October 21, 2025 • 50 mins
With the NBA season tipping off, Colin also delivers his 5 bold NBA predictions — including a Luka MVP year and the end of the Warriors championship window.
He unveils his latest Herd Hierarchy ranking the top 10 teams in the NFL with Josh Allen and the Bills not making the cut.
Plus, Fox Sports NFL analyst Greg Olsen joins the show to talk and explains why Chicago Bears fans should be optimistic about rookie QB Caleb Williams.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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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
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or FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
This is the Best of the Herd with Colin Cowver
on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
So the NBA season starts tonight, the West has completely
separated from the East. The West, the top four to
five teams in the West arguably are better than the
best team in the East. Now, if Jason Tatum comes
back and plays this year, most doubt it. I wouldn't
be shocked in Game sixty five or something. I mean,
all these pro athletes in their prime physically get healthier
(00:49):
faster than we predict. If Jason Tatum came back, then
I think Boston's a top four team in the league.
Maybe top three Nix aren't. But I thought, let's just
put it out there. These are my five bold NBA predictions.
I hit in the couple last year, missed in a couple.
Number one OKC despite the fact they're an overwhelming favorite
(01:12):
in the Desert will not win. They will not repeat
as champions. The West is too deep. Sga played ninety
nine games last year, second year in a row.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
He doesn't miss games.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
Jalen Williams coming off an injury between Minnesota and Denver,
Between the Lakers and Dallas, I think the West is
too deep. I don't buy of the twenty six previous
teams to win sixty four plus games in a season,
twenty five won fewer games the following season, so I
(01:48):
don't think they'll get home court advantage, which I think
in the West matters because these teams you're on the
margins here, they're all very good. So Number one ok
S does not repeat. Number two Luca wins his first
career MVP, so it's going to be a great story,
and part of winning MVP is the narrative. Skinny Luca
committed Luca. Lakers all in on Luca Lebron starting the
(02:10):
season in recovery. His ball usage will go back to
being number one in the league. Obviously, Austin Reeves is
never going to take the ball out of his hands
in big spaces.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
I think he's going to lead.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
The NBA in scoring you know he was a dunker,
played downhill early, got a little husky, only had one
dunk last year. I think the best Luca returns. He's motivated,
the Lakers are all in. I think JJ Reddick is
an above average offensive coach. He'll get the ball to
him in the right spots. Luca becomes MVP. My surprise
(02:43):
team out West number three Cooper Flag plays point guard
and Dallas makes the Western Conference Final. Best front court
by a mile in the NBA, Derek Lively, Daniel Gafford,
a D Washington. They got great size. Kyrie Irving probably
probably comes back later in the year in his magic,
(03:04):
but I think Cooper Flag is gonna walk in when
Rookie of the Year going away. I just I think
this is one of those deals they fell apart last year.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
I love their size.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
I don't think anybody defensively quite can stack the size
and length that Dallas can. I don't know if they
face the t Wolves in the Western Conference Finals, that
would be my guess or Denver, but it's not. It's
not gonna be the Golden State Warriors because my number
four bold prediction the Warriors missed the playoffs. It is
(03:38):
the second oldest team in the NBA. Let's be honest.
They have one playoff series went over the last two years.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
They've been hobbled.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
They don't want to give up Pods in a trade deal.
They're willing to give up Kaminga. But what are you
gonna get for Cominga. So my take is unless you
go all in on multiple draft picks, Pods and Cominga,
you're not getting a star that can accompany Steph Curry
and Pods is what he is to this point in
(04:06):
his career.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
He's got a little Klay Thompson. But I mean, this
is an old.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
Team that brought in Al Horford. I love Al Horford.
That's not the answer. They just got older and number
five Orlando Magic. NBA Finals won't be, the Knicks won't be,
the Bucks won't be, the Sixers will not be. The
Cavs don't trust him. Last season they had key injuries
(04:31):
to Franz Wagner, Paulo Boncaro, Jalen Suggs. They were a
great number one scoring defense in the league. They could
not shoot threes. They bring in Desmond Vane from Memphis,
which I thought was a super smart move. This is
a you got a bunch of dudes entering their prime.
The East is weak and I like Orlando a lot.
(04:52):
Now again, they've been back to back first round exits,
but they bring in a veteran who can hit threes.
I think the East, I'm not the East has been
without Halliburton in Indiana and without Jason Tatum, it is
wide open.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
You can say what about the Knicks.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
Karl Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson are not good on
the floor together, both suboptimal defensive players. They went from
Tips to Mike Brown. Many think they won't be as
good coaching. I think the Knicks last year were a
wonderful story, but what have they done to elevate themselves?
Speaker 3 (05:26):
And again, if you have Carl Anthony.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
Towns your second best offensive player on the floor, with
Jalen Brunson your lead offensive player, we know how that
turns out. You'll get eating the live. Teams will attack
the pick and roll. The best thing for the Knicks
is Jason Tatum and Halliburton won't play. If they did,
I would think less.
Speaker 4 (05:44):
Of the Knicks.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
I'm on Orlando in a very very weak Eastern Conference.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
Jay Mac, I know you've got to you got some hot,
hot takes. I love this.
Speaker 4 (05:55):
I know we're happy the NBA is back.
Speaker 5 (05:58):
Listen, you forgot the Knicks are gonna be trading for
jan Us here by the trade deadline.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
So then nix of the fine in these I am
curious this OKC stuff.
Speaker 5 (06:08):
Are you surprised that there is no use for Okac
all anybody's talking about in the eve of the NBA season?
Speaker 3 (06:14):
Oh?
Speaker 5 (06:14):
Can you hear what Lebron said in that in that
meeting like four years ago in a book, like, nobody's
talking about SGA and Okac?
Speaker 3 (06:22):
Nobody with you.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
The new Adam Silver NBA is you can't stack too
many good players. Chet Holmgren so far has been a
bit injury prone. Jalen Williams is recovering from an injury.
SGA is like a pitcher that's pitched three hundred innings
in back to back years. And they brought everybody back
a few years ago Tampa on the Super Bowl, remember that,
And they brought everybody back. Yeah, and then they the
following year. There was this there was this idea, this
(06:46):
sense that you shouldn't bring everybody back.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
You need a new energy every year. You need a
new energy.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
You need to tweak and tweak and tweak, and I
kind of feel like the Knicks, they'll be the same team,
same issues, and people like Tims more than Mike Brown,
like Mikey's fine, And I kind of feel like with Okac,
you'll be good, but they're not gonna have home court advantage.
I think Minnesota will be better and keeps getting better.
I think the Lakers are probably gonna be better. I
(07:12):
mean JJ Reddick second year. Yes, I think Denver had
a ton of injuries last year. They'll be better. I
think Dallas can't be as beat up as last year.
Plus Kloper fact, So Dallas better, Minnesota better, Lakers better.
I think the West is just I mean, I don't
think Golden State is gonna make the playoffs. But Golden
(07:32):
State they're old, but Buddy healed and Steph and Draymont
and Horford and Pods and Kaminga, and I don't think
they'll make the playoffs. They could be a three seed
in the East.
Speaker 4 (07:41):
And that's possible.
Speaker 5 (07:42):
You didn't mention once the team that I have winning
the NBA title, and that's the Houston Rockets, Kevin Durant,
Amen Thompson, Shingoon.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
This team is stacked.
Speaker 5 (07:52):
Did you see tonight They're gonna be starting their starting
lineup as six, seven and up. Kevin Durant's gonna play
shooting guard. This is a new NBA. There's a bunch
of teams are going big now. The whole guard era
is kind of in the past.
Speaker 4 (08:06):
I think it is.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
He a good takes Colin.
Speaker 6 (08:09):
I like it.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
I'm fired up.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Yeah, I mean, I think Houston's gonna be fine. I
don't know who's gonna win the West. I just have
Dallas in the Western Conference finals. Because usually this is
the way it works in sports, the media, myself included,
We pay attention to one thing and then something else happens,
and everybody's focused on Houston and Dallas is like, now,
we like our coach, we like our front line. We
(08:31):
can go big if Houston wants to go big. Kd
has a recent history of getting banged up.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
I look at Dallas and nobody's paying attention. First of all,
you could argue the top six teams in the league
are all West.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
Yes, I mean it is.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
It is like the SEC five years ago before, like Oregon, Washington, USC,
UCLA joined the PAC twelve or joined the Big Ten.
It was like there was the SEC and whoever was
second wasn't close.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
Now it's even But.
Speaker 4 (09:00):
I like your Orlando call.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
That's that's kind of bold.
Speaker 4 (09:03):
I like that a lot. Right now.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
The one team that added a shooter, we don't really
talk about them anymore.
Speaker 5 (09:08):
I know you're out on this guy, Joelle embiid Sixers
when they're healthy, and assuming they will be, they could
be dangerous only because there's no Boston or no Indiana
this year as factors, given the injuries. Keep an eye
on the Sixers. They've got some young guys calling your
guy Tyrese Maxey. He was basically your your Jaden Daniels,
remember you loved him and I was like, Dad, plump
(09:29):
the brakes. Terre's Maxie's a bowler. And they got some
young guys. I like the Sixers a little bit this year.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
You know, it was funny watching the Mariners last night.
And if you watch Aaron Boone, Dave Roberts, Dan Wilson
get clobbered by the baseball the seamheads, and the truth
is now major league managers have been muted, even Aaron Boone,
and I don't know what his salary is but Dave Roberts,
(09:54):
we pay college football coaches double what we pay major
league in major markets like Dodger, Astro, Atlanta, New York markets,
and so as I watch these managers, people always complain
about the managers. And it's always the same thing, which
is your two player friendly? You know you need to
(10:17):
pull the picture you need It's always like, when are
you pulling the picture? You have to be pro player.
As a major league manager these days, you don't have
the power. You don't have the salary power. The owners
are billionaires now it's a rounding air to fire manager.
You don't have the salary power. The analytic crew upstairs
gives you the batting lineup and all the players know it.
(10:37):
So Dan Wilson last night, I think it's a legitimate
criticize criticism pitching to George Springer. I think that's the
rare time I would say that's a mistake. George Springer
lives for those moments. He's the last guy in the
world you wanted to face. But it is interesting all
these managers. We don't blame the players in baseball. We
(10:59):
don't even blame the pitchers. We blame the managers. Dan
Wilson's taken all the heat in Seattle today, a beloved
former Marin It's not the guy who gives up the bomb,
it's the manager, and that's just what baseball is going forward.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
in neon eastern nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app heard Hierarchy. Now go
the top ten NFL teams according to College number ten.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
I put them in this morning.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
I bounced the Seahawks out because after those four giveaways,
I just can't trust Seattle.
Speaker 3 (11:42):
Seattle's eleven. I put New England in at ten. They
don't beat themselves.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
Four straight wins, top ten offense, top five scoring defense.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
Mike Vrable.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
This was our prediction, the team that would double their
win total. We set it before the season. We had
them as a playoff team. Their remaining schedule is the
easiest in the litig six straight games with one hundred
plus passer rating. I like Drake may I didn't think
he would be this good this quick. They feel like
a one and done playoff team that's winning a lot
(12:11):
on energy and focus and enthusiasm and youth. But I
put him at ten and bounce Seattle out.
Speaker 4 (12:17):
Number nine.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
The Niners.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
I think Kyle Shanahan's in the running for coach of
the Year. No Brock Purty, Brandon ik, Ricky Piersoll, George Kittle,
Fred Warner, Nick Bosa, but Robert Sala has been a
monster as a defensive coordinator. They have the number seven
scoring defense. They are very Christian McCaffrey dependent. Thirty touches
or thirty one touches. Don't love that, but they're kind
(12:41):
of trapped. Six of their next seven games against very
weak opponents. They should be favored in most of them,
but I think Mac Jones and brought thirty feels a
little bit like a wash to me. One's expensive ones
kind of free, but I think you got to put
them in the list. Nobody's been as resourceful as Kyle
(13:04):
Shanahan and the Niners. I put him at nine. Number
eight Green Bay. They keep leaving me wanting more, but
they are undefeated when scoring more than ten points this season.
I just feel like I want more, but they've been
a little banged up at wide receiver Josh Jacobs three
straight games with multiple touchdowns Jordan Love this year.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
And nobody likes Jordan Love and.
Speaker 1 (13:28):
He's completing sixty nine percent of his throws and one
hundred and eight Fasser rating. You can't find anybody that
likes it. Their run defense is excellent. Micah is the
perfect closer for a team that often leads in the fourth.
I have Green Bay eight. I think they will get better.
They're still really young. Number seven. I still like the
Bucks a lot. I mean, they were playing, you know,
(13:50):
living dangerously coming from behind, and that was a buzz saw.
They ran into last night for their five wins, one
score games, but their defense multiple games with takeaways. I
just think they got playmakers, and again, like the Niners,
they've been incredibly resourceful. I've always thought Todd Bowles is
underrated because he doesn't really have a profile. Probably the
(14:13):
best blitzing coach in the NFL, Baker Igbuca. I think
they're going to be fine when they get cleaned up
and healthier, but I wouldn't drop him too far. I
have Tampa at seven. Number six. I love Denver's roster.
I don't think their defense has been as good as
I thought, but they lead the NFL and sack differential.
They have the number one third down defense and the
number one red zone defense, and yet I feel like
(14:34):
they should be better Bonicks when trailing this season, a
very Mahomes like stat eleven touchdowns, no pick and a
one h two passer rating, and obviously a great head coach.
Denver at six, number five Detroit. Detroit's run game jumps
off the TV set. They're five and one over their
(14:57):
last six games, and they got by the best team
easily in the league, Kansas City. Their defense takes the
ball away, gets to the quarterback. What I like about
Detroit is they get leads and then they get sacks,
and that's the way to win in the postseason. They're
much better obviously at home. But I have Detroit Tampa
(15:19):
last night at five, number four Colts. Type it into
the Colts for a month. They should have beaten the Rams,
best outright record in the league at six and one,
They're only lost to the Rams and they outplayed them.
Great offensive line playmakers at running back, tight end, wide receiver,
excellent head coach, most efficient offense in the NFL, most
(15:39):
tied for the most touchdowns.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
I mean Daniel Jones.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
I mean it's like Dak We can say, well, he's
not elite while I'm watching, and it looks elite to me.
They've scored on sixty three percent of their drives, and
I think they're absolutely for real. I've always said my
final four teams are teams I think that can get
to a Super Bowl.
Speaker 3 (15:59):
I have the Colts at four, number three. Rams.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
It's not really just Stafford and McVeigh. That defense is suffocating.
Speaker 7 (16:07):
Now.
Speaker 1 (16:08):
It may not be suffocating if they face them all
homes or you know again, it may not be suffocating
against the great quarterbacks.
Speaker 3 (16:15):
But men Trevor Lawrence, good luck.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
They leave the NFL in big plays, no Puka, no problem.
Number two scoring defense, number two in sacks. And remember
their defense is young. These guys, a lot of them
haven't even hit their prime. Rams at three, number two,
I don't even know if I liked Philadelphia. I honestly,
they can't run the ball anymore. They don't get to
(16:40):
the quarterback. But they have I mean, let's be honest.
Jalen Hurts wins a lot. Davonte Smith and AJ Brown
when they can't run, can take the top off. They're
a hard team to defend, and they're a hard team
to figure out. They don't get to the quarterback. They've
(17:01):
been out gained in every game. There's a French term
for beautiful yet ugly. I think whatever that term is,
that's the Eagles. But I love their roster, and I
keep just saying they'll figure it out. But I have
them at two, number one, and I think they get
smoked if they played Kansas City. I said it a
month ago. This is as good as Kansas City's been.
(17:24):
Hollywood Brown, Juju Worthy, Rise, Travis Kelcey. I mean, keep
your eye on Burchard Smith. The offensive line hasn't been
totally healthy. I think Mahomes is playing at an absurd level.
I think this is as good. I'm serious here. I
think this team. I do wonder at the trade deadline
(17:46):
if they would go find like a situational pass rusher maybe.
And they're not a great run team. They are so
deep now at wide receiver on my top ten Seattle eleven.
I had him in last night when I texted Kyle
(18:06):
on our staff, and this morning I'm like, no, I'm disgusted.
Speaker 3 (18:10):
That was awful. Take him out.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
Seahawks eleven Bills twelve, Nick Wright joining me live.
Speaker 4 (18:20):
I got something for you, Colin hold On. I was listening.
Speaker 7 (18:23):
I don't speak French, but let's see if I can
do this in real time. Jolie Ladd, is I get
pretty yet ugly?
Speaker 4 (18:31):
That's what you were looking for. I googled it for you.
Speaker 7 (18:34):
There you go, pal uh, pretty yet ugly.
Speaker 4 (18:38):
It sounds like your Broncos take.
Speaker 7 (18:39):
Did you compare bow Nicks to Patrick Malmes?
Speaker 3 (18:43):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (18:44):
Did that happen?
Speaker 1 (18:45):
I mean who else could take nineteen nothing deficit?
Speaker 3 (18:50):
Greatest quarter for a quarterback ever? I stand, I die
on that hill?
Speaker 4 (18:54):
Okay?
Speaker 3 (18:55):
And that was okay?
Speaker 7 (18:56):
So all right, a few things that listen. It is
remarkable what they've done and what he's done in the
fourth quarter against Philly and the Giants. I'm taking nothing
away from him there, But I was too busy googling,
Jolie Ladd to fact that you said he has eleven
touchdowns win trailing. But he also has eleven touchdowns total, So.
Speaker 4 (19:20):
That would mean they've all come when.
Speaker 7 (19:22):
He's trailing at least eleven batting touchdowns total.
Speaker 4 (19:26):
That Bart's not great.
Speaker 7 (19:27):
In the last The Broncos are really weird because their
last three games Philly.
Speaker 4 (19:34):
The Jets, and the Giants.
Speaker 7 (19:35):
I know they have thirteen points in the first three
quarters combined of those games, and then they've been elite
in the fourth quarter of two of them, and they
held on against the Jets. I don't I still don't
trust them. I think the defense is great. I think BO.
The other weird thing about BO is nothing gives you
(19:57):
more confidence if you're rooting against Broncos. Then when bow
Nick's early in a game takes a deep shot, it's like, well,
that's going to hit a ball boy, They're just spraying
out of bounds. But then late in the game he
has been good, so there is something there you also,
I I want to talk about the Bills in the Seahawks,
but can I just ask you one question.
Speaker 4 (20:18):
About the Chiefs?
Speaker 3 (20:19):
Sure, just one?
Speaker 7 (20:20):
Yeah, can we revisit a bit that the dynasty phase
is over or we maybe still in the dynasty phase
of my team. I had to deal with a lot
of slings and arrows from you, my dear friend and
professional idol and mentor, all summer.
Speaker 4 (20:38):
That this was.
Speaker 7 (20:39):
You know, they'll still be good, but they're just not
dynastic anymore, whatever it is.
Speaker 4 (20:45):
And now I.
Speaker 7 (20:46):
Think you feel like the gap between them and whomever
is second is about as big as Philly in the
as in two and ten. Correct, Yeah, yeah, okay, I
just wanted to hear it.
Speaker 4 (20:58):
That's all that. Why are the Bills not in there?
Speaker 1 (21:01):
Okay, first of all, they can't they can't defend the run,
which is the worst thing to be when you have
a great quarterback, you have a bad secondary.
Speaker 3 (21:11):
You got to defend the run.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
You otherwise you watch the game, like last night, Baker
watched a lot of the game, right like you just
you just get out of rhythm. So you know, Kansas
City has generally and I don't have the stats in
front of me, but you get Mahomes a lot of
a lot of drives and a lot of opportunities, and
he extends them. I don't like when I have a
great quarterback. I think they have to go out. Now
they're getting some people back that will help them, but
(21:36):
right now they're not in my opinion, right now today
they're not a top ten team.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
And Seattle makes too many mistakes. Last night was a mess.
It was a mess.
Speaker 7 (21:45):
So Seattle's interesting because last night was ugly.
Speaker 3 (21:49):
Oh but that.
Speaker 7 (21:50):
Defense was since think the Seattle offense kept saying to Houston,
please make this a game.
Speaker 4 (21:58):
It's one in the morning on the East Coast.
Speaker 7 (22:01):
This is outrageously the late game at least make it interesting,
and the Seattle defense wouldn't let Houston do it. And
so I give you credit as the Sam Darnold guy
for not, you know, overlooking a poor performance. But I
think you actually at this point might be underrating Seattle
because Mike McDonald has been awesome. And he gets extra
(22:24):
credit to me because we've seen what's happened to Baltimore's
defense since he left, So that's more confirmation of how good.
Speaker 4 (22:31):
His scheme is. And I didn't see Colin.
Speaker 7 (22:34):
You watched more college football than me, so I'll defer
to you on this. I did not see this coming
from Jackson Smith and Jigba.
Speaker 4 (22:42):
This is a revelation.
Speaker 7 (22:43):
He might be the best receiver in football.
Speaker 4 (22:45):
I am It's unbelievable.
Speaker 7 (22:49):
And so I think Seattle is right now because of
the injuries, better than the Niners. I'm impressed by the Niners.
I think Seattle's better.
Speaker 1 (22:56):
Okay, that's fair. So I was saying this about Williams.
Body language matters. It's why I turned on Jay Cutler
early in his career.
Speaker 3 (23:07):
I'm like, ugh, I don't like his body language.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
Kyler Murray, who I've defended forever, don't always love his
body language. It's better this year. In fairness, Kyler's better
this year. He's more engaged with a team. But it
does matter. Chicago's run game is excellent. They spend a
lot of money in the interior a line of texcellent.
The defense is taking them all away. Watching Ben Johnson's
face and body language when Caleb throws it in completion
(23:33):
is borderline discouragement, bordering on disgust. Like these guys, I
watch Ben Johnson. You can't tell me he's happy with
Caleb right now?
Speaker 3 (23:46):
Right?
Speaker 4 (23:47):
Yeah? I think that's fair, And I don't listen.
Speaker 7 (23:50):
I think everybody has to all what we owe the
audience is. No matter what we want to happen or
what we said we thought, what would happen is evaluate
things as they do happen. And I'm, you know, a
big Caleb guy. I've cooled a bit, you know, over
the last nine months. I no longer you know. I
(24:11):
did pick him to go to the super Bowl as
a rookie. So I guess I've cooled someone. And I'd
love to sit here and say they're on a four
game winning streak. They're four and two, they're in the
thick of the playoff.
Speaker 4 (24:22):
Picture, and that's all true, but.
Speaker 7 (24:25):
In some ways the last few games that's kind of
been despite their quarterback play. Their running game has been
great post by their run defense beIN has been much better,
and Caleb is just kind of scuttling along.
Speaker 4 (24:43):
Now.
Speaker 7 (24:43):
The glass half full version of it is we have
seen the wow moments and drives and even wow quarters
and one wow game against Dallas that I guess everybody
lights up. If Caleb can string together some more consistency,
I do the the Bears could be a legitimate playoff team.
But much like when another quarterback that I have historically loved,
(25:07):
what he has really disappointed when the Jags were three
and one or whatever record they had if you watched
the games, that was not because of Trevor, that was
despite Trevor.
Speaker 4 (25:20):
And now it's catching up to him a bit.
Speaker 7 (25:22):
It feels like something similar right now is happening with Caleb.
Speaker 4 (25:26):
Again, I think it's.
Speaker 7 (25:27):
Far too early to say this is who he's going
to be all year, but I do think he's frustrated,
and I do think Ben Johnson's frustrated that it's not
a little further along, because that's Saint stephense Colin. Everyone
threw the ball well on them except for Caleb.
Speaker 4 (25:42):
It seems so.
Speaker 1 (25:45):
I've said, if the average NFL quarterback career is fifteen years,
and it's a fifteen chapter book, I usually by the
middle of the second chapter, I think I have a
pretty good track record.
Speaker 3 (25:56):
I have a beat on a quarterback. I never quit
on Darnold.
Speaker 1 (25:58):
Even when I was critical of Acre, I always said, oh,
he's a franchise quarterback. I'm not sure I want him.
He's too cocky, but he's a franchise quarterback. I feel
very good through the years. I love Drake May I said,
Jayden Daniel is going to look like Lamar Jackson. I
think I like Caleb more than apparently many people did.
But the point being is I feel pretty good about it.
And then there's Dak Prescott and I'm like, Okay, well,
(26:22):
what chapter are we in?
Speaker 3 (26:23):
Eleven?
Speaker 1 (26:24):
And the entire time I've been glibbed, and I've said,
he's Kirk Cousins with a star in his helmet. Kirk
Cousins never carried this, And what's fascinating You and I
were both always sort of rolled our eyes at all
the hype that George Pickens, Mike Tomlin, who has.
Speaker 3 (26:40):
Been more than willing to deal with dramas, like get.
Speaker 1 (26:43):
Pickens out of here, Yeah, goes to Dak and like
doesn't want to disappoint him, and it's drama free.
Speaker 3 (26:50):
He may be the best number two receiver in the league.
Speaker 1 (26:53):
And I'm watching Dak here and I'm like, they didn't
have ce d Lamb, It's Brian Schottenheimer, It's high maintenance,
George Pickens, des Zeke, Amari, Tyron Smith, Zach mr they
all leave.
Speaker 3 (27:06):
And Dak puts up huge numbers.
Speaker 1 (27:08):
I feel like it's the ultimate Colin was wrong, and
you similar, do you have any of that feeling watching
this year?
Speaker 4 (27:14):
Yeah, well so listen.
Speaker 7 (27:16):
I think going once they traded Micah, the Cowboys path
was clearly they were going to try to be a
better version of last year's Bengals, which is throw, you know,
trust our quarterback to go score thirty five a game,
see if the defense can hang on for dear life.
(27:37):
Most people, myself included, looked at that and said, well,
the problem is Dak isn't Burrow, and George Pickens isn't
t Higgins and through seven weeks, Dak is burrow and George.
Speaker 4 (27:51):
Pickens is better than t Higgins. I didn't see any
of that coming, and.
Speaker 7 (27:55):
So I have been super skeptical of Pickens, and that
dates back to a college career where he was more.
Speaker 4 (28:02):
Than a handful. But he's been excellent.
Speaker 7 (28:05):
The Cowboys offense performing the way it did when Ced
was hurt was stunning, and Dak just being one of
the most entertaining, high octane quarterbacks in the league has
been a pleasure to watch this year.
Speaker 4 (28:19):
It also does feel to me.
Speaker 7 (28:22):
That and I don't know the butterfly effect how things
would have changed, but watching this offense, Colin, doesn't it
feel to you, like man oh Man, had they not
traded Micah Parsons, we'd be talking about this team as
a real contender, ish team in an NFL where it
(28:43):
seems like other than Kansas City, nobody is and maybe
Detroit nobody is really good, and that it's wide open
for spots four through ten in this league. If Dallas
just had that nineteenth best defense, they would be right there.
And and instead it all goes on Dak's shoulder, and
(29:04):
he thus far, he's playing the best.
Speaker 4 (29:06):
Ball of his life. I give him a ton of credit.
Speaker 1 (29:08):
I want to end with a basketball topic because the
NBA season begins tonight. There's a new book out written
by a young man who said he chronicles Lebron's La
Laker career and in it Westbrook who runs hot, who's
highly emotional. But whether you like Westbrook or not, he's
about as real and authentic as anybody's gonna get.
Speaker 3 (29:29):
He just you know, he runs hot.
Speaker 1 (29:32):
I have defended Lebron through the year, saying, like Tiger
or MJ or o'tawny, he's at brand protection legacy stage now.
So sometimes he's a bit calculated, polished, you know, he's
he's protecting his empire. That's what CEOs do, and Lebron
is the league's CEO.
Speaker 3 (29:53):
But but the knock.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
There is there is this rub is that And I've
heard this through years that Lebron, who's Lebron? What is Lebron?
You know, he and the late Kobe weren't close. He
and Lebron. It's a weird thing. Sure, I mean, are
the criticisms of Lebron that he's a bit too calculated,
(30:16):
a bit too measured?
Speaker 3 (30:18):
Is it fair?
Speaker 7 (30:21):
I mean, this is a lot to unpack here, So
let me try to give it it's just due.
Speaker 4 (30:27):
First of all, I.
Speaker 7 (30:29):
I have massive respect for Russell Westbrook's career, Russell Westbrook
the man and the player. I also think there is
a lack of self awareness with Russ since he's stopped
being an MVP caliber player that has significantly damaged every
(30:50):
single team he's been on. And it's and for Russ
and certainly for Russ's fans, it's never Russ's fault. It's always,
you know, people didn't let Russ be Russ, when the
reality is for the last six years, letting Russ be
Russ means empty calorie, non winning basketball, like that first
(31:10):
ballot Hall of Famer. He's one of the fifty greatest
players ever. It's just been a rough last half decade.
Speaker 4 (31:16):
So there's that piece of it. Do I think that.
Speaker 7 (31:18):
Probably Russ and Lebron's personalities are very different?
Speaker 4 (31:22):
Sure?
Speaker 7 (31:23):
Do I also think that as we are now in
year twenty three of Lebron James being in the spotlight,
that a guy who has the biggest scandal he was
ever a part of was the decision which then raised
a couple million dollars for charity that people have been
(31:43):
trying to more than any athlete of my lifetime, find
some some cardinal sin or grievous error that he made,
to the point to where a couple of weeks ago,
when it was he was clearly going to do some
type of ad with the decision too, folks pretended that
they thought he was going to announce his retirement at
(32:04):
noon on a Tuesday, and they acted all offended by it.
Speaker 4 (32:09):
That now, what people have come down to.
Speaker 7 (32:12):
Is, you know what, I don't like the cut of
his jib, and I think he lies about reading books.
Speaker 4 (32:18):
He hasn't read.
Speaker 7 (32:20):
That's my problem with Lebron, Like, give me a break.
The guy has been these spokesman, the face, the ambassador
of this league for a quarter century, almost more than
twenty percent of the time the NBA has existed. Lebron
James has been at the eppie center of it and
(32:41):
does not have a substantial misstep to his name, and
not a scandal on or off the court. So I
understand he's an easy guy to go after in this regard.
And yes, of course he is calculated, and yes, of
course he had Anything he says or.
Speaker 4 (32:58):
Does is going to be dissected.
Speaker 7 (33:00):
He asked me very careful with it, but I think
that he has handled that spotlight better than quite literally
any other athlete of our lives.
Speaker 1 (33:09):
Nick Wright, I agree. First things first, I'll leave you
with this. This doesn't mean anything. Please, this doesn't mean anything.
I just want to throw it out there because I'm
very data driven. Bo Nix's college winning percentage was seventy
percent and Patrick's was forty four.
Speaker 7 (33:24):
Well, another way, you know what that means a lot,
because that's another piece of data that shows bo Nicks
is nothing like Patrick Mahomes. And I agree with that.
Talk to you everybody, all.
Speaker 3 (33:37):
Right, great, Nick Right, appreciate that.
Speaker 1 (33:39):
Yeah, I mean you know it's Chris Rock had a
line years ago. A man is as loyal as his options,
and similar to that, you know everybody's I can't believe
you took the money from them and you did that.
You don't have any options. People with options take advantage
of options. The other thing is, whenever I hear well,
this guy is calculated, this guy is protecting his brand. Yeah,
(34:03):
he's got one. That's what happens when you're worth a
billion dollars. Tiger would have been better to protect his brand, right,
there's a lot of guys who have had a brand
and butchered it, so listen. I do think there are
times Lebron on the Internet and on the Instagram is
pretty it's pretty calculated, you know. I think that's fair
(34:25):
to say. But he's he's got a lot to protect.
Here's another number. I wish I had nick fourth quarter
passer rating this year Bo Nicks one oh one mahomes
immediately ninety eight. The dad is coming out. It's pretty clear,
pretty pretty clear. Greg Olsen's around the corner as well
(34:46):
in Chicago.
Speaker 3 (34:47):
It's one more heard.
Speaker 2 (34:51):
The Herd streams twenty four hours a day, seven days
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Speaker 8 (34:59):
Hey, it's me Rob Parker. Check out my weekly MLB podcast,
Inside the Parker for twenty two minutes of piping hot
baseball talk, featuring the biggest names the newsmakers in the sport.
Whether you believe in analytics or the I test, We've
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(35:21):
So do your sofa favor and listen to Inside the
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you get your podcast.
Speaker 1 (35:31):
It's got a very interesting game Sunday. The Bills are
in no mood to fool around. They're at the Panthers Sunday.
Greg Olsen will be calling it Fox Sports and he
is joining me live. You know, it's interesting when you
have a great I mean, you play with Cam Newton,
when you have a dynamic quarterback, everybody thinks, well, things
(35:52):
are easier, but you.
Speaker 3 (35:54):
Know a lot comes with that.
Speaker 1 (35:56):
And I look at Buffalo, the team you're doing, and
I'm I'm like, oh my god, you want them to
be Superman. But not too often you break down the
film on Buffalo. What is Is it just they need
another perimeter weapon? Is it that simple? Diagnose the problems?
What you see in a team right now that feels
they're a little lost, they're a little off center.
Speaker 3 (36:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (36:20):
So I really just dove into their game, especially the
most recent game you had to buy and so the
week before in the loss against Atlanta, And so I
saw the Bills in preseason up in Chicago.
Speaker 4 (36:31):
None of the real stars played.
Speaker 6 (36:32):
Josh didn't play, but had a chance to spend some
time with McDermott, Joe Brady and a lot of those
guys from our Carolina days that we know, and I
think they know how good they can be. I think
they understand they have to continue to try to offload
as much as possible off Josh Allen. And now it
goes without saying he's the best player in the league,
the raigning MVP. The ball should be in his hand
(36:54):
right And when you look at what they've been over
the last couple of years compared to what they really
tried to do, especially in most recent game against Atlanta,
I actually really liked it. You know, you saw in
the Atlanta game they're back, They're under center more. They're
trying to do some more under center, play action first
and second down, playing with some bigger bodies, multiple tight ends,
jumbo tight ends, and trying to just get out of
the mode where Josh Stan's in the shotgun. Every ball
(37:17):
snapped him. It's very hard to get play action out
of the gun. You're seeing a lot of the really
good teams. You've been seeing Mahomes do it now more
in Kansas City, teams are starting to understand the best
downs to throw the ball are first and second, and
the best way to do it oftentimes is through play action.
So I think Buffalo is still trying to figure out
(37:37):
what is that blend between keeping Josh in the gun,
snap it to him and let him create both as
a scramble runner, a designed runner, and of course as
a passer, but also unloading some of the pressure and
putting some more on Cook in the run game, and
putting some more on the offensive line and generating some
free open receivers in the play action layers and whatnot.
So I think Joe Brady's still trying to figure out
(37:59):
what that badole is. But I like the Again, it
didn't result in a win, but I actually think going
forward that's going to pay them some dividends because I
don't care how good you are every single play the
ball being in the hands of your shotgun quarterback to
just expect it to make magic, especially like to your point,
you don't have like a Justin Jefferson, a true star
(38:21):
single receiver. I think teams are finding it more and
more difficult in today's NFL.
Speaker 1 (38:27):
So I said, I watch body language a lot with
quarterbacks and coaches, and I watched Ben Johnson with Caleb Williams,
and there's a resting, discouraged face. I look at this offense,
and I think Caleb's good at the podium. I like
the run game, I like the defense. I think Ben's
excellent and smart. Is it possible that Caleb's going to
(38:48):
be a franchise quarterback. He's never going to be sixty
eight percent. You're gonna get a lot of big plays,
You're gonna get a lot of horsepower.
Speaker 3 (38:57):
I think he's a good kid.
Speaker 1 (38:58):
But when I watch that offense, man, do they leave
a lot on the floor. There are a lot of
open looks. He's you know, this was the knock in
college consistent accuracy, it's the knock in the NFL.
Speaker 3 (39:11):
Is it possible?
Speaker 1 (39:13):
And I guess you could go back to cam that
it's like, hey, listen, we just know what he is
and we know what he struggles with, and let's just
build around it.
Speaker 6 (39:20):
And I think you also have to look at the
point of where he is in his career. I mean,
you look at last year as almost the lost year, right.
I know, he played a lot of games, but there
was a lot of dysfunction, there was a lot of turnover,
there was coaching changes. So you look at you know,
you look at the year prior and you say Okay,
what really was the benefit from that. Well, now incomes
Ben Johnson, and I think you're seeing more and more
(39:41):
franchises adopt. You know, there's a very famous phrase, right
that franchises fail young quarterbacks more than young quarterbacks fail franchises.
And I think you're seeing it with what Kevin O'Connell
is doing with some of these rebirth of Sam Darnold,
who now continued it in Seattle. And you know, you're
seeing what goes on with so many of these quarterbacks
that were for dead. You know, they couldn't play. Daniel
(40:02):
Jones was thrown out in New York, and you make
an argument Indianapolis is the best offense in the league.
If not, they're in the conversation as the top two
or three. So fit is such an important part of
all this. And then you factor in just how young
Caleb is and how fresh he is in his NFL career.
I think there's been great growth. I think Ben Johnson
is obviously wonderful at what he does. I think his
(40:24):
energy not only from an ex'es and o's. I think
he's highly demanding. I think he comes across this this
nice guy, but I think he is a real. He
is highly disciplined, holds guys to really high standards. He's
very clear in his communication, and I think that's been
good for Caleb. So I think we've seen a ton
of growth here through the first half, you know, call
it rough third to you know, forty percent of the
(40:46):
season thus far. I think the expectations he continues to improve.
I don't think anyone in Chicago right now should be
having any conversations about looking anywhere else for quarterback for
the foreseeable future then Caleb Williams, because he should just
continue to improve. Now, what is the ceiling? Is he
Patrick Mahomes? Is he Josh Allen? Who knows? Very few
(41:09):
guys are. But I think their trajectory, the improvement, the
turnaround we've seen already with to your point, a lot
of room left to grow. I think if I'm a
Bears fan, I'm highly encouraged.
Speaker 1 (41:20):
So you've been doing the tight end university down. I
think Nashville, isn't that what you're holding every year? So
I saw I watched him play all last year at
Penn State, Tyler Warren. I saw him have seventeen catches
against USC. He walks into the league, I mean, even
Antonio Gates, it took him a year to find his
(41:41):
space a little bit. Or I remember Gronk being very good,
very early, but he had some injuries in college.
Speaker 3 (41:47):
I didn't know.
Speaker 1 (41:48):
Much about Gronk. This kid has walked in and pretty much.
I always say, it's one thing to be productive, it's
another to be open all the time. Did you spot
this kid years ago that he come out of nowhere?
Did you know about Tyler Warren years ago?
Speaker 6 (42:04):
Yeah, I was just surprised that he wasn't the first
Titan taken. I'll be honest.
Speaker 4 (42:07):
I know you know the Bears took Loveland.
Speaker 6 (42:08):
I'm pretty sure the Bears took Loveland if I had
that right out of Michigan. So I thought the assumption
was that Warren was going to be the top pick.
I think I think Indianapolis from the very beginning did
a really nice job, Chris Ballard, obviously Shane Steiken identifying
just the value that a kid like him to bring.
I think we all remember him from college lining up
at wildcat quarterback and some of the funky formations where
(42:32):
he's lining up like I think there was the one
play he was the center in an unbalanced and he
ended up catching the ball like they did a lot
of really creative things with him. But I think Shane
Steiken is as good of an offensive mind. You think
back a couple of years ago under Siriani, his offense,
his offense in that evolution of that team for their
first Super Bowl run. When they ended up losing that game,
(42:53):
we covered then obviously he went and got the head
job with the Colts kind of disappeared maybe from the
national scene as like the offensive gru just because the
Colts run overly, you know, competitive and has some struggles.
But I think now with Daniel Jones, the job he's done,
I think Tyler Warren coming into the league, you're exactly right.
When I came into the league years ago, there was
(43:13):
an assumption that tight ends took a couple of years
to adopt the NFL game. But you look recently what
Brock Bauers did last year in his first year with
the Raiders, and what Tyler Warren's doing. I mean, we're
starting to see a faster evolution, a faster growth. I
think part of that is just the tight end position
in college is a little bit more. It's less guys
(43:33):
making a position change it's less guys. You know, we're
wide receivers when they were young, or running backs. These
kids are now growing up a lot of them, maybe
I know Warren fight some other positions, but they're growing
up understanding the position playing true tight end at the
college level, I think the job that Ben State did
with Warren and now the job that Shane Steiken is
doing with him he's leading the league is for tight
(43:56):
ends and receiving yards. I think he's like third in catches,
just unheard of from a rookie, and it seems like
every game you watch, he's open.
Speaker 4 (44:05):
He's open in the end zone. He's dynamic with the ball.
Speaker 6 (44:08):
He's good enough that he could be on the field
on first and second down and get his nose bloody
and get in there and compete in the run game. Yeah,
he's I don't know if he's as dynamic as brought
Bowers from just like a speed and just that top end.
But from a production standpoint, now, the last two years
we've seen tight ends really take the NFL by storm,
and that's that's pretty hard to do.
Speaker 1 (44:30):
So when I watched Bo Nixon, Jackson Dart this weekend,
I mean, neither's got a huge arm. I think Jackson
darts arms pretty good. There's something to be said about
confidence and I when I watched that game, my takeaway
was more than anything, they're not overwhelmed by it. They're
(44:52):
totally confident. Guys like Jackson Darts like, bring it on,
bring that the I mean he made a bad pick.
I always said, my favorite part of Andrew Luck so
terrible picks. Laugh, blame himself, grab his helmet and throw
the ball.
Speaker 3 (45:05):
Right at you again, like had a short memory. I think,
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (45:09):
You've been around pro athletes your whole life. I watched
Dart and bow Nicks. I can see the self belief
as a consumer watching on television. That's what I saw Sunday.
Dart's not afraid going to Denver on the road altitude
that defense you played there, Brady struggled there.
Speaker 3 (45:29):
That's a rough place to play.
Speaker 6 (45:32):
Yeah, I mean watching that game, I was in the
airport in Minneapolis getting ready to fly home for my game,
and just you know, it was nineteen nothing.
Speaker 4 (45:39):
They go for two. They don't get it.
Speaker 6 (45:41):
We could discuss whether that was right or wrong, and
then the series of events that played out from that
moment to obviously how the game ended on the field
goal was just I couldn't even believe what I was watching,
just from a game flow, in the back and forth.
But as far as the two young quarterbacks, yeah, I
mean there's a notion in the NFL the only guys
that aren't going to have bad days and the only
(46:02):
guys that aren't gonna play and have bad you know,
have bad moments. And the guys that stand on the sideline,
like if you're afraid to make mistakes, if you're afraid
to throw picks, if you're afraid to drop the ball, fumble,
whatever your position is, if.
Speaker 4 (46:13):
The fear of failure paralyzes.
Speaker 6 (46:15):
You, you're gonna find yourself standing on the sideline quite
a bit in this league because bad things are gonna happen.
Speaker 4 (46:21):
Things are going to go against you.
Speaker 6 (46:23):
And and the guys that have this uncanny ability to
rally and to get their get their confidence back. You
don't know if they've thrown three picks or three or
three touchdowns, their command of the huddle, the way they
interact with their teammates on the sideline. I mean, Jackson
dar and I know they lost, but when he came
off the sideline, after his you know, little quarterback design
(46:43):
run on the goal line, which was a great play
design that he you know, he extends the ball, he
gets the touchdown. I know it ended in heartbreak and
bo Nicks deserves a lot of credit. But like when
he came off the sideline, the way he greeted his coaches,
the way he greeted the veterans on the team, you
can just tell they do look at him as like
you're a fun story, you're the rookie, but like you
(47:04):
stand over there and let He is arguably the ring
leader of that group. And he's only started now a
couple of games. So certain guys have that personality. They
have a little charisma. There's a belief that when they're
on the field, we have a chance. And I love
his energy. Is he gonna throw picks, Yes, he's he
gonna have bad decisions. Of course, He's going to continue
(47:25):
to get better. You can't teach competitive spirit. You either
have it or you don't, and I think both those
young quarterbacks have it.
Speaker 3 (47:32):
The Chiefs look like the best team in the league
by a touchdown, do they not?
Speaker 1 (47:36):
I said this, it's amazing. They do a great job
of everybody makes mistakes. Every GM whiffs it's impossible. They
identify very quickly mistakes. They don't let pride or ego
get in the way. You know, it's they've got a
sail boat mentality even though they're an aircraft carrier. They
can turn very quickly like doesn't work, does work, Let's
(47:58):
bring juju back?
Speaker 3 (47:59):
Doesn't work?
Speaker 1 (48:00):
I watch Kansas City and I'm like, I feel so
much of their successes upstairs is before the snap.
Speaker 3 (48:10):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (48:11):
You've been around a lot, you talk to a lot
of players. I think sometimes they're functioning at just a
higher level than everybody else.
Speaker 6 (48:18):
Yeah, and I think the part that you nailed is
just their ability to reinvent themselves and don't feel like
they need to play the same cookie cutter approach week
in week out, let alone, season in season out. You know,
And if you take a look at the last handful
of years, right the year they won the Super Bowl
when they beat Philadelphia, we covered a bunch of those game.
Obviously we covered the Super Bowl, we covered that part.
(48:39):
They transitioned themselves through that draft, and obviously Spags, the
defensive coordinator, is one of the best in the business.
Speaker 4 (48:45):
They went from a.
Speaker 6 (48:47):
Quarterback led, offensive court, offensive head coach, and Andy Reid
and Mahomes and superstars, offensive driven. They knew they needed
to invest themselves in all those young defensive talent, and
they took their lumps early in that year, and that
young defense got better and better and better, and then
it kind.
Speaker 4 (49:04):
Of flipped on its head.
Speaker 6 (49:05):
The following year, the offense really struggled, does Mahomes have
enough weapons? And all of a sudden, this young defense,
you've now become a defensive lead team. And then they
went from a shotgun We're going to throw the ball
in every down and put the ball on Mahomes's hand
to you know what, we're out, Rashi Rice Xavier Worthy's out.
Speaker 4 (49:23):
We might have to get under center a little bit more.
Speaker 6 (49:25):
And that's not really what Andy and Patrick Mahomes have
been in their Kansas City chief days. They're thrown at
thirty five times a game from gun, but they don't
have to play the same style of game to beat you.
It could be offensive lead, it could be defensive lead.
When one is struggling, the other seams to always kind
of elevate their game. I think now as you see
them get healthy, I think now as you see them
(49:46):
start getting some of their offensive weapons back.
Speaker 4 (49:48):
You're starting to see that offense click. I think from
a I'm with you.
Speaker 6 (49:53):
I think from a well rounded balanced offense, defense, youth
superstars at the correct positions, I think, and then obviously
Andy Reid being one of the all time greats as
a head coach play caller. I think, when you add
it all up, if they continue to stay healthy and
they continue to keep these guys on the field that
they've gotten back, I'm with you.
Speaker 4 (50:13):
I don't it's going to be very hard.
Speaker 6 (50:16):
Especially some of the AFC teams that we had high
hopes for are coming into the year that have really
had disappointing seasons.
Speaker 4 (50:22):
But the exception of Buffalo, Like, who do you really feel.
Speaker 6 (50:24):
Confident in the AFC with the game on the line,
is ready right now to beat them?
Speaker 4 (50:29):
And I think the answer is nobody.
Speaker 3 (50:32):
Yeah, That's how I feel.
Speaker 1 (50:34):
Greg Olsen, Fox Sports as OLA's it's great.
Speaker 3 (50:38):
It's great chatting. I love talking to you.
Speaker 4 (50:39):
Man, appreciate it. Colin, It's always good to be on it.
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
noone 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 Cowver
on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
So the NBA season starts tonight, the West has completely
separated from the East. The West, the top four to
five teams in the West arguably are better than the
best team in the East. Now, if Jason Tatum comes
back and plays this year, most doubt it. I wouldn't
be shocked in Game sixty five or something. I mean,
all these pro athletes in their prime physically get healthier
(00:49):
faster than we predict. If Jason Tatum came back, then
I think Boston's a top four team in the league.
Maybe top three Nix aren't. But I thought, let's just
put it out there. These are my five bold NBA predictions.
I hit in the couple last year, missed in a couple.
Number one OKC despite the fact they're an overwhelming favorite
(01:12):
in the Desert will not win. They will not repeat
as champions. The West is too deep. Sga played ninety
nine games last year, second year in a row.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
He doesn't miss games.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
Jalen Williams coming off an injury between Minnesota and Denver,
Between the Lakers and Dallas, I think the West is
too deep. I don't buy of the twenty six previous
teams to win sixty four plus games in a season,
twenty five won fewer games the following season, so I
(01:48):
don't think they'll get home court advantage, which I think
in the West matters because these teams you're on the
margins here, they're all very good. So Number one ok
S does not repeat. Number two Luca wins his first
career MVP, so it's going to be a great story,
and part of winning MVP is the narrative. Skinny Luca
committed Luca. Lakers all in on Luca Lebron starting the
(02:10):
season in recovery. His ball usage will go back to
being number one in the league. Obviously, Austin Reeves is
never going to take the ball out of his hands
in big spaces.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
I think he's going to lead.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
The NBA in scoring you know he was a dunker,
played downhill early, got a little husky, only had one
dunk last year. I think the best Luca returns. He's motivated,
the Lakers are all in. I think JJ Reddick is
an above average offensive coach. He'll get the ball to
him in the right spots. Luca becomes MVP. My surprise
(02:43):
team out West number three Cooper Flag plays point guard
and Dallas makes the Western Conference Final. Best front court
by a mile in the NBA, Derek Lively, Daniel Gafford,
a D Washington. They got great size. Kyrie Irving probably
probably comes back later in the year in his magic,
(03:04):
but I think Cooper Flag is gonna walk in when
Rookie of the Year going away. I just I think
this is one of those deals they fell apart last year.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
I love their size.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
I don't think anybody defensively quite can stack the size
and length that Dallas can. I don't know if they
face the t Wolves in the Western Conference Finals, that
would be my guess or Denver, but it's not. It's
not gonna be the Golden State Warriors because my number
four bold prediction the Warriors missed the playoffs. It is
(03:38):
the second oldest team in the NBA. Let's be honest.
They have one playoff series went over the last two years.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
They've been hobbled.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
They don't want to give up Pods in a trade deal.
They're willing to give up Kaminga. But what are you
gonna get for Cominga. So my take is unless you
go all in on multiple draft picks, Pods and Cominga,
you're not getting a star that can accompany Steph Curry
and Pods is what he is to this point in
(04:06):
his career.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
He's got a little Klay Thompson. But I mean, this
is an old.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
Team that brought in Al Horford. I love Al Horford.
That's not the answer. They just got older and number
five Orlando Magic. NBA Finals won't be, the Knicks won't be,
the Bucks won't be, the Sixers will not be. The
Cavs don't trust him. Last season they had key injuries
(04:31):
to Franz Wagner, Paulo Boncaro, Jalen Suggs. They were a
great number one scoring defense in the league. They could
not shoot threes. They bring in Desmond Vane from Memphis,
which I thought was a super smart move. This is
a you got a bunch of dudes entering their prime.
The East is weak and I like Orlando a lot.
(04:52):
Now again, they've been back to back first round exits,
but they bring in a veteran who can hit threes.
I think the East, I'm not the East has been
without Halliburton in Indiana and without Jason Tatum, it is
wide open.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
You can say what about the Knicks.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
Karl Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson are not good on
the floor together, both suboptimal defensive players. They went from
Tips to Mike Brown. Many think they won't be as
good coaching. I think the Knicks last year were a
wonderful story, but what have they done to elevate themselves?
Speaker 3 (05:26):
And again, if you have Carl Anthony.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
Towns your second best offensive player on the floor, with
Jalen Brunson your lead offensive player, we know how that
turns out. You'll get eating the live. Teams will attack
the pick and roll. The best thing for the Knicks
is Jason Tatum and Halliburton won't play. If they did,
I would think less.
Speaker 4 (05:44):
Of the Knicks.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
I'm on Orlando in a very very weak Eastern Conference.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
Jay Mac, I know you've got to you got some hot,
hot takes. I love this.
Speaker 4 (05:55):
I know we're happy the NBA is back.
Speaker 5 (05:58):
Listen, you forgot the Knicks are gonna be trading for
jan Us here by the trade deadline.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
So then nix of the fine in these I am
curious this OKC stuff.
Speaker 5 (06:08):
Are you surprised that there is no use for Okac
all anybody's talking about in the eve of the NBA season?
Speaker 3 (06:14):
Oh?
Speaker 5 (06:14):
Can you hear what Lebron said in that in that
meeting like four years ago in a book, like, nobody's
talking about SGA and Okac?
Speaker 3 (06:22):
Nobody with you.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
The new Adam Silver NBA is you can't stack too
many good players. Chet Holmgren so far has been a
bit injury prone. Jalen Williams is recovering from an injury.
SGA is like a pitcher that's pitched three hundred innings
in back to back years. And they brought everybody back
a few years ago Tampa on the Super Bowl, remember that,
And they brought everybody back. Yeah, and then they the
following year. There was this there was this idea, this
(06:46):
sense that you shouldn't bring everybody back.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
You need a new energy every year. You need a
new energy.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
You need to tweak and tweak and tweak, and I
kind of feel like the Knicks, they'll be the same team,
same issues, and people like Tims more than Mike Brown,
like Mikey's fine, And I kind of feel like with Okac,
you'll be good, but they're not gonna have home court advantage.
I think Minnesota will be better and keeps getting better.
I think the Lakers are probably gonna be better. I
(07:12):
mean JJ Reddick second year. Yes, I think Denver had
a ton of injuries last year. They'll be better. I
think Dallas can't be as beat up as last year.
Plus Kloper fact, So Dallas better, Minnesota better, Lakers better.
I think the West is just I mean, I don't
think Golden State is gonna make the playoffs. But Golden
(07:32):
State they're old, but Buddy healed and Steph and Draymont
and Horford and Pods and Kaminga, and I don't think
they'll make the playoffs. They could be a three seed
in the East.
Speaker 4 (07:41):
And that's possible.
Speaker 5 (07:42):
You didn't mention once the team that I have winning
the NBA title, and that's the Houston Rockets, Kevin Durant,
Amen Thompson, Shingoon.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
This team is stacked.
Speaker 5 (07:52):
Did you see tonight They're gonna be starting their starting
lineup as six, seven and up. Kevin Durant's gonna play
shooting guard. This is a new NBA. There's a bunch
of teams are going big now. The whole guard era
is kind of in the past.
Speaker 4 (08:06):
I think it is.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
He a good takes Colin.
Speaker 6 (08:09):
I like it.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
I'm fired up.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Yeah, I mean, I think Houston's gonna be fine. I
don't know who's gonna win the West. I just have
Dallas in the Western Conference finals. Because usually this is
the way it works in sports, the media, myself included,
We pay attention to one thing and then something else happens,
and everybody's focused on Houston and Dallas is like, now,
we like our coach, we like our front line. We
(08:31):
can go big if Houston wants to go big. Kd
has a recent history of getting banged up.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
I look at Dallas and nobody's paying attention. First of all,
you could argue the top six teams in the league
are all West.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
Yes, I mean it is.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
It is like the SEC five years ago before, like Oregon, Washington, USC,
UCLA joined the PAC twelve or joined the Big Ten.
It was like there was the SEC and whoever was
second wasn't close.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
Now it's even But.
Speaker 4 (09:00):
I like your Orlando call.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
That's that's kind of bold.
Speaker 4 (09:03):
I like that a lot. Right now.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
The one team that added a shooter, we don't really
talk about them anymore.
Speaker 5 (09:08):
I know you're out on this guy, Joelle embiid Sixers
when they're healthy, and assuming they will be, they could
be dangerous only because there's no Boston or no Indiana
this year as factors, given the injuries. Keep an eye
on the Sixers. They've got some young guys calling your
guy Tyrese Maxey. He was basically your your Jaden Daniels,
remember you loved him and I was like, Dad, plump
(09:29):
the brakes. Terre's Maxie's a bowler. And they got some
young guys. I like the Sixers a little bit this year.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
You know, it was funny watching the Mariners last night.
And if you watch Aaron Boone, Dave Roberts, Dan Wilson
get clobbered by the baseball the seamheads, and the truth
is now major league managers have been muted, even Aaron Boone,
and I don't know what his salary is but Dave Roberts,
(09:54):
we pay college football coaches double what we pay major
league in major markets like Dodger, Astro, Atlanta, New York markets,
and so as I watch these managers, people always complain
about the managers. And it's always the same thing, which
is your two player friendly? You know you need to
(10:17):
pull the picture you need It's always like, when are
you pulling the picture? You have to be pro player.
As a major league manager these days, you don't have
the power. You don't have the salary power. The owners
are billionaires now it's a rounding air to fire manager.
You don't have the salary power. The analytic crew upstairs
gives you the batting lineup and all the players know it.
(10:37):
So Dan Wilson last night, I think it's a legitimate
criticize criticism pitching to George Springer. I think that's the
rare time I would say that's a mistake. George Springer
lives for those moments. He's the last guy in the
world you wanted to face. But it is interesting all
these managers. We don't blame the players in baseball. We
(10:59):
don't even blame the pitchers. We blame the managers. Dan
Wilson's taken all the heat in Seattle today, a beloved
former Marin It's not the guy who gives up the bomb,
it's the manager, and that's just what baseball is going forward.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
in neon eastern nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app heard Hierarchy. Now go
the top ten NFL teams according to College number ten.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
I put them in this morning.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
I bounced the Seahawks out because after those four giveaways,
I just can't trust Seattle.
Speaker 3 (11:42):
Seattle's eleven. I put New England in at ten. They
don't beat themselves.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
Four straight wins, top ten offense, top five scoring defense.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
Mike Vrable.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
This was our prediction, the team that would double their
win total. We set it before the season. We had
them as a playoff team. Their remaining schedule is the
easiest in the litig six straight games with one hundred
plus passer rating. I like Drake may I didn't think
he would be this good this quick. They feel like
a one and done playoff team that's winning a lot
(12:11):
on energy and focus and enthusiasm and youth. But I
put him at ten and bounce Seattle out.
Speaker 4 (12:17):
Number nine.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
The Niners.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
I think Kyle Shanahan's in the running for coach of
the Year. No Brock Purty, Brandon ik, Ricky Piersoll, George Kittle,
Fred Warner, Nick Bosa, but Robert Sala has been a
monster as a defensive coordinator. They have the number seven
scoring defense. They are very Christian McCaffrey dependent. Thirty touches
or thirty one touches. Don't love that, but they're kind
(12:41):
of trapped. Six of their next seven games against very
weak opponents. They should be favored in most of them,
but I think Mac Jones and brought thirty feels a
little bit like a wash to me. One's expensive ones
kind of free, but I think you got to put
them in the list. Nobody's been as resourceful as Kyle
(13:04):
Shanahan and the Niners. I put him at nine. Number
eight Green Bay. They keep leaving me wanting more, but
they are undefeated when scoring more than ten points this season.
I just feel like I want more, but they've been
a little banged up at wide receiver Josh Jacobs three
straight games with multiple touchdowns Jordan Love this year.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
And nobody likes Jordan Love and.
Speaker 1 (13:28):
He's completing sixty nine percent of his throws and one
hundred and eight Fasser rating. You can't find anybody that
likes it. Their run defense is excellent. Micah is the
perfect closer for a team that often leads in the fourth.
I have Green Bay eight. I think they will get better.
They're still really young. Number seven. I still like the
Bucks a lot. I mean, they were playing, you know,
(13:50):
living dangerously coming from behind, and that was a buzz saw.
They ran into last night for their five wins, one
score games, but their defense multiple games with takeaways. I
just think they got playmakers, and again, like the Niners,
they've been incredibly resourceful. I've always thought Todd Bowles is
underrated because he doesn't really have a profile. Probably the
(14:13):
best blitzing coach in the NFL, Baker Igbuca. I think
they're going to be fine when they get cleaned up
and healthier, but I wouldn't drop him too far. I
have Tampa at seven. Number six. I love Denver's roster.
I don't think their defense has been as good as
I thought, but they lead the NFL and sack differential.
They have the number one third down defense and the
number one red zone defense, and yet I feel like
(14:34):
they should be better Bonicks when trailing this season, a
very Mahomes like stat eleven touchdowns, no pick and a
one h two passer rating, and obviously a great head coach.
Denver at six, number five Detroit. Detroit's run game jumps
off the TV set. They're five and one over their
(14:57):
last six games, and they got by the best team
easily in the league, Kansas City. Their defense takes the
ball away, gets to the quarterback. What I like about
Detroit is they get leads and then they get sacks,
and that's the way to win in the postseason. They're
much better obviously at home. But I have Detroit Tampa
(15:19):
last night at five, number four Colts. Type it into
the Colts for a month. They should have beaten the Rams,
best outright record in the league at six and one,
They're only lost to the Rams and they outplayed them.
Great offensive line playmakers at running back, tight end, wide receiver,
excellent head coach, most efficient offense in the NFL, most
(15:39):
tied for the most touchdowns.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
I mean Daniel Jones.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
I mean it's like Dak We can say, well, he's
not elite while I'm watching, and it looks elite to me.
They've scored on sixty three percent of their drives, and
I think they're absolutely for real. I've always said my
final four teams are teams I think that can get
to a Super Bowl.
Speaker 3 (15:59):
I have the Colts at four, number three. Rams.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
It's not really just Stafford and McVeigh. That defense is suffocating.
Speaker 7 (16:07):
Now.
Speaker 1 (16:08):
It may not be suffocating if they face them all
homes or you know again, it may not be suffocating
against the great quarterbacks.
Speaker 3 (16:15):
But men Trevor Lawrence, good luck.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
They leave the NFL in big plays, no Puka, no problem.
Number two scoring defense, number two in sacks. And remember
their defense is young. These guys, a lot of them
haven't even hit their prime. Rams at three, number two,
I don't even know if I liked Philadelphia. I honestly,
they can't run the ball anymore. They don't get to
(16:40):
the quarterback. But they have I mean, let's be honest.
Jalen Hurts wins a lot. Davonte Smith and AJ Brown
when they can't run, can take the top off. They're
a hard team to defend, and they're a hard team
to figure out. They don't get to the quarterback. They've
(17:01):
been out gained in every game. There's a French term
for beautiful yet ugly. I think whatever that term is,
that's the Eagles. But I love their roster, and I
keep just saying they'll figure it out. But I have
them at two, number one, and I think they get
smoked if they played Kansas City. I said it a
month ago. This is as good as Kansas City's been.
(17:24):
Hollywood Brown, Juju Worthy, Rise, Travis Kelcey. I mean, keep
your eye on Burchard Smith. The offensive line hasn't been
totally healthy. I think Mahomes is playing at an absurd level.
I think this is as good. I'm serious here. I
think this team. I do wonder at the trade deadline
(17:46):
if they would go find like a situational pass rusher maybe.
And they're not a great run team. They are so
deep now at wide receiver on my top ten Seattle eleven.
I had him in last night when I texted Kyle
(18:06):
on our staff, and this morning I'm like, no, I'm disgusted.
Speaker 3 (18:10):
That was awful. Take him out.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
Seahawks eleven Bills twelve, Nick Wright joining me live.
Speaker 4 (18:20):
I got something for you, Colin hold On. I was listening.
Speaker 7 (18:23):
I don't speak French, but let's see if I can
do this in real time. Jolie Ladd, is I get
pretty yet ugly?
Speaker 4 (18:31):
That's what you were looking for. I googled it for you.
Speaker 7 (18:34):
There you go, pal uh, pretty yet ugly.
Speaker 4 (18:38):
It sounds like your Broncos take.
Speaker 7 (18:39):
Did you compare bow Nicks to Patrick Malmes?
Speaker 3 (18:43):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (18:44):
Did that happen?
Speaker 1 (18:45):
I mean who else could take nineteen nothing deficit?
Speaker 3 (18:50):
Greatest quarter for a quarterback ever? I stand, I die
on that hill?
Speaker 4 (18:54):
Okay?
Speaker 3 (18:55):
And that was okay?
Speaker 7 (18:56):
So all right, a few things that listen. It is
remarkable what they've done and what he's done in the
fourth quarter against Philly and the Giants. I'm taking nothing
away from him there, But I was too busy googling,
Jolie Ladd to fact that you said he has eleven
touchdowns win trailing. But he also has eleven touchdowns total, So.
Speaker 4 (19:20):
That would mean they've all come when.
Speaker 7 (19:22):
He's trailing at least eleven batting touchdowns total.
Speaker 4 (19:26):
That Bart's not great.
Speaker 7 (19:27):
In the last The Broncos are really weird because their
last three games Philly.
Speaker 4 (19:34):
The Jets, and the Giants.
Speaker 7 (19:35):
I know they have thirteen points in the first three
quarters combined of those games, and then they've been elite
in the fourth quarter of two of them, and they
held on against the Jets. I don't I still don't
trust them. I think the defense is great. I think BO.
The other weird thing about BO is nothing gives you
(19:57):
more confidence if you're rooting against Broncos. Then when bow
Nick's early in a game takes a deep shot, it's like, well,
that's going to hit a ball boy, They're just spraying
out of bounds. But then late in the game he
has been good, so there is something there you also,
I I want to talk about the Bills in the Seahawks,
but can I just ask you one question.
Speaker 4 (20:18):
About the Chiefs?
Speaker 3 (20:19):
Sure, just one?
Speaker 7 (20:20):
Yeah, can we revisit a bit that the dynasty phase
is over or we maybe still in the dynasty phase
of my team. I had to deal with a lot
of slings and arrows from you, my dear friend and
professional idol and mentor, all summer.
Speaker 4 (20:38):
That this was.
Speaker 7 (20:39):
You know, they'll still be good, but they're just not
dynastic anymore, whatever it is.
Speaker 4 (20:45):
And now I.
Speaker 7 (20:46):
Think you feel like the gap between them and whomever
is second is about as big as Philly in the
as in two and ten. Correct, Yeah, yeah, okay, I
just wanted to hear it.
Speaker 4 (20:58):
That's all that. Why are the Bills not in there?
Speaker 1 (21:01):
Okay, first of all, they can't they can't defend the run,
which is the worst thing to be when you have
a great quarterback, you have a bad secondary.
Speaker 3 (21:11):
You got to defend the run.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
You otherwise you watch the game, like last night, Baker
watched a lot of the game, right like you just
you just get out of rhythm. So you know, Kansas
City has generally and I don't have the stats in
front of me, but you get Mahomes a lot of
a lot of drives and a lot of opportunities, and
he extends them. I don't like when I have a
great quarterback. I think they have to go out. Now
they're getting some people back that will help them, but
(21:36):
right now they're not in my opinion, right now today
they're not a top ten team.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
And Seattle makes too many mistakes. Last night was a mess.
It was a mess.
Speaker 7 (21:45):
So Seattle's interesting because last night was ugly.
Speaker 3 (21:49):
Oh but that.
Speaker 7 (21:50):
Defense was since think the Seattle offense kept saying to Houston,
please make this a game.
Speaker 4 (21:58):
It's one in the morning on the East Coast.
Speaker 7 (22:01):
This is outrageously the late game at least make it interesting,
and the Seattle defense wouldn't let Houston do it. And
so I give you credit as the Sam Darnold guy
for not, you know, overlooking a poor performance. But I
think you actually at this point might be underrating Seattle
because Mike McDonald has been awesome. And he gets extra
(22:24):
credit to me because we've seen what's happened to Baltimore's
defense since he left, So that's more confirmation of how good.
Speaker 4 (22:31):
His scheme is. And I didn't see Colin.
Speaker 7 (22:34):
You watched more college football than me, so I'll defer
to you on this. I did not see this coming
from Jackson Smith and Jigba.
Speaker 4 (22:42):
This is a revelation.
Speaker 7 (22:43):
He might be the best receiver in football.
Speaker 4 (22:45):
I am It's unbelievable.
Speaker 7 (22:49):
And so I think Seattle is right now because of
the injuries, better than the Niners. I'm impressed by the Niners.
I think Seattle's better.
Speaker 1 (22:56):
Okay, that's fair. So I was saying this about Williams.
Body language matters. It's why I turned on Jay Cutler
early in his career.
Speaker 3 (23:07):
I'm like, ugh, I don't like his body language.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
Kyler Murray, who I've defended forever, don't always love his
body language. It's better this year. In fairness, Kyler's better
this year. He's more engaged with a team. But it
does matter. Chicago's run game is excellent. They spend a
lot of money in the interior a line of texcellent.
The defense is taking them all away. Watching Ben Johnson's
face and body language when Caleb throws it in completion
(23:33):
is borderline discouragement, bordering on disgust. Like these guys, I
watch Ben Johnson. You can't tell me he's happy with
Caleb right now?
Speaker 3 (23:46):
Right?
Speaker 4 (23:47):
Yeah? I think that's fair, And I don't listen.
Speaker 7 (23:50):
I think everybody has to all what we owe the
audience is. No matter what we want to happen or
what we said we thought, what would happen is evaluate
things as they do happen. And I'm, you know, a
big Caleb guy. I've cooled a bit, you know, over
the last nine months. I no longer you know. I
(24:11):
did pick him to go to the super Bowl as
a rookie. So I guess I've cooled someone. And I'd
love to sit here and say they're on a four
game winning streak. They're four and two, they're in the
thick of the playoff.
Speaker 4 (24:22):
Picture, and that's all true, but.
Speaker 7 (24:25):
In some ways the last few games that's kind of
been despite their quarterback play. Their running game has been
great post by their run defense beIN has been much better,
and Caleb is just kind of scuttling along.
Speaker 4 (24:43):
Now.
Speaker 7 (24:43):
The glass half full version of it is we have
seen the wow moments and drives and even wow quarters
and one wow game against Dallas that I guess everybody
lights up. If Caleb can string together some more consistency,
I do the the Bears could be a legitimate playoff team.
But much like when another quarterback that I have historically loved,
(25:07):
what he has really disappointed when the Jags were three
and one or whatever record they had if you watched
the games, that was not because of Trevor, that was
despite Trevor.
Speaker 4 (25:20):
And now it's catching up to him a bit.
Speaker 7 (25:22):
It feels like something similar right now is happening with Caleb.
Speaker 4 (25:26):
Again, I think it's.
Speaker 7 (25:27):
Far too early to say this is who he's going
to be all year, but I do think he's frustrated,
and I do think Ben Johnson's frustrated that it's not
a little further along, because that's Saint stephense Colin. Everyone
threw the ball well on them except for Caleb.
Speaker 4 (25:42):
It seems so.
Speaker 1 (25:45):
I've said, if the average NFL quarterback career is fifteen years,
and it's a fifteen chapter book, I usually by the
middle of the second chapter, I think I have a
pretty good track record.
Speaker 3 (25:56):
I have a beat on a quarterback. I never quit
on Darnold.
Speaker 1 (25:58):
Even when I was critical of Acre, I always said, oh,
he's a franchise quarterback. I'm not sure I want him.
He's too cocky, but he's a franchise quarterback. I feel
very good through the years. I love Drake May I said,
Jayden Daniel is going to look like Lamar Jackson. I
think I like Caleb more than apparently many people did.
But the point being is I feel pretty good about it.
And then there's Dak Prescott and I'm like, Okay, well,
(26:22):
what chapter are we in?
Speaker 3 (26:23):
Eleven?
Speaker 1 (26:24):
And the entire time I've been glibbed, and I've said,
he's Kirk Cousins with a star in his helmet. Kirk
Cousins never carried this, And what's fascinating You and I
were both always sort of rolled our eyes at all
the hype that George Pickens, Mike Tomlin, who has.
Speaker 3 (26:40):
Been more than willing to deal with dramas, like get.
Speaker 1 (26:43):
Pickens out of here, Yeah, goes to Dak and like
doesn't want to disappoint him, and it's drama free.
Speaker 3 (26:50):
He may be the best number two receiver in the league.
Speaker 1 (26:53):
And I'm watching Dak here and I'm like, they didn't
have ce d Lamb, It's Brian Schottenheimer, It's high maintenance,
George Pickens, des Zeke, Amari, Tyron Smith, Zach mr they
all leave.
Speaker 3 (27:06):
And Dak puts up huge numbers.
Speaker 1 (27:08):
I feel like it's the ultimate Colin was wrong, and
you similar, do you have any of that feeling watching
this year?
Speaker 4 (27:14):
Yeah, well so listen.
Speaker 7 (27:16):
I think going once they traded Micah, the Cowboys path
was clearly they were going to try to be a
better version of last year's Bengals, which is throw, you know,
trust our quarterback to go score thirty five a game,
see if the defense can hang on for dear life.
(27:37):
Most people, myself included, looked at that and said, well,
the problem is Dak isn't Burrow, and George Pickens isn't
t Higgins and through seven weeks, Dak is burrow and George.
Speaker 4 (27:51):
Pickens is better than t Higgins. I didn't see any
of that coming, and.
Speaker 7 (27:55):
So I have been super skeptical of Pickens, and that
dates back to a college career where he was more.
Speaker 4 (28:02):
Than a handful. But he's been excellent.
Speaker 7 (28:05):
The Cowboys offense performing the way it did when Ced
was hurt was stunning, and Dak just being one of
the most entertaining, high octane quarterbacks in the league has
been a pleasure to watch this year.
Speaker 4 (28:19):
It also does feel to me.
Speaker 7 (28:22):
That and I don't know the butterfly effect how things
would have changed, but watching this offense, Colin, doesn't it
feel to you, like man oh Man, had they not
traded Micah Parsons, we'd be talking about this team as
a real contender, ish team in an NFL where it
(28:43):
seems like other than Kansas City, nobody is and maybe
Detroit nobody is really good, and that it's wide open
for spots four through ten in this league. If Dallas
just had that nineteenth best defense, they would be right there.
And and instead it all goes on Dak's shoulder, and
(29:04):
he thus far, he's playing the best.
Speaker 4 (29:06):
Ball of his life. I give him a ton of credit.
Speaker 1 (29:08):
I want to end with a basketball topic because the
NBA season begins tonight. There's a new book out written
by a young man who said he chronicles Lebron's La
Laker career and in it Westbrook who runs hot, who's
highly emotional. But whether you like Westbrook or not, he's
about as real and authentic as anybody's gonna get.
Speaker 3 (29:29):
He just you know, he runs hot.
Speaker 1 (29:32):
I have defended Lebron through the year, saying, like Tiger
or MJ or o'tawny, he's at brand protection legacy stage now.
So sometimes he's a bit calculated, polished, you know, he's
he's protecting his empire. That's what CEOs do, and Lebron
is the league's CEO.
Speaker 3 (29:53):
But but the knock.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
There is there is this rub is that And I've
heard this through years that Lebron, who's Lebron? What is Lebron?
You know, he and the late Kobe weren't close. He
and Lebron. It's a weird thing. Sure, I mean, are
the criticisms of Lebron that he's a bit too calculated,
(30:16):
a bit too measured?
Speaker 3 (30:18):
Is it fair?
Speaker 7 (30:21):
I mean, this is a lot to unpack here, So
let me try to give it it's just due.
Speaker 4 (30:27):
First of all, I.
Speaker 7 (30:29):
I have massive respect for Russell Westbrook's career, Russell Westbrook
the man and the player. I also think there is
a lack of self awareness with Russ since he's stopped
being an MVP caliber player that has significantly damaged every
(30:50):
single team he's been on. And it's and for Russ
and certainly for Russ's fans, it's never Russ's fault. It's always,
you know, people didn't let Russ be Russ, when the
reality is for the last six years, letting Russ be
Russ means empty calorie, non winning basketball, like that first
(31:10):
ballot Hall of Famer. He's one of the fifty greatest
players ever. It's just been a rough last half decade.
Speaker 4 (31:16):
So there's that piece of it. Do I think that.
Speaker 7 (31:18):
Probably Russ and Lebron's personalities are very different?
Speaker 4 (31:22):
Sure?
Speaker 7 (31:23):
Do I also think that as we are now in
year twenty three of Lebron James being in the spotlight,
that a guy who has the biggest scandal he was
ever a part of was the decision which then raised
a couple million dollars for charity that people have been
(31:43):
trying to more than any athlete of my lifetime, find
some some cardinal sin or grievous error that he made,
to the point to where a couple of weeks ago,
when it was he was clearly going to do some
type of ad with the decision too, folks pretended that
they thought he was going to announce his retirement at
(32:04):
noon on a Tuesday, and they acted all offended by it.
Speaker 4 (32:09):
That now, what people have come down to.
Speaker 7 (32:12):
Is, you know what, I don't like the cut of
his jib, and I think he lies about reading books.
Speaker 4 (32:18):
He hasn't read.
Speaker 7 (32:20):
That's my problem with Lebron, Like, give me a break.
The guy has been these spokesman, the face, the ambassador
of this league for a quarter century, almost more than
twenty percent of the time the NBA has existed. Lebron
James has been at the eppie center of it and
(32:41):
does not have a substantial misstep to his name, and
not a scandal on or off the court. So I
understand he's an easy guy to go after in this regard.
And yes, of course he is calculated, and yes, of
course he had Anything he says or.
Speaker 4 (32:58):
Does is going to be dissected.
Speaker 7 (33:00):
He asked me very careful with it, but I think
that he has handled that spotlight better than quite literally
any other athlete of our lives.
Speaker 1 (33:09):
Nick Wright, I agree. First things first, I'll leave you
with this. This doesn't mean anything. Please, this doesn't mean anything.
I just want to throw it out there because I'm
very data driven. Bo Nix's college winning percentage was seventy
percent and Patrick's was forty four.
Speaker 7 (33:24):
Well, another way, you know what that means a lot,
because that's another piece of data that shows bo Nicks
is nothing like Patrick Mahomes. And I agree with that.
Talk to you everybody, all.
Speaker 3 (33:37):
Right, great, Nick Right, appreciate that.
Speaker 1 (33:39):
Yeah, I mean you know it's Chris Rock had a
line years ago. A man is as loyal as his options,
and similar to that, you know everybody's I can't believe
you took the money from them and you did that.
You don't have any options. People with options take advantage
of options. The other thing is, whenever I hear well,
this guy is calculated, this guy is protecting his brand. Yeah,
(34:03):
he's got one. That's what happens when you're worth a
billion dollars. Tiger would have been better to protect his brand, right,
there's a lot of guys who have had a brand
and butchered it, so listen. I do think there are
times Lebron on the Internet and on the Instagram is
pretty it's pretty calculated, you know. I think that's fair
(34:25):
to say. But he's he's got a lot to protect.
Here's another number. I wish I had nick fourth quarter
passer rating this year Bo Nicks one oh one mahomes
immediately ninety eight. The dad is coming out. It's pretty clear,
pretty pretty clear. Greg Olsen's around the corner as well
(34:46):
in Chicago.
Speaker 3 (34:47):
It's one more heard.
Speaker 2 (34:51):
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Speaker 8 (34:59):
Hey, it's me Rob Parker. Check out my weekly MLB podcast,
Inside the Parker for twenty two minutes of piping hot
baseball talk, featuring the biggest names the newsmakers in the sport.
Whether you believe in analytics or the I test, We've
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(35:21):
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you get your podcast.
Speaker 1 (35:31):
It's got a very interesting game Sunday. The Bills are
in no mood to fool around. They're at the Panthers Sunday.
Greg Olsen will be calling it Fox Sports and he
is joining me live. You know, it's interesting when you
have a great I mean, you play with Cam Newton,
when you have a dynamic quarterback, everybody thinks, well, things
(35:52):
are easier, but you.
Speaker 3 (35:54):
Know a lot comes with that.
Speaker 1 (35:56):
And I look at Buffalo, the team you're doing, and
I'm I'm like, oh my god, you want them to
be Superman. But not too often you break down the
film on Buffalo. What is Is it just they need
another perimeter weapon? Is it that simple? Diagnose the problems?
What you see in a team right now that feels
they're a little lost, they're a little off center.
Speaker 3 (36:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (36:20):
So I really just dove into their game, especially the
most recent game you had to buy and so the
week before in the loss against Atlanta, And so I
saw the Bills in preseason up in Chicago.
Speaker 4 (36:31):
None of the real stars played.
Speaker 6 (36:32):
Josh didn't play, but had a chance to spend some
time with McDermott, Joe Brady and a lot of those
guys from our Carolina days that we know, and I
think they know how good they can be. I think
they understand they have to continue to try to offload
as much as possible off Josh Allen. And now it
goes without saying he's the best player in the league,
the raigning MVP. The ball should be in his hand
(36:54):
right And when you look at what they've been over
the last couple of years compared to what they really
tried to do, especially in most recent game against Atlanta,
I actually really liked it. You know, you saw in
the Atlanta game they're back, They're under center more. They're
trying to do some more under center, play action first
and second down, playing with some bigger bodies, multiple tight ends,
jumbo tight ends, and trying to just get out of
the mode where Josh Stan's in the shotgun. Every ball
(37:17):
snapped him. It's very hard to get play action out
of the gun. You're seeing a lot of the really
good teams. You've been seeing Mahomes do it now more
in Kansas City, teams are starting to understand the best
downs to throw the ball are first and second, and
the best way to do it oftentimes is through play action.
So I think Buffalo is still trying to figure out
(37:37):
what is that blend between keeping Josh in the gun,
snap it to him and let him create both as
a scramble runner, a designed runner, and of course as
a passer, but also unloading some of the pressure and
putting some more on Cook in the run game, and
putting some more on the offensive line and generating some
free open receivers in the play action layers and whatnot.
So I think Joe Brady's still trying to figure out
(37:59):
what that badole is. But I like the Again, it
didn't result in a win, but I actually think going
forward that's going to pay them some dividends because I
don't care how good you are every single play the
ball being in the hands of your shotgun quarterback to
just expect it to make magic, especially like to your point,
you don't have like a Justin Jefferson, a true star
(38:21):
single receiver. I think teams are finding it more and
more difficult in today's NFL.
Speaker 1 (38:27):
So I said, I watch body language a lot with
quarterbacks and coaches, and I watched Ben Johnson with Caleb Williams,
and there's a resting, discouraged face. I look at this offense,
and I think Caleb's good at the podium. I like
the run game, I like the defense. I think Ben's
excellent and smart. Is it possible that Caleb's going to
(38:48):
be a franchise quarterback. He's never going to be sixty
eight percent. You're gonna get a lot of big plays,
You're gonna get a lot of horsepower.
Speaker 3 (38:57):
I think he's a good kid.
Speaker 1 (38:58):
But when I watch that offense, man, do they leave
a lot on the floor. There are a lot of
open looks. He's you know, this was the knock in
college consistent accuracy, it's the knock in the NFL.
Speaker 3 (39:11):
Is it possible?
Speaker 1 (39:13):
And I guess you could go back to cam that
it's like, hey, listen, we just know what he is
and we know what he struggles with, and let's just
build around it.
Speaker 6 (39:20):
And I think you also have to look at the
point of where he is in his career. I mean,
you look at last year as almost the lost year, right.
I know, he played a lot of games, but there
was a lot of dysfunction, there was a lot of turnover,
there was coaching changes. So you look at you know,
you look at the year prior and you say Okay,
what really was the benefit from that. Well, now incomes
Ben Johnson, and I think you're seeing more and more
(39:41):
franchises adopt. You know, there's a very famous phrase, right
that franchises fail young quarterbacks more than young quarterbacks fail franchises.
And I think you're seeing it with what Kevin O'Connell
is doing with some of these rebirth of Sam Darnold,
who now continued it in Seattle. And you know, you're
seeing what goes on with so many of these quarterbacks
that were for dead. You know, they couldn't play. Daniel
(40:02):
Jones was thrown out in New York, and you make
an argument Indianapolis is the best offense in the league.
If not, they're in the conversation as the top two
or three. So fit is such an important part of
all this. And then you factor in just how young
Caleb is and how fresh he is in his NFL career.
I think there's been great growth. I think Ben Johnson
is obviously wonderful at what he does. I think his
(40:24):
energy not only from an ex'es and o's. I think
he's highly demanding. I think he comes across this this
nice guy, but I think he is a real. He
is highly disciplined, holds guys to really high standards. He's
very clear in his communication, and I think that's been
good for Caleb. So I think we've seen a ton
of growth here through the first half, you know, call
it rough third to you know, forty percent of the
(40:46):
season thus far. I think the expectations he continues to improve.
I don't think anyone in Chicago right now should be
having any conversations about looking anywhere else for quarterback for
the foreseeable future then Caleb Williams, because he should just
continue to improve. Now, what is the ceiling? Is he
Patrick Mahomes? Is he Josh Allen? Who knows? Very few
(41:09):
guys are. But I think their trajectory, the improvement, the
turnaround we've seen already with to your point, a lot
of room left to grow. I think if I'm a
Bears fan, I'm highly encouraged.
Speaker 1 (41:20):
So you've been doing the tight end university down. I
think Nashville, isn't that what you're holding every year? So
I saw I watched him play all last year at
Penn State, Tyler Warren. I saw him have seventeen catches
against USC. He walks into the league, I mean, even
Antonio Gates, it took him a year to find his
(41:41):
space a little bit. Or I remember Gronk being very good,
very early, but he had some injuries in college.
Speaker 3 (41:47):
I didn't know.
Speaker 1 (41:48):
Much about Gronk. This kid has walked in and pretty much.
I always say, it's one thing to be productive, it's
another to be open all the time. Did you spot
this kid years ago that he come out of nowhere?
Did you know about Tyler Warren years ago?
Speaker 6 (42:04):
Yeah, I was just surprised that he wasn't the first
Titan taken. I'll be honest.
Speaker 4 (42:07):
I know you know the Bears took Loveland.
Speaker 6 (42:08):
I'm pretty sure the Bears took Loveland if I had
that right out of Michigan. So I thought the assumption
was that Warren was going to be the top pick.
I think I think Indianapolis from the very beginning did
a really nice job, Chris Ballard, obviously Shane Steiken identifying
just the value that a kid like him to bring.
I think we all remember him from college lining up
at wildcat quarterback and some of the funky formations where
(42:32):
he's lining up like I think there was the one
play he was the center in an unbalanced and he
ended up catching the ball like they did a lot
of really creative things with him. But I think Shane
Steiken is as good of an offensive mind. You think
back a couple of years ago under Siriani, his offense,
his offense in that evolution of that team for their
first Super Bowl run. When they ended up losing that game,
(42:53):
we covered then obviously he went and got the head
job with the Colts kind of disappeared maybe from the
national scene as like the offensive gru just because the
Colts run overly, you know, competitive and has some struggles.
But I think now with Daniel Jones, the job he's done,
I think Tyler Warren coming into the league, you're exactly right.
When I came into the league years ago, there was
(43:13):
an assumption that tight ends took a couple of years
to adopt the NFL game. But you look recently what
Brock Bauers did last year in his first year with
the Raiders, and what Tyler Warren's doing. I mean, we're
starting to see a faster evolution, a faster growth. I
think part of that is just the tight end position
in college is a little bit more. It's less guys
(43:33):
making a position change it's less guys. You know, we're
wide receivers when they were young, or running backs. These
kids are now growing up a lot of them, maybe
I know Warren fight some other positions, but they're growing
up understanding the position playing true tight end at the
college level, I think the job that Ben State did
with Warren and now the job that Shane Steiken is
doing with him he's leading the league is for tight
(43:56):
ends and receiving yards. I think he's like third in catches,
just unheard of from a rookie, and it seems like
every game you watch, he's open.
Speaker 4 (44:05):
He's open in the end zone. He's dynamic with the ball.
Speaker 6 (44:08):
He's good enough that he could be on the field
on first and second down and get his nose bloody
and get in there and compete in the run game. Yeah,
he's I don't know if he's as dynamic as brought
Bowers from just like a speed and just that top end.
But from a production standpoint, now, the last two years
we've seen tight ends really take the NFL by storm,
and that's that's pretty hard to do.
Speaker 1 (44:30):
So when I watched Bo Nixon, Jackson Dart this weekend,
I mean, neither's got a huge arm. I think Jackson
darts arms pretty good. There's something to be said about
confidence and I when I watched that game, my takeaway
was more than anything, they're not overwhelmed by it. They're
(44:52):
totally confident. Guys like Jackson Darts like, bring it on,
bring that the I mean he made a bad pick.
I always said, my favorite part of Andrew Luck so
terrible picks. Laugh, blame himself, grab his helmet and throw
the ball.
Speaker 3 (45:05):
Right at you again, like had a short memory. I think,
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (45:09):
You've been around pro athletes your whole life. I watched
Dart and bow Nicks. I can see the self belief
as a consumer watching on television. That's what I saw Sunday.
Dart's not afraid going to Denver on the road altitude
that defense you played there, Brady struggled there.
Speaker 3 (45:29):
That's a rough place to play.
Speaker 6 (45:32):
Yeah, I mean watching that game, I was in the
airport in Minneapolis getting ready to fly home for my game,
and just you know, it was nineteen nothing.
Speaker 4 (45:39):
They go for two. They don't get it.
Speaker 6 (45:41):
We could discuss whether that was right or wrong, and
then the series of events that played out from that
moment to obviously how the game ended on the field
goal was just I couldn't even believe what I was watching,
just from a game flow, in the back and forth.
But as far as the two young quarterbacks, yeah, I
mean there's a notion in the NFL the only guys
that aren't going to have bad days and the only
(46:02):
guys that aren't gonna play and have bad you know,
have bad moments. And the guys that stand on the sideline,
like if you're afraid to make mistakes, if you're afraid
to throw picks, if you're afraid to drop the ball, fumble,
whatever your position is, if.
Speaker 4 (46:13):
The fear of failure paralyzes.
Speaker 6 (46:15):
You, you're gonna find yourself standing on the sideline quite
a bit in this league because bad things are gonna happen.
Speaker 4 (46:21):
Things are going to go against you.
Speaker 6 (46:23):
And and the guys that have this uncanny ability to
rally and to get their get their confidence back. You
don't know if they've thrown three picks or three or
three touchdowns, their command of the huddle, the way they
interact with their teammates on the sideline. I mean, Jackson
dar and I know they lost, but when he came
off the sideline, after his you know, little quarterback design
(46:43):
run on the goal line, which was a great play
design that he you know, he extends the ball, he
gets the touchdown. I know it ended in heartbreak and
bo Nicks deserves a lot of credit. But like when
he came off the sideline, the way he greeted his coaches,
the way he greeted the veterans on the team, you
can just tell they do look at him as like
you're a fun story, you're the rookie, but like you
(47:04):
stand over there and let He is arguably the ring
leader of that group. And he's only started now a
couple of games. So certain guys have that personality. They
have a little charisma. There's a belief that when they're
on the field, we have a chance. And I love
his energy. Is he gonna throw picks, Yes, he's he
gonna have bad decisions. Of course, He's going to continue
(47:25):
to get better. You can't teach competitive spirit. You either
have it or you don't, and I think both those
young quarterbacks have it.
Speaker 3 (47:32):
The Chiefs look like the best team in the league
by a touchdown, do they not?
Speaker 1 (47:36):
I said this, it's amazing. They do a great job
of everybody makes mistakes. Every GM whiffs it's impossible. They
identify very quickly mistakes. They don't let pride or ego
get in the way. You know, it's they've got a
sail boat mentality even though they're an aircraft carrier. They
can turn very quickly like doesn't work, does work, Let's
(47:58):
bring juju back?
Speaker 3 (47:59):
Doesn't work?
Speaker 1 (48:00):
I watch Kansas City and I'm like, I feel so
much of their successes upstairs is before the snap.
Speaker 3 (48:10):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (48:11):
You've been around a lot, you talk to a lot
of players. I think sometimes they're functioning at just a
higher level than everybody else.
Speaker 6 (48:18):
Yeah, and I think the part that you nailed is
just their ability to reinvent themselves and don't feel like
they need to play the same cookie cutter approach week
in week out, let alone, season in season out. You know,
And if you take a look at the last handful
of years, right the year they won the Super Bowl
when they beat Philadelphia, we covered a bunch of those game.
Obviously we covered the Super Bowl, we covered that part.
(48:39):
They transitioned themselves through that draft, and obviously Spags, the
defensive coordinator, is one of the best in the business.
Speaker 4 (48:45):
They went from a.
Speaker 6 (48:47):
Quarterback led, offensive court, offensive head coach, and Andy Reid
and Mahomes and superstars, offensive driven. They knew they needed
to invest themselves in all those young defensive talent, and
they took their lumps early in that year, and that
young defense got better and better and better, and then
it kind.
Speaker 4 (49:04):
Of flipped on its head.
Speaker 6 (49:05):
The following year, the offense really struggled, does Mahomes have
enough weapons? And all of a sudden, this young defense,
you've now become a defensive lead team. And then they
went from a shotgun We're going to throw the ball
in every down and put the ball on Mahomes's hand
to you know what, we're out, Rashi Rice Xavier Worthy's out.
Speaker 4 (49:23):
We might have to get under center a little bit more.
Speaker 6 (49:25):
And that's not really what Andy and Patrick Mahomes have
been in their Kansas City chief days. They're thrown at
thirty five times a game from gun, but they don't
have to play the same style of game to beat you.
It could be offensive lead, it could be defensive lead.
When one is struggling, the other seams to always kind
of elevate their game. I think now as you see
them get healthy, I think now as you see them
(49:46):
start getting some of their offensive weapons back.
Speaker 4 (49:48):
You're starting to see that offense click. I think from
a I'm with you.
Speaker 6 (49:53):
I think from a well rounded balanced offense, defense, youth
superstars at the correct positions, I think, and then obviously
Andy Reid being one of the all time greats as
a head coach play caller. I think, when you add
it all up, if they continue to stay healthy and
they continue to keep these guys on the field that
they've gotten back, I'm with you.
Speaker 4 (50:13):
I don't it's going to be very hard.
Speaker 6 (50:16):
Especially some of the AFC teams that we had high
hopes for are coming into the year that have really
had disappointing seasons.
Speaker 4 (50:22):
But the exception of Buffalo, Like, who do you really feel.
Speaker 6 (50:24):
Confident in the AFC with the game on the line,
is ready right now to beat them?
Speaker 4 (50:29):
And I think the answer is nobody.
Speaker 3 (50:32):
Yeah, That's how I feel.
Speaker 1 (50:34):
Greg Olsen, Fox Sports as OLA's it's great.
Speaker 3 (50:38):
It's great chatting. I love talking to you.
Speaker 4 (50:39):
Man, appreciate it. Colin, It's always good to be on it.
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Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
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CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist
It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.