And in fourth quarters,
in crisis, in close game, James, it's not enough. Seattle
defensive coach, Steelers defensive coach, Chargers defensive coach, Buffalo defensive coach.
What are their offensive identities? Eagles have an offensive coach.
Josh Allen is now zero and six in overtime in
(02:16):
his career. You think it's a coincidence, I don't buy it.
I don't buy fate, I don't buy luck. I don't
buy coincidence. Three times this year the Bills have faced
an elite quarterback last night Cincinnati, when Burrow was healthy
and the Jags and their own three. Why would that
be Because when they face a team that has a
(02:37):
quarterback that is at least in the stratosphere of Josh
Allen's talent Burrow, Jalen Hurts Trevor Lawrence, then the details
matter and the Bills run game, Oh, it's a little
better this year, but still incredibly Josh Allen dependent. He
had both their rushing touchdowns last night and half their
yards and once they get to the red zone, where
(02:59):
Philidel Aelphia can beat you so many ways, it's all
about Josh Allen making a play. That's what Mahomes has.
Mahomes has the advantage of a coaching staff that can
rebuild his offensive line in one off season, that can
rebuild the defense in a year and a half, that
can rebuild a receiving corps Buffalo six years in. Their
(03:23):
run game is still overly dependent on one guy, especially
in the red zone, Josh Allen. Philadelphia in the first
half played very lethargically, very flat, and gave the Bills
twice a turnover and a short field and Philadelphia led.
(03:44):
But in this second half, when Philadelphia forced the Bills
to drive down the field. Philadelphia had the drive down
the field too. Then it looked like the Eagles were
the better team, and they clearly have a better identity.
Fourteen and two the last two years in one score games.
I don't want to hear about officials. I don't want
(04:06):
to hear about luck. I don't want to hear about coincidences.
I don't know about. The league is rigged. Yeah, yeah,
that's what it is. They don't want the Cowboys to
win Super Bowl last thirty years, that's what the league is.
They don't want the Packers to make the playoffs last
year with Aaron Rodgers. That's what the league really wants. Now,
Philadelphia is great with an absolute identity, and the super
(04:26):
Bowl window, let's be honest, for Buffalo for the time being,
is closed because this year, Josh Allen, basically Superman is
an eighteen million dollar cap hit. You want to know
what Josh Allen is next year a forty seven million
dollar cap hit. So you've wasted all this time. You
have no offensive identity. You're super talented. I don't doubt that.
(04:50):
I think you have really good people in the building.
I think you have a smartly owned, smartly GM franchise.
You're not firing people left and right like that clown
show down in Charlotte. That's not about it. But again,
I look at some of these teams that are very
talented and they don't have an identity. You know who does,
(05:11):
then Niners, Phildelphia offensive coaches, and I think Sean McDermott
has some questions to answer. It's more excuses eight and
nine in one possession game the last two years, Josh
Allen zero and six in overtime. I do not believe
(05:31):
in coincidences. Here's the coach after.
Speaker 6 (05:35):
There's a tough group of guys in that locker room, right,
So tough group of coaches, and you know, we're a
good football team and we just came up. We came
out on the short end here. So there are no
moral victories. Each and every one of us have to
look at ourselves and like I told you, that starts
with me, and that's what you do. That's what the
(05:58):
best do. And our football team is a darn good
football team.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Little less prickly last night, little less dogmatic, didn't have
the answers. Sean McDermott knows mirrors have o has been effective.
People don't like to look at him. At least he's
acknowledging he does, which I appreciate. You cannot be owing
six and overtimes with Josh Allen. Nope, don't want to
hear about it. Nope. NFL is not routine against the Bills.
(06:26):
The NFL would love to have Josh Allen in a
super Bowl, super Bowl. They would love to have Josh
Allen super Bowl. They would have loved Aaron Rodgers made
the playoffs last year. Stop making excuses, start winning close games,
build an identity. Philadelphia has it. Speaking of Philadelphia, the
box score, it's just funny. That's why you gotta watch
the games every snap. The box score would give you
(06:47):
no indication Philly won.
Speaker 7 (06:48):
The game last night.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
It's a crazy time of possessions, first downs. It was
one sided. Buffalo out gained in four straight games, four
to zero in those games. And I don't want to
hear it well about the Steelers. No, because one team
has a big boy quarterback. Philadelphia can beat you six
different ways. They are the major league baseball pitcher that
(07:11):
has three to four out pitches. The Dolphins can fill
a stat sheet. The Eagles fill the win column. This
is what they do. They can play from behind, they
can smush you. They can roll in a track meet shootouts.
They can win ugly, they like last night, can have
an awful first half, awful and beat a good team.
(07:32):
Not a great team, Buffalo, but a good team. My
only question about Philadelphia is is Jalen Hurts underrated? Now
that sounds ridiculous, right because we talk about them all
the time, But from IQ to resilience, to playmaking, to
mobility to deep balls when trailing in the second half
for overtime this season, these numbers don't make any sense.
(07:54):
It is so hard to play this position when you're trailing.
His passer ratings almost one forty. He has seven passing touchdowns,
three rushing touchdowns and no picks. That's like better than
Mahomes in the early days. That is Patrick Mahomes territory
and Jalen Hurts is getting better. He's getting better. He
(08:16):
did this without Lane Johnson. When he was missing Lane
Johnson last year, wasn't the same offense. I mean, we
have watched in the last couple of weeks Mahomes, Josh
Allen and Jalen Hurts. You know play one another, Okay
in recent weeks, right, and I trust Jalen Hurts more.
(08:39):
I know now some of that's the Kansas City Chiefs
lack of star receivers. But I'm watching Jalen Hurts and
that dude is presidential. People used to make fun of
me when I used to talk about I want my
quarterback to be quarterback, yel, I want him to be presidential,
had on forward, buttoned up from the way Jalen Hurts dresses, talks,
(09:04):
podium playing. He is so buttoned up. He is so dependable.
There's a calmness with him. There's a maturity with him.
That last night, that game goes overtime, everybody in America
not living in the Buffalo area code is like, yeah,
Philadelphia is gonna win this game. He's got the ability
(09:25):
to be calm without being low energy, energized, without being
hyper and clutch, with no anxiety. It's really something special
to watch. And we've had quarterbacks not drafted in the
first round, Drew Brees' second round, Brady Russell, Wilson, Joe Montana.
We've had a lot of good quarterbacks that weren't top
ten picks. But you start looking at Philadelphia right now,
(09:48):
what separates them is their ability to beat you so
many ways and absolutely always be the best time on
the field if the game is tied, are close late,
And I think it all starts with Jalen Hurts. Think
about this. The last two weeks we have seen mahomes Allen,
and Hurts on the same field. Only one of them
(10:09):
is two to zero with seven touchdowns and two fourth
quarter comebacks. Like, I'm to the point now I always
thought he's somewhere in the top ten. Should we just
now put him in the Allen Mahomesboro category because what
I'm watching, from maturity to calmness, resiliency to IQ, everything
(10:33):
about this kid is right the podium, the field, fourth quarter,
post game, what he says before games when he talks
about injuries. I mean, if this is where the league
is going, Jalen Hurts My only question about Philadelphia? Am
I underrating this kid? Here's their coach after he's clutched.
Speaker 8 (10:53):
He's been clutch for us and clutch for this city
and clutch for this team for the past you know,
three years now, and you know, and so you know,
just he just kept you know, going and put his
head down and worked and made some big time plays
at the end.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
You know, who knows you don't have to be you know,
we understand in quarterback play it's not all linear. You're
not great every Sunday. You have good halfs, bad halves.
It's really hard. It's really hard to be quarterback. But
is there a more dependable quarterback late in games these
days than Jalen Hurts fourth quarter? It just he just
you know, again, I'm not saying the old line doesn't help,
(11:32):
but he's been missing Lane Johnson. I'm not saying the
running backs, the coaching, the receivers, they always have good
tight ends. I'm not saying it's not a community, but boy,
he is something. He is really something. In games like
last night and yesterday, there was a lot of bad
quarterback play, there was a lot of average quarterback play,
there was a lot of slightly above average quarterback play,
(11:52):
and then there's Jalen Hurts and it's just like wow,
and that second half, the ability to control things late,
crucial plays. And again you go to the box score,
you to think Philadelphia lost by two touchdowns and that's
the art of it. They've got out pitches, they don't
have to play great in the first few innings. They
can play from behind, they can win ugly. Miami Dolphins
(12:13):
fill a stat sheet. Josh Allen fils a stat sheet.
And I'm not knocking either, because Miami's a fun watch
and Josh Allen's amazing. Hurts wins games, and he wins
them the way you gotta win him. In December and
January and February, you're playing in cold weather, the margin shrink,
you often trail, the pressure's intense, and that kid just
gets better. That is that's innate. I think you're some
(12:36):
of that stuff. I don't think you can coach. Some
of that stuff is just in Jalen Hurts. But how
much fun is that to watch?
Speaker 7 (12:42):
All Right?
Speaker 1 (12:43):
Jay mac colin Wright Colin wrong forty five minutes from now.
I really do want to be friends with Bradley Cooper.
I think he'd like me. I want to be friends
with Jalen Hurts.
Speaker 4 (12:51):
He's unflappable, like I want that guy on my Rick
League basketball team. We're down ten late, He's not afraid
of anything. I will say, how excited are you for
the MVP showdown? Jalen Hurts versus Rock Party this week
in Philly you know I'm pushing that. Brock Purty MVP
Angle Hurts is the leader, by the way, seven for
seven in the red.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
Zone the last two weeks.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
Philly gets down.
Speaker 4 (13:12):
They can't be stopped in the red zone.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
Unstoppable, just touchdowns. It's really fun to watch. Some thoughts
on Jim Harbaugh Michigan. You thought you had them, you don't,
and now they're even in a stronger position. Why I
would make Michigan number one in the country today, I'll
explain that coming up.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
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Speaker 1 (13:38):
Oh it is great to have you in. So we
liked Michigan. We said, whoever's more committed to the run?
In the Ohio State Michigan game has won twenty one straight.
It's now official, it's twenty two. They both averaged about
the same yards per carry, but Michigan, once again was
more committed. Ohio State came into the game as the
eighth best rushing team in the Big Ten, and Michigan prevailed.
(14:01):
As we thought, there's always a silver line. Isn't this
a good message for life. Even in the darkest, bumpiest, ugliest,
most turbulent times, there is owa's a silver lining With
Jim Harbaugh off the field, they are six and oh.
In my opinion, Georgia is not undefeated. If Kirby Spark
(14:21):
misses six games, there's no way. Alabama's eleven and one.
If Nick Saban missed six games, they were lucky to
beat Auburn this weekend. Texas, no way, They're eleven and
one without Sark play calling being part of that offense.
Washington is not undefeated without Kaylin de Bores on the sideline.
(14:45):
Yet Michigan is so good. They're six and oh and
that would make me propel them today to the number
one team in the playoff rankings. And that is huge
because what nobody wants to do is face Georgia or
Oregon first. That number one spot matters a lot. I
get I think Tota Toe Oregon may be the best
(15:06):
team in the country. What you want is that number
one ranking so you can face Florida State with a backup,
or Alabama with a week quarterback, or Texas, who's very talented,
but it's Texas. They stubbed their toe a lot to me,
the only reasonable fair argument is Michigan number one, Oregon's
(15:31):
got a loss, Texas does Obama, does Georgia? What would
propel you to vote Georgia over Michigan. Who's got the
most impressive win Michigan. Who's got a first round quarterback? Michigan,
who went undefeated without their coach and the sidelines Michigan
(15:52):
George has always been about defense this year? Who's got
the better defense? Michigan. Harbaugh's absence now can only fairly
be viewed as a strength. Undefeated, beating two top ten teams,
(16:13):
defense better than Georgia, don't have a loss. All that controversy.
Ohio State is a really good team. I wouldn't be
bothered if somebody put Ohio State in is the number
four team. I think they're better than Texas. I think
they're better than Bama. Now, I don't think they're better
than one loss Oregon. I think Oregon again, maybe the
(16:33):
best team in the country. But everybody don't get two down.
The only reasonable fair take is that Harbaugh not being
on the sidelines and able to beat a team as
good as Ohio State that is a real big boy team,
That defense is really good and Michigan just kept getting
(16:54):
the ball and mowing over him and running over them
and scoring over him. Here was Jim Harbaugh yesterday.
Speaker 3 (17:00):
My focus has been with the team, you know, the
entire time this h It's been a tremendous season right right,
the exact position that we hope for that we worked
so hard to be in. And and it's onward. Now
there's uh, we've accomplished many of our goals, but not
(17:22):
all of them yet. You know, now the next is
winning the conference championship, and that's that's where our focus is.
Speaker 7 (17:28):
And so.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
I would say, you know, to be back, but I never.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
Left powerful right six and oh without him on the sidelines, Georgia, Texas, Bama, Washington, Oregon.
Could the other teams do that? Could they beat Ohio State?
Ohio State's good, Oisle State's really good.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd weekdays
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Speaker 1 (18:00):
So I think the Sean Peyton Denver Broncos story is incredible.
So just think about this. The Chargers could have hired
Sean Payton, they went cheap. They are now circling the drain.
Sean Payton left the Saints. They now look like one
(18:20):
of the worst coach teams in the league, circling the
drain and Sean Payton and Denver are surging. Anybody else
noticed this hottest team in the AFC. Do I think
they're the best team in the AFC? No, But every
metric and every data indicates that Sean Payton has got
Russell Wilson mister washed. That's what everyone claimed. Sean Payton
(18:40):
has got Russell back to being mostly Russell and Seattle.
The passing yards are down, all the other metrics very
even to Seattle. Also, the Sean Peyton took a shot
at Nathaniel hack that was inappropriate. Looks like it was
very right. The Jets are an unwatched nat Hackett tire fire,
(19:02):
and Sean Payton has won five straight. You may not
have liked his opinions, they weren't wrong. And when you're
truly great, and Sean Payton I believe is as a
play designer and an offensive coach, there is something called
the domino effect or the ripple effect that you will
have absolute influence on things you're not just directly connected to.
(19:27):
You think the Chargers would be struggling with Sean Payton.
You think the Saints would Derek Carr and Sean Payton
would be this inept offensively. Yes, they gave up seventy
points to Miami. Oh, I'm sure the trolls on the internet.
What of them? Every smart business person knows sometimes you
have to bottom out. It creates clarity, and that created
(19:51):
clarity in their five game winning streak. They've given up
eighty points total. When you watched that game yesterday, it
was the defense. The defense was like physical and nasty
in pushing Cleveland. Around four of their five wins, by
the way, have come against teams with winning records like
at Kansas. City's mixed in there. Yeah, it's a real team.
(20:14):
It's a real team. Sometimes you have to bottom out.
They did against Miami. But Sean Payton, I said it before,
This was a big lift, way bigger than he probably presumed.
And I don't think Russell Wilson is the perfect quarterback
for his system. I think it's pretty difficult. This is
not his ideal quarterback. But he's making it work. Is
(20:37):
what great coaches do. And the ripple effect of Sean Payton,
the Chargers, the Saints, even the Jets. Now, Yeah, the
Jets took that coach. That's a ripple effect. Here's Sean after.
Speaker 9 (20:48):
We felt like this was going to be a pretty
physical game with a lot of respect for this team,
and fortunately we jumped ahead early on in that first half.
And again we.
Speaker 7 (21:02):
Have a game.
Speaker 9 (21:03):
We have three takeaways. I think that's four weeks in
a row.
Speaker 7 (21:06):
Now.
Speaker 9 (21:09):
We were better in the red zone. There were a
lot of things we did today that that I was
pleased with, and we felt like we beat a good
football team.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
They did efficient, buttoned up low turnovers. Isn't an amazing
too In the NFL, it's crazy, And I don't think
Denver feels like a playoff team. But when you get
the quarterback playing well in this league, isn't it amazing?
How good the other players look? Go back one year
(21:40):
and I was guilty.
Speaker 7 (21:41):
I was like a.
Speaker 1 (21:44):
Patrick's or tanz are only good player? What it? And
then I'm Washington yesterday and Cleveland's a physical team and
Denver was more physical. The safety Simmons is great. I
love both Williams and pe Ryan the running backs. Both
can catch, both physical offensive lines playing pretty well. Jerry
Judy Mims was a great draft pick. Now he's gonna
(22:06):
be a little inconsistent. Rookie receivers are, but he's explosive.
They're backup tight ends making great plays. That's why I
say there's only one player in the NFL one position,
quarterback worth more than a point a game. If you
get that right. Nobody talks about drop passes, Nobody talks
about officials, nobody talks about play calling. Sean's number one job.
(22:27):
Just get Russell Wilson right. He has, and now you
watch Denver, it's like they got dudes. They can match
up with anybody. They can match up with Jacksonville, they
can match up with Kansas City, they just beat them.
They can match up with Baltimore. The way they're playing
is run first, Russell's second. He's now moving like he
(22:47):
did in Seattle. Excellent defense. This team, I don't think
they're gonna be a playoff team. But I start looking
around and I'm like, Pittsburgh doesn't feel like a playoff team.
And my guess is today Steelers are gonna make these
Look at their schedule, look at their defense. This is
what coaching looks like. Fun stuff. Colin right, Colin wrong.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
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Speaker 5 (23:17):
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Speaker 1 (24:14):
So I want to say this about Patrick Mahomes and
the Chiefs. We got our first glimpse this year of
the old Chiefs. Down fourteen to nothing, suddenly leading twenty
one to fourteen, three possessions later. So dynasties go in stages,
and it's always turbulent when you're transitioning from stage one
to stage two, which the Chiefs are. But now remember
(24:35):
everything about them is super Bowl worthy. A coach, a quarterback,
AO line, top four pass rush team, so there's a
lot to like about them. They're just very, very young
at wide receiver, and they're trying to mature at wide
receiver very fast. So Rashi Rice second round pick, very talented,
he's a baby, he's a kid. They're trying to speed
(24:57):
up his maturity. Kadarius Tony, who didn't play yesterday, super athletic,
super twitchy, but he's just wildly inconsistent. Can't trust him.
Doesn't mean he can't make big plays. Justin Watson, to me,
he's a two or of three, but he is productive.
In Mahomes does appear to trust him. So I would
say this about Kansas City. They have what they call
(25:18):
first world problems. They're eight and three in the tougher
conference and now it better than we thought division because
Denver's good. They're eight and three and one of their
losses they were missing Chris Jones the best defensive player,
and Travis Kelsey their best offensive player not named Patrick Mahomes.
So it's like first world problems. And also remember this,
(25:40):
Joe Burrow gone, Josh Allen won't be in the playoffs,
justin Herbert won't be in the playoffs. Trevor Lawrence and
the Jags can't beat the Chiefs. Oh in three tua oh,
give me a break, limited especially in cold weather. And
Lamar Jackson, who we love, deserves mv P votes January.
(26:02):
He's either been unavailable or lost. So it was a
little bit of the old Kansas City. You got a
little glimpse of it. I still think this team is
trying to find its way at wide receivers. I don't
think they have a one. Rashid Rice is really good.
You can't ask a rookie wide receiver with a sophisticated
system to walk in and crush pre Thanksgiving, He's getting there.
(26:23):
And here was Mahomes after.
Speaker 10 (26:25):
When you have a short week and you're playing a
team at the Raiders, you know always plays you tough.
Speaker 7 (26:30):
You have to bounce right back.
Speaker 10 (26:31):
You wash it, you learn from it, and then you
kind of just go back to the fundamentals and working
and so we still have stuff to learn from this game.
I mean, there's there were certain situations where we didn't
execute at a high enough level, but we're obviously took
a step in the positive direction. Now let's just continue
to do that throughout the rest of the season.
Speaker 1 (26:45):
For the record, we look at the Raiders as sort
of dysfunctional, and we look at Carolina, who fired their
coach today, what a mistake. Dysfunctional. But I'll say this,
it looks like even with that loss, how competitive the
Raiders were. They will give Antonio Pierce we would suspect
the gig and I think that rights the ship a little.
(27:05):
Whether or not he's a great coach, I don't know.
But when you're turbigline, when you're turbulent in the NFL,
when you're a bit of a tire fire the Jets,
the answer is not always fire the coach. The Jets
do not have a roster offensively to win a lot
of games in the AFC. They do not. Carolina does
not have a roster good enough to win the Raiders.
(27:28):
I've said this, the Raiders roster, they've got an elite
pass rusher and some really nice offensive pieces. There is
no reason the Raiders could not be a playoff team
next year. I don't buy this for Carolina has got
no offensive to Devonte Adams, Hunter, renfro Jacobs, a good
left tackle. Raiders got players, Raiders has offensively and an
(27:50):
elite pass rushers. Don't tell me the Raiders don't have players.
They're not that far off. But the story yesterday in
this game is we got a little old Kansas City,
you know, twenty one nothing, fourteen nothing, down quickly, three possessions,
couple possessions. Bang, you lead, You're tied. And that's something
with Burro gone, Herbert's not making the playoffs. Trevor Lawrence
(28:13):
has never played well against the Chiefs. It's something.
Speaker 2 (28:15):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
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Speaker 1 (28:20):
All right, Where Colin was right, Where Colin was wrong,
as is customary on a Monday, plenty of both. Here
we go.
Speaker 2 (28:28):
Where Colin was right.
Speaker 1 (28:29):
I predicted Michigan would be more committed to the run
game and therefore win. They had one hundred and twenty
two yards rushing in just the second half. That's more
than Ohio State had in the game, I said, the
team that runs the football the last twenty one years,
more committed to it, more productive wins. It's now twenty
two straight years as good as the Ohio State defense is,
(28:53):
and it's special. Michigan controlled the game, scoring every almost
every time they got opportunities in the second half field
goal or touchdowns. And again we said, whoever runs the
ball with greater commitment and conviction will win, and that
was Michigan.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
Where Colin was raw.
Speaker 1 (29:15):
I had the Bills winning their division, and frankly, they
shoot themselves in the foot maybe more than any good
team in this league, ten penalties in the first half.
They had opportunities. It's like the Eagles came out flat
and wanted to handle the hand of Bills a w
and they couldn't get it done. So the Bills are
not going to be unless they turn it around quickly,
(29:38):
very quickly, a playoff team. And I was wrong where
Colin was right the Broncos. I said, Russell Wilson, come on, washed,
he got something left in the tank washed. And I
also felt that Sean Payton is one of the smartest
coaches I've ever discussed talked to. Had dinner with Sean
would figure it out. But it was a big lift,
(30:00):
probably bigger than he imagined. But their defense now is young, talented,
and aggressive. They are tied for the NFL's longest winning streak,
and frankly, their defense, which was an issue earlier, that's
been coached up. They pushed Cleveland a physical team around.
We got that one right. Where Colin was wrong, Carolina
(30:23):
fired their coach, Frank Wright. Today, I like the higher
I still do fire the GM. They've got no offensive
pieces at all. I still think Bryce Young has talent,
though he doesn't look as good as C. J. Stroud.
I do not think this is the answer. How many
coaches have they had, if you count interim guys in
the last six seven years seven, it's ridiculous. But I
thought it would work. I thought they'd be more competitive.
(30:45):
I talked myself out of giving them the division in
the summer. I talked myself they're gonna They're gonna make
the playoffs. Now. I talked myself out of that by August.
But in the end I didn't think it would be
this bad.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
Where Colin was right.
Speaker 1 (30:56):
Remember this summer J Mack, when everybody said the Rams
are going to be terrible, and I said they're going
to be in the seven eight nine area, that they
have too many good weapons, they have too good of
a coach, Cooper Cup, Aaron Donald. They've got too many guys,
maybe not in their prime, but McVay is one of
the smartest coaches. He'll manufacture offense, and they've done a
(31:17):
remarkable job with Duck Tape getting their offensive line right.
They finally got healthy yesterday. Williams, the running back, was back.
Currently five and six. The over under in Vegas was
only six. But if you watch them play, they have
a life because their best players, their tight end, they're
(31:38):
right tackle, their quarterback, They draft well. They were never
going to be abysmal with Sean McVay.
Speaker 2 (31:44):
Where Colin was wrong.
Speaker 1 (31:46):
I had Detroit in and Dallas out in the Super
Bowl bubble. But you know what, I gotta say this
for Dallas. At least they trounce the teams they're supposed to.
I mean, what happened to Detroit against Green Bay. You
can't go in at home short week against Jordan Love
and make him look like Dan Marino. I was wrong.
Dallas does something that great teams or good teams do.
(32:10):
They beat the teams convincingly they're supposed to. Lions can't
even at home. That game wouldn't even close. Green Bay
moved up and down the field on him. I was
wrong where Colin was right. Alan Lazar jets a healthy
scratch yesterday against the Dolphins. That was Friday. I said
it when they signed him. You're just trying to appeal
(32:30):
to Aaron Rodgers. This is a reach. He's a four
can struggle with consistency. I said, he can't just blame
Zach Wilson. Who is he throwing to besides Garrett Wilson.
This was obviously to appeal to Aaron Rodgers. I like
Alan Lazzard, not at that price and not committed to
(32:52):
be like a number two receiver. He's not. That's okay.
But we were right where Colin was raw in the
last four games. Jordan Love is showing growth.
Speaker 7 (33:02):
Now.
Speaker 1 (33:03):
We had said Matt Lafleur, young receivers and tight ends.
Green Bay does a really good job to draft and
develop offensive players, rarely going to the first round. But
I will say this for Jordan Love, he looks much
more confident. He's got a nice relationship with these young receivers.
He moves very well. I don't see a lot of
(33:23):
growth with Kenny Pickett and some of these young quarterbacks,
certainly not Mac Jones Zach Wilson. You can see coaching confidence.
He clearly sees the field better than he did two
months ago. I was wrong where Colin was right. I
love Shane Steichen hiring by the Colts culture six and
five with Gardner Minshew, Baby, and again he's he's had
(33:46):
to deal with the Leonard, the linebacker they let go of.
He's got an impulsive, at times crazy owner. They lost
their starting quarterback. It's in the tougher AFC. But you
know the Chargers general manager told me years ago and
stop was in the building, this kid's going to be special.
He is a difference maker. Shane Stike and we love
the hire and the Colts inexplicably hard to explain. Are
(34:13):
right in the smack dab in the middle of the
playoff race with Gardner Minshew. Where Colin was right, Where
Colin was wrong on a Monday, feels very right to
have Michael vick On, four time Pro bowler, thirteen years
in the NFL, most career rush yards by a quarterback
in league history, over six thousand Fox Sports NFL analysts.
So I said this last week, and I used to
(34:35):
get crap for saying this, that I would say, I
want my quarterback on that Wednesday press conference, Michael, I
want the hat on straight. You got the big bank sponsor,
you are the face of the franchise. Definitely shave play
the party. And I watched Jalen Hurts on that thing.
Dude looks like a senator. In fact, he looks better
than our senators. And there is something about his maturity.
(35:00):
And I know I got crap for this, but it
does matter. I think the team feeds off his maturity
and his resilience. What do you make of what.
Speaker 11 (35:09):
I mean on and off the field, Jalen Hurst look apart.
If I can go back and do it all over
twenty years ago, I would certainly make sure that I
looked the part. I was, you know, polished when I
stepped on the podium. You know that comes with just
leadership and understanding your position. And I think jayla Hurst
really understands the position that he's in. You know, being
the quarterback of a flagship organization like the Philadelphia Eagles
(35:31):
really means a lot.
Speaker 7 (35:32):
He takes it serious.
Speaker 11 (35:33):
And so you know that's that team is mature and
as good as as it is because of Jaalen Hurts.
Speaker 1 (35:39):
Is he healthy?
Speaker 7 (35:41):
Everybody else?
Speaker 1 (35:42):
But is he healthy?
Speaker 11 (35:44):
From the looks of it, it don't look you know,
nobody's really healthy this time of the year, and especially
the way he played, you know, taking some heres, a
lot of sacrifice. But you know he's not out there.
He wouldn't be out there. He couldn't be out there.
Speaker 7 (35:58):
He's not for sure. Yeah, yeah, And so.
Speaker 11 (36:00):
You know sometimes accountability and everything matters when you're a competitor.
You know, you just you want to be there for
your teammates and you want to show them that I'm
willing to go to extra play hurt because you gain respect.
Speaker 7 (36:13):
It's another form of leadership, you.
Speaker 1 (36:15):
Know, Michael It. I remember watching Aaron Rodgers at cal
and then three years later, I'm like, he's got a
way better arm. Is that When Jalen Hurts was at Alabama,
it was like he runs. People do improve in life.
I can a politician, can't anybody can? I think throwing
the football, he looks different than three years ago. Take
(36:38):
me to your progression. Is it because he sees the field?
Is it because the receivers are better. Is it coaching,
because remember he's got a new OC this year. He
looks so much more comfortable throwing the ball deep.
Speaker 11 (36:50):
Yeah, you become a better pass and when you learn
to anticipate and so I mean, anybody can hit a
ten yard hits.
Speaker 7 (36:57):
My son can throw a ten yard out. You can
throw it to your j Mac.
Speaker 11 (37:01):
You know, we get all the gun thos in there
with a little practice and repetition, but when you start
to throw them down the field throws them in custom
out routes and routes that you know you get certain coverage.
You got to anticipate it. They might be a small
window that you gotta put the ball. But if you
understand pre snap, look this was coming anticipated.
Speaker 7 (37:22):
Now you're a.
Speaker 11 (37:23):
Little more accurate because you know where you you know
you get there before you get to the spot first
and help you receive it get to the spot. So
I think that's that's truly important as far as progression
for a passer understanding pre snap what's gonna be there
and then seeing it and then hitting it with accuracy.
Speaker 1 (37:39):
Yeah, your mind's not racing, right, Yeah.
Speaker 11 (37:41):
You calm, it's a sense of calm in order to
make those thoughts other than that, you get wiry erratic.
Speaker 1 (37:47):
Yeah, so you ran now now Cam Newton, Big Band,
Josh Allen, because of their size, are a little more durable,
and so Josh Allen much like a been in a Cam.
He can take a lot of these hits. But I
do feel like, okay, we're six years in now, and
when this team gets in the red zone, their offense
(38:09):
is hey, Josh, it's like high school. Just go make
a play. Are they wasting his talent?
Speaker 7 (38:15):
I don't think they're wasting this talent.
Speaker 11 (38:17):
I think you know, just where every quarterback is all
it's levels, it's progression.
Speaker 7 (38:24):
You know.
Speaker 11 (38:25):
I think you're only gonna be as good as your
offensive coordinator, you know. And I think it's just so true.
Sometimes the coach can't win you the game, but they
can lose you the game. Us as players got to
take the onus of you know, when the players called,
we got to dissect it.
Speaker 7 (38:38):
We really got to break it all down really really quick.
Speaker 11 (38:41):
And you know, sometimes I used to pride myself a
lot on you know, if I heard a play call
come in and I did something outside of the box
within the play as long as I can explain it,
you know, and ye Andy, i'd rather him say good job.
I don't want to explain it. You know, lead the
pass or whatever the check is, you know, make it happen,
(39:03):
keep it moving.
Speaker 7 (39:04):
You know.
Speaker 11 (39:05):
Sometimes you know, you get into the red zone and
you know, get it a little tight a it's a
little more anxiety and them play calls just got to
be spot on. And it don't always got to be
down the field throws. You know, it's still ways to
move the ball in the red zone. Screens and quick
pad dumps, you know, like it's it's ways to move
the ball quick.
Speaker 1 (39:22):
I want to ask you. So there was a play
last night where Gabe Davis broke free and Gabe turns
to the instead of now now. Josh Allen's reaction was almost, hey, Gabe,
you turn the wrong way. So a lot of times
in the NFL, you know this, you throw the ball
before the cuts made on that play, What is the rule?
(39:44):
For instance, Gabe maybe beats his man more more quickly
than he anticipated. Is there a rule in this league?
Because Josh threw it before Gabe.
Speaker 11 (39:55):
Had, Josh, Josh reacted in the cover zero sitch rational.
Speaker 7 (40:00):
I mean it's all our blitz. Everybody's coming.
Speaker 11 (40:03):
And unless Gabe just ran his route that was designed
that the play the route that was in the play call,
if he ran to the corner, I think either Josh
anticipated him. Just this cover zero. We've seen this look
plenty of times. You know what that means. I mean,
all hell about to break loose, just running. That's why
(40:23):
he lobbed it to a spot. It was a perfect past.
Speaker 7 (40:26):
Yeah. I think Gabe just ran his route.
Speaker 11 (40:28):
And so if Gabe ran the route that was designed
in the play call, he did the right thing. But
Josh anticipated us being on the same page years of experience.
I could be wrong, but we see cover zero.
Speaker 1 (40:43):
Is red by the way, justin Herbert saw one last
night and he doesn't have.
Speaker 7 (40:46):
A deep threat. Yeah, and you know the same reaction.
Speaker 1 (40:50):
Okay, I want to ask you about Russell Wilson. So listen,
in Seattle, we all knew what he was. Twitchy, moved,
he didn't move like you. But the drop throws and
then last year it plummets. So my takeaway was is
he washed? How he's never been hurt? So now if
you look at the last five six games, he's back
(41:10):
to Russell and Seattle. Yeah, I think in Seattle he
had better receivers, but but he didn't have a title locket,
but he still got Uh. So when you watch this
Denver offense, what are they doing now in your opinion
that maybe they weren't a month ago.
Speaker 11 (41:26):
I think it's it's predicated on better field position.
Speaker 7 (41:28):
One. You know, defense is playing really well, yes.
Speaker 11 (41:31):
And so they're giving them opportunities to you know, beat
half short fields, cross the fifty, you know, punt returns,
and get into a good field position, which allows the
play calling to be different. It's so much easier to
call the game when you cross the fifty as opposed
before you get.
Speaker 7 (41:50):
To the feal right, and so everything changes.
Speaker 11 (41:52):
The end zone is a lot closer, it's more opportunity,
and so it opens up the playbook, you know, especially
when you get into that big red. So I think
the play calling is different. Russell was definitely getting on
the same page with Sean.
Speaker 1 (42:04):
I like the running back, yeah.
Speaker 11 (42:06):
The run, and I like the fact that coach don't
he'll shot away from the run game even if it's
not working. It can be two yards here, three yards,
dare you pop one for six? And he just consistency
in the run game, keeps the defense honest, and allow
him the play call the way he wants to.
Speaker 1 (42:22):
So I want to go, uh, CJ. Stroud this weekend lost,
But there is something and we're gonna see Justin Fields tonight,
and so there's an you know, the old saying is,
you know, winning's not a quarterback stat, and you know
obviously it's a team game. But I don't think if
Davis Mills was starting, they'd be nearly as good as
with CJ. Stroud with all the same dudes, Are you surprised?
(42:46):
Because the one thing I think I can tell, I
think I can from watching it on television is that
he sees the field so quickly. Now I want you,
so I watched you all through college. You didn't have
to worry too much about that. And you also in
college sometimes have stuff schemed. You had a first second
reason run. Yeah, in the NFL, it's not that easy.
So when I when I watch him, I think, oh,
(43:08):
he just sees it quickly. Did you see it quickly?
Did it take time? What do you make of what
you're saying?
Speaker 11 (43:13):
Yeah, it's a time. I certainly was as good as C. J.
Stroud was when I was a rookie as good as
he is now, especially so early, I couldn't have handled
at all starting as a rookie one and and being honest,
it was just you know, trying to create an understanding
(43:33):
Dan Reeves offense. It was it was super complex. Sure,
we even had to call two plays in a huddle
sometimes and and you know, so it's it's different. But
I don't know what the terminology of verbage is for CJ. Stroud,
but whatever it is, he got it. He's comfortable. Uh,
like you say, he sees it really quickly. And and
it's the anticipation part, knowing how to anticipate and get
(43:55):
there before the defendant can get there.
Speaker 7 (43:57):
Yeah, and it just.
Speaker 11 (43:58):
Works every time if they're teaching that and he's grasping that.
Speaker 7 (44:02):
Now you got offense.
Speaker 1 (44:04):
So next week it's Philadelphia San Francisco, and I mean
there's like Hall of Fame level dudes, And I know
what we're early on this. We still have a Monday
night game. But I want you to go back to
your career in your biggest games against your best teams,
and this is going to be one of these games
for Brock. Pretty now he faces an equal roster. These
(44:30):
are the two best teams I think in the NFC.
Speaker 7 (44:32):
Yeah, in this game, is there a lean for you?
Speaker 11 (44:36):
This is certainly a the indication of what we're going
to see down the road, you know, in the playoffs
at some point, but depending on how you know, everything
safe shout and highs configured. But we'll get a chance
to see Rock Purdy versus you know what he's going
to see down the road. And that's a tough Philadelphia
Eagles defense is you know, lay it by guys who
(44:58):
future Hall of Famous Pro Bowlers and know how to win.
Speaker 1 (45:01):
You know, mentally, do you buy brock perty I mean
against you?
Speaker 11 (45:06):
Yeah, I buy any quarterback who's consistent, consistently good, you know,
more wins than losses.
Speaker 7 (45:14):
You know, we are judged by that.
Speaker 11 (45:16):
And you know, he understands exactly what has to happen
within that offense in order to move to change. And
so he know how to get Deepo involved. You know
how to get George Kittle involved. He know how to
move the chains and that's important. That's why he's on
the field and nobody else.
Speaker 1 (45:31):
When you have as much talent as Philadelphia and specifically
San Francisco as a quarterback. Did you ever feel pressure, Okay,
I gotta give George Kittler look or he's not gonna
be happy at halftime. Did you sense that you feel it?
Speaker 11 (45:44):
Yeah, that's that's a real thing. You know, some guys
different from others. But you always want to keep guys
in the rhythm and keep them happy. And you know,
they spend a lot of time in practice running routes
and sometimes the ball don't come their way, and you
know they might go two or three period in practice
where they don't touch the ball, and so you want
to keep everybody satisfied. I want to keep them into
(46:05):
the game, and you know, just want them to keep
leading and blocking for you and fighting for you. You know,
when you know when you got to handle business the
other way or when we gotta go run centric, you know,
just just stay involved. The best, the best leaders and
the best players are the guys who are unselfish, the
(46:26):
guys that I've been around who don't really care about
the stats. They'll get their when they get their, and
and you know, it's it's more team oriented than anything else.
Speaker 1 (46:34):
But occasionally you'll get an aj brown somebody wants to
get which is good. So so when it happened. When
somebody came to you on the sideline.
Speaker 11 (46:41):
Makes you better, It makes you better. It just heightens
your focus. You know these one our premium players. He
got to touch it. I was watching the game last night.
I felt, you know, I just said to myself, all
good things happen when aj Brown touched the ball. And
so you can't give him the ball all the time.
You gotta spread it around. You got Swift, you got
at Davonte. You got to spread it around. But you
(47:04):
know that guy given be the reason why they win
it all.
Speaker 1 (47:08):
Yeah, Michael Vick is joining us. So you're friends with
Lamar Jackson. Yeah, he's having a great year. I just
love watching him play. There's another guy that's grown is
the last couple of years, he's gotten banged up. It
does look like they have the best receiving talent they've had.
Give me your thoughts on Baltimore going forward? Now burrows out,
(47:33):
Buffalo's not gonna make the playoffs. I think they match
up with Kansas City. Well, give me your thoughts. You
know Lamar about the contract the off season, he finally
has playmakers. What do you see when you watch your friend.
Speaker 7 (47:46):
It just looked dangerous.
Speaker 11 (47:48):
It just looks like the game is coming so easy
to him in total control. I think I said this before,
and just when you understand the offense and you come
to work every day and now you know you can
get better. I can get better tomorrow because you know,
when I get the play sheet is faxed over to
(48:09):
me at night, I can look at all these calls
and I can see the touchdowns. Like if you can
see the success and in the play sheet, in the
in the play calls, that's when that's when you thriving.
I think, yeah, And I think Lamar just comes into
a game where he knows I'm coming to get it
done with my arm, but I got I can get
(48:31):
it done with my legs too. But you know, to
spread the ball around a Zay and Odelle and I
don't have to do it.
Speaker 7 (48:39):
On my own.
Speaker 11 (48:40):
It just makes the game so much easier. So it's
a big credit to Lamar. It's even bigger credit to
John Horbah, who's you know, surrounding him with the talent
and the organization who making sure that you know, we
ain't gonna leave no excuses when it comes down down
to this AFC Championship game.
Speaker 7 (48:57):
You know, if we get there, we're gonna be well equipped.
Speaker 1 (49:01):
For the record. When players get paid, they often change.
Lamar's different, Jalen Jalen hurts. Lamar got paidier. He's some
guys get paid and I've heard this before from GMS.
Some guys get paid and it's just they're not the
same guy. He almost is more intense and feistier. The
(49:22):
money didn't change him at all.
Speaker 11 (49:24):
These dudes just want to They want to be great.
Speaker 7 (49:27):
They want to be great.
Speaker 11 (49:28):
They they never want to be the reason why their
team don't win the game. When you take on that
type of attitude. I never wanted to be the reason.
I never wanted to cut the film on and man,
if i'd have made a better throw, I went they
throwing the interception up And it was times I had
my moments.
Speaker 7 (49:43):
Yeah, but you know, more good than bad.
Speaker 11 (49:47):
And you know, if they continue to progress and continue
to take that presidential attitude on and off the field, man,
did you get.
Speaker 1 (49:56):
It your for you when you said wait, wait, wait,
somebody have a conversation with you.
Speaker 11 (50:01):
And it was like year six or seven when I
started to realize the impact that I had on the game,
what I was doing for the for the game, and
for the position, how I could grow and get better.
Once I got with buy Potrino was introduced to a
different offense, a different system.
Speaker 7 (50:17):
I you know, I started to see my potential.
Speaker 11 (50:19):
Now it went from just making pro bos to now,
you know, chasing greatness not the Super Bowl.
Speaker 4 (50:26):
Uh.
Speaker 11 (50:27):
In the aspect of you know what that would do
for my legacy started to creep in. It was a
little too late, but I got it. And so when
I got to Philadelphia, took on the same attitude and
was able to bring the younger guys with me and
help them be, you know, in the leadership bro, so
they can understand when I leave what they got to
do to the next generation. So I knew I had
(50:48):
to pass on that good will and so I was
just extremely focused on that. But it made me a
better football player.
Speaker 1 (50:53):
Great senior as always, you flying back to Florida. Here
back to Florida, right, Hope you had a good stask
giving with your family.
Speaker 3 (50:58):
I did.
Speaker 1 (50:59):
Michael Fox Sports
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Herd podcast.
Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox
Sports Radio in noon to three Eastern nine am to
noon Pacific. Find your local station for The Herd at
Fox Sportsradio dot com, or stream us live every day
on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
This is the Best of the Herd with Colin cowher
on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Oh it's a loaded Monday. Coaches getting fired already in
the NFL, live in Los Angeles. It's the Herd. Wherever
you may be and however you may be listening. Thanks
for making us part of your day. One hour from now.
What a weekend. What a great four day stretch where
Colin was right, where Colin was wrong, there was plenty
(00:47):
of both. I am here to tell you that was full.
I even went to a hockey game. I was going
left and right last night. The Chargers never failed at
disappoint But I want to be friends with Bradley Cooper,
the actor, and I'm saying nice stuff about Philadelphia today.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Jmac.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
That team in close games, unbelievaboy.
Speaker 4 (01:08):
To get it out of your system now because the Niners.
Speaker 5 (01:10):
Are beating them this coming Sunday.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
Well, let's start with this. I do not believe in coincidences.
I do not believe in luck. I do not believe
in fate. I do not Philadelphia last two years is
fourteen and two in one score games, the Bills are
eight to nine. Why. They both have great quarterbacks, both
(01:32):
have good enough rosters, both have very smartly owned franchises.
Why the disparity Because the Eagles, as I've said before,
have an absolute offensive identity, and the Bills have a
really talented quarterback that's not an identity. They ask Josh
Allen to save the day, and sometimes he can, he's
(01:54):
a remarkable player, and sometimes he can't. And in fourth quarters,
in crisis, in close game, James, it's not enough. Seattle
defensive coach, Steelers defensive coach, Chargers defensive coach, Buffalo defensive coach.
What are their offensive identities? Eagles have an offensive coach.
Josh Allen is now zero and six in overtime in
(02:16):
his career. You think it's a coincidence, I don't buy it.
I don't buy fate, I don't buy luck. I don't
buy coincidence. Three times this year the Bills have faced
an elite quarterback last night Cincinnati, when Burrow was healthy
and the Jags and their own three. Why would that
be Because when they face a team that has a
(02:37):
quarterback that is at least in the stratosphere of Josh
Allen's talent Burrow, Jalen Hurts Trevor Lawrence, then the details
matter and the Bills run game, Oh, it's a little
better this year, but still incredibly Josh Allen dependent. He
had both their rushing touchdowns last night and half their
yards and once they get to the red zone, where
(02:59):
Philidel Aelphia can beat you so many ways, it's all
about Josh Allen making a play. That's what Mahomes has.
Mahomes has the advantage of a coaching staff that can
rebuild his offensive line in one off season, that can
rebuild the defense in a year and a half, that
can rebuild a receiving corps Buffalo six years in. Their
(03:23):
run game is still overly dependent on one guy, especially
in the red zone, Josh Allen. Philadelphia in the first
half played very lethargically, very flat, and gave the Bills
twice a turnover and a short field and Philadelphia led.
(03:44):
But in this second half, when Philadelphia forced the Bills
to drive down the field. Philadelphia had the drive down
the field too. Then it looked like the Eagles were
the better team, and they clearly have a better identity.
Fourteen and two the last two years in one score games.
I don't want to hear about officials. I don't want
(04:06):
to hear about luck. I don't want to hear about coincidences.
I don't know about. The league is rigged. Yeah, yeah,
that's what it is. They don't want the Cowboys to
win Super Bowl last thirty years, that's what the league is.
They don't want the Packers to make the playoffs last
year with Aaron Rodgers. That's what the league really wants. Now,
Philadelphia is great with an absolute identity, and the super
(04:26):
Bowl window, let's be honest, for Buffalo for the time being,
is closed because this year, Josh Allen, basically Superman is
an eighteen million dollar cap hit. You want to know
what Josh Allen is next year a forty seven million
dollar cap hit. So you've wasted all this time. You
have no offensive identity. You're super talented. I don't doubt that.
(04:50):
I think you have really good people in the building.
I think you have a smartly owned, smartly GM franchise.
You're not firing people left and right like that clown
show down in Charlotte. That's not about it. But again,
I look at some of these teams that are very
talented and they don't have an identity. You know who does,
(05:11):
then Niners, Phildelphia offensive coaches, and I think Sean McDermott
has some questions to answer. It's more excuses eight and
nine in one possession game the last two years, Josh
Allen zero and six in overtime. I do not believe
(05:31):
in coincidences. Here's the coach after.
Speaker 6 (05:35):
There's a tough group of guys in that locker room, right,
So tough group of coaches, and you know, we're a
good football team and we just came up. We came
out on the short end here. So there are no
moral victories. Each and every one of us have to
look at ourselves and like I told you, that starts
with me, and that's what you do. That's what the
(05:58):
best do. And our football team is a darn good
football team.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Little less prickly last night, little less dogmatic, didn't have
the answers. Sean McDermott knows mirrors have o has been effective.
People don't like to look at him. At least he's
acknowledging he does, which I appreciate. You cannot be owing
six and overtimes with Josh Allen. Nope, don't want to
hear about it. Nope. NFL is not routine against the Bills.
(06:26):
The NFL would love to have Josh Allen in a
super Bowl, super Bowl. They would love to have Josh
Allen super Bowl. They would have loved Aaron Rodgers made
the playoffs last year. Stop making excuses, start winning close games,
build an identity. Philadelphia has it. Speaking of Philadelphia, the
box score, it's just funny. That's why you gotta watch
the games every snap. The box score would give you
(06:47):
no indication Philly won.
Speaker 7 (06:48):
The game last night.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
It's a crazy time of possessions, first downs. It was
one sided. Buffalo out gained in four straight games, four
to zero in those games. And I don't want to
hear it well about the Steelers. No, because one team
has a big boy quarterback. Philadelphia can beat you six
different ways. They are the major league baseball pitcher that
(07:11):
has three to four out pitches. The Dolphins can fill
a stat sheet. The Eagles fill the win column. This
is what they do. They can play from behind, they
can smush you. They can roll in a track meet shootouts.
They can win ugly, they like last night, can have
an awful first half, awful and beat a good team.
(07:32):
Not a great team, Buffalo, but a good team. My
only question about Philadelphia is is Jalen Hurts underrated? Now
that sounds ridiculous, right because we talk about them all
the time, But from IQ to resilience, to playmaking, to
mobility to deep balls when trailing in the second half
for overtime this season, these numbers don't make any sense.
(07:54):
It is so hard to play this position when you're trailing.
His passer ratings almost one forty. He has seven passing touchdowns,
three rushing touchdowns and no picks. That's like better than
Mahomes in the early days. That is Patrick Mahomes territory
and Jalen Hurts is getting better. He's getting better. He
(08:16):
did this without Lane Johnson. When he was missing Lane
Johnson last year, wasn't the same offense. I mean, we
have watched in the last couple of weeks Mahomes, Josh
Allen and Jalen Hurts. You know play one another, Okay
in recent weeks, right, and I trust Jalen Hurts more.
(08:39):
I know now some of that's the Kansas City Chiefs
lack of star receivers. But I'm watching Jalen Hurts and
that dude is presidential. People used to make fun of
me when I used to talk about I want my
quarterback to be quarterback, yel, I want him to be presidential,
had on forward, buttoned up from the way Jalen Hurts dresses, talks,
(09:04):
podium playing. He is so buttoned up. He is so dependable.
There's a calmness with him. There's a maturity with him.
That last night, that game goes overtime, everybody in America
not living in the Buffalo area code is like, yeah,
Philadelphia is gonna win this game. He's got the ability
(09:25):
to be calm without being low energy, energized, without being
hyper and clutch, with no anxiety. It's really something special
to watch. And we've had quarterbacks not drafted in the
first round, Drew Brees' second round, Brady Russell, Wilson, Joe Montana.
We've had a lot of good quarterbacks that weren't top
ten picks. But you start looking at Philadelphia right now,
(09:48):
what separates them is their ability to beat you so
many ways and absolutely always be the best time on
the field if the game is tied, are close late,
And I think it all starts with Jalen Hurts. Think
about this. The last two weeks we have seen mahomes Allen,
and Hurts on the same field. Only one of them
(10:09):
is two to zero with seven touchdowns and two fourth
quarter comebacks. Like, I'm to the point now I always
thought he's somewhere in the top ten. Should we just
now put him in the Allen Mahomesboro category because what
I'm watching, from maturity to calmness, resiliency to IQ, everything
(10:33):
about this kid is right the podium, the field, fourth quarter,
post game, what he says before games when he talks
about injuries. I mean, if this is where the league
is going, Jalen Hurts My only question about Philadelphia? Am
I underrating this kid? Here's their coach after he's clutched.
Speaker 8 (10:53):
He's been clutch for us and clutch for this city
and clutch for this team for the past you know,
three years now, and you know, and so you know,
just he just kept you know, going and put his
head down and worked and made some big time plays
at the end.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
You know, who knows you don't have to be you know,
we understand in quarterback play it's not all linear. You're
not great every Sunday. You have good halfs, bad halves.
It's really hard. It's really hard to be quarterback. But
is there a more dependable quarterback late in games these
days than Jalen Hurts fourth quarter? It just he just
you know, again, I'm not saying the old line doesn't help,
(11:32):
but he's been missing Lane Johnson. I'm not saying the
running backs, the coaching, the receivers, they always have good
tight ends. I'm not saying it's not a community, but boy,
he is something. He is really something. In games like
last night and yesterday, there was a lot of bad
quarterback play, there was a lot of average quarterback play,
there was a lot of slightly above average quarterback play,
(11:52):
and then there's Jalen Hurts and it's just like wow,
and that second half, the ability to control things late,
crucial plays. And again you go to the box score,
you to think Philadelphia lost by two touchdowns and that's
the art of it. They've got out pitches, they don't
have to play great in the first few innings. They
can play from behind, they can win ugly. Miami Dolphins
(12:13):
fill a stat sheet. Josh Allen fils a stat sheet.
And I'm not knocking either, because Miami's a fun watch
and Josh Allen's amazing. Hurts wins games, and he wins
them the way you gotta win him. In December and
January and February, you're playing in cold weather, the margin shrink,
you often trail, the pressure's intense, and that kid just
gets better. That is that's innate. I think you're some
(12:36):
of that stuff. I don't think you can coach. Some
of that stuff is just in Jalen Hurts. But how
much fun is that to watch?
Speaker 7 (12:42):
All Right?
Speaker 1 (12:43):
Jay mac colin Wright Colin wrong forty five minutes from now.
I really do want to be friends with Bradley Cooper.
I think he'd like me. I want to be friends
with Jalen Hurts.
Speaker 4 (12:51):
He's unflappable, like I want that guy on my Rick
League basketball team. We're down ten late, He's not afraid
of anything. I will say, how excited are you for
the MVP showdown? Jalen Hurts versus Rock Party this week
in Philly you know I'm pushing that. Brock Purty MVP
Angle Hurts is the leader, by the way, seven for
seven in the red.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
Zone the last two weeks.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
Philly gets down.
Speaker 4 (13:12):
They can't be stopped in the red zone.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
Unstoppable, just touchdowns. It's really fun to watch. Some thoughts
on Jim Harbaugh Michigan. You thought you had them, you don't,
and now they're even in a stronger position. Why I
would make Michigan number one in the country today, I'll
explain that coming up.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
in neon eastern nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
Oh it is great to have you in. So we
liked Michigan. We said, whoever's more committed to the run?
In the Ohio State Michigan game has won twenty one straight.
It's now official, it's twenty two. They both averaged about
the same yards per carry, but Michigan, once again was
more committed. Ohio State came into the game as the
eighth best rushing team in the Big Ten, and Michigan prevailed.
(14:01):
As we thought, there's always a silver line. Isn't this
a good message for life. Even in the darkest, bumpiest, ugliest,
most turbulent times, there is owa's a silver lining With
Jim Harbaugh off the field, they are six and oh.
In my opinion, Georgia is not undefeated. If Kirby Spark
(14:21):
misses six games, there's no way. Alabama's eleven and one.
If Nick Saban missed six games, they were lucky to
beat Auburn this weekend. Texas, no way, They're eleven and
one without Sark play calling being part of that offense.
Washington is not undefeated without Kaylin de Bores on the sideline.
(14:45):
Yet Michigan is so good. They're six and oh and
that would make me propel them today to the number
one team in the playoff rankings. And that is huge
because what nobody wants to do is face Georgia or
Oregon first. That number one spot matters a lot. I
get I think Tota Toe Oregon may be the best
(15:06):
team in the country. What you want is that number
one ranking so you can face Florida State with a backup,
or Alabama with a week quarterback, or Texas, who's very talented,
but it's Texas. They stubbed their toe a lot to me,
the only reasonable fair argument is Michigan number one, Oregon's
(15:31):
got a loss, Texas does Obama, does Georgia? What would
propel you to vote Georgia over Michigan. Who's got the
most impressive win Michigan. Who's got a first round quarterback? Michigan,
who went undefeated without their coach and the sidelines Michigan
(15:52):
George has always been about defense this year? Who's got
the better defense? Michigan. Harbaugh's absence now can only fairly
be viewed as a strength. Undefeated, beating two top ten teams,
(16:13):
defense better than Georgia, don't have a loss. All that controversy.
Ohio State is a really good team. I wouldn't be
bothered if somebody put Ohio State in is the number
four team. I think they're better than Texas. I think
they're better than Bama. Now, I don't think they're better
than one loss Oregon. I think Oregon again, maybe the
(16:33):
best team in the country. But everybody don't get two down.
The only reasonable fair take is that Harbaugh not being
on the sidelines and able to beat a team as
good as Ohio State that is a real big boy team,
That defense is really good and Michigan just kept getting
(16:54):
the ball and mowing over him and running over them
and scoring over him. Here was Jim Harbaugh yesterday.
Speaker 3 (17:00):
My focus has been with the team, you know, the
entire time this h It's been a tremendous season right right,
the exact position that we hope for that we worked
so hard to be in. And and it's onward. Now
there's uh, we've accomplished many of our goals, but not
(17:22):
all of them yet. You know, now the next is
winning the conference championship, and that's that's where our focus is.
Speaker 7 (17:28):
And so.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
I would say, you know, to be back, but I never.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
Left powerful right six and oh without him on the sidelines, Georgia, Texas, Bama, Washington, Oregon.
Could the other teams do that? Could they beat Ohio State?
Ohio State's good, Oisle State's really good.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd weekdays
and neonon Easter not a em Pacific.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
So I think the Sean Peyton Denver Broncos story is incredible.
So just think about this. The Chargers could have hired
Sean Payton, they went cheap. They are now circling the drain.
Sean Payton left the Saints. They now look like one
(18:20):
of the worst coach teams in the league, circling the
drain and Sean Payton and Denver are surging. Anybody else
noticed this hottest team in the AFC. Do I think
they're the best team in the AFC? No, But every
metric and every data indicates that Sean Payton has got
Russell Wilson mister washed. That's what everyone claimed. Sean Payton
(18:40):
has got Russell back to being mostly Russell and Seattle.
The passing yards are down, all the other metrics very
even to Seattle. Also, the Sean Peyton took a shot
at Nathaniel hack that was inappropriate. Looks like it was
very right. The Jets are an unwatched nat Hackett tire fire,
(19:02):
and Sean Payton has won five straight. You may not
have liked his opinions, they weren't wrong. And when you're
truly great, and Sean Payton I believe is as a
play designer and an offensive coach, there is something called
the domino effect or the ripple effect that you will
have absolute influence on things you're not just directly connected to.
(19:27):
You think the Chargers would be struggling with Sean Payton.
You think the Saints would Derek Carr and Sean Payton
would be this inept offensively. Yes, they gave up seventy
points to Miami. Oh, I'm sure the trolls on the internet.
What of them? Every smart business person knows sometimes you
have to bottom out. It creates clarity, and that created
(19:51):
clarity in their five game winning streak. They've given up
eighty points total. When you watched that game yesterday, it
was the defense. The defense was like physical and nasty
in pushing Cleveland. Around four of their five wins, by
the way, have come against teams with winning records like
at Kansas. City's mixed in there. Yeah, it's a real team.
(20:14):
It's a real team. Sometimes you have to bottom out.
They did against Miami. But Sean Payton, I said it before,
This was a big lift, way bigger than he probably presumed.
And I don't think Russell Wilson is the perfect quarterback
for his system. I think it's pretty difficult. This is
not his ideal quarterback. But he's making it work. Is
(20:37):
what great coaches do. And the ripple effect of Sean Payton,
the Chargers, the Saints, even the Jets. Now, Yeah, the
Jets took that coach. That's a ripple effect. Here's Sean after.
Speaker 9 (20:48):
We felt like this was going to be a pretty
physical game with a lot of respect for this team,
and fortunately we jumped ahead early on in that first half.
And again we.
Speaker 7 (21:02):
Have a game.
Speaker 9 (21:03):
We have three takeaways. I think that's four weeks in
a row.
Speaker 7 (21:06):
Now.
Speaker 9 (21:09):
We were better in the red zone. There were a
lot of things we did today that that I was
pleased with, and we felt like we beat a good
football team.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
They did efficient, buttoned up low turnovers. Isn't an amazing
too In the NFL, it's crazy, And I don't think
Denver feels like a playoff team. But when you get
the quarterback playing well in this league, isn't it amazing?
How good the other players look? Go back one year
(21:40):
and I was guilty.
Speaker 7 (21:41):
I was like a.
Speaker 1 (21:44):
Patrick's or tanz are only good player? What it? And
then I'm Washington yesterday and Cleveland's a physical team and
Denver was more physical. The safety Simmons is great. I
love both Williams and pe Ryan the running backs. Both
can catch, both physical offensive lines playing pretty well. Jerry
Judy Mims was a great draft pick. Now he's gonna
(22:06):
be a little inconsistent. Rookie receivers are, but he's explosive.
They're backup tight ends making great plays. That's why I
say there's only one player in the NFL one position,
quarterback worth more than a point a game. If you
get that right. Nobody talks about drop passes, Nobody talks
about officials, nobody talks about play calling. Sean's number one job.
(22:27):
Just get Russell Wilson right. He has, and now you
watch Denver, it's like they got dudes. They can match
up with anybody. They can match up with Jacksonville, they
can match up with Kansas City, they just beat them.
They can match up with Baltimore. The way they're playing
is run first, Russell's second. He's now moving like he
(22:47):
did in Seattle. Excellent defense. This team, I don't think
they're gonna be a playoff team. But I start looking
around and I'm like, Pittsburgh doesn't feel like a playoff team.
And my guess is today Steelers are gonna make these
Look at their schedule, look at their defense. This is
what coaching looks like. Fun stuff. Colin right, Colin wrong.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
Top of the hour, be sure to catch live editions
under heard weekdays in noon Easter nine am Pacific n.
Speaker 5 (23:17):
What's Good, Jolli hamin Man, Michael Smith, esteemed NFL analyst
and certified fantasy football legend, allow me to present to
you your new favorite fantasy football podcast, The Dynasty Exchange,
hosted by my first round rookie picks, Davis, Dylan and Josh,
three guys who most definitely know their stuff. They're the
(23:39):
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(24:00):
you won't regret making the choice to follow their dynasty advice.
Listen to Michael Smith presents The Dynasty Exchange on the
iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
So I want to say this about Patrick Mahomes and
the Chiefs. We got our first glimpse this year of
the old Chiefs. Down fourteen to nothing, suddenly leading twenty
one to fourteen, three possessions later. So dynasties go in stages,
and it's always turbulent when you're transitioning from stage one
to stage two, which the Chiefs are. But now remember
(24:35):
everything about them is super Bowl worthy. A coach, a quarterback,
AO line, top four pass rush team, so there's a
lot to like about them. They're just very, very young
at wide receiver, and they're trying to mature at wide
receiver very fast. So Rashi Rice second round pick, very talented,
he's a baby, he's a kid. They're trying to speed
(24:57):
up his maturity. Kadarius Tony, who didn't play yesterday, super athletic,
super twitchy, but he's just wildly inconsistent. Can't trust him.
Doesn't mean he can't make big plays. Justin Watson, to me,
he's a two or of three, but he is productive.
In Mahomes does appear to trust him. So I would
say this about Kansas City. They have what they call
(25:18):
first world problems. They're eight and three in the tougher
conference and now it better than we thought division because
Denver's good. They're eight and three and one of their
losses they were missing Chris Jones the best defensive player,
and Travis Kelsey their best offensive player not named Patrick Mahomes.
So it's like first world problems. And also remember this,
(25:40):
Joe Burrow gone, Josh Allen won't be in the playoffs,
justin Herbert won't be in the playoffs. Trevor Lawrence and
the Jags can't beat the Chiefs. Oh in three tua oh,
give me a break, limited especially in cold weather. And
Lamar Jackson, who we love, deserves mv P votes January.
(26:02):
He's either been unavailable or lost. So it was a
little bit of the old Kansas City. You got a
little glimpse of it. I still think this team is
trying to find its way at wide receivers. I don't
think they have a one. Rashid Rice is really good.
You can't ask a rookie wide receiver with a sophisticated
system to walk in and crush pre Thanksgiving, He's getting there.
(26:23):
And here was Mahomes after.
Speaker 10 (26:25):
When you have a short week and you're playing a
team at the Raiders, you know always plays you tough.
Speaker 7 (26:30):
You have to bounce right back.
Speaker 10 (26:31):
You wash it, you learn from it, and then you
kind of just go back to the fundamentals and working
and so we still have stuff to learn from this game.
I mean, there's there were certain situations where we didn't
execute at a high enough level, but we're obviously took
a step in the positive direction. Now let's just continue
to do that throughout the rest of the season.
Speaker 1 (26:45):
For the record, we look at the Raiders as sort
of dysfunctional, and we look at Carolina, who fired their
coach today, what a mistake. Dysfunctional. But I'll say this,
it looks like even with that loss, how competitive the
Raiders were. They will give Antonio Pierce we would suspect
the gig and I think that rights the ship a little.
(27:05):
Whether or not he's a great coach, I don't know.
But when you're turbigline, when you're turbulent in the NFL,
when you're a bit of a tire fire the Jets,
the answer is not always fire the coach. The Jets
do not have a roster offensively to win a lot
of games in the AFC. They do not. Carolina does
not have a roster good enough to win the Raiders.
(27:28):
I've said this, the Raiders roster, they've got an elite
pass rusher and some really nice offensive pieces. There is
no reason the Raiders could not be a playoff team
next year. I don't buy this for Carolina has got
no offensive to Devonte Adams, Hunter, renfro Jacobs, a good
left tackle. Raiders got players, Raiders has offensively and an
(27:50):
elite pass rushers. Don't tell me the Raiders don't have players.
They're not that far off. But the story yesterday in
this game is we got a little old Kansas City,
you know, twenty one nothing, fourteen nothing, down quickly, three possessions,
couple possessions. Bang, you lead, You're tied. And that's something
with Burro gone, Herbert's not making the playoffs. Trevor Lawrence
(28:13):
has never played well against the Chiefs. It's something.
Speaker 2 (28:15):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and newon Eastern a EM Pacific.
Speaker 1 (28:20):
All right, Where Colin was right, Where Colin was wrong,
as is customary on a Monday, plenty of both. Here
we go.
Speaker 2 (28:28):
Where Colin was right.
Speaker 1 (28:29):
I predicted Michigan would be more committed to the run
game and therefore win. They had one hundred and twenty
two yards rushing in just the second half. That's more
than Ohio State had in the game, I said, the
team that runs the football the last twenty one years,
more committed to it, more productive wins. It's now twenty
two straight years as good as the Ohio State defense is,
(28:53):
and it's special. Michigan controlled the game, scoring every almost
every time they got opportunities in the second half field
goal or touchdowns. And again we said, whoever runs the
ball with greater commitment and conviction will win, and that
was Michigan.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
Where Colin was raw.
Speaker 1 (29:15):
I had the Bills winning their division, and frankly, they
shoot themselves in the foot maybe more than any good
team in this league, ten penalties in the first half.
They had opportunities. It's like the Eagles came out flat
and wanted to handle the hand of Bills a w
and they couldn't get it done. So the Bills are
not going to be unless they turn it around quickly,
(29:38):
very quickly, a playoff team. And I was wrong where
Colin was right the Broncos. I said, Russell Wilson, come on, washed,
he got something left in the tank washed. And I
also felt that Sean Payton is one of the smartest
coaches I've ever discussed talked to. Had dinner with Sean
would figure it out. But it was a big lift,
(30:00):
probably bigger than he imagined. But their defense now is young, talented,
and aggressive. They are tied for the NFL's longest winning streak,
and frankly, their defense, which was an issue earlier, that's
been coached up. They pushed Cleveland a physical team around.
We got that one right. Where Colin was wrong, Carolina
(30:23):
fired their coach, Frank Wright. Today, I like the higher
I still do fire the GM. They've got no offensive
pieces at all. I still think Bryce Young has talent,
though he doesn't look as good as C. J. Stroud.
I do not think this is the answer. How many
coaches have they had, if you count interim guys in
the last six seven years seven, it's ridiculous. But I
thought it would work. I thought they'd be more competitive.
(30:45):
I talked myself out of giving them the division in
the summer. I talked myself they're gonna They're gonna make
the playoffs. Now. I talked myself out of that by August.
But in the end I didn't think it would be
this bad.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
Where Colin was right.
Speaker 1 (30:56):
Remember this summer J Mack, when everybody said the Rams
are going to be terrible, and I said they're going
to be in the seven eight nine area, that they
have too many good weapons, they have too good of
a coach, Cooper Cup, Aaron Donald. They've got too many guys,
maybe not in their prime, but McVay is one of
the smartest coaches. He'll manufacture offense, and they've done a
(31:17):
remarkable job with Duck Tape getting their offensive line right.
They finally got healthy yesterday. Williams, the running back, was back.
Currently five and six. The over under in Vegas was
only six. But if you watch them play, they have
a life because their best players, their tight end, they're
(31:38):
right tackle, their quarterback, They draft well. They were never
going to be abysmal with Sean McVay.
Speaker 2 (31:44):
Where Colin was wrong.
Speaker 1 (31:46):
I had Detroit in and Dallas out in the Super
Bowl bubble. But you know what, I gotta say this
for Dallas. At least they trounce the teams they're supposed to.
I mean, what happened to Detroit against Green Bay. You
can't go in at home short week against Jordan Love
and make him look like Dan Marino. I was wrong.
Dallas does something that great teams or good teams do.
(32:10):
They beat the teams convincingly they're supposed to. Lions can't
even at home. That game wouldn't even close. Green Bay
moved up and down the field on him. I was
wrong where Colin was right. Alan Lazar jets a healthy
scratch yesterday against the Dolphins. That was Friday. I said
it when they signed him. You're just trying to appeal
(32:30):
to Aaron Rodgers. This is a reach. He's a four
can struggle with consistency. I said, he can't just blame
Zach Wilson. Who is he throwing to besides Garrett Wilson.
This was obviously to appeal to Aaron Rodgers. I like
Alan Lazzard, not at that price and not committed to
(32:52):
be like a number two receiver. He's not. That's okay.
But we were right where Colin was raw in the
last four games. Jordan Love is showing growth.
Speaker 7 (33:02):
Now.
Speaker 1 (33:03):
We had said Matt Lafleur, young receivers and tight ends.
Green Bay does a really good job to draft and
develop offensive players, rarely going to the first round. But
I will say this for Jordan Love, he looks much
more confident. He's got a nice relationship with these young receivers.
He moves very well. I don't see a lot of
(33:23):
growth with Kenny Pickett and some of these young quarterbacks,
certainly not Mac Jones Zach Wilson. You can see coaching confidence.
He clearly sees the field better than he did two
months ago. I was wrong where Colin was right. I
love Shane Steichen hiring by the Colts culture six and
five with Gardner Minshew, Baby, and again he's he's had
(33:46):
to deal with the Leonard, the linebacker they let go of.
He's got an impulsive, at times crazy owner. They lost
their starting quarterback. It's in the tougher AFC. But you
know the Chargers general manager told me years ago and
stop was in the building, this kid's going to be special.
He is a difference maker. Shane Stike and we love
the hire and the Colts inexplicably hard to explain. Are
(34:13):
right in the smack dab in the middle of the
playoff race with Gardner Minshew. Where Colin was right, Where
Colin was wrong on a Monday, feels very right to
have Michael vick On, four time Pro bowler, thirteen years
in the NFL, most career rush yards by a quarterback
in league history, over six thousand Fox Sports NFL analysts.
So I said this last week, and I used to
(34:35):
get crap for saying this, that I would say, I
want my quarterback on that Wednesday press conference, Michael, I
want the hat on straight. You got the big bank sponsor,
you are the face of the franchise. Definitely shave play
the party. And I watched Jalen Hurts on that thing.
Dude looks like a senator. In fact, he looks better
than our senators. And there is something about his maturity.
(35:00):
And I know I got crap for this, but it
does matter. I think the team feeds off his maturity
and his resilience. What do you make of what.
Speaker 11 (35:09):
I mean on and off the field, Jalen Hurst look apart.
If I can go back and do it all over
twenty years ago, I would certainly make sure that I
looked the part. I was, you know, polished when I
stepped on the podium. You know that comes with just
leadership and understanding your position. And I think jayla Hurst
really understands the position that he's in. You know, being
the quarterback of a flagship organization like the Philadelphia Eagles
(35:31):
really means a lot.
Speaker 7 (35:32):
He takes it serious.
Speaker 11 (35:33):
And so you know that's that team is mature and
as good as as it is because of Jaalen Hurts.
Speaker 1 (35:39):
Is he healthy?
Speaker 7 (35:41):
Everybody else?
Speaker 1 (35:42):
But is he healthy?
Speaker 11 (35:44):
From the looks of it, it don't look you know,
nobody's really healthy this time of the year, and especially
the way he played, you know, taking some heres, a
lot of sacrifice. But you know he's not out there.
He wouldn't be out there. He couldn't be out there.
Speaker 7 (35:58):
He's not for sure. Yeah, yeah, And so.
Speaker 11 (36:00):
You know sometimes accountability and everything matters when you're a competitor.
You know, you just you want to be there for
your teammates and you want to show them that I'm
willing to go to extra play hurt because you gain respect.
Speaker 7 (36:13):
It's another form of leadership, you.
Speaker 1 (36:15):
Know, Michael It. I remember watching Aaron Rodgers at cal
and then three years later, I'm like, he's got a
way better arm. Is that When Jalen Hurts was at Alabama,
it was like he runs. People do improve in life.
I can a politician, can't anybody can? I think throwing
the football, he looks different than three years ago. Take
(36:38):
me to your progression. Is it because he sees the field?
Is it because the receivers are better. Is it coaching,
because remember he's got a new OC this year. He
looks so much more comfortable throwing the ball deep.
Speaker 11 (36:50):
Yeah, you become a better pass and when you learn
to anticipate and so I mean, anybody can hit a
ten yard hits.
Speaker 7 (36:57):
My son can throw a ten yard out. You can
throw it to your j Mac.
Speaker 11 (37:01):
You know, we get all the gun thos in there
with a little practice and repetition, but when you start
to throw them down the field throws them in custom
out routes and routes that you know you get certain coverage.
You got to anticipate it. They might be a small
window that you gotta put the ball. But if you
understand pre snap, look this was coming anticipated.
Speaker 7 (37:22):
Now you're a.
Speaker 11 (37:23):
Little more accurate because you know where you you know
you get there before you get to the spot first
and help you receive it get to the spot. So
I think that's that's truly important as far as progression
for a passer understanding pre snap what's gonna be there
and then seeing it and then hitting it with accuracy.
Speaker 1 (37:39):
Yeah, your mind's not racing, right, Yeah.
Speaker 11 (37:41):
You calm, it's a sense of calm in order to
make those thoughts other than that, you get wiry erratic.
Speaker 1 (37:47):
Yeah, so you ran now now Cam Newton, Big Band,
Josh Allen, because of their size, are a little more durable,
and so Josh Allen much like a been in a Cam.
He can take a lot of these hits. But I
do feel like, okay, we're six years in now, and
when this team gets in the red zone, their offense
(38:09):
is hey, Josh, it's like high school. Just go make
a play. Are they wasting his talent?
Speaker 7 (38:15):
I don't think they're wasting this talent.
Speaker 11 (38:17):
I think you know, just where every quarterback is all
it's levels, it's progression.
Speaker 7 (38:24):
You know.
Speaker 11 (38:25):
I think you're only gonna be as good as your
offensive coordinator, you know. And I think it's just so true.
Sometimes the coach can't win you the game, but they
can lose you the game. Us as players got to
take the onus of you know, when the players called,
we got to dissect it.
Speaker 7 (38:38):
We really got to break it all down really really quick.
Speaker 11 (38:41):
And you know, sometimes I used to pride myself a
lot on you know, if I heard a play call
come in and I did something outside of the box
within the play as long as I can explain it,
you know, and ye Andy, i'd rather him say good job.
I don't want to explain it. You know, lead the
pass or whatever the check is, you know, make it happen,
(39:03):
keep it moving.
Speaker 7 (39:04):
You know.
Speaker 11 (39:05):
Sometimes you know, you get into the red zone and
you know, get it a little tight a it's a
little more anxiety and them play calls just got to
be spot on. And it don't always got to be
down the field throws. You know, it's still ways to
move the ball in the red zone. Screens and quick
pad dumps, you know, like it's it's ways to move
the ball quick.
Speaker 1 (39:22):
I want to ask you. So there was a play
last night where Gabe Davis broke free and Gabe turns
to the instead of now now. Josh Allen's reaction was almost, hey, Gabe,
you turn the wrong way. So a lot of times
in the NFL, you know this, you throw the ball
before the cuts made on that play, What is the rule?
(39:44):
For instance, Gabe maybe beats his man more more quickly
than he anticipated. Is there a rule in this league?
Because Josh threw it before Gabe.
Speaker 11 (39:55):
Had, Josh, Josh reacted in the cover zero sitch rational.
Speaker 7 (40:00):
I mean it's all our blitz. Everybody's coming.
Speaker 11 (40:03):
And unless Gabe just ran his route that was designed
that the play the route that was in the play call,
if he ran to the corner, I think either Josh
anticipated him. Just this cover zero. We've seen this look
plenty of times. You know what that means. I mean,
all hell about to break loose, just running. That's why
(40:23):
he lobbed it to a spot. It was a perfect past.
Speaker 7 (40:26):
Yeah. I think Gabe just ran his route.
Speaker 11 (40:28):
And so if Gabe ran the route that was designed
in the play call, he did the right thing. But
Josh anticipated us being on the same page years of experience.
I could be wrong, but we see cover zero.
Speaker 1 (40:43):
Is red by the way, justin Herbert saw one last
night and he doesn't have.
Speaker 7 (40:46):
A deep threat. Yeah, and you know the same reaction.
Speaker 1 (40:50):
Okay, I want to ask you about Russell Wilson. So listen,
in Seattle, we all knew what he was. Twitchy, moved,
he didn't move like you. But the drop throws and
then last year it plummets. So my takeaway was is
he washed? How he's never been hurt? So now if
you look at the last five six games, he's back
(41:10):
to Russell and Seattle. Yeah, I think in Seattle he
had better receivers, but but he didn't have a title locket,
but he still got Uh. So when you watch this
Denver offense, what are they doing now in your opinion
that maybe they weren't a month ago.
Speaker 11 (41:26):
I think it's it's predicated on better field position.
Speaker 7 (41:28):
One. You know, defense is playing really well, yes.
Speaker 11 (41:31):
And so they're giving them opportunities to you know, beat
half short fields, cross the fifty, you know, punt returns,
and get into a good field position, which allows the
play calling to be different. It's so much easier to
call the game when you cross the fifty as opposed
before you get.
Speaker 7 (41:50):
To the feal right, and so everything changes.
Speaker 11 (41:52):
The end zone is a lot closer, it's more opportunity,
and so it opens up the playbook, you know, especially
when you get into that big red. So I think
the play calling is different. Russell was definitely getting on
the same page with Sean.
Speaker 1 (42:04):
I like the running back, yeah.
Speaker 11 (42:06):
The run, and I like the fact that coach don't
he'll shot away from the run game even if it's
not working. It can be two yards here, three yards,
dare you pop one for six? And he just consistency
in the run game, keeps the defense honest, and allow
him the play call the way he wants to.
Speaker 1 (42:22):
So I want to go, uh, CJ. Stroud this weekend lost,
But there is something and we're gonna see Justin Fields tonight,
and so there's an you know, the old saying is,
you know, winning's not a quarterback stat, and you know
obviously it's a team game. But I don't think if
Davis Mills was starting, they'd be nearly as good as
with CJ. Stroud with all the same dudes, Are you surprised?
(42:46):
Because the one thing I think I can tell, I
think I can from watching it on television is that
he sees the field so quickly. Now I want you,
so I watched you all through college. You didn't have
to worry too much about that. And you also in
college sometimes have stuff schemed. You had a first second
reason run. Yeah, in the NFL, it's not that easy.
So when I when I watch him, I think, oh,
(43:08):
he just sees it quickly. Did you see it quickly?
Did it take time? What do you make of what
you're saying?
Speaker 11 (43:13):
Yeah, it's a time. I certainly was as good as C. J.
Stroud was when I was a rookie as good as
he is now, especially so early, I couldn't have handled
at all starting as a rookie one and and being honest,
it was just you know, trying to create an understanding
(43:33):
Dan Reeves offense. It was it was super complex. Sure,
we even had to call two plays in a huddle
sometimes and and you know, so it's it's different. But
I don't know what the terminology of verbage is for CJ. Stroud,
but whatever it is, he got it. He's comfortable. Uh,
like you say, he sees it really quickly. And and
it's the anticipation part, knowing how to anticipate and get
(43:55):
there before the defendant can get there.
Speaker 7 (43:57):
Yeah, and it just.
Speaker 11 (43:58):
Works every time if they're teaching that and he's grasping that.
Speaker 7 (44:02):
Now you got offense.
Speaker 1 (44:04):
So next week it's Philadelphia San Francisco, and I mean
there's like Hall of Fame level dudes, And I know
what we're early on this. We still have a Monday
night game. But I want you to go back to
your career in your biggest games against your best teams,
and this is going to be one of these games
for Brock. Pretty now he faces an equal roster. These
(44:30):
are the two best teams I think in the NFC.
Speaker 7 (44:32):
Yeah, in this game, is there a lean for you?
Speaker 11 (44:36):
This is certainly a the indication of what we're going
to see down the road, you know, in the playoffs
at some point, but depending on how you know, everything
safe shout and highs configured. But we'll get a chance
to see Rock Purdy versus you know what he's going
to see down the road. And that's a tough Philadelphia
Eagles defense is you know, lay it by guys who
(44:58):
future Hall of Famous Pro Bowlers and know how to win.
Speaker 1 (45:01):
You know, mentally, do you buy brock perty I mean
against you?
Speaker 11 (45:06):
Yeah, I buy any quarterback who's consistent, consistently good, you know,
more wins than losses.
Speaker 7 (45:14):
You know, we are judged by that.
Speaker 11 (45:16):
And you know, he understands exactly what has to happen
within that offense in order to move to change. And
so he know how to get Deepo involved. You know
how to get George Kittle involved. He know how to
move the chains and that's important. That's why he's on
the field and nobody else.
Speaker 1 (45:31):
When you have as much talent as Philadelphia and specifically
San Francisco as a quarterback. Did you ever feel pressure, Okay,
I gotta give George Kittler look or he's not gonna
be happy at halftime. Did you sense that you feel it?
Speaker 11 (45:44):
Yeah, that's that's a real thing. You know, some guys
different from others. But you always want to keep guys
in the rhythm and keep them happy. And you know,
they spend a lot of time in practice running routes
and sometimes the ball don't come their way, and you
know they might go two or three period in practice
where they don't touch the ball, and so you want
to keep everybody satisfied. I want to keep them into
(46:05):
the game, and you know, just want them to keep
leading and blocking for you and fighting for you. You know,
when you know when you got to handle business the
other way or when we gotta go run centric, you know,
just just stay involved. The best, the best leaders and
the best players are the guys who are unselfish, the
(46:26):
guys that I've been around who don't really care about
the stats. They'll get their when they get their, and
and you know, it's it's more team oriented than anything else.
Speaker 1 (46:34):
But occasionally you'll get an aj brown somebody wants to
get which is good. So so when it happened. When
somebody came to you on the sideline.
Speaker 11 (46:41):
Makes you better, It makes you better. It just heightens
your focus. You know these one our premium players. He
got to touch it. I was watching the game last night.
I felt, you know, I just said to myself, all
good things happen when aj Brown touched the ball. And
so you can't give him the ball all the time.
You gotta spread it around. You got Swift, you got
at Davonte. You got to spread it around. But you
(47:04):
know that guy given be the reason why they win
it all.
Speaker 1 (47:08):
Yeah, Michael Vick is joining us. So you're friends with
Lamar Jackson. Yeah, he's having a great year. I just
love watching him play. There's another guy that's grown is
the last couple of years, he's gotten banged up. It
does look like they have the best receiving talent they've had.
Give me your thoughts on Baltimore going forward? Now burrows out,
(47:33):
Buffalo's not gonna make the playoffs. I think they match
up with Kansas City. Well, give me your thoughts. You
know Lamar about the contract the off season, he finally
has playmakers. What do you see when you watch your friend.
Speaker 7 (47:46):
It just looked dangerous.
Speaker 11 (47:48):
It just looks like the game is coming so easy
to him in total control. I think I said this before,
and just when you understand the offense and you come
to work every day and now you know you can
get better. I can get better tomorrow because you know,
when I get the play sheet is faxed over to
(48:09):
me at night, I can look at all these calls
and I can see the touchdowns. Like if you can
see the success and in the play sheet, in the
in the play calls, that's when that's when you thriving.
I think, yeah, And I think Lamar just comes into
a game where he knows I'm coming to get it
done with my arm, but I got I can get
(48:31):
it done with my legs too. But you know, to
spread the ball around a Zay and Odelle and I
don't have to do it.
Speaker 7 (48:39):
On my own.
Speaker 11 (48:40):
It just makes the game so much easier. So it's
a big credit to Lamar. It's even bigger credit to
John Horbah, who's you know, surrounding him with the talent
and the organization who making sure that you know, we
ain't gonna leave no excuses when it comes down down
to this AFC Championship game.
Speaker 7 (48:57):
You know, if we get there, we're gonna be well equipped.
Speaker 1 (49:01):
For the record. When players get paid, they often change.
Lamar's different, Jalen Jalen hurts. Lamar got paidier. He's some
guys get paid and I've heard this before from GMS.
Some guys get paid and it's just they're not the
same guy. He almost is more intense and feistier. The
(49:22):
money didn't change him at all.
Speaker 11 (49:24):
These dudes just want to They want to be great.
Speaker 7 (49:27):
They want to be great.
Speaker 11 (49:28):
They they never want to be the reason why their
team don't win the game. When you take on that
type of attitude. I never wanted to be the reason.
I never wanted to cut the film on and man,
if i'd have made a better throw, I went they
throwing the interception up And it was times I had
my moments.
Speaker 7 (49:43):
Yeah, but you know, more good than bad.
Speaker 11 (49:47):
And you know, if they continue to progress and continue
to take that presidential attitude on and off the field, man,
did you get.
Speaker 1 (49:56):
It your for you when you said wait, wait, wait,
somebody have a conversation with you.
Speaker 11 (50:01):
And it was like year six or seven when I
started to realize the impact that I had on the game,
what I was doing for the for the game, and
for the position, how I could grow and get better.
Once I got with buy Potrino was introduced to a
different offense, a different system.
Speaker 7 (50:17):
I you know, I started to see my potential.
Speaker 11 (50:19):
Now it went from just making pro bos to now,
you know, chasing greatness not the Super Bowl.
Speaker 4 (50:26):
Uh.
Speaker 11 (50:27):
In the aspect of you know what that would do
for my legacy started to creep in. It was a
little too late, but I got it. And so when
I got to Philadelphia, took on the same attitude and
was able to bring the younger guys with me and
help them be, you know, in the leadership bro, so
they can understand when I leave what they got to
do to the next generation. So I knew I had
(50:48):
to pass on that good will and so I was
just extremely focused on that. But it made me a
better football player.
Speaker 1 (50:53):
Great senior as always, you flying back to Florida. Here
back to Florida, right, Hope you had a good stask
giving with your family.
Speaker 3 (50:58):
I did.
Speaker 1 (50:59):
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