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Colin Cowherd
This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human. All right. You know what deserves more attention? The assists. Everybody talks about the goal. A big moment that gets replayed on the highlight reels. But too often we overlook all the contributions and collabs that happen along the way. That's true in soccer and honestly, true in life. Halion is shining a light on the assists. As official partner of U.S. soccer, they got a whole lineup of brands ready to deliver for you. So here's Here they are. Sensodyne Dentist Recommended Defense of your sensitive teeth Centrum Fueling your day with science backed nutrients. Advil of course. Powerful inflammation fighting pain relief. Voltaren Arthritis Gel helps penetrate deep, keeps the joints moving and Tums ready to counterattack with fast heartburn relief. These are brands that are ready to deliver your essential wellness assists. Because every goal starts with an assistant, learn how Halion can assist your game day goals@helionassist.com, indeed sponsor jobs gets you
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Colin Cowherd
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Botox Medical Announcer
Botox Onobotulinum toxin a prevents headaches in adults with chronic migraine. It's not for those with 14 or fewer headache days a month. It Prevents on average 8 to 9 headache days a month versus 6 to 7 for placebo. Prescription Botox is injected by your doctor. Botox effects may spread hours to weeks after injection, causing serious symptoms. Alert your doctor right away as trouble swallowing, speaking, breathing, eye problems or muscle weakness can be signs of a life threatening condition. Those with these conditions before injection are at highest risk. Side effects may include allergic reactions like rash, breathing problems, dizziness, neck and injection site pain and headache. Don't receive Botox if there's a skin infection. Tell your doctor your medical history, muscle or nerve conditions like als, myasthenia gravis or Lambert Eaton syndrome, and medicines like botulinum toxins, which may increase the risk of serious side effects.
Colin Cowherd
Make a plan and ask your doctor about Botox. Visit botoxchronicmigraine.com or call 1-800-44-botox thanks for listening to the Herd podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio and noon to 3 Eastern, 9am to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the herd@foxsportsradio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. Now let's get this party started.
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Colin Cowherd
Welcome in. It is our number two. So we started the show today talking about the NFL Network's top 100 list and players peers. Vote on that. And LaMar Jackson dropped 67 spots and those were his peers. He's always been beloved as a by the players. Not by all coaches, not by all analysts, not by all analytic people. He's loved by players. They dropped him down to the Bryce Young area. And I said this before, he is a declining player if you look at since 2021 rush attempts, rushing yards, getting hurt more often. And he's not a very good playoff quarterback. So I said, looking at that list, I said, if you told me, all things considered age, size, production, I've always sort of judged quarterbacks, not just on Super Bowls or playoff wins. I mean, Eli Manning in the playoffs was unbelievable. Peyton Manning was hit and miss. But Peyton's a better quarterback, I think, overall by a distance over Eli Manning. And they're both great. They're both deserving of hall of Fame accolades. But I do think, you know, regular seasons matter, but I kind of look at quarterbacks. Are you good? There's three to five minutes left. You got two drives left. Can you score on both of them? I may need a field goal and a touchdown or a touchdown and a touchdown. Do I trust you Late? That's a big deal for me. So all things considered, going into this season with all the new coordinators in place, Jared Goff's got a great one. Justin Herbert's got a great one. All things considered. Who's your offensive coordinator? How is your health? Are you ascending? I don't have a lot of old guys on this list, These are the 10 guys I think. And it's close. When you get to 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, it's close. Yards, you know, not miles, inches, not feet. Here we go, top 10.
Fox Sports Radio Announcer
Number one.
Colin Cowherd
I think Josh Allen has his health. He's a force of nature. Six straight years with at least one playoff win. He's in his prime and he's done remarkable things with a coach from the defensive side that got fired. I think his organization in my opinion has let him down. I don't think he's had Patrick Mahomes infrastructure. That is not saying he'd have as many trophies as Mahomes, but I think his size, his arm, he's healthy, he's in his prime. Josh Allen's the best quarterback in this sport.
Fox Sports Radio Announcer
Number two.
Colin Cowherd
Coming off an injury, Mahomes is two. He now has a run game and upgraded O line. I think he will be Patrick Mahomes again, but I'm going to wait to see it. I think the most remarkable stat about Patrick Mahomes actually is this. He has won half the games in his career, 20 and 20 where he's trailed by at least 10 plus points. He is the great Elway. He is the great come from behind quarterback of my life. Brady didn't trail that much. It feels like Elway trailed a lot in big games. Mahomes is the greatest come from behind quarterback of my life. Something he in a short list of greatest quarterback he would be by number two.
Fox Sports Radio Announcer
Number three.
Colin Cowherd
I don't know why people will push back on this. I would have Caleb Williams, folks. He made two plays in the playoffs last year. One against Green Bay and one against the Graham Rams. That broke football physics. It was early Mahomes. They just didn't make any sense. They didn't make any sense to throw up the left sideline against Green Bay. This makes no damn sense. I'd never seen that before. The throw in the back of the end zone against the Rams. What in God's name is happening? That's early Mahomes, by the way. Lowest interception percentage of any quarterback in league history with 1100 attempts. He never gets hurt. He had seven fourth quarter comebacks. I am buying the stock here. I'm not saying he's going to be Mahomes. I'm not saying he's Mahomes yet. But for all the people in year two and three that kept pushing back on Patrick, it was a football physics thing throwing left handed. Why is he so good? Trailing 24 7, Caleb. Caleb is my three number four my one old guy, Matt Stafford, highest credit passer in the league. Is his back gonna hold up? Is he gonna have a left tackle? I don't know. I just know when he lets go of the football it is a thing of beauty. I mean pre snap, post snap, I don't get a lot of movement. You know, if it's just pure throwing the football and reading the defense, he is near the top. So I don't get a lot of plays with the feet. But I would put Matt Stafford at four.
Fox Sports Radio Announcer
Number five.
Colin Cowherd
Okay. Justin Herbert has a new coordinator. He finally has a head coach and a big time OC Mike McDaniel. By the way, the remarkable thing about Herbert, he made the playoffs with the 30th ranked offensive line. I've seen Mahomes get buried in a Super bowl when he had a bad O line. This kid made the playoffs and he was getting hammered. For 17 regular season weeks I have Justin Herbert. Tackles are back, coordinator, head coach at number five.
Fox Sports Radio Announcer
Number six.
Colin Cowherd
I love Joe Burrow but in two of the last three seasons he gets banged up. Only played eight games last year. I also think he doesn't have the support system of a Herbert or a Patrick Mahomes or now with Ben Johnson, Caleb Williams. I love Burrow. All time leader in completion percentage. I think he's one of the great third down quarterbacks, fourth down quarterbacks. I think he's in Brady's category and Mahomes category. I think he's unbelievable. But I have to consider everything and durability and offensive line which is yet to even be mediocre have to be considered. I have him at six, number seven. I don't know what there is to argue. Last four seasons, four different teams. He's 28 and six. He's now going to trophy Sam Darnold. He's one of two quarterbacks in the whole league with 4,000 plus passing yards and back to back seasons. He led the Seahawks with a defensive coach having lost DK Metcalf in a running back room that couldn't stay healthy to the number one offense in probably the second best division in football. In his prime arm athletic ability. I said when he came out I see a lot of Andrew Luck. The difference is Darnold has taken a beating. He is one of the younger great quarterbacks in the league. He's now just really if you look at his age, he's got six years of prime left slinging Sammy D at seven, number eight, he's more mobile than Goff so he gets that advantage. I Think Goff is better from the pocket. He's led. Goff is actually one of these guys where he got a new coordinator. Again, we're considering everything. He doesn't miss starts. He's unbelievable from the pocket. He does need O line protection to flourish, but he's got Drew Petzig. Last year, OC situation not ideal, wasn't quite the same. But he leads the NFL in passing yards, passing touchdowns and wins over the last three seasons. That accounts for a lot to me. Number nine, most underrated player in the league is Jordan Love. I'm pretty sure Jordan Love is underrated now. He gets off the bad Septembers. I inexplicable, cannot explain September. He's bad. He completes 60% of his throws since he's been a pro quarterback In September, he's 4, 5 and 1. I think it's LeFleur's offense. I think Matt experiments early. Maybe they don't have their running game up to snuff. He has struggled, but in terms of arm, whip size, smarts, toughness, he'll get banged up, but he doesn't miss a lot of starts. I think he's a huge talent and I was a real doubter for years. I think he's huge. I think he's a great talent. Christian Watson can't stay healthy. They've had some immaturity at wide receiver. I like him. I like him a lot. He's my number nine. Number 10, Drake May edges out Lamar Jackson. Listen, first quarterback in league history, ever. League history. 70% completion percentage, 4,000 passing yards before turning 25. He feels like he's in his prime and he's a kid and he did it last year with a battle line and an average running game. So nobody thought they would get to the Super Bowl. He is the most accurate quarterback in the NFL last season for a kid. Big, strong. He reminds me a little bit of Herbert with a little better accuracy now. Herbert finally getting a head coach, finally getting everything right. Vrabel and Josh McDaniels is a pretty good place to be in year two. Lamar Jackson is 11, Dak is 12, but there it is. Let's bring in Nick Wright. You know he's going to push back. I just get ready for it. 10, 10 minutes of me getting crushed. Look at that look. You're not even supportive. That's just your angst. I see in your face.
Nick Wright
Well, listen, I actually don't have. Patrick Torres, acl. It didn't have a good year. If he needs to drop, it's fine. I Do Josh Allen being the number moving up after a year where for the first time in a half decade he didn't win the division. He had four turnovers to lose a playoff game. He, you know, 25 touchdowns, 10 picks, 3,600 yards in the regular season. That feels a little odd. But I also understand feeling like Patrick coming off the ACL has to drop. It just it, it seems to me like we are in the one of the golden ages of quarterback play and having the guy at top the league be a guy who's never sniffed a Super bowl feels weird to me. But I get it. He the and we also we judge Josh Allen differently than we judge other quarterbacks. Josh Allen's judged like a slugger in baseball. Like don't care if he hits 230, hit 40 bombs. That's not typically how we've done quarterbacks but with Josh it's fine. The Herbert thing, I mean I, they. He just got Harbaugh this year. No, he, he finally has a head coach. You said this is third year with him, right? His third year. He's going into year seven.
Colin Cowherd
Colin but he's still, he's still in his athletic prime. Something's always been missing. O line coach coordinator. This is the year we can start
Nick Wright
playing your worst game of your season in the playoffs. That hasn't been missing. That's been good. No, it's.
Botox Medical Announcer
It's.
Nick Wright
It's three. It's three for three that he was God awful in the playoff game. But it's fine. It's fifth best quarterback in the league. I Lamar out of Listen, I'm not as high on Lamar as some people. Lamar out of the top 10 feels a little harsh. I don't like that. Unless. Are you very convinced? My concern about Lamar is was last year and again I wouldn't bet this but it's a concern the beginning of a fall for him athletically and injury wise like is that why he's out of the top ten?
Colin Cowherd
Okay. I considered everything. Number one. He's missed four games minimum three of the last five years rushing attempts have declined every year since 2021. His sack percentage. Only two other quarterbacks were close. J.J. mcCarthy and Geno Smith. He's not as explosive. He's taken too many hits and I've always given him a pass for having a lower passer rating than Ryan Tannehill in the playoffs. I've always supported him. But I said earlier it's like airlines. You love them, you use them, they lose your luggage so many times and you finally bail on him. I feel like at some point, dude, eight years of this, you just. I watched Caleb come from behind and Bo Nicks come from behind and Drake may come from behind. I'm like, I can't. I can't. I got to sell the stock.
Nick Wright
No, that's. Listen, I think all that's fair. I mean, to continue the airline analogy, I think Justin Herbert might be TWA in the playoffs, bro. Like, it's gone defunct, doesn't exist anymore. And Caleb at 3 and I does. And I really.
Colin Cowherd
You.
Nick Wright
I really like Caleb. Feels like FS1 between you, me and Danny, it's just a competition to see who could be the most outlandish on Caleb Williams. Caleb at 3 feels a little rich for my blood. You know, I. I gotta say, I'm gonna make a pitch to you, okay? Because I don't. And then I know we have other things we have to get to. I don't know that you know this, but there is a real bubbling friction on First Things first because of you. Because I have been on this show every Tuesday for basically nine years. Brew comes on with somewhat regularity. Old KW is over life on appearances on this show, and I think it's hurt him. I think if there was ever a time for you to finally have national treasure Kevin Wilds on the show, it would be just to show him Drake May10, Caleb Williams3, and see how that lands at his desk. Again, I'm not your guest booker. I'm just throwing it out there.
Colin Cowherd
Well, yeah, I mean, listen, this is inexact. Like, I'll. I'll give you an example. I think if there's a quarterback in the league right now and Mahomes is off an injury that I Trust on 4th and 7, it's probably Joe Burrow. But he doesn't have a great online this year. We don't love his coach necessarily. He keeps getting hurt. I've got to contextualize everything. Joe Burrow is one injury away from. We got to draft a new quarterback. I. That has to be considered. And I love Burrow so that.
Nick Wright
Listen, I. Burrow is tough because of all the guys on the list, he's the biggest injury concern. Like Lamar is an injury concern, but he's not on your list. And I think that part is fair. I also. I'm going to say one other thing about Josh Allen.
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Number one,
Nick Wright
I think it's worth just taking a gander at. You don't even have to put it on the shows. Have your producers print it out. Put it on A sheet Josh Allen's playoff numbers in the wild card round and then every other game. Other than that, he's now including last year where he had the four turnover divisional round game. He's two in the wild card round is the greatest quarterback of all time. Greatest wild card around quarterback of all time. But as you know, Brady Manning, those guys, the buy system was different. They didn't play many wild card round games. He's two and six post wild card round. The two wins he combined in those two games for 330 yards passing and one passing touchdown. And his greatest moment of his career after the wild card round was a game he lost to Mahomes and the Chiefs. So I just, I. It doesn't feel. Doesn't sit right with me that Josh is the best quarterback in the league right now. But I think most people feel that way and I guess it's because their cable went out. When he had the single worst turnover of the season last year before halftime of that Broncos playoff game.
Colin Cowherd
It was a stinker. I acknowledge that. So, you know, I was saying earlier that when Tiger woods entered golf, it spiked. But the truth is not that many people golf in America because although it's great fun, it's really hard. Even when you're good, you can get bad very quickly. And when Tiger, during his kind of this renaissance of golf didn't play or aged out like, like there was a space, like you didn't get the same rating. So was golf popular or was Tiger popular? We see this in the WNBA with Caitlin Clark. She, she plays a million watch. She doesn't 350 watch the United States loses in the World Cup. The numbers are still outrageous. And so my take is people keep talking about soccer growth. The growth of soccer is we're out. And the ratings today will be huge in England, Norway was huge. And that the growth isn't necessarily viewed from our prism, but where you can see the unbelievable growth is like the NFL, the World cup is. Yeah, you give us some big brands, it doesn't really matter who the quarterback is. I think this World cup does change going ahead. I think 10,000 young people minimum will play soccer that wouldn't have. And I think out of that, 500 will be really, really good. Two or three will be great. Can we find an Erling Holland? I think the growth is yet to be seen outside of ratings, but I look at the numbers post USA exit, it tells me soccer is officially bigger than hockey in this country. Bigger than WNBA is, bigger than golf.
Botox Medical Announcer
It is.
Nick Wright
Oh, I bigger than Men's college basketball. I think you can certainly make that case. And so I think it's two separate conversations. The popularity of soccer in the US and how sticky that will be post World cup. And does that translate to our team actually becoming awesome one day? So I first conversation. I think this World cup is a reminder that even in as you know, people's the attention, economy gets more crowded and ratings are down for a lot of things across the board. Americans love huge events and where I will give this company huge credit, they have treated this World cup like there's like what it is the biggest event in the sports world. The teams and the stars have more than held up their bargain. Where it's your idealized version of the NCAA tournament, no Cinderellas, the four best teams there at the end with the superstars all scoring goals, all looking great to the point to where I do think people have now watched enough of these games for the full 90 and recognized oh, 2 to 1 can be a wildly exciting game. 1 nothing can be edge of my seat. So I do think there will be more people in America that either start, you know, caring about their local MLS team or maybe more likely being in being like, hey, I'm following Jude Bellingham, I'm following I Earling Holland and Man City. I like I'm going to root for them and watch those games. So there's that American soccer growth. I think you hit the nail on the head as far as what the path is. Our path I do not think is ever going to be. We have 20 awesome players the way Spain or France or Argentina do. Our path has to be can we have our version of Erling Holland and Norway goes on this run. Morocco is not a huge country. Hakimi has carried them to a semifinal and a quarterfinal. Croatia with Luka Modric taking them to back to back semifinals, including an actual final. I think that would be the hope. And it's not Christian Pulisic flatly. And it's as much as I like Flo Baligan or Malik Tillman, it's probably not them either. It's got to be somebody who can be one of the 15 best players in the world that that's going to wear our jersey.
Fox Sports Radio Announcer
Yeah.
Colin Cowherd
Hey, I want to ask you about the the warriors thing. I said so there's a story Front Office Sports Today said it's down to Cleveland, down to Golden State and you've moved around the country, you've had different jobs. I have had different jobs. And a lot of times as you age, it really comes down To. I want to work with my friends. It's quality of life. Where do I live for you? You live in a great place. You've got great quality of life as you age. When you're a young person, you join clubs, frats, Boy Scouts, teams. When you're old, you prune your tree. Like, you hang out with fewer people, but it's a more deeply embedded relationship. I'm sure you have two or three. We do. Ann and I have people we just travel with. We're very, very close to over and over and over again. We don't have a wide net of friends. The ones we're with were with. And I look at. I look at LeBron and I'm like, he vacations with Draymond. He loves Curry. It's a 50 minute Gulf Stream to his home in Los Angeles. The warriors play the Clippers and the Lakers in la. Is this going to be one of those. Yeah, of course he chose the Warriors. Rich Paul said two weeks ago, it's not about titles or money. He wants to have fun. Every time I see him with Draymond, he's laughing, drinking, dancing, golfing. Is this going to be like. Yeah, of course he chose the Warriors.
Nick Wright
I don't know if it'll be. Of course. I certainly think it's on the board. It felt like they were the favorite. Then it felt like they fell out of contention. Now it feels like they're, like, right in the mix again. I'm just going to add one little anecdote for to. To wrestle around in people's brain. You're talking about LeBron playing with Draymond. I am not certain. The only place he can do that is Golden State. I'm not certain of that. Draymond's a free agent. The Warriors, Draymond. I think it's fair to say Draymond and Steve Kerr have always had a. Yeah, love, respect, adoration, but tough relationship. I think the warriors just moved on from one of the assistant coaches that Draymond was closest with. That raised my eyebrows a bit.
Colin Cowherd
And Frank. And LeBron likes Frank, doesn't he?
Nick Wright
And say it again.
Colin Cowherd
No. Frank Vogel just signed with the warriors, and I think LeBron always liked Frank.
Nick Wright
Well, I mean, they want a title together, so. So I guess the point. I think it is certainly on the board, LeBron joins the Warriors. I think it would be done if they had found a way, or could find a way to trade for Anthony Davis. But I also. I think it is a non. Not a big chance, but a non, zero chance. That LeBron joins a different team and Draymond's his teammate. Anyway, I think a non zero chance. I'm just putting that. I'm putting a little small take chip on that piece of the roulette wheel, like small chance. And until Draymond, you know, agrees to an extension, I think we have to recognize it's certainly a possibility.
Colin Cowherd
Do you like Spain or France today?
Nick Wright
You know, I. I think the game is as close as the odds makers suggest. I think France is a slight favorite. I picked a France Argentina final. I picked, I think France. I think it's 2, 2 after 90. France wins an extra time. With that said, I am not betting it because I want to be able to root for Spain because to mention him for the second time. My co host Kevin Wilds has been so obnoxious with his French fandom all of a sudden, saying we. We talking about how he's always been an Mbappe guy. I just want him in pain. So I will be rude. I am picking France. I will be rooting for Spain. But either way, I think Argent. All right, Argent. I will be betting tomorrow's game. I think Argentina being an underdog to England is absurd. I think they have been the best off. They've scored the most goals in this tournament. They. They haven't lost a knockout round game of a major tournament this decade. Won two Copas, one won the World Cup. They're obviously still in this one and they have the greatest player of all time. So I think Argentina is in the final and I think they're going to win the whole thing. But that's also. I thought Brazil was going to win the whole thing. They lost. So I just had to stick with South America. I'm a South American loyalist, Colin. That's what they always say about me.
Colin Cowherd
That's what they always say about you.
Nick Wright
That's what I'm a what? You know what? It's not even South America. I'm big into hemispheric loyalty. You are a Western hemisphere. Yeah, like people in like Europe and a. I'm a western hemisphere guy. I've always been that. Everyone knows that about.
Colin Cowherd
Absolutely.
J. Mack
Yeah.
Nick Wright
West. Big Western hemisphere.
Colin Cowherd
First things first. Good seeing you, buddy.
Tony Ayo
See you.
Colin Cowherd
They've been airing at 10am Eastern during the World cup, which we love. Absolutely love. Marcelo Balboa joining us, former United States men's national team member.
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One more herd. The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the iHeartRadio app search heard to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like hey, it's
Ben Mather
Ben, host of the Fifth Hour with Ben Ma. Would mean a lot to have you join us on our weekly auditory journey. You're asking what in God's name is the fifth Hour? I'll tell you. It's a spin off of the Ben Ma Show, a cult hit overnights on fsr. Why should you listen? Picture if you will, a world where we chat with captains of industry in media, sports and more every week. Explore some amazing, amazing facts about human nature and more. Listen to the fifth hour with Ben Mather on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast plans
Colin Cowherd
can be a maybe for people with chronic migraine 15 or more headache days a month, each lasting four hours or
Botox Medical Announcer
more Botox Onobotulinum toxin a prevents headaches in adults with chronic migraine. It's not for those with 14 or fewer headache days a month. It Prevents on average 8 to 9 Headache days a month versus 6 to 7 for place Prescription Botox is injected by your doctor. Botox effects may spread hours to weeks after injection, causing serious symptoms.
Colin Cowherd
Alert your doctor right away as trouble
Botox Medical Announcer
swallowing, speaking, breathing, eye problems or muscle weakness can be signs of a life threatening condition. Those with these conditions before injection are at highest risk. Side effects may include allergic reactions like rash, breathing problems, dizziness, neck and injection site pain and headache. Don't receive Botox if there's a skin infection. Tell your doctor your medical history, muscle or nerve conditions like als, Myasthenia gravis or Lambert Eaton Syndrome and medicines like Botulinum toxins which may increase the risk of serious side effects.
Colin Cowherd
Make a plan and ask your doctor about Botox. Visit botoxchronicmigraine.com or call 1-800-44-BOTOX.
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Colin Cowherd
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J. Mack
all right.
Colin Cowherd
You know what deserves more attention? The assists. Everybody talks about the goal, a big moment that gets replayed on the highlight reels. But too often we overlook all the contributions and collabs that happen along the way. That's true in soccer and honestly, true in life. Halion is shining a light on the assists. As official partner of U.S. soccer, they got a whole lineup of brands ready to deliver for you. So here they are. Sensodyne Dentist Recommended Defense of your sensitive teeth Centrum Fueling your day with science backed nutrients. Advil of course. Powerful inflammation fighting pain relief Voltaren Arthritis Gel helps penetrate deep, keeps the joints moving and tums ready to counterattack with fast heartburn relief. These are brands that are ready to deliver your essential wellness assists because every goal starts with an assist. Learn how Halion can assist your game day goals@halianassist.com Colin Matt Hastour Marcelo Balboa, former United States Men's national team member, joined us last week as well. First though, here's J. Mack with the news. No, no, no, turn on the news.
Fox Sports Radio Announcer
This is the Herdline news.
J. Mack (News Segment)
We touched on Spain France earlier. I'm really jazzed up about Argentina against England tomorrow. Colin Everybody's fired up. Lionel Messi says their run of success is not normal, adding it's not easy to come back from being world champions, winning everything we won and then continue competing and remaining at that level. Here's the problem, Colin. And again I I'm rooting England in this match heavily. Argentina's basically in this tournament been Lionel Messi and a bunch of guys. I mean I know that people say well, they got Enzo Fernandez and all these stars. That's the thing. If you look at the stats, Messi leads them in every category. This is similar to like LeBron James with the Cavs where he led them in points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks. You're like, oh, Messi, LeBron's doing everything. Messi is literally doing everything. I know he didn't score against Switzerland. I do think he's wearing down a little. But this is not a great Argentina team.
Colin Cowherd
Old.
J. Mack (News Segment)
Yeah. England, by the way, to advance was minus 144 last I checked. To advance, not favored, but to advance meaning you could win an extra time in PKs. So the books think it's going to be England. Argentina, by the way, by a couple of metrics, has had the easiest path.
Marcelo Balboa
Yes.
J. Mack (News Segment)
You know, FIFA kind of hooked them up there.
Colin Cowherd
There's a lot of things, a lot of things telling me Argentina is in trouble. First of all, old teams get worn down at the World cup. The longer you go. They've been very messy, Reliant, I think, I think England won and didn't play particularly well. That's a great advantage. You can coach them really hard over the last three or four games days and I think their stars are in their prime. I think everything tells me England's winning.
J. Mack (News Segment)
Yeah. And Declan Rice, we got good news on him. He's coming over in illness, had to miss the second half of the Norway game. He's fit, ready to go. So go England. All right, Colin, let's go to the final story here on Herdline and that is John Harbaugh. Remember earlier this summer you were all about the Giants. Sounds like you maybe jumped ship a little bit. Anyway, John Harbaugh is really excited about Jackson dart. I mean really, this is what he's, he's actually comparing Jackson dart a little bit to Lamar Jackson. Take a listen.
J. Mack
Jackson's capable of doing a lot of things like he can live in a lot of different worlds. Football wise. He can live in a power running game. Obviously in a power running game, protects a quarterback because, because you can hand the ball off and get yards and you make people defend that and you keep them honest. Then it opens up, you play action passing game. Now we can also get in the gun or we can get the pistol and we can run, we can run RPOs, we can run quarterback driven runs with Jackson dart. A lot of the stuff that we did in Baltimore with Lamar.
Colin Cowherd
Yeah, no, I, I, I'm still think they're the safest double your win total team in the league. They lost a ton of games that they led. If you go if you look at numbers why I tend to pick teams that will double their win total and we've had success. Find a team that lost a lot of close games over the course of time. If you have a good coach and quarterback, you win those games as often as you lose them. So there's a regression of the mean when you win every single close game. We've seen this with Kansas City through the years. They lost. Not only did they lose games, they led, they often led comfortably late and lost. So they lost five double digit lead games. That's that is incredibly rare for the NFL Upgrade Coach Jackson Dart will be healthy and better scatter. Boo is back. I thought they had a really strong draft. Giants are going to be a good football team.
J. Mack (News Segment)
Yeah when they start owing three we'll we'll check back in in September.
Colin Cowherd
Hopefully you'll be out here J. Mac with the news.
Fox Sports Radio Announcer
Well, that's the news and thanks for
Colin Cowherd
stopping by the Herd Line News Argentina, England, Spain, France Talk both next the Herd.
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Colin Cowherd
maybe for people with chronic migraine 15 or more headache days a month, each lasting four hours or more.
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Colin Cowherd
Make a plan and ask your doctor about Botox. Visit botoxchronicmigraine.com or call 1-800-44-BOTOX alright, quick
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Colin Cowherd
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J. Mack (News Segment)
to Philly for the All Star Game. Kyle Schwaber, Jordan Alvarez and the game's best takes center stage in a midsummer classic unlike any other. Coverage begins tonight at 6:30 Eastern only on Bach.
Colin Cowherd
This segment is brought to you by Halion, Official Partner of U.S. soccer and the maker of Sensodyne, Toms, Voltaren, Advil and Centrum, the brands behind your everyday wellness wins because every goal starts with
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Colin Cowherd
Learn more@haleyunassist.com iheart National Soccer hall of Fame inducted 20, 21 years ago. Marcelo Balboa, defender, a captain, 120, 28 appearances for a national team and 13 goals. He was on the back end, the part of our team, this World cup that really struggled. And Marcelo Balboa is now joining us live for the second time in a week. France, Spain. Today, Argentina, England. Tomorrow. Your dad was a soccer coach. Argentina, England. I mean, that is Ohio State, Michigan, that is Duke, Carolina. I mean, Marcelo. It's like, I'm nothing against Spain and France. Those are powers. But there is something when you just say Argentina, England, what, What does that feel like to you?
Marcelo Balboa
You know, it, it's, it's. You know, I think when you look at this, the rivalry, you know what I mean, of England, and you go back to all the problems in the past, you know, it's interesting to me because out of this long career, this is the first time Messi will face England. He's never faced England before. So to me, I, I'm with, I'm with Scaloni. Scaloni said it the other day. Somebody tried to wind him up in the press and he's like, listen, he goes, this is a football game. This is our football. This is just a game. We're going to play the game. We're not going to get the other stuff involved. That happened long ago. Now it's just soccer. That's what we're going to play. So I kind of got to agree with that. I think there's no message for the players. They both know what they have to do. There's nothing about history here. This is about making history for England or Argentina trying to repeat.
Colin Cowherd
Are you surprised that despite the fact they have the richest league, they invented the sport, that England hasn't won a World cup in 60 years? Again, that's like saying Ohio State football, you know, one title in 60 years. Like, what, what's going on? They've had good coaches. What do you think it is?
Marcelo Balboa
You know, I think the stigma back in the old days was that all the key positions were played by foreign players in the epl. And that's, that's changed over years now. But it is a little surprising when you talk about the players they have, the players they've had with the Beckhams and the Lampards and the Gerard's, and we can keep going down the list of players. So, you know, people don't realize how difficult it is to win a World cup. And this is probably their close to their best generation. So this is an opportunity they have. But listen, you got to play the game on the field and you have one bad day, you can't get the job done. You don't put the ball in the back of the net. But I think it's baffling to a lot of people. Why England or hasn't won it yet?
Colin Cowherd
It feels like France has separated from Europe. It's just, it is separated between their recruitment of players, you know, their development. I don't know exactly what it is, but it does feel different, does it not, than. Than 20 years ago?
Marcelo Balboa
It's different. I mean, the players. I mean, you look, you're looking at that team now and you're looking at an all star team. Tell me what, what team in the World cup has a better front line within Bape, with Mbele, with Olivia, you can keep going due. I mean, you can keep going down the list. They got guys coming off the bench. So when you look at this, I think, and this is why they've reached two World Cups finals, one one lost one, possibly potentially reaching a third. It's just different. Their recruitment of players, the way they're training their players, the way they're scouting their players. Consistency has shown. And this team, and it's still young, this is still a young team that has an opportunity to get the job if they can get the job done. Imagine that, three World cup finals and three World Cups. That's pretty good for Mbappe.
Colin Cowherd
I've heard people say, listen, with the disappointment with the United States, people will tune out on soccer. But what I pointed to 30 minutes ago is the, the Norway, England game, got an NFC championship bonkers number. Like, the numbers are fantastic. And I said when, when Tiger woods exploded in golf, if Tiger would miss a tournament or not play, the ratings wouldn't come down. It was more Tiger than golf. And I love golf. Caitlin Clark doesn't play. The WNB ratings go back. That is, those spikes are by individual stars. The United States is out. The numbers today are going to be massive. England, Argentina will set records. Are you worried that the MLS will get hurt a little bit. They're on Apple TV more. You don't get the casual viewers as much as our loss to Belgium's disappointing. Do you worry about the future of the mls?
Marcelo Balboa
No, I don't. I don't worry about it because look at the investors that we have in this league. I mean, we have, we are so diverse right now. Remember when we started in 96, there were three owners, so now there's 32 owners. There's teams everywhere. People are looking to buy franchises so we've been always looking. We've always been a local league or it was on a different channel. And now we're at a point where people in South America and Europe can see Apple tv. So I think it's a good thing that we're able to see, we're able to globalize this sport. Are we missing a little bit of local tv? Probably a little bit of local, too. I think those are always important, too. But, no, listen, I think when you look at the World cup, it's the biggest tournament in the world. You got the top four ranked teams in FIFA rankings in the final and the semifinals. So I think that. And I don't know if it was a failure for the U.S. because you win three games in a World cup, that's pretty good for what we did. Are we disappointed we didn't reach a quarterfinals because of the fact that it was at home? The road wasn't as hard as we thought it was going to be. But I think you live and learn, and we hopefully learn from this and move forward.
Colin Cowherd
Yeah, we would have won four games. We played reserves against Turkey.
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Colin Cowherd
So in fairness, we probably would have won four games. So that's why I think, you know, everybody's selling soccer stock. It's like, chill out. Mauricio Pochettino, I thought he brought a certain American arrogance and confidence. Arrogance is the wrong word. Kind of an American aggressiveness, which I love. The team was a no show. They were timid, lacked confidence. Against Belgium, that was very obvious. Three minutes in, I would keep Pochettino. I think he's the right spirit, the right leader, the right experience. I don't. I like continuity in all my sports. What do you make of the loss to Belgium? Does it dim your view of Pochettino?
Marcelo Balboa
No, not one bit. And I'll tell you why. Because I watched an interview today with Baligan, and he was talking about how when he went out to practice, there was stress because of everything that was going on. They said when they walked out, it just felt different. So I think the fact that the weighing of the decision that FIFA made, I think hurt the United States more than it helped the United States. I think if they would have just left them out of the game and said, we're keeping the red card, I think this team comes out a little differently. But now, 24 hours before everybody turned on the United States, everybody's like, oh, it's rigged. The President called. So I think that stress, listening to him, it seemed like that weighed on the players quite a bit. But Pochettino, for me, we talked about it. We were going to talk at the end what he did in the World cup is what was going to either make or break his his U.S. national team stint. And again, we could have won four, and we probably should have, but we would have played a full team. So he did the right job. And all he's trying to do, he's trying to ensue the passion that they have in Argentina, they have in Europe, in our fans. He went to a few college games and he saw how those guys went crazy for their football teams and everything about college football, and he wanted that enthusiasm to be brought into soccer. So in my point of view, something I heard the other day. Oh, he failed. He didn't fail. We won three games. We got to look at some positives. We're not 70 years old in this league, we're 30 years young in soccer. So for me, I think he did a good job, and I hope that he decides to stay.
Colin Cowherd
Great stuff. Marcelo Balboa, he was known as the Ironman, the Hall of Famer, defender and captain for the United States team for years. It's great seeing you, as always.
Marcelo Balboa
Thank you, buddy, for having me. I appreciate it.
Colin Cowherd
You bet. Yeah. Again, that's something to remember. We would have won four games had we played our starters. Okay. We had a really, really bad, really, really bad performance against Belgium. And a lot of that's basically, you know, we talked about this before. We have always, you can go way, way, way back. Casey Keller, Tony Maela, Tim Howard. We just had great goalies. We kind of went into this thing knowing we're a little old in the back end, we don't have a ton of size, and we got an MLS goalie. You cross your fingers, nothing against the kid, but he didn't play particularly well. He had a really bad, you know, really bad moment when he kicked the ball, hit the ground. I mean, it was an all time blunder. So I, you know, I, I, we, I just think when you care about something, you get angry if it fails. And we cared and we got embarrassed. And Americans don't like to get embarrassed. And I also think it's really hard. Hockey is much easier for us to catch up to Canada. We saw it in the men's and women's at the Olympics. You know, we've got the biggest hockey league in the world, the NHL. MLS is like the fifth or sixth best league. So, I mean, think about England. Best league, invented the Sport. One title, 30 years and a lot of ugly losses. Brazil lost Last time they hosted the World cup, Brazil lost 7 to 1 at home to Germany. 7 to 1. It was the worst loss in that team's history. It was utterly embarrassing. Listen, I, I'll. I'll argue this all day. If we would have had a goalie at our historic level. We lose 2 to 1, we're outplayed, we're not as good as Belgium. It doesn't look like that. But the reaction and the anger speaks to the passion, which I think now is robust, whether we're playing in the cup or not.
J. Mack (News Segment)
Let me ask you something. Marcelo said so. He made it sound like, listen, during the group stage and even against Bosnia, everybody was rooting for us. Everybody pro us, everything. Great. And then the red card gets changed and the narrative online flipped. Oh, there's ugly Americans cheating, forgetting there. And I wonder, psychologically, everybody's rooting for you. You're the underdog, you're plucky, and then all of a sudden you're hated. I wonder if the. Because, Colin, you gotta admit, man, we did not look like the same team in the first, like, 20 minutes.
Colin Cowherd
What is this crap? And we were really lack confidence. Now Belgium's better. They beat us five friendly. So. But it, it just, it looked different. I mean, what was interesting, we were so aggressive almost to a fault in Senegal friendly, Germany friendly. We were really, really aggressive and we were timid. Immediately, I was like, wow, that. That's not. Something's not quite right.
J. Mack (News Segment)
I wonder. I mean, you can't measure that stuff, like, psychologically, did that. Did the red car change, impact? I. I don't know. I mean, listen, scholarship, we'll look back on that in due time. But, yeah, it's just a disappointing result from the US at the end there.
Colin Cowherd
But we're building on 20, 30. Yeah, I'm going to take France over Spain. I'm going to take England over tomorrow against Argentina. France against England take France. But I will say, I'm just telling you how it lands for me. I will keep track of. Of Jude Bellingham, for instance, and Erling Holland. I didn't keep track. I mean, I knew they were, you know, I knew he was one of the leading scorers. But I, I will say, I think this has some tail. This has. There's a tail on this. Like, I am more into, like, Jude Bellingham and Erling Holland especially. It's like, oh, I'll. I'll casually follow them now, more than I would have before. So I think there are. There are levels of growth, there are stages of growth. And I think we're in a good spot.
J. Mack (News Segment)
So. So we'll slide in an EPL Bellingham reference once a month in the fall.
Colin Cowherd
I got no problem with it at all. Oh, okay.
J. Mack (News Segment)
Let the producers know.
Marcelo Balboa
Love it.
J. Mack (News Segment)
Love it. Coward.
Colin Cowherd
All right, Our number three, Matt Hasselbeck, stopping by on a Tuesday in Chicago. It's the Herd. All right. You know what deserves more attention? The assists. Everybody talks about the goal, a big moment that gets replayed on the highlight reels. But too often we overlook all the contributions and collabs that happen along the way. That's true in soccer and honestly, true in life. Halion is shining a light on the assists. As official partner of U.S. soccer, they got a whole lineup of brands ready to deliver for you. So here they are. Sensodyne Dentist recommended Defense of your sensitive teeth Centrum Fueling your day with science backed nutrients. Advil, of course. Powerful inflammation fighting pain relief. Voltaren Arthritis Gel helps penetrate deep, keeps the joints moving and Tums ready to counterattack with fast heartburn relief. These are brands that are ready to deliver your essential wellness Assists. Because every goal starts with an assist, Learn how Halion can assist your game day goals@helionassist.com con make your game day legendary with MGM Rewards. From unforgettable tailgate and viewing parties to world class dining, thrilling nightlife and entertainment that keeps energy going long after the final whistle, this is where fans come to celebrate. Show off your team spirit, cheer with friends and earn rewards on every experience you love. Because every play is bigger and every moment feels unforgettable in Las Vegas. So what are you waiting for? Make your game day legendary with MGM Rewards. Visit mgmrewards.com for details.
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Marcelo Balboa
Remember, always be generous with the nutmeg. Just eyeball it, okay?
Colin Cowherd
Mom's wisdom has served you well, but now it may be your turn to guide her. Hey, I'm worried about mom. She keeps forgetting her famous sweet potato pie recipe.
Marcelo Balboa
Some things come with age, sis, and some don't.
Colin Cowherd
Knowing the early signs of Alzheimer's and a loved one will help you make the best decisions for your family. Visit 10Signs.org to learn the signs brought to you by the Alzheimer's association and the Ad Council. This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.
Episode Date: July 14, 2026
Main Theme:
A lively, in-depth debate on the current state of elite quarterbacks in the NFL — with Colin unveiling his controversial top-10 list (including Caleb Williams at #3) and Nick Wright playing skeptic. The hour also spans the impact of rising soccer audiences in the US, speculation around LeBron James teaming up with Draymond Green, and the pulse of global football as the World Cup reaches its semifinals.
(03:41-12:25)
Introduction to the Rankings:
Colin revisits the NFL Network’s Top 100 list, expressing skepticism about peer-voted declines like Lamar Jackson’s sharp drop.
“Lamar Jackson dropped 67 spots... He’s always been beloved by the players... He is a declining player if you look at since 2021.”
— Colin Cowherd (03:41)
Colin’s Evaluation Criteria:
He weighs age, size, production, current health, trajectory, and especially clutch performance over pure playoff success.
“With all the new coordinators in place... I look at quarterbacks, are you good, three to five minutes left? Can you score on both of them?”
— Colin (05:00)
“Josh Allen’s the best quarterback in this sport.” (05:28)
“Mahomes is the greatest come-from-behind quarterback of my life.” (06:05)
"He made two plays in the playoffs last year... that broke football physics... I'm buying the stock here." (06:46)
“Drake Maye edges out Lamar Jackson... First quarterback in league history, 70% completion percentage, 4,000 passing yards before turning 25.”
— Colin (09:05)
Notably, he places Lamar Jackson at 11 and Dak Prescott at 12, sparking debate.
(12:25-18:38)
Allen Over Mahomes?
Nick questions lifting Josh Allen amid playoff struggles:
“Josh Allen being the number moving up after a year where for the first time in a half decade he didn’t win the division... It feels a little odd.” (12:25)
Herbert and Playoff Performance:
Nick sees a consistency issue with Herbert flaming out in crucial postseason moments:
“It’s three for three that he was God awful in the playoff game. But it’s fine.” (14:02)
Lamar’s Omission:
He defends Lamar’s place in the top 10, but acknowledges Colin’s argument about athletic decline and injuries.
On Caleb Williams at #3:
Feels it’s “a little rich for my blood,” noting the FS1 hosts’ competitive boldness on Caleb.
“It feels like FS1 between you, me, and Danny—it’s just a competition to see who can be the most outlandish on Caleb Williams.” (15:38)
(16:47-18:38)
Colin on Burrow:
“If there’s a quarterback in the league right now and Mahomes is off an injury that I trust on 4th and 7, it’s probably Joe Burrow. But he doesn’t have a great O-line, we don’t love his coach, he keeps getting hurt. I’ve got to contextualize everything.” (16:47)
On Josh Allen’s Playoff Record:
Nick highlights Allen’s wild inconsistency as a postseason performer:
“He’s two and [six] post-wild card round... his greatest moment of his career after the wild card round was a game he lost to Mahomes and the Chiefs.” (17:35)
(18:38-23:01)
Soccer Becomes Mainstream:
Colin argues that U.S. soccer has surpassed hockey, the WNBA, and golf in popularity due to massive World Cup ratings—even after the U.S. team’s exit.
“Soccer is officially bigger than hockey in this country. Bigger than WNBA. Bigger than golf.” (19:51)
World Cup Impact:
Both hosts agree the tournament’s event-quality and global stars could create a “tail effect,” inspiring youth participation and broadening fan interest in stars like Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland.
Nick’s Perspective:
“I do think... there will be more people in America that either start caring about their local MLS team or... ‘I’m following Jude Bellingham, I’m following Erling Haaland and Man City.’” (21:15)
(23:01-26:01)
LeBron’s Priorities:
Colin suggests LeBron choosing life/friendship as much as titles—“wants to have fun.”
“Is this going to be like, yeah, of course he chose the Warriors?” (23:02)
Nick’s Insider Spin:
Hints Draymond could join LeBron elsewhere, not just in Golden State.
“I am not certain the only place he can do that is Golden State. Draymond’s a free agent… Not a big chance, but a non-zero chance that LeBron joins a different team and Draymond’s his teammate.” (25:21)
Frank Vogel’s Role:
“Frank Vogel just signed with the Warriors, and I think LeBron always liked Frank.”
— Colin (25:16)
(26:01-27:50)
Spain vs. France:
Argentina vs. England:
Nick is bullish on Argentina, sees their underdog status as absurd given recent success and “greatest player of all time.”
“Argentina being an underdog to England is absurd… they haven’t lost a knockout round game of a major tournament this decade.” (26:31)
Nick’s Hemispheric Loyalty:
“I’m big into hemispheric loyalty... I’m a western hemisphere guy. I’ve always been that.” (27:33)
“If you told me, all things considered—age, size, production… These are the 10 guys I think. When you get to 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, it’s close. Yards, not miles; inches, not feet.”
— Colin (05:06)
“I am buying the stock here [on Caleb Williams]. I’m not saying he’s Mahomes yet, but...”
— Colin (06:46)
“Josh Allen’s judged like a slugger in baseball. Like, don’t care if he hits .230, hit 40 bombs.”
— Nick (12:42)
“I think all that’s fair. I mean, to continue the airline analogy, I think Justin Herbert might be TWA in the playoffs, bro. Like, it’s gone defunct, doesn’t exist anymore.”
— Nick (15:20)
“Caleb at 3 feels a little rich for my blood...”
— Nick (15:38)
“Soccer is officially bigger than hockey in this country. Bigger than WNBA, bigger than golf.”
— Colin (19:51)
“I think it is certainly on the board, LeBron joins the Warriors... but a non-zero chance that LeBron joins a different team and Draymond’s his teammate anyway.”
— Nick (25:21)
“Argentina being an underdog to England is absurd... they have the greatest player of all time.”
— Nick (26:31)
The episode is classic Herd: assertive, fast-paced, laced with strong opinions, back-and-forth debate, and a blend of light pop-culture and deep sports analytics.
This hour of “The Herd” centers on the ever-contentious ranking of NFL quarterbacks for the upcoming season, ignited by Caleb Williams’s leap into Colin’s top 3. The debate with Nick Wright brings humor, stats, and sharp contrasts over what defines QB greatness in the post-Brady era. The show then pivots seamlessly to America’s surging soccer appetite during a World Cup for the ages, before landing on NBA free agency drama with speculation about LeBron and Draymond’s future team-ups. For sports fans tracking both the numbers and the narratives, it’s an episode filled with hot takes, measured analysis, and hints at the seismic shifts in both football and soccer worlds.