January 7, 2025 • 26 mins
Thoughts on Jayden Daniels this season and what to expect from him in the playoffs
Previewing the Eagles-Packers game this weekend
Guest: Mark Sanchez
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Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the Herd Podcast. Be sure to
catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio in
noon to three Eastern nine am to noone Pacific. Find
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dot com, or stream us live every day on the
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for listening to the Herd Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
No turns.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
This is the Herdline News.
Speaker 4 (00:27):
Let's start with the Tyreek Hill in Miami.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Boy.
Speaker 4 (00:31):
He said he wants out of Miami because he's got
to do what's best for his career. Of course, there'll
be a couple teams interested. I don't think the market's
as robust as you do. However, Micah Parsons tweeted his
pitch to bring Tyreek to Dallas, saying, we can be
the fastest duo in the league. We also don't have
state income taxes. Obviously, is very attractive to Tyreek, who
(00:54):
has a lot going on off the field.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
By the way, well we have the fastest duo in
the league. That's what the Dolphins had. How'd that work out?
Who cares? This is not This is a NBA is
a tall guys league, and the NFL is a big,
strong guys league. I mean, that's the reality of it.
Fastest doesn't win the Super Bowl. That's not what it's about.
It's about having And I'll say it again, go look
at the powers in the NFL. Green Bay, Baltimore, Kansas City,
(01:20):
Joe Burrow, Cincinnati isn't the power. But you start looking
at all these really good teams. It's a lot of
cold weather playing in January. It's a lot of outdoors
cold weather.
Speaker 4 (01:32):
Mike McDaniel added that he and Tyreek had a one
hour meeting and McDaniel told Tyreek it is unacceptable to
leave a game and it won't be tolerated in the future.
McDaniel added to Tyreek embraced accountability and there's nothing to
fix in their relationship.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
But Mike McDaniels came in as the the ice cream
for breakfast parent. Now he's got a tough.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
Enough, smart, young nerdy guy from ye.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
Well, he came in as very pro player and you
like him. I like him too, But I you know,
Tom Kaughlin won a couple of Super Bowls. He came
in rough and softened up. Okay, Belichick softened up a
little coming in like everybody's friend, and now all of
a sudden accountability, will you have let stuff go?
Speaker 4 (02:16):
You know, I coach my kids in basketball. First practice
of the season, let's start with some suicides. What yeah,
I mean business. We're not messing around if.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
Your kids, if those young kids aren't coughing up maybe
a little blood. You know, you don't know what you're
doing as a coach. Put me down.
Speaker 4 (02:31):
By the way, for Tyreek and the Chargers is interesting,
but I still think that's that would be a really
good fit in Harball is a disciplinarian.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
He's not gonna mess around. I will say they need
a one and Herbert's got a huge arm. And they
play mostly in I mean they play home games indoors.
But remember they're an innovation with Kansas City. They're innovasion
with Denver. I think Tyreek Hill would be great, but
he is not the solution. No to me, what the
what the if you're asking me what they you can
(03:00):
find receivers, I'm not paying a fortune for a receiver.
Speaker 4 (03:02):
I mean, Higgins is out there probably more attractive than tyreeek.
Speaker 1 (03:05):
I to me, he's a bigger body. Yeah, I'm not
in love with these fast wide receiver guys. I think
they have value. But I mean, Kansas City's been hamming
egging at wide receiver for two years and they're gonna
potentially win a third in a row without a dominant
number one receiver. I don't think. I think dominant number
one ego receivers are fool's gold. I think you can
have a series of like amer On Saint Brown as
(03:27):
your one. But he's like considered like, he's not a burner.
He's just a hard working, committed, great student of the game.
Good route, Puka Nakua, that's a very good one. But
he's not a burner. He's not blowing past people like
I like guys. Wide receivers already an ego position. I
don't need you being called fastest guy in the world,
(03:47):
Like I don't need.
Speaker 4 (03:48):
That all right, Next up is we'll go to your
favorite quarterback, Brock Party. His contract will be a huge
talking point throughout the forty nine Ers offseason. Purdy is
coming off his NFL season. There's been a lot of
noise regarding whether or not they should pay him. Does
he get forty, does he get fifty? Will he want sixty?
Party is just hoping to get things done quickly.
Speaker 5 (04:09):
And quietly the timing of you know, getting something done
and whatnot for me not want to obviously get it done.
If that's an opportunity to be able to get that
done quick, that'd be great, just so we can get
back to phase one and get after it with the
receivers and our team and you know, just continue to
grow as man. We all gotta to grow together.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
I want to just be clean about it.
Speaker 5 (04:32):
And respectable, and you get something done and get back
to work.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
Really interested to see their draft picks this year. You
think they're going to pick another receiver? Can we finally
pay attention to the O and D lines a little?
Speaker 4 (04:44):
I'm fascinated by how many players they have to move
off of on both sides.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
Of the football.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
Should have moved off them last year, but they wanted
to give that championship another run.
Speaker 4 (04:52):
Is there a Hail Mary scenario where they say, thank
you for your service. We're gonna take Kirk Cousins on
the Russell Wilson dealers.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
No, I think they're going to Listen. All the stories
I read is they want to pay brock Purty a
lot of money, so go for it. I would start
with a three or a four They're gonna probably start
with a five or six. And I wish you the
very best of luck, but if it rains, a little,
good luck out.
Speaker 4 (05:13):
Final story the Patriots, Hey dump Gerrod Mayo after one season.
Not a surprise to me, but some people are shocked
by this. Now there's an opening in Robert Kraft. Everybody
thinks he's gonna go to Mike Grabel. However, according to
Tom Pelisarrow NFL Network, Rabel is now a shoe in
for the job, and that Ben Johnson has real interest
(05:36):
in the Patriots with Drake may at quarterback. Plasorrow adds
that Johnson intends to interview with New England. Now that's
a bit of a wrinkle, Colin. Ben Johnson wants the
New England job.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
Well, this again, this is not a tire fire, stable ownership,
good family. I've got my quarterback. Hell, I've got my
backup quarterback with Joe Milton. They need creativity, which they
haven't had for years on offense. I don't think this
is a bad.
Speaker 4 (06:01):
Fit, bad Johnson.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Don't confuse the Jets and the Bears with the Patriots.
Patriots have The Patriots just lacked juice, They lack speed,
Will go draft some speed. They don't lack good ownership,
they don't lack stability. Listen, they replaced a legend in Brady.
It's hard. It takes you a while to find the
right guy. You're not gonna go very rarely do you
go from Peyton Manning to Andrew Luck. You know, it
(06:24):
doesn't work that way generally speaking. I mean, go look
at the Niners. You went Jim Harbaugh. Some failures, now
Kyle Shanahan. It takes a while.
Speaker 4 (06:31):
So the problem is the Patriots need a lot of players,
and I don't know what do you want to continue
the BELICHICKI in culture?
Speaker 1 (06:37):
No no, no, no no.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
Well Rabel is a Belichick guy.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
No no no, I well he again, Yeah no, I'm not
denying that. That's why I think Ben Johnson's interesting. Ben's
gonna bring in the clever and again. My rule is,
when the franchise is broken, you hire a culture changer Harball, Vrabel,
(07:00):
Dan Campbell, it's culture. If the franchise isn't broken, it
just needs fixing. You have stable ownership, you have the quarterback,
then you can go hire a scheme guy. Ben Johnson
to New England that is a good fit.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
Is New England broken.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
No, no, no, they're not broken. They just can't get
the coach right. They're not broken.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
What about Jet?
Speaker 1 (07:24):
Are they broken or face?
Speaker 2 (07:25):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (07:25):
Broken, Jets are broken, Bears are broken. I think the
Titans need a quarterback. I don't think they're great, but
I don't think they're broken. I think Callahan's the right coach.
I think they have pieces on that defensive front. I
like they've got some pieces offensively. I like they're not broken.
If you got them a good quarterback, they could win
(07:46):
that Wonky Division. I don't think, by the way, I
don't think the Colts are broken. I like Ballard, I
like Stichan, I like the roster. They don't have a quarterback.
Colts are not broken. There's two things in this league
that win, quarterback and coach. I think the Colts have
one of them. I think the Titans have one of them.
I think the Patriots have one of them. Bears got
(08:09):
I think the Bears have one of them. But I'm
not sure a coach could fix that.
Speaker 4 (08:12):
Jet's have nothing.
Speaker 5 (08:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
Jmack with the news.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
Well that's the news, and thanks for stopping by the
herd Line News.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
Let's bring him in. We always miss him, always loving
Mark Sanchez. Fox Sports analysts have that commander's Cowboys last
weekend as he is joining us here. Thanks on a Tuesday,
my friend, I'd be belieated. Thank you. By the way,
Mark gave me a pre birthday present. It was his
own brand of.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
Tequila mescal let's call compante it.
Speaker 4 (08:43):
Oh.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
I didn't even try yet.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
No, no, that's not it. I am not by choice
a tequila drinker. But I told my wife, I said,
my change, I'm going to give that a shot.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
New Year knew me.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
Thank There we go, There we go, New Year knew me.
I love that.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
Be sure to catch editions of The Herd weekdays in
noon eastern nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio FS
one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
So you had the Commanders, I want you to. I
want a Mark Sanchez story. So here's Jaden Daniels. Yeah,
it's the regular season.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Woo.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
Yeah, there's no more Giants.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
Sure.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
Now it's Tampa, a team that Baker Mayfield and the
Bucks are number one in the league in third down conversions.
You may be sitting watching chunks of the game. It's
on the road. Vita Villa. That Bucks roster Mark's got
a lot of playoff experience, yours doesn't have any. Take
me back to the Mark Sanchez first playoff run.
Speaker 6 (09:37):
Yeah, I think most importantly, rookie quarterback on the road
in the playoffs. I mean that's all I knew because
a guy named Tom Brady and the New England Patriots
were winning the division, so we had to go on
the road quite a bit. And most importantly, when the
stage and the atmosphere and everything gets bigger around.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
You, your focus has to narrow you.
Speaker 6 (09:55):
Hear Mike Tomlin talking about that hyper focus and a
singular focus.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
That's where he has to get.
Speaker 6 (10:01):
And it's fundamentals that win these games, the turnover battle,
you know, having a run game, having your defense really
step up. Remember we had an excellent defense in New York,
top five each year, one of them I think they
were top of the league. And so when you have
that understanding what that gives you as a quarterback, you
might steal a possession or two because your guys.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
Will get you the ball back.
Speaker 6 (10:23):
Yeah right, or they're going to be playing so well,
like it's okay to go three and out in punt.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
Just don't give the ball away. My issue with the Commanders.
Speaker 6 (10:31):
Is that defense played seventy five snaps last week like
they were grinding in a game trying to beat the
Cowboys on the road, which was essentially kind of meaningless
because Atlanta ends up losing. Now they don't know because
the games are at the same time, but a defense
has a lot.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
To recover from. So I think that's a factor.
Speaker 6 (10:48):
I think for a young quarterback and Cliff Kingsbury, just
like Brian Schottenheimer did for me, get him completions early,
get him on a hot start, get them to go
three for three, whether it's just easy stuff underneath to
the halfbacks, Eckler out of the backfield, Zach Ert, safe
target for Jayden Daniels, we had Dustin Keller, Jerich o'catrie,
we'd hand the ball off to Thomas Jones like those
(11:09):
were safe, easy plays to start the game and get hot.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
I think that's really important.
Speaker 6 (11:15):
And then the biggest matchup to me, if you're talking
their offense, Jayden Daniels is the center.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
Bey Oddish.
Speaker 6 (11:21):
Remember he was the fourth rounder from Dallas in twenty
twenty ye. They parted ways with him. He goes to
the Commanders. Dallas would love to have him back. Okay,
he was supposed to take over for Travis Frederick, a
legend Cowboys O line known for having all those great
centers anchoring those old lines all the way back to Gerrot.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
I mean, you name it.
Speaker 6 (11:38):
So this team is going to have a guy who's
been banged up the last couple of weeks, Beyaddish with
an ankle injury, going against Vita Vea all game. I
mean Vidavea is listed at three point fifty. That was
probably his combined weight. Yeah, okay, my man, especially after
the holidays.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
That's a load.
Speaker 6 (11:55):
Now, that's like a Winnebago parked in front of the
center that is hard to move. Yeah, So I think
that's a big issue for them in the interior part
of the pocket, being able to.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
Run the ball.
Speaker 6 (12:03):
And then the next guy I'm looking at his Winfield
Winfield's fifty to fifty on the Bucks defense is safety
love Antoine Winfield Junior. He basically got him in the
playoffs last year and won him the division on like
a stripsack of or on a strip fumbled near the
goal line. So this guy is a big deal in
the back end for Todd Bowles. But once again rookie quarterback,
(12:23):
great defensive coordinator on the road's that's a tall order.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
I want you to go. So Sam Darnold had a
brand and he was athletic, great kid, reckless, big moment shrink.
Then he has this year the way our brains work,
and then against Detroit it's ugly and we all go, Okay,
this is what it is, and that's unfair, but that's
what it is.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Sure.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
Now we go to a Rams game and I said
this earlier. Everybody can lose and it's fine. But if
Sam struggles, Now all of a sudden, we're like, okay,
the stakes are high and there Sam, so again, maybe
go back to you. He has been on a heater.
Nobody did. I as Kevin O'Connell in the receiving court,
don't get credit. But then all of a sudden, do
(13:06):
you think Sam kind of going back seeing some ghosts
and not struggling. Is he struggling going against the Rams
thinking uh oh, I lost my fastball a little bit.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
I wouldn't say that.
Speaker 6 (13:16):
I think that's more of a fan natural reaction and
recency bias because of this most recent game. But some
of the biggest factors leading into this week for Sam
are you know that last.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
Week felt like a playoff game on the road.
Speaker 6 (13:31):
No, that was the most chaotic environment he's probably seen
all year, maybe Seattle on the road, wet, loud, you know,
just tough defense. Like that was a tough one and
he pulled it out on the road. Well, this one
divisional opponent, familiar opponent. That was a hard one. He's
been on the road, went toe to toe with the
Rams earlier in the year, you know how so if
I can get until you know they're at the super Bowl,
(13:52):
I don't know if it's going to be packed with
Rams fans. The Rams might be on a silent cadence
at home. Yeah, which is you know, you might hear
the skull chant.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Quite a bit.
Speaker 6 (13:59):
Yeah, some people from Minnesota looking for nice weather right now.
So I think that's a huge factor. I think he's
coming home. He gets to be back in front of
his family and friends. You always play great. It feels
like when your family and friends are there, you got
to step it up a little bit, find a way
to figure out some of these throws and whatever.
Speaker 2 (14:17):
But you saw these are like the clutch plays.
Speaker 6 (14:19):
He made on the road in the rain to Justin Jefferson,
against a good Seattle defense. He did it against the Packers.
I mean, there's plenty of good tape. I think if
we're talking about his inconsistency last week, I think he
took a couple bad sacks early that really got him
behind the chains. And then we're talking off by like
two inches three inches on about four throws early in
(14:41):
the game, first and second quarter. That really shaped the game.
And then the Lions kind of ran away with it.
Those four throws to Hawkinson on the sideline, Addison in
the end zone. It's I mean we're talking tiny, tiny
margins here of a completion, a touchdown versus in completion, punt,
field goal, whatever it is. So I think familiar opponent.
(15:04):
These guys know each other system. One of the interesting
matchups for me is the defense for the Rams, Chris Shuley.
He goes against the system very similar to this all
the time and has to do it against Matthew Stafford
and two premier receivers in.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
Poka Nakua and Cooper Cup.
Speaker 6 (15:17):
So that familiarity of those systems, what's going to be
the counter? You know, what's what's he going to show
that you know? And you're gonna jump the route and
then boom, there he goes right behind you. So I
think this kind of chess match, this one's this one's
gonna be fun. Remember the Vikings had a chance to
win it on the last drive of the game. Yep,
last time they were here, face mask not called whatever. Okay, fine,
(15:38):
you know that's gonna be the kind of game. I
think it could potentially be a shootout that'd be fun
for Sammy.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
A guy you don't cover a ton because it's AFC.
But I said this year that Buffalo and Baltimore seem
like the best versions that Josh and Lamar have had. Now,
Lamar's got Zay Flowers or real Go. You know, he's
a get up the field guy. He has Mark Andrews Now,
he's got Dereck Henry and Buffalo. Now finally Josh has
James Cook It receiver Kincaid's a terrific tight end. I
(16:09):
feel like it is the best version of it. But
these teams just keep underachieving in spots. And I want
you to talk about the pressure that I mean, you
were in New York. There's pressure, and then there's playoff pressure,
and you've been in buildings with this sort of stuff is.
How does a Buffalo or Baltimore not think about the
(16:31):
previous five years? How do you get that out?
Speaker 2 (16:34):
Once again?
Speaker 6 (16:35):
You put the phone down, you know, phone down, hunker
down in your building, trust the coaches, trust the players
around you. Those are the only narratives that matter, and
there has to be that laser type focus when you
get into those moments once again. Fundamentals, ball control, time
of possession, you know, field position, all those things matter.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
Simplicity, yes, and as.
Speaker 6 (16:58):
The stakes get bigger, you always have to go back
to my fundamentals. The field is the same size, we're
using the same kind of ball, it's the same rules, okay,
other than overtime. So let's brush up on those. Yeah,
of course, and brush up on those overtime rules just
in case.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
You know what I mean. That's important. Do you want
the ball? Do you not want the ball? It matters.
Are you going to touch the ball no matter what
or not. I think that's huge. Might want to walk
through that. I think the coaches will do that, you know,
so we don't end up with a San Francisco situation.
Speaker 6 (17:29):
So listen, those kind of things matter, and you know,
once again, on the outside, until you get over that
hump until you win that game against Mahomes or in
the championship game and get to the super Bowl.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
Then it's you have some doubt.
Speaker 6 (17:43):
But these players, I mean, come on, they they're in
there this position because they don't doubt a thing. They
trust themselves, they trust their coaches, they trust their preparation,
and if you don't, you wouldn't be where they're at.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
Okay, Mark's coming back. Eagles Packers is full good. We
got the Eagles quarterbacks in concussion protocol. I don't know
what I'm getting. Mark next with tape the Herd.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and newon Eastern non a em Pacific.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
All right, Eagles Packers is one of the marquee games
this weekend. Philadelphia, to me, is the most stacked roster.
Green Bay is really good, but now they've lost their
over the top receiver, Christian Watson. In a game like this,
AJ Brown, Philly's got there over the top guy. Green
Bay now doesn't have their So Mark, you've got film.
Let's talk about how Jordan Love's mentality could change a
(18:31):
little bit. Knowing I don't have one of my you know,
I always say in the playoffs, it's nice to get
an occasional freebie. Not everything can be a twelve play drive.
Sometimes it's like nice to go over the top.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
Yeah, you're exactly right.
Speaker 6 (18:41):
I think when you talk about the loss of Watson,
I think it's a factor. I don't know if it's
a major factor in that. You know, he was there,
what six in receptions, third in yards, so of course
he was a big play guy. But I think with
Reed Kraft, some of the other players, Dobbs who they have,
I think they're gonna be fine as especially if they
ride that run game like Jacobs can do. Like he
(19:03):
provides a lot of cover for Jordan Love, who's nursing
the injury. I'm looking at more than that is the
groin injury to Jordan Love. I think that you know,
every time you throw, it just keeps aggravating aggravating the injury.
So it's a soft tissue thing and until you fully
rest it, it's gonna.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
Be a problem.
Speaker 6 (19:21):
So does that lead to anything, I don't know, we'll
find out. I think really one of the key matchups
is out on the edge. When you talk big play
receiver in aj Brown and then defender Keishawn Nixon. Remember
the Packers lose Jairo Alexander, He's been on ir and
so without a premier corner like that, you got to
get a little more exotic with your coverages.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
You got to mix some stuff up.
Speaker 6 (19:42):
So here's some clips of AJ Brown versus a cover
two and two deep safeties five underneath defenders, and he
shreds it. But look at how aggressive Keishawn Nixon plays
in his cover too. I mean, that guy's gonna jump
some routes, he's gonna take some chances, and he's got
some great football skills to get his hands on the ball.
Then okay, well let's play him in Manda Man. Well,
holy smokes, you gotta guard this big sucker and Manda
(20:04):
Man all the way across the field and then look
at him run after catch. But watch this guy play
Manda Man. Keshawn Nixon plays through the football. That's one
of the hardest routes to cover, a shallow cross route
all the way across the field. And then, of course
AJ Brown in traffic contested catch makes the catch in
traffic contest to catch, it's got plays through the ball.
So that to me is gonna be a monster matchup.
(20:24):
I want to see rich.
Speaker 1 (20:28):
Yeah, and I'm and really one of the elite players
in the league on the outside.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
One hundred percent.
Speaker 6 (20:32):
And if you look at that Philly offense, the offense
runs through Saquon Barkley. Okay, so it's a run first team.
That offensive line has established that mentality. They own the
line of scrimmage. That's what they'd love to do thirty
to forty times a game.
Speaker 2 (20:43):
That'd be great.
Speaker 6 (20:44):
Well, if you got to throw it, it runs through
AJ Brown. Is he doubled or is he singled? That
tells me right there where I'm going with the football.
If he's singled, you better watch out. He's gonna be
potentially in my first progression and I'm gonna have eyes
on him if he's doubled.
Speaker 2 (20:58):
Now we got to make some moves. Some other guys
are going to have to make some place for me.
Speaker 6 (21:01):
So I think what you're gonna see from Halflee the
defensive coordinator in Green Bay is some exotic forms of
Cover two. So the reason you can't just line up
and play Cover two against the Eagles, it's because they
got a run game. It's really hard to stop the
run with two high safeties. Cornerbacks actually have run responsibility
and contain in cover two. It's not just past responsibility, right,
(21:24):
So I'd rather have some bigger guys get down in
there and play the run because you need hats on
the football. When Saquon's running the ball, he rarely gets
tackled by one guy.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
So how are you going to do that?
Speaker 6 (21:34):
Either take one of those guys out of the field,
or what Halfley has done. He's done this invert cover two,
and he has these exotic ways to get there. So
he brings the safeties down out of the middle of
the field, brings them on the edge, and they end
up moving to the corner position and the corners fly
out of there. At the snap, they present you something
and then they give you something else. Once you snap
(21:56):
the ball. The corners go back and play half the field.
So I have a really good clip of how they
did it against San Francisco. Remember run game, good receivers
on the edge. This is how they played against the
San Francisco forty nine ers earlier in the year.
Speaker 2 (22:08):
So watch this clip.
Speaker 6 (22:09):
First of all, he's gonna show you what some of
these great coordinators show you across the league. Seven guys
on the line of scrimmage, flat top, look by the
back end, Look at all the DB's, look at the backers.
They're mugged up in the A gap. But no, they're
gonna drop out. So they're gonna present you something a
problem blitz wise, and then they're gonna shift the coverage.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
So these four guys.
Speaker 6 (22:27):
On top that looks like zero to me, Colin that
looks like there's no help, man and man across the board.
And as soon as you snap this football, watch where
everybody goes. You see those corners fly from their position
and go back to the middle of the field, and
they're splitting the field in half. So now these are
the half players when usually they're the flat defenders. So
(22:48):
this is tough to see as a quarterback sometimes unless
you are really dialed in. Now you got your five
defenders underneath. If you do decide to run the ball,
those guys are gonna have to make plays. Those safeties
that came up on the line of scrimmers, they're gonna
have to make plays. And that's Saquon Barkley's area underneath.
In the past game, you got to rally and tackle
that guy. So I think the confusion especially if you're
(23:10):
not going with Jalen Hurts, or if you are, he's
got to be dialed into that depending on his concussion
or whatever. Either pick it or Tanner McKee both you know,
younger player, not a ton of experience for both guys.
That's gonna be interesting to see how Halfley draws up
a defensive plan for a guy like Barkley and a
coordinator like Kella Moore, who's incredible.
Speaker 2 (23:30):
He's done a fantastic job this year.
Speaker 1 (23:31):
What's interesting we got about a minute two minutes left
is what's interesting if you go back to the first
piece of video is Eric Mangini has told me this
for years. You go into games, you don't have it
all figured out. Some of this stuff is who wins
the corner receiver bat yep. And your your takeaway is
you got a guy that's gonna take.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
Risks, oh absolutely, and.
Speaker 1 (23:50):
Then you've got a guy that's like all punish you
if you so. My take on this is you're gonna
see this is a big play game.
Speaker 2 (23:57):
Oh absolutely.
Speaker 6 (23:59):
And if you're miss seeing one of your big splash
players potentially Watson, right, he's done for the year.
Speaker 2 (24:04):
So who's going to have that explosive.
Speaker 6 (24:06):
You know, the rushing attempts, completions, those things are going
to factor.
Speaker 1 (24:09):
Into a backs. Multiple top receivers. This is a splash game.
Speaker 6 (24:15):
Yeah, these are this one in the Rams game, I'm
pretty excited about, like as an offensive guy, and then
wanted to see how these coordinators you know, designed something
to throw them off and then what's the counter in
the third quarter. You know, that's really why we tune in.
But this is like the best five days of football.
Speaker 1 (24:33):
I think right well, knew when you were quarterbacking there
were defenses You're like, oh, they're going to take risks.
Was it easier for you than to digest during a game?
I threw a pick? This is what they do. They're
high risk.
Speaker 6 (24:46):
I think, well, once we tighten down in the playoffs,
the interceptions went way down. Yes, And I think the
game plan was so streamlined. We knew our identity, we
knew what we wanted to get to, and our contingency
plan was if they come after us, we have to
have a plan versus cout zero. I need something, and
that's not always a shot down the field.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
It could be a quick catch, yes and run.
Speaker 6 (25:06):
And this is this is These are the moments where
it's the extra strain, the extra receiver block to spring
Jacobs for a long run, to spring Barkley for a
long run. With aj Brown and DeVante Smith Smith sticking
their head in there and hitting one of those safeties
trying to come up and play run. That's gonna be
the difference because margin ferer in the league in general
(25:27):
is pretty small. In the playoffs, it's i mean minuscule.
So this is gonna be uh, it's gonna be big.
Speaker 1 (25:32):
Great stuff today, Nick Wright, Mark Sanchez as all was
delivered for us. You've had a great year. This is
this is when it fun. And you talk to all
these players and Mark's one of them. We've had Brady
say this. I've talked to Peyton Manning before. It's like
you think the regular seasons goes up, it goes up,
and well in college football, by the way, for the
first time ever, we're seeing this. It's not Michigan then
(25:55):
bye weeks. It's like game, game, game game. It's stressful,
it's a emotional, it's physical. Can't wait. Thanks again, buddy,
Appreciate you all right, j Mac. Only a couple of
nights to have a good time to buy Thursday. I
need you home early, ice cream and cigars. 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 noone 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.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
No turns.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
This is the Herdline News.
Speaker 4 (00:27):
Let's start with the Tyreek Hill in Miami.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Boy.
Speaker 4 (00:31):
He said he wants out of Miami because he's got
to do what's best for his career. Of course, there'll
be a couple teams interested. I don't think the market's
as robust as you do. However, Micah Parsons tweeted his
pitch to bring Tyreek to Dallas, saying, we can be
the fastest duo in the league. We also don't have
state income taxes. Obviously, is very attractive to Tyreek, who
(00:54):
has a lot going on off the field.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
By the way, well we have the fastest duo in
the league. That's what the Dolphins had. How'd that work out?
Who cares? This is not This is a NBA is
a tall guys league, and the NFL is a big,
strong guys league. I mean, that's the reality of it.
Fastest doesn't win the Super Bowl. That's not what it's about.
It's about having And I'll say it again, go look
at the powers in the NFL. Green Bay, Baltimore, Kansas City,
(01:20):
Joe Burrow, Cincinnati isn't the power. But you start looking
at all these really good teams. It's a lot of
cold weather playing in January. It's a lot of outdoors
cold weather.
Speaker 4 (01:32):
Mike McDaniel added that he and Tyreek had a one
hour meeting and McDaniel told Tyreek it is unacceptable to
leave a game and it won't be tolerated in the future.
McDaniel added to Tyreek embraced accountability and there's nothing to
fix in their relationship.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
But Mike McDaniels came in as the the ice cream
for breakfast parent. Now he's got a tough.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
Enough, smart, young nerdy guy from ye.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
Well, he came in as very pro player and you
like him. I like him too, But I you know,
Tom Kaughlin won a couple of Super Bowls. He came
in rough and softened up. Okay, Belichick softened up a
little coming in like everybody's friend, and now all of
a sudden accountability, will you have let stuff go?
Speaker 4 (02:16):
You know, I coach my kids in basketball. First practice
of the season, let's start with some suicides. What yeah,
I mean business. We're not messing around if.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
Your kids, if those young kids aren't coughing up maybe
a little blood. You know, you don't know what you're
doing as a coach. Put me down.
Speaker 4 (02:31):
By the way, for Tyreek and the Chargers is interesting,
but I still think that's that would be a really
good fit in Harball is a disciplinarian.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
He's not gonna mess around. I will say they need
a one and Herbert's got a huge arm. And they
play mostly in I mean they play home games indoors.
But remember they're an innovation with Kansas City. They're innovasion
with Denver. I think Tyreek Hill would be great, but
he is not the solution. No to me, what the
what the if you're asking me what they you can
(03:00):
find receivers, I'm not paying a fortune for a receiver.
Speaker 4 (03:02):
I mean, Higgins is out there probably more attractive than tyreeek.
Speaker 1 (03:05):
I to me, he's a bigger body. Yeah, I'm not
in love with these fast wide receiver guys. I think
they have value. But I mean, Kansas City's been hamming
egging at wide receiver for two years and they're gonna
potentially win a third in a row without a dominant
number one receiver. I don't think. I think dominant number
one ego receivers are fool's gold. I think you can
have a series of like amer On Saint Brown as
(03:27):
your one. But he's like considered like, he's not a burner.
He's just a hard working, committed, great student of the game.
Good route, Puka Nakua, that's a very good one. But
he's not a burner. He's not blowing past people like
I like guys. Wide receivers already an ego position. I
don't need you being called fastest guy in the world,
(03:47):
Like I don't need.
Speaker 4 (03:48):
That all right, Next up is we'll go to your
favorite quarterback, Brock Party. His contract will be a huge
talking point throughout the forty nine Ers offseason. Purdy is
coming off his NFL season. There's been a lot of
noise regarding whether or not they should pay him. Does
he get forty, does he get fifty? Will he want sixty?
Party is just hoping to get things done quickly.
Speaker 5 (04:09):
And quietly the timing of you know, getting something done
and whatnot for me not want to obviously get it done.
If that's an opportunity to be able to get that
done quick, that'd be great, just so we can get
back to phase one and get after it with the
receivers and our team and you know, just continue to
grow as man. We all gotta to grow together.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
I want to just be clean about it.
Speaker 5 (04:32):
And respectable, and you get something done and get back
to work.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
Really interested to see their draft picks this year. You
think they're going to pick another receiver? Can we finally
pay attention to the O and D lines a little?
Speaker 4 (04:44):
I'm fascinated by how many players they have to move
off of on both sides.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
Of the football.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
Should have moved off them last year, but they wanted
to give that championship another run.
Speaker 4 (04:52):
Is there a Hail Mary scenario where they say, thank
you for your service. We're gonna take Kirk Cousins on
the Russell Wilson dealers.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
No, I think they're going to Listen. All the stories
I read is they want to pay brock Purty a
lot of money, so go for it. I would start
with a three or a four They're gonna probably start
with a five or six. And I wish you the
very best of luck, but if it rains, a little,
good luck out.
Speaker 4 (05:13):
Final story the Patriots, Hey dump Gerrod Mayo after one season.
Not a surprise to me, but some people are shocked
by this. Now there's an opening in Robert Kraft. Everybody
thinks he's gonna go to Mike Grabel. However, according to
Tom Pelisarrow NFL Network, Rabel is now a shoe in
for the job, and that Ben Johnson has real interest
(05:36):
in the Patriots with Drake may at quarterback. Plasorrow adds
that Johnson intends to interview with New England. Now that's
a bit of a wrinkle, Colin. Ben Johnson wants the
New England job.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
Well, this again, this is not a tire fire, stable ownership,
good family. I've got my quarterback. Hell, I've got my
backup quarterback with Joe Milton. They need creativity, which they
haven't had for years on offense. I don't think this
is a bad.
Speaker 4 (06:01):
Fit, bad Johnson.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Don't confuse the Jets and the Bears with the Patriots.
Patriots have The Patriots just lacked juice, They lack speed,
Will go draft some speed. They don't lack good ownership,
they don't lack stability. Listen, they replaced a legend in Brady.
It's hard. It takes you a while to find the
right guy. You're not gonna go very rarely do you
go from Peyton Manning to Andrew Luck. You know, it
(06:24):
doesn't work that way generally speaking. I mean, go look
at the Niners. You went Jim Harbaugh. Some failures, now
Kyle Shanahan. It takes a while.
Speaker 4 (06:31):
So the problem is the Patriots need a lot of players,
and I don't know what do you want to continue
the BELICHICKI in culture?
Speaker 1 (06:37):
No no, no, no no.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
Well Rabel is a Belichick guy.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
No no no, I well he again, Yeah no, I'm not
denying that. That's why I think Ben Johnson's interesting. Ben's
gonna bring in the clever and again. My rule is,
when the franchise is broken, you hire a culture changer Harball, Vrabel,
(07:00):
Dan Campbell, it's culture. If the franchise isn't broken, it
just needs fixing. You have stable ownership, you have the quarterback,
then you can go hire a scheme guy. Ben Johnson
to New England that is a good fit.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
Is New England broken.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
No, no, no, they're not broken. They just can't get
the coach right. They're not broken.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
What about Jet?
Speaker 1 (07:24):
Are they broken or face?
Speaker 2 (07:25):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (07:25):
Broken, Jets are broken, Bears are broken. I think the
Titans need a quarterback. I don't think they're great, but
I don't think they're broken. I think Callahan's the right coach.
I think they have pieces on that defensive front. I
like they've got some pieces offensively. I like they're not broken.
If you got them a good quarterback, they could win
(07:46):
that Wonky Division. I don't think, by the way, I
don't think the Colts are broken. I like Ballard, I
like Stichan, I like the roster. They don't have a quarterback.
Colts are not broken. There's two things in this league
that win, quarterback and coach. I think the Colts have
one of them. I think the Titans have one of them.
I think the Patriots have one of them. Bears got
(08:09):
I think the Bears have one of them. But I'm
not sure a coach could fix that.
Speaker 4 (08:12):
Jet's have nothing.
Speaker 5 (08:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
Jmack with the news.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
Well that's the news, and thanks for stopping by the
herd Line News.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
Let's bring him in. We always miss him, always loving
Mark Sanchez. Fox Sports analysts have that commander's Cowboys last
weekend as he is joining us here. Thanks on a Tuesday,
my friend, I'd be belieated. Thank you. By the way,
Mark gave me a pre birthday present. It was his
own brand of.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
Tequila mescal let's call compante it.
Speaker 4 (08:43):
Oh.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
I didn't even try yet.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
No, no, that's not it. I am not by choice
a tequila drinker. But I told my wife, I said,
my change, I'm going to give that a shot.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
New Year knew me.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
Thank There we go, There we go, New Year knew me.
I love that.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
Be sure to catch editions of The Herd weekdays in
noon eastern nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio FS
one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
So you had the Commanders, I want you to. I
want a Mark Sanchez story. So here's Jaden Daniels. Yeah,
it's the regular season.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Woo.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
Yeah, there's no more Giants.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
Sure.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
Now it's Tampa, a team that Baker Mayfield and the
Bucks are number one in the league in third down conversions.
You may be sitting watching chunks of the game. It's
on the road. Vita Villa. That Bucks roster Mark's got
a lot of playoff experience, yours doesn't have any. Take
me back to the Mark Sanchez first playoff run.
Speaker 6 (09:37):
Yeah, I think most importantly, rookie quarterback on the road
in the playoffs. I mean that's all I knew because
a guy named Tom Brady and the New England Patriots
were winning the division, so we had to go on
the road quite a bit. And most importantly, when the
stage and the atmosphere and everything gets bigger around.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
You, your focus has to narrow you.
Speaker 6 (09:55):
Hear Mike Tomlin talking about that hyper focus and a
singular focus.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
That's where he has to get.
Speaker 6 (10:01):
And it's fundamentals that win these games, the turnover battle,
you know, having a run game, having your defense really
step up. Remember we had an excellent defense in New York,
top five each year, one of them I think they
were top of the league. And so when you have
that understanding what that gives you as a quarterback, you
might steal a possession or two because your guys.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
Will get you the ball back.
Speaker 6 (10:23):
Yeah right, or they're going to be playing so well,
like it's okay to go three and out in punt.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
Just don't give the ball away. My issue with the Commanders.
Speaker 6 (10:31):
Is that defense played seventy five snaps last week like
they were grinding in a game trying to beat the
Cowboys on the road, which was essentially kind of meaningless
because Atlanta ends up losing. Now they don't know because
the games are at the same time, but a defense
has a lot.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
To recover from. So I think that's a factor.
Speaker 6 (10:48):
I think for a young quarterback and Cliff Kingsbury, just
like Brian Schottenheimer did for me, get him completions early,
get him on a hot start, get them to go
three for three, whether it's just easy stuff underneath to
the halfbacks, Eckler out of the backfield, Zach Ert, safe
target for Jayden Daniels, we had Dustin Keller, Jerich o'catrie,
we'd hand the ball off to Thomas Jones like those
(11:09):
were safe, easy plays to start the game and get hot.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
I think that's really important.
Speaker 6 (11:15):
And then the biggest matchup to me, if you're talking
their offense, Jayden Daniels is the center.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
Bey Oddish.
Speaker 6 (11:21):
Remember he was the fourth rounder from Dallas in twenty
twenty ye. They parted ways with him. He goes to
the Commanders. Dallas would love to have him back. Okay,
he was supposed to take over for Travis Frederick, a
legend Cowboys O line known for having all those great
centers anchoring those old lines all the way back to Gerrot.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
I mean, you name it.
Speaker 6 (11:38):
So this team is going to have a guy who's
been banged up the last couple of weeks, Beyaddish with
an ankle injury, going against Vita Vea all game. I
mean Vidavea is listed at three point fifty. That was
probably his combined weight. Yeah, okay, my man, especially after
the holidays.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
That's a load.
Speaker 6 (11:55):
Now, that's like a Winnebago parked in front of the
center that is hard to move. Yeah, So I think
that's a big issue for them in the interior part
of the pocket, being able to.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
Run the ball.
Speaker 6 (12:03):
And then the next guy I'm looking at his Winfield
Winfield's fifty to fifty on the Bucks defense is safety
love Antoine Winfield Junior. He basically got him in the
playoffs last year and won him the division on like
a stripsack of or on a strip fumbled near the
goal line. So this guy is a big deal in
the back end for Todd Bowles. But once again rookie quarterback,
(12:23):
great defensive coordinator on the road's that's a tall order.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
I want you to go. So Sam Darnold had a
brand and he was athletic, great kid, reckless, big moment shrink.
Then he has this year the way our brains work,
and then against Detroit it's ugly and we all go, Okay,
this is what it is, and that's unfair, but that's
what it is.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Sure.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
Now we go to a Rams game and I said
this earlier. Everybody can lose and it's fine. But if
Sam struggles, Now all of a sudden, we're like, okay,
the stakes are high and there Sam, so again, maybe
go back to you. He has been on a heater.
Nobody did. I as Kevin O'Connell in the receiving court,
don't get credit. But then all of a sudden, do
(13:06):
you think Sam kind of going back seeing some ghosts
and not struggling. Is he struggling going against the Rams
thinking uh oh, I lost my fastball a little bit.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
I wouldn't say that.
Speaker 6 (13:16):
I think that's more of a fan natural reaction and
recency bias because of this most recent game. But some
of the biggest factors leading into this week for Sam
are you know that last.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
Week felt like a playoff game on the road.
Speaker 6 (13:31):
No, that was the most chaotic environment he's probably seen
all year, maybe Seattle on the road, wet, loud, you know,
just tough defense. Like that was a tough one and
he pulled it out on the road. Well, this one
divisional opponent, familiar opponent. That was a hard one. He's
been on the road, went toe to toe with the
Rams earlier in the year, you know how so if
I can get until you know they're at the super Bowl,
(13:52):
I don't know if it's going to be packed with
Rams fans. The Rams might be on a silent cadence
at home. Yeah, which is you know, you might hear
the skull chant.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Quite a bit.
Speaker 6 (13:59):
Yeah, some people from Minnesota looking for nice weather right now.
So I think that's a huge factor. I think he's
coming home. He gets to be back in front of
his family and friends. You always play great. It feels
like when your family and friends are there, you got
to step it up a little bit, find a way
to figure out some of these throws and whatever.
Speaker 2 (14:17):
But you saw these are like the clutch plays.
Speaker 6 (14:19):
He made on the road in the rain to Justin Jefferson,
against a good Seattle defense. He did it against the Packers.
I mean, there's plenty of good tape. I think if
we're talking about his inconsistency last week, I think he
took a couple bad sacks early that really got him
behind the chains. And then we're talking off by like
two inches three inches on about four throws early in
(14:41):
the game, first and second quarter. That really shaped the game.
And then the Lions kind of ran away with it.
Those four throws to Hawkinson on the sideline, Addison in
the end zone. It's I mean we're talking tiny, tiny
margins here of a completion, a touchdown versus in completion, punt,
field goal, whatever it is. So I think familiar opponent.
(15:04):
These guys know each other system. One of the interesting
matchups for me is the defense for the Rams, Chris Shuley.
He goes against the system very similar to this all
the time and has to do it against Matthew Stafford
and two premier receivers in.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
Poka Nakua and Cooper Cup.
Speaker 6 (15:17):
So that familiarity of those systems, what's going to be
the counter? You know, what's what's he going to show
that you know? And you're gonna jump the route and
then boom, there he goes right behind you. So I
think this kind of chess match, this one's this one's
gonna be fun. Remember the Vikings had a chance to
win it on the last drive of the game. Yep,
last time they were here, face mask not called whatever. Okay, fine,
(15:38):
you know that's gonna be the kind of game. I
think it could potentially be a shootout that'd be fun
for Sammy.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
A guy you don't cover a ton because it's AFC.
But I said this year that Buffalo and Baltimore seem
like the best versions that Josh and Lamar have had. Now,
Lamar's got Zay Flowers or real Go. You know, he's
a get up the field guy. He has Mark Andrews Now,
he's got Dereck Henry and Buffalo. Now finally Josh has
James Cook It receiver Kincaid's a terrific tight end. I
(16:09):
feel like it is the best version of it. But
these teams just keep underachieving in spots. And I want
you to talk about the pressure that I mean, you
were in New York. There's pressure, and then there's playoff pressure,
and you've been in buildings with this sort of stuff is.
How does a Buffalo or Baltimore not think about the
(16:31):
previous five years? How do you get that out?
Speaker 2 (16:34):
Once again?
Speaker 6 (16:35):
You put the phone down, you know, phone down, hunker
down in your building, trust the coaches, trust the players
around you. Those are the only narratives that matter, and
there has to be that laser type focus when you
get into those moments once again. Fundamentals, ball control, time
of possession, you know, field position, all those things matter.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
Simplicity, yes, and as.
Speaker 6 (16:58):
The stakes get bigger, you always have to go back
to my fundamentals. The field is the same size, we're
using the same kind of ball, it's the same rules, okay,
other than overtime. So let's brush up on those. Yeah,
of course, and brush up on those overtime rules just
in case.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
You know what I mean. That's important. Do you want
the ball? Do you not want the ball? It matters.
Are you going to touch the ball no matter what
or not. I think that's huge. Might want to walk
through that. I think the coaches will do that, you know,
so we don't end up with a San Francisco situation.
Speaker 6 (17:29):
So listen, those kind of things matter, and you know,
once again, on the outside, until you get over that
hump until you win that game against Mahomes or in
the championship game and get to the super Bowl.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
Then it's you have some doubt.
Speaker 6 (17:43):
But these players, I mean, come on, they they're in
there this position because they don't doubt a thing. They
trust themselves, they trust their coaches, they trust their preparation,
and if you don't, you wouldn't be where they're at.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
Okay, Mark's coming back. Eagles Packers is full good. We
got the Eagles quarterbacks in concussion protocol. I don't know
what I'm getting. Mark next with tape the Herd.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and newon Eastern non a em Pacific.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
All right, Eagles Packers is one of the marquee games
this weekend. Philadelphia, to me, is the most stacked roster.
Green Bay is really good, but now they've lost their
over the top receiver, Christian Watson. In a game like this,
AJ Brown, Philly's got there over the top guy. Green
Bay now doesn't have their So Mark, you've got film.
Let's talk about how Jordan Love's mentality could change a
(18:31):
little bit. Knowing I don't have one of my you know,
I always say in the playoffs, it's nice to get
an occasional freebie. Not everything can be a twelve play drive.
Sometimes it's like nice to go over the top.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
Yeah, you're exactly right.
Speaker 6 (18:41):
I think when you talk about the loss of Watson,
I think it's a factor. I don't know if it's
a major factor in that. You know, he was there,
what six in receptions, third in yards, so of course
he was a big play guy. But I think with
Reed Kraft, some of the other players, Dobbs who they have,
I think they're gonna be fine as especially if they
ride that run game like Jacobs can do. Like he
(19:03):
provides a lot of cover for Jordan Love, who's nursing
the injury. I'm looking at more than that is the
groin injury to Jordan Love. I think that you know,
every time you throw, it just keeps aggravating aggravating the injury.
So it's a soft tissue thing and until you fully
rest it, it's gonna.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
Be a problem.
Speaker 6 (19:21):
So does that lead to anything, I don't know, we'll
find out. I think really one of the key matchups
is out on the edge. When you talk big play
receiver in aj Brown and then defender Keishawn Nixon. Remember
the Packers lose Jairo Alexander, He's been on ir and
so without a premier corner like that, you got to
get a little more exotic with your coverages.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
You got to mix some stuff up.
Speaker 6 (19:42):
So here's some clips of AJ Brown versus a cover
two and two deep safeties five underneath defenders, and he
shreds it. But look at how aggressive Keishawn Nixon plays
in his cover too. I mean, that guy's gonna jump
some routes, he's gonna take some chances, and he's got
some great football skills to get his hands on the ball.
Then okay, well let's play him in Manda Man. Well,
holy smokes, you gotta guard this big sucker and Manda
(20:04):
Man all the way across the field and then look
at him run after catch. But watch this guy play
Manda Man. Keshawn Nixon plays through the football. That's one
of the hardest routes to cover, a shallow cross route
all the way across the field. And then, of course
AJ Brown in traffic contested catch makes the catch in
traffic contest to catch, it's got plays through the ball.
So that to me is gonna be a monster matchup.
(20:24):
I want to see rich.
Speaker 1 (20:28):
Yeah, and I'm and really one of the elite players
in the league on the outside.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
One hundred percent.
Speaker 6 (20:32):
And if you look at that Philly offense, the offense
runs through Saquon Barkley. Okay, so it's a run first team.
That offensive line has established that mentality. They own the
line of scrimmage. That's what they'd love to do thirty
to forty times a game.
Speaker 2 (20:43):
That'd be great.
Speaker 6 (20:44):
Well, if you got to throw it, it runs through
AJ Brown. Is he doubled or is he singled? That
tells me right there where I'm going with the football.
If he's singled, you better watch out. He's gonna be
potentially in my first progression and I'm gonna have eyes
on him if he's doubled.
Speaker 2 (20:58):
Now we got to make some moves. Some other guys
are going to have to make some place for me.
Speaker 6 (21:01):
So I think what you're gonna see from Halflee the
defensive coordinator in Green Bay is some exotic forms of
Cover two. So the reason you can't just line up
and play Cover two against the Eagles, it's because they
got a run game. It's really hard to stop the
run with two high safeties. Cornerbacks actually have run responsibility
and contain in cover two. It's not just past responsibility, right,
(21:24):
So I'd rather have some bigger guys get down in
there and play the run because you need hats on
the football. When Saquon's running the ball, he rarely gets
tackled by one guy.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
So how are you going to do that?
Speaker 6 (21:34):
Either take one of those guys out of the field,
or what Halfley has done. He's done this invert cover two,
and he has these exotic ways to get there. So
he brings the safeties down out of the middle of
the field, brings them on the edge, and they end
up moving to the corner position and the corners fly
out of there. At the snap, they present you something
and then they give you something else. Once you snap
(21:56):
the ball. The corners go back and play half the field.
So I have a really good clip of how they
did it against San Francisco. Remember run game, good receivers
on the edge. This is how they played against the
San Francisco forty nine ers earlier in the year.
Speaker 2 (22:08):
So watch this clip.
Speaker 6 (22:09):
First of all, he's gonna show you what some of
these great coordinators show you across the league. Seven guys
on the line of scrimmage, flat top, look by the
back end, Look at all the DB's, look at the backers.
They're mugged up in the A gap. But no, they're
gonna drop out. So they're gonna present you something a
problem blitz wise, and then they're gonna shift the coverage.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
So these four guys.
Speaker 6 (22:27):
On top that looks like zero to me, Colin that
looks like there's no help, man and man across the board.
And as soon as you snap this football, watch where
everybody goes. You see those corners fly from their position
and go back to the middle of the field, and
they're splitting the field in half. So now these are
the half players when usually they're the flat defenders. So
(22:48):
this is tough to see as a quarterback sometimes unless
you are really dialed in. Now you got your five
defenders underneath. If you do decide to run the ball,
those guys are gonna have to make plays. Those safeties
that came up on the line of scrimmers, they're gonna
have to make plays. And that's Saquon Barkley's area underneath.
In the past game, you got to rally and tackle
that guy. So I think the confusion especially if you're
(23:10):
not going with Jalen Hurts, or if you are, he's
got to be dialed into that depending on his concussion
or whatever. Either pick it or Tanner McKee both you know,
younger player, not a ton of experience for both guys.
That's gonna be interesting to see how Halfley draws up
a defensive plan for a guy like Barkley and a
coordinator like Kella Moore, who's incredible.
Speaker 2 (23:30):
He's done a fantastic job this year.
Speaker 1 (23:31):
What's interesting we got about a minute two minutes left
is what's interesting if you go back to the first
piece of video is Eric Mangini has told me this
for years. You go into games, you don't have it
all figured out. Some of this stuff is who wins
the corner receiver bat yep. And your your takeaway is
you got a guy that's gonna take.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
Risks, oh absolutely, and.
Speaker 1 (23:50):
Then you've got a guy that's like all punish you
if you so. My take on this is you're gonna
see this is a big play game.
Speaker 2 (23:57):
Oh absolutely.
Speaker 6 (23:59):
And if you're miss seeing one of your big splash
players potentially Watson, right, he's done for the year.
Speaker 2 (24:04):
So who's going to have that explosive.
Speaker 6 (24:06):
You know, the rushing attempts, completions, those things are going
to factor.
Speaker 1 (24:09):
Into a backs. Multiple top receivers. This is a splash game.
Speaker 6 (24:15):
Yeah, these are this one in the Rams game, I'm
pretty excited about, like as an offensive guy, and then
wanted to see how these coordinators you know, designed something
to throw them off and then what's the counter in
the third quarter. You know, that's really why we tune in.
But this is like the best five days of football.
Speaker 1 (24:33):
I think right well, knew when you were quarterbacking there
were defenses You're like, oh, they're going to take risks.
Was it easier for you than to digest during a game?
I threw a pick? This is what they do. They're
high risk.
Speaker 6 (24:46):
I think, well, once we tighten down in the playoffs,
the interceptions went way down. Yes, And I think the
game plan was so streamlined. We knew our identity, we
knew what we wanted to get to, and our contingency
plan was if they come after us, we have to
have a plan versus cout zero. I need something, and
that's not always a shot down the field.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
It could be a quick catch, yes and run.
Speaker 6 (25:06):
And this is this is These are the moments where
it's the extra strain, the extra receiver block to spring
Jacobs for a long run, to spring Barkley for a
long run. With aj Brown and DeVante Smith Smith sticking
their head in there and hitting one of those safeties
trying to come up and play run. That's gonna be
the difference because margin ferer in the league in general
(25:27):
is pretty small. In the playoffs, it's i mean minuscule.
So this is gonna be uh, it's gonna be big.
Speaker 1 (25:32):
Great stuff today, Nick Wright, Mark Sanchez as all was
delivered for us. You've had a great year. This is
this is when it fun. And you talk to all
these players and Mark's one of them. We've had Brady
say this. I've talked to Peyton Manning before. It's like
you think the regular seasons goes up, it goes up,
and well in college football, by the way, for the
first time ever, we're seeing this. It's not Michigan then
(25:55):
bye weeks. It's like game, game, game game. It's stressful,
it's a emotional, it's physical. Can't wait. Thanks again, buddy,
Appreciate you all right, j Mac. Only a couple of
nights to have a good time to buy Thursday. I
need you home early, ice cream and cigars. Yeah.
Hosts And Creators
Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
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