← The Herd with Colin Cowherd
The Herd with Colin Cowherd
Colin Cowherd Podcast - NFL Win Totals, USC vs. Notre Dame Revival? Steelers Headed For Disaster?
00:38:35
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- [00:00]
Colin Cowherd
This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Everybody knows Shaq, but off camera, he's just a regular guy.
- [00:08]
Shaquille O'Neal
People never believe me when I say I'm just like them. I take out the trash, do dishes, and I struggle with moderate obstructive sleep apnea, or osa. And a lot of adults with obesity also struggle with moderate to severe osa. You know those scary breathing interruptions during sleep, the loud snoring, choking and daytime fatigue? I knew I had to talk to my doctor. Don't sleep on the symptoms. Learn more at don'tsleeponosa.com this information is
- [00:33]
Colin Cowherd
provided by Lilly, a medicine company.
- [00:35]
Timbo (Sports Slice Host)
Last night a blown call changed the game. This morning the Internet lost its mind and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo, and every episode we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headline. And we're going straight to the source. The athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear. Listen to Sports slice on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you your podcast and for more, follow Timbo, Slice Life 12 and the TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok.
- [01:09]
Robert Smigel
Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy not quite on Humor Me with Robert Smigel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week. My guests SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel help an acapella band with their between songs banter.
- [01:28]
Colin Cowherd
Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes.
- [01:31]
Robert Smigel
Those people are starving for banter. Listen to Humor Me with Robert Smigel and friends on the I iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [01:40]
Grainger Ad Narrator
This is the story of the 1. As a maintenance tech at a university, he knows ordering from multiple suppliers takes time away from keeping their arena up and running. That's why he counts on Grainger to get everything he needs, from lighting and H vac parts to plumbing supplies, all in one place. And with fast, dependable delivery, he's stocked and ready for the next tip off. Call 1-800-granger. Click granger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done.
- [02:11]
John Middlekauff
The volume. John Middelkoff is joining us. We'll chop it up for about 35 minutes. I wanted to start with this so reportedly in the last week Notre Dame and USC have begun talking Again, so USC always had all the leverage because they play a much better schedule. They're in a real conference. Notre Dame, I was told a month ago Notre Dame initiated this. Notre Dame, I was told this by somebody at a major television network that knows the athletic director of Notre Dame. And the athletic director had said, we're having a hell of a time scheduling games because what happens is with a 12 team playoff where two of the slots go to your James Madison's and Notre Dame with a weak schedule is guaranteed if they're in the top tennis spot, it's essentially a nine team playoff. And if it doesn't expand, people are like, you know, USCS, Ohio States, LSU's, Michigan's are going timeout, it's a 19 playoff. You can't lose more than two games. And because the Big Ten in the SEC, John, have now been fortified with Texas, Oklahoma, Oregon, Washington, usc, ucla and because of the nil, Vanderbilt and Indiana are now powerful. That a lot of these schools told Notre Dame, take a hike, we're not scheduling you. That is why Notre Dame is in favor of an expanded playoff suddenly and why Notre Dame is revisiting a willingness to change the time of the USC game. USC always said we'll play a Labor Day weekend. We're not playing you in the middle of our Big Ten schedule. So anyway, I mean if you look at go look up Notre Dame's home schedule, I mean they don't have Miami is it. It is unwatchable dreck. So essentially, basically USC said you're out and Notre Dame circled back.
- [04:25]
Colin Cowherd
Well, I think one thing that obviously limited Notre Dame is they do this deal with the acc and the ACC became an awful conference. Right now they play in Miami, but the rest of the conference, I mean it's a lot of North Carolinas, it's a lot of teams that you get no credit for. Are they becoming a little. Obviously they're one of the biggest brands in all the sports. But like, you know, some of these basketball programs that are really good that no one wants to play in the non conference, you know, it became Randy Bennett left St. Mary's to come to Arizona State because once Gonzaga left the conference, no one would schedule them. So it made no point. Now, I'm not comparing Notre Dame to St. Mary's basketball, but when you're independent like that or in a conference where you're not forced to play these people, we're not going to do a deal with if I'm Indiana, if I'm Texas, if I'm whoever I Will do my occasional one offs with Ohio State or Michigan plays or you know, I guess Michigan, Oregon are the same conference but you know how some of the big programs, they do the home and home non conference with another big program. It's also what became complicated in college sports is these rivalries like Clemson, South Carolina, which means a lot to a lot of people, or Florida, Florida State. Well now with the playoffs it's like, well, you know, it gets what I have. I know a lot of like assistant college football coaches and I was talking to a buddy the other day on the road. He was actually at I think modern day. He's like, bro, this, this place looks like a college and the talent on this field of like 16 year olds is. It blows you away. But he said there are a lot of rumors out there in college sports. You know, the government has got involved. One thing he heard is that potentially they're going to cap the earnings. The conferences are going to try to get a hold of this because three years ago is like $10 million for a roster. Well within a couple of years it's 50 million. So you keep doing the math. Are we talking $100 million roster in three or four years. You can't maintain it's going to be parallel with the NFL, you know, if you just play this out. But if you're going to cap the players, you got to cap the coaches. So one thing I think these conferences that the rumors are out there is the conferences are going to be like the most you could make. It doesn't mean everyone's going to make the same. But you can't make more than a million dollars as a defensive end. But you can't make more as a head coach than 10 million. You can pay your coach four, but like that, you can't keep getting in this arms race. There is an economic kind of pullback because college football is or college sports have never been a normal business. Right. The majority of the sports non basketball or non football. Some of these basketball programs, not North Carolina, Kentucky, not every basketball program is making money. So these tennis programs and the are all subsidized by the football program. And now you got to pay the football program and the players. It becomes a little more complicated. It's why you've seen these tennis programs. Well, that's just the start and then you got title nine. So I think it's all intertwined. When you talk about the playoffs, the money isn't that football's greatest advantage? You know, I mean the Dodgers are way different economically than the race because of the local market. Well, the Cincinnati Bengals make the same as the Cowboys from the TV deal. Right. So that's where I think college sports is kind of in this weird spot which they got to figure out in the near future because there's just too much money on the line. That's where Notre Dame eventually don't. They, however, the shakes kind of join the version of the Big Ten that becomes like the nfc, AFC north versus South.
- [07:48]
John Middlekauff
Well, that's what they think. That's what they're, that's what they're trying to do. But just to give you a sense of Notre Dame's schedule, it's awful. Wisconsin now, awful. Rice, Michigan State, bad. Purdue, North Carolina, awful. Stanford bad. At byu, they'll win by two touchdowns off Navy. Miami at home, bc, smu, Syracuse. I mean, it's just dreadful. So they're trying to, you know, that USC game meant a lot to Notre Dame. Don't listen to ex USC players who are in my day, USC's playing Oregon, Ohio State at Indiana, Michigan, you know, they don't, you know, Washington, they're like, listen, we'll play on our terms. We're going to play in la, we're going to play in September. We're not putting you in October right in the middle of our Indiana, Ohio State, three week slates. We're not doing it.
- [08:42]
Colin Cowherd
Don't you think it's sad because Notre Dame now with Marcus Freeman, they were like, this is Brian Kelly too, is a real top five, top six from a talent standpoint, absolutely loaded. If instead of the deal with the ACC, they had a deal with either the SEC or the Big Ten, it would be incredible. It's like, hey, Notre Dame, Washington coming up, Notre Dame, Oregon. Instead they're playing Belichick, which you see the comments by the former quarterback for Belichick about how miserable that place is. It's like, Bill, the Patriot way is not going to work with 18, 19 year olds and you don't have the talent. So like it's a double whammy.
- [09:16]
John Middlekauff
Well, I mean, listen, this, we should talk about this. Let's be totally honest about Belichick. He took over the drafts the last seven to eight years. They were horrible. He's an atrocious drafter. Remember when the Rams inadvertently made fun of him for drafting a guard around early? I mean, people I talked to in the league are like, bill is not a personnel guy. He does not understand. He basically, if Bill wanted a player, he would reach three. He reached over half around to get him I mean, usually GMs go have players they like, but they'll be within five or six picks of kind of talent wise. You know, some a GM looks at a card and think, these are the next five good players. You try to find one in that five words, value and need. A Belichick would make massive 25 pick reaches for a guard. One year he drafted like two kickers and three guards. And it was like, Bill, you have the slowest offense in the league and he's basically taking, you know, interior offensive linemen.
- [10:23]
Colin Cowherd
Here's the other thing. You know, when they got hired, their big thing was the 33rd team. And we're going to approach it like the NFL. You know, in the NFL, if it's the middle of training camp and you give your team the day off, a lot of those guys go home to their wives and kids. You know, I remember when I worked for Pat Hill, who had worked for Belichick in Cleveland. We would give a practice off, we would take everyone to the water park. You know why? They're 18, 19 year old kids. They're just having a good time. Even though you're paying these guys now, they're still a 19 year old boy. You know, they are a guy, their interests. Belichick was used to yelling at Tom Brady when he was 35 years old and then everyone fell in line. And if you think about the last iteration of that great team in the mid 2010s, Edelman, McCourty, Hightower, like they had a lot of veteran guys, late 20s, early 30s. He has a team. And listen, I, the quarterback, I'm not going to shoot the messenger here, was not a great player. But he did just. Yeah, he did his transfer to Wake Forest, who went nine and four last year. So that's, you know, the guy from Washington State that went there is a real program.
- [11:28]
John Middlekauff
They didn't have a player drafted at Carolina, not a player drafted.
- [11:34]
Colin Cowherd
I mean, there's no law, there's no lock that they're going to have one this year. But my point is, Belichick, you lived in the Northeast forever. I lived there for a couple of years. The wiring of those people, it's very Wall street like, you know, successful people in the private sector, they're, they're emotionless. And Belichick fits that to a tee. Well, he goes there. How often do people at 75, when he has a resume of doing it a specific way, he's not going to change. So he treats these guys exactly like he would treat Julian Edelman at 33. Meanwhile, this guy's 18, not nearly as football smart because he's never been taught. He's getting yelled at, he's overwhelmed and he's not that good. Because college football's, it's about the X's and the O's when it's the playoffs. But a lot of time in college sports about the Jimmy's and the Joes and he does not have those. But he's trying to force these, the X's and the O's. That is way over the head of all these guys. And then his personality. He's not taking guys to the water park Saban used to take. They had movie night every Friday night before the game because he's dealing with kids even though they're 18, 19 future pros. I just think Belichick, when I look back, because I kind of bought in, bought in would be strong. But I thought, yeah, I could. Looking back, like, no, it's a transactional sport. But you still got to be able to interact with 18, 19 year old. And they are wired a lot different than NFL player is 26, 27 years old.
- [12:53]
John Middlekauff
Let's be honest. Deion Sanders has mostly been a dud. They're not well coached at Colorado. He's interesting and so is Belichick. Belichick, you know, Bill Parcells used to have a rule that you can't really live by now, but his rule was don't draft a celebrity quarterback, don't hire a celebrity coach. In college, it's Belichick and Deion Sanders. Those teams aren't well coached. They don't have the personnel. I mean, what does Colorado do? Well, they're in the Big 12. They get bullied every Saturday. Now. I think Colorado's limited, Carolina's got real money, but in the end, both those guys, it's college football. Look at the guys that win. Dan Lanning, Kurt Signetti, you know, it's grinders. Kyle Whittingham, you know, Lane Kiffin's got a little flash, but he's also a great recruiter. Like, it's just, it's a grind. You have to be. Even though it's more of a transactional sport. It's 60 to 70 hour weeks. And you know, I think we have to be honest. Belichick and Deion both are. I'll give Dion credit because he does make him interesting. But there's just so much of that sort of Northeast arrogance. Mike Lombardi, Belichick, like, let us teach a football, guys. You're not good with personnel at the College level. And for the record, you know the Houston Texans GM Casario, Nick Casario, he was in New England for years when all those bad drafts were happening. He leaves and goes to the Texans and Belichick doesn't have his thumb on him. Have you seen how well Houston has drafted under Nick Kazario?
- [14:35]
Colin Cowherd
They, I mean, honestly, Colin, they, they could, if you remove the quarterback, they could have the best roster in the NFL.
- [14:41]
John Middlekauff
Right.
- [14:42]
Colin Cowherd
Obviously they don't have the best quarterback. So you might give the, you know, edge to a couple other teams, but just remove the quarterback. All the other positions, I might take the Texans, I would definitely take the Texas defense, you know.
- [14:53]
John Middlekauff
Well, I mean even draft, they got Kamari Ramsey in the fifth round. He may end up being the best fifth round player. They have done such a good job to find middle and later round talent. And again, Nick Casario is in New England. Clearly Belichick didn't give him control because he just doesn't miss on skill players offensively. God, Tank Dell, Woody Marks, they don't miss on them. And New England couldn't draft him for seven, eight years. So it just, I mean, I think sometimes you have to revisit dynasties, you have to revisit legends and kind of peel back chapters and skin on it. And the more you look at the New England dynasty, I mean a lot of it was Josh McDaniels, OC ing and Tom Brady quarterbacking overcame those last six or seven years, overcame a lot of deficiencies in the skill department.
- [15:51]
Colin Cowherd
I do think Bill is the greatest defensive mind of all time. But clearly toward that latter half, his arrogance. I mean, isn't Andy a good example? You've known Andy for a long time.
- [16:03]
John Middlekauff
No arrogance.
- [16:05]
Colin Cowherd
He is no different now with the rings than he was when everyone said he was a choke artist. And Bill went into North Carolina like we invented football. And it's like, bro, you're in a laughing stock conference and you are getting lapped in in your own. I mean, Wake Forest, who just took the quarterback Dickard, came from Washington state and went 9 and 4. So it is, it is, it is doable at Wake Forest. It should be doable in North Carolina. And is anyone going to pick North Carolina? I mean, if you, if I told you North Carolina doesn't even win six games this year, that's very believable. Right? There's no guarantee that they're going to, that they're going to win any games.
- [16:41]
John Middlekauff
Yeah, I mean, and Miami is just fricking rolling because they've got so much money. In the nil. So two people in the NFL now have told me they're not sure. Omar Khan, the GM of the Steelers, who was in house for years, they're. They're not really sure. He knows personnel particularly well. And this Aaron Rodgers situation, he's in Pittsburgh and the organization didn't know where he was, which, let's be honest about Aaron, he likes to make people uncomfortable. Now, the jets and the packers called his bluff, and in both cases, he was kind of burned and upset on how they treated him. So you'd think Aaron would learn. But in this case, Pittsburgh is backed into a corner. I was thinking about this today. I was driving back from working out and I knew we were going to talk. If you told me there was an organization, a brand in sports, because right now, a lot of the big brands, John, Notre Dame, you know, Duke basketball, Green Bay Packers, Eagles, Niners, you know, a lot of the big brand, Dodgers, Yankees, Braves, Cubs, they're doing very well in sports. The big brands are doing very well. If you told me and if Luca was healthy, the Lakers would be, you know, they would be at least giving OKC a fight. But they still won a playoff series without Luka and mostly without Austin Reaves. If you told me there was a big brand that in five years we looked up and was just an absolute mess, I would guess the Pittsburgh Steelers, John, they're going to have the highest paid defense again. Fifth year in a row. God, it brutal.
- [18:35]
Colin Cowherd
I got a text because I talked about this a couple of weeks ago after they were embarrassed on the Makai Lemon thing. Think about this. The Cowboys, you know, funny, Jerry gets talked about like he's the grand poo ball. If you watch some of the clips coming out of that draft room, Steven Jones got running point on everything. I mean, Jerry's in his mid-80s. He likes talking, but still, Steven runs the show. They knew exactly who the Steelers wanted because if you would have asked me the day of the draft, I would not have said they would have liked. Wanted a wide receiver. They had just traded for Pittman. They invested last year in dk. I'd be like, yeah, they could take a wide receiver in the third, fourth round. I wouldn't have guessed in the first round. They have a lot of other question marks on the offensive line. Their left tackle just got. Has that neck injury. So I talked about it and I had someone associated with the league as well shoot me a text and said that I have been told that Omar Khan does not pick up a clicker. So he's not watching any tape. But he doesn't or he's not that involved with the contracts at this point either, Right. And I said, well, you know, Apple, they just hired this guy to take over for Tim Cook. He's a products guy, I would expect when he takes over for Tim, like huge emphasis on whatever the next AirPods is. Whatever the next. Like that's what he does. When Howie was first hired as a gm, he was a cap guy, right? And he I need you wheeling and dealing on the money. Now. I was around Howie. He spent a lot of time watching players and he's clearly grown into a great evaluator. But like when I hire you and you have a specific background, like, hey, John, you're going to do a podcast, what are you going to talk about? Football. You know, we don't need to talk about 10 million things at first. Just go down that lane, then expand from there. Well, shouldn't his background be a dominant cap guy? Less need. What's his background? Scouting players. John Schneider scouting players, then as you get more comfortable doing other things. Well, Omar Khan's background should be dominant at wheeling and dealing and money because that's kind of his background. They're not good at that. Even last year, it's like DK Metcalf out of nowhere. That deal made no sense to me. It's like this guy, you're gonna take John Schneider's third contract guy and immediately, I mean, if they could do that one over, they would not have done that deal, right? Clearly I just watched the Steelers and went, you could nitpick Colbert at the end in Tomlin, but their identity never changed and Kevin Colbert felt like their version of a guy. That would have been the packers gm. Old school scout, tough guy, looked for, you know, physical player. Every, every scout misses or every GM misses. But if I hire Omar Khan or I hire a quote unquote cap guy to be my general manager, I would expect to be pretty dynamic from a financial standpoint. And then, I mean, part of the reason how he gets so much credit around draft time because he's wheeling and dealing. Well, his background, if it wasn't, if he didn't. Wasn't obsessed with football, he would have been a finance type guy. So that should be his comfort zone is wheeling and dealing market values. You watch the Steelers, that was a pretty all time embarrassing moment to have a kid on the phone and listen, McCarthy's to blame too, by all accounts. You know, McCarthy and his people couldn't keep their mouth shut because the Cowboys obviously are connected to McCarthy. They knew exactly who they wanted and they, they knew that if they got on the phone and started shopping around, who would want Makai Lemon. They, they even went to their division rival, I think the Steelers right now. One, they feel like this relationship between the quarterback and the team feels like two people that would love. It's like they're in a relationship, but they want to be dating other people. But they can't find other people because if they could, if Aaron could go to a team that, like the Buffalo Bill, you know, a team that he thinks they could win, he would, but they don't exist.
- [22:18]
John Middlekauff
If the Niners called Aaron tomorrow, he'd be gone.
- [22:22]
Colin Cowherd
Oh, my God. He'd walk there, you know, and if the Steelers could find a young quarterback that had a ceiling in a future, they would not pick up the phone and call Aaron Rodgers. So they're kind of both stuck with each other. Aaron knows he's got a little leverage because what are they going to do, roll out will Howard's a six round pick. Typically you don't just start a six round pick week one. Right. And so McCarthy can talk him up. And if you noticed, I think at the owner's meetings, he said, if I was here when the draft was last year, Will Howard would not have been a six round pick. Basically insinuating we would have drafted him higher. Kind of trying to put like, I like this guy. It's like, come on, Mike. Like, yeah, there was a reason. He was there for a reason. So I, I just think the Steelers have a lot like the packers, this consistent organization, my entire life have won. The difference is Green Bay has been able to kind of keep it in house. And just from Ted to Gute back to Ron Wolf, it always. This was a little clunky. And it's not, you know, Dacosta taking over for Ozzy. Pretty smooth transition. This has not been a smooth transition. And I think this organization, and I think the true fans know something's a little off. And when Tomlin tapped out, I think he knew this little Sean Payton a couple years ago with the Saints, like, this thing's over. I got to get out now.
- [23:39]
John Middlekauff
Yeah. And I think, you know, you're seeing this in the NBA now, where the NFL is. It's really becoming a GM league. I mean, like in the NBA, I mean, the best teams all have one thing in common. Celtics, spurs, okc, Minnesota Knicks. They have really good front offices. You know, I've always said with the Knicks, when, when James Dolan built the sphere in Vegas for two and a half years, he stopped meddling in basketball and they built this really good roster because he wasn't around, you know, so it's like, I mean, most of the, in the NFL, you start looking at the best teams. Well, I mean, it's like Seattle in LA and Philadelphia and Detroit and Kansas City. And the one thing they have in common isn't superstar quarterbacks. It's really good front offices because when you have these hard caps, that's kind of the difference. And I think Pittsburgh, I mean, when two people I call two people who know the Steeler situation and they're both like, they're in trouble, just. And John, it does not take long in competitive interest. It does not take long in competitive industries to fall. I mean, it's, I mean, you just start looking around the NFL right now, I don't even know what Pittsburgh is. Today's show is brought to you by our presenting sponsor, Hard Rock bet. Florida Sportsbook. Second round of the NBA playoffs are here. Fantastic on Hard Rock Bet. Every night, your chance to score a major bucket winner. Go home energy on the hardwood. Same game parlays. Listen, you want to go with a hot hand to drop 30 double doubles. Hard Rock Bet gives you tons of ways to stack your picks into a same game parlay built for the postseason. So if you're ever like late to tip off, don't worry. Hard Rock Bet lets you live bet all game long, first bucket to last. So try your first bet on Hard Rock Bet today. You can score 150 bucks in bonus bets if you win. So just place a $5 bet. If it hits you, not only get your winnings, but an extra 150 bucks in bonus bets. The welcome offer is just a tip. Hard Rock Bet now has promos daily. So open up the app right now and see what they've got. Today, Hard Rock Bet, Florida's only legal sportsbook. But you don't have to be in Florida to join the party. Hard Rock Bets live in Arizona, Jersey, Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee, Virginia, Illinois, Colorado, Michigan. More states on the way. Offered by the Seminole Tribe of Florida. Offered by Seminole Hard Rock Digital, LLC in all other states. Must be 21 plus and physically present in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee or Virginia. To play, terms and conditions apply. Concern about gambling in Florida, call 1833 play wise in Indiana, if you or somebody you know has a gambling problem wants help, call 1-800-9 with it in Arizona, Ohio, Virginia, call 1-800- my reset gambling problem, call 1-800- gambler latte iced coffee espresso.
- [26:32]
Colin Cowherd
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John Middlekauff
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- [26:41]
Colin Cowherd
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- [26:48]
Shaquille O'Neal
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- [27:12]
Colin Cowherd
this information is provided by Lilly, a medicine company.
- [27:15]
Grainger Ad Narrator
This is the story of the One As a maintenance tech at a university, he knows ordering from multiple suppliers takes time away from keeping their arena up and running. That's why he counts on Grainger to get everything he needs, from lighting and H vac parts to plumbing supplies, all in one place. And with fast, dependable delivery, he's stocked and ready for the next tip off. Call 1-800-granger. Click granger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done.
- [27:45]
Colin Cowherd
Liberty Mutual customizes your car and home insurance. And now we're customizing this rush hour ad to keep you calm, which could help your driving. And science says therapy is great for a healthy mindset. So enjoy this 14 second session on us. I think you've done everything right and absolutely nothing wrong. In fact, anything that hasn't gone your way could probably be blamed on your father not being emotionally available because his father wasn't emotionally available, and so on. And now that you're calm and healing, you're probably driving better, too.
- [28:20]
John Middlekauff
Okay. I thought. I thought it was interesting. I read the Athletic and they were ranking rosters. They have a roster composition and it was a. It's an analytic formula based on, I guess, wins. And now rosters aren't even, you know, quarterback. Obviously you can have weak linebackers in Josh Allen and you're going to rank very high. But the Bills ranked third in terms of roster composition in terms of quality of roster. Rams, Seahawks. I think it may have been Rams. Seahawks were up there, Philadelphia, but the Bills were ahead of the Eagles. Again, Josh Allen's, you know, it's like having Ohtani in the lineup. He's worth like three players. Is it possible? I always heard Brandon Bean was a cap guy first. Not as much. Not as much a scout guy, but a cap guy. But I do think there are people in the NFL that get overvalued or undervalued. I think we've gotten to a point with Brandon Bean because they haven't won a championship. He just gets smacked and he's a little defensive. He's had a couple of missteps with the media. But I told somebody the other day, I said, if I told you that a team was elite at quarterback, running back, left tackle, tight end, and made a really good wide receiver acquisition in the off season, you'd be like, oh, that's a pretty well run unit. And I'm like, well, that's Brandon being in Buffalo. So I think they're the second or the third best team in the league. What do you make of the Brandon Bean? And I thought they had a pretty good draft. They, you know, they got an edge rusher which they needed. They did a lot of defense. They got a wide receiver from UConn who I actually watched a few times. I thought he was really clever. I thought it was a really clever, like, fourth round pick. How do you view Buffalo macro level and Brandon Bean?
- [30:19]
Colin Cowherd
Well, I think he became polarizing because anytime the coach gets fired and it felt like it was a package deal with the GM and the coach, remember they came together from Carolina. They had worked hand in hand. Obviously they had butted heads over the years. I'm sure personnel wise, it feels like a backstabbing. You know, I think famously John Harbaugh, when he was introduced with the Giants, never brought up Eric Dacosta's name. And I just think sometimes those relationships can be unique. Usually one guy sits with the owner during the game while the other guy's on the field. And the Bills have had, I mean, the most devastating losses in the history of sports over the course of 30, 40 years. I mean, clearly he's pretty good. And I've always, I always defended Sean McDermott. He wasn't perfect, but his resume speaks for itself, that that franchise was dead. And, you know, I think the defense consistently let him down. He was a defensive guy and that's why he got. Ultimately, I think they turned on him. Right, because if, if you told me Sean McDermott was an offensive guy, I think he'd probably still be there. But it's like your, your background is defense. So it was easy to point out, listen, they've invested in some players over the years and it's backfired. They paid Vaughn Miller a lot of money.
- [31:29]
John Middlekauff
I didn't like that which is going
- [31:30]
Colin Cowherd
to happen to every team at all. Because remember the Rams trade for him and he has a sack like every game in the playoffs, in the super bowl, and then they gave him 50 and it blew up in their face. But they've also made a lot of good moves. Yeah, I mean, Shakir is an excellent player. Cook in the second round is one of the best running backs in the league. The tight ends are good. To me, a Josh Allen type move is do you get a contract for life as a GM when you're part of the unit that trades up to land him at seven? Remember Sam Darnold? Baker Mayfield went off the board before Josh Allen, so it wasn't like they drafted him two overall. So I, I think he's pretty good. I think sometimes. Listen, the NFL, you know, all these people can be a little insecure and he's, he's pretty tied in with the media and he has some media friends, so I think you can hear negative things said about him, but there's no disputing. They've been, I'm going to pick them, probably win the Super Bowl. So they do a really, really good job. When you have a quarterback that's that good, though, it's just hard to get the credit. When we watch your team and God, I mean, whenever they beat the Ravens over the course of the last couple of years, we are takeaway was always like, Ravens had way better players. You know how they pull that off? It was Josh. And I think anytime you're in that scenario, it's hard to get credit as a gm. Like with the Eagles, sometimes they win despite the quarterback. Right, right. And that's where he gets a lot of credit. You watch John Snyder, the team he built over the last three or four years, elite impact player. Like every position, you watch the Bill, sometimes you're like, how many players would teams do everything? How many guys on their team if you remove Josh, would teams trade a first rounder to acquire? And I think if we played that game, there'd be a lot of guys on a lot of the good teams. There wouldn't be. Look at the Chiefs. They get rid of Ty McDuffie.
- [33:17]
John Middlekauff
Boom.
- [33:17]
Colin Cowherd
First rounder. How many players on the Bills not named Josh Allen, which Sean McVeigh, unless need have traded pick 29 to acquire
- [33:25]
John Middlekauff
Dion Dawkins at left tackle. Maybe older though.
- [33:29]
Colin Cowherd
Older now, though, you know, and maybe
- [33:31]
John Middlekauff
the tight end, Dalton.
- [33:33]
Colin Cowherd
Yeah. I mean, a couple years ago, maybe Cook. I mean, you put Cook on their team, they would be pretty good. But not, not that many guys on defense, that's for damn sure.
- [33:42]
John Middlekauff
Yeah, I'm going to give you a couple over unders. Give me your strong opinion. New England Patriots only nine and a half. That's with the jets and the Dolphins in their division. John, think about that. Now I want you to think about that. That's 20 against the Jets. That's 2 and oh against the Dolphins. Dolphins may be the weakest roster in the league. They're four wins baked in Vegas doesn't think they have another six wins in them.
- [34:19]
Colin Cowherd
I would say about the jets they added a lot of good players in the draft. They just extended breeze hall. If Geno Smith can just be capable in five or six games throughout the season they could knock a random team
- [34:30]
John Middlekauff
off here or there.
- [34:31]
Colin Cowherd
Yeah, I would take the New England Patriots as sitting here right now like a 9 or 10 win season just to be safe. I'd probably hammer the under. I do think the variable thing is something that clearly just has not gone away. There is an element. I mean I love golf. I think Tiger woods. Everyone's staring at you not just because you're famous for a different reason. Can be a weird scenario. There are away games, football's a little different. Basketball, they're not necessarily right on top of you. But there are going to be a lot of things screamed. You know it's. It's going to be, it's going to be a unique environment for the Patriots from an off the field standpoint. Also their schedule was easy last year and everyone's gunning for you now. I mean they just won the. No one's taking you lightly. You just have a random game this year interconference or I mean out of conference. They play, they get Seattle. You know, so it's strength, the schedule adds up. So I, I'd go nine, 10 wins. Now if you tell me Drake may takes another step and he becomes 2.0 version of Josh Allen then I believe you. But I, I could see, I could see them being better in the big picture and not winning as many games.
- [35:38]
John Middlekauff
49ers 10 and a half.
- [35:45]
Colin Cowherd
We'll have to see the way the schedule shakes out this year. I probably if I was playing it safe go 10 and 7. So I'd take the under their coaching staff. I mean as long as you got Kyle, they're going to be pretty dependent on last year's. Remember they split with the Rams in Seattle. So it's not. They have two of the best teams in their division but they're comfortable playing them. I mean they went down last year and beat the Rams on a Thursday night football game with Mac Jones starting now. They got Seattle week one, which was clearly. They played him late and it was a different ballgame, but they. It's not one of those like if you tell me the Bears, let's say week one is the Bears at Seattle, in Seattle. That's a tough spot for the Bears, right? Super loud, great defense. Wouldn't shock you if The Bears won 11 games and lost that game by 10 points. The Niners in that environment are used to playing it. So I, I feel pretty comfortable saying they'll be 10 and 7.
- [36:44]
John Middlekauff
Pretty interesting. In the best division in football based on record the last two years. Despite the J.J. mcCarthy situation, the Vikings are 8 1/2 over under. Bears are 9 1/2 with Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams 8 1/2 for the Vikings. Is that, Is that a tip of the cap to Kevin o'? Connell? Kyler Murray, they just went and got Joanne Jennings from the Niners. What do you make of that? That number feels like if they were in the NFC south, in the NFC North. Eight and a half of the Vikings. Is that the ultimate tip of the cap to Kevin O'? Connell?
- [37:27]
Colin Cowherd
Well, I mean, two years ago they won 14. Right. And last year they won nine. I'm hammering that under. I think to me they got five, six, seven wins written all over them. They are to me, they're to me the last place team in that division. Now like you said, it's a tough division. I think the Lions are going to be solid this year. To me, both those two teams were nine and eight. I think the Lions were a better version than the Vikings. Right. They're two nine and eight teams. If I had to say which team was better last year, I'm taking the Lions. I think the Bears are going to be playoff team again. And the packers sneaky, have a lot of question marks. You look at their roster, they've lost a lot of the core guys last year either through trades or in free agency. Before came out the owner's meetings like. Yeah, we had some internal locker room problems. Clearly some of the guys weren't all in the same. Yeah.
- [38:12]
John Middlekauff
What did you make about?
- [38:15]
Colin Cowherd
I think that some of the guys. I think he might have been talking about the offensive guys because if you looked at it, they let Dobbs walk and they traded Wicks. The Eagles.
- [38:22]
John Middlekauff
Yeah.
- [38:22]
Colin Cowherd
I think they had people inside that wide receiver room that thought they were stars and wanted the ball more. When you look at the, the catches on the team I looked the other day, Tucker Kraft led the team with like 55, 60. They did not have multiple guys like 70, 80 catches. So wide receivers, you've always been saying this for a long time. The icing on the cake, these guys, no matter how high character they are, they still a little about me, me, I, I. And you start, look at AJ Brown, you start not getting the ball. You start. The offense was a little weird. They were winning games. They'd bring in Malik Willis and just be like run quarterback option all game long. And it was working, you know, because LaFleur, in fairness, whatever we had to do to win the game, Wide receivers want to run go routes and post routes and that's, you know, I think LaFleur's LaFleur is much more like Kyle and McVeigh. I've always said this. McVeigh and Kevin O' Connell are more versions of like an Andy Reid where they want to throw. LaFleur is very comfortable. If Josh Jacobs was healthy, he would love to have a 1500 yard runner. You know, he wants to run the ball, control the clock. Not the most wide receiver friendly offense. So they're going to be very, I think Christian Watson is very content, just pay me a little money, let me run go routes. They're going to be very dependent on golden, you know, taking a huge step up this year. But their organization is kind of proven anytime you kind of bet against them, they're, they, they're just always kind of in the mix. So to me, I, Bears, Lions, then I have the Green Bay, then I, then I have Minnesota. I got, I got one for you though. I like this team a lot and I thought the weekend they had was good. Is, I think the Bengals, they've taken a lot of shit last two years.
- [39:59]
John Middlekauff
They've upgraded that D line.
- [40:01]
Colin Cowherd
You know, Burrow's got a little LeBron in him, right? He's telling these guys, forcing their hands. And in fairness, he's not been wrong about some of the stuff. Right? The indoor, you play in Ohio and we run of an indoor practice facility. Listen, you, you invest that much into two wide receivers, it gets tough to economically build your team. But when they traded the 10th pick for Dexter Lawrence, I mean that was a ballsy, aggressive move. And I just think that then they draft, I think Cassius Howell, lot like Reuben Bain if his arms were 33 instead of 29 or 30 Cassius Howells going in the first round because you couldn't watch. He was by far the best player on Texas A and M every Time you watched, he had a little cut off. You could see his abs. And he's coming around the end like he's von Miller 15 years ago for that program and they get him in the second round. They signed Mafe who was. They have to overpay a little bit in Cincinnati, but you just get more bodies now. Their defensive line is way better. We know their offense is good. They're to me the pick to win that division.
- [41:03]
John Middlekauff
I just don't know if Jesse mentor he could be but he's never been a head coach.
- [41:07]
Colin Cowherd
Yeah, I mean Baltimore had a once they get out of the Crosby thing now you add Hendrickson their draft. I mean they get a plug and play starter at guard who's fantastic. Their second round pick, Zion from Missouri. Everyone liked him a lot. So I would based on their history, those players are going to be good. This the coaching staff and I would say Lamar's health, you know, Lamar last year for the first time in his career, looked like a shell of himself at times. It was like he wasn't moving. Well, he wasn't. It was off.
- [41:37]
John Middlekauff
John. He looked like a pitcher who lost like five miles an hour off his fastball.
- [41:41]
Colin Cowherd
He was Lince like 2012. He used to throw 98, then he was throwing 88 and balls were going out the park.
- [41:50]
John Middlekauff
All right, good stuff. John Middlekop FORMER NFL SCOUT See you, Colin. There you go, buddy.
- [41:57]
Colin Cowherd
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Colin Cowherd
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- [43:00]
Timbo (Sports Slice Host)
Last night, a blown call changed the game. This morning the Internet lost its mind and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo, and every episode we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headline. And we're going straight to the source. The athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear. Listen to Sports slice on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast and for more, follow Timbo, Slice Life 12 and the TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok.
- [43:35]
Robert Smigel
Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy not quite on Humor Me with Robert Smigel and Friends Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier this week. My guests SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel help an acapella band with their between songs banter.
- [43:54]
Colin Cowherd
Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes.
- [43:57]
Robert Smigel
Those people are starving for banter. Listen to Humor Me with Robert Smigel and friends on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [44:06]
Colin Cowherd
Catch the NBA playoffs on Sling tv, the most flexible live TV streaming service, putting consumers in control to watch games their way with flexible subscriptions. Want to catch one game or a full series on espn? Grab a one, three or seven day pass. If you want to catch Catch as many games as possible, get a monthly subscription with our abc, NBC and ESPN combo package. Either way, Sling lets you watch the playoffs your way with no long term contracts. Learn more@sling.com. this is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.