October 14, 2025 • 35 mins
Colin Cowherd breaks down the Chicago Bears impressive Week 6 win over the Washington Commanders, giving full credit to first-year head coach Ben Johnson and what he’s done to turn the franchise around so quickly
Colin also unveils his updated Herd Hierarchy, with the Kansas City Chiefs reclaiming the No. 1 spot for the first time this NFL season
Plus, Nick Wright from First Things First joins the show to discuss the state of the Buffalo Bills and whether it’s time for a coaching change after another disappointing performance under Sean McDermott
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Herd podcast.
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Speaker 2 (00:19):
This is the Best of the Herd with Colin cowher
on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Here we go to Tuesday in incredibly packed Tuesday, best
time of the year this week, next week following week
college football andfl Major League Baseball playoffs.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
We're live, We're in Chicago.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
It's the Herd wherever you may be and however you
may be listening. Thanks for watching us on whatever platform
you're watching us on FS one, iHeartRadio and more so JAMC.
I went and I burrowed into the stats this morning
on the Chicago Bears last year at this time to
this year, and I went to all of last year's
(01:05):
Bears games, and then I went to the five they
played there, three and two this morning, and it's amazing.
They're a touchdown better exactly per game than last year.
So remember seven of the twelve losses for the Bears.
Last year, we talked about this a lot in the offseason.
Seven of the twelve losses were one possession, So do
you think an additional touchdown? Last year they averaged eighteen
(01:28):
point two this year twenty five point two. So between
the organizational structure improvement, the play design, and the play calling,
the Chicago Bears have found their coach and he's worth
about a touchdown a game to Caleb Williams, a touchdown
of games a lot. I predicted before the season that
(01:50):
Mike Vrabel, his staff and the new free agents and
the draft picks would be worth about six and I
thought I was being, you know, a little optimistic game
and much better first quarter team, tremendous energy. Ben Johnson
gets credit for that. They can win on the road,
they can win close. Caleb Williams was good enough. He's
(02:11):
never going to be sixty nine percent completion guy. His
ball placement is still mid, but he's gifted. He makes
all the throws. And what you have with Caleb Williams
is all this firepower, all this strength, all this horse power,
and Ben Johnson is just pushing it.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
In the right direction.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
And Caleb is very amenable to all the coaching. That's
not always the case. Caleb deserves credit there. A great
head coach can't fix everything. But the Bears didn't need
to fix everything. They needed to upgrade their O line,
they spent money on it. They needed to stop turning
the ball over. They needed to, you know, score in
the first quarter. So and again, I look at the
(02:56):
Bears today and I think they can go toe to
toe athletically and toe to toe physically with probably anybody
in the league not named the Chiefs. They can go
toe to toe with coaching to totoe with athletes, wide receiver,
running back, tight end.
Speaker 3 (03:09):
They got dudes.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
They got dudes, Roma Dunze, DJ Moore, Luther Burden. Swift
was a monster last night. Now right now today, Jayden
Daniels is more refined and the more accurate quarterback.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
But he made mistakes. They had a pick, they had.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
A couple fumbles, and sometimes in the NFL it's this
simple win the turnover battle. Like the team that does
wins like seventy percent in the league. It was the
Bears last night that were more buttoned up. It was
the Bears last night that didn't make critical mistakes. Anybody
in Chicago, any Bear fan will tell you the mistakes
(03:46):
Washington made last night.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
That's what the Bears have been doing the last fifteen years.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
So sometimes improvement is just incremental, step by step, head
in the right direction. But with Ben Johnson and an
ascending quarterback, they are officially worth a touchdown more per game.
And oh, by the way, they can score first now,
meaning they're playing often with a lead. I mean, thirteen nothing, boom,
(04:10):
we're leading.
Speaker 4 (04:10):
On the road.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
I don't even know how do you quantify how important
that is. So last year there were twenty eighth in scoring.
Now they're top ten, and I think we all admit
the operational stuff isn't one hundred percent there yet, but
it's close. It's not one hundred percent there, but it's close.
So I think between the money they spent in the
old line burden, I'd like to see more Loveland. I'd
(04:35):
like to see more of them. But I think last
night is what the Bear should look like on most
Sundays or Mondays. That's what they should look like. Explosive.
When your kid's gotten f's and d's, a B minus
feels pretty good, You're not gonna call the teacher, have
a parent, teacher meeting B minus, you'll settle for so
(04:58):
I think a lot of it. They're better statistically, the
production's better, the look is better, the vibe is better.
The energy last night, I mean they were coming out
of their uniforms. They were flying all over the field.
And here's Caleb on his coach.
Speaker 5 (05:16):
He is a mastermind, and so being able to have
him sometimes he's on the headset and it's like, this
is a great play call right here, here we go.
And so he did that today and and and he
says that to me, and so he has all belief
and confidence in himself. And then you know that those
little things actually provide confidence, you know when you're about
(05:37):
to go call the play.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
I mean, if you're a Bears fan, you'll want in
the road again.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
Can you say a winning streak?
Speaker 1 (05:47):
And we'll talk about the schedule later, But I mean
you even took a reclamation project at Kicker.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
Yeah, I had one blocked.
Speaker 4 (05:55):
Again.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
This was a B B minus performance and and your
quarterback wasn't as accurate, but you took the lead, You
win the turnover battle, you were the cleaner team. You
didn't make the critical mistakes. Again when you been getting
d's a B to a B minus feels great if
you're a Bear fan. The other thing that's very encouraging is,
(06:18):
I mean they can play a lot better than this.
I mean they can absolutely play better than this. They
were solid, they were good, they were good enough to win.
But there's a lot left here. We'll talk about their
schedule coming up. Okay, now, trouble. Remember when the Warriors,
You remember this, The Warriors had Mark Jackson a defensive coach,
(06:40):
and everybody liked Mark Jackson. But Steph Curry needed something else,
and they went and hired Steve Kerr and the rest
is history.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
I know Mark Jackson. I like Mark Jackson.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
I'd hire Mark Jackson as a coach, but Steph Curry
needed Steve Kerr. And I kind of feel like Sean
McDermott's the Mark Jackson when the last time you watched
the Bills and went man, they are super creative.
Speaker 3 (07:10):
I watch Andy Reid.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
I think they're broken, or at least stuck, and Andy Reid,
the mcveigh's Sean Payton are like great engineers. They can tweak,
go unto the hood, rebuild the offensive line quickly, play design,
play calling, nothing but clever. I kind of feel like
Josh Allen can feel it once again because they've paid him.
(07:33):
You got to cut back on the defense and Sean McDermott.
With average defensive personnel, they're bad against the run. They're
bad against the run. I think you have to make
a move with the trade deadline. How many years can
you waste? Burrows out again, Chargers beat up Lamar and
the Ravens are falling apart. This may be a moment
hard Balls. Teams are only getting better. Mike Vrabel got
(07:57):
five six games with Drake May. They've now officially become
first place New England Patriots. You think they're getting worse
or better, But I kind of feel like they're stuck,
and I think Josh Allen knows it, and I think
you can see the body language. The Bills have faced
the easiest schedule in the league so far, and their
four wins are against teams that are three and twenty one.
(08:20):
They were not better than New England. That was not
a shocker when you watched it. New England was better
and they're only getting better. I watched Atlanta last night.
They had Jean Robinson and Drake London. Those are the
two big playmakers on the field. Atlanta was better. Pennix,
by the way, looked pretty good. So I don't think
this is oh, this is surprice. I just think Buffalo
they need to find playmakers, they need to add juice.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
And I'm not sure McDermott's it.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
And I think Josh Allen is a great kid and
wouldn't say it publicly, but when's the last time you
watched the Bills game like you do with the Chiefs
regularly or a McVeigh team and you went.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
Whoa or Kyle Shanahan. I don't see it.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
And that doesn't mean McDermott's like a great supervisor, like
like a total pro, knows what he's doing. But you
better not waste these years. Burrow's going to be healthy eventually.
Baltimore is gonna, we think, be healthy er eventually. Hardvon
Sean Payton have young quarterbacks. They're not getting worse. Rabel
(09:23):
and Drake may going nowhere probably better than you. Now
Here's Sean McDermott. After the disappointing loss, and we.
Speaker 6 (09:32):
Got to figure it out.
Speaker 5 (09:32):
We got to.
Speaker 6 (09:34):
Dive deep into what we're doing, how we're doing it,
making sure we got the right people in the right
positions and then the execution at the end.
Speaker 7 (09:41):
Of the day.
Speaker 6 (09:41):
So we got we gotta start from grounds here and
work our way back up.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
The Buffalo Bills do they make the Herd Hierarchy Top
ten because I've watched them now back to back weekends
and I'm telling you New England's only getting better, and
I'm watching b Jeon Robinson and Drake London and Michael Pennix.
Did you notice this last night, how comfortable he was?
You know who's never comfortable quarterbacks playing the Chiefs. You
(10:09):
watch the Chiefs and you watch the Bills over the
last forty eight hours. You think Buffalo can compete with that?
Speaker 4 (10:14):
I do not so.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
J Mack.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
It was a wild night.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
The Mariners are now up too old to the Jays,
the Dodgers in a crazy game.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
What was your take on Chicago?
Speaker 7 (10:24):
Yeah, I thought Chicago looked kind of like a Detroit
Ben Johnson team, run first, DeAndre Swift going crazy and
it sets up the past. Caleb looked super comfortable in
the pocket. I was pretty stunned. I will just say, though, Colin,
you know, if Jayden Daniels doesn't fumble the wet Bultroit,
you know we were here with a totally different take right.
Speaker 4 (10:43):
I mean they had that game locked up. You were
looking good at a five and zero. You know, you
know what, Washington doesn't fumble.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
Yeah, but they did.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
And by the way, we said this, so much of
winning in the NFL is playing the cleaner game, yeah,
which last year they did not. So right now, takeaways, giveaways.
Bears are at the top of the league, so so
much of this stuff. I was talking about this yesterday
with a friend about he's a Denver Broncos fan, and
I said, the Broncos do the best job in the
(11:13):
league at protecting their quarterback and sacking yours like that
is huge in the NFL. Our guy doesn't get hit.
Your quarterback gets hit all the time. There is something
to be said about we take it away and we
don't give it up. You can win twelve games on that,
and that's if you had average personnel. The Bears do
not have average personnel. Sweat is an all pro. I mean,
(11:35):
their receiving corps, their tight end, Core Swift, DeAndre Swift's
an excellent running back.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
You're now seeing that.
Speaker 7 (11:41):
Yeah, let me ask you real quick though. So the
Bears wide receivers, they got three good ones. I think
Luther Burdon has some juice.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
I mean, he didn't do much about nine targets a game.
Speaker 4 (11:50):
That's funny.
Speaker 7 (11:51):
Do you try to flip Dj Moore to a wide
receiver needy team like I don't know the Buffalo Bills,
whose receivers couldn't get any separation last night. I know
we like Dj Moore, but I think the Bears are
more of a next year team that could contend for
like the NFC Championship. I don't think they could this year.
Remember there are a couple of weeks removed from barely
beating the Raiders. Do you try to move Dj Moore
(12:12):
and get I don't know. Can you get a second
out a fifth?
Speaker 1 (12:14):
I don't know if you want to mess with the Bears.
I don't think you want to get greedy. If I'm
the Chicago Bears, I'm three and two. I look at
that schedule, I'm not sure I want to stop the momentum.
When's the last time they start talking Bears winning streaks?
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (12:28):
I mean, I just I don't want to mess with success.
I understand the point. If I was Buffalo, I would
call I'd give me one old guy and a bunch
of kids burdens young Loveland's young. I like what Chicago's doing.
I don't think i'd mess with it. I think they
rebuilt the old line in the offseas and the interior.
That is asking a lot. You couldn't tell the difference
in the first two weeks. Last night, you saw that
(12:51):
money getting spent that old line. Last night, those were
gigantic holes for DeAndre Swift that listen. Great offensive lineman
costs money. It takes a while to create cohesion. You
saw the Bears online last night. That was big boy football.
Speaker 2 (13:07):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
in neonone Eastern non am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
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Speaker 3 (13:16):
This is Jay.
Speaker 8 (13:17):
I'm the producer of the Paula and Tony Fusco Show.
Usually in these promos they asked you to listen to
the show. I'm here to ask you please don't listen
to the show. The hosts are two absolute morons who
have the dumbest takes on sports imagicable. Don't listen to
the show so it can get camped.
Speaker 4 (13:31):
What the hell are you doing our studio?
Speaker 7 (13:33):
Get him Paula, ignore that fool.
Speaker 8 (13:38):
Listen to the Pauline Tony Fusco Show on the iHeartRadio
app or wherever you get your podcast.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
He's still moving.
Speaker 3 (13:47):
Heard hierarchy time.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
Now let's go the top ten NFL teams according to College.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
Number ten, New England Patriots' easiest NFL schedule going full.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
This is not a mirage.
Speaker 1 (14:02):
Drake May leads ranks top five in completion percentage, passing yards,
big plays in passer rating. He's getting better than average protection,
He's got a running game.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
The kid moves well. Easy schedule three and zero.
Speaker 1 (14:17):
Also, as Jamak pointed out last week, since Christian Gonzalez,
the cornerback, has returned three and oh, number nine, number nine,
the Steelers listen. They don't turn it over and they
take it away. That does count as a good trait.
They're taking the football away now. They're not facing great quarterbacks,
(14:38):
but their only loss came to the Seahawks, a team.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
That is better.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
They're the second least penalized team, and they have a
receiving corps and a tight end core that looks like
an NBA front line that looks like the Dallas Mavericks.
Everybody's six six and up, so they are using some
height advantages, some size advantages. They don't throw it down
the field, but it he's working. Pittsburgh at nine, number eight.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
I like the Colts.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
I think they have the second best offensive line in
football to Detroit, fewest sacks allowed in the NFL Indianapolis.
They are scoring on sixty two and a half percent
of their drives.
Speaker 3 (15:17):
They also should have beaten the Rams.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
They have the number one scoring offense leaves the NFL
in first downs again Warren the rookie Pittman, Jonathan Taylor,
a top two or three offensive line. Daniel Jones this
year all you need to know. He's completing over seventy
one percent of his throws. I think they have a ceiling.
I don't think they're a conference championship team yet. They
(15:42):
may be this weekend if they beat the Chargers, I
may reassess. But I have the Colts at number eight,
Number seven.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
Green Bay.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
They're young and can't figure out how to put away
inferior teams, but all three wins have come by thirteen
plus points.
Speaker 3 (15:58):
I like Jordan Love He's more of than Aaron Rodgers.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
He could get a little careless, but they're the best
third down offense in the NFL, and you can't run
on them. They're the opposite of the Bills. You can't
run on them. So they're doing a little bit of
takeaway this year, which they haven't historically done. Crafts an
unbelievable tight end. I like this team a lot. They're
very young, which concerns me. The quarterbacks, the receivers, the
(16:24):
tight end really young. But Jeff Hafley's got that defense
can't run on it, and they're taking it away. Green
Bay at seven, number six, Well, Seattle was my surprise
pick in the NFL this year. New England and Seattle.
They lead the NFL in yards per play. That is
a huge stat and if you watch them, jsn Is
(16:46):
absolutely become a number one ride receiver in this league.
Sam Darnold, according to PFF, is the highest rated quarterback
in the NFL. I think Baker would be my MVP.
But they can run it. They can get you over
the top, they throw to their tight ends. They are
young and athletic defensively and lead the league in yards
(17:08):
per play. At Vegas loves that number number five Philadelphia
thirtieth ranked offense. I mean, it's pretty simple. When Jalen
Hurts throws the ball thirty three times plus, they're not good.
When he throws at twenty five times, they win. I
do think they're eventually gonna to some degree right the ship.
(17:30):
But they've been out gained in every game this season,
and they have had three or four of the worst
halfs in the league thirty punts this year, only Cleveland
the Bengals have more. So their personnel puts them at five,
but I'm not sure they're five. Let's see him play Minnesota.
Let's see Minnesota off of BIBE hosting Philadelphia. I may
(17:53):
knock him out of the top ten like I've done Buffalo.
Speaker 2 (17:58):
Number four.
Speaker 3 (17:59):
I think Detroit's good.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
I just think Kansas City is separated from the league
four games with thirty four plus points, best offensive line.
They're doing something that the Lions haven't done. And I
said this last week. A lot of sacks, a lot
of takeaways. They have the hardest remaining schedule. Again, this
is a really good football team. What Kansas City did
to them, nobody else in the league, in my opinion could.
(18:23):
In fact, they play Tampa this week, and I think
Detroit is gonna win that game. And maybe comfortably Detroit.
Speaker 3 (18:29):
At four number three, Colin, what are you doing putting
Sean Payton at Denver at three?
Speaker 4 (18:36):
Do you know?
Speaker 1 (18:37):
They are the best in the league at protecting their
quarterback and the best in the league at getting after yours.
I think they're one of the few teams that actually
can make Kansas City a little uncomfortable high altitude for
home games.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
I like their weapons.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
I don't think bo Nicks is playing particularly well, but
they you can't get to bo Nicks and he's at
I think he should run more. You can't get to him,
and they get after your quarterback. So they have the
number one ranked offensive line, best third down defense, best
red zone defense. They don't have to be great at quarterback.
They can play poorly and win like this past week.
Speaker 3 (19:14):
I have them at.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
Three, number two.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
Tampa's five and one. They could also be two and four,
but Baker Mayfield would be my MVP. They are playing
without their number one receiver, their number two receiver, their
number three receiver, their number four receiver. They're going to
a D two guy in Tez Johnson. No Bucky Irvig.
Baker Mayfield has accounted for seventeen hundred yards, only Mahomes
has accounted for more. I think they're resilient. I think
(19:40):
they're tough, and they're doing it. I've always liked their GM.
They are doing it right now with backups. I think
Tampa's two number one, but I don't think it's particularly close.
I think Kansas City is with Rashi Rice coming back,
He's not going to get thirteen targets in his first
week back. He'll probably get four to six. But Hollywood Brown,
(20:02):
Juju Smith, Travis Worthy o line didn't even have their
left tackle. This is a good football team suffocating defensively.
I said when they beat the Ravens, I don't want
to hear about injuries. They physically stopped Lamar. Lamar was
completely not only in his head. He could didn't have
any space. So next to the Colts, they have the
(20:22):
second most efficient offense. They're not giving the ball away.
I mean to play. Detroit did not have a penalty,
not have a turnover in one punt. Detroit's good, really good.
That's why I only dropped him to four. This is
my Herd hierarchy.
Speaker 2 (20:36):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and noon eastern non a em Pacific.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
And with that Nick Wright is now joining US Live.
I know you think, let me explain, let me explain Denver. Now,
I know you don't think Denver's that good. But my
takeaway is I'm looking at people that can match up
a little with Kansas City and their O line in
D line pressure at least makes it interesting. I don't
(21:02):
know if anybody else does. And I don't think I'm
over the top. I think they've refound. Kansas City looks
like Kansas City three years ago.
Speaker 9 (21:11):
Absolutely, and starting next week, Kansas City will have the
best receiving corps it has had since Tyreek Kill was
on the team. And for the first time in three years,
Colin Patrick trusts his offensive line even last week to
your point with a backup offensive left tackle, shout out
Brett Veach, who this summer signed Jalen Moore to be
(21:33):
the starting left tackle. Then Josh Simmons falls to him
in the draft. He's the starting left tackle. And last year,
after the Chiefs had four different left tackles, none of
whom really could play the position except for their left
guard Joe Tony, who had to go over and play it,
they now seem to have an excellent rookie and a
really good swing tackle, and so I think the Chiefs are.
Speaker 4 (21:55):
You are correct there.
Speaker 9 (21:56):
I know this is a very difficult and sad day
for jam as the Chiefs are back where they deserve
a top third hierarchy. But I do think you, Colin,
I want to talk about the Broncos. You're right because
I agree with everything you said. Nick Benito might be
the best defensive player in football at this very moment.
On the offensive line is excellent. I see Sean Payton
(22:19):
scheming guys wide open three to five times a game,
and then I see Bonnicks miss him by five yards.
Can you in the modern NFL be the third best
team in the league with a quarterback playing as poorly
as bon Nicks is playing.
Speaker 4 (22:37):
Weekend week out.
Speaker 9 (22:38):
He has his moments like the fourth quarter a couple
weeks ago against Philly where he was excellent, but on
a down to down basis, he has not been good.
And I don't think it's unfair to say, Colin that
if Denver were playing twenty nine of the other thirty
two teams this Sunday past Sunday morning, they'd have lost
(22:59):
that game. Only the Jets and the Brian Callahan, Titans
find a way to lose it. So this past week
didn't exactly raise my hopes about Denver. But the O
line is excellent and the defense is spectacular, which is
carrying them.
Speaker 1 (23:15):
So I watched the Bills last night and I'm going
to throw this at you. I said, there was a
moment Mark Jackson was a good coach. But he was
a good coach you kind of felt like, boy, Steph
Curry needs his conductor and they get Steve Kerr And
you're like, okay, So defense is easier to coach, you
(23:37):
would argue than offense. There's a lot more movement. It
has to be more choreographed on average, certainly in football.
And so it worked. And I watched Sean McDermott. I'm like,
he's fine. Is he Mark Jackson? Because once again, because
once you pay, as you know, once you pay the quarterback,
you're not going to be great. You have to be
able to turn Juju Smith Schuster into a reliable and
(24:00):
Hollywood Brown into more than just a kind of a
talented guy. And Andy Reid can do it. Andy can
tweak heith the engineer. He lifts the hood up. He
can tweak Sean McDermott feels like a really good supervisor.
Are the Bills issues really the coach?
Speaker 9 (24:18):
I think it's multifaceted. I think the defense isn't that
good this year. I think that's more probably on Bean
than the coach.
Speaker 4 (24:25):
I think that the.
Speaker 9 (24:28):
Here's the tough part for me, Well, let me start
with the coach. Then I'll get to Josh. In all
of NFL history, and I keep going back to this
stat because I think it's instructive. Every single coach quarterback
combo that has ever won at least one Super Bowl
together won their first super Bowl together within five years
(24:50):
of being together. For McDermott and Allen and by the way,
Lamar and Harball, this is year eight. No one else
has taken this long to have it happen and then.
Speaker 4 (25:03):
It actually happened.
Speaker 9 (25:05):
So history tells us for either of those teams to
get over the hump, they probably will need to at
some point make a change and listen. I think Sean
McDermott is under massive pressure. I think he's a good coach,
and I think that Mark Jackson comp could be a
good one, a good coach, but they've reached their limit
there with that said, and I think Josh Allen is
(25:26):
pretty clearly the second best quarterback in football. And he's
a great player, and that MVP last year made him
a future Hall of Famer, But he lives in a
narrative space with the media that is so unique to me.
I watched after Week three when they beat the Dolphins,
and he played great. One of the most respected members
(25:49):
of the national media say he plays the position better
than anyone in the history of the league. And last
week he turns the ball over three times and they
are and they lose, scoring fourteen points. And you showed
the key fourth down where he flips it like that.
(26:09):
They have the ball three separate times in the fourth
quarter of the chance to tie the game, and see
people seem hesitant to say, hey, Josh, the last two
weeks got outplayed by Drake May and got outplayed by
Michael Pennix.
Speaker 4 (26:25):
That shouldn't happen.
Speaker 9 (26:26):
And so like, I think he's the second best player
in the league. I really do, But he's not beyond criticism.
I do think the Bills have structural issues, but the
biggest issue last night was with the offense, and that
to me is more on Josh than anyone else.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
So last night, Yeah, so I want to talk about
Bears and go a little deep on this is that
if you look at through five games compared to last year,
they're a touchdown a game better, and that's a lot.
Last year, seven of the twelve Bears losses were one possession,
so a touchdown is different. Energy last night was incredible.
But my takeaway and the Bears this year, they've just
(27:04):
eliminated the ridiculous losing on a hail Mary when your
player is chatting with fans, losing as the clock runs
out in Detroit, losing six to three, losing a game
with a block kick. They just run the ball and
don't turn it over. That so much of what's because
I still think Jayden Daniels last night is more refined,
(27:25):
more accurate, and more consistent. Caleb was okay, But my
takeaway is the Bears have the talent to be really dangerous,
like I'm talking Conference championship biable with their skilled people
in their pass rush. What Ben's really done is said,
let's just get rid of the nonsense, run the ball
and don't turn it over. I don't think the play
(27:46):
calling is unbelievable. They just don't beat themselves, is what
I'm seeing.
Speaker 9 (27:52):
So yes, I agree with you, and listen. They have
back to back twenty five twenty four wins by the
skin of their one against a Raider team.
Speaker 4 (28:01):
That isn't good, even though I thought it would.
Speaker 9 (28:02):
Be, and one against a Commander team that I think
is pretty good. And that's how then the Margins are
in this league. If they missed the field goal last night,
or missed the field goal again, or you know, the
Raiders drive down the field and beat them, We're talking.
It's a totally different conversation around the Bears, and they're
probably not much worse or much better.
Speaker 4 (28:20):
They had to win last night. You can't win.
Speaker 9 (28:23):
The turnover battle three nothing in that spot and lose
that game. And I also think that the how crowded
the NFC playoff picture is, last night's game might be
a tiebreaker that determines a playoff spot between these two teams.
Speaker 4 (28:39):
It was wildly important.
Speaker 9 (28:41):
Where I would be optimistic if I'm Chicago is I
don't think Caleb has played great yet. I think he
will continue to get better. I do think you're right
that Ben Johnson is right now on the most vanilla
part of the playbook as he slowly tries to build
it up. I also, however, do want to be fair,
(29:02):
and I know Jaden has earned far more of a.
Speaker 4 (29:05):
Benefit of doubt van Caleb.
Speaker 9 (29:07):
And I know last night was weird and Jaden's coming
off an injury and it was rainy, but the pick
Jaden threw took points off the board and was brutal.
And if Caleb Williams had mishandled a snap into a
fumble with four minutes left in a game they were leading,
we would be killing it. I'm not trying to kill
(29:27):
Jaden for it, by the way.
Speaker 4 (29:28):
It was a weird game.
Speaker 9 (29:29):
Mistakes happened, But I do think we have to be
you know, kind of measured and fair with the expectations
for Caleb.
Speaker 4 (29:38):
Where they're at now.
Speaker 9 (29:38):
I also think it you know, if you would have
asked anyone in the world going into the draft, who
the overwhelming consensus who's the best was Caleb at the
end of last year, the overwhelming consensus would have been Jaden.
Right now this moment, it feels like the overwhelming consensus
would be Drake May. Like these things are fluid and
it's going to there's going to be a lot of
(30:00):
different iterations over the next three four seasons between those
top three picks.
Speaker 1 (30:05):
So I want to end with Baker Mayfield because you know,
and I've told you this, I like him. I think
he's a good guy. I just I thought he was
a reach at number one, and I didn't think he
had the maturity I wanted to in a dysfunctional Cleveland
and I thought that's not a great fit. And it
ended up when Stefanski got there, it wasn't a great fit,
even though he won a playoff game. But I watch
him now and he said, you know, he used to
(30:25):
say I was cocky and now I'm a dog and
it's all the same. And my take is, you're too
smart not to grow up. We all grow up. We
all learn from our mistakes. If you're reasonably bright. Why
do you think because he's six', one not a super,
athlete he's always thrown a great deep. Ball what do
you think to turn around is he says he's the same.
(30:47):
GUY i think he's too smart to be the same.
Guy how do you explain this metamorphosis in his young.
Speaker 9 (30:55):
Career, WELL i agree with him in this regard that
him chirping at the fan that he did In seattle
would have been met with scorn had he done it
as a, rookie and now is met with you, know
that's what Makes Baker. Baker but that IS i, mean
that's not unique to. HIM i mean what he SAID
(31:17):
i think is. Correct was IT i know this is
cliche and it's, fiction but.
Speaker 4 (31:21):
Was it any given?
Speaker 9 (31:22):
Sunday what was it where the guy would throw up
before the game or during the. Game and one of
his teammates was, like, listen if we're, winning people will
think that's, awesome and if we're, losing they're gonna, say you're.
Scared it's the same thing like that is pretty common across.
SPORTS i, think, honestly what happened With baker was he
(31:44):
got better as his career went.
Speaker 4 (31:46):
On he you, know became a more refined.
Speaker 9 (31:48):
PLAYER i think he understood better his limitations as far
as his speed and ability to escape the pass. Rush
and now his best scrambles seem to be where it
looks like he's dead to rights and it's less about
speed and more about, toughness and SO i think that has.
HELPED i think he is, now you, know he is
(32:11):
in a far more functional organization than The, browns he
has better, weapons even though this past week they were all.
Hurt AND i also do think in professional football the
thing he has that really has always mattered is he
Is AND i know it sounds, corny but he is
(32:31):
a true, alpha and those guys love. HIM i think
that when you're a to, me it is the opposite
of the DYNAMIC i feel Between tua and his. Teammates
it feels Like tua's teammates are waiting for him to
throw them under the.
Speaker 4 (32:48):
BUS i think they roll their.
Speaker 9 (32:50):
EYES i think he makes a bunch of mistakes and
then he talks about other guys being late for, meetings
AND i think that has a real negative impact on the.
TEAM i think with The, bucks they See baker to
the exact.
Speaker 4 (33:03):
Opposite always build.
Speaker 9 (33:05):
Guys, up always try to lead from the, front and
be one of the toughest guys playing the, position and
it gives everyone more, confidence it makes everyone play, better
and SO i think it's an all time great. STORY
i think to be a walk on to A Heisman
trophy winning or number one, pick to trade and to
cut to fighting With Kyle trask for a, job to
(33:27):
now be THE mvp of the, league through six weeks
and it looks like it's going to come down to
him And patrick over the course of the. Year is
really one of the coolest stories in.
Speaker 4 (33:38):
My professional career in this.
Speaker 9 (33:40):
League it's such a unique arc and one that no
one else is going to. Have And, COLIN i think
they are super. Dangerous they have a tough next six
weeks and in the end of the year they Have carolina,
twice they Have, arizona they Have New, orleans they Have,
atlanta they have one OTHER i Think. Miami he could
go into the playoffs thirteen and four the number one,
(34:03):
seed a.
Speaker 4 (34:04):
Six game winning.
Speaker 9 (34:04):
Streak this can absolutely be a Super bowl team and
he absolutely can be THE.
Speaker 4 (34:09):
Mvp of the.
Speaker 1 (34:10):
League Nick, Wright first things, first As, Ohays, buddy great
talking to, you great Senior, Kon yeah it. Is. YEAH
i mean when you look At, baker that's a franchise. Quarterback,
similarly when you look At Sam, darnold you, know a
lot of people are, like, Hey sam's a great. Story,
No Gino, smith that was a great. Story he's not
a great. Player baker's a great. Player sam's a great.
Player there are great stories like Justin, Fields, oh he's
(34:33):
gonna Be he's not a great, players not.
Speaker 3 (34:36):
Even a good.
Speaker 1 (34:37):
Player so but The Darnald baker stuff is about this
new group of lots and lots of smart football out
there for older coaches willing to embrace it or younger coaches.
Ascending But donald's a franchise. Quarterback there's no reason For
seattle to draft. One they've got their, guy and for the,
(34:57):
Record minnesota probably privately wishes they still Had darnold
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 Sports Radio 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):
Here we go to Tuesday in incredibly packed Tuesday, best
time of the year this week, next week following week
college football andfl Major League Baseball playoffs.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
We're live, We're in Chicago.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
It's the Herd wherever you may be and however you
may be listening. Thanks for watching us on whatever platform
you're watching us on FS one, iHeartRadio and more so JAMC.
I went and I burrowed into the stats this morning
on the Chicago Bears last year at this time to
this year, and I went to all of last year's
(01:05):
Bears games, and then I went to the five they
played there, three and two this morning, and it's amazing.
They're a touchdown better exactly per game than last year.
So remember seven of the twelve losses for the Bears.
Last year, we talked about this a lot in the offseason.
Seven of the twelve losses were one possession, So do
you think an additional touchdown? Last year they averaged eighteen
(01:28):
point two this year twenty five point two. So between
the organizational structure improvement, the play design, and the play calling,
the Chicago Bears have found their coach and he's worth
about a touchdown a game to Caleb Williams, a touchdown
of games a lot. I predicted before the season that
(01:50):
Mike Vrabel, his staff and the new free agents and
the draft picks would be worth about six and I
thought I was being, you know, a little optimistic game
and much better first quarter team, tremendous energy. Ben Johnson
gets credit for that. They can win on the road,
they can win close. Caleb Williams was good enough. He's
(02:11):
never going to be sixty nine percent completion guy. His
ball placement is still mid, but he's gifted. He makes
all the throws. And what you have with Caleb Williams
is all this firepower, all this strength, all this horse power,
and Ben Johnson is just pushing it.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
In the right direction.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
And Caleb is very amenable to all the coaching. That's
not always the case. Caleb deserves credit there. A great
head coach can't fix everything. But the Bears didn't need
to fix everything. They needed to upgrade their O line,
they spent money on it. They needed to stop turning
the ball over. They needed to, you know, score in
the first quarter. So and again, I look at the
(02:56):
Bears today and I think they can go toe to
toe athletically and toe to toe physically with probably anybody
in the league not named the Chiefs. They can go
toe to toe with coaching to totoe with athletes, wide receiver,
running back, tight end.
Speaker 3 (03:09):
They got dudes.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
They got dudes, Roma Dunze, DJ Moore, Luther Burden. Swift
was a monster last night. Now right now today, Jayden
Daniels is more refined and the more accurate quarterback.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
But he made mistakes. They had a pick, they had.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
A couple fumbles, and sometimes in the NFL it's this
simple win the turnover battle. Like the team that does
wins like seventy percent in the league. It was the
Bears last night that were more buttoned up. It was
the Bears last night that didn't make critical mistakes. Anybody
in Chicago, any Bear fan will tell you the mistakes
(03:46):
Washington made last night.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
That's what the Bears have been doing the last fifteen years.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
So sometimes improvement is just incremental, step by step, head
in the right direction. But with Ben Johnson and an
ascending quarterback, they are officially worth a touchdown more per game.
And oh, by the way, they can score first now,
meaning they're playing often with a lead. I mean, thirteen nothing, boom,
(04:10):
we're leading.
Speaker 4 (04:10):
On the road.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
I don't even know how do you quantify how important
that is. So last year there were twenty eighth in scoring.
Now they're top ten, and I think we all admit
the operational stuff isn't one hundred percent there yet, but
it's close. It's not one hundred percent there, but it's close.
So I think between the money they spent in the
old line burden, I'd like to see more Loveland. I'd
(04:35):
like to see more of them. But I think last
night is what the Bear should look like on most
Sundays or Mondays. That's what they should look like. Explosive.
When your kid's gotten f's and d's, a B minus
feels pretty good, You're not gonna call the teacher, have
a parent, teacher meeting B minus, you'll settle for so
(04:58):
I think a lot of it. They're better statistically, the
production's better, the look is better, the vibe is better.
The energy last night, I mean they were coming out
of their uniforms. They were flying all over the field.
And here's Caleb on his coach.
Speaker 5 (05:16):
He is a mastermind, and so being able to have
him sometimes he's on the headset and it's like, this
is a great play call right here, here we go.
And so he did that today and and and he
says that to me, and so he has all belief
and confidence in himself. And then you know that those
little things actually provide confidence, you know when you're about
(05:37):
to go call the play.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
I mean, if you're a Bears fan, you'll want in
the road again.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
Can you say a winning streak?
Speaker 1 (05:47):
And we'll talk about the schedule later, But I mean
you even took a reclamation project at Kicker.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
Yeah, I had one blocked.
Speaker 4 (05:55):
Again.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
This was a B B minus performance and and your
quarterback wasn't as accurate, but you took the lead, You
win the turnover battle, you were the cleaner team. You
didn't make the critical mistakes. Again when you been getting
d's a B to a B minus feels great if
you're a Bear fan. The other thing that's very encouraging is,
(06:18):
I mean they can play a lot better than this.
I mean they can absolutely play better than this. They
were solid, they were good, they were good enough to win.
But there's a lot left here. We'll talk about their
schedule coming up. Okay, now, trouble. Remember when the Warriors,
You remember this, The Warriors had Mark Jackson a defensive coach,
(06:40):
and everybody liked Mark Jackson. But Steph Curry needed something else,
and they went and hired Steve Kerr and the rest
is history.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
I know Mark Jackson. I like Mark Jackson.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
I'd hire Mark Jackson as a coach, but Steph Curry
needed Steve Kerr. And I kind of feel like Sean
McDermott's the Mark Jackson when the last time you watched
the Bills and went man, they are super creative.
Speaker 3 (07:10):
I watch Andy Reid.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
I think they're broken, or at least stuck, and Andy Reid,
the mcveigh's Sean Payton are like great engineers. They can tweak,
go unto the hood, rebuild the offensive line quickly, play design,
play calling, nothing but clever. I kind of feel like
Josh Allen can feel it once again because they've paid him.
(07:33):
You got to cut back on the defense and Sean McDermott.
With average defensive personnel, they're bad against the run. They're
bad against the run. I think you have to make
a move with the trade deadline. How many years can
you waste? Burrows out again, Chargers beat up Lamar and
the Ravens are falling apart. This may be a moment
hard Balls. Teams are only getting better. Mike Vrabel got
(07:57):
five six games with Drake May. They've now officially become
first place New England Patriots. You think they're getting worse
or better, But I kind of feel like they're stuck,
and I think Josh Allen knows it, and I think
you can see the body language. The Bills have faced
the easiest schedule in the league so far, and their
four wins are against teams that are three and twenty one.
(08:20):
They were not better than New England. That was not
a shocker when you watched it. New England was better
and they're only getting better. I watched Atlanta last night.
They had Jean Robinson and Drake London. Those are the
two big playmakers on the field. Atlanta was better. Pennix,
by the way, looked pretty good. So I don't think
this is oh, this is surprice. I just think Buffalo
they need to find playmakers, they need to add juice.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
And I'm not sure McDermott's it.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
And I think Josh Allen is a great kid and
wouldn't say it publicly, but when's the last time you
watched the Bills game like you do with the Chiefs
regularly or a McVeigh team and you went.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
Whoa or Kyle Shanahan. I don't see it.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
And that doesn't mean McDermott's like a great supervisor, like
like a total pro, knows what he's doing. But you
better not waste these years. Burrow's going to be healthy eventually.
Baltimore is gonna, we think, be healthy er eventually. Hardvon
Sean Payton have young quarterbacks. They're not getting worse. Rabel
(09:23):
and Drake may going nowhere probably better than you. Now
Here's Sean McDermott. After the disappointing loss, and we.
Speaker 6 (09:32):
Got to figure it out.
Speaker 5 (09:32):
We got to.
Speaker 6 (09:34):
Dive deep into what we're doing, how we're doing it,
making sure we got the right people in the right
positions and then the execution at the end.
Speaker 7 (09:41):
Of the day.
Speaker 6 (09:41):
So we got we gotta start from grounds here and
work our way back up.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
The Buffalo Bills do they make the Herd Hierarchy Top
ten because I've watched them now back to back weekends
and I'm telling you New England's only getting better, and
I'm watching b Jeon Robinson and Drake London and Michael Pennix.
Did you notice this last night, how comfortable he was?
You know who's never comfortable quarterbacks playing the Chiefs. You
(10:09):
watch the Chiefs and you watch the Bills over the
last forty eight hours. You think Buffalo can compete with that?
Speaker 4 (10:14):
I do not so.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
J Mack.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
It was a wild night.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
The Mariners are now up too old to the Jays,
the Dodgers in a crazy game.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
What was your take on Chicago?
Speaker 7 (10:24):
Yeah, I thought Chicago looked kind of like a Detroit
Ben Johnson team, run first, DeAndre Swift going crazy and
it sets up the past. Caleb looked super comfortable in
the pocket. I was pretty stunned. I will just say, though, Colin,
you know, if Jayden Daniels doesn't fumble the wet Bultroit,
you know we were here with a totally different take right.
Speaker 4 (10:43):
I mean they had that game locked up. You were
looking good at a five and zero. You know, you
know what, Washington doesn't fumble.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
Yeah, but they did.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
And by the way, we said this, so much of
winning in the NFL is playing the cleaner game, yeah,
which last year they did not. So right now, takeaways, giveaways.
Bears are at the top of the league, so so
much of this stuff. I was talking about this yesterday
with a friend about he's a Denver Broncos fan, and
I said, the Broncos do the best job in the
(11:13):
league at protecting their quarterback and sacking yours like that
is huge in the NFL. Our guy doesn't get hit.
Your quarterback gets hit all the time. There is something
to be said about we take it away and we
don't give it up. You can win twelve games on that,
and that's if you had average personnel. The Bears do
not have average personnel. Sweat is an all pro. I mean,
(11:35):
their receiving corps, their tight end, Core Swift, DeAndre Swift's
an excellent running back.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
You're now seeing that.
Speaker 7 (11:41):
Yeah, let me ask you real quick though. So the
Bears wide receivers, they got three good ones. I think
Luther Burdon has some juice.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
I mean, he didn't do much about nine targets a game.
Speaker 4 (11:50):
That's funny.
Speaker 7 (11:51):
Do you try to flip Dj Moore to a wide
receiver needy team like I don't know the Buffalo Bills,
whose receivers couldn't get any separation last night. I know
we like Dj Moore, but I think the Bears are
more of a next year team that could contend for
like the NFC Championship. I don't think they could this year.
Remember there are a couple of weeks removed from barely
beating the Raiders. Do you try to move Dj Moore
(12:12):
and get I don't know. Can you get a second
out a fifth?
Speaker 1 (12:14):
I don't know if you want to mess with the Bears.
I don't think you want to get greedy. If I'm
the Chicago Bears, I'm three and two. I look at
that schedule, I'm not sure I want to stop the momentum.
When's the last time they start talking Bears winning streaks?
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (12:28):
I mean, I just I don't want to mess with success.
I understand the point. If I was Buffalo, I would
call I'd give me one old guy and a bunch
of kids burdens young Loveland's young. I like what Chicago's doing.
I don't think i'd mess with it. I think they
rebuilt the old line in the offseas and the interior.
That is asking a lot. You couldn't tell the difference
in the first two weeks. Last night, you saw that
(12:51):
money getting spent that old line. Last night, those were
gigantic holes for DeAndre Swift that listen. Great offensive lineman
costs money. It takes a while to create cohesion. You
saw the Bears online last night. That was big boy football.
Speaker 2 (13:07):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
in neonone Eastern non am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one, and the iHeartRadio app HI.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
This is Jay.
Speaker 8 (13:17):
I'm the producer of the Paula and Tony Fusco Show.
Usually in these promos they asked you to listen to
the show. I'm here to ask you please don't listen
to the show. The hosts are two absolute morons who
have the dumbest takes on sports imagicable. Don't listen to
the show so it can get camped.
Speaker 4 (13:31):
What the hell are you doing our studio?
Speaker 7 (13:33):
Get him Paula, ignore that fool.
Speaker 8 (13:38):
Listen to the Pauline Tony Fusco Show on the iHeartRadio
app or wherever you get your podcast.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
He's still moving.
Speaker 3 (13:47):
Heard hierarchy time.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
Now let's go the top ten NFL teams according to College.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
Number ten, New England Patriots' easiest NFL schedule going full.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
This is not a mirage.
Speaker 1 (14:02):
Drake May leads ranks top five in completion percentage, passing yards,
big plays in passer rating. He's getting better than average protection,
He's got a running game.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
The kid moves well. Easy schedule three and zero.
Speaker 1 (14:17):
Also, as Jamak pointed out last week, since Christian Gonzalez,
the cornerback, has returned three and oh, number nine, number nine,
the Steelers listen. They don't turn it over and they
take it away. That does count as a good trait.
They're taking the football away now. They're not facing great quarterbacks,
(14:38):
but their only loss came to the Seahawks, a team.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
That is better.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
They're the second least penalized team, and they have a
receiving corps and a tight end core that looks like
an NBA front line that looks like the Dallas Mavericks.
Everybody's six six and up, so they are using some
height advantages, some size advantages. They don't throw it down
the field, but it he's working. Pittsburgh at nine, number eight.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
I like the Colts.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
I think they have the second best offensive line in
football to Detroit, fewest sacks allowed in the NFL Indianapolis.
They are scoring on sixty two and a half percent
of their drives.
Speaker 3 (15:17):
They also should have beaten the Rams.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
They have the number one scoring offense leaves the NFL
in first downs again Warren the rookie Pittman, Jonathan Taylor,
a top two or three offensive line. Daniel Jones this
year all you need to know. He's completing over seventy
one percent of his throws. I think they have a ceiling.
I don't think they're a conference championship team yet. They
(15:42):
may be this weekend if they beat the Chargers, I
may reassess. But I have the Colts at number eight,
Number seven.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
Green Bay.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
They're young and can't figure out how to put away
inferior teams, but all three wins have come by thirteen
plus points.
Speaker 3 (15:58):
I like Jordan Love He's more of than Aaron Rodgers.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
He could get a little careless, but they're the best
third down offense in the NFL, and you can't run
on them. They're the opposite of the Bills. You can't
run on them. So they're doing a little bit of
takeaway this year, which they haven't historically done. Crafts an
unbelievable tight end. I like this team a lot. They're
very young, which concerns me. The quarterbacks, the receivers, the
(16:24):
tight end really young. But Jeff Hafley's got that defense
can't run on it, and they're taking it away. Green
Bay at seven, number six, Well, Seattle was my surprise
pick in the NFL this year. New England and Seattle.
They lead the NFL in yards per play. That is
a huge stat and if you watch them, jsn Is
(16:46):
absolutely become a number one ride receiver in this league.
Sam Darnold, according to PFF, is the highest rated quarterback
in the NFL. I think Baker would be my MVP.
But they can run it. They can get you over
the top, they throw to their tight ends. They are
young and athletic defensively and lead the league in yards
(17:08):
per play. At Vegas loves that number number five Philadelphia
thirtieth ranked offense. I mean, it's pretty simple. When Jalen
Hurts throws the ball thirty three times plus, they're not good.
When he throws at twenty five times, they win. I
do think they're eventually gonna to some degree right the ship.
(17:30):
But they've been out gained in every game this season,
and they have had three or four of the worst
halfs in the league thirty punts this year, only Cleveland
the Bengals have more. So their personnel puts them at five,
but I'm not sure they're five. Let's see him play Minnesota.
Let's see Minnesota off of BIBE hosting Philadelphia. I may
(17:53):
knock him out of the top ten like I've done Buffalo.
Speaker 2 (17:58):
Number four.
Speaker 3 (17:59):
I think Detroit's good.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
I just think Kansas City is separated from the league
four games with thirty four plus points, best offensive line.
They're doing something that the Lions haven't done. And I
said this last week. A lot of sacks, a lot
of takeaways. They have the hardest remaining schedule. Again, this
is a really good football team. What Kansas City did
to them, nobody else in the league, in my opinion could.
(18:23):
In fact, they play Tampa this week, and I think
Detroit is gonna win that game. And maybe comfortably Detroit.
Speaker 3 (18:29):
At four number three, Colin, what are you doing putting
Sean Payton at Denver at three?
Speaker 4 (18:36):
Do you know?
Speaker 1 (18:37):
They are the best in the league at protecting their
quarterback and the best in the league at getting after yours.
I think they're one of the few teams that actually
can make Kansas City a little uncomfortable high altitude for
home games.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
I like their weapons.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
I don't think bo Nicks is playing particularly well, but
they you can't get to bo Nicks and he's at
I think he should run more. You can't get to him,
and they get after your quarterback. So they have the
number one ranked offensive line, best third down defense, best
red zone defense. They don't have to be great at quarterback.
They can play poorly and win like this past week.
Speaker 3 (19:14):
I have them at.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
Three, number two.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
Tampa's five and one. They could also be two and four,
but Baker Mayfield would be my MVP. They are playing
without their number one receiver, their number two receiver, their
number three receiver, their number four receiver. They're going to
a D two guy in Tez Johnson. No Bucky Irvig.
Baker Mayfield has accounted for seventeen hundred yards, only Mahomes
has accounted for more. I think they're resilient. I think
(19:40):
they're tough, and they're doing it. I've always liked their GM.
They are doing it right now with backups. I think
Tampa's two number one, but I don't think it's particularly close.
I think Kansas City is with Rashi Rice coming back,
He's not going to get thirteen targets in his first
week back. He'll probably get four to six. But Hollywood Brown,
(20:02):
Juju Smith, Travis Worthy o line didn't even have their
left tackle. This is a good football team suffocating defensively.
I said when they beat the Ravens, I don't want
to hear about injuries. They physically stopped Lamar. Lamar was
completely not only in his head. He could didn't have
any space. So next to the Colts, they have the
(20:22):
second most efficient offense. They're not giving the ball away.
I mean to play. Detroit did not have a penalty,
not have a turnover in one punt. Detroit's good, really good.
That's why I only dropped him to four. This is
my Herd hierarchy.
Speaker 2 (20:36):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and noon eastern non a em Pacific.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
And with that Nick Wright is now joining US Live.
I know you think, let me explain, let me explain Denver. Now,
I know you don't think Denver's that good. But my
takeaway is I'm looking at people that can match up
a little with Kansas City and their O line in
D line pressure at least makes it interesting. I don't
(21:02):
know if anybody else does. And I don't think I'm
over the top. I think they've refound. Kansas City looks
like Kansas City three years ago.
Speaker 9 (21:11):
Absolutely, and starting next week, Kansas City will have the
best receiving corps it has had since Tyreek Kill was
on the team. And for the first time in three years,
Colin Patrick trusts his offensive line even last week to
your point with a backup offensive left tackle, shout out
Brett Veach, who this summer signed Jalen Moore to be
(21:33):
the starting left tackle. Then Josh Simmons falls to him
in the draft. He's the starting left tackle. And last year,
after the Chiefs had four different left tackles, none of
whom really could play the position except for their left
guard Joe Tony, who had to go over and play it,
they now seem to have an excellent rookie and a
really good swing tackle, and so I think the Chiefs are.
Speaker 4 (21:55):
You are correct there.
Speaker 9 (21:56):
I know this is a very difficult and sad day
for jam as the Chiefs are back where they deserve
a top third hierarchy. But I do think you, Colin,
I want to talk about the Broncos. You're right because
I agree with everything you said. Nick Benito might be
the best defensive player in football at this very moment.
On the offensive line is excellent. I see Sean Payton
(22:19):
scheming guys wide open three to five times a game,
and then I see Bonnicks miss him by five yards.
Can you in the modern NFL be the third best
team in the league with a quarterback playing as poorly
as bon Nicks is playing.
Speaker 4 (22:37):
Weekend week out.
Speaker 9 (22:38):
He has his moments like the fourth quarter a couple
weeks ago against Philly where he was excellent, but on
a down to down basis, he has not been good.
And I don't think it's unfair to say, Colin that
if Denver were playing twenty nine of the other thirty
two teams this Sunday past Sunday morning, they'd have lost
(22:59):
that game. Only the Jets and the Brian Callahan, Titans
find a way to lose it. So this past week
didn't exactly raise my hopes about Denver. But the O
line is excellent and the defense is spectacular, which is
carrying them.
Speaker 1 (23:15):
So I watched the Bills last night and I'm going
to throw this at you. I said, there was a
moment Mark Jackson was a good coach. But he was
a good coach you kind of felt like, boy, Steph
Curry needs his conductor and they get Steve Kerr And
you're like, okay, So defense is easier to coach, you
(23:37):
would argue than offense. There's a lot more movement. It
has to be more choreographed on average, certainly in football.
And so it worked. And I watched Sean McDermott. I'm like,
he's fine. Is he Mark Jackson? Because once again, because
once you pay, as you know, once you pay the quarterback,
you're not going to be great. You have to be
able to turn Juju Smith Schuster into a reliable and
(24:00):
Hollywood Brown into more than just a kind of a
talented guy. And Andy Reid can do it. Andy can
tweak heith the engineer. He lifts the hood up. He
can tweak Sean McDermott feels like a really good supervisor.
Are the Bills issues really the coach?
Speaker 9 (24:18):
I think it's multifaceted. I think the defense isn't that
good this year. I think that's more probably on Bean
than the coach.
Speaker 4 (24:25):
I think that the.
Speaker 9 (24:28):
Here's the tough part for me, Well, let me start
with the coach. Then I'll get to Josh. In all
of NFL history, and I keep going back to this
stat because I think it's instructive. Every single coach quarterback
combo that has ever won at least one Super Bowl
together won their first super Bowl together within five years
(24:50):
of being together. For McDermott and Allen and by the way,
Lamar and Harball, this is year eight. No one else
has taken this long to have it happen and then.
Speaker 4 (25:03):
It actually happened.
Speaker 9 (25:05):
So history tells us for either of those teams to
get over the hump, they probably will need to at
some point make a change and listen. I think Sean
McDermott is under massive pressure. I think he's a good coach,
and I think that Mark Jackson comp could be a
good one, a good coach, but they've reached their limit
there with that said, and I think Josh Allen is
(25:26):
pretty clearly the second best quarterback in football. And he's
a great player, and that MVP last year made him
a future Hall of Famer, But he lives in a
narrative space with the media that is so unique to me.
I watched after Week three when they beat the Dolphins,
and he played great. One of the most respected members
(25:49):
of the national media say he plays the position better
than anyone in the history of the league. And last
week he turns the ball over three times and they
are and they lose, scoring fourteen points. And you showed
the key fourth down where he flips it like that.
(26:09):
They have the ball three separate times in the fourth
quarter of the chance to tie the game, and see
people seem hesitant to say, hey, Josh, the last two
weeks got outplayed by Drake May and got outplayed by
Michael Pennix.
Speaker 4 (26:25):
That shouldn't happen.
Speaker 9 (26:26):
And so like, I think he's the second best player
in the league. I really do, But he's not beyond criticism.
I do think the Bills have structural issues, but the
biggest issue last night was with the offense, and that
to me is more on Josh than anyone else.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
So last night, Yeah, so I want to talk about
Bears and go a little deep on this is that
if you look at through five games compared to last year,
they're a touchdown a game better, and that's a lot.
Last year, seven of the twelve Bears losses were one possession,
so a touchdown is different. Energy last night was incredible.
But my takeaway and the Bears this year, they've just
(27:04):
eliminated the ridiculous losing on a hail Mary when your
player is chatting with fans, losing as the clock runs
out in Detroit, losing six to three, losing a game
with a block kick. They just run the ball and
don't turn it over. That so much of what's because
I still think Jayden Daniels last night is more refined,
(27:25):
more accurate, and more consistent. Caleb was okay, But my
takeaway is the Bears have the talent to be really dangerous,
like I'm talking Conference championship biable with their skilled people
in their pass rush. What Ben's really done is said,
let's just get rid of the nonsense, run the ball
and don't turn it over. I don't think the play
(27:46):
calling is unbelievable. They just don't beat themselves, is what
I'm seeing.
Speaker 9 (27:52):
So yes, I agree with you, and listen. They have
back to back twenty five twenty four wins by the
skin of their one against a Raider team.
Speaker 4 (28:01):
That isn't good, even though I thought it would.
Speaker 9 (28:02):
Be, and one against a Commander team that I think
is pretty good. And that's how then the Margins are
in this league. If they missed the field goal last night,
or missed the field goal again, or you know, the
Raiders drive down the field and beat them, We're talking.
It's a totally different conversation around the Bears, and they're
probably not much worse or much better.
Speaker 4 (28:20):
They had to win last night. You can't win.
Speaker 9 (28:23):
The turnover battle three nothing in that spot and lose
that game. And I also think that the how crowded
the NFC playoff picture is, last night's game might be
a tiebreaker that determines a playoff spot between these two teams.
Speaker 4 (28:39):
It was wildly important.
Speaker 9 (28:41):
Where I would be optimistic if I'm Chicago is I
don't think Caleb has played great yet. I think he
will continue to get better. I do think you're right
that Ben Johnson is right now on the most vanilla
part of the playbook as he slowly tries to build
it up. I also, however, do want to be fair,
(29:02):
and I know Jaden has earned far more of a.
Speaker 4 (29:05):
Benefit of doubt van Caleb.
Speaker 9 (29:07):
And I know last night was weird and Jaden's coming
off an injury and it was rainy, but the pick
Jaden threw took points off the board and was brutal.
And if Caleb Williams had mishandled a snap into a
fumble with four minutes left in a game they were leading,
we would be killing it. I'm not trying to kill
(29:27):
Jaden for it, by the way.
Speaker 4 (29:28):
It was a weird game.
Speaker 9 (29:29):
Mistakes happened, But I do think we have to be
you know, kind of measured and fair with the expectations
for Caleb.
Speaker 4 (29:38):
Where they're at now.
Speaker 9 (29:38):
I also think it you know, if you would have
asked anyone in the world going into the draft, who
the overwhelming consensus who's the best was Caleb at the
end of last year, the overwhelming consensus would have been Jaden.
Right now this moment, it feels like the overwhelming consensus
would be Drake May. Like these things are fluid and
it's going to there's going to be a lot of
(30:00):
different iterations over the next three four seasons between those
top three picks.
Speaker 1 (30:05):
So I want to end with Baker Mayfield because you know,
and I've told you this, I like him. I think
he's a good guy. I just I thought he was
a reach at number one, and I didn't think he
had the maturity I wanted to in a dysfunctional Cleveland
and I thought that's not a great fit. And it
ended up when Stefanski got there, it wasn't a great fit,
even though he won a playoff game. But I watch
him now and he said, you know, he used to
(30:25):
say I was cocky and now I'm a dog and
it's all the same. And my take is, you're too
smart not to grow up. We all grow up. We
all learn from our mistakes. If you're reasonably bright. Why
do you think because he's six', one not a super,
athlete he's always thrown a great deep. Ball what do
you think to turn around is he says he's the same.
(30:47):
GUY i think he's too smart to be the same.
Guy how do you explain this metamorphosis in his young.
Speaker 9 (30:55):
Career, WELL i agree with him in this regard that
him chirping at the fan that he did In seattle
would have been met with scorn had he done it
as a, rookie and now is met with you, know
that's what Makes Baker. Baker but that IS i, mean
that's not unique to. HIM i mean what he SAID
(31:17):
i think is. Correct was IT i know this is
cliche and it's, fiction but.
Speaker 4 (31:21):
Was it any given?
Speaker 9 (31:22):
Sunday what was it where the guy would throw up
before the game or during the. Game and one of
his teammates was, like, listen if we're, winning people will
think that's, awesome and if we're, losing they're gonna, say you're.
Scared it's the same thing like that is pretty common across.
SPORTS i, think, honestly what happened With baker was he
(31:44):
got better as his career went.
Speaker 4 (31:46):
On he you, know became a more refined.
Speaker 9 (31:48):
PLAYER i think he understood better his limitations as far
as his speed and ability to escape the pass. Rush
and now his best scrambles seem to be where it
looks like he's dead to rights and it's less about
speed and more about, toughness and SO i think that has.
HELPED i think he is, now you, know he is
(32:11):
in a far more functional organization than The, browns he
has better, weapons even though this past week they were all.
Hurt AND i also do think in professional football the
thing he has that really has always mattered is he
Is AND i know it sounds, corny but he is
(32:31):
a true, alpha and those guys love. HIM i think
that when you're a to, me it is the opposite
of the DYNAMIC i feel Between tua and his. Teammates
it feels Like tua's teammates are waiting for him to
throw them under the.
Speaker 4 (32:48):
BUS i think they roll their.
Speaker 9 (32:50):
EYES i think he makes a bunch of mistakes and
then he talks about other guys being late for, meetings
AND i think that has a real negative impact on the.
TEAM i think with The, bucks they See baker to
the exact.
Speaker 4 (33:03):
Opposite always build.
Speaker 9 (33:05):
Guys, up always try to lead from the, front and
be one of the toughest guys playing the, position and
it gives everyone more, confidence it makes everyone play, better
and SO i think it's an all time great. STORY
i think to be a walk on to A Heisman
trophy winning or number one, pick to trade and to
cut to fighting With Kyle trask for a, job to
(33:27):
now be THE mvp of the, league through six weeks
and it looks like it's going to come down to
him And patrick over the course of the. Year is
really one of the coolest stories in.
Speaker 4 (33:38):
My professional career in this.
Speaker 9 (33:40):
League it's such a unique arc and one that no
one else is going to. Have And, COLIN i think
they are super. Dangerous they have a tough next six
weeks and in the end of the year they Have carolina,
twice they Have, arizona they Have New, orleans they Have,
atlanta they have one OTHER i Think. Miami he could
go into the playoffs thirteen and four the number one,
(34:03):
seed a.
Speaker 4 (34:04):
Six game winning.
Speaker 9 (34:04):
Streak this can absolutely be a Super bowl team and
he absolutely can be THE.
Speaker 4 (34:09):
Mvp of the.
Speaker 1 (34:10):
League Nick, Wright first things, first As, Ohays, buddy great
talking to, you great Senior, Kon yeah it. Is. YEAH
i mean when you look At, baker that's a franchise. Quarterback,
similarly when you look At Sam, darnold you, know a
lot of people are, like, Hey sam's a great. Story,
No Gino, smith that was a great. Story he's not
a great. Player baker's a great. Player sam's a great.
Player there are great stories like Justin, Fields, oh he's
(34:33):
gonna Be he's not a great, players not.
Speaker 3 (34:36):
Even a good.
Speaker 1 (34:37):
Player so but The Darnald baker stuff is about this
new group of lots and lots of smart football out
there for older coaches willing to embrace it or younger coaches.
Ascending But donald's a franchise. Quarterback there's no reason For
seattle to draft. One they've got their, guy and for the,
(34:57):
Record minnesota probably privately wishes they still Had darnold
Hosts And Creators
Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
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