Broncos Stun Chiefs, Cowboys Collapse, Lamar Jackson Hurt, Chargers A Disaster, USC Upsets Ohio State

0:01 The Volume.

0:09 Colin Coward Podcast brought to you by Bud Light. Easy to drink, easy to enjoy. Denver 28, Kansas City 24. At the very end of the game, it ended down near the goal line. What did you make of that ticky-tack false start on Kansas City? Even the aerial view, what did you make of that?

0:29 I'm no Dean Blandino, Colin, but I think you see subtle movement on the line of scrimmage moving their head. There's one thing to step back. It's another thing to kind of– that did not feel like a false start. If I was Kansas City, I would not be happy at all.

0:45 Yeah, I thought that was– maybe on the road you don't get that. You know, it's amazing. Every time Denver does something– well, offensively, I think it's Sean Payton's play design. Like, I mean, Broncos had 150 yards in the first three quarters and 136 in the fourth. And a lot of it on, you know, gigantic, a couple of gigantic plays.

1:09 I mean, I just, it really, historically, I've never seen anything like it. I mean, Bo Nix missed a pass to Jalen Waddell today. that was as basic an NFL throw as you can make. I'm watching Drake May did not have his top five weapons. Now they were playing the Dolphins, but Drake May had nothing today and had to carry the franchise on the road. Bo Nix has a unbelievable head coach, top five O-line, weapons everywhere.

1:40 I don't know.

1:41 I mean, it's, you know, I just, I credit the GM and the coach. I got nothing against Bo. But I just think I don't know how sustainable this is.

1:51 Yeah, I when you have the both games on the same TV, Bo Nix is and Drake Mayer in a different universe as players. You know, I have a buddy that we had a party last night for Halloween and a buddy came over. He was a college quarterback and he coached in Arizona, a bunch of D1 guys and guys in the NFL. And we were talking about Bo Nix.

2:12 And I think a big separator of quarterbacks, especially athletic guys, he can make plays when he moves around. Like a lot of his plays are when he is outside the pocket. But when you make from high school to college to the NFL. Guys sit in the pocket and they can't function. That is Bo Nix. The game plan is keep them in the pocket and make him deliver that ball to Jalen Waddle because he cannot do it. Meanwhile, Mahomes, who is dealing, I mean, look at the weapons he's dealing with.

2:41 You know, I've been saying this forever and he did it all day today. You never get credit for it because everyone thinks that you should be able to do it, even though half the quarterbacks in the league miss the running back out of the backfield all the time. Mahomes never does.

2:54 Ever.

2:55 He hit Emmitt Johnson on multiple plays outside. In stride to go. Obviously, the big touchdown play. He hit him on another one. He hit him again late in the game. But he's been doing that his whole career. And Bo Nix, when he is just... stagnant in the pocket, he is at a disadvantage. You watch golf today. That's how golf's always had to play. But historically in the NFL, you had to win from the pocket. That's where all these old school... Bo Nix can't. I mean, he just can't.

3:21 I was wrong about... Because coming out of college, I'm like, you know, he's he's got the physical tools. I know everything's behind the line of scrimmage at Oregon, but they're going to get him to a point. No, I mean, it's just he just kind of is what he is now. I mean, I can't believe Denver just won that game.

3:36 They were down 24 to 13 in the nine minutes to go in the fourth quarter and looking terrible.

3:42 By the way, here's another reason you shouldn't draft running backs too high. Emmitt Johnson's that Nebraska running back. He was at times today the best athlete on the field. But, I mean, if you look at the offensive line for the Chiefs, they're on backup tackles. They benched an interior lineman today. You know, you've got the Justin Tucker acquisition, Rasheed Rice, you know, immaturity. I don't know what the hell's going on with Josh Simmons. And, you know, I'm not going to project here, but.

4:11 You know, they've taken some guys, some red flag guys, and some character guys. And, I mean, they're still... I mean, I... Again, I think Brett Veach is really good at what he does. But, I mean, they've missed on some receivers, too. I think at the trade deadline, I don't think there's any question. They have to go after like a Josh Downs of Indy.

4:32 I said this last week on FS1. Kansas City desperately needs a grown-up wide receiver. Like somebody that can give them six catches, seven targets, durable, and like an adult receiver.

4:45 Can I defend him on the Tucker thing for a second? Josh Jacobs just played the other night. He did a celebration with handcuffs behind his back, and he admitted when he came back, and so did the coach, that things went down. And more information's coming out. Like, they put him on the practice squad. They couldn't sign Joe Blow kicker that no one's ever heard of because Butker wouldn't– they were trying to light a fire under Butker and be like, hey, man, if you start missing kicks, we're going to cut you. And if you sign a random kicker– well, it clearly didn't work because he missed a kick down the stretch today that– you know, essentially cost them the game. Right. So, you know, Booker's just a, this happens to kickers. They just,

5:20 they're not reliable anymore. The problem is Tucker wasn't reliable either. They are, they have a lot of offensive limitations. I mean, Kenneth Walker and Emma Johnson have carried this offense. Kelsey now is banged up. Their receivers are, I mean, like you said, where she rice, but he even worthy of, you know they draft him at the end of the first round but man he brings little to nothing to the table.

5:42 He is a gadget guy who's spindly and injury prone i mean it's it's the worst receiving core i would say in the league i think it has been arguably for three years would you i.

5:55 Mean i know the jets are out of it we're not trading them would you just offer like your first and second round pick for garrett wilson or something like that or is that too much.

6:02 I would offer a first round pick for Garrett Wilson. I'd say the swap. I mean, the Jets are going nowhere. They're going to have a new coach quarterback. And you can always find wide receivers, but Garrett's been a great player for them. I just want an adult. People have said, oh, go get Jerry Judy. I don't want Jerry Judy in the room. He's always, again, I don't want anybody with maintenance.

6:23 I got physical maintenance with Worthy who gets banged up. I got Rasheed Rice, I'm not interested in. I mean, when 37-year-old Travis Kelsey leads you in everything, you know, catches, yards. I mean, again, Emmitt Johnson has been, and that was funny when he got drafted. I remember watching him at Nebraska, and I said this on the air. I'm like, that could be the best player in the sixth round. Like, he's really, really good. So I just, it's, they got to make a move. Because again, the defense is carrying them.

6:52 It's hard to believe they lost this game. They were in control of the game throughout. And again, I think if you don't understand how good Sean Payton is to win with this quarterback who can't throw the ball from the pocket, it's, I've never seen anything like it. Every game is this come from behind clutch. And again, a lot of it's just smart play calling misdirection. You catch people off guard. Good for them. Cowboys led 27 to six.

7:24 They're 3-5, losing overtime to Arizona, 33-30. I mean, among the things that are embarrassing, Jacoby Brissett got benched. You couldn't at home, with a huge lead, withstand Gardner Minshew, who in six possessions had four touchdowns on a field goal. But you could talk about the offense as well. But, I mean, Arizona had 470 yards of offense. Dallas only had 260. Six yards per play for Arizona. I mean, Dallas' offense.

7:58 I wonder if you do this. Do you consider that you're 3-5 now? The Giants didn't even have to play, and I think they're three games ahead of Dallas in the loss column. So my take is, do you move George Pickens? You're not going to re-sign him. Do you move George Pickens now?

8:15 Well, that would be a guy featured Andy. It would be right down their line of thinking. I think you have to be– this team. I wasn't paying attention much early because I'm like, oh, the Cowboys. This Cardinal team is going to mail it in. Jordan Love is laying there on the– Jeremiah Love gets KO'd out of the game.

8:33 He gets injured. You're like the Cowboys. Then all of a sudden, just every time you looked up, Tyler Algier looked like Barry Sanders. Gardner Minshew looked like Joe Montana. You can't be taken seriously at a high level of college or the NFL when your defense is that putrid. It's impossible. It's why the Bears just did what they did.

8:52 You have no chance to win big. You have no chance to make the playoffs with the Cowboys defense.

8:56 Well, ask yourself this. Generally, people, when they get jobs, if you look at the guys that were coveted in the league, Vrabel was coveted. Ben Johnson was coveted. You know, Harbaugh. John Harbaugh was coveted. D'Amico Ryans had a great reputation. Liam Cohen, people were very interested. If you look at people in any industry that are coveted and then they get jobs, there's a reason. Multiple executives or owners have said that's the guy. Brian Schottenheimer was not interviewing for OC jobs. Mike McCarthy, by the way, who bailed a year and a half ago, is now in first place with the Steelers. And the Steelers' best weapon, best receiver is a 300-pound tight end. I mean, Pittsburgh's got, I mean,

9:44 Pittman washed. DK Metcalf, today, ball bounces off him. He's done. I mean, did Seattle, did John Snyder take that new Steeler GM to the cleaners? He has nothing to work with outside of Jalen Warren. So Mike McCarthy is in first. place with one legitimate skill player of note. We can mock the Cowboy defense. The offense isn't as good as it should be.

10:11 McCarthy probably is the best coach in the history of pro sports with an awful PR problem because his resume, you know, is look at what he's doing now. McCarthy, they had a stretch where it was Mike McCarthy calling the plays and Dan Quinn calling the defensive plays.

10:26 And they were good.

10:27 That's a real coaching staff. They now have Brian Schottenheimer, Christian Parker, and whatever Mike Patton's doing. It's a disaster. Now, maybe it's the personnel. Porter's on the sideline. He's banged up. But like, I just think anytime you kind of get what you pay for. Yep. You know, every once in a while you strike lightning in a bottle and you get Kurt Cignetti where no one had heard of the guy.

10:47 It's pretty rare in the NFL. It's very rare. I mean, remember when the Jags got Liam Cohen, Jason Light, who most consider one of the best GMs in the league, rightfully so. The Bucs, I don't know. They're coming. Keep an eye on that defense.

10:59 They won a game today with no completed passes. Yeah.

11:03 Jason Light was like, we're going to make you the highest paid offensive coordinator in the league. They desperately wanted to keep him. That was a guy in high demand. Jerry has to be the star of the show, and it's showing itself again, and they are. Today was truly embarrassing because, to me, the Arizona Cardinals– would be in the running with like the Sacramento Kings in terms of an embarrassment as a franchise and to get beat by them when you have a controlling lead and this gets back defense, defense, defense. It's, it's, they can't, Gardner Minshew throwing touchdown after touchdown after touchdown. Come on, Colin.

11:34 Michael Wilson, Tyler Algier, and Gardner Minshew. The Cowboys could not stop those players. I mean, Trey McBride's a different story. He's a pro bowler. He's great. Maybe he is a great, great player. I mean, Michael Wilson's a nice receiver. He's a two or a three. Maybe a really nice two. I mean, if I'd have told you before the game, down 27-6, Jacoby Brissett gets benched. You'd be like, oh, finally Dallas gets a win. Like an easy one. You know, and again, I don't, this is one of those things.

12:08 After the game, Jerry Jones said, well, there's a lot of people that let down Brian Schottenheimer. That's Jerry deflecting. That's Jerry not owning. Jerry once said, every time I've, Sought a bargain. That's exactly what I get. A bargain. Nobody was interviewing Schottenheimer for head coaching jobs. I mean, come on. He was seen as an, you know, nothing against him, but he was seen as an OC that wasn't one of the with it, Ben Johnson style OCs.

12:35 And every press conference now he's defending himself. It's worse than Lincoln Riley. It's like, oh, Jesus, guys, this is. OK, Buffalo 36, Baltimore 10. They jumped out to a quick 10-0 lead in the game. Josh Allen has not missed a start in eight years. Lamar Jackson, one play, hurt. IR, done for the season. Snoop Hundley also got hurt. So I sold all my Lamar Jackson stock. I said, I'm starting to feel like Kawhi Leonard. Mystery, doesn't trust anybody.

13:12 Somebody you're related to is doing your contracts or doing your business. I'm like this, this, you know, I don't think it's John Harbaugh, but it's time for a break. I will just say this. Lamar Jackson has missed at least four games in four of the last six years. And you can say, well, you know, this stuff is coincidental. No, when Burrow got hurt, there were two reasons. The Bengals had not invested in an O-line. He was taking a beating and he tends to hold the ball a little longer than most quarterbacks or Jamar Chase can get open.

13:45 He was taking more hits than necessary. Andrew Luck, bad old line, took more hits than necessary. We know Lamar's a guy that extends a play, waits in the pocket. But this, I mean, I don't even know where to go. But John Harbaugh clearly wasn't the problem because he's in first place with J.J. McCarthy. Yes. Yeah.

14:10 I have no problem. Like sometimes a divorce is necessary.

14:13 I get it.

14:14 Read Philly is. But the Lamar thing, you know, going into this week, you know, we Joe Burrell gets the the label injury prone. You know, Lamar Jackson since 2021 had missed more games than Joe Burrell. Yet every person goes, Joe Burrell gets hurt all the time. And Lamar's missed some games. No, he's missed more. And now he's probably going to miss the season. The Ravens season ended today.

14:36 It is completely over. They got no shot. They wouldn't have a shot if they had Parcells or Walsh coaching him, let alone first-time head coach, first-time coordinator. They are done. I mean, they're in trouble and they have some big contracts. They're headed nowhere. I mean, do you start trading some players?

14:52 Now the Steelers, the Bengals have some momentum. Like you're even the Browns are just going to be feisty all year. So you got major, major problems. And listen, I've defended them a little bit. Lamar's not an easy guy to do a contract with. Nope. Because you're talking, you know, at a player of his stature, when you've won the MVPs, you're getting the extension. You're talking hundreds of millions of dollars guaranteed. And now this is not ideal for him. But, like, back to a couple weeks ago, like, you compared the Kawhi Leonard. Football is pretty black and white, right? Like, players know when they're playing or, like, hey, he's going to be out this week or, hey, it's going to be a game-time decision. The previous thing where he practiced

15:32 on Friday and then was out Saturday with a star quarterback is pretty bizarre. Yeah. And when that type stuff happens, and then today, like, you could convince me Lamar and the Ravens are headed for some sort of divorce. And the price it would take to get them– The injuries now, I mean, you could say today is a fluke for sure, but the rolled ankle is like that. That felt like pretty innocuous that all of a sudden he's missing game after game after game after game. I mean, Colin, they are going to be headed toward, how are they going to win games? I know the UConn kid was successful in college in the ACC, which many consider the worst conference in college football. Like he was, they don't have receiver.

16:12 Lamar makes that offense go run around. So I think they're in trouble.

16:16 I think they've been walking on eggshells with Lamar for several years. He's wildly popular in the locker room and in the city. I get it. But everybody buried Drake May. They buried C.J. Stroud. C.J. Stroud is not the Texans' problem. People just buried him. People buried Drake May. Drake May today is doing it with smoke and mirrors. New England has nothing, nothing to work with. Has a three-game stretch.

16:43 People bail on him. This is the fourth year where Lamar can't stay healthy. I mean, he was day-to-day for a month. CBS reported a couple weeks ago, it's like the Ravens coaches were shocked he couldn't play on Sunday. I never even heard of that. I think there was a Deshaun Watson situation a couple years ago. We were all like, this is getting weird. But there's this bubble around him. People get very sensitive criticizing him. He's a great kid. He's had a great career, but it feels like a lack of trust. He has a lack of trust for, I don't know if it's, you know, Raven, Steve Bichotte, he's a great owner. It's always felt like he doesn't quite, that's why I use Kawhi.

17:28 They're paying him $ 52 million a year. Where's the lack of trust? I mean, $ 52 million a year buys you like, hey, we're in this boat together. That's what's weird about the situation with him. For a long time now, since he signed the big contract, it doesn't get any better than that. I mean, how many athletes in America make $ 52 million?

17:47 We're paying you a premium to get a premium, and you're acting weird about this stuff. We're really, I would say, your number one business. The relationship that Andy Veach and Patrick Mahomes have is why that organization sustains. I would say the Bills, clearly, and Joe Brady have it. Back to Sean Payton and Drew Brees. That's a pretty important, the cohesion between front office coach and the quarterback. Even Dak, he's a pretty good business partner. You feel pretty comfortable with Jared Goff. It's like, if I'm going to pay you, I would say in any industry, amounts of that... 50 plus million dollars. We got to be on the same page about everything. We're in this together. We're not trying

18:32 to screw you. We're not. We go as you go. You pay the bills for everyone here. And now today, I mean, again, it was a freak deal. But I think the Ravens, you know, the Steelers take a lot of crap, but they get like Mike McCarthy. Again, awful PR knows what he's doing. And you watch him today. They are well coached. They just feel buttoned up. They have an identity. The Ravens always had an identity. That identity is gone. They're no longer some physical, dynamic defense.

18:58 They get shredded now. And offensively, Lamar was the heartbeat of that offense. He's sayonara. If you told me Lamar never plays another down for the Ravens, I think that's believable at this point, isn't it?

19:09 Oh, he has a market. He's explosive. I mean, there's a seduction to his style and game, his aesthetic. I mean, he's a wildly talented guy, and he's fun to watch. And I supported him for all these years. But in the offseason, I'm like, it's getting weird. I'm out. I'm just when the Baltimore Sun, one of their reporters and local reporters don't like to do this, called him, called Lamar out and said, yeah, he's sleeping in meetings because he stays up all night playing video games. When that goes from a local paper and that that's the, you know, he's the most popular athlete. by a wide margin in Baltimore and when that comes out that's when i was like yeah um this is and that's just what's being

19:55 reported Basketball season's here. Best way to trade on it? The new prediction market called Polymarket. In the past, if you wanted action on a game, you'd put some money in. If your team was doing well and you wanted to cash out, they'd lock the trade. But Polymarket is a prediction market. It's a stock exchange for sports. Buying in and selling out on your terms. I've tried them all. Polymarket, simply the best prediction market. Better than DraftKings, FanDuel, CallSheet, you name it. They are so confident. You'll never go back to the other guys. They'll give you a free $ 25 in your first trade when you deposit just $ 10.

20:32 Every bucket, block, matchup in basketball trades on Polymarket. So download the Polymarket app today. It takes 90 seconds. Use Colin, C-O-L-I-N, when you sign up. $ 25 free after you deposit just $ 10. I own my own business, The Volume, and I started it because I was passionate about something. You don't do it because you love accounting. And as you grow, the financial side gets complicated. Money coming in, money going out.

20:58 That's why I've been looking at Xero, X-E-R-O. It's a financial management platform. Brings everything together in one place. Payroll, accounting, analytics, and you know where your business stands, right? So you can make smarter decisions. You can take calculated risks. You can focus on growing your business instead of worrying about the numbers. Xero gives you dashboards, reports, forecasts to do exactly what you want. Over 5 million customers right now use Xero. It's available. 91% of the customers who are in the U.S., the U.K., and Australia agree that it's really easy to use. If you're a small business owner like me, I think it's time to switch to Xero. X-E-R-O.

21:32 Learn more right now at referrals.xero.com. At the time of recording, you can get 90% off for six months on a Xero subscription. Terms and conditions apply. All right, Detroit beats Minnesota due to a great ground game with Jameer Gibbs 19-15. I don't know how Kyler Murray beat out J.J. McCarthy based on what I saw from J.J. McCarthy and the Giants.

22:02 I don't know how it's possible. But Minnesota's next three games are the Bills, Packers, and Niners. Could I make an argument? Go get Kirk Cousins. There's too much talent here. The schedule. You're looking at an 0-4 with with Kyler Murray, who I thought was going to be, I said, he's not going to be as good as Sam Darnold. I'm not saying he's great, but you'll win games with him.

22:29 And they are. But, I mean, am I off my rocker? Go give up a second and a third and go get Kirk Cousins.

22:39 Why would the Raiders, who are currently 4-4 and kind of right in the mix of being a fringe playoff team, trade him?

22:48 Because they think Mendoza's ready.

22:50 If they were to trade him, I mean, if I'm them, I ain't handing him away because he cost me nothing. And even next year, taking a $ 10 million hit, so it's like, hey, second-round pick, minimum. I'm just handing it to you for a fourth-round pick like the Colts' backup GM, just giving away their good players. I mean, I don't think that's crazy, but if I'm the Raiders, I, you know, after a day, again, another game where you just look up cousins is wheeling and dealing. I get it. I get it's the jets. But if you look at the Raiders schedule, like they have been so bad for so long, I guess they got the Niners in Seattle coming up and then the Broncos. So it's, I'm not acting like they're a playoff team, but they definitely want to be competitive.

23:31 Like they have been down for a long time. I have a hard time seeing them just give away cousins. So if they're willing to pay for it and, you know, the new GM, is he on the same timeline as the coaching staff? I wouldn't consider it. I don't think they're really going anywhere with Cousins either, though. Like, they're offense.

23:48 So my thing, everybody wants to see Mendoza. I mean, Cousins has a ceiling. My take is Mendoza's a quick learner. You know, he was accepted to Yale, went to Cal, Indiana. I mean, I've watched Indiana this season without Mendoza. They can't score.

24:03 Like, you know.

24:04 Despite having a great coach in Cignetti, they can't move the ball. I think he's a bigger, stronger, more mobile Cousins. I think in most instances, I'd say don't do it. But off a win where he played well, Cousins has value. Kyler Murray doesn't work. I mean, their offense is just unwatchable. Their schedule gets tougher. Again, I give Jameer Gibbs credit.

24:29 He had 176 yards. they ran it right down Minnesota's throat to take the lead on that drive. But, and again, I think there are times where like awful, I think, I don't know what you get for him, but I think it's almost like when Tebow left Denver and they brought in Peyton Manning, like you couldn't bring in some slacker to replace the very popular Tebow. Awful win, Cousins played well. I think Mendoza would be like, okay, game nine.

24:58 I just, an idea to me, because I do think, Minnesota is a really interesting team in that division, and Kyler doesn't work.

25:06 Well, you saw today, I mean, I would personally so far, coach of the year, I would give it to Brian Flores, even though he's a coordinator. He's been that remarkable. And in the first half, it was like, he's single-handedly going to beat Detroit. And, you know, Detroit, they had multiple guys. I mean, one, hopefully Jack Campbell can feel his body.

25:25 I mean, they lost like four defenders throughout the game, the collisions. But offensively, they just got way more firepower. And you cannot like the quarterback play. He hit Hawkinson on a couple of plays over the middle, but that was about it. And I saw on. Social media, Justin Jefferson, I think, you know, didn't talk to reporters. How are we doing this again?

25:47 Yeah, Jordan Addison had a deep ball. Hawkinson had a couple. But, you know, there are certain people I feel sorry for. I feel sorry for Dak Prescott because his career has been underserved by Jerry Jones. And I feel bad for Justin Jefferson. I mean, you saw how good he was when Darnold was slinging it. You're like, holy shit. You know, I mean, like, they're just certain guys. So much of this sport is... like it's nice to see Mike Evans now with Brady at the end of his career. And now he's got Brock Purdy. It's like Mike, Mike Evans deserves high end quarterback play. He deserved, you know, Arians and Brady and he deserves Kyle Shanahan and Brock Purdy.

26:24 I root for guys to find their landing spot. And yeah.

26:29 What if you're in Minnesota and you go the other way and you just sell Justin Jefferson to the chiefs for like two ones, a two and a three or something, you know, I mean, you're, You're not going anywhere. I mean, I know you're 6-1, but let's be realistic. You just– the smoke and mirrors way you're playing defense with Kyler Murray, it's not– 27. You didn't have many options. I even defend them on the J.J. McCarthy. Some relationships, coach, player, just like some relationships in life, we've all been in different buildings professionally. It just doesn't work. It doesn't mean two people are bad people. They just don't– they don't mesh.

27:01 It wasn't going to work. We'll see if J.J. can maintain this too, but this is like– He's wasting away with the situation.

27:11 Yeah. That would be tough. Kevin O'Connell has a lot of pull in the building. I think it would be hard to pry Justin Jefferson.

27:19 I don't think it would do it. The new GM, I mean, you're not going to start your first season doing that, and you're 6-1. But, I mean, if I was a betting man, I would say best case they win one of these next three, and there's a decent chance they lose them all.

27:35 Rams beat the Chargers 24-9. The Chargers now 27 drives in a row without a touchdown. They're going to start selling off parts. They're 0-7. So again, Derwin James, Khalil Mack, I think there's parts. Quentin Johnson maybe, although not great. He's a deep threat. Herbert has the most picks in the NFL. Think about this. The Rams won eight penalties, bad on third down, didn't have a lot of time of possession. They did pick up about four to five minutes of it in the final drive. I mean, they had about 250, 270 yards. I mean, I, I, you know, they added some at the end. They didn't play particularly well. No.

28:15 It's interesting with the Rams. We know they're talented. Miles Garrett may start practicing. Aaron Donald has not, you know, been what many perceived, uh, very Puka dominated. I mean, it's, it's, it's basically, you know, Puka carries the receiving core. Um, They just have too many. The Rams have too many bad halves. They just have too many. To me, there's a certain, you know, they're like Denver has bad games until four minutes left, which is historically odd. The Rams, we keep waiting for the Rams to be something. And God, they're just everything seems harder than it needs to be.

28:56 They were getting the Chargers. Off a bye, pretty desperate. And down 9-3, I think they had 90 yards in the first half. It was pretty ugly. But they did kind of just work Herbert. If the Chargers had a Brandon Staley, like just a no-name coach, they would, I mean, I would say be the, I mean, they're awful now and they're headed toward nothing. But the conversation's a little bit different because it feels like Jim's a little, like, are they going to fire Jim Harbaugh? Are they going to trade Herbert but like as that game started unraveling and Herbert threw a second pick which was pretty bad he's not playing very well you just kind of went god where is this thing going like the Rams are just more buttoned up. They're going to run the ball.

29:42 Like you said, there was a stretch. I wrote down, like, you feel Devontae's absence. Oh, yeah.

29:49 Yeah.

29:49 I mean, he's hucking into some of these other little wide receivers like, ah, this ain't quite the same. You know, this is not the same for the old gunslinger back there and McVay. So that's a massive loss for them against better teams. I mean, the Chargers are, it's pretty, obviously they haven't won a game, but as you watch them, it really just gets worse by the game.

30:14 Well, I would say Harbaugh.

30:15 Harbaugh is just unraveling.

30:18 I think also you're getting to a point with Herbert, like Andrew Luck, he's losing the joy of football. Like Andrew Luck's last year, he's just taking a beating. Justin Herbert now is losing. He's got a beautiful girlfriend. He's made a lot of money. He's a rural Oregon kid. He came into the sport and he looks discouraged. And he's, I mean, I don't blame him. He's getting clobbered and they can't fix the O-line. Tackles both hurt again. Interior O-line's pathetic. I think you're looking at an Andrew Luck.

30:51 I'm dead serious here. I'm not making any projections, but it's like Herbert's like doesn't need to work. He's not a high maintenance guy like I at some point they have underserved his career. Sorry, they just have.

31:04 See you. You mentioned cousins. Now, I chat GPT that he's he has a full no trade clause. But if you're Herbert, I mean, in Minnesota, could we work out some sort of godfather offer you get with Kevin O'Connell? A little more mellow there, much more well-run operation consistently historically in my lifetime. These mid-season quarterback trades are pretty rare that come to the top of my mind, but That, to me, is something I'd be much more interested if I'm in Minnesota to get aggressive. And if I'm Herbert, I'd go to a place, quarterback, younger guy, we got a defense. We're playing road games 17 games a week.

31:46 I mean, it's a bizarre franchise. I get why they moved financially and made the Spanos family a lot of money, but it is It is going downhill fast, Colin. It is a disaster. And Jim's proven, I mean, Jim's worst years, people like fire in Michigan were like eight and five. He's he is never in his life had anything like this.

32:07 Well, he took a, it was a roll of the dice. There are not two people that are less similar than Mike McDaniel and Jim Harbaugh. They are one's an alpha male kind of a culture guy. Another guy is kind of a, I mean, Little nerdy, cerebral, academic scheme guy. And he's made it complicated. And it just doesn't work.

32:34 I'm sorry. Justin Herbert complaint. It just doesn't work. So you'll listen. When C.J. Stroud and Drake May struggled, I was like, I'll buy all your stock. When Darnold struggles, I buy all your stock. This Herbert thing with the Chargers, I don't know if they can. They can't turn it around this year. I mean, it's. Oh, no. All right.

32:53 Pittsburgh 27, Cleveland 6. The Browns have lost 23 straight regular season games at Pittsburgh. Jalen Warren is all Aaron Rodgers has to deal with. So, this legendary GM in Pittsburgh leaves, retires, and they hire a guy in the building. Michael Pittman, I mean, non-existent. DK Metcalf had a ball bounce off him for a Browns interception. He is done.

33:20 Never a good route runner. So, John Snyder, the Seahawks general manager, completely worked the Steelers on that. And I mean, honestly, Jalen Warren is the offense. Deshaun Watson actually statistically outplayed Aaron. Aaron had a 57 passer rating, but I'll defend him. There's nothing to work with. It is so funny about Mike McCarthy. Mike McCarthy's resume is essentially Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh. And they are held. And I think Tomlin's a really good coach. I think John Harbaugh's a really good coach. They're held in a certain respected elite status.

33:57 McCarthy's resume is virtually identical. Division titles, Super Bowl, and he's the best offensive coach of those three. And we roll our eyes, but he is in first place with one offensive weapon and a 42-year-old quarterback. This is as good a job as Mike McCarthy has ever done in his freaking life. Because they don't have anything to work with.

34:23 I think Aaron's playing pretty good. I don't care about the stats. Yeah, he's doing a good job. I mean, they're scheming to open a 300-pound tight end who has to be one of the most unique players in NFL history. But they are back to the tight end dependency. They had a couple red zone stretches where Aaron's throwing to DK.

34:41 It doesn't even look like DK knows what's going on. Like, I mean, they're running plays. Aaron's throwing it to nowhere because I think their wide receivers just lost. I mean, DK is a disaster. When you look at contracts, we crush certain contracts. That is one. It's got to be one of the worst in the league for what you're paying them. And just how many wide receivers you see all over the league. They're just solid. You know, it's he's fallen off a cliff. I mean, today, one catch, four yards. I mean, the ball that Aaron threw was, you know, for just a– I mean, hit them right in the numbers, you know. And then not only it bounces off, it gets picked. So, yeah, it's– their defense is playing really hard. That was, I thought, an issue

35:22 with Tomlin the last couple years. It felt like something was just off defensively. They definitely look inspired. You know, Mike, this job means a lot to them. You know, Pittsburgh kid, pretty prideful. And back to what you said, he is those guys with a bad PR group behind him. I don't know if it's everyone. He gets bigger as he gets older. If it's him and Rodgers. I do think it goes back to when he got fired in Pittsburgh.

35:51 or excuse me, in Green Bay. Everyone thought he was the dummy. Aaron was a smart guy. He never got any credit, I felt like, in Dallas. He had three straight years where they won 12 games. He won the division twice over Howie Roseman and the Eagles, but then they blew it in the playoffs. Listen, I'm a Dak supporter.

36:10 He was atrocious in those three playoffs, in their three losses. I think he had five picks in the three games. The two Niner losses, I think he had two-two. So, and then the Green Bay game, he threw a pick six. So it's, I think McCarthy's pretty damn good. You know, he's a guy that's never going to get the respect.

36:28 Well, Tomlin is very good in front of the camera. You know, he's got this gravitas. John Harbaugh's a Harbaugh, good looking guy. Mike, I always said, kind of looks like a Milwaukee cop. He's not great at the podium. He doesn't care to be. He's kind of just, he doesn't jump. optically, you know, through the camera. And so sometimes in life that matters. I mean, good God, we know that the taller you are, the more money you make.

36:56 They've done studies on that. Like Tomlin is funny and quick and he's got a big smile. He just pops. He's the best quote I've ever seen for any coach. He is literally on NBC. Every time he opens his mouth, something funny or smart comes out. I mean, he just has these great sayings. And then Harbaugh has, you know, again, there is something. He just kind of, he's a Harbaugh.

37:17 Mike's done a great job. I mean, just, and again, Aaron's not easy. Aaron doesn't want motion. Aaron wants, you know, split everybody out wide. You know, like Aaron's got his personal choices and picadillos and these little odd things he loves that are kind of outdated, according to all the analytic people. Everything costs more now. right? Groceries, travel, going out, you feel it everywhere, the pinch. I think all of us have gotten a lot more conscious about the little things financially, and we all want our money working smarter.

37:51 And I don't want to get nickel and dime by unnecessary fees. That's one of the things I like about Cash App. Cash App does more than you think when it comes to having your back and making sure your money stays your money. Cash App just released a new status program for the called Cash App Green. Now, when you spend at least $ 500 a month with a Cash App card, you earn green status, which unlocks benefits like up to $ 200 of free overdraft coverage. If you overdraft unexpectedly, there are no hidden fees. You also unlock higher borrow limits and custom personalized cash back offers every Friday at places you love to shop. Turn everyday spending into status.

38:28 with Cash App Green. New Cash App customers can earn $ 10 if they use the code CashApp10 in their profile at signup and send $ 5 to a friend within 14 days. Terms apply. Download Cash App today. Make your money work for you. Visit our link in bio. Hey guys, JLab, using it for years, makes innovative personal technology. Earbuds, headphones, speakers, great for travel, great for the gym, great for the morning commute, pregame warmup. Life is yours for the listening.

39:00 So I'm traveling all the time. I love the JLab headphones. airports, long flights, train rides, to and from work. To me, having great sounds lets me tune everything else out. Head to Amazon and use my name, Colin Cowherd. Head to Amazon, code Colin Cowherd, going to get 20% off any JLab products. I use them every day. That's Colin Cowherd on Amazon for 20% off. Feel alive with JLab. A lot of products.

39:27 Find the blue box. Yep, they're in a blue box at retailers and Amazon, or just go to JLab.com, J-L-A-B, JLab.com. Raiders 38, Jets 33. I mean, it's very rare in the you rush for almost 170 yards and lose. The Raiders, by the way, were just, they were four for four in the red zone with Kirk Cousins. And that was kind of the difference. By the way, Mike Washington Jr., I said this, you're my witness. When he got drafted, I said, he'll be the best player from the fourth round.

40:12 Ashton Gent, he had one carry in one yard. Now he called out the Jets during the week that they, you know, so I think they may have just sent a little bit of a benching, a little bit of a, hey, be smarter when it comes to saying things before a game. But it was Brock Bowers, Kirk Cousins, Mike Washington. Yeah, I mean, I'd be very careful if you're the Jets.

40:34 Everybody wants to fire Aaron Glenn. Be very careful. You put an interim coach in there, and they're good enough to win games because they have talent, and suddenly they give an interim guy the job because Woody Johnson is already paying Aaron Glenn money to not coach. It's dead coach money, and he doesn't want to pay a big-time coach, so you settle for an interim guy, and you're just chasing your tail. So my take on this is Aaron Glenn's done, but by the way, the Jets need a quarterback, lose games. With Aaron Glenn, you'll lose games. With Geno, you'll lose games.

41:09 I don't know what the status is, but Schefter tweeted, I think a couple days ago, they had like the 6th, 9th, and 11th pick in the draft. And that's probably only improved because the Jets lost, the Cowboys lost, and the Colts lost. So, I mean, Kyle, there's a decent chance they end up with three top ten picks.

41:25 Yeah.

41:25 It could be like two, five, and six. And the other thing is, it's a good thing to keep losing and have all your young players look good. Braylon Allen is the backup running back.

41:36 Yeah.

41:37 He ran for 150 yards. So, they have a young nucleus, lose a bunch of games, you have all these picks. Yeah. The only question mark and potential detriment for the job is, like, would Tomlin want it? It's like, well, does Tomlin want to work with Woody? Because the New York, the market's all great, but dealing with that owner historically is pretty difficult.

41:55 But there is no disputing, like... Listen, the Colts job is horrendous. No picks. Owner looking over your shoulder. Roster's terrible. The Jets job is the owner's a nut, which I think if you talk to most executives and coaches, most are. But the talent is pretty good. They have a young pass rusher, and they have a ton of picks. A lot of optionality. I think this job is pretty interesting if you just basically all agree most owners are nuts and you got to deal with them. It's pretty rare when you get a quote-unquote good owner. But in terms of the cupboard being full, I mean, Colin, they got a lot to work with if you just look at the future.

42:38 Well, I mean, I'll give you an example. Braylon Allen's on a heater. In the last month, he's averaged like 100 yards a game. So, I mean, it's like you know, they've got, and he's there too. So, you know, I just think people in New York, you know, WFAN will land based. Aaron Glenn, Woody Johnson listens. This is the year you'll want to lose. Okay. This is the year.

43:03 And by the way, you're losing in entertaining fashion. I mean, it's just like the Titans today. That was kind of entertaining. You know, I'll give you that. So, I mean, you're not getting blown out. You're not humiliating yourself. The games are close. Aaron Glenn's obviously not a head coach. It's okay.

43:18 I mean, Todd Munkin's been surprising. Aaron Glenn's been disappointing. It happens. I mean, Josh McDaniel for the Patriots. I mean, he and Drake May today, they got nothing to work with. But Josh didn't work as a head coach. He didn't have kind of the it. So there's a lot of guys that just are built to be really... Aaron was a great player. He's a great coordinator. It doesn't work as a head coach. But don't fire him. Just let him...

43:44 If you have three picks, And there is no consensus number one at quarterback. Okay, you could end up getting the best edge rusher. You could end up getting the best corner, you know, and the quarterback you like. I mean, because there's nobody in this class that really stands above anybody else. I like CJ Carr, but he didn't have great traits. I think the kid in Miami is interesting, but, you know, he didn't have a huge arm. The kid at Oklahoma State didn't start in high school at quarterback.

44:14 You know, Dante Mortimer has always been a little small. Jaden Maiava, I'd pick at about 15 to 18. I think he's pretty interesting. But just slow down, Jet fans. If you're ever going to lose, this is the year. Don't overreact. By the way, New England did beat Miami 24-19. They had 97 yards at half. I mean, once Hunter Henry got banged up, it's unbelievable. DeMario Douglas, you know.

44:40 Was there a big star?

44:43 It is.

44:43 I'm going to tell you, I watched that game. If you didn't watch that second half, Drake may put the franchise on his back. They can't run the ball. They were down to a second and a third tight end. Top five guys are out. I mean, I just watched that game and I'm like, I hope everybody understands how good Drake may is because they have nothing to work with.

45:07 I don't even like their old line. I just– the whole second half, I'm like, Jesus, Drake May is good.

45:15 Yeah, I mean, Colin, he's really been good since they flipped the script. What was it, week three? And he's kind of looked the same, running around, accurate balls. He– no one throws– we talked about this with him and Caleb. You know, Caleb throws that vicious, just the velocity coming out of his hand. This guy's a touch thrower and the touch is on. I mean, he hits guys on the move with with like an arc, you know, because most guys with his physical profile, if you watch Herbert is looking to throw a dart. This guy, the touch on his ball is maybe that's the basketball background from his family. But I'm with you. I mean, historically, they've been weird down there forever.

45:53 Right.

45:53 Going back to Belichick and Brady lost a ton of games. it's raining kind of weird. I bet it's probably pretty humid, weird weather. He was sweating, sweating and wet. And then they're down. You're like, ah, this has got weird game written all over it. And then he just started making plays. I mean, The A.J. Brown trade is one. I mean, I know Mike was pretty loyal to his guy, but it's like there was a reason a bunch of teams were like, yeah, we ain't touching that one leg.

46:20 Is that a DK Metcalf deal where he looks like he's put on 10 pounds of muscle, but now he doesn't separate from anybody?

46:28 Yeah, if his knee doesn't work, that's a problem. I liked Henderson. I know why they took him out of Ohio State, but that thing's been a disaster, and now he's banged up. They are still extremely reliable, you know, rely on Ramon Derek Stevenson, who's a good player, but he'd be good if you also had like a Jameer Gibbs, you know, so it's like they depend on him to carry the load. Their talent, I give Vrabel a lot of credit. You know, they are not, this is not like Seattle. I mean, their defense plays so hard and physical.

46:59 John, it is not a top 10 roster. I mean, Seattle, best roster. Chicago now is Simmons, great roster. Detroit, good roster. San Francisco, bit old, really good roster. I think Buffalo actually, outside of the secondary, has got some really good players. Yeah. I mean, there's some obvious, I mean, I think the Houston Texans, despite their struggles. Jacksonville has got seven or eight good players. Hell, Dallas's top 10 to 12 players are very good. New England's not in that group. They just don't have, they don't, I mean, they have Williams, the wide receiver out of Washington state. He's a big play guy. He didn't catch a lot of balls, but he's a big play guy, but they, they're just not very, they don't have playmakers. They don't have difference makers. Christian Gonzalez,

47:48 the corner's great, but they just, they have a lot of solid B players and a lot of C's. So Vrabel, to me, is coaching his ass off. All right, the new AP Top 25, Miami, Georgia, Utah, Notre Dame, UCLA, Indiana, BYU, Kentucky. I mean, boy, that's an NIL flex. Think about that. Kentucky, BYU, Indiana, UCLA, Utah.

48:11 That's NIL, man. Schools with money. You don't know who. Third straight, Saturday night, where the number one team is in big trouble. Miami now goes to Notre Dame. That's a tough spot for Miami because they're out of a super emotional game. And Notre Dame has to win that game. It is the season for them. So warm weather Miami goes up to chilly Notre Dame. But let's talk USC that beat Ohio State. You know, my take was it was a tough ask. Every wise guy and every sharp liked USC. This is a 19 or 18-year-old kid starting against a first-round quarterback, a good offensive coach. And USC, I know they've underperformed, but they've got NFL guys on both O and D lines. They've got players and the best class in the country. But I really, when Lincoln

49:13 Riley came out after the game and read that prepared statement, I'm like, Lincoln, he was two sentences. Just ad lib it. Just say it's about us, not the outsiders. It's like this was a university win, a team win. Lincoln, nobody's talking about your job. You just beat Ohio State. Like I thought, I thought it was kind of cringy. I've been supportive of him, but I thought, Lincoln, that's just not the time or the place to do that, is it?

49:44 You know, I think he's got clearly a high football IQ when it comes to offense, but that moment, even after the game, him hooting and hollering at Ohio State guys, which, again, I don't care that much about that, but the statement was pretty, it was cringe. Like, where's the EQ there, brother? You know? I mean, I was thinking that the top coaches in the sport, if you just go to Kirby, Nick Forever, Signetti now, Dabo went on a rant about them flying the Norvell thing. They can just be a human being and give their opinion and talk, whether you agree or disagree with what they're saying.

50:18 But, like.

50:19 Part of being a college coach, I would say historically basketball and football is like kind of got to be able to hold court with a mic. I mean, it's pretty and Bobby Bowden, Steve, historically forever. Tom Osborne became an AD.

50:31 Why?

50:31 Because he commanded room and talk. That is not Lincoln's strength. And for the first time really in his career, it got really ugly, right? Like, this guy's going to get fired. I mean, that's– and probably, like, there was substance behind these. Like, I could be– if I get blown out by Ohio State, could I get tarmac, the version of Lane? It's not on the road, but you know what I mean. Like, could they fire me on Monday or Sunday night? And to write the note– It was clearly in his mind that this was real, right? That I'm coaching for my job.

51:02 And then once we kick their ass, which to me, it's like a double-edged sword. You get credit because Ohio State's loaded. They're the top program in the country, you would say. But they are playing an 18, 19-year-old true freshman making his first start. Kind of speaks the NIL era. Their backup is a true freshman, which is to me a little crazy, but it's... there's a reason typically if your quarterback is not some superstar, everyone's like, is this guy actually good enough? Well, he's usually the best guy on your roster. These coaches who are all coaching for their job in college. We see these guys, Norvell just got fired. They owe him $ 50 million. Florida State doesn't even have any money and they just fired him. So

51:41 Ryan Day starting saying, who's got some limitations? Because compared to the other guys, he probably looks like Joe Montana at practice. And I think it shows you that I mean, I think the broadcast said Lincoln must have told them in the production meeting, Wisconsin was the first time our freshmen really played like freshmen. Because you're watching that Ohio State game, and you watch Wisconsin earlier in the day get absolutely.

52:03 Curb stomped by Iowa.

52:05 You're like, yeah, this game almost doesn't make sense. But they're pretty reliant on young guys. And the freshman quarterback for Ohio State– I watched some of your stuff you had to take this morning on USC. I would disagree. I think Ohio State's in major trouble. If that's your quarterback, I think you could just lose every game. If you're playing a Northwestern, if you're playing whoever you're playing, unless it's Rutgers, If that's going to be your level of quarterback play, you're not going to play maybe that offense every single week. But if you have no quarterback play, like if he's just a C minus D plus level play, you could just get in weird games. Like you can't your best players. You can't get them the ball.

52:45 Yeah.

52:46 And if you're going three and out all the time, to me, it just wears down your defense. So and I think back to Wisconsin. He got crushed, right, because they got bullied. They got shoved around. They also, I think, what's this, Lincoln's 10th year as a head coach? That's the lowest offensive output of his career. So it's like, typically, even if you're getting bullied, it was 23-7. So it's like, okay, we got bullied, but we won 30-23. I think in a perfect world, you're like, okay, we got shoved around, but we scored as many points because they can't score.

53:16 They didn't score, Colin, seven points. That was probably Mayava's worst game of his career under Lincoln, right?

53:23 Yeah, it's, you know, listen, Indiana's beatable. They have one great wide receiver, but their D-line's good. But, I mean, Indiana's, you know, they bench their quarterback. Like, their special teams were bad. Pendulis, turnovers. Like, they're just very, very mid. It's very much like the Indiana team, the first one that got to the playoff and got dominated by Notre Dame.

53:44 You know, they play hard, but they, you know, Cignetti's teams now make mistakes because Mendoza was such a smart kid and just, you know, it's like, The Patriots during the Brady era. You would say this. It was the smartest team in the league. They never beat themselves. Brady left. Suddenly, Belichick wasn't Einstein. Like, they made a lot of dumb mistakes.

54:08 Probably the smartest team in NFL history, wouldn't you say?

54:10 For 20 years with Brady. He leaves. They're not so smart. You know, Indiana. Kurt Cignetti, greatest coach ever. Well, Indiana now. bad special teams, commits penalties, turns the ball over. Like they're a normal team. I'm not saying he's not a great coach, but they're a very beatable team. My guess is it'll get cold. It'll get into the forties, low fifties.

54:33 It'll be wet. And, you know, USC will revert back to what they've been in the big 10 as a road team. But I just thought the whole thing with Lincoln and the prepared statement, it's like, ah, geez, come on.

54:44 Do you think leading up like Thursday, Friday, Friday, And they play it at night, so maybe during the day Saturday, he's thinking in the back of his head, if this does not go well, I could be fired as the USC coach on Sunday. Yeah, maybe. Why would you prepare that little two-word? It was just bizarre. I mean, I think you're like, what is he– It made no sense.

55:08 Like if anything, he should be basking. Hey, we got a lot of momentum. Now we can turn our season around.

55:12 Yeah.

55:12 We, if we control our own destiny now to make the playoffs.

55:15 I'm really interested to see the Indiana game because Indiana had, they lost a Minnesota and they hit a 60 yard field goal to stay alive. I mean, it was, it was, I watched almost the entire game. It was not pretty, but they were outplayed by Minnesota for long stretches at Minnesota. Yeah. beaten Indiana, then I would say USC has no chance.

55:37 But Indiana won. Signetti's not going to go on a losing streak. And they're vulnerable. I mean, they're just not. They don't. And I will say, USC, so basically, Indiana's not great at quarterback, and they have one star receiver. That's what Ohio State was. You know, one great wide receiver, decent, not sensational run game. I thought USC's ability to run the ball was encouraging, because I do think their O-line personnel, they've got a I thought their ability to run the ball was like, I mean, you know how it is.

56:07 If you run the ball, Sam Darnold goes to a Super Bowl. If you don't, Sam Darnold throws a lot of picks. That's the essence of football is throwing on play action. If they can run against Indiana, and I doubt they will run like they did at the Coliseum, then it's going to be a real game.

56:24 I do think if you polled whether 18 teams in the Big Ten, I think universally Indiana would get the nod as the best defense in the conference.

56:31 Yeah.

56:31 And at home, that coordinator, they tackle well. I mean, Indiana, like you said, special teams and offense is a shell of what it was last year. At least it feels that way. Definitely special teams. But defensively, they're pretty damn good. I mean, their defensive line is excellent. They don't miss tackles. That, to me, is like can those two young freshmen just go in and kick those guys' ass? That's– you know, Ohio State, I think this gets back to– You lose your quarterback. He's on the sideline in a sling. You're watching all these guys are watching this freshman just be completely overwhelmed. It kind of takes the life out of you.

57:06 Yeah, it does, especially over the course of a game, you know.

57:09 Yeah, on the road. That's one thing with some of these travels now. I mean, that's like that's an NFL travel, right? Coming from Columbus to USC. But props to him. It's the biggest win of his career at USC.

57:21 I thought it was the best they played in a big game. Since they beat Notre Dame in Caleb's first year, Caleb had four touchdowns, and it felt like, wow, it's going to be a really special Lincoln-Riley-Caleb era. And as we know, they eventually lost to Tulane in a bowl game. All right, the Bears. You can get the Bears at 3.5, at 54% on Polymarket. I like Chicago to win. Kyle Monunga won't play, but Swift has been excellent. He was in the last game. I still think Seattle has a run game issue. I think that win over Kansas City was very, very emotional. It's the third straight primetime game for Seattle, and the numbers say teams do not play well in their third straight primetime game. I think it's close.

58:12 I think it's fun. I'll take Caleb late carrying the Bears to a win. John Middlecoff, former NFL scout. Good talking to you, bud. See you, Kyle.