June 19, 2024 • 41 mins
Mark Kaboly joins the Herd to discuss the Pittsburgh Steelers roster, including Justin Fields and Russell Wilson and if either have life left in them, and how secure Mike Tomlin's job is. Colin wonders if the Steelers can make a run at wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. The Steelers have six division games in eight weeks - can they succeed?
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
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Speaker 2 (00:22):
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Speaker 1 (00:26):
Here we go with Dour to Tom Brady a little
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The Herd wherever you may be and however you may
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Staff told me Colin, it's Peley that played for the
New York Cosmos. He was really, really old. I remember
for some reason fromz Beckenbauer. That was the guy I
looked up. He was great German player, and so that
was the NASO way. But you weren't born and I
(00:51):
was watching soccer.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
We've mentioned flying to England in the sixties. I was
like dad, airplanes dates.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Yeah, I remember the flight, A get smoke on the airplane.
I can remember the flight. As a kid. We flew
from Seattle on a pop plane jets for props to
Reikivik Iceland, which I visited with my son a year ago.
We went to Reikovic. I can remember flying in at
night and there was snow and so it's I remember
(01:21):
seeing like this white island in the seas as we
were landing. I remember that, and then I remember England.
I got a really bad fever the first couple of
days and my family lost me for six hours. In England,
I was like six years old. I was upstairs, you know,
sleeping upstairs. My family I was searching all over lancashere
(01:42):
trying to find their six year old son. I was
upstairs sleeping. I can remember my sister coming into the
room and screaming, I found him. I found them, and
I remember the soccer stuff. Those are the earliest memories
of my life. I think when I was again, it
was like late sixties, but I remember the introduction to
soccer Johann Croif, Netherlands, England. The radio audience here is
like Colin, you're on a heater today. I'm gonna include
(02:04):
my heater because I want to talk hockey. Oh no,
I'm gonna talk hockey.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Really.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
I watch the Stanley Cup finals. I watch hockey playoff hockey.
It's not a great TV sport or a topic sport
for what I do, but I watch it. This has
been Last night was great television. But this year is
notable because of a kid named Connor McDavid. He's twenty
seven years old. He is the best player in the sport.
He's a brilliant player. He's the fastest skater in the NHL,
(02:31):
and he is a wizard with the puck on his stick,
it looks like a Benny Hanna chef and the steelspatch
looan like. His ability to get through people in crowds.
Puck on the stick going through traffic is it looks
like a video game. It doesn't look like anything you've
ever seen in your life. And he is on a
complete heater. In the playoffs, he has forty two points
in twenty three playoff games. This year, he has one
(02:53):
hundred and seventy four total points in ninety nine games.
He's gonna break it, says here. He has a chance.
McDavid is in position to become the second player in
the history of the sport to have at least a
point on over fifty percent of the team's goals, after
Gretzky in nineteen eighty eight. So, and he's a faster
skater than Wayne Gretzky. Hockey because of its frenetic pace,
(03:16):
small puck, dual intermissions sometimes doesn't. It's tougher on television.
But I think Connor McDavid and this Stanley Cup Final
is really worth your time because there's so many things
about hockey that I do think are better live than
on TV, but are still good on TV. It's got physicality,
(03:37):
it's intense, it's really fast. Those are all excellent TV components.
But again, it can be hard to see the puck
if you didn't play hockey. The rules can be a
bit confusing. But I think this is totally worth your time.
I thought last night's third period was furious, it was frenetic.
Here was Connor McDavid's goal, sealing it up, will lift.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
It behind Natze Kutchock. It's heading for the empty dead
in Kutchak.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
Person leaves the goal on greet Mccaalon fires that scars in.
There will be gaype six ho the stalley kut finer.
Speaker 4 (04:12):
Becavid said it and he's delivered.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
Shrug it up.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
To it.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
So if you go to let's say YouTube and you
don't know much about hockey, go look up Connor McDavid's
fifteen best goals. There's a handful of them that look
like a video game. So I think any time, like
when you get a Usane Bolt, Uh, you're not may
not be a big track and field fan, but you
occasionally get these athletes that are like Caitlin Clark's a
(04:44):
good player, she's a great business component to the sport.
But I mean, you get Tiger Woods in his prime,
Connor McDavid in his prime, it's just different. It just
doesn't look And what's always remarkable to me is when
you see these great athletes like Lebron James and his
prime was like, think how good d Wade was. It
was it was Miami's d Wade City, and about three
(05:06):
practices in d Wade's like, yeah, this is your team.
Like there are these rarefied athletes that are just significantly faster,
better and more skilled then the other great athletes of
their sport. And Connor McDavid is that. And so take
a watch if you can. Sean McDonough, tip of the
(05:26):
cap to you. You're great on hockey. So Austin Eckler
was talking about the Chargers yesterday. He was on a podcast,
and he said, listen, Jim Harbaugh, he wants a guy.
His quote was, they can hand the ball off due
three hundred times a year. Austin Eckler's like, that's not me.
That's not what I do. So I just wasn't a
fit with the Chargers. I like him. I had a
great time, But that's that's here's Austin Eckler talking about
(05:50):
what he does and what the Chargers will now be.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
You can kind of see kind of how they've been
building the team.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
So far this offseason.
Speaker 4 (05:58):
You know, went out to you know, tackle first round,
brought in some figure backs over from Baltimore, and so
it's like, hey, they want a guy they can hand
them all off to three hundred times a year. And look,
I haven't had that capacity to do that. That's not
my game. That's not how Austin ecker is going to
be the best on the field. So there was the
misalignment there, which no harm, no foul. I'll go find
(06:20):
somewhere else where I can you know, at value, where
Austin could be the best version of myself out there.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
Yeah, and by the way, I think he'll be great
with Washington. But the interesting thing about Harball is that.
It's always interesting with Harball. You know exactly what he's
going to do, and everybody in the league knows exactly
what he's going to do, and he will do it
and he will succeed instantly. It's not complicated. Look at
Michigan Ohio State. He made Michigan. The longer he was
(06:47):
at Michigan, the more physical they got, until the last
three years when they were noticeably more physical than Ohio State.
And they out rushed the buck Eyes in their last
three games against each other, and Michigan went three to zero.
For the record, the team that wins the day in
rushing Michigan, Ohio State has won twenty two straight. And
(07:09):
whereas Ohio State got more quarterback and wide receiver led,
Michigan got more Blake Corum and pound the football lead.
I mean, even as good as JJ McCarthy was, he
wasn't throwing passes second half against Penn State that was
a run team. And when he was at Stanford and
you think, oh they had Andrew Luck. Andrew Luck in
his three years starting in the PAC twelve was ninth
(07:33):
in pass attempts, third in pass attempts, and seventh in
pass attempts. Jim Harbaugh never changed. They became the most
physical program very quickly in the Pac twelve, surpassing Pete
Carroll's physical USC teams. So he goes to the Chargers.
Brandon Staley's teams were too complicated on defense and too
(07:54):
cute on offense, and the Chargers have not run the
football for four years, bottom of the league, ninety thirty first,
can't run the football. Harbaugh is going to do what
Harbaugh does everywhere he goes, and everybody in the league
knows it, and they're going to be very good immediately.
There is not a secret sauce to anything. Everybody knew
(08:18):
what Tom Brady could do and what he couldn't and
he kept winning. Traits trades, trades, traits. Harbaugh is going
to run the football. Andrew Luck he ran the football.
JJ McCarthy ran the football. JJ McCarthy, You know, best
quarterback is last year in the conference ran the football.
So here it comes. Even great quarterbacks need a run game.
(08:39):
So if you ask offensive lineman, they would all rather
run block, moving forward, punishing, then pass block, get up.
Have to face an athletic lineman more athletic than them
backing up so that's why players love him. Most football players,
(08:59):
even quarterbacks, like some level of physicality. Andrew Luck, Justin Herbert,
Josh Allen on more than one occasion, have put their
shoulder down and run over guys. They have to be
talked out sometimes quarterbacks of running over defensive player outside
of maybe kickers, and maybe some of them do too.
Most football players want to be more physical, Simplify the game,
(09:22):
make it physical. That's what Harbaugh does, That's what Staley
couldn't do. And I think the Chargers will be excellent
very quickly. All Right. Mark Caboli covers the Pittsburgh Steelers
story today is Russell Wilson. It's over. He has distanced
himself in the quarterback competition for Justin Fields and for
(09:44):
the life of me, I would have made Mike Tomlin
coach this year and kind of see the expectations and
can they finish things off and kind of evolve offensively.
They didn't. They gave him an extension. What does it mean?
What does it say? We'll have that coming up.
Speaker 2 (09:58):
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Speaker 5 (10:07):
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(10:28):
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Speaker 1 (10:37):
Well, one of more interesting teams in the NFL that
though the brand is big, they have been defensive leaning
for years. Can't quite get the run game and the
on line right. They handed Mike Tomlin an extension and
it was meant mixed reviews for a lot in Pittsburgh.
I had said, I know he's a good coach, but
I think Pete Carroll's a good coach. I think Andy
(10:59):
Rie he's a good coach. I think Belichick's a great coach.
This league generally loses patients with coaches. Mark Cabali covers
the Pittsburgh Steelers senior writers for The Athletic. He's been
on our show before, so I thought it was interesting
Your story, and I read all of them was about
let's start with Russell kind of separating and sort of
(11:21):
looking the part in camp. Explain that to the audience.
Speaker 6 (11:26):
Oh, he's looking the part. He's acting the part. More
than anything right now is they brought him in to
be a leader first, and that's what he's done. He's
taken that leadership role, that's something that they haven't had
over the last four or five years, and really running
with it. I mean, getting the players to believe in
this stuff. I mean, that's where he is. Then you
(11:46):
add in that he did throw twenty six touchdowns last
year only a handful of interceptions. Might not be great,
he might not be his MVP caliber type of player anymore,
but that's significant compared to what kind of quarterback play
the Steelers head last year. So as a Steelers like
veteran guys, or if the organization likes Mike Tomlin, a
(12:08):
guy who's been there, done that. Mike Tomlin likes quarterbacks
who have been there and done that. He's had to
deal with the young ones over the past couple of years.
I don't know how much he liked that. He has
a guy that comes in here. Now they'll present it
as a quarterback battle, but a ton would have to
go wrong for Russell Wilson not to be the starter,
(12:29):
not only opening day, for the majority of the season.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
You've also said in your article, which is not surprising,
because I've said Justin Fields is a great athlete. I
think he holds on the ball long. He reminds me
of Zach Wilson. I see the physical traits. I'm not
sure he and Zach see the field particularly well. What
did you see in this camp, Mark.
Speaker 6 (12:50):
I mean very I would say inconsistent with his accuracy
herby some throws he would make. You would just say, wow,
this is a top ten pick. I could why he
is so was so value hooed in the draft a
couple of years ago. Then you'll see a throw and say, oh,
that's why, that's what I heard and about in Chicago.
That's why he's not in Chicago anymore. I mean, mind you,
(13:13):
it's just OTAs in mini camp. There's not a lot
of reps going on team wise, so it's hard to
see if that really translates into game type action. But
everything else with him looks pretty good. I mean, obviously,
the athleticism, the want to the want. The battle is
everything out there, but I think he just needs some
(13:34):
more mechanically. And you see that. I mean you see
that very evidently in OTAs in mini camp that the
inaccuracies at times have to be worrisome because it reminds
you of stuff that they had with quarterbacks last year,
where Kenny Pickett would look good at times and just
throw the ball into nowhere. Sometimes they don't want that
(13:55):
right now. If you can use this entire year to
Justin Fields, I could still see him being a guy
that's a franchise type caliber for a quarterback for this organization.
But he's going to have to get things cleaned up
a little bit. And what better place to do it
in Pittsburgh where there's really no pressure. When Russell Wilson
(14:16):
is that guy's going to be here for at least
a year. So the am accuracies is a little bit
of an issue, but we were expecting that. That's nothing new, right.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
Mike Tomlin signs an extension a lot of really good coaches. Eventually,
you know the voice pat Riley used to say, after
eight ten years, people need a new voice. I thought
it would be kind of a prove it year there
haven't been big playoff wins. There haven't been playoff wins
period for a long time. But this is an organization
(14:45):
like Green Bay that is sort of reticent to make
big sweeping changes. Were you surprised he got an extension.
Speaker 6 (14:52):
Oh, I mean pretty much. Art Rudy came out in
January and said he's going to get the extension. It's
just a matter of when we put it together. I mean,
there's been so much turnover. I understand the thought of
like maybe losing the voice or losing people what he says,
but this roster is pretty much turned over fifty percent
(15:13):
in the past year alone. You go back a couple
of years and there's only a handful of players that
are still around. I mean, and you look at the
front office, a GM that's all switch. The scouting department's
totally new from the past couple of years. So you
know how much Steelers like stability, and Mike Tommlin does
bring that one semblance of stability still left in a
(15:35):
program that has been changed a lot over the past
couple of years. And trust me, when this is a
guy that still enjoys coaching and loves coaching. He surrounded
himself this year with a bunch of very good coaches.
I mean, you got a new quarterback coach, a new
wide receiver coach. They got a couple other new coaches there.
(15:57):
I think will help this offense out a lot. They've
really addressed the offensive line. They have two first round
pins in the second round pick on the offensive line now.
So I think it's more to do with so much changing,
with the stability of him so being in that face
of the program, and we know how much the Rooneys
love that. So I'm not a little shocked. I'm a
(16:18):
little shocked. Maybe it was three years, but that's how
the Steelers do their contracts with coaches. Three years. But
that's the only thing that maybe a little bit shocked.
Speaker 1 (16:26):
So they moved off Deontay Johnson to Carolina. So it's
the very talented George Pickens than a rookie out of Michigan,
Roman Wilson. I could see the Steelers. I could see
him making a run at Brandon Ayyuk. They're not paying
Russell Wilson anything. They're not paying justin fields anything that
feels like in that division, mark I'd take I would
(16:47):
consider taking a swing on Brandon Ayuk do you think
they would.
Speaker 6 (16:51):
I think that it's possible. I mean, I think they've
been interested in him ever since March when the free
agency hit. It's just a batmanter of being paid right now,
especially now at this time of the year, when you
know you might not be happy right now? What what
do the forty nine ers want? The more you wait, potentially,
(17:11):
the less you get from him. I mean, the more
less you get draft pickwise, if you want to first
or say whatever, all of a sudden, that becomes more
attainable if you wait a little bit longer here. But
the bottom line is with this guy like Ayuk, if
he does want twenty five, twenty six, thirty million dollars,
that's a lot of cash. If you're paying George Pickens
(17:32):
something similar next year for that. But I mean you
went all in, as you said, you're paying six million
dollars to all four of your quarterbacks in line, six
million dollars, which is I mean, I think the Cleveland
Browns are paying sixty seven to there. So it tells
you a little bit of discrepancy right there. The problem
is is if you don't get a guy like Van Jefferson,
(17:53):
Calvin Austin Roman Wilson, that number two guy to step up.
Then all of a sudden, George gets taken out of
the King game, and all of a sudden, you know,
chaos might ensue. Who knows what's going to happen after that.
So yes, I think more kuns waiting. It's just going
to be a matter of can he pull that trigger
when it's necessary, when it's cheap. It's when they're trying
(18:16):
to get rid of the most. But I think they
have to go out there and get a wide receiver.
I think it might be more towards the start of
the season than a certain training camp, but they will
add somebody. I'm pretty sure that.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
Finally, their schedule is the roughest I've ever seen on
the back end. Their final eight games are the Chiefs,
Eagles and six division games, and the AFC North is stacked.
What is a realistic sort of overrum number. I mean,
Mike doesn't have losing seasons. I mean, I think you
come out of the schedule if you got eight, I
think you'd have to feel pretty good, wouldn't sh What
(18:48):
What do you feel?
Speaker 6 (18:50):
Yeah, I mean it depends on how the division is.
I mean, is Baltimore gonna run away with it again,
or their offensive line going to hold him back. If
you're if that division just not Keith knocking everybody off,
maybe nine wins, maybe ten wins win the division more
like ten wins. They won ten games last year with
no really good quarterback play whatsoever. So but that, as
(19:10):
you have said, that stretches rough. I mean, forget anything.
You know, playing the Chiefs and the Eagles in their
non conference games. That's six division games in a spin
of what eight or nine weeks, brutal, that's unheard of.
I think one of them is a Thursday night game too,
a quick turnaround one of them from Wednesday game. The
(19:31):
rhythm of the schedules all thrown off. But you know what,
last year, I thought going to Seattle and Baltimore and
Cincinnati and the season was going to be rough, and
the easy games were going to be New England and Arizona.
They end up winning the last three. So it's hard
to make that determination right now. But if you get
ten wins and then AFC North, I think you're doing
very good for yourself.
Speaker 1 (19:52):
Mark Cabali does great work. The Athletic NFL Senior Rider
will be following the Steelers thanks again, Mark for coming
on the show. I appreciate it all right, called thank
you covered the NFL for twenty two years. Knows this stuff,
j Mack that you look at that schedule. We showed
the Chargers schedule early and it's sneaky soft Steeter schedule
is insane. Six division games in eight nine weeks. That's
(20:14):
not the way it's supposed to work. Like those are
always way more. Division games are harder. You can't fool
anybody because everybody knows your plays. I mean even when
the even when the Jets weren't great and the Dolphins
weren't great, Dolphins gave Tom Brady and the Patriots trouble
every single year when they were winning Super Bowls and
Miami was winning seven games. So division games are just different.
Speaker 3 (20:35):
It just doesn't add up for the Steelers.
Speaker 7 (20:37):
The math doesn't math. You look at Russell Wilson in
the last two years. What's what's going on with it?
Speaker 3 (20:42):
Terrible? Why did Tomlin sign this extension?
Speaker 8 (20:45):
Colin?
Speaker 7 (20:46):
That's what doesn't make sense. Well, I mean, like why
would he want to stick around when we don't know
what's your sitting?
Speaker 1 (20:50):
He likes to coach like you don't have a quarterback,
you haven't had one.
Speaker 7 (20:54):
But I think he liked, you want to coach, you
want to coach a losing team.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
Searching for Sean McVay talked about leaving and then he thought,
I like coaching.
Speaker 7 (21:02):
Well, you got Matt Stafford. No, that is not the
same thing. Mike Tomlin's got Russell Wilson, who's on like
his last chance.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
Seemingly well, he wasn't one year.
Speaker 3 (21:11):
One year to basically prove it.
Speaker 1 (21:12):
The Broncos defense was their problem last year. It wasn't
Russell Wilson. So you're optimistic. I'm not optimistic with the
division and schedule, but I don't think Russell Wilson in
Pittsburgh will be chaos. I think they're going to be
around eight or nine wins. I think they'll win some
of those games late. It's brutal. I think if you
look at their early schedule, they'll win several games already.
I think they'll get off to a pretty good start
(21:33):
three and two, four and two, I think they'll they'll
I think it'll be very optimistic early.
Speaker 7 (21:38):
Well, as you know, it's not how you start, it's
how you finished finish. We always look you and I
are look to the future, guys, What is coming around
the corner next? Fine, I'll give you eight wins, Okay,
so what it's sniffing the playoffs in the AFC. Okay,
might be last place in the division. Then what, Colin,
what comes next? I'm just telling you, like, I don't
(22:01):
see any good signs in the future for them.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
I know, I know Sealers fans. Oh, you're a Jetsky
jet stink.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
I think I do. They have a good roster. I
think they're Yeah, look at the wrong Pickens is a
sensational talent.
Speaker 3 (22:15):
They got the worst roster in the division.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
I don't believe that.
Speaker 3 (22:18):
Who's Who's who's worse?
Speaker 1 (22:20):
Who's They have a top three pass rusher and TJ. Watt.
They have one of the best receiver talents in years
in George Pickens. They have the best safety in the division.
They have they're always good at linebacker. They have upgraded
their offensive line. They have two running backs. I like both.
They have an excellent tight end.
Speaker 3 (22:39):
Colin, the Ravens have a better roster than the Steelers.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
Fact, we agree, Yeah, but Cinn, Cincinnati doesn't, Cleveland doesn't.
I don't think. I think Pittsburgh's got the second. We
have Tom Brady with his thoughts will and I'm sure
he's broken it down.
Speaker 2 (22:56):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and now East They're not.
Speaker 7 (23:00):
Pacific, America's oldest ballpark is set to host a celebration
a century in the making when the Giants take on
the Cardinals in a special tribute to the Negro leagues
live from the historic Rickwood Field. Coverage begins tomorrow at
five point thirty Eastern only on Fox.
Speaker 1 (23:19):
I am getting a kick out of Jason Tatum. He
tweeted something yesterday. There was a graphic that said Jason
Tatum won the title and led his team in points,
rebounds and assists, and he retweeted it, re tweeted it
and said what they going to say? Now, everybody's saying
the same thing on Jason Tatum. Now, as before the title,
(23:40):
he's an elegant, excellent player who the Celtics added offensive
pieces around because they were a little unsure in big
spots if he would grab the game by the throat,
which he didn't in the Eastern Conference finals or the finals.
I think he thinks this validates his talent. It doesn't.
(24:02):
He's always been good, but Jalen Brown was the better
player in the finals and the conference finals. That's not disputable.
And I like Jason Tatum. I saw today where he
is expected to sign a record breaking a contract, And
so much of monetization in sports and in life is
(24:24):
timing and eras and leverage. Kirk Cousins, if he finishes
his contract with Atlanta, will have made more money playing
quarterback than Tom Brady. Just the way it works, You're
going to see something over the next ten years that's
going to be pretty profound. The NBA contracts. They're going
(24:45):
to have four different companies NBC, I think TNT will
get a smaller package, Amazon and ESPN, Slash ABC are
all going in the NBA. So there's so many people
out there that want to tell you nobody watches the NBA.
Four networks are vying for it. Three of landed. Deal's
(25:06):
another one's coming. Stop people watch pro basketball they always
have my entire life. Plus, the game is fast, It's
got stars in a fractionalized world. Stars get attention. I
got news for you, NBA hater guy. Baseball struggling to
get people lined up for it. Baseball struggling hockey has struggled.
(25:27):
NBA is not struggling. Three companies a streaming company. It's
like the NFL and the NBA. Money is never the issue.
But there are two industries that's going to be a
little jarring. Streaming services are going to elevate football and
basketball players money, and they're gonna hurt actors money because
(25:48):
actors are going to start getting paid by the streaming
services based on results, not just giganic contracts based on
your name. So, but I don't have a problem at
all with Jjayson Tatum making a lot of money. He's
not difficult to coach, he's not weird, he's always healthy,
he doesn't have weight issues or desire issues. He's one
(26:10):
of the safest guy. He didn't have injury issues. I mean,
Giannis is getting banged up more and beads hurt. Ad
worries me a little on health. Jason Tatum is one
of the safest guys in the league to pay a
max to even Luca as great as he is, is
he easy to play with? Is he going to be
in great shape? I mean, Jason Tatum checks all the boxes, health, attitude, game, collaborative,
(26:35):
all of them. So I don't have a problem at all.
He is. However, this title did not disprove the concerns
with Jason Tatum. They actually proved it winning the title
and having in the first two to three tone setting
games Jalen Brown be the go to guy. It didn't
disprove anything. It proved what I had said and many
(26:57):
had said about Jason Tatum. We know he's really really good.
We know he's a top seven to eight player, not
a top three or four player. He's not the best
player on the Celtics. In the last two series, the
biggest two series in this most recent run by the Celtics.
They've had many good runs, the Bird stuff, Michale stuff,
Russell stuff, the KG Pier stuff, a lot of good runs.
(27:20):
In the last two series, the most important series, Jalen
Brown was more consistently the best player on the team.
It's not a knock. It's the reality of what the
concern with Tatum is. It's not that he's not talented
or fluid or esthetically pleasing. He fills the box score.
And I've said this before. I went and watched a
couple of the Celtic games live, one of them in Chicago.
(27:41):
He was the first guy on the floor by twenty minutes,
either team, first guy on the floor working on his game.
Jamack with the news.
Speaker 2 (27:51):
This is the herd Line News.
Speaker 7 (27:54):
It's funny USA basketball this summer. Right, two Celtics on
the team.
Speaker 3 (27:59):
Drew Holiday, Jason, it's outrageous.
Speaker 1 (28:03):
Jalen Brown didn't make it.
Speaker 3 (28:04):
They didn't make the team. We'll have one of the
twelve best Americans.
Speaker 1 (28:09):
Well. It also Kyrie Irving didn't make it, so and
he's probably better than.
Speaker 3 (28:13):
Jaylan Brunson did not make it.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
That's why I've argued for Caitlin Clark. At the end
of an Olympic roster, it can get very subjective and
very political.
Speaker 7 (28:23):
And listen, you say political, I'll toss this out there.
Jalen Brown was voted by the media Finals MVP.
Speaker 3 (28:29):
The vote was like seventy four. I think there's some
politics to play there. They just don't like. I don't
know why the media doesn't love Tatum. You shake your
head and laugh.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
There is nothing about Jason Tatum that's unlike him. Nothing.
Speaker 3 (28:41):
Can I give you my theory?
Speaker 1 (28:42):
I mean, Kyrie Irving's got stuffed, Luca Doggin defense got stopped. Yes,
I mean embiid not delivering. Tatum is one of the
most likable players in the league. Even the people that
criticize the me I always ended and started with saying,
I love this kid. Like my criticism is like, okay,
first of all, I love him, and at the end
they always say, again, I think he's all NBA.
Speaker 3 (29:04):
He was been First Team All NBA three years in
a row.
Speaker 7 (29:06):
My working theory is the Celtics have been so close
knocking on the door.
Speaker 3 (29:11):
The media doesn't want to well, I don't.
Speaker 7 (29:14):
Know Tatum's good, and that they've been close, and now
they finally break through and Tatum was good.
Speaker 3 (29:18):
He led them in points, rebounds, And it's.
Speaker 1 (29:20):
So you're saying the NBA media, which gave westbrook the MVP,
I would say westbrook By and Lars not considered likable.
Speaker 7 (29:28):
Well, he didn't even earn it that year. He averaged
triple double. So what they were like the sixth seeds?
Speaker 1 (29:32):
What I mean like that the NBA gave it to him.
Speaker 7 (29:34):
Yeah, this Celtics team was historically great, usually best player
on the best team.
Speaker 1 (29:38):
You know, it's funny. In clutch time stats they were
number one and everything. They were like fourth in the league.
Denver was better. Lakers were better. They weren't a good
clutch time team, and usually that is, well, who's your closer.
So they were good as a clutch time team, they
were great in every other stat and that's a very
reasonable concern. By the way, Brad's Stevens told you his
(30:01):
concern by bringing in leaving Marcus Smart let him go
and bring in two better offensive players. So Brad Stevens,
who was not only Jason Tatum's GM, he was his coach,
watched them at every practice, felt that Jason isn't quite
that closer.
Speaker 7 (30:20):
I also think that the moves by Stevens were a
little for locker room.
Speaker 3 (30:24):
Like Marcus Smart was kind of an.
Speaker 7 (30:26):
Old school, old regime guy. Let's hand it to Brown
and Tatum. This is their team, they're the younger guy.
I think that was part of the reason they got
off on one.
Speaker 1 (30:34):
I don't think so Porzingis had a bad locker room reputation,
fair or not he had it. I mean, if you
were gonna get rid of Marcus Smart and bringing Porzingis,
that was a net negative because Porzingis had been known
as a bad locker room guy. I'm not saying he
was but that was his wrap.
Speaker 3 (30:48):
But you're right, twenty point A game guy can stretch
the floor with the three.
Speaker 1 (30:51):
No, they added offense. They wanted to make this. Brad
Stevens was saying, listen, instead of being highly Tatum dependent late,
he'll get give us some points, but let's add a
big and another guard, so we're not dependent on Tatum
because we've seen too many instances. I said this when
(31:11):
I've seen him live and when I watch him. My
knock on Tatum has been you will drop the ball
to him low, he'll have a five inch hid advantage
and he'll do a fallaway seventeen footer. He just lacks
a little aggressiveness in key spots and games. That is
a that is not a huge flaw ball handling, defense, effort,
brain like everything else is good like smooth hustles, coachable.
(31:35):
It is a wish he was a tad more aggressive Brown.
Jalen Brown, whose dad was a heavyweight fighter, Jalen Brown's
got the aggressive.
Speaker 3 (31:42):
Yeah, he's picking up Luca full Cord.
Speaker 1 (31:44):
Yeah, but he's not He's not as fluid offensively. If
you gave if you gave Brown the fluidity of Tata Tatum,
the aggressiveness of Jalen Brown, you'd have a top two
player in the league.
Speaker 3 (31:58):
All right, let's get to the NFL.
Speaker 7 (32:00):
The AFC East will be one of the tightest divisional
races next season. Colin, Jets, Bills, and Dolphins kind of
crowded house. According to Vegas, the Bills are slight favorites
to win the division ever so slight minus one sixty five,
followed by my Jets plus one eighty five, and then
the Dolphins at plus two ten. No other division has
(32:21):
three teams that close in odds. Patriots obviously going nowhere.
Speaker 1 (32:25):
Sorry Tom Brady for the record. It's an offensive league.
I get the offensive coach. I think Miami is the
bet the that's.
Speaker 2 (32:31):
I'll stop it.
Speaker 1 (32:33):
We looked at the schedule, no shot, Well do we
have Miami schedule?
Speaker 7 (32:37):
I mean, I don't know if we can pull it
at the drop of a hat like that. But you
know they got the two of stuff lingering. They're missing
a lot on defense.
Speaker 1 (32:44):
What do you mean ta stuff lingering?
Speaker 7 (32:46):
The biggest storyline with the Dolphins this offseason is what's
going on with to his contract.
Speaker 3 (32:49):
Is he gonna get paid?
Speaker 7 (32:50):
You've got his teammates going on social media writing on
what was.
Speaker 3 (32:54):
It they played around of golf.
Speaker 1 (32:55):
They're like, pay this man, he is gonna get paid.
We just saw it this week. Oh we think that
ling stuff. You know, it's lingering where Aaron vacation. That's lingering.
Speaker 3 (33:04):
There's something lingering around Aaron. It's probably a cloud of smoke.
But I don't know.
Speaker 7 (33:09):
I like the Jets at plus one eighty five. I
think they're honestly best roster in the division. Can't say
best quarterback, definitely, can't say best coach, best defense for sure?
Speaker 1 (33:20):
What all right, I'll take best coaching quarterback. You can
have best defense, all right.
Speaker 3 (33:26):
Maybe that's another question for Tom Brady. Who's gonna be
a seased.
Speaker 7 (33:30):
Next up is Drake London, the wide receiver for the Falcons.
Speaker 3 (33:34):
Two good years to start the NFL. You had to
break a thousand yards.
Speaker 7 (33:37):
But nevertheless, London has lacked some quarterback play, obviously, something
he expects to change with Kirk Cousins under center.
Speaker 8 (33:46):
I will say that he does do a different having
Kirts here. He's he's a very betic guy who's spending
here for now going on his thirteenth year. So to
learn tho him is a really cool thing. I think
he's gonna help me learn the game of football on
a bigger scale and understand it a little bit more.
And for that, I really can't wait and see where
he takes my game. I think it's his attention to
detO Honestly, he takes that very very seriously. And then too,
(34:07):
he's seen a lot of pictures in his day playing football,
so to be able to go out there and see
those and help us see you with him it is
a huge thing too. So I think that's what I've
learned the most now.
Speaker 1 (34:18):
By the way, he and Aaron both off Achille Surgery.
Good to see. Kirk Cousins showed up to his mini
camp good to see. And for the record, did you
notice how beneficial an old quarterback showing up to even
a little three day mini camp function? How valuable? Drake
London said.
Speaker 3 (34:37):
It is another jab at Rogers.
Speaker 1 (34:39):
Well, I said jab both of them Achille Surgery, both
didn't play a lot last year, Both have a lot
of young, skilled people around him. Kirk Cousins saw the
value in showing up.
Speaker 7 (34:50):
How about the upgrade at quarterback from uh, who's the quarterback?
Speaker 3 (34:54):
Last year in Atlanta? Remember that guy. He was just
not good.
Speaker 7 (34:57):
And now that you get Kirk Cousins, it's like when
the Bucks went from Jameis Winston to Tom Brady and
instantly how they do win the Super Bowl. Desmond Ritter,
by the way, was a Falcons quarterback last year. Yeah,
that's a big upgrade for London.
Speaker 1 (35:08):
Well, I mean, Zach Wilson was a Jets quarterback. It's
a big upgrade to Aaron Rodgers as he plays the
Aaron Rodgers. Wilson is very very The comp is very interesting.
I mean both have you know, one's got a brand
new coach, one has a young coach, both defensive coaches,
both off an achilles surgery, both highly compensated, both at
(35:29):
the end of their career. This is a big year
for both. The difference is Michael Pennix is right behind breathing,
you know, down Kirch now. But there's a lot of similarities.
I will take Atlanta to be a much better team
than the Jets.
Speaker 3 (35:41):
Division is a joke. Well, they should handle it. I think,
what do you mean much better? Are you goin to
win total?
Speaker 1 (35:46):
Yes, yes, easily. Atlanta's gonna win eleven or twelve games,
and the Jets won't eight, seven, eight or seven Vega.
Speaker 3 (35:55):
You just saw them.
Speaker 1 (35:56):
Look at Atlanta's schedule. I mean, look at the end
of that schedule. Go start Week ten, Saints at home,
Broncos at home, by Chargers at home at Young Minnesota
at Raiders, Giants at home, Caroline at home Washington. They
could end on a seven game heater, eight game winning streak,
(36:17):
Jets end of the season schedules tough.
Speaker 3 (36:19):
Wait, they're beating the chart. They're not beating the Chargers.
Speaker 1 (36:21):
Damn.
Speaker 3 (36:21):
Actually, the Falcons get excited.
Speaker 1 (36:24):
There's a twelve win team.
Speaker 3 (36:25):
That's favorable, assuming Kirk Cousins is okay.
Speaker 1 (36:27):
You know how it is in the NFL, there's always
a story we think is gonna happen, and it doesn't.
There's always a hidden story.
Speaker 2 (36:32):
Saint last.
Speaker 1 (36:32):
So everybody's thinking Aaron's the quarterback that's gonna bounce back
off the Achilles surgery. No, it's gonna be Kirk Cousins
is gonna bounce back and have a huge year. Everybody's
looking at Aaron off an injury. Kirk is gonna crush
it this year. Twelve and five home playoff game, win
a playoff game.
Speaker 7 (36:53):
Even with your guy Michael Penni's breathing down his neck.
Speaker 1 (36:56):
It Michael Pennix is gonna sit and study and watch
the old old Jedi master, and then Michael will start
next year.
Speaker 3 (37:03):
You think he's gonna be upset.
Speaker 7 (37:05):
Penix is sitting while boat Nix is starting, and all
these other rookies are starting in Penix is better than them.
Speaker 1 (37:10):
It's like being upset. You get a great first job,
but you have to drive fifty minutes every day to
to work. It's not really a problem. You're out of college.
You're out of college. You get a great job, but
it is like an hour drive. That's a great problem
to have.
Speaker 3 (37:24):
No, No, Michael Penix is driving to work and sitting
on the bench. He's not playing.
Speaker 1 (37:27):
It's a good problem to have. I get a set
behind a pro bowler and we go to the playoffs
and I learn from a great veteran quarterback and I
still get paid, don't get paid any less. Pretty good
job to have to sit.
Speaker 3 (37:39):
On the bench. I don't want to get paid to sit.
Speaker 1 (37:42):
You sat on the bench for a long time in
your career. Look at you, you flourished.
Speaker 3 (37:45):
I was waiting for the call up to the Biggs.
Speaker 7 (37:48):
I got the I mean I was crushing double A
and triple A. But anyway, let's go to the final story,
which is baseball. The Dodgers had a crazy ninth inning
comeback last night. Not down nine to four, Jason Hayward
had a grand slam to pull them within one. Then
with two men on, down to their final strake ta
Oscar Hernandez got a check swing to go his way. Look,
they wanted to call him out, would have been gained.
(38:08):
No call on the next bitch.
Speaker 3 (38:11):
Here's what happened.
Speaker 1 (38:12):
Oh, I want to see this, yeah, swing on hitting
the air and the right center fielding date this ball
heading back.
Speaker 9 (38:18):
This ball's gone, It's gone.
Speaker 1 (38:21):
It's gone.
Speaker 9 (38:22):
A three run home run. Tascar head on this and
the Dodgers have come all the way back to take
the lead. Oh my goodness, absolutely incredible.
Speaker 3 (38:37):
It's eleven to nine.
Speaker 1 (38:39):
Yeah, more Dodger fans at coors Field and Rocky fans.
By the way, let's watch the check swing.
Speaker 7 (38:44):
Again, Am five seventy Sports. Well, what's interesting after the
checks after the home run? You see them the outfielder
point right at the first bates time.
Speaker 1 (38:51):
I get tell you and everybody, let me see this. Oh,
broy go either way in here he went go either
way either way?
Speaker 3 (39:01):
Look excellent. Has had to bleep out.
Speaker 1 (39:04):
So was the umpire's fault you always got you got
blame somebody.
Speaker 3 (39:07):
By the way, hitting I'll say this, hitting a walk
off home run. I've never done that before, have you? Nope,
that would be pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (39:14):
Here's the thing. That's a go either way call right clearly.
Speaker 7 (39:20):
I mean, I know you're an innermural referee college, you
clearly were not an umpire.
Speaker 1 (39:25):
Hey, Ryan, does that go either way? Everybody on the
staff was like, oh man, and then you give up
a three run job on the next Well, that's you
know what. Get people out. Stop blaming the op Come on,
that's a go either way call. Wine complain.
Speaker 3 (39:42):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (39:43):
Colorado stinks this year. You think that umpire is the
reason why Colorado.
Speaker 3 (39:46):
I thought Colorado is one of your favorite states. Oh,
you're talking about the Rocky cell like Utah. You you
and your winters.
Speaker 1 (39:53):
I like winter crazy.
Speaker 3 (39:55):
You're a seasons.
Speaker 1 (39:56):
Look at the crowd, it's all Dodger And by the way,
all the good seats a Dodger fans, well they can
afford them.
Speaker 3 (40:02):
Well, there's a lot of Terra shooting in for a
big series.
Speaker 1 (40:05):
What a game, What an all time game. Hey, listen,
if umpires are gonna screw up, just make sure the
Yankees and the Dodgers benefit.
Speaker 3 (40:12):
There you go.
Speaker 1 (40:13):
You know, my big market stands well and nobody really
likes underdogs. If umpires are going to screw up, just
screw up in favor of the Yankees and the Dodgers
and we're all good here. Maybe Atlanta, you know, just
don't give the Twins like seven wins a year. That'd
just ruin the sport. J Mack with the News, Well
that's the news, and thanks for stopping that line. It's
(40:33):
everybody's freaking out about that, like like it was like
it was a slam dunk. You know. It's just like
Dodger fans think it wasn't Rocky fans think it was.
How about get the guy out? How about throw a
better pitch. I don't want to hear. I don't want
to you know, it's the old saying, work harder, nobody cares,
(40:54):
nobody cares about your excuses. Work harder, nobody cares. We
don't want to hear about your light. Just just work harder,
throw a better pitch. Well, yeah, you don't real you
don't like that answer.
Speaker 3 (41:08):
I don't want to get jettison before Brady goes. Colin,
Come on, that's a that's a that's a check swing
strike right there around. You're just being antagonistic.
Speaker 1 (41:20):
Staff this morning was so you know, it was so strident,
terrible called I'm falling Major League GM. Go either way,
Thanks for listening to The Herd podcast. Be sure to
catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio in
noon to three eastern nine am to noone Pacific. Find
your local station for The Herd at Fox Sports Radio
dot com, or stream us live every day on the
iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Here we go with Dour to Tom Brady a little
more than an hour away, 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 data.
Staff told me Colin, it's Peley that played for the
New York Cosmos. He was really, really old. I remember
for some reason fromz Beckenbauer. That was the guy I
looked up. He was great German player, and so that
was the NASO way. But you weren't born and I
(00:51):
was watching soccer.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
We've mentioned flying to England in the sixties. I was
like dad, airplanes dates.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Yeah, I remember the flight, A get smoke on the airplane.
I can remember the flight. As a kid. We flew
from Seattle on a pop plane jets for props to
Reikivik Iceland, which I visited with my son a year ago.
We went to Reikovic. I can remember flying in at
night and there was snow and so it's I remember
(01:21):
seeing like this white island in the seas as we
were landing. I remember that, and then I remember England.
I got a really bad fever the first couple of
days and my family lost me for six hours. In England,
I was like six years old. I was upstairs, you know,
sleeping upstairs. My family I was searching all over lancashere
(01:42):
trying to find their six year old son. I was
upstairs sleeping. I can remember my sister coming into the
room and screaming, I found him. I found them, and
I remember the soccer stuff. Those are the earliest memories
of my life. I think when I was again, it
was like late sixties, but I remember the introduction to
soccer Johann Croif, Netherlands, England. The radio audience here is
like Colin, you're on a heater today. I'm gonna include
(02:04):
my heater because I want to talk hockey. Oh no,
I'm gonna talk hockey.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Really.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
I watch the Stanley Cup finals. I watch hockey playoff hockey.
It's not a great TV sport or a topic sport
for what I do, but I watch it. This has
been Last night was great television. But this year is
notable because of a kid named Connor McDavid. He's twenty
seven years old. He is the best player in the sport.
He's a brilliant player. He's the fastest skater in the NHL,
(02:31):
and he is a wizard with the puck on his stick,
it looks like a Benny Hanna chef and the steelspatch
looan like. His ability to get through people in crowds.
Puck on the stick going through traffic is it looks
like a video game. It doesn't look like anything you've
ever seen in your life. And he is on a
complete heater. In the playoffs, he has forty two points
in twenty three playoff games. This year, he has one
(02:53):
hundred and seventy four total points in ninety nine games.
He's gonna break it, says here. He has a chance.
McDavid is in position to become the second player in
the history of the sport to have at least a
point on over fifty percent of the team's goals, after
Gretzky in nineteen eighty eight. So, and he's a faster
skater than Wayne Gretzky. Hockey because of its frenetic pace,
(03:16):
small puck, dual intermissions sometimes doesn't. It's tougher on television.
But I think Connor McDavid and this Stanley Cup Final
is really worth your time because there's so many things
about hockey that I do think are better live than
on TV, but are still good on TV. It's got physicality,
(03:37):
it's intense, it's really fast. Those are all excellent TV components.
But again, it can be hard to see the puck
if you didn't play hockey. The rules can be a
bit confusing. But I think this is totally worth your time.
I thought last night's third period was furious, it was frenetic.
Here was Connor McDavid's goal, sealing it up, will lift.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
It behind Natze Kutchock. It's heading for the empty dead
in Kutchak.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
Person leaves the goal on greet Mccaalon fires that scars in.
There will be gaype six ho the stalley kut finer.
Speaker 4 (04:12):
Becavid said it and he's delivered.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
Shrug it up.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
To it.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
So if you go to let's say YouTube and you
don't know much about hockey, go look up Connor McDavid's
fifteen best goals. There's a handful of them that look
like a video game. So I think any time, like
when you get a Usane Bolt, Uh, you're not may
not be a big track and field fan, but you
occasionally get these athletes that are like Caitlin Clark's a
(04:44):
good player, she's a great business component to the sport.
But I mean, you get Tiger Woods in his prime,
Connor McDavid in his prime, it's just different. It just
doesn't look And what's always remarkable to me is when
you see these great athletes like Lebron James and his
prime was like, think how good d Wade was. It
was it was Miami's d Wade City, and about three
(05:06):
practices in d Wade's like, yeah, this is your team.
Like there are these rarefied athletes that are just significantly faster,
better and more skilled then the other great athletes of
their sport. And Connor McDavid is that. And so take
a watch if you can. Sean McDonough, tip of the
(05:26):
cap to you. You're great on hockey. So Austin Eckler
was talking about the Chargers yesterday. He was on a podcast,
and he said, listen, Jim Harbaugh, he wants a guy.
His quote was, they can hand the ball off due
three hundred times a year. Austin Eckler's like, that's not me.
That's not what I do. So I just wasn't a
fit with the Chargers. I like him. I had a
great time, But that's that's here's Austin Eckler talking about
(05:50):
what he does and what the Chargers will now be.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
You can kind of see kind of how they've been
building the team.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
So far this offseason.
Speaker 4 (05:58):
You know, went out to you know, tackle first round,
brought in some figure backs over from Baltimore, and so
it's like, hey, they want a guy they can hand
them all off to three hundred times a year. And look,
I haven't had that capacity to do that. That's not
my game. That's not how Austin ecker is going to
be the best on the field. So there was the
misalignment there, which no harm, no foul. I'll go find
(06:20):
somewhere else where I can you know, at value, where
Austin could be the best version of myself out there.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
Yeah, and by the way, I think he'll be great
with Washington. But the interesting thing about Harball is that.
It's always interesting with Harball. You know exactly what he's
going to do, and everybody in the league knows exactly
what he's going to do, and he will do it
and he will succeed instantly. It's not complicated. Look at
Michigan Ohio State. He made Michigan. The longer he was
(06:47):
at Michigan, the more physical they got, until the last
three years when they were noticeably more physical than Ohio State.
And they out rushed the buck Eyes in their last
three games against each other, and Michigan went three to zero.
For the record, the team that wins the day in
rushing Michigan, Ohio State has won twenty two straight. And
(07:09):
whereas Ohio State got more quarterback and wide receiver led,
Michigan got more Blake Corum and pound the football lead.
I mean, even as good as JJ McCarthy was, he
wasn't throwing passes second half against Penn State that was
a run team. And when he was at Stanford and
you think, oh they had Andrew Luck. Andrew Luck in
his three years starting in the PAC twelve was ninth
(07:33):
in pass attempts, third in pass attempts, and seventh in
pass attempts. Jim Harbaugh never changed. They became the most
physical program very quickly in the Pac twelve, surpassing Pete
Carroll's physical USC teams. So he goes to the Chargers.
Brandon Staley's teams were too complicated on defense and too
(07:54):
cute on offense, and the Chargers have not run the
football for four years, bottom of the league, ninety thirty first,
can't run the football. Harbaugh is going to do what
Harbaugh does everywhere he goes, and everybody in the league
knows it, and they're going to be very good immediately.
There is not a secret sauce to anything. Everybody knew
(08:18):
what Tom Brady could do and what he couldn't and
he kept winning. Traits trades, trades, traits. Harbaugh is going
to run the football. Andrew Luck he ran the football.
JJ McCarthy ran the football. JJ McCarthy, You know, best
quarterback is last year in the conference ran the football.
So here it comes. Even great quarterbacks need a run game.
(08:39):
So if you ask offensive lineman, they would all rather
run block, moving forward, punishing, then pass block, get up.
Have to face an athletic lineman more athletic than them
backing up so that's why players love him. Most football players,
(08:59):
even quarterbacks, like some level of physicality. Andrew Luck, Justin Herbert,
Josh Allen on more than one occasion, have put their
shoulder down and run over guys. They have to be
talked out sometimes quarterbacks of running over defensive player outside
of maybe kickers, and maybe some of them do too.
Most football players want to be more physical, Simplify the game,
(09:22):
make it physical. That's what Harbaugh does, That's what Staley
couldn't do. And I think the Chargers will be excellent
very quickly. All Right. Mark Caboli covers the Pittsburgh Steelers
story today is Russell Wilson. It's over. He has distanced
himself in the quarterback competition for Justin Fields and for
(09:44):
the life of me, I would have made Mike Tomlin
coach this year and kind of see the expectations and
can they finish things off and kind of evolve offensively.
They didn't. They gave him an extension. What does it mean?
What does it say? We'll have that coming up.
Speaker 2 (09:58):
Be sure to catch live edition of The Heard weekdays
and noon eastern nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 5 (10:07):
Hey, it's me Rob Parker. Check out my weekly MLB podcast,
Inside the Parker for twenty two minutes of pipe in
hot baseball talk, featuring the biggest names and newsmakers in
the sport. Whether you believe in analytics or the eye test,
We've got all the bases covered. New episodes dropped every Thursday,
(10:28):
So do yourself a favor and listen to Inside the
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Speaker 1 (10:37):
Well, one of more interesting teams in the NFL that
though the brand is big, they have been defensive leaning
for years. Can't quite get the run game and the
on line right. They handed Mike Tomlin an extension and
it was meant mixed reviews for a lot in Pittsburgh.
I had said, I know he's a good coach, but
I think Pete Carroll's a good coach. I think Andy
(10:59):
Rie he's a good coach. I think Belichick's a great coach.
This league generally loses patients with coaches. Mark Cabali covers
the Pittsburgh Steelers senior writers for The Athletic. He's been
on our show before, so I thought it was interesting
Your story, and I read all of them was about
let's start with Russell kind of separating and sort of
(11:21):
looking the part in camp. Explain that to the audience.
Speaker 6 (11:26):
Oh, he's looking the part. He's acting the part. More
than anything right now is they brought him in to
be a leader first, and that's what he's done. He's
taken that leadership role, that's something that they haven't had
over the last four or five years, and really running
with it. I mean, getting the players to believe in
this stuff. I mean, that's where he is. Then you
(11:46):
add in that he did throw twenty six touchdowns last
year only a handful of interceptions. Might not be great,
he might not be his MVP caliber type of player anymore,
but that's significant compared to what kind of quarterback play
the Steelers head last year. So as a Steelers like
veteran guys, or if the organization likes Mike Tomlin, a
(12:08):
guy who's been there, done that. Mike Tomlin likes quarterbacks
who have been there and done that. He's had to
deal with the young ones over the past couple of years.
I don't know how much he liked that. He has
a guy that comes in here. Now they'll present it
as a quarterback battle, but a ton would have to
go wrong for Russell Wilson not to be the starter,
(12:29):
not only opening day, for the majority of the season.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
You've also said in your article, which is not surprising,
because I've said Justin Fields is a great athlete. I
think he holds on the ball long. He reminds me
of Zach Wilson. I see the physical traits. I'm not
sure he and Zach see the field particularly well. What
did you see in this camp, Mark.
Speaker 6 (12:50):
I mean very I would say inconsistent with his accuracy
herby some throws he would make. You would just say, wow,
this is a top ten pick. I could why he
is so was so value hooed in the draft a
couple of years ago. Then you'll see a throw and say, oh,
that's why, that's what I heard and about in Chicago.
That's why he's not in Chicago anymore. I mean, mind you,
(13:13):
it's just OTAs in mini camp. There's not a lot
of reps going on team wise, so it's hard to
see if that really translates into game type action. But
everything else with him looks pretty good. I mean, obviously,
the athleticism, the want to the want. The battle is
everything out there, but I think he just needs some
(13:34):
more mechanically. And you see that. I mean you see
that very evidently in OTAs in mini camp that the
inaccuracies at times have to be worrisome because it reminds
you of stuff that they had with quarterbacks last year,
where Kenny Pickett would look good at times and just
throw the ball into nowhere. Sometimes they don't want that
(13:55):
right now. If you can use this entire year to
Justin Fields, I could still see him being a guy
that's a franchise type caliber for a quarterback for this organization.
But he's going to have to get things cleaned up
a little bit. And what better place to do it
in Pittsburgh where there's really no pressure. When Russell Wilson
(14:16):
is that guy's going to be here for at least
a year. So the am accuracies is a little bit
of an issue, but we were expecting that. That's nothing new, right.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
Mike Tomlin signs an extension a lot of really good coaches. Eventually,
you know the voice pat Riley used to say, after
eight ten years, people need a new voice. I thought
it would be kind of a prove it year there
haven't been big playoff wins. There haven't been playoff wins
period for a long time. But this is an organization
(14:45):
like Green Bay that is sort of reticent to make
big sweeping changes. Were you surprised he got an extension.
Speaker 6 (14:52):
Oh, I mean pretty much. Art Rudy came out in
January and said he's going to get the extension. It's
just a matter of when we put it together. I mean,
there's been so much turnover. I understand the thought of
like maybe losing the voice or losing people what he says,
but this roster is pretty much turned over fifty percent
(15:13):
in the past year alone. You go back a couple
of years and there's only a handful of players that
are still around. I mean, and you look at the
front office, a GM that's all switch. The scouting department's
totally new from the past couple of years. So you
know how much Steelers like stability, and Mike Tommlin does
bring that one semblance of stability still left in a
(15:35):
program that has been changed a lot over the past
couple of years. And trust me, when this is a
guy that still enjoys coaching and loves coaching. He surrounded
himself this year with a bunch of very good coaches.
I mean, you got a new quarterback coach, a new
wide receiver coach. They got a couple other new coaches there.
(15:57):
I think will help this offense out a lot. They've
really addressed the offensive line. They have two first round
pins in the second round pick on the offensive line now.
So I think it's more to do with so much changing,
with the stability of him so being in that face
of the program, and we know how much the Rooneys
love that. So I'm not a little shocked. I'm a
(16:18):
little shocked. Maybe it was three years, but that's how
the Steelers do their contracts with coaches. Three years. But
that's the only thing that maybe a little bit shocked.
Speaker 1 (16:26):
So they moved off Deontay Johnson to Carolina. So it's
the very talented George Pickens than a rookie out of Michigan,
Roman Wilson. I could see the Steelers. I could see
him making a run at Brandon Ayyuk. They're not paying
Russell Wilson anything. They're not paying justin fields anything that
feels like in that division, mark I'd take I would
(16:47):
consider taking a swing on Brandon Ayuk do you think
they would.
Speaker 6 (16:51):
I think that it's possible. I mean, I think they've
been interested in him ever since March when the free
agency hit. It's just a batmanter of being paid right now,
especially now at this time of the year, when you
know you might not be happy right now? What what
do the forty nine ers want? The more you wait, potentially,
(17:11):
the less you get from him. I mean, the more
less you get draft pickwise, if you want to first
or say whatever, all of a sudden, that becomes more
attainable if you wait a little bit longer here. But
the bottom line is with this guy like Ayuk, if
he does want twenty five, twenty six, thirty million dollars,
that's a lot of cash. If you're paying George Pickens
(17:32):
something similar next year for that. But I mean you
went all in, as you said, you're paying six million
dollars to all four of your quarterbacks in line, six
million dollars, which is I mean, I think the Cleveland
Browns are paying sixty seven to there. So it tells
you a little bit of discrepancy right there. The problem
is is if you don't get a guy like Van Jefferson,
(17:53):
Calvin Austin Roman Wilson, that number two guy to step up.
Then all of a sudden, George gets taken out of
the King game, and all of a sudden, you know,
chaos might ensue. Who knows what's going to happen after that.
So yes, I think more kuns waiting. It's just going
to be a matter of can he pull that trigger
when it's necessary, when it's cheap. It's when they're trying
(18:16):
to get rid of the most. But I think they
have to go out there and get a wide receiver.
I think it might be more towards the start of
the season than a certain training camp, but they will
add somebody. I'm pretty sure that.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
Finally, their schedule is the roughest I've ever seen on
the back end. Their final eight games are the Chiefs,
Eagles and six division games, and the AFC North is stacked.
What is a realistic sort of overrum number. I mean,
Mike doesn't have losing seasons. I mean, I think you
come out of the schedule if you got eight, I
think you'd have to feel pretty good, wouldn't sh What
(18:48):
What do you feel?
Speaker 6 (18:50):
Yeah, I mean it depends on how the division is.
I mean, is Baltimore gonna run away with it again,
or their offensive line going to hold him back. If
you're if that division just not Keith knocking everybody off,
maybe nine wins, maybe ten wins win the division more
like ten wins. They won ten games last year with
no really good quarterback play whatsoever. So but that, as
(19:10):
you have said, that stretches rough. I mean, forget anything.
You know, playing the Chiefs and the Eagles in their
non conference games. That's six division games in a spin
of what eight or nine weeks, brutal, that's unheard of.
I think one of them is a Thursday night game too,
a quick turnaround one of them from Wednesday game. The
(19:31):
rhythm of the schedules all thrown off. But you know what,
last year, I thought going to Seattle and Baltimore and
Cincinnati and the season was going to be rough, and
the easy games were going to be New England and Arizona.
They end up winning the last three. So it's hard
to make that determination right now. But if you get
ten wins and then AFC North, I think you're doing
very good for yourself.
Speaker 1 (19:52):
Mark Cabali does great work. The Athletic NFL Senior Rider
will be following the Steelers thanks again, Mark for coming
on the show. I appreciate it all right, called thank
you covered the NFL for twenty two years. Knows this stuff,
j Mack that you look at that schedule. We showed
the Chargers schedule early and it's sneaky soft Steeter schedule
is insane. Six division games in eight nine weeks. That's
(20:14):
not the way it's supposed to work. Like those are
always way more. Division games are harder. You can't fool
anybody because everybody knows your plays. I mean even when
the even when the Jets weren't great and the Dolphins
weren't great, Dolphins gave Tom Brady and the Patriots trouble
every single year when they were winning Super Bowls and
Miami was winning seven games. So division games are just different.
Speaker 3 (20:35):
It just doesn't add up for the Steelers.
Speaker 7 (20:37):
The math doesn't math. You look at Russell Wilson in
the last two years. What's what's going on with it?
Speaker 3 (20:42):
Terrible? Why did Tomlin sign this extension?
Speaker 8 (20:45):
Colin?
Speaker 7 (20:46):
That's what doesn't make sense. Well, I mean, like why
would he want to stick around when we don't know
what's your sitting?
Speaker 1 (20:50):
He likes to coach like you don't have a quarterback,
you haven't had one.
Speaker 7 (20:54):
But I think he liked, you want to coach, you
want to coach a losing team.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
Searching for Sean McVay talked about leaving and then he thought,
I like coaching.
Speaker 7 (21:02):
Well, you got Matt Stafford. No, that is not the
same thing. Mike Tomlin's got Russell Wilson, who's on like
his last chance.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
Seemingly well, he wasn't one year.
Speaker 3 (21:11):
One year to basically prove it.
Speaker 1 (21:12):
The Broncos defense was their problem last year. It wasn't
Russell Wilson. So you're optimistic. I'm not optimistic with the
division and schedule, but I don't think Russell Wilson in
Pittsburgh will be chaos. I think they're going to be
around eight or nine wins. I think they'll win some
of those games late. It's brutal. I think if you
look at their early schedule, they'll win several games already.
I think they'll get off to a pretty good start
(21:33):
three and two, four and two, I think they'll they'll
I think it'll be very optimistic early.
Speaker 7 (21:38):
Well, as you know, it's not how you start, it's
how you finished finish. We always look you and I
are look to the future, guys, What is coming around
the corner next? Fine, I'll give you eight wins, Okay,
so what it's sniffing the playoffs in the AFC. Okay,
might be last place in the division. Then what, Colin,
what comes next? I'm just telling you, like, I don't
(22:01):
see any good signs in the future for them.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
I know, I know Sealers fans. Oh, you're a Jetsky
jet stink.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
I think I do. They have a good roster. I
think they're Yeah, look at the wrong Pickens is a
sensational talent.
Speaker 3 (22:15):
They got the worst roster in the division.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
I don't believe that.
Speaker 3 (22:18):
Who's Who's who's worse?
Speaker 1 (22:20):
Who's They have a top three pass rusher and TJ. Watt.
They have one of the best receiver talents in years
in George Pickens. They have the best safety in the division.
They have they're always good at linebacker. They have upgraded
their offensive line. They have two running backs. I like both.
They have an excellent tight end.
Speaker 3 (22:39):
Colin, the Ravens have a better roster than the Steelers.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
Fact, we agree, Yeah, but Cinn, Cincinnati doesn't, Cleveland doesn't.
I don't think. I think Pittsburgh's got the second. We
have Tom Brady with his thoughts will and I'm sure
he's broken it down.
Speaker 2 (22:56):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and now East They're not.
Speaker 7 (23:00):
Pacific, America's oldest ballpark is set to host a celebration
a century in the making when the Giants take on
the Cardinals in a special tribute to the Negro leagues
live from the historic Rickwood Field. Coverage begins tomorrow at
five point thirty Eastern only on Fox.
Speaker 1 (23:19):
I am getting a kick out of Jason Tatum. He
tweeted something yesterday. There was a graphic that said Jason
Tatum won the title and led his team in points,
rebounds and assists, and he retweeted it, re tweeted it
and said what they going to say? Now, everybody's saying
the same thing on Jason Tatum. Now, as before the title,
(23:40):
he's an elegant, excellent player who the Celtics added offensive
pieces around because they were a little unsure in big
spots if he would grab the game by the throat,
which he didn't in the Eastern Conference finals or the finals.
I think he thinks this validates his talent. It doesn't.
(24:02):
He's always been good, but Jalen Brown was the better
player in the finals and the conference finals. That's not disputable.
And I like Jason Tatum. I saw today where he
is expected to sign a record breaking a contract, And
so much of monetization in sports and in life is
(24:24):
timing and eras and leverage. Kirk Cousins, if he finishes
his contract with Atlanta, will have made more money playing
quarterback than Tom Brady. Just the way it works, You're
going to see something over the next ten years that's
going to be pretty profound. The NBA contracts. They're going
(24:45):
to have four different companies NBC, I think TNT will
get a smaller package, Amazon and ESPN, Slash ABC are
all going in the NBA. So there's so many people
out there that want to tell you nobody watches the NBA.
Four networks are vying for it. Three of landed. Deal's
(25:06):
another one's coming. Stop people watch pro basketball they always
have my entire life. Plus, the game is fast, It's
got stars in a fractionalized world. Stars get attention. I
got news for you, NBA hater guy. Baseball struggling to
get people lined up for it. Baseball struggling hockey has struggled.
(25:27):
NBA is not struggling. Three companies a streaming company. It's
like the NFL and the NBA. Money is never the issue.
But there are two industries that's going to be a
little jarring. Streaming services are going to elevate football and
basketball players money, and they're gonna hurt actors money because
(25:48):
actors are going to start getting paid by the streaming
services based on results, not just giganic contracts based on
your name. So, but I don't have a problem at
all with Jjayson Tatum making a lot of money. He's
not difficult to coach, he's not weird, he's always healthy,
he doesn't have weight issues or desire issues. He's one
(26:10):
of the safest guy. He didn't have injury issues. I mean,
Giannis is getting banged up more and beads hurt. Ad
worries me a little on health. Jason Tatum is one
of the safest guys in the league to pay a
max to even Luca as great as he is, is
he easy to play with? Is he going to be
in great shape? I mean, Jason Tatum checks all the boxes, health, attitude, game, collaborative,
(26:35):
all of them. So I don't have a problem at all.
He is. However, this title did not disprove the concerns
with Jason Tatum. They actually proved it winning the title
and having in the first two to three tone setting
games Jalen Brown be the go to guy. It didn't
disprove anything. It proved what I had said and many
(26:57):
had said about Jason Tatum. We know he's really really good.
We know he's a top seven to eight player, not
a top three or four player. He's not the best
player on the Celtics. In the last two series, the
biggest two series in this most recent run by the Celtics.
They've had many good runs, the Bird stuff, Michale stuff,
Russell stuff, the KG Pier stuff, a lot of good runs.
(27:20):
In the last two series, the most important series, Jalen
Brown was more consistently the best player on the team.
It's not a knock. It's the reality of what the
concern with Tatum is. It's not that he's not talented
or fluid or esthetically pleasing. He fills the box score.
And I've said this before. I went and watched a
couple of the Celtic games live, one of them in Chicago.
(27:41):
He was the first guy on the floor by twenty minutes,
either team, first guy on the floor working on his game.
Jamack with the news.
Speaker 2 (27:51):
This is the herd Line News.
Speaker 7 (27:54):
It's funny USA basketball this summer. Right, two Celtics on
the team.
Speaker 3 (27:59):
Drew Holiday, Jason, it's outrageous.
Speaker 1 (28:03):
Jalen Brown didn't make it.
Speaker 3 (28:04):
They didn't make the team. We'll have one of the
twelve best Americans.
Speaker 1 (28:09):
Well. It also Kyrie Irving didn't make it, so and
he's probably better than.
Speaker 3 (28:13):
Jaylan Brunson did not make it.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
That's why I've argued for Caitlin Clark. At the end
of an Olympic roster, it can get very subjective and
very political.
Speaker 7 (28:23):
And listen, you say political, I'll toss this out there.
Jalen Brown was voted by the media Finals MVP.
Speaker 3 (28:29):
The vote was like seventy four. I think there's some
politics to play there. They just don't like. I don't
know why the media doesn't love Tatum. You shake your
head and laugh.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
There is nothing about Jason Tatum that's unlike him. Nothing.
Speaker 3 (28:41):
Can I give you my theory?
Speaker 1 (28:42):
I mean, Kyrie Irving's got stuffed, Luca Doggin defense got stopped. Yes,
I mean embiid not delivering. Tatum is one of the
most likable players in the league. Even the people that
criticize the me I always ended and started with saying,
I love this kid. Like my criticism is like, okay,
first of all, I love him, and at the end
they always say, again, I think he's all NBA.
Speaker 3 (29:04):
He was been First Team All NBA three years in
a row.
Speaker 7 (29:06):
My working theory is the Celtics have been so close
knocking on the door.
Speaker 3 (29:11):
The media doesn't want to well, I don't.
Speaker 7 (29:14):
Know Tatum's good, and that they've been close, and now
they finally break through and Tatum was good.
Speaker 3 (29:18):
He led them in points, rebounds, And it's.
Speaker 1 (29:20):
So you're saying the NBA media, which gave westbrook the MVP,
I would say westbrook By and Lars not considered likable.
Speaker 7 (29:28):
Well, he didn't even earn it that year. He averaged
triple double. So what they were like the sixth seeds?
Speaker 1 (29:32):
What I mean like that the NBA gave it to him.
Speaker 7 (29:34):
Yeah, this Celtics team was historically great, usually best player
on the best team.
Speaker 1 (29:38):
You know, it's funny. In clutch time stats they were
number one and everything. They were like fourth in the league.
Denver was better. Lakers were better. They weren't a good
clutch time team, and usually that is, well, who's your closer.
So they were good as a clutch time team, they
were great in every other stat and that's a very
reasonable concern. By the way, Brad's Stevens told you his
(30:01):
concern by bringing in leaving Marcus Smart let him go
and bring in two better offensive players. So Brad Stevens,
who was not only Jason Tatum's GM, he was his coach,
watched them at every practice, felt that Jason isn't quite
that closer.
Speaker 7 (30:20):
I also think that the moves by Stevens were a
little for locker room.
Speaker 3 (30:24):
Like Marcus Smart was kind of an.
Speaker 7 (30:26):
Old school, old regime guy. Let's hand it to Brown
and Tatum. This is their team, they're the younger guy.
I think that was part of the reason they got
off on one.
Speaker 1 (30:34):
I don't think so Porzingis had a bad locker room reputation,
fair or not he had it. I mean, if you
were gonna get rid of Marcus Smart and bringing Porzingis,
that was a net negative because Porzingis had been known
as a bad locker room guy. I'm not saying he
was but that was his wrap.
Speaker 3 (30:48):
But you're right, twenty point A game guy can stretch
the floor with the three.
Speaker 1 (30:51):
No, they added offense. They wanted to make this. Brad
Stevens was saying, listen, instead of being highly Tatum dependent late,
he'll get give us some points, but let's add a
big and another guard, so we're not dependent on Tatum
because we've seen too many instances. I said this when
(31:11):
I've seen him live and when I watch him. My
knock on Tatum has been you will drop the ball
to him low, he'll have a five inch hid advantage
and he'll do a fallaway seventeen footer. He just lacks
a little aggressiveness in key spots and games. That is
a that is not a huge flaw ball handling, defense, effort,
brain like everything else is good like smooth hustles, coachable.
(31:35):
It is a wish he was a tad more aggressive Brown.
Jalen Brown, whose dad was a heavyweight fighter, Jalen Brown's
got the aggressive.
Speaker 3 (31:42):
Yeah, he's picking up Luca full Cord.
Speaker 1 (31:44):
Yeah, but he's not He's not as fluid offensively. If
you gave if you gave Brown the fluidity of Tata Tatum,
the aggressiveness of Jalen Brown, you'd have a top two
player in the league.
Speaker 3 (31:58):
All right, let's get to the NFL.
Speaker 7 (32:00):
The AFC East will be one of the tightest divisional
races next season. Colin, Jets, Bills, and Dolphins kind of
crowded house. According to Vegas, the Bills are slight favorites
to win the division ever so slight minus one sixty five,
followed by my Jets plus one eighty five, and then
the Dolphins at plus two ten. No other division has
(32:21):
three teams that close in odds. Patriots obviously going nowhere.
Speaker 1 (32:25):
Sorry Tom Brady for the record. It's an offensive league.
I get the offensive coach. I think Miami is the
bet the that's.
Speaker 2 (32:31):
I'll stop it.
Speaker 1 (32:33):
We looked at the schedule, no shot, Well do we
have Miami schedule?
Speaker 7 (32:37):
I mean, I don't know if we can pull it
at the drop of a hat like that. But you
know they got the two of stuff lingering. They're missing
a lot on defense.
Speaker 1 (32:44):
What do you mean ta stuff lingering?
Speaker 7 (32:46):
The biggest storyline with the Dolphins this offseason is what's
going on with to his contract.
Speaker 3 (32:49):
Is he gonna get paid?
Speaker 7 (32:50):
You've got his teammates going on social media writing on
what was.
Speaker 3 (32:54):
It they played around of golf.
Speaker 1 (32:55):
They're like, pay this man, he is gonna get paid.
We just saw it this week. Oh we think that
ling stuff. You know, it's lingering where Aaron vacation. That's lingering.
Speaker 3 (33:04):
There's something lingering around Aaron. It's probably a cloud of smoke.
But I don't know.
Speaker 7 (33:09):
I like the Jets at plus one eighty five. I
think they're honestly best roster in the division. Can't say
best quarterback, definitely, can't say best coach, best defense for sure?
Speaker 1 (33:20):
What all right, I'll take best coaching quarterback. You can
have best defense, all right.
Speaker 3 (33:26):
Maybe that's another question for Tom Brady. Who's gonna be
a seased.
Speaker 7 (33:30):
Next up is Drake London, the wide receiver for the Falcons.
Speaker 3 (33:34):
Two good years to start the NFL. You had to
break a thousand yards.
Speaker 7 (33:37):
But nevertheless, London has lacked some quarterback play, obviously, something
he expects to change with Kirk Cousins under center.
Speaker 8 (33:46):
I will say that he does do a different having
Kirts here. He's he's a very betic guy who's spending
here for now going on his thirteenth year. So to
learn tho him is a really cool thing. I think
he's gonna help me learn the game of football on
a bigger scale and understand it a little bit more.
And for that, I really can't wait and see where
he takes my game. I think it's his attention to
detO Honestly, he takes that very very seriously. And then too,
(34:07):
he's seen a lot of pictures in his day playing football,
so to be able to go out there and see
those and help us see you with him it is
a huge thing too. So I think that's what I've
learned the most now.
Speaker 1 (34:18):
By the way, he and Aaron both off Achille Surgery.
Good to see. Kirk Cousins showed up to his mini
camp good to see. And for the record, did you
notice how beneficial an old quarterback showing up to even
a little three day mini camp function? How valuable? Drake
London said.
Speaker 3 (34:37):
It is another jab at Rogers.
Speaker 1 (34:39):
Well, I said jab both of them Achille Surgery, both
didn't play a lot last year, Both have a lot
of young, skilled people around him. Kirk Cousins saw the
value in showing up.
Speaker 7 (34:50):
How about the upgrade at quarterback from uh, who's the quarterback?
Speaker 3 (34:54):
Last year in Atlanta? Remember that guy. He was just
not good.
Speaker 7 (34:57):
And now that you get Kirk Cousins, it's like when
the Bucks went from Jameis Winston to Tom Brady and
instantly how they do win the Super Bowl. Desmond Ritter,
by the way, was a Falcons quarterback last year. Yeah,
that's a big upgrade for London.
Speaker 1 (35:08):
Well, I mean, Zach Wilson was a Jets quarterback. It's
a big upgrade to Aaron Rodgers as he plays the
Aaron Rodgers. Wilson is very very The comp is very interesting.
I mean both have you know, one's got a brand
new coach, one has a young coach, both defensive coaches,
both off an achilles surgery, both highly compensated, both at
(35:29):
the end of their career. This is a big year
for both. The difference is Michael Pennix is right behind breathing,
you know, down Kirch now. But there's a lot of similarities.
I will take Atlanta to be a much better team
than the Jets.
Speaker 3 (35:41):
Division is a joke. Well, they should handle it. I think,
what do you mean much better? Are you goin to
win total?
Speaker 1 (35:46):
Yes, yes, easily. Atlanta's gonna win eleven or twelve games,
and the Jets won't eight, seven, eight or seven Vega.
Speaker 3 (35:55):
You just saw them.
Speaker 1 (35:56):
Look at Atlanta's schedule. I mean, look at the end
of that schedule. Go start Week ten, Saints at home,
Broncos at home, by Chargers at home at Young Minnesota
at Raiders, Giants at home, Caroline at home Washington. They
could end on a seven game heater, eight game winning streak,
(36:17):
Jets end of the season schedules tough.
Speaker 3 (36:19):
Wait, they're beating the chart. They're not beating the Chargers.
Speaker 1 (36:21):
Damn.
Speaker 3 (36:21):
Actually, the Falcons get excited.
Speaker 1 (36:24):
There's a twelve win team.
Speaker 3 (36:25):
That's favorable, assuming Kirk Cousins is okay.
Speaker 1 (36:27):
You know how it is in the NFL, there's always
a story we think is gonna happen, and it doesn't.
There's always a hidden story.
Speaker 2 (36:32):
Saint last.
Speaker 1 (36:32):
So everybody's thinking Aaron's the quarterback that's gonna bounce back
off the Achilles surgery. No, it's gonna be Kirk Cousins
is gonna bounce back and have a huge year. Everybody's
looking at Aaron off an injury. Kirk is gonna crush
it this year. Twelve and five home playoff game, win
a playoff game.
Speaker 7 (36:53):
Even with your guy Michael Penni's breathing down his neck.
Speaker 1 (36:56):
It Michael Pennix is gonna sit and study and watch
the old old Jedi master, and then Michael will start
next year.
Speaker 3 (37:03):
You think he's gonna be upset.
Speaker 7 (37:05):
Penix is sitting while boat Nix is starting, and all
these other rookies are starting in Penix is better than them.
Speaker 1 (37:10):
It's like being upset. You get a great first job,
but you have to drive fifty minutes every day to
to work. It's not really a problem. You're out of college.
You're out of college. You get a great job, but
it is like an hour drive. That's a great problem
to have.
Speaker 3 (37:24):
No, No, Michael Penix is driving to work and sitting
on the bench. He's not playing.
Speaker 1 (37:27):
It's a good problem to have. I get a set
behind a pro bowler and we go to the playoffs
and I learn from a great veteran quarterback and I
still get paid, don't get paid any less. Pretty good
job to have to sit.
Speaker 3 (37:39):
On the bench. I don't want to get paid to sit.
Speaker 1 (37:42):
You sat on the bench for a long time in
your career. Look at you, you flourished.
Speaker 3 (37:45):
I was waiting for the call up to the Biggs.
Speaker 7 (37:48):
I got the I mean I was crushing double A
and triple A. But anyway, let's go to the final story,
which is baseball. The Dodgers had a crazy ninth inning
comeback last night. Not down nine to four, Jason Hayward
had a grand slam to pull them within one. Then
with two men on, down to their final strake ta
Oscar Hernandez got a check swing to go his way. Look,
they wanted to call him out, would have been gained.
(38:08):
No call on the next bitch.
Speaker 3 (38:11):
Here's what happened.
Speaker 1 (38:12):
Oh, I want to see this, yeah, swing on hitting
the air and the right center fielding date this ball
heading back.
Speaker 9 (38:18):
This ball's gone, It's gone.
Speaker 1 (38:21):
It's gone.
Speaker 9 (38:22):
A three run home run. Tascar head on this and
the Dodgers have come all the way back to take
the lead. Oh my goodness, absolutely incredible.
Speaker 3 (38:37):
It's eleven to nine.
Speaker 1 (38:39):
Yeah, more Dodger fans at coors Field and Rocky fans.
By the way, let's watch the check swing.
Speaker 7 (38:44):
Again, Am five seventy Sports. Well, what's interesting after the
checks after the home run? You see them the outfielder
point right at the first bates time.
Speaker 1 (38:51):
I get tell you and everybody, let me see this. Oh,
broy go either way in here he went go either
way either way?
Speaker 3 (39:01):
Look excellent. Has had to bleep out.
Speaker 1 (39:04):
So was the umpire's fault you always got you got
blame somebody.
Speaker 3 (39:07):
By the way, hitting I'll say this, hitting a walk
off home run. I've never done that before, have you? Nope,
that would be pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (39:14):
Here's the thing. That's a go either way call right clearly.
Speaker 7 (39:20):
I mean, I know you're an innermural referee college, you
clearly were not an umpire.
Speaker 1 (39:25):
Hey, Ryan, does that go either way? Everybody on the
staff was like, oh man, and then you give up
a three run job on the next Well, that's you
know what. Get people out. Stop blaming the op Come on,
that's a go either way call. Wine complain.
Speaker 3 (39:42):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (39:43):
Colorado stinks this year. You think that umpire is the
reason why Colorado.
Speaker 3 (39:46):
I thought Colorado is one of your favorite states. Oh,
you're talking about the Rocky cell like Utah. You you
and your winters.
Speaker 1 (39:53):
I like winter crazy.
Speaker 3 (39:55):
You're a seasons.
Speaker 1 (39:56):
Look at the crowd, it's all Dodger And by the way,
all the good seats a Dodger fans, well they can
afford them.
Speaker 3 (40:02):
Well, there's a lot of Terra shooting in for a
big series.
Speaker 1 (40:05):
What a game, What an all time game. Hey, listen,
if umpires are gonna screw up, just make sure the
Yankees and the Dodgers benefit.
Speaker 3 (40:12):
There you go.
Speaker 1 (40:13):
You know, my big market stands well and nobody really
likes underdogs. If umpires are going to screw up, just
screw up in favor of the Yankees and the Dodgers
and we're all good here. Maybe Atlanta, you know, just
don't give the Twins like seven wins a year. That'd
just ruin the sport. J Mack with the News, Well
that's the news, and thanks for stopping that line. It's
(40:33):
everybody's freaking out about that, like like it was like
it was a slam dunk. You know. It's just like
Dodger fans think it wasn't Rocky fans think it was.
How about get the guy out? How about throw a
better pitch. I don't want to hear. I don't want
to you know, it's the old saying, work harder, nobody cares,
(40:54):
nobody cares about your excuses. Work harder, nobody cares. We
don't want to hear about your light. Just just work harder,
throw a better pitch. Well, yeah, you don't real you
don't like that answer.
Speaker 3 (41:08):
I don't want to get jettison before Brady goes. Colin,
Come on, that's a that's a that's a check swing
strike right there around. You're just being antagonistic.
Speaker 1 (41:20):
Staff this morning was so you know, it was so strident,
terrible called I'm falling Major League GM. Go either way,
Hosts And Creators
Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
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