December 24, 2024 • 42 mins
Colin loves what he's seeing from Green Bay following their defeat of the Saints on Monday Night Football, and Jordan Love and Matt Lafleur are the right quarterback-coach connection. Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman joins Colin to discuss his team's victory over Indiana and the College Football Playoffs.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
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. Thanks
for listening to the Herd podcast. Here we go Christmas
(00:25):
Eve live in Los Angeles. Probably a little warmer, just
a little warmer than when where many of you are at.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
It's the Herd. Thanks for making us part of your day.
Herd Hierarchy.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
One hour from now, Green Bay will bolt up our hierarchy.
Marcus Streeman, the Notre Dame football coach, is joining us
later this hour.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Mark Sanchez, Nick Wright. So we're off tomorrow. Jmac. So
we're bringing all the big.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
Guns out Notre Dames football coach, Nick Wright, the hierarchy.
Mark Sanchez got your family. You know, he did invite me.
Jmac full disclosure. He invited me over and I'm like,
can I bring gin and cigars?
Speaker 2 (01:06):
And you know it's inappropriate. He got young kids. I'm
the I'm.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
America's guest starting the show with Christmas Eve Heat here
we go. So I want to I'm gonna get to
Jordan Love and the Packers. I'm gonna get to that
in about four minutes. But I want to start the
show with this thirty four to nothing win. And they
didn't ask Jordan Love to do much. But there's a
reason the Green Bay Packers, and only the green Bay Packers,
(01:31):
and they've done it twice, have drafted a really great
quarterback in the first round and sat him for three
years because they have no owner, no ego, no meddling,
no demands. Even the great owner Stan Kronkey, Jeffrey Lurie,
Robert Kraft, they would want to see their investment. They
wouldn't want a first round pick on the bench for
(01:52):
three years drafting and developing. Last week, there's video of
the Crafts in their box wanting to be on camera,
reportedly telling CBS get Us on camera, criticizing the coaches
play calling. Last week is story out the Jets, the
Jets owners, the kids harassing Jets players in the locker room.
Yet the Packers clinched their thirty seventh playoff appearance last night,
(02:15):
number one all time you know who. They surpassed the
Dallas Cowboys, who's owner. An egomaniac needs to be on
radio every week dissecting the win. The Panthers seven coaches
in six years if you count the interims.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
Look upstairs, that's why you're bad.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Is it a shock They're four and eleven in Carolina
and here is Green Bay, no.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
Meddling, no owner.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
For years, I always saw it as a weakness. Now
I see it as a strength. All Green Bay does
is whatever is best for the development of their young quarterback.
Three straight quarterbacks, star star star, all three Farvs in
the Hall of Fame, Rogers will be and Love looks
like he's on his way. It's all football because as
(03:03):
owners have gotten richer, all of them are billionaires now
and crazier and more impulsive. It gets in the way
of the development of the most important position. Think it's
a coincidence. Aaron Rodgers is four and eleven and now irrelevant,
and in Green Bay he was a back to back
MVP and after Brady, the biggest star in the league.
Do you think it is a coincidence that the Cleveland
(03:26):
quarterback situation is the worst and messiest in the league.
It's not the coach's fault. Stefanski's great. It's not the
GM's fault. Andrew Berry's excellent. They draft well, it's the Haslums.
You think it's a coincidence that Sam Darnold is having
an unbelievable year and in Carolina and the Jets he
was a tire fire. No, the Wilf family in Minnesota
(03:49):
has always been very low profile. Ninety nine percent of
you don't know what the will family looks like. It
is not a coince. Only the Packers and I used
to see it as a week can draft a young
quarterback who's talented and sit him and develop him for
three years. Aaron could have played earlier, Jordan Love could
(04:10):
have played earlier. But if you're just about football, no meddling,
no ego, no impulsive crazy person, that's what you should do.
Even these young quarterbacks now, Jaden Daniels, he's good enough
to play. But it wasn't the end of the world.
Michael PENNOCKX sat. It wouldn't have been to the end
(04:32):
of the world if Drake may or bow Nick sad.
But I'm watching what Green Bay does, even after their
win last night. Here's the locker room, and what you
don't see is an owner that needs attention, listen.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
I love this team, I love this energy, and we
get something special gear.
Speaker 4 (04:50):
We just got to keep.
Speaker 5 (04:51):
Building on it.
Speaker 4 (04:51):
All right, way to handle your business.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
We go to the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Thirty seventh playoff appear Terrance number one all time for
the smallest market in the NFL, the smallest media, surpassing Dallas.
Who is Jerry is aged, has regressed badly, and his
need to talk right after the game and beyond radio
(05:20):
has increased. I do not believe it's a coincidence. And
now let's talk Jordan Love. I'm finding this to be true,
especially with young quarterbacks but old ones two. I can't
separate the quarterback from the coach because there is such
a huge gap between the really good coaches. And Jordan
(05:41):
Love has one, and Matt Stafford has one, and Lamar
has one, and Mahomes has one, and Justin Herbert has
one and Bo Nicks has one. I can't separate them.
The position's never been more important, and there's a huge
gap between the really good coaches and the average one.
And I look at Jordan Love, and I see Matt Lafleur.
(06:03):
Matt Lafleur, Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay. They're considered offensive Wizards,
but deep down they love the power run game. I mean,
you ever watch a Rams game? How often kyn Williams
tiny notre damer Kyen Williams, guy carries the ball twenty
five times a game. He's not Derek Henry, not built
like that Todd Gurley. If you go look at mcvay's history,
(06:27):
he wants to run the ball, even with Stafford and
with golf two top ten quarterbacks. I mean Shanahan, I
mean he has a losing record in San Francisco without
Christian McCaffrey. The soul of Kyle Shanahan is the run game.
And it's the same with Matt Lafleur. Where did he
come from? Where did he build his resume? In Washington
(06:47):
behind a Shanahan a run coach, and in Tennessee with
Derrick Henry. So, Jordan Love is throwing fewer passes that
he's ever thrown, six straight games under thirty attempts and
yet five straight games scoring over thirty. When I watch
Jordan Love, I see Matt Lafleur. He has reduced his attempts.
(07:09):
He's the captain, and Jordan Love is a great vessel.
I feel the same way with Herbert. Jim Harbaugh's the captain,
Herbert's the vessel, and it's amazing that in both cases,
and you're seeing this in Philadelphia too, the quarterback is
throwing less but is winning more and the team is
often scoring more as the quarterback throws less. And we
(07:31):
all know quarterbacks the most important position in the league.
But what I'm finding in this league now when I
watch Green Bay, this is Matt Lafloure's team. This is
basically Tennessee with a better quarterback. He had Derek Henry.
Now he's got Josh Jacobs, and I'm watching Josh Jacobs
like this. When Aaron and Matt were together, it was
(07:53):
Aaron's team. There were concessions. You have to have concessions
with Aaron and not a cheap shot. Mike McCarthy found
it out. You'll see the door if you don't. But
when I watched Green Bay, and this is not a
knock at Jordan Love because I think he's a top
ten quarterback in this league.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
Are higher.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
There is a group of quarterbacks in this league and
they have a connection with a coach, and we can
put it on the screen, But I can't think of
Mahomes without Reid, and I can't think of Stafford without
McVeigh and Herbert and Lamar and Jordan and Sam Darnold.
I just I can't separate them. I mean, I see CJ.
(08:28):
Stroud as great and Demiko Ryans is a great coach.
I don't see a connection there. They're both excellent. And
here was Jordan Love after the shutout.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
I still think there's a lot of a lot more
points out there for us, a lot more big time plays.
I just think it's little things that you know, when
we start being more consistent and dialing in on these
things that you know, the sky's limit for the offense.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
Yeah, it was.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
You know, something else that's happening. And I won't waste
a lot of time in it because it may be boring.
But this year we have ten teams in the NFL.
Thirty two percent of the teams in the NFL have
five wins or fewer, and they're all gonna mostly if
New Orleans doesn't win. And if you watch them last night,
that was pretty ugly. I mean, they didn't compete. That
(09:12):
was maybe the most lopsided game of the season. A
third of the league. It's like the NBA now is
unwatchable and non competitive. Last year it was only five teams.
Only five teams last year had five wins or fewer.
We're at ten and a lot of these teams are
not getting to five wins. Forget five wins. We got
one with two, we got five with three, we got
(09:34):
three with four.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
And we got the Saints.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
And when you watched last night, it's hard to deny
what is happening. As quarterback has become more important, as
billionaires are crazier and running through coaching staffs more chaos.
The gap between the haves and the have nots is huge.
(09:57):
I mean, if if Atlanta and Penic stand first, there's
a chance I'll get seven of the eight divisions, right,
I've predicted seven of eight. Why there's a separation now,
if you have the quarterback and you have a competent coach,
I mean you are looking in your rear view mirror
at the rest of this nonsense. By like two weeks
(10:18):
after Thanksgiving, I mean that thing last night that was embarrassing,
Like that, nobody wanted to be there except Packer fans.
J Mack Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame coach this hour. I
saw something. We had Matt Hasselbeck on yesterday. I've got
a bite from him.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
It was so good.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
I saw something that and I know Christmas Day is
generally an NBA day, it's not anymore. Two NFL games tomorrow,
but I saw something about the NBA that is interesting.
It's a player that you and I love, but there
was an alarming lack of attention being given to him.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
And we both love this player.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
And last year, at this time he was thought of
as the rising star in the league. And I'm not
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Speaker 2 (11:44):
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Speaker 1 (11:45):
I mean, if you love music, You love Podcasts are
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Speaker 5 (12:07):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and noon eastern non am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
All right, welcome back. I saw this list and I'm
gonna throw.
Speaker 6 (12:23):
It to you.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
This is troubling.
Speaker 1 (12:26):
So last year, at this time, Aunt Edwards was the
star on the rise. Wemby was sort of awkward seven
to four he's the future.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
But aunt Edwards was good.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
He was the next mj Ish Kobe Ish player, wildly dynamic,
great kid, winning lots of games like he was it.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
Yesterday.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
It came out the ten most viewed players in this
league based on clips, Aunt's nowhere.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
In the top ten. What the hell happened?
Speaker 1 (13:07):
Clayton Thompson makes the list, LaMelo ball. Why is aunt
Edwards not in the top ten because he's dunking half
as much and shooting over ten threes a game. I
don't mind three pointers from guys who are limited athletically. LaMelo, Stephan, Clay,
(13:30):
Aunt Edwards has MJ and Kobe stuff. The league is
becoming increasingly homogeneous. I thought Wemby, by the way, was
a unicorn. I was lectured on his versatility. Now he's
a seven foot four steph. I was told Aunt was
gonna be Kobe. He's shooting almost eleven threes a game.
(13:53):
Tom Cruise is an action movie star. That's what Tom
Cruise is. I don't want to see him in romcom
I'm not interested. He could probably do them. I want
to see the Rock and Tom Cruise and certain actors.
I want to see him in action movies. That gets
(14:13):
me in. I don't want the NBA to become a
sea of chain restaurants where I can tell you what
the menu is before I walk in. The NFL's got
all sorts of unique players. Even at quarterback, there's giant
Josh Allen and tiny Kyler. Murray Mahomes plays one way,
Goff plays another. Derreck Henry the running back stylistically different
(14:39):
than Christian McCaffrey or Sakuon Barkley Wemby now shooting ten
threes and Edwards dunking half as much. I don't think
it's good for the league. He is the most dynamic
athletic player, also a great kid with a great personality.
Wins a lot of games. Klay Thompson's on the nothing
(15:01):
against Clay, but seems to me that that is one
of the problems. Monotonous cookie cutter. All looks the same.
Jmack with the news.
Speaker 4 (15:14):
No, no turn on the news.
Speaker 5 (15:16):
This is the headline news.
Speaker 6 (15:19):
All right, mister coward, Let's pivot to the NFL. Two
weeks left in the regular season. NFC North could go
down to the final game between Lions and Vikings. However,
Detroit this week plays on Monday Night, Okay, and they'll
have a sense of weird things stand with Minnesota because
Minnesota plays the Packers this weekend. Ye Dan Campbell, however,
(15:42):
said it does not matter. He is playing his starters
on Monday night football, no matter what.
Speaker 7 (15:48):
See for everybody. That way. All the critics can jump
out and start attacking, but that way you don't have
to debate them anymore. We're bringing everything we got to
this game, and we are playing. I don't care what
it looks like in words, or who's this, who's that?
They're going out to play and win this game out
on the West Coast. So there you go.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
Yeah, Belichick never rested starters. I think it was Tony
Dungee who did a few times with the Colts. I
don't think there's a right answer. One of the things
that's overrated in the whole playoff thing is rest and buys.
Remember the Tennessee Titans, didn't they have a number one seed.
They got beat by Joe Burrow, like a team that
(16:32):
came in from nowhere. I think if you have a
young team like here the La Rams, that is defensively
a really really young team, those guys want to play.
The Rams are red hot. I think if you have
an older team, for instance, Kansas City Chris Jones, Travis Kelcey,
older players, Joe Tooney, I could see Kansas City give
him a week off. But most of Detroit's players are
(16:55):
ascending players just going into their prime. Omar On Saint
Brown Gibbs Golf still in his prime. I think if
you're a young or ascending team green Bay, they don't
want any time off green Bay. The advantage green Bay
has is young energy, heal more quickly from injuries. You
want Green Bay plan now you don't want you don't
(17:16):
want rest.
Speaker 8 (17:17):
Yeah, I remember that the Titans loss. I just looked
it up.
Speaker 6 (17:21):
Nineteen sixteen Bengals won. That was a game where Burrow
was sacked a billion times.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
Also had picks and they won. I mean it was
an ugly game that Burrow won.
Speaker 8 (17:29):
There's no right answer.
Speaker 6 (17:30):
Like you said here, I don't know what I would
do if I'm Dan Campbell.
Speaker 8 (17:33):
That being said, I think you've got.
Speaker 6 (17:35):
To read your team, and you know that's a banged
up Lions team.
Speaker 8 (17:39):
You don't need more injuries on top of what you
already got.
Speaker 6 (17:42):
So I mean, maybe he's gonna play his guys for
a quarter or a half.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
Yeah, I don't mind that. I want him to go through.
I want them to hit. I don't want four quarters.
Speaker 6 (17:51):
Listen, you already lost Montgomery. Like I don't want to
say Gibbs and bubble wrap, but Colin, if he goes down, yeah,
you might lose.
Speaker 2 (17:57):
Your first game. He had twenty carries against you in
the first half. That now I got.
Speaker 8 (18:02):
I got him in Fantasy in the championship this week.
So I'm hoping gives.
Speaker 6 (18:04):
Plays, but the reality is you got to read your
team in the injuries. It's not as cut and dry
as hey, let's bench just Scott all right. Next up
Colin is Lamar and the Ravens. They head to Houston
tomorrow to take on the Texans Christmas Day Special and
Beyonce is gonna be performing the halftime show. Lamar, like
(18:26):
everyone else, is a huge fan of Beyonce, and Lamar
was asked about it.
Speaker 3 (18:30):
Take a listen well, disappointing that she's gonna be performing
at a halftime show that you can't watch.
Speaker 9 (18:36):
Knock, I'm gonna go out there, Watts, Yeah, go out down,
watch man, first time saying Beyonce perform and it's at
our game. That's dope.
Speaker 6 (18:46):
I'm gonna go out and watch.
Speaker 9 (18:46):
Sorry, how well, Sorry, sorry fellas.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
I don't know if I love that, but I don't think.
I don't know. I half to.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
My guess is there's not a lot that Lamar Jackson's
gonna glean at half. Say that, but I've been watching
McVeigh and Stafford the last month and a half and
they've struggled early and done something at half, and the
offense has clicked. So it's one of the few times
I don't I don't think Lamar should have said that.
I don't think that's what people want to hear. It's
(19:16):
happened before, though it's not the first time.
Speaker 8 (19:18):
It's half our guys got here, got some notes.
Speaker 6 (19:20):
So Evan McPherson in the Super Bowl went out at
halftime to watch Doctor Dre and then Michael Irvin admitted
that he skipped out on halftime to go watch Michael
Jackson during the Super Bowl twenty.
Speaker 8 (19:33):
Seven halftime show. Cowboys won a beatdown in that one.
I don't have a huge issue with this.
Speaker 6 (19:39):
I mean, here's here's the more interesting I think come
this could be a rematch in a playoff game in
three weeks.
Speaker 8 (19:46):
It's looking a lot like the Ravens will go to
Houston or Pittsburgh one of those two. Whoever wins it
loses the division.
Speaker 1 (19:52):
I think if I'm Pitts, I'm if I'm Baltimore, I'd
rather face Houston. I don't want to face Pittsburgh again.
I don't like the idea we just beat you soundly,
I have to play you again.
Speaker 8 (20:01):
Well, if they get the if they.
Speaker 6 (20:03):
Win the division and they're the two seed they would
seemingly play, or they would be the three.
Speaker 8 (20:07):
I guess they would maybe play Denver or the Chargers.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
Let me ask you this, I'm not afraid of Houston,
are you if I'm Baltimore? No, But George Pickens returns
the games in Pittsburgh. That is just screaming Lamargo's down
first round. That is screaming upset that. Yeah, I mean honestly,
because we know Pittsburgh is very Pickins reliant. We know
the secondary for Baltimore can be a liability, and.
Speaker 6 (20:33):
The Chargers are probably going to beat I think they
have the Patriots this week, their favorite on the road,
So you're right.
Speaker 8 (20:39):
If there's a chance, you.
Speaker 6 (20:40):
Know, you get Baltimore going to Pittsburgh not ideal for
this game. I don't know why anybody would bet the
Texans here filling. I don't like what I've seen from them.
The vibes are bad.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
They're the one team this year in the NFL. I
have no read on the Texans.
Speaker 8 (20:56):
Obviously he's always in there, right, but this this Raven's defense.
Speaker 6 (21:00):
Recently I read an article about how Kyle Hamilton has
shifted back to his more natural safety spot. They had
him in the box. They pushed him back to the
back end, and the defense has gotten a little bit better.
I don't know that we've seen the best Baltimore here
in the last month, and if we see the earlier
season Baltimore, this is super Bowl worthy.
Speaker 8 (21:18):
This is super Bowl worthy roster.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
Right, I think it's It's really close. It's one of
the best sex rosters. Baltimore is one of the six
teams I think could win the Super Bowl.
Speaker 8 (21:27):
Give me your top three in the AFC right now?
Speaker 2 (21:29):
Best teams Kansas City number one?
Speaker 6 (21:31):
Yeah, Buffalo, Casey over Buffalo Colin.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
Yeah, case Buffalo. I would go Buffalo obviously. Baltimore.
Speaker 8 (21:47):
Yeah, Pittsburgh's not number three. We know they're starting to
fade a little.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
But but again, if Pittsburgh's at home having just been
dusted by Baltimore and Pickins returns, I think I would
take Pittsburgh and I like Baltimore and more so, it's
all circumstantial. Now it's at Pittsburgh oft an ugly loss
to the Ravens three weeks earlier, Pickens is back, now
it's in it from ballgame. Then I like the Steelers
(22:12):
at home to upset Baltimore in the first round.
Speaker 6 (22:14):
By the way, Beyonce Christmas Days, that's a nice little
get for.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
The NFL A nice Yeah, that's pretty good.
Speaker 6 (22:19):
Gut, I'll probably switch over from the NBA, not just
kid obviously, Beyonce at halftime rules final story calling, Oh,
we got to talk about this guy, the football enigma
Aaron Rodgers.
Speaker 8 (22:30):
Gosh so.
Speaker 6 (22:31):
In his weekly paid TV appearance, Rogers dropped some interesting
lines yesterday, joking about being released in the offseason, perhaps
by Woody Johnson and his son, saying being released would
be a first being released by a teenager.
Speaker 8 (22:48):
That would also be a first. Aaron Rodgers poking fun
at that athletic story.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
At Woody Johnson's kids.
Speaker 8 (22:54):
Well, listen, it's true.
Speaker 6 (22:56):
Woody Johnson's kids are in the locker room handing out
game balls like that's nonsane.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
And Woody Johnson is harassing and now acknowledges a former
Jets quarterback Mike White.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
That's bad total.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
I mean, listen, I always thought Aaron had a good
relationship with Woody Johnson, so that comment to me was
pretty telling.
Speaker 6 (23:16):
Yeah, I think he didn't know what he was getting into,
and now he realizes that.
Speaker 8 (23:19):
Okay, there's another thing.
Speaker 6 (23:21):
Rogers added that he would be willing to take a paper.
Speaker 7 (23:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
I heard the announcer say that Sunday.
Speaker 8 (23:26):
And mentor a young qu.
Speaker 2 (23:29):
I was surprised by both. But that's pretty cool.
Speaker 6 (23:32):
That sounds like some guy saying, Hey, get me out
of here, I'll go anywhere else and mentor so I
don't want to be with this team.
Speaker 8 (23:37):
Come on, Aaron Rodgers is going to sit around and
mentor somebody.
Speaker 1 (23:40):
Well, I don't think I will say this. I think
Aaron was much more a mentor to Jordan Love than
Farv was to Aaron. I don't think Aaron is selfish.
I think he's a bit self obsessed. He's rich, he's
good looking, blah blah blah, he's a superstar America.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
I don't think. I don't see Aaron is like a
selfish guy.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
I think Aaron would help teammates the stories, the stories
I heard. I have a pretty good source on this
because I had a couple of guys in the team.
I knew that Aaron was not standoffish, aloof or prickly
to Jordan Love like.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
He was a good teammate to him. You go read
you go read the Aaron Rodgers Ian O'Connor book. I
read that book. I was angry at how Brett Farr
treated Aaron like it was really, really petty.
Speaker 8 (24:29):
I would need to go back and look at the
Jordan Love stuff, but I'm sure some of that was
pre COVID.
Speaker 6 (24:35):
I just think we've seen a different human since the
pandemic hit. I just Aaron Rodgers has completely become a
different guy.
Speaker 8 (24:41):
He's very Everything he says is told.
Speaker 6 (24:44):
You look at his interviews before the pandemic and after,
and this stuff just got to him so bad. He
just seems just angry at what went down, which is understandable.
I guess you can have that take. But he's not
the same guy he was. So maybe he was a
mentor before to Jordan Love.
Speaker 2 (25:00):
And yeah, I think he was.
Speaker 1 (25:04):
At He was not hostile. He was professional with Jordan Love.
And again I'm trusting people who were in the building.
He was professional with him. I mean he didn't want
to give him a lot of snaps. Brady wouldn't give
Garoppolo snaps. I mean that's just what star quarterbacks do.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
I get it.
Speaker 8 (25:19):
Hey, listen, you don't want to give me a ton
of snaps around here. I get it.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
You want six herd Line stories, I give you three,
but grudgingly.
Speaker 8 (25:25):
A little frustrated at times, but I had rolled with
the punches.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
You know, team player J Mack with the news.
Speaker 5 (25:31):
Well, that's the news, and thanks for stopping by the
herd Line news.
Speaker 1 (25:37):
It's Caleb Williams actually set an NFL record the Bears quarterback.
He's gone over three hundred and twenty pass attempts without
a pick. It's the longest interception less rookie streak by
over one hundred attempts. Now, it's interesting. I've said this
for I think ten years. In fact, I wrote about
it in my first book. I think interceptions are overstated.
(26:01):
Caleb Williams has no picks in nine straight games. He's
zero to nine. Okay, Lay threw him. Name of throw him,
Peyton Manning throw him, Stafford throws him, Mahomes throws him,
Josh Allen throws him, Andrew Luck throw him. Take chance
to sold the ball down the field. In today's NFL,
you have to throw with anticipation. You can't sit and
(26:24):
wait for a guy to be open. That's high school
in college. Matt Hasselbeck was on the show yesterday on
his concerns with Caleb Williams.
Speaker 9 (26:35):
This is a very strong rookie class of quarterbacks, and
I just think that, like, Caleb is the one guy
to me that I don't see the things that I
believe are really important, that I believe matter for sustained
success for a long career. I haven't seen that so much.
Body language is a huge thing to me, don't I
(26:56):
don't love what I see out of him. You know, so,
are there wild plays? Are there splash plays? Yeah, that's awesome.
That's why you were drafted so high. But if you're
going to compare him, and if I was just gonna
like nameless faces, I don't see the emblem on the helmet,
I don't see the name on the jersey. I don't
know who was picked first, second, third, whatever. I'm putting
all those other rookie quarterbacks, Jaden Daniels, Drake may bow Nix.
(27:17):
In a week, I might put Pennix up there above Caleb.
Speaker 1 (27:21):
And one of the concerns hassel Beck has had with Caleb,
He's not an anticipation thrower. He waits for you to
be open. He plays it a bit safe, and I
want my quarterback to be aggressive and If you're not
a anticipation thrower, I don't think you're winning Super Bowls.
Remember when Caitlin Clark had a lot of turnovers early
(27:42):
for the Indiana Fever, and I kept saying, stop, it's
a bad team. She's creating offense. She'll finally, over time
reduce the turnovers. Steph has turnovers. Lebron has turnovers. Peyton
Manning had picks. Brady had a pick six and won
a Super Bowl. By the way, Matt Stafford had two
two picks in a Super Bowl and one. Patrick Mahomes
(28:04):
three Super Bowls. He's throwing a pick in each one
of them. It's as long as it's not a red
zone pick, which Gino Smith to me throws too many
red zone picks. As long as it's not a red
zone pick, I'm okay with it. Jared Goff won a
game this season with five picks. Mahomes had a pick
in the first seven games this year. He went seven
(28:25):
to zero. So the anticipation throws. What has been my
criticism of Aaron Rodgers in big games. If he gets
an interception early, he really plays a football He has
a very long memory of picks.
Speaker 2 (28:41):
He'll shut it down.
Speaker 8 (28:42):
He won't.
Speaker 1 (28:42):
He won't throw with anticipation, and if you do, you're
gonna throw picks. You're throwing the ball and nobody's open.
So it's one of those things. I'm not saying I'm
rooting for picks, but I saw this this morning. The
last five years in the NFL. If you think I'm wrong,
you want to know who leads the NFL and interceptions.
(29:02):
Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen the best two quarterbacks in
the league. Sorry, sometimes you gotta let it go and
nobody's open. And that is That's what concerns me is
is Caleb now because the team is losing, is he
becoming a little obsessed and concerned about Okay, don't want picks.
I at least want to come out of these games
(29:24):
and people go gott to have a touchdown pass and
no picks, And I get the psychology of that, but
it's been the one thing with Aaron Rodgers that's always
made me a little uneasy in big games. If Aaron
has a blunder early by the way, Stafford Mahomes alan,
they're aggressive, they come out slinging, they get first half picks.
You gotta have a short memory. You just got to
keep throwing the ball, throw it downfield. I can't watch
(29:47):
dinkin down There's never been a dink and dunk quarterback
that's won a Super Bowl ever, It's never happened.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
You've gotta let it go and again.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
Last five years, Alan Mahomes most interceptions, Okay with it,
don't love it if it's in the red zone. But
I'd rather have an aggressive guy throwing a pick every
Sunday like Mahomes did for the first seven weeks and
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(31:06):
your holiday adventures.
Speaker 5 (31:08):
Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd Weekdays
and Noon Easter n a IM Pacific.
Speaker 1 (31:14):
Well, there were rumors he was going to go to
the NFL, and Notre Dame put a stop to that.
They got an extension in front of Marcus Freeman, who's
the Notre Dame football coach. They beat Indiana to start
the first ever twelve team playoff and he is joining US.
Eats Christmas Eve, he's in the office, you know, he's
in the office getting ready to play Georgia. So first
of all, the first thing why I like the playoff
(31:36):
because years ago, you guys lost early in the season
in Northern Illinois home and you'd have been done. It's like, okay,
you're not playing for the Natty. This allows a mulligan. Heck,
I could argue Alabama had two mulligans Vandy Oklahoma and
they still almost made it in So when you lost
to Northern Illinois, you had to really sell your team
on we're a good team. It's okay, it happens. Let's
(31:59):
go back to that. What did you say that week
of practice because you've played different, you've been more aggressive,
you've gotten better each week. How did you sell your
team after a devastating home loss.
Speaker 4 (32:11):
Well, I think immediately after the game you tell them
I've been here before, right. I told them, listen, it's
going to be a rough week, it's gonna be a
long week. But I've been here before. And I think
it took me a day or two to figure out, Okay,
what was my messaging going to be? And what I
told them on Monday at our meeting was there's schematic
(32:32):
things we have to enhance and have to fix. But
to me, the greater lesson to learn was we had
to learn as a program. I had to learn as
a head coach, how do we handle success. This was
the first year in my three years the head coach
that we've won that big game early. The first two
years we lost to Ohio State early in the season,
and I said, we have to learn how to handle
success as a program, and we got to do those
(32:54):
things that it takes to prepare mentally and physically for
our opponent, no matter who it is, and all season long.
I've continued to tell him keep the pain, keep the pain,
because we can't let a loss continue to teach us
the lessons that we need to learn to prepare. So
they've done a wonderful job. Continue to find ways to
get better, but the preparation has been the key in
the mindset.
Speaker 2 (33:14):
Okay, so you're playing Georgia.
Speaker 1 (33:15):
Both Jamack and I said yesterday, I kind of like
Notre Dame in this game, but you're facing gunner stocked
and then you have almost no footage on him. He's
the backup quarterback, so I don't think he's the thrower
that Beck is, but he may be just as good
a runner. What do you do when you don't know
much about the quarterback?
Speaker 4 (33:33):
Well, I think you look at the thirteen games they've played.
They're not going to be a completely different offense with
a new quarterback. You evaluate, there's about eighty three plays
of him that we have in a cut up from
the second half of the SEC Championship and some other
time during the season, and so there's some things he
does really really well within their system. He makes really
(33:54):
good decisions, he makes fast decisions. He obviously can extend
plays with his feet, a little bit more cute be
run and but but we're still going to plan to
see the things that we've seen their offense do no
matter who's been at quarterback.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
Yeah, so it's interesting. I have been advocating.
Speaker 1 (34:12):
I believe Riley Leonard is going to end up being
a third or a fourth round pick, and he will
be a starter in the NFL. I've said there's a
little bit of Josh Allen here where in a little
Drake may where he's not quite polished yet. But he
went to Duke and Notre Dame. He's smart, he's six ' five.
You just told me off the air, he's got a
relentless work ethic. And I look at him and you
(34:33):
ask a lot more of him than Duke did. So
tell me about Riley Leonard that I don't see. I
can see the athletic ability you told me, the work ethic.
What separates him, what makes him special?
Speaker 4 (34:47):
Well, I think he's an ultra competitive individual. Now you
will talk to him and he's going to be the
nicest person in the world. But when he steps into
the weight room, he steps into the meeting room, he
steps on the practice field, he is a competitive individual.
And I think The greatest thing for him was to
learn in the first two weeks of the seasons the
highest of highs being a quarterback and notre dame to
the lowest and Lowe's Yeah, you know, you can't worry
(35:10):
about throwing an interception, you can't worry about what anybody's
going to say. You've got to go out there with
confidence and be the player that we know you could be.
And so you've seen him grow in confidence but also
grow in the preparation in terms of learning exactly what
is demanded of him. And you've seen our coaching staff
ask him to do things that he does really, really well.
(35:30):
But he is a relentless competitor. He has a tremendous
work ethic, and he'll continue to ascend as he goes
throughout his football career.
Speaker 1 (35:39):
So listen, I like the twelve team playoff. I thought
they were going to be closer games. But you know what,
do I know? First round was ugly. I still I
would take that over the pop tart ball. So I'm
for this thing. Now, you guys, Marcus, because you don't
have an official conference affiliation, you don't get a first
round by That'll never happen. Now, I think stuff can
be negotiated. Your take and if even if you went
(36:01):
twelve and er, you wouldn't get a buy. Did that
first game actually with Indiana did you like it? Did
you like because you have a young team? Or is
it an advantage or a disadvantage?
Speaker 4 (36:13):
Well, I have to look at it as an advantage, right,
and not look at anything that happens to us as
a disadvantage. To play a first round playoff game at
home was an experience like no other. And to have
our guys understand, okay, here's what the playoffs are all about,
because it's a first for everybody in terms of having
(36:33):
four games or three games if you had to buy
and so it was to me a great advantage to
go and prepare and to have that first game and
now you've got to reset and get ready for your
next opponent. Again. This is something I've never really have
to deal with because in the season, you know you
got the next game. In a bowl game, you're preparing,
you know that's the last one. And this is unique
(36:55):
where you don't know if this is going to be
your last game or not. And the minute we won
that game, had to reset your mind and say Okay,
we got to get ready for this next opponent, which
is going to be a tall task.
Speaker 2 (37:04):
Okay, so Riley Mills is out for this game? Is
that right?
Speaker 1 (37:08):
Riley Mills the linebacker. Yep, he's a heck of a
He's a heck of a player. That's not great. How
do you compensate for that?
Speaker 4 (37:18):
Well, I think all season long, which I'm sure every
team deals with, you deal with injuries. And we've lost
some guys the season ending injuries, some really important people,
and you feel horribly for them as an individual. Riley's
a guy that decided to come back to to try
to improve his draft stock, and he's the captain. But
you've got to you know what, the next man has
(37:40):
to get the next opportunity, and he's got to go
do it. And I've always said this, You've earned the
trust and the the the the opportunity way before you
get thrust out there in front of the national TV.
You learn that. You learn that opportunity in practice and
the trust from your coaches, and the guys will put
out there have earned that trust and and and will
do what great job. But you're not going to replace
(38:02):
Riley Mills with one person it's multiple people that have
to make up for some of the production that he's had.
But we'll have some guys ready to row.
Speaker 1 (38:12):
Well, you've done a remarkable job, and I know college
coaching with all the transfer portal and nil stuff, I
got three minutes left. I actually think you have an
advantage in the transfer portal because I think kids that
go to Notre Dame are special and they just don't
go for a handout.
Speaker 2 (38:27):
Do you view it that way?
Speaker 4 (38:30):
We always say that that the guys that choose Notre
Dame choose hard, and there's some some requirements that you
have on you here that you might not have everywhere
else in the country. But they've chosen this place and
they understand the value of obviously the football program, but
the education and what this university can do for you
(38:51):
in the longevity of your life. And so it's a
special place, special culture, special people. We haven't had a
guy since the portal was opened in December entered the
portal and we'll see what happens after the season, But
to me, it speaks volumes about the young people that
are committed to this program.
Speaker 1 (39:09):
Well, when Notre Dame is rolling, college football is better.
You're crushing it. Don't go to the NFL. Stay in college.
You know what, your winners are a little rough. They'd
be rough in Chicago or New York. Just stay at
Notre Dame.
Speaker 4 (39:22):
All right, Marcus absolutely, man. I appreciate the advice.
Speaker 1 (39:26):
Colin all Right, great coach Notre Dame. Marcus Freeman. Good
luck against the Georgia Bulldogs. So they're missing their best
defensive player. George is missing their quarterback, Carson Becks, so
he's out they you know, for the entire playoff, so
we'll see. I was very impressed. Notre Dame just seized
Ohio State and Notre Dame seized physical control of their games.
(39:50):
To me, like by the second series, you just felt
they were physically taking over the game. Clemson hung Clemson
scored first against Texas. Clemson had a punch. I thought
Notre Dame in Ohio State, the physicality. Early there was
a sense that, oh, you don't want to be Indiana
and Tennessee, and I mean early like second series.
Speaker 4 (40:13):
So I.
Speaker 2 (40:15):
Think I like Notre Dame.
Speaker 1 (40:17):
I think Boise State keeps it close. I'm gonna go
Buckeyes and Texas. I think we're aligned. I do think
Boise State is it's hard to sell Penn State players
who just routed SMU and those players had heard of SMU.
I think it's hard to get a dominant favorite ready
(40:39):
to go for a second game when you cake walk
through the first. So I could see pen and by
the way, Penn State could be looking ahead to a
Notre Dame Georgia game. I don't love this spot for
Penn State. They're clearly the better team off a blowout
heavy favorite with Notre Dame Georgia.
Speaker 8 (41:00):
I think, yeah, I'm aligned with you on that one.
Speaker 6 (41:02):
This Notre Dame Georgia game is gonna be fascinating because
you know all the subplots. Everybody wants the SEC to
go down. The SEC was a little overrated this year.
They've struggled from the jump the usc LSU game. Since
that opening weekend, SEC struggled and I think a lot
of people would love to see the Irish because remember
everybody remembers Notre Dame Alabama in that National championship.
Speaker 2 (41:23):
Well, Mantitana, but that was way early, Brian Kelly. They
didn't have the they didn't have the person.
Speaker 6 (41:29):
And the SEC was totally dominant. Then they're not dominant
now they have deep teams. Obviously Texas could win at all,
but like Alabama, Georgia do what I watch, they've progressed.
Speaker 8 (41:37):
They do not have the rosters they used to.
Speaker 1 (41:38):
When I saw Tennessee that was a first round knockout,
it was like whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. I watched
Tennessee play three or four times. When I watched Ohio State,
that is a Tyson first round knockout.
Speaker 2 (41:49):
You're like Big Ten, best conference.
Speaker 5 (41:52):
One more Heard. The Herd streams twenty four hours a day,
seven days a week within the iHeartRadio app. Search Herd
to listen or on demand whenever you like
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. Thanks
for listening to the Herd podcast. Here we go Christmas
(00:25):
Eve live in Los Angeles. Probably a little warmer, just
a little warmer than when where many of you are at.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
It's the Herd. Thanks for making us part of your day.
Herd Hierarchy.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
One hour from now, Green Bay will bolt up our hierarchy.
Marcus Streeman, the Notre Dame football coach, is joining us
later this hour.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Mark Sanchez, Nick Wright. So we're off tomorrow. Jmac. So
we're bringing all the big.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
Guns out Notre Dames football coach, Nick Wright, the hierarchy.
Mark Sanchez got your family. You know, he did invite me.
Jmac full disclosure. He invited me over and I'm like,
can I bring gin and cigars?
Speaker 2 (01:06):
And you know it's inappropriate. He got young kids. I'm
the I'm.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
America's guest starting the show with Christmas Eve Heat here
we go. So I want to I'm gonna get to
Jordan Love and the Packers. I'm gonna get to that
in about four minutes. But I want to start the
show with this thirty four to nothing win. And they
didn't ask Jordan Love to do much. But there's a
reason the Green Bay Packers, and only the green Bay Packers,
(01:31):
and they've done it twice, have drafted a really great
quarterback in the first round and sat him for three
years because they have no owner, no ego, no meddling,
no demands. Even the great owner Stan Kronkey, Jeffrey Lurie,
Robert Kraft, they would want to see their investment. They
wouldn't want a first round pick on the bench for
(01:52):
three years drafting and developing. Last week, there's video of
the Crafts in their box wanting to be on camera,
reportedly telling CBS get Us on camera, criticizing the coaches
play calling. Last week is story out the Jets, the
Jets owners, the kids harassing Jets players in the locker room.
Yet the Packers clinched their thirty seventh playoff appearance last night,
(02:15):
number one all time you know who. They surpassed the
Dallas Cowboys, who's owner. An egomaniac needs to be on
radio every week dissecting the win. The Panthers seven coaches
in six years if you count the interims.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
Look upstairs, that's why you're bad.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Is it a shock They're four and eleven in Carolina
and here is Green Bay, no.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
Meddling, no owner.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
For years, I always saw it as a weakness. Now
I see it as a strength. All Green Bay does
is whatever is best for the development of their young quarterback.
Three straight quarterbacks, star star star, all three Farvs in
the Hall of Fame, Rogers will be and Love looks
like he's on his way. It's all football because as
(03:03):
owners have gotten richer, all of them are billionaires now
and crazier and more impulsive. It gets in the way
of the development of the most important position. Think it's
a coincidence. Aaron Rodgers is four and eleven and now irrelevant,
and in Green Bay he was a back to back
MVP and after Brady, the biggest star in the league.
Do you think it is a coincidence that the Cleveland
(03:26):
quarterback situation is the worst and messiest in the league.
It's not the coach's fault. Stefanski's great. It's not the
GM's fault. Andrew Berry's excellent. They draft well, it's the Haslums.
You think it's a coincidence that Sam Darnold is having
an unbelievable year and in Carolina and the Jets he
was a tire fire. No, the Wilf family in Minnesota
(03:49):
has always been very low profile. Ninety nine percent of
you don't know what the will family looks like. It
is not a coince. Only the Packers and I used
to see it as a week can draft a young
quarterback who's talented and sit him and develop him for
three years. Aaron could have played earlier, Jordan Love could
(04:10):
have played earlier. But if you're just about football, no meddling,
no ego, no impulsive crazy person, that's what you should do.
Even these young quarterbacks now, Jaden Daniels, he's good enough
to play. But it wasn't the end of the world.
Michael PENNOCKX sat. It wouldn't have been to the end
(04:32):
of the world if Drake may or bow Nick sad.
But I'm watching what Green Bay does, even after their
win last night. Here's the locker room, and what you
don't see is an owner that needs attention, listen.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
I love this team, I love this energy, and we
get something special gear.
Speaker 4 (04:50):
We just got to keep.
Speaker 5 (04:51):
Building on it.
Speaker 4 (04:51):
All right, way to handle your business.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
We go to the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Thirty seventh playoff appear Terrance number one all time for
the smallest market in the NFL, the smallest media, surpassing Dallas.
Who is Jerry is aged, has regressed badly, and his
need to talk right after the game and beyond radio
(05:20):
has increased. I do not believe it's a coincidence. And
now let's talk Jordan Love. I'm finding this to be true,
especially with young quarterbacks but old ones two. I can't
separate the quarterback from the coach because there is such
a huge gap between the really good coaches. And Jordan
(05:41):
Love has one, and Matt Stafford has one, and Lamar
has one, and Mahomes has one, and Justin Herbert has
one and Bo Nicks has one. I can't separate them.
The position's never been more important, and there's a huge
gap between the really good coaches and the average one.
And I look at Jordan Love, and I see Matt Lafleur.
(06:03):
Matt Lafleur, Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay. They're considered offensive Wizards,
but deep down they love the power run game. I mean,
you ever watch a Rams game? How often kyn Williams
tiny notre damer Kyen Williams, guy carries the ball twenty
five times a game. He's not Derek Henry, not built
like that Todd Gurley. If you go look at mcvay's history,
(06:27):
he wants to run the ball, even with Stafford and
with golf two top ten quarterbacks. I mean Shanahan, I
mean he has a losing record in San Francisco without
Christian McCaffrey. The soul of Kyle Shanahan is the run game.
And it's the same with Matt Lafleur. Where did he
come from? Where did he build his resume? In Washington
(06:47):
behind a Shanahan a run coach, and in Tennessee with
Derrick Henry. So, Jordan Love is throwing fewer passes that
he's ever thrown, six straight games under thirty attempts and
yet five straight games scoring over thirty. When I watch
Jordan Love, I see Matt Lafleur. He has reduced his attempts.
(07:09):
He's the captain, and Jordan Love is a great vessel.
I feel the same way with Herbert. Jim Harbaugh's the captain,
Herbert's the vessel, and it's amazing that in both cases,
and you're seeing this in Philadelphia too, the quarterback is
throwing less but is winning more and the team is
often scoring more as the quarterback throws less. And we
(07:31):
all know quarterbacks the most important position in the league.
But what I'm finding in this league now when I
watch Green Bay, this is Matt Lafloure's team. This is
basically Tennessee with a better quarterback. He had Derek Henry.
Now he's got Josh Jacobs, and I'm watching Josh Jacobs
like this. When Aaron and Matt were together, it was
(07:53):
Aaron's team. There were concessions. You have to have concessions
with Aaron and not a cheap shot. Mike McCarthy found
it out. You'll see the door if you don't. But
when I watched Green Bay, and this is not a
knock at Jordan Love because I think he's a top
ten quarterback in this league.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
Are higher.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
There is a group of quarterbacks in this league and
they have a connection with a coach, and we can
put it on the screen, But I can't think of
Mahomes without Reid, and I can't think of Stafford without
McVeigh and Herbert and Lamar and Jordan and Sam Darnold.
I just I can't separate them. I mean, I see CJ.
(08:28):
Stroud as great and Demiko Ryans is a great coach.
I don't see a connection there. They're both excellent. And
here was Jordan Love after the shutout.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
I still think there's a lot of a lot more
points out there for us, a lot more big time plays.
I just think it's little things that you know, when
we start being more consistent and dialing in on these
things that you know, the sky's limit for the offense.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
Yeah, it was.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
You know, something else that's happening. And I won't waste
a lot of time in it because it may be boring.
But this year we have ten teams in the NFL.
Thirty two percent of the teams in the NFL have
five wins or fewer, and they're all gonna mostly if
New Orleans doesn't win. And if you watch them last night,
that was pretty ugly. I mean, they didn't compete. That
(09:12):
was maybe the most lopsided game of the season. A
third of the league. It's like the NBA now is
unwatchable and non competitive. Last year it was only five teams.
Only five teams last year had five wins or fewer.
We're at ten and a lot of these teams are
not getting to five wins. Forget five wins. We got
one with two, we got five with three, we got
(09:34):
three with four.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
And we got the Saints.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
And when you watched last night, it's hard to deny
what is happening. As quarterback has become more important, as
billionaires are crazier and running through coaching staffs more chaos.
The gap between the haves and the have nots is huge.
(09:57):
I mean, if if Atlanta and Penic stand first, there's
a chance I'll get seven of the eight divisions, right,
I've predicted seven of eight. Why there's a separation now,
if you have the quarterback and you have a competent coach,
I mean you are looking in your rear view mirror
at the rest of this nonsense. By like two weeks
(10:18):
after Thanksgiving, I mean that thing last night that was embarrassing,
Like that, nobody wanted to be there except Packer fans.
J Mack Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame coach this hour. I
saw something. We had Matt Hasselbeck on yesterday. I've got
a bite from him.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
It was so good.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
I saw something that and I know Christmas Day is
generally an NBA day, it's not anymore. Two NFL games tomorrow,
but I saw something about the NBA that is interesting.
It's a player that you and I love, but there
was an alarming lack of attention being given to him.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
And we both love this player.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
And last year, at this time he was thought of
as the rising star in the league. And I'm not
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Speaker 5 (12:07):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and noon eastern non am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
All right, welcome back. I saw this list and I'm
gonna throw.
Speaker 6 (12:23):
It to you.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
This is troubling.
Speaker 1 (12:26):
So last year, at this time, Aunt Edwards was the
star on the rise. Wemby was sort of awkward seven
to four he's the future.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
But aunt Edwards was good.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
He was the next mj Ish Kobe Ish player, wildly dynamic,
great kid, winning lots of games like he was it.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
Yesterday.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
It came out the ten most viewed players in this
league based on clips, Aunt's nowhere.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
In the top ten. What the hell happened?
Speaker 1 (13:07):
Clayton Thompson makes the list, LaMelo ball. Why is aunt
Edwards not in the top ten because he's dunking half
as much and shooting over ten threes a game. I
don't mind three pointers from guys who are limited athletically. LaMelo, Stephan, Clay,
(13:30):
Aunt Edwards has MJ and Kobe stuff. The league is
becoming increasingly homogeneous. I thought Wemby, by the way, was
a unicorn. I was lectured on his versatility. Now he's
a seven foot four steph. I was told Aunt was
gonna be Kobe. He's shooting almost eleven threes a game.
(13:53):
Tom Cruise is an action movie star. That's what Tom
Cruise is. I don't want to see him in romcom
I'm not interested. He could probably do them. I want
to see the Rock and Tom Cruise and certain actors.
I want to see him in action movies. That gets
(14:13):
me in. I don't want the NBA to become a
sea of chain restaurants where I can tell you what
the menu is before I walk in. The NFL's got
all sorts of unique players. Even at quarterback, there's giant
Josh Allen and tiny Kyler. Murray Mahomes plays one way,
Goff plays another. Derreck Henry the running back stylistically different
(14:39):
than Christian McCaffrey or Sakuon Barkley Wemby now shooting ten
threes and Edwards dunking half as much. I don't think
it's good for the league. He is the most dynamic
athletic player, also a great kid with a great personality.
Wins a lot of games. Klay Thompson's on the nothing
(15:01):
against Clay, but seems to me that that is one
of the problems. Monotonous cookie cutter. All looks the same.
Jmack with the news.
Speaker 4 (15:14):
No, no turn on the news.
Speaker 5 (15:16):
This is the headline news.
Speaker 6 (15:19):
All right, mister coward, Let's pivot to the NFL. Two
weeks left in the regular season. NFC North could go
down to the final game between Lions and Vikings. However,
Detroit this week plays on Monday Night, Okay, and they'll
have a sense of weird things stand with Minnesota because
Minnesota plays the Packers this weekend. Ye Dan Campbell, however,
(15:42):
said it does not matter. He is playing his starters
on Monday night football, no matter what.
Speaker 7 (15:48):
See for everybody. That way. All the critics can jump
out and start attacking, but that way you don't have
to debate them anymore. We're bringing everything we got to
this game, and we are playing. I don't care what
it looks like in words, or who's this, who's that?
They're going out to play and win this game out
on the West Coast. So there you go.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
Yeah, Belichick never rested starters. I think it was Tony
Dungee who did a few times with the Colts. I
don't think there's a right answer. One of the things
that's overrated in the whole playoff thing is rest and buys.
Remember the Tennessee Titans, didn't they have a number one seed.
They got beat by Joe Burrow, like a team that
(16:32):
came in from nowhere. I think if you have a
young team like here the La Rams, that is defensively
a really really young team, those guys want to play.
The Rams are red hot. I think if you have
an older team, for instance, Kansas City Chris Jones, Travis Kelcey,
older players, Joe Tooney, I could see Kansas City give
him a week off. But most of Detroit's players are
(16:55):
ascending players just going into their prime. Omar On Saint
Brown Gibbs Golf still in his prime. I think if
you're a young or ascending team green Bay, they don't
want any time off green Bay. The advantage green Bay
has is young energy, heal more quickly from injuries. You
want Green Bay plan now you don't want you don't
(17:16):
want rest.
Speaker 8 (17:17):
Yeah, I remember that the Titans loss. I just looked
it up.
Speaker 6 (17:21):
Nineteen sixteen Bengals won. That was a game where Burrow
was sacked a billion times.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
Also had picks and they won. I mean it was
an ugly game that Burrow won.
Speaker 8 (17:29):
There's no right answer.
Speaker 6 (17:30):
Like you said here, I don't know what I would
do if I'm Dan Campbell.
Speaker 8 (17:33):
That being said, I think you've got.
Speaker 6 (17:35):
To read your team, and you know that's a banged
up Lions team.
Speaker 8 (17:39):
You don't need more injuries on top of what you
already got.
Speaker 6 (17:42):
So I mean, maybe he's gonna play his guys for
a quarter or a half.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
Yeah, I don't mind that. I want him to go through.
I want them to hit. I don't want four quarters.
Speaker 6 (17:51):
Listen, you already lost Montgomery. Like I don't want to
say Gibbs and bubble wrap, but Colin, if he goes down, yeah,
you might lose.
Speaker 2 (17:57):
Your first game. He had twenty carries against you in
the first half. That now I got.
Speaker 8 (18:02):
I got him in Fantasy in the championship this week.
So I'm hoping gives.
Speaker 6 (18:04):
Plays, but the reality is you got to read your
team in the injuries. It's not as cut and dry
as hey, let's bench just Scott all right. Next up
Colin is Lamar and the Ravens. They head to Houston
tomorrow to take on the Texans Christmas Day Special and
Beyonce is gonna be performing the halftime show. Lamar, like
(18:26):
everyone else, is a huge fan of Beyonce, and Lamar
was asked about it.
Speaker 3 (18:30):
Take a listen well, disappointing that she's gonna be performing
at a halftime show that you can't watch.
Speaker 9 (18:36):
Knock, I'm gonna go out there, Watts, Yeah, go out down,
watch man, first time saying Beyonce perform and it's at
our game. That's dope.
Speaker 6 (18:46):
I'm gonna go out and watch.
Speaker 9 (18:46):
Sorry, how well, Sorry, sorry fellas.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
I don't know if I love that, but I don't think.
I don't know. I half to.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
My guess is there's not a lot that Lamar Jackson's
gonna glean at half. Say that, but I've been watching
McVeigh and Stafford the last month and a half and
they've struggled early and done something at half, and the
offense has clicked. So it's one of the few times
I don't I don't think Lamar should have said that.
I don't think that's what people want to hear. It's
(19:16):
happened before, though it's not the first time.
Speaker 8 (19:18):
It's half our guys got here, got some notes.
Speaker 6 (19:20):
So Evan McPherson in the Super Bowl went out at
halftime to watch Doctor Dre and then Michael Irvin admitted
that he skipped out on halftime to go watch Michael
Jackson during the Super Bowl twenty.
Speaker 8 (19:33):
Seven halftime show. Cowboys won a beatdown in that one.
I don't have a huge issue with this.
Speaker 6 (19:39):
I mean, here's here's the more interesting I think come
this could be a rematch in a playoff game in
three weeks.
Speaker 8 (19:46):
It's looking a lot like the Ravens will go to
Houston or Pittsburgh one of those two. Whoever wins it
loses the division.
Speaker 1 (19:52):
I think if I'm Pitts, I'm if I'm Baltimore, I'd
rather face Houston. I don't want to face Pittsburgh again.
I don't like the idea we just beat you soundly,
I have to play you again.
Speaker 8 (20:01):
Well, if they get the if they.
Speaker 6 (20:03):
Win the division and they're the two seed they would
seemingly play, or they would be the three.
Speaker 8 (20:07):
I guess they would maybe play Denver or the Chargers.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
Let me ask you this, I'm not afraid of Houston,
are you if I'm Baltimore? No, But George Pickens returns
the games in Pittsburgh. That is just screaming Lamargo's down
first round. That is screaming upset that. Yeah, I mean honestly,
because we know Pittsburgh is very Pickins reliant. We know
the secondary for Baltimore can be a liability, and.
Speaker 6 (20:33):
The Chargers are probably going to beat I think they
have the Patriots this week, their favorite on the road,
So you're right.
Speaker 8 (20:39):
If there's a chance, you.
Speaker 6 (20:40):
Know, you get Baltimore going to Pittsburgh not ideal for
this game. I don't know why anybody would bet the
Texans here filling. I don't like what I've seen from them.
The vibes are bad.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
They're the one team this year in the NFL. I
have no read on the Texans.
Speaker 8 (20:56):
Obviously he's always in there, right, but this this Raven's defense.
Speaker 6 (21:00):
Recently I read an article about how Kyle Hamilton has
shifted back to his more natural safety spot. They had
him in the box. They pushed him back to the
back end, and the defense has gotten a little bit better.
I don't know that we've seen the best Baltimore here
in the last month, and if we see the earlier
season Baltimore, this is super Bowl worthy.
Speaker 8 (21:18):
This is super Bowl worthy roster.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
Right, I think it's It's really close. It's one of
the best sex rosters. Baltimore is one of the six
teams I think could win the Super Bowl.
Speaker 8 (21:27):
Give me your top three in the AFC right now?
Speaker 2 (21:29):
Best teams Kansas City number one?
Speaker 6 (21:31):
Yeah, Buffalo, Casey over Buffalo Colin.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
Yeah, case Buffalo. I would go Buffalo obviously. Baltimore.
Speaker 8 (21:47):
Yeah, Pittsburgh's not number three. We know they're starting to
fade a little.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
But but again, if Pittsburgh's at home having just been
dusted by Baltimore and Pickins returns, I think I would
take Pittsburgh and I like Baltimore and more so, it's
all circumstantial. Now it's at Pittsburgh oft an ugly loss
to the Ravens three weeks earlier, Pickens is back, now
it's in it from ballgame. Then I like the Steelers
(22:12):
at home to upset Baltimore in the first round.
Speaker 6 (22:14):
By the way, Beyonce Christmas Days, that's a nice little
get for.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
The NFL A nice Yeah, that's pretty good.
Speaker 6 (22:19):
Gut, I'll probably switch over from the NBA, not just
kid obviously, Beyonce at halftime rules final story calling, Oh,
we got to talk about this guy, the football enigma
Aaron Rodgers.
Speaker 8 (22:30):
Gosh so.
Speaker 6 (22:31):
In his weekly paid TV appearance, Rogers dropped some interesting
lines yesterday, joking about being released in the offseason, perhaps
by Woody Johnson and his son, saying being released would
be a first being released by a teenager.
Speaker 8 (22:48):
That would also be a first. Aaron Rodgers poking fun
at that athletic story.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
At Woody Johnson's kids.
Speaker 8 (22:54):
Well, listen, it's true.
Speaker 6 (22:56):
Woody Johnson's kids are in the locker room handing out
game balls like that's nonsane.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
And Woody Johnson is harassing and now acknowledges a former
Jets quarterback Mike White.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
That's bad total.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
I mean, listen, I always thought Aaron had a good
relationship with Woody Johnson, so that comment to me was
pretty telling.
Speaker 6 (23:16):
Yeah, I think he didn't know what he was getting into,
and now he realizes that.
Speaker 8 (23:19):
Okay, there's another thing.
Speaker 6 (23:21):
Rogers added that he would be willing to take a paper.
Speaker 7 (23:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
I heard the announcer say that Sunday.
Speaker 8 (23:26):
And mentor a young qu.
Speaker 2 (23:29):
I was surprised by both. But that's pretty cool.
Speaker 6 (23:32):
That sounds like some guy saying, Hey, get me out
of here, I'll go anywhere else and mentor so I
don't want to be with this team.
Speaker 8 (23:37):
Come on, Aaron Rodgers is going to sit around and
mentor somebody.
Speaker 1 (23:40):
Well, I don't think I will say this. I think
Aaron was much more a mentor to Jordan Love than
Farv was to Aaron. I don't think Aaron is selfish.
I think he's a bit self obsessed. He's rich, he's
good looking, blah blah blah, he's a superstar America.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
I don't think. I don't see Aaron is like a
selfish guy.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
I think Aaron would help teammates the stories, the stories
I heard. I have a pretty good source on this
because I had a couple of guys in the team.
I knew that Aaron was not standoffish, aloof or prickly
to Jordan Love like.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
He was a good teammate to him. You go read
you go read the Aaron Rodgers Ian O'Connor book. I
read that book. I was angry at how Brett Farr
treated Aaron like it was really, really petty.
Speaker 8 (24:29):
I would need to go back and look at the
Jordan Love stuff, but I'm sure some of that was
pre COVID.
Speaker 6 (24:35):
I just think we've seen a different human since the
pandemic hit. I just Aaron Rodgers has completely become a
different guy.
Speaker 8 (24:41):
He's very Everything he says is told.
Speaker 6 (24:44):
You look at his interviews before the pandemic and after,
and this stuff just got to him so bad. He
just seems just angry at what went down, which is understandable.
I guess you can have that take. But he's not
the same guy he was. So maybe he was a
mentor before to Jordan Love.
Speaker 2 (25:00):
And yeah, I think he was.
Speaker 1 (25:04):
At He was not hostile. He was professional with Jordan Love.
And again I'm trusting people who were in the building.
He was professional with him. I mean he didn't want
to give him a lot of snaps. Brady wouldn't give
Garoppolo snaps. I mean that's just what star quarterbacks do.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
I get it.
Speaker 8 (25:19):
Hey, listen, you don't want to give me a ton
of snaps around here. I get it.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
You want six herd Line stories, I give you three,
but grudgingly.
Speaker 8 (25:25):
A little frustrated at times, but I had rolled with
the punches.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
You know, team player J Mack with the news.
Speaker 5 (25:31):
Well, that's the news, and thanks for stopping by the
herd Line news.
Speaker 1 (25:37):
It's Caleb Williams actually set an NFL record the Bears quarterback.
He's gone over three hundred and twenty pass attempts without
a pick. It's the longest interception less rookie streak by
over one hundred attempts. Now, it's interesting. I've said this
for I think ten years. In fact, I wrote about
it in my first book. I think interceptions are overstated.
(26:01):
Caleb Williams has no picks in nine straight games. He's
zero to nine. Okay, Lay threw him. Name of throw him,
Peyton Manning throw him, Stafford throws him, Mahomes throws him,
Josh Allen throws him, Andrew Luck throw him. Take chance
to sold the ball down the field. In today's NFL,
you have to throw with anticipation. You can't sit and
(26:24):
wait for a guy to be open. That's high school
in college. Matt Hasselbeck was on the show yesterday on
his concerns with Caleb Williams.
Speaker 9 (26:35):
This is a very strong rookie class of quarterbacks, and
I just think that, like, Caleb is the one guy
to me that I don't see the things that I
believe are really important, that I believe matter for sustained
success for a long career. I haven't seen that so much.
Body language is a huge thing to me, don't I
(26:56):
don't love what I see out of him. You know, so,
are there wild plays? Are there splash plays? Yeah, that's awesome.
That's why you were drafted so high. But if you're
going to compare him, and if I was just gonna
like nameless faces, I don't see the emblem on the helmet,
I don't see the name on the jersey. I don't
know who was picked first, second, third, whatever. I'm putting
all those other rookie quarterbacks, Jaden Daniels, Drake may bow Nix.
(27:17):
In a week, I might put Pennix up there above Caleb.
Speaker 1 (27:21):
And one of the concerns hassel Beck has had with Caleb,
He's not an anticipation thrower. He waits for you to
be open. He plays it a bit safe, and I
want my quarterback to be aggressive and If you're not
a anticipation thrower, I don't think you're winning Super Bowls.
Remember when Caitlin Clark had a lot of turnovers early
(27:42):
for the Indiana Fever, and I kept saying, stop, it's
a bad team. She's creating offense. She'll finally, over time
reduce the turnovers. Steph has turnovers. Lebron has turnovers. Peyton
Manning had picks. Brady had a pick six and won
a Super Bowl. By the way, Matt Stafford had two
two picks in a Super Bowl and one. Patrick Mahomes
(28:04):
three Super Bowls. He's throwing a pick in each one
of them. It's as long as it's not a red
zone pick, which Gino Smith to me throws too many
red zone picks. As long as it's not a red
zone pick, I'm okay with it. Jared Goff won a
game this season with five picks. Mahomes had a pick
in the first seven games this year. He went seven
(28:25):
to zero. So the anticipation throws. What has been my
criticism of Aaron Rodgers in big games. If he gets
an interception early, he really plays a football He has
a very long memory of picks.
Speaker 2 (28:41):
He'll shut it down.
Speaker 8 (28:42):
He won't.
Speaker 1 (28:42):
He won't throw with anticipation, and if you do, you're
gonna throw picks. You're throwing the ball and nobody's open.
So it's one of those things. I'm not saying I'm
rooting for picks, but I saw this this morning. The
last five years in the NFL. If you think I'm wrong,
you want to know who leads the NFL and interceptions.
(29:02):
Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen the best two quarterbacks in
the league. Sorry, sometimes you gotta let it go and
nobody's open. And that is That's what concerns me is
is Caleb now because the team is losing, is he
becoming a little obsessed and concerned about Okay, don't want picks.
I at least want to come out of these games
(29:24):
and people go gott to have a touchdown pass and
no picks, And I get the psychology of that, but
it's been the one thing with Aaron Rodgers that's always
made me a little uneasy in big games. If Aaron
has a blunder early by the way, Stafford Mahomes alan,
they're aggressive, they come out slinging, they get first half picks.
You gotta have a short memory. You just got to
keep throwing the ball, throw it downfield. I can't watch
(29:47):
dinkin down There's never been a dink and dunk quarterback
that's won a Super Bowl ever, It's never happened.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
You've gotta let it go and again.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
Last five years, Alan Mahomes most interceptions, Okay with it,
don't love it if it's in the red zone. But
I'd rather have an aggressive guy throwing a pick every
Sunday like Mahomes did for the first seven weeks and
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(31:06):
your holiday adventures.
Speaker 5 (31:08):
Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd Weekdays
and Noon Easter n a IM Pacific.
Speaker 1 (31:14):
Well, there were rumors he was going to go to
the NFL, and Notre Dame put a stop to that.
They got an extension in front of Marcus Freeman, who's
the Notre Dame football coach. They beat Indiana to start
the first ever twelve team playoff and he is joining US.
Eats Christmas Eve, he's in the office, you know, he's
in the office getting ready to play Georgia. So first
of all, the first thing why I like the playoff
(31:36):
because years ago, you guys lost early in the season
in Northern Illinois home and you'd have been done. It's like, okay,
you're not playing for the Natty. This allows a mulligan. Heck,
I could argue Alabama had two mulligans Vandy Oklahoma and
they still almost made it in So when you lost
to Northern Illinois, you had to really sell your team
on we're a good team. It's okay, it happens. Let's
(31:59):
go back to that. What did you say that week
of practice because you've played different, you've been more aggressive,
you've gotten better each week. How did you sell your
team after a devastating home loss.
Speaker 4 (32:11):
Well, I think immediately after the game you tell them
I've been here before, right. I told them, listen, it's
going to be a rough week, it's gonna be a
long week. But I've been here before. And I think
it took me a day or two to figure out, Okay,
what was my messaging going to be? And what I
told them on Monday at our meeting was there's schematic
(32:32):
things we have to enhance and have to fix. But
to me, the greater lesson to learn was we had
to learn as a program. I had to learn as
a head coach, how do we handle success. This was
the first year in my three years the head coach
that we've won that big game early. The first two
years we lost to Ohio State early in the season,
and I said, we have to learn how to handle
success as a program, and we got to do those
(32:54):
things that it takes to prepare mentally and physically for
our opponent, no matter who it is, and all season long.
I've continued to tell him keep the pain, keep the pain,
because we can't let a loss continue to teach us
the lessons that we need to learn to prepare. So
they've done a wonderful job. Continue to find ways to
get better, but the preparation has been the key in
the mindset.
Speaker 2 (33:14):
Okay, so you're playing Georgia.
Speaker 1 (33:15):
Both Jamack and I said yesterday, I kind of like
Notre Dame in this game, but you're facing gunner stocked
and then you have almost no footage on him. He's
the backup quarterback, so I don't think he's the thrower
that Beck is, but he may be just as good
a runner. What do you do when you don't know
much about the quarterback?
Speaker 4 (33:33):
Well, I think you look at the thirteen games they've played.
They're not going to be a completely different offense with
a new quarterback. You evaluate, there's about eighty three plays
of him that we have in a cut up from
the second half of the SEC Championship and some other
time during the season, and so there's some things he
does really really well within their system. He makes really
(33:54):
good decisions, he makes fast decisions. He obviously can extend
plays with his feet, a little bit more cute be
run and but but we're still going to plan to
see the things that we've seen their offense do no
matter who's been at quarterback.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
Yeah, so it's interesting. I have been advocating.
Speaker 1 (34:12):
I believe Riley Leonard is going to end up being
a third or a fourth round pick, and he will
be a starter in the NFL. I've said there's a
little bit of Josh Allen here where in a little
Drake may where he's not quite polished yet. But he
went to Duke and Notre Dame. He's smart, he's six ' five.
You just told me off the air, he's got a
relentless work ethic. And I look at him and you
(34:33):
ask a lot more of him than Duke did. So
tell me about Riley Leonard that I don't see. I
can see the athletic ability you told me, the work ethic.
What separates him, what makes him special?
Speaker 4 (34:47):
Well, I think he's an ultra competitive individual. Now you
will talk to him and he's going to be the
nicest person in the world. But when he steps into
the weight room, he steps into the meeting room, he
steps on the practice field, he is a competitive individual.
And I think The greatest thing for him was to
learn in the first two weeks of the seasons the
highest of highs being a quarterback and notre dame to
the lowest and Lowe's Yeah, you know, you can't worry
(35:10):
about throwing an interception, you can't worry about what anybody's
going to say. You've got to go out there with
confidence and be the player that we know you could be.
And so you've seen him grow in confidence but also
grow in the preparation in terms of learning exactly what
is demanded of him. And you've seen our coaching staff
ask him to do things that he does really, really well.
(35:30):
But he is a relentless competitor. He has a tremendous
work ethic, and he'll continue to ascend as he goes
throughout his football career.
Speaker 1 (35:39):
So listen, I like the twelve team playoff. I thought
they were going to be closer games. But you know what,
do I know? First round was ugly. I still I
would take that over the pop tart ball. So I'm
for this thing. Now, you guys, Marcus, because you don't
have an official conference affiliation, you don't get a first
round by That'll never happen. Now, I think stuff can
be negotiated. Your take and if even if you went
(36:01):
twelve and er, you wouldn't get a buy. Did that
first game actually with Indiana did you like it? Did
you like because you have a young team? Or is
it an advantage or a disadvantage?
Speaker 4 (36:13):
Well, I have to look at it as an advantage, right,
and not look at anything that happens to us as
a disadvantage. To play a first round playoff game at
home was an experience like no other. And to have
our guys understand, okay, here's what the playoffs are all about,
because it's a first for everybody in terms of having
(36:33):
four games or three games if you had to buy
and so it was to me a great advantage to
go and prepare and to have that first game and
now you've got to reset and get ready for your
next opponent. Again. This is something I've never really have
to deal with because in the season, you know you
got the next game. In a bowl game, you're preparing,
you know that's the last one. And this is unique
(36:55):
where you don't know if this is going to be
your last game or not. And the minute we won
that game, had to reset your mind and say Okay,
we got to get ready for this next opponent, which
is going to be a tall task.
Speaker 2 (37:04):
Okay, so Riley Mills is out for this game? Is
that right?
Speaker 1 (37:08):
Riley Mills the linebacker. Yep, he's a heck of a
He's a heck of a player. That's not great. How
do you compensate for that?
Speaker 4 (37:18):
Well, I think all season long, which I'm sure every
team deals with, you deal with injuries. And we've lost
some guys the season ending injuries, some really important people,
and you feel horribly for them as an individual. Riley's
a guy that decided to come back to to try
to improve his draft stock, and he's the captain. But
you've got to you know what, the next man has
(37:40):
to get the next opportunity, and he's got to go
do it. And I've always said this, You've earned the
trust and the the the the opportunity way before you
get thrust out there in front of the national TV.
You learn that. You learn that opportunity in practice and
the trust from your coaches, and the guys will put
out there have earned that trust and and and will
do what great job. But you're not going to replace
(38:02):
Riley Mills with one person it's multiple people that have
to make up for some of the production that he's had.
But we'll have some guys ready to row.
Speaker 1 (38:12):
Well, you've done a remarkable job, and I know college
coaching with all the transfer portal and nil stuff, I
got three minutes left. I actually think you have an
advantage in the transfer portal because I think kids that
go to Notre Dame are special and they just don't
go for a handout.
Speaker 2 (38:27):
Do you view it that way?
Speaker 4 (38:30):
We always say that that the guys that choose Notre
Dame choose hard, and there's some some requirements that you
have on you here that you might not have everywhere
else in the country. But they've chosen this place and
they understand the value of obviously the football program, but
the education and what this university can do for you
(38:51):
in the longevity of your life. And so it's a
special place, special culture, special people. We haven't had a
guy since the portal was opened in December entered the
portal and we'll see what happens after the season, But
to me, it speaks volumes about the young people that
are committed to this program.
Speaker 1 (39:09):
Well, when Notre Dame is rolling, college football is better.
You're crushing it. Don't go to the NFL. Stay in college.
You know what, your winners are a little rough. They'd
be rough in Chicago or New York. Just stay at
Notre Dame.
Speaker 4 (39:22):
All right, Marcus absolutely, man. I appreciate the advice.
Speaker 1 (39:26):
Colin all Right, great coach Notre Dame. Marcus Freeman. Good
luck against the Georgia Bulldogs. So they're missing their best
defensive player. George is missing their quarterback, Carson Becks, so
he's out they you know, for the entire playoff, so
we'll see. I was very impressed. Notre Dame just seized
Ohio State and Notre Dame seized physical control of their games.
(39:50):
To me, like by the second series, you just felt
they were physically taking over the game. Clemson hung Clemson
scored first against Texas. Clemson had a punch. I thought
Notre Dame in Ohio State, the physicality. Early there was
a sense that, oh, you don't want to be Indiana
and Tennessee, and I mean early like second series.
Speaker 4 (40:13):
So I.
Speaker 2 (40:15):
Think I like Notre Dame.
Speaker 1 (40:17):
I think Boise State keeps it close. I'm gonna go
Buckeyes and Texas. I think we're aligned. I do think
Boise State is it's hard to sell Penn State players
who just routed SMU and those players had heard of SMU.
I think it's hard to get a dominant favorite ready
(40:39):
to go for a second game when you cake walk
through the first. So I could see pen and by
the way, Penn State could be looking ahead to a
Notre Dame Georgia game. I don't love this spot for
Penn State. They're clearly the better team off a blowout
heavy favorite with Notre Dame Georgia.
Speaker 8 (41:00):
I think, yeah, I'm aligned with you on that one.
Speaker 6 (41:02):
This Notre Dame Georgia game is gonna be fascinating because
you know all the subplots. Everybody wants the SEC to
go down. The SEC was a little overrated this year.
They've struggled from the jump the usc LSU game. Since
that opening weekend, SEC struggled and I think a lot
of people would love to see the Irish because remember
everybody remembers Notre Dame Alabama in that National championship.
Speaker 2 (41:23):
Well, Mantitana, but that was way early, Brian Kelly. They
didn't have the they didn't have the person.
Speaker 6 (41:29):
And the SEC was totally dominant. Then they're not dominant
now they have deep teams. Obviously Texas could win at all,
but like Alabama, Georgia do what I watch, they've progressed.
Speaker 8 (41:37):
They do not have the rosters they used to.
Speaker 1 (41:38):
When I saw Tennessee that was a first round knockout,
it was like whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. I watched
Tennessee play three or four times. When I watched Ohio State,
that is a Tyson first round knockout.
Speaker 2 (41:49):
You're like Big Ten, best conference.
Speaker 5 (41:52):
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Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
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