Matt Hasselbeck (7:45)

So that's what y'all want to see, huh? The scrutiny is never, never ending.

Colin Cowherd (7:50)

It's not new.

Matt Hasselbeck (7:51)

And so that's something that I find it thrilling. And I appreciate being told I can't and that we can't.

Colin Cowherd (7:58)

And I know that I lead this.

Matt Hasselbeck (7:59)

Team, and it takes a lot out of it.

Colin Cowherd (8:03)

It demands a lot out of you. Listen, don't trust my picks, but I think Philadelphia is going to win the super bowl. And they're crazy and they're arguing all the time and they can't even go to a holiday party and somebody's throwing salsa at somebody else. It just works. And they're so talented. And Jalen Hurts has got this sort of stoicism. He's sort of this calm. You know, big college programs, you know, Bama says, no thanks. Oklahoma's like, we'll take you. And his personality, he always feels like he's the cooler. Like in Vegas, they did the old story when somebody would get hot at the poker table, they'd send over the cooler. Somebody with bad luck, like Jalen Hurts is the good luck, but he just brings the temperature down in the room. He's the perfect fit. It may be the most dysfunctional perfect team ever. Good for them. So Buffalo beat Detroit. And there's a lot to say about this game, but let me just start by saying this. I started watching football in 1972. I was a little kid, and I watched the first on a black and white tv. I watched the Washington Redskins beat, lose to the Miami Dolphins in a Super Bowl. That's the first game I remember watching. I loved the NBA, the Portland Trail Blazers in the early 70s. And I. That was the first NFL game I remember watching. And then I became like a Washington Husky fan. And I. I remember for Robin Earl and Warren Moon and blah, blah, blah, you don't care. But Josh Allen's the most talented quarterback I've ever seen. I'll die on that hill. Don't confuse trophies with talent. Brady's got more trophies than Mahomes. Patrick's more talented. I always thought John Elway was like the greatest athlete. Remember, he was going to play either for the Yankees or the NFL. Greatest athlete to play quarterback. Compared to Josh Allen, John Elway looks small and lumbering. The kid's unbelievable. I've never seen a quarterback this good. I mean, size, arm mobility. A plus plus plus plus it's a little LeBron in his prime. It's a little Ohtani. It's a little tiger where you can Put the best athletes in the world out there, and he's a notch above that. And, I mean, once Buffalo finally got a legit running back so he could take the Superman cape off occasionally. He doesn't have any kryptonite. I mean, since entering the NFL, he has the second most rushing touchdowns. He's a quarterback. He has the second most rushing touchdowns. You know who number one is? A running back. Derrick Henry. I mean, Buffalo is allowed 86 points in the last two weeks. And my take is yeah, yeah, so what? They'll get to the super bowl because Josh Allen in that time has 10 touchdowns. I worry about their defense. They are getting some starters back. But I'm watching Mahomes, who's obviously so gifted, limping around, they can't protect him. And I'm saying, God, he is so vulnerable, this team. Josh Allen has not taken a sack in a month. Good luck getting a hold of him. It's week 15. He looks as fresh as newly cut flowers. Big strong arm moving. You can't get to him. Now, you should be able to. There's enough to grab onto, but you can't sack him. So I feel like I've always said there's one athlete in my life that I didn't get to see perform. Sandy Koufax. Like, one athlete. I feel like I kind of got jipped off. I was born too late. We're all lucky. We were born in a time you can watch Josh Allen because I've never seen anything like it. Again, they're missing three defensive starters. It's not. It's not Purdy on the defensive end, but remember that saying? Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. You remember that? Were they talking about Superman or Josh Allen? Because as good as Mahomes is, he's not this. And I love him. And as good as Brady was, he's not Mahomes. That's the best I've ever seen. For years, I thought it was elway. Even Sean McDermott, you just run. Sean McDermott gets to see him at practice every day, and he's at a loss for words. I mean, just incredible. Incredible performance week after week. And what more can you say? I mean, it's. It's.

Matt Hasselbeck (12:25)

We're watching every week, we're watching an.

Colin Cowherd (12:28)

Incredible player play.

Matt Hasselbeck (12:33)

Incredibly consistent week after week.

Colin Cowherd (12:36)

And I'll let you guys film the rest of the sentence. For the record, the last two weeks, he's been able to play indoors. So in a weird way, Buffalo, the Cold weather, wind, outdoor is a negative. Go look at his last two weeks when he got to play indoors. The Lions defense may beat up. Okay, it may be beat up. The Rams defense wasn't. The Rams defense wasn't beat up. When he's allowed to play indoors, weather's not a negative. It's like high school stuff. It's like that Division 1 high school player. He runs for two touchdowns, he throws for two touchdowns, he catches touchdowns. Think about how great you have to be to be a pro athlete. You were the best player in your conference. Some of you, if you ever played, were probably the best player in your region, may have been the best player in your state. That's how good you have to be. And what's remarkable, it's the classic American story. He wasn't offered a college scholarship. He ended up sending tapes out. He ends up at Wyoming where he was really talented but didn't get the great coaching. And his first year in the NFL, all sorts of warts. He was reckless, a lot of interceptions. But you could see this remarkable player. And now he's been transformed in front of our eyes to. However you want to describe this. Can't take my eyes off him. I really do. I mean, I feel like with Detroit falling apart, Philadelphia and Buffalo, with Mahomes limping and the Lions falling apart, so much of this league is attrition. And I know, I know Philadelphia probably is favored because they have the better defense. But I would sign up for Eagles, Buffalo Bills today. Yesterday, Jim Nant said this is America's team. I don't think he's wrong. It's not the Cowboys. I mean, it's. I. I'm not even going to mention them in the first hour today. I'm not. I have nothing on my show today to mention the Cowboys. If they come up, it's an accident. If that's America's team, I'm for it because he's a great American athlete and a great American story. J. Mac, I know recency bias, but when you watch in the last two weeks playing indoors, that Rams defense is pretty good.

Matt Hasselbeck (14:47)

Yeah. Yeah.

Colin Cowherd (14:48)

You also mentioned the Lions are banged up. Just breaking here in the last five minutes. Reports are out that David Montgomery, the Hammer running back of the Lions MCL injury, could be lost for the season. Wow. Just came out. So Gibbs is a little bit of the lightning.

Matt Hasselbeck (15:04)

He's awesome.

Colin Cowherd (15:05)

Montgomery, yesterday, so much, we talked about this. Remember the year Mahomes got to the super bowl and had neither one of his starting tackles? It feels like Detroit can Win one way now. Wild shootout. And your packers, you talked about them.

Matt Hasselbeck (15:20)

In the off season.

Colin Cowherd (15:21)

They looked spicy last night. Oh, my gosh. They'd become a little bit of a power running team. I would be afraid of that team. You know, I'll tell you who I'd be afraid of. Baker in the Bucks. Oh, yeah. I would want no part of the Buccaneers. Can't run on them, can't guard Mike Evans. Baker's playing at his best. A little reckless, but with house money because nobody thinks they're going to win. Jason Light has stacked that roster for years. The gm, one of the best scouts ever in the league. Yeah, I would not. I. If I'm Philadelphia. I mean, by the way, didn't. Were they the last team to beat Philly? I mean. I mean, they given Detroit, Philly, Kansas City. They've given everybody troubles. I mean, what they did to the Chargers Yesterday, the number one defense in the league dropped a 40 burger in LA. That was wow. That was a wow outcome.

Matt Hasselbeck (16:12)

NFC kind of.

Colin Cowherd (16:13)

After the Eagles. There's like five or six teams down with the Lions injured. I don't know.

Matt Hasselbeck (16:17)

Is Washington in that group?

Colin Cowherd (16:18)

Are they close? No, I think. I. Listen, I think Darnold and the Vikings and Baker and the Bucks will be underdogs in these playoff games, but there's something about Tampa's ability to defend the run you cannot. So now the Lions are down to one running back. You will not run on Tampa. And also, we got to give the Rams some credit. They're. They're. They're coming hard and Geno Smith goes.

Matt Hasselbeck (16:38)

Down and you don't want to see.

Colin Cowherd (16:39)

That Rams offense in the postseason. Oh, boy. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific, on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio app. Hey, it's Steve Covino. And I'm Rich Davis, and together we're Covino and Rich on Fox Sports Radio. You can catch us weekdays from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific, on Fox Sports Radio. And of course, the iHeartRadio Apple. Why should you listen to Covino and Rich? We talk about everything. Life, sports, relationships, what's going on in the world. We have a lot of fun talking about the stories behind the stories in the world of sports and pop culture. Stories that, well, other shows don't seem to have the time to discuss. And the fact that we've been friends for the last 20 years and still work together, I mean, that says something, right? So check us out. We like to get you involved too. Take your phone calls, chop it up as they say. I'd say the most interactive show on Fox Sports Radio, maybe the most interactive show on planet Earth. Be sure to check out Covino and Rich Live on Fox Sports radio and the iHeartradio app from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific. And if you miss any of the live show, just search Kovino and Rich wherever you get your podcast. And of course on social media, that's Covino and Rich. What makes the holiday special are the details from Genesis. And every little detail in a Genesis is another gift to you. Like during winter, you'll be thankful for the available heated steering wheel and the available snow mode to help get you through the snowiest of snow days. And the available all wheel drive is helpful all year round, but especially during the winter. I mean, Genesis has put a lot of thought into the details. And of course the best gifts are thoughtful ones like the available Nappa Leather seating. Oh, speaking of gifts, you'll have plenty of room to haul around everything you've picked up for family and friends, no matter which Genesis you're driving. And with a lineup featuring SUVs, EVs, Sedans, something for everybody. Experience the Genesis Signature event. And as one big final gift, Genesis is offering you a $1,000 bonus on select Genesis vehicles. The deal ends January 2nd. See participating Genesis retailers for details. Visit genesis.com to see how Genesis can make your holidays even brighter. Details make the Holidays this podcast is sponsored by PayPal. Now here's the kicker. The PayPal debit card earns you 5% cash back in a monthly catego of your Choice, up to $1,000 of monthly purchases. So groceries, health and beauty, gas, apparel, restaurants. On top of that, you can get cash back offers within the app from brands like DoorDash, Instacart, Sephora. This month, it's all about that apparel. I got a crazy schedule. I shop online a lot. Snag a suit here, there, fresh gear. 5% cash back adds up fast. And signing up is easy. Just Download the new PayPal app to sign up and you're ready to start earning cash back on your everyday purchases. Pay smart, Earn cash back. Enjoy peace of mind with a PayPal debit card. Don't just pay PayPal terms and limits apply. See paypal.com rewardspal Cashback earned as points redeemable for cash and other options on up to $1,000 spend per month. The PayPal Debit MasterCard is issued by the Bancor Bank N.A. pursuant to license by Mastercard International, Inc. And may be used everywhere. MasterCard is accepted small Business Owners this one's for you. Chase for Business and iheart bring you a podcast series called the Unshakables. This one of a kind series will shine the spotlight on small business owners like you who faced a do or die moment that ultimately made their business what it is today.

Matt Hasselbeck (20:00)

Learn more@chase.com business podcast Chase Make More.

Colin Cowherd (20:06)

Of what's Yours Chase Mobile app is available for select mobile devices. Message and data rates may apply JPMorgan.

Matt Hasselbeck (20:13)

Chase Bank NA Member FDIC Copyright 2024 JPMorgan Chase Co.

Colin Cowherd (20:19)

I'm Colin Coward from the Herd Intuit QuickBooks wants you to achieve your dreams of starting your own business and working for yourself. And if you're a small business owner launching a company, then you'll want to check out Mind the Business Small business success stories from iHeart's Ruby Studio and Inuit QuickBooks. Season one and two are out now and season three is launching Thursday, January 9th with new episodes coming out every other Thursday after that. So make sure you catch up and listen as hosts Austin Henkwitz and Jenice Torres talk to small business owners about how they've grown and maintained their businesses and tackled the hurdles and challenges that come with being your own boss. From tracking money in and out to cutting through day to day management with an all encompassing platform like Intuit QuickBooks, you don't want to miss these inspiring stories of small business journeys. Listen to Mind the Business small business success Stories on the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. It's time to start thinking about holiday gifts. What are you going to get that person that's impossible to shop for? We all know somebody like that. What do they want this holiday season? What do you want? Give the Gift of sound with JLab headphones JLab headphones are the perfect gift. I love them for the podcast lover in your life or the one that wants to stream sports all day long. JLab Perfect gift for anybody with a diverse collection of headphones, which makes it easy to find the gift for your family and friends with a variety of styles, colors and sizes. JLab they have products for under $100, under $50, even under $25. Gift yourself a new pair of JLab headphones too. If you're traveling this holiday season, pick up the jlabs jbuds Luxe Ancient Tune out the Drove of the Jet Engine or your talkative relative. Save up to 60% on select JLab products this holiday season on JLab.com. find your perfect pair of headphones. Look for the JLAB Blue Box at retailers everywhere or visit jlab.com to upgrade your sound and style today. We do it every Monday at this time. Where Colin was right. Where Colin was wrong. There's plenty of both. Here we go. Where Colin was right. I warned you last week on Dan Campbell. He doesn't trust his defense so now he's hyper reckless. I really do like the man, but I think they're no longer the Hun, Ted. They're the hunter. And I think it's very hard to win a Super bowl when you're reckless. Now again, defensively, I don't know, maybe he feels like they have to take these big swings and I don't think they were going to win the game anyway. But I said it last week and I'll say it again, reckless teams don't win the Super Bowl. Where Colin was wrong. Well, on November 18th when the Cowboys lost to the Texans, I said they're in the middle of a soft tank. Well, they've won three of four. Mike is playing great. CD Lamb, back to back touchdowns. Say what you want about Cooper Rush, he moves the chains. So Mike McCarthy, there's, you know, I, I, we've been saying this now. Mike McCarthy's a good coach. I think he's going to retain his job because he's winning these games and the team hasn't quit. You look at the New York Giants and you wonder if the team has quit. You watch the Cowboys. I don't see it. McCarthy's probably coming back where Colin was. Right. When Baker signed that deal with Tampa, I said I would have no problem signing him. He's a good fit. He's got the grit, he's got a chip on his shoulder and I think he's a really good leader. They now lead the NFC South. He and Mike Evans totally in unison. I think at his price point he's actually a bargain. I was blown away yesterday. The Chargers had the number one defense in the league and they dropped a 40 burger and they totally controlled this game. So I think a lot for quarterbacks outside of the all time greats is fit. Sam Darnold now has a good fit. Baker chip on his shoulder. Tampa is a great fit. Where Colin was wrong. Yeah, I never thought I'd see Bill belichick take the 3rd to 4th best coaching job in the ACC. I admit I see him as a pro coach. I don't know if he and Mike Lombardi and mostly a pro staff are going to feel collegiate I said, I feel like it's going to be a quicker, more rigid version of Charlie Weiss, a pro guy who tried to make college work. He says, you know, I always thought about coaching college. I think this in my opinion is more about the NFL turning their nose up in the air at Bill Belichick and not wanting his rigidity and personnel control. But I'll admit watching him in Carolina blue, it's a bit of a shocker for me. Where Colin was right. I picked the Rams to win the division before the season started. Matt Stafford, zero pick in five weeks. They now officially lead the division. They started one in four. They were all beat up on the O line and wide receiver. They are 7 and 2 cents just like last year when they got healthy. They finished strong last year. Right now, Cooper Cup's healthy, Puka Nakua, their offensive line, Havenstein's back up. This is a very, very good team. I do feel like they're a draft away from hoisting another trophy. But this is a team I thought would win this division. Where Collin was wrong. In the last nine games, LeBron is shooting 25% from three and 45% on field goals. I had said earlier this season I still considered him a top 10 player and I defended him like mid November. He's not. He disappeared. His turnovers are up, his shooting is down. He has lost his legs. Listen, I'm not. This should have happened five years ago. I'm shocked it took this long. But that absence for whatever reasons. Speculate all you want. He looked out of gas and the first thing an athlete loses is the legs. 50 year old quarterback can still grab a football and sling it. And Steph Curry will be able to shoot when he's 70. But it's the legs. And LeBron is not a top 10 player where Colin was right. I don't get the brock Purdy for $60 million discussion. Well, what do you know? They pulled San Francisco fans and 40% believe Brock Purdy should get in the 20 to 30 million dollar range. So at least I agree with the Niners. Listen, in the four biggest games this year, one he was hurt and the three others he was easily the second best quarterback in the field. I like him. He struggles in wet weather. I don't think he's a guy that can elevate average players. I think he is a quarterback that can manage great players. I would pay him. I think he's a franchise guy. You start talking 55, 60 million, we're talking Lamar, we're talking Mahomes. Allen Stafford. I don't think that's for Brock Ferdie. And now Niner fans agree where Colin was raw. Well, I didn't think Devonte Adams was going to matter for the Pack for the Jets. I felt like he bounced around, Aaron was shot. But I got to Be honest, those two yesterday were great. The last four minutes of the game they were historic statistically. Devontae's had over 300 yards in the last two games and I'm critical of Aaron Rodgers so I have to be fair. I think in the last three to four weeks Aaron has found his footing. Devonte Adams. Now Garrett Wilson from the reaction on the sideline may not love it but I will tell you now between Garrett Wilson and Devonte Adams, Aaron has looked very comfortable. I thought the season was over three, four weeks ago. They have played incredibly hard offensively. They've been very good late in games. I was wrong on that. I thought they were done. Nope. They still got some life where Colin was right, where Colin was wrong. And with that 18 years in the league. I love our Monday show and Matt Hasselbeck stops on in the three time Pro Bowler. So I'm watching the Lions fall apart and, and I know Dan Campbell's kind of his DNA is he is a go, he's a, he's an alpha, he's going to take some shots kinda. But I wonder now if he's being, I view him as reckless because he just doesn't trust the defense. And I do think sometimes coaches go, we can't stop anybody. Do you think it's his DNA or do you think now he's just lost trust in the defense, why he would call that onside kick?

Matt Hasselbeck (28:41)

No, I don't think it has anything to do with the defense. I just think it's his DNA. He's an emotional guy and it's part of what you love about him. You know, sometimes former players, when they, they become coaches, they have to learn how to like separate that. I'm getting geeked up to go cover a kickoff mentality and have to learn how to be calm and just sort of be discerning. And while all the chaos is going on around you, you're not the guy hyping everybody up. You're the guy that's sitting back almost like you know the movie Bagger Vance when he steps up to the tee box, like everything else goes quiet and he's, he's, he's like just completely engrossed and focused on the decision that needs to be made. And I think you learn as a young. I mean, he's a little bit of a young coach still. I think you learn from these moments. And he's been very transparent at the podium talking about it. And I think that's what people love about him is he's very transparent. He owns up to his own mistakes. And like you said, they are now the bully they were the guys that were getting picked on, they were swinging, you know, taking a shot with house money sorta. And now they need to play like one of the best teams in all of football, which they are.

Colin Cowherd (29:45)

Be sure to catch. Live editions of the Herd weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. FS1 and the what makes the holiday special are the details from Genesis. And every little detail in a Genesis is another gift to you. Like during winter, you'll be thankful for the available heated steering wheel and the available snow mode to help get you through the snowiest of snow days. And the available all wheel drive is helpful all year round, but especially during the winter. I mean, Genesis has put a lot of thought into the details. And of course the best gifts are thoughtful ones like the available Nappa leather seating. Oh, speaking of gifts, you'll have plenty of room to haul around everything you've picked up for family and friends, no matter which Genesis you're driving. And with a lineup featuring SUVs, EVs, Sedans, something for everybody. Experience the Genesis Signature event. And as one big final gift, Genesis is offering you a $1,000 bonus on select Genesis vehicles. The deal ends January 2nd. See participating Genesis retailers for details. Visit genesis.com to see how Genesis can make your holidays even brighter. Details make the Holidays this podcast is sponsored by PayPal. Now here's the kicker. The PayPal debit card earns you 5% cash back in a monthly category of your Choice, up to $1,000 of monthly purchases. So groceries, health and beauty, gas, apparel restaurants. On top of that, you can get cash back offers within the app from brands like Doordash, Instacart, Sephora. This month, it's all about that apparel. I got a crazy schedule. I shop online a lot. Snag a suit here, there, fresh gear, 5% cash back adds up fast. And signing up is easy. Just Download the new PayPal app to sign up and you're ready to start earning cash back on your everyday purchases. Pay smart, Earn cash back. Enjoy peace of mind with a PayPal debit card. Don't just pay PayPal terms and limits apply. See paypal.com rewardspal Cashback earned as points redeemable for cash and other options on up to $1,000 spend per month. The PayPal Debit MasterCard is issued by the Bancor Bank N.A. pursuant to license by Mastercard International, Inc. And may be used everywhere MasterCard is accepted small Business Owners this one's for you. Chase for Business and iheart bring you a podcast series called the Unshakables. This one of a kind series will shine the spotlight on small business owners like you who faced a do or die moment that ultimately made their business what it is today.

Matt Hasselbeck (32:08)

Learn more@chase.com business podcast Chase Make More.

Colin Cowherd (32:14)

Of what's Yours Chase Mobile app is available for select mobile devices. Message and data rates. May apply JPMorgan Chase Bank NA Member.

Matt Hasselbeck (32:22)

FDIC Copyright 2024 JPMorgan Chase I'm Colin.

Colin Cowherd (32:28)

Coward from the Herd Intuit QuickBooks wants you to achieve your dreams of starting your own business and working for yourself. And if you're a small business owner launching a company, then you'll want to check out Mind the Business Small business Success stories from iHeart's Ruby Studio and Inuit QuickBooks Season 1 and 2 are out now and Season 3 is launching Thursday, January 9th with new episodes coming out every other Thursday after that. So make sure you catch up and listen as hosts Austin Henquitz and Jenice Torres talk to small business owners about how they've grown and maintained their businesses and tackled the hurdles and challenges that come with being your own boss. From tracking money in and out to cutting through day to day management with an all encompassing platform like Intuit QuickBooks, you don't want to miss these inspiring stories of small business journeys. Listen to Mind the Business small business success Stories on the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. It's time to start thinking about holiday gifts. What are you going to get that person that's impossible to shop for? We all know somebody like that. What do they want this holiday season? What do you want? Give the Gift of sound with JLab headphones JLab headphones are the perfect gift. I love them for the podcast lover in your life or the one that wants to stream sports all day long. JLab Perfect gift for anybody with a diverse collection of headphones, which makes it easy to find the gift for your family and friends with a variety of styles, colors and sizes. JLab they have products for under $100, under $50, even under $25. Gift yourself a new pair of JLab headphones too. If you're traveling this holiday season, pick up the JLabs JBuds, Lux, ANC. Tune out the drove of the jet engine or your talkative relative. Save up to 60% on select JLab products this holiday season. On JLab.com find your perfect pair of headphones. Look for the JLab Blue Box at retailers everywhere or visit JLab.com to upgrade your sound and style today. So Green Bay, the average age is 25 years old. They're like an old college team. And I watch them last night and I just think that organization, you know, I was saying this earlier, Matt. If Jordan Love would have gone to half the league, they would have played him. First year, battle line, defensive coach, he's wrecked. They have been so smart, even adding Josh Jacobs. They're like, we really like this kid and he's got good, young tight end, receiver. Let's give him a power running back so he didn't have to throw 35 times. I love how Green Bay develops quarterbacks, but I look at this team and I think, just a bunch of kids, they're 25 years old. Go to your playoff experience. Is that youth a liability when playoffs start in a month?

Matt Hasselbeck (35:16)

No, not if you're completely naive and you have no idea, like, how much pressure is really on you. And I think that's the great thing about that team. And you've seen it in other teams. I remember Tom Brady's first year when he won the Super Bowl. I don't think he really knew. I remember, you know, in my first, you know, times in the, in the playoffs, like, I didn't know, but that was the beauty of it. You're just out there like you were as a kid, cutting it loose, having fun. And I would say Matt LaFleur does not get enough credit for what he is as a, as a football coach. He just kind of gets glossed over. He's like, oh, yeah, he's a Sean McVeigh guy, you know, like, whatever. Like, no, no, he is a legitimate, legitimate head football coach both sides of the ball. He's done a great job bringing in Jeff Halfley to run the defense. They've been, you know, really, honestly, they've been the unsung team this season. Like, we even just talk about their division. We talk about Detroit, we talk about Minnesota, and this is a team that's done it. You know, we talk about Detroit being banged up now. Green Bay was banged up. Now they're getting healthy. I think they're a dangerous team coming into the playoffs.

Colin Cowherd (36:17)

So as I watch the Bills, first of all, I said this earlier. I always thought John Elway was the most talented quarterback I'd ever seen, showing my age. But I thought that's. I mean, he could have played major league baseball. And then. And then you watch Farve, and then you watch Mahomes. And I'm not talking just trophies. I'm talking, like, Bill Russell's got 11 rings, Michael's got six. I thought Michael was more talented. It's not just trophies. Marino never won one. He was brilliant. But I watched Josh Allen. He makes Elway look lumbering and small. Like, I. I've never seen anything like him as a former quarterback. 18 years, you, you know, you were in rooms with guys like Favreau. How would you coach Josh? I mean, you don't want to not ask him to do whatever he does. I wonder if it's almost harder to coach a guy that says, like, good as Tiger and his primer Ohtani, how would you coach him?

Matt Hasselbeck (37:10)

Yeah, no, it's. It's harder than people realize. I remember my rookie year watching Andy Reid try to coach Brett Favre. You want to keep the amazing, the otherworldly, but at the same time, you want to protect him and his body. And obviously that football I saw with Andrew Luck when he was getting coach, and, you know, he's putting himself in harm's way. I think it is. It's like, also, like, it's a curse and a blessing being as big and as physical and as fearless as he is. But when you can get it right, and I believe they've got it right, they've got designed runs late in the game when you need it. They don't do it early. They do it more late. They do it when they've kind of worn you down and they know exactly what you're doing. They're smart with him. He's being smart with the football. That's why everybody this week will be talking about him being the NFL. NFL's MVP, it's. I mean, if you were voting today, if you had to decide today, he's the guy now, that doesn't mean he's going to win it, and that doesn't mean that they're going to hoist the Lombardi. But if you're a Bills fan and you ever thought, hey, this is the year that our quarterback wins mvp and this is the year that. That the Bills finally, you know, hoist that Lombardi, like, you're probably right. This is like your best chance right now. And I think one of the coolest things for them, giving them confidence. People think of them as this, like, I don't know. Cold weather team. They've shown that they can be lights out. Maybe not even. Maybe even better in a dome. And guess what? If you think those players aren't talking about the fact that the super bowl is in a dome this year, I promise you quietly, they're whispering that to each other on the flight home.

Colin Cowherd (38:39)

So I want you to. When I watched Philadelphia just sort of take advantage of Pittsburgh, I mean, obviously TJ Watch remarkable, but it looked easier than it should. And when you get 19 catches between DeVontae Smith and A.J. brown and Pittsburgh knew that was coming. With all the talk about AJ they knew it was coming. Is it scheme? It looked so easy. Is it the movement of Hertz? And I. I'm past questioning Sirianni, but as I watched that game, I thought it shouldn't be quite this easy. Is there a scheme? Is it what makes it look. Is it hurts? Is it play calling? What is it?

Matt Hasselbeck (39:23)

Well, it certainly helps when Pittsburgh offense. Pittsburgh's offense doesn't play well. They turn the ball over. They really weren't explosive. So you're getting more opportunities. And, and I really thought, like, exactly like you said, they said, hey, come out and beat us in the passing game. We're going to stop Saquon first. You saw the RPO for the touchdown. And then like we've talked about it for, you know, the whole season. Philly has the weapons, they are capable. Their quarterback is capable. People are jumping on him because he's been a little bit of a wait and see thr. I'm going to wait and see until it's open, then I'm going to throw it in. Less of an anticipator the way you see guys like Tuatanga Vailoa. And so I just think this is still a young quarterback who's. Who's maturing. He's talking about, you got to water the grass. If you want the grass to look green, you got to, you know, you have success in what you work on. Sure, I'll buy that. I just, I really think, and I've said it all year, I think Philly's one of the best teams in football. People are quick to jump on board the Boobirds in Philly because they're out quick in Philly. I mean, this is the fan base that boo Santa Claus. I mean, you know, and everybody loves Santa Claus. So I really think this is one of the best teams in football. Their biggest issue is going to be like, we've seen sticking together and, you know, keeping that humble mindset that beginner's mindset and staying focused week, week to week.

Colin Cowherd (40:39)

So it's interesting. Bo Nix really struggled in the first half, and yet, you know, Sean Payton and coaches kind of tell me what they think of their quarterback by the plays they call. So he didn't put bubble wrap on him. They went out in the second half. They were outplayed in the first. They were aggressive. And it was interesting because Bo had a really. I mean, he was overshooting everybody. He had a rough first half. He. It was rough, and I thought, oh, this could go sideways. And then the second half, I'm like, yeah, he. This is just one of those games. So I want you to go back to early in your career. I think it's. It's easy to let a first half dragged the second emotionally, and yet Sean Payton's like, nope, just go make plays. And I think that's hard for a coach. If you weren't as confident as Sean Payton, to say, no, we're going to throw the ball down the field. They should have lost that game. Jonathan Taylor did him a favor. They were totally outplayed out, schemed in the first half, and yet they won. A little on Bo Nicks Payton, but a little on your career. Is it hard after a rough first half to go? Yeah, I'm just going to forget it. Amnesia, is that harder than we think?

Matt Hasselbeck (41:50)

Listen, it's a sign of a good team that you can win a game when your quarterback doesn't play well. But just speaking about Sean Payton, Sure, I can remember at halftime early in my career, I wasn't playing well. Mike Holmgren, the head coach, would come into the locker room and instead of berating me because I was the one not playing well in the first half, he would rip the defense who was playing well. He would rip the special teams, and he would say it in a way, he'd be like, defense, leaders, special teams. I got a young quarterback. Like, I'm counting on you, not him. I'm counting on you to step up. And it was almost like, oh, crap, Like. Like he's actually worse than if he was ripping me. Now I feel like, hey, man, you better get your act together. And I think even just like for the offensive line and the skill guys, they're saying like, hey, man, we got to pick our young quarterback up. Like, we got to give him opportunities. And I know the stats weren't great, so people are going to pile on Bo Nix and other turnovers, but he had some great plays that brought him back into that game. Also, yes. Was he aided by the fact that the defense scored? The special teams came up huge. Yeah. And that's part of it. That's part of football. But I do think that this can give you confidence, almost like a blessing in disguise that says, hey, look, we're not about one guy. And everybody on that team's been on a team where the quarterback got all the credit. And it's like, oh, it's just because of the quarterback. And they knew the truth, that this is a football team. It's 11 guys at a time. And it's way more than that to go into the success. And so when you have a team that's more about the collection, the sum of all the parts, instead of just one guy who gets to talk at the podium after the game, I think there's something special there. And Denver's building it. They've got a foundation. And just much like Mike Holmgren did for us in Seattle, you can tell that Sean Payton's done that quickly in Denver.

Colin Cowherd (43:35)

Finally, Mahomes gets pretzeled in this football game. Obviously, this is a sport of attrition. He'll want to be out there. If I'm Kansas City, I'm like, I'm not going to play him against Houston. If Carson Wentz wins, I'm not going to play him against Pittsburgh. That's easy for me to say. Even as a veteran quarterback, Matt would two or three weeks off late in the season, would it throw off your timing? Because Xavier Worthy is a young kid at receiver. Their timing is still building. Noah Gray is still a young tight end, and I think to myself, I think Andy would sit him and Mahomes would fight like hell to get back on. But I do wonder, because their receiving corps is so young, if it could be a punitive decision to sit him for two to three weeks. It'd be different if I had Mike Evans and I'd been throwing to him for four years. How would you manage Mahomes now with the injury?

Matt Hasselbeck (44:31)

Yeah, I'm not worried about the timing. I'm not. That's. That gets overblown for sure. No doubt about that. I'll just say that Andy Reid has. Has dealt with this before. He dealt with it with Brett Favre. He dealt with it with Donovan McNabb. I'm sure he's dealt with it with Patrick Mahomes. But really what you do is you go to a guy like Patrick and you say, okay, if you want to play, I will let you play. But the ball has to come out on time. You have to throw with rhythm. No whirly birds, no jump passes, none of that stuff. Because he's going to want to play. And I hear everyone talking about, I'll just sit him and all that kind of stuff. That's fine in theory, but more of what it means to be a franchise quarterback, and especially for a guy like Patrick Mahomes, is you're sending a message to your team about mental and physical toughness and whether he should sit. He probably should sit if we're being real. But knowing who he is and the competitor that he is, just watching him through the years, he wants to be the guy that says, without saying a word, hey, guys, I know we're all banged up. I know you're banged up. I know you're banged up. I'm banged up. Like, let's rise above it. It's not about what, what I can't do. Maybe I can't run for 15 yards, but it's about what I can do. I can play like I'm 40 years old from the pocket and slice and dice, whoever we're playing, I can do that. And so, you know, this game on Christmas that's coming up, we got a Saturday game, like, you know, like, or the weeks that are coming up, he's going to want to be out there. So I think if you're the coach, you just got to basically say to him, okay, you want to go out there and be John Wayne, I'll let you do it. But the second I see you taking unnecessary hits, you're coming out on the sideline, and I. And I think that's how they'll approach that.

Colin Cowherd (46:10)

Yeah, you give us such great insight. I. That is such a great answer to a question. I didn't see it coming. Matt Hasselbeck, look at that trophy room behind you. That I gotta be. All the years I've been doing this. Look at that. What's your favorite one?

Matt Hasselbeck (46:25)

Honestly, man, like, none of it matters, really. It's kind of the journey, I guess. Maybe this one over here, over this over here. These are like my. These are my girls national championship trophies over there. So if your kids ever have something, it means more to you than anything that you ever did. But we got some good junk, I'll say that. But it's. It's more about the journey and the memories and the teammates and the coaches and. And all that kind of stuff.

Colin Cowherd (46:49)

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