Thanks for listening to the Herd podcast. Be 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. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Here we go at Tower two. It is a Tuesday. We're live in LA. It's the Herd wherever you may be and however you may be listening iHeartRadio, Fox Sports Radio and f S one. It is great to have you in. I think Jason and I feel the same way about the Philadelphia Eagles exposed a little bit, but it's the harsh reality of what happens. Thanksgiving it on or close to Thanksgiving it on. You don't get all the fumbles going your way. Sometimes your quarterback is on the bench watching the other team run and eat the clock. It happens. Yeah, we feel the same way about the Eagles. I wonder Cony if we feel the same way about the New York Jets and Herd high. When doing the Herd hierarchy, it's not standings, oh, it is um um it gets really bunched up. So if you look at my tenth team, UM, I believe I always use the words sustainable. For instance, is Geno Smith playing great sustainable? Is Zach Wilson's five and one is that sustainable? Not? Really? Okay? Two is what seven to zero is that sustainable? I think high level of play in Miami is sustainable. Doesn't mean he's Josh Allen or Mahomes. So here we go. Here's my Herd hierarchy on a Tuesday heard hierarchy 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 with out of 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 one hundred yards and they've done this with a banged 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 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 US points in every game, eight straight games with at least one hundred and fifty yards rushing. That hasn't been done since 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 them 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 Dable 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 use 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 doing that 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 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 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 winning then close ones. They're at four. Number 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. Kansas City won. 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 fucking 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 most difficult schedule the rest of the way, Collin they played eight straight games to start the Organs 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 brain 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, 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's sam papered him, and he's reverting back to what he was, which is, oh my lord, he's taking huge swings, he's not accurate. I mean might take away 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 Bole 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 is 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 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 is arguably 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 nine percent 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 cow Boy 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. Yeah, 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. Forget the run defense. Yeah, we've got folks saying, Michael Parts, 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 to spark the comeback. So a small concern about the dominant defense. Check concern number two would have been Dak Prescott, is he going to 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 made this game very personal and very I think very much about his history there. And if they kick 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, you 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, lost 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 Filling coming up. So it's a brutal loss for them. So it's um. 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 seven. It'll be tonight. 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 if they've flatly been better without him, yea, they play defense without him. They let KD do this point forward thing they play 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, KD. 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 his 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's either tangentially or 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 teams, 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 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 and I'm gonna throw this heat. We were talking. Katie said Lebron's one of the best players ever two or three, and I said, everybody 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 they 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 them 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 have it 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 the Here's the funny thing about Katie's comments. Katie's 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 Kadi was including Kobe. 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 of 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 a bit, might be 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 in New York. Kevin Wilds, Bruce had Nick Wright really fun show. And all right, that's the four. See Mac, you can learn something from Nick and I. You're the young young, we're the mentor for you. Now that's the four. No, No, I'm still hot and bothered by Titans at ten Jets at eleven. I can't. I didn't listen to any of that because I'm just looking at all the numbers. Colin, I'm not even making this up. Yards per play Jets over the Titans, net yards per play Jets over the Titans. Football Outsiders DVOA, Jets above the Titans. This newer stat EPA expected points out it Jets over the Titans. Literally, there's not one stat that says the Tennessee Titans are a better football team than the New York Jets. Got a better coach. I mean, that's it. That's all you got. Vrabel over Salo, That's it, man. I think the Jets manage their quarterback situation. I trust that's accurate. I think I trust Tannehill and Vrabel in a big game against the Jets, I can't. I really hope they face off in the first round. Jets get the wildcard, Titans at home, Jets going just smash them. They just gotta lock them down. I mean that Tennessee team is criminally overrated by the way Packers Titans Thursday night. What do you think the line is for that Titans are gonna roll them? Titans are gonna roll the Packers? What the line is? Where's the game? Green Bay? I believe green Bay minus two and a half three. It was started at one bet up to three. I'll take the Titans. Do you think that early money is public? Guys? One hundred dollar bets are smart guys. I think smart guys numbers guys. Nobody likes the Titans column Nobody you do. I just on an island, buddy. Remember the Titans. They're easy movie, They're easy to forget. Remember the Titan. 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. We are just five days away from the start of the World Cup, and last week members of the US men's national team visited The Star in Dallas to swap jerseys with Ezekiel Elliott, Dak Prescott, Michael Parsons, and CD Lamp. Both teams have huge games coming up Monday, Team USA begins their long awaited FIFA World Cup journey as Christian Pulisic leads to Stars and Strikes against Gareth Bale and Wales. Oh coverage begins at one Eastern on Fox in anywhere on the Fox Sports app. Can be a very very important World Cup. You're gonna bet the US in that game, right, I like the USA against Wales. I do. I think the I think the surprise of the tournament will be Canada, So the whole the World Cup's biggest surprise will be Canada. Interesting. And I think the most fascinating team is England because there's a ton of talent, but they have historically disappointed. A lot of pressure on England. People think this is the most talented, deepest team, so keep your eye in England in our group, and and Canada was the one team that we played in the States. We played and you know, kind of tuning up for the World Cup that I absolutely thought we were not as good as Yeah, Brazil's got such a deep roster. Somebody joked to me that their backups, their guys on their bench, could make the knockout rounds if they were on their own team. That's how stack Brazil is in this World Cup. Yeah. Jmack with the news, Turn on the news. This is the herd Line News. Let's revisit Monday night football for a moment. Eagles lost to the Commanders. The final score was a little sieving given that Flukey lateral touchdown. But this is the play of the game, Taylor Heineke. Look at this heads up, crafty play by the twenty nine year old quarterback. They love it in Washington. Listen, Colin, you gotta be real here. He took the knee. He knew if he threw an incompletion the clock would stop. Let me take a knee. What Brandon Graham veteran making a dumb move. Now, Brandon Graham did speak out about it, and here's what he said. I'm gonna take that one on the chin. Of course, we are all gonna flush it and move on, but I'm definitely gonna take that one. I let the team down in a situation like that. We can't put the game in the ref's hands in that position. I just gotta know if he goes down, it's okay for me. I was just hustling to make a play. Try to make sure he was down. Yeah, by the way, he's a very good player. It's not that big of a deal. You were going to lose the game anyway. I like that he's owning it, um, But it was it was a very clever, crafty play by a player who has to be that to win, and that's fine make up for his deficiencies. And that's I've seen guys my whole life in pro sports. They're just smart, clever, crafty guys. And it's like, you know, there's like a Matthew Delavadova. Do you remember him when he was quest with Steph Curry. I know that this. People are gonna say, oh, you're just picking white guys. Taylor Heinekey, matt Matthew delav This is like basically undersized guys who have no business being in the NFL. Taylor Heinekey was studying for his engineering master's degree when Washington called him a few years ago. We're like, hey, we need we need to get in the practice. I think NBA has had a lot of guys like this. They find a way to be valuable. Yeah, I mean some guys are talented, they're just old. Andre Aguadola has become an incredibly crafty player. How long has he been in the league. Well, be a better example, Patrick Beverley, small guard, very limited offensively, but you know what he's gonna get after you defensively. He's like kind of a mascot. Every team he goes to, they love him. The fans love the hustle and the tenacity. Do something to that. There's a listen as players get older. This keeps twenty nine years old most at leach. You age, you play the game, you see the tricks you see and you're you know when you're maybe when you're a great athlete, you don't have to worry about the nuances of it. Josh Allen doesn't worry as much about the nuances. But if you have an arm like uh, like Matt Ryan or you have to worry more about the nuances of it. So it's like, I think it's Taylor Henke's playing with house money. Come, I mean, he's he had no clue that he was gonna be in the NFL on a team that he made the playoffs. He remember he started against Tampa and I thought was a very competitive game. It was it was, it was, yes, they were at home, all right? Next up boy bad news for the Rams. Rams fans in the last hour just got worried. Cooper Cup high ankle sprain surgery required. He's going on ir well. USC Ucla played this weekend, So officially the Rams are not interesting. Rams are done. It's over. Um you know, listen, it sounds like Matt Stafford's coming back. I don't know why. I'm gonna be honest with you. That offensive line it's terrible. Um. Well, they don't have a first round pick. It's not like losing helps them. Maybe one thing if they if they had a first round losing could hurt them. If something happens to about Stafford. He's getting killed this year. I would you know, Aaron Donald, Cooper Cup Stafford, I'm with I would consider moving Jalen Ramsey if I could get a number one pick. I think you have to do a little bit of a subtle rebuild here in spaces and I think you're a little top heavy on money. I think you have to get some picks here. They got a second and a third, I try to get a first. I think you went all in. You got a super Bowl. But because you're so cash, you know, you're so top heavy. You couldn't keep Von Miller, you couldn't keep Bob Jum. It looks like the Allen Robinson thing is wasted money. So I think you got to go back get some draft capital if you can do it. By the way, you can get draft capital pretty quick. Good teams in this league are always looking to make a deal for a star. Your staff came up with a good number here, Matt Stafford passing to Cooper Cup. Cooper Cup represented thirty two percent of their offensive production, and we got some stats. In the last two years there has not been a better receiver in the NFL than Cooper Cup. I mean period, end of story. Look at those numbers, staggering, like people know it's going to one eight hundred receiver and he's still unguardable. Cooper Cup incredible. Just a huge loss. Also, he's on my fantasy team. I'm desperate. If anyone has any suggestions, they are big underdogs. Ye, Saints shapes are four point favors, should be well STARTNUS one. I think so Cooper Cup is viewed as a three point swing. Well, there's also some uncertainty about Stafford, like are you gonna bring Stafford back without Cooper cup and a bad offensive line on the road like well, and he also has a dinged up yeah, well, like, what's the rush? Just put the Wolf of Wall Street out there? Um, I think I like the Saints there, But Jameis Winster comes back. All bets are off because you don't know that guy could throw three pick sixes. Final story, this is a little spicy. Tampa Bay ended their three game skid with the win in Week nine. However, Colin Bruce Arians recently spoke about the team struggles, giving credit to wait for it, Todd Bowles and putting the finger of blame at Tom Brady. Here's Bruce Arians, I don't think it was fair to the byron. Nobody is going to say that Brady was playing bad. But he was playing bad. We also had growing pains on the young offensive front, and we weren't running well. There comes a time as a play caller when you're losing yards running the ball and you say, forget this. I'm putting the ball in Tom's hands. Colin Bruce Arians and Tom Brady reportedly a lot of issues last year. This is why I say I believe Brady and San Francisco the Niners will have discussions. I don't know what transpires he has now he's divorced. He has no loyalty to Tampa at all. He's got no loyalty. You want a super Bowl there? I don't think it's his kind of town. I lived there. It's not. That's not Tommy's town. It's fine, but it's done. What is it Tommy town? San Francisco, big city of New York, tech money, New York, London, San Francisco, La, Tom's big, huge brand. Tampa's a great little town, but it's it's it's a big tarket the TV twelve stuff to the old people in Florida. Come on, it's a gold mine for Tom Brady. Um. I don't know if San Francisco's buying what he's selling. But in all seriousness, listen, Bruce arians basically a stayed out of the media all season, and now he jumps in to defend the coach in OC and take a dump on Tom Brady. Listen, I read the longer year around is a public figure, It's gonna go bad. That's why you should all retire early. Yeah, Brady, literally three years ago was the gold standard of everything. Divorce getting crapped on by arians barking at teammates. Uh, the ownership Miami thing, like, it's been a weird for his brand, a weird three years for Brady, and most of it's been ugly. A lot of it's been Brady just say I'm done. I'm walking. I think it will enjoy life, No, I think it. If you're a public figure, everybody eventually gets crapped on. It's just it's a matter of when, unless you retire early. But there are no nobody's popular I mean for wearing a bag suit. I mean that's just the reality of the world we live in. Everybody. I saw what's that singer? Um Taylor Swift? Swift? She literally had an album all ten songs made the top ten. Nobody gets dragged on the internet like Taylor Swift. I mean, nobody ever, says other losers hitting on Taylor. I'm just selling. Hey, nobody's come after you. You got the number one radio show and there you good point. Nobody ever comes out. I think it got bumped up to number one when I got here right today? Is that when it has said this to the top spot? Yes, all right, Jack, Well that's the news and thanks for stopping by. The Herd line. It's just Tommy should have just shut her down after that Super Bowl. That's what Elwaite did. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays and noon Easter nine a Empacific on Fox Sports Radio FS one and the iHeart Radio app. Polly Fosco here with Tony Fosco, of course, you know, is the host of the number one rated Polly and Tony Fusco show the world right now. We all know you sick and tired of these stupid sports shows where the 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. You know, long ago I stopped trying to argue with Dak Prescott supporters. It's very obvious the more the Cowboys have leaned on Dak to lead them through the years, the worse the offensive lines become as much as Zeke regresses, they rely more on Dak, and the truth comes out with Dak. He's not special, He's got great leadership skills, he tough, he's mobile. That stuff was all out of college. But like Kirk Cousins, who have compared him to, you saw the real Kirk Cousins by like year two, there was no more ceiling. That was Kirk Cousins. And that's what I feel about Dak. By year two, halfway through it, that was Dak, Josh Allen, big ceiling, Burrow big ceiling, Kyler big ceiling, Lamar big ceiling. With Dak and Kirk Cousins middle of year two, that's kind of what they were. Dak has always been kind of tough, better than average, mobility, great, great leadership, school skills, and in college at least he was a winner. He wins a lot of games, and in the NFL, Kirk and Dak of one lot of games, and Jerry Jones, despite Dak having a rough year and some key spots, is behind his guy. The strength that I look at our chance to win a championship is Dak in his leadership at that position. Now, does that mean that Dack's going to win every game or make ever comeback or a key situation. You can answer that one, of course not. But by the same token, if you were constructing the possibility of competing for a Super Bowl, I would start on this team. I would start right there with Dak. He is the best leader on the team. And I would start there with Dak as a leader. But when he came into the NFL, I said, he reminds me of a more talented Tim Tebow. Both played in the SEC, Both are tough, both are great leaders. Both have kind of a value system. I like decent guys, pretty mobile, though not great mobile, but better than average mobile, thick, tough guys who you can really build around, good at the podium. Well, kids, are you? Are you ready for this? On third and fourth down this season, Dak's not are the lowest since Tebow. Even Dan Mullen once came on this show and said, yeah, he never threw a great ball. There was never a big ceiling for Dak. He's Kirk Cousins. What you saw by year two is what you got now. Numbers can change based on receivers O line. But like, I'm done arguing with the Dak fans, and Dak now isn't young, isn't always healthy, and isn't cheap, So now you can't surround him with a second or third great receiver. Yeah, Dak's not young anymore, and Dak's not cheap anymore, and Dak can't You can't afford to buy a great o line around Dak. You have to draft and develop. So the early Dak and the current Dak are the same athletically, same arm. The difference is the young, cheap one I could surround with better players. So I think at some level, I've always felt the more you lean on Dak, the more reality sets in. So I want to talk about that, Jim, or say things so say Jimmer says a very very successful guy. He had a tweet yesterday about Jeff Saturday's win. He said, all you critics, you criticize us in the NFL for losing, when we make a move to win, you act so righteous. Who you crap and just win, baby, Listen, football is a game of emotion. Anything can happen out West. This weekend, Arizona beat UCLA and the Rose Bowl. Last night, the Commanders crushed Philadelphia and Philadelphia Matt Ryan this weekend had a forty yard scramble. Okay, it's football driven by emotion. Anything can happen. But when things tend to feel strange, anything in life that feels strange, it usually is Elon Musk is gonna buy Twitter. I'm here for it. But that's kind of weird, kind of feels strange. And so far it has been Kevin Durant leaving the Warriors for Brooklyn. Oh no, that's not that's that's gonna be weird. It has been weird. Unregulated currency will grow to the sky. Bitcoin it did briefly Donald Trump's running for president. The country has been whacky ever since. If something sounds strange, usually is Jeff's Saturday going from broadcaster to head coach of the Gulf Hounds. A little off. Now again it's a game of emotion. Arizona beat UCLA, Matt Ryan at a forty yard scramble. Commanders Clawbert Philadelphia. But the next month for the Colts they faced Philly, They're at Dallas, They're at Minnesota. Let's give it a few. Jeff Saturday is really smart, really gets it. The only thing that was surprising to me is how quote outraged Bill Cower was, and Rex Ryan was and Joe Thomas was. I wasn't outraged by it. This is an organization that's gotten increasingly impulsive over the last several years. They've had four quarterbacks in four years. You have an owner that appears to be meddling in the coaching, coordinating and quarterback position. So you know that's I'm not surprised by any of it. I mean, when it first happened, we were on the air and we were like, that's odd, and stuff that is odd and sounds odd, and as a little off usually eventually is. But I'm not surprised. Jeff Saturday won a game. Dan Campbell won his first road game in a year and a half into Detroit. He beat Chicago this weekend barely. Dan Campbell was once given the Miami Dolphins job. Former player, tough guy, real presence. Jeff's a big guy, real presence, and the team just played like crazy. If you don't think presence matters, ed Orgeron won a national title. Ed Orgeron's a legendary presence when you're around him. The gravelly voice, the presence, the humor, he big. Is he a great coach? Certainly argue about that, but it matters a big man with a presence among other men. A lot of emotion. Not shocked they won. I mean, raiders right now are trying to find themselves. But it is let's let's take a deep breath on this stuff, right. What do they call it? Overreaction Monday? It's like overreaction Jeff Saturday. They got some tough games coming up against some teams playing for playoff spots, some of those on the road. Even the Steelers game, which they should win. That's a go either way game, you think. Frank Reich said, Man, why couldn't I start Matt Ryan? Maybe? All right? Hour three? Oh my goodness, Oh we got a good hour three. I just got the guest list. Good hour three coming up,

Thanks for listening to the Herd podcast. Be 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. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Here we go at Tower two. It is a Tuesday. We're live in LA. It's the Herd wherever you may be and however you may be listening iHeartRadio, Fox Sports Radio and f S one. It is great to have you in. I think Jason and I feel the same way about the Philadelphia Eagles exposed a little bit, but it's the harsh reality of what happens. Thanksgiving it on or close to Thanksgiving it on. You don't get all the fumbles going your way. Sometimes your quarterback is on the bench watching the other team run and eat the clock. It happens. Yeah, we feel the same way about the Eagles. I wonder Cony if we feel the same way about the New York Jets and Herd high. When doing the Herd hierarchy, it's not standings, oh, it is um um it gets really bunched up. So if you look at my tenth team, UM, I believe I always use the words sustainable. For instance, is Geno Smith playing great sustainable? Is Zach Wilson's five and one is that sustainable? Not? Really? Okay? Two is what seven to zero is that sustainable? I think high level of play in Miami is sustainable. Doesn't mean he's Josh Allen or Mahomes. So here we go. Here's my Herd hierarchy on a Tuesday heard hierarchy 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 with out of 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 one hundred yards and they've done this with a banged 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 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 US points in every game, eight straight games with at least one hundred and fifty yards rushing. That hasn't been done since 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 them 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 Dable 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 use 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 doing that 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 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 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 winning then close ones. They're at four. Number 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. Kansas City won. 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 fucking 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 most difficult schedule the rest of the way, Collin they played eight straight games to start the Organs 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 brain 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, 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's sam papered him, and he's reverting back to what he was, which is, oh my lord, he's taking huge swings, he's not accurate. I mean might take away 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 Bole 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 is 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 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 is arguably 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 nine percent 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 cow Boy 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. Yeah, 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. Forget the run defense. Yeah, we've got folks saying, Michael Parts, 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 to spark the comeback. So a small concern about the dominant defense. Check concern number two would have been Dak Prescott, is he going to 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 made this game very personal and very I think very much about his history there. And if they kick 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, you 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, lost 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 Filling coming up. So it's a brutal loss for them. So it's um. 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 seven. It'll be tonight. 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 if they've flatly been better without him, yea, they play defense without him. They let KD do this point forward thing they play 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, KD. 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 his 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's either tangentially or 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 teams, 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 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 and I'm gonna throw this heat. We were talking. Katie said Lebron's one of the best players ever two or three, and I said, everybody 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 they 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 them 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 have it 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 the Here's the funny thing about Katie's comments. Katie's 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 Kadi was including Kobe. 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 of 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 a bit, might be 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 in New York. Kevin Wilds, Bruce had Nick Wright really fun show. And all right, that's the four. See Mac, you can learn something from Nick and I. You're the young young, we're the mentor for you. Now that's the four. No, No, I'm still hot and bothered by Titans at ten Jets at eleven. I can't. I didn't listen to any of that because I'm just looking at all the numbers. Colin, I'm not even making this up. Yards per play Jets over the Titans, net yards per play Jets over the Titans. Football Outsiders DVOA, Jets above the Titans. This newer stat EPA expected points out it Jets over the Titans. Literally, there's not one stat that says the Tennessee Titans are a better football team than the New York Jets. Got a better coach. I mean, that's it. That's all you got. Vrabel over Salo, That's it, man. I think the Jets manage their quarterback situation. I trust that's accurate. I think I trust Tannehill and Vrabel in a big game against the Jets, I can't. I really hope they face off in the first round. Jets get the wildcard, Titans at home, Jets going just smash them. They just gotta lock them down. I mean that Tennessee team is criminally overrated by the way Packers Titans Thursday night. What do you think the line is for that Titans are gonna roll them? Titans are gonna roll the Packers? What the line is? Where's the game? Green Bay? I believe green Bay minus two and a half three. It was started at one bet up to three. I'll take the Titans. Do you think that early money is public? Guys? One hundred dollar bets are smart guys. I think smart guys numbers guys. Nobody likes the Titans column Nobody you do. I just on an island, buddy. Remember the Titans. They're easy movie, They're easy to forget. Remember the Titan. 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. We are just five days away from the start of the World Cup, and last week members of the US men's national team visited The Star in Dallas to swap jerseys with Ezekiel Elliott, Dak Prescott, Michael Parsons, and CD Lamp. Both teams have huge games coming up Monday, Team USA begins their long awaited FIFA World Cup journey as Christian Pulisic leads to Stars and Strikes against Gareth Bale and Wales. Oh coverage begins at one Eastern on Fox in anywhere on the Fox Sports app. Can be a very very important World Cup. You're gonna bet the US in that game, right, I like the USA against Wales. I do. I think the I think the surprise of the tournament will be Canada, So the whole the World Cup's biggest surprise will be Canada. Interesting. And I think the most fascinating team is England because there's a ton of talent, but they have historically disappointed. A lot of pressure on England. People think this is the most talented, deepest team, so keep your eye in England in our group, and and Canada was the one team that we played in the States. We played and you know, kind of tuning up for the World Cup that I absolutely thought we were not as good as Yeah, Brazil's got such a deep roster. Somebody joked to me that their backups, their guys on their bench, could make the knockout rounds if they were on their own team. That's how stack Brazil is in this World Cup. Yeah. Jmack with the news, Turn on the news. This is the herd Line News. Let's revisit Monday night football for a moment. Eagles lost to the Commanders. The final score was a little sieving given that Flukey lateral touchdown. But this is the play of the game, Taylor Heineke. Look at this heads up, crafty play by the twenty nine year old quarterback. They love it in Washington. Listen, Colin, you gotta be real here. He took the knee. He knew if he threw an incompletion the clock would stop. Let me take a knee. What Brandon Graham veteran making a dumb move. Now, Brandon Graham did speak out about it, and here's what he said. I'm gonna take that one on the chin. Of course, we are all gonna flush it and move on, but I'm definitely gonna take that one. I let the team down in a situation like that. We can't put the game in the ref's hands in that position. I just gotta know if he goes down, it's okay for me. I was just hustling to make a play. Try to make sure he was down. Yeah, by the way, he's a very good player. It's not that big of a deal. You were going to lose the game anyway. I like that he's owning it, um, But it was it was a very clever, crafty play by a player who has to be that to win, and that's fine make up for his deficiencies. And that's I've seen guys my whole life in pro sports. They're just smart, clever, crafty guys. And it's like, you know, there's like a Matthew Delavadova. Do you remember him when he was quest with Steph Curry. I know that this. People are gonna say, oh, you're just picking white guys. Taylor Heinekey, matt Matthew delav This is like basically undersized guys who have no business being in the NFL. Taylor Heinekey was studying for his engineering master's degree when Washington called him a few years ago. We're like, hey, we need we need to get in the practice. I think NBA has had a lot of guys like this. They find a way to be valuable. Yeah, I mean some guys are talented, they're just old. Andre Aguadola has become an incredibly crafty player. How long has he been in the league. Well, be a better example, Patrick Beverley, small guard, very limited offensively, but you know what he's gonna get after you defensively. He's like kind of a mascot. Every team he goes to, they love him. The fans love the hustle and the tenacity. Do something to that. There's a listen as players get older. This keeps twenty nine years old most at leach. You age, you play the game, you see the tricks you see and you're you know when you're maybe when you're a great athlete, you don't have to worry about the nuances of it. Josh Allen doesn't worry as much about the nuances. But if you have an arm like uh, like Matt Ryan or you have to worry more about the nuances of it. So it's like, I think it's Taylor Henke's playing with house money. Come, I mean, he's he had no clue that he was gonna be in the NFL on a team that he made the playoffs. He remember he started against Tampa and I thought was a very competitive game. It was it was, it was, yes, they were at home, all right? Next up boy bad news for the Rams. Rams fans in the last hour just got worried. Cooper Cup high ankle sprain surgery required. He's going on ir well. USC Ucla played this weekend, So officially the Rams are not interesting. Rams are done. It's over. Um you know, listen, it sounds like Matt Stafford's coming back. I don't know why. I'm gonna be honest with you. That offensive line it's terrible. Um. Well, they don't have a first round pick. It's not like losing helps them. Maybe one thing if they if they had a first round losing could hurt them. If something happens to about Stafford. He's getting killed this year. I would you know, Aaron Donald, Cooper Cup Stafford, I'm with I would consider moving Jalen Ramsey if I could get a number one pick. I think you have to do a little bit of a subtle rebuild here in spaces and I think you're a little top heavy on money. I think you have to get some picks here. They got a second and a third, I try to get a first. I think you went all in. You got a super Bowl. But because you're so cash, you know, you're so top heavy. You couldn't keep Von Miller, you couldn't keep Bob Jum. It looks like the Allen Robinson thing is wasted money. So I think you got to go back get some draft capital if you can do it. By the way, you can get draft capital pretty quick. Good teams in this league are always looking to make a deal for a star. Your staff came up with a good number here, Matt Stafford passing to Cooper Cup. Cooper Cup represented thirty two percent of their offensive production, and we got some stats. In the last two years there has not been a better receiver in the NFL than Cooper Cup. I mean period, end of story. Look at those numbers, staggering, like people know it's going to one eight hundred receiver and he's still unguardable. Cooper Cup incredible. Just a huge loss. Also, he's on my fantasy team. I'm desperate. If anyone has any suggestions, they are big underdogs. Ye, Saints shapes are four point favors, should be well STARTNUS one. I think so Cooper Cup is viewed as a three point swing. Well, there's also some uncertainty about Stafford, like are you gonna bring Stafford back without Cooper cup and a bad offensive line on the road like well, and he also has a dinged up yeah, well, like, what's the rush? Just put the Wolf of Wall Street out there? Um, I think I like the Saints there, But Jameis Winster comes back. All bets are off because you don't know that guy could throw three pick sixes. Final story, this is a little spicy. Tampa Bay ended their three game skid with the win in Week nine. However, Colin Bruce Arians recently spoke about the team struggles, giving credit to wait for it, Todd Bowles and putting the finger of blame at Tom Brady. Here's Bruce Arians, I don't think it was fair to the byron. Nobody is going to say that Brady was playing bad. But he was playing bad. We also had growing pains on the young offensive front, and we weren't running well. There comes a time as a play caller when you're losing yards running the ball and you say, forget this. I'm putting the ball in Tom's hands. Colin Bruce Arians and Tom Brady reportedly a lot of issues last year. This is why I say I believe Brady and San Francisco the Niners will have discussions. I don't know what transpires he has now he's divorced. He has no loyalty to Tampa at all. He's got no loyalty. You want a super Bowl there? I don't think it's his kind of town. I lived there. It's not. That's not Tommy's town. It's fine, but it's done. What is it Tommy town? San Francisco, big city of New York, tech money, New York, London, San Francisco, La, Tom's big, huge brand. Tampa's a great little town, but it's it's it's a big tarket the TV twelve stuff to the old people in Florida. Come on, it's a gold mine for Tom Brady. Um. I don't know if San Francisco's buying what he's selling. But in all seriousness, listen, Bruce arians basically a stayed out of the media all season, and now he jumps in to defend the coach in OC and take a dump on Tom Brady. Listen, I read the longer year around is a public figure, It's gonna go bad. That's why you should all retire early. Yeah, Brady, literally three years ago was the gold standard of everything. Divorce getting crapped on by arians barking at teammates. Uh, the ownership Miami thing, like, it's been a weird for his brand, a weird three years for Brady, and most of it's been ugly. A lot of it's been Brady just say I'm done. I'm walking. I think it will enjoy life, No, I think it. If you're a public figure, everybody eventually gets crapped on. It's just it's a matter of when, unless you retire early. But there are no nobody's popular I mean for wearing a bag suit. I mean that's just the reality of the world we live in. Everybody. I saw what's that singer? Um Taylor Swift? Swift? She literally had an album all ten songs made the top ten. Nobody gets dragged on the internet like Taylor Swift. I mean, nobody ever, says other losers hitting on Taylor. I'm just selling. Hey, nobody's come after you. You got the number one radio show and there you good point. Nobody ever comes out. I think it got bumped up to number one when I got here right today? Is that when it has said this to the top spot? Yes, all right, Jack, Well that's the news and thanks for stopping by. The Herd line. It's just Tommy should have just shut her down after that Super Bowl. That's what Elwaite did. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays and noon Easter nine a Empacific on Fox Sports Radio FS one and the iHeart Radio app. Polly Fosco here with Tony Fosco, of course, you know, is the host of the number one rated Polly and Tony Fusco show the world right now. We all know you sick and tired of these stupid sports shows where the 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. You know, long ago I stopped trying to argue with Dak Prescott supporters. It's very obvious the more the Cowboys have leaned on Dak to lead them through the years, the worse the offensive lines become as much as Zeke regresses, they rely more on Dak, and the truth comes out with Dak. He's not special, He's got great leadership skills, he tough, he's mobile. That stuff was all out of college. But like Kirk Cousins, who have compared him to, you saw the real Kirk Cousins by like year two, there was no more ceiling. That was Kirk Cousins. And that's what I feel about Dak. By year two, halfway through it, that was Dak, Josh Allen, big ceiling, Burrow big ceiling, Kyler big ceiling, Lamar big ceiling. With Dak and Kirk Cousins middle of year two, that's kind of what they were. Dak has always been kind of tough, better than average, mobility, great, great leadership, school skills, and in college at least he was a winner. He wins a lot of games, and in the NFL, Kirk and Dak of one lot of games, and Jerry Jones, despite Dak having a rough year and some key spots, is behind his guy. The strength that I look at our chance to win a championship is Dak in his leadership at that position. Now, does that mean that Dack's going to win every game or make ever comeback or a key situation. You can answer that one, of course not. But by the same token, if you were constructing the possibility of competing for a Super Bowl, I would start on this team. I would start right there with Dak. He is the best leader on the team. And I would start there with Dak as a leader. But when he came into the NFL, I said, he reminds me of a more talented Tim Tebow. Both played in the SEC, Both are tough, both are great leaders. Both have kind of a value system. I like decent guys, pretty mobile, though not great mobile, but better than average mobile, thick, tough guys who you can really build around, good at the podium. Well, kids, are you? Are you ready for this? On third and fourth down this season, Dak's not are the lowest since Tebow. Even Dan Mullen once came on this show and said, yeah, he never threw a great ball. There was never a big ceiling for Dak. He's Kirk Cousins. What you saw by year two is what you got now. Numbers can change based on receivers O line. But like, I'm done arguing with the Dak fans, and Dak now isn't young, isn't always healthy, and isn't cheap, So now you can't surround him with a second or third great receiver. Yeah, Dak's not young anymore, and Dak's not cheap anymore, and Dak can't You can't afford to buy a great o line around Dak. You have to draft and develop. So the early Dak and the current Dak are the same athletically, same arm. The difference is the young, cheap one I could surround with better players. So I think at some level, I've always felt the more you lean on Dak, the more reality sets in. So I want to talk about that, Jim, or say things so say Jimmer says a very very successful guy. He had a tweet yesterday about Jeff Saturday's win. He said, all you critics, you criticize us in the NFL for losing, when we make a move to win, you act so righteous. Who you crap and just win, baby, Listen, football is a game of emotion. Anything can happen out West. This weekend, Arizona beat UCLA and the Rose Bowl. Last night, the Commanders crushed Philadelphia and Philadelphia Matt Ryan this weekend had a forty yard scramble. Okay, it's football driven by emotion. Anything can happen. But when things tend to feel strange, anything in life that feels strange, it usually is Elon Musk is gonna buy Twitter. I'm here for it. But that's kind of weird, kind of feels strange. And so far it has been Kevin Durant leaving the Warriors for Brooklyn. Oh no, that's not that's that's gonna be weird. It has been weird. Unregulated currency will grow to the sky. Bitcoin it did briefly Donald Trump's running for president. The country has been whacky ever since. If something sounds strange, usually is Jeff's Saturday going from broadcaster to head coach of the Gulf Hounds. A little off. Now again it's a game of emotion. Arizona beat UCLA, Matt Ryan at a forty yard scramble. Commanders Clawbert Philadelphia. But the next month for the Colts they faced Philly, They're at Dallas, They're at Minnesota. Let's give it a few. Jeff Saturday is really smart, really gets it. The only thing that was surprising to me is how quote outraged Bill Cower was, and Rex Ryan was and Joe Thomas was. I wasn't outraged by it. This is an organization that's gotten increasingly impulsive over the last several years. They've had four quarterbacks in four years. You have an owner that appears to be meddling in the coaching, coordinating and quarterback position. So you know that's I'm not surprised by any of it. I mean, when it first happened, we were on the air and we were like, that's odd, and stuff that is odd and sounds odd, and as a little off usually eventually is. But I'm not surprised. Jeff Saturday won a game. Dan Campbell won his first road game in a year and a half into Detroit. He beat Chicago this weekend barely. Dan Campbell was once given the Miami Dolphins job. Former player, tough guy, real presence. Jeff's a big guy, real presence, and the team just played like crazy. If you don't think presence matters, ed Orgeron won a national title. Ed Orgeron's a legendary presence when you're around him. The gravelly voice, the presence, the humor, he big. Is he a great coach? Certainly argue about that, but it matters a big man with a presence among other men. A lot of emotion. Not shocked they won. I mean, raiders right now are trying to find themselves. But it is let's let's take a deep breath on this stuff, right. What do they call it? Overreaction Monday? It's like overreaction Jeff Saturday. They got some tough games coming up against some teams playing for playoff spots, some of those on the road. Even the Steelers game, which they should win. That's a go either way game, you think. Frank Reich said, Man, why couldn't I start Matt Ryan? Maybe? All right? Hour three? Oh my goodness, Oh we got a good hour three. I just got the guest list. Good hour three coming up,