December 16, 2025 • 32 mins
Colin Cowherd breaks down why the Pittsburgh Steelers’ path to yet another winning season and potential playoff appearance may actually be holding the franchise back in today’s NFL. Is consistent mediocrity worse than a full rebuild?
Plus, Colin reveals this week’s Herd Hierarchy, ranking the top 10 teams in the NFL, including why the Green Bay Packers fall out of the list and what’s fueling the Chicago Bears’ rise into the top five.
Then, Nick Wright from First Things First joins the show to debate the state of the Kansas City Chiefs, explaining why Patrick Mahomes and company remain close to Super Bowl contention despite missing the playoffs for the first time in 11 years.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Herd podcast.
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Speaker 2 (00:19):
This is the Best of the Herd with Colin Cowver
on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Here we go on a Tuesday Herd Hierarchy.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
One hour from now, Nick RD. An hour from now,
we are live. We're in Chicago. It's the Herd.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Steelers do what they usually do on Monday night when
they're at home. They win. It is great to have
you in ball me up her twenties in Chicago. I
feel like walking around with my shirt offs. Absolutely fantastic.
So let's start with positive. Uncle Kalma Aaron Rodger comes
(01:00):
to Pittsburgh. Took a tone deaf and mostly dead offense
for the last seven years, and he's made it competent,
not great, not elite, but they were atrocious in the
red zone last year. Now they're top three time of
possession yards per play. It's a competent offense, but as
I'm watching them beat lifeless Miami. The downside is they're
(01:23):
currently drafting twentieth and they have a stop gap at quarterback,
no long term solution, and they don't have any assets
to trade up.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
TJ.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Watt Old, Cam Hayward Old, Jalen Ramsey Old. They let
go of Pickens, Aaron's Old. So how many first round
picks do you want to give up to go get
Mendoza or maybe a Dante more So, again, it feels good,
it's a candy rush, but it's groundhog day. Stop gap
at quarterback barely above five hundred, rinse and repeat, and
(01:58):
that's where we are. And they also are dominant at
home on Monday Night football. They just don't lose. So
I feel like the Steeler model is what I have
a problem with. They care about two things that just
don't matter to people with high standards. One of them is, hey,
we've got a winning record. Sean Payton never talks about that.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
In Denver. It's it's not a thing.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Sixty teams since two thousand and three have had winning
records and missed the playoffs. If you have high standards,
winning record is not a top three or four thing.
Winning division winning playoff, winning conference championships, winning Super Bowls,
winning a big free agency on a star quarterback in
his prime. That's the stuff people care about winning. The
other thing is winning on winning on Monday Night football?
Speaker 3 (02:43):
Yepee? How about winning in January? Been a while, so.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
I think again, Aaron Rodgers deserves to me a ton
of praise. He's a forty two year old guy, and
he was much better. I mean, he's a different class
a quarterback than Tua. The Dolphin's got to cut eight
with two of that thing's over. He has a backup
quarterback in this league. But I think this one stat
about the Steelers really sums up the organization. Seventeen teams
(03:11):
in the NFL, slightly more than half have a positive
point differential. Where are the Steelers seventeenth just tread and water,
just barely just got their chin above it, and that's
what they are. Aaron has turned their red zone woes
(03:33):
into red zone wins. At forty two. Not a great
o line, not a dependable run game OC so Aaron
deserves all sorts of praise and short term it feels
really good.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
But I look at last night.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
I'm sitting there in the third quarter and I think
they had like a twenty one to three lead, And
I'm like, what does it mean? It feels like Aaron
is one of those consultants that used to come by
local TV stations or radio stations I would work for
and it was a fresh set of eyes, and you'd
bring them in and they could solve some little problems
(04:11):
in the building. But consultants always left pretty soon, and
all the big stuff like bad ownership or a bad
GM or you know, not very good content. They couldn't
solve the big stuff. Aaron can't solve the fact they
spend way too much money on defense. And Aaron can't
solve the fact they still just love bragging about winning
(04:34):
on Monday Night football. So Aaron's gonna leave here pretty quick,
maybe comes back for one more year. So congratulations. Aaron
deserves a lot of praise. I've been critical. He's done
a good job. They were a mess in the red zone.
They're now good in the red zone, top three in
the league. They were bottom four last year. And Aaron's
(04:54):
always played well in these cold, harsh environments. He was
a California kid, but Green Bay, Pittsburgh, He's good in
these spots. Here's here's Mike Tomlin after another Monday Night win.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
Man. We love Monday Night football.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
Mission accomplished.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Certainly, we wanted to engineer a victory, but we wanted
to do it in a certain way. We believe in
the strength of the pack and and a lot of
guys stepped up certainly and made that a truism.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
About the imports and playing well and the supper. Do
you feel like your team's getting there? You know, see
you next week, keep watching.
Speaker 4 (05:30):
Been a while since been a part of stuff like this.
Nothing changes, It's just, you know, I feel real comfortable
in this environment. Obviously, the crowd was really good at night,
but I feel comfortable in the cold weather. And I've
always been able to throw up pretty good in the
cold over the years in Green Bay, and it can
be an advantage if you, you know, if you embrace it.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
Yeah, I mean between Philip Rivers, Kirk Cousins on Thursday
and Aaron Rodgers, old guys are crushing in December in
the NFL. So Kansas City has been a really well
run organization for a long time. I mean, the Hunt
family does it right. They're gonna miss the playoffs for
(06:11):
the first time. In eleven years, not Jess Mahomes, pre Mahomes,
Alex Smith.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
They make the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
And my interpretation of this is missing the playoffs is perfect.
It's a cold glass of water to the face because
sometimes you make the playoffs. Pittsburgh's a great example, and
you're like, you know what, we're inches away. This is
a rebuild, not a reboot. I'll give you an example.
(06:38):
The last three years Kansas City with Andy Reid and
Mahomes and Travis Kelcey Hall of Famer are sixteenth in
points per game, eighteenth in yards per play, and twenty
fourth in big plays. Does that sound like a tweak
in an offensive league. Here's Albert Breer on what the
(06:59):
Patriot it's Belichick decided to do.
Speaker 5 (07:03):
Interestingly enough, was almost at the same juncture of Brady's
careers has happened with Mahomes.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
Now look back right.
Speaker 5 (07:12):
So two thousand and eight, Brady goes down Matt Castle
wins eleven games. That causes the Patriots to say, Okay,
we're going to lean in and try to win with
this aging roster one more time. It doesn't work in
two thousand and nine, then the beginning of twenty ten,
Belichick goes in and literally tears all sorts of evidence
of any championship football off the walls and says, we're
starting over again. And then they really got on a heater.
(07:35):
From a draft perspective.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
I honestly think that's what Kansas City needs. I've been
asking every guest rebuild or retool.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
Who's their fourth best player.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
Trent McDuffie, Mahomes who may not be available next year,
Creed Humphrey, who's their fourth best player in their prime?
Because the Rams have about twelve, Eagles have twelve, Lions
have nine. Started looking around, Baltimore's got eight. So the Chargers,
by the way, in division, are getting both their offensive
(08:05):
tackles back, and Harbaugh's going to ace his third straight
draft like they've done really well drafting because Harbaugh Ortiz
they know that college game. By the way, bow Nix
is getting really good, and that Russell Wilson dead cap hit.
It's off the books that they're going to get better
when you've got a Harbaugh, Sean Payton, bow Knicks Herbert
(08:28):
in division, tweaking is not their issue twenty fourth on
big plays. They have offensive issues, and that's with Andy Reid.
The best offensive play designer arguably we've had since. Like
Bill Walsh right like, it's not a tweak. You got
to take this boat back to port and rebuild it.
(08:48):
Think about this, The NFL allows forty percent of the
teams in this league into the playoffs. Jacksonville's getting in,
Houston's getting in. Not historically well run franchises getting in.
If Miami would have one last night, they still have
a life. The tone deaf to offense Steelers are probably
(09:13):
going to get in Baltimore offense.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
Is broken, completely broken.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
Still may it in Kansas City, won't With reading Mahomes,
I don't buy that. It's just a it's a red
tool again. Boat back to port, rebuild it. Good stuff today,
Nick right drew Bledsoe stops by the Miami situation with Tua.
It's you know, I don't mean to beat a dead horse.
(09:40):
But small quarterbacks. Remember when Russell Wilson regressed badly, like
in a year and a half, we were like, what
what is it? If you watched two today and two
years ago, he is a backup and not a great backup.
Small quarterbacks age really quickly. I'm Kyler Murray. Does Arizona
(10:01):
even want to play them anymore. He'll have a market,
by the way, because there's eight desperate teams and only
one star coming out. We think Dante morstays at Oregon,
but that's where we are today.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
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Hey is Covino and Rich from Fox Sports Radio.
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Now.
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Speaker 3 (10:54):
Go our two.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
It Isn't Tuesday, one of my favorite fifteen minute segments
of the week.
Speaker 3 (10:59):
We are live.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
It's the Herd wherever you may be, however you may
be watching, listening, whatever the platform is.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
Thanks for making us part of your day. So Nick
Ryde will be on in about five minutes. Tough decision this.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
Week on the hurd hierarchy, and I said this about
the Green Bay Packers. Tuck her Craft out, Micah out,
Christian Watson out Kenny Clark in a trade out. That's
for their top six players. They're not the same team.
They are not the same team. They don't make the
hurd hierarchy. Sorry, well what about last week?
Speaker 3 (11:33):
What about it?
Speaker 1 (11:34):
They got two of their top three stars hurt, maybe
their top two stars hurt.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
Here we go on a Tuesday.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
The herd hierarchy heard hierarchy. Now go the top ten
NFL teams according to College Number ten.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
I'll put Philadelphia in seven of their nine wins, though
of coming one score games, they're three and five when
allowing twenty one plus points. And in the playoffs you're
gonna face better quarterbacks. Their defense, it's excellent, the roster
is excellent, but I don't trust Jalen Hurts or Nick
Ceriani in big spots. Again, they play the Commanders twice
(12:12):
in the next three weeks, so they're gonna flex and
look impressive. But this offense feels like it's been broken
since Week one. Number nine, the Jags you can't run
on them, and Liam Collen has done wonders for Trevor
Lawrence's confidence.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
He's running more.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
They have the number one scoring offense and number two
scoring defense on their five game winning streak. Do I
trust them in a big spot? No, but this is
the closest version of the Trevor Lawrence we all fell
in love with the Clemson I have the Jags at nine,
number eight.
Speaker 3 (12:44):
The Bills.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
Listen, they got totally worked for the first half of
that game after losing to New England. Everybody thinks, well,
they scored on five straight touchdown drives. Okay, they do
run the ball, but are so overly dependent on super
Man at quarterback. Yes, Josh Allen has been very good
in December games.
Speaker 3 (13:05):
I'll give you that.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
And in the last couple of weeks they have almost
six hundred total yards. You know Josh Allen does, so,
I'm not saying he's not great. Don't trust them situationally,
don't trust anybody with a ball in their hands other
than Josh Allen.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
I have him at eight, number seven.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
Elite coaching, maybe the best coaching staff this year in
the league. Sala on defense doing it with smoking mirrors
in Kyle Shanahan. Four wins in a row, all by
ten plus points, brought pretty Finally. I thought this week
finally looked totally healthy, had a lot of juice, a
lot of energy. I mean there are four losses have
(13:44):
come against good teams, the Rams and the Jags and
the Texans and the Bucks. So they beat the teams
they should and right now on third down with Brock
pretty they move the chains. So this is a very
dangerous team number six. But Seattle's got a big boy
defense Sam Donald. Yes, he leads the NFL in giveaways,
(14:07):
but he also leads in yards per attempt. It is
a big playoffense that can also play with a lead.
They can play conservatively and win because they can run
the ball well coached played defense, second best odds right
now to win the Super Bowl twenty three straight games,
not allowing somebody one hundred yards rushing, Meaning if you
(14:28):
beat him, you know, Sam Donald's gonna get his thirteen possessions.
JSN is gonna get thirteen possessions. That running game is
gonna work. I think they're going to be a really
tough out Seattle at six.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
Number five.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
I still like the Patriots they had a bad half.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
It happens.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
They're a young team, missing their left tackle in their
left guard. Their issue is they're not very good in
the red zone on either side of the ball. And
that's why I don't think they're a super Bowl team.
They're not good defensively. They need another draft. I've been
saying it all year. They're ahead of schedule. They need
another draft. They need more help on the offensive line
(15:07):
and more help in the secondary. Number four the Bears.
Tell me what they don't do. They play in bad
weather very well. They run the ball, They're dynamic, great
offensive coach, excellent o line, take the ball away.
Speaker 3 (15:21):
What don't they do? They're built for January.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
Well, you know there can be a Caleb's completion percentage. Lord,
he's so gifted. I'm just gonna eight and two over
their last ten games. Number one rush offense since Week five,
Number two in big plays. They feel like a team
that could end up in the conference championship. Tell me
what they don't do, complete bubble screens. Okay, you got
(15:47):
me there. That's what college quarterbacks need. I have them
at number four.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
Number three.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
I think the Texans defense is the best unit in
Pro football.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
They're eight and zero.
Speaker 1 (15:57):
If they can just score twenty points one un scoring defense.
Speaker 3 (16:01):
I mean they faced that.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
Rams offense early in the season held in the fourteen points.
And I've always liked CJ.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
Stroud. I don't get the criticisms. If you give.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
Him two and a half seconds, he's outstanding. I really
like Houston. I think they're gonna make the AFC Championship.
I'm not sure who they're gonna face, probably Denver, but
I think the Texans right now are a bye bye
bye number two Denver. Listen, can we stop arguing about
(16:30):
bow Knicks. I've been comparing him to Caleb Williams for weeks.
I wish he was a little more consistent, but the
guy is an unbelievable athlete. He doesn't take sacks. I
said he's a right handed Steve Young. He was dreadful
for about a four week period earlier this year. Well,
Caleb couldn't get the operations down in September. But between
Caleb and bow Knicks, we got to stop doubting them.
(16:53):
Opposing teams, by the way, are three to ten after
facing Denver.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
So they beat you, and they beat you up.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
Number one.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
Listen, the Rams most complete roster in the NFL, although
I don't love their corners out gained their opponents by
in the last month by over five hundred yards. But
Blake Koram has now popped at running back, so they
have a one to two punch. They have four tight
ends who are capable. Davonte will probably be out for
(17:23):
three weeks. They don't get the pass rush. I think
they should for the talent they have, but some of
that is none of their pass rushers outside of Puna Ford,
who's a run stopper, they don't. They're all kids. They're
not in their prime yet. I have the Rams at
number one. No Packers, I'm sorry, they're not the same
team today. Take out Watson, Micah, Kenny, Clark in the
(17:44):
trade and Kraft. I have them at eleven, Chargers at twelve.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
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Speaker 1 (17:57):
With that Nick Wright, First things first stops by all Right,
hurd hierarchy.
Speaker 3 (18:01):
What don't you like?
Speaker 7 (18:03):
Well, listen, I really like a lot of it. Most notably,
I feel like the Niners have flown under the radar
all year long. They're alive for the one seed right
now despite all the injuries. I think it's Shanahan's best
coaching job to date. So I like how high you
have them ram Seahawks Niners. That division them all having
(18:26):
ten or eleven wins is remarkable. I think the Texans
are That might be a tiny bit high, but I
think the Texans are a terrifying team right now. So
I agree with you. I only really have one real grit. Okay,
why are the Patriots ahead of the.
Speaker 1 (18:41):
Bills because we just tell me, Okay, this is not
the College Football Playoff Committee?
Speaker 3 (18:47):
Head to head, isn't the be all end all? They
played six quarters.
Speaker 1 (18:49):
New England was better significantly in six of the eight
quarters they played. New England was significantly better. I like
New England's coach. The game meant more for Buffalo the season.
Sean Dermit's job could have been in trouble this game
at halftimes, Like we beat them the first time, We
outschemed them in the first half, and then the Patriots,
missing their left tackling left guard, really struggled to sustain drives.
Speaker 7 (19:13):
And that's my reason, man, I feel I guess I
just feel very differently. The first matchup is twenty to
twenty with ninety seconds left, so I don't know how
we got the Patriots thoroughly outplayed on the first four
quarters of the season. That game came down to the wire,
and the second matchup, Buffalo systematically walked them down, and
(19:37):
I and they did it because they have a great
running game, and now that Patrick's hurt, they have the
best healthy player.
Speaker 3 (19:45):
In football and Josh Allen.
Speaker 7 (19:47):
I just think in a wide open AFC, the Bills
are very scary and deserving and I trust them more
than I trust New England, particularly after this matchup. But
other than that, Colin and I'm not sure about Philly.
Let me add one other thing, Philly. Did Philly fix
things or did Philly.
Speaker 3 (20:05):
Face the Raiders? I'm not sure.
Speaker 7 (20:07):
Yeah, so that Philly would be maybe Green Bay in
place of Philly. But otherwise I think it's a really
solid hierarchy.
Speaker 3 (20:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
I think it's like when a college powerhouse faces like
an FCS team, You're like, oh, I won forty eight
to seven.
Speaker 3 (20:20):
You're like, you know, they play Alabama.
Speaker 1 (20:22):
Next week before I get to Mahomes, and I will
get to the Chiefs so I I said this earlier,
and if you had a gifted child that was on
the spectrum a little bit, not rain Man, but on
the spectrum a little bit. And they were literally doing
Beethoven on the piano at eight years old. I wouldn't
(20:43):
lose a ton of sleep if they wore their pajamas
backwards five days a week.
Speaker 3 (20:47):
I'll live with that.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
I'm going to live with Josh Allen, Mahomes and Caleb
throwing some picks lower completion percentage. They're Beethoven at nine
year old. Guys, Caleb made throws this week that looked
like optical illusions. I don't care. I don't care that
he's fifty nine percent. I've watched the DJ Moore play
twenty times. I don't even understand how he threw it.
(21:12):
So my thing on Caleb is, guys, it's like Josh Allen,
I would take less of a completion percentage this year
if he ever threw the ball down the field, which
he doesn't.
Speaker 3 (21:22):
He doesn't have a receiver.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
Where are you on Caleb in the argument that you
know he's just not accurate enough.
Speaker 7 (21:27):
Well, listen, all you could have hoped for this year
was month over month progression over the course of the
season and see could he get better at the layups
while keeping the spectacular.
Speaker 3 (21:47):
And that's what he's done.
Speaker 7 (21:49):
And there are Listen, he is still in a place
in his career, Colin where his low lights are going
to be really grizzly when a player like Matt Stafford
take him the polar opposite example, Stafford's ten worst throws
of the year, none of them are like, what the
(22:09):
hell happened there? It's like, Oh, it's just he thought
he either got tricked or he thought he could fit
it in.
Speaker 3 (22:16):
Trust his arm too much.
Speaker 7 (22:18):
Caleb's ten worst throws, it's like, did that missage target
by twelve yards?
Speaker 3 (22:24):
Maybe?
Speaker 7 (22:24):
But his ten best throws this season can go up
against any other player in the league. And when you
marry that too, a dynamic, dominant running game, a really
sharp head coach, and a defense that I honestly think
is not that good but it's opportunistic and maybe that's lucky.
(22:47):
But whatever it is, they force a bunch of turnovers.
That's a scary team. And if the NFC playoffs, if
they can keep winning and make it so, a team
like the ram So I think have been the best
team in football have to come to Chicago and deal
with that rushing attack and then Caleb doing pardon me,
(23:10):
four or five spectacular things a game that would be
really scary. Like, I am fully confident that Caleb Williams
is going to be a very good quarterback in this league,
and I think he is bordering on almost already being there.
And this year we are seeing more of what we
(23:31):
didn't see as much as rookie year, of the moments
where you're like, wait, he can be a superstar quarterback
in this league. He still needs, obviously to clean some
of the stuff up, but I feel like he's gotten
better in that regard. But it's hard to watch that
throw through four defenders into the back of the end
zone against Cleveland and not be like, man, this is
(23:53):
a special, unique talent on our hands.
Speaker 1 (23:57):
So and I've said, if you like Caleb, have to
at least acknowledge bow Knicks to something, because they're both uneven,
both great late, both really athletic. And I was saying
this about bo Nicks. Sometimes you'll see this in a
lot of different businesses, that a coach finds a player
that he loves and not everybody else loves. Him. There's
not a unanimous agreement. Sean Payton before the draft, loved
(24:21):
bo Nicks because he had a little bit of bo Nicks,
little smaller guy and Drew Brees. And he's like, oh,
that's a more athletic Drew Brees. I thought this game
was one of those games like when the Bears went
to Philly and all the doubters went, Okay, maybe they're good.
I think all the doubters on bow Knicks. I think
he's so much more athletic than he gets credit for.
I said he's a right handed Steve Young, like he
(24:41):
just he is fast.
Speaker 3 (24:43):
I watched him twice, landed Steve, it's the estem.
Speaker 7 (24:47):
Young's one of the twelve greatest quarterbacks ever. This is
where you and I, Colin are just different broadcasters, because
a month ago you and I were in lockstep on
bow Knicks.
Speaker 3 (25:02):
We both thought he wasn't very good.
Speaker 7 (25:04):
And now you've got him as a right handed Steve Young,
and I feel pretty tethered to my previous take. But
you have none of you like Hey, new information, new games.
I've changed my opinion deal with in America. I don't
have that ability the way you do it at least
at least in that regard.
Speaker 3 (25:21):
Here's what I will say.
Speaker 7 (25:23):
In defense of bon Nicks. In fairness to bow Knicks,
I thought the Chiefs game that he played was up
to that moment, the best game of his career, and
then two weeks later I thought the Washington game was
the best game of his career, and then this game
against Green Bay was hands down the best game of
(25:43):
his career. So in the last month or so, I
think he has played the three best games of his career.
He obviously is not too scared of a big moment,
and the team obviously has been excellent.
Speaker 3 (25:55):
All year long. I still, my.
Speaker 7 (26:00):
Gut tells me that that Packers game is more of
the aberration than it's going to be the trend. But
I have to be fair and be open to the
possibility that I was wrong about him. Thus far, I
have been dead wrong obviously about the Broncos.
Speaker 3 (26:16):
They've been excellent.
Speaker 7 (26:17):
My gut still tells me quarterback is their weak link,
and even though they're gonna be the one seed, when
they don't make the Super Bowl, it will be because
of failings at the quarterback position. But he has an
opportunity and Sean Payton has an opportunity to prove all
the doubters and skeptics, of which I was one of
(26:38):
the loudest wrong. Or we're gonna look back on these
last four games and say that was a positive blip,
but a blip nonetheless, and he's more of the player
we saw the first ten weeks. But the game against
the Packers was stunning and he was excellent.
Speaker 3 (26:56):
Can he do anything.
Speaker 7 (26:57):
Close to that come the postseason, We'll see, But he's
trending in the right direction.
Speaker 3 (27:01):
That's as far as all go.
Speaker 7 (27:03):
You, on the other hand, have him passed fran Tarkington
already and.
Speaker 3 (27:07):
Approaching Steve Young. So it's just different new information, as
you said, the new information. So I think there's a difference.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
This league allows forty percent of the teams in the playoffs,
and Pittsburgh is when one of these teams, like, hey,
we made the playoffs four inches away. I think Kansas
City missing the playoffs a good thing. It's cold water
to the face. It's like forty percent of the teams
get in. You couldn't make it, and like in the
last three years they're like twenty fourth in big plays.
(27:39):
I think they got to take the boat back to
port and rebuild it. I don't think it's a tweak.
I don't think if you look at the last three
years numbers, it's a tweak. Chris Jones, Travis Kelcey, they
let go at Joe Toney left tackle. Still you're not
sure and that this is a great league.
Speaker 3 (27:54):
You can do New England. You can literally go awful
to really good fast.
Speaker 1 (27:58):
But I don't think it's a week I think they
need their fourth best player Mahomes, Creed Humphrey, Trent McDuffie,
and you get to well, kay, Travis Kelsey had some drops.
Speaker 7 (28:09):
Chris Jones still an excellent player. Chris j is too
far on Chris Joe.
Speaker 3 (28:14):
So listen, this is all right.
Speaker 7 (28:16):
You said they were twenty fourth in the league the
last three years in big plays. Again, I know nobody
wants to hear this from me right now, and I
wasn't going.
Speaker 3 (28:23):
To go here.
Speaker 7 (28:24):
Where are they rank in Super Bowls in the league
in the last three years?
Speaker 3 (28:27):
I understand that.
Speaker 7 (28:29):
Listen, this Chief season, let me be very clear, even
if Mahomes hadn't been hurt, this season was a failure. Okay.
I had held out hope that the team they showed
they could be against the Ravens and the Lions was
the team they were going to be, and then after
(28:51):
the bye they were bad every single week. They were
bad against the Broncos, they were bad against the Cowboys,
they were bad against the the Colts and lucky to
win that game, and then bat against the Texans and
against the Chargers they have a thirteen to three lead
going into halftime and then give away a touchdown right
(29:12):
four half like a bad team. So they deserve to
take their medicine here, And you are correct in this regard.
I think we are going to see over the next
few weeks Colin where numbers be damned, how much Patrick
was holding together on his own. I think they're going
to lose to the Titans. I think with the offensive
(29:33):
line with four starters or four tackles down with no
running game, with the issues they're having right now, and
Gardnermanshoe playing quarterback, you're going to see how much Patrick
was carrying, even though his numbers had been suffering the
last month and a half as well. With that set,
I don't think it is a complete overhaul. They have
(29:56):
rebuilt the offensive line, the left tackle they drafted in
the first first round was excellent. He got his wrists
broken and was out. The left guard is a second
year player who's a fine players and not great players.
Fine player in Suamattaya creed humper you mentioned Tray Smith
is that center. Right guard, right tack will be a
question mark.
Speaker 3 (30:15):
That's one spot.
Speaker 7 (30:16):
The wide receivers need to develop. They have spent I've
seen Rashi Rice be great and Xavier Worthy has great traits.
They need to develop on the other side of the ball.
They need a pass.
Speaker 3 (30:27):
Rush other than Chris Jones.
Speaker 7 (30:29):
So it's by no means, you know, a flawless team
right now, even a great team, But they're about to
have the tenth eleventh something like that pick of the
draft and a third place schedule, and Patrick is going
to come back with a vengeance. You address pass rush
in the draft, you sign or and or draft a
(30:49):
running back. You continue to develop your secondary the way
they have ever since Bags has been there, and they'll
be fine.
Speaker 3 (30:56):
But listen, this is the end of a chapter.
Speaker 7 (30:59):
It is as good of a seven year run as
any team in NFL.
Speaker 3 (31:04):
History has ever had seven.
Speaker 7 (31:05):
Final fours, five Super Bowl appearances, three rings. Nobody's ever
done better than that. Over the course of seven years.
You could argue the steel curtain Steelers. That's kind of
a Tomato Tomadel thing. They didn't make as many Super Bowls,
but they did win one more. But this is now
a new chapter and they need to see how they
take advantage of a better draft pick than they've had
(31:27):
in a decade, a potentially softer schedule and they've had
in a decade, and Patrick Mahomes post injury. It is
the exact same process Tom had to go through. Win
in his eighth year as a starter, he blew out
his knee. The next year they won ten games. They
weren't that great. The year after that they were a
fourteen win juggernaut. Once again, we'll see what the Chiefs
(31:50):
look like a year from now. But I think it's
more significant tweaks than it is total overhaul. And if
he's back week one next year, they will be the
AFC West's favorites again if Patrick's back.
Speaker 3 (32:05):
So that's how I look at it. With chapters.
Speaker 1 (32:06):
There was the bow Knicks I'd bench him chapter and
bo Nicks is now Steve Young chapter.
Speaker 3 (32:11):
So we both talk in chapters. I mean, that's one
way to do it. I suppose that's one way to do.
That's why you're the greatest. That's why you're the greatest.
Speaker 1 (32:21):
Okay Nick, Right, First things first, listen a new information.
Speaker 3 (32:25):
Bonnick's stunk in the first month, and now he looks
pretty great to me.
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Herd podcast.
Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox
Sports Radio in noon to three Eastern nine am to
noon Pacific. Find your local station for the Herd at
Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us live every
day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio
or FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
This is the Best of the Herd with Colin Cowver
on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Here we go on a Tuesday Herd Hierarchy.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
One hour from now, Nick RD. An hour from now,
we are live. We're in Chicago. It's the Herd.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Steelers do what they usually do on Monday night when
they're at home. They win. It is great to have
you in ball me up her twenties in Chicago. I
feel like walking around with my shirt offs. Absolutely fantastic.
So let's start with positive. Uncle Kalma Aaron Rodger comes
(01:00):
to Pittsburgh. Took a tone deaf and mostly dead offense
for the last seven years, and he's made it competent,
not great, not elite, but they were atrocious in the
red zone last year. Now they're top three time of
possession yards per play. It's a competent offense, but as
I'm watching them beat lifeless Miami. The downside is they're
(01:23):
currently drafting twentieth and they have a stop gap at quarterback,
no long term solution, and they don't have any assets
to trade up.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
TJ.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Watt Old, Cam Hayward Old, Jalen Ramsey Old. They let
go of Pickens, Aaron's Old. So how many first round
picks do you want to give up to go get
Mendoza or maybe a Dante more So, again, it feels good,
it's a candy rush, but it's groundhog day. Stop gap
at quarterback barely above five hundred, rinse and repeat, and
(01:58):
that's where we are. And they also are dominant at
home on Monday Night football. They just don't lose. So
I feel like the Steeler model is what I have
a problem with. They care about two things that just
don't matter to people with high standards. One of them is, hey,
we've got a winning record. Sean Payton never talks about that.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
In Denver. It's it's not a thing.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Sixty teams since two thousand and three have had winning
records and missed the playoffs. If you have high standards,
winning record is not a top three or four thing.
Winning division winning playoff, winning conference championships, winning Super Bowls,
winning a big free agency on a star quarterback in
his prime. That's the stuff people care about winning. The
other thing is winning on winning on Monday Night football?
Speaker 3 (02:43):
Yepee? How about winning in January? Been a while, so.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
I think again, Aaron Rodgers deserves to me a ton
of praise. He's a forty two year old guy, and
he was much better. I mean, he's a different class
a quarterback than Tua. The Dolphin's got to cut eight
with two of that thing's over. He has a backup
quarterback in this league. But I think this one stat
about the Steelers really sums up the organization. Seventeen teams
(03:11):
in the NFL, slightly more than half have a positive
point differential. Where are the Steelers seventeenth just tread and water,
just barely just got their chin above it, and that's
what they are. Aaron has turned their red zone woes
(03:33):
into red zone wins. At forty two. Not a great
o line, not a dependable run game OC so Aaron
deserves all sorts of praise and short term it feels
really good.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
But I look at last night.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
I'm sitting there in the third quarter and I think
they had like a twenty one to three lead, And
I'm like, what does it mean? It feels like Aaron
is one of those consultants that used to come by
local TV stations or radio stations I would work for
and it was a fresh set of eyes, and you'd
bring them in and they could solve some little problems
(04:11):
in the building. But consultants always left pretty soon, and
all the big stuff like bad ownership or a bad
GM or you know, not very good content. They couldn't
solve the big stuff. Aaron can't solve the fact they
spend way too much money on defense. And Aaron can't
solve the fact they still just love bragging about winning
(04:34):
on Monday Night football. So Aaron's gonna leave here pretty quick,
maybe comes back for one more year. So congratulations. Aaron
deserves a lot of praise. I've been critical. He's done
a good job. They were a mess in the red zone.
They're now good in the red zone, top three in
the league. They were bottom four last year. And Aaron's
(04:54):
always played well in these cold, harsh environments. He was
a California kid, but Green Bay, Pittsburgh, He's good in
these spots. Here's here's Mike Tomlin after another Monday Night win.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
Man. We love Monday Night football.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
Mission accomplished.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Certainly, we wanted to engineer a victory, but we wanted
to do it in a certain way. We believe in
the strength of the pack and and a lot of
guys stepped up certainly and made that a truism.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
About the imports and playing well and the supper. Do
you feel like your team's getting there? You know, see
you next week, keep watching.
Speaker 4 (05:30):
Been a while since been a part of stuff like this.
Nothing changes, It's just, you know, I feel real comfortable
in this environment. Obviously, the crowd was really good at night,
but I feel comfortable in the cold weather. And I've
always been able to throw up pretty good in the
cold over the years in Green Bay, and it can
be an advantage if you, you know, if you embrace it.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
Yeah, I mean between Philip Rivers, Kirk Cousins on Thursday
and Aaron Rodgers, old guys are crushing in December in
the NFL. So Kansas City has been a really well
run organization for a long time. I mean, the Hunt
family does it right. They're gonna miss the playoffs for
(06:11):
the first time. In eleven years, not Jess Mahomes, pre Mahomes,
Alex Smith.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
They make the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
And my interpretation of this is missing the playoffs is perfect.
It's a cold glass of water to the face because
sometimes you make the playoffs. Pittsburgh's a great example, and
you're like, you know what, we're inches away. This is
a rebuild, not a reboot. I'll give you an example.
(06:38):
The last three years Kansas City with Andy Reid and
Mahomes and Travis Kelcey Hall of Famer are sixteenth in
points per game, eighteenth in yards per play, and twenty
fourth in big plays. Does that sound like a tweak
in an offensive league. Here's Albert Breer on what the
(06:59):
Patriot it's Belichick decided to do.
Speaker 5 (07:03):
Interestingly enough, was almost at the same juncture of Brady's
careers has happened with Mahomes.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
Now look back right.
Speaker 5 (07:12):
So two thousand and eight, Brady goes down Matt Castle
wins eleven games. That causes the Patriots to say, Okay,
we're going to lean in and try to win with
this aging roster one more time. It doesn't work in
two thousand and nine, then the beginning of twenty ten,
Belichick goes in and literally tears all sorts of evidence
of any championship football off the walls and says, we're
starting over again. And then they really got on a heater.
(07:35):
From a draft perspective.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
I honestly think that's what Kansas City needs. I've been
asking every guest rebuild or retool.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
Who's their fourth best player.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
Trent McDuffie, Mahomes who may not be available next year,
Creed Humphrey, who's their fourth best player in their prime?
Because the Rams have about twelve, Eagles have twelve, Lions
have nine. Started looking around, Baltimore's got eight. So the Chargers,
by the way, in division, are getting both their offensive
(08:05):
tackles back, and Harbaugh's going to ace his third straight
draft like they've done really well drafting because Harbaugh Ortiz
they know that college game. By the way, bow Nix
is getting really good, and that Russell Wilson dead cap hit.
It's off the books that they're going to get better
when you've got a Harbaugh, Sean Payton, bow Knicks Herbert
(08:28):
in division, tweaking is not their issue twenty fourth on
big plays. They have offensive issues, and that's with Andy Reid.
The best offensive play designer arguably we've had since. Like
Bill Walsh right like, it's not a tweak. You got
to take this boat back to port and rebuild it.
(08:48):
Think about this, The NFL allows forty percent of the
teams in this league into the playoffs. Jacksonville's getting in,
Houston's getting in. Not historically well run franchises getting in.
If Miami would have one last night, they still have
a life. The tone deaf to offense Steelers are probably
(09:13):
going to get in Baltimore offense.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
Is broken, completely broken.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
Still may it in Kansas City, won't With reading Mahomes,
I don't buy that. It's just a it's a red
tool again. Boat back to port, rebuild it. Good stuff today,
Nick right drew Bledsoe stops by the Miami situation with Tua.
It's you know, I don't mean to beat a dead horse.
(09:40):
But small quarterbacks. Remember when Russell Wilson regressed badly, like
in a year and a half, we were like, what
what is it? If you watched two today and two
years ago, he is a backup and not a great backup.
Small quarterbacks age really quickly. I'm Kyler Murray. Does Arizona
(10:01):
even want to play them anymore. He'll have a market,
by the way, because there's eight desperate teams and only
one star coming out. We think Dante morstays at Oregon,
but that's where we are today.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and neon eastern nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 3 (10:20):
Hey is Covino and Rich from Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
Now.
Speaker 6 (10:24):
In addition to hearing us live weekdays from five to
seven pm Eastern two to four Pacific on Fox Sports Radio,
We're excited to announce a brand new YouTube channel for
the show.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
Yep, that's right.
Speaker 6 (10:34):
You can now watch Covino and Rich live on YouTube
every day. All you gotta do search Covino and Rich
FSR on YouTube again, go to YouTube search Covino and
Rich FSR. Check us out on YouTube, subscribe, hit that
thumbs up icon, and coming away, here we.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
Go our two.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
It Isn't Tuesday, one of my favorite fifteen minute segments
of the week.
Speaker 3 (10:59):
We are live.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
It's the Herd wherever you may be, however you may
be watching, listening, whatever the platform is.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
Thanks for making us part of your day. So Nick
Ryde will be on in about five minutes. Tough decision this.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
Week on the hurd hierarchy, and I said this about
the Green Bay Packers. Tuck her Craft out, Micah out,
Christian Watson out Kenny Clark in a trade out. That's
for their top six players. They're not the same team.
They are not the same team. They don't make the
hurd hierarchy. Sorry, well what about last week?
Speaker 3 (11:33):
What about it?
Speaker 1 (11:34):
They got two of their top three stars hurt, maybe
their top two stars hurt.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
Here we go on a Tuesday.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
The herd hierarchy heard hierarchy. Now go the top ten
NFL teams according to College Number ten.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
I'll put Philadelphia in seven of their nine wins, though
of coming one score games, they're three and five when
allowing twenty one plus points. And in the playoffs you're
gonna face better quarterbacks. Their defense, it's excellent, the roster
is excellent, but I don't trust Jalen Hurts or Nick
Ceriani in big spots. Again, they play the Commanders twice
(12:12):
in the next three weeks, so they're gonna flex and
look impressive. But this offense feels like it's been broken
since Week one. Number nine, the Jags you can't run
on them, and Liam Collen has done wonders for Trevor
Lawrence's confidence.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
He's running more.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
They have the number one scoring offense and number two
scoring defense on their five game winning streak. Do I
trust them in a big spot? No, but this is
the closest version of the Trevor Lawrence we all fell
in love with the Clemson I have the Jags at nine,
number eight.
Speaker 3 (12:44):
The Bills.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
Listen, they got totally worked for the first half of
that game after losing to New England. Everybody thinks, well,
they scored on five straight touchdown drives. Okay, they do
run the ball, but are so overly dependent on super
Man at quarterback. Yes, Josh Allen has been very good
in December games.
Speaker 3 (13:05):
I'll give you that.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
And in the last couple of weeks they have almost
six hundred total yards. You know Josh Allen does, so,
I'm not saying he's not great. Don't trust them situationally,
don't trust anybody with a ball in their hands other
than Josh Allen.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
I have him at eight, number seven.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
Elite coaching, maybe the best coaching staff this year in
the league. Sala on defense doing it with smoking mirrors
in Kyle Shanahan. Four wins in a row, all by
ten plus points, brought pretty Finally. I thought this week
finally looked totally healthy, had a lot of juice, a
lot of energy. I mean there are four losses have
(13:44):
come against good teams, the Rams and the Jags and
the Texans and the Bucks. So they beat the teams
they should and right now on third down with Brock
pretty they move the chains. So this is a very
dangerous team number six. But Seattle's got a big boy
defense Sam Donald. Yes, he leads the NFL in giveaways,
(14:07):
but he also leads in yards per attempt. It is
a big playoffense that can also play with a lead.
They can play conservatively and win because they can run
the ball well coached played defense, second best odds right
now to win the Super Bowl twenty three straight games,
not allowing somebody one hundred yards rushing, Meaning if you
(14:28):
beat him, you know, Sam Donald's gonna get his thirteen possessions.
JSN is gonna get thirteen possessions. That running game is
gonna work. I think they're going to be a really
tough out Seattle at six.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
Number five.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
I still like the Patriots they had a bad half.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
It happens.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
They're a young team, missing their left tackle in their
left guard. Their issue is they're not very good in
the red zone on either side of the ball. And
that's why I don't think they're a super Bowl team.
They're not good defensively. They need another draft. I've been
saying it all year. They're ahead of schedule. They need
another draft. They need more help on the offensive line
(15:07):
and more help in the secondary. Number four the Bears.
Tell me what they don't do. They play in bad
weather very well. They run the ball, They're dynamic, great
offensive coach, excellent o line, take the ball away.
Speaker 3 (15:21):
What don't they do? They're built for January.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
Well, you know there can be a Caleb's completion percentage. Lord,
he's so gifted. I'm just gonna eight and two over
their last ten games. Number one rush offense since Week five,
Number two in big plays. They feel like a team
that could end up in the conference championship. Tell me
what they don't do, complete bubble screens. Okay, you got
(15:47):
me there. That's what college quarterbacks need. I have them
at number four.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
Number three.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
I think the Texans defense is the best unit in
Pro football.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
They're eight and zero.
Speaker 1 (15:57):
If they can just score twenty points one un scoring defense.
Speaker 3 (16:01):
I mean they faced that.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
Rams offense early in the season held in the fourteen points.
And I've always liked CJ.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
Stroud. I don't get the criticisms. If you give.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
Him two and a half seconds, he's outstanding. I really
like Houston. I think they're gonna make the AFC Championship.
I'm not sure who they're gonna face, probably Denver, but
I think the Texans right now are a bye bye
bye number two Denver. Listen, can we stop arguing about
(16:30):
bow Knicks. I've been comparing him to Caleb Williams for weeks.
I wish he was a little more consistent, but the
guy is an unbelievable athlete. He doesn't take sacks. I
said he's a right handed Steve Young. He was dreadful
for about a four week period earlier this year. Well,
Caleb couldn't get the operations down in September. But between
Caleb and bow Knicks, we got to stop doubting them.
(16:53):
Opposing teams, by the way, are three to ten after
facing Denver.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
So they beat you, and they beat you up.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
Number one.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
Listen, the Rams most complete roster in the NFL, although
I don't love their corners out gained their opponents by
in the last month by over five hundred yards. But
Blake Koram has now popped at running back, so they
have a one to two punch. They have four tight
ends who are capable. Davonte will probably be out for
(17:23):
three weeks. They don't get the pass rush. I think
they should for the talent they have, but some of
that is none of their pass rushers outside of Puna Ford,
who's a run stopper, they don't. They're all kids. They're
not in their prime yet. I have the Rams at
number one. No Packers, I'm sorry, they're not the same
team today. Take out Watson, Micah, Kenny, Clark in the
(17:44):
trade and Kraft. I have them at eleven, Chargers at twelve.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and noon eastern nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
With that Nick Wright, First things first stops by all Right,
hurd hierarchy.
Speaker 3 (18:01):
What don't you like?
Speaker 7 (18:03):
Well, listen, I really like a lot of it. Most notably,
I feel like the Niners have flown under the radar
all year long. They're alive for the one seed right
now despite all the injuries. I think it's Shanahan's best
coaching job to date. So I like how high you
have them ram Seahawks Niners. That division them all having
(18:26):
ten or eleven wins is remarkable. I think the Texans
are That might be a tiny bit high, but I
think the Texans are a terrifying team right now. So
I agree with you. I only really have one real grit. Okay,
why are the Patriots ahead of the.
Speaker 1 (18:41):
Bills because we just tell me, Okay, this is not
the College Football Playoff Committee?
Speaker 3 (18:47):
Head to head, isn't the be all end all? They
played six quarters.
Speaker 1 (18:49):
New England was better significantly in six of the eight
quarters they played. New England was significantly better. I like
New England's coach. The game meant more for Buffalo the season.
Sean Dermit's job could have been in trouble this game
at halftimes, Like we beat them the first time, We
outschemed them in the first half, and then the Patriots,
missing their left tackling left guard, really struggled to sustain drives.
Speaker 7 (19:13):
And that's my reason, man, I feel I guess I
just feel very differently. The first matchup is twenty to
twenty with ninety seconds left, so I don't know how
we got the Patriots thoroughly outplayed on the first four
quarters of the season. That game came down to the wire,
and the second matchup, Buffalo systematically walked them down, and
(19:37):
I and they did it because they have a great
running game, and now that Patrick's hurt, they have the
best healthy player.
Speaker 3 (19:45):
In football and Josh Allen.
Speaker 7 (19:47):
I just think in a wide open AFC, the Bills
are very scary and deserving and I trust them more
than I trust New England, particularly after this matchup. But
other than that, Colin and I'm not sure about Philly.
Let me add one other thing, Philly. Did Philly fix
things or did Philly.
Speaker 3 (20:05):
Face the Raiders? I'm not sure.
Speaker 7 (20:07):
Yeah, so that Philly would be maybe Green Bay in
place of Philly. But otherwise I think it's a really
solid hierarchy.
Speaker 3 (20:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
I think it's like when a college powerhouse faces like
an FCS team, You're like, oh, I won forty eight
to seven.
Speaker 3 (20:20):
You're like, you know, they play Alabama.
Speaker 1 (20:22):
Next week before I get to Mahomes, and I will
get to the Chiefs so I I said this earlier,
and if you had a gifted child that was on
the spectrum a little bit, not rain Man, but on
the spectrum a little bit. And they were literally doing
Beethoven on the piano at eight years old. I wouldn't
(20:43):
lose a ton of sleep if they wore their pajamas
backwards five days a week.
Speaker 3 (20:47):
I'll live with that.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
I'm going to live with Josh Allen, Mahomes and Caleb
throwing some picks lower completion percentage. They're Beethoven at nine
year old. Guys, Caleb made throws this week that looked
like optical illusions. I don't care. I don't care that
he's fifty nine percent. I've watched the DJ Moore play
twenty times. I don't even understand how he threw it.
(21:12):
So my thing on Caleb is, guys, it's like Josh Allen,
I would take less of a completion percentage this year
if he ever threw the ball down the field, which
he doesn't.
Speaker 3 (21:22):
He doesn't have a receiver.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
Where are you on Caleb in the argument that you
know he's just not accurate enough.
Speaker 7 (21:27):
Well, listen, all you could have hoped for this year
was month over month progression over the course of the
season and see could he get better at the layups
while keeping the spectacular.
Speaker 3 (21:47):
And that's what he's done.
Speaker 7 (21:49):
And there are Listen, he is still in a place
in his career, Colin where his low lights are going
to be really grizzly when a player like Matt Stafford
take him the polar opposite example, Stafford's ten worst throws
of the year, none of them are like, what the
(22:09):
hell happened there? It's like, Oh, it's just he thought
he either got tricked or he thought he could fit
it in.
Speaker 3 (22:16):
Trust his arm too much.
Speaker 7 (22:18):
Caleb's ten worst throws, it's like, did that missage target
by twelve yards?
Speaker 3 (22:24):
Maybe?
Speaker 7 (22:24):
But his ten best throws this season can go up
against any other player in the league. And when you
marry that too, a dynamic, dominant running game, a really
sharp head coach, and a defense that I honestly think
is not that good but it's opportunistic and maybe that's lucky.
(22:47):
But whatever it is, they force a bunch of turnovers.
That's a scary team. And if the NFC playoffs, if
they can keep winning and make it so, a team
like the ram So I think have been the best
team in football have to come to Chicago and deal
with that rushing attack and then Caleb doing pardon me,
(23:10):
four or five spectacular things a game that would be
really scary. Like, I am fully confident that Caleb Williams
is going to be a very good quarterback in this league,
and I think he is bordering on almost already being there.
And this year we are seeing more of what we
(23:31):
didn't see as much as rookie year, of the moments
where you're like, wait, he can be a superstar quarterback
in this league. He still needs, obviously to clean some
of the stuff up, but I feel like he's gotten
better in that regard. But it's hard to watch that
throw through four defenders into the back of the end
zone against Cleveland and not be like, man, this is
(23:53):
a special, unique talent on our hands.
Speaker 1 (23:57):
So and I've said, if you like Caleb, have to
at least acknowledge bow Knicks to something, because they're both uneven,
both great late, both really athletic. And I was saying
this about bo Nicks. Sometimes you'll see this in a
lot of different businesses, that a coach finds a player
that he loves and not everybody else loves. Him. There's
not a unanimous agreement. Sean Payton before the draft, loved
(24:21):
bo Nicks because he had a little bit of bo Nicks,
little smaller guy and Drew Brees. And he's like, oh,
that's a more athletic Drew Brees. I thought this game
was one of those games like when the Bears went
to Philly and all the doubters went, Okay, maybe they're good.
I think all the doubters on bow Knicks. I think
he's so much more athletic than he gets credit for.
I said he's a right handed Steve Young, like he
(24:41):
just he is fast.
Speaker 3 (24:43):
I watched him twice, landed Steve, it's the estem.
Speaker 7 (24:47):
Young's one of the twelve greatest quarterbacks ever. This is
where you and I, Colin are just different broadcasters, because
a month ago you and I were in lockstep on
bow Knicks.
Speaker 3 (25:02):
We both thought he wasn't very good.
Speaker 7 (25:04):
And now you've got him as a right handed Steve Young,
and I feel pretty tethered to my previous take. But
you have none of you like Hey, new information, new games.
I've changed my opinion deal with in America. I don't
have that ability the way you do it at least
at least in that regard.
Speaker 3 (25:21):
Here's what I will say.
Speaker 7 (25:23):
In defense of bon Nicks. In fairness to bow Knicks,
I thought the Chiefs game that he played was up
to that moment, the best game of his career, and
then two weeks later I thought the Washington game was
the best game of his career, and then this game
against Green Bay was hands down the best game of
(25:43):
his career. So in the last month or so, I
think he has played the three best games of his career.
He obviously is not too scared of a big moment,
and the team obviously has been excellent.
Speaker 3 (25:55):
All year long. I still, my.
Speaker 7 (26:00):
Gut tells me that that Packers game is more of
the aberration than it's going to be the trend. But
I have to be fair and be open to the
possibility that I was wrong about him. Thus far, I
have been dead wrong obviously about the Broncos.
Speaker 3 (26:16):
They've been excellent.
Speaker 7 (26:17):
My gut still tells me quarterback is their weak link,
and even though they're gonna be the one seed, when
they don't make the Super Bowl, it will be because
of failings at the quarterback position. But he has an
opportunity and Sean Payton has an opportunity to prove all
the doubters and skeptics, of which I was one of
(26:38):
the loudest wrong. Or we're gonna look back on these
last four games and say that was a positive blip,
but a blip nonetheless, and he's more of the player
we saw the first ten weeks. But the game against
the Packers was stunning and he was excellent.
Speaker 3 (26:56):
Can he do anything.
Speaker 7 (26:57):
Close to that come the postseason, We'll see, But he's
trending in the right direction.
Speaker 3 (27:01):
That's as far as all go.
Speaker 7 (27:03):
You, on the other hand, have him passed fran Tarkington
already and.
Speaker 3 (27:07):
Approaching Steve Young. So it's just different new information, as
you said, the new information. So I think there's a difference.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
This league allows forty percent of the teams in the playoffs,
and Pittsburgh is when one of these teams, like, hey,
we made the playoffs four inches away. I think Kansas
City missing the playoffs a good thing. It's cold water
to the face. It's like forty percent of the teams
get in. You couldn't make it, and like in the
last three years they're like twenty fourth in big plays.
(27:39):
I think they got to take the boat back to
port and rebuild it. I don't think it's a tweak.
I don't think if you look at the last three
years numbers, it's a tweak. Chris Jones, Travis Kelcey, they
let go at Joe Toney left tackle. Still you're not
sure and that this is a great league.
Speaker 3 (27:54):
You can do New England. You can literally go awful
to really good fast.
Speaker 1 (27:58):
But I don't think it's a week I think they
need their fourth best player Mahomes, Creed Humphrey, Trent McDuffie,
and you get to well, kay, Travis Kelsey had some drops.
Speaker 7 (28:09):
Chris Jones still an excellent player. Chris j is too
far on Chris Joe.
Speaker 3 (28:14):
So listen, this is all right.
Speaker 7 (28:16):
You said they were twenty fourth in the league the
last three years in big plays. Again, I know nobody
wants to hear this from me right now, and I
wasn't going.
Speaker 3 (28:23):
To go here.
Speaker 7 (28:24):
Where are they rank in Super Bowls in the league
in the last three years?
Speaker 3 (28:27):
I understand that.
Speaker 7 (28:29):
Listen, this Chief season, let me be very clear, even
if Mahomes hadn't been hurt, this season was a failure. Okay.
I had held out hope that the team they showed
they could be against the Ravens and the Lions was
the team they were going to be, and then after
(28:51):
the bye they were bad every single week. They were
bad against the Broncos, they were bad against the Cowboys,
they were bad against the the Colts and lucky to
win that game, and then bat against the Texans and
against the Chargers they have a thirteen to three lead
going into halftime and then give away a touchdown right
(29:12):
four half like a bad team. So they deserve to
take their medicine here, And you are correct in this regard.
I think we are going to see over the next
few weeks Colin where numbers be damned, how much Patrick
was holding together on his own. I think they're going
to lose to the Titans. I think with the offensive
(29:33):
line with four starters or four tackles down with no
running game, with the issues they're having right now, and
Gardnermanshoe playing quarterback, you're going to see how much Patrick
was carrying, even though his numbers had been suffering the
last month and a half as well. With that set,
I don't think it is a complete overhaul. They have
(29:56):
rebuilt the offensive line, the left tackle they drafted in
the first first round was excellent. He got his wrists
broken and was out. The left guard is a second
year player who's a fine players and not great players.
Fine player in Suamattaya creed humper you mentioned Tray Smith
is that center. Right guard, right tack will be a
question mark.
Speaker 3 (30:15):
That's one spot.
Speaker 7 (30:16):
The wide receivers need to develop. They have spent I've
seen Rashi Rice be great and Xavier Worthy has great traits.
They need to develop on the other side of the ball.
They need a pass.
Speaker 3 (30:27):
Rush other than Chris Jones.
Speaker 7 (30:29):
So it's by no means, you know, a flawless team
right now, even a great team, But they're about to
have the tenth eleventh something like that pick of the
draft and a third place schedule, and Patrick is going
to come back with a vengeance. You address pass rush
in the draft, you sign or and or draft a
(30:49):
running back. You continue to develop your secondary the way
they have ever since Bags has been there, and they'll
be fine.
Speaker 3 (30:56):
But listen, this is the end of a chapter.
Speaker 7 (30:59):
It is as good of a seven year run as
any team in NFL.
Speaker 3 (31:04):
History has ever had seven.
Speaker 7 (31:05):
Final fours, five Super Bowl appearances, three rings. Nobody's ever
done better than that. Over the course of seven years.
You could argue the steel curtain Steelers. That's kind of
a Tomato Tomadel thing. They didn't make as many Super Bowls,
but they did win one more. But this is now
a new chapter and they need to see how they
take advantage of a better draft pick than they've had
(31:27):
in a decade, a potentially softer schedule and they've had
in a decade, and Patrick Mahomes post injury. It is
the exact same process Tom had to go through. Win
in his eighth year as a starter, he blew out
his knee. The next year they won ten games. They
weren't that great. The year after that they were a
fourteen win juggernaut. Once again, we'll see what the Chiefs
(31:50):
look like a year from now. But I think it's
more significant tweaks than it is total overhaul. And if
he's back week one next year, they will be the
AFC West's favorites again if Patrick's back.
Speaker 3 (32:05):
So that's how I look at it. With chapters.
Speaker 1 (32:06):
There was the bow Knicks I'd bench him chapter and
bo Nicks is now Steve Young chapter.
Speaker 3 (32:11):
So we both talk in chapters. I mean, that's one
way to do it. I suppose that's one way to do.
That's why you're the greatest. That's why you're the greatest.
Speaker 1 (32:21):
Okay Nick, Right, First things first, listen a new information.
Speaker 3 (32:25):
Bonnick's stunk in the first month, and now he looks
pretty great to me.
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Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
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