Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
Welcome back to the Richard Sherman Podcast. And remember y'all
got to hit that up button if you knew. But
I'm here to talk about my guy, Joe Burrow, and
unfortunately it appears that he's lost for three months after
a turf toe injury. And fans, ladies and gentlemen, I
(00:25):
know it sounds turf toe, just sounds like, oh man,
he should be able to play through turf tole serious
turf tow. You imagine if you got a knife in
your big toe and you're just walking around. That's what
it feels like. It's a torn ligament in your big toe,
and it's a debilitating injury. And I understand why he
can't play on it. He may require surgery. I think
(00:47):
they're still talking to Bob Anderson about that and sending
images and getting the expert opinion. But it's tough on
me to justify what the Bangals have been doing. Joe
Burrow is unquestionably one of the best quarterbacks in the
National Football League top three any given year that he's played.
(01:08):
It's taking the Bengals to high heights with a Super
Bowl appearance, but them putting him behind these offensive lines
every single year just is mind boggling for me.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
In twenty twenty there were the twenty ninth ranked O line.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
In twenty twenty one to thirtieth and twenty twenty two,
the thirtieth ranked O line, twenty twenty three, the twenty
seventh ranked DO line, twenty twenty four, thirty second ranked
O line, and last year the twenty eighth ranked offensive
line in the National Football League. And that's where that's
where it's it's it's head scratching for me because you
(01:44):
have one of the best quarterbacks in the National Football League.
He's not the most durable guy. I don't want to
call him glass Joe, but it's starting to get to
that time if you just look back to even a
college history risk factor in twenty seventeen, torn rib cartilage
in twenty twenty, torn ACL PCO, MCL meniscus in twenty
(02:06):
twenty with the Bengals, dislocated finger in twenty twenty one,
MCL sprain in twenty twenty two, calf strain in training
camp of twenty twenty three, and then.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Towards wrist ligament that put him out for the remainder of.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
The season in twenty twenty three and now turf toe,
which may put him out for the remainder of this season.
In twenty twenty five, that's a that's a really, really,
really tough injury history. And when you know that, you
would think, hey, we're gonna do everything in our power
to make sure he's uprights, he's protected as best as
(02:44):
we can do it. We'll pay as much as we
can draft good to make sure, at minimum, we give
him protection and so he can be he can be
with us for a full season, I mean three in
the last four years he's been in.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
So I don't understand.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
You pay Jamar Chase, you pay t Higgins rightfully, so,
but what does it matter if your franchise quarterback isn't
gonna be out there?
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Now?
Speaker 1 (03:11):
That's no, no, no slide against Jake Browning and what
he's doing. I think he's doing a solid job. But
you got Joe Burrow for a reason. You're not gonna
protect him. You're not gonna do anything to make sure.
I don't know your franchise quarterback can survive a full season.
That's what I don't understand about this roster building process
(03:33):
for the Cincinnati Bengals.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
He gave him all this money, deservedly, So you know
he gets beat up.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
He isn't you know, he isn't the most durable guy
in the world, and you don't do enough to protect him.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
Now, I'm not this is no slide.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
You can't control injuries in the National Football League, especially
the injuries he's had. Torn liquorm in your wrist, turf toe,
MCL sprain, torn a c l MC. Those aren't like,
hey man, he's not working out enough, he's not stretching
good enough. Like those are just unfortunate injuries that happen
in this physical, violent sport, and happen especially when your
(04:14):
offensive line is one of the worst in the bottom
quartile in pass protection. So again, Cincinnati Bengals, you gotta
do better. You gotta figure it out. You gotta find
a way to protect your franchise quarterback because you're doing
not only your team at disservice, but you're doing a
National Football League at disservice. The league is a better
(04:34):
place when Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals are healthy,
and that offense is incredibly fun to watch with Jamar
Chase and t Higgins, they do a phenomenal job. But
now we're robbed at that because you can't protect your guy.
You can't protect your guy. They were able to still
win that game, but man, it's it's really frustrating to
see a guy like Joe Burrow continue to have to
(04:56):
deal with injuries because his team will not a dressed
the offensive line issues. And speaking offensive line issues, the
Minnesota Vikings had a lot of issues. First the Atlanta Falcons.
JJ McCarthy was sacked I think five times in the
game under duress a lot more, and I know everybody
(05:19):
was on my case, Oh, you pulled the trigger too early,
you know, saying that. I don't know if he's the answer.
I don't want to clarify this because I was right
and I still know i'm right, but it's being perceived
different than what the way I intended.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
I'm not sure he's the answer.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
Because you're not giving him a great chance to show
what he's capable of.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
I think, in my humble opinion.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
They should have went with Sam Donald for one more year,
and whether that's franchising him or an extension or whatever
you needed to do to make sure Sam Darnold was
the quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings for one year. You
could have franchised them and then figured it out after that,
because that would have gave that would have gave JJ
(06:14):
McCarthy time to be healthy, make sure he's fully recovered
from his injury, to learn how to prepare for these games,
to put his pats on warm up, to practice, and
not have the full pressure of the franchise on his
shoulders his first game out.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
You get to watch a veteran, you get to learn from.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
That's why a lot of these quarterbacks who've learned from
veterans and sat before they've played have had success. They've
gotten a chance to toe dip, to develop mentally physically.
He's a young kid, and I think he's he's he's
gonna struggle because the expectations for the for the Minnesota
(06:59):
Vikings are high. They went fourteen and three last year
with Sam Donald. Was that a fluke gear?
Speaker 2 (07:07):
Maybe? Can they do that again? Could they have done
that again with Sam Donald?
Speaker 1 (07:13):
I'm not sure. I don't think so, but we'll never know.
Because you insert JJ McCarthy into the equation. Now, while
the expectations are sky high, he's still developing as a
player behind a not so great offensive line. You're now
gonna have your superstar receiver, very frustrated because you have
(07:34):
a developing kid here who may miss him on some plays,
who may not see him on some plays. And also
you're gonna get a fan base that's gonna grow increasingly
frustrated because the expectations were fourteen and three coming off
(07:54):
last year. You know, this team is talented enough. You
know they're capable of winning a lot of football games,
but maybe they won't. Maybe they won't well win, maybe
they'll win nine games this year. And now you start
to get a fan base that starts to question this
young quarterback and start to stunt his growth and affect
his confidence because they think he's the reason you guys
(08:17):
aren't fourteen and three now.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
And I know you guys are gonna.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
Say, oh, we'll be patient and we'll be well, well,
you understand, he's just a young guy and this is
technically his rookie season.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
You know it's the first year.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
No, you, there's no patience in the world today. But
I'm sorry, that's why it's better to protect these young guys. Well,
if this, if this team goes eight to nine or
or seven and ten, I will look look through the
vitrol on social media, it'll be negative. I'm sure you
(08:47):
won't be sitting there like, oh man, just give him time,
give them development.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
You'll be saying, draft another quarterback.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
And that's the part where I was like, I'm not
sure he's the answer, because he's not beat being given
a fair shake of it in the first place. I mean,
he's he's on the team that's expected to be contenders
because they were contenders last year. That's what their record said. Unfortunately,
they got put out in the playoffs, and everybody's like, well,
Sam Donald's ceiling.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
That was a ceiling. Maybe that was a team ceiling.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
And inserting a rookie quarterback into that situation and then
lowering yourself hoping to get above where you were last
season just didn't make sense to me. Maybe he'll turn
it around and he'll play better than he ever played
in college and and really show me and show show
all the critics that he's the guy and he should
(09:37):
have been the guy to begin with.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
But I don't know.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
I think in a situation that they were in where
you got a guy that fits your system so perfectly,
seemed like it was a hand in glove fit for
Sam Donald for Kevin O'Connell, for for Justin Jefferson, for uh,
for Addison. Everybody seemed like they we're in a good spot.
(10:03):
And now you put the rookie in a situation whereas
if Justin Jefferson's production dips substantially, there's gonna be some
conversations about his future because now this is the future
of the franchise. And so now it starts to starts
to avalanche down and starts to snowball, because what are
(10:24):
we doing?
Speaker 2 (10:25):
What are we doing?
Speaker 1 (10:26):
I want to be here, but now you're setting me
back and I can't showcase my abilities. I can't help
this team win, and then a whole lot of things
start to unravel. The Vikings are second to last in
yards per game and total offense. That's not a surprise.
That's not a surprise. It's going to get frustrating in
that locker room. And it's unfortunate because you could have
(10:47):
kept a veteran in there, let the young guy learn,
instead of putting him in a in a basically no
win situation. The only way he could could ever like
have a good season is if he just thrived out
the gate.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
Not every rookie out the gate, and so.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
There's a disappointment level for me that they put him
in a tough position. Now he's he's twenty four for
forty one on the season, fifty eight percent completion percentage,
three hundred and one yards, two tds, three interceptions. We'll
see how that goes in the future. But he hasn't
played really world beater defenses either. Use These defenses aren't great,
(11:25):
and I'm not saying that the Falcons are Falcons of old,
that they got some fast rush ability now, but Sam
Darol had a really good game against the Falcons last year.
And now you're gonna have to contend against Detroit in
your own division. You're gonna have to contend against the
Green Bay Packers, who are looking their pass rush is
even more ferocious, and their defense is playing as well
(11:46):
as anybody. So it's not like things are gonna get
it easier for the Minnesota Vikings.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
But we'll see, we'll see.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
I just wanted to take a second to explain that
to you guys, because huh, it's gonna be a tough
season for JJ McCarty. See if southing doesn't change, and
hopefully the Minnesota Vikings fans are really patient hopefully Justin
Jefferson is really patient. I know Kevin O'Connell is going
to do everything he can to put him in positions
to be successful. They got a pretty solid run game,
(12:15):
but if this quarterback doesn't show more promise, people are
gonna start stacking the box and making a lot more
difficult to run these football to run the football, and
we'll see that. His next three games are against the
AFC North. He got Cincinnati Bengals, he got Pittsburgh Steelers,
and he got the Browns. You know, the Steelers having it.
You know, they got a veteran defense that on paper
(12:38):
should be better than they've played. We'll see how it
goes against them. The Bengals have historically had an awful
defense in the Browns struggled last week versus the Baltimore Ravens.
So there's a chance for him to going a nice
run here, and hopefully he does.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
But I don't know.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
I just don't think he's been put in the best position.
And I'm not saying by the coaching staff or Kevin
O'Connell in this offense. I'm not saying that. I'm just
saying I think he should have got the opportunity to
sit behind Sam Darnold healthy, not on injured reserve, not
because he had to because he couldn't play, but sit
and get to put his pads on, put his helmet on,
and learn through an entire NFL season, like a lot
(13:18):
of these successful quarterbacks have gotten to do.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
That's my opinion.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
As always, I appreciate you guys joining me. I appreciate
you guys sticking around listening to me. You could be
anywhere in the world, but you here with me, and
I really do appreciate that. I'll see you next time.