January 12, 2026 • 41 mins
Colin shares this week’s Where Colin was Right, Where Colin was Wrong – he was correct on Indiana football and wrong about the Bills.
He talks to 3-time Pro Bowl QB Matt Hasselbeck about the Bears thrilling 4th quarterback comeback against the Packers and Josh Allen lifting the Bills over the Jaguars.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
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
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 our two, ready to roll. Matt Hasselback
five minutes.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
We're live.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
We're in Chicago, a city that wins NFL playoff.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Games, at least now they do. It was crazy weekend.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
You know, the NBA is very star reliant, and baseball
can be franchise reliant. The NBA sells teams. You put
the Niners and Eagles out there. I don't even have
to like Hertz or sirih Yanni and Rock Perty doesn't
have to be a superstar.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
And it's just like, pulls me in. Pulls me.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Bears can be terrible forever the minute they're good, pulls
me in. When you sell teams and product over individual
franchises and markets and star quarterbars, star NBA players, it's
amazing that you don't have these massive dips in popularity
and ratings. Just a remarkable weekend. Here we go Colin right,
Colin wrong, and a.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Monday where Colin was right.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
Well, I said it in October, Kyle Shanahan was my
coach of the Year and he and Salo were my
staff of the year. Mac Jones started eight games, no
Kittle for a while, Trent Williams, Bosa, Fred Warner, all
sorts of injuries. They still end up with the top
ten offense thirteen and five. He and Sala put on
a clinic Philadelphia forced into multiple three and outs. I
(01:50):
mean they held the Eagles with that Bondo duct tape
defense in San Francisco to four point three yards per play.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
That is coaching where Colin was wrong.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
Well, the Bills, despite being completely riot reliant on one player,
beat the Jags and keep winning. I don't love their
wide receiver group. Special teams now due to injuries, are shaky.
The defense has kind of mid. I don't even always
loved their head coach. But fourth team ever to win
at least one playoff game six years in a row,
(02:25):
and there's just nothing on the market like Josh Allen.
Ninety percent of that was Josh Allen. I kept asking
all week how are the Jags underdogs? And then I
watched the game and went, oh, yeah, yeah, Josh Allen, That's.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
Why where Colin was right, Nick.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Seriani, I've always thought his winning is a reflection of
the roster and the GM, not coaching acumen. There's a
lot of different ways to win in some of its
roster construction. He's arguing with aj Brown, don't love that.
I mean, I just I look at this team and
he doesn't call plays. I'm tall, all these great at
managing egos, but that's not what I keep seeing. And
(03:04):
I mean I understand that Jalen Hurts can struggle to
see over the line, like I get it, But there's
just too much talent here to score nine points a
game this year in the second half. There's too much
talent at some point. I mean, he feels Sirianni to me,
feels completely offensive coordinator reliant.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
Where Colin was wrong.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
I'm a Justin Herbert defender.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
But two fumbles, three points, seventy four passer rating. Listen,
he's played twelve playoff quarters. Ten have been suboptimal. Now
he's had a couple of bad coaches and now he's
got an atrocious offensive line and Peyton Manning went oh
for his first three. I didn't like the Chargers in
this game with points or winning. I just don't think
(03:49):
you can win with that kind of offensive line. But
his career playoff passer rating is sixty four, And as
much as I defend him, some of it's on him.
Where Colin was right, Kevin Stefanski, I said, go ahead, Cleveland,
fire him. He's going to be a top candidate. He's
already interviewed with the Giants and the Ravens and the
Falcons and the Titans.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
I'm sorry.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
He's an IVY League guy, two time coach of the Year,
which is not exactly easy to.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
Do in Cleveland.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
I've always thought he gets the most out of his players.
I think Shadoor Sanders has improved.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
Somebody told me this year's ago, if you fire somebody,
how many good jobs did they interview for after? And
if the answer is a lot, you probably shouldn't have
fired him. Where Colin was wrong, I didn't see John
Harbaugh getting fired coming at all. I mean, he's thirteen
and eleven in the playoffs. I always heard he was flexible,
(04:42):
player friendly. I mean, clearly what Baltimore is saying, is
this is a Lamar Jackson franchise. I get it, star quarterback,
totally get it, and he's the number one candidate for
a lot of jobs. But Steve Bushatti, one of the
better owners, fired him on the phone. I don't love that.
I guess it happened, but that one caught me off guard.
I think I caught a lot of people off guard.
(05:04):
They sat down for a while and driving away he
got the phone call.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
So I was wrong on that one.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Where Colin was right.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
Well, I predicted Miami in Indiana would end up in
the National Championship. I said, Oregon makes too many mistakes
to beat Indiana, which is a pretty flawless team, and
Miami is going to push old Miss all over the field.
And that's exactly what happened. So I think Miami matches
up pretty well with Indiana. I mean, they've got playmakers
(05:32):
on the outside, so you can't cheat. Carson Beck's been
in a third National championship. But boy, Miami makes mistakes
and Indiana will make you pay for all of them.
But Miami Indiana is what I thought would happen, where
Colin was right. Finally, I've been saying this for two years.
If a car dealer or a bourbon distributor is your
(05:55):
number one booster in ANIL, you are not beating the
big ten. Notre Dame in Miami, Ole miss against Miami,
who had better players. I don't think it was particularly close,
So thank god for Texas Oil money or I don't
know what the SEC would be, but our third strate
(06:16):
national championship without an SEC team, And I think it's
even worse than that. If you start looking at the
last couple of years in the playoff, who the SE
team's SEC teams are beating. It's other SEC teams and
two lane.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
That's it.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
Colin Wright, Colin wrong on a Monday, And with that,
Matt Hasselbeck stops buy and joins us. Eighteen years in
the NFL, So a lot of times I'll ask you
a question and I think I kind of know an answer,
but I don't necessarily with this one. So it is
weird how uneven the Bears offense can be.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
Is there secret.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
Sauce beyond just Caleb kind of being really talented? Why
are they so good playing from behind? It's almost as
if Buffalo and Chicago are better playing from behind explain
that to me with the Bears.
Speaker 4 (07:10):
Yeah, well, I heard you today say that the popes
from Chicago, So you know, that might be the closest
thing that I've heard that makes sense. No, but yeah,
I think some of its playground ball. Both these quarterbacks
are really good at playground ball. That's what I always
felt like, two minutes it was time to take chances.
You know, stuff I wouldn't normally do in a zero
zero game in the first quarter, I'm going to do
(07:30):
that in the fourth quarter. I'm going to do that
on fourth down, third down, two minutes like that's you know,
it's some of its personality that way as a quarterback.
Some of it's that, But I also think it's a mindset.
And you know, I talked to you earlier about Ben Jonson.
He's a great play caller, cool trick plays. That doesn't
mean you're going to be a great head coach, vision setter,
culture setter. You know, the DNA of our team. And
(07:53):
then you go back to you know, basically August training camp.
Speaker 5 (07:57):
He calls the team together.
Speaker 4 (07:58):
And as a team meeting, and he shows the video
of twenty eight to three Patriots versus the Falcons. Hey,
I recognize we've got a guy on our team on
offense and a guy on our team on defense that
one was on the Patriots and one was on the Falcons.
Speaker 5 (08:11):
Let me hear from you. Let's talk about this moment.
Speaker 4 (08:13):
Let's be a teachable moment in August that I think
is paying dividends all season long, but also in January.
This mindset that doesn't matter what the scoreboard says. It's
all you got for sixty minutes. Don't judge what the
score is, and we'll see what happens at the end
of the game. And that's how this team plays. They
play like they're unfazed. They don't flinch. Ben Johnson when
(08:34):
you look at him on the sidelines, he's not a
roller coaster of emotions. He's a steady hand. So I
just think the Bears hit a home run, maybe a
grand slam with this higher Ryan pulls Ben Johnson.
Speaker 5 (08:47):
It works.
Speaker 4 (08:47):
This young quarterback has improved every single week, and I
think that's the mental toughness that it takes to come
from behind, and that they've done it each and every week.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
It feels like so everybody's down on Matt Lafleur and
my take as folks. They had fav and Aaron Rodgers
for thirty one years and got to three Super Bowls.
A it's hard. It's hard to win this time of
the year. Secondly, they don't have an owner, so sometimes
you can't make that Goff Stafford move unless the owner goes, okay,
I'll pay for both salaries. They don't get free agents
(09:18):
third year in a row, Matt. They're the youngest team
in the league. They don't go get older players. Players
given a choice don't always choose Green Bay. I think
he's a good coach. I also think the NFC the
last couple of years has gotten better than the AFC.
I think it's really good. I think MAT's a good coach.
When you look at the meltdown, what do you see?
Speaker 5 (09:39):
Yeah, I think he's a great coach.
Speaker 4 (09:41):
I think fundamentals probably slipped a little bit this year,
you know, I think that's.
Speaker 5 (09:45):
Probably something that's true.
Speaker 4 (09:47):
But you know, they're a field goal or an extra
point away from continuing on, you know, playing right now.
I think if you're that team, you look in the mirror,
you lock la floor up, which I think they've done,
and then I think you do everything in your to
keep Jeff Hafley. Jeff Haffley was the head coach of
Boston College and just kind of like late in the
like late in this in the spring schedule, decided to
(10:08):
walk away because he basically said, Hey, when I'm a
head coach, I don't really get to do what I love,
and that's coach. I'm kind of like a just a
you know, a CEO. I want to be in there
with the guys coaching. And that's why he jumped ship
late to go to Green Bay and you know, coach again.
Speaker 5 (10:25):
You see what he's done.
Speaker 4 (10:26):
So give him a healthy Micah Parsons with an offseason,
and I think this team can be right back in it.
But Halflee, you know, he might say, I'll be a
head coach of a pro team. There's nine il and
all that craziness transfer portal. But if they can keep
him in the building plus the floor, I think they
got a great thing going.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
Yeah, so do I listen. I think what San Francisco
has been doing is unbelievable. I mean I really do.
Once Kittle got hurt, I'm like, oh, they were playing
so well, the trick play, the opening drive, third down,
I mean, I'm sure this happened to you sometime and
your career, Matt, where you lost a left tackle. You
(11:02):
know you're banged up. You go on the road and
you know, maybe it's home Greun, whoever it is, and
you just are resourceful and in a weird way, everybody
plays over who they are because everybody knows they have
to play over who That's what I felt like. San
Francisco is like, guys, we all have to play our
a game. We don't nobody can just you know, you
(11:24):
can't drop a pass. What did you make of the
Niners performance?
Speaker 4 (11:28):
Yeah, they've been incredible all year given the adversity that
they've faced, and you know, you mentioned George Kittle, and like,
I think the easy thing to do would be to
quit on this team once again. Everybody's already like left
them for dead numerous times this year. But I think
the easiest easy thing to do and say, oh, they're
going back to Seattle offensively, they struggled against Seattle with
you know, Kiddle or sorry with you know, without this
(11:50):
kind of like bad breaking news or whatever. But I
think this is a team that's going to play.
Speaker 5 (11:54):
For their guy.
Speaker 4 (11:56):
If there's a there's one player in that team that
I feel is like the heartbeat of that team, and
there are many to choose from.
Speaker 5 (12:02):
I think Kittle's that guy.
Speaker 4 (12:03):
He plays the game the way that it's supposed to
be played, kind of Gronk esque, if you will. And
so like again, I think rock Birdy's super underrated. I
think he's great. Kyle Shanahan, when Kittle went out, he
basically said, this is going to be a running back
game plan the rest of the night. It's going to
be Kyle Uschek and Christian McCaffrey, and we're going to
do it that way.
Speaker 5 (12:22):
And oh, by the way, Juwan Jennings, who was.
Speaker 4 (12:24):
A great high school quarterback, We're going to use a
trick play with you. And you know Jennings just fun fact,
he was rated ahead of Lamar, over Burrow, over Sam Darnold.
Speaker 5 (12:34):
Coming out of high school.
Speaker 4 (12:35):
And so Kyle Shanahan, it's not so much what you
what we can't do, but it's what we can do.
And I think that's what he's done with his with
his guys offensively, defensively, guys like Kendricks, you know, just
it's been impressive and I don't think they're done yet,
not necessarily.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
So I think one of the things I watch when
I watch football, you can see coaching, Like the opening
drive for the Niners.
Speaker 3 (12:59):
You're like, oh, that was that was magical, that was beautiful.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
They obviously saw weaknesses and attack them. When I watched Philadelphia,
I don't see like halftime adjustments. Offensively, they average nine
points in the second half. I don't know what they
are offensively. You know, there's the old there's the old
saying it's not about who has the best players, it's
the best team, right, And there's also a saying it like,
it's not just calling plays, you know plays, it's got
(13:26):
to be complimentary football. I don't know what Philadelphia's offense is.
Speaker 3 (13:29):
Do you watching that? What is their offense?
Speaker 4 (13:33):
Well, they're probably going to get a lot of shade
from people like you know, on social media.
Speaker 5 (13:37):
Because they like to repeat plays.
Speaker 4 (13:40):
And I can just tell you as a quarterback, I
never had a problem repeating a play like Mike Hongrin's
probably one of the greatest called play callers of all time,
and he would call the same play often and the
ball would just go somewhere else.
Speaker 5 (13:51):
So I don't have a problem with that personally at all.
Speaker 4 (13:54):
But I do have a problem with identity, and you know,
to me, the identity of this team has to go
through Saquon. You know, the last five games, Saquon was
pretty darn good. But it just this team for some
reason feels to me a little bit like when Seattle
there was this push inside the building, like the let
Russ Cook movement, if you will, and like, hey, this quarterback,
(14:15):
he can be like Dan Marino. Dude, you don't need
to be like Dan Marino.
Speaker 5 (14:18):
Just be you. You You are really really good.
Speaker 4 (14:21):
And I'm not saying Jalen is pushing that at all,
but I think what what the Eagles had been doing
in the past was so so good, and what they've
been doing, I would say for the last like year
and a half, it just feels like they're trying to
be something that they're not. And so, you know, whatever
they wanted to be, like, go be that. But to me,
Saquon's got to be a part of it, and that
(14:43):
physicality upfront that needs to be a part of it
as well.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
So, yeah, Buffalo is it's just crazy. I asked all week,
how's Jacksonville. I've watched the whole season. Jacksonville's better than Buffalo.
Then all of a sudden about an hour in, I'm like, okay,
this is this is what it is. Maybe Jackson mcgaut
a little bit tight, but I mean, I don't know
if there is We said this with Caleb. I feel
(15:11):
that with Josh Allen he feels free. He feels a
little freer in the second half. It's a looser offense.
And I do think that's the hard part about coaching.
When you get this, like Lamar's first three or four
years in the league, it's like, Okay, there's some things
all coach and some things I'm like, bro go do
you how much do you think when you watch Josh
(15:31):
in these moments in the second half his scheme is
design is a little bit of hey man, we're going
to give you a couple options.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
You do you.
Speaker 5 (15:42):
Well?
Speaker 3 (15:42):
For sure?
Speaker 4 (15:43):
I mean, and people played Josh Allen differently, so like
you know, when I would study film, I would kind
of have a good sense of how people were probably
gonna play us. You know, maybe not always because we
you know, Homegrown was a little bit old school how
we did things, but there's certain players that people just
play you differently because of who you are, not the
scheme and that's Josh Allen, Like he literally is Superman,
Like if the MVP was really just the MVP, not
(16:06):
like whose team was the best and you had the best.
Speaker 5 (16:07):
Stat Like, Josh Allen's the MVP. He is that guy.
Speaker 4 (16:11):
He can put a cape on and carry his team.
He's done it year after year. So yeah, does he
play better in those moments?
Speaker 6 (16:17):
I do.
Speaker 5 (16:18):
I do think that's true.
Speaker 4 (16:19):
But it's also because he's sparring for a little bit,
trying to figure out, Okay, what's your plan for me today?
You know, And I think you saw that on the
Brandon Cooks play that he hit him down when the
corner's trying to trap the out route. I think you
see it in some of the quarterback run game. But
this is a huge opportunity for Buffalo with you know.
Speaker 5 (16:37):
No Lamar, no Burrow, no Mahomes.
Speaker 4 (16:40):
In the playoffs, Like, this is your opportunity to throw
the Cape on. It doesn't matter if your defense can't
stop the run. They do other things well, they're creating interceptions,
they're playing well enough.
Speaker 5 (16:51):
This is your opportunity.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
Okay, I'm gonna throw. I have a theory on this.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
I want to put up the playoff picture so the
Seahawks know the Niners are beat up. The Seahawks are
a young team. I don't like young teams getting buys.
I think young teams should play old guys can take
a buye. So Seattle comes in at home off of
by probably not totally in sync first driver too, and
(17:20):
I would guess their takeaway is, guys, we have the
better healthier roster. We're gonna wear these guys out over
three and a half hours. Let's not let's not make
let's not beat ourselves early. The Niners come into that
game thinking, guys, we gotta we gotta seize control. We're
not going on the road and being passive. We're taking swings.
I think Seattle Niners the world loves Seattle, and I
(17:44):
think Seattle could come in cautious, rusty. I think Seattle
Niners is a real game, and I would be concerned
if I was the Seahawks.
Speaker 3 (17:51):
How do you view it?
Speaker 4 (17:53):
I think it's a real game, but I'm not I'm
not worried about that. I've seen the way Seattle practices.
This is not like a fat cat up to old
vets like they get after it even the Saturday before
a game.
Speaker 5 (18:04):
I've seen them like they're they're breaking a sweat.
Speaker 4 (18:06):
The balls flying around, guys, are you know they're they're competitive.
Speaker 5 (18:10):
I would imagine that.
Speaker 4 (18:11):
This week, like I mentioned to you last week, is
a lot of ones versus ones, best versus best. You know,
we're not taking our star players to the ground. We're
staying away from uh Sam Darnold's fingers as he throws
the ball in the pocket. We're not squeezing the pocket
that way. But we're not taking hits on JSN. We're
not tugging at jerseys, hurting hamstrings like all that kind
of stuff. So no, I think Seattle comes out firing.
(18:33):
And I just think you got to be an alert
for a Kyle Shanahan, uh non traditional game plan, non
traditional matchups and trick plays, Like.
Speaker 5 (18:42):
What do they got to lose? Short week?
Speaker 4 (18:44):
You know, I had to go across the country. I think,
like third time matchup, they're pulling out all the stuff.
You know, he's got trick plays in the playbook. What
are you saving them for? This is this is the
week to do it. Will Seattle be ready? That'll be
the question?
Speaker 1 (18:58):
Okay, Rams, but the Bears Rams are healthy. Bears loft
their left tackle and the top Edward's a top defensive player.
I do worry they come off a wildly emotional game
against Green Bay, whereas the Rams are kind of sitting
there like can we get through Carolina. But here's what
worries me about the Rams. They give up thirty plus
(19:19):
points to Carolina twice, and I keep hearing how great
their defensive front seven is and Carolina was four for
four in the red zone. I could see Caleb Williams
having another second half. I mean, Colston Lovelin, Roma Dunze,
Luther Burden, DJ Moore. Bears have a lot of size
and a lot of skill. I think Chicago has a
chance to win. How do you view it?
Speaker 4 (19:41):
Yeah, I don't disagree at all, but I do think
people overlook how physical the Rams are upfront offensively and defensively.
And so, you know, you mentioned the Bears lose their
left tackle, Asi Trapillo. I think that's a bigger loss
than people realize, you know, because you can have all
the creative plays in the world, but if you can't protect,
it makes it tough. But you know, when Matt Stafford's
on a heater at the end of the game, that's
(20:02):
what the difference is it's like he didn't have his
greatest game. I didn't think, but he had a you know,
a long drive at the end and yeah, a perfect
throat to Kolbe Parkinson. And so you know, these are
two quarterbacks that can do.
Speaker 5 (20:14):
It at the end of the game.
Speaker 4 (20:15):
And the way the rules are and the k balls
are right now, I think this could be a fascinating
matchup again, even if it's twenty one nothing at halftime,
I wouldn't count either one of these teams out.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
Okay, Buffalo now is going to go to Denver, high altitude.
I feel the same way Bo Nicks young quarterback. I
don't want him to have rest. I'd rather Bo keep playing.
I think, you know, I mean, the dog is going
to be a I don't even know who's favored in
that game. My takeaway is though Buffalo playing flying home,
flying out, I'm like, I think it's an advantage for Buffalo.
Speaker 3 (20:48):
Like I don't think Buffalo needed rest.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
I think that was a great, great win and gives
them some jet fuel into Denver. Would you worry about
the Broncos having a week off.
Speaker 5 (20:59):
No, I don't.
Speaker 4 (21:00):
I don't think I worry about the Broncos having a
week off, and you know, the Broncos lost to the
Bills last year in a similar situation like this, So
you know, I think there's you know, you don't have
to worry again, like about these guys like not taking
it seriously, not making it there all, like this is
their super Bowl in a sense, like they've got this
mindset of like want to know this week, play every
(21:21):
play like at your last. This game could be our last.
I think Sean Payton will have them ready this you
know that way for me, if I was the quarterback,
if I was Josh Allen, I know I got to
go up against Vance Joseph, and of all the guys
that I've ever gone up against, like Vance Joseph's got
to be somewhere on the podium. I don't know if
he's a bronze, silver, gold medalist, but the study time
(21:42):
that it takes to go through his defenses and his
disguise schemes and all that kind of stuff, it's something.
And now he's got guys that can just rush the
passer without any help of a blitz. That's a challenge.
That's a challenge. I think I think Denver's got a
better team than people realize. But again, this is one
of those things where Josh Allen is that quarterback that
can go above the x's and o's without the other
(22:05):
superstars Mahomes, Lamar Burrow. They're not in the AFC this year.
This might be your best chance, Buffalo, like, go do it.
Speaker 3 (22:13):
Yeah, who do you like tonight? Steelers Texans?
Speaker 5 (22:16):
It's a really tough one.
Speaker 4 (22:17):
I think if the Steelers don't try to play the
game an empty back like they love to be an
empty Aaron Rodgers in Shotgun, like it's ten years ago
in Green Bay. If they don't do that, then then
I like the Steelers. But if they want to just
kind of play like they've always played, like oh Aaron
and DK and this and that, I think the Houston
Texans defense is really spectacular and they got to do
(22:40):
it a different way.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
Yeah, Pittsburgh has a weird way of in these games
where you're like, I'm not sure they can generate enough offense.
They find out a way to get turnovers short field.
Tomlins teams always do this when you're really He's always
been a great underdog coach, and all of the sudden
the ball is tipped and TJ. Watts running down the field,
(23:03):
You're like, I mean, cause my old takeaway is can
they generate fourteen points? But they always figure out a
way to do it. That's kind of that's kind of
the Pittsburgh way, is it not.
Speaker 5 (23:14):
Yeah, And it's worked for them for a long time.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
You know.
Speaker 4 (23:17):
I just think that at some point Aaron Rodgers has
to kind of and maybe he's already done that. He's
got to change the way he's played in terms of
again just going more point guard and that can meet
using the running backs more okay, but less shooting forward.
Speaker 5 (23:32):
We don't need the you know, I would.
Speaker 4 (23:33):
I would just say it sort of that way, like
make the people around you better.
Speaker 5 (23:38):
And I think he's got the ability to do that.
Speaker 4 (23:40):
But the speed and the physicality and the pass rush
of this Houston Texans team with Hunter and Anderson like there,
I don't care how good of a thrower you are,
it won't matter if if you don't have time to throw.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
Uh yeah, Mike Tomlin twenty three and five on Monday Night.
So there is a magic too, But no question, Matt
Hasselbeck has always Buddy Great Senior.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
Seea con one more Heard the Herd Streams twenty four
hours a day, seven days a week. Within the iHeartRadio app,
search her to listen live or on demand whenever you like.
Fox Sports Radio is taking over YouTube and you can
be a part of it. Just go to YouTube and
search Fox Sports Radio. Hit that subscribe button and smash
(24:24):
that notification bell and catch all the videos from your
favorite shows, Tu Pro's and a Cup of Joe, Dan Patrick,
Colin Cowherd, Doug Gottlieb Cavino and Rich, The Odd Couple
with Rob Parker and Kelvin Washington, The Jason Smith Show
with Mike Harmon, and The Ben Maller Show. Fox Sports
Radio on YouTube.
Speaker 1 (24:40):
Subscribe, hit that thumbs up icon and comment away, they.
Speaker 3 (24:46):
Were not throwing any shade.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
The Patriots away Drake made didn't played great game, was choppy.
New England's the better team. I still contend the Patriots
are a draft away. I think Will Campbell coming back
at left tackle helps a lot. A lot of people
have said, hey, Justin Herbert, Justin Herbert, Colin, what do
(25:08):
you got to say in My takeaway is Justin Herbert
through three playoff games, his numbers are actually slightly better
than Peyton Manning through three playoff games.
Speaker 3 (25:20):
He threw the ball.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
He threw a fastball to Keenan Allen underneath. He needed
to have a little tempo on that. He had opportunities
in the game, but he had two bad coaches to start,
and now he's got an awful offensive line. Everybody loved
the Chargers and the points. I kept saying, guys, you
can't have the thirty second best offensive line. It's bad
in pass pro run blocking, and your Hampton plays a
(25:44):
play and he's out, like they just don't have enough
players for the record. You want to know another quarterback
the last two years who have regressed badly, Patrick Mahomes,
Why his own line stinks. It's the one thing. Maybe
josh Allen is immune to it. Patrick Mahomes has been
blown out twice in Super Bowls, not because Tyreek Hill left.
(26:04):
He won those because his offensive line was bad. So
sixty five percent of the rushing yards last night, Justin Herbert,
they just can't stay healthy, and all their injuries seem
to be offensive line and running back, so where they're
thin to begin with. So I mean, I Justin Herbert
is two things. A quarterback and this year of Pinata
(26:26):
and so I don't.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
Know what you do.
Speaker 3 (26:27):
I wouldn't touch the Chargers.
Speaker 1 (26:29):
Everybody liked him, and I said, I love their kicker,
I love their coach, I love Justin's toughness. But this
offense is not good enough to win playoff games on
the road against a really good New England team. So
Patrick Mahomes the last two years, everybody's like he's not
the same.
Speaker 3 (26:45):
Well, why would that be.
Speaker 1 (26:46):
It's his offensive line in pass pro and for the record,
mahomes lack of a run game. You can't put every
you know. Everybody said, well, Josh Allen, what does he have?
A Pro Bowl left tackle, James Cocinn, excellent tight ends.
Now I don't love the Buffalo roster. They have a
great slot, a couple of good tight ends, starback, Pro
(27:10):
Bowl left tackle.
Speaker 3 (27:12):
That that is.
Speaker 1 (27:13):
The Bill Walsh Niners compared to what Justin Herbert's working
with right now.
Speaker 3 (27:18):
J Mack with the.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
News, this is the herd Line news.
Speaker 6 (27:25):
I was, We're in lockstep on that one. Colin one,
we were in lockstep with it. Whift was that Niners
Eagles game? Holy cow, Listen, I was torn, man. I
loved the Eagles a lot, but you know, my guy
is brock perty and listen, Colin, it's time. Oh yeah,
we got to have a discussion about the most underrated
quarterback in the NFL, Brock Perty, who was sending sacio
(27:46):
now as they like.
Speaker 7 (27:46):
To say in soccer. I mean, listen.
Speaker 6 (27:48):
I know he threw two picks, but Perty was excellent
except on the block here. He wanted no part of that.
On the Juwan Jennings throw, I mean, if you want
to replay, it's hilarious. He's just like, I'm not getting
in front of that three hundred pounder anyway. Jennings talked
about going up against Seattle this week, a tall order.
Speaker 2 (28:05):
I was ready.
Speaker 4 (28:06):
I was ready to cite it and just to see
Christian you know, pop up open there late.
Speaker 5 (28:10):
I had to damn a chance and I didn't even
see the ball man. But great hands by two three man,
great hands. Do you know who you're playing next week?
I think, Wow, I guess. I hope it's Seattle.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
It is Seattle.
Speaker 5 (28:22):
Let's go, let's go. I can't wait. That's what we wanted.
Speaker 1 (28:26):
Yeah, yeah, I'll tell you. I'll defend party interceptions.
Speaker 3 (28:31):
Don't drive me crazy.
Speaker 1 (28:32):
The bottom line is when I needed I think we
have the audio of it. When they needed a great play,
and when the forty nine ers needed a great drive,
pretty delivered again. Defense is trying to one of the picks.
The first really bad. The second one, you know it's
single coverage defender stepped.
Speaker 7 (28:53):
In fall Pro decender quin On Mitchell Yah, that's right.
Speaker 1 (28:55):
Also windy on the road for the record, a muddy
pocket most of the night. He didn't have a ton
of time to throw. Jalen Hurts is the guy that
had time to throw. So I will defend Perty. I
thought that first drive, and I also defend him on
not blocking on that trick play. You're out of your mind.
Speaker 6 (29:14):
Get him out of there, vis I mean he was
coming at him like a freight train. By the way,
did you see him in the first highlight?
Speaker 2 (29:19):
Who he threw to?
Speaker 6 (29:20):
Number five? I'm not kidding, Colin. I'm watching the game
and I'm like, five, Who the hell is that? Juwan
Jennings is fifteen. Jomarcus Robinson, the guy didn't have a
fifty yard game all season. He caught six for a
buck eleven. That's Shanahan trusting and Perty trusting. I mean
Robinson beat Mitchell, the All Pro on a slant in
the end zone.
Speaker 7 (29:39):
Did you see that?
Speaker 1 (29:40):
Yep?
Speaker 6 (29:40):
I'm like, what's happening here? I will say this a note. Listen,
reporters are good. We'll give him their props when they miss,
We'll do that too. Josina Anderson had a good note
just now. Colin forty nine Ers arrived home two am
Monday morning. Okay, obviously they're gonna get a late start today.
No kiddle, they play on Saturday. The leak kind of
(30:00):
did them dirty. Seattle has extra time. Niners have to
play on Saturday after getting home at two in the
morning from a Sunday game.
Speaker 1 (30:06):
Well, the good news, you've already played Seattle twice. Everybody
in that building knows what Seattle is. Seattle means why
everybody goes, Oh, Seattle is well rested. I don't want
my young red hot team to be that rested. I
also think Seattle is a prohibited favorite. Could come in
and be very cautious, could come in with kind of
a hey, guys, let's not take you know, let's not
(30:29):
beat ourselves here. I think the Niners will account for themselves. Well,
I do think over the course of four hours, Seattle
at home just keeps bringing waves of speed athleticism and
length and power.
Speaker 6 (30:43):
One of the funniest notes my buddy sent me was
Juwan Jennings, right, the guy who threw the touchdown pass.
Speaker 7 (30:48):
He threw one in the Super Bowl.
Speaker 6 (30:49):
He was nearly the MVP in that game against the
Chiefs that they lost in overtime. Juwan Jennings was like
higher ranked high school quarterback than Joe Burrow coming out
of high school. Like that's how good Jittings is.
Speaker 3 (30:59):
So out to him.
Speaker 7 (31:00):
I love this Signers team. I'm going to root for them,
but Collin, I.
Speaker 6 (31:03):
Don't see how you can make a case for them
against Seattle.
Speaker 7 (31:05):
Maybe maybe first quarter. I don't know if first that
first quarter they'll have some juice, But after that, bro,
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (31:11):
All right.
Speaker 7 (31:12):
Speaking of Eagles diners, our guy Tom Brady, who.
Speaker 6 (31:15):
I think is joining the show again this week, he
had a really good moment in the booth about quarterbacks
throwing through windy weather.
Speaker 7 (31:22):
Check us out.
Speaker 8 (31:24):
Yeah, So when you see it, and I talked about
the point of the ball a lot, you see it
from well, I'll started mis agle.
Speaker 7 (31:29):
This is kind of like.
Speaker 2 (31:30):
A neutral plane.
Speaker 8 (31:31):
This isn't the poise slightly down when you're throwing into
the wind, it has to be neutral. If the point
of the ball is up, any wind friction is going
to push that.
Speaker 3 (31:37):
Bottle up over the top. So as a.
Speaker 8 (31:39):
Quarterback, you don't really like that you throw underneath because
naturally that's going to point the tip of the ball up.
You'd like more of a sea or an inverse, a
reverse seat. That's how you kind of control the point
of the ball and then you can kind of just snap.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
It off as you throw it.
Speaker 8 (31:54):
But in these windy conditions, you can't be underneath the ball.
There's too much wind and wind surface the ball to
knock it off its pal.
Speaker 2 (32:02):
I gotta tell you that was a signs lesson I
didn't go I needed well done.
Speaker 1 (32:06):
Yeah, I wish I could have taken that course in
college instead of biology.
Speaker 3 (32:10):
That was interesting.
Speaker 6 (32:11):
You think the Eagles offensive coordinator even knew that. I mean, honestly,
I'm so sick kept here.
Speaker 1 (32:16):
It was funny in Philadelphia. They kept showing the flags
YEA and Party would make a throw and I'm like,
because twice AJ Brown went down the field and it
was like a center fielder who lost it in the sun,
Like he couldn't track the ball and perty made a
couple of massive throws.
Speaker 6 (32:33):
I thought he couldn't throw it when the weather was
implement I thought he had issues at that.
Speaker 1 (32:36):
Rady also had a great line when the Blue Tent
came up. He's like, folks, you've just seen everything in
the blue Tent's there's not much there.
Speaker 3 (32:43):
It's a table at a blue tent.
Speaker 6 (32:44):
Yeah, all right, let's go to the final story, and
that's the Bears comeback against the Packers.
Speaker 7 (32:50):
Scintillating stuff Saturday night.
Speaker 6 (32:51):
I know you were like six beers deep, just going
crazy Colston Loveland and company. Afterward, Listen, man, I got
to give Ben Johnson his flowers.
Speaker 7 (32:59):
He talks this and backs it up.
Speaker 6 (33:01):
He had that handshake at midfield with the floor basically
a big middle finger right to the guy's face.
Speaker 7 (33:06):
And then afterwards, Uh, area is in the locker room.
Speaker 1 (33:10):
Oh boy, we don't see the extroent emotion from you at
the buzzard as we did today.
Speaker 3 (33:15):
It's just the guys the obvious of what the playoff
gate with.
Speaker 6 (33:19):
Yeah, yeah, there's there's probably a little bit more noise
coming out of there building up north.
Speaker 5 (33:25):
Uh to start the week, which we heard loud and clear.
UH players and coaches alike.
Speaker 3 (33:31):
So this one meant something to us.
Speaker 7 (33:34):
Yeah, listen, bulletin board material.
Speaker 2 (33:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (33:38):
But one of the things this, this always irritates me
about my profession, the media, our profession.
Speaker 3 (33:45):
Folks like the Olympics.
Speaker 1 (33:47):
People trained four years and then they win a race
or lose a race, and we jam a microphone in
their face. The reality is, you used to not get
cameras in locker rooms.
Speaker 3 (33:57):
Now we do.
Speaker 1 (33:58):
So don't judge what players and coaches are doing in
their space. When I got my first job out of college,
I got a job doing a trip a baseball team
play by play, and there was a sign no media,
and there was a certain area blocker rum where guys
got banned AI and they had dirty jokes and they
played music and blah blah blah, and the language was profane.
Speaker 3 (34:18):
And I always.
Speaker 1 (34:19):
Remember that no media allowed. So now we get all
this video all over the place. You're dealing with young men.
They commit their lives to it. They're rarely home, they're
taking a beating. It's Saturday night. By the way, the
same kind of language you hear is what you're hearing
in the stands from seventy thousand people they're going. The
city of Chicago was nuts, I mean were everybody was
(34:42):
walking around with an open container, drinking and partying a
Saturday night in Chicago.
Speaker 3 (34:46):
Was Marty Graws.
Speaker 1 (34:48):
So again, I don't love the language you used, but
it's like, we have to understand the commitment, the time,
the energy, and if sometimes a coach is a little
over the top or player.
Speaker 3 (35:01):
We'ren't visitors, Hey, we're observers.
Speaker 2 (35:04):
We're not in this battle.
Speaker 1 (35:05):
We have to understand the emotional state these guys are in.
After W's the Bears have been losing this franchise forever.
Speaker 6 (35:12):
Yeah, remember Aaron Rodgers famously said they own He owned
the Bears.
Speaker 7 (35:17):
But so in the locker.
Speaker 6 (35:18):
Room, there's a video of him saying, bleep the Packers.
We can't show that, obviously, But earlier in the week
what irked him was the Packers players are like, oh,
we can't play wait to play the Bears. Well, obviously,
they never trailed the Bears the whole season, in the
two matches, never trailed at all, and they were dominating
this game. But Caleb Williams is the moving mountains and
that fourth down throw is gonna I mean, honestly, if
you're looking at the all time great plays in Bears history,
(35:41):
that Caleb Williams touchdown pass is up there. And here's
some Bears quarterbacks with two wins versus the Packers. Caleb
joins the elite company Jim Harbaugh and Jim McMahon. Jim McMahon,
the Funky QB love that guy back in the day,
Listen man, not Caleb Williams.
Speaker 1 (35:56):
Is even Sid Luckman couldn't do it? Johnny Lujack? Or
was that Red Rex Grossman? Jake Cuttler? Where are those guys?
Speaker 2 (36:05):
But Colin?
Speaker 7 (36:06):
Do they have a chance against the Rams?
Speaker 3 (36:07):
Absolutely?
Speaker 1 (36:08):
I would feel much better if they didn't lose their
left tackle. That they can lose a linebacker that worries me.
Speaker 6 (36:15):
Yeah, Jared Ver's probably excited to be going against the backup.
Speaker 1 (36:18):
If Sunday Night, by the way, I'm not sure I
would root for crappy weather Sunday night that helps the Bears.
Speaker 7 (36:25):
Yeah, have you checked the weather? It's probably gonna be
balmy in Chicago.
Speaker 1 (36:28):
Right, forty forty What is it gonna be about forty
ish fourteen or forty fourteen?
Speaker 2 (36:33):
I won.
Speaker 3 (36:36):
J mckle the news, Well.
Speaker 2 (36:38):
That's the news and Thanks for stopping by The Herd
Line News.
Speaker 3 (36:43):
Why have in Chicago, It's the Hoop.
Speaker 2 (36:47):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
in noon Easter nin am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 6 (36:55):
With a classic Big East rivalry between Villanova and Providence
and West Virginia takes on seventh rank Houston, followed by
Maryland versus USC and all tips off tomorrow only on
FS one.
Speaker 1 (37:08):
I mean, just think about this weekend, all of us.
Everybody kind of thought summarily, Rams will handle the Panthers,
know they had to come from behind the win. Well, listen,
Packers have been here before. The good times are over
for the Bears. And then they weren't. I thought JAG's
are the better team. I've seen it all year, and
(37:28):
then there was Josh Allen and so I mean you,
I mean, Philadelphia was a five point favorite. Five's my
magic number. Get to five, take the favorite. So this
is what is so great about the NFL. You just
don't know. And I think Buffalo is one of those
teams where I mean twelve for twelve to his favorite receiver.
(37:49):
But I don't love Buffalo's defensive talent. I love their
left tackle, running back, tight end Josh Allen. I think
they're offensive talent. They've hit on some good guys. If
Keon Coleman wasn't a bust, would really like their talent.
They don't really have a dominant number one, but they're
a hard team to gauge because you just have the
ultimate wild card, which is Josh Allen. Here's Matt hasselback earlier.
Speaker 4 (38:13):
Denver's got a better team than people realize. But again,
this is one of those things where Josh Allen is
that quarterback that can go above the x's and o's
without the other superstars mahomes Lamar Burrow. They're not in
the AFC this year. This might be your best chance, Buffalo, like,
go do it.
Speaker 3 (38:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (38:32):
Again, I think Denver's got the better team, the better
pass rush, the best corner. I mean, there's so many
elements where I like Denver in this spot.
Speaker 3 (38:41):
They're rested, They've got a great I think.
Speaker 1 (38:43):
I do think having extra time to prepare with a
really clever play designer and Sean Payton is an absolute advantage,
no question. But then again, Jacksonville had Liam Cohen, great
play designer and play caller. Now he didn't have an
extra week. But you think to yourself, oh, you're at home.
(39:04):
You got the offensive guy. So a lot of good
offensive coaches Shanahan, McVeigh, Ben Johnson, Sean Payton still remaining.
I think I don't know what to make it tonight. Honestly,
my intuition tells me Mike Tomlin extra day Monday underdog
(39:28):
probably playing probably their healthiest offensively. But the Texans defense,
I don't even know what the over under is. The
Texans defense is completely suffocating. So you know, if you
told me Pittsburgh has a history of in these games
and in these spots finding points.
Speaker 3 (39:45):
You know, they just do.
Speaker 1 (39:46):
They get the turnover, they block a kick, they get
a return. We will go to Pittsburgh where the game
is tonight. We will go there at the end of
the show thirty eight and a half for tonight. Yeah,
it's probably about where it should be.
Speaker 6 (40:01):
Colin, who do you give the chance of a better
upset possibility, Brock Purdy on the road or Matt Stafford
on the road.
Speaker 3 (40:09):
Matt Stafford has a healthier team, he's got a healthier defense.
Speaker 6 (40:12):
And the other one is are you surprised that Josh
Allen opened as a favorite. In Denver, they were minus
one and a half. I don't know where it is
at this very second, but it was trending toward pick them.
Bo Nicks rested, Denver defense rested Bills. They lost their receiver,
Gave Davis went down with a pretty bad knee injury.
Speaker 7 (40:30):
I think he's done.
Speaker 3 (40:32):
I don't know what to.
Speaker 7 (40:32):
Make of the Bills.
Speaker 1 (40:33):
Man.
Speaker 6 (40:33):
It was essentially Josh Allen. Did you see James Cook
had under fifty yards rushing. Yeah, I mean we nailed
the handicap on that.
Speaker 7 (40:38):
Ja.
Speaker 6 (40:39):
They're not gonna be able to run. Is Josh Allen
going to save them? And he bailed them out with
a clutch final drive. He got beat up pretty badly though.
Speaker 2 (40:46):
Oh, Josh Allen.
Speaker 3 (40:47):
By the end of the game, he was hobbling.
Speaker 5 (40:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (40:50):
I mean, it's the knee, the hand concussion protocol. That's
why I find the Bears, you know, the reason I
love the I thought there run, I thought it was
gonna snow, and I'm like, oh snow.
Speaker 3 (41:03):
I get the Bears before.
Speaker 7 (41:05):
The game, right, there's all these photos, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (41:07):
Yeah, And then in the end it was actually just
a cold, beautiful night so apparently now the Rams Bears
weather forecast is it will feel like minus eight degrees.
That feels like an edge to the Chicago team. To
me Hour three coming up,
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 our two, ready to roll. Matt Hasselback
five minutes.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
We're live.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
We're in Chicago, a city that wins NFL playoff.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Games, at least now they do. It was crazy weekend.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
You know, the NBA is very star reliant, and baseball
can be franchise reliant. The NBA sells teams. You put
the Niners and Eagles out there. I don't even have
to like Hertz or sirih Yanni and Rock Perty doesn't
have to be a superstar.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
And it's just like, pulls me in. Pulls me.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Bears can be terrible forever the minute they're good, pulls
me in. When you sell teams and product over individual
franchises and markets and star quarterbars, star NBA players, it's
amazing that you don't have these massive dips in popularity
and ratings. Just a remarkable weekend. Here we go Colin right,
Colin wrong, and a.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Monday where Colin was right.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
Well, I said it in October, Kyle Shanahan was my
coach of the Year and he and Salo were my
staff of the year. Mac Jones started eight games, no
Kittle for a while, Trent Williams, Bosa, Fred Warner, all
sorts of injuries. They still end up with the top
ten offense thirteen and five. He and Sala put on
a clinic Philadelphia forced into multiple three and outs. I
(01:50):
mean they held the Eagles with that Bondo duct tape
defense in San Francisco to four point three yards per play.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
That is coaching where Colin was wrong.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
Well, the Bills, despite being completely riot reliant on one player,
beat the Jags and keep winning. I don't love their
wide receiver group. Special teams now due to injuries, are shaky.
The defense has kind of mid. I don't even always
loved their head coach. But fourth team ever to win
at least one playoff game six years in a row,
(02:25):
and there's just nothing on the market like Josh Allen.
Ninety percent of that was Josh Allen. I kept asking
all week how are the Jags underdogs? And then I
watched the game and went, oh, yeah, yeah, Josh Allen, That's.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
Why where Colin was right, Nick.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Seriani, I've always thought his winning is a reflection of
the roster and the GM, not coaching acumen. There's a
lot of different ways to win in some of its
roster construction. He's arguing with aj Brown, don't love that.
I mean, I just I look at this team and
he doesn't call plays. I'm tall, all these great at
managing egos, but that's not what I keep seeing. And
(03:04):
I mean I understand that Jalen Hurts can struggle to
see over the line, like I get it, But there's
just too much talent here to score nine points a
game this year in the second half. There's too much
talent at some point. I mean, he feels Sirianni to me,
feels completely offensive coordinator reliant.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
Where Colin was wrong.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
I'm a Justin Herbert defender.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
But two fumbles, three points, seventy four passer rating. Listen,
he's played twelve playoff quarters. Ten have been suboptimal. Now
he's had a couple of bad coaches and now he's
got an atrocious offensive line and Peyton Manning went oh
for his first three. I didn't like the Chargers in
this game with points or winning. I just don't think
(03:49):
you can win with that kind of offensive line. But
his career playoff passer rating is sixty four, And as
much as I defend him, some of it's on him.
Where Colin was right, Kevin Stefanski, I said, go ahead, Cleveland,
fire him. He's going to be a top candidate. He's
already interviewed with the Giants and the Ravens and the
Falcons and the Titans.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
I'm sorry.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
He's an IVY League guy, two time coach of the Year,
which is not exactly easy to.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
Do in Cleveland.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
I've always thought he gets the most out of his players.
I think Shadoor Sanders has improved.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
Somebody told me this year's ago, if you fire somebody,
how many good jobs did they interview for after? And
if the answer is a lot, you probably shouldn't have
fired him. Where Colin was wrong, I didn't see John
Harbaugh getting fired coming at all. I mean, he's thirteen
and eleven in the playoffs. I always heard he was flexible,
(04:42):
player friendly. I mean, clearly what Baltimore is saying, is
this is a Lamar Jackson franchise. I get it, star quarterback,
totally get it, and he's the number one candidate for
a lot of jobs. But Steve Bushatti, one of the
better owners, fired him on the phone. I don't love that.
I guess it happened, but that one caught me off guard.
I think I caught a lot of people off guard.
(05:04):
They sat down for a while and driving away he
got the phone call.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
So I was wrong on that one.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Where Colin was right.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
Well, I predicted Miami in Indiana would end up in
the National Championship. I said, Oregon makes too many mistakes
to beat Indiana, which is a pretty flawless team, and
Miami is going to push old Miss all over the field.
And that's exactly what happened. So I think Miami matches
up pretty well with Indiana. I mean, they've got playmakers
(05:32):
on the outside, so you can't cheat. Carson Beck's been
in a third National championship. But boy, Miami makes mistakes
and Indiana will make you pay for all of them.
But Miami Indiana is what I thought would happen, where
Colin was right. Finally, I've been saying this for two years.
If a car dealer or a bourbon distributor is your
(05:55):
number one booster in ANIL, you are not beating the
big ten. Notre Dame in Miami, Ole miss against Miami,
who had better players. I don't think it was particularly close,
So thank god for Texas Oil money or I don't
know what the SEC would be, but our third strate
(06:16):
national championship without an SEC team, And I think it's
even worse than that. If you start looking at the
last couple of years in the playoff, who the SE
team's SEC teams are beating. It's other SEC teams and
two lane.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
That's it.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
Colin Wright, Colin wrong on a Monday, And with that,
Matt Hasselbeck stops buy and joins us. Eighteen years in
the NFL, So a lot of times I'll ask you
a question and I think I kind of know an answer,
but I don't necessarily with this one. So it is
weird how uneven the Bears offense can be.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
Is there secret.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
Sauce beyond just Caleb kind of being really talented? Why
are they so good playing from behind? It's almost as
if Buffalo and Chicago are better playing from behind explain
that to me with the Bears.
Speaker 4 (07:10):
Yeah, well, I heard you today say that the popes
from Chicago, So you know, that might be the closest
thing that I've heard that makes sense. No, but yeah,
I think some of its playground ball. Both these quarterbacks
are really good at playground ball. That's what I always
felt like, two minutes it was time to take chances.
You know, stuff I wouldn't normally do in a zero
zero game in the first quarter, I'm going to do
(07:30):
that in the fourth quarter. I'm going to do that
on fourth down, third down, two minutes like that's you know,
it's some of its personality that way as a quarterback.
Some of it's that, But I also think it's a mindset.
And you know, I talked to you earlier about Ben Jonson.
He's a great play caller, cool trick plays. That doesn't
mean you're going to be a great head coach, vision setter,
culture setter. You know, the DNA of our team. And
(07:53):
then you go back to you know, basically August training camp.
Speaker 5 (07:57):
He calls the team together.
Speaker 4 (07:58):
And as a team meeting, and he shows the video
of twenty eight to three Patriots versus the Falcons. Hey,
I recognize we've got a guy on our team on
offense and a guy on our team on defense that
one was on the Patriots and one was on the Falcons.
Speaker 5 (08:11):
Let me hear from you. Let's talk about this moment.
Speaker 4 (08:13):
Let's be a teachable moment in August that I think
is paying dividends all season long, but also in January.
This mindset that doesn't matter what the scoreboard says. It's
all you got for sixty minutes. Don't judge what the
score is, and we'll see what happens at the end
of the game. And that's how this team plays. They
play like they're unfazed. They don't flinch. Ben Johnson when
(08:34):
you look at him on the sidelines, he's not a
roller coaster of emotions. He's a steady hand. So I
just think the Bears hit a home run, maybe a
grand slam with this higher Ryan pulls Ben Johnson.
Speaker 5 (08:47):
It works.
Speaker 4 (08:47):
This young quarterback has improved every single week, and I
think that's the mental toughness that it takes to come
from behind, and that they've done it each and every week.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
It feels like so everybody's down on Matt Lafleur and
my take as folks. They had fav and Aaron Rodgers
for thirty one years and got to three Super Bowls.
A it's hard. It's hard to win this time of
the year. Secondly, they don't have an owner, so sometimes
you can't make that Goff Stafford move unless the owner goes, okay,
I'll pay for both salaries. They don't get free agents
(09:18):
third year in a row, Matt. They're the youngest team
in the league. They don't go get older players. Players
given a choice don't always choose Green Bay. I think
he's a good coach. I also think the NFC the
last couple of years has gotten better than the AFC.
I think it's really good. I think MAT's a good coach.
When you look at the meltdown, what do you see?
Speaker 5 (09:39):
Yeah, I think he's a great coach.
Speaker 4 (09:41):
I think fundamentals probably slipped a little bit this year,
you know, I think that's.
Speaker 5 (09:45):
Probably something that's true.
Speaker 4 (09:47):
But you know, they're a field goal or an extra
point away from continuing on, you know, playing right now.
I think if you're that team, you look in the mirror,
you lock la floor up, which I think they've done,
and then I think you do everything in your to
keep Jeff Hafley. Jeff Haffley was the head coach of
Boston College and just kind of like late in the
like late in this in the spring schedule, decided to
(10:08):
walk away because he basically said, Hey, when I'm a
head coach, I don't really get to do what I love,
and that's coach. I'm kind of like a just a
you know, a CEO. I want to be in there
with the guys coaching. And that's why he jumped ship
late to go to Green Bay and you know, coach again.
Speaker 5 (10:25):
You see what he's done.
Speaker 4 (10:26):
So give him a healthy Micah Parsons with an offseason,
and I think this team can be right back in it.
But Halflee, you know, he might say, I'll be a
head coach of a pro team. There's nine il and
all that craziness transfer portal. But if they can keep
him in the building plus the floor, I think they
got a great thing going.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
Yeah, so do I listen. I think what San Francisco
has been doing is unbelievable. I mean I really do.
Once Kittle got hurt, I'm like, oh, they were playing
so well, the trick play, the opening drive, third down,
I mean, I'm sure this happened to you sometime and
your career, Matt, where you lost a left tackle. You
(11:02):
know you're banged up. You go on the road and
you know, maybe it's home Greun, whoever it is, and
you just are resourceful and in a weird way, everybody
plays over who they are because everybody knows they have
to play over who That's what I felt like. San
Francisco is like, guys, we all have to play our
a game. We don't nobody can just you know, you
(11:24):
can't drop a pass. What did you make of the
Niners performance?
Speaker 4 (11:28):
Yeah, they've been incredible all year given the adversity that
they've faced, and you know, you mentioned George Kittle, and like,
I think the easy thing to do would be to
quit on this team once again. Everybody's already like left
them for dead numerous times this year. But I think
the easiest easy thing to do and say, oh, they're
going back to Seattle offensively, they struggled against Seattle with
you know, Kiddle or sorry with you know, without this
(11:50):
kind of like bad breaking news or whatever. But I
think this is a team that's going to play.
Speaker 5 (11:54):
For their guy.
Speaker 4 (11:56):
If there's a there's one player in that team that
I feel is like the heartbeat of that team, and
there are many to choose from.
Speaker 5 (12:02):
I think Kittle's that guy.
Speaker 4 (12:03):
He plays the game the way that it's supposed to
be played, kind of Gronk esque, if you will. And
so like again, I think rock Birdy's super underrated. I
think he's great. Kyle Shanahan, when Kittle went out, he
basically said, this is going to be a running back
game plan the rest of the night. It's going to
be Kyle Uschek and Christian McCaffrey, and we're going to
do it that way.
Speaker 5 (12:22):
And oh, by the way, Juwan Jennings, who was.
Speaker 4 (12:24):
A great high school quarterback, We're going to use a
trick play with you. And you know Jennings just fun fact,
he was rated ahead of Lamar, over Burrow, over Sam Darnold.
Speaker 5 (12:34):
Coming out of high school.
Speaker 4 (12:35):
And so Kyle Shanahan, it's not so much what you
what we can't do, but it's what we can do.
And I think that's what he's done with his with
his guys offensively, defensively, guys like Kendricks, you know, just
it's been impressive and I don't think they're done yet,
not necessarily.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
So I think one of the things I watch when
I watch football, you can see coaching, Like the opening
drive for the Niners.
Speaker 3 (12:59):
You're like, oh, that was that was magical, that was beautiful.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
They obviously saw weaknesses and attack them. When I watched Philadelphia,
I don't see like halftime adjustments. Offensively, they average nine
points in the second half. I don't know what they
are offensively. You know, there's the old there's the old
saying it's not about who has the best players, it's
the best team, right, And there's also a saying it like,
it's not just calling plays, you know plays, it's got
(13:26):
to be complimentary football. I don't know what Philadelphia's offense is.
Speaker 3 (13:29):
Do you watching that? What is their offense?
Speaker 4 (13:33):
Well, they're probably going to get a lot of shade
from people like you know, on social media.
Speaker 5 (13:37):
Because they like to repeat plays.
Speaker 4 (13:40):
And I can just tell you as a quarterback, I
never had a problem repeating a play like Mike Hongrin's
probably one of the greatest called play callers of all time,
and he would call the same play often and the
ball would just go somewhere else.
Speaker 5 (13:51):
So I don't have a problem with that personally at all.
Speaker 4 (13:54):
But I do have a problem with identity, and you know,
to me, the identity of this team has to go
through Saquon. You know, the last five games, Saquon was
pretty darn good. But it just this team for some
reason feels to me a little bit like when Seattle
there was this push inside the building, like the let
Russ Cook movement, if you will, and like, hey, this quarterback,
(14:15):
he can be like Dan Marino. Dude, you don't need
to be like Dan Marino.
Speaker 5 (14:18):
Just be you. You You are really really good.
Speaker 4 (14:21):
And I'm not saying Jalen is pushing that at all,
but I think what what the Eagles had been doing
in the past was so so good, and what they've
been doing, I would say for the last like year
and a half, it just feels like they're trying to
be something that they're not. And so, you know, whatever
they wanted to be, like, go be that. But to me,
Saquon's got to be a part of it, and that
(14:43):
physicality upfront that needs to be a part of it
as well.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
So, yeah, Buffalo is it's just crazy. I asked all week,
how's Jacksonville. I've watched the whole season. Jacksonville's better than Buffalo.
Then all of a sudden about an hour in, I'm like, okay,
this is this is what it is. Maybe Jackson mcgaut
a little bit tight, but I mean, I don't know
if there is We said this with Caleb. I feel
(15:11):
that with Josh Allen he feels free. He feels a
little freer in the second half. It's a looser offense.
And I do think that's the hard part about coaching.
When you get this, like Lamar's first three or four
years in the league, it's like, Okay, there's some things
all coach and some things I'm like, bro go do
you how much do you think when you watch Josh
(15:31):
in these moments in the second half his scheme is
design is a little bit of hey man, we're going
to give you a couple options.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
You do you.
Speaker 5 (15:42):
Well?
Speaker 3 (15:42):
For sure?
Speaker 4 (15:43):
I mean, and people played Josh Allen differently, so like
you know, when I would study film, I would kind
of have a good sense of how people were probably
gonna play us. You know, maybe not always because we
you know, Homegrown was a little bit old school how
we did things, but there's certain players that people just
play you differently because of who you are, not the
scheme and that's Josh Allen, Like he literally is Superman,
Like if the MVP was really just the MVP, not
(16:06):
like whose team was the best and you had the best.
Speaker 5 (16:07):
Stat Like, Josh Allen's the MVP. He is that guy.
Speaker 4 (16:11):
He can put a cape on and carry his team.
He's done it year after year. So yeah, does he
play better in those moments?
Speaker 6 (16:17):
I do.
Speaker 5 (16:18):
I do think that's true.
Speaker 4 (16:19):
But it's also because he's sparring for a little bit,
trying to figure out, Okay, what's your plan for me today?
You know, And I think you saw that on the
Brandon Cooks play that he hit him down when the
corner's trying to trap the out route. I think you
see it in some of the quarterback run game. But
this is a huge opportunity for Buffalo with you know.
Speaker 5 (16:37):
No Lamar, no Burrow, no Mahomes.
Speaker 4 (16:40):
In the playoffs, Like, this is your opportunity to throw
the Cape on. It doesn't matter if your defense can't
stop the run. They do other things well, they're creating interceptions,
they're playing well enough.
Speaker 5 (16:51):
This is your opportunity.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
Okay, I'm gonna throw. I have a theory on this.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
I want to put up the playoff picture so the
Seahawks know the Niners are beat up. The Seahawks are
a young team. I don't like young teams getting buys.
I think young teams should play old guys can take
a buye. So Seattle comes in at home off of
by probably not totally in sync first driver too, and
(17:20):
I would guess their takeaway is, guys, we have the
better healthier roster. We're gonna wear these guys out over
three and a half hours. Let's not let's not make
let's not beat ourselves early. The Niners come into that
game thinking, guys, we gotta we gotta seize control. We're
not going on the road and being passive. We're taking swings.
I think Seattle Niners the world loves Seattle, and I
(17:44):
think Seattle could come in cautious, rusty. I think Seattle
Niners is a real game, and I would be concerned
if I was the Seahawks.
Speaker 3 (17:51):
How do you view it?
Speaker 4 (17:53):
I think it's a real game, but I'm not I'm
not worried about that. I've seen the way Seattle practices.
This is not like a fat cat up to old
vets like they get after it even the Saturday before
a game.
Speaker 5 (18:04):
I've seen them like they're they're breaking a sweat.
Speaker 4 (18:06):
The balls flying around, guys, are you know they're they're competitive.
Speaker 5 (18:10):
I would imagine that.
Speaker 4 (18:11):
This week, like I mentioned to you last week, is
a lot of ones versus ones, best versus best. You know,
we're not taking our star players to the ground. We're
staying away from uh Sam Darnold's fingers as he throws
the ball in the pocket. We're not squeezing the pocket
that way. But we're not taking hits on JSN. We're
not tugging at jerseys, hurting hamstrings like all that kind
of stuff. So no, I think Seattle comes out firing.
(18:33):
And I just think you got to be an alert
for a Kyle Shanahan, uh non traditional game plan, non
traditional matchups and trick plays, Like.
Speaker 5 (18:42):
What do they got to lose? Short week?
Speaker 4 (18:44):
You know, I had to go across the country. I think,
like third time matchup, they're pulling out all the stuff.
You know, he's got trick plays in the playbook. What
are you saving them for? This is this is the
week to do it. Will Seattle be ready? That'll be
the question?
Speaker 1 (18:58):
Okay, Rams, but the Bears Rams are healthy. Bears loft
their left tackle and the top Edward's a top defensive player.
I do worry they come off a wildly emotional game
against Green Bay, whereas the Rams are kind of sitting
there like can we get through Carolina. But here's what
worries me about the Rams. They give up thirty plus
(19:19):
points to Carolina twice, and I keep hearing how great
their defensive front seven is and Carolina was four for
four in the red zone. I could see Caleb Williams
having another second half. I mean, Colston Lovelin, Roma Dunze,
Luther Burden, DJ Moore. Bears have a lot of size
and a lot of skill. I think Chicago has a
chance to win. How do you view it?
Speaker 4 (19:41):
Yeah, I don't disagree at all, but I do think
people overlook how physical the Rams are upfront offensively and defensively.
And so, you know, you mentioned the Bears lose their
left tackle, Asi Trapillo. I think that's a bigger loss
than people realize, you know, because you can have all
the creative plays in the world, but if you can't protect,
it makes it tough. But you know, when Matt Stafford's
on a heater at the end of the game, that's
(20:02):
what the difference is it's like he didn't have his
greatest game. I didn't think, but he had a you know,
a long drive at the end and yeah, a perfect
throat to Kolbe Parkinson. And so you know, these are
two quarterbacks that can do.
Speaker 5 (20:14):
It at the end of the game.
Speaker 4 (20:15):
And the way the rules are and the k balls
are right now, I think this could be a fascinating
matchup again, even if it's twenty one nothing at halftime,
I wouldn't count either one of these teams out.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
Okay, Buffalo now is going to go to Denver, high altitude.
I feel the same way Bo Nicks young quarterback. I
don't want him to have rest. I'd rather Bo keep playing.
I think, you know, I mean, the dog is going
to be a I don't even know who's favored in
that game. My takeaway is though Buffalo playing flying home,
flying out, I'm like, I think it's an advantage for Buffalo.
Speaker 3 (20:48):
Like I don't think Buffalo needed rest.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
I think that was a great, great win and gives
them some jet fuel into Denver. Would you worry about
the Broncos having a week off.
Speaker 5 (20:59):
No, I don't.
Speaker 4 (21:00):
I don't think I worry about the Broncos having a
week off, and you know, the Broncos lost to the
Bills last year in a similar situation like this, So
you know, I think there's you know, you don't have
to worry again, like about these guys like not taking
it seriously, not making it there all, like this is
their super Bowl in a sense, like they've got this
mindset of like want to know this week, play every
(21:21):
play like at your last. This game could be our last.
I think Sean Payton will have them ready this you
know that way for me, if I was the quarterback,
if I was Josh Allen, I know I got to
go up against Vance Joseph, and of all the guys
that I've ever gone up against, like Vance Joseph's got
to be somewhere on the podium. I don't know if
he's a bronze, silver, gold medalist, but the study time
(21:42):
that it takes to go through his defenses and his
disguise schemes and all that kind of stuff, it's something.
And now he's got guys that can just rush the
passer without any help of a blitz. That's a challenge.
That's a challenge. I think I think Denver's got a
better team than people realize. But again, this is one
of those things where Josh Allen is that quarterback that
can go above the x's and o's without the other
(22:05):
superstars Mahomes, Lamar Burrow. They're not in the AFC this year.
This might be your best chance, Buffalo, like, go do it.
Speaker 3 (22:13):
Yeah, who do you like tonight? Steelers Texans?
Speaker 5 (22:16):
It's a really tough one.
Speaker 4 (22:17):
I think if the Steelers don't try to play the
game an empty back like they love to be an
empty Aaron Rodgers in Shotgun, like it's ten years ago
in Green Bay. If they don't do that, then then
I like the Steelers. But if they want to just
kind of play like they've always played, like oh Aaron
and DK and this and that, I think the Houston
Texans defense is really spectacular and they got to do
(22:40):
it a different way.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
Yeah, Pittsburgh has a weird way of in these games
where you're like, I'm not sure they can generate enough offense.
They find out a way to get turnovers short field.
Tomlins teams always do this when you're really He's always
been a great underdog coach, and all of the sudden
the ball is tipped and TJ. Watts running down the field,
(23:03):
You're like, I mean, cause my old takeaway is can
they generate fourteen points? But they always figure out a
way to do it. That's kind of that's kind of
the Pittsburgh way, is it not.
Speaker 5 (23:14):
Yeah, And it's worked for them for a long time.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
You know.
Speaker 4 (23:17):
I just think that at some point Aaron Rodgers has
to kind of and maybe he's already done that. He's
got to change the way he's played in terms of
again just going more point guard and that can meet
using the running backs more okay, but less shooting forward.
Speaker 5 (23:32):
We don't need the you know, I would.
Speaker 4 (23:33):
I would just say it sort of that way, like
make the people around you better.
Speaker 5 (23:38):
And I think he's got the ability to do that.
Speaker 4 (23:40):
But the speed and the physicality and the pass rush
of this Houston Texans team with Hunter and Anderson like there,
I don't care how good of a thrower you are,
it won't matter if if you don't have time to throw.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
Uh yeah, Mike Tomlin twenty three and five on Monday Night.
So there is a magic too, But no question, Matt
Hasselbeck has always Buddy Great Senior.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
Seea con one more Heard the Herd Streams twenty four
hours a day, seven days a week. Within the iHeartRadio app,
search her to listen live or on demand whenever you like.
Fox Sports Radio is taking over YouTube and you can
be a part of it. Just go to YouTube and
search Fox Sports Radio. Hit that subscribe button and smash
(24:24):
that notification bell and catch all the videos from your
favorite shows, Tu Pro's and a Cup of Joe, Dan Patrick,
Colin Cowherd, Doug Gottlieb Cavino and Rich, The Odd Couple
with Rob Parker and Kelvin Washington, The Jason Smith Show
with Mike Harmon, and The Ben Maller Show. Fox Sports
Radio on YouTube.
Speaker 1 (24:40):
Subscribe, hit that thumbs up icon and comment away, they.
Speaker 3 (24:46):
Were not throwing any shade.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
The Patriots away Drake made didn't played great game, was choppy.
New England's the better team. I still contend the Patriots
are a draft away. I think Will Campbell coming back
at left tackle helps a lot. A lot of people
have said, hey, Justin Herbert, Justin Herbert, Colin, what do
(25:08):
you got to say in My takeaway is Justin Herbert
through three playoff games, his numbers are actually slightly better
than Peyton Manning through three playoff games.
Speaker 3 (25:20):
He threw the ball.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
He threw a fastball to Keenan Allen underneath. He needed
to have a little tempo on that. He had opportunities
in the game, but he had two bad coaches to start,
and now he's got an awful offensive line. Everybody loved
the Chargers and the points. I kept saying, guys, you
can't have the thirty second best offensive line. It's bad
in pass pro run blocking, and your Hampton plays a
(25:44):
play and he's out, like they just don't have enough
players for the record. You want to know another quarterback
the last two years who have regressed badly, Patrick Mahomes,
Why his own line stinks. It's the one thing. Maybe
josh Allen is immune to it. Patrick Mahomes has been
blown out twice in Super Bowls, not because Tyreek Hill left.
(26:04):
He won those because his offensive line was bad. So
sixty five percent of the rushing yards last night, Justin Herbert,
they just can't stay healthy, and all their injuries seem
to be offensive line and running back, so where they're
thin to begin with. So I mean, I Justin Herbert
is two things. A quarterback and this year of Pinata
(26:26):
and so I don't.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
Know what you do.
Speaker 3 (26:27):
I wouldn't touch the Chargers.
Speaker 1 (26:29):
Everybody liked him, and I said, I love their kicker,
I love their coach, I love Justin's toughness. But this
offense is not good enough to win playoff games on
the road against a really good New England team. So
Patrick Mahomes the last two years, everybody's like he's not
the same.
Speaker 3 (26:45):
Well, why would that be.
Speaker 1 (26:46):
It's his offensive line in pass pro and for the record,
mahomes lack of a run game. You can't put every
you know. Everybody said, well, Josh Allen, what does he have?
A Pro Bowl left tackle, James Cocinn, excellent tight ends.
Now I don't love the Buffalo roster. They have a
great slot, a couple of good tight ends, starback, Pro
(27:10):
Bowl left tackle.
Speaker 3 (27:12):
That that is.
Speaker 1 (27:13):
The Bill Walsh Niners compared to what Justin Herbert's working
with right now.
Speaker 3 (27:18):
J Mack with the.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
News, this is the herd Line news.
Speaker 6 (27:25):
I was, We're in lockstep on that one. Colin one,
we were in lockstep with it. Whift was that Niners
Eagles game? Holy cow, Listen, I was torn, man. I
loved the Eagles a lot, but you know, my guy
is brock perty and listen, Colin, it's time. Oh yeah,
we got to have a discussion about the most underrated
quarterback in the NFL, Brock Perty, who was sending sacio
(27:46):
now as they like.
Speaker 7 (27:46):
To say in soccer. I mean, listen.
Speaker 6 (27:48):
I know he threw two picks, but Perty was excellent
except on the block here. He wanted no part of that.
On the Juwan Jennings throw, I mean, if you want
to replay, it's hilarious. He's just like, I'm not getting
in front of that three hundred pounder anyway. Jennings talked
about going up against Seattle this week, a tall order.
Speaker 2 (28:05):
I was ready.
Speaker 4 (28:06):
I was ready to cite it and just to see
Christian you know, pop up open there late.
Speaker 5 (28:10):
I had to damn a chance and I didn't even
see the ball man. But great hands by two three man,
great hands. Do you know who you're playing next week?
I think, Wow, I guess. I hope it's Seattle.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
It is Seattle.
Speaker 5 (28:22):
Let's go, let's go. I can't wait. That's what we wanted.
Speaker 1 (28:26):
Yeah, yeah, I'll tell you. I'll defend party interceptions.
Speaker 3 (28:31):
Don't drive me crazy.
Speaker 1 (28:32):
The bottom line is when I needed I think we
have the audio of it. When they needed a great play,
and when the forty nine ers needed a great drive,
pretty delivered again. Defense is trying to one of the picks.
The first really bad. The second one, you know it's
single coverage defender stepped.
Speaker 7 (28:53):
In fall Pro decender quin On Mitchell Yah, that's right.
Speaker 1 (28:55):
Also windy on the road for the record, a muddy
pocket most of the night. He didn't have a ton
of time to throw. Jalen Hurts is the guy that
had time to throw. So I will defend Perty. I
thought that first drive, and I also defend him on
not blocking on that trick play. You're out of your mind.
Speaker 6 (29:14):
Get him out of there, vis I mean he was
coming at him like a freight train. By the way,
did you see him in the first highlight?
Speaker 2 (29:19):
Who he threw to?
Speaker 6 (29:20):
Number five? I'm not kidding, Colin. I'm watching the game
and I'm like, five, Who the hell is that? Juwan
Jennings is fifteen. Jomarcus Robinson, the guy didn't have a
fifty yard game all season. He caught six for a
buck eleven. That's Shanahan trusting and Perty trusting. I mean
Robinson beat Mitchell, the All Pro on a slant in
the end zone.
Speaker 7 (29:39):
Did you see that?
Speaker 1 (29:40):
Yep?
Speaker 6 (29:40):
I'm like, what's happening here? I will say this a note. Listen,
reporters are good. We'll give him their props when they miss,
We'll do that too. Josina Anderson had a good note
just now. Colin forty nine Ers arrived home two am
Monday morning. Okay, obviously they're gonna get a late start today.
No kiddle, they play on Saturday. The leak kind of
(30:00):
did them dirty. Seattle has extra time. Niners have to
play on Saturday after getting home at two in the
morning from a Sunday game.
Speaker 1 (30:06):
Well, the good news, you've already played Seattle twice. Everybody
in that building knows what Seattle is. Seattle means why
everybody goes, Oh, Seattle is well rested. I don't want
my young red hot team to be that rested. I
also think Seattle is a prohibited favorite. Could come in
and be very cautious, could come in with kind of
a hey, guys, let's not take you know, let's not
(30:29):
beat ourselves here. I think the Niners will account for themselves. Well,
I do think over the course of four hours, Seattle
at home just keeps bringing waves of speed athleticism and
length and power.
Speaker 6 (30:43):
One of the funniest notes my buddy sent me was
Juwan Jennings, right, the guy who threw the touchdown pass.
Speaker 7 (30:48):
He threw one in the Super Bowl.
Speaker 6 (30:49):
He was nearly the MVP in that game against the
Chiefs that they lost in overtime. Juwan Jennings was like
higher ranked high school quarterback than Joe Burrow coming out
of high school. Like that's how good Jittings is.
Speaker 3 (30:59):
So out to him.
Speaker 7 (31:00):
I love this Signers team. I'm going to root for them,
but Collin, I.
Speaker 6 (31:03):
Don't see how you can make a case for them
against Seattle.
Speaker 7 (31:05):
Maybe maybe first quarter. I don't know if first that
first quarter they'll have some juice, But after that, bro,
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (31:11):
All right.
Speaker 7 (31:12):
Speaking of Eagles diners, our guy Tom Brady, who.
Speaker 6 (31:15):
I think is joining the show again this week, he
had a really good moment in the booth about quarterbacks
throwing through windy weather.
Speaker 7 (31:22):
Check us out.
Speaker 8 (31:24):
Yeah, So when you see it, and I talked about
the point of the ball a lot, you see it
from well, I'll started mis agle.
Speaker 7 (31:29):
This is kind of like.
Speaker 2 (31:30):
A neutral plane.
Speaker 8 (31:31):
This isn't the poise slightly down when you're throwing into
the wind, it has to be neutral. If the point
of the ball is up, any wind friction is going
to push that.
Speaker 3 (31:37):
Bottle up over the top. So as a.
Speaker 8 (31:39):
Quarterback, you don't really like that you throw underneath because
naturally that's going to point the tip of the ball up.
You'd like more of a sea or an inverse, a
reverse seat. That's how you kind of control the point
of the ball and then you can kind of just snap.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
It off as you throw it.
Speaker 8 (31:54):
But in these windy conditions, you can't be underneath the ball.
There's too much wind and wind surface the ball to
knock it off its pal.
Speaker 2 (32:02):
I gotta tell you that was a signs lesson I
didn't go I needed well done.
Speaker 1 (32:06):
Yeah, I wish I could have taken that course in
college instead of biology.
Speaker 3 (32:10):
That was interesting.
Speaker 6 (32:11):
You think the Eagles offensive coordinator even knew that. I mean, honestly,
I'm so sick kept here.
Speaker 1 (32:16):
It was funny in Philadelphia. They kept showing the flags
YEA and Party would make a throw and I'm like,
because twice AJ Brown went down the field and it
was like a center fielder who lost it in the sun,
Like he couldn't track the ball and perty made a
couple of massive throws.
Speaker 6 (32:33):
I thought he couldn't throw it when the weather was
implement I thought he had issues at that.
Speaker 1 (32:36):
Rady also had a great line when the Blue Tent
came up. He's like, folks, you've just seen everything in
the blue Tent's there's not much there.
Speaker 3 (32:43):
It's a table at a blue tent.
Speaker 6 (32:44):
Yeah, all right, let's go to the final story, and
that's the Bears comeback against the Packers.
Speaker 7 (32:50):
Scintillating stuff Saturday night.
Speaker 6 (32:51):
I know you were like six beers deep, just going
crazy Colston Loveland and company. Afterward, Listen, man, I got
to give Ben Johnson his flowers.
Speaker 7 (32:59):
He talks this and backs it up.
Speaker 6 (33:01):
He had that handshake at midfield with the floor basically
a big middle finger right to the guy's face.
Speaker 7 (33:06):
And then afterwards, Uh, area is in the locker room.
Speaker 1 (33:10):
Oh boy, we don't see the extroent emotion from you at
the buzzard as we did today.
Speaker 3 (33:15):
It's just the guys the obvious of what the playoff
gate with.
Speaker 6 (33:19):
Yeah, yeah, there's there's probably a little bit more noise
coming out of there building up north.
Speaker 5 (33:25):
Uh to start the week, which we heard loud and clear.
UH players and coaches alike.
Speaker 3 (33:31):
So this one meant something to us.
Speaker 7 (33:34):
Yeah, listen, bulletin board material.
Speaker 2 (33:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (33:38):
But one of the things this, this always irritates me
about my profession, the media, our profession.
Speaker 3 (33:45):
Folks like the Olympics.
Speaker 1 (33:47):
People trained four years and then they win a race
or lose a race, and we jam a microphone in
their face. The reality is, you used to not get
cameras in locker rooms.
Speaker 3 (33:57):
Now we do.
Speaker 1 (33:58):
So don't judge what players and coaches are doing in
their space. When I got my first job out of college,
I got a job doing a trip a baseball team
play by play, and there was a sign no media,
and there was a certain area blocker rum where guys
got banned AI and they had dirty jokes and they
played music and blah blah blah, and the language was profane.
Speaker 3 (34:18):
And I always.
Speaker 1 (34:19):
Remember that no media allowed. So now we get all
this video all over the place. You're dealing with young men.
They commit their lives to it. They're rarely home, they're
taking a beating. It's Saturday night. By the way, the
same kind of language you hear is what you're hearing
in the stands from seventy thousand people they're going. The
city of Chicago was nuts, I mean were everybody was
(34:42):
walking around with an open container, drinking and partying a
Saturday night in Chicago.
Speaker 3 (34:46):
Was Marty Graws.
Speaker 1 (34:48):
So again, I don't love the language you used, but
it's like, we have to understand the commitment, the time,
the energy, and if sometimes a coach is a little
over the top or player.
Speaker 3 (35:01):
We'ren't visitors, Hey, we're observers.
Speaker 2 (35:04):
We're not in this battle.
Speaker 1 (35:05):
We have to understand the emotional state these guys are in.
After W's the Bears have been losing this franchise forever.
Speaker 6 (35:12):
Yeah, remember Aaron Rodgers famously said they own He owned
the Bears.
Speaker 7 (35:17):
But so in the locker.
Speaker 6 (35:18):
Room, there's a video of him saying, bleep the Packers.
We can't show that, obviously, But earlier in the week
what irked him was the Packers players are like, oh,
we can't play wait to play the Bears. Well, obviously,
they never trailed the Bears the whole season, in the
two matches, never trailed at all, and they were dominating
this game. But Caleb Williams is the moving mountains and
that fourth down throw is gonna I mean, honestly, if
you're looking at the all time great plays in Bears history,
(35:41):
that Caleb Williams touchdown pass is up there. And here's
some Bears quarterbacks with two wins versus the Packers. Caleb
joins the elite company Jim Harbaugh and Jim McMahon. Jim McMahon,
the Funky QB love that guy back in the day,
Listen man, not Caleb Williams.
Speaker 1 (35:56):
Is even Sid Luckman couldn't do it? Johnny Lujack? Or
was that Red Rex Grossman? Jake Cuttler? Where are those guys?
Speaker 2 (36:05):
But Colin?
Speaker 7 (36:06):
Do they have a chance against the Rams?
Speaker 3 (36:07):
Absolutely?
Speaker 1 (36:08):
I would feel much better if they didn't lose their
left tackle. That they can lose a linebacker that worries me.
Speaker 6 (36:15):
Yeah, Jared Ver's probably excited to be going against the backup.
Speaker 1 (36:18):
If Sunday Night, by the way, I'm not sure I
would root for crappy weather Sunday night that helps the Bears.
Speaker 7 (36:25):
Yeah, have you checked the weather? It's probably gonna be
balmy in Chicago.
Speaker 1 (36:28):
Right, forty forty What is it gonna be about forty
ish fourteen or forty fourteen?
Speaker 2 (36:33):
I won.
Speaker 3 (36:36):
J mckle the news, Well.
Speaker 2 (36:38):
That's the news and Thanks for stopping by The Herd
Line News.
Speaker 3 (36:43):
Why have in Chicago, It's the Hoop.
Speaker 2 (36:47):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
in noon Easter nin am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 6 (36:55):
With a classic Big East rivalry between Villanova and Providence
and West Virginia takes on seventh rank Houston, followed by
Maryland versus USC and all tips off tomorrow only on
FS one.
Speaker 1 (37:08):
I mean, just think about this weekend, all of us.
Everybody kind of thought summarily, Rams will handle the Panthers,
know they had to come from behind the win. Well, listen,
Packers have been here before. The good times are over
for the Bears. And then they weren't. I thought JAG's
are the better team. I've seen it all year, and
(37:28):
then there was Josh Allen and so I mean you,
I mean, Philadelphia was a five point favorite. Five's my
magic number. Get to five, take the favorite. So this
is what is so great about the NFL. You just
don't know. And I think Buffalo is one of those
teams where I mean twelve for twelve to his favorite receiver.
(37:49):
But I don't love Buffalo's defensive talent. I love their
left tackle, running back, tight end Josh Allen. I think
they're offensive talent. They've hit on some good guys. If
Keon Coleman wasn't a bust, would really like their talent.
They don't really have a dominant number one, but they're
a hard team to gauge because you just have the
ultimate wild card, which is Josh Allen. Here's Matt hasselback earlier.
Speaker 4 (38:13):
Denver's got a better team than people realize. But again,
this is one of those things where Josh Allen is
that quarterback that can go above the x's and o's
without the other superstars mahomes Lamar Burrow. They're not in
the AFC this year. This might be your best chance, Buffalo, like,
go do it.
Speaker 3 (38:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (38:32):
Again, I think Denver's got the better team, the better
pass rush, the best corner. I mean, there's so many
elements where I like Denver in this spot.
Speaker 3 (38:41):
They're rested, They've got a great I think.
Speaker 1 (38:43):
I do think having extra time to prepare with a
really clever play designer and Sean Payton is an absolute advantage,
no question. But then again, Jacksonville had Liam Cohen, great
play designer and play caller. Now he didn't have an
extra week. But you think to yourself, oh, you're at home.
(39:04):
You got the offensive guy. So a lot of good
offensive coaches Shanahan, McVeigh, Ben Johnson, Sean Payton still remaining.
I think I don't know what to make it tonight. Honestly,
my intuition tells me Mike Tomlin extra day Monday underdog
(39:28):
probably playing probably their healthiest offensively. But the Texans defense,
I don't even know what the over under is. The
Texans defense is completely suffocating. So you know, if you
told me Pittsburgh has a history of in these games
and in these spots finding points.
Speaker 3 (39:45):
You know, they just do.
Speaker 1 (39:46):
They get the turnover, they block a kick, they get
a return. We will go to Pittsburgh where the game
is tonight. We will go there at the end of
the show thirty eight and a half for tonight. Yeah,
it's probably about where it should be.
Speaker 6 (40:01):
Colin, who do you give the chance of a better
upset possibility, Brock Purdy on the road or Matt Stafford
on the road.
Speaker 3 (40:09):
Matt Stafford has a healthier team, he's got a healthier defense.
Speaker 6 (40:12):
And the other one is are you surprised that Josh
Allen opened as a favorite. In Denver, they were minus
one and a half. I don't know where it is
at this very second, but it was trending toward pick them.
Bo Nicks rested, Denver defense rested Bills. They lost their receiver,
Gave Davis went down with a pretty bad knee injury.
Speaker 7 (40:30):
I think he's done.
Speaker 3 (40:32):
I don't know what to.
Speaker 7 (40:32):
Make of the Bills.
Speaker 1 (40:33):
Man.
Speaker 6 (40:33):
It was essentially Josh Allen. Did you see James Cook
had under fifty yards rushing. Yeah, I mean we nailed
the handicap on that.
Speaker 7 (40:38):
Ja.
Speaker 6 (40:39):
They're not gonna be able to run. Is Josh Allen
going to save them? And he bailed them out with
a clutch final drive. He got beat up pretty badly though.
Speaker 2 (40:46):
Oh, Josh Allen.
Speaker 3 (40:47):
By the end of the game, he was hobbling.
Speaker 5 (40:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (40:50):
I mean, it's the knee, the hand concussion protocol. That's
why I find the Bears, you know, the reason I
love the I thought there run, I thought it was
gonna snow, and I'm like, oh snow.
Speaker 3 (41:03):
I get the Bears before.
Speaker 7 (41:05):
The game, right, there's all these photos, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (41:07):
Yeah, And then in the end it was actually just
a cold, beautiful night so apparently now the Rams Bears
weather forecast is it will feel like minus eight degrees.
That feels like an edge to the Chicago team. To
me Hour three coming up,
Hosts And Creators
Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
Popular Podcasts
Two Guys, Five Rings: Matt, Bowen & The Olympics
Two Guys (Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers). Five Rings (you know, from the Olympics logo). One essential podcast for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Bowen Yang (SNL, Wicked) and Matt Rogers (Palm Royale, No Good Deed) of Las Culturistas are back for a second season of Two Guys, Five Rings, a collaboration with NBC Sports and iHeartRadio. In this 15-episode event, Bowen and Matt discuss the top storylines, obsess over Italian culture, and find out what really goes on in the Olympic Village.
iHeartOlympics: The Latest
Listen to the latest news from the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Milan Cortina Winter Olympics
The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina are here and have everyone talking. iHeartPodcasts is buzzing with content in honor of the XXV Winter Olympics We’re bringing you episodes from a variety of iHeartPodcast shows to help you keep up with the action. Follow Milan Cortina Winter Olympics so you don’t miss any coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics, and if you like what you hear, be sure to follow each Podcast in the feed for more great content from iHeartPodcasts.