January 12, 2026 • 41 mins
Colin Cowherd is here breaking down an absolutely INSANE Wild Card Weekend in the NFL. He starts with the 49ers win over the Eagles: Kyle Shanahan with a masterclass gameplan and Nick Sirianni once again leaving a lot to be desired.
He also gives his thoughts on the Bears huge win over the Packers, and why we should never doubt Bills QB Josh Allen
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Episode Transcript
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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 3 (00:26):
Oh man, do we have a Monday show? Baby?
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Here we go. We're live. We're in Chicago. They win
football playoff games in this city. Baby, It's the Herd
wherever you may be, however you may be listening. Thanks
for making us part of your day. The city is buzzy,
should be. I gotta be honest, I'm so glad Philly
(00:52):
lost that their tushes got pushed out of the playoffs
because the NFL playoffs are about the best coach and
the best quarterbacks, and Philly has neither.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
They don't have either.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
Bottom line is, let's talk Niners from the opening drive
to the perfectly time trick play, to their ingenuity to
their efficiency on third down. Kyle Shanahan is using c
pons and buying a month full of groceries for forty
eight bucks, and I feel like Sirianni hit the lottery
and he's broke two years later. San Francisco is totally resourceful.
(01:33):
I mean, think about this, Nick Sirianni gets two picks,
a twenty seven yard punt by the Niners.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
George Kittle gets hurt, You're at.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Home and this year in the second half, all year,
Philadelphia averages nine points in the second half, including the playoffs,
twenty six in the league, twenty six and second half yards.
There's no creativity, and I think Philadelphia, like a poorly
coached team, is getting worse over time. I mean, I'm
(02:02):
the one thing I'll say about Philly is that their
run defense was great, But that's Vic Fangio. Everything I
liked about the Eagles was Vic Fangio.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Think about this.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
San Francisco's six highest paid players missed sixty percent of
the snaps. How in the hell are they thirteen and five?
How are they winning these games? And I've been critical
of Brock pretty but you know what, short memory, couple
of bad picks, one really bad, did not matter, great
(02:33):
final drive, big throws, didn't have George Kittle second quarter
on didn't always have the greatest protection. There was pressure
and let's be honest about Jalen Hurts. He's pretty consistently
ineffective in the pocket. Greg Cosel's been telling us us
for years. Tom Brady on the broadcast sedit, why are
you rolling out? He's rolling out because he can't see
(02:53):
because he's too small. And so again, that playoffs, to
me are about Shanahan and Roberts.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
I mean, Shanahan's a wizard. That opening drive, I was.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
Like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa is that? And that trick
play wasn't like a hooking lateral in the red zone.
That's a big boy trick play reversus receiver throwing deep.
For three and a half hours, you saw coaching. Whenever
a coach makes like fifteen million a year, people are like,
whoa coaching's overrated. Exhibit A of why it's not. That
(03:26):
was a coaching mismatch. One coach was Chat GPT and
the other was Crayons. That wasn't even close. So the
Eagles are boring, They're not creative. They've got an unbelievable roster,
but forty percent of their drives yesterday, we're three and out.
They Philadelphia led the NFL in percentage of three and
(03:50):
outs how A J. Brown, Devon day Smith, Dallas Goddard,
sa Quon Barkley, get out of here, Get that tush
pushed out of here. And by the way, I don't
want to hear about Sirianni boys great in the locker room.
He is great putting a fence around this team. He
barketed A. J. Brown great again on the sidelines. Come on,
(04:13):
you got to grow up at some point. So I
just to me, the NFL playoffs are about quarterback play, efficiency, ingenuity, overcoming, resourcefulness,
and that all came outside of Vic Fangio from one side.
So and I don't want to hear about what a
great manager he is. I don't buy it. Part of managing.
(04:34):
I mean you staying what you want about certain coaches
in this league. But a lot of the top offensive coaches,
Ben Johnson, Sean Payton, Andy Reid, their teams are great
in the fourth quarter.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
That's what they are.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
All I know is the better quarterback played, the better coaching,
the better coordinating, the more creativity.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
Was all on San Francisco.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
Forty four year old Philip Rivers, five years out of retirement,
face this same San Francisco defense. You saw it this
year and forty four year old Philip Rivers had more points,
passing yards and was better on third down than Jalen
Hurts Nick Sarian, he was against this Niner defense. How
(05:16):
is that possible? It's possible because the best coaches change outcomes,
not just field position. That was Wizardry Shanahan put on
a clinic. Sala put on a clinic with half the roster.
(05:36):
The minute Kittle went down, I'm like, oh, and they
were playing so well, and they did it late.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
They want to hear Shanny after proud of the guys,
how hard they battled.
Speaker 4 (05:49):
And I'll just kind of staying in there. Having two
linebackers weren't on our team a month ago, and those
guys playing that whole game and playing at a high
level was so impressive. To find a way to win
that game. We thought it would be a grimy game,
is how we say it. There was our defense allowed
it to be that way. And then you know that
last drive. You know some of the places Juice made
on it I thought were so big on Brock had
(06:11):
a couple of mistakes, obviously with his two picks and stuff,
but to come back on that last drive get us
an end zone, lead us all the way down there.
It gets like a third guy in his progression on
the touchdown.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
Real proud of the guys.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
Yeah, I mean, I've defended Darnold's bad pick, Stafford's bad picks.
I've got to be fair. What do you do after
the pick? You go into a shell to body language,
get bad brock party on the road, No, kiddle, lot
of pressure and they weren't getting a lot of yards
on the ground. Fangio did a great job, great run defense. Iny,
(06:43):
I know Jennings may have had the best throw of
anybody on the field, but that is what coaching looks like. Okay,
I want to talk about the Bears, So I'm not
saying the pope being from Chicago is why the Bears
are winning. But there's a there's a correlation causation thing
(07:05):
we need to discuss because I don't seventh win after
trailing in the fourth quarter. And when it comes to
Caleb Williams, I've gotten to the point where I just
I not that I want to be like a ice
cream for breakfast parent, but it's hard scolding him. Well,
you know, it's completion percentages a little low. Yeah, whatever, Well,
(07:27):
you know, he does miss some layups, yeah, but just
see the ones in the end.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
It's got a Steph Curry vibe. I don't want anybody
in the NBA.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
Shooting thirty four footers accept Steph Curry when he's on
a heater and then it's like.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
Well, he's different rules for him.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
I feel like with Caleb, look at this.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
Throw, it's just different rules.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
I mean, the guy at the lowest completion percentage of
any playoff quarterback, yet the most passing yards.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
What do you want me to do? I'm gonna bend
some rules.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
You know. You hear about all the time gifted kids,
you know, and sometimes they can be really unique personalities.
And it's like watching the Gifted Child where Okay, he
puts his pants on backwards at twelve, but he's taking
advanced calculus at thirteen.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
What do you want me to do?
Speaker 1 (08:15):
He's different. Caleb's special. I heard all the scouts. Well,
you know he's moody a little bit. Well, he can
be erratic, yeah, regularly. Well the fingernails painting, he's a
little emotional.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
Not the end of the world.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
All I know is I'm watching these fourth quarters and
I'm like, it's Steph Curry. I don't want anybody else
shooting it.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
I don't want.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
Anybody else with a fifty seven percent completion percentage over
the course of a season.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
But I'm gonna live with it.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
I don't know what it's supposed to do. That second half.
I mean he made he made Jordan Love, really talented guy,
look incredibly pedestrian. I said it last night in my podcast.
Is a little John Elway, there's a little Josh Allen,
There's a lot of Caleb Williams. And here's the thing
all great quarterbacks. When people say, well he's got Ben Johnson,
(09:03):
Ben Johnson did not have his best performance. I thought
Matt Lafleuur out coached him, especially in the first half,
which is the coach's half. Second half is the baller half,
first half, the coaching half, half, the scripted half. I
didn't think Ben Johnson had a very good game by
Ben Johnson Sandard, I think a little desperate, a little
too cute too often.
Speaker 3 (09:26):
But every so.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
When people say, well Ben Johnson's been special, I'm not
denying that. Akee Benet, Jimmy Johnson, foutsed Airic Coriel, Brady Belichick,
you know, Montano Walsh.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
Everybody's got Marino, Shula lay Shanny.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
I don't want to hear about that because I didn't
think Ben Johnson had one of his better games. But
I will say this, every quarterback also has flaws. Manning
didn't have a huge arm, Mahomes and his mechanics. Tom
Brady not a great athlete. Yeah, I'll be honest with you.
Caleb misses too many layups. Man that ball sales on him. Yeah,
but it's what you do. What do you produce to
(10:06):
mitigate or overcome your flaw. I mean, Jimmy Hendrix had
to occasionally miss a note, right, It's not just about
the floor. It's got to be about the ceiling. And
I'm sitting there watching him in the fourth quarter. And
you know what's great if you're from Chicago, the Bears
finally have real leadership. Monday through Friday it's Ben Johnson,
(10:29):
and Sunday it's Caleb and Poplio. Because I don't really
know exactly how to explain it that Caleb can really
be out of sync missus notes in the first half
and then be a combination of the greatest stuff I've
ever seen in the fourth. Here's Caleb after.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
Well you got right here, Marshwayolden.
Speaker 5 (10:54):
Where everything he's done for us as a coach, everything
the other coaches have done for us, you know, and
it started with him with bringing in everybody and the
emotions that right.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
And for me personally, For me.
Speaker 5 (11:10):
Personally, he's been, uh say, getting emotional for me personally,
he's been monumental in my life so far to his
first playoff win.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
Oh, there's that Caleb guy. He's getting very emotional. How
do you not get emotional? I'm watching it on television.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
I'm emotional.
Speaker 1 (11:36):
I just moved to Chicago. I'm emotional. How do you
not get emotional? This stuff's I mean it's video game stuff.
That throw he made with five minutes left up the sideline,
three packers around him. I'm never say anything like that.
I mean that that is a top four or five
throw of my life like this one. I mean, look
(11:58):
at us throw. It doesn't make any sense, rolling right,
throwing left. Huh, I don't bull get in there. We
got it from this forew that doesn't even make sense.
That again, that's one of those videos of Steph Curry
before the game when he's going into the tunnel and
makes a seventy five footer. You're like, oh, that's gotta
be AI. That throat looks like AI. I don't even
(12:19):
know what to make of it. All right, we got
everybody watched to get rid of Matt Lafleur. I think
you're out of your mind. Colin Wright, Colin Wrong, top
of next hour. Jmac, don't worry. You did not You
did not have a great weekend.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
Oh great I had. It was a bloodbath. Couldn't pick
a game to save my life.
Speaker 6 (12:37):
Got screwed by coaches, kickers, you name it. I mean, listen,
I thought, I still can't get over this. Packers lost, Colin.
I mean total domination. Twenty one touchdown, touchdown, touchdown to
start the game, and then just fold late. I don't
want to fire la floor, but man, I got some
Packers buddies who are living.
Speaker 3 (12:54):
They just they can't put you. They're beyond themselves right now?
Speaker 1 (12:57):
How do you?
Speaker 6 (12:58):
Jordan Love was incredible in that four touchdowns, three hundred yards,
the Matthew Golden touchdown not thirteen.
Speaker 1 (13:05):
Let me tell you, Matthew Golden has been banged up
all year. Matthew Golden was worth a first round pick.
That guy is a spectacular talents. He's really good. He's
just been hurt on and off all year. But they
you know, the Packers draft and developed very well. Matthew
Golden by next year is he's gonna be a star?
I mean like Colston Lovelin took him a couple of
(13:25):
weeks and you're like, whoa stud think he is a
top two tight end talent in the league. That that
Golden kid by next year?
Speaker 3 (13:34):
Watch out?
Speaker 6 (13:35):
He just regarding tonight Colin. Fortunately one of us will
get a win because you have the Steelers, I have
the Texas. One of us will get off the schneid.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
I have no Maybe it ends in a tie. That possible.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
Yeah, So we got great another with four for four
until the Patriots sleeper last night, but it was.
Speaker 3 (13:52):
A win for New England.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
Nonetheless, be sure to catch live editions of The Herd
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Speaker 3 (14:37):
Just amazing weekend. Huh.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
You may have noticed the NFL playoffs were just fine
without the Kansas City Chiefs, and one of the many reasons,
A big reason is Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills.
He is in my lifetime, and I really believe this
the most impressive football player I've ever seen. Doesn't mean
(15:03):
he's going to be the most decorated or the most beloved.
He's the most impressive football player. The size, the arm,
the caginess. The guy got ten yards on a tush push.
I mean just an eighty percent completion percentage on the
road against a good defense to nine different receivers. And
this is not a very good receiving room. Oh yeah,
he also was in concussion protocol, hurt his hand and
(15:24):
tweaked his knee. It doesn't matter, I swear I think
he's better trailing because then he can be like, you
know what, I'm just gonna I'm gonna take the game over.
I mean, do you know how good you have to
be to be this good against pro athletes? I mean,
this is what you do if you're a Division one
athlete and you're in high school or you're a Sunday
player at a small college.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
That's what he looks like. The guy's all banged up.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
Head, gets hurt, hand, gets hurt, knee, gets tweaked, doesn't
matter twelve for twelve to his primary target, and that's
a week receiving room. So I said, all week, I
asked the question. I said, all week, how is Jacksonville
the underdog? And then I watched the second half and.
Speaker 3 (16:05):
I'm like, oh, yeah, yeah, Josh Allen, my bad. I'm
not doubting them.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
Ever again, because you know what's going to happen is
fifty years from now, the kids are going to be
listening to grandpa and Grandpa's.
Speaker 3 (16:21):
Gonna go guy named Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:23):
I was like Paul Bunyan and the kids will think
it's mythology and folklore. And I'm here to tell you kids,
if I'm still around.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
Uh uh.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
I saw him play.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
I find that Buffalo is impossible, not the root for
It's like the Cubs when they were you know, they
finally get to the series. Like everybody in the country
wanted the Cubs to win, but the Cubs were kind
of pathetic for decades. Buffalo has been good for long stretches.
I always say this. My wife used to go to
Buffalo a lot for business. He's like nicest people in
the world. The players get their snowblowers after blizzards and
(16:56):
clear them for the players. So and there's just certain
people in this job. It's like Lebron or Michael Jordan
or Magic or like Messy in the World Cup. They're
too great not to get a trophy. I felt like
that when I was younger with John Elway. He's got
to win some of these Super Bowls. He's too good
not to win it. And I'm looking at Josh Allen's
playoff career. Looked it up this morning. All time rank
(17:18):
total yards first ever. Again, this is not with loaded
receiving course total touchdown interception ratio thirty five to four. Yeah,
best ever. So they faced Denver, They'll be the road team.
It's at seven thousand feet. Sean Payton's got extra time.
And my guess is Buffalo wins. I'm done doubting him.
(17:41):
So I mean, you just you get to a point
if you have a little gray in your hair or
your bear to your mustache or wherever. And you've watched
all these great players like Lawrence Taylor, the Lawrence Taylor
didn't have the ball sixty times in his hand, Reggie White,
you know, Brady, you watch all these I'm just talking
(18:02):
watching a professional athlete. And I can remember when Jordan
was in the league, and I remember thinking, he's not
the best shooter, he's not the best ball handler, he's
not the strongest guy. I mean, Dominique Wilkins had a
better vertical jump. How is he so much better than
the second best player? And that's that's what I when
I watched Josh Allen, I'm like, this is and and
it's a great example in life. Keep your head down
(18:24):
in work. Couldn't get college offers, couldn't get college dad
sending out tapes. And what you're watching is it's it's
the ultimate cliche.
Speaker 3 (18:34):
That is one oh one. What he does.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
Most consecutive seasons winning a playoff game. The Bills are
now at six and what do respect to Brandon Bean
and Sean mcderbott and Dion Dawkins and all the good bills. Hey,
there are one reason they're on that list on TV
that you're looking at.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
Here's Josh after the win.
Speaker 8 (19:00):
To have the wherewithal its again not blink And I
think that's just the mantra that we have adopted this
year of if we've got time left and we got
the ball, we got a shot. And you saw that
there today.
Speaker 1 (19:13):
Yeah, that when you're on the field with Trevor Lawrence,
who was the number one high school quarterback, college quarterback,
number one pick, and you're on the field and you
forget Trevor's playing, it's.
Speaker 3 (19:26):
Like that is that is what a weekend?
Speaker 1 (19:29):
I mean we saw everything great coaching, shaky coaching, tenuous
quarterback play, Caleb in the fourth and Josh Allen concussion protocol, tweak, knee, hurt, hand,
what ebbs. They move on to Denver undone doubting him.
Speaker 3 (19:48):
J Mack with the news, Turn on the news.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
This is the headline news.
Speaker 6 (19:54):
Let's go to college football.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
We haven't talked about.
Speaker 6 (19:56):
The Indiana just destruction of Oregon what and mauling that
was holy cal And you want to talk about somebody
who you don't want to doubt for an and no Mendoza,
I don't hear anybody doubting after the five tuddies he
put on Oregon, and it wasn't just five touchdown passes.
Speaker 3 (20:11):
I mean these are darts. The guy was incredible.
Speaker 6 (20:14):
Colin, everything right on target. He has now gone five
games this season with more TV passes than in completions.
Yet he's ever the superstar that afterward he wanted to
share the credit among everybody else. It ain't just about him.
Speaker 9 (20:31):
I would say, I've came a long way from you know,
being near in January, being game one, game one and
through zero touchdout pass. I was trying to be Superman,
and then the coaching st to have settle me down.
It's like, hey, you don't got to be Superman. We
have a great defense and a great uh superstars you know,
playmakers and Alvis Lyne on offense, So just do your job.
So my job is to be effective with making you know,
really accurate balls and really great decisions. And that's why
(20:52):
I pride myself on every single play and so I'm
glad those results of came. However, none of that matters.
All that matters right now is National Championship.
Speaker 1 (20:59):
It's the most fishing offense, it's the best tackling defense,
and Flawa special teams.
Speaker 3 (21:05):
There's no hole here.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
Like I had said, I thought Indiana would win because
Oregon's good, but they make mistakes. I do think Miami
and their physical style up front will make this a
really competitive game. I'll take Indiana, but I think Miami
matches up pretty well with everybody when you can be
as as by the way, Miami's got so many athletes
on the perimeter, they're so physically capable.
Speaker 3 (21:28):
And the other thing to remember is Carson.
Speaker 1 (21:29):
Beck has been how many National champion That's be his
third National Championship game. You could see Indiana Mendoza being
a little hyper, you know, the first couple series you're
playing for all the Marvels. Carson becksman in that game
multiple times. So I think it's a really good game,
and I think the physicality of Miami keeps it closed.
Speaker 3 (21:48):
But it's hard to root.
Speaker 1 (21:49):
It's hard to see a team that doesn't make mistakes losing.
Speaker 3 (21:53):
They're so efficient.
Speaker 6 (21:56):
Interestingly, there's some comparisons out there Mendoza to Joe Burrow
during his title run with LSU.
Speaker 3 (22:03):
Unbelievably, the numbers are kind of similar.
Speaker 6 (22:05):
Both offenses are doing some just ridiculous things. Are you
surprised that the spread for Indiana Miami is seven to
seven and a half colored.
Speaker 3 (22:14):
No, it's like a big number. Yeah, but I mean again,
look what they're doing.
Speaker 1 (22:19):
Beat Ohio State, hammered Alabama, embarrasses Oregon. This is here's
what I don't get. You watch Dante more in, Fernando
Mendoza the field at the same time, it's not close.
Speaker 6 (22:31):
We'll talk about Mendoza more in a second.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
But I mean it's like, settle down, folks.
Speaker 1 (22:35):
Mendoza is I'm not saying he's Andrew Lucker Elway. He
is a high end. This idea that he can't run.
C J. Stroud's not a big runner doesn't matter if
you sit in the pocket, throw darts, big arm, grateful.
I mean, these are big time throws in huge games.
(22:56):
They don't have a five star guy on their team. So,
and by the way, Indian I was good last year,
Why are they so unbelievable this year? Because they've got
the icing on the cake. The cake is signetti. They're
old line, they tackle well, good special teams. This kid
you ever noticed in the end zone throws nobody can
catch them. But Indiana guys, everything's just a little He
(23:18):
makes sure one guy can catch all those end zone throws.
Speaker 3 (23:21):
Colin.
Speaker 6 (23:21):
I know people are looking for an NFL comp for Mendoza,
and I'll just say this, the poise in the pocket,
the ball placement, the accuracy. I see a young Tom
Brady in his pinpoint accuracy.
Speaker 8 (23:33):
Colin.
Speaker 3 (23:33):
I'm not saying he's gonna win a million.
Speaker 6 (23:35):
Super Bowls and be the best quarterback ever, but in
terms of like just structure in the pocket and delivering
the football, he's doing it as well as anybody I've
seen in forever. I mean, this guy really is incredible. Now,
when it comes to Dante Moore, I'm sure you saw
the news this morning, Dylan Rayola that Patrick Mahomes look
alike who was at Nebraska, he has committed to Oregon.
(23:55):
He is now waiting to find out what Dante Moore does.
But it's interesting that he doesn't care what Dante Moore does.
NFL or stays Dylan Raila wants to compete for the
job next year. And I'll say this, Dante Moore Colin.
That was a forgettable You watch that and you're like,
NFL really, I mean, how many fumbles did he have?
The interception on the first play of the game. He
(24:17):
does not look NFL ready to be I mean, assuming
you agree.
Speaker 1 (24:21):
Well, I think he should go and sit. But he'll
go to a crappy team and be forced to play
at twenty years old like the Jets, and will ruin
his career. So I think Indiana makes everybody look bad.
Tys Simpson's not terrible. Guess who made him look terrible? Indiana, Georgia.
Georgia made a lot of players look bad when they
were in Kirby Smart's you know, four years ago. They
(24:42):
necessarily weren't bad players.
Speaker 3 (24:44):
So I wouldn't.
Speaker 1 (24:45):
I wouldn't put too much of Dante Moore's career into
that start.
Speaker 6 (24:50):
Great against Texas Tech.
Speaker 3 (24:51):
The game before is.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
Well, Texas Tech again is a great defense. So you
would tell him, I would say, stay in school. I
think Dante Moore needs another fifty starts with good players.
Speaker 3 (25:02):
Agreed, Yeah, all right, let's go to the NFL last night.
Speaker 6 (25:05):
Uh, Mike Chargers, Big Egg offensively did not show up.
Speaker 3 (25:09):
Couldn't do a damn thing.
Speaker 6 (25:10):
Patriots. They were not great either, is a bit of
a defensive struggle. Patriots did have a few big plays.
Drake May I don't know how even how you characterize
his performance. He had a couple of good throws, but
took way too many sacks. Yeah, you know, after the game,
make credit the defense as the driving force for the win.
Speaker 3 (25:29):
Proud of this team.
Speaker 10 (25:30):
You know, we would never feel like, uh, you know,
we never doubted it. We never doubted it. You know,
it didn't look you know, it wasn't pretty, that's for sure.
But this defense was so fun to watch. No congrats
to them, it was it was so fun to watch
they they won the game for us. I didn't throw
O very well to night, and no need to be better,
but you know we we did what we had to
do and that's what takes the playoffs. And just proud
of this team.
Speaker 11 (25:49):
That was fun.
Speaker 10 (25:50):
Man, that was fun to get one at home and
look forward me back here next week.
Speaker 1 (25:54):
Yeah, I mean listen Peyton Manning's first three playoff games,
he completed forty seven percent of his throws because he
didn't have great stuff around him and he was young,
and Justin Herbert's completing fifty four percent in his first
three playoff games. He's struggling. But I said this Friday
because all week this was your pick, and I kept saying,
you cannot go on the road with a thirty second
best offensive line and win. It has to be like
(26:16):
thirteen to ten. You block a punt, you hit a
bunch of field goals.
Speaker 3 (26:20):
You can't. I mean they're on a third.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
Back backups to backups on the offensive line. Herbert hasn't
played well and he has.
Speaker 3 (26:26):
To own it.
Speaker 1 (26:27):
But I you know, I go back to Peyton Manning's
early playoff career. He was dreadful and then Peyton ends
up being, you know, in the end, as good as
anything we've seen. So you know, New England's the better team,
the healthier team. They're at home. Drake May was fine
for his first playoff appearance. I mean, I thought he
was fine. They also have Will Campbell, a real left
tackle who is you know, it matters when you have
(26:49):
a starting, high end left tackle and you have a backup,
it matters.
Speaker 6 (26:52):
But of the three first time playoff quarterbacks this weekend,
Bryce Young, Caleb Williams, and Drake May, I think Drake
May looked like the third best quarterback. Yeah, I mean
he played the third best quarterback this weekend. I don't
care about the MVP. Just a quick word on Herbert.
So as you noted, Peyton Manning, oh and three.
Speaker 3 (27:10):
Stafford's first three was all for three in Detroit.
Speaker 6 (27:12):
Yeah, but Peyton Manning's third one I remember it well
because they played my Jets and the Jets won forty
one nothing. Okay, forty one nothing. Now, the Colts in
Manning's first year were thirteen and three and hosted a
playoff game and he wasn't good and they lost. So
this justin Herbert's stuff. People are going overboard Colin.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
They seem to.
Speaker 6 (27:27):
Think that like, oh, he's not good. Well, I don't know.
There's a spotlight right now in the OC. Greg Roman
last two playoff games, twenty two possessions, one touchdown. Yeah,
now listen, forty nine ers defense. You've talked about it.
They're playing practice squad guys. They figured out a way,
they schemed it up. How do you not, given the
basically the week off last week, have anything prepared to
(27:49):
protect Herbert. That's kind of unacceptable to me.
Speaker 12 (27:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (27:53):
They looked ill prepared offensively.
Speaker 1 (27:55):
What Yeah, there was just no Jewice. I mean, and
now Herbert was in a hut. They had a possession
in the red zone. I mean, he had an opportunity.
But when that ball was dropped by Keenan Allen, kind
of the underneath, I was like, oh, okay, there's your
ball game.
Speaker 6 (28:08):
And by the way, Hampton running back, who's really good
one carry leaves injured. I mean, I don't know are
the Chargers ever gonna get healthy ever?
Speaker 3 (28:17):
Just extremely frustrating.
Speaker 6 (28:18):
Final story con tonight Texans Steelers. What hopefully we'll cap
off one of the better wildcard weekends we've seen in
a while. Houston's defense has been unbelievable. Mike Tomlin looking
to snap his sixth straight playoff loss streak ahead of
the game. When asked about his playoff drought, Tomlin said,
despite being AFC North champs, the Steelers they.
Speaker 3 (28:40):
Got a lot of stuff.
Speaker 6 (28:41):
Ahead of them, and they seem to think that they're
ready to go on a roll here. I don't necessarily agree,
but who am I to.
Speaker 3 (28:48):
To call a game after this?
Speaker 5 (28:49):
That?
Speaker 1 (28:50):
I said all year? I mean, the playoffs are crazy.
Speaker 3 (28:52):
All year.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
I doubted the Jaguars in the last two weeks. I'm like, yeah,
Jacksonville's good. Then at home they lose all year. I
love the Texans, but I'm watching Gainwell and Warren and Friarmouth.
Here comes DK and I can't unsee that great second
half against the Ravens by Aaron Rodgers. Tomlin as a
dog is excellent. Tomlin as a home dog's even better.
Tomlin is a Monday home dog. I think you're gonna
(29:17):
see a pretty low scoring guy. I mean, I think
it's seventeen thirteen. Here's where Pittsburgh's very good in these games.
Speaker 3 (29:24):
When you think.
Speaker 1 (29:25):
Pittsburgh, you're trying to figure out how they're gonna score,
they always find a way to do something. On defense.
DJ Watt gets a pick fall into his hands. Pittsburgh
is very resourceful. In games where they don't move the
ball consistently, they find a way to grab points. I
think it's gonna be lowe. I think it's a quick game.
(29:45):
It's gonna be a lot of running underneath stuff, a
lot of it played in between the thirties. Kicking could
be a big deal, and they'll be a turnover at
some point in this game because these defenses live on
that stuff. So I think it's really close and given
the taking the points, I would take the points. I
wish it was three and a half not three, but
I think I'll take the points.
Speaker 6 (30:05):
We'll go ahead to head and if I lose, I've
officially lost my shirt. I'll have to do the show
shirtless tomorrow because I don't have anything to wear.
Speaker 3 (30:13):
Jmack with the news.
Speaker 2 (30:14):
Well that's the news, and thanks for stopping by The
Herd Line News.
Speaker 1 (30:19):
Okay, people want Matt Lafleur fired, I'll tell you why
it's crazy and what are we going to make of
the Rams?
Speaker 3 (30:26):
What are the Rams? Who now fly home?
Speaker 1 (30:30):
We'll be back playing Chicago on Sunday night as a
four and a half point favorite. I gotta tell I
may just talk myself into the Bears here. What are
the Rams? Matt Lafleur next the Hurd.
Speaker 2 (30:45):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and noon Easter not a Empacific.
Speaker 3 (30:50):
Fox College Tubes.
Speaker 6 (30:51):
Friday features a prime time Big twelve battle as Baylor
Let's take down Bill Self's twenty second rank Kansas Jay.
It all tips off Friday night at eat Eastern on Fox.
Speaker 1 (31:04):
So you know when the Packers lost, it was predictable.
That everybody in Green Bay wants him fire. Adam Schefter
reporting the Packers are working on a deal to retain
Matt Lafleur, and they should. Green Bay fans can be
a little delusional. You had far of an Aaron Rodgers
for thirty one years. You got to three Super Bowls
and won two. Why because free agents mostly don't want
(31:29):
to play in green Bay, small town, not a lot
to do, so he got to live through the draft.
Third straight year youngest team in the league was Green Bay.
That happens a lot. Third straight year fewest free agent signings,
so they're missing a leg on the barstool in green Bay.
A couple of years ago, McVeigh and Les Snead talk
(31:50):
the owner Stan Cronke into paying for Jared Goff and
Matt Stafford at the same time at quarterback.
Speaker 3 (31:56):
Good luck doing that in green Bay. There is no owner.
Speaker 1 (32:00):
That've got some obstacles, and Packer fans are like, well,
why can Philadelphia do? Because it's Philadelphia and they have
huge game day revenue and they have a highly aggressive owner,
they don't have to get things approved and so if
Farvarn Rogers each win one Super Bowl in thirty one years.
It's hard, don't be Cleveland and fire a really smart
(32:21):
offensive guy. In the following week. He's the first or
second best candidate for six jobs. The other thing to
remember is man Lafleur out coach Ben Johnson this weekend.
Speaker 3 (32:31):
Yes he did.
Speaker 1 (32:32):
The first half is the coach's half. That is play design,
play calling, game plan scheming.
Speaker 3 (32:41):
Green Bay led twenty one three.
Speaker 1 (32:43):
The second half is Caleb Williams and Josh Allen proved
is the baller half. That was Elway's half. Josh Allen's
better than the second half.
Speaker 3 (32:52):
You're not on script. Now, everybody's seen everything.
Speaker 1 (32:55):
So if you want to blame somebody for Chicago's twenty five,
you know, points late in the game, that's Jeff Halfley.
But even even Jeff Halfley, what are you gonna do?
So all three games the Packers played the Bears, green
Bay lead, well, the coaches take leads, by the way, Philadelphia,
San Francisco. Who was the coach that had a great
(33:16):
first drive, Kyle Shanahan, not Nick Seriani.
Speaker 3 (33:19):
So you're leading games.
Speaker 1 (33:21):
And once Micah Parsons went down, remember they trade Kenny Clark,
a good defensive tackle in that Micah deal and then
Micah gets hurt, so you're missing a B plus defensive
tackle and an A edge well your defense, which, by
the way, if you ever watch games, defenses are always
usually better early because they have more energy, and then
(33:42):
they're chasing the you know, the three hundred pound guys.
The two hundred and eighty pound guys are chasing people
for three and a half four hours. They're not as
good late. That's why you need a Micah Parsons, and
you also need a Kenny Clark in you don't have
either of that, one due to a trade, one due
to an injury.
Speaker 3 (33:57):
So all I.
Speaker 1 (33:57):
Know is when Ben Johnson got hired, the first thing
he did is buy an offensive line. I just think
that kind of stuff is harder in Green Bay without
an owner, you stay whatever you want. The first half,
I thought Matt Lafleur and the Packers played a flawless
first half. Isn't that the coaches half? Was it a
(34:18):
tough loss? Yes, playoffs, Jacksonville looked better than Buffalo all year.
Speaker 3 (34:23):
We're at home. They lost too.
Speaker 1 (34:26):
We all like Liam Cohen, I mean, you got Sean
McVay almost lost with the Panthers twice, and so here
was Matt lafluor after the loss.
Speaker 12 (34:39):
We just got to do a better job of keeping
our composure as a football team and going out there
and doing the fundamental things that we practice all the time.
There's a lot of pieces. All you're trying to do
in the moment is when mistakes are made, you're correcting them.
There's not long discussions on the sideline. It's just you
correct the mistakes and you try to keep it moving.
(35:00):
And I felt like just our team got a little
bit disheveled in the second half.
Speaker 1 (35:04):
Yeah, it happens. You're on the road, it's loud, Caleb's
doing Caleb.
Speaker 3 (35:08):
It happens.
Speaker 1 (35:10):
And so the Rams. Rams are hard to wrap your
brain around. So, I mean, Carolina scored thirty plus points
twice this year, both times against the Rams. And I
keep hearing Chris Shula, Oh, I always hear this about
mcveigh's defensive coordinators. Randon Staley, Raheem Morris. This guy is
something else.
Speaker 3 (35:32):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (35:33):
Carolina was four for four in the red zone. Good
on third down. I mean Robert sala Is making a
Sioux flea with a pack of dumb and some and
peanut briddle. The Rams are healthy, they have a great
front seven. Jared versus plateaued Carolina was great on third
down and perfect in the red zone.
Speaker 3 (35:54):
Don Shula was great.
Speaker 5 (35:56):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (35:56):
Chris Shula is great. I don't know.
Speaker 1 (35:58):
It's the McVeigh magic. I'll say that everything McVeigh touches
seems to work. I'll give you an example, Matt Stafford.
First of all, he's gotten into one of his streaks
where he's a little reckless. Seven picks in seven games.
The other thing is he's the only quarterback in the
NFL that didn't even rush for a first down this year.
So you're kind of limited with the Rams. If the
play design doesn't work, the play's done. If the play
(36:21):
design doesn't work for Buffalo or Chicago, you get a
second play. So you know, I think mcveigh's magic. We
always believe, and mcveigh's assistants are brilliant, and then they
leave and they're not so brilliant. I mean, I defend
Zach Taylor in Cincinnati, most people don't. Another thing is
the special teams guy for the Rams. That's a total adventure.
(36:41):
So you know, the Carolina Panthers you were watching, I
was watching they almost beat the Rams twice, and they
took that defense up and down the field and key omens.
Speaker 3 (36:55):
So I don't know. I don't know what to make.
I think the Rams a.
Speaker 1 (37:00):
Huge break that the left tackle for the Bears is
hurt and TJ. Edwards an excellent defensive player, probably their
second best defensive player. He's hurt and he's out of
the playoffs. That's a big break. But the last four
or five weeks you're watching, I'm watching something's off with
the Rams.
Speaker 2 (37:17):
Now.
Speaker 1 (37:17):
Now that said Stafford, big moments like it's hard not
to trust He's.
Speaker 3 (37:24):
Not gonna run around.
Speaker 1 (37:26):
Look one way, throw the other. Pooka the coup is basically,
you can't defend him. From what I can tell in
the NFL, you can't cover Pooka.
Speaker 3 (37:34):
Nakua.
Speaker 1 (37:35):
Devonte Adams got that you know what knocked out of him,
stood up, kept playing. They run the ball, their tight
ends are great. So they pulled it out the McVeigh magic.
But I don't know how good they are Bears four
and a half at home.
Speaker 3 (37:50):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (37:52):
I'm watched Carolina worked this great defense, which is healthy.
I mean San Francisco is doing it with smoke. This
defense is healthy. Jared versus Plateau. I don't know what
to make of the front because I think it's full
of good players. Here's mcvagh after.
Speaker 11 (38:08):
I could feel Matthew and I were on the same page,
and he did such a great job. I did feel
really good that you knew you had four downs, never
even got to that point where we needed to even really.
Speaker 3 (38:18):
Get it to a third down. But he was he
was outstanding.
Speaker 11 (38:20):
I thought our guys made the plays that they needed to,
and they made their plays. That's what great players do.
That's what you love about this league. But ultimately, the
players did a nice job.
Speaker 1 (38:29):
All right, let's look at the NFC playoff picture. Let's
get all of them here. So San Francisco Seattle, I
will tell you this, San Francisco is going to come
out aggressive in the first half because they know they
don't have the overall roster. Seattle is a favorite off rest.
(38:49):
What to young teams we saw it in college. What
a young teams do off of buy they don't play
well in the first half, they don't watch San Francisco
Seattle very competitive. I would take Seattle to eventually wear
them down. But Shanahan know he doesn't have the roster.
He knows he doesn't have the roster. Shanahan's going to
(39:10):
be hyper aggressive against the Seahawk team, and Seattle probably
goes in knowing they have the better roster.
Speaker 3 (39:16):
A little cautious.
Speaker 1 (39:18):
I think the game, at least at halftime is really close,
and then you cross your fingers on what quarterbacks make plays.
The Bears had two really tough injuries to deal with.
They're at home, Rams go home, back out to cold weather.
Let's see, let's see. I don't know what to do
with the Rams here. They should be favored. They are.
(39:39):
I think those injuries really really hurt the Bears. It
was also such a gigantic win. Is there a little
bit of a letdown? We'll see in the AFC. I
am done doubting Josh Allen. I think Denver's got the
better team. I think Denver's got the better coach. I'm
not touching it. I just I'm done doubting Josh Allen.
(40:00):
New England takes on j Mac thinks the Texans. He's
probably right. I like Pittsburgh to cover. I'll tell you though,
if you're New England, you're rooting for the Steelers to win. Yeah,
Drake May against that pass rush and that defense of Houston.
(40:21):
That is a handful. That is not that could be.
I mean, listen, Drake May struggled last night at a
layer of talent and length and pass rushing with Houston's defense.
Speaker 12 (40:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (40:36):
Wow, it's Colin that NFC so three teams from the
NFC West are left. Okay, that's a little crazy. Second,
if Seattle and Chicago are playing for a trip to
the Super Bowl, will that be the most insufferable you
are since I've joined the show, because you basically called
those teams your teams have destiny the off season.
Speaker 3 (40:57):
I mean, you had both of them and Denver as well.
Speaker 6 (41:00):
I don't I don't know how you nailed all these guys,
but I'm just absolutely New England.
Speaker 1 (41:05):
If New England and Seattle get in, it will be
my greatest moment.
Speaker 3 (41:12):
He knew it was thirty years of TV radio.
Speaker 1 (41:14):
I mean, come on, I think San Francisco Seattle keep
your eye on a hyper aggressive forty nine er team
and a heavily favored and cautious home Seattle team. Don't
buy in a blowout top Colin right, Colin wrong. Next
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 Sports Radio
dot com, or stream us live every day on the
iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
Oh man, do we have a Monday show? Baby?
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Here we go. We're live. We're in Chicago. They win
football playoff games in this city. Baby, It's the Herd
wherever you may be, however you may be listening. Thanks
for making us part of your day. The city is buzzy,
should be. I gotta be honest, I'm so glad Philly
(00:52):
lost that their tushes got pushed out of the playoffs
because the NFL playoffs are about the best coach and
the best quarterbacks, and Philly has neither.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
They don't have either.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
Bottom line is, let's talk Niners from the opening drive
to the perfectly time trick play, to their ingenuity to
their efficiency on third down. Kyle Shanahan is using c
pons and buying a month full of groceries for forty
eight bucks, and I feel like Sirianni hit the lottery
and he's broke two years later. San Francisco is totally resourceful.
(01:33):
I mean, think about this, Nick Sirianni gets two picks,
a twenty seven yard punt by the Niners.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
George Kittle gets hurt, You're at.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Home and this year in the second half, all year,
Philadelphia averages nine points in the second half, including the playoffs,
twenty six in the league, twenty six and second half yards.
There's no creativity, and I think Philadelphia, like a poorly
coached team, is getting worse over time. I mean, I'm
(02:02):
the one thing I'll say about Philly is that their
run defense was great, But that's Vic Fangio. Everything I
liked about the Eagles was Vic Fangio.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Think about this.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
San Francisco's six highest paid players missed sixty percent of
the snaps. How in the hell are they thirteen and five?
How are they winning these games? And I've been critical
of Brock pretty but you know what, short memory, couple
of bad picks, one really bad, did not matter, great
(02:33):
final drive, big throws, didn't have George Kittle second quarter
on didn't always have the greatest protection. There was pressure
and let's be honest about Jalen Hurts. He's pretty consistently
ineffective in the pocket. Greg Cosel's been telling us us
for years. Tom Brady on the broadcast sedit, why are
you rolling out? He's rolling out because he can't see
(02:53):
because he's too small. And so again, that playoffs, to
me are about Shanahan and Roberts.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
I mean, Shanahan's a wizard. That opening drive, I was.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
Like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa is that? And that trick
play wasn't like a hooking lateral in the red zone.
That's a big boy trick play reversus receiver throwing deep.
For three and a half hours, you saw coaching. Whenever
a coach makes like fifteen million a year, people are like,
whoa coaching's overrated. Exhibit A of why it's not. That
(03:26):
was a coaching mismatch. One coach was Chat GPT and
the other was Crayons. That wasn't even close. So the
Eagles are boring, They're not creative. They've got an unbelievable roster,
but forty percent of their drives yesterday, we're three and out.
They Philadelphia led the NFL in percentage of three and
(03:50):
outs how A J. Brown, Devon day Smith, Dallas Goddard,
sa Quon Barkley, get out of here, Get that tush
pushed out of here. And by the way, I don't
want to hear about Sirianni boys great in the locker room.
He is great putting a fence around this team. He
barketed A. J. Brown great again on the sidelines. Come on,
(04:13):
you got to grow up at some point. So I
just to me, the NFL playoffs are about quarterback play, efficiency, ingenuity, overcoming, resourcefulness,
and that all came outside of Vic Fangio from one side.
So and I don't want to hear about what a
great manager he is. I don't buy it. Part of managing.
(04:34):
I mean you staying what you want about certain coaches
in this league. But a lot of the top offensive coaches,
Ben Johnson, Sean Payton, Andy Reid, their teams are great
in the fourth quarter.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
That's what they are.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
All I know is the better quarterback played, the better coaching,
the better coordinating, the more creativity.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
Was all on San Francisco.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
Forty four year old Philip Rivers, five years out of retirement,
face this same San Francisco defense. You saw it this
year and forty four year old Philip Rivers had more points,
passing yards and was better on third down than Jalen
Hurts Nick Sarian, he was against this Niner defense. How
(05:16):
is that possible? It's possible because the best coaches change outcomes,
not just field position. That was Wizardry Shanahan put on
a clinic. Sala put on a clinic with half the roster.
(05:36):
The minute Kittle went down, I'm like, oh, and they
were playing so well, and they did it late.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
They want to hear Shanny after proud of the guys,
how hard they battled.
Speaker 4 (05:49):
And I'll just kind of staying in there. Having two
linebackers weren't on our team a month ago, and those
guys playing that whole game and playing at a high
level was so impressive. To find a way to win
that game. We thought it would be a grimy game,
is how we say it. There was our defense allowed
it to be that way. And then you know that
last drive. You know some of the places Juice made
on it I thought were so big on Brock had
(06:11):
a couple of mistakes, obviously with his two picks and stuff,
but to come back on that last drive get us
an end zone, lead us all the way down there.
It gets like a third guy in his progression on
the touchdown.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
Real proud of the guys.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
Yeah, I mean, I've defended Darnold's bad pick, Stafford's bad picks.
I've got to be fair. What do you do after
the pick? You go into a shell to body language,
get bad brock party on the road, No, kiddle, lot
of pressure and they weren't getting a lot of yards
on the ground. Fangio did a great job, great run defense. Iny,
(06:43):
I know Jennings may have had the best throw of
anybody on the field, but that is what coaching looks like. Okay,
I want to talk about the Bears, So I'm not
saying the pope being from Chicago is why the Bears
are winning. But there's a there's a correlation causation thing
(07:05):
we need to discuss because I don't seventh win after
trailing in the fourth quarter. And when it comes to
Caleb Williams, I've gotten to the point where I just
I not that I want to be like a ice
cream for breakfast parent, but it's hard scolding him. Well,
you know, it's completion percentages a little low. Yeah, whatever, Well,
(07:27):
you know, he does miss some layups, yeah, but just
see the ones in the end.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
It's got a Steph Curry vibe. I don't want anybody
in the NBA.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
Shooting thirty four footers accept Steph Curry when he's on
a heater and then it's like.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
Well, he's different rules for him.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
I feel like with Caleb, look at this.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
Throw, it's just different rules.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
I mean, the guy at the lowest completion percentage of
any playoff quarterback, yet the most passing yards.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
What do you want me to do? I'm gonna bend
some rules.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
You know. You hear about all the time gifted kids,
you know, and sometimes they can be really unique personalities.
And it's like watching the Gifted Child where Okay, he
puts his pants on backwards at twelve, but he's taking
advanced calculus at thirteen.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
What do you want me to do?
Speaker 1 (08:15):
He's different. Caleb's special. I heard all the scouts. Well,
you know he's moody a little bit. Well, he can
be erratic, yeah, regularly. Well the fingernails painting, he's a
little emotional.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
Not the end of the world.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
All I know is I'm watching these fourth quarters and
I'm like, it's Steph Curry. I don't want anybody else
shooting it.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
I don't want.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
Anybody else with a fifty seven percent completion percentage over
the course of a season.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
But I'm gonna live with it.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
I don't know what it's supposed to do. That second half.
I mean he made he made Jordan Love, really talented guy,
look incredibly pedestrian. I said it last night in my podcast.
Is a little John Elway, there's a little Josh Allen,
There's a lot of Caleb Williams. And here's the thing
all great quarterbacks. When people say, well he's got Ben Johnson,
(09:03):
Ben Johnson did not have his best performance. I thought
Matt Lafleuur out coached him, especially in the first half,
which is the coach's half. Second half is the baller half,
first half, the coaching half, half, the scripted half. I
didn't think Ben Johnson had a very good game by
Ben Johnson Sandard, I think a little desperate, a little
too cute too often.
Speaker 3 (09:26):
But every so.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
When people say, well Ben Johnson's been special, I'm not
denying that. Akee Benet, Jimmy Johnson, foutsed Airic Coriel, Brady Belichick,
you know, Montano Walsh.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
Everybody's got Marino, Shula lay Shanny.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
I don't want to hear about that because I didn't
think Ben Johnson had one of his better games. But
I will say this, every quarterback also has flaws. Manning
didn't have a huge arm, Mahomes and his mechanics. Tom
Brady not a great athlete. Yeah, I'll be honest with you.
Caleb misses too many layups. Man that ball sales on him. Yeah,
but it's what you do. What do you produce to
(10:06):
mitigate or overcome your flaw. I mean, Jimmy Hendrix had
to occasionally miss a note, right, It's not just about
the floor. It's got to be about the ceiling. And
I'm sitting there watching him in the fourth quarter. And
you know what's great if you're from Chicago, the Bears
finally have real leadership. Monday through Friday it's Ben Johnson,
(10:29):
and Sunday it's Caleb and Poplio. Because I don't really
know exactly how to explain it that Caleb can really
be out of sync missus notes in the first half
and then be a combination of the greatest stuff I've
ever seen in the fourth. Here's Caleb after.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
Well you got right here, Marshwayolden.
Speaker 5 (10:54):
Where everything he's done for us as a coach, everything
the other coaches have done for us, you know, and
it started with him with bringing in everybody and the
emotions that right.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
And for me personally, For me.
Speaker 5 (11:10):
Personally, he's been, uh say, getting emotional for me personally,
he's been monumental in my life so far to his
first playoff win.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
Oh, there's that Caleb guy. He's getting very emotional. How
do you not get emotional? I'm watching it on television.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
I'm emotional.
Speaker 1 (11:36):
I just moved to Chicago. I'm emotional. How do you
not get emotional? This stuff's I mean it's video game stuff.
That throw he made with five minutes left up the sideline,
three packers around him. I'm never say anything like that.
I mean that that is a top four or five
throw of my life like this one. I mean, look
(11:58):
at us throw. It doesn't make any sense, rolling right,
throwing left. Huh, I don't bull get in there. We
got it from this forew that doesn't even make sense.
That again, that's one of those videos of Steph Curry
before the game when he's going into the tunnel and
makes a seventy five footer. You're like, oh, that's gotta
be AI. That throat looks like AI. I don't even
(12:19):
know what to make of it. All right, we got
everybody watched to get rid of Matt Lafleur. I think
you're out of your mind. Colin Wright, Colin Wrong, top
of next hour. Jmac, don't worry. You did not You
did not have a great weekend.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
Oh great I had. It was a bloodbath. Couldn't pick
a game to save my life.
Speaker 6 (12:37):
Got screwed by coaches, kickers, you name it. I mean, listen,
I thought, I still can't get over this. Packers lost, Colin.
I mean total domination. Twenty one touchdown, touchdown, touchdown to
start the game, and then just fold late. I don't
want to fire la floor, but man, I got some
Packers buddies who are living.
Speaker 3 (12:54):
They just they can't put you. They're beyond themselves right now?
Speaker 1 (12:57):
How do you?
Speaker 6 (12:58):
Jordan Love was incredible in that four touchdowns, three hundred yards,
the Matthew Golden touchdown not thirteen.
Speaker 1 (13:05):
Let me tell you, Matthew Golden has been banged up
all year. Matthew Golden was worth a first round pick.
That guy is a spectacular talents. He's really good. He's
just been hurt on and off all year. But they
you know, the Packers draft and developed very well. Matthew
Golden by next year is he's gonna be a star?
I mean like Colston Lovelin took him a couple of
(13:25):
weeks and you're like, whoa stud think he is a
top two tight end talent in the league. That that
Golden kid by next year?
Speaker 3 (13:34):
Watch out?
Speaker 6 (13:35):
He just regarding tonight Colin. Fortunately one of us will
get a win because you have the Steelers, I have
the Texas. One of us will get off the schneid.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
I have no Maybe it ends in a tie. That possible.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
Yeah, So we got great another with four for four
until the Patriots sleeper last night, but it was.
Speaker 3 (13:52):
A win for New England.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
Nonetheless, be sure to catch live editions of The Herd
weekdays and noon Eastern not a em Pacific on Fox
Sports Rates one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 7 (14:03):
Fox Sports Radio is taking over YouTube and you can
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Speaker 3 (14:37):
Just amazing weekend. Huh.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
You may have noticed the NFL playoffs were just fine
without the Kansas City Chiefs, and one of the many reasons,
A big reason is Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills.
He is in my lifetime, and I really believe this
the most impressive football player I've ever seen. Doesn't mean
(15:03):
he's going to be the most decorated or the most beloved.
He's the most impressive football player. The size, the arm,
the caginess. The guy got ten yards on a tush push.
I mean just an eighty percent completion percentage on the
road against a good defense to nine different receivers. And
this is not a very good receiving room. Oh yeah,
he also was in concussion protocol, hurt his hand and
(15:24):
tweaked his knee. It doesn't matter, I swear I think
he's better trailing because then he can be like, you
know what, I'm just gonna I'm gonna take the game over.
I mean, do you know how good you have to
be to be this good against pro athletes? I mean,
this is what you do if you're a Division one
athlete and you're in high school or you're a Sunday
player at a small college.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
That's what he looks like. The guy's all banged up.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
Head, gets hurt, hand, gets hurt, knee, gets tweaked, doesn't
matter twelve for twelve to his primary target, and that's
a week receiving room. So I said, all week, I
asked the question. I said, all week, how is Jacksonville
the underdog? And then I watched the second half and.
Speaker 3 (16:05):
I'm like, oh, yeah, yeah, Josh Allen, my bad. I'm
not doubting them.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
Ever again, because you know what's going to happen is
fifty years from now, the kids are going to be
listening to grandpa and Grandpa's.
Speaker 3 (16:21):
Gonna go guy named Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:23):
I was like Paul Bunyan and the kids will think
it's mythology and folklore. And I'm here to tell you kids,
if I'm still around.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
Uh uh.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
I saw him play.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
I find that Buffalo is impossible, not the root for
It's like the Cubs when they were you know, they
finally get to the series. Like everybody in the country
wanted the Cubs to win, but the Cubs were kind
of pathetic for decades. Buffalo has been good for long stretches.
I always say this. My wife used to go to
Buffalo a lot for business. He's like nicest people in
the world. The players get their snowblowers after blizzards and
(16:56):
clear them for the players. So and there's just certain
people in this job. It's like Lebron or Michael Jordan
or Magic or like Messy in the World Cup. They're
too great not to get a trophy. I felt like
that when I was younger with John Elway. He's got
to win some of these Super Bowls. He's too good
not to win it. And I'm looking at Josh Allen's
playoff career. Looked it up this morning. All time rank
(17:18):
total yards first ever. Again, this is not with loaded
receiving course total touchdown interception ratio thirty five to four. Yeah,
best ever. So they faced Denver, They'll be the road team.
It's at seven thousand feet. Sean Payton's got extra time.
And my guess is Buffalo wins. I'm done doubting him.
(17:41):
So I mean, you just you get to a point
if you have a little gray in your hair or
your bear to your mustache or wherever. And you've watched
all these great players like Lawrence Taylor, the Lawrence Taylor
didn't have the ball sixty times in his hand, Reggie White,
you know, Brady, you watch all these I'm just talking
(18:02):
watching a professional athlete. And I can remember when Jordan
was in the league, and I remember thinking, he's not
the best shooter, he's not the best ball handler, he's
not the strongest guy. I mean, Dominique Wilkins had a
better vertical jump. How is he so much better than
the second best player? And that's that's what I when
I watched Josh Allen, I'm like, this is and and
it's a great example in life. Keep your head down
(18:24):
in work. Couldn't get college offers, couldn't get college dad
sending out tapes. And what you're watching is it's it's
the ultimate cliche.
Speaker 3 (18:34):
That is one oh one. What he does.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
Most consecutive seasons winning a playoff game. The Bills are
now at six and what do respect to Brandon Bean
and Sean mcderbott and Dion Dawkins and all the good bills. Hey,
there are one reason they're on that list on TV
that you're looking at.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
Here's Josh after the win.
Speaker 8 (19:00):
To have the wherewithal its again not blink And I
think that's just the mantra that we have adopted this
year of if we've got time left and we got
the ball, we got a shot. And you saw that
there today.
Speaker 1 (19:13):
Yeah, that when you're on the field with Trevor Lawrence,
who was the number one high school quarterback, college quarterback,
number one pick, and you're on the field and you
forget Trevor's playing, it's.
Speaker 3 (19:26):
Like that is that is what a weekend?
Speaker 1 (19:29):
I mean we saw everything great coaching, shaky coaching, tenuous
quarterback play, Caleb in the fourth and Josh Allen concussion protocol, tweak, knee, hurt, hand,
what ebbs. They move on to Denver undone doubting him.
Speaker 3 (19:48):
J Mack with the news, Turn on the news.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
This is the headline news.
Speaker 6 (19:54):
Let's go to college football.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
We haven't talked about.
Speaker 6 (19:56):
The Indiana just destruction of Oregon what and mauling that
was holy cal And you want to talk about somebody
who you don't want to doubt for an and no Mendoza,
I don't hear anybody doubting after the five tuddies he
put on Oregon, and it wasn't just five touchdown passes.
Speaker 3 (20:11):
I mean these are darts. The guy was incredible.
Speaker 6 (20:14):
Colin, everything right on target. He has now gone five
games this season with more TV passes than in completions.
Yet he's ever the superstar that afterward he wanted to
share the credit among everybody else. It ain't just about him.
Speaker 9 (20:31):
I would say, I've came a long way from you know,
being near in January, being game one, game one and
through zero touchdout pass. I was trying to be Superman,
and then the coaching st to have settle me down.
It's like, hey, you don't got to be Superman. We
have a great defense and a great uh superstars you know,
playmakers and Alvis Lyne on offense, So just do your job.
So my job is to be effective with making you know,
really accurate balls and really great decisions. And that's why
(20:52):
I pride myself on every single play and so I'm
glad those results of came. However, none of that matters.
All that matters right now is National Championship.
Speaker 1 (20:59):
It's the most fishing offense, it's the best tackling defense,
and Flawa special teams.
Speaker 3 (21:05):
There's no hole here.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
Like I had said, I thought Indiana would win because
Oregon's good, but they make mistakes. I do think Miami
and their physical style up front will make this a
really competitive game. I'll take Indiana, but I think Miami
matches up pretty well with everybody when you can be
as as by the way, Miami's got so many athletes
on the perimeter, they're so physically capable.
Speaker 3 (21:28):
And the other thing to remember is Carson.
Speaker 1 (21:29):
Beck has been how many National champion That's be his
third National Championship game. You could see Indiana Mendoza being
a little hyper, you know, the first couple series you're
playing for all the Marvels. Carson becksman in that game
multiple times. So I think it's a really good game,
and I think the physicality of Miami keeps it closed.
Speaker 3 (21:48):
But it's hard to root.
Speaker 1 (21:49):
It's hard to see a team that doesn't make mistakes losing.
Speaker 3 (21:53):
They're so efficient.
Speaker 6 (21:56):
Interestingly, there's some comparisons out there Mendoza to Joe Burrow
during his title run with LSU.
Speaker 3 (22:03):
Unbelievably, the numbers are kind of similar.
Speaker 6 (22:05):
Both offenses are doing some just ridiculous things. Are you
surprised that the spread for Indiana Miami is seven to
seven and a half colored.
Speaker 3 (22:14):
No, it's like a big number. Yeah, but I mean again,
look what they're doing.
Speaker 1 (22:19):
Beat Ohio State, hammered Alabama, embarrasses Oregon. This is here's
what I don't get. You watch Dante more in, Fernando
Mendoza the field at the same time, it's not close.
Speaker 6 (22:31):
We'll talk about Mendoza more in a second.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
But I mean it's like, settle down, folks.
Speaker 1 (22:35):
Mendoza is I'm not saying he's Andrew Lucker Elway. He
is a high end. This idea that he can't run.
C J. Stroud's not a big runner doesn't matter if
you sit in the pocket, throw darts, big arm, grateful.
I mean, these are big time throws in huge games.
(22:56):
They don't have a five star guy on their team. So,
and by the way, Indian I was good last year,
Why are they so unbelievable this year? Because they've got
the icing on the cake. The cake is signetti. They're
old line, they tackle well, good special teams. This kid
you ever noticed in the end zone throws nobody can
catch them. But Indiana guys, everything's just a little He
(23:18):
makes sure one guy can catch all those end zone throws.
Speaker 3 (23:21):
Colin.
Speaker 6 (23:21):
I know people are looking for an NFL comp for Mendoza,
and I'll just say this, the poise in the pocket,
the ball placement, the accuracy. I see a young Tom
Brady in his pinpoint accuracy.
Speaker 8 (23:33):
Colin.
Speaker 3 (23:33):
I'm not saying he's gonna win a million.
Speaker 6 (23:35):
Super Bowls and be the best quarterback ever, but in
terms of like just structure in the pocket and delivering
the football, he's doing it as well as anybody I've
seen in forever. I mean, this guy really is incredible. Now,
when it comes to Dante Moore, I'm sure you saw
the news this morning, Dylan Rayola that Patrick Mahomes look
alike who was at Nebraska, he has committed to Oregon.
(23:55):
He is now waiting to find out what Dante Moore does.
But it's interesting that he doesn't care what Dante Moore does.
NFL or stays Dylan Raila wants to compete for the
job next year. And I'll say this, Dante Moore Colin.
That was a forgettable You watch that and you're like,
NFL really, I mean, how many fumbles did he have?
The interception on the first play of the game. He
(24:17):
does not look NFL ready to be I mean, assuming
you agree.
Speaker 1 (24:21):
Well, I think he should go and sit. But he'll
go to a crappy team and be forced to play
at twenty years old like the Jets, and will ruin
his career. So I think Indiana makes everybody look bad.
Tys Simpson's not terrible. Guess who made him look terrible? Indiana, Georgia.
Georgia made a lot of players look bad when they
were in Kirby Smart's you know, four years ago. They
(24:42):
necessarily weren't bad players.
Speaker 3 (24:44):
So I wouldn't.
Speaker 1 (24:45):
I wouldn't put too much of Dante Moore's career into
that start.
Speaker 6 (24:50):
Great against Texas Tech.
Speaker 3 (24:51):
The game before is.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
Well, Texas Tech again is a great defense. So you
would tell him, I would say, stay in school. I
think Dante Moore needs another fifty starts with good players.
Speaker 3 (25:02):
Agreed, Yeah, all right, let's go to the NFL last night.
Speaker 6 (25:05):
Uh, Mike Chargers, Big Egg offensively did not show up.
Speaker 3 (25:09):
Couldn't do a damn thing.
Speaker 6 (25:10):
Patriots. They were not great either, is a bit of
a defensive struggle. Patriots did have a few big plays.
Drake May I don't know how even how you characterize
his performance. He had a couple of good throws, but
took way too many sacks. Yeah, you know, after the game,
make credit the defense as the driving force for the win.
Speaker 3 (25:29):
Proud of this team.
Speaker 10 (25:30):
You know, we would never feel like, uh, you know,
we never doubted it. We never doubted it. You know,
it didn't look you know, it wasn't pretty, that's for sure.
But this defense was so fun to watch. No congrats
to them, it was it was so fun to watch
they they won the game for us. I didn't throw
O very well to night, and no need to be better,
but you know we we did what we had to
do and that's what takes the playoffs. And just proud
of this team.
Speaker 11 (25:49):
That was fun.
Speaker 10 (25:50):
Man, that was fun to get one at home and
look forward me back here next week.
Speaker 1 (25:54):
Yeah, I mean listen Peyton Manning's first three playoff games,
he completed forty seven percent of his throws because he
didn't have great stuff around him and he was young,
and Justin Herbert's completing fifty four percent in his first
three playoff games. He's struggling. But I said this Friday
because all week this was your pick, and I kept saying,
you cannot go on the road with a thirty second
best offensive line and win. It has to be like
(26:16):
thirteen to ten. You block a punt, you hit a
bunch of field goals.
Speaker 3 (26:20):
You can't. I mean they're on a third.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
Back backups to backups on the offensive line. Herbert hasn't
played well and he has.
Speaker 3 (26:26):
To own it.
Speaker 1 (26:27):
But I you know, I go back to Peyton Manning's
early playoff career. He was dreadful and then Peyton ends
up being, you know, in the end, as good as
anything we've seen. So you know, New England's the better team,
the healthier team. They're at home. Drake May was fine
for his first playoff appearance. I mean, I thought he
was fine. They also have Will Campbell, a real left
tackle who is you know, it matters when you have
(26:49):
a starting, high end left tackle and you have a backup,
it matters.
Speaker 6 (26:52):
But of the three first time playoff quarterbacks this weekend,
Bryce Young, Caleb Williams, and Drake May, I think Drake
May looked like the third best quarterback. Yeah, I mean
he played the third best quarterback this weekend. I don't
care about the MVP. Just a quick word on Herbert.
So as you noted, Peyton Manning, oh and three.
Speaker 3 (27:10):
Stafford's first three was all for three in Detroit.
Speaker 6 (27:12):
Yeah, but Peyton Manning's third one I remember it well
because they played my Jets and the Jets won forty
one nothing. Okay, forty one nothing. Now, the Colts in
Manning's first year were thirteen and three and hosted a
playoff game and he wasn't good and they lost. So
this justin Herbert's stuff. People are going overboard Colin.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
They seem to.
Speaker 6 (27:27):
Think that like, oh, he's not good. Well, I don't know.
There's a spotlight right now in the OC. Greg Roman
last two playoff games, twenty two possessions, one touchdown. Yeah,
now listen, forty nine ers defense. You've talked about it.
They're playing practice squad guys. They figured out a way,
they schemed it up. How do you not, given the
basically the week off last week, have anything prepared to
(27:49):
protect Herbert. That's kind of unacceptable to me.
Speaker 12 (27:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (27:53):
They looked ill prepared offensively.
Speaker 1 (27:55):
What Yeah, there was just no Jewice. I mean, and
now Herbert was in a hut. They had a possession
in the red zone. I mean, he had an opportunity.
But when that ball was dropped by Keenan Allen, kind
of the underneath, I was like, oh, okay, there's your
ball game.
Speaker 6 (28:08):
And by the way, Hampton running back, who's really good
one carry leaves injured. I mean, I don't know are
the Chargers ever gonna get healthy ever?
Speaker 3 (28:17):
Just extremely frustrating.
Speaker 6 (28:18):
Final story con tonight Texans Steelers. What hopefully we'll cap
off one of the better wildcard weekends we've seen in
a while. Houston's defense has been unbelievable. Mike Tomlin looking
to snap his sixth straight playoff loss streak ahead of
the game. When asked about his playoff drought, Tomlin said,
despite being AFC North champs, the Steelers they.
Speaker 3 (28:40):
Got a lot of stuff.
Speaker 6 (28:41):
Ahead of them, and they seem to think that they're
ready to go on a roll here. I don't necessarily agree,
but who am I to.
Speaker 3 (28:48):
To call a game after this?
Speaker 5 (28:49):
That?
Speaker 1 (28:50):
I said all year? I mean, the playoffs are crazy.
Speaker 3 (28:52):
All year.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
I doubted the Jaguars in the last two weeks. I'm like, yeah,
Jacksonville's good. Then at home they lose all year. I
love the Texans, but I'm watching Gainwell and Warren and Friarmouth.
Here comes DK and I can't unsee that great second
half against the Ravens by Aaron Rodgers. Tomlin as a
dog is excellent. Tomlin as a home dog's even better.
Tomlin is a Monday home dog. I think you're gonna
(29:17):
see a pretty low scoring guy. I mean, I think
it's seventeen thirteen. Here's where Pittsburgh's very good in these games.
Speaker 3 (29:24):
When you think.
Speaker 1 (29:25):
Pittsburgh, you're trying to figure out how they're gonna score,
they always find a way to do something. On defense.
DJ Watt gets a pick fall into his hands. Pittsburgh
is very resourceful. In games where they don't move the
ball consistently, they find a way to grab points. I
think it's gonna be lowe. I think it's a quick game.
(29:45):
It's gonna be a lot of running underneath stuff, a
lot of it played in between the thirties. Kicking could
be a big deal, and they'll be a turnover at
some point in this game because these defenses live on
that stuff. So I think it's really close and given
the taking the points, I would take the points. I
wish it was three and a half not three, but
I think I'll take the points.
Speaker 6 (30:05):
We'll go ahead to head and if I lose, I've
officially lost my shirt. I'll have to do the show
shirtless tomorrow because I don't have anything to wear.
Speaker 3 (30:13):
Jmack with the news.
Speaker 2 (30:14):
Well that's the news, and thanks for stopping by The
Herd Line News.
Speaker 1 (30:19):
Okay, people want Matt Lafleur fired, I'll tell you why
it's crazy and what are we going to make of
the Rams?
Speaker 3 (30:26):
What are the Rams? Who now fly home?
Speaker 1 (30:30):
We'll be back playing Chicago on Sunday night as a
four and a half point favorite. I gotta tell I
may just talk myself into the Bears here. What are
the Rams? Matt Lafleur next the Hurd.
Speaker 2 (30:45):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and noon Easter not a Empacific.
Speaker 3 (30:50):
Fox College Tubes.
Speaker 6 (30:51):
Friday features a prime time Big twelve battle as Baylor
Let's take down Bill Self's twenty second rank Kansas Jay.
It all tips off Friday night at eat Eastern on Fox.
Speaker 1 (31:04):
So you know when the Packers lost, it was predictable.
That everybody in Green Bay wants him fire. Adam Schefter
reporting the Packers are working on a deal to retain
Matt Lafleur, and they should. Green Bay fans can be
a little delusional. You had far of an Aaron Rodgers
for thirty one years. You got to three Super Bowls
and won two. Why because free agents mostly don't want
(31:29):
to play in green Bay, small town, not a lot
to do, so he got to live through the draft.
Third straight year youngest team in the league was Green Bay.
That happens a lot. Third straight year fewest free agent signings,
so they're missing a leg on the barstool in green Bay.
A couple of years ago, McVeigh and Les Snead talk
(31:50):
the owner Stan Cronke into paying for Jared Goff and
Matt Stafford at the same time at quarterback.
Speaker 3 (31:56):
Good luck doing that in green Bay. There is no owner.
Speaker 1 (32:00):
That've got some obstacles, and Packer fans are like, well,
why can Philadelphia do? Because it's Philadelphia and they have
huge game day revenue and they have a highly aggressive owner,
they don't have to get things approved and so if
Farvarn Rogers each win one Super Bowl in thirty one years.
It's hard, don't be Cleveland and fire a really smart
(32:21):
offensive guy. In the following week. He's the first or
second best candidate for six jobs. The other thing to
remember is man Lafleur out coach Ben Johnson this weekend.
Speaker 3 (32:31):
Yes he did.
Speaker 1 (32:32):
The first half is the coach's half. That is play design,
play calling, game plan scheming.
Speaker 3 (32:41):
Green Bay led twenty one three.
Speaker 1 (32:43):
The second half is Caleb Williams and Josh Allen proved
is the baller half. That was Elway's half. Josh Allen's
better than the second half.
Speaker 3 (32:52):
You're not on script. Now, everybody's seen everything.
Speaker 1 (32:55):
So if you want to blame somebody for Chicago's twenty five,
you know, points late in the game, that's Jeff Halfley.
But even even Jeff Halfley, what are you gonna do?
So all three games the Packers played the Bears, green
Bay lead, well, the coaches take leads, by the way, Philadelphia,
San Francisco. Who was the coach that had a great
(33:16):
first drive, Kyle Shanahan, not Nick Seriani.
Speaker 3 (33:19):
So you're leading games.
Speaker 1 (33:21):
And once Micah Parsons went down, remember they trade Kenny Clark,
a good defensive tackle in that Micah deal and then
Micah gets hurt, so you're missing a B plus defensive
tackle and an A edge well your defense, which, by
the way, if you ever watch games, defenses are always
usually better early because they have more energy, and then
(33:42):
they're chasing the you know, the three hundred pound guys.
The two hundred and eighty pound guys are chasing people
for three and a half four hours. They're not as
good late. That's why you need a Micah Parsons, and
you also need a Kenny Clark in you don't have
either of that, one due to a trade, one due
to an injury.
Speaker 3 (33:57):
So all I.
Speaker 1 (33:57):
Know is when Ben Johnson got hired, the first thing
he did is buy an offensive line. I just think
that kind of stuff is harder in Green Bay without
an owner, you stay whatever you want. The first half,
I thought Matt Lafleur and the Packers played a flawless
first half. Isn't that the coaches half? Was it a
(34:18):
tough loss? Yes, playoffs, Jacksonville looked better than Buffalo all year.
Speaker 3 (34:23):
We're at home. They lost too.
Speaker 1 (34:26):
We all like Liam Cohen, I mean, you got Sean
McVay almost lost with the Panthers twice, and so here
was Matt lafluor after the loss.
Speaker 12 (34:39):
We just got to do a better job of keeping
our composure as a football team and going out there
and doing the fundamental things that we practice all the time.
There's a lot of pieces. All you're trying to do
in the moment is when mistakes are made, you're correcting them.
There's not long discussions on the sideline. It's just you
correct the mistakes and you try to keep it moving.
(35:00):
And I felt like just our team got a little
bit disheveled in the second half.
Speaker 1 (35:04):
Yeah, it happens. You're on the road, it's loud, Caleb's
doing Caleb.
Speaker 3 (35:08):
It happens.
Speaker 1 (35:10):
And so the Rams. Rams are hard to wrap your
brain around. So, I mean, Carolina scored thirty plus points
twice this year, both times against the Rams. And I
keep hearing Chris Shula, Oh, I always hear this about
mcveigh's defensive coordinators. Randon Staley, Raheem Morris. This guy is
something else.
Speaker 3 (35:32):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (35:33):
Carolina was four for four in the red zone. Good
on third down. I mean Robert sala Is making a
Sioux flea with a pack of dumb and some and
peanut briddle. The Rams are healthy, they have a great
front seven. Jared versus plateaued Carolina was great on third
down and perfect in the red zone.
Speaker 3 (35:54):
Don Shula was great.
Speaker 5 (35:56):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (35:56):
Chris Shula is great. I don't know.
Speaker 1 (35:58):
It's the McVeigh magic. I'll say that everything McVeigh touches
seems to work. I'll give you an example, Matt Stafford.
First of all, he's gotten into one of his streaks
where he's a little reckless. Seven picks in seven games.
The other thing is he's the only quarterback in the
NFL that didn't even rush for a first down this year.
So you're kind of limited with the Rams. If the
play design doesn't work, the play's done. If the play
(36:21):
design doesn't work for Buffalo or Chicago, you get a
second play. So you know, I think mcveigh's magic. We
always believe, and mcveigh's assistants are brilliant, and then they
leave and they're not so brilliant. I mean, I defend
Zach Taylor in Cincinnati, most people don't. Another thing is
the special teams guy for the Rams. That's a total adventure.
(36:41):
So you know, the Carolina Panthers you were watching, I
was watching they almost beat the Rams twice, and they
took that defense up and down the field and key omens.
Speaker 3 (36:55):
So I don't know. I don't know what to make.
I think the Rams a.
Speaker 1 (37:00):
Huge break that the left tackle for the Bears is
hurt and TJ. Edwards an excellent defensive player, probably their
second best defensive player. He's hurt and he's out of
the playoffs. That's a big break. But the last four
or five weeks you're watching, I'm watching something's off with
the Rams.
Speaker 2 (37:17):
Now.
Speaker 1 (37:17):
Now that said Stafford, big moments like it's hard not
to trust He's.
Speaker 3 (37:24):
Not gonna run around.
Speaker 1 (37:26):
Look one way, throw the other. Pooka the coup is basically,
you can't defend him. From what I can tell in
the NFL, you can't cover Pooka.
Speaker 3 (37:34):
Nakua.
Speaker 1 (37:35):
Devonte Adams got that you know what knocked out of him,
stood up, kept playing. They run the ball, their tight
ends are great. So they pulled it out the McVeigh magic.
But I don't know how good they are Bears four
and a half at home.
Speaker 3 (37:50):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (37:52):
I'm watched Carolina worked this great defense, which is healthy.
I mean San Francisco is doing it with smoke. This
defense is healthy. Jared versus Plateau. I don't know what
to make of the front because I think it's full
of good players. Here's mcvagh after.
Speaker 11 (38:08):
I could feel Matthew and I were on the same page,
and he did such a great job. I did feel
really good that you knew you had four downs, never
even got to that point where we needed to even really.
Speaker 3 (38:18):
Get it to a third down. But he was he
was outstanding.
Speaker 11 (38:20):
I thought our guys made the plays that they needed to,
and they made their plays. That's what great players do.
That's what you love about this league. But ultimately, the
players did a nice job.
Speaker 1 (38:29):
All right, let's look at the NFC playoff picture. Let's
get all of them here. So San Francisco Seattle, I
will tell you this, San Francisco is going to come
out aggressive in the first half because they know they
don't have the overall roster. Seattle is a favorite off rest.
(38:49):
What to young teams we saw it in college. What
a young teams do off of buy they don't play
well in the first half, they don't watch San Francisco
Seattle very competitive. I would take Seattle to eventually wear
them down. But Shanahan know he doesn't have the roster.
He knows he doesn't have the roster. Shanahan's going to
(39:10):
be hyper aggressive against the Seahawk team, and Seattle probably
goes in knowing they have the better roster.
Speaker 3 (39:16):
A little cautious.
Speaker 1 (39:18):
I think the game, at least at halftime is really close,
and then you cross your fingers on what quarterbacks make plays.
The Bears had two really tough injuries to deal with.
They're at home, Rams go home, back out to cold weather.
Let's see, let's see. I don't know what to do
with the Rams here. They should be favored. They are.
(39:39):
I think those injuries really really hurt the Bears. It
was also such a gigantic win. Is there a little
bit of a letdown? We'll see in the AFC. I
am done doubting Josh Allen. I think Denver's got the
better team. I think Denver's got the better coach. I'm
not touching it. I just I'm done doubting Josh Allen.
(40:00):
New England takes on j Mac thinks the Texans. He's
probably right. I like Pittsburgh to cover. I'll tell you though,
if you're New England, you're rooting for the Steelers to win. Yeah,
Drake May against that pass rush and that defense of Houston.
(40:21):
That is a handful. That is not that could be.
I mean, listen, Drake May struggled last night at a
layer of talent and length and pass rushing with Houston's defense.
Speaker 12 (40:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (40:36):
Wow, it's Colin that NFC so three teams from the
NFC West are left. Okay, that's a little crazy. Second,
if Seattle and Chicago are playing for a trip to
the Super Bowl, will that be the most insufferable you
are since I've joined the show, because you basically called
those teams your teams have destiny the off season.
Speaker 3 (40:57):
I mean, you had both of them and Denver as well.
Speaker 6 (41:00):
I don't I don't know how you nailed all these guys,
but I'm just absolutely New England.
Speaker 1 (41:05):
If New England and Seattle get in, it will be
my greatest moment.
Speaker 3 (41:12):
He knew it was thirty years of TV radio.
Speaker 1 (41:14):
I mean, come on, I think San Francisco Seattle keep
your eye on a hyper aggressive forty nine er team
and a heavily favored and cautious home Seattle team. Don't
buy in a blowout top Colin right, Colin wrong. Next
Hosts And Creators
Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
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