← The Herd with Colin Cowherd
The Herd with Colin Cowherd
THE HERD - Hour 2 - New Herd Hierarchy, the state of the Kansas City Chiefs, Nick Wright
00:40:25
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- [00:00]
Sophie Cunningham
This is an iHeart podcast.
- [00:02]
Colin Cowherd
Guaranteed Human. Remember when people were nice? When we could occasionally stop fighting and come together? Well, here's some good news. The Ripple Effect is here. Hosted by comedian Jenna Kim Jones. It's a show about how powerful it is when we reach out to one another. It's the perfect weekly proof that goodness isn't gone. The Ripple Effect is more than a podcast. It's a reminder that you can start a ripple that changes everything. Listen to the ripple effect on iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [00:36]
Coca-Cola Announcer
What a matchup we got, y'.
- [00:37]
Rob Gronkowski
All.
- [00:37]
Coca-Cola Announcer
This is that classic HBCU vibe. Non stop action. The band is rocking and the crowd lit. Chance, echo, drum beat, everybody showing that school pride. Game like this. Yeah, it calls for an ice cold Coca Cola. Ah, crisp and refreshing. That's a game changer right there.
- [00:57]
Colin Cowherd
Mmm.
- [00:58]
Coca-Cola Announcer
Yeah, that taste always hits the right note. Just like the band at halftime. And just like that, we're back at it. Passionate fans, school colors everywhere. And in ice cold Coca Cola, that's a winning combo. No matter the sport, no matter the yard. Everybody knows fan work is thirsty work. So grab a Coca Cola and keep that HBCU pride going.
- [01:22]
Colin Cowherd
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- [02:32]
Sophie Cunningham
This is Sophie Cunningham from Show me Something. Do you know the symptoms of moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea, or osa? In adults with obesity, they may be happening to you without you knowing. If anyone has ever said you snored loudly, or if you spend your days fighting off excessive tiredness, irritability and concentration issues, it may be due to osa. OSA is a serious condition where your airway partially or completely collapses during sleep, which may cause breathing interruptions and oxygen deprivation. Learn more at don'tsleep on OSA.com this information is provided by Lilly a medicine company.
- [03:10]
Colin Cowherd
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. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Here we go, hour two. It is a Tuesday. One of my favorite 15 minute segments of the week. Week we are live. It's the Herd. Wherever you may be, however you may be watching, listening, whatever the platform is, thanks for making us part of your day. So Nick Wright will be on in about five minutes. Tough decision this week on the Herd hierarchy. And I said this about the Green Bay Packers. Tucker Kraft out. Micah out. Christian Watson out. Kenny Clark in a trade out. That's for their top six players. They're not the same team. They are not the same team. They don't make the Herd hierarchy. Sorry. Well, what about last week? What about it? They got two of their top three stars hurt. Maybe their top two stars hurt. Here we go on a Tuesday. The Herd hierarchy. Herd hierarchy Time is now. Let's go. The top 10 NFL teams according to college. Number 10. I'll put Philadelphia in. Seven of their nine wins though have come in one score games. They're three and five when allowing 21 plus points. And in the playoffs you're going to face better quarterbacks. Their defense, it's excellent. The roster is excellent. But I don't trust Jalen Hurts or Nick Ceriani in big spots again. They play the Commanders twice in the next three weeks so they're going to flex and look impressive. But this offense feels like it's been broken since week one. Number nine, the Jags. You can't run on them. And Liam Cohen has done wonders for Trevor Lawrence's confidence. He's running more. They have the number one scoring offense and number two scoring defense on their five game winning streak. Do I trust them in a big spot? No. But this is the closest version of the Trevor Lawrence we all fell in love with at Clemson. I have the Jags at nine. Number eight, the Bills. Listen, they got totally worked for the first half of that game. After losing to New England, everybody thinks, well, they scored on five straight touchdown drives. Okay, they do run the ball, but are so overly dependent on Superman at quarterback. Yes, Josh Allen has been very good in December games, I'll give you that. And in the last couple of weeks, they have almost 600 total yards. You know, Josh Allen does, so I'm not saying he's not great. Don't trust them situationally. Don't trust anybody with a ball in their hands. Other than Josh Allen, I have him at eight. Number seven, elite coaching. Maybe the best coaching staff this year in the league. Salah on defense, doing it with smoke and mirrors. And Kyle Shanahan. Four wins in a row, all by 10 plus points. Brock Purdy, finally, I thought this week finally looked totally healthy. Had a lot of juice, a lot of energy. I mean, there are four losses have come against good teams. The, the, the, the Rams and the Jags and the Texans and the Bucks. So they beat the teams they should. And right now on third down with Brock Purdy, they move the chains. So this is a very dangerous team. Number six. But Seattle's got a big boy defense. Sam Darnold, yes, he leads the NFL in giveaways, but he also leads in yards per attempt. It is a big play offense that can also play with a lead. They can play conservatively and win because they can run the ball well. Coach, play defense. Second best odds right now to win the Super Bowl, 23 straight games, not allowing somebody 100 yards rushing, meaning if you beat them, you know Sam Darnold is going to get his 13 possessions. JSN is going to get 13 possessions. That running game is going to work. I think they're going to be a really tough out. Seattle at six. Number five. I still like the Patriots. They had a bad half. It happens. They're a young team, missing their left tackle and their left guard. Their issue is they're not very good in the red zone on either side of the ball. And that's why I don't think they're a Super bowl team. They're not good defensively. They need another draft. I've been saying it all year. They're ahead of schedule. They need another draft. They need more help on the offensive line and more help in the secondary. Number four, the Bears. Tell me what they don't do. They play in bad Weather very well. They run the ball. They're dynamic. Great offensive coach, excellent O line. Take the ball away. What don't they do? They're built for January. Well, you know there can be Caleb's completion percentage. Oh lord, he's so gifted. I'm going to. I'm just going to 8 and 2 over their last 10 games. Number one rush offense since week five. Number two in big plays. They feel like a team that could end up in the conference championship. Tell me what they don't do. Complete bubble screens. Okay, you got me there. That's what college quarterbacks need. I have them at number four. Number three. I think the Texans defense is the best unit in pro football. They're 8, 0 if they can just score 20 points. Number one scoring defense. I mean they face that Rams offense early in the season. Held in the 14 points and I've always liked CJ Stroud. I don't get the criticisms. If you give him two and a half seconds, he's outstanding. I really like Houston. I think they're gonna make the AFC championship. I'm not sure who they're gonna face. Probably Denver. But I think the Texans right now are a. Bye, bye, bye. Number two, Denver. Listen, can we stop arguing about Bo Nix? I've been comparing him to Caleb Williams for weeks. I wish he was a little more consistent but the guy is an unbelievable athlete. He doesn't take sacks. I said he's a right handed Steve Young. He was dreadful for about a four week period earlier this year. Well, Caleb couldn't get the operations down in September. But between Caleb and Bo Nix we got to stop doubting them. Opposing teams by the way, are 3 and 10 after facing Denver. So they beat you and they beat you up. Number one. Listen, the Rams most complete roster in the NFL, although I don't love their corners, outgained their opponents by in the last month by over 500 yards. But Blake Corum has now popped at running back. So they have a one, two punch. They have four tight ends who are capable. Devonte will probably be out for three weeks. They don't get the pass rush. I think they should for the talent they have. But some of that is none of their pass rushers outside of Puna Ford, who's a run stopper. They don't. They're all kids. They're not in their prime yet. I have the Rams at number one. No Packers. I'm sorry, they're not the same team today. Take out Watson, Micah, Kenny Clark in a trade and Craft. I have him at 11, chargers at 12. With that Nick Wright. First things first, stops by. All right. Herd hierarchy. What don't you like?
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Nick Wright
Well, listen, I. I really like a lot of it. Most notably, I feel like the Niners have flown under the radar all year long. They're alive for the one seed right now, despite all the injuries. I think it's Shanahan's best coaching job to date. So I like how high you have them. Rams, Seahawks, Niners, that division them all having 10 or 11 wins is remarkable. I think the Texans are the. That might be a tiny bit high, but I think the Texans are a terrifying team right now. So I agree with you. I only really have one real gripe.
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Colin Cowherd
Okay.
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Nick Wright
Why are the Patriots ahead of the Bills?
- [11:16]
Colin Cowherd
Because we.
- [11:17]
Nick Wright
Just tell me, tell me.
- [11:19]
Colin Cowherd
Okay. This is not the College Football Playoff committee. Head to head. Isn't the be all end all. They played six quarters. New England was better. Significantly in. In six of the eight quarters they played, New England was significantly better. I like New England's coach. The game meant more for Buffalo the season. Sean McDermott's job could have been in trouble this game at halftimes, like we beat him the first time. We out schemed him in the first half. And then the Patriots, missing their left tackle and left guard, really struggled to sustain drives. And that's my reason.
- [11:49]
Nick Wright
Man. Man. I feel. I guess I just feel very differently you. That the first matchup is 20 to 20 with 90 seconds left. So I don't know how we got. The Patriots thoroughly outplayed them the first four quarters of the season. That game came down to the wire. And the second matchup, Buffalo systematically walked them down and I. And they did it because they have a great running game. And now that Patrick's hurt, they have the best healthy player in football in Josh Allen. I just think in a wide open afc, the Bills are very scary and. And deserving. And I trust them more than I trust New England, particularly after this matchup. But other than that, Colin, and I'm not sure about Philly. Let me add one other thing. Philly. Did Philly fix things or did Philly face the Raiders? I'm not sure.
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Colin Cowherd
Yeah.
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Nick Wright
So that Philly would be maybe Green Bay in place of Philly, but otherwise I think it's a really solid hierarchy.
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Colin Cowherd
Yeah, I think it's like when a college powerhouse faces like an FCS team, you're like, oh, they won 48 to 7. You're like, they, you know, they. They play Alabama next week. Let me, before I get to Mahomes, And I, and I will get to the Chiefs. So I, I, I said this earlier and, and if you had a gifted child that was on the spectrum a little bit, not Rain man, but on the spectrum a little bit. And they were literally doing Beethoven on the piano at 8 years old, I wouldn't lose a ton of sleep if they wore their pajamas backwards five days a week. I'll live with that. I'm going to live with Josh Allen, Mahomes and Caleb throwing some picks. Lower completion percentage. They're Beethoven at 9 year old. Guys, Caleb made throws this week that looked like optical illusions. I don't care, I don't care that he's 59%. I don't, I've watched the DJ Moore play 20 times. I'm, I don't even understand how he threw it. So my thing on Caleb is, guys, it's like Josh Allen, I would take less of a completion percentage this year if he ever threw the ball down the field, which he doesn't because he doesn't have a receiver. Where are you on Caleb and the argument that, you know, he's just not accurate enough?
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Nick Wright
Well, listen, I, the all you could have hoped for this year was month over month progression over the course of the season and see could he get better at the layups while keeping the spectacular. And that's what he's done. And there are, listen, his, he is still at a place in his career, Colin, where his low lights are going to be really grisly when a player like, like Matt Stafford, take him polar, you know, opposite example, Stafford's 10 worst throws of the year, none of them are like, what the hell happened there? It's like, oh, he, it's just he thought he either got tricked or he thought he could fit it in. Trust his arm too much. Caleb's 10 worst throws, it's like, did that miss its target by 12 yards? Maybe. But his 10 best throws this season can go up against any other player in the league. And when you marry that to a dynamic, dominant running game, a really sharp head coach and a defense that I honestly think is not that good, but it's opportunistic and maybe that's lucky, but whatever it is, they force a bunch of turnovers. That's a scary team. And if the, if the NFC playoffs, if they can keep winning and make it so a team like the Rams, who I think have been the best team in football, have to come to Chicago and deal with that rushing attack. And then Caleb doing, pardon me, four or five spectacular things a game that would be really scary. Like, I am fully confident that Caleb Williams is going to be a very good quarterback in this league. And I think he is bordering on almost already being there. And this year we are seeing more of what we didn't see as much as rookie year of the moments where you're like, wait, he can be a superstar quarterback in this league. He still needs obviously to clean some of the stuff up, but I feel like he's gotten better in that regard. But it's hard to watch that throw through four defenders into the back of the end zone against Cleveland, not be like, man, this is a special unique talent on our hands.
- [16:32]
Colin Cowherd
So. And I've said if you like Caleb, you have to at least acknowledge Bo Nick to something because they're both uneven, both great late, both really athletic. And I was saying this about Bo Nix. Sometimes you'll see this in a lot of different businesses that a coach finds a player that he loves and not everybody else loves him. There's not a unanimous agreement. Sean Payton before the draft, love Bo Knicks because he had a little bit of Bo Nix, little smaller guy in Drew Brees and he's like, oh, that's a more athletic Drew Brees. I thought this game was one of those games like when the Bears went to Philly and all the doubters went, okay, maybe they're good. I think all the doubters on Bo Nix, I think he's so much more athletic than he gets credit for. I said he's a right handed Steve Young. Like he just, he is fast. I watched him twice handed Steve Young.
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Rob Gronkowski
It's.
- [17:20]
Nick Wright
Yeah, it's Steve Young's one of the 12 greatest quarterbacks ever. This is where you and I, Colin, are just different broadcasters because a month ago you and I were in lockstep on Bo Nix. We both thought he wasn't very good. And now you've got him as a right handed Steve Young and I feel pretty tethered to my previous take. But you have none of you like, hey, new information, new games. I've changed my opinion. Deal with it, America. I don't have that, that ability the way you do. At least, at least in that regard. Here is what I will say in defense of Bo Nix. In fairness to Bo Nix, I thought the Chiefs game that he played was up to that moment the best game of his career. And then two weeks later, I thought the Washington game was the best game of his career. And then this game against Green Bay was hands down the best game of his career. So in the last month or So I think he has played the three best games of his career. He obviously is not too scared of a big moment and the team obviously has been excellent all year long. I still, my gut tells me that that packers game is more of the aberration than it's going to be the trend. But I have to be fair and be open to the possibility that I was wrong about him. Thus far I have been dead wrong, obviously about the Broncos. They've been excellent. My gut still tells me quarterback is their weak link. And even though they're going to be the 1 seed when they don't make the super bowl, it will be because of failings at the quarterback position. But he has an opportunity and Sean Payton has an opportunity to prove all the doubters and skeptics, of which I was one of the loudest, wrong. Or we're going to look back on these last four games and say that was a positive blip, but a blip nonetheless. And he's more the player we saw the first 10 weeks. But the game against the packers was stunning and he was excellent. Can he do anything close to that come the postseason? We'll see. But he's trending in the right direction. That's as far as I'll go. You on the other hand, have him passed Fran Tarkington already and approaching Steve Young.
- [19:43]
Colin Cowherd
So it's just different new information, as.
- [19:46]
Nick Wright
You said, the new information.
- [19:48]
Colin Cowherd
So I think there's a difference. This league allows 40% of the teams in the playoffs and Pittsburgh is when one of these teams like, hey, we made the playoffs, we're inches away. I think Kansas City missing the playoffs a good thing. It's cold water to the face. It's like 40% of the teams get in, you couldn't make it. And like in the last three years they're like 24th in big plays. I think they got to take the boat back to port and rebuild it. I don't think it's a tweak. I don't think if you look at the last three years numbers, it's a tweak. Chris Jones, Travis Kelsey, they let go of Joe Tuney left tackle. Still, you're not sure and that you this is a great league. You can do New England, you can literally go awful to really good fast. But I don't think it's a tweak. I think they need their fourth best player. Mahomes, Creed Humphrey, Trent McDuffie and you get to well, K. Travis Kelsey had some drops dudes.
- [20:44]
Nick Wright
Chris Jones still an excellent player. Chris Jones is too far on Chris Jones. So listen, this is all right. You said they were 24th in the league the last three years in big plays again I know nobody wants to hear this from me right now and I wasn't going to go here. Where do they rank in Super Bowls in the league in the last three years? I understand that. Listen, this chief season. Let me be very clear. Even if Mahomes hadn't been hurt, this season was a failure. Okay? They are. They. They. I had held out hope that the team they showed they could be against the Ravens and the Lions was the team they were going to be. And then after the buy they were bad every single week. They were bad against the Broncos, they. They were bad against the Cowboys. They were bad against the the Colts and lucky to win that game. And then bad against the Texans and against the Chargers. They have a 13 to 3 lead going into halftime and then give away a touchdown right for half like a bad team. So they deserve to take their medicine here. And you are correct in this regard. I think we are going to see over the next few weeks. Colin, we where numbers be damned how much Patrick was holding together on his own. I think they're going to lose to the Titans. I think with the offensive line with four starters or four tackles down with no running game with the issues they're having right now and Gardner Minshew playing quarterback, you're going to see how much Patrick was carrying even though his numbers had been suffering the last month and a half as well. With that said, I don't think it is a complete overhaul. They have rebuilt the offensive line. The left tackle they drafted in the first round was excellent. He got his wrist broken and was out. The left guard is a second year player who's a fine player. Not great players. Fine player. And Sumataia Creed Humphrey you mentioned Trey Smith is that center, right guard, right tackle will be a question mark. That's one spot the wide receivers need to develop. They have span. I've seen Rasheed Rice be great and Xavier Worthy has great traits. They need to develop on the other side of the ball. They need a pass rush other than Chris Jones. So it's by no means a flawless team right now, even a great team. But they're about to have the 10th, 11th, something like that pick of the draft and a third place schedule and Patrick is going to come back with a vengeance. You address pass rush in the draft. You sign or and or draft a running back. You continue to develop your secondary the way they have ever since Spags has been there and they'll be fine. But listen, this is the end of a chapter. It is as good of a seven year run as any team in NFL history has ever had. Seven Final Fours, five Super bowl appearances, three rings. Nobody's ever done better than that over the course of seven years. You could argue the Steel Curtain Steelers. That's kind of a tomato tomato thing. They didn't make as many Super Bowls, but they did win one more. But this is now a new chapter and they need to see how they take advantage of a better draft pick than they've had in a decade, a potentially softer schedule than they've had in a decade, and Patrick Mahomes post injury. It is the exact same process Tom had to go through. Win in his eighth year as a starter, he blew out his knee. The next year they won 10 games. They weren't that great. The year after that they were a 14 win juggernaut. Once again we'll see what the Chiefs look like a year from now, but I think it's more significant tweaks than it is total overhaul. And if he's back week one next year they will be the AFC west favorites again in if Patrick's back.
- [24:39]
Colin Cowherd
So that's how I look at it with chapters. There was the Bo Nicks, I'd bench him chapter and Bo Nicks is now Steve Young chapter. So we both talk in chapters.
- [24:48]
Nick Wright
I mean, I mean that's one way to do it. I suppose. That's one way to do it. That's why you're the greatest. It's why you're the greatest.
- [24:55]
Colin Cowherd
Okay, Nick Wright, first things first. Listen New information. Bonick stunk in the first month and now he looks pretty great to me. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio app. Hey, is Cavino and Rich from Fox Sports Radio now, in addition to hearing us live weekdays from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, we're excited to announce a brand new YouTube channel for the show. Yup, that's right. You can now watch Covino ENRICH Live on YouTube every day. All you got to do Search COVINO and RICH FSR on YouTube again. Go to YouTube search COVINOENRICH FSR. Check us out on YouTube. Subscribe hit that thumbs up icon and comment away.
- [25:44]
Coca-Cola Announcer
What a matchup we got y'.
- [25:46]
Colin Cowherd
All.
- [25:46]
Coca-Cola Announcer
This is that classic HBCU vibe. Non stop action. The band is rocking and the crowd lit Chance Echo drum beat everybody showing that school pride. Game like this. Yeah, it calls for an ice cold Coca Cola Cola. Ah, crisp and refreshing. That's a game changer right there. Yeah, that taste always hits the right note. Just like the band at halftime. And just like that, we're back at it. Passionate fans, school colors everywhere and an ice cold Coca Cola. That's a winning combo no matter the sport, no matter the yard. Everybody knows fan work is thirsty work. So grab a Coca Cola and keep that HBCU pride going.
- [26:33]
Nick Wright
So let me get this straight.
- [26:34]
Colin Cowherd
Your company has data here, there and everywhere, but your AI can't use the data because it's here, there and everywhere? Seems like something's missing. Every business has unique data. IBM helps your AI access your data wherever it lives to change how you do business. Lets create smile to business IBM.
- [27:01]
Sophie Cunningham
This is Sophie Cunningham from Show Me Something. Do you know the symptoms of moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea or OSA in adults with obesity? They may be happening to you without you knowing. If anyone has ever said you snored loudly or if you spend your days fighting off excessive tiredness, irritability and concentration issues, it may be due to osa. OSA is a serious condition where your airway partially or completely collapses during sleep, which may cause breathing interruptions and oxygen deprivation. Learn more at don'tsleep on OSA.com this information is provided by Lilly A Medicine company.
- [27:40]
Rob Gronkowski
This is Rob Gronkowski from Dudes on Dudes with Gronk and jules. For the second season in a row, I partnered with T Mobile's Friday night 5G lights powering up hometown football across America. This year, T mobile invested over $4 million in prizes to help schools take their Friday nights to the next level. The votes are in. And now it's time to crown our one million dollar grand prize winner. Congratulations to Derrick's High school and Derrick's Arkansas, home of the Outlaws and your 2025 T mobile Friday night 5G lights champion. The Outlaws and their community rallied to help them score a game changing home field upgrade, a Gronk Fitness weight room makeover, an epic 2026 tailgate party and a VIP trip to the SEC championship game to every school that competed, posted and rallied your communities. Thank you and to T Mobile for making it all possible. This season may be over, but the story is isn't. Stay tuned for season three in 2026. Congratulations again to Derek's High School Outlaws.
- [28:52]
Colin Cowherd
Thursday night football is on and it's only on Prime Video. This week The NFC west grabs a spotlight as the Rams visit the Seahawks. Coverage begins at 7pm Eastern with TNF tonight presented by Verizon. It's Rams Seahawks Thursday at 7pm Easter and don't miss Broncos Chiefs on Christmas night. Only on Prime Video. Not a Prime member. Simply sign up for a 30 day free trial. Restrictions apply. See Amazon.com Amazon prime for details. Great to have you in. Drew Bledsoe, last hour. It is a Tuesday. Here's J. Mac with the news.
- [29:31]
Coca-Cola Announcer
No, no, no, turn on the news.
- [29:34]
Colin Cowherd
This is the Herd line news.
- [29:37]
J. Mac
You know, we're getting down to the nitty gritty. Colin. The only good teams from here on out. So this is probably our last Cowboys update for a while. Let's start with the Cowboys. Colin, it feels like it's over. They got, everybody got excited, myself included. After a couple wins and Quinn and Williams popping up. Unfortunately, the loss of the Vikings nearly seals their fate. Here's what Dak has to say about their future this season.
- [29:59]
Colin Cowherd
Definitely surprised. Especially, you know, after the bye week. The trades get rolling like we did for those few weeks and then watch the confidence just, just skyrocket. It's tough. I mean I'm definitely surprised, definitely hurt, pissed off, frustrated. But all I can do is is get better tomorrow. It's not on him. Pass pro is not great. I, I do think their future is actually pretty bright. I think those two first round picks, what if they got Caleb Downs at safety and the number two edge rusher in the draft. Wait, wait, wait.
- [30:34]
J. Mac
Caleb Downs, how are they getting him?
- [30:37]
Colin Cowherd
Well, if you see there's three tackles, everybody loves. There's two quarterbacks potentially everybody loves. It's a great edge rusher draft. There's a defensive tackle or three in the top 15 picks. There's a, there's a couple of wide receivers. It's a. Huh. Somebody's going to fall. Somebody's going to fall. Caleb Downs falls, arguably the best total player in the draft or second, third. There's a lot of, there's a lot. It's a very good.
- [31:03]
J. Mac
So let's say they get down. What do you think happens with Pickens? Do you think they keep him, tag him?
- [31:07]
Colin Cowherd
Well, wide receivers, the one position and we know this to be true college football gives you about 20 a year that can play immediately.
- [31:15]
J. Mac
I don't know, man. They're hosting the Chargers this weekend. I'm on the Chargers in this one. I love Herbert in this spot against this awful, awful secondary of Dallas. I think this eliminates them. If the Eagles beat Washington, they're out. So Dallas done.
- [31:29]
Colin Cowherd
Dallas, a very good home team.
- [31:32]
J. Mac
Oh, really? They just lost to The Vikings boy, J.J. mcCarthy on. On Sunday Night Football. They couldn't stop J.J. who you think is rotten, and I don't know, he's looking pretty good if I saw the last couple games. All right, let's move on to the Kansas City Chiefs. You know, I don't know what Nick was drinking this early in the morning, but he seems to think this is a quick turnaround. Listen, Mahomes is down. It's not only the acl, but it's also the lcl. Colin, long road back. We're looking at maybe nine months at best case scenario. Anyway, here's Tom Brady's advice to Mahomes.
- [32:04]
Coca-Cola Announcer
The only thing you could do is focus on what's ahead of you and not look back and just say, okay.
- [32:08]
Nick Wright
This is part of what my career.
- [32:11]
Coca-Cola Announcer
Is going to be, and a lot of people have gone through it and.
- [32:13]
Colin Cowherd
A lot of people have overcome it.
- [32:14]
Coca-Cola Announcer
You've just got to put as much diligence into the rehab process.
- [32:17]
Nick Wright
And I always feel like the faster.
- [32:19]
Coca-Cola Announcer
You rehab, the faster you can get.
- [32:21]
Colin Cowherd
Back to practicing the sport that, you know, you love.
- [32:26]
J. Mac
Yeah, I know the optimism is out there for the Chiefs fans, but let's be real, Colin. I'm looking at their salary cap situation next year. Their third biggest cap hit is Juwan Taylor, who's one of the lowest rated right tackles in the league. Like, I don't know, if you get off that contract. I mean, Chris Jones, what do you do with him? He showed up, like, every other half for a few plays. Like he had a rough. I mean, 32 years old. You go, look Jaylen Moore. Remember, they got him from the Niners. Oh, we got our swing tackle. Didn't quite work out. I mean, Christian Fulton, the cornerback, he was not good. Michael Dana, pass rusher. Colin, I think you nailed this. They just don't have a lot of good players. I'm sorry. And Reed and Mahomes cannot continue to mask the stench of this roster.
- [33:08]
Colin Cowherd
And Mahomes has spent some of his career limping. Now his first major surgery. Yeah, you think he'll be just the same player, but it's Mahomes is, what, 31 years old now? I mean, and he's gone through a lot of football and taken some hits, and he hasn't had a good old line in the last several years. You know, this game sneaks up on you. You get to the end of your prime real quick.
- [33:33]
J. Mac
Yeah. So I floated the Kyle Pitts to the Chiefs. And Chiefs fans are like, no, thank you. No. They're trying to tell me. And again, they're all over me on social media. They want Justin Jefferson from the Vikings. He's unhappy with JJ McCarthy. Like, how the hell are the Chiefs getting Justin Jefferson? That's how desperate they are. They know, let's be real, Colin. The Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce prime years with Mahomes. Those were the best Chiefs teams. Without question. Since they lost Tyreek, they've had to win different ways. I think they're kind of out of ammo. I don't know. Do you think there's a big trade in the offing for a Pickens? I don't know.
- [34:08]
Colin Cowherd
I think Mahomes gets healthy. They, you know, I think Travis Kelce retires. And I think they, you know, they're more than capable of nailing four good draft picks. They. I, I don't, I do not believe next year Denver's out of the Russell Wilson's cap hit. They're going to get better. Oh, yeah. The Chargers tackles come back.
- [34:28]
J. Mac
Oh yeah.
- [34:28]
Colin Cowherd
They're going nowhere. I think they come back next year. I think their current reality is they need about six more. Really good. Not great. Six more B plus players in their prime. Some through the draft, maybe one through a trade. But it's I again, I don't think it's a tweak. I don't.
- [34:48]
J. Mac
The fact of the matter is the Bears, your Bears last year needed offensive line help. They just went and got a couple of guys because they can afford the Bears.
- [34:56]
Colin Cowherd
The Bears have, The Bears have better players. The Bears have elite center, elite right guard, elite right tackle.
- [35:03]
Nick Wright
Yeah.
- [35:03]
J. Mac
They stole to remember Tuney. The Chiefs are like we had. We couldn't afford him. We had to lose him.
- [35:07]
Colin Cowherd
He's great.
- [35:08]
J. Mac
That's a huge loss for them.
- [35:10]
Colin Cowherd
Yeah, Chiefs, listen, the receiving core for the Bears, DJ Moore is better than anybody Kansas City has. Oh, wait a minute.
- [35:16]
J. Mac
Oh, Rashee Rice. No.
- [35:18]
Colin Cowherd
You trust Rasheed Rice? I don't trust him off the field. Forget on the field.
- [35:22]
J. Mac
Yeah. Let's hope he stays out of trouble this off season because it's a long one. All right, let's go to the final story. Colin, I love this. Hey, great night in the NBA last night. And Cooper flag went off. What a game from the 18 year old.
- [35:35]
Sophie Cunningham
He had six.
- [35:35]
J. Mac
42. No, he's only 18 for another couple days. Unbelievable performance. 42 points breaking LeBron's record. LeBron put up 37 as a rookie back when, you know 2003, there was no chat GPT, there was no Instagram.
- [35:50]
Colin Cowherd
For the record, he averaged 13 a game in October, 18 a game in November. He's averaging 24 a game in December. You are watching a star. Oh, this kid In December right now, seven, he's shooting 54% from the field, 24 a game. He's. We always say this about quarterbacks like this. They catch up to the speed. He is now playing at NBA speed from college speed. He's going to end up this year averaging 21 points a year, 22 points a year as an 18, 19 year old.
- [36:27]
J. Mac
That's unbelievable. Here's Flag talking about the record that he set last night.
- [36:33]
Coca-Cola Announcer
I mean, I'm not really focused on.
- [36:34]
Colin Cowherd
You know, a lot of that stuff. I'm more just focused on being present, you know, day to day and trying to get better and, and get as.
- [36:40]
Nick Wright
Many wins as we can because obviously we didn't win.
- [36:42]
Colin Cowherd
So that's tough for me to, you know, want to be happy or any of that. But obviously it's, you know, success and.
- [36:48]
J. Mac
You know, try and keep getting better from here.
- [36:50]
Colin Cowherd
I've said before, his comp is a more aggressive Jayson Tatum. Look at Cooper Flag's free throw attempts as a rookie. He gets to the line. He is a more aggressive Jason Tatum. That's always been the knock on Tatum. Like he had Marcus Smart and Jalen Brown. You're like, where'd Tatum go? Cooper Flag on. I'm telling you, he is. You're looking at the best domestic rookie.
- [37:16]
J. Mac
In a probably since LeBron.
- [37:18]
Colin Cowherd
I mean he's, he is a real.
- [37:20]
J. Mac
Player for the radio audience. Most points before turning 19. LeBron 625. Kobe 539. Cooper flag.
- [37:29]
Colin Cowherd
479 points before turning 19 years old.
- [37:33]
J. Mac
That. Listen, man, he, he's amazing. I'll just say this about Dallas. They're going to be bad this year. Nobody cares. But they're on Christmas against Steph Curry. That's going to be fun to watch. Cooper Flag. Colin, they have to figure out how do we get rid of Anthony Davis. I want to build around Cooper Flag. You can do that pretty quickly. And then Kyrie's back next year. I'm just telling you, buy all Cooper Flag stock if you sold it. I'm sorry, that's like selling Tesla in the early days. You made a mistake, Colin. This kid is special.
- [38:00]
Colin Cowherd
Yep. No question. He, he, he is, I mean, my favorite, my thing about him that I really like is that he is a really aggressive basketball. He's aggressive defensively. He's aggressive attacking the basket. He's aggressive creating contact. I mean, a lot of what made Michael and Kobe great was, you know, they had that like, instinct. They wanted to bang up against you. They wanted to create conflict. I mean, that's a big part of the NBA. I've seen so many good players come into this league and they're finesse players. They don't want to be uncomfortable. Cooper Flag from Maine. He's out there fighting caribou. I mean, that kid grew up. Nobody in Maine is soft. He is an aggressive player. And I love J. Mac with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by the herd lie news. You're not living on green smoothies at 16 years old in Maine. You're eating trees, you're sawing trees, lumber, caribou. I mean, you're like a 15 minute walk to Nova Scotia. You're just trying to survive. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific.
- [39:12]
Coca-Cola Announcer
What a matchup we got, y'.
- [39:14]
Colin Cowherd
All.
- [39:14]
Coca-Cola Announcer
This is that classic HBCU vibe. Non stop action. The band is rocking and the crowd lit. Chance echoing drum beatin Everybody showing that school pride. A game like this. Yeah, it calls for an ice cold Coca Cola. Ah, crisp and refreshing. That's a game changer right there.
- [39:34]
Colin Cowherd
Mmm.
- [39:34]
Coca-Cola Announcer
Yeah, that taste always hits the right note. Just like the band at halftime. And just like that, we're back. Passionate fans, school colors everywhere and an ice cold Coca Cola. That's a winning combo no matter the sport, no matter the yard. Everybody knows fan work is thirsty work. So grab a Coca Cola and keep that HBCU pride going.
- [40:02]
Colin Cowherd
So you're telling me that the AI that's meant to make everyone's job easier to manage just adds more to manage?
- [40:09]
Nick Wright
On top of the thousands of apps the IT department already manages, Funny how that works.
- [40:15]
Colin Cowherd
Any business can add AI. IBM helps you scale and manage AI to change how you do business. Let's create Smile to Business IBM.
- [40:29]
Sophie Cunningham
This is Sophie Cunningham from Show Me Something. Do you know the symptoms of moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA in adults with obesity? They may be happening to you without you knowing. If anyone has ever said you snored loudly, or if you spend your days fighting off excessive tiredness, irritability and concentration issues, it may be due to osa. OSA is a serious condition where your airway partially or completely collapses during sleep, which may cause breathing interruptions and oxygen deprivation. Learn more at don'tsleep onosa.com this information is provided by Lilly A Medicine company.
- [41:07]
Rob Gronkowski
This is Rob Gronkowski from Dudes on Dudes with Gronk and jules. For the second season in a row, I partnered with T Mobile's Friday night 5G lights, powering up hometown football across America. This year, T mobile invested over $4 million in prizes to help schools take their Friday nights to the next level. The votes are in and now it's time to crown our $1 million grand prize winner. Congratulations to Derrick's High school and Derrick's Arkansas, home of the outlaws and your 2020 5T mobile Friday night 5G lights champion. The Outlaws and their community rallied to help them score a game changing home field upgrade, a Gronk Fitness weight room makeover, an epic 2026 tailgate party and a VIP trip to to the SEC championship game. To every school that competed, posted and rallied your communities, thank you and to T Mobile for making it all possible. This season may be over, but the story isn't. Stay tuned for season three in 2026. Congratulations again to Derek's high school Outlaws.
- [42:19]
Colin Cowherd
Thursday night football is on and it's only on Prime Video. This week the NFC west grabs a spotlight as the Rams visit. The Seahawks coverage begins at 7pm Eastern with TNF tonight presented by Verizon. It's Rams Seahawks Thursday at 7pm Eastern. And don't miss Broncos Chiefs on Christmas night. Only on Prime Video. Not a Prime member? Simply sign up for a 30 day free trial. Restrictions apply. See Amazon.com Amazon prime for details.
- [42:50]
J. Mac
We got a Big East Big Ten battle on Fox. College hoops Friday as Villanova takes on Wisconsin. It all tips off Friday night at 8 Eastern on Fox.
- [43:01]
Colin Cowherd
I'm going to give you in just a couple of minutes something that will blow your mind. So the NFL offensive rookie of the year odds have skyrocketed toward second round pick to the Patriots, Trayvon Henderson. So he was the fourth running back taken, which I did not understand. He was great this weekend. So this is what I said when he was taken. This is what I said immediately on Monday after the draft. Travion Henderson being second round pick, fourth running back taken. Treveon Henderson, the running back out of Ohio State. He may be the steal of the draft. So of the two Ohio State backs, he's a better receiver, he's a better pass blocker, he's a better runner. They've got themselves the steel of the draft, a home run. I would not be shocked if he's not a top five or six running back in the league. That guy's smart for the record. Anybody else notice how well New England's now drafting offensively since Belichick? Left running back, check. Quarterback, check. Left tackle, check. Belichick, for the record, was not a fan of Drake. May at Carolina complained about his footwork. How's that working out? I mean, Bill can still spot talent. It's just a different kind. It should also be noted that Nick Casario left Belichick where Belichick had his thumb on him, went to Houston. Look at how well Houston's Nick Casario has drafted without Belichick's influence. It's unbelievable. C.J. stroud, first round, Will Anderson, Nico Collins, Derek Stingley, Jalen Petrie, Kamari Lassiter. In the second round, Kaylin Bullock, third round steel safety out of usc. Woody Mark Steele. Houston has crushed. Drafting Nick Casario has crushed it in Houston once he moved away from Belichick. The Patriots for eight years could not draft offense. Belichick out. Vrabel in left tackle, quarterback, star, running back. The hoodie. The. The hood was getting in front of his draft vision. And that when I hear, well, Belichick is up for NFL jobs, okay, he better not have any say on personnel. Look at Houston and look at New England now. I mean, there. I mean, Houston has been one of the best draft teams in the league for three years. You know, we pay attention to the coach and the quarterback. Nick Casario is crushing it in Houston, okay? So I'm going to throw this, this stat at you. So we all know that nothing works with the New York Jets. People have been with the Jets. They leave. I mean, Robert Sala now is the best coordinator in the league doing it with smoke and mirrors. So if you take out Sam Darnold's New York experience and you go to Carolina, So for the first time in Sam's career, he did not play. He sat the first 11 games in Carolina that season. That first season. If you start November 27, 2022, he's had 38 starts. In those 38 starts, his win percentage is 76% higher than Brady and Mahomes. The percentage of games Darnold has had 100 plus passer rating in those 38 starts, 66% higher than Brady or Mahomes. Okay? For all of you terrified that he's going to throw interceptions, the jets are quicksand. I mean, look how good Aaron Rodgers looks this year and how good he was in Green Bay. None of it worked in New York. It's funny. Look how good Brett Favre was in Green Bay, then in Minnesota. It didn't really look good in New York. Nothing works in New York. Nothing. I'm not saying Aaron Glenn would be Lombardi somewhere else, but I mean, I. You, you kind of look at it and go, whatever. Take New York out of Darnold, goes to Carolina, sits late November, plays that point. So Carolina, Minnesota, Seattle. Three different coaches, three different staffs, three different rosters, 20 different receivers, seven, eight, nine, 10 different backs. Sam Darnold is a winner and he gets a little reckless. All right. Okay. Throw some picks. Not everybody is. Is. Can. Can play this position and be, you know, Aaron Rodgers all time most sack quarterback. That's what my staff got me today. How's that possible? Green Bay had good offensive lines. Also, it's interesting, the College Football Playoff. J. Mac and I were talking about this during the break. It starts Friday. If you remember last year, same thing. I think Notre Dame played Indiana on the Friday game and Indiana just was overwhelmed. I was at Cosm, I think watching that game. And the takeaway was, man, there was no buzz for it. I think the College Football Playoff should start on Saturday because that's when the season is, you know, on Saturday. Like, I tend to think NFL playoffs should start on Sunday because that's when the season is. But the NFL, sort of bulletproof. I would say Friday is a dead zone for television. Like Friday, you work hard, you go out beers with buddies. I don't watch a lot of TV on Fridays. I mean, I just. I just don't watch a lot of TV at all on Fridays. I'm a Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, TV viewer. But it'll be interesting in the College Football Playoff because you see that Miami, Texas A and M line has come way down. Now it's a field goal game. I like Miami at four and a half. Now it's down to three. Home field for Texas A and M, maybe the difference. But I really, really like Miami in that game. At least I did at the first number. I like Alabama to beat Oklahoma. Not a lot of people do. I think they'll be fine. But I got to tell you, the two best teams I've seen this year are Ohio State and Indiana. And the third best team is Georgia. A little less consistent offensively, but it's going to be interesting. Here's what is interesting to the playoffs. What if Ohio State or Indiana, or let's just say Indiana now wins the Natty and Indiana is absolutely good enough to Michigan, Ohio State, Indiana. Oh, the. And don't tell me about your sixth best team. I think Oregon may be the most underrated team in this thing along with Texas Tech. They could potentially play, but it's going to be very interesting. For 20 years, the SEC ruled this sport. If Indiana is the is the one to keep your eye on. If Indiana wins the natty and it's the second or first best team I've seen three straight years, three different teams from the Big Ten winning the national championship. The team that nobody's talking about is Texas Tech, which would be a big dud, you know, it wouldn't feel as big, you know, and I guarantee you the Texas Tech staff and players, all they're hearing about is all these other great teams. Watch Texas Tech actually, you know, go and win the whole thing. But I can't wait for it. I think Indiana's for real. I think if they met Ohio State again, I want to see, I want to see Georgia in the mix with Indiana and the Buckeyes.
- [50:52]
Sophie Cunningham
This is Sophie Cunningham from Show Me Something. Do you know the symptoms of moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea or OSA in adults with obesity? They may be happening to you without you knowing. If anyone has ever said you snore loudly or if you spend your days fighting off excessive tiredness, irritability and concentration issues, it may be due to osa. OSA is a serious condition where your airway partially or completely collapses during sleep, which may cause breathing interruptions and oxygen deprivation. Learn more at don'tsleep on OSA.com this information is provided by Lilly A Medicine Company.
- [51:31]
Colin Cowherd
Amazon Five Star Theater presents Real customer.
- [51:35]
Rob Gronkowski
Reviews performed by Ed Helms. Tonight's review Tactical jacket. I was living a simple life. Didn't get out much. Then I bought the this jacket and everything changed. Women came flocking to me from lands domestic and foreign.
- [51:53]
Colin Cowherd
On the 245 day sailboat voyage home I was attacked by a shark. I knew it was the jacket he.
- [52:01]
Rob Gronkowski
Was after giving up the jacket in exchange for my life. 5 stars Amazon Customer 69 Shop the perfect gift this holiday on Amazon.
- [52:13]
Coca-Cola Announcer
What a matchup we got y'.
- [52:14]
Sophie Cunningham
All.
- [52:14]
Coca-Cola Announcer
This is that classic HBCU vibe. Non stop action. The band is rocking and the crowd lit. Chance echo drum beat everybody showing that school pride. A game like this. Yeah, it calls for an ice cold Coca Cola. Ah, crisp and refreshing. That's a game changer right there. Yeah, that taste always hits the right note. Just like the band at halftime. And just like that, we're back at it. Passionate fans, school colors everywhere and in ice cold Coca Cola. That's a winning combo no matter the sport, no matter the yard. Everybody knows fan work is thirsty work. So grab a Coca Cola and keep that HBCU pride going.
- [52:59]
Colin Cowherd
These days, it seems like AI agents are just about everywhere you turn, every field and every function. But without identity, you can't trust they'll serve your business instead of jeopardizing it. Fortunately, Okta helps you get identity right by securing your AI agents identities, giving you a single layer of control, a single standard of trust. So whether an AI agent supports a single user or your entire enterprise, with Okta you'll turn risk into opportunity. Secure every agent. Secure any agent. Okta secures AI the day begins at.
- [53:31]
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Colin Cowherd
The shower that resets your day, the.
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- [53:55]
Colin Cowherd
Learn more@chase.com Sapphire Reserve cards issued by JP Morgan, Chase bank and a member FDIC, subject to credit approval.
- [54:00]
Sophie Cunningham
This is an iHeart podcast.
- [54:03]
Colin Cowherd
Guaranteed Human.