October 22, 2024 • 37 mins
Colin gives Lamar Jackson credit for the way he's handled super stardom in today's social media culture after another dominating win over an NFC opponent. He ranks his top 10 NFL teams after week 7 of the season. Fox Sports NFL analyst Mark Sanchez joins the show in studio to breakdown the Eagles offense and why they can still contend for a Super Bowl
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
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
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Speaker 2 (00:19):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
This is the Best of the Herd with Colin cowher
on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Here we go. It is a Tuesday. We are 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. Mark Sanchez, Nick Wright, Rachel Nicol
stops by opening of the NBA season Jmack one hour
from now. The Herd hierarchy we'll try to top next week. Well,
(00:49):
you know, I love Lamar Jackson. There as a million
reasons I love it, and I actually think he's the
best football player on the planet. I don't think he's
the best quarterback yet, but I do think he's like
half running back half quarterback. I think he just adds
elements we've never seen before. Hit eight different targets last night.
(01:09):
If his tight end could catch, he would had nine
different targets.
Speaker 4 (01:13):
He was decent last night.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
He was decent, twenty seven year old Lamar Jackson. We
live in a world where young people maybe I did
this when I was young. It's the constant need for affirmation.
They go to TikTok. I can mimic the stand up comedian.
I can dance to somebody else's song. I can sing
(01:34):
somebody else's song look at me. Or every replaceable number
four receiver on every team gets a first down and
they have to stand up in point. And then there's
Lamar Jackson, probably the world's best football talent. Five touchdown passes,
no picks. On Monday Night football, he has twenty touchdown passes,
(01:55):
no interceptions, out running the fastest linebacker you have and
often the fastest safety in corner. Another touchdown, another Ravens win.
And then he goes back to the sideline, takes his
helmet off, puts his hand in his gear, and he's smiling.
He's always around somebody on the team, and he's laughing.
He's asking questions, humble, not seeking affirmation, not seeking validation.
(02:18):
That's the thing when you're really successful, it's really really
hard and takes you ever to be successful, and he's
been doubted and criticized, and he's lost big games. He's
just the nicest kid in the world. I don't know
how you don't like him. The truly great don't need
to constantly incessantly validate their performance. I mean, Mahomes this
weekend against the Niners runs over a player in the
(02:40):
end zone for a touchdown. After the game, he jokes
about his dad Bod. He said, yeah, I just got
the best that time, my dad Bod. I love that.
Shoot that into my veins. Lamar Jackson one of the
great Monday night football performances of all time. A dominant play.
I mean, it just insane to me. Five touchdowns, no pack.
You get all the upside, you get none of the downside.
(03:03):
You just smile on the sidelines, humble kid. You know,
the NBA season starts to night and you'll see these
guys with the too small gesture, and it's like, bro,
you're an off guard. You sometimes come off the bench.
There'll be two hundred and forty points scored in tonight's game.
Lebron's been in ten finals. Save the gesture. It's just
(03:23):
another basket. It just doesn't matter the guy's doing the
too small so often come up too small in the playoffs.
You ever noticed that too small guy? Westbrook does that
a lot, too small guy, And that's why Lamar Jackson
is such a perfect player, and that's why he should
be the soul of a franchise. Same with Mahomes. He
(03:45):
cares about the right stuff, the next win, the next
big play, the next divisional rival. It is all windshield.
It's no rear view mirror, never pontificating about a moment,
romanticizing the past. It's all about scoring and not celebrating.
(04:07):
I mean, this kid is He's all about tomorrow and
the next play and winning and competing, none of the
nonsense you see. And I think we're very lucky in
pro sports because most of the great players are about that.
But Mahomes and Lamar Jackson really stick out about that.
These guys are the world's best at what they do,
and they're incredibly grateful and incredibly humble. The only time
(04:29):
I ever see Lamar Jackson really upset, really really emotional.
You ever notice this when he makes the highly infrequent mistake,
when he throws the rare interception or he can't pick
up a first down. That's when he shows emotion. That's
when you see it now when he picks up a
first down. I mean he's done that before like everybody.
(04:49):
But he's just such a humble, great kid. Twenty three
and one against the NFC. They can't beat him, literally
cannot beat him. He owns an entire conference in professional football.
Twenty touchdowns, no picks. Grateful, next win, John Harbaugh said
(05:12):
after and think about how many great players the Ravens
have had. He's not sure he's ever had a kid
like this.
Speaker 5 (05:19):
I'm proud of him. I'm happy for him. He's a
great leader, and he's a great player, great player. He's
an ultimate competitor, There's no question about it. He's I
don't know if I've seen a better competitor than Lamar Jackson.
And I see I've seen some competitors, you know, had
some great competitors, but.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
He is, he is.
Speaker 5 (05:35):
He is in that level with the greatest competitors that
I've ever seen, maybe maybe maybe the greatest we'll see.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
Just remarkable. And once again here's Lamar Jackson after always
about the right thing.
Speaker 6 (05:52):
Chase the song right now, So each and every game
is gonna be the same thing for me, Like We're
gonna be the same person every game. I'm trying to
full focus on right now and us just being five
and two don't really matter. We're just trying to be
one to know each and every week.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
We got there, and I feel impossible not to like
the soul of the franchise. The NFL is really lucky.
I mean really lucky. They're two biggest stars, Lamar and
Patrick Mahomes. Arguably they're two biggest stars have these qualities.
I mean, they really are fortunate. All right, let's talk
(06:27):
about the other game. I mean, I got four more
minutes to fill here, Arizona seventeen, Chargers fifteen. Here's my
big takeaway. I feel bad for Justin Herbert and Kyler Murray.
Even though Kyler won. Justin Herbert no run game. Shaky
o line got Jalen Rager fumbling in the end zone.
(06:50):
So it was for three hundred and forty nine yards.
I mean, Quentin Johnson, boy, he was missed, wasn't he
We're not even sure he's not a bust. He wasn't there.
He was missed. His number one target was Will Disley,
no run game, three hundred and forty nine yards and
Kyler Murray. By the way, thank god they have one
stud James Connor of the running back just fantastic. But
(07:12):
Marvin Harrison seemed disengaged the rookie again. What's going on
with him? Dropping passes? Not engaged. That's been hugely disappointing.
But between Justin Herbert and Kyler Murray, it is another referendum.
Don't chase money in any profession. Chase great ownership, trace
(07:35):
chase great management. They're so little of it. How many
awful organizations are there. The Chargers are better now, they
got hardball. But I mean Kyler Murray, he makes Arizona
interesting and that's all you can ask for. If Michael
Bidwell owns your team, I mean, he makes him interesting.
I mean, now, now Herbert finally has the right head
(07:55):
coach and they have two very good tackles. Cross your
fingers on their health. But I mean there's a way
to play him. Just stack the box, don't let them run.
They have nobody on the outside. Quentin Johnson looks like
a semi bus. They have nobody on the outside. They
can beat you. I mean, there's absolutely a way to
defend the Chargers and Justin Herbert throwing for three hundred
and forty nine yards to a tight end, and it's
(08:17):
amazing that he threw for three and a half football
fields and here you have. I mean, it's thank god
James Connor has delivered for Arizona. The owner does it.
The front office is hit and miss coaches, they're on
another one. I mean, I'm watching these guys and I'm like,
I feel bad for these ke quarterbacks. And you can
say what you want about Kyler Murray in the video game.
Here's all I know. He's a great player. But Lamar
(08:41):
got Steve Bashatti and John Harbaugh and the Ravens culture.
Now Lamar is better than Kyler and would succeed at
some level anywhere. But Mahomes got the Hunt family and
Andy Reid and Brett Veach and now Steve Spagnola. I'm
not saying if you but Herbert and Kyler in Kansas
(09:01):
City in Baltimore, they would be as good, but it'd
be closer. Justin. Herbert is a lot, a lot more
talented than Philip Rivers, but when you watch his career,
it's starting to look like the same trajectory I felt
for those guys. I'm like, like, those two quarterbacks one
(09:23):
is the big, strapping kid with a huge arm, the
other the smaller guy running around that forty four yard touchdown.
Herbert is doing everything he can to pull this franchise
up a hill and get over it. And here he
is after the loss about the struggling offense.
Speaker 7 (09:43):
I thought, we did a lot of good things, but
we got to score points in the red zone. That's
the biggest takeaway from today tonight's game. You know, we
got an amazing kicker, but we got to do a
bed job for a defense, for our special teams.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
We gotta score points in the red zone.
Speaker 1 (09:55):
By the way, they do have an amazing kicker, they
just don't have amazing wide receivers and amazing speed and
amazing tight ends an amazingly dependable interior offensive lineman. But
they've got a great kicker, and thankfully they've got Justin Herbert,
and thankfully Arizona has Kyler Murray. Pushback all you want.
(10:16):
They both make their franchise immeasurably interesting, and sometimes that's
all you're gonna get, and that's sometimes, sadly, all you
can hope for. Derek Henry did his thing last night.
He was available for the league isn't that amazing He
was available for the league. I mean you could have
(10:37):
gotten him for a group on or a cupon. I mean,
the guy was just there for nothing, and Baltimore snagged him.
Her hierarchy fifty minutes from now plus Nick Wright, I
didn't have either side last night. I stayed away from
these two games, did you, by the way.
Speaker 8 (10:53):
Yeah, I'm the idiot who went in front of Mahomes
on Sunday, you know, And then I got in front
of this Ravens train and I just.
Speaker 4 (11:01):
I'll just say about Herbert, how many tight ends do
they have on the roster?
Speaker 1 (11:04):
Colin?
Speaker 4 (11:05):
He was throwing like six different tight ends. It felt
like go routes up the sideline to tight ends. I mean,
the Chargers aren't a bad place receiver wise.
Speaker 8 (11:13):
However, if you look at the schedule, they're still in
positions they're gonna be fighty.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
I told you this. If you look at the AFC
division leaders, those are excellent teams. Nine games, nine wins
can get you into the wild card in the AFC
the NFC, the division winners maybe not as good, but
the wild card teams could be Minnesota or Green Bay,
Washington or Philadelphia you could have incredibly your wild card.
(11:41):
Teams in the NFC are stacked, But in the AFC,
I still think I looked at their schedule this morning.
I think the Chargers make the playoffs.
Speaker 4 (11:48):
They're in play. The middle class of the AFC.
Speaker 8 (11:51):
All the teams we thought maybe gonna be fightstys, they're terrible.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
And the AFC has got really good quarterbacks at the top.
But in the middle of the A the quarterback play.
Speaker 4 (12:01):
Like we thought Aaron Rodgers would be good, he has
not been good.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
On by edge, who has hurt Anthony Richardson, didn't consistent
and hurt Trevor Lawrence seems to be regressing. So the
top of the AFC quarterbacks, coaches, teams excellent, really soft
middle and bottom where the NFC now over the last
two years is deeper. The bottom's very small. But the
middle of the NFC, I mean, if Chicago goes eight
(12:27):
to nine or nine and eight, that's the middle.
Speaker 8 (12:29):
Well, by the way, sounds like they're not going to
face Jadon Daniels this week. This is a big win,
but you're also seeing some big spreads this week. There
could be three double digit spreads. Remember for six weeks
or none they're starting to separate race. You know, a marathon,
and you've got the superstars running out late.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
Chicago's one of my favorite plays this week.
Speaker 4 (12:47):
I don't hate that one.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and noon Easter nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app. Heard Hierarchy Now go
the top ten NFL teams according to College number ten.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
Now the Seahawks are getting healthier on the defensive front.
I had them upsetting Atlanta in Atlanta, and they look
the part. They have a top ten scoring offense when
Gino Smith is comfortable and Atlanta has no pass rush
with those receivers, he's dangerous. Number one passing offense in
the NFL. But they're like one of the worst run offenses,
(13:26):
despite the fact they have Kenneth Walker, who I think
is a stud had a great catch this weekend. But
I think when they're healthy, I think they are pretty
tough out and they can beat almost anybody. Seahawks at ten,
number nine, I don't know what I'm doing. Steelers, I
mean it's the Russell Wilson Steelers. They look good. I
mean they had outscored the Jets twenty four to nothing
in the second half. I'm sorry, that's impressive. The offense
(13:48):
scored on all four of its drives in the second half. Remember,
Russell Wilson was not terrible last year in Denver. The
defense was. He had a ninety eight passer rating, twenty
six touchdowns, eight picks and scrambled. I don't know what
to do. I'm not saying they're a super Bowl team,
but I'm sorry that when they play at home, Russell
Wilson doesn't turn it over, can be pretty good in
the red zone, have a home run threat. Pickens a
(14:11):
super Bowl winning coach, Najie Harris I'd liked for years.
I'm gonna put him at nine, number eight. I think
the Niners would beat him. Niners are all beat up,
but I think we have to contextualize this. Yeah, they
look bad. It was the Chiefs. The Chiefs defense looks off.
Makes a lot of people look bad. I mean, Baltimore
looks amazing against everybody except you know, the Chiefs. So
they're all beat up. But I will say they're bad
(14:31):
in the red zone, and it makes me believe Brock
Purty is finally take a deep breath, finally, last twelve starts,
he's six and six. It's very obvious that not only Perty,
but Kyle Shanahan is very dependent on Christian McCaffrey, who
they say is coming back November tenth. Number seven the Bills.
So they have a losing record against winning teams, but
(14:53):
they they're the Mike Tyson. They can't beat Lennox, Lewis
or holy Field in this prime, but they can beat
the bad fighters, and that's Buffalo. I don't trust them
against Kansas City or Baltimore. I wouldn't trust them against
the detroit but they play downhill. And I do think
Amari Cooper, who had a touchdown in his first game
of the Bills, I think he's a nice, solid, good
route running mature, high IQ veteran target. I think he
(15:15):
makes them a better football team. And if they stay healthy.
It's James Cook, it's Kincaid, it's Dawson Knox, it's Josh Allen,
it's an all pro left tackle. It is a formidable offense.
I just don't trust them against the better teams. Number
six the Commanders. Jaden Daniels is hurt, but folks, they've
scored on sixty four percent of their drives. Well, what
(15:36):
do you want me to do? You keep telling me
it's just a mirage. I watched them play Baltimore. They
look like they could play. I went Baltimore in Washington.
I was a good football game. Their defense, I mean
it's I keep hearing about all the flaws, But if
Jaden Daniels is playing, this is a top ten football team.
I like the coach, I like the coordinator. I like
(15:57):
the new owner. I don't know. I watch him play.
I think they're for real. I have Washington of six,
number five Green Bay Packers. You know what I love
about this is that watch Matt Lafleuur coach Jordan Love
You ever noticed this. He doesn't care about his mistakes.
He knows he's got Brett Fahr, but that kind of player,
he lets him go. They lead the NFL with eight
(16:18):
touchdown throws of ten yards plus downfield. This is a
very dangerous team. I feel like they're Houston. They're about
a year away from winning a Super Bowl. I would
not want to face Green Band in the playoffs, especially
if they're on a fast track. Get him out of
the cold weather in January, get him to a dome,
in Minnesota. No, thank you, big playoffense taking the ball away.
(16:38):
I don't know. I think this team, this team's got
super Bowls in it. I'm just not sure if it's
this year. Number four, the Vikings. They just can't beat Detroit.
Last two years, they're rowing and two against Detroit. They're
beating everybody else. They've led by ten plus points in
every game. I think Sam Darnold, we all thought he's reckless.
I don't trust them, you know what. I watched that
Detroit game that throw to Jordan Andison and Justin Jefferson.
(17:00):
I don't. I think they're fine. The upcoming schedule, by
the way, looks pretty easy. Rams game Thursday's kind of
tough because teams that play the Lions the next week
don't do well. But I gotta tell you something, if
this team ended up in the NFC Championship, I would
not be shocked.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
Number three.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
Well, I had Detroit as the second best team in
the league until I watched Baltimore last night. I think
Detroit goes to number three. They have more offensive touchdowns
eighteen than incompletions. Incompletions over the last four games, Jared
Goff is playing pass and catch. I mean it looks easy.
Jared Goff comfortable is really good. You're not going to
move around. But Jared Goff in a pocket with a
(17:40):
run game and a great left and right tackle is
really a tough out. Aiden Hutchinson's loss will obviously be
a huge factor. I still think they could make a
move before the trade deadline. This is a really good offense,
a deep threat running game, tight end, accurate quarterback, dominating
offensive line, clever play caller, offense defense worries me. Offense
(18:02):
is out standing. Number two the Ravens nine point four
yards of play last night. Lamar Jackson's insane. I love him,
not just everything about him. He leads the NFL in
passer rating. You know, for years and years when Lamar
was doing all his tricks, he didn't have any didn't
have any good receivers. He had Mark Andrews. Well, now
they got Zay Flowers. Now they got guys on the
(18:23):
outside to help him, and Dereck Henry who the Cowboys
could have embraced. So there's you know, it's I don't
I think their past defense terrifies me in a big
game against like Kansas City, and I think that's that's
the liability. Here is the back end, but the front
end of the car looks the part that team third
(18:44):
and one, fourth and one, they should go for it.
They should go for every fourth down in short yardage.
With Dereck Henry and Lamar Jackson number two, the Ravens
number one. Listen, they've made a They've made a lot
of money, beaten the Niners and the Ravens and the Bills.
And that's what I say. Kansas City is better than
the rest of the league by a larger gap than
you think. They have owned three teams that are a
(19:06):
nightmare for everybody else, the Ravens, the Niners, and sometimes
the Bills. I mean, that's the difference. That is the
difference is their biggest rivals. You never doubt I'm in
a big spot. They get close, their rivals can lead,
they can get in front, but late in games. And
by the way, Andy Reid is so ingenious, is so adaptable,
(19:30):
and I think that's become the big difference between like
a Shanahan who has a great system and a play
card and Andy Reid, who week to week it's like
he's flexing. It's like, Okay, who's available this week? Oh,
that tight ends not available. This deep threat is available. Okay,
we'll do a new game plan. He didn't have a system.
(19:50):
His system is winning and outsmarting.
Speaker 3 (19:52):
You be sure to catch live editions of The Herd
weekdays and neond eastern non am Pacific on Fox Sports
Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (20:02):
And with that, Mark Sanchez, we missed him last week.
He's got eagle stuff in our second part of this.
Mark Sanchez now joining us Fox Sports NFL analyst decade
in the NFL four and two playoff record, So we'll
get to the Eagle stuff because that's fascinating and you.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
Always brilliant off record.
Speaker 1 (20:20):
You hear that jam fascinating video. So I want to
start with this. There's so much I like about Lamar,
but he has this label, you know, in the big games,
and I'm like, well, Monday night Football's big game for
pro athlete, twenty touchdowns, no picks, I find him. I
didn't like the game plan last year in Baltimore in
(20:41):
the playoff game. It wasn't an anti Lamar. I didn't
love the game plan. They wouldn't run the ball, which
they led the league in. Okay, whatever, I'm defending him.
But my take is I when I watch him, I
think he is a big play, big moment guy.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
And it's growing. You think it's growing, Okay, His pocket
presence is growing. His ability to to get from one
to two to three, some of the things we're going
to talk about with these other quarterbacks we're going to
talk about today in this segment. That's where your graduation
and maturation has to occur. Can I get from one
to two to three? Can I eliminate number one pre
(21:15):
snap and start on two to expedite my read because
these guys are blitzing the heck out of us and
I'm not going to have as much time as I
did before or whatever? Can I stay out of some
of these third and lungs by just taking what they
give me. I might have that fifteen yard ball down
the field, I might, but I know I got this
five yard or right here. He's starting to get there.
(21:36):
And bottom line is, because of his success early on,
you're only going to be judged by how he plays
in the playoffs. So come AFC Championship time, if he's
playing in it, it's okay. How did he do compared
to last year? Did he get the ball off on
third down? Did they run it on third and three
instead of dropback in pass or whatever it was last
year on third and two, third and one, whatever it was,
And he drops back five steps and has to throw
(21:57):
it down the field. People are like, well just run
him after all years saying he needs to learn how
to throw, you know, So it's gonna be that for
him no matter what his benchmark is, how does he
perform in those big games, whether it's Monday night or
in the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
We were talking about this is Derrick Henry was available
to the market, Dallas needed him in passed That's but
I mean, he is you are in this league.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
I don't know. That's a tough one for me. That's
a stretch for me because I know that's a big
time narrative. You don't know if he's gonna play that
well there. They're not that dedicated to the run there.
Their offensive line isn't playing as well as the Ravens there,
You know what I mean, Like, you can't say this
is just a guaranteed plug and play. You don't know
how much gas he has in the take.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
Lamar's weaponry makes Derek.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
And he makes Lamar better. I mean those two back there,
It's like, come on, man, how are we tackling either guy?
One guy you have to suit up for with like
a Medievil night suit. The other guy you have to
put on like some uh flyers and run like Benny
the Jet Rodriguez from the Sandlot, Like you can't. How
do you stop that? How do you stop that? So
(23:08):
you know, if good luck tackling that big guy. Remember
like Brandon Jacobs, I remember when guys would have to
tackle that dude. You're like, oh, I don't want to
sign up for that. Nobody wants to.
Speaker 1 (23:19):
Sign up, not even cold yet. Oh try leaning into
that as one hundred and eighty pounds corner in December.
Speaker 2 (23:24):
I'm good on that. I'll be in the booth.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
So I watched I said this last night watching Kyler
and Justin. I feel bad for both because you can
say what you want about Kyler Murray Marvin Harrison felt disengaged.
Connor's a stud and they're pro athletes, but it's not
an ideal. You know this very well. Who you Inherit
and Mahomes is great. But the Hunt family, Brett, Veach, Andy,
it helps. And I watched Justin Herbert last night he
(23:51):
threw for three hundred and forty nine yards. His number
one target was will just Distley.
Speaker 2 (23:55):
I know it didn't look like three forty nine, you
know what most unassuming three fifth.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
Check before one on the year today, I'm like, I
watched the game.
Speaker 2 (24:02):
I know, I know when you read the stat line,
it just didn't feel like it.
Speaker 1 (24:06):
I feel bad for that.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
I just feel like they're at a place right now
when you don't have quite those playmakers, your margin for
error is so much smaller. So the punch out at
the goal line has a huge effect on the team
the momentum, Like you need all those plays to bounce
your way, not the other way. And when those plays happen,
I mean, this is like what a punch out? Are
(24:30):
you kidding me? That's an epic punch out. And then
also just a classic mistake by a guy not being
prepared right there at the goal line and not securing it.
So it's it's hard, I mean, but then but then
what do you say, can we really who are we
gonna go? Get? What? Who's who's coming to help out?
Deontay Johnson and Carolina like they're one and sixteen, Like
(24:53):
maybe they go snag him, but he wants a new contract,
so is it worth that kind of back and forth?
Is Quentin Johnson coming back? Like where are we going
to go? Who's going to show up and help this team?
Or hey you kind of look around burn the boats
quartzes style and just say, hey man, this is what
we got that figured out.
Speaker 1 (25:09):
It kind of feels like that's a horrball move.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
I mean that I wouldn't be shocked we call them
this week. So I'm curious to see what the sentiment
is there. But that has been his mo right. He's
going to bring the toughness, he's going to bring the energy.
The quarterback is going to be a part of the
run game. The quarterback. He's going to try and take
some of the load off the quarterback shoulders and make
sure that the run games really rocking. You know, that's
(25:32):
his thing. And so if that's the way it is,
then you don't need premier wide receivers in their eyes
potentially to make it look like the way you want
it to look. Between him and coach Greg Roman, who's
you know, those guys have had great success with Lamar,
with Josh Allen Young Josh Allen who ran the ball
more with Colin Kaepernick, who ran the balls on So okay,
(25:52):
is that what it's going to look like? Maybe?
Speaker 1 (25:55):
Yeah, there's a lot to break down anytime you're playing Holmes.
Andy Reid can make everybody look small. He's so adaptable.
I mean, Shanahan, you come out of that, You're like, boy,
he's no. Andy Reid still a great coach. Brock Perty
didn't have a great Sunday. Even on a couple of
big completions. It felt like he under threw the ball
(26:15):
a little bit to the Cowling kid that would have
been six. What did you see that I didn't pay
attention to.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
I think turnovers are a big deal. The three picks
are huge. That's three possessions right there. I think the
other thing is he's feeling the lack of talent around him.
He's feeling these guys starting to drop out of the
rotation and he's got to make more plays. Forget the
star studded cast that he's got around him. Who's protecting
for that guy? You got a rookie right guard, Trent Williams.
(26:45):
You're trying to figure that out. Been in and out
of the lineup. You know, what's what does that look
like up front, and they've been going through that even
last year in the Super Bowl. Remember they had Berford
at right guard, feliciana right guard, rotated those guys. Where
did the pressure from come from? In the Super Bowl
to win the game, He's got a wide open Juwan
Jennings to win the game and have a Super Bowl
(27:06):
ring on his finger. And Chris Jones comes right through
the egg app in the biggest play in the biggest
game of his career so far, you know what I mean.
So I think it's more protection related. I think these
other guys they're gonna scheme them up to get open.
The good coordinators are gonna scheme these guys up to
get open. I don't care who the receivers are. We'll
try and make it work. We're gonna get our pick
(27:27):
routes and rub routes, and we're gonna steal some routes
to the back. The back's gonna have ninety catches like, okay, fine,
we'll figure that out. But I think up front, he's
had to move more than normal, and now he starts
to press a little bit, and that's a classic mistake
of any quarterback. When you have to press you're making
these throws. You're trying to do it with your arm,
You're trying to do it with your legs. And that's
(27:47):
where the picks start piling up instead of just taking
the losses sometimes those small losses, taking the sack, falling down,
throwing the ball away, as boring as it is, Okay,
let's just try and live to see another down. Maybe
they throw us a pick, maybe they fumble, maybe they
jump off sidesay on first down, boom, Now we got them,
we got them backed up, we got field position. Maybe
(28:07):
we return a punt for a touchdown. But you don't
know if you give it away. And so I think
that's kind of what the mode he's gotten into. And
you know, that's something you coach out of a guy.
You work through it with him and remind him of
exactly what you have, and it becomes a new formula
to win the game.
Speaker 1 (28:23):
Cowboys and Eagles, we address both with Mark Sanchez.
Speaker 3 (28:27):
Next one more Heard. The Herd streams twenty four hours
a day, seven days a week. Within the iHeartRadio app,
Search Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you like.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
All Right, Mark comes bearing gifts its tape and it's
a fascinating team because this week J McK and I
the one game that's confusing is burrowing the Bengals at
home against the Eagles. It's a huge game for Philadelphia,
it is for Cincinnati. But I've been saying that for
a month and a half. So let's talk. I've said
all week is I'd like so much about Philadelphia and
(28:58):
the coach worries me. Regrets from Hurtz worries me. But
owner GM roster receiver boy Aj Brown is something else.
He's unable, He's unbelievable. Very few teams feel like they're
different with a receiver like he leads the team. All right,
So let's start with the first tape on the on
the Eagles.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
Yeah. So, I think a lot of this is uh,
footwork driven. I want you to understand that both of
these plays, and I'm going to show you are consecutive plays.
One's a third and three, one's a fourth and three
before they break this game open and beat the Giants.
I think it's important for footwork, eyes and timing. We
talk about that a lot for quarterbacks. I think a
lot of these things. When we used to get graded
(29:35):
as players, you just get a plus, a zero or
a minus. Zero's just you did your job. A plus
is like, wow, you went above and beyond, and a
minus is hey, I said three steps on footwork and
you went five, or you hitch too many times or
whatever it is right, and that would be for throw,
like your actual accuracy of the throw, your footwork, and
(29:55):
then your decision, or you read right, so you'd get
three grades. What you'd prefer is all three zeros or
three pluses, or a mix of zeros and pluses, if
that makes sense. So if we roll this first clip,
this is a classic man to man beater on third
and three. It's called mesh. You hear everybody say it
a lot, but you get receivers picking for receivers or
rubbing for receivers. But you get in these condensed formations.
(30:17):
You force teams to designate that they're in man to
man across the board, and what kind of man to
man you have to decide? Is it a foreman pressure
or is it this man with a whole player or
a plugger. We're gonna call him a whole player. But
I want you to focus on the footwork. What I
prefer in mesh is a burn them up five quickest
five steps you got in your footwork, grab bag of
(30:38):
feet right, That's what I want, not bouncy bouncy bounce.
I want a defined drop and I want your eyes
to go to the rail route. He's number one and
he's your alert. Remember he's the outside lane of the track.
So the inside linebacker is gonna cover that rail route.
AJ Brown's gonna run the shallow and pick for DeVante
Smith coming through. So remember what I said about the
(31:00):
outside lane in track. He looks like he's winning the race.
But here comes mcfadd and the linebacker inside and he's
gonna catch up ground quick. Then these two are gonna
pass like two ships in the night. That's the big
deal right here on this play. And he's supposed to
spring DeVante Smith. AJ Brown is playing love of the
game right now. This is like running the go route
out the back of the end zone kind of thing,
(31:22):
like you're helping your buddy spring him open. Jalen Hurts
locks on to Gainwell on this rail route up the
sidelines and locks and locks and it never gets unlocked.
It never. This shallow route by DeVante Smith comes right
into your vision. Gainwell's just a little extra sauce out there,
and then he tries to throw to Davante Smith late
and you're just you know, I'm scratching my head in
(31:43):
the booth like dang. Third and three man a man
with the whole player, and they they get that play cold.
Come on, baby, that's that's automatic, you know what I mean,
Like if you're if you're seeing it right, if your
footwork's right, if your eyes are right, that's a no brainer.
And Davante Smith is out the back door. Okay, watch
this next play just so you remember, right, those two
shallows and that middle hook player, that middle hook route
(32:06):
that makes a triangle. So this time fourth and three,
very next play. Look at the safety after the motion,
he's banging on his quads, on his thighpads. That's telling
the guy quads, quadrucep muscles. We're playing quarters. Now, what's quarters?
They're gonna divide the field into four pieces. It's one
big pie. Everybody gets a twenty five percent of the pie.
(32:28):
The reason we put those safeties in red is because
they have help on run. They have to help and
run support, and they also have to help on some
of these middle sit routes, like we're gonna see from
cal Katara again, that's part of their job. So the
corner is essentially gonna be on an island like Manna man.
And now he's got the go ball and the post.
That's what he's worried about. The last play, Remember Gainwell
(32:48):
was up the sidelines. AJ Brown had the shallow right,
He's gonna run across the screen. This time, they just
flip their responsibilities. Now the backs on the other side.
AJ Brown's gonna have the go route. The back's gonna
be part of this triangle again, ye, coming out of
the backfield. And then AJ Brown's gonna be sprinting up
the sidelines and you're gonna go press him one on one.
(33:10):
Here go press a J Brown like that. So that's
your alert instead of the back coming out of the backfield.
Now this is your alert. Now watch these three guys
make this triangle. Remember Phil Jackson and the triangle offense. Yeah,
same thing, second level oblique stretch triangle. Read there's a
triangle isosceles, the equal lateral take your pick. I don't care.
Right back to geometry, but one, two, three, this ball's
(33:34):
got to come out, and it comes out early, and
he takes his alert on fourth and three. Look at
where this ball is. He's getting pressure in his face.
Ball goes up the sidelines about forty yards down the
field and he converts a fourth and three when the
play before he had the shallow walking out the back
door for an easy first down. So what does it
show tell you? So there's physical traits there that are elite.
(33:57):
The deep ball throw is elite. Him to aj Brown
on deep balls is just unreal. But it covers up
some of the issues with reading a defense, with getting
through your progression, with nailing down that footwork. Because if
he starts to do that. Once he does that, this
dude immediately will jump to the top ten in the
league in quarterbacks. But until you're there, like, there's other
(34:20):
guys I want that can process better at this point
in his career, is it possible? Absolutely? Is there a
guy there that can help him get there and kill him?
Moore one percent? He helped Dak, he helped justin Herbert, Like,
this guy can get him there. But until I see
those things, those easy reads start to happen, I'm gonna
run the ball forty five times. Yeah, And that's what
(34:40):
they did, and that's going to be their formula to
win until that takes the next step. We talked about
the maturation in the pocket. We talked about Lamar Jackson
all that. It's that kind of incremental development and growth
that you got to see from Jalen Hurts because he
has the physical tools. I mean, are you kidding me?
He could run it. Yeah, he can throw the deepot.
He throws one of the best de balls. That's why
(35:00):
we compared him to Russell Wilson last year. Right, they're
very similar players.
Speaker 1 (35:05):
So I want to end with this. So generally, a
good owner is gonna support his people even if he
doesn't believe it. Right, you just in the middle of
a season. You don't want to disrupt. Sure, you're the flight.
You know what need bumps? No doubt impulsive owners or
trouble a off season, fine in season, just steady the ship.
(35:25):
So Troy Aikman says, the Cowboys run bad routes. Mike
McCarthy if those words don't mean anything. Jerry Jones came
out this morning and doubled down on Troutman, saying, boy,
you have to listen to Aikman. That guy is credible.
I'm like, Okay, that's a bad sign.
Speaker 2 (35:40):
It just gets noisy. It's just noisy. It's stuff I
don't want to deal with, and not just as the
head coach. It's the quarterback right there that like, I
don't want to have to deal with that. I don't
want to have to answer questions about that in the
press conference. You know what I want to do. I
want to watch the tape like we just watched and
figure out what was my footwork right, where my reads right?
Not what one of our greatest quarterbacks ever has had
(36:01):
to say about our franchise currently this year's and I've
dealt with it. I mean, Joe Namath would come out,
you know, guys who played for the Jets before would
come out and be like, oh, well, these guys can't
do this because X, Y and Z. And then the
very next day you got to go answer the question.
Of course, you sign up for it all. You're the quarterback,
you're the leader. You got to handle it. But it
helps when the owner, head coach, quarterback, everybody else is
(36:23):
kind of rowing the boat in the same direction. You know,
that makes the quarterback job a little bit easier. So
you'd prefer that, especially during this season. But you know
what's mcarthy going to say when he gets hit up
about it, and then once again, it's a lot like
the Cadence thing. Remember we talked about with Sala and
Rogers and all that kind of stuff. When one guy
gets the question and gets a response but hasn't conferred
(36:45):
with the other party that's about to get the same
question and they're not on the same page, it's kind
of like it's a little tough. Yeah, it's tough for me.
That's the way it goes. There's no excuses. But when
you take those two sound bites and neither of those
two had a chance to talk, it's like, you know,
it's like a police investigation, right, They're not gonna let
the two culprits sitting, you know, like, Okay, you guys,
(37:07):
get your story right, then tell us the answer right,
So I can understand both sides. Everybody's got a job
to do. But it's nice when everybody's at least rowing
the boat in the right direction.
Speaker 1 (37:16):
All right, you have saints and chargers. I I'm not
supposed to root. I'm supposed to be above it all.
But I'm watching Justin Herbert last night, and I find
myself I'm empathetic to his plight because I think in life,
when you're a young person, where you land has a
significant impact on how you perform.
Speaker 2 (37:35):
No doubt. And I mean you could say that for
Rattler too, like hey man, there's a big opportunity for you,
but no, Shaheed, no, you got no lave, you got
like where are we going here? So it's there's there's
a lot to deal with as a quarterback and it's
not always pretty. So we'll see, we'll see how both
these guys do
Speaker 1 (37:52):
Great job, have fun this week.
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):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
This is the Best of the Herd with Colin cowher
on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Here we go. It is a Tuesday. We are 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. Mark Sanchez, Nick Wright, Rachel Nicol
stops by opening of the NBA season Jmack one hour
from now. The Herd hierarchy we'll try to top next week. Well,
(00:49):
you know, I love Lamar Jackson. There as a million
reasons I love it, and I actually think he's the
best football player on the planet. I don't think he's
the best quarterback yet, but I do think he's like
half running back half quarterback. I think he just adds
elements we've never seen before. Hit eight different targets last night.
(01:09):
If his tight end could catch, he would had nine
different targets.
Speaker 4 (01:13):
He was decent last night.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
He was decent, twenty seven year old Lamar Jackson. We
live in a world where young people maybe I did
this when I was young. It's the constant need for affirmation.
They go to TikTok. I can mimic the stand up comedian.
I can dance to somebody else's song. I can sing
(01:34):
somebody else's song look at me. Or every replaceable number
four receiver on every team gets a first down and
they have to stand up in point. And then there's
Lamar Jackson, probably the world's best football talent. Five touchdown passes,
no picks. On Monday Night football, he has twenty touchdown passes,
(01:55):
no interceptions, out running the fastest linebacker you have and
often the fastest safety in corner. Another touchdown, another Ravens win.
And then he goes back to the sideline, takes his
helmet off, puts his hand in his gear, and he's smiling.
He's always around somebody on the team, and he's laughing.
He's asking questions, humble, not seeking affirmation, not seeking validation.
(02:18):
That's the thing when you're really successful, it's really really
hard and takes you ever to be successful, and he's
been doubted and criticized, and he's lost big games. He's
just the nicest kid in the world. I don't know
how you don't like him. The truly great don't need
to constantly incessantly validate their performance. I mean, Mahomes this
weekend against the Niners runs over a player in the
(02:40):
end zone for a touchdown. After the game, he jokes
about his dad Bod. He said, yeah, I just got
the best that time, my dad Bod. I love that.
Shoot that into my veins. Lamar Jackson one of the
great Monday night football performances of all time. A dominant play.
I mean, it just insane to me. Five touchdowns, no pack.
You get all the upside, you get none of the downside.
(03:03):
You just smile on the sidelines, humble kid. You know,
the NBA season starts to night and you'll see these
guys with the too small gesture, and it's like, bro,
you're an off guard. You sometimes come off the bench.
There'll be two hundred and forty points scored in tonight's game.
Lebron's been in ten finals. Save the gesture. It's just
(03:23):
another basket. It just doesn't matter the guy's doing the
too small so often come up too small in the playoffs.
You ever noticed that too small guy? Westbrook does that
a lot, too small guy, And that's why Lamar Jackson
is such a perfect player, and that's why he should
be the soul of a franchise. Same with Mahomes. He
(03:45):
cares about the right stuff, the next win, the next
big play, the next divisional rival. It is all windshield.
It's no rear view mirror, never pontificating about a moment,
romanticizing the past. It's all about scoring and not celebrating.
(04:07):
I mean, this kid is He's all about tomorrow and
the next play and winning and competing, none of the
nonsense you see. And I think we're very lucky in
pro sports because most of the great players are about that.
But Mahomes and Lamar Jackson really stick out about that.
These guys are the world's best at what they do,
and they're incredibly grateful and incredibly humble. The only time
(04:29):
I ever see Lamar Jackson really upset, really really emotional.
You ever notice this when he makes the highly infrequent mistake,
when he throws the rare interception or he can't pick
up a first down. That's when he shows emotion. That's
when you see it now when he picks up a
first down. I mean he's done that before like everybody.
(04:49):
But he's just such a humble, great kid. Twenty three
and one against the NFC. They can't beat him, literally
cannot beat him. He owns an entire conference in professional football.
Twenty touchdowns, no picks. Grateful, next win, John Harbaugh said
(05:12):
after and think about how many great players the Ravens
have had. He's not sure he's ever had a kid
like this.
Speaker 5 (05:19):
I'm proud of him. I'm happy for him. He's a
great leader, and he's a great player, great player. He's
an ultimate competitor, There's no question about it. He's I
don't know if I've seen a better competitor than Lamar Jackson.
And I see I've seen some competitors, you know, had
some great competitors, but.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
He is, he is.
Speaker 5 (05:35):
He is in that level with the greatest competitors that
I've ever seen, maybe maybe maybe the greatest we'll see.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
Just remarkable. And once again here's Lamar Jackson after always
about the right thing.
Speaker 6 (05:52):
Chase the song right now, So each and every game
is gonna be the same thing for me, Like We're
gonna be the same person every game. I'm trying to
full focus on right now and us just being five
and two don't really matter. We're just trying to be
one to know each and every week.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
We got there, and I feel impossible not to like
the soul of the franchise. The NFL is really lucky.
I mean really lucky. They're two biggest stars, Lamar and
Patrick Mahomes. Arguably they're two biggest stars have these qualities.
I mean, they really are fortunate. All right, let's talk
(06:27):
about the other game. I mean, I got four more
minutes to fill here, Arizona seventeen, Chargers fifteen. Here's my
big takeaway. I feel bad for Justin Herbert and Kyler Murray.
Even though Kyler won. Justin Herbert no run game. Shaky
o line got Jalen Rager fumbling in the end zone.
(06:50):
So it was for three hundred and forty nine yards.
I mean, Quentin Johnson, boy, he was missed, wasn't he
We're not even sure he's not a bust. He wasn't there.
He was missed. His number one target was Will Disley,
no run game, three hundred and forty nine yards and
Kyler Murray. By the way, thank god they have one
stud James Connor of the running back just fantastic. But
(07:12):
Marvin Harrison seemed disengaged the rookie again. What's going on
with him? Dropping passes? Not engaged. That's been hugely disappointing.
But between Justin Herbert and Kyler Murray, it is another referendum.
Don't chase money in any profession. Chase great ownership, trace
(07:35):
chase great management. They're so little of it. How many
awful organizations are there. The Chargers are better now, they
got hardball. But I mean Kyler Murray, he makes Arizona
interesting and that's all you can ask for. If Michael
Bidwell owns your team, I mean, he makes him interesting.
I mean, now, now Herbert finally has the right head
(07:55):
coach and they have two very good tackles. Cross your
fingers on their health. But I mean there's a way
to play him. Just stack the box, don't let them run.
They have nobody on the outside. Quentin Johnson looks like
a semi bus. They have nobody on the outside. They
can beat you. I mean, there's absolutely a way to
defend the Chargers and Justin Herbert throwing for three hundred
and forty nine yards to a tight end, and it's
(08:17):
amazing that he threw for three and a half football
fields and here you have. I mean, it's thank god
James Connor has delivered for Arizona. The owner does it.
The front office is hit and miss coaches, they're on
another one. I mean, I'm watching these guys and I'm like,
I feel bad for these ke quarterbacks. And you can
say what you want about Kyler Murray in the video game.
Here's all I know. He's a great player. But Lamar
(08:41):
got Steve Bashatti and John Harbaugh and the Ravens culture.
Now Lamar is better than Kyler and would succeed at
some level anywhere. But Mahomes got the Hunt family and
Andy Reid and Brett Veach and now Steve Spagnola. I'm
not saying if you but Herbert and Kyler in Kansas
(09:01):
City in Baltimore, they would be as good, but it'd
be closer. Justin. Herbert is a lot, a lot more
talented than Philip Rivers, but when you watch his career,
it's starting to look like the same trajectory I felt
for those guys. I'm like, like, those two quarterbacks one
(09:23):
is the big, strapping kid with a huge arm, the
other the smaller guy running around that forty four yard touchdown.
Herbert is doing everything he can to pull this franchise
up a hill and get over it. And here he
is after the loss about the struggling offense.
Speaker 7 (09:43):
I thought, we did a lot of good things, but
we got to score points in the red zone. That's
the biggest takeaway from today tonight's game. You know, we
got an amazing kicker, but we got to do a
bed job for a defense, for our special teams.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
We gotta score points in the red zone.
Speaker 1 (09:55):
By the way, they do have an amazing kicker, they
just don't have amazing wide receivers and amazing speed and
amazing tight ends an amazingly dependable interior offensive lineman. But
they've got a great kicker, and thankfully they've got Justin Herbert,
and thankfully Arizona has Kyler Murray. Pushback all you want.
(10:16):
They both make their franchise immeasurably interesting, and sometimes that's
all you're gonna get, and that's sometimes, sadly, all you
can hope for. Derek Henry did his thing last night.
He was available for the league isn't that amazing He
was available for the league. I mean you could have
(10:37):
gotten him for a group on or a cupon. I mean,
the guy was just there for nothing, and Baltimore snagged him.
Her hierarchy fifty minutes from now plus Nick Wright, I
didn't have either side last night. I stayed away from
these two games, did you, by the way.
Speaker 8 (10:53):
Yeah, I'm the idiot who went in front of Mahomes
on Sunday, you know, And then I got in front
of this Ravens train and I just.
Speaker 4 (11:01):
I'll just say about Herbert, how many tight ends do
they have on the roster?
Speaker 1 (11:04):
Colin?
Speaker 4 (11:05):
He was throwing like six different tight ends. It felt
like go routes up the sideline to tight ends. I mean,
the Chargers aren't a bad place receiver wise.
Speaker 8 (11:13):
However, if you look at the schedule, they're still in
positions they're gonna be fighty.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
I told you this. If you look at the AFC
division leaders, those are excellent teams. Nine games, nine wins
can get you into the wild card in the AFC
the NFC, the division winners maybe not as good, but
the wild card teams could be Minnesota or Green Bay,
Washington or Philadelphia you could have incredibly your wild card.
(11:41):
Teams in the NFC are stacked, But in the AFC,
I still think I looked at their schedule this morning.
I think the Chargers make the playoffs.
Speaker 4 (11:48):
They're in play. The middle class of the AFC.
Speaker 8 (11:51):
All the teams we thought maybe gonna be fightstys, they're terrible.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
And the AFC has got really good quarterbacks at the top.
But in the middle of the A the quarterback play.
Speaker 4 (12:01):
Like we thought Aaron Rodgers would be good, he has
not been good.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
On by edge, who has hurt Anthony Richardson, didn't consistent
and hurt Trevor Lawrence seems to be regressing. So the
top of the AFC quarterbacks, coaches, teams excellent, really soft
middle and bottom where the NFC now over the last
two years is deeper. The bottom's very small. But the
middle of the NFC, I mean, if Chicago goes eight
(12:27):
to nine or nine and eight, that's the middle.
Speaker 8 (12:29):
Well, by the way, sounds like they're not going to
face Jadon Daniels this week. This is a big win,
but you're also seeing some big spreads this week. There
could be three double digit spreads. Remember for six weeks
or none they're starting to separate race. You know, a marathon,
and you've got the superstars running out late.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
Chicago's one of my favorite plays this week.
Speaker 4 (12:47):
I don't hate that one.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and noon Easter nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app. Heard Hierarchy Now go
the top ten NFL teams according to College number ten.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
Now the Seahawks are getting healthier on the defensive front.
I had them upsetting Atlanta in Atlanta, and they look
the part. They have a top ten scoring offense when
Gino Smith is comfortable and Atlanta has no pass rush
with those receivers, he's dangerous. Number one passing offense in
the NFL. But they're like one of the worst run offenses,
(13:26):
despite the fact they have Kenneth Walker, who I think
is a stud had a great catch this weekend. But
I think when they're healthy, I think they are pretty
tough out and they can beat almost anybody. Seahawks at ten,
number nine, I don't know what I'm doing. Steelers, I
mean it's the Russell Wilson Steelers. They look good. I
mean they had outscored the Jets twenty four to nothing
in the second half. I'm sorry, that's impressive. The offense
(13:48):
scored on all four of its drives in the second half. Remember,
Russell Wilson was not terrible last year in Denver. The
defense was. He had a ninety eight passer rating, twenty
six touchdowns, eight picks and scrambled. I don't know what
to do. I'm not saying they're a super Bowl team,
but I'm sorry that when they play at home, Russell
Wilson doesn't turn it over, can be pretty good in
the red zone, have a home run threat. Pickens a
(14:11):
super Bowl winning coach, Najie Harris I'd liked for years.
I'm gonna put him at nine, number eight. I think
the Niners would beat him. Niners are all beat up,
but I think we have to contextualize this. Yeah, they
look bad. It was the Chiefs. The Chiefs defense looks off.
Makes a lot of people look bad. I mean, Baltimore
looks amazing against everybody except you know, the Chiefs. So
they're all beat up. But I will say they're bad
(14:31):
in the red zone, and it makes me believe Brock
Purty is finally take a deep breath, finally, last twelve starts,
he's six and six. It's very obvious that not only Perty,
but Kyle Shanahan is very dependent on Christian McCaffrey, who
they say is coming back November tenth. Number seven the Bills.
So they have a losing record against winning teams, but
(14:53):
they they're the Mike Tyson. They can't beat Lennox, Lewis
or holy Field in this prime, but they can beat
the bad fighters, and that's Buffalo. I don't trust them
against Kansas City or Baltimore. I wouldn't trust them against
the detroit but they play downhill. And I do think
Amari Cooper, who had a touchdown in his first game
of the Bills, I think he's a nice, solid, good
route running mature, high IQ veteran target. I think he
(15:15):
makes them a better football team. And if they stay healthy.
It's James Cook, it's Kincaid, it's Dawson Knox, it's Josh Allen,
it's an all pro left tackle. It is a formidable offense.
I just don't trust them against the better teams. Number
six the Commanders. Jaden Daniels is hurt, but folks, they've
scored on sixty four percent of their drives. Well, what
(15:36):
do you want me to do? You keep telling me
it's just a mirage. I watched them play Baltimore. They
look like they could play. I went Baltimore in Washington.
I was a good football game. Their defense, I mean
it's I keep hearing about all the flaws, But if
Jaden Daniels is playing, this is a top ten football team.
I like the coach, I like the coordinator. I like
(15:57):
the new owner. I don't know. I watch him play.
I think they're for real. I have Washington of six,
number five Green Bay Packers. You know what I love
about this is that watch Matt Lafleuur coach Jordan Love
You ever noticed this. He doesn't care about his mistakes.
He knows he's got Brett Fahr, but that kind of player,
he lets him go. They lead the NFL with eight
(16:18):
touchdown throws of ten yards plus downfield. This is a
very dangerous team. I feel like they're Houston. They're about
a year away from winning a Super Bowl. I would
not want to face Green Band in the playoffs, especially
if they're on a fast track. Get him out of
the cold weather in January, get him to a dome,
in Minnesota. No, thank you, big playoffense taking the ball away.
(16:38):
I don't know. I think this team, this team's got
super Bowls in it. I'm just not sure if it's
this year. Number four, the Vikings. They just can't beat Detroit.
Last two years, they're rowing and two against Detroit. They're
beating everybody else. They've led by ten plus points in
every game. I think Sam Darnold, we all thought he's reckless.
I don't trust them, you know what. I watched that
Detroit game that throw to Jordan Andison and Justin Jefferson.
(17:00):
I don't. I think they're fine. The upcoming schedule, by
the way, looks pretty easy. Rams game Thursday's kind of
tough because teams that play the Lions the next week
don't do well. But I gotta tell you something, if
this team ended up in the NFC Championship, I would
not be shocked.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
Number three.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
Well, I had Detroit as the second best team in
the league until I watched Baltimore last night. I think
Detroit goes to number three. They have more offensive touchdowns
eighteen than incompletions. Incompletions over the last four games, Jared
Goff is playing pass and catch. I mean it looks easy.
Jared Goff comfortable is really good. You're not going to
move around. But Jared Goff in a pocket with a
(17:40):
run game and a great left and right tackle is
really a tough out. Aiden Hutchinson's loss will obviously be
a huge factor. I still think they could make a
move before the trade deadline. This is a really good offense,
a deep threat running game, tight end, accurate quarterback, dominating
offensive line, clever play caller, offense defense worries me. Offense
(18:02):
is out standing. Number two the Ravens nine point four
yards of play last night. Lamar Jackson's insane. I love him,
not just everything about him. He leads the NFL in
passer rating. You know, for years and years when Lamar
was doing all his tricks, he didn't have any didn't
have any good receivers. He had Mark Andrews. Well, now
they got Zay Flowers. Now they got guys on the
(18:23):
outside to help him, and Dereck Henry who the Cowboys
could have embraced. So there's you know, it's I don't
I think their past defense terrifies me in a big
game against like Kansas City, and I think that's that's
the liability. Here is the back end, but the front
end of the car looks the part that team third
(18:44):
and one, fourth and one, they should go for it.
They should go for every fourth down in short yardage.
With Dereck Henry and Lamar Jackson number two, the Ravens
number one. Listen, they've made a They've made a lot
of money, beaten the Niners and the Ravens and the Bills.
And that's what I say. Kansas City is better than
the rest of the league by a larger gap than
you think. They have owned three teams that are a
(19:06):
nightmare for everybody else, the Ravens, the Niners, and sometimes
the Bills. I mean, that's the difference. That is the
difference is their biggest rivals. You never doubt I'm in
a big spot. They get close, their rivals can lead,
they can get in front, but late in games. And
by the way, Andy Reid is so ingenious, is so adaptable,
(19:30):
and I think that's become the big difference between like
a Shanahan who has a great system and a play
card and Andy Reid, who week to week it's like
he's flexing. It's like, Okay, who's available this week? Oh,
that tight ends not available. This deep threat is available. Okay,
we'll do a new game plan. He didn't have a system.
(19:50):
His system is winning and outsmarting.
Speaker 3 (19:52):
You be sure to catch live editions of The Herd
weekdays and neond eastern non am Pacific on Fox Sports
Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (20:02):
And with that, Mark Sanchez, we missed him last week.
He's got eagle stuff in our second part of this.
Mark Sanchez now joining us Fox Sports NFL analyst decade
in the NFL four and two playoff record, So we'll
get to the Eagle stuff because that's fascinating and you.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
Always brilliant off record.
Speaker 1 (20:20):
You hear that jam fascinating video. So I want to
start with this. There's so much I like about Lamar,
but he has this label, you know, in the big games,
and I'm like, well, Monday night Football's big game for
pro athlete, twenty touchdowns, no picks, I find him. I
didn't like the game plan last year in Baltimore in
(20:41):
the playoff game. It wasn't an anti Lamar. I didn't
love the game plan. They wouldn't run the ball, which
they led the league in. Okay, whatever, I'm defending him.
But my take is I when I watch him, I
think he is a big play, big moment guy.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
And it's growing. You think it's growing, Okay, His pocket
presence is growing. His ability to to get from one
to two to three, some of the things we're going
to talk about with these other quarterbacks we're going to
talk about today in this segment. That's where your graduation
and maturation has to occur. Can I get from one
to two to three? Can I eliminate number one pre
(21:15):
snap and start on two to expedite my read because
these guys are blitzing the heck out of us and
I'm not going to have as much time as I
did before or whatever? Can I stay out of some
of these third and lungs by just taking what they
give me. I might have that fifteen yard ball down
the field, I might, but I know I got this
five yard or right here. He's starting to get there.
(21:36):
And bottom line is, because of his success early on,
you're only going to be judged by how he plays
in the playoffs. So come AFC Championship time, if he's
playing in it, it's okay. How did he do compared
to last year? Did he get the ball off on
third down? Did they run it on third and three
instead of dropback in pass or whatever it was last
year on third and two, third and one, whatever it was,
And he drops back five steps and has to throw
(21:57):
it down the field. People are like, well just run
him after all years saying he needs to learn how
to throw, you know, So it's gonna be that for
him no matter what his benchmark is, how does he
perform in those big games, whether it's Monday night or
in the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
We were talking about this is Derrick Henry was available
to the market, Dallas needed him in passed That's but
I mean, he is you are in this league.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
I don't know. That's a tough one for me. That's
a stretch for me because I know that's a big
time narrative. You don't know if he's gonna play that
well there. They're not that dedicated to the run there.
Their offensive line isn't playing as well as the Ravens there,
You know what I mean, Like, you can't say this
is just a guaranteed plug and play. You don't know
how much gas he has in the take.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
Lamar's weaponry makes Derek.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
And he makes Lamar better. I mean those two back there,
It's like, come on, man, how are we tackling either guy?
One guy you have to suit up for with like
a Medievil night suit. The other guy you have to
put on like some uh flyers and run like Benny
the Jet Rodriguez from the Sandlot, Like you can't. How
do you stop that? How do you stop that? So
(23:08):
you know, if good luck tackling that big guy. Remember
like Brandon Jacobs, I remember when guys would have to
tackle that dude. You're like, oh, I don't want to
sign up for that. Nobody wants to.
Speaker 1 (23:19):
Sign up, not even cold yet. Oh try leaning into
that as one hundred and eighty pounds corner in December.
Speaker 2 (23:24):
I'm good on that. I'll be in the booth.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
So I watched I said this last night watching Kyler
and Justin. I feel bad for both because you can
say what you want about Kyler Murray Marvin Harrison felt disengaged.
Connor's a stud and they're pro athletes, but it's not
an ideal. You know this very well. Who you Inherit
and Mahomes is great. But the Hunt family, Brett, Veach, Andy,
it helps. And I watched Justin Herbert last night he
(23:51):
threw for three hundred and forty nine yards. His number
one target was will just Distley.
Speaker 2 (23:55):
I know it didn't look like three forty nine, you
know what most unassuming three fifth.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
Check before one on the year today, I'm like, I
watched the game.
Speaker 2 (24:02):
I know, I know when you read the stat line,
it just didn't feel like it.
Speaker 1 (24:06):
I feel bad for that.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
I just feel like they're at a place right now
when you don't have quite those playmakers, your margin for
error is so much smaller. So the punch out at
the goal line has a huge effect on the team
the momentum, Like you need all those plays to bounce
your way, not the other way. And when those plays happen,
I mean, this is like what a punch out? Are
(24:30):
you kidding me? That's an epic punch out. And then
also just a classic mistake by a guy not being
prepared right there at the goal line and not securing it.
So it's it's hard, I mean, but then but then
what do you say, can we really who are we
gonna go? Get? What? Who's who's coming to help out?
Deontay Johnson and Carolina like they're one and sixteen, Like
(24:53):
maybe they go snag him, but he wants a new contract,
so is it worth that kind of back and forth?
Is Quentin Johnson coming back? Like where are we going
to go? Who's going to show up and help this team?
Or hey you kind of look around burn the boats
quartzes style and just say, hey man, this is what
we got that figured out.
Speaker 1 (25:09):
It kind of feels like that's a horrball move.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
I mean that I wouldn't be shocked we call them
this week. So I'm curious to see what the sentiment
is there. But that has been his mo right. He's
going to bring the toughness, he's going to bring the energy.
The quarterback is going to be a part of the
run game. The quarterback. He's going to try and take
some of the load off the quarterback shoulders and make
sure that the run games really rocking. You know, that's
(25:32):
his thing. And so if that's the way it is,
then you don't need premier wide receivers in their eyes
potentially to make it look like the way you want
it to look. Between him and coach Greg Roman, who's
you know, those guys have had great success with Lamar,
with Josh Allen Young Josh Allen who ran the ball
more with Colin Kaepernick, who ran the balls on So okay,
(25:52):
is that what it's going to look like? Maybe?
Speaker 1 (25:55):
Yeah, there's a lot to break down anytime you're playing Holmes.
Andy Reid can make everybody look small. He's so adaptable.
I mean, Shanahan, you come out of that, You're like, boy,
he's no. Andy Reid still a great coach. Brock Perty
didn't have a great Sunday. Even on a couple of
big completions. It felt like he under threw the ball
(26:15):
a little bit to the Cowling kid that would have
been six. What did you see that I didn't pay
attention to.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
I think turnovers are a big deal. The three picks
are huge. That's three possessions right there. I think the
other thing is he's feeling the lack of talent around him.
He's feeling these guys starting to drop out of the
rotation and he's got to make more plays. Forget the
star studded cast that he's got around him. Who's protecting
for that guy? You got a rookie right guard, Trent Williams.
(26:45):
You're trying to figure that out. Been in and out
of the lineup. You know, what's what does that look
like up front, and they've been going through that even
last year in the Super Bowl. Remember they had Berford
at right guard, feliciana right guard, rotated those guys. Where
did the pressure from come from? In the Super Bowl
to win the game, He's got a wide open Juwan
Jennings to win the game and have a Super Bowl
(27:06):
ring on his finger. And Chris Jones comes right through
the egg app in the biggest play in the biggest
game of his career so far, you know what I mean.
So I think it's more protection related. I think these
other guys they're gonna scheme them up to get open.
The good coordinators are gonna scheme these guys up to
get open. I don't care who the receivers are. We'll
try and make it work. We're gonna get our pick
(27:27):
routes and rub routes, and we're gonna steal some routes
to the back. The back's gonna have ninety catches like, okay, fine,
we'll figure that out. But I think up front, he's
had to move more than normal, and now he starts
to press a little bit, and that's a classic mistake
of any quarterback. When you have to press you're making
these throws. You're trying to do it with your arm,
You're trying to do it with your legs. And that's
(27:47):
where the picks start piling up instead of just taking
the losses sometimes those small losses, taking the sack, falling down,
throwing the ball away, as boring as it is, Okay,
let's just try and live to see another down. Maybe
they throw us a pick, maybe they fumble, maybe they
jump off sidesay on first down, boom, Now we got them,
we got them backed up, we got field position. Maybe
(28:07):
we return a punt for a touchdown. But you don't
know if you give it away. And so I think
that's kind of what the mode he's gotten into. And
you know, that's something you coach out of a guy.
You work through it with him and remind him of
exactly what you have, and it becomes a new formula
to win the game.
Speaker 1 (28:23):
Cowboys and Eagles, we address both with Mark Sanchez.
Speaker 3 (28:27):
Next one more Heard. The Herd streams twenty four hours
a day, seven days a week. Within the iHeartRadio app,
Search Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you like.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
All Right, Mark comes bearing gifts its tape and it's
a fascinating team because this week J McK and I
the one game that's confusing is burrowing the Bengals at
home against the Eagles. It's a huge game for Philadelphia,
it is for Cincinnati. But I've been saying that for
a month and a half. So let's talk. I've said
all week is I'd like so much about Philadelphia and
(28:58):
the coach worries me. Regrets from Hurtz worries me. But
owner GM roster receiver boy Aj Brown is something else.
He's unable, He's unbelievable. Very few teams feel like they're
different with a receiver like he leads the team. All right,
So let's start with the first tape on the on
the Eagles.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
Yeah. So, I think a lot of this is uh,
footwork driven. I want you to understand that both of
these plays, and I'm going to show you are consecutive plays.
One's a third and three, one's a fourth and three
before they break this game open and beat the Giants.
I think it's important for footwork, eyes and timing. We
talk about that a lot for quarterbacks. I think a
lot of these things. When we used to get graded
(29:35):
as players, you just get a plus, a zero or
a minus. Zero's just you did your job. A plus
is like, wow, you went above and beyond, and a
minus is hey, I said three steps on footwork and
you went five, or you hitch too many times or
whatever it is right, and that would be for throw,
like your actual accuracy of the throw, your footwork, and
(29:55):
then your decision, or you read right, so you'd get
three grades. What you'd prefer is all three zeros or
three pluses, or a mix of zeros and pluses, if
that makes sense. So if we roll this first clip,
this is a classic man to man beater on third
and three. It's called mesh. You hear everybody say it
a lot, but you get receivers picking for receivers or
rubbing for receivers. But you get in these condensed formations.
(30:17):
You force teams to designate that they're in man to
man across the board, and what kind of man to
man you have to decide? Is it a foreman pressure
or is it this man with a whole player or
a plugger. We're gonna call him a whole player. But
I want you to focus on the footwork. What I
prefer in mesh is a burn them up five quickest
five steps you got in your footwork, grab bag of
(30:38):
feet right, That's what I want, not bouncy bouncy bounce.
I want a defined drop and I want your eyes
to go to the rail route. He's number one and
he's your alert. Remember he's the outside lane of the track.
So the inside linebacker is gonna cover that rail route.
AJ Brown's gonna run the shallow and pick for DeVante
Smith coming through. So remember what I said about the
(31:00):
outside lane in track. He looks like he's winning the race.
But here comes mcfadd and the linebacker inside and he's
gonna catch up ground quick. Then these two are gonna
pass like two ships in the night. That's the big
deal right here on this play. And he's supposed to
spring DeVante Smith. AJ Brown is playing love of the
game right now. This is like running the go route
out the back of the end zone kind of thing,
(31:22):
like you're helping your buddy spring him open. Jalen Hurts
locks on to Gainwell on this rail route up the
sidelines and locks and locks and it never gets unlocked.
It never. This shallow route by DeVante Smith comes right
into your vision. Gainwell's just a little extra sauce out there,
and then he tries to throw to Davante Smith late
and you're just you know, I'm scratching my head in
(31:43):
the booth like dang. Third and three man a man
with the whole player, and they they get that play cold.
Come on, baby, that's that's automatic, you know what I mean,
Like if you're if you're seeing it right, if your
footwork's right, if your eyes are right, that's a no brainer.
And Davante Smith is out the back door. Okay, watch
this next play just so you remember, right, those two
shallows and that middle hook player, that middle hook route
(32:06):
that makes a triangle. So this time fourth and three,
very next play. Look at the safety after the motion,
he's banging on his quads, on his thighpads. That's telling
the guy quads, quadrucep muscles. We're playing quarters. Now, what's quarters?
They're gonna divide the field into four pieces. It's one
big pie. Everybody gets a twenty five percent of the pie.
(32:28):
The reason we put those safeties in red is because
they have help on run. They have to help and
run support, and they also have to help on some
of these middle sit routes, like we're gonna see from
cal Katara again, that's part of their job. So the
corner is essentially gonna be on an island like Manna man.
And now he's got the go ball and the post.
That's what he's worried about. The last play, Remember Gainwell
(32:48):
was up the sidelines. AJ Brown had the shallow right,
He's gonna run across the screen. This time, they just
flip their responsibilities. Now the backs on the other side.
AJ Brown's gonna have the go route. The back's gonna
be part of this triangle again, ye, coming out of
the backfield. And then AJ Brown's gonna be sprinting up
the sidelines and you're gonna go press him one on one.
(33:10):
Here go press a J Brown like that. So that's
your alert instead of the back coming out of the backfield.
Now this is your alert. Now watch these three guys
make this triangle. Remember Phil Jackson and the triangle offense. Yeah,
same thing, second level oblique stretch triangle. Read there's a
triangle isosceles, the equal lateral take your pick. I don't care.
Right back to geometry, but one, two, three, this ball's
(33:34):
got to come out, and it comes out early, and
he takes his alert on fourth and three. Look at
where this ball is. He's getting pressure in his face.
Ball goes up the sidelines about forty yards down the
field and he converts a fourth and three when the
play before he had the shallow walking out the back
door for an easy first down. So what does it
show tell you? So there's physical traits there that are elite.
(33:57):
The deep ball throw is elite. Him to aj Brown
on deep balls is just unreal. But it covers up
some of the issues with reading a defense, with getting
through your progression, with nailing down that footwork. Because if
he starts to do that. Once he does that, this
dude immediately will jump to the top ten in the
league in quarterbacks. But until you're there, like, there's other
(34:20):
guys I want that can process better at this point
in his career, is it possible? Absolutely? Is there a
guy there that can help him get there and kill him?
Moore one percent? He helped Dak, he helped justin Herbert, Like,
this guy can get him there. But until I see
those things, those easy reads start to happen, I'm gonna
run the ball forty five times. Yeah, And that's what
(34:40):
they did, and that's going to be their formula to
win until that takes the next step. We talked about
the maturation in the pocket. We talked about Lamar Jackson
all that. It's that kind of incremental development and growth
that you got to see from Jalen Hurts because he
has the physical tools. I mean, are you kidding me?
He could run it. Yeah, he can throw the deepot.
He throws one of the best de balls. That's why
(35:00):
we compared him to Russell Wilson last year. Right, they're
very similar players.
Speaker 1 (35:05):
So I want to end with this. So generally, a
good owner is gonna support his people even if he
doesn't believe it. Right, you just in the middle of
a season. You don't want to disrupt. Sure, you're the flight.
You know what need bumps? No doubt impulsive owners or
trouble a off season, fine in season, just steady the ship.
(35:25):
So Troy Aikman says, the Cowboys run bad routes. Mike
McCarthy if those words don't mean anything. Jerry Jones came
out this morning and doubled down on Troutman, saying, boy,
you have to listen to Aikman. That guy is credible.
I'm like, Okay, that's a bad sign.
Speaker 2 (35:40):
It just gets noisy. It's just noisy. It's stuff I
don't want to deal with, and not just as the
head coach. It's the quarterback right there that like, I
don't want to have to deal with that. I don't
want to have to answer questions about that in the
press conference. You know what I want to do. I
want to watch the tape like we just watched and
figure out what was my footwork right, where my reads right?
Not what one of our greatest quarterbacks ever has had
(36:01):
to say about our franchise currently this year's and I've
dealt with it. I mean, Joe Namath would come out,
you know, guys who played for the Jets before would
come out and be like, oh, well, these guys can't
do this because X, Y and Z. And then the
very next day you got to go answer the question.
Of course, you sign up for it all. You're the quarterback,
you're the leader. You got to handle it. But it
helps when the owner, head coach, quarterback, everybody else is
(36:23):
kind of rowing the boat in the same direction. You know,
that makes the quarterback job a little bit easier. So
you'd prefer that, especially during this season. But you know
what's mcarthy going to say when he gets hit up
about it, and then once again, it's a lot like
the Cadence thing. Remember we talked about with Sala and
Rogers and all that kind of stuff. When one guy
gets the question and gets a response but hasn't conferred
(36:45):
with the other party that's about to get the same
question and they're not on the same page, it's kind
of like it's a little tough. Yeah, it's tough for me.
That's the way it goes. There's no excuses. But when
you take those two sound bites and neither of those
two had a chance to talk, it's like, you know,
it's like a police investigation, right, They're not gonna let
the two culprits sitting, you know, like, Okay, you guys,
(37:07):
get your story right, then tell us the answer right,
So I can understand both sides. Everybody's got a job
to do. But it's nice when everybody's at least rowing
the boat in the right direction.
Speaker 1 (37:16):
All right, you have saints and chargers. I I'm not
supposed to root. I'm supposed to be above it all.
But I'm watching Justin Herbert last night, and I find
myself I'm empathetic to his plight because I think in life,
when you're a young person, where you land has a
significant impact on how you perform.
Speaker 2 (37:35):
No doubt. And I mean you could say that for
Rattler too, like hey man, there's a big opportunity for you,
but no, Shaheed, no, you got no lave, you got
like where are we going here? So it's there's there's
a lot to deal with as a quarterback and it's
not always pretty. So we'll see, we'll see how both
these guys do
Speaker 1 (37:52):
Great job, have fun this week.
Hosts And Creators
Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
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