November 25, 2019 • 39 mins
Doug discusses Jerry Jones’ harsh criticism of the Cowboys coaching staff after their loss to the Patriots. He also tells you why he more impressed with Tom Brady after another ugly win and improving to 10-1 on the season. Plus he talks to Super Bowl Champion Trent Dilfer about the Packers getting blown out by the 49ers.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the best of the Doug Gottlieb
Show podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday
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(00:21):
best of the Doug gottli Show on Fox Sports Radio.
All right, let's let's let's get after this weekend. This
was Jerry Jones after the loss to the Patriots talking
about his head coach, Jason Garrett. I don't think there's
a game that a coaching staff has areas that it
wouldn't couldn't do better in. And I just, uh, I
(00:42):
don't like it that we've got so many as I'm
standing here to night. So the pointy is that I'm
just really frustrated with I thought we could come up
here and really, uh put together a better effort on
all three phases. Um, I expect us to play well
against him defensively, so we got what I think we
should have expected out of our defense, and but the
(01:08):
other faces of the game we we've got him. Uh,
we can't come up here and play my pad. Well, look,
special teams has been an issue for them all season long,
all right, but he's clearly talking about the offense. And
because those are those are the toys that Jerry Jones
went out and bought. Now, in all fairness, the weather
(01:28):
was a major, major hindrance, major hindrance. And you know
the Cowboys doc was nineteen and thirty three two two
yards through a through a pick Tom. It wasn't like
Tom Brady lit the world on fire. Seventeen of thirty seven.
No one was open hundred ninety yards. He did have
one touchdown pass. Zeke Elliott and Sonny Michelle essentially crossed
(01:52):
each other out. One had eighty six, one had eighty
five yards. They both averaged just about four yards to
carry like this game, as even you would, could you
point out that Zeke wasn't on the field for some
important plays in the red zone throughout the game. Sure,
and based upon the way the construction of the Dallas Cowboys,
(02:15):
you would think a rain filled game where you can't
throw it, you have to run it, that would play
into their favor. And they didn't seem committed enough to
truly running the football to get in the ball to
Zeke now. But he would also be pointed out that
this is not Jason Garrett is not calling plays anymore,
(02:37):
that's not actually what he does. Like you're you're you're
clearly agitated by play calling which Jason Garrett wasn't part of.
It's under his watch, it is his loss. But I
think that's really kind of amazing, like Jerry Jones desire
to have Jason Garrett be the fall guy when look,
(02:59):
we kind of told hold you D's just okay, Dock
still misses on stuff. We kind of told you there's
a reason that Jason Witten first retired and then they
needed Jason Witten to come out of retirement. I mean,
he's kind of washed up, and but they needed anybody there.
Like Blake Jarwin's fine, the two of them are, But like,
(03:23):
what what are we doing? When? When did when did
these Dallas Cowboys become the Troy Aikman Dallas Cowboys? Right?
If we would all be fair and conclude that you're
running backs the top five running back I'm okay with that,
okay with that, But a Marii Cooper hasn't been viewed
by mostly top five, top ten wide receiver. He hasn't.
(03:47):
He had. He had a good year and a bad
year with with Oakland, and then last year he had
some explosive moments with the Cowboys, but he's not like
a top five wide receiver. Their line is good, but
it hasn't been as good and it's had some injuries.
Randall Cobb, Michael Gallup, you you tell me Tavon Austin.
(04:10):
There's a reason that the Rams could not get wait
to get rid of Tavon Austin. Randall Cob is a
good player, but the Packers wide receiving corps hasn't necessarily
fallen off because he's gone. I just think this is
one of those deals where the Cowboys got overhyped. And
they're the pieces that Jerry picked out. And when you
(04:32):
pick out those pieces and the and you know the designer,
you feel like the house isn't coming together. You blame
the designer. When you pick out the pieces and the
team's not crushing people offensively, you blame the head coach.
Got to have a fall guy, and Jerry Jerry Jones
the fall guys clearly, Jason Garrett. He doesn't have to
(04:54):
ostracize any of the players, doesn't have to call out
any the players. He can just go like, hey, you know,
coaching loses like like, okay, coaching loses some games, but
sometimes players lose games. Right, Sometimes your team is just
not good enough, and sometimes the opponents really good. This
(05:17):
is why they crush all the bad teams and lose
to the good teams. No one's saying. No one's saying
that the Cowboys are bumps, right, Like Dak Prescott is
not about But would you take Dak Prescott, Russell Wilson,
would you take Dak Prescott or Aaron Rodgers? Would you
take Dak Prescott or like kind of point out some
of these pat pat Mahomes, Deshaun Watson, Matt Ryan, would
(05:42):
would you which, of course you wouldn't. He's a middle
of the pack quarterback. Would we do with we're doing
with Dak, what we're doing with Lamar Jackson? Right where
the the draft hype or the discussion. Remember he was
third in the depth chart when they drafted him. The
guy who was calling plays the second in the depth chart.
But he got hurt when you know, and Tony Romo
was hurt, and that's why he got an opportunity with
(06:03):
a really good team. But that's not like a top five,
top ten quarter He's never been like DeAndre Hopkins or
Marie Cooper's anybody is anyone in their right mind. No
one in a Dallas Cowboys locker room would tell you,
you know, I don't know. I took him all right
ahead of DeAndre Hopkins. Of course you wouldn't. Julio Jones, right,
Tyreek Tyreek Hill, Tyreek Hill, Um, what's his name? Evans
(06:29):
from from Tampa? Like, I mean, I don't think he's
Davante Adams. He's a good player. He's not Mike Thomas,
Michael Thomas, right, He's like, he's not a D and
ten catch guy, not Michael Thomas. He's just not doesn't
mean that he's bad, doesn't mean he's a bum, doesn't
mean he can't be your Z. He can. But you
(06:52):
don't have guys that just win a game on their own.
You have a quarterback who's good, underrated coming out of college,
good solid. You got a running back who's outstanding. Get
an offensive line that's good. You got a couple of
wide receivers are pretty good. You know one who's really good,
but you're a Z wide reciper was supposed to be
really good, right, Like, like DeMarcus Lawrence is a good player?
(07:18):
Is he Nick or Joey Bosa? The answer is no,
he's not. He's not. He's not Frank Clark, he's he's
He's just not he's a good player. You know, they
didn't have they didn't have their their best young uh
running linebacker right in the game. That's obviously gonna hurt.
(07:40):
They didn't lose the game because of their defense. They
lost the game because it couldn't s go enough points.
And is some of it play calling? Sure? Is it
some of its sloppiness, I'm sure an organization and the
special teams has been a mess all year long. Okay,
Patriots had their rookie punter was terrible in the first half, awful,
and they missed a makeup field goal. The interesting part
(08:03):
about Jerry Jones is when when you lose and you
point to the coach, even if you're right, like, what
is the win in him doing that? This is why
Jerry Jones struggles to ever get and maintain a a
top level coach, a top level coach everything, even if
(08:25):
everything he said based upon the film which he has
not yet watched. Based upon the film is accurate, What
is the win in calling out your coaching staff publicly?
Now you make it harder for your coaching staff to
design and have their players execute the game plan because
players don't feel like the owner has the back of
(08:45):
the coaching staff. Becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. So I
I understand Jerry Jones frustration that you turn on the
TV and you're like, man, pictures have all these injuries,
they have no fence, the weather is bad, we're supposed
to deal. Just run the ball right down their throat.
And there were a couple of play calls and personnel
(09:06):
groupings and and oh yeah, by the way, like as
much as everybody loves Kellen Moore, this is his first
time doing it, all right, this is first time doing
it being part of a room. And you know you
have John Kittna and him and Dak and planning stuff
and Jason Garrett like, oh that stuff. When you got
(09:28):
a dude who's never done it before going up against
Bill Belichick who's done this for twenty years, and this
might be his best defense in terrible weather, Like, there's
some limiting factors this quarterback had to put gloves on
because he couldn't hold on the football, But none of
that was discussed. Instead, it's we lost. The coach must suck.
(09:48):
He's the one who's gotta go. Kind of sounds like
a fanboy Jerry Jones hurting his own team's chances. They're
still in prime position to make the playoffs, and to
make the playoffs. They win two games, and they ain't
going anywhere. Probably they win one game in the playoffs,
he ain't going anywhere. Be sure to catch the live
(10:09):
edition of The Doug Gottlieb Show weekdays at three pm
Easter noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the I
Heart Radio a app. Let's catch up with our favorite
high school football coach who just so happens to be
a Super Bowl champion, Trent Dilford joints this, of course,
our thanks to Lipscom Academy for allowing him to join us.
Follow them on social media at l a mustang FB.
(10:29):
Unbelievable high school program with the full time nutritionist, academic coach,
NFL strength coach, best high school weight room in the
country of barbershop, three thousand square food concervenue, and coaches
like Trent Dilfer coaching them. Uh, TD, what is your
assessment of the coaching going on with the Dallas Cowboys.
So I've been here about this morning. I have a
(10:52):
little bit different take on it. Excuse me. I appreciate,
UM that the expectations are different in Dallas, and I
don't disagree with that, and you're trying to win championships
and mediocrity isn't acceptable. But the same token, I think
sometimes in the NFL we put a little bit too
much on the head coach. UM. Jason Garrett's a great
culture guy. What he's done in Dallas is remarkable, UM,
(11:15):
with getting that team to buy in, UM, their togetherness,
you talk to their coaches and players, UM, and the
kind of culture that's there is is really unique. I
think he's a very smart guy. I think he hires
good guys. Where he may have a hole is maybe
he's not hard enough on those guys because I look
at their assistant coaches right now, I look at special
(11:37):
teams yesterday. Obviously, I look at offense and some of
the discrepancy in their play calling. And I'm a huge
Killing Moore fan, UM, but a little too pass happy
at times. UH And then I go back to Rod
Marinelli and Christian Chardon defense two close friends of mine,
but they are both of those guys are about stopping
the run, stopping the run, stopping the run, and then
this year they've been dashed by the run game. Um,
(12:00):
so I look at maybe it's they mean they may
need to look as a staff in the intensity for
which they're holding each other accountable, and then other players
fully buying into that. So I think it's really easy
to take shots at Jason Garrett. I think sometimes the
picture is a little more cloudy than than just blaming
the head coach. Doug Gotlive show here on Fox Sports Radio.
That's that's the voice of Trent Dilford that said, I
(12:23):
can't remember an owner, and obviously there are very few
owners that are as intercrently involved as Jerry Jones. But
I can't remember an owner saying such things about his
coaching staff in season, can you? No? I thought it
was uncalled for, to be honest, I mean, he can
believe it. He's the owner. He can believe it at once.
(12:43):
Maybe he can do what other owners doing say it,
you know, quote unquote off record, or leak it to
sources in the media. But to stand there and with
cameras in front of him and Mike's in front of
him and kind of throw his staff under the bus.
I mean, what if they coach that punt block up perfectly?
What if the technique was coached perfectly. What if the
scheme was perfect and a player is thinking about something
(13:06):
else or loses focus or just blows his job? Who
is not a coaching issue? I mean usually it always
says this, Every interception has a story behind it, Every
mistake in the NFL has a story behind it. They're
not all created equal. And I think for him to
sit there and blame the coaching staff for something he
doesn't have all the answers to yet, uh, is really
(13:28):
throwing his stuff under the bus. But it makes speak
to something that's a bigger picture. Yeah, but you you
end up hurting the coach's ability to fix issues by
calling out the coaches, right, like the very thing that
you want better coaching. It makes it harder to coach
because you didn't, You don't put your full faith behind
the coaching staff, and so it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. Right,
(13:49):
That's that that that'd be would be my assessment and
all right, what about what about the Pats? No door
set uh, no senew and in an ugly game they
and they miss a field goal, makeup a field goal,
they still find a way. Um what's your assessment of
newing the Patriots. I think this is their formula this year.
I think every year we talked about how Bill is
(14:11):
the greatest of all time of finding ways to win,
and I agree with that he's the greatest coach in
the history of coaching. UM but I think this year
is as masterful as any job because he knows that
offensively they're just not that explosive. So they've morphed into
a win ugly team. They've morphed into a less possession team,
(14:32):
obviously a defensive centric team. Specially they've won about three
games on special teams this year. UM, so more of
a heavy two phase defense special team team and and
not is relying on their offense. That's a hard hard
You know this, You've been around coaching your whole life.
It's a hard thing to do to change your identity,
(14:53):
especially when you have one of the greatest of all
time and Tom Brady. So I've just been overly impressed
with how what their quote unquote formula has been this
year that they stuck to it. They haven't panicked. Um,
They're comfortable winning that way, and I think they'll only
get better as the year goes on. Trying to deal
for our guest on the Doug Gottlieb Show, what specifically,
(15:16):
how are the Niners able to so thoroughly dominate the Packers? Man,
They're They're just really really talented on defense. Um. I
mean think about you have the best of the bulky
years his draft picks, and then John came in and
and drafted players specific to the system that he wanted
implemented defensively, and they have knocked back. They can hunt,
(15:41):
meaning they can go pass rush and hunt on the edges.
And they can steal, meaning they can steal the ball back.
They have ball hawks in the secondary. They have guys
that don't just cover you, but they get the ball
from you. Um. They they are. They're as good of
a three phase defense as I've seen in a long time.
And I'm not going to put him in some all
time great list yet because they really haven't accomplished anything yet,
(16:03):
um in terms of a championship, But boy, are they
talented and then offensively, I think Kyle's always been one
of the best. Um his schemes are once the players
get them, they're virtually impossible to defend because they're so
multiple in the run game, the action game off of
it just creates free runners. And and Jimmy's really grown
(16:23):
as a drop back pass or so in those must
pat must pass situations. He shows the poise, he shows
the discipline, he can get deep into progressions. He's a
very talented pastor. He can extend plays. Uh, they're they're
loaded right now and they're hot. They believe that they're
the best team in the NFL, and you can see that.
I hate this word, but that swagger coming out in them.
(16:46):
Doug Gottlie Show, Fox Sports Radio. What about the Packers? Um,
did they have they gotten exposed here? Specifically defensively? But
have they gotten exposed here? I think so and I
was never I've been saying since day one. I think
the the Vikings are a better team in that division
and the Packers. I like the Packers. I like what
the Fleur is done with them. I like the changes.
(17:07):
I still think they're They're personnel isn't as good as
some of the other teams I think too often. Um,
they were like too much on Aaron. They play their
best football when they're balanced offensively and they don't rely
on to too much on the quarterback. Yesterday they got
out of sorts. I mean, they just got out of
sorts and kind of abandoned what has gotten them to
(17:27):
this point. And I do think to fatal comes down
to defensively. It's a junk ball defense. Pen has always
been that way. It's feaster famine. They're either gonna rip
you and make you look stupid, or they're gonna get ripped.
And you get a coach like Kyle Shanahan that coached
with him in Cleveland, by the way, so knows his schemes.
Um knows everything about that scheme he's playing against. Uh,
(17:48):
it's it's gonna be a long day for that defense coordinator. No. Um,
all right, let's get let's get to tonight. Um, how
do the Rams match up with how Baltimore plays? Not well?
But it's a must win. I can't believe we're saying
must win before Thanksgiving. I mean, I'm an old curmudgeon.
Where the season started after Thanksgiving? You're looking at the
Rams are in kind of a doer die situation and
(18:10):
it will match up well because Wade Phillips, if you
look at his track records, the defensive coordinator, UM, he
struggled against this thirteen personnel. He's strong against teams where
the quarterback can run the ball. He strowing against teams
are the tight ends of the primary past catchers. UM.
This has always been the flaw in his schemes. Is
a heavily predominant man covered scheme where he trusts his
(18:33):
corners to cover receivers and his linebackers and safeties to
cover tight ends and backs. While the Ravens can expose
you with tight ends and backs, they give you false
reads and man coverage is very hard to play Lamar
Jackson man coverage. UM, It's a very tough matchup for him.
But there's no excuses. This RAMS teem has to come
(18:54):
out and play the best football. If I'm Sean McVeigh,
I'm doing it offensively. I know my defense can't hold up,
so I'm trying to steal a possession on special teams.
I'm trying to eat up the clock. I'm going for
on a couple of four dounds. I want to take
this game over offensively and make Baltimore play from behind
and not let them settle into their type of football.
(19:17):
I think that's the only way the Rams win this
game is Sean McVeigh Jared Goff, that offensive line have
their best game of the year. What's going on with
Carson Wentz? Bruce Finger is expected to play this Sunday
in Miami. Obviously, schedule gets easier. But uh, and only
had four wide receivers and not not big name ones.
Not good wins. Lost Lane Johnson, but I mean a
(19:37):
blind man can see he's not playing up to his reputation.
What's going on with Carson Winz? You lose Frank Wright,
you lose Flip in the room. You know, you lose
two primary quarterback developers a couple of years ago. Uh,
Doug Pearson is very good at quarter but he's the
head coach. You can't be the head coach and be
the quarterback developer. The biggest myth and all of football
(19:57):
is that you are what you are as a quarterback.
That's not true. You get better or you get worse. Um,
if you look at these quarterbacks, they are thriving. They
have somebody in that room that's helped grow that's growing
them up, that's mentor them, that's coached them hard, that
keeps the accountable, keeps them focused on the details. And
when Carson came into league, he had two of the best,
(20:20):
and I doesn't have those guys anymore. They have to
figure out the room. It's not just the player, it's
the room. You're talking around the NFL, you talk about quarterbacks.
Any quarterback will say it's about the room. It's not
about him, it's not about the head coach. It's about
that room. And that room is made up of the
other quarterbacks because they kind of become assistant coaches, so
(20:40):
to speak, and then the primary voice to the quarterback.
And there it's a developmental league still even in the NFL,
and you need those people. And I think Carson has
suffered with Frank Reich and John de Philip will not there.
I mean, look, the Jets had a huge win over
the Oakland Raiders and three straight wins. Donald in those
wins seven touchdowns one reception member Gaze was very much
(21:02):
on the hot seat. What have they changed? What what
has evolved with this Jets offense? Well, it looks like
they're again I've not done like this full comprehensive studies.
So this is just a glossary look. It looks like
more action pass um. Sam is a much better action
pastor when you change the lap launch point, you let
(21:25):
his kind of creativity and athleticism come out and said,
it's just a straight drop back guy. Um got to
get the ball in the back, I mean, gott to
run the football with the young quarterback. They've done a
better did a better job, especially yesterday. Uh. And then
those receivers are making plays. You look at some of
those plays yesterday in the passing game, and it was
Sam making some really good throws. But those receivers are
(21:45):
creating separation, more crossing routes, UM letting them run because
that that group can run. UM let them run a
little bit, and they're making conflict catches. I think it's
it's it's always everything we're talking about improved quarterback play.
But it seems like they're identity, more action passed, more
crossing rounds, letting those receivers run, and those receivers making
(22:06):
big plays. Trent Dilfer follow them on Twitter. Of course,
it's an amazing high school football program that he has
has chosen UH to to lead. As well as occasionally
joined us every week. That's Lipscomb Academy at l a
mustang FB an NFL caliber strength coach. You got eighty
five years of college playing and coaching experience, and their
(22:27):
offenses on fire because t D is at the Helm. Trent,
have a happy Thanksgiving and thanks so much for joining us.
Be sure to catch the live edition of The Doug
Gottlieb Show weekdays at three p m. Easter noon Pacific.
Joe Clauds the lead college football analyst for Fox Sports.
He'll be at Michigan versus Ohio State this weekend, which
(22:47):
which which should be awesome. Um, let's start with the
Ohio State game you just called against Penn State. Well,
I mean what it was just lack of concentration? Was
that the weather? Because they were playing so well and
so dominant and and you know, you have people saying,
what's the best of Ohio State team ever? And then
they just let Penn State right back into the game.
What went wrong for Ohio State? Yeah, I mean you
(23:10):
said it, the turnovers, those mistakes will cost you. I
was actually I think and and the cause I think
mostly was one and aggressive defense too. I think that
the weather, you know, and I guess we didn't do
a great job of explaining the elements, but there were
certainly moisture out there. It was raining, and you know,
a couple of those football slipped out of the hands
(23:31):
of Dobbins and then Fields and Penn State capitalized, which
good teams do. I will say this though, you know, everyone,
I'm reading a lot today as I'm preparing for Michigan
and Ohio State and Doug. I'm seeing a lot of
these people saying, well, we don't know about Ohio State now.
Now they've got more questions than they do answers and
so on and so forth. And I'm not trying to
(23:53):
just be a defender here, but I would say, if
you're in a top ten matchup and you turn the
ball over three times time, so one of them going
in for a touchdown, the other two deep in your
own territory, and still win by double digits, there's an
element of that that is very impressive in and of itself. Um,
with some of those mistakes, yes, some questions are are rising.
(24:15):
There's no doubt. I think fields ability to throw the
football from the pocket, I think is a question mark
that Michigan needs to force Ohio State to answer. But overall,
a double digit victory over that Penn State I think
is a pretty compressive day for Ohio State, no question
about it. Let me ask you about Michigan. UM slow start,
(24:36):
but then they end up blowing out Indiana, a game
which Indiana's, you know, a seven win team this year,
and many people thought it was the old trap game. Um.
It feels like since halftime of the Penn State game,
when when Harbaugh said this will be our our you know,
our our proudest moment, our brightest moment. Uh, they've lived
up to that. But are they in the stratosphere of
(24:58):
Ohio State. Well, that's hard. Obviously, that stratosphere is rare
in college football. I think that there's only a couple
of teams that you can really put up there right now.
How having said that, I do think that if you're
looking at the way teams have played over the last
couple of weeks, and if you're looking at current pictures
of teams and not the complete resume of teams, I
(25:20):
really do believe Doug, and I'm not just saying this,
that Michigan would be right up there if you're just
looking like what is it. What is this team doing
right now? Shape Patterson over the last two weeks is
thrown for seven hundred and fifty yards, nine touchdowns and
one interception against Michigan State in Indiana. I know Michigan
State in Indiana aren't great, but Michigan State is historically
a really good defensive team in Michigan could not run
(25:42):
the football against them, and it was largely done through
the year, and he obviously was great in that game.
And then Indiana was a seven win team that is
playing on their home stadium and they went out there
and threw the ball really successfully. This philosophical change that
we've talked about all season long for Michigan is really
for this game for Ohio State. When Michigan can't play
(26:04):
volleyball and when they've got to sit there and just
throw the football to move the ball down the field,
and they can't, you know, have the play action and
run for a hundred and fifty yards. They had no
answers previously, and now they have an answer, and their
answer is Shade Patterson. So from that respect, I really
do believe that Michigan might have a better chance this
(26:25):
year than they have in previous years. Doug because at
least schematically and philosophically, they're in a position where they
can still move the football if Ohio State takes away
their run game. UM. Other big rivalry game is Oklahoma.
Oklahoma State, they've they've dominated, whether it was his predecessor
Bob Stoops um or of course you know in very
(26:46):
Lincoln Riley and very limited instances have dominated Oklahoma State
in this rivalry. But look, the defense has looks similar
to last year's defense. Um, Oklahoma State's different Drew Brown
starting at quarterback. But they you have arguably the best
or second best running back in college football in Stoba Hubbard.
Is Oklahoma State to have a chance this weekend in Bedlam? Well,
(27:08):
I think that they do. If you look at their
offensive output over the last few years against so you,
they have been unbelievable and they've been right there with
chances to win. Last year they had the point conversion,
so I mean it was I hate to bring it
up to you, I mean it was right there, um
for them to win that game. So I think that
they can when Um, Oklahoma seems odd right now for
(27:30):
me for some reason, that team that had so much
momentum early in the season playing quality defense, Hurts getting
better as a passer. Yeah, I'm not seeing it of late.
I'm not seeing the development from Jalen Hurts throwing the
football under Lincoln Riley that I'm seeing from Justin Fields
under Ryan Day and Mike Youre chitch Um. And then
that's the other element. I've spoken with Mike here chitch
a lot about this particular game. He was the offensive
(27:53):
coordinator at Oklahoma State last year and for the last
several years, and now he's the quarterback coach at Ohio State,
and and he says it bluntly. He says, listen that
Ohio Oklahoma State team and staff is not scared of Oklahoma.
They relish that game. They know they can score a
lot of points, and that's one that they believe that
they can win. Uh, It's not gonna shock me at
(28:14):
all if oh you is in another tight ball team
late um and their defense on the field having to
make a play to win the game, which is what
they've been what last three weeks, I mean, the exact
scenario that the Sooners have been in. The one thing
that I do think is interesting, though, is if you
you really and I watched some of the tape, Um Doug.
Even though I'm not doing their games. You know, the
(28:37):
ability of oh you to run the football with their
backs has not been great. The ability to just throw
the football has not been great. It's been really Jalen
Hurts legs that have been the engine to that offense.
And and that's troublesome that the amount of carries that
he's living on his shoulders right now is is a
lot and at some point that's gonna come him to
(29:00):
roust um. The entire Apple cart was upset for the
Pack twelve when Oregon loses to Arizona State. What would
you do with Utah? Though, let's say Utah wins out?
Does it take away if you were in that room?
Would it take away from a Utah victory in the
Pac twelve championship game? Over organ full disclosure? And I've
(29:20):
been this way from the start of the playoff inception.
I are you for conference champions that's just you know,
and and I think you know me well enough to
know like I'm pretty stubborn. No, but look and and
I mean I mean helping let me kind of flush
it out a little bit. I agree with you. I
think to the people who say it would. It would
(29:40):
lessen the importance of the regular season. It would make
your league everything. If if you win your league, you
go to the playoff, it makes your league games more important. Absolutely,
I just I don't know if you're gonna eat I
think six might actually make more sense, um than eight would.
The big problem is going to be sixteen games, right, Well,
(30:01):
I agree with you, and that's where I like. I
just think that we should switch the current format and
add the term champion rather than four best teams, take
the four best champion teams. Um. That's I mean, that's
a quick fix that I think could really fix a
lot of this. Listen, if Alabama has included in this,
you know, pending and a win against Auburn, they're gonna
have one of the thinnest resumes in the history of
(30:24):
of the playoff to be included into the playoffs. I
think we would all agree with that. The best team
that they will have paid place are played with that
home and they will have lost that game. They have
not beaten a team that's currently ranked. Think about that, UM,
And I know you can say the same about so.
While Utah's resume is is incredibly thin, at least they
can win a championship, and they have the element of
(30:47):
that extra championship game that I think really needs to
take precedent at some point. So I really believe that
Utah or oakloud Homa should go. And I'll say this
with full disclosure, I'm not saying that either of those
teams would beat Alabama. I'm just saying that in my
college football I think that we should have to win
(31:07):
our league in order to go play for national championships. Um.
And with with Mac Jones, I don't know how good
Alabama is. To give them a free pass seems a
bit reckless at least Utah, and know you are having
to earn this in a nine game conference schedule. Uh,
And certainly a win over Oregon would be a tremendous
win for Utah if they were able to get it.
(31:29):
And then the one I bring up is that Oklahoma team.
You know, if they went out Doug, They're gonna have
four wins over teams that are currently ranked at that time,
and that resume is going to be substantially better than
both Utah and Alabama. So that's something to just keep
in your back pocket. No, No, I'm with you. I
think The Oklahoma one is super super interesting. You know.
(31:50):
It's like people look at the rankings and leave them
for dead, and like, hey, realize, if they beat Oklahoma State,
that helps the resume Oklahoma State currently in the top
twenty five. If they beat Baylor and assuming Baylor only
has one loss, you sweet Baylor, who only have two
losses and they're in the top ten, that's gonna that's
gonna elevate you while everyone most of everybody's gonna lose
a game. So i'm i'm, I'm I'm with you there. Um,
(32:14):
this is a little bit of an aside, but for
people you cover the Big ten, the Rutgers thing is fascinating, right,
Greg Ciano did a great job there. Um. Then he
gets fired in Tampa, he's at Ohio State, gets the
Tennessee We're gonna get the Tennessee job. Then then that
you and I were lockstep in what I didn't like
(32:36):
how what Clay Travis linked into it. Then he goes
to New England, takes family time and faith time away,
and then he's offered some huge deal to come back
to Rutgers and they can't come to terms. What are
we to make of Rutgers football. Well, I think a
lot has to be made about divisions, and and this
(32:57):
is a bigger question, and this is probably not the
way you thought I was going to answer this this question,
But when when you when you're talking about divisions in
college football, what you're starting to look at is these
teams that are perennially at the bottom of the division,
you know, like like let's let's just say Arkansas, Rutgers, Maryland.
You know, these teams even like an Oregon State, if
(33:18):
you will, in the back twelve North, their jobs become
so unattractive because of what you have to get over
as far as hurdles within that that five six team
you know, seven team division, and and with Rutgers, look
at who you're up against in that division, not just
from a recruiting standpoint, You've got four giant hurdles that
(33:42):
you've got to pass. Penn State, Michigan, Michigan State, and
the Ohio State, who right now is at the top
echelon of the entire you know, college football, at least
in this season. And Doug, I feel like that's just
really unattractive unless you get some major concessions from an
admission standpoint, unless you get a major budget. From a
recruiting standpoint, I understand he was asking for unlimited private
(34:05):
jet use, and people make fun of that and say,
jee cool, what's you're asking for. He's asking for that
for recruiting, like he's got he's got to get to Texas.
He's gotta you, you gotta you gotta get players. Players,
You've gotta get players. And so if they're himing and
hawing at some of these requests about who's gonna be
on his staff, how much budget they're going to have
(34:26):
recruiting wise, uh, if he's going to be able to
use a private plane for recruiting, so on and so forth,
I think he just looks at it and says to himself,
you know, maybe this is not gonna work. Maybe this
is not uh the trouble that I need. So um
that's my speculation. Again, I don't know. I'll give you
a basketball story. I'll give you a basketball story. Once
upon a time, Tommy Amaker was up for the Northwestern job,
(34:52):
and he was meeting with Northwestern's a d and he
brought to transcripts and he put them down in front
of the guy, and he said, would they get into Northwestern?
And the idea at the time said, uh, this one's
a no, and this one's a maybe. And he said
and Tommy Amakers said, congratulations. You just denied Bobby Hurley
(35:12):
of getting into Northwestern and you said maybe to Christian Lightner.
All right, so it's like, look, you know, you gotta,
you gotta, you gotta, you gotta help me out here.
It is a fascinating part of college sports which you
you bring up a great point. It's like Ohio State,
Penn State, Michigan and really, frankly Michigan State. You're owing
four to start the season. You gotta go above and
beyond because I'm gonna just take so many els and
(35:34):
you know, it's it's like a five year bill just
to get to fourth place, maybe third place. I uh,
let me ask you about sc they beat and again,
how am I going to a ball game? Well, you
gotta again. You gotta schedule three. You gotta schedule three
bunnies and then hope that when you cross over, you
don't cross over against Nebraska or Wisconsin or you know,
(35:56):
like you play, you gotta beat Indiana and Indiana's counting
on you threw into the other side. Um, all right,
what do you think I s should do UM. I
think this is a difficult scenario, and this is you know,
I listen, I thought that there were a lot of
really really good candidates for a d This is not
(36:16):
the one that I would have chosen, UM candidly, UM.
And this is a big decision UM there right now.
I didn't think it matters who the head coach was
until the president was in place and the athletic director
was in place. I think basketball is the same as this,
although maybe a little bit different, Doug. But you're not
gonna have a ton of success and unless you've got
the the hierarchy in place from a from a UM
(36:40):
university standpoint, and now they finally have that. So I
think at this point you've got to You've got to
make a decision because all of this being played out
and and happen, it isn't gonna happen. You know what
that hurts recruiting. I just talked about it in the
Rutgers situation. If you look at the twenty four top
(37:02):
players in California as of last week, zero of them
were committed to USC. Doug like that, that can't happen.
That can't happen. So they'd either totally undercott Clay Hilton
and now he can start recruiting those kids with some
of this structure and place in the university, or you've
got to make a change because you deem that he
(37:23):
can't get those kids. One of the one or the
other has to take place. Because all of this middling
around and what are we gonna do? That causes kids
to look elsewhere. It's one of the reasons Justin Fields
decommitted from Penn status because he knew Joe Morehead, who
was the offensive coordinator, was probably on his way out
to take a head coaching job. Kids want stability, and
right now USC is not providing that. So regardless of
(37:46):
what they choose, they've got to choose it and really
stand pat so they can start recruiting some of these
kids in the hotbed that is southern California. Alright, alright,
last thing, Um, we started by talking about Oregon. How
good is you? Tom? People forget that Zack Moss got
hurt in that USC game and there was some and
USC's wide receivers made some plays. Just from from your perspective,
(38:08):
you see talent all around the country. You study this stuff.
How good are they actually in comparison with Huntley and
Moss both healthy in that backfield. Yeah, I think that
they're better than people think. And I think that brand
bias has a lot to do with what people think
of Utah. And I don't think that they can shake
the Mountain West history as as well as TCU, which
is one of the reasons I think TCU was left
(38:29):
out in two thousand and fourteen, even though that team
was so good. I remember Blue Out Oh Miss and
the Peach Bowl. Um. So that's a huge thing that
they're gonna have to get over, is that brand bias.
I will say that this Utah defense maybe one of,
if not the best defense in the entire country. I
think that they've got five or six guys that are
(38:50):
Sunday guys just on that defense. And the offense, which
has historically been their achilles heel, is right now efficient
throwing the football there in the top four in the
country when it comes to wide receiver um average receiving
yards per per catch. Uh. You look at what they
do when Huntley and Moss are on the field, and
I think I've said this to you before. They're twelve
(39:11):
and oh and their last twelve games that Huntley and
Moss play all four quarters. So that's a really good
football team. And I think that they're being overlooked partly
because their resume is very thin, their schedule is very thin.
But if they're a conference champion, rest assured you know,
I'm I'm gonna be arguing for him because I think
conference champions should be able to go great stuff. Check
them out this weekend The Big Game Michigan Ohio State,
(39:34):
Big newte on Fox. Thanks so much for joining us. Absolutely, man,
it's all about players. Gotta get recruits
Thanks for listening to the best of the Doug Gottlieb
Show podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday
from three to six pm Eastern Time that's twelve to
three Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. Find your local station
for The Doug Gottlieb Show at Fox Sports Radio dot com,
or stream us live every day on the I Heart
Radio app by searching f s R. This is the
(00:21):
best of the Doug gottli Show on Fox Sports Radio.
All right, let's let's let's get after this weekend. This
was Jerry Jones after the loss to the Patriots talking
about his head coach, Jason Garrett. I don't think there's
a game that a coaching staff has areas that it
wouldn't couldn't do better in. And I just, uh, I
(00:42):
don't like it that we've got so many as I'm
standing here to night. So the pointy is that I'm
just really frustrated with I thought we could come up
here and really, uh put together a better effort on
all three phases. Um, I expect us to play well
against him defensively, so we got what I think we
should have expected out of our defense, and but the
(01:08):
other faces of the game we we've got him. Uh,
we can't come up here and play my pad. Well, look,
special teams has been an issue for them all season long,
all right, but he's clearly talking about the offense. And
because those are those are the toys that Jerry Jones
went out and bought. Now, in all fairness, the weather
(01:28):
was a major, major hindrance, major hindrance. And you know
the Cowboys doc was nineteen and thirty three two two
yards through a through a pick Tom. It wasn't like
Tom Brady lit the world on fire. Seventeen of thirty seven.
No one was open hundred ninety yards. He did have
one touchdown pass. Zeke Elliott and Sonny Michelle essentially crossed
(01:52):
each other out. One had eighty six, one had eighty
five yards. They both averaged just about four yards to
carry like this game, as even you would, could you
point out that Zeke wasn't on the field for some
important plays in the red zone throughout the game. Sure,
and based upon the way the construction of the Dallas Cowboys,
(02:15):
you would think a rain filled game where you can't
throw it, you have to run it, that would play
into their favor. And they didn't seem committed enough to
truly running the football to get in the ball to
Zeke now. But he would also be pointed out that
this is not Jason Garrett is not calling plays anymore,
(02:37):
that's not actually what he does. Like you're you're you're
clearly agitated by play calling which Jason Garrett wasn't part of.
It's under his watch, it is his loss. But I
think that's really kind of amazing, like Jerry Jones desire
to have Jason Garrett be the fall guy when look,
(02:59):
we kind of told hold you D's just okay, Dock
still misses on stuff. We kind of told you there's
a reason that Jason Witten first retired and then they
needed Jason Witten to come out of retirement. I mean,
he's kind of washed up, and but they needed anybody there.
Like Blake Jarwin's fine, the two of them are, But like,
(03:23):
what what are we doing? When? When did when did
these Dallas Cowboys become the Troy Aikman Dallas Cowboys? Right?
If we would all be fair and conclude that you're
running backs the top five running back I'm okay with that,
okay with that, But a Marii Cooper hasn't been viewed
by mostly top five, top ten wide receiver. He hasn't.
(03:47):
He had. He had a good year and a bad
year with with Oakland, and then last year he had
some explosive moments with the Cowboys, but he's not like
a top five wide receiver. Their line is good, but
it hasn't been as good and it's had some injuries.
Randall Cobb, Michael Gallup, you you tell me Tavon Austin.
(04:10):
There's a reason that the Rams could not get wait
to get rid of Tavon Austin. Randall Cob is a
good player, but the Packers wide receiving corps hasn't necessarily
fallen off because he's gone. I just think this is
one of those deals where the Cowboys got overhyped. And
they're the pieces that Jerry picked out. And when you
(04:32):
pick out those pieces and the and you know the designer,
you feel like the house isn't coming together. You blame
the designer. When you pick out the pieces and the
team's not crushing people offensively, you blame the head coach.
Got to have a fall guy, and Jerry Jerry Jones
the fall guys clearly, Jason Garrett. He doesn't have to
(04:54):
ostracize any of the players, doesn't have to call out
any the players. He can just go like, hey, you know,
coaching loses like like, okay, coaching loses some games, but
sometimes players lose games. Right, Sometimes your team is just
not good enough, and sometimes the opponents really good. This
(05:17):
is why they crush all the bad teams and lose
to the good teams. No one's saying. No one's saying
that the Cowboys are bumps, right, Like Dak Prescott is
not about But would you take Dak Prescott, Russell Wilson,
would you take Dak Prescott or Aaron Rodgers? Would you
take Dak Prescott or like kind of point out some
of these pat pat Mahomes, Deshaun Watson, Matt Ryan, would
(05:42):
would you which, of course you wouldn't. He's a middle
of the pack quarterback. Would we do with we're doing
with Dak, what we're doing with Lamar Jackson? Right where
the the draft hype or the discussion. Remember he was
third in the depth chart when they drafted him. The
guy who was calling plays the second in the depth chart.
But he got hurt when you know, and Tony Romo
was hurt, and that's why he got an opportunity with
(06:03):
a really good team. But that's not like a top five,
top ten quarter He's never been like DeAndre Hopkins or
Marie Cooper's anybody is anyone in their right mind. No
one in a Dallas Cowboys locker room would tell you,
you know, I don't know. I took him all right
ahead of DeAndre Hopkins. Of course you wouldn't. Julio Jones, right,
Tyreek Tyreek Hill, Tyreek Hill, Um, what's his name? Evans
(06:29):
from from Tampa? Like, I mean, I don't think he's
Davante Adams. He's a good player. He's not Mike Thomas,
Michael Thomas, right, He's like, he's not a D and
ten catch guy, not Michael Thomas. He's just not doesn't
mean that he's bad, doesn't mean he's a bum, doesn't
mean he can't be your Z. He can. But you
(06:52):
don't have guys that just win a game on their own.
You have a quarterback who's good, underrated coming out of college,
good solid. You got a running back who's outstanding. Get
an offensive line that's good. You got a couple of
wide receivers are pretty good. You know one who's really good,
but you're a Z wide reciper was supposed to be
really good, right, Like, like DeMarcus Lawrence is a good player?
(07:18):
Is he Nick or Joey Bosa? The answer is no,
he's not. He's not. He's not Frank Clark, he's he's
He's just not he's a good player. You know, they
didn't have they didn't have their their best young uh
running linebacker right in the game. That's obviously gonna hurt.
(07:40):
They didn't lose the game because of their defense. They
lost the game because it couldn't s go enough points.
And is some of it play calling? Sure? Is it
some of its sloppiness, I'm sure an organization and the
special teams has been a mess all year long. Okay,
Patriots had their rookie punter was terrible in the first half, awful,
and they missed a makeup field goal. The interesting part
(08:03):
about Jerry Jones is when when you lose and you
point to the coach, even if you're right, like, what
is the win in him doing that? This is why
Jerry Jones struggles to ever get and maintain a a
top level coach, a top level coach everything, even if
(08:25):
everything he said based upon the film which he has
not yet watched. Based upon the film is accurate, What
is the win in calling out your coaching staff publicly?
Now you make it harder for your coaching staff to
design and have their players execute the game plan because
players don't feel like the owner has the back of
(08:45):
the coaching staff. Becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. So I
I understand Jerry Jones frustration that you turn on the
TV and you're like, man, pictures have all these injuries,
they have no fence, the weather is bad, we're supposed
to deal. Just run the ball right down their throat.
And there were a couple of play calls and personnel
(09:06):
groupings and and oh yeah, by the way, like as
much as everybody loves Kellen Moore, this is his first
time doing it, all right, this is first time doing
it being part of a room. And you know you
have John Kittna and him and Dak and planning stuff
and Jason Garrett like, oh that stuff. When you got
(09:28):
a dude who's never done it before going up against
Bill Belichick who's done this for twenty years, and this
might be his best defense in terrible weather, Like, there's
some limiting factors this quarterback had to put gloves on
because he couldn't hold on the football, But none of
that was discussed. Instead, it's we lost. The coach must suck.
(09:48):
He's the one who's gotta go. Kind of sounds like
a fanboy Jerry Jones hurting his own team's chances. They're
still in prime position to make the playoffs, and to
make the playoffs. They win two games, and they ain't
going anywhere. Probably they win one game in the playoffs,
he ain't going anywhere. Be sure to catch the live
(10:09):
edition of The Doug Gottlieb Show weekdays at three pm
Easter noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the I
Heart Radio a app. Let's catch up with our favorite
high school football coach who just so happens to be
a Super Bowl champion, Trent Dilford joints this, of course,
our thanks to Lipscom Academy for allowing him to join us.
Follow them on social media at l a mustang FB.
(10:29):
Unbelievable high school program with the full time nutritionist, academic coach,
NFL strength coach, best high school weight room in the
country of barbershop, three thousand square food concervenue, and coaches
like Trent Dilfer coaching them. Uh, TD, what is your
assessment of the coaching going on with the Dallas Cowboys.
So I've been here about this morning. I have a
(10:52):
little bit different take on it. Excuse me. I appreciate,
UM that the expectations are different in Dallas, and I
don't disagree with that, and you're trying to win championships
and mediocrity isn't acceptable. But the same token, I think
sometimes in the NFL we put a little bit too
much on the head coach. UM. Jason Garrett's a great
culture guy. What he's done in Dallas is remarkable, UM,
(11:15):
with getting that team to buy in, UM, their togetherness,
you talk to their coaches and players, UM, and the
kind of culture that's there is is really unique. I
think he's a very smart guy. I think he hires
good guys. Where he may have a hole is maybe
he's not hard enough on those guys because I look
at their assistant coaches right now, I look at special
(11:37):
teams yesterday. Obviously, I look at offense and some of
the discrepancy in their play calling. And I'm a huge
Killing Moore fan, UM, but a little too pass happy
at times. UH And then I go back to Rod
Marinelli and Christian Chardon defense two close friends of mine,
but they are both of those guys are about stopping
the run, stopping the run, stopping the run, and then
this year they've been dashed by the run game. Um,
(12:00):
so I look at maybe it's they mean they may
need to look as a staff in the intensity for
which they're holding each other accountable, and then other players
fully buying into that. So I think it's really easy
to take shots at Jason Garrett. I think sometimes the
picture is a little more cloudy than than just blaming
the head coach. Doug Gotlive show here on Fox Sports Radio.
That's that's the voice of Trent Dilford that said, I
(12:23):
can't remember an owner, and obviously there are very few
owners that are as intercrently involved as Jerry Jones. But
I can't remember an owner saying such things about his
coaching staff in season, can you? No? I thought it
was uncalled for, to be honest, I mean, he can
believe it. He's the owner. He can believe it at once.
(12:43):
Maybe he can do what other owners doing say it,
you know, quote unquote off record, or leak it to
sources in the media. But to stand there and with
cameras in front of him and Mike's in front of
him and kind of throw his staff under the bus.
I mean, what if they coach that punt block up perfectly?
What if the technique was coached perfectly. What if the
scheme was perfect and a player is thinking about something
(13:06):
else or loses focus or just blows his job? Who
is not a coaching issue? I mean usually it always
says this, Every interception has a story behind it, Every
mistake in the NFL has a story behind it. They're
not all created equal. And I think for him to
sit there and blame the coaching staff for something he
doesn't have all the answers to yet, uh, is really
(13:28):
throwing his stuff under the bus. But it makes speak
to something that's a bigger picture. Yeah, but you you
end up hurting the coach's ability to fix issues by
calling out the coaches, right, like the very thing that
you want better coaching. It makes it harder to coach
because you didn't, You don't put your full faith behind
the coaching staff, and so it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. Right,
(13:49):
That's that that that'd be would be my assessment and
all right, what about what about the Pats? No door
set uh, no senew and in an ugly game they
and they miss a field goal, makeup a field goal,
they still find a way. Um what's your assessment of
newing the Patriots. I think this is their formula this year.
I think every year we talked about how Bill is
(14:11):
the greatest of all time of finding ways to win,
and I agree with that he's the greatest coach in
the history of coaching. UM but I think this year
is as masterful as any job because he knows that
offensively they're just not that explosive. So they've morphed into
a win ugly team. They've morphed into a less possession team,
(14:32):
obviously a defensive centric team. Specially they've won about three
games on special teams this year. UM, so more of
a heavy two phase defense special team team and and
not is relying on their offense. That's a hard hard
You know this, You've been around coaching your whole life.
It's a hard thing to do to change your identity,
(14:53):
especially when you have one of the greatest of all
time and Tom Brady. So I've just been overly impressed
with how what their quote unquote formula has been this
year that they stuck to it. They haven't panicked. Um,
They're comfortable winning that way, and I think they'll only
get better as the year goes on. Trying to deal
for our guest on the Doug Gottlieb Show, what specifically,
(15:16):
how are the Niners able to so thoroughly dominate the Packers? Man,
They're They're just really really talented on defense. Um. I
mean think about you have the best of the bulky
years his draft picks, and then John came in and
and drafted players specific to the system that he wanted
implemented defensively, and they have knocked back. They can hunt,
(15:41):
meaning they can go pass rush and hunt on the edges.
And they can steal, meaning they can steal the ball back.
They have ball hawks in the secondary. They have guys
that don't just cover you, but they get the ball
from you. Um. They they are. They're as good of
a three phase defense as I've seen in a long time.
And I'm not going to put him in some all
time great list yet because they really haven't accomplished anything yet,
(16:03):
um in terms of a championship, But boy, are they
talented and then offensively, I think Kyle's always been one
of the best. Um his schemes are once the players
get them, they're virtually impossible to defend because they're so
multiple in the run game, the action game off of
it just creates free runners. And and Jimmy's really grown
(16:23):
as a drop back pass or so in those must
pat must pass situations. He shows the poise, he shows
the discipline, he can get deep into progressions. He's a
very talented pastor. He can extend plays. Uh, they're they're
loaded right now and they're hot. They believe that they're
the best team in the NFL, and you can see that.
I hate this word, but that swagger coming out in them.
(16:46):
Doug Gottlie Show, Fox Sports Radio. What about the Packers? Um,
did they have they gotten exposed here? Specifically defensively? But
have they gotten exposed here? I think so and I
was never I've been saying since day one. I think
the the Vikings are a better team in that division
and the Packers. I like the Packers. I like what
the Fleur is done with them. I like the changes.
(17:07):
I still think they're They're personnel isn't as good as
some of the other teams I think too often. Um,
they were like too much on Aaron. They play their
best football when they're balanced offensively and they don't rely
on to too much on the quarterback. Yesterday they got
out of sorts. I mean, they just got out of
sorts and kind of abandoned what has gotten them to
(17:27):
this point. And I do think to fatal comes down
to defensively. It's a junk ball defense. Pen has always
been that way. It's feaster famine. They're either gonna rip
you and make you look stupid, or they're gonna get ripped.
And you get a coach like Kyle Shanahan that coached
with him in Cleveland, by the way, so knows his schemes.
Um knows everything about that scheme he's playing against. Uh,
(17:48):
it's it's gonna be a long day for that defense coordinator. No. Um,
all right, let's get let's get to tonight. Um, how
do the Rams match up with how Baltimore plays? Not well?
But it's a must win. I can't believe we're saying
must win before Thanksgiving. I mean, I'm an old curmudgeon.
Where the season started after Thanksgiving? You're looking at the
Rams are in kind of a doer die situation and
(18:10):
it will match up well because Wade Phillips, if you
look at his track records, the defensive coordinator, UM, he
struggled against this thirteen personnel. He's strong against teams where
the quarterback can run the ball. He strowing against teams
are the tight ends of the primary past catchers. UM.
This has always been the flaw in his schemes. Is
a heavily predominant man covered scheme where he trusts his
(18:33):
corners to cover receivers and his linebackers and safeties to
cover tight ends and backs. While the Ravens can expose
you with tight ends and backs, they give you false
reads and man coverage is very hard to play Lamar
Jackson man coverage. UM, It's a very tough matchup for him.
But there's no excuses. This RAMS teem has to come
(18:54):
out and play the best football. If I'm Sean McVeigh,
I'm doing it offensively. I know my defense can't hold up,
so I'm trying to steal a possession on special teams.
I'm trying to eat up the clock. I'm going for
on a couple of four dounds. I want to take
this game over offensively and make Baltimore play from behind
and not let them settle into their type of football.
(19:17):
I think that's the only way the Rams win this
game is Sean McVeigh Jared Goff, that offensive line have
their best game of the year. What's going on with
Carson Wentz? Bruce Finger is expected to play this Sunday
in Miami. Obviously, schedule gets easier. But uh, and only
had four wide receivers and not not big name ones.
Not good wins. Lost Lane Johnson, but I mean a
(19:37):
blind man can see he's not playing up to his reputation.
What's going on with Carson Winz? You lose Frank Wright,
you lose Flip in the room. You know, you lose
two primary quarterback developers a couple of years ago. Uh,
Doug Pearson is very good at quarter but he's the
head coach. You can't be the head coach and be
the quarterback developer. The biggest myth and all of football
(19:57):
is that you are what you are as a quarterback.
That's not true. You get better or you get worse. Um,
if you look at these quarterbacks, they are thriving. They
have somebody in that room that's helped grow that's growing
them up, that's mentor them, that's coached them hard, that
keeps the accountable, keeps them focused on the details. And
when Carson came into league, he had two of the best,
(20:20):
and I doesn't have those guys anymore. They have to
figure out the room. It's not just the player, it's
the room. You're talking around the NFL, you talk about quarterbacks.
Any quarterback will say it's about the room. It's not
about him, it's not about the head coach. It's about
that room. And that room is made up of the
other quarterbacks because they kind of become assistant coaches, so
(20:40):
to speak, and then the primary voice to the quarterback.
And there it's a developmental league still even in the NFL,
and you need those people. And I think Carson has
suffered with Frank Reich and John de Philip will not there.
I mean, look, the Jets had a huge win over
the Oakland Raiders and three straight wins. Donald in those
wins seven touchdowns one reception member Gaze was very much
(21:02):
on the hot seat. What have they changed? What what
has evolved with this Jets offense? Well, it looks like
they're again I've not done like this full comprehensive studies.
So this is just a glossary look. It looks like
more action pass um. Sam is a much better action
pastor when you change the lap launch point, you let
(21:25):
his kind of creativity and athleticism come out and said,
it's just a straight drop back guy. Um got to
get the ball in the back, I mean, gott to
run the football with the young quarterback. They've done a
better did a better job, especially yesterday. Uh. And then
those receivers are making plays. You look at some of
those plays yesterday in the passing game, and it was
Sam making some really good throws. But those receivers are
(21:45):
creating separation, more crossing routes, UM letting them run because
that that group can run. UM let them run a
little bit, and they're making conflict catches. I think it's
it's it's always everything we're talking about improved quarterback play.
But it seems like they're identity, more action passed, more
crossing rounds, letting those receivers run, and those receivers making
(22:06):
big plays. Trent Dilfer follow them on Twitter. Of course,
it's an amazing high school football program that he has
has chosen UH to to lead. As well as occasionally
joined us every week. That's Lipscomb Academy at l a
mustang FB an NFL caliber strength coach. You got eighty
five years of college playing and coaching experience, and their
(22:27):
offenses on fire because t D is at the Helm. Trent,
have a happy Thanksgiving and thanks so much for joining us.
Be sure to catch the live edition of The Doug
Gottlieb Show weekdays at three p m. Easter noon Pacific.
Joe Clauds the lead college football analyst for Fox Sports.
He'll be at Michigan versus Ohio State this weekend, which
(22:47):
which which should be awesome. Um, let's start with the
Ohio State game you just called against Penn State. Well,
I mean what it was just lack of concentration? Was
that the weather? Because they were playing so well and
so dominant and and you know, you have people saying,
what's the best of Ohio State team ever? And then
they just let Penn State right back into the game.
What went wrong for Ohio State? Yeah, I mean you
(23:10):
said it, the turnovers, those mistakes will cost you. I
was actually I think and and the cause I think
mostly was one and aggressive defense too. I think that
the weather, you know, and I guess we didn't do
a great job of explaining the elements, but there were
certainly moisture out there. It was raining, and you know,
a couple of those football slipped out of the hands
(23:31):
of Dobbins and then Fields and Penn State capitalized, which
good teams do. I will say this though, you know, everyone,
I'm reading a lot today as I'm preparing for Michigan
and Ohio State and Doug. I'm seeing a lot of
these people saying, well, we don't know about Ohio State now.
Now they've got more questions than they do answers and
so on and so forth. And I'm not trying to
(23:53):
just be a defender here, but I would say, if
you're in a top ten matchup and you turn the
ball over three times time, so one of them going
in for a touchdown, the other two deep in your
own territory, and still win by double digits, there's an
element of that that is very impressive in and of itself. Um,
with some of those mistakes, yes, some questions are are rising.
(24:15):
There's no doubt. I think fields ability to throw the
football from the pocket, I think is a question mark
that Michigan needs to force Ohio State to answer. But overall,
a double digit victory over that Penn State I think
is a pretty compressive day for Ohio State, no question
about it. Let me ask you about Michigan. UM slow start,
(24:36):
but then they end up blowing out Indiana, a game
which Indiana's, you know, a seven win team this year,
and many people thought it was the old trap game. Um.
It feels like since halftime of the Penn State game,
when when Harbaugh said this will be our our you know,
our our proudest moment, our brightest moment. Uh, they've lived
up to that. But are they in the stratosphere of
(24:58):
Ohio State. Well, that's hard. Obviously, that stratosphere is rare
in college football. I think that there's only a couple
of teams that you can really put up there right now.
How having said that, I do think that if you're
looking at the way teams have played over the last
couple of weeks, and if you're looking at current pictures
of teams and not the complete resume of teams, I
(25:20):
really do believe Doug, and I'm not just saying this,
that Michigan would be right up there if you're just
looking like what is it. What is this team doing
right now? Shape Patterson over the last two weeks is
thrown for seven hundred and fifty yards, nine touchdowns and
one interception against Michigan State in Indiana. I know Michigan
State in Indiana aren't great, but Michigan State is historically
a really good defensive team in Michigan could not run
(25:42):
the football against them, and it was largely done through
the year, and he obviously was great in that game.
And then Indiana was a seven win team that is
playing on their home stadium and they went out there
and threw the ball really successfully. This philosophical change that
we've talked about all season long for Michigan is really
for this game for Ohio State. When Michigan can't play
(26:04):
volleyball and when they've got to sit there and just
throw the football to move the ball down the field,
and they can't, you know, have the play action and
run for a hundred and fifty yards. They had no
answers previously, and now they have an answer, and their
answer is Shade Patterson. So from that respect, I really
do believe that Michigan might have a better chance this
(26:25):
year than they have in previous years. Doug because at
least schematically and philosophically, they're in a position where they
can still move the football if Ohio State takes away
their run game. UM. Other big rivalry game is Oklahoma.
Oklahoma State, they've they've dominated, whether it was his predecessor
Bob Stoops um or of course you know in very
(26:46):
Lincoln Riley and very limited instances have dominated Oklahoma State
in this rivalry. But look, the defense has looks similar
to last year's defense. Um, Oklahoma State's different Drew Brown
starting at quarterback. But they you have arguably the best
or second best running back in college football in Stoba Hubbard.
Is Oklahoma State to have a chance this weekend in Bedlam? Well,
(27:08):
I think that they do. If you look at their
offensive output over the last few years against so you,
they have been unbelievable and they've been right there with
chances to win. Last year they had the point conversion,
so I mean it was I hate to bring it
up to you, I mean it was right there, um
for them to win that game. So I think that
they can when Um, Oklahoma seems odd right now for
(27:30):
me for some reason, that team that had so much
momentum early in the season playing quality defense, Hurts getting
better as a passer. Yeah, I'm not seeing it of late.
I'm not seeing the development from Jalen Hurts throwing the
football under Lincoln Riley that I'm seeing from Justin Fields
under Ryan Day and Mike Youre chitch Um. And then
that's the other element. I've spoken with Mike here chitch
a lot about this particular game. He was the offensive
(27:53):
coordinator at Oklahoma State last year and for the last
several years, and now he's the quarterback coach at Ohio State,
and and he says it bluntly. He says, listen that
Ohio Oklahoma State team and staff is not scared of Oklahoma.
They relish that game. They know they can score a
lot of points, and that's one that they believe that
they can win. Uh, It's not gonna shock me at
(28:14):
all if oh you is in another tight ball team
late um and their defense on the field having to
make a play to win the game, which is what
they've been what last three weeks, I mean, the exact
scenario that the Sooners have been in. The one thing
that I do think is interesting, though, is if you
you really and I watched some of the tape, Um Doug.
Even though I'm not doing their games. You know, the
(28:37):
ability of oh you to run the football with their
backs has not been great. The ability to just throw
the football has not been great. It's been really Jalen
Hurts legs that have been the engine to that offense.
And and that's troublesome that the amount of carries that
he's living on his shoulders right now is is a
lot and at some point that's gonna come him to
(29:00):
roust um. The entire Apple cart was upset for the
Pack twelve when Oregon loses to Arizona State. What would
you do with Utah? Though, let's say Utah wins out?
Does it take away if you were in that room?
Would it take away from a Utah victory in the
Pac twelve championship game? Over organ full disclosure? And I've
(29:20):
been this way from the start of the playoff inception.
I are you for conference champions that's just you know,
and and I think you know me well enough to
know like I'm pretty stubborn. No, but look and and
I mean I mean helping let me kind of flush
it out a little bit. I agree with you. I
think to the people who say it would. It would
(29:40):
lessen the importance of the regular season. It would make
your league everything. If if you win your league, you
go to the playoff, it makes your league games more important. Absolutely,
I just I don't know if you're gonna eat I
think six might actually make more sense, um than eight would.
The big problem is going to be sixteen games, right, Well,
(30:01):
I agree with you, and that's where I like. I
just think that we should switch the current format and
add the term champion rather than four best teams, take
the four best champion teams. Um. That's I mean, that's
a quick fix that I think could really fix a
lot of this. Listen, if Alabama has included in this,
you know, pending and a win against Auburn, they're gonna
have one of the thinnest resumes in the history of
(30:24):
of the playoff to be included into the playoffs. I
think we would all agree with that. The best team
that they will have paid place are played with that
home and they will have lost that game. They have
not beaten a team that's currently ranked. Think about that, UM,
And I know you can say the same about so.
While Utah's resume is is incredibly thin, at least they
can win a championship, and they have the element of
(30:47):
that extra championship game that I think really needs to
take precedent at some point. So I really believe that
Utah or oakloud Homa should go. And I'll say this
with full disclosure, I'm not saying that either of those
teams would beat Alabama. I'm just saying that in my
college football I think that we should have to win
(31:07):
our league in order to go play for national championships. Um.
And with with Mac Jones, I don't know how good
Alabama is. To give them a free pass seems a
bit reckless at least Utah, and know you are having
to earn this in a nine game conference schedule. Uh,
And certainly a win over Oregon would be a tremendous
win for Utah if they were able to get it.
(31:29):
And then the one I bring up is that Oklahoma team.
You know, if they went out Doug, They're gonna have
four wins over teams that are currently ranked at that time,
and that resume is going to be substantially better than
both Utah and Alabama. So that's something to just keep
in your back pocket. No, No, I'm with you. I
think The Oklahoma one is super super interesting. You know.
(31:50):
It's like people look at the rankings and leave them
for dead, and like, hey, realize, if they beat Oklahoma State,
that helps the resume Oklahoma State currently in the top
twenty five. If they beat Baylor and assuming Baylor only
has one loss, you sweet Baylor, who only have two
losses and they're in the top ten, that's gonna that's
gonna elevate you while everyone most of everybody's gonna lose
a game. So i'm i'm, I'm I'm with you there. Um,
(32:14):
this is a little bit of an aside, but for
people you cover the Big ten, the Rutgers thing is fascinating, right,
Greg Ciano did a great job there. Um. Then he
gets fired in Tampa, he's at Ohio State, gets the
Tennessee We're gonna get the Tennessee job. Then then that
you and I were lockstep in what I didn't like
(32:36):
how what Clay Travis linked into it. Then he goes
to New England, takes family time and faith time away,
and then he's offered some huge deal to come back
to Rutgers and they can't come to terms. What are
we to make of Rutgers football. Well, I think a
lot has to be made about divisions, and and this
(32:57):
is a bigger question, and this is probably not the
way you thought I was going to answer this this question,
But when when you when you're talking about divisions in
college football, what you're starting to look at is these
teams that are perennially at the bottom of the division,
you know, like like let's let's just say Arkansas, Rutgers, Maryland.
You know, these teams even like an Oregon State, if
(33:18):
you will, in the back twelve North, their jobs become
so unattractive because of what you have to get over
as far as hurdles within that that five six team
you know, seven team division, and and with Rutgers, look
at who you're up against in that division, not just
from a recruiting standpoint, You've got four giant hurdles that
(33:42):
you've got to pass. Penn State, Michigan, Michigan State, and
the Ohio State, who right now is at the top
echelon of the entire you know, college football, at least
in this season. And Doug, I feel like that's just
really unattractive unless you get some major concessions from an
admission standpoint, unless you get a major budget. From a
recruiting standpoint, I understand he was asking for unlimited private
(34:05):
jet use, and people make fun of that and say,
jee cool, what's you're asking for. He's asking for that
for recruiting, like he's got he's got to get to Texas.
He's gotta you, you gotta you gotta get players. Players,
You've gotta get players. And so if they're himing and
hawing at some of these requests about who's gonna be
on his staff, how much budget they're going to have
(34:26):
recruiting wise, uh, if he's going to be able to
use a private plane for recruiting, so on and so forth,
I think he just looks at it and says to himself,
you know, maybe this is not gonna work. Maybe this
is not uh the trouble that I need. So um
that's my speculation. Again, I don't know. I'll give you
a basketball story. I'll give you a basketball story. Once
upon a time, Tommy Amaker was up for the Northwestern job,
(34:52):
and he was meeting with Northwestern's a d and he
brought to transcripts and he put them down in front
of the guy, and he said, would they get into Northwestern?
And the idea at the time said, uh, this one's
a no, and this one's a maybe. And he said
and Tommy Amakers said, congratulations. You just denied Bobby Hurley
(35:12):
of getting into Northwestern and you said maybe to Christian Lightner.
All right, so it's like, look, you know, you gotta,
you gotta, you gotta, you gotta help me out here.
It is a fascinating part of college sports which you
you bring up a great point. It's like Ohio State,
Penn State, Michigan and really, frankly Michigan State. You're owing
four to start the season. You gotta go above and
beyond because I'm gonna just take so many els and
(35:34):
you know, it's it's like a five year bill just
to get to fourth place, maybe third place. I uh,
let me ask you about sc they beat and again,
how am I going to a ball game? Well, you
gotta again. You gotta schedule three. You gotta schedule three
bunnies and then hope that when you cross over, you
don't cross over against Nebraska or Wisconsin or you know,
(35:56):
like you play, you gotta beat Indiana and Indiana's counting
on you threw into the other side. Um, all right,
what do you think I s should do UM. I
think this is a difficult scenario, and this is you know,
I listen, I thought that there were a lot of
really really good candidates for a d This is not
(36:16):
the one that I would have chosen, UM candidly, UM.
And this is a big decision UM there right now.
I didn't think it matters who the head coach was
until the president was in place and the athletic director
was in place. I think basketball is the same as this,
although maybe a little bit different, Doug. But you're not
gonna have a ton of success and unless you've got
the the hierarchy in place from a from a UM
(36:40):
university standpoint, and now they finally have that. So I
think at this point you've got to You've got to
make a decision because all of this being played out
and and happen, it isn't gonna happen. You know what
that hurts recruiting. I just talked about it in the
Rutgers situation. If you look at the twenty four top
(37:02):
players in California as of last week, zero of them
were committed to USC. Doug like that, that can't happen.
That can't happen. So they'd either totally undercott Clay Hilton
and now he can start recruiting those kids with some
of this structure and place in the university, or you've
got to make a change because you deem that he
(37:23):
can't get those kids. One of the one or the
other has to take place. Because all of this middling
around and what are we gonna do? That causes kids
to look elsewhere. It's one of the reasons Justin Fields
decommitted from Penn status because he knew Joe Morehead, who
was the offensive coordinator, was probably on his way out
to take a head coaching job. Kids want stability, and
right now USC is not providing that. So regardless of
(37:46):
what they choose, they've got to choose it and really
stand pat so they can start recruiting some of these
kids in the hotbed that is southern California. Alright, alright,
last thing, Um, we started by talking about Oregon. How
good is you? Tom? People forget that Zack Moss got
hurt in that USC game and there was some and
USC's wide receivers made some plays. Just from from your perspective,
(38:08):
you see talent all around the country. You study this stuff.
How good are they actually in comparison with Huntley and
Moss both healthy in that backfield. Yeah, I think that
they're better than people think. And I think that brand
bias has a lot to do with what people think
of Utah. And I don't think that they can shake
the Mountain West history as as well as TCU, which
is one of the reasons I think TCU was left
(38:29):
out in two thousand and fourteen, even though that team
was so good. I remember Blue Out Oh Miss and
the Peach Bowl. Um. So that's a huge thing that
they're gonna have to get over, is that brand bias.
I will say that this Utah defense maybe one of,
if not the best defense in the entire country. I
think that they've got five or six guys that are
(38:50):
Sunday guys just on that defense. And the offense, which
has historically been their achilles heel, is right now efficient
throwing the football there in the top four in the
country when it comes to wide receiver um average receiving
yards per per catch. Uh. You look at what they
do when Huntley and Moss are on the field, and
I think I've said this to you before. They're twelve
(39:11):
and oh and their last twelve games that Huntley and
Moss play all four quarters. So that's a really good
football team. And I think that they're being overlooked partly
because their resume is very thin, their schedule is very thin.
But if they're a conference champion, rest assured you know,
I'm I'm gonna be arguing for him because I think
conference champions should be able to go great stuff. Check
them out this weekend The Big Game Michigan Ohio State,
(39:34):
Big newte on Fox. Thanks so much for joining us. Absolutely, man,
it's all about players. Gotta get recruits
Host
Doug Gottlieb
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