Thanks for listening to the Best of Herd podcast. Are you sure to catch us live every weekday from twelve to three eastern, nine to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS one. Find your local station for The Herd at Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Herd. This is the Best of the Herd with Colin Cowhern on Fox Sports Radio. Top ten teams in the League Painted Breath Jets are they in? We will unveil the truth in one hour from now. Jamac joining us. You know it used to be you could ask questions and you weren't viewed as a hater. You could ask questions about a team like I know they're good, but what about this? Or what about that? And we spent the last couple of weeks you and I asking questions. Jimmy Johnson asked the same question. What happens when you face the Eagles a second time? What happens? And if they trail they haven't trailed in the second half. Yeah, what happens if they lose their great defensive tackle, the kid out of Georgia, Jordan Davis. They have missed him badly with the run game. Yeah, so that's all we do. Sometimes we poke and we brought. I've said this for years, the media is like the irs. We're built to audit, not be your friends. So when Jimmy Johnson asked a real question, like when you face them a second time, a very unique offense, the element is surprise and uniqueness is gone. What will Philadelphia be like? Well, Washington, I compared him to the Ravens with Lamar Jackson. I'm not saying they're not good, but when you face Lamar the second time, Remember the Chargers that first year faced him a second time, they beat him, surprise has gone. Well. Washington faced Philadelphia for the second time and dominated him twice. The plays twice, the rushing yards twice, the time of possession twice, the total yards, dominated them better team all night. We also ask the question, what will Jalen Hurts be like as a young quarterback trailing? I mean, Baker Mayfield with a lead in a run game look like a pro bowler. What will Jalen Hurts be trailing in a game? Because that's playoff football. You're the favorite, the pressure's on, you're at home. A couple bad series, you fall behind, the games are close, the other team's got a run game. You're not getting on the field as much as usual. You're turning the ball over. They're not. The Eagles have lived on turnovers all year. Last night they turned it over. They trailed, Washington had the better run game. The pressure was on Philadelphia. That's a playoff environment. That's what playoff games are like for any team that goes in as a one seed. Yeah, you'll be at home off a bye, but that team plan you may have seen you before. You may trail, you may not have the run game, you may turn it over. And what do we see from Philly in the second half? A touchdown, a couple of punts, a couple of fumbles. That's what it looked like now. Again, it's not hating on a team to suggest that a unique quarterback with a unique offense would dominate the regular season. But if you force him to play behind like the Ravens early and the Ravens have, by the way, mostly figured it out. Lamar and the Ravens offense much better playing from behind than two years ago. But these are all questions that had to be asked. Last night does not change the way I think of Philadelphia. I think they're a really good team with a lot of really good players. But the turnover stuff we talked about. They weren't going to dominate turnovers for every game this year, and last night when they didn't, they got housed at home. And they're still an evolving team. But the reality of the NFC hasn't changed. I mean, San Francisco's five and four and is never healthy, Tampa's five and five and can't run the football consistently. Seattle's got Geno Smith. The Vikings are eight and one, but Kirk can shrink in big games. New York Giants or seven and two, but feel like they're pretty much dominated by se Quon Barkley. Dallas just got exposed. The Packers are under five hundred, So nothing has changed. I don't think less of Philadelphia. I just have more information on Philadelphia today. And when they trail and the pressures on them and the other team is running the ball and the other team dominates time of possession, and Jalen Hurts feels like he's watching the game as much as he's playing it or more. That's what they look like. That's a playoff game because the pressure is going to be on if they played again. It's on Philadelphia, not Washington. It's not gonna be on Taylor Heineke, not gonna be on Ron Rivera. It's gonna be on Nick Seriani, the young guy that got the job in his second playoff run. Gotta win games now. So I think Philadelphia is still really, really good. I think they'll be the number one seed. Nothing really changes. We just have more information. They're more fallible, they're more human, they're like everybody else in the league. You execute, or you lose. You don't turn it over, even at home, or you lose. Here's Jalen Hurts after It's the same message that's always been delivered after our wins, same message delivered after our losses. You know, controlling the things that we can come here today we didn't do that. We didn't do it, and today it got us. So you know, it's very important to control the things that you can. Controlling your boss, security, knowing whether operation the players supposed to go, and just execution. Those are all things that we control and we have to do a better job of that. They'll be fine and they'll remain I believe the number one seed in about seven eight more weeks. All right, let's let's talk about a coaching job. I said yesterday, I'm not a fan of it, but I said, I think Denver has to make a coaching change. It's not getting better off a bye week. But in the same show yesterday, I said, let's take a breath on the Raiders. I would much rather have the Raiders current situation than Denver situation. I feel Denver's dire trapped and there's no way out. I think the Raiders are fine. And so Mark Davis came out yesterday, the owner of the Raiders, and he said, listen, people in today's world want instant gratification. The guys coach nine games, we're two and seven, not the results were looking for same time, We've lost six one score games. I give my vote of confidence when I signed him. That's what I gave it to him. Rome was not built in a day. So I defended the Raiders yesterday, and I want you to think about this. Coaching, believe it or not, is much harder than Twitter makes it sound. So here's what happened with this team in the twelve months before the guy over my shoulder, head coach Josh McDaniels got the job. John Gruden was fired. He was going to be there forever right fired, chaos. Their first round pick, Henry Ruggs, a receiver, killed a Las Vegas civilian off the team jail. They cut another first round pick in twenty twenty, Damon Arnette threats internet violence Instagram. Out two first round picks, Bye bye GM. Mike Mayock fired. Okay. All the while Denver we thought was getting better, the Chargers were adding pieces. Kansas City in division adding pieces. So Josh McDaniels comes in and he takes a big swing. I'm gonna get a wide receiver, Davante Adams. They bring him in, but in the process they give up a first and a second round pick in the draft. So they have had so many whiffs, the previous group of people have had so many whiffs in the draft, or they've had to get rid of people in the draft that you have a very thin team with most of the talent on offense. I mean, in fact, look at the draft, their last one, two, three, six first round picks cut cut, cut, cut, and then Josh Jacobs and Farrell the defensive end, he's kind of a bust. There you go, and so they take a big swing. They bring in a receiver, give up two more first round picks and first to second round pick in and they got some talent on offense, but not on defense. And then what happens. The offense has the injury bug, and hunter Renfro is hurt and Darren Waller is hurt, and the talent, which is completely lobsided on the offensive sides, got most of it. Two of their biggest stars get hurt. Okay, And then you look at the two and seven and say they're terrible. Okay, they're owing six in one possession games. Who was the team in the NFL last year that was terrible in close games? Minnesota eight and won this year offensive coach winning close games. The difference is there wasn't massive chaos with the Vikings. They just replaced a coach. Look at the chaos Josh McDaniels had to overcome. They're just losing close games. They're in it all their talent because of so many whiffs by the previous guys on their top picks, their talents mostly on offense, and two of their three biggest stars got hurt. What are you gonna do? I mean, think about this. The Raiders point differential. They're in games as minus twenty three. That's better than the Chargers in their own division that have a winning record. That's better than the Packers. Tennessee is right now six and three. They have a negative point differential. So Tennessee winning all the close games, Minnesota winning all the close games, Raiders losing them all, and they probably should lose them all because they're not very good defensively and Darren Waller's great, can't play hunter Renfroze amazing, ir This stuff is really really hard. It's way harder than social media would lead you to believe jobs are. But I think Denver needs to make a move. I'll defend the Raiders again. I would take the Raiders job tomorrow. I've had two former head coaches tell me that Raider things interesting. You could keep Derek Carr, you could move them and get a bunch of picks. There's no cap hit. They got stars on offense, they got pass rushers. Like, it's not a bad job, and I don't think it's a terrible team. Owen six and one possession games. I think the Raiders when about half of the remaining games, believe it or not, they'll be viable. But this stuff is hard, and I think Mark Davis is being honest. Wasn't built in a day. We're kind of a mess. This was never going to be a one and done job. This was never going to be the Vikings Turnaround. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays in noon Easter nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio FS one and the iHeart Radio app. Everything is good in all sample size almost everything. You're ever getting a convertible during the summer flying around country roads, got a look at the beach. H I love a convertible. Then fall and winter happens and it rains, and then spring happens and it rains. The convertible is not as cool. Get back inside a car. Everybody's freaking out over Taylor Heinekey. First of all, we get it. You hate Carson Wentz and the Taylor Heinekey story. Plucky small guy feels great. He had a sixty six passer rating last night. Every quarterback in this league with a dominant run game playing with a lead looks great. Baker did Gino Smith has been great all year. Do you see what happens Sunday? They couldn't run the ball and he trailed and Gino Smith looked like Gino Smith. Washington had forty nine rushes last night and forty minutes time of possession. Taylor Heineke was asked to make a couple of big throws and he hit one big throw. Terry McLaurin, who is just so good all the time. But the biggest play for Taylor Heinekee was baiting on a Philadelphia Eagle to get a roughing the passer. And he is a crafty player because he has to be a crafty player. This is a crafty play from a crafty player, right, that's what he does because he doesn't have the size. A ball was hiked over his head. Would have helped if he was taller. He got rocked early by a bigger defensive lineman and fumbled. He's a crafty guy and a crafty player and deserves credit. But the Washington defense forced four turnovers. What quarterback that gets four turnovers a forty minutes time of possession a dominant run game, who doesn't win? Colton McCoy wins with that. There's a lot of guys small sample size. Kyle Allen was great and then after a few wins, they were like, hey, Kyle, we're trailing late go. That's what changes Mahomes. The score or is irrelevant with Mahomes, doesn't matter if there's five minutes after thirteen seconds leading or trailing. Same with Burrow. Josh Allen feels like that, Heck Kirk cousins this weekend trailing so small samples size. It's one of those things last night. Consider last night like one of those things you did in high school or college. A group project. Four turnovers, forty yards, time of possession, Terry McClure and a great catch. It's like a group project. And Taylor Heineke's really well liked and he gets an A on the group project, but he didn't lead it. I get it. You don't like Wentz and you like the Taylor Heineke story. Everybody loves the vice president, everybody loves the backup quarterback, everybody loves the substitute teacher. You can't build around that stuff. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdayson noun Easter nine a Empacific. Aaron kind of shouts down his coach, Matt Lafleur. I defended Aaron Rodgers. I defended Peyton Manning at Jeff Saturday. I've defended Brady Yelling at Josh McDaniels. I'm always going to defend a quarterback or a coach barking in the middle of a game. This stuff's hard, it's intense, the game is live. Aaron has a right to bark. I would much rather see Aaron Rodgers do this than be passive aggressive. So Aaron after the game was kind of asked about that situation. Yeah, I feel like we were like thirty yards from end of the game in regulation, and I also felt like it was two minutes so I was going to be call knows and I was in a pretty good rhythm. Obviously didn't have a ton of attempts tonight, but it felt like I was in pretty good rhythm and felt like I through the ball just about exactly where I wanted to tonight and if I want a chance to go win the game. So I agree with him. I mean, you're paying fifty large, let Aaron have the call. But I do think am I being unfair if I say this. Laflora and Aaron have been together three and a half years, and I've always felt the power dynamics a little off. So Aaron was a superstar when thirty nine year old Matt Lafleur got the job. Aaron had one hundred million dollars net worth, commercials everywhere, a ring, a reputation, and he had a way of doing things. Aaron was moving into I'm gonna do things my way. That's why McCarthy's no longer the coach. So that was all established and here comes thirty nine year old Matt Lafleur, who, by the way, since he left Tennessee has gotten better. Not a shot, just a reality. So I've always felt this organization that Matt entered also had something else going on, is that Aaron and the front office of green Bay have not been at odds. Sometimes maybe, but it's always been a little tense. Aaron fireing shots at the front office the day of the draft, the organization drafting Jordan Love. So Matt comes in no proven head coaching experience or tenure to an established star who got rid of the other coach. Because there's certain things he wants to do his way, not ripping eron defending him. He's the star of the show. There is no owner in green Bay far Rogers are the franchise, and I've always felt like it's a weird relationship in this running or passing situation illustrates it. So when Matt Lafleur came to Green Bay, his reputation was he builds running games, and so he comes into this organization and he knows, I'm gonna lean on what I do build running games. But I've got to do this delicately because Aaron's like great, and I don't want him to think I don't trust him or don't consider his talent elite. So it's kind of a delicate balance. And just about the time they get it right, the Packers draft Jordan Love and piss Aaron off. So now Lafleur's got to deal with a little more prickily eron. But again, what he is is a guy that builds running games. Aaron is aging. He's probably not the guy you want throwing fifty times like Brady's had to do most of this year. Let's get him down to thirty two throws. Let's run the football. But it's a delicate balance. Aaron's still playing great, he's ticked off about Jordan Love. There's still some palpable tension with the front office. And I've seen this in playoff games the times that Matt Lafleur has disappointed me this year early give the ball more to Aaron Jones, but Matt Lafleur's thinking, well, my star quarterback doesn't trust these young receivers, so I'm gonna run it more. But I've got to develop that relationship, and Aaron can be a little aloof with the young players. So my point is the whole thing for Lafleur, the power dynamic has been hard. He enters an organization where Aaron's got a little tension with the front office, he solves it, and then it feels like, just about the time he's got it right, they draft Jordan Love and now it's prickly again and I've got and this year it's just felt like play calling. Aaron understands he wants the running game. This team is clearly better with a running game. But in this instance, Aaron wanted to pass because Watson was playing. Well. This thing, I've always felt it's off, and I think it's been really hard for Matt Lafleur. If you joined a company and you had to sort of manage a superstar knowing that management had poked him in the ribs a couple of times, and the superstar had poke management in the ribs a couple of times. This whole arguing over play calling. This was Matt Lafleur doing what Matt Lafloor does, running the ball, what he was brought to Green Bay to do. Take a little off Aaron's plate, establish a running game. Right. What was the criticism of Matt Lafloor early this year. They weren't running the ball enough. So I'm not banging on Aaron here, but it does feel like this thing is harder to manage than we think. The prickly star, the running game developer, the drafting of Jordan Love, the tension in the front office. It's a hard walk here. It's not This was not like Kyle Shanahan coming in and bulldozing it and saying, here's my offense, here's what we're doing. You're gonna follow my playbook, that's not what this is, and then blow it up. This was a winning franchise. This was a great franchise with a superstar quarterback. And I think it just it felt like three of the Packers four wins this year they've rushed for over two hundred and three yards. They're better running the football. So Matt's leaning in to running the football. And he was brought here to run the football, and he likes running the football, and Aaron's jelling him for running the football. I just think it's harder than we Then we get Folly Fosco here with Tony Fosco. Of course, you know us as the host of the number one rated Folly and Tony Fusto Show the world right now, we all know you sick and tired of these stupid sports shows with a host say stupid things like Tom Brady's the Goats or Lebron James is good at basketball, which he is clearly not. See. We give you smart takes, and we also bring on so called famous guests from across the sports world and show them why we know much more than they build the show. Listen to the Folly and Tony Fusco Show on the IHOT Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. Third hierarchy, Let's go the top ten of NFL teams according to College Number ten. I think Tennessee's the best coach team in the league. How do you get the Chiefs in arrowhead to overtime without a first half and the second half. They're six and one in their last seven games. Their defense is the best in the league on third down, and Derrick Henry five of his last six games, is running for a hundred yards. And they've done this with a bang up quarterback spot. This is an incredibly well coached team. They win ugly. We forget they were the number one seed last year. They are physical, they can overcome. I have to put Tennessee in there, six and three. I've got to put them in there, Tennessee at ten. Number nine? What do I do with the Cowboys? Were they exposed? Well, they had four penalties on fifteen snaps in overtime. Welcome to their reality. They are great at getting to the quarterback and creating pressure. But and this has to be said, dak has been atrocious on third and fourth down throws this year. They're not a good situational football team. I don't believe you can win multiple playoff games if you're not great situationally. Kansas City is great situationally. Minnesota this weekend was great situationally. Dallas isn't there? Nine? Number eight? I love the Ravens. I love everything about them. They drive me nuts. Only team in the league to lead by ten plus points in every game eight straight games with at least one hundred and fifty yards rushing. That hasn't been done. It's the mid eighties. They're like Philadelphia, but they've sustained it for years and years. Lamar is a playmaker. They're getting a little healthier, but they've had key injuries Gus Edwards, Mark Andrews, Rashad Bateman. They're perpetually banged up, but in big games, Lamar and John Harbaugh win a lot of them and I've got him at eight number seven Buffalo. Listen, we like them. They're the knockout artist without a jab and movement. They're a flawed team. Josh Allen leads the NFL with ten picks and three in the red zone. And I think Brian day Bole leaving. This is not Kansas City's offense where they can move off offensive coordinators, and you don't really notice Brian Dable leaving. This team's not as good in the second half offensively, they're not as good in the red zone, and the last three games for Josh Allen, he's not accurate. He's completing fifty eight percent of his throws. So again, you know, I always used Mike Tyson, the great fighter with no jab. Tyson was at his best when he had a great trainer and a great corner man. Later in his career he didn't, and he was just a guy with a big knockout punch. Is that what Buffalo has become. I have him at seven, number six. The Dolphins, I think, you know, I think they're as real as they're going to be. They're seven and oh. Two is healthy. I think they have one of the smart young coaches in football. I mean two is touchdown to interception ratio. It's very Drew Brees, which was his comp coming out of college, and I thought it was crazy. He just doesn't throw any interceptions. He's got three giveaways all year. So they know what they are. They do it well, you know. And as Buffalo goes into the tank, you know, I think to myself, tomorrow Buffalo Miami play neutral field. I think I'd take Miami. They already beat him once. I don't like what I see from Buffalo in the second half of games. Miami's a well earned six. Number five Cincinnati, I think that's the one team that Kansas City doesn't want to play. Number one scoring team in the league. Since Week six, Joe Burrows one of three quarterbacks, completing seventy percent of his throws, and they're now without Jamar Chase. If Joe Mixon and this whole line can consistently run the football, they could beat the Chiefs at Arrowhead, not say, and I don't. I don't think there's many teams that qualify for that. I don't know if two could go up there and do it. I don't think Buffalo now could do it. Cincinnati's a handful, and because you can't name three of their defensive players, we overlook them. It's it's a real defense, Like like second half, good luck scoring on them. Number four Vikings. They're getting a little bit of Philadelphia where they're winning the turnover battle a lot and that that stuff usually has a ceiling. But we've got to be realistic here. They're eight and one, they're winning close games. You know, we're talking about Brian Dable, how about that coach, the tall Sean McVay. They've been terrific situationally. Now, I don't think their defense is great. They have generated a pass rush in key spots, but I still think there are limitations. They're the kind of team that you could score on quickly over the top. I feel like they could outplay you and you could beat them. But right now they're weren't even close ones. They're at four three. I love the Niners. I think it's the most talented team in the league. Number one total defense, number two in yardage differential, held each of their last two opponents scoreless in the second half. They have a Pro Bowl level player in every single unit on the field, and they're getting guys back Elijah Mitchell, running back back Deebo Samuel, they got their full back back. Yeah. I mean, Jimmy Garoppolo is not the kind of guy that's going to bring you back from seventeen down, but they have not lost a game when he hasn't had a pick. There is a way they have to play to win. But physically they're really good. I got him at three, number two, Philadelphia at two. I don't feel different about Philadelphia today. I just think it illuminates the truth that if they don't win the turnover battle and they're trailing in the second half, they're not Kansas City it's a very good football team. They're not going anywhere. To Jay Max's point, they lost a crucial interior defender and now teams are running on them. But they're only team in the league top five offense and top five defense. And I don't have any real criticism other than eventually teams like Philly in Minnesota don't win the turnover battle every game. Number one, I mean Kansas City. I mean, here's how good Kansas City is. They're twenty seventh and turnover differential minus four, and they're still the best team in the league. Patrick Mahomes has thrown a touchdown to ten different receivers to tell you how when you get the perfect combination of superstar coach, superstar quarterback, you're losing the turnover battle. You had to rebuild the defense three years ago, the old line two years ago, the wide receiver room this year, and doesn't affect them at all. We're looking at arguably the most talented quarterback ever, arguably after Bill Walsh, the smartest offensive coach ever, great ownership, brilliant GM. The fact that they have had to reboot three different parts of their team in three or four years, and it has had no adverse effect on the franchise is remarkable. Buffalo has been trying to create a run game for four years. They can't do it one more Herd. The Herd streams twenty four hours a day, seven days a week within the iHeartRadio app. Search Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you like. Nick Wright, co host First Things First, joined us live. What that was so nice? It was just delightful just listening to you wax poetic about a team that you know was gonna have it. It's handsful with your beloved Russell Wilson and those those flucky Chargers. But I mean you nailed it. The fact that the Chiefs have been awful either by luck or by their own doing when it comes to turnovers this year, that they are bottom six in the league in plus minus, and they are they have the second best well, the best record in the AFC, the third best record overall in football. And by the way, here's the other thing, strength of schedule. They have the thirty first mostficult schedule the rest of the way. Colin they played eight straight games to start the or against teams of the previous year at a winning record. They got through at six and two, so all their toughest games except for the game against Cincinnati already behind them. So yeah, I mean I agree with that. I mean, you said about the Chiefs. I you know, I wish you were saying it this offseason, but better late than never, I suppose, my friend, I'm slow on stuff. So I said this, if let's just say this, if Brian Dable is maybe as good as we think, I mean, I was out on Daniel Jones and now, like, I don't know if he is that good. Can we make the argument that Josh Allen will never be Josh Allen again? College wild, early, Buffalo Wild, now wild. And it was this brilliant offensive guy that Sam papered him, and now he's reverting back to what he was, which is, oh my lord, he's taking huge swings. He's not accurate. I mean, my takeaway as Josh is amazing, But if you look at how good Day bole is, you may never duplicate that again. You may never get another Brian Day Bowl in Buffalo. Well. I also think it's worth noting that Josh Allen has been a Pro Bowl level player one year. Last year, Mac Jones made the Pro Bowl. Josh Allen did not this year. Patrick Mahomes would be a pro bowler too. It would be a pro bowler. I would have Burrow and Lamar ahead of Josh as of this moment. That would put him fifth in his own conference. I understand everyone is wowed by the athleticism and the armed talent, and he is. And I have said this and I will say it again. He is the only quarterback in the league outside of possibly Lamar, that if they are playing their very best, they can match Mahomes's very best. His A plus game is as good as anybody. The problem is, you have no idea if you're going to get it. And he he leads the NFL and interceptions he's third in the NFL. And interceptions plus bumbles he leads the NFL double second place in interceptions or fumbles in the red zone. This is a trend for this team and for Josh, and so yeah it is. It's why I pushed back so hard on this idea that he was the best player in the league. He has moments when he looks like the best player in the league, and then moments when he reverts back to a guy who in the first playoff game of his life was running down the sideline, panicked and threw the ball blindly over the back of his head. Some people forget that, Colin. I will never forget that. That is a moment where I'm like, Okay, I kind of know who you are and who you are at your core. And one last thing for the Bills, it would be concerning to me if I were a fan of the Bills that what is arguably the best playoff game we have seen in the last decade and what has ourly the best regular season game we have seen the last few years. The Bills were in both of them and found a way to lose them both when they were nine to win them both at one point. That would concern me. Yeah, Packers and Vikings were both lifeless, and the Bills kind of injected life into them in those games. So yeah, I watched the Cowboys and I said, you know, it's the fifty thousand dollars millionaire, flashy car, but if you followed him home, he lives in an apartment that Dallas. There's a lot of flash and splash, But when you get to the core of them, Dak situationally has been awful. You can run on them we don't trust McCarthy situationally. And I watched it and I said, this is kind of why I've been a Cowboy cynic. I think mostly you have for twenty years is that there's a lot of things on the surface, but when you dig deep or follow them home, that's a lot of fraudulent stuff. What was your takeaway on their loss? Well, two things. One is I don't know if that was an intentional play on words or not, but you know, I used to live in Houston, and what you just described the fifty thousand dollars millionaire is there's a little Houston Dallas rivalry. Is what people from Houston say about people from Dallas all the time, that exact thing. So I don't know if you knew that and that's why you're calling the Cowboys that, or it's just a happy coincidence, but it made me smile. Now to the Packers game. If you had three concerns for the Cowboys going into the Packers game, they would have been number one. Our defense has been historically great. Is it maybe not quite that good? Well that showed up in the Packers game. You're forget the run defense. Yeah, we've got folks saying, Michael Parsons, is Lawrence Taylor two point up, and you have the Packers down fourteen and a fourth and seven, and you let Aaron Rodgers throw a seed down the field and all of a sudden spark to come back. So a small concern about the dominant defense. Check concern number two would have been Dak Prescott, is he gonna make the critical error? I think green Bay, Colin might have folded up shop if the Cowboys went up two scores immediately in that game, green Bay went missed field goal three and out fumble and Dallas was up seven nothing inside the ten after the fumble, and Dak threw a really bad pick which breathed some life into green Bay. Then he threw another pick later. So there's check two and check three is, of course Mike McCarthy. And here's my hypothesis on why McCarthy decided, Because it's not just that they went for it on fourth down, Colin, it's that he claimed afterwards they knew they were going for it on fourth down, which if that's true, how you don't run the ball on third down you have third and three if you know it's two down territory Tony Pollard's getting five and a half yards per carry, how do you not give him the ball? But the reason I think McCarthy didn't kick the field goal there was because he was afraid of Aaron Rodgers. Because he was he made this game very personal and very I think very much about his history there. And if they kicked the field goal, even if they make it, you're guaranteeing Aaron Rodgers gets the ball back. If you go for it and you get it, you score a touchdown and keep Aaron Rodgers off the field for a team that is supposed to be defense first, Yeah, you're supposed to kick that field goal and trust that an offense that hadn't done anything for two months is not going to get a touchdown scored on him. And so yeah, I agree with you wholeheartedly. And last point with the Eagles loss last night, if Dallas had taken care of business against green Bay, they'd control their own destiny for that division. They'd be at two losses with the game against Philly coming up. So it's a brutal loss for them. So it's they're not a popular team. The Kyrie Irving situation well documented and discussed, but he missed his seventh straight game. I think it was recently. I'll need seven, it'll be tonight. He's not playing side. He was seven tonight. My argument, well, I said a year ago, for the first time in my life, my whole career, I said, I'm gonna say something I've never said this. I would trade a star for rotational players. He's a culture and coach killer, and Kevin Durant is just lifting the team. He pulls him back, lifting the team. He pulls him back. I would have moved off him. I think he's a losing player. They're actually much better defensively and at times offensively without Kyrie. I don't know. It's combustible. I think other teams are interested, but there's so much baggage. If I had to say, what happens to Kyrie for the next year? Nick right, you have season tickets, you know the organization, you watch every game. How's this going to play out? I think it's on the board. He never plays again for the Nets. I think that there's a lot of factors at that one is there. They've flatly been better without him. Yeah, they play defense without him. They let Kde do this point forward thing. They've Now part of that, I'm sure is that Jacque Vaughan is there, but I do not think for the Brooklyn Nets. He adds to winning. You then add to the fact that Kevin Durant, you know all of it last week had to like send out a tweet because he had given an unfortunate, you know comment in a media scrum where he was like, I wish the organization had just you know, stayed quiet, and all of a sudden, k D everyone in the organization is, you know, being tangentially kind of quizzed and queried on their feelings on anti Semitism, which nobody signed up for. And you mentioned that I've seasoned tickets Joe Si obviously you know either goes to these games or as people going to these games the owner of the team. When you ever since the Kyrie stuff blew up, when you get off the train on Atlantic Avenue to go into Barclays, you have what is can only be you know, what are people demonstrating passing out literature about that he is either hagentially are directly related to that movie Kyrie promoted It's a mess Man, And I don't think the Nets want to be in that business, particularly for a player that I do not think has added to their winning at all. And in fact, Kyrie and his last six years in this league, his team's when he plays and when he doesn't play. It's over six years they went almost the exact same percentage of games. So I just I don't think the Nets are a championship team with or without him, but they have shown more of a heart and pulse without him. I would I would not be surprised if they simply move on from him again. It was a five game suspension. He's not traveling with the team tonight. That's game number seven. Something's going on there. By the way, I only have a minute left. You're an encyclopedia on the NBA, and I'm gonna throw this het. We were talking. Kad said Lebron's one of the best players ever, two or three, and I said, hi him. He makes lists. You've you've make pyramids lists, You're great at the stuff. But I said, if you if you said the four best basketball players, because we always say the Mount Rushmore thing, the four best players I've seen, and you have to have watched them in their prime. So I can't count Wilt. I didn't see him in his prime. The four best players I've ever seen. I'm gonna give them to you, and you react. Kareem no order, yep, Kareem, Michael, Lebron, Magic, everybody else's direct. Okay, so you ever, right, okay, right, all right? And by the way, I think that that is the correct order for all of NBA history. With respect to Russell, I think Russell would be the odd man out there. Yeah, but that is that. Here's the funny thing about Katie's comments. Katie said top two and then paused and went top three. I do not believe that's because he was including Kareem. I believe that's because Kadie was including Kobe. I Katie and Kobe had a very tight relationship. I think kad has a respect for Kobe's game. That's different than the respect, yes, for Lebron's. I think kad on again, I'm speculating here, Kevin, don't get upset, but I think that on a truth serum, Katie Would's top three would be Michael, Kobe, Lebron. I think, that, of course, is ludicrous. There is a there is no argument about the top three. It is in one order or another. Kareem, Michael, and Lebron. We can argue about the order number four. There is an argument, but I agree with you. I think it's Magic Johnson. And you know, I obviously didn't see Kreem in his prime. But like you said, you know, I tried to write a book on it. Instead, I did a podcast series. I'm pretty well studied. That's the correct top four. So look, Colin, you started the segment being right about the Chiefs. You end the segment with an impeccable NBA list. You know you always say that you mentor me, the relationship might be flipping up, mightbe a little turn about my friend. Oh that happened a long time ago. I rely on your wisdom all the time. If people only knew right. First things first, great show, by the way, They're off to a great start New York, Kevin Wilde's brus Haard nick Wright really fun show.

Thanks for listening to the Best of Herd podcast. Are you sure to catch us live every weekday from twelve to three eastern, nine to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS one. Find your local station for The Herd at Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Herd. This is the Best of the Herd with Colin Cowhern on Fox Sports Radio. Top ten teams in the League Painted Breath Jets are they in? We will unveil the truth in one hour from now. Jamac joining us. You know it used to be you could ask questions and you weren't viewed as a hater. You could ask questions about a team like I know they're good, but what about this? Or what about that? And we spent the last couple of weeks you and I asking questions. Jimmy Johnson asked the same question. What happens when you face the Eagles a second time? What happens? And if they trail they haven't trailed in the second half. Yeah, what happens if they lose their great defensive tackle, the kid out of Georgia, Jordan Davis. They have missed him badly with the run game. Yeah, so that's all we do. Sometimes we poke and we brought. I've said this for years, the media is like the irs. We're built to audit, not be your friends. So when Jimmy Johnson asked a real question, like when you face them a second time, a very unique offense, the element is surprise and uniqueness is gone. What will Philadelphia be like? Well, Washington, I compared him to the Ravens with Lamar Jackson. I'm not saying they're not good, but when you face Lamar the second time, Remember the Chargers that first year faced him a second time, they beat him, surprise has gone. Well. Washington faced Philadelphia for the second time and dominated him twice. The plays twice, the rushing yards twice, the time of possession twice, the total yards, dominated them better team all night. We also ask the question, what will Jalen Hurts be like as a young quarterback trailing? I mean, Baker Mayfield with a lead in a run game look like a pro bowler. What will Jalen Hurts be trailing in a game? Because that's playoff football. You're the favorite, the pressure's on, you're at home. A couple bad series, you fall behind, the games are close, the other team's got a run game. You're not getting on the field as much as usual. You're turning the ball over. They're not. The Eagles have lived on turnovers all year. Last night they turned it over. They trailed, Washington had the better run game. The pressure was on Philadelphia. That's a playoff environment. That's what playoff games are like for any team that goes in as a one seed. Yeah, you'll be at home off a bye, but that team plan you may have seen you before. You may trail, you may not have the run game, you may turn it over. And what do we see from Philly in the second half? A touchdown, a couple of punts, a couple of fumbles. That's what it looked like now. Again, it's not hating on a team to suggest that a unique quarterback with a unique offense would dominate the regular season. But if you force him to play behind like the Ravens early and the Ravens have, by the way, mostly figured it out. Lamar and the Ravens offense much better playing from behind than two years ago. But these are all questions that had to be asked. Last night does not change the way I think of Philadelphia. I think they're a really good team with a lot of really good players. But the turnover stuff we talked about. They weren't going to dominate turnovers for every game this year, and last night when they didn't, they got housed at home. And they're still an evolving team. But the reality of the NFC hasn't changed. I mean, San Francisco's five and four and is never healthy, Tampa's five and five and can't run the football consistently. Seattle's got Geno Smith. The Vikings are eight and one, but Kirk can shrink in big games. New York Giants or seven and two, but feel like they're pretty much dominated by se Quon Barkley. Dallas just got exposed. The Packers are under five hundred, So nothing has changed. I don't think less of Philadelphia. I just have more information on Philadelphia today. And when they trail and the pressures on them and the other team is running the ball and the other team dominates time of possession, and Jalen Hurts feels like he's watching the game as much as he's playing it or more. That's what they look like. That's a playoff game because the pressure is going to be on if they played again. It's on Philadelphia, not Washington. It's not gonna be on Taylor Heineke, not gonna be on Ron Rivera. It's gonna be on Nick Seriani, the young guy that got the job in his second playoff run. Gotta win games now. So I think Philadelphia is still really, really good. I think they'll be the number one seed. Nothing really changes. We just have more information. They're more fallible, they're more human, they're like everybody else in the league. You execute, or you lose. You don't turn it over, even at home, or you lose. Here's Jalen Hurts after It's the same message that's always been delivered after our wins, same message delivered after our losses. You know, controlling the things that we can come here today we didn't do that. We didn't do it, and today it got us. So you know, it's very important to control the things that you can. Controlling your boss, security, knowing whether operation the players supposed to go, and just execution. Those are all things that we control and we have to do a better job of that. They'll be fine and they'll remain I believe the number one seed in about seven eight more weeks. All right, let's let's talk about a coaching job. I said yesterday, I'm not a fan of it, but I said, I think Denver has to make a coaching change. It's not getting better off a bye week. But in the same show yesterday, I said, let's take a breath on the Raiders. I would much rather have the Raiders current situation than Denver situation. I feel Denver's dire trapped and there's no way out. I think the Raiders are fine. And so Mark Davis came out yesterday, the owner of the Raiders, and he said, listen, people in today's world want instant gratification. The guys coach nine games, we're two and seven, not the results were looking for same time, We've lost six one score games. I give my vote of confidence when I signed him. That's what I gave it to him. Rome was not built in a day. So I defended the Raiders yesterday, and I want you to think about this. Coaching, believe it or not, is much harder than Twitter makes it sound. So here's what happened with this team in the twelve months before the guy over my shoulder, head coach Josh McDaniels got the job. John Gruden was fired. He was going to be there forever right fired, chaos. Their first round pick, Henry Ruggs, a receiver, killed a Las Vegas civilian off the team jail. They cut another first round pick in twenty twenty, Damon Arnette threats internet violence Instagram. Out two first round picks, Bye bye GM. Mike Mayock fired. Okay. All the while Denver we thought was getting better, the Chargers were adding pieces. Kansas City in division adding pieces. So Josh McDaniels comes in and he takes a big swing. I'm gonna get a wide receiver, Davante Adams. They bring him in, but in the process they give up a first and a second round pick in the draft. So they have had so many whiffs, the previous group of people have had so many whiffs in the draft, or they've had to get rid of people in the draft that you have a very thin team with most of the talent on offense. I mean, in fact, look at the draft, their last one, two, three, six first round picks cut cut, cut, cut, and then Josh Jacobs and Farrell the defensive end, he's kind of a bust. There you go, and so they take a big swing. They bring in a receiver, give up two more first round picks and first to second round pick in and they got some talent on offense, but not on defense. And then what happens. The offense has the injury bug, and hunter Renfro is hurt and Darren Waller is hurt, and the talent, which is completely lobsided on the offensive sides, got most of it. Two of their biggest stars get hurt. Okay, And then you look at the two and seven and say they're terrible. Okay, they're owing six in one possession games. Who was the team in the NFL last year that was terrible in close games? Minnesota eight and won this year offensive coach winning close games. The difference is there wasn't massive chaos with the Vikings. They just replaced a coach. Look at the chaos Josh McDaniels had to overcome. They're just losing close games. They're in it all their talent because of so many whiffs by the previous guys on their top picks, their talents mostly on offense, and two of their three biggest stars got hurt. What are you gonna do? I mean, think about this. The Raiders point differential. They're in games as minus twenty three. That's better than the Chargers in their own division that have a winning record. That's better than the Packers. Tennessee is right now six and three. They have a negative point differential. So Tennessee winning all the close games, Minnesota winning all the close games, Raiders losing them all, and they probably should lose them all because they're not very good defensively and Darren Waller's great, can't play hunter Renfroze amazing, ir This stuff is really really hard. It's way harder than social media would lead you to believe jobs are. But I think Denver needs to make a move. I'll defend the Raiders again. I would take the Raiders job tomorrow. I've had two former head coaches tell me that Raider things interesting. You could keep Derek Carr, you could move them and get a bunch of picks. There's no cap hit. They got stars on offense, they got pass rushers. Like, it's not a bad job, and I don't think it's a terrible team. Owen six and one possession games. I think the Raiders when about half of the remaining games, believe it or not, they'll be viable. But this stuff is hard, and I think Mark Davis is being honest. Wasn't built in a day. We're kind of a mess. This was never going to be a one and done job. This was never going to be the Vikings Turnaround. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays in noon Easter nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio FS one and the iHeart Radio app. Everything is good in all sample size almost everything. You're ever getting a convertible during the summer flying around country roads, got a look at the beach. H I love a convertible. Then fall and winter happens and it rains, and then spring happens and it rains. The convertible is not as cool. Get back inside a car. Everybody's freaking out over Taylor Heinekey. First of all, we get it. You hate Carson Wentz and the Taylor Heinekey story. Plucky small guy feels great. He had a sixty six passer rating last night. Every quarterback in this league with a dominant run game playing with a lead looks great. Baker did Gino Smith has been great all year. Do you see what happens Sunday? They couldn't run the ball and he trailed and Gino Smith looked like Gino Smith. Washington had forty nine rushes last night and forty minutes time of possession. Taylor Heineke was asked to make a couple of big throws and he hit one big throw. Terry McLaurin, who is just so good all the time. But the biggest play for Taylor Heinekee was baiting on a Philadelphia Eagle to get a roughing the passer. And he is a crafty player because he has to be a crafty player. This is a crafty play from a crafty player, right, that's what he does because he doesn't have the size. A ball was hiked over his head. Would have helped if he was taller. He got rocked early by a bigger defensive lineman and fumbled. He's a crafty guy and a crafty player and deserves credit. But the Washington defense forced four turnovers. What quarterback that gets four turnovers a forty minutes time of possession a dominant run game, who doesn't win? Colton McCoy wins with that. There's a lot of guys small sample size. Kyle Allen was great and then after a few wins, they were like, hey, Kyle, we're trailing late go. That's what changes Mahomes. The score or is irrelevant with Mahomes, doesn't matter if there's five minutes after thirteen seconds leading or trailing. Same with Burrow. Josh Allen feels like that, Heck Kirk cousins this weekend trailing so small samples size. It's one of those things last night. Consider last night like one of those things you did in high school or college. A group project. Four turnovers, forty yards, time of possession, Terry McClure and a great catch. It's like a group project. And Taylor Heineke's really well liked and he gets an A on the group project, but he didn't lead it. I get it. You don't like Wentz and you like the Taylor Heineke story. Everybody loves the vice president, everybody loves the backup quarterback, everybody loves the substitute teacher. You can't build around that stuff. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdayson noun Easter nine a Empacific. Aaron kind of shouts down his coach, Matt Lafleur. I defended Aaron Rodgers. I defended Peyton Manning at Jeff Saturday. I've defended Brady Yelling at Josh McDaniels. I'm always going to defend a quarterback or a coach barking in the middle of a game. This stuff's hard, it's intense, the game is live. Aaron has a right to bark. I would much rather see Aaron Rodgers do this than be passive aggressive. So Aaron after the game was kind of asked about that situation. Yeah, I feel like we were like thirty yards from end of the game in regulation, and I also felt like it was two minutes so I was going to be call knows and I was in a pretty good rhythm. Obviously didn't have a ton of attempts tonight, but it felt like I was in pretty good rhythm and felt like I through the ball just about exactly where I wanted to tonight and if I want a chance to go win the game. So I agree with him. I mean, you're paying fifty large, let Aaron have the call. But I do think am I being unfair if I say this. Laflora and Aaron have been together three and a half years, and I've always felt the power dynamics a little off. So Aaron was a superstar when thirty nine year old Matt Lafleur got the job. Aaron had one hundred million dollars net worth, commercials everywhere, a ring, a reputation, and he had a way of doing things. Aaron was moving into I'm gonna do things my way. That's why McCarthy's no longer the coach. So that was all established and here comes thirty nine year old Matt Lafleur, who, by the way, since he left Tennessee has gotten better. Not a shot, just a reality. So I've always felt this organization that Matt entered also had something else going on, is that Aaron and the front office of green Bay have not been at odds. Sometimes maybe, but it's always been a little tense. Aaron fireing shots at the front office the day of the draft, the organization drafting Jordan Love. So Matt comes in no proven head coaching experience or tenure to an established star who got rid of the other coach. Because there's certain things he wants to do his way, not ripping eron defending him. He's the star of the show. There is no owner in green Bay far Rogers are the franchise, and I've always felt like it's a weird relationship in this running or passing situation illustrates it. So when Matt Lafleur came to Green Bay, his reputation was he builds running games, and so he comes into this organization and he knows, I'm gonna lean on what I do build running games. But I've got to do this delicately because Aaron's like great, and I don't want him to think I don't trust him or don't consider his talent elite. So it's kind of a delicate balance. And just about the time they get it right, the Packers draft Jordan Love and piss Aaron off. So now Lafleur's got to deal with a little more prickily eron. But again, what he is is a guy that builds running games. Aaron is aging. He's probably not the guy you want throwing fifty times like Brady's had to do most of this year. Let's get him down to thirty two throws. Let's run the football. But it's a delicate balance. Aaron's still playing great, he's ticked off about Jordan Love. There's still some palpable tension with the front office. And I've seen this in playoff games the times that Matt Lafleur has disappointed me this year early give the ball more to Aaron Jones, but Matt Lafleur's thinking, well, my star quarterback doesn't trust these young receivers, so I'm gonna run it more. But I've got to develop that relationship, and Aaron can be a little aloof with the young players. So my point is the whole thing for Lafleur, the power dynamic has been hard. He enters an organization where Aaron's got a little tension with the front office, he solves it, and then it feels like, just about the time he's got it right, they draft Jordan Love and now it's prickly again and I've got and this year it's just felt like play calling. Aaron understands he wants the running game. This team is clearly better with a running game. But in this instance, Aaron wanted to pass because Watson was playing. Well. This thing, I've always felt it's off, and I think it's been really hard for Matt Lafleur. If you joined a company and you had to sort of manage a superstar knowing that management had poked him in the ribs a couple of times, and the superstar had poke management in the ribs a couple of times. This whole arguing over play calling. This was Matt Lafleur doing what Matt Lafloor does, running the ball, what he was brought to Green Bay to do. Take a little off Aaron's plate, establish a running game. Right. What was the criticism of Matt Lafloor early this year. They weren't running the ball enough. So I'm not banging on Aaron here, but it does feel like this thing is harder to manage than we think. The prickly star, the running game developer, the drafting of Jordan Love, the tension in the front office. It's a hard walk here. It's not This was not like Kyle Shanahan coming in and bulldozing it and saying, here's my offense, here's what we're doing. You're gonna follow my playbook, that's not what this is, and then blow it up. This was a winning franchise. This was a great franchise with a superstar quarterback. And I think it just it felt like three of the Packers four wins this year they've rushed for over two hundred and three yards. They're better running the football. So Matt's leaning in to running the football. And he was brought here to run the football, and he likes running the football, and Aaron's jelling him for running the football. I just think it's harder than we Then we get Folly Fosco here with Tony Fosco. Of course, you know us as the host of the number one rated Folly and Tony Fusto Show the world right now, we all know you sick and tired of these stupid sports shows with a host say stupid things like Tom Brady's the Goats or Lebron James is good at basketball, which he is clearly not. See. We give you smart takes, and we also bring on so called famous guests from across the sports world and show them why we know much more than they build the show. Listen to the Folly and Tony Fusco Show on the IHOT Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. Third hierarchy, Let's go the top ten of NFL teams according to College Number ten. I think Tennessee's the best coach team in the league. How do you get the Chiefs in arrowhead to overtime without a first half and the second half. They're six and one in their last seven games. Their defense is the best in the league on third down, and Derrick Henry five of his last six games, is running for a hundred yards. And they've done this with a bang up quarterback spot. This is an incredibly well coached team. They win ugly. We forget they were the number one seed last year. They are physical, they can overcome. I have to put Tennessee in there, six and three. I've got to put them in there, Tennessee at ten. Number nine? What do I do with the Cowboys? Were they exposed? Well, they had four penalties on fifteen snaps in overtime. Welcome to their reality. They are great at getting to the quarterback and creating pressure. But and this has to be said, dak has been atrocious on third and fourth down throws this year. They're not a good situational football team. I don't believe you can win multiple playoff games if you're not great situationally. Kansas City is great situationally. Minnesota this weekend was great situationally. Dallas isn't there? Nine? Number eight? I love the Ravens. I love everything about them. They drive me nuts. Only team in the league to lead by ten plus points in every game eight straight games with at least one hundred and fifty yards rushing. That hasn't been done. It's the mid eighties. They're like Philadelphia, but they've sustained it for years and years. Lamar is a playmaker. They're getting a little healthier, but they've had key injuries Gus Edwards, Mark Andrews, Rashad Bateman. They're perpetually banged up, but in big games, Lamar and John Harbaugh win a lot of them and I've got him at eight number seven Buffalo. Listen, we like them. They're the knockout artist without a jab and movement. They're a flawed team. Josh Allen leads the NFL with ten picks and three in the red zone. And I think Brian day Bole leaving. This is not Kansas City's offense where they can move off offensive coordinators, and you don't really notice Brian Dable leaving. This team's not as good in the second half offensively, they're not as good in the red zone, and the last three games for Josh Allen, he's not accurate. He's completing fifty eight percent of his throws. So again, you know, I always used Mike Tyson, the great fighter with no jab. Tyson was at his best when he had a great trainer and a great corner man. Later in his career he didn't, and he was just a guy with a big knockout punch. Is that what Buffalo has become. I have him at seven, number six. The Dolphins, I think, you know, I think they're as real as they're going to be. They're seven and oh. Two is healthy. I think they have one of the smart young coaches in football. I mean two is touchdown to interception ratio. It's very Drew Brees, which was his comp coming out of college, and I thought it was crazy. He just doesn't throw any interceptions. He's got three giveaways all year. So they know what they are. They do it well, you know. And as Buffalo goes into the tank, you know, I think to myself, tomorrow Buffalo Miami play neutral field. I think I'd take Miami. They already beat him once. I don't like what I see from Buffalo in the second half of games. Miami's a well earned six. Number five Cincinnati, I think that's the one team that Kansas City doesn't want to play. Number one scoring team in the league. Since Week six, Joe Burrows one of three quarterbacks, completing seventy percent of his throws, and they're now without Jamar Chase. If Joe Mixon and this whole line can consistently run the football, they could beat the Chiefs at Arrowhead, not say, and I don't. I don't think there's many teams that qualify for that. I don't know if two could go up there and do it. I don't think Buffalo now could do it. Cincinnati's a handful, and because you can't name three of their defensive players, we overlook them. It's it's a real defense, Like like second half, good luck scoring on them. Number four Vikings. They're getting a little bit of Philadelphia where they're winning the turnover battle a lot and that that stuff usually has a ceiling. But we've got to be realistic here. They're eight and one, they're winning close games. You know, we're talking about Brian Dable, how about that coach, the tall Sean McVay. They've been terrific situationally. Now, I don't think their defense is great. They have generated a pass rush in key spots, but I still think there are limitations. They're the kind of team that you could score on quickly over the top. I feel like they could outplay you and you could beat them. But right now they're weren't even close ones. They're at four three. I love the Niners. I think it's the most talented team in the league. Number one total defense, number two in yardage differential, held each of their last two opponents scoreless in the second half. They have a Pro Bowl level player in every single unit on the field, and they're getting guys back Elijah Mitchell, running back back Deebo Samuel, they got their full back back. Yeah. I mean, Jimmy Garoppolo is not the kind of guy that's going to bring you back from seventeen down, but they have not lost a game when he hasn't had a pick. There is a way they have to play to win. But physically they're really good. I got him at three, number two, Philadelphia at two. I don't feel different about Philadelphia today. I just think it illuminates the truth that if they don't win the turnover battle and they're trailing in the second half, they're not Kansas City it's a very good football team. They're not going anywhere. To Jay Max's point, they lost a crucial interior defender and now teams are running on them. But they're only team in the league top five offense and top five defense. And I don't have any real criticism other than eventually teams like Philly in Minnesota don't win the turnover battle every game. Number one, I mean Kansas City. I mean, here's how good Kansas City is. They're twenty seventh and turnover differential minus four, and they're still the best team in the league. Patrick Mahomes has thrown a touchdown to ten different receivers to tell you how when you get the perfect combination of superstar coach, superstar quarterback, you're losing the turnover battle. You had to rebuild the defense three years ago, the old line two years ago, the wide receiver room this year, and doesn't affect them at all. We're looking at arguably the most talented quarterback ever, arguably after Bill Walsh, the smartest offensive coach ever, great ownership, brilliant GM. The fact that they have had to reboot three different parts of their team in three or four years, and it has had no adverse effect on the franchise is remarkable. Buffalo has been trying to create a run game for four years. They can't do it one more Herd. The Herd streams twenty four hours a day, seven days a week within the iHeartRadio app. Search Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you like. Nick Wright, co host First Things First, joined us live. What that was so nice? It was just delightful just listening to you wax poetic about a team that you know was gonna have it. It's handsful with your beloved Russell Wilson and those those flucky Chargers. But I mean you nailed it. The fact that the Chiefs have been awful either by luck or by their own doing when it comes to turnovers this year, that they are bottom six in the league in plus minus, and they are they have the second best well, the best record in the AFC, the third best record overall in football. And by the way, here's the other thing, strength of schedule. They have the thirty first mostficult schedule the rest of the way. Colin they played eight straight games to start the or against teams of the previous year at a winning record. They got through at six and two, so all their toughest games except for the game against Cincinnati already behind them. So yeah, I mean I agree with that. I mean, you said about the Chiefs. I you know, I wish you were saying it this offseason, but better late than never, I suppose, my friend, I'm slow on stuff. So I said this, if let's just say this, if Brian Dable is maybe as good as we think, I mean, I was out on Daniel Jones and now, like, I don't know if he is that good. Can we make the argument that Josh Allen will never be Josh Allen again? College wild, early, Buffalo Wild, now wild. And it was this brilliant offensive guy that Sam papered him, and now he's reverting back to what he was, which is, oh my lord, he's taking huge swings. He's not accurate. I mean, my takeaway as Josh is amazing, But if you look at how good Day bole is, you may never duplicate that again. You may never get another Brian Day Bowl in Buffalo. Well. I also think it's worth noting that Josh Allen has been a Pro Bowl level player one year. Last year, Mac Jones made the Pro Bowl. Josh Allen did not this year. Patrick Mahomes would be a pro bowler too. It would be a pro bowler. I would have Burrow and Lamar ahead of Josh as of this moment. That would put him fifth in his own conference. I understand everyone is wowed by the athleticism and the armed talent, and he is. And I have said this and I will say it again. He is the only quarterback in the league outside of possibly Lamar, that if they are playing their very best, they can match Mahomes's very best. His A plus game is as good as anybody. The problem is, you have no idea if you're going to get it. And he he leads the NFL and interceptions he's third in the NFL. And interceptions plus bumbles he leads the NFL double second place in interceptions or fumbles in the red zone. This is a trend for this team and for Josh, and so yeah it is. It's why I pushed back so hard on this idea that he was the best player in the league. He has moments when he looks like the best player in the league, and then moments when he reverts back to a guy who in the first playoff game of his life was running down the sideline, panicked and threw the ball blindly over the back of his head. Some people forget that, Colin. I will never forget that. That is a moment where I'm like, Okay, I kind of know who you are and who you are at your core. And one last thing for the Bills, it would be concerning to me if I were a fan of the Bills that what is arguably the best playoff game we have seen in the last decade and what has ourly the best regular season game we have seen the last few years. The Bills were in both of them and found a way to lose them both when they were nine to win them both at one point. That would concern me. Yeah, Packers and Vikings were both lifeless, and the Bills kind of injected life into them in those games. So yeah, I watched the Cowboys and I said, you know, it's the fifty thousand dollars millionaire, flashy car, but if you followed him home, he lives in an apartment that Dallas. There's a lot of flash and splash, But when you get to the core of them, Dak situationally has been awful. You can run on them we don't trust McCarthy situationally. And I watched it and I said, this is kind of why I've been a Cowboy cynic. I think mostly you have for twenty years is that there's a lot of things on the surface, but when you dig deep or follow them home, that's a lot of fraudulent stuff. What was your takeaway on their loss? Well, two things. One is I don't know if that was an intentional play on words or not, but you know, I used to live in Houston, and what you just described the fifty thousand dollars millionaire is there's a little Houston Dallas rivalry. Is what people from Houston say about people from Dallas all the time, that exact thing. So I don't know if you knew that and that's why you're calling the Cowboys that, or it's just a happy coincidence, but it made me smile. Now to the Packers game. If you had three concerns for the Cowboys going into the Packers game, they would have been number one. Our defense has been historically great. Is it maybe not quite that good? Well that showed up in the Packers game. You're forget the run defense. Yeah, we've got folks saying, Michael Parsons, is Lawrence Taylor two point up, and you have the Packers down fourteen and a fourth and seven, and you let Aaron Rodgers throw a seed down the field and all of a sudden spark to come back. So a small concern about the dominant defense. Check concern number two would have been Dak Prescott, is he gonna make the critical error? I think green Bay, Colin might have folded up shop if the Cowboys went up two scores immediately in that game, green Bay went missed field goal three and out fumble and Dallas was up seven nothing inside the ten after the fumble, and Dak threw a really bad pick which breathed some life into green Bay. Then he threw another pick later. So there's check two and check three is, of course Mike McCarthy. And here's my hypothesis on why McCarthy decided, Because it's not just that they went for it on fourth down, Colin, it's that he claimed afterwards they knew they were going for it on fourth down, which if that's true, how you don't run the ball on third down you have third and three if you know it's two down territory Tony Pollard's getting five and a half yards per carry, how do you not give him the ball? But the reason I think McCarthy didn't kick the field goal there was because he was afraid of Aaron Rodgers. Because he was he made this game very personal and very I think very much about his history there. And if they kicked the field goal, even if they make it, you're guaranteeing Aaron Rodgers gets the ball back. If you go for it and you get it, you score a touchdown and keep Aaron Rodgers off the field for a team that is supposed to be defense first, Yeah, you're supposed to kick that field goal and trust that an offense that hadn't done anything for two months is not going to get a touchdown scored on him. And so yeah, I agree with you wholeheartedly. And last point with the Eagles loss last night, if Dallas had taken care of business against green Bay, they'd control their own destiny for that division. They'd be at two losses with the game against Philly coming up. So it's a brutal loss for them. So it's they're not a popular team. The Kyrie Irving situation well documented and discussed, but he missed his seventh straight game. I think it was recently. I'll need seven, it'll be tonight. He's not playing side. He was seven tonight. My argument, well, I said a year ago, for the first time in my life, my whole career, I said, I'm gonna say something I've never said this. I would trade a star for rotational players. He's a culture and coach killer, and Kevin Durant is just lifting the team. He pulls him back, lifting the team. He pulls him back. I would have moved off him. I think he's a losing player. They're actually much better defensively and at times offensively without Kyrie. I don't know. It's combustible. I think other teams are interested, but there's so much baggage. If I had to say, what happens to Kyrie for the next year? Nick right, you have season tickets, you know the organization, you watch every game. How's this going to play out? I think it's on the board. He never plays again for the Nets. I think that there's a lot of factors at that one is there. They've flatly been better without him. Yeah, they play defense without him. They let Kde do this point forward thing. They've Now part of that, I'm sure is that Jacque Vaughan is there, but I do not think for the Brooklyn Nets. He adds to winning. You then add to the fact that Kevin Durant, you know all of it last week had to like send out a tweet because he had given an unfortunate, you know comment in a media scrum where he was like, I wish the organization had just you know, stayed quiet, and all of a sudden, k D everyone in the organization is, you know, being tangentially kind of quizzed and queried on their feelings on anti Semitism, which nobody signed up for. And you mentioned that I've seasoned tickets Joe Si obviously you know either goes to these games or as people going to these games the owner of the team. When you ever since the Kyrie stuff blew up, when you get off the train on Atlantic Avenue to go into Barclays, you have what is can only be you know, what are people demonstrating passing out literature about that he is either hagentially are directly related to that movie Kyrie promoted It's a mess Man, And I don't think the Nets want to be in that business, particularly for a player that I do not think has added to their winning at all. And in fact, Kyrie and his last six years in this league, his team's when he plays and when he doesn't play. It's over six years they went almost the exact same percentage of games. So I just I don't think the Nets are a championship team with or without him, but they have shown more of a heart and pulse without him. I would I would not be surprised if they simply move on from him again. It was a five game suspension. He's not traveling with the team tonight. That's game number seven. Something's going on there. By the way, I only have a minute left. You're an encyclopedia on the NBA, and I'm gonna throw this het. We were talking. Kad said Lebron's one of the best players ever, two or three, and I said, hi him. He makes lists. You've you've make pyramids lists, You're great at the stuff. But I said, if you if you said the four best basketball players, because we always say the Mount Rushmore thing, the four best players I've seen, and you have to have watched them in their prime. So I can't count Wilt. I didn't see him in his prime. The four best players I've ever seen. I'm gonna give them to you, and you react. Kareem no order, yep, Kareem, Michael, Lebron, Magic, everybody else's direct. Okay, so you ever, right, okay, right, all right? And by the way, I think that that is the correct order for all of NBA history. With respect to Russell, I think Russell would be the odd man out there. Yeah, but that is that. Here's the funny thing about Katie's comments. Katie said top two and then paused and went top three. I do not believe that's because he was including Kareem. I believe that's because Kadie was including Kobe. I Katie and Kobe had a very tight relationship. I think kad has a respect for Kobe's game. That's different than the respect, yes, for Lebron's. I think kad on again, I'm speculating here, Kevin, don't get upset, but I think that on a truth serum, Katie Would's top three would be Michael, Kobe, Lebron. I think, that, of course, is ludicrous. There is a there is no argument about the top three. It is in one order or another. Kareem, Michael, and Lebron. We can argue about the order number four. There is an argument, but I agree with you. I think it's Magic Johnson. And you know, I obviously didn't see Kreem in his prime. But like you said, you know, I tried to write a book on it. Instead, I did a podcast series. I'm pretty well studied. That's the correct top four. So look, Colin, you started the segment being right about the Chiefs. You end the segment with an impeccable NBA list. You know you always say that you mentor me, the relationship might be flipping up, mightbe a little turn about my friend. Oh that happened a long time ago. I rely on your wisdom all the time. If people only knew right. First things first, great show, by the way, They're off to a great start New York, Kevin Wilde's brus Haard nick Wright really fun show.