January 23, 2026 • 33 mins
Colin talks to former NFL lineman Brian Baldinger about NFL Championship and why Seattle might have the advantage. He also breaks down the AFC Championship game including why it's so difficult playing in Denver
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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
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Speaker 2 (00:21):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
You know, j Mac you you are always very critical
of Barkley. You see he's complaining he's not getting on
the air anymore. ESPN buried that show.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
Why am I? Why am I critical of of Barkley?
He was critical of the league. Yeah, but what did
Barkley say? I don't think I saw He doesn't he
wishes he worked more. And my my feeling is this
is just conjecture, is that ESPN has a great relationship
with the NBA, and they said, yeah, we'll bring that
show over.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
You won't see it as much. Put it on the
shelf a little bit, huh.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
I mean that during football season? No, sorry, nobody's you know,
nobody's caring but NBA. From February, March, April, May, June.
I'm sure he'll be on a lot, right. I haven't
seen a second of it this season. I watched the games.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
I don't know, know I did. It felt very very
big at one time, and now it's invisible. So I
don't know. I you know, I'm just saying conjecture. But
I know there were people upstairs in the NBA office
that didn't like how they had lampooned the league and
some of the players. You've been talking to Adam Silver
there just I would say people upstairs didn't love Sometimes
they would say NFL shows don't make fun of the players.
(01:34):
Why are we making fun of the players? I heard
that before Shelley.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
That might have might have started here.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
I don't know. I'm an originator.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Okay, what can we do?
Speaker 1 (01:43):
I'm just saying it's just Charles is complaining. It's like
it feels obvious to me that you know, you have
these new deals and there's a lot of understandings that
don't have to be contractual. There's David Stern didn't like
when people were critical of the NBA either, that they're
very sensitive in the NBA. Remember I Adam Silver saying
(02:04):
my players are miserable Twitter. It just feels it feels
like it's a thing. But you know, you're right in February.
They could be on every night. We'll see J Mack with.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
A news No, no, this is the herd line news
all right, shout out to our staff.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
They keep finding these interesting nuggets. How about this one.
The New England Patriots in their franchise history, rich history,
zero to four in postseason games in Denver all time.
Now it's a line of four and a half. I'm
seeing some fours emerge in the desert. I'll have my
pick here shortly. There isn't an altitude situation in Denver
that has to be addressed. You know, New England has
(02:43):
looked they got fat and happy playing at home against
bad offensive lines. Will they look as good on the road?
I mean, now, maybe maybe anybody can look good against Stitty.
I can't believe we're calling him that. But this is
a big home field advantage for Denver. And I'm assuming
you think fifty two one hundred and eighty feet above
sea levels in edge for the Broncos.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
Right, Well, I think if you have a quarterback that
hasn't played in two years, I'm going to and who
isn't as athletic. You know, bo Nicks picks up some
first downs with his legs. My guess is New England
will get an extra possession in this game, maybe a
little deal position edge because the Denver offense isn't quite
(03:25):
as consistent, isn't quite as potent, and that gives you
a little field position edge, which in these playoff games
that is huge. Also, Denver's defense gets a lot of sacks.
I don't consider it close to Seattle. I don't think
it as good as the Rams. I don't think it's
as Philadelphia's. I thought, no, I mean to be honest
with you, I thought the Bears the last six quarters
were defense. We're doing it with smoking mirrors. I think
(03:46):
Denver's defense there's there's ways, there's ways to move the
ball in Denver. Josh Allen, by the way, they weren't
punting a lot.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
They didn't punt at all.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
I am curious, like, I don't know how you game
plan for Stidham. It's you're the Patriots again. He hasn't
thrown a pass in the NFL in two seasons. I mean,
if they come out with three tight ends, that might happen.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
If they come out I think you in play here.
I think you look at Sean Payton's schemes and Sean
Payton's habits and you just you scheme against it. My
take is they're good. They're not going to reinvent the offense.
I mean, Stidham is somewhat athletic, he can move and
and he's you know, he's a little bigger version maybe
(04:27):
a bow Nicks, not as talented. But my guess is
you're gonna run the same offense. I just don't think you'll.
I don't bow Knicks takes off running more than Stidham would,
but I think he'll run a lot of the offense.
I don't think they're gonna ship It's too late in
the season. You don't have enough practice time. We're gonna
install some new No, you're not. You're just you're gonna
play what you do. You're gonna do what you do
and and hopefully Stidham can make you know because bow
(04:49):
Knicks had two huge downfield throws for touchdowns instead of
give you a couple. If he does, you may win
the game. I mean, the line's only four.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
Let's move on to a team that stinks. The Miami Dolphins, Colin.
They are in a rebuild mode. Tua was benched for
Quinn Ewers over the final three weeks of the season,
but he's still under contract. At the Dolphins press conference yesterday,
new GM john Eric Sullivan, I acknowledge that the team
is still undecided about what to do at quarterback moving forward.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
I have a lot of respect for Tua. He's a
good football player.
Speaker 4 (05:22):
He's accomplished a lot in this league. I think, whether
it's whether it's two or anybody else, it's unfair and
irresponsible for me to sit up here and talk about
anything specific before I've talked to the player himself.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
That's fair, that's a reasonable answer. I mean, you've got
the draft in ninety days, so I mean you're you're
going to take a quarterback at some point, maybe second
third round maybe may listen, that wouldn't mean where's Miami drafting?
Speaker 3 (05:52):
Not high enough to not high enough to get Mendoza happily.
Look very serious there. I mean, he looks like he
just got a haircut, looks like he's going to basic
training about I mean, he is. Do you see Let
me do that, guy, Let me throw this at you.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
Rams have like what Atlanta's pick number eleven or something
like that. Rams move up and get Ty Simpson because
they still have another number one pick where they can
address corner and offensive tackle. Their real needs are offensive
tackle and corner. Quarterback they could get next year, and
(06:26):
the Rams in the buildings say, listen, we view him
as about the twenty third best player. We have two picks.
Let's reach on ty Simpson and then we'll just get Stafford,
another tackle, another corner, another receiver. I mean, I can
see a team like the Rams saying we're not going
to have two first again. We've only had one first
(06:47):
round pick in nine years. Jared Verse, I mean, I
think it's very interesting. The Rams are one of the
few really good teams that are drafting in the top fifteen,
like really special teams. Do you wait, you say to yourself,
we have him as like the twenty third, but we're
not going to be in this position again because next year,
if you say to yourself, no, let's get a tackle
and then a corner, do you know what the Rams
(07:07):
are going to have to do to get up into
the top two quarterbacks next year? Give up multiple first
So it could be the Rams are too good. So
my take is, reach on the quarterback. Now you're not
gonna play him. Stafford comes back for a two year deal.
He plays one, maybe they move off him. But I
think it's very interesting what the Rams do with that
first pick they don't get. They rarely have first round picks.
(07:32):
Now they have two. If they don't get a quarterback. Now,
look at what the Rams are going to do drafting
thirty at the following year to get to the seventh pick.
Two ones, two two's. You got your draft capital.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
So you know, I've been pretty plugged in on Stafford
and Rams here last few years. Gave everybody the pukah
stuff and the ugly contract you did. So I did
ask my people. I said, hey, so if Stafford wins
the Super Bowl, is it over? And they're like, uh uh,
he's cooking he wants to play again. I wonder if
that changes Colin. If he wins a super Bowl and
his wife's like, listen, come on, you go out on top,
like yeah, way, maybe he changes his mind. But if
(08:05):
they lose this game, I would say he's definitely coming
back next season. I just I don't see a trade
up for Tysimpson. I personally think we're overrating him because
there really aren't a lot of attractive quarterbacks after Mendoza.
Do you really believe Tysimpson's the guy like top what
he picked.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
What I'm saying is if your scouting department, the Rams
scouting department's good, finds him to be like the twenty
fourth best player in your draft and whatever they're drafting,
I could see them saying, guys, in one year, there
are better quarterbacks potentially. We don't know. We thought cave
Klutnick was going to be great this year. We thought
nus Meyer was going to be great. They weren't. We
didn't think mendo I mean before the season, do we
(08:42):
think Mendoza was going to be an easy number? We
thought it was like arch Manning Dane More. You just
don't know.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
Let me ask what about we just mentioned Tua? Could
you see Tua fitting with.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
The La Rams? C? J. Stroud?
Speaker 5 (08:54):
Yes?
Speaker 3 (08:56):
All right, final story, Let's go to Robert Salah. Everybody
likes him defensive coordinated with the Niners. Didn't really get
a good chance with the Jets because of Aaron Rodgers. Anyways,
he had a lot of interest from folks and he
ultimately picked Tennessee. Here's what Sala had to say for me,
this was the most desirable location, the most desirable team,
(09:17):
the team here are. The people here are unbelievable. They're
a type of people you want to work with. I'm
really excited about the city of Nashville and bringing a
winner back to the city. You know, they call it
nash Vegas. I think there's a world here where Sala's
pretty damn good pretty quickly. Colling, we're believers in cam Ward.
We both liked him. They just have to, you know,
they got some cap money, cap space to spend. Yeah,
(09:40):
they were three and fourteen. Offense wasn't great, defense wasn't great,
but they have a couple pieces in place. I think
this is a good good spot for Sala, So do.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
I I think. I mean, listen, it's been kind of
a wonky political job through the years. I mean, I
let Vrabel go. I don't think that was terribly prism Yeah.
Jmackle the news.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
Well that's the news, and thanks for stopping by The
Herd Line News. Be sure to catch live editions of
The Herd weekdays and noon eastern nine am Pacific on
Fox Sports Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 6 (10:16):
Hey Is Covino and Rich from Fox Sports Radio Now,
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We're excited to announce a brand new YouTube channel for
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Speaker 2 (10:29):
Yup. That's right.
Speaker 6 (10:30):
You can now watch Covino and Rich live on YouTube
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Speaker 3 (10:33):
All you gotta do.
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Search Covino and Rich FSR on YouTube again, go to
YouTube search Covino and Rich FSR. Check us out on YouTube, Subscribe,
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Speaker 1 (10:46):
Thirteen years in the NFL, one of my favorites, Bald
These breakdowns make us all smarter, and he's joining us
live right now as we get ready for Ram Seahawks
and Patriots Denver. Let's start with us. Let's just start
Ram Seahawks. Let's come of them the chase. Who do
you have gotten? Why?
Speaker 5 (11:05):
Well? I like Seattle. I like Seattle. I like their defense.
I know what Matt Stafford did the last time they played.
He threw for four hundred and fifty yards just a
month ago, so that's on tape. But you know the
Seattle I mean Stafford didn't make a mistake in that game.
He was unbelieva. Well yeah, all the way to the
touchdown throw, the Puka Nagua and how they attacked him.
(11:26):
I mean, it's smart to what they did. Seattle tried
to blitch. Every time they blitzed. He carved them up.
But it's a different game. It'll be played differently. They
know they've got to get to Stafford, which they didn't
do the last time, and so I think it will
play be played differently. But I like Seattle. I just
you know, San Francisco, if they had the ball ten
more times, they wouldn't scored a touchdown against Seattle. And
(11:48):
so that's just where they're playing right now. There. It's
an elite group. I think defense wins championships, and I
think their defense will be up to the task.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
What Stafford, You liked him when he was in Detroit.
Everybody likes him now. I said this earlier. It sounds crazy.
I said, if he wins two Super Bowls, I'm putting
him right next to Aaron Rodgers all time. And I
think Aaron's a top twelve quarterback. Stafford's on a seven
and two playoff heater, and I could argue out of
his prime. I feel like his first NFL family was dysfunctional.
(12:22):
He got adopted by the Rams and he's been arguably
the second best quarterback the mahomes in the league during
this period.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
Is he not.
Speaker 5 (12:31):
Well? I mean, I mean he just needs another back
condition in training camp next year, where he just sits
there in moth balls for six weeks and then comes
out and just balls out. I mean the Rams used
to do that with Jackie s Later. Jackies later used
to say every year, I don't go to training camp.
I did two more years out of my career. And
I always say this, Tom. I know it sounds kind
of silly, but you play as long as you can
(12:53):
and then two more years, and I figure that's what
Stafford is going to do.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
Yeah, Hey, do you trust Darnold? Where are you on Donald?
When you look at the film more, you know, you
look at it uniquely. You're a former player. Do you
trust Donald implicitly?
Speaker 5 (13:08):
Well, it really depends on what the defense is doing
to him when he's under siege. He makes mistakes, like
a lot of quarterbacks, Like we just saw C. J.
Stroud and you know we saw Drake May. They made
mistakes when they were under siege last weekend. The thing
is this team and it is a real team, Colin.
Being around that team, you can feel it. They know
that they wouldn't be where they're at without Sam, and
(13:31):
they feel like they're good enough to overcome if there
are mistakes, and I feel that's where Seattle is right now.
I think as a team they're good enough to overcome
a mistake or two, whereas a lot of other places
they're just especially in a championship setting, they're not good
enough to overcome.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
So Drake May has had some mistakes, four touchdowns, five giveaways.
Now it is the Texans and the old line is struggling.
But Nick Bonito on the edge for Denver should be
a problem. Zach Allen could be a problem. I I
contend New England still a draft away. They're the only
team left that has they're they're they're almost done with
a rebuild, but they just need to fortify their linebacking cord,
(14:12):
their offensive line. When you watch Drake May, of all
the things that you look at Baldy and go as
a former offensive lineman, Wow, that's good for his age.
What impresses you most?
Speaker 5 (14:25):
I mean just an overall poise that he played with,
Like that touchdown to Stefon Diggs is not an easy throw, Colin,
that is a stick throw. It's a great catch by Diggs,
but it's bracket coverage. It happened fast, it was an
important play. They finished the drive like that throw, and
that spot is huge. It looks like, okay, you go
back and play stakes. It's a you know, seven yards.
(14:47):
That was a difficult throw. He makes difficult throws look
routine and that's that's impressive. But you can't you can't
rattle them. I mean Will Anderson got the ball out
of his hands a couple of times. Will does that
so a lot of players. He never looks rather and
part of it is because of how Josh McDaniels coaches
him all week long, like he looks prepared for whatever
(15:09):
was coming next.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
Yeah, okay, John Harbaugh goes to the Giants. All the
years you've been watching Harbaugh on the Ravens teams in
the trenches, you're watching O line play. I'm not watching
O line play. You're watching the stuff differently. What sticks
out to you if I said to you, oh, it's
a John Harbaugh team, the Giants will be a John
Harbor team. What defines his coaching to you?
Speaker 5 (15:33):
Well, I think there's a toughness, Like I'll tell you
a quick story, tol I remember when John got there
and they were led by Ray Lewis and Edried, I
mean Hall of Fame players, And I was out of
practice one day in training camp. John Madden was there.
He had his cruiser out there. It was a big deal,
a strimmage and literally together Ray Lewis and Edred came
(15:54):
up to me and go, You've got to talk to
this guy for US ball. He's killing us.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
So I did.
Speaker 5 (15:58):
I went up to John after. I'm like, your two stars, John,
are really complaining about how hard things are. He goes,
that's fine, that's fine, Baldy. He goes, I'm trying to
get these younger guys ready for December and January, and
we got to train them this way now, Ray And
if they need to get out of the drill, they
know how to get out of the drill. If they
got to save themselves for the season, they know how
(16:20):
to do that. But I got to get my guys ready.
And so you go out to a John Harball training camp,
you feel like it's in the eighties, Like it's guys
are taking their shoes off because they sweated through the
shoes in training camp as they walk off the field,
like he trains them hard, and when you win, nobody
really complains. And so he's going to get these younger
(16:42):
guys and new guys that there's going to be a
way that they practice and that's where it's going to start.
The other thing i'd say is I know John since
he was a special teams coach in Philly. He said,
two of the great kickers in the NFL, the Jonatans
have had kicking issues forever. They will get that fix.
Randy Brown will be a kicking coach, They'll find a kicker,
(17:02):
they'll develop the kicker and that problem will go away.
And as we know, if you're kicking issues, keep like
it's a problem. They'll get that part fixed as well.
Speaker 1 (17:12):
Great point. Finally, Sean McDermott's out. I liked him, but
I did think they kept lose. They kept finding ways
to lose. Thirteen second game, couldn't get the Tousch push right,
bo Nicks beats him down the field twice. You know,
in the six playoff losses, they gave up thirty three
a game. Some of it maybe personnel, you tell me,
is Buffalo's defensive personnel bad? Or I mean they gave
(17:34):
up a lot of big games.
Speaker 5 (17:36):
Yeah, now, look, I mean, teams run the ball against him.
Everybody said, every analyst out there said, you can run
the ball against Buffalo. Now, then they played. They try
to plug a bunch of rookies in there, Dan Walker,
some of these guys Sanders. They put young guys in
there that take up a lot of space. But they
never really fixed it. It was always an issue in
big games. Teams could run the ball against them. Look,
(17:58):
I mean, the order could do whatever he wants to do.
It's about winning championships. And if you don't feel like
you keep getting there, you keep getting the postseason, but
you can't get over the hunk of some of these
other teams, sometimes as good as Sean McDermott was, and
winning in a week Division, all the stuff that they've done.
At some point you say, let's try a different guy.
(18:18):
You know, let's let's see what you know. Mike Fragel's
coming in. He might get his team to the super
Bowl in the first first year. Liam Cohen turned the
team around right away, won a playoff game. At some point,
you just go, let's try something else.
Speaker 1 (18:32):
By the way, you were in the eighties, you were
in an NFC championship game, what do you remember about it.
Speaker 5 (18:38):
I remember that when you played Washington and they play
you know, I know we're in a different world, but
when they play Hail to the Redskins after they score,
that song never leaves you calm, like you hear that
in your sleep. Thirty years later, hal to the Redskins
losing an RFK stadium like that after we whipped them
during the regular season and then they went on in
(19:00):
Super Bowl that year. Like that was Joe Gibbons's first
team that won a Super Bowl. That's you get that
close and you can't get done.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
It stays with you a long time great senior Baldi.
Speaker 5 (19:14):
Yeah, thanks, Don, enjoyed the games this weekend, buddy.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
You bet seventy. It's interesting when you talk about that.
That was in the early eighties. I grew up in
the seventies and eighties when I fell in love with sports,
and Washington was unbelievable. I mean, I remember they would
always talk like summer all and the Brookshire or something
like his part. They were say like, oh, it's a
forty two year waiting list for season tickets, like they
(19:39):
were on TV. That was my favorite team when I
was When I was young, they were on TV every
week honestly, like like the Eagles are now, or the
Niners are now, like those Washington teams were great for
so long, and then you know, it's amazing what bad
ownership can do. Jmack. He is ready to roll a
(20:04):
couple bumpy weeks. He's back though, next The Herd.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
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 (20:22):
Two games left and then the Super Bowl. A lot
of questions. J Mack thinks he has the answers to
all of them. We like to call it tomorrow's headlines
today Patriots at the Broncos. What is the headline? Jmack,
You're right.
Speaker 3 (20:42):
Colin, I have the answers, the answers to the tester
right here. The headline for Patriots Broncos. Can't wait for
it will be armed pat stains Broncos lose bo but
Ad Stidham stink. I'm gonna go with the Patriots here
winning on the road, but a close one. I did
just bet the Denver Bronx goes to cover the spread,
But I gotta go with the Patriots. I don't know
(21:02):
that Sidham could pull off the win, but Colin, I
do think the element of surprise here from the Denver
Broncos and Sean Payton is something that I don't think
the Patriots can prepare for. I do think this is
one of these Sean Payton games. Hey, people doubted me.
They thought I had Drew Brees and a superstar. You
watched it. I'm gonna cook up and I think he's
got some interesting stuff here. Fun stat that I dug
(21:22):
up so Peyton with backup quarterbacks in his career fourteen
and seven against the spread. Now, a lot of that
was Teddy Bridgewater in New Orleans, but I do remember,
you know, when the starter goes out, you got to
go to the backup. A lot of people want to
fade backup quarterbacks, not against Peyton. He's a really good
x's and o's guy and a schemer. I just don't
know if their offense is going to be enough to
(21:43):
keep up with May and Drake May is fascinating, Colin.
I think we talked about it earlier this week. So
he was the number one quarterback in EPA this year,
one of the more important stats. But EPA Ding's quarterbacks
who were sacked a lot. Drake May was sacked the
second most in the league after Herbert, So you're like,
how does that work? So what he's doing, he's like
a Texas hold him gambler, right, he's taking sacks, but
(22:05):
he's countering with huge plays like he's. Nobody hits explosive
plays like Drake May. However, of course Denver gives up
the fewest explosive plays with this great defense, and the
pass rush led the league in sacks. It's a really
interesting x's and o's matchup. The question is can stit them?
And they're gonna need to do it early. They can't
come out and go like three and out or punt
(22:26):
on the first couple drives, then it's probably over. I
think Denver keeps it close early and we're looking at
like twenty seven to twenty three Patriots.
Speaker 1 (22:34):
Game of the Year. Tomorrow's headlines today Seahawks hosting the
Rams one for the Ages. Jmack, what's the headline?
Speaker 3 (22:42):
Remember my first year on the show, I doubted the
Seahawks could make a playoffs. Had to shave something in
the side of my head. That was fun. Well, the
headline for Rams Seahawks. Here will be Sama Rama, Ding Dong,
Darnald ditched off, playoff, Porch Garry, the Rams and Chris
Us defense going into Seattle and pulling off the upset.
(23:03):
I like the Rams to win this out right, Colin.
This is such a great matchup. So there is some
negatives for the Rams besides the fact that they played
an overtime game last week, their defense was on the
field for eighty one plays, right, and they have a
day less because Seattle played on Saturday.
Speaker 1 (23:17):
No question that worries me a lot.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
That's a big one. But this is one of my
big counters, Colin. I'm not hearing anybody talk about it.
We haven't touched it. Okay, the starting left tackle for Seattle,
his backup, and the third stringer all misspractice Wednesday and Thursday.
You're left tackle going against Jared Verse. All of them
misspractice this week. Now there's hope that the starter is
able to play, but the backup plan, according to Seattle insiders,
(23:41):
is oh, we'll move grey Zabel, our guard out to
left tackle like the Bears did with Joe Toney last.
Speaker 1 (23:46):
Week, and Tuoney did great.
Speaker 3 (23:47):
Colin, Toney's a veteran All Pro Greys Abel's a rookie.
Now he's going up against Jared Verse and compounding matters,
you got the Zach Charbonnay injury. He's their best blocking back.
You keep him in the backfield to block against the blitz.
Kenneth Walker can't block anybody now. Kenneth Walker's explosive on
runs and pass catching. But I'm just telling you this
Rams defense with Chris Shula, I'm just blown away by
(24:10):
how good he is. I'm on record, I think he's
gonna be the next Pittsburgh Steelers coach. I think it's
able to be a phenomenal higher He's gonna get a
job in this cycle. He has done masterful work against
Caleb Williams, by the way, against Sam Darnold in the
last three games, Chris Shula's defense seven interceptions, thirteen sacks. Now,
one of that was when he was with Minnesota in
(24:31):
the playoff game and Shula just had him seeing ghost
sacked him nine times. But I like the rams here,
Devonte back Dotson full go give me the rams of
McVeigh winning.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
Tomorrow's headlines today, Let's talk about a couple of these
new coaches. Oh Harbaugh the Giants. Let's see what Max J.
Mag has to say, the team he hates the most.
Speaker 3 (24:50):
Obviously, the show's fun when we agree, right, but it's
also fun when we disagree. The headline for that New
York Giants next season will be big Blue Swede shoes.
New York Royalty is still waiting to be king. I'm
sorry there will be no playoffs, Colin. I'll give you
eight wins, maybe nine, But I have looked at the
opponents now. The schedule order is not out yet. This
(25:11):
is one of the toughest schedules in the league. Seven
of their seventeen games against playoff teams. Okay, at home
they get San fran and Jacksonville. You know timing will matter.
Jacksonville going to New York in December could be big.
These are a couple of their road games at Seattle,
at the Rams, at the Texans, and I can't read
(25:31):
my handwriting on the other one, but they basically have
brutal at the Eagles. Obviously they have the home and
away count. This oh Houston is the final game. This
is going to be a very tough schedule. He's got
to work out some kinks with the offensive line, it's good.
I'm not willing to call it great. You know, scam scattaboo.
Are we really banking on him being like a difference
(25:53):
maker like a Barkley or Stemac. I think we need
to pump the brakes a little bit. Eight or nine wins,
second or third in the division. What are you laughing at?
Speaker 1 (26:03):
Okay?
Speaker 3 (26:04):
Cowboys, cowboys, Washington? Who's in the cellar in the NFC East?
Speaker 1 (26:09):
Not going to be the Giants?
Speaker 5 (26:10):
Well? Who? All right?
Speaker 1 (26:11):
Tomorrow's headlines today? Well, what about Stefanski and the Falcons.
Let's say, you.
Speaker 3 (26:17):
Man, I can't quit these damn Falcons call it. I mean,
you know you laugh at me every week. I bet
on them. So now they bring in Stefanski, two time
Coach of the Year, the headline for Kevin Stefanski and
the Falcons will be NFL New Falcon League Falcons put
the fun in step Funski. Oh yeah, baby, Michael Michael
(26:37):
Pennick's returns. Listen, I'm just telling you this. Bjon Armstrong,
Drake London Combo. That's one of the best receiver running
back combos in the league. I looked at their free agents.
They're not losing many dudes. A couple older guys. Kyle
Pitts is the one to watch. Do they tag him?
Do they bring him back? He'll have interest from the
Chiefs and others. I just the real reason I like
(26:57):
this team is that the Falcons defense really shit owed
up this season.
Speaker 5 (27:00):
Colin.
Speaker 3 (27:01):
They got very good. Remember that win over the Rams.
At the end of the year. The kid Pierced they
drafted out of Tennessee showed well. I think this is
the division winner, clearly. I know the Saints have improved,
and you like Carolina and Baker Mayfield's over here talking
trash on Twitter. Give me Stefanski and the Falcons to
win the division.
Speaker 1 (27:19):
Okay, finally, Buffalo Bills still in the middle of their
coaching search. Tomorrow's headlines today, I'm told you have a
sixth mystery headline.
Speaker 3 (27:33):
Yeah, well, we're trying to keep that a secret Buffalo Bills.
You know, I said they're Super Bowl windows closing. You
couldn't brush that off fast enough, like it was a
garbage stake. The headline for Buffalo will be the day
Bowl is in the details, hot seat finds cold comfort.
I like Brian dabol to go back to Buffalo on
(27:53):
this Philip Rivers stuff. Is this misdirection? What the hell's
going on here? Seems goofy. I do think the dayble
fit is good. My only concern is is that viewed
as too safe of a call. Hey Josh, it worked
with Josh, Let's bring him back. Do they need to
go away from the quote unquote family. But I think
Dabele is a really sharp offensive mind. I'll remind people
(28:14):
Jackson Dart didn't do it by himself.
Speaker 7 (28:15):
This year.
Speaker 3 (28:16):
Jackson Dart emerged and Brian Dabel had him kind of
rolling on offense. Remember they went and hung thirty two
on the Broncos in Denver. I think Dable's a sharp mind.
I think Dabel will be good with Josh Allen. I
just I don't think they're ever going to get to a.
Speaker 1 (28:29):
Super Bowl, all right, I'd be disappointing. Yeah, good stuff.
Tom Brady speaking of good stuff was on for twenty
minutes earlier. It was funny because I was writing this morning.
I was looking at the Seahawks rams the ten best players,
and it is remarkable. You get to like Kobe Turner
at eleven and Devonte Adams at fifteen. I mean, Leonard
(28:52):
Williams Murphy the defensive tackle. I mean, Seattle is just
These teams are incredible. I mean the Rams literally have
two great interior defensive linemen. You got Young and Jared
Verse on the end, But it was the offense last
week that was virtually perfect. You know you're not no turnovers,
no drop passes.
Speaker 3 (29:11):
Can I remind you DeVante Adams led the NFL in
receiving touchdowns and you had him behind Kenneth Walker.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
Well, I'm just I'm just telling you, I Quentin Lake,
if you were banged up for a stretch, it was
hard for me to put you on. And Davante's I
love Davonte and that dude takes shots.
Speaker 3 (29:30):
I mean I started going in winning his first NFC
Championship game. He's zero and four. This is his fifth trip.
He's got to get to a super Bowl. We need
Davonte in the Super Bowl. I mean, that guy's a stud.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
I'm projecting a big game from Adams. Here's Brady on
the Rams momentum going into this game.
Speaker 7 (29:48):
You give the Rams coaching staff so much credit for
a performance like that in Chicago last week. You're talking
about a team that probably had a seventy degree temperature
difference from leaving LA to landing in Chicago. That lack
of penalties, obviously, no turnovers, and the drop passes, that's
(30:08):
just I'm very jealous of receivers that don't drop balls too.
By the way, that's a great stat for any quarterback.
But they're doing all the right things. This is a
surgical offense. They have so many weapons. Everybody touches it.
You've got to account for everybody. They have a precise
passing game, they have a ball control offense. There's a
lot of ways the Rams can win too.
Speaker 1 (30:29):
Yeah, it's their special teams are a little dicey. It's
it is. It's just incredible. These two organizations out West
have just drafted the hell out of April. God, they
just I mean the Rams. Puka is a fifth rounder,
Kyron Williams is a fifth rounder. I mean, they have
a they have a sixth round receiver in Jordan Whittingham,
(30:51):
seventh round receiver from Pittsburgh. They're left tackles undrafted. Landman
was undrafted when he was at Atlanta. You know, you
know is a first rounder. Matt Stafford was a number
one pick. The Rams have found tons of talent in
the mid rounds. The Seahawks have found some of that.
But what Seattle's done well is they don't miss on
(31:12):
their first and second round picks. They're all studs, so
so much of this league. That's that's why the I've
always loved the NFL draft. Nobody has aced their first
two or three picks on an annual basis better than Seattle.
The Rams have not had a lot of first round picks.
They have crushed in round four and round five. Even
(31:35):
Cooper Cutt was a third round pick. He's now a Seahawk.
So speaking of draft, Fernando Mendoza has officially declared for it.
He will be the number one pick. I asked Tom
uh he was at the Natty, what do you make
of Mendoza.
Speaker 7 (31:52):
He's played tremendous, you know, all season sixteen and zero
leading his team. And again, he's another guy that you
know when you hear him speak, you know, I allays
kind of judge quarterbacks that go, how would I have
answered that? And he's just a very mature young man
and he's got a bright future. And you know, everybody
coming into the league there's still so much room for development.
Nobody's a finished product. I don't care whether you're won
(32:15):
the Heisman or you're the one hundred ninety ninth pick in
the draft. It's what do you do when you get there?
How important is this to you? Are you obsessed with
your job? Are you obsessed with being the best you
can be? How can you be the best teammate? How
can you work hard? How can you play smart? How
can you play tough? How can you play well under pressure?
How well can you play in tough conditions? And then
(32:35):
ultimately how well can you play in championship games? And
all those things remain to be seen.
Speaker 1 (32:40):
For the record in the College Football Playoff, if you
look at Mendoza's numbers, he was just incredible. Completion percentage
above seventy. And I said, I thought it was good
all year. When I saw him that road game at
Penn State, it was like in that last drive, it
was like, Wow, that is different level stuff. That is
really hard to do.
Speaker 5 (33:02):
All right?
Speaker 1 (33:04):
Thanks to Tom Brady, Brian Baldinger, J Mack see him money,
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 (00:30):
You know, j Mac you you are always very critical
of Barkley. You see he's complaining he's not getting on
the air anymore. ESPN buried that show.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
Why am I? Why am I critical of of Barkley?
He was critical of the league. Yeah, but what did
Barkley say? I don't think I saw He doesn't he
wishes he worked more. And my my feeling is this
is just conjecture, is that ESPN has a great relationship
with the NBA, and they said, yeah, we'll bring that
show over.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
You won't see it as much. Put it on the
shelf a little bit, huh.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
I mean that during football season? No, sorry, nobody's you know,
nobody's caring but NBA. From February, March, April, May, June.
I'm sure he'll be on a lot, right. I haven't
seen a second of it this season. I watched the games.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
I don't know, know I did. It felt very very
big at one time, and now it's invisible. So I
don't know. I you know, I'm just saying conjecture. But
I know there were people upstairs in the NBA office
that didn't like how they had lampooned the league and
some of the players. You've been talking to Adam Silver
there just I would say people upstairs didn't love Sometimes
they would say NFL shows don't make fun of the players.
(01:34):
Why are we making fun of the players? I heard
that before Shelley.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
That might have might have started here.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
I don't know. I'm an originator.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Okay, what can we do?
Speaker 1 (01:43):
I'm just saying it's just Charles is complaining. It's like
it feels obvious to me that you know, you have
these new deals and there's a lot of understandings that
don't have to be contractual. There's David Stern didn't like
when people were critical of the NBA either, that they're
very sensitive in the NBA. Remember I Adam Silver saying
(02:04):
my players are miserable Twitter. It just feels it feels
like it's a thing. But you know, you're right in February.
They could be on every night. We'll see J Mack with.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
A news No, no, this is the herd line news
all right, shout out to our staff.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
They keep finding these interesting nuggets. How about this one.
The New England Patriots in their franchise history, rich history,
zero to four in postseason games in Denver all time.
Now it's a line of four and a half. I'm
seeing some fours emerge in the desert. I'll have my
pick here shortly. There isn't an altitude situation in Denver
that has to be addressed. You know, New England has
(02:43):
looked they got fat and happy playing at home against
bad offensive lines. Will they look as good on the road?
I mean, now, maybe maybe anybody can look good against Stitty.
I can't believe we're calling him that. But this is
a big home field advantage for Denver. And I'm assuming
you think fifty two one hundred and eighty feet above
sea levels in edge for the Broncos.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
Right, Well, I think if you have a quarterback that
hasn't played in two years, I'm going to and who
isn't as athletic. You know, bo Nicks picks up some
first downs with his legs. My guess is New England
will get an extra possession in this game, maybe a
little deal position edge because the Denver offense isn't quite
(03:25):
as consistent, isn't quite as potent, and that gives you
a little field position edge, which in these playoff games
that is huge. Also, Denver's defense gets a lot of sacks.
I don't consider it close to Seattle. I don't think
it as good as the Rams. I don't think it's
as Philadelphia's. I thought, no, I mean to be honest
with you, I thought the Bears the last six quarters
were defense. We're doing it with smoking mirrors. I think
(03:46):
Denver's defense there's there's ways, there's ways to move the
ball in Denver. Josh Allen, by the way, they weren't
punting a lot.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
They didn't punt at all.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
I am curious, like, I don't know how you game
plan for Stidham. It's you're the Patriots again. He hasn't
thrown a pass in the NFL in two seasons. I mean,
if they come out with three tight ends, that might happen.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
If they come out I think you in play here.
I think you look at Sean Payton's schemes and Sean
Payton's habits and you just you scheme against it. My
take is they're good. They're not going to reinvent the offense.
I mean, Stidham is somewhat athletic, he can move and
and he's you know, he's a little bigger version maybe
(04:27):
a bow Nicks, not as talented. But my guess is
you're gonna run the same offense. I just don't think you'll.
I don't bow Knicks takes off running more than Stidham would,
but I think he'll run a lot of the offense.
I don't think they're gonna ship It's too late in
the season. You don't have enough practice time. We're gonna
install some new No, you're not. You're just you're gonna
play what you do. You're gonna do what you do
and and hopefully Stidham can make you know because bow
(04:49):
Knicks had two huge downfield throws for touchdowns instead of
give you a couple. If he does, you may win
the game. I mean, the line's only four.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
Let's move on to a team that stinks. The Miami Dolphins, Colin.
They are in a rebuild mode. Tua was benched for
Quinn Ewers over the final three weeks of the season,
but he's still under contract. At the Dolphins press conference yesterday,
new GM john Eric Sullivan, I acknowledge that the team
is still undecided about what to do at quarterback moving forward.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
I have a lot of respect for Tua. He's a
good football player.
Speaker 4 (05:22):
He's accomplished a lot in this league. I think, whether
it's whether it's two or anybody else, it's unfair and
irresponsible for me to sit up here and talk about
anything specific before I've talked to the player himself.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
That's fair, that's a reasonable answer. I mean, you've got
the draft in ninety days, so I mean you're you're
going to take a quarterback at some point, maybe second
third round maybe may listen, that wouldn't mean where's Miami drafting?
Speaker 3 (05:52):
Not high enough to not high enough to get Mendoza happily.
Look very serious there. I mean, he looks like he
just got a haircut, looks like he's going to basic
training about I mean, he is. Do you see Let
me do that, guy, Let me throw this at you.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
Rams have like what Atlanta's pick number eleven or something
like that. Rams move up and get Ty Simpson because
they still have another number one pick where they can
address corner and offensive tackle. Their real needs are offensive
tackle and corner. Quarterback they could get next year, and
(06:26):
the Rams in the buildings say, listen, we view him
as about the twenty third best player. We have two picks.
Let's reach on ty Simpson and then we'll just get Stafford,
another tackle, another corner, another receiver. I mean, I can
see a team like the Rams saying we're not going
to have two first again. We've only had one first
(06:47):
round pick in nine years. Jared Verse, I mean, I
think it's very interesting. The Rams are one of the
few really good teams that are drafting in the top fifteen,
like really special teams. Do you wait, you say to yourself,
we have him as like the twenty third, but we're
not going to be in this position again because next year,
if you say to yourself, no, let's get a tackle
and then a corner, do you know what the Rams
(07:07):
are going to have to do to get up into
the top two quarterbacks next year? Give up multiple first
So it could be the Rams are too good. So
my take is, reach on the quarterback. Now you're not
gonna play him. Stafford comes back for a two year deal.
He plays one, maybe they move off him. But I
think it's very interesting what the Rams do with that
first pick they don't get. They rarely have first round picks.
(07:32):
Now they have two. If they don't get a quarterback. Now,
look at what the Rams are going to do drafting
thirty at the following year to get to the seventh pick.
Two ones, two two's. You got your draft capital.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
So you know, I've been pretty plugged in on Stafford
and Rams here last few years. Gave everybody the pukah
stuff and the ugly contract you did. So I did
ask my people. I said, hey, so if Stafford wins
the Super Bowl, is it over? And they're like, uh uh,
he's cooking he wants to play again. I wonder if
that changes Colin. If he wins a super Bowl and
his wife's like, listen, come on, you go out on top,
like yeah, way, maybe he changes his mind. But if
(08:05):
they lose this game, I would say he's definitely coming
back next season. I just I don't see a trade
up for Tysimpson. I personally think we're overrating him because
there really aren't a lot of attractive quarterbacks after Mendoza.
Do you really believe Tysimpson's the guy like top what
he picked.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
What I'm saying is if your scouting department, the Rams
scouting department's good, finds him to be like the twenty
fourth best player in your draft and whatever they're drafting,
I could see them saying, guys, in one year, there
are better quarterbacks potentially. We don't know. We thought cave
Klutnick was going to be great this year. We thought
nus Meyer was going to be great. They weren't. We
didn't think mendo I mean before the season, do we
(08:42):
think Mendoza was going to be an easy number? We
thought it was like arch Manning Dane More. You just
don't know.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
Let me ask what about we just mentioned Tua? Could
you see Tua fitting with.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
The La Rams? C? J. Stroud?
Speaker 5 (08:54):
Yes?
Speaker 3 (08:56):
All right, final story, Let's go to Robert Salah. Everybody
likes him defensive coordinated with the Niners. Didn't really get
a good chance with the Jets because of Aaron Rodgers. Anyways,
he had a lot of interest from folks and he
ultimately picked Tennessee. Here's what Sala had to say for me,
this was the most desirable location, the most desirable team,
(09:17):
the team here are. The people here are unbelievable. They're
a type of people you want to work with. I'm
really excited about the city of Nashville and bringing a
winner back to the city. You know, they call it
nash Vegas. I think there's a world here where Sala's
pretty damn good pretty quickly. Colling, we're believers in cam Ward.
We both liked him. They just have to, you know,
they got some cap money, cap space to spend. Yeah,
(09:40):
they were three and fourteen. Offense wasn't great, defense wasn't great,
but they have a couple pieces in place. I think
this is a good good spot for Sala, So do.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
I I think. I mean, listen, it's been kind of
a wonky political job through the years. I mean, I
let Vrabel go. I don't think that was terribly prism Yeah.
Jmackle the news.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
Well that's the news, and thanks for stopping by The
Herd Line News. Be sure to catch live editions of
The Herd weekdays and noon eastern nine am Pacific on
Fox Sports Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 6 (10:16):
Hey Is Covino and Rich from Fox Sports Radio Now,
in addition to hearing us live weekdays from five to
seven pm Eastern two to four Pacific on Fox Sports Radio.
We're excited to announce a brand new YouTube channel for
the show.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Yup. That's right.
Speaker 6 (10:30):
You can now watch Covino and Rich live on YouTube
every day.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
All you gotta do.
Speaker 6 (10:34):
Search Covino and Rich FSR on YouTube again, go to
YouTube search Covino and Rich FSR. Check us out on YouTube, Subscribe,
hit that thumbs up icon comment away.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
Thirteen years in the NFL, one of my favorites, Bald
These breakdowns make us all smarter, and he's joining us
live right now as we get ready for Ram Seahawks
and Patriots Denver. Let's start with us. Let's just start
Ram Seahawks. Let's come of them the chase. Who do
you have gotten? Why?
Speaker 5 (11:05):
Well? I like Seattle. I like Seattle. I like their defense.
I know what Matt Stafford did the last time they played.
He threw for four hundred and fifty yards just a
month ago, so that's on tape. But you know the
Seattle I mean Stafford didn't make a mistake in that game.
He was unbelieva. Well yeah, all the way to the
touchdown throw, the Puka Nagua and how they attacked him.
(11:26):
I mean, it's smart to what they did. Seattle tried
to blitch. Every time they blitzed. He carved them up.
But it's a different game. It'll be played differently. They
know they've got to get to Stafford, which they didn't
do the last time, and so I think it will
play be played differently. But I like Seattle. I just
you know, San Francisco, if they had the ball ten
more times, they wouldn't scored a touchdown against Seattle. And
(11:48):
so that's just where they're playing right now. There. It's
an elite group. I think defense wins championships, and I
think their defense will be up to the task.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
What Stafford, You liked him when he was in Detroit.
Everybody likes him now. I said this earlier. It sounds crazy.
I said, if he wins two Super Bowls, I'm putting
him right next to Aaron Rodgers all time. And I
think Aaron's a top twelve quarterback. Stafford's on a seven
and two playoff heater, and I could argue out of
his prime. I feel like his first NFL family was dysfunctional.
(12:22):
He got adopted by the Rams and he's been arguably
the second best quarterback the mahomes in the league during
this period.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
Is he not.
Speaker 5 (12:31):
Well? I mean, I mean he just needs another back
condition in training camp next year, where he just sits
there in moth balls for six weeks and then comes
out and just balls out. I mean the Rams used
to do that with Jackie s Later. Jackies later used
to say every year, I don't go to training camp.
I did two more years out of my career. And
I always say this, Tom. I know it sounds kind
of silly, but you play as long as you can
(12:53):
and then two more years, and I figure that's what
Stafford is going to do.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
Yeah, Hey, do you trust Darnold? Where are you on Donald?
When you look at the film more, you know, you
look at it uniquely. You're a former player. Do you
trust Donald implicitly?
Speaker 5 (13:08):
Well, it really depends on what the defense is doing
to him when he's under siege. He makes mistakes, like
a lot of quarterbacks, Like we just saw C. J.
Stroud and you know we saw Drake May. They made
mistakes when they were under siege last weekend. The thing
is this team and it is a real team, Colin.
Being around that team, you can feel it. They know
that they wouldn't be where they're at without Sam, and
(13:31):
they feel like they're good enough to overcome if there
are mistakes, and I feel that's where Seattle is right now.
I think as a team they're good enough to overcome
a mistake or two, whereas a lot of other places
they're just especially in a championship setting, they're not good
enough to overcome.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
So Drake May has had some mistakes, four touchdowns, five giveaways.
Now it is the Texans and the old line is struggling.
But Nick Bonito on the edge for Denver should be
a problem. Zach Allen could be a problem. I I
contend New England still a draft away. They're the only
team left that has they're they're they're almost done with
a rebuild, but they just need to fortify their linebacking cord,
(14:12):
their offensive line. When you watch Drake May, of all
the things that you look at Baldy and go as
a former offensive lineman, Wow, that's good for his age.
What impresses you most?
Speaker 5 (14:25):
I mean just an overall poise that he played with,
Like that touchdown to Stefon Diggs is not an easy throw, Colin,
that is a stick throw. It's a great catch by Diggs,
but it's bracket coverage. It happened fast, it was an
important play. They finished the drive like that throw, and
that spot is huge. It looks like, okay, you go
back and play stakes. It's a you know, seven yards.
(14:47):
That was a difficult throw. He makes difficult throws look
routine and that's that's impressive. But you can't you can't
rattle them. I mean Will Anderson got the ball out
of his hands a couple of times. Will does that
so a lot of players. He never looks rather and
part of it is because of how Josh McDaniels coaches
him all week long, like he looks prepared for whatever
(15:09):
was coming next.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
Yeah, okay, John Harbaugh goes to the Giants. All the
years you've been watching Harbaugh on the Ravens teams in
the trenches, you're watching O line play. I'm not watching
O line play. You're watching the stuff differently. What sticks
out to you if I said to you, oh, it's
a John Harbaugh team, the Giants will be a John
Harbor team. What defines his coaching to you?
Speaker 5 (15:33):
Well, I think there's a toughness, Like I'll tell you
a quick story, tol I remember when John got there
and they were led by Ray Lewis and Edried, I
mean Hall of Fame players, And I was out of
practice one day in training camp. John Madden was there.
He had his cruiser out there. It was a big deal,
a strimmage and literally together Ray Lewis and Edred came
(15:54):
up to me and go, You've got to talk to
this guy for US ball. He's killing us.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
So I did.
Speaker 5 (15:58):
I went up to John after. I'm like, your two stars, John,
are really complaining about how hard things are. He goes,
that's fine, that's fine, Baldy. He goes, I'm trying to
get these younger guys ready for December and January, and
we got to train them this way now, Ray And
if they need to get out of the drill, they
know how to get out of the drill. If they
got to save themselves for the season, they know how
(16:20):
to do that. But I got to get my guys ready.
And so you go out to a John Harball training camp,
you feel like it's in the eighties, Like it's guys
are taking their shoes off because they sweated through the
shoes in training camp as they walk off the field,
like he trains them hard, and when you win, nobody
really complains. And so he's going to get these younger
(16:42):
guys and new guys that there's going to be a
way that they practice and that's where it's going to start.
The other thing i'd say is I know John since
he was a special teams coach in Philly. He said,
two of the great kickers in the NFL, the Jonatans
have had kicking issues forever. They will get that fix.
Randy Brown will be a kicking coach, They'll find a kicker,
(17:02):
they'll develop the kicker and that problem will go away.
And as we know, if you're kicking issues, keep like
it's a problem. They'll get that part fixed as well.
Speaker 1 (17:12):
Great point. Finally, Sean McDermott's out. I liked him, but
I did think they kept lose. They kept finding ways
to lose. Thirteen second game, couldn't get the Tousch push right,
bo Nicks beats him down the field twice. You know,
in the six playoff losses, they gave up thirty three
a game. Some of it maybe personnel, you tell me,
is Buffalo's defensive personnel bad? Or I mean they gave
(17:34):
up a lot of big games.
Speaker 5 (17:36):
Yeah, now, look, I mean, teams run the ball against him.
Everybody said, every analyst out there said, you can run
the ball against Buffalo. Now, then they played. They try
to plug a bunch of rookies in there, Dan Walker,
some of these guys Sanders. They put young guys in
there that take up a lot of space. But they
never really fixed it. It was always an issue in
big games. Teams could run the ball against them. Look,
(17:58):
I mean, the order could do whatever he wants to do.
It's about winning championships. And if you don't feel like
you keep getting there, you keep getting the postseason, but
you can't get over the hunk of some of these
other teams, sometimes as good as Sean McDermott was, and
winning in a week Division, all the stuff that they've done.
At some point you say, let's try a different guy.
(18:18):
You know, let's let's see what you know. Mike Fragel's
coming in. He might get his team to the super
Bowl in the first first year. Liam Cohen turned the
team around right away, won a playoff game. At some point,
you just go, let's try something else.
Speaker 1 (18:32):
By the way, you were in the eighties, you were
in an NFC championship game, what do you remember about it.
Speaker 5 (18:38):
I remember that when you played Washington and they play
you know, I know we're in a different world, but
when they play Hail to the Redskins after they score,
that song never leaves you calm, like you hear that
in your sleep. Thirty years later, hal to the Redskins
losing an RFK stadium like that after we whipped them
during the regular season and then they went on in
(19:00):
Super Bowl that year. Like that was Joe Gibbons's first
team that won a Super Bowl. That's you get that
close and you can't get done.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
It stays with you a long time great senior Baldi.
Speaker 5 (19:14):
Yeah, thanks, Don, enjoyed the games this weekend, buddy.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
You bet seventy. It's interesting when you talk about that.
That was in the early eighties. I grew up in
the seventies and eighties when I fell in love with sports,
and Washington was unbelievable. I mean, I remember they would
always talk like summer all and the Brookshire or something
like his part. They were say like, oh, it's a
forty two year waiting list for season tickets, like they
(19:39):
were on TV. That was my favorite team when I
was When I was young, they were on TV every
week honestly, like like the Eagles are now, or the
Niners are now, like those Washington teams were great for
so long, and then you know, it's amazing what bad
ownership can do. Jmack. He is ready to roll a
(20:04):
couple bumpy weeks. He's back though, next The Herd.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
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 (20:22):
Two games left and then the Super Bowl. A lot
of questions. J Mack thinks he has the answers to
all of them. We like to call it tomorrow's headlines
today Patriots at the Broncos. What is the headline? Jmack,
You're right.
Speaker 3 (20:42):
Colin, I have the answers, the answers to the tester
right here. The headline for Patriots Broncos. Can't wait for
it will be armed pat stains Broncos lose bo but
Ad Stidham stink. I'm gonna go with the Patriots here
winning on the road, but a close one. I did
just bet the Denver Bronx goes to cover the spread,
But I gotta go with the Patriots. I don't know
(21:02):
that Sidham could pull off the win, but Colin, I
do think the element of surprise here from the Denver
Broncos and Sean Payton is something that I don't think
the Patriots can prepare for. I do think this is
one of these Sean Payton games. Hey, people doubted me.
They thought I had Drew Brees and a superstar. You
watched it. I'm gonna cook up and I think he's
got some interesting stuff here. Fun stat that I dug
(21:22):
up so Peyton with backup quarterbacks in his career fourteen
and seven against the spread. Now, a lot of that
was Teddy Bridgewater in New Orleans, but I do remember,
you know, when the starter goes out, you got to
go to the backup. A lot of people want to
fade backup quarterbacks, not against Peyton. He's a really good
x's and o's guy and a schemer. I just don't
know if their offense is going to be enough to
(21:43):
keep up with May and Drake May is fascinating, Colin.
I think we talked about it earlier this week. So
he was the number one quarterback in EPA this year,
one of the more important stats. But EPA Ding's quarterbacks
who were sacked a lot. Drake May was sacked the
second most in the league after Herbert, So you're like,
how does that work? So what he's doing, he's like
a Texas hold him gambler, right, he's taking sacks, but
(22:05):
he's countering with huge plays like he's. Nobody hits explosive
plays like Drake May. However, of course Denver gives up
the fewest explosive plays with this great defense, and the
pass rush led the league in sacks. It's a really
interesting x's and o's matchup. The question is can stit them?
And they're gonna need to do it early. They can't
come out and go like three and out or punt
(22:26):
on the first couple drives, then it's probably over. I
think Denver keeps it close early and we're looking at
like twenty seven to twenty three Patriots.
Speaker 1 (22:34):
Game of the Year. Tomorrow's headlines today Seahawks hosting the
Rams one for the Ages. Jmack, what's the headline?
Speaker 3 (22:42):
Remember my first year on the show, I doubted the
Seahawks could make a playoffs. Had to shave something in
the side of my head. That was fun. Well, the
headline for Rams Seahawks. Here will be Sama Rama, Ding Dong,
Darnald ditched off, playoff, Porch Garry, the Rams and Chris
Us defense going into Seattle and pulling off the upset.
(23:03):
I like the Rams to win this out right, Colin.
This is such a great matchup. So there is some
negatives for the Rams besides the fact that they played
an overtime game last week, their defense was on the
field for eighty one plays, right, and they have a
day less because Seattle played on Saturday.
Speaker 1 (23:17):
No question that worries me a lot.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
That's a big one. But this is one of my
big counters, Colin. I'm not hearing anybody talk about it.
We haven't touched it. Okay, the starting left tackle for Seattle,
his backup, and the third stringer all misspractice Wednesday and Thursday.
You're left tackle going against Jared Verse. All of them
misspractice this week. Now there's hope that the starter is
able to play, but the backup plan, according to Seattle insiders,
(23:41):
is oh, we'll move grey Zabel, our guard out to
left tackle like the Bears did with Joe Toney last.
Speaker 1 (23:46):
Week, and Tuoney did great.
Speaker 3 (23:47):
Colin, Toney's a veteran All Pro Greys Abel's a rookie.
Now he's going up against Jared Verse and compounding matters,
you got the Zach Charbonnay injury. He's their best blocking back.
You keep him in the backfield to block against the blitz.
Kenneth Walker can't block anybody now. Kenneth Walker's explosive on
runs and pass catching. But I'm just telling you this
Rams defense with Chris Shula, I'm just blown away by
(24:10):
how good he is. I'm on record, I think he's
gonna be the next Pittsburgh Steelers coach. I think it's
able to be a phenomenal higher He's gonna get a
job in this cycle. He has done masterful work against
Caleb Williams, by the way, against Sam Darnold in the
last three games, Chris Shula's defense seven interceptions, thirteen sacks. Now,
one of that was when he was with Minnesota in
(24:31):
the playoff game and Shula just had him seeing ghost
sacked him nine times. But I like the rams here,
Devonte back Dotson full go give me the rams of
McVeigh winning.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
Tomorrow's headlines today, Let's talk about a couple of these
new coaches. Oh Harbaugh the Giants. Let's see what Max J.
Mag has to say, the team he hates the most.
Speaker 3 (24:50):
Obviously, the show's fun when we agree, right, but it's
also fun when we disagree. The headline for that New
York Giants next season will be big Blue Swede shoes.
New York Royalty is still waiting to be king. I'm
sorry there will be no playoffs, Colin. I'll give you
eight wins, maybe nine, But I have looked at the
opponents now. The schedule order is not out yet. This
(25:11):
is one of the toughest schedules in the league. Seven
of their seventeen games against playoff teams. Okay, at home
they get San fran and Jacksonville. You know timing will matter.
Jacksonville going to New York in December could be big.
These are a couple of their road games at Seattle,
at the Rams, at the Texans, and I can't read
(25:31):
my handwriting on the other one, but they basically have
brutal at the Eagles. Obviously they have the home and
away count. This oh Houston is the final game. This
is going to be a very tough schedule. He's got
to work out some kinks with the offensive line, it's good.
I'm not willing to call it great. You know, scam scattaboo.
Are we really banking on him being like a difference
(25:53):
maker like a Barkley or Stemac. I think we need
to pump the brakes a little bit. Eight or nine wins,
second or third in the division. What are you laughing at?
Speaker 1 (26:03):
Okay?
Speaker 3 (26:04):
Cowboys, cowboys, Washington? Who's in the cellar in the NFC East?
Speaker 1 (26:09):
Not going to be the Giants?
Speaker 5 (26:10):
Well? Who? All right?
Speaker 1 (26:11):
Tomorrow's headlines today? Well, what about Stefanski and the Falcons.
Let's say, you.
Speaker 3 (26:17):
Man, I can't quit these damn Falcons call it. I mean,
you know you laugh at me every week. I bet
on them. So now they bring in Stefanski, two time
Coach of the Year, the headline for Kevin Stefanski and
the Falcons will be NFL New Falcon League Falcons put
the fun in step Funski. Oh yeah, baby, Michael Michael
(26:37):
Pennick's returns. Listen, I'm just telling you this. Bjon Armstrong,
Drake London Combo. That's one of the best receiver running
back combos in the league. I looked at their free agents.
They're not losing many dudes. A couple older guys. Kyle
Pitts is the one to watch. Do they tag him?
Do they bring him back? He'll have interest from the
Chiefs and others. I just the real reason I like
(26:57):
this team is that the Falcons defense really shit owed
up this season.
Speaker 5 (27:00):
Colin.
Speaker 3 (27:01):
They got very good. Remember that win over the Rams.
At the end of the year. The kid Pierced they
drafted out of Tennessee showed well. I think this is
the division winner, clearly. I know the Saints have improved,
and you like Carolina and Baker Mayfield's over here talking
trash on Twitter. Give me Stefanski and the Falcons to
win the division.
Speaker 1 (27:19):
Okay, finally, Buffalo Bills still in the middle of their
coaching search. Tomorrow's headlines today, I'm told you have a
sixth mystery headline.
Speaker 3 (27:33):
Yeah, well, we're trying to keep that a secret Buffalo Bills.
You know, I said they're Super Bowl windows closing. You
couldn't brush that off fast enough, like it was a
garbage stake. The headline for Buffalo will be the day
Bowl is in the details, hot seat finds cold comfort.
I like Brian dabol to go back to Buffalo on
(27:53):
this Philip Rivers stuff. Is this misdirection? What the hell's
going on here? Seems goofy. I do think the dayble
fit is good. My only concern is is that viewed
as too safe of a call. Hey Josh, it worked
with Josh, Let's bring him back. Do they need to
go away from the quote unquote family. But I think
Dabele is a really sharp offensive mind. I'll remind people
(28:14):
Jackson Dart didn't do it by himself.
Speaker 7 (28:15):
This year.
Speaker 3 (28:16):
Jackson Dart emerged and Brian Dabel had him kind of
rolling on offense. Remember they went and hung thirty two
on the Broncos in Denver. I think Dable's a sharp mind.
I think Dabel will be good with Josh Allen. I
just I don't think they're ever going to get to a.
Speaker 1 (28:29):
Super Bowl, all right, I'd be disappointing. Yeah, good stuff.
Tom Brady speaking of good stuff was on for twenty
minutes earlier. It was funny because I was writing this morning.
I was looking at the Seahawks rams the ten best players,
and it is remarkable. You get to like Kobe Turner
at eleven and Devonte Adams at fifteen. I mean, Leonard
(28:52):
Williams Murphy the defensive tackle. I mean, Seattle is just
These teams are incredible. I mean the Rams literally have
two great interior defensive linemen. You got Young and Jared
Verse on the end, But it was the offense last
week that was virtually perfect. You know you're not no turnovers,
no drop passes.
Speaker 3 (29:11):
Can I remind you DeVante Adams led the NFL in
receiving touchdowns and you had him behind Kenneth Walker.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
Well, I'm just I'm just telling you, I Quentin Lake,
if you were banged up for a stretch, it was
hard for me to put you on. And Davante's I
love Davonte and that dude takes shots.
Speaker 3 (29:30):
I mean I started going in winning his first NFC
Championship game. He's zero and four. This is his fifth trip.
He's got to get to a super Bowl. We need
Davonte in the Super Bowl. I mean, that guy's a stud.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
I'm projecting a big game from Adams. Here's Brady on
the Rams momentum going into this game.
Speaker 7 (29:48):
You give the Rams coaching staff so much credit for
a performance like that in Chicago last week. You're talking
about a team that probably had a seventy degree temperature
difference from leaving LA to landing in Chicago. That lack
of penalties, obviously, no turnovers, and the drop passes, that's
(30:08):
just I'm very jealous of receivers that don't drop balls too.
By the way, that's a great stat for any quarterback.
But they're doing all the right things. This is a
surgical offense. They have so many weapons. Everybody touches it.
You've got to account for everybody. They have a precise
passing game, they have a ball control offense. There's a
lot of ways the Rams can win too.
Speaker 1 (30:29):
Yeah, it's their special teams are a little dicey. It's
it is. It's just incredible. These two organizations out West
have just drafted the hell out of April. God, they
just I mean the Rams. Puka is a fifth rounder,
Kyron Williams is a fifth rounder. I mean, they have
a they have a sixth round receiver in Jordan Whittingham,
(30:51):
seventh round receiver from Pittsburgh. They're left tackles undrafted. Landman
was undrafted when he was at Atlanta. You know, you
know is a first rounder. Matt Stafford was a number
one pick. The Rams have found tons of talent in
the mid rounds. The Seahawks have found some of that.
But what Seattle's done well is they don't miss on
(31:12):
their first and second round picks. They're all studs, so
so much of this league. That's that's why the I've
always loved the NFL draft. Nobody has aced their first
two or three picks on an annual basis better than Seattle.
The Rams have not had a lot of first round picks.
They have crushed in round four and round five. Even
(31:35):
Cooper Cutt was a third round pick. He's now a Seahawk.
So speaking of draft, Fernando Mendoza has officially declared for it.
He will be the number one pick. I asked Tom
uh he was at the Natty, what do you make
of Mendoza.
Speaker 7 (31:52):
He's played tremendous, you know, all season sixteen and zero
leading his team. And again, he's another guy that you
know when you hear him speak, you know, I allays
kind of judge quarterbacks that go, how would I have
answered that? And he's just a very mature young man
and he's got a bright future. And you know, everybody
coming into the league there's still so much room for development.
Nobody's a finished product. I don't care whether you're won
(32:15):
the Heisman or you're the one hundred ninety ninth pick in
the draft. It's what do you do when you get there?
How important is this to you? Are you obsessed with
your job? Are you obsessed with being the best you
can be? How can you be the best teammate? How
can you work hard? How can you play smart? How
can you play tough? How can you play well under pressure?
How well can you play in tough conditions? And then
(32:35):
ultimately how well can you play in championship games? And
all those things remain to be seen.
Speaker 1 (32:40):
For the record in the College Football Playoff, if you
look at Mendoza's numbers, he was just incredible. Completion percentage
above seventy. And I said, I thought it was good
all year. When I saw him that road game at
Penn State, it was like in that last drive, it
was like, Wow, that is different level stuff. That is
really hard to do.
Speaker 5 (33:02):
All right?
Speaker 1 (33:04):
Thanks to Tom Brady, Brian Baldinger, J Mack see him money,
Hosts And Creators
Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
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