December 24, 2024 • 44 mins
Colin observes the Packers dominating win over the Saints to secure a playoff spot and why a weakness of Green Bay has become a strength in today's NFL. He talks to Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman about their 1st round win over Indiana and preparing for Georgia. Plus, he ranks his top 10 teams in the NFL after week 16.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Herd podcast. Be sure to
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to the best of the Herd podcast. Here we go
(00:25):
Christmas Eve live in Los Angeles. Probably a little warmer,
just a little warmer than when where many of you
are at. It's the Herd. Thanks for making us part
of your day. Herd Hierarchy. One hour from now, Green
Bay will bolt up our hierarchy. Marcus Freeman, the Notre
Dame football coach, is joining us later this hour. Mark Sanchez,
(00:47):
Nick Wright. So we're off tomorrow. Jmac. So we're bringing
all the big guns out Notre Dames football coach, Nick Wright,
the hierarchy. Mark Sanchez got your family. You know they
did invite me. Jmac Full disclosure. He invited me over
and I'm like, can I bring gin and cigars? And
you know it's inappropriate. He got young kids. I'm the
(01:10):
I'm America's guest, starting the show with Christmas Eve heat
here we go. So I want to I'm going to
get to Jordan Love and the Packers. I'm going to
get to that in about four minutes. But I want
to start the show with this thirty four to nothing win.
And they didn't ask Jordan Love to do much. But
there's a reason the Green Bay Packers, and only the
(01:31):
Green Bay Packers, and they've done it twice, have drafted
a really great quarterback in the first round and sat
him for three years because they have no owner, no ego,
no meddling, no demands. Even the great owner Stan Kronkey,
Jeffrey Lurie, Robert Kraft, they would want to see their investment.
They wouldn't want a first round pick on the bench
(01:53):
for three years drafting and developing. Last week, there's video
of the Crafts in their box wanting to be on camera,
reportedly telling CBS get us on camera, criticizing the coaches
play calling. Last week is story out the Jets, the
Jets owners, the kids harassing Jets players in the locker room.
Yet the Packers clinched their thirty seventh playoff appearance last night,
(02:16):
number one all time you know who. They surpassed the
Dallas Cowboys. Who's owner an egomaniac needs to be on
radio every week dissecting the win the Panthers seven coaches
in six years if you count the interims. Look upstairs,
that's why you're bad. Is it a shock? They're four
and eleven in Carolina and here is Green Bay, no meddling,
(02:40):
no owner. For years, I always saw it as a weakness.
Now I see it as a strength. All Green Bay
does is whatever is best for the development of their
young quarterback. Three straight quarterbacks, star, star star, all three
Farvs in the Hall of Fame, Rogers will be and
Love looks like he's on his way. It's all football
(03:03):
because as owners have gotten richer, all of them are
billionaires now and crazier and more impulsive. It gets in
the way of the development of the most important position.
Think it's a coincidence. Aaron Rodgers is four and eleven
and now irrelevant, and in Green Bay he was a
back to back MVP and after Brady, the biggest star
in the league. Do you think it is a coincidence
(03:26):
that the Cleveland quarterback situation is the worst and messiest
in the league. It's not the coach's fault. Stefanski's great.
It's not the GM's fault. Andrew Berry's excellent. They draft well,
it's the haslums. You think it's a coincidence that Sam
Darnold is having an unbelievable year and in Carolina and
the Jets he was a tire fire. No, the Wilf
(03:48):
family in Minnesota has always been very low profile. Ninety
nine percent of you don't know what the will family
looks like. It is not a coince. Only the Packers
and I used to say it is a weakness. Can
draft a young quarterback who's talented and sit him and
develop him for three years. Aaron could have played earlier,
(04:10):
Jordan Love could have played earlier. But if you're just
about football, no meddling, no ego, no impulsive, crazy person,
that's what you should do. Even these young quarterbacks now,
Jaden Daniels, he's good enough to play. But it wasn't
the end of the world. Michael Pennix sat, it wouldn't
(04:32):
have been to the end of the world if Drake
may or bow Nick sad. But I'm watching what Green
Bay does even after their win last night. Here's the
locker room, and what you don't see is an owner
that needs attention.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Listen, I love this team, I love this energy, and
we got something special gear. We just got to keep.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
Doting on it all right. Way to handle your business.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
We go to the playoffs. Thirty seventh player off appearance
number one all time for the smallest market in the NFL,
the smallest media, surpassing Dallas. Who is Jerry is aged,
has regressed badly, and his need to talk right after
(05:18):
the game and beyond radio has increased. I do not
believe it's a coincidence. And now let's talk Jordan Love.
I'm finding this to be true, especially with young quarterbacks
but old ones.
Speaker 4 (05:32):
Two.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
I can't separate the quarterback from the coach because there
is such a huge gap between the really good coaches.
And Jordan Love has one, and Matt Stafford has one,
and Lamar has one, and Mahomes has one, and Justin
Herbert has one and Bo Nicks has one. I can't
(05:54):
separate them. The position has never been more important, and
there's a huge gap between the really good coaches and
average ones. And I look at Jordan Love and I
see Matt Lafleur, Matt Lafleur, Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay.
They're considered offensive Wizards, but deep down they love the
power run game. I mean, you ever watch a Rams
(06:14):
game how often kyn Williams tiny notre damer Kyen Williams,
guy carries the ball twenty five times a game. He's
not Derek Henry, not built like that Todd Gurley. If
you go look at mcvay's history, he wants to run
the ball, even with Stafford and with golf two top
ten quarterbacks. I mean Shanahan, I mean he has a
(06:35):
losing record in San Francisco without Christian McCaffrey. The soul
of Kyle Shanahan is the run game. And it's the
same with Matt Lafleur. Where did he come from? Where
did he build his resume? In Washington behind a Shanahan
a run coach, and in Tennessee with Derrick Henry. So,
Jordan Love is throwing fewer passes that he's ever thrown,
(06:58):
six straight games under thirty at ten and yet five
straight games scoring over thirty. When I watch Jordan Love,
I see Matt Lafleur. He has reduced his attempts. He's
the captain, and Jordan Love is a great vessel. I
feel the same way with Herbert. Jim Harbaugh is the captain,
(07:18):
Herbert's the vessel. And it's amazing that in both cases,
and you're seeing this in Philadelphia too, the quarterback is
throwing less but is winning more and the team is
often scoring more as the quarterback throws less. And we
all know quarterbacks the most important position in the league.
But what I'm finding in this league now when I
watch Green Bay, this is Matt Lafloure's team. This is
(07:42):
basically Tennessee with a better quarterback. He had Derek Henry.
Now he's got Josh Jacobs, and I'm watching Josh Jacobs
like this. When Aaron and Matt were together, it was
Aaron's team. There were concessions. You have to have concessions
with Aaron. And I'm it's not a chief shot. Just
Mike McCarthy found it out. You'll see the door if
(08:02):
you don't. But when I watched Green Bay, and this
is not a knock at Jordan Love because I think
he's a top ten quarterback in this league. Are higher.
There is a group of quarterbacks in this league and
they have a connection with a coach, and we can
put it on the screen. But I can't think of
Mahomes without Reid, and I can't think of Stafford without
McVeigh and Herbert and Lamar and Jordan and Sam Darnold.
(08:25):
I just I can't separate them. I mean, I see CJ.
Stroud as great and Demiko Ryans is a great coach.
I don't see a connection there. They're both excellent. And
here was Jordan Love after the shutout.
Speaker 5 (08:38):
I still think there's a lot of a lot more
points out there for us, a lot more big time plays.
I just think it's little things that, you know, when
we start being more consistent and dialing in on these
things that you know, the sky's limit for the offense.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
Yeah, it was. You know, something else that's happening. And
I won't waste a lot of time in it because
it may be boring. But this year we have ten
teams in the NFL. Thirty two percent of the teams
in the NFL have five wins or fewer, and they're
all gonna mostly if New Orleans doesn't win. And if
you watch them last night, that was pretty ugly. I mean,
(09:12):
they didn't compete. That was maybe the most lopsided game
of the season. A third of the league. It's like
the NBA now is unwatchable and non competitive. Last year
it was only five teams. Only five teams last year
had five wins or fewer. We're at ten and a
lot of these teams are not getting to five wins.
Forget five wins. We got one with two, we got
(09:33):
five with three, we got three with four, and we
got the Saints. And when you watched last night, it's
hard to deny what is happening. As quarterback has become
more important, as billionaires are crazier and running through coaching
staffs more chaos. The gap between the haves and the
(09:55):
have nots is huge. I mean, if if Atlanta and
Penic stand first, there's a chance I'll get seven of
the eight divisions, right, I've predicted seven of eight. Why
there's a separation now, if you have the quarterback and
you have a competent coach, I mean, you are looking
in your rear view mirror at the rest of this nonsense.
(10:18):
By like two weeks after Thanksgiving, I mean that thing
last night that was embarrassing, Like that, nobody wanted to
be there except Packer fans. J Mack Marcus Freeman Notre
Dame coach this hour. I saw something. We had Matt
Hasselbeck on yesterday. I've got a bite from him. It
was so good. I saw something that and I know
(10:38):
Christmas Day is generally an NBA day, it's not anymore.
Two NFL games tomorrow, but I saw something about the
NBA that is interesting. It's a player that you and
I love, but there was an alarming lack of attention
being given to him. And we both love this player.
And last year, at this time, he was thought of
(11:02):
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Speaker 3 (12:07):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
in noon eastern non am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
Well, there were rumors he was going to go to
the NFL, and Notre Dame put a stop to that.
They got an extension in front of Marcus Freeman, who's
the Notre Dame football coach. They beat Indiana to start
the first ever twelve team playoff and he is joining US.
Eats Christmas Eve. He's in the office, you know, he's
in the office getting ready to play Georgia. So first
of all, the first thing, why I like the playoff
(12:38):
because years ago you guys lost early in the season
in Northern illinoist home and you'd have been done. It's like, okay,
you're not playing for the Natty. This allows a mulligan. Heck,
I could argue Alabama had two mulligans vand the Oklahoma
and they still almost made it in So when you
lost to Northern Illinois, you had to really sell your
team on we're a good team. It's okay, it happens.
(13:01):
Let's go back to that loss. What did you say
that week of practice because you've played different, you've been
more aggressive, you've gotten better each week. How did you
sell your team after a devastating home loss.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
Well, I think immediately after the game you tell them
I've been here before, right, I told them, listen, it's
going to be a rough week, it's going to be
a long week. But I've been here before. And I
think it took me a day or two to figure out, Okay,
what was my messaging going to be? And what I
told them on Monday at our meeting was there's schematic
(13:34):
things we have to enhance and have to fix. But
to me, the greater lesson to learn was we had
to learn as a program. I had to learn as
a head coach, how do we handle success. This was
the first year in my three years the head coach
that we've won that big game. Early the first two
years we lost to Ohio State early in the season,
and I said, we have to learn how to handle
success as a program, and we got to do those
(13:56):
things that it takes to prepare mentally and physically for
our no matter who it is. And all season long,
I've continued to tell him keep the pain, keep the pain,
because we can't let a loss continue to teach us
the lessons that we need to learn to prepare. So
they've done a wonderful job of continue to find ways
to get better, but the preparation has been the key
in the mindset.
Speaker 1 (14:16):
Okay, so you're playing Georgia. Both Jamack and I said yesterday,
I kind of like Notre Dame in this game. But
you're facing Gunner stocked and then you have almost no
footage on him. He's the backup quarterback, so I don't
think he's the thrower that Beck is, but he may
be just as good a runner. What do you do
when you don't know much about the quarterback?
Speaker 2 (14:36):
Well, I think you look at the thirteen games they've played.
They're not going to be a completely different offense with
a new quarterback. You evaluate, there's about eighty three plays
of him that we have in a cut up from
the second half of the SEC Championship and some other
time during the season. And so there's some things he
does really really well within their system. He makes really
(14:57):
good decisions, he makes fast decisions. He obviously can extend
plays with his feet a little bit more QB run
and but but we're still going to plan to see
the things that we've seen their offense do, no matter
who's been a quarterback.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
Yeah, so it's interesting. I have been advocating. I believe
Riley Leonard is going to end up being a third
or a fourth round pick, and he will be a
starter in the NFL. I've said there's there's a little
bit of Josh Allen here where and a little Drake
may where. He's not quite polished yet. But he went
to Duke and Notre Dame. He's smart, he's six ' five.
(15:31):
You just told me off the air, he's got a
relentless work ethic. And I look at him and you
ask a lot more of him than Duke did. So
tell me about Riley Leonard that I don't see. I
can see the athletic ability. You told me, the work ethic.
What separates him, what makes him special?
Speaker 2 (15:50):
Well, I think he's an ultra competitive individual. Now you
would talk to him and he's going to be the
nicest person in the world. But when he steps into
the weight room, he steps into the meeting room, he
steps on the practice field, he is a competitive individual.
And I think the greatest thing for him was to
learn in the first two weeks of the seasons the
highest of highs being a quarterback and notre dame to
the lowest of Lowe's. Yeah, you know, you can't worry
(16:12):
about throwing an interception, you can't worry about what anybody's
going to say. You've got to go out there with
confidence and be the player that we know you could be.
And so you've seen him grow in confidence but also
grow in the preparation in terms of learning exactly what
is demanded of him. And you've seen our coaching staff
ask him to do things that he does really, really well.
(16:33):
But he is a relentless competitor. He has a tremendous
work ethic and he'll continue to ascend as he goes
throughout his football career.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
So listen, I like the twelve team playoff. I thought
they were going to be closer games, but you know
what do I know first round was ugly. I still
I would take that over the pop tart ball. So
I'm for this thing now, you guys, Marcus, because you
don't have an official conference affiliation, you don't get a
first round by that'll never happen. Now, I think stuff
can be in a good potiated. Your take on if
(17:03):
even if you went twelve and er you wouldn't get
a buy Did that first game actually with Indiana did
you like it? Did you like because you have a
young team or is it an advantage or a disadvantage.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
Well, I have to look at it as an advantage, right,
and not look at anything that happens to us as
a disadvantage. To play a first round playoff game at
home was an experience like no other. And to have
our guys understand, okay, here's what the playoffs are all about,
because it's a first for everybody in terms of having
(17:36):
four games or three games if you had to buy,
and so it was to me a great advantage to
go and prepare and to have that first game and
now you've got to reset and get ready for your
next opponent. Again, this is something I've never really have
to deal it with because in the season. You know
you got the next game in a bowl game. You're preparing,
you know that's the last one. And this is unique
(17:58):
where you don't know if this is going to be
your last game or note, in the minute we won
that game, you had to reset your mind and say, Okay,
we got to get ready for this next opponent, which
is going to be a tall task.
Speaker 1 (18:07):
Okay, so Riley Mills is out for this game?
Speaker 3 (18:10):
Is that right?
Speaker 1 (18:10):
Riley Mills the linebacker. Yep, he's a heck of a
He's a heck of a player. That's not great. How
do you compensate for that?
Speaker 2 (18:20):
Well, I think all season long, which I'm sure every
team deals with, you deal with injuries and we've lost
some guys the season ending injuries, some really important people,
and you feel horribly for them as an individual. Riley's
a guy that decided to come back to to try
to improve his draft stock, and he's the captain. But
you've got to you know what, the next man has
(18:42):
to get the next opportunity, and he's got to go
do it. And I've always said this, You've earned the
trust and the the the the opportunity way before you
get thrust out there in front of the national TV.
You learn out, you learn that opportunity in practice and
the trust from your coaches, and the guys will put
out there of earned that trust and and will do
a great job. But you're not going to replace Riley
(19:05):
Mills with one person. It's multiple people that have to
make up for some of the production that he's had.
But we'll have some guys ready to row.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Well, you've done a remarkable job. And I know college
coaching with all the transfer portal and nil stuff, I
got three minutes left. I actually think you have an
advantage in the transfer portal because I think kids that
go to Notre Dame are special and they just don't
go for a handout. Do you view it that way?
Speaker 2 (19:32):
We always say that the guys that choose Notre Dame
choose hard, and there's some some requirements that you have
on you here that you might not have everywhere else
in the country. But they've chosen this place and they
understand the value of obviously the football program, but the
education and what this university can do for you and
(19:54):
the longevity of your life.
Speaker 1 (19:55):
And so.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
It's a special place, special culture, special people. We haven't
had a guy since the portal was opened in December.
Enter the portal and we'll see what happens after the season.
But to me, it speaks volumes about the young people
that are committed to this program.
Speaker 1 (20:11):
Well, when Notre Dame is Roland, college football is better,
you're crushing it. Don't go to the NFL. Stay in college.
You know what, your winners are a little rough, they'd
be rough in Chicago or New York. Just stay at
Notre Dame. All right, Marcus absolutely man.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
I appreciate the advice.
Speaker 1 (20:28):
Colin all Right, great coach Notre Dame. Marcus Freeman. Good
luck against the Georgia Bulldogs. So they're missing their best
defensive player. George is missing their quarterback, Carson Beck, so
he's out they you know, for the entire playoff, so
we'll see. I was very impressed. Notre Dame just seized
Ohio State and Notre Dame seized physical control of their games.
(20:53):
To me, like by the second series, you just felt
they were physically taking over the game. Clemson. Clemson scored
first against Texas. Clemson had a punch. I thought Notre
Dame in Ohio State the physicality early there was a
sense that, oh, you don't want to be Indiana and Tennessee,
and I mean early like second series, So I think
(21:18):
I like Notre Dame. I think Boise State keeps it close.
I'm gonna go Buckeyes and Texas. I think we're aligned.
I do think Boise State is it's hard to sell
Penn State players who just routed SMU, and those players
had heard of SMU. I think it's hard to get
(21:39):
a dominant favorite ready to go for a second game
when you cake walk through the first. So I could
see pen and by the way, Penn State could be
looking ahead to a Notre Dame Georgia game. I don't
love this spot for Penn State. They're clearly the better
team off a blowout heavy favorite with Notre Dame Georgia. Yeah,
(22:03):
I think, yeah, I'm aligned with you on that one.
Speaker 4 (22:05):
This Notre Dame Georgia game is gonna be fascinating because
you know all the subplots. Everybody wants the SEC to
go down. The SEC was a little overrated this year.
They've struggled from the jump the usc LSU game. Since
that opening weekend, SEC struggled and I think a lot
of people would love to see the Irish because remember
everybody remembers Notre Dame Alabama in that national championship.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
Well, Mantan, but that was way early, Brian Kelly. They
didn't have the they didn't have the person.
Speaker 4 (22:31):
And the SEC was totally dominant. Then they're not dominant now.
Speaker 1 (22:34):
They have deep teams.
Speaker 4 (22:35):
Obviously Texas could win at all, but like Alabama, Georgia.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
Dude, what I watch, they've progressed. They do not have
the rosters they used to. When I saw Tennessee that
was a first round knockout. It was like whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
I watched Tennessee play three or four times. When I
watched Ohio State, that is a Tyson first round knockout.
You're like Big ten, best conference.
Speaker 3 (22:55):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and noon Easter. They're not a em Pacific.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
Here we go our word two. We're off tomorrow bringing
everything Our Herd, Hierarchy and Nick Wright and about one
minute live in Los Angeles. It's the Herd. Jmack went
to the Lakers last night. They lost both games of
the Pistons this year. Brutal.
Speaker 3 (23:18):
It was tough.
Speaker 4 (23:19):
My guy, Austin reeves, you know I'll defend him, but
I gotta call him out.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
He had a rough game, Yeah, turning them all.
Speaker 4 (23:24):
Over like I do in my men's league.
Speaker 1 (23:26):
Yeah's Austin Reeves and Brock Purty. Stop just stop rough year.
Speaker 3 (23:31):
It was one game.
Speaker 1 (23:32):
You've been party, didn't you have a terrible You've been
good with your picks, but some of your takes and
been luke warm at best. Are you still upset? I
went after the inside the NBA guys. I heard from more.
Speaker 4 (23:44):
People in like the seventy two hours after that than
I for any story.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
I'd had in a while. Did they call you out?
Speaker 4 (23:50):
They were just like, wow, dude, that was crazy. And
I don't know if that's like a nice way of
saying you're crazy or they're agreeing with me.
Speaker 1 (23:57):
But the NBA's got its issues right now. All right,
let's do our top ten Heard Hierarchy on a Tuesday.
Here we go.
Speaker 3 (24:06):
Heard Hierarchy time. Now go the top ten NFL teams
according to College Number ten.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
The Washington Commanders now highest scoring average twenty nine a
game all time for a rookie starting quarterback, but they've
also played the easiest strength of schedule so far this year.
The teams. They've played ninety six wins and one hundred
and twenty nine losses. But Jaden Daniels three of his
five touchdown passes coming in the fourth quarter. I like
(24:35):
the staff, I like the rookie. I still think the
rosters a year away, six or seven draft picks and
a free agent signing or three Commanders at number.
Speaker 3 (24:44):
Ten, number nine.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
The Chargers have limitations offensively, but they are the number
one scoring defense in the league, so they're going to
crack the hierarchy. And they're six to zero when they
score twenty when scoring twenty five plus points going to
beat him. It's hard for this team to get to
twenty five plus points though. Lad mcconky's been great, but
they've kind of got B level running backs. They don't
(25:08):
get a ton out of their tight end position. They
stay in games mostly because of their defense, great coaching
and Herbert, but I put him at nine. Chargers number eight.
The Ravens they're probably better than this, but they've been
a bit hot and cold. They have the number one offense.
It is a run first offense. Back to back wins
by seventeen plus points. But I will say and Lamar
(25:32):
has been amazing. He's my MVP, leads the NFL in
passer rating. I worry about them getting tight in big games.
I would just be terrified if I was Baltimore having
to open the playoffs in Pittsburgh after you just hammered him.
But I have so much respect for the organization. I'll
put him at eight, number seven. But I think the
Rams right now have a better defense. McVeigh, Stafford, Tyler Higbee,
(25:57):
the tight end is back. Matt stain Effort over his
last six games has a passer rating over one ten.
Nobody's getting to him. They're not turning it over in
the last four weeks. Number three scoring defense. I think
they're a year away. But Stafford has all sorts of time.
It's the first time all year the offensive lines in
(26:20):
great shape. They got a weapon at tight end, wide receiver,
running back, quarterback, and a brilliant head coach. Rams at seven,
number six, Minnesota, you know you keep waiting for the
shoe to drop. Sam Darnold has thirty touchdown passes this year.
He had only twenty seven over the previous four seasons combined,
so he's playing out of his mind. I don't think
(26:42):
they have a great roster. I think they have a
great coach, a really good quarterback, and a couple of
outstanding young receivers. And Brian Flores right now is the
best defensive coordinator in the league. So I can absolutely
see them winning a couple of playoff games. Eight game
winning streak. The Donald story is comeback player of the
(27:03):
decade in Sam Darnold Vikings at six.
Speaker 3 (27:07):
Number five.
Speaker 1 (27:08):
I like the Lions roster better even with nineteen defensive
players fourteen currently on the IR nineteen total players on
the IR, but I think they've got a better roster.
They're the only undefeated team on the road. That speaks
well to their run game and physicality. They're seven to
zero on the road, third straight game over thirty four points.
(27:30):
I like them a lot, but at some point this
league is a league of attrition and I have concerns defensively.
Speaker 3 (27:37):
Number four.
Speaker 1 (27:37):
That's why I put the Packers at four, not because
they drub the Saints. They lead the NFL and point
differential nine to two record. Now their losses are to Detroit,
but this morning they're a much healthier team. Josh Jacobs
is so perfect for Matt Lafleur, the head coach from
Derrick Henry and Tennessee to Matt to Josh Jacobs, Jordan
(27:59):
Love by the way way is throwing less and yet
scoring more. This team is on a roll. I always
say my final four teams in the Herd hierarchy are
the teams I believe that can win the Super Bowl.
Green Bays one of them at number four. Number three
Buffalo nine in one over their last ten. Listen to
(28:19):
the story of this team is the defense isn't as good,
but the offense is better, and they don't turn the
ball over and you can't get the Josh Allen, he
doesn't get sack. Even when they play poorly, they win
like this past weekend. James Cook has been a revelation
for them for years and year. Josh didn't have a
running back. Now he's got an a running back. Team
is very good, can win it all. Number two Philadelphia.
(28:41):
They lost, but Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley are the
best running back quarterback run tandem in a long time,
and he got a concussion early in the game. So
it's the number one rush offense, the number one or
number two offensive line to Detroit. Their line play is exemplary,
and I think it remains the best overall roster in
(29:03):
the league in terms of young stars, stars in their
prime and older starshilliate two number one. But you know,
you guys can all keep denying it. They're nineteen and
one Kansas City over the last twenty games and eleven
to zero one score games. Not every Super Bowl champ
you should have learned this from the dynasty known as
the Patriots. Not every Super Bowl champion is physically overpowering those.
(29:28):
Ray Lewis teams had better players than New England teams.
In most years there were Colts offenses that blew you away.
The Randy Moss offense for New England never got a trophy.
This team best coach, best big pressure quarterback, arguably best
defensive lineman along with Miles Garrett and TJ. Watt and
Chris Jones. They'll probably rest him down the stretch. Hollywood
(29:51):
Brown is back, Isaiah Pacheco is back. I have them
at number one. And Nick right now, who occasionally mentions
the Chiefs on his show as join us alive, All right,
attack my herd. Hierarchy? What do you make it?
Speaker 6 (30:06):
It's great hierarchy.
Speaker 1 (30:08):
I don't really have.
Speaker 6 (30:10):
I mean, I can't find much to quibble with you
and I. Neither one of us are going to quit
the Rams. I mean they don't like they doesn't. I
still think they could win the conference. I'm not picking
them to win the conference, but I still think they could.
But yeah, let's talk about the team at the top
of your hierarchy, because here's the question I have, Colin.
(30:31):
They beat Pittsburgh tomorrow and get to fifteen and one,
which I think is going to happen, then rest everyone
in the final week of the year, and they're now
finally once again favorites to win the Super Bowl. This
Chiefs team that has been nagged all year, that has
been discussed only as vulnerable, not as impressive as other
(30:53):
Chiefs teams. A lot of people threw out one and done.
Speaker 1 (30:57):
They have a chance to go down.
Speaker 6 (30:59):
This team, not the three year run, as objectively speaking,
one of the greatest teams ever. Full list of eighteen
win teams in NFL history. Eighty four nine Ers, one
of the five greatest teams ever, eighty five Bears, one
of the three greatest teams ever. O seven Patriots one
of the maybe the greatest team ever, certainly the greatest
(31:22):
team ever to not win a championship, and it would
be the Chiefs if they win the title this year
and all year, the media coverage has been something's wrong
with them because people have decided that we're going to
do an old BCS computer style strength of victory rather
than the actual record. No team has beaten more playoff
(31:43):
teams than the Chiefs. No team has beaten more teams
still alive for the playoffs than the Chiefs. They are
the only team right now that has a no doubt
future Hall of Famer at coach at quarterback, two at
skill positions in Kelsey and Hopkins, maybe two on the
offense of line and Tuney and Creed. You mentioned Chris Jones,
a Hall of Fame defensive coordinator. They never lose, They're
(32:07):
peaking at the right time. And listen, your buddy J
Mack across from you in the studio last week said
even they might not be in his top six, what
top six all time? Maybe I think they're getting there.
So just seems like maybe we should put a little
respect on a team that's about the three peat, that's
all that's lost one game the whole year.
Speaker 1 (32:26):
Yeah, I would go to the Chicago Bulls, the best
basketball team of all time. What made them great wasn't
this sizzling offensive dexterity. They just had the best player
what made them unbeatable. It's the best defensive team ever,
Rodman Pippen, MJ. They didn't get a lot of scoring
from their bigs before Kup coach. They didn't have a
lot of great perimeter players, but even their bench guys
(32:47):
Ron Harper could defend. And so sometime No. Golden State
was way more fun to watch because they had all
the three ball shooters. But sometimes the greatest doesn't have
the most sizzle. And to your point, Kansas City third
down goal line coordinator, coach quarterback are great. Now let's
go to a team that does have more sizzle. And
(33:08):
you know, I love Sam Darnold. In fact, I made
a claim yesterday this is a little bit of hubrist,
but there's only one American that didn't like Zach Wilson
or Daniel Jones and love Donald three for three on
New York quarterbacks. But let's not get into that. Let's
get into this that's true. Let's get into this. What
do they do they draft a quarterback, They get Daniel Jones,
(33:30):
Sam Donald can leave. How in the world he and
Justin Jefferson right now are the tandem in the league.
If you're Minnesota, do you let him walk?
Speaker 5 (33:44):
All right?
Speaker 6 (33:44):
So this is a complex question that deserves a complex answer.
But first it is you know, Christmas Eve. So my
first gift to you should be you know it. I
choke on the words a bit, but I might owe
you an apology because I have mocked you publicly, privately
via text, on TV, via Twitter, any medium for your
(34:07):
Sam Darnold love affair for the last well, for.
Speaker 1 (34:10):
The whole time.
Speaker 6 (34:11):
I've known you, yes, for seven years, and it would
appear that this rose has finally bloomed, and you never
gave up and you, I mean, this is the fact
that you never gave in on him. And now the
play you just showed is the single best play of
(34:31):
that young man's career, like the one seed still available
for them, trailing against a team fighting for its playoff life,
Climb in the pocket, throw a perfect pass through double
coverage to one of the best receivers I've ever seen
in Justin Jefferson. So you deserve credit. Here is though,
the answer. I think his future with the Vikings is
(34:54):
going to be determined fair or not. I just think
what's going to happen. It's going to be determined by
the playoff run. Because if they they could finish fourteen
and three and all of a sudden be on the
road in Los Angeles in Round one like that, because
they could be, they'd be the five seed if they
(35:15):
don't win out and that's a losable game. And even
if that doesn't happen, I think that the Vikings plan
right now is to franchise Donald and see if someone
wants to give them a great draft pick for him,
and roll with JJ with the faith of hey, maybe
(35:35):
Colin was mostly right about Donald. However, we have gotten
a thirteen win season out of Kirk Cousins. We just
got a thirteen plus win season out of Sam Darnald.
We think JJ has more natural talent in those guys,
and he's incredibly cheap. Now, if they were to end
(35:56):
up in the Super Bowl, then I think you've got
to do the Drew Brees Philip Rivers thing from twenty
years ago, which is, even though you drafted the replacement,
you keep the veteran for one more season, probably on
the franchise tag. And let him start next year and
then figure it out from there. But I honestly think
(36:17):
anything short of the Super Bowl they franchise in trade.
I think with a Super Bowl appearance, they franchise and play.
I don't think they're going to give him a long
term extension.
Speaker 1 (36:29):
So you and I have both been on the party thing.
You can have an old quarterback, a pocket quarterback, a
small quarterback, a big quarterback. You can do quarterback in
a variety of shapes, ages, sizes, styles. What you cannot
do in this league is pay a b guy a
plus money. Dallas did their sunk and brought you know,
and again he's a franchise guy. It should start with
(36:52):
a three or a low four. It can't start with
a five or six. That pick against Miami, that play.
Speaker 6 (36:59):
All right, I know if you went the one the
week before, back to back game losing picks. Here's thn Colin,
and this is where neither one of us owe each
other in apology, But the.
Speaker 1 (37:09):
Whole sports world owes.
Speaker 6 (37:11):
Us apology exactly because we held the line. Yes, and
we listened to everyone on every network scold us say, oh,
whether it's former quarterback, former player, just analyst. They all said, Oh,
what more do you want to see? Look at the numbers,
best twenty five game start to his career.
Speaker 1 (37:31):
If you don't have.
Speaker 6 (37:32):
Him butting up against the top five, you're biased. You're
holding the fact that he was the last pick of
the draft against him. What more do you want? And
our answers were more. Our answers every time.
Speaker 1 (37:45):
We're you know what I want?
Speaker 3 (37:46):
What more?
Speaker 1 (37:46):
I want?
Speaker 6 (37:47):
I want more?
Speaker 1 (37:48):
I want to see what brock Purty.
Speaker 6 (37:51):
Looks like in less than absolutely ideal circumstances. And I
honestly thought all off, see and when we argued about
him every day on this show, on first things first, like, man,
we're probably you know what's probably gonna happen. The Niners
are gonna have Cemac and Ayuk and Deebo and Trent
(38:11):
Williams and Kyle Shanahan and he's gonna put up another
awesome year and they're gonna be really good again. And
I'm gonna be on TV like yeah, I still don't believe.
But instead, sadly for the Niners, those guys got hurt.
They weren't there. Trent Williams got a little old and
then hurt. We know, see him see all of it,
and it's like, oh, okay, brock Perty. Instead of being
(38:34):
in the top one percent of all situations for a
young quarterback in NFL history, you're now in a league
average situation.
Speaker 1 (38:43):
And color me shocked.
Speaker 6 (38:44):
He produced below league average results and so you're talking
about paying him in the you know, forties or low fours,
high threes. I would not pay this player. I would
tell this I would say, hey, man, you're under con
and very rarely in business or in sports, when you
(39:05):
are trying to get a new contract early, can you
go to the bosses and say pay me early. They're like, okay,
how was your last year and it's like, well, the
worst of my career by a mile. Usually in those
circumstances they say, okay, let's see how next year goes.
And I just it was What was so baffling to
me about this discourse is it was so many of
(39:28):
the same players, media players from the Jimmy g discourse,
some of us holding the line like I really don't
think he's that good and then being screamed at look
at the winds, look at Shanahan without him, and then
Jimmy G leaves immediately is terrible. They drop in literally
anybody that guy produces better than Jimmy g results like, No,
(39:51):
this guy's awesome too. So I think the Niners are
about to enter a really tough situation. Trey Williams is
thirty seven, who knows, who knows what he looks.
Speaker 1 (40:02):
Like next year?
Speaker 6 (40:03):
Are you coming off the ACL A lot of problems,
and I don't do not believe they have a quarterback
that can solve them, even though you and I got
yelled at about that for the better part.
Speaker 2 (40:14):
Of the year.
Speaker 1 (40:16):
Finally, Danny Parkins says hire Ben Johnson, who was showing
off this weekend is playbook against the Bears. I say,
when you have a broken franchise, you got to get
a culture changer. You got to do a Dan Campbell.
He didn't have to be a schematic whiz. You get
Jim Harbaugh doesn't have to be a schematic whiz. When
you're broken Jets Bears, it's not about it's not about
(40:39):
drawn up plays. It's about changing the temperature in the room.
What say you on what to do with Caleb Williams
and the Bears?
Speaker 6 (40:48):
I would lean like the idea would have been Jim Harbaugh, Yes,
a culture changer, that's also an offensive mind. My concern
is the one guy out there that feels like a
culture changer. Mike Rabel is another defensive coach when the
Bears so desperately need to lean into Caleb's talent and
(41:10):
become a modern franchise. So Ben, I tend to agree
with Danny that I think Ben Johnson makes a lot
of sense. With that said, can I say something about
Ben Johnson auditioning for his next job while he still has.
Speaker 1 (41:24):
His current job, please?
Speaker 6 (41:25):
I I'm very impressed by him. He seems to be brilliant,
Everyone seems to like him. Take none of that away.
I really hope his trick play bag is as endless
as he seems to think it is. Because rolling that
fake fumble play was brilliant, and using that in that
(41:50):
spot against that team up that many points seemed foolish.
I'm gonna take the audience back a decade to one
of the most one of the seminal moments of Tom
Brady and Bill Belichick's run the twenty fourteen season. Going
into that year, Colin keep in mind they had not
(42:11):
won a Super Bowl in a decade. Peyton Manning is
now in the AFC instantly got to a Super Bowl,
beat Tom in the playoffs one league MVP, and there's
a real question about, like, oh, are the Patriots they've
come close ever gonna win again? They pretty clearly figured
out early that year, Oh, there's a quirk with the
(42:35):
rule book on eligible receivers where if you put a
tight end here and a tackle here, but to clear
one eligible, it'll trick people. And they had that in
their pocket all year long. And then in the playoffs,
having not won a Super Bowl in a decade, down
fourteen points to Baltimore, they pulled it out for a
(42:55):
whole drive to flip that game, go on to win
that champion Chip and start the second part of their dynasty.
Bill Belichick didn't figure out that that would work the
week before that game.
Speaker 1 (43:08):
They knew it, and they saved it.
Speaker 6 (43:10):
The Lions are about to enter the most important postseason
in the history of their franchise, and their only path
is going to be outscoring people because the defense is
so hurt. I maybe would have kept that play in
my back pocket rather than showed it off to everyone. Now,
maybe Ben Johnson will prove me wrong, and in the
playoffs he'll have seven more Super cute, cool plays. But
(43:33):
if he doesn't, I think that was a mistake.
Speaker 1 (43:36):
Yeah, Nick, right, First things first, Happy Christmas, even Christmas
for you and your beautiful family. Buddy.
Speaker 6 (43:43):
You two absolutely calm, merry Christmas talks.
Speaker 1 (43:45):
You soon all right, Time to start thinking about holiday gifts.
JLab dot com sixty percent off several several gifts. They
have headphones. You like music podcast, get headphones as a
gift JLab dot com. Check it out.
Speaker 3 (44:01):
One more Herd. The Herd streams twenty four hours a day,
seven days a week. Within the iHeartRadio app, search Herd
to listen live or on demand whenever you like.
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 noon Pacific. Find
your local station for The Herd at Fox Sportsradio dot com,
or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app
by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. Thanks for listening
to the best of the Herd podcast. Here we go
(00:25):
Christmas Eve live in Los Angeles. Probably a little warmer,
just a little warmer than when where many of you
are at. It's the Herd. Thanks for making us part
of your day. Herd Hierarchy. One hour from now, Green
Bay will bolt up our hierarchy. Marcus Freeman, the Notre
Dame football coach, is joining us later this hour. Mark Sanchez,
(00:47):
Nick Wright. So we're off tomorrow. Jmac. So we're bringing
all the big guns out Notre Dames football coach, Nick Wright,
the hierarchy. Mark Sanchez got your family. You know they
did invite me. Jmac Full disclosure. He invited me over
and I'm like, can I bring gin and cigars? And
you know it's inappropriate. He got young kids. I'm the
(01:10):
I'm America's guest, starting the show with Christmas Eve heat
here we go. So I want to I'm going to
get to Jordan Love and the Packers. I'm going to
get to that in about four minutes. But I want
to start the show with this thirty four to nothing win.
And they didn't ask Jordan Love to do much. But
there's a reason the Green Bay Packers, and only the
(01:31):
Green Bay Packers, and they've done it twice, have drafted
a really great quarterback in the first round and sat
him for three years because they have no owner, no ego,
no meddling, no demands. Even the great owner Stan Kronkey,
Jeffrey Lurie, Robert Kraft, they would want to see their investment.
They wouldn't want a first round pick on the bench
(01:53):
for three years drafting and developing. Last week, there's video
of the Crafts in their box wanting to be on camera,
reportedly telling CBS get us on camera, criticizing the coaches
play calling. Last week is story out the Jets, the
Jets owners, the kids harassing Jets players in the locker room.
Yet the Packers clinched their thirty seventh playoff appearance last night,
(02:16):
number one all time you know who. They surpassed the
Dallas Cowboys. Who's owner an egomaniac needs to be on
radio every week dissecting the win the Panthers seven coaches
in six years if you count the interims. Look upstairs,
that's why you're bad. Is it a shock? They're four
and eleven in Carolina and here is Green Bay, no meddling,
(02:40):
no owner. For years, I always saw it as a weakness.
Now I see it as a strength. All Green Bay
does is whatever is best for the development of their
young quarterback. Three straight quarterbacks, star, star star, all three
Farvs in the Hall of Fame, Rogers will be and
Love looks like he's on his way. It's all football
(03:03):
because as owners have gotten richer, all of them are
billionaires now and crazier and more impulsive. It gets in
the way of the development of the most important position.
Think it's a coincidence. Aaron Rodgers is four and eleven
and now irrelevant, and in Green Bay he was a
back to back MVP and after Brady, the biggest star
in the league. Do you think it is a coincidence
(03:26):
that the Cleveland quarterback situation is the worst and messiest
in the league. It's not the coach's fault. Stefanski's great.
It's not the GM's fault. Andrew Berry's excellent. They draft well,
it's the haslums. You think it's a coincidence that Sam
Darnold is having an unbelievable year and in Carolina and
the Jets he was a tire fire. No, the Wilf
(03:48):
family in Minnesota has always been very low profile. Ninety
nine percent of you don't know what the will family
looks like. It is not a coince. Only the Packers
and I used to say it is a weakness. Can
draft a young quarterback who's talented and sit him and
develop him for three years. Aaron could have played earlier,
(04:10):
Jordan Love could have played earlier. But if you're just
about football, no meddling, no ego, no impulsive, crazy person,
that's what you should do. Even these young quarterbacks now,
Jaden Daniels, he's good enough to play. But it wasn't
the end of the world. Michael Pennix sat, it wouldn't
(04:32):
have been to the end of the world if Drake
may or bow Nick sad. But I'm watching what Green
Bay does even after their win last night. Here's the
locker room, and what you don't see is an owner
that needs attention.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Listen, I love this team, I love this energy, and
we got something special gear. We just got to keep.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
Doting on it all right. Way to handle your business.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
We go to the playoffs. Thirty seventh player off appearance
number one all time for the smallest market in the NFL,
the smallest media, surpassing Dallas. Who is Jerry is aged,
has regressed badly, and his need to talk right after
(05:18):
the game and beyond radio has increased. I do not
believe it's a coincidence. And now let's talk Jordan Love.
I'm finding this to be true, especially with young quarterbacks
but old ones.
Speaker 4 (05:32):
Two.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
I can't separate the quarterback from the coach because there
is such a huge gap between the really good coaches.
And Jordan Love has one, and Matt Stafford has one,
and Lamar has one, and Mahomes has one, and Justin
Herbert has one and Bo Nicks has one. I can't
(05:54):
separate them. The position has never been more important, and
there's a huge gap between the really good coaches and
average ones. And I look at Jordan Love and I
see Matt Lafleur, Matt Lafleur, Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay.
They're considered offensive Wizards, but deep down they love the
power run game. I mean, you ever watch a Rams
(06:14):
game how often kyn Williams tiny notre damer Kyen Williams,
guy carries the ball twenty five times a game. He's
not Derek Henry, not built like that Todd Gurley. If
you go look at mcvay's history, he wants to run
the ball, even with Stafford and with golf two top
ten quarterbacks. I mean Shanahan, I mean he has a
(06:35):
losing record in San Francisco without Christian McCaffrey. The soul
of Kyle Shanahan is the run game. And it's the
same with Matt Lafleur. Where did he come from? Where
did he build his resume? In Washington behind a Shanahan
a run coach, and in Tennessee with Derrick Henry. So,
Jordan Love is throwing fewer passes that he's ever thrown,
(06:58):
six straight games under thirty at ten and yet five
straight games scoring over thirty. When I watch Jordan Love,
I see Matt Lafleur. He has reduced his attempts. He's
the captain, and Jordan Love is a great vessel. I
feel the same way with Herbert. Jim Harbaugh is the captain,
(07:18):
Herbert's the vessel. And it's amazing that in both cases,
and you're seeing this in Philadelphia too, the quarterback is
throwing less but is winning more and the team is
often scoring more as the quarterback throws less. And we
all know quarterbacks the most important position in the league.
But what I'm finding in this league now when I
watch Green Bay, this is Matt Lafloure's team. This is
(07:42):
basically Tennessee with a better quarterback. He had Derek Henry.
Now he's got Josh Jacobs, and I'm watching Josh Jacobs
like this. When Aaron and Matt were together, it was
Aaron's team. There were concessions. You have to have concessions
with Aaron. And I'm it's not a chief shot. Just
Mike McCarthy found it out. You'll see the door if
(08:02):
you don't. But when I watched Green Bay, and this
is not a knock at Jordan Love because I think
he's a top ten quarterback in this league. Are higher.
There is a group of quarterbacks in this league and
they have a connection with a coach, and we can
put it on the screen. But I can't think of
Mahomes without Reid, and I can't think of Stafford without
McVeigh and Herbert and Lamar and Jordan and Sam Darnold.
(08:25):
I just I can't separate them. I mean, I see CJ.
Stroud as great and Demiko Ryans is a great coach.
I don't see a connection there. They're both excellent. And
here was Jordan Love after the shutout.
Speaker 5 (08:38):
I still think there's a lot of a lot more
points out there for us, a lot more big time plays.
I just think it's little things that, you know, when
we start being more consistent and dialing in on these
things that you know, the sky's limit for the offense.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
Yeah, it was. You know, something else that's happening. And
I won't waste a lot of time in it because
it may be boring. But this year we have ten
teams in the NFL. Thirty two percent of the teams
in the NFL have five wins or fewer, and they're
all gonna mostly if New Orleans doesn't win. And if
you watch them last night, that was pretty ugly. I mean,
(09:12):
they didn't compete. That was maybe the most lopsided game
of the season. A third of the league. It's like
the NBA now is unwatchable and non competitive. Last year
it was only five teams. Only five teams last year
had five wins or fewer. We're at ten and a
lot of these teams are not getting to five wins.
Forget five wins. We got one with two, we got
(09:33):
five with three, we got three with four, and we
got the Saints. And when you watched last night, it's
hard to deny what is happening. As quarterback has become
more important, as billionaires are crazier and running through coaching
staffs more chaos. The gap between the haves and the
(09:55):
have nots is huge. I mean, if if Atlanta and
Penic stand first, there's a chance I'll get seven of
the eight divisions, right, I've predicted seven of eight. Why
there's a separation now, if you have the quarterback and
you have a competent coach, I mean, you are looking
in your rear view mirror at the rest of this nonsense.
(10:18):
By like two weeks after Thanksgiving, I mean that thing
last night that was embarrassing, Like that, nobody wanted to
be there except Packer fans. J Mack Marcus Freeman Notre
Dame coach this hour. I saw something. We had Matt
Hasselbeck on yesterday. I've got a bite from him. It
was so good. I saw something that and I know
(10:38):
Christmas Day is generally an NBA day, it's not anymore.
Two NFL games tomorrow, but I saw something about the
NBA that is interesting. It's a player that you and
I love, but there was an alarming lack of attention
being given to him. And we both love this player.
And last year, at this time, he was thought of
(11:02):
as the rising star in the league. And I'm not
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(11:47):
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Speaker 3 (12:07):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
in noon eastern non am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
Well, there were rumors he was going to go to
the NFL, and Notre Dame put a stop to that.
They got an extension in front of Marcus Freeman, who's
the Notre Dame football coach. They beat Indiana to start
the first ever twelve team playoff and he is joining US.
Eats Christmas Eve. He's in the office, you know, he's
in the office getting ready to play Georgia. So first
of all, the first thing, why I like the playoff
(12:38):
because years ago you guys lost early in the season
in Northern illinoist home and you'd have been done. It's like, okay,
you're not playing for the Natty. This allows a mulligan. Heck,
I could argue Alabama had two mulligans vand the Oklahoma
and they still almost made it in So when you
lost to Northern Illinois, you had to really sell your
team on we're a good team. It's okay, it happens.
(13:01):
Let's go back to that loss. What did you say
that week of practice because you've played different, you've been
more aggressive, you've gotten better each week. How did you
sell your team after a devastating home loss.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
Well, I think immediately after the game you tell them
I've been here before, right, I told them, listen, it's
going to be a rough week, it's going to be
a long week. But I've been here before. And I
think it took me a day or two to figure out, Okay,
what was my messaging going to be? And what I
told them on Monday at our meeting was there's schematic
(13:34):
things we have to enhance and have to fix. But
to me, the greater lesson to learn was we had
to learn as a program. I had to learn as
a head coach, how do we handle success. This was
the first year in my three years the head coach
that we've won that big game. Early the first two
years we lost to Ohio State early in the season,
and I said, we have to learn how to handle
success as a program, and we got to do those
(13:56):
things that it takes to prepare mentally and physically for
our no matter who it is. And all season long,
I've continued to tell him keep the pain, keep the pain,
because we can't let a loss continue to teach us
the lessons that we need to learn to prepare. So
they've done a wonderful job of continue to find ways
to get better, but the preparation has been the key
in the mindset.
Speaker 1 (14:16):
Okay, so you're playing Georgia. Both Jamack and I said yesterday,
I kind of like Notre Dame in this game. But
you're facing Gunner stocked and then you have almost no
footage on him. He's the backup quarterback, so I don't
think he's the thrower that Beck is, but he may
be just as good a runner. What do you do
when you don't know much about the quarterback?
Speaker 2 (14:36):
Well, I think you look at the thirteen games they've played.
They're not going to be a completely different offense with
a new quarterback. You evaluate, there's about eighty three plays
of him that we have in a cut up from
the second half of the SEC Championship and some other
time during the season. And so there's some things he
does really really well within their system. He makes really
(14:57):
good decisions, he makes fast decisions. He obviously can extend
plays with his feet a little bit more QB run
and but but we're still going to plan to see
the things that we've seen their offense do, no matter
who's been a quarterback.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
Yeah, so it's interesting. I have been advocating. I believe
Riley Leonard is going to end up being a third
or a fourth round pick, and he will be a
starter in the NFL. I've said there's there's a little
bit of Josh Allen here where and a little Drake
may where. He's not quite polished yet. But he went
to Duke and Notre Dame. He's smart, he's six ' five.
(15:31):
You just told me off the air, he's got a
relentless work ethic. And I look at him and you
ask a lot more of him than Duke did. So
tell me about Riley Leonard that I don't see. I
can see the athletic ability. You told me, the work ethic.
What separates him, what makes him special?
Speaker 2 (15:50):
Well, I think he's an ultra competitive individual. Now you
would talk to him and he's going to be the
nicest person in the world. But when he steps into
the weight room, he steps into the meeting room, he
steps on the practice field, he is a competitive individual.
And I think the greatest thing for him was to
learn in the first two weeks of the seasons the
highest of highs being a quarterback and notre dame to
the lowest of Lowe's. Yeah, you know, you can't worry
(16:12):
about throwing an interception, you can't worry about what anybody's
going to say. You've got to go out there with
confidence and be the player that we know you could be.
And so you've seen him grow in confidence but also
grow in the preparation in terms of learning exactly what
is demanded of him. And you've seen our coaching staff
ask him to do things that he does really, really well.
(16:33):
But he is a relentless competitor. He has a tremendous
work ethic and he'll continue to ascend as he goes
throughout his football career.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
So listen, I like the twelve team playoff. I thought
they were going to be closer games, but you know
what do I know first round was ugly. I still
I would take that over the pop tart ball. So
I'm for this thing now, you guys, Marcus, because you
don't have an official conference affiliation, you don't get a
first round by that'll never happen. Now, I think stuff
can be in a good potiated. Your take on if
(17:03):
even if you went twelve and er you wouldn't get
a buy Did that first game actually with Indiana did
you like it? Did you like because you have a
young team or is it an advantage or a disadvantage.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
Well, I have to look at it as an advantage, right,
and not look at anything that happens to us as
a disadvantage. To play a first round playoff game at
home was an experience like no other. And to have
our guys understand, okay, here's what the playoffs are all about,
because it's a first for everybody in terms of having
(17:36):
four games or three games if you had to buy,
and so it was to me a great advantage to
go and prepare and to have that first game and
now you've got to reset and get ready for your
next opponent. Again, this is something I've never really have
to deal it with because in the season. You know
you got the next game in a bowl game. You're preparing,
you know that's the last one. And this is unique
(17:58):
where you don't know if this is going to be
your last game or note, in the minute we won
that game, you had to reset your mind and say, Okay,
we got to get ready for this next opponent, which
is going to be a tall task.
Speaker 1 (18:07):
Okay, so Riley Mills is out for this game?
Speaker 3 (18:10):
Is that right?
Speaker 1 (18:10):
Riley Mills the linebacker. Yep, he's a heck of a
He's a heck of a player. That's not great. How
do you compensate for that?
Speaker 2 (18:20):
Well, I think all season long, which I'm sure every
team deals with, you deal with injuries and we've lost
some guys the season ending injuries, some really important people,
and you feel horribly for them as an individual. Riley's
a guy that decided to come back to to try
to improve his draft stock, and he's the captain. But
you've got to you know what, the next man has
(18:42):
to get the next opportunity, and he's got to go
do it. And I've always said this, You've earned the
trust and the the the the opportunity way before you
get thrust out there in front of the national TV.
You learn out, you learn that opportunity in practice and
the trust from your coaches, and the guys will put
out there of earned that trust and and will do
a great job. But you're not going to replace Riley
(19:05):
Mills with one person. It's multiple people that have to
make up for some of the production that he's had.
But we'll have some guys ready to row.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Well, you've done a remarkable job. And I know college
coaching with all the transfer portal and nil stuff, I
got three minutes left. I actually think you have an
advantage in the transfer portal because I think kids that
go to Notre Dame are special and they just don't
go for a handout. Do you view it that way?
Speaker 2 (19:32):
We always say that the guys that choose Notre Dame
choose hard, and there's some some requirements that you have
on you here that you might not have everywhere else
in the country. But they've chosen this place and they
understand the value of obviously the football program, but the
education and what this university can do for you and
(19:54):
the longevity of your life.
Speaker 1 (19:55):
And so.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
It's a special place, special culture, special people. We haven't
had a guy since the portal was opened in December.
Enter the portal and we'll see what happens after the season.
But to me, it speaks volumes about the young people
that are committed to this program.
Speaker 1 (20:11):
Well, when Notre Dame is Roland, college football is better,
you're crushing it. Don't go to the NFL. Stay in college.
You know what, your winners are a little rough, they'd
be rough in Chicago or New York. Just stay at
Notre Dame. All right, Marcus absolutely man.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
I appreciate the advice.
Speaker 1 (20:28):
Colin all Right, great coach Notre Dame. Marcus Freeman. Good
luck against the Georgia Bulldogs. So they're missing their best
defensive player. George is missing their quarterback, Carson Beck, so
he's out they you know, for the entire playoff, so
we'll see. I was very impressed. Notre Dame just seized
Ohio State and Notre Dame seized physical control of their games.
(20:53):
To me, like by the second series, you just felt
they were physically taking over the game. Clemson. Clemson scored
first against Texas. Clemson had a punch. I thought Notre
Dame in Ohio State the physicality early there was a
sense that, oh, you don't want to be Indiana and Tennessee,
and I mean early like second series, So I think
(21:18):
I like Notre Dame. I think Boise State keeps it close.
I'm gonna go Buckeyes and Texas. I think we're aligned.
I do think Boise State is it's hard to sell
Penn State players who just routed SMU, and those players
had heard of SMU. I think it's hard to get
(21:39):
a dominant favorite ready to go for a second game
when you cake walk through the first. So I could
see pen and by the way, Penn State could be
looking ahead to a Notre Dame Georgia game. I don't
love this spot for Penn State. They're clearly the better
team off a blowout heavy favorite with Notre Dame Georgia. Yeah,
(22:03):
I think, yeah, I'm aligned with you on that one.
Speaker 4 (22:05):
This Notre Dame Georgia game is gonna be fascinating because
you know all the subplots. Everybody wants the SEC to
go down. The SEC was a little overrated this year.
They've struggled from the jump the usc LSU game. Since
that opening weekend, SEC struggled and I think a lot
of people would love to see the Irish because remember
everybody remembers Notre Dame Alabama in that national championship.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
Well, Mantan, but that was way early, Brian Kelly. They
didn't have the they didn't have the person.
Speaker 4 (22:31):
And the SEC was totally dominant. Then they're not dominant now.
Speaker 1 (22:34):
They have deep teams.
Speaker 4 (22:35):
Obviously Texas could win at all, but like Alabama, Georgia.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
Dude, what I watch, they've progressed. They do not have
the rosters they used to. When I saw Tennessee that
was a first round knockout. It was like whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
I watched Tennessee play three or four times. When I
watched Ohio State, that is a Tyson first round knockout.
You're like Big ten, best conference.
Speaker 3 (22:55):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and noon Easter. They're not a em Pacific.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
Here we go our word two. We're off tomorrow bringing
everything Our Herd, Hierarchy and Nick Wright and about one
minute live in Los Angeles. It's the Herd. Jmack went
to the Lakers last night. They lost both games of
the Pistons this year. Brutal.
Speaker 3 (23:18):
It was tough.
Speaker 4 (23:19):
My guy, Austin reeves, you know I'll defend him, but
I gotta call him out.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
He had a rough game, Yeah, turning them all.
Speaker 4 (23:24):
Over like I do in my men's league.
Speaker 1 (23:26):
Yeah's Austin Reeves and Brock Purty. Stop just stop rough year.
Speaker 3 (23:31):
It was one game.
Speaker 1 (23:32):
You've been party, didn't you have a terrible You've been
good with your picks, but some of your takes and
been luke warm at best. Are you still upset? I
went after the inside the NBA guys. I heard from more.
Speaker 4 (23:44):
People in like the seventy two hours after that than
I for any story.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
I'd had in a while. Did they call you out?
Speaker 4 (23:50):
They were just like, wow, dude, that was crazy. And
I don't know if that's like a nice way of
saying you're crazy or they're agreeing with me.
Speaker 1 (23:57):
But the NBA's got its issues right now. All right,
let's do our top ten Heard Hierarchy on a Tuesday.
Here we go.
Speaker 3 (24:06):
Heard Hierarchy time. Now go the top ten NFL teams
according to College Number ten.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
The Washington Commanders now highest scoring average twenty nine a
game all time for a rookie starting quarterback, but they've
also played the easiest strength of schedule so far this year.
The teams. They've played ninety six wins and one hundred
and twenty nine losses. But Jaden Daniels three of his
five touchdown passes coming in the fourth quarter. I like
(24:35):
the staff, I like the rookie. I still think the
rosters a year away, six or seven draft picks and
a free agent signing or three Commanders at number.
Speaker 3 (24:44):
Ten, number nine.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
The Chargers have limitations offensively, but they are the number
one scoring defense in the league, so they're going to
crack the hierarchy. And they're six to zero when they
score twenty when scoring twenty five plus points going to
beat him. It's hard for this team to get to
twenty five plus points though. Lad mcconky's been great, but
they've kind of got B level running backs. They don't
(25:08):
get a ton out of their tight end position. They
stay in games mostly because of their defense, great coaching
and Herbert, but I put him at nine. Chargers number eight.
The Ravens they're probably better than this, but they've been
a bit hot and cold. They have the number one offense.
It is a run first offense. Back to back wins
by seventeen plus points. But I will say and Lamar
(25:32):
has been amazing. He's my MVP, leads the NFL in
passer rating. I worry about them getting tight in big games.
I would just be terrified if I was Baltimore having
to open the playoffs in Pittsburgh after you just hammered him.
But I have so much respect for the organization. I'll
put him at eight, number seven. But I think the
Rams right now have a better defense. McVeigh, Stafford, Tyler Higbee,
(25:57):
the tight end is back. Matt stain Effort over his
last six games has a passer rating over one ten.
Nobody's getting to him. They're not turning it over in
the last four weeks. Number three scoring defense. I think
they're a year away. But Stafford has all sorts of time.
It's the first time all year the offensive lines in
(26:20):
great shape. They got a weapon at tight end, wide receiver,
running back, quarterback, and a brilliant head coach. Rams at seven,
number six, Minnesota, you know you keep waiting for the
shoe to drop. Sam Darnold has thirty touchdown passes this year.
He had only twenty seven over the previous four seasons combined,
so he's playing out of his mind. I don't think
(26:42):
they have a great roster. I think they have a
great coach, a really good quarterback, and a couple of
outstanding young receivers. And Brian Flores right now is the
best defensive coordinator in the league. So I can absolutely
see them winning a couple of playoff games. Eight game
winning streak. The Donald story is comeback player of the
(27:03):
decade in Sam Darnold Vikings at six.
Speaker 3 (27:07):
Number five.
Speaker 1 (27:08):
I like the Lions roster better even with nineteen defensive
players fourteen currently on the IR nineteen total players on
the IR, but I think they've got a better roster.
They're the only undefeated team on the road. That speaks
well to their run game and physicality. They're seven to
zero on the road, third straight game over thirty four points.
(27:30):
I like them a lot, but at some point this
league is a league of attrition and I have concerns defensively.
Speaker 3 (27:37):
Number four.
Speaker 1 (27:37):
That's why I put the Packers at four, not because
they drub the Saints. They lead the NFL and point
differential nine to two record. Now their losses are to Detroit,
but this morning they're a much healthier team. Josh Jacobs
is so perfect for Matt Lafleur, the head coach from
Derrick Henry and Tennessee to Matt to Josh Jacobs, Jordan
(27:59):
Love by the way way is throwing less and yet
scoring more. This team is on a roll. I always
say my final four teams in the Herd hierarchy are
the teams I believe that can win the Super Bowl.
Green Bays one of them at number four. Number three
Buffalo nine in one over their last ten. Listen to
(28:19):
the story of this team is the defense isn't as good,
but the offense is better, and they don't turn the
ball over and you can't get the Josh Allen, he
doesn't get sack. Even when they play poorly, they win
like this past weekend. James Cook has been a revelation
for them for years and year. Josh didn't have a
running back. Now he's got an a running back. Team
is very good, can win it all. Number two Philadelphia.
(28:41):
They lost, but Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley are the
best running back quarterback run tandem in a long time,
and he got a concussion early in the game. So
it's the number one rush offense, the number one or
number two offensive line to Detroit. Their line play is exemplary,
and I think it remains the best overall roster in
(29:03):
the league in terms of young stars, stars in their
prime and older starshilliate two number one. But you know,
you guys can all keep denying it. They're nineteen and
one Kansas City over the last twenty games and eleven
to zero one score games. Not every Super Bowl champ
you should have learned this from the dynasty known as
the Patriots. Not every Super Bowl champion is physically overpowering those.
(29:28):
Ray Lewis teams had better players than New England teams.
In most years there were Colts offenses that blew you away.
The Randy Moss offense for New England never got a trophy.
This team best coach, best big pressure quarterback, arguably best
defensive lineman along with Miles Garrett and TJ. Watt and
Chris Jones. They'll probably rest him down the stretch. Hollywood
(29:51):
Brown is back, Isaiah Pacheco is back. I have them
at number one. And Nick right now, who occasionally mentions
the Chiefs on his show as join us alive, All right,
attack my herd. Hierarchy? What do you make it?
Speaker 6 (30:06):
It's great hierarchy.
Speaker 1 (30:08):
I don't really have.
Speaker 6 (30:10):
I mean, I can't find much to quibble with you
and I. Neither one of us are going to quit
the Rams. I mean they don't like they doesn't. I
still think they could win the conference. I'm not picking
them to win the conference, but I still think they could.
But yeah, let's talk about the team at the top
of your hierarchy, because here's the question I have, Colin.
(30:31):
They beat Pittsburgh tomorrow and get to fifteen and one,
which I think is going to happen, then rest everyone
in the final week of the year, and they're now
finally once again favorites to win the Super Bowl. This
Chiefs team that has been nagged all year, that has
been discussed only as vulnerable, not as impressive as other
(30:53):
Chiefs teams. A lot of people threw out one and done.
Speaker 1 (30:57):
They have a chance to go down.
Speaker 6 (30:59):
This team, not the three year run, as objectively speaking,
one of the greatest teams ever. Full list of eighteen
win teams in NFL history. Eighty four nine Ers, one
of the five greatest teams ever, eighty five Bears, one
of the three greatest teams ever. O seven Patriots one
of the maybe the greatest team ever, certainly the greatest
(31:22):
team ever to not win a championship, and it would
be the Chiefs if they win the title this year
and all year, the media coverage has been something's wrong
with them because people have decided that we're going to
do an old BCS computer style strength of victory rather
than the actual record. No team has beaten more playoff
(31:43):
teams than the Chiefs. No team has beaten more teams
still alive for the playoffs than the Chiefs. They are
the only team right now that has a no doubt
future Hall of Famer at coach at quarterback, two at
skill positions in Kelsey and Hopkins, maybe two on the
offense of line and Tuney and Creed. You mentioned Chris Jones,
a Hall of Fame defensive coordinator. They never lose, They're
(32:07):
peaking at the right time. And listen, your buddy J
Mack across from you in the studio last week said
even they might not be in his top six, what
top six all time? Maybe I think they're getting there.
So just seems like maybe we should put a little
respect on a team that's about the three peat, that's
all that's lost one game the whole year.
Speaker 1 (32:26):
Yeah, I would go to the Chicago Bulls, the best
basketball team of all time. What made them great wasn't
this sizzling offensive dexterity. They just had the best player
what made them unbeatable. It's the best defensive team ever,
Rodman Pippen, MJ. They didn't get a lot of scoring
from their bigs before Kup coach. They didn't have a
lot of great perimeter players, but even their bench guys
(32:47):
Ron Harper could defend. And so sometime No. Golden State
was way more fun to watch because they had all
the three ball shooters. But sometimes the greatest doesn't have
the most sizzle. And to your point, Kansas City third
down goal line coordinator, coach quarterback are great. Now let's
go to a team that does have more sizzle. And
(33:08):
you know, I love Sam Darnold. In fact, I made
a claim yesterday this is a little bit of hubrist,
but there's only one American that didn't like Zach Wilson
or Daniel Jones and love Donald three for three on
New York quarterbacks. But let's not get into that. Let's
get into this that's true. Let's get into this. What
do they do they draft a quarterback, They get Daniel Jones,
(33:30):
Sam Donald can leave. How in the world he and
Justin Jefferson right now are the tandem in the league.
If you're Minnesota, do you let him walk?
Speaker 5 (33:44):
All right?
Speaker 6 (33:44):
So this is a complex question that deserves a complex answer.
But first it is you know, Christmas Eve. So my
first gift to you should be you know it. I
choke on the words a bit, but I might owe
you an apology because I have mocked you publicly, privately
via text, on TV, via Twitter, any medium for your
(34:07):
Sam Darnold love affair for the last well, for.
Speaker 1 (34:10):
The whole time.
Speaker 6 (34:11):
I've known you, yes, for seven years, and it would
appear that this rose has finally bloomed, and you never
gave up and you, I mean, this is the fact
that you never gave in on him. And now the
play you just showed is the single best play of
(34:31):
that young man's career, like the one seed still available
for them, trailing against a team fighting for its playoff life,
Climb in the pocket, throw a perfect pass through double
coverage to one of the best receivers I've ever seen
in Justin Jefferson. So you deserve credit. Here is though,
the answer. I think his future with the Vikings is
(34:54):
going to be determined fair or not. I just think
what's going to happen. It's going to be determined by
the playoff run. Because if they they could finish fourteen
and three and all of a sudden be on the
road in Los Angeles in Round one like that, because
they could be, they'd be the five seed if they
(35:15):
don't win out and that's a losable game. And even
if that doesn't happen, I think that the Vikings plan
right now is to franchise Donald and see if someone
wants to give them a great draft pick for him,
and roll with JJ with the faith of hey, maybe
(35:35):
Colin was mostly right about Donald. However, we have gotten
a thirteen win season out of Kirk Cousins. We just
got a thirteen plus win season out of Sam Darnald.
We think JJ has more natural talent in those guys,
and he's incredibly cheap. Now, if they were to end
(35:56):
up in the Super Bowl, then I think you've got
to do the Drew Brees Philip Rivers thing from twenty
years ago, which is, even though you drafted the replacement,
you keep the veteran for one more season, probably on
the franchise tag. And let him start next year and
then figure it out from there. But I honestly think
(36:17):
anything short of the Super Bowl they franchise in trade.
I think with a Super Bowl appearance, they franchise and play.
I don't think they're going to give him a long
term extension.
Speaker 1 (36:29):
So you and I have both been on the party thing.
You can have an old quarterback, a pocket quarterback, a
small quarterback, a big quarterback. You can do quarterback in
a variety of shapes, ages, sizes, styles. What you cannot
do in this league is pay a b guy a
plus money. Dallas did their sunk and brought you know,
and again he's a franchise guy. It should start with
(36:52):
a three or a low four. It can't start with
a five or six. That pick against Miami, that play.
Speaker 6 (36:59):
All right, I know if you went the one the
week before, back to back game losing picks. Here's thn Colin,
and this is where neither one of us owe each
other in apology, But the.
Speaker 1 (37:09):
Whole sports world owes.
Speaker 6 (37:11):
Us apology exactly because we held the line. Yes, and
we listened to everyone on every network scold us say, oh,
whether it's former quarterback, former player, just analyst. They all said, Oh,
what more do you want to see? Look at the numbers,
best twenty five game start to his career.
Speaker 1 (37:31):
If you don't have.
Speaker 6 (37:32):
Him butting up against the top five, you're biased. You're
holding the fact that he was the last pick of
the draft against him. What more do you want? And
our answers were more. Our answers every time.
Speaker 1 (37:45):
We're you know what I want?
Speaker 3 (37:46):
What more?
Speaker 1 (37:46):
I want?
Speaker 6 (37:47):
I want more?
Speaker 1 (37:48):
I want to see what brock Purty.
Speaker 6 (37:51):
Looks like in less than absolutely ideal circumstances. And I
honestly thought all off, see and when we argued about
him every day on this show, on first things first, like, man,
we're probably you know what's probably gonna happen. The Niners
are gonna have Cemac and Ayuk and Deebo and Trent
(38:11):
Williams and Kyle Shanahan and he's gonna put up another
awesome year and they're gonna be really good again. And
I'm gonna be on TV like yeah, I still don't believe.
But instead, sadly for the Niners, those guys got hurt.
They weren't there. Trent Williams got a little old and
then hurt. We know, see him see all of it,
and it's like, oh, okay, brock Perty. Instead of being
(38:34):
in the top one percent of all situations for a
young quarterback in NFL history, you're now in a league
average situation.
Speaker 1 (38:43):
And color me shocked.
Speaker 6 (38:44):
He produced below league average results and so you're talking
about paying him in the you know, forties or low fours,
high threes. I would not pay this player. I would
tell this I would say, hey, man, you're under con
and very rarely in business or in sports, when you
(39:05):
are trying to get a new contract early, can you
go to the bosses and say pay me early. They're like, okay,
how was your last year and it's like, well, the
worst of my career by a mile. Usually in those
circumstances they say, okay, let's see how next year goes.
And I just it was What was so baffling to
me about this discourse is it was so many of
(39:28):
the same players, media players from the Jimmy g discourse,
some of us holding the line like I really don't
think he's that good and then being screamed at look
at the winds, look at Shanahan without him, and then
Jimmy G leaves immediately is terrible. They drop in literally
anybody that guy produces better than Jimmy g results like, No,
(39:51):
this guy's awesome too. So I think the Niners are
about to enter a really tough situation. Trey Williams is
thirty seven, who knows, who knows what he looks.
Speaker 1 (40:02):
Like next year?
Speaker 6 (40:03):
Are you coming off the ACL A lot of problems,
and I don't do not believe they have a quarterback
that can solve them, even though you and I got
yelled at about that for the better part.
Speaker 2 (40:14):
Of the year.
Speaker 1 (40:16):
Finally, Danny Parkins says hire Ben Johnson, who was showing
off this weekend is playbook against the Bears. I say,
when you have a broken franchise, you got to get
a culture changer. You got to do a Dan Campbell.
He didn't have to be a schematic whiz. You get
Jim Harbaugh doesn't have to be a schematic whiz. When
you're broken Jets Bears, it's not about it's not about
(40:39):
drawn up plays. It's about changing the temperature in the room.
What say you on what to do with Caleb Williams
and the Bears?
Speaker 6 (40:48):
I would lean like the idea would have been Jim Harbaugh, Yes,
a culture changer, that's also an offensive mind. My concern
is the one guy out there that feels like a
culture changer. Mike Rabel is another defensive coach when the
Bears so desperately need to lean into Caleb's talent and
(41:10):
become a modern franchise. So Ben, I tend to agree
with Danny that I think Ben Johnson makes a lot
of sense. With that said, can I say something about
Ben Johnson auditioning for his next job while he still has.
Speaker 1 (41:24):
His current job, please?
Speaker 6 (41:25):
I I'm very impressed by him. He seems to be brilliant,
Everyone seems to like him. Take none of that away.
I really hope his trick play bag is as endless
as he seems to think it is. Because rolling that
fake fumble play was brilliant, and using that in that
(41:50):
spot against that team up that many points seemed foolish.
I'm gonna take the audience back a decade to one
of the most one of the seminal moments of Tom
Brady and Bill Belichick's run the twenty fourteen season. Going
into that year, Colin keep in mind they had not
(42:11):
won a Super Bowl in a decade. Peyton Manning is
now in the AFC instantly got to a Super Bowl,
beat Tom in the playoffs one league MVP, and there's
a real question about, like, oh, are the Patriots they've
come close ever gonna win again? They pretty clearly figured
out early that year, Oh, there's a quirk with the
(42:35):
rule book on eligible receivers where if you put a
tight end here and a tackle here, but to clear
one eligible, it'll trick people. And they had that in
their pocket all year long. And then in the playoffs,
having not won a Super Bowl in a decade, down
fourteen points to Baltimore, they pulled it out for a
(42:55):
whole drive to flip that game, go on to win
that champion Chip and start the second part of their dynasty.
Bill Belichick didn't figure out that that would work the
week before that game.
Speaker 1 (43:08):
They knew it, and they saved it.
Speaker 6 (43:10):
The Lions are about to enter the most important postseason
in the history of their franchise, and their only path
is going to be outscoring people because the defense is
so hurt. I maybe would have kept that play in
my back pocket rather than showed it off to everyone. Now,
maybe Ben Johnson will prove me wrong, and in the
playoffs he'll have seven more Super cute, cool plays. But
(43:33):
if he doesn't, I think that was a mistake.
Speaker 1 (43:36):
Yeah, Nick, right, First things first, Happy Christmas, even Christmas
for you and your beautiful family. Buddy.
Speaker 6 (43:43):
You two absolutely calm, merry Christmas talks.
Speaker 1 (43:45):
You soon all right, Time to start thinking about holiday gifts.
JLab dot com sixty percent off several several gifts. They
have headphones. You like music podcast, get headphones as a
gift JLab dot com. Check it out.
Speaker 3 (44:01):
One more Herd. The Herd streams twenty four hours a day,
seven days a week. Within the iHeartRadio app, search Herd
to listen live or on demand whenever you like.
Hosts And Creators
Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
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