THE HERD – HOUR 2 – Colin Was Right About Caleb Williams | Packers WR Drops

0:00 Thanks for listening to the Herd Podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio and noon to 3 Eastern, 9 a.m. to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the Herd at foxsportsradio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR.

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0:26 Here we go. It is a Monday. Matt Hasselbeck in less than five minutes. We're in L.A. It's the Herd. Wherever you may be, however you may be listening, thanks for making us part of your day. The studio looks beautiful here. A little spooky. It's Halloween week. It's a big time.

0:47 L.A.

0:47 Is a very good Halloween city. Very good. Yeah, I rate. Cities based on how they accept candy.

0:54 I thought it was Airports 1 Halloween costumes, too. What are you dressing up as this weekend?

1:02 A respected, seasoned local news anchor.

1:05 I thought you would go as Caleb Williams.

1:07 Let me tell you something. That guy is playing a different level. That was the most fun I've had at a game in several years, going to that Bears-Patriots game. All right, calling right, calling wrong on a Monday. And here we go. Caleb Williams. Oh, Colony paints his fingernails in college. Who gives a rip? Kids are different. Let him live. He's a creative guy. He emotes. Sometimes he gets emotional. His completion percentage now is 71%, so I not only get the horsepower, the guy is surgical. Eight completions of 20-plus yards against New England, and I was there.

1:40 That New England defense is not giving up eight chunk plays the rest of the year. He is one of those guys, and you see him once, twice a decade, who even amongst other great pro athletes feels like a different level. Always a lot of critics because he's different, but I like this different.

2:00 Where Colin was wrong.

2:02 Is J.J. McCarthy the next Sam Darnold? Now, he had a great run game. Okay, 188 yards, and all quarterbacks are better with a run game, but let's be fair here. He made the connections with Malik neighbors were noteworthy. He played with confidence. That's a big-time throw right there. He played with poise. I mean, Houston's a real good team, and yes, Scadaboo was decisive in his running, but in Minnesota, there was all sorts of weird stuff happening. The injuries, people said, you know, like he couldn't stay healthy. There was some stuff. He's a little arrogant and off-putting.

2:38 Whatever.

2:39 Young people grow. But that J.J. McCarthy, I thought I would never see in the NFL.

2:45 Where Colin was right.

2:47 The NIL has created a surplus of drama. I don't want to hear how it's bad for college football. Anybody can beat anybody. I mean, BYU beats Notre Dame and then goes and loses to unranked Central Florida. UCLA is a basketball school. They're 7-0. Three straight weeks, we have a number one or two ranked team losing to an unranked team. This is unbelievable. It's much like baseball. Baseball is a great sport, but it needed some fundamental changes.

3:14 That is college football, where you had three teams that had such a wide gap over everybody else. The last two weeks, I have no idea who's winning games. Week to week, I mean, the outcomes are far more diverse. There's a very tiny gap between the 36th best team and the 4th best team. Long overdue. The sport's never been better. I don't want to hear the NIL is gloom and doom.

3:41 Where Colin was wrong.

3:43 Yeah, I think I got over my skis on the Houston Texans who are now 0-4 at home and 2-5. After they beat the Jags, I was like, that team can win the Super Bowl. Uh, how about no, um, CJ Stroud is not the issue. The defense has regressed. I don't have an answer for it. Um, they can never build a run game. Woody Marks got banged up, came back, but I, I just, it, it feels like it's the same thing. The old line can't stay healthy.

4:10 The run came run game is never dynamic enough. Uh, CJ Stroud is to me, not the issue when they beat the Jags. I was like, wow, this, And yesterday I was like, whoa, whatever.

4:24 Where Colin was right.

4:25 Lakers are better without LeBron, and that's not a criticism of LeBron. He takes so much oxygen out of the room. The Lakers needed a clear pecking order, and they have it. Luka is the understated. Well, I mean, he's not LeBron. He is a number one. Austin's a number two because they don't have LeBron's salary. They can afford Walker Kessler and multiple wing defenders who can catch and shoot. LeBron's salary would have gotten in the way of the rebuild.

4:57 They have a legitimate rim runner, rim protector, wing defenders, and a clear number one. It's not a criticism on LeBron, but LeBron, between the money and the oxygen, he clouded the Lakers. He leaves As a Laker fan, you may not want a title, but it feels like this is a real team with real players and positions that can compete with the best teams.

5:24 Where Colin was wrong.

5:26 Well, I was wrong on Sark at USC and Lane Kiffin at USC. I'm wrong on Lincoln Riley at USC. You can preach toughness, but it's the same problems. O-line play, can't run the ball, get pushed around on the road, lack an innate toughness in these big games. And college football's best coach is your Freemans and Cignettis and your Ryan Days and your Kirby Smarts, the one thing they have in common, their teams are physical and they push around.

5:53 And in crisis, they may be flawed, but they're tough. And everything about USC screams convertible sports car in the winter. It just doesn't work. It's pretty at times, snazzy at home. It just doesn't work. And I was wrong. Eastern Michigan scored more against the Badgers than USC did. Come on.

6:14 Where Colin was right yesterday.

6:16 Michael Penix, listen, nine touchdowns a pick and a 109 passer rating this season. I loved him out of college. I know he's a pocket quarterback, but he can roll a little bit. Jared Goff's a pocket quarterback, and right now he's the number one passer rating. I want my quarterback to stay in the pocket. I do want him to be athletic enough to be able to move the pocket.

6:33 I think Penix is. I think he throws a beautiful football. And do I worry about the health?

6:41 Absolutely.

6:41 Absolutely. Absolutely, I worry about the health. But for two years, I worried about Brock Purdy's health. Michael Penix is a franchise quarterback. Tall, deep ball. I mean, if you give him, like Goff, two beats, he is tough to stop.

6:58 Where Colin was right.

7:00 Finally, Deion Sanders. I don't think he can coach a lick. I do think he's interesting, but he could never build a legitimate staff. 20 games at Colorado. 5-15, four losses by 30-plus. That's Carl Durrell without the branding. Again, I think he's an interesting guy. Deion's about Deion. He can sell Deion. But the reality is the great coaches didn't want to join this staff because they didn't think he was a great coach. And Colorado now is just a poorly coached football team with a coach that has done a great job to market himself and brand himself. And I did think for the first couple years they were interesting, but this is no different than Carl Durrell. who is a good guy and was a, you know, can be

7:42 an assistant coach, but you know, they're, they're, they're just over their skis week after week, Colin, right. Colin wrong. And with that 18 years in the NFL, a lot of it was Seattle. Matt Hasselbeck is now joining us live. I'll tell you what the, I always say this about Darnold. He's the only quarterback that he's the only quarterback in the league where you have a great quarterback wide receiver combo and and the receiver gets 100% of the credit.

8:11 It's all JSN. With Jamar Chase, we acknowledge Burrow. With Jalen Brown, we acknowledge Jalen Hurts. Or with A.J. Brown, it's all JSN. And last night on 3rd and 9, Darnold was 5 of 6. That's impossible. That hasn't happened since 2008. Is it just the jet ears that we are? I mean, what is it about Donald that just there's people that can't embrace it?

8:41 Well, I blame Drew Locke a little bit because Drew Locke started a game this this year. And I think his first pass was like an 80 yard touchdown to JSN. You know, JSN also, you know, he's taking plays that should not be touchdown plays and turned him into touchdowns. Fourth and one, a little completion play, touchdown, a little screen, touchdown.

8:58 But I don't know. I think Sam's getting his credit. I don't think he's looking for the credit. He's got a Super Bowl ring and a trophy and all that stuff. And he knows he can play better. I thought he was outstanding last night on third down. First of all, the defense made Mahomes look mortal. He usually looks immortal.

9:13 Sam was incredible on third down, protected the ball. He had a critical error in the red zone that almost cost him. But, you know, he just needs to eliminate those things. He was great with his legs last night. I don't think he's looking for the credit. I think he realizes he learned it last year. There's enough credit to go around with a great team like this. And help is on the way at the running back position as well. So great win for Seattle last night. They really needed it.

9:39 Well, Kansas City had beaten up on the Chargers and the Colts and the Raiders, and Denver came in. Davis Webb was now the play caller with a new language. So then you watch them play Seattle, and Seattle is so young and so athletic and so fast, and Eamon Worry and Witherspoon in the secondary. They can put nickel and dime packages there. Kansas City, you can't take advantage of it. I did think last night. it felt like I was watching, Matt, a wave, a blue wall. And it did make Kansas City, and they're not an old team.

10:06 They've got some old players. But do I just take it's a hard night in Seattle? But that game felt like, wow, there's a gap in personnel. But sometimes you go on the road and that's what it looks like. Do I should I take too much out of Kansas City getting bulldozed?

10:22 I think this is what people don't realize. There's something really unique and special about playing against an old teammate. And Seattle, that organization, I've been there. I've been there recently. I lived it there. They love each other, top to bottom. John Schneider, the GM, players. equipment managers, athletic trainers. It's a family there. And John Schneider and company have been taking a lot of heat because K-9 is running wild on the NFL. And now he's paired with Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes. And this wasn't just another game for them.

10:54 It wasn't just another primetime game. It was an opportunity in love to play against your old teammate, your Super Bowl MVP, your guy from last year, Kind of like playing against your brother or your best friend and doing it for your other brother or your best friend and kind of stepping up and sending a message. And it wasn't a perfect game by any stretch, but defensively, that was one of the more dominant performances that I've ever seen, especially stopping a run game and a runner that's been lights out this year.

11:23 Yeah.

11:24 So I.

11:27 We've joked that we think it's the substation in San Francisco with the injuries, but what it really is, is Shanahan is a high functioning, maybe the best play designer play caller in the league. He likes older, mature, experienced players. He doesn't want to teach you how to play football. So, I mean, even when they are banged up, he's like, I want, I want Mike Evans.

11:46 Right.

11:46 Right.

11:47 And so like, and last year, McCaffrey had 400 plus touches. There is a recent history. If you do the following year, you get dinged up. So I look at San Francisco, and I almost feel, here's I guess my take, is that Shanahan may have a little too much say in personnel, that he wants older players. But I've got another October where the Niners are falling apart. Is it a flaw in the Shanahan brilliance that these older players, they just keep, he doesn't get rewarded in November and on?

12:21 Yeah, I'm scratching my head. The injury thing in San Fran is real. All I can tell you is the lifestyle out there is kind of nice and easy and palm trees and perfect weather and perfect grass. And that's just not the lifestyle in the NFL. I had a daughter who played a sport at Stanford in Palo Alto. It's beautiful every day. It's perfect conditions. And then you know, you go on the road and places like a dome in Atlanta, I've played there. And that turf is like playing in the parking lot. Like, it's just, it's just different.

12:50 So I got no answers for you other than I feel like it's a team of Ferraris and not a team of pickup trucks. You know, it just like, they get dinged up.

12:59 Um, I don't know.

13:00 I know that they're scratching their head about it. I'm not sure about the electricity transfer station. I enjoyed that game yesterday, though. I mean, I thought it was a great game. San Fran was right there to win it. Pennix was really steady and impressive in a lot of ways. Brock Purdy, you know, the six points, six point deficit.

13:18 He's taken them down to win the game. Yeah. And the rookie line inside linebacker from Oklahoma lost. I think his name is Daniels. He makes one of the most spectacular plays that I've seen all season by a defensive player. So I think you just got to tip your cap to Atlanta and just say this 49ers team's for real and they'll be back in it. They fumbled too much and Purdy threw an interception when he was trying to throw the ball away.

13:41 So the Lions and the Packers, it's interesting. Green Bay not only leads the NFL in drops, they lead it by a mile. Yesterday, their DBs are dropping it. Their receivers are dropping it. And I wonder, in your years in the NFL, was there ever a year that Seattle or Green Bay, like, it's just a drop year? Are they not doing the homework on drafting? I mean, they don't lead the NFL in drops. They lead it by a significant margin. And yesterday, I mean, listen, they couldn't hit chip shot field goals. It was a lot of stuff.

14:09 But sometimes I wonder.

14:13 Yeah, listen, I forget the year, but one year, our team, the Seattle Seahawks, we led the league in drops by a wide margin, like a ton. It was crazy. And what's going on? And all I can say is it does get contagious. It does get in your head, much like a kicker missing a kick or a guy off the tee box in golf. It just kind of gets in your head. And I always like coming back to my guys right after that. But I also appreciated when I saw them working on the fundamentals. Before practice, after practice, on the jugs machine, guys on offense, guys on defense.

14:47 Put the extra work in. It gives me confidence. That wasn't the case with all the guys that had the drops. Some guys were putting work in. Some guys were like, my bad, my B. What are we doing about it, guys? What are we doing about it? Yesterday's game was a game of inches, and it was people making plays at the moment of truth. Whether it's a running back dropping a touchdown, perfect touchdown pass, or a guy deciding to bust through somebody to block a game-winning field goal. Whatever it was, it was playmakers making plays at the moment of truth. And that's really what happens with drops. Defenders are taught to have strong hands. Wide receivers and guys catching the ball are taught to concentrate, look it in.

15:32 You know, if it's above your chest, it's thumbs together. If it's below your chest, pinkies together. All the fundamentals that you talk about and coach, you got to do it when it's time to do it.

15:43 You, as a rule, defend young quarterbacks, even when they struggle. And JJ McCarthy, I sold my stock and I generally don't. I like the Drake Mays, the CJs, the Darnolds. I don't. But I thought he was nervous. I thought he didn't have an off-speed pitch. Everything's a fastball. I thought he lost his confidence. And then I watch him with Scataboo in a run game yesterday, and I'm like, okay, I've got to slow down. Because do we have the next Darnold?

16:08 Do you think it's Harbaugh? Do you think it's the run game? I mean, I'm sorry, but he never looked that confident for a football game in Minnesota. You played the position wrong. He had moments. He didn't look like that. What do I make of that? Because that was impressive.

16:25 Sometimes it's a long-term investment. You invest in something. It's not a flip it in two years. It's like flip it in 20 years, flip it in 10 years. I think that's the way we get wrong in the NFL with quarterbacks. I will also say the quarterbacks deserve some blame. A lot of people are like, oh, organizations fail quarterbacks.

16:41 Quarterbacks don't fail organizations.

16:43 No, no, no, no, no.

16:45 There's plenty of blame to go around. These quarterbacks, I'll use JJ as an example. It was a wake-up call. He went in there thinking, oh, this is going to be just like I'm the man. It's handed to me.

16:55 No.

16:55 There's a standard that people expect for you on the field, off the field, at practice, in the film room, all of it. And he's getting a second chance to kind of sink or swim. I do think Harbaugh matters. I do think the fact that his brother was his college coach at Michigan, like the scouting report. Hey, here's what you need to say to this guy. It's not what he can't do. It's what he can do. He has tangibles.

17:18 He's got... the ability to run. He's got a strong arm. You got to maybe keep it simple for him. Mike Holmgren used to always say, hey, with young quarterbacks, they need to walk before they can run. We're not taking the training wheels off right away. And he'd say that about guys like Brett Favre and Steve Young. I mean, he'd say, well, great players. So, you know, he's been outstanding.

17:40 Like Cam Scadaboo, neighbors, this offense, I give Harbaugh the credit. It's an attitude thing. And also when you coach a quarterback, keeping it super simple, something like they can hang their hat on. Hey, I want this, this or that done. Not like, oh, you could do this. No, what do I actually want right here, right now? And then that allows you to go out and play free. And that's what I see. I see a quarterback who's got a second chance playing free.

18:07 Something I've never figured out in football. And so let's start with this. It's a Joe Burrow question, but I want to start with this. When you get to the locker room, how much time do the coaches have with the players to tweak? How much? Seven minutes? Six?

18:22 It depends on how quickly they get their act together. Like if they're organized going in for their little coaches huddle, what happens is coaches come in, they huddle up, players go up and they huddle up, use the bathroom, literally have orange slices and something to drink like you did when you were growing up. And then the coaches come in, they come in quickly sometimes, like when they have answers or they come in late when they're They don't have answers.

18:45 What usually happens in that waiting time is players will either say nothing or speak up. It sounds like Jamar Chase spoke up. And sometimes that can be helpful. Sometimes that can be detrimental. But to think that halftime adjustments don't happen, that's not a fact. They just maybe don't get shared with the group or maybe they're not advertised, but, but it's an important time to me. I feel like halftime is an important time to regroup and have a plan coming out to second half.

19:17 I've never seen a game where a team Cincinnati could not 40, 50 yards. And then in the second half, it was a seven on seven drill in Los Angeles with high schoolers. It was literally catch pass and catch. Cincinnati was flawless. And I'm thinking the whole time, what happened Cincinnati? I mean, what happens in seven minutes that Cincinnati can't get a first down to unstoppable?

19:40 This is my take. I thought Cincinnati looked lethargic. I thought they were bad on third down and sometimes a great player and a great personality and a great leader. Oftentimes. the quarterback, but not always, a great player can drag his team into the fight. And I feel like that's what Jamar Chase did. I felt like Jamar Chase at halftime, he dragged his team into the fight. He's like, hey, I don't know about y'all. I'm getting into a fight.

20:04 Who's with me? Like, who's got my back? I'm in. Count on me. Put it on me.

20:08 Find me.

20:08 It'll start with me. And Joe Burrow, I know the respect he has for Jamar.

20:12 He's like, hey.

20:13 And coaches are like, okay, hey, where's our call sheet and where are our plays for him? Let's get him going. Let's get us going. And that can absolutely happen. Sometimes it happens with a guy on special teams or defense. But when it's one of your great players, it's a little bit easier because now all of a sudden he's in the fight. And if you got love for your brother that way, like, hey, I got my brother's back.

20:35 I'm stepping it up. And it was like a completely different team. And the game wasn't even close at the end. That's the funny part. It was like a pretty solid win. But at halftime, it absolutely looked like the Bengals were going to lose that game.

20:48 So, by the way, people don't understand that you always played hurt as a player. We have a video that when you sat down today, you broke your chair. And yet, look at this.

20:59 Look at that.

21:00 You literally broke your chair. And yet you have performed. You're like the Bengals. Yet you have performed despite not getting off to a great start. And we really appreciate that.

21:09 You're amazing.

21:09 You know, who needs enemies with friends like you guys? Can I just give one little shout out, though? I love this, okay?

21:15 The tight ends.

21:16 Have done such an amazing job of marketing themselves, tight end day, national tight end day, whatever. If you think that these offensive coordinators aren't actually thinking about that, like when they look, oh, we got a nice tight end day coming up, blah, blah, blah. There were so many tight end plays. Like opportunities for tight ends, even Barner last night on the tush push, like all of it. Like, I promise you, if you think that these play callers are just blind to that, they're not. So I don't know if there's statistics that back this up or you can go back year to year. I promise you it's a thing. So to the other positions out there, I don't know if it's like big man touchdown.

21:55 Day or whatever.

21:56 Like, You need to hire a marketing group for your position the way the tight ends have because it's been outstanding. I just had to say it.

22:04 Sorry. Well, I was at the Chicago-New England game live on Thursday, and there's no question that Drake May does not have a number one receiver, that A.J. Brown did not look good. The backs are kind of pedestrian. He is looking for Hunter Henry. And there's no question that Luther Burden and Colston Loveland, the tight end of Michigan, are clearly Caleb Williams'– number one guy. It's interesting watching that game. Caleb really, I feel like I feel bad for Drake May. I don't think they've drafted skill positions very well. I feel like Chicago really has. Ryan Poles has nailed the skill positions. When I was watching that game between Drake May and Caleb, and I'm sure you were, one of the things I said is watching Caleb in

22:49 person is different than TV. Drake May is great both ways. TV there, he's really good. uh caleb is just different his arm strength is the way he moves um i mean now you get surgical and you get the explosive stuff where are we today on when i said sometimes i think he's josh allen without the pics and that's way out there i know you're smiling you think it's the craziest thing you've ever heard am i going overboard.

23:19 You said something that maybe makes sense. It clicked in my brain that you said he looks completely different, way better when you watch him in person than he does on TV. Because the way you talk about Caleb is literally, you think I'm joking, my buddies from Chicago, Sully, Fitzy, and Murph. I got Jack Murphy blowing up my phone.

23:38 What do you think about Caleb now? He was at the game. And I was watching on TV. So maybe it's the in-person thing. You know, like, you better believe it. Colin was right. You know, Caleb's the best. He's the MVP of the league. You know, so maybe it's the in-person thing. I got to get off my TV. Maybe that's what it is, Colin.

23:55 Okay. Well, be safe. Sitting down is a problem. Be safe, Matt Hasselbeck.

24:00 I need to mix in some salads. No dressing, no croutons, and a water. Sheesh.

24:05 The great Matt Hasselbeck, 18 years in the NFL. No, it's just like I can remember when LeBron was great. My wife and I, Ann, we went down to Miami. I'm like, I've got to see him in person. When Conor McGregor in the UFC, I was like, I've got to go watch some of these fights. You do get these rare players, Otani, where you're like, I want to see it in person. With Caleb, I have not seen Josh Allen in person, but with Caleb, you go watch him in person. I went to a practice this year, and I went to the game, and it just feels a little different. His escapability, how pedestrian he makes other great NFL players. New England's defense is really good. No other team is going to have eight chunk plays against

24:46 New England this year. Will not happen. And he did it, and it was kind of like, ho-hum. So there you go. In LA, it's the Herd.

24:56 Want more Herd? The Herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the iHeartRadio app. Search Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like.

25:06 Welcome to Football Doesn't Lie.

25:08 Hi, I'm Bill Parcells.

25:11 And I'm Catherine Zazzora.

25:12 I have a lot of experience in the game of football, Catherine.

25:16 And I'm learning the game with Bill's help. Every week, we're going to talk about the NFL slate through the lens of Bill's expertise as he coaches me from novice fan to football expert over the course of the season.

25:27 You know, I'm looking forward to this show, Catherine, and hopefully we can give our audience a little in-depth look into the inner sanctum of pro football that they can't get anywhere else.

25:37 Tune in every Thursday for unfiltered stories from Coach Parcells, analysis on the state of the modern game, and education on how football really works.

25:46 Continuity is very important. But what happens when you get good coaches on your staff and people begin to recognize them, then they want to hire them. And then you can't stop a guy from trying to improve himself, but you have to replace them.

26:02 Because once you understand what's going on inside the mind of the coaches, you'll understand more about the whole game.

26:08 So all aspects can be discussed. The only thing I haven't done... because I didn't have enough money. I don't own the team.

26:15 I never owned a team.

26:17 Listen to Football Doesn't Lie on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

26:31 Busy Saturday. By the way, the last couple of Saturdays in college football have been absolutely unbelievable. And I've said this. I know people don't like change. Change is very difficult. Forty percent of Americans end up living in the area code in which they were born, despite having all these beautiful areas in the world and America and North America to live. People don't like change. But the transfer portal and the NIL have closed the gap. I mean, five, six years ago, it felt like Georgia and Alabama and Ohio State were playing a different sport. I mean, that's not what you want. That would be like La Liga, where the same team, Real Madrid or Barcelona, wins every year.

27:14 That's not what we're about. NIL and the portal has allowed UCLA to overnight go 7-0, and that BYU can beat Notre Dame and then lose to Central Florida. That's what makes the NFL great, that Houston is a nine point home favorite and they get dragged by the Giants. You don't know week to week what you're getting. Kansas City looks amazing. They get bulldozed by Seattle. So, you know, I think sports are a problem, you know, at the high school level where you have the dominant volleyball program and they win every week. That's family and friends. Nobody wants to watch that. What college football has become, it allows, it's democratized the sport. Anybody, if you've got a good business school or if academics matter and you've got rich alumni,

27:58 you can buy some really good players. Right now, Alabama does not have top five or six talent in college football. Sorry, Kentucky right now is the best team in the SEC at basketball school. And UCLA is undefeated in the Big Ten at basketball school. And you're telling me that's bad. It's amazing what's happening in college football. Now, this sport was like baseball. It had so many innate problems. And it was fun, and you could romance about it. It was kind of regional. It didn't feel very national sometimes.

28:30 Now college football, Saturday night, for the second Saturday night in a row... I can't turn the TV off. I can't go to bed. The games are insane. J Mac with the news.

28:42 Turn on the news. This is the Herdline News.

28:46 Let's go to the NFL and go to those Minnesota Vikings, the last unbeaten in the NFL after the Chiefs and Niners lost yesterday. However, Minnesota has not looked particularly good offensively. I was on them yesterday in Survivor. We dodged that Texans landmine. Colin, this team just can't move the ball.

29:02 And the scariest part is they were very healthy yesterday. Kevin O'Connell is talking about their struggles on offense and thinks they're about to turn a corner.

29:12 I thought there were some great performances.

29:14 There were, you know, nine explosives on offense, but we left a lot out there. And, you know, I think our guys are very confident that, you know, we're not far off. And the far off changes a little bit as you go. But I'm very, very confident we'll get it going. I would like to run it a little bit better than we did. But as the game went on, it kind of loosened up a little bit. Guys kept battling.

29:38 Yeah, I mean, in the end, i saw sam darnold with this offense and he looked like a combination of patrick mahomes and josh allen and i see kyler murray with this offense and he's a small guy that runs around probably uh because he has to And it's been a real eye-opener. I always defended Kyler Murray because people go and get drafted by the Cardinals and they just evaporate.

30:02 But Marvin Harrison goes to the Texans and he still had another big drop. And Kyler Murray goes to the Vikings and the offense is just... He made one or two really good throws yesterday. But that Colts defense is bad. It gives up like six yards of play. So it's why I haven't put Minnesota. I don't really consider them a top 10 team because they have nine total touchdowns.

30:21 The Bears had eight against Carolina in week one.

30:24 I mean, I think that's personally harsh. You could do whatever you want.

30:28 There's certainly a top 10 team when it comes to their defense. They're going to be able to hang against anybody. They did beat the Bears head to head. Thanks to the defense. The problem I see it is like he's saying we had nine explosives. That doesn't match up with what some of the other numbers say. They had one long run. Kyler Murray scrambling. And then the other throw, he had one 20-yard throw.

30:46 That's it.

30:47 And like Justin Jefferson streaking for like 21 yards.

30:50 I don't know.

30:50 I don't see explosiveness, and I'm worried that Kyler Murray is not throwing in the middle of the field. This was what you pointed out with Hurts.

30:56 He had one attempt between the hashes.

30:59 Okay, so this is something that obviously it's not me picking on people. Quarterback Tua. Jalen Hurts, Kyler Murray, these guys are 5'10. They can't see over the middle of the field. It's not a criticism. Tua acknowledged, there's stuff I can't see. Russell Wilson made a career. Greg Cosell used to say this for years. He's planned ad-libbing. You think it's ad-libbing, it's planned. Russell Wilson was creating passing lanes so he could see over the line. It was brilliant.

31:29 But I remember Greg Cosell flummoxed for years.

31:31 He's like.

31:32 I think he's ad-libbing, but it feels planned. He was creating passing lanes. So that's why size does matter. I love Trinidad Chambliss. He's 5'9. I can't make Trinidad Chambliss a number one pick. Like we always said, an immobile quarterback limits a coaching staff. Sam Darnold's athleticism last night was a factor. Well, a short quarterback... Limit to coaching staff.

31:58 You can't throw it over the middle. Bryce Young is small, but they went out in Carolina and they drafted huge wide receivers, big targets. So I just, I think it's the reality of this position. Six, three and up is ideal. Six, three and up and you can move. It's really the ideal traits.

32:17 So it's interesting.

32:18 I never believed you said, said this for years and now you were QB one in high school. So maybe you saw from the pocket, Kyler Marie, I'm just telling you, you can look at the charts and He doesn't throw in the.

32:27 Middle of the field. I'm like, the Colts were sitting on the outside route, so there was nothing. They couldn't move the ball.

32:32 I think you've got to put the Vikings in, just if nothing, to hype this game against the Lions on Fox this week. You've got to have them in the top ten column. Torres blitzed at 85% of snaps, and Daniel Jones can't move still.

32:44 Off the Achilles. So, like, they're going to be blitzing golf who cannot move.

32:48 Well, you do get to a point, 6-0 in the NFL. is worthy of a top 10 team. But 2-0, 3-0, I mean, we look at Kansas City last night. Boy, it's amazing what the Chargers and the Dolphins and the Raiders make you look like. But I do think 5-0 and 6-0, 6-0 in the NFL, at some point you've been tested, you've been on the road. I think they'll be included.

33:10 The key to this team is going to be Kyler Murray willing to run. And you remember that when they got to the playoffs in Arizona, he was getting battered by Aaron Donald, the company.

33:18 He's like, I'm not running no more.

33:19 He didn't want to run. What's the line on the Lions and Vikings?

33:22 I would guess the game, it looks like it's in Detroit, right? It's in a dome either way. I would guess Lions by two and a.

33:30 Half or three. I would guess two, yeah. It's Lions minus three.

33:36 Minus three, there you go.

33:37 Okay, that feels right.

33:38 I mean, listen, Lions.

33:40 Dan Campbell, who's a better coach in this game? Dan Campbell is struggling so badly. Kevin O'Connell.

33:45 How about going for it in your own, was it 21?

33:48 Yeah.

33:48 By the way, hey, KOC, you're up three and you're kicking a 59-yard field goal?

33:53 Punt and pin with that defense. Colin, some of these coaching decisions. All right, let's move on to college football. I'm with you, man.

33:59 This has been one of the best college football seasons I can remember. And it's almost like the college football media has gotten political and they're waiting for the talking points.

34:08 Guys, this is actually good and fun.

34:10 What do we say?

34:11 Look, we got the top 25 out. Miami's up top, but they haven't played a soul. This is the top five. I actually agree with all of it.

34:18 Well, are you sure about Ohio State? Because they don't have Julian saying it's official. He's like done for the season.

34:24 Well, I would probably go Miami, Georgia, Ohio State, Indiana, Notre Dame. So Georgia has Florida this weekend in Atlanta. Now, Florida had a couple losses, but they are tough with that run game. If they can get the lead, I think Georgia's in some trouble. Miami is favored. Do you want to guess UNC hosting Miami?

34:43 Miami minus 11. 14 and a half.

34:47 Bill Belichick show up here against Mensah.

34:50 I'll tell you, I watched every snap of the UCLA-Michigan State game. Not their best effort, UCLA. No, and Michigan State gets their... Yeah, this year they are with Pat Fitzgerald. UCLA has a low ceiling. But man, they just are so committed to running the football. They're good on the lines. They run the football. They didn't play flawless. They had bad, bad mistakes.

35:14 I like this deep ball from the backup quarterback.

35:15 Yeah, he almost got hurt. I will just say this. When you watch college football, you're dealing with 19, 20 year old kids. that team believes in that coach because they play hard on every snap. They are totally committed to the run. They celebrate with each other. Like he is unified UCLA. Hey, I'll tell you this. I follow recruiting.

35:38 Their high school recruiting is really average.

35:40 Well, it's going to be better next year.

35:41 Well, it is next year.

35:43 Yeah.

35:44 No, they just got a commitment from a great quarterback, but I, I wanted to watch UCLA every snap and, uh, Seven, eight in the country feels about right.

35:54 So talk to me.

35:54 Kentucky is ninth in the country.

35:57 Utah is sixth and undefeated. That's good for college football.

36:00 Of course it is.

36:01 How do people not see this? By the way, so Utah's in a trap spot this week. I think they have Cincinnati, and next week they have the BYU game. You know, that's a massive rivalry. BYU tripped up. We're not going to show the referee butchering that game, but Colin, the college football refereeing situation.

36:16 No, it's bad.

36:16 Was it Klatt who had some?

36:18 No, it's been bad forever.

36:19 Somebody proposed something that's good.

36:20 It's a numbers game. You need seven officials. There's 30 games simultaneously. There are not 210 good officials. Some of the guys in the back end are not good.

36:28 But get the best guys to the best games. Like, I mean, you can't have some of this stuff. Let's see.

36:33 Anything else? Where's USC?

36:35 Oh, they're out.

36:36 Not good. Yeah, not ideal. All right, final story, Kyle. Let's go to Major League Baseball and the World Series.

36:40 It's been great.

36:41 Brewers were down bad in the first inning. Rays jumped out to a 4-0 lead. Brewers rallied. Hey, that's the story of their playoff season run, right? Just rallying all the time. And they look to take on the Rays game three at the Trop tonight. seven Eastern on Fox. I haven't been betting the world series. If you, you're a betting man, you'd probably leave.

37:01 Milwaukee is beyond just a world series team. I think, I think they have a chance to go down as a, one of the better teams in the last decade. If you look at all the analytics and all the things that teams do well, they can, they, I mean, it's, it's, they can do a little bit of power, but it's a lot of singles, doubles, base running, uh, You know, they're just they're a the kind of team that is just kind of a get on base. A lot of singles, a lot of doubles. Rays are similarly the same team.

37:26 These are big analytics departments. But listen, Milwaukee, I remember my last year in high school. I loved baseball then more than any sport. And they had Yount and Malter and Cooper and Gorman Thomas. I don't know if Rob was a bitch. I remember the high profile guys. I went and watched the Mariners game against them and they went into Seattle. And let's just say the batting order circled a few times against the Mariners pitching.

37:52 I know people will say I've been mean to the Brewers.

37:54 I'm telling you, I love that logo so much. The one that was behind home plate. I have a Brewers hat at home. I can bring it in and wear it on the show. I mean, I'm not kidding, guys.

38:02 I love that logo as a kid. Baseball logos in the 80s.

38:06 For me, we're everything.

38:06 White Sox had a great one.

38:08 Yeah. J-Mac with the news.

38:11 Well, that's the news.

38:12 And thanks for stopping by.

38:13 The Herdline News.

38:16 RG3 College and Pro, final hour, it's the Herd.

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38:51 There was a lot of games yesterday. Obviously, Cleveland now winning it in first place is pretty striking. Denver had some chunk plays yesterday, finally in one. The best game was Thursday. I thought the best game last week was played in London. Steelers are fine, low ceiling. San Francisco kind of fell apart physically. Seattle looked dominating last night.

39:13 I thought a really interesting game is Jackson Dart gets hurt for the Giants, and you're like, season over. And then you watch J.J. McCarthy yesterday, and it's like, oh, do they have a surplus? Do they have Jackson Dart and J.J. McCarthy? And, you know, both are first-round quarterbacks. J.J. was a guy that I didn't think out of college.

39:33 He just turned and handed the ball off. He didn't have to, like, initiate offense. I always think that's a warning sign. He was good. He won games, but he didn't get asked to do much. And I think you have to initiate offense in college for the college to NFL segue, the pivot to work. But I thought he is 5-0 in his last five starts. I thought yesterday and last week he made some big time throws. He and Malik neighbors. There's a real, you know, connective fabric here.

40:03 And that's, you know, give J.J. McCarthy credit. He knows who to throw to. Now, I think Scadaboo was huge. And I said this earlier. I do think that great coaches are like great parents, that they send messages, but they don't hold grudges. And they bench Scadaboo, and he was pissed. And then they brought him in yesterday, and he was necessary, and he was a complete difference maker.

40:25 I mean, he is literally an anvil running in cleats. He just buries people. And that allows, they had a really good run game yesterday, that allows J.J. McCarthy to have a play-action game. Just think about this. Mahomes stunk yesterday, and J.J. McCarthy was great. what does that tell you? It tells you how vital the road games are. Matt Hasselbeck earlier on, what do we make of J.J. McCarthy?

40:50 Is he the next Sam Darnold where we think it's a bust and you look up and go, oh, that's a franchise quarterback.

40:57 I do think Harbaugh matters. I do think the fact that his brother was his college coach at Michigan, like the scouting report, hey, here's what you need to say to this guy. It's not what he can't do, it's what he can do. He has tangibles.

41:10 He's got.

41:11 the ability to run. He's got a strong arm. You got to maybe keep it simple for him. Mike Holmgren used to always say, Hey, with young quarterbacks, they need to walk before they can run. We're not taking the training wheels off right away. And he'd say that about guys like Brett Favre and, and, and, and Steve Young.

41:26 I mean, you'd say great players.

41:29 You know, it's interesting. Cleveland's in first place with Todd Munkin Harbaugh's in first place with the Giants. And in both instances, what do the Browns and the Giants have in common in first place? Bit of a surprise, but their personnel has been overlooked. I said this all offseason. Jay Mack and I talk, who's going to have the number one pick? I'm like, Cleveland's got way too many good players. And I swear to God, every one of Cleveland's draft picks the last three years, they can all play.

41:58 Like all the top end guys. I mean, like really, Fano's ended up being an excellent right tackle. So with the Giants, I said all offseason. Don't I don't want to. Abdul Carter is a top 20 athlete in the NFL. Neighbors, when healthy, is a number one. Andrew Thomas, elite left tackle. You know, I think Scataboo, when he's healthy, I'm not sure how sustainable that is. That works in the NFL.

42:23 You know, they could use another corner. The entire NFL could. But when I watch the Giants, I like their personnel. I think Cleveland and the New York Giants have much greater personnel than we want to admit. You know, people make up their minds and they won't give a team credit. I look at the Giants. I think they can play with anybody. I really do. Now, again, Houston's defense is kind of the NFL enigma, the mystery. I don't know why it's suddenly this bad, but some of it was neighbors just beat guys down the field and McCarthy made great throws. I mean, that's a great throw right there.

42:57 So yeah, I don't think this is, I don't think Cleveland is a mirage. I don't, I don't think they're great. I don't think they're going to be a multiple win playoff team. I think the Giants can win multiple playoff games. I really, with JJ McCarthy running the ball like that.

43:13 Yep.

43:14 Running the ball like that. Three guys, touchdowns, almost 190 yards. They got a pass rush. That's a real team. Brewers raise later today. RG3 around the corner.