← The Herd with Colin Cowherd
The Herd with Colin Cowherd
THE HERD - Hour 2 - Where Colin was right and where he was wrong, the dangerous teams heading into the playoffs, Matt Hasselbeck
00:41:46
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- [00:00]
Matt Hasselbeck
This is an I heart podcast. Guaranteed human.
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Colin Cowherd
I'll say it up front. I don't usually endorse supplements. Most promise shortcuts. Anybody who's done real work knows shortcuts fail. But I like EmDrives. Every morning I put that protein powder in my coffee. It's practical. As you get older, energy dips and weight comes easier. That's biology. EmDrive boost and burn support steady energy metabolism and fat burning so effort actually counts. Clinically tested ingredients find that it sprouts. Amazon or mdrive for men.com mdrive for men who still show up 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. Hi, I'm Dr. Priyanka Walley. And I'm Hari Kondabolu. It's a new year, and on the podcast Health Stuff, we're resetting the way we talk about our health, which means being honest about what we know, what we don't know, and how messy it can all be. I like to sleep in late and and sleep early. Is there a chronotype for that, or am I just depressed? Health Stuff is about learning, laughing, and feeling a little less alone. Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you only listen to one thing to make sense of the news this year, make it this. The final episode of this season of Next Question pulls together the most important.
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Colin's Co-host (possibly a Fox Sports Radio analyst or contributor)
Conversations of the year.
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Colin Cowherd
You'll hear David Graham on Project 2025, Liz Oyer on the plethora of presidential.
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Colin's Co-host (possibly a Fox Sports Radio analyst or contributor)
Pardons, Tina Brown on the year's biggest.
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Colin Cowherd
Scandals here at home and across the pond, plus much, much more. It's a crash course in the last.
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Colin's Co-host (possibly a Fox Sports Radio analyst or contributor)
12 months, how we made it through.
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Colin Cowherd
The year, and a look at what might be coming in 2026. Listen to next Question with me, Katie Couric on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts.
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Colin's Co-host (possibly a Fox Sports Radio analyst or contributor)
Or wherever you get your podcasts.
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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. Welcome in. It is a Monday. Great to be here Baltimore. We'll see you next year. Live in Los Angeles, it's the herd. 42 year old Aaron Rodgers, my comeback player of the year. Good for him. Good story. Matt Hasselbeck just around the corner. Let's not waste any time this this week. Starting Thursday, it's going to be as good as college and pro football has been in this country in a long time. Multiple potential upsets, right? Wrong. And here we go. Where Colin was right. I picked the Denver Broncos before the season to win the AFC west and unseat Kansas City despite Russell Wilson's cap hit still being 32 million on the books. Bo Nix I was a huge fan. 24 wins tied for the most ever first two seasons for a quarterback. Sean Payton may bother people time to time, but he's one of the few NFL coaches I trust in the draft room and the film room. He knows like Jimmy Johnson, he knows personnel. He gets trades. Play design, play calling. Denver was one of my better picks of the year in the NFL. Where Colin was wrong. Kevin Stefanski got fired. I don't get it. Of all the fired coaches, I think he has a really viable market. He's a two time coach of the year who had to swim in chaos because of ownership. A DeSean Watson deal. In 23 years the Browns have won two playoff games. Guess who the coach for both was? Kevin Stefanski. An intellectual. He's calm. He's a mentor. He's a teacher. If I was the Raiders, I would have hired him an hour ago. Where Colin was right I lobbied for the Miami Hurricanes to make the College Football Playoff over Notre Dame. Well, they've beaten Texas A and M and Ohio State and they're favored over Ole Miss. I didn't think losing to an eight win Louisville team in October should wreck an entire program season. College football is more like pro football and the most physical team left. And I don't think there's any question is the Miami Hurricanes one of the glamour programs in college football that pushed the Buckeyes around in a three and a half hour flex? Where Collin was wrong. Listen, I applauded the Cowboys for moving off Micah Parsons and I love the fact in a good draft they have two first round picks. But this coaching staff was not equipped to handle it. It exposed an incredibly weak secondary, worst in the NFL defensively on third down, terrible scoring defense. I also don't think it it played very well in the locker room where Micah was respected and liked. I think by draft day you'll like the deal. But right now it looks like it was a miss where Collin was right. Nine of the 14 playoff teams have offensive coaches, most notably Liam Cohen and Ben Johnson. Folks, if you've got a young quarterback or you draft a quarterback strongly, consider the guy that has a quarterback sensibility. Caleb's talent has now been allowed to flourish. First thing he addressed, like most offensive coaches, was the O line. Interior Ben Johnson got the Bears to a number two seed. Just say that out loud. Great job. Where Colin was wrong well, my portfolio has never had a lot of Jaguar stock, but this is the best Trevor Lawrence has ever been. Quarterback coach, run game and they get good pressure although they don't have a ton of sacks. They're legitimate. Liam Cohen is clever, he's intense. He's brought a serious nature. There's not a lot. I mean, if you were doubting how good they were, go back to what they did to the Chargers, totally dismantled them. Or the Broncos. They went to Denver, completely dominated them. This may be outside of Seattle, the best team in the NFL in Jacksonville where Colin was right. Don't overthink the room. I said it mid season. Fernando Mendoza is a runaway number one pick. The quarterback for Indiana. Do you know since he showed up in Bloomington. Listen to this. 44 touchdowns, no interceptions in the red zone since. Since going to Bloomington. Don't overthink the room. Big, strong, good arm, played in an excellent conference. I said they're not going to beat Alabama. They're going to blow the doors off of Alabama. And that's exactly what they did. Where Collin was right. I didn't buy Ty Simpson at Alabama who's rumored to be transferring. He doesn't have a single. Wow. Traitor. Arm size, mobility. I just don't see it as a first round talent. He got banged up and then pulled against the Hoosiers. Bama didn't score a touchdown. Simpson's fine but they have tremendous receivers at Alabama. He is by all accounts second, third, fourth round guy. Where Colin was raw. I defended not only acquiring Kirk Cousins but drafting Michael Penix. But the head coach and GM today got fired. Penix has dissolved into sort of a nothing burger. He's banged up Cousins. Actually Kirk played pretty well at the end of the season. Too little, too late. My takeaway was folks you can't have too many quarterbacks, bring a veteran in for a year and then have Michael Penix take it from there. Maybe they should have hired an offensive coach, but it doesn't look like I was on the right side of that one. Colin Right. Colin wrong in a Monday. And with that 18 years in the NFL, our friend Matt Hasselbeck joining us live. I got to tell you, I'm watching Aaron Rodgers last night. He doesn't have DK Metcalf and it's intense and he doesn't move very well. And I was like, at 42 years old, that was pretty impressive. What is your big bow on the Aaron Rodgers experiment in Pittsburgh?
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Matt Hasselbeck
Well, double moves, right end of the game, you can tell that the defense is squatting on you. You empower the guys in the huddle. You talk to your wide receiver, hey, what route do you want on the backside? It's one of the reasons his teamma love him. Some people on the outside, they don't love him. His teammates seem to really like him and he gives his his backside receiver a hitch and go to set up the game winner. Now, there was a little more drama into it at the end, but when he walked off the field, he did everything that Mike Tomlin and cam Hayward and T.J. watt that they were expecting when they brought him in to be the starter. Games like this, games in December, games in January and hopefully beyond. I mean, I think he delivered.
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Colin Cowherd
Yeah, their receivers just don't get open a lot. I mean, that's the reality. They just. Without DK Metcalf, you got to make tight window throws and throw to the tight end. Now what do we do with Lamar?
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Matt Hasselbeck
Can I just add on that, though? Like, guys don't get open, but there's certain routes, when you go one on one in, in practice with like wide receiver and DBs, there's some routes that you're like, sort of not supposed to do because it's not really fair to the defense. Double moves are one of them. And so, like, if you're having a hard time getting open, let's go ahead and double move you like the hitch and go backside for a touchdown. The Friar moves out and called a stick nod. Like double moves are when you basically got to have the courage to do it and trust your O line. But that was the difference between winning the game and losing the game last night. And a quarterback like Aaron Rodgers has the cachet and all the accolades to say, yeah, we're going to put it all, all our chips on the table. We're going to double move you here at the end. And that's what happened.
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Colin Cowherd
You know, there's, I didn't like much about Pittsburgh this year. They blew two coverages, Zay Flowers wide open twice. They miss an extra point and Baltimore could not take advantage. So in the end, Lamar Jackson, Harbaugh, where do you sit today? The Ravens. So they just bring the band back.
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Matt Hasselbeck
Yeah, bring the band back, but the band has to be better. Your best players got to play their best now at times. Yesterday, Lamar Jackson looked like the all world quarterback that we've seen sacked by not only one guy, but two guys. And then he gets out and there's no coverage for that. Like literally in the defensive room, they're going to be like, hey, if you don't get him down, we got no shot. Zay Flowers late down the middle, like we had no shot. The problem is Lamar wasn't Superman all year long. And I don't know the reasons I would say this though. When I look at his year, how many weeks did he practice? Every day of the week. And I'm a person that I do believe practice matters. And even if you don't need the practice, your teammates need you out there at practice. So sometimes those things are out of your control. You can do nothing, nothing about it. But I think that's a great head coach and a great quarterback. They just gotta, they just gotta do it. They gotta do it and they didn't do it for the entire season. And that's why they, you know, found themselves in a gotta win it at the end of the year situation.
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Colin Cowherd
Well, you, you were very slow to embrace Chicago and for three quarters yesterday, they didn't do anything offensively. It, it looked like. Are they playing starters? Ben Johnson was literally addressed it after the game. They are now a home underdog to a Green Bay team that hasn't won a game in a month. So the, the market is telling you we do not trust Chicago. Now two weeks ago when they got into a shootout with San Francisco, you were sitting there thinking, okay, this, this team's gonna. And then they. It's a nothing burger yesterday. Should I look at that and just go, okay, it's, it's. They're in the playoffs and then care that much about seating. They were good in the end. Or, or the market is telling you be concerned. Are you concerned right now with what you saw with Chicago yesterday and going forward?
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Matt Hasselbeck
Well, no, I'm actually not that concerned. I'm gaining more respect for them. First of all, I think Ben Johnson is one of the great coaches in the game. Like this dude, what he has done and who the team that he left, what happened there when he left, I think he's great. The work that he's done with this young quarterback has been impressive. I think they're just a little bit of procrastinators. If you just told this team, hey, it's two minute or hey, it's fourth quarter, the quarterback has something that you can't necessarily coach, like a clutch factor and it factor. But the easy stuff one through three, like, we got to get better at that. And I think that's what Ben Johnson addressed at the podium right after the game. He was very disappointed in the offense. He was very disappointed that they were shut out going into the fourth quarter. So. And I think he knows that it's going to take a way stronger effort in January in playoff football than what they've showed. But. But then again, listen, when you can have the intangibles and the stuff that you can't coach that works, this defense is really impressive. Getting turnovers. This team can run the ball. There's a lot to like there. You know, I get why people are hesitant. I've been hesitant on them all year. And I think Ben Johnson sort of agrees in a weird way, yet he's the guy that gets to try to fix it.
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Colin Cowherd
So I don't think Seattle really. I don't think they benefit from a week off. They're young, athletic, healthy, playing well. It's like I've watched college football. I've watched the NFL. Buys are weird in football. They're good for a team like the Niners that's old and beat up. But like Seattle, I'm like, get back out there. I think they're the best team in the league. I think they have the fastest roster. I. There's. There's almost nothing. I don't like. Your takeaway, watching them go to San Francisco and completely shut down Christian McCaffrey, I mean, that is unheard of this year. They, you know what? I said it earlier, Matt. They remind me the Seahawk team that Pete had. The difference it made me. Big run game defense, incredible length and activity. The difference is I think Darnold's a bit more of a unifier than Russell. What do you make of Seattle right now?
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Matt Hasselbeck
Well, I love this defense. You know, I actually think they're out of the shadow of the legion of boom now. I think they've got their own identity. I think they've earned it. You know, two years in a Row, they've been a good. They were top 10 defense last year. They're the best defense in football this year. You know, really special teams and offense didn't play their strongest game against San Fran. The defense carried the day. And when you say, hey, I don't want them to have a bye week because the momentum, you sound like someone who has a high pain tolerance for other people's pain. If you ask all those players in the locker room, they'll take the bye week all day long and they'll say, hey, listen, coaches, you create an environment in our bye week where we are competing so hard, best versus best ones versus ones, where we can get that rust or anything that everyone's worried about, about not having momentum. We'll get that out of our system. But we'll protect our JSNs and we'll protect our Sam Darnolds and we'll protect our running backs. You know, our offensive line. Gray's able, you know, so like, I, I sort of chuckle at that notion that you would not want to buy week because as a player, you would give a lot of money back just to have another bye week. And I think the players have proven that when CBA negotiations have come on. So that number one seed in that bye week to me is worth its weight in gold.
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Colin Cowherd
Yeah. Sean Payton says he wants it. Let's go back and revisit. So we have Drake. May's in, Caleb's in, Bo Nix is in. There's a lot of first playoff game guys. Now, Bo made the playoffs last year, so it does matter a little bit. He knows the intensity of it. Your thoughts on Denver heading into their buy? Sit and watch. Where are you at with this team going forward? A lot of close wins like Chicago can fall asleep early. Be great late.
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Matt Hasselbeck
Yeah. And I agree with you that the buy can be a trap. Like you can get out. The buy can be a trap. No, but I've liked Denver all year. The one thing I would say though, and I love these quarterbacks like I love Drake May, I love Bonax, I mean, probably love them too much in some people's opinion. But I will say this, this is an opportunity for Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills when these star quarterbacks, these like superstar proven guys, year after year are not in the playoffs. Buffalo, you maybe didn't think this was your year, but Josh Allen, now is the time to, like you've done many times before, put this team on your back and do something in the playoffs. Because even though I do love Denver and I do Think it's so impressive what Sean Payton has done. This defense has. I do think that if you're a player in the NFL right now, you feel like there's an opportunity. There's not like one clear team that could win it now. You know, Denver might have something to say about that after. After a week off the year that they've had. But. But I don't know. I think Josh Allen and those guys. Guys got to feel pretty good right now.
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Colin Cowherd
All right, so let's go to the playoff bracket. And. And you know, it's a whole different ball game. So let's go afc, nfc. So we start Chargers at the Patriots. So it's interesting both of Chargers and Patriots. You can argue, Matt, the weakness is o line that you don't get a great push. Do you have a vibe about the Chargers in New England? Drake Mays first playoff game? I would say the pressure feels like it's on New England. They're the two seed. They're at home. I still contend they need another draft to fill out this roster. I think they're early on a rebuild. Your, your thoughts on Chargers, Patriots?
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Matt Hasselbeck
Yeah, I think the Patriots are pretty strong actually up front on the tackle side of it compared to what the Chargers have. You know, Will Campbell's been an incredible addition. They nailed it on the draft pick. Everyone said, oh, his arms are too short. I think they should stop measuring arms just like they said Joe Burrows hands were too small. They should stop measuring quarterback hands. I don't think that's the thing. Doing the Patriots are really impressive. You take Mike Vrabel, you take Josh McDaniels, you take the MVP caliber year that Drake May has had. I think the offensive line's done a good. Where I would. My fear would be is if the Patriots D line wasn't healthy and they're getting healthy. Christian Barmore is back. Milton Williams is back. Like that's going to be the factor. I like New England a lot, you know, for the trenches of this matchup.
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Colin Cowherd
Okay. So basically, if you watch the regular season, there's no way you could make Buffalo a favorite at Jacksonville. And yet they are. I like Jacksonville. I.
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Matt Hasselbeck
When they.
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Colin Cowherd
When they clobbered the Chargers and then they beat Denver and I mean convincingly. I don't know. I think they're going to run the ball and control the clock. I think Buffalo is a team that starts slowly, which could hurt on the road. You have a feeling about that one?
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Matt Hasselbeck
Yeah. The Jags should be favored. The Jags should be favored in this game. Like, they're the better team this year. They're a complete team, their quarterbacks playing great, but this is just kind of like it's wild card weekend for a reason. I've played, I've been on so many wild card teams where you play in these games and crazy stuff happens. And usually what happens is one player just kind of gets like the eye of the tiger and they're like, nope, we are not going home today. Our season's not ending today. And that's what I'm saying Josh Allen needs to do. And that's what I'm saying I think he can do. Now. The difference is this is the best football that we've seen Trevor Lawrence play and no one's really talking about it because, like, oh, who Liam Cohen. Like, he was just Sean McVay's understudy. We've seen Trevor do some silly things in the past. He's let us down. Trevor Lawrence playing great football. So I think it's a great matchup. I think Jacksonville has been slept on. But again, I just think that the playoffs are different. And if you're Josh Allen and you've had this career where you've had to go against the big boys of like hall of Fame quarterbacks versus like this next next generation, this is an opportunity for you to take control of your team, take control of the locker room and say, hey, listen, why not us? Why can't this be our year? This could be our year. Like, we're just as good as everybody else. And I think that was one of the lessons that I learned in my wild card experience. You know, I was on one of those teams that was 7 and 9 with Pete Carroll and didn't, you know, we had to play the one seed or the defending world champs, the Saints. We weren't 7 and 9. Once the playoffs start, we're 0 and 0. So it doesn't matter what kind of year the Buffalo bills had, they're 0 and 0. It's a new season and that's the mentality in the locker room. And I think an all world quarterback like that could, could do some damage, could change things, could be a second season for them.
- [21:09]
Colin Cowherd
Okay, so we'll wait until next week to look at the Steelers, Texans, because that's on Monday. And you'll come back next Monday. Let's go to the nfc. We presume the Rams will take care of the Panthers. I want to talk Niners, Eagles, so San Francisco, if you just did that.
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Matt Hasselbeck
Hey, you just presumed. You got to forget it's not called like a expect what you expect weekend. It's wild card weekend. Okay. So I wouldn't even put to put it past Carolina to have an outstanding day. I wouldn't put it past them. I'll let you go on, but I'm just letting you know I wouldn't put it past them.
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Colin Cowherd
Okay. They do have big receivers which have given the Rams trouble. They have two of them. So Trent Williams, Ricky Pearsall, if they're healthy, I think they can go to Philadelphia. Philadelphia rested a lot of starters yesterday. Are you a fan of that? What do you make matchup?
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Matt Hasselbeck
Yeah. So first of all, Trent Williams is that met that loss. Him not playing makes them a completely different team. You can overcome injuries, but losing your left tackle is a completely different thing. I think a lot of teams, the Eagles included, know about that. I think there's been a long history of Philly going back to the Andy Reid days of resting people in the last game of the season before the playoffs. It's just kind of the culture in the building, and I think culture in the building is a thing. You know, I played for four different NFL teams. There was a way of doing things that kind of can carry on from regime to regime. I think Philly is one of those teams. It doesn't worry me at all that they rested their starters. I believe in that team. I would also just say that I would not sleep on the Niners. They were this close. They were really. They had one game to win and they could have been the 1 seed in the NFC. So when at full strength, you know, I think. Could they beat Philly? Yeah, they could beat Philly.
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Colin Cowherd
Yeah. God, what a year for Kyle. 12 wins for a team that lost Bosa and Fred Warner and had Mac Jones start eight games.
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Matt Hasselbeck
I mean, and lost in lost people before the season. Even in free agency like we were talking about, this was a little bit less talented of a team and then to deal with the injuries that they dealt with. But I think Brock Purdy's a way different player when his left tackles ready to roll.
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Colin Cowherd
Finally, I like Chicago at home against Green Bay. I think I do. They're more explosive offensively. I think they run the ball more consistently. I think. I don't think there's any pressure on Chicago. I think Caleb doesn't get too caught up in that. I would lean Chicago. I think they have more playmakers. I think they have the better offensive line, the better run game. Then the downside is they get gashed. They give up big, big plays. Your take on Packers, Bears, great matchup, rivalry game.
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Matt Hasselbeck
It was an awesome game the last time. You know, Jeff Halfley, I do think he's one of the great defensive coordinators. It's one of the reasons that he'll be up for, you know, a lot of these head coaching opportunities. But I think the run game matters, you know, and Chicago's done just such a great job with run game and then creativity and then Caleb being an athlete and kind of making something plays. Clearly got chemistry with the young tight end. But that, you know, this is a situation where Jeff Halfley, third time around, like, third time around games are really interesting because that's where I believe the coaching matters more. When you play someone three times, especially in a short amount of time, coaching is just so incredibly important. So these. This a great. I mean, Ben Johnson, you know how I feel about him. I think he's the best. And Jeff Affleck, I think, you know, he's one of the guys that the league thinks is one of the best. So, you know, I can't. I can't call this one. It's going to be a great game.
- [24:46]
Colin Cowherd
Did you even, at the end of your career, go, go to your last couple playoff appearances? Were you. I don't know if nervous is the right word, but when you're walking out for a playoff game, tell the audience how different it does feel. Because I've talked to Peyton Manning before about that. He's like, oh, no, it's. The speed's different. Everything feels different.
- [25:05]
Matt Hasselbeck
Nothing hurts. You know, everyone's like, oh, I'm banged up all season. Nothing hurts. I remember the Beast Quake game. You know, we were seven and nine. Everyone said, oh, you deserve to even play this game. How dare you make the defending world champ Saints come all the way out to South Alaska in Seattle to play. You guys played with a broken wrist. Nothing hurts. You're so excited. And I think one of the things that's so great about it is that you, all your, like, all your peers are at home watching like the rest of the league, whether they're in a, you know, out of the playoffs or playing on a different time, like, they're watching too. And I think for the players, like gaining the respect of your kind of your peers, coaches, players and that kind of thing, I think that's really important, guys. It was always important to me. So having that opportunity to play, like, sort of for free. I remember the first time in the wild card game where Steve Young threw it to Tio down the middle. I was playing on the Packers Niners. And remember, Brett Favre, like, broke down the team before the game and he was like, all right, guys, we're playing for free today. We're playing for the love of the game. And I was like, man, love of the game. Like, you know, like that's what it means to most of the guys now for him. He took a huge pay cut because the wild card check was like this to his main salary and it was like that to my regular salary. But that's the feeling on the field of the guys that are playing. This is for the love of the game and for the respect of your peers and you're on borrowed time and you cut it loose and have fun. And that's why it's so wild. That's why it's so fun. That's why upsets happen. My favorite weekend. It's so good.
- [26:32]
Colin Cowherd
By the way, your last playoff run, seven touchdowns, one pick and a 101.4 pound. And not bad.
- [26:41]
Matt Hasselbeck
Not bad, Colin, not bad.
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Colin Cowherd
Did you guys play in cleats back then? What was, what was the footwear?
- [26:47]
Matt Hasselbeck
You know what, our last game we played at Chicago Soldier Field and it was so cold. We should not have played on cleats, played in cleats. Should have played in like basketball shoes because it was frozen. It was. They were spray painting the field green before the game so it looked like there was grass on tv, but it was just like dirt at that point. The frozen dirt.
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Colin Cowherd
Yep. You out dueled the Saints. Drew Brees. We've got it, right?
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Matt Hasselbeck
Yeah, they got out. Dueled by the Bears the next week. So it was, you know, that's the thing about the playoffs. You got to do it every week. But this first one, one and oh, you know, everybody's zero and zero. And I think that's. That's the exciting thing for, for really everybody.
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Colin Cowherd
Good stuff. Matt Hasselback, good seeing you, buddy.
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Matt Hasselbeck
All right, see you going.
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Colin Cowherd
Yeah, the. I mean, even Carolina, the Rams. Carolina's got two huge perimeter receivers and that is really the weakness. The difference is I thought Stafford played one of the few poor games all year. Just didn't. Didn't. Just went on the road. Long trip. Rams were out of sync. Devonte Adams is back. If the number comes down to 10, I would take the Rams 10 and a half. Stay.
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Colin's Co-host (possibly a Fox Sports Radio analyst or contributor)
Why don't you just buy it to nine and a half? I just asked our research staff for some numbers on double digit favorites in the playoffs. I can't give that up on Monday. Come on. Save that for later in the week.
- [28:02]
Matt Hasselbeck
Right.
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Colin Cowherd
Okay. All right. We're in la. It's the herd. One more herd. The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the iHeartRadio app. Search herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. Hey, it's Rob Parker and Kelvin Washington from the Odd Couple on Fox Sports Radio. And in addition to hearing us live weeknights from 7 to 10pm Eastern on Fox Sports Radio, we are excited to.
- [28:34]
Matt Hasselbeck
Announce brand new YouTube channel for the show.
- [28:36]
Colin Cowherd
That's right.
- [28:37]
Matt Hasselbeck
You can now watch the Odd Couple.
- [28:40]
Colin Cowherd
Live on YouTube every day. All you gotta do, search Odd Couple.
- [28:44]
Matt Hasselbeck
FSR on YouTube again. YouTube.
- [28:47]
Colin Cowherd
Just search Odd Couple FSR. Check us out on YouTube and subscribe. Hi, I'm Dr. Priyanka Walley. And I'm Hari Kondaboli. It's a new year, and on the podcast Health Stuff, we're resetting the way we talk about our health, which means being honest about what we know, what we don't know, and how messy it can all be. I like to sleep in late and sleep early. Is there a chronotype for that or am I just depressed? We talk to experts who share real experiences and insight.
- [29:17]
Colin's Co-host (possibly a Fox Sports Radio analyst or contributor)
You just really need to find where it is that you can have an impact in your own life and just.
- [29:21]
Matt Hasselbeck
Start, start doing that.
- [29:23]
Colin Cowherd
We break down the topics you want.
- [29:25]
Colin's Co-host (possibly a Fox Sports Radio analyst or contributor)
To know more about sleep, stress, mental.
- [29:28]
Colin Cowherd
Health, and how the world around us affects our overall health. We talk about all the ways to keep your body and mind inside and out healthy. We human beings, all we want is connection. We just want to connect with each other. Health stuff is about learning, laughing, and feeling a little less alone. Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. We've discussed this for years now with every ownership group in the NFL. Billionaires that look how many teams are moving up coaches within a year. You get one year. These coaches are making 10 million plus a year and they're blowing them out after a year. So I mean it. That was not the case. Now, Cincinnati will never do that because their owners are the most in the league. But the Raiders, that we didn't think was one of the rich ownership groups. Antonio pierce, boom. Josh McDaniels before him, boom. Pete Carroll, one year, boom. They're paying a lot of coaches. J. Mac with the news. No, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the Herd line news.
- [30:35]
Colin's Co-host (possibly a Fox Sports Radio analyst or contributor)
All right, let's revisit that Ravens Steelers thriller from last night. Colin, A million places to go with this one, by the way. I Had the under, which was looking great. Early fourth quarter, then the chaos erupts. This pass by Lamar Jackson. I'm like screaming in my house, how did he get away from the sack? Zay Flowers gets behind the defense. Just an unbelievable finish at this point, right? Zay Flowers deep. Like you're thinking the Ravens got it.
- [30:58]
Matt Hasselbeck
Yeah.
- [30:58]
Colin's Co-host (possibly a Fox Sports Radio analyst or contributor)
They are likely fourth down and then the young kid. Lou, you feel so bad for the rookie kicker. Remember the Justin Tucker off season drama? They had to boot him out. They get the rookie, he misses. Here's Lamar talking about his future after the loss.
- [31:13]
Colin Cowherd
We just lost a game, you know, a divisional game, you know, a game.
- [31:16]
Matt Hasselbeck
To put us in the playoffs.
- [31:18]
Colin Cowherd
I'm not even thinking about that right now, to be honest with you. I'm.
- [31:21]
Matt Hasselbeck
I'm still caught up in what just happened. You know, that's my focus, right?
- [31:25]
Colin Cowherd
You.
- [31:26]
Matt Hasselbeck
You asking me about next year, Jameson.
- [31:28]
Colin Cowherd
Like, I'm so caught up in what just happened tonight. I can't. I can't focus on that right now. I just told you, like he asked me. Are you stunned? I'm stunned right now. I'm still trying to process what's going on.
- [31:38]
Matt Hasselbeck
I know we lost, but what the.
- [31:42]
Colin Cowherd
Yeah, that's not a real fair question.
- [31:44]
Colin's Co-host (possibly a Fox Sports Radio analyst or contributor)
The better discussion is next year. But I understand where Lamar is coming from, right? You.
- [31:49]
Colin Cowherd
Yeah, I mean, it's. That's. This. That game for most of it looked exactly like a Steeler Raven game would. And then the defense for Pittsburgh got incredibly leaky. Jalen Ramsey on a couple plays.
- [32:02]
Colin's Co-host (possibly a Fox Sports Radio analyst or contributor)
Like, what's he doing?
- [32:03]
Colin Cowherd
What is he doing? So, yeah, I mean, it. It's Baltimore. I mean, who's the best team that missed the playoffs? Is it Baltimore?
- [32:13]
Colin's Co-host (possibly a Fox Sports Radio analyst or contributor)
Baltimore? Detroit, maybe.
- [32:15]
Colin Cowherd
I don't. Yeah, Detroit. Detroit and Baltimore.
- [32:18]
Colin's Co-host (possibly a Fox Sports Radio analyst or contributor)
Detroit swept your Bears.
- [32:21]
Colin Cowherd
Yeah. Yeah.
- [32:22]
Colin's Co-host (possibly a Fox Sports Radio analyst or contributor)
I mean, so anyways, let's go to the Ravens real quick. So a lot of coaches getting fired today. There's questions about Harbaugh, there's questions about Lamar. By the way, third largest cap hit next year, 74 million behind Deshaun, Watson and Mahomes. This is not an easy rebuild. I don't think they're like a piece or two away in Baltimore column. Offensive lines bad, Secondary is horrible. Marlon Humphrey is just getting roasted every week. Derek Henry's old, by the way, another Derrick Henry weird carry game at the end.
- [32:50]
Colin Cowherd
Yeah.
- [32:52]
Colin's Co-host (possibly a Fox Sports Radio analyst or contributor)
We could be entering an era where, I mean, do you think the Ravens are a lock for the playoffs next year? Do you think the Chiefs are a lockdown?
- [32:59]
Colin Cowherd
Well, I don't. I don't think there are many locks because quarterbacks get hurt. I think they're a really well run organization. I mean next year they have. I mean they're going to rework this. But a $74 million cap hit on Lamar, so, you know, Lamar is still a dynamic player.
- [33:15]
Colin's Co-host (possibly a Fox Sports Radio analyst or contributor)
Is he though?
- [33:16]
Colin Cowherd
Yeah.
- [33:17]
Colin's Co-host (possibly a Fox Sports Radio analyst or contributor)
I mean we could play that. He got injured and he did. He missed a bunch of time. He didn't look totally explosive last night. He was not running away from.
- [33:24]
Colin Cowherd
I don't think he's been healthy all year. I don't. I mean, I saw something. Listen, I mean I don't want to overreact to it because if that. Field goal goals in. They're a playoff, they're in the playoffs. So I'm not. I mean it's. It's hard for me to say, oh, fire this and do that. Like if a guy hits, it was a 44 yard kick, you're in.
- [33:43]
Colin's Co-host (possibly a Fox Sports Radio analyst or contributor)
But the opposite is also true. If he makes that. What are we saying about Aaron Rodgers today? It's over. He's a retire right now. Steelers fans are like, hey, we're in the playoffs.
- [33:53]
Colin Cowherd
I mean decisions are made in life based on an instant or a moment. It all the time.
- [33:58]
Colin's Co-host (possibly a Fox Sports Radio analyst or contributor)
That's just wild. Good luck, Lamar. Next. Let's stay in the AFC North. Oh, we didn't even talk about. Miles Garrett needed one sack to break the single season sack record and he got it in the fourth. Joe Burrow kind of capitulating there. Garrett surpassed T.J. watt and Michael Strahan atop the list. Here he is on setting the record.
- [34:17]
Matt Hasselbeck
It was everything I expected. I always.
- [34:20]
Colin Cowherd
It was so tough. I knew, I knew they were gonna.
- [34:24]
Matt Hasselbeck
Make it difficult, but I don't think.
- [34:26]
Colin Cowherd
I saw more than three singles on a.
- [34:28]
Matt Hasselbeck
On a real drop back the whole game. And I just knew that no, if.
- [34:32]
Colin Cowherd
I did, I have to make that moment count. And like the feeling couldn't be better. Yeah, I mean he was gonna get it eventually.
- [34:42]
Matt Hasselbeck
Yeah.
- [34:42]
Colin Cowherd
It was a weird game. Joe Burrow picked six.
- [34:44]
Colin's Co-host (possibly a Fox Sports Radio analyst or contributor)
Disappointing game. I mean the Bengal. The Browns had two defensive touchdowns.
- [34:47]
Colin Cowherd
Yeah.
- [34:48]
Colin's Co-host (possibly a Fox Sports Radio analyst or contributor)
Yeah. And no offensive touchdown.
- [34:49]
Colin Cowherd
So Joe Burrow once again does not make the playoffs.
- [34:53]
Colin's Co-host (possibly a Fox Sports Radio analyst or contributor)
I think that's three years in a row.
- [34:56]
Colin Cowherd
Is it?
- [34:57]
Colin's Co-host (possibly a Fox Sports Radio analyst or contributor)
They're on the struggle bus right now, man.
- [34:59]
Colin Cowherd
Well, you haven't. It's remarkable to me that you can be a billionaire and not get why you're bad. Like, stop being cheap now. Cincinnati is a small economy. Not a lot of game day revenue. They can't charge the same for seats that the Eagles could charge or a, you know, the Dallas Cowboys could charge. But it's I, I say it again. Joe Burrow is the best quarterback of my adult life that regularly misses the playoffs. And it's not on Joe Burrow.
- [35:27]
Colin's Co-host (possibly a Fox Sports Radio analyst or contributor)
Yeah, there were some comments from Burrow after the game, some veiled comments about how important this offseason is.
- [35:32]
Colin Cowherd
He said, I'm going to sleep in and do what I want.
- [35:35]
Colin's Co-host (possibly a Fox Sports Radio analyst or contributor)
It almost feels like, hey, Browns, sorry, Bengals, this is your last offseason. Fix it or I'm out of here.
- [35:39]
Colin Cowherd
Now.
- [35:40]
Colin's Co-host (possibly a Fox Sports Radio analyst or contributor)
I don't. He doesn't have that power.
- [35:41]
Colin Cowherd
No, but I mean, Joe Burrow has sent the message multiple times in off season reasons. I'm going to go have fun. He doesn't mention football. I'm going to go have fun because I think deep down and he's right, you're not committed to me. You've never built one good old line in seven years. I'm not going to hit the weight room on Tuesday. You're not committed to me, then I'm not committed to you. And I, I'll tell you, I, Joe Burrow is one of those athletes. I felt this with Mike Trout with the Angels. He deserves better. He deserves better teammates.
- [36:10]
Colin's Co-host (possibly a Fox Sports Radio analyst or contributor)
It feels. This is a guy who's been playing tackle football for what, like 15 years. I wonder if he would be willing to play the card. Hey, fix this or I'm out of here. If you don't want to trade me, I will retire. I'll pull in Andrew Luck and just walk away.
- [36:21]
Colin Cowherd
He's got the money. Yeah.
- [36:23]
Colin's Co-host (possibly a Fox Sports Radio analyst or contributor)
And he seems to like have a lifestyle outside of football with the fashion stuff and the IG girlfriend. We'll see. Final story. Oh, we're still talking about the Kansas City Chiefs. How about this Dumpster fire. Colin losing to the Raiders. What an embarrassment. Oh my gosh. Travis Kelce. I guess it's over for the legendary tight end. He had a couple catches from, you know, the third string quarterback. Here is Kelsey talking about perhaps being his final game in Vegas.
- [36:52]
Matt Hasselbeck
I'm proud of the way we finished this. Even though, you know, it ended the way it did, guys still showed up, gave it their all and that's all you can ask for. Man, I got so much love for this team, this organization and the people here, here. Who knows, who knows?
- [37:07]
Colin Cowherd
Either it hits me quick or, or I gotta take some time.
- [37:10]
Matt Hasselbeck
I think last year was a little bit easier.
- [37:12]
Colin Cowherd
I think I, right away I, I.
- [37:14]
Matt Hasselbeck
Wanted to kind of give this one a shot. So I don't know.
- [37:19]
Colin Cowherd
We'll we'll see. Yeah. It's over.
- [37:22]
Colin's Co-host (possibly a Fox Sports Radio analyst or contributor)
Definitely over. I. I did. I don't think anybody thought the Chiefs would be this bad. And I don't want to hear about the Mahomes injury. They were bad before it, Colin.
- [37:29]
Matt Hasselbeck
Look at that.
- [37:29]
Colin's Co-host (possibly a Fox Sports Radio analyst or contributor)
Three catches for 12 yards. If I, if I were to ask you right now, do you think the Chiefs are a playoff team next year?
- [37:37]
Colin Cowherd
Yes. Okay. Yeah, I do.
- [37:40]
Colin's Co-host (possibly a Fox Sports Radio analyst or contributor)
I think, I think that's a little. I mean, again, Burrow is on the come up. Ravens aren't going anywhere.
- [37:45]
Colin Cowherd
Well, it's a bad quarterback draft class, so somebody's going to overpay for Malik Willis and Mac Jones probably. So what you're looking at in the playoffs will not change. Next year's draft order is going to look a lot like this draft order order.
- [37:59]
Colin's Co-host (possibly a Fox Sports Radio analyst or contributor)
Okay.
- [37:59]
Colin Cowherd
Because outside of the Raiders getting Mendoza, who's going to solve their quarterback issue?
- [38:03]
Colin's Co-host (possibly a Fox Sports Radio analyst or contributor)
So you like the seven that are in. Okay. And then you've got the Ravens on, on the right, on the outside. And there's someone else that listen.
- [38:10]
Colin Cowherd
The average is four or five new playoff teams. If I had to guess, I'd say Ravens get in, Chiefs get in and Lions. No, I don't trust the ownership. So if you're telling me I have to pick three or four new playoff teams, I would say Lions get back in, they replace the oc. They go spend money on a good OC or a top oc. Lions get back in, Ravens get back in, Chiefs get back in.
- [38:34]
Colin's Co-host (possibly a Fox Sports Radio analyst or contributor)
I think you need to think a little broader. Like, think like New York Giants, Washington.
- [38:39]
Colin Cowherd
Commanders four years in a row. I found. I told you before, if the Cowboys spent money and got a big time coach, I'd put Dallas up there. But they won't do that.
- [38:49]
Colin's Co-host (possibly a Fox Sports Radio analyst or contributor)
I was probably. Listen, remember, we're never wrong. We're just early. I love the Tennessee Titans this year here, Colin. They've got a lot of cap room, a lot of draft picks.
- [38:58]
Colin Cowherd
Who's a coach? There you go.
- [38:59]
Colin's Co-host (possibly a Fox Sports Radio analyst or contributor)
Can it be Kevin Stefanski? He'd be great because Cam Ward at times look good. I'm just telling you, I think the Chiefs. I don't want to go. I don't want to make any predictions now, but it's not going to be easy for them. Man, you look at that cap situation, the talent, the number of free agents they have. Yeah, we shall see.
- [39:17]
Colin Cowherd
J. Mac with the news.
- [39:19]
Colin's Co-host (possibly a Fox Sports Radio analyst or contributor)
Well, that's the news and thanks for stopping by.
- [39:22]
Colin Cowherd
The herd lie here. I'll tell you what the Raiders or shouldn't do, plus Kevin Stefanski gets fired in Cleveland, the owner of the Browns is talking. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio app.
- [39:39]
Colin's Co-host (possibly a Fox Sports Radio analyst or contributor)
Tomorrow night it's a college hoops triple header on FS1, starting with a Big Ten battle as Michigan takes on Penn State. Then a Lone Star showdown between Texas Tech and Houston. Out west, it's San Diego State, Nevada. It all tips off at 7 Eastern. Only on FS1.
- [39:56]
Colin Cowherd
So Kevin Stefanski got fired by Cleveland two time NFL coach of the year in a weak job market. It's a weak job market for head coaches. They think they can do better than Kevin Stefanski. I would hire him in one second in Las Vegas. There's a story out there that the Raiders that can't get the coach right, they just can't. They can't get the coach right. They're going to go Brian Dable, OC and then Brian Flores, who I like a lot as the head coach. I think those guys are really intense. There's a lot of volume. And I think Mendoza, the quarterback out of Indiana, would do much better with Stefanski, who's more of a teacher. I mean, go look at Liam Cohen or Ben Johnson. I mean, go, go look what is working with young quarterbacks. It's, it's offensive coaches. So Sean Payton with Bo Nix. Look at what is working. It's not defensive coaches. Penix has disappeared with Raheem Morris who got fired, disappeared. So, you know, I would say this. Jaden Daniels, there's all sorts of stories back and forth about what's going on there. Dan Quinn, defensive coach, some of it injuries. And then there's stories beyond that. So Stefanski to Vegas. I would, I would seal the deal because I think he has a market. But he's probably sitting around waiting to see what Buffalo does against Jacksonville because if you can inherit Josh Allen as a coach, but here's Jimmy Haslam and I mean, I think this is so hollow to me. Here it is. First of all, ownership takes full responsibility.
- [41:29]
Matt Hasselbeck
For where we are.
- [41:30]
Colin Cowherd
To win eight games in two years is horrible. It's totally unacceptable. Okay? And it's not going to continue. Okay. And I want the fans to know we are as frustrated as you are and we hear a lot from our fans, which we actually appreciate. We have great fans. They're extremely passionate and they deserve better than what they've got in the last two years. Okay. I don't need to say anything else. We are going to give You a better product. Our sole goal here is to be a consistent winner. Yeah, that's not going to happen. So Shador Sanders, who's okay, I mean it's, it's bottom five probably quarterback talent in the league as a starter, he's fine. It's kind of fun. Can make some plays. But we got seven games on tape. I don't think anybody's blown away with it. Aver arm, average athlete. He's, he's okay. And because of the Deshaun Watson deal, you can't overpay and go get Mac Jones. And now you've lost an offensive coach who's respected in the league. So I, I, I had an old boss that said this years ago. If you fire somebody, you'll know if you're right based on how long they're on the market, how long before they're interviewing other places. Stefansky is going to be interviewing by next week. So, you know, again, The Cleveland's won two playoff games in 23 years. He won both. So the current vacancies, I mean they, these are not good jobs like at all. I think the Giants is the best because I have Jackson Dart, I have Andrew Thomas, I have Scatter Boo. I have Neighbors. I got some nice offensive pieces. They have to upgrade at tight end. Their own line's not terrible. I don't know what pff ranks it, but it's not terrible. And they also have elite pass rusher and Abdul Carter. So there, there's some players with the Giants there, there, there's stuff there. And whether or not I think Jackson Dart is an a franchise quarterback, he's good enough to be a franchise quarterback. We've seen that. So they're going to get Scatter Boo back. They're going to get Neighbors back. Andrew Thomas, left tackle. I think the Giants is the best of those jobs to me. Again, it would be different if it was a great college quarterback draft class. That's next year. So the Raiders are going to take Fernando Mendoza. He's got Brock Bowers and Ashton Genty. Why not give him an offensive coach? Because you've tried Antonio Pierce, who I thought the team played really hard for Pete Carroll. The team dissolved into a pile of rubble. Josh McDaniel didn't work. I would go Stefanski. Here's the NFL draft order. Gosh, tell me if you've seen these teams before at the top of a draft order or it's a lot of owners. Like, like, like generally there's one great coaching candidate every year, Harbaugh, you know Ben Johnson was a great coaching candidate. You know, you get Sean Payton was a great coaching candidate. Stefanski, to me, is your best coaching candidate. Well, go look at the last five years when the number one coaching candidate has been hired. What's happened? He's turned it around. So, boy, these are bad jobs. The Giants says I could live with. The Giant Chiefs obviously, is a good job. Bengals are keeping their guy. There's some this. This is a. I told you two years ago, it's becoming the NBA. The gap between the top 10 and the bottom eight is there's some G League teams on that list, man, and there are no quarterbacks in sight.
- [45:03]
Matt Hasselbeck
This is an I heart podcast. Guaranteed human.