April 3, 2025 • 43 mins
Colin understands why Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sander is falling down draft boards but believes NFL teams would be making a big mistake if that ends up being the case.
He explains why he continues to root for Shohei Ohtani as a Dodger following another walk off homerun from the superstar
Thoughts on the Lakers-Warriors game tonight
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Herd podcast. Be sure to
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Speaker 2 (00:21):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Oh, it's good for a Thursday show. It is a
very good Thursday show. Yeah, Lakers Warriors tonight actually a
huge regular season game. Things are cooking in La Whor show.
Hey O, Donnie pulled off his magic again last night. Dodgers.
Once you get to the seventh eighth inning, you better
have a strong bullpender.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
It's over.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
It doesn't matter what the score is. Jmack is joining
me on a Thursday today. So the story, you know,
whether it's politics or sports or the oscars, keep your
eye on the betting odds because it does always feel
like people in Vegas or people overseas have a little
bit of insight. They're in the rumor business. But a
(01:05):
lot of times where there's smoke, there's fire. So J
Mack Travis Hunter has moved ahead of Shadure Sanders the
Colorado quarterback in the betting odds to be the number
three pick. So we know cam Ward's going one, and
it looks like Shaduur Sanders is falling. Which is generally
the closer you get to a draft, quarterbacks they move up.
(01:27):
Last year, remember mel Kiper said a week before the draft,
bo Nicks and Michael Pennix are high second round picks.
Well Pennix went eight and bow Nicks went twelve to Denver.
So you know a lot of times you hear as
the draft gets closer, and this year we have a
scarcity of good quarterbacks in Cleveland and the Giants look
(01:49):
like they really need them. So people aren't into Shadeur Sanders.
I think there's two things. I think Number one, there's
enough video out there like you had with you had
this with Caleb Williams, where there's some stuff where old
school general managers are not going to like it. You know,
you've got a little bit of immaturity. There's the watch
pos against Arizona State and a couple teams. Old school
(02:11):
guys won't like that. And there's not enough wow like
Caleb Williams had. There's not enough wow to go okay.
Forget about it. You know, he's young, nil money, little
into himself whatever, So I think there's not enough wow.
And there's a little bit of the Caleb immaturity stuff
that old school gms don't like. But I will say this,
I go back to something that I think is really important.
(02:34):
Colorado had very weak talent, and even though Shador was
one in seven against ranked teams while at Colorado, he
was wildly productive nineteen touchdowns, four picks, three hundred yards
a game completed seventy percent. So he was swimming in
mediocre teammates and yet he was creating offense on his own,
(02:55):
running and moving. Everybody tells me I can't move, he's
not athletic. Well I watched moved. I mean he at
least moved as well as like Bo Nicks, who I
think moves better than people give him credit for. So
no support in college didn't win games necessarily. Eli Manning
wasn't dominating in college football. Patrick Mahomes wasn't winning games
(03:15):
in college football. Josh Allen wasn't winning games in college football.
But they were creating offense out of thin air with
very average teammates. That impresses me. I'm not saying he's
Allen or Mahomes. I'm saying I don't look at wins
and losses. That's not what I look at. John Elway
didn't win a lot of games in college. Okay, you know,
(03:35):
Trevor Lawrence won almost all his games, so did Tua.
So my track record on quarterbacks, I think I'm pretty
good at the quarterback thing. Here's quarterbacks who people liked
much more than me, Zach Wilson. You know, I didn't
like Zach Wilson, Daniel Jones, Mitch Trubisky, Tim Tebow. Toa
Johnny Manziel, I was like, I'm not high on these guys.
(03:58):
I don't see great for shround talent. I did like
guys where there were a lot of skeptics. I like
Justin Herbert, I like Bo Nicks, and I think I've
been proven right to some degree on Sam Darnold.
Speaker 4 (04:09):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
You know you all think I hated Baker.
Speaker 5 (04:11):
No.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
I said, Baker is a franchise quarterback. I wouldn't draft
him at number one, and I think I've been proven right.
He's probaying on a number one. Little imature at the time,
he's grown up. He's now good. So I would draft
Shahduur Sanders if I needed him, I think you have
to reach most of the time on quarterbacks. I also
think where you land if you're kind of a B
plus prospect, which shahdour Is has a lot to do
(04:34):
with it. And Brian Dables an offensive coach and Kevin
Stefanski's a good offensive coach. I think he would do
well with both of those. Here's what Todd McShay said
yesterday about it.
Speaker 6 (04:44):
I like Sdorg Sanders a lot. Doesn't have a huge arm,
does not have mobility. I think that's the biggest mistake
in the evaluation, at least early in the process. His
instincts in terms of the pocket and kind of extending
and drifting and always looking for the home run, taking
the short change, those sorts of things he'll manage through.
And if people don't like him, what they say is
(05:06):
he has some of the bad habits that Caleb Williams
had because of problems as a rookie. But he doesn't
have the armor and he is a fraction of the athleticism.
But the people who love him love the fact that
he's the best pure passer in terms of touch, timing,
layering the football and he's the fastest processor in this class.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
Yeah, those matter a lot. Upstairs processes fast and he's accurate.
Isn't that the brock Purty story, isn't it? Well, Colin
he went, that's the story. It's the guys that struggle
processing quickly and are kind of so so accurate. It's
why I'm not a big fan of Jackson Dart. I
think it is accurate. If you're not super accurate with
(05:45):
Lane Kiffin, ash your coach in college, I do not
trust you in the NFL. So Shador Sanders, his dad
was a dB. Okay, he didn't have all Americans outside
of Travis Hunter. He was really productive like Josh Alan
or Patrick Mahomes with average teammates. I like him. I
draft him. Okay. So it was a sho Hey o
Tani bobblehead night. People got in line, like, you know,
(06:08):
eight in the morning and sat there all night. And
of course he delivered eventually. So one of my favorite
trends by stars in sports is, I know money matters.
I'm not naive they want to play for winners. Shoe
Hey wanted to play for a winner. You know. Mike
Trout is an all time talent but he currently leads
all active Major League Baseball players. Mike Trout does in
(06:32):
home runs in losses, He's invisible in Anaheim. I think
he should have gone years ago back to the East
Coast Show. Hey deserved the Dodgers, big brand, iconic, well funded.
They can put great batters around him. Lebron deserve the
Miami Heat Stafford deserve, Sean McVay. Sakwan Barkley had earned
the right to play with the great O' line in
(06:53):
the Philadelphia Eagles. So the Dodgers lineup. This is really interesting, folks.
They are so good once they get to your bullpen,
Dodge don't necessarily lead all the time. You can keep
the Dodgers' bats at bay with strong starting pitching. Garrett
Cole did this a couple of times in the World Series.
But they will eat your bullpen alive, especially if you
(07:14):
get to your second reliever. So last year they led
baseball and comeback wins. Last year, nobody in baseball scored
more runs eighth inning or after, So you know, yesterday
is typical. Dodgers fall behind and they just start chipping
away and chipping away, and then they tie it in
the eighth and then they win it in the ninth
with show Hey and here is the walk off by
(07:37):
the legend.
Speaker 7 (07:42):
Flop ont A center field, Harris's back hoo ty. Every
single night they do something that makes us say, wow,
how much fun is this?
Speaker 8 (08:00):
You just feel that he's gonna do something special. And
I just like the way he's not pressing, he's in
the strike zone and when he does that, you know
there's just not there's no one better.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
Yeah, great players, in my opinion, deserve the right for
great moments. You see these iconic photos of d Wade
and Lebron or Luca and Lebron on the dunks. Is
that that's what they deserve. And well, Colin, you're for
big brands. Cooper Flag could play anywhere, but Duke you
can't triple team him. There's other players And like Sho
(08:33):
Heeo Tani with the Angels, if he would have hit
a home run for the Angels last night, it probably
comes in a seven to four loss, right, and so
like to me, part of going to Ohio State for
football is that if you're a running back, you know
you'll have NFL offensive lineman, a highly compensated coaching staff.
(08:57):
It doesn't mean you chose the easy route to play
at Georgia or Michigan or Notre Dame or Ohio State
or Texas. It means you don't have to carry the
entire franchise. The late Kobe Bryant, you know, people, he
didn't mind being the man. He threatened to go to Chicago.
He didn't want to be the only man. He's like,
(09:18):
you got to give me somebody else. And so I
get when five star recruits in high school go to
like big brands. It's not just the money, it's I'm
playing with other great players. And in baseball, what you
don't want is a Joey Vado in Cincinnati where Vodo
gets the bag, but who's hitting in front of him?
Who's hitting after him? Can you afford pitchers? Or is
(09:42):
Vado just homering and driving in four runs in another
eight to five loss? Like great players want to play
with great managers. And the Dodgers are so well funded,
like you know, he could have homered last night, but
who would hit behind, in front of him or behind him?
And if you were paying, o'twi what the Dodge did.
And the Angels wouldn't have deferred payments. You'd have to
(10:03):
have you'd have no bullpen, it would be in a
loss and we wouldn't talk about it. So another great
moment for him and another good night in sports. Tonight,
Warriors Lakers, Yep, it means a lot. It's a regular
season game. There's about a half dozen to a dozen
all season that you're like, oh, this is about seating
late in the year. Sometimes those Saturday night games, you know,
(10:24):
the Celtics will be hosting the Calves, or the Celtics
are playing in Golden State against the Warriors. You get
those Saturday night ABC games like, oh, is a big
NBA game. This is a really big one. This is
for seeding.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
Nuggets lost last night, which helps the Lakers. They're now
third in the West.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
That's right. They win this.
Speaker 4 (10:39):
They put some separation between themselves.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
And the war It's a big Laker game tonight.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
And the Lakers have OKC coming up with two games
and Okayse's going for seventy wins. It's getting heated in
the West. Colin and I like the Lakers' chances tonight.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
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Speaker 2 (11:13):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
in newon Eastern non am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
You're now entering the Noble Zone sponsored by Credible Great
Rates None of the bull So Carmelo Anthony was elected
of the Hall of Fame yesterday. He was obviously a
first ballot Hall of Famer. But I was at the
gym yesterday and somebody came up and asked me. It
was a Laker fan. He goes, why is Lucas so
bad defensively? I mean, he's a great athlete. Why is
he so bad defensively? And I said, well, it's like
Carmelo Anthony. I have a belief that when you're so
(11:43):
gifted early and you can identify it and everybody else
can identify it, you're so gifted early, you know, thirteen
fourteen years old in basketball, which is let's be honest
about the basketball culture in America. Go get buckets, you
get paid, get scholarships for getting buckets, and Carmelo was
(12:03):
so gifted offensively at thirteen fourteen, Lucas similarly that it
can stunt growth elsewhere. Both are bad defensive players. It's
like the running quarterback. Why develop into a pocket quarterback
in high school or college? You can just run and
be successful. Sometimes running quarterbacks often never become great in
the pocket, or it takes them a while. Jared Goff
(12:25):
knew that was his only way to succeed. So Luca
and Mellow were so gifted. You know, both were averaging
twenty one a game in the NBA as rookies. I mean,
I mean, I mean Carmelo won the dunk Contest high
school McDonald's Natty, twenty two a game, unstoppable at college
twenty won a game in the NBA. You don't really
have to develop into a great defensive player. You're gonna
(12:47):
get paid, and you're gonna get attention. You're gonna get
a shoe off the offense. Now, d Wade played great defense,
why because he wasn't as gifted offensively. He was a
grinder because he knew that was his way to attention,
money and scholarships. D Wade to the end was never
a finesse, smooth offensive player, not a three point shooting guy.
(13:10):
He got his points on defense and toughness and playing
bigger than his size. Now you could say, well, what
about Lebron James. Lebron James was not as gifted offensively
as Luca or Carmelo Anthony at sixteen years old. He
was a better athlete, but Lebron James could not shoot
a three pointer for years. He was just a freight train.
He was a locomotive. You couldn't stop him physically. He
scored at the rim, he scored mid range, but he
(13:32):
wasn't as smooth as Luca at fourteen fifteen. Offensively, he
couldn't shoot like Carmelo Anthony at sixteen or seventeen years old.
And so I think a lot of times you see this,
and that was always my thing with Carmelo. It's the
burden of early greatness when people can spot it in
the basketball culture, like go get buckets is how you
get shoes, fame and attention. You know, Tony Allen and
(13:55):
Ben Wallace are great defensive players. Didn't have shoot heals,
not that I know. So I think you know at
eighteen Lucas winning the euro Cup MVP against older guys,
and so you don't have to be as well rounded
once offensively, you are identified really in all sports. If
you're identified, if you're known as a great hitter, people
(14:18):
stick in right field, first base DH right you could
hit your way to the bigs. There's been a lot
of guys who have had great Major League Baseball careers
that are reliability defensively. Put him at first DHM. And
so that's always my take on Carmelo is he and Luca.
That was always my comp is that Luca is like
a better version of Carmelo. I think he's a better passer,
(14:39):
and I think he's even a more natural score. He's
a better outside shooter. Carmelo is an all time offensive score,
but never in the best shape. You know, didn't take
a step back. But you couldn't stop me. It got
him twenty six a game. Nothing you could do. Couldn't
stop in high school, couldn't stop me in college, couldn't
stop me in the NBA and his prime. J Mack
(15:00):
with the News.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
On the news, this is the herd Line news.
Speaker 3 (15:07):
We got that big Lakers Warriors matchup tonight at Crypto.
We have not seen Luka dantic faced Jimmy Butler since
Luca went to the Lakers and Butler went to the Warriors.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
Steve Kerr very excited.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
Talking about the impact Jimmy Butler's had on the Warriors.
Speaker 5 (15:25):
Jimmy saved our season. The trade saved our season. Everybody
knows that playoff Jimmy. You know, it's a real thing.
I mean he's a big time, big game performer at
both ends.
Speaker 1 (15:39):
Yes he is. Who do you like tonight?
Speaker 3 (15:42):
By the way, Lakers Warriors are eighteen and two when
Curry and Butler both played at.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
Twelve and oher when they go with a small lineup
where Kaminga comes off the bench.
Speaker 3 (15:54):
So how do you figure they defend? So Butler against
Luca or Lebron. I would put Butler on Luca.
Speaker 4 (16:00):
And then that means Draymond on Lebron.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (16:04):
Now, now I will say Jackson Hayes is gonna eat
on the alley oops tonight, Lucas just drive and toss.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
On go get his ten points. Warriors. Now, Warriors, I
don't think have as many playmakers as the Lakers. Austin
Reeves is playing great. Oh yeah, but Warriors have a
better bench. I don't know how that plays in the
regular season. That could play tonight.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
No, this is a game where Curry will probably log
forty minutes.
Speaker 4 (16:27):
This is like, this is a huge game.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
I think I'm trying to think of a bigger regular
season NBA game than tonight. I don't. I think this
is the biggest regular season game.
Speaker 4 (16:36):
I mean, think about it.
Speaker 3 (16:37):
If the Lakers can solidify the three colin, the two
seed is Houston, so the Lakers would open against the
six and then play Houston second round. They're going to
the conference finals if that happens, and that means SGA
plays Jokic in the second round on the other half
of the bracket. Lakers need this one bad. This is
an empty the tank game. Austin Reeves, who's guarding Austin Reeves?
Speaker 1 (16:56):
Don't scoff at Austin Reeves in Moses Moody stop what's
Oh Moses Moody can defend.
Speaker 4 (17:02):
Hey, he's a good defend.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
Staff here is like thumbs up.
Speaker 4 (17:05):
You go ahead to head on this one. You take
your Warriors.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
I okay, I'll take the I think the Lakers, I'll
take the Warriors. Gotta give you what's what's the longe
and a half Lakers minus two and a half. I
don't love that, okay, but you give me two and
a half. I'll take the Warriors deal, Okay. I don't
feel first. We feel great.
Speaker 3 (17:22):
About it, and you're gonna disappear to parts unknown with
the Lakers. Witch. Next story is the Baltimore Ravens. Owner
Steve Bushatti spoke with the media at the.
Speaker 4 (17:32):
NFL meetings this week.
Speaker 3 (17:34):
He was asked about his vision for the Ravens for
the next thirty years.
Speaker 4 (17:40):
Here's what Pishati said.
Speaker 9 (17:42):
Impatience is good for you. I don't like waiting twelve years.
I want to win now. I know what we can do.
I know that we work to put ourselves in position
to win and we all get credit for that. And
that's all you can do. And I hate it that
(18:04):
every year you just have to start back over again.
But you know what, this is not for the.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
Meek, Yeah, I mean it would be a shame if
they are this good they have been. Is there an
argument they have been the best regular season team in
the NFL for three straight years. I mean they have
blown I'll say this, they have blown out more top
ten teams in the league than anybody else the last
(18:31):
three years. I mean they blew out Detroit. They remember
a couple of years ago when they just they blew
out Miami and Detroit and San Francisco. They blow out
in the regular season, very good playoffs.
Speaker 4 (18:43):
Why don't they do that in the playoffs?
Speaker 1 (18:44):
Well, they're just it just they outthink the room sometimes.
I mean, don't blame Lamar a couple of drops by
his reliable weapons.
Speaker 4 (18:54):
So we have a chart.
Speaker 1 (18:55):
I don't know where to chart where the chart come from?
Speaker 3 (18:58):
This multiple playoff wins for quarterbacks who have multiple MVPs.
Speaker 4 (19:04):
Now this this is crazy. Lamar I didn't know this.
Speaker 3 (19:07):
Lamar Jackson's never had a postseason where he won two games.
Speaker 4 (19:09):
Ever, it's win loss or losing.
Speaker 1 (19:13):
The first And I'm I, I have no argument here.
Speaker 4 (19:15):
You win.
Speaker 1 (19:15):
The argument so obscure, but it's like, why can't you
just playoff with He's also the youngest quarterback on that list.
He is a very young kid.
Speaker 4 (19:25):
Yeah, Patrick Mahomes is a young kid.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
Well, Patrick Mahomes is older than him. I think is
Lamar Jackson twenty six years old. He's like one of
the It's incredible how young he is he is. Yeah,
it is they where this chart came from.
Speaker 4 (19:40):
I did not ask him to build it.
Speaker 3 (19:41):
I don't know you you can find out during the
next commercial break.
Speaker 1 (19:45):
But so he's twenty eight, so he's just entering his prime.
Speaker 4 (19:50):
He's got he's got two MVPs already.
Speaker 1 (19:53):
I would say you enter your prime in the NFL
like twenty well, because you go to college longer, probably
twenty five is your athletic prime to thirty three.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
I mean, you can't just blame Lamar right, you can't
just blame Harball like you said, Mark Andrews had.
Speaker 4 (20:08):
A brutal drop or who knows how that game ends.
Speaker 3 (20:11):
Yeah, that's a rough one final story, Colin, let's go
back to the Cleveland frowns.
Speaker 2 (20:15):
I'm sorry.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
Browns owner Jimmy Haslam. He makes some interesting comments the
last couple of days. First he admitted to Deshaun Watson
deal with a mistake, and now he's sending a message
to the highest paid player on his team. Here's what
he said about Miles Garrett. We've challenged Miles because we
want to see his practice, habits, his actions and become
(20:36):
a real leader of the team, and he has said
he'd do that, and we're hopeful he will be, So
you pay him all the money and then you challenge
him to be a real leader.
Speaker 4 (20:47):
What are we doing?
Speaker 3 (20:48):
Well, First of all, what I don't like about that
is you are insinuating, which nobody outside the building knew
that he's not currently a leader. Also true if my
bosses came out and said, you know, we just we
gave calling a new contract. We're hoping now that he
becomes more of a leader. Well, so you're saying I
didn't have any leadership qualities, Like, why would you say
(21:10):
that publicly? It's not like Miles Garrett is combative or disruptive.
Some guys are not big talkers. Aaron Donald was not
a big talker like some. I mean, would Jeter a
big talker?
Speaker 8 (21:24):
Like?
Speaker 1 (21:24):
I know what I get with Miles Garrett a transformational
rush In everything else, I'll let Lawrence Taylor. Was he
a great leader? I don't know. I mean, I do
think Max Crosby does feel a little bit like the
heartbeat of his defense gear. Boy, well, he's great. I
think you know, there are certain defensive guys. Khalil Mack
(21:45):
has a reputation with the Chargers. He is good in
the room, like he's a guy that like they guys
rally around him. Derwin James has that, Deerman and Khalil
Mack for the Chargers, those guys, they are very respected
and willing to share some thoughts in the locker.
Speaker 3 (22:00):
Doesn't it feel like another jab at Deshaun Watson calling
it a mistake and now basically saying your quarterback is.
Speaker 4 (22:05):
Not a leader.
Speaker 3 (22:07):
I mean it has to be over, which leads me
back to Shador.
Speaker 4 (22:10):
I'm sorry to keep.
Speaker 3 (22:10):
Coming back to it, but how are they not taking
who's their guy? Jackson Dark, Kirk Cousins, Kirk freaking Cousins Colin.
Speaker 4 (22:18):
I don't get it.
Speaker 3 (22:20):
Maybe they're going to get Travis Hunter at two and
then trade back into the first at the back of
the first round to gets your door.
Speaker 4 (22:26):
I don't know, but they need a quarterback.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
How many teams where the defensive end or pass rusher
is the leader of the team.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
Well, Raiders, that's it. Yeah, and they're not great. So yeah,
you'd like your quarterback to.
Speaker 4 (22:39):
Be paying him the franchise money.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
Jmack with the news, Well, that's the news, and thanks
for stopping by the.
Speaker 2 (22:47):
Herd Line show us.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
We're just giving you on a daily basis, I like
to just give you an update on the last quote,
great quarterback in the NFL still on the market. So
there's a report now the Steelers have gotten some sort
of fairly loose assurance from Aaron Rodgers. Fairly loose actually
describes Aaron over the last several years. What I'm really
interested in is the Steelers over under on wins next
(23:13):
year is eight and a half. Where does it go
when he's officially a Steeler? My guess is nine and
a half, or it's possible the people in Vegas have
already baked it in. So eight and a half Mason Rudolph,
nine and a half Aaron Rodgers. I mean that kind
of tells you where he's at. So you know what's
interesting is Brett farre had a very good second act
(23:36):
in Minnesota, Brady had a very good second act in Tampa.
Peyton Manning had one in Denver, Matt Stafford's had one
with the Rams. Joe Montana was a pro bowler with
the Kansas City Chiefs. Aaron's career kind of a slow
regression in Green Bay, and it appears to be a
very messy end. As the kids say, he messed around
(23:58):
and found out. And I will say this, there there, there.
You know, there are two Hollywood endings for older actors.
You get a couple of great roles. You're right off
into the sunset as an icon or a box office bomb.
And uh, it's kind of sad, kind of a sad
trombone of an ending.
Speaker 3 (24:19):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
You know, I will say this, it's not really a criticism,
it's a reality. This is not a criticism. I think
there is a cost to being a free spirit in
a very corporate world. I mean, if you go look
at Hollywood and music, you know, music's the arts, Hollywood's
the arts. Who's aged well Jagger, Bono, Hanks, Denzel Cruz
(24:41):
and Morgan Freeman, Meryl Streep. They're artists, but they're like
and they may be you know again, all artists are
kind of independent personalities, but they'll play the game. They
understand the corporate reality of the world. And there is
a cost associated with being really independent in a corporate world.
(25:06):
Music a lot of burnouts, Hollywood a lot of ugly endings.
And you look at all these great quarterbacks. They all
had really good second acts, Montana and Peyton and Brady,
even Farv they had really really good second acts and
Aaron's is you know it does? I mean, I just
(25:27):
think Pittsburgh is gonna be a mess. I don't you know,
And I'll just put it out there. I have defended Aaron.
I thought his last ten games last year, some of
it was stat patting, but I thought he was pretty good.
He didn't move very much anymore. But you know, I
think Pittsburgh looks it feels like hard knocks is coming
around the corner between DK Metcalf lost, their left tackle lost.
(25:49):
Najee Harris came out and said a couple of weeks ago,
they have no identity. The Steelers don't have an offensive identity.
But apparently he's given loose assurances that he'll be a Steeler.
And again they're eight and a half win total. Let
me ask you this, j Mac. Steelers are eight and
a half. You know they do halfs on over and unders.
Obviously you bet the over the under today? Would you
(26:13):
go over under eight and a half Steelers with Mason
Rudolph today? So would I? Aaron Rodgers. Let's say it
stays at eight and a half. They already baked it in.
Aaron Rodgers eight and a half.
Speaker 4 (26:24):
I'd want to see the schedule, but I would lean
under so I I.
Speaker 1 (26:29):
Mean, what if they open with now, if it moved
a nine and a half, it's one of the better underbounds.
Speaker 3 (26:34):
No, it would probably go the other way, right, it's
not going to nine and a half. That much respect
for Mike Tomlin that he can move mountains and get
a team over five hundred.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
Again, I mean, I will say this every year, like
last year we did. You did a good job on this.
Every year you can kind of see train wrecks coming.
And Chicago Bears were a great example. Last year. You
had a defensive coach on the hot seat. You had
Caleb Williams coming in the division was really good, good
and the front office we didn't really trust the Bears.
(27:04):
I think I picked him for third or fourth. You
could see the mess coming.
Speaker 4 (27:07):
What did they start two and zero or something? They started?
Speaker 1 (27:09):
Oh, will Levis gave Mo win so so you but
you can see you can generally in the NFL you
can see the mess coming right like and that was
it if I said to you, because Chicago's not going
to be a mess next year. They may not be great,
but the schedule is absolutely brutal for Chicago.
Speaker 4 (27:29):
We'll see the order, but it looks very treacherous.
Speaker 1 (27:32):
There's not a lot of rate. There's not a lot
of great defenses on their schedule. There's some good teams.
Speaker 4 (27:37):
I've backed off Bears in the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (27:40):
So if I said to you, oh man, that thing
got ugly, I feel like Pittsburgh's in Pittsburgh or Dallas. Yeah,
DK Metcalf, Pickens, older, Aaron Rodgers, shaky at left tackle,
no nause, Harris defensive culture. I mean, all of a sudden,
(28:02):
you get a TJ. Watt injury, he's out for four weeks.
They start bleeding a little bit on defense, and it's
like he's got a throw. You've got two receivers that
want it. Metcalf's down one of the highest paid guys
in the league. He's going to demand the ball. Piggin's
not making anything because he's a kid on a first
average contract, so he's going to have a chip on
his shoulder. Like Pittsburgh is a better version of the
(28:23):
mess that was the Bears last year potentially.
Speaker 3 (28:25):
And then there's the reports about the prickly oc and
Aaron Rodgers' personality, and that could be kind of an
oil and water deal where it just doesn't go well.
So there's a lot of Yeah, I think that's it
might be a good bet right now if you're head
oft Vegas this weekend to take the under blindly regardless
of what Rogers does.
Speaker 1 (28:42):
So it's it's eight and a half right now on
the Steelers at Steve it's my guess if Aaron moves
it up to nine and a half, it is one
of the better under bets. Yeah, And I remember you say, well,
I mean there was drama with the Steelers with Levian Bell.
Big Ben was in his prime. Aaron is not in
his prime. Big Ben was still at that point able
(29:04):
to move. I mean Antonio Brown and le'vian Belt. There
was drama, but big Ben was playing at such a
high level that you can overcome some of that. Aaron
could overcome some of that six years ago. He's not
going to overcome that stuff now. By the way, the
Cowboys are weird. So they did something again yesterday and
(29:28):
somebody has to explain it to me. I don't get it.
Diana Russini, Top of the Hour on the very latest Stuff,
Musings around the NFL Live in La.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
It's the hurt, be sure, to catch live editions of
the Herd weekdays at noon eastern am Pacific.
Speaker 10 (29:42):
Hey, Steve Covino and I'm Rich David and together We're
Covino and Rich on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 11 (29:47):
You could catch us weekdays from five to seven pm
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Speaker 10 (29:54):
Why should you listen to Covino and Rich.
Speaker 11 (29:56):
We talk about everything life, sports, relationships, what's going on
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Speaker 10 (30:01):
We have a lot of fun talking about the stories
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Speaker 11 (30:09):
And the fact that we've been friends for the last
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Speaker 1 (30:14):
So check us out.
Speaker 10 (30:15):
We like to get you involved too, take your phone calls,
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Speaker 11 (30:19):
As they say, I'd say, the most interactive show on
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Be sure to check out Cavino and Rich live on
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Speaker 3 (30:39):
As he leads the defending champion Dodgers in a must
watch early season showdown against Bryce Harper and the Phillies
Saturday at four Eastern on FS one.
Speaker 1 (30:50):
That's at Philadelphia. That's gonna be great. So this is
weird to me. We all know, somebody said something this
morning during our kind of staff prep meeting that I
thought was interesting that Jerry Jones was threatened by Bill
Parcells and Jimmy Johnson. You know, they were getting the
star coach was getting attention, and they've only had really
(31:14):
one star first round quarterback since Jerry's been there, and
that's Troy Aikman, obviously, and Troy Aikman is closer to
Jimmy Johnson than Jerry Jones from what I can tell.
But Diana Russini broke this story. Now, I like Joe
Milton the third. I don't think he's a franchise quarterback,
but I think he has some real talent. The Patriots
(31:36):
are trading him. He had a good preseason last year.
He was a seventh round pick. He's going to Dallas
now for a fifth rounder, so he'd gone from a
seventh rounder to a fifth rounder in a week draft. Now,
I like the kid and Dak thirty two second surgery.
He brings athletic, saysm to the locker room. I guess.
(31:58):
But they gave up a fourth for Trey Lance, which
I did not think at the time was a brilliant
move because Kyle Shanahan makes everybody work at quarterback, and
Kyle Shanahan knew it would be embarrassing to bail on
Trey Lance, and they did. And then Jerry gave up
a fourth rounder. And then Jerry gave up a fifth
rounder for Joe Milton, who's a clear backup, and he
(32:18):
gave up a fifth rounder for Mingo, the wide receiver
from Carolina. It's like timeout time out. You understand the Rams.
Kuka Nakua, their star receiver, and Kyron Williams, their star
running back, were both fifth rounders. Fifth rounders can be star.
George Kittle in this league is a fifth rounder. The
Niners Jawan Jennings wide receiver. I think he's a sixth rounder.
(32:39):
Brock Purty seventh rounder. There's a lot of talent in
this league. You can't just give out fourth and fifth
round picks for receivers who are not only backups, their
borderline non NFL players. I mean, I'm not even sure
Trey Lance not really an NFL player, Mingo, I'm not
sure he is so in the Cowboys. It's weird. Since
(33:00):
nineteen ninety so this is a pretty big sample size.
It's thirty five years. The Cowboys have only drafted seven quarterbacks,
not in the first, one in the second. This is
the biggest brand in the NFL. For most of my
adult life, they just don't draft quarterbacks. Now, Tony Romo
was successful and undrafted, so they did hit an undrafted
(33:23):
home run. They deserve credit for that, but it's I mean,
I didn't like the Mingo draft pick giveaway, the Lands
draft pick giveaway, and now a fifth rounder for a
guy that's not going to play hopefully, and this is
not the Philadelphia Eagles or the Lions where you got
it kind of a stacked roster, like the Cowboys need
(33:45):
to hit on fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh round picks.
They've got to hit on some of these because we
got a story this week that the Cowboys are going
to pay Mike a two hundred million dollars or that's
kind of the number. So it's just I will be honest,
it's there strange. The Cowboys are strange. Here's something else
I saw. So they just had the NFL meetings. Ben
(34:07):
Johnson is the new coach of the Bears, and he
was doing some talking and one of the things he
brought up, it's a very confusing analytic. So I'm going
to try to simplify this as much as I can.
It's called EPA expected points ad it. So Ben Johnson,
the Bears coach, was talking about he thinks it's the
number one quarterback stat in the league. Now, it used
(34:29):
to be turnovers, like if you turn the ball over,
you lost the game, and he said that's not really
that's not really true anymore. He said, it's this is
a very complicated analytic. And the way I would describe
the EPA analytic is, as a quarterback, do you put
your team in a position to win? In this analytic,
(34:50):
quarterback sacks are a killer. Get rid of the ball
and just not turning it over, that's not it. You're
throwing forty two times a game. You can have an
interception as long as you don't throw it in the
red zone. So here's Ben Johnson talking about the improvement
of Caleb Williams.
Speaker 12 (35:10):
You go back to the basics, and so it's the
fundamentals of the quarterback position. What's our footwork going to
look like under center from the shotgun? What are we
calling the formations. We got to get on the same
page because it'll be a little bit different for him
than what he.
Speaker 2 (35:24):
Experienced last year.
Speaker 12 (35:25):
And if we can mesh together and start speaking the
same language, that's when things will really start to take off.
Speaker 1 (35:32):
So the Bears. Interestingly, the over under on the Bears
is eight and a half wins and that's what it
was last year. So I don't know what they're going
to be. But here's why the Ben Johnson hire is
really important. If Caleb Williams doesn't look like a franchise
quarterback by early October, then he's not going to be.
(35:55):
They have a really nice offensive line. Now, they've got
really good weapons. They pick up a running back in
the first round, so they have a competent offensive coach
who was cerebral, like I don't love justin fields, but
he went from Bear Steelers to Jets defensive coach. Defensive
coach defensive coach. I don't love Justin Fields, but he
never found his guru. You'll know within four to five
(36:19):
games if Caleb Williams is the guy. It doesn't take long.
I mean, remember Sean mcvagh went to the Rams. Golf
looked like a bust and through the first four weeks
Goff had a one hundred and twelve passer rating. Jayden
Daniels it wasn't even a head coach, had a really
good coordinator and not a very good old line, and
not much of a run game, and one receiver and
(36:43):
not great tight end production. And Jaden Daniels in his
first four weeks had a one oh seven passer rating.
Sam Darnold finally got an offensive coach in Kevin O'Connell.
First four games in Minnesota one nineteen passer rating. So
by October first, I'll know, You'll know, Ben Johnson will know,
(37:06):
everybody in the Bears will know if Caleb's going to
be the guy or not. It does not take a
long time. If you get a very erudite, smart offensive guy.
We knew with c. J. Stroud and Bobby Slowick. We
knew in the first month. Burrow in the first month
golf with mcmah in the first month, Darnold with Kevin
(37:29):
O'Connell first month, Jayden Daniels with Cliff Kingsbury. We knew
in the first month. I mean, I was never a
huge Cam Newton fan, but we kind of knew five
games in. Yeah, that doesn't look like everybody else. So
you know this this idea that it's like, let's look
over the course of a season, and for me, it's
not a win loss thing. Again, the Packers have better
(37:51):
players and a better culture, and the Lions have way
better players and a dominant offensive line to control the games.
And Minnesota is now got like between Brian Flores and
Kevin O'Connell, that's one of the best staffs in football.
So if the Bear's finished fourth and won nine games,
it's like that just maybe what it is. But you're
(38:12):
gonna be able to You're gonna when you listen to
Ben Jonson talk about EPA and stuff like this, and
what that EPA basically is over the course of a game,
if you look at individual plays, are you getting rid
of the really negative plays, sacks or a killer Kayleb
Williams got sacked too much. So Ben Johnson who clearly
now is running the show. Comes in Pro Bowl center,
(38:35):
Pro Bowl guard, starting left guard, like they made the
O line the priority. And my guess is and this
is why I think it's important sometimes to just do something,
Like sometimes in life you're like, I don't know if
I should do this. I don't know if I should
just do it because it'll create clarity. Like sometimes you're like,
I'm not sure if I should take this job. I'm
(38:56):
not sure if I'm ready for this job. Take the job,
because if you're not ready for a tough job, it's
better to know now so you can start building toward it.
Go for it three words that generally solve puzzles. Go
for it. Do things, and you'll find out if you're
over your skis. So Ben Johnson, every time i've heard
(39:18):
him talk, I'm like, this guy's really smart. It does
not take long. I mean, you go back to what
McVeigh took over. The Rams were a mess and McVeigh
got a left tackle better coaching. First month you're like, yeah,
GoF works. And I think Kayla Williams is significantly more
(39:39):
firepower athletically than Jared Goff. So you've got a dimension.
You'll have a third of a playbook you can't use
with GoF so you know, but it is interesting. I mean,
and for the record, you know you think I'm critical
of Baker Mayfield when Baker Mayfield got Liam Cohen the
right offensive coordinator, first four games in Tampa one on
(40:01):
one point five passer rating or Dave canallis my bad.
So it's like it doesn't take long. You're speaking the
same language. So I'm I you'll know by October first,
the Bears will know, You'll know. I know, we'll know
if it works or not. It's not gonna be a
slow growth thing. You're gonna need like thirteen games now.
It's not because there is such a gap in this league.
(40:21):
And I always use Belichick and Brady as an example.
I don't think people understand it. There is such a
gap in this league between offensive coaches and how they
understand quarterbacks and o lines and defensive coaches. If you
go look at offensive line rankings, the bottom five to
six teams the last several years are almost all defensive coaches.
(40:45):
If you go look at the top seven to eight
offensive lines the last half decade, they're almost all offensive coaches.
So it's not just gonna be Caleb Williams. Ben Johnson's
gonna fix the old line, which wasn't it weird last
year with iber flues. We thought going into the year
it was okay to maybe slightly better than okay. It
was a disaster. It got worse. Tomlin can't figure out
(41:07):
the old lines. In Seattle, Pete Carroll struggled what unit
the offensive lines. So it's taken a while for Sean
McDermott outside of left tackle to get the old lines right.
In Buffalo, Deon Dawkins has been great, but it's been
a little musical chairs and they can't quite get it.
They finally got the run game in the on line
right after years and years of struggling.
Speaker 3 (41:28):
So I'm with you on Ben Johnson, genius mastermind. I
like it.
Speaker 4 (41:32):
Colin.
Speaker 3 (41:33):
I looked up the opponents. Are you ready for the
Bears road games this year?
Speaker 4 (41:37):
Let's go? They obviously Detroit and Green Bay in the division.
Speaker 3 (41:41):
Well, Belgian flit with those teams and Minnesota though win
we'll see. They also have to go to Baltimore. That's
a loss to Cincinnati to face Joe Burrow. Yeah, probably
a loss to the Eagles. The defending Super Bowl Champion
to your boy Jaden Daniels and Washington by the way,
to Kyle Shanahan and San Francisco Colin. The other road
(42:03):
game is against the Raiders. I don't know if they're gonna.
Speaker 4 (42:06):
Win two road games.
Speaker 1 (42:06):
Okay, let's say they don't. Let's say they lose all
those games and give me one win there. I'll give
you the Raiders and the Niders and New and Niners.
I'll give you the Vikings. It's sead fine a few
road games, okay, Okay, So if they win their home games,
that's a ten win team.
Speaker 4 (42:23):
Okay, So the home.
Speaker 3 (42:24):
The home schedule is favorable. They do get Dallas at home,
win should be a win. The New York Giants win
Cleveland Frowns, Pittsburgh Steelers, and New Orleans Saints.
Speaker 4 (42:35):
No, that's favorable, and then the three in the division.
Speaker 3 (42:37):
So you're right, with a lot of stacking home wins,
maybe there's a chance they get to five hundred or above.
Speaker 4 (42:43):
I don't think this is a playoff team.
Speaker 1 (42:45):
Yeah close. Yeah, They're gonna lose to Philly in Baltimore
without question. On the road. Everything else is winnable. Niners
lose home games all the time, and but remember if
it's overcast, double for the barriers, it's a little sprinkly.
Give me a double. This guy, Diana Russini's around the corner.
I still can't get over Otani.
Thanks for listening to The Herd podcast. Be sure to
catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio in
noon to three Eastern nine am to noon Pacific. Find
your local station for The Herd at Fox Sports Radio
dot com, or stream us live every day on the
iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Oh, it's good for a Thursday show. It is a
very good Thursday show. Yeah, Lakers Warriors tonight actually a
huge regular season game. Things are cooking in La Whor show.
Hey O, Donnie pulled off his magic again last night. Dodgers.
Once you get to the seventh eighth inning, you better
have a strong bullpender.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
It's over.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
It doesn't matter what the score is. Jmack is joining
me on a Thursday today. So the story, you know,
whether it's politics or sports or the oscars, keep your
eye on the betting odds because it does always feel
like people in Vegas or people overseas have a little
bit of insight. They're in the rumor business. But a
(01:05):
lot of times where there's smoke, there's fire. So J
Mack Travis Hunter has moved ahead of Shadure Sanders the
Colorado quarterback in the betting odds to be the number
three pick. So we know cam Ward's going one, and
it looks like Shaduur Sanders is falling. Which is generally
the closer you get to a draft, quarterbacks they move up.
(01:27):
Last year, remember mel Kiper said a week before the draft,
bo Nicks and Michael Pennix are high second round picks.
Well Pennix went eight and bow Nicks went twelve to Denver.
So you know a lot of times you hear as
the draft gets closer, and this year we have a
scarcity of good quarterbacks in Cleveland and the Giants look
(01:49):
like they really need them. So people aren't into Shadeur Sanders.
I think there's two things. I think Number one, there's
enough video out there like you had with you had
this with Caleb Williams, where there's some stuff where old
school general managers are not going to like it. You know,
you've got a little bit of immaturity. There's the watch
pos against Arizona State and a couple teams. Old school
(02:11):
guys won't like that. And there's not enough wow like
Caleb Williams had. There's not enough wow to go okay.
Forget about it. You know, he's young, nil money, little
into himself whatever, So I think there's not enough wow.
And there's a little bit of the Caleb immaturity stuff
that old school gms don't like. But I will say this,
I go back to something that I think is really important.
(02:34):
Colorado had very weak talent, and even though Shador was
one in seven against ranked teams while at Colorado, he
was wildly productive nineteen touchdowns, four picks, three hundred yards
a game completed seventy percent. So he was swimming in
mediocre teammates and yet he was creating offense on his own,
(02:55):
running and moving. Everybody tells me I can't move, he's
not athletic. Well I watched moved. I mean he at
least moved as well as like Bo Nicks, who I
think moves better than people give him credit for. So
no support in college didn't win games necessarily. Eli Manning
wasn't dominating in college football. Patrick Mahomes wasn't winning games
(03:15):
in college football. Josh Allen wasn't winning games in college football.
But they were creating offense out of thin air with
very average teammates. That impresses me. I'm not saying he's
Allen or Mahomes. I'm saying I don't look at wins
and losses. That's not what I look at. John Elway
didn't win a lot of games in college. Okay, you know,
(03:35):
Trevor Lawrence won almost all his games, so did Tua.
So my track record on quarterbacks, I think I'm pretty
good at the quarterback thing. Here's quarterbacks who people liked
much more than me, Zach Wilson. You know, I didn't
like Zach Wilson, Daniel Jones, Mitch Trubisky, Tim Tebow. Toa
Johnny Manziel, I was like, I'm not high on these guys.
(03:58):
I don't see great for shround talent. I did like
guys where there were a lot of skeptics. I like
Justin Herbert, I like Bo Nicks, and I think I've
been proven right to some degree on Sam Darnold.
Speaker 4 (04:09):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
You know you all think I hated Baker.
Speaker 5 (04:11):
No.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
I said, Baker is a franchise quarterback. I wouldn't draft
him at number one, and I think I've been proven right.
He's probaying on a number one. Little imature at the time,
he's grown up. He's now good. So I would draft
Shahduur Sanders if I needed him, I think you have
to reach most of the time on quarterbacks. I also
think where you land if you're kind of a B
plus prospect, which shahdour Is has a lot to do
(04:34):
with it. And Brian Dables an offensive coach and Kevin
Stefanski's a good offensive coach. I think he would do
well with both of those. Here's what Todd McShay said
yesterday about it.
Speaker 6 (04:44):
I like Sdorg Sanders a lot. Doesn't have a huge arm,
does not have mobility. I think that's the biggest mistake
in the evaluation, at least early in the process. His
instincts in terms of the pocket and kind of extending
and drifting and always looking for the home run, taking
the short change, those sorts of things he'll manage through.
And if people don't like him, what they say is
(05:06):
he has some of the bad habits that Caleb Williams
had because of problems as a rookie. But he doesn't
have the armor and he is a fraction of the athleticism.
But the people who love him love the fact that
he's the best pure passer in terms of touch, timing,
layering the football and he's the fastest processor in this class.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
Yeah, those matter a lot. Upstairs processes fast and he's accurate.
Isn't that the brock Purty story, isn't it? Well, Colin
he went, that's the story. It's the guys that struggle
processing quickly and are kind of so so accurate. It's
why I'm not a big fan of Jackson Dart. I
think it is accurate. If you're not super accurate with
(05:45):
Lane Kiffin, ash your coach in college, I do not
trust you in the NFL. So Shador Sanders, his dad
was a dB. Okay, he didn't have all Americans outside
of Travis Hunter. He was really productive like Josh Alan
or Patrick Mahomes with average teammates. I like him. I
draft him. Okay. So it was a sho Hey o
Tani bobblehead night. People got in line, like, you know,
(06:08):
eight in the morning and sat there all night. And
of course he delivered eventually. So one of my favorite
trends by stars in sports is, I know money matters.
I'm not naive they want to play for winners. Shoe
Hey wanted to play for a winner. You know. Mike
Trout is an all time talent but he currently leads
all active Major League Baseball players. Mike Trout does in
(06:32):
home runs in losses, He's invisible in Anaheim. I think
he should have gone years ago back to the East
Coast Show. Hey deserved the Dodgers, big brand, iconic, well funded.
They can put great batters around him. Lebron deserve the
Miami Heat Stafford deserve, Sean McVay. Sakwan Barkley had earned
the right to play with the great O' line in
(06:53):
the Philadelphia Eagles. So the Dodgers lineup. This is really interesting, folks.
They are so good once they get to your bullpen,
Dodge don't necessarily lead all the time. You can keep
the Dodgers' bats at bay with strong starting pitching. Garrett
Cole did this a couple of times in the World Series.
But they will eat your bullpen alive, especially if you
(07:14):
get to your second reliever. So last year they led
baseball and comeback wins. Last year, nobody in baseball scored
more runs eighth inning or after, So you know, yesterday
is typical. Dodgers fall behind and they just start chipping
away and chipping away, and then they tie it in
the eighth and then they win it in the ninth
with show Hey and here is the walk off by
(07:37):
the legend.
Speaker 7 (07:42):
Flop ont A center field, Harris's back hoo ty. Every
single night they do something that makes us say, wow,
how much fun is this?
Speaker 8 (08:00):
You just feel that he's gonna do something special. And
I just like the way he's not pressing, he's in
the strike zone and when he does that, you know
there's just not there's no one better.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
Yeah, great players, in my opinion, deserve the right for
great moments. You see these iconic photos of d Wade
and Lebron or Luca and Lebron on the dunks. Is
that that's what they deserve. And well, Colin, you're for
big brands. Cooper Flag could play anywhere, but Duke you
can't triple team him. There's other players And like Sho
(08:33):
Heeo Tani with the Angels, if he would have hit
a home run for the Angels last night, it probably
comes in a seven to four loss, right, and so
like to me, part of going to Ohio State for
football is that if you're a running back, you know
you'll have NFL offensive lineman, a highly compensated coaching staff.
(08:57):
It doesn't mean you chose the easy route to play
at Georgia or Michigan or Notre Dame or Ohio State
or Texas. It means you don't have to carry the
entire franchise. The late Kobe Bryant, you know, people, he
didn't mind being the man. He threatened to go to Chicago.
He didn't want to be the only man. He's like,
(09:18):
you got to give me somebody else. And so I
get when five star recruits in high school go to
like big brands. It's not just the money, it's I'm
playing with other great players. And in baseball, what you
don't want is a Joey Vado in Cincinnati where Vodo
gets the bag, but who's hitting in front of him?
Who's hitting after him? Can you afford pitchers? Or is
(09:42):
Vado just homering and driving in four runs in another
eight to five loss? Like great players want to play
with great managers. And the Dodgers are so well funded,
like you know, he could have homered last night, but
who would hit behind, in front of him or behind him?
And if you were paying, o'twi what the Dodge did.
And the Angels wouldn't have deferred payments. You'd have to
(10:03):
have you'd have no bullpen, it would be in a
loss and we wouldn't talk about it. So another great
moment for him and another good night in sports. Tonight,
Warriors Lakers, Yep, it means a lot. It's a regular
season game. There's about a half dozen to a dozen
all season that you're like, oh, this is about seating
late in the year. Sometimes those Saturday night games, you know,
(10:24):
the Celtics will be hosting the Calves, or the Celtics
are playing in Golden State against the Warriors. You get
those Saturday night ABC games like, oh, is a big
NBA game. This is a really big one. This is
for seeding.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
Nuggets lost last night, which helps the Lakers. They're now
third in the West.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
That's right. They win this.
Speaker 4 (10:39):
They put some separation between themselves.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
And the war It's a big Laker game tonight.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
And the Lakers have OKC coming up with two games
and Okayse's going for seventy wins. It's getting heated in
the West. Colin and I like the Lakers' chances tonight.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
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Speaker 2 (11:13):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
in newon Eastern non am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
You're now entering the Noble Zone sponsored by Credible Great
Rates None of the bull So Carmelo Anthony was elected
of the Hall of Fame yesterday. He was obviously a
first ballot Hall of Famer. But I was at the
gym yesterday and somebody came up and asked me. It
was a Laker fan. He goes, why is Lucas so
bad defensively? I mean, he's a great athlete. Why is
he so bad defensively? And I said, well, it's like
Carmelo Anthony. I have a belief that when you're so
(11:43):
gifted early and you can identify it and everybody else
can identify it, you're so gifted early, you know, thirteen
fourteen years old in basketball, which is let's be honest
about the basketball culture in America. Go get buckets, you
get paid, get scholarships for getting buckets, and Carmelo was
(12:03):
so gifted offensively at thirteen fourteen, Lucas similarly that it
can stunt growth elsewhere. Both are bad defensive players. It's
like the running quarterback. Why develop into a pocket quarterback
in high school or college? You can just run and
be successful. Sometimes running quarterbacks often never become great in
the pocket, or it takes them a while. Jared Goff
(12:25):
knew that was his only way to succeed. So Luca
and Mellow were so gifted. You know, both were averaging
twenty one a game in the NBA as rookies. I mean,
I mean, I mean Carmelo won the dunk Contest high
school McDonald's Natty, twenty two a game, unstoppable at college
twenty won a game in the NBA. You don't really
have to develop into a great defensive player. You're gonna
(12:47):
get paid, and you're gonna get attention. You're gonna get
a shoe off the offense. Now, d Wade played great defense,
why because he wasn't as gifted offensively. He was a
grinder because he knew that was his way to attention,
money and scholarships. D Wade to the end was never
a finesse, smooth offensive player, not a three point shooting guy.
(13:10):
He got his points on defense and toughness and playing
bigger than his size. Now you could say, well, what
about Lebron James. Lebron James was not as gifted offensively
as Luca or Carmelo Anthony at sixteen years old. He
was a better athlete, but Lebron James could not shoot
a three pointer for years. He was just a freight train.
He was a locomotive. You couldn't stop him physically. He
scored at the rim, he scored mid range, but he
(13:32):
wasn't as smooth as Luca at fourteen fifteen. Offensively, he
couldn't shoot like Carmelo Anthony at sixteen or seventeen years old.
And so I think a lot of times you see this,
and that was always my thing with Carmelo. It's the
burden of early greatness when people can spot it in
the basketball culture, like go get buckets is how you
get shoes, fame and attention. You know, Tony Allen and
(13:55):
Ben Wallace are great defensive players. Didn't have shoot heals,
not that I know. So I think you know at
eighteen Lucas winning the euro Cup MVP against older guys,
and so you don't have to be as well rounded
once offensively, you are identified really in all sports. If
you're identified, if you're known as a great hitter, people
(14:18):
stick in right field, first base DH right you could
hit your way to the bigs. There's been a lot
of guys who have had great Major League Baseball careers
that are reliability defensively. Put him at first DHM. And
so that's always my take on Carmelo is he and Luca.
That was always my comp is that Luca is like
a better version of Carmelo. I think he's a better passer,
(14:39):
and I think he's even a more natural score. He's
a better outside shooter. Carmelo is an all time offensive score,
but never in the best shape. You know, didn't take
a step back. But you couldn't stop me. It got
him twenty six a game. Nothing you could do. Couldn't
stop in high school, couldn't stop me in college, couldn't
stop me in the NBA and his prime. J Mack
(15:00):
with the News.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
On the news, this is the herd Line news.
Speaker 3 (15:07):
We got that big Lakers Warriors matchup tonight at Crypto.
We have not seen Luka dantic faced Jimmy Butler since
Luca went to the Lakers and Butler went to the Warriors.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
Steve Kerr very excited.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
Talking about the impact Jimmy Butler's had on the Warriors.
Speaker 5 (15:25):
Jimmy saved our season. The trade saved our season. Everybody
knows that playoff Jimmy. You know, it's a real thing.
I mean he's a big time, big game performer at
both ends.
Speaker 1 (15:39):
Yes he is. Who do you like tonight?
Speaker 3 (15:42):
By the way, Lakers Warriors are eighteen and two when
Curry and Butler both played at.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
Twelve and oher when they go with a small lineup
where Kaminga comes off the bench.
Speaker 3 (15:54):
So how do you figure they defend? So Butler against
Luca or Lebron. I would put Butler on Luca.
Speaker 4 (16:00):
And then that means Draymond on Lebron.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (16:04):
Now, now I will say Jackson Hayes is gonna eat
on the alley oops tonight, Lucas just drive and toss.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
On go get his ten points. Warriors. Now, Warriors, I
don't think have as many playmakers as the Lakers. Austin
Reeves is playing great. Oh yeah, but Warriors have a
better bench. I don't know how that plays in the
regular season. That could play tonight.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
No, this is a game where Curry will probably log
forty minutes.
Speaker 4 (16:27):
This is like, this is a huge game.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
I think I'm trying to think of a bigger regular
season NBA game than tonight. I don't. I think this
is the biggest regular season game.
Speaker 4 (16:36):
I mean, think about it.
Speaker 3 (16:37):
If the Lakers can solidify the three colin, the two
seed is Houston, so the Lakers would open against the
six and then play Houston second round. They're going to
the conference finals if that happens, and that means SGA
plays Jokic in the second round on the other half
of the bracket. Lakers need this one bad. This is
an empty the tank game. Austin Reeves, who's guarding Austin Reeves?
Speaker 1 (16:56):
Don't scoff at Austin Reeves in Moses Moody stop what's
Oh Moses Moody can defend.
Speaker 4 (17:02):
Hey, he's a good defend.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
Staff here is like thumbs up.
Speaker 4 (17:05):
You go ahead to head on this one. You take
your Warriors.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
I okay, I'll take the I think the Lakers, I'll
take the Warriors. Gotta give you what's what's the longe
and a half Lakers minus two and a half. I
don't love that, okay, but you give me two and
a half. I'll take the Warriors deal, Okay. I don't
feel first. We feel great.
Speaker 3 (17:22):
About it, and you're gonna disappear to parts unknown with
the Lakers. Witch. Next story is the Baltimore Ravens. Owner
Steve Bushatti spoke with the media at the.
Speaker 4 (17:32):
NFL meetings this week.
Speaker 3 (17:34):
He was asked about his vision for the Ravens for
the next thirty years.
Speaker 4 (17:40):
Here's what Pishati said.
Speaker 9 (17:42):
Impatience is good for you. I don't like waiting twelve years.
I want to win now. I know what we can do.
I know that we work to put ourselves in position
to win and we all get credit for that. And
that's all you can do. And I hate it that
(18:04):
every year you just have to start back over again.
But you know what, this is not for the.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
Meek, Yeah, I mean it would be a shame if
they are this good they have been. Is there an
argument they have been the best regular season team in
the NFL for three straight years. I mean they have
blown I'll say this, they have blown out more top
ten teams in the league than anybody else the last
(18:31):
three years. I mean they blew out Detroit. They remember
a couple of years ago when they just they blew
out Miami and Detroit and San Francisco. They blow out
in the regular season, very good playoffs.
Speaker 4 (18:43):
Why don't they do that in the playoffs?
Speaker 1 (18:44):
Well, they're just it just they outthink the room sometimes.
I mean, don't blame Lamar a couple of drops by
his reliable weapons.
Speaker 4 (18:54):
So we have a chart.
Speaker 1 (18:55):
I don't know where to chart where the chart come from?
Speaker 3 (18:58):
This multiple playoff wins for quarterbacks who have multiple MVPs.
Speaker 4 (19:04):
Now this this is crazy. Lamar I didn't know this.
Speaker 3 (19:07):
Lamar Jackson's never had a postseason where he won two games.
Speaker 4 (19:09):
Ever, it's win loss or losing.
Speaker 1 (19:13):
The first And I'm I, I have no argument here.
Speaker 4 (19:15):
You win.
Speaker 1 (19:15):
The argument so obscure, but it's like, why can't you
just playoff with He's also the youngest quarterback on that list.
He is a very young kid.
Speaker 4 (19:25):
Yeah, Patrick Mahomes is a young kid.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
Well, Patrick Mahomes is older than him. I think is
Lamar Jackson twenty six years old. He's like one of
the It's incredible how young he is he is. Yeah,
it is they where this chart came from.
Speaker 4 (19:40):
I did not ask him to build it.
Speaker 3 (19:41):
I don't know you you can find out during the
next commercial break.
Speaker 1 (19:45):
But so he's twenty eight, so he's just entering his prime.
Speaker 4 (19:50):
He's got he's got two MVPs already.
Speaker 1 (19:53):
I would say you enter your prime in the NFL
like twenty well, because you go to college longer, probably
twenty five is your athletic prime to thirty three.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
I mean, you can't just blame Lamar right, you can't
just blame Harball like you said, Mark Andrews had.
Speaker 4 (20:08):
A brutal drop or who knows how that game ends.
Speaker 3 (20:11):
Yeah, that's a rough one final story, Colin, let's go
back to the Cleveland frowns.
Speaker 2 (20:15):
I'm sorry.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
Browns owner Jimmy Haslam. He makes some interesting comments the
last couple of days. First he admitted to Deshaun Watson
deal with a mistake, and now he's sending a message
to the highest paid player on his team. Here's what
he said about Miles Garrett. We've challenged Miles because we
want to see his practice, habits, his actions and become
(20:36):
a real leader of the team, and he has said
he'd do that, and we're hopeful he will be, So
you pay him all the money and then you challenge
him to be a real leader.
Speaker 4 (20:47):
What are we doing?
Speaker 3 (20:48):
Well, First of all, what I don't like about that
is you are insinuating, which nobody outside the building knew
that he's not currently a leader. Also true if my
bosses came out and said, you know, we just we
gave calling a new contract. We're hoping now that he
becomes more of a leader. Well, so you're saying I
didn't have any leadership qualities, Like, why would you say
(21:10):
that publicly? It's not like Miles Garrett is combative or disruptive.
Some guys are not big talkers. Aaron Donald was not
a big talker like some. I mean, would Jeter a
big talker?
Speaker 8 (21:24):
Like?
Speaker 1 (21:24):
I know what I get with Miles Garrett a transformational
rush In everything else, I'll let Lawrence Taylor. Was he
a great leader? I don't know. I mean, I do
think Max Crosby does feel a little bit like the
heartbeat of his defense gear. Boy, well, he's great. I
think you know, there are certain defensive guys. Khalil Mack
(21:45):
has a reputation with the Chargers. He is good in
the room, like he's a guy that like they guys
rally around him. Derwin James has that, Deerman and Khalil
Mack for the Chargers, those guys, they are very respected
and willing to share some thoughts in the locker.
Speaker 3 (22:00):
Doesn't it feel like another jab at Deshaun Watson calling
it a mistake and now basically saying your quarterback is.
Speaker 4 (22:05):
Not a leader.
Speaker 3 (22:07):
I mean it has to be over, which leads me
back to Shador.
Speaker 4 (22:10):
I'm sorry to keep.
Speaker 3 (22:10):
Coming back to it, but how are they not taking
who's their guy? Jackson Dark, Kirk Cousins, Kirk freaking Cousins Colin.
Speaker 4 (22:18):
I don't get it.
Speaker 3 (22:20):
Maybe they're going to get Travis Hunter at two and
then trade back into the first at the back of
the first round to gets your door.
Speaker 4 (22:26):
I don't know, but they need a quarterback.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
How many teams where the defensive end or pass rusher
is the leader of the team.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
Well, Raiders, that's it. Yeah, and they're not great. So yeah,
you'd like your quarterback to.
Speaker 4 (22:39):
Be paying him the franchise money.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
Jmack with the news, Well, that's the news, and thanks
for stopping by the.
Speaker 2 (22:47):
Herd Line show us.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
We're just giving you on a daily basis, I like
to just give you an update on the last quote,
great quarterback in the NFL still on the market. So
there's a report now the Steelers have gotten some sort
of fairly loose assurance from Aaron Rodgers. Fairly loose actually
describes Aaron over the last several years. What I'm really
interested in is the Steelers over under on wins next
(23:13):
year is eight and a half. Where does it go
when he's officially a Steeler? My guess is nine and
a half, or it's possible the people in Vegas have
already baked it in. So eight and a half Mason Rudolph,
nine and a half Aaron Rodgers. I mean that kind
of tells you where he's at. So you know what's
interesting is Brett farre had a very good second act
(23:36):
in Minnesota, Brady had a very good second act in Tampa.
Peyton Manning had one in Denver, Matt Stafford's had one
with the Rams. Joe Montana was a pro bowler with
the Kansas City Chiefs. Aaron's career kind of a slow
regression in Green Bay, and it appears to be a
very messy end. As the kids say, he messed around
(23:58):
and found out. And I will say this, there there, there.
You know, there are two Hollywood endings for older actors.
You get a couple of great roles. You're right off
into the sunset as an icon or a box office bomb.
And uh, it's kind of sad, kind of a sad
trombone of an ending.
Speaker 3 (24:19):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
You know, I will say this, it's not really a criticism,
it's a reality. This is not a criticism. I think
there is a cost to being a free spirit in
a very corporate world. I mean, if you go look
at Hollywood and music, you know, music's the arts, Hollywood's
the arts. Who's aged well Jagger, Bono, Hanks, Denzel Cruz
(24:41):
and Morgan Freeman, Meryl Streep. They're artists, but they're like
and they may be you know again, all artists are
kind of independent personalities, but they'll play the game. They
understand the corporate reality of the world. And there is
a cost associated with being really independent in a corporate world.
(25:06):
Music a lot of burnouts, Hollywood a lot of ugly endings.
And you look at all these great quarterbacks. They all
had really good second acts, Montana and Peyton and Brady,
even Farv they had really really good second acts and
Aaron's is you know it does? I mean, I just
(25:27):
think Pittsburgh is gonna be a mess. I don't you know,
And I'll just put it out there. I have defended Aaron.
I thought his last ten games last year, some of
it was stat patting, but I thought he was pretty good.
He didn't move very much anymore. But you know, I
think Pittsburgh looks it feels like hard knocks is coming
around the corner between DK Metcalf lost, their left tackle lost.
(25:49):
Najee Harris came out and said a couple of weeks ago,
they have no identity. The Steelers don't have an offensive identity.
But apparently he's given loose assurances that he'll be a Steeler.
And again they're eight and a half win total. Let
me ask you this, j Mac. Steelers are eight and
a half. You know they do halfs on over and unders.
Obviously you bet the over the under today? Would you
(26:13):
go over under eight and a half Steelers with Mason
Rudolph today? So would I? Aaron Rodgers. Let's say it
stays at eight and a half. They already baked it in.
Aaron Rodgers eight and a half.
Speaker 4 (26:24):
I'd want to see the schedule, but I would lean
under so I I.
Speaker 1 (26:29):
Mean, what if they open with now, if it moved
a nine and a half, it's one of the better underbounds.
Speaker 3 (26:34):
No, it would probably go the other way, right, it's
not going to nine and a half. That much respect
for Mike Tomlin that he can move mountains and get
a team over five hundred.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
Again, I mean, I will say this every year, like
last year we did. You did a good job on this.
Every year you can kind of see train wrecks coming.
And Chicago Bears were a great example. Last year. You
had a defensive coach on the hot seat. You had
Caleb Williams coming in the division was really good, good
and the front office we didn't really trust the Bears.
(27:04):
I think I picked him for third or fourth. You
could see the mess coming.
Speaker 4 (27:07):
What did they start two and zero or something? They started?
Speaker 1 (27:09):
Oh, will Levis gave Mo win so so you but
you can see you can generally in the NFL you
can see the mess coming right like and that was
it if I said to you, because Chicago's not going
to be a mess next year. They may not be great,
but the schedule is absolutely brutal for Chicago.
Speaker 4 (27:29):
We'll see the order, but it looks very treacherous.
Speaker 1 (27:32):
There's not a lot of rate. There's not a lot
of great defenses on their schedule. There's some good teams.
Speaker 4 (27:37):
I've backed off Bears in the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (27:40):
So if I said to you, oh man, that thing
got ugly, I feel like Pittsburgh's in Pittsburgh or Dallas. Yeah,
DK Metcalf, Pickens, older, Aaron Rodgers, shaky at left tackle,
no nause, Harris defensive culture. I mean, all of a sudden,
(28:02):
you get a TJ. Watt injury, he's out for four weeks.
They start bleeding a little bit on defense, and it's
like he's got a throw. You've got two receivers that
want it. Metcalf's down one of the highest paid guys
in the league. He's going to demand the ball. Piggin's
not making anything because he's a kid on a first
average contract, so he's going to have a chip on
his shoulder. Like Pittsburgh is a better version of the
(28:23):
mess that was the Bears last year potentially.
Speaker 3 (28:25):
And then there's the reports about the prickly oc and
Aaron Rodgers' personality, and that could be kind of an
oil and water deal where it just doesn't go well.
So there's a lot of Yeah, I think that's it
might be a good bet right now if you're head
oft Vegas this weekend to take the under blindly regardless
of what Rogers does.
Speaker 1 (28:42):
So it's it's eight and a half right now on
the Steelers at Steve it's my guess if Aaron moves
it up to nine and a half, it is one
of the better under bets. Yeah, And I remember you say, well,
I mean there was drama with the Steelers with Levian Bell.
Big Ben was in his prime. Aaron is not in
his prime. Big Ben was still at that point able
(29:04):
to move. I mean Antonio Brown and le'vian Belt. There
was drama, but big Ben was playing at such a
high level that you can overcome some of that. Aaron
could overcome some of that six years ago. He's not
going to overcome that stuff now. By the way, the
Cowboys are weird. So they did something again yesterday and
(29:28):
somebody has to explain it to me. I don't get it.
Diana Russini, Top of the Hour on the very latest Stuff,
Musings around the NFL Live in La.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
It's the hurt, be sure, to catch live editions of
the Herd weekdays at noon eastern am Pacific.
Speaker 10 (29:42):
Hey, Steve Covino and I'm Rich David and together We're
Covino and Rich on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 11 (29:47):
You could catch us weekdays from five to seven pm
Eastern two to four Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and
of course the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 10 (29:54):
Why should you listen to Covino and Rich.
Speaker 11 (29:56):
We talk about everything life, sports, relationships, what's going on
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Speaker 10 (30:01):
We have a lot of fun talking about the stories
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time to discuss.
Speaker 11 (30:09):
And the fact that we've been friends for the last
twenty years and still work together. I mean that says something, right.
Speaker 1 (30:14):
So check us out.
Speaker 10 (30:15):
We like to get you involved too, take your phone calls,
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Speaker 11 (30:19):
As they say, I'd say, the most interactive show on
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Speaker 10 (30:24):
Be sure to check out Cavino and Rich live on
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Speaker 3 (30:39):
As he leads the defending champion Dodgers in a must
watch early season showdown against Bryce Harper and the Phillies
Saturday at four Eastern on FS one.
Speaker 1 (30:50):
That's at Philadelphia. That's gonna be great. So this is
weird to me. We all know, somebody said something this
morning during our kind of staff prep meeting that I
thought was interesting that Jerry Jones was threatened by Bill
Parcells and Jimmy Johnson. You know, they were getting the
star coach was getting attention, and they've only had really
(31:14):
one star first round quarterback since Jerry's been there, and
that's Troy Aikman, obviously, and Troy Aikman is closer to
Jimmy Johnson than Jerry Jones from what I can tell.
But Diana Russini broke this story. Now, I like Joe
Milton the third. I don't think he's a franchise quarterback,
but I think he has some real talent. The Patriots
(31:36):
are trading him. He had a good preseason last year.
He was a seventh round pick. He's going to Dallas
now for a fifth rounder, so he'd gone from a
seventh rounder to a fifth rounder in a week draft. Now,
I like the kid and Dak thirty two second surgery.
He brings athletic, saysm to the locker room. I guess.
(31:58):
But they gave up a fourth for Trey Lance, which
I did not think at the time was a brilliant
move because Kyle Shanahan makes everybody work at quarterback, and
Kyle Shanahan knew it would be embarrassing to bail on
Trey Lance, and they did. And then Jerry gave up
a fourth rounder. And then Jerry gave up a fifth
rounder for Joe Milton, who's a clear backup, and he
(32:18):
gave up a fifth rounder for Mingo, the wide receiver
from Carolina. It's like timeout time out. You understand the Rams.
Kuka Nakua, their star receiver, and Kyron Williams, their star
running back, were both fifth rounders. Fifth rounders can be star.
George Kittle in this league is a fifth rounder. The
Niners Jawan Jennings wide receiver. I think he's a sixth rounder.
(32:39):
Brock Purty seventh rounder. There's a lot of talent in
this league. You can't just give out fourth and fifth
round picks for receivers who are not only backups, their
borderline non NFL players. I mean, I'm not even sure
Trey Lance not really an NFL player, Mingo, I'm not
sure he is so in the Cowboys. It's weird. Since
(33:00):
nineteen ninety so this is a pretty big sample size.
It's thirty five years. The Cowboys have only drafted seven quarterbacks,
not in the first, one in the second. This is
the biggest brand in the NFL. For most of my
adult life, they just don't draft quarterbacks. Now, Tony Romo
was successful and undrafted, so they did hit an undrafted
(33:23):
home run. They deserve credit for that, but it's I mean,
I didn't like the Mingo draft pick giveaway, the Lands
draft pick giveaway, and now a fifth rounder for a
guy that's not going to play hopefully, and this is
not the Philadelphia Eagles or the Lions where you got
it kind of a stacked roster, like the Cowboys need
(33:45):
to hit on fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh round picks.
They've got to hit on some of these because we
got a story this week that the Cowboys are going
to pay Mike a two hundred million dollars or that's
kind of the number. So it's just I will be honest,
it's there strange. The Cowboys are strange. Here's something else
I saw. So they just had the NFL meetings. Ben
(34:07):
Johnson is the new coach of the Bears, and he
was doing some talking and one of the things he
brought up, it's a very confusing analytic. So I'm going
to try to simplify this as much as I can.
It's called EPA expected points ad it. So Ben Johnson,
the Bears coach, was talking about he thinks it's the
number one quarterback stat in the league. Now, it used
(34:29):
to be turnovers, like if you turn the ball over,
you lost the game, and he said that's not really
that's not really true anymore. He said, it's this is
a very complicated analytic. And the way I would describe
the EPA analytic is, as a quarterback, do you put
your team in a position to win? In this analytic,
(34:50):
quarterback sacks are a killer. Get rid of the ball
and just not turning it over, that's not it. You're
throwing forty two times a game. You can have an
interception as long as you don't throw it in the
red zone. So here's Ben Johnson talking about the improvement
of Caleb Williams.
Speaker 12 (35:10):
You go back to the basics, and so it's the
fundamentals of the quarterback position. What's our footwork going to
look like under center from the shotgun? What are we
calling the formations. We got to get on the same
page because it'll be a little bit different for him
than what he.
Speaker 2 (35:24):
Experienced last year.
Speaker 12 (35:25):
And if we can mesh together and start speaking the
same language, that's when things will really start to take off.
Speaker 1 (35:32):
So the Bears. Interestingly, the over under on the Bears
is eight and a half wins and that's what it
was last year. So I don't know what they're going
to be. But here's why the Ben Johnson hire is
really important. If Caleb Williams doesn't look like a franchise
quarterback by early October, then he's not going to be.
(35:55):
They have a really nice offensive line. Now, they've got
really good weapons. They pick up a running back in
the first round, so they have a competent offensive coach
who was cerebral, like I don't love justin fields, but
he went from Bear Steelers to Jets defensive coach. Defensive
coach defensive coach. I don't love Justin Fields, but he
never found his guru. You'll know within four to five
(36:19):
games if Caleb Williams is the guy. It doesn't take long.
I mean, remember Sean mcvagh went to the Rams. Golf
looked like a bust and through the first four weeks
Goff had a one hundred and twelve passer rating. Jayden
Daniels it wasn't even a head coach, had a really
good coordinator and not a very good old line, and
not much of a run game, and one receiver and
(36:43):
not great tight end production. And Jaden Daniels in his
first four weeks had a one oh seven passer rating.
Sam Darnold finally got an offensive coach in Kevin O'Connell.
First four games in Minnesota one nineteen passer rating. So
by October first, I'll know, You'll know, Ben Johnson will know,
(37:06):
everybody in the Bears will know if Caleb's going to
be the guy or not. It does not take a
long time. If you get a very erudite, smart offensive guy.
We knew with c. J. Stroud and Bobby Slowick. We
knew in the first month. Burrow in the first month
golf with mcmah in the first month, Darnold with Kevin
(37:29):
O'Connell first month, Jayden Daniels with Cliff Kingsbury. We knew
in the first month. I mean, I was never a
huge Cam Newton fan, but we kind of knew five
games in. Yeah, that doesn't look like everybody else. So
you know this this idea that it's like, let's look
over the course of a season, and for me, it's
not a win loss thing. Again, the Packers have better
(37:51):
players and a better culture, and the Lions have way
better players and a dominant offensive line to control the games.
And Minnesota is now got like between Brian Flores and
Kevin O'Connell, that's one of the best staffs in football.
So if the Bear's finished fourth and won nine games,
it's like that just maybe what it is. But you're
(38:12):
gonna be able to You're gonna when you listen to
Ben Jonson talk about EPA and stuff like this, and
what that EPA basically is over the course of a game,
if you look at individual plays, are you getting rid
of the really negative plays, sacks or a killer Kayleb
Williams got sacked too much. So Ben Johnson who clearly
now is running the show. Comes in Pro Bowl center,
(38:35):
Pro Bowl guard, starting left guard, like they made the
O line the priority. And my guess is and this
is why I think it's important sometimes to just do something,
Like sometimes in life you're like, I don't know if
I should do this. I don't know if I should
just do it because it'll create clarity. Like sometimes you're like,
I'm not sure if I should take this job. I'm
(38:56):
not sure if I'm ready for this job. Take the job,
because if you're not ready for a tough job, it's
better to know now so you can start building toward it.
Go for it three words that generally solve puzzles. Go
for it. Do things, and you'll find out if you're
over your skis. So Ben Johnson, every time i've heard
(39:18):
him talk, I'm like, this guy's really smart. It does
not take long. I mean, you go back to what
McVeigh took over. The Rams were a mess and McVeigh
got a left tackle better coaching. First month you're like, yeah,
GoF works. And I think Kayla Williams is significantly more
(39:39):
firepower athletically than Jared Goff. So you've got a dimension.
You'll have a third of a playbook you can't use
with GoF so you know, but it is interesting. I mean,
and for the record, you know you think I'm critical
of Baker Mayfield when Baker Mayfield got Liam Cohen the
right offensive coordinator, first four games in Tampa one on
(40:01):
one point five passer rating or Dave canallis my bad.
So it's like it doesn't take long. You're speaking the
same language. So I'm I you'll know by October first,
the Bears will know, You'll know. I know, we'll know
if it works or not. It's not gonna be a
slow growth thing. You're gonna need like thirteen games now.
It's not because there is such a gap in this league.
(40:21):
And I always use Belichick and Brady as an example.
I don't think people understand it. There is such a
gap in this league between offensive coaches and how they
understand quarterbacks and o lines and defensive coaches. If you
go look at offensive line rankings, the bottom five to
six teams the last several years are almost all defensive coaches.
(40:45):
If you go look at the top seven to eight
offensive lines the last half decade, they're almost all offensive coaches.
So it's not just gonna be Caleb Williams. Ben Johnson's
gonna fix the old line, which wasn't it weird last
year with iber flues. We thought going into the year
it was okay to maybe slightly better than okay. It
was a disaster. It got worse. Tomlin can't figure out
(41:07):
the old lines. In Seattle, Pete Carroll struggled what unit
the offensive lines. So it's taken a while for Sean
McDermott outside of left tackle to get the old lines right.
In Buffalo, Deon Dawkins has been great, but it's been
a little musical chairs and they can't quite get it.
They finally got the run game in the on line
right after years and years of struggling.
Speaker 3 (41:28):
So I'm with you on Ben Johnson, genius mastermind. I
like it.
Speaker 4 (41:32):
Colin.
Speaker 3 (41:33):
I looked up the opponents. Are you ready for the
Bears road games this year?
Speaker 4 (41:37):
Let's go? They obviously Detroit and Green Bay in the division.
Speaker 3 (41:41):
Well, Belgian flit with those teams and Minnesota though win
we'll see. They also have to go to Baltimore. That's
a loss to Cincinnati to face Joe Burrow. Yeah, probably
a loss to the Eagles. The defending Super Bowl Champion
to your boy Jaden Daniels and Washington by the way,
to Kyle Shanahan and San Francisco Colin. The other road
(42:03):
game is against the Raiders. I don't know if they're gonna.
Speaker 4 (42:06):
Win two road games.
Speaker 1 (42:06):
Okay, let's say they don't. Let's say they lose all
those games and give me one win there. I'll give
you the Raiders and the Niders and New and Niners.
I'll give you the Vikings. It's sead fine a few
road games, okay, Okay, So if they win their home games,
that's a ten win team.
Speaker 4 (42:23):
Okay, So the home.
Speaker 3 (42:24):
The home schedule is favorable. They do get Dallas at home,
win should be a win. The New York Giants win
Cleveland Frowns, Pittsburgh Steelers, and New Orleans Saints.
Speaker 4 (42:35):
No, that's favorable, and then the three in the division.
Speaker 3 (42:37):
So you're right, with a lot of stacking home wins,
maybe there's a chance they get to five hundred or above.
Speaker 4 (42:43):
I don't think this is a playoff team.
Speaker 1 (42:45):
Yeah close. Yeah, They're gonna lose to Philly in Baltimore
without question. On the road. Everything else is winnable. Niners
lose home games all the time, and but remember if
it's overcast, double for the barriers, it's a little sprinkly.
Give me a double. This guy, Diana Russini's around the corner.
I still can't get over Otani.
Hosts And Creators
Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
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