Best of the Week on The Herd

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd – Best of the Week

Episode Details

• Title: Best of the Week on The Herd
• Host/Author: iHeartPodcasts and The Volume
• Release Date: December 7, 2024

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1. Introduction

In this episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd, co-host LeVar Arrington delves deep into the current NFL landscape, evaluating Colin Cowherd's predictions and opinions on various teams. The discussion extends to college football dynamics, quarterback performances, and an insightful interview with NFL legend Tom Brady.

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2. NFL Team Evaluations

a. Colin Cowherd’s Predictions: Right and Wrong

LeVar Arrington critically assesses where Colin Cowherd was accurate or off the mark in his weekly team evaluations.

• San Francisco 49ers:
  Arrington challenges Colin's stance, stating, "Christian McCaffrey is hurt, Fred Warner's hurt. They're old, they're tired, they're expensive and they're brittle" ([04:01]). He argues that the 49ers lack depth and the coaching hasn't adapted effectively to the team's diminishing talent.

• Sam Darnold’s Performance:
  Colin praised Sam Darnold's growth, but Arrington counters, noting, "He's a first-round talent. Just get him to the right coach" ([07:04]). He emphasizes the need for better coaching to harness Darnold's potential fully.

• Russell Wilson and the Steelers Fit:
  Colin believed Russell Wilson was excelling post his move to the Steelers. Arrington partially agrees, highlighting Wilson's downfield accuracy but expresses concerns about the team's defensive vulnerabilities ([07:50]).

b. Top NFL Teams According to Arrington

Arrington lays out his hierarchy of top NFL teams, providing a nuanced analysis of each:

1. Buffalo Bills:
   Quote: "I think they have their best offensive line, their best running game. Let's put Buffalo at number one again" ([08:33]).
   Arrington praises Josh Allen's matured playstyle and the team's balanced offense and defense.

2. Philadelphia Eagles:
   Quote: "They've figured out Jalen Hurts... their team is 9-0 when A.J. Brown plays" ([08:33]).
   He commends their offensive strategy and defensive solidity, especially when key players are active.

3. Detroit Lions:
   Quote: "Michigan lost to Michigan... the Wolverines have been stacked" ([28:23]).
   Despite defensive concerns, Arrington acknowledges their tough schedule and potential playoff impact.

4. Kansas City Chiefs:
   Quote: "Patrick has five times in back-to-back games... I trust Andy Reid, Mahomes, Kelsey, Chris Jones and Spags" ([29:54]).
   He lauds Mahomes' clutch performances and Andy Reid's strategic acumen.

5. Green Bay Packers:
   Quote: "Jordan Love has a whip. Man, he's got some talent" ([16:03]).
   Arrington notes their power run game and overall offensive strength but believes they need another year to peak.

6. Pittsburgh Steelers:
   Quote: "Russell Wilson... passer rating in the fourth quarter of 120" ([16:03]).
   He appreciates their ability to perform under pressure and Wilson's late-game prowess.

7. Denver Broncos:
   Quote: "They have one of the best coaches, maybe the best coach after Andy Reid in the NFL" ([15:05]).
   Arrington commends their coaching staff and disciplined gameplay.

8. Baltimore Ravens:
   Quote: "Their scoring defense is bottom quarter of the league. So that worries me" ([15:31]).
   Despite offensive firepower, he expresses concerns over their defensive consistency.

9. Seattle Seahawks:
   Quote: "They're a top 10 team. I don't know if they can win a playoff game" ([14:36]).
   He acknowledges their strengths but doubts their playoff endurance.

10. Minnesota Vikings:
    Quote: "They're a great home team. Top ten in Scoring offense and scoring defense" ([39:47]).
    Arrington highlights their aggressive playstyle and balanced team performance.

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3. Quarterback Analysis and Coaching Strategies

a. Tom Brady’s Insights on Quarterback Safety and Playcalling

In an exclusive interview, Tom Brady shares his perspectives on the evolving role of quarterbacks and the associated risks.

• Late Hits and Quarterback Mobility:
  Quote: "The only aspect that I think is very challenging... when you run, you put yourself in a lot of danger" ([21:21]).
  Brady discusses the inherent risks when quarterbacks choose to run, emphasizing the need for better protective measures.

• Coaching Philosophies:
  Quote: "Coaches lose games and players win games" ([29:54]).
  He underscores the importance of coaches setting clear game plans, allowing players to execute without micromanagement.

• Team Identity and Player Utilization:
  Quote: "It's like I may as well have been out there playing receiver for Ohio State" ([29:54]).
  Brady critiques the over-reliance on certain players and the failure to maximize team talent effectively.

b. Trust and Decision-Making in Coaching

Brady elaborates on the significance of trust between coaches and players:

• Player Autonomy:
  Quote: "When you have a quarterback that you're trusting who's making good decisions, then you want to give them more opportunities" ([26:33]).
  He advocates for empowering quarterbacks to make strategic decisions on the field, fostering growth and adaptability.

• Game Management:
  Quote: "You want to give them more opportunities... how to manage a game" ([27:21]).
  Emphasizing the need for quarterbacks to understand the 'why' behind plays, Brady highlights the importance of strategic thinking over rote playcalling.

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4. College Football Dynamics

LeVar Arrington touches upon the shifting landscape of college football, influenced by the Transfer Portal and Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) regulations.

• Parity and Talent Distribution:
  Quote: "The NIL and the transfer portal have created more parity because a lot of these second-tier programs are cherry-picking the Michigan's, Notre Dame's, Ohio State's, Alabama's, Georgia's for guys that may be the third receiver that can be a number one receiver" ([08:33]).
  Arrington explains how these changes have leveled the playing field, allowing traditionally lower-tier programs to attract top talent.

• Depth Concerns:
  Quote: "There is no depth even among the Alabamas and the Georgias" ([08:33]).
  He raises concerns about the overall depth of talent, even in powerhouse programs, suggesting potential long-term implications for the sport.

• College Playoff Predictions:
  Quote: "I still say Texas ends up in the Natty. I still think it's going to be Tennessee or Ohio State" ([08:33]).
  Despite the chaos, Arrington remains confident in certain teams making the College Football Playoff.

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5. Playoff Predictions and Betting Insights

Arrington provides his forecasts for upcoming NFL playoff games, analyzing team performances and potential outcomes.

• Buffalo Bills vs. Los Angeles Rams:
  Quote: "I love Josh Allen and the Bills in this" ([42:11]).
  He favors the Bills, citing their strong second-half performance and Josh Allen's efficiency against the Rams.

• Los Angeles Chargers vs. Kansas City Chiefs:
  Quote: "I like the Chiefs. I'll lay the points to win 27 to 17" ([42:11]).
  Arrington anticipates a win for the Chiefs, highlighting Patrick Mahomes' leadership and the team's defensive strategies.

• Minnesota Vikings vs. Atlanta Falcons:
  Quote: "I'm gonna take Minnesota at home. Lay the five and a half points" ([39:42]).
  He predicts a victory for the Vikings, emphasizing their strong home performance and defensive prowess.

• Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers:
  Quote: "I like the Steelers to win 24:23" ([42:11]).
  Arrington opts for the Steelers in a closely contested game, despite acknowledging the Browns' offensive strengths.

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6. Closing Remarks

The episode concludes with Arrington reiterating the unpredictability of the NFL season and the importance of strategic coaching and player trust. The discussions offer listeners a comprehensive analysis of team performances, quarterback dynamics, and the broader implications of recent changes in college football.

Notable Quotes:

• LeVar Arrington: "We need to take a time out against hate. Visit standuptoallhate.org to help and join me in calling for timeout against hate by following at what's up with Hate or posting the Blue Square Emoji." ([00:00] & [36:30])
• Tom Brady: "Coaches lose games and players win games." ([29:54])

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Conclusion

This episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd provides an in-depth look into the current state of the NFL, offering critical evaluations of team performances, quarterback strategies, and coaching methodologies. With insightful commentary from both Arrington and Brady, listeners gain a nuanced understanding of the factors influencing the game and its future trajectories.

Transcript

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[LeVar Arrington]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Tom Brady]

Now let's get this party started.

[Fox Sports Radio]

You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.

[LeVar Arrington]

Here we go.

[Colin Cowherd]

Colin Wright.

[LeVar Arrington]

Colin wrong on a Monday. Plenty of both.

[Fox Sports Radio]

Fire away where Colin was right.

[LeVar Arrington]

Listen, I said a week ago and I got pushback. Tear it down to the studs Niners. It's official. Rebuild's the only way. Lost 35 to 10 wasn't competitive. Christian McCaffrey's hurt, Fred Warner's hurt. They're old, they're tired, they're expensive and they're brittle. I mean, Kyle Shanahan, first time he's lost back to back games by 25 plus points. Christian McCaffrey unfortunately done for the season. This isn't subtle or nuanced. They don't have have enough good players. I mean, go, go watch Detroit, Philadelphia, Buffalo, Baltimore, Kansas City play. They don't have enough guys, especially in.

[Fox Sports Radio]

Their prime where Colin was wrong.

[LeVar Arrington]

I have defended Ryan Day for a long time, but he got worked this weekend, even with Chip Kelly. I thought he was trying to prove a point more than he was trying to win a game. Why were they running the football? They're a beautiful vertical passing team. Nick Saban moved off his power running games into a passing team. Nick was about winning games and I like Ryan Day, but he'd never been a head coach before Ohio State. And there are steps you get when you're Urban Meyer and go Bowling Green to Utah to Florida, Ohio State and in big games he has not been exceptional and I thought this was a low point. I don't think I would want him fired. But this was ugly and I've been defending him from day one. You can't have that at home against the team that can't pass. Michigan can't pass where college Sammy Darnold forever. I said He's a first round talent. Just get him to the right coach. Once again a great final drive to win a game. He's had several of those. Fourth in the NFL in touchdown passes. The reckless stuff. Oh he'll have a throw every game. I wince a little bit but he has become a really good fourth quarter quarterback. 10 of his 12 starts, 100 plus passer rating. He's getting it to the right players at the right time and I trust him. That's the one thing I'll say about good quarterb. He gets the ball with a minute and a half left. I trust him. He's going to drive that team down to a field goal minimum and he did it again this week.

[Fox Sports Radio]

Sam Darnold where Colin was wrong.

[LeVar Arrington]

I didn't think Russell Wilson and Tomlin and the Steelers was going to fit but he's five and one and six starts yesterday eight different Steelers caught a pass of 20 plus yards. He is throwing the ball down the field. There's no dink and dunk here. Russell is, he is cooking it downfield and I'm happy for him. He's a grateful guy, he's a hard working guy. He, he's a very focused guy and this is a much better fit than I could have guessed. You know he kind of feels like this has always been an offense that's a little dramatic and loose. He's kind of got it, got it playing more in the fair way and still hitting on big plays where Colin was right, you know Matty Berflusse coming into the season was on the hot seat. Probably they should have been best served to start over. Jim Harbaugh was the choice but he didn't get along with the president. And I feel bad for Caleb Williams who I think is a remarkable player. He's flawed, he's got a lot to learn. But that coaching gaffe, I mean when first year quarterbacks sometimes a coach has to throw them a life preserver on timeouts and time and you know they're going to lack some self awareness just because they're rookie quarterbacks in a much faster game on the road. Short week against the great Lions. There's just no excuse for that. And then his, they couldn't even fire him right. They let him have a press conference and fired him about an hour later. So this was pretty predictable.

[Fox Sports Radio]

Where Colin was wrong.

[LeVar Arrington]

Well my next guest loves Nick Sirianni. I guess I'm on board. They've won eight in a row. They beat Lamar Jackson. NFC teams do not beat Lamar Jackson. Now Justin Tucker helped him out. But I will say this, they, they may be the worst first quarter team that's a good team in the league. But their second quarter was great and their fourth quarters, they give the ball to the right people. And that's what I like about Philadelphia's offense. It's what Ohio State didn't do Saturday. They got their ball and they get their ball to the right guys in Syria. Maybe he's learning on the job. I've had misgivings, but it works. You do not win eight games in a row and they've beaten some good teams home and away. They've beaten good teams. You don't win eight in a row. Go look at Chicago. They got good players too. Unless the coach knows what he's doing.

[Fox Sports Radio]

Where Colin was right, I don't buy an Aaron Rodgers.

[LeVar Arrington]

I don't think he's a top 15 to 18 quarterback in the league. Turns 41 today. Ugly. Pick six, he missed the wide open. Garrett Wilson in the end zone on a pretty easy throw, pretty pedestrian NFL quarterback throw and they would have gone up 28 to seven. Game, set, match, missed it. Pick six followed. So at this point, you know, he's never been the biggest grinder in the off season and so I think he's aged really, really quickly. But I didn't think the jets were a playoff team. I don't think Aaron's the kind of guy, he's not a foxhole guy, he's just a really talented guy. But I would move off him. I don't think it works. I don't think he has much of a market. We've got all these talented young quarterbacks. Go get one somewhere or go get.

[Fox Sports Radio]

Sam Darnold where Colin was right.

[LeVar Arrington]

I said going into the weekend do lose any sleep on the College Football Playoff rankings, chaos will ensue. And it did. Georgia went to eight overtimes against Georgia Tech. Miami lost to Syracuse. Georgia, Ohio State lost to Michigan. And I said Thursday, the last couple of weekends, watch out for rivalry week. It's going to be a zoo. There's a scenario where the four conference champions weren't in their conference last season. And I will say this, the NIL and the transfer portal have created more parity because a lot of these second tier programs are cherry picking the Michigan's, Notre Dame's, Ohio states, Alabama's, Georgia for guys that may be the third receiver that can be a number one receiver at say like a Louisville or you know, a Texas Tech. So there is no depth even among the Alabamas. And the Georgias. I mean, I've watched Georgia play five times. You can run on Georgia. They don't throw the ball down the field. So it is a wacky college football season and I'll still say Texas ends up in the Natty. I still think it's going to be Tennessee or Ohio State, so I'm not bailing on Ohio State. Where Colin was right. Where Colin was wrong.

[Fox Sports Radio]

Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific.

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[LeVar Arrington]

Levar Arrington here from up on Game and listen, I want to talk to you about something very serious for a minute, all right? Something personal to me and right now something that should be personal to you as well. In our country, the hate is at an all time high and it's like we're going backward. The hate is winning. We can't allow that, all right? It's out of control. So many different people, so many different groups are facing too much hate and it's enough. It's time for it to stop. We need to stop, regroup, change the momentum as a team. Because that's what we are everyone in this country is on the same team, so let's act like it. And when a team can't get it together, what do you do? You call a timeout. And that's what we need to do. Call a time out against hate. Let's think about what we say and do. And when we see hate, when we see someone doing or saying those things we know are wrong and hateful, we need to call it out. I'mma call it out. You need to do the same thing. Visit standuptolhate.org to help and join me and calling for a timeout against hate by following at what's up with Hate or posting the blue square emoji.

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Fox Sports Radio]

Herd hierarchy.

[LeVar Arrington]

Time is now.

[Tom Brady]

Let's go.

[Fox Sports Radio]

The top 10 NFL teams according to college. Number 10.

[LeVar Arrington]

Well, Seattle's not going to win shootouts. They're.05 if they're asked to score, if they give up more than 25 points. And Geno Smith has been sacked 19 times in the last four games. He throws too many picks. But I like the coaching staff. I like their perimeter talent at wide receiver and corner. Their pass rush better than it was in previous years. They're a top 10 team. I don't know if they can win a playoff game. Maybe, but I'll put Seattle at 10.

[Fox Sports Radio]

Number nine.

[LeVar Arrington]

I like Denver. I think they have one of the best coaches, maybe the best coach after Andy Reid in the NFL. They've won five of seven games. Their only losses to Baltimore and Kansas City. Bo Nicks 8 and 3 over his last 11 games does not make a lot of mistakes. Their offensive line quietly. Sean Payton, an offensive coach, has rebuilt it in two years. PFF has it at number two, Denver at nine.

[Fox Sports Radio]

Number eight, Baltimore.

[LeVar Arrington]

Listen, their only team in the league averaging 400 yards. Mark Andrews, Lamar Jackson, Zay Flowers, Derrick Henry. There's a lot to like special teams. Bit of a liability now. Justin Tucker. It's called age. Mid-30s. And the back end of the defense, outside of Kyle Hamilton worries me. I'm going to put him there. Their scoring defense is bottom quarter of the league. So that worries me. It's like having a bad bullpen. You can outplay people and lose games. I have Baltimore at eight.

[Fox Sports Radio]

Number seven, Sammy Darnold.

[LeVar Arrington]

Eventually I was right. He's a baller. Leads the NFL with 46 completions of 20 plus yards. This is not a dink and dunk offense. They will throw the ball down the field. I think Kevin O'Connell is really a spectacular coach. They are seven one in one score games. That's not just Darnold. That what is coaching Vikings at seven.

[Fox Sports Radio]

Number six, Pittsburgh Steelers.

[LeVar Arrington]

I think their ceiling is a little bit low, but they're 50 against teams that are.500 or better. It's a classic Mike Tomlin recipe. His teams have always played well as underdogs or backed into a corner. Russell Wilson. Say what you want. Passer rating in the fourth quarter of 120. He's good when it matters. And to me that's a team that can win a playoff game or two. Number five, Green Bay. They're still a tad young. Are they a Super bowl team? Boy, does Jordan Love have a whip. Man, he's Got some talent. They become a power run team now. They play at Detroit Thursday. I actually kind of like them in that spot. They're top five in total offense and rushing offense. They become more of a power running team now with Josh Jacobs and I'm here for it. I do feel they're still a year off. Green Bay at five, number four. Okay. My final four teams are the teams I think can win a Super Bowl. Kansas City. Listen, he's been sacked. Patrick Mahomes has five times in back to back games. I don't like the protection right now at offensive tackle. They're getting Isaiah Pacheco back. That helps play action. 11 one in one score games. Their point differential is the lowest ever for an 11, 1 team. I don't love that, but I trust Andy Reid, Mahomes, Kelsey, Chris Jones and Spags. I have them at four. Number three, Detroit's getting banged up on the defensive end. That worries me. Third, toughest schedule remaining. Will they get knocked out of the perch and will Philadelphia to be a number one seed? They've led by 10 plus points in 10 of 11 games. So they usually play with a lead. Probably won't be like that in the playoffs. I think Thursday is fascinating. I have Detroit at three, number two, Philadelphia. They figured out Jalen Hurts. Jalen Hurts. 20 touchdowns, one pick in his eight game winning streak. I don't want him throwing 30 times. I don't want Brady's and Manning throwing 40 times. They figured it out. By the way, this team's 9. 0 when A.J. brown plays. I've never seen a great team led by a receiver, but they don't lose when he plays. I have Philadelphia at two, number one, Buffalo. I think it's the best version of Buffalo. I like that they have James Cook, Dalton Kincaid. They've missed multiple good players during this stretch. I love Josh Allen and he's matured the he's not as reckless as he once was. I think they have their best offensive line, their best running game. You know, when they, when Josh first got there, all their best players felt like defensive guys. Now I think many of their best players are offensive guys and they're getting healthier on the defensive side. Let's put Buffalo at number one again. I generally in my herd hierarchy think about three to four teams can hoist a trophy. I don't think Green Bay can. Or Pittsburgh. They're darn close at five and six respectively. And with that, Tom Brady, 23 years, seven rings, most super bowl wins, passing yards, touchdowns. You know it. Okay, so you know, I'm. I'll get to Michigan, Ohio State, because I. I won't be able to wipe the smile off. That was nuts. I want to start with this, the late hit on Trevor Lawrence. So I got mixed emotions. I want my quarterback to have some mobility, but I also think you leave the pocket, Tom, and you're a running back. Where are you on this hit?

[Tom Brady]

That's a. That's a great question. I've watched, obviously, been a part of the NFL for a long time, and I remember there was an instance. There's. I'll start by saying there's mixed emotions that I have about it as well. I remember in 2001, I think we played at Buffalo, and I slid late and Nate Clements was the corner for the Bills, and he came up out of the secondary and absolutely crushed me. My helmet went flying off, and I got back and I ran to the huddle, and I had a lot of teammates that came up to me the next day and said, dude, these guys are coming. You got to get rid of that football, and if you're going to slide, you better get down. These guys are coming to get you. And it was a great kind of learning experience for me because I realized that when I'm out of that pocket, things were moving a lot faster for me. And the defense is trying to be very aggressive. And over time, the NFL has obviously done a lot of things to, you know, protect players and player health and safety. It's been on and on and on, and the only aspect that I think is very challenging and certainly for Trevor Lawrence, nobody wants to see anybody get hurt, but it is also the reality of a very physical sport that we play. Yeah, but the only way defensive players have to be aggressive, that's their nature. I was trying to be aggressive on offense. We tried to block aggressively, and at the same time, the defense tries to tackle aggressively. So. So I don't know. There's. There's an aspect to me that I think the quarterbacks and the. Certainly the quarterbacks need to take better care of themselves. I've seen Josh Allen running a lot. I see Lamar Jackson running a lot. And it's a great skill set to have. A lot of times I wish I had that skill set. And at the same time, when you run, you put yourself.

[LeVar Arrington]

Oh, yeah.

[Tom Brady]

In a lot of danger. And when you do that, I don't think the onus of protecting an offensive quarterback who's running should be on a defensive player. I don't think that's really fair to the defense. So if you slide and it's, you know, everyone can argue, was it black and white or was it just a gray area? Do you slide late or is it unnecessary roughness or is it a late hit? You know, to me, a late hit is very late. You know, there's quarterbacks that I see running and tiptoe on the sideline and they're not even out of bounds and they get hit as they're starting to step out of bounds and there's a penalty flag thrown. So. So the aspect again, for a play caller. There's more design runs for quarterbacks ever now than in the history of the NFL. So are we really trying to protect quarterbacks? Because if you are trying to do it through the rules, then why are the offensive coordinators not protecting their quarterbacks by keeping them in the pocket and not designing as many quarterback runs? So I think there's just. It's gone to a point where there's really. It's. And everyone would label a certain player as a dirty player. You know, I don't like that one bit. I, you know, maybe they find or penalize a quarterback for sliding late, you know, and say, look, we, if we don't want these hits to take place, we've got to penalize the offense and the defense rather than just penalize the defensive player for every single play that happens when there's a hit on a quarterback.

[LeVar Arrington]

So I'm, I said this last week, I said, you know, I'm. I was thinking about this. Go back to Lombardy. The dynasties in league history are Green Bay with Lombardi, Steelers, Patriots, Chiefs, Ravens have always been great. And then the Niners in Dallas. And as you know, growing up in the Bay, I joke. The Mark Twain used to say that the coldest winter he ever spent was a summer in the bay. And Dallas gets ice storms. There's never been a warm weather dynasty. And I'm watching the Niners play the Bills and Tom, the Bills look like when you're eight years old and it snows for the first time and you go with your friends in the backyard, they were having the time of their lives. And I think it matters. I think Buffalo now with James Cook. Tom, did you feel.

[Tom Brady]

Yeah.

[LeVar Arrington]

When you played Peyton, SEC dome team, did you feel it was an advantage?

[Tom Brady]

Absolutely. I felt like that was a great advantage that we always had, which is why those regular season games were. If they were in Foxboro, they were obviously advantage for us. But if it was early in the season, the weather wasn't that critical. I think you use the weather to your advantage. And I. Even when I went to Tampa, I would say there was an advantage being a warm weather team playing against a team that was coming from the north of the northeast. So you use what you have to an advantage, and that's because your body acclimates to it. I saw in that Niner Bill game there were a lot of 49er players that were slipping on the turf. Yeah, and not a lot of Bills players that were slipping on the turf. And the point is, when you're in those environments, you know exactly what shoes to wear. You know how many layers that you have to put on in order to get the job done. So when you have those climates, that's what you try to play, too. I knew for me, I knew how many hand warmers I needed in my quarterback pouch per 10 degrees. For every 10 degrees that the weather dropped below 70, I'd put one heat back. So if it was, you know, 40 degrees, it would be 60, 50, 40 degrees. I'd put three heat packs just to keep a consistent temperature for my hand. So those are all the things you learn over time through a lot of trial and error, through a lot of days in practice, and that's where you get a home field. So if you're Buffalo or the Chiefs and you play in this cold weather year round, you better believe you have an advantage playoff time when a team that comes from a warmer climate comes and plays you at your home stadium.

[LeVar Arrington]

So I'm watching Bo Nicks last night. Now, he had 61 college starts. That helps a lot. You did not have this as an advantage. You had a defensive coach, a defensive culture, do your job. There was some rigidity to the culture you were in offensively until Moss arrived and you broke every record. But I watched Bo Nicks, and you know what I took from it, Tom? Last night? My one takeaway, Sean Payton with a lead against Miles Garrett had this kid thrown from the end zone. And I'm like, wow, that.

[Tom Brady]

That.

[LeVar Arrington]

That there's no babysitting there. Like I. That's what you could do. You don't let. Rookie quarterback. That was my takeaway. Was okay, Sean, totally trust this kid. What was your takeaway? Watching him.

[Tom Brady]

That's a great point. And it's the trust that a coach has in a player. You can. It manifests itself all the time. I can always tell when I watch a play caller try to manage a game from the sideline. He's trying to manage the risk. And when you have a quarterback where you feel like, you know What I know he's going to make good decisions, well, then you can actually go out there and you don't have to manage. It's hard to manage a quarterback because you're in the eye of the storm on every play. You touch the ball 70 snaps. So when you have a quarterback that you're trusting who's making good decisions, well, then you want to give them more opportunities. So. And I see that with a lot of play callers as well. When they do trust them, let's spread. Let's be an empty. Let me give you five different options.

[LeVar Arrington]

Let.

[Tom Brady]

Let me get it. Get you out there on the perimeter to make good throws. I'm going to have you manage end of game situations. That takes a great developmental coach and I would say Sean Payton certainly is that. He's a phenomenal coach and a quarterback that wants to embrace that opportunity to learn a skill set of how to manage a game. Not just, hey, coach, what's the play? Tell me what to do, coach, tell me the play. But why are we calling that play? Why are we in this situation? Why don't we understand the why behind what we're doing? How do we beat man coverage? How do we beat zone coverage? Why are we calling this play in this situation? And then, okay, I understand why you're doing that. So if we don't get the look we want, I can manage the play as a quarterback and get to the next down while still making a positive play.

[LeVar Arrington]

So Michigan has beaten Ohio State four straight times. And I do believe one time last year, Michigan just had far better players. They were stacked. But generally I think Ohio State has an edge in personnel. It can be slight, but I do feel they feel more SEC than Big Ten the way they recruit and. But the difference is definitely Michigan's had an identity with Harbaugh early, middle and late, and he just handed that identity to his new coach. Ohio State's talented, but I don't know what they are. And I think to myself, you've told me this and so has Edelman, that every Patriot team had a different identity. I feel like I've been watching Ohio State for five years. I'm like, yeah, they're talented. What are they? How do you. How did Belichick create it? How do you create. Because there's a lot of. A lot of coaches can recruit in college. The great ones, you know, the Urbans and the Knicks, create the identity and recruit. How do you do it?

[Tom Brady]

I think a lot of is you define the type of player that you want and you define the type of team you want to build and then you find players that have those skill sets physically and those values kind of mentally, emotionally. Michigan is a very tough, hard nosed team. They run the ball very well. You know, they haven't been great throwing the ball, but if I looked at Ohio State strengths and we said they have a great 7 on 7 team, they got guys they can throw the ball to in the second half. They don't even target their best players. So. So to me, it's like I may as well have been out there playing receiver for Ohio State. I can't run, I couldn't catch, but it doesn't matter if you don't throw me the ball. Just like they didn't throw a lot of their best players the ball in the second half of that game. So whenever we got to big games, let's say the super bowl, you'd say there's 70 plays left in the game. In our season, the entire six months of work, seven months of work is going to come down to 70 plays. What do we want those 70 plays to look like? And then you reverse engineer it and you say, okay, we're going to want 40 passes and 30 runs. Well, what 40 passes do we want? We could design 150 of them if you want. Now there's 110 of those that won't get called. So why don't we just dial it down and dial it back to the only the specific ones where our best players are going to touch the ball doing the best things that they do and we're going to go out like that. If we lose, we lose. If we win, you know, great, but we're not going to lose doing things that we don't do well. And I think the coaches, Coach Belichick would always say coaches lose games and players win games.

[LeVar Arrington]

Yeah.

[Tom Brady]

And he didn't mean to say that coaches are not valuable. Coaches need to put their players in a position to win. They do instruct you. They give you, this is the plan. It's up to the coach to clearly identify a plan every week about how you're going to win the game. We would come in on a Wednesday morning and I thought the best thing that Coach Belichick did, and there was a lot of them, was he would clearly define for offense, defense and special teams. This is how we're going to win the game this week. Don't worry about last week, don't worry about next week. This unique challenge that we have today, or, excuse me, on a Sunday. We're Going to deal with that based on these three or four areas on each sides of the ball and in the kicking game. And if we execute in these areas, we're going to give ourselves a great chance to win. It doesn't mean we're guaranteed to win. And there's times where we can mis evaluate what those things are. I'll never forget we played the Chiefs once and we doubled, I think Travis Kelce a bunch and not Tyree Kill. Maybe the one of the early times we played Tyree Kill and he went for like 180 or 200 something crazy. He came in the next day and he says, guys, we're never doing that again. We screwed that up. If we play these guys again, we know who we're going to double and it's going to be Tyreek Hill. So it's just you got to have some formula for what you're trying to accomplish. What's the bullseye that we need to hit and we need to get the coaches to deliver that to the players in all three phases of the game for them to go out there so that they have something to hit. And if they do that and you identify it clearly, I think you give your team a great chance to win.

[LeVar Arrington]

So Nick Wright was on before me and he posed this question. So Kansas City is 111 and they're winning by paper thin margin. So of all your teams, the team that blew people out was the Randy Moss teams. There's no ring. Your 0304 team, you were winning close games. And so this Chiefs team is the closest to your team. I want you to take me back. People keep saying, well the Chiefs are lucky. And I'm like timeout. That block, field goal. That was coaching. Third down efficiency. That is coaching. I don't want to hear luck. That's even Rubik's Cubes and roulette. There's some strategy to it, right? Did you feel that 0304 team, did you feel like, you know what? Close game, we're winning it. We're just better than everybody at it.

[Tom Brady]

Definitely. I think that look there's. You're going to have a close games, you're going to blowouts to win the close games is always the mark of a really good team. To win when you're not playing your best football is the mark of a very good team. I just think the Chiefs are so dangerous because if it's a one score game in the fourth quarter and Patrick has the ball, he just, he's incredible. He comes. Not that he comes. Life because he comes alive all day long. But he's so dangerous because then he has four downs, you know, late in the game where you got to stop him for four downs, not three.

[LeVar Arrington]

Yeah.

[Tom Brady]

And that's a dangerous aspect for any defense you have to kind of pull away from and that they're hard. You know, it's a hard team to pull away from because they do such a good job defensively. So I think when they transition from really this great offensive team, and I would say when Patrick first started, they weren't as good on defense. Now they have a tremendous defense. They got. Spags is a phenomenal coach. He's got him playing well defensively. Patrick is going to manage the game so well, he's going to throw to the open guy when it's there. He's got Travis out there that is going to make the right decisions in the big moments like we've seen time and time again. So. So they have a group of players that. That organization does so many things the right way, they're going to be tough to beat in the playoffs. I don't care who they play, where they play. It's. It's. It's a lot like the teams that I played for at the Patriots. If you were going to beat us, man, you had to beat us. We weren't going to beat ourselves.

[LeVar Arrington]

Hey, was Vrabel a good sport when you texted him after the Michigan win? Did he take it well? I bet he didn't. Did he?

[Tom Brady]

I have very little comments on that because a lot of the times Braves will somehow figure out how turn it on you, and then you're the, you know, you're the jerk that texted him. So sometimes I lay back on him. But he's a typical Ohio State guy, let me say that.

[LeVar Arrington]

Yeah, they're all the same, Tom. Believe me, I've worked with them. The Michigan guys bring a different level of class. I'll just say that. There we go.

[Tom Brady]

Yeah, Absolutely.

[LeVar Arrington]

Yeah. Great seeing you, man.

[Fox Sports Radio]

Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the iHeartRadio app.

[Colin Cowherd]

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 or 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.

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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.

[LeVar Arrington]

License by MasterCard International, Inc. And may.

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Be used everywhere MasterCard is accepted how.

[Colin Cowherd]

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[LeVar Arrington]

Here from up on Game and listen, I want to talk to you about something very serious for a minute, all right? Something personal to me and right now something that should be personal to you as well. In our country, the hate is at an all time high and it's like we're going backwards. The hate is winning. We can't allow that, all right? It's out of control. So many different people, so many different groups are facing too much hate and it's enough. It's time for it to stop. We need to stop, regroup, change the momentum as a team because that's what we are. Everyone in this country is on the same team. So let's act like it. And when a team can't get it together, what do you do? You call a timeout. And that's what we need to do. Call a time out against hate. Let's think about what we say and do. And when we see hate, when we see someone doing or saying those things we know are wrong and hateful. We need to call it out. I'mma call it out. You need to do the same thing. Visit standuptoallhate.org to help and join me in calling for a timeout against hate by following at what's up with Hate or posting the Blue square emoji.

[Colin Cowherd]

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 JLab's J Buds 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, the herd's brought to you by Grainger. Everyone has been in this situation. Well, maybe not everybody, but maintenance specialists certainly have. You're halfway through the season when an air blower belt in the furnace suffers a major tear and the whole thing goes down for the count. The furnace has been going for so many seasons you don't have a replacement belt on hand. In fact, you're not sure if anyone does. What's your play? Easy. You call Grainger with over 1 million industrial products and supplies, their depth chart off the chart. And with fast, dependable delivery, you can get the belt you need when you need it so your furnace can get back in the game. Call 1-800-GRAINGER clickgrainger.com or just stop by a local branch.

[LeVar Arrington]

Here we go, our Blazing five. That's a hot one.

[Fox Sports Radio]

Let's blaze it up.

[Tom Brady]

Fire it up.

[Fox Sports Radio]

It's Collins, Blazing Fox, Falcons and Vikings.

[LeVar Arrington]

I'm gonna take Minnesota at home. Lay the five and a half points. They're a great home team. Four of their wins have come by over six points. Top ten in Scoring offense and scoring defense number five this year. And here's the issue. They are aggressive. They are second in the league in takeaways, fourth in sacks and Kirk Cousins for Atlanta is reel. He looks old. They'll come after him. In his last three games, zero TDs and six picks and a passer rating in the 50s. I think the Vikings playing for more and have more momentum. 33 24. I like the Vikings to cover jets and Dolphins so I get an offensive coach and a better quarterback with extra rep. Forget the Packer game, it's cold weather at home. Tua above 60 degrees has a 104 passer rating. He's 32 and 10 in games with warm weather and 155 at home under Mike McDaniel and the Jets. Aaron Rodgers like Cousins, looks tired in the second half. Shut out against the Seahawks in the second half. This is a bit of a quarterback mismatch, warm weather to it at home against aged Aaron Rodgers. And the jets by the way are a bad road team, a bad second half offense and I think again the Dolphins playing for more in this spot right? Like, I mean they are like Minnesota is looking at it thinking could we be a number one seed. Miami has to win just to get into the playoffs. I like the Dolphins to win and cover 27 17. Browns at Steelers I like Cleveland plus six and a half. That's way too many points. First of all they have the number one offense in the NFL since Jameis Winston became starter. They will score. Pittsburgh's coming off a hard fought road winning division. Five straight games decided by one score. And by the way the Steelers are 2 and 3 when they allow 20 plus points and Jameis Winston is a starter. Cleveland scores points. Okay, so I like the Steelers to win. But you watch that Denver defense that had been fantastic all year. They got lit up by Cleveland, Cleveland's offensive personnel and coaching and Jameis, he can be crazy. And the pick Sixes. They almost won that game with two pick sixes. I think the Browns cover. I think the Steelers win 24:23.

[Fox Sports Radio]

Bills it ran.

[LeVar Arrington]

Boy do I like the bills this week. Minus three and a half. 15 straight regular season wins in December or January. They are built, they are deep, they're getting healthier. They lead the NFL in second half point differential and you cannot get to Jared. Josh Allen can't get to him. And the way the Rams can disrupt teams is getting to the quarterback. Well, Josh Allen doesn't get sacked. And by the way, Keon Coleman and Dalton Kincaid could return. The Rams have a bigger issue right now. Matt Stafford's beat up. Not he's playing well, but he's beat up. He's struggling on third down and Stafford has the lowest pass rating in the league. Went under pressure, two touchdowns and five picks. He's got a bad ankle. So I love Josh Allen and the Bills in this. By the way. He's played them twice and has completed almost 80% of his throws against the Rams. I like the Bills to win. The crowd will be more than 50%. Buffalo fans 28 to 20 Bills Chargers at Chiefs Bad spot for the Chargers. I'm going to lay the four points and take Kansas City. They're 60 at home this year. And by the way, in December, January and February in the Mahomes era, they're 236 at home. Good home team. Mahomes over the last five games is starting to heat up. 100 passer rating 68% completion percentage. The Chargers offense wasn't good to start. Now J.K. dobbins out. Ladd McConkey not practicing. This was a reasonably anemic offense. It could be worse. Maybe they'll hang around for the first half, but they're one in three against teams with winning records. Anyway. They're very good. They win the games they should win, but they don't have the ability to beat excellent teams. And I like the Chiefs. I'll lay the points to win 27 to 17. I think it is a it could be a rough, rough late afternoon for Justin Herbert without lad McConkey. So I like a lot of favorites. I like the Vikings at home. Vikings right now think they have a shot to be a number one seed. Dolphins with extra rest. I think Cleveland's offense will keep this close. Buffalo is a great December January team. We've seen that. And Kansas City with a little extra rest. Andy Reid off a buy. Andy Reid with extra time is money. And the Chargers. The Chargers defense won that game against the Falcons. It was not their offense.

[Colin Cowherd]

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 grocery luxuries, 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 or 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 purchase. Pay Smart. Earn Cash Back. Enjoy peace of mind with a PayPal debit card. Don't just pay. PayPal terms apply. See PayPal app cash back Earned as points you can redeem for cash and other options. This card issued by the Bancorp and a pursuant to license by MasterCard International.

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