← The Herd with Colin Cowherd
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- [00:00]
Colin Cowherd
This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human this episode brought to you
- [00:06]
Verizon Business Sponsor
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- [00:36]
Colin Cowherd
Here's the reality. Everybody has access to information now. That's not the advantage anymore. The advantage is execution. Chat GPT work can connect to the tools where work happens, understand your goals and help turn them into finished work. You can review. You you stay in control, setting direction, reviewing the output, approving what moves forward. Bottom line, more finished work. Get started@chat GPT.com by selecting work mode available on plus and Pro plans. Let me tell you about something most people have never heard of and probably should have. It's called Burna and here's the part that got my attention. It's a real self defense option that's legal in all 50 states. No permit, no background check. It ships right to your door. It did mine. It's not a gun. That's the point. It's a launcher. Burna burna.com herd b y r n a.com herd burna be ready. Wasabi is purpose built to free your business from skyrocketing storage costs and fees
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Colin Cowherd
Wasabi is the go to provider for
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Colin Cowherd
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- [02:26]
Podcast Announcer
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
- [02:31]
Colin Cowherd
Oh it's great to have you in. It's the second hour of the show Best part about the storms in Chicago, 30 minutes they fly through town and we had a whopper today. It's great to be in. Nick Wright's a couple of minutes away. John Mittlekoff filling in. You know, I'm thinking about this. The world changes. You got to pay attention. Tactics, sports, life changes very quickly. Remember when the metaverse, the metaverse would change the world? It quickly pivoted to, yeah, we're pulling the plug on that puppy. We lost $89 billion one night long ago. Streaming will change the world. Well, Netflix has been profitable. Everybody else is hemorrhaging money. And it was announced today that Netflix and Disney, because Tubi and Roko ad Roku ad supported, not streamer, ad supported platforms are threatening Netflix and Disney. So now Netflix and Disney are like, yeah, we're going to do that ad supported thing. Those guys are doing ads. When streamers started, they made fun of ads. Here's how college football's changed. Five years ago, thereabouts, Brian Kelly leaves Notre Dame. And there is a sense Notre Dame got a little bit of a ceiling. Your roster's only going to be so good. And he goes to lsu. No ceiling. No ceiling there. And Brian Kelly's won everywhere. Five years later, the SEC looks like it has a financial ceiling with the Nil and Notre Dame maybe the best team in the country. Josh Pate, who's from Georgia, I asked him about how good do you think Notre Dame is today?
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Josh Pate
If they played in the sec, I think I'd pick them to win the SEC this year. And I say that because, well, I say that because it'll stir some people up where I'm from. But I also say it because people are going to mistakenly look at their schedule and discount them. This is a team that could stand up against any schedule in the country this year. That's no guarantee. But this is an extremely good team. Certainly in my lifetime. I don't know when you would have ever looked over a coming five year period and felt better about the future of Notre Dame football than you do. 2026 through 2031. And I never thought I'd say that.
- [04:49]
Colin Cowherd
Yep, either did I. I thought I. You know, they had multiple coaches, Ty Willingham, Bob Davey, Charlie Weiss, and you're like, the Lou Holtz era is over and here we go. I really do think they have a chance to play for the national championship. They may have the best quarterback, C.J. carr, in the country. And there's a lot of good ones. So, I mean, just the world changes. I mean, was it not three months ago where you heard from all these tech narcissists. AI. Oh, it's gonna take over the world. 30% unemployment. I have read Wall Street Journal, the Economist, multiple opinions. It's like. No, actually. Is there gonna be a job expansion over the next two years? There's gonna be. It's going to be lower unemployment.
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Verizon Business Sponsor
I mean, just.
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Colin Cowherd
You just got to hold on for the ride, man. You got to enjoy the ride. And with that, Nick Wright calls. First Things first is joining us live. So I.
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Nick Wright
You doing okay, Colin? After a decade in sunny Southern California, you don't have a lot of experience with the old tornado warnings, do you? At me? Midwestern native, I grew up in school. Little alarm goes off, hide under the desk like you did as a little kid when they were practicing for the nuclear fallout. I don't think it would have worked, but, yeah, we did that for tornadoes all the time. Away from doors and windows. Get low. Don't worry, it'll pass. I'm glad you survived it, Colin. Good day. I'm glad you dealt with it just fine.
- [06:19]
Colin Cowherd
Night, my knees did not buckle. I saw warnings and lights flashing. I'm not leaving the building. You know what? You just.
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Nick Wright
Oh, yeah. Well, you're. You know, remember during the pandemic when. What did they call the folks that still had to go to work? You were not an indispensable employee. I mean, I can't think of the right word, but you're essential. Thank you. Exactly. Yeah. I mean, even in times of crisis, we need America's honesty broker. Like, you gotta be on the air, so you have an obligation to stay. I'm glad you did, and I'm glad everyone's okay. Good to see you.
- [06:55]
Colin Cowherd
So I went to the Bears practice. You know what a nerd I am for this stuff. I just wonked out. I went to the Bears practice for two hours. I'm going to the game Saturday, and I watch Caleb Williams, who's lost 13 pounds. And I said, studies indicate that women and men, especially women, will make a decision on a guy in about eight minutes. Like marriage or. No, not. No chance. I'm kissing him. This guy, I'm not snuggling. I'm getting rid of this guy. Eight minutes. For women, guys, it's sooner. And my argument is I can go watch a practice for two hours and I can absolutely make a judgment. It was so crisp. Caleb was so fast because he's thinner. The quality of efficiency, wide receivers. I watch that offense and I'm like, oh, God, that's A great, that's not a good offense. That is an all time offense and people are firing back at whoa, whoa, whoa. And I'm like, if you watch two hours of anything, it could be a play you would know. 10 minutes in this play, it's no good or it's great. So my take is I watch the Bears and I'm like, oh, this is different. This is really elite stuff. Your thoughts?
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Nick Wright
So I think, you know, I obviously haven't been there, I haven't seen it in person. That goes in line with what I would hope and kind of what I would expect because I do think the Bears are going to have to have an elite offense because I think some of the other what we consider kind of luck based stuff is going to regress back to the mean a bit fair. I don't think they're going to be perfect in the final two minutes of games the way they were a large part of last year defensively. Last year they lived off turnover margin. That usually comes down a bit. So if that's going to happen, how are they still going to be a double digit win team, potentially win the division? It has to be because Caleb in year three but year two of Ben Johnson takes another leap. Ben Johnson in his second year as a head coach, he takes, you know, he moves a step up and it is a truly elite offense. The reason I think there is good logic behind believing that will happen is Caleb. Year one had had a bunch of flaws, but the two most glaring were they couldn't really get to the line of scrimmage and get the operation down right. And he took some of the most garish, awful sacks imaginable. Yeah, year two the sacks went from 68 to 24 and the operation line scrimmage was clean. So that's what he focused on. If year two to three he focused on, all right, I don't have to have 70% completions, but can I have 64%? Can I be league average? Can I hit the layups? Then all of a sudden the offense gets that much better And I just, I would rather my quarterback have. If his weaknesses are going to be glaring, I'd rather it be something that I think is fixable like easy pass accuracy than something you just can't develop like athleticism or arm strength or the things Caleb has in spades. So I listen, I think there is real reason for real optimism about your new hometown Chicago Bears.
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Colin Cowherd
Okay, so I'm going to give you so last segment I said I don't care about the bottom of a league. I am going to predict the first and second place team and love it in every division. I want you to start I'm going to start with the AFC at some of this stuff is easy and you can react to it. So I went Bills, Patriots, Ravens, Bengals. I do think Cincinnati made a defensive front commitment the last year. I think it'll pay off. Texans, Colts Remember not all these second place teams are playoff teams. I don't know if India of course Chargers, Chiefs I know where you're going with this but I would say I'm
- [10:59]
Nick Wright
going well kind of.
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Colin Cowherd
But but let's start with the afc. Bill's Patriots, Ravens, Bengals Texans Colt Chargers Chief any major disagreement?
- [11:09]
Nick Wright
Bill's Patriots Totally agree. Ravens Bengals I think I agree but I also don't know that I think the Bengals get a playoff spot out of that and so I but I but I think Pittsburgh is going to take a small step back and I think Cleveland is worlds away so I agree there. I vehemently disagree with the South. I think the Jags we're talking about Ben Johnson in year two, Liam Cohen in year two, Trevor coming off arguably the best year of his career. Now they won 13 games last year. I don't think they're necessarily going to do that that but I think that I would have Jags Texans before so I would have the Colts in third and the Jags all the way up. And then we get to the most interesting one which is there's a lot of interest here. Colin first one before I get to my the Chiefs. It's sad to see what's happened with you and your beloved Denver Broncos. I can't believe it. I can't believe after you last year to your credit believed in them. They got the one seed. Your guy Sean Payton proved everyone wrong. Nobody more so than me. And now they're just to the waste bin of history.
- [12:29]
Colin Cowherd
They trailed. This is almost hard to wrap your brain around. They trailed in 15 games last year and won 14. If they if they maintained 60% of that which is probably not going to happen they they the average if you trail 15 times is you win four games. They won 14. The numbers tell me they are going to regress somewhat sharply in win total.
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Nick Wright
So I listen I tend to agree with you. I'm just and I'm surprised and impressed by it. But so now we get to my favorite part of the calendar which is the best part of the calendar every year for the Chargers August before the games have been played because every August the Chargers are a juggernaut and then every January we find out how they've got to do more to support Justin Herbert. Something happens when the games are actually played where they go from juggernaut on both sides of the ball to one man show poor Justin Herbert and we are right where we're supposed to be. I just want to put a prediction out there because we have already seen, you know, the Justin Herbert story starring a coach that just doesn't know what he's doing. Can you imagine these wacky fourth downs, the Justin Herbert story where. Well, actually that defense, while it has Joey Bosa and Derwin James and other good li. You know that defense isn't good enough. And then last year we saw the premiere of Justin Herbert, who's a man without Joe Alt. This year will be the debut of Quentin Johnston, Ladd McConkey just not enough weapons. Even Mike McDaniel couldn't do it. So like I, I, I like the preseason optimism. I, I appreciate that you at least have the Chiefs on the graphic. I'm going to go ahead and have the scorching hot take that. The Chargers are going to be who the Chargers have been my entire life, which is a better team on paper than they are on the field. I would put the Chiefs at the top of the division, but overall not a huge disagreement on the afc.
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Colin Cowherd
Okay, so I think the nfc, there's the west feels pretty secure. Seahawks, Rams are the best two teams. San Francisco is old, brittle and Arizona is not there. So I, I go Eagles, Giants again. I need Malik Neighbors, I need Scatter Boo Jackson, Dart out of the blue tent. Andrew Thomas, who I like at left tackle but misses too many. I need four offensive guys to mostly play, but I do think the culture and the defensive line talent's pretty damn good. Eagles, Giants, Lions, who I think have the best roster in their division and I think they've upgraded it. Oc, Lions, Bears, Saints. Most underrated team in the league, the Saints. There's a chance they are. I really thought, I think they really attacked their offense very smartly. That's what they missed. Some speed on the perimeter and then Ram Seahawks, fire away. Listen, the NFC East, I don't know what to do with Dallas. I don't, I know they'll be better. I don't know what to do with them.
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Nick Wright
So let's start there because I am, I am surprised you have the Giants ahead of the Cowboys. I, the Eagles are. I think we might agree on this. I think the Eagles are the only team in the league that it would not shock Me if they have the best record in football and it would not shock me if at Thanksgiving we think they're firing their coach. I think they have. Their variance is 7 wins to 14 wins. And they might be the only team I feel that way about. So they're a hard one to handicap. But you, Colin, you for as long forget as I've known you a decade. But I feel like I've known you for 25 years. I've listened. One thing you have been consistent about from when you were on the radio in Portland is you want you hold your quarterbacks to a different standard.
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John Middlekauff
I do.
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Nick Wright
I even heard a rumor once upon a time. You even care about how they wear their baseball caps even though they're not baseball players.
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Podcast Announcer
Yeah.
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Nick Wright
And you're going to attach your wagon to Jackson Dart over Dak Prescott. Dak Prescott, the bastion of adult professionalism. All of it. You're going to. You're. You've got the Giants. I know Harbaugh's good. The first week of the season when Jackson Dart is diving head first to gain six yards on third and 14, you're going to rip your hair out. You say, what am I doing, Dax? Just super professional throwing dimes. So that one's odd to me. NFC north, brutal. Just brutally tough top to bottom. I think that's fine. The South, I'm partial to Baker. I also am not all that interested. Sorry Saints fans. I'm not that interested in that division. I want to talk about the west for a moment. I think I understand why the Rams are the favorite. I get why they're the favorite. They deserve to be the favorite even if they don't bring back Aaron Donald. I think the most important thing for the rest of the NFC as a whole is that Seattle wins the division again. And I say that only because I think if the Rams are forced to go outdoors in the postseason, they are incredibly beatable. And I think that if they get to be at home in climate controlled fast tracks en route to the super bowl, it's going to be hard to beat them, barring an injury. So I think Seattle, the Seattle Los Angeles battle for the division, which last year might have decided the super bowl as well might be the most important thing in the nfc. But I don't take huge issue with how you have it, except I just think the Cowboys gotta be better than the Giants now.
- [18:15]
Colin Cowherd
The Dak Jackson Dart take is one of your best. That really. I won't sleep well tonight. I may have to.
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Nick Wright
You won't sleep well. You won't sleep well. I mean, you. It's one thing to have Scatter Boo as a running back. Be a little, you know, a little eccentric. You don't like quarterbacks like that at all?
- [18:35]
Colin Cowherd
At all? No, I don't like it like at all. Okay, so I want. I want to end with this. The most impressive thing about LeBron isn't his resume or the fact that he was 21, 6 and 7 and the healthiest guy in the Lakers last year. It's not that that he's done more for a longer period than anybody now eclipsing a Russell or a Kareem. That's not it. The most impressive part is the NBA waited for him to sign with the Sixers. He will open against the Knicks. He is Christmas Day against the Lakers. Not Ant, not Wemby, not the Knicks, not the Celtics.
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Nick Wright
That's right.
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Colin Cowherd
In year 20. I forget. He is the Rolling Stones. He's Paul McCartney. It's like, no, he's still the most interesting person on stage. I saw the schedule today and I'm like, you gotta be kidding me. By the way, those will be the 2 highest regular season games in the league. Absolutely guaranteed. Right?
- [19:37]
Nick Wright
So it is. Again, people can disagree with whether this is the right strategy or not, but they can't disagree with what the NBA has told us. The NBA has told us while we debate all the time about the face of the league. It's been this guy for almost a quarter century, every single year, certainly for the last 20. The fact that on the opening night of the season, they could have put LeBron on opening night, but had it be about Jaylen Brown against the Celtics, you know what I mean? A Sixers Celtics could have been opening night. No, we want to. What? What is going to make the Knicks first home game dropping the banner feel biggest? Probably should have LeBron there. You know, we probably should have LeBron there Christmas Day. Christmas Day. Is that when we should do the finals rematch? Yes, Nick. Spurs Christmas day. All right. It's going to be the 5pm 3 third game. Marquee game, right? Yeah. No, let's. We're going to go ahead and put that in the morning when people are still opening presents.
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Colin Cowherd
Why?
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Nick Wright
What's bigger than that?
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John Middlekauff
I don't know.
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Nick Wright
LeBron's return to LA is only game there. That's probably the biggest game of the day. All right. What about the Lakers, who've played opening night every year since Bron got there? Yeah, we don't have room for him this year on opening night. Sorry. We got room for the Pistons, but the Lakers, sorry, no, Brian, we're not going to be on there. He has, right or wrong, carried the interest of this league not single handedly, but more so than any player, not just since Jordan, but including Jordan, and done it for a longer period of time than imaginable. And credit, by the way, to Steph, because Steph's team also got a Christmas Day game. And of the 10 teams playing on Christmas, they're the only team that's probably going to be bad. And that's just because Steph still has that much draw and that much star quality. But the league tells us every chance they get. The most interesting person playing basketball also happens to be the oldest, also happens to be the greatest to ever play it. And it's LeBron.
- [21:51]
Colin Cowherd
I mean, think about this. Lakers get Luka, Everybody Loves Luka. NBA's like, Nah, Nick Sixers, Nick Sixers.
- [21:58]
Nick Wright
I mean, they, it's unbelievable. And that they didn't, that they are prioritizing on Christmas, they could have had LeBron on Christmas. They are prioritizing LeBron's game back against the Lakers rather than Jaylen Brown's game first in Boston. That's not on the schedule. The Sixers at Celtics, it was an obvious Christmas game. They're like, yeah, I think we'd rather see LeBron with his one game in Los Angeles of the season. We're going to do that instead. It's remarkable.
- [22:32]
Colin Cowherd
Nick Wright, funny stuff today. First things first. Good seeing you, buddy.
- [22:36]
Nick Wright
As always, great to see you. Stay safe in the Windy City, my friend. My goodness, yes, very windy.
- [22:42]
Colin Cowherd
Stay safe in Chicago today. The storms fly through, but I, you know, I knew it was occasionally cold here, but you know, it's, it's an eventful weather calendar to say the least.
- [22:56]
Podcast Announcer
Want 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.
- [23:07]
Stugotz
Stagats here I have a podcast empire. It continues to grow and I have brought it here to Ivar. I'm also doing a live radio show from to 5pm Eastern because my wife wanted to kick me out of the house. It's called Stugatsi company Live, which is available in podcast form right when the show finishes every single day. Some of the biggest names in sports, a lot of phone calls.
- [23:32]
Podcast Announcer
I love you guys show.
- [23:33]
John Middlekauff
It's one of my favorites.
- [23:34]
Stugotz
A lot of interaction. Guys not taking themselves too seriously. Those are just some of the things that you could expect from Stugouts Co. And Stugots Co. Live. So listen to Stugots Co. Live and our original podcast. Please subscribe, rate and review, Stug Co. And God bless football. Taylor's livelihood depends on it. Do it today and you can check all of those out on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.
- [24:07]
Colin Cowherd
If you're spending time outside, it's important to know the potential risks of skin cancer non melanoma skin cancers, or NMSCs, including basal cell carcinoma and cutaneous squamous cell carcin, common in the US and can become advanced and harder to treat if left undetected. Our sponsor, Regeneron, is raising awareness about advanced NMSCs. Learn more and take the pledge to see a dermatologist annually@letsgetrealaboutskincancer.com this episode brought
- [24:38]
Verizon Business Sponsor
to you by Verizon Business when we watch the World cup, we focus on the stars, the players, the coaches, the matches. But here's what's fascinating.
- [24:46]
Colin Cowherd
What does it take to make an
- [24:47]
Verizon Business Sponsor
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- [25:26]
Colin Cowherd
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Nick Wright
Right?
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Colin Cowherd
Like that. That's a fair argument. Do they have that late game toughness to win on the road? That's a fair criticism. But when, when Lincoln Riley took over the offense, this team had 35 legitimate Division 1 players, USC players. I mean, it was a, it was a Fresno State roster. It was bad. The previous Staff couldn't recruit. He took that program over. From that day until today, they are first in the country in passing offense, third down percentage, red zone offense. And they've done it without a lot of NFL running backs and offensive linemen. They've been doing it with like guys. They're just now, just now getting an offensive line that has Sunday players. So you know this idea that he's not using Jaden Maiva, right? I watched Jaden Maava UNLV because I used to live in Vegas, so I still pay attention to UNLV football. I've watched him at usc. I've never seen a player that I didn't think was good enough to play in the Pac12 at a high level to. I absolutely think he should be the second or third quarterback taken. I think he's that good. I think he's really good. He's really grown up. Bad decisions to good ones. Didn't like him thrown over the middle of the field the first year at usc. Now, I mean, I went to that Illinois game last year was. He scored too quickly. He is really a good player. Here was Lincoln recently on. On his quarterback, our starting quarterback.
- [30:12]
Lincoln Riley
You know, he's certainly established himself as a leader on our football team, as one of the best quarterbacks in the country. Of all the guys that I've been fortunate enough to coach, I don't know that I've had any that have improved from day one, you know, to this point as much as Jaden has. And it's been fun to see him grow as a player. It's been fun to see him grow as a leader and really, I think, start to embrace what it means to be the starting quarterback at usc.
- [30:38]
Colin Cowherd
I've never seen a quarterback that was out of control to what he is in two years. Well, who gets credit for that? The kid does, obviously. So does the coach. Right now, four starting quarterbacks in the NFL had Lincoln Riley. This will be your fifth. He is something else. John Middelkoff of the news. No, no, no, Turn on the news.
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Podcast Announcer
This is the herd line news.
- [31:01]
Colin Cowherd
I told, I literally told when I saw Lincoln Riley two years ago. I'm like, I watched Jaden at unlv. Good luck. I'm like, I don't know. He's got a good arm, but I don't know. And year and a half later, I'm
- [31:13]
John Middlekauff
like, wow, Lincoln has a good Cabo tan going there.
- [31:16]
Podcast Announcer
Going.
- [31:18]
John Middlekauff
And the quarterbacks, I mean, part of it is, you know, from Caleb to Kyler to Jalen, hurts. I mean, Baker Mayfield, this guy was in a different universe than all those guys coming out of high school, clearly. So I see what he's saying about the improvement. Speaking of improvement and speaking of former Lincoln Riley quarterbacks, KYLER Murray, Colin. August 11th, this isn't, you know, a week before the first game's kicking off. This is August 11th. Officially named the starting quarterback. I think it's safe to say anyone with a functional brain knew the moment he was signed he was the starting quarterback. And I saw our buddy Albert Brear tweeted out that Kevin o' Connell had to look his veteran players and he has a lot of high price veteran players, especially on that offense.
- [32:10]
Lincoln Riley
Yes.
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John Middlekauff
And they didn't think the other guy. They had to go with the person that everyone on the team thinks is the better player. Yeah, we have recent examples. The Colts did this last year with Daniel Jones. The Niners did this with Brock Purdy and Trey Lance. Veteran players, you know, listen, former scout here. But sometimes your best scouts are the guys on the field. They know what's going on and especially veteran players. And when they turn on a guy. This is a pretty good spot for Kyler Murray, is it not?
- [32:39]
Colin Cowherd
Well, yeah, let's look at the Viking schedule, if our guys can, can call it up. Minnesota is really interesting because we love the staff, we love the left tackle, the receiving core, their tight end space. I mean it's, it's a really, I mean they, they open it home with Green Bay, you're going to know after two weeks home with Green Bay at Chicago, you're going to get a real sense of who they are early. And then they've got some winnable games here. Tampa, Miami, Saints, they get the Colts at home. They got, they have a couple of these go either way games at home. So I think you're going to have, I think there's the chance if they can win that opener at home against Green Bay. I think it's a very interesting team. That division is so good offensively, John. It really is. Every one of these offenses can be special.
- [33:29]
John Middlekauff
I know you're high on this player connection with the coach. If I wanted to go glass half empty, could I say that he's been banged up several times over the course of the last three years. Yeah. Even last year, essentially benched the second half of the season, you go, oh, it's the Cardinals. Well, part of the reason you're so big in on the Lions is because they stole their O.C. drew petzing, which everyone thinks really good. He went with Jacoby Brissette who threw 23 touchdowns. Now, the team wasn't very good, but the quarterback play in the offense was good. It's, you see the clips when he's at practice. It's just, it's just a math problem. He's 5, 9. The guys in front of him are right. It's hard to see.
- [34:10]
Colin Cowherd
No, that's why it's not going to be a 14 win. Sam Darnold Vikings I think it's 9 to 10 win team. I do think there are, I think Russell Wilson got a lot of smaller guys drafted like the Johnny Mandels and guys that like Kyler Murray. I think there's, you know, it's follow the leader. It's, it's a very copycat league. But I do think as a smaller quarterback, his elusiveness, his accuracy, some of it's baseball and I also. There is something. We've seen things happen, John, like when the environment's bad at any workplace after about five or six years, you can go either way. I'm going to play or I'm going to sit it like I'm going to practice hard or I'm going to roll my eyes because we're on a five game losing streak. I think getting out of Arizona sort of changes the calculus of the person a little bit. So I think he'll be as good as he can be.
- [35:02]
John Middlekauff
And I do think the conversation is going to shift whenever, whenever Kevin o' Connell talks, whether that's today or tomorrow, is Are you comfortable making J.J. mcCarthy your backup? Because if he's not, they have Carson Wentz on the roster. Does JJ McCarthy on this team by the start of next week? I mean, I, I think he could be. If they're not comfortable with making him as the backup and they want to get Wentz continued reps. I, I think you could see J.J. mcCarthy get traded because you don't want him to get hurt in a preseason game and be stuck with a guy that you weren't even going to have your have your back. It's kind of like, you know, in basketball or baseball where the trade deadline's coming up and they hold a guy out because they're like, we can't afford this guy to roll an ankle or to get banged up. That is something I'm keeping a big time eye on over the next 48
- [35:44]
Colin Cowherd
hours and, and my take on JJ McCarthy was always at Michigan. They never really relied on him to initiate the offense. It was a run game. O line head coach, defensive. Remember the Penn State game when Harbaugh
- [35:59]
John Middlekauff
in the second half.
- [36:01]
Colin Cowherd
So it's like I like my college quarterbacks to have to initiate 300 yards of offense. And it's not all on J.J. mcCarthy. If I had that Michigan roster with 15 NFL guys I would, and Blake Corum and that old line, I would have run the football. But I don't think his Michigan experience prepared him for the NFL. And I, you know I've said this. If it was just about, I mean like C.J. stroud's one of the few Ohio State quarterbacks in the league. Why they all they get four and five star guys because it's easier to play quarterback at Ohio State because you have such especially now with the recruiting at wide receiver and offensive line. There is some value. I mean at one point we had five quarterbacks in the league from Cal and North Carolina State. There is value that your college experience is filled with crisis and humbling and getting banged around and Drew Brees at Purdue, you know you have to win by track meet. So I just think Michigan was a, it's a little like Matt Leiner when he was at sc. It was a lot of handing off to Reggie Bush and throwing with a lead. It's, it doesn't really prepare you for the league.
- [37:07]
John Middlekauff
Totally agree. Sean Payton, your guy surprised all of us this off season saying that he's given up play calling and he's given it to the new hotshot Davis Webb. In a sit down interview, Peyton spoke to how he's still going to be very involved in the offense because he saw some but he saw something special in Webb and he didn't want to hold the offense back. Here's Peyton.
- [37:29]
Sean Payton
It was more about man, I don't want to be the one stopping progress if that's the case. You remember driver's ed when it was in high school and you had the steering wheel but the, but the teacher had the brake and they were right next to you. This is before they went online. So I'll be next to him and if there's something we need, he's not going to fail. Like he's gonna be great at it and I'm gonna make sure he is.
- [37:57]
Colin Cowherd
I don't, I think it's hard actually when you've been great at something like play design and play calling to give it up. There's gonna be moments for Sean's like that's not what I would have called. But I, I, I think that's much hard like d' Amico Ryan's if you said hey d', Ameco, give up you know that just, just walk around, just make sure everything like no D' Amico's brilliant defense, Mike McDonald's like that. You're just like every is the right one reportedly. So I think it's, I think it's an interesting kind of subplot to the Bo Knicks growth.
- [38:29]
John Middlekauff
I think you know, talking to people in the NFL they think that is going to be. There are some jobs where the team's so bad like Munkin or Halfley down in Miami where there's not really pressure on you. This might be the most pressure packed job including head coaches in the league. You got the guy standing right next to you. The offense is his baby. Bo Nix was his hand picked player. You're young, you know, it'd be one thing if you know you're 50 years old, you've been with him for 20 years. Part of the reason they had to do this too, let's be real, he was going to get a chance to call plays last year even if he didn't get a head coaching job, right? So Sean Payton, remember he fired one of his best friends who was on the staff. I there, there are just a lot of eyeballs on this franchise. It's a marquee brand in the league. There's the returning number one overall seed, division champs. That's it's just a tough gig to get your first offensive coordinator spot with the guy hanging over your shoulder.
- [39:23]
Colin Cowherd
And look at their first eight weeks. I mean it's Arizona and a bunch of really tough playoff level elite quarterback teams. It, it is a rough schedule.
- [39:34]
John Middlekauff
Can I ask you a question? Last year their offense was all over the map and a lot of games, if you watched them, it was like what is going on? Then they'd flip a switch with like 7 minutes remaining. Can he afford as the play caller? You know, it's one thing if Sean Payton, I think that thing gets ripped back and he starts calling the plays in the middle of a game, it'll be like Dan Campbell with the, with the glasses on, give me that thing. So I, I Good luck Davis. Last but not least, your guy Joe Clatt, he put out his preseason top 25 and I saw him saying at the Big Ten media days that, you know his love and how impressed he is with this roster at Oregon has them number one overall. You and I are west coast football.
- [40:19]
Colin Cowherd
It's the best Oregon roster ever. I would say that.
- [40:22]
John Middlekauff
Which I, you know, when you look at this list, it's a lot of programs that have won national championships and even Indiana before two years ago, worst program ever. They just won the national championship and didn't lose a game.
- [40:34]
Colin Cowherd
So his top five is closer to mine. I think Notre Dame has a really good shot to play for the Natty. I think Notre Dame, Ohio State, Miami. But this is the best Oregon roster. His looks like mine now he has Texas seven. I think Texas. I think that schedule is too much. I do think they have a great pass rusher who will be one of the first non quarterbacks probably drafted in the next year. I think he's a. I think he's a junior sophomore. I think Texas is good, but I think there's a ton of pressure on Arch. I think the schedule is absolutely ridiculous. So he. His first SEC team is Georgia. Now. I don't think Georgia. Offensively, I think they're kind of pedestrian. That's my take with. With Stockton. Gunner.
- [41:20]
Josh Pate
Gunner.
- [41:20]
Podcast Announcer
Stockton.
- [41:21]
John Middlekauff
Yeah.
- [41:21]
Nick Wright
Yeah.
- [41:21]
Colin Cowherd
I just. They're just. Okay, good defensively, not like they used to be. But his is very much in line. I think Oklahoma's a bit underrated. His is very much in line where I'm at.
- [41:32]
John Middlekauff
I think some of these preseason top 20 fives can be difficult. With the transfer portal, you got a lot of moving parts. You never know exactly how it'll mesh. My one main issue is if. Let's just take Ohio State, Notre Dame and Oregon. If any three of those programs, or you could put Miami in this too. Had just won the national championship. They returned, their coach returned other players, got a hotshot guy in the portal at quarterback. They would just be a lock to be number one. Yet Indiana, somehow they just went 60. Let's see. The team's above them. They beat Miami last year. They beat Ohio State. And they beat. Or they beat. They beat three out of the four teams above them last year, same coach. So I get it. They're Indiana. They're not maybe the marquee brand historically, but like I.
- [42:18]
Lincoln Riley
He's.
- [42:19]
John Middlekauff
He's earned my respect and I'm not betting against him. I mean I would. And we talked about their schedule earlier. Like Oregon, we all love Dan Lanning, but that program for a long time now has been loaded with players and for whatever reason, they just can't quite get over the hump.
- [42:34]
Colin Cowherd
Yep. Yeah.
- [42:37]
Verizon Business Sponsor
Yeah, it's.
- [42:38]
Colin Cowherd
It's. I love the new college football. Notre Dame, Miami glamour program. Pacific Northwest represented Big Ten. Crushing Texas from the south is. Is I owe both. Always think makes college football better.
- [42:53]
John Middlekauff
You think there's pressure on Lanning, you know, hot seat. But it's like hey, man, this, you got this couple year window. Let's, let's make a run. It's harder now to win it because you got to, you got to win three games even if you're a top four seed.
- [43:06]
Colin Cowherd
If you can make the playoff at Oregon and you can win a couple of games in the playoffs, I think you got to be careful right now. Notre Dame, Miami, Ohio State, Texas, I mean, it's, let's be honest about Oregon. They're there because of Phil Knight. He can afford Dan Lanning, he can afford the five star recruit. So, you know, Oregon standard has been raised precipitously over the last decade where it used to be, win a bowl game, beat Washington, you know, they separated from Oregon State. Now, like, I think it's unfair to put Oregon in natty or coaches in trouble. I think if they can win, if they get to a playoff and win two games regardless of who they play, that's a damn good year for almost everybody this year not named Texas or Ohio State Fair. John with the news.
- [43:55]
John Middlekauff
Well, that's the news and thanks for stopping by.
- [43:57]
Podcast Announcer
The Herd lie news live in Chicago.
- [44:00]
Colin Cowherd
It's the Herd.
- [44:03]
Podcast Announcer
Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio app.
- [44:12]
Colin Cowherd
If you're spending time outside, it's important to know the potential risks of skin cancer. Non melanoma skin cancer cancers or NMSCs, including basal cell carcinoma and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, are common in the US and can become advanced and harder to treat if left undetected. Our sponsor, Regeneron, is raising awareness about advanced NMSCs. Learn more and take the pledge to see a dermatologist annually at let's get real about skin cancer.com this episode brought
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Verizon Business Sponsor
to you by Verizon Business. When we watch the World cup, we focus on the stars, the players, the coaches, the matches. But here's what's fascinating.
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Colin Cowherd
What does it take to make an
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Verizon Business Sponsor
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Colin Cowherd
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Less stress, less time, more results. Get your $75 sponsored job credit today at Indeed.com podcast terms and conditions apply. Hiring now then, this is a job for Indeed. Sponsored Jobs Living with a rare autoimmune condition can bring a lot of uncertainty, but can also bring together in powerful ways. Tune in for Season six of Untold Stories Life with a Severe Autoimmune Condition, a Ruby Studio production in partnership with Argenics. This season, host Martine Hackett brings you fresh stories from people living with MG and CIDP and expands the conversation of people living with other rare conditions like Myositis and igan. Through their stories, you'll learn what it's like to participate in clinical trials seeking new treatments, how connection fuels hope, and how people can support one another along the way. Because living with a rare disease isn't about getting through it, it's about moving forward together. Listen to Untold Stories Life with a Severe Autoimmune condition on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. All right, we did it an hour ago. We debuted it, so we got three and a half my predictions for the first and second place teams in both conferences. I'm not going to argue or debate bad teams that have no chance to make the playoffs. Buffalo New England's probably the easiest. I like the Bills to win it. The Patriots lodged in for a wild card. Their schedule's tougher. Jets, Dolphins, rebuilding Ravens, Bengals in the AFC North. I think Cincinnati deserves credit spending some money on Jonathan Allen and Dexter Lawrence and boy a Mayfa mafe from Seattle. They have upgraded significantly their defensive front. They've always had the quarterback and the wide receiver and the skill player so I go Ravens 1, Cincinnati 2 I'm going to take Texans Colts to Miko Ryan's I think is a top five coach in the league. CJ Stroud regressed offensive lines been addressed. I think he rebounds a little and this was a tough one. A lot of people like the Jags didn't love their draft. I think if Daniel Jones is upright the Colts roster top to bottom better I have them lodging in potential Wild Car Team AFC West Denver pulls back. They trailed 15 games last year and won 14. Virtually absurd. You can't do that again. They are inconsistent offensively. The Chargers Mike McDaniel Trey Harris will pop as a receiver. Running backs at least for now in the O line are healthy and Kansas City's roster has holes. Trent McDuffie's gone. That hurts but I have them as a wild card team in the nfc. The probably the hardest division to crack is I'll take Philadelphia because I like their roster. Sirianni works. Jalen Hurts is a grown up Makai Lemon not having a great camp but he and Devonte Smith Saquon Barkley that offensive line and tight end group will score some points. I like the Giants fingers crossed on Jackson dart scatter boo Malik neighbors Andrew Thomas's health. But they lost a lot of one score games unlike Denver. Reverse it with Denver. Denver won too many close ones. Giants lost too many close ones. Both will somewhat flip. I think when you go to the NFC north best division in football. Detroit's got the best roster. I think their offensive line they solved it in the draft. The right tackle spot. Now Panay Sewell moves to left. I think their roster is fantastic. I think their skill players are exceptional. Feel the same way about the Bears but I don't like their defensive personnel as well. I think Jalen Johnson's a hell of a corner and Malik Muhammad I watched him at practice from Texas. He'll be an interesting rookie. But I think the Lions and the Bears separate from the pack about Thanksgiving. I think NFC South Saints will be maybe the most improved team in the league in Carolina. I like their GM and their coach. I think they've given Bryce Young a lot to work with. I do worry about his size and his health and NFC West. Listen, Seattle could win the super bowl again. I know you don't think it's possible but if Sam Darnold wins back to back Super Bowls. I'm going to be difficult. I wish all of you the best of luck. If Darnold hoists his second straight Lombardi Trophy. There you go. Afc, nfc, top two teams in each apologize for third and fourth place finishers. But hey, do better and I'll talk about it. There you go. Last hour. Coming up, Joel Klatt on deck. We got a lot to discuss.
- [51:01]
Verizon Business Sponsor
This episode brought to you by Verizon Business the World cup from FIFA isn't just the biggest ever. It's also the most technologically complex. 104 matches, 16 stadiums, 3 countries. But for Verizon Business, that's another day with private 5G networks in every stadium, more than 80,000 miles of fiber, end to end security. Verizon business is powering FIFA's World Cup. If Verizon Business can do that, imagine what they can do for your business. Visit verizon.com powering FIFAWorldCup now to learn
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Colin Cowherd
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Colin Cowherd
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Verizon Business Sponsor
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Colin Cowherd
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