Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Herd podcast. Be sure to
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(00:22):
listening to Fox Sports Radio. Here we go our two.
It's a Friday live in Los Angeles. It's The Herd.
Wherever you may be and however you may be listening.
Thanks for making us part of your day. Well, here
we are. It is a Friday. The two biggest football
games of the NFL season are happening a Sunday, and
(00:45):
then there's one more three total left. Just had a
national championship decided Ohio State the Natty the Crown on
Monday Night over Notre Dame. So as it's customary on
this show, I make the big prediction. We came off
of three and Ozero week last week. We only have
two games. I'm gonna give you three picks. That's the
way it's gonna work. And here we go.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Let's blaze it up up. It's Collins Blazing five sponsored
by Draft Games Commanders and Eagles.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
I like Philadelphia minus six and the over forty seven
and a half. The Eagles have won fourteen to fifteen
games and they're virtually unbeatable when a J. Brown's in
the lineup. They averaged an NFL best one hundred and
ninety three rushing yards over the second best team in
(01:35):
the league. Right, that was number one in the league
over the last fifteen games. Okay, they have no giveaways
in four straight games. So their rush offense the last
fifteen games, yards per game, percentage attempts a game. This
is what they do. It's not a quarterback lead team.
It is a run game led team. The Commanders third
straight road playoff game. They allowed in the win, twelve
(02:00):
big plays versus Detroit, no rookie's ever been to a
Super Bowl, and their rush defense leaves a lot to
be desired. Thirtieth. Okay, so you're talking about a team
that is road weary, that is outclassed physically. Their weakness
is the Philadelphia strength. Is Jaden Daniels capable of performing
(02:22):
Maggot magic a backdoor cover. Absolutely, But last week I
wouldn't touch Detroit Philadelphia. I said, stay away, don't bet it.
It worries me because of Detroit's defense. Philadelphia's defense, Boy,
they hit on draft picks and that secondary it's excellent.
The Washington Commanders are missing their best lineman and interior
(02:44):
lineman against Jalen Carter, potential nightmare. Rams, who had a
rookie center, struggled with this at the end of that game.
I like Philadelphia to win thirty four to twenty four.
I think it could get a little ugly. All take
the over a well comfortably. Bills A Chiefs the wise
(03:05):
guys like Kansas City. But I've been on the Bills
for a month to win the Super Bowl. The winner
of this game, in my opinion, hoist the Lombardi Trophy.
They have a winning record against the Chiefs, and Sean
McDermott has been there. Did you know that in nine
meetings they've won five. They leave the NFL in turnover differential.
This team is different like Kansas City. They don't beat
(03:26):
themselves fewest giveaways eight in a single season in league history,
twelve games this year without a turnover. Their defense also
may not be elite, right, you don't think it's elite,
but they led the NFL with thirty five takeaways because
you're usually trailing and have to play catchup and are
kind of predictable. Josh Allen in his playoff career, do
(03:48):
not confuse him with Lamar Jackson. He has been excellent again.
Nine games against Mahomes total, he's won five in Kansas City.
I think the gig is up. Even if you go
to that Houston game, they only had two hundred and
twelve yards offense. They only average four yards of play,
very Travis Kelsey dependent. I like the Bills receiving corps better.
(04:12):
I like their running back room better. I like their
offensive line better. I think quarterback is a wash. Kansas
City's got the better defense. Josh Allen has a way
of making great defenses reducing them to so so I'm
going to take the Bills to win a close game outright.
You know it's gonna be close, drama filled twenty eight
to twenty seven. I believe whoever wins this game wins.
(04:37):
The Super Bowl DraftKings sportsbook. This week, new customers bet
five bucks to get two hundred and bonus bets instantly.
The promo code is heard at sign up, and with that,
Eric Mangini joining us Live. I want to start with
Bills and Chiefs. So when you were in New England,
(05:01):
there was probably a couple of teams that you were
you know, it could have been the Colts. You face
them eight times, it's four and four, but you had
a little bit of the magic dust in the playoffs.
And my guessing it is the Colts if I go back,
you know, a while back, but maybe it's the Steelers.
But does the psychology like Buffalo's beaten them five times?
(05:22):
This doesn't feel like Baltimore against Kansas City. It just doesn't.
It feels more like Cincinnati against Kansas City. And I
like my chances. You tell me in your career, does
that stuff history matter?
Speaker 3 (05:34):
Yeah, it's interesting.
Speaker 4 (05:36):
I usually agree with a lot of your blazing five
and I disagreed with with all of it today, and
I disagree with with the Buffalo kc take. And here's
why is you talked about those games and how Buffalo
has been on the winning side of the matchup overall.
But in the key games, the games that matter, the
playoff games, Kansas City's come out undefeated, right the three
(05:58):
to zero in the playoff game, And to me, the
difference is Kansas City goes into this game knowing they
can win. Buffalo goes into this game hoping they can win.
They're not, They're not really sure, and that is a
that is a significant edge. And we've seen the success
that Buffalo's had in the regular season, and that's nice,
(06:19):
that that's positive, that should build confidence. But but the
success that Kansas City's consistently had, not only in the
playoffs but specifically against the Bills, that does matter.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
And it matters, especially for the key players.
Speaker 4 (06:33):
It matters for Homes, it matters for Kelsey, it matters
for Allen, all those all those key players. They understand
how it's come out. So so Buffalo's not totally sure
whether they can be Kansas City, but Kansas City is
absolutely sure they can be Buffalo.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
I know home field now because of the elevated technology
and helmets, is like worth a point now. But I
always did feel like if Tom Brady was going to Denver,
he was going to struggle just one of those players,
or if he was going we did yes, and I
just felt like high altitude, whatever it was, I do
think if it was in Buffalo, I would really like Buffalo.
(07:10):
But there is something the way our mind works is
you get to January and it's cold, and it's Kansas
City and they're at Arrowhead that your mind kind of
takes you to previous games like that. Did you always
feel in New England Foxborough was worth something?
Speaker 3 (07:29):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (07:30):
Absolutely, And there's real value to being at home. There's
value to being able to be in your meeting rooms,
to not have to get on a bus and then
get on a plane and then get into a hotel,
the visiting locker room, all that familiarity as long as
as long as you don't let it be a distraction. Now,
(07:52):
sometimes when you're playing at home, especially early on when
you have success, there's so many people coming into town
to see the game.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
There's a lot of.
Speaker 4 (08:00):
Teams struggle with that, and a little bit of that
happened to us, you know, after the first Super Bowl.
But Kansas City's at the point where they've done this
so much. They're in such a routine of how to
deal with with kind of the home field advantage and
some of the distractions that come with that, that they've
eliminated those distractions and now they've maximized all the advantages
and the crowd noise, all those things are things that
(08:23):
you can you can kind of build off of being
the home team.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
So I want to talk Philadelphia commanders. They've played twice.
Philly's averaged five and a half yards of carry. Go
back to your coaching career when you know you are
at a personnel disadvantage. Philadelphia will have success running against Washington.
I watch both games. They're going to have success. The
offensive line for Philly is going to overpower at times,
(08:51):
various times unless you stack the box for Washington. When
you were a coach and knew you had a unit
that was going to be under and it was a
personal personnel disvenge, did you coach differently? I could see
Washington saying, guys, I want two trick plays on special teams.
We got to put in some exotics here. You can't
(09:12):
look at the film this week as a coach in
Washington and think you match up well with the Eagles
O line. What do you do as a coach.
Speaker 4 (09:20):
Well, here's what's deceptive about those numbers. In the second game,
if you look back at it, Saquan had a ridiculous
first quarter. Okay, but the majority of his yards were
in the first quarter. He only had forty one yards
in the second to the fourth quarter. He carried the
ball twenty two times in the second to the fourth
(09:42):
quarter for a one point nine yard average. So that's
what you're coaching off right there. They have had success
numerically in terms of total yards.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
In both games.
Speaker 4 (09:53):
But the great news for Washington is after that first
quarter and he hits that sixty nine yard run, that
that giant run, which was the bulk of his yards,
they settled down and they shut Saquon Barkley down.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
So they've done it. It's not like they haven't done it.
Speaker 4 (10:08):
And overall across the board, that game was about as
bad as it could have gone in terms of turnovers
for Washington five turnovers, they had three pass interference penalties
on Marshaw Lattimore. A lot of things went wrong, but
yet they found a way to win. They found a
way to beat Philly and their ten game winning streak.
They they've broken through that bearer and they've broken through
(10:29):
the barrier.
Speaker 3 (10:30):
Can we stop Saquon Barkley.
Speaker 4 (10:32):
So I think the running stats are a little deceptive
when you look at what they did, you know, in
the latter part of that game.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
Jayden Daniels, I mean, listen, he just broke through. They're
just young guys that are better and you coach them,
like when you go into a game like this. I
mean Bill Romanowski used to always say, like every stage
you go, it's different. He doesn't remember the first series
he played in his first Super Bowl, like he goes,
he goes, I remember a bunch of light flashing. I
don't even remember it. Of my energy was through the roof.
(11:00):
A conference championship game is like the American League Championship
series when it was Red Sox Yankees. It's just different.
It's just different. When you have a rookie quarterback or
a young quarterback, would you move him slowly into the game,
like feel him out a little bit, being worried that, Okay,
this is the biggest game easily he's ever played in.
Speaker 4 (11:20):
Yeah, it's the biggest game he's easily played in across
the board. But so was last week and so was
the week before. But yet in both of those moments,
when you hear Jaden Daniels talk, he just talks about
going through the same process that he's always had, of
approaching it the same way, and it does. It doesn't
feel like lip service. It doesn't feel like he's trying
(11:43):
to talk himself into to lowering the pressure.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
It seems like that's who he is.
Speaker 4 (11:48):
And one of the things that I really liked about
Jaden coming out of college is that he had poised.
Here's a guy who's so dynamic as a runner. And
most of those guys Colin as we know who are
dynamic runners. As there's pressure, they're out of the pocket,
they're moving, they're going that's their answer. With Jayden, he
consistently stayed in the pocket, went through his reads, and
(12:08):
and then if he had to escape.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
He used his feet.
Speaker 4 (12:11):
So you saw that poise coming out of college, and
then then that's transferred over into pro football, and you
saw it last game against Philly the same way. It's
the moments aren't too big and he's finding a way
to win.
Speaker 3 (12:25):
It feels a lot like we.
Speaker 4 (12:26):
Want our When we won our first Super Bowl in
New England, we were five and five through ten games.
We went on a winning streak. We went into the
playoffs with momentum. And that's that's how this team is.
They're hot, they've got a ton of momentum, and they believe,
and not only Jayden, but but the whole team believes
in what they can do.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
Pete carrolld the Raiders. We had a little silver to
silver and black. I like it. I think he's an adult.
I think they need one. I I this whole idea
that once seven is the first number in your age,
you're done. Trump's going to be eighty pretty quick. And
Warren Buffett can still pick stocks in his nineties. What
(13:07):
does Pete Carroll from what you know give the Raiders
Because they're laying concrete here, coach, they are starting over,
rebuilding everything.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (13:17):
What I don't love about the hire is when you do,
when you do bring in someone who's Pete's age, what's
the long term answer? Ideally, when you bring in a
head coach, you're hoping that you're going to build a
foundation and the guy's going to be there for a
long time. And look, I know there's ridiculous amounts to
turnover every season.
Speaker 3 (13:35):
What I do love.
Speaker 4 (13:35):
About this is you do have someone with a depth
of experience. He's built multiple programs. And the thing about
Pete is he's such a positive human being. Pete's never
had a bad day, and that energy that Pete has,
it's contagious, and he's constantly preaching competition, competition, competition, and
it's it's all positive. And the Raiders for years have
(13:58):
been surrounded by sort of a cloud like a lot
of bad organizations are. And Pete, to me, instantaneously infuses experience,
infuses the ability to change over an organization and then
that optimism. And look, Pete's the youngest seventy four year
old I'm sure you'll ever meet, just because of his
approach to life. And that's that to me is a
(14:20):
huge upside.
Speaker 3 (14:21):
And bring him in.
Speaker 1 (14:22):
Ben Johnson to Chicago. The coach doesn't know the GM.
Does that concern you, Yeah, all of it concerned.
Speaker 4 (14:33):
But you've got a first time head coach and he's,
you know, been anointed as a genius like typically coaches
are when they've had success, and he's being paid a
very at a sort of an advanced coach level, so
that comes with expectations. And you've got a quarterback who's
supposed to be a generational talent who's underachieved and all
(14:53):
the reasons are because of coaching. So now you fuse
these two guys together, there should be a lot of success.
But the problem is there are a lot of people
in Chicago with their hand in the pot. There's a
lot of decision makers, and who knows how that's going
to unfold, and how much influence is Ben going to
have on the defense. Is he going to be a
(15:15):
head coach of the whole team or is he going
to be the head coach who runs the offense. And
I think those are very different things. I would say, though,
with the expectations he brings in the expectations on Caleb,
they should be in the hunt to win that division
and they should add a minimum, make the playoffs. I
don't think that's an unreasonable expectation for him in Chicago
(15:37):
with that talent level next year.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
Finally, let's go back to Bill's Chiefs. If I could say,
because the quarterbacks are both great, I think Bills have
a better offensive line and a deeper wide receiving corps.
I like the Bills offensive personnel. I like the Chiefs
defensive personnel. If I told you, though, you can have
either roster for the next three or four years, because
both quarterbacks are great, who would you. I think Buffalo's
(16:03):
roster has more depth of good players. I think Kansas
City at the top, with like Creed Humphries and Mahomes
and McDuffie. I think I think the elite players slight
edge Kansas City, but five through about twelve. I like
Matt Mulano's those level players, Dion Dawkins, I really like
(16:26):
James Cook. What roster, what team would you take next
three years?
Speaker 3 (16:29):
Roster?
Speaker 4 (16:31):
Yeah, I'm taking I'm taking any team that Patrick Mahomes
is on. And here's here's what Josh Allen. Yeah, it's
it's really it is really that simple. It's like taking
any team that Tom Brady's on. That The thing with
Josh Allen that he's done so well this year and
it's so different than last year, is the way he's
protected the football And you saw it even against the
Ravens last week when he runs that quarterback driven run
(16:53):
down by the end zone and he's thinking about flipping
it back but he doesn't. To me, that's the difference
between Josh Allen last year and Josh Allen this year.
Is like twenty four turnovers last year and he's like
six or eight that The numbers are staggering and that's
why they've been as good as they are. But with Mahomes,
he's won. He wins every year. He's won at the
(17:16):
highest level. He performs in the biggest moments, and he
makes everybody around him better. Where we've seen this one
year where Josh is pulled back and done what he's done,
is that sustainable. We've seen over time what Patrick has done,
and we know it's not only sustainable, but it also
elevates everybody around him. So I'm starting at the quarterback
(17:40):
and I'll take any team that Mahomes is on and
bet that that team's going to be really good for.
Speaker 3 (17:45):
A long time.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
Don't let Nick writ influence you. Influence you is.
Speaker 4 (17:50):
I have been fighting Nick Wright for as long as
I've been on this show. But when you get to
the point where you're about to win a third Super
Bowl and make history, it's hard to fight that that
level of greatness.
Speaker 1 (18:02):
No, listen, I think I remember you was saying this yesterday, Coach.
It was about ten years ago. I was like Peyton Manning,
Tom Brady and Big Ben and I remember thinking, Toy,
the AFC, CBS is gonna be in trouble. They're never
going to replace those guys. And now we got Lamar,
we got Joe Burrow, we got Josh Allen, we got
Mahomes And it's like, and I think Jayden Daniels. I
(18:23):
said this this week. I think the NFC last ten
Super Bowls has ten different quarterbacks. I think Jaden is
their Mahomes. I think the pecking order in the NFC
for the next decade, I think he's that great will
go below Jayden Daniels. Do you think I'm nuts? I
don't know what you I can't even explain what he does.
Speaker 4 (18:43):
I hope you're not nuts, because I want that great
level of quarterback play. And I think when you list
the quarterbacks that you did with Big Ben and Peyton,
you know a lot and Drew Brees. There were a
lot of other guys that won Super Bowls during Brady's run. Really,
it's been I mean essentially the Patrick Mahomes show here
(19:04):
for as long as we can remember.
Speaker 3 (19:07):
So I'm looking forward.
Speaker 4 (19:08):
To the time period where these other guys are winning
Super Bowls and I love the idea of Jaden being
that guy in the NFC.
Speaker 3 (19:15):
But remember how much praise C. J.
Speaker 4 (19:17):
Stroud got last year, and then there's a little bit
of that sophomore slump.
Speaker 3 (19:21):
So it's exciting.
Speaker 4 (19:24):
He looks different, but when everybody catches up with him
and we're a year removed from now hopefully we're talking
about him in the same light.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
Eric Mangini, coach. Great seeing you have fun today on
first things.
Speaker 3 (19:36):
First, awesome, Thanks con talk to soon you.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
Bet one more. Heard The Herd streams twenty four hours
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Speaker 1 (19:49):
By the way, I just saw this for all the
Tampa Bay Buccaneer fans who are in their fields. I
can't believe Lian Cohn lied to us. Bobby Slow just
got canned in Houston a year ago. He was the
hottest OC in the league. Strike when the iron is hot,
get out when you can. It's amazing. All of a
(20:10):
sudden this year they had o line issues. They could
never stay healthy. Now Bobby Slogan's a bum, he's out
in the offensive line, coaches out. So Liam Cohen's sitting there.
Baker's had two great years. He is, Baker's going to
have another great year. I mean with Michael Pennix is good,
and now Atlanta is better, and now New Orleans is
going to get a legitimate coach. So like just sometimes
(20:33):
in life, not all the time. Ben Johnson waited. Ben
Johnson waited, But a lot of times in life strike
when the iron hot is a term that's been used
forever for a reason. Now, Bobby Slowan and we were
talking last year. He was going to be the Ben Johnson.
He got canned. So Liam Cohen's like, hey man, Jacksonville's
given me Trevor Lawrence. You do not get Trevor Lawrence.
(20:54):
He's your first quarterback. You end up getting a mess
or politics. He's got a new GM, he's got Trevor Lawrence,
he's got cap space, he's got a wonky division. You
figure out a way to get the job if you
have to fudge a little bit to your former employer,
as the Glazer family. I know the Glazer family. I
like the Glazer family. But in the end, he basically interviewed.
(21:17):
He came back. They called and said get back here.
He did. He took the job.
Speaker 5 (21:21):
But the slow thing is shocking, like that is legitimately
a whoa. I know he didn't have a great year,
but Colin CJ. Stroudus didn't learn a new offense. Now
after two years where he was really really good.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
I mean, here's the.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
Thing that's teams all the time, there's like a running
joke in the NFL if you get a vote of confidence,
you're fired. So, I mean owners have been doing that forever,
where they give you a vote of confidence, it doesn't
mean anything. It means nothing. So if a coach interviews
and then doesn't like the general manager in Jacksonville and
(21:54):
then literally you fly back and on the flight they
fire him, you're probably telling your wife, well, if I
had known they were gonna fire him, I would have
taken the job. So I'm gonna give Liam Cohen the
benefit of the doubt.
Speaker 5 (22:07):
So you lose to last year who they lose to
the Ravens and Lamar Jackson, and then this year they
lose to the Chiefs, No, both of them on the road,
like there's no harm in those losses. I'm stunned at this.
Why don't you bounce it off your.
Speaker 1 (22:20):
I want to fire their special teams coach at Houston.
Speaker 6 (22:23):
That makes sense. But the OC, Wow, they.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
Had a lot of injuries. J Mack with the news,
No turns.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
This is the herd line news.
Speaker 6 (22:33):
All right, let's start with Pete Carroll going to the Raiders.
I like your silver and Black line. That was a
good one.
Speaker 5 (22:38):
He has a three year deal to be the new
head coach, and he joins a stacked AFC West headline
by Andy Reid, Jim Harbaugh and Sean Payton. That is
a tough, tough division. It is with some elder statesman,
shall we say? Carol will be the Raiders' fifth head
coach since the team relocated to Oakland in twenty located
(23:00):
from Oakland in twenty twenty.
Speaker 6 (23:03):
Five coaches in a little timespan. Colin not great, but
you seem to like this higher huh, Well, I think.
Speaker 1 (23:11):
Pete gives them proven culture building and stability. Remember his
last two years in Seattle. It did not fall up
a cliff. One of them. He made the playoffs with
Geno Smith and we were shocked how viable they were.
And the next year he was nine and eight. And
for the record, how was Seattle this year with Gino Smith?
There's a ceiling there. So if you want to criticize
(23:35):
Pete for being overly loyal to Geno Smith and in
my opinion a couple of his long term coaching allies,
that is fair. But competency details, organization, smart energy, coach building,
culture building, Pete gets an a a minus and all
that stuff.
Speaker 6 (23:53):
So let's move on to the next big one.
Speaker 5 (23:55):
How do you settle the quarterback position with the Raiders?
Is an option or are they drafted been not in
a position to get one of the top two they are?
Speaker 6 (24:02):
I think they're six.
Speaker 1 (24:04):
Yeah, okay, I would move up or if you like.
Speaker 5 (24:07):
It, if they're top ten, he'd like you, So you train,
We'll give up Mac and Crosby to.
Speaker 6 (24:12):
Go up and get eight quarterback. No, let me give
you a names.
Speaker 3 (24:13):
All right.
Speaker 5 (24:15):
He was Benson Atlanta, Kirk Cousins. He's gonna be on
the market. He's not going to be a backup. You're
going to probably let him. Hey, Kirk, well, I do
not think that's a bad idea.
Speaker 1 (24:23):
Remember Kirk came in out Aaron and Kirk cousin Aaron
Rodgers Kirk Cousins both thought that surgery. Yeah, forty year
old guys. Basically, Kirk was excellent until Thanksgiving or around there.
Aaron struggled until right around Thanksgiving Aaron finally got a
bounce in his step the last eight weeks. Kirk, who's
(24:44):
not his athletic, seemed to wear down in the last
six to seven weeks. My take is an entire off
season for Kirk Cousins to get back in shape, rehab again,
get stronger motivated. I think Kirk Cousins right now is
of value at quarterback. I think a lot of people
think he's done. And when a lot of people it's
(25:05):
beaten down stocks, I think a lot of people are
selling all their stock by it. Kirk Cousins for one
year and also how about this, Kirk Cousins for a
year trained down your pick. You're one of the few
teams that has there's about seven to eight really good players.
You're in line for one back up five to six
(25:26):
spots and get a second round pick. So you've got
to one a couple, twos, three, four, five.
Speaker 6 (25:31):
That makes sense. I think that's better Kirk Cousin, be
better than trading up for.
Speaker 1 (25:35):
I agree, Yeah, it's a want do a two year
deal most of the money up front.
Speaker 5 (25:40):
I mean, listen, the Broncos got to the playoffs with
I think that's well. I don't see why Kirk Cousins
couldn't turn the ship around with the Raiders.
Speaker 6 (25:47):
I don't know about playoffs, but they could be competitive.
Eight nine, ten.
Speaker 1 (25:50):
You can you can sell your culture and a new
coach as an adult. The quarterback's absolutely an adult. It
would be a grown up locker room. All right, that's
what that helped out.
Speaker 6 (25:59):
Pete Carroll.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
You want Kirk Couses a couple of years.
Speaker 5 (26:02):
Next up is the AFC Championship game Sunday, Alan Mahomes,
Oh boy, it's a heavyweight battle. And now Bill Cower,
the former Steelers coach, has chimed in giving advice to
Josh Allen. The biggest thing is to fight the temptation
to try to think about what you're doing in regard
to the other quarterback.
Speaker 1 (26:21):
This is your team.
Speaker 6 (26:22):
Stay in your zone.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
Okay.
Speaker 6 (26:25):
Mahomes has been one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history.
Speaker 5 (26:28):
Look at the record sixteen and three, I mean forty
seven touchdowns, eight picks. Josh Allen has not been chopped
liver either. He's been very good in his playoff career.
Speaker 6 (26:37):
But you know there is.
Speaker 1 (26:39):
Look at the look at this Josh Allen and Patrick
playoff numbers. I think there's this belief that Josh Allen's
been an average playoff quarterbacks. He's been sensational. He just
can't beat.
Speaker 6 (26:51):
Mahomet the record season.
Speaker 1 (26:53):
Lamar has come down and great in the playoffs, He's
not as bad as everybody says. But Lamar is an
eight quarterback who's a b playoff quarterback. Josh is a
a A across the board. He just can't beat Patrick.
Speaker 6 (27:04):
It's weird.
Speaker 5 (27:05):
I don't think this is Alan versus Mahomes. How this
is McDermott versus Mahomes. I think you're a defensive guy.
Your defense is kind of sort of gotten carved up lately.
Speaker 6 (27:13):
Can you stop.
Speaker 5 (27:14):
Mahomes a few times? Because you know Josh Allen's gonna
get his I'm not worried. He's the least of my
concerns for the Bills, but that defense, Colin, I'm gonna
wait for the injury report should be coming out here
in about thirty minutes.
Speaker 3 (27:25):
You know.
Speaker 6 (27:25):
It sounds like Benford's gonna go quickly back from the concussion.
That would be huge. There is some speculation online.
Speaker 5 (27:32):
Hey boy, concussion protocol a lot looser in the playoffs,
guys coming back quickly. We'll see what the official verdict is,
but obviously Sunday great matchup.
Speaker 6 (27:41):
Excited for that final.
Speaker 5 (27:42):
Story is uh oh La Rams Matt Stafford. This seems
to be this is second year in a row. We're
hearing stafford future, we don't know. He said he's gonna
take some time to think about it, but added that
he feels like he has a lot left. McVeigh hopes
to find clarity on the situation quickly.
Speaker 7 (28:02):
I know he's playing.
Speaker 8 (28:03):
Really good football.
Speaker 2 (28:04):
Obviously, I love him, love working with him.
Speaker 7 (28:05):
What he's meant to our football team has been immeasurable
in a positive way. That'll be one of the first
topics kind of on your to do list to be
able to talk about.
Speaker 3 (28:15):
And then hopefully.
Speaker 7 (28:16):
That'll give us the opportunity to be able to move towards,
you know, clarity in regards to how that affects his
status and what we're doing, you know, with what we
know is an incredibly important position for a football team
moving forward.
Speaker 1 (28:29):
If I ran the Rams, I would get to have
three six round picks. I'd go get somebody like Jackson
Dart in the sixth round as a backup because they
have a starting quarterback issue and a backup quarterback. Garoppolo're
not going to pay him. So my take is, get
one more year out of Stafford, go to Matt and
say listen, we're going to get you another back, another receiver,
a better left tackle. Make this an offensive draft. There's
(28:50):
a lot of people that think they're going to take
a tight end Michigan's tight end with the first play.
Speaker 2 (28:54):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (28:54):
I so you go to Stafford and say, listen, we're
going to give you. We're we're about two players the
three players away from the super Bowl. A corner, another
elite tight end, an offensive tackle. You make this the
offensive draft. The last two in defense, you pick up
a Jackson Dart six round something like that. Maybe, but
(29:15):
you have three six round picks. But you're first, you
have a first two thirds of fourth. Help him out,
and then next year get your backup quarterback figured out
this year late, and then go get your starter. But
I would go to Matt and say, you got two
years in the contract. We think if we can get
you four players O tackle, another receiver, an elite tight end,
(29:38):
and a corner. And I believe this too, we can
go toe to toe with anybody, especially if we're playing
not in the snow.
Speaker 5 (29:43):
I got to ask about the Cooper Cup Matt Stafford relationship.
They are famously tight, work together all the time, families
are friendly, they want a super Bowl together. There's a
lot of Cooper Cup speculation. Do they move off of them,
do they trade them?
Speaker 1 (29:57):
Do they cut them a lot of dead cat money?
Speaker 5 (29:59):
Well, Tyler Stafford, you know remember Stafford's wife was the
one who said Matt doesn't can't relate to guys on
the team because they're all young kids. I think they
have to be careful with this Cooper Cup. I don't
think Safford's going to retire because they love Cup. But
like you want to keep your horse.
Speaker 1 (30:12):
Happy, well, I think Cooper Cup doesn't have much of
a market, so I think you'd keep him around for
locker room stuff. They would love to move off him
and move off the contract, but I don't think there's
a market.
Speaker 6 (30:23):
Well, he's this is a veteran. He's a come in, let.
Speaker 1 (30:27):
Me, let me, let me, let me throw, let me
throw a team in.
Speaker 6 (30:30):
I'm not letting go a Cooper Cup if I don't
have to let.
Speaker 1 (30:32):
Me throw a team at you. Seattle's getting awfully tired
of DK Metcalf. Oh I was a Calf goes to
the Chargers Rams send Cooper Cup back to Seattle because
he's from Washington State, Yakama area. Cooper Cup homecoming back
to his family area. Oh yes, now he's not DK Metcalf,
but he's a veteran. Seattle's got, you know, a couple
(30:54):
of young receivers. Yeah, very cool. It's a young Seattle team.
How about a leader in the clubhouse that's.
Speaker 5 (31:01):
Not bad DK Metcalf. You know, he's been on the
show and he's a large individual. But I'm not gonna
be nagative. They had some issues.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
DK is tired of Seattle.
Speaker 6 (31:12):
Well, if he doesn't get the ball, he's ticked off.
Speaker 3 (31:13):
You know.
Speaker 1 (31:14):
And by the way, DK met and they're not I
mean DK Metcalf because I think the Chargers are going
to move off a couple that are more expensive. I
think Bosa could.
Speaker 6 (31:22):
Be moved, Chargers moving off Bolsa.
Speaker 1 (31:26):
I think they're gonna keep I'm just saying, Khalil Mack.
They is a locker room leader. Bosa gets banged up.
Max better in the locker room. That's just my take.
Look at you.
Speaker 5 (31:36):
Hot take happy hour coming up here, ladies, got hot
take happy hour and we're moving chess pieces here.
Speaker 1 (31:40):
Baby Carson Palmer is going to be joining us last hour. Obviously,
his college coach part of the time was Pete Carroll. J.
Mack with the news.
Speaker 2 (31:51):
Well that's the news, and thanks for stopping by The
Herd Line News.
Speaker 1 (31:55):
I've got some good stuff. I haven't even delivered some
of the good salvos today.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
Sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays at
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Speaker 8 (32:08):
Hey, Steve Covino and I'm Rich David and together we're
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Speaker 9 (32:14):
You could catch us weekdays from five to seven pm Eastern,
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Speaker 1 (32:21):
Why should you listen to Covino and Rich.
Speaker 9 (32:22):
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Speaker 9 (32:35):
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Speaker 1 (33:05):
Manager Ryan Poles admitted steps were skipped during Caleb Williams'
rookie season. I think there's three things that we learned
about quarterbacks this NFL season. Number One, it does appear
that Josh Allen and Mahomes have separated from the industry.
They're just better. Number Two is Jaden Daniels is going
(33:28):
to be a superstar. His clutch numbers. Getting the Commanders
this roster, this whole line to the super Bowl, potentially
to the super Bowl one step from the super Bowl
is insane. And number three, good God did the Bears
mangle Caleb Williams. Do we understand how bad it was?
I mean, really go back and remember, first of all,
(33:51):
they didn't hire his college quarterback coach, Cliff Kingsbury, who
would have taken the job then hire him. They had
to be a hard knocks because they were so in
the inept teams have to be at hard knocks. They
lost a hail Mary game where one of their defensive
players was taunting the opposing fans. Remember that, and it
(34:13):
took him about three weeks to recover from that. His
passing game coordinator became his head coach over a three
week period. I mean, there's more, but you know why
rub it In reportedly it should be noted they were
going to bench him. So, I mean, listen, we learned
(34:33):
something new about quarterback every year. If you look at
this from the rearview mirror, they couldn't get it right.
And yet there was a twelve game stretch in this
season where Caleb Williams had seventeen touchdown passes and one pick,
or seventeen total touchdowns and one pick. So here's what
I know. When people ask me will Ben Johnson work,
(34:57):
my response is it'll be better. Will it be great?
I don't know. If the Bears are capable of that,
it will absolutely be better. My safest prediction in the
NFL next year, beyond Buffalo and Kansas City, if Mahomes
and Josh Allen or upright will be playoff teams, is
(35:18):
Ben Johnson will do a better job and the Bears
will be more offensively viable and less chaotic than last year.
Here is Ryan Poles on how things got off to
a turbulent start with the USC rookie.
Speaker 10 (35:35):
This game, the playbook is a completely different animal. The
responsibilities of a quarterback in the pros is different, and
that takes a lot of adjusting too. So how you
set up the foundation is really really important, and I
really think at some point there are some steps skipped
(35:55):
to get in the game day.
Speaker 1 (35:57):
Yeah, it'll be better. I was thinking about this with
Patrick Mahomes who went to Texas Tech, did not have
a winning record, was not the first pick. Josh Allen,
who went to Wyoming, had a winning record, but not
the first pick. Neither one was the first quarterback taken,
So they have some similarities. Weren't dominating college quarterbacks, didn't
(36:19):
go to powerhouses, overlooked at a high school. You know,
we knew they were talented kind of, but it was
mostly on rumor because we didn't watch them much in college.
But even for first round quarterbacks, they're similar to like
contestants on like music shows like America's Got Talent or
(36:40):
The Voice or American idol. You can see the talent
in about ten to fifteen seconds, but that doesn't mean
America's going to buy the album. Are you coachable or
are you conceded? Are you dedicated? Are you mentally tough?
And a lot of guys aren't Mahomes and Alan Actually,
and I felt this with Tom Brady and Peyton Manning
(37:04):
about mid career. They become the same guy. One guy's
just getting more of the trophies. But with Manning and
Brady and with Mahomes and Allen, as they age a
lot of upside without much of the downside. They win
seventy five eighty percent of their games. They can give
you a three hundred and fifty yard passing performance or
(37:28):
they can just death by a thousand cuts, good on
third down, be hyper efficient. The difference is Brady, especially early,
got most of the trophies, and that's it. With Mahomes.
I think there is this belief that Mahomes has been
great in the postseason and Alan so so. But if
you put the numbers on the screen for our TV audience,
I won't go through them. Actually, you start looking at
(37:49):
the playoffs, Mahomes has eight touchdowns, no picks, Josh Allen's
seven touchdowns one pick in the regular season. Actually, I
would argue Alan played it.
Speaker 3 (38:01):
Now.
Speaker 1 (38:01):
Some of those playoff games have been in Kansas City.
It's harder to be great on the road, but there
is a formula with success. I felt this with Kobe
and MJ. I was just watching the same guy. MJ
was slightly better. I feel like Brady Manning, I was
watching the same guy, Brady slightly better. And I feel
my homes and big spots has been slightly better than
(38:22):
Josh Allen. But here's here's Patrick this week talking about Josh.
Speaker 11 (38:29):
I think you just have to know you don't have
to play your best football. I mean, I've played against
Josh enough times to know that he's gonna come out
there and play great football, especially in those big moments.
And so for me, I have to play on best
football whenever I get the opportunity to and try to
put our team in the best position to succeed. And
if that's limiting turnover, if that's changing the field position,
whatever that is, you have to find a way that
(38:49):
day to win. And when you go up against a
great quarterback, it takes your best as well.
Speaker 1 (38:55):
This will be the highest rated football game of the
year not named Super Bowl. I like Buffalo twenty eight
to twenty seven. J Mack is hoping Buffalo wins the
show after US largely is a red team team. I
think it's time for Buffalo. I think this is the
best offense Josh has had. I think Buffalo's got much
(39:16):
better offensive personnel. I think Kansas City has better defensive personnel.
Coach Kansas City home Kansas City quarterbacks a draw to me,
I know it's a draw. I'm taking Buffalo their momentum.
The teams that have beaten them this year, like the Rams,
played nearly perfect football. And I watched Kansas City play
Houston last week and it was just to me, it
(39:39):
was mostly Travis Kelcey and an uninspiring effort. So I
like Buffalo to win. I know, don't bet against Mahomes
all the wise guys like Kansas City. I'm going Bills.
Is that one of your picks, considering it was only
two games. I'm thinking that's one of your picks.
Speaker 5 (39:55):
We'll talk about it next hour. But Patrick Mahomes just
doesn't lose this game. Does he doesn't arrowhead at home?
Speaker 3 (40:03):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (40:04):
Ryan Tanner, Ryan Tannehill beat Brady when people said Brady
doesn't lose that game. Remember Brady's last game in Foxborough?
Old Ryan, Oh that could stop it.
Speaker 6 (40:14):
It was a Ryan. Was that Derrick Henry game at
a Rabel Defense game? All right, Ryan Tannehill, get out
of here.
Speaker 1 (40:20):
It's gonna be a Matt Mulano game, hopefully.
Speaker 5 (40:22):
James, we're on the same side. I just I think
betting against Mahomes straight up.
Speaker 1 (40:28):
Is hazardous to your health. Yes, just put a warning
label on the side of the game. This could be
hazardous to your health betting against the Red team, all right,
Jordan Schilz, Eric Mangini, thanks so much for stopping by
Carson Palmer around the corner. Hour three