Hall of fame wide receiver Michael Irvin stops by to defend Cam Ward from all those who are criticizing him for sitting out the second half of the Pop Tart Bowl.
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 noone Pacific. 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 Fox Sports Radio or FSR. Thanks for listening to the Herd Podcast. Twelve years in the NFL three Super Bowl Championship rings, one of my favorite people, the playmaker. So we got a lot of things, you know what, Let's just I want to I want to before we get to the NFL. I want to address a couple of college issues. So let's start with the easy one. So I have not heard coach Prime say I want my son to play blank blank blank, But once again, Deon Sanders is quoted on Twitter today saying, listen, it'll be multiple idiots that will say things that are totally untrue regarding where I want my son to play in the NFL. Can you clarify this? Is there a places he wants his son, both of them to play or not.
Well, you know, there's always a place that you prefer. Everyone has a place that they prefer. But if you're smart. You're prefer not to say it at this time. That's just smart to do, right, because you don't want to say, hey, we prefer to go just throwing out teams to the Giants and then the Raiders get you. Now you got to answer all of those questions. So you know why even set yourself up for that. Just say, listen, well, I'm ready to play for any team that draft me. You know the reality is now we can't lie and hide and well, who's your team growing up? I'm sure you've said that a million times, so you might you can't say, well, I don't have a team now because we'll pull up film and receipts. Just be honest, like I like the Cowboys growing up, but I want to play for whatever team to see the things I fit the team.
That's just that. That's the right thing to say. And Deon's saying the right thing.
Even though he's gonna be like that the man in Wizard of the All back to pushing buttons and then if you pulled out the.
Cart, pay no attention to the man behind the curtain. Why he's pushing buttons. You know what I'm saying, He's going to be pushing buttons.
Okay, that's always family did it. Eli's family.
I'm okay with it, and I'm glad you said that.
I'm glad you said that because I said on my YouTube channel, those guys did it, and what I do now, I'm just gonna say this. Don't mean that, people, but I'm gonna put it out there. I love I love seeing that that. I love seeing when I watched Beyonce and her daughter next to her in that appearance at halftime on Christmas. I love seeing what Lebron James has done with Lebronni and I love seeing what Deon Sanders is doing with Shada and Shiloh. We as African Americans don't get a chance to see this.
You just mentioned.
Eli and all of those guys, John Ellen, they always done that, They've always protected and had people protected them. I'm glad to see the African American parents having these presenting these lanes to their kids now, as like like those other guys have happened in America for right, but not not not over here on our side. So I'm just glad that some people are getting the power.
Do it now.
Now. I don't want to be controversial, avoid.
I love what he says that, y'all. But calm lord, oh God.
Just played to get a record and then bailed on his team that I'm not sure if that sits well with me.
First of all, First of all, first of all these things that come out. He can will play just to get a record.
Stop stop.
The man played all year long, you know what I mean. So he needs just to get a record. He told coach, we're going to play the first half.
I want to.
I want to.
You know, the first thing I thought about when I said when when I heard this, I thought about Alan Iverson.
I said, practice right, it's the park Tart Bowl. I'm talking about the park Tart Bowl, the park Tark Bowl. You know what I mean?
This, This ain't that we ain't talking about the twelve team playoffs. We ain't talking about if college football playoffs, are.
Not even talking about the Citrus Boy, were not even talking about.
We're talking about the Pop Tark Bowl. The man popped in the Pop Tart Bowl. That's all you can expect from him. It's the park Tarp Bowl.
And he's gonna be a top four, four or.
Five picks in the draft. And he put it all on the line and pop in the pop Tark Bowl.
Stop popping, stop popping, just leave it alone. We let it go, cut it out, we said, but we you gotta stop doing this though. We gotta stop from the moment players throw their last pass of running their last play in college, then oh god, we turn to drop them. You know, we build them up all through and now we're looking for the drop. Right here, y'all can stop that. Cam ain't dropping? And when ain't nobody thinking about that? We're talking about the part Tarp Bowl, y'all, the park Tart Bowl.
Listen, it happened. I remember when Andrew Lucked. The layoff between your last college game to the draft is so long, people, I mean, I remember Andrew Luck. They were like, I don't like his.
Arm, the finding things, you're gonna find things?
Stop?
What do you mean like I enjoyed his arm?
Man?
Stop, I don't know if he loves the game. Stop.
Let's stop finding ways to bring people down. Bring these kids down where they're in their most precious and most incredible time of the of their life.
Okay, so the part Tark Bowl.
Now, don't y'all come on, man, don't do that to us.
Don't do that to us to catch live editions of the Herd weekdays at noon eastern nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio App.
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Mike McCarthy had a pretty good December. Cooper Rush pretty good. Obviously, this team has issues. What do we do with the Cowboys?
Michael?
What's job one? What is what do you do with the Cowboys?
Man?
And and and when I see a seventy nine record and and and you see what how that game played out Sunday, you start saying, well, okay, wow, I know that everybody felt good about Ucember and all that that stuff. I still say it was too little, too late. But but but right right here, right here, Then everybody starts jumping this for me, this kind is again kind of game. It writes this December. I don't you can't tell me, oh, play good in December. And then and then the backups to the to the to the team, their backups playing your backups, and they put up a forty burger on you, and you look like the way you look, so I think, yeah, I did. Did this makes this takes away some of the things that you have.
Would McCarthy, yes.
I would, Yes, I would I just think it's time to go in another direction, you know. And I hear these late this late search to maybe going to stay with Mike McCarthy.
I'm not on that. I'm not on that bandwager.
I just what I believe is this team needs more discipline. I don't I'm not saying Mike McCarthy is not a good coach. Exs and O's coach, you know, but but I think the team needs more discipline.
And sometimes and it's hard to bring that in when.
You say, okay, this guy who doesn't have that firm hand in discipline is now going to either bring somebody else in to help them.
It's easier to be.
The tough dad and lighting up and ease up.
Than to do Wade Phillips ice cream for breakfast over.
You can't come in soft and then try to get tough. You gotta come in tough and then and then, I know, because then the guys who feel like they've earned some respect and earn you lighting lighting them. But now if you're loosening up a little bit. But if you come in loose and and and and I don't want to say soft, but you know what I.
Mean, players, coach players, Jenny, try to get firm. You just you just get flat, you get okay.
I want you to go back to your cowboy days. The Chargers they're gonna have a buye. Would you play starters or not? Did you want to take a week Chargers chief You know I'm talking of Chiefs. So the Chiefs are going into the playoffs. Belichick was always a let's play the guys. Tony Duneye was like, you know, if I can give an old safety time off, where do you land on this?
And Jimmy was always let's play the guys.
And Jimmy would always say we were playing the guys because Jimmy didn't want to lose the week of practice. See see when you co in did this week, They now everybody talking them out. We're gonna sit out. Chiefs got this game by next week. After that game, I mean you're talking about for UPBB, right, that's for UPBB for all of those teams you just mentioned, for those Dallas Cowboys team because we played the timing offense, Troy hit that third step, fifth step, let that ball go for for all the New England teams, all of that timing stuff that they do not and I'm sorry to tell everybody out there, but they want to infect kanasas city chief.
There's not a timing offense. This is an.
Offense that is built between Travis Kelcey and Patrick Mahomes and there is no timing on it.
That's why it's been impossible to stop because you can't figure out the timing.
When he's supposed to do yeck, he does jack. When he's supposed to do yin, he does yang. That's what Travis kelce is timing, toy. It's We're going to find where you are not and I'm going to go to that spot.
And they went, like, look at their wide receiver unit. They have different guys every week every week.
And now even though they had every different guys every week, they still they barely won those games. I want people will getting He said, Man, should we keep Kansas City up there because they're barely winning these games?
Do you know all of these games come down to this.
I had Minnesota over Green Bay yesterday right went in it was minus one, you know, and I'm okay, I got Minnesota minus one and I'm watching the game.
We have seventeen to in. I'm like, it is over. It's over, and we go up twenty seven seventeen.
It's over. Next thing, you know, it's twenty five, twenty seven. I'm sweating like a monk. I'm the god that it all comes down to this. Every one of them comes down to this. If you can win late, you can win great in this league because they all come down to this.
Well, and all the teams that make the playoffs, almost all of them have great quarterbacks. Meaning you go into a little bit of a prevent defense, you soften couple rash. They're just it's a round. They're just gonna go eight yards twelve, it's eighteen or love. Just boom boom boom.
Okay, right, Jaydon Daniels, Yeah yeah.
Okay, finally set up for this. So I'm I understand players. If I was a coach and a player could get a record, I would try to do it. If it's super close, I'm just gonna call players to win the game. But if it's like Cowboys getting thumped, I want Saquon Barkley to get a record.
I get it.
Players have bonuses. But now all of a sudden sake, so I got Jalen Hurtz beat up Saquon Barkley. I think running backs different. I wouldn't play him this week. Now, now, left tackle, Mike linebacker, wide receiver, do you play Barkley if you don't have to this week?
You know? And this is this, This is a tough decision.
This tough decision because let's be real here, Well, a running back position is in the league on the whole, I'm sure wants to go and try to help that whole position, not just him. By getting this right, they kind of reintroduce the year of the running back, and we can call this.
The year of the running backers.
Two running backs and moved and made major differences in both offenses. So yes, this is a forty year record. What I love most, What I love most, and I gotta say, this is how coach Syrianni handle it. He say, we're going to do what the team wants to do. Let me tell you why. That's very important because he's saying, I'm not breaking the psyche of what they want, what they want to accomplish in that locker room. They went in that game yesterday, the game Sunday, saying we're going to get you over two thousand against the durned dollars Cowboys. So they set their mind and win and got it done. If they're setting their mind to give him the record, I want to be right there with them because that means every time after we set our mind to get him the record, we're gonna set our minds on the super Bowl. I want them to keep running right on the setting of their minds. You see what I mean. I'm gonna stay with that. That's why that's very important. Now all intents you would want to say, say, hey man, this man is too important to lose, but it's as important to lose that mentality that team's mentality is.
It is an injury.
So if I love that he said, I'm going to do what the team wants to do, even though Jimmy A.
Bill would have never said that. And we're gonna do what I want to do, what they want to see it. But I loved it.
He says that it just stay in time, and I hope I do. Hope he gets it.
Yeah, I think things that. I think things have changed. I think players, college players now get paid. I saw I saw a story somebody said that every sec.
Sequon is the guy you if anybody's going to get it, that's the guy you.
Want to get.
Think about this, though the world's changed, every SEC quarterback makes more than Brock pretty in nil money. It's the player, right right, So I listen. If a girl wants a record that is crazy, you got to get him. If a guy can get the record, get him the record.
Yeah, get it, especially a record that stood for forty years.
And also a guy that's a great guy, a great dy. And Barkley is one of the least selfish guys in the league. He's never been about records.
Right and and and you know he would be Okay, yes you didn't if you didn't chase it. And I thought that I knew they went in and said we're gonna get this two thousand against the Dallas Capboys. And I'm gonna say this now, if if that would have been if that was one of those games like last year where that game came down to between Dallas and Philadelphia for the NFC East and Barkley went over two thousand, that would have pushed him right on in front for the m v P. Because you know, because of the eyes, it's kind of like the Heisman Trophy. Now as you get down towards the end, it's who who did I see play great late?
Yes, I'm gonna get Carson Palm.
Carson Yep, yep that year in Cincinnati, and that's exactly how these things sold. So yeah, if that would have been a meaningful game, I think Sagon could have snatched the MVP yesterday.
And can we leave you with this, It was the pop tart bowls. Chill out, folks, the.
Pop tart Bowl the man popped in and the pop tart Bowl and now you want to mess with them.
With that stuff, just pop out of.
Here back in l after this pop tarto, be sure to catch live editions of The Herd Weekdays and neonon Eastern not a em Pacific.
So many good things going on. We should give you a look at the AFC and NFC playoff picture before I get to Jmac, because it's it's almost all settled. And uh yes, I'm proud that I figured out Washington would make it. But right now you've got Kansas City, Buffalo, Baltimore, Houston locked in, Pittsburgh and the Chargers locked in. And it feels like to me, I think Denver's got a better overall team than Cincinnati. I think they have a much better defense, a better offensive line, a better run game. It's just Joe Burrow may just sneak Denver into a sneak Cincinnati into it. But I mean, the seven teams currently in feel like the best teams. The Bengals do not feel like a playoff team. Joe Burrow is just willing this franchise despite all the nonsense. He's willing them to a potential playoff berth. If you go to the NFC playoff picture again, and these teams have mostly been good. Tampa's weird because they lost twice to Atlanta, but Atlanta had quarterback issues with Kirk Cousins. They were late on that to move so Minnesota Philly. I think the Rams have been the most consistent team, and certainly since Thanksgiving, that defense has played. That young defense for the Rams has played really well. They've got there a little Puka Nakua dependent offensively. Detroit, Washington, Green Bay. I don't have a problem Atlanta's issues. They probably stayed with Kirk Cousins two weeks too long. That's my take. Some can disagree with that. I like Cousins in Pennix. I probably would have gone to the one week nine or ten and not waited to whatever week it was. But they feel like the playoff team. What you notice in both is the best quarterbacks in the league. I mean, you know Darnold right now, Jalen Hurt, Stafford Baker, Jordan Love, Jaden Daniels, Jared Goff. And if you go to the AFC, it's your Lamar's and your Herbert's, Mahomes Josh Allen, Lamar, c J Stroud, Herbert the only guy out. And by the way, Russell Wilson has had a pretty lean three week stretch when George Pickens was out, especially, but by and large, if you get the quarterback right, your chances, your opportunities in postseason football go through the roof. It's why if Cincinnati didn't have Burrow, but they had a better roster, I think they're out of the playoffs, but Burrow is so outrageously gifted, you know, you kind of feel like they got a shot. J. Mack with the news.
No, no, no.
This is the Herdline news.
All right, let's get started with the top seed in the AFC, the two time defending champ, the Casey Chiefs. They have locked up the number one seed and reports indicate they're expected to sit Patrick Mahomes among other stars. Obviously, Chris Jones will not play. I'm just curious if you think this is a good idea for them, Colin, obviously this is well.
I would sit, for instance, Chris Jones. Travis Kelcey would absolutely. If you're gonna sit Mahomes, sit Kelsey right like so to me, Noah Gray needs the reps. He's an emerging star at tight end. But if you're gonna sit Mahomes, then just set Kelsey because they can both use it. If Mahomes was gonna play, I think I'd still set Kelsey, and I would play Noah Grade to get reped because their wide receiving tight end core can be very Travis Kelcey dependent.
I get that logic. Let me add this.
They just played one of the Chiefs. Did the Chiefs play a couple days ago? Right Christmas Day?
Right now?
Three games on eleven days, so.
They played on the twenty fifth.
They will not play another a live football game until the second round of the playoffs because they have a buy so not January fifth, right, which is week eighteen, Not January twelfth, would which is first round of Ust. Yeah, they would have to not play until January nineteenth.
That's over three weeks.
Okay.
So but here's where I'll argue, they're four best players. Veteran Mahomes, veteran Chris Jones, veteran Joe Toney, veteran Travis Kelcey are four of their best five players. Their old guys know what the playoffs are about. This is not like the Green Bay Packers, a super or like a team like Minnesota that's red hot. It's like I want them playing, okay, But when you look at this team is it's like the old Brady teams Edelman, Grong, Brady, Dante high Powers. Like those guys have been in the Wars. They get it.
So the second layer to this is the Broncos. They just got to beat the Chiefs. And if the Chiefs aren't starting anybody. You see the line on the screen Denver minus ten.
Yeah no, Denver, denversh And also Denver's kicking themselves because they had they had a chance to win this game multiple times. So I think they come out here on fire and Denver plays. I mean, Denver's actually got something. I really like that bon Nick's.
Pass that might have been the best pass he's had this season.
It was a beautiful strike.
Yet listen, he was.
Good twenty four to thirty one, but compared to Burrow, he looked like a backup.
Well, Burrow does that to a lot of guys.
Is a bone Nicks.
I mean that was fourth and ball game and he's just chucking duck and then New York families to get it.
Bone Nicks can run. Yeah, no, no, he is athletic.
I feel bad for the Bengals. It just doesn't seem right.
But listen, if you lost a New eng one, Buffalo Bills are out here, just oh thank goodness, we do not have to face but tend to Joe.
Burt if your defense is a joke.
But Burrow, Higgins and Chase are going to keep them in a gaming against anyone.
Nobody wanted to play Cincinnati. Believe me, everybody is thanking Andy Reid sending him a New Year's card, thank you, because nobody wanted to face Burrow, Higgins and Chase.
Is there a world where the Bronco screwed this up?
And somehow where's the game at Denver?
No?
Okay, next up?
Oh gosh, this one hurts Indianapolis Colts all they needed was a wind Sunday playoff.
Hope line full, and they lost to.
The New York Times. I'll get that on the screen.
Forty five points. I mean it was the Giants had scored over twenty two. I think once this season against Seattle they erupted for forty five. They're averaging fourteen points a game.
I'm just a shocking turn of events.
Shane Steichen answered questions about yes, yes, his job security.
But it's disappointing as it gets, you know, and as layer of the football team, you know, shoot, I always say that, you know, I got to be better.
We all got to be better. It's a group effort.
Everyone's got to chip in and do their part, so stuff like that doesn't happen. She do you worried about your Iron jobs? I control what I can control. Shane Steichen would be out of work for five minutes. The Jets better hier and if Shane Stiking gets let go, if Jim Orsay gets super impulsive, Stikan will have a job in ten minutes. I'm not joking. He would get hired. It's not a great year for candidates outside of Rabel. He'd have a job immediately and if you're the Jets, higher in a second, if you're the Patriots. Shane Steiken is just sometimes owners do impulsive things, Jim orsay, or take advantage of those owners.
Remember a few years ago, Carson Wentz had that like.
Twenty seven touchdown seven pick.
Here, and he just vomited all over himself in Week eight against jackson Jacksonville cost him the game, cost him.
The playoff ers.
Just get him out of my line of sight, like one of those deals.
And I don't think he's gonna do that here to psych and.
De Stikeen's a listen. Joe Flacco is as old as my couch. And Anthony Richardson is probably not a starting quarterback. And I remember Anthony Richardson pulled himself out of a game that didn't sit well with so many people in the league.
There are some Colts fans wondering, well, if Psyching's so good, why couldn't he fix Anthony Richardson?
Because you can't. Hey is Shanahan's great? He couldn't fix Tray Lambs. Josh McDaniels is amazing. What did he do with Mac John?
Let me now you look around. Kevin O'Connell's fixing.
Whoever he is.
Yeah, but Sam Darnold always had talent. Sam was always an NFL quarterback. He went to the Carolina Pan there's in the Jets, but people in the league, Shanahan loved Arnold, Kevin O'Connell liked him. McVay liked it. People liked him.
He doesn't. Anthony Richards that have tellent or he.
Played thirteen college games and wasn't extraordinary in the games he played in college.
Littleharsh, but I agree, I largely agree.
All right, final story is my man Jalen Brunson of the Knicks went off for the double nickel fifty five points. Interesting in an overtime win against the Wizards. But this is the part you're gonna love.
Uh huh. Forty two came after halftime and oh, by the way, only made three threes.
A lot of his other points at the free throw line and in the pain depending on your definition of mid range.
And yeah, Nicks are.
Cooking twenty two and ten for my boys.
You mean you can be great in this league with a mid range game.
Well, okay, this is the I just had a we got a great staff here.
We were just chopping it up.
What is the mid range. If you make a shot in the painted area.
That's mid range. To me, Oh, a point guard because he doesn't want to finish at the rim because it'll get blocked. And he pulls up eight and a half feet away. That's mid range.
Every loader he made was either in the paint or three threes or free throw line, and I was like, oh, interesting, I thought it was good.
So he's the mid range dead.
Mister Cowherd or not, he is the mid range mamba. I love the mid range game. I like it, love brunts. The mid range game. As I told you last week, that's the separator of real man, using your butt, your elbow, your shoulders. It's physical. That's the MJ. Kobe leaning back, feeling it. Barkley the Great Ones had a mid range game not out here, playing frisbee twenty eight feet from the bathket hey Frisby golf, just splinging it up there by the way.
All these fans were like, oh, Carl anthonk Town's got traded to the next day stack and they struggled early.
I think they were he knew he's got a different game.
He gotta get you starters, a ton of new bench guys, they're now cooking at twenty two to ten, and I'm just no Celtics.
I don't want to say sputtering. Well, comes are coming on. I'm just gonna say it right now. Let's make a prediction Nick Celtics Eastern Conference Finals. I don't know who ends up in the Western Conference Finals. Okay, see will If Bakers, sorry Lakers. With that Dennis shrewder move, is that the kamper No.
I would agree Nicks are going to the conference finals. I mean, barring injury, I think they're there. Lock it up.
I love this six team.
Oh with Straders on the on the Warriors my badge and I had him on the lake. I'm sorry he's bounced.
Lebron and not taking him back there.
No, so it's uh uh. They got Finny Smith and the Warriors got Dennis Shooters and by the way, had a big shot the other night. I should not big enough. Yeah, the West is a little How many teams has Dennis Shooter been on Let's guess I'll say seven. Holy he you know, he's obviously functional because he's been on a lot of teams.
He's great in the international play.
I thought he was wonderful. The Lakers just played the Warriors, so got confused. But he's you know, he's a I think he's from Germany or something like.
He played on the Germany national team at the Olympics.
Yeah, and he could. He can score and get bo played on eight teams.
Oh nailed it.
But in a weird way. You can say, oh, he's a bounce around guy. But that if you look at some of the teams that have I mean, like Steve Kerr wanted them. Well, Steve Kerr's got a pretty good sense of him. I mean so like the coaches. He's had two or three great coaches that.
Have said they lost Melton to injury for trus so they needed something because they can't.
Run Curry into the ground at like forty minutes and that you just can't.
You know.
J Mack with the news.
Well that's the news, and thanks for stopping by The Herd Line News.
What a fun show. We had a lot of energy today. Matt Hasselback and Michael Irvin stopped by the It is interesting. I understand like and I think you and I are both like this, J Mack. We like new stuff. I'm not a rearview mirror guy. Like when baseball purists get worked up over you know, stuff in baseball, I'm like, if baseball was a university, purists would be majoring and wrong and minoring and stubborn. It's like, just let new stuff happen. It works out. I always tell a story. I remember when I was a kid and the speed limit was fifty five years old, fifty five miles an hour, and they were going to raise it to like sixty five, and people were freaking out, Oh, there's gonna be all these accidents. And the truth was, car manufacturers then made safer cars, and over time there were fewer car accidents. You know, progress, it's going to happen. You can go along with it or fight it. And and I think baseball's changes have helped. I think the NBA needs to do some tweaking. These Bowl games. People are freaking out. But Christian McCaffrey, if I recall and Leonard Fernett pulled themselves out of Bowl games, people freaked out. Christian McCay, how many carries do those two cats have in college to carry their programs? And they want to take the Liberty Bowl off? Cam Ward played a half. I'd prefer he either played all of it or none of it. But no team in the NFL is saying, you know what, we need a quarterback. We're not taking him. It doesn't happen. People understand that second tier bowl games, especially now with a twelve team playoff, they just don't matter. J Mac, don't worry, be happy. Cam Ward's gonna get drafted top five or six. It's gonna happen. Thanks for everybody. We got good good college bowl gey college playoff games coming up. I want to think Matt Hasselbeck and Michael Irvin for stopping buying a Monday be safe. We'll be here tomorrow, live in LA. It's been the hurd