November 4, 2024 • 37 mins
Colin details the biggest issues plaguing the Bears after they suffered another disappointing loss and Caleb Williams struggling once again. He tells you why he was right about Lamar Jackson and wrong about the Cowboys. He also talks to Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh about rebuilding the culture of the organization and the toughness of Justin Herbert
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
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
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 is a good Monday live in Los Angeles.
It's the Herd wherever you may be, however you may
be listening. Thanks for making us part of your day.
Jim Harbaugh, the Charger stops by today, Colin Wright, Colin Wrong,
top of hour number two. Well it's you get to
week nine, ten eleven and the truth comes out. You
(00:50):
can't fool people. You see the better coaching, you see
the better quarterback play. It's a reality check. There's a
couple teams still out there that I think, are you know,
playing on the edge, like Philadelphia. But j Mack not
good for two big, powerful, hopeful brands, the Cowboys and
(01:10):
the Chicago Bears. Yeah, really bad for the Bears, really bad.
So I'm not the smartest guy in the world. But
Matt Eberflus, the Bears head coach since he's been in
Chicago as the head coach on the road, if the
game is played on Sunday, the Bears are own eighteen.
That doesn't feel promising to me. That doesn't sound good.
(01:31):
If it's the fall and winter, the Bears are on
the road and it's a Sunday, they're owing eighteen. I mean.
And here's what's worse. All that money spent on offense
in the offseason. Yesterday against Arizona. Arizona's a good team,
not great, but a good team. Twenty nine to nine,
Arizona one third down efficiency, terrible, yards per play half
(01:53):
of what Arizona got, yards per pass, about half of
what Arizona got. And this was my big fear that
the young defensive coach with a losing record that hadn't
proven himself, who passed on Cliff Kingsbury, who coached Caleb
Williams in college, wouldn't be able to elevate Caleb Williams.
(02:15):
And you're seeing that right now. Caleb Williams has regressed
so badly. His passer rating is worse than Drake May
and the same as Daniel Jones. He's just got better
mobility than both. And the mistakes are just endless. I mean,
come on, fourth quarter down by twenty you can't protect
Caleb Williams. Get him out of the game. Get him
(02:37):
out of the game. What are you doing? They didn't,
So again, a young defensive coach, at least get the
defense going right. Twenty six seconds left in half, a
third string running back peels off a fifty three yard
touchdown run. So they're starting to feel And this is
what happens with bad teams. What do they do well?
(02:59):
New Orleans Saints fired their coach today, Dennis Allen. What
do they do well? And you're looking at Chicago and
that's my question. I'm not sure what the plan is
and what they can lay their feet at. And here's
what's really troubling. Bo Knicks lost yesterday. Denver didn't have
the players to beat Baltimore and Baltimore. But Bo Nicks
is growing. Bo Knicks looks like a franchise quarterback. His
(03:23):
improvement week one until now is evident. With Sean Payton
Jaden Daniels, I mean, he's just smooth, he's just a pro.
He's one of the top seven eight quarterbacks right now
in the league. It looks like with Cliff Kingsbury, who
the Bear should have hired Drake May yesterday. I know
they lost, but you had to feel really good if
you were a Patriot fan. With Drake Man, It's like, Okay,
(03:44):
we got our quarterback. There's gonna be some turbulence. It's
gonna be some bumps. Two minute drill though, regulation you're like, yes,
I think this kid can play. That's what it looked
like to me. So bow Knicks, I see it. That's
a franchise guy. Jaden Daniels, that's a franchise store. Drake
May with very little to work with. Yeah. I like
(04:07):
Drake May so, but and Caleb Williams looks lost and
is regressing badly. So I was very skeptical on the
Bears when they had that three game winning streak. It
was bad teams. The Rams were down like six starters
on offense. Uh, but this yesterday there wasn't. I mean,
you got eight minutes into that game, forget it. And
(04:28):
here's the utter thing. They're now starting very poorly like
well coached teams generally, not always Rams started slowly yesterday,
but generally well coached teams you know, first couple series
looked like they have their act together. And here's another
troubling part. After the game, Caleb Williams was acknowledging that
(04:51):
they still weren't over the Hail Mary loss to Washington.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
I think earlier on in the week, I think we
have done better overall of of bouncing back after that.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
I know it's a tough loss.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
It's tough regardless of you know, who you are in
the facility, if you're out there making players or if
you're making decisions up.
Speaker 4 (05:13):
Top, would be better just move on quicker.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Yeah, we gotta we gotta be better and move off quicker.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
We gotta uh have that one for our period at
at from Naval Hall.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
That wasn't even subtle that he's not even like slow
playing it. That is a complete shot at the coaching staff.
We gotta get over it. Yeah, yeah, Dennis Allen fired today.
Defensive coach Robert Solid defensive coach fired about a month ago.
(05:45):
If the Bears ownership wasn't so cheap, I think Matt Eberflus.
The last two weeks they have looked completely disorganized and
our biggest fears the Caleb Williams. They passed on Cliff Kingsbury.
I don't know why they did that. I'd heard Cliff
wanted to be part of the Caleb Williams story. Passed
(06:07):
on him, didn't want to pay the money. You know
who did? Washington, Washington, their new owner said I'll pay
for it. How's it working? Okay, Cowboys lost. Here's what's
troubling most of all. It's not just a record, but
it was a different kind of loss. Atlanta is a
finesse team, so I thought, Okay, Dak will be comfortable.
(06:28):
Right like Gino Smith hot knife threw butter against Atlanta
in Atlanta. Dallas wasn't overpowered. We've watched them get overpowered
by the teams like the Lions or the Packers in
the playoffs, or or the Ravens. We watch them get overpowered.
They were just unprepared. And Dak Prescott's been in this
league nine seasons. All these illegal motion penalties, false starts
(06:52):
in crucial situations, nine different penalties. I mean, in the
third quarter, the Cowboys were going to go for it
on a fourth and one, there's a penalty called too
many players on the field. What are we doing? What
are we doing? This wasn't getting overpowered. I thought Dallas
was gonna win this game. It was like, we're not
(07:13):
really very efficient at what we do. For the record,
since Mike McCarthy took over the Cowboys as head coach,
always been an issue with Mike McCarthy. Teams lead the
NFL and penalties. Well, this team's not good enough to
overcome that. This is not a team that can go
in and get eight, nine, ten penalties a week. They
beat themselves. Dallas out rushed Atlanta, they did out past Atlanta.
(07:37):
They had more total yards than Atlanta. They were plus
one in turnovers. Atlanta is a finesse team. Quarterbacks are
very comfortable and you don't have to be a football expert.
You're watching the coach throw a tablet. Too many yellow flags,
penalties and crucial situations. It's like Dallas won off. They
won all the little battles, more yards, more rushing, more
(08:00):
more passing, and they lost the war. So this this,
it just feels like to me, Dallas right now is
an unmade bed of a franchise. The talent, the roster,
the lack of leadership, and they're locked in. I mean,
some teams are bad in this league and you're like well,
they'll get the number one pick. They'll get a quarterback.
(08:21):
I mean, somebody's gonna get Shador Sanders at Colorado, maybe
a cam Ward from Miami in college. Somebody, somebody's gonna
get Sam Darnold in the market. Like, you can turn
things around in this league. That's why it's so much
more popular. One of the many reasons. And the NBA
or hockey or baseball. I mean, you can go, you
can you can swing it from awful the Houston Texans
of the playoffs in one year. You can do Washington
(08:43):
where you're a laughing stock of the league. Now you
may win your division. You can do that in the NFL.
But Dallas, because of what they're paying DAC and because
of Jerry Jones' ego and vanity and his unwillingness to
let other sharp people in the building and make decisions
over him, I think they're trapped. So you don't have
to be a football expert. Just the penalties. The vibes
around the Dallas Cowboys are absolutely terrible right now. Jerry Jones,
(09:07):
who's kind of gotten into a wandering stage just talking
in circles, was very emotional after the loss.
Speaker 5 (09:14):
Really regret this for all road Dallas Cowboy fans. We'll
tell you this that I've been around. I've seen Mike
Irbin tear up and prive when he couldn't lose anybody
because he's just recovering from niesard. Yet his ass came
back led a team to three Super Bowls. I know
you can be there. If you're there, that room's full
(09:36):
of guys that can get it done.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
I believe I've coaches and all. Well. The good news
for Dallas though very hopeful. The facility tours are booked solid.
So if you've ever wanted to watch a factory on fire,
you go book the tours in Dallas. They have the
third worst point differential in the NFC. Like you know,
I said before the season, I said, Philly and Washington
(09:59):
are going to make the playoffs. Washington's gonna be the
surprise team. I said, Dallas, you're gonna see a slight
regression with the Cowboys, and they may win nine or ten.
They won't make the playoffs. My bad. They may win six.
It's a bad football team. It's a poorly run team.
It's a from a quarterback perspective, it's sort of mediocre.
I mean, I saw Dak go off and scramble yesterday,
(10:21):
and it was like he was laboring the entire time
like this, This is a bad team that is trapped
behind an average ish quarterback with a massive contract for
the next four years, and I do not know how
they dig their way out of it. Calling right wrong
in forty five minutes from now. Yeah, that was again.
You don't have to be a football expert. Dak at
(10:44):
one point was caught sing on camera we suck as
he was on the sidelines. That's what the lip readers now,
and they make their money doing that. That's what they're saying.
But yeah, yeah, yeah, it's bad. Yeah, that's it. Lip
readers got it right. He's saying we blanking suck. They do.
It's a bad football team. Jay Mack had a winning
week in Blazing five. I'm not sure I will say this.
(11:06):
You called it on the Chargers. That may have been
your favorite game of the weekend, and their coach, Jim
Harbaugh is stopping by the shelter. I'm excited for Harbaugh.
You know, we'll talk during the break about Harbaugh and
some hoops. Shall we say? Jim Harbaugh is a community man.
I'll just leave it at that.
Speaker 6 (11:22):
Yeah, but very exciting weekend in the NFL column. Like
you said at the outset, seven teams are now two
and seven. There's a lot of garbage in this league
right now. A lot of coaches about to get tossed
free agentcy not free agency, but the trade deadline is tomorrow,
I believe.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
Yeah, there's gonna There's gonna be some sellers some.
Speaker 6 (11:39):
Here's a good question, can Dallas sell anything Michaeh Parsons,
But he's not playing.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
They don't have a lot of talent to sell. I
know they have a corner they could sell. They have
Michaeh Parsons. If Michael was playing and being, you know, viable,
I think you could move him. They need multiple draft picks.
They have to get in the first and second round
an elite running back. They've got to go get another receiver.
Speaker 6 (12:02):
They probably could use a good play caller as well.
Fourth and one end around to CD Lamb.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
That was a great moment. I'm glad you brought that up.
So generally speaking, good football teams like Detroit San Francisco,
when you're on a fourth and one, you don't do deception.
You just give it to the guy you give it,
Philadelphia gives it the Saquon Barkley Dereck Henry in both
that jud's what the good teams do. The Cowboys on
fourth and one are doing a jet sweep, trying to
(12:28):
fool a finesse defense. This defense is not you know,
it's not the Chiefs, it's not the Niners, it's not
the young you know, athletic rams or the best defenses.
This is one of the softest defenses in the league.
And the Cowboys on a fourth and one are go, okay,
bring out the tricks. What that tells you what they
(12:49):
think of their own personnel, Like they can't get a
yard against an Atlanta team that has no pass rush and.
Speaker 6 (12:55):
The running back that the GM wanted, Ezekiel Elliott, was
left home because he skipping out on meetings and being
late and he's checked out on this awful team.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
Wow, that was a disaster.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
in newone Eastern nin AM Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
Here we go every Monday. Where Colin was right, Where
Colin was wrong, and there's plenty of both. Where Colin
was right you know I've said this before. If Matt
Stafford's the Rams quarterback and Sean mcvay's the coach, this
team will always figure out ways to be viable, even
in rebuilding years. It didn't matter that they had multiple
rookies playing on the offensive line, or Pooka got ejected,
(13:36):
or they couldn't run the ball, or they were on
the road and had a terrible first half. After Mahomes
and Andy Reid, there is not a quarterback head coach combo.
I have higher regard for it than Stafford and McVay.
That was a really gutty win on a Sunday where
there were a dozen reasons the Rams could have lost.
(13:56):
Where Colin was wrong, Well, I thought Dallas would miss
the playoffs and slightly regress. I said, they'll start regressing.
I didn't think they'd become a bottom three team, arguably
in the league. Penalties, I mean they're red zone offense
thirty first, they're running back room worst, their defense thirty first.
I'm not sure what Dallas does well, and I mean
(14:19):
Dak got caught in the sideline saying we suck lip readers. Congratulations.
But I thought they would be viable, but just missed
the playoffs. They are, they'd be bad in the NFC
South like they're just bad. That's a bad football team.
Where Colin was right Lamar Jackson for years, I've defended
him as a really good pocket quarterback. I didn't think
(14:42):
he was his first couple of years, but he's right now,
first player in league history with four games with a
perfect passer rating, and it doesn't really matter. I think
he forces linebackers to do things they don't have to
do most weeks. You can't cheat on him. You have
feels like you have to play zone ca play manner.
He'll take off. I don't know how good Denver's defense was.
(15:03):
They've made their mark against sort of average quarterbacks. But
this goes back to something I've been preaching for four years.
Don't get caught up in thinking he is a running
quarterback only because he was in the first couple of years.
Watch the games. It's more than capable from the pocket
where Colin was raw. You know Dan Campbell, I've had
(15:23):
my doubts on his situational coaching. He's too emotional, but
I'm wrong. He's a success, and I thought he coached
yesterday with maturity and stability, and that's a markup leadership.
You know, in Philadelphia, Siriani drives me nuts with all
the risk taking. When you have a better team and
a better roster, there is a way to coach. And
I think Dan Campbell may have had that goofy opening
(15:44):
press conference. But when I watch this football team, they execute,
they don't make a lot of mistakes. They lean into
their best players. They got a little pass happy in
the first couple of weeks of the season, but since
then they've been one of the best coach teams in
the NFL. Where Colin was right, I thought Dennis Allen
would be the first coach fired in the NFL this year.
I think he's an excellent coordinator, not a head coach.
(16:06):
He was the second coach. Let go Saints. This morning.
The Saints out gained the Panthers by one hundred and
fifty yards. They ran for one hundred and fifty yards,
and they won the turnover battle, and they lost. That
is the first time that has happened in two hundred
and seventy six NFL games. So they just find ways
to lose. And again, much like Dallas, I am not
sure under Dennis Allen, what the Saints do well. It's
(16:29):
one of the first things we look for, even if
you're struggling as a coach, is there something you do well?
And in New Orleans, I can't pinpoint it where Colin
was rang. USC lost again another road game. They had
a lead. They're now four and five on the season.
Lincoln Riley last twenty four games at USC twelve and twelve.
Even his press conferences now are kind of cringey. He
(16:51):
has not recruited southern California. We don't know if he
can build the culture. I do think he's upgraded the
defensive staff, but they keep losing the same way. The
LA media is pretty pleasant, to be honest. It doesn't
have very sharp teeth. It's not Philly or Boston. And
now he said, no, you can't cover my practice anymore.
I don't know what's working. I don't know what it is.
(17:12):
I just think their talent is mostly pedestrian now. It
is young. But even as press conference after it's getting
a little cringey.
Speaker 7 (17:22):
It's not like we're getting our ass kicked, you know.
So it's not like I go back to the drawing boards,
like God, we're just doing this terrible and people are
just wearing us out on this or that.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
I mean, like, it's not.
Speaker 7 (17:32):
It's not that I've told you guys this before. It's like,
oh yeah, I mean, how many weeks we got to
say this? I understand, but like you go change, you know,
five six plays this season and then everybody's like, oh
my god, they're freaking unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
Nobody would say that because they're not. They're just not
talented enough. Where Colin was right, I had said I
thought the Dodgers would had a historically great lineup and
would win a World Series. And I think they're even
greater than we thought. O Tawani was hurting the World Series.
They had to move outfielders to the infield. They had
bullpen games against the Podres, Mets, and Yankees, and they
(18:05):
still dominated all three of them. Can you imagine if
this team was healthy. I've also defended for years Dave
Robbers for his patients and the ability to be able
to make all these stars work. This is a team
that likes each other. O Tawani and Freeman and Muncie
and Betts and Kersha and Buehler. The injuries, the tumult,
(18:26):
the constant moving players around from bench kick Hernandez to starting,
and yet they get along despite all the pressure. They
dominate the postseason. We were right on that one where
Colin was raw. I said a month ago, I thought
the New York Giants had the bones of a good
football team. Now they're kind of a pile of bones.
They are zero and five at home, two and seven
(18:49):
BB gun offense, thirty second ranked offense. Daniel Jones at
half four for six with zero yards passing. I think
he's a tough kid. I'll say that he'll put his
head down and run over you. But it's it's and
I like Brian Dabel. There are parts of this team neighbors,
Brian Dabel, Dexter, Lawrence Dibdo. There are parts of this
team I like. But I thought a couple of weeks ago,
(19:10):
I'm like, they're close, they're close, They're not close. They're
not a good team. Where Colin was right. Finally, I
predicted Jannis would demand a trade at some point in
the season. A story last week confirmed it that teams
are circling the Bucks. Six games in. They're already a mess.
Brook Lopez aged very quickly, Chris Middleton aged very quickly.
(19:33):
Doc Rivers may go back to broadcasting. Jannis and Dame
combined for seventy five points in the game this weekend,
and they lost two years ago. This team is the
Celtics were getting better and younger, the Bucks were getting
older and slower. We warned a couple of years ago,
we said, they gotta make a big swing here. This
just doesn't work. They're just they can't defend. And I
(19:54):
think Jannis, they won a title they did with Kareem,
go make a big swing Miami. He interested, so were
the Warriors. But this was really predictable. This roster in
an improving East with Orlando's good and Cleveland's good and
Indiana's good, and the Knicks are better, this isn't gonna
work that this right now is not a playoff team.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd weekdays
and Neon Easter not a em Pacific.
Speaker 1 (20:19):
Well, we knew the Chargers would be better because they
have it on the world's best football coaches. Jim Harbaugh
first year as the Chargers coach, fifteen years played in
this league. But they've gotten better fast and most of
the same players as last year. And here's the coach
beat Cleveland win in those road games in the Midwest
for an LA team not easy. So I want to
start with this. You had said when you took the job,
(20:40):
we don't want to be as reliant on Justin Herbert.
We love him, he's amazing, but we want to be
we don't want to just you know, you see some
of these quarterbacks throwing forty eight times a Sunday. That's
not healthy. How did Justin handle you saying, hey, you
don't need to throw forty times? How did he handle it?
Speaker 3 (20:59):
It was you know when you when you're starting to
talk there and talking about, uh, you know, how the
team's doing, and how you know, the the same players
from last year.
Speaker 4 (21:10):
Uh, you know, Justin Herbert.
Speaker 3 (21:12):
I mean, let's just for two seconds, let's just just
go there. I mean, there's there's nobody better. There's nobody,
uh you know, there's Lamar's playing really good. Uh you know,
and and I think those two are playing at a
really high level right now, and some others. But uh,
I don't think anybody's playing better than Justin Herbert is
and and I know you have great respect for him, Colin, yeah, uh,
(21:37):
And I mean it's a it's a love and admiration
that that we have for for Justin, that's incredible. Everything
that he does, we could we could spend the whole
the whole show talking about him, but it just hits
me like this, like every day when we go out
there to practice, we're around greatness. This is this is
(22:00):
what greatness looks like. And uh, you know, God willing
and the creek don't rise, this will.
Speaker 4 (22:05):
Be the this will be the the only quarterback I
ever coach.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
Again, yeah, well that would be. And he's big, and
he's strong and he's durable. Now, I got to one
of the things that we question. We said, boy, we
don't know if the Chargers have perimeter sideline talent to
play with the teams. And Quinton Johnston had a rough
rookie year, but when he's been healthy, you guys have
really your staff has figured out how to use him.
(22:29):
Talk a little about that, because, first of all, it's
hard as a rookie in the NFL. It's hard for everybody.
But he has really flourished over the since you arrived.
What did you do?
Speaker 4 (22:40):
It's really what he's done, Colin.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
In the training environment, he's he's gotten stronger, he's he's
he has a great speed. He's really worked hard on
his route discipline, his mechanics. Sanjay Lauer, receiver coach, has
done an incredible job coaching uh coaching Q and uh
you know he just keeps keeps getting better and better
(23:03):
and better. And uh, you know he's just so shown
us so much in terms of uh the speed, uh, toughness,
Uh you know, uh, playing smart, playing with great effort blocking.
It's it's just it's just better, better, improving, improving, And
you know, our our our whole receiving corps when to
(23:25):
look at it has been that way. I mean Lad McConkie, Uh,
he's done an incredible job. Josh Palmer uh doing a
super super job. Got Darius Davis back this week, and
he he gave us a big, big punt return.
Speaker 4 (23:40):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (23:41):
Jalen Rager, who we added, has done a done a
you know a really good job for us. So and
then DJ Shark we think, oh, I'll be back this week.
So we're getting uh, we're getting a lot of premer
help already, and and we feel like we're uh it's
just gonna it's.
Speaker 4 (23:56):
Just gonna grow, grow and grow, and that bodes well
for our team.
Speaker 1 (23:59):
We all know your brother coaches in the NFL, But
you were gone from the NFL, Jim for a decade,
and I mean fad football's football. Your teams are physical, relentless,
and tough and smart. But was there anything being gone
for ten years and coming back into this league that
you had to kind of tweak that you went, you
know what, that's a little different. That's a little different.
(24:20):
Was there anything you had to tweak at all?
Speaker 3 (24:24):
I mean, there's definitely some things different in rules, those
are priced, you know, some of the biggest things. But
equipment changes. We alwauld talk about the safety of the game.
I think that's so much more improved, and those rules
that I talked about earlier, I mean have been designed
for players safety. The number one difference to me, at
(24:47):
the very top of the list is the last time
I coached in the NFL was twenty fourteen, and I
didn't think that the NFL could get any bigger, any
more popular than it already was then. But you know,
now a decade later, I mean it is it is
least you know, two x three x you know, uh
(25:08):
more in terms of of of popularity.
Speaker 1 (25:12):
Yeah, you know, the I want you to go to
Week one this year and then to yesterday. In that gap.
Now in college, you got a bunch of kids in college,
they're twenty, they're nineteen. You can see big growth in
the NFL from week one this year to yesterday. Where
do you grow? Where do you see a pro team
grow with older guys guys are twenty six, twenty eight
(25:34):
their men. Have you seen big growth? If so, where
on the team?
Speaker 4 (25:39):
Yeah? I have, you know, big growth.
Speaker 3 (25:42):
I mean it's all the little things, all the uh
you know, things that people think are minutia, but it's
all those little thousand things that that add up to
make all the difference.
Speaker 4 (25:53):
And it's it's all the individuals.
Speaker 3 (25:54):
I mean, they're they're just attacking, you know, anything and
every opportunity that's been put in front of them and
uh and trying to make the most of it. And
I know we're just going back to the first game
until now, but uh, you know, I would really point to,
you know, just the very beginning and uh and and
where it really all comes from. It all comes from
from the top, It all comes from uh, you know,
(26:15):
the Spannos family.
Speaker 4 (26:16):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (26:17):
Dean Spanos, Uh John Spanos is here every single day,
I mean through the draft process, you know, every practice, uh,
you know, every decision, it's.
Speaker 4 (26:27):
It's everybody's just pulling in the same direction.
Speaker 3 (26:29):
And they're the ones that that have that have made
that culture and that's the way it's been. And uh,
you know it shows in the the players that are here,
justin Herbert Derwin, James Khalil Mack, uh, you know, Quentin Johnson,
all those that have been that have been drafted and signed,
and Joe Ortiz uh you know, came in and did
an incredible I can count eleven guys that he's signed
(26:53):
his free agents uh in the off season that have
been significant producers and contribute. So uh yeah, I think
it just really uh you know, comes from an organization
where everybody is doing anything and everything that they possibly
can to help us win. And then you know, we
feel that I feel that as as as coach, our
(27:14):
players feel it that, you know, our organization, our ownership
is doing anything and everything in their power for us.
Speaker 4 (27:23):
What's good for the Bee is good for the Hive.
And then it just it makes you want to.
Speaker 3 (27:27):
Do anything and everything in your powers, in my power
as a coach, uh, you know, to uh to to
help the organization and everybody. Everybody attacks it in a
way of what I've noticed, like double checking, triple checking,
quadruple checking. And also everybody treats their job like it's
the most important job in the entire organization. Uh, you know,
(27:49):
that's just fun to be around. So when you just
you show up every day and it's like, hey, who
else wants to work? Who else wants it's everybody. Everybody
wants to wants to get after it. So you know,
let's go, let's go, Uh that's that's the thing. And
then and then we just uh you know, just to
tag it with. You know, just can't fix everything all
at once, but we can fix one thing at a
(28:10):
time all the time.
Speaker 1 (28:12):
Hey, speaking of Georgie's the trade deadline. Your brother got
a player, the Bills did, the Chiefs did? You got
to you got a really good team. You got your tackles,
you got your ed rushers, you got in quarterback. I mean,
you got most of the stuff that everybody wants is
there at the trade deadline? Are you interested? You're gonna
make a call? What do you make? What am I?
What am I? I'm not gonna guess. You're smiling like
(28:33):
you got a card. You got a card in your
deck here that I don't know about. What are you
gonna do with the trade deadline?
Speaker 4 (28:41):
I don't know, I don't know.
Speaker 3 (28:42):
Uh you know it's that that's a that's a Joe
Joe Ortiz. You know he's Joe. Joe is Batman. I
play Robin and uh you never know, you know. I
looked at your uh your thing there, I mean, uh,
the graphic, you know. Do do the chargers need?
Speaker 4 (28:57):
What do they need? What do they uh what they need?
You know?
Speaker 3 (29:02):
Do they need receiver help, perimeter help? No, we don't
need we don't need that. I don't think we. I
can't think of a position right now where we need,
you know, to upgrade. I love the guys that are here,
love him. But if Joe wants somebody you know and
uh you know, can can can make us better than
(29:24):
I that I know he will. And all competitors are welcome.
Competitors welcome. Twenty twenty four Los Angeles.
Speaker 1 (29:32):
Chargers by the way, Lad camp McConkey. I liked him
at Georgia. You saw him at Michigan when I was boy.
He's good, Like did you think he would be good?
Speaker 5 (29:43):
This good?
Speaker 1 (29:44):
This quick?
Speaker 4 (29:47):
Here he is you just love everything about him? Right?
And he he was good, He was a how do
you not love him? Really?
Speaker 3 (29:53):
I mean he he walked down at Georgia and then
then played significant contributor as a friend shman as a sophomore,
as a junior. Uh, he's and he's a great guy.
I mean aside from from the football. Uh you know,
by his talent, by his effort, he is known. But
uh he is he is just such a respectful good guy.
Speaker 4 (30:15):
You know. Okay, that's a side. And I know where
that comes from.
Speaker 3 (30:20):
Uh that that was poured into him by uh, poured
into him by his parents, uh.
Speaker 4 (30:25):
Benji and Brittany.
Speaker 3 (30:27):
And I had a great chance to meet him, a
chance chance encounter at the combine. My son Jack was
with me. We went to get breakfast, one of those
breakfast places, uh something with a fork in the name,
and you know, we're walking up, we're walking to pay
the bill, and you know, I see all these Georgia
people there, you know, go dogs, how are y'all doing?
(30:49):
And uh, well you really you really got after us
a couple of years ago. Oh yeah, we were there, coach.
We remember we're we're mister and missus McConkey, and then
this is our family and some of the other uncles
and and uh and family members were there and we
had a we had a lovely conversation. Uh there and
I could I could see right there you know what,
uh you know what had been poured into him, and.
Speaker 4 (31:12):
Uh, yeah, it was Uh. We wanted some of that.
We wanted we wanted a lot of.
Speaker 3 (31:17):
That because, Uh, as I said, competitors, welcome here at
the Los Angeles Chargers.
Speaker 1 (31:21):
Finally, I don't think, Jim, I've seen you smile this much.
There is something you were great in college. You're you're
one of the all time greats. There's something about the NFL.
You got a smart quarterback who's a tough guy like you.
You seem happy, right, That's what I say. That's what
I see happy Jim Harball. Even on the games when
(31:42):
Harbard comes over to you, it's like you just in
a good mood every time I see you. Do you
notice that, Yeah.
Speaker 4 (31:49):
We we that's true.
Speaker 3 (31:51):
I mean I think that is uh guiltiest charge there,
very happy, and we have we have a we have
a good time here. We work hard, but we have
a good time doing it. And then, uh, you know,
our guys get dead serious about winning on game day. Uh,
you know, no question about that. And they you know,
they they they put the work in it just it
just becomes infectious, you know, like you know those that
(32:15):
I those those that I named before.
Speaker 4 (32:17):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (32:18):
I mean, there's nobody like Derwin James, uh that I've
ever encountered in football as a as a as a
teammate or as a player or a coach.
Speaker 4 (32:26):
And I could just go down the lake k mac
uh klil Mack.
Speaker 3 (32:29):
I mean, he's most humble, hungry warrior you could ever
be around. And uh and Justin uh In so many others.
I mean I could I could name another another forty
five guys. I mean, just I love these guys and
uh and there's no doubt though I sit at my desk,
you know, right before, right before we did this interview.
Speaker 4 (32:48):
I mean, it's like Justin's on our team.
Speaker 1 (32:52):
Yes, well, competitors.
Speaker 3 (32:56):
It's great, It's it's uh yeah, it's it's a yeah.
We're we're attacking and we're having fun doing it.
Speaker 1 (33:04):
Coach, What a pleasure after a win. Go have a
nice lunch, enjoy your day. Make it the best day
of the week until next Sunday. It's great seeing you again.
Speaker 4 (33:16):
Well, I appreciate it. Uh.
Speaker 3 (33:18):
You know, I'm a big, big, big, huge fan of
yours and uh appreciate, uh appreciate everything and just how
much you.
Speaker 4 (33:26):
Know, you you love and respect Justin too. I mean
that's that's pretty darn cool.
Speaker 1 (33:32):
Yeah, what a great kid.
Speaker 4 (33:34):
There's nobody tougher. You know.
Speaker 3 (33:35):
There's my own personal ranking, you know, and this is
this is my right to have my own personal ranking.
So I'm gonna preface it's with that that it's not
anybody else's, it's mine. But I've always considered myself the
toughest quarterback in the history of the National Football League. Uh,
being around Justin Herbert, I have moved to number two
(33:56):
in the rankings. Justin Herbert is the toughest quarterback in
the history of the National Football League. I mean this
this guy is uh, I mean, it's it's become like
hack a shack you know the way, uh the way
remember remember the.
Speaker 4 (34:13):
Old shack Chase and and uh they just hack him.
He's so big and he's.
Speaker 3 (34:17):
So tough to get on the ground that uh, I mean,
the ball's thrown and the it could be the ball's
ten yards downfield and there's still somebody trying to wrestle
and grapple him to the ground. Uh he gets hit
when he goes out of bounds. He gets hit in
the head. Uh, he gets face masked during the play.
It's uh, you know, it's incredible and yeah, I just
(34:41):
I just don't have enough adjectives to uh to describe, uh,
you know what the what being around this this young
man is like and just how fortunate we are as
an organization to have him as our as our quarterback.
And the last thing I would say too is I
mean we've all heard of people that, you know, they
make a lot of money, and you know money makes
(35:03):
people complacent. Yah, not justin Herbert, no way. Guy, he
was right back in here. I know where to find him,
six thirty seven thirty in the morning on an off day,
he's right down there in the weight room or you know,
getting extra film work. It's never comes in dishovel, never,
never sleepy. Just it's like he's like a jackhammer, you know,
(35:26):
just just always attacking.
Speaker 1 (35:28):
Love him, God, so do I and I love he
is one of the nicest kids I've ever met my
whole life. I've been doing this thirty years. I don't
think I've met a nicer, more respectful human being who's
a star in my whole life. And there's been a
lot of good guys, A bunch of good guys. He
is he is like nobody else, just genuine salt of
the earth. You can tell you have good parents, good upbringing,
just quality, dude, And I love that. You love it.
Speaker 3 (35:49):
There's no doubt about it. Mark and Holly Herbert did
an incredible job. They should take a deep long bow.
One son's playing in Oregon right now. The others reds
it in at u c L a medical school. Uh
and guess where Justin lives roommates with his brother?
Speaker 1 (36:07):
Does he brothers?
Speaker 4 (36:09):
How about that? You know?
Speaker 1 (36:10):
I love that?
Speaker 2 (36:11):
Is that?
Speaker 4 (36:11):
Is that incredible?
Speaker 3 (36:12):
I mean he probably doesn't well be saying stuff like this,
but I just I just just every day, you know,
just uh, it's just it's just awesome, awesome being around him.
Speaker 4 (36:21):
Coach, you're you're you're spot out.
Speaker 3 (36:24):
He is he is a he is a He's a
wonderful guy uh off the field, uh and and a
great player on it.
Speaker 1 (36:32):
Hey tell your pr guy, Josh. Thanks. He hustles from
me all the time. He's really good. He's good, dude,
tell me he's the best thing.
Speaker 4 (36:38):
He's one of those guys in the organization.
Speaker 1 (36:40):
All right, catch you all right, coach Harball, I'm getting
I'm getting the hook, Jim Harvall. It's uh, you know,
Herbert's just one on one, just such a great kid.
And uh lad McConkey and Joe Alt and they got
these new guys in this culture. And and I'll tell
you yesterday went Johnson, You're like, okay, that's what a
(37:02):
first rounder. Look that kid's big, like six four runs.
You just, like Jim said, you had to get stronger,
had to figure the routes out. But they're they're pretty
darn good.
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 is a good Monday live in Los Angeles.
It's the Herd wherever you may be, however you may
be listening. Thanks for making us part of your day.
Jim Harbaugh, the Charger stops by today, Colin Wright, Colin Wrong,
top of hour number two. Well it's you get to
week nine, ten eleven and the truth comes out. You
(00:50):
can't fool people. You see the better coaching, you see
the better quarterback play. It's a reality check. There's a
couple teams still out there that I think, are you know,
playing on the edge, like Philadelphia. But j Mack not
good for two big, powerful, hopeful brands, the Cowboys and
(01:10):
the Chicago Bears. Yeah, really bad for the Bears, really bad.
So I'm not the smartest guy in the world. But
Matt Eberflus, the Bears head coach since he's been in
Chicago as the head coach on the road, if the
game is played on Sunday, the Bears are own eighteen.
That doesn't feel promising to me. That doesn't sound good.
(01:31):
If it's the fall and winter, the Bears are on
the road and it's a Sunday, they're owing eighteen. I mean.
And here's what's worse. All that money spent on offense
in the offseason. Yesterday against Arizona. Arizona's a good team,
not great, but a good team. Twenty nine to nine,
Arizona one third down efficiency, terrible, yards per play half
(01:53):
of what Arizona got, yards per pass, about half of
what Arizona got. And this was my big fear that
the young defensive coach with a losing record that hadn't
proven himself, who passed on Cliff Kingsbury, who coached Caleb
Williams in college, wouldn't be able to elevate Caleb Williams.
(02:15):
And you're seeing that right now. Caleb Williams has regressed
so badly. His passer rating is worse than Drake May
and the same as Daniel Jones. He's just got better
mobility than both. And the mistakes are just endless. I mean,
come on, fourth quarter down by twenty you can't protect
Caleb Williams. Get him out of the game. Get him
(02:37):
out of the game. What are you doing? They didn't,
So again, a young defensive coach, at least get the
defense going right. Twenty six seconds left in half, a
third string running back peels off a fifty three yard
touchdown run. So they're starting to feel And this is
what happens with bad teams. What do they do well?
(02:59):
New Orleans Saints fired their coach today, Dennis Allen. What
do they do well? And you're looking at Chicago and
that's my question. I'm not sure what the plan is
and what they can lay their feet at. And here's
what's really troubling. Bo Knicks lost yesterday. Denver didn't have
the players to beat Baltimore and Baltimore. But Bo Nicks
is growing. Bo Knicks looks like a franchise quarterback. His
(03:23):
improvement week one until now is evident. With Sean Payton
Jaden Daniels, I mean, he's just smooth, he's just a pro.
He's one of the top seven eight quarterbacks right now
in the league. It looks like with Cliff Kingsbury, who
the Bear should have hired Drake May yesterday. I know
they lost, but you had to feel really good if
you were a Patriot fan. With Drake Man, It's like, Okay,
(03:44):
we got our quarterback. There's gonna be some turbulence. It's
gonna be some bumps. Two minute drill though, regulation you're like, yes,
I think this kid can play. That's what it looked
like to me. So bow Knicks, I see it. That's
a franchise guy. Jaden Daniels, that's a franchise store. Drake
May with very little to work with. Yeah. I like
(04:07):
Drake May so, but and Caleb Williams looks lost and
is regressing badly. So I was very skeptical on the
Bears when they had that three game winning streak. It
was bad teams. The Rams were down like six starters
on offense. Uh, but this yesterday there wasn't. I mean,
you got eight minutes into that game, forget it. And
(04:28):
here's the utter thing. They're now starting very poorly like
well coached teams generally, not always Rams started slowly yesterday,
but generally well coached teams you know, first couple series
looked like they have their act together. And here's another
troubling part. After the game, Caleb Williams was acknowledging that
(04:51):
they still weren't over the Hail Mary loss to Washington.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
I think earlier on in the week, I think we
have done better overall of of bouncing back after that.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
I know it's a tough loss.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
It's tough regardless of you know, who you are in
the facility, if you're out there making players or if
you're making decisions up.
Speaker 4 (05:13):
Top, would be better just move on quicker.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Yeah, we gotta we gotta be better and move off quicker.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
We gotta uh have that one for our period at
at from Naval Hall.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
That wasn't even subtle that he's not even like slow
playing it. That is a complete shot at the coaching staff.
We gotta get over it. Yeah, yeah, Dennis Allen fired today.
Defensive coach Robert Solid defensive coach fired about a month ago.
(05:45):
If the Bears ownership wasn't so cheap, I think Matt Eberflus.
The last two weeks they have looked completely disorganized and
our biggest fears the Caleb Williams. They passed on Cliff Kingsbury.
I don't know why they did that. I'd heard Cliff
wanted to be part of the Caleb Williams story. Passed
(06:07):
on him, didn't want to pay the money. You know
who did? Washington, Washington, their new owner said I'll pay
for it. How's it working? Okay, Cowboys lost. Here's what's
troubling most of all. It's not just a record, but
it was a different kind of loss. Atlanta is a
finesse team, so I thought, Okay, Dak will be comfortable.
(06:28):
Right like Gino Smith hot knife threw butter against Atlanta
in Atlanta. Dallas wasn't overpowered. We've watched them get overpowered
by the teams like the Lions or the Packers in
the playoffs, or or the Ravens. We watch them get overpowered.
They were just unprepared. And Dak Prescott's been in this
league nine seasons. All these illegal motion penalties, false starts
(06:52):
in crucial situations, nine different penalties. I mean, in the
third quarter, the Cowboys were going to go for it
on a fourth and one, there's a penalty called too
many players on the field. What are we doing? What
are we doing? This wasn't getting overpowered. I thought Dallas
was gonna win this game. It was like, we're not
(07:13):
really very efficient at what we do. For the record,
since Mike McCarthy took over the Cowboys as head coach,
always been an issue with Mike McCarthy. Teams lead the
NFL and penalties. Well, this team's not good enough to
overcome that. This is not a team that can go
in and get eight, nine, ten penalties a week. They
beat themselves. Dallas out rushed Atlanta, they did out past Atlanta.
(07:37):
They had more total yards than Atlanta. They were plus
one in turnovers. Atlanta is a finesse team. Quarterbacks are
very comfortable and you don't have to be a football expert.
You're watching the coach throw a tablet. Too many yellow flags,
penalties and crucial situations. It's like Dallas won off. They
won all the little battles, more yards, more rushing, more
(08:00):
more passing, and they lost the war. So this this,
it just feels like to me, Dallas right now is
an unmade bed of a franchise. The talent, the roster,
the lack of leadership, and they're locked in. I mean,
some teams are bad in this league and you're like well,
they'll get the number one pick. They'll get a quarterback.
(08:21):
I mean, somebody's gonna get Shador Sanders at Colorado, maybe
a cam Ward from Miami in college. Somebody, somebody's gonna
get Sam Darnold in the market. Like, you can turn
things around in this league. That's why it's so much
more popular. One of the many reasons. And the NBA
or hockey or baseball. I mean, you can go, you
can you can swing it from awful the Houston Texans
of the playoffs in one year. You can do Washington
(08:43):
where you're a laughing stock of the league. Now you
may win your division. You can do that in the NFL.
But Dallas, because of what they're paying DAC and because
of Jerry Jones' ego and vanity and his unwillingness to
let other sharp people in the building and make decisions
over him, I think they're trapped. So you don't have
to be a football expert. Just the penalties. The vibes
around the Dallas Cowboys are absolutely terrible right now. Jerry Jones,
(09:07):
who's kind of gotten into a wandering stage just talking
in circles, was very emotional after the loss.
Speaker 5 (09:14):
Really regret this for all road Dallas Cowboy fans. We'll
tell you this that I've been around. I've seen Mike
Irbin tear up and prive when he couldn't lose anybody
because he's just recovering from niesard. Yet his ass came
back led a team to three Super Bowls. I know
you can be there. If you're there, that room's full
(09:36):
of guys that can get it done.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
I believe I've coaches and all. Well. The good news
for Dallas though very hopeful. The facility tours are booked solid.
So if you've ever wanted to watch a factory on fire,
you go book the tours in Dallas. They have the
third worst point differential in the NFC. Like you know,
I said before the season, I said, Philly and Washington
(09:59):
are going to make the playoffs. Washington's gonna be the
surprise team. I said, Dallas, you're gonna see a slight
regression with the Cowboys, and they may win nine or ten.
They won't make the playoffs. My bad. They may win six.
It's a bad football team. It's a poorly run team.
It's a from a quarterback perspective, it's sort of mediocre.
I mean, I saw Dak go off and scramble yesterday,
(10:21):
and it was like he was laboring the entire time
like this, This is a bad team that is trapped
behind an average ish quarterback with a massive contract for
the next four years, and I do not know how
they dig their way out of it. Calling right wrong
in forty five minutes from now. Yeah, that was again.
You don't have to be a football expert. Dak at
(10:44):
one point was caught sing on camera we suck as
he was on the sidelines. That's what the lip readers now,
and they make their money doing that. That's what they're saying.
But yeah, yeah, yeah, it's bad. Yeah, that's it. Lip
readers got it right. He's saying we blanking suck. They do.
It's a bad football team. Jay Mack had a winning
week in Blazing five. I'm not sure I will say this.
(11:06):
You called it on the Chargers. That may have been
your favorite game of the weekend, and their coach, Jim
Harbaugh is stopping by the shelter. I'm excited for Harbaugh.
You know, we'll talk during the break about Harbaugh and
some hoops. Shall we say? Jim Harbaugh is a community man.
I'll just leave it at that.
Speaker 6 (11:22):
Yeah, but very exciting weekend in the NFL column. Like
you said at the outset, seven teams are now two
and seven. There's a lot of garbage in this league
right now. A lot of coaches about to get tossed
free agentcy not free agency, but the trade deadline is tomorrow,
I believe.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
Yeah, there's gonna There's gonna be some sellers some.
Speaker 6 (11:39):
Here's a good question, can Dallas sell anything Michaeh Parsons,
But he's not playing.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
They don't have a lot of talent to sell. I
know they have a corner they could sell. They have
Michaeh Parsons. If Michael was playing and being, you know, viable,
I think you could move him. They need multiple draft picks.
They have to get in the first and second round
an elite running back. They've got to go get another receiver.
Speaker 6 (12:02):
They probably could use a good play caller as well.
Fourth and one end around to CD Lamb.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
That was a great moment. I'm glad you brought that up.
So generally speaking, good football teams like Detroit San Francisco,
when you're on a fourth and one, you don't do deception.
You just give it to the guy you give it,
Philadelphia gives it the Saquon Barkley Dereck Henry in both
that jud's what the good teams do. The Cowboys on
fourth and one are doing a jet sweep, trying to
(12:28):
fool a finesse defense. This defense is not you know,
it's not the Chiefs, it's not the Niners, it's not
the young you know, athletic rams or the best defenses.
This is one of the softest defenses in the league.
And the Cowboys on a fourth and one are go, okay,
bring out the tricks. What that tells you what they
(12:49):
think of their own personnel, Like they can't get a
yard against an Atlanta team that has no pass rush and.
Speaker 6 (12:55):
The running back that the GM wanted, Ezekiel Elliott, was
left home because he skipping out on meetings and being
late and he's checked out on this awful team.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
Wow, that was a disaster.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
in newone Eastern nin AM Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
Here we go every Monday. Where Colin was right, Where
Colin was wrong, and there's plenty of both. Where Colin
was right you know I've said this before. If Matt
Stafford's the Rams quarterback and Sean mcvay's the coach, this
team will always figure out ways to be viable, even
in rebuilding years. It didn't matter that they had multiple
rookies playing on the offensive line, or Pooka got ejected,
(13:36):
or they couldn't run the ball, or they were on
the road and had a terrible first half. After Mahomes
and Andy Reid, there is not a quarterback head coach combo.
I have higher regard for it than Stafford and McVay.
That was a really gutty win on a Sunday where
there were a dozen reasons the Rams could have lost.
(13:56):
Where Colin was wrong, Well, I thought Dallas would miss
the playoffs and slightly regress. I said, they'll start regressing.
I didn't think they'd become a bottom three team, arguably
in the league. Penalties, I mean they're red zone offense
thirty first, they're running back room worst, their defense thirty first.
I'm not sure what Dallas does well, and I mean
(14:19):
Dak got caught in the sideline saying we suck lip readers. Congratulations.
But I thought they would be viable, but just missed
the playoffs. They are, they'd be bad in the NFC
South like they're just bad. That's a bad football team.
Where Colin was right Lamar Jackson for years, I've defended
him as a really good pocket quarterback. I didn't think
(14:42):
he was his first couple of years, but he's right now,
first player in league history with four games with a
perfect passer rating, and it doesn't really matter. I think
he forces linebackers to do things they don't have to
do most weeks. You can't cheat on him. You have
feels like you have to play zone ca play manner.
He'll take off. I don't know how good Denver's defense was.
(15:03):
They've made their mark against sort of average quarterbacks. But
this goes back to something I've been preaching for four years.
Don't get caught up in thinking he is a running
quarterback only because he was in the first couple of years.
Watch the games. It's more than capable from the pocket
where Colin was raw. You know Dan Campbell, I've had
(15:23):
my doubts on his situational coaching. He's too emotional, but
I'm wrong. He's a success, and I thought he coached
yesterday with maturity and stability, and that's a markup leadership.
You know, in Philadelphia, Siriani drives me nuts with all
the risk taking. When you have a better team and
a better roster, there is a way to coach. And
I think Dan Campbell may have had that goofy opening
(15:44):
press conference. But when I watch this football team, they execute,
they don't make a lot of mistakes. They lean into
their best players. They got a little pass happy in
the first couple of weeks of the season, but since
then they've been one of the best coach teams in
the NFL. Where Colin was right, I thought Dennis Allen
would be the first coach fired in the NFL this year.
I think he's an excellent coordinator, not a head coach.
(16:06):
He was the second coach. Let go Saints. This morning.
The Saints out gained the Panthers by one hundred and
fifty yards. They ran for one hundred and fifty yards,
and they won the turnover battle, and they lost. That
is the first time that has happened in two hundred
and seventy six NFL games. So they just find ways
to lose. And again, much like Dallas, I am not
sure under Dennis Allen, what the Saints do well. It's
(16:29):
one of the first things we look for, even if
you're struggling as a coach, is there something you do well?
And in New Orleans, I can't pinpoint it where Colin
was rang. USC lost again another road game. They had
a lead. They're now four and five on the season.
Lincoln Riley last twenty four games at USC twelve and twelve.
Even his press conferences now are kind of cringey. He
(16:51):
has not recruited southern California. We don't know if he
can build the culture. I do think he's upgraded the
defensive staff, but they keep losing the same way. The
LA media is pretty pleasant, to be honest. It doesn't
have very sharp teeth. It's not Philly or Boston. And
now he said, no, you can't cover my practice anymore.
I don't know what's working. I don't know what it is.
(17:12):
I just think their talent is mostly pedestrian now. It
is young. But even as press conference after it's getting
a little cringey.
Speaker 7 (17:22):
It's not like we're getting our ass kicked, you know.
So it's not like I go back to the drawing boards,
like God, we're just doing this terrible and people are
just wearing us out on this or that.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
I mean, like, it's not.
Speaker 7 (17:32):
It's not that I've told you guys this before. It's like,
oh yeah, I mean, how many weeks we got to
say this? I understand, but like you go change, you know,
five six plays this season and then everybody's like, oh
my god, they're freaking unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
Nobody would say that because they're not. They're just not
talented enough. Where Colin was right, I had said I
thought the Dodgers would had a historically great lineup and
would win a World Series. And I think they're even
greater than we thought. O Tawani was hurting the World Series.
They had to move outfielders to the infield. They had
bullpen games against the Podres, Mets, and Yankees, and they
(18:05):
still dominated all three of them. Can you imagine if
this team was healthy. I've also defended for years Dave
Robbers for his patients and the ability to be able
to make all these stars work. This is a team
that likes each other. O Tawani and Freeman and Muncie
and Betts and Kersha and Buehler. The injuries, the tumult,
(18:26):
the constant moving players around from bench kick Hernandez to starting,
and yet they get along despite all the pressure. They
dominate the postseason. We were right on that one where
Colin was raw. I said a month ago, I thought
the New York Giants had the bones of a good
football team. Now they're kind of a pile of bones.
They are zero and five at home, two and seven
(18:49):
BB gun offense, thirty second ranked offense. Daniel Jones at
half four for six with zero yards passing. I think
he's a tough kid. I'll say that he'll put his
head down and run over you. But it's it's and
I like Brian Dabel. There are parts of this team neighbors,
Brian Dabel, Dexter, Lawrence Dibdo. There are parts of this
team I like. But I thought a couple of weeks ago,
(19:10):
I'm like, they're close, they're close, They're not close. They're
not a good team. Where Colin was right. Finally, I
predicted Jannis would demand a trade at some point in
the season. A story last week confirmed it that teams
are circling the Bucks. Six games in. They're already a mess.
Brook Lopez aged very quickly, Chris Middleton aged very quickly.
(19:33):
Doc Rivers may go back to broadcasting. Jannis and Dame
combined for seventy five points in the game this weekend,
and they lost two years ago. This team is the
Celtics were getting better and younger, the Bucks were getting
older and slower. We warned a couple of years ago,
we said, they gotta make a big swing here. This
just doesn't work. They're just they can't defend. And I
(19:54):
think Jannis, they won a title they did with Kareem,
go make a big swing Miami. He interested, so were
the Warriors. But this was really predictable. This roster in
an improving East with Orlando's good and Cleveland's good and
Indiana's good, and the Knicks are better, this isn't gonna
work that this right now is not a playoff team.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd weekdays
and Neon Easter not a em Pacific.
Speaker 1 (20:19):
Well, we knew the Chargers would be better because they
have it on the world's best football coaches. Jim Harbaugh
first year as the Chargers coach, fifteen years played in
this league. But they've gotten better fast and most of
the same players as last year. And here's the coach
beat Cleveland win in those road games in the Midwest
for an LA team not easy. So I want to
start with this. You had said when you took the job,
(20:40):
we don't want to be as reliant on Justin Herbert.
We love him, he's amazing, but we want to be
we don't want to just you know, you see some
of these quarterbacks throwing forty eight times a Sunday. That's
not healthy. How did Justin handle you saying, hey, you
don't need to throw forty times? How did he handle it?
Speaker 3 (20:59):
It was you know when you when you're starting to
talk there and talking about, uh, you know, how the
team's doing, and how you know, the the same players
from last year.
Speaker 4 (21:10):
Uh, you know, Justin Herbert.
Speaker 3 (21:12):
I mean, let's just for two seconds, let's just just
go there. I mean, there's there's nobody better. There's nobody,
uh you know, there's Lamar's playing really good. Uh you know,
and and I think those two are playing at a
really high level right now, and some others. But uh,
I don't think anybody's playing better than Justin Herbert is
and and I know you have great respect for him, Colin, yeah, uh,
(21:37):
And I mean it's a it's a love and admiration
that that we have for for Justin, that's incredible. Everything
that he does, we could we could spend the whole
the whole show talking about him, but it just hits
me like this, like every day when we go out
there to practice, we're around greatness. This is this is
(22:00):
what greatness looks like. And uh, you know, God willing
and the creek don't rise, this will.
Speaker 4 (22:05):
Be the this will be the the only quarterback I
ever coach.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
Again, yeah, well that would be. And he's big, and
he's strong and he's durable. Now, I got to one
of the things that we question. We said, boy, we
don't know if the Chargers have perimeter sideline talent to
play with the teams. And Quinton Johnston had a rough
rookie year, but when he's been healthy, you guys have
really your staff has figured out how to use him.
(22:29):
Talk a little about that, because, first of all, it's
hard as a rookie in the NFL. It's hard for everybody.
But he has really flourished over the since you arrived.
What did you do?
Speaker 4 (22:40):
It's really what he's done, Colin.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
In the training environment, he's he's gotten stronger, he's he's
he has a great speed. He's really worked hard on
his route discipline, his mechanics. Sanjay Lauer, receiver coach, has
done an incredible job coaching uh coaching Q and uh
you know he just keeps keeps getting better and better
(23:03):
and better. And uh, you know he's just so shown
us so much in terms of uh the speed, uh, toughness,
Uh you know, uh, playing smart, playing with great effort blocking.
It's it's just it's just better, better, improving, improving, And
you know, our our our whole receiving corps when to
(23:25):
look at it has been that way. I mean Lad McConkie, Uh,
he's done an incredible job. Josh Palmer uh doing a
super super job. Got Darius Davis back this week, and
he he gave us a big, big punt return.
Speaker 4 (23:40):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (23:41):
Jalen Rager, who we added, has done a done a
you know a really good job for us. So and
then DJ Shark we think, oh, I'll be back this week.
So we're getting uh, we're getting a lot of premer
help already, and and we feel like we're uh it's
just gonna it's.
Speaker 4 (23:56):
Just gonna grow, grow and grow, and that bodes well
for our team.
Speaker 1 (23:59):
We all know your brother coaches in the NFL, But
you were gone from the NFL, Jim for a decade,
and I mean fad football's football. Your teams are physical, relentless,
and tough and smart. But was there anything being gone
for ten years and coming back into this league that
you had to kind of tweak that you went, you
know what, that's a little different. That's a little different.
(24:20):
Was there anything you had to tweak at all?
Speaker 3 (24:24):
I mean, there's definitely some things different in rules, those
are priced, you know, some of the biggest things. But
equipment changes. We alwauld talk about the safety of the game.
I think that's so much more improved, and those rules
that I talked about earlier, I mean have been designed
for players safety. The number one difference to me, at
(24:47):
the very top of the list is the last time
I coached in the NFL was twenty fourteen, and I
didn't think that the NFL could get any bigger, any
more popular than it already was then. But you know,
now a decade later, I mean it is it is
least you know, two x three x you know, uh
(25:08):
more in terms of of of popularity.
Speaker 1 (25:12):
Yeah, you know, the I want you to go to
Week one this year and then to yesterday. In that gap.
Now in college, you got a bunch of kids in college,
they're twenty, they're nineteen. You can see big growth in
the NFL from week one this year to yesterday. Where
do you grow? Where do you see a pro team
grow with older guys guys are twenty six, twenty eight
(25:34):
their men. Have you seen big growth? If so, where
on the team?
Speaker 4 (25:39):
Yeah? I have, you know, big growth.
Speaker 3 (25:42):
I mean it's all the little things, all the uh
you know, things that people think are minutia, but it's
all those little thousand things that that add up to
make all the difference.
Speaker 4 (25:53):
And it's it's all the individuals.
Speaker 3 (25:54):
I mean, they're they're just attacking, you know, anything and
every opportunity that's been put in front of them and
uh and trying to make the most of it. And
I know we're just going back to the first game
until now, but uh, you know, I would really point to,
you know, just the very beginning and uh and and
where it really all comes from. It all comes from
from the top, It all comes from uh, you know,
(26:15):
the Spannos family.
Speaker 4 (26:16):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (26:17):
Dean Spanos, Uh John Spanos is here every single day,
I mean through the draft process, you know, every practice, uh,
you know, every decision, it's.
Speaker 4 (26:27):
It's everybody's just pulling in the same direction.
Speaker 3 (26:29):
And they're the ones that that have that have made
that culture and that's the way it's been. And uh,
you know it shows in the the players that are here,
justin Herbert Derwin, James Khalil Mack, uh, you know, Quentin Johnson,
all those that have been that have been drafted and signed,
and Joe Ortiz uh you know, came in and did
an incredible I can count eleven guys that he's signed
(26:53):
his free agents uh in the off season that have
been significant producers and contribute. So uh yeah, I think
it just really uh you know, comes from an organization
where everybody is doing anything and everything that they possibly
can to help us win. And then you know, we
feel that I feel that as as as coach, our
(27:14):
players feel it that, you know, our organization, our ownership
is doing anything and everything in their power for us.
Speaker 4 (27:23):
What's good for the Bee is good for the Hive.
And then it just it makes you want to.
Speaker 3 (27:27):
Do anything and everything in your powers, in my power
as a coach, uh, you know, to uh to to
help the organization and everybody. Everybody attacks it in a
way of what I've noticed, like double checking, triple checking,
quadruple checking. And also everybody treats their job like it's
the most important job in the entire organization. Uh, you know,
(27:49):
that's just fun to be around. So when you just
you show up every day and it's like, hey, who
else wants to work? Who else wants it's everybody. Everybody
wants to wants to get after it. So you know,
let's go, let's go, Uh that's that's the thing. And
then and then we just uh you know, just to
tag it with. You know, just can't fix everything all
at once, but we can fix one thing at a
(28:10):
time all the time.
Speaker 1 (28:12):
Hey, speaking of Georgie's the trade deadline. Your brother got
a player, the Bills did, the Chiefs did? You got
to you got a really good team. You got your tackles,
you got your ed rushers, you got in quarterback. I mean,
you got most of the stuff that everybody wants is
there at the trade deadline? Are you interested? You're gonna
make a call? What do you make? What am I?
What am I? I'm not gonna guess. You're smiling like
(28:33):
you got a card. You got a card in your
deck here that I don't know about. What are you
gonna do with the trade deadline?
Speaker 4 (28:41):
I don't know, I don't know.
Speaker 3 (28:42):
Uh you know it's that that's a that's a Joe
Joe Ortiz. You know he's Joe. Joe is Batman. I
play Robin and uh you never know, you know. I
looked at your uh your thing there, I mean, uh,
the graphic, you know. Do do the chargers need?
Speaker 4 (28:57):
What do they need? What do they uh what they need?
You know?
Speaker 3 (29:02):
Do they need receiver help, perimeter help? No, we don't
need we don't need that. I don't think we. I
can't think of a position right now where we need,
you know, to upgrade. I love the guys that are here,
love him. But if Joe wants somebody you know and
uh you know, can can can make us better than
(29:24):
I that I know he will. And all competitors are welcome.
Competitors welcome. Twenty twenty four Los Angeles.
Speaker 1 (29:32):
Chargers by the way, Lad camp McConkey. I liked him
at Georgia. You saw him at Michigan when I was boy.
He's good, Like did you think he would be good?
Speaker 5 (29:43):
This good?
Speaker 1 (29:44):
This quick?
Speaker 4 (29:47):
Here he is you just love everything about him? Right?
And he he was good, He was a how do
you not love him? Really?
Speaker 3 (29:53):
I mean he he walked down at Georgia and then
then played significant contributor as a friend shman as a sophomore,
as a junior. Uh, he's and he's a great guy.
I mean aside from from the football. Uh you know,
by his talent, by his effort, he is known. But
uh he is he is just such a respectful good guy.
Speaker 4 (30:15):
You know. Okay, that's a side. And I know where
that comes from.
Speaker 3 (30:20):
Uh that that was poured into him by uh, poured
into him by his parents, uh.
Speaker 4 (30:25):
Benji and Brittany.
Speaker 3 (30:27):
And I had a great chance to meet him, a
chance chance encounter at the combine. My son Jack was
with me. We went to get breakfast, one of those
breakfast places, uh something with a fork in the name,
and you know, we're walking up, we're walking to pay
the bill, and you know, I see all these Georgia
people there, you know, go dogs, how are y'all doing?
(30:49):
And uh, well you really you really got after us
a couple of years ago. Oh yeah, we were there, coach.
We remember we're we're mister and missus McConkey, and then
this is our family and some of the other uncles
and and uh and family members were there and we
had a we had a lovely conversation. Uh there and
I could I could see right there you know what,
uh you know what had been poured into him, and.
Speaker 4 (31:12):
Uh, yeah, it was Uh. We wanted some of that.
We wanted we wanted a lot of.
Speaker 3 (31:17):
That because, Uh, as I said, competitors, welcome here at
the Los Angeles Chargers.
Speaker 1 (31:21):
Finally, I don't think, Jim, I've seen you smile this much.
There is something you were great in college. You're you're
one of the all time greats. There's something about the NFL.
You got a smart quarterback who's a tough guy like you.
You seem happy, right, That's what I say. That's what
I see happy Jim Harball. Even on the games when
(31:42):
Harbard comes over to you, it's like you just in
a good mood every time I see you. Do you
notice that, Yeah.
Speaker 4 (31:49):
We we that's true.
Speaker 3 (31:51):
I mean I think that is uh guiltiest charge there,
very happy, and we have we have a we have
a good time here. We work hard, but we have
a good time doing it. And then, uh, you know,
our guys get dead serious about winning on game day. Uh,
you know, no question about that. And they you know,
they they they put the work in it just it
just becomes infectious, you know, like you know those that
(32:15):
I those those that I named before.
Speaker 4 (32:17):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (32:18):
I mean, there's nobody like Derwin James, uh that I've
ever encountered in football as a as a as a
teammate or as a player or a coach.
Speaker 4 (32:26):
And I could just go down the lake k mac
uh klil Mack.
Speaker 3 (32:29):
I mean, he's most humble, hungry warrior you could ever
be around. And uh and Justin uh In so many others.
I mean I could I could name another another forty
five guys. I mean, just I love these guys and
uh and there's no doubt though I sit at my desk,
you know, right before, right before we did this interview.
Speaker 4 (32:48):
I mean, it's like Justin's on our team.
Speaker 1 (32:52):
Yes, well, competitors.
Speaker 3 (32:56):
It's great, It's it's uh yeah, it's it's a yeah.
We're we're attacking and we're having fun doing it.
Speaker 1 (33:04):
Coach, What a pleasure after a win. Go have a
nice lunch, enjoy your day. Make it the best day
of the week until next Sunday. It's great seeing you again.
Speaker 4 (33:16):
Well, I appreciate it. Uh.
Speaker 3 (33:18):
You know, I'm a big, big, big, huge fan of
yours and uh appreciate, uh appreciate everything and just how
much you.
Speaker 4 (33:26):
Know, you you love and respect Justin too. I mean
that's that's pretty darn cool.
Speaker 1 (33:32):
Yeah, what a great kid.
Speaker 4 (33:34):
There's nobody tougher. You know.
Speaker 3 (33:35):
There's my own personal ranking, you know, and this is
this is my right to have my own personal ranking.
So I'm gonna preface it's with that that it's not
anybody else's, it's mine. But I've always considered myself the
toughest quarterback in the history of the National Football League. Uh,
being around Justin Herbert, I have moved to number two
(33:56):
in the rankings. Justin Herbert is the toughest quarterback in
the history of the National Football League. I mean this
this guy is uh, I mean, it's it's become like
hack a shack you know the way, uh the way
remember remember the.
Speaker 4 (34:13):
Old shack Chase and and uh they just hack him.
He's so big and he's.
Speaker 3 (34:17):
So tough to get on the ground that uh, I mean,
the ball's thrown and the it could be the ball's
ten yards downfield and there's still somebody trying to wrestle
and grapple him to the ground. Uh he gets hit
when he goes out of bounds. He gets hit in
the head. Uh, he gets face masked during the play.
It's uh, you know, it's incredible and yeah, I just
(34:41):
I just don't have enough adjectives to uh to describe, uh,
you know what the what being around this this young
man is like and just how fortunate we are as
an organization to have him as our as our quarterback.
And the last thing I would say too is I
mean we've all heard of people that, you know, they
make a lot of money, and you know money makes
(35:03):
people complacent. Yah, not justin Herbert, no way. Guy, he
was right back in here. I know where to find him,
six thirty seven thirty in the morning on an off day,
he's right down there in the weight room or you know,
getting extra film work. It's never comes in dishovel, never,
never sleepy. Just it's like he's like a jackhammer, you know,
(35:26):
just just always attacking.
Speaker 1 (35:28):
Love him, God, so do I and I love he
is one of the nicest kids I've ever met my
whole life. I've been doing this thirty years. I don't
think I've met a nicer, more respectful human being who's
a star in my whole life. And there's been a
lot of good guys, A bunch of good guys. He
is he is like nobody else, just genuine salt of
the earth. You can tell you have good parents, good upbringing,
just quality, dude, And I love that. You love it.
Speaker 3 (35:49):
There's no doubt about it. Mark and Holly Herbert did
an incredible job. They should take a deep long bow.
One son's playing in Oregon right now. The others reds
it in at u c L a medical school. Uh
and guess where Justin lives roommates with his brother?
Speaker 1 (36:07):
Does he brothers?
Speaker 4 (36:09):
How about that? You know?
Speaker 1 (36:10):
I love that?
Speaker 2 (36:11):
Is that?
Speaker 4 (36:11):
Is that incredible?
Speaker 3 (36:12):
I mean he probably doesn't well be saying stuff like this,
but I just I just just every day, you know,
just uh, it's just it's just awesome, awesome being around him.
Speaker 4 (36:21):
Coach, you're you're you're spot out.
Speaker 3 (36:24):
He is he is a he is a He's a
wonderful guy uh off the field, uh and and a
great player on it.
Speaker 1 (36:32):
Hey tell your pr guy, Josh. Thanks. He hustles from
me all the time. He's really good. He's good, dude,
tell me he's the best thing.
Speaker 4 (36:38):
He's one of those guys in the organization.
Speaker 1 (36:40):
All right, catch you all right, coach Harball, I'm getting
I'm getting the hook, Jim Harvall. It's uh, you know,
Herbert's just one on one, just such a great kid.
And uh lad McConkey and Joe Alt and they got
these new guys in this culture. And and I'll tell
you yesterday went Johnson, You're like, okay, that's what a
(37:02):
first rounder. Look that kid's big, like six four runs.
You just, like Jim said, you had to get stronger,
had to figure the routes out. But they're they're pretty
darn good.
Hosts And Creators
Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Therapy Gecko
An unlicensed lizard psychologist travels the universe talking to strangers about absolutely nothing. TO CALL THE GECKO: follow me on https://www.twitch.tv/lyleforever to get a notification for when I am taking calls. I am usually live Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays but lately a lot of other times too. I am a gecko.