THE HERD - Hour 1 - Bills Comeback

Summary

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The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Episode: Bills Comeback (Hour 1)

Date: September 8, 2025

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Overview

In this episode, Colin Cowherd and Jason McIntyre break down a thrilling NFL opening weekend, with a focus on the Buffalo Bills' dramatic comeback win over the Baltimore Ravens. The discussion centers on elite quarterback play—particularly Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and Justin Fields—and explores the overreliance on stars, evaluations of rising quarterbacks, surprising team performances, and broader league storylines. The hosts also provide their sharp, opinionated takes on teams like the Packers, 49ers, and Raiders, address the evolution of the NFL quarterback position, and highlight coaching and roster trends that are shaping the season.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Bills' Comeback & Josh Allen’s Heroics

[02:49–07:28]

• Colin's Take: Bills' 16-point rally in the final minutes against a superior Ravens roster underscores the franchise's “LeBron Cavs” dynamic—overly dependent on Josh Allen’s individual brilliance.
• Comparisons: Allen’s playoff passer rating is higher than his regular season; “He’s always at his best when the best is required.” (Colin Cowherd, 03:40)
• Allen’s Uniqueness: Unrivaled velocity and power among NFL QBs; only Montana, Brady, and Mahomes surpass him in hardware, but Allen’s clutch factor is undeniable.
• Organizational Concerns: The Bills ask Allen "to score 42 and have a triple double to beat the good teams." Overreliance is a risk; Baltimore is more well-rounded.
• Notable Quote:

  “They have a LeBron Cavs feel to ‘em. He’s got to score 42 and have a triple double to beat the good teams.”
  —Colin Cowherd [05:10]

Player Reflection

• [07:04] Bills player postgame:

  “Just proud of our team for staying in it. No one on the sideline blinked... you got to play this game for 60 minutes and that’s a really good outfit we just played.”

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2. Elite Quarterback Separation & League Trends

[07:28–07:50]

• Quarterback Gap: Discussion on Allen and Lamar Jackson’s transcendent play making 75% of NFL teams envy their QB situation.

  “Buffalo, Baltimore—they're playing a different sport.”
  —Colin Cowherd

• Critical Moment: Derrick Henry’s late fumble for the Ravens as a pivotal moment in the game.

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3. Brock Purdy & Quarterback Value

[07:50–13:17]

• Skepticism to Praise: Colin, usually skeptical of Brock Purdy, praises his resilient final drive in a hostile Seattle environment with multiple stars hurt.

• Comparisons: “Quarterbacking is like parenting. Everybody’s a great parent when your kid’s eating vegetables and getting A’s… That yesterday in Seattle, last drive—that is what quarterback is.”
  —Colin Cowherd [10:24]

• Kyle Shanahan on Purdy:

  “To make that big play to Ricky, to get the explosive… and that play he made on fourth down was huge … going across the whole board on a progression, a tough deal to do for a quarterback.”
  —Kyle Shanahan [11:44]

• Purdy’s Strength: Throws with anticipation; makes tough, trust-based throws even when the receiver isn’t open.

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4. Packers Overreaction: Are They the NFL’s Best Team?

[19:06–24:27]

• Colin’s Call: Declares the Packers the division winners after one week, citing defense, coaching, depth, and Micah Parsons’ impact.

• Roster Strength: Highlights the Packers’ draft prowess and offensive weapons. “Ten different guys caught passes.”

• Micah Parsons’ Impact:

  “It looked like a speed of light or shooting star just coming out of the sky… He definitely has an aura.”
  —Colin Cowherd [23:09]

• Parsons’ Reflection:

  “These last six months was super draining, super toxic for everyone… These guys embrace me… I’m just going to give these guys everything I have.”
  —Micah Parsons [22:42]

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5. Quarterback Contrasts: Rodgers & Justin Fields

[24:34–29:02]

• Rodgers Shines vs. Jets (but is it sustainable?): Throws 4 TDs, handles hostile environment, but gets sacked four times.
  • Rodgers:

    “There were probably people in the organization didn’t think I could play anymore, so it was nice to remind those people that I still can.” [25:32]

  • Colin: Older teams heal slower; can this last all season?

• Justin Fields’ Breakout: Both hosts agree Fields was the real story—displayed poise, decisiveness, and multi-read throws against a high-priced Steelers defense.

    > “I thought Justin Fields was the best quarterback I saw this weekend. He was out of his mind good.”  
    —Colin Cowherd [27:28]
  

• Game-changing mistakes: Special teams miscues (fumbles) noted as pivotal for game outcomes.

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6. Raiders’ Opening Win and Patriots’ Troubles

[29:03–31:18]

• Raiders’ Positive Change: New leadership, coaching, and organizational upgrades; Pete Carroll’s energy at 73.
• Geno Smith: “Easily the best quarterback in that game. Not close.” —Colin Cowherd [29:32]
• Patriots in Transition: Massive roster turnover compared to “transfer portal”; expectations are modest in New England's total rebuild mode.

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7. Monday Night Preview: Vikings vs. Bears

[31:18–31:59]

• Colin’s Pick: Likes the Vikings due to defensive coordination and organizational stability; Bears’ fans still unsettled due to off-field reporting.

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8. The Chiefs’ Thin Margins & Mahomes’ Greatness

[33:00–37:10]

• Chiefs’ Challenges: Warns Kansas City can’t continue winning close games indefinitely; the roster isn’t what it once was after paying Mahomes.

  • “The NFL is engineered to bring the big dogs back to the middle.” —Colin [35:38]

• Mahomes on Loss:

  “We didn’t execute. I missed some throws… you don’t come out and play with the right mindset, you get beat.” [36:47]

• AFC West Depth: Chargers and Broncos both competitive; Chargers' receivers made key plays, and Mahomes' performance could be overshadowed by others.

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9. Justin Fields: Star Emergence for the Jets

[42:45–46:20]

• Best Game as a Pro: Zero off-target throws, executed multi-read progressions, and matched Aaron Rodgers in a wild game with seven lead changes.
• Statistical Brilliance: Looked like college Fields, aggressive but smart; benefited from improved Jets O-line.
  • Fields:

    “No moral victories, just calling it what it is. They acquired all these guys in the off season, you know, future hall of Famers on that side of the ball and we put up 32 too… all we got to do is keep building…” [45:57]

• Jets’ Encouragement: Even with a close loss, the future is bright; less desperation needed in QB search if Fields maintains this form.

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10. Lamar Jackson: Regular Season vs. Postseason Narrative

[46:20–50:28]

• Regular Season Excellence: Near top of all-time 140+ passer-rating games, both a dynamic passer and runner.

• Critique: Playoff struggles remain a reputation hurdle; regular season grace doesn’t outweigh postseason shortcomings in legacy.

• Lamar’s Run: 76-yard highlight scramble described as “against pro athletes. There’s nothing like Lamar.”

• Jackson’s Postgame:

  “You just gotta finish the game... never over till 0:00 on the clock... We should have kept converting when we should have.” [50:28]

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11. Ravens & Refs: Organizational Advantage?

[50:45–51:47]

• Colin’s Theory: Subtle home/away bias in clock management possibly favors home teams. Buffalo’s win could swing home field for January rematches.

  • “If the game's in Baltimore, they let him go in, if it's in Buffalo, they call him back. It's not that the game is rigged…”
    —Colin Cowherd [50:45]

• Buffalo’s Defensive Concerns: Need secondary help; injuries mounting; may need to make trades at the deadline.

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12. Team Building, Leadership, and Coaching Trends

[31:59–end]

• Examples: Raiders' turnaround with a total leadership overhaul parallels positive results seen with Washington Commanders; more good offensive coaching than ever is fueling QB resurgences (Mayfield, Darnold, Geno Smith).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Josh Allen had more passing yards in the fourth quarter last night than half the league had this weekend.” —Colin Cowherd [04:37]
• “Quarterback is like parenting… You know what parenting is? Your kid just got kicked out of school… That's quarterback play in the league.” —Colin Cowherd [10:24]
• “Buffalo, Baltimore—they’re playing a different sport.” —Colin Cowherd [07:28]
• “He (Justin Fields) was out of his mind good… I thought Justin Fields was the best quarterback I saw this weekend.” —Colin Cowherd [27:36]
• “The NFL is engineered to bring the big dogs back to the middle. This isn’t college football.” —Colin Cowherd [35:38]
• “There’s nothing like Lamar. Now there is a distinction: whereas Josh Allen, he’s not winning enough in the postseason, but he’s played spectacularly well. It does feel… that Lamar aces all the tests in the regular year and then bombs the final. And that does affect the grade.” —Colin Cowherd [48:12]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Opening & Allen’s Brilliance: [02:49–07:28]
• Buffalo’s One-Man Show Dynamics: [03:40–07:04]
• Elite QB Separation: [07:28–07:50]
• Brock Purdy in Seattle: [07:50–13:17]
• Packers Dominance & Parsons: [19:06–24:27]
• Rodgers vs. Fields/Jets-Steelers: [24:34–29:02], [42:45–46:20]
• Raiders’ Win/Patriots Problems: [29:03–31:18]
• Chiefs’ New Reality: [33:00–37:10]
• Lamar Jackson Legacy & Game Reflection: [46:20–51:47]
• Team-building Analogies (Raiders/Commanders): [31:59–33:00]

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Tone & Style

• Direct, opinionated, loaded with analogies ("quarterbacking is like parenting," team-building as "Wife Swap").
• Occasionally self-deprecating (Colin admits to past misses on team analysis).
• Passionate about quarterback play and team construction.
• Often pivots mid-segment to add nuance or shift focus (e.g., momentarily revisiting earlier skepticism about Brock Purdy).

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Summary Takeaway

The first week of the NFL season delivered drama and clarity: Josh Allen again proved peerless under pressure, but the Bills' one-dimensional reliance is unsustainable against teams like the loaded Ravens. Fields announced himself in New York, and Brock Purdy showed new layers in victory. The Ravens, Eagles, and Packers stand out as the NFL’s most complete rosters, while the Chiefs confront a tough new reality on their Super Bowl defense. Across the league, brilliant quarterback play, coaching innovation, and renewed rosters are shaping a season defined by razor-thin margins and shifting power dynamics.

Transcript

[Jason McIntyre]

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[Colin Cowherd]

For listening to the Herd podcast. Be sure to catch us live every.

[Jason McIntyre (Ad Voice)]

Weekday on Fox Sports Radio and noon to 3 Eastern, 9am to noon Pacific.

[Colin Cowherd]

Find your local station for the [e-mail] or stream us live every day on.

[Jason McIntyre (Ad Voice)]

The iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. Thanks for listening to the Herd podcast.

[Colin Cowherd]

Oh, we're gonna have a good Monday. We are live. We are in Los Angeles. It is the Herd Wherever you may be, however you may be listening, thanks for making us part of your day. One hour from now. Colin right. Colin Wrong. Matt Hasselbeck. Dion Dawkins of the Buffalo Bill stops by off a Wild, wild game last night. I'm gonna tell you something. That's the best week one in the NFL. Remember week one of college football, Labor Day weekend. We're like, that's college football weekend I've ever seen. That is the best week one. Not done. You get the controversial, enigmatic Bears against Minnesota. Mystery at quarterback. What a weekend starting Thursday, where the Cowboys took the Eagles to the very end. But last night's a classic, unbelievable game.

[Jason McIntyre]

Josh Allen, obviously the MVP for a reason. Best player in the league.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. When the Ravens win a wild game, my take is usually, oh, Lamar Jackson must have played well. When the Bills win a wild game, my take is, oh, oh, Josh Allen. They put the cape on him. Lamar Jackson's part of a great roster, a Super bowl winning coach. I never feel like the organization lets him down. And he has sputtered in big playoff spots. Josh Allen's passer rating is better in the playoffs than the regular season. And he was the mvp. He's always at his best when the best is required. He doesn't need to prove anything to anybody. His coach has often let him down. He. He had more passing yards in the fourth quarter last night than half the league had this weekend. Sixteen unanswered points against a better roster in Baltimore, Montana, Brady and Mahomes have more hardware and maybe always will. I have never seen, including Patrick Mahomes, a quarterback with this much velocity, this much power. His again, his playoff passer rating higher than his regular season. He is a gamer and not the streaming kind. The other thing is, I still this morning don't like the way the Bills are overly reliant on him. The Ravens were getting. I mean, Derrick Henry was running away from smaller secondary players for Buffalo. Buffalo's got real issues on the back end. Remember Buffalo? Buffalo had to come back under 4 minutes, 15 down. Like Baltimore has a better roster. They have, in my opinion, a better coach. They have, in my opinion. And this is not a knock on Lamar, probably Steve Boschotti. Many in the league believe best organization, best owner 95% of that game last night until the very end felt like Baltimore's just got too much horsepower. They got too many good players. The Bills have a. And I would be worried about this. They have a LeBron Cavs feel to him that he's got to score 42 and have a triple double to beat the good teams. I mean, even at the end of the first half, he gets the ball, two big 31 seconds, two big throws, no timeouts, and sets up a field goal. How many people on the planet ever could do that? It is not a knock on Lamar Jackson, but the Ravens have multiple routes to, to win big games. Derrick Henry, last again. He is running past and over much smaller players and safeties and corners. The Bills have one route to win huge games. Josh Allen has to do that. And I think last night was unquestionably his greatest performance. And he's got about 12 like this. I thought it was the best one. That score was 4025 and under four minutes left. I don't care that it was at home. Baltimore is a stacked roster. There are three rosters in this league. I test look better. Eagles, Ravens, and I think Packers. And to pull that off late, I mean, you got, Baltimore's got Kyle Hamilton, he's a Pro bowl safety covering all that ground in the back end. You, you, you, you stack these rosters up. Baltimore is up there with Philly. I feel like Buffalo is basically. They just said, josh, take it over. End of the first half, end of the game, take it over. And here he is after it took.

[Player Interviewee (e.g., Dion Dawkins or Patrick Mahomes)]

Everybody there, just proud of our team for staying in it. No one on the sideline blinked. I mean, down 15 points, whatever we were with five, six minutes left, staying with it, fans leaving, you know, the stadium, you know, you got to play this game for 60 minutes and that's, that's a really good outfit that we just played.

[Colin Cowherd]

I'm watching that game last night and I honestly, watching Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry in that offense and then Josh Allen on the other side, I'm like 75% in the teams. And I'm watching Mahomes and Justin Herbert Friday and thinking the same thing. Yeah, 75% of these teams in this league have got to be looking at their quarterback situation and just thinking, Buffalo, Baltimore, they're playing a different sport. I mean, there's never been a player that plays it like Lamar. It is video game. And then there's Josh Allen under four minutes down 15 against a great roster. And you know, Derrick Henry's fumble probably is. Is that linchpin that gets you the W, but remarkable. Now I want to shift to another game. I've been very critical, not really critical. I just don't buy all the hype with Brock Purdy. I think he's a B plus quarterback. I feel that with Kirk Cousins, I feel that with Jack. And I think you have to be very careful about paying a B plus quarterback A plus money. And Brock Purdy got a good contract. It wasn't outrageous for him. It was a very good contract. But I gotta tell you, yesterday, yes, he had two picks. Yes, he got a huge break. That Sam Darnold fumble bumped into his own player. That's the most impressed I've ever been with Brock Purdy. That game. Seattle's loud George Kittle misses most of the game. You're down several wide receivers. Your offensive line is mediocre. Juwan Jennings is hurt. Trent Williams is hurt. Right guard is hurt. You've heard of the blue man group. The Niners are the blue tent group. They can't keep anybody healthy. Special teams, Jake Moody. Close your eyes, cross your fingers. That let the Niners down. And pretty on the road against. Let's be honest here. That defense for Seattle is fast. That is a well coached, well constructed, well drafted, very good Seahawks defense. It is sometimes you got to trust your eyes. They are flying around the field. And he goes 6 for 6 on the final drive. Loudest stadium in the league. They were 9 and 1 before yesterday in those openers. He has a great poise, made huge throws. And you know why I'm impressed? Because he had two picks, only scored 17 points. Why would I be so impressed? Because the difference between the haves and have nots in this league is when you don't have your star receiver. When you're down, your star tight end. When you're going to be hall of Fame, left tackle goes to the 10th. When your right guard is out. That and you're on the road. That's the difference. Every quarterback looks good with excellent protection. I've said quarterback is like parenting. Everybody is a great parent. When your kids are eating their vegetables and getting A's, it's really easy. That's babysitting. You know what parenting is? Your kid just got kicked out of school. Your daughter got a speeding ticket. She's imploding. That's parenting. That yesterday in Seattle, last drive. That is what quarterback is, okay? That is what it is. Defensive coach. Seahawks are flying around. Your offensive line is mid. You're missing one of your linemen. Trent Williams already been in the tent. George Kittle's gone. Juwan Jennings banged up Seattle. Listen, Seattle is going to win 9, 10, 11 games whether they make the playoffs or not. That's a good football team. So it is. It demanded he be great. And I don't care that his passer rating was 92. And I don't care that he threw two picks. That's worth the money. I'm telling you. There's about eight, nine quarterbacks in the league you can win a football game with and he was one of them. And that doesn't mean I want to hear old JMAC going nutty on this. I may turn by next weekend. That is quarterback playing the league. That's parenting. The house is melting down. They won't eat their vegetables. They're arguing with mom. That's parenting. Here is Kyle Shanahan on Brock Purdy's performance.

[Kyle Shanahan]

Oh, it's huge. I mean, there were some big plays at the end. I mean, we were back and forth and it just got. Kept getting tighter and tighter. And to make that big play to Ricky, to get the explosive to get us down there and on that play he made on fourth down was huge. I think biggest one in the drive was him going across the whole board on a progression. I mean, just a tough deal to do for a quarterback. And I don't know if he hit. I think it was Jake Tonjas, a low ball on the other side that kept the drive going and played really well there.

[Colin Cowherd]

The other thing did you notice, and this is something about the NFL that's different than college. In college, you let go of the ball when the receivers open. He made a throw. He made a couple of them in this game. Purdy did the touchdown in the end zone to the tight end because Kittle was banged up. When he let go of that ball. There were three blue shirts, two blue shirt. There was nobody open. That is what is called an anticipatory thrower. That's what Aaron Rodgers was in his prime. Aaron Rodgers, one of the first quarterbacks doing the back shoulder thing. Nobody's open. Great quarterback play. And this is what you have to do in the NFL. And it's why a lot of college quarterbacks can't pivot to the pros. You got to let go of the ball and it looks like it can't be caught. Go back and look. Go to your YouTube page. Go back and look at that win, that touchdown of the tight end. He's not open. That's practice. That's in. That's trust. That's anticipating. That is excellent quarterback play. Could have been his third pick. Instead. Everybody loves Brock Purdy this morning. So, J. Mac, a little pivot, slight pivot on Purdy.

[Jason McIntyre]

I gotta say, I love that open. Colin, I was shocked that you said nice things about him. The two picks were bad. Let's admit they were. They were bad throws. Right?

[Colin Cowherd]

That is a. Let me tell you something. That's a tough environment.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yes. And by the way, you didn't mention his kicker was like terrified and Shanahan's losing his mind.

[Colin Cowherd]

They made a 32 yard field goal in the second half and it was noteworthy. Yeah, it's like, hey, we should note it. He hit it because he had had a kick blocked. He had missed like a 28 or a short.

[Jason McIntyre]

It was a short one. Yeah, they get to the red zone five times. And by the way, how about the 49ers defense with Robert Saleh bottling up Seattle? They think they had 230 yards of offense. Colin 49ers defense all of a sudden.

[Colin Cowherd]

Frisky coordinators do not get the love they deserve. The Niners have worse personnel defensively than last year and that was their best defensive performance in a long time. Go ask the Lions if coordinators matter. I know it's Monday and everybody overreacts on Monday. I'm going to overreact on the Packers.

[Jason McIntyre]

That's fine. I think that's you're well within reason.

[Colin Cowherd]

I'm going to overreact on the Packers. I'm going to make a definitive statement. I'm already calling a division after week one. We'll talk about that next. If you're a homeowner, it took years of sweat and planning and saving and discipline to get in that door. Now, once it's yours, more hard work to make the house a home. Home. Now all that effort has built something hugely valuable. It's called equity. That's the part of the home you actually own. The longer you own it, the more equity you built. And now the home you've worked so hard for, it's ready to work for you. Do you want to take a loan out? A home equity loan to pay for college? To pay to upgrade your kitchen? Rocket Mortgage is there home renovation? That's what it's for. Go to RocketMortgage.com today to find out more. Rocket Mortgage LLC. Licensed in all 50 states.

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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You can only name a show with that type of talent on it. Up on Game we're going to be sharing our real life experiences loaded with teachable moments. Listen to Up on game with me, Lavar Arrington, TJ Huch, Manzada and Plexico Burris on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast or wherever you go get your podcast from.

[Colin Cowherd]

Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio FS1 and the iHeartRadio app. Welcome back. So listen. Micah Parsons actually only played about 45% of the snaps but between Jordan Love's poise, Josh Jacobs, what is that ninth straight game he scored a touchdown franchise record. The coaching Green Bay looked different. Folks, it is official. Let me overreact. Green Bay is winning that division. I don't need to watch Vikings Bears tonight and I do not need to see the Lions again. Adding Micah played less than half the snaps is different between Matt LaFleur and Jordan Love and that run game and Rashawn Gary and Micah. This is the best looking Packer team I have seen since Aaron Rodgers in his prime. That defense was flying all over the field. Like they always use first round picks on defense but you never really feel like they're intimidating. Like Baltimore plays on fire Denver with that crew in Denver you see orange jerseys everywhere yesterday. That is the best Green Bay's defenses look it didn't look like a Packer defense. Hyper aggressive and Micah Parsons already making an impact, creating more space and better matchups for the guys around him. So and those wide receivers and tight ends. We've been talking about this the last three years. Green Bay just doesn't miss very much on offensive players. They're the opposite of Belichick and the Patriots. They hit on almost everybody. Even the wide receivers like Reed were like, well, I don't know. Romeo Dobbs, sometimes he has the drops. They all make plays, craft the tight ends of stud. He's a Pro Bowler. He's going to be a great time, big time player for the Packers, 10 different guys caught passes. Green Bay was the best football team coaching, offense, defense. I watched all weekend. I don't need to see anything else. I don't care if it's overreacting because I know Matt's a great coach and I know Micah Parsons can play and I know those tight ends and receivers I've been watching for three years if they stay healthy are good and I know Josh Jacobs is. He's a bull man. All I'm saying, I watch football weekend like you starting last week, college football, starting pro football Thursday night. That is the best team I watched. I do not see the holes. I don't see him. Jordan Love. Sometime, you know, think about Jordan Love. He's always more far than Aaron Rodgers. He's going to let it rip. He's going to have bad picks. Brock Purdy had bad picks, picks. Andrew Luck had bad picks. Elway had a lot of them. That doesn't the bottom line, are you willing to let it go? Do your prep, see the field, let it rip. Here's Micah and Matt LaFleur on what it what has changed just watching the game. What has changed about Green Bay's defense?

[Micah Parsons]

These last six months was super draining, super toxic for everyone. I mean, it's something that, you know, I don't think no player should have to go through. I could have been with these guys getting better and better and we could have had probably even more dominant start, you know, if that was the decision we was going to make. So I'm just happy that's behind. These guys embrace me. They believe in my talents, they believed in me and I'm just going to give these guys everything I have because I know what's at stake.

[Colin Cowherd]

He definitely has an aura about him and just his style of play fits with our other guys and I think all those guys are excited to play with them. It looked like a speed of light or shooting star just coming out of the sky and closing ground fast, which, I mean, that's why he's here, right? Yeah. Trust your eyes. Jeff Halfley is an excellent defensive mind. Trust your eyes. You Packer fans are like, let's not go overboard. Okay, radio guy, slow down. I'm not slowing down. I trust my eyes. Hey, Micah played 45 of the snaps. He's not even in great game shape yet. Like, the Micah thing is going to get better. And I love the Packer fans. The Packer fans are spoiled. They've been watching great offense for 35 years. They haven't had Micah Parsons. I mean, they did Reggie White on the inside and a Charles Woodson, but Micah Parsons comes out at Lambeau Field standing O. He came close to a sack once early. The fans went crazy. Go crazy. That is what a Super bowl team looks like. Ravens, Eagles, Packers. Those rosters are different. They are different rosters than everybody else. J. Mack with the news.

[Justin Fields]

No, no, no, no.

[Colin Cowherd]

Turn on the news. This is the Herd Line News. Mr. Overreaction.

[Jason McIntyre]

No, no, no. I think all this is, well, within reason. I mean, who could argue Any of this stuff, like the Ravens looked incredible. I mean, you contrast the Chiefs with the Bills and the Ravens, they. It completely different. Not even the same.

[Colin Cowherd]

Herbert did kind of whatever he wanted to. And you and I acknowledge we don't love the perimeter weapons for the Chargers. They were open.

[Jason McIntyre]

Keenan Allen was cooking. He got signed like a month ago.

[Colin Cowherd]

Seven catches. He just joined the team.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah. All right, so let's go to another guy who we don't really love on this show, and that's your boy, Aaron Rodgers. Colin, Listen, I got to give him credit running Arthur Smith's offense. And Arthur Smith, to speak, deserves a lot of credit. Rogers threw four touchdowns, no interceptions, in a thrilling game against my Jets.

[Colin Cowherd]

Best game of the day until last night.

[Jason McIntyre]

We thought this was going to be low scoring. I think I said 12, six jets.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, I took the jets and the three. I thought it was going to be really sluggish.

[Jason McIntyre]

The jets did cover, but they lost 34, 32. Rogers was talking a little trash after the game.

[Aaron Rodgers]

It was nice to win, especially, you know, hearing some of the cat calls out there and the boobirds. You know, I don't. I'm not sensitive about that. I expected that. You know, I kind of like that. But there were probably people in the organization didn't think I could play anymore, so it was nice to remind those people that I still can.

[Colin Cowherd]

All right. Okay. As a guy who's got a little gray in the whiskers as well. That's right. They want to bury you. He played pretty well one game. Well, let.

[Jason McIntyre]

One game, my friend.

[Colin Cowherd]

Now. Now he is a statue.

[Jason McIntyre]

He got sacked four times.

[Colin Cowherd]

No, no. And by the Way you got to give Aaron credit in the fourth quarter he got sacked and there's no other quarterback in this league that took the shot that Aaron did in the fourth quarter.

[Jason McIntyre]

Well, Joe Burrow took some hits.

[Colin Cowherd]

No Joe Burrow. Right. Joe Burrow got one. That was brutal. Well, that's the Bengals. Yeah. But I mean Aaron sat in there. Yeah. And took shots in the, in the fourth quarter. I didn't, I didn't think he was going to get up. I, I was like, oh, I don't know if he's going to get up.

[Jason McIntyre]

Do you think this is sustainable? He's not, this is not happening all season.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, it's an older team and older teams when they do get banged up, it takes longer for older players to get healthy. So Green Bay is the youngest team in the league. Green Bay is going to have injuries but a 25 year old body is not a 32 year old body. I thought Jaylen Ramsey had was really.

[Jason McIntyre]

Good play at the end of the game.

[Colin Cowherd]

I, I think you have to. I mean I thought the story of the game. And I'll talk more about this in a minute. Was Justin Fields.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yes.

[Colin Cowherd]

But you have to give. They went on the road. Aaron who's not been good in season openers since he's gotten older.

[Jason McIntyre]

Best by a mile.

[Colin Cowherd]

By a mile. And it is not a great O line. So Aaron was not doing this behind the Eagles O line. This is a very mid O line.

[Jason McIntyre]

I know the staff wants to talk Rodgers. That's fine. The reality is Justin Fields was more impressive than Aaron Rodgers yesterday. I'm sorry. Like Justin Fields was really lights out.

[Colin Cowherd]

I'm going to get to that. I thought until Josh Allen last night I and and Lamar, they were both great. I thought Justin Fields was the best quarterback I saw this weekend.

[Jason McIntyre]

He was outstanding.

[Colin Cowherd]

He was out of his mind. Good.

[Jason McIntyre]

Just for the record, the jets only lost this because the kick returner fumbled and the Steelers basically got back to back.

[Colin Cowherd]

That's part of football.

[Jason McIntyre]

I get it.

[Colin Cowherd]

But you could say the Ravens only lost because Derrick Henry fumbled. Well, Derrick Hendry is a running back. He got hit certainly. So the Steelers deserve credit.

[Jason McIntyre]

But.

[Colin Cowherd]

But it should be noted Aaron, he got sacked four times and that old line last four years we have been arguing they couldn't run the ball either.

[Jason McIntyre]

Well, Arthur Smith deserves I think more credit than Rogers. He was early on. Rogers was getting drilled and he changed up the offensive. A lot of play action overly aggressive. Aaron, Glenn guys were schemed open. I will say this. The Steelers defense got destroyed. By Justin Fields, Breece Hall, Garrett Wilson. There is something pushed around jets at 182 yards rushing.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, the left side of the jets own line, they just kept going back and back to the same left side and that's. I thought Elijah Veritucka was left guard. Maybe he's right guard. I Because when once a large Vera Tucker got hurt, my take was oh, the jets own line could be spotty. They just. Every big run play was Breeze hall left side. And there were holes. He's a good player, but there were noticeable holes.

[Jason McIntyre]

The kid they drafted from Penn State, he was great. Steelers fans are nervous because I text with a few of them and they're like, we just got pushed around by the jets. And this is a defense that's one of the most expensive in the league. So there are some warning signs for the Steelers now.

[Colin Cowherd]

It is week one.

[Jason McIntyre]

It is. But that. That's not really how you want to open if you're the Steelers defense. Let's move to Pete Carroll. How about his debut with the Raiders? Really impressive 20 to 13 win over your boy Vrabel and the Patriots.

[Colin Cowherd]

I was so happy for Pete. Look at his energy.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah, he's 73 years old, man.

[Colin Cowherd]

Dude, he looks 54. He is, man. You can feel his energy and juice on the sidelines.

[Jason McIntyre]

And by the way, speaking of juice, Gino Smith 362 yards. I mean he was outstanding.

[Colin Cowherd]

Easily the best quarterback in that game. Not close.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah, it wasn't close. Drake may not great, but Brock Bowers did leave with an injury and it didn't matter. Gino was still making plays. Whether it was Jacoby, Myers, Ashton Jetty was okay. Didn't have much room to Drake May didn't do much.

[Colin Cowherd]

And it was not just that. Now I will defend New England a little. Remember they spent 300 million on free agency. It's like seven new starters. Yeah. Christian Gonzalez out. They also are playing multiple rookies. You can argue there's not a team in the league. They have like a transfer portal. They got like 12 new guys taking snaps. And remember, starters do not play in the preseason anymore. Yeah, my take is they have so many. This is a total rebuild in New England. The Raiders are not a total rebuild.

[Jason McIntyre]

No.

[Colin Cowherd]

Colton Miller, Brock Bowers, Jacoby Myers, Ashton. Jenny is going to be a star. Max Crosby. The Raiders aren't a total rebuild. They just needed grownups to run the organization.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah, I know you have Patriots playoffs. I mean, it's one week. You don't want to overreact. The Dolphins are still in the division so they won't be in the basement but I don't again it's just the jets and Patriots. I think the jets look more impressive. It's just one game I agree agree jets jets look kind of I've got.

[Colin Cowherd]

To save some of my material. You're not going to lure me in with your hot takes.

[Jason McIntyre]

Final final story here is Vikings Bears JJ McCarthy debut tonight. Everybody's excited they move off Darnold which looks smart by the way. Darnold not great in Seattle McCarthy talked about how he doesn't have to go out there and play hero ball because the roster is stacked with talent. Vikings looks like it's ticked up to minus one and a half was at minus one for a long time. What do you think on the pressure?

[Colin Cowherd]

I like I had a winning week blazing five you had a winning week as well. I like the Vikings tonight that Tyler Dunn expose woo on the Bears spicy is the most damaging thing you cannot read. You know he won the first heard big J journalism award. I don't think we've given out a second but he won our first and only. You cannot be a Bears fan and not be disheartened reading that article. So the Caleb stuff Ryan pulls the GM I'm going to take I'm going to take Minnesota tonight. I think McCarthy, I think they they it's fairly cautious they go to the players they trust and I I think the story tonight is Brian Flores the defensive coordinator against Caleb. The story of the game is not going to be players it's going to be Brian Flores. Sophisticated, difficult, heavy blitz, heavy pressure and can the Bears new offensive line how do they stack up? Yeah A J Mac with the news. Well that's the news and thanks for stopping by the herd lie news man it is. It was just funny watching the Raiders like I've been for years and years. I've said the Raiders have talent. I mean Ashton Jensey is going to be a dude. Colton Miller, Brock Bowers, Max Crosby, they got dudes. I even think their defense is better. The thing with their defense last year got all banged up. Raiders got players now leadership, coaching, coordinating gm not great. They flushed them all out. Remember when the Washington commanders flushed everybody out and everybody everybody kept saying oh they got too many changes. Yeah but they upgraded owner, gm, coach, coordinator, quarterback. I don't have a problem flushing everybody out with the Raiders because they upgraded it head coach, coordinator, quarterback. They got all new, all new, all improved players. So I'm not one of these. Oh yeah, there's too much radical change that can hurt players, offensive lines and chemistry. But if you give me a better gm, a better coach, a better offensive coordinator and a better quarterback. Washington last year, Raiders this year. You got better, got better team. It's harder for players when there's a lot of new teammates, but I get a better coach and a better quarterback and a better GM and a better, you know, situation. By the way, Mark Davis, who used to be one of the poor owners, he went and sold portions of the team. Now they're well funded, now they're well financed, and Allegiant Stadium puts a lot of money in the Raiders. So if you're a Raider fan, that wasn't a small win. I don't want to hear it's New England. That was a nice win for the Raiders. Okay, so we warned you on the Chiefs. I know it's Friday. We warned you the division's too good. You can't live off slim margins. Justin Herbert with a wide receiving core, guys were open. Quentin Johnson, one of his best games, lad McConkey, guys were open all night. You can't keep winning one score games. There is a randomness to it now. It's not like recovering fumbles. That's totally random, but there is a randomness to keep winning one score games. One of the smart bets that the smart guys do in Vegas is teams that go like 8 and 1 and 1 score games bet against them the next year. Nobody does that. The AFC west is just too good. Denver played like crap and won. I mean, Denver was bad offensively. The Raiders go on the road 3,500 miles. Whatever. They win. Trust your eyes. Trust your eyes. The Ravens, Eagles and Packers rosters look a lot better than Kansas City. A lot. Steve Spagnol is a great coach. He couldn't do anything. I mean, the Chargers were there to beat, right? They're banged up at receiver. They brought in Keenan Allen in August. He's 33. He's had like four surgeries that are grade two or three or above. Seven catches. Keenan Allen, dude's a total baller. Yes, but he should not have seven catches. So by the way, next up on Fox, Philadelphia and the Chiefs are a home dog, okay? And. And Mahomes was amazing. Mahomes is going to get lost this past weekend because of what Josh Allen and Lamar did and Herbert did. Mahomes was unbelievable. Okay, but. But I'm not saying they're going to go 7 and 10. But Brady and Belichick and Randy Moss couldn't win a super Bowl I you, once you pay the quarterback, you got to start hitting on a lot of draft picks. And Rasheed Rice is a hit. He can't stay eligible. Xavier Worthy, I mean they literally couldn't get out of their own way. Travis Kelsey ran over Xavier Worthy. So the NFL is engineered to bring the big dogs back to the middle. This isn't college football where the better you are, the better recruiting class, pro football, the better you are. They want to pull you back in. They don't want back to back champions. And I mean that's why Buffalo, by the way, their defense, how is their defense? That's the league they had to let go of multiple players. Baltimore has somehow in Philadelphia, somehow it's just hitting on a lot of draft picks, have been able to maintain it and pay people a lot of money. It's hard. It's really hard. And here's Patrick Mahomes on the loss.

[Player Interviewee (e.g., Dion Dawkins or Patrick Mahomes)]

They came out with more energy than we did. Their defense and our offense. So we didn't execute. I missed some throws down the field and obviously we didn't play good enough in the first half. I felt like we had energy at practice yesterday and all throughout the week. But when you don't come out and play with the right mindset, you get beat. And the Chargers came out the right mindset. We didn't and they beat us.

[Colin Cowherd]

I gotta tell you. Mahomes, Herbert Jordan, Love, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Jalen Hurts, Dak Prescott, Brock Purdy. There was some really good quarterback play and you don't have to win to be impressive. Shout out to a team that has literally cost me more than any in the NFL. Michael Penix and the Falcons, I thought they had it one, then they lost it. Michael Penck can spin it and let me tell you this. Cam Ward can play. Denver's pass rush is a sea of Orange 1001. Run for your life. That pass rush is. It's like when the Seahawks had that like three year period. That Denver pass rush is insane. Cam Ward has very little to work with. Cam Ward can play. Michael Panicks can play. Those guys are going to be really good. They just need help. Most security systems only take action once somebody is already breaking in. It's too late. SimpliSafe is different. AI powered help to see people lurking outside the property. Proactive, not reactive. Get 50% off your new SimpliSafe system at simplisafecollen.com huh?

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[Colin Cowherd]

Hi, it's Colin.

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Colin Cowherd]

Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific.

[Jason McIntyre]

Start your Saturday strong with big noon. It's a new era. Quarterback Dante Moore leads Oregon's explosive attack into their first Big Ten matchup taking on Northwestern. It all starts at 10 Eastern live from Evansville Austin with the big noon kickoff crew. Then it's Oregon Northwestern only on Fox.

[Colin Cowherd]

So Jet Steelers was so wildly entertaining in the 1 o' clock window or 10 o' clock window, whatever, wherever you live. I don't think I am crazy to suggest that the story of the game was not 41 year old Aaron Rodgers. It was Justin Fields having his best game as a pro. Statistically he did not have one off target throw. So the jets brought over that passing game coordinator for the Lions and I it's a I mean that looked like Justin Fields at Ohio State and Rutgers just rolled into Columbus. Dude, he was throwing darts for three and a half hours and we've always said everybody loves him. Chicago bailed on him. He didn't have a bad word to say. He's a big kid, he's got a whip, he moves well. Everybody likes him. I've said that 10 times on their show. I've never talked to anybody that doesn't like him but he had one of those things that is hard to quantify. Does he see the field well? So yesterday when I was watching him, my take is is he always throwing to the primary receiver? That's not hard. He wasn't, I think one of his best throws of the day it was like his second or his third receiver, you watch his head. He starts left, he goes middle, he goes far right, lets it go. And there were seven lead changes. So it was a hard game to quarterback. Now the defense for the Steelers wasn't impressive, but when you're trailing and you have to match the other quarterback and the other quarterbacks, the hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers, every time Justin Fields came in, there was pressure because his defense couldn't stop anybody. So Justin Fields came into the game again like a Brock Purdy. He had to deliver. That's the way it goes. You better line it up and move it down the field. And I thought, listen, Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Geno Smith have all had a resurrection. And a lot of it is there's just more good offensive coaching than ever before. I got to tell you, I watched Justin Fields yesterday and again, I know it's week one, I know defenses aren't all ramped up, but you can make. There are things that are clear in week one, like the Chiefs aren't going to win all these one score games and that Baltimore and Buffalo are sensational teams and that, you know, the Rams and the Texans have real defenses that are going to win a lot of games. Rams, Texans, game one. Very sexy to watch their bodies flying everywhere. C.J. stroud and Matt Stafford had to hurry the throws. I'm sitting there watching Justin Fields and I know next year's a great draft and the jets can't find, you know, their quarterback. Last several years they've whiffed. That was special. And there'll be a lot of other Sundays and there'll be tougher defenses, but they got a defensive culture and they've got very expensive defensive personnel. And he ate it up and he was aggressive, but he also a couple of times knew when to slide. Now another note, the left tackle out of Penn State in year two for the jets was really good. So it always helps when you have the quarterback and he's accompanied with a 10 year starter at left tackle. But here was Justin Fields after.

[Justin Fields]

I don't think a lot of people expected us to come out like that. But like I said, like you said, no moral victories, just calling it what it is. You know, they acquired all these guys in the off season, you know, future hall of Famers on that side of the ball and we put up 32 too. And there were still plays that were left out there. So like I said, all we got to do is keep building, keep getting better and we'll be good.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, there are good Losses, I thought Dallas on Thursday, Brian Schottenheimer, they didn't have a lot of penalties. I thought the Cowboys on Thursday were situationally very strong. That's a good loss. I thought Atlanta, Michael Penix is a baller. I thought Atlanta, you can look up and go, you know, we got our guy for the next 10 years. I thought the jets loss was incredibly encouraging. You've got your left tackle. Hey, listen, you can keep Justin Fields or not, but you don't need to be desperate next year because, and I said this before, it's so funny, he was in Pittsburgh, he goes to the Jets. Aaron was with the jets, he goes to Pittsburgh. Remember that show Wife Swap? And sometimes you'd look at it and you go like, you know what? Actually maybe they are the better couple. I was watching it and I would like, Aaron fits better in Pittsburgh because of the history of the franchise and his respect for it. He doesn't have to carry the franchise. And Justin Fields in New York, a team that desperately needs to find a young quarterback. I thought he played like he was empowered. So it's just one of these that, that Aaron's better with the Steelers. It's a better fit. And the jets need a quarterback and Justin Field's a better fit. So there you have it. Don't forget Colin, right? Colin, wrong. Matt Hasselback Talk, top of next hour. So first of all, when you watch the game last night, let's not forget the first three quarters. So the most games in NFL history where a quarterback has a 140 plus passer rating, Lamar Jackson is now right behind Drew Brees and will eventually pass him, Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning and maybe Tom Brady. So he's never been given enough credit as a pocket passer. And he wasn't great his first year and a half, but he averaged Lamar Jackson last night. And I know people, they, they dig into a position and they, they want to be right, not necessarily get it right. LaMar Jackson averaged 11 yards from the pocket and 11 on the ground. Now he had a scramble last night that maybe the second or third, it's a top three quarterback scramble I've ever seen in my life. Nobody's ever played the position like him. But I thought last night was on Derek Henry's fumble. And it happens. People fumble. I mean, Sam Darnold bumped into his own teammates. Seattle was going to win. Then they lost fumbles. We saw it against Dallas. Remember the running back fumbled. George Pickens later got a penalty. I mean, Dallas, Seattle and Baltimore could have come out of the weekend with wins. But I know he lost. But the first three quarters to go up against, you know, McDermott's a defensive coach. That's one of the tougher places to play. I mean, look at this run right here. This is against pro athletes. These are pro athletes. It covered 76 yards. A 20 yard loss into a 20 yard gain. It's just. There's nothing like Lamar. Now there is a distinction. Whereas Josh Allen, he's not winning enough in the postseason, but he's played spectacularly well. It does feel with Lamar in the postseason that he aces all the tests in the regular year and then bombs the final. And that does affect the grade. How you do on the midterm and the final. Especially the final. You know, usually your. Your college Prof. Or your high school teacher, the final is like 30 to 50% of the grade. So it does matter. Peyton Manning for years and years struggled in the postseason. It does ding your resume. There's a reason we talk more Elway than Dan Marino. Elway got to multiple Super Bowls. Dan got the one and lost. So there is a distinction. Lamar has not been as good. And this is not baseball where you can be Mike Trout. Never win a playoff series. You know, nobody cares. You're an all time great. We judge quarterbacks differently. The hardware matters. Is Joe Montana and Brady the greatest quarterback athletes of all time? No. They got a lot of rings and trophies. So. But I listen. This was on the Derrick Henry fumble. He played very well. 11 yards average. Bill's defense is a concern, but a lot of it's just Lamar plays the position differently than anybody ever played the position. And here he is after.

[Micah Parsons]

You just gotta finish the game. You know, it's never over to 000 on the clock. We found that out tonight. We just kept getting off the field. That's pretty much it. You know, we should have kept converting when we should have, when we, you know, needed to. Obviously she got to do better.

[Colin Cowherd]

Can I defend the Ravens here for a second? Because I really do believe there's an argument they're the best run team in football. Owner down jmac. Call me crazy, I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but at the end of the half when the refs called the Ravens back on the field with the second on the clock. I'm just saying that game's in Baltimore. They go into the locker room, that game's in Buffalo. They bring everybody back because that player did not hit the ground until it was 00. And. And my take on that was. And I kept thinking, you know, you can look at the clock. It was 01. He goes out of bounds. But that player, I just think if the game's in Baltimore, they let him go in, it's in Buffalo, they call him back. I it's not that the game is rigged. It doesn't matter who wins last night. It's getting the TV rating for last night. It doesn't matter who wins. They're going to meet again. The biggest part of last night was Buffalo may get another home game against Baltimore in January. That's what last night meant.

[Jason McIntyre]

And the Buffalo schedule, everybody tough has to come to Buffalo. This is, that's a huge one because I'm just telling you if that continues, Ravens win by two touchdowns. It's like eh, the Buffalo defense isn't built. Buffalo's not the class.

[Colin Cowherd]

Remember Buffalo's defense was not good last night.

[Jason McIntyre]

No, it was terrible last night.

[Colin Cowherd]

And, and, and they're on the back end slow.

[Jason McIntyre]

They are slow running in quicksand. I mean that's not going to be good against like the Chargers are going.

[Colin Cowherd]

To eat them up. Defensive players statistically get hurt more than offensive players. So Buffalo's defense now is thin. Like I watched Buffalo last night and my take was at the trading deadline. They need help in the back end.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah. And by the way, Bosa, I know was his first go around with the team. He's got to contain that edge with Lamar Jackson. They just kept going at him and he's not reading. I just. It was a tough start for both.

[Colin Cowherd]

Colin right? Colin wrong. It is a Monday. Matt Hasselbeck will be joining us as well. Dion Dawkins, the left tackle for the Bills. The Herd.

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[Colin Cowherd]

It's easy.

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[Jason McIntyre]

This is an iHeart podcast.