January 6, 2026 • 41 mins
He reveals his Herd Hierarchy ranking the top 10 teams in the NFL before the playoffs begin.
Colin talks to First Things First host Nick Wright about his top 10 teams and what to expect in the playoffs
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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 1 (00:26):
Here we go, hour two and a Tuesday, our final
regular season Herd hierarchy eighteen week seven teen games. It
all comes down to this Nick Wright around the corner.
You know, I talk about this. I think Kevin Stefanski
(00:46):
to me, I would hire tomorrow if I was Las Vegas,
if I was the New York Giants, I was the Titans.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Think about this.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
The last two first round quarterbacks drafted cam Ward last year,
number one in Jackson Dart later first round. They'll both
be on their third head coach at the start of
their second year. I mean, it's just you got to
get you got to get the coach right. And in
Todd McShay reporting like you. If you're Dante Moore and
(01:16):
Mendoza goes number one in your number two, stay in college.
Oregon's better than the Jets, not in terms of the
on field quality of product. I mean, the Jets would
beat Oregon obviously if they played. But the coaching, uh,
kind of the symmetry between the coach and the players
and the Oregon football is like a top five job.
It's a great job, enriched, capitalized, unbelievable facilities. I mean,
(01:40):
they're sold out every game. They treat their players, they
were way ahead of the curve. They treat their players
better fifteen years ago than anybody else was treating their players.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
All right, here we go.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Herd hierarchy, our final hierarchy of this regular season.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
Heard hierarchy. I'm no good. The top ten NFL teams
according to College number ten, I would put Chicago.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
They won the NFC North for the first time since
twenty eighteen. When they win the turnover battle, they win,
but they're very reliant on it. They're ten and one
when they win the turnover battle. So if you play clean,
you can beat them. Most offensive touchdowns in Bears franchise history.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
With Caleb led the NFL with eleven.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
Touchdown passes twenty plus yards down the field, but they
disappear offensively for entire first halfs.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
This Packer game is a rough one.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
It's going to be windy, which plays into the run
game of Chicago. Great year for the Bears. I put
them at ten.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Number nine.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
The Niners listen brock Party in the last month one
hundred and seven passer rating. They're not as good as Seattle.
Don't punish them too much for losing to Seattle. They
didn't have Trent Williams and Ricky Pearsall. If they have
them backed, they're a live underdog against Philadelphia. They have
lost nine of their last ten games when trailing at halftime.
Some of them is on Kyle Shanahan, who to me
(03:02):
has always been very tied to his script. He's not
been a great second half or come from behind coach.
But if Pearsall and Trent and Kittle are available, that
game with Philadelphia gets interesting.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Niners at nine. Number eight.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
Listen, the Bills are good. I don't think they're Super
Bowl good. They are twelve to zero when scoring twenty
one plus points. There's a way they win. They lead
the NFL in big plays in rushing, but that defense
twenty eighth against the run. They've lost eight straight road
playoff games. How do you win on the road against
the Jacksonville shut him down and take the crowd out.
(03:39):
I also worry about this team because they're slow starting.
When you go on the road and face a high
powered offense like Jacksonville, you do not want to play
from behind, and the Bills make a habit of playing
from behind. That's why I have him at eight. Number
seven the Texans. They're on a nine game winning streak.
Best defense probably easy league. Give credit to Nick Cassario.
(04:01):
He's drafted the hell out of this defense the last
three years. But in the red zone they're not good.
They settle for field goals, and I think that will
be their undoing. You gotta get sevens, not threes in
the red zone. They are twenty fourth in yards per play.
There's so much I like about him. I've always been
a huge CJ. Stroud fan. That red zone offense they'll
(04:25):
settle for threes, not seven, will cost him.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
I put them at seven. Number six.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
The weird Philadelphia Eagles, who are three and four over
their last seven games and since Week ten have a
bottom six offense. I mean they're ten to zero when
Jalen Hurts is held under two hundred yards passing. They're
the opposite of what wins in the NFL. But their
roster is so complete, their defense is so good. But
(04:53):
even I mean even this, they're five and three at home.
I don't even know what to make of Philadelphia. That
that's why I have him at six, number five. Denver's
a great home team, so at least I know what
they are. They're good in the fourth quarter, they're good
at home. They're thirteen and on since week four. Do
they have a ceiling with bow Nicks. Maybe, but he
(05:14):
is the first quarterback in the Super Bowl era to
lead in pass attempts in his first two seasons. That
tells you that Sean Payton trusted. It's a little like
Andrew Luck. We're gonna give you the whole playbook. They're
also four and two against playoff teams, so they've beaten
good teams.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
I put them at five number four.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
The Rams aren't playing great right now, three and three
over their last six week six weeks, but I love
the fact they've got three different guys with seven sacks.
I love the fact they're playing a Carolina team they
lost to as a favorite. Devonte Adams comes back. Now
you can beat him downfield. I mean, Carolina's got two
big receivers. You can beat him downfield, you can beat
(05:56):
him with big perimeter weapons. That's why Philadelphia is a
tough matchup for them. But Stafford, the O line, the coach,
the weapons. I have the Rams at four, number three.
We got to pay attention to Jacksonville. Okay, they're eight
to no since Week eleven, beating teams by nineteen a game.
They're like a dominant college team, and three of their
(06:17):
four losses have come to teams like you can lose
to the Seahawks or the Texans Ones or the Rams.
They lose to the right teams. I mean, they're just
They have had really good draft picks for a long time.
They've missed on the coach, but Trevor Lawrence has his
king maker.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
I have them at three, number two.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
I'm gonna put New England at two because I love Vrabel.
They've won thirteen to fourteen games and they are a
great road team that matters. Mike Vrabele third coach to
win fourteen plus games in his first season. I don't
love their O line. Their run game is inconsistent. That's
why I have them at number two. Two, number one.
(07:02):
I mean, you watched the San Francisco game. Seattle wasted
offensive opportunities and totally shut down Christian McCaffrey, which I said,
that's like shutting down Barry Sanders or Walter Payton.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
How do you do that? I like everything.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
I think they're GM's the best personnel guy in the league.
Go look at their last nine picks in the first
and second round, nine for nine.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
They have a.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
Rare combination of a quarterback who's highly productive on a
team friendly deal, and they don't miss on draft picks. Translation,
stacked roster. It's better than Philadelphia's. Now they're all line
like New England is okay?
Speaker 2 (07:41):
My top two teams all lines.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
By the way, New England and Seattle in the draft,
both will address their all lines. Both address the old
lines last year in the first round. So that's where
we are, Nick Wright. First things first is joining us live. Okay,
as my final heard hierarchy of the regular season, a
thing you like your dislike.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
Took eighteen weeks. You finally got it right, perfect, perfect hierarchy. No,
I I appreciate the fact that you are giving the
Jaguars their respect. You mentioned the winning streak over the
last eight games, over the last six. Trevor Lawrence has
(08:24):
nineteen touchdowns, one turnover, two hundred and ninety yards per game.
They went to Denver and bludgeoned them. They have beaten
the Texans, as you mentioned, three of their losses or
to three of the best teams in the league, teams
in your top ten. And the other one was Week
two to the Bengals with a healthy Joe Burrow, at
(08:44):
least for the beginning of that game. He actually got
hurt in the game. They have been a machine the
second half of the year, and Trevor has cut out
the dumb stuff. He always had the highlight stuff, but
he also had these red zone turnovers, the inex likable fumbles,
and he's cut that out. So they are legitimately dangerous.
(09:04):
I because I respect what the Pats have done, and
I think Drake may is a future, if not already superstar.
But where I do think the strength of schedule stuff
will show is in the postseason when they play the
three hardest games they've played all year in a row.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
If they get to three.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
Of them, which leads me to this Colin, I think
my pick, this is kind of a cowardly pick, but
my pick for the AFC is the winner of Jags Bills.
I think the way I think if the Bills can
go to Jacksonville and win, get their first road playoff win,
beat a team that hot, then really and the advantage
(09:45):
of having Josh Allen versus this quarterback field, And if
the Jags beat Buffalo to win their ninth straight, I
really like their chances.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
I think, yeah, with.
Speaker 3 (09:56):
No disrespect to the Pats or Broncos, that's my AFC
pick is we sit here today.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
But here's the thing about Buffalo. First of all, they're
all for their last eight on the road, not all McDermott.
I think there's certain sports that you and I know
this is true, like golf. In baseball, you have a
lot of downtime. So we've seen golfers on Sunday collapse.
We've seen great baseball players. A Rod admits it in
(10:21):
a series against Detroit, like couldn't hit generally in basketball, hockey, football,
you just go there's just too many players or not.
Speaker 4 (10:29):
You know.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
But I will tell you this, when I've watched Buffalo
play Kansas City, it's maybe not as it's not as
projected as maybe Baltimore. I think they get tight and
So here's my two worries about Buffalo. They're a slow
starting team that is not that does not win road
games against good team. The second thing is, if this
(10:52):
is tight late, huge edge to me, Jags, huge edge.
They've got to win convincingly, don't they.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
So I'm not as much as I like.
Speaker 4 (11:02):
The Jags, I'm not sure I.
Speaker 3 (11:05):
Agree with that, just because I don't think Josh Allen
gets tight late. I think the Josh Allen's last drive
against Kansas City last year he wasn't great, but aside
from that, he's performed in these big moments.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
For the most part.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
I think McDermott's gotten a little tight, But I wonder
how much of that is just because of the boogeyman
across the field in Mahomes.
Speaker 4 (11:26):
Where I would be.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
I don't know if it's a good or a bad
thing for the Bills that the Patrick Lamar and Joe
are Burrow are all out of it. It's obviously a
good thing in that the field seems so much clearer.
If you're worried about them getting tight, that's where it
could be a bad thing. There has never been I
(11:48):
say this confidently having done no research on it, but I.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
Know it's true.
Speaker 3 (11:53):
There has never been a sixth seed in the history
of the NFL Playoffs with more pressure on them to
make the super Bowl than the little bit right.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
That's how I feel that the Maholmes Burrow Lamar does
not play to their favor. Everybody in the room knows
you're the one team that can't lose this weekend.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
Well, so that's it is so odd that you have
a sixth seed on the road against a red hot,
thirteen win team, and if the sixth seed loses, people
will say they choked and by that and when we
say people.
Speaker 2 (12:26):
I could be one of them.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
I got to see how the game plays out. But
I do think that there is more pressure on that
player and that team than anyone else in the field
by far. I just think that maybe you could say
your guy Darnold is a distant second place. But it's
so interesting to me there is way more pressure on
(12:51):
six seed Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills then potential
league MVP winner of the same division as Josh Allen
two seeded Patriots. If the Patriots get clipped by your
beloved Chargers, people will be disappointed, but say it was
a great year, and they will make it about Herbert
finally breaking through winning his first big game since I
(13:13):
think Mason easta high.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
School wherever he went. I'm not sure.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
I'm sure, you know, if the Bills lose, eyeing in
part because people don't respect the jag as much as
they shouldn't because the other Hall of Fame superstar quarterbacks
are out of the field, I wonder if it could
cost McDermott's job. I don't know if that's fair, but
I just I wonder what a loss would mean for
that team.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
Yeah, especially moving into a new stadium. You could argue,
let's bring in, you know, let's bring in everybody new.
So I don't know if I've ever asked you this.
You know my affection for Sam Darnold, But it is interesting.
The year that Stafford won the Super Bowl with the Rams,
he led the NFL in interceptions. Through a seven year
period of Peyton Manning being the second best quarterback to Brady,
(13:56):
he led the NFL in interceptions. Brett Farvan until recently,
an American icon, absolutely beloved, is one of the all
time leaders, if not the all time leader in interceptions.
But they cling to Donald, They cling to him. In fact,
I was texting a couple of members of the Seattle organization.
They're like, why don't people like him? And I said, well,
(14:18):
it's a Tony Romo thing. In big games, he's had
costly turnovers and they stick to him. I always thought
this was Andrew luck who's the best young quarterback I
ever saw, But all anybody talked about, well he's reckless.
Well so Stafford, so was Farv, so was Lways, so
was Peyton. How do you land on the reckless nature
of Donald having one back to back He's now in
(14:41):
a class of Brady far Manning like back to back
thirteen plus season. Where do you land on the picks?
Speaker 2 (14:46):
And Sam?
Speaker 3 (14:47):
All right, well, listen, I think they were Probably the
picks were a little easier to get over with Farv
and Peyton and the eight MVPs between them, I think
that probably helped me, you know what I mean, numb
the loss a bit by the fact that when these
guys weren't throwing picks, they were throwing forty touchdowns in
the winning league MVPs. I do think for your right
(15:10):
in this regard, it is the fact that prior to
Sunday or Saturday night, if you said Sam Donald big game,
only a couple games came to mind, and they were
all losses, and they were losses where he played really poorly.
But now, and I guess you know what, let me
(15:31):
admend to that if you said that a month ago. Now,
in the last month he has the really unique thirty
eight to thirty seven win against the Rams, which Colin
for the first three quarters of looked like it was
another Sam Darnald meltdown game. He was awful, and then
in the fourth quarter he got better and an overtime
(15:52):
was excellent.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
They steal the win.
Speaker 3 (15:54):
Saturday night was weird because he wasn't great and the
Niners defense is really banged.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
Up, but he didn't. He had.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
It was the exact sbot he was in last year
week eighteen, one seed or five seed win the game,
and they won, and his Stevens helped him out. And
so I do think that Sam right now does not
yet get the benefit of the doubt. One thing that
I like about him is he the only person who
(16:23):
has more Sam confidence in Sam Darnald than Colin Cowhard.
Is Sam Donald like the terity. He doesn't get scared.
He's going He's not going to Turtle. He's going to
keep firing, and I think that could be good for Seattle.
I think Seattle is the best team. I say that
feeling knowing that if we get Seahawks Rams Part three,
(16:44):
I'll be picking the Rams. But all things considered, I
do think Seattle is the best team, and I think
that Donald certainly has more to gain than anybody on
his side of the bracket. It would be the revisionist
and maybe the accurate history of If the Seahawks go
on this run, it will just be my god, the
(17:06):
Jets almost ruined an otherwise excellent player, and look at
what he's been since he left there. If they get
clipped in their first home playoff game, people are going
to feel like you just can't trust Sam Darnold in
big spots. It might not be fair, but it's pro football.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
The sample sizes.
Speaker 3 (17:24):
Are this big, and that's how we evaluate you when
you don't have a long resume.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
So if Drake may lost to Justin Herbert and Harbaugh,
I agree with you. People would say it's his first
playoff game, he's gonna I think if bo Nicks even
lost in the playoffs, somewhere in the AFC people would say, oh,
he lost a Buffalo where he lost to Jacksonville. They're
better teams, Jags beat him twice. But it feels like
Caleb's at home. No, Micah Parsons. He has the better
(17:51):
O line statistically, the better consistent run game, excellent weapons,
and a brilliant coach. It does feel like if Caleb
and the Bears can't generate points to beat them, he
probably deserves a little heat, despite the history of this franchise, right, So.
Speaker 3 (18:09):
I think the qualifier you put on at the end
is the most important one. If they lose a game
similarly to how they lost Week eighteen to Detroit because
the offense doesn't perform, then absolutely. If they lose a
game like how they lost to the Niners where the
defense just can't get a stop, then I won't feel
that's fair. But the Bears offense against this banged up
(18:33):
Packers defense should win.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
Absolutely should win.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
They're at home, they are healthier, they knew that this
was the matchup they were going to get if they
got the two seed, because the Packers have been locked
into the seven. So if the Bears lose because the
offense doesn't perform, then Caleb goes back to being behind schedule.
It's very like he was he at various points this
(18:58):
year he's been behind schedule, ahead of scale on schedule.
If he's awesome in this playoff game and they win,
he's back to being ahead of schedule. If he's bad
and they lose, he's probably a little behind schedule. And
can I say one quick thing about the opponent, about
the Packers, because it's very interesting. Everybody knows Matt Lafleur
(19:18):
is a really good coach. I feel like everybody knows
that we watched Malik Willis and all of a sudden,
we're like, man, he just built for a quarterback out
of Clay. But for a guy who is just universally
respected as this really good coach. It is interesting to
me that his final year with Rogers, they were playing
(19:39):
in Week eighteen, that if they won, they would be
the seventh seed. Then his first year with Love, they
were the seventh seed, and then last year, his second
yar with Love, they were the seventh seed, and this
year the Packers find themselves as the seventh seed. Nobody
has benefitted more from NFL playoff expansion than the Matt
Laflora Green Bay and so we feel like they're really
(20:04):
really close and really good and got um lucky and
I feel like that. But they have won eight games,
nine games, eleven games nine games over the last four years.
They have won one playoff game, that game against Dallas.
I also feel like there is a little pressure on Lafleur.
(20:25):
Maybe not this game because they're so banged up, but
at some point you would like to see this Packers
team be the three seed and division champion something like that.
We haven't seen anything like that since Bredfers, since Aaron
Rodgers winning MVPs.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
Yeah, it's funny.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
When he got the job in Green Bay, remember he,
McVeigh and Shanahan were all together in DC. Yes, and
I called somebody in the league, been a good source
for years, and I said, what do you make of it?
Speaker 2 (20:53):
And he said, the.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
Reputation is McVeigh of the three is the culture guy.
He just he just burst the door down. He's the
most impressive at the podium. He's the most impressive culture builder.
Shanahan is the best scheme guy. He's on that play sheet,
and Lafleur is neither, but he's solid at both that.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
He's all interested in culture he can do this schemes.
Speaker 1 (21:21):
I actually think your Malik Willis point has been so
beneficial to Lafloor that you're like, God, Tennis just got
him out of the building and the kid's gonna eat.
I would absolutely give him a two three year deal.
So I think you're right. The Micah injury gives him
a pass. But today, if I said to you name
the top six or seven coaches and he's won a lot,
(21:43):
I don't think he'd make most people's list.
Speaker 3 (21:46):
It's just interesting because it feels like the Packers have
been really close eating Post Rogers, and they're the seventh
seed every year. There literally have been the seventh seed
every single year, and up until pandemic, you know what,
the seventh seed was out of the playoffs, Like, seventh
seed was not a thing.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
And so that.
Speaker 3 (22:07):
Part's just interesting to me for a Backers team that
opened as a favorite in Chicago and it's now flipped
to Chicago being the slight favorite.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
Great see Anyboddy.
Speaker 3 (22:17):
First things first, Oh yeah, great seeing you And happy birthday.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:21):
I thought he was gonna get away with that. Happy birthday.
You guys better have a great compilation of the best
coward moments. It is a big one too. Happy birthday, buddy,
I'll see you.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:31):
It's about a thirteen second clip of my greatest moments
in the history of FS one. Nick writes, awesome, Greg
Olsen last hour, Yeah, And I remember having this conversation.
They're like, I like Matt Lafleur. He doesn't own the
room like McVeigh. He's not. I mean, maybe nobody in
the league's the scheme guy of like an Andy Reid
or a Payton or a Shanahan, but he's solid at both.
(22:53):
And we talked about this yesterday we were doing our
morning prep meeting, and I'm like, I can't believe this
guy gets.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
This much heat.
Speaker 1 (22:59):
But when you in those terms, seven seed, seven seed,
seven seed, and you're like, I don't think it's bad
being a seven seed this year because Jordan loves injury
and Micah's injury and the NFC is better. But the
previous years there's an argument in LA it's.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
The hurt one more heard. The Herd streams twenty four
hours a day, seven days a week within the iHeartRadio app,
Search Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you like, Hey,
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Speaker 5 (23:30):
And Kelvin Washington from The Odd Couple on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 6 (23:33):
And in addition to hearing us live week nights from
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Speaker 2 (23:43):
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Speaker 1 (24:00):
So much good going on. Greg Olsen's joining us last hour.
Always love to have Greg on the show. Kevin Stefanski
apparently interviewing. Eventually Atlanta's interested, Tennessee's interested. Giants are interested.
Cleveland has seen enough of him, despite the fact he
was two time NFL Coach of the Year in Cleveland.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
J Mack with the news. No turn on the news.
This is the headline news.
Speaker 7 (24:29):
Let's start with the Eagles. They are hosting the Niners
this weekend. Colin Sunday four thirty on Fox Good Game.
Nick Sirianni rested his guys in week eighteen. Yeah ahead
of this Niners matchup. Sirianni's confident Jalen hurts his experience
will carry.
Speaker 5 (24:42):
Them Obviously, Jalen's a great player and has had a
lot of big game experience. You know, the amount of
big games we play on a yearly basis in our
regular seasons, you know, are huge. You know, every time
he steps out in the field, I feel like Jalen
does a great job of, you know, continuing to raise
(25:03):
his level of play. And so, yeah, he has a
ton of experience. And the quarterback we're playing has a
lot of experience too.
Speaker 2 (25:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:13):
Well you know that my theory on four if the
line is four, four and a half or five, take
the favorite. Yeah, it's Vegas. Vegas is telling you one
team is better. Vegas would rather the number be three,
four and a half. That's that's they're telling you. Philadelphia
is going to win this game. The numbers leading me to.
Speaker 7 (25:36):
This, Yeah, the numbers for Hurts say that in the
last three years. Look at those playoff numbers cone very
impressive six and two. Now, just for fun, I went
and compiled all the NFC quarterbacks and their playoff wins.
What's that matter is clutch important January football. Caleb and
Bryce Young the rookie, so they have zero. Sam Donald
Owen won in the playoffs Jordan Love one and two,
(25:59):
Rock Pretty four and two, Matt Stafford five and five,
Jalen Hurts, the much maligned Jalen Hurts six and three
is career in the playoffs the most experienced quarterback with
the wins.
Speaker 4 (26:12):
Stafford obviously has played longer.
Speaker 7 (26:13):
But con I think that's interesting that everybody's selling the
Eagles short. And as you open the show with today,
only two quarterbacks in the entire playoffs were not first
round picks, and they're meeting Sunday on Fox, Rock Perdy
and Jalen Hurts. Everyone else was a first round pick. Somehow,
Hurts was overlooked.
Speaker 4 (26:31):
I like him a lot.
Speaker 1 (26:32):
I like to say overlooked. He was drafted in the
second round. So was Drew Brees.
Speaker 7 (26:36):
Well, remember they had Carson Wentz as their guy, and
they were like, that's a smart organization.
Speaker 4 (26:41):
You say this all the.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
Time about you have to see problems Howie Roseman before
they appear. Yeah, and the really smart teams in this
league are Draft Day. They're often drafting positions that they
don't have an immediate need, and it tells you they're
problem moving off a player who's not good in the room,
(27:02):
they don't love his agent negotiations have started.
Speaker 2 (27:06):
So yeah.
Speaker 1 (27:07):
I mean Philadelphia does a really good job of moving
off potential problems a year early.
Speaker 7 (27:13):
Really smart aj Brown in the offseason. I think he's gone.
I think they my mock draft. I think they'll get
a wide receiver in the first round. Le'll not be
surprised at all. Eagles have a great roster, like they're
almost set. Maybe you get another offensive lineman. All right,
let's move to the Rams.
Speaker 4 (27:26):
Colin.
Speaker 7 (27:26):
They were missing DeVante Adams for the final three games
with that hamstring.
Speaker 4 (27:31):
Reportedly he could have played in Week eighteen.
Speaker 7 (27:33):
They decided to sit him. All appearances are DeVante will
be good to go Saturday against the Panthers. On Fox,
McVay saying all the right things. I'm surprised this is
still ten. I can't make a case at all for Carolina.
Their best met is, Hey, we just got to run
the ball, keep Stafford and Puka and DeVante off the field. Otherwise,
this to me is an easy revenge hammer for the Ram.
(27:54):
Do you think the Panthers have any shot here?
Speaker 2 (27:56):
Not much of one.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
I think it's a benefit that Devonte's back and they
lost previously here.
Speaker 2 (28:01):
It's a wake up call. I told you this yesterday.
Speaker 1 (28:04):
If I have a blazing five this week, Rams at
ten's in it at ten and a half, I'd stay away.
It's the Rams have everything, They're healthy, they haven't played great,
so they're certainly urgency in the building. I do think Carolina,
you said something yesterday. If you go back to that
(28:25):
win over them, they really didn't. They had a couple
of big plays and Stafford was reckless.
Speaker 4 (28:30):
He had a pick six that was a killer.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
The one thing I will say about them between doubtell
Bryce Young's mobility and their size on the perimeter. They
can hit for big plays against the Rams. You can't
be super aggressive against them because both their receivers can
beat you down the field and the Rams corners. I
wouldn't be surprised if the Rams used two picks early
on corners. So there is a vulnerability and you don't
(28:52):
want it closed because the Rams special teams are a liability.
Speaker 4 (28:55):
So you pointed that out.
Speaker 7 (28:56):
So two fourth downs, Bryce Young beat them on deep
bombs for touchdowns.
Speaker 4 (29:00):
I looked it up.
Speaker 7 (29:00):
You know who didn't play in that game, Quinton Lake.
You know who's back this week A great safety. Quinton
Lake he's expected to play for the Rams. Huge get back.
Speaker 4 (29:08):
Oh final story, let's go to the NBA Warriors were
in action last night.
Speaker 7 (29:12):
At the end of it, Doome and Steve Kerr in
a rare moment of just I don't know, losing his mind,
really lost it and was ejected.
Speaker 4 (29:21):
And also the staff here really liked that.
Speaker 7 (29:23):
Snoop Dog Yes the Awesome Rapper was NBC's play by
play guy and had a great time calling a highlight here.
Speaker 2 (29:33):
Oh, look at Steve Kerr. He's all around here. Oh Steve,
don't get thrown out.
Speaker 4 (29:37):
Get him out of the here, get him out of there.
Speaker 5 (29:40):
Vacuum up, back, Um up, GP, vacuum up Steve.
Speaker 2 (29:42):
Rad who's Steve Bagan Inglewood?
Speaker 3 (29:45):
Right now?
Speaker 2 (29:46):
Ingle what getting st You and Inglewood's team, the Arizona
Wild Canton came out and.
Speaker 4 (29:53):
Look games, Steve Kerr is going through it right now. Man,
this Curry.
Speaker 7 (30:00):
You know they're saying all the wrong things. Your guy,
Draymond is Can I still call him your guy or
no more?
Speaker 2 (30:06):
He's he's everybody's going He's.
Speaker 4 (30:08):
Really on the struggle bus.
Speaker 7 (30:09):
Keeps getting ejected, arguing Colin, they're not a good team
right now, Clippers are surging with Kawhi. I know nobody cares,
but I just wonder what becomes of Curry and Golden
State because Colin, we've talked about this for like a year.
At some point, do you just say, hey, we can't
build around you. Do you want to get traded? Like,
I don't know what you do because they're like a
fringe playing team right now.
Speaker 4 (30:30):
That's not what we want from Korea.
Speaker 1 (30:32):
It's sentimentality is a powerful thing. They should have blown
this team up after they beat the Celtics. They should
have moved players, and they couldn't. They couldn't break him up.
Why not fans get over really fast this idea, Oh,
they should have moved Clay.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
They they you know. I also think they didn't do
well in the draft.
Speaker 4 (30:55):
And the Kuminga Wiseman. They really didn't hit on anything.
Speaker 1 (30:57):
They don't they don't work with Staff, so I wouldn't
want to trade Staff.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
He's still the best shooter in the world.
Speaker 1 (31:03):
But there's you know, it's hard to have sympathy when
we all saw this three years ago, but they've been
old for three years.
Speaker 2 (31:09):
It's like Milwaukee make.
Speaker 7 (31:11):
A move or not well, just in the NFL playoffs,
we don't have Mahomes, we don't have Burrow, we don't
have Lamar. It's okay, it's a bit of a reset.
It's interesting and wide open. But in the NBA, we
need Curry in the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (31:21):
Come on, he's one of the.
Speaker 7 (31:21):
Three most exciting players in the league, you know, along
with Wenby and Luca.
Speaker 1 (31:25):
I mean, they have the third fewest fast break points,
fewest points in the paint. Like they just score on threes.
They're not fast enough to beat down the floor. They
don't have size. Like it's over, like make a big
take a big swing. You've got so much equity with
the fans because you've won so many titles. It's like
after Jordan, they were still selling out games for years
in Chicago because you had so many Bull season ticket
(31:47):
holders that had so many quality memories. They just love
going back to the center and watching games and feeling
the love and your.
Speaker 7 (31:53):
People in Chicago. Remember the Eddy Curry, Tyson Chandler days.
Those guys are big time recruits.
Speaker 4 (31:58):
It didn't play pan out enough.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
J Mack with the News. Well that's the news, and
thanks for stopping by the Herd Line News. Be sure
to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays and noon
Easter nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio FS one
and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 7 (32:16):
Wildcard Weekend has two huge games on Fox. Saturday, MVP
front runner Matthew Stafford leads the Rams against Bryce Young
and the Panthers. Sunday, Jalen Hurts and the defending champion Eagles.
Speaker 4 (32:30):
Take on Christian McCaffrey in the forty nine Ers.
Speaker 7 (32:33):
It's Wildcard Weekend Power by Verizon Saturday and Sunday on Fox.
Speaker 1 (32:38):
If the Niners start strong, if they have a good
first couple of drives on script, that game gets really interesting.
But to me, it's just remarkable the Niners are here. Seriously,
what a coaching job? I mean, I look at the Chargers.
How do they win eleven games with that offensive line?
It's a credit to Herbert. How did the Niners win
(33:00):
twelve games with that defense? It's a credit to Robert.
Solid'z not just about hoisting trophies. So there's a story.
Todd McShay came out and I totally agree with him.
He said, Hey, Dante Moore, stay at Oregon, don't go
to the Jets. And this is one of those things.
I've always felt bad for professional athletes. The harder you
work and the better you are, you go to the
(33:20):
worst company. Like if you're a top law student from Virginia, Yale,
cal Berkeley, you pick your law firm, you get choices
in any other business except in sports. The better you are,
the crappier franchise you go to. And everybody understands that.
But there are moments like the New York Jets current situation,
(33:43):
where you have a coach that is so far over
his skis they did not have an interception this year
in the league, in a division with Tua who was
second in the league in interceptions, and you played them
twice that I think if I was Dante Moore and
kind of wanted to come out, I would stay in
college so that I don't play with the New York Jets.
(34:03):
I don't think I've ever said that before. I just
think you got to give me something. You have to
get men. That doesn't mean like Las Vegas is different
for Fernando Mendoza. They have a Pro Bowl tight end,
a really good young running back. They're gonna have a
ton of cap space. Tom Brady's involved, and I'm like
all right, Like I like I could. I could talk
(34:26):
myself into that, even if I don't think Mark Davis
is an elite owner. You've got to give these young
people something I've said before, the Giants and the Falcons.
I mean, you start looking at the Giants, for instance,
they're drafting five. If I was a quarterback coming out,
you know, and and and Jackson.
Speaker 2 (34:43):
Dart wasn't there.
Speaker 1 (34:44):
Well, I've got a left tackle, Andrew Thomas, number one receiver, Neighbors,
I got Skataboo, and a defense that has a pass
rush in a division where only absolutely Philadelphia's got better players.
I would have no problem coming out if Jackson Dart
wasn't there. I think Jackson Dart today believes he's in
a pretty good situation. If Scataboo and Andrew Thomas can
and Neighbors can stay healthy, feel pretty good about it.
(35:07):
But you can't ask a guy in the nil era
to come out of Oregon, which was fifteen years ahead
of everybody else in terms of facilities and treating players like.
Speaker 2 (35:18):
I mean, they didn't have to pay him. They treated
them so well at Oregon.
Speaker 1 (35:21):
Their training tables, their facilities, the game day environment. It's
a great City, Eugen's a wonderful place to go to college.
It's like, I'm not leaving, and now I get paid.
I'm not leaving, So I do think you'd you occasionally
have really bad situations. Now there's an argument Houston was
one of those.
Speaker 2 (35:40):
And then c J.
Speaker 1 (35:41):
Stroud got Demik o'ryans. So if the Jets had Demik o'ryans, Okay,
you're giving me something to grab onto. There's nothing for
Dante More to grab onto. It's hard enough. I mean, Jackson,
Dart and cam Ward who were the first round quarterbacks
last year.
Speaker 2 (35:59):
They're gonna be on their coach this year. It's just chaos.
Speaker 1 (36:03):
So here was Joel Klatt on quarterbacks like Dante Moore
just stay in college.
Speaker 2 (36:08):
Another year. Mahomes had a ton of starts. Matthew Stafford
had a ton of starts.
Speaker 8 (36:13):
Look at what he's doing there. It's a good chance
he's gonna win the MVP. So this this has born out.
This is not a one or two year sample size
in the National Football League. This has been a twenty
five year deal where we can look and see who's
succeeding in the postseason in particular. And that's why it's
easy to, you know, say to a guy like Dante
(36:35):
Moore or a lot of these quarterbacks stay in school,
stay in school, and now they're getting paid to do so.
Speaker 1 (36:40):
Now I was saying, you know, I think Dante Moore
is going to be a good pro I what happens
now is everybody gets picked. Apart listening to people criticize
Fernando Mendoza, I've seen like multiple people come out.
Speaker 2 (36:54):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (36:55):
He's six' five with a good, arm moves well, enough
And indiana runs a lot of pro style. Stuff mendoza
is going to succeed unless he gets bad. Coaches Dante morris,
similarly great, kid legendary, reputation hard, worker throws a gorgeous,
ball got a little bit of mobility To those are
both really good potential pro. Prospects But Dante moore's. Twenty you,
(37:19):
Know mendoza has already been to cal for two years
where he had to carry, him and then In, indiana
so he's got like a real college. Experience he doesn't
need another year even if he wanted to come, back
or he could come. Back Is mendoza junior or a.
SENIOR i didn't watch him a lot at cal for
two years. HIGHLIGHTS i see him At. Indiana he's ready
for the. Pros mendoza is ready for the. Pros Dante
(37:41):
morre's twenty needs another fifteen. STARTS i don't think he's
quite ready to overcome a little bit of, chaos which
Even mendoza will have to, overcome and he's probably a
higher end.
Speaker 2 (37:54):
Prospect that's WHERE i. Feel by the, way.
Speaker 1 (37:56):
The Miami dolphins are not a guiding light or a
norm star over the last thirty. Years, Right, yeah The
Don shula days are are are long. Gone but it
is interesting that they are considering bringing Back tua And mike,
McDaniel AND i actually agree with.
Speaker 2 (38:17):
Them so you owe.
Speaker 1 (38:19):
TOUA i think the number is like fifty, million and
then he's off the. Books, well he didn't have much
of a, market and the truth is he's comfortable in this.
SYSTEM i Think miami's, problem the root problem was roster.
Construction so if you THEY'RE, gm think about. This so
(38:40):
they they Draft tua and then the next year they
Draft Jaylen. Waddle so they've got plenty of speed at,
receiver and they double down and, go let's give up
draft capital and pay a fortune For Tyreek. Hill, Well
tua does not have a big. Arm it's not a
great deep ball, thrower and that's What Tyreek hill. Does
and you already Had Jalen. Waddles they're not building a track.
(39:01):
Team so if you have two as a, quarterback you
need a good old line and a consistent. Backup they had.
Neither so my take is two is comfortable with. McDaniel
McDaniel's comfortable With. Tua they made A Pro bowl. Together
the problem In miami was roster. CONSTRUCTION i, mean there
are certain quarterbacks in this league that smaller quarterbacks or
(39:21):
Like Jared. Goff Jared goff needs, Protection Matt stafford needs,
Protection tua needs. Protection Lamar jackson in his Prime Mahomes
donald can run around like some guys can live like right.
Now Sam donald is A Super bowl, favorite and there's
an argument the second worst offensive line in the playoffs Is.
(39:43):
Seattle gray's abel has, helped but it's not a good old.
Line donald can make stuff up, Right he move to
pocket run on his. Own so here here Is mike
McDaniel on potentially they haven't hired A gm yet running
it back With.
Speaker 9 (39:59):
Tua first things, first you, KNOW i don't think anybody
quite understands what what it would be like to be
through the ringer of a year that he's. Had so
to remove emotions to you, know have a conversation will
(40:20):
be very.
Speaker 1 (40:20):
Healthy so you probably want to hire an offensive. Coach
and if you go look at the first two seasons
With mike, McDaniel until the roster construction was just too
difficult to, overcome they were Making Pro, bowls they got
to the. Playoffs SO i look at McDaniel in two
and my take, is why not bring it back one
(40:41):
more year? Again if it was a great year for,
candidates then a top three offense in the first two,
seasons and Then tua not surprisingly got. Hurt SO i
kind of look At miami and my take, is the
first couple of, years this thing totally, worked But tua got.
Hurt they didn't address the offense. Line it's been the
weakness of the team for. Years that's on THE gm
(41:03):
and he's. Gone so, again it's easy to just say clean.
House but the coach is capable if you give him
something to him made A Pro bowl when he was,
Upright and you'd want to hire an offensive coach, Anyway
and it's a weak job market And stefanski doesn't appear
to be in line for. It SO i don't always
(41:23):
trust all the things The dolphins. Do BUT i don't
think it's the craziest thing when you owe him fifty
large anyway to bring two on McDaniel back for one more.
Year don't think it's the craziest. Thing Greg olsen around
The corn
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, hour two and a Tuesday, our final
regular season Herd hierarchy eighteen week seven teen games. It
all comes down to this Nick Wright around the corner.
You know, I talk about this. I think Kevin Stefanski
(00:46):
to me, I would hire tomorrow if I was Las Vegas,
if I was the New York Giants, I was the Titans.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Think about this.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
The last two first round quarterbacks drafted cam Ward last year,
number one in Jackson Dart later first round. They'll both
be on their third head coach at the start of
their second year. I mean, it's just you got to
get you got to get the coach right. And in
Todd McShay reporting like you. If you're Dante Moore and
(01:16):
Mendoza goes number one in your number two, stay in college.
Oregon's better than the Jets, not in terms of the
on field quality of product. I mean, the Jets would
beat Oregon obviously if they played. But the coaching, uh,
kind of the symmetry between the coach and the players
and the Oregon football is like a top five job.
It's a great job, enriched, capitalized, unbelievable facilities. I mean,
(01:40):
they're sold out every game. They treat their players, they
were way ahead of the curve. They treat their players
better fifteen years ago than anybody else was treating their players.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
All right, here we go.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Herd hierarchy, our final hierarchy of this regular season.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
Heard hierarchy. I'm no good. The top ten NFL teams
according to College number ten, I would put Chicago.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
They won the NFC North for the first time since
twenty eighteen. When they win the turnover battle, they win,
but they're very reliant on it. They're ten and one
when they win the turnover battle. So if you play clean,
you can beat them. Most offensive touchdowns in Bears franchise history.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
With Caleb led the NFL with eleven.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
Touchdown passes twenty plus yards down the field, but they
disappear offensively for entire first halfs.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
This Packer game is a rough one.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
It's going to be windy, which plays into the run
game of Chicago. Great year for the Bears. I put
them at ten.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Number nine.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
The Niners listen brock Party in the last month one
hundred and seven passer rating. They're not as good as Seattle.
Don't punish them too much for losing to Seattle. They
didn't have Trent Williams and Ricky Pearsall. If they have
them backed, they're a live underdog against Philadelphia. They have
lost nine of their last ten games when trailing at halftime.
Some of them is on Kyle Shanahan, who to me
(03:02):
has always been very tied to his script. He's not
been a great second half or come from behind coach.
But if Pearsall and Trent and Kittle are available, that
game with Philadelphia gets interesting.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Niners at nine. Number eight.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
Listen, the Bills are good. I don't think they're Super
Bowl good. They are twelve to zero when scoring twenty
one plus points. There's a way they win. They lead
the NFL in big plays in rushing, but that defense
twenty eighth against the run. They've lost eight straight road
playoff games. How do you win on the road against
the Jacksonville shut him down and take the crowd out.
(03:39):
I also worry about this team because they're slow starting.
When you go on the road and face a high
powered offense like Jacksonville, you do not want to play
from behind, and the Bills make a habit of playing
from behind. That's why I have him at eight. Number
seven the Texans. They're on a nine game winning streak.
Best defense probably easy league. Give credit to Nick Cassario.
(04:01):
He's drafted the hell out of this defense the last
three years. But in the red zone they're not good.
They settle for field goals, and I think that will
be their undoing. You gotta get sevens, not threes in
the red zone. They are twenty fourth in yards per play.
There's so much I like about him. I've always been
a huge CJ. Stroud fan. That red zone offense they'll
(04:25):
settle for threes, not seven, will cost him.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
I put them at seven. Number six.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
The weird Philadelphia Eagles, who are three and four over
their last seven games and since Week ten have a
bottom six offense. I mean they're ten to zero when
Jalen Hurts is held under two hundred yards passing. They're
the opposite of what wins in the NFL. But their
roster is so complete, their defense is so good. But
(04:53):
even I mean even this, they're five and three at home.
I don't even know what to make of Philadelphia. That
that's why I have him at six, number five. Denver's
a great home team, so at least I know what
they are. They're good in the fourth quarter, they're good
at home. They're thirteen and on since week four. Do
they have a ceiling with bow Nicks. Maybe, but he
(05:14):
is the first quarterback in the Super Bowl era to
lead in pass attempts in his first two seasons. That
tells you that Sean Payton trusted. It's a little like
Andrew Luck. We're gonna give you the whole playbook. They're
also four and two against playoff teams, so they've beaten
good teams.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
I put them at five number four.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
The Rams aren't playing great right now, three and three
over their last six week six weeks, but I love
the fact they've got three different guys with seven sacks.
I love the fact they're playing a Carolina team they
lost to as a favorite. Devonte Adams comes back. Now
you can beat him downfield. I mean, Carolina's got two
big receivers. You can beat him downfield, you can beat
(05:56):
him with big perimeter weapons. That's why Philadelphia is a
tough matchup for them. But Stafford, the O line, the coach,
the weapons. I have the Rams at four, number three.
We got to pay attention to Jacksonville. Okay, they're eight
to no since Week eleven, beating teams by nineteen a game.
They're like a dominant college team, and three of their
(06:17):
four losses have come to teams like you can lose
to the Seahawks or the Texans Ones or the Rams.
They lose to the right teams. I mean, they're just
They have had really good draft picks for a long time.
They've missed on the coach, but Trevor Lawrence has his
king maker.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
I have them at three, number two.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
I'm gonna put New England at two because I love Vrabel.
They've won thirteen to fourteen games and they are a
great road team that matters. Mike Vrabele third coach to
win fourteen plus games in his first season. I don't
love their O line. Their run game is inconsistent. That's
why I have them at number two. Two, number one.
(07:02):
I mean, you watched the San Francisco game. Seattle wasted
offensive opportunities and totally shut down Christian McCaffrey, which I said,
that's like shutting down Barry Sanders or Walter Payton.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
How do you do that? I like everything.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
I think they're GM's the best personnel guy in the league.
Go look at their last nine picks in the first
and second round, nine for nine.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
They have a.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
Rare combination of a quarterback who's highly productive on a
team friendly deal, and they don't miss on draft picks. Translation,
stacked roster. It's better than Philadelphia's. Now they're all line
like New England is okay?
Speaker 2 (07:41):
My top two teams all lines.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
By the way, New England and Seattle in the draft,
both will address their all lines. Both address the old
lines last year in the first round. So that's where
we are, Nick Wright. First things first is joining us live. Okay,
as my final heard hierarchy of the regular season, a
thing you like your dislike.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
Took eighteen weeks. You finally got it right, perfect, perfect hierarchy. No,
I I appreciate the fact that you are giving the
Jaguars their respect. You mentioned the winning streak over the
last eight games, over the last six. Trevor Lawrence has
(08:24):
nineteen touchdowns, one turnover, two hundred and ninety yards per game.
They went to Denver and bludgeoned them. They have beaten
the Texans, as you mentioned, three of their losses or
to three of the best teams in the league, teams
in your top ten. And the other one was Week
two to the Bengals with a healthy Joe Burrow, at
(08:44):
least for the beginning of that game. He actually got
hurt in the game. They have been a machine the
second half of the year, and Trevor has cut out
the dumb stuff. He always had the highlight stuff, but
he also had these red zone turnovers, the inex likable fumbles,
and he's cut that out. So they are legitimately dangerous.
(09:04):
I because I respect what the Pats have done, and
I think Drake may is a future, if not already superstar.
But where I do think the strength of schedule stuff
will show is in the postseason when they play the
three hardest games they've played all year in a row.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
If they get to three.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
Of them, which leads me to this Colin, I think
my pick, this is kind of a cowardly pick, but
my pick for the AFC is the winner of Jags Bills.
I think the way I think if the Bills can
go to Jacksonville and win, get their first road playoff win,
beat a team that hot, then really and the advantage
(09:45):
of having Josh Allen versus this quarterback field, And if
the Jags beat Buffalo to win their ninth straight, I
really like their chances.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
I think, yeah, with.
Speaker 3 (09:56):
No disrespect to the Pats or Broncos, that's my AFC
pick is we sit here today.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
But here's the thing about Buffalo. First of all, they're
all for their last eight on the road, not all McDermott.
I think there's certain sports that you and I know
this is true, like golf. In baseball, you have a
lot of downtime. So we've seen golfers on Sunday collapse.
We've seen great baseball players. A Rod admits it in
(10:21):
a series against Detroit, like couldn't hit generally in basketball, hockey, football,
you just go there's just too many players or not.
Speaker 4 (10:29):
You know.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
But I will tell you this, when I've watched Buffalo
play Kansas City, it's maybe not as it's not as
projected as maybe Baltimore. I think they get tight and
So here's my two worries about Buffalo. They're a slow
starting team that is not that does not win road
games against good team. The second thing is, if this
(10:52):
is tight late, huge edge to me, Jags, huge edge.
They've got to win convincingly, don't they.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
So I'm not as much as I like.
Speaker 4 (11:02):
The Jags, I'm not sure I.
Speaker 3 (11:05):
Agree with that, just because I don't think Josh Allen
gets tight late. I think the Josh Allen's last drive
against Kansas City last year he wasn't great, but aside
from that, he's performed in these big moments.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
For the most part.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
I think McDermott's gotten a little tight, But I wonder
how much of that is just because of the boogeyman
across the field in Mahomes.
Speaker 4 (11:26):
Where I would be.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
I don't know if it's a good or a bad
thing for the Bills that the Patrick Lamar and Joe
are Burrow are all out of it. It's obviously a
good thing in that the field seems so much clearer.
If you're worried about them getting tight, that's where it
could be a bad thing. There has never been I
(11:48):
say this confidently having done no research on it, but I.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
Know it's true.
Speaker 3 (11:53):
There has never been a sixth seed in the history
of the NFL Playoffs with more pressure on them to
make the super Bowl than the little bit right.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
That's how I feel that the Maholmes Burrow Lamar does
not play to their favor. Everybody in the room knows
you're the one team that can't lose this weekend.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
Well, so that's it is so odd that you have
a sixth seed on the road against a red hot,
thirteen win team, and if the sixth seed loses, people
will say they choked and by that and when we
say people.
Speaker 2 (12:26):
I could be one of them.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
I got to see how the game plays out. But
I do think that there is more pressure on that
player and that team than anyone else in the field
by far. I just think that maybe you could say
your guy Darnold is a distant second place. But it's
so interesting to me there is way more pressure on
(12:51):
six seed Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills then potential
league MVP winner of the same division as Josh Allen
two seeded Patriots. If the Patriots get clipped by your
beloved Chargers, people will be disappointed, but say it was
a great year, and they will make it about Herbert
finally breaking through winning his first big game since I
(13:13):
think Mason easta high.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
School wherever he went. I'm not sure.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
I'm sure, you know, if the Bills lose, eyeing in
part because people don't respect the jag as much as
they shouldn't because the other Hall of Fame superstar quarterbacks
are out of the field, I wonder if it could
cost McDermott's job. I don't know if that's fair, but
I just I wonder what a loss would mean for
that team.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
Yeah, especially moving into a new stadium. You could argue,
let's bring in, you know, let's bring in everybody new.
So I don't know if I've ever asked you this.
You know my affection for Sam Darnold, But it is interesting.
The year that Stafford won the Super Bowl with the Rams,
he led the NFL in interceptions. Through a seven year
period of Peyton Manning being the second best quarterback to Brady,
(13:56):
he led the NFL in interceptions. Brett Farvan until recently,
an American icon, absolutely beloved, is one of the all
time leaders, if not the all time leader in interceptions.
But they cling to Donald, They cling to him. In fact,
I was texting a couple of members of the Seattle organization.
They're like, why don't people like him? And I said, well,
(14:18):
it's a Tony Romo thing. In big games, he's had
costly turnovers and they stick to him. I always thought
this was Andrew luck who's the best young quarterback I
ever saw, But all anybody talked about, well he's reckless.
Well so Stafford, so was Farv, so was Lways, so
was Peyton. How do you land on the reckless nature
of Donald having one back to back He's now in
(14:41):
a class of Brady far Manning like back to back
thirteen plus season. Where do you land on the picks?
Speaker 2 (14:46):
And Sam?
Speaker 3 (14:47):
All right, well, listen, I think they were Probably the
picks were a little easier to get over with Farv
and Peyton and the eight MVPs between them, I think
that probably helped me, you know what I mean, numb
the loss a bit by the fact that when these
guys weren't throwing picks, they were throwing forty touchdowns in
the winning league MVPs. I do think for your right
(15:10):
in this regard, it is the fact that prior to
Sunday or Saturday night, if you said Sam Donald big game,
only a couple games came to mind, and they were
all losses, and they were losses where he played really poorly.
But now, and I guess you know what, let me
(15:31):
admend to that if you said that a month ago. Now,
in the last month he has the really unique thirty
eight to thirty seven win against the Rams, which Colin
for the first three quarters of looked like it was
another Sam Darnald meltdown game. He was awful, and then
in the fourth quarter he got better and an overtime
(15:52):
was excellent.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
They steal the win.
Speaker 3 (15:54):
Saturday night was weird because he wasn't great and the
Niners defense is really banged.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
Up, but he didn't. He had.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
It was the exact sbot he was in last year
week eighteen, one seed or five seed win the game,
and they won, and his Stevens helped him out. And
so I do think that Sam right now does not
yet get the benefit of the doubt. One thing that
I like about him is he the only person who
(16:23):
has more Sam confidence in Sam Darnald than Colin Cowhard.
Is Sam Donald like the terity. He doesn't get scared.
He's going He's not going to Turtle. He's going to
keep firing, and I think that could be good for Seattle.
I think Seattle is the best team. I say that
feeling knowing that if we get Seahawks Rams Part three,
(16:44):
I'll be picking the Rams. But all things considered, I
do think Seattle is the best team, and I think
that Donald certainly has more to gain than anybody on
his side of the bracket. It would be the revisionist
and maybe the accurate history of If the Seahawks go
on this run, it will just be my god, the
(17:06):
Jets almost ruined an otherwise excellent player, and look at
what he's been since he left there. If they get
clipped in their first home playoff game, people are going
to feel like you just can't trust Sam Darnold in
big spots. It might not be fair, but it's pro football.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
The sample sizes.
Speaker 3 (17:24):
Are this big, and that's how we evaluate you when
you don't have a long resume.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
So if Drake may lost to Justin Herbert and Harbaugh,
I agree with you. People would say it's his first
playoff game, he's gonna I think if bo Nicks even
lost in the playoffs, somewhere in the AFC people would say, oh,
he lost a Buffalo where he lost to Jacksonville. They're
better teams, Jags beat him twice. But it feels like
Caleb's at home. No, Micah Parsons. He has the better
(17:51):
O line statistically, the better consistent run game, excellent weapons,
and a brilliant coach. It does feel like if Caleb
and the Bears can't generate points to beat them, he
probably deserves a little heat, despite the history of this franchise, right, So.
Speaker 3 (18:09):
I think the qualifier you put on at the end
is the most important one. If they lose a game
similarly to how they lost Week eighteen to Detroit because
the offense doesn't perform, then absolutely. If they lose a
game like how they lost to the Niners where the
defense just can't get a stop, then I won't feel
that's fair. But the Bears offense against this banged up
(18:33):
Packers defense should win.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
Absolutely should win.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
They're at home, they are healthier, they knew that this
was the matchup they were going to get if they
got the two seed, because the Packers have been locked
into the seven. So if the Bears lose because the
offense doesn't perform, then Caleb goes back to being behind schedule.
It's very like he was he at various points this
(18:58):
year he's been behind schedule, ahead of scale on schedule.
If he's awesome in this playoff game and they win,
he's back to being ahead of schedule. If he's bad
and they lose, he's probably a little behind schedule. And
can I say one quick thing about the opponent, about
the Packers, because it's very interesting. Everybody knows Matt Lafleur
(19:18):
is a really good coach. I feel like everybody knows
that we watched Malik Willis and all of a sudden,
we're like, man, he just built for a quarterback out
of Clay. But for a guy who is just universally
respected as this really good coach. It is interesting to
me that his final year with Rogers, they were playing
(19:39):
in Week eighteen, that if they won, they would be
the seventh seed. Then his first year with Love, they
were the seventh seed, and then last year, his second
yar with Love, they were the seventh seed, and this
year the Packers find themselves as the seventh seed. Nobody
has benefitted more from NFL playoff expansion than the Matt
Laflora Green Bay and so we feel like they're really
(20:04):
really close and really good and got um lucky and
I feel like that. But they have won eight games,
nine games, eleven games nine games over the last four years.
They have won one playoff game, that game against Dallas.
I also feel like there is a little pressure on Lafleur.
(20:25):
Maybe not this game because they're so banged up, but
at some point you would like to see this Packers
team be the three seed and division champion something like that.
We haven't seen anything like that since Bredfers, since Aaron
Rodgers winning MVPs.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
Yeah, it's funny.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
When he got the job in Green Bay, remember he,
McVeigh and Shanahan were all together in DC. Yes, and
I called somebody in the league, been a good source
for years, and I said, what do you make of it?
Speaker 2 (20:53):
And he said, the.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
Reputation is McVeigh of the three is the culture guy.
He just he just burst the door down. He's the
most impressive at the podium. He's the most impressive culture builder.
Shanahan is the best scheme guy. He's on that play sheet,
and Lafleur is neither, but he's solid at both that.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
He's all interested in culture he can do this schemes.
Speaker 1 (21:21):
I actually think your Malik Willis point has been so
beneficial to Lafloor that you're like, God, Tennis just got
him out of the building and the kid's gonna eat.
I would absolutely give him a two three year deal.
So I think you're right. The Micah injury gives him
a pass. But today, if I said to you name
the top six or seven coaches and he's won a lot,
(21:43):
I don't think he'd make most people's list.
Speaker 3 (21:46):
It's just interesting because it feels like the Packers have
been really close eating Post Rogers, and they're the seventh
seed every year. There literally have been the seventh seed
every single year, and up until pandemic, you know what,
the seventh seed was out of the playoffs, Like, seventh
seed was not a thing.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
And so that.
Speaker 3 (22:07):
Part's just interesting to me for a Backers team that
opened as a favorite in Chicago and it's now flipped
to Chicago being the slight favorite.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
Great see Anyboddy.
Speaker 3 (22:17):
First things first, Oh yeah, great seeing you And happy birthday.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:21):
I thought he was gonna get away with that. Happy birthday.
You guys better have a great compilation of the best
coward moments. It is a big one too. Happy birthday, buddy,
I'll see you.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:31):
It's about a thirteen second clip of my greatest moments
in the history of FS one. Nick writes, awesome, Greg
Olsen last hour, Yeah, And I remember having this conversation.
They're like, I like Matt Lafleur. He doesn't own the
room like McVeigh. He's not. I mean, maybe nobody in
the league's the scheme guy of like an Andy Reid
or a Payton or a Shanahan, but he's solid at both.
(22:53):
And we talked about this yesterday we were doing our
morning prep meeting, and I'm like, I can't believe this
guy gets.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
This much heat.
Speaker 1 (22:59):
But when you in those terms, seven seed, seven seed,
seven seed, and you're like, I don't think it's bad
being a seven seed this year because Jordan loves injury
and Micah's injury and the NFC is better. But the
previous years there's an argument in LA it's.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
The hurt one more heard. The Herd streams twenty four
hours a day, seven days a week within the iHeartRadio app,
Search Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you like, Hey,
it's Rob Parker.
Speaker 5 (23:30):
And Kelvin Washington from The Odd Couple on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 6 (23:33):
And in addition to hearing us live week nights from
seven to ten pm Eastern on Fox Sports Radio, we
are excited to announce brand new YouTube channel for the show.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
That's right.
Speaker 1 (23:44):
You can now watch The Odd Couple live on YouTube
every day.
Speaker 6 (23:49):
All you gotta do search Odd Couple FSR on YouTube
again YouTube, Just search Odd Couple FSR, check us out
on YouTube and subscribe.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
So much good going on. Greg Olsen's joining us last hour.
Always love to have Greg on the show. Kevin Stefanski
apparently interviewing. Eventually Atlanta's interested, Tennessee's interested. Giants are interested.
Cleveland has seen enough of him, despite the fact he
was two time NFL Coach of the Year in Cleveland.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
J Mack with the news. No turn on the news.
This is the headline news.
Speaker 7 (24:29):
Let's start with the Eagles. They are hosting the Niners
this weekend. Colin Sunday four thirty on Fox Good Game.
Nick Sirianni rested his guys in week eighteen. Yeah ahead
of this Niners matchup. Sirianni's confident Jalen hurts his experience
will carry.
Speaker 5 (24:42):
Them Obviously, Jalen's a great player and has had a
lot of big game experience. You know, the amount of
big games we play on a yearly basis in our
regular seasons, you know, are huge. You know, every time
he steps out in the field, I feel like Jalen
does a great job of, you know, continuing to raise
(25:03):
his level of play. And so, yeah, he has a
ton of experience. And the quarterback we're playing has a
lot of experience too.
Speaker 2 (25:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:13):
Well you know that my theory on four if the
line is four, four and a half or five, take
the favorite. Yeah, it's Vegas. Vegas is telling you one
team is better. Vegas would rather the number be three,
four and a half. That's that's they're telling you. Philadelphia
is going to win this game. The numbers leading me to.
Speaker 7 (25:36):
This, Yeah, the numbers for Hurts say that in the
last three years. Look at those playoff numbers cone very
impressive six and two. Now, just for fun, I went
and compiled all the NFC quarterbacks and their playoff wins.
What's that matter is clutch important January football. Caleb and
Bryce Young the rookie, so they have zero. Sam Donald
Owen won in the playoffs Jordan Love one and two,
(25:59):
Rock Pretty four and two, Matt Stafford five and five,
Jalen Hurts, the much maligned Jalen Hurts six and three
is career in the playoffs the most experienced quarterback with
the wins.
Speaker 4 (26:12):
Stafford obviously has played longer.
Speaker 7 (26:13):
But con I think that's interesting that everybody's selling the
Eagles short. And as you open the show with today,
only two quarterbacks in the entire playoffs were not first
round picks, and they're meeting Sunday on Fox, Rock Perdy
and Jalen Hurts. Everyone else was a first round pick. Somehow,
Hurts was overlooked.
Speaker 4 (26:31):
I like him a lot.
Speaker 1 (26:32):
I like to say overlooked. He was drafted in the
second round. So was Drew Brees.
Speaker 7 (26:36):
Well, remember they had Carson Wentz as their guy, and
they were like, that's a smart organization.
Speaker 4 (26:41):
You say this all the.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
Time about you have to see problems Howie Roseman before
they appear. Yeah, and the really smart teams in this
league are Draft Day. They're often drafting positions that they
don't have an immediate need, and it tells you they're
problem moving off a player who's not good in the room,
(27:02):
they don't love his agent negotiations have started.
Speaker 2 (27:06):
So yeah.
Speaker 1 (27:07):
I mean Philadelphia does a really good job of moving
off potential problems a year early.
Speaker 7 (27:13):
Really smart aj Brown in the offseason. I think he's gone.
I think they my mock draft. I think they'll get
a wide receiver in the first round. Le'll not be
surprised at all. Eagles have a great roster, like they're
almost set. Maybe you get another offensive lineman. All right,
let's move to the Rams.
Speaker 4 (27:26):
Colin.
Speaker 7 (27:26):
They were missing DeVante Adams for the final three games
with that hamstring.
Speaker 4 (27:31):
Reportedly he could have played in Week eighteen.
Speaker 7 (27:33):
They decided to sit him. All appearances are DeVante will
be good to go Saturday against the Panthers. On Fox,
McVay saying all the right things. I'm surprised this is
still ten. I can't make a case at all for Carolina.
Their best met is, Hey, we just got to run
the ball, keep Stafford and Puka and DeVante off the field. Otherwise,
this to me is an easy revenge hammer for the Ram.
(27:54):
Do you think the Panthers have any shot here?
Speaker 2 (27:56):
Not much of one.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
I think it's a benefit that Devonte's back and they
lost previously here.
Speaker 2 (28:01):
It's a wake up call. I told you this yesterday.
Speaker 1 (28:04):
If I have a blazing five this week, Rams at
ten's in it at ten and a half, I'd stay away.
It's the Rams have everything, They're healthy, they haven't played great,
so they're certainly urgency in the building. I do think Carolina,
you said something yesterday. If you go back to that
(28:25):
win over them, they really didn't. They had a couple
of big plays and Stafford was reckless.
Speaker 4 (28:30):
He had a pick six that was a killer.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
The one thing I will say about them between doubtell
Bryce Young's mobility and their size on the perimeter. They
can hit for big plays against the Rams. You can't
be super aggressive against them because both their receivers can
beat you down the field and the Rams corners. I
wouldn't be surprised if the Rams used two picks early
on corners. So there is a vulnerability and you don't
(28:52):
want it closed because the Rams special teams are a liability.
Speaker 4 (28:55):
So you pointed that out.
Speaker 7 (28:56):
So two fourth downs, Bryce Young beat them on deep
bombs for touchdowns.
Speaker 4 (29:00):
I looked it up.
Speaker 7 (29:00):
You know who didn't play in that game, Quinton Lake.
You know who's back this week A great safety. Quinton
Lake he's expected to play for the Rams. Huge get back.
Speaker 4 (29:08):
Oh final story, let's go to the NBA Warriors were
in action last night.
Speaker 7 (29:12):
At the end of it, Doome and Steve Kerr in
a rare moment of just I don't know, losing his mind,
really lost it and was ejected.
Speaker 4 (29:21):
And also the staff here really liked that.
Speaker 7 (29:23):
Snoop Dog Yes the Awesome Rapper was NBC's play by
play guy and had a great time calling a highlight here.
Speaker 2 (29:33):
Oh, look at Steve Kerr. He's all around here. Oh Steve,
don't get thrown out.
Speaker 4 (29:37):
Get him out of the here, get him out of there.
Speaker 5 (29:40):
Vacuum up, back, Um up, GP, vacuum up Steve.
Speaker 2 (29:42):
Rad who's Steve Bagan Inglewood?
Speaker 3 (29:45):
Right now?
Speaker 2 (29:46):
Ingle what getting st You and Inglewood's team, the Arizona
Wild Canton came out and.
Speaker 4 (29:53):
Look games, Steve Kerr is going through it right now. Man,
this Curry.
Speaker 7 (30:00):
You know they're saying all the wrong things. Your guy,
Draymond is Can I still call him your guy or
no more?
Speaker 2 (30:06):
He's he's everybody's going He's.
Speaker 4 (30:08):
Really on the struggle bus.
Speaker 7 (30:09):
Keeps getting ejected, arguing Colin, they're not a good team
right now, Clippers are surging with Kawhi. I know nobody cares,
but I just wonder what becomes of Curry and Golden
State because Colin, we've talked about this for like a year.
At some point, do you just say, hey, we can't
build around you. Do you want to get traded? Like,
I don't know what you do because they're like a
fringe playing team right now.
Speaker 4 (30:30):
That's not what we want from Korea.
Speaker 1 (30:32):
It's sentimentality is a powerful thing. They should have blown
this team up after they beat the Celtics. They should
have moved players, and they couldn't. They couldn't break him up.
Why not fans get over really fast this idea, Oh,
they should have moved Clay.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
They they you know. I also think they didn't do
well in the draft.
Speaker 4 (30:55):
And the Kuminga Wiseman. They really didn't hit on anything.
Speaker 1 (30:57):
They don't they don't work with Staff, so I wouldn't
want to trade Staff.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
He's still the best shooter in the world.
Speaker 1 (31:03):
But there's you know, it's hard to have sympathy when
we all saw this three years ago, but they've been
old for three years.
Speaker 2 (31:09):
It's like Milwaukee make.
Speaker 7 (31:11):
A move or not well, just in the NFL playoffs,
we don't have Mahomes, we don't have Burrow, we don't
have Lamar. It's okay, it's a bit of a reset.
It's interesting and wide open. But in the NBA, we
need Curry in the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (31:21):
Come on, he's one of the.
Speaker 7 (31:21):
Three most exciting players in the league, you know, along
with Wenby and Luca.
Speaker 1 (31:25):
I mean, they have the third fewest fast break points,
fewest points in the paint. Like they just score on threes.
They're not fast enough to beat down the floor. They
don't have size. Like it's over, like make a big
take a big swing. You've got so much equity with
the fans because you've won so many titles. It's like
after Jordan, they were still selling out games for years
in Chicago because you had so many Bull season ticket
(31:47):
holders that had so many quality memories. They just love
going back to the center and watching games and feeling
the love and your.
Speaker 7 (31:53):
People in Chicago. Remember the Eddy Curry, Tyson Chandler days.
Those guys are big time recruits.
Speaker 4 (31:58):
It didn't play pan out enough.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
J Mack with the News. Well that's the news, and
thanks for stopping by the Herd Line News. Be sure
to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays and noon
Easter nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio FS one
and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 7 (32:16):
Wildcard Weekend has two huge games on Fox. Saturday, MVP
front runner Matthew Stafford leads the Rams against Bryce Young
and the Panthers. Sunday, Jalen Hurts and the defending champion Eagles.
Speaker 4 (32:30):
Take on Christian McCaffrey in the forty nine Ers.
Speaker 7 (32:33):
It's Wildcard Weekend Power by Verizon Saturday and Sunday on Fox.
Speaker 1 (32:38):
If the Niners start strong, if they have a good
first couple of drives on script, that game gets really interesting.
But to me, it's just remarkable the Niners are here. Seriously,
what a coaching job? I mean, I look at the Chargers.
How do they win eleven games with that offensive line?
It's a credit to Herbert. How did the Niners win
(33:00):
twelve games with that defense? It's a credit to Robert.
Solid'z not just about hoisting trophies. So there's a story.
Todd McShay came out and I totally agree with him.
He said, Hey, Dante Moore, stay at Oregon, don't go
to the Jets. And this is one of those things.
I've always felt bad for professional athletes. The harder you
work and the better you are, you go to the
(33:20):
worst company. Like if you're a top law student from Virginia, Yale,
cal Berkeley, you pick your law firm, you get choices
in any other business except in sports. The better you are,
the crappier franchise you go to. And everybody understands that.
But there are moments like the New York Jets current situation,
(33:43):
where you have a coach that is so far over
his skis they did not have an interception this year
in the league, in a division with Tua who was
second in the league in interceptions, and you played them
twice that I think if I was Dante Moore and
kind of wanted to come out, I would stay in
college so that I don't play with the New York Jets.
(34:03):
I don't think I've ever said that before. I just
think you got to give me something. You have to
get men. That doesn't mean like Las Vegas is different
for Fernando Mendoza. They have a Pro Bowl tight end,
a really good young running back. They're gonna have a
ton of cap space. Tom Brady's involved, and I'm like
all right, Like I like I could. I could talk
(34:26):
myself into that, even if I don't think Mark Davis
is an elite owner. You've got to give these young
people something I've said before, the Giants and the Falcons.
I mean, you start looking at the Giants, for instance,
they're drafting five. If I was a quarterback coming out,
you know, and and and Jackson.
Speaker 2 (34:43):
Dart wasn't there.
Speaker 1 (34:44):
Well, I've got a left tackle, Andrew Thomas, number one receiver, Neighbors,
I got Skataboo, and a defense that has a pass
rush in a division where only absolutely Philadelphia's got better players.
I would have no problem coming out if Jackson Dart
wasn't there. I think Jackson Dart today believes he's in
a pretty good situation. If Scataboo and Andrew Thomas can
and Neighbors can stay healthy, feel pretty good about it.
(35:07):
But you can't ask a guy in the nil era
to come out of Oregon, which was fifteen years ahead
of everybody else in terms of facilities and treating players like.
Speaker 2 (35:18):
I mean, they didn't have to pay him. They treated
them so well at Oregon.
Speaker 1 (35:21):
Their training tables, their facilities, the game day environment. It's
a great City, Eugen's a wonderful place to go to college.
It's like, I'm not leaving, and now I get paid.
I'm not leaving, So I do think you'd you occasionally
have really bad situations. Now there's an argument Houston was
one of those.
Speaker 2 (35:40):
And then c J.
Speaker 1 (35:41):
Stroud got Demik o'ryans. So if the Jets had Demik o'ryans, Okay,
you're giving me something to grab onto. There's nothing for
Dante More to grab onto. It's hard enough. I mean, Jackson,
Dart and cam Ward who were the first round quarterbacks
last year.
Speaker 2 (35:59):
They're gonna be on their coach this year. It's just chaos.
Speaker 1 (36:03):
So here was Joel Klatt on quarterbacks like Dante Moore
just stay in college.
Speaker 2 (36:08):
Another year. Mahomes had a ton of starts. Matthew Stafford
had a ton of starts.
Speaker 8 (36:13):
Look at what he's doing there. It's a good chance
he's gonna win the MVP. So this this has born out.
This is not a one or two year sample size
in the National Football League. This has been a twenty
five year deal where we can look and see who's
succeeding in the postseason in particular. And that's why it's
easy to, you know, say to a guy like Dante
(36:35):
Moore or a lot of these quarterbacks stay in school,
stay in school, and now they're getting paid to do so.
Speaker 1 (36:40):
Now I was saying, you know, I think Dante Moore
is going to be a good pro I what happens
now is everybody gets picked. Apart listening to people criticize
Fernando Mendoza, I've seen like multiple people come out.
Speaker 2 (36:54):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (36:55):
He's six' five with a good, arm moves well, enough
And indiana runs a lot of pro style. Stuff mendoza
is going to succeed unless he gets bad. Coaches Dante morris,
similarly great, kid legendary, reputation hard, worker throws a gorgeous,
ball got a little bit of mobility To those are
both really good potential pro. Prospects But Dante moore's. Twenty you,
(37:19):
Know mendoza has already been to cal for two years
where he had to carry, him and then In, indiana
so he's got like a real college. Experience he doesn't
need another year even if he wanted to come, back
or he could come. Back Is mendoza junior or a.
SENIOR i didn't watch him a lot at cal for
two years. HIGHLIGHTS i see him At. Indiana he's ready
for the. Pros mendoza is ready for the. Pros Dante
(37:41):
morre's twenty needs another fifteen. STARTS i don't think he's
quite ready to overcome a little bit of, chaos which
Even mendoza will have to, overcome and he's probably a
higher end.
Speaker 2 (37:54):
Prospect that's WHERE i. Feel by the, way.
Speaker 1 (37:56):
The Miami dolphins are not a guiding light or a
norm star over the last thirty. Years, Right, yeah The
Don shula days are are are long. Gone but it
is interesting that they are considering bringing Back tua And mike,
McDaniel AND i actually agree with.
Speaker 2 (38:17):
Them so you owe.
Speaker 1 (38:19):
TOUA i think the number is like fifty, million and
then he's off the. Books, well he didn't have much
of a, market and the truth is he's comfortable in this.
SYSTEM i Think miami's, problem the root problem was roster.
Construction so if you THEY'RE, gm think about. This so
(38:40):
they they Draft tua and then the next year they
Draft Jaylen. Waddle so they've got plenty of speed at,
receiver and they double down and, go let's give up
draft capital and pay a fortune For Tyreek. Hill, Well
tua does not have a big. Arm it's not a
great deep ball, thrower and that's What Tyreek hill. Does
and you already Had Jalen. Waddles they're not building a track.
(39:01):
Team so if you have two as a, quarterback you
need a good old line and a consistent. Backup they had.
Neither so my take is two is comfortable with. McDaniel
McDaniel's comfortable With. Tua they made A Pro bowl. Together
the problem In miami was roster. CONSTRUCTION i, mean there
are certain quarterbacks in this league that smaller quarterbacks or
(39:21):
Like Jared. Goff Jared goff needs, Protection Matt stafford needs,
Protection tua needs. Protection Lamar jackson in his Prime Mahomes
donald can run around like some guys can live like right.
Now Sam donald is A Super bowl, favorite and there's
an argument the second worst offensive line in the playoffs Is.
(39:43):
Seattle gray's abel has, helped but it's not a good old.
Line donald can make stuff up, Right he move to
pocket run on his. Own so here here Is mike
McDaniel on potentially they haven't hired A gm yet running
it back With.
Speaker 9 (39:59):
Tua first things, first you, KNOW i don't think anybody
quite understands what what it would be like to be
through the ringer of a year that he's. Had so
to remove emotions to you, know have a conversation will
(40:20):
be very.
Speaker 1 (40:20):
Healthy so you probably want to hire an offensive. Coach
and if you go look at the first two seasons
With mike, McDaniel until the roster construction was just too
difficult to, overcome they were Making Pro, bowls they got
to the. Playoffs SO i look at McDaniel in two
and my take, is why not bring it back one
(40:41):
more year? Again if it was a great year for,
candidates then a top three offense in the first two,
seasons and Then tua not surprisingly got. Hurt SO i
kind of look At miami and my take, is the
first couple of, years this thing totally, worked But tua got.
Hurt they didn't address the offense. Line it's been the
weakness of the team for. Years that's on THE gm
(41:03):
and he's. Gone so, again it's easy to just say clean.
House but the coach is capable if you give him
something to him made A Pro bowl when he was,
Upright and you'd want to hire an offensive coach, Anyway
and it's a weak job market And stefanski doesn't appear
to be in line for. It SO i don't always
(41:23):
trust all the things The dolphins. Do BUT i don't
think it's the craziest thing when you owe him fifty
large anyway to bring two on McDaniel back for one more.
Year don't think it's the craziest. Thing Greg olsen around
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