December 26, 2025 • 33 mins
Colin welcomes in NFL reporter Albert Breer to provide the latest on the reported issues between Lamar Jackson and the Ravens organization and what's next for the Lions who missed out on the playoffs after last year's 15-win season.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Herd podcast. Be sure to
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Speaker 2 (00:21):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Just one of those days where there's a lot of
interesting NFL stories. Monday morning, quarterback Albert Breer, senior NFL reporter,
is joining US live, So listen. When a longtime reporter
comes out with something and the coach completely refutes it.
I get why a coach refutes it. I don't get
(00:47):
why a reporter would just make it up when he's
got to be in that locker room six days a week.
What do you make about the Lamar Jackson stories. I mean,
it's been a weird year. Practices doesn't practice. What do
you make of the story?
Speaker 3 (01:03):
A couple things like I think number one, Colin, there's
obviously a lot of water under the bridge between the
Ravens and Lamar. You want to go back to the
contract negotiation, you can. He's obviously had his issues staying healthy.
The last couple of years, and you do have to
wonder if that's something bigger, like if there's something there that,
like his body's breaking down because of the historic amount
(01:26):
of damage he's taken on as a quarterback, that's starting
to catch up with him. So you have that piece
of it, the other piece of it that like its
a little inside baseball. But he doesn't have an agent,
and so when he does get hurt, a lot of
times the full information on what his injury is, how
severe it is, like a lot of times that doesn't
really fully come to light, which raises a lot of
(01:48):
other questions, both publicly and maybe even in some corners
of locker room, on well, what's actually wrong with Lamar.
And I think that's one reason why, like John Harbaugh
came out and was so transparent he's usually not, was
so transparent about Lamar Jackson's injury and that it was
worse than just a normal bruise earlier in the week.
Speaker 4 (02:06):
I think he was taking up for him.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Like my experience has been that John Harbaugh has been
one of the most hard defenders of Lamar.
Speaker 4 (02:14):
So I don't know.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
That anything's broken there, but things have certainly gotten wonky
and we are at a point now where we're going
to be talking about these things Contractually, his cap hits
the next two years or seventy four and a half
million dollars. He's got two years left on his deal.
They had talked about going back in and giving him
a correction to his previous contract after Josh Allen got
(02:36):
one last offseason. That's obviously going to be on the
table again this offseason. And if all the injury stuff
is the backdrop to that, well, then you know we're
talking about having to answer some pretty significant questions going forward.
So you know, I think Jylan Lamar Jackson is at
Baltimore raven in twenty twenty six. But this definitely feels like,
(02:58):
after the expectation they had in turn for where the
team was going to be going into the year, that
there could be some pretty big changes coming in Baltimore.
I can just tell you I've talked to people there
who felt like this is the best roster they'd had decades,
and to not make the playoffs obviously is going to
get the owner's attention and could lead to some changes,
(03:18):
whether you know, it's some.
Speaker 4 (03:21):
Some level of wholesale change or more cosmetic changes. We'll see, Oh.
Speaker 5 (03:25):
They want Jared goff out.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
You know, they're all worked up, which is you know,
he's a very successful guy.
Speaker 5 (03:31):
I've been to a Super Bowl.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
Where do they stand today on their coaching staff in Detroit.
I mean it's a really loaded team on golf where
they add on all that.
Speaker 4 (03:42):
Stuff, you know, I think this is so interesting about
this one.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
To me, at least, Colin is like we always talk
like whenever a team like this loses and doesn't make
the playoffs, it's like, all right, is their window closed?
And I don't think people take the time to look
at the roster. It's still, like you said, a ton
of really good young talent on that roster. I mean
maybe Deckers aged out at left tackle, but you could
flip pen Ay Sewell, who's one of the best players
in all football at any position.
Speaker 4 (04:05):
Over there.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
A receiver, you've got Jamison Williams, and you've got im
On Ross Saint Brown. At running back you got Jamira Gibbs.
A golf is a good quarterback. Whether you think he's
great or not, obviously that's a question. And then on defense,
they have holes, but they also have building blocks and
Aiden Hutchinson and Lee McNeil and Jack Campbell and Brian
Branch and so I sort of look at this team
(04:27):
and I say, the windows not closed, but do they
have to sort of shift up in gear now and
say okay, like we do feel like this is a
core we can win a championship with. And there's the
general manager who was with and was in Los Angeles
when they were being hyper aggressive like the f them
picks Era.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
Does their GM say Okay, this.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
Is our pivot point and we're going to be really
aggressive about upgrading our offensive line and finding an edge
to play opposite Aiden Hutchinson and maybe adding a corner
Like this feels like maybe that's the point where that happens.
But I don't think this is about any sort of
window closing. Jared goff is a is a really good quarterback,
and I don't know, maybe you can show me his
(05:09):
replacement that they're going to get at the bottom of
the first round. I just don't see a way to
upgrade at that position where you've gotten really good play
over the last five years.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
So Sean mcdermot's been in a good mood recently, but
it's not a great look that Vrabel comes in and
with Drake may wins the division not great. I said,
if he doesn't get to the conference championship in a
year in which Drake may Bow knicks no Burrow, no Lamar,
no Mahomes, it kind of feels like they got to
(05:41):
get to the conference championship or there's a big, big
discussion after that playoff loss, right, Yeah.
Speaker 4 (05:49):
I mean, I think at least the public's going to
have that discussion.
Speaker 6 (05:52):
Now.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
I haven't gotten like the since talking to people internally.
There's a big discussion point yet. But they are going
into a new stadium and josh and is turning thirty
this offseason, and so like you kind of look at
where they're at and how they've been consistently on the doorstep,
and I think, like last month I brought this example
up to you. I mean, you remember Tony Dungee in
(06:13):
the nineties in Tampa and how Tony Dungee, like Sean McDermott,
was basically at the tip of the spear as far
as turning a program around and changing the face of
an organization. Sean's done that just as Tony Dungee did
all those years ago in the nineties in Tampa, and
they had this historic defense and having Derek Brooks and
Warren Sapp and John Lynch and Rende Barber put pressure
(06:33):
on everybody and eventually it got to the point was
we need a spark. We're sort of stuck, and can
we can we can we push this to the next
level while we still have this historic defense and they
move on from from Tony Dungee. Initially they tried to
get Bill Parcells, they trade for John grud and they
win a Super Bowl.
Speaker 4 (06:52):
I don't know if they're at that point yet.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
I don't think it's really been a big discussion point internally,
but I do think like that sort of thing could
hover over them a little bit where you eventually get
to that point and you eventually start to ask those questions.
And I think it's interesting for a few teams now too. Right,
So Patrick Mahomes is not in the playoffs this year,
he's hurt. Joe Burrow gets hurt again. That opens the
(07:16):
door for everybody in the AFC as well. And so
like these teams like Pittsburgh and Baltimore and Buffalo who've
had coaches in place for a long time, if they
don't advance in the playoffs, if in the case of Baltimore,
they don't make the playoffs, these big picture questions are
going to come.
Speaker 5 (07:33):
I know it's a ways off.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
I know it's the drafts in April, but I wonder
how talent evaluators I've been told Mendoza is a better
prospect than Jackson Dart.
Speaker 5 (07:42):
There's a lot of ways to go.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
You could keep Dart, trade down the pick, get a
bevy of picks. You could go with Mendoza, trade Dart,
you could do both. Wouldn't recommend that with New York media,
but I think you have to consider. I mean, Mendoza
two years at CAL, wanted Indiana. That's not Ohio State
or Notre Dame or Oklahoma. Yeah, it's sixty eight percent
(08:05):
completion percent. He got sacked almost fifty times at Cal
one year. Been accurate, strong, humble. What would be your
guest today, Well.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
I don't think it's over as far as the first
quarterbacks take taken. By the way, I think Dante Moore,
like over the next months, could play himself into that discussion.
Like Dante Moore is somebody at least that has the
attention of NFL scouts now like Phil Knight may pay
him five million ten million dollars whatever it is to
stay another year at Oregon. So maybe that point is moot,
(08:37):
but you know, he's somebody that's at least gotten the
attention of people. Mendoza, I think is in that conversation
as well. Mendoza has a lot of the qualities that
you know. Interestingly enough, another cal quarterback, Jared Goff, had
coming out, and I think that's the comfort at least
some NFL teams. Here's the thing, though, like that's only
really happened once, at least as long as I've been
(08:57):
covering the league, and really I think in my lifetime
where a team took a quarterback in the first round
and then came back the next year and.
Speaker 4 (09:05):
Did it again.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
And that was the Arizona Cardinals who took Josh Rosen
if you remember, in eighteen, and Kyler Murray in nineteen
and Cliff Kingsbury and Steve Khin basically came to the
determination that the gap between those two was wide enough
and they knew enough about Josh Rosen.
Speaker 4 (09:20):
At that point where yes, like we can do that.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
And here's why the gap needs to be big, because
what you can get for the number one overall pick
is significantly more than you'd be able to trade Jackson
Dart for right now, Like it's basically like driving a
car off the lot, right, Like, once you drive the
car off the lot, it's to value to some degree.
Speaker 4 (09:39):
Right.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
So, once Jackson Dart is in the league, same thing
as Josh Rosen, if somebody else is giving up on him,
he's going to be to value to some degree, and
you're not going to be able to get what you
would be able to get for the first overall pick.
So it's not just Mendoza versus Dart. You look at
those two guys and you say, if it's close.
Speaker 4 (09:57):
You stick with Dart. You trade the number one overall pick.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
You're gonna be able to get so much for the
first overall pick with teams like the Raiders and Browns
and close quarters there inside the top ten.
Speaker 4 (10:08):
If the gap is huge, well, there's nothing more important
than having a great quarterback.
Speaker 3 (10:12):
So that's the determination the Giants would have to have
to come to, is that Fernando Mendoza or Dante more
they are so much better than Jackson Dart that we
feel like we need to make this pick and trade
Jackson Dart. Otherwise I think they stick with Dart, who
they like quite a bit, would trade that pick.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
Yeah, it's you know that I want I want to
circle back to the Lamar Jackson story. I just see
this out there. I said, if I was the Jets
two first round picks, I've not proven the ability to
develop a quarterback. That's that's that's not crazy, right, I'm not.
Speaker 4 (10:51):
I mean, but part of that too, Colin.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
What you're getting at is like people sometimes like operate
as if like the Ravens need to start shopping him,
if someone else thinks there's trouble in Paradise, they're going
to pick up the phone call, you know what I mean,
Like if the Raiders think there's trouble in Paradise, if
the Jets think there's trouble in Paradise, Like, there's nothing
preventing those teams from picking up the phone and making
(11:13):
that phone call. You know, especially when you're a team
like the Jets or the Raiders that doesn't have an
established quarterback, starting quarterback, that's going to be offended if
they find out you do it, you know, So, like
I do think like if they don't make the playoffs,
and some of this lingers into the off season, like
a trade is naturally going to become part of the
(11:33):
equation for the Ravens because people are going to call it.
Doesn't mean he's getting traded. It doesn't mean the Ravens
have any intention to trade him. But I do think
like some teams are going to look back at what
this looked like three years ago and say, man, we
wish we would have called on Lamar Jackson. You know,
he still had a lot of good football left, and
so that's something that you'd have to consider if you're
(11:55):
one of these teams that's out there looking, maybe a
team that can't get in position to draft the quarter
at that you want. So I think all of that
becomes part of the equation as long as this seems
to be murkery Murky are uncertain between the Ravens and Lamar.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
By the way, as a Buckeye Kyle Winmingham, can I
say this for Michigan, that's a pretty solid get. I
mean he took three star guys and over his era
at Utah he had the number one defense in the
Pack twelve and may have been the sixth best recruiting
coach or staff. I mean, Utah got good players, not
a lot of five and four star guys.
Speaker 5 (12:31):
That's a pretty good late get for Michigan, is it not?
Speaker 4 (12:34):
Well, can I point one thing out really quick?
Speaker 5 (12:36):
Sure?
Speaker 3 (12:37):
So our friend Urban Meyer now is not only seven
or zero in the rivalry, but he has his former
assistance running both programs.
Speaker 4 (12:46):
How about that? Right? So I think that's that's a
pretty interesting piece of all of this.
Speaker 3 (12:53):
But yeah, like I won't change my opinion on Kyle
Whittingham because I don't like the colors that he's wearing now.
He's been a rock solid coach, you know, over the
course of the last twenty years. Urban obviously elevated that program
when he got there with Alex Smith, and I think
like it was just as difficult as elevating a program
like that is maintaining it. And he not only maintained it,
(13:15):
I mean that was a group of five. I don't
think we would have called him a group of five
back then, but a mid major type of program back then.
Urban elevated them to the point where they would be
attractive to the PAC twelve and then the Big twelve.
And he was able to maintain that level and they
had a real identity, and I think the identity that
he built and he talked about like the players that
(13:37):
have come out of Utah over the years and wound
up becoming really good NFL players. They're all tough, they're
all physical, so they very much fit what Jim Harbaugh
built there and what Michigan's always pride themselves on being.
So I think it's a really solid higher. Do I
think it's a type of higher that's gonna knock Ohio
(13:57):
State and Oregon off the top of the Big Ten?
Maybe not, but this is exactly what Michigan needs right
now after what they've been through the last couple of weeks.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
Yeah, he's only eighteen months older than Kurt Signetti, and
I guarantee he's a better skier because he lived right
by the mountains in Utah, and I know, I.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
Know that would be I'll tell you what I would
like if I had that sort of access to the
mountains up there, I would be like Olympic level great
seeing you buddy having I'd also probably be fired because
they'd be spending way too much time there, But that's
another story.
Speaker 5 (14:26):
Makes two of us, all.
Speaker 4 (14:27):
Right, Albert, all right, thanks Colin.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
Yeah, I've had a couple of conversations through the years
with Kyle. He's just a really good guy. He his wife,
they just you know Utah University of Utah is right
downtown in Salt Lake City, and they had beautiful condo
downtown and.
Speaker 5 (14:44):
Lived a life and active. He not sixty six.
Speaker 1 (14:48):
If you've ever been in a room with Kyle Whittingham,
he's got like fifty year old energy and good guy,
great wife. Yeah, just an easy guy to root for
and a lot of people. You know, it's like he
stayed at Utah forever. But I do think you get
at a crossroads when Utah had this very very good
coordinator under him, and it's kind of like Kyle, he's
(15:10):
a you know, in shape, tough gonna be able to
keep that maintain that Utah tough culture. And you're sitting
there and you're like sixty six and you're like, you know,
I eat well, I'm pretty intentional, I work out. I'm
not going to bingo parlors. I want to do stuff,
and so what are you gonna do? He's a college guy,
not a pro guy. It's like Michigan's open. Whittingham beat
(15:31):
Nick Saban in the two thousand and nine Sugar Bowl.
You guys remember that, Yeah, Saban didn't schedule Utah for that,
not that I remember.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and noon eastern non am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 4 (15:51):
Pauly Foods Go Here with Tony Foods Go.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (15:54):
As everybody knows, we're the hosts of the award winning
Polly and Tony Foodsco Show. Yeah, but instead of us
telling you how great we are, here's how Dan Packrick
described us when he came on our show.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
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Speaker 2 (16:07):
What what are you doing interrupting our promo?
Speaker 4 (16:09):
Yeah, you wasn't talking about you. You took those clips
totally of context.
Speaker 7 (16:14):
Oh yeah, well after this promo, I'm gonna take you
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Speaker 4 (16:18):
Let me put this into context.
Speaker 5 (16:20):
Shut up.
Speaker 4 (16:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (16:21):
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on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 5 (16:27):
Yee jmak with the news. Turn on the news.
Speaker 2 (16:33):
This is the headline news.
Speaker 8 (16:36):
Well, let's go back to the Chiefs demise of the Dynasty.
Speaker 4 (16:40):
It's over, baby, it's done.
Speaker 8 (16:42):
It's gonna be an uphill climb, and they're probably gonna
have to do it without Travis Kelcey. He's been skipping
all media sessions recently, but went to the podium yesterday
to address his future.
Speaker 6 (16:54):
The only time it ever crossed my mind is I
was driving in the other day and I saw how
much the power Ball was and I was like, Man,
I could just win that. I wouldn't have to work
another day in my life. No, man, Honestly, I've been
just focused on trying to win football games. Man, I'll
let that be a decision that I make with my family, friends,
(17:17):
the Chiefs organization when the time comes.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
No, well, I don't think he's gonna have to work
a day in his life going forward. Me.
Speaker 4 (17:26):
Didn't he win the power Ball when he met Taylor Swift?
Speaker 8 (17:28):
They're engaged, you know, come on, I don't know. Listen,
Kelsey great career, seems like a really good dude. Congrats
enjoy podcasting.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
You know he's the best tight ends ever.
Speaker 4 (17:41):
He's on the short list for sure, no doubt about it.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
Yeah, he's Tony Gonzalez, Shannon Sharp, Travis, Kelsey, Gronk's absolutely there.
Speaker 5 (17:49):
Kellen Winslow probably my top five hour.
Speaker 4 (17:53):
I'm not gonna quibble with that.
Speaker 8 (17:54):
Let's let's move on to uh oh, the big game
this Saturday, Chargers. This is an interesting matchup. Colin Justin
Herbert's last game against the Texans. I don't know if
you remember it. It was in the playoffs wildcard round
last season.
Speaker 4 (18:10):
He threw a career wars four picks. They lost.
Speaker 8 (18:13):
I think I was on the Chargers in that game
and it was close, and then they just had no weapons,
no line. Basically it was the lad McConkey Show member.
I don't know if Quinton Johnson played. I don't think
he did, but they have weapons now. Anyways, Herbert talked
about learning from those mistakes ahead of this weekend's matchup
(18:33):
on fult.
Speaker 9 (18:33):
Worse than I did after that game, and I think
it's important to continue to move forward and realize that,
you know, it's it's what happened, and it would be
crazy of me to deny the truth of what happened
and to live in this reality where if I tried
to block it out, I don't think that's doing any good,
and so I think just moving on and understanding what
it was and just attacked the next game like like
(18:56):
you've always prepared.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
For always says the right thing. The quarterbacks these days
are so good.
Speaker 5 (19:01):
At the podium.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
Don't light fires, just go up, say the right thing.
I like that. I like the Texans in this one.
I think that defense and that Charger offense. Charger offense
been struggling. You know, the old line not a big push.
Their points are few and far between.
Speaker 8 (19:17):
So I'm looking at the injury report now, and I mean,
if this is accurate on the Chargers website, they've ruled
out Sailor. The left tackle who had been filling it admirably,
got hurt last week. It didn't really show up against
the Cowboys because we know they traded Micah. They have
no edge rushers. That's not great, Colin. This is the
hunter Will Anderson show. I'm nervous for Herbert. He's been tremendous.
(19:41):
I just don't love this spot. And this was two
and a half earlier. I think there's gonna be money
on the Texans all weekend.
Speaker 4 (19:47):
So you're going against Houston.
Speaker 8 (19:51):
I know they look like garbage last week, and everybody
who bet them against the Radars, I took the Texans.
I like the Texans here. Oh you're on Texans here. Okay,
my bad. I think that's a good bet for you.
I just like Herbert Man, I'm work shopping a theory
here as we head into next season. I think you
have to have Herbert ahead of Mahomes and Lamar Jackson.
Speaker 4 (20:11):
Well, look as a better he's been so good this
year at he doesn't have his left tack or right tack.
Speaker 1 (20:17):
You can put him ahead of Lamar because he's healthier.
I can't put him ahead of Mahomes, but he's up there.
I mean there's a lot of boss that have thought
he's a top five six quarterback since he broke into
the league.
Speaker 4 (20:27):
Well, he'll be healthier than Mahomes.
Speaker 8 (20:29):
Who's going to miss like at least a month this
whole Mahomes week one stop.
Speaker 4 (20:33):
I mean Herbert, he might be the man Colin. I
like Herbert. Final story.
Speaker 8 (20:39):
All right, let's go to Michigan. And you were just
talking about this situation with Albert Brier. So Michigan is
expected to complete negotiations today and land Kyle Whittingham, the
terrific Utah coach. Winningham recently announced he's stepping down after
twenty one years in charge of the Utes, though he
(21:00):
made it necessarily clear. He wasn't retiring from coaching. Everybody
knows what's up. One hundred and one wins is right
up there among coaches without a CFP appearance.
Speaker 5 (21:12):
Well he does.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
He creates an identity, and I think Albert Breer said
that when you think of Utah football, you go ascare
any GM in the NFL. I was talking to Steve
Kahim one time about this. He's like Utah guys. He
goes those tight ends, block those running backs, he goes
those are tough guys. Utah creates tough guys. And so
you get a guy who very much fits into the
(21:35):
mold of Big ten football. It'll be like Iowa with
better players.
Speaker 4 (21:40):
So I don't know how to say this delicately.
Speaker 8 (21:43):
I like winning him a lot. He's a great against
the spread coach, but kinent. In the last calendar year,
we've seen some of the older gentlemen, more guys in
their seventies, really stumble right in the NFL and in
college football, winning.
Speaker 4 (21:58):
L sixty six.
Speaker 1 (22:00):
But Belichick wasn't a college guy. Of course, it was rough,
you know, Pete Carroll, that's NFL. Kyle Whittingham is successful
and he's transitioning to a better program with more money,
with better recruits. This will be the best roster Kyle
Whittingham's ever had.
Speaker 8 (22:14):
Well, but we say that, let me ask if michigf
do you think Michigan went to their star quarterback Bryce
Underwood future stars supposedly number one high school player got
all the nil money. Do you think they said, hey,
we're bringing in Kyle Whitningham just to gauge his reaction
or no, quarterbacks don't rule the show.
Speaker 5 (22:32):
No, I don't think they went to a player.
Speaker 4 (22:35):
What would you say the percentages he turns up in
the transfer port.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
I have no idea, but he I think you can
win a lot of games at Michigan with Kyle Whitningham. Immediately.
There's no two three years next year. That's a ten
win program. Absolutely Michigan, not even looking at who the
opponents are. Well, if Underwood stays it is a playoff program.
Speaker 4 (22:58):
Okay, I listened.
Speaker 8 (22:59):
I like the I think it's great. We'll see that
they've been through a lot the Sharone Moore story. I'm
sure you've been reading the details.
Speaker 5 (23:08):
Yeah, miss a lot. Jmack with the News.
Speaker 2 (23:12):
Well that's the news and thanks for stopping by the
Herd line news.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
He's been red hot Jmax's NFL picks.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
Next, be sure to catch live editions of The Herd
Weekdays and Noone Eastern Non a em Pacific on Fox
Sports Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (23:31):
All right, let's let's end this week on a bright spot.
I see some of the games you have here as
Christmas is in the books. Now it's about seating Pride, Jets,
Giants still terrible.
Speaker 5 (23:45):
All right, JMX, you ready to go.
Speaker 1 (23:47):
Tomorrow's headlines today, Let's start with the game.
Speaker 5 (23:51):
I like the over in this one.
Speaker 1 (23:53):
Tomorrow's headlines today, Cardinals Bengals on Fox.
Speaker 8 (23:58):
It should should be a good fun game, especially if
you're a Bengals fan.
Speaker 4 (24:02):
The headline for Bengals.
Speaker 8 (24:04):
Victory will be Frosty the Joe Man was a swaggy
happy QB. Give me Joe Burrow going off in this
one against the hapless Cardinals Colin. If you've seen the
Arizona and injury report these last few weeks, they just
shutting everybody down. This is a soft tank, without a doubt,
and Burrow should put another thirty forty points on the
(24:26):
board easily. I watched his team last week to Cardinals
try to fight early and then they just didn't have it.
They don't have the dudes to get to They couldn't
pressure Kirk Cousins last week.
Speaker 4 (24:35):
How they gonna get to Burrow? I think Burrow goes
off big game.
Speaker 8 (24:37):
The only redeeming quality here is my fantasy team needs
big points from Trey McBride. The Bengals, colin once again,
are the worst team in the league defending tight ends.
They give up the most receptions, yards and touchdowns. Trey McBride,
he could, I.
Speaker 4 (24:52):
Mean, he could go for like fifteen catches.
Speaker 8 (24:54):
For two hundred yards. Seriously, he's having a great season. Underrated,
but give me the Bengals big here.
Speaker 1 (24:59):
Toorros headlines today. I like the Seahawks to win. I
think the Panthers are playing much better than people want
to admit because nobody watches the Panthers outside of the state.
What do you say, Well, listen, this is a good game.
Speaker 8 (25:10):
It actually means a lot. I know people saying it
doesn't mean much because you need this momentum. Carolina's alternated
wins and losses sins like October. The headline for Panthers
hosting the Seahawks will be Sugar and Bryce make everything nice.
Panthers turned Sam into Ham. Yes, I'm rolling.
Speaker 4 (25:29):
With you, Colin on this one. I think this is
a fun one.
Speaker 8 (25:31):
Dave Canalis, by the way, head coach of the Carolina
spent about a decade in Seattle, spent a lot of
time there.
Speaker 4 (25:38):
People thought maybe he would be one of our future coaches.
Speaker 8 (25:40):
Now where he obviously is leading Carolina to glory in Carolina, and.
Speaker 4 (25:44):
I think Seattle go.
Speaker 8 (25:45):
We've got a little bit of data on these West
Coast teams traveling east late in the season.
Speaker 4 (25:51):
Okay, you're worn down. You know, it's holiday stuff.
Speaker 8 (25:54):
Going on, and this is a game out of division.
It's like, oh man, all we got to do is work.
Speaker 4 (25:59):
Worry abot Week eighteen. I think Seattle slips up here.
Speaker 8 (26:02):
I've got some Carolina money line finals stack, Colin. If
you really want to get interesting, and you think both
teams are gonna play cautious so nobody gets hurt, take
a look at the under in this game. Remember, by
the way, the Rams went to Carolina recently and lost outright,
so Carolina can be plucky with that run game.
Speaker 1 (26:18):
Also, the Seahawks were in a wild, wild game with
the Rams ninety defensive snaps. So it's you know, Seahawks
can be a bit dinged up, all right. Tomorrow's headlines today,
Oh Lord, actually has ramifications here. It's like the best
awful game of the year. Giants at the Raiders.
Speaker 8 (26:38):
This is big, especially if you're a draftnick. I know
you and I both like the draft lot. This is
a huge swing game. It's on in the late window.
There's only two games in the late window. The headline
for Raiders Giants will be Mary blitzmouths g men get
binged by Crosby.
Speaker 4 (26:54):
Obviously we need Max Crosby to play.
Speaker 8 (26:57):
That would be huge. He is a very tough cookie
coming off the edge. He had a good game last
week against Houston. I think the Raiders win this outright, Colin.
We got two teams with nine straight losses, but one
of them the Giants. I've seen a lot of quit
in that team recently. Okay, I know a couple players
made some nice plays last week against the Vikings, Colin,
Like you said, j J.
Speaker 4 (27:19):
What's the name? Jackson Dark didn't throw a pass for
like the first fifteen plays.
Speaker 8 (27:23):
They're worried about him getting hurt again and offensively, they
can't do anything. I think the Raiders show up here
at home. By the way, Pete Carroll, he's a prideful guy.
He's an old guy. He ain't going out soft and
not trying. He's got these guys named up.
Speaker 1 (27:36):
I think the Raiders win a close one here all right,
tomorrow's headlines today, This is a really good game. Eagles
at the Bills on Fox. The world loves Buffalo. I
worry about that run defense and Saquon Barkley three straight
weeks looks a little like last year.
Speaker 5 (27:53):
Saquon, what say you?
Speaker 1 (27:54):
Well?
Speaker 8 (27:54):
I think part of the reason everybody loves the Bills
is because Josh Allen getting points or under a field
goal favored.
Speaker 4 (28:00):
He's like automatic.
Speaker 8 (28:01):
However, the headline for Bills hosting the Eagles will be
Jingle Els, Jingle Els.
Speaker 4 (28:09):
Allen lays an egg.
Speaker 8 (28:11):
Now listen to the big one. Here is Jalen Carter, that
beast in the middle, probably with the best defensive tackle
in the league. So the two games, two of the
games he missed, Colin Jackson Dart ran wild against him,
and Justin Herbert ran while both over fifty yards rushing
where you're like, oh, josh Allen can do that.
Speaker 4 (28:27):
However, Carter is back practicing. They expect him to play
Carter and Jordan Davis in the middle.
Speaker 8 (28:32):
You're not moving those guys, man, It's really tough to
run up the middle against this Philadelphia defense. And oh,
by the way, you watch that game last week Josh
Allen turned an ankle against the Browns.
Speaker 5 (28:42):
They they couldn't do anything.
Speaker 4 (28:43):
He didn't scribble once in the second half. They took
X rays.
Speaker 8 (28:46):
Now, he was a full participant in practice today moments ago,
so they are expecting him to be fine. I don't
expect them to jeopardize their playoff run by getting another
ankle injury.
Speaker 4 (28:56):
I don't expect many runs from him. I think the
Eagles can win.
Speaker 8 (28:59):
This colin I know you watch them against the Raiders
in Washington.
Speaker 4 (29:03):
It's like, who cares those teams think?
Speaker 8 (29:05):
But they're looking different empty sets, right, and then a
lot of play action under center. Jalen hurts a lot
of shotgun the season. He's moved under center a lot
now and it's throwing the defense off. Are they gonna
run or are they gonna pass?
Speaker 4 (29:18):
The play action?
Speaker 8 (29:18):
So I like the wrinkles the Eagles have done here,
and I think Monday we'll get you talking about can
the Bills really win the Super Bowl after they lose
to the Eagles?
Speaker 1 (29:26):
All Right? We you and I have never had a
segment where we agreed on three picks.
Speaker 5 (29:33):
This could be a historic moment.
Speaker 1 (29:36):
To cap the twenty twenty five Seeds at actual agreement.
Tomorrow's headlines today Bears at the Niners, I mean the Niners.
McCaffrey wobbling into the game off of twenty seven touch Affairwell,
what do you got for me?
Speaker 4 (29:52):
So there is there, homersm you like the Bears here?
Speaker 3 (29:55):
Right?
Speaker 4 (29:55):
Big game?
Speaker 8 (29:57):
The headline for Bears forty nine will be Brocket around
the Chris Smiths Tree.
Speaker 4 (30:04):
That be Sunday night.
Speaker 8 (30:07):
Give me brock Party in the Niners, Colin, I know,
short week, they were just on Monday Night football, but
I love me some brock Party. And uh, I do
think that Robert Sala's defense will do just enough here
to slow down Caleb.
Speaker 4 (30:20):
I'm gonna remind you.
Speaker 8 (30:20):
Guys, brock Party's offense, by the way, hasn't punted in
I believe.
Speaker 4 (30:24):
It's four weeks.
Speaker 1 (30:25):
Yeah, and the secondary has had hasn't had many sacks
in the same period. That's a great point. They are
last in the league in saxe. The snee line just
does not generate the secondaries. I shouldn't Boso Warner. Their
front sevens just doesn't.
Speaker 5 (30:39):
Generate pass rushes.
Speaker 8 (30:41):
So their second to last in pressure rate, second dead
last in sacks. They're just not getting to the quarterback.
So you're thinking, oh, Caleb will have success. But Sala's
tweaking where he what he's doing on the back end.
Speaker 4 (30:53):
They're mixing up.
Speaker 8 (30:54):
Coverages and quarterbacks are kind of struggling now. Rivers did
not struggle for much of that game until the end
when he threw the pick six. So I'm guessing we
see some points here, but I'm gonna bet on brock
Purty in that offense. By the way, last year in
this spot, thirty eight thirteen Niners put.
Speaker 4 (31:09):
It on him, and the Niners were good last year.
Speaker 8 (31:11):
They didn't have McCaffrey, Rock Perdy and Juwan Jennings cooked
finals at roma. Dunze just ruled out moments ago he
will not play Luther burd in his back.
Speaker 4 (31:20):
That's a good get back. He could beat the forty
nine ers deep.
Speaker 8 (31:24):
But I got a Rock with a better quarterback, and
I got a Rock with a better head coach in
this one in the Niners.
Speaker 5 (31:32):
Imagine you think those are wide margins.
Speaker 8 (31:35):
I mean, you know, brock perty is a proven winner,
and Kyle Shanahan's.
Speaker 4 (31:39):
One of the best coaches in the league. I like
Ben a lot. Caleb's got some upside.
Speaker 1 (31:43):
But just check the weather forecast. It's been cloudy in California.
Speaker 8 (31:48):
By the way, if San Fran wins this, that sets
up for Week eight. We need San Frana win this,
so there's some drop. There's no drama around the league.
If San Fran faces Seattle next week Week eighteen and
they win, they're the number one.
Speaker 5 (32:00):
Look here we had Fox. We got the Bill's Eagles game.
I mean that one. That's a great game.
Speaker 1 (32:07):
Albert Brer earlier today, let's just give you an update.
John Harbaugh denies the riff that the story reported out
of the Baltimore Sun with Lamar Jackson. Here's Albert on
Lamar looking ahead.
Speaker 3 (32:23):
My experience has been that John Harbaugh has been one
of the most ardent defenders of Lamar.
Speaker 4 (32:27):
So I don't know.
Speaker 3 (32:29):
That anything's broken there, but things have certainly gotten wonky.
And we are at a point now where we're going
to be talking about these things contractually, his cap hits
the next two years or seventy four and a half
million dollars.
Speaker 4 (32:41):
He's got two years left on his deal.
Speaker 3 (32:43):
I think Joe Lamar Jackson is a Baltimore Raven in
twenty twenty six. But this definitely feels like, after the
expectation they had internally for where the team was going
to be going into the year, that there could be
some pretty big changes coming in Baltimore.
Speaker 1 (33:00):
Well, it'll be interesting either way. Good week, next week,
we've got New Year's we got bowl games, well, the
college football playoff. You know, it's so funny to watch
college football now. The bowl games now suddenly irrelevant, the
conference championship games under some real debate. USC Notre Dame.
(33:23):
USC is like, well, play week zero, We're not going
to play you, and everybody's freaking out. Yet, the ratings
in the attendance every time I turn on a big
college game, pack stadium tickets aren't cheap. Ratings going through
the roof college football. Wall Street Journal had a story
on it this week. It's a mess, it's chaos, but
it's a beautiful mess, and a popular mess and an
(33:45):
ascending mess. Put a mess be say first things first, Next,
Thanks for listening to The Herd podcast. Be sure to
catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio in
noon to three Eastern nine am to noon Pacific. Find
your local station for The Herd at Fox Sportsradio 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):
Just one of those days where there's a lot of
interesting NFL stories. Monday morning, quarterback Albert Breer, senior NFL reporter,
is joining US live, So listen. When a longtime reporter
comes out with something and the coach completely refutes it.
I get why a coach refutes it. I don't get
(00:47):
why a reporter would just make it up when he's
got to be in that locker room six days a week.
What do you make about the Lamar Jackson stories. I mean,
it's been a weird year. Practices doesn't practice. What do
you make of the story?
Speaker 3 (01:03):
A couple things like I think number one, Colin, there's
obviously a lot of water under the bridge between the
Ravens and Lamar. You want to go back to the
contract negotiation, you can. He's obviously had his issues staying healthy.
The last couple of years, and you do have to
wonder if that's something bigger, like if there's something there that,
like his body's breaking down because of the historic amount
(01:26):
of damage he's taken on as a quarterback, that's starting
to catch up with him. So you have that piece
of it, the other piece of it that like its
a little inside baseball. But he doesn't have an agent,
and so when he does get hurt, a lot of
times the full information on what his injury is, how
severe it is, like a lot of times that doesn't
really fully come to light, which raises a lot of
(01:48):
other questions, both publicly and maybe even in some corners
of locker room, on well, what's actually wrong with Lamar.
And I think that's one reason why, like John Harbaugh
came out and was so transparent he's usually not, was
so transparent about Lamar Jackson's injury and that it was
worse than just a normal bruise earlier in the week.
Speaker 4 (02:06):
I think he was taking up for him.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Like my experience has been that John Harbaugh has been
one of the most hard defenders of Lamar.
Speaker 4 (02:14):
So I don't know.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
That anything's broken there, but things have certainly gotten wonky
and we are at a point now where we're going
to be talking about these things Contractually, his cap hits
the next two years or seventy four and a half
million dollars. He's got two years left on his deal.
They had talked about going back in and giving him
a correction to his previous contract after Josh Allen got
(02:36):
one last offseason. That's obviously going to be on the
table again this offseason. And if all the injury stuff
is the backdrop to that, well, then you know we're
talking about having to answer some pretty significant questions going forward.
So you know, I think Jylan Lamar Jackson is at
Baltimore raven in twenty twenty six. But this definitely feels like,
(02:58):
after the expectation they had in turn for where the
team was going to be going into the year, that
there could be some pretty big changes coming in Baltimore.
I can just tell you I've talked to people there
who felt like this is the best roster they'd had decades,
and to not make the playoffs obviously is going to
get the owner's attention and could lead to some changes,
(03:18):
whether you know, it's some.
Speaker 4 (03:21):
Some level of wholesale change or more cosmetic changes. We'll see, Oh.
Speaker 5 (03:25):
They want Jared goff out.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
You know, they're all worked up, which is you know,
he's a very successful guy.
Speaker 5 (03:31):
I've been to a Super Bowl.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
Where do they stand today on their coaching staff in Detroit.
I mean it's a really loaded team on golf where
they add on all that.
Speaker 4 (03:42):
Stuff, you know, I think this is so interesting about
this one.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
To me, at least, Colin is like we always talk
like whenever a team like this loses and doesn't make
the playoffs, it's like, all right, is their window closed?
And I don't think people take the time to look
at the roster. It's still, like you said, a ton
of really good young talent on that roster. I mean
maybe Deckers aged out at left tackle, but you could
flip pen Ay Sewell, who's one of the best players
in all football at any position.
Speaker 4 (04:05):
Over there.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
A receiver, you've got Jamison Williams, and you've got im
On Ross Saint Brown. At running back you got Jamira Gibbs.
A golf is a good quarterback. Whether you think he's
great or not, obviously that's a question. And then on defense,
they have holes, but they also have building blocks and
Aiden Hutchinson and Lee McNeil and Jack Campbell and Brian
Branch and so I sort of look at this team
(04:27):
and I say, the windows not closed, but do they
have to sort of shift up in gear now and
say okay, like we do feel like this is a
core we can win a championship with. And there's the
general manager who was with and was in Los Angeles
when they were being hyper aggressive like the f them
picks Era.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
Does their GM say Okay, this.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
Is our pivot point and we're going to be really
aggressive about upgrading our offensive line and finding an edge
to play opposite Aiden Hutchinson and maybe adding a corner
Like this feels like maybe that's the point where that happens.
But I don't think this is about any sort of
window closing. Jared goff is a is a really good quarterback,
and I don't know, maybe you can show me his
(05:09):
replacement that they're going to get at the bottom of
the first round. I just don't see a way to
upgrade at that position where you've gotten really good play
over the last five years.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
So Sean mcdermot's been in a good mood recently, but
it's not a great look that Vrabel comes in and
with Drake may wins the division not great. I said,
if he doesn't get to the conference championship in a
year in which Drake may Bow knicks no Burrow, no Lamar,
no Mahomes, it kind of feels like they got to
(05:41):
get to the conference championship or there's a big, big
discussion after that playoff loss, right, Yeah.
Speaker 4 (05:49):
I mean, I think at least the public's going to
have that discussion.
Speaker 6 (05:52):
Now.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
I haven't gotten like the since talking to people internally.
There's a big discussion point yet. But they are going
into a new stadium and josh and is turning thirty
this offseason, and so like you kind of look at
where they're at and how they've been consistently on the doorstep,
and I think, like last month I brought this example
up to you. I mean, you remember Tony Dungee in
(06:13):
the nineties in Tampa and how Tony Dungee, like Sean McDermott,
was basically at the tip of the spear as far
as turning a program around and changing the face of
an organization. Sean's done that just as Tony Dungee did
all those years ago in the nineties in Tampa, and
they had this historic defense and having Derek Brooks and
Warren Sapp and John Lynch and Rende Barber put pressure
(06:33):
on everybody and eventually it got to the point was
we need a spark. We're sort of stuck, and can
we can we can we push this to the next
level while we still have this historic defense and they
move on from from Tony Dungee. Initially they tried to
get Bill Parcells, they trade for John grud and they
win a Super Bowl.
Speaker 4 (06:52):
I don't know if they're at that point yet.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
I don't think it's really been a big discussion point internally,
but I do think like that sort of thing could
hover over them a little bit where you eventually get
to that point and you eventually start to ask those questions.
And I think it's interesting for a few teams now too. Right,
So Patrick Mahomes is not in the playoffs this year,
he's hurt. Joe Burrow gets hurt again. That opens the
(07:16):
door for everybody in the AFC as well. And so
like these teams like Pittsburgh and Baltimore and Buffalo who've
had coaches in place for a long time, if they
don't advance in the playoffs, if in the case of Baltimore,
they don't make the playoffs, these big picture questions are
going to come.
Speaker 5 (07:33):
I know it's a ways off.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
I know it's the drafts in April, but I wonder
how talent evaluators I've been told Mendoza is a better
prospect than Jackson Dart.
Speaker 5 (07:42):
There's a lot of ways to go.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
You could keep Dart, trade down the pick, get a
bevy of picks. You could go with Mendoza, trade Dart,
you could do both. Wouldn't recommend that with New York media,
but I think you have to consider. I mean, Mendoza
two years at CAL, wanted Indiana. That's not Ohio State
or Notre Dame or Oklahoma. Yeah, it's sixty eight percent
(08:05):
completion percent. He got sacked almost fifty times at Cal
one year. Been accurate, strong, humble. What would be your
guest today, Well.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
I don't think it's over as far as the first
quarterbacks take taken. By the way, I think Dante Moore,
like over the next months, could play himself into that discussion.
Like Dante Moore is somebody at least that has the
attention of NFL scouts now like Phil Knight may pay
him five million ten million dollars whatever it is to
stay another year at Oregon. So maybe that point is moot,
(08:37):
but you know, he's somebody that's at least gotten the
attention of people. Mendoza, I think is in that conversation
as well. Mendoza has a lot of the qualities that
you know. Interestingly enough, another cal quarterback, Jared Goff, had
coming out, and I think that's the comfort at least
some NFL teams. Here's the thing, though, like that's only
really happened once, at least as long as I've been
(08:57):
covering the league, and really I think in my lifetime
where a team took a quarterback in the first round
and then came back the next year and.
Speaker 4 (09:05):
Did it again.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
And that was the Arizona Cardinals who took Josh Rosen
if you remember, in eighteen, and Kyler Murray in nineteen
and Cliff Kingsbury and Steve Khin basically came to the
determination that the gap between those two was wide enough
and they knew enough about Josh Rosen.
Speaker 4 (09:20):
At that point where yes, like we can do that.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
And here's why the gap needs to be big, because
what you can get for the number one overall pick
is significantly more than you'd be able to trade Jackson
Dart for right now, Like it's basically like driving a
car off the lot, right, Like, once you drive the
car off the lot, it's to value to some degree.
Speaker 4 (09:39):
Right.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
So, once Jackson Dart is in the league, same thing
as Josh Rosen, if somebody else is giving up on him,
he's going to be to value to some degree, and
you're not going to be able to get what you
would be able to get for the first overall pick.
So it's not just Mendoza versus Dart. You look at
those two guys and you say, if it's close.
Speaker 4 (09:57):
You stick with Dart. You trade the number one overall pick.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
You're gonna be able to get so much for the
first overall pick with teams like the Raiders and Browns
and close quarters there inside the top ten.
Speaker 4 (10:08):
If the gap is huge, well, there's nothing more important
than having a great quarterback.
Speaker 3 (10:12):
So that's the determination the Giants would have to have
to come to, is that Fernando Mendoza or Dante more
they are so much better than Jackson Dart that we
feel like we need to make this pick and trade
Jackson Dart. Otherwise I think they stick with Dart, who
they like quite a bit, would trade that pick.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
Yeah, it's you know that I want I want to
circle back to the Lamar Jackson story. I just see
this out there. I said, if I was the Jets
two first round picks, I've not proven the ability to
develop a quarterback. That's that's that's not crazy, right, I'm not.
Speaker 4 (10:51):
I mean, but part of that too, Colin.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
What you're getting at is like people sometimes like operate
as if like the Ravens need to start shopping him,
if someone else thinks there's trouble in Paradise, they're going
to pick up the phone call, you know what I mean,
Like if the Raiders think there's trouble in Paradise, if
the Jets think there's trouble in Paradise, Like, there's nothing
preventing those teams from picking up the phone and making
(11:13):
that phone call. You know, especially when you're a team
like the Jets or the Raiders that doesn't have an
established quarterback, starting quarterback, that's going to be offended if
they find out you do it, you know, So, like
I do think like if they don't make the playoffs,
and some of this lingers into the off season, like
a trade is naturally going to become part of the
(11:33):
equation for the Ravens because people are going to call it.
Doesn't mean he's getting traded. It doesn't mean the Ravens
have any intention to trade him. But I do think
like some teams are going to look back at what
this looked like three years ago and say, man, we
wish we would have called on Lamar Jackson. You know,
he still had a lot of good football left, and
so that's something that you'd have to consider if you're
(11:55):
one of these teams that's out there looking, maybe a
team that can't get in position to draft the quarter
at that you want. So I think all of that
becomes part of the equation as long as this seems
to be murkery Murky are uncertain between the Ravens and Lamar.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
By the way, as a Buckeye Kyle Winmingham, can I
say this for Michigan, that's a pretty solid get. I
mean he took three star guys and over his era
at Utah he had the number one defense in the
Pack twelve and may have been the sixth best recruiting
coach or staff. I mean, Utah got good players, not
a lot of five and four star guys.
Speaker 5 (12:31):
That's a pretty good late get for Michigan, is it not?
Speaker 4 (12:34):
Well, can I point one thing out really quick?
Speaker 5 (12:36):
Sure?
Speaker 3 (12:37):
So our friend Urban Meyer now is not only seven
or zero in the rivalry, but he has his former
assistance running both programs.
Speaker 4 (12:46):
How about that? Right? So I think that's that's a
pretty interesting piece of all of this.
Speaker 3 (12:53):
But yeah, like I won't change my opinion on Kyle
Whittingham because I don't like the colors that he's wearing now.
He's been a rock solid coach, you know, over the
course of the last twenty years. Urban obviously elevated that program
when he got there with Alex Smith, and I think
like it was just as difficult as elevating a program
like that is maintaining it. And he not only maintained it,
(13:15):
I mean that was a group of five. I don't
think we would have called him a group of five
back then, but a mid major type of program back then.
Urban elevated them to the point where they would be
attractive to the PAC twelve and then the Big twelve.
And he was able to maintain that level and they
had a real identity, and I think the identity that
he built and he talked about like the players that
(13:37):
have come out of Utah over the years and wound
up becoming really good NFL players. They're all tough, they're
all physical, so they very much fit what Jim Harbaugh
built there and what Michigan's always pride themselves on being.
So I think it's a really solid higher. Do I
think it's a type of higher that's gonna knock Ohio
(13:57):
State and Oregon off the top of the Big Ten?
Maybe not, but this is exactly what Michigan needs right
now after what they've been through the last couple of weeks.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
Yeah, he's only eighteen months older than Kurt Signetti, and
I guarantee he's a better skier because he lived right
by the mountains in Utah, and I know, I.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
Know that would be I'll tell you what I would
like if I had that sort of access to the
mountains up there, I would be like Olympic level great
seeing you buddy having I'd also probably be fired because
they'd be spending way too much time there, But that's
another story.
Speaker 5 (14:26):
Makes two of us, all.
Speaker 4 (14:27):
Right, Albert, all right, thanks Colin.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
Yeah, I've had a couple of conversations through the years
with Kyle. He's just a really good guy. He his wife,
they just you know Utah University of Utah is right
downtown in Salt Lake City, and they had beautiful condo
downtown and.
Speaker 5 (14:44):
Lived a life and active. He not sixty six.
Speaker 1 (14:48):
If you've ever been in a room with Kyle Whittingham,
he's got like fifty year old energy and good guy,
great wife. Yeah, just an easy guy to root for
and a lot of people. You know, it's like he
stayed at Utah forever. But I do think you get
at a crossroads when Utah had this very very good
coordinator under him, and it's kind of like Kyle, he's
(15:10):
a you know, in shape, tough gonna be able to
keep that maintain that Utah tough culture. And you're sitting
there and you're like sixty six and you're like, you know,
I eat well, I'm pretty intentional, I work out. I'm
not going to bingo parlors. I want to do stuff,
and so what are you gonna do? He's a college guy,
not a pro guy. It's like Michigan's open. Whittingham beat
(15:31):
Nick Saban in the two thousand and nine Sugar Bowl.
You guys remember that, Yeah, Saban didn't schedule Utah for that,
not that I remember.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and noon eastern non am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 4 (15:51):
Pauly Foods Go Here with Tony Foods Go.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (15:54):
As everybody knows, we're the hosts of the award winning
Polly and Tony Foodsco Show. Yeah, but instead of us
telling you how great we are, here's how Dan Packrick
described us when he came on our show.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
Quick, knowledgeable and funny, opinionated.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
What what are you doing interrupting our promo?
Speaker 4 (16:09):
Yeah, you wasn't talking about you. You took those clips
totally of context.
Speaker 7 (16:14):
Oh yeah, well after this promo, I'm gonna take you
out and beat you.
Speaker 4 (16:18):
Let me put this into context.
Speaker 5 (16:20):
Shut up.
Speaker 4 (16:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (16:21):
Anyway, just listening to the Pauli and Tony Fusco Show
on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 5 (16:27):
Yee jmak with the news. Turn on the news.
Speaker 2 (16:33):
This is the headline news.
Speaker 8 (16:36):
Well, let's go back to the Chiefs demise of the Dynasty.
Speaker 4 (16:40):
It's over, baby, it's done.
Speaker 8 (16:42):
It's gonna be an uphill climb, and they're probably gonna
have to do it without Travis Kelcey. He's been skipping
all media sessions recently, but went to the podium yesterday
to address his future.
Speaker 6 (16:54):
The only time it ever crossed my mind is I
was driving in the other day and I saw how
much the power Ball was and I was like, Man,
I could just win that. I wouldn't have to work
another day in my life. No, man, Honestly, I've been
just focused on trying to win football games. Man, I'll
let that be a decision that I make with my family, friends,
(17:17):
the Chiefs organization when the time comes.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
No, well, I don't think he's gonna have to work
a day in his life going forward. Me.
Speaker 4 (17:26):
Didn't he win the power Ball when he met Taylor Swift?
Speaker 8 (17:28):
They're engaged, you know, come on, I don't know. Listen,
Kelsey great career, seems like a really good dude. Congrats
enjoy podcasting.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
You know he's the best tight ends ever.
Speaker 4 (17:41):
He's on the short list for sure, no doubt about it.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
Yeah, he's Tony Gonzalez, Shannon Sharp, Travis, Kelsey, Gronk's absolutely there.
Speaker 5 (17:49):
Kellen Winslow probably my top five hour.
Speaker 4 (17:53):
I'm not gonna quibble with that.
Speaker 8 (17:54):
Let's let's move on to uh oh, the big game
this Saturday, Chargers. This is an interesting matchup. Colin Justin
Herbert's last game against the Texans. I don't know if
you remember it. It was in the playoffs wildcard round
last season.
Speaker 4 (18:10):
He threw a career wars four picks. They lost.
Speaker 8 (18:13):
I think I was on the Chargers in that game
and it was close, and then they just had no weapons,
no line. Basically it was the lad McConkey Show member.
I don't know if Quinton Johnson played. I don't think
he did, but they have weapons now. Anyways, Herbert talked
about learning from those mistakes ahead of this weekend's matchup
(18:33):
on fult.
Speaker 9 (18:33):
Worse than I did after that game, and I think
it's important to continue to move forward and realize that,
you know, it's it's what happened, and it would be
crazy of me to deny the truth of what happened
and to live in this reality where if I tried
to block it out, I don't think that's doing any good,
and so I think just moving on and understanding what
it was and just attacked the next game like like
(18:56):
you've always prepared.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
For always says the right thing. The quarterbacks these days
are so good.
Speaker 5 (19:01):
At the podium.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
Don't light fires, just go up, say the right thing.
I like that. I like the Texans in this one.
I think that defense and that Charger offense. Charger offense
been struggling. You know, the old line not a big push.
Their points are few and far between.
Speaker 8 (19:17):
So I'm looking at the injury report now, and I mean,
if this is accurate on the Chargers website, they've ruled
out Sailor. The left tackle who had been filling it admirably,
got hurt last week. It didn't really show up against
the Cowboys because we know they traded Micah. They have
no edge rushers. That's not great, Colin. This is the
hunter Will Anderson show. I'm nervous for Herbert. He's been tremendous.
(19:41):
I just don't love this spot. And this was two
and a half earlier. I think there's gonna be money
on the Texans all weekend.
Speaker 4 (19:47):
So you're going against Houston.
Speaker 8 (19:51):
I know they look like garbage last week, and everybody
who bet them against the Radars, I took the Texans.
I like the Texans here. Oh you're on Texans here. Okay,
my bad. I think that's a good bet for you.
I just like Herbert Man, I'm work shopping a theory
here as we head into next season. I think you
have to have Herbert ahead of Mahomes and Lamar Jackson.
Speaker 4 (20:11):
Well, look as a better he's been so good this
year at he doesn't have his left tack or right tack.
Speaker 1 (20:17):
You can put him ahead of Lamar because he's healthier.
I can't put him ahead of Mahomes, but he's up there.
I mean there's a lot of boss that have thought
he's a top five six quarterback since he broke into
the league.
Speaker 4 (20:27):
Well, he'll be healthier than Mahomes.
Speaker 8 (20:29):
Who's going to miss like at least a month this
whole Mahomes week one stop.
Speaker 4 (20:33):
I mean Herbert, he might be the man Colin. I
like Herbert. Final story.
Speaker 8 (20:39):
All right, let's go to Michigan. And you were just
talking about this situation with Albert Brier. So Michigan is
expected to complete negotiations today and land Kyle Whittingham, the
terrific Utah coach. Winningham recently announced he's stepping down after
twenty one years in charge of the Utes, though he
(21:00):
made it necessarily clear. He wasn't retiring from coaching. Everybody
knows what's up. One hundred and one wins is right
up there among coaches without a CFP appearance.
Speaker 5 (21:12):
Well he does.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
He creates an identity, and I think Albert Breer said
that when you think of Utah football, you go ascare
any GM in the NFL. I was talking to Steve
Kahim one time about this. He's like Utah guys. He
goes those tight ends, block those running backs, he goes
those are tough guys. Utah creates tough guys. And so
you get a guy who very much fits into the
(21:35):
mold of Big ten football. It'll be like Iowa with
better players.
Speaker 4 (21:40):
So I don't know how to say this delicately.
Speaker 8 (21:43):
I like winning him a lot. He's a great against
the spread coach, but kinent. In the last calendar year,
we've seen some of the older gentlemen, more guys in
their seventies, really stumble right in the NFL and in
college football, winning.
Speaker 4 (21:58):
L sixty six.
Speaker 1 (22:00):
But Belichick wasn't a college guy. Of course, it was rough,
you know, Pete Carroll, that's NFL. Kyle Whittingham is successful
and he's transitioning to a better program with more money,
with better recruits. This will be the best roster Kyle
Whittingham's ever had.
Speaker 8 (22:14):
Well, but we say that, let me ask if michigf
do you think Michigan went to their star quarterback Bryce
Underwood future stars supposedly number one high school player got
all the nil money. Do you think they said, hey,
we're bringing in Kyle Whitningham just to gauge his reaction
or no, quarterbacks don't rule the show.
Speaker 5 (22:32):
No, I don't think they went to a player.
Speaker 4 (22:35):
What would you say the percentages he turns up in
the transfer port.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
I have no idea, but he I think you can
win a lot of games at Michigan with Kyle Whitningham. Immediately.
There's no two three years next year. That's a ten
win program. Absolutely Michigan, not even looking at who the
opponents are. Well, if Underwood stays it is a playoff program.
Speaker 4 (22:58):
Okay, I listened.
Speaker 8 (22:59):
I like the I think it's great. We'll see that
they've been through a lot the Sharone Moore story. I'm
sure you've been reading the details.
Speaker 5 (23:08):
Yeah, miss a lot. Jmack with the News.
Speaker 2 (23:12):
Well that's the news and thanks for stopping by the
Herd line news.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
He's been red hot Jmax's NFL picks.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
Next, be sure to catch live editions of The Herd
Weekdays and Noone Eastern Non a em Pacific on Fox
Sports Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (23:31):
All right, let's let's end this week on a bright spot.
I see some of the games you have here as
Christmas is in the books. Now it's about seating Pride, Jets,
Giants still terrible.
Speaker 5 (23:45):
All right, JMX, you ready to go.
Speaker 1 (23:47):
Tomorrow's headlines today, Let's start with the game.
Speaker 5 (23:51):
I like the over in this one.
Speaker 1 (23:53):
Tomorrow's headlines today, Cardinals Bengals on Fox.
Speaker 8 (23:58):
It should should be a good fun game, especially if
you're a Bengals fan.
Speaker 4 (24:02):
The headline for Bengals.
Speaker 8 (24:04):
Victory will be Frosty the Joe Man was a swaggy
happy QB. Give me Joe Burrow going off in this
one against the hapless Cardinals Colin. If you've seen the
Arizona and injury report these last few weeks, they just
shutting everybody down. This is a soft tank, without a doubt,
and Burrow should put another thirty forty points on the
(24:26):
board easily. I watched his team last week to Cardinals
try to fight early and then they just didn't have it.
They don't have the dudes to get to They couldn't
pressure Kirk Cousins last week.
Speaker 4 (24:35):
How they gonna get to Burrow? I think Burrow goes
off big game.
Speaker 8 (24:37):
The only redeeming quality here is my fantasy team needs
big points from Trey McBride. The Bengals, colin once again,
are the worst team in the league defending tight ends.
They give up the most receptions, yards and touchdowns. Trey McBride,
he could, I.
Speaker 4 (24:52):
Mean, he could go for like fifteen catches.
Speaker 8 (24:54):
For two hundred yards. Seriously, he's having a great season. Underrated,
but give me the Bengals big here.
Speaker 1 (24:59):
Toorros headlines today. I like the Seahawks to win. I
think the Panthers are playing much better than people want
to admit because nobody watches the Panthers outside of the state.
What do you say, Well, listen, this is a good game.
Speaker 8 (25:10):
It actually means a lot. I know people saying it
doesn't mean much because you need this momentum. Carolina's alternated
wins and losses sins like October. The headline for Panthers
hosting the Seahawks will be Sugar and Bryce make everything nice.
Panthers turned Sam into Ham. Yes, I'm rolling.
Speaker 4 (25:29):
With you, Colin on this one. I think this is
a fun one.
Speaker 8 (25:31):
Dave Canalis, by the way, head coach of the Carolina
spent about a decade in Seattle, spent a lot of
time there.
Speaker 4 (25:38):
People thought maybe he would be one of our future coaches.
Speaker 8 (25:40):
Now where he obviously is leading Carolina to glory in Carolina, and.
Speaker 4 (25:44):
I think Seattle go.
Speaker 8 (25:45):
We've got a little bit of data on these West
Coast teams traveling east late in the season.
Speaker 4 (25:51):
Okay, you're worn down. You know, it's holiday stuff.
Speaker 8 (25:54):
Going on, and this is a game out of division.
It's like, oh man, all we got to do is work.
Speaker 4 (25:59):
Worry abot Week eighteen. I think Seattle slips up here.
Speaker 8 (26:02):
I've got some Carolina money line finals stack, Colin. If
you really want to get interesting, and you think both
teams are gonna play cautious so nobody gets hurt, take
a look at the under in this game. Remember, by
the way, the Rams went to Carolina recently and lost outright,
so Carolina can be plucky with that run game.
Speaker 1 (26:18):
Also, the Seahawks were in a wild, wild game with
the Rams ninety defensive snaps. So it's you know, Seahawks
can be a bit dinged up, all right. Tomorrow's headlines today,
Oh Lord, actually has ramifications here. It's like the best
awful game of the year. Giants at the Raiders.
Speaker 8 (26:38):
This is big, especially if you're a draftnick. I know
you and I both like the draft lot. This is
a huge swing game. It's on in the late window.
There's only two games in the late window. The headline
for Raiders Giants will be Mary blitzmouths g men get
binged by Crosby.
Speaker 4 (26:54):
Obviously we need Max Crosby to play.
Speaker 8 (26:57):
That would be huge. He is a very tough cookie
coming off the edge. He had a good game last
week against Houston. I think the Raiders win this outright, Colin.
We got two teams with nine straight losses, but one
of them the Giants. I've seen a lot of quit
in that team recently. Okay, I know a couple players
made some nice plays last week against the Vikings, Colin,
Like you said, j J.
Speaker 4 (27:19):
What's the name? Jackson Dark didn't throw a pass for
like the first fifteen plays.
Speaker 8 (27:23):
They're worried about him getting hurt again and offensively, they
can't do anything. I think the Raiders show up here
at home. By the way, Pete Carroll, he's a prideful guy.
He's an old guy. He ain't going out soft and
not trying. He's got these guys named up.
Speaker 1 (27:36):
I think the Raiders win a close one here all right,
tomorrow's headlines today, This is a really good game. Eagles
at the Bills on Fox. The world loves Buffalo. I
worry about that run defense and Saquon Barkley three straight
weeks looks a little like last year.
Speaker 5 (27:53):
Saquon, what say you?
Speaker 1 (27:54):
Well?
Speaker 8 (27:54):
I think part of the reason everybody loves the Bills
is because Josh Allen getting points or under a field
goal favored.
Speaker 4 (28:00):
He's like automatic.
Speaker 8 (28:01):
However, the headline for Bills hosting the Eagles will be
Jingle Els, Jingle Els.
Speaker 4 (28:09):
Allen lays an egg.
Speaker 8 (28:11):
Now listen to the big one. Here is Jalen Carter, that
beast in the middle, probably with the best defensive tackle
in the league. So the two games, two of the
games he missed, Colin Jackson Dart ran wild against him,
and Justin Herbert ran while both over fifty yards rushing
where you're like, oh, josh Allen can do that.
Speaker 4 (28:27):
However, Carter is back practicing. They expect him to play
Carter and Jordan Davis in the middle.
Speaker 8 (28:32):
You're not moving those guys, man, It's really tough to
run up the middle against this Philadelphia defense. And oh,
by the way, you watch that game last week Josh
Allen turned an ankle against the Browns.
Speaker 5 (28:42):
They they couldn't do anything.
Speaker 4 (28:43):
He didn't scribble once in the second half. They took
X rays.
Speaker 8 (28:46):
Now, he was a full participant in practice today moments ago,
so they are expecting him to be fine. I don't
expect them to jeopardize their playoff run by getting another
ankle injury.
Speaker 4 (28:56):
I don't expect many runs from him. I think the
Eagles can win.
Speaker 8 (28:59):
This colin I know you watch them against the Raiders
in Washington.
Speaker 4 (29:03):
It's like, who cares those teams think?
Speaker 8 (29:05):
But they're looking different empty sets, right, and then a
lot of play action under center. Jalen hurts a lot
of shotgun the season. He's moved under center a lot
now and it's throwing the defense off. Are they gonna
run or are they gonna pass?
Speaker 4 (29:18):
The play action?
Speaker 8 (29:18):
So I like the wrinkles the Eagles have done here,
and I think Monday we'll get you talking about can
the Bills really win the Super Bowl after they lose
to the Eagles?
Speaker 1 (29:26):
All Right? We you and I have never had a
segment where we agreed on three picks.
Speaker 5 (29:33):
This could be a historic moment.
Speaker 1 (29:36):
To cap the twenty twenty five Seeds at actual agreement.
Tomorrow's headlines today Bears at the Niners, I mean the Niners.
McCaffrey wobbling into the game off of twenty seven touch Affairwell,
what do you got for me?
Speaker 4 (29:52):
So there is there, homersm you like the Bears here?
Speaker 3 (29:55):
Right?
Speaker 4 (29:55):
Big game?
Speaker 8 (29:57):
The headline for Bears forty nine will be Brocket around
the Chris Smiths Tree.
Speaker 4 (30:04):
That be Sunday night.
Speaker 8 (30:07):
Give me brock Party in the Niners, Colin, I know,
short week, they were just on Monday Night football, but
I love me some brock Party. And uh, I do
think that Robert Sala's defense will do just enough here
to slow down Caleb.
Speaker 4 (30:20):
I'm gonna remind you.
Speaker 8 (30:20):
Guys, brock Party's offense, by the way, hasn't punted in
I believe.
Speaker 4 (30:24):
It's four weeks.
Speaker 1 (30:25):
Yeah, and the secondary has had hasn't had many sacks
in the same period. That's a great point. They are
last in the league in saxe. The snee line just
does not generate the secondaries. I shouldn't Boso Warner. Their
front sevens just doesn't.
Speaker 5 (30:39):
Generate pass rushes.
Speaker 8 (30:41):
So their second to last in pressure rate, second dead
last in sacks. They're just not getting to the quarterback.
So you're thinking, oh, Caleb will have success. But Sala's
tweaking where he what he's doing on the back end.
Speaker 4 (30:53):
They're mixing up.
Speaker 8 (30:54):
Coverages and quarterbacks are kind of struggling now. Rivers did
not struggle for much of that game until the end
when he threw the pick six. So I'm guessing we
see some points here, but I'm gonna bet on brock
Purty in that offense. By the way, last year in
this spot, thirty eight thirteen Niners put.
Speaker 4 (31:09):
It on him, and the Niners were good last year.
Speaker 8 (31:11):
They didn't have McCaffrey, Rock Perdy and Juwan Jennings cooked
finals at roma. Dunze just ruled out moments ago he
will not play Luther burd in his back.
Speaker 4 (31:20):
That's a good get back. He could beat the forty
nine ers deep.
Speaker 8 (31:24):
But I got a Rock with a better quarterback, and
I got a Rock with a better head coach in
this one in the Niners.
Speaker 5 (31:32):
Imagine you think those are wide margins.
Speaker 8 (31:35):
I mean, you know, brock perty is a proven winner,
and Kyle Shanahan's.
Speaker 4 (31:39):
One of the best coaches in the league. I like
Ben a lot. Caleb's got some upside.
Speaker 1 (31:43):
But just check the weather forecast. It's been cloudy in California.
Speaker 8 (31:48):
By the way, if San Fran wins this, that sets
up for Week eight. We need San Frana win this,
so there's some drop. There's no drama around the league.
If San Fran faces Seattle next week Week eighteen and
they win, they're the number one.
Speaker 5 (32:00):
Look here we had Fox. We got the Bill's Eagles game.
I mean that one. That's a great game.
Speaker 1 (32:07):
Albert Brer earlier today, let's just give you an update.
John Harbaugh denies the riff that the story reported out
of the Baltimore Sun with Lamar Jackson. Here's Albert on
Lamar looking ahead.
Speaker 3 (32:23):
My experience has been that John Harbaugh has been one
of the most ardent defenders of Lamar.
Speaker 4 (32:27):
So I don't know.
Speaker 3 (32:29):
That anything's broken there, but things have certainly gotten wonky.
And we are at a point now where we're going
to be talking about these things contractually, his cap hits
the next two years or seventy four and a half
million dollars.
Speaker 4 (32:41):
He's got two years left on his deal.
Speaker 3 (32:43):
I think Joe Lamar Jackson is a Baltimore Raven in
twenty twenty six. But this definitely feels like, after the
expectation they had internally for where the team was going
to be going into the year, that there could be
some pretty big changes coming in Baltimore.
Speaker 1 (33:00):
Well, it'll be interesting either way. Good week, next week,
we've got New Year's we got bowl games, well, the
college football playoff. You know, it's so funny to watch
college football now. The bowl games now suddenly irrelevant, the
conference championship games under some real debate. USC Notre Dame.
(33:23):
USC is like, well, play week zero, We're not going
to play you, and everybody's freaking out. Yet, the ratings
in the attendance every time I turn on a big
college game, pack stadium tickets aren't cheap. Ratings going through
the roof college football. Wall Street Journal had a story
on it this week. It's a mess, it's chaos, but
it's a beautiful mess, and a popular mess and an
(33:45):
ascending mess. Put a mess be say first things first, Next,
Hosts And Creators
Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
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