October 17, 2024 • 41 mins
Colin continues to be amazed by the Dodgers dominance in the postseason despite the injuries to their starting pitching. He tries to envision Bill Belichick working with Jerry Jones as the head coach of the Cowboys but foresees too many issues to overcome. Plus, Greg Cosell from NFL Films joins the show to tell Colin what Caleb Williams has improved on since his early season struggles
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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 3 (00:27):
Here we go. It is the Herd. It's on a Thursday.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Things in LA are good today this morning, live in
Los Angeles.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
It's the Herd.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Wherever you may be and however you may be listening,
Thanks for making us part of your day. One hour
from now, Greg Cosel, if you bet fantasy football, just
bet football.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Want to get smarter.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Greg Cosell stops by as he always does on Thursday,
to break down what he is seeing objectively on film.
So last night I sat there almost j Mack watching
the Dodgers. If you really look at what has happened
this year with the injuries to the staff, they are
missing a great rotation and a bullpen that are not available.
(01:13):
This is why front offices matter. And by the way,
payroll pay. Yes, but This is why that last night
defines the Dodgers. So let's talk about that. Walker Buehler,
the bullpen, Key k Hernandez, Sho Hey, Otani, Max Muncy.
Everything clicked on the road against a very good Mets team.
(01:36):
Remember the year Carson Wentz got hurt. The Eagles were
so well constructed, their roster was so good that Carson
Wentz was having an MVP season, gets hurt at the
most crucial position. Not only do they beat the Vikings
thirty eight to seven in the NFC Championship, they beat
the Patriots and they don't punt against Belichick. Remember that
(01:58):
team so well constructed that despite losing a quarterback, they
won a Super Bowl with Nick Foles. That's what the
Dodgers are. Look at what they're missing on their staff,
Shoe heey O, Tani, Tyler glassnew Kershaw, Dustin May, Gavin Stone,
Joe Kelly. If you add up what they're missing, it's
twelve All Star appearances, three Cy Youngs, MVPs, multiple World
(02:20):
Series titles. They have no business being here. It could
be worse. They're Ace Yamamoto, he got hurt. Thankfully he's back.
But last night was classic Dodgers Walker Buehler, he has
had a really rough couple of years. Second inning, bases loaded,
he punches out the final two batters, including the great
(02:41):
Francisco Lindor, gets out of the inning, and then the
Dodgers bullpen five stingy innings. Who are these guys backing up? Backups?
Guys they've had to figure out And this was the
front office comes into play. These are not guys you
thought you'd have to depend on. In fact, the Dodgers
became I thin, it's the first team all time to
(03:02):
give you three scoreless postseason appearances. Otani's now hitting always
with men on base, Key k Hernandez because of an injury,
He's now been inserted into the lineup. He wasn't gonna
play this much. So it's just it's just remarkable to
watch what the Dodgers are doing here. Uh it's it's bullpen,
it's Walker Buehler. Uh, it's it's Dave Roberts. It's an
(03:26):
incredible front office. And this is where stability matters. This
is where the R and d uh, this is where
your minor league system, this is where having depth matters. Yeah,
you can say it's all about money, but the Yankees
have had money forever. There's a lot that Atlanta has
had money forever. The Dodgers have had money forever. But
in crisis, any real reeltor can sell a house when
(03:49):
the market's hot and the interest rates are low, any
reeltor can sell it. Try selling homes when the market's crashing.
What you're watching with the Dodgers should not be happening there.
They are pitching injuries. They shouldn't be here. And let's
let's watch Key k Hernandez and show hey Otani.
Speaker 4 (04:09):
It's a drive left field. Nimo's going back, He's on
the track, he's at the wall. Is gone. Kick k
Hernandez again. There's a towering drive down the line. Otani's
(04:32):
broken through. It is gone. I'm majestic. Home run into
the second deck seven to nothing in LA first team.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
In Major League history with three eight run shutouts in
a single postseason, and that is incredible. And Walker Buehler,
here's the guy. Tommy John surgery. He was this kid
that comes into the organization. And this is what we've
been talking about the last two years with the Dodgers.
They can't keep pictures healthy. I'm blaming anybody nobody's healthy.
I gave you the list. It's incredible. I mean it
(05:04):
would be like losing you know, seventy percent of your
offensive line, your top two receivers and having a chance
to win a Super Bowl. I mean even Patrick Mahomes
lost his left tackle, after losing his right tackle, goes
to a Super Bowl, gets blown out. Even Andy Reid,
Patrick Mahlmes, we can't solve it. How are they here?
What are they doing? That's second inning for Walker Bueller.
That is the stuff legends are made of, struggling, scrapping.
(05:26):
Then he gets five innings from that Dodger bullpen. It's
just incredible. Here was Walker after.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
It's been a long road.
Speaker 5 (05:34):
It's been a hard year for me in the past
couple of years are hard in different ways, but being
back and not being successful sucks. And you know, I
think I've kind of looked those playoffs or the end
of the year. For me, it was trying to make
the playoff offser first, and now it's trying to win
a big game in the arc. And when the stakes
(05:54):
are that big, I think for me that it makes
everything else feel really small and whatever I had during
the year are kind of gone.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Yeah, It's amazing when you get these big payroll teams
in Major League Baseball, and you can go back to
the great Yankee teams with Bernie and Jeter and Pasada,
and there was always a Scott Brocious that you could
throw in, or there was there was somebody that wasn't
his high profile and a lot of these great baseball
teams that have all this money. And you look at
the Dodgers and they spend a billion dollars and pushed
(06:23):
it down the road. But they have had a lot
of turbulence this year, a lot of injuries to deal with,
and last night was sort of the classic patchwork, make
it work, bullpen, Bueler gets out of a jam. Key
k Hernandez is now playing much more than he was
scheduled too because of another injury, and everybody is seemingly
delivering in the biggest spots. It's something to behold. Okay,
(06:48):
So yesterday I suggested bad bad week, bad bad week
for Jerry Jones team, worst loss home loss in Jerry
Jones history as an owner dating back to nineteen eighty nine,
and that's saying something first yeary, but the team they
were one and fifteen. So this past week and they
just keep getting blown out at home. It's the Saints,
it's the Ravens, it's the Packers last year. I mean,
it doesn't matter. It's Detroit this weekend. And then he
(07:10):
goes on and interviewed this week, and he picks on
some local radio hosts in Dallas and I should replace
you guys, because they're asking legitimate questions like they should.
They're not house guys, they're not pomp palm waivers. They're
asking the question. I mean, we're all conduits here, right
like media people are essentially conduits if we serve a
certain purpose, whether you like us or not. And all
(07:31):
the Dallas radio guys were doing was being conduits to
all the questions all the fans in Dallas have about
the organization. And Jerry got pissy, and now the city
is all over Jerry Jones. So I suggested yesterday their
biggest problem is that they don't even stack up. Forget
the AFC, forget the Ravens and the Bills and the
Chiefs and the Texans. They don't even stack up to
San Francisco, Green Bay, Detroit. If you watch Green Bay
(07:52):
and all their weapons, it's incredible. It's like an all
star team of young guys, none of them getting paid. Yet.
They're all excellent San Francisco, Hall of famers everywhere Detroit,
San Francisco. But a younger version Dallas doesn't stack up.
They need a big swing trade. Micah is my suggestion,
Get another first round pick. You have two first round picks.
Go get another receiver. Go get the running back from
(08:13):
Boise State. Give Dak help. You're already invested in Dak.
You've got to get him help and make that contract
work Forget your defense. Nobody's winning super Bowls with defense.
If that was the case, the Steelers would be stacking
him in the last decade. Make your offense viable. You're
already committed to Dak. Get somebody next to Zach Martin
on the interior. Go get another receiver, get a top
tight end, Go get a running back. Flood the market offense,
(08:36):
pay for it. Whatever. But Albert Breer come on the
show yesterday and suggested there is another way to make
up ground on the Packers or the Niners or the
Lions in the NFC.
Speaker 6 (08:50):
Bill Belichick would give them that credibility again, and Bill
Belichick would probably give them the ability to manage some
of these things and make it a decision on Michael
Parsons whether you trade him or sign him long term,
and then wind and then go and build a middle class.
Speaker 7 (09:07):
They need foot soldiers.
Speaker 6 (09:08):
They have the big pieces, you know, and Bill Belichick's
always been really good at building that part of the team.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
He would definitely Belichick would shore up the defense. There
are pieces, But Belichick is nobody's puppet. Charlotte Jones, Stephen Jones,
Jerry Jones, Jerry Jones Junior, multiple Jones, too many Joneses,
too many keeping up with the Joneses. There's no way
Belichick's going to be a puppet.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
You know.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
If you go look at Belichick's draft room in New England,
it was him his dog in a small.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
Room in Nantucket. That was the draft room.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
If you go and look at Dallas's draft room, it's
like a Game of Thrones council meeting.
Speaker 3 (09:47):
It's like, yeah, that that's.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
Not gonna work. That's not gonna work. Big family, Hey Bill,
We're going to draft a tight end. Whether you like
it or not. That's not gonna work. So and also,
I don't like the idea that they if you think
about it, what Albert Brer says it would give them credibility. Well,
it would, I'm not denying that, but so did Jimmy
Johnson and Bill Parcells.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
How did it end.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
You can't hire a coach because he gives you credibility.
You have to hire a coach who is offensively dynamic,
because that's where the league's turned, who doesn't have to
control personnel and is comfortable with you running the draft.
The Cowboys don't draft terribly. They have misses like everybody else.
They're not a terrible draft team. I don't know if
they develop guys. They tend to overpay guys, but they
(10:31):
draft pretty well. But the intention in the NFL is
get good on offense, get your quarterback. So between Jerry
and Dak there are major roadblocks here. My take is,
since you have invested in Dak, I wouldn't have spent that,
but since you did, you've got to make it work.
Like you see companies do this all the time. They
(10:52):
invest in some new technology, Apple invests. Okay, now you
got to make it work. You have to go get
a star running back. I suggested Derek Henry last year
would cost to eight million at the trade deadline.
Speaker 3 (11:04):
You wouldn't do it.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
You got to get another receiver across from CD LAMB.
Zach Martin's getting old. Make sure you get a top
flight center. You have to may have to pay for
that on the market, but once you've invested in DAK,
you have to make it work. You can't just hire somebody.
I mean, Mike Vrabel's my choice for all these openings.
Last year, I said, get Harball will be the best
(11:25):
coach on the market, Chargers hire him. I think Vrabel's
the best coach in the market. I don't know if
he wants the Jets or wants the Cowboy. He's younger
than Belichick. He doesn't have the need to control the
personnel to the same level as Belichick. Bill would be
fine Rabel, in my opinion, the energy, the youth, working
with others would be better. But if you're just hiring
for credibility or that's not the answer, that just doesn't work.
(11:50):
J Mack, I gotta tell you this. Postseason baseball I've
said this before. Baseball playoffs are a lot like the
World Cup. For me, I turn it on. Look, I
can just go okay, I'm into the World Cup for
three weeks. These baseball playoffs. The games haven't necessarily been close,
but the story's been fascinating. I find what the Dodgers
are doing. I know, I know they spend a lot
of money. I mean the pitching staff that's not available.
(12:12):
It's insane.
Speaker 8 (12:13):
It is weird.
Speaker 9 (12:14):
I think three of the teams left are the highest
pay roles in baseball Yankees, Mets, and Dodgers. It is interesting, though,
Spend spend money, have success.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
You know.
Speaker 8 (12:23):
That's kind of the recipe in baseball.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
Well, outside of the NFL, essentially every other league, from
the WNBA to the NBA to college football to college
basketball is driven by stars in market. Like Duke basketball
gets you a number. When Duke gets knocked out of
the tournament, it hurts the overall number. North Carolina basketball
helps the overall number. In college football, Texas plays Ohio
(12:49):
State in the National Championship. It will be the highest
rated national championship since usc Texas that which got a
twenty two rating, which is like an NFL playoff game rating.
Once you got the big brands out and you went Southern,
it's down to sixteen seventeen. So everything is based on
market share or market size. So yes, the Dodgers Yankee.
(13:11):
I don't think the subway series works. I think the Yankees.
I think the Dodgers have more stars, more established stars,
o Tani, Freeman, Betts, the more established stars for the rating.
The Mets are a great story and a great team
in Lindor is amazing, but it's Dodgers. Yankees feel much
bigger to me. You go around the world. I know
(13:31):
you're a big traveler.
Speaker 9 (13:32):
You go to airports, You're gonna see Dodgers hats, probably
gonna see Yankee hats when you're talking about baseball. Those
are the two of the best brands, the strongest brands
in major Well, if.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
You walk around Los Angeles, all you see is Dodger hats.
You don't see Laker hats. You don't see us. You
see Dodger hats everywhere. The Red Sox had a moment
in time. You know, I always said the Yankees. Red
Sox is the difference between Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts. The
Red Sox are dunkin Donuts huge, huge in New England.
(14:01):
The further you get away, it gets smaller. Starbucks is
as big in Beijing as it is Boston, as it
is Boys.
Speaker 8 (14:11):
People will miss it out on dunkint Donuts, which.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
Is amazing, which is better. But it's i mean, the
Red Sox now are not part of the discussion. They're
like the Cowboys. Nobody's taking them seriously for a World one.
Speaker 8 (14:22):
New England falling on hard times.
Speaker 9 (14:23):
Outside of the Celtics Patriots, stink Red Sox not very good.
Speaker 8 (14:28):
Celtics are carrying.
Speaker 7 (14:29):
The torch for them.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
They are be sure to catch live editions of The
Herd weekdays in newon Eastern AM Pacific on Fox Sports
Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 3 (14:39):
It's interesting.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
We were just talking about this keyk Hernandez was on
the Dodger playoff roster but wasn't gonna play much, and
then Ross gets hurt and then they insert him in
and it's not like he's just been a replacement. He's
been substantial. So it's I mean, you got there was
a guy pitching a late inning yesterday we hadn't heard of.
It's like, it's just the Dodgers. Yes, they have big payroll,
(15:02):
but you can reduce a lot of it because it's
on the shelf. And they shut out a really good
Mets team who had been on fire. I mean, the
Mets beat Philadelphia, a team that early in the season
many thought would win the World Series. So Sean Payton,
it's homecoming tonight. He goes back to New Orleans, one
of the toughest places generally in the NFL to play.
So Sean Payton's going to come out tonight in flex
(15:22):
and be clever with bow knicks. But something happened. And
this has really been a trend. So last week, I
had said before my Blazing five, I think you see
this is the separation of the NFL. It's like Week
five and Week six. Best quarterbacks win games. Everybody's got film.
Defensive players get hurt more than offensive players do. Generally,
it's the more violent side of the ball. So defenses
(15:45):
they're not as good. Your best pass rusher like Detroit
gets hurt. Defenses get banged up, and it really becomes
about your coach, your offensive coordinator, the healthier old line,
and your quarterback. And so last week I don't remember
this ever being true. It may have been, but last
week the best quarterback went fourteen to zero. That's unheard of.
(16:07):
There's always an upset. So I said this week, if
you go to every game, including tonight, the best quarterback's
not gonna win every game this week.
Speaker 3 (16:15):
But I mean, you.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
Got Herbert, Kyler Murray, they're both good. You're gonna get
a couple of those, Goff and Darnold. But let's just
pick the best quarterback in the game and see how
it does this week. So here's the quarterback Colin's face off.
So let's start tonight bow Knicks and Spencer Rattler. So
I would take bow Nicks in Denver. In his last
four starts, seven total touchdowns and one turnover, So tonight
(16:38):
I would go bow Nicks. And then we have Drake May.
I mean, do you want to go in? So next
after that is Drake May and Trevor Lawrence. Well, Trevor
Lawrence is better than Drake May. Trevor Lawrence over his
last three starts, he does have a passer rating in
the hundreds. That it's Genosmith and Cousins. I would go
Kirk Cousins. I don't think there's any question more reliable
(17:02):
than it's Will Levis and Josh Allen. We're not gonna
spend a lot of time arguing about that one. I'm
gonna take Josh Allen. There By the way, Josh Allen's
the only starting quarterback in the league without an interception.
That's pretty crazy. Thirteen TD's no picks, so then we go.
Then it gets a little harder, well Burrow and Watson.
(17:23):
Burrow leads the NFL in passer rating, so that's not
a terribly difficult one. That one of the tougher ones
is Jordan Love and c J. Stroud, So I'm gonna
take Jordan Love because c J. Stroud has gotten into
a little bit of a turnover issue. He has Joe
Mixon back, but when he didn't in the run game struggled,
I would take him. I'm gonna take Anthony Richardson over
(17:43):
whoever's starting Huntley for the Miami Dolphins. Anthony Richardson has
a huge arm. He does lead the NFL in yards
per completion, which I would have never guessed. But he's
a big play player, so I would take him. Goff
and Darnald Goff's the better quarterback than Darnald Donald last
couple of week weeks, little little reckless, that's what he does,
(18:04):
so I would take him. Then you get into Jalen
Hurts and Daniel Jones. Hurts over the last couple of
games despite Nick Sirian. He's got a quarterback passer rating
at about one oh four. So I would absolutely take
Jalen Hurts. I don't think we need to spend a
lot of time on Matt Stafford against Aidan O'Connell. Aiden
O'Connell eleven games, has a losing record. That's an easy one.
I think that's my bet of the week. I'll take
the La Rams right there. Andy Dalton and Jayden Daniels. Again,
(18:28):
I don't think that's terribly close. Over the last six games.
Andy Dalton has infused some life into Carolina. He's one
in five in his last six starts. Not terribly difficult.
Mahomes and Purty. I know this is difficult for j Mack.
Mahomes a better quarterback, you know, and he'll probably.
Speaker 3 (18:44):
Win this game.
Speaker 1 (18:45):
And then we go up to Aaron Rodgers Russell Wilson.
I'm gonna go with Aaron Rodgers. He's getting Devonte Adams,
he has Garrett Wilson. I think they're gonna I think
they're gonna win this week. My second favorite bet Lamar
Jackson and Baker Mayfield. Baker's had a hell of a year,
but fourteen of his fifteen touchdown passes are in the pocket.
Lamar is good from the pocket and is the most exciting, versatile, twitchy,
(19:06):
athletic quarterback in the league. So again, not a knock
on Baker, but Lamar's about a quarterback. Kyler Murray and
Justin Herbert. Herbert has six t d's and a pick
under Jim Harbaugh in a good run game. I think
that's a go either way game. I just I can't
trust Kyler Murray. I think he's a remarkable talent. I
kind of think I know what I get when Justin
Herbert's healthy. So if you go, so j Mack, look
(19:28):
at all these picks, So we go. Let's go again,
we go, bow Knicks, Trevor Lawrence, Kirk Cousins, Josh Allen,
Jared Goff, Mahomes, Burrow, Jordan Love, Anthony Richardson, Jalen Hurt, Stafford,
Jayden Daniels, Mahomes, Aaron, Lamar, Herbert. Yeah, he tell me
where I'm wrong, Give me one where I'm wrong, like
(19:49):
you like the other teamation.
Speaker 9 (19:51):
Well, I'll tell you where I'm the best quarterback is
that career or this year?
Speaker 8 (19:57):
Six games? Just what they've done this year?
Speaker 3 (19:59):
Yeah, I mean, right now today, who's the best quarterback?
Speaker 9 (20:01):
Pretty should be the pickover Pats Mahomes. This year, he's
been better than Mahomes. Nobody every measure that matters.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
We don't do stats all the time. There are certain
stacks nobody thinks that's better. Okay, the stats are fantasy
nerd guy, I get it.
Speaker 3 (20:15):
He has a value in the system.
Speaker 1 (20:17):
But not a single person on the planet or GM
would say, you know, I don't need ma Homes.
Speaker 3 (20:21):
I'm gonna do brock Purty. So he's better quarterback, fair enough.
Speaker 1 (20:24):
There are numbers that matter, like Josh Allen thirteen ten.
He's no picks. That's a that's a number. He's really
gotten the reckless out.
Speaker 3 (20:31):
Of his game.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
I'll tell you the toughest one. But here's where one's
gonna lose rout. Jordan Love right now is a more
complete quarterback. He's much more athletic on the perimeter. Huh,
here's the one. So I'll tell you where I'm gonna
be wrong. My second or third favorite bet is Minnesota
beating Detroit. Detroit's off a huge win over the Cowboys.
(20:52):
You get an offensive coach off of bye, so Donald
I think will beat Detroit. Hutchinson's out, so Donald's gonna
have more time to throw. So that's with a better
quarterback golf, and I think GoF is less reckless.
Speaker 9 (21:04):
So this year you think Goff has definitely been better
than Darnolf.
Speaker 3 (21:07):
He went eighteen for eighteen in the game. He doesn't
make Seattle, Come on, who doesn't.
Speaker 8 (21:11):
Daniel Jones had a good game against Seattle.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
It's the NFL. You go eighteen for eighteen. No quarterback
in the history of the league had done eighteen.
Speaker 8 (21:20):
I to me, that's a coin flip. Just this year. Yes,
obviously golf has been better.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
I will say this. I think that Donald.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
People now have the film with he and Kevin O'Connell,
the slight regression with Sam Donald first couple of weeks.
There's some surprises and elements, but Sam is very Carson Wentz.
He gets banged up and he can be a little reckless,
and I think you're starting to see it. I think
they're gonna win twelve games. But I do think Jared Goff,
everybody has film on him. He still doesn't throw interceptions.
(21:49):
I mean even Mahomes throws picks this.
Speaker 8 (21:51):
Year against his pressure from Brian Flores.
Speaker 9 (21:53):
We'll see, By the way, you want to have fun
with someone. See if the Vikings win this game, Colin,
look at their next like five games.
Speaker 3 (22:00):
Oh no, it's doubles.
Speaker 8 (22:02):
You look at him, maybe ten eleven or zero for
the Vikings. For the Vikings if they ever able to
win this game.
Speaker 6 (22:09):
Listen.
Speaker 9 (22:10):
I didn't mean to rattle you with the brock Purty
versus Mahomes thing. Yeah, but I do just want to say,
you can say all this great stuff. Mahomes is potentially
the goat, but this year he has not been great.
You admitted yesterday. They have weaker skill position players than
most of the contenders. Buffalo has better skille position guys. Baltimore,
I mean, Sanfrey doesn't even have Christian McCaffrey at Jordan Mason.
Speaker 5 (22:32):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
There were times Tiger Woods wasn't hitting his irons great,
but he was still great off the tee and great
around the greens.
Speaker 3 (22:39):
And so it's it's one of those things.
Speaker 8 (22:42):
I can't believe this is this game that plays in
five for you. By the way, nine Ers Chiefs.
Speaker 3 (22:45):
I will not bet against him.
Speaker 8 (22:47):
I'm texting the guys right now.
Speaker 9 (22:48):
We're doing this is going to be Oh, this little
discussion cemented it.
Speaker 3 (22:55):
That's not a reason to bet you're mad at me?
Is not a right. That's like Jones, I.
Speaker 9 (23:00):
Want the logic, the logical leafs of rob Patrick.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
Mahomes obviously, listen, in his prime, Kobe had awful game.
Speaker 9 (23:10):
But it's not We're talking about six games now and
we're seeing the weapons that Mahomes doesn't happen.
Speaker 3 (23:15):
I'm gonna take no rights.
Speaker 9 (23:16):
By the way, you think Juju Smith Schuster is going
off for a buck and chain stuff this weekend against
the Niners. Do you think that's happening Kareem Hunt? You
think he's going for one to twenty. I don't know
where Mahomes.
Speaker 8 (23:26):
Goes with the football this weekend. What's Travis Kelce doing
this week.
Speaker 1 (23:29):
Yeah, I I don't. I don't know where he's going
with the ball every weekend, but he keeps winning eleven straight. Yeah,
funny coordinator Again, you're asking me Tiger Woods in his prime,
little under the weather hip hurts us open.
Speaker 3 (23:46):
I'll take Tiger. That's so, that's a good pick. It
is prime.
Speaker 1 (23:51):
Yeah, I mean this, Mahomes, Andy Reid, Travis Kelsey, Chris Jones, bags.
Speaker 3 (23:55):
I'm gonna take them. Okay, I'm gonna take them all right,
Greg co sal Ou Thursday.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
Next, be sure to catch live editions of The Herd
Weekdays and Noone Easter not a im Pacific And.
Speaker 3 (24:07):
With that, Greg Cosel forty five.
Speaker 1 (24:10):
Years NFL films joins us. So let's start with the Jets.
I like Demonte Adams. He's expensive, I don't think he's
quite in his prime, but he's really good. He's a
heck of an athlete, good route runner. So what does
he add to you? Because what I think is interesting
is Garrett Wilson is a really nice player, and he's young.
I don't think he wants to take a back seat
(24:31):
to anybody. He and aeronor just forge this relationship. But
what does Devonte ad Maybe the Jets don't have.
Speaker 7 (24:39):
Yeah, I'll answer it this way. And first I want
to say that I thought Aaron Rodgers threw the ball
exceptionally well in that game against Buffalo. He made some
throws that were really high level throws, which we know
he can make. But I think when you look at
the combination of Wilson and Adams, what Adams gives you
is a true X receiver to the boundary side of
the formation, the short side of the field. Well, he
(25:00):
can win one on one and of course he did
that when he was in Green Bay with Aaron for
eight years, and that's what he can do. Garrett Wilson
and I love Garret Wilson. I loved him coming out
of college. I love the way in which he plays.
I think he probably fits best Colin as more of
that movement Z receiver, the guy you line up on
the strong side of the formation, you use him in motion,
(25:22):
you get him free access into his rows. He's got
great quickness. I think that this gives them that true
boundary X, which is what they thought they were getting
with Mike Williams. Now, Mike Williams is not that guy.
He's late in his career, he's been injured a lot.
Obviously he's not the guy, and that's why they made
the trade for Devonte Adams. But now I think that's
what it gives them. It gives them that true boundary
(25:44):
X that can win one on one. And one thing
about Rogers and the quarterbacks who play in this league
for a while, understand it is when it's one on one,
you've got to throw the ball. It's up to your
receivers to win. It's not up to you to win.
You throw the ball to the one on one matchups
and Adams can win those.
Speaker 1 (26:01):
Okay, Now, Amari Cooper, he's cheaper, he's also productive, may
not have the over the top athleticism of a Devonte Adams,
But I do like they have Dawson Knox, they have Kincaid,
they have James Cook, they have the slot receiver. I
think he fits nicely. I think, you know, I think
they look at that rookie receiver they have and they
like him. But that's a development, that's a process. What
(26:23):
does a Mark Cooper and the Bills, in your opinion.
Speaker 7 (26:27):
In some ways the same thing. They do not have
an outside receiver. And by the way, I really like
Khalil Shakir, but he's very much a slot movement type receiver.
They do not have an outside receiver at this point
because we don't know what Kean Coleman is yet. They
don't have an outside receiver that can win one on one,
and you really need that in this league. It's very
much a matchup league at times, and you need receivers
(26:49):
that you feel confident as a quarterback that can win
one on one. We know that Josh Allen is not
shy about delivering the football, but when you don't have
receivers that can win, it makes it very difficult to
have a consistent passing game on a week to week basis.
And the hope for them is, of course, that Amari
Cooper can do that, that he can win one on
one and make Josh Allen feel like he has a
(27:11):
place to go with the ball that's not based on scheme.
Speaker 1 (27:14):
Okay, so Baker may feel a lot of these guys,
the Genos, the Darnold's the rebirth of all of them.
Baker's playing as well as anybody. I said this last week.
It's almost like his arm's gotten stronger. He's I've always
thought if he plants and he has time to throw,
he's got a great arm.
Speaker 3 (27:28):
He really can rare back. He really can.
Speaker 1 (27:31):
He's got a heater, so you know he's not gonna
run around a ton, but he's like like a Bo Nicks,
he can move.
Speaker 3 (27:37):
What do you make a Baker? I mean Tampa Bay.
Speaker 1 (27:40):
I say nobody's paying attention to him because of the
Niners and the Ravens and the Chiefs, I wouldn't want
to play I wouldn't want to play Tampa Bay. I
think they're an interesting dog. What do you make of
Baker this year?
Speaker 7 (27:51):
Well, I think so much has to do as well
with coaching when it comes to quarterbacks and Baker's talented.
You're one hundred percent right about the way he can
throw a football. You talk to quarterbacks in the league
and they'll say Baker is one of the better throwers
in the league. So he throws the ball really well.
But now it's Liam Cohen who runs this offense, and
Liam Cohen has the rams background, so we're seeing a
(28:11):
lot of motion, a lot of condensed sets. The nature
of the pass game really helps to find things for
Baker so he can play the way Colin you just suggested,
where he can hit his back foot and for the
most part, then deliver the football. So that's one reason
I think he's looked more comfortable this year. Now, I
will say last week and they put up almost six
hundred yards of offense against the Saints, he did not
(28:34):
have his best game, even though the numbers looked really
really good. But for the most part this year, he's
been really decisive in the pocket and when he's decisive
in the pocket. Because the scheme allows him to be,
he can look really good.
Speaker 1 (28:46):
So this question is one I'm really interested in because
what I don't have is the access to the film
you have and the knowledge you have, your historical intellectual
knowledge of all the things you see. So a lot
of times if a quarterback struggles, you're watching film and
it's the interior O line is beat up. It's the
play call, right, you know the routes. I mean, Troy
Aikman this week is crushing Dallas and their receivers for
(29:08):
running bad routes. So Philadelphia had their star receivers back.
Cleveland's a tire fire and they off a by their
first two series. Jalen's zero for five with two punts.
I'm like, that's not supposed to do off a bye.
If someone mcvay's going to do off a bye, what
is wrong with his offense?
Speaker 7 (29:28):
Well, I think that Jalen Hurts is a certain kind
of quarterback and he doesn't work real well in the
middle of the field. He's not at his core a timing,
anticipation thrower, and most coaches believe you can't teach that.
You can dial guys back, but you can't get them
to make those kinds of throws between the numbers, between
the hashes, those tight window throws. And the reason that's important,
(29:50):
Colin is it does limit what you can do with
your game plan and your pass game. So Brown comes
back and they hit some fifty to fifty balls to
the outside. Brown may be the best in the league
on those kinds of plays with his body control, his strength,
his ability to shield defenders, but you can't live on
fifty to fifty balls. So at some point you need
(30:10):
a more multi dimensional pass game. And my guess is
Kellen Moore is trying to figure that out now because
Jalen Hurts is not really the kind of quarterback that
can make those throws between the numbers. There's quarterbacks now,
young quarterbacks, the CJ. Strouds phenomenal making those timing anticipation
throws that is very much innate. Jalen Hurts is not
(30:31):
that kind of thrower, so there are limitations to what
they can do with their pass game.
Speaker 1 (30:35):
So Pittsburgh now appears to be pivoting to Russell Wilson
and Big Ben came out this week and said they're winning.
He's playing well enough the numbers. Jmak just offer this.
The numbers are pretty good with Justin Fields. I think
there's some limitations with him in the pocket, but I
like Arthur Smith. They're backs, there's height end, there's a
lot of elements here. So does Russell Wilson. I mean,
(30:58):
you've seen so much film. What's funny about this is
when I was in love with Russell Wilson, you push
back for years, And when I fell in love with
Trevor Lawrence, you'd say, Colin, you like it more than
the film likes them. So you're right on both of those.
You're two and on on me. Not You're a guy
I'm not going to play poker with. But does Russell?
Does Russell give them an element maybe that it elevates
(31:21):
their offense.
Speaker 7 (31:24):
Well, it's always the eye in the sky, Colin, it's
you know, it's not my opinion, it's the eye in
this guy. I think they're making a bet here. They're
making a bet that if Russell Wilson is indeed the starter,
that he can give them more in the intermediate and
vertical pass game, that he's a play action quarterback and
they do have a strong run game, or they have
a run game that's voluminous. They want to run the football,
(31:46):
so they can work off that, and they can get
a player like George Pickens, who in terms of sheer
physical traits is probably a top five receiver in the league,
but is really kind of underutilized right now with justin Field.
So they're making a bet that they'll get more out
of the passing game, may be less out of the
run game because Fields gives you that run game element
(32:06):
that Wilson does not. So I think that's the bet
they're making if they're going to turn to Wilson, that
you'll get more out of the pass game, and in
today's NFL that's more important than of voluminous run game.
Speaker 1 (32:19):
So I think this weekend we got CJ. Stroud and
Jordan Love, and I think Jordan Love is you know,
Green Bay does this well. They draft and you sit.
They always give you an offensive coach. They always give
you a stable offensive line, usually a decent running game,
not always, but their elements right now are I mean
tight ends. They have three, I like wide receivers. So
(32:40):
when you look at Jordan Love, I said this a
couple of weeks ago, he's trying to find his footing here.
He didn't have six great years back to back. He
has a ten game stretch, so then he gets banged up.
I look at this Green Bay offense and I'm like,
I know they're a super Bowl potential team. They're a
little younger than San Francisco, Kansas City, Baltimore maybe in
the teams. I like, but what do you see. What
(33:01):
does Matt Lafleur do with Jordan Love? What does he
pull out of him that we didn't see his first
five games last year and now we're seeing again. Is
it the magical Lafleur Because it does appear, Greg that
he does let him make mistakes, he does let him
improvise sometimes.
Speaker 7 (33:22):
Well, he's that kind of quarterback. But I think watching
their offense, I'm always impressed by the passing game schematics.
It is such a perfect mix of schematics creating throws
for Love, who is maybe top three or four in
terms of overall physical traits as a quarterback in this league,
and he is willing to be aggressive. So you're right, Colin,
(33:44):
there are times he's a little reckless, a little undisciplined.
You hope that that just changes with experience, that he
recognizes that, hey, there are certain things I can do,
certain things I can't do. He also does have a
tendency to throw too many balls falling away. Has to change.
But you are you are dealing with a really high
level talent and just the schematics. He threw a touchdown
(34:06):
to read maybe a four or five yard touchdown last week,
and the obviously in the low red zone that was
just so beautifully schemed. It turned out to be a
great throw as well. But how they got to it
and how they defeated a coverage that they anticipated was
absolutely beautiful. So I just think that marriage is really
really good, and I would expect love to continue to improve.
Speaker 1 (34:26):
So San Francisco is hosting Kansas City. So the elements
the last couple of years that Mahomes has to throw with,
I mean, it's a grab bag. They bring Juju Smith
Schuster back, they get Xavier Worthy, who's more gadget than
volume guy. Rashie Rice is a one. Now he's hurt.
Mahomes has thrown some really ugly picks, and my my
(34:48):
take is every week we're asking him to figure out
another part of the jigsaw puzzle. I mean, just when
Rashi Rice was a one he gets hurt. Is that
creating on film? Is it the indecisiveness, new receivers, different routes,
what's creating sort of his man play?
Speaker 7 (35:09):
Well, I certainly can tell you what's in his head,
but I can tell you that the film shows that
there's too many times where he is too quick to move. Now,
is it possible that that's the case, is because he's
uncomfortable with his receivers and doesn't feel confident in waiting
and delivering the ball. I don't know the answer to that.
But there was a play last week where he clearly
(35:29):
moved too soon and he had Worthy wide open on
a deep over route that probably would have been a touchdown.
So he's ten. You know, every year is a different year.
This is not a debate as to whether Mahomes is
a great quarterback. We know Mahomes is a great quarterback,
you know, as you said before I came on. You
know he's got a few Super Bowls that prove it.
So we're not debating whether he's a great quarterback. But
(35:50):
this is a different year with a different group of receivers,
and he's playing as if he just does not feel
comfortable staying in the pocket and letting the offense work. Now,
maybe they'll get to that point, but we also know
that there may be nobody better in the game and
making plays on the move. He's so comfortable on the
move with unbelievable vision.
Speaker 1 (36:11):
Okay, before we get to Caleb Williams stuff. To close
it out, I want to talk Jaden Daniels. I said
this week, I can see six games. After six games
as an NFL quarterback, two things I'll see a red
flag or excellent traits. Jaden Daniels works for me. I
wish he was fifteen pounds heavier. I wish he was
a little sturdier. But what did you see in a
(36:33):
loss to Baltimore from Jaden Daniels.
Speaker 7 (36:37):
Well, he played very well. And the thing is is
he's really a pocket player at his core. He leaves
as a parachute. That's not the first thing he does,
it's the last thing he does. And this touchdown we're
looking at right now, by the way, was high level
quarterbacking for a rookie, the ability to work through that
progression and understand where to go with the football. But
he is a pocket player at his core. He's very
(36:59):
comfortable on the pocket. He sees it well, and he's
precisely accurate with his ball location. And again, ball location
is the term I like to use as opposed to accuracy,
because you have to place the ball in specific spots
in the NFL, it's not just throwing to a player.
And he's shown through six games, and you saw it
in college as well, Colin, that he really is so
(37:20):
precisely accurate with his ball location. So he's played extremely well.
And yes, he also does have that ability at times
to make plays with his legs and break down the defense,
and Kingsbury's doing a great job with him. It's a
perfect example of helping a quarterback, not protecting him, helping
a quarterback with what you're asking him to do, being
(37:41):
very specific in the reads and the designs of your
offense so that he does not get stuck in the pocket.
Speaker 1 (37:48):
So we've seen Caleb Williams get better every week, and
media reports guys like me are out here saying, Hey,
you had a big meeting with the coaches. Come to
Jesus meeting. You look at film, slow steady growth, where's
it coming from?
Speaker 7 (38:06):
The film tells you. I don't want to use the
word simplify because that is a bad connotation. But again,
I just talked about helping Jaden Daniels. They're doing a
great job of helping Caleb Williams of really defining the
route concepts, so it defines the reads, it keeps them
relatively basic, which, by the way, is the job of
(38:26):
the coordinator. You should be doing that with every quarterback
so that he knows exactly who to look at, where
to go with the ball. And they also give him
some plays that are basically no reed plays. You know,
he's throwing the most screen passes of any quarterback in
the league through six games. Those are plays, obviously, that
are no reed plays. The touchdown he threw to Cole
Kmet last week, the first one, which we're going to
(38:49):
show in a moment here, that's basically a no reed
play that becomes a thirty one yard touchdown. So they're
doing an outstanding job with him, And make no mistake,
this kid can throw the ball exceptionally well. He controls
it beautifully. I mean, you know you saw him for
those two years at USC. It comes out of his
hands so so beautifully.
Speaker 1 (39:09):
Yeah, So let's go to the play of the week,
which includes Caleb Williams and the improving Bears offense.
Speaker 7 (39:16):
Yeah, this was the first touchdown in the game last
week in London, where he hit Cole Comet on the
middle screen, a play I've seen numerous times in the league.
You've probably seen it as well. It's beautiful. You fake
the swing one way, you fake the screen the other way,
and then you throw the middle screen. It's so beautifully designed.
A perfect example of what we're speaking about with kind
(39:37):
of a no read play. So what you're going to
see here is you're going to see that Williams is
in the gun. It's going to be a two by
two set. Now we want to focus on Comet just
so people know where he is because he catches the touchdown.
But there's a lot that goes on before we get
to that. So what you're going to see here and
there's Comet, he's attached to the wide side of the field.
(39:59):
Now you're going to see keenan Allen is going to
go into jet motion and then orbit motion. This has
become a staple motion concept in the NFL. You see
everybody do it. Okay, So he's going to go into
this motion because he's the first part of this play.
And the corner tracks him. Now that's a pretty good
indicator that you're going to get some man coverage. So
(40:22):
he tracks them and as I said, now it looks
like it's going to be a swing to Alan because
you can see Caleb Williams immediately look out that way,
and that's a critical piece of the play. He has
to turn his head and his eyes to Keenan Allen.
That's the first part of the play. So now there's
two stacked linebackers here. They're really the targets on this play.
(40:44):
Now the next thing we want to see is the
right guard is pulling the other way away from Allen
to the opposite side of the field. And again we
talked about those linebackers being the critical piece here. So
what you want to see here is you're going to
see Williams. Now he's going to look to Swift as
if there's going to be a screen to the other
side of the field. And it's neither one of these plays.
(41:08):
But look what happens with the linebackers the eye discipline.
They don't know where to look. You're targeting them, So
what do you get commit wide open in the middle
of the field. And now this becomes as I said,
it's a no rethrow. This is the play, this is
where he's throwing the ball based on the design of
the play. So these are the kinds of things you
do to help young quarterbacks. Because now this is easy
(41:31):
by NFL standards, Colin, it's relatively a simple play. So
now Comet obviously does a great job to score the touchdown.
But this is how you help young quarterbacks. You get
them comfortable. You don't ask them to do more than
they can do early in their careers because the NFL
is a different game than college football.
Speaker 1 (41:48):
Greg Cosel forty five years NFL films. It's always Greg
appreciated
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
noon Pacific. Find your local station for The Herd at
Fox Sportsradio dot com, or stream us live every day
on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
This is the Best of the Herd with Colin cowher
on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Here we go. It is the Herd. It's on a Thursday.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Things in LA are good today this morning, live in
Los Angeles.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
It's the Herd.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Wherever you may be and however you may be listening,
Thanks for making us part of your day. One hour
from now, Greg Cosel, if you bet fantasy football, just
bet football.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Want to get smarter.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Greg Cosell stops by as he always does on Thursday,
to break down what he is seeing objectively on film.
So last night I sat there almost j Mack watching
the Dodgers. If you really look at what has happened
this year with the injuries to the staff, they are
missing a great rotation and a bullpen that are not available.
(01:13):
This is why front offices matter. And by the way,
payroll pay. Yes, but This is why that last night
defines the Dodgers. So let's talk about that. Walker Buehler,
the bullpen, Key k Hernandez, Sho Hey, Otani, Max Muncy.
Everything clicked on the road against a very good Mets team.
(01:36):
Remember the year Carson Wentz got hurt. The Eagles were
so well constructed, their roster was so good that Carson
Wentz was having an MVP season, gets hurt at the
most crucial position. Not only do they beat the Vikings
thirty eight to seven in the NFC Championship, they beat
the Patriots and they don't punt against Belichick. Remember that
(01:58):
team so well constructed that despite losing a quarterback, they
won a Super Bowl with Nick Foles. That's what the
Dodgers are. Look at what they're missing on their staff,
Shoe heey O, Tani, Tyler glassnew Kershaw, Dustin May, Gavin Stone,
Joe Kelly. If you add up what they're missing, it's
twelve All Star appearances, three Cy Youngs, MVPs, multiple World
(02:20):
Series titles. They have no business being here. It could
be worse. They're Ace Yamamoto, he got hurt. Thankfully he's back.
But last night was classic Dodgers Walker Buehler, he has
had a really rough couple of years. Second inning, bases loaded,
he punches out the final two batters, including the great
(02:41):
Francisco Lindor, gets out of the inning, and then the
Dodgers bullpen five stingy innings. Who are these guys backing up? Backups?
Guys they've had to figure out And this was the
front office comes into play. These are not guys you
thought you'd have to depend on. In fact, the Dodgers
became I thin, it's the first team all time to
(03:02):
give you three scoreless postseason appearances. Otani's now hitting always
with men on base, Key k Hernandez because of an injury,
He's now been inserted into the lineup. He wasn't gonna
play this much. So it's just it's just remarkable to
watch what the Dodgers are doing here. Uh it's it's bullpen,
it's Walker Buehler. Uh, it's it's Dave Roberts. It's an
(03:26):
incredible front office. And this is where stability matters. This
is where the R and d uh, this is where
your minor league system, this is where having depth matters. Yeah,
you can say it's all about money, but the Yankees
have had money forever. There's a lot that Atlanta has
had money forever. The Dodgers have had money forever. But
in crisis, any real reeltor can sell a house when
(03:49):
the market's hot and the interest rates are low, any
reeltor can sell it. Try selling homes when the market's crashing.
What you're watching with the Dodgers should not be happening there.
They are pitching injuries. They shouldn't be here. And let's
let's watch Key k Hernandez and show hey Otani.
Speaker 4 (04:09):
It's a drive left field. Nimo's going back, He's on
the track, he's at the wall. Is gone. Kick k
Hernandez again. There's a towering drive down the line. Otani's
(04:32):
broken through. It is gone. I'm majestic. Home run into
the second deck seven to nothing in LA first team.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
In Major League history with three eight run shutouts in
a single postseason, and that is incredible. And Walker Buehler,
here's the guy. Tommy John surgery. He was this kid
that comes into the organization. And this is what we've
been talking about the last two years with the Dodgers.
They can't keep pictures healthy. I'm blaming anybody nobody's healthy.
I gave you the list. It's incredible. I mean it
(05:04):
would be like losing you know, seventy percent of your
offensive line, your top two receivers and having a chance
to win a Super Bowl. I mean even Patrick Mahomes
lost his left tackle, after losing his right tackle, goes
to a Super Bowl, gets blown out. Even Andy Reid,
Patrick Mahlmes, we can't solve it. How are they here?
What are they doing? That's second inning for Walker Bueller.
That is the stuff legends are made of, struggling, scrapping.
(05:26):
Then he gets five innings from that Dodger bullpen. It's
just incredible. Here was Walker after.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
It's been a long road.
Speaker 5 (05:34):
It's been a hard year for me in the past
couple of years are hard in different ways, but being
back and not being successful sucks. And you know, I
think I've kind of looked those playoffs or the end
of the year. For me, it was trying to make
the playoff offser first, and now it's trying to win
a big game in the arc. And when the stakes
(05:54):
are that big, I think for me that it makes
everything else feel really small and whatever I had during
the year are kind of gone.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Yeah, It's amazing when you get these big payroll teams
in Major League Baseball, and you can go back to
the great Yankee teams with Bernie and Jeter and Pasada,
and there was always a Scott Brocious that you could
throw in, or there was there was somebody that wasn't
his high profile and a lot of these great baseball
teams that have all this money. And you look at
the Dodgers and they spend a billion dollars and pushed
(06:23):
it down the road. But they have had a lot
of turbulence this year, a lot of injuries to deal with,
and last night was sort of the classic patchwork, make
it work, bullpen, Bueler gets out of a jam. Key
k Hernandez is now playing much more than he was
scheduled too because of another injury, and everybody is seemingly
delivering in the biggest spots. It's something to behold. Okay,
(06:48):
So yesterday I suggested bad bad week, bad bad week
for Jerry Jones team, worst loss home loss in Jerry
Jones history as an owner dating back to nineteen eighty nine,
and that's saying something first yeary, but the team they
were one and fifteen. So this past week and they
just keep getting blown out at home. It's the Saints,
it's the Ravens, it's the Packers last year. I mean,
it doesn't matter. It's Detroit this weekend. And then he
(07:10):
goes on and interviewed this week, and he picks on
some local radio hosts in Dallas and I should replace
you guys, because they're asking legitimate questions like they should.
They're not house guys, they're not pomp palm waivers. They're
asking the question. I mean, we're all conduits here, right
like media people are essentially conduits if we serve a
certain purpose, whether you like us or not. And all
(07:31):
the Dallas radio guys were doing was being conduits to
all the questions all the fans in Dallas have about
the organization. And Jerry got pissy, and now the city
is all over Jerry Jones. So I suggested yesterday their
biggest problem is that they don't even stack up. Forget
the AFC, forget the Ravens and the Bills and the
Chiefs and the Texans. They don't even stack up to
San Francisco, Green Bay, Detroit. If you watch Green Bay
(07:52):
and all their weapons, it's incredible. It's like an all
star team of young guys, none of them getting paid. Yet.
They're all excellent San Francisco, Hall of famers everywhere Detroit,
San Francisco. But a younger version Dallas doesn't stack up.
They need a big swing trade. Micah is my suggestion,
Get another first round pick. You have two first round picks.
Go get another receiver. Go get the running back from
(08:13):
Boise State. Give Dak help. You're already invested in Dak.
You've got to get him help and make that contract
work Forget your defense. Nobody's winning super Bowls with defense.
If that was the case, the Steelers would be stacking
him in the last decade. Make your offense viable. You're
already committed to Dak. Get somebody next to Zach Martin
on the interior. Go get another receiver, get a top
tight end, Go get a running back. Flood the market offense,
(08:36):
pay for it. Whatever. But Albert Breer come on the
show yesterday and suggested there is another way to make
up ground on the Packers or the Niners or the
Lions in the NFC.
Speaker 6 (08:50):
Bill Belichick would give them that credibility again, and Bill
Belichick would probably give them the ability to manage some
of these things and make it a decision on Michael
Parsons whether you trade him or sign him long term,
and then wind and then go and build a middle class.
Speaker 7 (09:07):
They need foot soldiers.
Speaker 6 (09:08):
They have the big pieces, you know, and Bill Belichick's
always been really good at building that part of the team.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
He would definitely Belichick would shore up the defense. There
are pieces, But Belichick is nobody's puppet. Charlotte Jones, Stephen Jones,
Jerry Jones, Jerry Jones Junior, multiple Jones, too many Joneses,
too many keeping up with the Joneses. There's no way
Belichick's going to be a puppet.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
You know.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
If you go look at Belichick's draft room in New England,
it was him his dog in a small.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
Room in Nantucket. That was the draft room.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
If you go and look at Dallas's draft room, it's
like a Game of Thrones council meeting.
Speaker 3 (09:47):
It's like, yeah, that that's.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
Not gonna work. That's not gonna work. Big family, Hey Bill,
We're going to draft a tight end. Whether you like
it or not. That's not gonna work. So and also,
I don't like the idea that they if you think
about it, what Albert Brer says it would give them credibility. Well,
it would, I'm not denying that, but so did Jimmy
Johnson and Bill Parcells.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
How did it end.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
You can't hire a coach because he gives you credibility.
You have to hire a coach who is offensively dynamic,
because that's where the league's turned, who doesn't have to
control personnel and is comfortable with you running the draft.
The Cowboys don't draft terribly. They have misses like everybody else.
They're not a terrible draft team. I don't know if
they develop guys. They tend to overpay guys, but they
(10:31):
draft pretty well. But the intention in the NFL is
get good on offense, get your quarterback. So between Jerry
and Dak there are major roadblocks here. My take is,
since you have invested in Dak, I wouldn't have spent that,
but since you did, you've got to make it work.
Like you see companies do this all the time. They
(10:52):
invest in some new technology, Apple invests. Okay, now you
got to make it work. You have to go get
a star running back. I suggested Derek Henry last year
would cost to eight million at the trade deadline.
Speaker 3 (11:04):
You wouldn't do it.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
You got to get another receiver across from CD LAMB.
Zach Martin's getting old. Make sure you get a top
flight center. You have to may have to pay for
that on the market, but once you've invested in DAK,
you have to make it work. You can't just hire somebody.
I mean, Mike Vrabel's my choice for all these openings.
Last year, I said, get Harball will be the best
(11:25):
coach on the market, Chargers hire him. I think Vrabel's
the best coach in the market. I don't know if
he wants the Jets or wants the Cowboy. He's younger
than Belichick. He doesn't have the need to control the
personnel to the same level as Belichick. Bill would be
fine Rabel, in my opinion, the energy, the youth, working
with others would be better. But if you're just hiring
for credibility or that's not the answer, that just doesn't work.
(11:50):
J Mack, I gotta tell you this. Postseason baseball I've
said this before. Baseball playoffs are a lot like the
World Cup. For me, I turn it on. Look, I
can just go okay, I'm into the World Cup for
three weeks. These baseball playoffs. The games haven't necessarily been close,
but the story's been fascinating. I find what the Dodgers
are doing. I know, I know they spend a lot
of money. I mean the pitching staff that's not available.
(12:12):
It's insane.
Speaker 8 (12:13):
It is weird.
Speaker 9 (12:14):
I think three of the teams left are the highest
pay roles in baseball Yankees, Mets, and Dodgers. It is interesting, though,
Spend spend money, have success.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
You know.
Speaker 8 (12:23):
That's kind of the recipe in baseball.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
Well, outside of the NFL, essentially every other league, from
the WNBA to the NBA to college football to college
basketball is driven by stars in market. Like Duke basketball
gets you a number. When Duke gets knocked out of
the tournament, it hurts the overall number. North Carolina basketball
helps the overall number. In college football, Texas plays Ohio
(12:49):
State in the National Championship. It will be the highest
rated national championship since usc Texas that which got a
twenty two rating, which is like an NFL playoff game rating.
Once you got the big brands out and you went Southern,
it's down to sixteen seventeen. So everything is based on
market share or market size. So yes, the Dodgers Yankee.
(13:11):
I don't think the subway series works. I think the Yankees.
I think the Dodgers have more stars, more established stars,
o Tani, Freeman, Betts, the more established stars for the rating.
The Mets are a great story and a great team
in Lindor is amazing, but it's Dodgers. Yankees feel much
bigger to me. You go around the world. I know
(13:31):
you're a big traveler.
Speaker 9 (13:32):
You go to airports, You're gonna see Dodgers hats, probably
gonna see Yankee hats when you're talking about baseball. Those
are the two of the best brands, the strongest brands
in major Well, if.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
You walk around Los Angeles, all you see is Dodger hats.
You don't see Laker hats. You don't see us. You
see Dodger hats everywhere. The Red Sox had a moment
in time. You know, I always said the Yankees. Red
Sox is the difference between Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts. The
Red Sox are dunkin Donuts huge, huge in New England.
(14:01):
The further you get away, it gets smaller. Starbucks is
as big in Beijing as it is Boston, as it
is Boys.
Speaker 8 (14:11):
People will miss it out on dunkint Donuts, which.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
Is amazing, which is better. But it's i mean, the
Red Sox now are not part of the discussion. They're
like the Cowboys. Nobody's taking them seriously for a World one.
Speaker 8 (14:22):
New England falling on hard times.
Speaker 9 (14:23):
Outside of the Celtics Patriots, stink Red Sox not very good.
Speaker 8 (14:28):
Celtics are carrying.
Speaker 7 (14:29):
The torch for them.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
They are be sure to catch live editions of The
Herd weekdays in newon Eastern AM Pacific on Fox Sports
Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 3 (14:39):
It's interesting.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
We were just talking about this keyk Hernandez was on
the Dodger playoff roster but wasn't gonna play much, and
then Ross gets hurt and then they insert him in
and it's not like he's just been a replacement. He's
been substantial. So it's I mean, you got there was
a guy pitching a late inning yesterday we hadn't heard of.
It's like, it's just the Dodgers. Yes, they have big payroll,
(15:02):
but you can reduce a lot of it because it's
on the shelf. And they shut out a really good
Mets team who had been on fire. I mean, the
Mets beat Philadelphia, a team that early in the season
many thought would win the World Series. So Sean Payton,
it's homecoming tonight. He goes back to New Orleans, one
of the toughest places generally in the NFL to play.
So Sean Payton's going to come out tonight in flex
(15:22):
and be clever with bow knicks. But something happened. And
this has really been a trend. So last week, I
had said before my Blazing five, I think you see
this is the separation of the NFL. It's like Week
five and Week six. Best quarterbacks win games. Everybody's got film.
Defensive players get hurt more than offensive players do. Generally,
it's the more violent side of the ball. So defenses
(15:45):
they're not as good. Your best pass rusher like Detroit
gets hurt. Defenses get banged up, and it really becomes
about your coach, your offensive coordinator, the healthier old line,
and your quarterback. And so last week I don't remember
this ever being true. It may have been, but last
week the best quarterback went fourteen to zero. That's unheard of.
(16:07):
There's always an upset. So I said this week, if
you go to every game, including tonight, the best quarterback's
not gonna win every game this week.
Speaker 3 (16:15):
But I mean, you.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
Got Herbert, Kyler Murray, they're both good. You're gonna get
a couple of those, Goff and Darnold. But let's just
pick the best quarterback in the game and see how
it does this week. So here's the quarterback Colin's face off.
So let's start tonight bow Knicks and Spencer Rattler. So
I would take bow Nicks in Denver. In his last
four starts, seven total touchdowns and one turnover, So tonight
(16:38):
I would go bow Nicks. And then we have Drake May.
I mean, do you want to go in? So next
after that is Drake May and Trevor Lawrence. Well, Trevor
Lawrence is better than Drake May. Trevor Lawrence over his
last three starts, he does have a passer rating in
the hundreds. That it's Genosmith and Cousins. I would go
Kirk Cousins. I don't think there's any question more reliable
(17:02):
than it's Will Levis and Josh Allen. We're not gonna
spend a lot of time arguing about that one. I'm
gonna take Josh Allen. There By the way, Josh Allen's
the only starting quarterback in the league without an interception.
That's pretty crazy. Thirteen TD's no picks, so then we go.
Then it gets a little harder, well Burrow and Watson.
(17:23):
Burrow leads the NFL in passer rating, so that's not
a terribly difficult one. That one of the tougher ones
is Jordan Love and c J. Stroud, So I'm gonna
take Jordan Love because c J. Stroud has gotten into
a little bit of a turnover issue. He has Joe
Mixon back, but when he didn't in the run game struggled,
I would take him. I'm gonna take Anthony Richardson over
(17:43):
whoever's starting Huntley for the Miami Dolphins. Anthony Richardson has
a huge arm. He does lead the NFL in yards
per completion, which I would have never guessed. But he's
a big play player, so I would take him. Goff
and Darnald Goff's the better quarterback than Darnald Donald last
couple of week weeks, little little reckless, that's what he does,
(18:04):
so I would take him. Then you get into Jalen
Hurts and Daniel Jones. Hurts over the last couple of
games despite Nick Sirian. He's got a quarterback passer rating
at about one oh four. So I would absolutely take
Jalen Hurts. I don't think we need to spend a
lot of time on Matt Stafford against Aidan O'Connell. Aiden
O'Connell eleven games, has a losing record. That's an easy one.
I think that's my bet of the week. I'll take
the La Rams right there. Andy Dalton and Jayden Daniels. Again,
(18:28):
I don't think that's terribly close. Over the last six games.
Andy Dalton has infused some life into Carolina. He's one
in five in his last six starts. Not terribly difficult.
Mahomes and Purty. I know this is difficult for j Mack.
Mahomes a better quarterback, you know, and he'll probably.
Speaker 3 (18:44):
Win this game.
Speaker 1 (18:45):
And then we go up to Aaron Rodgers Russell Wilson.
I'm gonna go with Aaron Rodgers. He's getting Devonte Adams,
he has Garrett Wilson. I think they're gonna I think
they're gonna win this week. My second favorite bet Lamar
Jackson and Baker Mayfield. Baker's had a hell of a year,
but fourteen of his fifteen touchdown passes are in the pocket.
Lamar is good from the pocket and is the most exciting, versatile, twitchy,
(19:06):
athletic quarterback in the league. So again, not a knock
on Baker, but Lamar's about a quarterback. Kyler Murray and
Justin Herbert. Herbert has six t d's and a pick
under Jim Harbaugh in a good run game. I think
that's a go either way game. I just I can't
trust Kyler Murray. I think he's a remarkable talent. I
kind of think I know what I get when Justin
Herbert's healthy. So if you go, so j Mack, look
(19:28):
at all these picks, So we go. Let's go again,
we go, bow Knicks, Trevor Lawrence, Kirk Cousins, Josh Allen,
Jared Goff, Mahomes, Burrow, Jordan Love, Anthony Richardson, Jalen Hurt, Stafford,
Jayden Daniels, Mahomes, Aaron, Lamar, Herbert. Yeah, he tell me
where I'm wrong, Give me one where I'm wrong, like
(19:49):
you like the other teamation.
Speaker 9 (19:51):
Well, I'll tell you where I'm the best quarterback is
that career or this year?
Speaker 8 (19:57):
Six games? Just what they've done this year?
Speaker 3 (19:59):
Yeah, I mean, right now today, who's the best quarterback?
Speaker 9 (20:01):
Pretty should be the pickover Pats Mahomes. This year, he's
been better than Mahomes. Nobody every measure that matters.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
We don't do stats all the time. There are certain
stacks nobody thinks that's better. Okay, the stats are fantasy
nerd guy, I get it.
Speaker 3 (20:15):
He has a value in the system.
Speaker 1 (20:17):
But not a single person on the planet or GM
would say, you know, I don't need ma Homes.
Speaker 3 (20:21):
I'm gonna do brock Purty. So he's better quarterback, fair enough.
Speaker 1 (20:24):
There are numbers that matter, like Josh Allen thirteen ten.
He's no picks. That's a that's a number. He's really
gotten the reckless out.
Speaker 3 (20:31):
Of his game.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
I'll tell you the toughest one. But here's where one's
gonna lose rout. Jordan Love right now is a more
complete quarterback. He's much more athletic on the perimeter. Huh,
here's the one. So I'll tell you where I'm gonna
be wrong. My second or third favorite bet is Minnesota
beating Detroit. Detroit's off a huge win over the Cowboys.
(20:52):
You get an offensive coach off of bye, so Donald
I think will beat Detroit. Hutchinson's out, so Donald's gonna
have more time to throw. So that's with a better
quarterback golf, and I think GoF is less reckless.
Speaker 9 (21:04):
So this year you think Goff has definitely been better
than Darnolf.
Speaker 3 (21:07):
He went eighteen for eighteen in the game. He doesn't
make Seattle, Come on, who doesn't.
Speaker 8 (21:11):
Daniel Jones had a good game against Seattle.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
It's the NFL. You go eighteen for eighteen. No quarterback
in the history of the league had done eighteen.
Speaker 8 (21:20):
I to me, that's a coin flip. Just this year. Yes,
obviously golf has been better.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
I will say this. I think that Donald.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
People now have the film with he and Kevin O'Connell,
the slight regression with Sam Donald first couple of weeks.
There's some surprises and elements, but Sam is very Carson Wentz.
He gets banged up and he can be a little reckless,
and I think you're starting to see it. I think
they're gonna win twelve games. But I do think Jared Goff,
everybody has film on him. He still doesn't throw interceptions.
(21:49):
I mean even Mahomes throws picks this.
Speaker 8 (21:51):
Year against his pressure from Brian Flores.
Speaker 9 (21:53):
We'll see, By the way, you want to have fun
with someone. See if the Vikings win this game, Colin,
look at their next like five games.
Speaker 3 (22:00):
Oh no, it's doubles.
Speaker 8 (22:02):
You look at him, maybe ten eleven or zero for
the Vikings. For the Vikings if they ever able to
win this game.
Speaker 6 (22:09):
Listen.
Speaker 9 (22:10):
I didn't mean to rattle you with the brock Purty
versus Mahomes thing. Yeah, but I do just want to say,
you can say all this great stuff. Mahomes is potentially
the goat, but this year he has not been great.
You admitted yesterday. They have weaker skill position players than
most of the contenders. Buffalo has better skille position guys. Baltimore,
I mean, Sanfrey doesn't even have Christian McCaffrey at Jordan Mason.
Speaker 5 (22:32):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
There were times Tiger Woods wasn't hitting his irons great,
but he was still great off the tee and great
around the greens.
Speaker 3 (22:39):
And so it's it's one of those things.
Speaker 8 (22:42):
I can't believe this is this game that plays in
five for you. By the way, nine Ers Chiefs.
Speaker 3 (22:45):
I will not bet against him.
Speaker 8 (22:47):
I'm texting the guys right now.
Speaker 9 (22:48):
We're doing this is going to be Oh, this little
discussion cemented it.
Speaker 3 (22:55):
That's not a reason to bet you're mad at me?
Is not a right. That's like Jones, I.
Speaker 9 (23:00):
Want the logic, the logical leafs of rob Patrick.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
Mahomes obviously, listen, in his prime, Kobe had awful game.
Speaker 9 (23:10):
But it's not We're talking about six games now and
we're seeing the weapons that Mahomes doesn't happen.
Speaker 3 (23:15):
I'm gonna take no rights.
Speaker 9 (23:16):
By the way, you think Juju Smith Schuster is going
off for a buck and chain stuff this weekend against
the Niners. Do you think that's happening Kareem Hunt? You
think he's going for one to twenty. I don't know
where Mahomes.
Speaker 8 (23:26):
Goes with the football this weekend. What's Travis Kelce doing
this week.
Speaker 1 (23:29):
Yeah, I I don't. I don't know where he's going
with the ball every weekend, but he keeps winning eleven straight. Yeah,
funny coordinator Again, you're asking me Tiger Woods in his prime,
little under the weather hip hurts us open.
Speaker 3 (23:46):
I'll take Tiger. That's so, that's a good pick. It
is prime.
Speaker 1 (23:51):
Yeah, I mean this, Mahomes, Andy Reid, Travis Kelsey, Chris Jones, bags.
Speaker 3 (23:55):
I'm gonna take them. Okay, I'm gonna take them all right,
Greg co sal Ou Thursday.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
Next, be sure to catch live editions of The Herd
Weekdays and Noone Easter not a im Pacific And.
Speaker 3 (24:07):
With that, Greg Cosel forty five.
Speaker 1 (24:10):
Years NFL films joins us. So let's start with the Jets.
I like Demonte Adams. He's expensive, I don't think he's
quite in his prime, but he's really good. He's a
heck of an athlete, good route runner. So what does
he add to you? Because what I think is interesting
is Garrett Wilson is a really nice player, and he's young.
I don't think he wants to take a back seat
(24:31):
to anybody. He and aeronor just forge this relationship. But
what does Devonte ad Maybe the Jets don't have.
Speaker 7 (24:39):
Yeah, I'll answer it this way. And first I want
to say that I thought Aaron Rodgers threw the ball
exceptionally well in that game against Buffalo. He made some
throws that were really high level throws, which we know
he can make. But I think when you look at
the combination of Wilson and Adams, what Adams gives you
is a true X receiver to the boundary side of
the formation, the short side of the field. Well, he
(25:00):
can win one on one and of course he did
that when he was in Green Bay with Aaron for
eight years, and that's what he can do. Garrett Wilson
and I love Garret Wilson. I loved him coming out
of college. I love the way in which he plays.
I think he probably fits best Colin as more of
that movement Z receiver, the guy you line up on
the strong side of the formation, you use him in motion,
(25:22):
you get him free access into his rows. He's got
great quickness. I think that this gives them that true
boundary X, which is what they thought they were getting
with Mike Williams. Now, Mike Williams is not that guy.
He's late in his career, he's been injured a lot.
Obviously he's not the guy, and that's why they made
the trade for Devonte Adams. But now I think that's
what it gives them. It gives them that true boundary
(25:44):
X that can win one on one. And one thing
about Rogers and the quarterbacks who play in this league
for a while, understand it is when it's one on one,
you've got to throw the ball. It's up to your
receivers to win. It's not up to you to win.
You throw the ball to the one on one matchups
and Adams can win those.
Speaker 1 (26:01):
Okay, Now, Amari Cooper, he's cheaper, he's also productive, may
not have the over the top athleticism of a Devonte Adams,
But I do like they have Dawson Knox, they have Kincaid,
they have James Cook, they have the slot receiver. I
think he fits nicely. I think, you know, I think
they look at that rookie receiver they have and they
like him. But that's a development, that's a process. What
(26:23):
does a Mark Cooper and the Bills, in your opinion.
Speaker 7 (26:27):
In some ways the same thing. They do not have
an outside receiver. And by the way, I really like
Khalil Shakir, but he's very much a slot movement type receiver.
They do not have an outside receiver at this point
because we don't know what Kean Coleman is yet. They
don't have an outside receiver that can win one on one,
and you really need that in this league. It's very
much a matchup league at times, and you need receivers
(26:49):
that you feel confident as a quarterback that can win
one on one. We know that Josh Allen is not
shy about delivering the football, but when you don't have
receivers that can win, it makes it very difficult to
have a consistent passing game on a week to week basis.
And the hope for them is, of course, that Amari
Cooper can do that, that he can win one on
one and make Josh Allen feel like he has a
(27:11):
place to go with the ball that's not based on scheme.
Speaker 1 (27:14):
Okay, so Baker may feel a lot of these guys,
the Genos, the Darnold's the rebirth of all of them.
Baker's playing as well as anybody. I said this last week.
It's almost like his arm's gotten stronger. He's I've always
thought if he plants and he has time to throw,
he's got a great arm.
Speaker 3 (27:28):
He really can rare back. He really can.
Speaker 1 (27:31):
He's got a heater, so you know he's not gonna
run around a ton, but he's like like a Bo Nicks,
he can move.
Speaker 3 (27:37):
What do you make a Baker? I mean Tampa Bay.
Speaker 1 (27:40):
I say nobody's paying attention to him because of the
Niners and the Ravens and the Chiefs, I wouldn't want
to play I wouldn't want to play Tampa Bay. I
think they're an interesting dog. What do you make of
Baker this year?
Speaker 7 (27:51):
Well, I think so much has to do as well
with coaching when it comes to quarterbacks and Baker's talented.
You're one hundred percent right about the way he can
throw a football. You talk to quarterbacks in the league
and they'll say Baker is one of the better throwers
in the league. So he throws the ball really well.
But now it's Liam Cohen who runs this offense, and
Liam Cohen has the rams background, so we're seeing a
(28:11):
lot of motion, a lot of condensed sets. The nature
of the pass game really helps to find things for
Baker so he can play the way Colin you just suggested,
where he can hit his back foot and for the
most part, then deliver the football. So that's one reason
I think he's looked more comfortable this year. Now, I
will say last week and they put up almost six
hundred yards of offense against the Saints, he did not
(28:34):
have his best game, even though the numbers looked really
really good. But for the most part this year, he's
been really decisive in the pocket and when he's decisive
in the pocket. Because the scheme allows him to be,
he can look really good.
Speaker 1 (28:46):
So this question is one I'm really interested in because
what I don't have is the access to the film
you have and the knowledge you have, your historical intellectual
knowledge of all the things you see. So a lot
of times if a quarterback struggles, you're watching film and
it's the interior O line is beat up. It's the
play call, right, you know the routes. I mean, Troy
Aikman this week is crushing Dallas and their receivers for
(29:08):
running bad routes. So Philadelphia had their star receivers back.
Cleveland's a tire fire and they off a by their
first two series. Jalen's zero for five with two punts.
I'm like, that's not supposed to do off a bye.
If someone mcvay's going to do off a bye, what
is wrong with his offense?
Speaker 7 (29:28):
Well, I think that Jalen Hurts is a certain kind
of quarterback and he doesn't work real well in the
middle of the field. He's not at his core a timing,
anticipation thrower, and most coaches believe you can't teach that.
You can dial guys back, but you can't get them
to make those kinds of throws between the numbers, between
the hashes, those tight window throws. And the reason that's important,
(29:50):
Colin is it does limit what you can do with
your game plan and your pass game. So Brown comes
back and they hit some fifty to fifty balls to
the outside. Brown may be the best in the league
on those kinds of plays with his body control, his strength,
his ability to shield defenders, but you can't live on
fifty to fifty balls. So at some point you need
(30:10):
a more multi dimensional pass game. And my guess is
Kellen Moore is trying to figure that out now because
Jalen Hurts is not really the kind of quarterback that
can make those throws between the numbers. There's quarterbacks now,
young quarterbacks, the CJ. Strouds phenomenal making those timing anticipation
throws that is very much innate. Jalen Hurts is not
(30:31):
that kind of thrower, so there are limitations to what
they can do with their pass game.
Speaker 1 (30:35):
So Pittsburgh now appears to be pivoting to Russell Wilson
and Big Ben came out this week and said they're winning.
He's playing well enough the numbers. Jmak just offer this.
The numbers are pretty good with Justin Fields. I think
there's some limitations with him in the pocket, but I
like Arthur Smith. They're backs, there's height end, there's a
lot of elements here. So does Russell Wilson. I mean,
(30:58):
you've seen so much film. What's funny about this is
when I was in love with Russell Wilson, you push
back for years, And when I fell in love with
Trevor Lawrence, you'd say, Colin, you like it more than
the film likes them. So you're right on both of those.
You're two and on on me. Not You're a guy
I'm not going to play poker with. But does Russell?
Does Russell give them an element maybe that it elevates
(31:21):
their offense.
Speaker 7 (31:24):
Well, it's always the eye in the sky, Colin, it's
you know, it's not my opinion, it's the eye in
this guy. I think they're making a bet here. They're
making a bet that if Russell Wilson is indeed the starter,
that he can give them more in the intermediate and
vertical pass game, that he's a play action quarterback and
they do have a strong run game, or they have
a run game that's voluminous. They want to run the football,
(31:46):
so they can work off that, and they can get
a player like George Pickens, who in terms of sheer
physical traits is probably a top five receiver in the league,
but is really kind of underutilized right now with justin Field.
So they're making a bet that they'll get more out
of the passing game, may be less out of the
run game because Fields gives you that run game element
(32:06):
that Wilson does not. So I think that's the bet
they're making if they're going to turn to Wilson, that
you'll get more out of the pass game, and in
today's NFL that's more important than of voluminous run game.
Speaker 1 (32:19):
So I think this weekend we got CJ. Stroud and
Jordan Love, and I think Jordan Love is you know,
Green Bay does this well. They draft and you sit.
They always give you an offensive coach. They always give
you a stable offensive line, usually a decent running game,
not always, but their elements right now are I mean
tight ends. They have three, I like wide receivers. So
(32:40):
when you look at Jordan Love, I said this a
couple of weeks ago, he's trying to find his footing here.
He didn't have six great years back to back. He
has a ten game stretch, so then he gets banged up.
I look at this Green Bay offense and I'm like,
I know they're a super Bowl potential team. They're a
little younger than San Francisco, Kansas City, Baltimore maybe in
the teams. I like, but what do you see. What
(33:01):
does Matt Lafleur do with Jordan Love? What does he
pull out of him that we didn't see his first
five games last year and now we're seeing again. Is
it the magical Lafleur Because it does appear, Greg that
he does let him make mistakes, he does let him
improvise sometimes.
Speaker 7 (33:22):
Well, he's that kind of quarterback. But I think watching
their offense, I'm always impressed by the passing game schematics.
It is such a perfect mix of schematics creating throws
for Love, who is maybe top three or four in
terms of overall physical traits as a quarterback in this league,
and he is willing to be aggressive. So you're right, Colin,
(33:44):
there are times he's a little reckless, a little undisciplined.
You hope that that just changes with experience, that he
recognizes that, hey, there are certain things I can do,
certain things I can't do. He also does have a
tendency to throw too many balls falling away. Has to change.
But you are you are dealing with a really high
level talent and just the schematics. He threw a touchdown
(34:06):
to read maybe a four or five yard touchdown last week,
and the obviously in the low red zone that was
just so beautifully schemed. It turned out to be a
great throw as well. But how they got to it
and how they defeated a coverage that they anticipated was
absolutely beautiful. So I just think that marriage is really
really good, and I would expect love to continue to improve.
Speaker 1 (34:26):
So San Francisco is hosting Kansas City. So the elements
the last couple of years that Mahomes has to throw with,
I mean, it's a grab bag. They bring Juju Smith
Schuster back, they get Xavier Worthy, who's more gadget than
volume guy. Rashie Rice is a one. Now he's hurt.
Mahomes has thrown some really ugly picks, and my my
(34:48):
take is every week we're asking him to figure out
another part of the jigsaw puzzle. I mean, just when
Rashi Rice was a one he gets hurt. Is that
creating on film? Is it the indecisiveness, new receivers, different routes,
what's creating sort of his man play?
Speaker 7 (35:09):
Well, I certainly can tell you what's in his head,
but I can tell you that the film shows that
there's too many times where he is too quick to move. Now,
is it possible that that's the case, is because he's
uncomfortable with his receivers and doesn't feel confident in waiting
and delivering the ball. I don't know the answer to that.
But there was a play last week where he clearly
(35:29):
moved too soon and he had Worthy wide open on
a deep over route that probably would have been a touchdown.
So he's ten. You know, every year is a different year.
This is not a debate as to whether Mahomes is
a great quarterback. We know Mahomes is a great quarterback,
you know, as you said before I came on. You
know he's got a few Super Bowls that prove it.
So we're not debating whether he's a great quarterback. But
(35:50):
this is a different year with a different group of receivers,
and he's playing as if he just does not feel
comfortable staying in the pocket and letting the offense work. Now,
maybe they'll get to that point, but we also know
that there may be nobody better in the game and
making plays on the move. He's so comfortable on the
move with unbelievable vision.
Speaker 1 (36:11):
Okay, before we get to Caleb Williams stuff. To close
it out, I want to talk Jaden Daniels. I said
this week, I can see six games. After six games
as an NFL quarterback, two things I'll see a red
flag or excellent traits. Jaden Daniels works for me. I
wish he was fifteen pounds heavier. I wish he was
a little sturdier. But what did you see in a
(36:33):
loss to Baltimore from Jaden Daniels.
Speaker 7 (36:37):
Well, he played very well. And the thing is is
he's really a pocket player at his core. He leaves
as a parachute. That's not the first thing he does,
it's the last thing he does. And this touchdown we're
looking at right now, by the way, was high level
quarterbacking for a rookie, the ability to work through that
progression and understand where to go with the football. But
he is a pocket player at his core. He's very
(36:59):
comfortable on the pocket. He sees it well, and he's
precisely accurate with his ball location. And again, ball location
is the term I like to use as opposed to accuracy,
because you have to place the ball in specific spots
in the NFL, it's not just throwing to a player.
And he's shown through six games, and you saw it
in college as well, Colin, that he really is so
(37:20):
precisely accurate with his ball location. So he's played extremely well.
And yes, he also does have that ability at times
to make plays with his legs and break down the defense,
and Kingsbury's doing a great job with him. It's a
perfect example of helping a quarterback, not protecting him, helping
a quarterback with what you're asking him to do, being
(37:41):
very specific in the reads and the designs of your
offense so that he does not get stuck in the pocket.
Speaker 1 (37:48):
So we've seen Caleb Williams get better every week, and
media reports guys like me are out here saying, Hey,
you had a big meeting with the coaches. Come to
Jesus meeting. You look at film, slow steady growth, where's
it coming from?
Speaker 7 (38:06):
The film tells you. I don't want to use the
word simplify because that is a bad connotation. But again,
I just talked about helping Jaden Daniels. They're doing a
great job of helping Caleb Williams of really defining the
route concepts, so it defines the reads, it keeps them
relatively basic, which, by the way, is the job of
(38:26):
the coordinator. You should be doing that with every quarterback
so that he knows exactly who to look at, where
to go with the ball. And they also give him
some plays that are basically no reed plays. You know,
he's throwing the most screen passes of any quarterback in
the league through six games. Those are plays, obviously, that
are no reed plays. The touchdown he threw to Cole
Kmet last week, the first one, which we're going to
(38:49):
show in a moment here, that's basically a no reed
play that becomes a thirty one yard touchdown. So they're
doing an outstanding job with him, And make no mistake,
this kid can throw the ball exceptionally well. He controls
it beautifully. I mean, you know you saw him for
those two years at USC. It comes out of his
hands so so beautifully.
Speaker 1 (39:09):
Yeah, So let's go to the play of the week,
which includes Caleb Williams and the improving Bears offense.
Speaker 7 (39:16):
Yeah, this was the first touchdown in the game last
week in London, where he hit Cole Comet on the
middle screen, a play I've seen numerous times in the league.
You've probably seen it as well. It's beautiful. You fake
the swing one way, you fake the screen the other way,
and then you throw the middle screen. It's so beautifully designed.
A perfect example of what we're speaking about with kind
(39:37):
of a no read play. So what you're going to
see here is you're going to see that Williams is
in the gun. It's going to be a two by
two set. Now we want to focus on Comet just
so people know where he is because he catches the touchdown.
But there's a lot that goes on before we get
to that. So what you're going to see here and
there's Comet, he's attached to the wide side of the field.
(39:59):
Now you're going to see keenan Allen is going to
go into jet motion and then orbit motion. This has
become a staple motion concept in the NFL. You see
everybody do it. Okay, So he's going to go into
this motion because he's the first part of this play.
And the corner tracks him. Now that's a pretty good
indicator that you're going to get some man coverage. So
(40:22):
he tracks them and as I said, now it looks
like it's going to be a swing to Alan because
you can see Caleb Williams immediately look out that way,
and that's a critical piece of the play. He has
to turn his head and his eyes to Keenan Allen.
That's the first part of the play. So now there's
two stacked linebackers here. They're really the targets on this play.
(40:44):
Now the next thing we want to see is the
right guard is pulling the other way away from Allen
to the opposite side of the field. And again we
talked about those linebackers being the critical piece here. So
what you want to see here is you're going to
see Williams. Now he's going to look to Swift as
if there's going to be a screen to the other
side of the field. And it's neither one of these plays.
(41:08):
But look what happens with the linebackers the eye discipline.
They don't know where to look. You're targeting them, So
what do you get commit wide open in the middle
of the field. And now this becomes as I said,
it's a no rethrow. This is the play, this is
where he's throwing the ball based on the design of
the play. So these are the kinds of things you
do to help young quarterbacks. Because now this is easy
(41:31):
by NFL standards, Colin, it's relatively a simple play. So
now Comet obviously does a great job to score the touchdown.
But this is how you help young quarterbacks. You get
them comfortable. You don't ask them to do more than
they can do early in their careers because the NFL
is a different game than college football.
Speaker 1 (41:48):
Greg Cosel forty five years NFL films. It's always Greg
appreciated
Hosts And Creators
Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
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