Mark Sanchez (3:48)

Oh, yeah, okay.

Colin Cowherd (3:49)

This game makes veterans a little tight. Drew Brees has laughed at his first throw down the field in the Super Bowl. He's like, settle down. I got too much juice. He if you're Mahomes, you think, you look at that and think, all right, you had nice regular season. You've been big favorites against teams. Would you test them?

Mark Sanchez (4:07)

Oh, well, I think you got to do that at some point in all these big games. On offense, you want to just give the defense a peek of what's under the hood. Right? That, like, automobile analogy. Let them see the engine. Let him. Let him feel the roar of the engine at some point. Xavier Worthy, it's got to test these guys downfield. He's their speedster. Drafted to be like a desean Jackson for Andy Reid when he was in Philadelphia. That kind of idea. But when, when you're talking about this Philly defense, I mean, you got to give credit to Vic Fangio and the staff he's assembled because think about last year. They got bounced out of the playoffs in the first round. They got embarrassed. Their morale was down. Everybody was down on the Eagles, especially their defense. They wanted to get rid of everybody. Well, they did an excellent job of reinvigorating some of the players they already have, drafting and developing Talent that was usually supposed to be for depth. Those two rookie corners, remember Quinya Mitchell? He's a rookie from Toledo, played in the Mac. He hadn't seen receivers like this until this year. He's only playing. We only know who Quinion Mitchell is because Bradbury went down in training camp. So he's had to play the entire year. No picks all season, two in the postseason. I'd say that's a great draft pick so far.

Colin Cowherd (5:18)

Right?

Mark Sanchez (5:18)

Then you get another Rookie like Cooper DeJean who was not playing to start the year, remember as Avante Maddox. And after the bye week, Cooper De Jean starts to crack the lineup. And he's been a rookie playing nickel. We've talked about it on this show before. That is one of the toughest positions to play as a rookie. He's got to fit up in the run, he's got to play man to man. He's got to understand where to be in zone coverage. He's got a blitz off the edge. And oh, by the way, he returns punts. This guy's been unbelievable. Then you take a couple castaways on offense from New York. I know what that feels like, right? Getting kicked out of New York, run out of the big city, and you take the train right over to Philly and see what happens. Makai Becton, remember him? He's a first round draft pick out of Louisville. They didn't want him anymore. They threw his ass out of town. Well, who saved him? Who made him a reclamation project? And who made him look like an absolute monster on offense? Jeff Stoutland. How about that guy and the job he's done with the O line for the Eagles. Makai Becton's throwing linebackers off the screen when you watch the tape, right? So then you get Saquon Barkley cast out of New York. I mean, the job that the Eagles have done, reinvigorating their players, drafting guys for depth, and then finding ways to get these guys to play well. Jalen Carter, for example, he played like half the snaps last year. He's almost doubled his snap total this year. Well, who did that? Clint Hurt lit a fire under that guy's rear and got him playing. Now he's a human body snatcher up front, grabs those old linemen, refuses to let them get to the second level. And who becomes an All Pro? Oh, this guy. You never heard of him. Zach Bond. Making all the tackles, making interceptions, punching the football out. They've completely changed their entire face of their much younger identity. And Zach Bond couldn't crack the Lineup. He comes out of Wisconsin, can't crack the lineup here in New Orleans with the Saints, and now suddenly he's an all pro. The first year he plays for Vic Fangio. So whatever they're drinking there in Philly, whatever's in the water, whatever that attitude is in the meetings, their camaraderie, you can tell they've done a great job. It's been a complete facelift.

Colin Cowherd (7:20)

So obviously Philadelphia knows they're going to be in the record books on the wrong side if the Chiefs win. And I, and I do think there's pressure on Kansas City to deliver, but they always have in this spot outside of the Tampa, Brady missing their own tack Super Bowl. So when you were in a big game and you're facing somebody on the other side that is already iconic, and I think Mahomes is already there.

Mark Sanchez (7:45)

Oh, yes.

Colin Cowherd (7:46)

And let's say, I know it sounds like, you know, you quarterbacks go to the bench, you look at film, but did you ever. Were you ever aware of the icon you faced? Maybe Brady and Manning? Did you ever think to yourself, listen, man, we can't just be about run game and Rex's defense. I got to peel one off here occasionally.

Jason McIntyre (8:05)

Yeah.

Colin Cowherd (8:05)

I was going to say, does it get into your head a little bit? All of a sudden you're Jalen Hur, you trail. It's three in a row. You don't want to be in the record books. Do you start to think like, hey man, I got to make plays here.

Mark Sanchez (8:15)

At a certain point, Jalen Hurts is going to have to drop back, go through his progressions and make a big time throw. He did it two Super Bowls ago, minus the one fumble. He played nearly flawless. He was great and it was an efficient game. He threw the ball in that game two years ago a lot more than I think he will in this game. Once again, this offense runs through Saquon Barkley. If I'm killing more, I'm going to try and set the super bowl record for rushing attempts to Saquon Barkley.

Colin Cowherd (8:42)

Right. That's.

Mark Sanchez (8:42)

That's my game plan. At some point, if the Chiefs find a way to return a punt, flip the field, go up 10, 14 points, we're going to have to throw the ball a little bit, not completely abandon the run game. But that's where Jalen Hurts has to come a lot. And that's where I think Coach Nussmeier has done a great job. Their quarterbacks coach, along with Kellen Moore, showing him how to play and their formula to win this year and it's different than the Eagles two years ago. He has to have that efficient game. 18 of 22, 18 of 23, maybe 200 yards, a touchdown or two, and he's got to use his legs. Some of those big throws are going to be one on one matchups. McDuffie and A.J. brown on the edge. McDuffie is a heck of a cornerback. This is his third year in the league. He's in his third Super Bowl. I mean, this kid's a stud out of Washington. So him and AJ Brown, if they're ever matched up on the field, as soon as Hurt sees that, that's his chance to take a shot. He throws a beautiful deep ball.

Colin Cowherd (9:34)

Educate our audience on this. Mark Sanchez for the radio audience joining us. Kansas City has been so proficient in these one possession games. I think they are very Brady New England in terms of circumstantial football. Do they come into this game? I mean the Phillies special, they didn't use it all year. You try to practice at eight weeks, how many plays do you do you go into a game thinking, hey, if it goes to overtime, we need two, three.

Mark Sanchez (10:00)

Sure.

Colin Cowherd (10:01)

Do you come into games now again, Reed and Mahomes, Mark, have been together so many years.

Mark Sanchez (10:05)

Exactly.

Colin Cowherd (10:05)

Can you add six, four? How many special plays do you think they come into this game with?

Mark Sanchez (10:10)

Well, I think they have five to 10 that they've already been practicing since August, since OTAs. Just thoughts. Because when you have players that have been together, that's really what's on their side. Is time on task in crucial situational moments, got to have it situations. They know what to do. They know exactly what their fundamentals are. They don't rise to the occasion. They sink to the level of the way they train and they train hard. Their camp, their training camp is notoriously hard. They practice racks of plays 16, 18, 20. Most teams are practicing 10 to 12. They do it to get their bodies ready physically, their mind ready mentally and emotionally to handle those long arduous drives. So in those moments, they sink to exactly who they are. They've done it before. They know where to go with the football. They can recognize the defense. Patrick Mahomes can communicate it to his players, get them in the right play and that's what leads to their high level of execution.

Colin Cowherd (11:09)

So you did a couple of Eagles games this year. I've said before is there are times I watch them and think, how do they ever punt? Like there are no weaknesses. O line, tight end, sometimes as a play caller, like I feel like sometimes Devonte Smith is gifted but feels like a lost man. Sure, they have to do a jet sweep. We got to get him involved. Do you think in big games is there a tendency when you are really gifted? Whereas we like Xavier worthy, they still feel like they're a receiver shy maybe like she Rice comes. Philadelphia has a surplus. Can you sometimes get too cute with extra time to prepare?

Mark Sanchez (11:52)

Well, if you're trying too hard and lose your identity, their identity is running the football once again. Run it and run it and run it some more. There were a couple times in that super bowl two years ago where they ran it on like third and eighth because they knew they were going for it on fourth and short, right? That's another thing they have in their back pocket, that tush push play until the NFL outlaws it. That is a weapon for them. You don't see the Chiefs do it. You don't see other teams as successful with it. So understanding that game within the game, third and eight, doesn't mean I have to throw the ball eight yards down the field. I could throw a two to six yard completion and I know we're right in that range of our tush push, our brotherly shove and nobody's going to stop us. So I think they have that in their back pocket. I think when it comes to getting certain players touches, you want people to touch the ball early, especially your stars. I don't care. Snap it to him, hand it to him, jet sweep, fly sweep, whatever you want to. A bubble on, on top of a run and they add an extra defender in the box, dump it to devonte Smith, let him go, break a tackle and get into the flow of the game. I think that's going to be, you know, tricky for Kellen Moore, but then he's got to settle in himself as a play caller, getting those play sequences aligned properly.

Colin Cowherd (13:05)

You know, it's because you do NFC package and you do a lot of NFC stuff. You know, you just, you feel Philadelphia, they feel like right now like San Francisco did the previous three or four years, kind of the centerpiece of the nfc. When you're around Philadelphia like you're on the field, you go to the Friday production meeting. What is the vibe of the team behind the scenes that I don't see in the fans don't see.

Mark Sanchez (13:28)

The first thing you notice is their O line and defensive line size. I mean, they're monsters. It looks like Space Jam and, you know, Jordan's playing with Looney Tunes and they got the Monstars on the other side. They're Massive humans and their demeanor, their light. It's fun. And then when it's time to go, these guys can flip a switch and they're in the middle of their plays, and there is no mess around. Now you get back to the huddle, the defense on the field, the offense can joke around a little bit, but these guys are dialed. They're so focused, and they have this way to compartmentalize. And a lot of that's the coaching staff, the preparation. I can't say enough about Philly, what they've done.

Colin Cowherd (14:05)

Well, you know, it's interesting. You play in New York, you play in Philadelphia. So you. You. And you're in the media, and you grew up in Los Angeles, so you really understand talk radio, the media, the relentless nature, wfan, wip. And I think, like I've told West coast buddies, I'm like, LA is a big market, but there's a hostility. Philadelphia, when you play there, just the intensity and urgency, like, there's a demand, make our roster better. And I think there's something that feeds off this. I've said this before, sometimes Buffalo and Green Bay, the media is supportive.

Mark Sanchez (14:45)

Sure.

Colin Cowherd (14:45)

Like in Philadelphia, I always feel like the media and the fans kind of hold you. Like, they notice every thing. I mean, did you sense that as a player there?

Mark Sanchez (14:56)

Here's what I would say about that fan base that I loved playing. Especially when you're winning, they're awesome. They'll never be satisfied unless you win two Super Bowls in one season. So until that happens, they're not gonna be happy. However, it'd be nice to win a Super bowl forum, and they'll love you up forever, and you'll be an iconic, you know, player for that franchise. And you might have a statue right next to Rocky, you know, downtown. So that's. That's kind of the vibe there. But they embrace it. I think the team really has embraced it. They've taken that as a challenge. And remember, after two and two start, they go to bye week. The sky was falling. They wanted to fire everybody. They wanted to kick everybody out of town. And they. You've seen their celebration. Everybody calm down. Calm down. And they found a way to find their identity and establish dominance, especially in the run game and on defense.

Colin Cowherd (15:49)

I always appreciate you stopping by, buddy.

Mark Sanchez (15:51)

Got it, man.

Colin Cowherd (15:52)

Mark Sanchez, who's just been. Well, I always knew you'd be good as a broadcaster, but I was just talking about you the other day to somebody. I said, you know, you want to do what Sanchez does? Oh, you want to go be great? On games and then you want to come in and just light the room up on tv. So you know, now I got young athletes being I want to be that guy.

Mark Sanchez (16:10)

And we appreciate Try not to be like J. Mac. I heard he was out late. Better put an apple air tag on him tonight. I know he's going out tonight.

Colin Cowherd (16:18)

Better track him back in New Orleans after this. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio app all right, let's talk about Amazon prime for a minute. I've got mine. Do you have yours? Not just about one thing. It's a whole collection of services that help you get the most out of whatever you're into. If you passionate about a hobby, a sport, or all sports in my case. Or you just need to get things done fast. Prime, Amazon Prime's got your back. You can watch content, order supplies, listen on Amazon Music. It's all included under one prime membership. Of course we can all agree one of the best things about prime is the fast, free delivery. With prime, you can have what you need delivered the same day. But it's more than that. Prime is a collection of excellent services. I love it. Amazon Music Listen to the tunes that keep you in the zone or this podcast. Whatever you're doing working out on the road, prime doesn't just help you get closer to the things you care about, it helps you discover new things too. Prime's always there to fuel your passion, make it just a little bit easier. So whatever you're into, it's on Prime. Visit Amazon.comprime now you can count on T Mobile to help keep you connected from big cities big 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. 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. Hey everybody. This message brought to you by the official whiskey of the herd with Colin Coward. That's Green River Whiskey. Sipping it now. We've been learning all about Green River Whiskey. And let me tell you something, these folks know what they're doing. Basics, they focus on them like crafting. Top notch bourbon and rye whiskey. 35 bucks a bottle. That's it. High quality, without breaking the bank. And here's something fun. Every Green river bottle comes with a built in game. Seriously, you can shoot the shoe by flicking a coin into the horseshoe design on the bottom of the bottle like shuffleboard. How cool is that? In a world that's getting way too complicated, Green river reminds us to kick back, enjoy the simple things, have a little fun. Check them out@greenriverwhiskey.com here's to green River Whiskey. Raise youe Spirits, a product of Green River Distilling Company, Owensboro, Kentucky. Alcohol by volume varies by product. Greenriverwhiskey.com Please drink responsibly. I really do feel like New Orleans is the kind of city that Nick Wright was built for.

Nick Wright (19:38)

Oh, you ain't lying, bro. You hate lying.

Colin Cowherd (19:41)

The late nights, mystery, intrigue, great food.

Nick Wright (19:45)

Beautiful people, culture, legal gambling. I mean, yeah. I mean, it's one of the world's great cities.

Colin Cowherd (19:52)

Yeah. And it. Last night, Nick and I hung out briefly before he escaped to some sort of next level gambling.

Nick Wright (19:59)

I had to. I. I left you at 9:00 and I had three more stops to make. I know, I was, I was out. By the way, glad you're feeling better. I. Once upon a time, I left the show sick. And the response, like the Internet's responses were, you know, something along the lines of hope he never comes back. You leave a show sick and it's. I mean. And the viewers want to send the National Guard checking on you. You are beloved in a way that I was unaware. Just really remarkable.

Colin Cowherd (20:30)

They don't miss you till you're gone. Yeah, exactly. Falling on the floor, getting set.

Nick Wright (20:33)

Good to see you.

Colin Cowherd (20:35)

So you are known and I've compared you recently. Somebody called me at the Washington Post and I said, you remind me of Bill Simmons because Simmons love for the Celtics was so pure and authentic. It didn't bother me that he, you know, he, they were his team. And I feel that with Kansas City. I see the passion, I see the love. But you know, Bill throws his vulnerability out there sometimes. He'll you know this analysis, you show no signs of lack of confidence. There has to be something with this stacked Eagles roster.

Nick Wright (21:06)

Well, yeah, the Eagles can win.

Colin Cowherd (21:07)

Okay, what second quarter, forget score second quarter. What is going to worry you if you see it happening?

Nick Wright (21:16)

I mean if Jalen Hurts is playing great, I mean the Chiefs are going to make Jalen Hurts beat him and everyone points to the performance in the last super bowl and Jalen Hurts was excellent.

Colin Cowherd (21:27)

Excellent.

Nick Wright (21:28)

The problem, the flip side of that coin is he hasn't played that level of game one time since then. He's come close a couple times, but he has not been able to duplicate that performance once since then. The other thing that would concern me a bit if I were an Eagles fan is there's an amazing clip of the young rookie defenders the Chiefs had from that super bowl in the final moment saying to each other, bro, we don't even know the scheme and we just won the Super Bowl. So he it is that because that was the draft class that Carloftis McDuffie, Joshua Williams, Leo Schindler, all those guys who are now, you know, third year players, not quite veterans but close to it. So I just think the Chiefs are going to be better prepared. But the Eagles are an excellent team. Their problem is they're playing a team that even though they were negged all year by the media is going to go down as the greatest team ever. This is the greatest football team ever. That this Kansas City Chiefs team going for a three peat. They, they beat every single AFC playoff opponent. They beat every NFC playoff opponent. They had one team beat them. They then got back at them in the Bills in the playoffs. They're the healthiest they've been all year. There's no shame for Philadelphia in not winning this game. And yes, Philadelphia can win it, but man, I think the Chiefs are even still a touch underrated by only being point and a favorites.

Colin Cowherd (22:55)

You know, I, I, I've said this and I'm glad Matt Hasselbeck pointed this out that when, when an athlete is super talented we tend to forget all the, you know, tedious practices. Like, like there's no, all great players have insane work ethics. Like there's no lazy superstars. I mean Charles Barkley was great but in the end didn't get a title because he didn't work on the defensive end and probably wasn't the practice committed player. And the first after you start examining Mahomes and you have a good relationship with him because he knows of your adjuration and fanaticism for all things Kansas City. I think people lose. They lose it on him. Is that his ability to see openings and then let go of the ball. Marino's the only one in my life is that I think Patrick. Maybe it's the quirky brother or his quirky personality. This is one of the smartest players that's ever played the game. It to me it's insane. When you look at the film behind Patrick Mahomes. Yep, it's Gretzky in hockey.

Nick Wright (24:04)

So it's the play and I the they probably can't pull it up right now, but at some point before the game you should have them pull this because it got totally. It was like lost in the wash of the AFC championship game. What you're describing is shown perfectly on the two point conversion pass to Justin Watson in the back of the end zone against Buffalo which was a huge play because they were down one. So that you get the two point conversion. Now you're up the full touchdown. If not, you're only up five and it feels a little anxiety. There is no opening. There is nothing. And it is. He is off balance moving in the pocket and he sees it and hits it. And it is. It is exactly what you're describing. What is remarkable about Patrick singularly is his ability this early in his career to identify the exact type of quarterback that team needs that season or that game and be that quarterback. If when he got there it was well, we have the 29th defense in football so it better be bombs away at all times. They trade Tyree Kill and it's like, okay, we still have prime Kelsey, we have good weapons, but we can't stretch the field. I'm going to dink and dunk my way to the most yards any players ever had in a season. Broke Drew Brees record that year when the MVP the last couple years. Our wide receiver core last year was not good. This year banged up. We were gonna have to be a possession based offense, lean on the defense. He can do that. I'd never. It was not. The only other quarterback who I saw could do that was late stage Tom. Tom in that 14 to 18 run. And then why guess further than that? You know with Tampa, whatever version that team needed, he could be. But Tom was 35 years old when that started. Patrick's 29 and already doing it.

Colin Cowherd (26:08)

The I thought I was going to have Roger Goodell on tomorrow. I don't. And one of the things I was going to say is it does sometimes the NBA its best players are international and though they're really skilled and learned and wonderful kids. It would be great if they went to Carolina, Arizona, Gonzaga and Duke. Right? Domestic stars. It's really interesting that the NFL right now, the face of the league is this kind of funny, quirky Patrick Mahomes. He's perfect. So he's not too cool that he's off putting. He's got a flawed enough family. He's let you see the family on Netflix. You get to see all of it. He's in Kansas City where he probably can't go out. I wonder, and you have better insight to this than I would, how he compartmentalizes being the greatest player in the most popular game yet. Stays out of trouble, seems completely level headed, never gets over his skis. There's got to be ego I never see.

Nick Wright (27:15)

So I think, I think in an odd way, one of the best things that could have happened to him was the fact that Tom beat him in those playoff games. And I say that he was asked yesterday, he's like, is there a game you still think about? And he snap answered, yeah, the super bowl against Tampa. And if you go back and watch that game, he's running for his life. It's not like he the second half of the AFC Championship game against Cincinnati, he didn't play well and they lost the super bowl against Tampa. There's really nothing he could do. But it's still evidently, you know, is the one he thinks about. But the reason I say that is because. Because he lost that super bowl and because now Tom is because if he hadn't lost that super bowl, we could be saying that after Sunday it is six to five, right? Super already.

Colin Cowherd (28:06)

Like.

Nick Wright (28:09)

There is such. He has. He is chasing a white whale that had such a massive lead that there is no room for complacency. And because it's. He's almost in the perfect Goldilocks zone of I am. I have distanced myself enough from all of my contemporaries while still being so far away on the accomplishments from what I'm trying to be. Because what he is trying to be. He won't say this, but I know this, this. What he is trying to be is the greatest football player ever. He's like, he will say everything's about the team and that's why he's a great leader. But when that's the goal and the guy you're chasing beat you and is sitting there with 10 super appearances and 7 rings, it makes the quest for the three peat almost necessity. Because it's like this is. Is Sunday going to be the only time For Patrick in the next 10 years, he has walks onto a football field and says, if I win, I do something Tom never did, right? Like, that's like, no matter how great he is the rest of the way, is Sunday going to be the only chance, or his only chance of, you know, of the next decade to be able to be like, here's a check mark in my column that no one else can do. Because even it's not even like, undefeated season, it's like, yeah, actually, Tom did that too. Like, you know what I mean? Like, there's when a bunch. So that, to me, has created the laser focus. And I think that also, oddly, I think that his dad, who has kind of been in the rear view. Not rear view, but in the background from the media perspective, he obviously, you know, had his own issues. I think his dad is wildly important in that this is a pro athlete who has that athlete's mentality, who still. Not only does Patrick look up to him, but early in the year, when Patrick was throwing a bunch of picks, I know for a fact his dad hit him up and was like, buddy, your footwork, like, clean it up. Like those. So you have someone who really has lived in the spotlight as a pro athlete that keeps you accountable. You're chasing Tom, and you have the greatest offensive head coach in football history as a sounding board. That's how you can potentially create the greatest football career ever.

Colin Cowherd (30:34)

You know, I was talking about the luca, and I'll let you go after this. I said, you know, fans tend to think with the NBA, they go, well, the league wants the Lakers to win. And I said, no, the reason Dallas made a move on Kyrie and Boston made a move last year. Those are big markets. And Golden State made a move on Butler, and the Lakers made a move on Luka. Because in big cities, Miami is a great example. On the eastern Seaboard, nobody's made more moves than in the last 20 years than Miami, because in big, distracted markets, people stop going to games and they stop caring. I mean, Boston had Tatum, Marcus Martin, Jalen Brown, and people were like, dissatisfied Patriots. They won almost every year. You have to make moves. And so when the Lakers made the LUCA move, it was funny listening to two Laker fans. I know they're like, well, what's it matter? We can't defend the rim. If Luka goes almost anywhere else, you're like, we want the Powerball. And in la, it was like, yeah, we had Magic, Kobe, Shaq, Kareem. We need a big. And so when they made the move For a big. That nobody watched outside of Duke, everybody's suddenly like, you know, Mark Williams is something. And I, and I thought to myself, I thought LeBron and Luka would be fine. But I, I do think by keeping Austin reeves with Luca LeBron and Rui size and the Charlotte Center, I thought this morning they could get to the final.

Nick Wright (31:55)

Well, listen, the. Luka owns Oklahoma City. Oklahoma City's great. Luke owns Oklahoma City. So that's, that's a positive check. Mark, I, I thought people underrated. I thought J. Mack had it right earlier this week when he said the best duos and had Luke and LeBron first. LeBron at this point, his age is being used against him from a narrative standpoint. When the plate. Listen, I don't know how he's doing. He's four years old in the year 22. He's been one of the eight best players in the.

Colin Cowherd (32:23)

He's had a great year.

Nick Wright (32:24)

He's been unbelievable. People just have just assumed he's going to deteriorate in a way that he simply hasn't. Luka by himself is a chance at the finals. We just saw it. And so I was like, those two guys, two smartest players in the league. I think that'll work. They did need some defense and they needed some size. They got it. So I, not only do I agree with you, I think as far as moving the needle for a potential finals appearance, as crazy as it sounds, the Lakers adding Mark Williams is more important than the warriors adding Jimmy Butler.

Colin Cowherd (33:03)

Yeah, I agree.

Nick Wright (33:04)

Because the warriors path involves Steph being prime. Steph. Steph this year has as many games scoring less than 15 as he does scoring 30. Age appears to have hit Steph oddly earlier than it hit LeBron. So Steph is still really good, but that team's not good enough to be a contender unless you have Apex. Steph, I don't think that player exists anymore. And so then you have really good Jimmy Butler, really good Steph Curry and pieces. Yeah, I. So Jimmy's obviously the bigger transaction. I think Mark Williams, if he's healthy, could have bigger impact. And if, because Luke is there, you get a rested LeBron going into the playoffs, man, that's good. I understand, like, people love what the Rockets have built and I do too. You really. Is anyone really going to feel good about a 3, 6 Rockets Lakers matchup of the Rockets handling Luka Doncic and LeBron James in a seven game series? I'm not.

Colin Cowherd (34:01)

Listen, the fact that the Lakers, If I would have told you the Lakers are going to get Luka and a rim protector and they'll keep Austin Reeves like ever. You know that Charlotte and Dallas asked about Austin Reese.

Nick Wright (34:14)

Yeah, of course.

Colin Cowherd (34:14)

And the fact that they retained another a first round pick, that they could use it in the pursuit of Mark Williams, like Marad Polinka just got himself executive of the year.

Nick Wright (34:23)

The fact that you listen that they gave up a first and a swap in the trade to get Mark Williams and they gave up just a first in the trade to get Luka Doncic is a bit of an indictment on what Nico Harrison was doing. But that's another discussion.

Colin Cowherd (34:40)

Nick Wright, first things first. It's after us. It's across the street. I am not going to be responsible for Nick's evenings, only his afternoons.

Nick Wright (34:48)

That's true.

Colin Cowherd (34:48)

Which I'll try to provide a good lead in for that, my friend.

Nick Wright (34:51)

See you, buddy.

Colin Cowherd (34:52)

Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific. Hey, Steve Covino. And I'm Rich. 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?

Nick Wright (35:28)

So check us out.

Colin Cowherd (35:29)

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.

Nick Wright (35:41)

The iHeartradio app from 5 to 7pm.

Colin Cowherd (35:44)

Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific. And if you miss any of the live show, just search Ko Vino and.

Nick Wright (35:48)

Rich wherever you get your podcast.

Colin Cowherd (35:49)

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 deliver 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.comprime now 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 Keep 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. Cart has no cash access and expires in six months. 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, UberEats 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 day. Terms and conditions apply. See app for details. Hey everybody. This message brought to you by the official Whiskey of the Herd with Colin Coward. That's Green River Whiskey. Sipping it now. We've been learning all about Green River Whiskey and let me tell you something. These folks know what they're doing. Basics. They focus on them like crafting top notch bourbon and rye whiskey. 35 bucks a bottle. That's it. High quality without breaking the bank. And here's something fun. Every Green river bottle comes with a built in game. Seriously. You can shoot the shoe by flicking a coin into the horseshoe design on the bottom of the bottle like shuffleboard. How cool is that? In a world that's getting way too complicated, Green river reminds us to kick back, enjoy the simple things, have a little fun. Check them out@greenriverwhiskey.com here's to green River Whiskey. Raise youe Spirits, a product of Green River Distilling Company, Owensboro, Kentucky. Alcohol by volume varies by product. Greenriverwhiskey.com Please drink responsibly. The Crescent City, New Orleans, Louisiana here until Saturday. Nothing quite like it. J Mac to wrap up our show with the news.

Nick Wright (39:03)

No, no, no, turn on the news.

Colin Cowherd (39:05)

This is the Herd line news.

Jason McIntyre (39:09)

So some potentially good news for the Eagles. Colin, remember Brandon Graham, the defensive end?

Colin Cowherd (39:13)

Yep.

Jason McIntyre (39:14)

Been out since week 12. Torn triceps, but he believes there's a chance he could play in the Super Bowl. Now he's still on ir, has not officially been activated, but this would be a great get back for the Eagles. We know that you want to pressure Mahomes and on this fast surface, you got Nolan Smith coming off the edge, Josh Sweat, maybe Bryce Huff, who they got from the jets actually shows up. He's been a ghost. But Brandon Graham would be another great.

Colin Cowherd (39:39)

You know, it's amazing. Jason, I was thinking about this. In a game with a regulated level of violence, these are really healthy teams.

Jason McIntyre (39:46)

Yeah.

Colin Cowherd (39:47)

I mean, it's over the course of a season, there's bumps and bruises, but as the season has been extended by the league and potentially another game, is that what you do is you try to get healthy? Christmas on. These are. These are fully staffed teams ready to go.

Jason McIntyre (40:01)

I remember the Niners a few years ago in the super bowl were hanging the whole time. They were winning, dominating the Chiefs and then they ran out of gas. That pass rush, you get Brandon Graham back, that's a, that's a huge one. Let's move on to the NFL draft. You know, we love a good mock draft here. Cowherd salivates over them. Probably going to go look at him in his hotel room after this, but Lance Zerline, who's been on the show, has released his first mock draft. Now listen, I, I like Lance, I like some of these picks, but he's got Ashton Genti at 7. To my jets, that does not make sense. They don't need a running back. Cam Wardy has a number one. Interestingly, Abdul Carter number two to Cleveland, maybe thinking Miles Garrett is shipped and then you bring in Abdul Carter. He has Shadour Sanders dropping to your. Can I call him your Raiders?

Colin Cowherd (40:50)

Well, I, I don't. I think the people I've talked to in the NFL consider Cam Ward to be a more dynamic athlete. Yeah. And if you're a bad team like Tennessee, what you're looking for is somebody that provides mobility, playmaking to make up for your lack of firepower. So I think Cam Ward to Tennessee feels like hey he's going to be the guy that's going to, he's going to elevate and let's be honest energize our locker room because we just didn't have enough offense last year so Whereas Shador is a good B plus candidate but I think should do it with the Raiders actually fits that would be.

Jason McIntyre (41:27)

Great and he wants to go there now look at number eight Carolina, Tyler Warren. I would love him on the Jets. We love Tyler Warren, the Penn State tight end. He's a beast. How would he pair with Bryce Young who we recently saw?

Colin Cowherd (41:40)

So what's interesting, the player that is not here in the top 10 who I'm a huge fan of is Mason.

Jason McIntyre (41:46)

Graham the defensive to the Niners. So sliding out of the top 10.

Colin Cowherd (41:50)

Let me tell you something that would be, that would be the get of the draft to me.

Jason McIntyre (41:52)

Well your guy T. Mac, he has going to the Bengals.

Colin Cowherd (41:54)

Okay.

Jason McIntyre (41:55)

Which would really good.

Colin Cowherd (41:56)

Okay so I, I, I have talked to somebody who I trust implicitly about this draft. He believes Abdul Carter is the best player and T. Mac is the second best player. So if now, now there is sometimes a reluctance to go wide receiver like I, I'll tell you, I think you and I agree Travis Hunter worries me because I you got to pick a lane and the the NF in college. It's one thing when you're the best athlete, you're not going to be the best athlete in the NFL. So to me Travis Hunter wanting to get offensive reps and be a corner, especially as a rookie is problematic.

Jason McIntyre (42:29)

Do you think that's going to rub teams the wrong way? If he says I want to do both and they're like eh, we don't know that's going to work.

Colin Cowherd (42:34)

I just think if he gets burned on the defensive end a couple of times people are going to say I'd concentrate on corner, not wide receiver.

Jason McIntyre (42:41)

Imagine having to tackle Derrick Henry on third down and then now three minutes later you're catching passes and running rounds. I don't think that works. Final story Colin College football. Ohio State just won the Natty and now they have have Ryan Day locked up on a new seven year deal valued at 12 and a half million in total annual compensation. He becomes the second highest paid head coach in college football behind Kirby Smart by you know, a little bit. Ryan Day obviously had an amazing season last year. He did lose Chip Kelly, his offensive coordinator. Day has reached a college Football playoff, four of six seasons. I don't know. What do you think about this seven years?

Colin Cowherd (43:24)

Well, he also lost his defensive coordinator to Penn State.

Jason McIntyre (43:28)

Oh, that's right.

Colin Cowherd (43:29)

So they have had, you know, not hemorrhage, but they have lost. Obviously they'll replenish their skill players. But listen what you're finding in college football. Georgia found this out and Alabama found it out in the new nil. People are going to take, they're going to come hard after your best players. So Alabama fell very quickly from Dominan, not really to losing to Vandy. So I think Ohio State's an amazing football program but they're going to find out what Georgia went through. You're going to get your, you know, whether it's coaches, personnel, quarterbacks. What happens is you get very thin. This idea that Nick Saban in his prime could basically have Pro bowl corners as his second and third best corner. That's the difficulty you face. You're. And you know, listen, Chip Kelly was never going to coach there forever, but one year is pretty quick. I thought it was going to be longer than that.

Jason McIntyre (44:22)

You remember Ryan Day was like not hot seat but man, you can't lose this game like two year, two seasons ago and now he loses both coordinators and they give him this deal. Interesting year ahead for Ohio State. I will not be betting them to win the natty next year.

Colin Cowherd (44:35)

They are expected, by the way, to hire Brian Hartline who's on their staff already. Highly regarded former great recruiter. Yeah, no nonsense recruiter as their OC So we'll see how that works. J. Mac with the news. Well, that's the news and thanks for stopping by the herd live. Well, Matt Hasselbeck, Drew Brees, Mark Sanchez a quarterback trifecta today. Now J. Mac, just, just be careful about, you know, it gets a little dicey here in New Orleans. Don't, don't forget the family back home.

Jason McIntyre (45:16)

What time is call time tomorrow? Do it. Do I have to make it an early night?

Colin Cowherd (45:19)

Call time tomorrow is 7:45am you can show up five, 10 minutes late, but they pour the pours down here a little bigger than the pours in Manhattan Beach.

Jason McIntyre (45:30)

A generous pour, as they like to say.

Colin Cowherd (45:32)

Listen, go to bed, have some Sour Patch Kids. Why don't you call it a night at 7:45. Don't get, don't get wild and sideways on us here. We need you tomorrow, pal. I got one more show here in the Big Easy. Great fun today. First things first is around the corner. 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 primenow 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.

Nick Wright (46:57)

Hey, it's Bobby Bones.

Colin Cowherd (46:59)

Join me and former NFL quarterback Matt Castle every Wednesday for our new podcast.

Nick Wright (47:04)

Lots to say with Bobby Bones and Matt Castle.

Colin Cowherd (47:06)

Between us, we have over 17,500 passing yards, multiple New York Times bestsellers, and one mirror ball trophy from Dancing With a Star.

Jason McIntyre (47:13)

So where else are you going to.

Colin Cowherd (47:14)

Find a show with that much athleticism and football insight? We talk sports, but we talk pop culture and music and a little bit of everything. Listen to Lots to Say with Bobby.

Nick Wright (47:23)

Bones and Matt Castle on the iHeartRadio.

Colin Cowherd (47:25)

App, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Nick Wright (47:27)

The forces shaping markets and the economy.

Colin Cowherd (47:29)

Are often hiding behind a blur of numbers. So that's why we created the Big.

Mark Sanchez (47:34)

Take from Bloomberg Podcasts to give you.

Colin Cowherd (47:36)

The context you need to make sense of it all.

Nick Wright (47:39)

Every day in just 15 minutes, we dive into one global business story that matters.

Colin Cowherd (47:44)

You'll hear from Bloomberg journalists like Matt Levine.

Mark Sanchez (47:47)

A lot of this meme stock stuff is, I think, embarrassing to the SEC.

Nick Wright (47:51)

Follow the Big Take podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.