September 6, 2024 • 33 mins
Colin can't believe the Chiefs managed to get better after winning back-to-back Super Bowls following their thrilling win over the Ravens to start the season and a potential 3-peat. He gives his best NFL bets for week 1 of the season in the Blazin' 5. Plus, Fox Sports NFL reporter Peter Schrager joins the show to give his thoughts on the Chiefs and to share his Super Bowl prediction for the season
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Herd podcast.
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Speaker 2 (00:19):
This is the Best of the Herd with Colin cowher
on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
All Right, it is our first Football Friday live in
Los Angeles. It's the Herd. Wherever you may be, however
you may be listening. Thanks for making us part of
your day. I decided. I caved. I'm gonna do a
blazing five in one hour. You know I've already wrote
down on a Ledger at home, oh and five. I
know I'm not gonna win any of these, but I
(00:48):
will say I love my picks. I just caved. I
finally said, you know what, it's football season. Who cares.
I mean a lot of good teams. I mean the
Ravens were good team. They lost their opener. It's okay,
you can survive. I'm gonna be okay. I do appreciate that.
(01:09):
Go Eagles, Yeah, Packers. Eagles played the night in Brazil,
which is kind of a weird place for the NFL's
second game of the year. But let's start with this.
Kansas City twenty seven Baltimore twenty I said this last
year and I've said it this year. Last year's Chiefs
team that may have been the team to beat because
(01:29):
they had a water pistol offense. I mean, they couldn't
move the ball, They had no deep threat. It was
it was dink and dunk as much as Mahomes can
do that, and he had a chance to beat him,
and the league couldn't because that's not what they are anymore. Now,
Noah Grant, they got another tight end, and Noah Gray
(01:49):
and Travis Kelce. You got two tight ends. Now you
got Xavier Worthy, a little bit of a gadget guy,
but speed, merchant over the top. They had lacked that
for several years. Rashid Rice looks like a number one,
an absolute number one. Hollywood Brown, who's dangerous, will return
and Juju Smith Schuster, who they just reacquired, is gonna
(02:12):
take him a while to get up to speed, but
he knows the offense. He'll be like your number three
or your number four. Outside of right tackle, and they
weren't good at right tackle last year. This is a
better team than last year, much much faster offensively, much
deeper at wide receiver, a much more functional at wide receiver.
And here's the thing. Great companies in any business give
(02:32):
you these little brief moments to make up ground. And
last year was the year to make up ground because
they couldn't score. They were so vulnerable. They had to
go on the road in the playoffs to Baltimore. They
had to go on the road to Buffalo, and they
still won. Last year was the year to get him,
and nobody got him. They're not perfect. Mahomes had a
(02:54):
terrible pick last night, almost two. They were dominated in
time of possession, and their defense looked at so loutely
gassed at the end of the football game. They're not perfect,
but they're so good in these close games. Number two
in the NFL last year in close games. They are
so confident in these games with the best coach and
the best quarterback. You got to wrap him up early
(03:15):
in Baltimore, didn't now. Xavier Worthy's fascinating. I said when
he got drafted. He's one hundred and sixty five pound
track guy. Is not gonna He's not gonna dominate the league.
He's a gadget guy. He's not gonna be a nine
to ten to twelve target guy. That's gonna be Rashi Rice.
A lot of guys in the league like that. Devonte
Adams is that guy. Jamar Chase when he get back,
he's that guy. Puka Nikol for the Rams, gonna be
(03:35):
that guy. But they needed a gadget guy. They needed
it over to the top guy. And yes he's small,
and yes he's he's I don't know how durable he is.
He was hurt a lot in college. But nobody in
the NFL is gonna draw plays better for Xavier Worthy
than one Andy Reid, and nobody will deliver the ball
on those drawn up plays better than Patrick Mahomes. So
(03:56):
he really is something they need. And last night mah
Holmes averaged ten yards per attempt. That was more than
any game last year. And that was a lot of
that's Xavi or Worthy. He's allowing other stuff to flourish.
And so I watched him last night and I'm thinking, man,
you guys all had a chance in this league got
(04:16):
you got him on the road in the playoffs last year.
And I got Kansas that he had to go on
the road. Last year, they could they didn't have any
over the top element. Last year, they were you know,
they were okay in the offensive line, they were insanely thin.
I mean, Rashee Rice was their best receiver last year
and he looked like a three. Well now he looks
like a one. And so my take is this is
a much more explosive version of the team that won
(04:38):
the last two Super Bowls. And here's Mahomes after.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
Just having him out there, it just opens up stuff.
I mean, you saw when he's out there, they're playing
shell coverages, gets getting guys like trav and it's getting
guys like Rashee open underneath. And that's what's so great
about this offense is we're able to do all of
that and that's when that's when we're at our best.
And so, like I said, we'll get Hollywood out there too.
It's gonna be tough for defensive decide who they want
to cover.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
So, you know, Lamar Jackson is somebody I've spent the
last a better part of the last five years defending.
Last night, twenty five first downs more than Kansas City
rushing first downs three times as many as Kansas City.
Third down efficiency much better than Kansas City. Interceptions none
Kansas City had one time of possession. They dominated. Even
against a great, young, twitchy defense, The top defensive coordinator,
(05:25):
arguably in the NFL, Steve Spagnola, was at wits end.
What do you do against this guy? Now? Lamar doesn't
throw the ball downfield? In my opinion, well enough, he
didn't throw it downfield like a josh A Stafford and
Aaron Rodgers of Mahomes. First half he averaged one point
one air yards per attempt. Got better in the second half,
(05:45):
but he doesn't do that like the top four or
five guys in the league. And there's no way he
can play like he played last night. The rest of
the season. He took a beating sixteen carries. He was
like a running back, and he's lost weight, so he's thinner.
He cannot play that way. But I kind of understand
why last night he played that way because it's Kansas City.
(06:05):
It's his nemesis, it's his arch rival, it's the team
he's trying to get over. It's the Tiger for Mickelson,
it's the MJ for Barkley. I get it. And so
that effort is not a sustainable effort. Your quarterback cannot
take that beating. And I don't think he will. I
think he'll slide, he'll run out of bounds. He'll have
seven carries, not sixteen. He was so fired up last night.
(06:28):
He talked John Harball, one of the better situational coaches
in football, to go forward at midfield, and you know
the Chiefs carved it up, sniffed it out. So I
do think it was a unique night where Lamar just
said I want to do it. But I'll tell you this,
he is on a short list of quarterbacks in this league,
and that maybe one or two max that can get
the ball at the noisiest NFL stadium against the great defense,
(06:51):
the league's best defensive coordinator. There's one time out in
a minute fifty left, and he gets them to within
an inch the end of a cleat from potentially tying
or winning the game. The dude is one of one.
He is so unique and so great. People say, well,
he didn't play that great. Mahomes had a terrible pick
and almost two. But Mahomes is a legend. I talked
about this the other day. We spend so much time
(07:13):
on shows like this, not just mine, others criticizing great
players who can't beat legends. You know what, who's beating Mahomes?
And I thought Lamar last night on that last drive,
I compared it last night on my podcast. I said,
He's like if you watched the high school football game
and there was only one Division IE player and it
was a quarterback and he was just running around making
(07:34):
people miss. I mean, Lamar makes other great players for
Kansas City defensively totally flummixed, and they're just kind of
hoping he tires out. So the only thing I saw
between these two teams that I think is trouble, especially
for Baltimore, is offensive line play. These are not great
offensive lines. These are not the Lions offensive lines. Baltimore's
(07:55):
I think will get better. I think Kansas City's is
what it is. It's not going to be great at
right tackle. But I gotta tell you I'm gonna defend
Lamar Jackson forever. Minute fifty one time out spags Kansas
City arrowhead gets down to the thirteen yard line. The
kid is just absolutely unreal. Only Mahomes, that's the last
(08:15):
hurdle he can't get over. Just Mahomes and nobody else
can either. Here was Lamar after you call Kansas City
or Kryptonite in the past, is the name.
Speaker 4 (08:26):
Is not my Kryptman knite?
Speaker 5 (08:27):
What's that? It's not my Kryptman Knite.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
I would leave our offense got a lot of got
no additions and were just getting a trust it. You know,
I don't want to say preseason is the reason, because
it wasn't.
Speaker 5 (08:38):
Because we battle.
Speaker 4 (08:39):
You know, you can see it with for points on
the board and you gotta do we gotta do it.
Be one of those games.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
Simple listen, Kansas City's offense average seven point one yards
of play, Baltimore's offerense average six point one yards of
play in that yard is because of a broken coverage
that let Xavier Worth to get a touchdown. You take
that broken coverage out, they both have about six yards
of play. That's a heavyweight fight. I grew up as
a kid. It was Allie Fraser fought three times. Alli
(09:06):
won two Fraser one to one, and I'm just waiting
for that one big win for Lamar and the Ravens.
But that was great football, great teams, great coaching, grant franchises.
Lamar's getting past everybody just not that guy and that
last drive. I'm sitting there on my couch thinking, who
can do this? You find me the court. I don't
(09:26):
think there is anybody. I mean, you find me a
quarterback in this league spags that defense, Chris Jones, that
pass rush Arrowhead Stadium one time out, minute fifty. You
tell me who can do that drive? I don't know.
I don't see a lot of guys. That's something else.
And there's where we are after our first game tonight,
Thank you, James Jones. Tonight it's Green Bay in Philadelphia.
(09:49):
I like green Bay. You like Philadelphia. That's a stay
away game for me. I'm gonna do the Blazing five.
That's not one of my picks that you know, I
say sometimes I just want to watch the game. I
want to watch the game. I don't know what to
make of it. I like Green Bay, but Brazil throws
everything off. So I don't feel like a game in
Mexico City or Europe, even the London games or the
European games had been a little quirky, you know, like
(10:12):
you go over there and you're like, it's just a
different feel. Brazil's other side of the earth. So I
don't know what I'm getting, but I thought last night
was spectacular.
Speaker 6 (10:20):
I would largely agree with spectacular night, but I.
Speaker 7 (10:23):
Totally disagree with your Lamar Jackson take. I mean, you're like,
how many guys can do that?
Speaker 6 (10:28):
What did he do? Miss receivers open in the end zone?
Speaker 1 (10:31):
Well, that was that was a He did miss one.
Speaker 6 (10:32):
Receiver one for five on deep ball vase. I mean
that was he was off all right.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
But it should be noted the Mahomes had maybe one
of his worst picks at midfield and almost had a second.
Lamar didn't. Lamar missed somebody in the end zone.
Speaker 7 (10:46):
You forgot the Lamar fumble, you know. But I mean, again,
what's what taking all these hits?
Speaker 6 (10:50):
Colin? Who does he think he is? I was done?
That's not sustainable.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
Well it's not. But you have to remember sometimes certain
opponents are different, right, Like there are certain opponents in
your life. They're your rival games. I think Mahomes, I
think Josh Allen is gonna he's gonna take more hits
against Mahomes. I think if Josh Allen is playing Miami
in Tua, he gotta step out of bounds. You're not
(11:15):
gonna take the hit. But I think I think if
you go to Manning or Big Ben and Brady in
those games, you're just you're gonna you're gonna put yourself
out there more. And I think I think both Mahomes
I mean, look at look at Mahomes and Super Bowls.
He's been hobbling on the field in the fourth quarters
of games.
Speaker 6 (11:31):
Super Bowl versus Game one.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
But I mean, this is not a difficult one. This
isn't a big lift. There are moments in sports when
you're playing Arrival Duke in Carolina, Michigan, Ohio State, you're
just gonna put your body at risk that you probably
wouldn't other times. I mean, John Harbaugh's going forward at midfield,
there are other situations he wouldn't go for. It's not
smart to do at Arrowhead Stadium with Patrick Mahomes on
(11:54):
the other side. But you kind of look at you,
you kind of look at Lamar and you're thinking, this
kid has earned this. Yeah, So you just I think
when you face rivals, it's like you don't play the Masters,
like like you play the Bwick Open, Like there are
moments where you've got to be dialed in, you've got
to be rested you've got to have the best caddie.
(12:14):
There are certain clubs you're not gonna use. Like it's
just last night is as good as the NFL gets,
and Lamar's like, hey, I'm I'm leaving it all out
here tonight. I don't think he's gonna have sixteen carries
against the Steelers in Week nine when they're maybe three
and six.
Speaker 6 (12:30):
I would hope not. But I just wonder does Lamar
have that sense?
Speaker 7 (12:33):
Hey man, we lost the AFC Championship game because I
didn't get to be me. I'm gonna do me this season,
and I'm gonna carry us on our back.
Speaker 6 (12:40):
He's just not built for them. He's too slight. Colin
those hits he was taking lof he wasn't even getting
out of bounce.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
No, no, no, no.
Speaker 6 (12:47):
I don't think he slid once in the entire game.
What are you doing?
Speaker 1 (12:50):
Well? I think I think we've seen this in college
where C. J. Stroud did not run remember the entire year,
and then they faced Georgia and it's like, Okay, this
is different. Justin Herbert Rose Bowl, didn't run all year.
They played Wisconsin last game, this is different. This is
obviously the first game, not the last game. But I
think Kansas City Baltimore. I think for Baltimore, this game
(13:11):
is different. You're just gonna do stuff. Guys are gonna
play hurt, Guys are gonna play longer. Got the NFL.
If you know I said it, I can say it
a thousand times. This league, this product is There's a
reason it's lapping the field. This product is so good.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
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Speaker 1 (13:39):
Here we go, blazing five, fire away.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
Let's blaze it up, Fired up. It's Collins blazing fuck.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
Titans at Bears, all right, I am going to take
the Titans plus three and a half at Chicago. Both
teams undefeat in the preseason. Will Levis now has actual weapons.
Tony Pollard, Calvin Ridley, Lagerius Snead, It's a whole new
(14:09):
coaching staff. All Tennessee has heard all off season is
how they're gonna get run out of the building by
this frena phenom. By the way, the Bears never open
well two to eight in their last ten openers. They
had the fewest sacks last year. In the last couple
of years in the NFL. Also, the number one pick
(14:30):
as a rookie quarterback in the common draft era is
four fifteen to one in the opener nine straight since
David Carr won. Bottom line here is I think maybe
if they played in six weeks it would be different. Way,
way too much hype. You can get this at plus
(14:51):
four and a lot of places shop the number. I'm
gonna take the Titans to up set the Chicago Bears.
The final score twenty six to twenty four, Panthers at six.
I like the Panthers plus four. In fact, I think
they could win. You may want to bet money line.
(15:13):
They've got a new head coach, Dave Kanalis. He's the
one that gave Baker Mayfield that great season last year.
For Baker, they have upgraded on the O line, ed rusher.
Wide receiver Bryce Young in the last month last year
was not terrible, completed sixty five percent of his throws
mid eighty passer rating with a battle line in bad receivers.
(15:33):
Dennis Allen, I think argument worst coach in the league
on the hot seat. Their offensive line was second worst
in the league and they didn't generate a pass rush
the Panthers defense. Even last year, though it was on
the field constantly, the Panthers defense was top five and
six in many categories. The Panthers win this game outright.
(15:55):
Take the points twenty four to twenty. Ronco's at Seahawks.
I'm gonna take Seattle minus six. I can think Bonnicks
is gonna have a good year and also think this
is a terrible spot. Gino Smith has had back to
back Pro Bowl years. He's a grown up, he's an adult.
He won't be nervous, and he's at home. Mike McDonald
(16:16):
is the new Seahawks coach. He is a whiz defensively.
The Ravens had the number one scoring defense with him.
Seattle's got the weapons here Kenneth Walker, DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett,
Jason Smith, nigbah Noah Fan Denver. Meanwhile, defense struggles rookie
on the road by the way, first round rookie quarterbacks
(16:39):
in Week one, not taking number one, but just first
round rookie quarterbacks in Week one thirteen twenty six and
one all time passer rating at sixty nine. The Seahawks win.
It's close to the line twenty seven to twenty. Take
Seattle minus the points to cover and win. Ramsaid liars,
(17:01):
I usually don't do this, but I'm gonna take the
Lions minus four and a half. The line was better.
I'll tell you why I'm gonna thread the needle here
in five weeks, I wouldn't do this. Rams. Oh line's
a mess. They're moving their center to guard their right tackle.
Their best O lineman may not play. They're left tackle.
They're using a backup, and Detroit's pass rush has been
the talk of their camp. This is a team in Detroit,
(17:26):
more players in their prime. Rams are a very young team.
Jared Goff at Home is forty two and nine in
the Think about that, Jared Goff at Home last two
seasons forty two and nine touchdown interception not his record
forty two touchdowns, nine picks. He is a great indoor quarterback.
He is a great home quarterback. And Matt Stafford is
an older quarterback. And I love Matt, but last year
(17:48):
he only completed sixty three percent of his throws. Poka
Naku has been banged up, Cooper Cup's coming off an injury.
I do not like the Rams in this spot, in
this moment, in a month, I'd take the points. I
think the Lions win and I think they cover thirty
to twenty four. Detroit Jet sent forty nine ers very
(18:09):
close game. I'm taking the points. Take the Jets plus
four and a half. I think it comes down to
a field goal at the very end. But you got
to take the Jets. Listen, they won three of their
last five last year, and they were terrible at quarterback.
They've added Mike Williams, a couple of offensive linemen. Hassan
Reddick won't play, he will eventually. This should be a
good team. Their offensive line features three new starters. I'm
(18:30):
okay with that because they're upgrades in all of them.
And now Elijah Vera Tucker is healthy, Garrett Wilson, Breese Hall.
They have big time playmakers the Niners. McCaffrey's Heerd, Trent
Williams just got into camp super noisy. The Ricky Pearsall incident,
I don't like him in the spot again. What I
feel differently a month and a half from now, I
think the Niners are going to start slow. If you
(18:52):
look at the Jets defense last season, and again they
were on the field the whole year. Top two and
three in many categories. Now they get an off, it's
a more rested defense. I like the Jets to cover.
I'm gonna go Niners to win twenty four to twenty three.
But I think if you look, if there's a time
to beat the Niners in this spot, it is now.
(19:13):
They've been a circus for a month now. I'm not
saying that Jets don't have issues, but the Jets feel
like outside of Hassan Reddick, we haven't heard much in
the last three weeks. Oh there's a book on Aaron Rodgers. Okay,
he didn't write it. I kind of feel like the
Jets noise has subsided. I mean, I got San Francisco stuff.
I still don't know if Brandon I who likes his contract.
(19:37):
So there we go. The blazing five in review. I'm
gonna take the Titans, Panthers, and Jets as dogs and
the Seahawks and Lions as favorite again. Week one is different.
I'm betting against a rookie quarterback because I think Bonnicks
is gonna be over we That's one of the loudest stadiums,
(19:59):
one of the best defensive young coaches. That is a
top spot for him.
Speaker 2 (20:04):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
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Speaker 8 (20:09):
He's Mike Carmen, I'm Dan Bayern. We have a fantasy
football podcast called I Want Your Flex.
Speaker 2 (20:15):
That's right Dan.
Speaker 9 (20:15):
Every week we're gonna scour the waiver wire to find
the pickups to turbo boost your fantasy lineup, sit starts,
fantasy football players rankings to get you ready to dominate
the competition.
Speaker 8 (20:27):
Listen to I Want Your Flex with Mike Carmon and
meet Dan Byer on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts and
wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 1 (20:34):
All right, Peter Schrager Fox NFL kickoff Sundays eleven am
on Fox. You'll see him week after week. We're lucky
enough about once a month he's going to be out
here in Los Angeles and we'll try to put him
on the in our chairs. Fox Sports Insider, excellent at
what he does and breaking stories. And I know we'll
get to this in a second. You pick your Super
Bowl teams every year, and I don't disagree with the picks.
(20:55):
I want to start with Kansas City. I've said this
over and over. I think last year was the year
to beat him, but he could. I watched them last
night and I'm like, yeah, that's that offense is now good, right,
like better.
Speaker 5 (21:06):
Shame on thirty one NFL teams.
Speaker 10 (21:08):
Shame on them because you have a team that last
year could not go vertical, could had no speed, and
they allowed them with the ability to trade up with
one of their competitors, the Buffalo Bills twenty eighth to
get the fastest player in the NFL draft, maybe the
fastest player to enter the NFL in twenty years, and
immediately you saw the impact. He was a blurn last night,
(21:30):
it was just a taste. They're still learning that offense. Yeah,
Marquise Hollywood Brown is coming. He is one of the
other fastest players. Now they have these deep threats that
can go, and then you saw Rice over the middle.
The NFL had a window last year where the Chiefs
were down. They had to win two games on the
road in the playoffs and they couldn't put them away.
And I think they're gonna better on offense this year.
Speaker 5 (21:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
I mean, that's my takeaway is nobody plays in the preseason,
so you feel like last night, I'm like, it's still
very experimental and I'm like, if that's the experiment and
that Ravens defense is good, Yeah, that's Kyle Hamilton may
be the best safety in the sport out.
Speaker 10 (22:01):
And the Chiefs went out there and they started a
second round pick at left tackle, and he held his
own against one of the best defensive line. It's a
couple of years ago the Chiefs had a draft and
in that same draft class, they got McDuffie, who I
think might be the best cornerback in football. They got
Carl aaftis one of the best young rushers. They got
Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith, and they got Pachaco. Other
teams don't draft this way. And if you wonder, like, well,
(22:23):
why are the Chiefs so because they let Willie Gay walk,
they let Lugerius Sneed walk, and they replenish and they
fill the cupboard. They're so talented top to bottom. And
it's like Kelsey didn't have a big game last night.
Speaker 1 (22:33):
They need him to had one big cast.
Speaker 5 (22:36):
And that's the Chiefs. They're still going to find a way.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
You are higher on the Jets, you have him as
a number one seed. I've said before, I think Miami
and the Jets go down to the final weekend for
the playoffs. Wouldn't surprise me. If they're in, I'll take Miami.
But I don't see either as a super Bowl team.
Speaker 10 (22:50):
You do why I've been Maybe it's the bias that
I was at the Jets camp quite a bit. I
called one of their preseason games. I am it is
like watching the varsity team play the varsity team in
practice every day. At those Jets games, they are so
loaded on both sides.
Speaker 5 (23:05):
Of the ball.
Speaker 10 (23:05):
And j Mack, I know you have a long history
with the Jets as well, and you as a Jets fan,
you want to don't say any of this in August
or September, like I don't let me see it first.
They won seven games last year with unspeakably bad quarterback play.
Tim Boyle no longer playing, Trevor Simeon no longer in
the NFL, Zach Wilson a third string quarterback. They also
had twenty different offensive linemen suit up for them.
Speaker 5 (23:27):
In big games.
Speaker 10 (23:29):
You add an Aaron Rodgers, who's one of the most
accurate quarterbacks of all time. Who I'm telling you from
what I see again, I'm not an achilles doctor. I
couldn't tell you if he goes, he looks amazing. I've
been a practice looking like he is so dialed in,
and you add him to a guys like Breis Hall
and Garrett Wilson and then the defense is outstanding. So
to me, on paper, there's no reason this team shouldn't
(23:49):
win double digit games, and there's no reason this team
can't run away with the AFC.
Speaker 5 (23:53):
If there's they're all biting at each other in those
other divisions.
Speaker 1 (23:56):
Is there a team, Shrigs, you're higher on than the
overall consensus among others.
Speaker 5 (24:02):
I go way over on the Seattle Seahawks.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
A lot of that's very interesting. Was a somebody I
talked to, Yeah, you're into them?
Speaker 5 (24:10):
What is it with them?
Speaker 10 (24:12):
Pete Carroll's a Hall of Fame coach. Pete Carroll is
one of the greatest coaches to ever coach in the NFL.
It was in his seventies and the guys had been
hearing the new blood, thirty seven year old head coach
and Mike McDonald who comes in with a defensive scheme
that cause fits.
Speaker 5 (24:27):
Around the league.
Speaker 10 (24:28):
And I can tell you immediately these defenders who are
talking from Seattle saying it is different what we have
going on and then for the offensive coordinator job, they
go up to the University of Washington. They hire a
college offensive coordinator to come in Grub who last year
was the guy who drew up this offense with Pennox
and a Doonsay and mcmellan and Poulkin, Washington was the
most fun team to watch. They have all these weapons,
(24:50):
no one And I'm telling you, the vibes are electric
in Seattle right now. And I'm a Geno guy. I
know we've been down the road, like Gino Smith. That
sounds like a back end of comment. Geni Smith is
not gonna lose you.
Speaker 5 (24:59):
Any in the NFL.
Speaker 10 (25:01):
I think in the Niners vibes, I'm not sure what's
going on there. The Rams obviously are going to be
in the mix. I would not be shocked if we're
talking about Seattle as a division winner in the NFC West.
Speaker 1 (25:11):
Yeah, I would say. John Snyder almost leapt a couple
of years ago because he wanted more control. He almost
took the GM job in Detroit. He stayed the last
two drafts. Dude, there's like dudes everywhere everywhere. I mean
like he got two backs, two receivers, two corners.
Speaker 10 (25:26):
And this kid this year, This Byron Murphy, this defensive
tackles out of Texas. There were no defensive players drafted
in the first fourteen picks of the NFL Draft.
Speaker 5 (25:36):
One of the weirdest drafts ever. It was all quarterbacks.
Speaker 10 (25:38):
Offensive lineman Seattle was shocked that he was sitting there
when they picked, and they got him, and he's immediately
going to make an impact, you know.
Speaker 1 (25:46):
I was saying, if you look at the history of
not only rookie quarterbacks in Week one, but number one picks.
David Carr's the last number one is that right twenty
two years ago.
Speaker 5 (25:57):
Beat the Cowboys. I remember that game.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
That is the last number one pick quarterback to win
his opener. And I said, shrikes. Tennessee has been watching
TV for six months and being told this is the
new Mahomes.
Speaker 5 (26:11):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (26:11):
And I'm like, the Titans are this quiet? Sit quiet
with all these new, smart, young offensive pieces. This is
my upside.
Speaker 10 (26:23):
I love this column that the Hard Knocks thing is real.
You watch Hard Knocks and even if you just see
the clips online, you're like, oh, this is this is Mahomes.
Speaker 5 (26:31):
This guy's unbelievable. And the way it's edited and the
way they work on it.
Speaker 10 (26:35):
Caleb comes across as so darn likable on this show
that you're like, oh, he's gonna lift all boats. But
the truth of the matter is Caleb Williams has not
taken an NFL snapping or rather season game. The other
quarterbacks in that room are Tyson Bagent and Austin Reid,
a second year guy in another undrafted rookie.
Speaker 5 (26:50):
There's no veteran voice in his ear, like it might
not be as smooth as everyone's expecting it to be.
Speaker 10 (26:56):
Meanwhile, Tennessee line in the Weeds, new coaching staff, a
bunch of new players, Like you're saying they could come
out there. I like that as an upset special. Chicago's
really good on paper, and they were really impressive on
hard knocks and in the preseason. But what a letdown
would be if at home in his debut after all
this hype, they laid an egg against.
Speaker 1 (27:15):
The Titans Tonight's interesting. Games in Europe always are a
little wonky. Now we're talking about other side of the planet,
and I'm sitting here thinking, you got the Sirianni heat
Green Bay. I think will be fine. They're the young
guys travel well they're gonna have a ball and they're
staying like two hours from the city. They're Green Bay
(27:37):
is gonna be fine. They're Philadelphia, I said earlier. They're
very unique in the NFL. There's a difference between impulsive
and decisive. They're the only really well run team that
moves off talented people regularly.
Speaker 5 (27:52):
There's a short, short runway with them, and.
Speaker 1 (27:54):
That would lead you to believe they're the Colts or
they're David Tepper, and it's like, no, that's impulsive. They're
They're usually right, you know, they're they're like offensive coaches.
Chip Kelly was veteran college even though he was winning.
Doug Peterson probably wore out as welcome. Carson Wentz it
was time and you're like, they're not impulsive, they're decisive.
(28:16):
I don't know though this year Seraani hurts the relationship.
You're close to this is it better than we think
or worse? Where do you land on it?
Speaker 10 (28:27):
Last year, how they ended the season, it was as
catastrophic a situation in the league that you could imagine.
Speaker 5 (28:33):
This was a team that was ten and one and
it wasn't good enough.
Speaker 10 (28:36):
They fired their defensive coordinator or removed him or reassigned
him at ten and one.
Speaker 5 (28:40):
Then they went on to lose all those games.
Speaker 10 (28:42):
And I don't even think anyone remembers they lost to
Baker Mayfield in a playoff game thirty two to nine.
Speaker 5 (28:47):
Like it was like it's like a blur it.
Speaker 10 (28:51):
The search for offensive coordinator was fascinating this year. Just
about everybody interviewed for that job. Kingsbury came through a
lot of different Kellen Moore came through, and the ad
the case and you know, Sirianni is an offensive head coach,
and Kellen Moore comes in with this great resume and
this ability to be a quarterback whisper, and like Kellen
Moore is gonna have this huge responsibility on the defensive side.
Speaker 1 (29:12):
There's no more.
Speaker 5 (29:13):
Let's try to mix and match with these Let's go.
Speaker 10 (29:15):
Get Vic Fangio, one of the great NFL defensive head
coaches and one of the great defensive coordinators.
Speaker 5 (29:20):
Of our time.
Speaker 10 (29:21):
And it's like these two guys are gonna play the
biggest role in this thing. And oh yeah, by the way,
we're gonna add Saquon and we're gonna add all these
different young pieces in the defensive backfield, which was their
disastrous spot. My biggest question is if things don't start
off hot for Hertz, is Sirianni dealing with every week
questions about the hot seat, and if things don't start
(29:41):
out hot at the offensive line, is that, oh my gosh,
they were all about Jason Kelcey and that's it tonight.
Speaker 5 (29:48):
I think the Eagles take care of business. I really do.
Speaker 10 (29:50):
I think they come in here after a whole off
season of hearing it what they can't do, They're gonna
remind people what they can do. And I also think
a huge part of this stadium, sixty two thousand. I
think the Eagles fans all travel from what I hear,
there are Eagles fans who made this trip. I don't
know if the Packers fans are gonna show out in
this game.
Speaker 1 (30:08):
So you make an annual prediction, and I don't know
how many years you've been right, and you did it
on Good Morning Football, So you're not unveiling it here.
You've already done this on the internet. So can I ask,
can you can you tell our audience again what that is.
Speaker 10 (30:21):
My annual prediction? The last three years, I've gotten it
right with the matchups right. This year, I went out
and I said, on a big shocker, the Chiefs are
going to win again. And I don't want to call
it the three pete pat Riley trademark that we can't
make money off that.
Speaker 5 (30:33):
It's the Chief's pete.
Speaker 10 (30:34):
Okay, okay, And they're gonna beat the Green Bay Packers
and a sending team that I think Lafleur is going
to have to go through his old colleagues McVeigh, his
old colleague Shanahan, and he's gonna have to go win,
probably in Detroit. I think Detroit's going to maybe be
the better regular season team, but I'm in on Green Bay.
I think that how they finished the season last year
(30:54):
with that win in Dallas then can take a numpressive
awesome and they're just scratching the service and the way
it is there. I know those guys really will and
they hired Halfley as their defensive coordinator there.
Speaker 5 (31:06):
They draft guys who aren't reading their headlines, they.
Speaker 10 (31:09):
Draft guys who are overlooked, and all those guys have
this giant chip on their shoulder, including their new running back.
Speaker 5 (31:15):
I think might tear it up this season.
Speaker 1 (31:17):
Josh Jacobs, Yeah, no, it's you know, I was saying,
I'm not sure there's a better team in this sport,
and there's some many that do it pretty well, that
draft and develop, And in a strange way, shrigs it's
an advantage not having an owner because they're never impulsive.
Speaker 10 (31:38):
Ever, absolutely right, and they let these guys develop. They
let the coaches, coach Mark Murphy, Mark Murphy, of course,
you know, you go through all the different you know,
general manager stuff that they've had over the years, whether
it was Ted Thompson and then of course Goody now
like it's they they're willing to face the heat from
the fans too. You know, we look at it now, like, oh,
(31:59):
of course the moved on from Rogers and what a
what a gutsy decision to not let Aaron Rodgers keep
them hanging in the balance. They did it, and they
did the same exact thing with Farv And if you're
a Lions fan or a Bears fan or a Vikings fan,
you're like, what deal did they sign with the devil
that they get to now have this guy for the
next fifteen years?
Speaker 5 (32:19):
And like they they see it in practice every day.
Speaker 10 (32:22):
They traded Aaron Rodgers away, the greatest quarterback of his generation,
you know, most skilled one. Of course, you can say
Brady's the best, but this is a guy that as
far as talent goes, and they were.
Speaker 5 (32:31):
Like, we're good, We're gonna go with the other guy.
And it worked out, which is just an amazing gamble
and they don't get enough credit for that.
Speaker 1 (32:38):
Peter Schrager, Fox Sports and FL. He'll be on the
Kickoff Sundays at eleven a m. Eastern on Fox. Now,
you'll be out here about once a month.
Speaker 5 (32:47):
I think once a month.
Speaker 10 (32:48):
We're figuring that out from the NFL network side, but
all about I will be out here every single weekend
for Fox NFL Kickoff, which I'm I'm excited for.
Speaker 5 (32:55):
You know, we're competitive. I think our pregame show is
as good as any and you know.
Speaker 1 (32:58):
You know what, it got really good when they booted me.
Speaker 10 (33:00):
No, I was going to say, Colin, it started I
miss you on that desk. We would all be at
the time and Colin just comes in and say, you
know what.
Speaker 7 (33:08):
I think.
Speaker 5 (33:09):
I think in a supermarket, Belichick is kind of like
the guy and I'm.
Speaker 6 (33:12):
Like, yeah, call him go.
Speaker 9 (33:13):
I like it.
Speaker 1 (33:14):
They said I had to keep wearing a tie, and
I'm like hire Schreger.
Speaker 6 (33:17):
Are you wearing were you wearing?
Speaker 9 (33:18):
Times?
Speaker 5 (33:19):
Suits and times?
Speaker 1 (33:20):
You know what's funny, but it for years I told management,
I said, get Schreger on this show. He breaks news.
I just break jokes. Let him break news.
Speaker 5 (33:26):
You're amazing at what you do and you were great
on that show.
Speaker 1 (33:29):
You know that, Peter Schrager. We'd love to have you
every time you're in time.
Speaker 5 (33:31):
Absolutely. I love being here.
Speaker 1 (33:32):
You know that,
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Herd podcast.
Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox
Sports Radio in noon to three eastern nine am to
noone 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 (00:19):
This is the Best of the Herd with Colin cowher
on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
All Right, it is our first Football Friday live in
Los Angeles. It's the Herd. Wherever you may be, however
you may be listening. Thanks for making us part of
your day. I decided. I caved. I'm gonna do a
blazing five in one hour. You know I've already wrote
down on a Ledger at home, oh and five. I
know I'm not gonna win any of these, but I
(00:48):
will say I love my picks. I just caved. I
finally said, you know what, it's football season. Who cares.
I mean a lot of good teams. I mean the
Ravens were good team. They lost their opener. It's okay,
you can survive. I'm gonna be okay. I do appreciate that.
(01:09):
Go Eagles, Yeah, Packers. Eagles played the night in Brazil,
which is kind of a weird place for the NFL's
second game of the year. But let's start with this.
Kansas City twenty seven Baltimore twenty I said this last
year and I've said it this year. Last year's Chiefs
team that may have been the team to beat because
(01:29):
they had a water pistol offense. I mean, they couldn't
move the ball, They had no deep threat. It was
it was dink and dunk as much as Mahomes can
do that, and he had a chance to beat him,
and the league couldn't because that's not what they are anymore. Now,
Noah Grant, they got another tight end, and Noah Gray
(01:49):
and Travis Kelce. You got two tight ends. Now you
got Xavier Worthy, a little bit of a gadget guy,
but speed, merchant over the top. They had lacked that
for several years. Rashid Rice looks like a number one,
an absolute number one. Hollywood Brown, who's dangerous, will return
and Juju Smith Schuster, who they just reacquired, is gonna
(02:12):
take him a while to get up to speed, but
he knows the offense. He'll be like your number three
or your number four. Outside of right tackle, and they
weren't good at right tackle last year. This is a
better team than last year, much much faster offensively, much
deeper at wide receiver, a much more functional at wide receiver.
And here's the thing. Great companies in any business give
(02:32):
you these little brief moments to make up ground. And
last year was the year to make up ground because
they couldn't score. They were so vulnerable. They had to
go on the road in the playoffs to Baltimore. They
had to go on the road to Buffalo, and they
still won. Last year was the year to get him,
and nobody got him. They're not perfect. Mahomes had a
(02:54):
terrible pick last night, almost two. They were dominated in
time of possession, and their defense looked at so loutely
gassed at the end of the football game. They're not perfect,
but they're so good in these close games. Number two
in the NFL last year in close games. They are
so confident in these games with the best coach and
the best quarterback. You got to wrap him up early
(03:15):
in Baltimore, didn't now. Xavier Worthy's fascinating. I said when
he got drafted. He's one hundred and sixty five pound
track guy. Is not gonna He's not gonna dominate the league.
He's a gadget guy. He's not gonna be a nine
to ten to twelve target guy. That's gonna be Rashi Rice.
A lot of guys in the league like that. Devonte
Adams is that guy. Jamar Chase when he get back,
he's that guy. Puka Nikol for the Rams, gonna be
(03:35):
that guy. But they needed a gadget guy. They needed
it over to the top guy. And yes he's small,
and yes he's he's I don't know how durable he is.
He was hurt a lot in college. But nobody in
the NFL is gonna draw plays better for Xavier Worthy
than one Andy Reid, and nobody will deliver the ball
on those drawn up plays better than Patrick Mahomes. So
(03:56):
he really is something they need. And last night mah
Holmes averaged ten yards per attempt. That was more than
any game last year. And that was a lot of
that's Xavi or Worthy. He's allowing other stuff to flourish.
And so I watched him last night and I'm thinking, man,
you guys all had a chance in this league got
(04:16):
you got him on the road in the playoffs last year.
And I got Kansas that he had to go on
the road. Last year, they could they didn't have any
over the top element. Last year, they were you know,
they were okay in the offensive line, they were insanely thin.
I mean, Rashee Rice was their best receiver last year
and he looked like a three. Well now he looks
like a one. And so my take is this is
a much more explosive version of the team that won
(04:38):
the last two Super Bowls. And here's Mahomes after.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
Just having him out there, it just opens up stuff.
I mean, you saw when he's out there, they're playing
shell coverages, gets getting guys like trav and it's getting
guys like Rashee open underneath. And that's what's so great
about this offense is we're able to do all of
that and that's when that's when we're at our best.
And so, like I said, we'll get Hollywood out there too.
It's gonna be tough for defensive decide who they want
to cover.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
So, you know, Lamar Jackson is somebody I've spent the
last a better part of the last five years defending.
Last night, twenty five first downs more than Kansas City
rushing first downs three times as many as Kansas City.
Third down efficiency much better than Kansas City. Interceptions none
Kansas City had one time of possession. They dominated. Even
against a great, young, twitchy defense, The top defensive coordinator,
(05:25):
arguably in the NFL, Steve Spagnola, was at wits end.
What do you do against this guy? Now? Lamar doesn't
throw the ball downfield? In my opinion, well enough, he
didn't throw it downfield like a josh A Stafford and
Aaron Rodgers of Mahomes. First half he averaged one point
one air yards per attempt. Got better in the second half,
(05:45):
but he doesn't do that like the top four or
five guys in the league. And there's no way he
can play like he played last night. The rest of
the season. He took a beating sixteen carries. He was
like a running back, and he's lost weight, so he's thinner.
He cannot play that way. But I kind of understand
why last night he played that way because it's Kansas City.
(06:05):
It's his nemesis, it's his arch rival, it's the team
he's trying to get over. It's the Tiger for Mickelson,
it's the MJ for Barkley. I get it. And so
that effort is not a sustainable effort. Your quarterback cannot
take that beating. And I don't think he will. I
think he'll slide, he'll run out of bounds. He'll have
seven carries, not sixteen. He was so fired up last night.
(06:28):
He talked John Harball, one of the better situational coaches
in football, to go forward at midfield, and you know
the Chiefs carved it up, sniffed it out. So I
do think it was a unique night where Lamar just
said I want to do it. But I'll tell you this,
he is on a short list of quarterbacks in this league,
and that maybe one or two max that can get
the ball at the noisiest NFL stadium against the great defense,
(06:51):
the league's best defensive coordinator. There's one time out in
a minute fifty left, and he gets them to within
an inch the end of a cleat from potentially tying
or winning the game. The dude is one of one.
He is so unique and so great. People say, well,
he didn't play that great. Mahomes had a terrible pick
and almost two. But Mahomes is a legend. I talked
about this the other day. We spend so much time
(07:13):
on shows like this, not just mine, others criticizing great
players who can't beat legends. You know what, who's beating Mahomes?
And I thought Lamar last night on that last drive,
I compared it last night on my podcast. I said,
He's like if you watched the high school football game
and there was only one Division IE player and it
was a quarterback and he was just running around making
(07:34):
people miss. I mean, Lamar makes other great players for
Kansas City defensively totally flummixed, and they're just kind of
hoping he tires out. So the only thing I saw
between these two teams that I think is trouble, especially
for Baltimore, is offensive line play. These are not great
offensive lines. These are not the Lions offensive lines. Baltimore's
(07:55):
I think will get better. I think Kansas City's is
what it is. It's not going to be great at
right tackle. But I gotta tell you I'm gonna defend
Lamar Jackson forever. Minute fifty one time out spags Kansas
City arrowhead gets down to the thirteen yard line. The
kid is just absolutely unreal. Only Mahomes, that's the last
(08:15):
hurdle he can't get over. Just Mahomes and nobody else
can either. Here was Lamar after you call Kansas City
or Kryptonite in the past, is the name.
Speaker 4 (08:26):
Is not my Kryptman knite?
Speaker 5 (08:27):
What's that? It's not my Kryptman Knite.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
I would leave our offense got a lot of got
no additions and were just getting a trust it. You know,
I don't want to say preseason is the reason, because
it wasn't.
Speaker 5 (08:38):
Because we battle.
Speaker 4 (08:39):
You know, you can see it with for points on
the board and you gotta do we gotta do it.
Be one of those games.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
Simple listen, Kansas City's offense average seven point one yards
of play, Baltimore's offerense average six point one yards of
play in that yard is because of a broken coverage
that let Xavier Worth to get a touchdown. You take
that broken coverage out, they both have about six yards
of play. That's a heavyweight fight. I grew up as
a kid. It was Allie Fraser fought three times. Alli
(09:06):
won two Fraser one to one, and I'm just waiting
for that one big win for Lamar and the Ravens.
But that was great football, great teams, great coaching, grant franchises.
Lamar's getting past everybody just not that guy and that
last drive. I'm sitting there on my couch thinking, who
can do this? You find me the court. I don't
(09:26):
think there is anybody. I mean, you find me a
quarterback in this league spags that defense, Chris Jones, that
pass rush Arrowhead Stadium one time out, minute fifty. You
tell me who can do that drive? I don't know.
I don't see a lot of guys. That's something else.
And there's where we are after our first game tonight,
Thank you, James Jones. Tonight it's Green Bay in Philadelphia.
(09:49):
I like green Bay. You like Philadelphia. That's a stay
away game for me. I'm gonna do the Blazing five.
That's not one of my picks that you know, I
say sometimes I just want to watch the game. I
want to watch the game. I don't know what to
make of it. I like Green Bay, but Brazil throws
everything off. So I don't feel like a game in
Mexico City or Europe, even the London games or the
European games had been a little quirky, you know, like
(10:12):
you go over there and you're like, it's just a
different feel. Brazil's other side of the earth. So I
don't know what I'm getting, but I thought last night
was spectacular.
Speaker 6 (10:20):
I would largely agree with spectacular night, but I.
Speaker 7 (10:23):
Totally disagree with your Lamar Jackson take. I mean, you're like,
how many guys can do that?
Speaker 6 (10:28):
What did he do? Miss receivers open in the end zone?
Speaker 1 (10:31):
Well, that was that was a He did miss one.
Speaker 6 (10:32):
Receiver one for five on deep ball vase. I mean
that was he was off all right.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
But it should be noted the Mahomes had maybe one
of his worst picks at midfield and almost had a second.
Lamar didn't. Lamar missed somebody in the end zone.
Speaker 7 (10:46):
You forgot the Lamar fumble, you know. But I mean, again,
what's what taking all these hits?
Speaker 6 (10:50):
Colin? Who does he think he is? I was done?
That's not sustainable.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
Well it's not. But you have to remember sometimes certain
opponents are different, right, Like there are certain opponents in
your life. They're your rival games. I think Mahomes, I
think Josh Allen is gonna he's gonna take more hits
against Mahomes. I think if Josh Allen is playing Miami
in Tua, he gotta step out of bounds. You're not
(11:15):
gonna take the hit. But I think I think if
you go to Manning or Big Ben and Brady in
those games, you're just you're gonna you're gonna put yourself
out there more. And I think I think both Mahomes
I mean, look at look at Mahomes and Super Bowls.
He's been hobbling on the field in the fourth quarters
of games.
Speaker 6 (11:31):
Super Bowl versus Game one.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
But I mean, this is not a difficult one. This
isn't a big lift. There are moments in sports when
you're playing Arrival Duke in Carolina, Michigan, Ohio State, you're
just gonna put your body at risk that you probably
wouldn't other times. I mean, John Harbaugh's going forward at midfield,
there are other situations he wouldn't go for. It's not
smart to do at Arrowhead Stadium with Patrick Mahomes on
(11:54):
the other side. But you kind of look at you,
you kind of look at Lamar and you're thinking, this
kid has earned this. Yeah, So you just I think
when you face rivals, it's like you don't play the Masters,
like like you play the Bwick Open, Like there are
moments where you've got to be dialed in, you've got
to be rested you've got to have the best caddie.
(12:14):
There are certain clubs you're not gonna use. Like it's
just last night is as good as the NFL gets,
and Lamar's like, hey, I'm I'm leaving it all out
here tonight. I don't think he's gonna have sixteen carries
against the Steelers in Week nine when they're maybe three
and six.
Speaker 6 (12:30):
I would hope not. But I just wonder does Lamar
have that sense?
Speaker 7 (12:33):
Hey man, we lost the AFC Championship game because I
didn't get to be me. I'm gonna do me this season,
and I'm gonna carry us on our back.
Speaker 6 (12:40):
He's just not built for them. He's too slight. Colin
those hits he was taking lof he wasn't even getting
out of bounce.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
No, no, no, no.
Speaker 6 (12:47):
I don't think he slid once in the entire game.
What are you doing?
Speaker 1 (12:50):
Well? I think I think we've seen this in college
where C. J. Stroud did not run remember the entire year,
and then they faced Georgia and it's like, Okay, this
is different. Justin Herbert Rose Bowl, didn't run all year.
They played Wisconsin last game, this is different. This is
obviously the first game, not the last game. But I
think Kansas City Baltimore. I think for Baltimore, this game
(13:11):
is different. You're just gonna do stuff. Guys are gonna
play hurt, Guys are gonna play longer. Got the NFL.
If you know I said it, I can say it
a thousand times. This league, this product is There's a
reason it's lapping the field. This product is so good.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and Noone Eastern non am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (13:39):
Here we go, blazing five, fire away.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
Let's blaze it up, Fired up. It's Collins blazing fuck.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
Titans at Bears, all right, I am going to take
the Titans plus three and a half at Chicago. Both
teams undefeat in the preseason. Will Levis now has actual weapons.
Tony Pollard, Calvin Ridley, Lagerius Snead, It's a whole new
(14:09):
coaching staff. All Tennessee has heard all off season is
how they're gonna get run out of the building by
this frena phenom. By the way, the Bears never open
well two to eight in their last ten openers. They
had the fewest sacks last year. In the last couple
of years in the NFL. Also, the number one pick
(14:30):
as a rookie quarterback in the common draft era is
four fifteen to one in the opener nine straight since
David Carr won. Bottom line here is I think maybe
if they played in six weeks it would be different. Way,
way too much hype. You can get this at plus
(14:51):
four and a lot of places shop the number. I'm
gonna take the Titans to up set the Chicago Bears.
The final score twenty six to twenty four, Panthers at six.
I like the Panthers plus four. In fact, I think
they could win. You may want to bet money line.
(15:13):
They've got a new head coach, Dave Kanalis. He's the
one that gave Baker Mayfield that great season last year.
For Baker, they have upgraded on the O line, ed rusher.
Wide receiver Bryce Young in the last month last year
was not terrible, completed sixty five percent of his throws
mid eighty passer rating with a battle line in bad receivers.
(15:33):
Dennis Allen, I think argument worst coach in the league
on the hot seat. Their offensive line was second worst
in the league and they didn't generate a pass rush
the Panthers defense. Even last year, though it was on
the field constantly, the Panthers defense was top five and
six in many categories. The Panthers win this game outright.
(15:55):
Take the points twenty four to twenty. Ronco's at Seahawks.
I'm gonna take Seattle minus six. I can think Bonnicks
is gonna have a good year and also think this
is a terrible spot. Gino Smith has had back to
back Pro Bowl years. He's a grown up, he's an adult.
He won't be nervous, and he's at home. Mike McDonald
(16:16):
is the new Seahawks coach. He is a whiz defensively.
The Ravens had the number one scoring defense with him.
Seattle's got the weapons here Kenneth Walker, DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett,
Jason Smith, nigbah Noah Fan Denver. Meanwhile, defense struggles rookie
on the road by the way, first round rookie quarterbacks
(16:39):
in Week one, not taking number one, but just first
round rookie quarterbacks in Week one thirteen twenty six and
one all time passer rating at sixty nine. The Seahawks win.
It's close to the line twenty seven to twenty. Take
Seattle minus the points to cover and win. Ramsaid liars,
(17:01):
I usually don't do this, but I'm gonna take the
Lions minus four and a half. The line was better.
I'll tell you why I'm gonna thread the needle here
in five weeks, I wouldn't do this. Rams. Oh line's
a mess. They're moving their center to guard their right tackle.
Their best O lineman may not play. They're left tackle.
They're using a backup, and Detroit's pass rush has been
the talk of their camp. This is a team in Detroit,
(17:26):
more players in their prime. Rams are a very young team.
Jared Goff at Home is forty two and nine in
the Think about that, Jared Goff at Home last two
seasons forty two and nine touchdown interception not his record
forty two touchdowns, nine picks. He is a great indoor quarterback.
He is a great home quarterback. And Matt Stafford is
an older quarterback. And I love Matt, but last year
(17:48):
he only completed sixty three percent of his throws. Poka
Naku has been banged up, Cooper Cup's coming off an injury.
I do not like the Rams in this spot, in
this moment, in a month, I'd take the points. I
think the Lions win and I think they cover thirty
to twenty four. Detroit Jet sent forty nine ers very
(18:09):
close game. I'm taking the points. Take the Jets plus
four and a half. I think it comes down to
a field goal at the very end. But you got
to take the Jets. Listen, they won three of their
last five last year, and they were terrible at quarterback.
They've added Mike Williams, a couple of offensive linemen. Hassan
Reddick won't play, he will eventually. This should be a
good team. Their offensive line features three new starters. I'm
(18:30):
okay with that because they're upgrades in all of them.
And now Elijah Vera Tucker is healthy, Garrett Wilson, Breese Hall.
They have big time playmakers the Niners. McCaffrey's Heerd, Trent
Williams just got into camp super noisy. The Ricky Pearsall incident,
I don't like him in the spot again. What I
feel differently a month and a half from now, I
think the Niners are going to start slow. If you
(18:52):
look at the Jets defense last season, and again they
were on the field the whole year. Top two and
three in many categories. Now they get an off, it's
a more rested defense. I like the Jets to cover.
I'm gonna go Niners to win twenty four to twenty three.
But I think if you look, if there's a time
to beat the Niners in this spot, it is now.
(19:13):
They've been a circus for a month now. I'm not
saying that Jets don't have issues, but the Jets feel
like outside of Hassan Reddick, we haven't heard much in
the last three weeks. Oh there's a book on Aaron Rodgers. Okay,
he didn't write it. I kind of feel like the
Jets noise has subsided. I mean, I got San Francisco stuff.
I still don't know if Brandon I who likes his contract.
(19:37):
So there we go. The blazing five in review. I'm
gonna take the Titans, Panthers, and Jets as dogs and
the Seahawks and Lions as favorite again. Week one is different.
I'm betting against a rookie quarterback because I think Bonnicks
is gonna be over we That's one of the loudest stadiums,
(19:59):
one of the best defensive young coaches. That is a
top spot for him.
Speaker 2 (20:04):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and Noone Eastern, Non a EM Pacific.
Speaker 8 (20:09):
He's Mike Carmen, I'm Dan Bayern. We have a fantasy
football podcast called I Want Your Flex.
Speaker 2 (20:15):
That's right Dan.
Speaker 9 (20:15):
Every week we're gonna scour the waiver wire to find
the pickups to turbo boost your fantasy lineup, sit starts,
fantasy football players rankings to get you ready to dominate
the competition.
Speaker 8 (20:27):
Listen to I Want Your Flex with Mike Carmon and
meet Dan Byer on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts and
wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 1 (20:34):
All right, Peter Schrager Fox NFL kickoff Sundays eleven am
on Fox. You'll see him week after week. We're lucky
enough about once a month he's going to be out
here in Los Angeles and we'll try to put him
on the in our chairs. Fox Sports Insider, excellent at
what he does and breaking stories. And I know we'll
get to this in a second. You pick your Super
Bowl teams every year, and I don't disagree with the picks.
(20:55):
I want to start with Kansas City. I've said this
over and over. I think last year was the year
to beat him, but he could. I watched them last
night and I'm like, yeah, that's that offense is now good, right,
like better.
Speaker 5 (21:06):
Shame on thirty one NFL teams.
Speaker 10 (21:08):
Shame on them because you have a team that last
year could not go vertical, could had no speed, and
they allowed them with the ability to trade up with
one of their competitors, the Buffalo Bills twenty eighth to
get the fastest player in the NFL draft, maybe the
fastest player to enter the NFL in twenty years, and
immediately you saw the impact. He was a blurn last night,
(21:30):
it was just a taste. They're still learning that offense. Yeah,
Marquise Hollywood Brown is coming. He is one of the
other fastest players. Now they have these deep threats that
can go, and then you saw Rice over the middle.
The NFL had a window last year where the Chiefs
were down. They had to win two games on the
road in the playoffs and they couldn't put them away.
And I think they're gonna better on offense this year.
Speaker 5 (21:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
I mean, that's my takeaway is nobody plays in the preseason,
so you feel like last night, I'm like, it's still
very experimental and I'm like, if that's the experiment and
that Ravens defense is good, Yeah, that's Kyle Hamilton may
be the best safety in the sport out.
Speaker 10 (22:01):
And the Chiefs went out there and they started a
second round pick at left tackle, and he held his
own against one of the best defensive line. It's a
couple of years ago the Chiefs had a draft and
in that same draft class, they got McDuffie, who I
think might be the best cornerback in football. They got
Carl aaftis one of the best young rushers. They got
Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith, and they got Pachaco. Other
teams don't draft this way. And if you wonder, like, well,
(22:23):
why are the Chiefs so because they let Willie Gay walk,
they let Lugerius Sneed walk, and they replenish and they
fill the cupboard. They're so talented top to bottom. And
it's like Kelsey didn't have a big game last night.
Speaker 1 (22:33):
They need him to had one big cast.
Speaker 5 (22:36):
And that's the Chiefs. They're still going to find a way.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
You are higher on the Jets, you have him as
a number one seed. I've said before, I think Miami
and the Jets go down to the final weekend for
the playoffs. Wouldn't surprise me. If they're in, I'll take Miami.
But I don't see either as a super Bowl team.
Speaker 10 (22:50):
You do why I've been Maybe it's the bias that
I was at the Jets camp quite a bit. I
called one of their preseason games. I am it is
like watching the varsity team play the varsity team in
practice every day. At those Jets games, they are so
loaded on both sides.
Speaker 5 (23:05):
Of the ball.
Speaker 10 (23:05):
And j Mack, I know you have a long history
with the Jets as well, and you as a Jets fan,
you want to don't say any of this in August
or September, like I don't let me see it first.
They won seven games last year with unspeakably bad quarterback play.
Tim Boyle no longer playing, Trevor Simeon no longer in
the NFL, Zach Wilson a third string quarterback. They also
had twenty different offensive linemen suit up for them.
Speaker 5 (23:27):
In big games.
Speaker 10 (23:29):
You add an Aaron Rodgers, who's one of the most
accurate quarterbacks of all time. Who I'm telling you from
what I see again, I'm not an achilles doctor. I
couldn't tell you if he goes, he looks amazing. I've
been a practice looking like he is so dialed in,
and you add him to a guys like Breis Hall
and Garrett Wilson and then the defense is outstanding. So
to me, on paper, there's no reason this team shouldn't
(23:49):
win double digit games, and there's no reason this team
can't run away with the AFC.
Speaker 5 (23:53):
If there's they're all biting at each other in those
other divisions.
Speaker 1 (23:56):
Is there a team, Shrigs, you're higher on than the
overall consensus among others.
Speaker 5 (24:02):
I go way over on the Seattle Seahawks.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
A lot of that's very interesting. Was a somebody I
talked to, Yeah, you're into them?
Speaker 5 (24:10):
What is it with them?
Speaker 10 (24:12):
Pete Carroll's a Hall of Fame coach. Pete Carroll is
one of the greatest coaches to ever coach in the NFL.
It was in his seventies and the guys had been
hearing the new blood, thirty seven year old head coach
and Mike McDonald who comes in with a defensive scheme
that cause fits.
Speaker 5 (24:27):
Around the league.
Speaker 10 (24:28):
And I can tell you immediately these defenders who are
talking from Seattle saying it is different what we have
going on and then for the offensive coordinator job, they
go up to the University of Washington. They hire a
college offensive coordinator to come in Grub who last year
was the guy who drew up this offense with Pennox
and a Doonsay and mcmellan and Poulkin, Washington was the
most fun team to watch. They have all these weapons,
(24:50):
no one And I'm telling you, the vibes are electric
in Seattle right now. And I'm a Geno guy. I
know we've been down the road, like Gino Smith. That
sounds like a back end of comment. Geni Smith is
not gonna lose you.
Speaker 5 (24:59):
Any in the NFL.
Speaker 10 (25:01):
I think in the Niners vibes, I'm not sure what's
going on there. The Rams obviously are going to be
in the mix. I would not be shocked if we're
talking about Seattle as a division winner in the NFC West.
Speaker 1 (25:11):
Yeah, I would say. John Snyder almost leapt a couple
of years ago because he wanted more control. He almost
took the GM job in Detroit. He stayed the last
two drafts. Dude, there's like dudes everywhere everywhere. I mean
like he got two backs, two receivers, two corners.
Speaker 10 (25:26):
And this kid this year, This Byron Murphy, this defensive
tackles out of Texas. There were no defensive players drafted
in the first fourteen picks of the NFL Draft.
Speaker 5 (25:36):
One of the weirdest drafts ever. It was all quarterbacks.
Speaker 10 (25:38):
Offensive lineman Seattle was shocked that he was sitting there
when they picked, and they got him, and he's immediately
going to make an impact, you know.
Speaker 1 (25:46):
I was saying, if you look at the history of
not only rookie quarterbacks in Week one, but number one picks.
David Carr's the last number one is that right twenty
two years ago.
Speaker 5 (25:57):
Beat the Cowboys. I remember that game.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
That is the last number one pick quarterback to win
his opener. And I said, shrikes. Tennessee has been watching
TV for six months and being told this is the
new Mahomes.
Speaker 5 (26:11):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (26:11):
And I'm like, the Titans are this quiet? Sit quiet
with all these new, smart, young offensive pieces. This is
my upside.
Speaker 10 (26:23):
I love this column that the Hard Knocks thing is real.
You watch Hard Knocks and even if you just see
the clips online, you're like, oh, this is this is Mahomes.
Speaker 5 (26:31):
This guy's unbelievable. And the way it's edited and the
way they work on it.
Speaker 10 (26:35):
Caleb comes across as so darn likable on this show
that you're like, oh, he's gonna lift all boats. But
the truth of the matter is Caleb Williams has not
taken an NFL snapping or rather season game. The other
quarterbacks in that room are Tyson Bagent and Austin Reid,
a second year guy in another undrafted rookie.
Speaker 5 (26:50):
There's no veteran voice in his ear, like it might
not be as smooth as everyone's expecting it to be.
Speaker 10 (26:56):
Meanwhile, Tennessee line in the Weeds, new coaching staff, a
bunch of new players, Like you're saying they could come
out there. I like that as an upset special. Chicago's
really good on paper, and they were really impressive on
hard knocks and in the preseason. But what a letdown
would be if at home in his debut after all
this hype, they laid an egg against.
Speaker 1 (27:15):
The Titans Tonight's interesting. Games in Europe always are a
little wonky. Now we're talking about other side of the planet,
and I'm sitting here thinking, you got the Sirianni heat
Green Bay. I think will be fine. They're the young
guys travel well they're gonna have a ball and they're
staying like two hours from the city. They're Green Bay
(27:37):
is gonna be fine. They're Philadelphia, I said earlier. They're
very unique in the NFL. There's a difference between impulsive
and decisive. They're the only really well run team that
moves off talented people regularly.
Speaker 5 (27:52):
There's a short, short runway with them, and.
Speaker 1 (27:54):
That would lead you to believe they're the Colts or
they're David Tepper, and it's like, no, that's impulsive. They're
They're usually right, you know, they're they're like offensive coaches.
Chip Kelly was veteran college even though he was winning.
Doug Peterson probably wore out as welcome. Carson Wentz it
was time and you're like, they're not impulsive, they're decisive.
(28:16):
I don't know though this year Seraani hurts the relationship.
You're close to this is it better than we think
or worse? Where do you land on it?
Speaker 10 (28:27):
Last year, how they ended the season, it was as
catastrophic a situation in the league that you could imagine.
Speaker 5 (28:33):
This was a team that was ten and one and
it wasn't good enough.
Speaker 10 (28:36):
They fired their defensive coordinator or removed him or reassigned
him at ten and one.
Speaker 5 (28:40):
Then they went on to lose all those games.
Speaker 10 (28:42):
And I don't even think anyone remembers they lost to
Baker Mayfield in a playoff game thirty two to nine.
Speaker 5 (28:47):
Like it was like it's like a blur it.
Speaker 10 (28:51):
The search for offensive coordinator was fascinating this year. Just
about everybody interviewed for that job. Kingsbury came through a
lot of different Kellen Moore came through, and the ad
the case and you know, Sirianni is an offensive head coach,
and Kellen Moore comes in with this great resume and
this ability to be a quarterback whisper, and like Kellen
Moore is gonna have this huge responsibility on the defensive side.
Speaker 1 (29:12):
There's no more.
Speaker 5 (29:13):
Let's try to mix and match with these Let's go.
Speaker 10 (29:15):
Get Vic Fangio, one of the great NFL defensive head
coaches and one of the great defensive coordinators.
Speaker 5 (29:20):
Of our time.
Speaker 10 (29:21):
And it's like these two guys are gonna play the
biggest role in this thing. And oh yeah, by the way,
we're gonna add Saquon and we're gonna add all these
different young pieces in the defensive backfield, which was their
disastrous spot. My biggest question is if things don't start
off hot for Hertz, is Sirianni dealing with every week
questions about the hot seat, and if things don't start
(29:41):
out hot at the offensive line, is that, oh my gosh,
they were all about Jason Kelcey and that's it tonight.
Speaker 5 (29:48):
I think the Eagles take care of business. I really do.
Speaker 10 (29:50):
I think they come in here after a whole off
season of hearing it what they can't do, They're gonna
remind people what they can do. And I also think
a huge part of this stadium, sixty two thousand. I
think the Eagles fans all travel from what I hear,
there are Eagles fans who made this trip. I don't
know if the Packers fans are gonna show out in
this game.
Speaker 1 (30:08):
So you make an annual prediction, and I don't know
how many years you've been right, and you did it
on Good Morning Football, So you're not unveiling it here.
You've already done this on the internet. So can I ask,
can you can you tell our audience again what that is.
Speaker 10 (30:21):
My annual prediction? The last three years, I've gotten it
right with the matchups right. This year, I went out
and I said, on a big shocker, the Chiefs are
going to win again. And I don't want to call
it the three pete pat Riley trademark that we can't
make money off that.
Speaker 5 (30:33):
It's the Chief's pete.
Speaker 10 (30:34):
Okay, okay, And they're gonna beat the Green Bay Packers
and a sending team that I think Lafleur is going
to have to go through his old colleagues McVeigh, his
old colleague Shanahan, and he's gonna have to go win,
probably in Detroit. I think Detroit's going to maybe be
the better regular season team, but I'm in on Green Bay.
I think that how they finished the season last year
(30:54):
with that win in Dallas then can take a numpressive
awesome and they're just scratching the service and the way
it is there. I know those guys really will and
they hired Halfley as their defensive coordinator there.
Speaker 5 (31:06):
They draft guys who aren't reading their headlines, they.
Speaker 10 (31:09):
Draft guys who are overlooked, and all those guys have
this giant chip on their shoulder, including their new running back.
Speaker 5 (31:15):
I think might tear it up this season.
Speaker 1 (31:17):
Josh Jacobs, Yeah, no, it's you know, I was saying,
I'm not sure there's a better team in this sport,
and there's some many that do it pretty well, that
draft and develop, And in a strange way, shrigs it's
an advantage not having an owner because they're never impulsive.
Speaker 10 (31:38):
Ever, absolutely right, and they let these guys develop. They
let the coaches, coach Mark Murphy, Mark Murphy, of course,
you know, you go through all the different you know,
general manager stuff that they've had over the years, whether
it was Ted Thompson and then of course Goody now
like it's they they're willing to face the heat from
the fans too. You know, we look at it now, like, oh,
(31:59):
of course the moved on from Rogers and what a
what a gutsy decision to not let Aaron Rodgers keep
them hanging in the balance. They did it, and they
did the same exact thing with Farv And if you're
a Lions fan or a Bears fan or a Vikings fan,
you're like, what deal did they sign with the devil
that they get to now have this guy for the
next fifteen years?
Speaker 5 (32:19):
And like they they see it in practice every day.
Speaker 10 (32:22):
They traded Aaron Rodgers away, the greatest quarterback of his generation,
you know, most skilled one. Of course, you can say
Brady's the best, but this is a guy that as
far as talent goes, and they were.
Speaker 5 (32:31):
Like, we're good, We're gonna go with the other guy.
And it worked out, which is just an amazing gamble
and they don't get enough credit for that.
Speaker 1 (32:38):
Peter Schrager, Fox Sports and FL. He'll be on the
Kickoff Sundays at eleven a m. Eastern on Fox. Now,
you'll be out here about once a month.
Speaker 5 (32:47):
I think once a month.
Speaker 10 (32:48):
We're figuring that out from the NFL network side, but
all about I will be out here every single weekend
for Fox NFL Kickoff, which I'm I'm excited for.
Speaker 5 (32:55):
You know, we're competitive. I think our pregame show is
as good as any and you know.
Speaker 1 (32:58):
You know what, it got really good when they booted me.
Speaker 10 (33:00):
No, I was going to say, Colin, it started I
miss you on that desk. We would all be at
the time and Colin just comes in and say, you
know what.
Speaker 7 (33:08):
I think.
Speaker 5 (33:09):
I think in a supermarket, Belichick is kind of like
the guy and I'm.
Speaker 6 (33:12):
Like, yeah, call him go.
Speaker 9 (33:13):
I like it.
Speaker 1 (33:14):
They said I had to keep wearing a tie, and
I'm like hire Schreger.
Speaker 6 (33:17):
Are you wearing were you wearing?
Speaker 9 (33:18):
Times?
Speaker 5 (33:19):
Suits and times?
Speaker 1 (33:20):
You know what's funny, but it for years I told management,
I said, get Schreger on this show. He breaks news.
I just break jokes. Let him break news.
Speaker 5 (33:26):
You're amazing at what you do and you were great
on that show.
Speaker 1 (33:29):
You know that, Peter Schrager. We'd love to have you
every time you're in time.
Speaker 5 (33:31):
Absolutely. I love being here.
Speaker 1 (33:32):
You know that,
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Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
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