Hour 2 - Where Colin was right and wrong

Colin tells you why he was right about Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni and wrong about Deion Sanders and Colorado football

 

Guest: Matt Hasselbeck

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Herd podcast. Be sure to
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Speaker 2 (00:21):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 1 (00:25):
All right, here we go our two first one flew
by just starting today and I'm Monday Live in Los Angeles.
It's The Herd wherever you may be and however you
may be listening, listening Jmac. Underdogs are having their way.
I have an underdog tonight. I have Detroit plus the point.
We haven't talked about the Nicks t Wolves trade. That's
a big one. I have the Seahawks tonight plus the point.

Speaker 3 (00:48):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (00:49):
Yet, yeah, I have the Seahawks, which is, by the way,
I wouldn't trust me because all my underdogs, all my picks.
Thank god I had the Ravens last night. Thank god.

Speaker 4 (00:56):
That's a nice stuff.

Speaker 3 (00:58):
Hey, you know not to go against me, Cam, right,
are you? I'med head with me on Rams and Bucks.
You were right surprising well. Listen week to week theories
zigzag theory. You know, just put it in play. It
is insanely effective. The public is going to go after
what they just saw. Everybody's going to bet Baltimore this week.

(01:19):
Whoever they're facing. I think it's a Bengals. Yeah, that's
an interesting game.

Speaker 1 (01:23):
Yeah, all right, we do it every Monday. Colin Wright,
Colin wrong. Here we go where Colin was right. Well,
I predicted before the season Kingsbury would be a home
run higher and Washington would make the playoffs. I said
they're going to be the surprise team. They'll make the
wild card. Yeah, well, they may win the division. Kingsbury
has been a perfect fit. Washington has more listen to this,

(01:44):
more scoring drives than incompletions. I don't even know how
to explain that. That's ridiculous. That's video game. That's ridiculous.
Through four games, Jayden Daniels has the highest completion percentage
in league history, eighty two percent of his pass I
was told before the season, get on the Washington vandwagon
early new owner GM coach, Kingsbury's going to be a

(02:09):
home run. We were right on that one.

Speaker 2 (02:11):
Where Colin was raw.

Speaker 1 (02:12):
Yeah, my optimism was Sean McVeigh and Matt Stafford fixing
all the problems for the Rams health. It's my optimism's dying.
No Puka, no Cooper, they have no playmakers. Everything has
to be a long drive. Matt Stafford not super mobile moves. Okay,
A is trying to save the team and he can't.
It's not many players offensive line. The backups are backups

(02:34):
to backups. McVeigh is great, but there are limitations when
you get cluster injuries to two key areas for an
offensive coach. And this is just not going to be
the Rams year where Colin was right day one on
Nick Sirianni, I said, I was told he was not
a head coach. He was closer to a position coach.

(02:55):
They are not only three to eight in their last
eleven games, folks, They're the only NFL team without a
point in the first quarter. And listen, I know there's injuries.
This is the NFL. Everybody's heard from his opening press
conference on I think there have been times when he's
been a bit juvenile to be a head coach doesn't
have a certain gravatas and Philadelphia is a well run organization,

(03:18):
but they are very impatient and I don't know if
he lasts.

Speaker 2 (03:22):
The season where Colin was raw.

Speaker 1 (03:24):
You know, I defended the Doug Peterson hire in Jacksonville
Post Urban Meyer. I thought he had the right temperament.
Doug's not gonna yell and bark. It's gonna work. But
this thing's unraveling. They've lost five straight. Trevor Lawrence has
lost nine straight. It's an organization and this was a
little bit Doug's reputation. They're a little loose. They're not

(03:46):
great on the details. And I've supported Doug from day one,
and I'm not sure who's exactly to blame, but there
are fissures now and they're going public. Here's Doug after
the loss. Coaches. We can't make We can't go out
there make the plays right. It's a two way street.
So you know, you guys can sit here and point
the finger all you want, and that's fine. Point it

(04:06):
right at me.

Speaker 2 (04:07):
I can take it.

Speaker 1 (04:08):
If it's not working, it's not in rhythm, whether it's
your plays or not. You Hazel play college. Yeah, sure, okay,
I'll take it into consideration when it goes public. When
the couple's fighting in public, you don't know what the
drive homes like it's trouble in Jacksonville. Where Colin was right,
Anthony Richardson, He's fun to watch, but you got it

(04:30):
complete stuff from the pocket. It's hard. I get it.
But yesterday he got hurt again. He's reckless. You know,
I understand loving athletic quarterbacks. Nobody's a bigger fan of Lamar.
I've been defending him for four or five years. But
the Anthony Richardson thing. If Shane Steichen can't fix it,
and he's one of the really smart guys in this league,

(04:52):
if he can't fix it, I don't think you can
fix it. Yesterday again, Anthony Richardson.

Speaker 2 (04:57):
Got hurt where Colin was right.

Speaker 1 (05:00):
Don't buy the Browns ownership. I love the coach, I
love the general manager. But I think Deshaun Watson was
desperate yesterday, passer rating at eighty five. Raiders were missing
Devonte Adams and Max Crosby. There two best players. That's
as vulnerable as the Raiders can be. Raiders are still
rebuilding and Cleveland couldn't get it done. So I've said before,

(05:23):
just I look at organization's top down, I don't buy Cleveland.
I think Stefanski and Andrew Berry You're really sharp guys,
but I think their hands are tied and this contract
is awful.

Speaker 2 (05:33):
Where Colin was raw, Boy was.

Speaker 1 (05:36):
I wrong on Colorado three weeks ago. Two weeks ago,
I said, give me a break. You're the fake idea
of college football. You're trying to tell us you're something
you're not. Yeah, they're now four and one and this weekend.
Now we know Travis Hunter's the best player in college
football and Shador Sanders has talent. But to beat forty

(05:56):
eight to twenty one over UCF and some of the
players in this game, this is not supposed to be
a great draft. What if Colorado gets Travis Hunter taking one,
Shador Sanders taking number two, you think it's crazy. But
when you watch these guys play, you talk about jump
through the television. They're insane talents. Dion now is beating

(06:17):
ranked teams. There four and one. I was way.

Speaker 2 (06:20):
Wrong where Colin was right.

Speaker 1 (06:22):
But I thought Bama would beat Georgia. Carson Beck good luck,
But after watching shaduor Sanders, you're not going number one.
And I'll say this, Kaylin de Boord did this at Washington.
He got the Huskies do a national championship without a
lot of NFL bodies his ability too. He's not a
great recruiter, but he may develop offensive players as well

(06:44):
as anybody I have ever seen. This game was a
blowout early, then Georgia pulls back. But I said, when
he got the job, it would be the greatest coaching
handoff in the history of college football. I said, he's
basically on the offensive side of the ball, and to
take that lead and dominate Georgia that had won forty

(07:05):
two straight games. Go back and look at what he
inherited at Washington and what it became. The guy is
a marvel.

Speaker 2 (07:12):
Where Colin was right.

Speaker 1 (07:14):
I said, be careful about telling me the Saints are
going to rule the league. You got a new coordinator,
but I think Derek Carr is more middle of the
pack than elite. Dennis Allen last year. Questions about the coaching,
I think Atlanta's going to win this division. I think
Tampa has been a great story. But this offense to
me in the first couple of weeks was not sustainable.

(07:35):
Now maybe Washington Commander's offense isn't sustainable either, But Jayden
Daniels just looks different than everybody else in the league.
Where Colin was right where Colin was wrong on a Monday.
It has been a year for underdogs. I'll say that
Matt Hasselback eighteen NFL seasons to Super Bowl, three Pro Bowls.
He's joining us as he does on Monday. So boy,

(07:57):
it's a week to week league. I was saying, this
is that I think, you know, Brady was pocket, Jared
Goffis pocket, Kirk Cousins pocket. They're excellent, they're real probs.
I mean, obviously Brady, but there is something to be
said with rule changes and the elite offensive coaching. Moving
the pocket helps and everybody wants the mobile quarterback. But yet,

(08:19):
I don't think there's a quarterback in the league that's
good that gets criticized more than Lamar Jackson. And I'm like, guys,
time out. You keep telling me all these guys that
run you love, that's the best I've ever seen. But man,
when I watch him, I think he's also really capable
from the pocket. It's not just a run around guy,
And it feels like he's getting better in the pocket.

Speaker 2 (08:41):
What do you see?

Speaker 5 (08:43):
Yeah, Colin, I agree. I think he's a phenomenal pocket passer,
full field progression reader. You know, some of those other
guys that you mentioned, you know, Tom Brady, I think
of Peyton Manning. I think is some of those guys
Philip Rivers. They had no choice but to be a
pocket passer. I worked for many years with Steve Young,
and he would always talk about how he thinks it
was more difficult for him to become a pocket passer

(09:04):
because he knew he had the ability to just kind
of take it in run. And I think you see
Lamar over the course of his career when they're playing
meaning meaningful football in December, He's banged up, and so
he needed to find a way to, you know, sort
of like preserve himself and be ready for his team
when he needs him. And I think you get the
best of both worlds right now. I think you get
a full field reader that can see the whole field.

(09:26):
And obviously he's the most talented runner that's ever played
the quarterback position.

Speaker 1 (09:29):
Yeah, I mean you're watching the linebacker between the linebacker
and safety. Those are hard NFL throws against McDermott. I
just you know, we all want the athletic quarterback. That's
the best one I've ever seen. And I think Buffalo
generally is well coached on defense.

Speaker 5 (09:43):
Yeah, and Colin, can I add one thing. I think
a good mark of what the defense thinks about you
as a passer as a full field pocket passer can
be measured by how good your how much they respect
your screen game. So next time you watch a Lamar
Jackson game or go can watch the last four weeks.
People respect the heck out of the Baltimore Ravens screen

(10:04):
game because they really do truly respect him as a
as a deep ball thrower. And I believe this is
I don't know that I've ever heard anyone say this.
I believe that Lamar Jackson is the best quarterback when
it comes to throwing to tight ends all the way
back to college. This guy has a knack for making
tight ends that aren't open open And you know, so

(10:26):
if and when he puts it all together consistently, I
mean he really already has Who am I kidd? And
this guy can go toe to toe with any quarterback
in the game.

Speaker 1 (10:35):
Yeah, he's so fun to watch, So explain to me.
I thought this was a terrible spot for bow Knicks
and the Broncos rookie quarterback Jets had extra prep time.
Aaron's one of the smartest guys out there, and it
was thirteen penalties, a lot of offensive stuff pre snap.
Explain that to me. So after the game, the coach

(10:55):
says this, The quarterback says this, I don't know, you
do what And these are.

Speaker 5 (11:00):
Veterans frustrating game, bad weather. I mean, they expect to score.
Here's here's the deal. The Jets have an awesome defense,
and I think I said it the first time I
talked to you. They just need to scheme up some
fun offense and let Aaron Rodgers be the point guard.
They don't need him to play NBA Superstar Ball, although
he's capable, and he had some great throws and great
plays in that game. But I think what we're talking

(11:21):
about at the press conference, Aaron Rodgers is backed up
on like the one yard line and he uses his
great hard count. Nobody's got a better hard count than him,
and the Jets jump. No big deal. Half the distance
to the goal. You lost six six inches. You would
have gained five yards. Okay, Then they went out, they
went on a hard count again, and they jumped off
sides again. But whatever, we now we lost like three inches,

(11:43):
not a big deal. We could have gained five risk reward.
But then later in the game, the Jets are on
the one yard line going in. Yeah, and this is
an area where it's just kind of an unspoken quarterbacks.
Never go on a hard count on the one yard
line going in, always on the one yard back up,
never going in. Now you're Aaron Rodgers, you can you

(12:03):
can do things that other guys don't do, but it's
got to work. And what the Jets do They jumped
off sides and so you know that's where that rift
game post game between Aaron Rodgers and Robert Sala and
you know, it is what it is. I mean, technically,
coach Sala is absolutely right, and we didn't. I don't
think he feels like I think he in somewhere in

(12:24):
his mind is saying, hey, if you could just manage
the game the way brock Purty does, we would have
won this game.

Speaker 1 (12:30):
Yeah. No, that's fair. So sometimes things happen in sports,
and I don't have an explanation. Okay. So I was
told from the former Arizona Cardinal GM Steve Khime. He
said Kingsbury may not be a head coach the temperament,
he said, but as a caller and a designer. He
said he's going to crush in Washington, and he told

(12:50):
me he said he loves Shade Daniels. Okay, eighty two
percent completion percentage. I thought this was a bad offensive line.
I don't even understand what I'm watching. What are you watching?
What's happening there?

Speaker 5 (13:03):
Something historic? It's ridiculous, Like they are in such a
zone and Jayden Daniels is smooth, he's calm. It's like
he's either the coolest cat that's ever lived and has
the most confidence, like or he has absolutely no idea,
like how big it is what he's doing, like his
completion percentage, Like these guys don't even punt. I mean,
it's ridiculous. And I would just say about Cliff Kingsbury,

(13:26):
you know, your life experiences as a coach can change
you and make you a better coach. Pete Carroll would
talk about it all the time. You know, he failed
as a head coach with the Jets and with the Patriots.
Then he takes a year off of football, and then
he goes back to USC and has a different philosophy
and is influenced by some other people. And then when
he gets and he has you know, a great run
at USC obviously, and then gets to Seattle and kind

(13:48):
of has a different identity as a coach. I think
that can happen to a lot of different coaches, and
I think Cliff Kingsbury is an example of that. And
also you mentioned maybe he's a better play caller than
he is a head coach. Yeah, Like in my era
when I was playing, Mike Martz was one of the
great offensive guru play caller minds that I can remember,
but wasn't quite as successful as a head coach. So

(14:12):
I think Cliff Kingsbury's probably in that sweet spot where
he's just loving what he's doing, colling football plays, designing
passing schemes. And now you team him up with like
an Anthony Lynn and you get this like hard, hard
nosed football, eleven on eleven tackle football run game, and
we're mixing personnel groups unlike you did when you were
the head coach at Arizona. I think these guys, I

(14:34):
think they have a real edge to them right now.
And you know, I think they're real. I think they're real.

Speaker 1 (14:40):
So listen, I know, like the Rams are falling apart,
cluster injuries at receiver. Oh, I get it. And I
get that Aj Brown's importner Devonte Smith, but Philly doesn't
have a point in the first quarter. Everybody does, bad
offenses do. And I understand also that some coaches are
more tied to their playsheet. Kyle Shanahan loves that play sheet.

(15:03):
He's brilliant. Some coaches like the adjustments at half. I
get that. I totally get it, But it feels like
to me, Matt, there's a hole in Siriani of the
prep up to So. I mean, some teams are just
frankly very good in the first quarter in the first
two series. I mean, Shane Steichen historically, he's very good

(15:24):
in the first two series. What does it tell me
when this team can't with Saquon Barkley and Jalen Hurts
and in the first couple of weeks of healthy old
line not a point? Is it preparation? Is it a
bad play sheet? What is that?

Speaker 5 (15:38):
Well, it's all of those things. I mean In Philly.
I mean, Philly fans know this was the team that
was the best in football to start games. That's what
they were known for. They had an identity. People feared them.
It's first and ten for the whole league. It's like
first and eight for Philly because they got the toush
push right now, they don't even like they don't even
really trust it themselves. So I think there's been a
good amount of turnover. You know, obviously the coordinators, you

(16:01):
lose your you know, your Hall of Fame center, you
lose some pieces. And I think as a quarterback, sometimes
when you lose like your guy or the guy that
you really trust, or the person in your ear or
the guy that you're spending all your time with, it
can be a little bit of an adjustment. And sometimes
it can be a little bit you're caught in no
man's land, like, hey, my previous coach told me this,

(16:22):
My new coach is telling me that, And you know,
I've had a lot of different coaches, Like what how
do I handle that situation? So this just looks like
a team that you don't recognize. But I don't think
Philly fans are super surprised by the result in Tampa,
like I don't think the Eagles fans, And that's a
that's a knowledgeable fan base. I think they they going
into that game said our quarterback doesn't look like our quarterback,

(16:43):
our run game doesn't look like our run big, our
run game. We have a we have a little bit
of hope because Saquon we know what he can be.
But like, I don't think they've figured that out yet.
And so yeah, this is a team that's that's a
little bit fractured right now, and they got to figure
it out.

Speaker 1 (16:57):
Sometimes you get the perfect coaching staff, I argue, and
they had Nick Sirianni, you know, and they had the
other coordinator now at Arizona, and but you know, those
coordinators are gonna leave. And I look at Minnesota and
do I buy them, Yes, because I think Brian Flores
is brilliant. Even in Miami. He not He and Tua
may have scuffed that defense eight games into his coaching

(17:19):
career in Miami was unbelievable. That dude can coach. Now,
you've got to repair his sort of image to it.
Took a shot at him. And I think Minnesota and
Kevin O'Connell are trying to help him out a little bit.
They're putting him on the podium. He addressed the two
of stuff. I think he's I think he's going to
be a head coach. I think he's brilliant. I just
don't think he's going to be in Minnesota long. But
between Kevin O'Connell and Brian Floores, I feel like it

(17:42):
is a perfect staff for each other. And I sometimes
you get Matt where you get this brilliant offensive coordinator,
you know he's getting a head job. But I buy
into Minnesota because of the playmakers and this staff. Literally
other team Kyle Shanahan and Matt Lafleur looked overwhelmed by it.
So I buy the Minnesota thing. If not for the players,

(18:05):
for the staff. What say you?

Speaker 5 (18:08):
Yeah, listen, Brian Flores could have already been a head coach.
I don't think he really wanted it, though, I think
his experience in Miami, I think he's going to be
patient and find the right situation. This is what I
know about a lot of people that get into coaching.
They get into coaching because they love football and they
love coaching, and then all of a sudden, you become
a head coach and you're not coaching anymore. You're like

(18:29):
an administrator and you do injury reports and you do
podium with the press and you do all this. Basically
that was crap. You don't want to do, like you
want a clicker in your hand. You want to be
up on the whiteboard and you want to be designing
and coaching your guys, right And I think I've heard
that from a lot of guys that they get hired
as a head coach because of what they did as
a coach, and then all of a sudden they become

(18:50):
like literally a game manager and a schedule maker and
stuff like that, and they don't love it. And so
maybe it's it's not what he wants right now, but listen,
what he's doing right now now is what I think
he was built to do. This was the guy that
was trained up under Bill Belichick. You know, I'm definitely
biased because he's a Boston College Eagle, but he's a tough,
hard nosed guy and that everybody that's ever played defense

(19:12):
for him understands exactly where they stand with him. So yeah,
that defensive part of it. We're going to always talk
about Sam Darnold in the job that they're doing offensively,
as we should, because that's been outstanding. But Brian Floor
is a good is a He's a confident play caller,
and that's a dangerous, dangerous thing when you're as talented
as they are.

Speaker 1 (19:31):
Offensively, yeah, by the way, Monday night football game. The
home teams this year have been crushing in these big spots.
I really like what Seattle's doing it to step up
in class in your Not that they feel like a
playoff game, but there is something about the fans are lubricated.
It's night, it's louder. Did you like I mean, was
it tougher as a quarterback going on the road if

(19:52):
you were a Seahawk to allowed Monday night crowd.

Speaker 5 (19:56):
Yeah, no doubt. But my rookie year I was with
the Green Bay, it felt like we were in primetime
like every night. I didn't know it was even like
a weird thing. And then I get to Seattle, which
is kind of like the Witness Protection program for a
while there, and we never were at night, and I thought,
oh wow, there's never a game where we're sitting around
all day watching like daytime television. So it's I think

(20:17):
it's really just like the scheduling of it, and you
just kind of got to like lay low when you
get in that game. I think it's all about what's
in the white lines. Now, if you were to ask
a left tackle, a right tackle or a tight end,
those guys that are far away from the ball, and
they got to get off on the snap count much
more difficult with crowd noise, and obviously dome stadiums make
it a lot tougher. But no, it's a thrill. I

(20:37):
think it's a dream come true to play primetime and
guys just love it.

Speaker 1 (20:41):
Matt Hasselbeck eighteen years regular on our show. I always
love it when you stop by als get smarter, man,
I appreciate it.

Speaker 5 (20:49):
Appreciate it too, thanks man, all.

Speaker 1 (20:51):
Right, Matt Hasselbeck six round pick out a BC Boston
College ended up in Super Bowls eighteen years in the NFL. Man,
that Philadelphia thing is a mess. That is a mess.
J Mack's got a good herd line around the corner.

Speaker 2 (21:07):
Don't go anywhere one more. Heard The Herd streams twenty
four hours a day, seven days a week within the
iHeartRadio app. Search Herd to listen live or on demand.

Speaker 1 (21:16):
Whenever you like, We're gonna update you on Rashi Rice
whenever we get the word. Opening statement today, Andy Reid
said the chief still going through several tests on his
right knee, cross your fingers on that he'd really become
a special player, and it didn't look great. Well, wipe that.
They're gonna have more tests going on. Jmack with the news.

Speaker 2 (21:36):
No, no, heard on the news. This is the herd
Line News.

Speaker 4 (21:42):
You said didn't look great.

Speaker 3 (21:43):
You know what was great was Alabama Georgia on Saturday.
I mean Colin So it was a beatdown. Early Alabama
was dominating and then Georgia storms back. The fourth quarter
was just scintillating stuff. Kaylin deborg gets major props. Alabama
pulls it out forty one thirty four. Alabama's down number
one in the country, obviously Divor's first rank win of

(22:03):
the season.

Speaker 4 (22:04):
I'll just say this, I.

Speaker 3 (22:05):
Was questioning Jalen Milroe, not doubting. I just hadn't seen
it yet. Jyln Milroe is phenomenal and this young receiver.
If you're watching on FS one, this kid Williams column,
look at that talent that is. I'm watching that with
my family and I'm like losing my mind. I barely
had any money on this game, but still it was
like one of those Oh my god, what was that? Like?

Speaker 4 (22:24):
You don't see that kind of electric It's.

Speaker 1 (22:26):
The same with Michael Pennix. Michael Penix went from he's
got injuries to is Hee like a top three pick.
And we know now that that Atlanta, Minnesota, A lot
of teams were interested in Michael Pennix. All coaches have
strengths for saving It was recruiting and staff building. Kaylin
de Borr is not nick as a recruiter, but his

(22:48):
development of offensive players. Jaln Milroe, you know he's talented.
I didn't even think about NFL. I've watched him this year.
He throws the prettiest ball over the top.

Speaker 3 (23:02):
You mentioned scheme earlier in the show. That should be
like a theme. I'm just telling you your boys, dudes are.

Speaker 1 (23:06):
Open all day against Georgia.

Speaker 4 (23:09):
I mean, George has got some questions.

Speaker 3 (23:10):
And I'm going to allow you to open a discourse
on Carson Beck.

Speaker 1 (23:15):
Who No, he listen, Colin, I'm sorry, he's not.

Speaker 4 (23:19):
He's not that guy.

Speaker 3 (23:20):
He's just not.

Speaker 1 (23:21):
You take brock Bowers now, a lad mcconk. He's good,
but Brock Bowers is transformational. You take him out of
that offense. He was an automatic wide open six seven
runs well, tight end. Whenever Carson Beck was in trouble,
it was just always open. I mean, he's open in
the NFL. He's going to be opening college. Kirby Smart
has told people that I know that he thinks Brock

(23:41):
Bowers is the best talent he's ever had, Like he's
that good of an athlete, that good of a player.
You take that out of that offense and Carson Beck.

Speaker 4 (23:50):
He just wasn't making the tight windows throw.

Speaker 3 (23:52):
No, the back shoulder stumb all seemed off that final drive.
I know the receiver's got to try to make a play,
but I just a lot of turnover stuff.

Speaker 1 (24:00):
When you watch quinn Ewers, Shadure Sanders, and cam Ward, yeah,
it looks much more dynamic and much more elevated. Carson
Beck doesn't look like he can't play quite as fast
when the tempo s feeds up. He doesn't quite He's
not that.

Speaker 3 (24:16):
Somebody, I think it was one of the producers here
kind of said he has like a Will Levis type
look to him.

Speaker 1 (24:25):
I just all I know is when I watch cam Ward, Schadure,
No and quinn Ewers, I look and I think, oh,
that's an NFL player in college. Now.

Speaker 3 (24:32):
Nobody's writing off Beck, but he's got work to do.
I don't think he's in a discussion for number one pick.

Speaker 1 (24:37):
No.

Speaker 3 (24:37):
I think that shit is sale. But the tools are
there and the quick word. I saw a stat that Kirby.

Speaker 4 (24:41):
Smart is like one in six against Alabama.

Speaker 3 (24:44):
Is that right? I mean Alabama's got his number, and
I know sign stealing in college is a big thing.
Colin the first like four Georgia drives. Alabama was all
over every single play in the backfield. I was like,
what's going on here? It's like they had the playbook. Well,
it was an awesome.

Speaker 1 (24:59):
George O line isn't great. It's also banged up. I
told you last week I took Alabama this game, I said,
I watched Kentucky man handle George's O line. Now, Kentucky
has a first a really great defensive tackle who's pretty unblockable.
But when I watched Kentucky do that, I thought, now
you're gonna go to allam Obama. There's no way.

Speaker 3 (25:21):
Well quickly, I don't like doing this this early, but
Heisman odds Jayln Milrose down number one, followed by Cam Woard,
Travis Hunter, who's.

Speaker 1 (25:28):
He's really really last player in the country.

Speaker 3 (25:30):
The running back on Boise State is awesome, and Dylan
Gabriel's coming on strong for Oregon as they start to
put up points.

Speaker 4 (25:37):
We got a long way to go. Noil Roe made
a statement for sure against Georgia. I mean that was
that was a hell of performance.

Speaker 3 (25:43):
Next game is next story. Is Nico Collins Colin this?
Where did this guy come from?

Speaker 1 (25:48):
Huh?

Speaker 3 (25:49):
How about his performance yesterday against the Jags? Eleven catches
for a buck fifty one and a touchdown. Remember he
was hurt this week midweek and missed a practice. They
were like, is Nico Collin's gonna play? He now league
the NFL in receiving yards through four games. Here's Demiko
Ryan seeing the praise of his wide out.

Speaker 5 (26:06):
Yeah, Nico is.

Speaker 6 (26:07):
He's deserving of all the praise and all the credit
that he's getting.

Speaker 2 (26:10):
He's one of the top receivers in the league and
he's showing it.

Speaker 6 (26:14):
He doesn't have to talk it, and he's just he's
showing it by what he does on a game to
game basis.

Speaker 2 (26:21):
He's proven that he's one of the best. He should
be all pro whatever.

Speaker 6 (26:24):
Like all pro probo, all those accolades should have come
to Nico because he's shown it every single week.

Speaker 1 (26:29):
Well, he's so big and strong. There's like a little
bit of a Calvin Johnson feel where you're like, he's
just you know, if you're a five to ten, one
hundred and eighty eight pound corner, there's not a lot
you can do. Like certain times, Gronk did this a
lot where you're like, linebackers weren't fast enough, safeties weren't
big enough, and you see these guys very infrequently. Yeah,

(26:53):
Nico's listed at six four, twenty five worse. What is
the average corner in the NFL five ten and a
half one ninety four. He's just too big and strong.

Speaker 4 (27:03):
Now here's the kicker.

Speaker 3 (27:05):
His contract that he signed this offseason maybe the best
bargain in the league at the position. Three years, seventy
two million dollars for Nico Collins, who's right now, looks.

Speaker 4 (27:15):
Like a top five six sets.

Speaker 1 (27:17):
Nobody is Justin Jefferson. That guy's insane.

Speaker 4 (27:20):
Justin Jefferson's really really good.

Speaker 3 (27:22):
But I'll tell you right now, I'd rather have Nico
Collins at twenty twenty three million dollars a year than
Justin Jefferson at thirty one.

Speaker 1 (27:28):
Yeah, he's there's just certain advantages certain athletes have, even
among pro athletes. They're just bigger, stronger, faster like Deon
Sanders was just faster than even fast guys in his front.
He was just faster than the fastest corner on your
receiver on your team, Nico is you can't single cover it.

Speaker 4 (27:48):
No, and you mentioned Justin Jefferson. I know he's really good.

Speaker 5 (27:51):
I like him.

Speaker 3 (27:51):
I don't want that, I don't want to really be good.
But JayR Alexander was out. Jaya Alexander is a good
matchup for Justin Jefferson. He didn't play, and then Jefferson
eight yesterday. Remember it's all about value, Colin, and I
know you love Jefferson. You don't think Nico Collins' contract.

Speaker 1 (28:08):
I think it's good. But saying Justin Jefferson is good
is like saying Good Fellows is a nice matinee, maybe
one of the best movies.

Speaker 4 (28:16):
Though it's pretty good.

Speaker 1 (28:17):
Justin Jefferson made a catch yesterday. The war was like
an optical illusion. It was like, how that that doesn't
even make sense against a backup yet? Okay, yeah, back
up proactly for the Packers.

Speaker 4 (28:27):
I gotta say it. Just Jefferson's awesome.

Speaker 6 (28:29):
I like him.

Speaker 4 (28:30):
Final story, big big, big NBA trade over the weekend.

Speaker 3 (28:34):
Get excited, folks NBA Media Day today, and right ahead
of it is Carl Anthony Towns is going to my Knicks.
The deal is kind of convoluted, but basically New York
is shipping Julius Randall, Dante de Vincenzo, and Detroit first
round pick, which could be high given Detroit stinks to
the Timberwolves and Thibodeau reunites with Towns. The nixt starting

(28:57):
lineup is maybe the best starting five in the lead.

Speaker 4 (29:00):
Well, now, come on, oh no, no, let me hear it.

Speaker 1 (29:03):
Come on, no, Jalen Brunson, McHale Bridges and Karl Anthony
Towns is a much better matchup against the Celtics. But
when Derek White is your fourth best player, you're gonna
be champs for a reason. I like what the Knicks
did Julius Randall. Listen, he's a ball stopper. He dribbles

(29:23):
too much, he drives people crazy. But no, no, no,
he's productive. He's a hard worker. They just said to themselves,
Kat and Rudy Gobert it's not quite working, so they're
going to keep the defensive guy. I don't hate it
for Minnesota.

Speaker 4 (29:38):
No, it's a good deal.

Speaker 1 (29:38):
De Vincenzo is an excellent three point shooter. Reportedly, he
didn't love the whole Villanova thing. He wanted more minutes.
He's like, I want to be on the floor more so. Yeah.
My takeaway is Nix and Minnesota are very good teams.
But if you're asking me for a winner, Karl Anthony
Towns offensively, I think has a high ceiling. And with

(30:01):
McHale and Jalen Brunson, he's not a ball stopper, so
that's a little thing with Julius Randall. With Jalen Brunson
needs the ball in his hands a lot. And Karl
Anthony town you can get him late in the clock,
hit a three maneuver down low. I like it for
the Knicks, but I don't think it's a disaster for Minnesota.

Speaker 3 (30:16):
But we talked about you don't want just five superstars.
They got role players. Og Arnobi is an awesome two
way player, one of the best in the league, and
so is Josh Hart. Those guys defend Bridges an awesome defender. Again,
Brunson needed help offensively in the postseason.

Speaker 4 (30:29):
That's it, And this is what Town didn't give you.
He can go for nine threes in a game.

Speaker 1 (30:33):
Yeah. No, I think this is the first time I
can remember since a pat Riley teams where you look
at the next like, if you told me the best
team in the league's Boston. I think the Knicks now
are in a spot with Denver, Minnesota, Oklahoma City. I
think the Knicks feel like a top five team. I
still all take Boston. Also, the confidence of a champion

(30:55):
in close games. You know, they poor Zingis wasn't really
healthy for the postseas, and he could be. He's out
for a while, So I'm I'm gonna take Boston. But
I would say, if you asked me in the top
five teams in the league today, Boston. I still think
Denver's good. I think it's Oklahoma City, Knicks, Minnesota, Dallas.

Speaker 4 (31:15):
Dallas there. I would not be shocked if Minnesota made
the finals this year.

Speaker 3 (31:18):
Anthony Edwards, Man, that guy is good and now you've
got role players around him.

Speaker 1 (31:23):
Well, Julius Randall doesn't see himself as a role player.

Speaker 4 (31:26):
Well, I think this should be a big message that
he is.

Speaker 1 (31:28):
A role Well, he doesn't see himself as that he wants.

Speaker 3 (31:31):
You know, Anthony Edward's gonna have to talk to him
Anthony Edwards right now.

Speaker 1 (31:35):
I'm just saying I've watched Julius game. He feels sometimes
a little bit like an outdated player because he doesn't
shoot the three. That's why the Lakers moved off him.
But he is productive, He works hard, he rebounds, good
effort off the court. Being any defensive liability with Julius
Randall because of his lack of size, Rudy Gobert covers
you on the back end, so it makes sense. He's

(31:57):
actually a good fit for them because he can get
work by a bigger center. Now you have coverage. So
it works for Minnesota. But I think it takes the
Knicks to a different level. And Cat is healthy. Bridges
gives you twenty brunts and gives you twenty seven. Cat's
a player that you could get thirty eight from him
and not be surprised.

Speaker 3 (32:16):
Can't run Brunson into the ground. Okay, he was playing
way too many minutes. We saw the body. He can't
hold up. You get the injury at the very end
against the Pacers. We need Towns to show up in
a big weight. Knicks are going to be live to
make the finals. Come legit it the Knicks. I don't
think the Sixers, even after.

Speaker 1 (32:33):
Tay, the Knicks are much more legitimate than the Jets.

Speaker 2 (32:36):
Are the Jets.

Speaker 1 (32:38):
No, you're selling me on the Jets of the super
Bowl team. I look at the Knicks and I'm like coach,
front office, big wing jalen og like like bench like.
I look at the Knicks and I think, okay, that's
They're in the discussion top five. So some of that
is who's healthy light. Yeah, Nicks fell apart last year.

Speaker 3 (32:56):
To be clear, Vegas had the Jets as one of
like the top eight Super Bowl.

Speaker 1 (32:59):
Odds, so I think they were. I think they were
eight bordering.

Speaker 4 (33:03):
On thirty two. That's good.

Speaker 3 (33:05):
And oh, by the way, here just two and two.
We thought they'd be three and one at this point.
Not a big deal. We're gonna beat the Vikings in London.

Speaker 1 (33:12):
This was one of their layups Denver was a layout.

Speaker 4 (33:15):
They're winning. On Sunday morning.

Speaker 3 (33:16):
You want to watch a game together, six thirty am.

Speaker 1 (33:19):
Go on, No, I'll watch it. I'll be forced to watch. Actually,
it's a good game.

Speaker 4 (33:25):
The Great Games, Sam Darnold revenge game. That's the Jets.

Speaker 1 (33:28):
Oh that's right, come on, Cliff Kingsbury. Yesterday revenge game.
He was laughing on the sideline. He was literally laughing.
He turned and started laughing, and I'm like, oh, this
is bad. Yeah, don't let that go in the biggest screen.

Speaker 2 (33:39):
That's bad.

Speaker 1 (33:42):
How Nathaniel Hackett revenge game yesterday did not quite work out?

Speaker 2 (33:47):
Jmack with the News, Well, that's the news and thanks
for stopping by The Herd. Lie be sure to catch
live editions of The Herd weekdays and noon Easter nine
am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio FS one. The iHeartRadio
app Pennant begins catch o'tani Harper in the league's best
as they begin their road towards the crown the NLDS

(34:08):
Saturday on Fox and f S one.

Speaker 1 (34:11):
Well, the Vikings, and they've done this multiple times this year.
They jump out to big leads and they catch coaches
like Matt Lafleur excellent, Kyle Shanahan excellent, Demiko Ryan's excellent.
They appear to be catching them flat footed. Yes it's
Sam Darnold, Yes it's Justin Jefferson. I think this is

(34:31):
the best coaching staff in the league. I don't know
if Kevin Connell's the best coach could be outside of
Andy Reid. But it's the best coaching staff. Everything's working.
They're catching really smart, really well run teams. Completely flat
footed and yeah, I mean justin Jefferson's ridiculous through four weeks.

(34:54):
I don't know if it's a fluke, but I buy it.
I didn't buy into the Saints. I'm not a huge
fan of Den Allen and Derek Carr has limitations athletically.
I didn't buy into the Steelers three and oh start
you have to score points. I wouldn't put him in
the top. You know, they're not a top five to sixteenth.
They don't score touchdowns like the Jets. I just don't
think organizationally, coaching staff, it's elite. I buy into this.

(35:18):
I don't know if I buy into Washington yet I
buy into the offense of Washington. I think their defense
is will be exposed. This is the team I buy into. Listen,
Sam Darnold struggled with the Jets and the Panthers. Aaron
Rodgers is finding out what happens when you go to
the Jets. Brett Farr found out. Then he went to
Minnesota and Brett Farv won. So like the Jets and

(35:40):
the Panthers, a lot of really good players failed there.
But then Donald went to San Francisco and the staff
loved him and raved about him to Kevin O'Connell, who
took him. And now he's been absolutely outstanding. All of
his weaknesses have been coached out and all of his
straints have been coach up. And there's a lot of

(36:02):
flukes in this league, Steeler fans getting mad when you
don't embrace them. You're just not good enough at quarterback,
You're not good enough offensively as a culture. The Saints
are being exposed in the end, they're just not good enough.
It's a head coach quarterback league. But Sam Donald always
had talent, and when Kevin O'Connell got this job, he
was called the tall Sean McVay. And you know what

(36:25):
I think about Brian Flores, who was kind of rough
on TUA, but he absolutely knows what he's doing. So
staff quarterback weapons, I buy it. Here's Kevin O'Connell.

Speaker 7 (36:37):
After I'm just really, you know, stating the obvious inside
that locker room and confirming to them that I believe
in them, I love them, and we're gonna ride together
and we're gonna stay aggressive while being smart.

Speaker 1 (36:51):
Yeah, I don't think it's a fluke. I think maybe
it's fake. Maybe Sam Donald always needed a coach like this.
You start looking at their schedule, Boy, that Jets lost
to Denver looms large because now you go to London.
Maybe that's the best place for the Jets to get
out of the country. So the Jets go over to London,
and again, just look at these offensive outputs. It's really impressive.

(37:13):
But the defense has been because they don't have a
very layered Pro Bowl list of guys defensively. But brock
Perty said, I've never seen anything like it. C. J.
Stroud totally flummixed. I mean, for Matt Lafleur, one of
the best first half coaches in the league, they were
just outsmarted. I don't even know what I watched. It

(37:36):
was crazy. And then you know, you look at their
schedule for the Vikings again, they've got momentum, Jets don't.
Then it's a bye and you get Minnesota at home.
Rams beat up. As Anthony richardson healthy, Jaguars are a mess. Titans.
You get to a point here, J Mack, even if
they have a loss in there, you're looking at an
eight to one football team. I buy them.

Speaker 3 (37:58):
I do.

Speaker 1 (37:58):
I buy all of it.

Speaker 4 (37:59):
I think that the best coach team in the NFC.

Speaker 3 (38:01):
I mean, between the head coach and the defensive coordinator,
they're firing on all cylinders. I just you watch that
second half against the Packers and Jordan Love is moving
the ball up and down the field with ease, and
you're like, DoD they unlock something here. It looked like
they were going tempo.

Speaker 4 (38:15):
Yeah, pick up the pace.

Speaker 3 (38:16):
Don't let Minnesota have the full clock allotment to come
up with what they're going to do. And there are
a lot of holes, like the defense is coachwell, but
Collins they don't have a ton of amazing players.

Speaker 2 (38:27):
They don't.

Speaker 1 (38:27):
That's why every week it's a different guy, right. They
don't have a Chris Jones who every week dominates. I
will say this in fairness to Minnesota, though, defense is
a lot about emotion. Offense is choreographed. Defense is about emotion.
When you lead twenty eight to nothing, it doesn't it's
not the same. You're not calling the game the same way.
You're not playing the game. So like Alabama takes a

(38:49):
lead on George at half, well, you're really looking at
the clock, like you want to get out of the stadium.
You won the game, you won preparation, you won play calling.
You're trying to get out of the stadium. George is
a good team, Obama. It wasn't as close as it
should have been. When you're watching Minnesota, you're going at halftime,
you're up, you know you're dominating. It's hard to convince them, Hey, guys,
I need your best effort. Yeah, we gave it to you,

(39:10):
and they're not competitive. I think Minnesota is better than
green Bay. That justin Jefferson Jordan Addison. Now they have
a run game.

Speaker 3 (39:18):
The Jets secondary matches up well with Jefferson and Addison.
Jets have arguably the best pair of corners in the league.

Speaker 1 (39:25):
And reachach the line on that what is the line?

Speaker 3 (39:26):
So it was Jets two and a half last week,
Now it's Minnesota.

Speaker 4 (39:31):
Two and a half.

Speaker 1 (39:32):
Oh that's a big jump exactly.

Speaker 3 (39:33):
Now. I know it goes through zero, it's not like
going through three or seven. But I think the Jets
are the side here. I know nobody's gonna want to
bet them, but I will be on the Jets this week.

Speaker 1 (39:42):
And you love Cleveland too, I don't.

Speaker 3 (39:44):
Love I think if you're facing it all the numbers.

Speaker 1 (39:48):
I'm gonna take Cleveland. Yes, I'm I'm gonna listen to you.
I'm well, I'm praying for a Seahawk cover tonight.

Speaker 4 (39:55):
You should be good there, Kenneth Walker's good to go

Speaker 1 (39:56):
Right, Yeah, I think they're I think Seattle is good,
then they may need to be great.