Colin reveals his Blazing 5 NFL picks for Week 16, breaking down the biggest matchups against the spread:
- Packers vs. Bears
- Vikings vs. Giants
- Bengals vs. Dolphins
- Patriots vs. Ravens
- 49ers vs. Colts
Later, Robert Mays of The Athletic joins the show for an in-depth NFL conversation, including why Caleb Williams is rapidly establishing himself as one of the elite quarterbacks in the league and what separates him from the rest of the next generation of NFL stars
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
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
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dot com, or stream us live every day on the
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Speaker 2 (00:21):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Here we go. It's Friday. What a spectacular showcase of
talent last night. We're live. We're in Chicago. It's The Herd.
Robert Mays, super sharp from the athletic he'll be joining us.
Great football show. Yeah, so many superlatives for last night.
(00:46):
I'll say it again with Sam Darnold, he became the
first quarterback in NFL history to win twelve games back
to back years for different teams. And sometimes like Andrew Luck,
who I camped him, I said, it was a less
talented Andrew Luck. It can be shoppy, it can be
sometimes you scratch your head at the picks. But one
of my favorite qualities of quarterbacks is a short memory.
(01:08):
And the Rams have absolutely had Donald's number. I remember
Brady used to struggle with the New York Giants in
that pass rush. There are coaches that give certain quarterbacks issues.
Donald in his last thirty nine starts with four different teams,
because he did start a game for the Niners, is
thirty and nine, four different coaching staffs. He won in Carolina, big,
(01:31):
in Minnesota, now in Seattle. You know, last night was
choppy early, but he came back and we'll talk more
about that. So we've had a pretty good year on
blazing five fifty seven percent. Let's roll.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Let's blaze it up right up. It's Collins Blazon five
Dockers at Bears.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
I like the Bears at home minus one and a half.
They're eight and two over their last ten games, and
those losses are only road losses. Caleb Williams has one
or fewer giveaways and all fourteen starts, so they won't
give the game away. And the defense, like most defenses,
is better at home. It's number six in the league.
I like the roster, and they're much healthier than Green Bay.
(02:15):
By the way, teams that play the Broncos, which the
Packers just did, are three to ten the week after
playing Denver. They're beat up, missing several stars, not just starters.
Run game for the Packers feels dead. Run game for
the Bears. Been on fire all season. I like the
Bears to win and cover twenty seven to twenty three.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Viking said, Giants upset.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
I like New York here for their last five losses
by one score. They are running the ball last six
straight games, one hundred plus rushing yards without Scataboo, so
they're pounding the rock. Jackson Dart, I was wrong. I
didn't think of me as good as a rookie as
last five games, ninety five passer rating, and he didn't
have a number one starbacker, a number one wide receiver.
(03:05):
And the Vikings they've lost four of their last six.
Their wins are over two atrocious defenses, Commanders and Cowboys.
JJ McCarthy. I'm gonna take the better quarterback at home.
I trust him more. Let's keep him out of the
blue ten. I'll take the points. Giants win twenty eight
twenty seven. Bengals and Dolphins. Maybe my favorite pick of
(03:28):
the week. I'll take Cincinnati minus four and a half.
They've scored thirty points in two of their last three games.
And Burrows in a bad mood because he mailed it
in the team did against the Ravens. Joe Burrow This
is weird. Not only has he won eight of his
last ten starts, he is unbelievable late in the season.
In Week sixteen and eighteen in his career, he's seven
(03:50):
to zero Miami. Five of the dolphins six wins this
year have come against the Jets twice, the Saints, the Falcons,
the Commanders, and now they're starting Quinn Yours. I have
no idea what I'm getting from Quinn Ewers, but I
know this. He's not Joe Burrow. I'm going to take
Burrow in Cincinnati to win thirty to twenty in.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Cover Patriots and Ravens.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
I don't get this line. I'm going to take the
Patriots in the field goal six and zero on the road.
Outgained their opponents in nine straight games coming off a loss,
so they'll be salty, and Drake Made's completion percentage is
still seventy. They'll move the chains consistently, and they dominated
Buffalo in the first half. The Ravens are three and
five at home the last five games. Their passing game
(04:36):
is toast and they're not very good on the back end,
so I think Drake may could have some success down
the field. I don't really get the line here. The
Patriots are a good road team, excellent coach coordinator. I'm
going to take the points. I think the Patriots went
outright twenty eight twenty seven.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Forty nine ers said cool.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Maybe I haven't listening to Jmac, but I like the
Niners here minus five and a half, four game winning streak,
all four wins by double digits. Their third down offense
has been great with Brock thirty. They're not only the
Rams are penalized, lest pretty healthy offensively and the Colts
on the back end. Uh oh. Also, everybody loved Philip
(05:22):
Rivers last week. It was a great, memorable game and
touching story. His passer rating was seventy three. He averaged
four point four yards throwing the ball down the field.
This offense, I mean again, Philip Rivers a great story.
He wasn't a great quarterback. And the Niners have a
ton to play for, especially after Seattle comes back to
(05:46):
beat the Rams. You're gonna get a inspired effort by
the forty nine ers. They can do a lot more
with Brock thirty move in the pocket than the Colts can.
I like the Niners to win and cover thirty four
to twenty four three favorites a couple of underdogs on
our Blazing five picks. Jmack quick thoughts.
Speaker 4 (06:09):
I hate to break it to you.
Speaker 5 (06:10):
But I'm against you on one two games.
Speaker 4 (06:15):
I do love the Bears and Niners.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
I like this bull play all right. And with that,
he's a writer for the Athletic but now you know
him as the Athletic Football podcast show host. His name
is Robert Mays. Joining our show again. You know I
said this about Sam Darnold. It's kind of a funny
stat It's remarkable in his last thirty nine starts. He's
thirty and nine and that's four different teams because he
started a game with the Niners. First quarterback ever to
(06:39):
win twelve games back to back, two different teams. Not Brady,
not Montana. I know the interceptions are ugly. He may
not win a Super Bowl. I loved Andrew Locke, but
there is something Robert about He has a short memory.
His body language does I mean there's something to be said.
It's always been my knock on Aaron Rodgers. I can
tell how he's playing by his demeanor on this sideline.
(07:01):
I kind of love what Donald did last night.
Speaker 6 (07:03):
What was your takeaway if you think about the mental
toughness even over the course of his career, some of
the things he's come back from and now playing at
this level, I think there's a real maturity to the
way that he's approached the last few years, and you
can see it and stuff like last night where he
comes back from those early interceptions. I'm kind of with you, like,
I just think this is the Sam Donald experience. There
(07:23):
are gonna be a couple moments every game where it's like,
oh man, Sam, you've got to get rid of the ball,
or like I cannot believe he threw that, But then
you watch what he did on those final couple drives.
That throw to Cooper Cup on that corner route, Why
that's truly as good as it gets. I mean, he
has elite moments as a passer, and if you're going
to ride the highs, you got to endure the lows.
And I kind of just think that's what the Sam
(07:45):
Donald experience is right now.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
You know, I told my staff this morning I would
give Josh Allen the MVP over Stafford. And here's why
you saw it last night. Josh is great in the
second half, and that's not scripted. There are times where
the ability to just say eyes, I'm taking off. I've
seen Mahomes do this in Super Bowls. The Rams offense,
Robert can get stuck and last night I think they
(08:09):
had four punts in the fourth quarter, and you're like, guys, boy,
did they need a Herbert experience? They needed Caleb Williams
so I And this is not a knock on Stafford.
It's a reality. He may be the last great pure
pocket passer. But when you watch the Rams fourth quarter
offense and it stalls, how do you view that? What's
(08:31):
the issue to you?
Speaker 6 (08:33):
I think it's a reminder that their run game is
incredibly important as like the engine of their offense overall.
If you look at the numbers, then the Rams are
dominant on early downs, and part of the reason for
that is on early downs you have the thread of
the run and you have the threat of play action pass.
When you put them in third and defined pass and
they're a drop back team, they're just not quite as dynamic.
(08:55):
And I think that's what you saw last night. They
ran the ball at will in the first half, and
then when they couldn't do it in the second half,
the offense starts to feel a little bit more inconsistent
and a little bit more herky jerky. And so that's
the Seahawks are a ton of credit for really bowing
up against the run, because if you can do that,
you feel a different version of the Rams offense.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
So listen, I have made my case that I like
Caleb and bow Nix, and I think, you know, Caleb's
the greater athlete the higher ceiling. I think bow Nicks
is more accurate ten yards and under the bubble stuff,
the flat stuff, he's really good. Let's talk Caleb. Where
have you seen? I mean you you dive deep on
this stuff. Go to week one to now, give me
(09:37):
a couple of things where it's very clear, either analytically
on film he's a better quarterback now than Week one.
Speaker 6 (09:44):
I just think he looks so much more comfortable within
the offense, and if you look at the timing he's
playing with. I thought that the first half of that
game against the Browns, and even the performance overall against
the Browns is probably the best game I've seen him
play as a pro. And you see this spectacular stuff
like that touchdown of Dj Moore. For me, it's about
consistent ball placement. I don't think there was a single
throw over that entire first half and maybe even the
(10:06):
game where I'm like, he kind of wants that one back,
and you see his ability to drive the ball. That's
what he does best, intermediate over the middle, off play action.
I'm gonna rip it into this window. But what I
really liked in the Browns game is that you saw
him shaping some touch throws accurately. And if he can
start to harness every single club in his bag, that's
(10:27):
where a guy with his talent level becomes like truly scary,
and I think we're trending in that direction.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
Yesterday, Todd McShay said, when he talked to GMS last
year before the draft, very few had bow Nix as
a first round talent, and I called my three or
four guys I trust, they were totally split on him.
So there are people that believe this is really about
Sean Payton. What do the analytics say? He has been uneven.
He can struggle down the field, but what do the
(10:55):
numbers say. What's your take on.
Speaker 6 (10:56):
Bow Over the first fourteen weeks of this season, if
you look at the Broncos offense, they were not an
ambitious passing game like they did not want to push
the ball downfield. I believe they were in twenty eighth
in the NFL in the percentage of their throws that
were short of the sticks. It was a lot of yak,
it was a lot of underneath stuff. Think even back
to the Raiders game two weeks ago, that's how they
(11:18):
approached it. And so I think the question with b
Nix was, all right, if he's got to make four
or five throws down the field against a really good
opponent and you're not just squeaking by against the Jets
and the Raiders, is he capable of doing that? And
that's why last week I think is so encouraging if
you're a Broncos fan, That's exactly what happened. I mean,
he's just putting dots on guys on thirty five forty
(11:41):
yard throws down the field against one of the best
defenses they're going to play this year. And so if
he's going to have that level of ambition as a
passer and he's still going to bring some of the
creation stuff that he has, the fact that he's a
good athlete, the fact that he's accurate, his ability to
attack all areas in the field to me. That was
the last thing I wanted to say, and so him
being able to do that last week, that's a box
(12:03):
checked in my opinion.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
You know, Buffalo is interesting. I've said I'd give Alan
the MVP over Stafford because I think Stafford's got a
much better roster. I call it Noah's Ark. Two of everything. Backs,
tight ends, receivers, guards like the Rams have a surplus
of talent. I think three different tight ends had multiple
catches last night. That's what they are. But the AFC
(12:26):
is weird. No Homes, no Burrow, maybe no Lamar Jackson,
justin Herbert's beat up with an atrociou so line. Where
are you soup to nuts on the bills right now?
Going into the playoffs? You know, if things continue on.
Speaker 6 (12:42):
I don't know how you've experienced this or worked through
this this year. It's been kind of this cognitive dissonance
where I have a way I've always processed the sport
over the last like ten years, and that's it's quarterback centric.
But the teams with the best quarterbacks are the teams
that I'm gonna trust. Laid into the season, well, I
rode the Chiefs into the gut like because of that,
and I think the Ravens are kind of in a
similar place where you know, we believe in the quarterback,
(13:05):
but they're not a good or dangerous team right now.
And so I wonder if that's happening with Josh Allen
where I want to say he's the guy I would
believe in the AFC playoffs, But is that the type
of year that we're discussing.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
Overall?
Speaker 6 (13:18):
I think that what they were in the second half
against the Patriots is exactly why they're so scary. They
do have a really good run game. That is the
foundation of the offense. They can run the ball downhill
at you. Their offensive line is really good. Josh Allen
is a force of nature. He's going to make three
or four plays over the course of the game, whereas
a defensive coach, he's going to sit there and shake
your head because there's nothing you can do about it.
(13:39):
And then the defense, it's not a great group down
to down. They're undersized, they struggle against the run. But
I think that the staff is creative enough where they
can throw a curveball at you, whether it's for two quarters,
whether it's for a game, and they can catch you
flush the way that they did with Drake may in
that half the way they did to Patrick Mahomes earlier
in the year. If you have creativity and sort of
(14:02):
unpredictability on defense combined with what Josh Allen can give you,
That's why I still think that the Bills are probably
the scariest team in that conference.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
So things can. I think the team in the league
I had said this probably eight weeks ago. I said,
the coaching staff of the year is San Francisco. You
had Mac Jones except for Kittle, everybody was beat up.
The defense lost in the offseason, Hafung guy in green
Law and then Bosa and Warner. I'm like, this division
has great coaching. What's happening? Nothing makes sense. The fact
(14:35):
that they can win this division is insane to me.
But I look at it and I think, man, do
they have anybody defensively that you would trust in a
big spot. Sometimes it's just great coaching in this league.
I mean we see Kevin O'Connell takes Josh Dobbs without
a practice and wins the game. It's like, God, is
(14:57):
that is really good coaching and good for job? Where
are you on the Niners?
Speaker 6 (15:03):
I think their offense is always going to be scary
as long as they have like sixty percent of the
guys they need and Kyle Shanahan, and that's exactly what's
happened this year. The defense is where I just have
my concerns. Like you look at even a team like
the Titans. Last week, the Titans were able to push
them around on the ground.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
That's the Titans.
Speaker 6 (15:20):
What are they going to look like against the Rams,
the Packers, teams in the NFC playoffs that all of
them have pretty dynamic offenses.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
And so I don't like moral victories.
Speaker 6 (15:31):
I understand if you're a Niners fan and the fact
that you get the one seed you have designs on
like doing stuff and making noise in the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
I just think that right.
Speaker 6 (15:39):
Now they're just two banged up on the defensive side
of the ball to be a real player in this thing.
And that's okay. This was supposed to be like a
transitionary year for the Niners, and so I think for
the most part, they've been everything that you have wanted
in more as they turn the page to what should
be a better version of.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
This thing in twenty twenty six, and maybe it's the
Niners of the AFC Pittsburgh. I think, and I've been
a critic, I think Aaron's been one of the most
consistent redeemable parts. This is a This offense has been
tone deaf. How in the world can you go seven
years without a run game? The on line, They've spent
(16:18):
draft capital, still don't love it. They're big, and I
mean even DK metcalf I after him. I don't trust
a lot of their receivers. Are they the Niners of
the AFC that they should just we should all just
go They made it in Aaron's forty two salute the
achievement or do you have them with a higher ceiling?
Speaker 6 (16:39):
I think I have them with the lower ceiling because
I think in any given stretch of two or three games,
the offenses are usually the teams aren't going to believe
in because I think that offense is for the most part,
dictate your ceiling. So that the Niners in any given game,
I think, can score thirty points against most defenses in
the NFL. I think that makes them a little bit
(17:00):
scarier the Steelers, I still feel like the offense is limited.
That game they played against the Ravens where he had
four or five shots down the field. It was almost
it was like jard watching that version of their offense
because of how conservative they've been for the most part
throughout this year. And so I think that right now
when you watch them, he still does not really want
(17:22):
to hang in the pocket, does not really want to
push the ball down the field. And while there have
been some moments where he's kind of stepped outside of that,
I still think that overall the offense is a little
bit too limited for them to really give anybody any
problems as they get into the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (17:36):
Let's go back Robert Mays. One more question, Seahawks, Rams,
Jamack and I believe that when you really look of
depth and experience and coaching, the Rams are better than
the Seahawks. That's my take this morning, despite what happened.
Where are you on that?
Speaker 6 (17:53):
I don't know if there are certain elements of the
Rams that I'm just worried about, right I think that
the exactly and those are the margins we're talking about.
When you want to win championships, those little things end
up mattering. And so I think there are two different
things about the Seahawks that give them a slight edge
over the Rams top to bottom. I still think the
(18:15):
Seahawks defense is better. I think the personnel is better.
I think they have fewer weaknesses, and so that's a unit.
Even if the Rams have been good, I still think
that a couple cornerback issues and a couple week points
on the Rams defense, I'm still a little bit more
worried about the Seattle. And special teams is a real thing.
The Seahawks have been one of the best special teams
units in the NFL. This is kicking returns, and we
(18:37):
saw it last night, and this continues to be a
significant problem for the Rams. This is like a multi
year thing that they've had to work through. And I
love the fact that we're getting this version of Sean
McVay who's going for it three different times on fourth
down in the first quarter. I think you can make
an argument that he's not being aggressive enough considering the
current state of their kicking game, and so how he
(18:59):
ends up sorting through that, I think that's going to
be the biggest question that the Rams have to answer,
and it's just not a question the Seahawks have.
Speaker 1 (19:05):
To worry about. Yeah, the Niners game, they missed a
field goal and an extra point the Eagles game they
had a kick blocked, and then last night that three
of their losses are special teams, and what a circus
and what a great game. Robert Mays. The Athletic Football
Show podcast is outstanding at Robert Mays love having you
(19:25):
on the show. Your insight, your intellect. Thank you so much.
Have a great weekend any time. Con thanks a lot.
He does terrific work. Robert Mays, Yeah, it is. You know,
it's crazy that if the Rams got to the Super
Bowl and lost and it was special teams blunders usually
special You're not good enough to get to a super
Bowl if you have bad special teams. Here's the other
(19:46):
thing to think about. So John Snyder looks at the
two teams and at the trade deadline, He's like, where
are the Rams weakest? And the Seattle GM probably says
the special team teams. So J Mack he makes a
move at the deadline to empower his Seattle special teams
(20:08):
because he knows it's the Seahawks' weakness. I don't know
if he did that, but I can see Snyder, who's
very strategic, going, Okay, we don't think the Niners are
going to be a threat big picture, the Rams may
be one of two teams we struggle to get through.
They're bad special teams. We're gonna double down, give up
mid round picks to get Rashids to eat. And it
paid off last night because they didn't need a number
(20:30):
one receiver. But you know, he's a deep threat first
of all. But he is a special team's nightmare, especially
against the Rams.
Speaker 5 (20:39):
Yeah, and the other team in the division, the forty
nine Ers. Remember their kicking situation was brutal in week one.
Shanahan was pulling his hair out. They saw it with Piniero.
I think is his namer or whatever it is. But
he's an unbelievable kicker. So the Niners also got sky
Moore returning kicks. He's doing well. Of those three teams,
the Rams very clearly had the worst special teams and
(20:59):
it's not close.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
One more.
Speaker 3 (21:01):
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Speaker 1 (21:10):
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Speaker 7 (21:13):
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Speaker 4 (21:23):
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Speaker 1 (21:35):
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come and away, blazing five picture in. Chris Peterson on
the college football playoff. I'll take Oklahoma close and ugly
tonight at home, with a better defense, a little bit
of a run game, a little bit Jmack with a news.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
No no heard on the news. This is thead line news.
Speaker 5 (22:02):
Well, the Bears are good, so we're gonna keep talking
about them.
Speaker 4 (22:04):
Colin.
Speaker 5 (22:04):
They are ten and four. Ben Johnson is cooking. Caleb
Williams is kind of mid, but he's winning games.
Speaker 4 (22:10):
That's all that matters.
Speaker 5 (22:11):
Remember Mike Martz, the offensive mastermind of those Greatest Show
on Turf teams. He believes Chicago has found themselves a
gem in Ben Johnson.
Speaker 8 (22:21):
First of all, I think he's once in a generation coach.
I think he's very unique. To hear home run with him.
I think he'll be there for a very long time.
He'll be extremely successful. And he's the one guy that
can take care of them and help him make that
transition to become not just a good quarterback, a great quarterback.
So the Bears first of all, got it right here.
(22:41):
You know, they got that duo that should be together
for quite some time and have a lot of success.
Speaker 1 (22:48):
Yeah, he's special, and you know, it's still one of
the poorest, weirdest ownership groups. I don't know where I
stand on Robert Ryan Poles. He's he's done some good stuff.
This roster is pretty good. Got to give him credit,
But I think the glue that holds all of it
together is Ben Johnson. He pulls it all together.
Speaker 8 (23:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (23:09):
Ben Johnson has been spectacular.
Speaker 5 (23:10):
We got some numbers here, Colin, and it was evident
in like the first month of the season that this
is now a run first team. That's what Ben did
with the Detroit team. The run sets up all the
passing schemes. Look at this rushing improvement year over year,
biggest in the NFL. They got Swift and Manungai, who's
come out of nowhere to be pretty damn good. And
so when you have that run, the threat of it,
(23:33):
the defenses have to come up and respect it, and
then all of a sudden you got the wide open
stuff downfield. DJ Moore cooking, we'll see what Luther Burden emerges.
Roma Dunze, that injury concerned me a little bit.
Speaker 2 (23:45):
I'm with you.
Speaker 5 (23:45):
I like the Bears here this weekend against the Packers.
I do like Ben Johnson a lot. I'm just wondering
Coach of the Year is he? I mean, there's some
really really good candidates. Obviously Sean Payton, but you.
Speaker 1 (23:58):
Know Shanahan, Sean Payton. But Sean Payton's got now the
richest owners in the sport and the hands off.
Speaker 5 (24:06):
Well, I don't I don't want that to hold that
against him.
Speaker 1 (24:07):
Vote no.
Speaker 5 (24:08):
No.
Speaker 1 (24:08):
If I consider everything, it's like Josh Allen's my MVP
over Matt Stafford because he can run, I get, I
get bonuses. So what I mean that's bottom line is
Matt's a pocket guys, you know, and I think in
big games, I want a guy that can pick up
first downs with his feet. When I look at a coach,
what are you overcoming? It's much easier to have Stan
(24:30):
Kronkey as a head coach than the mccaskeys. It's much easier.
So the Denver I mean, I think again, Sean Payton
made the playoffs last year. I think what Ben is
overcoming the history he had to rebuild the culture Caleb.
I think Ben's got you know, Vrabel's going to be
(24:50):
way up there too, because I still I don't I
think Chicago's roster is better than New England's. But now
he's he's He's tied for the fourth best odds.
Speaker 5 (25:01):
The fact that Ben Johnson has the Bears in this
position when of the seven playoff teams in the NFC,
I mean, I'm sorry the Bears have the weakest quarterback
of those seven. You know, I think I'm sorry. Baker
Mayfield right now is a better quarterback than Caleb. Not much,
But you got the worst quarterback of the seven and
you're doing that well.
Speaker 4 (25:18):
I don't know.
Speaker 5 (25:18):
Ben's been tremendous. I think he's probably maybe my my pick.
Speaker 4 (25:22):
For coach of the year. All right, let's go to
the Dallas Cowboys. Colin.
Speaker 5 (25:25):
We know they've got about a one percent chance at
the postseason. Some might say, hey, Dallas should just shut
it down if they lose this one, but Dak Prescott,
No way, he is not sitting out, no tanking for Dak.
Speaker 9 (25:38):
Being a professional, this is my job, this is what
I love to do, you know, sitting out last year
and the times before. You don't take getting to play
this game for grants. You play every game to win.
You play every game win. You get a chance to
go to the playoffs and play in the super Bowl,
And unfortunately it's not always the case. And if that's
not the case, when we take the field or whatever
(25:59):
it may be, I'm thankful for the opportunity to play
this game and I'm not going to ever pass it up.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
Yeah. You know what's interesting about Dallas if you start
looking at divisions and you start looking at the coaches
that are gonna win divisions, Mike Rabele, Sean Payton, perhaps
Liam Cohen, who's been a home run just you know,
Shanahan or McVeigh or Mike McDonald. Tomlin's a legend, and
(26:31):
Jerry still goes discount double check on head coach. The
whole thing with the Cowboys is they've done a lot right,
but start looking right now this morning, who's winning these divisions?
Ben Johnson, Mike Rabel, Sean Pate And then even wild
card coaches could be John Harball, Jim Harball, Kyle Shanahan. Folks,
(26:56):
I'm not saying quarterback is less important than coach, but
certainly in the Chicago situation or the Jacksonville situation, you
have to overcome years of poor culture, and yet Dallas
goes cheap on coaches. It's just it's like one of
those things. It's a blind spot for a really smart
guy in Jerry Jones.
Speaker 5 (27:16):
Yeah, Colin, If I said to you, how many playoff
games will Dak Prescott win in the next three years? Okay, Now,
there's a lot that goes into a draft, free agency,
but that's probably all that. Jerry's going to be around
the like instrumental with the team, right given his age.
Will Dak win one playoff game in the next three years? Yes, seriously,
(27:37):
you know one. If you're not going to spend money
to come to the playoffs to win a playoff game,
they ain't getting there this year. They got a lot
of work to do in this offseason, and the NFC,
as you talked about, is greatly elevated.
Speaker 1 (27:51):
NFC is better than the AFC this year. I don't
know what the NFC versus AFC games are but eyes roster.
The better rosters right now are absolutely NB are on
Fox NFC games. They just like that game last night.
There's no AFC matchup that would look like the rams Seahawks.
Speaker 4 (28:09):
There is no Ravens Bill's.
Speaker 2 (28:10):
Ravens Bill.
Speaker 1 (28:11):
Rosser is not close to that, not close to that good.
Speaker 5 (28:15):
So the problem with Dallas is Jaden Daniels is going
to be healthy next year, okay, and Jared Goff and
the Lions are gonna find an offensive coordinator. Those two
teams are gonna be better than Dallas next year. So
I mean, Dallas is probably starting this offseason like tenth
in the NFC colin if we're being real, is that fair?
Do you know how big of an uphill climb that
is to get to the playoffs, much less play a game.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
Also, Jackson Darts played well better. He'll probably better in
year two, probably.
Speaker 4 (28:42):
Assuming he beats out Mendoza.
Speaker 5 (28:44):
But anyway, anyways, I'm just I like Dak by the way,
this holiday season, I'm thankful for Dak Prescott giving us
great soundbites every week. I don't know if any quarterback
this year has been better giving us just good sound bites.
He sounds awesome. Final story, Colin Drake May of the
New England Patriots.
Speaker 4 (29:01):
Man, he's had a great season.
Speaker 5 (29:02):
He was in the m v P mix and all
of a sudden that loss of the Bills kind of
dropped him down a peg.
Speaker 4 (29:07):
Then Stafford went off last night.
Speaker 5 (29:09):
Uh, here's Drake mate talking about his perspective of the
MVP award.
Speaker 10 (29:14):
You know, the MVP is it's off the uh you know,
one of the big accolades for for this league, and it's, uh,
you know something that you know, it's honor as a
player to you know, earn their award and respect to
me all the past MVPs.
Speaker 11 (29:27):
But I think at the end of the day, you know,
winning the super Bowl is the biggest thing, and I
think it's what kind of makes makes this league go
is winning the big one, and that's what you work
towards and that's what this game's about.
Speaker 1 (29:41):
If you how about this, if you could win one
super Bowl but never win an m v P, or
you win four m vps. Now we know super Bowls
the ultimate prize, but do you think Aaron Rodgers would
give up three of his MVPs for another Super Bowl?
Speaker 5 (29:59):
Well as someone who many men's basketball leagues.
Speaker 4 (30:02):
I would trade every MVV for championships. That's undeniable.
Speaker 5 (30:05):
I think Lebron, any of the superstars would rather be
champions than win MVP awards. You're the best in the sport.
You would take that into heartbeatome. At least that's my perspective.
Are you thinking otherwiser?
Speaker 3 (30:17):
No?
Speaker 1 (30:17):
I mean, like Eli Manning, I take his career over
Aaron's because I got two Super Bowl wins. I'm not saying.
Speaker 4 (30:27):
I'm not saying different discussion.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
Yeah, I'm not saying he's better. Yeah, I'm saying I,
given the choice of the two, Eli Manning two and
zero in Super Bowls, beat Brady and Belichick in both
two of the most iconic throws Mario Manningham, David Tyree
maybe d two most iconic throws, certainly in the class.
Like I to me, I'm about winning the awards. Stuff's
(30:51):
nice legacy, but the winning thing. I'm in the minority here.
People would take like a bunch of MVPs, no super Bowl.
Speaker 4 (31:02):
Why do you think you're in the.
Speaker 1 (31:03):
Minority because I think I think people like awards. I'm
not an awards guy.
Speaker 4 (31:06):
I likes the war.
Speaker 5 (31:07):
I mean we're not talking about an oscar. By the way,
who's the MVP. Who's the MVP of the league ten
years ago? Nobody knows you start talking who won the
Super Bowl?
Speaker 4 (31:16):
You know, people remember super Bowls.
Speaker 5 (31:17):
I don't think they remember MVPs in the NFL the
way they matter.
Speaker 1 (31:22):
And like, I could not tell you off the top
of my head how many Tom Brady has four three.
Speaker 5 (31:27):
You don't even know how many Mahomes has several. But
we know he's a super Bowl winner. Yeah, I think
that's a no brainer. By the way, I don't think
Josh Allen's totally done with the MVP.
Speaker 4 (31:37):
I think he's in the mix. They play the Eagles
next week.
Speaker 5 (31:40):
How about this. I looked at the schedule. There's only
two games at four o'clock next week. One of them
is Giants Raiders. The other on Fox is Bill's hosting
the Eagles.
Speaker 1 (31:50):
And if Josh plays great, he's.
Speaker 4 (31:52):
In the mix.
Speaker 5 (31:53):
But remember who votes for this stuff, And you know
they like old guys.
Speaker 4 (31:57):
Stafford just had a really good game.
Speaker 5 (31:59):
They was they didn't lose last night because the Stafford
right Stafford was tremendous.
Speaker 1 (32:03):
The special teams were brutal. Not to now they did
settle for field goals.
Speaker 4 (32:09):
Nodvante, But yes, yes.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
Yeah, I mean that's part of it. But you got
to give Seattle defense credit too. It's hard to score
in congested areas.
Speaker 4 (32:17):
Wait a minute, they gave them five.
Speaker 1 (32:20):
I can't know what they were good at they were
who cares? They gave up field goals more than touchdowns.
You got to give Seattle to defense credit, Ben, But
don't break in the red zone. They forced four field
goal attempts. That's a win to me. Okay, j McK
with the.
Speaker 3 (32:39):
News, Well that's the news, and thanks for stopping by the.
Speaker 2 (32:43):
Herd Line News.
Speaker 1 (32:47):
I think most fans would disagree with me. I think
they take Aaron's career over Eli's and I would just
want the other super Bowl. I don't know, I you know,
it'd be an easier decision. If Eli had one MVP,
then it'd be an easy one. I'll take one MVP
in two Super Bowls over no MVPs and two super Bowls.
(33:08):
And that's not to diminish what Aaron's done, but it
is when you think of Eli Manning like he beat
the goat twice in Super Bowls, that's a whole different legacy.
That's a that is Belichick and Brady for twenty years,
sort of define the league. Who beat him Eli Manning
twice in Super Bowls. That's all time stuff to me.
Speaker 3 (33:28):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd Weekdays
and Noone Easter non a em Pacific on Fox Sports
Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 5 (33:38):
We got a big East Big Ten battle on Fox
College Hoops Friday as Villanova takes on Wisconsin. It all
tips off tonight at eight eastern on Fox.
Speaker 1 (33:48):
You know, it's I think one of the things I love,
and perhaps this is what I love about sports as
a whole more than anything. I like when it changes.
I'm not a traditionally like I don't watch bulls anymore,
and I'm a huge college football fan. There was on
one on TV today it was twenty seven to nothing,
you know, and I'm like, nobody's going to the games.
(34:09):
Like I just get over stuff pretty fast that way.
I'm not a traditionalist person, didn't go to church much
as a kid. Whatever. I think what's interesting about football,
and I've brought this up before, how valuable is completion
percentage anymore?
Speaker 5 (34:26):
So?
Speaker 1 (34:26):
When it used to be more valuable? Do you know what.
Tom Brady's all time is sixty four percent, and in
his first six years it was much lower. Matt Stafford
sixty three and a half percent, Brett Farb sixty two percent,
Andrew luck who I loved, sixty one percent. Now much
better offensive coaches, mobility is much more important. People are
(34:51):
like Caleb Williams fifty eight and a half percent. So
I just want to read you this. Caleb has improved,
has a better passer rating this year, more passing yards
per game, more passing touchdowns, more rushing touchdowns, and more
big plays twenty plus all improvements. More importantly, way fewer
(35:11):
sacks twenty three this year, fifty eight at this time
last year, so massive improvement. The Bears offense has also
jumped to top five in the league. It was thirty
second last year. Caleb now is second in game winning
(35:33):
drives and tied for the most fourth quarter quarterback wins,
tied for the most fourth quarter comebacks. Excuse me, so
he's much better Layden games. He wins more every stat,
team stat, personal stat up up up. Also on third
down this year when trailing, that's a big separator. Haves
(35:55):
and have nots seven passing touchdowns third down when trailer
best in the league, including Stafford and everybody. His passer
rating in the league when trailing one best in the league.
His TDD interception ratio on third down win trailing best
(36:18):
in the league is completion percentage when trailing is second best.
But he's not real accurate. He's fifty eight percent. So
my take is, I've been on this for like two months.
How much does it matter? He's accurate what he needs
to be. I used to be a sports anchor. We
(36:39):
used to have a joke, when the red light comes on,
can you read when the camera's on? Can you get
through it and not stumble? Nobody cares about rehearsal. Same
with Saturday Night Live and Broadway when they're in their.
Speaker 2 (36:54):
Seats, Go time.
Speaker 1 (36:56):
Are you magic? He is great on thurn down. He's
great TV interception when it matters. So you know, I
watched him last week. I thought he was great. Robert
Mays earlier on Caleb's accuracy. To me, it's about consistent
ball placement. I don't think there was a single throw
over that entire first half and maybe even the game
(37:18):
where I'm like, a he kind of wants that one
back and you see his ability to drive the ball.
Speaker 6 (37:24):
That's what he does best, intermediate over the middle, off
play action. I'm gonna rip it into this window. But
what I really liked in the Browns game is that
you saw him shaping some touch throws accurately. And if
he can start to harness every single club in his bag,
that's where a guy with his talent level becomes like
truly scary. And I think we're trending in that direction.
Speaker 1 (37:45):
So think about this, Matt Stafford's gonna make the Hall
of Fame. You get no mobility. He completed sixty three percent.
Tom Brady the goat, no mobility in the pocket, sure
out of the pocket, no sixty four percent. So like
if those guys are legends without the mobility, I always said,
(38:06):
I kind of think the line for Caleb is sixty
one and a half percent. That kind of feels like
where he kind of needs to be. But I'm go
look at the numbers. Team numbers, fourth quarter numbers, when
trailing numbers, They're unbelievable. He's just you know, in basketball,
we wouldn't even argue this. If you were a great
(38:27):
fourth quarter player in basketball, we would not care for
a second, about your first half numbers, right, because in
the NBA it's like, well, nobody really hustles until the
final five minutes. That's not true, but we wouldn't even
argue about it. Same in baseball. If you did not
get a hit in your first two at bats all season,
(38:47):
but you hit three sixty on your third at bat
and three ninety on your fourth at bat, people would
be like, clutch. But we lose a lot of sleep
on you know, some of the early script that stuff.
First half. You know, it's not pretty. I don't know,
like I what we said in the offseason, and I
(39:09):
think you thought this too. This wasn't like us coming
up with it. The number one thing was, dude, you
got to cut down on the sacks for your own
health and because it's negative plays, you just got to
get out of sacks. Like the other night we watched
two against the Steedlers, it's like brutal. Forget the incomplacency
of these awful sacks. Belichick talking about Brady, what's the
best thing about him? He didn't take sacks, No negative
(39:32):
plays played in front of the sticks. That was my
number one thing I said before the season. I don't
care about wins. Get to seven, I'm good. Cut the
sacks in half. He's done that. So and all the
other components up up, up up. I think when you
look at Caleb Williams numbers when trailing, that to me
has always been to have and have not line of demarcation.
(39:54):
Everybody's good with the lead. Sam Darnold last night, that's impressive.
It's impressive. Well, samso is impressive.
Speaker 2 (40:04):
My bead.
Speaker 1 (40:07):
All right, final hour, it's a good one.
Speaker 8 (40:09):
Neck
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 1 (00:26):
Here we go. It's Friday. What a spectacular showcase of
talent last night. We're live. We're in Chicago. It's The Herd.
Robert Mays, super sharp from the athletic he'll be joining us.
Great football show. Yeah, so many superlatives for last night.
(00:46):
I'll say it again with Sam Darnold, he became the
first quarterback in NFL history to win twelve games back
to back years for different teams. And sometimes like Andrew Luck,
who I camped him, I said, it was a less
talented Andrew Luck. It can be shoppy, it can be
sometimes you scratch your head at the picks. But one
of my favorite qualities of quarterbacks is a short memory.
(01:08):
And the Rams have absolutely had Donald's number. I remember
Brady used to struggle with the New York Giants in
that pass rush. There are coaches that give certain quarterbacks issues.
Donald in his last thirty nine starts with four different teams,
because he did start a game for the Niners, is
thirty and nine, four different coaching staffs. He won in Carolina, big,
(01:31):
in Minnesota, now in Seattle. You know, last night was
choppy early, but he came back and we'll talk more
about that. So we've had a pretty good year on
blazing five fifty seven percent. Let's roll.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Let's blaze it up right up. It's Collins Blazon five
Dockers at Bears.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
I like the Bears at home minus one and a half.
They're eight and two over their last ten games, and
those losses are only road losses. Caleb Williams has one
or fewer giveaways and all fourteen starts, so they won't
give the game away. And the defense, like most defenses,
is better at home. It's number six in the league.
I like the roster, and they're much healthier than Green Bay.
(02:15):
By the way, teams that play the Broncos, which the
Packers just did, are three to ten the week after
playing Denver. They're beat up, missing several stars, not just starters.
Run game for the Packers feels dead. Run game for
the Bears. Been on fire all season. I like the
Bears to win and cover twenty seven to twenty three.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Viking said, Giants upset.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
I like New York here for their last five losses
by one score. They are running the ball last six
straight games, one hundred plus rushing yards without Scataboo, so
they're pounding the rock. Jackson Dart, I was wrong. I
didn't think of me as good as a rookie as
last five games, ninety five passer rating, and he didn't
have a number one starbacker, a number one wide receiver.
(03:05):
And the Vikings they've lost four of their last six.
Their wins are over two atrocious defenses, Commanders and Cowboys.
JJ McCarthy. I'm gonna take the better quarterback at home.
I trust him more. Let's keep him out of the
blue ten. I'll take the points. Giants win twenty eight
twenty seven. Bengals and Dolphins. Maybe my favorite pick of
(03:28):
the week. I'll take Cincinnati minus four and a half.
They've scored thirty points in two of their last three games.
And Burrows in a bad mood because he mailed it
in the team did against the Ravens. Joe Burrow This
is weird. Not only has he won eight of his
last ten starts, he is unbelievable late in the season.
In Week sixteen and eighteen in his career, he's seven
(03:50):
to zero Miami. Five of the dolphins six wins this
year have come against the Jets twice, the Saints, the Falcons,
the Commanders, and now they're starting Quinn Yours. I have
no idea what I'm getting from Quinn Ewers, but I
know this. He's not Joe Burrow. I'm going to take
Burrow in Cincinnati to win thirty to twenty in.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Cover Patriots and Ravens.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
I don't get this line. I'm going to take the
Patriots in the field goal six and zero on the road.
Outgained their opponents in nine straight games coming off a loss,
so they'll be salty, and Drake Made's completion percentage is
still seventy. They'll move the chains consistently, and they dominated
Buffalo in the first half. The Ravens are three and
five at home the last five games. Their passing game
(04:36):
is toast and they're not very good on the back end,
so I think Drake may could have some success down
the field. I don't really get the line here. The
Patriots are a good road team, excellent coach coordinator. I'm
going to take the points. I think the Patriots went
outright twenty eight twenty seven.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Forty nine ers said cool.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Maybe I haven't listening to Jmac, but I like the
Niners here minus five and a half, four game winning streak,
all four wins by double digits. Their third down offense
has been great with Brock thirty. They're not only the
Rams are penalized, lest pretty healthy offensively and the Colts
on the back end. Uh oh. Also, everybody loved Philip
(05:22):
Rivers last week. It was a great, memorable game and
touching story. His passer rating was seventy three. He averaged
four point four yards throwing the ball down the field.
This offense, I mean again, Philip Rivers a great story.
He wasn't a great quarterback. And the Niners have a
ton to play for, especially after Seattle comes back to
(05:46):
beat the Rams. You're gonna get a inspired effort by
the forty nine ers. They can do a lot more
with Brock thirty move in the pocket than the Colts can.
I like the Niners to win and cover thirty four
to twenty four three favorites a couple of underdogs on
our Blazing five picks. Jmack quick thoughts.
Speaker 4 (06:09):
I hate to break it to you.
Speaker 5 (06:10):
But I'm against you on one two games.
Speaker 4 (06:15):
I do love the Bears and Niners.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
I like this bull play all right. And with that,
he's a writer for the Athletic but now you know
him as the Athletic Football podcast show host. His name
is Robert Mays. Joining our show again. You know I
said this about Sam Darnold. It's kind of a funny
stat It's remarkable in his last thirty nine starts. He's
thirty and nine and that's four different teams because he
started a game with the Niners. First quarterback ever to
(06:39):
win twelve games back to back, two different teams. Not Brady,
not Montana. I know the interceptions are ugly. He may
not win a Super Bowl. I loved Andrew Locke, but
there is something Robert about He has a short memory.
His body language does I mean there's something to be said.
It's always been my knock on Aaron Rodgers. I can
tell how he's playing by his demeanor on this sideline.
(07:01):
I kind of love what Donald did last night.
Speaker 6 (07:03):
What was your takeaway if you think about the mental
toughness even over the course of his career, some of
the things he's come back from and now playing at
this level, I think there's a real maturity to the
way that he's approached the last few years, and you
can see it and stuff like last night where he
comes back from those early interceptions. I'm kind of with you, like,
I just think this is the Sam Donald experience. There
(07:23):
are gonna be a couple moments every game where it's like,
oh man, Sam, you've got to get rid of the ball,
or like I cannot believe he threw that, But then
you watch what he did on those final couple drives.
That throw to Cooper Cup on that corner route, Why
that's truly as good as it gets. I mean, he
has elite moments as a passer, and if you're going
to ride the highs, you got to endure the lows.
And I kind of just think that's what the Sam
(07:45):
Donald experience is right now.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
You know, I told my staff this morning I would
give Josh Allen the MVP over Stafford. And here's why
you saw it last night. Josh is great in the
second half, and that's not scripted. There are times where
the ability to just say eyes, I'm taking off. I've
seen Mahomes do this in Super Bowls. The Rams offense,
Robert can get stuck and last night I think they
(08:09):
had four punts in the fourth quarter, and you're like, guys, boy,
did they need a Herbert experience? They needed Caleb Williams
so I And this is not a knock on Stafford.
It's a reality. He may be the last great pure
pocket passer. But when you watch the Rams fourth quarter
offense and it stalls, how do you view that? What's
(08:31):
the issue to you?
Speaker 6 (08:33):
I think it's a reminder that their run game is
incredibly important as like the engine of their offense overall.
If you look at the numbers, then the Rams are
dominant on early downs, and part of the reason for
that is on early downs you have the thread of
the run and you have the threat of play action pass.
When you put them in third and defined pass and
they're a drop back team, they're just not quite as dynamic.
(08:55):
And I think that's what you saw last night. They
ran the ball at will in the first half, and
then when they couldn't do it in the second half,
the offense starts to feel a little bit more inconsistent
and a little bit more herky jerky. And so that's
the Seahawks are a ton of credit for really bowing
up against the run, because if you can do that,
you feel a different version of the Rams offense.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
So listen, I have made my case that I like
Caleb and bow Nix, and I think, you know, Caleb's
the greater athlete the higher ceiling. I think bow Nicks
is more accurate ten yards and under the bubble stuff,
the flat stuff, he's really good. Let's talk Caleb. Where
have you seen? I mean you you dive deep on
this stuff. Go to week one to now, give me
(09:37):
a couple of things where it's very clear, either analytically
on film he's a better quarterback now than Week one.
Speaker 6 (09:44):
I just think he looks so much more comfortable within
the offense, and if you look at the timing he's
playing with. I thought that the first half of that
game against the Browns, and even the performance overall against
the Browns is probably the best game I've seen him
play as a pro. And you see this spectacular stuff
like that touchdown of Dj Moore. For me, it's about
consistent ball placement. I don't think there was a single
throw over that entire first half and maybe even the
(10:06):
game where I'm like, he kind of wants that one back,
and you see his ability to drive the ball. That's
what he does best, intermediate over the middle, off play action.
I'm gonna rip it into this window. But what I
really liked in the Browns game is that you saw
him shaping some touch throws accurately. And if he can
start to harness every single club in his bag, that's
(10:27):
where a guy with his talent level becomes like truly scary,
and I think we're trending in that direction.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
Yesterday, Todd McShay said, when he talked to GMS last
year before the draft, very few had bow Nix as
a first round talent, and I called my three or
four guys I trust, they were totally split on him.
So there are people that believe this is really about
Sean Payton. What do the analytics say? He has been uneven.
He can struggle down the field, but what do the
(10:55):
numbers say. What's your take on.
Speaker 6 (10:56):
Bow Over the first fourteen weeks of this season, if
you look at the Broncos offense, they were not an
ambitious passing game like they did not want to push
the ball downfield. I believe they were in twenty eighth
in the NFL in the percentage of their throws that
were short of the sticks. It was a lot of yak,
it was a lot of underneath stuff. Think even back
to the Raiders game two weeks ago, that's how they
(11:18):
approached it. And so I think the question with b
Nix was, all right, if he's got to make four
or five throws down the field against a really good
opponent and you're not just squeaking by against the Jets
and the Raiders, is he capable of doing that? And
that's why last week I think is so encouraging if
you're a Broncos fan, That's exactly what happened. I mean,
he's just putting dots on guys on thirty five forty
(11:41):
yard throws down the field against one of the best
defenses they're going to play this year. And so if
he's going to have that level of ambition as a
passer and he's still going to bring some of the
creation stuff that he has, the fact that he's a
good athlete, the fact that he's accurate, his ability to
attack all areas in the field to me. That was
the last thing I wanted to say, and so him
being able to do that last week, that's a box
(12:03):
checked in my opinion.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
You know, Buffalo is interesting. I've said I'd give Alan
the MVP over Stafford because I think Stafford's got a
much better roster. I call it Noah's Ark. Two of everything. Backs,
tight ends, receivers, guards like the Rams have a surplus
of talent. I think three different tight ends had multiple
catches last night. That's what they are. But the AFC
(12:26):
is weird. No Homes, no Burrow, maybe no Lamar Jackson,
justin Herbert's beat up with an atrociou so line. Where
are you soup to nuts on the bills right now?
Going into the playoffs? You know, if things continue on.
Speaker 6 (12:42):
I don't know how you've experienced this or worked through
this this year. It's been kind of this cognitive dissonance
where I have a way I've always processed the sport
over the last like ten years, and that's it's quarterback centric.
But the teams with the best quarterbacks are the teams
that I'm gonna trust. Laid into the season, well, I
rode the Chiefs into the gut like because of that,
and I think the Ravens are kind of in a
similar place where you know, we believe in the quarterback,
(13:05):
but they're not a good or dangerous team right now.
And so I wonder if that's happening with Josh Allen
where I want to say he's the guy I would
believe in the AFC playoffs, But is that the type
of year that we're discussing.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
Overall?
Speaker 6 (13:18):
I think that what they were in the second half
against the Patriots is exactly why they're so scary. They
do have a really good run game. That is the
foundation of the offense. They can run the ball downhill
at you. Their offensive line is really good. Josh Allen
is a force of nature. He's going to make three
or four plays over the course of the game, whereas
a defensive coach, he's going to sit there and shake
your head because there's nothing you can do about it.
(13:39):
And then the defense, it's not a great group down
to down. They're undersized, they struggle against the run. But
I think that the staff is creative enough where they
can throw a curveball at you, whether it's for two quarters,
whether it's for a game, and they can catch you
flush the way that they did with Drake may in
that half the way they did to Patrick Mahomes earlier
in the year. If you have creativity and sort of
(14:02):
unpredictability on defense combined with what Josh Allen can give you,
That's why I still think that the Bills are probably
the scariest team in that conference.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
So things can. I think the team in the league
I had said this probably eight weeks ago. I said,
the coaching staff of the year is San Francisco. You
had Mac Jones except for Kittle, everybody was beat up.
The defense lost in the offseason, Hafung guy in green
Law and then Bosa and Warner. I'm like, this division
has great coaching. What's happening? Nothing makes sense. The fact
(14:35):
that they can win this division is insane to me.
But I look at it and I think, man, do
they have anybody defensively that you would trust in a
big spot. Sometimes it's just great coaching in this league.
I mean we see Kevin O'Connell takes Josh Dobbs without
a practice and wins the game. It's like, God, is
(14:57):
that is really good coaching and good for job? Where
are you on the Niners?
Speaker 6 (15:03):
I think their offense is always going to be scary
as long as they have like sixty percent of the
guys they need and Kyle Shanahan, and that's exactly what's
happened this year. The defense is where I just have
my concerns. Like you look at even a team like
the Titans. Last week, the Titans were able to push
them around on the ground.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
That's the Titans.
Speaker 6 (15:20):
What are they going to look like against the Rams,
the Packers, teams in the NFC playoffs that all of
them have pretty dynamic offenses.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
And so I don't like moral victories.
Speaker 6 (15:31):
I understand if you're a Niners fan and the fact
that you get the one seed you have designs on
like doing stuff and making noise in the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
I just think that right.
Speaker 6 (15:39):
Now they're just two banged up on the defensive side
of the ball to be a real player in this thing.
And that's okay. This was supposed to be like a
transitionary year for the Niners, and so I think for
the most part, they've been everything that you have wanted
in more as they turn the page to what should
be a better version of.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
This thing in twenty twenty six, and maybe it's the
Niners of the AFC Pittsburgh. I think, and I've been
a critic, I think Aaron's been one of the most
consistent redeemable parts. This is a This offense has been
tone deaf. How in the world can you go seven
years without a run game? The on line, They've spent
(16:18):
draft capital, still don't love it. They're big, and I
mean even DK metcalf I after him. I don't trust
a lot of their receivers. Are they the Niners of
the AFC that they should just we should all just
go They made it in Aaron's forty two salute the
achievement or do you have them with a higher ceiling?
Speaker 6 (16:39):
I think I have them with the lower ceiling because
I think in any given stretch of two or three games,
the offenses are usually the teams aren't going to believe
in because I think that offense is for the most part,
dictate your ceiling. So that the Niners in any given game,
I think, can score thirty points against most defenses in
the NFL. I think that makes them a little bit
(17:00):
scarier the Steelers, I still feel like the offense is limited.
That game they played against the Ravens where he had
four or five shots down the field. It was almost
it was like jard watching that version of their offense
because of how conservative they've been for the most part
throughout this year. And so I think that right now
when you watch them, he still does not really want
(17:22):
to hang in the pocket, does not really want to
push the ball down the field. And while there have
been some moments where he's kind of stepped outside of that,
I still think that overall the offense is a little
bit too limited for them to really give anybody any
problems as they get into the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (17:36):
Let's go back Robert Mays. One more question, Seahawks, Rams,
Jamack and I believe that when you really look of
depth and experience and coaching, the Rams are better than
the Seahawks. That's my take this morning, despite what happened.
Where are you on that?
Speaker 6 (17:53):
I don't know if there are certain elements of the
Rams that I'm just worried about, right I think that
the exactly and those are the margins we're talking about.
When you want to win championships, those little things end
up mattering. And so I think there are two different
things about the Seahawks that give them a slight edge
over the Rams top to bottom. I still think the
(18:15):
Seahawks defense is better. I think the personnel is better.
I think they have fewer weaknesses, and so that's a unit.
Even if the Rams have been good, I still think
that a couple cornerback issues and a couple week points
on the Rams defense, I'm still a little bit more
worried about the Seattle. And special teams is a real thing.
The Seahawks have been one of the best special teams
units in the NFL. This is kicking returns, and we
(18:37):
saw it last night, and this continues to be a
significant problem for the Rams. This is like a multi
year thing that they've had to work through. And I
love the fact that we're getting this version of Sean
McVay who's going for it three different times on fourth
down in the first quarter. I think you can make
an argument that he's not being aggressive enough considering the
current state of their kicking game, and so how he
(18:59):
ends up sorting through that, I think that's going to
be the biggest question that the Rams have to answer,
and it's just not a question the Seahawks have.
Speaker 1 (19:05):
To worry about. Yeah, the Niners game, they missed a
field goal and an extra point the Eagles game they
had a kick blocked, and then last night that three
of their losses are special teams, and what a circus
and what a great game. Robert Mays. The Athletic Football
Show podcast is outstanding at Robert Mays love having you
(19:25):
on the show. Your insight, your intellect. Thank you so much.
Have a great weekend any time. Con thanks a lot.
He does terrific work. Robert Mays, Yeah, it is. You know,
it's crazy that if the Rams got to the Super
Bowl and lost and it was special teams blunders usually
special You're not good enough to get to a super
Bowl if you have bad special teams. Here's the other
(19:46):
thing to think about. So John Snyder looks at the
two teams and at the trade deadline, He's like, where
are the Rams weakest? And the Seattle GM probably says
the special team teams. So J Mack he makes a
move at the deadline to empower his Seattle special teams
(20:08):
because he knows it's the Seahawks' weakness. I don't know
if he did that, but I can see Snyder, who's
very strategic, going, Okay, we don't think the Niners are
going to be a threat big picture, the Rams may
be one of two teams we struggle to get through.
They're bad special teams. We're gonna double down, give up
mid round picks to get Rashids to eat. And it
paid off last night because they didn't need a number
(20:30):
one receiver. But you know, he's a deep threat first
of all. But he is a special team's nightmare, especially
against the Rams.
Speaker 5 (20:39):
Yeah, and the other team in the division, the forty
nine Ers. Remember their kicking situation was brutal in week one.
Shanahan was pulling his hair out. They saw it with Piniero.
I think is his namer or whatever it is. But
he's an unbelievable kicker. So the Niners also got sky
Moore returning kicks. He's doing well. Of those three teams,
the Rams very clearly had the worst special teams and
(20:59):
it's not close.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
One more.
Speaker 3 (21:01):
Heard The Herd streams twenty four hours a day, seven
days a week within the iHeartRadio app, Search Herd to
listen live or on demand whenever you like.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
Hey is Covino and Rich from Fox Sports Radio Now.
Speaker 7 (21:13):
In addition to hearing us live weekdays from five to
seven pm Eastern two to four Pacific, on Fox Sports Radio.
We're excited to announce a brand new YouTube channel for
the show.
Speaker 4 (21:23):
Yep, that's right.
Speaker 7 (21:24):
You can now watch Covino and Rich live on YouTube
every day. All you gotta do search Covino and Rich
FSR on YouTube again, go to YouTube search Covino and
Rich FSR.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
Check us out on YouTube. Subscribe, hit that thumbs up icon,
come and away, blazing five picture in. Chris Peterson on
the college football playoff. I'll take Oklahoma close and ugly
tonight at home, with a better defense, a little bit
of a run game, a little bit Jmack with a news.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
No no heard on the news. This is thead line news.
Speaker 5 (22:02):
Well, the Bears are good, so we're gonna keep talking
about them.
Speaker 4 (22:04):
Colin.
Speaker 5 (22:04):
They are ten and four. Ben Johnson is cooking. Caleb
Williams is kind of mid, but he's winning games.
Speaker 4 (22:10):
That's all that matters.
Speaker 5 (22:11):
Remember Mike Martz, the offensive mastermind of those Greatest Show
on Turf teams. He believes Chicago has found themselves a
gem in Ben Johnson.
Speaker 8 (22:21):
First of all, I think he's once in a generation coach.
I think he's very unique. To hear home run with him.
I think he'll be there for a very long time.
He'll be extremely successful. And he's the one guy that
can take care of them and help him make that
transition to become not just a good quarterback, a great quarterback.
So the Bears first of all, got it right here.
(22:41):
You know, they got that duo that should be together
for quite some time and have a lot of success.
Speaker 1 (22:48):
Yeah, he's special, and you know, it's still one of
the poorest, weirdest ownership groups. I don't know where I
stand on Robert Ryan Poles. He's he's done some good stuff.
This roster is pretty good. Got to give him credit,
But I think the glue that holds all of it
together is Ben Johnson. He pulls it all together.
Speaker 8 (23:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (23:09):
Ben Johnson has been spectacular.
Speaker 5 (23:10):
We got some numbers here, Colin, and it was evident
in like the first month of the season that this
is now a run first team. That's what Ben did
with the Detroit team. The run sets up all the
passing schemes. Look at this rushing improvement year over year,
biggest in the NFL. They got Swift and Manungai, who's
come out of nowhere to be pretty damn good. And
so when you have that run, the threat of it,
(23:33):
the defenses have to come up and respect it, and
then all of a sudden you got the wide open
stuff downfield. DJ Moore cooking, we'll see what Luther Burden emerges.
Roma Dunze, that injury concerned me a little bit.
Speaker 2 (23:45):
I'm with you.
Speaker 5 (23:45):
I like the Bears here this weekend against the Packers.
I do like Ben Johnson a lot. I'm just wondering
Coach of the Year is he? I mean, there's some
really really good candidates. Obviously Sean Payton, but you.
Speaker 1 (23:58):
Know Shanahan, Sean Payton. But Sean Payton's got now the
richest owners in the sport and the hands off.
Speaker 5 (24:06):
Well, I don't I don't want that to hold that
against him.
Speaker 1 (24:07):
Vote no.
Speaker 5 (24:08):
No.
Speaker 1 (24:08):
If I consider everything, it's like Josh Allen's my MVP
over Matt Stafford because he can run, I get, I
get bonuses. So what I mean that's bottom line is
Matt's a pocket guys, you know, and I think in
big games, I want a guy that can pick up
first downs with his feet. When I look at a coach,
what are you overcoming? It's much easier to have Stan
(24:30):
Kronkey as a head coach than the mccaskeys. It's much easier.
So the Denver I mean, I think again, Sean Payton
made the playoffs last year. I think what Ben is
overcoming the history he had to rebuild the culture Caleb.
I think Ben's got you know, Vrabel's going to be
(24:50):
way up there too, because I still I don't I
think Chicago's roster is better than New England's. But now
he's he's He's tied for the fourth best odds.
Speaker 5 (25:01):
The fact that Ben Johnson has the Bears in this
position when of the seven playoff teams in the NFC,
I mean, I'm sorry the Bears have the weakest quarterback
of those seven. You know, I think I'm sorry. Baker
Mayfield right now is a better quarterback than Caleb. Not much,
But you got the worst quarterback of the seven and
you're doing that well.
Speaker 4 (25:18):
I don't know.
Speaker 5 (25:18):
Ben's been tremendous. I think he's probably maybe my my pick.
Speaker 4 (25:22):
For coach of the year. All right, let's go to
the Dallas Cowboys. Colin.
Speaker 5 (25:25):
We know they've got about a one percent chance at
the postseason. Some might say, hey, Dallas should just shut
it down if they lose this one, but Dak Prescott,
No way, he is not sitting out, no tanking for Dak.
Speaker 9 (25:38):
Being a professional, this is my job, this is what
I love to do, you know, sitting out last year
and the times before. You don't take getting to play
this game for grants. You play every game to win.
You play every game win. You get a chance to
go to the playoffs and play in the super Bowl,
And unfortunately it's not always the case. And if that's
not the case, when we take the field or whatever
(25:59):
it may be, I'm thankful for the opportunity to play
this game and I'm not going to ever pass it up.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
Yeah. You know what's interesting about Dallas if you start
looking at divisions and you start looking at the coaches
that are gonna win divisions, Mike Rabele, Sean Payton, perhaps
Liam Cohen, who's been a home run just you know,
Shanahan or McVeigh or Mike McDonald. Tomlin's a legend, and
(26:31):
Jerry still goes discount double check on head coach. The
whole thing with the Cowboys is they've done a lot right,
but start looking right now this morning, who's winning these divisions?
Ben Johnson, Mike Rabel, Sean Pate And then even wild
card coaches could be John Harball, Jim Harball, Kyle Shanahan. Folks,
(26:56):
I'm not saying quarterback is less important than coach, but
certainly in the Chicago situation or the Jacksonville situation, you
have to overcome years of poor culture, and yet Dallas
goes cheap on coaches. It's just it's like one of
those things. It's a blind spot for a really smart
guy in Jerry Jones.
Speaker 5 (27:16):
Yeah, Colin, If I said to you, how many playoff
games will Dak Prescott win in the next three years? Okay, Now,
there's a lot that goes into a draft, free agency,
but that's probably all that. Jerry's going to be around
the like instrumental with the team, right given his age.
Will Dak win one playoff game in the next three years? Yes, seriously,
(27:37):
you know one. If you're not going to spend money
to come to the playoffs to win a playoff game,
they ain't getting there this year. They got a lot
of work to do in this offseason, and the NFC,
as you talked about, is greatly elevated.
Speaker 1 (27:51):
NFC is better than the AFC this year. I don't
know what the NFC versus AFC games are but eyes roster.
The better rosters right now are absolutely NB are on
Fox NFC games. They just like that game last night.
There's no AFC matchup that would look like the rams Seahawks.
Speaker 4 (28:09):
There is no Ravens Bill's.
Speaker 2 (28:10):
Ravens Bill.
Speaker 1 (28:11):
Rosser is not close to that, not close to that good.
Speaker 5 (28:15):
So the problem with Dallas is Jaden Daniels is going
to be healthy next year, okay, and Jared Goff and
the Lions are gonna find an offensive coordinator. Those two
teams are gonna be better than Dallas next year. So
I mean, Dallas is probably starting this offseason like tenth
in the NFC colin if we're being real, is that fair?
Do you know how big of an uphill climb that
is to get to the playoffs, much less play a game.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
Also, Jackson Darts played well better. He'll probably better in
year two, probably.
Speaker 4 (28:42):
Assuming he beats out Mendoza.
Speaker 5 (28:44):
But anyway, anyways, I'm just I like Dak by the way,
this holiday season, I'm thankful for Dak Prescott giving us
great soundbites every week. I don't know if any quarterback
this year has been better giving us just good sound bites.
He sounds awesome. Final story, Colin Drake May of the
New England Patriots.
Speaker 4 (29:01):
Man, he's had a great season.
Speaker 5 (29:02):
He was in the m v P mix and all
of a sudden that loss of the Bills kind of
dropped him down a peg.
Speaker 4 (29:07):
Then Stafford went off last night.
Speaker 5 (29:09):
Uh, here's Drake mate talking about his perspective of the
MVP award.
Speaker 10 (29:14):
You know, the MVP is it's off the uh you know,
one of the big accolades for for this league, and it's, uh,
you know something that you know, it's honor as a
player to you know, earn their award and respect to
me all the past MVPs.
Speaker 11 (29:27):
But I think at the end of the day, you know,
winning the super Bowl is the biggest thing, and I
think it's what kind of makes makes this league go
is winning the big one, and that's what you work
towards and that's what this game's about.
Speaker 1 (29:41):
If you how about this, if you could win one
super Bowl but never win an m v P, or
you win four m vps. Now we know super Bowls
the ultimate prize, but do you think Aaron Rodgers would
give up three of his MVPs for another Super Bowl?
Speaker 5 (29:59):
Well as someone who many men's basketball leagues.
Speaker 4 (30:02):
I would trade every MVV for championships. That's undeniable.
Speaker 5 (30:05):
I think Lebron, any of the superstars would rather be
champions than win MVP awards. You're the best in the sport.
You would take that into heartbeatome. At least that's my perspective.
Are you thinking otherwiser?
Speaker 3 (30:17):
No?
Speaker 1 (30:17):
I mean, like Eli Manning, I take his career over
Aaron's because I got two Super Bowl wins. I'm not saying.
Speaker 4 (30:27):
I'm not saying different discussion.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
Yeah, I'm not saying he's better. Yeah, I'm saying I,
given the choice of the two, Eli Manning two and
zero in Super Bowls, beat Brady and Belichick in both
two of the most iconic throws Mario Manningham, David Tyree
maybe d two most iconic throws, certainly in the class.
Like I to me, I'm about winning the awards. Stuff's
(30:51):
nice legacy, but the winning thing. I'm in the minority here.
People would take like a bunch of MVPs, no super Bowl.
Speaker 4 (31:02):
Why do you think you're in the.
Speaker 1 (31:03):
Minority because I think I think people like awards. I'm
not an awards guy.
Speaker 4 (31:06):
I likes the war.
Speaker 5 (31:07):
I mean we're not talking about an oscar. By the way,
who's the MVP. Who's the MVP of the league ten
years ago? Nobody knows you start talking who won the
Super Bowl?
Speaker 4 (31:16):
You know, people remember super Bowls.
Speaker 5 (31:17):
I don't think they remember MVPs in the NFL the
way they matter.
Speaker 1 (31:22):
And like, I could not tell you off the top
of my head how many Tom Brady has four three.
Speaker 5 (31:27):
You don't even know how many Mahomes has several. But
we know he's a super Bowl winner. Yeah, I think
that's a no brainer. By the way, I don't think
Josh Allen's totally done with the MVP.
Speaker 4 (31:37):
I think he's in the mix. They play the Eagles
next week.
Speaker 5 (31:40):
How about this. I looked at the schedule. There's only
two games at four o'clock next week. One of them
is Giants Raiders. The other on Fox is Bill's hosting
the Eagles.
Speaker 1 (31:50):
And if Josh plays great, he's.
Speaker 4 (31:52):
In the mix.
Speaker 5 (31:53):
But remember who votes for this stuff, And you know
they like old guys.
Speaker 4 (31:57):
Stafford just had a really good game.
Speaker 5 (31:59):
They was they didn't lose last night because the Stafford
right Stafford was tremendous.
Speaker 1 (32:03):
The special teams were brutal. Not to now they did
settle for field goals.
Speaker 4 (32:09):
Nodvante, But yes, yes.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
Yeah, I mean that's part of it. But you got
to give Seattle defense credit too. It's hard to score
in congested areas.
Speaker 4 (32:17):
Wait a minute, they gave them five.
Speaker 1 (32:20):
I can't know what they were good at they were
who cares? They gave up field goals more than touchdowns.
You got to give Seattle to defense credit, Ben, But
don't break in the red zone. They forced four field
goal attempts. That's a win to me. Okay, j McK
with the.
Speaker 3 (32:39):
News, Well that's the news, and thanks for stopping by the.
Speaker 2 (32:43):
Herd Line News.
Speaker 1 (32:47):
I think most fans would disagree with me. I think
they take Aaron's career over Eli's and I would just
want the other super Bowl. I don't know, I you know,
it'd be an easier decision. If Eli had one MVP,
then it'd be an easy one. I'll take one MVP
in two Super Bowls over no MVPs and two super Bowls.
(33:08):
And that's not to diminish what Aaron's done, but it
is when you think of Eli Manning like he beat
the goat twice in Super Bowls, that's a whole different legacy.
That's a that is Belichick and Brady for twenty years,
sort of define the league. Who beat him Eli Manning
twice in Super Bowls. That's all time stuff to me.
Speaker 3 (33:28):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd Weekdays
and Noone Easter non a em Pacific on Fox Sports
Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 5 (33:38):
We got a big East Big Ten battle on Fox
College Hoops Friday as Villanova takes on Wisconsin. It all
tips off tonight at eight eastern on Fox.
Speaker 1 (33:48):
You know, it's I think one of the things I love,
and perhaps this is what I love about sports as
a whole more than anything. I like when it changes.
I'm not a traditionally like I don't watch bulls anymore,
and I'm a huge college football fan. There was on
one on TV today it was twenty seven to nothing,
you know, and I'm like, nobody's going to the games.
(34:09):
Like I just get over stuff pretty fast that way.
I'm not a traditionalist person, didn't go to church much
as a kid. Whatever. I think what's interesting about football,
and I've brought this up before, how valuable is completion
percentage anymore?
Speaker 5 (34:26):
So?
Speaker 1 (34:26):
When it used to be more valuable? Do you know what.
Tom Brady's all time is sixty four percent, and in
his first six years it was much lower. Matt Stafford
sixty three and a half percent, Brett Farb sixty two percent,
Andrew luck who I loved, sixty one percent. Now much
better offensive coaches, mobility is much more important. People are
(34:51):
like Caleb Williams fifty eight and a half percent. So
I just want to read you this. Caleb has improved,
has a better passer rating this year, more passing yards
per game, more passing touchdowns, more rushing touchdowns, and more
big plays twenty plus all improvements. More importantly, way fewer
(35:11):
sacks twenty three this year, fifty eight at this time
last year, so massive improvement. The Bears offense has also
jumped to top five in the league. It was thirty
second last year. Caleb now is second in game winning
(35:33):
drives and tied for the most fourth quarter quarterback wins,
tied for the most fourth quarter comebacks. Excuse me, so
he's much better Layden games. He wins more every stat,
team stat, personal stat up up up. Also on third
down this year when trailing, that's a big separator. Haves
(35:55):
and have nots seven passing touchdowns third down when trailer
best in the league, including Stafford and everybody. His passer
rating in the league when trailing one best in the league.
His TDD interception ratio on third down win trailing best
(36:18):
in the league is completion percentage when trailing is second best.
But he's not real accurate. He's fifty eight percent. So
my take is, I've been on this for like two months.
How much does it matter? He's accurate what he needs
to be. I used to be a sports anchor. We
(36:39):
used to have a joke, when the red light comes on,
can you read when the camera's on? Can you get
through it and not stumble? Nobody cares about rehearsal. Same
with Saturday Night Live and Broadway when they're in their.
Speaker 2 (36:54):
Seats, Go time.
Speaker 1 (36:56):
Are you magic? He is great on thurn down. He's
great TV interception when it matters. So you know, I
watched him last week. I thought he was great. Robert
Mays earlier on Caleb's accuracy. To me, it's about consistent
ball placement. I don't think there was a single throw
over that entire first half and maybe even the game
(37:18):
where I'm like, a he kind of wants that one
back and you see his ability to drive the ball.
Speaker 6 (37:24):
That's what he does best, intermediate over the middle, off
play action. I'm gonna rip it into this window. But
what I really liked in the Browns game is that
you saw him shaping some touch throws accurately. And if
he can start to harness every single club in his bag,
that's where a guy with his talent level becomes like
truly scary. And I think we're trending in that direction.
Speaker 1 (37:45):
So think about this, Matt Stafford's gonna make the Hall
of Fame. You get no mobility. He completed sixty three percent.
Tom Brady the goat, no mobility in the pocket, sure
out of the pocket, no sixty four percent. So like
if those guys are legends without the mobility, I always said,
(38:06):
I kind of think the line for Caleb is sixty
one and a half percent. That kind of feels like
where he kind of needs to be. But I'm go
look at the numbers. Team numbers, fourth quarter numbers, when
trailing numbers, They're unbelievable. He's just you know, in basketball,
we wouldn't even argue this. If you were a great
(38:27):
fourth quarter player in basketball, we would not care for
a second, about your first half numbers, right, because in
the NBA it's like, well, nobody really hustles until the
final five minutes. That's not true, but we wouldn't even
argue about it. Same in baseball. If you did not
get a hit in your first two at bats all season,
(38:47):
but you hit three sixty on your third at bat
and three ninety on your fourth at bat, people would
be like, clutch. But we lose a lot of sleep
on you know, some of the early script that stuff.
First half. You know, it's not pretty. I don't know,
like I what we said in the offseason, and I
(39:09):
think you thought this too. This wasn't like us coming
up with it. The number one thing was, dude, you
got to cut down on the sacks for your own
health and because it's negative plays, you just got to
get out of sacks. Like the other night we watched
two against the Steedlers, it's like brutal. Forget the incomplacency
of these awful sacks. Belichick talking about Brady, what's the
best thing about him? He didn't take sacks, No negative
(39:32):
plays played in front of the sticks. That was my
number one thing I said before the season. I don't
care about wins. Get to seven, I'm good. Cut the
sacks in half. He's done that. So and all the
other components up up, up up. I think when you
look at Caleb Williams numbers when trailing, that to me
has always been to have and have not line of demarcation.
(39:54):
Everybody's good with the lead. Sam Darnold last night, that's impressive.
It's impressive. Well, samso is impressive.
Speaker 2 (40:04):
My bead.
Speaker 1 (40:07):
All right, final hour, it's a good one.
Speaker 8 (40:09):
Neck
Hosts And Creators
Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
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