THE HERD - Hour 2 - College QBs in the playoffs, thoughts on Ty Simpson declaring for the draft, Todd McShay

Summary

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The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Episode: Hour 2 – College QBs in the Playoffs, Ty Simpson Declares, Todd McShay
Date: January 7, 2026

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Overview

This episode of The Herd is a deep dive into the ongoing shakeups in the NFL coaching landscape, college quarterbacks entering the draft, and a preview of the College Football Playoff. Colin Cowherd is joined by guest Todd McShay for an in-depth discussion about prospects like Ty Simpson, Dante Moore, and Fernando Mendoza, as well as head coaching vacancies and the NFL readiness of college systems. The show also touches on the legacy of Nick Saban through the coaches in the college semifinals.

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Key Topics & Insights

1. NFL Coaching Carousel: Ranking Job Openings (01:01–05:20)

• Coaching Tiers Breakdown:

  • Tier 1 (Almost Perfect): Baltimore Ravens
    • “These jobs like a Packer job almost never become available. Excellent ownership, well capitalized. Star quarterback … excellent leadership in the building. Tier one best job easily.” (Colin, 02:32)
  • Tier 2 (Promising): New York Giants, Las Vegas Raiders, Atlanta Falcons
    • “New York Giants have a lot of good young players on offense...I think John Harbaugh here would be interesting... Vegas is interesting. Brock Bowers, Aston Jenny, Fernando Mendoza. It's an offensive league...” (Colin, 03:00)
    • “Arthur Blank, solid ownership, weak division, really good offensive pieces in Atlanta. Bijan Robinson's probably first or second best running back in the league.” (Colin, 03:45)
  • Tier 3 (Punt): Titans, Cardinals, Browns
    • “Tennessee is the Jets in better weather...Arizona has some cap space, but you got to play McVeigh twice a year...Cleveland...low self esteem sports franchise...” (Colin, 04:20)

• Organizational Needs vs. Coach Profiles:

  • Baltimore doesn’t need a “culture creator,” but an offensive mind to optimize Lamar Jackson.
  • John Harbaugh better suited for teams that require culture change (e.g., Giants, Atlanta).

2. Evaluating Ty Simpson as a Draft Prospect (05:49–11:43)

• Prospect Evaluation – Ty Simpson:

  • “If you're going to be a first round quarterback, you got to have a trait that I go, wow…” (Colin, 05:49)
  • Todd McShay: “He was by far the best quarterback in the country [early season]… He beat you with his eyes and anticipation...” (Colin relaying McShay, 06:25)
  • Strengths: Processing, tempo, anticipation, better arm and mobility than credited.
  • Weaknesses: Only 15 starts, affected by lack of run support and protection breakdowns.
  • “I don't like drafting outliers, man. … I have more Trubiskies and Anthony Richardsons…” (Colin, 08:32)

• The Importance of Supporting Cast and Landing Spot:

  • “I think Simpson...his outcome depends on the landing spot... If he sat for a year behind Stafford with McVeigh, I'm like, oh, that'll work. … Jets reach for him at 2, it's a disaster.” (Domonique, 09:35)
  • “They got ruined by organizations right before they got with coaches that knew how to prop them back up…” (Colin, 10:09)

Notable Quotes:

• On the impact of coaching environment:
  • “There's a small...like, you can count on one hand of guys in the NFL that they were just going to succeed anywhere they went.” (Colin, 10:32)
  • “I would rather be Ty Simpson, though, and fall late into the first round and go to a place where they can develop me…” (Colin, 11:17)

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3. John Harbaugh, Lamar Jackson, and the Ravens’ Dilemma (11:43–15:12)

• Tension between Loyalty and Performance:

  • “I can see John Harbaugh at some point saying, okay, I was 8 and 4 in the playoffs pre-Lamar. I'm 3 and 6 with him...” (Domonique, 11:43)

• McShay on Harbaugh’s Adaptability:

  • “He has done...a top three, four examples of a coach kind of changing everything to fit one special talent…” (Colin quoting McShay, 13:51)

Notable Quotes:

• “Best opening available of all the head coaching opportunities by far.” (Colin, 13:41)

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4. College Playoff Preview: Miami’s NFL Roster & NIL Transformation (15:12–18:54)

• NFL Talent Pipeline: Miami Hurricanes

  • “You can argue [Miami has the best NFL talent left]. ... Messador will get drafted later in the first round after Bain gets drafted. ... Malachi Tony is going to be a first round draft pick in a couple years.” (Colin, 16:19)

• NIL and Alumni Money Impact

  • “I didn't know Miami had this much alumni money and this much passion to just back up the Brinks truck in the NIL era.” (Domonique, 15:18)

• Keys in College Playoff:

  • “Great defense and experienced quarterbacks.” (Colin, 17:04)

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5. Dante Moore, NFL Draft Decisions & the Importance of Experience (18:37–20:59)

• Dante Moore Decision:

  • “Do you think Dante Moore comes out?” (Domonique, 18:37)
  • “I do think he's going to come out.” (Colin, 18:54)

• Experience Correlates to Success:

  • “The greatest correlation to success in the NFL for quarterbacks is experience in college…” (Colin, 18:56)

Notable Quotes:

• “His ceiling might be a little bit higher if he's in the right situation than even Fernando Mendoza.” (Colin, 18:56)
• “What another year could provide for Dante Moore. But with all that said, I still think he's going to leave after this playoff.” (Colin, 20:48)

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6. Job Matching: Harbaugh and Stefanski Fit (21:05–23:24)

• Speculation on Coaches & Openings:

  • “If Baltimore calls, take it, sit out for a year because Aaron Glenn is not lasting a second year. And you'll get Mendoza on the rookie quarterback.” (Domonique, 21:20)

• On Harbaugh vs. Stefanski for Jets/Baltimore:

  • “John Harbaugh...could be a better fit in New York than Stefanski, because New York needs culture, Baltimore doesn't. Baltimore needs a guy to make Lamar happy.” (Domonique, 21:45)

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7. More NFL Job Rumors & the Saban Coaching Tree (27:18–34:16)

• Possible Harbaugh Destinations:

  • Reportedly, teams without openings are feeling out Harbaugh, including potential fits with Cowboys, Bills, Dolphins, Jets (Rob/Colin/Dominique, 27:18–29:42)

• Dolphins vs. Jets Coaching Attraction:

  • “I think the Miami job is...interesting more than the Jets’ job.” (Domonique, 29:02)

• Cleveland: QB Conundrums:

  • “The Browns are not interested in Mendoza and they're preparing to start Shadour Sanders...That is a horrible mistake.” (Rob, 30:06)

• Saban’s Coaching Tree in the CFB Playoff:

  • “All four coaches in the semifinal were working under Saban at Alabama at some point… I said I'm going to get my doctorate in football.” (Dan Lanning on Saban, 32:31)

  • Colin summarizes: “Not only is he the greatest college football coach of all time, look at the impact ... Kiffin ... Sark ... Kirby Smart … Saban really had an impact on a lot of lives.” (Domonique, 32:59)

Notable Quotes:

• “Anybody can dominate. Can you dominate and elevate others?” (Rob, 33:48)

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8. Legacy & Memories: Miami’s “Pro” Vibe (25:00–27:16)

• Miami’s Brand and Swagger:
  • “Miami was USC on the west coast was cool when the Pete Carroll stuff went, but Miami was cool for like four coaches.” (Domonique, 25:40)
  • “Miami was just neck. But Miami was 50% pro, 50% college…” (Domonique, 25:53)

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9. NFL Playoff Picks & Ty Simpson’s Stock (35:17–37:54)

• Colin’s Playoff Observations:

  • Picks and insights for wildcard weekend (Panthers/Rams, Bears/Packers, Bills/Jags, etc.)
  • “Rams are the play… Packers vs. Bears is the toughest pick for me...” (Colin, 37:15–41:15)

• Ty Simpson’s Final Evaluation:

  • “His dad’s a football coach at UT Martin… His son received first round grades from every NFL general manager… He holds the ball a long time… I don’t see that wow trait, but I also believe outcomes change with young people based on the support system.” (Colin, 35:56)

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Memorable Moments & Quotes

• On Supporting Young QBs:
  • “Your career is going to be where you land... I don't think Simpson is a wow athlete or a wow size or arm, but I think if he goes again … Under McVeigh, the outcome's different than if he gets drafted by the New York Jets and has to play as a rookie.” (Domonique, 37:54)
• On Saban’s Legacy:
  • “Nick Saban's career...you look at McVay's or you look at Andy Reid's, you know, all of a sudden you're like, oh, there's some stuff here. Saban really had an impact on a lot of lives.” (Domonique, 32:59)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• NFL Job Openings Breakdown – 01:01–05:20
• Ty Simpson Draft Analysis – 05:49–11:43
• Harbaugh-Lamar/Baltimore Situation – 11:43–15:12
• Miami Hurricanes NFL Talent/NIL – 15:12–18:54
• Dante Moore Decision – 18:37–20:59
• Coaching Fits Speculation – 21:05–23:24
• Saban Tree & College Impact – 32:08–34:16
• NFL Playoff Matchups/Predictions – 35:17–43:20

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For listeners seeking insight into the intersection of college and NFL football, this episode is an invaluable resource—sharp, fast-paced, and packed with informed opinion and real front-office perspective.

Transcript

[Colin Cowherd]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Rob Parker]

Guaranteed Human.

[Jonas Knox]

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[Domonique Foxworth]

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 [e-mail] or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR.

[Kelvin Washington]

Now let's get this party started.

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.

[Domonique Foxworth]

All right, here we go. We are very, very excited. Todd McShay in a couple of minutes. Drew, excuse me. Tom Brady stops by tomorrow on the show and every week following that up to the Super Bowl. It is great to have you in. We are live. We're in la. It's the Herd. So the big news yesterday I got off the air And John Harbaugh, 18 years, he and Steve Buscati, very good owner who's very much non meddling but hands on. He Bashadi behind the scenes is pulling a lot of levers, very, very connected. He just stays out of the press. But you know, it's kind of surprising. My take is Baltimore will be fine. Kevin Stefanski, probably my choice. They don't need a culture creator. They don't need Jim Harbaugh. They don't need Mike Vrabel. They don't need that guy. They need somebody to make Lamar happy and get the offense right because they've got a stable of great athletes. They've got very, I mean they have always drafted and developed well. They don't need a culture creator in Baltimore. They need an offensive coach. My take is John Harbaugh, like Jim needs to go somewhere where the culture is broken. You know, Jim Harbaugh went to the Chargers, fix the culture. John Harbaugh with the Giants could fix the culture. Or Atlanta, where again, I think Atlanta's got good players. So here are the seven current job openings in the NFL. And, and I, you know, I would put them in three tiers. Browns, Cardinals, Arizona, Atlanta Falcons, New York Giants, Raiders, Baltimore Titans. So tier one I would call almost perfect. That's Baltimore. These jobs like a Packer job almost never become available. Excellent ownership, well capitalized. Star quarterback. I mean led the NFL in Pro bowl selections in back to back seasons. Excellent leadership in the building. Tier one best job easily. Tier two is promising. The New York Giants have a lot of good young players on offense. Andrew Thomas, Scatter Boo. Jackson, Dart is absolutely talented. Abdul Carter, they got some pieces here. I'll argue this all day long. I think John Harbaugh here would be interesting. I also think Vegas, they have the number one pick. Their defense is probably a little better than people think. I, I think Vegas is interesting. Brock Bowers, Aston Jenny, Fernando Mendoza. It's an offensive league. You got some nice pieces. And they also have $90 million in cap space next year, third most. And then the Falcons. Arthur Blank, solid ownership, weak division, really good offensive pieces in Atlanta. Bijan Robinson's probably first or second best running back in the league. Drake London's a star, better than average offensive line. We'll see what if you can resurrect Michael Penix and then I. Tier 3 from, from nearly perfect. Promising to punt. Titans, Cardinals, Browns. I wouldn't take those jobs. I think Tennessee is the jets in better weather. Everybody. They move off of Vrabel. Kevin byard, Derrick Henry, A.J. brown, Malik Willis, they all succeed elsewhere. That's the Jets. Arizona has some cap space, but you got to play McVeigh twice a year. Mike McDonald twice a year. Shanahan twice a year. Yeah, good luck with that. And you don't have a quarterback. And then Cleveland, they are what they are. I mean they're, they're. I mean you gotta. I did think Andrew Barry had a very good draft class. I really like their young players, but you're gonna have to kind of do the Shador Sanders thing. If it was a great quarterback draft class, I think Cleveland would be interesting because I like some of their young players a lot. But I think, you know, Shedeur is popular with the fans, but Cleveland fans, you know, you can't listen to fans in Cleveland. It's low self esteem sports franchise. They're desperate for a quarterback. So I think again, Ravens, almost perfect. Giants, Raiders, Falcons. There's stuff there that's promising if I'm a Stefanski or John Harbaugh. Titans, Arizona, Cleveland does not interest me.

[Rob Parker]

Are the jets so bad they don't even make the list?

[Domonique Foxworth]

They don't have a coaching opening.

[Rob Parker]

They. Come on, they're moving off Glenn in a heartbeat. It's that bleak?

[Domonique Foxworth]

Should they?

[Rob Parker]

I'm warming up to it. Can we get Harbaugh?

[Domonique Foxworth]

I'd turn the oven on a little. I'd move past the warming up stage if I was you. Todd McShay. Love having him on the Todd McShay podcast on the Ringer. NFL Draft. College guy. Known him for years. He's outstanding. So we, we talked about Ty Simpson. So you do this for a living.

[Jonas Knox]

I don't.

[Domonique Foxworth]

I'm just a radio guy, TV guy out there. But my theory on quarterbacks is that if you're going to be a first round quarterback, you got to have a trait that I go, wow. Amendoza 65 and accurate. Wow. Dante Moore. That I look at him and I go, wow. If he my thing with Ty Simpson, size, arm mobility, I think he could be a franchise quarterback. What am I supposed to love now that he's declared? Let me ask you, do you think he's a. I'm not saying people couldn't overdraft him. Do you see him as a first round talent?

[Colin Cowherd]

I think he is. I'm with you. I don't see this. He's not the biggest, he's not the fastest, he doesn't have the strongest arm. He's not Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes. When things were right at Alabama early in the season, the first six, seven games, whatever it was, he was by far the best quarterback in the country. And he was doing it with process, with tempo, being on schedule. He beat you with his eyes and anticipation. He's got a stronger arm than people want to give him credit for. He's got more mobility than people want to give him credit for. The problem is, and we saw this with Garrett Nussmeier the past year and a half, we've seen it with other quarterbacks. They couldn't run the football. Their protections were figured out by opponents. We started like Oklahoma. Certain defenses started to figure out, okay, these are the tendencies. Now that we've seen him start X amount of games. This is how they like to protect. This is what he defaults to. Here's how we beat it. And so when you don't have a run game, you don't have that balance. Opponents know that you're throwing the ball because you can't trust the run game. It wears on you. And I saw a Ty Simpson early in the year that was just going out and playing. He was playing instinctively, fast beating teams with his ability to process precept. They were running so much NFL stuff. It was fascinating to watch because then you Watch Mendoza with the RPOs and you watch Dante Moore in that system with Will Stein. And then you turn on this NFL offensive system that's going on in Alabama, and it's easy to see the translation. The problem is he started to try to be too perfect. I was talking to a head coach in the NFL for 55 minutes this morning. We're going through all three of these top quarterbacks, and we kind of both agreed. You got the sense that he knew it was all on him and that pressure started to mount and he knew that any mistake or any inability to win with the passing game and what he was doing in the pocket, that the whole thing was going to collapse at Alabama. And we kind of saw that in every game but that second Oklahoma game down the stretch. So I like him a lot. I'd love to see him with, like, late in the first round, Sean McVeigh, someone who has a little bit.

[Domonique Foxworth]

Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yes. But also, I don't like drafting outliers, man. And I know, I know you studied this, too. You go through the. Like, I have. I keep this list on my desk with, you know, all the guys, 40 plus starts. Bo Nicks, Jaden Daniels, Baker Mayfield, Brock Purdy, Justin Herbert, Jalen Hurts, Jackson Dart, and then all the guys who are 30 plus. And it's everybody else in the league except for Patrick Mahomes, Bryce Young, 27 and Josh Allen, 25. And while I love Ty Simpson, I really like his skill set. He ain't Patrick Mahomes and he ain't Josh Allen.

[Domonique Foxworth]

Talent wise, he just hasn't played enough.

[Colin Cowherd]

15 starts is hard. It's going to be hard to overcome because I've got more Trubiskies and Anthony Richardsons and, you know.

[Domonique Foxworth]

Yeah, you know, we were. I was thinking about this, is that we know this about children, that outcomes can be different based on the parent. You could take the same kid, chaotic life, they go one way, good parents, they go another. I think that's true in the NFL. I think Josh, Allen, Mahomes, Herbert would have succeeded anywhere.

[Colin Cowherd]

Agree.

[Domonique Foxworth]

There are certain guys. And then you have Brock Purdy and Jalen hurts. Well, Jalen hurts with that O line and Saquon and A.J. brown and Brock Purdy with Kyle Shanahan. I think Simpson, to your point, his outcome depends on the landing spot. I said this today. If I. We talked Rams, I said if he sat for a year behind Stafford with McVeigh, I'm like, oh, that'll work. I don't know if he's going to be Great. But I could see that working. If the jets reach for him at 2, I'm like, it's a disaster. It's an app. So is that fair to say? Well, look at. He's quarterback.

[Colin Cowherd]

Look at, look at Sam Darnold, look at Baker Mayfield.

[Domonique Foxworth]

They.

[Colin Cowherd]

They got ruined by organizations right before they got with coaches that knew how to prop them back up, play to their strengths, regain their confidence. And you see it with, you know, go to Minnesota, get fixed. Go to. Go to McVeigh, get fixed. Go to Shanahan, get fixed. Yeah, you know, and so, yes, there's a, There's a small. Like you can count on one hand of guys in the NFL that they were just going to succeed anywhere they went. By the way, didn't hurt that Josh Allen got time with Brian Dabel, who I hold in a very high regard, developing quarterbacks. Didn't hurt that Mahomes had a year behind Smith and also with Andy Reid to kind of learn. I mean, I remember sitting and talking to him as a rookie and like, I didn't. I was 60% identifying the mic, like, so even those guys who would have succeeded anywhere still landed in spots where they were developed properly. So it's the. It is. I would rather be Ty Simpson, though, and fall late into the first round and go to a place where they can develop me and they don't need me immediately than to be a Dante Moore and wind up on the jets or to be a Fernando Mendoza and wind up maybe on the Raiders, depending on what that staff looks like, how involved Brady is, and all those other things. So that's. That's the challenging part. When you sit here and kind of 30,000 foot views and say, well, who's the most talented? And this guy's taller. This guy's got a bigger arm. Yeah, but where are they going to land? What's the situation?

[Domonique Foxworth]

I said this, that the Baltimore Ravens. It's very complicated. A lot of times you're like, oh, you fired this guy. He's not competent. Or you, or you, or you hire this guy. It's obvious Baltimore's complicated. So I could see John Harbaugh. Reportedly, Toddy went into the meeting and it lasted hours. And I could see John Harbaugh at some point saying, okay, I was 8 and 4 in the playoffs pre Lamar. I'm 3 and 6 with him. I understand everybody loves him here. He's a $74 million cap hit. He's missed 17 starts. And this year he wasn't the same quarterback. We, we can like Lamar but the whole franchise, the whole organization worships Lamar. And I can see over the course of a two or three hour period, you know, Harbaugh going, I won a Super bowl with Flacco. I had a winning record in this organization with Flacco. You know, I've helped with the draft. We got Pro Bowlers everywhere. And at the same time, I think Harbaugh would say, I like Lamar. But we said this earlier. The last Pro bowl season for Cam was 26. But athletic quarterbacks age fast. Brady didn't. Stafford doesn't. Aaron's good at 42. Your gut feeling, I don't think they went into a meeting thinking they were firing him. And I think just like certain two hour, three hour meetings, things develop. Do you believe Harbaugh privately was as all in on Lamar as the Ravens appear to be? Publicly, everybody says it. Publicly, everybody says it.

[Colin Cowherd]

This one's fascinating to me because the millisecond that, that tweet from Schefter goes out, he's the hottest coach in the market, in a market with a lot of, a lot of vacancies and some places that I think are making calls that have a head coach right now. From my understanding, that's what we read yesterday.

[Domonique Foxworth]

Yeah, yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

And. But then also you look at the Ravens and you say, well, this is the best opening available of all the, of all the head coaching opportunities by far.

[Kelvin Washington]

Right.

[Colin Cowherd]

So sometimes it's about fit, sometimes it's about. I've been here so long and maybe fresh blood is needed, but I'm still one of the best coaches in the NFL and, and both sides are. It's time to move on. I don't, personally, I know this. I can say this. I remember when, when Lamar came in the league and there were a lot of questions, can he be the franchise guy? I gave John, like unbelievable amount of credit because I had some really close friends in that organization, scouting staff, who kind of explain and walk through what John did organizationally to make sure everyone, I'm talking players, coaches, training step, everyone understood we're going to tailor this whole thing around Lamar. It's going to look different. It's not going to look like how it looked. And the great coaches don't try to fit someone into what they're doing. So he has done, he's done that and did that better than, I mean, he's in the top three. Four examples of a coach kind of changing everything to fit one special talent. Now, I don't know if that shifted. I don't know if he Wants to go in a different direct. I have no idea about that aspect of it, but I do know while he was there, it's hard to imagine anyone was better equipped to give Lamar everything he needed to succeed. And they had a lot of success, but they could never kind of get over the hump.

[Domonique Foxworth]

Yeah, I want to, I want to pivot back to college.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yep.

[Domonique Foxworth]

I love when Texas, USC and Miami are good because they're college football teams, but they've got kind of an NFL feel. They're somewhere in between, you know, like, like Alabama is a college program, Tennessee is a college program. Miami's like mostly a college program. It feels a little pro. So, you know, it's got a weird fan base where they don't travel as much. And I, I look at Miami and I, I honestly think the one team that matches up with Indiana because I think Indiana is the best team. Are you. I, I'll ask you the question, and I asked it yesterday. I didn't know Miami had this much alumni money and this much passion to just back up the Brinks truck in the NIL era. Are you surprised Miami's here now? Now you know their roster better than I do. In terms of NFL Sunday guys, could I argue Miami now has the best NFL talent left or do they not?

[Colin Cowherd]

You can argue it. I mean. Yeah, you can argue it. I'm doing quick thinking. I mean, Indiana's got a. Obviously Mendoza is going to be, if he's not the first overall pick, the second overall pick. And they've got like five, six other guys who will get drafted, but not as high as Miami. And like Messador will get drafted later in the first round after Bain gets drafted. Both defensive ends, they've got talent. They've got NFL talent on all three levels. Defensively, yeah, they've got some receivers that are NFL talent. Malachi Tony is going to be a first round draft pick in a couple years. At wide receivers, they've got a Maui Francis, Maui Noah, their offensive tackle, right tackle is going to be.

[Domonique Foxworth]

Oh yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

Either a great right tackle or a Pro bowl guard in the NFL.

[Domonique Foxworth]

He's great.

[Colin Cowherd]

Honestly, the big. I think there's two, two things with my. I actually picked Miami. I picked Georgia to win the whole thing. So what do I know? But I picked Miami to upset Ohio State and to get to the semifinals because I think they lost at an appropriate time and they had, they had it ripped away from them. And when you have that much talent and you get that hungry late in the season and if you go back even look at last year with the right, you know, Riley Leonard's and. And Will Howard. It was about two things in the College Football Playoff last year, and it's not a whole lot different this year. Great defense and experienced quarterbacks.

[Domonique Foxworth]

Right.

[Colin Cowherd]

And Beck had the most experience of all these quarterbacks coming in 2,881 snaps. He hasn't played great, but he's played smart and he's learned from mistakes. And those multiple interception games that led to losses both early in the season, Miami and at Georgia and you know, previous years, they've gone away. And so he's allowing the defense in the run game to, to do its thing. So they're a dangerous team. I actually, I, you know, give me the, give me the three and a half points with Miami. I think it's going to be an absolute war. And I love the fact that this defense, the way it's put, like, did you watch that defense? That was a different level of hunger. Oh, and every tackle that was made was like 5, 6, 7 jerseys around the ball carrier. It's going to be a. I mean, I can't wait. I can't wait to, to watch Miami. I also can't wait to watch the two top quarterbacks in the NFL draft go head to head on Friday night with Oregon.

[Domonique Foxworth]

By the way, before we let you go, you have Dante Moore ahead of Mendoza, which I think they're both good prospects. Do you believe Dante Moore comes out now? I think Oregon with Phil Knight could easily give him five large and that's kind of the market for a top guy, if you had to guess today. Do you think Dante Moore comes out?

[Colin Cowherd]

I do think he's going to come out.

[Domonique Foxworth]

Wow.

[Colin Cowherd]

And I know I've caught a lot of slack from the jets market and I'm glad I could finally unite everyone in the New York media. My simple point on all of this is, and I'm not saying I asked the question like, do you take a look at this and say, I'm probably going to be a New York Jet and say, well, what's the money difference? He's going to make about 12 million based off of last year per year. So it's not going to be equal money and you lose out. If you go back for 20, 27 class, it's loaded. Archman and Julian saying, Lenora Sellers, all those guys could be the best draft class ever at the quarterback position and maybe all around. But when I, when I look at this situation for more, again, it's not totally dissimilar from, from Ty Simpson. This is going to be his 20th start on Friday night. I know it against Indiana, and I see the immaturity in his game, but I also want people to understand, I think his ceiling might be a little bit higher if he's in the right situation than even Fernando Mendoza. So it's complicated. And if he could get Oregon up to, like, $7 million for next year, which we've heard in a couple spots, it could be a possibility. Yeah. You're leaving five on the table. You're leaving the signing bonus on the table. But maybe you roll the dice and come back another year. Here's the most important part of all of it comes. I want these guys to succeed. And I'm looking at these experience charts, and I've been doing this for 25 years, and the greatest correlation to success in the NFL for quarterbacks is experience in college. And so I worry that he gets to one of these places that's not equipped to support him properly. He only has 20 starts, and he could really, like, look at Mendoza, the human being and the football player, how much more advanced he is today than he was leaving Cal last year. And that tells you what. What another year could provide for Dante Moore. But with all that said, I still think he's going to leave after this playoff.

[Domonique Foxworth]

Wow, this is so.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, it's fascinating.

[Domonique Foxworth]

It really is. There's McShay's board at McShay 13. Love that he unites Jet fans. Yeah, I love that.

[Colin Cowherd]

It's not easy to do.

[Domonique Foxworth]

Yeah. Somebody has to. Todd, it's great seeing you, buddy.

[Colin Cowherd]

Great seeing you, man. I'll talk to you.

[Domonique Foxworth]

Yeah. Can you imagine if Mendoza gets bumped to the Jets? I'm dead serious on this. If John. Let's say John Harbaugh. So I'm. I'm going to be Kevin Stefanski's agent.

[Dan Lanning]

Yeah.

[Domonique Foxworth]

I would literally tell Kevin Stefanski, if Baltimore calls, take it, sit out for a year because Aaron Glenn is not lasting a second year. And you'll get Mendoza on the rookie quarterback. I. I'm dead serious.

[Rob Parker]

Well, yeah, I speculated that Monday. Like, listen, if Moore lights the world on fire again and beats Indiana and Mendoza, he becomes the number one pick.

[Domonique Foxworth]

I think John Harbaugh is actually. I'll say this could be a better fit in New York than Stefanski, because New York needs culture, Baltimore doesn't. Baltimore needs a guy to make Lamar happy. That's Stefanski. So these coaches, they all run to get the new jobs. Stefanski is super bright. He could bounce around TV networks for a Year. And you know, he's not Sean Payton, but he. People would put Stefanski on television. Good guy. Smart guy.

[Rob Parker]

About sitting out Colin, it's not a lock that Aaron Glenn's back for now. He's back. Let's see what Dante Moore decides. If both quarterbacks come out, I think that changes the equation. The jets become more attractive. You're getting more Mendoza. Right now, we don't know.

[Domonique Foxworth]

There's no. Well, that's interesting. You think he could still get whacked?

[Rob Parker]

Yeah, of course. It's the NFL.

[Domonique Foxworth]

It's.

[Rob Parker]

It's Woody Johnson in the billionaire class. You know, these guys are goofy and do crazy things. I don't think anybody's safe. Hey, talk to Mangini about the word of NFL owners and what that means.

[Domonique Foxworth]

I've had a few dinners. Yeah, it's all right. Good stuff with Todd McShay, man. I'm gonna tell you something. If Dante Moore comes out, that, that first round draft, there are some dudes. I mean, it. Last year was a weak draft. By the fifth pick last year, I'm like. I don't know. I like every single player. I mean, he's got Reuben Bain going 10 to the Bengals.

[Rob Parker]

That's a little low. He's going.

[Domonique Foxworth]

Ruben Bane is a.

[Rob Parker]

He's a top five pick last year.

[Domonique Foxworth]

He's maybe two after Cam Ward. Ruben Bane last year, maybe. Who was the second pick last year? I mean, it's not memorable. Camborg would be a number one. Ruben Bane last year I would put him at two.

[Rob Parker]

Oh, he's an animal.

[Domonique Foxworth]

Yeah, he is just outstanding. And he's the second Hurricane being drafted because they have the offensive lineman.

[Rob Parker]

Two of them.

[Domonique Foxworth]

Yeah. In LA, it's the herd.

[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.

[Colin Cowherd]

Hey, it's Rob Parker and Kelvin Washington from the Odd Couple on Fox Sports Radio.

[Kelvin Washington]

And in addition to hearing us live weeknights from 6, 7 to 10pm Eastern on Fox Sports Radio, we are excited to announce brand new YouTube channel for the show.

[Colin Cowherd]

That's right, you can now watch the.

[Domonique Foxworth]

Odd Couple Live on YouTube every day.

[Kelvin Washington]

All you gotta do, search Odd Couple FSR on YouTube again.

[Colin Cowherd]

YouTube.

[Kelvin Washington]

Just search Odd Couple FSR. Check us out on YouTube and subscribe.

[Jonas Knox]

This is Jonas Knox from Two Pros and a Cup of Joe. And are you ready to tackle your financial goals? Kick off your journey with we Bull who makes it six simple to start investing powerful tools, next level data and an easy to use platform for stocks, ETFs, prediction markets and more. Whether you're on the go or trading overnight, we Bull is built for you and your schedule. Don't sit on the sidelines. Visit webull.com or download the app and take control of your financial future today. Start with just $1. That's weble.com Webull Financial LLC member SIPC FINRA investing involves risk for more information, visit webull.com disclosures it has been 24.

[Domonique Foxworth]

Years since any of the remaining four playoff teams Miami, Ole Miss, Oregon, Indiana last won a national championship. That was Miami in 2001. And if you don't, if you're, let's say you're in your 20s and you're watching. Our show is Miami had a run with Howard Schnellenberger and Dennis Erickson and Butch Davis and of course Jimmy Johnson. They, they were the coolest program in the country. They were just, they, they felt like a pro team.

[Rob Parker]

You remember the starter jacket the Miami Hurricanes? I had that. I was such a nerdy kid and.

[Domonique Foxworth]

I don't say that wasn't nerdy at the time. No.

[Rob Parker]

But I wanted to be cool. So I got the jacket, you know, and it's like earrings weren't enough. That was later. That came later. Couldn't have hearings in high school, according to my parents. So I had to wait till, I.

[Domonique Foxworth]

Mean Miami was, Miami was USC on the west coast was cool when the Pete Carroll stuff went, but Miami was cool for like four coaches.

[Rob Parker]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Domonique Foxworth]

I mean they'd go to bowl games.

[Rob Parker]

And you know, they were get in fights, talk trash.

[Domonique Foxworth]

They were cool and they were, Miami was just neck. But Miami was 50% pro, 50% college. And USC, by the way, Miami and LA are pro sports towns. So they, they, they, you know, they, they. There's a vibe. To sell tickets, you got to have a little personality. It's not Tuscaloosa. So I, I love Miami being back. And this Miami team feels a little bit like those Miami teams where it plays. I mean that you watch them physically. They, they blow guys up.

[Rob Parker]

Which Carson Beck are we getting, by the way?

[Domonique Foxworth]

He doesn't have to be great.

[Rob Parker]

We came into the season, it was like Carson Beck, drew aller, all these guys.

[Domonique Foxworth]

I don't like him in a shootout, but nobody you're not getting into a shootout with Miami.

[Rob Parker]

Who's a better quarterback in this game, Trinidad or Carson?

[Domonique Foxworth]

Trinidad is off script.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Domonique Foxworth]

A remarkable player. He's really fun. Like, he is a blast to watch. Got a little Dak Prescott.

[Rob Parker]

I was thinking more Kyler Manziel. Scramble around.

[Domonique Foxworth]

He's got some Manzel. Yeah, no, he's got.

[Rob Parker]

Not off the field.

[Domonique Foxworth]

Yeah, but he's trying to get another.

[Rob Parker]

Year of eligibility, so that'd be his sixth year, right?

[Domonique Foxworth]

Yeah.

[Rob Parker]

Maybe he'll go play for Indiana. Which Indiana has all four or five, six year guys.

[Domonique Foxworth]

They kind of cheat coded it. Indiana's like give me a bunch of 23 year old guys.

[Rob Parker]

They're going to beat up on 19 year olds, that's for sure. They're not going to commit penalties.

[Domonique Foxworth]

That's right.

[Rob Parker]

You had that stat like they're disciplined, you know, older.

[Domonique Foxworth]

Yeah. J. Mac with the news. No, no, no.

[Kelvin Washington]

Heard on the news.

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

This is the Herdline news.

[Rob Parker]

All right, let's go back to John Harbaugh. Big story yesterday and there was a subplot. So you know, one of the reports, according to Adam Schefter was that Harbaugh's agent heard from seven teams after Harbaugh was fired. Interestingly, one of those teams doesn't have a coaching opening currently. So the question is who was the team fishing around about Harbaugh? Remember I said, hey, the jets have Aaron Glenn. Here are the potential teams that could have.

[Domonique Foxworth]

Is this being reported?

[Rob Parker]

Shefter claims a team that has a coach reached out about Harbaugh. So the put. We're putting together a list. Our list is the Bucks who have Todd Bowles, but we don't know if he's safe. The bills with McDermott, which you love. The Cowboys, you don't think Jerry instantly is like I can upgrade from Shotty.

[Domonique Foxworth]

Yeah, but I mean would. Yeah, I think Harbaugh and Dallas would be amazing. But would Jerry pay 15 million?

[Rob Parker]

I thought he's got oil money.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, he's got.

[Domonique Foxworth]

He doesn't. He doesn't like paying coaches.

[Rob Parker]

Okay. The Dolphins who have Mike McDaniel and he claims he's going to be in on the GM search. I don't know. And then there's the jets who have Aaron Glenn. But hey, hey, John, by the way, the selling point, you see all these teams in the playoffs with a quarterback on a rookie deal. You can have that if you come to the Jets. We're going to have a quarterback.

[Domonique Foxworth]

Miami is interesting because Miami needs a culture.

[Rob Parker]

I think they're a little further away that cuz what, what are you doing at quarterback? You think, you think Harbo wants Tua?

[Domonique Foxworth]

No, for one year. You have Tua. One year and then what? Well, next year. Todd McShay said it's the best quarterback draft class ever. With Tua, you're going to be a seven win team potentially. And all of a sudden you got the ninth pick and there's seven quarterbacks and you go get one. I would have no problem. I, I think the Miami job is.

[Rob Parker]

Interesting more than the jets job.

[Domonique Foxworth]

Oh, God, yes. Oh, not even close.

[Rob Parker]

I, I think this is personal.

[Domonique Foxworth]

You just love digging. Oh, no, I think I don't really. Here's what's funny about the Dolphins is if you go look at when Mike McDaniel got there, they made the playoffs twice.

[Rob Parker]

They did.

[Domonique Foxworth]

It was the, the roster construction is.

[Rob Parker]

Their demise in the Josh Allen era, by the way.

[Domonique Foxworth]

That's right. Yeah. So you can say what you want about Miami, they're a playoff team. And if you have one more year at tua. So what plan? I mean, most of your half of your games are in warm weather in Miami. You fix the culture. Harbaugh's good with player, player development. I think Miami's a great spot for him.

[Rob Parker]

I, I'm. Jets Nation's gonna pipe up here. Jets have the better offensive line. They got the. Oh, Carol, Carol Wilson's just as good as Waddle Breece hall versus Ha. That's not that big of a separation. Jets defense doesn't really have anyone, but neither does Miami, so I, I don't. And the jets have a war chest of picks plus number two in this draft.

[Colin Cowherd]

No.

[Domonique Foxworth]

Okay.

[Rob Parker]

All right, let's move on to Cleveland Browns. They've got an opening Colin and I guess they got a lot of roster decisions to make for next season. But according to CBS Sports, the Browns are not interested in Mendoza and they're preparing to start Shadour Sanders.

[Domonique Foxworth]

Make the right decision on anything.

[Rob Parker]

Listen, it's, it almost reads in this report that they're naming Shador. Hey, that's our guy going into next season. I think that is a horrible mistake.

[Domonique Foxworth]

Well, it's. Listen, this organization, just when it comes to coach and quarterback, they don't make good decisions, period.

[Rob Parker]

So they've got desean Watson, Dylan Gabriel, Shador.

[Domonique Foxworth]

The desean Watson deal is the worst arguably in league history, but he's still.

[Rob Parker]

On the, on the books for next season.

[Domonique Foxworth]

Johnny Manziel was a ridiculous pick. You could argue. I understood moving off Baker, but Baker was pretty good by Cleveland standards. And again, I, I don't have a problem with Shadour. This is not a good quarterback class. But if the story is they're not interested in Mendoza, he's a much higher level prospect. You're not going to get him.

[Rob Parker]

I just worry that a coach is going to interview and Andrew Berry, the GM is going to be like, yeah, Shador is our guy. That's kind of, that's kind of, I.

[Domonique Foxworth]

Think, I think for a year, again, if it was a great quarterback draft class. No. Who's out there?

[Rob Parker]

But you followed the fans in the media. People are going gaga for Shador, thinking, hey, did you see Colin? He beat Joe burrow in week 18. He beat Aaron Rodgers again.

[Domonique Foxworth]

I don't have a problem taking a job knowing it's going to be ugly for a year. Like Miami could be choppy for a year. That doesn't, that doesn't worry me. I can live with that because next year, again, Todd McShay is not the only person saying, this could have seven first round picks. This is not Arch Manning and Dante Moore could be one and two next year. That is, that is. And. And another five after that.

[Rob Parker]

All right, final story. Colin. College football semifinals kickoff tomorrow night. Ole Miss, Miami, followed by Oregon, Indiana, Friday. One things the teams share in common is a connection with Nick Saban. I did not realize this. All four coaches in the semifinal were working under Saban at Alabama at some point in their career. Here's Dan Lanning talking about what he learned from Coach Saban.

[Dan Lanning]

I was working at Sam Houston State before I went to Alabama and was going to take a pay cut to go be a GA there. And when anybody asked me why, I said I'm going to get my doctorate in football. And that's what I feel like, you know, working for Coach Saban. Just like coach said, you learn so much things. I thought I knew, I realized I didn't know anything. And I got to really carry that over with the opportunity to work with Coach Smart, who built off of that as well at Georgia. And that was just an unbelievable experience for me. And obviously it shows here.

[Domonique Foxworth]

You know, if you look at Nick Saban's career, not only is he the greatest college football coach of all time, look at the impact he. Kiffin was Persona non grata, saved his career. Sark was having personal issues, elevated his career Signetti, Dan Lanning, look at the impact Kirby Smart was on his staff. You don't think Kirby took a lot of the lessons? I mean, Saban has had an unbelievable imp. His coaching tree is, I mean, that, that is really something like, like we've always said this proximity to greatness doesn't equal greatness. Go look at Belichick's tree. But yet you look at McVay's or you look at Andy Reid's, you know, all of a sudden you're like, oh, there's some stuff here. Saban really had an impact on a lot of lives.

[Rob Parker]

I think we've talked about this before. Anybody can dominate. Can you dominate and elevate others? Can you raise the profile of others? Teach them, tutor them, mentor them? You look at Shanahan every single year. You know who's interviewing guys who are on Shanahan staff every freaking year because they he does a great job of giving people responsibilities and he can't take all the credit there. No man is an island. You can't do it by yourself. He needs Salah, he needs his oc. He needs his passing game coordinator. And Saban, hey man, he did a great job at that.

[Domonique Foxworth]

J. Maclean News.

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

Well, that's the news and thanks for stopping by the Herd Lie News. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio FS1 and the iHeartRadio app.

[Jonas Knox]

This is Jonas Knox from Two Pros and a cup of Joe and are you ready to tackle your financial goals? Kick off your journey with webull who makes it simple to start investing powerful tools, next level data and an easy to use platform for stocks, ETFs, prediction markets and more. Whether you're on the go or trading overnight, We Bull is built for you and your schedule. Don't sit on the sidelines, visit webull.com or download the app and take control of your financial future today. Start with just $1. That's webull.com we bull financial LLC member sipc finra investing involves risk. For more information visit weble.com disclosures.

[Rob Parker]

Wild card weekend has two huge games on fox. Saturday MVP front runner Matthew Stafford leads the Rams against Bryce Young and the Panthers. Then on Sunday, Jalen Hurts and the defending champion Eagles take on Christian McCaffrey and the Niners. It's wild card weekend powered by Verizon Saturday and Sunday on Fox.

[Domonique Foxworth]

Okay, panthers now getting 11 points in some spots.

[Rob Parker]

Yes, they are. You can see where the money's going.

[Domonique Foxworth]

So I I like the Rams at 10. I'm it's stay away at 11.

[Rob Parker]

Don't you have like five kids? You could buy them all Jet skis. When the Rams smash the Panthers, you.

[Domonique Foxworth]

Think they're going to smash them? You think they're going to blow them out?

[Rob Parker]

Yes, sir.

[Domonique Foxworth]

All right. Not blazing fives, down to blazing two. I don't know. That's 11 points is a lot. Yeah, the. Okay, so here's a story. Pete Tammel just reported this on Ty Simpson, the Bama quarterback. He said, hey, I'm coming out. So his dad's a football coach at ut Martin to Tennessee Martin, Jason Simpson. He said his son received first round grades from every NFL general manager they contacted. Quote, nobody said second round. So. Okay, you know, my takeaway is he holds the ball a long time. Second most drop backs in the country where he held the ball for over two and a half seconds and that's with great receivers. He also led the country with six fumbles lost. Could not move the chains at all against Indiana. Really well coached defense and in his last six games he had seven touchdowns and six giveaways. I don't see that wow trait, but I also believe outcomes change with young people based on the support system. If you give him McVeigh, he gets drafted by the Rams with a 31st or 32nd pick and he doesn't play a snap for a year. Under McVeigh, the outcome's different than if he gets drafted by the New York jets and has to play as a rookie. So that's also true. Todd McShay earlier, he likes Ty Simpson. He sees him as a first round guy.

[Colin Cowherd]

It's easy to see the translation. The problem is he started to try to be too perfect. And I was talking to a head coach in the NFL for 55 minutes this morning. We're going through all three of these, these top quarterbacks and we kind of both agreed. You got the sense that he knew it was all on him and, and that pressure started to mount and he knew that any mistake or any inability to, to win with the passing game and what he was doing in the pocket, that the whole thing was going to collapse at Alabama. And we kind of saw that in every game but that second Oklahoma game down the stretch. So I like him a lot. I'd love to see him with like late in the first round. Sean McVay.

[Domonique Foxworth]

So I, I tend to think Fernando Mendoza is sort of outcome guaranteed. He'll succeed everywhere. Even with the jets, he'll succeed once they make the right head coaching move. I think Ty Simpson is very outcome dependent on where he lands. For the record, that's about 75 to 85% of quarterbacks your career is going to be where you land. I don't think Simpson is a wow athlete or a wow size or army, but I thought, I think if he goes again, you know, you start looking at the middle. I mean, what if Kansas City moves down to 12 and takes Ty Simpson. Now he he's not going to play because I'm a home so that's a bad example. But I could see the Rams doing I could see Cincinnati moving down eight, nine spots and saying we need Joe Burrow's got one more injury away from we got to draft a quarterback. So I I think some of this stuff is your outcome in life for young people is dependent on what's your support system. Occasionally there is a great player. Miles Garrett was going to succeed anywhere he went all time sack guy with Cleveland. Some guys are just going to succeed. Period. All right, here's the NFL playoff weekend wildcard weekend. What's interesting is I always have a gut feeling when I see the matchups and I'm thinking this morning do I feel differently about the matchups than I did five days ago? So let's go through them Saturday. I like the Rams. 11 points is a lot but I think they control the game score first. It's not a big home field advantage. The Panthers probably drop a few gems down the field. They have size on the perimeter at wide receiver. Rams are vulnerable. Rams special teams can also be in the return game. Don't trust the Rams in special teams. I could see the Panthers getting dominated and beating the spread because they get late touchdowns over the top. But the Rams are the play. Packers Bears is the toughest pick for me. I will say 30 mile an hour winds, gusts are predicted. I think that helps the Bears who could easily run the ball 38 times and control the clock. The packers run game less consistent. I think Ben Johnson Caleb run game better o line at home on a windy night. I kind of feel like the Bears are the play here. I've told you I don't get the line. Bill's being favored at Jacksonville. Jacksonville has proven over the course of a season to be a better, more consistent team. Home road they've been excellent. They don't fall behind. I really worry about Buffalo's inability against quality teams to play four quarters of football. Jacksonville was great for four quarters multiple times this year, including at Denver. I like the Jags. San Francisco Philadelphia on Fox is a giant question mark to me. I have no idea. Generally if you're a four point favorite to five, take that number. But San Francisco's coming in. I think you have to be careful when you watch the Niners against Seattle you're like whoa, they were totally dominated. I would not take too much stock in Seattle. Trent Williams and Ricky Pearsall are very valuable Players neither played. That's tough sledding. Those are two guys Brock Purdy relies on a lot. I think you're going to get an inspired, motivated effort against a Philadelphia team that has not played four great quarters of football more than maybe twice all year. That is a wild card must watch game. I don't know what I get. You could talk me into four different scenarios. Chargers Patriots. J. Mack literally sold his vacation condo in Mesa, Arizona to bet the Chargers in this one. I like New England. I don't think you can go on the road with a Chargers offensive line and win playoff games. I think that is an incredible ask.

[Rob Parker]

It would be tough in Denver or Houston. But against the Patriots again, their defensive line, look at it. It's not great. The numbers on PFF are not excellent. The pressure rate like they just. They don't play aggressive defense. It's going to kill you. And Herbert's well rested last week. Set out Jim Harbaugh. Come on, Chargers.

[Domonique Foxworth]

Okay. And I like the Steelers to cover Tomlin on Monday. Remember now. Now I have Jaylen Warren. We both like Friar Muth. We both like dk. Metcalf is back and motivated. Gainwell has played well O line for the first time in a long time. O line overachieved a little at home. Tomlin, extra day. Texans don't score in the red zone. Their field goal. They're very inconsistent.

[Rob Parker]

Were you in your 30s? The last time Mike Tomlin won a playoff game? Was it your 20? It's been a minute. You know, this birthday week. Boy, Tomlin has not delivered in the postseason lately. Colin, it's an issue.

[Domonique Foxworth]

18 years ago they beat Arizona in the Super Bowl. 18 years ago? Yeah.

[Rob Parker]

Wow.

[Colin Cowherd]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Rob Parker]

Guaranteed Human.