Colin Cowherd (0:00)

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Now this is a second term we can all get behind. Listen to the Daily Show Ears edition on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcast. Thanks for listening to the Herd podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports radio and noon to 3 Eastern, 9am to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the herd@foxsportsradio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. Now let's get this party started. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. All right, here we go. It's Thursday, Final Four in college football on the precipice of a huge first NFL playoff weekend live in Los Angeles, it's the Herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, thanks for making us part of your day. You know, it's an interesting time right now in professional football. And so you have the haves and the have nots are both being discussed at the same time. So as we look forward to the weekend of the halves, it's the Chargers, it's the Eagles, you know, it's it's Buffalo, it's Baltimore, it's everybody except Kansas City and Detroit, they get buys. And then it's also fascinating to see what the other teams that did not make the playoffs, what are they going to do in Chicago? What are they going to do with the Raiders? So J. Mac, it's so interesting week. And then you have a team that's been a have forever and suddenly was a have not. San Francisco 49ers. So they have been usually the team either waiting for a playoff game one week or two, a buy or not a buy. A lot of these bad teams are bad forever. Like a lot of these bad Raiders have been bad forever. Bears have been ridiculous forever. And then there's the Niners and they want to be and are usually in the haves and now they're a have not. And they've got a big decision to make because what you don't want to do is make the wrong decision at quarterback or you will stay a have not forever. You make the bad decision there or you become Dallas when You win when it doesn't matter and you're never around in January and February to play. And so John lynch, he is telling you now, we are signing Brock Purdy to a big deal. What we know about Brock is that he's our guy. We've got, you know, we have interest in Brock being around here for a long, long time. He's done so much for our organization. He's won big games and had a little tougher task, as we all did this year with some of the things that happened throughout the course of the year. We just never could string games where we were all together. And through that he continued to lead, he continued to play at a high level. So we have every interest in him being around. Okay, so it's really interesting. The Niners used to be a have and now it looks like, oh, this year they're a have not. So what we know is the eight teams that won their division all had the best quarterback. First time I can remember. Do you think Brock Purdy is the kind of guy that will be a best quarterback in a division? I do not. You have to reframe the discussion on Brock Purdy. It has to go from ooh, look what he's done to what can he do? Because once he gobbles up a big chunk of the salary, he plays with less talented players. Remember Jared Goff before he got paid in LA? Sean McVeigh loved him and then he paid him and he didn't love him so much. If you ever wonder if you should pay a quarterback, ask yourself one question. What does our rival think? Because Buffalo loved it when Miami paid Tua big boy money. Buffalo loved it. He's 18 against the Bills and he can't play when it's cold. Buffalo loved Tua signing a long term deal, by the way. The Eagles loved Daniel Jones signing up for more money with the New York Giants. What do you think Sean McVay thinks with Matt Stafford? Ooh, scary. Brock purdy? Nope. Sean McVeigh this year, next, probably the following year will have the best quarterback. So ask yourself it's not about what he's done, it's about what can he do once you take people away from him. Scheme and stats. This is where Tua Purdy are very similar. The scheme and the stats make you go, ooh, eye test. Hammond Egger, Little small, weather affected. Need certain weapons. Lose weapons, not as good. And what's interesting with the Niners is you already have the answer. How many games you win this year without Christian McCaffrey, Trent Williams hurt. Brandon Aiuk hurt. You got the answer. When'd you win six, seven, eight games? He got the answer in front of you. So if you're the Niners, you have to reframe the question. And here's something else, because you want to be playing this weekend. The halves. There's 14 halves and that means there's. What do you got? 18 have nots. And the Niners are in the have nots. And one thing we know, if you have a great quarterback and Purdy's not that, in my opinion, you're not going to be winning your division going forward. I mean, good God. Kyle Shanahan, boy genius, has a losing record in San Francisco without Christian McCaffrey. Sean McVay doesn't have losing seasons often. Shannon's had him. So one of the disturbing trends is that Stafford needs McVeigh. But is he totally reliant on McVeigh? Because the stats this year for Brock Purdy are disturbing. In the first and second quarter, the schemed quarter, his passer rating is excellent. In the third and fourth quarters, the non schemed quarters, he has a. He has a passer rating that should pay you about $16 million a year, not 58. And so it is an interesting time for the San Francisco 49ers. They used to be in one group, now they're in the other. And the only thing that guarantees no Super Bowls is paying a B quarterback a money. You win a bunch of games, so does Dallas, but nobody will take you serious come January. Big decisions. The idea of paying him early has never made any sense. I would let it play out. Oh, by the way, he got hurt again this year. So I saw this story yesterday. Belichick, Bill Belichick made sure as he's on the recruiting trail, he made sure to get a hold of a couple of sources or his people did to say, hey, I am not going back to the NFL because it's hurting recruiting. And here's the thing. Bill Belichick did such a great job and you've had this before in your life. Somebody does such a great job doing something, it's the only way I can see them. It's like the Rock. The Rock is an action star. He could do a rom com. But if you're trying to convince me he's going to give up action films for rom coms. His personality is an action film. His experience with wrestling is action. His physique is an action film star. The Rock does action films. I don't want him crying a lot on screen. I don't want Rock being too tender and huggable. That's not who he is and that's not what he is, and that's not what he's built to be. Bill Belichick is a pro coach. He is much more ROTC than Nil. He is rigid. He doesn't pander. He doesn't have time for small talk. And that's what college football is. Hi, volleyball coach. Hey, recruit. Nice to meet you, Mr. Donor. I've always thought it's easier, although the coaching is much better in pro football than college. It's much easier to go psychologically college to pro. Just more football and less nonsense. It's very difficult to be a great pro coach and have to go backwards to college. A lot of handshakes, a lot of pandering, a lot of small talk. I mean, Bill hates mistakes. What do 18 and 19 and 20 year old boys do Make a lot of mistakes in football and out of it. There's a reason Belichick is an NFL historian. He loves great players and great players play at Georgia and, and they play at Notre Dame and they play at Ohio State and they play at Alabama and lsu and a lot of great players don't play at Carolina. Now Bill has the advantage of being a big brand and some kids may want to play for him, especially defensive players. But, but Bill was so great at the NFL. I just can't buy into. I don't care what sources say about, you know, Bill, because I saw the stories this morning. Bill's got no interest going back to the NFL. Yeah, and the Rock would have no interest going back to action films if somebody offered him 30 large for one. I'm sorry, that's who Bill is. That's his experience, that's his personality. That's who he is. And so I, I would love to see Bill because, because, you know, some of these offensive coaches, they age well. Sean Payton ages well. Drew Brell is yesterday. Andy Reid is aging well. You see, these old offensive go, old defensive coaches don't generally age as well because they don't necessarily, you know, they're, they're, they're, they're not necessarily always the best adapters. And college football, nil Portal is all about adapting. So I, it just, it's almost like Belichick staying in college. It's like, you know, New Year's resolutions. You can tell me you're going to go to the gym every day. You, you can tell me you're going to keep your New Year's resolution and you're going to eat better. You know, about three weeks in, you start to kind of fade off. That nine weeks in, you drive by the gym and think you should go, and 12 weeks in, you just don't. You take a different way to work. Like. Like. So you're. You're getting me to buy into. Belichick's gonna love this college football thing. I can't. I just can't do it. He was so great at one thing. I don't buy the other thing. That's where I stand on it. And I still contend Philadelphia or Buffalo get bounced early in the playoffs, and I don't think they will. I think Philadelphia is going to beat Green Bay. I think Buffalo is going to win at home against Denver. I do. But if they got bounced, you are having absolute phone calls to Belichick. My belief is he would pick up the phone for both. All right, J. Mac, we got so many things this weekend. I'm starting to really feel good about my picks this weekend. The one game I'm going to stay away from and you feel strongest about it is Rams, Vikings. I. You love Los Angeles. I like Minnesota. But I am concerned. You have been so good this year. I may just want to stay away. It's the J. Mac factor. Well, you say that in college, but I don't have a strong feeling. Starting tonight with Notre Dame. I think. I think we both. We're going to go watch that together. I think we both know what it's going to look like. Very physical, lot of defense, low scoring. By the way, two NFL quarterbacks, one I like a lot, one you don't, but it's. You have two very talented quarterbacks, two very young, energetic recruiters, two huge brands. I don't see a ton of offense tonight. Yeah, I would agree. It's a field goal game, a turnover game, a penalty game. Like, it's going to be. Fewest mistakes wins. Yeah. This is like a appetizer for the five days of football we get, you know, shrimp cocktail kind of game. Yeah, yeah. Decent. I like. I like Notre Dame. Yeah. And I mean 23, 20, like Notre Dame. What say you? 17, 16, Irish. Okay. And we both had Notre Dame over Georgia. I do like Ohio State over Texas as well. Tomorrow. That's gonna get. That's a little spicy. Start pulling out all the stops in that one. Yeah. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific, on Fox Sports Radio. FS1 and the iHeartRadio app. Hi, it's the Herd. NFL playoffs. We're talking about NFL playoffs. You bet we are. 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Call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org Please play responsibly on behalf of Boothill casino and resort Kansas 21. Age and eligibility varies by jurisdiction. Void In Ontario, new customers only. Bonus bets expire 168 hours after issuance for additional terms and responsible gaming Resources C D K N G Co Audio hey folks, this message brought to you by the one and only official Whiskey of the Herd with Colin Coward Green River Whiskey now here's a story that'll knock your socks off. Picture this. Founded way back in 1885, Green River Whiskey is OG Kentucky Cool, the 10th oldest distillery in the state. And get this. It was so valuable back in the day that 20 barrels of the good stuff were traded for shares in a gold mine. That's liquid gold. Literally. But like any great drama, tragedy struck in 1917 with a fire that almost wiped it off the map. Cue the hero music. It was rebuilt on the same hallowed grounds. Let me tell you, better than ever. 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But we'll do that thanks to some of my friends like Samantha bee, Roy Wood Jr. And Charlemagne tha God. We're going to take some viewer questions as well. I mean, isn't that what democracy is all about? Power to the podcast for the people. So whether you're obsessed with the news or just trying to figure out what's going on, this season of Next Question is for you. Check out our new season of Next Question with me, Katie Couric, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, everybody? Adnan Virk here to tell you about a new podcast from iHeart podcast in the National Hockey League. It's NHL Unscripted with Virgin Demers. Hey, I'm Jason Demers, former 700 game NHL defenseman turned NHL Network analyst. And boy, oh boy, does Daddy have a lot to say. I love you, by the way, on NHL Network, we're looking forward to getting together each week to chat and chirp about the sport and all the other things surrounding it that we love. Right? Yeah, I just met you today, but we're going to have a ton of guests from the colliding worlds of hockey, entertainment and pop culture. And you know what, tons of back and forth on all things NHL. Yeah, you're soon going to find out we're not just hockey talk. We had all kinds of random stuff on this podcast. Movies, television, food, wrestling, even the stuff that you wear in NHL. Now you wish you could pull off my short shorts, Virky. That's sure to cause a ruckus. Listen to NHL Unscripted with Burke and demers, the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. You're now entering the no Bull zone, sponsored by Credible Great Rates. None of the bull. So, you know, the Chicago Bears have been critical of a lot of the executive. Sweet stuff to me is political and it doesn't feel centered. But Ryan Polls a young GM did say something because I've pushed back on this whole, hey, hire Ben Johnson. He'll fix Caleb Williams. All right? That's part of it. Here's Ryan polls. Obviously, there's ideal fit, but at the end of the day, you got to look at all the characteristics of what you're looking for in the head coach, and then you got to see what's the best bundle of those to bring in the building. Obviously, we're talking about leadership, accountability, some of those important things that carry over. To ignore those, just to go to the other side, I think is a bad deal, too. Yes. So I agree with this. The Chicago Bears hire can't just be about Caleb Williams again. It's. It's like getting in, being healthier and losing weight. Can't just be about the gym. You gotta eat better and sleep better. It's gotta be holistic. Maybe a little less alcohol, you know, and then you. At the gym, it's gotta be holistic. And when it comes to the Bears, I mean, they gotta go all the way down to the gut health. They need cases of kombucha. This is not just a, hey, let's hire a whiz kid. It'll solve everything. Nah, bro, the gym won't solve everything. Can't go Taco Bell four times a week. Gotta do better than that. That's why I've said Mike Vrabel and Pete Carroll, I think they'd be good hires. They're defensive guys because they're culture creators. They've created run games, good defenses. So the quarterback is important, but not the only thing. Maximizing Caleb Williams and maximizing quarterback has its perils. Buffalo, in my opinion. And the Bengals are too. Quarterback reliant. Kansas City was able to win this year when Mahomes wasn't playing. Great football. Yes, believe it or not, sometimes great quarterbacks have bad stretches. Mahomes has had a few through the years. But Kansas City is more than just Mahomes. It's Steve Spagnola and that defense. And when Pacheco's healthy, a run game and a great tight end and physicality and intelligence. So. So the Philadelphia staff has said, you know what we want. Jalen hurts throwing less, and they've won more. Lamar Jackson won the mvp. Baltimore said, let's get him Derrick Henry. They didn't say more Lamar. He won a game this year completing, I think, 10 passes. So this whole thing about just maximize Caleb. What gay Caleb Williams needs is protection. O line stunk this year. You know my rule in football. Find the quarterback, protect the quarterback. Draft guys who make the other quarterbacks life uncomfortable. The three step plan. You worry about wide receivers, running backs, later, quarterback, and protect them. Chicago has the quarterback. They couldn't protect him, so they got to, they got to solve the O line. He needs protection and guidance. He doesn't need to be shot out of a cannon every week. That's not what wins in this league for years. And I mean, it took Buffalo years to figure this out. They finally went and got Kid K the tight end and James Cook the running back. It was basically you were asking Josh Allen to be Superman every week. Think how great Joe Burrow is on any Sunday. The best quarterback in the league did not make the playoffs. They're too reliant on him. So to me, the Ben Johnson, let's just hire a whiz kid. Can he change the culture? Can he hire a good staff? It's not just about the gym. You got to eat better. It's not just about Caleb and that, that. I mean, I was looking at a stat this morning Jon Jalen hurts. Seven and a half fewer pass attempts per game this year. And I think there have been moments. It's been the best. Jalen hurts. Matt LaFleur has asked Jordan Love to throw less. They acquired Josh Jacobs run more. So, so, so I, I don't need my quarterback shut out of a cannon. I, I don't want to be quarterback reliant. If you told me Caleb Williams, they get a coach, whoever it is, and Caleb throws 28 times a game and rushes five. I'm good. You can go look at Dax career. When he throws over 38 times a game, he has a losing record. I remember it would. Kobe Bryant was in his prime if he scored over 40. The Lakers were less successful. I mean, Michael Jordan's a great example. Speaking of Chicago, Michael loved Doug Collins. Doug Collins put the ball in his hands, score however many you want. Phil Jackson came in and said, you want to be a scorer, you want to hoist trophies? You got to trust your teammates, right? You got to trust Kerr and you got to trust Luke Longley and Scotty Pippen and others and Paxton to hit jumpers. So Chicago's got a history of it. It wasn't just about Jordan. It was, it was Ron Harper and Rodman and Pippen and the length and the perimeter shooters. That's when Jordan won trophies. This is not just a Caleb thing. J. Mac with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the third line news. All right, let's start with Jalen Hurts returning from his concussion. He returned to practice yesterday in Limited fashion. Offensive tackle Jordan Mylotta said Hurts came back with energy, high energy and looked sharp. But to be clear, Hertz has not officially been cleared of the concussion protocol. I don't know. It's sounding like he's going to play in the game. Yes. Eagles are four and a half point favorites. I think Philly's going to use the run game to their advantage because the packers run defense has been a little hot and cold. Yeah, packers defense this year has been. It's been good. Take takeaways, but it's been a bit hot and cold. Yeah. And they want to. They want to play the COVID two and like, you know that we'll give up the run game. No big plays over the top. Right. So they just feed Saquon Barkley. This could be 25 carries for Barkley. Yeah, it feels like that between the concussion and the way Green Bay plays defense. What you don't want to do, you don't want to go to Philadelphia and get beat over the top with a home run ball early. The crowd's going crazy. And then you become pass centric because you have to. You'd like to slow this game down. I think both teams want to run the football. I think it could be a quick game. I think it's going to be Josh Jacobs, Saquon Barkley. I don't think either staff wants their quarterback throwing 35. You don't want to send Jordan Love on the road with that pass rush throwing 37 times. Yeah, you want it. You want to eat the clock speed. If I was the Packers, I want to shrink the game, speed it up. I'm on the road. Philadelphia's got a better roster. Jordan Loves banged up. I want a quick, fast. I want completions, tight ends, running back. I want my passes to be 12 yards and in first downs. Move the chains, keep the clock running. When you have less talent, shrink the game gives you back. When you have more talent, you want more snaps. So if you start poorly, just give me more snaps. We'll eventually our players will win. I think there's some data out there that says teams that played in the regular season and have a rematch in the playoffs, historically that's been a lower scoring game. So I would look at the under and any Saquon Barkley running props you want if you're. If you're gambling on the game. Next up is the Denver Broncos, back in the playoffs for the first time since their super bowl run in 2015. They got a tough matchup against Josh Allen and the Bills But Bo Nicks in Denver, they don't want to hang their hat on just making the playoffs. I don't want to be handcuffed by just making it just because we haven't done it in so long. But, you know, if we're going to make it, we might as well go win some games. It'd be a shame to get this far and then, you know, start enjoying where you are and then become complacent and then not do your best in this game when you got a chance to go out there and compete to go win. So I'm surprised this is coming down a little bit from it was 98. Now what are people seeing in the Broncos? Well, could have dicey weather. The better defense is Denver. Sean Payton over Sean McDermott. Sean Payton, do you want a quick number four zero against the spread in the playoffs, on the road? He's a really good coach. I know people don't want to yell. He stunk last year. This is a good coach. He's been in the playoffs. What took New Orleans to the Super Bowl? I, I just don't see an upset here. I don't either. That would be stunning. Listen, I don't think Jaden Daniels is going to win in Tampa. And we both love Jaden Daniels. I think Tampa's got the better roster. I think right now Baker's better than Jaden in a big game. So I mean, to me, I and Bo Nix is good, but he's not close to Josh Allen, who's the best football player on some Sundays in the world. And Baker's good. Jaden Daniels and Baker fairly close, I think. I mean, obviously Jaden's a quicker, twitchier athlete, but my take is rookie quarterbacks on the road. First playoff game, there's not a lot of winners. Historically. If I'm Buffalo, I'm. When the coin toss, I want the ball first. I want to go right down the field. Scripted drive, get that lead. Bo Nix, you're playing catch up. What you gonna do? You know, Bo, Nick's faces, his thirst first, third and eight, right? Juiced up crowd. It's cold. He's a wide eyed. You know this, this could get squirrely. I, I think Buffalo in a blowout, but you got to respect the money coming in on Monday. I respect the money. I just don't want my money on that side. Yeah, exactly. Final story. Now this, this is interesting. Colin, obviously we have been linking Dion to Shador in the NFL. He's a coaching candidate. Right, we know that. However, yesterday, Deion Sanders was on Good Morning America and was asked whether he would consider making the jump to the NFL. He replied, the only way I would consider is to coach my sons, not son, sons. Deion later added, he loves Colorado and everything. They've been doing well. Yeah, I think his son's son's going to the NFL. One of them definitely going to be the NFL. Probably. Yeah. This feels like a brawny thing. It's cute. But the NBA is going to. Eventually you're going to become a have not very quickly if you're more worried about your kids than actually acquiring great players. And I don't think the NFL, this is a cute story, but they're not going to bend over for Deion Sanders. Kids, really? I don't think so. Okay. So the two, the good teams won't hold on. The two teams at the top are Tennessee and Cleveland. Brian Callahan. Yeah. Two and 15 against the spread. Okay. If he's awful this year and they get Shador, Deion's coming in next year and Cleveland with Stefanski, multiple time coach of the year. Really good coach. Right. He could be considered on the hot seat. You think the Titans are going to waste a draft pick on a player that is just a cousin or a friend or an ally? I mean, he could be undrafted free agent. You signed. Okay, that, that. I have no problem with that. There's. Everybody signs 15 of those. Yeah, maybe you grab the other son. I don't know where he is in the draft, but the two teams at the top have coaches who just had really, really bad seasons. And if one of them takes Shadour and they have another bad season. You don't think Dion's coaching in 2026 in the NFL? I don't. I, I think New York Giants are third, by the way. I think the media loves these stories. The young media loves Bronny to the Lakers. But it's a little embarrassing, I mean, for considering Braun's greatness. Bronnie's on the team. Bronnie's not an NBA player. It was a cute story. Let's, let's stop. And, and by the way, Shadour or Sanders is very good. If the other son's not an NFL player, then I, I'm not, I'm not drafting somebody because I, I, I want to accumulate or create a relationship with shador. Sanders goes 3 and 14 and is not very good. He's done. Nobody cares. He's going to have about a year and a half and then people in the building are going to raise their hand and Go, yeah, he's not good enough. I think the NFL is very bottom line. Very bottom line. I don't think they care. I mean, I, I'm telling you right now, I'm not saying that it hasn't happened. I mean, Gronk had a bunch of brothers. If, you know, the undrafted free agent route is something that could happen, sure. But boy, the NFL's bottom line, they forget about you very fast. Bill Belichick got fired a couple of years after the dynasty. They just. The NFL doesn't play by the NBA rules. The NBA's got a meaningless regular season. There's a zillion games. Most are not watched or forgettable. And the brawny story, you can just waste a game and play around and have fun and everybody likes it. You don't think all the, the, all the. A billion spots on an NFL roster, you can't find one for Dion's other son, but that Shador's brother, you can't find one spot. I'm saying if they go undrafted free agent, possibly, but I don't think any really well run organization is desperate for Shadour Sanders. Look at the top of the draft. It's the same. Have knots the last decade because they're not well run. That's right. So a poorly run franchise I could see doing that. Well, that's all we've got here, Colin. I mean, the Giants right now are poorly run. We have to admit that. The Cleveland Browns are in a. I do not think the Patriots. I think the Patriots have good ownership and they've got their quarterbacks for the future. They're not going for him. The Jaguars are not going for him. They're poorly run. Raiders are poorly run. Jets. Come on, Panthers. How many coaches have they had in the last like six years? All these teams stink, right? They're poorly run. I think Shador's in play and. Well, I don't think Shador Sanders is good enough in my opinion. Nor is Cam Ward to trade away a bunch of picks for him. Agree? Yeah. Yeah. So, I mean, I think, you know, who's going to get Shador, One of the first two teams. I like Shador Sanders. I think he's a good prospect. I kind of feel the same way, although he's a different player. When DeSean Watson came out of Clemson, I thought he was a B plus prospect. He was, he was a great college. He was a great college quarterback, but I didn't think. I talked to my NFL guys, you know, they're like, he's not a natural Pure thrower. We're forgetting how good he was in Houston. He was definitely a top 10 quarterback in the league. Maybe top like seven. Not for not very long. Houston to the playoffs like every year. He was good. I mean very forgettable. Houston was never a viable super bowl team. I mean I think they had the Chiefs down 24 nothing. Oh, they ended up losing 51 something. How did that game go? It's still. Brady Never lost a 24 nothing lead. J. Matt, I like Shadour, I like him. But, but in order to move up, you have to love somebody. So I think the teams at the top are going to get Shador and I think those teams aren't necessarily very well run and his ascension and greatness will be limited. J. Mac with the news. Well, that's the news and thanks for stopping by the herd lie news. You know, I saw a story this morning. Somebody was asking the story. Once thriving, Mike Tomlin's legacy hangs in the balance. And it's, it's really interesting because if Mike Tomlin and the Steelers got routed this weekend and they're 10 point underdogs to Baltimore, I think you'd have to have a harsh discussion and a real discussion. But I've always said Mike Tomlin to me is very much Pete Carroll. Two super bowl appearances, hoisted a trophy. Great motivator, defense first, very intense, excellent leader, highly passionate, tremendous energy. And both Pete Carroll and Mike Tomlin, as the NFL culture has pivoted to offense first feel a little behind their contemporaries. And here's the thing is I think Mike Tomlin and Pete Carroll, I would hire them both with the Chicago Bears, but I think there's an argument to be made that these strong leaders as the world has pivoted, I, I'm not sure Tomlins the answer in Pittsburgh and I think if they get smoked this weekend and they could, I think you have to address the question in the room. And I think with both Mike Tomlin and Pete Carroll, the legacy is two Super Bowls got a trophy, great energy, respected passion, leaders, all that stuff. And I'd hire him with the Bears tomorrow, but I do think, I do think their contemporaries, especially coaches who coach offense, feel like they're more innovators, they're ahead of the curve. And I just don't feel like Pittsburgh can get offense right. I don't think their answer for quarterback is probably in the building. And if you go to the last 12 playoff games with Pittsburgh, I mean if Belichick and Andy Reid can be removed in the NFL, you can have the discussion the last 12 Mike Tomlin playoff games, a lot of losses, a lot of ugly losses and a couple of narrow wins. One over Matt Moore, one over AJ McCarron. So I think this weekend, I don't think Pittsburgh, I just think that organization is so uncomfortable with the discussion of moving off Mike Tomlin, they don't even want to discuss it. And I think you have to have these uncomfortable conversations. You could run a television network. You could be a mayor, you could be a GM and a football coach. You gotta have uncomfortable conversations. And if they get rounded this weekend and you're looking at the top of this league with Philly and Detroit and Kansas City and Buffalo and Baltimore, Pittsburgh doesn't feel like they're in that class. I don't think Pittsburgh feels like they're in the Rams, Chargers, Minnesota class this morning. It's an offensive league. Here's Tomlin on the playoff woes. What you mentioned is my story is not this collective story. Many of these guys involved do not tote those bags. I happily tote those bags. But it's not something that I'm a project on the collective. Yeah, I can like Pete Carroll and Mike Tomlinson and think they deserve hall of Fame nominations and votes. I can like both. But I did think in Seattle it had run its course. And I do think in Pittsburgh, if they get blown out again by a better quarterback, can we have the conversation in Belichick was removed. Andy Reid was removed. We can't have the conversation. I think it's a very big. I think if Baltimore loses this weekend, Lamar is going to get some heat. I thought last year when the Cowboys lost, It was about McCarthy, not about Dak. And I do think in Pittsburgh, I'm not going to blame Russell Wilson. He's out of his prime. I think if Pittsburgh gets hammered, let's just have the conversation here. I got about 12 years of playoff performance and it kind of starting to look the same. I said this last week the Steelers have become a slightly different variation of the same team every year, and it's been going on for over a decade. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific. Hey, it's Steve Covino. And I'm Rich Davis, and together we're Covino and Rich on Fox Sports Radio. You can catch us weekdays from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and of course, the iHeartRadio app. Why should you listen to Covino and Rich? We talk about everything. Life, sports, relationships, what's going on in the world. We have a lot of fun talking about the stories behind the stories in the world of sports and pop culture. Stories that, well, other shows don't seem to have the time to discuss. And the fact that we've been friends for the last 20 years and still work together, I mean, that says something, right? So check us out. We like to get you involved, too. Take your phone calls, chop it up, as they say. I'd say the most interactive show on Fox Sports Radio, maybe the most interactive show on planet Earth. Be sure to check out Covino and Rich live on Fox Sports radio and the iHeartradio app from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific. And if you miss any of the live show, just search Covino and Rich wherever you get your podcast. And of course, on social media, that's Covino and Rich. Hey folks, this message brought to you by the one and only official Whiskey of the Herd with Colin Coward, Green River Whiskey. Now here's a story that'll knock your socks off. Picture this. Founded way back in 1885, Green River Whiskey is OG Kentucky Cool, the 10th oldest distillery in the state. And get this, it was so valuable back in the day that 20 barrels of the good stuff were traded for shares in a gold mine. That's liquid gold. Literally. 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I'm bringing in some foks friends of Katie's to help me out, like Ezra Klein, Van Jones, Jen Psaki, Asted Herndon. But we're also going to have some fun, even though these days fun and politics seems like an oxymoron. But we'll do that. Thanks to some of my friends like Samantha bee, Roy Wood Jr. And Charlemagne the God. We're going to take some viewer questions as well. I mean, isn't that what democracy is all about? Power to the podcast for the people. So whether you're obsessed with the news or just trying to figure out what's going on, this season of Next Question is for you. Check out our new season of Next Question with me, Katie Couric on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, everybody? Adnan Burke here to tell you about a new podcast from iHeart podcast in the National Hockey League. It's NHL Unscripted with Perkin Demers. Hey, I'm Jason Demers, former 700 game NHL defenseman turned NHL Network analyst. And boy, oh, boy, does daddy have a lot to say. I love you, by the way, on NHL Network, we're looking forward to getting together each week to chat and chirp about the sport and all the other things to running it that we, we love. Right? Yeah, I just met you today, but we're going to have a ton of guests from the colliding worlds of hockey, entertainment and pop culture and you know what, tons of back and forth on all things NHL. Yeah, you're soon going to find out we're not just hockey talk. We're going to all kinds of random stuff on this podcast. Movies, television, food, wrestling, even the stuff that you wear on NHL. Now you wish you could pull off my short shorts. Ferky. That shirt of Kazar Ruckus. Listen to NHL Unscripted with Burke and demers, the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Joel Klatt, the voice of college football at Fox, is now joining us and he is down in Orange county and we're gonna watch that Notre Dame Penn State game tonight. So is he. As we're down to the final four in college football, James Franklin said, and I don't want to go too far into the weeds on this, that he thinks all teams should be in a conference. I like that. Notre Dame's independent. I think college football needs to be a little different than pro football. I'm for it. Do you believe going forward, not just this season, but going forward? Nil transfer portal Marcus Freeman. Is Notre Dame positioned well going forward for college football? Certainly seems that way. And I think that maybe what James Franklin is touching on is that it is advantageous because they have kind of a direct carve out in the college football playoff. And I think they would continue to get that direct carve out even if this playoff changes to a 14 team model. I mean, you can understand why coaches would want them in a conference. I think that conferences inherently are more difficult than, than being independent. Yeah. Although you know, with their scheduling partnership with the acc, it kind of depends on how that league is going. It was not very, very good this year. And then the other side of this would just be the financial impact and Notre Dame and people around Notre Dame have told me independence is vital to the way that they raise money for their institution writ large, not just their athletic department and their football program. So, so that is, that is a big piece of this. It's, it's important to them on many different levels, including the donor base, feeling like their dollars really matter for the institution. I think this is the first year that college football is playing an NFL season which is 16 or 17 games. And I think Ohio State has a huge advantage. Chip Kelly, who was gone, he knows the NFL rigors, he knows how to balance play calling, what to hide, how to interpret certain things. And I think it's an advantage. I think it's not a surprise is that the last two weeks they have looked like a different offense. Will Howard's regained his confidence and that college football now, at least at the end, is the NFL, which I don't think gives little guys much of a chance at all and gives the big dogs a decided advantage. But I think Chip helps Ohio State in this regard. Well, don't forget that Ryan has NFL experience as well. You know, I mean, Brian Hartline has NFL experience. And I've talked at length with Ryan about this and this goes back all the way to when I went in last, last year to do their spring game. And we talked at length about the length of the season and how they would approach it and how differently they were going to approach it than even what they have done previous. If you take a look at the regular season, they were one of the slowest offenses in all of college football. Their, their snaps per game were way down. And that was intentional because remember, if you've got better players, you would want to play more a higher volume of snaps. And they didn't intentionally, they played very slow for this reason. It wasn't anything other than this is going to be a long season and we want to make sure that we're at our best and we're fresh late. It was one of the reasons why the two running backs were big for them, you know, getting junkins in the portal. They also, and I would think that this is a very important piece of this from a schematic standpoint. They were strategic in what they were showing teams during the course of the year. Their offensive and defensive game plans and structures have changed drastically during the course of the year. And that was intentional. Part of it was because they lost to Oregon and Michigan and yes, we've all talked about that, but Colin. The other part of it was intentional from Brian Day and Chip Kelly that they didn't want to show everything, they didn't want to show every formation. So that when they get into these games late in the year, they have things that the opposing defenses have not seen. And that is a very NFL structure. Is there more pressure on Sark or Ryan Day tomorrow? I think Ryan Day just because of the Michigan aspect of this, because of the fact that they have now looked so dominant. They are so very clearly the odds on favorite to win the national championship. It's one of the only things that will get that fan base off of his back from a Michigan loss perspective. Whereas Sark, you know, let's face it, they were for about 10 years roaming around in the desert as a program. This Texas team. Yeah. And he's put them now back in the national semifinals and back to back back years. You know, he went on the road and beat Alabama. He went on the road and beat Michigan. He's now played for the SEC championship in his first year after winning the Big 12 championship and their last year in the conference. He has elevated this program to a point where now they can see some sustainability at the top. And for those reasons, I think Ryan is still under more pressure. You do a great job on draft coverage. I gotta ask you. I think Cam Ward's more talented arm mobility than Shador. Shador is a bit more polished. The betting markets now have Cam above Shador. Who would you draft if you were a GM and needed a signal caller? I would draft Shador. I think that he does what the NFL wants and needs more so than Cam. Cam's great and I think both of these guys are top five picks and this is the only part of the draft process I don't love. Colin, is that when you. When I say, like, well, I would take Shador, people like, well, why do you hate Cam Ward? I don't. I love him. He should be a top five pick and I think that he will have success. I like Shador because of the control that he exudes from the pocket. You know, he has such an understanding of the game and then he can be both Surgical. And he can be kind of a magician at the same time. Whereas as Cam's game is a little bit different than that. It's a little bit more college shooters, I think is a more NFL style. He can be surgical when he's on time and everything is right. And then he's got that kind of Fran Tarkenton ability to be mobile, get himself free and make plays down the field. I would take Shador if I had the number one pick and everything aligned. Although who knows, you know, what the demands are going to be, you know, from Shador in terms of where he wants to play. One more question, one minute. Does Penn State have a shot tonight? You like James Franklin's chances? Yes, I do. I think that they've got a good shot. That's a very evenly matched game. I will say this, I'm going to pick Notre Dame, but one of the things that Penn State has is the ability to learn from their history and what they've done has gotten in their way at times. Against Ohio State, they didn't give the ball to Tyler Warren Inside the 10 yard line. You know, I thought that they got away from Catron Allen against Boise State. If they just lean into where they can have success, they'll have a good chance to win this game. That program is elevated to a point where they need that tipping point victory. And it could be tonight. Yeah, and it's interesting. As great a program as they are, it feels like all everybody's talking about is Notre Dame, Texas, Ohio State. So very rarely in sports are you excellent and under discussed. You're excellent, but viewed as sort of irrelevant. And Penn State's got two natties as an independent, by the way. So I've been talking about this with friends. I'm like, boy, what a great spot to be in. You're just that other team of the four, and you have like six NFL guys all over your roster. And maybe it's because they haven't had that win where you're like, oh, man, that's a great upset win. Or that's a marquee win, a tipping point victory. They've beaten everybody that they should in college football for the better part of four or five years. They haven't had that victory over a team that maybe they shouldn't beat. And I think that's where the apprehension is. Joel Klatt, you're great. Good seeing you, buddy. I appreciate it. Yeah, you too, bud. You too. Have a good one. All right, Greg Cosell, top of next hour. You know you like fantasy football. You like betting on football. You want to get smarter on pro football. Greg Cosell, Top of the Hour yeah, it's I mean, if you look at college football in the format everybody loves the little guy favorites are eight. No, all the little guys except Arizona State got their doors blown off. Inviting more people to the party doesn't change who the coolest people at the party are, right? And so it's one of those things where I look at college football, you can invite more people. We're down to Notre Dame, Ohio State, Texas and little old Penn State, which has been the Northeast's best football program for a majority of my life. They've been the program campus. It take you a while to get there, but it is beautiful. Hour 2 Next all right, let's talk about Amazon Prime. It's not just one thing. It's a collection of services that help you get the most out of whatever you're into. Whether it's a hobby, sport, or getting things done fast. Prime's got you covered. Like my hobby for all things sports. You can order sports supplies, listen to content like this, podcast on Amazon music or watch content. You can do it all with Prime. Everybody loves the fast, free same day shipping, especially as we kick off the year. But what about all the content you can listen to on Amazon music, music to podcast, fast shipping? What is not to love about this membership I'm in? Prime fuels your passions, makes everything easier. So whatever you're into, it's on Prime. Visit Amazon.com prime now. This message brought to you by the official Whiskey of the Herd with Colin Coward Green River Whiskey Green River Whiskey is the 10th oldest distillery in Kentucky and was once the most expensive Whiskey purchased when 20 barrels were traded for shares in a gold mine. From single barrel bourbons to straight rye, Green River's the perfect combo of rich flavor and richer history. Visit greenriverwhiskey.com to discover a legend in a Bottle A product of Green River Distilling Co. Owensboro, KY. Alcohol by volume varies by product. Greenriverwhisky.com, please drink responsibly. Whether you're ordering wings for the game, whipping up a seven layer dip or ordering pizza, there's something about football that makes me want to eat. And this football season, Uber Eats has the best deals for me on game day food. No matter what I'm craving from two for one Pizza to buy one get one Wings. Uber Eats will be dropping new deals each week. All season long, I'm in Uber Eats, the official on demand delivery partner. Partner of the NFL. Order now for game day. Terms and conditions apply. See app for details. Jon Stewart is back in the host chair at the Daily show, which means he's also back in our ears on the Daily Show Ears Edition podcast. Join late night legend Jon Stewart and the best news team for today's biggest headlines, exclusive extended interviews and more. Now this is a second term we can all get behind. Listen to the Daily Show Ears edition on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up everybody? Adnan Burke here to tell you about a new podcast. It's NHL Unscripted with Verkin Demers, Jason Demers here. And after playing 700 NHL games, I got a lot of dirty laundry to air out. Hey, I got a lot to say here too, okay? Each week we'll get together to chat with the sport that we love. Tons of guests are gonna join in too. But we're not just gonna be talking hockey, folks. We're talking movies, we're talking tv, food, and Adnan's favorite wrestling. It's all on le table. Listen to NHL Unscripted with Vir and Demers, the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.