Colin can hardly believe who the Cowboys have reportedly decided will be their new head coach and outlines how far this once proud franchise has fallen. He outlines the top 10 players in each of the NFC and AFC Championship Games. He also talks to new Bears head coach Ben Johnson about his decision to take the job in Chicago and working with quarterback Caleb Williams
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This is the Best of the Herd with Colin cowher on Fox Sports Radio.
Here we go on a suddenly shocking Thursday, live in Los Angeles. It's the Herd wherever you may be and however you may be listening. Thanks for making us part of your day. Jmac News just came down from a very reliable reporter in the Dallas Fort Worth area. Clarence Hill had him on the show before. Knows this stuff you as a former hardworking list boots on the ground, no how hard it is to get scoops. Clarence Hill doesn't say someth unless it's true. This is shocking. Here we go the Cowboys look for them to cross the finish line and hire Brian Schottenheimer. Possibly today that is settling. We are watching the fall of a great American institution. He's not even interviewing for other jobs. Nothing against him, nice guy, three jobs, five seasons, never been a head coach, never really been a top candidate for a head coach. But Jerry likes him. He's bounced around the league again. Dad was a legend. Nice guy. But seven to ten football teams don't move off a coach and then hire the offensive coordinator who didn't call plays. I've never even heard of that. I mean, in any industry, you do not let good people leave the building, right, we all know, like Liam Cohen, is this it Tampa? The resurrection of Baker Mayfield. He went and interviewed for the Jacksonville job. He said, no, thank you. He was such a good candidate. The owner of Jacksonville fired the general manager who couldn't close the deal. He goes back to Tampa. They're gonna make him the highest paid coordinator in the league. Offensively or Ben Johnson, who's going to show up twenty five minutes on our show. He was like the leading candidate for four jobs. Brydon Schottenneimer wasn't a candidate for any other job. I looked at his bio this morning. It's lateral moves entire career, college pro What are we doing elite employees don't make lateral moves, maybe at the end of their career, but not at the beginning in middle. I mean, watch Vegas react to this. So it just illustrates the directionless state of the Cowboys. Mike McCarthy, a Super Bowl winning coach to Dion Sanders, a very promising college coach, to an offensive coordinator in the building for a seven to ten team that didn't call plays. What are we doing, Dallas Cowboy fans? I'm not overreacting here. You would become the Jaguars. You are lost at sea. Jaguars can't find a coach. None of the top candidates are interested. Cowboys now handing the keys to somebody who's not a candidate for anybody else. You know, it's funny. Troy Aikman had set a couple of weeks ago. I don't think it's a coveted job. And he made a really interesting point last week on the fact that most coaches, you know, they want to bring in their people to build their culture, and can you do that in Dallas.
As far as a coveted job, I don't know that that's accurate. I think most football people that take over as a head coach. They want to do it on their terms, and that's hard to do. And it's you know, if you take a Dan Campbell, for instance, is Dan Campbell Dan Campbell if with the Dallas Cowboys, It's hard to imagine that he is. It's hard to imagine that a lot of these coaches might be.
No. Dan Campbell wouldn't have the power and the control of the locker room and probably a say upstairs in personnel. I mean McVeigh. Mcveigh's got power with the rams Shanahan does. In San Francisco, Belichick did, Andy Reid doesn't want it, but could have it. You are watching, You are watching the fall of a great American brand, a sports brand. I said this, if it was not for Lebron James, this would have been the Lakers the last five years. Family members in the building, two insular, not enough outside voices. I mean I said when the season started, I said, the Cowboys will not make the playoffs, Washington will, and they're going to start regressing. I didn't think it was this, and this is nothing against the coach, but this is somebody that's making lateral moves, is not up for other jobs. This is incredible. I mean this morning when this came down, I'm speechless. I don't even know what to say with this. You are now the Cowboys as America's number one sports brand. You might as well just give that to the Packers, give that to the Kansas City Chiefs. Hand it over. It's over. It's done. You're no longer America's team. I got I watched CJ. Stroud. Are you Texas's team? I'm not sure? Wow, all right, It's gonna take a while to digest. Ben Johnson bottom of the hour, new Bears coach. So I saw this. I want to talk about Jaden Daniels, who is now playing for the right to go to the Super Bowl, which does not make any sense. But what makes even less sense is a statistic from this regular season. He has one elite weapon and a blow average roster. Jaden Daniels in Washington had the highest fourth down conversion rate in the regular season. I had a Josh Allen who was second, Patrick Mahomes third, and the Eagles who have Saquon Barkley, Jalen Hurts, AJ Brown and the best offensive line in the game. That makes no sense. And I was thinking about this. If you go back ten seasons. Just a decade, the AFC had three icons legends at quarterback, Brady, Peyton, Manning and Big Ben. And you're thinking to yourself, Man, when these guys leave, how do you replace them? I mean, the NBA has been searching for the next MJ for twenty years and yet here we are today in the AFC with Mahomes, Allen, Lamar, Jackson, and Burrow. Those are first ballot guys. Those are first ballot Hall of Fame guys. I'm not even gonna get to the second tier guys who are pretty good. You got your Brady, You're Manning, your Big Ben. They replaced him because college football, what they provide for the NFL is so much deeper and more talented than what college basketball provides to the NBA. But I was thinking the NFC has been different. If you go to the last ten Super Bowl teams in the NFC, you have ten different quarterbacks. It's a bunch of guys who you have to say, well, well, if if Jordan Love wasn't as reckless, or if Matt Stafford was younger and I like Jared Goff, if the O lines ride and brock perty needs the right coache that in the AFC, it's different. And I really believe that Jaden Daniels is the Mahomes of the NFC, that the pecking order will start with him starting next year. I really believe that. I don't think it's a reach. I don't think it's hyperbolic. I think he's the Mahomes that from this point forward people will slot behind. Now Caleb Williams with Ben Johnson maybe a one A, he can get really close. But I don't know if I've ever ever seen anything like this this early. The fact of the matter that a rookie with a average O line that is now missing their best offensive lineman against Philly this weekend and one weapon Terry McLaurin was the best fourth down team in football. Better than Lamar Jackson, better than Stafford, Josh Allen, Patrick, Mahomes, Kelsey is a remarkable feat. Yesterday, Tom Brady was on the show and I asked him, what do you see that is special.
Some players need production to become confident. Some people become confident before they have any production. That's a great trait to have as an athlete. Before you walk on the field, you're confident, you don't need to complete your first five passes to become confident. And I think that's what I see in a young Jade Daniels.
The AFC has been rock stars at quarterback at the top. The NFC has mostly been really good band members, and I think Jayden Daniels will change that. All Right, we go back to the Dallas Cowboys, according to Clarence Hill, are hiring either today or tomorrow Brian Schottenheimer. And I've said this for a long time, been doing this over twenty five years. If you want to know if something is good for your franchise, ask yourself, what are your rivals saying? What do you think Philadelphia is saying today about Brian Schottenheimer is a new coach from McCarthy to maybe Dion to the coordinator who didn't call place. I don't want to attack him. It's just the bios out there. He was not interviewing for other jobs. I mean, we all knew Harball last year, top candidate Vrabel, this year, top candidate Ben Johnson. He's the new whiz Kid, He's the new Demiko Ryans that everybody's talking about. Liam Cohen was on that space. Wow. J Mack, what do you make of it? Let me just ask you, what do you make of it?
It smells like five twelve next year for Dallas basically, right, I don't know what Schottenheimer did this year. If he didn't call plays, the offense wasn't dynamic, the defense kept them in games. After Dak went down. I saw nothing from this Cowboys offense. And now you're gonna kind of promote him to head coach. It's a tough day. We got to get Michael Irvin on the horn. He was all excited for Dion.
Remember, He's like, oh, Dion, maybe, well, I'll say this it is I didn't know how Dion would do, and we don't really know how a lot of people are gonna do, not named Vrabel or Harbaugh. I mean, Mike McCarthy would win somewhere. McCarthy maybe maybe he ends up in Jacksonville. That's great for Trevor Lawrence. Actually, but my take is Dion was exciting, right, like it or not? Do you? I mean, in Chicago they're doing backflips for Ben Jonson. They're going crazy in Chicago, and they should. It's exciting. You watch the Lions and all the trick plays and the clever stuff. Dion was exciting. There was hope and optimism. This feels like settling.
Yeah.
The only good news for Dallas is, you know, Nick Sirianni's still in the division. They're not firing him even if they lose this game. I think there's still some question about what's going on with Dabole and the Giants.
We don't know if they're gonna be good. Washington tommon, Yeah, Washington is and jayden is with who are they helming with?
By the way, Oh?
Oh, Dan quinn is their head coach. Where was he last year.
In the building?
Oh he was at Dallas. I totally forgot about them.
Yeah, it's wow.
This is the Empire does not strike back, It folds. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays in neonon eastern non am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
You're now entering the No Bull Zone, sponsored by Credible Great Rates, None of the Bull. Ben Johnson, Bear's new coach. I just saw the second youngest active head coach in the NFL. Only Mike McDonald will be younger. You're seeing this all over the place. You're seeing it in college, You're seeing it in pro young people are crushing.
You know.
It's funny. We're seeing more great young candidates, and I say, be careful about pushing the Pete Carroll's out the door. You look at the last six Super Bowls, five have been won by Andy Reid, Bruce Arians and Bill Belichick. I've always said this, I like my pilots and my surgeons to have gray hair. But I do think what you're finding now, and I find this with my kids. My kids are a lot smarter than I was at this at their age, and I do think you get Sean mcvay's and Mike McDaniel and Ben Johnson, and I don't know if it's the Internet. I don't know if it's analytics, but they're sharp and they know a lot at a very early age. It's very exciting. I know, I spent a lot of time in Chicago, and I'll tell you they're going they're going crazy. This is the coach that the Chicago fans wanted, and he'll be joining us in a couple of minutes. You know, it's interesting. Caleb Williams is a guy that can leave the pocket and he's electric, and it's interesting. Mahomes does the same thing, and Brady came on our show yesterday, Tom Brady and talked about what these mobile quarterbacks are doing, and they're sort of are they playing football or are they playing the rule.
When quarterbacks become running backs and they're out of the pocket, they should lose their protection, and we are in essence, we're trying to say we're trying to protect the quarterbacks, but coaches are calling more quarterback runs than ever in the history of the game. If you're running with the ball, you should protect yourself. If you don't want to get hit, you can go down, you can run out of bounds, but you can't, in essence, have the defensive player come in at half speed and then you run over the defensive player because he's afraid of getting a penalty.
Yeah, and so it's a little bit of an NBA ish problem where you have something and the fans don't like it, and it does feel like manipulation. And you know, the mahomes is we'll get the scramble yards and the first down and they'll slide light and then they'll get the penalty and it's like, wait, this doesn't feel fair for the defensive player. So I think you have to do what baseball did. Baseball had a time problem, and these guys would get into the batter's box and they would train and they would have these quirky sort of habits, and Major League Baseball said, yeah, that's going to end today. No more of that now. And it ended in a week. They complained, ended in a week. I think you have to eliminate. I think once a quarterback leaves the pocket and you just tell everybody you're a running back, it'll end really quickly. It just does not take that many hits from Will Anderson. Michaelvic once told me as it was an Atlanta Falcon. He said, you know, I went on the road and I got hit by I think like London Fletcher, and he's like, yeah, I'm kind of done doing that running thing. I must stay in the pocket more. And you know, listen, there are guys like Big Ben in his prime or Josh Allen in his prime. They're just bigger than defensive players. But I would say big Ben aged really quickly at the end, and Cam Newton aged really really quickly in the middle of his career, and they took too many hits. I think Josh Allen, I think the Buffalo Bills have been very smart to kind of take away the Superman cape from Josh Allen outside the pocket. They've done a really good job as an organization because it's hard to ask Lamar Jackson or Jalen Hurts or Josh Allen say, hey, no more running for first downs. If your first two guys are covered and you've been successful your whole life running, they're going to run. Mahomes is interesting. He doesn't run in the first half, in my opinion, as much as he seems to do in big games in the second half, so it's more of a necessity. But there is a sense that he's sort of manipulating the rules. And I thought, Baseball, you know all I heard before Baseball put in that pitch clock. Oh oh, Baseball Union people gonna complain. Baseball said, yeah, get over it, And in a week baseball was more fun to watch and faster. So I just think you have to just say, you leave the pocket. You're running back. Here's the line of scrimmage. Now you're Saquon Barkley, and you give Because I agree with Brady here, the quarterbacks are getting everything. They're getting the scramble yards, they get a slide and sometimes then we eat without even helmet to helmet, they get a penalty yard. Well, I would do it too, I would manipulate it. So, I mean, we all know when we get on the freeway we can drive seven miles an hour faster than the speed limit. There's manipulation of all laws and rules to a degree. And we know that in the NFL as well. Bill Belichick for years had as cornerbacks where gloves that were the same color as the opponent so they could grab and clutch more. But this feels because it's the quarterback, it's the star, it's the most important position, that it feels like a little bit of manipulation towards the rules. So you know that's where we're at.
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Welcome in. Here we go our number two Greg Cosell in five minutes live in Los Angeles.
It's the herd.
Wherever you may be and however you may be listening. Thanks for making us part of your day. J Mac got some tantalizing little bits and Herdline News this hour and next one that I strongly concur with.
Okay, well now I think that other one's final hour, but yeah, utterly, Uh are you eventually gonna talk Oscars on the show because movies? I know you're a big movie guy. Not really now, but no, they did the Oscar stuff this morning, and I'm that is in this country.
I don't watch any of the movies last three years that have been nominated except Oppenheimer. That's the other thing.
I don't know any of these movies.
That's right. If you want to know there's a disconnect with Hollywood in America last four years. I don't even go to a theater Oppenheimer and Tom Cruise. That's it. So I do this before huge games every year or a huge series. I do the ten best players, which gives me some sense of who's gonna win. So let's go Washington and Buffalo or Washington and Philadelphia on Fox the ten best players. And again this is my opinion, but it's based a lot of data and a lot of stats. Who are the ten best players in the Commander's Eagles game on Fox the NFC Championship. So I think the number one player is sake one bar Who's on a short list of the greatest running backs I've ever seen. He is so good. This team is built around the old line in the running back, not the quarterback. Most rushing yards through the first two games in NFL playoff history, all class, speed, moves, power Sakwan Barkley. Number two, Jordan Maylott, is the highest gridded offensive tackle in the NFL. Offensive tackles matter a lot more than interior lineman. Highest grid one sack allowed four hundred and sixty four pass blocking attempts this year for the Eagles. Number three is Jalen Carter. I think he's the best defensive tackle right now in the NFL. I know it's only year two. Highest graded defender at any position this playoff among these final four teams, Georgia Bulldog Jalen Carter number four. I don't think it's hyper. I think Jayden Daniels is magic, folks. I think we're looking at a kid, highest passer rating by any of the four quarterbacks, and that's with an average O line and one weapon. Tied for the most wins by a rookie quarterback in the season, including the playoffs. His fourth quarter numbers don't even make sense. They don't even make sense. Number five Zach Bawd, Now he's a linebacker. Even though he's a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year, he is a linebacker. He's unbelievable, a highest credit linebacker in the NFL this year. Former special teams guy, but again, linebacker has limitations. We've seen great teams move off really good linebackers because of the position. Number six, Aj Brown. They went fourteen to one when Aj Brown, the wide receiver, the book reading wide receiver, played for Philadelphia, and the average twenty nine and a half points when he played. He is special. Number seven Terry McLaurin. Maybe not the burner or quite the impact, but talk about consistent with all sorts of quarterbacks. Five straight years of one thousand yards, great hands open often and again this has been a franchise that can't find the quarterback until this year. Lane Johnson's number eight right tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles, has not allowed a sack since last year Week fourteen, so he is considered the best right tackle Tristan Wurfs and him. Now Worfs has moved over to the left side, but highest graded right tackle in the NFL this season, and it feels like this has been his position. He in Tristan works for years. Number nine Landon Dickerson, who is the best guard in the highest graded guard in the playoffs according to PFF. I mean, this whole line for Philadelphia goes back from the Tyron Smith you know, Zach Martin Cowboy O line where it's like everybody's great. And number ten, I'd give Bobby Wagner at Washington the edge here only player in the NFL. He's a tackle machine with one hundred and forty plus tackles and three plus fumble recoveries. Smart still got some movement, tackle machine, tough physically and there you go. I'm gonna do the bills Kansas City after Greg Coosel. So I want your reaction. First of all, Now there's a bunch of really good players at eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen. Philadelphia is so stacked. I don't even know what to do with about three of their guys.
Wait, I need you to flash it on the screen one more time.
Jalen Hurts did not make it. No, no, Jalen.
Hurts is not one of the ten best players in the NFC.
Championship a hurt. Jalen hurts, No, you think that's outrageous? Who am I going to replace him?
No comment, Jalen hurts, Colin.
So I see it? Oh my god? Seven to three edge Philadelphia.
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By the way, I started this segment giving you the ten best players in the Washington Philadelphia game seven to three Philadelphia, and I probably would have given them the eleven and twelve players as well. They're favored by six. They should be Buffalo, Kansas City to me is even more interesting and much less lobsided. So the number one player would be Patrick Mahomes. Nobody would dispute that sixteen and three playoff record, arguably outside of Brady, the best playoff quarterback of all time. So Patrick Mahomes again, no argument that Josh Allen Buffalo would be number two. It's a flip flop. I'll give it to Mahomes because he's been more successful. Now it gets tougher, gets tough Now. Quarterbacks are both great. They're one and two. Now, what's the most important position after quarterback, well, left tackle, defensive tackle. Now, I would put Chris Jones number three. He's going to be a Hall of Famer when Aaron Donald retired, the most disruptive playoff interior lineman and football. He's the highest graded defender for the Chiefs all season long, and they've had the best situational defense. Now. Number four is interesting. This could be a lot of players. Crean Humphrey's the best center in football and it's not necessarily close. Highest graded player on the Chiefs. This on the entire roster of a two time champ and favor to be a third time champ. He doesn't have the flexibility of Joe Tooney, but when Kelsey retired, Jason Kelsey retired. This is easily Oklahoma via Oklahoma Sooners the best center in the game. Number five, it's Travis Kelcey. He is gronk in the playoffs, he is wide open, he was seventy percent of their offense last week, and he is not necessarily a regular season phenom. Either was Gronk at the end, but I would put Travis Kelsey five. I would go to Dion Dawkins left tackle. I think left tackle is the second most important position in football, and he has been a multiple time Pro Bowler four straight. Has not allowed a single sack since Week nine against the best pass rushers in the AFC. I would put Trent McDuffie the highest graded corner in the NFL at number seven. Now, you could argue he should be higher, but it's hard for cornerbacks. I mean, Sauce Gardner is great. What does it matter for wins? I think you can. You can move people around, you can jam him, you can get into situations where you can minimize the effectiveness on a corner. Number eight Gregory Russo at Buffalo. Listen, he's their elite pass rusher. He's on the field more generally than Von Miller. Highest Gradded defender for the Buffalo Bills this year. When he's healthy and playing, they're very good. Number nine a guy that's banged up from time to time, but boy does he matter. Matt Mulano is a playmaker. When he plays there, five and one, eight tackles, a sack, four quarterback hits. He feels like kind of the soul of this defense. In my opinion, though he has been banged up from time to time, I would put James Cook the running back at number ten, nineteen touchdowns in eighteen games, and he is also you could argue he should be higher. He has really alleviated some pressure in the red zone. He can smell that end zone. So now it's five to five. But I think what's interesting when you look at the top ten is the the quality of great players. If you take out Josh Allen Mahomes the best quarterback, Chris Jones the best defensive tackle, Humphrey the best center, Travis Kelcey the best big game tight end, Trent McDuffie the best corner. And Buffalo's corners, by the way, are banged up in this game. They're supposed to play, but they're banged up. So now this is five to five. But the elite players in key positions tend to be Kansas City. That's why they're probably favored by a point and a half. Your reaction to this, you didn't like my first one. Your reaction to this.
Well, the Jalen hurts a mission. It's just, I mean, it's gonna be a wedge in our friendship. As for this one, you know, I don't totally disagree. It reminds me in the Super Bowl. When you did Niners Chiefs, it was flip flop. The Niners had the top end talent, remember, and they were slightly favorites in the Super Bowl. And I feel like the same situation here. Yes, Chris Jones highly rated by PFF, Creed Humphrey. Sure, I would quibble with Alan versus Mahomes. Allen's been better this year, undeniable, He's gonna be the MVP, should be the MVP. I think a lot of people will be upset with Milano because he was hurt and his grades had not been great this year.
I'm just talking. I'm talking the best players now in the AFC Championship. If Mlano is not playing, I would take Kansas.
So you know who I think he was put over Milano is Dalton Kid kate If you just look at best, he is awesome. And by the way, I just looked up who the inactives were and missed the earlier Chiefs Bills games. The Bills were without Kean Coleman, Yes, Spencer Brown the right tackle and Dalton Kin kate Y and the offense still put thirty.
On the Chiefs.
No, I'm picking Buffalo in this in a high scoring game. I think both teams score.
I'm curious who guards Kinkaid on the Chiefs, Like, who's going to defend him. He's a really tough matchup.
I had twenty eleven, Kinkaid twelve, and Juny's more flexible.
He gives me, well, see if was he gonna match up with Russo von Miller.
It's exciting bills. My wife doesn't follow sports, and I'm like, this is this big, biggest football game of the year, and likely it will be the best game we see. It'll be better than the super Bowl because I think the winner of this has a chance to roll in the Super Bowl.
Possibly, is Nick upset with you that you're picking the bills here?
I didn't ask for an okay.
I thought you guys would text about it and you get on your case or something.
I always know who he's picking.
Well, obviously, but he doesn't like it when you put the bills at the top, and he thinks the chief should be up top all the time.
I am sure guy. I am still his mentor at this point. If you've been thinking about home security, now's the time to join millions of Americans who trust simply safe. They help stop break in visit simply safecolin dot com. You get fifty percent off. How's that? No safe like simply safe.
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Well, we're going to have him on about a week ago, and we're just happy to say Julian Edelman and his family is safe and his house is safe. You were in the crawss of that thing. I was for two days. I was basically watching the neighborhood you were in because I've got several friends there and there was a lot of finger crossing and texting. But anxious time for you and your fam.
Yeah, definitely a little anxious. Uh You.
First off, you gotta thank the people that are out there battling it, the first responders amazing, the firefighters, the National Guard and the police for helping with these looters.
I mean, this is like a movie. It is like a movie.
When last week when it was Wednesday and the sunset fire came and we're dealing with the pala Stades fire. I mean it's I'm so lucky that nothing has happened to my house and my family. But there's so many people in this community that can't say that, and it's been really you know, I was in Boston during the bombings of you know, that marathon bombing, and you saw the tight group of people come together to you know, try to put that whole thing down when when the guy was still free. I've seen so many people in this community. This is my first time really living here, helping people, people from you know, out of la coming here. I've seen firefighters from everywhere in the country, other parts of the world. I mean, it's been really cool to see people helping people. So, you know, everyone out there, go donate to one of the big three. I think there's a cowfire dot Org. Yeah, there's the Red Cross. Because there's a lot of people that that aren't as lucky, and it's it's sad. I mean, we just went to soccer practice last night. Three kids on my daughter's soccer team lost their home. So it's nuts, you know, so but thankfully we got football to.
Distract distract us.
I want to ask about I mean, you played quarterback, you know the position, you know the complexities. Jaden Daniels, I don't think I'm being I'm reaching saying, yeah, that's the best rookie quarterback I've ever seen. I don't even understand his ability. He is so poised in these late game drives. Is that what impresses you?
That's exactly what impresses me. I mean, we were saying last year c. J. Stroud had probably the best quarterback rookie season we've ever seen because of the same thing. But Jayden Daniels has continued this thing into the playoffs, and it's very evident on situational plays like third down last week, fourth down a few times where they convert where he's getting blitz where he still stays within the scheme and doesn't rush his progression. I mean, he's beaten blitz zero a handful of times. I can't put it all that Blit zero's all out blitz where you have one guy unblocked and you have to get the ball out. It's the play that sent Lamar Jackson home twice the last two years. That's what Spagnolo has been sending him every time they're in that fourth or third and they haven't been had they haven't had an answer. Jayde Daniels beat that thing like consistently this year. That's what's impressive. That's like not just rookie quarterback stuff, that's pro quarter like veteran quarterback execution. He's been doing it at a high level. You know he's gonna have a huge test this week. But that calm, cool, collectness and how gotta have it type situations are what really impressive.
Can Philadelphia run their way to the Lombardi Trophy?
They can run their way to the trophy. I don't think they can get the trophy just running it. Though this week I think they should be able to beat the Washington Commanders. Now, Jane Daniels is a he's a joker, but he's a joker in the he doesn't play defense. So this team, pound for pound, should win this game and run their way into the super Bowl. But once you get there and you're either gonna play you know, Spagnolo and the Chiefs who can stop the run, who know who have been in this situation where they've played a run heavy team in the Super Bowl, Like, it's gonna be a different thing. You're gonna have to come up with some situational throws that you're gonna have to be able to execute on.
And if you play against the Bills.
God forbid you, you know, jump out and not have a lead and let these guys go out and put it on you where they have to get into their drop back pass game, which we've seen over the last few weeks hasn't been there. So I think they could run their way into the super Bowl. I don't think you can run your way to win a super Bowl.
Buffalo has matured as a team. You can't sack them, no penalties, don't turn it over. Baltimore's not there yet. Buffalo has matured. Now when I look at your career and I think, well, you guys were always mature. But when you were younger with the Lady Aaron Hernandez or Gronk, there were times where you were young, you know, and I don't. I can't line up every year and who you exactly played with off the top of my head. But even in New England's ecosystem, there were older teams, there were younger teams. Take me to your playoff history that did you like some young guys or were there times that you went into big games and you're like, man, I'm glad we got older dudes climing Buffalo's matured.
Though they're matured at the right spots.
Milano's older, you got.
And that's what you have.
You have cornerstone players, and then they have a whole lot of young guys that they've hit on in the draft, Shakir Coleman, all these other players that have followed that lead for me individually, going into the playoffs with a younger team, I would say in twenty thirteen, with the departure of Welker, the whole Aaron Hernandez situation, we didn't have a lot of playmakers. We ended up going to the AFC Championship, lost to Denver, and you almost had this kind of naive group of guys where we didn't really understand how big it was. But you looked at the you know, you looked at the veter and you looked at the tom you looked at the other guys who were really stressed out, understanding that we didn't have the firepower. We had to really outplay our play our best match to win that game.
You would you would see that.
But and then with the older teams, you know, you'd feel that comfort a little more. I mean, by the time it's twenty sixteen, I was already in my third fourth Super Bowl. You know, you kind of understand the regimen, you understand the routine, you understand the week, the schedule. I think that does give a team an advantage With the Buffalo Bills. I completely forgot what my point was were.
Question maturity, but I mean Josh has been there. Yeah, Dawkins has been there, Milana has been there, and Oliver's been there. I feel like now, I feel like three years ago a little like Baltimore. They're kind of young, seedier pants and in these big games, you know, just Spags and Andy Reid could manipulate them more.
I think they have a I think they woulds very similar to this Buffalo team, which is some kind of similar to our teams.
They have a huge middle class of players.
You know, they got Josh Allen, who he's a rich guy, yeah, you know, and then they have a huge middle class, middle tier kind of contract guy. And that's that was similar to our team where we have these you know, we'd have Tom who was making his money, and you had a couple of Gronk and all, but then you had a big middle class, a team where a lot of guys were really good. They weren't the greatest, but they were really good. And I think that's what they've done here with this team. You know, you look at how they hit on Shakir and Coleman. You know, guys that we went into the season saying they didn't have weapons, but this could be their best set of weapons that they've.
Had us four thus far.
You know, they got that Beasley type guy that we all know Josh Allen loves in Shakir. You got a red zone target with Coleman, and you don't have the headaches that you had with dig So the teams just constructed differently. Having Milano back is huge. I mean, I think he's a difference maker. This defense, I believe was designed to beat the Kansas City Chiefs. You know, if you look at how they always play in their nickel personnel, they always had they have a fast cover linebacker Milano for a tight end type guy Travis Kelce. So if they could get past these guys, I mean, I think this is ultimately the Super Bowl.
Yeah, is the AFC Championship.
I agree. So by the way, there's Tom talked about this on the show that quarterbacks now it's like they're manipulating the playbook. They want scramble yards, and then they also want the late hit penalty. Again, as somebody who was an active mobile quarterback in college, what do you make of the way, you know, Mahomes on the sideline push me. Do you think the NFL needs to step in and go? Okay, guys like you, the flopping now has gotten the European soccer level.
Yeah, I think the league will step in, But we also got to put in our heads that this isn't nineteen ninety two, This isn't nineteen eighty five, This is nineteen se this isn't early two thousands football.
The game is completely changed. The rules have changed.
So if you know you're playing against the face of the organ of the league, Patrick Mahomes, if you have to think about it, let it go.
That's what Bill used to always say.
And I remember being on the other side seeing a late hit on Brady or a roughing the passer on Brady, where I'm like, eh, probably wasn't there, but it's Tom Brady. He was already had five Super Bowls. You guys got to understand the situation.
Now.
Do I think the league will probably step in and probably put a delay a game penalty or something if you do these kind of things. Possibly, but for everyone out there, like the game is a different game. This isn't barbaric football anymore.
Like that.
As much as we can all bitch and complain about it, I don't know if you could say that here, but you know that's what That's what it is, So you have to adjust to the rule. I remember Bill always talking about this, if it's close, don't go get in the right area. If it's this guy, we know this, this referee group likes to throw it close here.
You gotta know the situation.
So yeah, it's a terrible call, but it ain't going anywhere because these guys make too much money.
No, it's interesting that Bill said that Herm Edwards had and I discussed this once. He's like, there are certain officiating crews that call holding. Yeah, and you have to know as a coach, he's gonna call holding. They don't call PI.
So grab you do business as business is being done. I mean, we'd have a Saturday night meeting. Bill would have what referees we had that week going forward and tozy what they're you know, their scouting report is these guys are you know top thirty league in holding and defensive holding. These guys are top three in the league. And you know offensive holding, they let you play boys do businesses being done. We'll feel it out and then you go. All you you really want from the crew is consistency. So if they're gonna call it tight, call it the whole game.
So I have made a prediction in the last three years. Three years ago Minnesota, two years ago, Rams, this year Denver, where I take a team that Vegas doesn't think is very good, and I'm like, they're gonna be good. They're gonna be a playoff team. So last year I took the Rams. People laughed at me. This year I took Denver and Washington. I picked Washington to make the playoffs. So the Patriots.
It's pretty impressive, pretty pressive.
I'm not lying.
Let's go all right, let's go, kay mag what do you think?
He laughs at it. But I picked the Patriots. I said, I'll just give you my early one because my take is what they need. This draft has a lot of offensive tackles, uh more, punch on the perimeter, wide receivers they could use it. It's a great running back draft. And I'm like the division. The Jets don't know what they're doing at quarterback. Miami's just Miami. I kind of you know, Rabel, what will be? Give me the first two things. Rabel's gonna tell that locker room. His personality.
Rapes and alpha and it comes from.
Him actually going and experiencing the stuff that he alpha's you on. You know, if he's gonna tell you something in a meeting.
I'd never coach.
I never got to play with him as a coach, but I can only imagine, you know, as a friend.
Didn't play with them, but.
His his legend was so loud throughout my career, Like what just how he was in the locker room, how he was in conditioning, how he would bust your balls all the time because he was giving max effort and if you didn't, if you didn't mirror his effort in the locker room drinking water, we were getting that that you'd always hear about the old Patriots and and it carried out through our legacies. You know, I'm drinking more water. I'm getting edge on you like him, Willie Mack, Teddy Bruski, these guys were all accountable. We talk about out the Patriot Way, which you know, was the template and the blueprint was from the coaches, but it was being sheriffed by guys like Rabel. The coaches really didn't have to say anything.
Ran the room.
They were and Willie Mack and Willie Mack, you can't forget him. So you know, you know, it's gonna be a tough, smart football team because that's the kind of player he was. I honestly feel Jira got the short end of the stick of this whole thing. I do think they're in a better situation going forward because of the experience with Rabes, But I do expect him to be a tough team that uh, you know, that can win close games.
I think because it it's gonna be hard. Practice is gonna be hard.
They are gonna yell at you, They are gonna bitch at you. You know, this whole thing where you know it's gotta be you know, sunshine and rainbows and going to you know, dairy queen after work like that. Ain't that ain't gonna happen. That's Mike Lombardi. He always talks about that.
But you know that that doesn't happen.
This is a business, this is a what did he say in is opening day. I heard in his interview this is a production business. Whatever you have to do to get production is what you're gonna have to do. And I guarantee he's gonna be tough on him, but he will handle guys that can't take that a different way. But this team will be a tough, smart football team that will perform under pressure with.
The toughest locker room you were ever in where I mean, if the league broke out into a fight, you're like, we got dudes everywhere.
It have to be with Mankins and Light and Smore and some of.
The like early my early days, my later days too, But like Logan Mankins, I mean he was I saw him just manhandle like three hundred and forty pound men consistently, and like after practice he would be farming his land in Rhode Island. He was just an absolute beast of a man and and light like those guys probably from those earlier Patriots that carried over to mine.
It was those guys were tough guys.
And we had a bunch of tough guys, you know, the Jamie Collins, the Dante high Teckers.
Grady got soft at the end.
No, I think he got.
I think he actually got tougher, you know, because he always had to prove his point that I was, you know, I'm still I'm not that old guys.
You know, he'd always try to be hip with the young guys, would try to.
Be yeah, don't we all we all great.
To see you guys once again. Everyone go out and help those those people in LA. Find one of the organizations. I don't I forget him. The Red Cross is one, and there is the Coowfire dot Org. I think that's a huge one. Helped these firefighters get the resources they need to battle these things because this is this is wild.
Yeah, we're here for you. Many. We were crossing our fingers and we're very, very fortunate that you got through that thing.