January 6, 2026 • 44 mins
Colin Cowherd argues Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills are the team under the most pressure heading into Wild Card Weekend with other star QBs like Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow missing.
He reveals his Herd Hierarchy ranking the top 10 teams in the NFL before the playoffs begin.
Plus, Fox Sports NFL analyst Greg Olsen joins the show to breakdown the Bears v Packers match up and why Chicago’s defense could be a liability
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Herd podcast.
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Speaker 2 (00:19):
This is the Best of the Herd with Colin Cowher
on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Oh here we go, We are loaded today. An embarrassment
of riches, Nick Wright, Greg Olsen, Joel Klatt.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
It is the Herd.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
We're live in Los Angeles, wherever you may be, however
you may be listening or watching, whatever the platform. Thanks
for making us part of your day. Stories breaking everywhere.
We will have all of them. You know, a lot
of times you'll hear people say, well, you know, the
these teams they I mean, they're just they don't know
(00:58):
how to draft quarter Twelve of the fourteen playoff quarterbacks
our first round quarterbacks, and the best one left is
Josh Allen. That's why, as I peruse the playoff matchups
this weekend, one team cannot lose until maybe they get
(01:22):
to a Super Bowl. That's Buffalo. Here's the bad news.
Last eight road playoff games, Buffalo is h to eight,
not all of those on Sean McDermott all the playoff
games this weekend. Only one team is not allowed to
lose Buffalo or the Domino effect starts. Kevin Stefanski don't
(01:44):
take a job yet, and the excuse for Buffalo has
been well, there's Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow neither made
the playoffs. It's bad enough that you lost your division
to Drake May and Mike Vrabel, and it was Rabel's
first year taking over a team that is still in
my opinion, in a rebuild, you can't then lose the
(02:05):
AFC to potentially Liam Cohen taking over the wobbly Jacksonville
Jaguars and Sean McDermott can coach. He has a higher
winning percentage, believe it or not, than Belichick and Andy Reid.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Sean McDermott can coach.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
But the downside to having a generational quarterback talent like
an l Way or a Peyton Manning or a Josh
Allen is the new standard is January. That's the new standard.
So there's a saying great power comes with great responsibility
(02:43):
in the NFL. Great quarterbacks create great responsibility. It is
Sean McDermott's responsibility to be completely buttoned up and win
a road playoff game over a team, frankly Jacksonville that
is better than you this year. I was looking this
morning at the most consecutive seasons of ten plus wins
(03:03):
NFL all time. The Bills are now fifth, and they're
the only team that has not reached a super Bowl
in that seven year stretch. Not only is every other
team when they have these stretches been to a super Bowl.
Six of the seven have won a super Bowl. Buffalo
(03:24):
hasn't reached it. And Josh Allen leads the NFL in
yards in playoff history. Think about that, most yards in
playoff history. It is averaging, not total averaging? Is Josh
Allen never been to a Super Bowl? So losing to
(03:46):
Mahomes and Burrow, okay, that's a reason. You can't lose
to Bonnicks. You can't lose to Drake May. You can't
lose to Liam Cohen and Trevor Lawrence.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
You can't. It doesn't matter. You can't.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
Twelve of fourteen playoff teams have first round quarterbacks. You
have the best one. Here's Sean McDermott on the Weekend ahead.
Speaker 4 (04:13):
You don't take them for granted.
Speaker 5 (04:14):
Let's just start there.
Speaker 6 (04:15):
But at the same time, the experiences I've been here,
we've been here, and so that comes with I guess
it brings some level of called seasoning, and you would
hope poise and composure as we prepare this week and
(04:36):
go through our process.
Speaker 5 (04:38):
Like anything else, you learn from experience.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Okay, So I had mentioned there's a lot of coaching openings.
J MAC will have more of those in twelve to
fifteen minutes. I said this yesterday, and I have a
little company, and I don't like to fire people.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
I really don't.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
I think there's a spot almost always somewhere a company
for people.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
But you can always tell.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
I was told this years and years and years ago
by a boss I had, like thirty years ago. He said,
you can always tell if you made a mistake when
you let somebody go, based on how the job market reacts.
So Cleveland fires Kevin Stefanski, in my opinion, mistake. According
(05:24):
to Adam Schefter, the Falcons, Giants, and Titans top of
their list. Yeah, Cleveland just screwed up again. Can't get
the right quarterback fire the wrong coach. So five years
in a row I have made a pick. I call
it a double yr win total team and if not double,
(05:47):
the most improved team Vikings in twenty twenty two. I
got that right rams the year after a Washington in
Denver a couple of years ago. This year I had
New England double your win total. Most improved team would
be Seattle. So I'm a little bit of a heat.
Not only should Stefanski be the leading candidate if the
Bills lose, the team I would pick next year double
(06:09):
your win total would be the New York Giants if
Kevin Stefanski is hired. That's how highly I think of him.
So I've gotten it right four or five years and
teams in a row. The Giants with Kevin Stefanski would
have a last play schedule, Jackson Dart Scataboo neighbors Raturns,
Andrew Thomas good left tackle again, last play schedule, number
(06:31):
five pick in the draft. They can manipulate and get
more picks. This is an absolute layup. Nothing against Mike Kofka,
the interim guy, but you know, I don't like. I
don't like when teams fire a coach. The interim guy
comes in and you're like, wow, that looked pretty good.
It's the substitute teacher. Everybody loves the substitute teacher, right,
(06:51):
They're more chill than the previous teacher, more chill than
the previous coach. Not as harsh. Yeah, Mike kaff is
not The answer could be a someday. I don't think
this is a space and people can say, well, Colin,
you thought Pete Carroll was going to work in Las Vegas. Yeah,
I thought Pete Carroll was a solid choice. It should
(07:11):
be noted I picked the Raiders to finish fourth with
Pete Carroll. I said, they'll still be a last place team,
but they need like guidance and maturity and stop with
the interim stuff. Just go hire a guy that's one big.
Pete Carroll. It didn't work. It's a man overboard, but
I still picked him for fourth. The New York Giants
have several key components. Like you know, Jackson darts in
(07:37):
the blue tent way more than I like. But when
you have a number one receiver, a number one left tackle,
a number one back, a number one quarterback, an excellent
pass rusher, the number five picks, that's pretty solid.
Speaker 3 (07:52):
That's pretty solid.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
I mean, you go look at the teams at the
top of the draft outside of the team that gets
Mendoza Giants pretty interesting. Here's Joe Shane on their coaching
vacancy right now in New York.
Speaker 7 (08:08):
Each of those franchises brought in new head coaches and
were able to turn it around rather quickly. And you
know Drake Mayson the MVP, you know race right now.
And you know Caleb Williams. We obviously played against him
and has has had a really good year in playing
at a high level. So yeah, that's that's certainly an
opportunity that you look at those franchises and how they
put it together in the quick turnaround and you know.
Speaker 5 (08:29):
An ideal world.
Speaker 7 (08:30):
Yeah, that would be from the people I've talked to,
you know, the consensus, there are a lot of potential
head coaching candidates that are excited about the opportunity here
because of Jackson Dart.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Yeah, fifty to forty fifty percent of first round quarterbacks
that are drafted don't become great franchise quarterbacks. I don't
know what Jackson Dart's going to become, but no reasonable
person would deny it's encouraging if he can stay out
of the blue tent, the Giants first women in Chaos.
He was kind of encouraging Skataboo neighbors Andrew Thomas, Jackson,
(09:06):
Dart Abdull Carter. It's kind of encouraging. Kevin Stefanski takes
that job. That is a double your win total team.
Not saying it's a great team. They're not going to
turn into New England this year, but they'd be a
really good team. J Mack, we got all sorts of
stuff happening, some of it not surprising, one move very surprising.
(09:29):
And this is such a great time of the year
starting Thursday. Do you want to just tell them what
happened in Like Cliff Kingsbury is now mutually decided he
does not get along with the GM. Adam Peters I've
been told, yeah, he doesn't necessarily see ey'd eye with
a GM. And now dan Quinn, this is the downside
to hiring a defensive coach, and I like dan Quinn,
(09:51):
I thought it was a solid hire. Or now you
lose your offensive coordinator and here's Jayden Daniels all banged up, going,
who's my coach?
Speaker 8 (09:59):
By way, also fire their defensive coordinator. So both coordinators gone.
That usually means hey, head coach, delivered this season or
you're gone.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
I try.
Speaker 5 (10:07):
Not good for Jayden Daniels.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
So that's that's what we've always said, hire an offensive coach.
Now there are exceptions. Demiko Ryans came highly touted. Jesse
Minter with the Chargers. Everybody loves Mike McDaniel was thought
of as the Sean McVay of defense. There are great
defensive coaches. But even if you nail that guy, he
loses his offensive coordinator every couple of years. So you,
(10:28):
I mean Dan Campbell did a great job this year.
Offensive coordinator didn't work because as well, he had the
takeover offensive play calling and it disrupted the flow of
the team.
Speaker 5 (10:37):
They'll probably be a line out the door for this job, right.
Speaker 8 (10:40):
You want to get in coaching Jayden Daniels because he's
such a superstar.
Speaker 5 (10:43):
I wonder where does Cliff Kingsbury land? You think he
wants to maybe spend the fall in.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
New York Tell I'll tell you I have this as
well sourced as I can.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
I love Cliff. He's not an NFL head coach.
Speaker 8 (10:54):
No, No, as EOC If we get Dante Moore in
New York as a quarterback. That excite Cliff Kings living
in New York coaching young don Te King.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
For the Jets does not excite anybody. I mean, it's
right now, it's the worst situation.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
In the league. It's up there.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
Yeah, let me say what you want about Tennessee. They
have cam Ward.
Speaker 5 (11:13):
Well, the Raiders are in trouble right now.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
Well, but they get Mendoza. Yes, yeah, I mean everybody
Tennessee has cam Ward. Giants have Jackson Dart. Think what
you want. Raiders are getting Mendoza. I mean, you can
say what you want about the Falcons. But Kirk played
well at the end. They still have Penix. They're going
to hire an offensive guy, perhaps Stefanski. Jets are at
the bottom right now. Thirty two to thirty two.
Speaker 5 (11:34):
I'll accept it.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
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Speaker 3 (12:17):
Heard Hierarchy Tim Now go the top.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
Ten NFL teams according to College number ten.
Speaker 3 (12:23):
I would put Chicago.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
They won the NFC North for the first time since
twenty eighteen. When they win the turnover battle, they win,
but they're very reliant on it. They're ten and one
when they win the turnover battle, so if you play clean,
you can beat them. Most offensive touchdowns and Bears franchise
history with Caleb led the NFL with eleven touchdown passes
twenty plus yards down the field, but they disappear offensively
(12:48):
for entire first halfs. This Packer game is a rough one.
It's gonna be windy, which plays into the run game
of Chicago. Great year for the Bears. I put them
at ten.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
Number nine.
Speaker 1 (12:59):
The Niner Listen brock Purty in the last month one
hundred and seven passer rating. They're not as good as Seattle.
Don't punish them too much for losing to Seattle. They
didn't have Trent Williams and Ricky Pearsall. If they have
them backed, they're a live underdog against Philadelphia. They have
lost nine of their last ten games when trailing at halftime.
Some of that is on Kyle Shanahan, who to me
(13:22):
has always been very tied to his script. He's not
been a great second half or come from behind coach.
But if Pearsall and Trent and Kittle are available, that
game with Philadelphia gets interesting. Niners at nine, number eight. Listen,
the Bills are good. I don't think they're Super Bowl good.
They are twelve to zero when scoring twenty one plus points.
(13:44):
There's a way they win. They lead the NFL in
big plays in rushing, but that defense twenty eighth against
the run. They've lost eight straight road playoff games. How
do you win on the road against the Jacksonville Shut
him down and take the crowd out. I also worry
about this team because they're slow starting. When you go
on the road and face a high powered offense like Jacksonville,
(14:07):
you do not want to play from behind, and the
Bills make a habit of playing from behind. That's why
I have them at eight. Number seven the Texans. They're
on a nine game winning streak. Best defense probably easily
give credit to Nick Cassario. He's drafted the hell out
of this defense the last three years. But in the
red zone they're not good. They settle for field goals,
(14:29):
and I think that will be their undoing. You gotta
get sevens, not threes. In the red zone. They are
twenty fourth in yards per play. There's so much I
like about him. I've always been a huge CJ. Stroud fan.
That red zone offense they'll settle for threes, not seven,
will cost him.
Speaker 3 (14:47):
I put them at seven.
Speaker 1 (14:48):
Number six the weird Philadelphia Eagles, who are three and
four over their last seven games and since Week ten
have a bottom six offense.
Speaker 3 (14:59):
I mean they're ten.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
You know, when Jalen Hurts is held under two hundred
yards passing. They're the opposite of what wins in the NFL.
But their roster is so complete, their defense is so good.
But even I mean even this, they're five and three
at home. I don't even know what to make of Philadelphia.
That's why I have them at six.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
Number five.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
Denver's a great home team, so at least I know
what they are. They're good in the fourth quarter, they're
good at home. They're thirteen and on since week four.
Do they have a ceiling with bow knicks? Maybe, but
he is the first quarterback in the Super Bowl era
to lead in pass attempts in his first two seasons.
That tells you that Sean Payton trusts him. It's a
(15:43):
little like Andrew Luck. We're gonna give you the whole playbook.
They're also four and two against playoff teams, so they've
beaten good teams.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
I put them at.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
Five number four.
Speaker 3 (15:53):
The Rams aren't.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
Playing great right now, three and three over their last
six week six weeks. But I love the fact that
he's got three different guys with seven sacks. I love
the fact they're playing a Carolina team they lost to
is a favorite. Devonte Adams comes back now. You can
beat him downfield. I mean, Carolina's got two big receivers.
You can beat him downfield. You can. You can beat
(16:15):
them with big perimeter weapons. That's why Philadelphia is a
tough matchup for them. But Stafford, the O line, the coach,
the weapons, I have the Rams at four, number three.
Speaker 3 (16:27):
We got to pay.
Speaker 1 (16:28):
Attention to Jacksonville Okay, They're eight to no since Week eleven,
beating teams by nineteen a game. They're like a dominant
college team, and three of their four losses have come
to teams like you can lose to the Seahawks or
the Texans Ones or the Rams.
Speaker 3 (16:44):
They lose to the right teams.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
I mean, they're just They have had really good draft
picks for a long time. They've missed on the coach,
but Trevor Lawrence has his king maker.
Speaker 3 (16:55):
I have them at three, number two.
Speaker 1 (16:58):
I'm gonna put New England at two because I love Vrabel.
They've won thirteen or fourteen games, and they are a
great road team that matters. Mike Frabele third coach to
win fourteen plus games in his first season. I don't
love their old line. Their run game is inconsistent. That's
why I have them at number two, number one. I mean,
(17:22):
you watch the San Francisco game. Seattle wasted offensive opportunities
and totally shut down Christian McCaffrey, which I said, that's
like shutting down Barry Sanders or Walter Payton.
Speaker 3 (17:32):
How do you do that? I like everything.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
I think they're GM's the best personnel guy in the league.
Go look at their last nine picks in the first
and second round, nine for nine.
Speaker 3 (17:42):
They have a rare.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
Combination of a quarterback who's highly productive on a team
friendly deal, and they don't miss on draft picks. Translation
stacked roster. It's better than Philadelphia's. Now they're old line
like New England is. Oh hey, my top two teams
o lines. By the way, New England and Seattle in
(18:05):
the draft both will address their old lines. Both address
the old lines last year in the first round. So
that's where we are.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd weekdays
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Speaker 1 (18:19):
Well, you knew when he was playing football that he
was eventually going to broadcast football three Pro Bowls fourteen years,
greg Olsen, Fox Sports, one of the good guys in
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Speaker 3 (18:31):
We'll get to your Hurricanes in just a little bit.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
We'll circle back because they are in college football is
better when Miami's got swag, and man do they. So
you had the Dolphins Patriots last weekend and I had
said before the season I had picked them as my
double year win total. I said they're going to make
it as a wild card I thought they'd win nine
ten games, a lot of it on beating the Dolphins
and beating the Jets.
Speaker 3 (18:55):
I didn't think they'd be this good.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
Yes, Rabel and Josh McDaniel are part of it, so
as Drake May. You did their game last week. Do
they have the kind of roster that could win a conference?
Because to this point, I don't think people think that.
I think people think Vrabel and Drake May and even
I think they are another draft away on the offensive front.
(19:18):
When you watch them, do you look and say championship roster.
Speaker 11 (19:23):
If you would have asked me three weeks ago, I
think my answer would be a little bit different.
Speaker 4 (19:27):
I think I would have been more hesitant.
Speaker 11 (19:29):
I spent last week really trying to give them like
an honest evaluation. I know everyone makes a big deal
about their strength of schedule and their division, but after
spending a week studying them, watching what makes them good?
Seeing that run game last week in Week eighteen against
the Dolphins really come to life and they were incredible
Trevion Henderson and Ramondre Stevens, and they ran all over
(19:51):
the place with that passing game, I think the defense
is good where they need to be good. You know,
we talked about on the broadcast last week what's unique
about the defense. Not a lot of stars. They got
Gonzaleses there. Obviously they're one pro bowler on that side.
But you know, they don't take the ball away at
a real high level. They let teams, you know, score
in the red zone. But when you look at it,
they don't give up points. They don't give up explosives.
(20:14):
You don't get to the red zone often when you do,
you score, So they're good where it matters. All of
a sudden, they get into a hot streak of taking
the ball away with that offense, and then the run
game that has more value come postseason than maybe it
does in the regular season.
Speaker 4 (20:29):
And then on top of all that, I think.
Speaker 11 (20:31):
The AFC is completely wide open, so I think the
Patriots have that. I can make a strong an argument
that the Patriots make the Super Bowl is probably any
in the entire conference. And that's both a credit to
them and the season that they've had, and also just
kind of the lay of the land there in the AFC.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
I said, there's fourteen teams that make it in everybody
can lose except Buffalo, and I'm mahomes is out, burrows out,
Lamar's out. It's a bunch of bone knicks, right May.
It's like Jacksonville, It's like, okay, guys, you gotta win
this opening round. And boy did they get a tough matchup.
Jacksonville's on fire. But I said, here's what would worry me.
(21:12):
They're a slow starting team that is bad against a
powerful offense.
Speaker 3 (21:17):
At home.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
They play from behind constantly. I can't figure it out.
Is it a they don't like scripted stuff? How do
you explain Buffalo being behind in like six of eight
weeks you've been in You were in this league for
so long. Most top quarterbacks with winning coaches start strong.
Speaker 3 (21:36):
It's like a rule.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
You have a plan, you have a point of view,
you're efficient, you've got good personnel. I don't think you
can win. I don't think they'll beat Jacksonville. What do
you say to their offensive struggles before half?
Speaker 11 (21:51):
Well, I think it's a fascinating kind of deep dive.
And you know, I haven't had Buffalo in a couple
of weeks, so I had them call it three four
weeks ago in that home game, incredible game in the snow.
Speaker 4 (22:03):
Against Cincy and Burrow.
Speaker 11 (22:05):
But I think what's unique about Buffalo is it feels
like they've made their offense built for the postseason, right,
So you think years ago, Josh Allen is in the
shotgun and every play the ball's in his hand and
he's running around pretzy design run scramble runs, and then
obviously just operating as a traditional dropback gun passer. Well,
they've made a very conscious decision they said, Okay, in
(22:28):
the postseason, we're run game, and being able to control
the line of scrimmage has a lot more value than
it does maybe in the regular season, where it's a
very passing, offensive driven league until you get into the playoffs.
So James Cook is incredible as good at back in
the league. They're a very good run game, probably the
second best, second most efficient run game in the league,
maybe just behind the Rams.
Speaker 4 (22:49):
That's built for the playoffs. So they've almost taken.
Speaker 11 (22:52):
A little bit away from their MVP caliber quarterback because
the ball's not in his hands so much, and it
is a little bit of a more ground and I
don't think they love their perimeter receivers in a traditional
passing game. So it's play action, it's boots and nakeds,
it's rollout passes a little bit more like what we
see from teams that don't have a Josh Allen. But
I think I don't think it's by accident. I think
(23:15):
they've made that decision of saying, listen, he can still
be Superman when we need it. We saw it in
the snow firsthand. Up in Buffalo when they came back
to beat Cincy. He made some just ridiculous plays that
he's probably the only guy in the league that can
make to win you those games. So it's a little
bit by design. They're going to need their defense to
play really well. They're going to need their defense to
(23:35):
go on the road and keep this thing. Because when
you become a run heavy team and you want to
take such a high percentage of your snaps and give
it to the ground game, that's fine, But your ability
to operate in that mentality is only lasts as long
as your defense's ability to keep the score down.
Speaker 4 (23:53):
So playing from behind is fine.
Speaker 11 (23:55):
Playing too far from behind gets them out of that mode,
and now it turns into hero ball drop back past,
which I'm not I don't think that's really what they
want to be over long periods of time.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
Okay, So I think most of us believe it's my
turn down the sound test. When you turn down the
volume and just watch Seattle, you're like, man, I remember
the Carolina team with Cam that got to the Super
Bowl and there was an energy and a speed. It
was like, Oh, these guys they're playing with confidence. That's
over as good as they are and that it happens.
(24:28):
You've been there, and I think it's Seattle great. Well,
I don't love their own line Donald in the playoffs.
I don't know, but I what would.
Speaker 3 (24:37):
It worry you at all? That Seattle is.
Speaker 1 (24:42):
Really young, Donald doesn't have a lot of playoff experience.
Or do you just look at them and go, man,
they've got dudes everywhere.
Speaker 3 (24:51):
They've hit on every draft pick.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
I mean, honestly, Greg, they I don't think they've missed
on a top draft pick in four or five years.
Speaker 3 (24:58):
How do you view Seattle? What worries you or what doesn't?
Speaker 11 (25:02):
Yeah, I think johsh Schneider is in the in the
upper echelon top two or three, him the Howie Roseman's
I mean, you're talking about elite, elite front office talent
evaluators draft picks, and obviously that's the foundation of why
they've had so much success, so they deserve a ton
of credit there as far as and again, I don't
(25:22):
want to sound dramatic here, but if you could, if
you could pick, okay, what style would you like? An
offense and a defense complimentary on one NFL.
Speaker 4 (25:31):
Team, and you can pick, okay, what plays.
Speaker 11 (25:34):
In today's modern NFL, it would look very early similar
to both the offense and the defense of Seattle.
Speaker 4 (25:43):
What I mean by that is offensively, the fad this year.
Speaker 11 (25:46):
You look at the Rams, you look at Seattle, the
top teams, and you say.
Speaker 4 (25:50):
Okay, who are they?
Speaker 11 (25:51):
They are big bodies, they're two tight ends, multiple backs,
not all this eleven spread everyone outside the numbers drop
back pass crazy. They are a big body, heavy personnel
passing team, and they're gonna run with high volume. But
they're always hot and explosive plays. They're trying to throw
it over your head.
Speaker 4 (26:12):
That's what they are.
Speaker 11 (26:12):
Offensively, I would argue that's the best style to play
in today's NFL. And then conversely, on the other side,
the reason offenses are doing this is they want you
to put a bunch of big bodies on the field.
They want you to play with linebackers, and defensive linemen
and not as many debacks. So what does Seattle do
Mike McDonald had. It's built through personnel and just the
(26:33):
talent which he has. They play virtually nickel and dime
the entire time. They do not ever have only four
defensive backs on the field. First down, second down, third
down doesn't matter because they understand the value of defending
the pass and we're going to hold up against the
run with the least amount of people as possible.
Speaker 4 (26:50):
That is the formula of being really good.
Speaker 11 (26:53):
They happen to have mastered it and have the people
and the ideology to execute it on both sides. And
that's why I think if you if you put a
gun to my head and said right now, pick one team,
put your life on it, I'm probably between La and Seattle.
And I think Seattle is as well rounded and as
good top to bottom as any team in the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (27:15):
Yeah, so you played in Chicago, you love Chicago. Part
of me thinks, listen, everything goes in stages, and the
stage this year was save Caleb Stop, you know, eliminate sacks.
He doesn't told a lot of picks, but I thought,
like Ben Johnson's job, we said before the season. I
(27:35):
don't really care about the record. He can't get sacks
sixty times. Cut those in half, well, they cut him
in a third, and he really hasn't told them. So
I almost feel like they kind of overachieve, like they're ahead,
Like I feel this way with New England and in Chicago,
like you're a kind of a head of where I
thought you were. I don't know if they feel that way.
(27:55):
But if Chicago lost at home to Green Bay, would
you say, hey, big jump, can't wait for next year?
Speaker 3 (28:03):
Or do you view them now at home?
Speaker 1 (28:06):
Quarterback is healthy, better, a line, tremendous weapons. Do you
view this as a no, this is disappointing if the
Bears lose at home, I'll be honest.
Speaker 11 (28:19):
I think in this playoffs AFC, NFC, you know, would
the Rams probably be disappointing? If the Rams lot again,
it's the game that we're gonna call the Rams.
Speaker 4 (28:30):
You know, are they better than Carolina?
Speaker 11 (28:31):
Now?
Speaker 4 (28:32):
Carolina just beat them.
Speaker 11 (28:33):
A couple weeks ago, But so you probably could say
across the board, I'm not sure if there's any game
that's just a glaring mismatch. I think you can make
an argument that Green Bay could win. You can make
an argument how Chicago wins home road, same with Philly
and San Franz. I think we could probably go through
that exercise and make legitimate arguments either way. But as
far as Chicago, I said during a preseason game all
(28:55):
the way back in August, when we called their game,
I thought it was the best job in the league
that was available. I thought, hey, they get the best coach,
But I.
Speaker 4 (29:05):
Thought there was more wins built into that roster that.
Speaker 11 (29:08):
A competent coach and a guy like Ben Johnson, between scheme, ideology,
you know, culture, all the things that he was going
to bring, I thought the roster had a lot of
wins built in. I feel that way a little bit
right now about the New York Giants going forward, Like
there's the talent at the right spots, there's the depth
they've lost that previously they had lost games they should
have won, and a little bit of dysfunction. Now you
(29:30):
look at this year, you could argue that they've maybe overachieved.
Speaker 4 (29:34):
Right, there was wins in there.
Speaker 11 (29:35):
There was an inevitable improvement quarterback play, offensive line, both
addition of personnel and scheme and coaching and all that
they're talented at the skill positions. The defense still concerns
me right now, the defense is completely hanging their hat
on taking the ball away one of the best in
the league. That's great until that well drives up and
(29:56):
you actually just have to play on a snap by
snap basis. That concerns me a little bit. But yeah,
I think improvement was inevitable. Did we think it was
going to be this many wins home playoff game? Probably not.
Now next year, could there be a little bit of
a regression? Absolutely, Are they going to lead the league
or be amongst the best in the league and taking
the ball away? History tells us that that's not repeatable.
(30:19):
That's not something that's easily sustainable. So there could be
a regression. But for right now, I think Chicago, like
every wildcard team this weekend, has every has every same
the same argument to win a game as anybody else,
and I think that's what makes this year's playoffs so intriguing.
Speaker 1 (30:37):
Yeah, so you're going to be at the Miami Hurricane
Ole miss game. I like Miami in that space. I
always looked at Miami as a protown with a very small,
intense a hurricane following, but it was a pro town.
You know Riley in the heat, d Wade, you know
(30:57):
the Dolphins shula for years.
Speaker 3 (31:00):
I was surprised. If you'd have.
Speaker 1 (31:01):
Told me where who's going to spend a lot of money,
I would have guessed Oregon with Phil Knight, Notre Dame,
Michigan huge endowments. I would not have guessed Miami would
step up and just, you know, really go out and
get aggressive.
Speaker 3 (31:16):
So we know Miami's good.
Speaker 1 (31:18):
Mario Crysto Baal has been one of the top two
or three recruiters for a decade in the sport. I'm
surprised as an outsider you went there at how committed
they have been to it and like functional, like this
this nil stuff is. I mean, it's a barnyard musical
like the big collectives. And I am surprised that Miami
(31:39):
just jumped up and said we're going to be a
ballplayer here, We're going to commit. Are you surprised by
that because you were around the program for years.
Speaker 4 (31:47):
Yeah, I'm not surprised because the culture down there in
Miami and from the.
Speaker 11 (31:52):
President and the athletic director all the way down through
the entire culture there at the athletic department and just
the faculty in general, like winning matters.
Speaker 4 (32:00):
Being a good football program.
Speaker 11 (32:01):
At Miami is woven into the identity of the school
to the student body, and you know, it kind of
flies under the radar.
Speaker 4 (32:08):
A little bit because we are a small, little private school.
Speaker 11 (32:11):
If you drove down US one, you know, A one
A down in Coral Gables, you might drive right by.
Speaker 4 (32:16):
The entrance to the school and not even though it's there.
Speaker 11 (32:18):
So it's not one of these huge state schools that
takes over Tuscaloosa or Athens or you know, Gainesville. So
it is a little bit of a different culture, a
little bit of a different vibe down there in South Florida.
But I'll tell you I've known Mario crystal Ball since
I was fifteen years old. He recruited me as a
freshman in high school. I met him at Miami, and
then he recruited me at Rutgers and then ended up
coaching me. He was my ted end coach in college,
(32:40):
so we're very close. I had dinner with him shortly
after he got the job years back, and he was
very clear to the school for him to leave Oregon,
where he pretty much had a blank check to execute
the vision that he wanted to in essence do what
Dan Lanning has continued to do and kept them to
this level. The Oregon had given Mario that level of commitment.
(33:01):
So for him to come to Miami, yes, it was
as all the matter. Yes, it's where he wanted to be.
He was not going to come to Miami without the
full support top to bottom, comprehensively across the board. And
part of that is the nil and the money. And
he got a lot of that guaranteed to him and
on the table, not just as talk. And it was
a big reason not only why he took the job,
(33:22):
but certainly one of the big reasons why they've been
as successful. But make no mistake about it, before you
could pay guys, and it really just became to the
highest bidder. Us Nick saban Us from his time at
FIU like there might not be a better recruiter in
the country than Mario christabal He just happens to now
be the head coach. But the same guy that was
(33:42):
recruiting us as a GA back in the early two thousands,
it's the same guy now recruit and he'll call me
need you know. He's reaching out to everyone and anyone.
He is relentless. He is a tireless worker, and I
couldn't be happier for him.
Speaker 1 (33:57):
For the record, when you played in thefl forever, but
I bet when you if that game was tied twenty
eight to twenty eight, you would be so nervous.
Speaker 3 (34:06):
Do you when you go watch Miami? Are you a wreck?
Are you an emotional wreck?
Speaker 11 (34:11):
I'm an emotional wreck watching any game that I'm not
a part of that I have vested interest in the outcome.
It could be a Miami game, it could be my
daughter's seventh grade basketball game, my son's like I It's
just the way I'm wired. Like, if I care about
the outcome and the people that are involved, I'm when
I'm playing, I'm great, Like not a highly emotional player.
(34:35):
Was never the guy running around and acting like that.
Was never me as a player, as a coach, as
a dad, as a parent.
Speaker 4 (34:42):
I carry my.
Speaker 11 (34:43):
Emotions a lot more on my sleeve. So, yeah, I'm
going to be thrilled at the game in Arizona. I'm
going to be there with a couple buddies and catch
up with some teammates, and yeah, we're going to be
living and dying with every snap Because my hope is
that they make the national title in Miami and get
to go watch them again.
Speaker 3 (34:59):
It's going to be great.
Speaker 1 (35:00):
I just I love that we have Indiana, Oregon, Ole,
miss and Miami and.
Speaker 4 (35:05):
The four teams you said before the year, right, that's
the call.
Speaker 3 (35:08):
That's right. I've picked them all. Great. See anybody greg
Olsen appreciate it.
Speaker 4 (35:13):
Thanks Cayl.
Speaker 1 (35:13):
Yeah, I've said for years there the three teams are good.
When they went in college football, Texas, Miami and USC
feel like not quite college. They're college eighty percent, but
twenty twenty five percent pro football because of the city,
and Miami just feels big.
Speaker 3 (35:32):
Welcome back Hurricanes, It's great. Can't wait. Jamack with the news. No,
no turn on the news.
Speaker 2 (35:39):
This is the herd Line News.
Speaker 5 (35:41):
All right.
Speaker 8 (35:42):
Speaking of welcome back, Welcome back DK Metcalf. He's going
to be back for the Steelers on Monday night against
the Texans. Huge came back after this incident with a fan.
Speaker 5 (35:52):
You know, I was gonna call him something.
Speaker 8 (35:53):
But uh in Detroit.
Speaker 3 (35:56):
Metcalf is back.
Speaker 8 (35:56):
He would not speak about the incident, but did say
he's excited to return. His team missed him obviously in
the red zone. They cannot get anything right with DK
they averaged twenty four.
Speaker 5 (36:07):
Points per game, five point three yards.
Speaker 3 (36:08):
Now with DK friar Mouth Warren and it's a.
Speaker 5 (36:15):
Good player by the way.
Speaker 3 (36:15):
Ohyah, I like it.
Speaker 1 (36:16):
And fourteen Kenneth Gainwell, gain Well. Okay, now Aaron's got
a little bit to work with. So it's when you
take dkf out, it's like, okay, now I can kind
of you know, I cannot think vertically.
Speaker 3 (36:29):
There's nothing vertically.
Speaker 1 (36:30):
But now you look see I'm telling you three and
a half. Pittsburgh at home, DK Friarmouth, Warren Gainwell, Aaron having.
Speaker 3 (36:38):
His best half.
Speaker 1 (36:39):
They're past blocking according to PFF is actually top five
in the league.
Speaker 3 (36:44):
They're run blocking. I think if they're pass blocking, he's.
Speaker 5 (36:46):
Better than against this time.
Speaker 1 (36:48):
I think my second favorite bet of the weekend is
Pittsburgh to cover ye.
Speaker 8 (36:52):
So you know, I like playing poker and stuff. My
son is starting to get into poker. I'll see your
DK Metcalf and raise you. Derek Stingley, who's one of
the best cornerbacks in the league. He's gonna be All
Pro this year. Just put Stanley on him. Hey, good luck,
throw your jump balls. I got Stingley and on the
other side, if you want to run away from Stingley,
we got lass.
Speaker 5 (37:09):
I mean, this is a really good defense. Colin great.
Speaker 8 (37:13):
I think you're the one carrying around these Mike Tomlin
stats in your back pocket about postseason failures. He last
won a playoff game. I don't know if TikTok was
invented back it wasn't.
Speaker 5 (37:22):
It's been a minute, so well, you know it's not
tac toe.
Speaker 3 (37:27):
It's a long time ago.
Speaker 8 (37:28):
All right, Let's move on to uh what the La
Las Vegas Raiders, Colin?
Speaker 5 (37:34):
What a dumpster fire?
Speaker 8 (37:35):
This organization is back to back one and done's Pete
Carroll now bound. How about this Max Crosby situation. He's
been frustrated. He was put on IR just bye claiming
he's healthy. He countered by going on Instagram.
Speaker 5 (37:47):
And posting a video of him playing basketball.
Speaker 8 (37:50):
Anyways, Raiders GM John spy Tech had this to say
when asked if Max Crosby is untouchable.
Speaker 9 (37:58):
I have a lot of respect for my and how
much he loves to play the game, and I've had
the opportunity in the last several weeks to spend a
lot of time with Max and I think it's been
well documented that he didn't love the idea of not
playing football, and I think you always want that from
your best players. In fact, I think that's why they're
your best players. So I love Max. He embodies what
a Raider is. We've I've been pretty upfront with that
(38:20):
from the day that I sat up here almost a
year ago, and I continue to believe that.
Speaker 8 (38:26):
So Max Crosby is twenty eight uls or twenty nine
in August. He's not as young as Micah Parsons, Micah
fetch two first and Kenny Clark.
Speaker 5 (38:37):
What kind of hole can you get for cross first
round pick?
Speaker 3 (38:40):
For sure?
Speaker 5 (38:41):
Yeah, I would not a high first like in the twenties.
Speaker 1 (38:48):
Yeah, I mean if you were the Dallas Cowboys, Cowboys
have a couple of picks.
Speaker 5 (38:53):
I believe interesting you think Cowboys wild make a move.
Speaker 1 (38:56):
Now. I don't think that was just I think there's
a lot of people would like Max Crosby. I mean,
I think maybe you can argue for the Raiders it
is clean house.
Speaker 5 (39:07):
So what about a team like the Buffalo Bills. They
need a receiver. I like McKay lemon the USC receiver
to them in the first But if you're the Bills.
Speaker 8 (39:14):
Do you give up your twenty fourth pick and say
we'll take Crosby next year? We get both on one side,
Crosby on the other, we get at Oliver, We got
our defensive front.
Speaker 5 (39:24):
Maybe we make a push next year. I don't know.
I'm just looking late first round the Niners. Could they
give up their.
Speaker 8 (39:29):
Pick at twenty six, go after Crosby quickly retool next year.
Speaker 2 (39:34):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (39:34):
They're a little long in the tooth. I would like
the Niners to get younger, you know, off the top
of my head, think about a team that's close to
a championship and just lacks a consistent pass run.
Speaker 8 (39:47):
New England Patriots drafting thirtieth twenty fourth in pressure rate.
Speaker 3 (39:51):
That makes sense.
Speaker 1 (39:54):
New England Patriots, I mean, cause their.
Speaker 5 (39:58):
Roster's pretty good. The defense doesn't have a lot a
game change.
Speaker 3 (40:00):
They don't have that. They create pressure.
Speaker 1 (40:03):
They're not necessarily a high sack team, but they create pressure.
Speaker 8 (40:06):
Yeah, but that's not gonna We'll see what happens against
Justin Herbert.
Speaker 3 (40:10):
I think.
Speaker 8 (40:12):
I like the Chargers here. I think the Patriots need
to pass rest badly. Rabel defensive guy. We'll see, But
either way, we think there's no point in keeping Crosby, right.
Speaker 5 (40:20):
Either, Well, I think it's time to start over.
Speaker 1 (40:22):
Mendoza off. I would go Kevin Stefanski. I would go Mendoza.
There's an argument to trade Max and just get you know,
there's also an argument that keep Max because with Mendoza
for four years, you're not paying him anything.
Speaker 5 (40:38):
You get Mendoza genty bowers.
Speaker 3 (40:40):
That's a good one.
Speaker 1 (40:41):
I mean Crosby leads the NFL and tackles for losses
since he.
Speaker 5 (40:45):
Entered the league really good.
Speaker 3 (40:46):
So you're gonna get.
Speaker 1 (40:47):
A first and a second, a first and a third
and a fifth. I mean there's a twenty eight year
old dude. He is still unblockable in single I mean,
you put one man on him, you lose the battle.
Speaker 8 (41:01):
Didn't you say the Cowboys won the trade for Micah
because they didn't have to pay him.
Speaker 3 (41:05):
No, I said, both teams got what they wanted.
Speaker 1 (41:09):
Okay, Cowboys will get more young, inexpensive labor, and the
and the Packers get a closer because they generally lead
games in the fourth.
Speaker 3 (41:17):
They need their Mariano Rivera.
Speaker 8 (41:19):
Yeah, all right, final story, Colin, Let's go back to
the NBA in this Trey Young situation that's emerging. So
it came out, according to shams over at the Other
Place saying Trey and his agents that should be important
are looking for a trade partner. So Atlanta elected to
not offer Trey an extension. He has ninety five mil
(41:42):
left on his deal this year and then next year. Yeah,
somebody really smart on our staff said, well, listen, the
bucks are really flailing right now.
Speaker 5 (41:50):
Yannas ain't staying.
Speaker 8 (41:51):
You could easily clean up your books by trading Yannis,
getting Trey Young, who's going to sell some tickets.
Speaker 5 (41:56):
They have no backhand.
Speaker 1 (41:57):
Here's the opposite of Yannis. He doesn't defend or rebound.
Speaker 5 (42:00):
He's an offensive guy.
Speaker 1 (42:02):
Clear No, I think he's a really fun offensive player,
I really do. I but he is He's not somebody
that's going to defend, not going to be loved in
the locker room because it's kind of his show.
Speaker 5 (42:14):
Well, he might be humbled by this, colin. This is tough.
I mean, hey, we don't want to extend you, and
now we're trading.
Speaker 3 (42:19):
Matt Trey Young. I like him.
Speaker 1 (42:20):
I think he's a good player, but he's one of
those guys, you know, the insiders in the NBA are
like not terribly well liked. He doesn't defend, and the
knock is always is he a winning player? He's an
exciting player, but is he a winning player?
Speaker 8 (42:34):
Okay, so I don't know conference championship appearances Trey Young one,
Joel andbid zero.
Speaker 5 (42:39):
I don't know what that means.
Speaker 1 (42:40):
But the Hawks have a better net rating when he's
off the floor.
Speaker 5 (42:44):
That is also true.
Speaker 8 (42:45):
That's a big one. And defensively they're way better without him.
Currently they're flailing. How's this colin?
Speaker 3 (42:50):
For his career?
Speaker 8 (42:51):
Trey Young's averaging twenty five and nine. No, those are
crazy good numbers and there's like no market for it.
Speaker 5 (42:58):
That's how the NBA has changed, this new hard cap
third eight Brinn So.
Speaker 1 (43:03):
Also, the Lakers are a great example. Nobody defends anybody,
you know, Carmelo Anthony never defended anybody. How do you
do in the playoffs? James Harden didn't defend anybody. I'm sorry, guys,
but football and basketball, once the referees swallow their whistle
in the playoffs, physicality wins, and guys like Trey Young
(43:23):
become much less crucial.
Speaker 8 (43:25):
His big moment will be taking a bow at MSc
in the playoffs.
Speaker 5 (43:27):
Remember when he hit that game winning shot. That was
pretty awesome. That was the height of Trey Young. That
was the postseason. They had a great run and it's
all been downhill.
Speaker 3 (43:35):
Jmck with the news, Well.
Speaker 2 (43:37):
That's the news, and thanks for stopping by the line.
Speaker 1 (43:41):
It's just the numbers. When Trey Young doesn't play, the
defense is better. When he does play, they give up
nine more points. I mean, he's literally like a touchdown
in football. When Trey Young is on the floor, they
give up nine more points. Because in the NBA the
coaching is so good, they just attack you. They attack
Trey Young. And so you know all those analytics. Now
(44:05):
you don't have to watch games all night. Gms don't
have to watch games. You can go and look at
the analytics of who's good on the floor. I said
this about Lebron James, Lebron no longer defends so and
Lebron offensively. Jay McK and I went back and forth
on this. When Lebron was hurt to start the season.
Austin Reeves and Luca are on fire and they bring
Lebron back and you're like for a game or two,
(44:26):
He's like, hey, I'll be a good teammate, but he's
just kind of floating around doing his own thing. JJ
Reddick's complained, I think more than once, that we have
too many possessions that were just sort of ad libbing. Well,
why do you think that is. That wasn't a problem
when Luca and Austin Reeves were running the show.
Speaker 3 (44:42):
It's the hurt
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Herd podcast.
Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox
Sports Radio in noon to three Eastern nine am to
noon Pacific. Find your local station for The Herd at
Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us live every
day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio
or FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
This is the Best of the Herd with Colin Cowher
on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Oh here we go, We are loaded today. An embarrassment
of riches, Nick Wright, Greg Olsen, Joel Klatt.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
It is the Herd.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
We're live in Los Angeles, wherever you may be, however
you may be listening or watching, whatever the platform. Thanks
for making us part of your day. Stories breaking everywhere.
We will have all of them. You know, a lot
of times you'll hear people say, well, you know, the
these teams they I mean, they're just they don't know
(00:58):
how to draft quarter Twelve of the fourteen playoff quarterbacks
our first round quarterbacks, and the best one left is
Josh Allen. That's why, as I peruse the playoff matchups
this weekend, one team cannot lose until maybe they get
(01:22):
to a Super Bowl. That's Buffalo. Here's the bad news.
Last eight road playoff games, Buffalo is h to eight,
not all of those on Sean McDermott all the playoff
games this weekend. Only one team is not allowed to
lose Buffalo or the Domino effect starts. Kevin Stefanski don't
(01:44):
take a job yet, and the excuse for Buffalo has
been well, there's Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow neither made
the playoffs. It's bad enough that you lost your division
to Drake May and Mike Vrabel, and it was Rabel's
first year taking over a team that is still in
my opinion, in a rebuild, you can't then lose the
(02:05):
AFC to potentially Liam Cohen taking over the wobbly Jacksonville
Jaguars and Sean McDermott can coach. He has a higher
winning percentage, believe it or not, than Belichick and Andy Reid.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Sean McDermott can coach.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
But the downside to having a generational quarterback talent like
an l Way or a Peyton Manning or a Josh
Allen is the new standard is January. That's the new standard.
So there's a saying great power comes with great responsibility
(02:43):
in the NFL. Great quarterbacks create great responsibility. It is
Sean McDermott's responsibility to be completely buttoned up and win
a road playoff game over a team, frankly Jacksonville that
is better than you this year. I was looking this
morning at the most consecutive seasons of ten plus wins
(03:03):
NFL all time. The Bills are now fifth, and they're
the only team that has not reached a super Bowl
in that seven year stretch. Not only is every other
team when they have these stretches been to a super Bowl.
Six of the seven have won a super Bowl. Buffalo
(03:24):
hasn't reached it. And Josh Allen leads the NFL in
yards in playoff history. Think about that, most yards in
playoff history. It is averaging, not total averaging? Is Josh
Allen never been to a Super Bowl? So losing to
(03:46):
Mahomes and Burrow, okay, that's a reason. You can't lose
to Bonnicks. You can't lose to Drake May. You can't
lose to Liam Cohen and Trevor Lawrence.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
You can't. It doesn't matter. You can't.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
Twelve of fourteen playoff teams have first round quarterbacks. You
have the best one. Here's Sean McDermott on the Weekend ahead.
Speaker 4 (04:13):
You don't take them for granted.
Speaker 5 (04:14):
Let's just start there.
Speaker 6 (04:15):
But at the same time, the experiences I've been here,
we've been here, and so that comes with I guess
it brings some level of called seasoning, and you would
hope poise and composure as we prepare this week and
(04:36):
go through our process.
Speaker 5 (04:38):
Like anything else, you learn from experience.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Okay, So I had mentioned there's a lot of coaching openings.
J MAC will have more of those in twelve to
fifteen minutes. I said this yesterday, and I have a
little company, and I don't like to fire people.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
I really don't.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
I think there's a spot almost always somewhere a company
for people.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
But you can always tell.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
I was told this years and years and years ago
by a boss I had, like thirty years ago. He said,
you can always tell if you made a mistake when
you let somebody go, based on how the job market reacts.
So Cleveland fires Kevin Stefanski, in my opinion, mistake. According
(05:24):
to Adam Schefter, the Falcons, Giants, and Titans top of
their list. Yeah, Cleveland just screwed up again. Can't get
the right quarterback fire the wrong coach. So five years
in a row I have made a pick. I call
it a double yr win total team and if not double,
(05:47):
the most improved team Vikings in twenty twenty two. I
got that right rams the year after a Washington in
Denver a couple of years ago. This year I had
New England double your win total. Most improved team would
be Seattle. So I'm a little bit of a heat.
Not only should Stefanski be the leading candidate if the
Bills lose, the team I would pick next year double
(06:09):
your win total would be the New York Giants if
Kevin Stefanski is hired. That's how highly I think of him.
So I've gotten it right four or five years and
teams in a row. The Giants with Kevin Stefanski would
have a last play schedule, Jackson Dart Scataboo neighbors Raturns,
Andrew Thomas good left tackle again, last play schedule, number
(06:31):
five pick in the draft. They can manipulate and get
more picks. This is an absolute layup. Nothing against Mike Kofka,
the interim guy, but you know, I don't like. I
don't like when teams fire a coach. The interim guy
comes in and you're like, wow, that looked pretty good.
It's the substitute teacher. Everybody loves the substitute teacher, right,
(06:51):
They're more chill than the previous teacher, more chill than
the previous coach. Not as harsh. Yeah, Mike kaff is
not The answer could be a someday. I don't think
this is a space and people can say, well, Colin,
you thought Pete Carroll was going to work in Las Vegas. Yeah,
I thought Pete Carroll was a solid choice. It should
(07:11):
be noted I picked the Raiders to finish fourth with
Pete Carroll. I said, they'll still be a last place team,
but they need like guidance and maturity and stop with
the interim stuff. Just go hire a guy that's one big.
Pete Carroll. It didn't work. It's a man overboard, but
I still picked him for fourth. The New York Giants
have several key components. Like you know, Jackson darts in
(07:37):
the blue tent way more than I like. But when
you have a number one receiver, a number one left tackle,
a number one back, a number one quarterback, an excellent
pass rusher, the number five picks, that's pretty solid.
Speaker 3 (07:52):
That's pretty solid.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
I mean, you go look at the teams at the
top of the draft outside of the team that gets
Mendoza Giants pretty interesting. Here's Joe Shane on their coaching
vacancy right now in New York.
Speaker 7 (08:08):
Each of those franchises brought in new head coaches and
were able to turn it around rather quickly. And you
know Drake Mayson the MVP, you know race right now.
And you know Caleb Williams. We obviously played against him
and has has had a really good year in playing
at a high level. So yeah, that's that's certainly an
opportunity that you look at those franchises and how they
put it together in the quick turnaround and you know.
Speaker 5 (08:29):
An ideal world.
Speaker 7 (08:30):
Yeah, that would be from the people I've talked to,
you know, the consensus, there are a lot of potential
head coaching candidates that are excited about the opportunity here
because of Jackson Dart.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Yeah, fifty to forty fifty percent of first round quarterbacks
that are drafted don't become great franchise quarterbacks. I don't
know what Jackson Dart's going to become, but no reasonable
person would deny it's encouraging if he can stay out
of the blue tent, the Giants first women in Chaos.
He was kind of encouraging Skataboo neighbors Andrew Thomas, Jackson,
(09:06):
Dart Abdull Carter. It's kind of encouraging. Kevin Stefanski takes
that job. That is a double your win total team.
Not saying it's a great team. They're not going to
turn into New England this year, but they'd be a
really good team. J Mack, we got all sorts of
stuff happening, some of it not surprising, one move very surprising.
(09:29):
And this is such a great time of the year
starting Thursday. Do you want to just tell them what
happened in Like Cliff Kingsbury is now mutually decided he
does not get along with the GM. Adam Peters I've
been told, yeah, he doesn't necessarily see ey'd eye with
a GM. And now dan Quinn, this is the downside
to hiring a defensive coach, and I like dan Quinn,
(09:51):
I thought it was a solid hire. Or now you
lose your offensive coordinator and here's Jayden Daniels all banged up, going,
who's my coach?
Speaker 8 (09:59):
By way, also fire their defensive coordinator. So both coordinators gone.
That usually means hey, head coach, delivered this season or
you're gone.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
I try.
Speaker 5 (10:07):
Not good for Jayden Daniels.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
So that's that's what we've always said, hire an offensive coach.
Now there are exceptions. Demiko Ryans came highly touted. Jesse
Minter with the Chargers. Everybody loves Mike McDaniel was thought
of as the Sean McVay of defense. There are great
defensive coaches. But even if you nail that guy, he
loses his offensive coordinator every couple of years. So you,
(10:28):
I mean Dan Campbell did a great job this year.
Offensive coordinator didn't work because as well, he had the
takeover offensive play calling and it disrupted the flow of
the team.
Speaker 5 (10:37):
They'll probably be a line out the door for this job, right.
Speaker 8 (10:40):
You want to get in coaching Jayden Daniels because he's
such a superstar.
Speaker 5 (10:43):
I wonder where does Cliff Kingsbury land? You think he
wants to maybe spend the fall in.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
New York Tell I'll tell you I have this as
well sourced as I can.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
I love Cliff. He's not an NFL head coach.
Speaker 8 (10:54):
No, No, as EOC If we get Dante Moore in
New York as a quarterback. That excite Cliff Kings living
in New York coaching young don Te King.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
For the Jets does not excite anybody. I mean, it's
right now, it's the worst situation.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
In the league. It's up there.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
Yeah, let me say what you want about Tennessee. They
have cam Ward.
Speaker 5 (11:13):
Well, the Raiders are in trouble right now.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
Well, but they get Mendoza. Yes, yeah, I mean everybody
Tennessee has cam Ward. Giants have Jackson Dart. Think what
you want. Raiders are getting Mendoza. I mean, you can
say what you want about the Falcons. But Kirk played
well at the end. They still have Penix. They're going
to hire an offensive guy, perhaps Stefanski. Jets are at
the bottom right now. Thirty two to thirty two.
Speaker 5 (11:34):
I'll accept it.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
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Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 9 (11:44):
Hey It's Rob Parker and Calvin Washington from The Odd
Couple on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 10 (11:49):
And in addition to hearing us live week nights from
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are excited to announce brand new YouTube channel for the show.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
That's right.
Speaker 9 (12:00):
You can now watch the Odd Couple live on YouTube
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on YouTube and subscribe.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
Heard Hierarchy Tim Now go the top.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
Ten NFL teams according to College number ten.
Speaker 3 (12:23):
I would put Chicago.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
They won the NFC North for the first time since
twenty eighteen. When they win the turnover battle, they win,
but they're very reliant on it. They're ten and one
when they win the turnover battle, so if you play clean,
you can beat them. Most offensive touchdowns and Bears franchise
history with Caleb led the NFL with eleven touchdown passes
twenty plus yards down the field, but they disappear offensively
(12:48):
for entire first halfs. This Packer game is a rough one.
It's gonna be windy, which plays into the run game
of Chicago. Great year for the Bears. I put them
at ten.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
Number nine.
Speaker 1 (12:59):
The Niner Listen brock Purty in the last month one
hundred and seven passer rating. They're not as good as Seattle.
Don't punish them too much for losing to Seattle. They
didn't have Trent Williams and Ricky Pearsall. If they have
them backed, they're a live underdog against Philadelphia. They have
lost nine of their last ten games when trailing at halftime.
Some of that is on Kyle Shanahan, who to me
(13:22):
has always been very tied to his script. He's not
been a great second half or come from behind coach.
But if Pearsall and Trent and Kittle are available, that
game with Philadelphia gets interesting. Niners at nine, number eight. Listen,
the Bills are good. I don't think they're Super Bowl good.
They are twelve to zero when scoring twenty one plus points.
(13:44):
There's a way they win. They lead the NFL in
big plays in rushing, but that defense twenty eighth against
the run. They've lost eight straight road playoff games. How
do you win on the road against the Jacksonville Shut
him down and take the crowd out. I also worry
about this team because they're slow starting. When you go
on the road and face a high powered offense like Jacksonville,
(14:07):
you do not want to play from behind, and the
Bills make a habit of playing from behind. That's why
I have them at eight. Number seven the Texans. They're
on a nine game winning streak. Best defense probably easily
give credit to Nick Cassario. He's drafted the hell out
of this defense the last three years. But in the
red zone they're not good. They settle for field goals,
(14:29):
and I think that will be their undoing. You gotta
get sevens, not threes. In the red zone. They are
twenty fourth in yards per play. There's so much I
like about him. I've always been a huge CJ. Stroud fan.
That red zone offense they'll settle for threes, not seven,
will cost him.
Speaker 3 (14:47):
I put them at seven.
Speaker 1 (14:48):
Number six the weird Philadelphia Eagles, who are three and
four over their last seven games and since Week ten
have a bottom six offense.
Speaker 3 (14:59):
I mean they're ten.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
You know, when Jalen Hurts is held under two hundred
yards passing. They're the opposite of what wins in the NFL.
But their roster is so complete, their defense is so good.
But even I mean even this, they're five and three
at home. I don't even know what to make of Philadelphia.
That's why I have them at six.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
Number five.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
Denver's a great home team, so at least I know
what they are. They're good in the fourth quarter, they're
good at home. They're thirteen and on since week four.
Do they have a ceiling with bow knicks? Maybe, but
he is the first quarterback in the Super Bowl era
to lead in pass attempts in his first two seasons.
That tells you that Sean Payton trusts him. It's a
(15:43):
little like Andrew Luck. We're gonna give you the whole playbook.
They're also four and two against playoff teams, so they've
beaten good teams.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
I put them at.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
Five number four.
Speaker 3 (15:53):
The Rams aren't.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
Playing great right now, three and three over their last
six week six weeks. But I love the fact that
he's got three different guys with seven sacks. I love
the fact they're playing a Carolina team they lost to
is a favorite. Devonte Adams comes back now. You can
beat him downfield. I mean, Carolina's got two big receivers.
You can beat him downfield. You can. You can beat
(16:15):
them with big perimeter weapons. That's why Philadelphia is a
tough matchup for them. But Stafford, the O line, the coach,
the weapons, I have the Rams at four, number three.
Speaker 3 (16:27):
We got to pay.
Speaker 1 (16:28):
Attention to Jacksonville Okay, They're eight to no since Week eleven,
beating teams by nineteen a game. They're like a dominant
college team, and three of their four losses have come
to teams like you can lose to the Seahawks or
the Texans Ones or the Rams.
Speaker 3 (16:44):
They lose to the right teams.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
I mean, they're just They have had really good draft
picks for a long time. They've missed on the coach,
but Trevor Lawrence has his king maker.
Speaker 3 (16:55):
I have them at three, number two.
Speaker 1 (16:58):
I'm gonna put New England at two because I love Vrabel.
They've won thirteen or fourteen games, and they are a
great road team that matters. Mike Frabele third coach to
win fourteen plus games in his first season. I don't
love their old line. Their run game is inconsistent. That's
why I have them at number two, number one. I mean,
(17:22):
you watch the San Francisco game. Seattle wasted offensive opportunities
and totally shut down Christian McCaffrey, which I said, that's
like shutting down Barry Sanders or Walter Payton.
Speaker 3 (17:32):
How do you do that? I like everything.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
I think they're GM's the best personnel guy in the league.
Go look at their last nine picks in the first
and second round, nine for nine.
Speaker 3 (17:42):
They have a rare.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
Combination of a quarterback who's highly productive on a team
friendly deal, and they don't miss on draft picks. Translation
stacked roster. It's better than Philadelphia's. Now they're old line
like New England is. Oh hey, my top two teams
o lines. By the way, New England and Seattle in
(18:05):
the draft both will address their old lines. Both address
the old lines last year in the first round. So
that's where we are.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd weekdays
and neonon Easter not a em Pacific.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
Well, you knew when he was playing football that he
was eventually going to broadcast football three Pro Bowls fourteen years,
greg Olsen, Fox Sports, one of the good guys in
our business is joining us.
Speaker 3 (18:31):
We'll get to your Hurricanes in just a little bit.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
We'll circle back because they are in college football is
better when Miami's got swag, and man do they. So
you had the Dolphins Patriots last weekend and I had
said before the season I had picked them as my
double year win total. I said they're going to make
it as a wild card I thought they'd win nine
ten games, a lot of it on beating the Dolphins
and beating the Jets.
Speaker 3 (18:55):
I didn't think they'd be this good.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
Yes, Rabel and Josh McDaniel are part of it, so
as Drake May. You did their game last week. Do
they have the kind of roster that could win a conference?
Because to this point, I don't think people think that.
I think people think Vrabel and Drake May and even
I think they are another draft away on the offensive front.
(19:18):
When you watch them, do you look and say championship roster.
Speaker 11 (19:23):
If you would have asked me three weeks ago, I
think my answer would be a little bit different.
Speaker 4 (19:27):
I think I would have been more hesitant.
Speaker 11 (19:29):
I spent last week really trying to give them like
an honest evaluation. I know everyone makes a big deal
about their strength of schedule and their division, but after
spending a week studying them, watching what makes them good?
Seeing that run game last week in Week eighteen against
the Dolphins really come to life and they were incredible
Trevion Henderson and Ramondre Stevens, and they ran all over
(19:51):
the place with that passing game, I think the defense
is good where they need to be good. You know,
we talked about on the broadcast last week what's unique
about the defense. Not a lot of stars. They got
Gonzaleses there. Obviously they're one pro bowler on that side.
But you know, they don't take the ball away at
a real high level. They let teams, you know, score
in the red zone. But when you look at it,
they don't give up points. They don't give up explosives.
(20:14):
You don't get to the red zone often when you do,
you score, So they're good where it matters. All of
a sudden, they get into a hot streak of taking
the ball away with that offense, and then the run
game that has more value come postseason than maybe it
does in the regular season.
Speaker 4 (20:29):
And then on top of all that, I think.
Speaker 11 (20:31):
The AFC is completely wide open, so I think the
Patriots have that. I can make a strong an argument
that the Patriots make the Super Bowl is probably any
in the entire conference. And that's both a credit to
them and the season that they've had, and also just
kind of the lay of the land there in the AFC.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
I said, there's fourteen teams that make it in everybody
can lose except Buffalo, and I'm mahomes is out, burrows out,
Lamar's out. It's a bunch of bone knicks, right May.
It's like Jacksonville, It's like, okay, guys, you gotta win
this opening round. And boy did they get a tough matchup.
Jacksonville's on fire. But I said, here's what would worry me.
(21:12):
They're a slow starting team that is bad against a
powerful offense.
Speaker 3 (21:17):
At home.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
They play from behind constantly. I can't figure it out.
Is it a they don't like scripted stuff? How do
you explain Buffalo being behind in like six of eight
weeks you've been in You were in this league for
so long. Most top quarterbacks with winning coaches start strong.
Speaker 3 (21:36):
It's like a rule.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
You have a plan, you have a point of view,
you're efficient, you've got good personnel. I don't think you
can win. I don't think they'll beat Jacksonville. What do
you say to their offensive struggles before half?
Speaker 11 (21:51):
Well, I think it's a fascinating kind of deep dive.
And you know, I haven't had Buffalo in a couple
of weeks, so I had them call it three four
weeks ago in that home game, incredible game in the snow.
Speaker 4 (22:03):
Against Cincy and Burrow.
Speaker 11 (22:05):
But I think what's unique about Buffalo is it feels
like they've made their offense built for the postseason, right,
So you think years ago, Josh Allen is in the
shotgun and every play the ball's in his hand and
he's running around pretzy design run scramble runs, and then
obviously just operating as a traditional dropback gun passer. Well,
they've made a very conscious decision they said, Okay, in
(22:28):
the postseason, we're run game, and being able to control
the line of scrimmage has a lot more value than
it does maybe in the regular season, where it's a
very passing, offensive driven league until you get into the playoffs.
So James Cook is incredible as good at back in
the league. They're a very good run game, probably the
second best, second most efficient run game in the league,
maybe just behind the Rams.
Speaker 4 (22:49):
That's built for the playoffs. So they've almost taken.
Speaker 11 (22:52):
A little bit away from their MVP caliber quarterback because
the ball's not in his hands so much, and it
is a little bit of a more ground and I
don't think they love their perimeter receivers in a traditional
passing game. So it's play action, it's boots and nakeds,
it's rollout passes a little bit more like what we
see from teams that don't have a Josh Allen. But
I think I don't think it's by accident. I think
(23:15):
they've made that decision of saying, listen, he can still
be Superman when we need it. We saw it in
the snow firsthand. Up in Buffalo when they came back
to beat Cincy. He made some just ridiculous plays that
he's probably the only guy in the league that can
make to win you those games. So it's a little
bit by design. They're going to need their defense to
play really well. They're going to need their defense to
(23:35):
go on the road and keep this thing. Because when
you become a run heavy team and you want to
take such a high percentage of your snaps and give
it to the ground game, that's fine, But your ability
to operate in that mentality is only lasts as long
as your defense's ability to keep the score down.
Speaker 4 (23:53):
So playing from behind is fine.
Speaker 11 (23:55):
Playing too far from behind gets them out of that mode,
and now it turns into hero ball drop back past,
which I'm not I don't think that's really what they
want to be over long periods of time.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
Okay, So I think most of us believe it's my
turn down the sound test. When you turn down the
volume and just watch Seattle, you're like, man, I remember
the Carolina team with Cam that got to the Super
Bowl and there was an energy and a speed. It
was like, Oh, these guys they're playing with confidence. That's
over as good as they are and that it happens.
(24:28):
You've been there, and I think it's Seattle great. Well,
I don't love their own line Donald in the playoffs.
I don't know, but I what would.
Speaker 3 (24:37):
It worry you at all? That Seattle is.
Speaker 1 (24:42):
Really young, Donald doesn't have a lot of playoff experience.
Or do you just look at them and go, man,
they've got dudes everywhere.
Speaker 3 (24:51):
They've hit on every draft pick.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
I mean, honestly, Greg, they I don't think they've missed
on a top draft pick in four or five years.
Speaker 3 (24:58):
How do you view Seattle? What worries you or what doesn't?
Speaker 11 (25:02):
Yeah, I think johsh Schneider is in the in the
upper echelon top two or three, him the Howie Roseman's
I mean, you're talking about elite, elite front office talent
evaluators draft picks, and obviously that's the foundation of why
they've had so much success, so they deserve a ton
of credit there as far as and again, I don't
(25:22):
want to sound dramatic here, but if you could, if
you could pick, okay, what style would you like? An
offense and a defense complimentary on one NFL.
Speaker 4 (25:31):
Team, and you can pick, okay, what plays.
Speaker 11 (25:34):
In today's modern NFL, it would look very early similar
to both the offense and the defense of Seattle.
Speaker 4 (25:43):
What I mean by that is offensively, the fad this year.
Speaker 11 (25:46):
You look at the Rams, you look at Seattle, the
top teams, and you say.
Speaker 4 (25:50):
Okay, who are they?
Speaker 11 (25:51):
They are big bodies, they're two tight ends, multiple backs,
not all this eleven spread everyone outside the numbers drop
back pass crazy. They are a big body, heavy personnel
passing team, and they're gonna run with high volume. But
they're always hot and explosive plays. They're trying to throw
it over your head.
Speaker 4 (26:12):
That's what they are.
Speaker 11 (26:12):
Offensively, I would argue that's the best style to play
in today's NFL. And then conversely, on the other side,
the reason offenses are doing this is they want you
to put a bunch of big bodies on the field.
They want you to play with linebackers, and defensive linemen
and not as many debacks. So what does Seattle do
Mike McDonald had. It's built through personnel and just the
(26:33):
talent which he has. They play virtually nickel and dime
the entire time. They do not ever have only four
defensive backs on the field. First down, second down, third
down doesn't matter because they understand the value of defending
the pass and we're going to hold up against the
run with the least amount of people as possible.
Speaker 4 (26:50):
That is the formula of being really good.
Speaker 11 (26:53):
They happen to have mastered it and have the people
and the ideology to execute it on both sides. And
that's why I think if you if you put a
gun to my head and said right now, pick one team,
put your life on it, I'm probably between La and Seattle.
And I think Seattle is as well rounded and as
good top to bottom as any team in the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (27:15):
Yeah, so you played in Chicago, you love Chicago. Part
of me thinks, listen, everything goes in stages, and the
stage this year was save Caleb Stop, you know, eliminate sacks.
He doesn't told a lot of picks, but I thought,
like Ben Johnson's job, we said before the season. I
(27:35):
don't really care about the record. He can't get sacks
sixty times. Cut those in half, well, they cut him
in a third, and he really hasn't told them. So
I almost feel like they kind of overachieve, like they're ahead,
Like I feel this way with New England and in Chicago,
like you're a kind of a head of where I
thought you were. I don't know if they feel that way.
(27:55):
But if Chicago lost at home to Green Bay, would
you say, hey, big jump, can't wait for next year?
Speaker 3 (28:03):
Or do you view them now at home?
Speaker 1 (28:06):
Quarterback is healthy, better, a line, tremendous weapons. Do you
view this as a no, this is disappointing if the
Bears lose at home, I'll be honest.
Speaker 11 (28:19):
I think in this playoffs AFC, NFC, you know, would
the Rams probably be disappointing? If the Rams lot again,
it's the game that we're gonna call the Rams.
Speaker 4 (28:30):
You know, are they better than Carolina?
Speaker 11 (28:31):
Now?
Speaker 4 (28:32):
Carolina just beat them.
Speaker 11 (28:33):
A couple weeks ago, But so you probably could say
across the board, I'm not sure if there's any game
that's just a glaring mismatch. I think you can make
an argument that Green Bay could win. You can make
an argument how Chicago wins home road, same with Philly
and San Franz. I think we could probably go through
that exercise and make legitimate arguments either way. But as
far as Chicago, I said during a preseason game all
(28:55):
the way back in August, when we called their game,
I thought it was the best job in the league
that was available. I thought, hey, they get the best coach,
But I.
Speaker 4 (29:05):
Thought there was more wins built into that roster that.
Speaker 11 (29:08):
A competent coach and a guy like Ben Johnson, between scheme, ideology,
you know, culture, all the things that he was going
to bring, I thought the roster had a lot of
wins built in. I feel that way a little bit
right now about the New York Giants going forward, Like
there's the talent at the right spots, there's the depth
they've lost that previously they had lost games they should
have won, and a little bit of dysfunction. Now you
(29:30):
look at this year, you could argue that they've maybe overachieved.
Speaker 4 (29:34):
Right, there was wins in there.
Speaker 11 (29:35):
There was an inevitable improvement quarterback play, offensive line, both
addition of personnel and scheme and coaching and all that
they're talented at the skill positions. The defense still concerns
me right now, the defense is completely hanging their hat
on taking the ball away one of the best in
the league. That's great until that well drives up and
(29:56):
you actually just have to play on a snap by
snap basis. That concerns me a little bit. But yeah,
I think improvement was inevitable. Did we think it was
going to be this many wins home playoff game? Probably not.
Now next year, could there be a little bit of
a regression? Absolutely, Are they going to lead the league
or be amongst the best in the league and taking
the ball away? History tells us that that's not repeatable.
(30:19):
That's not something that's easily sustainable. So there could be
a regression. But for right now, I think Chicago, like
every wildcard team this weekend, has every has every same
the same argument to win a game as anybody else,
and I think that's what makes this year's playoffs so intriguing.
Speaker 1 (30:37):
Yeah, so you're going to be at the Miami Hurricane
Ole miss game. I like Miami in that space. I
always looked at Miami as a protown with a very small,
intense a hurricane following, but it was a pro town.
You know Riley in the heat, d Wade, you know
(30:57):
the Dolphins shula for years.
Speaker 3 (31:00):
I was surprised. If you'd have.
Speaker 1 (31:01):
Told me where who's going to spend a lot of money,
I would have guessed Oregon with Phil Knight, Notre Dame,
Michigan huge endowments. I would not have guessed Miami would
step up and just, you know, really go out and
get aggressive.
Speaker 3 (31:16):
So we know Miami's good.
Speaker 1 (31:18):
Mario Crysto Baal has been one of the top two
or three recruiters for a decade in the sport. I'm
surprised as an outsider you went there at how committed
they have been to it and like functional, like this
this nil stuff is. I mean, it's a barnyard musical
like the big collectives. And I am surprised that Miami
(31:39):
just jumped up and said we're going to be a
ballplayer here, We're going to commit. Are you surprised by
that because you were around the program for years.
Speaker 4 (31:47):
Yeah, I'm not surprised because the culture down there in
Miami and from the.
Speaker 11 (31:52):
President and the athletic director all the way down through
the entire culture there at the athletic department and just
the faculty in general, like winning matters.
Speaker 4 (32:00):
Being a good football program.
Speaker 11 (32:01):
At Miami is woven into the identity of the school
to the student body, and you know, it kind of
flies under the radar.
Speaker 4 (32:08):
A little bit because we are a small, little private school.
Speaker 11 (32:11):
If you drove down US one, you know, A one
A down in Coral Gables, you might drive right by.
Speaker 4 (32:16):
The entrance to the school and not even though it's there.
Speaker 11 (32:18):
So it's not one of these huge state schools that
takes over Tuscaloosa or Athens or you know, Gainesville. So
it is a little bit of a different culture, a
little bit of a different vibe down there in South Florida.
But I'll tell you I've known Mario crystal Ball since
I was fifteen years old. He recruited me as a
freshman in high school. I met him at Miami, and
then he recruited me at Rutgers and then ended up
coaching me. He was my ted end coach in college,
(32:40):
so we're very close. I had dinner with him shortly
after he got the job years back, and he was
very clear to the school for him to leave Oregon,
where he pretty much had a blank check to execute
the vision that he wanted to in essence do what
Dan Lanning has continued to do and kept them to
this level. The Oregon had given Mario that level of commitment.
(33:01):
So for him to come to Miami, yes, it was
as all the matter. Yes, it's where he wanted to be.
He was not going to come to Miami without the
full support top to bottom, comprehensively across the board. And
part of that is the nil and the money. And
he got a lot of that guaranteed to him and
on the table, not just as talk. And it was
a big reason not only why he took the job,
(33:22):
but certainly one of the big reasons why they've been
as successful. But make no mistake about it, before you
could pay guys, and it really just became to the
highest bidder. Us Nick saban Us from his time at
FIU like there might not be a better recruiter in
the country than Mario christabal He just happens to now
be the head coach. But the same guy that was
(33:42):
recruiting us as a GA back in the early two thousands,
it's the same guy now recruit and he'll call me
need you know. He's reaching out to everyone and anyone.
He is relentless. He is a tireless worker, and I
couldn't be happier for him.
Speaker 1 (33:57):
For the record, when you played in thefl forever, but
I bet when you if that game was tied twenty
eight to twenty eight, you would be so nervous.
Speaker 3 (34:06):
Do you when you go watch Miami? Are you a wreck?
Are you an emotional wreck?
Speaker 11 (34:11):
I'm an emotional wreck watching any game that I'm not
a part of that I have vested interest in the outcome.
It could be a Miami game, it could be my
daughter's seventh grade basketball game, my son's like I It's
just the way I'm wired. Like, if I care about
the outcome and the people that are involved, I'm when
I'm playing, I'm great, Like not a highly emotional player.
(34:35):
Was never the guy running around and acting like that.
Was never me as a player, as a coach, as
a dad, as a parent.
Speaker 4 (34:42):
I carry my.
Speaker 11 (34:43):
Emotions a lot more on my sleeve. So, yeah, I'm
going to be thrilled at the game in Arizona. I'm
going to be there with a couple buddies and catch
up with some teammates, and yeah, we're going to be
living and dying with every snap Because my hope is
that they make the national title in Miami and get
to go watch them again.
Speaker 3 (34:59):
It's going to be great.
Speaker 1 (35:00):
I just I love that we have Indiana, Oregon, Ole,
miss and Miami and.
Speaker 4 (35:05):
The four teams you said before the year, right, that's
the call.
Speaker 3 (35:08):
That's right. I've picked them all. Great. See anybody greg
Olsen appreciate it.
Speaker 4 (35:13):
Thanks Cayl.
Speaker 1 (35:13):
Yeah, I've said for years there the three teams are good.
When they went in college football, Texas, Miami and USC
feel like not quite college. They're college eighty percent, but
twenty twenty five percent pro football because of the city,
and Miami just feels big.
Speaker 3 (35:32):
Welcome back Hurricanes, It's great. Can't wait. Jamack with the news. No,
no turn on the news.
Speaker 2 (35:39):
This is the herd Line News.
Speaker 5 (35:41):
All right.
Speaker 8 (35:42):
Speaking of welcome back, Welcome back DK Metcalf. He's going
to be back for the Steelers on Monday night against
the Texans. Huge came back after this incident with a fan.
Speaker 5 (35:52):
You know, I was gonna call him something.
Speaker 8 (35:53):
But uh in Detroit.
Speaker 3 (35:56):
Metcalf is back.
Speaker 8 (35:56):
He would not speak about the incident, but did say
he's excited to return. His team missed him obviously in
the red zone. They cannot get anything right with DK
they averaged twenty four.
Speaker 5 (36:07):
Points per game, five point three yards.
Speaker 3 (36:08):
Now with DK friar Mouth Warren and it's a.
Speaker 5 (36:15):
Good player by the way.
Speaker 3 (36:15):
Ohyah, I like it.
Speaker 1 (36:16):
And fourteen Kenneth Gainwell, gain Well. Okay, now Aaron's got
a little bit to work with. So it's when you
take dkf out, it's like, okay, now I can kind
of you know, I cannot think vertically.
Speaker 3 (36:29):
There's nothing vertically.
Speaker 1 (36:30):
But now you look see I'm telling you three and
a half. Pittsburgh at home, DK Friarmouth, Warren Gainwell, Aaron having.
Speaker 3 (36:38):
His best half.
Speaker 1 (36:39):
They're past blocking according to PFF is actually top five
in the league.
Speaker 3 (36:44):
They're run blocking. I think if they're pass blocking, he's.
Speaker 5 (36:46):
Better than against this time.
Speaker 1 (36:48):
I think my second favorite bet of the weekend is
Pittsburgh to cover ye.
Speaker 8 (36:52):
So you know, I like playing poker and stuff. My
son is starting to get into poker. I'll see your
DK Metcalf and raise you. Derek Stingley, who's one of
the best cornerbacks in the league. He's gonna be All
Pro this year. Just put Stanley on him. Hey, good luck,
throw your jump balls. I got Stingley and on the
other side, if you want to run away from Stingley,
we got lass.
Speaker 5 (37:09):
I mean, this is a really good defense. Colin great.
Speaker 8 (37:13):
I think you're the one carrying around these Mike Tomlin
stats in your back pocket about postseason failures. He last
won a playoff game. I don't know if TikTok was
invented back it wasn't.
Speaker 5 (37:22):
It's been a minute, so well, you know it's not
tac toe.
Speaker 3 (37:27):
It's a long time ago.
Speaker 8 (37:28):
All right, Let's move on to uh what the La
Las Vegas Raiders, Colin?
Speaker 5 (37:34):
What a dumpster fire?
Speaker 8 (37:35):
This organization is back to back one and done's Pete
Carroll now bound. How about this Max Crosby situation. He's
been frustrated. He was put on IR just bye claiming
he's healthy. He countered by going on Instagram.
Speaker 5 (37:47):
And posting a video of him playing basketball.
Speaker 8 (37:50):
Anyways, Raiders GM John spy Tech had this to say
when asked if Max Crosby is untouchable.
Speaker 9 (37:58):
I have a lot of respect for my and how
much he loves to play the game, and I've had
the opportunity in the last several weeks to spend a
lot of time with Max and I think it's been
well documented that he didn't love the idea of not
playing football, and I think you always want that from
your best players. In fact, I think that's why they're
your best players. So I love Max. He embodies what
a Raider is. We've I've been pretty upfront with that
(38:20):
from the day that I sat up here almost a
year ago, and I continue to believe that.
Speaker 8 (38:26):
So Max Crosby is twenty eight uls or twenty nine
in August. He's not as young as Micah Parsons, Micah
fetch two first and Kenny Clark.
Speaker 5 (38:37):
What kind of hole can you get for cross first
round pick?
Speaker 3 (38:40):
For sure?
Speaker 5 (38:41):
Yeah, I would not a high first like in the twenties.
Speaker 1 (38:48):
Yeah, I mean if you were the Dallas Cowboys, Cowboys
have a couple of picks.
Speaker 5 (38:53):
I believe interesting you think Cowboys wild make a move.
Speaker 1 (38:56):
Now. I don't think that was just I think there's
a lot of people would like Max Crosby. I mean,
I think maybe you can argue for the Raiders it
is clean house.
Speaker 5 (39:07):
So what about a team like the Buffalo Bills. They
need a receiver. I like McKay lemon the USC receiver
to them in the first But if you're the Bills.
Speaker 8 (39:14):
Do you give up your twenty fourth pick and say
we'll take Crosby next year? We get both on one side,
Crosby on the other, we get at Oliver, We got
our defensive front.
Speaker 5 (39:24):
Maybe we make a push next year. I don't know.
I'm just looking late first round the Niners. Could they
give up their.
Speaker 8 (39:29):
Pick at twenty six, go after Crosby quickly retool next year.
Speaker 2 (39:34):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (39:34):
They're a little long in the tooth. I would like
the Niners to get younger, you know, off the top
of my head, think about a team that's close to
a championship and just lacks a consistent pass run.
Speaker 8 (39:47):
New England Patriots drafting thirtieth twenty fourth in pressure rate.
Speaker 3 (39:51):
That makes sense.
Speaker 1 (39:54):
New England Patriots, I mean, cause their.
Speaker 5 (39:58):
Roster's pretty good. The defense doesn't have a lot a
game change.
Speaker 3 (40:00):
They don't have that. They create pressure.
Speaker 1 (40:03):
They're not necessarily a high sack team, but they create pressure.
Speaker 8 (40:06):
Yeah, but that's not gonna We'll see what happens against
Justin Herbert.
Speaker 3 (40:10):
I think.
Speaker 8 (40:12):
I like the Chargers here. I think the Patriots need
to pass rest badly. Rabel defensive guy. We'll see, But
either way, we think there's no point in keeping Crosby, right.
Speaker 5 (40:20):
Either, Well, I think it's time to start over.
Speaker 1 (40:22):
Mendoza off. I would go Kevin Stefanski. I would go Mendoza.
There's an argument to trade Max and just get you know,
there's also an argument that keep Max because with Mendoza
for four years, you're not paying him anything.
Speaker 5 (40:38):
You get Mendoza genty bowers.
Speaker 3 (40:40):
That's a good one.
Speaker 1 (40:41):
I mean Crosby leads the NFL and tackles for losses
since he.
Speaker 5 (40:45):
Entered the league really good.
Speaker 3 (40:46):
So you're gonna get.
Speaker 1 (40:47):
A first and a second, a first and a third
and a fifth. I mean there's a twenty eight year
old dude. He is still unblockable in single I mean,
you put one man on him, you lose the battle.
Speaker 8 (41:01):
Didn't you say the Cowboys won the trade for Micah
because they didn't have to pay him.
Speaker 3 (41:05):
No, I said, both teams got what they wanted.
Speaker 1 (41:09):
Okay, Cowboys will get more young, inexpensive labor, and the
and the Packers get a closer because they generally lead
games in the fourth.
Speaker 3 (41:17):
They need their Mariano Rivera.
Speaker 8 (41:19):
Yeah, all right, final story, Colin, Let's go back to
the NBA in this Trey Young situation that's emerging. So
it came out, according to shams over at the Other
Place saying Trey and his agents that should be important
are looking for a trade partner. So Atlanta elected to
not offer Trey an extension. He has ninety five mil
(41:42):
left on his deal this year and then next year. Yeah,
somebody really smart on our staff said, well, listen, the
bucks are really flailing right now.
Speaker 5 (41:50):
Yannas ain't staying.
Speaker 8 (41:51):
You could easily clean up your books by trading Yannis,
getting Trey Young, who's going to sell some tickets.
Speaker 5 (41:56):
They have no backhand.
Speaker 1 (41:57):
Here's the opposite of Yannis. He doesn't defend or rebound.
Speaker 5 (42:00):
He's an offensive guy.
Speaker 1 (42:02):
Clear No, I think he's a really fun offensive player,
I really do. I but he is He's not somebody
that's going to defend, not going to be loved in
the locker room because it's kind of his show.
Speaker 5 (42:14):
Well, he might be humbled by this, colin. This is tough.
I mean, hey, we don't want to extend you, and
now we're trading.
Speaker 3 (42:19):
Matt Trey Young. I like him.
Speaker 1 (42:20):
I think he's a good player, but he's one of
those guys, you know, the insiders in the NBA are
like not terribly well liked. He doesn't defend, and the
knock is always is he a winning player? He's an
exciting player, but is he a winning player?
Speaker 8 (42:34):
Okay, so I don't know conference championship appearances Trey Young one,
Joel andbid zero.
Speaker 5 (42:39):
I don't know what that means.
Speaker 1 (42:40):
But the Hawks have a better net rating when he's
off the floor.
Speaker 5 (42:44):
That is also true.
Speaker 8 (42:45):
That's a big one. And defensively they're way better without him.
Currently they're flailing. How's this colin?
Speaker 3 (42:50):
For his career?
Speaker 8 (42:51):
Trey Young's averaging twenty five and nine. No, those are
crazy good numbers and there's like no market for it.
Speaker 5 (42:58):
That's how the NBA has changed, this new hard cap
third eight Brinn So.
Speaker 1 (43:03):
Also, the Lakers are a great example. Nobody defends anybody,
you know, Carmelo Anthony never defended anybody. How do you
do in the playoffs? James Harden didn't defend anybody. I'm sorry, guys,
but football and basketball, once the referees swallow their whistle
in the playoffs, physicality wins, and guys like Trey Young
(43:23):
become much less crucial.
Speaker 8 (43:25):
His big moment will be taking a bow at MSc
in the playoffs.
Speaker 5 (43:27):
Remember when he hit that game winning shot. That was
pretty awesome. That was the height of Trey Young. That
was the postseason. They had a great run and it's
all been downhill.
Speaker 3 (43:35):
Jmck with the news, Well.
Speaker 2 (43:37):
That's the news, and thanks for stopping by the line.
Speaker 1 (43:41):
It's just the numbers. When Trey Young doesn't play, the
defense is better. When he does play, they give up
nine more points. I mean, he's literally like a touchdown
in football. When Trey Young is on the floor, they
give up nine more points. Because in the NBA the
coaching is so good, they just attack you. They attack
Trey Young. And so you know all those analytics. Now
(44:05):
you don't have to watch games all night. Gms don't
have to watch games. You can go and look at
the analytics of who's good on the floor. I said
this about Lebron James, Lebron no longer defends so and
Lebron offensively. Jay McK and I went back and forth
on this. When Lebron was hurt to start the season.
Austin Reeves and Luca are on fire and they bring
Lebron back and you're like for a game or two,
(44:26):
He's like, hey, I'll be a good teammate, but he's
just kind of floating around doing his own thing. JJ
Reddick's complained, I think more than once, that we have
too many possessions that were just sort of ad libbing. Well,
why do you think that is. That wasn't a problem
when Luca and Austin Reeves were running the show.
Speaker 3 (44:42):
It's the hurt
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Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
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