Michael Irvin (3:38)

Now let's get this party started.

Colin Cowherd (3:40)

You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Here we go. It is a Tuesday. What a week we had last week. Not slowing down. 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. We are packed today. Zach Ertz, Nick Wright, Michael Urban Stops by J. Mac I'm going to tell you, we all know Andy Reid's the best coach in the league, but what Sean McVay did last night? Wow, that was a flex.

Michael Irvin (4:14)

I hope you followed me on the Rams.

Colin Cowherd (4:16)

Felt really good about this. I did follow you on the Rams, my friend. You talked me into it. Dinner is on me. So let's start today's show, the Easy show to do the Easy One. I'm not into Easy Is Sam Donald stinks. No he doesn't. He's closer to Baker Mayfield than Patrick Mahomes. He doesn't stink. You don't do what he did this year and stink. If you look at the stats last night, first downs. Oh, Rams had fewer than Minnesota passing first downs. Minnesota third down efficiency. Vikings way better. Total plays, rushing penalties. Vikings only had 2. Rams had actually 10. Time of possession Vikings. Vikings. Vikings. Vikings. Vikings. What I watched was a coaching clinic. Brian Flores, who's really good, got worked. The Rams first drive was seven plays 70 yards touchdown. As Greg Cosell noted, the Rams D line was going to be a problem for the Vikings o line. Kevin O'Connell going forward at midfield. Minute 30 left in the first half. I thought felt Desperate. This game was over at half. It was 24 3. You could argue it was over midway through the second quarter. All on coaching, the Rams put on a clinic. Brian Flores is great. First play of the game, 25 yards, they're already in field goal position. Napuka Nakua. The common theme this weekend is young quarterbacks that fell behind lost. You know, Justin Herbert lost and Sam Darnold lost and Jordan Love lost. And the only one that won was Jaden Daniels and he needed a doink. What I watched last night, McVeigh proving once again. Since Sean McVay arrived in Los Angeles, only the Kansas City Chiefs have more playoff wins. And he did it with a run team with Todd Gurley, a run scheme. And then he did it with Cooper cup and now he's doing it with an older Matt Stafford and Puka Nakua. And he's actually doing it with defense, this Rams defense. The rookies. The Rams have lead the NFL in rookie sacks, rookie fumble recoveries, rookie pressures. The Rams do not miss on defensive draft picks. They've missed on a couple offensive draft picks. But I'm watch take Andy Reid out. If you're talking leadership, game management, play design, culture, building, it is almost unfair what the Rams have in Sean McVay. I mean, Phil Jackson's an all time coach, but Phil Jackson was very clear. I coach superstars. You guys do the rebuilds. McVay can do rebuilds, he can do young stars, he can build a defense. He can go run first. He can, he can go past happy, it doesn't matter. You give him an offseason, he'll rebuild the team, he'll rebuild the scheme. Remember a couple years ago he went to Seattle for the opener and a rebuild year. Pete Carroll didn't know what he was watching. I mean, they literally came in with a completely different schemed run game. And I'm looking at some of these Rams defensive stats. Since Week 15, including the playoffs, the Rams lead the entire NFL in sacks. And I don't know if they can beat Philadelphia, but they match up with Philadelphia and they are a different team than the one that played Philadelphia earlier this year. I said this for the last three weeks. This young defense, about every three weeks you look up and they're noticeably better. And I mean the starters have only played four games the last four games. The starters defensively have played for the Rams. They've allowed under 10 points in all four games. So there's only a handful of quarterbacks that can beat the Rams. And Sam Darnold with this offensive Line is not one of them. But we love to bury losers. I mean, that's what media does, right? You're a loser, we bury you. I didn't think this game was about the Vikings. I thought it was about a staff in Brian Flores and Kevin oconnell that we felt all year was an elite staff. Four drives into that game, three drives into that game, it was a coaching mismatch. The Vikings could not protect Darnold, who's always held the ball too long. For the record, so did Big Ben, and so does Joe Burrow. So did Andrew Luck. Some guys like to hold it a second longer because they're big play guys. They like to throw the ball down the field, not dink and dunk it. But Sam didn't have a great night. But Josh Allen could win that game with that protection. Lamar Jackson Mahomes could win that game. Sam Darnold's not going to. But I said this weekend, we love to bury the losers. I didn't blame the packers for losing. I said yesterday on the show, they're not as good as Philadelphia. They're too young. Green Bay wasn't going to win that game in Philadelphia. It was the one game I said going to the weekend. My favorite bet was take Philadelphia. They don't even have to play well, and they didn't. And they can win. To me, this game was about Sean McVeigh. I mean, think about this. Kyle Shanahan is considered a very good coach. And I think that eight years, four times under.500, and he is very reliant. And Shanahan's good. He is really reliant on Christian McCaffrey. McVeigh's reliant on nobody. Oh, Jared Goff not got rid of him. Matt Stafford, don't go run heavy. He's proven he can win and proven he can get to a Super Bowl. So he's not reliant on any one thing. You give Sean McVay an off season or an extra week like Andy Reid, and it feels like a coaching mismatch against a Viking staff that I think is one of the best staffs in the league. The gap in preparation, the gap in game planning in the first two to three drives of that game was insane. Again, Barry Darnold. Darnold's closer to Bakerfield. Baker Mayfield, okay, he had a great year. They're going to move on. They're going to go to J.J. mcCarthy. That's the NFL. If you have a bad couple of weeks, at the end of the year, coaches get fired. Quarterbacks get demoted. People hit the free agent market. That's always been the NFL. You only have so many games. There's scarcity. It's not the NBA or hockey or baseball. You can have bad Julys and you're going to be okay. If you're hitting in August, September and October, that's not the NFL. You have a couple of bad weeks, people move off you. But I. McVeigh was symphonic last night, and there was a game earlier this year. Remember this game? J. Mac, when they played the Buffalo Bills? And I came on the following day and I said, I think that was the perfectly coach played game. The best coach played game ball by any team all year was the Rams beating Buffalo. They were as flawless as you can be against a great team that first half. Nobody, including the Chiefs, would have beaten the Rams in the first half last night. I don't know how you coach better or play better or considering what's going on in Southern California, how you're more focused. Here's Sean McVeigh. After thought we had a great rush plan and I thought ultimately it's always.

Michael Irvin (11:05)

About the players bringing it to life.

Colin Cowherd (11:06)

And having a real understanding of what we were trying to get done. What was the intent? They have really played excellent football as of late. They're peaking at the right time. They're not showing any of that youth.

Michael Irvin (11:16)

That you would think, you know, as.

Colin Cowherd (11:17)

You play your 18th game in the, you know, in this season. But I'm proud of them. They came through in a big way and they were instrumental in, in us.

Michael Irvin (11:25)

Being able to advance.

Colin Cowherd (11:26)

Yeah. Game was over by the four series. Let's talk Sam Darnold. And I know what you're all saying, Colin, you love Sam Darnold. I do. But I kept saying all year, when's the shoe gonna drop? I know Sam's reckless. I watched him in college, I watched him in the pros. But he was having like an MVP level season. And it happens. We've seen quarterbacks like this, Ken O'Brien, Rich Gannon, whatever it is. Guys have unbelievable, remarkable seasons, but the truth always comes out. Sam Darnold actually had a very Dak Prescott like season. Won a lot of games. Everybody likes him, players rally around him, coaches love coaching him. Wins a lot of games, and then he faces elite competition and it doesn't look the same. So Sam Darnold was.04 against the Rams and the Lions, and he was.11. 0 against everybody else. And the good news for Sam Darnold is most everybody in the league is everybody else There is one Sean McVayan Stafford. There is one Detroit lion offensive line. So Sam Darnold, like Dak Prescott, you put up a 88 mile an hour fastball, he's going to hit it out of the park. He's got. He's got trouble hitting Kershaw and his primes curveball. He's not going to beat the great teams unless he's got really good protection. A perfect game plan. So 90% of the league isn't this Rams team or the Lions or the Bills or Patrick Mahome. The key is, then don't pay him like Josh Allen. Tampa got it right. They paid Baker the contract that Sam should now get. The Cowboys screwed it up. They paid Dak the contract because I think that Dak Baker and Sam is kind of the same guy. Productive players like him, you can build a little bit around them, but they're reckless, a little bit sloppy. They're not going to elevate the team as much as the team is going to protect them. But they can make plays. But the key is Tampa. And the next team that pays Darnold can't pay him like Mahomes. And that's what the Cowboys did. They got a Baker and a Darnold and they paid him like Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson. So they're going to go now with JJ McCarthy and they're going to give the young kid a shot. And Sam is absolutely going to have a market. I don't know where he's going to go, but Baker Mayfield had a market. Hell, Gino Smith had a market. Old Tom Brady and Kirk Cousins had a market. But. But Sam's season, let's not take away from it. It was remarkable. It was a great season. It was a fun season. This team was picked to finish fourth. And I don't put it all on Sam last night. Young quarterbacks, Jordan Love, Sam Darnold, Justin Herbert, still pretty young, that fell behind or could not get protect Texans. I mean, the Chargers couldn't protect Justin Herbert. The Vikings couldn't protect Sam Darnold. Baker Mayfield should have won that game, but you know, Jaden Daniels is remarkable. This is what happens in the playoff. Jordan Love got behind, got a little reckless trying to make plays. There is no tomorrow. So Sam's going to be fine. He deserves a Baker Mayfield contract. You can kind of build around him, but it's. Let's not confuse it for what it is. And here's Kevin O'Connell. After what he was able to do this year, when not very many people thought he would be able to lead a team to 14 wins. Very rare for a quarterback in their first year. And I think Sam will be the first one to tell you, could he have played better tonight? I'm sure he would tell you that he could have. Could I have coached better? I promise you I could have. Could our team have rallied around, you know, a play here or there to try to keep that thing competitive? For sure. And I, you know, I said Sam Darnold, he was.04 against the Rams and the Lions, but He was actually like 14, 0 against everybody else. Sam was perfect except against the great teams. And you know, who beats the great teams? Not many quarterbacks. Four, maybe in the league. I mean, as good as Stafford and McVeigh are, they're going to go to Philadelphia, be an underdog, probably not play as perfectly as they did last night. Philadelphia played poorly, so everybody now is doubting them. Yet they played poorly and beat a good Packer team. So Philadelphia now goes, stays home, cold weather Rams play a perfect game. It is hard to beat great in this league. And Sam faced great last night. A great pass rush, a great young defense, a great coach, great efficiency by Matt Stafford. Sam's not going to beat that with that online. All right, J. Mac Cowboys may have a coach and it's, and it's from the college ranks.

Michael Irvin (16:01)

Stop it. You can't even say it with a straight face. But in all seriousness, for Darnold, everybody going on to pile on him last night on social media, I thought it was a little excessive. All of a sudden he was an MVP candidate for what, 15 weeks and now he's a total bum who's not going to get paid by anybody. He's still going to have a market in the off season.

Colin Cowherd (16:19)

Oh, of course.

Michael Irvin (16:20)

It's like people just don't understand football or front offices.

Colin Cowherd (16:24)

Kirk Cousins, who's not nearly as dynamic as Sam, doesn't have Sam's arm, doesn't have. Sam's playmaking was older and coming off a surgery, had a market. In fact, even his cousins this year looked washed. I think you and I have said this. He still has a market. Aaron Rodgers is not close to what he was six years ago. His season was a disaster. Aaron Rodgers has a market. The key is front offices have to pay the right number. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers got it right with Baker. It doesn't limit what they can do. The Cowboys didn't. They paid Dak and Dak and Baker. I think Baker's more talented than Dak. They're very close. I Mean, Baker's more reckless, but a little bit more talented. Dak is less reckless, but he's got a lower ceiling. But one got paid like Mahomes and one got paid like a B to B plus quarterback. So Donald's in that B2B plus stuff. If he gets some support, you can't pay him like an A. Now, we thought for a big chunk of the season, like week 10 through week 16, we're like, you got to pay. But this is how the NFL works because of the scarcity of games and because there's one game a week and in the playoffs, they're standalone games, there's a lot of pressure from owners and executives. You got to hit it in the big games.

Michael Irvin (17:45)

Now, I will say I believe in Brock Purdy a lot. I like him. You know that. I'm team Brock Purdy. Colin, if he holds firm, I want 60 million. I'm not. I would take Sam Darnold at 30 million over Brock Purdy. I'm sorry, I would. And 49ers fans, you tell them that and they're like, you're out of your mind. Brock Purdy, I don't think they grasp like double the. He's not double the player Sam Darnold is. He's not.

Colin Cowherd (18:08)

Yeah, you have to. You have to remember, you can overpay a right tackle, you can overpay a linebacker, but when you're overpaying a quarterback and he is gobbling up 21% of your salary cap, there are certain things in life that you can't make a mistake on there dayto day. All of us make mistakes. I make 15 a day. But there are certain things, like the safety of your children that you can't make a mistake on. And like in the NFL, not perfectly analogous, but you can make mistakes on a slot corner and overpaying him, it's not going to destroy your salary cap. You cannot make a mistake at quarterback. It's just there's too much money involved. It's too big of a cap percentage.

Michael Irvin (18:52)

And I'll remind people, Sam Darnold won 14 games with the Vikings and Kevin O'Connell, you don't think he can duplicate that or come close to it with calcium?

Colin Cowherd (19:00)

I mean, I will say this. Sam Darnold to the Raiders. If the Raiders got an offensive coach, Ben Johnson, I think he would be very, very interesting. But, you know, it's like with Shane Steichen maybe.

Michael Irvin (19:13)

Does that do anything for you if Anthony Richardson's not their guy?

Colin Cowherd (19:16)

And, oh, I'll just tell you right now. I'll tell you right now, Sam Darnold to the Colts is the play. Vikings don't want to face Sam again and and roll the dice on he's better than McCarthy. Get Sam to the AFC where you don't have to play him. J.J. mcCarthy may be better. I would rather Sam not prove me wrong. So if you can always get a guy, Belichick will give up Garoppolo. Let's just send him over to San Francisco. I always understand that even if you don't love a guy, if you think there's a little bit in the back of our head because they don't know what J.J. mcCarthy is, you don't know what he is yet.

Michael Irvin (19:51)

They're the only ones who have a clue though. They see him every day. They know the work ethic.

Colin Cowherd (19:54)

Yeah, Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio Apple. Omaha Steaks is America's original butcher and has been bringing people together with the world's best steak experience for more than 100 years of family owned experience. From handcrafted steaks to hearty roasts, family style sides and quick convenient comfort meals, Omaha Steaks delivers everything you crave to reset and relax after the holidays. And now during their end of season sale you can taste the difference and get 5th off site wide@omahasteaks.com plus our listeners get an extra 20 bucks off with a promo code Herd at checkout. Omaha Steaks offers unrivaled quality and variety and every bite is backed by their 100% guarantee. They also carry mouth watering burgers, chicken, pork, seafood, dessert and easy to prepare comfort food. Bring home the world's best steak experience with Omaha steaks. Visit Omaha steaks.com for 50% off site wide during their end of season sale and for an extra 20 bucks off with a promo code HERD at checkout. That's 50% off@omahastakes.com and for an extra $20 off with a promo code Herd at checkout. All right, let's talk about Amazon prime for a minute. I've got mine. Do you have yours? Not just about one thing, it's a whole collection of services that help you get the most out of whatever you're into. If you passionate about a hobby, a sport or all sports in my case, or you just need to get things done fast. Prime, Amazon Prime's got your back. You can watch content, order supplies, listen on Amazon music. It's all included under one prime membership. Of course, we can all agree one of the best things about prime is the fast, free delivery. With prime, you can have what you need delivered the same day. But it's more than that. Prime is a collection of excellent services. I love it. Amazon Music Listen to the tunes that keep you in the zone, or this podcast. Whatever you're doing working out on the road, prime doesn't just help you get closer to the things you care about, it helps you discover new things, too. Prime's always there to fuel your passion, make it just a little bit easier. So whatever you're into, it's on Prime. Visit Amazon.com prime now. Hi, it's the Herd. NFL Playoffs we're talking about NFL playoffs you bet we are. Get in on the action in DraftKings sportsbook, an official sports betting partner of the NFL. Scoring touchdowns is the key to winning in the NFL playoffs, and the key to you scoring big is betting on them at DraftKings, the number one place to bet touchdowns. Just download the DraftKings sportsbook app. Super easy to do. 90 seconds and use the code herdherd. Here's another reason to watch your favorite players crush it in the playoffs. New customers bet five bucks to get 200 in bonus bets instantly. So score big during the NFL playoffs with DraftKings Sportsbook. Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app now. Use the code HERDHERD. New customers can bet five bucks. Get 200 instantly in bonus bets only on DraftKings Sportsbook with code HERD H E R D. The crown is yours.

J. Mac (23:05)

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Colin Cowherd (23:46)

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Michael Irvin (29:02)

All right, Colin, let's start with Mike Vrabel, introduced as the new Patriots head coach yesterday said New England was the place he always wanted to be and he's excited to work with Drake May, but said this his time with the organization, playing for Bill Belichick, it does not matter at all.

Colin Cowherd (29:20)

I think it's, it's special. It's unique having played here, knowing Bill. But again, we have to focus on things that are going to help us win now help our players and like I said galvanize the building and the team and our fan base. So I think that there's also things I'm a try to explain to the players that there's things that are interesting and there are things that are important. I think me having played for Bill is interesting. I just don't know if it's important to helping our players. Opposite of the Cowboys don't care about interesting. I will make a prediction right now. Are we recording Ryan, is this show being recorded?

Michael Irvin (29:59)

I think we're live. Not sure though.

Colin Cowherd (30:01)

The New England Patriots like the Broncos in Washington this year are my surprise team next year in the NFL and when I picked the Broncos everybody said you know Sean Payton and I know Mike Vrabel. If you look at this league, the one way to get good fast is a coach or a quarterback and one of the easiest ways to get good fast is if you need receivers. Houston went and found Tank Bell. You can find receivers in this league. This is a playoff team next year in a division outside of Buffalo which is wildly dysfunctional.

Michael Irvin (30:39)

Now wait you waited on Denver until they got Bonix and but I've already got this pre draft pre free agency.

Colin Cowherd (30:47)

Like they've already got their Bonick so I've already got the quarterback online so Demi, you don't need to see anything else.

Michael Irvin (30:53)

You're good. We got Drake may variable. Who are we throwing to? Doesn't matter. We're going to the playoffs. I like it.

Colin Cowherd (30:59)

Most cap space in the league so I have the coach, the quarterback most cap space and outside of Buffalo I know I got my eyes set on Buffalo. I don't have to worry about the other clowns behind me.

Michael Irvin (31:09)

There's nobody behind you in the division.

Colin Cowherd (31:12)

Well, well from now, from now on and you think why would I say this? I didn't talk Patriots much this year. This is going to be the surprise playoff team next year.

Michael Irvin (31:22)

I, I will take the other side of that wager. I don't know where we'll be at this time next year but if I'm around to collect whatever payment you're giving me. Patriots are not going to the playoffs next year. Colin, that, that's a, that's your boldest call since I've joined the show. I mean you haven't seen the draft or free agency. You haven't seen the schedule. What if they got it? What if they got to go to Spain next year to play a game?

Colin Cowherd (31:43)

I, I mean fourth place schedule. I know what the schedule is going to be easy all Right.

Michael Irvin (31:50)

Next up is the Lakers. They played their first game back after a six day layoff due to the wildfires here in Southern California. And the Lakers kind of look like it. They did note, you know, JJ Redick was renting a house in the Palisades. He lost his house. He's been through a lot. Several players had to evacuate. As for the game, LeBron was fantastic against Wembanyama, but the Lakers blew a halftime lead. Yeah, WEMBY 23, 8 and 5. He didn't shoot a billion threes, so hopefully you're happy with that performance. After the game, Lakers new addition Dorian Finney Smith talked about the loss.

Colin Cowherd (32:26)

We execute the game plan like I was supposed to, but you know, coaches.

Michael Irvin (32:31)

Gave us know, they gave us the.

Colin Cowherd (32:32)

Right answers to the test. We just ain't used to study guide.

Michael Irvin (32:38)

Been a tough week, you know.

Colin Cowherd (32:39)

Yeah, I mean, listen, I'm, I'm kind of giving people in Los Angeles teams a pass. I mean, what the Rams did, their resilience and focus, what did it really impress? Was it really impressive? For the record, tip of the cap to the Bidwells in Arizona for their class last night, Tip of the cap to the NFL to pull it off to the Viking staff, to the fans that made their way from Minnesota in Arizona, in Los Angeles. I was, Scott Van Pelt had talked about this, the quality of the crowd, the size of the crowd, for something to pivot to that. How many of these fans literally went online, bought tickets, got on a bus, got on a plane to pull that environment off last night and then to play like the Rams did when many of, remember the Rams facilities are near these fires, they're up north. I was just blown away by the entire spectacle of it last night. I had, I thought coming into it, I thought this is going to be kind of choppy. The league, the fans are amazing in this league. How did so many Vikings fans get there? How many flights a day from Minneapolis to Phoenix?

Michael Irvin (33:52)

I think it helped that they just. Rams went right down the field in like four minutes, scored a touchdown, then they're up 10, nothing. Yeah, and it just snowballed and it was easy to get excited and just a great performance from the Rams. As for the Lakers, they're now seventh in the west. So I guess that means Charles Barkley thinks they're the worst team in the league, you know, since he thinks the lakers are at 6 and they stink. Final story, Colin. Let's, let's look. We have the gambling line set for the divisional round. We have one, two, three, Big favorites. Although I'm stunned. Casey was eight and a half. Who is betting on Houston? I mean guys, I, I don't know what we're doing out there. Baltimore taking money in Buffalo. I mean I know everybody loves the Ravens. Washington a big, big underdog in Detroit. I noted yesterday this is their third straight road game. There's a lot working against them.

Colin Cowherd (34:39)

So the wise guys, the casinos and then the draft kings. You may not trust Lamar Jackson in the playoffs. They do. They make Baltimore a favorite. So the sharp crowd, they like Lamar Jackson. Yeah, so. So the fans. By the way, Lamar won his third playoff game this weekend. Can we stop the. He's never good in the playoffs.

Michael Irvin (35:03)

He's good in the playoffs.

Colin Cowherd (35:04)

I mean, that's right.

Michael Irvin (35:04)

He can't just has four playoff wins. I mean, well, well, Mark Brock Purdy has four playoffs. Like come on, what are we doing? Lamar's good. Win this game in Buffalo and then talk to me. I don't want to hear the hype this week. Colin. This sets up for another just monster teaser weekend. You know what a teaser is?

Colin Cowherd (35:19)

Yeah.

Michael Irvin (35:19)

Six point teaser. Six and a half. Who, who's blowing a teaser? Which of these three big favorites is losing? Do you think Casey's losing? Absolutely not.

Colin Cowherd (35:29)

I have.

Michael Irvin (35:29)

They have no chance of losing this.

Colin Cowherd (35:31)

I love, I love Kansas City is going to win.

Michael Irvin (35:34)

Lock 100%.

Colin Cowherd (35:35)

I think Philadelphia played poorly and won. That generally is a way if when really good teams play poorly and win they almost always play well the next week and the Rams cannot play as perfectly as they did against Minnesota. So I like Philadelphia, I like, I like Kansas City.

Michael Irvin (35:54)

It's just not a great spot for the Rams.

Colin Cowherd (35:55)

But I'll tell you this, I'll take the points with Washington.

Michael Irvin (36:01)

So one of those is going to show up either the Rams or Washington.

Colin Cowherd (36:04)

I think Jaden Daniels, what he did. Jaden Daniels may have to run for 100 yards.

Michael Irvin (36:09)

He might. They don't defend running quarterbacks well at all.

Colin Cowherd (36:13)

So that is not a great matchup for Detroit. Detroit's going to have to run the ball. And you know what Detroit's game plan is? Keep Jaden Daniels off the field. I think they're going to do a run centric game. I think Detroit's going to say mid to shorter passing run game. We are going to dominate time of possession. We want the ball 40 minutes. And if, if we can't stop Jaden Daniels, we're going to make him sit, watch, get out of rhythm. But if I was Detroit, what I don't want to do is attract meat because Jaden Daniels does magic stuff.

Michael Irvin (36:46)

Well, these are two teams that go for it on fourth down a ton. And that can lead to some high variance. You know, Dan Campbell rolls the dice.

Colin Cowherd (36:53)

Great point.

Michael Irvin (36:54)

Montgomery gets stuffed and it's like, oh, geez, what are we doing? So there is some concern there, but the Rams spot. So they had to leave to go to Arizona. Not far, but then fly back now on a short week because they played last night. They've got to fly across the country to Philly. It's going to be cold. I, I It's a tough one for the Rams, but they did look really sharp last night. Colin. I mean, I think something tells me that they're gonna, they're gonna show up here In Philly and McVeigh is just too good of a coach. I think that's the biggest coaching mismatch of the weekend. McVay versus that's why they have a shot.

Colin Cowherd (37:26)

But you know, and I know the week after the Rams played Buffalo and were perfect, they weren't perfect the following week.

Michael Irvin (37:32)

Yeah, it's tough.

Colin Cowherd (37:33)

And I thought the Rams first half was, it was like whiteboard stuff. Yeah, we're gonna do this, this, this, this, and it, all of it worked.

Michael Irvin (37:41)

So just for the record, you're leaning Lamar, obviously you don't have to get the pick.

Colin Cowherd (37:44)

I'm not going to talk about that game until we get closer. I Last night I'm sitting there looking at stuff I don't see what the rest of I don't see what Vegas sees. I think Buffalo is going to win the game. I think Buffalo's offense has so much diversity and balance, whereas I think the Baltimore offense, if Zay Flowers isn't 100%, it becomes very Derrick Henry Lamar centric. The home team with more variables and options. I like you could even tease Buffalo.

Michael Irvin (38:12)

Up to, you know, seven and a half. They're not getting blown out at home. That's not happening here. Josh Allen will keep them in. It should be a Hopefully better results than the wild card weekend. Average margin of victory was 15 points. Wild card weekend?

Colin Cowherd (38:25)

Well, I mean, the College Football Playoff, the first round was a little sucky and after that the games have gotten better.

Michael Irvin (38:31)

I like that.

Colin Cowherd (38:31)

Yeah, I mean, it's just, just the reality is these wild card weekends to expand the field, you put in teams that aren't as good.

Michael Irvin (38:37)

So by the way, for Blazing 5, you'll include Ohio State, Notre Dame, right?

Colin Cowherd (38:41)

Yes, I will.

Michael Irvin (38:43)

Excited for that.

Colin Cowherd (38:45)

That Barkley line was funny. I gotta be honest with you J. Mac with the news. Well, that's the news and thanks for stopping by the herd line. JLab has the best audio products in the game. Wireless earbuds to luxury, active noise canceling headphones. I got a couple of pair of those. Find the blue box at Walmart, Target, Best buy or visit jlab.com love their stuff. 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. All right, let's talk about Amazon prime for a minute. I've got mine. Do you have yours? Not just about one thing. It's a whole collection of services that help you get the most out of whatever you're into. If you're passionate about a hobby, a sport, or all sports in my case, or you just need to get things done fast. Prime. Amazon Prime's got your back. You can watch content, order supplies, listen on Amazon Music. It's all included under one prime membership. Of course, we can all agree one of the best things about prime is the fast, free delivery. With prime, you can have what you need delivered the same day. But it's more than that. Prime is a collection of excellent services. I love it. Amazon Music, listen to the tunes that keep you in the zone. Or this podcast. Whatever you're doing, working out on the road, prime doesn't just help you get closer to the things you care about. It helps you discover new things, too. Prime's always there to fuel your passion, make it just a little bit easier. So whatever you're into, it's on Prime. Visit Amazon.com prime now. 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. We'll be dropping new deals each week all season long. I'm in Uber Eats, the official on demand delivery partner of the NFL. Order now for game day. Terms and conditions apply. See app for details. Lately on the NPR Politics podcast, we're talking about a big question. How much can one guy change? They want change. What will change look like for energy? Drill baby, drill schools.

Michael Irvin (41:49)

Take the Department of Education.

Colin Cowherd (41:51)

Close it. Health care better and less expensive. Follow coverage of a changing country. Promises made, promises kept. We're going to keep our promises on the NPR Politics podcast. Listen on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

J. Mac (42:08)

Hey, it's Bobby Bones. Join me and former NFL quarterback Matt Castle every Wednesday for our new podcast, Lots to say with Bobby Bones and Matt Castle. Between us, we have over 17,500 passing yards, multiple New York Times bestsellers, and one mirrorball trophy from Dancing with the Star. So where else you going to find a show with that much athleticism and football insight? Based in Nashville, we're more than just your basic NFL show. We talk sports, but we talk pop culture and music and a little bit of everything because we got lots to say. I, I texted you and you texted me back. Now, I don't know if you have the update, but like all the little thumbs up and heart and stuff, like it's all colored. They changed it and the heart's a little pink. It felt like I told you I loved you. I'm gonna be honest. It was a little pink.

Colin Cowherd (42:51)

There was something sentimental when you like when, when you send it, it's like, do I send the heart now?

J. Mac (42:57)

I don't like the color edition.

Colin Cowherd (42:58)

It's extremely pink.

J. Mac (43:00)

Listen to Lots to say with Bobby Bones and Matt Castle on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

Colin Cowherd (43:07)

2025 is bound to be a fascinating year. It's going to be filled with money, challenges. I'm Joel. Ooh. And I am Matt. And we're the hosts of how to Money. We want to be with you every step of the way in your financial journey this year, offering the information and insights you need to thrive financially. Yeah, whether you find yourself up to your eyeballs in student loan debt or you've got a sky high credit card balance because you went a little overboard with the holiday spending, or maybe you're looking to optimize your retirement accounts so you can retire early. Well, how to Money will help you to change your relationship with money so you can stress less and grow your net worth. That's right, how to Money comes out three times a week, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. For money advice without the judgment and jargon, listen to how to Money on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Michael Irvin (43:59)

You can help families impacted by the California wildfires. Visit go.foxBackslash Red Cross or scan the QR code on your screen to support these efforts. Your donation enables the Red Cross to respond to and help people recover from this disaster.

Colin Cowherd (44:18)

There's an old saying, A's higher A's and B's higher C's because they're threatened or insecure or they just don't have the vision. And that's usually what it is. I do think the Bears should hire Mike McCarthy, and he is reportedly going for an interview tomorrow in Chicago. He'll be the 23rd person in the waiting room. I mean, there the line at the DMV is shorter than the Bears job search, but I think he checks the boxes. Now there's another story that Marcus Freeman, the brilliant young coach of Notre Dame, could be the coach. He could be Sean McVeigh or he couldn't. But I trust brilliant people to make brilliant decisions and have vision. I trusted Stan Kroenke to spot the greatness in Sean McVeigh hiring, hiring him at 30. I trusted Pat Riley to spot the greatness years earlier with Eric Spoelstra. I trust great to see great. I trust A's to hire A's. I don't trust B's and C's to do my hiring. And I don't trust the Chicago Bears to identify whether or not Marcus Freeman is going to succeed because if he does, he'll own the room. And I think there's lots of average people and insecurity in that room upstairs in Chicago. That is my take. So I don't trust. It's almost like when, you know, a parent makes one of the kids executor of the will. It's the one they trust when they're gone. I just trusted Stan Kroenke's vision as the largest commercial real estate owner in the world. I just trusted his vision on McVeigh. He said he's smart. He's smart. Pat Riley was Spoelstra. I trust him. But Bill Parcells forever banged the table on Dan Campbell. He just kept calling owners and GMs higher. Dan Campbell. Parcells is one of the three, four best football coaches in my life. Mike McCarthy is a safer choice. That's all I trust the Bears doing. He will right the ship. You know, it's very similar to. If you're a professional poker player, go for it. Do all in bluffs. If it's your first weekend in Vegas, just play the percentages. The Bears should play the percentages. Just. Just get McCarthy in. Just get him in. He'll write the ship. He'll make you good, redeemable, and solid and probably get you into the playoffs because his history shows you that. But listen, at some point, anybody listening to me, Anybody listening to me, you will make a will. And when you make a will, you'll make one of your kids the executor of the will. And that's the one. You don't love them more or less, but it's the one you trust. And I think trust is really important in big decisions. And there's just not a lot of people in the NFL I trust to make those decisions. Cleveland thought they had a real gem in Freddy Kitchens. The Chargers thought they had a real gem in Brandon Staley. And they were both fooled. The percentages of Chicago getting fooled by a young whiz. And I think Marcus Freeman is going to be great if this is not a Marcus Freeman issue. But there's only so many people I trust hiring young guys in their 30s to run an iconic franchise. Okay, so I was thinking about this, and the story came out this morning. And you know, the way J. Mac often points this out, if we don't love somebody immediately, you think we hate him. And I thought Russell Wilson had a nice season. I thought his last year in Denver with Peyton was pretty good, and I thought this year he was pretty good. But in the afc, in a division with Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson, pretty good is not the answer. So Russell Wilson said yesterday he wants to stay in Pittsburgh.

Michael Irvin (48:37)

Gary, do you want to come back next year?

Colin Cowherd (48:38)

Yeah, that's. That's. That's the.

J. Mac (48:39)

That's the plan. I mean, obviously, I love it here.

Colin Cowherd (48:41)

And everything else, and I think we have a great football team.

J. Mac (48:44)

Obviously, it didn't go in the way.

Colin Cowherd (48:45)

We wanted it to. And I think there's a lot more to do. I think that, you know, obviously this place is a place that I think.

J. Mac (48:50)

Can win a lot and all that stuff too. And I think we have a championship caliber football team.

Colin Cowherd (48:55)

So the Steelers are broken and everybody sees it to me, except the Steelers. Right. Pittsburgh guy. Every year in this league, minimum four teams that made the playoffs will not. And fans are always outraged. Like this year I said Cowboys, Niners are regressing. I predicted before the season Cowboys and Niners will slide. Keep your eye on the Chargers and the Broncos and Washington rising. This year I got it right. Pittsburgh's not making the playoffs next year. They're not. Burrow is arguably on any Sunday the best quarterback in the league. And Lamar Jackson's amazing. And a lot of these great quarterbacks aren't getting worse in the AFC and the young ones are getting better. So with Pittsburgh's current staff and quarterback situation, they're not a playoff team. You know, it's almost like it's similar to. You ever watch the Shark Tank and there's that person that comes on and they're absolutely sure they have the next great, you know, idea and the billionaires are all kind of waiting for the person to step down and roll in their eyes. Like Pittsburgh thinks they got it figured out and they don't know offense. I like Mike Tomlin, completely tone deaf to offense. Offensive line, seven years, no good. They can't fix it. They're broken. And it doesn't matter if they go get Aaron Rodgers or Sam Darnold behind that offensive line and that inconsistent run game. Darnold and Aaron Rodgers and we saw Russell Wilson aren't good enough. They're not going to win big games. There's no quarterback in college you can get. And I hear this all the time for Steeler fan, we are too good to get a great draft pick and get a quarterback. That's funny. Baltimore is better than you and they got one. And Green Bay is consistently as good as you and they got one. And the Chiefs were making the playoffs with Alex Smith and they got Mahomes. You don't have the vision. You think you do, but you don't. You think you got the next great idea, but you don't. You don't get offense. That's where the league's pivoted to. You're tone deaf to it. You can't fix the O line, you can't fix the run game. Mike Tomlin, the voice what he's identifying works on one side of the ball. And if you look at Russell Wilson in the fourth quarter during this five game losing streak, passer rating in the 60s, completion percentage 58. And I like George Pickens as a talent, but he's all talent, no leadership. I'm not building around George Pickens. So this organization is not a playoff team, despite what happened. They've got to feel some desperation and urgency instead of trying to be the pace car and brag about, hey, no losing seasons. You're not Jacksonville, you're Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh Steelers in the 70s and 80s, you were the franchise of note. Certainly in the 70s for sure. But. And this is not a, an indictment of Tomlin or Russell Wilson. Russell can start in this league. I'm not building around him, but he could start and he had a good. He beat the teams he should have beaten. But the truth comes out in the NFL the longer a season goes. The truth came out eventually. The Chargers lack of playmakers, that was the truth. You know, Sam Darnold and that offensive line, that was the truth. Green Bay, little reckless, inefficient, not playing well. The truth. Bo Nix didn't play well over the course of time. The truth. Just because you make the playoffs doesn't mean you're not broken. Doesn't mean you've got it right. It means the middle bottom of this league, like the NBA is hard to watch. Usually the NFL's got like five bad teams at the bottom. This year it's closer to 12. And I think that is because of the rule changes. Eventually, with the rule changes, if you don't have a star quarterback, you can't compete. I mean, who won the games this weekend? The quarterback that played the best. I mean, in every game, the quarterback that played the best won the game. Doesn't mean it's always the best quarterback. But the quarterback that played the best won every game. So this quarterback room in Pittsburgh with this coach and his skill set, just not good enough. Doesn't matter. He made the plastic, have higher standards. He's not good enough. All right. J. Mack, top of the hour. Nick Wright stopping by. Michael Irvin. Also, Zach Ertz from the Commanders is stopping by. I gotta tell you, that commander's game at Detroit. If I was a Lions fan, I'd be a little nervous.

Michael Irvin (53:29)

Yeah, of course. Let me go back to Tomlin for a sec.

Colin Cowherd (53:33)

20 seconds.

Michael Irvin (53:34)

What do you, what do you do with Russell Wilson? If you want to move on, what's your game plan? Is it Justin Fields? Is it I don't think it's Sam Darnold.

Colin Cowherd (53:40)

I don't, I don't think it's in the building. I think if you want to fix the quarterback situation, you need a young, bright offensive coach that understands that side of the ball.

J. Mac (53:51)

Whether you're ordering wings for the game, whipping up a seven layer dip, or ordering pizza, there's something about football that makes you want to eat. And this football season, Uber Eats has the best deals on game day food, no matter what you're craving, from two for one pizza. To buy one, get one Wings. Uber Eats will be dropping new deals each week all season long. Uber Eats, the official on demand delivery partner of the NFL. Order now for game day. Terms and conditions apply. See app for details.

Colin Cowherd (54:19)

Lately on the NPR Politics podcast, we're talking about a big question. How much can one guy change? They want change. What will change look like for energy? Drill baby, drill schools.

Michael Irvin (54:32)

Take the Department of Education.

Colin Cowherd (54:34)

Close it. Healthcare better and less expensive. Follow coverage of a changing country. Promises made, promises kept. We're gonna keep our promises on the NPR Politics Podcast. Listen on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

J. Mac (54:49)

Hey, it's Bobby Bones. Join me and former NFL quarterback Matt Castle every Wednesday for our new podcast, Lots to say with Bobby Bones and Matt Castle. Between us, we have over 17,500 passing yards, multiple New York Times bestsellers, and one mirrorball trophy from Dancing with the Star. So where else are you going to find a show with that much athleticism and football insight? We talk sports, but we talk pop culture and music and a little bit everything. Listen to Lots to Say with Bobby Bones and Matt Castle on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Colin Cowherd (55:19)

Joel, the holidays are a blast, but the financial hangover? That can be a huge bummer if you are out there and you're dreading the new statement email that reveals the massive balance that you may have racked up. Well, you could use our help. That's right. I'm Joel. And I am Matt and we're from the how to Money podcast. Our show is all about helping you make sense of your personal finances so you can ditch your pesky credit card debt once and for all, make real progress on other crucial financial goals that you've got, and just feel more in control of your money in general. You know, it's for money advice without the judgment and jargon. Listen to how to Money on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey everyone, It's Katie Couric. Well, the election is in the home stretch, right in time for a new season of my podcast, Next Question. I'm bringing in some foks friends of Katie's to help me out, like Ezra Klein, Jen Psaki, Asted Herndon. But we're also going to have some fun thanks to some of my friends like Samantha Bee and Charlamagne the God. We're going to take some viewer questions as well. I mean, isn't that what democracy is all about? Check out our new season of Next Question with me, Katie Couric, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.