J. Mac (4:07)

Tyler Warren, Penn State.

Colin Cowherd (4:08)

Yep. I would go get a tight end and then I think your offense is good.

J. Mac (4:13)

Well, we need a quarterback, but there is NFL media is reporting that Ben Johnson will interview for the Patriots and Bears during their bye week. So during his bye week he's talking to the Patriots and the Bears, not the Jets. Interesting that he views the Patriots job as better than the Jets.

Colin Cowherd (4:31)

Well, you get. You get Robert Kraft who doesn't want to fire people. So I get. I get solid ownership. A bit frugal according to people.

J. Mac (4:39)

I mean just one and done well.

Colin Cowherd (4:40)

I also have a franchise quarterback and we can't get worse. So the thing I like about the Patriots job is, you know, there's the expectations are save us.

J. Mac (4:49)

It's almost like a blank slate.

Colin Cowherd (4:50)

Yeah, like just save us. It can't get worse. That's a. So that Means you're going to get two years. And if you can go from three wins to seven, people are like you're a savior. If you go seven wins to 10, it's like you get a lifetime past all the country clubs in town. Like that's so. I mean there is something to be said about when Sean Payton took the Broncos over. Sure he's been successful, but the bar was so low off Nat Hackett that it was like anything was an upgrade. So the Lions have now clinched the number one seed in the nfc. They beat the Vikings last night and there's absolutely no denying that Dan Campbell has been the perfect fit as the head coach and for the city of Detroit. A team with 12 defensive players alone on the IR could have only pulled through this and clinch the number one seed with a head coach who's unapologetically alpha, a motivator that preaches grit and biting kneecaps. Sometimes the NFL messaging from coaches can seem a little cringy or cheesy. Not to the players. There is a brotherhood and a masculinity that I'll be honest, I like people have been paralyzed playing this sport. Sometimes you just have to play through pain. You gotta play hurt. And one guy in a locker room second guessing the message can unravel the whole thing. In a way it's like the anti NBA league. You have to be selfless and you have to play hurt every week. The Lions clinched a playoff spot on December 5th with all those injuries to seemingly the entire defensive roster. They could have packed it in. Let's get healthy and nope, not with this team, not with this coach. They fought tooth and nail last week. Everybody said that Niner game didn't mean anything. I totally disagreed. It was a chance to get backups, reps against Sam Darnold and the Vikings. The Detroit Lions are a symbol of so many things that are great about the NFL. Every game matters. Grit and toughness, which our society can always use, is really paramount and again unapologetically alpha. I mean, New England had the number one pick going into the weekend. They played themselves out of it. There is no tanking. Nobody will even consider it. And it's why the NFL remains king and separates from the rest of our professional sports. Dan Campbell on a weekly basis after winning is almost in tears preaching the message and his devotion to city of Detroit and the Lions. This coach for this team in this time and this roster and this wacky season with currently 12 players on the IR defensively needed a completely unapologetic alpha. And the Message to guys like me at the kneecaps, at the podium, and I'm rolling my eyes. The players aren't. They totally bought into it. The number one seed. This is the Chicago Cubs in shoulder pads. That's what it feels like. The easiest dominant team. And go back to September, October, early November, it was like college. They were rolling people. But it is the easiest, most dominant physical team to root for I can remember. And here's the one guy, the one perfect fit after the win. You guys look like you remember who the you are. That's a hell of a win, guys. All I can think about is, man.

J. Mac (8:28)

We'Ve been forged in this stuff.

Colin Cowherd (8:30)

Now this has been three years in the making, some of it four. Like that just doesn't happen. You got to work through it and grind through it and go through the downs to get to the ups of where we're at.

Jon Stewart (8:39)

That was unbelievable, man.

Colin Cowherd (8:41)

Division winners, back to back seasons. And the number one season. If you're not from Detroit, you may not get it. You think it's a little cheesy. Oh, give me a break. But if you're from Detroit, you're a Lions fan, you're part of the culture and you watch teams around this league. If you, if you, if you think this stuff's over the top, the Bears need that. The Titans need that. The Jaguars need that. The Chargers needed it and hired it. This is not a marketing campaign. This is completely, absolutely, authentically Dan Campbell the perfect fit for this city and this team. All right, let's talk Sam Darnold. Oh, I know. Let me, let me guess. You're all bailing on Sammy. Okay, so first of all, that was the biggest game in Detroit in probably 50 years. And this, there's an argument that the two best coordinators in the entire league both play for Detroit. Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn. And Detroit's got a better roster and they got one of their defensive starters back. And this is a baby step league. And Sam Darnold looked juiced. He looked a little overwhelmed. He probably couldn't hear. He was inaccurate and high on all his passes. But across the field, Jared Goff's first big playoff game. And this did feel like a playoff game. I mean, it was the biggest game in Detroit in five decades. It felt like a playoff game. Mike Tirico was coming out of his suit. Jared Goff's first playoff game at home. 78 passer rating. Peyton Manning's first playoff game completed 45% of his throws. This has always been kind of a baby steps league Last year at this time, Sam Darnold, who was viewed as a bust, was starting a meaningless game as a backup for the 49ers. And then there's yesterday in the biggest game against arguably the best roster in the loudest field. You weren't winning that game. Minnesota was not winning that game. That's just one of those games. I looked at the playoffs this weekend. I looked at Denver, at Buffalo. I love Sean Payton. That is a tough draw. There are games, a handful every year where even a good team goes on the road and you're like, yeah, yeah, they're not going to win that game. That's a standalone game. This was the only NFL game that everybody was watching. Sam Darnold is just 27 years old. Now they go to Los Angeles. Their receiving core is a great matchup against the Rams young secondary. Don't be shocked if the Rams draft a cornerback with their number one pick. They don't have a corner, they don't have a shutdown corner. And this is the deepest receiving core in the league. And it'll be 50% Viking fans. And my gut feeling is Minnesota is the play here. J. Mac disagrees, but it felt like a playoff game to me. It had that kind of feel. It was one of those, you know, you don't get. The NFL is always entertaining. But there are a handful of games late in the season and you're like, you know, when the NFL schedules like Burrow and Mahomes in week 17, and you're like, oh, that feels. I'll give you an example. The Steelers Bengals on Saturday night felt like a playoff game. That Saturday playoff game before a playoff game. And there's a reason restaurants have soft opens, right? Like you're not quite ready for the moment. I just don't think Sam and the Vikings, this young, fun team, were ready for the moment. And here's the coach after, you know, we didn't do a lot of the things that we've consistently done, you know, all season long.

Albert Breer (12:14)

And this game came down to, you know, finishing in the red zone, weighty.

Colin Cowherd (12:18)

Downs, third downs, you know, pitching and catching and gotta, you know, find different ways to help guys get open. And when there are guys to potentially, you know, throw and catch, we've got.

Albert Breer (12:29)

To be able to do that. We've done it at a very high level this year and just didn't really.

Colin Cowherd (12:34)

Show up on the weighty downs. Yep. Sam Darnold twice was high on Justin Jefferson throws. Absolutely. No question about it. You see this sometimes. First big games for quarterbacks they look tight. I mean, that was the knock on Peyton Manning for years in the NFL, that he was a teeth clencher, that he was great and productive. He'd get into big games and he was too tight. And I thought Sam looked tight. But again, this was a guy that was a bust a year ago, that was starting for the niners in Week 18 a year ago to the biggest game in Detroit in 50 years. It wasn't going to be his night. I said last week, I like the Lions. They have the better roster. It's a bigger game. It means more. I know it's 214 win teams playing for number one seed. It just felt like. It felt like Detroit's night. That's what it felt like to me. So Sam Darnold goes to Los Angeles for his first playoff game. So from bust to starting the Niners to great year, overwhelmed. Let's just look at notable first playoff starts. Peyton Manning, scuffed passer rating at 62. Josh Allen, pretty rough, no touchdowns, no picks, 52% completion. And Lamar Jackson, I remember that one, completed less than 50% of his throws. So I think you're going to get a pretty good opening official playoff outing for Sam Darnold. I thought that game was a dry run last night that had playoff vibes, playoff intensity, dry run. But those first playoff starts, they're different. And that game last night, it just felt different. Albert Breyers around the corner. We have a lot of movement going on in the coaching stuff. Are the Raiders going to keep their coach, Antonio Pierce? I thought the Raiders played hard. I thought they played. I mean, they played themselves out of a great draft pick into a good one. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific, on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio Apple. 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. You can count on T Mobile to help keep you connected from big cities to small towns on America's largest 5G network. Switch the T Mobile keep your phone and they'll pay it off up to 800 bucks per line via prepaid card. Learn more@t mobile.com heap and switch up to four lines via virtual prepaid card. Allow 15 days qualifying unlock device credit service port in 90 plus days with device and eligible carrier and timely redemption. Required Card has no cash access and expires in six months. If you love iPhone, you'll love Apple Card. It comes with the privacy and security you expect from Apple. Plus you earn up to 3% daily cash back on every purchase, which can automatically earn interest when you open a High Yield Savings account through Apple Card. Apply for Apple Card in the Wallet app subject to credit approval. Savings is available to Apple Card owners subject to eligibility. Apple Card and Savings by Goldman Sachs.

Albert Breer (17:56)

Bank USA Salt Lake City Branch Member.

Colin Cowherd (17:59)

FDIC terms and more@applecard.com Jon Stewart is.

Jon Stewart (18:04)

Back in the host chair at the Daily show, which means he's also back in our ears on the Daily Show Ears Edition Podcast the Daily Show Podcast has everything you need to stay on top of today's news and pop culture. You get hilarious satirical takes on entertainment, politics, sports and more from John and the team of correspondents and contributors. The podcast also has content you can't get anywhere else, like extended interviews and a roundup of the weekly headlines. Listen to the Daily Show Ears edition on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts.

Colin Cowherd (18:42)

With that, Albert Breer, senior NFL Reporter Monday Morning Quarterback, joins us. So let's let's start with the Jets. I don't think Rex Ryan is crazy. I would prefer be Johnson, but I just heard a story he's not interviewing. What? Let's without I can read the tea leaves you have sourcing on this. What do you hear?

Albert Breer (19:01)

Yeah, he isn't interviewing there and I think Ben Johnson is going to be picky about where he does interview. I think it's significant that he's decided to take the interviews, at least for now, with the Bears and Patriots. Look, the jets search is going to be wide ranging. I think there's specific things that they're going to be looking for in their next head coach. You see offensive coaches, defensive coaches on the list. You've already seen general manager candidates go through there. They're going to be more they want somebody with some level of experience and they want somebody who can handle the market and handle everything that comes along with coaching that coaching and leading that franchise and maybe even embraces it. And I think that's one reason why Rex Ryan would be attractive is because I do think he'd embrace the idea of coaching there, of being in New York, of all of that stuff. So, you know, I'd expect them to continue to wade through the coaching candidates. The GM candidates pick one person, whether it's a coach or a GM and then build out around that person.

Colin Cowherd (19:56)

Okay, Bears. I'm. I am reluctant to give somebody a job that's never been a head coach. It's a political job. I mean, I. Pete Carroll and Brian Flores, Aaron Glenn. I like a tough taskmaster, an intense guy. What say you on that one?

Albert Breer (20:15)

Yeah, there's definitely a recognition that they need more than one person to fix it. And this isn't like a guy who's going to come in and just develop the quarterback and that's it. It's going to have to be a whole lot more than that because they haven't won a playoff game in 14 years. And I think if they look in the mirror, that's what. What they'll find is, is that there are issues there that go deeper than just one coach or how just one player is developed. So, you know, I think what we'll be looking at here is, is first the leader of men box has to be checked, and that's why a variable earn Aaron Glenn have been attractive to them, and I think both those guys will interview there. But, you know, as they've seen over the last six weeks and how Caleb has kind of been up and down and all around, if they do bring in a guy who's a leader of men who works on the defensive side, that person is going to have to come in with a very clear, concise plan for the quarterback, and not just for the next year or two, but going forward, if you lose an offensive coach, how do you replace them? All that stuff. So, you know, again, I think leadership's gonna be really important there. Ben Johnson again, is going to take an interview there. He's going to have to give them a leadership plan where some other coaches might have to detail a quarterback plan, you know, and then I think part of it's going to be how that person fits into their structure with the decision to keep Ryan Poles there. There are a lot of questions about Kevin Warren, the team president's involvement in all of this. And that's a big reason why the McCaskeys have chosen to have Ryan Poles, not Kevin Warren, run point on the search. But clearly, whoever it is coming in, they want that person to fit into what they're already doing there.

Colin Cowherd (21:50)

Okay. Gerard Mayo, I didn't love it. I said when he got hired, it's a different chapter in the same book. I thought it was a lot to ask. It's a bad roster. Vrabel feels right. You know, he's got a relationship with Kraft. They can be a bit frugal. The roster's not good. Mike has it a real opinion on personnel. I think that helps. He knows it. You know, certain coaches are really good with it. Andy Reid doesn't really care about it. Sean Payton wants to say so does Harbaugh. Vrabel to the Patriots. Feels like a good fit, doesn't it?

Albert Breer (22:19)

It certainly makes sense, but Brable's going to have interest from a lot of places because I think when he walks in the door, He's a top 10 coach in the league now. You know, you have to sort through what he's going to do on the offensive side of the ball. Is that a Tommy Reese? Is that a Josh McDaniels? He's got his list of people, but there's no question that he checks a lot of boxes and that's why there's interest in him. Across the NFL, the Raiders are one team he's been consistently connected to. The Cowboys, if they make a change, I would expect them to have an interest. The Bears have an interest. The jets have already interviewed him, so he's going to have options. And I don't think he's going to be sentimental about this after what happened to him in Tennessee, my feeling is he's going to take a cold, hard look at what a team is going to present him. The Patriots do have some things to sell, though. The fourth overall pick, $120 million in cap space, a quarterback. And Drake May, who a lot of coaches really, really like ownership with a track record of support, of support and success. So, you know, I think that there's a lot to like about the variable Patriot marriage. I think the issue there, Colin, is they haven't been through a real coaching search in 25 years. Last year was sort of open and shut. So I do. I know that the Kraft family would like to take a look at what's out there, hear from a bunch of different people, get a better understanding of what's happening across the league with even, you know, even if it does. Even if it does lead them back to variable sort of what the Chargers did last year and interviewing as many people as they did before they landed on Jim Harbaugh.

Colin Cowherd (23:46)

Okay, let's talk players. Aaron Rodgers, he played well in most of the last eight weeks. I know. I think he's got a market. Am I nuts? Yeah. I'm not.

Albert Breer (23:58)

No, I don't think you're nuts. You know, I. I would say this, like Aaron told me over the summer, part of the reason he came back in 2024 was because he didn't want.

Colin Cowherd (24:09)

To go out like that.

Albert Breer (24:10)

Right. Like, he didn't want to go out like in a heap on the turf, on the turf at the Meadowlands with the Achilles injury. I'd argue that's a better way to go out than the way he'd be going out now, you know. So my guess is he's still got some juice left and he still wants to play. He could come back like Brett Favre came back after what happened with, you know, his year with the jets and playing in Minnesota and being an MVP candidate the next year, he comes back with that sort of motivation, wherever it is, you know, I think Rogers still has it in him to be a successful player. Here's the other thing that I think affects all that. The draft class doesn't look great. I mean, Shador Sanders and Cam Ward, I think would clearly be behind the top three quarterbacks in last year's draft and maybe all six that went in the first round. There are going to be teams that are going to look at this year's draft class saying there's not. And they're going to. And some at least are going to say there's not a first rounder in there. So, you know, I think for certain teams, Aaron Rodgers could be an effective bridge.

Colin Cowherd (25:09)

Yeah.

Albert Breer (25:09)

How would he look in Cleveland, Colin? How would you look in Pittsburgh?

Colin Cowherd (25:12)

Pittsburgh's interest?

Albert Breer (25:13)

I think that there are some teams out there that would make some sense, don't you?

Colin Cowherd (25:17)

Oh, yeah. I think he's got, I mean, listen, if Vegas, Vegas played their way out of a good pick and I don't think these quarterbacks are worth giving away draft capital to move up. I think there's guys like McCord at Syracuse or Riley Leonard who will be available in the second. And I think people will say we're going to set them for a year, they're not quite as explosive. I, I, I just, I would not give up a lot of draft capital. I'll do it for Caleb. I'll do it for certain guys. These quarterbacks, I would not.

Albert Breer (25:45)

How about this, Colin? I would tell you right here, right now, I think, no question about it, the first three quarterbacks in last year's draft, right, Caleb Williams, Jaden Daniels, Drake May, would all without question, be the number one pick this year.

Colin Cowherd (25:58)

Yeah. No, I think you're right. I like. Well, let me stay with the Packers. Jordan Love, Christian Watson. The news is bad on Watson. What's the vibe going in to this team that now is suddenly banged up at key spots?

Albert Breer (26:17)

Well, this is sort of why they invested in Josh Jacobs, you know.

Colin Cowherd (26:22)

Yeah.

Albert Breer (26:22)

Like obviously down the stretch last year, Jordan Love was a little bit up and down and he can be streaky.

Colin Cowherd (26:28)

Yes, right.

Albert Breer (26:28)

And we've seen that they really felt like in adding Josh Jacobs they would bring a real edge of physicality and attitude to their running game. And I would argue even when Love was out in September, go back and look at the numbers when everyone in the building knew they were going to run it, they could still run it when Malik Willis was playing quarterback. So, you know, I. It sucks losing Christian Watson, there's no question about that. That said, they do have some depth the position in guys like Wicks and Reed and Dobbs and so there are, there are guys there that, that Love's got a great rapport with. And I do think if they go through some more ups and downs because they lost Watson, they now have something to lean back on in that running game. So, you know, I really believe in like adding, you know, Josh Jacobs. Even a guy like Tucker Kraft is a devastating blocker as a tight end. They've sort of changed the off that the face of that offense and believe that they're going to be able to go into the playoffs with an ability to play a little bit more consistently than they had last year.

Colin Cowherd (27:27)

Finally. I like that Brian Daybowl and Shane Steichen retained Dabel in particular. You know, he got a win late in the season that helped him. Was this a tough decision? Was it a go either way decision? A week ago that day Bull staying?

Albert Breer (27:44)

Yeah, they. John Mara wanted to hear the plan out. You know, I think he had some sympathy for the position they were in. They were put in a really tough spot with the hard knocks thing too. I mean, make no mistake about it, they're having the Saquon thing following you around all year, having the, you know, the Daniel Jones situation play out the way that it did, where the kid's confidence was killed maybe in part by his future being aired out on national tv. There's been a lot of missteps in that organization over the last couple of years. But, you know, I think John Mara really believed that what they did a couple years ago was not smoke and mirrors. And there's a good core of young players there. If you look at it and you and I have talked about this, right? Andrew Thomas, Kayvon Thibodeau, Brian Burns, Dexter Lawrence, my neighbors, that's a player of the year this year. You know, a guy like Malik Davers added to the receiver group I don't think, I don't think it's crazy to think that if you can get quarterback right and now it's not going to be easy but if you can find a way to get quarterback right, this thing could turn pretty quickly. So there's going to be pressure on those guys to win. But I think this is an acknowledgment that when those guys came in there was a long way to go. 2022 was way ahead of schedule. The real rebuild took place the next two years and let's see what happens next year.

Colin Cowherd (28:56)

Albert Brear, Monday morning quarterback, great stuff as always. Thanks on late, late notice. We appreciate you stepping in.

Albert Breer (29:03)

Absolutely. Colin.

Colin Cowherd (29:04)

Okay, yeah, I think I've said this before, there are organizations. J. Mack rolls his eyes But I think the Giants are close. I do. I think the Giants are close. I think they have a star weapon. A star what? Close to being a playoff team and pretty darn interesting.

J. Mac (29:19)

Did you see the Malik Neighbors interview that's surfacing? They asked him about, hey, what do you think about Dable and Joe Shane returning? He's like, yeah, I'm really excited. I mean, come on, I'm telling you. Neighbors is headed down that path of obj Tyree Kill. Like super talented but like he's popping off in the locker room. I don't think the Giants are close to anything. They're not getting a quarterback in the draft.

Colin Cowherd (29:41)

Well, there's just gonna be. There's always a surprise quarterback. We should do that tomorrow as a topic.

J. Mac (29:47)

Well, I know you're, I know yours.

Colin Cowherd (29:49)

I'm not going to get into it. I'm just saying I need one because.

J. Mac (29:52)

The Jalen Milroe bowl performance is just, he's stacking awful, awful looks. I mean that Oklahoma game, if you watch it, you're like, this is not an NFL quarterback.

Colin Cowherd (30:00)

How about just going to throw this out there? Joe Milton.

J. Mac (30:05)

Oh, stop it. That's your guy from like August, remember?

Colin Cowherd (30:09)

Do you see that heater he threw yesterday?

J. Mac (30:10)

I thought about the heat you took in August when you were hyping Joe.

Colin Cowherd (30:14)

I go out there as a positive force in American media and I'm like, joe Milton's got a rocket yesterday. Made one of the throws of the year. Very important game.

J. Mac (30:24)

Was it in warm ups? He threw it out of the stadium or something. That's what he does. Like he's got a big arm, he's, oh, trade bait. Maybe the Giants.

Colin Cowherd (30:33)

J. Mack with a news. No, no, no. Heard on the news. This is the news.

J. Mac (30:42)

All right, let's start with the Chicago Bears. We've talked about it a lot. This Pete Carroll quote badly wants the job and he's already lining up top assistance if he's hired. Spicy. I don't know. I'm always reluctant. Well, guys who are kind of very vocal about I want that job and.

Colin Cowherd (31:02)

Like publicly, well, Rex Ryan is doing that because I think I don't like that.

J. Mac (31:06)

Is that okay to not like that? Well, unseemly. It's like you're desperate.

Colin Cowherd (31:10)

Well, Pete doesn't have a lot of years left to be a viable candidate. It just, it's just the age reality of how people view 70 year old coaches. So he's probably thinking, hey, it's a weak year for candidates. There's going to be six openings and I've fixed. If you go look at Pete's career with Drew Bledsoe, Russell Wilson, he has had young quarterbacks and has given them a run game and a defense and helped them win a lot of games.

J. Mac (31:37)

I don't know, it just feels very presidential electiony with like 75 year old guys.

Colin Cowherd (31:42)

Well, let's, let's, let's stay away from the age. I don't think age is a factor with Pete. I think he is young at heart and great energy. I think.

J. Mac (31:50)

You don't think age is. I think age is the biggest story for Pete Carroll, the Bears.

Colin Cowherd (31:53)

I don't think it is.

J. Mac (31:54)

What do you think is the biggest?

Colin Cowherd (31:56)

My knock on Pete has always been that he's a nice guy and he keeps average assistants and coordinators too long. That has always been my knock on him that he'll, he'll keep that O line coach that isn't working for an extra year. The DC it's been my biggest knock on him is that in college he didn't have to worry about it because he, you know, he hit some home runs. But in the NFL the coaching is better. Look, in college, Pete was such a great recruiter. He was so much better of a coach than 90% of the guys he coached against. He didn't have to have the best staff. You get to the NFL, the margins are small. If you have a bad coordinator, you get exposed. Let's be honest about the Lions. They have a great OC and a great DC because look at Minnesota, great DC Great head coach, Kansas City, great D. Most of these great teams, I mean Jesse Minter and Jim Harbaugh. A huge component to the Chargers success is the coaching staff. Pete can be a little loyal to coaches that I think the game has passed Them by. And just the whole idea of a retread, like, can we stop using words like retread? It's my. It's my 61st birthday today.

J. Mac (33:06)

You're not a retread. You've dominated everywhere you've gone.

Colin Cowherd (33:09)

Well, let's slow down on that. But I'm just saying that that retread, it stings a little.

J. Mac (33:14)

I would just. I like outside the box. I like, you know, this Marcus Freeman guy. Obviously, Notre Dame, he's not taking the job. Okay, fine, fine. Let's think in that vein. Okay? How would Sark do, going to Chicago? Offensive guy. Okay, I. I want an offensive head coach because you talk about this every year. You don't want a defensive coach because if the offensive coordinator is good in a year, he's gone well.

Colin Cowherd (33:35)

But sometimes a defensive coach is the best available coach. I think Aaron Glenn is excellent. And I think he flexed last night on tv. Yeah.

J. Mac (33:42)

How did he do a week ago today against the Niners when the Niners had a meaningless game like eight yards per plate? I. I don't know. I don't know.

Colin Cowherd (33:50)

Man, Glenn, that Lions defense had a couple of nice picks in the second half. Made some adjustments at half. Pretty good defense.

J. Mac (33:58)

You're very emotional with some of these reactions. Oh, Aaron Glenn put him at the top of your list.

Colin Cowherd (34:03)

Well, I just.

J. Mac (34:03)

He had a great game last night.

Colin Cowherd (34:04)

I take this stuff serious. A lot of you guys are out there worrying about wide receiver moves. I'm into the coaching moves. I'm into the GM moves. That's what I've been my whole career. I like that stuff.

J. Mac (34:16)

Well, it's weird. You're giving everybody on the Lions staff props except the guy who hired all these dudes. The GM and the Lions is crushing it.

Colin Cowherd (34:24)

Well, he's great. We know that.

J. Mac (34:25)

Next up is Jamar Chase. Colin, listen, Bengals are not in the playoffs, but holy hell, this guy just became the sixth receiver in the super bowl area to register the triple crown, leading the league in catches with 127 yards over 1700 and 17 touchdowns. The other guys, they're decent. Cooper Cup, Steve Smith, Sterling Sharpe, Jerry Rice, and Lance Allworth. Of course, Chase is by far the youngest of any of those. And oh, by the way, he is in a contract year. He enters the option year of his rookie deal.

Colin Cowherd (34:59)

Why are we waiting here? You should have signed him two years ago.

J. Mac (35:02)

Sign early.

Colin Cowherd (35:04)

There's about three receivers at any one time in the NFL. Like Justin Jefferson. Sign him. Mike Evans when he was young. Sign him. Jamar Chase. Get it done. Let's not wait on Jamar Chase when you get the and I again, I don't. I'm not a fan of paying players early. But when you get these transformational forces burrow like Justin Herbert just ham. Josh Allen, Pam always pay early.

J. Mac (35:28)

Jerry. How have they not seen Jerry Jones screw this up? Every year the Dak Prescott is bungled because of Jerry. He waited too long. I'll give the Jags props. They paid Trevor Lawrence early. And I know some people are like, it's not good. That deal is going to look great because Lawrence isn't up for five years.

Colin Cowherd (35:42)

No, it's. It's already by next year. The deal looks actually pretty good.

J. Mac (35:46)

Amazing. So you've got to pay early. And I think the Bengals screw this up. Like Chase has an argument. I want to be the highest paid receiver. I just got the triple Crown. Like you can't even push back against that.

Colin Cowherd (35:58)

No. And he's by the way, he is. He's a dog. He is better in the big games. Nobody want. I mean, listen, if he tested the market and went to the market, there'd be a bidding war for him. I like him much more than Tyreek Hill. He's a bigger target. I think he's a more consistent target. I think I can do stuff underneath with him. I mean, Tyreek Hill is terrific. But if you're telling me there's two receivers in this league that are just different. Justin Jefferson, Jamar Chase are different and that is no shot at the number three receiver in the league. They're just different.

J. Mac (36:30)

Final story. Colin is just emerging here in the last hour. Antonio Pierce and the Raiders. Looks like he's going to be staying. He just met the media and was asked about his future at a press conference. Here's Antonio Pierce of the Raiders.

Albert Breer (36:46)

Do you have any clarity on what's happening next year about your job sites?

Colin Cowherd (36:51)

I'm going to tell anything different.

Albert Breer (36:54)

Do you want to get that cleared up asap or do you.

Colin Cowherd (36:58)

It's only coming from the outside.

Albert Breer (36:59)

It's not inside the building.

Jon Stewart (37:00)

So to me there's nothing clean up.

Colin Cowherd (37:01)

Until I hear from inside the building. I'll defend him. I'll defend him. Didn't have a quarterback. Played their butt off. They were in every game. Every single game. And they. And they have a huge hole in a division with Peyton Harbaugh, Reed, Herbert Mahomes, Bo Nicks. You can't have the fourth best quarterback by a long shot and be viable. They were in every. They were in. They play so hard.

J. Mac (37:27)

So I would.

Colin Cowherd (37:28)

I would have kept him. Brian Dabel, Shane Steichen, all those guys I keep.

J. Mac (37:33)

They're getting kept. It's funny you mentioned quarterback. Some Raiders fans are freaking out because Pierce came out and said, I basically, I wish I had started AOC earlier instead of Minshu, who was tough. But again, I'm just going to go back to this column. A lot of these bad teams in December may have looked like, hey, there's something here. There's never anything there. Okay. A lot of these December games don't mean much. Neither side is trying, and maybe that's why the Raiders stacked a couple wins late. I don't think those wins mean a damn thing. I don't think AOC is a starting quarterback in this league, do you?

Colin Cowherd (38:04)

Nope. Back up. Doesn't. He doesn't move well enough. He's a backup. Good backup.

J. Mac (38:09)

Yeah, you. You beat the heck out of.

Colin Cowherd (38:10)

Listen, by the way, nothing wrong with having a great backup. Now go get a starter.

J. Mac (38:14)

As if. Like, you act like that's easy.

Colin Cowherd (38:16)

Well, let me just go grab a.

J. Mac (38:17)

Starter from that 99 cent store.

Colin Cowherd (38:19)

5. Five guys out of the draft last year look like they've all hit and I haven't even seen J.J. mcCarthy yet. I'm telling you, this draft, there's going to be a couple of guys in this draft quarterback class. They're going to get drafted in the second round, third round, going to pop.

J. Mac (38:34)

I love when, like, I know your takes and I know where you're going with this. You're going to ram it home to the audience every day because you feel like you're onto something here and you might be. I don't know about this dude. I have not watched him as closely as you have.

Colin Cowherd (38:46)

Just. All I'm going to say is this.

J. Mac (38:48)

But I like to pitch, pivot. I like the pivot for Riley Leonard. You're like, oh, let me get a glimpse of Riley Leonard Thornford.

Colin Cowherd (38:54)

I still like Riley Leonard. I'm still a fan of Riley Leonard. I think he's going to start in this league. I have somebody else getting a lot of talk.

J. Mac (39:04)

Well, remember last year I was in early on JJ McCarthy, Adam top 10 in my mock draft.

Colin Cowherd (39:08)

You did?

J. Mac (39:08)

I was mocked out online.

Colin Cowherd (39:10)

Well, you deserve credit for that. You went hard.

J. Mac (39:13)

He hasn't thrown a pass in the NFL, so let's.

Colin Cowherd (39:15)

Nobody had a good preseason. That does matter. It does. He looked.

J. Mac (39:19)

I think it's Diana Rossini or a couple other reporters are saying, oh, no, sorry. NFL Network is saying Vikings are not trading JJ McCarthy they came out and said. One of the reporters said they're not dealing himself.

Colin Cowherd (39:30)

Well, I initiated those reports.

J. Mac (39:32)

Yeah. Because I had some brush fires here. Huh?

Colin Cowherd (39:35)

I'm just telling you. Seattle, Seattle and Sammy D. Minnesota has no draft picks. A first and a couple fives. They got to get draft picks. I. I got news. You want to know how to get draft picks in a weak quarterback class? J.J. mcCarthy. Are you gonna. Are you gonna try to chase the Lions roster? Packers. And you got one draft pick of. No.

J. Mac (39:56)

They're not far off. They won 14 games. And it. It's not only because of Darnold. Now they lose Flores and Darnold. I don't know how many free. I haven't looked at their free agents, but, like, yeah, things could fall apart, but the foundation is strong there. And Kevin Oconnell.

Colin Cowherd (40:12)

Detroit wins this division going away with 12 guys on the IR on defense. So Detroit's healthy next year. The gap between Detroit and Minnesota is greater than you think. The. The gap between Detroit and Green Bay is greater than we think.

J. Mac (40:27)

Well, Green Bay's falling apart. They've been a letdown here late.

Colin Cowherd (40:29)

Listen, all you Packer and Viking and Bear fans. Chicago at one point had 18 guys on the IR and still won the division. I mean, what does that tell you? You go back to October when they were healthy. They were Alabama during Saban's run. They were dropping 40 burgers, everybody.

J. Mac (40:45)

Wait, who's that? Who's that?

Colin Cowherd (40:46)

Detroit.

J. Mac (40:47)

Okay, okay.

Colin Cowherd (40:47)

They were cr. I mean, this idea that the packers and Vikings are close, this was the year to get them. They fell apart physically. Aiden Hutchinson returns, and this is the year to get him. The getting was good.

J. Mac (40:59)

So Lions going to the Super Bowl. Come on, say it with your chest.

Colin Cowherd (41:05)

I'd like to see it. I'd be happy if that happened.

J. Mac (41:07)

You saw. You saw the. The draws. Give me the early guesses at the two super bowl teams.

Colin Cowherd (41:11)

Give me the draws again, guys. Get. Put them up there. The early.

J. Mac (41:14)

The early, early guess at super bowl teams.

Colin Cowherd (41:18)

Now, that's the draft.

J. Mac (41:19)

Draft.

Colin Cowherd (41:19)

Yeah. Yeah. Those guys aren't going to the Super Bowl. I can guarantee that.

J. Mac (41:22)

They're going to the top.

Colin Cowherd (41:23)

I would say it's too hard. I got to see.

J. Mac (41:27)

Not too hard for me.

Colin Cowherd (41:28)

I can't figure the Vikings Rams game out. You love the Rams.

J. Mac (41:31)

Yeah. I'm going to be all over Philly as well. I'm going to go.

Colin Cowherd (41:34)

By the way, The Lions have 60 million in cap space next year. And you think the Vikings are going to be like, yeah, we have a first round pick.

J. Mac (41:41)

And what if they lose Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn? That changes the calculation.

Colin Cowherd (41:45)

It doesn't change the offensive line, the run game, Omar on St. Brown, Jared Goff that pretty and 60 million in cap space. Eagles, Bills, you guys are all thinking everybody's close to Detroit and Philly. Nah, I think those rosters are significantly better than the rest of the nfc. J Mac with the news well, that's the news.

Albert Breer (42:04)

And thanks for stopping by the Herd.

Colin Cowherd (42:07)

Line news Matt Hasselbeck pushed back on my Keep your eye on the Chargers. I'm just saying, you know, the playoffs, you need a great coach. Check. Great quarterback. Check. Good offensive tackles for protection? Check. Good pass rush? Check. Star in the secondary? Check. And a weapon? Check. McConkey is a weapon. I don't know. I think Chargers are interesting Live in la. It's the Herd. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd. Weekdays at noon Eastern, 9:00am Pacific 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. 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 fool 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. You can count on T Mobile to help keep you connected from big cities to small towns on America's largest 5G network. Switch the T Mobile keep your phone and they'll pay it off up to 800 bucks per line via prepaid card. Learn more@t mobile.com heap and switch up to four lines via virtual prepaid card. Allow 15 days qualifying unlock device, credit service port in 90 plus days with device and eligible carrier and timely redemption required. Card has no cash access and expires in six months Jon Stewart is back.

Jon Stewart (44:39)

In the host chair at the Daily show, which means he's also back in our ears on the Daily Show Ears Edition Podcast the Daily show podcast has everything you need to stay on top of today's news and pop culture. You get hilarious satirical takes on entertainment, politics, sports and more from John and the team of correspondents and contributors. The podcast also has content you can't get anywhere else else, like extended interviews and a roundup of the weekly headlines. Listen to the Daily Show Ears edition on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

J. Mac (45:17)

The packers in an NFL Wildcard matchup Sunday at 4 Eastern, 1 Pacific on Fox.

Colin Cowherd (45:23)

You know, I know everybody's saying that's the game of the week. I don't love the vibe for Green Bay right now. Interesting.

J. Mac (45:31)

I'll have some really negative numbers for Jordan Love in this matchup. I know I like Eagles.

Colin Cowherd (45:37)

I like the Eagles too. I think it's my. My favorite play. Oh, favorite. I think my favorite play of the weekend is I like the Eagles at home and I think it's I think they've got a couple of key guys rested. I don't like the matchup for the packers at all. And you know, I've been a Packer fan this year.

J. Mac (45:52)

This is the guy I also I.

Colin Cowherd (45:54)

The two favorites I like. I like the Eagles and I like the Ravens. Now I'm getting nervous about my charger.

J. Mac (46:00)

The only reason people like the packers is because of what they did in the playoffs last year. Everybody's like, oh, oh, remember that Cowboys game?

Colin Cowherd (46:06)

Well, it's been a weird year. Like Jordan Love started hurt and then he was healthy and they won with Malik Willis and then he's healthy and then he was great and then he was kind of. It went a little sideways and I just kind of feel like they've become kind of a power run team and I really liked him. And now it's the end and Watson and Love are Hurt. It just doesn't feel like it. They've ever gotten their feet under them for like five, six straight weeks in a row.

J. Mac (46:27)

This Philly defense is really nasty, really good.

Colin Cowherd (46:30)

I like Baltimore and Philly.

J. Mac (46:32)

This is another rematch of a week one game. And again, I would just stress to people, don't read too much into the game in Brazil over, what, three, four months ago. Just don't do that with Tampa, Washington, and don't do that with Philly and Green Bay.

Colin Cowherd (46:46)

I think one of the reasons that we're a football nation, one of the reasons why I think it's a game that speaks to a lot of people. People play hurt. It's once a week. You play in bad. We. There's a lot of reasons it connects with people. And another reason I think the NFL is so popular, it's the League of Hope. So I've told you, if the Giants could get the quarterback right, I think they're like, you know, one or two players away from being a playoff team. I. Everybody looks at New England and think they stink. And I'm like, they have their starting quarterback. They have their backup quarterback. They need to get a left tackle. They need more weapons on the perimeter. I've been saying that for seven years. But here's Robert Kraft, the owner of the Patriots, having to fire Gerard. Maybe this whole situation is on me. I feel terrible for Gerard because I put him in an untenable situation. What about it specifically did you find untenable? And how will that influence how you approach this search? I don't like losing. I don't like losing the way we lost. And I just. Things were not developing the way we would have liked, and it was time to move on. Yeah, the. But again, this is the hopeful part. They've got a starting quarterback and they have a backup quarterback. And here's Kraft on that. If you want to compete long term and be good in this league, you got to have good drafts because those rookie contracts allow you to go out and get the people you need to surround people. Looks like we lucked out. We maybe have two quarterbacks. That's what I said about Joe Milton. Old Mr. Cynical here. Joe Milton is a very capable backup, big athlete, big arm, and I think Dray Manx, your starter. So once if you get the quarterback right in this league, everything falls into place. You can be the Colts and have everything going for you. Be bad at quarterback, and it's mayhem and Indy. I mean, you got former teammates banging on him. You got the press banging on them. You got the fans banging on you. You got a quarterback that sits on the sidelines and doesn't want to go back in. The Colts and the Seahawks are very good rosters, but they're not special at quarterback. So they're just a nothing burger. Meanwhile, I think New England, I get Kraft, I get Drake. May I get Milton a backup? I'm like, okay, I need a left tackle and some weapons. We can win. I don't think you're that far off. I really don't. I think the New York Giants, you know, obviously Seattle has a very good roster. They're a quarterback away from being something special. But I, you know, it's one of the things about this sport, is a million reasons why the NFL, it's once a week, but it's always been once a week. The NFL's always had the scarcity advantage, but I do think it speaks to people as we've got more tech and more distractions and more AI and a lot of changes. People like the predictability of one game a week, the same windows. And you're never. I mean, I mean, this is the only league that we talk about bad teams. I mean, the jets, if the jets were an NBA franchise, they'd be the Washington Wizards. We'd never bring them up, but. Because in the NFL, if you get a position or two, right, I mean, New England, they would be the bottom of the NBA. We would never bring them up, but they're kind of interesting if they get the quarterback, right? So I. That's the big advantage to me. So Tennessee's got the number one pick. Obviously they need a quarterback. I think that's my takeaway is, do they go down one spot? Does somebody love one of the quarterbacks? So I could see them saying, like, I can see Tennessee honestly saying, we're going to trade down and we think we want to go get a Riley Leonard in the second round. I mean, they have the number one pick in the second round. So just trade down. I don't think it's crazy. The Titans don't look like they're a player away. They look like they're six dudes away. When you're laughing at what I just love.

J. Mac (50:57)

Our dynamic is fun. I like when you say stuff like, I don't think it's crazy. And in my head I can hear that's. That's freaking crazy.

Colin Cowherd (51:04)

You think it's crazy to trade out of the one?

J. Mac (51:07)

Yeah. Out of one.

Colin Cowherd (51:09)

Yeah.

J. Mac (51:11)

The Titans need a quarterback, Colin, period.

Colin Cowherd (51:14)

Who's saying the guy in the second round's not better than the guy in the first round.

J. Mac (51:17)

Gosh, dude, I'm not gonna say his name because you're. This is your show, but that's your guy. You can ride with him. You gotta take the best quarterback. Cam Ward's gonna go one. I'll put that, put that out right now. Go ahead. Ken Ward going one. Lock it up.

Colin Cowherd (51:29)

I don't. January 6th, he is the better athlete than Shador Sanders. I don't, I won't push back on that. All right, let's talk about Amazon Prime. It's not just one thing. It's a collection of services that help you get the most out of whatever you're into, whether it's a hobby, sport, or getting things done fast. Prime's got you covered. Like my hobby for all things sports. You can order sports supplies, listen to content like this podcast on Amazon music or watch content. You can do it all with Prime. Everybody loves the fast, free same day shipping, especially as we kick off the year. But what about all the content you can listen to on Amazon music, music to podcast, fast shipping? What is not to love about this membership I'm in? Prime fuels your passions, makes everything easier. So whatever you're into, it's on Prime. Visit Amazon.com prime now. Whether you're ordering wings for the game, whipping up a seven layer dip, or ordering pizza, there's something about football that makes me want to eat. And this football season, Uber Eats has the best deals for me on game day. Food, no matter what I'm craving, from two for one pizza. To buy one, get one wings. Uber Eats will be dropping new deals each week all season long. I'm in Uber Eats, the official on demand delivery partner of the NFL. Order now for game day. Terms and conditions apply. See app for details. Dear Toyota, I need a word with you about your Crown family. I started driving one and suddenly I love traffic. No, really, rush hour is my happy place.

Albert Breer (52:58)

Intentional wrong turns feel so right. I could sit in the comfort of.

Colin Cowherd (53:01)

My crown forever, basking in its elegance.

Albert Breer (53:03)

Feeling on top of the world. But you see how this is strange for me, right? Who gets excited about traffic? This is on you, Toyota.

Colin Cowherd (53:10)

And send the captivating Toyota Crown family. Toyota, let's go places.

Jon Stewart (53:17)

Jon Stewart is back at the Daily show, and he's bringing his signature wit and insight straight to your ears with the Daily Show Ears Edition podcast. Dive into John's unique take on the biggest topics in politics, entertainment, sports and more, joined by the sharp voices of the show's correspondence and contributors. And with extended interviews and exclusive weekly headline Roundups. This podcast gives you content you won't find anywhere else. Ready to laugh and stay informed, listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.