Cowboys, Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, and Lamar Jackson

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Herd podcast. Be sure to
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Sports Radio. Oh, here we go and at Thursday we're

(00:24):
packed live in Los Angeles. This is The Herd, wherever
you may be and however you may be listening. One
hour from now, Greg co Sell will break down all
four playoff games. What's the tape say about Seattle, Green Bay,

(00:44):
Kansas City, Baltimore? Out there San Francisco, Vikings, Kansas City
and Baltimore. I like both those teams to roll this weekend,
So Greg co Sell, it's gonna break them all down.
Good to have you in. Joyce Taylor is joining us.
Joy How are you? I'm great. I'm very excited for
this weekend. So I'm on. So I actually feel like

(01:05):
three of the team the favorites this weekend, San Francisco,
Kansas City in Baltimore. The three favorites that I really
liked this weekend, Seattle, Green Bands a coin flip. I
want to start with this though. Dallas Cowboys have a
new head coach. It's Mike McCarthy, who sort of looked
uncomfortable wearing a suit, didn't know what to do with
his hands. But when we think of Mike McCarthy, we
think of Aaron Rodgers, right, because it's not that Aaron

(01:27):
threw him under the bus, but Aaron got tired of him.
I get it. Sometimes a coach you're worn out. McCarthy
looked like he couldn't coach. Tossed on the side. You know,
Mike took ninety five percent of the hit, and but
Aaron Rodgers yesterday said he was happy for Mike, his
old coach, getting the Cowboy job. We've had a lot
of success down there, and I know that I think
that that was probably one of the reasons. You know,

(01:49):
we've obviously won Super Bowl there, but we've won some
some big games down there over the years. So I'm
not surprised that, you know, Jerry had infatuation with Mike,
because you know, we've had some really good more. I
don't know, I thought maybe he would go somewhere we're hid,
maybe some GM opportunity as well. But I'm happy for him,

(02:10):
I said him a text It text back. You know,
here's the thing. We look at the Dallas cowboy job
and we say it's kind of dysfunctional. But ask yourself this,
what are the best jobs in the NFL Organizationally? Pittsburgh
Steelers is number one. They're patient, they draft well, they're

(02:31):
top to bottom, they do everything well. They treat their
employees great. They'll go after free agents. They never play cheap.
They develop players, they draft them, and they don't fire coaches.
They are They are the most patient franchise. Pittsburgh's number
one by a mile. You know whose second is? There
isn't one. It depends on who your quarterback is. There

(02:53):
is no second. Best structural organization in the NFL. Green
Bay free agents don't want to play in green Bay.
Green Bay doesn't have an owner. I want my team
to have an owner. I can go to the owner,
Robert Craft and say get rid of Garoppolo can do that.
In Green Bay they don't have an owner. Small market
feels collegiate. A lot of free agents not interested. Well,

(03:13):
New England wasn't a great organization before Tom Brady arrived.
Nobody thought in the Steve Grogan years. It was a
great organization. It's a great organization because Tom Brady showed up.
What about Denver? Not recently legendary great Pat Bowldan passed away.
You don't know what's behind Matt. They're recycling coaches going
through them, quarterbacks coaches, Elway, a legend could be in trouble. Well,

(03:36):
what about Kansas City? It's solid, not a lot of championships, stable,
small market, not that attracted to free agents. Well, what's
a great job. The Dallas Cowboy job or any job
in the NFL not named the Pittsburgh Steelers is as
good as your quarterback ceiling. The Cowboys job is as

(03:59):
good as dak Press Scott ceiling. Right now, if Andy
Reid retired. Kansas City, it's a great job because of
Patrick Mahomes. It's not a great job because it's Kansas City.
You know, Aaron. Of the eight new coaches in the
NFL this year, one made the playoffs, Matt Lafleur. Why
would that be. He's got Aaron Rodgers. So Dallas is fine.

(04:22):
You have great resources, they spend money, they never go cheap.
Free agents want to play there. You know, no state
tax great place to live. They've right now, They've got
a very good offensive line, a star running back, a
starwide receiver, two unbelievably athletic linebackers, a great edge rusher,
and Byron Jones. Can they pay him, I'm not sure,

(04:42):
but a top corner. It's a great place to live.
It's a great organization. Yes, the owner, we kind of
normalize his behavior. He talks after games. Well, you're not
going to have as much say in personnel. Frankly, not
every coach wants to be in the war room NonStop.
A lot of coaches like the coach Belichick's and a exception,
he wants to control everything. Mike Holmgren try to control

(05:04):
everything in Seattle. It didn't work. He went back to
just coaching and got Seattle to a Super Bowl. So,
you know, we always talk about the Dallas Cowboys and
roll our eyes, but the Steelers are the best organization.
The city is big enough to be an attractive place
for free agents and to live. They're patient, they draft,
they develop, they do everything right, everything right outside of that,

(05:28):
these jobs are as good as the quarterback ceiling you have.
That's right right now. The best jobs in the league.
I'd love to be Seattle's coach. I'd love to beat
Kansas City's coach. I'd love to beat Baltimore's coach or
Houston's coach. It's not because of the organizations, because the
dude planned quarterback. So I'm happy for Mike McCarthy. If

(05:49):
he can get more out of Dak Prescott, then it's
a great job. For the record, there's twenty great college jobs,
maybe twenty five to thirty great college jobs, you know,
anywhere in the South with all those players, University of Texas, Oklahoma, Wisconsin,
Ohio State. You know, the California schools have a chance,
are around good player, a lot of good college jobs
structurally have an advantage over their opponents. Doesn't work that way, Pittsburgh.

(06:14):
And that's it. All right, Let's let's talk about Green
Bay this weekend. And this is going to be an
epic showdown. This is Russell Wilson in Seattle against Aaron
Rodgers in Green Bay. And you know how I feel
about Russell Wilson. He was underdrafted, he's undercovered. He's the
most underrated quarterback of my lifetime. Steve Young's probably second.

(06:39):
And then there's Aaron Rodgers, who I think is great,
and the perception is Aaron's way up here and Russell's
way down there. But having been a sports fan for
since I was eight years old, so I'm going on
for over four decades of being a sports fan, Here's
something I've noticed. I would call it the Paul Bunyan quality.

(07:00):
We love the golden arm. In baseball, Greg maddox is
a much better pitcher than Nolan Ryan. Greg maddox has
four cy youngs, Nolan Ryan didn't have any. Greg maddox
eighteen gold gloves. Nolan Ryan didn't have any. Maddox has
a better win percentage and a better era than Nolan Ryan.

(07:20):
But Nolan Ryan threw one hundred miles an hour and
had some no hitters. So who's the legend. It's not
the better pitcher, Greg Maddox, it's Nolan Ryan. The golden Arm.
It's the same in football, we fall in love and
look past the flaws of the golden arm. Joe Namath
is the first. We did this with Joe Namit has
forty seven more interceptions than touchdown passes. He's still a legend.

(07:45):
Dan Marino with Don Shula, with Jimmy Johnson was sub
five hundred in the playoffs, got the one super Bowl
and lost. John Elway had the golden Arm. He was
blown out in three Super Bows and then played poorly
in one of the Super Bowls he won. Many think
he's the greatest ever we overlooked the flaws. There's Brett Farve,

(08:08):
who led the NFL three times in interceptions and had
far more big game gaffs than big game greatness. And
then there's the current golden Arm, Aaron Rodgers, who's had
one great playoff run and he's stupendous. But that arm
makes us overlook some leadership issues, some arrogance issues, players

(08:33):
calling him out, issues, holds onto the ball too long issues.
If you go look at Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers
numbers since Russell came into the league, Russell wins more
wins on the road, a lot more wins in the playoffs,
more the passer rating, even passing touchdowns, even completion percentage

(08:57):
mostly dead even, And oh yeah, I like Russell Wilson's
leadership and scrambling ability. But the gap in perception is
Rogers up here and Russell Wilson way down here. It's
the Greg Maddox, Nolan Ryan, it's the Dan Marino, Farv,
Nameth Elway, by the way, spectacularly gifted players. But in

(09:21):
my lifetime, if you've got in your era, in your decade,
if you've got the arm. First it was Nameth had
the arm, and then it was Marino and Elway, and
then it's Farv, and now it's Rogers. Now for the
next ten years, it's going to be Patrick Mahomes, and
we'll gloss over some of his flaws, you know, because

(09:43):
it is so pretty to watch. I think it's a
huge game this weekend for Aaron Rodgers because I think
he and Russell Wilson are largely the same quarterback since
Russell entered the league. That's just not perception. And Aaron
talked about how much the game matters and how much
the last four or five years of his career are
going to matter. It's on my mind every day. I mean,

(10:04):
that's why we play the game. That's why you put
in the time in the off season. It's why you
do little things. It's to put yourself in this position
where we're two games away from being able to compete
for that. So, I mean, I'm thirty six, I know
what this is all about this is an important opportunity
for us. I feel like I got a lot of
really good years left. But you never know. Good stuff

(10:25):
can't wait for the game Green Bay hosting the Seattle
Seahawks coming up next. You know, I said yesterday I'm
all in on Lamar. I think it works and I
think it lasts. But can we slow down on the
constant sympathy for Lamar? And I say this as somebody
who likes him. Context that yesterday surfaced by one of

(10:48):
the funniest people on the planet making a comment about
Lamar Jackson supporting him. That's coming up next. Be sure
to catch live editions of The Herd Weekday Said Noon,
Easter n a Empacific, Fox Sports Radio FS one, and
the iHeartRadio app. Cold and Flu season is underway. Stuff
he knows. Top of the list, Sex nasal spray works

(11:10):
up to twelve hours, use only as directed vic Sinex
nasal spray. Top of the hour, we have Greg Koself
ten minutes. I have Doug Gottlieb stopping by. So yesterday
Larry David created Seinfeld with Jerry Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm,
very very funny shows, iconic shows. He loves sports. Just

(11:30):
a short story. Years ago, I was invited to a
dinner right across the street from where I'm sitting, and
Larry David showed up because he's friends with Charissa Thompson,
who works with the network. They were buddies and Larry's
very funny and he sat next to me and I
was joking. He kept saying, I think I can be
coordinator for the Jets. And I'm like, Larry, you cannot
be offensive. Coordinator is a language in the NFL. You
don't speak the language. It would take years and years.

(11:51):
He's like, no, I'm dead serious. I could be offensive
coordinator for the Jets. Well, Larry's very obsessive, he's very funny,
he's very smart, and he really believes it. Well. Apparently
he was on the Michael Case, a good guy New
York Yankee announcer, a good dude in New York, and
Larry David talked about he loved Lamar Jackson and he
called the Jets general manager in the last draft and
said this. I did call Mike mcagnan before the twenty

(12:16):
eighteen draft and I recommended that he drafted Lamar Jackson.
I have a witness, really yes, I have a witness.
And what did he say to you when you said that?
He kind of gave me the most condescend real Wow,
So you told him that, Yeah, I told him that.
He kind of he left at me. But who can
blame him? Nobody thought Jackson was the Ravens well time out,

(12:38):
not even the Ravens. The Ravens passed on Lamar the
first time they had a chance to draft him and
allowed Cincinnati, their arrival, a shot to get him. So
it's been a shocking, shocking development. Even last year, Lamar
played seven games. He barely passed for a thousand yards.
He only passed for over two hundred yards once. He
completed like fifty eight percent of his throws. He was interesting,

(13:01):
he was fascinating. Nobody predicted this. No, the Ravens didn't
predict this. This is my least favorite quality of the media.
My least favorite quality. Two words, revisionist history. Folks, Lamar Jackson.
Let's not feel sympathy. He got drafted in the first
round in a very heavy quarterback draft. If you want
to feel sympathy, feel sympathy for Russell Wilson, who went

(13:26):
in the third round. Russell Wilson went to Wisconsin. He
didn't have a great offensive coach like Lamar did. In college,
he completed seventy three percent of his throws, thirty three touchdowns,
four picks, Rose Bowl at running conservative Wisconsin. Nobody drafted
him first two rounds. Didn't make a Nickel Seattle DJ's

(13:48):
made more than Russell Wilson until a year ago. Okay,
Lamar Jackson revisionist history in the worst conference by far
in college football, the ACC because us the ACC. Florida
State's good, now they're crap, Miami's good, now they're crap.
Virginia Tech Top ten no longer are. It's Clemson and awfulness.

(14:09):
And we in that conference with Bobby Petrino, one of
the two or three sharpest offensive guys now that Urban
Myers retired, maybe the smartest offensive guy in college football
top two or three. Lamar completed fifty four, fifty six
and fifty nine percent of his throws in a horrible
conference with a brilliant offensive mine and he's still went

(14:30):
in the first round. Of course, there were reservations. I
mean I said it before, I called him a project.
I think he's gonna work in this league. But man,
fifty four, fifty six, fifty nine percent in the awful
acc of course, people add questions. The Ravens add questions.
Lance Zerline, whose dad was a coach in the NFL,
is a scout who have a great deal of respect

(14:50):
for We bring him on the show once or twice
a year. Here's what he said, and this is what
I was in the Chargers war room the year of
the Lamar Jackson draft. This is largely how the charge
Ers felt his evaluation was. Evaluating Lamar against NFL standards
for the position will cause him to come up short. However,
he has rare speed and athleticism and can single handedly

(15:12):
win games. Jackson may need to operate in an offense
ready to integrate RPOs along with heavy play action. Has
star potential. That's what everybody thought, but potential. Nobody predicted this.
We didn't see this last year. And what have the
Ravens done. They have drafted him. And instead of the

(15:36):
Michael vic career arc, which is people kind of Michael,
you can run and stuff, but we want you to
be this, No, Baltimore said, Hey, We're going to build
an offense specifically tailored to all your strengths. You put
him in Cincinnati and a coach pushes back on the
run and stuff. We may not see Lamar Jackson MVP.

(15:56):
We just see Lamar Jackson making cool plays once in
a while. So the revisionist history on this is laughable
by the media. In the last twenty five years in
the NFL, you can't find another college quarterback that couldn't
complete sixty percent of his throws in a bad conference
with a great offensive coach that became an MVP candidate.

(16:18):
It doesn't exist. There's usually are usually a baseline in
the NFL. You got to complete sixty to sixty one
percent of your college throws if you're going to go
to the NFL. I think Matt Stafford was right on
the line and be great. So I mean, I'm happy
for Lamar. I think it lasts. I do you know,
people say he's gonna get hurt. My takeaway as will
show me he never gets hurt, didn't get hurt in college,
didn't get hurt in the pro. Show me the hurt part,

(16:39):
because I'm not seeing the hurt part. You know, RG
three a year in. I saw the hurt part. I
think RG three got banged up in college too. But
Lamar doesn't get banged up. But the revisionist history on
this stuff is absurd. Lamar's great, He's a great story.
I hope it last. I think it will, but there
are doubters. Joy with the news. No, no turn on
a new this is the hard line news. Well, all

(17:03):
the coaching positions have in field field except for the
Cleveland Browns and Eagles defensive coordinator. Jim Schwartz interviewed for
the Browns head coaching job yesterday. Okay, so did everybody,
But what's the latest on it. Well, Mary Kay Cabot
is supporting that he has a real shots at landing
the job. I know that he is a serious candidate.

(17:24):
He's as serious as the other guys on this list.
This was not some kind of a throw in. This
was not some kind of a token interview. They are
taking a serious, hard book at Jim Schwartz as a candidate. Now,
it doesn't mean that he's number one on their list
or anything like that, but it does mean that they
are giving him a chance to win this job. He

(17:47):
is very hard headed. Can I just throw this out?
Is it possible that he leads or as close to
the lead, because Josh McDaniels doesn't want the job because
he doesn't even know who is GM. Would be very
possible they may not be allowing Josh McDaniels to pick

(18:08):
his GM. And in the position where you're going to
the Cleveland Browns, I think that's a muss. I don't
think it's Josh McDaniels is good. I'm gonna ask you,
is this a good job? It is absolutely not a
good job. It's a good job in that it is
it is one of thirty two jobs in the world's
right and pays a bunch of money. It pays a
bunch of money, and it is a position that does
not like Obviously people get fired every single year. That happens,

(18:31):
but it is there's not there's not an abundance of
these jobs. So it's a good job in that sense. Now,
if it is your long term goal to be a
successful head coach and not just become a head coach,
then no, it's not a good job. You like college
football too. If I said to you, Joy, let's list
the best head coaching football jobs in America college and
pro right, Browns are not top fifty because then you're

(18:54):
getting into Alabama, LSU, USC Oklahoma. I don't know if
you can get into top fifty because it is still
professional football. Listen, we both know this is this is
not a good job. When it comes to are you
going to have longevity, You're moving your family, are you
going to be able to implement the system that you
want to implement. There's no evidence that the Browns have
given us over the last twenty years that they're willing
to commit to a coach, allow them to implement their system,

(19:16):
allow them to have control over personnel, allow them to
build any semblance of a culture. These are facts. We're
not making this up because we have some Browns bias, right.
The evidence is overwhelming that that is the case. That
said Jim Schwartz is I'm sorry, not the answer. He
had a run with the Lions. We have plenty of evidence,
the video not the position for him, and like I do,

(19:40):
I would feel better because the Browns are so chaotic
with them hiring someone who had former who had experience
as a head coach, but not just any experience as
a head coach, like you can still build a culture.
There have been coaches hired through this coaching cycle that
have no experience as a head coach you don't feel
as anxious about. I mean, we don't know anything about

(20:01):
Joe Judge. Obviously, we feel like we know more about
Matt Rule. But Matt Rule also got a seven year deal,
so we feel like he's the coach of the Panthers.
Like that's the situation. We don't know it's gonna happen
with the Giants and Joe Judge if they have two
disasters years, who knows he's out. We don't know what's
going to happen there. I don't feel like that's a
stable situation for coaches, and the evidence that they've given
us over the past couple of years with some support
that as well. I just think like, obviously there's a

(20:23):
lot of conversation about the Rooney rule that this cycle
around and who the Browns pick is going to is
going to have a lot of implications on the NFL
and the future of their franchise, obviously, But like, if
I'm Eric b Enemy though, this isn't the job I want.
Andy Reid's gonna get me interviews, and I'm gonna get
interviews way better than this, I think. I mean, I

(20:45):
know everybody's initial reaction is this is unfair. And sometimes
in life, the job you don't get can be a
blessing can be a blessing. Yes, and I feel for
Eric the enemy, because he absolutely deserves a head coaching
I don't get one, and he will. But if we
both admit he's going to get a job, well, I
don't know that. I think he will next year. Well listen,

(21:07):
as long as mahomes, Andy and Eric are there, they're
gonna score thirty points a game for the next I
mean they're They're not going to be where he would loot.
Where he would be out as a running is if
Kansas City's offense dovetailed, that's not happening. That organization drafts well,
so vandam he's gonna get a job. I'm not sure
this is the one he should get. I don't know
if the job that really anyone who wants a long

(21:27):
term situation at head coaching should should take. So. Mark
Ingram miss practiced Tuesday and Wednesday as he deals with
a calf strain he suffered in week sixteen. He's considered
day to day ahead of Saturday's game, and backup running
back Gus Edwards is ready to step up if Ingram
is out. He said, I'm prepared for whatever they give me.
I'll be ready when my name is called. I like
to take every rep with that mindset that it's my

(21:48):
opportunity to show what I can do. It's unfortunate that
Marcus going through right now, but I've got to step up.
That's why I'm here. I'm here to make plays and
run the ball and how my teammates win games. He
was the Week seventeen starter. Twenty one carries a career
high one hundred and thirty yards. Yeah, Fox Beet has
the Ravens favored by nine and a half points, still
take them. I love Baltimore this week, so even if

(22:10):
mark Ingram doesn't go, you're still taking Ravens in the points.
Mark Ingram's probably worth half a point to a point.
I love mark Ingram, but this team has got They're healthy.
I love their offensive line, I love their tight ends,
I love their receivers. I love their coach. I like
their defense. I think their defense. Kansas City and Baltimore's
defenses are getting no love because the quarterbacks are so great. No,

(22:30):
Kansas City's defensive has totally turned, and Baltimore's got eight
new starters from opening week of the NFL. I think
I read so I don't think. I don't think Tennessee's
gonna move the ball against Baltimore. I don't think they're
gonna move the ball at all against Baltimore. Eric Henry
is I know. I think it's gonna be I think
Tennessee's gonna struggle to pick to have like first defends

(22:51):
all and how they start the game. I think if
they can get if they can get a lead, or
they can score early, then then it will be a
different game. Finally, people are kind of freaking out over
this story. I'm not gonna lie I how to read
the headline a couple of times. Tom Brady will continue
to play football in twenty twenty, as we know, but
we don't know what the future with the Patriots is
if he leaves and back up Jared Stidham isn't ready
to take over. Peter King has an idea of a

(23:14):
veteran quarterback of that New England could bring in next season. Okay.
One of the guys I think and I know is
people are going to laugh at this. I think Bill
Belichick would really like to work with Andy Dalton. He's
not Tom Brady He's not going to go down in
the pantheon. I get it. I think Andy Dalton would
be a very compelling guy, either to be their quarterback

(23:36):
for a while, or to be their bridge guy to
the next quarterback, or to take Jared Stidham under his
wing as Brady did some this year and make the
best of Jared Stidham for twenty twenty one and beyond
anything about that. Okay, so it sounds crazy town, but
here's I was going to talk about this later. So

(23:57):
what they're basically saying is what Peter was saying is
if Cincinnati bails on Dalton, which we were all assuming
that they will, and if Brady left, which we don't know,
but if he is possiblity. So what Peter saying, if
those two things happen, Bill would be looking for a
guy that is cheap, He is experienced, he is coachable,
he is would be a good mentor to Jared Stidham,

(24:20):
which he is, and he's not expensive. Bridgewater's gonna cost
him money. Cam would cost him money. You're not gonna
get what you're basically saying, What are they're doing with
all their money? Well, they'd like to pay their kicker
and in their corners. Hey, a quarterback for two years.
This sounds goofy. But if you're Belichick and Brady Leaves
and Cincinnati gives you this, it's like, I don't have
to sign him for four years. I don't have to

(24:41):
financially commit big money. He's a grown up who's made
the playoffs. He can break me for a year. He's
kind of like Alex Smith. He's a great mentor, a
good guy. He's coachable, He'll help your young guys. I
get the argument. I hope it doesn't come to that.
Hey for Bridgewater if that is what it comes to that,
Although I'm totally rooting for this because I want to
see reaction to Patriots fans. The beige water Pistol goes

(25:05):
to Foxborough. Joey Taylor with the news. Well that's the news,
and thanks for stopping the herd. Lie rather dog gott
leave shows after mine. Fox Sports Rudio the Dogger. Let's
bring him on on a Thursday. We're getting ready for
four huge NFL playoff games. Let's so. Mike McCarthy is
pretty funny. He's at the press conference yesterday and Mike
McCarthy didn't look totally comfortable in a suit, didn't know

(25:25):
where to put his hands. I mean, he does look
like a Milwaukee cop. And Dallas is kind of shiny
and pretty, and you know, it's all you know, it's
it is what it is. Dallas is this big like Mercedes.
It's a big brand. And he kind of looked like
a key in there a little bit. He didn't quite
fit right. And uh, but could I make the argument
it's the best talent he's had since the twenty eleven Packers. Oh,
there's no question. I think we are getting a little

(25:47):
bit far afield from what the real story is here though.
The story is Mike McCarthy figured out the game during
his year off, right remember last year this time? Yeah,
he couldn't get the Browns job, even though he had
worked with John Dorsey before in Green Bay. Now maybe
they didn't have a great working relationship, but he couldn't
get that job. The Jets wanted someone to mentor their quarterback.

(26:08):
He clearly wanted the job, and they chose Adam Gase
ahead of him. Right, Okay. To go from not getting
the Jets job, or the Cleveland job, or the Cleveland
job to getting the keys to the Dallas Cowboys is remarkable,
It really is, and it's a it's a it's a
great lesson for any of us who are looking for
a job. Is you gotta figure out the room. You
gotta figure out the trigger points. You gotta come prepared.

(26:30):
You gotta say those kind of keywords, right, those trigger words,
he said, analytics. You know, I become my year off.
I become a huge fan of analytics. Right, and I
love Dak Prescott. Of course he loved it. Jerry loves
Dak Prescott. I love zike Yiellett, love the Cowboys. Yeah,
and he knew how to play this thing. He understood
that you do want to have some power, but you

(26:52):
also have to bow to some of the whims of Jerry.
You gotta stay at Jerry's house. Don't stay at a
hotel when you go to Dallas. Like this guy researched
and prepared and nailed the interview, which, by the way,
is why any of these coaches, assistant coaches should take
these interviews, because you never know what you're gonna learn.
Anybodyho's ever interviewed for a job and not gotten when
you should walk back and write down some notes what

(27:12):
I should do better? Then you call the person who
interviews you and say like, hey, what could I have
done better? I think that's what that's the story here.
Mike McCarthy used that year off. He didn't lose weight,
but he understood how to play the media. You know,
he lets Peter King in, then he lets the NFL
network in. I'm watching film every Monday, I watch every game.
He rebrands himself completely to where it's like we've forgotten

(27:32):
that he was called lazy. He was his football I
Q was questioned. He appeared really kind of obtuse when
he was fired after they lost I think at home
to the Cardinals last year, were terrible football team. And
from there and not getting the Jets in the Brown's
job to getting the Cowboys job. This is a story
and a guy rebranding himself, refreshing himself and understanding what

(27:53):
it takes to interview, what it takes prepared to get
that dream job which he landed. Yeah, it's it's I've
told young broadcasters knows a powerful word like just don't
take the job unless it's a good job. Don't chase money,
chase brands, chase good management. And I think I remember
Mike Dunlevy's a friend of mine, you know, Mike. And
after the Portland run where he had a very successful run,

(28:14):
I remember he jumped right back into coaching with Donald
Stirling and the Clippers, and my advice was, you're better
than that job. But coaches, you know how this is
with coaches, they think that the job they have the
last one they're gonna get. There's a certain insecurity with it.
There's only they always say there's only thirty two of these.
There's only thirty two the right. I mean, like Hugh Jackson, Like, look,
I don't think Hugh Jackson proved himself to be a
good coach, but the Raiders thing was a disaster, and

(28:34):
then you know that second job, you failed twice. I
really think that's Josh McDaniels biggest fear why he didn't
take the Colds job. Well, and this is it's interesting,
and I think he made a mistake there, yes, but
well he also didn't know about Andrew Luck at the time,
if you remember. Yes, but I don't think anybody thought
he would retire. But it's fair, But I think Josh
McDaniels looks at Cleveland and says, okay, if I if

(28:55):
I whiff here, it's over. You get like like you
don't get a third chance if you fit. Because Denver
was bad for Josh McDaniels. He was arrogant, he loved Tebow,
he had Cutler, he moved him out. It's just like
nothing worked. So there you go. Okay, Doug gotlie but
got a lot of things to talk about his personal
relationship with Aaron Rodgers. I have none. Of course, we're

(29:15):
gonna address that. That's coming up. Don't go anywhere alive
in Los Angeles where the dugger, it's the Herd. Be
sure to catch live editions of The Herd week dayson
noun Easter ninety m Pacific. Great News, Geico, fifteen minutes
can save you fifteen percent. All right, confrontational time. I'm
gonna play Devil's Advocate with Aaron Rodgers, who I think
is great but loves himself a little too much. But
nonetheless he is a great talent. He's got a Super Bowl.

(29:37):
I'd vote for him first ballot, Hall of Fame, one
of the twentiest best quarterback talents I've seen. But Doug Gottlieb,
you have a close personal relationship. Let's not overdo it.
I'm I'm not gonna overdo it. Okay. I hung out
with him before. Okay, well that's a relationship. Okay, So
let me just say this. McCarthy leaves points aren't better,
throw down conversions worse, second half point he hasn't elevated,

(30:02):
and Russell Wilson enters the league. Look at Russell and
Errand's number. Since I mean, listen, I know that knew
this graphic was coming about. Essentially, you know, they're the
same dude, with the exception of record. You know, since
Russell Wilson got in the league. We'll get to that
in a second. Yeah, are the Packers a much better
football team this year than they were last year? I

(30:23):
think their defense? No? No, no, no, no, I just
I asked a question. Okay, yes, no questions. Okay, are
they a better football team that the number two seed?
And if Russell Wilson the Seattle Seahawks had any clue
what they were doing instead of getting a delay of
game uh and and you know and spiking the ball
on first down? They have the number one seed in
the playoffs. Are they a better football team? Yes? Or no?

(30:44):
Green Bay is a better defensive team? Well, is Evan
make the playoffs. Last year they were a dumpster fire.
They fired their coach mid season to the number two
just say, yes, you can say it's an outlier year.
You could say the defense. I think Bay is a
breakthrough the team than last year and the year before
well he was hurt. Okay. Are they a better team? Yes? Okay,

(31:06):
So look, I get that we want to make so
you want to make it into Russell Wilson's just a
winner and Aaron Rodgers all to talk about him being
the best actual quarterback. I think Aaron Rodgers is at talent.
I don't always see him as a winner. I think
Russell doesn't have quite the talent more than we think,
but he is a winner. His road record is absurd.

(31:26):
If that's where you find, that's where the fit hits
the sham on the road. Aaron's five hundred on the road.
Russell's the best road quarterback in league history arguably. I mean, like, look,
if we want to kind of go back through it,
the first four years that Russell Wilson was quarterback in
the Seattle Seahawks, they had a top three defense three
of those four years, one of the great defenses in
the modern day history the nation football so and look,

(31:48):
it hasn't been as good recently. And I think Russell
Wilson is a magician. Every Seattle Seahawk game looks the
same him running around in the offensive backfield trying to
make a play with a last second drive. Yeah, okay,
but let's just take a breath here. They can both
these guys can be great. And while you say, like,
well his road record, Seattle's known for their home wins.

(32:09):
And by the way, this year they lost at home
to the Saints with the backup quarterback. They just lost
at home. You know they should have lost home to
the Rams. They can make a field goal like they
weren't a great team. And I actually think though everyone
is questioning the validity of the two seed by the Packers,
which is fair because they're not statistically overwhelming. They are
good in the red zone, they are pretty good on
third down, defensively, offensively new age statistics. This is a

(32:31):
good football team. And Aaron Rodgers never turns the football over.
The fact is they're taking on the Seahawks, who we
have no idea how good they are, right, they lost
all three of their running backs, and yeah, they beat
the Eagles, but Carson Wentz got hurt, and the Eagles
were a patchwork group that just found a way to
be What happens If Russell Wilson beats Rodgers this weekend,
it depends on the context of the game. Last time
they matched up in the playoffs, Okay, last time they

(32:52):
matched up, Aaron Rodgers had a torn calf muscle. They
go into Seattle, they dominate the game, and then if
you remember, if you remember the Russell Wilson throws a
couple of miracle throws and there's an onside kick that
the Packers butcher and Aaron Rodgers never really given a
chance by Mark McCarthy some because he was hurt to
win the game, and Russell Wilson wins it. That's the

(33:13):
last time we saw them in the playoffs. I think
context does matter. Russell Wilson's been great. He's as good
at quarterback as there's in the NFL. I think Aaron
Rodgers is a little bit bigger, has been a little
bit better, but also a little bit older. He now
has home field advantage and he has a much healthier
team than Russell Wilson does. See if Russell Wilson can
win on the road. Yeah, I don't have any problem

(33:33):
with current day, modern day saying Russell Wilson's a better quarterback.
But let's see how the game plays. All right, that's
fair enough. So I was saying this when you I
have experience on moving cross country and taking new jobs,
and when you take new jobs the first year it's
a lot of work. It you almost have to tell
your family I'll see it in twelve months. It's a
lot of work. What you don't want when you take
a new job is drama. So Matt Rule takes the

(33:56):
Carolina job. Nobody disputes that Cam today is better than
everybody on the roster, but Carolina has an aggressive owner
and an aggressive coach. They have the seventh pick. It
doesn't take a lot to get to three or four.
Maybe you give up a couple number twos. I move
off Cam. I aggressively get in the top three, so

(34:17):
I get at least one of because we know Washington's
not gonna take a quarterback, so if you get the
three or four pick from seven, you don't have to
give multiple ones. I think you move off Cam, though
I think Cam is better than anybody in the room.
But when you take a new job, you kind of
want to start fresh. And I think if you keep Cam,
that puppy is gonna be hanging over you. Are you

(34:38):
gonna keep Cam? Gonna give a long term deal? He
got to a Super Bowl. I don't think when you
take a new job you'll want that stuff. Well, first
thing is somebody you had lunch with yesterday. Obviously I'm
very close with He gave me a book when because
no one's taken more jobs than me, So he gave
me a book. And it's called the First ninety Days.
It's if you're out there and you're switching jobs, pick

(34:58):
up the First ninety Days. It is. It'll it won't
blow your mind, but it'll be like, Wow, that's how
I should really approach a new new job anyway. M Secondly, Um,
the problem with this is the timelines of it. Right.
You have to decide on free agency and your current
roster before the draft. That's right? Okay, So I think
they keep Cam. And here's why one Cam did what

(35:21):
you have to do when you have a new boss.
I likened it too. Um. If you guys have seen
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, do you remember what
the penitent man. Only the pennant tent man will pass.
And that's when he kneels, and the and the and
the razorblade comes and almost cuts his head off. Cam
was penitent like he wasn't bowing before him. But they
apparently had to how to talk, had a meeting, and

(35:43):
Cam said, I don't want to talk about the past.
I just want to talk about the future. That it's
a really good thing to say. Secondly, he only makes
nineteen million dollars. Well, that's a lot of money to
everyone except for you in this room. That's a lot
of moneys. So, but nineteen million dollars for a former
MVP is cheap. It's cheap, just okay. And also I
want you to factor this in. Who are the top

(36:04):
two prospects at quarterback next year in the draft? Trevor
Lawrence and Justin Fields. Where are they from the South? Okay?
They're from like an hour from each other, right, I
think they're both from They're both from Georgia, yea, And
they're both going to be available. And if you're sitting
there and you're Carolina, you say, remember Matt Rule what
he did at Temple first year, just kind of trying

(36:25):
to figure things out then got it going. Baylor first year,
dumpster fire, just try and kind of get things going.
I think he probably keeps Cam Holds onto him, sees
what happens in the draft, and if they pass on
a quarterback, they know that next year there's two elite PROCs.
Nobody's gonna trade down if they have Trevor Lawrence. I mean,
if you everything, if we don't know, Like again, there's

(36:47):
so much unknown. Miami tried to dump games and end
up winning five games. Here. You know what's interesting, they
got rid of all their players. It's like, what could
we possibly win with? You know what, Let's trade them
away and they still would. Here's what's fascinating. Trevor Lawrence
is such a great prospects. So it's justin fields, but
Trevor's and all time. Yes, what if a team like
the Giants who liked Daniel Jones or the Jets that

(37:08):
like Arnold, what if one of those teams ends up
with a number one pick next year, would you bail
on a kid that you like because you think Trevor's
That's what That's what the Cardinals did. But the Cardinals
they didn't even like Rosen but that's what the Cardinals did, right.
The Cardinals had Josh Rosen like, now let's get rid
of all was like, that's kind of crazy, and now
it's not not Arizona. Arizona said, listen, if you love

(37:29):
the guy, just admitute. I mean Arizona's credit. They're like,
we we whipped it. We're going to the other guy.
I respect the hell out of that. I look, I
thought it was a major risk. Yeah, but I believe
it's it's going to pay off. Let me just add
one thing in terms of there's a lot of Eric
b enemy talk and why he didn't get the job,
and and and Chris Richard who also didn't get the job.

(37:49):
Man like, look, this is the way it works. You
come in an interview. They brought in three guys, they
chose Joe Judge. All of them have their guys call,
all of them have a reputation, and I would only
say this enemy's reputation is not super clean in terms
of his ability to deal with people. He's a great
running back coach, he does not call plays. He is
not really a coordinator, and he probably will be a

(38:10):
head coach someday. But he has to learn from this
process and understand, like Mike McCarthy, what he has to fix,
the trigger words he has to say, and how he
has to change his image in the league for the
next interview. Right like there are people saying, do away
with the Rooney Roulette's crazy. The Rooney rule gave you Flores? Okay,
the year before Flores got the job last year with Miami,

(38:32):
he interviewed for some jobs and people said, you know,
he's not ready yet, but maybe two more years. Brian
Flores is going to be a head coach. I had
three gms tell me that, and sure enough last year
got the job. And you know what, he's really really
good and he's really prepared for it. Well the interviews
in Port Anthony Lynn was a running back coach. Yes,
and it's interesting. So we know Tom talesco runs the
Chargers and Tom's like my interviewed and him was like,

(38:52):
oh my god, and he thought to himself, I'd like more.
You know, everybody wants more coordinator experience. There is something
to be said about you walk into the room and wow,
people remember Dave Gettleman this, I had somebody tell me
this yesterday. Gettleman. Ron Rivera is a presence guy like
Jack del Rio. He walks into the room. Anthony Lynn's
very much a presence guy, like Okay, Ron Revere is

(39:14):
not a scheme guy. So Gettleman had success with Ron Rivera.
So Joe Judge walks in, Pat Shermer has no presence.
Judge walks in, blows him away, and he was thinking,
well that's what that's what got me to the Super Bowl.
So I mean, there you can make arguments. And I
think the Rooney rule, frankly, is more important for assistance.
I think the Rooney rush should be in place, not

(39:35):
just the head coach for assistance, because assistants become coordinators
and coordinators become coaches. But by the way, Greg Roman's
been a very good coordinator, but he's considered kind of
quirky and has a specific offense that works with Lamar
and Kaepernick, but maybe not everybody else. Here's one thing interesting.
As we're all kind of anointing the Ravens that they're
going to win this game, the defense, according to the
Titans is Dean Pasan. P's used to be the defensive

(39:57):
coordinator of the Ravens, who they play in that they
played in the Super Bowl against Colin Kaepernick against Greg
Roman's offense. Lamar is a better version of what Kaepernick
was athletically in the Super Bowl. I think Lamar's way
better than Kaepernick as far as a Thrower's a beautiful
touch and he's faster. Yes, I mean, look what they

(40:18):
have done is they designed the perfect system. It's the
tight ends. You have to have a big catch radius,
getting getting Hollywood Brown to take the top off the defense,
you know, using a fullback in basically mark Ingram's your fullback,
you know, as as as a runner as well. They
designed the whole thing around him. Yeah, but deanps does
have a history of going against this defense, which is
the hardest thing in the NFL because so few people

(40:39):
have seen this type of offense. By the way, i
bet a lot of money on Clemson to beat Ohio State.
I'm carrying it over i did yesterday. I'm taking the
Ravens to win in a blow out fashion. I'm gonna
have so much money Monday I'll consider tipping the valet. Wow,
get to open the wall and go our two next
one more head The Herd streams twenty four hours a day,

(41:01):
seven days a week within the iHeartRadio app search Herd
to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. Oh,
here we go, it's our two. We're live in La.
This is the Herd, wherever you may be and however
you may be listening. iHeartRadio, Fox Sports Radio and FS one,
Greg co Sell. If you like the fat football, you
like fantasy football, you just love the sport. Nobody breaks

(41:23):
it down as objectively as a guy that's been in
NFL films for four decades. Greg co Sell and Joey
Taylor is joining me. We'll close. It's Thursday. You can
feel it. Here we go. I can't wait. Then Monday,
we have a national championship college football game. It's a
solid football weekend. It's a great I can't decide which
game I'm more excited about, though, Yeah, Green Bay Seattle,

(41:43):
I could go either way. If Seattle had their running
backs all healthy, I'd love Seattle to win the game.
They don't also think this Texans Chiefs game is gonna
be really good? Yeah, you do. I do not. I
do not. I do not trust the Houston Texans. Nonsense.
I don't know they were. If they're a fascinating team,
they're they don't start ever, Well you go down seventeen nothing.

(42:04):
Patrick Mahomes, it's over. He just said in my ear back,
like they start badly. Yes, yes they do, by the way,
Greg ko Selgat. Mike McCarthy got hired yesterday, but the
Dallas Cowboys. And he'll listen. I said, it's a safe hire.
It's a better version of Jason Garrett. He's certainly Jason
Garrett won the division what two three times. I don't
think it's a bad hire. I think, as Doug Gottlieb said,

(42:26):
Mike rebranded himself. I think he's capable. I thought at
the end in Green Bay it got choppy. Aaron, listen,
Aaron got tired of him, all right. One if Tom
Brady got tired of Josh McDaniels, Josh McDaniels would be gone.
You know. It's the reality is if you have a
star quarterback and after a while you're kind of done.
I mean, Aaron wanted more creative stuff. McCarthy wasn't super creative.
And Aaron's like, I need, I need a new guy,

(42:47):
and he got Matt Lafleur and he's happy. He's thirteen
and three. McCarthy is he doesn't look like the Cowboys.
He looks like Green Bay, he looks like Milwaukee. He
looks like a retired cop. I like him. He was
yesterday he was marginally uncomfortable in his cowboy press conference.
I'm having a moment here because I don't know where
the hell will put in my hands. I never said
at a table for a press conference. He's a very,

(43:11):
very likable guy. Here's the thing about coaches. We just
beat him up. I always joke about Bill Simmons used
to just crush NBA coaches. I'm like, Bill, best players
win the championship. Stop crushing coaches. We crush NFL coaches.
So let's take Belichick out. He's the goat. Okay, let's
just take him out. Okay, Let's like it's like, you know,
take Steve Jobs, the late great Steve Jobs out, Bill

(43:32):
Gates out. Everybody else is kind of in the same
ball game, right, So let's take Bill Belichick out. Here's
the coaches we all think are great. Andy Reid. He's
had clock management issues, he struggled in the playoffs. He
develops the hell out of quarterbacks and wide receivers, but
not great at developing running games. And he's great. He's
a Hall of Famer. There's Sean Payton. He had clock
management issues last week. We didn't like that and timeout issues.

(43:54):
By the way, He's highly emotional, takes big risks. Sometimes
Sean gets a little cute for my taste, and he's
a first ballot Hall of Famer. Let's go to Pete Carroll,
fired two times seven to nine, seven and nine in Seattle,
and then they draft Russell Wilson. Now he's a legend. Okay,
So these are the guys that are great. Mike Tomlin,

(44:16):
who most people would say over the last seven to
eight years has kind of underachieved. These are the great ones. Okay.
Forget the third of the league who we don't think
are great. Mike McCarthy, if he was a quarterback, is
Matt Ryan. He's B to B plus. He can certainly
get you to a Super Bowl, needs maybe the perfect
coordinator to make it happen, needs weapons on the outside.

(44:39):
Is not going to pull an average team into the
second round of the playoffs. But if McCarthy was a quarterback,
he'd be Matt Ryan, and I like Matt Ryan. Here's
the other thing what's interesting to me about this job
is when you get a new job where do you
come from and what are you going to? You're gonna
go from no owner to the most high profile owner.

(45:02):
That's a segue, right, Like that's that's challenging. You're gonna
go from small, friendly Green Bay where it's cheesehead dot
com and nobody's cynical and it's mostly fans who have
media passes to cynical big market tired of losing. We
want playoff. W's Dallas. Okay, You're gonna go from Aaron

(45:22):
Rodgers who could be you know, a little aloof and
difficult to the highly coachable but not as talented Dak Prescott.
This is what's interesting about the job. There's a lot
of where you were to where you are challenges which
make it really fun. The quarterback personalities are different, the
market sizes are different that they are both big brands

(45:46):
but no owner, to a high profile owner having some
say in personnel to maybe having virtually no say in personnel.
These are the challenges that make it a fascinating job.
And with that we go to co Sell forty years
NFL Films, Greg, how are you on? What's going on?
My friend? Well, we have four great games to talk about,

(46:07):
so let's go to Minnesota and San Francisco. So we've
talked about this before, a little refresher. I think Jimmy
G's really good. But I think what I like about
the Niners mostly as they can beat you multiple ways.
And when you now that that we can wrap a
bow on the regular season, it sounds like to me,

(46:28):
you like the run game with San Francisco as much
or more than Garoppolo. Is that fair? Well, here's what
intrigues me about that game. First of all, Minnesota's defense
last week due to injury, and I think it'll be
the same this week. Played Andrews and Dajo as their
nickel slot corner, and he's not a nickel slot corner,

(46:50):
but amazingly enough, the Saints did not really exploit that
in the game. I am very anxious to see what
Kyle Shanahan's going to do in this game personnel wise,
because obviously, if he stays with his bass personnel, which
is what he liked to do, Kyle and you know
a lot of Kyle Uschek, a lot of two tight ends,
then Sandejo won't be on the field. But if he
goes to three wide receivers, then Sudejo likely will be

(47:13):
on the field, and we know how good Kyle Schanahan
is at attacking and exploiting weaknesses in aer coverage. And
while we know that Minnesota plays a lot of zone,
still and zone you do match up. So I'm just
I'm really curious to see how Kyle Shanahan is going
to go about attacking this Minnesota defense. If Sandejo is
indeed the last corner, and I believe Dude to injury,

(47:35):
he will be Yeah, you know, it's interesting Kirk Cousins
goes out and plays. I thought he made the best
row of his life to Adam Feeling. And we can
be very critical of Kirk Cousins, but when he is
given an assignment and has a little time to throw
and they occasionally move the pocket, he can be effective.

(47:57):
I mean, I wasn't surprised by as performance, but I
will say I thought that Theelan throw was as big
time a throw as you're you're gonna get into Russell
Wilson throw. It's a Rodgers throw. Anything about Kirk's performance
surprise you, well, well, you know how the playoffs are.
There's individual plays that define people, and that's what we

(48:18):
talk about. And we'll get to their cousins throw shortly,
just like did Deshaun Watson play their individual plays. But
I think when you look at the overall approach and
philosophy of the Vikings, that game fit their offensive profile.
Colin run game with Cook, he had twenty eight attempts. Okay,
run game with Cook, pass game with cousins as a compliment.
The one difference in this game, and maybe it's because

(48:40):
thelan is healthy now and Okay is they played more
in this game with three wide receivers than they had
all season. Wow. And I don't know if that will continue,
but they certainly did in this game because during the
season they only played with what we call eleven personnel,
meaning three wide receivers about twenty percent of their snaps.
They did it far more in this game in the

(49:02):
playoff game against the Saints, So we'll see if that continues. Yeah.
And by the way, the Saints have Lattimore, one of
the better corners in the league and they still went
that direction. So let's go to Tennessee in Baltimore. This
game doesn't feel close to me. When you come off
a massive franchise win for the Titans, short week comeback,
Baltimore's on fire, mark ingram could be out or hurt.

(49:25):
Why let's just start with Tennessee. Why was Derrick Henry
so darned successful against the Patriots who generally make you
play left handed? And he just worked New England because
Bill Belichick did make them play left handed. In his mind,
he did the same thing he did in the Super
Bowl when he was the decoordinator for the Giants, and
he said, hey, if you want to give the ball

(49:47):
to Thurman Thomas, you can do that. He was okay
with them giving the ball to Derrick Henry. You watched
the tape. He didn't load the box. He often played
with five defensive backs versus two tight ends. The difference
was they didn't execute the philosophy as well as needed.
Too many mistackles, too many d linemen moved off the ball.
But he did not mind at all. The film tells

(50:09):
you this, with them giving the ball to Derrick Henry.
How many offensive touchdowns did they score? Two? Yeah, he
was okay with that. The problem was their offense couldn't
score and obviously the goal line stand was critical. But
by watching the tape, by approach philosophy and tactics, he
was okay. With Tennessee giving a ball to Derrick Henry

(50:30):
thirty times. They just didn't execute the plan. Anytime you
can limit a star quarterback to doing one thing and
not two things, that probably is advantageous. The sense is, well,
you know what, Lamar's more runner than thrower. If you
were devising a game plan against Lamar, do you buy
into a belief that, yeah, if we make Lamar throw

(50:52):
thirty five times, we're in a good spot. Or as
he developed enough as a passer that you wouldn't feel
great that why either, Well, all I can tell you
is this, and this I know for sure. The foundation
of their offense is built on Jackson as a runner,
not as a distributor of the football. That's how the
offense is built foundationally. So at the end of the day,

(51:15):
that's what the number one concern is. Now you can
be heard with him throwing the ball, of course you can,
but at the end of the day, that's how their
offense is built and structured. So that's the number one
thing you must stop. And by the way, eighty five
to ninety percent of his designed runs, particularly when he
goes to the perimeter, are designed runs. They're not zone reads.

(51:36):
They're designed runs. That is what they start with. That's
what you have to stop. Yeah, By the way, Tennessee's defense,
to me is just not what does the film say.
Tennessee's defense doesn't look talented enough to stop Baltimore's offense.
Are they? They're pretty good defense. I mean they're very
multidimensional with certain players. Their safeties are really really good,

(51:58):
and the safeties are you're changeable. They've got pretty good speed.
They're pretty good up front. I think. See, I think
when you play against Baltimore, you've got to rely on
your interior defensive linemen and stacked linebackers have really good
games because I think you have to. You have to
let the diet runs, whether it's Ingram words, whether whoever

(52:20):
it is, you have to let your defensive line handle
at you. Okay, Greg co Sell, do we lose him
right there? Let's call him right back. As Greg co
Sell has talked about San Francisco and Minnesota, I thought
his number one point was Minnesota decided to go with
three wide receivers a lot against the Saints. Will they

(52:41):
do it again? And his takeaway as Tennessee's got the
interior defensive lineman to make things difficult for Baltimore. I
think structurally, as he points out, which most of us know,
Baltimore's offense is essentially a math equation. You know, we're
gonna put two to three tight ends in and you
just don't have the people to match up physically. It's
a equation. They're planning the numbers and it's in. Trying

(53:03):
to play catch up to that in the middle of
a season is incredibly tough. So let's now move on
to the Houston Texans. At the Kansas City Chiefs, do
we have great co sell not yet. Now, Joy and
I have talked about this. There are Last weekend, I
thought I liked underdogs. I thought Philadelphia could win. I

(53:23):
thought Buffalo could win. I thought Buffalo controlled most of
the game. This week, I don't feel the same. I
feel that Houston is a very limited team. Their coaching
drives me Trey crazy. They were out gained during the season.
They too often rely on to Shaun Watson making a
play that is just a play. It's a flag football play.
I feel like he's the life preserver for sometimes a

(53:43):
sinking ship. So I don't like Houston much. And I
know Bill O'Brien's capable, because you can't keep winning a
division if you're not capable. I'm not saying that. I
feel like Indianapolis is well run without a quarterback. Houston
is not well run with a great quarterback talent. So
let's go now, Greg Deshaun Watson. When I watch Houston,

(54:08):
they drive me nuts. They start slow, too many penalties,
right side of their offensive lines, hit and mess. I've
said this before. It's just Deshaun Watson saving them there.
They're the life preserver on a sinking ship. I don't
see this team capable of keeping up with Kansas City.
Is there anything about Houston you like beyond their magic

(54:29):
occasionally on offense? Well, I think to Shaun's the problem
and the solution. I think he's part of the problem
because I think he's a quarterback that mechanically is not
very good, and I think that he's a very undisciplined player.
There's a looseness to his game right now, with games
built more on spectacular individual plays in consistent execution. It's
a bad marriage with their online and their quarterback. The

(54:51):
online struggles and pass protection, and Watson is not the
kind of quarterback that can camouflage and compensate for those
issues unless he runs around and it. It's one reason
he gets sacked so much. But then he's capable of
spectacular plays, and if the game is close and you're
in the game, those spectacular plays can be the difference.
The play he made this week will be iconic. We'll
be watching it for twenty years. Yeah, Kansas City's offense

(55:15):
gets the press, but the defense clearly improved last six
to seven weeks. What was it? Why is Kansas City
statistically the defense is clearly different today than September. Personnel adjustments,
familiarity with new guys. What is it? I think familiarity
and it's allowed Steve Spagnola to do more things. We've

(55:36):
seen Tyrane Matthew who's been playing great football over the
last month. As multidimensional of safety as there is in
the league, and play in the slot, can play deep,
can be in the box, can blitz. Fuller is now
a player that they're using in multiple ways. Their D
line has played better, and Steve spagnolah is starting to
do more things tactically to take advantage of the players
that he has. So it's a defense that's grown throughout

(55:58):
the course of the year. With a new coach. Yeah,
does Mahomes look healthy to you? I mean, does it
the bounce, the throws, the steps, Does he look completely healthy? Yeah?
I think Mahomes he's a super freak thrower. He's another
quarterback that tends to play a little loosen on discipline,
but he gets away with it more often than not
because he's such a special thrower. Yeah. I'm just watching

(56:18):
a piece of tape here. He really is. He throws
a beautiful football. Okay, Seattle now is at Green Bay.
DK metcalf dropped in the draft. People considered him a
bodybuilder that didn't run great routes. Well, once again, Russell
Wilson gets a newbie and it works magically. Explain the

(56:39):
Russell Wilson DK metcalf relationship on film, because I don't
think anybody expected metcalfe dropped. He was the one player
that people kind of sold forty eight hours before the draft.
Why does this relationship work like it does? Well. I
think they're using him in the way that is best.
He predominantly lines up as what we call the boundary X,

(57:00):
meeting the single receiver to the short side of the field.
Thirty six of the sixty five catches have come from
that spot. So he runs vertical routes, he runs crossing routes,
he runs slant routes, he runs routes where he's on
the move. That's what he is because he's not a
sink your hips guy. He doesn't have that kind of
ability and body type. You want him on the move.

(57:22):
That's exactly how they use him, and they use him
really effectively in that role. And we know Russell Wilson
is a really good deep ball thrower. He is. You know,
Green Bay is interesting. They finally spent money on defense,
they have Aaron Jones, but the offensive numbers aren't statistically
much better than the last couple of years. Is it
possible that this offense, the offensive line is the issue.

(57:46):
It was overwhelmed against the Chargers front, It was overwhelmed
against the Niners front. That we don't talk offensive lines
with Green Bay. We're talking about the new defense. Matt Lafleur,
Aaron Rodgers, Aaron Jones that the old line for Green
Bay for the first time in memory, is a liability. Yeah,
it's funny because I know they're two tackles. It seemed

(58:06):
to be thought of as really high level players, and
I don't fancy myself calling as an on line expert,
so believe me. But I don't think just watching the
tape that this old line has played at a high level.
And I think at times the tackles have struggled, So
you know, I think the old line is potentially a concern. Obviously,
to me, Seattle's D line is very good against the

(58:26):
run and not a great pass rush line. They did
have seven tacks last week, but throughout the season they've
not been a great pass rush line. Clowney to me,
is a much better run defender than he is a
pass rusher. Poon Afford Inside's a really intriguing player and
a very good run defender, so to me, Seattle has
a very good interior run defense. Yeah. Finally, the big play,

(58:47):
Kirk Cousins shining moment the best. It's the biggest play
in his career. In my opinion, it's your big play.
Take it away. Let's start it right now so people
can see the play. Obviously, this has happened in overtime.
It was the throw from Cousins to Adam Feeling on
what we call it deep sail route, and you couldn't
have handed this wall any better to Adam Feelan the

(59:07):
way Cousins through it, and it was not a complicated play.
What you had is Adam Feeling. We talked about the
boundary X a moment ago. He's the boundary X, the
single receiver to the short side of the field, and
he was being covered by Patrick Robinson because Marshawn Latimore
was not in the game and the Saints were playing
man to man with a single high safety. Marcus Williams,

(59:27):
now what you're going to see here. As we start
to play, his Feeling starts to work inside and Robinson
does exactly what he should do. He gets underneath him
and tailgates him because he's running right to his post safety.
So he's playing it right. But Williams has turned towards
the strength of the offensive formation the two receivers side,
so when Feeland now takes his sail route and runs

(59:51):
away from Williams, it just becomes one on one with
a corner that's behind Feeling. But it's not bad coverage
really at all, given the cont It's just an unbelievable throw.
It's one of those plays you often hear the announcers
say that a great throw beats good coverage. This was
a great throw, and the Cousins did a really good
job by the way of keeping Williams in the middle

(01:00:12):
of the field with his head, so it was really
just a well done play all around and an unbelievable throw.
Good stuff. Greg Kosell, forty years NFL Films, Absolutely great stuff.
Thank you so much. Thanks, he appreciate it. You bet.
The Packers are thirteen three. Pro Football Focus asked the question,
is it possible they're not a great thirteen and three?

(01:00:33):
My thoughts on that. Brady Papenga, the former Packer, stops
by today. Don't go anywhere. 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. Sunday,
Russell Wilson leaves the seahawktions to Lambo for a showdown
against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers and the NFC Divisional rounds.

(01:00:55):
It all starts at six eastern on Fox and the
Fox Sports appe on. The question for this week's Super
six NFL Playoffs contest is which team will win and
by how many points? Who do you like in this game?
Russell Wilson has not played well at Lambeau. His passer
rating is like sixty it way below is average. He
struggled at Lambo. He doesn't all have all his components

(01:01:18):
at running back. So I'd probably take green Bay twenty
seven twenty three. I think the numbers right. I think
the numbers should be about four if Seattle at its
running backs, if they had Penny and they had Carlson,
I'd love Seattle. But Russell struggled there. I think the
Seattle Seahawks don't get to the quarterback, as Greg Cosell
pointed out, so Aaron's gonna have time to throw. But
I don't think Green Bay is a great team. By

(01:01:40):
the way. Of the four teams at home this weekend,
three of them had blowout wins off of bys, Kansas City,
Baltimore and San Francisco off there By this year had
huge blowout wins. Green Bay off there By this year
got blown out. So I don't I don't know. And
this is not a knock on Matt Lafleur. How good
of a coach is he? Because I got the playoffs

(01:02:00):
last year the year before the year before, the best
coaches are winning. I got Andy Reid, I got Shanahan,
I got Pete Carroll, I got Mike Zimmer, I got
John Harbaugh. I don't think Matt Lafleur. I don't think
he matches up to those guys. It's not that a
Green Bay's not good. It's just I think I always
judge coaches off off like extra time. Nick Saban, Dabbo Sweeney, Belichick,

(01:02:25):
Pete Carroll, Andy Reid, Sean Payton, off buys John Harbaugh
are great off of by Matt Lafleur got blown out.
Tennessee's offense is better since he left, And I look
at all these coaches left. I could make an argument
Matt Lafleur is certainly the least experienced and the least
talented coach left. So I you know it's I is
he better than Beill O'Brien. I don't know. Is he

(01:02:48):
better than Mike Rabel? I don't think so. Not what
I've seen. Tennessee got better when he laughed offensively. So
I don't know what to make a Green Bay. I
guess I'd take him at home off a buy because
they're super healthy. Here. Joy with the news. No, no, no,
this is the herd line news well. Speaking of that game,
Aaron Rodgers is preparing for his first playoff game in

(01:03:11):
three years. He says not feeling any pressure ahead of
the Seahawks game Sunday, but he does think about getting
to that second Super Bowl all the time. It's on
my mind every day. I mean, that's that's why we
play the game. That's why you put in the time
in the off season. It's why you do little things.
It's to put yourself in this position where we're two
games away from being able to compete for that. So,

(01:03:33):
I mean, I'm thirty six. I know what this is
all about. This is a boarding opportunity for us. I
feel like I got a lot of really good years left.
But you never know, you know, Aaron Rodgers, he keeps
talking about getting over the little hill towards the end
of his career. He keeps talking about that. You know,
what did he say earlier in the year he's on
the back nine or something. It's legas he's interesting because

(01:03:55):
nobody disputes he's great. Um, you know, it's like Drew Brees.
Drew Brees, we acknowledge all time great Aaron. There's like
he's great, but shouldn't he win a second super Bowl
because he's so talented. I think there's a feeling that
it's not going to defect his legacy. But I do
think a second super Bowl would really el It would
really put him in the top six to seven all time.

(01:04:18):
I think Aaron Rodgers will always, no matter whether he
wins a second super Bowl or not, be considered one
of the most talented ye throwers of the football. Ever,
I think everyone who's watched Aaron Rodgers feels that way.
That's why he's He's been compared to Brady for most
of his career, and Ben considered better than Russell Wilson.

(01:04:39):
And that's sometimes Drew Brees, even though you know there
we've compared both of their careers pretty even when you
look at the grand scope of things. But I'm with you.
I think Aaron Rodgers winning a second super Bowl will
put him in the category that I think everybody already
feels he's sort of in, but it would validate him
there for everyone. And I am much higher on the
Packers than you are. You are thirteens a lot of wins.

(01:05:01):
I'm not disputing that. I just I mean, here's a
prime example. Joy, So I look at their schedule. So
I saw three awful losses. They got punched in the
mouse at home by Philadelphia, they got destroyed by the Chargers,
and they got beat by the forty nine ers. All
three of those have very good defensive lines. Okay, where's
their wins? They beat Kansas City without Patrick Mahomes and
Minnesota without Dalvin Cook. You have to go to Sunday

(01:05:24):
September fifteenth when they beat Minnesota at home, got a
huge lead and held on to go. Wow, impressive win.
And that is an impressive win. They beat Minnesota, took
a twenty one nothing lead. Since then, it's narrow wins
over bad teams. It's three ugly can't turn away from
them losses. I just don't see I haven't seen enough. Wow,

(01:05:44):
I've seen them overwhelm three times. I haven't seen them
overwhelm a great team. I'm with you, and I was
very wrong, although I was happy to be wrong about
the Patriots this year, not that I thought they were
a great team, but I just didn't think it was
over this year. I don't know. I mean, I think
they're gonna win this game this weekend, So there's that.
But yeah, I mean it's I think it's really going

(01:06:04):
to depend on how Aaron Jones plays. To be honest
with you, I don't think it's really that much about
Aaron Rodgers. I think they're a different team than they
were before when Aaron Rodgers had to put the whole
team on his back to get there. Now he made
throughout this playoff stretch. But the interesting thing though about
the Vikings is Savon Diggs returned to practice today. He
missed the last two days with an illness. And Adam
Feelin didn't practice today's dealing with a cut on his

(01:06:26):
ankle that he suffered and practice yesterday that requires stitches.
Nothing too dramatic, but you know it's that time of
year where injuries are, you know, starting to be a
little nagging, and you know it's just something something to
pay attention to. So the Cowboys have super Bowl dreams
with their new head coach, Mike McCarthy. Former Cowboy Terrell
Owens likes to he likes to hire a lot, and

(01:06:47):
he thinks Jerry Jones needs to make one more big
move before they're a real contender. They've already made the
one move that I'd mentioned, and that's hired Mike McCarthy
in order for Jerry to get back on top and
put the Dallas house Boys back in contention for legitimate
Super Bowl. They have a quarterback that's a free agent

(01:07:07):
and Tom Brady that's the next move. And I'm not
saying that to this credit or discount, but Dak has
done in his availability and his skill set. But I
say that because he has an extended Dak's contract, So
that leads me to believe he doesn't truly believe in Deck.
If he had, then I think he would have already

(01:07:28):
got a contracted thinking interesting, I believe we talked about
this before. I think Jerry likes back. I think Jerry
loves that. Yeah. I think I think that moment when
Dax stood behind Jerry on the anthem controversy, Jerry really
appreciate because Jerry had concerns that even in Dallas, he
was losing fans like that. That was that Kaepernick thing

(01:07:50):
did not play well in Dallas, and Dak sat there
with his owner and said, I am I'm with the
owner on this. I stand for the anthem. And I
think Jerry knows that was that. Jerry likes that kind
of guy. That's also done a lot of winning also
and has not caused any issues for the Cowboys whatsoever.
And he's a great leader. He's been a great cowboy.

(01:08:11):
He is all the team. I don't think he's a
great football player. I think he deserved to be paid.
I thought he should have been paid before the season.
I think he will get paid. I just also think
that it's a blessing that we are going to be
able to experience as Tom Brady free aidence moments, even
if it is towards the end of his career. Because
until he comes out and says that he's going here

(01:08:34):
or going there, like anything's on the table, and that
that's surrounding someone with the status of Tom Brady is
pretty amazing. Like we're all distracted right now with the
playoffs and as we should be, But once the season's
over and this becomes a real conversation, if he doesn't
announce that he's coming back, I mean, that's that's something. Finally,
despite another heartbreaking ending in the playoffs, Drew Brees had

(01:08:56):
a great season, earned his thirteenth Pro Bowl selection. He'll
be four one next week and he's set to be
a free agent in March, but he wants to be
the one in control of his NFL future. It's not
a matter if I could still if I can still play,
like I know, I can still play, and if I
really wanted to, I could probably play for another three
or four years. But at the end of the day,

(01:09:18):
when that decision is made, I don't want to walk
away from this name because I have thirty two teams
telling me I can't play anymore. Right right, I want
to do it on my own terms. Now. Teddy Bridgewater
has reportedly said he needs a special situation to leave
the Saints. I think he's going to get offered. I think.
I think watch the Colts, watch the Chargers, Teddy Bridgewater

(01:09:42):
three year deal, nice Weather. I don't. I don't love Teddy.
If he has the Chargers of Tyrod Taylor, Teddy's better slightly.
But I mean that is that a move that they're
gonna make it They're going to draft a quarterback that
they want to play, say next year. I don't know
if that makes sense for the Chargers. I like him.
I like him to the Bears. I don't like Teddy.
I like Teddy. I guess I like Teddy. I like

(01:10:05):
Teddy in a dome. I like him in warm weather conferences.
I don't think he has a particularly strong arms, so
I don't want to put him in windy Foxborough or
windy Chicago or rainy, wet Seattle. I'd love to see
him play Chargers. Colt's good roster. Remember he makes no mistakes.
With Teddy, you get a guy with a super high
i Q. He learns the playbook in about an hour.
He's a total grown up. He was incredible this year.

(01:10:26):
He's the reason that the Saints were in the playoffs
this year. Think about this, The Chargers have a way
of losing games they should win. Okay, Teddy never loses
games you should win. He may not take you to
another level. He's the kind of guy that that brings
the maturity to the Chargers and you're like, they should
have won today. Oh we did because Teddy throws no interceptions.
I think the league is going to look very different

(01:10:47):
at the quarterback position. I can't wait. I cannot wait.
So good joy with the news. Well that's the news,
and thanks for stopping by the herd lot. I said
this when Jimmy Garoppolo is a Patriot. I went on
for about a year and I kept saying Where's why
aren't people calling Belichick on Jimmy Garoppolo He's a starting quarterback.
I feel the same with Teddy Bridgewater. Now, I think

(01:11:08):
Garoppolo's got a better arm than Teddy Bridgewater, but I
Teddy Bridgewater as a guy would have no trouble if
I couldn't get the quarterback I want this year in
the draft, saying I'm a draft Teddy. I'll give you
a three year deal too, guaranteed, and then I'll just
keep drafting quarterbacks and find him. He's grown up, he
doesn't make mistakes, he didn't lose you games. There are
some limitations athletically over the top, but there's a lot

(01:11:29):
of these two like Carolina. Carolina's got their receivers, their
old line, and their running game. Like Chargers got their receivers,
they're running back, they're tight ends. Colts have kind of
everything that could probably use another wide receiver, but their
old line's good, they're running games good. Those are the
kind of teams Teddy fits right into. Brady Pepina, the
former Packer, is joining us live. Coming up next, be

(01:11:50):
sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays and
Noon Easter ninety em Pacific. Brady Pepina, the former packer
now joining us, brought to you by Mercedes Bands, the
best or Nothing. Let's bring him on a Super Bowl
champ five years under Mike McCarthy and Green Bay. So
I'm watching that Prepps conference yesterday. Mike McCarthy looks odd
in a suit. I will say that you liked him

(01:12:13):
know a lot five years? I did like him. Why'd
you like him? Well? I liked it because first foremost
he was personable. He was also structured, where he had
a discipline arian element to him. So it was like
this nice little combination of he could, you know, lay
down the hammer, but then at the same time he
could be personable and kind of just like shoot the
breeze with you. So you had that element of him

(01:12:34):
to where he could be he's approachable and things of
that nature. And I also like the fact that he
was adaptable because, like we talked about this, for him,
when he first got there, he was like a dictator,
like this is what we're gonna do, like Tom Coughlin.
Like Tom Coughlin. And then over time when we started
six and two, he basically said, Okay, we're gonna have
to change it. Up. I need the player's input here
because this is a player's game. That's what you always
tell us. And then ultimately he's just an overall good guy.

(01:12:56):
You know, he really has his the best intentions to
go out there and help the Dallas Cowboys succeed and
ultimately achieved what they want. Now, there are reports that
he wanted more personnel control in Green Bay and he
struggled Ted Thompson. He didn't think went out and helped
him defensively. They had to win by shootouts all the time. Yeah,
are you surprised? Even Aaron noted I thought he would

(01:13:17):
want a little more GM control. Does that surpriject because
I always sensed a guy that liked personnel decision power. Yeah. Well,
I would say this with McCarthy, there was a time
where he didn't care. He just would take whoever Ted
gave him, and it was working out for us great.
But then there came a time and we talked about
this also on the show where Ted basically made the

(01:13:38):
shift and the philosophy of the team where hey, we're
gonna go more offensive oriented. We're not gonna, you know,
mess with the defensive aside much. We're gonna just try
to outscore teams. Yeah, you know, obviously there was a
time there too where they just they were just drafting
and developing guys. Every single year was like starting over,
and Mike got tired of that. Yeah, ultimately too, when
Ted kind of got to the end of his tenor there,

(01:13:59):
and then you had other guys involved in the personnel decisions.
I do believe Mike felt like he was more qualified
to evaluate talent to bring in personnel than the guys
that were in place pulling the string. So I believe
that was more of it. But I mean, come on, now,
he's going to Dallas. He's not gonna have much says
and that's why this it could, it could make sense.
But I'm telling you right now, principally this is probably

(01:14:22):
going to be a disaster in Dallas. Whoa, because here's
the thing. You got to remember this, and this is
what it's so interest interesting about this is it's really
a contradicted a contradiction because Jerry Jones says, hey, I
want an experienced coach. I just don't want a rookie,
first year coach. But guess what, ladies and gentleman, that's
exactly what they got with McCarthy because McCarthy has never

(01:14:43):
been a head coach in a situation where somebody's looking
over his shoulder to where he doesn't have full autonomy
on playtime, who's going to start? Because that's exactly how
it was in the Green Bay Packers. And he liked
it more and more. He liked it well, he loved that,
like Ted Ted always said it. He Ted said, hey,
I'll acquire the players, will play, it will pay them
there market value. But after that it's up to the
coaches if they play, if they don't play, because I

(01:15:05):
guarantee you if Jerry Jones invests in a player like
exekuiellet you know, like this last year with Ezekiellett, and
all of a sudden, McCarthy finds another runt. Let's say,
Paulard just fits in better with what McCarthy wants to do.
Who's you know, the draft pick there they don't have
as much invested in, and all of a sudden, you
see Ezekiel snaps decreasing. I guarrittee you Mike McCarthy's gonna

(01:15:26):
get a call from Jerry Jones saying, hey, what's going on?
I just bade this guy X amount of dollars fifty
million guaranteed he needs to be on the field. McCarthy's
gonna be like, WHOA, I've never had to deal with
this before. What do I do? Because he never had
to deal with that. So the ironic part of this
whole thing is McCarthy has never been in this situation.
So in fact, Jerry Jones got a coach that's inexperienced

(01:15:47):
dealing with an owner that is going to be so
involved in football operations like Jerry Jones is. So you
had playoff games in Green Bay. The difference between regular
season and playoff games at Lambeau just take our audience
to the different prepperration, the intensity, the way you you
feel and send as a player. Well, I remember the
Division round we played the Sallace Seahawks and it was

(01:16:08):
oh eight, but the twenty seventh season, and you just
ran out of that tunnel into Lambeau Field. It was
so palpable, tangible, the energy just to the fans and
it just right now, it's bringing chills down my spine. Man,
it is an unbelievable experience because that's what the Packer
fans live for. Heck, that's what every fan base lives
for Packer fans, though, are just a little bit different.

(01:16:31):
They're special because they're so invested in the team. You
talk about them being shareholders. And then ultimately when they
go to the game, Packer fans don't go to the
game because it's a spectacle. They go to the game
because they literally believe that they can have an influence
on the outcome of the game. Fans are dangerous and
they're phenomenal. That makes it so fun. And so when
you go to a playoff setting in lambeau Field, you

(01:16:53):
know that everything has been heightened, the energy, the expectancy
to feel pressure. I felt good pressure, like this is
what we all want, this is what we're here for,
and let's go do it. And I'm gonna tell you,
I mean, when you're in playoff football and you know
that if you don't go out and make a tackle,
you don't go out and you know, do certain things.
And the New York Giants game kind of pops in

(01:17:13):
my head because that a fumble at the end of
the game that popped right into my chest and it
was so flipping cold. I jumped onto the ball popped
out like wet soap, and then Dave pullif said for
the New York Giants, I never forget him because he
was with the Packers, jumped out in and recovered it,
and that would have won us the game. So it's
it's kind of like you have to go out and
execute almost perfect. You have to take advantage of every

(01:17:34):
opportunity because it literally could lead to if you don't
being eliminated, not being you know, in play the following week.
I think Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson are about the
same quarterback. You disagree strongly with me. I just don't
get it. Like Russell Wilson, I have never seen anybody
that is so propped up to where everybody wants to

(01:17:55):
see him beat this elite quarterback. And again, he's a
good guy. I love Russell Wilson. I think he's phenomenal.
I love how he is so humble and spiritual and
all those kinds of things. I just look at him
as a football player, and he still is a function
of his surroundings. He's not a guy that can go
out there and basically say, okay, I have no running game.
My defense is Brando Bendo break, but mostly a break defense,

(01:18:17):
and still cover up all those weaknesses. I don't. He's
not at that point right now. Now that can change,
you know, he could go. Would you ever face him?
I think yeah, I did actually face him twice. How
would you do check that I did it because I
was with the Rams and I faced to various Jackson.
So you've never faced him. I've never faced Okay, that's
like saying Whodini's overrated, but you never saw a show. Well.

(01:18:38):
The bottom line though, is I've seen the guy enough
when he plays, and I've seen how he reacts when
all of a sudden everything comes on him, and I
haven't seen him raise his game, especially in big time
playoff games, at the point where he says, oh, fine,
well I'm taking over offensive line. You're struggling protecting me. Fine,
I'm gonna get the ball out quicker, We're gonna check
to some quick game stuff. I'm just gonna take over.

(01:19:00):
That kind of I haven't seen that yet, that kind
of that kind of Here's what would worry me about
if I'm Green Bay. I don't love our offensive line.
I think I have said this for years. The Packers
in Wisconsin always have good on lines. I'm shocked right now.
I don't think the Packers online. Is that great? For
the first time in ten years. I look at him
and I'm like, I saw him get overpowered by San Francisco.

(01:19:22):
I saw him get overpowered by the Chargers. I saw
him get pushed around by the Eagles. Those are good
defensive fronts. I think the Packers on line is if
you start looking at Baltimore's defensive front, Kansas City, Seattle,
Minnesota seattles as much. But yeah, I give your gown
with this. You like, what worries you about the Packers
a minute left? What worries you about him? Inconsistencies? And

(01:19:44):
I'll never forget I went to the Washington Redskins game
and I saw them control, dominate the first quarter, and
then after that it was a crapshoot. Is what kind
of team was going to go out onto the field
and play a team that could execute at a high
level consistently, or a team that was going to go
out there and kind of fumble around? And what is not,
by the way, a loss of focus? That's all it is.

(01:20:06):
No coaching, well, no coaching is part of it, because
coach coaches are meant to keep teams focus, keep keep
teams engaged, leadership has to jump in, but I'll tell
you what. The last two games to follow up the season,
the Packers played, in my opinion, two of their best
games and two very challenging situations, one against Minnesota in
Minnesota and then at the trade game. Don't discount playing
against a team that has nothing to lose with you

(01:20:28):
having everything to lose. Brady popinga great seeing him. By
the way, Michelin Endurance XT Silicon and Wiper Blades real
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at Walmart. Michelin Endurance XT Silicon and Wiper Blades. Great,
seeing you, Brady, I was going to see two hour
three knacks. Be sure to catch live editions of The
Herd weekdays and noon Easter nine am Pacific on Fox

(01:20:50):
Sports Radio FS one and the iHeart Radio app. Casper
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dot Com code h r d SO. Bucky Brooks, a
former NFL defensive back scout helped build the Seahawks and
the Panthers playoff rosters, is joining us NFL Network as well.
I said, to you, we're talking. I said, okay, there's

(01:21:11):
four favorites at home. Seattle's favored, Kansas City's favorite over Houston,
Baltimore's favorite over Tennessee, San Francisco's favorite over Minnesota. I said,
if there's one underdog, because we're gonna have an upset
this weekend, we are. I said, give me the upset,
and you said the Minnesota Vikings. I would be really,

(01:21:31):
really cautious if I'm to San Francisco forty nine is
approaching the Minnesota Vikings because they are a very talented team.
They're a team that has a super Bowl caliber roster.
They can win on defense because they have Hunters up front,
Danil Hunter, Everson Griffin. Their linebacker corps is out standing
with Barr Eric Kendricks, and then offensively, their ability to

(01:21:53):
control the game with the run while also being able
to attack and generate points and the passing game off
play Ato thling and digs. They could give the San
Francisco forty nine ers problems also because their experienced. They've
been in the playoffs two years ago, the games they
went to the championship game. The San Francisco forty nine
is haven't been to the playoffs in a while, and

(01:22:14):
even though they have some individuals who have played, the
entire team has not been there. So when you play
a playoff game one, you have to get used to
the speed in the intensity of the game being much faster.
It's a more physical affair. It is one where the
kind of winner go home mentality brings a different level
of urgency and sometimes it takes a while for young

(01:22:37):
players to adjust to that. And so if this game
is tight going into the third quarter and fourth quarter,
you just wonder do they have the wherever thought to
handle the pressure that comes along with it. And then
also you have the Jimmy Garoppolo factor, how is he
going to perform in his first playoffs start the game
speeds up, Canny settle in really really early to kind

(01:23:01):
of play like he played in a regular season. I
think this is a game where Kyl Shanahan's opening script
the first fifteen plays. He has to get his quarterback
settled and comfortable really really early so he can play
late to Jimmy g that we've seen Green Bay's Seattle
just because the line Fox bet is minus four, so
that's a kind of a field goal game. I don't
think green Bay's offensive line. I think by I think

(01:23:24):
they've done a very good job developing and drafting offensive lineman,
but I don't love their old line this year. Sometimes
they don't get the push. I think they were overwhelmed
by the Niners defensive front, the Chargers defensive front at
times the Eagles defensive front. Those are good defensive fronts,
and Seattle is a great run stopping team, not much
of a pass rush team. I worry about green Bay
because off there by they were blown out Kansas City,

(01:23:46):
San Francisco, Baltimore off of Blah by blue out teams.
I don't know if Matt Lafleur is great. I have
concerns about Green Bay. They're thirteen and three and they
don't have a really impressive win since September fifteenth, beating
the By YEH know, it's a tough team. This is
what I'm worried about with the green Bay Packers, and
it comes down to two words, commitment and trust. Will

(01:24:10):
Matt Lafloor be committed to running the ball. The team
has been built to run the ball, to play complimentary football.
The defense has played well by generating turnovers, and they've
been able to win using that formula, Kenny commit to
running the ball, and will Aaron Rodgers trust Matt Lafleur
to stick to that game plan. What typically has happened

(01:24:30):
in the past for the green Bay Packers, Aaron Rodgers
has had to do everything. He has had to be
the magician. He has had to kind of do herculean
type stuff to get them to advance. This year, he
hasn't had to play like that, and they've won. And
the playoff game, is he patient enough to stick to
the script if the game starts out slow or do

(01:24:50):
they get to a point where he throws it forty
to forty five times? If the Packers are winning, they're
playing the right way. I think his past attempts are
probably between thirty to thirty five. If it gets north
of that, the green Bay Packers are not playing the
way they want to play, and I think it makes
them susceptible to lose to a Seattle Seahawk team that
is used to being in this environment. Remember, they play

(01:25:12):
more one score games than anybody this year. Seattle's in
tight games all the time, tight games all the time.
And so if I'm Pete the way I'm thinking, I
want to slow this game down. I want to run it.
I want to drain the play clock. I want to
make this a fourth quarter game. I want to get
to the point where we're within one score in the
fourth quarter and then we play fifteen minutes to win

(01:25:34):
it all if they get the game to that play.
No pressure by the way, house money, Green Bay big favorite,
and it's hard sometimes to win at home because the
anxiousness and the anxiety from your home fans thinking, oh
my gosh, we're the favorite, we're supposed to win, it
seeps into the sideline. So everything that you want to
do if you're Pete Carroll and the underdog, you want
to keep this game as tight as long as you can,

(01:25:55):
to get into the fourth quarter and see if the
Packers can hold up against the pressure. Okay, I'm gonna
ask you to be kind of the general manager here
on two questions. So let's start with Brady. You're a team,
You're the Chargers, You're Carol lineup. You can't get the
quarterback you love in the draft. And here's Tom Brady,
he's available. Here's Teddy Bridgewater, he's available. So we know

(01:26:20):
Teddy and Tom can play. Tom's got the greater resume,
Teddy's much older younger. Tell me, if you were a
general manager, would you be at all interested in Tom
Brady Man. It's really hard because Colin last year he
fell off the cliff. And I know we can make
every excuse about the supporting cast and those things, but

(01:26:40):
in looking at the table, we saw things from Tom
day we had never seen. Typically, if Tom had an
open liup, he always knocked down the liup. If he
had an open me a range jumper, he always knocked
it down. This year, more than most, we saw him
miss things that he had never missed. Against the Blitz,
where Tom has been surgical for the last three years,
he fell off a lift passer rating of sixty seven

(01:27:02):
point eight. Completion percentage was right around thirty seven. That's
not what he normally has done to three years prior
of that, his completion rate was over fifty. What about
gros and a grong factor? I mean, like, obviously he
didn't have the most talented supporting cast around him, but
from watching him play, he wasn't on the mark. So
now can a forty three ye old quarterback turn it around?

(01:27:25):
We've never seen a quarterback at this age play We
talk about George Blanda, but outside of that, we've never
seen a forty plus quarterback play at a high level
and kind of rejuvenated. I just don't know if Tom
can bring it back. If he goes to a situation, man,
it has to be a ready made situation where he
can kind of do the Peyton Manning thing, where his mind,

(01:27:47):
his leadership ability, those things are the best assets that
he brings to the team and that he shows the
team how to be a professional, how to be a champion.
I just don't know on his talent a loan, if
he can up squad, I think that's totally fair. Let
me ask you about this. So I've I've bounced around
the country and I've I've started over like four times.

(01:28:08):
And when you start over, I you know, I tell
my wife this next nine months to a year, I
mean it's gonna be I am a laser on the
job because you're rebuilding stuff. What I can't have is
drama because that will just it just punctures your momentum
when you start a new job. So Matt Rule's gonna
get the job here in Carolina, and he's an aggressive
guy with an aggressive owner and they've got the seven pick.

(01:28:31):
They don't have to give up multiple number ones to
move to three to potentially get their quarterback. I would
move now. Listen to his reaction because he knew when
he got the job and he flew there he was
gonna be asked about Cam. He not a dumb guy.
He's on the private jet. Like, first question is gonna
be about Cam. So here is matt Rules answer on

(01:28:52):
Cam in the future. I had a chance to talk
to Cam yesterday, and I have the utmost respect for
him and what he's done, and I love the way
he talked to me. To be quite honest, he didn't
want he didn't want to talk about the past. He
wants to talk about the future and so um. But
other than that, I you know, I would rather much
rather talk to those guys and kind of get a
feel for not just Cam but all the players and
the roster and and really have a good process moving

(01:29:15):
forward for the entire roster. Okay, so it's noncommittal. Knew
it was coming. My argument is if his quarterback was Mahome, Rogers, Russell, Lamar,
Matt Ryan, seven eight guys, he'd be like ready to go. Instead,
it was well i'd let me. You know, I don't
want to commit it. My takeaway is this, when you
start a new job, if you retain Cam, it's gonna

(01:29:38):
be twelve months of Cam questions. That's a lot of
drama for a new guy. I run the Panthers, I
make picks. I get to the number two picks. Washington's
not taking a quarterback. I get to the number two pick. Yeah,
I mean my nuts on that. No, no, no, you're
not nuts. I look. I love Matt Rule. I love

(01:29:59):
what he's been able to do at Temple then at Baylor.
He understands how to turn around a program. He has
a very clear vision for how he wants his teams
to play. He believes in toughness. He has a level
of adaptability where he will take the best system to
put his players in to enable them to win. I
think what he did was brilliant in terms of being noncommittal.
He didn't say, hey, Cam is out, he didn't say

(01:30:21):
Cam is in. I think what he wants to do
is really look at Cam Newton and what Cam Newton
has been the last couple of years when he's been
on the field unhealthy, and then assess what is coming
in the draft this year and next year. Everyone wants
to move off of Cam because Cam is making nineteen
million dollars. But when you really look at the nineteen

(01:30:42):
million dollars cap number compared to what Jared Golf is
making at thirty five, compared to what Russell Wilson is making,
it's really a very very affordable number. If he does
nothing and just keeps Cam for a year while drafting
his quarterback, he could very well do what Kansas City
did with Alex Smith and Pat Holmes. Just because Cam
is on the roster, it doesn't prohibit the Carolina Panthers

(01:31:04):
for finding their quarterback of the future. I think he
wants to give himself every option until he absolutely has
to make a decision, and he really doesn't have to
make a decision, and too ver, very late in the process.
By the way, Mike McCarthy pressure with the Dallas Cowboys,
you make anything of it, look, man, I like mc
McCarthy with the Dallas Cowboys, and I think he has
been underrated and I really think he's been disrespected in

(01:31:27):
terms of what he is as a coach. The success
that he had with the Green Bay Packers. Look prior
to the wheels falling off at the end. Here's one
of the top coaches. It was Belichick, Tomlin, Mike McCarthy.
Those three were the most winning during that span. He's
won a Super Bowl, He's won double digit wins multiple occasions,
and he did it with now ever having a top

(01:31:48):
running back. Yeah, but man should be noted he didn't
have many great defenses either. No, so he did it
with that. And I think what people need to realize
because we've heard a lot about Aaron Rodgers being a
transcendent talent, but I think people forget when Aaron Rodgers
came into league those first two preseasons, the Green Bay
Packers didn't know if he could play. Mike McCartney did

(01:32:08):
a lot of groundwork with his quarterback school to build
Rogers up to being the player that we respect and
see is one of the best in NFL history. He
understands how to develop quarterbacks. He also understands and has
an affinity for the running game. We were together when
I was a player at Kansas City. He understands how
to play smash mouth football. He will be fine in Dallas.

(01:32:30):
He is ready for the job. It's interesting when you
take a year off from somebody. Somebody gets fired and
the optics are bad, and you know, it's like art,
we appreciate it more. You know, the artist dies and
ten years later the painting's worth more. Yes, And I
think with Mike McCarthy, time away from the sport did
him well. He kind of got thrown. I'm not blaming
Aaron Rodgers, but he was made out to be the incompetent,

(01:32:52):
you know, not progressive, and it's like and then he
used all the right keywords. I listened. I've been studying analytics.
In the end, his resume is pretty darn impressive. His
resume is very impressive, the people that he's worked under,
the stuff that he has done, and visually, yes, I
know him. Look, he was together in Kansas City, and
anyone who has played under Marty Schottenheimer coached un Marty Schotenheimer.

(01:33:15):
The one thing that you value is the ball. When
you look at the turnover rates, the Green Bay Packers
rarely turned the ball over. Where do you think Aaron
Rodgers got the affinity for not turning the ball over?
Mike McCarthy, Because when you turn the ball over, the
odds go through the roof that you're going to lose
the game, so he's going to retain possession. So some
of the slippiness that you've seen from the Cowboys in

(01:33:36):
the past, he'll eliminate that. They'll play clean football. He
will run the ball. He will find a way to
use multiple tight ends, so they have to upgrade the
tight ends. But this Dallas team, he'll take what they
were and just enhance it and tweak it and they'll
play really good football. I think he is going to
make them a really, really dominant team in time. And

(01:33:57):
I think he's going to do one is for the quarterback.
The quarterback will continue to improve, he will get better,
but the team will be run through the running back,
something that we've never seen him have the luxury of
having a big time All star running back. Here's the
Jones family. Have you ever met Charlotte By the way,
I have not sharp as a tack. The kids are

(01:34:19):
all smart. Jerry's kids are bright. Look it's premier franchise.
I also think his experience, McCarthy's experience in Green Bay,
it won't be too big for him. All the stuff
going around with Jerry and the brand and America's team,
He'll keep the main thing the main thing. He'll focus
on the product on the field. You will see a
much better version of the jealous Cowboys going forward. Bucky

(01:34:40):
good seeing man. Thanks Discover matches all the cash back
you earn any of your first year automatically, no limit.
Go to Discover dot com slash cash back match. That
was Bucky. Here's Joey Tanno with the news. No no,
this is the herd Line News. Joe Judge addressed the
media for the first time as the Giants did this morning.

(01:35:01):
He did. I didn't know that he did. He spoke confidently,
confidently about himself and what he expects from the Giants
going forward. There's a question out there. I'm sure a
lot of people are asking. That's number one. Who am I.
What I'm about is an old school physical mentality. Okay,
We're gonna put a product on the field that the
people of this city and region be proud of. We'll

(01:35:21):
punch you in a nose for sixty minutes. We will
play every play like it is a history in the
life of its own with a relentless competitive attitude. I
want this team to reflect this area that is blue collar.
It's hard work, it's in your face, We're not going
to back down from anybody. We're gonna come to work
every day and grind it out the way they do

(01:35:41):
in their jobs every day. I do like that. I
do think, you know. I will say this though. I
do think cities eventually teams become their city. Like why
are all the Laker teams that are great showtime? They're
all fun? Why are all the Pistons teams that are
good tough? He's selling that lunch pale, do your job,
hard work, punch you in the no way physical mentality?

(01:36:09):
Are you cynical? It's had? I mean, look, it's an
opening press conference this New York. He wants to come
in strong and impressive, and nobody knows who he is,
so yeah, of course he needs to be very confident
and sure of everything that he believes in. I do
like the tiny little ode to Belichick of the everyone
got to do their job thing. Yeah. Look, none of

(01:36:30):
us know anything about Joe Judge at all, so we're
all just speculating here. I have no opinion other than
I was surprised because I don't know who know who
Joe Judge was. I think he's here. Here's what it
comes down to, who does he hire his offensive coordinator.
If he hires somebody an offensive coordinator, like a like
a Nord Turner, who I know is a great coordinator,

(01:36:51):
I'd be like, Okay, it'll work. Like I think he
I think his coordinator on the offensive side is gonna
it's I think it's gonna be make or break. He's
got to get that coordinator, right. I think he has
to get all of his coordinators right. To be honest,
you know he'll be fine. He'll be a very good
like Carball. He's a special teams guy, so you know
special teams will be fine. Right, He'll be fine there

(01:37:13):
if he gets the coordinator. With say Kuan and their people,
they have, say Quon, they don't have that many pieces
that they need to start being competitive. And I love
when the Giants are competitive because they are a cornerstone
franchise in this league. And the league is better when
quite frankly, when the NFC East is competitive, and this
year it was a disaster. Yeah, the league is better.

(01:37:35):
There's just those are that's the division, Like the Cowboys
are in it. You've got the Giants, You've got the Redskins,
You've got the Eagles. Like that division needs to level
up next year, and I think it will. And again
we don't know what to expect from Joe Judge. This
is just you know. I like that he actually came
out confident because it is New York. That was impressive.
Set the tone right now. All of the cliches we

(01:37:56):
want to hear when it comes to New York sounds, Bob,
they're very cynically. You sound very I know. I am
serious about that, Like you don't want to come in,
you don't want to come into it, how you come out,
and that press conference is important in New York. I
think to be confident opening press conferences are so brutal.
They're just I've thought breaking down Mike McCarthy's on Morning.

(01:38:19):
I know, it's like Mike McCarthy's like, where do I
put my hands? Like I don't like, for instance, I
like opinions. I've had to host multiple events. I don't
like hosting. You have to be proper and you have
to turn to people. It's like, I'm kind of a
just talker guy, walk and talk guy. You watch those stuff.
Can get watch those press conferences and they're sitting there
with their hands and we're gonna and it's like cliches

(01:38:41):
and it's like it's all they want to do is
coach football like Belichicks. But you gotta do it though,
I mean, you do have to do it, but it's
just so it's so staged and rigid and awful. I
love it. This is some of my favorite stuff to do.
So mark Ingram misspractice Tuesday and Wednesday. He is dealing
with the Caps. Jane he stuff than week sixteen, but
he did return to practice today. He was limited and

(01:39:04):
backup running back Gus Edwards is ready to step up
if Ingram isn't one hundred percent. He said, I'm prepared
for whatever they give me. I'll be ready when my
name is called. I like to take every rep with
that mindset that it's my opportunity to show what I
can do. It's unfortunate when markus going through right now,
but I've got to step up. That's why I'm here.
I'm here to make plays and run the ball and
help my team win games. Today is Ingram's first team

(01:39:24):
workout since the injury December twenty second. Gus Edwards was
the week second first workout today since December twenty second. Yes, okay,
which I mean he was limited, but it's a it's
it's a good sign that he's able to work out
this week and they're not waiting until, you know, Friday
night to decide if he's if he's available. I do
think this is something to pay attention to. You don't

(01:39:46):
think that mark Ingram being available is I think it's important.
I think that is stout and I think their defense
doesn't get a lot of love. I think they're coaching
their defense or special teams. Have the best kicker in football,
their offense of line's top five. I think Ingram's probably
worth half a point to a team that's averaging thirty
five and their biggest game. So I just I think

(01:40:07):
Tennessee is going to be overwhelmed in Baltimore. I think
Baltimore is gonna win. Fox Bet has them as nine
and a half point favorites. I think it depends on
how Yeah, you're betting a lot in this game. I'm
betting you know how much I'm betting? Yes? Well, no, no,
I know what you originally bet. You know what I
bet on Clemson. You know the number, so that doubled.
I'm betting that on Baltimore to cover. That is a

(01:40:29):
lot of smoke. That is, well, it's a lot of
smoke for all of our sakes on Monday coffee on me. I. Finally,
Tom Brady will continue playing football in twenty twenty, but
his future with the Patriots is unclear. If Brady leaves
and backup Jarrett Sidham isn't ready to take over, Peter
King has an idea throwing it out there of a

(01:40:52):
veteran quarterback that New England could bring in next season.
No right, One of the guys I think, and I
know is people are gonna laugh at this. Think Bill
Belichick would really like to work with Andy Dalton. He's
not Tom Brady. He's not gonna go down in the pantheon.
I get it. I think Andy Dalton would be a
very compelling guy, either to be their quarterback for a while,

(01:41:14):
or to be their bridge guy to the next quarterback,
or to take Jared Stidham under his wing, as Brady
did some this year, and make the best of Jared
Stidham for twenty twenty one and beyond chaos. This is
just hypothetical. It's not gonna happen. Let's just make this
this is just a hypothetical thing. Oh, it's like chicken

(01:41:35):
noodle soup. Like the idea of this this going out
there and Patriots fans reacting to the idea of Andy
Dalton being there starting quarterback next year after Tom Brady
for twenty years is just delicious. This isn't gonna happen, obviously,
but it's almost ridiculous to suggest actually talking about Cincinnati
bales on Dalton. They are probably going to do. They're

(01:41:57):
going to drop and and and if Tom left. Depends
on if Tom leaves. We know Cincinnati's moving off of
any Yeah, and so I could see Belichick saying, I
don't want to commit long term to Bridgewater, but I
like him Andy. I can pay nothing and get him
for a year as we transition that part I get.
I guess this really depends on how much they believe in.
Jared said, you know another guy that's interesting if Brady Lee.

(01:42:19):
I'm gonna throw this out there. Kirk Cousins has a
year left. If Minnesota doesn't step up to Kirk Cousins.
Kirk Cousins with Belichick is a lot better than Andy Dalton. Yes,
Kirk Cousins one of those guys we all think is overpaid.
If Kirk Cousins goes on the market in one year.
And because Brady, if he does play, probably has a

(01:42:39):
year left, be very interesting. Belichick could go after Kirk Cousins.
It is chaos and love it. It is Joy with
the news. Well that's the news, and thanks for stopping
by the herd Line News. By the way, my super
Bowl Meter, my Miami Meter. Of the eight teams left,
where do they rank on the meter? One to ten,

(01:43:00):
ten being a Super Bowl winner? One being what are
you even doing here? That's coming up next M Drive
from en dot com. The coach heard, get twenty percent
off your first month. rEFInd your prime with M drive
Best for last today. As Joy Taylor joins me, this
is now we go into the divisional round. We have
the wild card round. Tom Brady's out, Drew Brees is out.
A lot of people. Those are two favorite shocked they're

(01:43:22):
both gone. We have four games. All the teams at
homer off of buy they're all favored. Some buy a
lot Kansas City over Houston, some buy a lot Baltimore
over Tennessee. Some buy sort of a lot San Francisco
over Minnesota, some buy not that much Green Bay favorite
over Seattle. We know four favorites are not gonna win.

(01:43:42):
That's just but here we go, so eight teams left
in the NFL. We're gonna have our kind of our
super Bowl Meter or Miami Meter. Here we go, Joy Okay.
On a scale of one to ten, what is the
super Bowl Ometer for the Tennessee Titans one to ten,
I would say three. And here's why they are a
sixth seed. Six seeds are five and nineteen since the

(01:44:09):
NFL moved to a twelve team format, and they're oh
for the last eight. And I think when you come
off a franchise high and that was a big win
in Music City, and not only did you win a
playoff game, but you beat the Dynasty, I don't think
they'll be able to meet emotionally the kind of level

(01:44:29):
they're gonna need to beat Baltimore, who, outside of mark
Ingram is really healthy. So I give him a three
out of ten. On a scale of one to ten,
what is a super Bowlometer for the Houston Texans similar range,
I would only give it a four. First of all,
Kansas City's got a pass rush and Deshaun Watson was
sacked seven times by the way last quarterback to get

(01:44:54):
sack seven times and win a playoff game was like
Donovan McNabb. The other thing is this team's never or
won a divisional round game and they've been clobbered two
we you know about this. They lose by an average
of two touchdowns once they get to this level. Again,
I don't think it's a great team. I think they
have a playmaking quarterback and terrific wide receivers. They've got

(01:45:16):
about six playmakers on both sides of the ball. They
got about six guys that are difference makers. But they
I mean, come on, they're constantly There's no way they're
going to overcome a sixteen point deficit, which they had
against Buffalo. They're not going to overcome that kind And
they start as poorly as any good team in the league.
They were outgained this year. Yeah, scaled one to ten.

(01:45:37):
What is the super Bowl Ometer for the Kansas City Chiefs.
I'm gonna put it up in the nine category. First
of all, they've won sixth straight. Their defense since Week
eleven has been excellent. They now have you know, when
you got Frank Clark Chris Jones upfront, Honey Badgers helped.
This is a really good football team. They've got an

(01:45:59):
excellent They're not they're running game. They're not a clock eater,
but they're a big play offense. They've shown the ability
to come from behind, play with the lead. They've been
in several big games. There's not much I don't like.
The other thing is twelve games this year they had

(01:46:19):
two plus sacks. Only the Vikings did that. That means
they can get after Lamar Jackson, they can get a
high end quarterbacks like Deshaun Watson. We think of Kansas
Hity as an offensive show, but their defensive line over
time this year is developed into a really good, playmaking
defensive front. It's been a lot better and scaled. One
to tend. What is the super bolometer for the Baltimore Ravens.

(01:46:43):
I don't want to be hyperbolic here, but I'm going
to give it a ten because they're on fire, they're
mostly healthy, they're at home, they're well coached, and I
think if you took their roster, the only roster in
the NFL with this many good players is I think
the Minnesota Vikings. This team does it all. They're only
allowing since week five fifteen points a game, so we're

(01:47:05):
all caught up on the offense. The defense is fantastic.
They got Marcus Peters, so they have a shutdown corner.
You can put a Marcus Peters on a Tyreek Hill
and Emmanuel Sanders in the Super Bowl, you can put
him on a d Hop if it was Houston, you
can put him on anybody in the league, which allows
you to play a different level of defense. They have
a pass rush, and obviously Lamar is developed into a

(01:47:27):
not only a game breaking talent, but a very efficient quarterback.
Oh was my knock on Cam? He wasn't efficient. Lamar's
now an efficient quarterback. He doesn't turn it over, He
can throw intermediate routes, he can beat you over the top,
he can run with the football. He doesn't fumble. Their
attend to me, what's the scale for the Minnesota Vikings.

(01:47:48):
Don't love their offensive line, so I'd probably give him
about a six. It's a really healthy, respectful six. You know,
Dalvin Cook actually as good as he is, and this
tells you a little bit about their offensive line. Dalvin
Cook has not rushed for over one hundred yards since
Week seven against Detroit, and now think how good Dalvin
Cook is. So what does that tell you? Their offensive
line and their corners. Their offensive line's not great. What's

(01:48:10):
San Francisco's defensive line fantastic? I think this team has
a ceiling. It's not just Kirk, it's Kirk under pressure.
And I don't love the matchups here on out. They're
all line against the defensive lines they'd face. Scale one
to ten. The Seattle Seahats a five. Listen, I know
they're eleven and two in one possession games, folks, let
me read this. They're missing Rashad Penny, Chris Carson, c

(01:48:32):
J Prosie, Duane Brown, a defensive end, a guard. They're
great and close games, they just don't have enough pieces
to go on the road and win. I give them
a five, all right. The Green Bay Packers Scale one
to ten. I give them a six. Don't love their
offensive line. They probably beat Seattle close. They are a
healthy football team. They've won five straight. But I'll just

(01:48:54):
throw this out in the middle of this winning streak
five straight, Aaron Rodgers is completing fifty seven percent of
his throws with an eighty five quarterback Rady. We know
he's got a running game. We know he's got Davante Adams.
What does that tell you? He's not getting a ton
of time to throw here. Don't love Green Bay's oh
line against the possible matchups they would face going forward,

(01:49:16):
like the Niners defensive line. Okay, and on a scale
of one to ten. Speaking at the Niners, what is
the Super Bowl Ometer for the San Francisco forty nine ers.
It's a nine. I will tell you this. They're gonna
get Kuan Alexander back eventually if they win this weekend.
I think their way to beat Baltimore eventually is Quan Alexander,

(01:49:36):
who's a hyper athletic linebacker they acquired from Tampa. I
think they can beat you more ways than any other
team in the league, including Baltimore. They can power run,
they can beat you where they're tied end the gronk
like guy George Kittle. They can throw you over the top.
I think they can beat you more ways than anybody.
They have an elite coach and Garoppolo this year. I

(01:49:57):
know we don't want to give him love because he's
too handsome. It's completing sixty nine percent of his throws
eight and a half yards per pass, both near the
top of the league. We'll see you tomorrow. Speak for yourself.
Is next,

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Cowboys, Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, and Lamar Jackson