← The Herd with Colin Cowherd
The Herd with Colin Cowherd
THE HERD - Hour 2 - Biggest challenge for Caleb Williams, Shedeur Sanders is the 3rd string QB, Greg Cosell
00:41:28
Loading summary
Transcript104 lines
- [00:00]
Colin Cowherd
This is an iHeart podcast.
- [00:04]
Podcast Advertiser/Announcer
Banking with Capital One helps you keep more money in your wallet with no fees or minimums on checking accounts and no overdraft fees. Just ask the Capital One Bank Guy. It's pretty much all he talks about in a good way. He'd also tell you that this podcast is his favorite podcast too. Oh really? Thanks Capital One Bank Guy. What's in your wallet? Terms apply. See CapitalOne.com Bank Capital One NA Member FDIC well, we all have juggles and struggles and faults and flaws because to.
- [00:37]
Colin Cowherd
Be a pet parent is to be.
- [00:39]
Podcast Advertiser/Announcer
Human and we can only do so much Hills Pet Nutrition is a leader in science led nutrition for dogs and cats.
- [00:45]
Colin Cowherd
And I got a lot of dogs. Hills helps burn fat and benefits include.
- [00:49]
Podcast Advertiser/Announcer
Lean muscle, strong bones, a shiny coat for your dog. They use high quality protein sources. Hill's science led nutrition helps you give more love than humanly possible. If you love your dogs like I do, use hills.
- [01:01]
Colin Cowherd
You're only human.
- [01:02]
Podcast Advertiser/Announcer
There's Hills. Science does more Wasabi Technologies is purpose built to free businesses from skyrocketing storage costs and unpredictable egress fees from those old and top heavy legacy providers. You know the big guys. Wasabi is the go to provider for professional and collegiate sports teams around the world. From Wasabi's AI enabled intelligent media storage Wasabi Air to the industry's only cloud storage service with triple protection against cyber criminals, Wasabi is driving innovation in data storage, all for up to 80% less than the other guys. Triumph for free@wasabi.com, wasabi Hot Cloud Storage Proud partner of the Voluum Podcast Network.
- [01:51]
Colin Cowherd
UFC 319 is blowing back to the Windy City for the first time in six years. Check out the fight card. Get in on all the action at DraftKings Sportsbook, the official sports betting partner of UFC. Don't miss out UFC 319. Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app now. The code is heard H E R D for new customers to get 200 bucks in bonus bets immediately. When you bet just five bucks only on DraftKings, the crown is yours.
- [02:23]
DraftKings Representative
Gambling problem. Call 1-800-GAMBLER in New York, call 877-8-HOPE NY or text Hopeny 467369 in Connecticut. Help is available for problem gambling. Call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org Please play responsibly on behalf of Boot Hill Casino and Resort in Kansas. 21 plus. Age and eligibility varies by jurisdiction.
- [02:44]
Colin Cowherd
Void.
- [02:45]
DraftKings Representative
In Ontario, bonus bets expire seven days after Issuance. For additional terms gaming resources, see DKNG co audio.
- [02:54]
Podcast Advertiser/Announcer
Thanks for listening to the Herd podcast.
- [02:56]
Colin Cowherd
Be sure to catch us live every weekday on FOX Sports Radio and noon.
- [03:00]
Podcast Advertiser/Announcer
To 3 Eastern, 9am to noon Pacific.
- [03:03]
Colin Cowherd
Find your local station for the herd@foxsportsradio.com.
- [03:07]
Podcast Advertiser/Announcer
Or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR.
- [03:14]
Colin Cowherd
Now, let's get this party started.
- [03:16]
Fox Sports Radio Announcer
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
- [03:20]
Colin Cowherd
Here we go. It's a Thursday. We're in Chicago. It is our number two, by the way. I. Last night, I. I don't. John. I went to a restaurant. John, you and I went to. In Chicago. I am here to tell you if a restaurant has a pork chop on the menu, order it, because nobody puts it on there unless they're good at it. Everybody has to put, like, you know, you go to an Italian restaurant, you gotta put lasagna on the menu, whether you're good at it or not. You steakhouse, you got a lot of steak. Salmon restaurant puts a pork chop. And it's not like a steakhouse. You need to order that puppy. Because I did last night and I walked home and no man in America was happier than me last night, John. Not even you.
- [04:05]
John Middlekauff
You know, I spoke to my wife and she ordered some obscure item on doordash and hated it. I said, maria, we can't keep ordering these crazy items. Just the pork chop, the steak, the chicken. Let's not out think the room.
- [04:16]
Colin Cowherd
Not out think the room. Well, that. And that's Greg Cosell. He doesn't out think the film. 46 years at NFL films Thursdays during the football season. We love him. So. All right, so I let. Let's. This is where I lean on you. So I think Shedeur's bigger. I think he. I think he's really accurate. But he's a different quarterback than Dylan Gabriel. They are different quarterbacks. You've watched all. You know, you watch Dylan. Yeah. You've watched Shador. What is the film say? What do you see? What is. Who does Stefanski trust? Who do you face in pressure? What does the film say on the Browns? Young quarterbacks.
- [04:59]
Greg Cosell
So I think we're trying to figure out who's going to be quarterback number three on the Browns. Right, Right. Well, you know, Dylan Gabriel is a player that Stefanski really liked because the way it works in the league, Colin, and, you know, this is offensive coaches, they think about how does a player work within my scheme. And what Gabriel is, is he's essentially Stylistically similar to a tua tagovailoa in that he hits his back foot and the ball comes out. He's a rhythm player, he's a timing player. That's his game. He's a shorter quarterback, so he needs to play that way. And he did that effectively for two years in college, one at Oklahoma, one at Oregon. Sanders is a little different player. He's not quite as rhythmic, and he has a tendency, and this showed up on tape, by the way, even though the good outweighed the bad when he played two weeks ago. He tends to drift a little in the pocket. He tends to retreat in the pocket. Now, he can throw the ball well, but there are some things he would have to clean up, clearly. And you know, he came from a program at Colorado where there were a ton of tunnel screens, a ton of easy throws. He would need to learn how to better navigate the pocket, although he showed some signs of that. But again, I think we're talking about, you know, how many quarterbacks are the Browns going to keep? No team keeps four quarterbacks. So it's going to be interesting going down the stretch here. And then Sanders got hurt and missed some time in practice, and that's not going to help him.
- [06:29]
Colin Cowherd
I mean, what you're saying, basically, and we've seen this from offensive coaches before, run my play. Sean Payton loves Bo Nix, but he really likes him because he runs his play effectively. And what you're saying is Dylan Gabriel, like a tua, runs the play they call Shadour sometimes ad libs out of it. Is that what you're saying?
- [06:51]
Greg Cosell
It's not that he ad libs out of it. He's not as efficient in that style of just hitting his back foot and getting the ball out. That's the way Dylan Gabriel has always had to play because of his size.
- [07:04]
Colin Cowherd
So.
- [07:04]
Greg Cosell
But that's the way coaches think, and I'm not sure a lot of people think that way and understand that is coaches. The term that's used a lot within the NFL is scheme adaptability. Colin. Coaches think on both sides of the ball in terms of how does a guy fit into my scheme, can he run my scheme? You know, you know this. Coaches work 16 hours a day and they're putting in their scheme their game plan. It starts with OTAs. They want all this executed, and when it's not executed, then it becomes a problem.
- [07:36]
Colin Cowherd
Yeah. So Brock Purdy, when the roster was younger, healthier, less brittle, was a really, really good quarterback last year. Roster gets beat up, he's one in six against playoff teams. Now right now in camp, their wide receiving core is in complete shambles and they open up against a pretty lively athletic Seattle defense up in the Northwest. That's a tough opener. So when looked at film last year of Purdy going one and six down the stretch against playoff teams, was it that he couldn't make certain throws? Was it that the yards after catch were limited? Like 1 in 6 from Purdy kind of jumps out at you when you look at his early success. Now without Christian McCaffrey it's, it's a different offense. But what did the film say about Purdy last year when he had to start games with a patchwork group around him?
- [08:29]
Greg Cosell
Well, it's funny you mentioned Purdy because last week I watched 250 drop backs of Purdy over a two day period. Purdy is a really good quarterback. Colin, the thing with Purdy is he's not Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes. He's not necessarily the kind of quarterback, even though he does have mobility that's going to make those kinds of plays by himself that we think of, you know, that I'm a Holmes make an Allen makes a Lamar makes. He certainly doesn't navigate the pocket the way a Joe Burrow does. But in terms of being what we call a post snap operator, in other words, when he takes the snap he has such an intuitive feel for what he sees and therefore he's a really, really good timing and anticipation thrower. It's just innate to him. He sees it really quickly. So Purdy is a high level post snap operator. He's a really, really good player. You know it gets to that old question of how many quarterbacks Colin and you can go back years and years are really great when their team's not very good. I mean that's, you know, Purdy is a really good quarterback. He's just not a dynamic athlete who's necessarily going to make those kind of special plays on his own. But as a pocket quarterback he's pretty high level.
- [09:46]
Colin Cowherd
Boy, Too bad Jason McIntyre's not on the show today. He'd be doing back flips after that. Okay, Caleb Williams. I went through the schedule this week and I said listen, Chicago historically has struggled in division. They went one in five last year in division. They don't have Detroit's roster. They may not have Green Bay's coach or quarterback and Minnesota's roster is better front to back as well. So what have you seen with Caleb? What, what I'll address it this way. What is Ben Johnson doing to Caleb, where has he made strides improving Caleb, from what the film said last year?
- [10:26]
Greg Cosell
Well, I think the number one thing is not when he throws the ball. He's a great thrower of the football. That is evident. Everybody knows that. And he's obviously a great athlete who can make plays on the move. The main part for Caleb Williams and the key for Ben Johnson is everything from the huddle until the ball is snapped because they call multiple plays in the huddle. There's a lot of shifts, there's a lot of motions. You've got to be able to do that with the necessary speed and efficiency. So you get to the line of scrimmage and there's time enough on the shot clock because you're going to have the shifts, you're going to have the motions. Now it's up to Caleb to decide if there's two plays called, which one am I going to run. That part of quarterbacking is the bigger deal for Caleb Williams as he's learning the Ben Johnson offense. Because Ben Johnson will set you up beautifull with defined and clean reads and throws. And Caleb Williams throws it as well as anybody. I mean you can see that. Everybody knew that when he came out. That was never the issue. But it's really from the point of the huddle until the ball is snapped, that's going to be the main part that he has to become efficient at.
- [11:37]
Colin Cowherd
So so much of there's such an advantage for a Jaden Daniels getting a Cliff Kingsbury where Justin Fields has had a lot of defensive coaches. I do think Sean Payton, Bo Nix, I don't think Bo would have been that good had he had a, you know, a defensive coach perhaps. I think, I think just offensive coaches and quarterbacks, there's. They rebuild old lines quicker. There's a sensibility about it.
- [12:02]
Greg Cosell
Sure.
- [12:02]
Colin Cowherd
So I look at Jackson Dart, three years with Lane Kiffin is high level coaching. And then he gets Brian Dabel more than capable, won a playoff game with Daniel Jones and my, my thing is you can, you can tell that he's not quite ready. But three years, Elaine and a camp with Brian Dabel. When you look at the film of Jackson Darton preseason, do you see areas where ooh, whoa, whoa, he's not ready or does he see the field? What does the film tell you?
- [12:31]
Greg Cosell
Well, they really did a good job in the preseason of allowing him to get comfortable and that's what the preseason really is for. A lot of empty sets. Okay. He's very comfortable in empty sets. It spreads the field. They got a lot of base, defensive looks that were not difficult to read. They played a little bit up tempo, which he's certainly used to in Lane Kiffin. So they did a lot of things that help him really get comfortable. So when he's on the field, you know, he's not going through major progressions here. He's not doing that. If he becomes the starter and we'll see how all this plays out, you know, who knows what's going on there. But I don't know how you feel, but there's a part of me that wouldn't be surprised if he's named the starter. But we'll see how that plays out. But. But they tried to make it easy for him so that he could make confident throws, which he did. And he obviously has movement ability. So. Well, you know, obviously when the regular season starts and teams game plan, things get different because you're going to see a lot of different things. But he certainly was efficient, just like Caleb Williams was super efficient against the Bills, you know, second and third team players. But that's what you want. You want efficiency so the quarterback feels good.
- [13:44]
Colin Cowherd
I said I didn't think the Steelers was a great choice by Aaron Rodgers, much like the jets defensive head coach. Unpredictable offensive line inability in recent years to run the ball. And I said it's just this is an offensive line under Mike Tomlin that has had six years and not a lot to show for it. They have not run the ball consistently. They lose Najee Harris, their left tackle. And I just thought San Francisco, Minnesota, I thought there were better spots for him. So if you go back to the jets and Aaron last year in the, in the film, it could look a little bit like the Steelers to me are a better run version of the Jets. Right. Like a better front office, a better coach. Go back to the jets last year. Is Aaron way past his prime? Does he do anything that resembles the great Aaron?
- [14:38]
Greg Cosell
Yeah, he throws the ball super well. You know, I think when you, when you sign Aaron Rodgers. Oh, and he's your quarterback. To me the bigger issue is how you mesh what you want to do as an offensive coordinator. And it's Arthur Smith with the fact that one of Rogers greatest strengths has always been his ability to control the game at the line of scrimmage and be able to adjust and change plays. So that I think for an offensive coordinator that's something that you really have to work on because you don't want to take that away from Aaron Rodgers because anybody who works with Aaron Rodgers will tell you he's among the smartest quarterbacks they've ever seen. And he's so good at the line of scrimmage in controlling the game. So to me, the larger question is, how do you mesh? How does Arthur Smith mesh what he wants to do with his offense? Because he's got a clearly defined offensive approach with the fact that Aaron Rodgers is so good at the line of scrimmage and likes to change things based on what he sees.
- [15:38]
Colin Cowherd
Yeah. So an interesting storyline that has developed this, this off season in training camp and in the preseason is Matthew Stafford's help. So if you think about last year, the Rams were driving in the snow in Philadelphia after a Puka Nakua completion to beat the Philadelphia Eagles, who trounced Kansas City in the Super Bowl. So, right, my take is the defense. There's a lot of talent. I'm sure the film says that, especially in the box, there's a lot of talent up front. But when I look at their offense and their point differential last year, does the film tell you this is really, this is about McVeigh and Stafford's brilliance? Not really the offensive roster composition. Because I said the other day, I said if Matt Stafford doesn't play, this is the only team in the league that could win the super bowl or finish 4 and 13. Because I think even Kansas City, with their roster and their overall talent and coaching, could win 7, 8 games if Mahomes got banged up. When you look at the Rams on film, what is their offense? Is it basically the brilliance of two guys and kind of a limited offensive roster.
- [16:55]
Greg Cosell
To some extent? I mean, they don't have a great offensive roster and certainly the wide receiver position now is. They don't have great players there. You know, Naku is really good, but he's a certain kind of player. And Stafford has just always been so good. And another guy that is really good at understanding what he's seeing. Changing plays, calling audibles, still has a big time arm, can make any throw, an aggressive thrower, which you really need to be in the NFL. And McVay has always been so good in terms of formations, shifts, motions, getting guys open, making it tough for the defense. But yeah, you're right, offensively they do not have great players throughout that offense. And Stafford's injury, the back particularly, you know, don't forget he had back injuries when he was 25 and 26. This is not brand new. And now He's, I think 37. So, you know, I love watching Matthew Stafford play. He's always been one of my favorite guys to watch. On film. But I'd be a little concerned about that back injury. You know, that's a tough deal as you get older.
- [17:57]
Colin Cowherd
Okay, finally. You know, I've always loved Sam Darnold. Last year through 14 weeks, it was, I was, it was a very fun story for me. But when you watched him, was it about Kevin o' Connell and Justin Jefferson? Do you see him going to Seattle with a defensive coach with an offensive line that was bad last year? Do you think he replicates it? Is he now overvalued based on a remarkable coach? Justin Jefferson, solid run game. Where are you on Sam Darnold off of last season? What does the film tell you?
- [18:34]
Greg Cosell
Well, I think that the reason that Seattle wanted Darnold is because with Kubiak there as the oc they're going to run a lot of similar concepts as the Vikings did. They're putting them under center because I believe Darnold last year was either the second or third most drop backs as a conventional play action quarterback, meaning he was under center. That's what he did really well under Kevin o' Connell and that's what Kubiak is going to do. They're going to start with the outside zone run game, put Darnold under center and let the play action game be a foundation of what they do. There's less reading involved in the play action game, particularly when you're under center. It holds the second level defenders better because they have a longer time to wait to see if it's run or pass. So I think the thought process was Darnold was very good running that style of offense, that philosophical style. And now we're going to do something very similar. And Colin, by the way, most quarterbacks need a particular style, a particular philosophy to be effective. There's very few transcendent quarterbacks that you can just say let's do anything and they'll be great. So that to me is not a knock on Darnold. That's the way it is with most quarterbacks.
- [19:48]
Colin Cowherd
Greg Cosell 46 years, NFL Films. This point forward for the next 2022 weeks, it's going to be Greg Cosell on Thursdays. As always, great seeing you.
- [19:58]
Greg Cosell
Thanks Con. Appreciate it.
- [19:59]
Colin Cowherd
You bet. Well, middle cough. You and Mac JMAC have been selling me on Brock Purdy for years. You know, eat a little crow there. He loves him on film. But I do think that opener for San Francisco on the road against Mike McDonald's defense and they're, they're basically going to be using number three, four and five wide receivers. That's that. Do think that is a tough opener. Would you agree with that?
- [20:22]
John Middlekauff
If he lights him up, will you apologize to him?
- [20:25]
Colin Cowherd
If Brock Purdy lights up Seattle?
- [20:26]
John Middlekauff
Yes. He's done it before like seven times. But.
- [20:32]
Colin Cowherd
A little comeuppance for me, perhaps.
- [20:35]
Fox Sports Radio Announcer
One more herd the herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the iHeartRadio app search herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like.
- [20:44]
Colin Cowherd
He's Mike Carmen I'm Dan Byard. We have a fantasy football podcast called I want your Flex.
- [20:50]
John Middlekauff
That's right Dan. Every week we're going to scour the waiver wire to find the pickups to.
- [20:55]
Colin Cowherd
Turbo boost your fantasy lineup. Sits starts fantasy football players rankings to.
- [21:00]
John Middlekauff
Get you ready to dominate the competition.
- [21:02]
Colin Cowherd
Listen to I Want yout Flex with Mike Harmon and me, Dan Beyer on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts and wherever you get your podcasts this Labor Day.
- [21:11]
Washable Sofas Advertiser
Say goodbye to spills, stains and overpriced furniture with washablesofas.com featuring Annabe, the only machine washable sofa inside and out where designer quality meets budget friendly pricing. Sofas start at just $6.99, making it the perfect time to upgrade your space. Anibase Pet Friendly, stain resistant and interchangeable slipcovers are made with high performance fabric built for real life. You'll love the cloud like comfort of hypoallergenic high resilience foam that never needs fluffing and a durable steel frame that stands the test of time with modular pieces you can rearrange anytime. It's a sofa that adapts to your life now through Labor Day. Get up to 60% off site wide@washablesofas.com Every order comes with a 30 day satisfaction guarantee. If you're not in love, send it back for a full refund. No return shipping, no restocking fees. Every penny back. Shop now@washablesofas.com Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply.
- [22:10]
Podcast Advertiser/Announcer
American Public University is the number one provider of education to our military and veterans in this country. They offer something truly unique. Special rates and grants for the entire family, making education affordable not just for those who serve, but also for their loved ones. If you have a military or veteran family member and are looking for affordable, high quality education, APU is the place for you. Visit APU APUS EDU Military to learn more. That's APU APUS EDU Military Imagine never buying gas again. EVs are as easy to charge as your phone and perfect for everyday life. Drive daily with confidence everywhere you go. Most Americans drive 40 miles a day. Most EVs are equipped with 200 to 400 miles of range. They've got fewer parts, fewer repairs and fewer headaches. With hundreds of new and used EV models available today, there's an EV to fit every lifestyle and every budget. I love my electric vehicle. It's easy. No more gas stations. The way forward is electric. Learn more@electric for all.org Running a business online.
- [23:30]
GoDaddy Advertiser
Look legit and own your own brand with professional tools from GoDaddy. Instantly build trust with your customers and boost your credibility with an email that matches your domain so people know you mean business. There's never been a better time. Just go to GoDaddy.com GDnow and choose from a wide variety of popular domains to find one that's right for you. Pair that with a professional email that works for all your business needs from daily communications to email marketing and everything in between. That's a little price for a lot of credibility. For a limited time, get a domain and matching professional email for just, just 99 cents a month for one year. Go to GoDaddy.comGdNow and look legit with GoDaddy. That's GoDaddy.comGdNow again. GoDaddy.comGdNow there's never been a better time to choose the domain and email that's right for you. New customer purchases only products. Auto renew separately. See terms on site godaddy.com gdnow.
- [24:37]
Colin Cowherd
Welcome back in. Halfway through it. Urban Meyer will be joining us in the last hour. He thinks Jim Harbaugh should be suspended in the NFL. I think what's happening in college football, which is between the nil and the transfer portal, it's a little bit of the wild, wild west. They have put some bumpers into the bowling lanes, but you can buy high school players now. And so for me, I'm not, I'm not getting worked up over an iPhone shaky video, some labeling it KGB level by Connor Stallions. I, you know, listen, I think they got, they're going to get fined, they'll lose $30 million and Jim Harbaugh can't come back into college coaching. But I think Michigan, if this quarterback they got complain this coach can coach, they're fine. I think the easiest thing for a big brand to do in college football or college basketball is write a check. You don't want to lose, you know, you don't want to lose bowl practices. You don't want to have vacated Wins. And so I think Michigan could be fine as long as the coach can coach. Now if you find out by this year, you got the wrong guy at coach and you have to go get another coach. He may be turned off by all this stuff Michigan's dealing with and the noise and your field, your options may be limited. But let's wait and see if this guy's the right coach because the quarterback then the recruited with the nil money a big time player. John Middelkoff with the news. No, no, no. Turn on the news.
- [26:00]
Fox Sports Radio Announcer
This is the Herd line news.
- [26:03]
John Middlekauff
Okay, Colin, your guy. Baker Mayfield, he's had a career resurgence leading the play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the playoffs in both seasons since taking over for Tom Brady. Tampa won 10 games last year and there's a lot of expectations surrounding the team. But Baker says no matter the expectations, it doesn't change the team's approach. And their ultimate goal is super bowl Baker. He's 25 to 1 to win the MVP and he's coming off career highs in completion percentage, yards, touchdowns and passer rating. Colin, what are your expectations for Baker Mayfield in Tampa this year?
- [26:36]
Colin Cowherd
Well, I have them winning the division mostly because I just don't, I don't necessarily trust what Atlanta is. So I'm going to go with Baker to win the division. I do think Atlanta, I think Atlanta beat Tampa twice last year. I think I like Penix, you like him. I do worry about losing two offensive linemen here in preseason because they already, they already moved off Drew Dahlman, an excellent top five or six center. So I'm going to give Baker the division. I feel pretty good about it.
- [27:02]
John Middlekauff
Yeah, I mean, I'm not only giving them the division. I think Atlanta is going to be in shambles if their offensive line falls apart as I think Carolina can finish second. But I actually like Baker 25:1. I think it's one of the better long shot, you know, MVP bets on the board. Typically it's Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers, Lamar. But every once in a while there's a Matt Ryan. He was the number one overall pick. He's won a Heisman. There's a lot of momentum for this player. What if you tell me that Baker throws 45 touchdowns? Chris Godwin was just activated off PUP. You know, Mike Evans, they draft a first round wide receiver from Ohio State that everyone loves. Bucky, their offense is going to be awesome. Baker, the last two years has put guys Canales and Liam Cohen become head coaches on his watch. Yeah, something big like Russell Wilson could never do that. I mean, I think there's a lot of momentum for Baker Mayfield heading in the season.
- [27:51]
Colin Cowherd
How about Emeka Obuka, the receiver from wide receiver? How about throw this up, dark horse offensive rookie of the year?
- [28:00]
John Middlekauff
What if they double dip MVP offensive rookie of the year? I mean, if he gets 10 touchdowns and Baker throws 45 and they'd have to win, you couldn't win 10. But if I told you they won 12 or 13 games and they were the two seed behind the Eagles, I think, you know, assuming that Josh Allen and Lamar a little fatigue, Mahomes probably won't have the numbers. I think. I think it's possibility. Speaking of a team that will not have the mvp, the jets, they're coming off a bad preseason loss to the Giants last week, and in response, they held a secretive quote. Players only practice without the media or assistant coaches present. But the problem here, Colin, is there was a coach there. It was the head coach, Aaron Glenn. During the practice, players reportedly conducted their own drills, called their own plays, so the players could take ownership of what was going on. Colin, what do you make of this?
- [28:50]
Colin Cowherd
I don't like it. I don't know. I just. I said it when he was hired. I don't. I mean, listen, half the coordinators you hired don't work like that. I mean, when you hire Jim Harbaugh, it's gonna work. Or when Kansas City hires Annie Reid, it's gonna work. Or when Denver hires Sean Payton, there's certain things, like Mike McCarthy in Dallas. You thought it would be somewhat successful. It was. Coordinators are 50, 50 at best, and the defensive coordinators feel like it's less than 50, 50. I just, I get a vibe that this thing could roll backwards fast.
- [29:27]
John Middlekauff
Well, I think one problem, obviously, they do have a lot of good young players. Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson, Quinn Williams, their quarterback play. Justin Fields seems like a great guy, and he was really impressive the way he's handled the last couple years. But he's not a very good football player at quarterback. I mean, he struggles to pass. So I think offensively they're going to be in shambles. Obviously, the Bills are a powerhouse. The Patriots are going to be a lot better. I know we, we love kind of dragging the Miami Dolphins. I think the jets are going to be pretty bad as well. Going to be a long season. Speaking of a team that's not going to be bad, the Houston Texans and their star corner, Derek Stingley Jr. He had a hell of a season in 2024, earning a pro bowl selection. Being named first team all probably he got a big contract. His head coach, high level guy d' Amico Ryans had some high praise for the young player.
- [30:16]
D'Amico Ryans
Derek definitely, definitely has some of the best hands that I've seen from the corner perspective you can throw in, you know, coach prime, some great hands as well. But Derek, he's a unique player. He's very talented, very gifted. And for me, what I most encouraged about, you see from when I first got here, to see where Stingley has grown to and what he's become, it's like, it's very impressive to watch, to see the growth of a player, the development of him and for him to be just the top of, top of his craft, top of the game as a cornerback position, like he's done an outstanding job.
- [30:53]
Colin Cowherd
You know what, we got to give Houston's front office some credit here, John. They have done a really good job. This, this roster several years ago was a bit of a mess. I don't care if it's getting Stingley first round or Tank Dell in later rounds. They got some dudes. When you watch Houston play, they got dudes. They match up with almost everybody in this sport.
- [31:13]
John Middlekauff
You know, I said it yesterday. Belichick fell apart when Josh left. How about Nick Casario as well? So he lost Casino, he lost Josh McDaniels and the whole thing kind of unraveled. I've always heard, I don't know him personally. Nick Casseroa is a really high level guy.
- [31:25]
Colin Cowherd
Yes.
- [31:25]
John Middlekauff
Hiring d', Amico, who I know is a really high level guy, watched him for years in San Francisco. They got a really good thing going. I thought last year they could be the number one seed. Obviously the offensive line issues, well, they.
- [31:35]
Colin Cowherd
Also fell apart at receiver.
- [31:37]
John Middlekauff
Their team is loaded. I mean defensively I think they have a chance to be the best defense or one of the best defense in the league.
- [31:43]
Colin Cowherd
It's like sometimes you have to trust your eyes. When I watch Seattle last year, I'm like, they got dudes. I watch Houston. Like Houston's one of those teams you watch play a Kansas City and you're like, they, they may not have Mahomes, but they got guys everywhere that can play.
- [31:58]
John Middlekauff
And think about this. We love the Lions corps, that young core. We talk yesterday, The Houston Texans, C.J. stroud, Will Anderson, Derek Stingley played on a team with Joe Burrow, Justin Jefferson, Jamar Chase. I mean we love that team. It's, it's only aging better as time goes on how good their players are in the pros. So I like the Texans a lot this year.
- [32:17]
Colin Cowherd
Yeah. Had him win their division as well. John Middelkoff with the news.
- [32:22]
Fox Sports Radio Announcer
Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by the herd line news.
- [32:26]
Colin Cowherd
Well, it's often repeated on this show that offensive coaches really help quarterbacks, especially young quarterbacks. So, you know, I was watching the discussion online last couple of days when Shane Steichen decided and the wording was clear. Daniel Jones is the starter this season. What it's telling you, it's sending a message. And the message is Anthony Richardson, he's a backup. This when Kyle Shanahan moved off Trey, Lance didn't want to, did not want to. They gave up a lot of picks. It signaled to the league is Trey's not a starter. He can be a backup. Good kid. And so somebody like, like when Netflix passes on a script, there's not a long list of mega hits from the Netflix recycle bin. They know what they're doing. You know, when the CEO and insiders are selling company stock, nobody knows the company better than those people. You may not want to buy a ton of it. And so I think, I mean, a prime example is Colin Kaepernick. When Colin Kaepernick had Jim Harbaugh, he was 25 and 14 and got to conference championship games a couple times in a Super bowl without Harbaugh, he was not an NFL starting quarterback. He was 3 and 16 quarterback rating in the mid-80s. Colin Kaepernick, his career was a mess down the stretch. Harbaugh made him a Super bowl quarterback. You took Harbaugh when Harbaugh bail, thought he was, you know, said all the right stuff, but distracted, inconsistent, kind of only had a fastball, not real nuanced as a thrower. The minute Harbaugh moved off him, he was a wreck. And like Anthony Richardson, this idea that he's going to go somewhere, I mean, Shane Steichen took. Jalen hurts. Jalen hurts. Before Shane Steichen completed 52% of his throws, he completed 66.5% with Shane Steichen. So it's one of these things where don't out think the room. Like, don't out think the room is that. And I think Kaepernick's better than Anthony Richards. And I'm not saying that, but if you look at his numbers without Jim Harbaugh, they're kind of Anthony Richardson, a big, athletic guy who's not terribly deft at the pocket stuff, not great at it, and doesn't win a lot of games. And again, Kaepernick is better than Anthony Richardson. But I think it when, when, when somebody that really knows an industry or knows is like an insider. And Shane Steichen knows quarterbacks. Look at his numbers with Hertz and Herbert, like he knows what he's doing. I mean, Shanahan made Matt Schaub a Pro Bowler and Matt Ryan an mvp. That's why it was inexplicable. The Cowboys are like, we'll give you a fourth round pick for Trey Lynch. Trey can be a backup. I mean, Jim Harbaugh's like, hey, put him on the squad. I got no problem with that. But it, to me, it's like he, Anthony Richardson's not going to be a starting quarterback in the league. Well, he's young. Nobody cares about age. I, I do not care how old my surgeon is. Fix me. I don't care how old my pilot is. Well, I mean, listen, we hit the side of a mountain, but he's a young kid. He'll get better, land safely. I don't care about your age and lack of experience. That's a you problem. So I just think it sends a signal. Albert Brear was on earlier this week on the Colts choosing Daniel Jones over Anthony.
- [36:00]
Anthony Richardson
And on offense, the idea is we got to be way more better at taking, way better at taking care of the ball than we were in 2024. And so I think they feel like Daniel Jones, his ability to operate the offense, his ability to protect the ball was just at a higher level right now than Anthony Richardson. And there are jobs on the line there this year. So they felt like for the team they have right now, Daniel Jones was the better answer.
- [36:26]
Colin Cowherd
And the other thing is, this is not the NBA. So because the NBA more than any league allows all their video to go on YouTube and there's clips everywhere that the NBA more than any sports league has a lot of fans that just watch the clips and they don't watch the games. Like baseball's always been like, you can't use our video. So it's not as clip driven as NBA. And because of that, an NBA player can be a legend and never win a playoff series. John Wall, everybody said, I love John Wall. In the awful east, he could never win a playoff series. A super, super talented guy. But the point being is the NBA that you judge and you go, oh, I love this player because it's a clip driven view like the NFL. We watch the games. It's not a highlight league. You, you've got to complete third and seven in the flat 100 out of 100 times you have to hit the layups. So the NBA, there's a lot of players who are legendary or iconic and they're not winning players, but their highlights are awesome. And that's okay. It's a different Sport, different culture. 82 game regular season. But I mean lamelo, Lamelo ball. I don't want lamelo ball on my team. But man, he's a good highlight guy. Remember, remember Jason Williams out of like West Virginia, Randy Moss's buddy? That guy was so much funny, so much fun. The clips were amazing. And then I mean he's doing bounce passes off the elbow and then you watch him over the course of a game and you're like, yeah, that's a turnover. Machine is out of control. And, and so it's just different in the NFL. I've said this about Patrick Mahomes. If he completes 27 throws, 24 are, are 12 yards and in, 14 yards and in and about three times a game from the pocket, Mahomes is magical. And one or two times with his feet, he's magical. Five times out of 33 drop backs, you're like, whoa. Same with Josh Allen. He jumps over a linebacker, he makes two throws running against his body. But this is, you gotta get the layups. And Anthony just struggles with them. And I mean with your career, he didn't average 60% completion rate, high school, college or the pros. And like when you're career, go look at career completion percentage. If it's under 60, you're not, you're not really, you're probably not a starting quarterback now. That doesn't mean you can't get an offensive coach that can elevate you for a couple years. But I, it's just, I mean I'm looking at this right now, looking at some. Yeah, John Morant, six years in the league, his three point shooting's gone down. Immature off the court, can't stay healthy. But in this highlight driven league, I'm like, oh, in top five guy in the league, he may not be top 20. Can't shoot, getting worse, can't stay healthy, not terribly mature. But I like watching the clips and that is a real NBA reality. You can be a Hall of Famer, honestly, without making the playoffs. Your clips are great, your moments are great. It's not the NFL, it's just different. You got to be, you got to complete 64% of your throws, you got to stay healthy. You know what I mean? You just passer ratings got to be mid-90s or up. If you want to get the if you want to get big money, it's the Herd.
- [39:56]
Fox Sports Radio Announcer
Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, Weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio FS1 and the iHeartradio app this Labor Day.
- [40:07]
Washable Sofas Advertiser
Say goodbye to spills, stains and overpriced furniture with washablesofas.com featuring Anna Bay the only machine washable sofa inside and out where designer quality meets budget friendly pricing. Sofas start at just $6.99, making it the perfect time to upgrade your space. Annabe's pet friendly stain resistant and interchangeable slipcovers are made with high performance fabric built for real life. You'll love the cloud like comfort of hypoallergenic, high resilience foam that never needs fluffing and a durable steel frame that stands the test of time with modular pieces you can rearrange anytime. It's a sofa that adapts to your life. Now through Labor Day, get up to 60% off site wide@washablesofas.com Every order comes with a 30 day satisfaction guarantee. If you're not in love, send it back for a full refund. No return shipping, no restocking fees, every penny back. Shop now@washablesofas.com Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply.
- [41:06]
Podcast Advertiser/Announcer
Balancing work, family and education isn't easy, but American Public University makes it possible with online courses, monthly start dates and flexible schedules. APU is designed for busy professionals who need education that fits their lives. And Affordability matters too. APU offers the opportunity grant, giving students 10% off undergraduate and master's level tuition, helping you reach your goals without breaking the bank. Plus, they provide career services and 24. 7 mental health support at no extra cost. Visit Apu Apus Edu to learn more. That's Apu Apus Edu. Imagine never buying gas again. EVs are as easy to charge as your phone and perfect for everyday life. Drive daily with confidence everywhere you go. Most Americans drive 40 miles a day. Most EVs are equipped with 200 to 400 miles of range. They've got fewer parts, fewer repairs and fewer headaches. With hundreds of new and used EV models available today, there's an EV to fit every lifestyle and every budget. I love my electric vehicle. It's easy. No more gas stations. The way forward is electric. Learn more to lectric for all.org running.
- [42:30]
GoDaddy Advertiser
A business online, look legit and own your own brand with professional tools from GoDaddy. Instantly build trust with your customers and boost your credibility with an email that matches your domain so people know you mean business. There's never been a better time. Just go to GoDaddy.com GDnow and choose from a wide variety of popular domains to to find one that's right for you, pair that with a professional email that works for all your business needs from daily communications to email marketing and everything in between. That's a little price for a lot of credibility. For a limited time, get a domain and matching professional email for just 99 cents a month for one year. Go to GoDaddy.comGdNow and look legit with GoDaddy. That's GoDaddy.comGdNow again. GoDaddy.comGdNow there's never been a better time to choose the domain and email that's right for you. New customer purchases only products Auto renew separately See terms on site GoDaddy.com GDnow.
- [43:33]
John Middlekauff
Tonight, the game's most historic rivalry takes center stage as Alex Bregman and the Red Sox take on Aaron Judge in the Yankees, where the Astros battled the Orioles. Check local listings for the game in your area tonight at at 7 Eastern on Fox.
- [43:47]
Colin Cowherd
In recent years, one of the best coaching jobs was done by Kevin Stefanski of the Cleveland Browns in 2023. In that division, he won 11 games and his quarterbacks were old creaky Joe Flacco, odd DeShawn Watson, PJ Walker and Dorian Thompson Robinson. Kevin Stanski is a hell of a coach. Went to Penn. He knows more than you do about offense. I know. Hard to believe he does. And he knows more than me. He has announced that Joe Flacco will start against the Rams. 25 to 30 plays for the starters. Dylan Gabriel is the backup. Shador Sanders is third. I know you've got your Shador Barry Sanders jersey you're wearing. I know. And I, I've said before, I, I think Shedeur was underdrafted. I think he was. But speeding tickets, silliness. Dylan Gabriel's a much more kind of centered, serious kid and Shador is third. I gotta trust Stavansky. Guy won 11 games with like musical chairs at quarterback in 2023 in the AFC in a division with the Ravens, Joe burrow, he won 11 games. He knows more than I do. I know you are absolutely sure you could be president. You would do a better job. It's the world we live in. Everybody's an expert. Everybody's an epidemiologist during a pandemic. Kevin Stefanski is a smart guy. He's one of the two Ivy League.
- [45:28]
Podcast Advertiser/Announcer
Coaches in the league.
- [45:29]
Colin Cowherd
He's a pretty smart guy. He won 11 games with that nonsense in 2023. He's got Dylan Gabriel two and Shadour three. Greg Cosell was on 25 minutes ago and I asked him, what do you see? You've seen both of them play in the preseason. What do you see?
- [45:43]
Greg Cosell
Offensive coaches, they think about how does a player work within my scheme. And what Gabriel is, is he's essentially stylistically similar to Atua Tagovailoa. Sanders is a little different player. He's not quite as rhythmic and he has a tendency and this showed up on tape by the way. Even though the good outweighed the bad when he played two weeks ago. He tends to drift a little in the pocket. He tends to retreat in the pocket. You know. How many quarterbacks are the Browns going to keep? No team keeps four quarterbacks. So it's going to be interesting going down the stretch here. And then Sanders got hurt and missed some time in practice and that's not going to help him.
- [46:23]
Colin Cowherd
So let's be honest. The entire NFL told you he's a fifth round pick and the Browns are telling you he's a third string quarterback. He was overvalued. I'm guilty as charged. I, I, I thought oh, I can see him fall into the second round. I'm guess I'm wrong. But the league told you. And by the way, seven teams annually are desperate for quarterback and another 15 are desperate for a backup. The whole league passed for four rounds and many of us believe Jimmy Haslam, the owner of the Browns is the one that nudged the front office into drafting him. So the Brown drafted Dylan Gabriel two rounds before. So you can run to your Reddit board and DogPound.com and say it's a conspiracy but the whole league told you he's a fifth round quarterback and the Browns are telling you. Kevin Stefanski, who won 11 games in 2023 with nonsense in a division with the Ravens in the afc, he's like his third string quarterback. I, you know, I think I'm pretty good on the quarterback thing now that Sam Darnold can play. I haven't missed a ton on quarterbacks. I thought, I thought chadour, I thought, I don't know. I watched Jackson dart with better teammates. I watched her with a bad college O line and no run game, be really productive. Productive against much better rosters. Much, much better rosters. But the league and the Browns, they're telling you, I mean I know this is hard for guys but sometimes you have to admit there are people that are, are behind the rope. They have access, they see stuff. I mean, it sounded like to me, remember Greg Cosell said a couple of weeks ago show he said, he said Chador is accurate, but he's not as accurate as the analysts are saying. The film tells you he's not that accurate. He's accurate. But. And for the record, the Browns have everything to gain on Shador playing if Shedeur, I mean, if Shedeur could be the starter. Are you kidding me? That would be unbelievable as a fifth round pick. Look what it's done to the Niners. You can stack your roster. You can get out from under that horrible Deshaun Watson contract. They would love, they would love for Shador as a fifth round pick to be a starting quarterback. There's no, there's no advantage to the Browns bearing him. And I said, I looked at Dylan Gabriel in college and my take was he had great coaching and talent at Oregon. He's just too small. He's going to struggle kind of see in the field and he's acknowledged he can. I just thought, I mean he, you know, he looks smaller and I'd seen photos of him next to other, you know, athletes at Oregon and I thought, I just don't see that as an NFL quarterback. I do. I've always said size matters. Unless you're like Kyler Murray or Russell Wilson and you're prime and you can run around and you're so elusive. That's not Dylan Gabriel. Shador's a legit 6 2. Shador moves well enough and he was really accurate behind with no talent around him at Colorado. But Stefanski knows more than I do and I trust him and there's no value in burying him. I would love to be on dog pound barks.com today. I bet you that website is lit. I bet they're going crazy in Everybody stinks but us in Cleveland dot com. I would love to be on that. I don't have my phone with me. Dogs by nature. Is that the big one? That sight is roaring today. John, what do you make of it?
- [50:18]
John Middlekauff
Didn't Stefanski tell you what he thought about Shador when he had the chance to take him in the third round and he took another quarterback. And even if you say, well, the GMs pick the players, no one picks a quarterback for an offensive head coach. That's the offensive head coach. Even if he's not the boss in the draft room, quarterbacks are his baby. He chose Dylan Gabriel in the third round. Now we can disagree. And I, I do. I thought that was a little crazy, but he clearly likes Dylan Gabriel. I mean, it's, that's not debatable. And Dylan Gabriel is what, two, three, four, five years worth of college experience that they're basing this off of?
- [50:53]
Colin Cowherd
Let's check out wolfwolf.com and see what they're saying. Man, this is, this is good. Dogbiscuit.com let's go check it out right now. Hour three nets on Fox one. Now you can stream your favorite live sport so you can be there live for the biggest moments. That means NFL Sundays and college football games, nascar, Major League Baseball, postseason and more. With Fox one, you get it all. Live, edgier seat plays, high octane moments, and that feeling like you're ripe right there in the action. Fox one, we live for live streaming now.
- [51:33]
Podcast Advertiser/Announcer
Well, we all have juggles and struggles and faults and flaws because to be.
- [51:38]
Colin Cowherd
A pet parent is to be human.
- [51:39]
Podcast Advertiser/Announcer
And we can only do so much. Hill's pet nutrition is a leader in science led nutrition for dogs and cats.
- [51:46]
Colin Cowherd
And I got a lot of dogs. Hills helps burn fat and benefits include.
- [51:49]
Podcast Advertiser/Announcer
Lean muscle, strong bones, a shiny coat for your dog. They use high quality protein sources. Hill's science led nutrition helps you give more love than humanly possible. If you love your dogs like I do, use hills.
- [52:02]
Colin Cowherd
You're only human.
- [52:03]
Podcast Advertiser/Announcer
There's hills. Science does more.
- [52:06]
Colin Cowherd
Every once in a while, you get.
- [52:07]
Podcast Advertiser/Announcer
The chance to make a real difference. And this is one of those moments. Folds of Honor provides educational scholarships to the spouses and children of fallen or disabled military members and first responders. It's a powerful mission, honoring their sacrifice through the gift of education. But last year, about 7,000 qualified students didn't receive funding and that number is expected to grow to nearly 10,000. Don't let financial needs stand in the.
- [52:31]
Colin Cowherd
Way of their future.
- [52:32]
Podcast Advertiser/Announcer
Visit foldsofhonor.org to donate. Any amount helps. Together, we can close that gap one scholarship at a time. Balancing work, family and education isn't easy, but American Public University makes it possible with online courses, monthly start dates and flexible schedules. APU is designed for busy professionals who need education that fits their lives. And Affordability matters too. APU offers the opportunity grant, giving students 10% off undergraduate and master's level tuition, helping you reach your goals without breaking the bank. Plus, they provide career services and 24. 7 mental health support at no extra cost. Visit Apu Apus Edu to learn more. That's Apu Apus Edu.
- [53:25]
Greg Cosell
This is an iHeart podcast.