NFL Films’ Greg Cosell joins the show to analyze Patrick Mahomes' early-season struggles and what’s really going wrong with the Chiefs’ sluggish offense
Colin gives his reasons why he feels the Packers are the best team in the NFL
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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 3 (00:26):
Here we go, Hour two.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
It's a Thursday, Bills, Dolphins Tonight Live. It's The Herd
wherever you may be, however you may be listening. Thanks
for making us part of your day. Fifteen minutes. We
all get smarter every week. Jamch I was talking about
favorites this year and the disappearing middle class in the NFL,
which we've been on for three years. So big favorites
this season meaning you're favored by four points or more.
(00:47):
I think a big favorite six six and a half
or more. But team is favored by four plus points
or more. Are not only twelve and zero. They're winning
by twelve and a half points. They're averaging twenty nine
points a game and allowing seventeen, meaning you get more blowouts.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
So you're getting more.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Blowouts because there's a bigger gap in the schedule now tonight.
I think it's going to be one of those blowouts.
I mean games that I'm almost guaranteed are going to
be close. Rams Eagles will be really really close. Yep,
Texans Jags will be close. I'd be surprised if Steelers, Patriots, Colts,
(01:26):
Titans aren't close. Denver Chargers will be very competitive.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
It's the NFL. Every game feels close.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
I will say this, I do not get the Bears
and the Cowboys is basically a pickham that I don't get.
Speaker 4 (01:38):
You have a touched on Falcons Panthers. That's a good
game on Fox. I'm loaded up on one side in
that one.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
I think we'll be talking about it on Friday. I'm
sure the audience is waiting with painted breath.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
Hey, come on, listen. Atlanta's good Atlanta. By the way,
is Atlanta in your upper class or are they middle class?
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Well, let's let Penix have ten stars.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
I think he barely has an A starts and you
put him in the upper crust.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
Who's at O next?
Speaker 3 (02:03):
He's been awful so far through two.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
He has twenty NFL starts, and he made the playoffs
as a rookie in the division with Herbert and Mahomes.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
He's fine, he's Chargers this week. That how about how
good is.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
That game.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
In the division? Very good?
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Forty six years NFL films joined us twenty five times
a year minimum at this time. Okay, you know it's interesting.
A lot of times coaches send messages. They go to
the podium every week on Wednesday and they you know,
they have a message for the team. And Ben Johnson
this week is saying I am seeing a lot of
(02:40):
improvement with Caleb Williams. I didn't see it. What mister Kosel,
what did the film say that? Do you see a
progressive growth with Caleb Williams week one to week two?
Speaker 5 (02:53):
You know, I thought in the first half Colin that
there was that he was better because the key thing
is being decisive. They want him to drop back and
get rid of the football. They don't want him to
get stuck in the pocket. So I thought in the
first half, when theoretically it was still somewhat of a game,
I thought that he was much more decisive in what
he saw and he delivered the football as the game progressed.
(03:15):
And unfortunately, you never want to be in this situation
with a young quarterback, and certainly not Caleb Williams at
this point in his growth. He had to drop back
and throw on every snap and that's where some of
the warts that he has right now come out.
Speaker 6 (03:30):
And you know, one of the things is in.
Speaker 5 (03:32):
The NFL, and we've talked about this, and the more
you throw, the more it shows up. Is for quarterbacks
who are not used to the NFL and pressure, what's
pressure and what's not pressure in the NFL, they start
to move when they don't need to move. They move prematurely,
and they move unnecessarily. And that's true. I've noticed that
(03:53):
with Caleb Williams at times. It's true with cam Ward.
It's just something you have to learn by playing as
to what really is pressure and what's really not pressure
by NFL standards.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
So JJ McCarthy is young, fewer starts than Caleb, banged
up again. I think he feels a little overwhelmed. I've
said before Michael Pennix, I don't have a lot of starts,
but boy, he looks comfortable, gets the ball, gets rid
of it. JJ looks hesitant. Seven of eight quarters i've
watched him. He looks a bit overwhelmed. What does the
(04:24):
film say, are there open receivers? He's not seeing? What's it?
Speaker 3 (04:27):
Say?
Speaker 5 (04:27):
Yeah, you know, I'm always leary. After two games, this
is what I would expect from JJ McCarthy. I don't
know how you felt about him coming out. I mean
I studied him in detail in Michigan. I personally, in
my evaluation did not feel he was a first round
type quarterback. So I'm not surprised that it would take
him more time. I know for a fact that they
(04:49):
had to rework a lot of his footwork and a
lot on his drop, which was not very good at Michigan.
It was a problem that he had, and then you
wonder can that be fixed. I think they're working on
that and it's a work in progress. So he needs
a lot more time. And then, don't forget a lot
of young quarterbacks. Then it becomes a function of team
as well. Can they run the ball, can they manage
(05:11):
him to an extent where they can be proactive, and
how they use him as opposed to having to be
reactive in other words, having him have to throw too
many times and given games. So it'll take some time
with JJ McCarthy, obviously he'll be out for who knows
how long, But I mean, I think they're pretty much
committed to him.
Speaker 6 (05:29):
It's not as if they're not going to play him
when he gets healthy.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
I want to ask you about too. Miami right now
has some cultural issues, some personnel issues, and who knows
what's going to happen. But they've moved off coaches. They
moved off Brian Flores, they'd move off Mike McDaniel. They
always say, you can lose games, don't lose the locker room,
and they're certainly an argument the latter is happening. If
somebody took over the Miami Dolphins and put in the
(05:54):
tape on Tua and you didn't know anything about Tua,
you knew he was a little smaller, didn't have a
huge arm. Is his lack of higher level success? Is
it lack of online protection? Personnel issues? When you put
in the tape on Tua? Is there a comp what
do you see?
Speaker 6 (06:16):
There's no mystery to what Tua is Colin.
Speaker 5 (06:19):
Everybody knows he's a pure timing and rhythm player that
is extremely accurate. So everything about the way in which
he plays has to be based on that. He's narrow
in that regard. He can't do much beyond that.
Speaker 6 (06:32):
So when it.
Speaker 5 (06:33):
Looks good, depending on who the opponent is, depending on
a number of factors, he can look really, really good
and their offense can be really explosive. And by the way,
that can happen against any given opponent. So you know,
obviously they're playing tonight against a good Bills team, the
assumption is they'll get blown out. But any given opponent
where he can play with timing and rhythm and get
(06:55):
the ball out in windows, he's a very good window thrower.
Between the numbers. That's his game. But that's all his
game is. There's not much more beyond that, so you
have to decide. Look last week, two things really stood
out in the tape. Number one, thirty seven dropbacks, twelve
carries for backs. They can't play that way. Tua needs
a run game to be the foundation. And Mike Rabol
(07:18):
on that staff in New England, they played him.
Speaker 6 (07:20):
To what he is. They only rushed five two times on.
Speaker 5 (07:24):
His thirty seven dropbacks because they wanted seven in coverage
to minimize the windows. That's what you have to do
when you play Tua, You've got to minimize the windows.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
We look at tonight, the Bills are favored by a
couple of touchdowns and should be. We look at Buffalo
and you said this last week. You said their run
game is more fundamentally important and better than people give
it credit for. So tell me when you watch film.
You said that, And so I looked for this past week,
even though it was a blowout early. What does the
(07:55):
run game provide to Josh Allen that without a run game,
what are the advantages he gains from it?
Speaker 5 (08:04):
Well, every quarterback game is from a run game. And
then now you're getting into multiple issues. What personnel do
you put out on the field. They like to put
out a lot of base personnel groupings. They did that
this past week, and they are a very multiple run
game as well. And James Cook, despite his size, is
actually a very tough, physical inside runner. He gets hard
(08:25):
earned yards. So a run game is critical. You know,
It's funny. I watched that tape and I came away
thinking to myself, this was a great game for Josh
Allen because he plays in four days and it didn't
seem like he exerted any energy in that game. It
didn't seem like he had much to do. So, you know,
a run game always helps a quarterback. So I think, look,
(08:46):
we know Josh Allen when necessary can put on the
Superman cape, as he did Week one in the fourth
quarter of that game against Baltimore. But the way they
played last week, and granted they got ahead early and
there was clearly a sense they were going to control
the game, which they did, but I think they want
to play with a run game.
Speaker 6 (09:05):
They don't want to just be a passing team.
Speaker 5 (09:06):
And it's funny, I said watching that tape to one
of my guys in the office day, I said, you know,
Josh Allen, he's not really a gunslinger anymore unless the
game demands it. You know, he doesn't play that way
as his natural state, which is the way he sort
of played three four years ago. Now, he's very much
a piece of an offense and if demanded, he can
do special things, but he doesn't play like that as
(09:29):
his natural state.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
So one of the reasons I picked the Seahawks to
make the playoffs and I thought Sam Darnold would work
is that when Sam has a run game and can
throw it twenty eight times or fewer and does not
have to get into track meets. And I think this
team's defensive structure. I said, Sam is going to be
asked to do two or three wow plays, and he's
(09:54):
really talented. But and I think that's really the key.
That's why in Minnesota with Brian Lawes, he didn't have
to win a shootout every week. In New York when
you're saving the franchise, he's like Gina, Yeah, Jennis, three times,
you're gonna get two or three picks. So what does
the tape say so far with Sam? I think Seattle
(10:14):
fits his strengths.
Speaker 5 (10:18):
Well, it's funny you say that because what they did
and it's only two weeks, so you don't know if
this is something that will be a trend or not.
But what they did last week against Pittsburgh was something
I haven't seen very much in the league. They had
sixty four offensive snaps Colin. Forty five of them came
at a base personnel.
Speaker 6 (10:36):
They did not play many snaps.
Speaker 5 (10:38):
With three wide receivers on the field at all, so
they had a lot of tight formations. They tried to
run the ball, Walker had some good success. Charmon they
didn't have any success, But that's I think the way
they want to play under Clint Kubiak.
Speaker 6 (10:51):
They know what Darnold is.
Speaker 5 (10:52):
They loved the fact that he was so efficient in
the play action pass game under center a year ago
in Minnesota. They liked their offense to look like that.
And I agree with you. And by the way, how
many quarterbacks do you think realistically can line up and
throw it forty forty five times a week and really
be good. That's a hard thing to do in this league.
And by the way, it's very hard on your old line,
(11:13):
no matter how good it is.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
Yeah, I mean, there's a number with Dak who's going
to have, with three different coaches, be highly productive. If
he throws over forty times, Dak's numbers plummet, his win
percentage plummets. It's the reality is, at any given time
in my life, there's about three quarterbacks maybe four, that
you feel comfortable throwing forty times a game.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
It's really really hard.
Speaker 6 (11:35):
Okay, it's hard to do.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
Yeah, Eagles Chiefs, listen, we know Kansas City's issues. They're
not very gifted. Until Xavier Worthy and Rashid Rice get
back on the perimeter, there's a way you can defend them. Now,
did Philadelphia use any secret sauce, any deception or was
it just Mono Amano. We have better defensive players than
(11:59):
you do offensive players.
Speaker 5 (12:01):
Well, it's funny because about a quarter into that tape,
I said to myself, Wow, Vick Fangio has taken a
totally different approach than he did in the Super Bowl.
Speaker 6 (12:10):
In the super Bowl, they.
Speaker 5 (12:11):
Did not rush five one time, and they literally played
zone in a quarter structure four across on the back
end on almost every play in this game. Last week
they blitzed quite a bit a high percentage for Vic Fangio,
and they played a lot more man coverage, So he
came with a totally different defensive tactical approach. So it's
(12:32):
not one thing, but I will say this, I think
there is a sense, and it could be a function
of the receivers, but I think there's a sense right
now among teams that what you want to do with
Patrick Mahomes and the pass game is really clog the
middle of the field and make him work outside. Now,
he's capable, obviously, he's capable of making any throw, that's
(12:52):
not the point, but he doesn't make a lot of
throws outside the numbers unless it's vertical throws. So they're
going to have to figure out away. Andy Reid Kofka.
They're gonna have to figure out not Kafka, Matt Nagy.
They're gonna have to figure out a way to work
outside the numbers in kind of a short to intermediate
pass game.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
You know, it's interesting. It feels like the tush push
means even more this year. Through two games, Jalen Hurts
has attempted more tush pushes than throws of ten yards
plus down the field.
Speaker 3 (13:24):
They're not throwing the ball down the field.
Speaker 6 (13:27):
I don't know, they're not.
Speaker 1 (13:28):
They're not like and I think to myself, how sustainable
is it? But it does? I mean, I mean, I
look at it. What they are I said this Monday
on the show. In my life, there has never been
a quarterback and a team that is better at getting one,
two or three yards they are now. They don't throw
over the top. There's things they're not great at. But
(13:50):
if you need one, two or three yards, that as good.
That's as good as the Chiefs in their dynasty, the
Niners in their dynasty, the Steelers in their dynasty. Does
the offense concern you because it just doesn't throw the
ball down the field at all?
Speaker 6 (14:08):
Yes, now it does.
Speaker 5 (14:09):
I think they will But I think the larger point
about the tush push, because there's been so much talk
about it obviously this week, is not the tush push itself.
It's the fact how many times they're in situations to
deploy the tush push.
Speaker 6 (14:22):
Yeah, that's the larger question.
Speaker 5 (14:24):
That's the big deal because, and we've discussed this, when
it's third and seven or third and eight for the
Eagles offense, they don't necessarily have to throw the ball
column and now it changes the way defenses have to
play because in the NFL, third and seven is one
hundred percent pretty much a passing down, correct, But the
Eagles don't view it that way because if they get
(14:46):
to fourth and two and they're at the fifty yard
line going in, they're going to go for it. So
it's how often they get to those short yarded situations
that they're able to go for it that's really the
bigger issue than the fact that they convert on the
push push.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
Okay, So I want to go back. I asked you
about Caleb and JJ. Now I want to go to
a quarterback that's got far more starts than JJ. I
want to talk Drake May because they host the Steelers
this week, and they won a big game last week.
So I think both of us, like Drake May out
of college, I did a lot. I know he was
a less polished justin Herbert. He hadn't started as many games. Yeah,
(15:24):
I thought he was justin Herbert, but probably a year
and a half to two years behind him in terms
of snaps and polish. Okay, so he wins a game.
It's Miami in September. That's always been tough on Belichick
and Brady struggled down early in the season. Are you
Are you seeing a jump from last year to this
year from Drake May.
Speaker 5 (15:44):
Yeah, And I think one thing you really want to
keep seeing he did it last week is just the
ball placement. When he places the ball, well, he's really
really good.
Speaker 6 (15:53):
And I think it's another example.
Speaker 5 (15:55):
And we've talked about this scheme and play calling helping him.
Early in that game, they called some plays that were
really scheme, really strong from a scheme perspective. They had
a drag wheel throwback to Hooper. They had a great
third down call because they knew they were going to
get man coverage where he hit Henderson on a wheel
route out of the backfield to the right they're really
(16:17):
helping him with what they're calling to define reads and
throws for him. But the one thing that really stands
out to me as well, he's very poised and very
calm in the way in which he plays. There's not
no freneticism to him, and he's got you know, he's
obviously got athleticism to him. It's funny you mentioned the
size comparing him to her, but I got a chance
to stand next to him at the combine and he's
(16:38):
a big dude now, And you know, you almost lose
sight of how big some of these quarterbacks are because
there's a lot more smaller quarterbacks.
Speaker 6 (16:45):
But I stood next to Caleb Williams and Drake May.
Speaker 5 (16:48):
Caleb Williams looked like a high school kid and Drake
May looked like a really big dude.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
Yeah, yeah, okay, I want to get in.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
I have said the first two weeks of the year
that the Packers are the best team I've seen. I'm
trusting my eyes. I think they're the fastest team offensively.
I think they're so fast everybody runs. Love the running back,
the tight ends, Yeah, the receivers. They got eight and
nine guys that can really run. But it's interesting with
their defense. I compared it to when you were in
college and you had a really big, strong football player
(17:18):
Buddyoas felt hat a little more courage go into the
bar and have enough flirting. There is something about Mica
that has elevated his teammates. It's almost as if his
teammates know they're going to get more space, that he's
going to create disruptions. I feel like he's elevating other
(17:39):
players on the defense. Maybe they're playing with more energy.
Maybe it's because they have fewer snaps, the offense is
more productive, But there is something when I watch the Packers,
I'm like, they're more aggressive than last year, and they
feel more aggressive.
Speaker 3 (17:54):
What does a film.
Speaker 5 (17:55):
Say, Well, it's funny you say that because in this
last game, which was Thursday night last week, so it
feels like a long time ago. You know, they're getting
Edger and Cooper now more involved in their rushes. So
they're showing some more five man fronts. And when you
show a five man front, the way offense is almost
always protected is what they call five to zero protection,
meaning five on five. So that gives Micah theoretically a
(18:18):
one on one. So they're going to do more and
more of that and then see how offenses react to that.
Speaker 6 (18:24):
They had a sack last week.
Speaker 5 (18:25):
It was a Cooper and Parson split sack where they
did just that and they stunted away from Micah with
the loop, and then he was one on one with.
Speaker 6 (18:34):
The right tackle Connor Lee, and he just ate him up.
Speaker 5 (18:36):
But they're also so good Halflee, and this to me
is coaching. He is so good with his late coverage rotation.
In other words, he changes the picture pre snap to
post snap. And he's not just moving one or two
guys Colin, he's moving five guys on defense. That's coaching,
because if one guy makes a mistake, you know what happens.
Speaker 6 (18:56):
So they are really good.
Speaker 5 (18:57):
Now with their pressure schemes, and they're really good on
the back end with all this late coverage rotation changing
the picture.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
Jordan Love, first of all, you kind of taught me
this traits. His traits size, arm strength, athletic ability, toughness.
His traits are excellent. But you look at film and
you look at beyond traits. Pre snap, how is he
handling box packages? You know what I look at. He
(19:26):
just looks very comfortable. That's what my eyes tell me, now,
some of it could be good coaching and lots of weapons,
but what does the film say?
Speaker 5 (19:35):
Yeah, And I think that that happens over time. You know,
we spoke about Josh Allen a little earlier, how he's
not really a gunslinger in the way he plays. I
think you see that every once in a while, still
with love. That's just kind of who he is. But
I think as he plays more, you'll see less of that,
and he'll play the game within the game, so to speak.
Speaker 6 (19:54):
But also I think.
Speaker 5 (19:55):
Lafleur does such a good job with how they construct
that offense and how he goes about you know, he
comes from the Shanahan school, so for him, it's not
just individual plays, Colin, it's how you put plays together,
what you do in the first quarter, how that affects
the second quarter.
Speaker 6 (20:10):
In the third quarter, in the fourth quarter.
Speaker 5 (20:12):
And there was an unbelievable example of that in the
game against Washington last week. And these were back to
back plays, and on one play they come out with
what we call thirteen personnel, one back, three tight ends.
So they saw exactly how the commanders responded to that
with their personnel. Okay, and then on the very next play.
(20:32):
They came out in the same thirteen personnel and that's
our big play if we want to go to it
right now, because this is really the way to go,
let's go it, go with it. This was the Craft
fifty seven yard completion. And that's what they did is
they basically showed thirteen personnel, saw what they were going
to get from a defensive personnel perspective, and then Lafleur
(20:54):
called this play and we're going to break it down
here because this is really really good stuff. I mean,
this is this is why I love watching tape Colin.
This is a lot of fun. So you're going to
see this is thirteen personnel, three tight ends. There's Craft
because he's the guy who catches the ball. So what
did they get. They got three linebackers base personnel on
the defense. But not only that, they got three safeties. Okay,
(21:18):
so there's only going to be one corner on the
field and that corner is down below at the bottom
of the screen. So they got three linebackers and three
safeties versus their thirteen personnel, which they knew they were
going to get from the play before. So they put
the rookie savi you on Williams now in motion across
the formation.
Speaker 6 (21:37):
So what does that lead to. It's something that we call.
Speaker 5 (21:40):
Four strong, meaning four receivers to one side of the formation.
Speaker 6 (21:44):
That's what you're going to get here. As we freeze it.
Speaker 5 (21:47):
When Williams gets over there, there's now four receivers to
one side.
Speaker 6 (21:51):
But remember the corner didn't go.
Speaker 5 (21:53):
With them, so the corners all the way on the
other side of the field. So now you're going to
run four routes colin four round so okay, against two
linebackers and two safeties.
Speaker 6 (22:04):
This is exactly what you want.
Speaker 5 (22:05):
These guys are not great coverage people, okay, particularly the linebackers,
and what they're going to run now is a three
man vertical concept. That's the route concept here. It's going
to be a three man vertical concept. You're going to
see Williams run deep on the outside. You're going to
see that's actually Musgrave the other tight end there on
that side. He's going to run the deep over in
(22:27):
the middle of the field, and then Craft is going
to run the seam. So now you get three vertical routes.
There's no corner involved in this coverage at all. So
here's what you get. So now you're going to see
that's Bobby Wagner. He's probably a Hall of Famer. So
he now gets his eyes on Craft. Well, let's see
how all this really plays out, because this is really
(22:48):
good stuff. You're going to see Williams, he's going to
lift the safety to the top of the screen. You're
going to see Musgrave run right at the deep safety,
and you're going to see now the back expands into
the flat, so the other linebacker goes with him.
Speaker 6 (23:04):
So what do you end up with? You end up
with Wagner who has to match Craft.
Speaker 5 (23:08):
But Wagner is uncertain of what to do and he's
a veteran, as I said, probably a Hall of Famer,
so he gets lost. So you end up with just
a great concept. Colin, you probably could have made that throw.
The concept was so good, So you know that's what
you get.
Speaker 6 (23:22):
This is what play calling is all about to me.
Speaker 5 (23:25):
And this is how you structure an offense, and you
structure with the use of personnel formations, motion and you
create This is what I mean when I always say
you define a read and a throw.
Speaker 6 (23:35):
For a quarterback. You can't do it any better than that.
Speaker 1 (23:38):
Yeah, and they also have so much speed offensively that
when they get you in space, they're a problem even
if you do read the play. And at that point
the commanders did not great co sell on a Thursday.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
Is always good seeing you.
Speaker 6 (23:51):
Thanks, Colin, appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
Yeah, and green Bay's got everything humming, play design, speed,
everybody can run and defensively and again, head coaches matter.
Jeff Hafley, how many times have we talked about their
defensive coordinator coordinators met Robert sallin the Niners defense last
year was a mess. They lose green Law Hufunga. They're better. Why,
(24:13):
it just matters. It's like having a good mentor, a
good professor, a good high school teacher. The quality matters.
And green Bay right now the best team I've seen
in the league. Both sides, coaching staff, run it, throw
a play, and they're built to play from behind. I
just don't think they're gonna have to. I mean, that's
one thing. I don't think Philadelphia is built to play
(24:36):
from ten points down seven minutes left.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
Green Bay is.
Speaker 1 (24:39):
That's what another reason why I think right now to
the best team in the league.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
One more heard The Herd streams twenty four hours a
day seven days a week within the iHeartRadio app. Search
Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you like.
Speaker 7 (24:52):
Hey it's me Rob Parker. Check out my weekly MLB podcast,
Inside the Parker for twenty two minutes of piping hot
baseball talk featuring the biggest names the newsmakers in the sport.
Whether you believe in analytics or the I test, We've
got all the bases covered. New episodes drop every Thursday,
(25:13):
So do your solfa favor and listen to Inside the
Parker with Rob Parker on the iHeartRadio app or wherever
you get your podcast.
Speaker 1 (25:24):
Urban Meyer shows up next hour checking on that weather.
Jmak and another's torrential downpours. You gotta be careful driving home.
Speaker 3 (25:33):
Yeah, I'm not worried about the weather right now. Come
a couple other things on my mind right now. Jmack
with the news.
Speaker 2 (25:44):
Turn on the news. This is the Herdline News.
Speaker 4 (25:48):
And one of the things I'm worried about is the
Philadelphia Eagles offense because Colin I do believe, like you
said for most of his show today that other than
the tush push, they don't really have much going for them. Sure,
they're two and zero, Philly is twenty ninetheen yards per game. Wow,
Jalen Hurts has only completed three passes of ten yards
or more. Again, like, I don't think it's a huge
(26:11):
deal yet, but it's going to be Hurts address the
lackluster offense.
Speaker 8 (26:16):
I take accountability for a lot of it and just
how we go out there because it's my job. My
jobs you go out there and be the general orchestrate
everything and ultimately make plays. And you know, given the
opportunities we had, you know, I'm very critical of myself
of trying to make the most of what's given to us.
And so there's definitely some evolution that we can do.
(26:39):
There's definitely some things that we can grow in. But
I look inward on all of those things and I
just want to make the most of the opportunities that
we do have.
Speaker 4 (26:50):
So let me ask you this colin. Local media is
asking the Eagles about this. National media like US is
talking about this, fans are talking about this, the other
coaches around the league are talking about the toush push.
I wonder do you think this makes Philly more or
less likely to come out with a different look Sunday?
(27:10):
Then they've had the first two weeks, are they gonna
be just chucking and ducking? Like, do you expect change
from Philly?
Speaker 1 (27:15):
Well, if they look at the film of Stafford and
Puka and Devonte Adams and their difficulty at one of
their corner spots, I think Nick Siriani and his staff
realize we're gonna have to score some points here. The
Rams will move the football. I think that's pretty obvious.
So my take is Philadelphia probably works to some degree.
(27:36):
I mean, they did get the ball more to aj Brown.
It's just that they were all underneath throws. So it's
not that they are ignoring AJ Brown, They're just not
throwing the ball deep. And I don't think Jalen Hurts
is an elite pocket guy. I don't think he's built
the play from behind. There are some guys who I
don't want running, but I love in the pocket Baker Mayfield.
(28:00):
Love when Baker just plants his foots and throws. I
think Michael Pennock's early Oh, I like that guy from
the pocket. Hurts is a guy that I like moving.
I the tush, push the RPO stuff, get rid of
it quickly. I mean, I don't think it's a coincidence.
They throw to the tight end a lot for smaller quarterbacks,
that's an easier target to see underneath sixty six tight end.
(28:23):
So I just think I think they don't have to
play much from behind, but I don't think they're necessarily
built for it.
Speaker 4 (28:29):
And got her trending toward returning this week. That would
be a good get back for the Eagles.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
Obviously.
Speaker 4 (28:37):
You know, we're at a time right now in football
where everybody thinks they have all the answers, they know
what's gonna happen, right, I mean, everybody in their mom
is a gambling analyst. I'm still surprised this is three
and a half cone. Sometime I'm missing something here. Maybe
the Eagles trample them. Maybe maybe it's McVeigh struggles against
the Eagles and the offense can't do much.
Speaker 3 (28:58):
But what am I missing? Why are we getting offered
the hook here? Shouldn't this just be three? Well?
Speaker 1 (29:04):
I think the Rams have had offensive line issues a
little bit. I think there's a feeling that Stafford will
be under pressure. Everything points to me to either a
Rams win or Rams close. So again, this is one
of those lines that was an easy one. There's only
about one or two a week that I look at
and I thought, Dallas is pick him against Chicago. That
(29:28):
doesn't feel right. And the Rams getting the hook against
Philadelphia that didn't feel right.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
So I mean every I just I'm with you.
Speaker 1 (29:37):
It just I think we're gonna have a really close game,
probably low scoring because the Eagles don't to it downfield
and the Rams defense puts pressure on everybody. I think
it's a and I've always told you when I think
it's a low scoring, close game, take the hook.
Speaker 4 (29:50):
Okay, I'll get the social guys to flag it. But
over under half a penalty on tush push plays for
the Eagles.
Speaker 3 (29:57):
Over there'll be one, how over five over under one
and a half under.
Speaker 6 (30:01):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (30:01):
Because I think this, I think the Eagles have spent
time this week getting it right as well.
Speaker 4 (30:05):
The league is going to be looking closely. Just to
just trust me, given what happened against the Chiefs. Next up, Colin,
let's go to Monday night football. Really good matchup. Lions
had to Baltimore to take on Lamar. Detroit embarrassed the
Bears in week two, dropped a fifty burger. Ravens rookie
safety Malachi Starts knows that the defense needs to be
on their A games, saying the Lions are versatile, they're elite.
Speaker 3 (30:28):
We have to be on our p's and q's.
Speaker 4 (30:30):
I didn't know Malachi Starts was speaking in like seventies talk.
That's like what my parents said Europeans and qs. I
haven't heard anybody say that normal lately. This line keeps
coming down a lot of money on the Lions. Colin,
I don't know about that. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (30:45):
I like Baltimore here.
Speaker 1 (30:46):
I mean, is there a team and I don't have
this in front of me. Has any team had more
blowout wins in the last three years than the Ravens
at home? And I mean against good team?
Speaker 3 (30:56):
Well, maybe the Lions. I mean they bludge in folks
than the don't yet.
Speaker 1 (31:01):
Yeah, And and I think Jared Goff has never quite
been as effective either cold weather, outdoors, road.
Speaker 3 (31:07):
This thing just screams Ravens.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (31:10):
And by the way, yeah, I think you pointed this
out the Browns versus the Ravens. The Browns like outgain Baltimore.
That was like weird, It was like thirteen to three.
Speaker 1 (31:17):
And the third think a lot of what makes Baltimore
so effective is they have big play capability, Lamar Derrick,
Henry Zay Flowers. So it's not necessarily with Baltimore always
ball control. I mean, you know, Josh Allen has some
of this. Sometimes you know, you'll look up and Josh
Allen just makes a play. So I think, I think
(31:40):
I don't worry too much about that. Over the course
of a season, they'll win time of possession and yardage games.
But but Baltimore, I just think it's it's a man
and that there's another number here. And FC teams against
Lamar Jackson have been dreadful. So it just the numbers
tell you take.
Speaker 3 (32:01):
The raid YEP final story call. Let's go to yes,
the Atlanta Falcons.
Speaker 4 (32:06):
I love getting these guys in the show because they
break my heart every freaking Sunday. So they got to
win over the Vikings Sunday night. Really nice for us.
B Jon Robinson cooked. He is second in the NFL
with one hundred and forty six yards from scrimmage per game.
And Raheem Morris, his coach, made it clear he loves
his star running back.
Speaker 6 (32:27):
He's definitely the best player in football.
Speaker 9 (32:31):
Like in my head, I don't care. He's unbelievable. I
love the kid. I love everything about him. I love
Washington with the ball. I love his confidence, I love
his demeanor, I love his mindset, I love the leadership.
I love everything about him. And like you know, it
is what it is. I love the kid.
Speaker 1 (32:48):
I was told in the draft before he came out.
I think I said this on the air three or
four times. He literally didn't have a flaw. He was Ladanian, Tomlinson,
good leader, good kid, could run, could blog, could catch.
He was I was told by an executive in the NFL,
they said, you don't get he goes. I wouldn't take
him number one because of his position.
Speaker 3 (33:08):
He Goes.
Speaker 1 (33:08):
He's literally a flawless player, character, leadership, toughness, everything.
Speaker 3 (33:13):
And you know, think about this too.
Speaker 1 (33:15):
Nobody wants to draft a running back in the first
fifteen picks. Let's go look at the guys who have
been drafted recently in the first round. Jamiir Gibbs, Jon Robinson,
sa Kwan Barkley, Ezekiel Elliott, Adrian Peterson. You know, when
you do take a running back early now late first
round is no man's land. That's a graveyard for all picks.
(33:35):
Kansas City took a you know, Isaiah Pacheco late didn't
work out. But if you take a running back in
the top fifteen picks, they mostly become stars in this league.
Speaker 4 (33:44):
I think Pacheco was seventh, but I think Clyde Edwards
Hilaire's no.
Speaker 3 (33:47):
You're right, you're right, My bad, right, Edwards Hilaire.
Speaker 4 (33:50):
You named a lot of good running backs who went
first early first. Ashton Genty went.
Speaker 3 (33:54):
To the race.
Speaker 1 (33:55):
Oh, I think he's going to be fine.
Speaker 4 (33:56):
Are you sure he has two weeks besides Finn to
see owners being unset.
Speaker 3 (34:01):
Colin He's at.
Speaker 4 (34:01):
Like three yards of carry And I'm being completely honest.
Speaker 3 (34:05):
I know we got some Raiders fans on staff.
Speaker 4 (34:07):
He does not move like Jon Robinson when Robinson hits
those holes.
Speaker 1 (34:11):
Com Jon Bjeon came in a flawless player against elite competition.
Bijeon Also, that was a much stronger draft, so I mean, Bjean.
You could argue if Bijeon would have been in this draft,
there's an argument he would have been the number one
player taken, But but gent was in a much weaker
draft where people saw him as a top eight prospect.
(34:34):
Bijeon Bijeon was seen as a flawless I mean, we
worried about Ashton Genty, his size, his competition. Bijeon had
no flaws.
Speaker 3 (34:43):
Yeah, he's really good.
Speaker 1 (34:44):
His first year.
Speaker 3 (34:45):
The big knock was they wouldn't give him the ball enough.
Speaker 4 (34:47):
How about this one on Fox Falcons Panthers. Listen, I'm
that guy who bets the Falcons every week.
Speaker 3 (34:52):
You know I'm pot committed to them.
Speaker 4 (34:54):
I will buy you a jet Ski if they're the
number one seed in the NFC, because that's how loaded
I am. I love them this weekend. I mean, I'm
sure you see you look at injury reports. The Panthers
could be down four offensive linemen and the Falcons all
of a sudden. I have a pass rush because they
drafted two guys and picked up Leonard Floyd. I like
the Falcons a lot. Here, Colin, I'm interested. This team
is interesting with.
Speaker 3 (35:14):
Pennix Bijon, I'm not in your pass rush.
Speaker 1 (35:17):
I'm not giving you all my picks on Thursday.
Speaker 3 (35:19):
Oh my bad.
Speaker 1 (35:20):
You want me to just hand over my hand? Yeah, okay,
I like Atlanta too. I've just lost a small fortune
through the year's betting.
Speaker 6 (35:29):
Also true.
Speaker 3 (35:30):
Jmack with the News.
Speaker 2 (35:32):
Well, that's the news, and thanks for stopping that the.
Speaker 1 (35:35):
Herd Lineman Myers around the corner as well.
Speaker 3 (35:39):
It's The Herd.
Speaker 2 (35:42):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and noon eastern nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 4 (35:51):
Play the Fox Super six NFL Challenge. Download the Fox
Sports App right now and enter for a free shot
to win your share of ten thousand dollars in cash prizes.
Speaker 1 (36:06):
Yeah, I was just thinking about this, j Mac. So
maybe it's just easier to draft defense. It's just easier
to find a game wrecker and a playwrecker than somebody
that fits into a great scheme. I'll give you an example.
If you go look at Brady in New England. His
last year in New England, he was twelve and four,
(36:26):
but it was mostly because of the defense. Belichick could
still get the defense right. The offense had no receivers
his last couple of years, and then when he left,
their offense got even worse. If you look at Kansas
City right now, their defense is fine. The problem is
they can't find a running back. They can't get a
receiver that can stay on the field. They can't necessarily
find a replacement for Travis Kelce and once again they're
(36:48):
old lines in a rebuild is that it's probably just
harder to draft offense than it is defense. I mean,
but before bow Knicks was great and they got the
defense figured out in Denver, and Sean Payton's an offensive guy.
So like Franklin, this year for the Broncos is really good,
but last year was a little lost, and it usually
(37:11):
takes tight ends. Warren's already really good for the Colts,
but it usually takes tight ends like a second year
to develop wide receivers. Brady and Aaron Rodgers as they
got older really struggled with young receivers learning the system.
So I mean, it's very obvious. Greg Cosell talked about this.
When you play Kansas City, Yeah, you don't have to worry.
(37:32):
You don't have to worry about the perimeter. That's where
they've struggled. That's why they keep bringing Juju Smith Schuster back.
That's where they keep bringing guys back. Here's Greg Cosell
on what the Eagles did defensively against Mahomes in.
Speaker 6 (37:45):
This game last week.
Speaker 5 (37:47):
They blitzed quite a bit, a high percentage for Vic Fangio,
and they played a lot more man coverage, So he
came with a totally different defensive tactical approach.
Speaker 6 (37:57):
So it's not one thing.
Speaker 5 (37:59):
There is a sense, and it could be a function
of the receivers, but I think there's a sense right
now among teams that what you want to do with
Patrick Mahomes and the pass game is really clog the
middle of the field and make him work outside.
Speaker 1 (38:13):
I mean, look at the New York Giants. They've had
good defensive personnel for several years. They can't get the
offense right. Even when they get the left tackle right,
he's always hurt.
Speaker 3 (38:22):
Look at the Jets.
Speaker 1 (38:22):
Jets have excellent defensive players, it's been the offensive line,
the quarterback spot. They can't get that right. Can't find
anybody beyond Garrett Wilson. I mean, you look around the NFL.
The Chicago Bears have played defense before, it's usually the
quarterback and the offensive line Chicago struggles with. It's just
it looks like now there are some teams where I
think the defensive personnel. I think the Colts offensive personnel
(38:44):
is actually better than their defense. They they don't have
a superstar quarterback, but it just may be easier to
find the game wrecker than the playmaker is because on offense,
everything has to fit with your coach and your quarterback.
You may get a really good receiver, but he doesn't
necessarily he can't. You know, he's young. It took Quinton
(39:06):
Johnson look at the receiver. J Mack look at the
receiver for the Chargers. He is now emerging in year three.
You're like, Okay, the light finally is on for Quentin Johnson.
First year he looked like a bust. Last year he
couldn't catch, get the hands. Like a defensive guy. You
come into the NFL, blow stuff up, you know, just
just just blow stuff up, play fast, and I mean
(39:27):
a keep to lead. One time I asked him about this.
I said, you and you went from like Denver to
New England?
Speaker 3 (39:32):
Was it hard?
Speaker 1 (39:32):
He goes, second practice, I knew what Belichick wanted. Noah
Faddleman took four years to work himself into Brady and
he's a he's an all time postseason stud. A keep
to leave told me. Into the second practice, he goes, yeah,
it's really easy defense. So I think when I look
at Mahomes and I look at Brady, it's hard to
(39:54):
work with those guys. They don't They demand a lot
from their linemen, their backs, tight ends, and receiver.
Speaker 4 (40:00):
All right, So I'm just thinking out loud here listening
to you. Haven't done a ton of research on this,
but it almost sounds like what you're saying is for defense,
it's easier to draft because it's seaball tackle ball, chase ball, right, yeah,
But on offense, not everybody's twitched up and can get open.
Maybe for offense, when you're drafting receivers, you draft for
the scheme.
Speaker 3 (40:21):
Kyle Shanahan, Juwan Jennings.
Speaker 4 (40:22):
Seventh round pick, That guy looks like a stud, right,
you know, if you get the guy who.
Speaker 3 (40:26):
Can, it's more about the scheme than the guy.
Speaker 4 (40:29):
Like Josh McDaniels would turn Edelman, Wes Welker, Chris Hogan
a lacrosse player.
Speaker 3 (40:35):
You can just scheme them open, that's right.
Speaker 4 (40:38):
But defensively, uniquely, gotta find guys who can make plays.
Speaker 3 (40:42):
Huh.
Speaker 1 (40:43):
It's very rare in the NFL when you draft a
guy and you're like, man, he is unblockable. It works. Okay,
So I just any scheme. Mike is gonna work in
any scheme. Aaron Donald works in any scheme. But you
can have Again, you can have a receiver who's the
fastest guy on the team, but if the quarterback doesn't
trust him. Quentin Johnson first two years, he had the drops.
(41:04):
I mean they just justin Herbert didn't trust him in
big spots.
Speaker 4 (41:08):
I have a Keenan Allen was a third round pick.
He is an elite receiver. That guy's a stud.
Speaker 3 (41:13):
He didn't go early. I'm on Ross Saint Brown, who
you love? Fifth round? Yeah, by the way, was I'm
on Ross Saint Brown? Incredible at USC?
Speaker 1 (41:21):
He was really really good. But again it just he
was really really good. He was a great high school player,
but he kind of plateaued at USC when he was
always a hard worker. Dad was like a bodybuilder. He
always ran great routes. He was always a smart kid
that you like. He squeezed every ounce of his town.
I didn't think he'd be nearly that good in the NFL.
Speaker 4 (41:39):
You know what else he was. He's always wide open
in the Ben Johnson scheme. I mean he's just running
around open everywhere.
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
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Speaker 2 (00:21):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
Here we go, Hour two.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
It's a Thursday, Bills, Dolphins Tonight Live. It's The Herd
wherever you may be, however you may be listening. Thanks
for making us part of your day. Fifteen minutes. We
all get smarter every week. Jamch I was talking about
favorites this year and the disappearing middle class in the NFL,
which we've been on for three years. So big favorites
this season meaning you're favored by four points or more.
(00:47):
I think a big favorite six six and a half
or more. But team is favored by four plus points
or more. Are not only twelve and zero. They're winning
by twelve and a half points. They're averaging twenty nine
points a game and allowing seventeen, meaning you get more blowouts.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
So you're getting more.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Blowouts because there's a bigger gap in the schedule now tonight.
I think it's going to be one of those blowouts.
I mean games that I'm almost guaranteed are going to
be close. Rams Eagles will be really really close. Yep,
Texans Jags will be close. I'd be surprised if Steelers, Patriots, Colts,
(01:26):
Titans aren't close. Denver Chargers will be very competitive.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
It's the NFL. Every game feels close.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
I will say this, I do not get the Bears
and the Cowboys is basically a pickham that I don't get.
Speaker 4 (01:38):
You have a touched on Falcons Panthers. That's a good
game on Fox. I'm loaded up on one side in
that one.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
I think we'll be talking about it on Friday. I'm
sure the audience is waiting with painted breath.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
Hey, come on, listen. Atlanta's good Atlanta. By the way,
is Atlanta in your upper class or are they middle class?
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Well, let's let Penix have ten stars.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
I think he barely has an A starts and you
put him in the upper crust.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
Who's at O next?
Speaker 3 (02:03):
He's been awful so far through two.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
He has twenty NFL starts, and he made the playoffs
as a rookie in the division with Herbert and Mahomes.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
He's fine, he's Chargers this week. That how about how
good is.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
That game.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
In the division? Very good?
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Forty six years NFL films joined us twenty five times
a year minimum at this time. Okay, you know it's interesting.
A lot of times coaches send messages. They go to
the podium every week on Wednesday and they you know,
they have a message for the team. And Ben Johnson
this week is saying I am seeing a lot of
(02:40):
improvement with Caleb Williams. I didn't see it. What mister Kosel,
what did the film say that? Do you see a
progressive growth with Caleb Williams week one to week two?
Speaker 5 (02:53):
You know, I thought in the first half Colin that
there was that he was better because the key thing
is being decisive. They want him to drop back and
get rid of the football. They don't want him to
get stuck in the pocket. So I thought in the
first half, when theoretically it was still somewhat of a game,
I thought that he was much more decisive in what
he saw and he delivered the football as the game progressed.
(03:15):
And unfortunately, you never want to be in this situation
with a young quarterback, and certainly not Caleb Williams at
this point in his growth. He had to drop back
and throw on every snap and that's where some of
the warts that he has right now come out.
Speaker 6 (03:30):
And you know, one of the things is in.
Speaker 5 (03:32):
The NFL, and we've talked about this, and the more
you throw, the more it shows up. Is for quarterbacks
who are not used to the NFL and pressure, what's
pressure and what's not pressure in the NFL, they start
to move when they don't need to move. They move prematurely,
and they move unnecessarily. And that's true. I've noticed that
(03:53):
with Caleb Williams at times. It's true with cam Ward.
It's just something you have to learn by playing as
to what really is pressure and what's really not pressure
by NFL standards.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
So JJ McCarthy is young, fewer starts than Caleb, banged
up again. I think he feels a little overwhelmed. I've
said before Michael Pennix, I don't have a lot of starts,
but boy, he looks comfortable, gets the ball, gets rid
of it. JJ looks hesitant. Seven of eight quarters i've
watched him. He looks a bit overwhelmed. What does the
(04:24):
film say, are there open receivers? He's not seeing? What's it?
Speaker 3 (04:27):
Say?
Speaker 5 (04:27):
Yeah, you know, I'm always leary. After two games, this
is what I would expect from JJ McCarthy. I don't
know how you felt about him coming out. I mean
I studied him in detail in Michigan. I personally, in
my evaluation did not feel he was a first round
type quarterback. So I'm not surprised that it would take
him more time. I know for a fact that they
(04:49):
had to rework a lot of his footwork and a
lot on his drop, which was not very good at Michigan.
It was a problem that he had, and then you
wonder can that be fixed. I think they're working on
that and it's a work in progress. So he needs
a lot more time. And then, don't forget a lot
of young quarterbacks. Then it becomes a function of team
as well. Can they run the ball, can they manage
(05:11):
him to an extent where they can be proactive, and
how they use him as opposed to having to be
reactive in other words, having him have to throw too
many times and given games. So it'll take some time
with JJ McCarthy, obviously he'll be out for who knows
how long, But I mean, I think they're pretty much
committed to him.
Speaker 6 (05:29):
It's not as if they're not going to play him
when he gets healthy.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
I want to ask you about too. Miami right now
has some cultural issues, some personnel issues, and who knows
what's going to happen. But they've moved off coaches. They
moved off Brian Flores, they'd move off Mike McDaniel. They
always say, you can lose games, don't lose the locker room,
and they're certainly an argument the latter is happening. If
somebody took over the Miami Dolphins and put in the
(05:54):
tape on Tua and you didn't know anything about Tua,
you knew he was a little smaller, didn't have a
huge arm. Is his lack of higher level success? Is
it lack of online protection? Personnel issues? When you put
in the tape on Tua? Is there a comp what
do you see?
Speaker 6 (06:16):
There's no mystery to what Tua is Colin.
Speaker 5 (06:19):
Everybody knows he's a pure timing and rhythm player that
is extremely accurate. So everything about the way in which
he plays has to be based on that. He's narrow
in that regard. He can't do much beyond that.
Speaker 6 (06:32):
So when it.
Speaker 5 (06:33):
Looks good, depending on who the opponent is, depending on
a number of factors, he can look really, really good
and their offense can be really explosive. And by the way,
that can happen against any given opponent. So you know,
obviously they're playing tonight against a good Bills team, the
assumption is they'll get blown out. But any given opponent
where he can play with timing and rhythm and get
(06:55):
the ball out in windows, he's a very good window thrower.
Between the numbers. That's his game. But that's all his
game is. There's not much more beyond that, so you
have to decide. Look last week, two things really stood
out in the tape. Number one, thirty seven dropbacks, twelve
carries for backs. They can't play that way. Tua needs
a run game to be the foundation. And Mike Rabol
(07:18):
on that staff in New England, they played him.
Speaker 6 (07:20):
To what he is. They only rushed five two times on.
Speaker 5 (07:24):
His thirty seven dropbacks because they wanted seven in coverage
to minimize the windows. That's what you have to do
when you play Tua, You've got to minimize the windows.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
We look at tonight, the Bills are favored by a
couple of touchdowns and should be. We look at Buffalo
and you said this last week. You said their run
game is more fundamentally important and better than people give
it credit for. So tell me when you watch film.
You said that, And so I looked for this past week,
even though it was a blowout early. What does the
(07:55):
run game provide to Josh Allen that without a run game,
what are the advantages he gains from it?
Speaker 5 (08:04):
Well, every quarterback game is from a run game. And
then now you're getting into multiple issues. What personnel do
you put out on the field. They like to put
out a lot of base personnel groupings. They did that
this past week, and they are a very multiple run
game as well. And James Cook, despite his size, is
actually a very tough, physical inside runner. He gets hard
(08:25):
earned yards. So a run game is critical. You know,
It's funny. I watched that tape and I came away
thinking to myself, this was a great game for Josh
Allen because he plays in four days and it didn't
seem like he exerted any energy in that game. It
didn't seem like he had much to do. So, you know,
a run game always helps a quarterback. So I think, look,
(08:46):
we know Josh Allen when necessary can put on the
Superman cape, as he did Week one in the fourth
quarter of that game against Baltimore. But the way they
played last week, and granted they got ahead early and
there was clearly a sense they were going to control
the game, which they did, but I think they want
to play with a run game.
Speaker 6 (09:05):
They don't want to just be a passing team.
Speaker 5 (09:06):
And it's funny, I said watching that tape to one
of my guys in the office day, I said, you know,
Josh Allen, he's not really a gunslinger anymore unless the
game demands it. You know, he doesn't play that way
as his natural state, which is the way he sort
of played three four years ago. Now, he's very much
a piece of an offense and if demanded, he can
do special things, but he doesn't play like that as
(09:29):
his natural state.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
So one of the reasons I picked the Seahawks to
make the playoffs and I thought Sam Darnold would work
is that when Sam has a run game and can
throw it twenty eight times or fewer and does not
have to get into track meets. And I think this
team's defensive structure. I said, Sam is going to be
asked to do two or three wow plays, and he's
(09:54):
really talented. But and I think that's really the key.
That's why in Minnesota with Brian Lawes, he didn't have
to win a shootout every week. In New York when
you're saving the franchise, he's like Gina, Yeah, Jennis, three times,
you're gonna get two or three picks. So what does
the tape say so far with Sam? I think Seattle
(10:14):
fits his strengths.
Speaker 5 (10:18):
Well, it's funny you say that because what they did
and it's only two weeks, so you don't know if
this is something that will be a trend or not.
But what they did last week against Pittsburgh was something
I haven't seen very much in the league. They had
sixty four offensive snaps Colin. Forty five of them came
at a base personnel.
Speaker 6 (10:36):
They did not play many snaps.
Speaker 5 (10:38):
With three wide receivers on the field at all, so
they had a lot of tight formations. They tried to
run the ball, Walker had some good success. Charmon they
didn't have any success, But that's I think the way
they want to play under Clint Kubiak.
Speaker 6 (10:51):
They know what Darnold is.
Speaker 5 (10:52):
They loved the fact that he was so efficient in
the play action pass game under center a year ago
in Minnesota. They liked their offense to look like that.
And I agree with you. And by the way, how
many quarterbacks do you think realistically can line up and
throw it forty forty five times a week and really
be good. That's a hard thing to do in this league.
And by the way, it's very hard on your old line,
(11:13):
no matter how good it is.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
Yeah, I mean, there's a number with Dak who's going
to have, with three different coaches, be highly productive. If
he throws over forty times, Dak's numbers plummet, his win
percentage plummets. It's the reality is, at any given time
in my life, there's about three quarterbacks maybe four, that
you feel comfortable throwing forty times a game.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
It's really really hard.
Speaker 6 (11:35):
Okay, it's hard to do.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
Yeah, Eagles Chiefs, listen, we know Kansas City's issues. They're
not very gifted. Until Xavier Worthy and Rashid Rice get
back on the perimeter, there's a way you can defend them. Now,
did Philadelphia use any secret sauce, any deception or was
it just Mono Amano. We have better defensive players than
(11:59):
you do offensive players.
Speaker 5 (12:01):
Well, it's funny because about a quarter into that tape,
I said to myself, Wow, Vick Fangio has taken a
totally different approach than he did in the Super Bowl.
Speaker 6 (12:10):
In the super Bowl, they.
Speaker 5 (12:11):
Did not rush five one time, and they literally played
zone in a quarter structure four across on the back
end on almost every play in this game. Last week
they blitzed quite a bit a high percentage for Vic Fangio,
and they played a lot more man coverage, So he
came with a totally different defensive tactical approach. So it's
(12:32):
not one thing, but I will say this, I think
there is a sense, and it could be a function
of the receivers, but I think there's a sense right
now among teams that what you want to do with
Patrick Mahomes and the pass game is really clog the
middle of the field and make him work outside. Now,
he's capable, obviously, he's capable of making any throw, that's
(12:52):
not the point, but he doesn't make a lot of
throws outside the numbers unless it's vertical throws. So they're
going to have to figure out away. Andy Reid Kofka.
They're gonna have to figure out not Kafka, Matt Nagy.
They're gonna have to figure out a way to work
outside the numbers in kind of a short to intermediate
pass game.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
You know, it's interesting. It feels like the tush push
means even more this year. Through two games, Jalen Hurts
has attempted more tush pushes than throws of ten yards
plus down the field.
Speaker 3 (13:24):
They're not throwing the ball down the field.
Speaker 6 (13:27):
I don't know, they're not.
Speaker 1 (13:28):
They're not like and I think to myself, how sustainable
is it? But it does? I mean, I mean, I
look at it. What they are I said this Monday
on the show. In my life, there has never been
a quarterback and a team that is better at getting one,
two or three yards they are now. They don't throw
over the top. There's things they're not great at. But
(13:50):
if you need one, two or three yards, that as good.
That's as good as the Chiefs in their dynasty, the
Niners in their dynasty, the Steelers in their dynasty. Does
the offense concern you because it just doesn't throw the
ball down the field at all?
Speaker 6 (14:08):
Yes, now it does.
Speaker 5 (14:09):
I think they will But I think the larger point
about the tush push, because there's been so much talk
about it obviously this week, is not the tush push itself.
It's the fact how many times they're in situations to
deploy the tush push.
Speaker 6 (14:22):
Yeah, that's the larger question.
Speaker 5 (14:24):
That's the big deal because, and we've discussed this, when
it's third and seven or third and eight for the
Eagles offense, they don't necessarily have to throw the ball
column and now it changes the way defenses have to
play because in the NFL, third and seven is one
hundred percent pretty much a passing down, correct, But the
Eagles don't view it that way because if they get
(14:46):
to fourth and two and they're at the fifty yard
line going in, they're going to go for it. So
it's how often they get to those short yarded situations
that they're able to go for it that's really the
bigger issue than the fact that they convert on the
push push.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
Okay, So I want to go back. I asked you
about Caleb and JJ. Now I want to go to
a quarterback that's got far more starts than JJ. I
want to talk Drake May because they host the Steelers
this week, and they won a big game last week.
So I think both of us, like Drake May out
of college, I did a lot. I know he was
a less polished justin Herbert. He hadn't started as many games. Yeah,
(15:24):
I thought he was justin Herbert, but probably a year
and a half to two years behind him in terms
of snaps and polish. Okay, so he wins a game.
It's Miami in September. That's always been tough on Belichick
and Brady struggled down early in the season. Are you
Are you seeing a jump from last year to this
year from Drake May.
Speaker 5 (15:44):
Yeah, And I think one thing you really want to
keep seeing he did it last week is just the
ball placement. When he places the ball, well, he's really
really good.
Speaker 6 (15:53):
And I think it's another example.
Speaker 5 (15:55):
And we've talked about this scheme and play calling helping him.
Early in that game, they called some plays that were
really scheme, really strong from a scheme perspective. They had
a drag wheel throwback to Hooper. They had a great
third down call because they knew they were going to
get man coverage where he hit Henderson on a wheel
route out of the backfield to the right they're really
(16:17):
helping him with what they're calling to define reads and
throws for him. But the one thing that really stands
out to me as well, he's very poised and very
calm in the way in which he plays. There's not
no freneticism to him, and he's got you know, he's
obviously got athleticism to him. It's funny you mentioned the
size comparing him to her, but I got a chance
to stand next to him at the combine and he's
(16:38):
a big dude now, And you know, you almost lose
sight of how big some of these quarterbacks are because
there's a lot more smaller quarterbacks.
Speaker 6 (16:45):
But I stood next to Caleb Williams and Drake May.
Speaker 5 (16:48):
Caleb Williams looked like a high school kid and Drake
May looked like a really big dude.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
Yeah, yeah, okay, I want to get in.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
I have said the first two weeks of the year
that the Packers are the best team I've seen. I'm
trusting my eyes. I think they're the fastest team offensively.
I think they're so fast everybody runs. Love the running back,
the tight ends, Yeah, the receivers. They got eight and
nine guys that can really run. But it's interesting with
their defense. I compared it to when you were in
college and you had a really big, strong football player
(17:18):
Buddyoas felt hat a little more courage go into the
bar and have enough flirting. There is something about Mica
that has elevated his teammates. It's almost as if his
teammates know they're going to get more space, that he's
going to create disruptions. I feel like he's elevating other
(17:39):
players on the defense. Maybe they're playing with more energy.
Maybe it's because they have fewer snaps, the offense is
more productive, But there is something when I watch the Packers,
I'm like, they're more aggressive than last year, and they
feel more aggressive.
Speaker 3 (17:54):
What does a film.
Speaker 5 (17:55):
Say, Well, it's funny you say that because in this
last game, which was Thursday night last week, so it
feels like a long time ago. You know, they're getting
Edger and Cooper now more involved in their rushes. So
they're showing some more five man fronts. And when you
show a five man front, the way offense is almost
always protected is what they call five to zero protection,
meaning five on five. So that gives Micah theoretically a
(18:18):
one on one. So they're going to do more and
more of that and then see how offenses react to that.
Speaker 6 (18:24):
They had a sack last week.
Speaker 5 (18:25):
It was a Cooper and Parson split sack where they
did just that and they stunted away from Micah with
the loop, and then he was one on one with.
Speaker 6 (18:34):
The right tackle Connor Lee, and he just ate him up.
Speaker 5 (18:36):
But they're also so good Halflee, and this to me
is coaching. He is so good with his late coverage rotation.
In other words, he changes the picture pre snap to
post snap. And he's not just moving one or two
guys Colin, he's moving five guys on defense. That's coaching,
because if one guy makes a mistake, you know what happens.
Speaker 6 (18:56):
So they are really good.
Speaker 5 (18:57):
Now with their pressure schemes, and they're really good on
the back end with all this late coverage rotation changing
the picture.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
Jordan Love, first of all, you kind of taught me
this traits. His traits size, arm strength, athletic ability, toughness.
His traits are excellent. But you look at film and
you look at beyond traits. Pre snap, how is he
handling box packages? You know what I look at. He
(19:26):
just looks very comfortable. That's what my eyes tell me, now,
some of it could be good coaching and lots of weapons,
but what does the film say?
Speaker 5 (19:35):
Yeah, And I think that that happens over time. You know,
we spoke about Josh Allen a little earlier, how he's
not really a gunslinger in the way he plays. I
think you see that every once in a while, still
with love. That's just kind of who he is. But
I think as he plays more, you'll see less of that,
and he'll play the game within the game, so to speak.
Speaker 6 (19:54):
But also I think.
Speaker 5 (19:55):
Lafleur does such a good job with how they construct
that offense and how he goes about you know, he
comes from the Shanahan school, so for him, it's not
just individual plays, Colin, it's how you put plays together,
what you do in the first quarter, how that affects
the second quarter.
Speaker 6 (20:10):
In the third quarter, in the fourth quarter.
Speaker 5 (20:12):
And there was an unbelievable example of that in the
game against Washington last week. And these were back to
back plays, and on one play they come out with
what we call thirteen personnel, one back, three tight ends.
So they saw exactly how the commanders responded to that
with their personnel. Okay, and then on the very next play.
(20:32):
They came out in the same thirteen personnel and that's
our big play if we want to go to it
right now, because this is really the way to go,
let's go it, go with it. This was the Craft
fifty seven yard completion. And that's what they did is
they basically showed thirteen personnel, saw what they were going
to get from a defensive personnel perspective, and then Lafleur
(20:54):
called this play and we're going to break it down
here because this is really really good stuff. I mean,
this is this is why I love watching tape Colin.
This is a lot of fun. So you're going to
see this is thirteen personnel, three tight ends. There's Craft
because he's the guy who catches the ball. So what
did they get. They got three linebackers base personnel on
the defense. But not only that, they got three safeties. Okay,
(21:18):
so there's only going to be one corner on the
field and that corner is down below at the bottom
of the screen. So they got three linebackers and three
safeties versus their thirteen personnel, which they knew they were
going to get from the play before. So they put
the rookie savi you on Williams now in motion across
the formation.
Speaker 6 (21:37):
So what does that lead to. It's something that we call.
Speaker 5 (21:40):
Four strong, meaning four receivers to one side of the formation.
Speaker 6 (21:44):
That's what you're going to get here. As we freeze it.
Speaker 5 (21:47):
When Williams gets over there, there's now four receivers to
one side.
Speaker 6 (21:51):
But remember the corner didn't go.
Speaker 5 (21:53):
With them, so the corners all the way on the
other side of the field. So now you're going to
run four routes colin four round so okay, against two
linebackers and two safeties.
Speaker 6 (22:04):
This is exactly what you want.
Speaker 5 (22:05):
These guys are not great coverage people, okay, particularly the linebackers,
and what they're going to run now is a three
man vertical concept. That's the route concept here. It's going
to be a three man vertical concept. You're going to
see Williams run deep on the outside. You're going to
see that's actually Musgrave the other tight end there on
that side. He's going to run the deep over in
(22:27):
the middle of the field, and then Craft is going
to run the seam. So now you get three vertical routes.
There's no corner involved in this coverage at all. So
here's what you get. So now you're going to see
that's Bobby Wagner. He's probably a Hall of Famer. So
he now gets his eyes on Craft. Well, let's see
how all this really plays out, because this is really
(22:48):
good stuff. You're going to see Williams, he's going to
lift the safety to the top of the screen. You're
going to see Musgrave run right at the deep safety,
and you're going to see now the back expands into
the flat, so the other linebacker goes with him.
Speaker 6 (23:04):
So what do you end up with? You end up
with Wagner who has to match Craft.
Speaker 5 (23:08):
But Wagner is uncertain of what to do and he's
a veteran, as I said, probably a Hall of Famer,
so he gets lost. So you end up with just
a great concept. Colin, you probably could have made that throw.
The concept was so good, So you know that's what
you get.
Speaker 6 (23:22):
This is what play calling is all about to me.
Speaker 5 (23:25):
And this is how you structure an offense, and you
structure with the use of personnel formations, motion and you
create This is what I mean when I always say
you define a read and a throw.
Speaker 6 (23:35):
For a quarterback. You can't do it any better than that.
Speaker 1 (23:38):
Yeah, and they also have so much speed offensively that
when they get you in space, they're a problem even
if you do read the play. And at that point
the commanders did not great co sell on a Thursday.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
Is always good seeing you.
Speaker 6 (23:51):
Thanks, Colin, appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
Yeah, and green Bay's got everything humming, play design, speed,
everybody can run and defensively and again, head coaches matter.
Jeff Hafley, how many times have we talked about their
defensive coordinator coordinators met Robert sallin the Niners defense last
year was a mess. They lose green Law Hufunga. They're better. Why,
(24:13):
it just matters. It's like having a good mentor, a
good professor, a good high school teacher. The quality matters.
And green Bay right now the best team I've seen
in the league. Both sides, coaching staff, run it, throw
a play, and they're built to play from behind. I
just don't think they're gonna have to. I mean, that's
one thing. I don't think Philadelphia is built to play
(24:36):
from ten points down seven minutes left.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
Green Bay is.
Speaker 1 (24:39):
That's what another reason why I think right now to
the best team in the league.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
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Speaker 7 (24:52):
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(25:13):
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Speaker 1 (25:24):
Urban Meyer shows up next hour checking on that weather.
Jmak and another's torrential downpours. You gotta be careful driving home.
Speaker 3 (25:33):
Yeah, I'm not worried about the weather right now. Come
a couple other things on my mind right now. Jmack
with the news.
Speaker 2 (25:44):
Turn on the news. This is the Herdline News.
Speaker 4 (25:48):
And one of the things I'm worried about is the
Philadelphia Eagles offense because Colin I do believe, like you
said for most of his show today that other than
the tush push, they don't really have much going for them. Sure,
they're two and zero, Philly is twenty ninetheen yards per game. Wow,
Jalen Hurts has only completed three passes of ten yards
or more. Again, like, I don't think it's a huge
(26:11):
deal yet, but it's going to be Hurts address the
lackluster offense.
Speaker 8 (26:16):
I take accountability for a lot of it and just
how we go out there because it's my job. My
jobs you go out there and be the general orchestrate
everything and ultimately make plays. And you know, given the
opportunities we had, you know, I'm very critical of myself
of trying to make the most of what's given to us.
And so there's definitely some evolution that we can do.
(26:39):
There's definitely some things that we can grow in. But
I look inward on all of those things and I
just want to make the most of the opportunities that
we do have.
Speaker 4 (26:50):
So let me ask you this colin. Local media is
asking the Eagles about this. National media like US is
talking about this, fans are talking about this, the other
coaches around the league are talking about the toush push.
I wonder do you think this makes Philly more or
less likely to come out with a different look Sunday?
(27:10):
Then they've had the first two weeks, are they gonna
be just chucking and ducking? Like, do you expect change
from Philly?
Speaker 1 (27:15):
Well, if they look at the film of Stafford and
Puka and Devonte Adams and their difficulty at one of
their corner spots, I think Nick Siriani and his staff
realize we're gonna have to score some points here. The
Rams will move the football. I think that's pretty obvious.
So my take is Philadelphia probably works to some degree.
(27:36):
I mean, they did get the ball more to aj Brown.
It's just that they were all underneath throws. So it's
not that they are ignoring AJ Brown, They're just not
throwing the ball deep. And I don't think Jalen Hurts
is an elite pocket guy. I don't think he's built
the play from behind. There are some guys who I
don't want running, but I love in the pocket Baker Mayfield.
(28:00):
Love when Baker just plants his foots and throws. I
think Michael Pennock's early Oh, I like that guy from
the pocket. Hurts is a guy that I like moving.
I the tush, push the RPO stuff, get rid of
it quickly. I mean, I don't think it's a coincidence.
They throw to the tight end a lot for smaller quarterbacks,
that's an easier target to see underneath sixty six tight end.
(28:23):
So I just think I think they don't have to
play much from behind, but I don't think they're necessarily
built for it.
Speaker 4 (28:29):
And got her trending toward returning this week. That would
be a good get back for the Eagles.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
Obviously.
Speaker 4 (28:37):
You know, we're at a time right now in football
where everybody thinks they have all the answers, they know
what's gonna happen, right, I mean, everybody in their mom
is a gambling analyst. I'm still surprised this is three
and a half cone. Sometime I'm missing something here. Maybe
the Eagles trample them. Maybe maybe it's McVeigh struggles against
the Eagles and the offense can't do much.
Speaker 3 (28:58):
But what am I missing? Why are we getting offered
the hook here? Shouldn't this just be three? Well?
Speaker 1 (29:04):
I think the Rams have had offensive line issues a
little bit. I think there's a feeling that Stafford will
be under pressure. Everything points to me to either a
Rams win or Rams close. So again, this is one
of those lines that was an easy one. There's only
about one or two a week that I look at
and I thought, Dallas is pick him against Chicago. That
(29:28):
doesn't feel right. And the Rams getting the hook against
Philadelphia that didn't feel right.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
So I mean every I just I'm with you.
Speaker 1 (29:37):
It just I think we're gonna have a really close game,
probably low scoring because the Eagles don't to it downfield
and the Rams defense puts pressure on everybody. I think
it's a and I've always told you when I think
it's a low scoring, close game, take the hook.
Speaker 4 (29:50):
Okay, I'll get the social guys to flag it. But
over under half a penalty on tush push plays for
the Eagles.
Speaker 3 (29:57):
Over there'll be one, how over five over under one
and a half under.
Speaker 6 (30:01):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (30:01):
Because I think this, I think the Eagles have spent
time this week getting it right as well.
Speaker 4 (30:05):
The league is going to be looking closely. Just to
just trust me, given what happened against the Chiefs. Next up, Colin,
let's go to Monday night football. Really good matchup. Lions
had to Baltimore to take on Lamar. Detroit embarrassed the
Bears in week two, dropped a fifty burger. Ravens rookie
safety Malachi Starts knows that the defense needs to be
on their A games, saying the Lions are versatile, they're elite.
Speaker 3 (30:28):
We have to be on our p's and q's.
Speaker 4 (30:30):
I didn't know Malachi Starts was speaking in like seventies talk.
That's like what my parents said Europeans and qs. I
haven't heard anybody say that normal lately. This line keeps
coming down a lot of money on the Lions. Colin,
I don't know about that. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (30:45):
I like Baltimore here.
Speaker 1 (30:46):
I mean, is there a team and I don't have
this in front of me. Has any team had more
blowout wins in the last three years than the Ravens
at home? And I mean against good team?
Speaker 3 (30:56):
Well, maybe the Lions. I mean they bludge in folks
than the don't yet.
Speaker 1 (31:01):
Yeah, And and I think Jared Goff has never quite
been as effective either cold weather, outdoors, road.
Speaker 3 (31:07):
This thing just screams Ravens.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (31:10):
And by the way, yeah, I think you pointed this
out the Browns versus the Ravens. The Browns like outgain Baltimore.
That was like weird, It was like thirteen to three.
Speaker 1 (31:17):
And the third think a lot of what makes Baltimore
so effective is they have big play capability, Lamar Derrick,
Henry Zay Flowers. So it's not necessarily with Baltimore always
ball control. I mean, you know, Josh Allen has some
of this. Sometimes you know, you'll look up and Josh
Allen just makes a play. So I think, I think
(31:40):
I don't worry too much about that. Over the course
of a season, they'll win time of possession and yardage games.
But but Baltimore, I just think it's it's a man
and that there's another number here. And FC teams against
Lamar Jackson have been dreadful. So it just the numbers
tell you take.
Speaker 3 (32:01):
The raid YEP final story call. Let's go to yes,
the Atlanta Falcons.
Speaker 4 (32:06):
I love getting these guys in the show because they
break my heart every freaking Sunday. So they got to
win over the Vikings Sunday night. Really nice for us.
B Jon Robinson cooked. He is second in the NFL
with one hundred and forty six yards from scrimmage per game.
And Raheem Morris, his coach, made it clear he loves
his star running back.
Speaker 6 (32:27):
He's definitely the best player in football.
Speaker 9 (32:31):
Like in my head, I don't care. He's unbelievable. I
love the kid. I love everything about him. I love
Washington with the ball. I love his confidence, I love
his demeanor, I love his mindset, I love the leadership.
I love everything about him. And like you know, it
is what it is. I love the kid.
Speaker 1 (32:48):
I was told in the draft before he came out.
I think I said this on the air three or
four times. He literally didn't have a flaw. He was Ladanian, Tomlinson,
good leader, good kid, could run, could blog, could catch.
He was I was told by an executive in the NFL,
they said, you don't get he goes. I wouldn't take
him number one because of his position.
Speaker 3 (33:08):
He Goes.
Speaker 1 (33:08):
He's literally a flawless player, character, leadership, toughness, everything.
Speaker 3 (33:13):
And you know, think about this too.
Speaker 1 (33:15):
Nobody wants to draft a running back in the first
fifteen picks. Let's go look at the guys who have
been drafted recently in the first round. Jamiir Gibbs, Jon Robinson,
sa Kwan Barkley, Ezekiel Elliott, Adrian Peterson. You know, when
you do take a running back early now late first
round is no man's land. That's a graveyard for all picks.
(33:35):
Kansas City took a you know, Isaiah Pacheco late didn't
work out. But if you take a running back in
the top fifteen picks, they mostly become stars in this league.
Speaker 4 (33:44):
I think Pacheco was seventh, but I think Clyde Edwards
Hilaire's no.
Speaker 3 (33:47):
You're right, you're right, My bad, right, Edwards Hilaire.
Speaker 4 (33:50):
You named a lot of good running backs who went
first early first. Ashton Genty went.
Speaker 3 (33:54):
To the race.
Speaker 1 (33:55):
Oh, I think he's going to be fine.
Speaker 4 (33:56):
Are you sure he has two weeks besides Finn to
see owners being unset.
Speaker 3 (34:01):
Colin He's at.
Speaker 4 (34:01):
Like three yards of carry And I'm being completely honest.
Speaker 3 (34:05):
I know we got some Raiders fans on staff.
Speaker 4 (34:07):
He does not move like Jon Robinson when Robinson hits
those holes.
Speaker 1 (34:11):
Com Jon Bjeon came in a flawless player against elite competition.
Bijeon Also, that was a much stronger draft, so I mean, Bjean.
You could argue if Bijeon would have been in this draft,
there's an argument he would have been the number one
player taken, But but gent was in a much weaker
draft where people saw him as a top eight prospect.
(34:34):
Bijeon Bijeon was seen as a flawless I mean, we
worried about Ashton Genty, his size, his competition. Bijeon had
no flaws.
Speaker 3 (34:43):
Yeah, he's really good.
Speaker 1 (34:44):
His first year.
Speaker 3 (34:45):
The big knock was they wouldn't give him the ball enough.
Speaker 4 (34:47):
How about this one on Fox Falcons Panthers. Listen, I'm
that guy who bets the Falcons every week.
Speaker 3 (34:52):
You know I'm pot committed to them.
Speaker 4 (34:54):
I will buy you a jet Ski if they're the
number one seed in the NFC, because that's how loaded
I am. I love them this weekend. I mean, I'm
sure you see you look at injury reports. The Panthers
could be down four offensive linemen and the Falcons all
of a sudden. I have a pass rush because they
drafted two guys and picked up Leonard Floyd. I like
the Falcons a lot. Here, Colin, I'm interested. This team
is interesting with.
Speaker 3 (35:14):
Pennix Bijon, I'm not in your pass rush.
Speaker 1 (35:17):
I'm not giving you all my picks on Thursday.
Speaker 3 (35:19):
Oh my bad.
Speaker 1 (35:20):
You want me to just hand over my hand? Yeah, okay,
I like Atlanta too. I've just lost a small fortune
through the year's betting.
Speaker 6 (35:29):
Also true.
Speaker 3 (35:30):
Jmack with the News.
Speaker 2 (35:32):
Well, that's the news, and thanks for stopping that the.
Speaker 1 (35:35):
Herd Lineman Myers around the corner as well.
Speaker 3 (35:39):
It's The Herd.
Speaker 2 (35:42):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and noon eastern nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 4 (35:51):
Play the Fox Super six NFL Challenge. Download the Fox
Sports App right now and enter for a free shot
to win your share of ten thousand dollars in cash prizes.
Speaker 1 (36:06):
Yeah, I was just thinking about this, j Mac. So
maybe it's just easier to draft defense. It's just easier
to find a game wrecker and a playwrecker than somebody
that fits into a great scheme. I'll give you an example.
If you go look at Brady in New England. His
last year in New England, he was twelve and four,
(36:26):
but it was mostly because of the defense. Belichick could
still get the defense right. The offense had no receivers
his last couple of years, and then when he left,
their offense got even worse. If you look at Kansas
City right now, their defense is fine. The problem is
they can't find a running back. They can't get a
receiver that can stay on the field. They can't necessarily
find a replacement for Travis Kelce and once again they're
(36:48):
old lines in a rebuild is that it's probably just
harder to draft offense than it is defense. I mean,
but before bow Knicks was great and they got the
defense figured out in Denver, and Sean Payton's an offensive guy.
So like Franklin, this year for the Broncos is really good,
but last year was a little lost, and it usually
(37:11):
takes tight ends. Warren's already really good for the Colts,
but it usually takes tight ends like a second year
to develop wide receivers. Brady and Aaron Rodgers as they
got older really struggled with young receivers learning the system.
So I mean, it's very obvious. Greg Cosell talked about this.
When you play Kansas City, Yeah, you don't have to worry.
(37:32):
You don't have to worry about the perimeter. That's where
they've struggled. That's why they keep bringing Juju Smith Schuster back.
That's where they keep bringing guys back. Here's Greg Cosell
on what the Eagles did defensively against Mahomes in.
Speaker 6 (37:45):
This game last week.
Speaker 5 (37:47):
They blitzed quite a bit, a high percentage for Vic Fangio,
and they played a lot more man coverage, So he
came with a totally different defensive tactical approach.
Speaker 6 (37:57):
So it's not one thing.
Speaker 5 (37:59):
There is a sense, and it could be a function
of the receivers, but I think there's a sense right
now among teams that what you want to do with
Patrick Mahomes and the pass game is really clog the
middle of the field and make him work outside.
Speaker 1 (38:13):
I mean, look at the New York Giants. They've had
good defensive personnel for several years. They can't get the
offense right. Even when they get the left tackle right,
he's always hurt.
Speaker 3 (38:22):
Look at the Jets.
Speaker 1 (38:22):
Jets have excellent defensive players, it's been the offensive line,
the quarterback spot. They can't get that right. Can't find
anybody beyond Garrett Wilson. I mean, you look around the NFL.
The Chicago Bears have played defense before, it's usually the
quarterback and the offensive line Chicago struggles with. It's just
it looks like now there are some teams where I
think the defensive personnel. I think the Colts offensive personnel
(38:44):
is actually better than their defense. They they don't have
a superstar quarterback, but it just may be easier to
find the game wrecker than the playmaker is because on offense,
everything has to fit with your coach and your quarterback.
You may get a really good receiver, but he doesn't
necessarily he can't. You know, he's young. It took Quinton
(39:06):
Johnson look at the receiver. J Mack look at the
receiver for the Chargers. He is now emerging in year three.
You're like, Okay, the light finally is on for Quentin Johnson.
First year he looked like a bust. Last year he
couldn't catch, get the hands. Like a defensive guy. You
come into the NFL, blow stuff up, you know, just
just just blow stuff up, play fast, and I mean
(39:27):
a keep to lead. One time I asked him about this.
I said, you and you went from like Denver to
New England?
Speaker 3 (39:32):
Was it hard?
Speaker 1 (39:32):
He goes, second practice, I knew what Belichick wanted. Noah
Faddleman took four years to work himself into Brady and
he's a he's an all time postseason stud. A keep
to leave told me. Into the second practice, he goes, yeah,
it's really easy defense. So I think when I look
at Mahomes and I look at Brady, it's hard to
(39:54):
work with those guys. They don't They demand a lot
from their linemen, their backs, tight ends, and receiver.
Speaker 4 (40:00):
All right, So I'm just thinking out loud here listening
to you. Haven't done a ton of research on this,
but it almost sounds like what you're saying is for defense,
it's easier to draft because it's seaball tackle ball, chase ball, right, yeah,
But on offense, not everybody's twitched up and can get open.
Maybe for offense, when you're drafting receivers, you draft for
the scheme.
Speaker 3 (40:21):
Kyle Shanahan, Juwan Jennings.
Speaker 4 (40:22):
Seventh round pick, That guy looks like a stud, right,
you know, if you get the guy who.
Speaker 3 (40:26):
Can, it's more about the scheme than the guy.
Speaker 4 (40:29):
Like Josh McDaniels would turn Edelman, Wes Welker, Chris Hogan
a lacrosse player.
Speaker 3 (40:35):
You can just scheme them open, that's right.
Speaker 4 (40:38):
But defensively, uniquely, gotta find guys who can make plays.
Speaker 3 (40:42):
Huh.
Speaker 1 (40:43):
It's very rare in the NFL when you draft a
guy and you're like, man, he is unblockable. It works. Okay,
So I just any scheme. Mike is gonna work in
any scheme. Aaron Donald works in any scheme. But you
can have Again, you can have a receiver who's the
fastest guy on the team, but if the quarterback doesn't
trust him. Quentin Johnson first two years, he had the drops.
(41:04):
I mean they just justin Herbert didn't trust him in
big spots.
Speaker 4 (41:08):
I have a Keenan Allen was a third round pick.
He is an elite receiver. That guy's a stud.
Speaker 3 (41:13):
He didn't go early. I'm on Ross Saint Brown, who
you love? Fifth round? Yeah, by the way, was I'm
on Ross Saint Brown? Incredible at USC?
Speaker 1 (41:21):
He was really really good. But again it just he
was really really good. He was a great high school player,
but he kind of plateaued at USC when he was
always a hard worker. Dad was like a bodybuilder. He
always ran great routes. He was always a smart kid
that you like. He squeezed every ounce of his town.
I didn't think he'd be nearly that good in the NFL.
Speaker 4 (41:39):
You know what else he was. He's always wide open
in the Ben Johnson scheme. I mean he's just running
around open everywhere.
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Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
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