October 28, 2024 • 28 mins
Fox Sports NFL analyst Mark Sanchez joins the show in studio to talk about the Chargers offense as they look to make a playoff run under head coach Jim Harbaugh
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
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Speaker 2 (00:21):
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Speaker 1 (00:24):
Genesis gbaighty Coop ultimate expression of Genesis athletic elegance. It's
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Com Luxury driving right there. Jmack with news, No, no
turn on the news.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
This is the Herdline News.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Start with the Buffalo Bills and Josh Allen.
Speaker 4 (00:46):
You remember we made a big deal out of him
not throwing interceptions all season. Ye we said, go ahead
and bet the interception. He threw one against Seattle. It
did not matter, though, because Buffalo rolled yesterday, mark Buffalo's
fourth win by twenty points or more than season.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Tom Brady was very impressed.
Speaker 5 (01:03):
Wow, they look great.
Speaker 6 (01:04):
They look like they're a team that can be reckoning
with then AFC all season long. Not that we didn't
expect that, but they look good on offense, defense, special
teams very well coached. They're proving go on the road
in a tough environment. So fifth road game, I thought
this was a huge challenge for him, and they've coming
out and obsolutely dominated the Seattle.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
Yeah, I mean we both. I was a gunshy on that.
I didn't want any part of Seattle in that space.
But I also think when you watch that game and
you see the golf between Alan and Gino and listen,
we know he's not the same, but you're starting to
really see best quarterback winning a lot of these games.
Like Kirk Cousins is now separating from everybody in his division,
(01:43):
and CJ. Stroud is separating from everybody in his direction.
And by the way, Bononix had a nice weekend. But
justin Herbert and Mahomes are separating from everybody in their division.
And the gap between Aaron Rodgers and Josh Allen it's
as big as the gap between Josh Allen and Gino Smith. Sorry,
I mean that the best quarterbacks are one of these
games now, Like tonight, I'm Jacon Russell Wilson.
Speaker 4 (02:05):
Well, there were four quarterbacks who were inferior who won
on Sunday.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Give me a bunch of them. Well, well, I mean.
Speaker 4 (02:12):
Neliek Willis over Trevor Lawrence. Right, So I mean Jalen
Hurts over Joe Burrow.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Not vastly inferior, but well that was a roster mismatch.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
Kyler Tua depends who you fall on that.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
You know what, you know what, Kyler's better than Tua.
Did you guys watch that Kyler?
Speaker 3 (02:28):
So that game was not on Tua.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
Come on, no, no, I'm not blame it on two. I'm saying,
but Kyler made he made some plays. He made a
half dozen plays in the second half, and I don't
think Tua can make most of them. Kyler Murray, you
say whatever you want with him. This is why I
like him. The guy really is special. He extends plays
as well as anybody not named Lamar Jackson.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Matt Ryan, Baker, Mayfield. Baker's down a couple of weapons.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
So he's Kirk Cousins, Baker Mayfield, Kirk Cousins.
Speaker 4 (02:54):
Yes, yes, But to Tom Brady's point, I don't disagree
with him. I said at the outside of the show,
Buffalo Baltimore case. See to me, they're all like equals.
Buffalo's just I mean.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
I'm gonna take Casey's team.
Speaker 4 (03:05):
They're getting healthier on defense. Look at these ranks. Colin,
the defense is making plays. Man and Josh Allen, Now
he's got a weapon. Keon Coleman grew up. Oh, he
had a great day. It was almost as if he
saw Amari Cooper and felt threatened, like, oh, he's gonna
take away targets here.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
Also Amari Cooper's forcing defenders to maybe cheat to the
other side. So ke On Coleman, he had a great
catch in the end zone. He grew up. He had
his day. He had his day.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
And it's almost like Brady watches this because I.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
Referenced the fourth l game Take all your best material, and.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
Then, like an idiot, I bet Seattle in the game.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
No, I thought, I thought, Keon Coleman, that's a good point.
I thought he played really well. Shakiir had had a
really nice game.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
Let's just move on. Damn it, Buffalo Bills. Let's go
to the Miami Dolphins.
Speaker 4 (03:48):
Now to a tongue of I made his return since
the concussion in week two. He led the team to
a TV on the opening drive, but Miami lost Colin.
He then choked away a late lead, ended up to
two and five on the season. Here's two on his
return to action.
Speaker 7 (04:04):
It was good to be able to come back play
with my teammates to hopefully help in whatever way I
can to get a spark going for us offensively or
get the mojo going for the entire team. It was good,
but tough loss today against a really good team. So
(04:24):
you know that diminishes not just what I've done, but
a lot of what other guys have done individually as well.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
I thought there was a point when they led twenty
to ten and I really felt like they were going
to control the game, and then it was James Connor
and Kyler Murray. Hey, how about Marvin Harrison. How about
Marvin Harrison?
Speaker 3 (04:43):
Cook Jalen Ramsey.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
He ran right by him, and Ramsey, who's one of
the highest paid guys, just couldn't catch him.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
And Harrison made a great catch.
Speaker 4 (04:51):
I'll just say the Dolphin season is on the line
against Buffalo this weekend. You can't lose to Buffalo again.
So then you lose the tie breakers fall to they
would be two and six. It'll be over if they lose.
I know they had a great run a couple of
years ago.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
You know, you and I have said this offensively. Arizona
has a lot of players. Arizona, they when they get
those get when Harrison's McBride, Harrison, Kyler Connor are all
really to Arizona's got dudes.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
By the way, So this Miami, obviously they're to a
concussion ruin the season.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
But like, let's I don't know where they go from here.
Speaker 4 (05:27):
They paid him a lot of money, Wattle got paid,
Tyreko got paid. Are they like a lesser version of
the Bengals right with Burrow, Higgins and Chase.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (05:36):
They just invested so heavily. They're very top heavy. I
don't see a path to success from Miami. Final story,
Colin is d hop DeAndre Hopkins made his Chiefs debut
in their win over the Raiders. Only had two catches
for twenty nine yards, but had a key third down
conversion on the opening drive that Patrick Mahomes.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
Oh, he loved it.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
Colin loved it.
Speaker 8 (05:56):
Honestly. It's it's it's high level stuff. Just because it
was zone coverage, they kind of were in the right spot.
He pulled up in the right window.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
Stuff.
Speaker 8 (06:02):
You see trav do a lot, You see Juju do
a lot we don't practice that play I think once
maybe twice, and for third down in that situation for
him to run in and be in the right position,
and it shows that he's gonna fit in perfectly in
this offense.
Speaker 9 (06:13):
Snurp.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
They just make all the plays when you have to
mean that, like they fourth the fourth down, stop opening drive,
fifty percent on third down, like just they just do
all the stuff you gotta do.
Speaker 4 (06:26):
Let me ask you, is Kansas City done done shopping?
Because they just got the pass rusher from Newing.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
I think they're done now, are you sure? Okay, well,
what do you think you're.
Speaker 4 (06:36):
Some of your people, well, Deontay Johnson from Carolina unhappy
it was a late scratch this week, did not play.
And now schefter's saying that Deontay Johnson is gonna be
gone from Carolina a lot.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
Let me throw this out there. Deontay Johnson with the Chargers,
I mean, if the Chargers or something watching the Chiefs
keep adding pieces because lad.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
Mcconckey Cockey had a game.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
No, he's he's a good number two.
Speaker 4 (06:59):
That can play if you want, so, Deontae to there,
I don't. I mean, if I'm the Chiefs I'm going
all in for the three peat.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
Just go all in. Why not?
Speaker 4 (07:07):
I'm gonna be eating a lot of crow if Kansas
City wins another super Bowl.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
You know I've been Bashingham for a while.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
Well, I think they're gonna win the.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
Super Bowl, and you're you're on record now they're.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
Going to I think there. I had number one in
the Herd hierarchy the entire year.
Speaker 3 (07:21):
They're not the best. Our next guest will confirm they're
not the best team.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
I think they are the best team. I really do.
I think they are the best team. Jmack with the news.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
Well that's the news, and thanks for stopping by the
Herd Line. Be sure to catch live editions of The
Herd Weekdays in neonon Easter nine am Pacific on Fox
Sports Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
Let's bring him on, Mark Sanchez, Fox Sports NFL analyst Mark,
he's gonna give us some He was doing the Chargers yesterday,
which we have we have staved off the Chargers highlights
until the very last segment. It was really you you
guys were good yesterday and that game was there was.
Speaker 9 (08:02):
Just like a baseball score for a minute, though there
was some hit in the next five to two or
four to two, Well, they.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
Don't have it. They don't have a ton on the perimeter.
That's why lad Dock he's emergent. It is so so big.
So I we want to I want to talk about
the hail Mary because hassleback that I want to talk
about this. Yeah, now listen, sometimes they're walk and then
there are mistakes though, yep, okay, So as we show
the commanders tell me for a guy to get behind
(08:28):
the defense. There's no box out guy there.
Speaker 5 (08:30):
Well, there should be a box out guy there.
Speaker 9 (08:32):
Obviously, Eberflus talked about Stevenson's got to be that guy,
and of course we all know what happened with him
not paying attention at the start of the snap, lack
of focus and when that kind of stuff happens. But
one of the biggest things that I saw in this
play is the ability that Jayden Daniels had to have
to buy that much time. I mean, usually you don't
get that much time. This is a long throw, so
(08:54):
I mean barely got it to the goal line. The
biggest thing is make sure it's in the end zone.
Don't throw it out of the back of the en zone.
At least give yourself an opportunity. That's a big one too,
is I need a body for a body on defense,
you know what I mean. I need guys boxing people out.
Defenders bath the ball down, not up. Offensive players bath
the ball up or go snag it. If if you
have a good you know, a good enough path to
(09:17):
the football, just go grab it and end the game
right there. Well, these are the plays that you practice
on Fridays, Saturdays. You do your last plays, like the
final plays of the game. These are like you run
these more than I mean to lose like that is.
Speaker 5 (09:34):
It's tough.
Speaker 9 (09:35):
There's gonna be some tough conversations coaching wise, and it's embarrassing.
You know, It's just an embarrassing way to go down
when you won essentially an ugly game on the road
NFC opponent, and to lose like that because the lack
of focus and poor execution on a play that should
be just automatic ingrained in your brain.
Speaker 5 (09:56):
That's a tough one to swallow.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
So I'm kind of theorizing I brock pretty in the
first half. I thought he was off a little bit.
I thought he was so yeah off, miss de Bo,
Yeah yeah, and I was just like, okay, and I've
said Lebron's done this when the jumper's not falling. Lebron's like,
let me drive, let me drive to the basket. I'll
get my confidence back. And then he goes back out.
I thought Brock pretty in the second half, and I'm
just guessing here, but it's like, I'm gonna use my feet.
(10:19):
They're good. And then after a couple first downs, I
thought he got his confidence back. It you know, he's
a young player, shill, but it did feel like at
halftime it's almost like Kyle said, use your feet.
Speaker 9 (10:32):
I feel like some of this and I don't know
this for a fact, but like having a former quarterback
like Brian Greasie as your quarterback coach, I had those
tips and reminders, like a tips and reminder sheet, and
we would talk at halftime with Matt Kavanaugh, who played,
steal me two first downs with your legs. Okay, you
know on a third and short, if it's not there
(10:53):
and it's man to man, go boy go, You're gonna
be fine. You're not the fastest guy. You're not gonna
rip off a fifty yarder. But if we need the yards,
he can get me four and now we need five yards.
I might only get you four. So it was one
of those things, almost a joke, but you remind your
quarterback of stuff like that at halftime. And I feel
like having somebody like Greasy for Brock Purty has really
(11:14):
helped his development and kept him even keel. And he's
got that great demeanor and just understands. Yeah, he sees
the big picture. It feels like all the time, and
you know, like a really good picture when the fastball
is a little awe, for the curve balls not really
break in the right way, or something's a little off. Okay,
I gotta find a way to win the way you
mentioned Lebron. I got to get to the basket, you know,
(11:35):
I got to get to the foul line and get
in a rhythm here, sure, just so I can keep
us in this game. I feel like Brock has there's
little games within the game, and he can see the
whole picture as he's playing. That's why I think he's
so valuable, whether he has all his weapons or not.
You saw what happens, and I mean he knows who
his playmakers are. He knows to get the ball to
(11:57):
George s Kittle on his own holiday. I mean, who
else has their own holiday that's and then goes to
balls out on their own like Jesus Santa Claus, Like
that's crazy.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
So you know, I was saying this. Usually we have
some proof that offensive coaches off byes, they install something,
and you had Rex Ryan, So I always feel like
defensive coaches, like yesterday Matt eberfluse off a bye. Their
first seven possessions that was six punts. I got nothing, McCarthy.
I did think the Cowboys, the inferior roster, gave you
(12:26):
a little juice in the first half. But I said
this when I watched Jaden and I watch Caleb. Caleb
didn't play well early, but he extended plays. He did
the best he could in the second half. He made
things interesting. Jaden was a little more even, I felt
from beginning to end. But when you come off a bye,
and I watched Chicago struggle and punt and punt, my
(12:49):
takeaway is, Okay, he's a rookie. They don't want to
heat too much stuff on it. Am I being unrealistic
to think off a bye, you can't punt six times?
That you got to have something there? Do they not
script plays.
Speaker 9 (13:01):
I mean, there's he's ten for twenty four for one
hundred and thirty one yards. Like, that's a tough stat line, right,
Get me some completions. Manufacture some completions on some easy
you know, rollouts and sprintouts and stuff. Go back to
the well on that stuff. But the other thing that
a bye week gives you not just installing. I know
what you mean by saying like install and people would
(13:22):
think that's a new concept.
Speaker 5 (13:23):
It's a lot of self scout.
Speaker 9 (13:25):
So most teams will have their defense scout their offense
and offense scout their defense as if they were gonna
play okay during the bye week, and so you give
them tendencies. Hey, you know, uh, seventy five percent of
the time when you guys line up in a y
y wing set out of twelve personnel, one back, two
tight ends with the slot receivers, you run this play
or it's you know, outside zone or whatever, or here's
(13:46):
a tell on this or that.
Speaker 5 (13:48):
So you usually use.
Speaker 9 (13:49):
After a bye week your tendency breakers. You show exactly
what you've shown all year, and you have something off
of it, whether it's a play action off of a run,
some sort of run check from a pass low like
whatever you put in the quarterback draw, whatever it is,
because you're ninety five percent throw at an empty which everybody,
you know what I mean, you just come up with something.
The Bears just looked, you know that first half, especially
(14:11):
just stale slow, you know, looked, looked off their rhythm really,
And remember Caleb has had success with those more conservative
game plans. When they went back to back Houston on
the road and Indianapolis on the road and you had
to throw it almost fifty times a game, we're complaining
that that's probably not the formula. So he only throws
(14:32):
it twenty one times. But if you only get a
complete ten of those twenty one, I mean, that's a
tough way to play. So look the look at the
Lions yesterday. I mean they hung half one hundred or
fifty two points on somebody, and Jared Goff didn't even
throw for one hundred yards. He threw for like eighty
four yards fifteen passes. So if that's going to be
your formula, then you got to run the ball right,
You got to get me, steal me some completions when
(14:53):
you can.
Speaker 5 (14:53):
I think he was twelve or fifteen.
Speaker 9 (14:55):
So for Caleb, it's like, we got to steal some
of those completions early in games. Get off to a
fast start. Give me three points on our opening drive.
Something to get the juice going on offense.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
Speaking of Detroit, you had a pretty good offensive line
when you broke into the NFL. I was saying it,
golf is good to begin with. It's like he's on
a recliner. I mean he's I mean, I mean he's
literally me well, I mean Mark, he's he's throwing on
second four a lot. Take me through that. Take go
(15:24):
to your best offensive line. I think sometimes fans don't
realize the difference between throwing on second and eight and
second four.
Speaker 5 (15:32):
It's oh, it's huge.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
The linebackers are I mean take us through because.
Speaker 9 (15:36):
I mean defenses want to get you in second and seven,
second and eight plus right, that's like their goal and
they feel like they're ahead. Think of like a pitcher
and a batter, Right, you want to get the first strike.
Batter wants you to throw a ball like boo, okay,
now you're ahead. Well, that gets you into third and manageable.
And when you have a team that can run the
ball like this, I mean the offensive line we had
in New York my rookie year, we're like top four
(15:58):
in NFL history of like rushing with Bill Callahan our
offensive court, offensive line coach, Shoddi our offense coordinator. But
you know, from left to right, it was the brickishaw Ferguson,
Alan Fanica, Nick Mangold, Brandon Moore, and then Damian Woodie
who had won a Super Bowl as a center for
Tom Brady in New England. Like these were five blocks
(16:19):
of granted. And then Wayne Hunter was our swing tackle
who was a stud in his own right. So we
went jumbo with Tony Richardson, and I mean I'm going
like a Glory Days Q of Bruce Springsteen. Sorry, but
with Tony Richardson, who was a thousand yard rusher in
his own right in Kansas City. Then came over played
fullback for Thomas Jones, who's our running back? Like are
you kidding me? So on third and six we could
(16:41):
run power with a fullback on the field and still
get a first down. So, especially to overcome some of
my rookie mistakes. Yeah, well the second year when we
had most of those pieces back, and you start to
understand protections and what we're doing in protection and what
the running backs responsibility is and how to pick up blitzes,
and all these guys would just handle it and you
(17:02):
get to play free. Those are some of my favorite
moments because you just get to go. It's like seven
on seven. Hey, mangal, it's gonna take care of me.
Speaker 5 (17:09):
We're good. Just tell me the mike point. All right,
we got it, Like, let's roll.
Speaker 9 (17:13):
And when you have an offensive line like that, it
makes your life as a quarterback so much easier.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
Yet, how good they were early.
Speaker 9 (17:19):
I don't think I appreciated it until we didn't have
it as much as much as I should have. I
appreciated it, But once you start getting hit all the
time and you're like, man, we're at second and ten
a lot like what happened to our run game?
Speaker 8 (17:30):
Right?
Speaker 9 (17:31):
You know, guys get injured, guys go down. You're like, whoa,
we had it pretty damn good. This was nice. So
it's uh. I think Jared Goff has seen both sides.
Remember his rookie year he got knocked around real good.
First year in Detroit wasn't oh exactly right? I mean
that was a rebuild. He's been a part of two rebuilds.
Think about that one of them took him to a
super Bowl and this team, you know, lost in the
(17:53):
playoffs last year, but this is a team that's going
to go far.
Speaker 5 (17:56):
They're a problem.
Speaker 9 (17:57):
And two rebuilds for a quarterback and he's gonna to
potentially go to two super bowl. I mean, that's that's
incredible in his own right. But he also knows what
he has and place of that strength.
Speaker 1 (18:07):
Yeah, I like that you admit that because you're that
old line was great when you come in as a rookie,
your USC lone. I mean, you're sick and I only
have good old line.
Speaker 9 (18:14):
But there's literally clips in Oakland I can distinctly remember.
And we go through a double cadence and I just
completely zoned out, and I go, Nick, what do you like?
Because we're either running right or left and I'm looking
at it like eh, I can't really decide. And you
see Nick go like this, raise his right hand, and
so we run the play to the right. Literally it's
twenty hours touchdown. I'm high five, and all the coaches after.
Speaker 5 (18:37):
They're like, great check, Sanchez, great check. I'm like, thanks, thanks, guys.
Speaker 1 (18:41):
It was on Nicky h back with more. He's got
video good stuff on Justin Herbert.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd Weekdays
and Noone Easter nine em Pacific.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
All right, welcome back. Mark Sanchez, who did the Chargers
game of the Saints yesterday, and Justin Herbert. We were
talking during the break if I was the Jet side
move off a corner you need to We had some
accumulate some draft picks. The Chiefs have already made a
move today to get a Patriot. You understand, Jacksonville's got
a corner. A lot of people could like that could
work for a couple of teams. I think the Chargers
are good enough. I think they could be a wild
(19:12):
card teamed. Although Denver's been surprised. I know, I know
it's gonna be a tight race with those two, although
Denver scheduled toughens a little. But the Chargers, to me,
and I'll let you take it away, Mark, feel like
they need something on the perimeter.
Speaker 9 (19:24):
It would yeah, definitely help there, Okay, their cause and
help Justin Herbert. But I think when you talk about
this team, you got to understand their makeup. And Jim Harbaugh,
he's obviously an his centric guy. He's a little quirky.
He's you know, he said last week in his press conference,
you know the worm has turned, and like we're out
of our rut and here we come. You know, he's
(19:45):
got these great sayings and all those things, but he
wants to be a hard nosed, downhill, run the ball team.
Stingy defense, which jesse mentor their defensive coordinator, has implemented.
Their one of the top scoring defenses, if not the
top scoring defense in the league. Tough to get points
on him. They're great in the red zone. They had
six sacks yesterday against the Saints. And this is a
(20:07):
team heading in the right direction, I think. Yeah, And
the story of this game when you get to this
part of the season is players making plays. The Johnny's
and Joe's, not just the ex'es and o's. And these
two clips are so indicative of a Harbaugh team. And
he always has competitors welcome, right. He's got guys like
Scott Mattlock. Guys you've never heard of that play d tackle,
(20:30):
that play full back that had a sack yesterday and
a catch for nine yards. This guy Mattlock forty four.
When he's in the game, it's seventy five percent run.
He has guys like that Ladd McConkey, former walk on
at Georgia becomes a legend down in Athens between the
hedges because he's a baller, right, Those kind of guys
make plays. So watch Ladd McConkey on this first play.
When we roll this clip, you see it's man to
(20:51):
man across the board. Tight ball game nine to five
chargers are you know, both teams are kind of going
back and forth, trading blows and nobody knows what's going on.
Speaker 5 (20:59):
Well, Mattlock, this is like a rerun of the old Mattlock.
Speaker 9 (21:02):
I know they rebooted it with Kathy Bates, but I'm
talking Andy Griffith, old school Mattlock, right, and this guy's
going to solve the case. He's going to understand what
you need to do. Same thing with Lad McConkey. This
guy's in the slot. He understands it's man and man
across the board. He knows he's going to have to
win a one on one matchup. They show run based
on their formation and Mattlock being in the game, it's
(21:23):
almost seventy five percent chance that it's going to be
a run. So what does Greg Roman do. He breaks
the tendency after a bye week and shows, hey, let's
show him a little sugar on this fake to the
running back and cross up these linebackers. Watch what it
does to the linebackers. One of them has to cover Mattlock,
one of them has to cover JK. Dobbins, and these
linebackers get crossed up. It opens up the middle of
(21:44):
the field where they want to go with the football
to Simmy Fajoku, one of their receivers, and look what
it does. Boom, there go the backers, There goes the
cross action. Herbert has to get rid of this ball
because Colin Saunders is right on. They have plenty of protection,
but Colin Saunders somehow slips through this gap. There's nobody open.
There is nowhere to throw this football, and there's a
(22:06):
dude in his face about to level Justin Herbert.
Speaker 5 (22:08):
And what does he do.
Speaker 9 (22:09):
He just throws up a jump ball, a one on one,
fifty to fifty ball. And the thing that's most important
is lad McConkey. He gives his quarterback room. He's completely
covered by a Lante Taylor. This is great coverage by
Alonton Taylor. He did nothing wrong here. But Ladi mcconky
just went up and competed for the ball, got it,
and then Josh Palmer has to make a block for
him later because he slipped on his own route. I mean,
(22:32):
one of their guys that they expected to potentially be
their playmaker. After Keenan Allen goes, Eckler's gone, Mike Williams
is gone. This guy's got to step up, Josh Palmer.
He falls down and you're throwing to a rookie former
walk on from Georgia with a fullback who also plays
defensive tackle blocking for the quarterback, and you still get
pressure in your face. So the play was completely dead.
(22:53):
The Saints had him. They shouldn't have made that play.
It was one guy making him play, not beating a scheme, right,
and we're gonna see that same theme on this next
red zone play now they get down to the red zone.
Will Disley was a defensive tackle for two years at
the University of Washington. Okay, he last week had eleven
targets and eight catches. Yesterday had six or so catches
(23:15):
or whatever it was. But he's number one in your progression.
Speaker 5 (23:18):
I mean, no.
Speaker 9 (23:18):
Offense to Will Disley, but that's just usually not that.
He's not George Kettle, He's not I know. So I'm saying,
this is what Justin Herbert's working with. Then he's got
Dobbins on the halfback Texas route or the angle route.
Your feet have to be set to throw that thing.
He immediately hops to the right. He knows this play
is dead. There's what does Jim Harbaugh say, Who's got
it better than us? Nobody who's open on this play? Nobody?
(23:41):
There is nothing here for Justin Herbert. I mean, if
he wanted to maybe fire that thing to Dobbins, maybe,
but he goes and becomes superman.
Speaker 5 (23:50):
I mean, look at that logo. What is that logo?
Speaker 9 (23:52):
He needs a hoop on the fifteen yard line right there,
and he's Jordan dunking from the free throw line. Man,
Like this, you can't even see Lad McConkey. You can't
even see it. Google A Mahdi is completely covered him
and Lodi mccaughy.
Speaker 5 (24:04):
He just throws it to his guy.
Speaker 9 (24:06):
He's been the most consistent receiver for this offense because
of two abilities, availability and his reliability. This guy is
dependable man, and he just shows up at the right time.
Speaker 5 (24:19):
But those are two crucial plays for the Chargers.
Speaker 9 (24:22):
That was the game right there to those points were
the game, and that is not you know, those aren't
scripted for success.
Speaker 5 (24:29):
Right there, those players are dead.
Speaker 1 (24:31):
So that's why I think, Mark to your point, they
need help.
Speaker 9 (24:35):
They could use a playmaker, somebody that can really elevate,
that can really separate in man to man. I mean
there were no separators right we saw the mand and
man clip. There's nobody just running for you. And I
understand it's the NFL. These guys aren't gonna be wide open,
but come on, man, I mean, essin, Herbert needs a
little help, and this is such a shift from their identity.
I mean, think about the Chargers as an organization. Dan
(24:57):
Fouts throw it all around the yard. Philip River throw
it all around the yard. The first four years of
Herbert's career, He's got over eighteen thousand passing yards. I mean,
this guy can sling the rock now, but we're gonna
run it fifty times a game now, so he's adjusting
to it.
Speaker 5 (25:13):
I think, there, how many times have I done that
to this Mike, this poor Mike. Sorry, but how many
times are are they gonna? You know?
Speaker 9 (25:20):
Or how difficult rather is this transition for Justin Herbert.
It's just a complete shift in identity. And he's mentioned
it a couple times in their press conference of what
this team is.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
I'm gonna this just came down.
Speaker 5 (25:32):
Oh oh, so breaking news.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
Well, Anthony Richardson struggled. He's young, he only played thirteen
college games. But he pulled himself out yesterday and when
asked why, he said, I was tired. Soe. Shane Steiken's
a terrific coach. He used to be a Chargers on
the Charger staff. Shane Stiken went asked if Anthony Richardson
will start on Sunday at Minnesota. Quote, we're evaluating everything.
Oh boy, yeah, that's not great. And by the way
(25:56):
he runs so much, I get that he's tired, but
I don't think I would admitted that.
Speaker 5 (26:00):
I would have said, yeah, I think Miami's tight. I
don't know.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
I wouldn't have said I'm tired.
Speaker 5 (26:07):
Well, the good thing is, you know Flacco's there isn't
that great?
Speaker 9 (26:12):
This guy just how wasla? He used to figure it out? Man,
give me a and I love it. I remember sitting
at a Jets practice in the off season when he
was backing up Zach Wilson. He was the veteran presence
for Zach Wilson. I want to say rookie year second
or whatever, but I just remember sitting in there, eating
lunch with him and talking through career and highs and lows,
(26:35):
and we have this great conversation. I just said, how
many more you got left? He goes, oh, man, you
know me, I'm a lifer. They got to drag me
out of this place. It's like like they got to
tell me I'm done, because I'm never done.
Speaker 5 (26:47):
Like I'm going to.
Speaker 9 (26:48):
Ride this thing till the wheels fall off. And I
loved that answer from him. And I got to do
a sit down interview with him last year when he
was with the Browns, and I just really appreciate how
much his family towards him. He's like just a solid
guy and they know he's on this incredible journey and
he's still got plenty of gas in the tank.
Speaker 5 (27:06):
So if I'm a Colts fan, I'm not too worried.
Speaker 8 (27:09):
Well.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
He was always a big body with a big, huge.
Speaker 9 (27:12):
Guy, just the mountain of a man and big arm,
big time arm. So I love watching it. I love
watching it. You can just tell he sees the big picture.
He's having a blast, and you know he's having as
much fun as you can have playing them position, almost
like a rookie or like a kid playing out in
the street. But he knows so much, you know, because
(27:32):
he's long in the tooth. He's been around so long.
I mean, this guy is He's a class act.
Speaker 1 (27:37):
Yeah, and I actually think Indy's got a lot of pieces.
I like. I mean, the kid who made the catch yesterday,
it was down at the one, the smaller receiver. I'm
what is it again? Greg? Yeah, down, Josh down down?
And Pittman Jonathan Taylor never goes down with a first hit.
Speaker 5 (27:55):
I know he's great back. He love Pittman, so do I.
They have some pieces.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
Yeah, all right, great stuff from you today, Mark Sanchez,
Matt Hasselbeck, both stop by. It's the Steelers tonight and
the Giants. I'm gonna watch it in the corner TV.
It's the Dodgers and the Yankees. The Dodgers are cobbling
together a starting pitching staff. Walker Buehler goes tonight. I
know you grew up in southern California. Were you Angels
or Dodgers?
Speaker 5 (28:20):
That's a tough one. How much time do we have?
Speaker 1 (28:23):
Twelve seconds?
Speaker 9 (28:25):
Well, my grandpa used to live at Chavezravine. Then they
put the stadium there, so that was a tough sell
with the Dodgers. But you know, I'm an La guy
and Orange County guy, so we'll lean in tonight.
Speaker 5 (28:34):
Yeah,
Thanks for listening to The Herd podcast. Be sure to
catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio in
noon to three Eastern nine am to noon Pacific. Find
your local station for The Herd at Fox Sports Radio
dot com, or stream us live every day on the
iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
Genesis gbaighty Coop ultimate expression of Genesis athletic elegance. It's
Coop feel prowess of an SUV. Go to Genesis dot
Com Luxury driving right there. Jmack with news, No, no
turn on the news.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
This is the Herdline News.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Start with the Buffalo Bills and Josh Allen.
Speaker 4 (00:46):
You remember we made a big deal out of him
not throwing interceptions all season. Ye we said, go ahead
and bet the interception. He threw one against Seattle. It
did not matter, though, because Buffalo rolled yesterday, mark Buffalo's
fourth win by twenty points or more than season.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Tom Brady was very impressed.
Speaker 5 (01:03):
Wow, they look great.
Speaker 6 (01:04):
They look like they're a team that can be reckoning
with then AFC all season long. Not that we didn't
expect that, but they look good on offense, defense, special
teams very well coached. They're proving go on the road
in a tough environment. So fifth road game, I thought
this was a huge challenge for him, and they've coming
out and obsolutely dominated the Seattle.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
Yeah, I mean we both. I was a gunshy on that.
I didn't want any part of Seattle in that space.
But I also think when you watch that game and
you see the golf between Alan and Gino and listen,
we know he's not the same, but you're starting to
really see best quarterback winning a lot of these games.
Like Kirk Cousins is now separating from everybody in his division,
(01:43):
and CJ. Stroud is separating from everybody in his direction.
And by the way, Bononix had a nice weekend. But
justin Herbert and Mahomes are separating from everybody in their division.
And the gap between Aaron Rodgers and Josh Allen it's
as big as the gap between Josh Allen and Gino Smith. Sorry,
I mean that the best quarterbacks are one of these
games now, Like tonight, I'm Jacon Russell Wilson.
Speaker 4 (02:05):
Well, there were four quarterbacks who were inferior who won
on Sunday.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Give me a bunch of them. Well, well, I mean.
Speaker 4 (02:12):
Neliek Willis over Trevor Lawrence. Right, So I mean Jalen
Hurts over Joe Burrow.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Not vastly inferior, but well that was a roster mismatch.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
Kyler Tua depends who you fall on that.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
You know what, you know what, Kyler's better than Tua.
Did you guys watch that Kyler?
Speaker 3 (02:28):
So that game was not on Tua.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
Come on, no, no, I'm not blame it on two. I'm saying,
but Kyler made he made some plays. He made a
half dozen plays in the second half, and I don't
think Tua can make most of them. Kyler Murray, you
say whatever you want with him. This is why I
like him. The guy really is special. He extends plays
as well as anybody not named Lamar Jackson.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Matt Ryan, Baker, Mayfield. Baker's down a couple of weapons.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
So he's Kirk Cousins, Baker Mayfield, Kirk Cousins.
Speaker 4 (02:54):
Yes, yes, But to Tom Brady's point, I don't disagree
with him. I said at the outside of the show,
Buffalo Baltimore case. See to me, they're all like equals.
Buffalo's just I mean.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
I'm gonna take Casey's team.
Speaker 4 (03:05):
They're getting healthier on defense. Look at these ranks. Colin,
the defense is making plays. Man and Josh Allen, Now
he's got a weapon. Keon Coleman grew up. Oh, he
had a great day. It was almost as if he
saw Amari Cooper and felt threatened, like, oh, he's gonna
take away targets here.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
Also Amari Cooper's forcing defenders to maybe cheat to the
other side. So ke On Coleman, he had a great
catch in the end zone. He grew up. He had
his day. He had his day.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
And it's almost like Brady watches this because I.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
Referenced the fourth l game Take all your best material, and.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
Then, like an idiot, I bet Seattle in the game.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
No, I thought, I thought, Keon Coleman, that's a good point.
I thought he played really well. Shakiir had had a
really nice game.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
Let's just move on. Damn it, Buffalo Bills. Let's go
to the Miami Dolphins.
Speaker 4 (03:48):
Now to a tongue of I made his return since
the concussion in week two. He led the team to
a TV on the opening drive, but Miami lost Colin.
He then choked away a late lead, ended up to
two and five on the season. Here's two on his
return to action.
Speaker 7 (04:04):
It was good to be able to come back play
with my teammates to hopefully help in whatever way I
can to get a spark going for us offensively or
get the mojo going for the entire team. It was good,
but tough loss today against a really good team. So
(04:24):
you know that diminishes not just what I've done, but
a lot of what other guys have done individually as well.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
I thought there was a point when they led twenty
to ten and I really felt like they were going
to control the game, and then it was James Connor
and Kyler Murray. Hey, how about Marvin Harrison. How about
Marvin Harrison?
Speaker 3 (04:43):
Cook Jalen Ramsey.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
He ran right by him, and Ramsey, who's one of
the highest paid guys, just couldn't catch him.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
And Harrison made a great catch.
Speaker 4 (04:51):
I'll just say the Dolphin season is on the line
against Buffalo this weekend. You can't lose to Buffalo again.
So then you lose the tie breakers fall to they
would be two and six. It'll be over if they lose.
I know they had a great run a couple of
years ago.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
You know, you and I have said this offensively. Arizona
has a lot of players. Arizona, they when they get
those get when Harrison's McBride, Harrison, Kyler Connor are all
really to Arizona's got dudes.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
By the way, So this Miami, obviously they're to a
concussion ruin the season.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
But like, let's I don't know where they go from here.
Speaker 4 (05:27):
They paid him a lot of money, Wattle got paid,
Tyreko got paid. Are they like a lesser version of
the Bengals right with Burrow, Higgins and Chase.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (05:36):
They just invested so heavily. They're very top heavy. I
don't see a path to success from Miami. Final story,
Colin is d hop DeAndre Hopkins made his Chiefs debut
in their win over the Raiders. Only had two catches
for twenty nine yards, but had a key third down
conversion on the opening drive that Patrick Mahomes.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
Oh, he loved it.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
Colin loved it.
Speaker 8 (05:56):
Honestly. It's it's it's high level stuff. Just because it
was zone coverage, they kind of were in the right spot.
He pulled up in the right window.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
Stuff.
Speaker 8 (06:02):
You see trav do a lot, You see Juju do
a lot we don't practice that play I think once
maybe twice, and for third down in that situation for
him to run in and be in the right position,
and it shows that he's gonna fit in perfectly in
this offense.
Speaker 9 (06:13):
Snurp.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
They just make all the plays when you have to
mean that, like they fourth the fourth down, stop opening drive,
fifty percent on third down, like just they just do
all the stuff you gotta do.
Speaker 4 (06:26):
Let me ask you, is Kansas City done done shopping?
Because they just got the pass rusher from Newing.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
I think they're done now, are you sure? Okay, well,
what do you think you're.
Speaker 4 (06:36):
Some of your people, well, Deontay Johnson from Carolina unhappy
it was a late scratch this week, did not play.
And now schefter's saying that Deontay Johnson is gonna be
gone from Carolina a lot.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
Let me throw this out there. Deontay Johnson with the Chargers,
I mean, if the Chargers or something watching the Chiefs
keep adding pieces because lad.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
Mcconckey Cockey had a game.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
No, he's he's a good number two.
Speaker 4 (06:59):
That can play if you want, so, Deontae to there,
I don't. I mean, if I'm the Chiefs I'm going
all in for the three peat.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
Just go all in. Why not?
Speaker 4 (07:07):
I'm gonna be eating a lot of crow if Kansas
City wins another super Bowl.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
You know I've been Bashingham for a while.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
Well, I think they're gonna win the.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
Super Bowl, and you're you're on record now they're.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
Going to I think there. I had number one in
the Herd hierarchy the entire year.
Speaker 3 (07:21):
They're not the best. Our next guest will confirm they're
not the best team.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
I think they are the best team. I really do.
I think they are the best team. Jmack with the news.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
Well that's the news, and thanks for stopping by the
Herd Line. Be sure to catch live editions of The
Herd Weekdays in neonon Easter nine am Pacific on Fox
Sports Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
Let's bring him on, Mark Sanchez, Fox Sports NFL analyst Mark,
he's gonna give us some He was doing the Chargers yesterday,
which we have we have staved off the Chargers highlights
until the very last segment. It was really you you
guys were good yesterday and that game was there was.
Speaker 9 (08:02):
Just like a baseball score for a minute, though there
was some hit in the next five to two or
four to two, Well, they.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
Don't have it. They don't have a ton on the perimeter.
That's why lad Dock he's emergent. It is so so big.
So I we want to I want to talk about
the hail Mary because hassleback that I want to talk
about this. Yeah, now listen, sometimes they're walk and then
there are mistakes though, yep, okay, So as we show
the commanders tell me for a guy to get behind
(08:28):
the defense. There's no box out guy there.
Speaker 5 (08:30):
Well, there should be a box out guy there.
Speaker 9 (08:32):
Obviously, Eberflus talked about Stevenson's got to be that guy,
and of course we all know what happened with him
not paying attention at the start of the snap, lack
of focus and when that kind of stuff happens. But
one of the biggest things that I saw in this
play is the ability that Jayden Daniels had to have
to buy that much time. I mean, usually you don't
get that much time. This is a long throw, so
(08:54):
I mean barely got it to the goal line. The
biggest thing is make sure it's in the end zone.
Don't throw it out of the back of the en zone.
At least give yourself an opportunity. That's a big one too,
is I need a body for a body on defense,
you know what I mean. I need guys boxing people out.
Defenders bath the ball down, not up. Offensive players bath
the ball up or go snag it. If if you
have a good you know, a good enough path to
(09:17):
the football, just go grab it and end the game
right there. Well, these are the plays that you practice
on Fridays, Saturdays. You do your last plays, like the
final plays of the game. These are like you run
these more than I mean to lose like that is.
Speaker 5 (09:34):
It's tough.
Speaker 9 (09:35):
There's gonna be some tough conversations coaching wise, and it's embarrassing.
You know, It's just an embarrassing way to go down
when you won essentially an ugly game on the road
NFC opponent, and to lose like that because the lack
of focus and poor execution on a play that should
be just automatic ingrained in your brain.
Speaker 5 (09:56):
That's a tough one to swallow.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
So I'm kind of theorizing I brock pretty in the
first half. I thought he was off a little bit.
I thought he was so yeah off, miss de Bo,
Yeah yeah, and I was just like, okay, and I've
said Lebron's done this when the jumper's not falling. Lebron's like,
let me drive, let me drive to the basket. I'll
get my confidence back. And then he goes back out.
I thought Brock pretty in the second half, and I'm
just guessing here, but it's like, I'm gonna use my feet.
(10:19):
They're good. And then after a couple first downs, I
thought he got his confidence back. It you know, he's
a young player, shill, but it did feel like at
halftime it's almost like Kyle said, use your feet.
Speaker 9 (10:32):
I feel like some of this and I don't know
this for a fact, but like having a former quarterback
like Brian Greasie as your quarterback coach, I had those
tips and reminders, like a tips and reminder sheet, and
we would talk at halftime with Matt Kavanaugh, who played,
steal me two first downs with your legs. Okay, you
know on a third and short, if it's not there
(10:53):
and it's man to man, go boy go, You're gonna
be fine. You're not the fastest guy. You're not gonna
rip off a fifty yarder. But if we need the yards,
he can get me four and now we need five yards.
I might only get you four. So it was one
of those things, almost a joke, but you remind your
quarterback of stuff like that at halftime. And I feel
like having somebody like Greasy for Brock Purty has really
(11:14):
helped his development and kept him even keel. And he's
got that great demeanor and just understands. Yeah, he sees
the big picture. It feels like all the time, and
you know, like a really good picture when the fastball
is a little awe, for the curve balls not really
break in the right way, or something's a little off. Okay,
I gotta find a way to win the way you
mentioned Lebron. I got to get to the basket, you know,
(11:35):
I got to get to the foul line and get
in a rhythm here, sure, just so I can keep
us in this game. I feel like Brock has there's
little games within the game, and he can see the
whole picture as he's playing. That's why I think he's
so valuable, whether he has all his weapons or not.
You saw what happens, and I mean he knows who
his playmakers are. He knows to get the ball to
(11:57):
George s Kittle on his own holiday. I mean, who
else has their own holiday that's and then goes to
balls out on their own like Jesus Santa Claus, Like
that's crazy.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
So you know, I was saying this. Usually we have
some proof that offensive coaches off byes, they install something,
and you had Rex Ryan, So I always feel like
defensive coaches, like yesterday Matt eberfluse off a bye. Their
first seven possessions that was six punts. I got nothing, McCarthy.
I did think the Cowboys, the inferior roster, gave you
(12:26):
a little juice in the first half. But I said
this when I watched Jaden and I watch Caleb. Caleb
didn't play well early, but he extended plays. He did
the best he could in the second half. He made
things interesting. Jaden was a little more even, I felt
from beginning to end. But when you come off a bye,
and I watched Chicago struggle and punt and punt, my
(12:49):
takeaway is, Okay, he's a rookie. They don't want to
heat too much stuff on it. Am I being unrealistic
to think off a bye, you can't punt six times?
That you got to have something there? Do they not
script plays.
Speaker 9 (13:01):
I mean, there's he's ten for twenty four for one
hundred and thirty one yards. Like, that's a tough stat line, right,
Get me some completions. Manufacture some completions on some easy
you know, rollouts and sprintouts and stuff. Go back to
the well on that stuff. But the other thing that
a bye week gives you not just installing. I know
what you mean by saying like install and people would
(13:22):
think that's a new concept.
Speaker 5 (13:23):
It's a lot of self scout.
Speaker 9 (13:25):
So most teams will have their defense scout their offense
and offense scout their defense as if they were gonna
play okay during the bye week, and so you give
them tendencies. Hey, you know, uh, seventy five percent of
the time when you guys line up in a y
y wing set out of twelve personnel, one back, two
tight ends with the slot receivers, you run this play
or it's you know, outside zone or whatever, or here's
(13:46):
a tell on this or that.
Speaker 5 (13:48):
So you usually use.
Speaker 9 (13:49):
After a bye week your tendency breakers. You show exactly
what you've shown all year, and you have something off
of it, whether it's a play action off of a run,
some sort of run check from a pass low like
whatever you put in the quarterback draw, whatever it is,
because you're ninety five percent throw at an empty which everybody,
you know what I mean, you just come up with something.
The Bears just looked, you know that first half, especially
(14:11):
just stale slow, you know, looked, looked off their rhythm really,
And remember Caleb has had success with those more conservative
game plans. When they went back to back Houston on
the road and Indianapolis on the road and you had
to throw it almost fifty times a game, we're complaining
that that's probably not the formula. So he only throws
(14:32):
it twenty one times. But if you only get a
complete ten of those twenty one, I mean, that's a
tough way to play. So look the look at the
Lions yesterday. I mean they hung half one hundred or
fifty two points on somebody, and Jared Goff didn't even
throw for one hundred yards. He threw for like eighty
four yards fifteen passes. So if that's going to be
your formula, then you got to run the ball right,
You got to get me, steal me some completions when
(14:53):
you can.
Speaker 5 (14:53):
I think he was twelve or fifteen.
Speaker 9 (14:55):
So for Caleb, it's like, we got to steal some
of those completions early in games. Get off to a
fast start. Give me three points on our opening drive.
Something to get the juice going on offense.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
Speaking of Detroit, you had a pretty good offensive line
when you broke into the NFL. I was saying it,
golf is good to begin with. It's like he's on
a recliner. I mean he's I mean, I mean he's
literally me well, I mean Mark, he's he's throwing on
second four a lot. Take me through that. Take go
(15:24):
to your best offensive line. I think sometimes fans don't
realize the difference between throwing on second and eight and
second four.
Speaker 5 (15:32):
It's oh, it's huge.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
The linebackers are I mean take us through because.
Speaker 9 (15:36):
I mean defenses want to get you in second and seven,
second and eight plus right, that's like their goal and
they feel like they're ahead. Think of like a pitcher
and a batter, Right, you want to get the first strike.
Batter wants you to throw a ball like boo, okay,
now you're ahead. Well, that gets you into third and manageable.
And when you have a team that can run the
ball like this, I mean the offensive line we had
in New York my rookie year, we're like top four
(15:58):
in NFL history of like rushing with Bill Callahan our
offensive court, offensive line coach, Shoddi our offense coordinator. But
you know, from left to right, it was the brickishaw Ferguson,
Alan Fanica, Nick Mangold, Brandon Moore, and then Damian Woodie
who had won a Super Bowl as a center for
Tom Brady in New England. Like these were five blocks
(16:19):
of granted. And then Wayne Hunter was our swing tackle
who was a stud in his own right. So we
went jumbo with Tony Richardson, and I mean I'm going
like a Glory Days Q of Bruce Springsteen. Sorry, but
with Tony Richardson, who was a thousand yard rusher in
his own right in Kansas City. Then came over played
fullback for Thomas Jones, who's our running back? Like are
you kidding me? So on third and six we could
(16:41):
run power with a fullback on the field and still
get a first down. So, especially to overcome some of
my rookie mistakes. Yeah, well the second year when we
had most of those pieces back, and you start to
understand protections and what we're doing in protection and what
the running backs responsibility is and how to pick up blitzes,
and all these guys would just handle it and you
(17:02):
get to play free. Those are some of my favorite
moments because you just get to go. It's like seven
on seven. Hey, mangal, it's gonna take care of me.
Speaker 5 (17:09):
We're good. Just tell me the mike point. All right,
we got it, Like, let's roll.
Speaker 9 (17:13):
And when you have an offensive line like that, it
makes your life as a quarterback so much easier.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
Yet, how good they were early.
Speaker 9 (17:19):
I don't think I appreciated it until we didn't have
it as much as much as I should have. I
appreciated it, But once you start getting hit all the
time and you're like, man, we're at second and ten
a lot like what happened to our run game?
Speaker 8 (17:30):
Right?
Speaker 9 (17:31):
You know, guys get injured, guys go down. You're like, whoa,
we had it pretty damn good. This was nice. So
it's uh. I think Jared Goff has seen both sides.
Remember his rookie year he got knocked around real good.
First year in Detroit wasn't oh exactly right? I mean
that was a rebuild. He's been a part of two rebuilds.
Think about that one of them took him to a
super Bowl and this team, you know, lost in the
(17:53):
playoffs last year, but this is a team that's going
to go far.
Speaker 5 (17:56):
They're a problem.
Speaker 9 (17:57):
And two rebuilds for a quarterback and he's gonna to
potentially go to two super bowl. I mean, that's that's
incredible in his own right. But he also knows what
he has and place of that strength.
Speaker 1 (18:07):
Yeah, I like that you admit that because you're that
old line was great when you come in as a rookie,
your USC lone. I mean, you're sick and I only
have good old line.
Speaker 9 (18:14):
But there's literally clips in Oakland I can distinctly remember.
And we go through a double cadence and I just
completely zoned out, and I go, Nick, what do you like?
Because we're either running right or left and I'm looking
at it like eh, I can't really decide. And you
see Nick go like this, raise his right hand, and
so we run the play to the right. Literally it's
twenty hours touchdown. I'm high five, and all the coaches after.
Speaker 5 (18:37):
They're like, great check, Sanchez, great check. I'm like, thanks, thanks, guys.
Speaker 1 (18:41):
It was on Nicky h back with more. He's got
video good stuff on Justin Herbert.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd Weekdays
and Noone Easter nine em Pacific.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
All right, welcome back. Mark Sanchez, who did the Chargers
game of the Saints yesterday, and Justin Herbert. We were
talking during the break if I was the Jet side
move off a corner you need to We had some
accumulate some draft picks. The Chiefs have already made a
move today to get a Patriot. You understand, Jacksonville's got
a corner. A lot of people could like that could
work for a couple of teams. I think the Chargers
are good enough. I think they could be a wild
(19:12):
card teamed. Although Denver's been surprised. I know, I know
it's gonna be a tight race with those two, although
Denver scheduled toughens a little. But the Chargers, to me,
and I'll let you take it away, Mark, feel like
they need something on the perimeter.
Speaker 9 (19:24):
It would yeah, definitely help there, Okay, their cause and
help Justin Herbert. But I think when you talk about
this team, you got to understand their makeup. And Jim Harbaugh,
he's obviously an his centric guy. He's a little quirky.
He's you know, he said last week in his press conference,
you know the worm has turned, and like we're out
of our rut and here we come. You know, he's
(19:45):
got these great sayings and all those things, but he
wants to be a hard nosed, downhill, run the ball team.
Stingy defense, which jesse mentor their defensive coordinator, has implemented.
Their one of the top scoring defenses, if not the
top scoring defense in the league. Tough to get points
on him. They're great in the red zone. They had
six sacks yesterday against the Saints. And this is a
(20:07):
team heading in the right direction, I think. Yeah, And
the story of this game when you get to this
part of the season is players making plays. The Johnny's
and Joe's, not just the ex'es and o's. And these
two clips are so indicative of a Harbaugh team. And
he always has competitors welcome, right. He's got guys like
Scott Mattlock. Guys you've never heard of that play d tackle,
(20:30):
that play full back that had a sack yesterday and
a catch for nine yards. This guy Mattlock forty four.
When he's in the game, it's seventy five percent run.
He has guys like that Ladd McConkey, former walk on
at Georgia becomes a legend down in Athens between the
hedges because he's a baller, right, Those kind of guys
make plays. So watch Ladd McConkey on this first play.
When we roll this clip, you see it's man to
(20:51):
man across the board. Tight ball game nine to five
chargers are you know, both teams are kind of going
back and forth, trading blows and nobody knows what's going on.
Speaker 5 (20:59):
Well, Mattlock, this is like a rerun of the old Mattlock.
Speaker 9 (21:02):
I know they rebooted it with Kathy Bates, but I'm
talking Andy Griffith, old school Mattlock, right, and this guy's
going to solve the case. He's going to understand what
you need to do. Same thing with Lad McConkey. This
guy's in the slot. He understands it's man and man
across the board. He knows he's going to have to
win a one on one matchup. They show run based
on their formation and Mattlock being in the game, it's
(21:23):
almost seventy five percent chance that it's going to be
a run. So what does Greg Roman do. He breaks
the tendency after a bye week and shows, hey, let's
show him a little sugar on this fake to the
running back and cross up these linebackers. Watch what it
does to the linebackers. One of them has to cover Mattlock,
one of them has to cover JK. Dobbins, and these
linebackers get crossed up. It opens up the middle of
(21:44):
the field where they want to go with the football
to Simmy Fajoku, one of their receivers, and look what
it does. Boom, there go the backers, There goes the
cross action. Herbert has to get rid of this ball
because Colin Saunders is right on. They have plenty of protection,
but Colin Saunders somehow slips through this gap. There's nobody open.
There is nowhere to throw this football, and there's a
(22:06):
dude in his face about to level Justin Herbert.
Speaker 5 (22:08):
And what does he do.
Speaker 9 (22:09):
He just throws up a jump ball, a one on one,
fifty to fifty ball. And the thing that's most important
is lad McConkey. He gives his quarterback room. He's completely
covered by a Lante Taylor. This is great coverage by
Alonton Taylor. He did nothing wrong here. But Ladi mcconky
just went up and competed for the ball, got it,
and then Josh Palmer has to make a block for
him later because he slipped on his own route. I mean,
(22:32):
one of their guys that they expected to potentially be
their playmaker. After Keenan Allen goes, Eckler's gone, Mike Williams
is gone. This guy's got to step up, Josh Palmer.
He falls down and you're throwing to a rookie former
walk on from Georgia with a fullback who also plays
defensive tackle blocking for the quarterback, and you still get
pressure in your face. So the play was completely dead.
(22:53):
The Saints had him. They shouldn't have made that play.
It was one guy making him play, not beating a scheme, right,
and we're gonna see that same theme on this next
red zone play now they get down to the red zone.
Will Disley was a defensive tackle for two years at
the University of Washington. Okay, he last week had eleven
targets and eight catches. Yesterday had six or so catches
(23:15):
or whatever it was. But he's number one in your progression.
Speaker 5 (23:18):
I mean, no.
Speaker 9 (23:18):
Offense to Will Disley, but that's just usually not that.
He's not George Kettle, He's not I know. So I'm saying,
this is what Justin Herbert's working with. Then he's got
Dobbins on the halfback Texas route or the angle route.
Your feet have to be set to throw that thing.
He immediately hops to the right. He knows this play
is dead. There's what does Jim Harbaugh say, Who's got
it better than us? Nobody who's open on this play? Nobody?
(23:41):
There is nothing here for Justin Herbert. I mean, if
he wanted to maybe fire that thing to Dobbins, maybe,
but he goes and becomes superman.
Speaker 5 (23:50):
I mean, look at that logo. What is that logo?
Speaker 9 (23:52):
He needs a hoop on the fifteen yard line right there,
and he's Jordan dunking from the free throw line. Man,
Like this, you can't even see Lad McConkey. You can't
even see it. Google A Mahdi is completely covered him
and Lodi mccaughy.
Speaker 5 (24:04):
He just throws it to his guy.
Speaker 9 (24:06):
He's been the most consistent receiver for this offense because
of two abilities, availability and his reliability. This guy is
dependable man, and he just shows up at the right time.
Speaker 5 (24:19):
But those are two crucial plays for the Chargers.
Speaker 9 (24:22):
That was the game right there to those points were
the game, and that is not you know, those aren't
scripted for success.
Speaker 5 (24:29):
Right there, those players are dead.
Speaker 1 (24:31):
So that's why I think, Mark to your point, they
need help.
Speaker 9 (24:35):
They could use a playmaker, somebody that can really elevate,
that can really separate in man to man. I mean
there were no separators right we saw the mand and
man clip. There's nobody just running for you. And I
understand it's the NFL. These guys aren't gonna be wide open,
but come on, man, I mean, essin, Herbert needs a
little help, and this is such a shift from their identity.
I mean, think about the Chargers as an organization. Dan
(24:57):
Fouts throw it all around the yard. Philip River throw
it all around the yard. The first four years of
Herbert's career, He's got over eighteen thousand passing yards. I mean,
this guy can sling the rock now, but we're gonna
run it fifty times a game now, so he's adjusting
to it.
Speaker 5 (25:13):
I think, there, how many times have I done that
to this Mike, this poor Mike. Sorry, but how many
times are are they gonna? You know?
Speaker 9 (25:20):
Or how difficult rather is this transition for Justin Herbert.
It's just a complete shift in identity. And he's mentioned
it a couple times in their press conference of what
this team is.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
I'm gonna this just came down.
Speaker 5 (25:32):
Oh oh, so breaking news.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
Well, Anthony Richardson struggled. He's young, he only played thirteen
college games. But he pulled himself out yesterday and when
asked why, he said, I was tired. Soe. Shane Steiken's
a terrific coach. He used to be a Chargers on
the Charger staff. Shane Stiken went asked if Anthony Richardson
will start on Sunday at Minnesota. Quote, we're evaluating everything.
Oh boy, yeah, that's not great. And by the way
(25:56):
he runs so much, I get that he's tired, but
I don't think I would admitted that.
Speaker 5 (26:00):
I would have said, yeah, I think Miami's tight. I
don't know.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
I wouldn't have said I'm tired.
Speaker 5 (26:07):
Well, the good thing is, you know Flacco's there isn't
that great?
Speaker 9 (26:12):
This guy just how wasla? He used to figure it out? Man,
give me a and I love it. I remember sitting
at a Jets practice in the off season when he
was backing up Zach Wilson. He was the veteran presence
for Zach Wilson. I want to say rookie year second
or whatever, but I just remember sitting in there, eating
lunch with him and talking through career and highs and lows,
(26:35):
and we have this great conversation. I just said, how
many more you got left? He goes, oh, man, you
know me, I'm a lifer. They got to drag me
out of this place. It's like like they got to
tell me I'm done, because I'm never done.
Speaker 5 (26:47):
Like I'm going to.
Speaker 9 (26:48):
Ride this thing till the wheels fall off. And I
loved that answer from him. And I got to do
a sit down interview with him last year when he
was with the Browns, and I just really appreciate how
much his family towards him. He's like just a solid
guy and they know he's on this incredible journey and
he's still got plenty of gas in the tank.
Speaker 5 (27:06):
So if I'm a Colts fan, I'm not too worried.
Speaker 8 (27:09):
Well.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
He was always a big body with a big, huge.
Speaker 9 (27:12):
Guy, just the mountain of a man and big arm,
big time arm. So I love watching it. I love
watching it. You can just tell he sees the big picture.
He's having a blast, and you know he's having as
much fun as you can have playing them position, almost
like a rookie or like a kid playing out in
the street. But he knows so much, you know, because
(27:32):
he's long in the tooth. He's been around so long.
I mean, this guy is He's a class act.
Speaker 1 (27:37):
Yeah, and I actually think Indy's got a lot of pieces.
I like. I mean, the kid who made the catch yesterday,
it was down at the one, the smaller receiver. I'm
what is it again? Greg? Yeah, down, Josh down down?
And Pittman Jonathan Taylor never goes down with a first hit.
Speaker 5 (27:55):
I know he's great back. He love Pittman, so do I.
They have some pieces.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
Yeah, all right, great stuff from you today, Mark Sanchez,
Matt Hasselbeck, both stop by. It's the Steelers tonight and
the Giants. I'm gonna watch it in the corner TV.
It's the Dodgers and the Yankees. The Dodgers are cobbling
together a starting pitching staff. Walker Buehler goes tonight. I
know you grew up in southern California. Were you Angels
or Dodgers?
Speaker 5 (28:20):
That's a tough one. How much time do we have?
Speaker 1 (28:23):
Twelve seconds?
Speaker 9 (28:25):
Well, my grandpa used to live at Chavezravine. Then they
put the stadium there, so that was a tough sell
with the Dodgers. But you know, I'm an La guy
and Orange County guy, so we'll lean in tonight.
Speaker 5 (28:34):
Yeah,
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Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
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