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0:00
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Herd podcast.
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This is the Best of the Herd with Colin
0:22
cowher on Fox Sports Radio.
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Oh here we going to busy Tuesday.
0:29
Who knows what coach is in trouble
0:32
this afternoon live in Los Angeles.
0:34
H's the Herd wherever you may be and however
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you may be watching or listening. Thanks for making
0:38
How's part of your day. One hour from now our top
0:41
ten Teams Herd Hierarchy
0:44
on a Tuesday Top a second Hour As
0:46
always, Jamak, you
0:50
can say a lot of things and argue for a
0:52
lot of things, but sometimes reality
0:55
hit your right square between the eyes
0:57
in Chicago.
0:59
Indeed it does.
0:59
Hey, By the way, reality both of us
1:01
had the bears last night. I even sit sprinkle a little
1:03
on the money line. How about a baby we
1:06
gave up the I'm not sure I had the bears.
1:08
You didn't have bears last night. I know, I coward,
1:10
what are you doing?
1:11
Vikings? All right, here we go, Justin
1:13
Fields. It's over. The first
1:16
sign you don't have a franchise quarterback.
1:18
Your defense gets four interceptions
1:20
and you can't manufacture a single touchdown.
1:23
The second sign, your
1:25
offensive coordinator doesn't want you to throw the
1:27
ball down the field. Thirty
1:30
three starts. If you went to a stand up
1:32
comedian for thirty three minutes and didn't laugh,
1:34
he's not funny. You can keep
1:36
blaming everybody else. Great,
1:39
he's athletic. I would watch
1:41
him if he went to Atlanta. I'd move him
1:43
to Atlanta, get a third round pick.
1:45
He'd be fun Bijon Drake London,
1:48
Kyle Pitts, the Chicago Thing's over
1:51
top. Franchise quarterbacks do two
1:53
or three things really well. They see
1:55
the field, process quickly and accurately
1:58
deliver the ball. I don't
2:00
see it. We've got thirty three starts.
2:03
He's not good enough to pass on a much
2:05
better college prospect who doesn't turn
2:07
the ball over a lot, Caleb Williams. Justin
2:10
Fields has thirty five fumbles and thirty five
2:12
games, a passer rating in the low eighties,
2:15
a completion percentage barely above sixty.
2:18
Caleb Williams is a better prospect. You'll
2:20
be able to start, restart the rookie
2:22
salary clock, and it'll put a new energy
2:24
in the building.
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C J.
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Stroud Game one, with four backups
2:28
on the offensive line in no run game, the
2:31
Texan staff let him sling the ball
2:33
all over the field thirty three
2:35
starts, and this offense, they
2:37
don't want him to throw the ball down the field. Fifteen
2:40
of his twenty seven completions were at or
2:42
behind the line of scrimmage. And I know you
2:44
think you know more than the coaches, but
2:47
what coaches allow players to
2:49
do not just quarterbacks, tight ends,
2:52
corners, safeties. What they allow
2:54
them to do is what they see
2:56
them incapable or not
2:59
doing in practice. This right like, don't do that,
3:01
don't do that. So by the time you get to a game,
3:03
the coaches allow you to do certain
3:05
things that they see you can produce
3:08
consistently in practice. Again,
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Houston coaches c J. Stroud
3:13
first game throwing it all over
3:15
the field thirty three starts
3:17
for justin fields. They won't let him throw
3:19
it down the field. There was one
3:22
completion over twenty
3:24
yards and that was at the end of the game when the
3:26
Chicago coaches had no choice. And
3:28
by the way, he's got DJ Moore a number
3:30
one receiver. He's opened a lot downfield.
3:33
So when you have to consider going
3:35
to a third coach, probably
3:39
not the coaching. The common denominator
3:41
in Chicago is justin Fields.
3:44
Remember y'all banged on Matt Mitch Trubisky.
3:46
I was never a Trubisky fan. I didn't like the
3:49
draft pick. I was never a fan, but
3:51
he went to the playoffs twice. Aaron
3:56
Rodgers was in his prime in Green Bay
4:00
at Stafford was still in Detroit. The
4:02
division is wide open now.
4:05
Mitch Trubisky, who nobody in Chicago
4:08
gave, you know, a second thought as a franchise
4:10
guy. They weren't into it. He went eleven and
4:12
three first year with Matt Naggi. You
4:15
want to know the one year justin fields at
4:17
Matt Naggie two and eight, but
4:20
kind of a swing. And I'm not a
4:22
fan at Trubisky. I would have moved
4:24
off Trubisky early. But Aaron
4:26
was in his prime. Stafford was
4:28
close to his prime, and he got to
4:30
the playoffs twice. Nobody defended
4:33
Trubisky. It's over again. We've got
4:35
thirty three starts right now. He's
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auditioning. Yes, he's athletic.
4:39
Yeah, he seems like a nice kid. Trubisky
4:42
was a nice kid, and yeah, this organization
4:44
doesn't do a great job to draft and
4:46
develop quarterbacks. I agree
4:48
with all that stuff, but Caleb Williams
4:51
is a better prospect. You start the rookie
4:53
salary clock, it's a new energy in the building.
4:55
And Caleb, for the record, doesn't turn the ball
4:57
over much, all right, and he's been running
4:59
for his life for the last two years too,
5:02
So it happens over fifty percent
5:04
of the first round quarterbacks don't make it. It's okay.
5:07
He's athletic enough to get a second opportunity.
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I'd love to see him play in Atlanta. Offensive
5:12
coach Bijan Kyle pitch
5:14
Drake London. I'd watch better Old Line
5:16
than the Bears. I think i'd watch. It's fun,
5:18
it's different, but I don't think Justin
5:21
Field is to hoist the trophy guy. And
5:23
maybe there's only seven of those guys on the planet.
5:26
But like this capitulation
5:29
over, well, he could. He did thirty
5:32
three starts. He completes about sixty
5:34
percent of his throws low passer
5:36
rating, a lot of fumbles. I
5:38
mean, nice kid, but four
5:41
interceptions, no touchdowns. He's
5:43
got a number one receiver, good tight ends.
5:46
The on line's not as awful as everybody claims.
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Capable running backs. The coaches won't
5:50
let him throw the ball down the field. Here's
5:52
justin after.
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We haven't let you know our record defind who we are.
5:56
We know who we are as a team. You know, we know what we're capable
5:58
of, and it's really just going out there and doing it, going
6:00
out there, executing and finishing the way
6:02
we know how the way we did tonight, and really
6:04
just cleaning up the mistakes because you know, if you
6:07
clean up my two fumbles were probably not even
6:09
in that situation.
6:10
Thirty five fumbles and thirty five games he
6:13
fumbles. That's
6:16
the reality this league is
6:18
about. Can you see the field delivered accurately,
6:20
don't turn it over and win games and stay
6:22
healthy. He's not checking a lot of boxes.
6:24
It's time, Okay.
6:27
This story is interesting. Dion
6:29
Sanders loses three
6:31
commitments after
6:34
taking a shot at the ncublea's recruiting
6:36
policy. So you know, Dion
6:39
loved recruiting when all the guys were coming to him, but when
6:41
some started leaving, he said to the NC double
6:43
A, it's not fair. Once you commit, you shouldn't
6:45
be flirting around talking to other schools. So
6:48
first of all, let's start with this. Dion Sanders
6:50
is realizing what
6:53
all Colorado football coaches eventually
6:55
realize. It's
6:57
hard to build a great roster in Boulder. The
7:00
athletic department doesn't have a lot of money and support,
7:03
and the state does not provide a lot
7:05
of great high school football players.
7:08
It was very fun to watch early, but Colorado
7:11
finished four and eight, one in eight in the Pac twelve
7:13
and blew a twenty nine to zero lead against awful
7:15
Stanford. You guys are banging
7:18
on Lincoln Riley. Deon
7:20
Sanders didn't win enough. But
7:22
I will say this in support of him. I
7:25
thought September Dion Colorado was
7:27
great. It was new, it was
7:29
fresh, it was fun. I don't regret
7:31
for a second leaning into it. I like new stuff.
7:34
They were the most watched team in college
7:37
football for five weeks. They
7:39
were a little bit like a TikTok trend wild
7:42
for about twenty four hours, and then they fade into
7:44
irrelevance. But that's Okay, you're
7:46
on TikTok two Colorado
7:49
football. Eventually all coaches
7:51
discover this is Colorado football.
7:53
That's why if you go back to the nineteen sixties
7:56
and the nineteen seventies, the top twenty programs
7:58
then are most of the top twenty programs.
8:00
Now.
8:01
It's a state that doesn't provide a lot of players,
8:03
and you have to convince him to leave Texas in California
8:06
and come to the mountains. It's hard. A
8:10
lot of people I find are
8:12
rooting against Dion Sanders.
8:15
He's different. He brags
8:17
a lot. To
8:20
me, a little showy, I get it. But
8:23
to me. Nick Saban lost to Louisiana
8:26
Monroe in his first year at Alabama. This
8:28
stuff is hard. Dabo
8:31
Sweeney at powerhouse Clemson,
8:33
surrounded by great high school talent in
8:35
the surrounding states, has had
8:37
ten plus wins in twelve straight
8:40
years until this year. He dips a little.
8:42
Dude's got two natties and a
8:44
big chunk of fan base is furious with
8:46
him. That's college football.
8:49
Ryan Day's record in the Big Ten is
8:51
forty one and three.
8:54
Half the fan base wants him out. Society
8:58
is filled with people on the sidelines
9:01
taking shots at successful people. It's
9:03
so easy, you know it's not.
9:06
It's hard. Nick
9:08
Saban built a powerhouse. They weren't winning
9:10
back to back. It's
9:13
hard. Nil transfer portals
9:15
made it even harder. It's
9:18
easy to sit on the sidelines and take shots
9:20
at Dion Sanders. But
9:22
September, Dion, September Colorado
9:25
was a lot of fun. I thought they'd get
9:27
dragged by TCU, and they went to Texas
9:29
and blew them out. But Dion
9:32
is realizing the realities
9:34
of college football. Brian
9:36
Kelly is an excellent coach. Half the
9:38
fan base wants him gone. Ryan Day
9:40
is an excellent coach. Deabo Sweeney's an
9:43
excellent coach. Nobody's
9:45
ever happy. Mario Cristobal is
9:47
at a better program than Dion. He's
9:49
five hundred after two years at Miami. Nebraska
9:52
is a better program than Colorado. Matt
9:54
Ruhle went five and seven. September.
9:58
We all got a little over our
10:00
skis. We got into the hype. It's
10:03
okay. You fall
10:05
in love with a lot of things. People,
10:07
teams, players, businesses,
10:10
opportunities. It's okay. Go
10:12
ahead, be grumpy, never fall in love
10:14
with anything. September football
10:17
for Dion was a blast. I loved it.
10:19
I thought it was crazy, surprise the
10:21
heck out of me. But then
10:23
reality set in. The
10:25
Colorado players de committing. So
10:29
what players d commit from Nick
10:31
Saban, Ryan Day, Dabo
10:34
Sweeney, Lincoln Riley. Players d
10:37
commit all the time. Players have never been more
10:39
empowered. What I find with Dion
10:41
is a lot of people are just rooting against
10:43
him. And you're all experts.
10:45
Now, I told you it was hype, So
10:48
what if it was. Sometimes
10:51
hype is fun, That's okay.
10:54
We all fall for something at some
10:56
time in our lives. I'm rooting for Dion,
10:59
but it is Colorado football. Let's
11:02
temper our enthusiasm. If he gets
11:04
them to a five hundred program,
11:08
that's pretty good for Colorado football. When
11:11
he first got hired, I thought it was weird. A
11:13
day later made some calls, thought, oh,
11:16
he'll get attention. That part
11:18
you can't deny. None of us
11:21
have ever discussed Colorado football more
11:23
than now. And that's part of building
11:26
a losing program into
11:29
an occasional winning program.
11:31
Getting attention. J Mack,
11:34
we got a lot of things going on. I am supporting
11:36
people who get dragged by the media today.
11:38
I want to support Mike McCarthy again
11:40
today.
11:41
Get dragged. He's got a great team. Can I give you
11:43
two teams for Justin Fields for next year?
11:45
Atlanta's got to be one.
11:46
No, Atlanta's not one.
11:48
They have Ritter and Heineke who they like,
11:50
and they just drafted her. Bear
11:52
with me for two quick ones.
11:53
Okay.
11:55
Brian Dable had.
11:56
A lot of success with Josh Allen and Mobile Quarterback
11:58
had some success with Daniel Jones. Okay, we know
12:00
Tyrod Taylor's a free agent. DeVito's
12:02
not the guy Daniel Jones coming off the injury.
12:05
Does Dabolls say, give me, let me try to reform
12:07
Justin Fields. Have a Fields versus
12:10
Daniel Jones showdown in the preseason
12:12
for the job.
12:13
We'll see what happens. I think Fields would be a capable
12:15
backup in New York, maybe the starter.
12:18
I think that's very interesting.
12:19
Okay, Now the second one is a little
12:21
distier kind of workshop.
12:22
This last night.
12:24
Works. Okay, Gilly, let's go.
12:26
I know that he loves Drew Locke
12:29
a lot. I know he loves Drew
12:31
Lock. Nobody else does. We've
12:34
seen the max of Gino Smith last year.
12:36
Okay.
12:36
Now, Water's finding its level. He's starting to They
12:39
got a good team. Gino Smith has not played
12:41
well. Does Justin Fields have a chance.
12:43
To start in Seattle? Could he beat out
12:45
Jenale Smith?
12:46
Now I know Pete Carroll well enough. There's
12:48
one thing that drives Pete Carroll crazy turnovers.
12:52
And I mean I've never met a coach who
12:56
is tougher on players who fumble
12:58
and throw interceptions. Justin Field
13:00
is a bad fit for Pete Carroll. The Brian
13:03
Dabele one is fascinating.
13:05
Here's an ultra safe one for you.
13:07
His agent goes to Justin Fields and says, listen,
13:09
Justin you need to grow up a little.
13:11
You need to mature.
13:11
You need to be in a good organization where you're going to hold
13:13
the clipboard for a year or two and
13:16
go sit.
13:16
Behind Jalen Hurts in Philadelphia for
13:19
a year or two.
13:20
Learn how to be a professional, carry a briefcase to work,
13:22
meet with the media, shoulders up
13:24
broadcasts, speaking confidently.
13:26
Yeah, like you need to be a professional, go sit
13:29
behind Jalen.
13:30
And also, yeah, that's not a terrible idea. The Pete
13:32
Carroll one does not work for me. I
13:35
just know what I know Pete, and I know what he's
13:37
into and running backs at fumble
13:40
and quarterbacks that turn it over. I mean Russell
13:42
Wilson didn't turn it over much, and when he
13:44
did, Pete would mention it at every press
13:46
conference. So it doesn't work in Cigah. The
13:49
Brian Dable one in the Philadelphia one is
13:51
very interesting because we know Justin's
13:53
talented enough to get a second look. I
13:55
would say, see everybody's banging
13:57
on Atlanta and Arthur Smith. I never watch it
14:00
and think, man, they're under coached. I
14:02
think they're under talented, too
14:05
young in key spots. But I think
14:07
Arthur Smith bijon Justin Fields
14:09
better online than people get Drake London.
14:12
That's interesting. That gets me to a television. It's
14:15
interesting. I would watch that. I
14:17
think Atlanta.
14:17
Several spots around the league like.
14:19
Oh, he's gonna get another chance.
14:21
I think he's gonna have a good market. I know people don't
14:23
like him, but he's gonna have Like the Raiders, what.
14:25
Are they doing? What to Shrane Lance got
14:27
a number four pick. Justin
14:29
Fields can get you too. Absolutely
14:32
again, I'm not rooting against him, but
14:35
Mitch Trubisky with Aaron Rodgers in his
14:37
prime and Matt Stafford close to it, got
14:39
to the playoffs twice. You gotta win games in this league.
14:42
I don't want to hear about any win games. Throw
14:44
the ball down the field.
14:45
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
14:48
and noon Eastern not a em Pacific
14:50
on Fox Sports Radio FS one
14:52
and the iHeartRadio app.
14:54
All right, welcome back at a Tuesday Herd
14:56
Hierarchy. Forty minutes from
14:58
now, top ten teams. In the end, we will
15:00
have a surprise visitor into our
15:02
top ten teams. J Mack's not gonna love
15:04
it, but it's the reality of it. We got that coming up
15:07
in forty minutes. So Dak Prescott
15:09
and the Cowboys play this Thursday on Amazon
15:11
Prime. They place Seattle. They're a huge favorite.
15:14
Truth is at home. They've been a great home
15:16
team. I'd probably take Dallas, even though the number is
15:18
big. Dallas blows out the teams they
15:20
should, and that's where Dak and Mike
15:22
McCarthy deserve credit. Many people
15:24
think I'm anti Cowboy. No I'm not. I
15:27
don't buy into the hype of Dak, but he's a
15:29
very good quarterback. He's had a redeemable career.
15:31
He's a B plus quarterback who has a nights.
15:34
He's a very good player, great intangibles.
15:36
Don't love his arm. Don't think he's as athletic
15:39
as it's been portrayed through the years. You
15:41
know what I mean? I said, I think he's a
15:43
slightly better than Kirk Cousins. And everybody's
15:45
always banging on Kirk Cousins, and everybody gets
15:47
mad when you bang on Dak. They're kind of the same guy
15:49
if I look at their numbers. But he's having the best
15:52
year I've ever seen. He's setting all
15:54
sorts of highs and completion percentage and passer
15:57
rating. The CD LAMB connection is
15:59
real five or six connection in the NFL.
16:01
So let's be honest about it. And Dak
16:04
talked about this season.
16:06
I'm about one goal and it's a big team
16:09
goal. And I know if my name's
16:11
in there that means we're playing well. So that's
16:13
that's great. But what
16:16
I say to myself is I haven't done.
16:18
You know what I mean.
16:18
It's regular
16:20
season numbers are great, we're getting wins
16:23
well, that's what's most important. At the end of the day. We're trying
16:25
to stack and keep growing this team to
16:27
make sure that we're getting better each.
16:28
And every week.
16:29
By the way, he's a little tough on himself. He again has
16:31
had a very good career. Okay,
16:34
seventy percent quarterbacks in the first round,
16:36
don't make it. He's a fourth round quarterback.
16:39
He's been a really good quarterback. Great, not
16:42
necessarily in my opinion, but good to
16:44
very good. Absolutely, he's a grown up, knows
16:46
the position, gets the position. But
16:49
it should be noted this is the best DAK ever
16:51
and it's with Mike McCarthy. Farv
16:55
Rodgers, Dak have
16:57
all had great times in years
17:00
with Mike McCarthy. For God's
17:02
sakes, Cooper Rush was five and
17:04
one with Mike McCarthy. The
17:07
knock on McCarthy and I think the criticism
17:09
is fair. Clock management
17:11
late in games is not great. Late
17:13
game play calling is not great. Yeah,
17:17
join the club. That's what people
17:19
said about Andy Reid in Philly.
17:22
Sean McVay still gets dragged about
17:24
that, and Kyle Shanahan lost
17:26
a twenty eight to three lead in the Super Bowl with
17:29
very sketchy play calling. John
17:32
Harbaugh this weekend a great coach
17:34
dragged for late game decisions.
17:37
It's what most coaches struggle with.
17:39
My guess is because it's hard.
17:43
It should be noted that Aaron Rodgers
17:45
post Mike McCarthy get that
17:48
bomb out of town. Aaron
17:50
had a two to three playoff record. Aaron
17:54
Rodgers with Mike McCarthy had a
17:56
nine to eight playoff record and a Super
17:58
Bowl. Maybe it isn't Mike
18:02
Dallas destroys the teams they
18:04
should. We all love Dan Campbell.
18:06
They laid an egg at home against
18:08
inferior Green Bay this weekend. Dallas
18:11
kicks that, you know what, out of every average
18:13
team they play. I've been
18:15
critical of Mike McCarthy, but he can coach.
18:18
Doesn't have to be my favorite coach, but
18:21
he can coach. I've seen him win with
18:23
Farv Rogers, and Dak arguments
18:26
the last two had their best years with him.
18:30
Dak's the best he's ever been, and
18:32
he doesn't have as good an O line as he
18:34
did his rookie year. He's only got
18:36
one receiver, not a ton of tight end
18:39
production, has a running back that's a two
18:41
not a one. And Philadelphia
18:43
maybe the best team in the league. And he's got to play them
18:45
twice and outplayed him the last
18:47
time they met, though lost. We
18:49
got to be fair about this stuff. Dak's
18:52
having a great year and Dallas
18:54
crushes the teams they should a
18:56
lot of the teams that we fall in love with in this
18:58
league.
18:59
Don't be sure to catch live editions
19:01
of The Herd Weekdays and Noon Easter not
19:03
a Empacific.
19:05
Sometimes the simplest answer is the right
19:07
answer. Justin Fields to Atlanta
19:10
feels like a shot. I would that's I
19:12
would ask yourself this, which one
19:14
would you watch? Oh, I'd go watch that bijon
19:18
Justin Fields, Kyle Pitts
19:20
Drake London, but offensive coach.
19:22
I would go watch Atlanta. I wouldn't bet him
19:25
because I've lost him so much money in my life betting
19:27
the Atlanta Falcons, but I would watch
19:29
that.
19:29
The promise Arthur Smith has two turnover
19:31
Prome quarterbacks, is he what a third one?
19:33
That's a fair point.
19:34
They don't want a guy who throw it. They want a guy who's safe
19:36
handed.
19:37
They would rather have like Andy Dalton as their quarterback,
19:39
not gonna make mistakes.
19:41
I don't think Andy Dalton has a big market either.
19:43
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd
19:45
Weekdays and Nooneaster, not a Empacific.
19:52
What's good Johnish and main man Michael Smith,
19:54
esteemed NFL analyst and certified
19:57
fantasy football legend. Allow me
20:00
to present to you your new favorite
20:02
fantasy football podcast, The Dynasty
20:05
Exchange, hosted by my first
20:07
round rookie picks, Davis, Dylan
20:10
and Josh, three guys who most definitely
20:13
know their stuff. They're the co commissioners
20:15
of the coolest and most cutthroat
20:18
dynasty league you'll ever come across
20:20
the Yacht Club, and now they're
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make that the definitive dynasty program.
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It's dedicated to only the most devoted
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trust me, you won't regret making
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Listen to.
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Michael Smith presents The Dynasty
20:43
Exchange on the iHeartRadio app,
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Apple Podcast or wherever you
20:47
get your podcasts.
20:49
Sunday, we got a huge double letter on
20:51
Fox. First, the Lions take on the Saints
20:54
or other regional action. Then in America's
20:56
Game of the Week, Christian McCaffrey and
20:58
the Niners think on Jalen Hurts in the Eagles
21:00
in one of the biggest games of the year. Check
21:03
to the games in your area. Sunday on
21:05
five, Jets
21:07
are one of my texts of the week.
21:11
You're backing Tim Boyle. Oh my
21:14
gosh, you hate money,
21:16
don't you? You just hate it?
21:18
Okay? So you
21:21
know one of
21:23
the things I love about the NFL is
21:25
you can go from one win to eleven. Bill
21:27
Parcells did it and he wasn't even coaching
21:29
in Miami. Tony Sperano was.
21:32
Parcells kind of turned over
21:34
the bottom half of the roster, bottom
21:36
third of the roster. You can go from
21:38
one win to eleven very quickly. This is
21:40
not the NBA where you get nineteen
21:42
year olds who can't even have a glass of wine
21:45
in the hotel bar they're staying at. They're not
21:47
physically or mentally emotionally
21:49
ready to play in the NBA. It's not baseball
21:52
where unless you're like a Bryce Harper, are
21:54
you going to be in the minors for years and years. Turnaround
21:57
projects are harder in other leagues,
22:00
they're not in the NFL. The Chicago
22:02
Bears are not all doom and gloom.
22:05
So let me give you an example. Seattle and
22:07
Detroit on one really
22:10
good draft class. One
22:13
year later you were like, Oh,
22:15
they got their left tackle, they got a running back,
22:17
they got this, they got that, they got a receiver. Seattle
22:20
Detroit went from potential
22:22
mass to really
22:25
interesting in one draft class. So
22:27
Chicago has the number one pick and the number
22:29
four pick in the first round. I'll get
22:31
back to that in a second. They're gonna
22:33
take Caleb Williams with the one. They
22:36
also have two fourth round picks. This is
22:38
an exceptional draft at left tackle,
22:40
at quarterback. There's
22:42
a lot of players in this draft. Caleb
22:45
Williams plus an offensive coach,
22:48
plus hitting on two or three other picks. Think
22:50
I'm wrong. The
22:52
Houston Texans were a laughingstock. They
22:55
were a warm weather Chicago.
22:57
In fact, I would argue Chicago had
22:59
antage on Houston. They have a number
23:01
one receiver, DJ Moore. Houston
23:04
had a hit in it on Like fourth round guys,
23:06
receivers matter. DJ Moore's a number one.
23:10
Okay. So the Houston Texans were the
23:12
Bears week ownership
23:15
revolving Dorit coach, not
23:17
an elite, considered an elite front
23:20
office rebuilding roster,
23:23
needed a quarterback. They hit
23:25
on will Anderson on the edge. They hit on
23:28
a coach they had on CJ. Stroud immediately
23:32
viable in a kind
23:34
of wonky division. Well, isn't
23:36
the NFC North sort of a wonky
23:38
division? Who's quarterback in Minnesota
23:41
next year? You love
23:44
Jordan Love. It's
23:47
not dooman gloom. Chicago has
23:49
a potential gold mine at
23:51
that number four pick, So
23:53
I would go get like a Ben Johnson, draft
23:56
Caleb Williams that number four pick. Let's go back
23:58
to the boards. So if you look
24:00
at the draft board, so we know Chicago
24:03
needs a quarterback, they're going to draft one. Arizona
24:06
is going to stay there. They need a weapon
24:08
because they're paying Kyler Murray a fortune.
24:10
They have to validate and
24:12
elevate that position. Marvin
24:14
Harrison is the best receiver prospect
24:17
maybe since Calvin Johnson. The
24:19
Patriots are going to draft a quarterback.
24:22
But then Chicago's at four. I
24:26
would trade down. You could drop down
24:29
five, six, seven spots and
24:31
get players. Tampa Bay needs a quarterback.
24:35
The Jets could draft a quarterback. Think
24:37
they'll go old line. Keep
24:40
your eye on a team like Seattle
24:42
or Atlanta. Atlanta
24:45
needs a quarterback. They've got two
24:47
good backs. They
24:50
have a tight end in Kyle Pitts, who hasn't been
24:52
quite as good as they thought. They have a very good offensive
24:55
line. That number four pick
24:57
for Chicago is a potential gold
24:59
mine. Once you get the quarterback,
25:02
you could trade down just eight to nine spots,
25:04
still get an elite player and
25:07
get multiple picks. This
25:10
is a draft with
25:13
strong quarterback prospects
25:15
and nine teams in the NFL desperate
25:18
for a quarterback or coaches are getting run.
25:21
You could get my takeaway
25:23
on that number four pick. You can get two first for that,
25:27
meaning Caleb Williams is going to have additional
25:29
picks, so they've already got
25:32
two. Fourth offensive
25:34
coach, Caleb, I think
25:37
Chicago. There's a lot of Las Vegas
25:39
needs a quarterback. They wouldn't move up
25:41
to four. They've got
25:44
Hunter Renfro, a star back,
25:47
a great left tackle, a
25:50
star receiver, a great edge rusher.
25:52
They may not want to give up on any of those.
25:55
But the Raiders, I've been saying this all year, they got players.
25:57
The Seahawks are a prime example. Seattle
26:00
does not have. Seattle has one hole in the roster
26:03
quarterback Pete Carroll's
26:05
now in his seventies. You don't
26:07
think Seattle would give up. I mean, would they consider
26:10
saying we'll give you Dk Metcalf, We'll
26:12
give you one of our two backs, We'll
26:14
give you one of our tackles plus
26:16
two. Number one. Seattle has the
26:18
roster. They just need the quarterback.
26:21
And as Seattle, if they lose to Dallas Thursday
26:23
keeps losing and losing and losing, and
26:25
they have like the twelfth pick, eleventh
26:27
pick, Seattle won't move up to
26:30
four. You could get players
26:32
and picks. Pete Carroll now is not
26:34
going to go with Drew Locke. Gino Smith's
26:36
not the answer, and Pete knows it. They need
26:38
a quarterback. The roster is set and
26:41
it's young. Seattle could give
26:43
you picks and players. So that number four
26:45
pick for Chicago, if they stay there is
26:47
a gold mine. They would have been better off
26:49
losing last night keeping that number
26:51
four pick. That number four
26:53
pick, you
26:56
know that's probably
26:58
bo Nicks. In recently
27:00
people think bo Nix is a really
27:02
good number three quarterback in a draft. Maybe
27:05
it's Drake May, maybe it's Michael Pennix, but there
27:07
is that's a gold mine right there. So
27:10
it you know, you talk yourself into doom
27:13
and gloom. The Houston Texans were the
27:15
warm weather Bears. They were a laughing
27:17
stock a year ago. Hitting a coach,
27:19
hitting a quarterback, hit
27:21
on the number that Will Anderson the other edge rusher,
27:24
So you got an edge rusher. A quarterback of coach can
27:26
win a lot of games in this league, can
27:28
win a lot of games. Good coach, good
27:30
quarterback, good pass rush wins a lot
27:33
of games. Certainly makes you playoff viable.
27:35
You can have holes at linebackers, safety. So
27:38
it's just I don't think it's all doom
27:40
and gloom for Chicago. And
27:45
if you move off. So Chicago
27:47
has two first two fourths, they
27:50
could have two two's. If you get
27:52
Justin Fields for you have half
27:54
the lead wanting him. Can you Trey Lance
27:57
got a fourth pick? Can Justin Field's get
27:59
a second round pick? So the Bears could
28:01
hit I think, well he cannot get it. Okay
28:03
a third reason? Okay, two
28:06
first, a second, two thirds, two fours.
28:08
Hit on half of those and get the right
28:10
coach. You're
28:13
absolutely instantly viable in
28:15
that division. So where Fields is helped, you already
28:17
have a number one receiver, you already have an
28:19
excellent pass rusher in Montest sweat you
28:21
have tight ends. I like, you
28:24
have capable running backs. You have an excellent
28:26
corner who's a free agent. Don't tell me
28:28
Chicago to now pieces. They like their left
28:30
tackle, they like their star
28:33
receiver, they like Montesa.
28:34
They still have a coach or a quarterback, which is kind of important.
28:37
But to my point on fields having a market,
28:39
Colum, we've seen a lot of starting quarterbacks
28:41
go down this year.
28:42
Yeah, and nobody having a backup.
28:44
There's a huge value in having a good
28:46
backup, capable backup quarterback. And I'm
28:48
just telling you right now, Like if Jalen Hurts goes down and his
28:50
knees looking tricky.
28:51
I don't I think that's one of your better suggestions
28:53
today.
28:54
Like, they gotta have someone like Mariota.
28:56
He's a veteran, but he's always hurt too.
28:58
You have been a super soaker of hot takes
29:00
today, super sober. Justin fields
29:02
as a backup in Philadelphia is
29:05
interesting. It's an interest.
29:06
It comes down to fields. Hey, dude, do you want to compete
29:08
for a starting job. Do you think you can be a starter or do you
29:10
want to be a backup on it with a good franchise,
29:13
a winning culture, good coaching, like
29:16
there's value in that. But it's a tough sell to a twenty
29:18
four year old to take a step back like he started
29:20
a superstar in high school, superstar in
29:22
college, the top ten,
29:24
top fifteen pick in the draft, Like it's a
29:27
tough sell to be, like, hey, go be a backup
29:29
behind Kyler Murray and you're gonna play because
29:31
he's gonna get hurt.
29:32
Like it's a tough sell.
29:33
I think it's interesting.
29:35
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd
29:37
weekdays in neon Easter, n AM Pacific
29:39
on Fox Sports Radio FS one
29:42
and the iHeartRadio app.
29:44
All right, it's the Herd. Hierarchy. Top
29:46
ten teams in the NFL. You're you're gonna
29:48
blanch it. Maybe a couple of them, but here we go.
29:53
Heard hierarchy time. Now let's
29:55
go the top ten NFL teams
29:57
according to College Number
29:59
two.
30:01
Right now today, Denver is a
30:03
top ten team five to zero
30:05
since Week seven. For the five
30:07
teams they've beaten have
30:09
winning records, allowing sixteen
30:11
points a game, best turnover
30:14
differential in the league. Excellent
30:17
backs, poward football, young
30:20
young athletic defense, good
30:22
enough receivers, Mims Cortland, Sutton,
30:24
Jerry Judy, Dulcic coming back
30:26
at tight end. Twenty
30:29
touchdowns, four picks for Russell Wilson this
30:31
morning. That is a top ten
30:33
team in the NFL. Number nine
30:36
Buffalo, Listen, they're crazy, but six
30:38
of their losses are by six points. They are
30:41
what they were three years ago. Josh
30:43
Allen leads the NFL with twenty four touchdown
30:45
passes and thirteen picks and sixteen
30:47
total giveaways. They're one of the more penalized
30:50
teams in the NFL. In fact, I think to the most penalized
30:52
team. This is what they are. They're not buttoned
30:54
up. I called them the Mike Tyson. Just depends
30:56
on who they fight. They'll knock you out in the first
30:59
round or or lose a close fight late
31:01
because they're bad on the details. But you can't
31:03
tell me they're not a top ten team in the league. They had Philadelphia
31:06
beaten about three different times in that football game
31:08
in Philadelphia. Number eight
31:10
Miami. I have my issues with them,
31:12
the speedboat of the NFL. They're
31:14
one in three against teams that are five hundred.
31:16
Are better. But we have to be fair. If
31:19
I'm gonna support Russell Wilson with Sean
31:21
Payton. I gotta support Tua with Mike McDaniels.
31:24
Tua under Mike McDaniels
31:28
sixteen wins, eight losses, sixty
31:30
seven percent completion percentage, passer
31:32
rating at one zero, four point six. It's
31:35
a good team. They don't have the defensive Denver,
31:37
but Tua with this coach
31:40
and these weapons, feels
31:42
like a playoff team to me. Miami at eight.
31:44
Number seven.
31:45
Detroit love their offensive line
31:47
and ability to control the clock with
31:49
the run game. Jared Goff's gotten sloppy
31:52
in the last couple of weeks. They have a hole
31:54
on this team that is going
31:56
to take him out of the Super Bowl running. They're bad on the back
31:58
end of their defense, and I'm not sure this coaching staff
32:00
can solve it. They're just not they don't have the personnel
32:03
in the back end. They're like the Chargers. They can outplay
32:05
and lose because they give up cheap stuff on the back
32:07
end. But they have the number one ranked
32:10
offensive line, the number two total
32:12
offense. They can win shootouts,
32:14
and they are capable of winning a playoff game.
32:16
Detroit number six.
32:18
I like Jacksonville, least penalized
32:20
team in the NFL only
32:22
unefeited team on the road this year. Do you know that six
32:24
and zero on the road? That says something six
32:27
and oh on the road this year. I like Jacksonville.
32:31
Do I think they can win a Super Bowl?
32:32
No?
32:32
That's my top four teams in the league. My
32:35
top four teams I think are super Bowl teams. Jacksonville
32:38
can win on the road, star quarterback,
32:40
clever offensive coach. I got them at six,
32:43
number five. Dallas, they crush
32:45
the teams they should. You do get credit
32:48
for that. Now they've played the easiest schedule
32:50
in the NFL and they've beaten up on the dregs
32:52
of the league. But again you get credit
32:55
for that. Their remaining five games
32:57
are much much tougher. They play
32:59
Sea, Theattle Eagles, Bills, Dolphins,
33:02
Lions. Let's be fair with Dak. Over
33:04
his last six games, he's been terrific.
33:07
Eighteen TD's two picks. We gotta
33:09
be fair. The Ceedee Lamb Dak combination.
33:12
He's got a Burrow, Jamar Chase Field to
33:14
it. It's big boy football. Dallas
33:16
at number five, number four, and here
33:19
my super Bowl teams, Baltimore. I may have them
33:21
one spot low. Listen Baltimore's
33:23
got the number one rush offense and the number two scoring
33:25
defense. I like them.
33:27
They're fast, they're physical opposing
33:30
quarterbacks. Passer rating seventy
33:32
two, lowest in the league. Again,
33:34
I may have them a spot low, but I think
33:37
if they played my number three team tomorrow,
33:39
I take my number three teams. So Baltimore's
33:41
at four, number three in Kansas
33:43
City by an inch. Keep your eye on Rashi
33:45
Rice looks like he could be their
33:48
number one receiver. So I've said
33:50
I think they have a bunch of threes. Rashee
33:52
Rice, he was a second round kid, may
33:54
become the number one. They also
33:56
showed they can score in the second half. They've
33:58
also, let's be fair, with Kansas City played the
34:01
second hardest schedule, I
34:03
still have doubts about their second half offense.
34:05
It was the Raiders. But Rashi Rice,
34:07
his growth is really interesting. Number
34:10
two San Francisco. When Trent
34:12
Williams plays, they win eight and one.
34:15
They leave the NFL in turnover. Differentially,
34:18
I think they have the most weapons in the NFL.
34:20
Philadelphia beats everybody narrowly. They can
34:22
blow people out. If they have their people, they blow
34:24
people out. Devo Christian Kittle,
34:27
I yuk. Those are dudes, and
34:29
I think they can beat you in multiple ways. So I
34:31
have San Francisco at number two.
34:33
Number one.
34:35
Listen, Philadelphia thirty
34:37
one consecutive weeks. They've had the best record
34:39
in the league. It's choppy,
34:41
it's inartistic, but
34:43
they're seven and one in one score games.
34:45
Their O line D line combination is
34:48
excellent. They are not a perfect team. You
34:50
can beat them downfield. My
34:52
top four teams are the teams I believe
34:54
this morning should be favorites
34:57
and can hoist a trophy. Philadelphia
35:00
one, San Francisco two, Kansas City
35:02
three, and Baltimore four. I don't know what
35:04
to do with Baltimore. I think for
35:06
the second week in a row. My take his I probably
35:09
have them low. I do not think
35:11
Dallas hois a trophy, but
35:13
I think they're the closest team to not doing
35:15
it. With Jacksonville that could potentially
35:18
do it, but won't Jamak your initial
35:20
thought.
35:20
Oh my goodness. So I was looking around my desk.
35:23
I need a flag to throw, so I all like if
35:25
it was his tissue box, Calbert,
35:27
what are you?
35:27
We're the Pittsburgh Steelers. How were
35:31
the Houston Texans twelve. No,
35:33
no, no, this this doesn't work.
35:35
Come out, this doesn't even this is Detroit
35:37
Lions at seven.
35:38
All right, let me name Let me just name
35:40
the quarterbacks on this list, not the teams. Jalen
35:44
Hurts, you love Purty Mahomes,
35:46
Lamar Jackson, Dak Trevor,
35:49
Lawrence goff to A, Josh Allen, Russell,
35:51
Wilson, Kenny Pikett.
35:53
Oh so what was?
35:54
Just name me the best quarterbacks of the best team.
35:56
I don't know right now. Best quarterback mostly
35:58
wins the division. Interest you
36:01
can't listen Mike Tomlin Coach
36:03
of the Year. There's no way I can put
36:05
Denver right now. You have
36:07
to unsee September. Denver
36:10
is playing. They've beaten Kansas City, they've
36:12
beaten Buffalo. They're beating good teams.
36:14
So now the sample size is like four or five games, so
36:16
we're basically That's why Denver's had.
36:18
A place where it used to work. Nobody had
36:20
courage. They would just list standings. That's
36:22
not how I roll here. I'm telling you the best
36:24
teams this week.
36:25
One More Heard the Herd streams twenty
36:28
four hours a day, seven days a week within
36:30
the iHeartRadio app search Herd
36:32
to listen live or on demand whenever
36:34
you like.
36:35
This.
36:36
Saturday, the Big Ten Championship
36:38
kicks off on Fox with their perfect
36:40
season and playoffs on the line. Ja J
36:43
McCarthy in third grank Michigan take
36:45
on number seventeen Iowa. Coverage begins
36:47
Saturday at six thirty Eastern on Fox.
36:50
People don't know what to do when
36:53
they see something that's new and different.
36:55
And Jim Harbaugh is that all
36:59
those Ohio State Buckeye fans railing
37:01
and laughing and mocking Jim Harbaugh
37:04
now have the second best coach in the rivalry.
37:07
Nothing against Ryan Day, but he can't beat Harball
37:10
and certainly there's no proof he could get to
37:12
a super Bowl. Harball,
37:14
though, had a moment yesterday and I kind
37:16
of agree with it, and I kind of don't about
37:19
the intensity of the rivalry
37:22
Ohio State and Michigan.
37:25
The student athletes that are they are
37:27
you know, young kids, young
37:30
adults that are playing this game,
37:32
and all we asked them to do is go out there
37:35
and play their very best. I think that is
37:38
it's very manufactured
37:40
for the TV show that
37:43
that people want to want to watch and see,
37:48
but it's not healthy.
37:50
It's not healthy for for the for
37:53
the student athletes on either side.
37:55
When you're trying to put that.
37:56
Much, you know, somebody's
38:01
you know, thinking it's life or death.
38:03
Now, in principle, I do agree
38:06
with Harball, and I think ninety
38:08
nine percent of fans get it. But
38:11
one of the things the media does get right and
38:13
we miss a lot, is how we treat
38:16
college athletes. We're not nearly as harsh
38:18
on them, nor should we be.
38:21
We're just not as harsh on college
38:23
sophomores juniors. Maybe once
38:25
they get drafted it changes, or as
38:27
they get ready for the draft process. But
38:29
I will say the difference between the basketball
38:32
and football culture in America. I like
38:34
the football. I prefer the latter. Our
38:36
basketball culture is perpetual
38:39
coddling. It's not
38:41
healthy. It creates immature
38:43
players, and the percentages of busts
38:46
in the NBA draft are through the roof
38:49
the football culture. They're coached
38:51
hard, occasionally screamed at,
38:54
ridiculed, mocked, mostly
38:57
in a reasonable fashion. They are The
38:59
media doesn't really take out the sledgehammer very
39:02
rarely, very infrequently on college
39:04
guys, but it does create players
39:06
who are hardened, coachable,
39:09
and mature. I think
39:11
the basketball culture in America is in
39:13
a crisis. I watch
39:15
John Morant's personal life Zion,
39:18
and I say to myself, what's wrong
39:20
with it? They're talented. Have they
39:22
been coddled, given too much too early?
39:24
I don't have answers. But what
39:26
college football's culture does create,
39:29
and it's not always pretty, is
39:32
mostly mature players ready
39:34
to produce, producing now at the top
39:36
programs, and eternally grateful
39:38
for the opportunity. Harby
39:40
is right, some people can't handle it. It is
39:43
not life or death. But in America,
39:45
I would take the current football culture over
39:47
the basketball culture, which Steve Kerr
39:50
recently talked about the AAU and
39:52
said it's actually a negative for players'
39:54
growth college
39:57
basketball guys. In fact, basketball
39:59
players don't even have to go to college. The
40:01
top four picks in this past draft were
40:04
from four different leagues. I'm not sure
40:06
if that's a great thing. Maybe it is, maybe
40:08
it isn't. But I like our football
40:10
culture. At times, a small
40:12
percentage of people go over the top, but
40:15
I think it's a very small group of
40:17
people, and by and large, I like
40:19
the college system. I like what it creates.
40:21
I like what it produces. Coachable
40:23
young men, willing to
40:26
play hard, emotionally, physically,
40:29
ready to produce like a C. J. Stroud
40:31
the minute they arrive. Now
40:35
for last night's most embarrassing
40:37
NBA loss, And it wasn't the Lakers
40:40
getting shelled. It wasn't
40:42
by the Sixers. No, it was
40:44
the paper clips, as Jason calls them.
40:47
That Denver Nuggets didn't have the best
40:49
player in the league, Jokic, nor
40:51
their second best player, Jamal Murray,
40:54
or their third best player
40:56
Aaron Gordon. The Clippers
40:59
had all four of their stars Kawhi
41:02
Paul, George Harden. Westbrook. Not
41:05
only did they lose to Denver, they
41:07
fell apart in the fourth quarter with all
41:10
their go to stars and
41:12
had only four field goals.
41:15
DeAndre Jordan last
41:17
night twenty one
41:19
points. Dude, I didn't
41:21
even know he played anymore. Anybody
41:24
who thought this hardened Westbrook
41:26
thing was gonna work. No reason for me to make it
41:28
personal. You fanboys
41:31
just keep taking L's year after year.
41:35
They're below average, shooting threes twenty
41:37
fifth and assists per game. Neither really
41:39
wants to defend on a regular basis. Westbrook
41:42
Harden on the floor together is a minus forty
41:44
three the worst combo on the team.
41:46
Again, no reason to make it personal, but
41:49
I can assure you not everybody
41:52
in this organization known as the LA
41:54
Clippers loved all these moves,
41:57
especially Harden. Chemistry
41:59
matter. Sharing the ball matters,
42:02
committing the defense matters. After
42:04
the game, Russell Westbrook had an incident
42:06
with a fan. Again. I don't like how
42:09
fans Street Westbrook. I'm not a huge fan
42:11
of the player, but he's a human being. He
42:13
works his tail off, he plays hard
42:15
all the time, and fans can
42:18
go absolutely over the top. Westbrook
42:21
talked about the moment after.
42:23
You know, fansy, they can say whatever they want. You
42:26
know, I'm not gonna say now because
42:28
it's not appropriate, But I'm
42:32
just protecting myself. Just unfortunately
42:34
tasty. They can't get away with saying anything, and I
42:36
won't personally. I won't allow it to
42:38
coronto. You
42:41
know, people say anything, you know, getting
42:43
away with it, but.
42:46
I won't stand for it now.
42:49
In fairness, Westbrook went
42:51
to the staff and said, earlier this year,
42:53
I'll come off the bench. I thought that was a team
42:55
move. You know, Harden wouldn't do that. But
42:58
again, the worst life last
43:00
night was not the Lakers when you have your
43:02
four stars and you're playing backups
43:05
for Denver and they don't have their best three
43:07
players. And not only did the Denver
43:09
Nuggets beat you, they
43:11
destroy you in the fourth
43:14
quarter. Jerry
43:16
West is still connected to the Clippers. You
43:18
cannot convince me Jerry
43:21
West supported the Harden to the Clippers
43:23
move. I don't believe it. I
43:26
don't believe it. All his years
43:28
understanding chemistry and balance,
43:31
no way he supported it. I just you can't.
43:33
You can't talk me into that unless I seen
43:35
the sign document that Jerry
43:37
West defended it. But it's not working.
43:40
And last night as
43:43
bad, no Jokis, no Murray,
43:45
no Gordon DeAndre
43:48
Jordan lighten it of they brought him into be
43:50
a locker room guy, not even play
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