Colin praises Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels as he leads the team to overtime victory against the Falcons. The situation is coming to a close in New York but Aaron Rodgers continues to sink to new lows.
Thanks for listening to The Herd Podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio in noon to three Eastern nine am to noon Pacific. Find your local station for The Herd at Fox Sportsradio dot com, or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. Thanks for listening to The Herd Podcast. Oh do we have a Monday show lined up for you? 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. We got a lot to talk about. Colin Wright, Colin Raw, plenty of boat top of next hour. Matt Hasselbeck, Hu'soha's money, He'll bring the bag. Jmack. I don't know if you noticed, but Sam Donald, next weekend we'll be playing for the number one see in the NFC. Oh, by the way, once again, slide in Sam Darnald. Why is it he in the MVP Conversation? Am I crazy? He leads in like every category in the MVP co edition. Your ric rock Perdy was in it last year.
Rydnoald's like a carbon copy of rock Perdy.
It's amazing He's been slided for six years. Let's start with this. For the last six years, I've been mocked, ridiculed, laughed at, and it hurt my feelings. And I still believed Sam Donald's got a little bit of Andrew Luck. Tough, relentless, like a linebacker playing quarterback, coachable, throws a bad pick, follows it up with a great pass. What you're seeing is the Andrew Luck thing, and they're asking him to make big boy throws. He leads the NFL sixty completions over twenty plus yards. Those are Brady and Mahome throws. No dink and dunk here, seventy percent completion rate, twenty six t d He's three picks in the red zone. He's the league's most efficient quarterback now and in the second half of the last seven games, one thousand yards and a passer rating of one fourteen. Why is he not in the MVP discussion? Hello, look at all the numbers, because you've already disqualified him. You made up your mind, and that's what we do in the media. You have decided it's a cute story. But no, no, no, no, no, this roster isn't great. There's no bot Lamar Jackson, Sam Darnold. Look at the numbers? Who do you trust more in a playoff game? Are you sure it's Lamar? And I love Lamar? But what I said years ago, I said, there's Samandrew Luck here. All you did just took shots. Here's the thing. When you watch him play, you know what, you notice how much his coach. His coach trusts him, And don't worry about being liked in life. It's who likes you. And everybody in America is bailing on Sam Donald. You know who didn't. Kyle Shanahan's like, I think he's good, Kevin O'Connell McVeigh, Yeah, I think he's really good. Yeah, I'm gonna trust those guys. Yeah. A lot of defensive core ordinators who are anti Riss didn't like him. And by the way, he'll give you an ugly pick, So does Mahomes, so does Josh Allen, sod is Justin Herbert. But after his pick yesterday nine for twelve hundred and thirty four passer rating, that is Andrew Luck. I don't think he's his gifted as Andrew Luck. I never have I said it. Then there's some Andrew Luck a little far of here. But what you're seeing now, look at what they ask him to do. Any time you watch a game, when you watch the offense, watch what a coaching staff allows the quarterback to do. In fact, my criticism of Minnesota yesterday was when they let in the second half. I was like, Kevin, turn the governor down, throttle it down. You don't have to have you don't have to have him throwing in the teeth of Green Bay's pass rushing defense. But that's how much confidence they have. And this is not the best the roster will be. They've got cap space. They've got a lot of really really good young players, as Sam Darnold, hero thirty three of forty three should be in the MVP conversation. Show you a picture of him here going into the locker room. They know what they have in Minnesota. What they have is an MVP level quarterback. It's not just a great story that was September and October and then in November. Do we have a great player now? It's like, do we have the MVP. You can't let him go. His contract now is fifty. It's not a forty. It's a fifty on the market. Here's Sam after a lot.
Of water, bottles, a lot of water.
It was just mayhem. I think I blacked out. You know, when Aaron Jones grabbed me and lifted me up. I didn't know what to do with my hands in that situation, so Ricky Bobby style. So it was Yeah, it was an interesting moment, but a fun moment man, to be embraced by your teammates like that.
Sam has played so well for three months straight. You know, I always do the Super Bowl bubble about once a month, every five weeks. Here's my super Bowl bubble. Green Bay's out, Minnesota is in. I think the Rams, the Packers, and the Chargers are still a year away. Green Bays disappointed me in the last few weeks. Can't beat Minnesota or Detroit. I'll put Buffalo, Kansas City, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Detroit. And Darnald has been good enough. This isn't me being a fanboy. Donald has been so absolutely spectacular. They lost their left tackle earlier this year. Arguably the first or second best left tackle has he lost. Since it's not like this is a great defense. Green Bay's got better personnel, so it's half the league. Where do you go, Sammy? One person in America did not bail on you. Anyway. Let's go to Jaden Daniels. So here's of the many reasons the NFL is king. This could be number one. It's the League of hope. Washington was a tire fire because of the worst owner, arguably in professional sports today, and so they just cleaned out the building. They sold the team new GM and I said, you know what, Snyder had such a stench around him. I think they're going to make the playoffs. And I think Jaden's going to be really good. I didn't think he was going to be this. I said, you know, he'll be like Lamar Jackson light. I'm not sure if it's light. This kid's insane. And in the NFL, if you get the quarterback right, everything else falls into place. This is not a great roster. But even their defense last year worse than the league total defense. Now it's ten. Why is that? Because their defense plays with a lead. A great quarterback is makeup on a blemish. It's an eraser. Everybody's got issues. A great quarterback erases them, and an average quarterback. What Indianapolis has multiplies them. And this old line's not great, but now it's formidable. The defense has issues on the back end, but when you play with the lead, defensive line can pin their ears back. Every unit now, I mean they didn't make that many personnel changes, but every unit looks better. And I mean, like yesterday is a prime example of what a great player can do. I thought the Atlanta Falcons finally getting a pass rush Matthew Judhon. I thought they had some good coverage. It didn't matter. As good as Pennix was, he can't do this. You can add twenty five to thirty five percent to a playbook because Jayden Daniels can run, and I love Pennix, but he looked limited in the sand. He's excellent compared to Jayden Daniels. So, and what's really remarkable, it's not just when you're good. The first thing we noticed about Patrick Malmes and you noticed that I noticed this. By year two he was actually almost better trailing in games. A lot of quarterbacks with the lead, it's second and three. You got good protection, Cooper Rush can make plays. You trail by two touchdowns end of the third, they know you've got to throw. You got a banged up offensive line. That was the first sign with Mahomes. Oh wait, bro this is different. He may be the best come from behind quarterback not named John Hallway ever Jayden Daniels in the fourth quarter in overtime this year. This again, this is an okay offensive line. He's got one weapon, has the highest passer rating in the league. That is insane. And remember back in camp when generally when you get a rookie quarterback, like in Chicago with Caleb Williams, or Denver with Drake may or New Denver with Bownicks, or New England with Drake Maye, remember what the coaches always doing. Well, he's got a long way to go. Let's slow down, let's pump the brakes. Cliff Kingsbury and Dan Quinn every time you put a mic in front of them, they were like, hoo hoo hoo. This guy's unbelievable. You're like, Okay, this guy's got to be good. Coaches never do that. Kingsbury's been in the league. Dan Quinn's been in the league forever. Dan Quinn during the preseason, this kid's unbelievable. You're like, what are you doing? Doesn't matter, kid can handle it. I mean, I just I love this kid. No ego loves his teammates. A couple drops yesterday by his receivers. How many penalties did Washington have? You're pulling your hair out, and he's just like, all right, another play. No bad body language. You see that occasionally from a quarterback in New York. No pointing fingers. He's a foxhole guy going gets tough. The kid just head down, no finger pointing. Zach Ertz, a veteran tight end, noticed it in camp.
It comes down to having a really good quarterback in this see if you want to be a good team. And from the moment I got here, seeing Jaden out there, I continually said, you know, this guy isn't someone that's gonna be good. He's good now. He's the most mature rookie I've ever been around. He approaches the game, he loves to learn, and so he just he exudes such a quiet confidence. He's not out there a raw, raw guy. But we all know how good he is and how much confident we have in him, and so he doesn't need to say anything.
Nobody has delivered in the DC area on this level of promise in years. This is a candidate we can all get behind a bi partisan quarterback. Yes, we're all in on Jaden Daniels, and he and I both approved this message. This kid is magic. You're watching magic. I'm not even sure if he's Lamar Jackson light. It's like I see all the same qualities. I mean, I'm watching Penix last night, and I think Pennix is going to be exceptional, and Jadeen Daniels shrinks him. I mean, that's how good this kid is and all the boxes. No ego, selfless, athletic, accurate, hard working foxhole guy j Mack. I grew up in Washington, DC. They used to have a thirty year wait list on season tickets, and then an owner came in and ruined it. All the goodwill. That reservoir of goodwill lost it. You can walk up and buy a ticket to any game. Good luck getting season tickets going forward with the Commanders. This kid is Broadway.
Yeah, him and Cliff Kingsbury working some magic in Washington. That offense unbelievable.
I mean, listen, I thought you were gonna.
Go the opposite way and take some shots at Rahee Morris for botching that game.
I've come to terms with coaches in the NFL. Is anybody now that Belichick is retired. Is anybody good with clock management? Zach Taylor drove me nuts. Oh gosh, don't start Raheem Morris drove me nuts. But I've come to the conclusion that nobody's great at it.
Does Bradie moorees think you can take time outs home, like after the game, you can just bring them home.
We both had Atlanta, so it was, uh, just.
I know, I take a pair. I like you being positive. Jade Daniels was exceptional. Oh the kids just he's spectaclic We need.
You need to do a new top ten quarterback list.
He's how's he not? You know, it's one of these things, well, you know how sometimes people say, hey, you're you're confirmation bias. Yeah, I thought he was going to be really good, or it's recency bias. Folks. When you get to the end of an NFL season and Sam Darnold's been great for fourteen weeks or thirteen of the seventeen, that's not really recency bias. He's having a great year. And when you watch Jaden Daniels, I can argue his best month was September. Remember in September, We're like, whoa, Okay, this can't last and then he had your usual problem, and now he's restarted it in the last three to four weeks.
That rib injury seems like he's past that. There was the hic up the light. He does take some shots. He did take a big shot.
At the goal line. Oh yeah, one hundred and twenty seven yards on the ground line. I mean they locked up McLaurin right.
He had one catch for five yards and Jaye Daniel's like, okay, I'll just do this my sushi.
Atlanta should have won that game and controlled big portions. The only reason they didn't is Jaden Daniels. I mean, Atlanta controlled the first half. Atlanta should have called timeouts and gotten the field goal. Jaden Daniels is the only reason you win. Again. A great quarterback is an eraser. Every team has issues. An average quarterback is a multiplier. Little things become big pains, and that you know what, this kid just erased a really bad first half where Atlanta controlled it. Uh, don't forget Colin Wright, colinra on top of Next Hour.
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That's Covino and Rich both are now vocally publicly denouncing the team. Garrett has leaked it or somebody has that he didn't want to play with Aaron. That's a problem. So, and I've said this before, I think Aarons smart, he's interesting, he's complex, and we've all got issues. But he leans into being enigmatic. His documentary, which by the way, he approved, is called Enigma. He approved that that's not what quarterbacks want to be. You can be an enigma, don't double down on it. They don't lean into it. You're a leader. And this is what I've said for years. When the going gets tough, Aaron tends to distance himself from it, give you some sort of word salad throughout the week, like a politician, and to sort of project that he is above it and he'll solve it. And hey, this stuff is tough, let me tell you how this works. But he's not the solution to it. I'm not saying Aaron's the only problem, but he was never the solution to the Jets dysfunction. It's not his person. I've said this for years. He is a Baylor, not a baller. He's not a foxhol guy. He's just gifted and smart and talented and kind of interesting. And I don't care where he stands on back scenes, I really don't. But this Jets organization needs a culture changing coach and an infusion of leadership at quarterback, not just talent. But they're trapped because he is talented. He played well until yesterday. But great leaders don't lean into being difficult, they don't lean into being an enigma. That's his documentary and he approved that message, and that's my issue. This team needs somebody to put out fires, no word salad, step forward, definitive opinions, put in the extra time in the offseason, and at this point that's just not what Aaron is. But he's the best in a bad quarterback draft class. And Sam Darnold, I can't believe the Vikings would let him hit the market. My guess is, get a coach. He's your quarterback, and here he was after It's kind of.
Like the season he just got away from us. That too many games got away from us.
This game got away from us. You know, we're moving them all well and then we just hit a wall.
And that's kind of in the season.
Every time I criticize erin, I make sure to add compliments. I've said this with Baker Mayfield. I thought Tampa should have signed Baker Mayfield. I thought he was a great pick, and I think Aaron's the best option for them. But we got like ten to fifteen years of this stuff, and I've been on it from.
Very early on.
Is that when the going gets tough in the NFL, and it always does, even from a homes, their offensive line, their receiving corps, it's constantly being reworked. Once you pay a quarterback, he tends to distance himself, be above it, and then project that he could be the solution if other people can step up and help him. That's not leadership, that's enigma. The documentary which again you tend to lean into Jmack with.
The news, this is the herd line news from one New York team to the other.
Let's go to the New York Giants, who ended their ten game losing Street cut with a rousing win over the Colts, but in the end they kind of lost colin they dropped from first to fourth in the draft order.
Just a stunning game, I mean, Indianapolis.
Colts defense looked, I mean goodness, Gracius could not stop Drew Locke.
They controlled this football game.
Now.
Some of it is the Colts aren't very good in the back end. Some of it's coaching bad, tackling in the wrong place often. So again, I think the Colts are one of those teams. If you had Jayden Daniels with the Colts, it would solve a lot of these issues. Yeah, but they're not good enough at quarterbacks, so therefore it multiplies their problem.
It's in a late scratch, sounds like he may not even play this week. It Joe Flacco came in and was in. But the big story is the New York Giants in line to take Okay cam Ward or shed or Sanders.
They dropped the four. So the new orders on the screen.
Patriots at one, Yeah, Tennessee tightens at two, Cleveland Browns at three, and then the.
Giants at four. Tennessee and Cleveland need quarterbacks calling.
Yeah, a lot of people are suggesting Mike Rabel and Josh McDaniels go to New England, save Drake may Oh, trade down that first pick or get a Travis Hunter. But there's I can tell you everybody's freaking out in Boston. Let me tell you something. Here's the good news. You have your quarterback. Drake may is going to be really good. You may not have the coach. But for most bad teams in this league, and there's about eight to ten bad teams, if I said, well, you got your future quarterback and you got the number one pick, that is the best place you can be in as one of the eight to ten bad teams in this league. You have a really good quarterback and you can do whatever you want with that number one pick. I would trade it down and get a boat load of picks. But all is not lost.
Now.
I don't know about Jered Mayo.
I forgot this Saturday. The Patriots got embarrassed Nicole by the Chargers.
I'm sorry in New England. I mean well, but was blowout city.
But the week before they went to Buffalo and I out played and arguably out coached the Bills. Remember Dan Campbell was three and thirteen first year in Detroit and one in six at the beginning of the second year. So just one week ago, I thought Mayo and Drake May outplayed and out coached Buffalo in Buffalo.
So Rabel and McDaniels to New England to replace.
May That's that's what you're hearing I had I hadn't heard that. That's sole. Here's my take, good stuff. So Rabel has a good relationship with Robert Kraft. And because nobody truly trusts the Bears front office and ownership or the Jets ownership, that New England may look like a bad job, but you have your quarterback, a non medaling owner, and the number one pick. So New England now look, in my opinion right now this morning, I'd argue if it was open, New England could be the best job craft Drake may number one pick. You could do a lot worse as a start over franchise.
They don't have a lot else now none, Listen, let me nip this whole trade in the bud, this idea that the Patriots could just trade down Colin. I don't see anyone trading up to number one, and the Bryce Young trade is live. You remember they gave up DJ Moore and future picks that there was nothing else to remember though, Cay do that and he really just sacrificed the future.
But Caleb Williams was considered a transformational talent. Shador Sanders is considered a starting NFL quarterback and promising but this is not a Trevor Lawrence or a Caleb or a Luck where you're like, well, you're gonna give up four number one?
Yeah, I don't think you trade up for cam Ward, right, I don't think that's the case.
I think cam Ward probably in line to go to Tennessee.
Now, I think you're right. Now, I think you're right.
Becomes Cleveland and Deshaun Watson. You saw they restructured his deal over the weekend. They left dtr in the game yesterday when he is I mean, there's a lot of stats to say he's one of the worst quarterbacks this century in the NFL. Okay, where Cleveland takes your doer, yes, has him sit for a year behind Deshaun Watson. Ye?
But would Dion say, U uh, you're not going to Cleveland.
What is the only way if you have a horrible quarterback contract to get out of it? Drafted? You land a starting quarterback Denver? Oh, the Russell Wilson deal for two years dead cap money. You're not Pam Bonis anything. So if the Patriots don't move, I think they'll probably take Mason Graham, the defensive tackle I would, or Travis Hunter. I think the Titans get a quarterback, and if I ran Cleveland, I would take a quarterback. I don't know that Travis Hunter fits the Mike Rabel mold of like well, he's an unbelievably talented a one overall. Come again, I think New England would trade out. But I don't know if these quarterbacks are good enough to give up multiple ones and two. No, I don't.
I don't know if they are my jets. You see lingering there at seven. We'll we'll get to them, don't worry. The Philadelphia Eagles, Colin, how about their nice win over the Cowboys yesterday? So I'm watching this obviously Eagles and no sweat cover and it's the fourth quarter of a thirty point game and.
They're feeding bark.
Yeah, you know you're not a huge fan of that. However, Saque became just the ninth player in NFL history to rush for two thousand yards in a season. Here's Saque of the accomplishment and the chase of Eric Dickerson's regular season mark.
To you know, reach a milestone and put myself up there with eight other backs that I respect, and you know, some of them I grew up watching, definitely means a lot. If you know, his mindset is, you know, we'll go out there and try it, and I'll go out there and try it. But his mindset is, let's rest and get ready for you know, this run. Then I'm off for that too. And you know, I'm not just saying that because a camera's in my face or mice in my face. I really mean that I came here to do something special, obviously breaking a record special, but I want to be part of I want to banner up there, and I think we all.
Do listen, record or not. He and Christian McCaffrey. When Christian's healthy, they're the two best backs in the league. I mean, he just listens. I know everybody gets caught up in records. You don't need records to validate what a good guy this guy is, what a great player he is, and how he's elevated everything. We don't even like the coach, and we're not even sure if Jalen is dependable in the pocket in big spots, and they had good offensive and defensive lines last year. Saquon, it's just amazing to me. Can you imagine? It's just crazy to me that you would let Saquon go if You're the Giants to your arts rivals, who already are stacked. I mean, it's not like they gave you it was a massive trade. It's just you walked across the street. Uh oh, it's an all timer. It's an all time.
Here's my thing. So you watch the game and Kenny Pickett was in for Jalen Hurts.
Yeah, thanks for Jalen Hurts missing the Fantasy football championship that I needed badly. Anyways, So Kenny Pickett takes a shot inside the twenty.
I think Michael Parsons in him. Kenny Pickett instantly is like, oh, just break a rib. What the heck? Leaves the game out. I'm just telling you, saik One Barkley a thirty one carries column.
That's a lot. That's like nineteen seventy eight NFL football. They're not getting a buye okay, almost impossible to get right. I mean, they like seventeen things to happen. Is he going to really chase the record?
Let me Week eighteen?
The two most interesting teams in the playoffs. I'm not saying best interesting, Lamar Jackson and Baltimore. There's a ton of pressure in Philadelphia. I mean think about this, Like if Buffalo lost early and they won't, but if they did, Sean McDermott heat seem of Philadelphia can't get to the conference championship.
I think Sirianni's in trouble. I just this idea that like regular season records mean anything. Pop quiz, who's the regular season record for quarterback passing yards.
In the season? Who knows? Who cares?
That's baseball?
That's off has forgotten yet baseball exactly wide receiver record. I don't interception record. It doesn't matter. Sake one, you had an amazing season, Go win the Super Bowl. Yeah, this is your shot.
I didn't love it either. I didn't.
It's an Eric Dickerson record. You know, we work with Dickerson. Nice guy. I like him. If you get the record, wonderful. If not, no, nobody cares. Egos. Just be smart, man and let's find wrap up Colin. With the NBA big trade.
Yesterday, the Lakers moving on from d Lo Meanngelo Russell to ship to the Brooklyn Nets again in a package for wait for it, Dorian Finney Smith.
Oh, he's so good at Jake Milton gets some buckets.
Apparently the Nets had an offer from Memphis for a protected one, but they preferred the Lakers three.
Second round picks.
I saw stat the Nets have sixteen second round picks over the next seven years, one or two.
Like, okay, he made the Lakers are a better defensive team today.
Sniper clos This is the fifth time he's been traded in seven and a half seen though, like at that at some point should be a wake up call to d Low like bro, try give an effort defensively.
I just I've never been I love that line.
Me Low me Angelo, russ me Angelo Russell.
I just Golden State had him in their dynasty for about an hour. Remember that they had him, and they're like, Noah, it doesn't work.
Give it a shot.
Yeah, because he's got talent. There's no disputing the town.
So of course the internet went and looked for JJ reddick comments on Dorian Phinney Smith, and way back in May of twenty twenty two, he Reddick tweeted something like what a great player, how can you not love him?
That night, Dorian Phinney Smith had eight three pointers. This is a perfect street.
He's a corner three guys.
Oh, he's perfect. Nicked to Anthony Davis yeah.
And because Dalton Connect, your your favorite rookie, doesn't defend when you have him on the court, you have to have somebody that does defend at the high level, and that's him.
Plus he hits corners to Rui Hachimoa. Bro, you better defend her. You're gonna lose your spot. And we also have to give Lebron a shout out. He turns forty today, joining us at forty years of age. Lebron James, very exciting, greatest player, and.
Happy birthday to Lebron James.
Shout out to your book.
We should show the video of you hanging out with Lebron at that cavana hanging out.
That's kind of strong. I think bumping into him is more than hanging out. We weren't shooting dice with him or nobody was very friendly. He's always a couple of times. He's always classy, always always nice.
I have yet to officially meet the King and congratulate him on his amazing career.
But he's had an amazing life, an amazing American life, great father, everything, the kids, the people get all political, He's had an amazing American life, and he has been a great face of the league. He got political. People don't like it, but folks, everybody at work in every office in America has a political opinion. If a basketball players does, I can be I'm fine with him, said Jay Mack with the News.
Well that's the news, and thanks for stopping the j Mack.
Is stumping for candidates every time down the hallway. I put up with it. So I got to say this about Joe Burrow. He can still make the playoffs, which is insane how talented he is. And I just think we need to say, Okay, what you're watching is what a franchise quarterback is. Their defense is awful, twenty ninth, their line is thirtieth. They're the cheapest owner in the sport. Arguably, they have major clock management issues at head coach, and in the overtime they tried to briefly take the ball out of his hands and just kick a chip shot field goal, doink. That didn't work. They're twenty ninth in rushing, O line, run game, defense, none of it. And he's got this team potentially in the playoffs. Denver's got a better roster, Denver's got a real defense. He shredded it. He shreds everybody. So this is a three and fourteen team without Joe Burrow. And you know what it's reminding me speaking of Lebron james fortieth birthday, it reminds me of Lebron in Cleveland the first time, where he's there for seven years and finally he goes to like the Olympics, and Lebron's like, oh, this is what it's like to play with really good players. I remember Lebron in Cleveland, and by the way, Burrow got to a Super Bowl and lost. Lebron got to a Finals and got run out of the building four straight by San Antonio, and then Lebron finally realized ownership front office, I'm wasting my time here, and Lebron felt bad. He eventually came back. But I mean, folks, what Joe Burrow is doing right now? I think there are five quarterbacks in the NFL. Five quarterbacks in the NFL that have separated from everybody else. I think it's Alan Burrow, Herbert Lamar, and Patrick Mahomes and I like a lot of other quarterbacks, but we're not going to pay much attention to Joe Burrow. The other four Mahomes, Lamar, Justin and Allen have support, coaching support, a decent on lining. Good God, justin Herbert now Harbaugh two big time tackles. Joe Burrow's running for his life. No run game can only win in the shootout. I mean, at least Zach Taylor, the head coach, appreciates it.
I don't know that anybody can stand on a field and watch Joe Burrow and say he's not the best player in the world. The clearest thing I can say is I would not trade Joe Burrow for any player in the universe, and so to me, that's MVP.
To me, I don't want to hear that your left tackle got hurt, or that you're on your third running back, or your secondary's not good. Nothing around Burrow is good, nothing run game defense. I don't think Zach Taylor's awful. The internet disagrees with me. I think Zach Taylor's got some promise. I think everybody you're working for an ownership group that just doesn't make moves, a front office that's reluctant, reticent to take any swings. They're the opposite, essentially of Philadelphia no swings. Sometimes Philadelphia over swings. They take none. But what Burrow's doing is insane. I don't want to hear about your if quarterback. Well, if McCaffrey was available. This guy's got nothing except two really good receivers, and one of them won't be here next year because I won't pay for him. This, this is what a franchise quarterback is, not elevating what he already has, hiding what he doesn't, which is everything.
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays at noon Easter not a em Pacific.
This week.
Fox College Hoops Friday features eighteenth rank Michigan State taking on Ohio State at eight Eastern only on Toots Give.
Me iszoh okay. So you know, here's some great advice somebody once gave me. Sometimes you just got to get out of your own way. Jim Harbaugh was offered a head coaching job by One Team, One Team. Jim Harbaugh is like that movie director Christopher Nolan. If you let him direct your movie, you'll have a hit. It always works and quickly. Jim Harbaugh wanted the Bear's job. Kevin Warren the president, he and Jim don't get along. He didn't get an interview. It's amazing to me. Yes, like Christopher Nolan, You'll have to surrender some control and increase the budget a little, but you'll be great immediately. In fact, he is now the first coach in the Super Bowl era to take over two losing teams and the first year make the playoffs. I always thought Bill Parcells was the greatest turnaround coach. Ever, Harbaugh just surpassed him, and Parcells is a top five coach in my life. But what I'm really happy about is Justin Herbert, who for years was like the A plus student that had a really bad teacher or the excellent employee with really bad bosses, and then he got Jim Harbaugh and now he's putting up numbers. I saw one this week though weekend where he's literally now getting into an Aaron Rodgers Tom Brady class. Herbert has four hundred plus pass attempts and three or fewer interceptions. It is now one of the three greatest most efficient seasons ever for a quarterback. That's insane, And you know it's funny about I want you to think about this for a second. There's a lot of things that matter in coaching, but one of them is squeezing every bit of juice you can out of the roster. So when Harball won a Natty at Michigan, he only had two five star players two five star recruits. The Alabama team he beat had eighteen. The Georgia team that won the Natty the year before had fifteen.
He had two.
In In fact, if you look at composite recruiting rankings, Michigan had the lowest for a national championship in forever. And this Charger team needs another running back in the draft, needs another tight end in the draft, needs another receiver or two in the draft. Lad Mconkee, I love him. He's more of a one a two, not a one. They're doing it. They're dropping forty this weekend, and they're kind of in an offensive rebuild. They've got good offensive tackles and could mostly use help everywhere else on offense, an interior alignment, another running back, another tight end, and a couple of receivers. Defense is fine, not great, but fine. He's made it great. But no coach ever has ever squeezed more juice out of his roster, whether it's the Niners, Stanford, Michigan, or here with the Chargers. And here's Justin Herbert on why the team loves him. He's been everything.
You know, those guys in that Lockerham respect him so much and they just want to make right by him and make him proud. You know, the way he cares about you know, this team, all the individuals as well. He's a competitor and he wants to win no matter what it is. And it definitely shows. And it's the way that everyone fights for him, wants to play for him, and respects him.
It is interesting, though everybody knows you hire jim Harbaugh college or pro. In fact, Jimmy Johnson to me, is the only coach in the history of American football that was an A plus plus college coach and an A plus plus NFL coach. Harbaugh's the other one. I don't need a Super Bowl to prove it, you know what I mean. Like we all know Harball is great. But I mean nothing against Belichick, who stayed in New England forever with Brady, and nothing against sab a new state in Bama forever. But to me, it's always been a much bigger lift. Urban Meyer parcels Harbaugh to go to new places and immediately take bad to a playoff team. And this is in the AFC This is in the division with Mahomes twice a year. You're not doing this in the NFC South or the AFC South. So right now, the AFC playoff picture, Chiefs, Bills, Texans, Ravens, Steelers, Chargers in Cincinnati's hanging on by a thread. Baltimore's got a much better roster than Cincinnati, and bo Nix is fine. It's funny bow Nicks was twenty four to thirty one and played fine. Next to Burrow, he just looked like a nothing. Burger right tells you how great Joe Burrow is. So Harball's just it's I say this, I root for every quarterback to make it. I don't root against any of these kids, but especially It's funny if you watch Justin Herbert's career. So he was at Oregon, but because they didn't have good backups, Mario Christaball didn't let him run until the Rose Bowl and then everybody went, oh my god, Justin Herbert. J. McK and I have talked about this. You watch the Rose Bowl against Wisconsin and you're like, oh my god, this guy can run too. And here and with the Chargers. This is why we implore Dean Spanos just spend whatever it costs to get horrid buff It costs twenty million a year. Whatever you do, not want to go to bed at night having never gotten Justin Herbert a great coach. He is just an all time kid and I just couldn't be happier for him. Now, now, how about this j Mac of all the playoff teams, because I do believe the Chargers have like four needs on offense alone. I like their kicking, I like their defense, I like their tackles and Herbert. Are they the best team in the playoffs that can't win the Super Bowl? Wait?
Why can't they win the Super Bowl?
They can, but it's Buffalo Baltimore.
Probably not to go.
They probably have the fifth best roster of the seven playoff teams in the AFC, So I'll not Philadelphia or Detroit roster.
Right, I'll agree with you that the top three in the AFC are are stacked. However, the path to the Super Bowl this year, I think it's gonna matter more than ever. Yeah, because there's so many bad teams in the league that aren't in the playoffs, and I feel like every team is kind of like if the Bengals get in, Let's say the Bengals are seven.
Can you imagine a Buffalo first weekend? Well, first of all, you're terrified if you're Buffalo.
Oh my man.
Can you imagine Burrow goes to Buffalo first weekend and Cincinnati's got.
Nor she already won there once in the playoffs. I think it was twenty seven to ten. Was a final, and so how tight would Buffalo be? Well, that's not great for Buffalo. But I also don't think Kansas City is indestructible.
I know fifteen and.
One and blah blah blah will say this ie the rest coming up. I said this before the year. I think we both said it. The Chargers are the Chiefs, a plus coaching, quarterback, really nice defensive pieces, get a rush, got a great player in the secondary. Both can use a little help skill people. It's kind of a work in progress. I think the Chargers are a slightly less version. And by the way, both great head coaches, both great defensive coordinators, great coaches. Both need more weapons. It's a work in progress. The Chargers had to play the Chiefs again. They match up very well with Kansas City.
Look at this, I didn't even realize if Pittsburgh's sliding so much so. If the Bengals beat the Steelers, Pittsburgh's ten and seven. If the Chargers win their final game, they would be eleven and six. They would then leap frog Pittsburgh to five and then play Houston.
I'd rather play Houston than Baltimore, wouldn't you?
Oh? Yes, Houston could get routed in the first guy, I don't even know what they are Colin Wright, Colin wrong, first hour flies by. This is the best part of the season.