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Levar Arrington
Hey, what's up guys? It's Levar Arrington here from up on Game. Wanted to talk to you about a serious issue. Hate. You know, something personal that I have experienced and witnessed and watched is how the hate in our country is getting so out of control. It's at an all time high and people are facing way too much hate. A lot of people don't think it's a problem, but I do. I can recall growing up being in high school. One of my high school teammates, good dude too, just happened to wear a shirt that was a derogatory shirt towards my racial group. It depicted Malcolm X moments after he was assassinated and it just made me feel really, really sad. It made me feel upset and so many other emotions. And it's really because we're supposed to be a team, but it's going to take all of us to stop that sort of hate. As I mentioned, we are a team in this country. So let's take a break from hate so our team can regroup and regain our momentum. We need to take a time out against hate. Visit standuptoallhate.org to help and join me in calling for a time out against hate by following at what's up with Hate? Or posting the Blue Square Emoji Apple.
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Colin Cowherd
Thursday Night Football is on and it's only on.
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Prime Video makes the catch Touchdown this.
Colin Cowherd
Week the Denver Broncos visit the Los Angeles Chargers in a game with big playoff implications.
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This is unbelievable. Coverage begins with TNF tonight. Not a Prime member sign up for.
Colin Cowherd
A 30 day free trial to stream the game. It's the Broncos and Chargers Thursday only on Prime Video restrictions apply.
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See Amazon.com Amazon prime for details.
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Or dsw.com 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. Welcome to FOX Sports Radio. Ah, here we go. Live in Los Angeles, it's the Herd. Wherever you may be, however you may be listening, thanks for making us part of your day. You know, I was saying this about Brock Purdy. When you get The San Francisco 49ers job and you inherit Christian McCaffrey, Trent Williams, Debo, you know, George K.D. bosa, you know, you're basically, you got a sports car, just don't run it into the driveway. You know, it's like you got a contextual and I'll give you a great example is Caleb Williams. Now think about this. What's interesting about Caleb Williams of the Bears is people were very concerned about painting his fingernails in college, jumping into the stands, getting very emotional after a loss with his mom. I had a general manager who I trust implicitly saying it is a little off. He can be a little moody on the sidelines at usc. Now, I defended him, saying he was the first nil superstar. So he's the first guy in a college campus making $5 million a year. And anytime you're the first anything, it's a lot for a young person to handle, right? So. But I would say this Caleb this year has actually been, despite the nonsense, he's been great. They've lost seven straight. They've had the head coach and the offensive coordinator fired. There were reports they actually considered benching him. The front office has a power struggle. Oh, yeah, they're in the best division in football. The Chicago Bears have lost a game on a Hail Mary, which is just has to be debilitating to a Locker room. They lost a game to the Lions on outrageously terrible clock management. They lost a game to the Green Bay packers who seized on an opportunity to block a kick. Coaching win. They have been a hazmat spill of an organization. Bad coaching, constant flux, power struggle. And the kid's been the bright spot. No interceptions in seven straight games. An NFL rookie record. So, you know, listen, let me tell you, Chicago, thank God for the White Sox or be that they'd be the worst mess in a city right now that sports can't get their act together. But he's the bright spot. I mean, look at what Mahomes inherited. The Hunt family, Andy Reed, Brett Veach, Travis Kelsey, good old Line Schwartz. Look what this kid's inherited. So I say this all the time. You know, some kids grow up with stability in their family and, you know, they've got wealth and stability and opportunities educationally. And some kids have to fight through it. I'm always more impressed with the kids who have to fight through instability. So I think Caleb, every time he steps to the microphone this year, says the right stuff as the inferno burns around him. And here's Caleb trying to keep it positive. I do understand that, you know, this is one my first time kind of being a part of something like this, of losing in this, you know, this streak going. So I ask questions to the guys that, you know, may have lost a bunch of games or in a row like this or, you know, had losing seasons. You know, seasons like this happen every once in a while. And being able to learn from it, being able to address it, like you spoke about with tb, he, you know, he's addressing it and, you know, being able to respond is the most important thing. I have talked to executives and a couple of coaches. This is a good job despite the mess. And it's a good job because of Caleb Williams. Remember Harbaugh last year? What job did he want? Justin Herbert. For all the misgivings people have about the Chargers, it was the best job. And Chicago is the best job because of Caleb Williams. All right. Love the picks. Desks on fire. Almost. I gotta get this through this thing. The blazing five is hot. Here we go. That's a hot one. Let's blaze it up. Fire it up. It's Collins. Blazing fire. Chiefs at Browns. I have the Brown Browns plus four. And keep your eye on a possible upset. Number three offense in the league since Jameis Winston arrived. And the number two passing offense, Miles Garrett, tied for second in sacks and the Chiefs 07 against the spread in their last seven games and three straight games decided by a field goal or less. Their offense is not delivering big plays in Kansas City and Mahomes has been sacked a career high 35 times. Kansas City struggling four points. It's in Cleveland Browns to cover the final 2827 Chiefs. I'm taking the points. Steelers and Eagles. I'm taking Pittsburgh plus five and a half. They held that great Browns offense to 14 points last week because they were so great. On third down they are tied for first in the league in turnover differential. They don't give it away, but they take it away. Their offense leads the NFL in time of possession. Their defense is the second best in the league on third down. And Russell Wilson since week seven, top five and six in everything. Meanwhile the Eagles Jalen Hurts held under 25 pass attempts three straight games. Kicking issues with Jake Elliot, A.J. brown drama. Mike Tomlin is the best underdog coach in NFL history. Not an opinion, a fact. I think it goes down to the end. I will take the Eagles to win narrowly again. Five and a half. Way too many points. Take Tomlin and the Steelers here to cover. Bills and Lions. I've flipped. I like Detroit first. They're coming off rest. The Bills are coming off a highly emotional game with the Rams. Jared Goff at home last five games. 78% completion percentage. You thought Stafford ate the Bills secondary alive. Their defense is top three even since the Hayden Hutchinson injury. The Bills highly emotional on the road again. Limited practice time. They couldn't practice yesterday because of 30ft of snow. So here's a team that has to go on the road again to the best home team in the NFL. By the way, the Bills are 2 and 3 against teams with winning records. I thought I liked Buffalo. The more I went and looked at this. Jared Goff's last five games. I'm going to take Detroit to win a great game and cover 33 to 28. Buccaneers at Chargers. You know I really like the Chargers. Tampa Bay is all beat up. The Chargers coming off a two point loss to the Chiefs had them beat five and two over their last seven. Their defense is fantastic. It's number one in the league. Fewest touchdowns allowed, number one in the red zone. It is hard to get into the end zone on the Chargers. And Justin Herbert. Holy moly. Eleven straight starts without a pick. That's tied for the longest streak in league history. The Bucs are beating the Giants, Panthers and Raiders. Baker Mayfield back to back games with multiple interceptions. Their defense is not good. This is a mismatch of defenses And I get the better quarterback and I think I get the better coach. And it's in la. What don't I get here? I'm going to take the chargers to win it. 28, 23. Coach, defense, quarterback, home field edge. Packers at Seahawks. Green Bay is a better team. I'll lay the two and a half points at Seattle. They're just a better team. They're coming off extra rest. I love offensive coaches off extra rest. They're 7 and 2 since the start of October. Both losses to Detroit. Detroit's pretty good 9 and 1 when holding opponents under 30. Seattle's not going to score 30 points. Josh Jacobs. This is now a power run team. Four straight games for Jordan Love. Over 100 passer rating like Jalen Hurts in Philadelphia. They're saying, listen, you don't need to throw at 38. We'll throw at 26. Seattle, they're an average home team. 3 and 4. Geno this year. I know we all love Geno. 14 touchdowns, 12 picks. Hasn't been very effective at home. They're beat up in the backfield. I like the packers to win and I like the packers to cover in a wildly entertaining game, 28 to 24. So if you look at my picks again, I really like these. We're getting down to the home stretch. I'm taking the Browns and I'm taking the Steelers as dogs. But I like the Lions, the Chargers and the Packers. I think in all those games, Buffalo I liked initially, but now they can't practice. Now they're off a highly emotional game. You saw how bad the Rams were in the first half last night. You can't have teams playing highly emotional games then crank it up and say, do that again. And Detroit is absolutely great at home. That's my blazing five. And with that, Peter Schrager, Wonderful job joining us live From New York NFL kickoff Sundays, 11am Eastern. He replaced me because he's much better. Okay, on that show. Here we go. Shrags. Let's start with. This is. It's really funny if you do the deep dive. So the Rams came into the season, the O line was a mess. And Stafford's not running away. You know, he's a. He's an older quarterback. He's a pocket guy now. The O line's healthy. Puka's healthy. Cooper's healthy. Kyron Williams is healthy. I'm watching them last night. I'm watching. I'm watching Buffalo when Stanford doesn't get sacked. They don't lose the last two years. I don't know. I look at this team, maybe they're not Philadelphia or Detroit. Are they the third best team in the nfc? Your thoughts on this?
Colin Cowherd
Well, the last thing the NFC contenders wanted to see was that logo come storming down the stretch and here they are. They won three games in 10 days. They won a game against the Saints in New Orleans and how many people watched that? The defense closed the door at the end and they win 44, 42 against the Bills, then four days later go play and win 12 to 6 last night. It is awesome how they can win such different ways. I spoke to Sean McVeigh this morning and he's like, this is the stuff that coarsens our team. So that when we do have to go into January, the young guys see that we can win 44, 42 in a shootout or we can win in the rain 12 to 6 and our defense lead the way. Here's the beautiful part about this Rams season. The next three games they play at the jets in 10 days here in New York, they could even lose that game. It doesn't matter. They control their own destiny. As long as they beat Arizona and Seattle in two home games to end the season, they're the NFC west winners. They beat Seattle in a clutch game against them in Seattle in overtime a couple of weeks back. And they control the tiebreakers in a lot of ways. If they beat the Cardinals in two weeks. So they control their own destiny. They were 3, 6 last year and made the playoffs. They were.02 this year and written off this year. And they're already in a spot where they know what they can do and they get a very important 10 day rest. Yes, right now. So, yes, McVay's feeling good and I don't think the Lions, I don't think the packers and I certainly don't think the Eagles want to see that McVeigh and that logo come playoff time.
Unknown (Commercial Speaker)
Yep, they're finally healthy. So Bill Belichick says, got a little addendum in his contract. I don't know if you saw that yet, that he can leave June 2 now. He's obviously not leaving this year, but it does kind of tell you stuff that ends up in contracts. People fight for to get into contracts. And I've said sh. I believe this. College football now has no structure. Bill thrives on it. I think he'll do. It'll be so much fun for a year. But I don't know. It doesn't feel like the Runway at Chapel Hill is a five, six year deal. Your thoughts?
Colin Cowherd
It was a five year deal. Everyone reported as a five year deal. But we also knew that it took about three days to be finalized. I reported on Fox NFL Kickoff on Sunday with rolled eyes from everyone on set that this was very legitimate. And my key point, which has not been a popular take, was that the NFL has rejected Bill Belichick. And now everyone's story yesterday was that Belichick is rejecting the NFL. And this is his way to say, you know, I'm done with the. It was mutual on that one. Now, what's interesting is I've heard he's still on board to do the Manning cast and still on board to do McAfee's show, which means that he's still gonna be able to promote the happy, warm, fuzzy Belichick, and that if for a year, he can do this. Now, I don't know if you saw Cliff Kingsbury's comments. We were like, why would Cliff Kingsbury's comments on Belichick? They asked him about it yesterday, and Cliff was like, I went back to college for a year last year. It's not fun. It's not a good place to be. I will not believe Belichick is coaching college until I actually see him coach a college game. Now, that's extreme. But I think there's a lot of us saying just as much as Mike Lombardi and Belichick are out there and they're talking about how they're going to redo this and they're going to bring structure and all, it is a hellhole in a lot of ways in that college game right now. As far as it's a young man's game. And, you know, what is Belichick going to do the first second that transfer portal opens up and 11 players look at him, I'm like, look, I wasn't into the do your job, job thing. I'm out. Five years is a long time. Now, granted, he comes in there and he provides wonderful opportunities financially and economically and also employment wise for a lot of his friends and family. So you're going to see a lot of people whose names you know, whether it be Patricia or McDaniels, or whether it be Lombardi or be a Lombardi son or a Belichick son or be a McDaniel's brother. There's going to be a whole cast of people that are coming with him that are all amazing football minds and want to coach and want to develop. Are they undervaluing the toxicity of the college game and just how cutthroat it is in the last year we have seen Jeff Halfley, who was, whether you thought he was a great coach at BC or not, leave to be a defensive coordinator in the NFL. That's a demotion in a lot of ways. You've seen Chip Kelly leaving a head coach at ucla. I just want to coach offense. Let me be an offensive coordinator Ohio State. And we have heard coach time and time again say, I just don't like where this thing is going.
Unknown (Commercial Speaker)
Right.
Colin Cowherd
Belichick diving in at age 73 with a, with a crew that's coming with him from the NFL and wants to revolutionize this thing. Let's check in and see how that's going. And if, and if my last point on this, and I'm sorry, Colin, I'm doing like a monologue on your show. You're the king of the monologue. If you had told Belichick in January that this would end up him going to the fourth ACC team in North Carolina, that's how he would have scripted it. I don't think he would have said yes. So let's slow down on the this is his dream job and all that stuff also.
Unknown (Commercial Speaker)
So we got, I was talking to Mike Vrabel yesterday, who's a great guy, bottom line guy, and we were talking about job openings and you know, I'm not going to say a lot about it, but you know, one of the things I said, Mike, is with Bill going to college, you're, you're the culture changer. Your last year's Harbaugh. And by the way, a lot of people don't know this. Vrabel finished second with the Chargers. A lot of people don't know that. They called him and said, oh yeah, oh yeah, he was. They thought they were going Mike Vable and then they went with Jim Harbaugh. You know, I'm sure he understood that. But it's interesting. Last year there was one great opening because of Justin Herbert. This year Caleb Williams and Trevor Lawrence. But both of them, there's a little toxicity around the job. And then there's the jets where Aaron's not the long term play, but he's talented for a year. Give me your take on the league interest in your NFL Rolodex phone these days. Gauge the jets interest. Where is it on the pecking order to candidates.
Colin Cowherd
Yeah, look, I think there is something to being an NFL head coach and an NFL general manager where there's only 32 of those jobs. And if they call you listen and you take the interview view. I also think that you look at these different organizations, they all have their flaws right now. There is no shiny job this season right now. And you know, you look at the jets and you could say, oh, the owners think the owners gave Joe Douglas everything he could have possibly wanted as far as the green light to go get Devonte Adams midseason despite the season probably being lost. Go get Aaron Rodgers, do all these things, gave him six years to win. So look, the thing with the jets job is that you've got to hire both a GM and you have to hire a coach. And now I don't know if Woody's watching right now and he's the owner. One of the key things of that GM role is going to be managing up. And I don't know if everyone understands what that means, but if you've ever worked in an office, you understand that sometimes there's someone above you on the org chart that you need to manage that relationship too. And sometimes that relationship is protecting that person from things that he doesn't even know. The GM role is going to be as much about getting the right players and managing the salary cap, but also making sure that that building is as tightly lipped. But also that owner is as equipped and given all the information he needs where he feels confident to just let you do your thing. The managing up part is going to be huge. Now, who's the quarterback next year? Does Rogers come back? I'm not, but I'm not going to say he doesn't. I do think they're going to have to figure out a plan after Rogers and that's going to probably be addressed in the draft or free agency this season as well.
Unknown (Commercial Speaker)
Listen, Shragues, the one thing that knocks you out of the super bowl bubble is paying a B quarterback A plus money. You can make a lot of mistakes in this league. You make that one, you're the Cowboys. I'm looking at Brock Purdy. Career numbers that I put on the screen. Fourth quarter, trailing fourth quarter, one possession. He's a backup and he came into this league with all these hall of Famers. They're now old, brittle, expensive. And you got some guys now quitting in the game. Are we sure Purdy's getting whatever he wants? Because I couldn't pull the trigger on that contract.
Colin Cowherd
No, it's hard. And I would just say this, having spoken to Lynn, Chanel, Shanahan, like, I don't think people realize just what a year from hell this has been for San Francisco. Before the season started, they were dealing with contracts with IUK and Trent Williams. And then right before the eve of the start of season, their first round pick gets shot. We have dealt with real tragedies. I'm talking about players who have had children pass away during the season like beloved players. And then all of these injuries from the football standpoint that I almost want to give all of them a mulligan, including Poc Purdy. And yet Purdy has played well this season in spots he has. Do I sign that check for $60 million? That's hard for me. And yet that is why John lynch and Kyle Shanahan are paid amongst the highest as GMs and head coaches to go make those decisions. Jed York will play a role on that. But this has to be one of the hardest decisions to make because Purdy is everything you want in a leader. He is everything you want in a kid. But he has this seventh round pick kind of thing around him where you're like, but is he that guy? And it doesn't help that his backup last year, Sam Darnold, when given all the tools around him is in the MVP conversation as well.
Unknown (Commercial Speaker)
Yeah, shrags. It's great seeing you keep crushing it. Can I. Yeah.
Colin Cowherd
Can I tell a quick story? I go to this, you know, Hollywood spot, Craig's, and Craig, the owner pulls me aside and is like, do you follow Colin Cowards? You know, five picks every week. I'm like, I follow it. He's like, I've been following it for 10 years. He's like, there is nobody better than Colin when it comes to picks. I go, craig from Craig's. I'm going to send that to Colin and I'm going to let him know on his show on Friday.
Unknown (Commercial Speaker)
Well, it's been a turbulent year. Not for Craig's. It still has the best chicken parm. First or second best chicken parm. My buddy David Slade down in Manhattan Beach. So go to Craig if you're ever in Hollywood and you want the Hollywood experience. Craig's is just fantastic. So they'll shout out to him, his chicken parm is better than my picks this year. And that's nice of you to say, buddy. Okay.
Colin Cowherd
All right, we'll say that. Mine too, dude. I took the jets to be the 1 seed. So we're good.
Unknown (Commercial Speaker)
Okay. Good stuff. Yeah. If you ever come out here and you're like, you want to do that Hollywood thing? Craig's is really the way to do it. Low key Hollywood. Well, we were helping our audience here. Some people come out and you know, this is what we. J Mac. That's what we do we connect with the people. One more herd the herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the iHeartRadio app. Search heard to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like.
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Levar Arrington
Hey, this is Levar Arrington here from up on Game and listen, I want to talk to you about something very serious for a minute, all right? Something personal to me and right now something that should be personal to you as well. In our country, the hate is at an all time high and it's like we're going backward. The hate is winning. We can't allow that, all right? It's out of control. So many different people, so many different groups are facing too much hate and it's enough. It's time for it to stop. We need to stop, regroup, change the momentum as a team, because that's what we are. Everyone in this country is on the same team. So let's act like it. And when a team can't get it together, what do you do? You call a timeout. And that's what we need to do. Call a time out against hate. Let's think about what we say and do. And when we see hate, when we see someone doing or saying those things we know are wrong and hateful, we need to call it out. I'ma call it out. You need to do the same thing. Visit standuptoallhate.org to help and join me and calling for a timeout against hate by following at what's up with Hate? Or posting the blue square emoji.
John Middlekoff
This is John Middle Copy from three and out with John Mittelkoff. Picture this. You're in the garage, your favorite room in the house, and you're tuning up your engine with parts you found on ebay. Every piece is just locking perfectly into place. You step back to admire your work, hands covered in grease. And because you're committed to driving that thing further than the odometer can even handle, you start thinking to yourself, you know what? I could probably use some new brakes, some shocks and struts. This baby deserves a new air filter. So you head right back to ebay. You can find any part you need. It's unreal. From wipers and headlights to cold air intakes, exhaust systems, and even that turbo you've had on your mind. Ebay is that stock garage of your dreams. And you've got ebay guaranteed fit. Because eBay knows DIY fixes can be major and mods are also intense, so you need to know those parts are guaranteed to fit every time before you dive in. Wrench first. And in the off chance you order a part and it doesn't fit, send it back. Simple as that. You know what you love more than the car itself is driving it. You're serious when it comes to engine maintenance and locked in when you're headed into a build. And that's exactly why you start with ebay. Minor fix or complete overhaul. You want to get your ride back on the road, and you've got ebay guaranteed fit. So ebay created my garage, where all you had to do is add your ride's info to get exact parts that fit. When you see that green check, you're a click away from that part, clicking perfectly into place. So now that you know all that, imagine standing at that open garage door, looking at the car you love more than anything, knowing that anything is possible, whether it's keeping it on the road forever or turning it into something that's never been on the road before. Because with ebay, your garage just got a whole lot bigger. Get all the parts you need at prices you'll love. Guaranteed to fit every time Ebay things people love.
Levar Arrington
Hey guys, this is Matt Jones, Drew.
Colin Cowherd
Franklin from the Fade this podcast. We got a great episode coming up. Picks in all the sports. Football, basketball, we do them all. But here's a preview of this week's episode. I've seen people in the gambling community.
Unknown (Commercial Speaker)
Kind of make jokes about fade this.
Colin Cowherd
And we just goof off and don't.
Unknown (Commercial Speaker)
Even talk about the games.
Colin Cowherd
Bring your records and set them on.
Unknown (Commercial Speaker)
This table right now.
Colin Cowherd
All you out there that are spend two hours talking about the games and.
Unknown (Commercial Speaker)
Will in the last seven years and night games, they've come in and haven't scored 20 points and you get too detailed.
Colin Cowherd
Bring your records right here to fade this. We'll, we'll talk about books and cooking and Kevin Costner and still make more.
Unknown (Commercial Speaker)
Money betting on sports than you will.
Colin Cowherd
And this episode was brought to you in partnership with DraftKings. To hear more, listen and subscribe to Fade this on iheartradio or wherever you listen to podcast.
Unknown (Commercial Speaker)
You know, it's interesting the college football next Friday, Notre Dame hosts Indiana. And starting next Friday, it's our first ever college football playoff. There's crazy games. Ohio State, Tennessee is unbelievable. That would be like a great New Year's Day bowl game in years past. So many good games on next weekend. So this week's NFL J Mac and I talked about this. The early window on Sunday is probably the bleakest early window. There'll be some close finishes, but the afternoon window into Sunday night is really interesting. So I can't wait for that. And I and, and, and I will say this. The ratings came out NF NFL ratings now 18.1 million a game. 65 of the 70 NFL games have been ranked as the top shows on TV. We've never had more good quarterbacks in their prime. I mean last night I didn't turn it off. I mean it was your kind of classic divisional rival on a short week game. But the media has always pushed back at power and that's not a bad thing. But Roger Goodell is the commissioner of the most powerful business outside of maybe Amazon in the country. And he's dealt with Black Lives Matter CTE controversy. We had social changes. We've had Covid. We've just had a lot of things that commissioners big, not all bad things that commissioners have had to deal with. And I think Roger Goodell has navigated a multitude of cultural changes that CTE issue that was bad and overlooked for a long time by a previous commissioner or two and here he's made the Pat interesting. He tinkers, he evolves. And the NBA, meanwhile, ratings are down 48% in the last 12 years and they have fallen off a cliff this year. And Adam Silver's solution is let's make the courts brighter. And I like the NBA, but the All Star game is now embarrassing and I think load management is a shame on the league. It is a, it is a really bad look for a family of four to go to a game. And Giannis doesn't play or MB doesn't play. I'm sorry. Go ask the Democrats. Be warned, once you detach from regular people in America, you will pay a price. And it is not easy to run these leagues. Rob Manfred. I know Rob. I would support Rob. You know, he gets nothing but criticism because he's like, hey, we gotta make our games faster. We got to get stars at the plate. So I'm going to, I'm going to change a pitch clock regular season. I'm going to put a guy in extra bases, second base to speed up. Nobody wants a four and a half hour game on a Tuesday night in Cleveland. I'm going to take the defensive ship. Rob Manfred now is considering the golden it bat, which has got a Willy Wonka feel to it. But in the end, Rob Manfred has television networks going to him saying, we're not going to renew, including this one. Make the game faster. He did. Stars got more at bats, they got rid of the defensive shift, and Fox got great ratings. So my take is nobody likes any president. They don't like Trudeau in Canada, they don't like whoever's in the office here. Nobody likes anybody. And commissioners get nothing but crap but the NFL because there's a lot of regulated violence. Dana White has to deal with this. Hockey commissioners have to deal with this. Nobody's tackling baseball players very often. And he's had to deal with social changes, cultural changes. Covid and I think they've done a great job to navigate it. It's not perfect, but the media too often pushes against power. And I do think there has to be a safeguard for power for the pharmaceutical industry, our government, FBI. I am for that, and I think the media has a real role in that. But I've always thought the sports media just take shots at a lot of these commissioners and especially Goodell. This is a hard league. It is a hard league and it's got, it's got a connectability to the American Midwest and regular people. And if you start looking at the markets that are winning in this league, tiny Baltimore, Buffalo, Green Bay, Kansas City, connect, ability. Everybody feels like, hey, my team cares. My guys play hurt. And, you know, they ask a lot of their employees, they ask a lot of the players. You're not going to be healthy after week four. You're going to be dinged up, your knees going to be sore. But they reward them handsomely. They don't pander. And the players keep rewarding us time and time again. That game last night's on a short week. That was physical, that was intense. It was a division rivalry, and it wasn't the prettiest game, but I didn't turn it off. I watched it to the very end. Jay Mackle, News. No, no, no.
Levar Arrington
Turn on the news.
Unknown (Commercial Speaker)
This is the Herdline news.
Yeah, let's get to that Rams Niners game. I know you watched the whole thing, but my gosh, I'm sure a lot of America fell asleep. Zero touchdowns, Colin. Unbelievable. Especially given what happened for both these teams last week. Yeah, Niners look Great. Rams scored 44 points.
How about Kyron Williams, who's tough? He's a good player.
Tough runner. He had a good game. And after the game, Kyron Williams, nice segue there. It's almost like you've done this before. Spoke to how big of a win it was for the Rams.
It means everything, honestly, because I'm literally on the way here.
Our pilot said, go, go sweep the Niners.
And when he said that, I was like, dang, we really could sweep the Niners. I don't think I've done that since I've been here. So being able to do that, knowing.
How good of a team they are.
And knowing the history with just a the two organizations, and it's huge. And it shows that we're the big brothers now. I love what's happening in the NFL. What specific Derrick Henry, Kyron Williams, Saquon Barkley.
Oh, the running back resurgence.
Yeah. The SUVs of the league. They got a block. They got to catch passes. They got to take on oncoming linebackers and safeties to protect their quarterback. They are the suv, the grinders of this league. They don't demand the football. Kyron Williams is quietly. He and Stafford quietly are the soul of this team. When he's healthy and Stafford doesn't get sacked, they win.
How is Puka not in there?
No, no, Puka's great. But remember, you can roll over coverage. It's, you know, Puka had one big catch the whole night. Kyron Williams, how many carries he had the last two weeks?
That's one of the things I worry about though. He's getting like 23 carries for like 89 years.
They're trying to move. They used Blake Corum. They didn't use him early. They're using him more. But if you're watching the NFL, it is a resurgence of running the football.
Detroit one show in America called that. They saw this coming.
You, I will give you credit, you said six months ago you've heard of the housing bubble. You kept saying we are moving into a wide receiver bubble.
Well, Cole Comet is like making more money than Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry or some ridiculous tight end stat. Like that's unacceptable.
Kyren Williams, 29 carries in back to back games. I mean that is old school.
But I'll say this, but you know, quietly. It's helping McVeigh's defense because it's chewing clock. The Rams are slowing down a bit, if you noticed. They're not like uptempo.
Colin Cowherd
Hey, wait.
Unknown (Commercial Speaker)
Our defense is a little leaky and it's young.
Yeah. So they're on the up and up. Rams, by the way, 7 and 2 since the buy and Schrager laid it out. This game against the jets does not matter. They could rest their starters so they're healthy for the Arizona Seattle games to end the season. And if they beat Seattle, they win the division. They're in the playoffs and all of a sudden they're like the three or four seed. They could host Green Bay, they could host Washington, like and then the Rams.
Are like, they've got to feel like the Chiefs. Kansas City can win close while they're beat up and they can't get their act together. The Rams, just last night and just Sunday, you're like, oh, the O Lions finally healthy. And they just kept fighting off, you know, fighting these teams off as they were getting healthy.
So they could slide into three. Tampa, we think is in a tough spot this week. They'll win the division, but they're looking at four.
Ask yourself this, Stafford and McVay, would you rather face them? I mean outside of Detroit and Philly because of their preponderance of talent? Okay. I would say the third team in the league that nobody would want to face is McVay and Stafford. Now again, Detroit and Philly have better players.
What about packers coming here in January to Sofi to face the Rams in a. That ain't great. And you know packers, they are looking to get the heck out of that snow and come west for a weekend.
I don't doubt that that's a problem. It's not a problem. That would be one of the games of the year.
Yeah. Yeah.
If the Rams can beat Buffalo at home, they can beat Green Bay at home. I'm not saying they would. Green Bay and the Rams.
I'll take Stafford McVay LaFleur versus his buddy McVeigh. Why don't you use your superpowers to get us a suite at the Rams?
I don't do that.
Come on, people. Listen to you. Some. Some guy Craig over here on some, some bar in la.
John Middlekoff
It's like, oh, cowards, pick some money.
Unknown (Commercial Speaker)
Whatever.
Come on.
No, we. We are. We have to be above that because we have to be critical of.
You could drop the we. You could say I. Okay, I'm not above that. Next up is Bill Belichick headed to North Carolina. This is arguably my favorite story in sports in the month of December. I'm obsessed with this Colin. There's a lot of scuttlebutt about why wasn't he drawing interest in the NFL. Is this really his dream job? There is a report out there that indicates Belichick thought the Bears job was the most attractive, but did. He didn't think he'd get hired by Chicago and that he thought that they would go after an offensive minded head coach. Which is interesting because you keep saying Vrabel ain't offensive minded. And I don't want to hear this Ben Johnson nonsense. That's not happening.
What they need, we've. We've lined this up and I think we're right about this. If you look in the last seven to 10 years on the real, the Infernos, the franchises that are a mess, the way to solve them is not offense or defense. The way to solve them is a culture changer. Dan Campbell's not a scheme genius. He's a culture changer. Harbaugh is not a scheme guy. He's a culture changer. Demico Ryan, similarly, he hired an OC. D'Amico Ryan's is a play the game, young, smart, attentive. Top. He changed the culture. He didn't change necessarily the playbook. And so I think we have multiple, multiple examples of what the Bears need is a forget the schemes, go hire a great oc. There's a dozen out there. A guy that's going to walk in. I always said Vrabel's got a Mike Tomlin feel to him. Intimidating, no nonsense. Loves to be an underdog, loves to be doubted, literally physically ill when he loses.
I don't know that that guy exists. Colin.
No, it's variable to the Bears exists. I just don't think. I don't. I don't know if he should take it.
I'll just remind you. He was in Tennessee. They had a good thing going. He was the number one seed. The GM trades A.J. brown's like, what the hell are you doing? You taking away my best weapon? We got nothing.
No.
And then it all fell apart instantly.
Go to the press conference where Vrabel had to announce A.J. brown was gone. He was ill. He knew their offense.
Would you think he wants to deal with that crap in Chicago with polls and Warren having their own cold war? That's nonsense. Now quickly on Belichick. Colin. So he. According to this report, Belichick was very surprised that Nobody in the NFL had called him leading into week 14. You've been in a lot of contract situations. If somebody's dragging their feet and you're like, I don't think these guys love me. They're not coming after me. Well, I get why you've got something else over here. Well, you're jumping at it in North Carolina. Bill, here are the keys. You could run the show.
Well, you know, I think he should.
Have taken the job. Don't wait for the NFL to call you.
I will just say this. What Bill has done is rehab his image. And this is the second part of rehabbing it. And it's interesting that Peter Schrager mentioned this. He is remaining on television. Why? Because he's still rehabbing his image for the NFL. That's why he has that little addendum in his contract.
It also helps helps with recruits. Oh, by the way, hey, did you see what Belichick said? Yeah, Belichick. What, are the coaches out there going viral in college football now? All the time. Belichick's doing it. Every time he talks again. I think the Bears screwed this up royally. Colin, I don't know what kind of poll you have in Chicago these days.
But I don't have any pull anywhere.
They got polls and Warren have to fix this before the end of the season. One's got to go, right. You can't go into the off season just telling you. No good. Rabel's not going to take that job with those guys fighting in the front office. It's very public at this point. And you're being quiet because you spoke to Babel this week. Anyways, final story. Colin, is Justin Herbert's ankle injury looking better? He did miss practice Wednesday, but he was back on Thursday. Expected back today. I didn't even realize this, but he could improve on his 11 game streak without a pick. Here's Herbert on his non interception streak.
It's just one of those things where.
John Middlekoff
You go play quarterback and you're not worried about it.
Unknown (Commercial Speaker)
And you know if, if I throw an interception it's, it is what it is. I'm doing everything I can to protect the ball and make sure that, you know, I'm not putting the team in arms harm's way. But at the end of the day you got to be aggressive downfield. You got to take your shots.
John Middlekoff
If they're down there and there's a.
Unknown (Commercial Speaker)
Tip ball or someone makes a great.
John Middlekoff
Play, you know, that's, that's the way the game goes.
Unknown (Commercial Speaker)
14 touchdowns. One pick this year for, for Justin Herbert. The Jim Harbaugh change has just, I mean so much of this organization. Like literally everything got better. Everything.
The same players from the worst defense in the league to number one with the same players. If anybody ever gives Brandon Staley the keys to a franchise again, you deserve everything you get. And I don't know him, but he came in arrogant, off putting and the thing got worse every week. They have the same lineup at least on offense. They got Joel Ladd, McConkey. They added some elements but they got rid of Keenan and Mike Williams. So we all, we, you and I both thought, I think everybody that follows football knew they'd be a little light on the perimeter. They're not incapable of winning a playoff game in the afc. They will. They do two things well, I mean this league, if you break down this league to its simplest form, get the right coach, get a star quarterback, protect the quarterback and then get after their quarterback. They check all those boxes.
So I'm looking at the playoff rankings now. So Denver is slotted 7. They have the huge game against Indy. Let's assume the Chargers get six. They would then go to likely the winner of the Pittsburgh Ravens in that division. Chargers at Steelers. We saw that earlier this year. That was a game Herbert got injured left and Pittsburgh pulled away late. I don't know that I love that matchup for Herbert going to Pittsburgh for a playoff game. I would love them to face the Texas right now. Not good.
The Chargers right now today are a playoff team.
Yeah. Do you see that changing?
No. Harbaugh makes the playoffs worst defense and arguably worst team in the league first year. Just like he did in San Francisco, just like he did at Michigan.
First year legit should get JK Dobbins back off IR for the playoff game.
Yep.
Right. Is that the anticipation?
Yeah. Yep. Got all my guys are in Harbaugh, Sean Payton, Andy Reid, all my guys. Russell Wilson. He's your guy now when he's winning, he is. You know, J. Mac with the news. Well, that's the news.
Colin Cowherd
And thanks for stopping by.
Unknown (Commercial Speaker)
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Levar Arrington
Hey, this is Levar Arrington here from up on Game. And listen, I want to talk to you about something very serious for a minute, all right? Something personal to me and right now something that should be personal to you as well. In our country, the hate is at an all time high and it's like we're going backward. The hate is winning. We can't allow that. All right? It's out of control. So many different people, so many different groups are facing too much hate. And it's enough. It's time for it to stop. We need to stop, regroup, change the momentum as a team, because that's what we are. Everyone in this country is on the same team, so let's act like it. And when a team can't get it together, what do you do? You call a timeout. And that's what we need to do. Call a time out against hate. Let's think about what we say and do. And when we see hate, when we see someone doing or saying those things we know are wrong and hateful, we need to call it out. I'ma call it out. You need to do the same thing. Visit standuptoallhate.org to help and join me and calling for a timeout against hate by following at what's up with Hate? Or posting the blue square emoji.
John Middlekoff
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Yeah, jets going to win that Jaguar game. What do you think, though? Pretty interesting.
I hope not.
I mean, seriously, at this point you hope not? Yeah.
Be competitive and lose. Last week's was a perfect example. Yeah, push Miami over time.
You lose, nobody gets hurt. Everybody's fine. You play well, you lose folks you want to have. There's only about eight first round players this year. It's usually 15 to 16. It's not a great draft. There's a great corner for Michigan. There's a great defensive lineman from Michigan. There's one or two quarterbacks. There's two great offensive linemen. There is no Brock Bowers at tight end. It's a, it's got some. It's a lot of defensive ends. If you need a rush end, there's a lot of those. But it's not a stacked draft. It's a very even draft. So the Raiders are going to take a quarterback. The Giants will take a quarterback. My guess, New England takes Mason Graham, the excellent defensive lineman for Michigan. Carolina gets T. Mac, the receiver from Arizona. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
I haven't heard you say Travis Hunter yet.
No, no.
Yeah.
Colin Cowherd
Yeah.
Unknown (Commercial Speaker)
Jaguars will get Travis Hunter at 5. Titans, Titans go Offensive linemen, jets go offensive lineman and then I don't care about Cleveland.
By the way, speaking of Travis Hunter, I know nobody cares about the Heisman Trophy, but I'm surprised you're not a little worked up that it looks like Travis Hunter is going to walk away with the award.
Well, I think the Boise State kid deserves it. But. But they don't play the same level of schedule.
Okay, that is such a bad argument. Colin. He faced Oregon in one game and had like a buck 60. It was dominant and the game went down to a two point game in one game. But what does Travis Hunter done? Who's he facing?
Better teams?
Oh, marginally better. It's not like he's facing Big Ten in SEC all every week.
Yeah, he's facing on average much better NFL bodies.
That is just. That's such a hollow. What do you want? You just want the guy who's faced the toughest schedule. That's. Who's your winner.
Well, the Yankees do really well against the American League Central. The reason Yankee fans are frustrated because when they go to the World Series and play the Dodgers, it's like, oh, we're not close.
That's not the Heisman Trophy. That's not what the award is.
Who you play matters how much though.
It'S not the number one thing.
They played one good team and he had a good game.
Travis thought he had a great game.
Travis Hunter's the best athlete on every field he steps on.
Who has had the best season in college football? Just season the stats, not where they're going in the draft or with their measurables are.
It's not just a statistical. It is a. I mean if you want to go to stats. Andrew Luck would never get votes at Stanford. He was really, really good. But it's like no, his stats were, they were good. I'm saying they're good. But he was taking an academic powerhouse and making them national championship viable. So it's like to me it was like Tim Tebow was good for a power. Urban's teams are all great. Tebow was another great.
Yeah, Ashton Gentee historically great season. And oh by the way, Boise not only in the playoff, they're hosting, they have a buy and like they're the. What are they? The foreseen. Are you kidding me? I'm not carried this well.
I mean you have to be honest. Ohio State would be favored by two touchdowns over Boise State.
You still got to get to the game. I mean nobody had Boise top four.
You always like the little guy.
Yeah, I Root for the underdog. You're an elitist, loves the big powerful Bill. Let me back the billionaires in the NFL over the players.
I back Texas football, Dodger, Yankee baseball, Andy Reid and Mahomes. I like winners. My time is limited. I'm not going to sit and watch a bunch of underdogs fight and lose. I got nothing against underdogs but Boise State and this kid's great.
So if you had a vote, you'd vote Travis Hunter.
Yeah. And I liked disappointed.
I'm disappointed. That's all.
Boise State kid. Would it be at least top eight?
Top eight, he said. One of the two or three greatest seasons in rushing history in college football.
That was a. I know. Sense of humor. I like the kid, but who you play matters.
It does? Yeah.
What's poppin Justin Jefferson here?
Levar Arrington
Football is a lot of explosions, a lot of energy and attitude to.
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Levar Arrington
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Colin Cowherd
Doug Gottlieb from All Ball with Doug Gottlieb. Listen, I'm going to get serious for a minute. The hate in our country is getting out of control. In fact, it's sadly at an all time high.
Unknown (Commercial Speaker)
But it's going to take all of.
Us to stop it.
Colin Cowherd
I mean we're all on the same team in this country. So let's take a break from our hate so our team can regroup. We need to take a time out against hate. Visit standuptolhate.org to help and join me in calling for time out against hate by following at what's up with hate or posting the blue square emoji.
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Levar Arrington
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Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd – Hour 2: The Blazin' 5
Release Date: December 13, 2024
Host: Colin Cowherd
Produced By: iHeartPodcasts and The Volume
Description: The Herd with Colin Cowherd is a thought-provoking, opinionated, and topic-driven journey through the top sports stories of the day. In this episode, titled "Hour 2 - The Blazin' 5," Colin delves deep into key NFL narratives, offers expert sports betting picks, and engages in insightful conversations with guest Peter Schrager.
The episode kicks off with Colin Cowherd welcoming listeners to The Herd, setting the stage for a robust discussion on the current NFL landscape. He emphasizes the importance of understanding team dynamics and individual performances as the season progresses toward the playoffs.
Timestamp: [03:17]
Colin begins by spotlighting Caleb Williams, the quarterback for the Chicago Bears. Despite the Bears' tumultuous season, marked by a seven-game losing streak, management upheavals, and coaching changes, Williams stands out as a beacon of stability and performance.
Key Points:
Notable Quote:
"Caleb, every time he steps to the microphone this year, says the right stuff as the inferno burns around him." — Colin Cowherd [04:10]
Colin commends Williams for maintaining composure and leadership amidst the Bears' ongoing struggles, attributing much of the team's sporadic successes to his exceptional play.
Timestamp: [04:24]
A significant segment of the episode is dedicated to The Blazin' 5, Colin's personal sports betting picks for the week. He provides detailed analyses for each game, considering team performances, player statistics, and strategic advantages.
Blazin' 5 Picks:
Cleveland Browns vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Buffalo Bills vs. Detroit Lions
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Green Bay Packers vs. Seattle Seahawks
Summary of Blazin' 5: Colin's picks focus on leveraging team strengths and exploiting opponents' weaknesses. His choices reflect a deep understanding of game dynamics, player forms, and strategic matchups, aiming to provide listeners with informed betting advice.
Timestamp: [12:00]
Colin welcomes Peter Schrager, a seasoned NFL analyst, to discuss the current state of the Los Angeles Rams and Chicago Bears. Their conversation delves into team performances, coaching decisions, and playoff implications.
Key Points:
Notable Quote:
"The Bears have lost a game on a Hail Mary, which has to be debilitating to a locker room." — Colin Cowherd [12:45]
Schrager adds insights into the Rams' strategic decisions and the Bears' front office dynamics, agreeing that the future performance of these teams heavily relies on their ability to stabilize and leverage their star players effectively.
Timestamp: [15:26]
A heated discussion unfolds around the potential Bill Belichick transition from the NFL to college football, specifically to North Carolina. Colin and Schrager dissect the implications of such a move, considering Belichick's legacy and the current state of college football.
Key Points:
Notable Quote:
"Belichick has dealt with social changes, cultural changes, COVID, and I think they've done a great job to navigate it." — Colin Cowherd [16:00]
Colin posits that Belichick's disciplined approach and strategic mind could revolutionize college football coaching, while Schrager remains skeptical about the transition's feasibility given the inherent differences between professional and collegiate sports environments.
Timestamp: [21:03]
The conversation shifts to Justin Herbert, the Los Angeles Chargers' quarterback, focusing on his performance streak and recent ankle injury.
Key Points:
Notable Quote:
"If you throw an interception, it is what it is. I'm doing everything I can to protect the ball and make sure that I'm not putting the team in harm's way." — Justin Herbert [22:55]
Colin emphasizes the significance of Herbert's injury management and his ability to sustain high performance levels, which are critical for the Chargers' playoff aspirations.
Throughout the episode, Levar Arrington delivers passionate messages urging listeners to combat hate and promote unity within the community. While these segments serve as public service announcements, they underscore the podcast's commitment to addressing societal issues beyond sports.
Notable Quote:
"In our country, the hate is at an all time high and it's like we're going backward. The hate is winning. We can't allow that." — Levar Arrington [24:39]
Listeners are encouraged to visit standuptoallhate.org and support initiatives aimed at fostering kindness and reducing hate, aligning with the podcast's broader mission of promoting positive change.
As the episode winds down, Colin recaps his key insights and reiterates his Blazin' 5 picks, emphasizing their strategic basis and potential for success. The discussion with Peter Schrager wraps up with a mutual understanding of the NFL's complexities and the unpredictable nature of the season's final stretch.
Final Takeaways:
Notable Quote:
"We're getting down to the home stretch. I'm taking the Browns and I'm taking the Steelers as dogs. But I like the Lions, the Chargers, and the Packers." — Colin Cowherd [27:00]
Colin closes the episode by encouraging listeners to stay engaged, remain informed, and support the show's ongoing efforts to provide valuable sports insights and foster a positive community.
Conclusion
"Hour 2 - The Blazin' 5" offers a comprehensive exploration of the NFL's current landscape, blending expert analysis with strategic betting advice. Colin Cowherd's in-depth discussions, backed by guest insights from Peter Schrager, provide listeners with a nuanced understanding of team performances, player dynamics, and the broader implications for the upcoming playoffs. Coupled with community-focused messages advocating against hate, this episode exemplifies The Herd's commitment to both sports excellence and societal well-being.
For those who missed the live broadcast, this summary encapsulates the episode's essence, ensuring that vital discussions and expert opinions remain accessible to all listeners.