← The Herd with Colin Cowherd
The Herd with Colin Cowherd
Colin Cowherd Podcast - Darnold Is Super Bowl Bound, Sean Payton’s Huge Mistake, NFC Is The Superior Conference, Mike McCarthy Lands Steelers Job
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- [00:00]
John Middlekauff
This is an iHeart podcast.
- [00:02]
Colin Cowherd
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John Middlekauff
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Colin Cowherd
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John Middlekauff
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Colin Cowherd
Qualifying credit required.
- [00:50]
Katie Couric
If you only listen to one thing to make sense of the news this year, make it this the final episode of this season of Next Question pulls together the most important conversations of the year. You'll hear David Graham on Project 2025 Liz Oyer on the plethora of presidential pardons, Tina Brown on the year's biggest scandals here at home and across the pond. Plus much, much more. It's a crash course in the last 12 months, how we made it through the year, and a look at what might be coming in 2026. Listen to next Question with me, Katie Couric on the iHeartRadio Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [01:33]
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- [02:34]
Colin Cowherd
The volume Christian Gonzalez is the Louisiana hot Sauce player of the week. He had a sack and a pick in the Patriots 107 ugly win over the Broncos. Christian's interception iced the game for New England. The original Louisiana hot sauce is the perfect balance of peppers and vinegar and salt. I love it. On your wings. You're not nachos. Your burgers hit any tailgate. Food with a bold, handcrafted flavor of the original Louisiana hot sauce. That's Louisiana hot. Buy you some? All right. Welcome in Sunday night. Two games, one a top fiver of all time I think I've seen in the NFL. And there are just so many storylines. Sam Darnold, doubters. Not much left. He was sensational. So was Matt Stafford. Seattle beats the Rams 31 27. Listen all year long for the Rams special teams. They had the fumble. Their corners were a problem again. They got down into the red zone, fourth and four, couldn't convert. And when you talk about a game of this magnitude, John, and we were watching a heavyweight fight, I mean, I grew up with Ali and Frazier, you know, some grew up with Diaz and Conor McGregor. Like, whatever you grew up with, this thing was just like bombs away. But there's just these moments and that fourth and four. I thought the Matt Stafford drive, where they didn't get anything, where he. One time he ran for a first down. I think the first time all year he ran for a first down. Then he did the pitch to Puka. I thought it was one of the best. Sam, One of the best Matt Stafford drives I've seen. I thought, I mean, Seattle's defense is one thing. Seattle's defense. In Seattle, when you can't hear yourself. I can't hear myself think through the television. So I feel bad that anybody. I know, it's a cliche. I feel bad for the Rams. They just. We know it going in. John. We had talked about it last week. Seattle special teams are excellent. The Rams, about every other game the special teams cost the Rams. And that, that, that fumble was it.
- [04:51]
John Middlekauff
To me, if you told me at the beginning of the day that Sam Darnold is going to throw three touchdowns and almost throw for 350 yards, I would have said Seattle won this game by 15 points. So, I mean, that is not the formula. Typically, they play. So if you're going to give up that many yards to Sam, who obviously had one of the best games of his career, if not, I mean, might be the best game of his career when you factor in the importance of it. Seattle's just not going to lose when he's going to be that Efficient and that good.
- [05:18]
Colin Cowherd
That's right.
- [05:18]
John Middlekauff
Like you said. I mean if you look at those two plays, I think the third and four and then the fourth and four of that Stafford drive, they want to go to Devonte. He doesn't pull the trigger. I think you just got to go down swinging and give the guy a chance. He had been awesome all game and I bet if staffer could say, I wish I just would have thrown it his way and just gave him a 50, 50 ball because he ends up holding onto the ball, throws in the back of the end zone, then obviously the fourth down play. But yeah, I mean it's just Seattle, Seattle's defense wasn't as dominant. I mean they're not playing the banged up Niners. So this is the best offense in the league statistically. It's Stafford's hall of Fame. Guy looks fantastic. Puka obviously plays really well against the Rams and Devonte was making plays. Those two guys humming like they were running backs making plays. I mean it was like you said, it was just a, just a really, really high level game by both the offenses.
- [06:12]
Colin Cowherd
Well, you have arguably the best pocket passer in the league, probably the best pure pocket passer without mobility. Stafford arguably the best coach, the deepest tight end group. Two excellent running backs both by the way, can catch. The best receiver right now is either JSN or Puka. I mean certainly in the postseason, Colin.
- [06:35]
John Middlekauff
Combined for those two, combined for 300 yards and a touchdown each. Jackson, Smith and Puka. I mean that's like Jerry Rice meets Michael Irvin.
- [06:43]
Colin Cowherd
Like, I hope the Seahawks understand, tell people this. And I, I thought the Rams and the Patriots would win. I mean the Patriots game, the second half is just, I've never seen anything like that. But the Rams defensive front between Young and Verse and Kobe, Turner and Ford and Landman in the box like they have, they have no weakness. The kid from Florida State, Brandon Fisk, like that six guys can all play at an A level. And I thought that was going to be the undoing. I thought they were going to pressure Sam into a mistake because Seattle's old line is the weakness of the team. But you know what they held up. Well, the other thing that needs to be said about Seattle, I thought Walker was sensational today. John. Greg Cosell always calls him a little bit of a jazz player. He's kind of doing his own thing. How many Rams missed the day? If you went back and watched every carry by Walker or catch and counted the number of Seahawks that not only missed that he spun off of that didn't get a hand on him. Could have been 20 from the very first drive. I thought Walker was sensational today.
- [07:57]
John Middlekauff
Yeah, he's been playing well. Really the last, the two nighter games he dominated. And then today, I mean his stats aren't as good as he looked. Like you said he, you know, Charbonnet out. They become very dependent on him. They're a running team. Yeah, I know they throw for 350 yards, but that's not how they want to play. I also think Sam Darnold, the Shanahan Kubiak play where you fake the handoff and boot if you blitz or get pressure on that side where he's booted. The play is the worst play in the NFL. Yeah, he ate it a couple times.
- [08:27]
Colin Cowherd
Yeah.
- [08:27]
John Middlekauff
You know you can do the CJ Stroud where you try to make a miraculous play. And he has during the season. Right. He had a stretch where 14 interceptions, I think six fumbles. He was smart, just hit the ground. Live to fight another day. You would rather be second and 18. Then they got the ball or you throw a pick six or you fumble it. So he had three sacks, which I would imagine he lost 25 yards. So I mean he's averaging eight yards a loss, way better than a turnover. So you're not going to fumble it, you're not going to throw a pick. This game you couldn't afford it. I mean really the difference in the game, like you said, was the punt play and really the Seattle kind of got a turnover when the guy got the taunting penalty because they were going to punt and then the next play they score a touchdown. So those two plays were fumble, taunt, touchdown, touchdown. Right. So a mistake. These offenses were going to make you pay. Darnold to me gets credit on the sacks because sometimes on that boot, when you turn around all the time, all these teams run this offense, quarterbacks freak. They throw it as they're getting hit. He just hit the ground. And that was, you know, we talked about Sam, the CN ghost. It goes forever playing smart. Even last year, right at Minnesota, playing the Rams today was a smart game by him. And I don't think he's going to. No one's going to talk about the sacks, but that those plays saved the ground or saved the game when you just hit the ground.
- [09:50]
Colin Cowherd
Think about this. Sam Darnold left the Jets. He went to Carolina and for the first time in his pro career he sat and then Carolina, with six games left, November 27th of that year, start Sam Darnold from that November 27th on, he goes 4 and 2 with Carolina, 1 and oh with San Francisco, wins 14 games with Minnesota. And this year he is in that span since starting in Carolina after sitting the winningest quarterback in the league. Mahomes is second and he has the most 100 plus passer rating games. And I don't know what his passer rating was today. I imagine because he has so many throws down the field that's over 100.
- [10:32]
John Middlekauff
You may have 127.
- [10:34]
Colin Cowherd
Yeah. So I think when you think about this, John, four different teams, four different coaches, four different coordinators, four different rosters. Sam Darnold's the winningest quarterback in the league since that Nov. 27 in Carolina when he got the start starting job back. So do it. And I thought Brady and Burkhart were so good today. You know, listen, Fox does the NFL really well. Burkhart is sensational and Brady said it at the end of the game he goes, sam is more explosive than surgical. Like, like that's what he is. Some guys are surgical. Cam Newton was more explosive than surgical. That's Sam. Andrew Luck, by the way to me. And as much as I like Luck, he wasn't surgical. He liked to let it rip. And I've always said Darnold's a slightly less talented Andrew Luck. He's not Andrew Luck. Luck's like Elway to me, like coming out of college. But I think if you look at this game today, they'll be favored by at least a field goal over New England. I don't know how New England blocks Seattle's defensive front. I don't know how they would have blocked the Rams defensive front because I thought Drake may today, snow or not, they couldn't move that ball in the first half. They were getting dominated up front. And so I, I really think New England will struggle to consistently move the ball. Now they've played Houston, they've played Denver, so they're used to playing these high end defenses. But it just feels like Seattle's energy defensively, John, is just, it's different.
- [12:07]
John Middlekauff
Well, if Sam's going to play like he just played for three hours, Seattle's winning the super bowl like this, this thing's over. If Sam Darnold is going to play like that, they've proven they could win games where he throws for 120 yards and win the game by 30. Like if he's going to throw for 350, I see under no circumstance they lose because their defense one, the Rams offense is dramatically better than New England. Right. And to me. I had a buddy text me this week, he's like, how does JSN lead the league in receiving? When I watch a lot of the Seattle games and the quarterback throws for 150 yards like, well, the first half they were more explosive offensively. The first, what, eight games. But he has this in him. He did this in Minnesota. He did this early in the season. The offense just kind of hit a rut. But again, what are great teams like, Brady didn't have to throw for 300 yards every game. Right. A good team is not, you know, Peyton Manning played on a lot of teams that were very dependent on him and if he played bad, they would get smoked. That's why last week he played a Jimmy Garoppolo like game through 420 yards. They won 41 to 6. And then today they had to match him. Like he, you know a lot of people. He's a polarizing player. Rightfully so.
- [13:17]
Colin Cowherd
Right?
- [13:18]
John Middlekauff
There is no. You do this in the NFC championship game. Throw for 340 yards. Colin, he only had nine income. I do 11 incomplete. 25 of 36, three touchdowns, no intercept. He didn't even throw the ball really into harm's way. How many balls were like, well, that was a bad pass. He's not the most accurate. I wouldn't call him Peyton's prime. Like even that Cooper cup pass. Little behind.
- [13:39]
Colin Cowherd
Yeah, but.
- [13:40]
John Middlekauff
But it's not the end of the world. It's not so behind he can't catch it. He's not a pinpoint accurate guy. But he was more pinpoint or more accurate today I thought than he has been a lot down the stretch. He was really good.
- [13:53]
Colin Cowherd
Two things. He's still dealing with an oblique injury. They took a shot of him on the sideline and he was wincing. So Darnold's doing this. Got to the super bowl with an oblique injury, which I've never had one. I've known athletes who have had them. They're brutal. You know, especially for a quarterback you're torquing. You can't quite torque as well. The other thing is with Charbonnet out for the season, Sam had to deliver today. That's what was most impressive to me is that Stafford was on fire. And let's face it, the Rams offense matches up well with Seattle. Here's how good the Rams offense is. They go after Witherspoon. Who? Devon Witherspoon's arguably the best corner after Patrick certain in the league. They go after him. They beat him downfield with Puka. The Ball got out in the flack with, I think it was Corum, but it may have been Kyron Williams, and he juked him and got a first down. Like Witherspoon is in almost every game, he plays as good as any athlete on the field, offense or defense, the Rams go after him. So, I mean, you know, it was interesting.
- [14:53]
John Middlekauff
Seattle, Seattle can't cover. They definitely can't cover Puku at 200 plus yards. Last game he had 160. You had Devonte back in the mix at four catches for 90 yards. So, I mean, they can't cover these two guys.
- [15:05]
Colin Cowherd
Think how close it is if the tight end Colby Parkinson catches that ball. And I, by the way, I did think it was tipped slightly by the linebacker, the Seattle linebacker, the former USC kid. I think he played for the Chargers and then the Seahawks picked him up about four years ago. I think he just tipped it. And that's the difference. If it moves an inch to your hands, if that ball's caught, Seattle probably could lose the football game. I mean, that's how close the game was. The other thing that jumped out to me, that Buffalo Denver interception catch, controversial play, Cooper cup on that first down. Remember, in the Denver Buffalo game, they allow the interception because they said the ground, you have to catch the ball through the ground. That was the ruling. That's why they allow the interception. Cooper cup did not catch that ball through the ground. He fumbled the ball when the ball hit the ground. And I'm not. I don't think that was the. That changed the outcome. But my point is, that's what everybody's screaming about. You have to define what a catch is. So when Cooper bobbled it, I'm going, wait, timeout. So if that player would have just picked it up off that, it's an interception. Like, he hit the ground, bottled it, and it's like, you have to go through the process. I've been hearing this in our head for two weeks. The process of the catch, you have to go through the process. So there were a couple calls either way, in the end, I felt that the entire game, I really did feel like in the first half, I thought there was a moment after that. No, it was after the fumbled punt. I thought, oh, Rams are in big trouble. Then they drove down, Stafford went boom, boom, boom. Three big completions, touchdown. I'm like, okay, this is. God, that's just. It's just incredible. You know, even though the Seahawks have totally committed to Darnold, ask yourself if he would have lost today and had a couple of Interceptions. There would be people saying John Snyder has to draft the quarterback in a year. Honestly, give up one of these guys and get. Because the funny thing is you can do a lot of things as a quarterback. It's funny, John. We let Favre throw picks. Elway threw a bunch of picks. You can go to Namath through a bunch of picks. Josh Allen throws a bunch of picks. Luck threw a bunch of picks. Stafford gets in these stretches. Right. Throws picks. But until you start adding playoff wins to your resume, you're not really allowed to be reckless. So I think this game today for Darnold, where he had to carry the team, I think you said this when we started, it really pushed him past like a Rubicon. Like there's, there's always been this, let's see Sam, not the running backs, let's see Sam carry it. And today he did and had to because they couldn't stop Stafford for a great portion of the game.
- [18:02]
John Middlekauff
Well, think how many guys, you know, the Mahomes, the Josh Allen, the Burrow, kind of Lamar, the MVP level guys. And then there's this group of probably seven, eight guys from Purdy to Jalen, Hurts to Cousins forever. Dak. Yeah, they have. How many of those guys have ever had a game like this in this spot? I mean, Dak has been historically awful in the playoffs. Yeah, Purdy's. Purdy's had some moments. He's been to a Super Bowl. You know, Jalen has had big suit, but it's. That's a defining to like, moves you to the top of the list, Sam. People waffled when he'd play well. People would be on him when he played bad. They'd write him off. You do this in an NFC championship game. I mean, think about John Schneider to sign that contract to get him on such a team friendly deal. Cooper cup has a massive touchdown in this game. Think about the moment for him. McVeigh looked at him, said, you're not good enough. We want your money to go to devonte, which Sean's not even wrong. Like any GM would rather have devontae than this version of Cooper Cup. But Cooper cup the last couple of weeks makes his place today. Big touchdown. Even the play that ended up standing on the first down, which I even thought he was short of it. Beside, it wasn't a catch, but McVeigh was in a tough spot. If you throw the red flag, you lose all your timeouts. But today, from Ernest Jones making plays, I mean, this team, one thing that really put Howie Roseman to a different level is he won two Super Bowls with two coaches and two quarterbacks. Like, that's pretty hard to do. Most guys if, you know, Bill Polian did all his winning with Jim Kelly and Peyton Manning. You know, the best GMs usually have like one or two, like hall of Fame quarterbacks. Russell, we all thought was going to be a Hall of Fame lock. I don't know. These last five years have not been kind to him. And now he's built this team with Mike McDonald that is just completely loaded with players everywhere. That's the other thing they got. They got good players at every position, starting with the quarterback who's not on some obscene contract and a coaching staff. It does kind of feel like the court, the. The offensive coordinator might be the next head coach of the Raiders. Kubia. Yeah, he's pretty good. You know, he honestly kind of looks like his dad, Gary. But what a moment for John Schneider to build this. The Seattle, have this home playoff game and get the job done there. So, yeah, that was from Sam to the coaching staff. What a year for Seattle. I mean, one Colin. Coming into the season, they were 5 to 1 to win their own division. The 49ers and Rams were heavy favors to win the division. And then Seattle not only wins the division, they're the number one seed. What an accomplishment. And now they're not only favored in the Super Bowl. Do you think a lot of people are going to pick New England in this game? Not saying they can't. This isn't one of those where it feels like the Joe Montana Niners against Denver or something.
- [20:46]
Colin Cowherd
The only unit in the game that to me is below average is New England's offensive line, which speaks very well of Drake May and Mike Vrabel because they have a below average O line. And yet they beat Denver, they beat Houston, they beat the Chargers. Those are, you know, three of the top five defenses in the league and great pass rushes. And so they're going to get another great pass rush. Now they got the blizzard helped a little bit, obviously, in the second half. I mean, ridiculous that we're deciding Super Bowls based on that kind of weather, but when I look at the super bowl between Seattle and I would make Seattle about a 4.3 and a half point favorite, I guess, is what I'd make them. I. The only unit where you look at it and Mike McDonald will see it instantly. Where you think, oh, that's below average, is the offensive line. Will Campbell, the rookie left tackle's good, but he's not. He gets beat. So I Mean, just what's remarkable about what happened today. And I keep using that word. But if I said to you, what are the 10 think about this? The 10 best LA RAM players, Stafford, Puka, Kyron Williams, Jared Verse Young, Puna Ford, Kobe Turner, Devonte Adams, Nate Landman. And I'm just naming players off the top of my head. I'm at eight or nine guys now. That team I just named lost. I mean just because the NFC was the superior conference all year. Think about how talented the Rams are. And they lost. And by the way played well except for a punt on special teams. I mean it's not like the Rams played poorly. They played all those Pro bowl level players played well today. Stafford was amazing, Puka was amazing, Devonte was amazing. The pass rush was good and they still lost. That gives you a sense of how good Seattle is when you're.
- [22:56]
John Middlekauff
The running backs were good. I mean both of them made plays all game long.
- [23:01]
Colin Cowherd
Jesus. It is.
- [23:03]
John Middlekauff
I think this is just one of those that, you know, McVeigh's had these moments and today it just didn't quite go his way. It wasn't because, you know, the special teams thing is one of those that I think we blame and McVeigh literally did. He fired the special teams coach.
- [23:20]
Colin Cowherd
He fired the coach. Yeah.
- [23:22]
John Middlekauff
Special team like the coach has nothing to do with your punter and your kicker is. This is like they're not like a golf swing coach to those guys. And you're really defined by your depth which to me it's more on does your coach emphasize it and the depth that your general manager has produced. And in fairness, they haven't had first round picks over the years. So they're depth. They're not as deep as Seattle, who's had more picks, especially high end picks who have a deeper team and what are they great on special teams. So to me, and part of it is they made the trade for Shaheed, who is a fantastic returner. What did the Rams have to do? Bench the return man because he fumbled it and put a running back in there that had six career punt returns just because they just wanted him to catch it. The 49ers have done this before with like use check, just catch the ball. We don't even want to gain a yard. We just don't want a problem. So when I saw Sean go to Kieran Williams, he got on the headset and said get him out of there. He's not allowed back in the game. It wasn't because they thought Kieran Williams was going to give him 50 yards. But they're so rattled by that unit and let's face it, you could argue that unit cost them the super bowl cost them the one seed cost McVay another ring because offensive and defensively, this team could have won a Super Bowl. It's just the special teams unit and you didn't know. Could be a kickoff return. It could be. Remember the field goal block earlier this season against the Eagles today, the punt return? It could happen in any one of their units at any moment. You had no clue who was Isaiah Simmons blocked the punt. He barely touched them. You just had no clue when it was going to come, but you knew it was going to come. It was basically a lock for the Rams for all their greatness. And they got like you said, you just listed all their players and all those players that you just named played a high level NFC championship game, but especially just a free seven points and they lose by four points.
- [25:09]
Colin Cowherd
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- [26:57]
Katie Couric
Into 2026, it's safe to say that 2025 was a year like no other. So much news, so much disruption, and yes, so much division. That's why we're wrapping up this season of Next Question with a look back at everything that's happened. Things are coming at us with such a velocity, we thought it was important to take a moment, connect the dots and explore what it all means. We're summing up the first year of Trump's second term with David Graham on Project 2025 and how many of the goals have been implemented. Richard Haass on foreign policy and the changing world order. Jessica Valenti on reproductive rights and the terrifying consequences of abortion bans. Tina Brown on the year scandals here and across the pond. The President has upended everything from pardons to the press, so we're covering it all. Listen to next question with me, Katie Couric on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [28:00]
Nav Green
This show contains information subject to but not limited to personal takes, rumors, not so accurate stats, and plenty more. What's up, man? It's your boy Nav Green from the the Broken Play podcast. Look, it's the end of the season. The playoffs are here. But guess what? It ain't the end of your season. You can always tune in with Broken Play Podcast with Nav Green on the Black Effect Podcast Network. Not a team who ain't going to the playoff. The Chiefs. Oh, it's a wrap. It's time to rebuild. Who your MVP right now then Drake May up there, Josh Allen up there still. Oh, my boy Matthew Stafford.
- [28:35]
Katie Couric
Where did Bo Nicks at?
- [28:37]
Colin Cowherd
He ain't too far behind.
- [28:38]
John Middlekauff
He did all this talking.
- [28:39]
Colin Cowherd
What Matthew Stafford is doing statistically, bro, is crazy.
- [28:42]
Nav Green
Bro, you know I ain't no Josh Allen fan, but Matthew Stafford got better weapon. Caleb Williams.
- [28:49]
Colin Cowherd
Hey, he should be in that conversation.
- [28:50]
John Middlekauff
In what conversation?
- [28:51]
Nav Green
He should be in it. Listen to Broken Play with Nav Green from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.
- [29:01]
John Middlekauff
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Nav Green
Could get the funds as soon as.
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John Middlekauff
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- [29:36]
Colin Cowherd
Yeah, I didn't mention both their guards. I mean Dotson has been like the top three rated guard. They have two elite. They probably have the best guard tandem in the league. I didn't mention those two when I mentioned their eight best players.
- [29:48]
Nav Green
So.
- [29:49]
Colin Cowherd
And that team lost Seattle. You know, Seattle plays with almost a college energy and they are the second youngest team in the league and I thought the Rams did a good job to match it today because Seattle just is. I mean they come out swinging. I mean they're not a, they're not a conservative fighter. I mean they come out playing 100 miles an hour. That's why I think John Darnold, Sam Darnold matches the Seahawks roster. Whereas if you look at the Rams, it's very surgical. What they do is surgical. So that's Stafford. Darnold is more dynamic and more explosive. Less surgical. But that's the Seahawks. I mean they have some penalties, they have some turnovers. I mean that, you see the Tariq Wooden stuff today is just nonsense. You're just like pulling your hair out. But that's what Seattle does. They make those mistakes, those youthful, immature mistakes of young players and they're barking at each other on the sideline, the safety in the corner. But it's part of, I think what, why Darnold fits. He's one of them. Like the team is a risk taking team. Rams are surgical. The Seahawks are like, you know, they're, they're, they've got a good strong chin but they leave themselves open. You know, they, they open themselves up to getting tagged and the Rams had to match and almost didn't early. The Rams had to match. Their energy did. But in the end I think both of us felt like I thought the Rams would win today because I, you know, I just thought it would come down to like make May and Stafford. But we said this multiple times this year. When you watch the Seahawks and turn the sound down, they don't look like anybody else. They're just, just explosive and fast and long and powerful and they have a defensive line rotation. Dude, everybody runs well, everybody in the team runs well.
- [31:37]
John Middlekauff
So yeah, I mean, they probably have the best. They. I mean, they have, if not the best looking defensive line. I don't know, top two or three, best defensive line looking team in the league. So when that's your point of difference is your defensive line. I mean, look at the Texans. Their offense was horrendous and they still had a chance because their defensive line line was that good. So I just think Seattle, you know, to do this with this team, that to start the season, I just don't feel a lot of people was picking. Were picking them. And this is also, you know, Buffalo, who has gone through a lot these last. Having home field advantage, unless it turns into a blizzard and then it becomes a coin is a really big deal. Yes. Stafford has to kneel down to communicate with his teammates. McVeigh was talking clearly to Brady and Burkhardt about how important the communication was. He thought it was terrible last week in Chicago. He's like, it's going to be even louder. It is a huge point of difference in football because unlike baseball or basketball, this isn't two, three, two. You know this. You don't get to go back and forth. You get one game. And this is not that the Rams have a home field advantage, but just having the home game just neutralizes what happens to Seattle, even If it's a 50, 50 split of fans.
- [32:45]
Colin Cowherd
And Seattle, a young team, feeds off that energy.
- [32:49]
John Middlekauff
They were up 24. I mean, once they fumble that punt, 24, three, the way they started the game, scored a touchdown, like they came out ready and being a great, like you said, being aggressive. They were going to lean. Being aggressive. Even a couple times I thought, like, I could see Kubiak running the ball like pops.
- [33:04]
Colin Cowherd
Well, how about they threw the ball.
- [33:06]
John Middlekauff
They were throwing constantly.
- [33:07]
Colin Cowherd
How about when they got down to under, like two minutes and Brady and Burkhart were like. And they threw a flag. They're like, well, they're throwing. I mean, they said, okay, all you have to do is run here and the game is over. And they threw. They got a flag. So I mean, that's just that defines Seattle. Like, guys, we're not doing what everybody else does. And so I don't think they'll go in even as a favorite against New England, they'll play aggressive. I just think Seattle's identity is the dark side. You know, the Legion of Boom and the dark side are this. This franchise is very similar to that where you have a defensive coach, an athletic quarterback who's not that surgical More elusive. You have a defense that is young, fast, you lean on the run game, but you have a receiver or two that can burn you. All time stuff. Okay? New England beat Denver 10 to 7. So I think snow or not, I think New England was the better team. But I will say the second half was useless. I mean it was just survival. It was like man versus Wild. You know, one of those TV shows like. So I almost thought they should have, if they had the weather forecast, shut it down for an hour. I'm like, this is brutal cbs. I felt bad for. You couldn't see anything.
- [34:23]
John Middlekauff
You had no clue what yard they were on. I mean, how often would you look up, be like, I don't know where they are on the field.
- [34:28]
Colin Cowherd
So there was a moment when they could have gone up 10 nothing and Sean Payton elected with a backup quarterback to go for it. I would not have. I would have kicked the field goal to go up 10 nothing. Now I did not know. I looked up the weather. I didn't think there was a blizzard in the forecast. I thought it, you know, they were saying, Tony Romo at one point said the weather is getting really bad and it's way worse than you see on tv. Meaning you can't tell wind necessarily when you're looking at a field and players unless you see a flag. So you know it. Obviously you couldn't throw the ball. So what did you make? First of all, I would have kicked the field goal. This is. Analytically I just disagree with this. I've said it in the NBA. I think the mid range game, especially in the playoffs matters. So I need a bucket, not a three. I don't care about math. Get me a bucket. Get me a.
- [35:16]
John Middlekauff
Stop.
- [35:17]
Colin Cowherd
And I'm sorry, when you get to the playoffs, I want points. Especially with Jarrett Stidham. I want points. I mean that's. What's your take on that?
- [35:26]
John Middlekauff
I don't know when it became so in vogue. I mean obviously the last several years to go for it early in these games, like late in the game of that Ram Seattle game, it's a four point game. No one has any problem with McVay going forward on fourth and four because it was essentially fourth and goal. You're down for it felt like the game right there. Totally understandable. In these first half of NFL playoff games, most of these do not play out to high scoring events. Especially in the AFC where the weather plays a big factor. So like you said, even if you don't know the crazy blizzard is coming down the, you know, the street here you have a backup quarterback playing. You are a defensive team. I mean, over the last couple years, their defense, it hasn't played as well, but has definitely been one of the better units in the league. You have a chance to go up two scores against a quarterback who's what played in. This is his third playoff game of his career. And it's not. He's coming from Bama. Ohio State hasn't played that many big games the last five years. So you go up multiple scores. And Sean Payton, Dan Campbell said this, he got his aggressiveness from watching Sean. I'm never anti being aggressive, but in the first half of a game when they have zero points, I never understand not going for a field goal when your opponent has zero points. It's become an epidemic of teams going, Ben Johnson's the worst at this. In 00 games, it's like, you know, field goal, you get the lead here. Second half of games when both teams are in the 30s. I get you right. If it's the Bears niner game that Sunday night or Monday night game, it's like, yeah, no one's stopping anybody five minutes into a game or ten minutes into it. You have no clue how it's going to play out. And look how this thing played out. The points were literally the game. I mean, that decided the game. Now they ended up forcing a punt, but then George Stidham had that fumble play. That, that's a backup quarterback. I mean, that's at any moment. I know Sean tried to speak it into existence. This guy hadn't played. So to think that you could come out running the scout team for five straight months and then just play well. Especially in a game, even if the winds and the snow hadn't come, it was still 25 degrees.
- [37:35]
Colin Cowherd
So that to me that's a big.
- [37:37]
John Middlekauff
Difference than what we just witnessed on the night game.
- [37:39]
Colin Cowherd
Well, yeah, I mean, listen, I. Denver only had four first downs in the first half, but New England wasn't exactly moving it up and down the field. My take was if you watch New.
- [37:50]
John Middlekauff
England getting dominated in that game.
- [37:52]
Colin Cowherd
Yeah. So my take was if you watched, if Sean was watching the offensive line, his D line, Zach, Allen, Benito were dominating New England up front. So my take is just take the 10 nothing lead. Dude, they are, they may beat you and Stidham may throw a pick six and make a huge mistake, but they're, they are struggling up front to block Drake. May was on the run every play. In fact, it was interesting because I thought the Seahawks O line, I mean, they Had a couple of blitz sacks. The Rams did. But the Seahawks O line is the weakness of that team. I thought they played pretty well. Left side of it's pretty good. But I think somebody said four teams have never made the Super Bowl. Robert Kraft has made 11.
- [38:37]
John Middlekauff
I mean he's made more Super Bowls than the Steelers and the Niners. Think about that. They didn't. What they'd been to two Super Bowls up till 2001. The league had been rolling then for what, 30 plus years. They'd been to two. How many have they been to what bill went to 9. Now variable. They've been to 10 with in the last 20. Can you imagine? You know who today was a bad day for? Being a Bills fan. You've had the best player in the sport or one of them now for in his prime of his career the last five years. And the Patriots just bottomed out. And then a couple years later they got Vrabel May and Josh McDaniels and they're in the Super Bowl.
- [39:12]
Colin Cowherd
How about this? The Patriots first dynasty started with a tuck rule game in the blizzard. Their second dynasty maybe. Did it start with this? Because I'm serious, John. I've never seen a half of football that washed out by weather. I mean it was insane. If you were going against. I mean if you were going against the snow, there was nothing you could do. You couldn't see, which I just. I'm not a. I'm not a snow game guy. I. I'm really not. It's like anything else. I don't think anybody. My dad was a pud Foreman, my stepdad. So he got hit by lightning one time or the pole did. He was at. So it's like nobody performs at their best in bad weather. I don't care if it's a pilot. I don't care if it's a pud Foreman. I don't care if it's a quarterback. I'm just. I like to see these great athletes, you know. Again, I don't. I don't mind. You know, sometimes you play in a rain game and nobody's got their. It's kind of fun. Rain games are kind of fun. Guys are slipping around. But I don't know, I just. I looked at that game and I was. I just thought it was a huge disappointment for the league that were deciding Super Bowls and blizzards. I don't know. It just didn't sit with me.
- [40:23]
John Middlekauff
Well, one big advantage for the Patriots during that game was May's legs and he kept plays alive and Jared Stidham, who I was told was this athlete. I mean, I. I don't know. I didn't really see it. And I'm not blaming him. He's a backup quarterback. Like your expectations. I had no expectations for him. The first drive he had of the game, I was like, damn, he's clearly has a pretty big arm. He threw a nice touchdown pass in the back of the end zone. Threw the bomb earlier on that drive. But as a game goes on, you and I have talked about this all year. You got to be careful about that first drive in the NFL. Yeah, it is. It's a fake. It's a. It's not quite a fugazi, but it's kind of. It's been mapped out in the top coaches. Their first drives usually look pretty good. Yeah, you see Kubiak, you see McVeigh, you see Shanahan, you see Andy, you see Peyton. Like, if they. If they. They usually go down the field, they're disappointed with three typically. So as the game started, you saw him, he started getting rattled a little bit. He started scrambling when he might not.
- [41:18]
Colin Cowherd
Need to, holding on to the ball.
- [41:20]
John Middlekauff
And then by the time they get to the second, there was one play in the second half where May threw an out route, and it probably missed him by like 7 yards. And then they throw a back view of the wind and the snow. You're like, you would hit a driver 100 yards into this wind. You know, it's the wind. And that's why Romo said it. You couldn't feel it. There was a time like, how bad is it? And then it started. It was so clear that it was like you can't even function. But that's kind of a. That. That was always a Belichick thing. No matter what, you kind of felt they had the advantage. You know, Vrabel takes this thing over. They had probably better players than a lot of four win teams. That's how bad their coach was. But they were not very good. And last year, Drake May and the offense was an embarrassment. And this year we can talk about their schedule all we want. They did beat the Bills in the regular season. Then they beat Jim Harbaugh, Sean Payton and the best defense in the league. Like, they've had a pretty good little run here for a month.
- [42:14]
Colin Cowherd
I would taken Denver to win if. If Bo Nicks would have played today. My. My feeling is, boy, that would be hard not to take Denver. Bo just played the best game of his career. It's interesting. Nobody likes Bo Nicks or Sam Darnold, I mean that Darnold was great today in Bo Nix. I think I probably would have, probably would have taken Denver if Bo Nicks plays. But yeah, I mean, listen, I think it's a good Super Bowl. I think you have, you have the Robert Kraft returns Vrabel and Drake May story. Is that the next Tom Brady? So I think that's a great play and I think you have a Seahawk team. I think the Sam Darnold redemption story is a real thing. And listen, these are two really well run organizations. Seattle trying to win a second super bowl with a new coach, a new quarterback. I mean, it's. I think you and I have talked about this and I think the audience has heard us say this is Seattle's gm. He may not make as many deals as Howie Roseman. There's an argument John Snyder in terms of just drafting college athletes is the best we have in the sport. He does not miss much at all.
- [43:21]
John Middlekauff
I mean, I mean, look at the guys making plays for him today. You saw, you know, the guard from North Dakota State, you see more making plays left and right.
- [43:31]
Colin Cowherd
You see, I mean, Cooper cup as an acquisition.
- [43:34]
John Middlekauff
Well, I'd even say Jackson Smith, when people took him, he was good, but no one thought he was going to be this. And they pivoted off DK Metcalf. They're like, we need him out of here so we can feature that. Which I don't blame them for trading dk, but they thought highly, more highly of Jackson Smith. And I think I definitely, I did. I mean, they sure he led the league in receiving. He was basically Jerry rice for like 80% of the first half of the season. And to me, the thing with Vrabel is how often it probably happened more in like the 70s and 80s, former big time players would become coaches. Now with the money that these, these players had made, they're less likely to become into the grind of coaching. And d' Amico's obviously kind of rare, but Vrabel, he'd be the first guy to ever win a Super bowl as a player with the team and then coach that same team and win a Super bowl so they didn't lose a road game. I think Kraft gave him the ball after the game. I mean, this team has been, I thought they would be good and make the playoffs because of their schedule, but be in the super bowl, you can't, you can't luck your way into the super bowl, especially when you're not the one seed. That means you got to win three games. So it's a. You'd be like, well, this wasn't a great Charger team. They still got Jim Harbaugh and Justin Herbert and Jesse Mentor just became the Ravens coach. Like, they got a pretty, that's, that's a pretty buttoned up operation. Right? And then d' Ameco Ryan's to beat that defense and then today to win a game in these conditions on the road. I mean, Frable.
- [45:00]
Colin Cowherd
When it comes to, I don't know.
- [45:01]
John Middlekauff
He's fantastic.
- [45:03]
Colin Cowherd
Yeah, clock management, it's. He's the opposite of Mike McCarthy where his clock management is maybe the best ever. His use of timeouts are sensational. Vrabel is so good at squeezing all these situational plays in his favor.
- [45:22]
Katie Couric
As we head into 2026, it's safe to say that 2025 was a year like no other. So much news, so much disruption, and yes, so much division. That's why we're wrapping up this season of Next Question with a look back at everything that's happened. Things are coming at us with such a velocity. We thought it was important to take a moment, connect the dots and explore what it all means. We're summing up the first year of Trump's second term with David Graham on Project 2025 and how many of the goals have been implemented. Richard Haass on foreign policy and the changing world order. Jessica Valenti on reproductive rights and the terrifying consequences of abortion bans. Tina Brown on the year scandals here and across the pond. The president has upended everything from pardons to the press, so we're covering it all. Listen to Next Question with me, Katie Couric on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [46:26]
Nav Green
This show contains information subject to but not limited to personal takes, rumors, not so accurate stats, and plenty more. What's up, man? This your boy, Nav Green from the Broken Play podcast. Look, it's the end of the season. The playoffs are here. But guess what? It ain't the end of your season. You can always tune in with Broken Play podcast with Nav Green on the Black Effect Podcast Network. Not a team who ain't going to the playoffs. The chief Beast. What's a wrap? It's time to rebuild. Who your MVP right now then Drake May up there, Josh Allen up there still. Oh, my boy, Matthew Stafford. Where did Bo? Nick said he ain't too far behind.
- [47:04]
John Middlekauff
He did all this talking.
- [47:05]
Colin Cowherd
What Matthew Stafford is doing statistically, bro, is crazy.
- [47:08]
Nav Green
Bro, you know I ain't no Josh Allen fan, but Matthew Stafford got better web Caleb Williams.
- [47:14]
Colin Cowherd
Hey, he should be in that conversation.
- [47:16]
John Middlekauff
In what conversation?
- [47:17]
Nav Green
He should be in it. Listen to Broken Play with Nav Green from the Black Effect podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or whatever you get your podcast.
- [47:26]
John Middlekauff
On June 11, 1998, a deputy from.
- [47:29]
Katie Couric
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department went missing.
- [47:32]
Colin Cowherd
It's an all out manhunt for John Ajay.
- [47:35]
Podcast Narrator
Every search and rescue team in LA.
- [47:36]
John Middlekauff
County has been called in to help.
- [47:38]
Podcast Narrator
Within days, tips started flooding into the sheriff's department.
- [47:42]
Katie Couric
They ruler around the drug scene. Was that a deputy was taken care of. Is this the story of a man.
- [47:50]
John Middlekauff
Who just got lost in the desert? Or of a cover up inside the nation's largest sheriff's department?
- [47:57]
Colin Cowherd
A homicide captain saying detective, do not find out if this guy's guilty or innocent.
- [48:03]
John Middlekauff
Who does that?
- [48:04]
Podcast Narrator
Valley of Shadows a new series from Pushkin Industries about crime and corruption in California's high desert. Do you have any advice for us.
- [48:14]
Colin Cowherd
While looking into this disappearance? I wouldn't do it alone.
- [48:20]
Podcast Narrator
Listen to Valley of shadows on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [48:26]
Colin Cowherd
With so many options, why choose Arizona State University?
- [48:29]
John Middlekauff
For me the only online option was.
- [48:31]
Podcast Narrator
ASU because of the quality. Their faculty was really involved with their students and care about your personal journey. The dedication to my personal development from my professors, that's been extremely valuable to me.
- [48:44]
Colin Cowherd
Earn your degree from the nation's most innovative university online. That's a degree better. Explore more than 350 plus undergraduate, graduate.
- [48:53]
John Middlekauff
And certificate programs at ASUonline ASU edu.
- [49:01]
Colin Cowherd
Now let's end it with this. Mike McCarthy got hired by the Pittsburgh Steelers and as we talk about the Patriots, Seahawks, let's just give this five minutes. So McCarthy to me is an offensive Mike Tomlin. He feels like Pittsburgh. He'll win games, he'll be loose. When they face a really well coached team with a good quarterback, you'll feel like you have the second best coach. But he's a good motivator. Like Tomlin in defense, he does no offense. His teams play with great enthusiasm. But to me, Pittsburgh once again is always reminding us how important Pittsburgh is and how they really love Pittsburgh. They love to hire Pittsburgh guys. They, you know, they draft Kenny Pickett, they hire Mike McCarthy. It's kind of a Pittsburgh thing. They're the inserts, they're very proud. They're. I thought they could have done better. I mean I probably, I don't know if Chris Shul is the Answer. You could hire him tomorrow. What did you make of the hire?
- [50:10]
John Middlekauff
I feel like the reaction was shocked people. Like, they really hired Mike McCarthy. I honestly, when John Harbaugh got fired, my jaw hit the floor just because I didn't expect him to get fired.
- [50:21]
Colin Cowherd
Right.
- [50:22]
John Middlekauff
This was a situation where I went, of course they hired him, the owner, whatever it was two weeks ago when Tomlin steps down, said, I'm not into throwing a season away. We do not plan on tanking, losing. We plan on competing every year. That showed me when everyone in the Pittsburgh fan base was tired of Tomlin. The Rooneys were not. They want. They like going nine or 10 wins, if that is their, you know, the floor. They want no part of the tanking teams. They don't ever want to have a season like the jets. So Mike McCarthy represents, at minimum stability of competing and at least giving us a chance to maintain what Tomlin has done. And he can say, I can coach quarterbacks and call the offense because in fairness, he's right. Now, I was thinking about this. This is going to be his first situ. When he got hired with the Green Bay Packers, Brett Favre was on the roster. And the year before, they had drafted Aaron Rodgers. He was the offensive coordinator of the Niners who took Alex Smith. Aaron Rodgers talked about this like he had to get over it a little bit. Then when he went to the Cowboys, they had an established Dak Prescott. He's now going to a team where they don't have a quarterback. Right. So he's got to be involved in which you and I watch a lot of college football. This ain't a great quarterback draft. And I don't know who's really on the open, you know, the Davis Mills and Mac Jones types. There's not a lot of. There's no Dak Prescott's or Aaron Rodgers walking through that door. This job. I don't know if you watch the Dolphins guys, they're too really impressed. At the press conference, it was like, I see why Troy Aikman likes these two guys. They're impressive. But Steven Ross, clearly we're going to need a little bit of a reset and be bad before we get good because we're in shambles. It's kind of the Steelers, a lot of old guys, a lot of bad money. Why not? Once upon a time, you did this with Mike Tomlin at 34. Now, the difference is that team was equipped to if. If Tomlin was good, they were going to be good, and they were. But like, why not just go a little Younger do a reset and it's like, well, the Rooneys don't believe in that. Like, they are at, like that's a core value of that family. Which in a weird way I can respect. But I think this thing is not. You know, when he got to the Cowboys, 2020 was a fake football year.
- [52:32]
Colin Cowherd
Right, Right.
- [52:33]
John Middlekauff
Remember? But once he kind of settled down, got Dan Quinn, they were a real team there for four years. Google who was on that team. Like, they had Young in his peak, like 23, 24, Micah Parsons, they had Dak Prescott in his prime. They get CD Lamb like that. This is, this is not the Steelers. And how are they equipped to acquire any of these players? TJ Watt is making a ton of money. He's a lot of respect for his career, but it's trending the wrong way.
- [53:00]
Colin Cowherd
The Good news for McCarthy, I think he realizes that I think the first thing they have to do to me is and they're not going to be able to find their quarterback unless they go get Ty Simpson. But let's say they can't get it.
- [53:12]
John Middlekauff
Like Tyson in the weather, in that. In that conference or that division. Like, I don't know.
- [53:18]
Colin Cowherd
They have to switch the money from the defense to the offensive side. So they've had the highest paid defense four years in a row. So you just in the way to do that is they've got some very good young offensive player. Frazier, the center, Warren Friar, Moose. Not young, but he's a good player. They need another wide receiver, obviously, but. And the quarterback. But my take is they've got their offensive lines, got some youth in it. The running back room's got some youth in it. They're dynamic. I think Friar moves really good in Washington. Broke his arm, but you know, he. Those are two big bodies.
- [53:50]
John Middlekauff
He's a good player.
- [53:51]
Colin Cowherd
Good player. So. And DK Metcalf, still athletically in his prime. It's one of those things where they have to do is they have to take about six different defensive players and just get young. If you look at the Seahawks and the Rams, if you really look at the secret of it is the Seahawks and the Rams are not paying a lot of their defensive players. They're not. They're paying their quarterbacks. They're paying like maybe a left tackle or somebody on the offensive line. They're paying one of their weapons. But I mean, they're. If you really look at what, what the Kansas City Chiefs have done as they paid Mahomes and Travis Kelsey and a Joe Tuney, they've kept that defense really, really young. So I've talked to GMs about this. Going forward, the recipe for success is you pay for offense. You just keep drafting defense. Day Young and the Rams, who are they paying on that defense? I mean nobody's getting paid yet. Same with Seattle. Murphy will get a lot of money. Leonard Williams probably makes a pretty some coin. But I think Pittsburgh's got it all backwards. Pittsburgh paying everybody on defense. So they've just got a. They've got to draft about six, seven different guys. I don't know what their draft picks look like. Whatever. Just draft defense, let about four guys walk, trade another and just switch where the money's at. And once they can do that, then you can go find your quarterback.
- [55:11]
John Middlekauff
If I wanted to defend McCarthy like he has a branding issue because I saw people putting his resume next to John Harbaugh's looks pretty similar. And Google John Harbaugh the last several years with some of these big leads, a lot of Ls. Yeah, Google Mike McCarthy's resume next to Tomlins resume pretty similar. Not a lot of playoff success. Recently made the playoffs a bunch people just his branding is bad. You know, John Harbaugh gets fired. Ten teams are calling his agent. McCarthy's begging for a job. Last year no one will hire him. So this is not. McCarthy's better than the way we speak about him, right?
- [55:46]
Colin Cowherd
Yeah.
- [55:46]
John Middlekauff
Because he coached the other thing he's got going for him. Jesse Minter, really impressive defensive coordinator, first time head coach in a, in a pressure packed job. That's not going to be easy. You know, Zach Taylor is going to be coaching for his job surely this year that, that coaching staff there and.
- [56:00]
Colin Cowherd
Cleveland doesn't have a coach.
- [56:02]
John Middlekauff
I mean Colin, did you see the story that Cleveland makes you write an essay to try to get the. This that'd be like you telling me, hey, why don't you do a podcast for us? Can you write us a three page essay? It's like Colin, this is a verbal medium. You're like, I don't care. The coaching is. It's a verbal job. You don't. You would never write an essay ever. Even your. The things the team puts out, the PR staff does that for you. It's really. I don't want to go talk about the Browns much. But that's. I googled. I couldn't figure it out. But I would imagine Barry's parents were in academia because I, I couldn't even grasp how someone would go the personality test. I understand it's a big job. I Don't know, but doing homework and essays. So McCarthy and the Steelers have an advantage on the Browns, but it's, I think it's going to be a little more difficult than his Cowboy stint. But he also, he's been the head coach of the packers, the Dallas Cowboys and the Pittsburgh Steelers. That'd be like I've been the head coach of the Knicks, the Lakers. It's like Pat Riley's career. I mean it doesn't get any better than that football wise. Colin?
- [57:01]
Colin Cowherd
Yeah, and I think, and I, and I'll say it about Tomlin and I'll say it about Mike McCarthy. They are above average NFL head coaches. And John Harbaugh's not far off. I think that's fair. Mike McCarthy will, you'll win games with Mike and he's going to switch a defensive culture to an offensive culture. So there's some positives. But I always thought Tomlin, in big games, his teams were a little loose. Aaron helped slow down the penalty problem in Pittsburgh, their offense had been, they had penalty problems for years on offense. Aaron brings in, you know, his iq eq. Their penalties went down, their turnovers went down because of Aaron Rodgers. So it was better this year as 42 year old Aaron Rodgers took control of the offensive ship. And I think, do you think Aaron.
- [57:46]
John Middlekauff
Entertains coming back now with Mike?
- [57:52]
Colin Cowherd
Yeah, I could see that Aaron's, you know, Aaron always feels a little bit like a grudge holder, but Aaron also cares what people think and for him to just retire, that would feel weird sort of to just retire because he played so well at the end of the year and you'd be like, wow, is he retiring because of McCarthy? And for the record, I think McCarthy will be better for Aaron. I think, I think 100%. I mean, by and large Seattle and maybe New England, the Super bowl teams are a little bit of an exception. But usually the offensive coach helps the quarterback. You know, Vrabel hands the offense over to Josh McDaniels. But yeah, I could see Aaron coming back. And I don't think my knock on McCarthy isn't that he's bad. My knock is it feels like an offensive Mike Tomlin, I was just looking for a more dynamic young guy. But Pittsburgh loves Pittsburgh and I respect that. I mean it's, you know, there's certain cities in this country, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, where if you go to a party and people ask you, oh, where'd you go to high school? Like people don't a lot of people, how many people in your life who are go Getters and have moved to Pittsburgh. It's very much about Pittsburgh. People love Pittsburgh. People from St. Louis love St. Louis. Not a lot of people moving to St. Louis or Hartford. So Pittsburgh's very proud of its history. A lot of good people. I mean, it felt like, yeah, that's kind of what Pittsburgh is going to do. I was hoping for a bigger swing, but I don't think they have it in their, their makeup, their DNA.
- [59:33]
John Middlekauff
Rooney's just. They can't even fathom. When they see the jets, the Titans, the Cardinals and they see that they can't even. They refuse. Which, you know, we talk a lot about tanking and some of these other sports, it's respectable. But also in football, the way you guys got Roethlisberger once upon a time, didn't you draft like 11th? That wasn't one. But you're not going to land, you know, most of these starting quarterback, you're not going to find Purdy or Tom Brady typically. Right. Most of these starting quarterbacks that are good in the NFL are drafted. Where's Drake May drafted second where Sam Darnold drafted third. I mean typically you got to. It's okay. The Steeler fans, they've had enough good times and respectable seasons. They would understand a 5 and 12 season to kind of reset the course. But the, but the owners refuse. And that's why I think they did this instead of hiring Davis, you know, some 32 year old guy that was like, okay, we'll have some growing pains with you. McCarthy could sell them. Look at my resume. More than likely we will compete for a playoff spot. And that was probably sold the Rooneys.
- [60:39]
Colin Cowherd
Good stuff.
- [60:43]
Podcast Narrator
The volume.
- [60:46]
John Middlekauff
This is an iHeart podcast.
- [60:49]
Katie Couric
Guaranteed Human.