THE HERD – HOUR 3 – Lincoln Riley’s Future At USC

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0:26 Well, the fear mongers told you the NIL was going to ruin the sport, but instead Indiana, Kentucky, and UCLA, legendary basketball schools, are now all excellent. There are no more great teams. There are a lot of good teams. Maybe some like Miami are very good. But it has democratized the system. For the second straight weekend, I sat with friends. I had friends from L.A. that were in Chicago.

0:51 You could not get up off the couch. No. It was terrible. Four games coming down to the final thing. So let's just start with the NIL because I don't think we have a great team.

1:02 Is that fair?

1:04 I think that's totally fair. I think every team is, there's a flaw for every team. I think coaching matters more now than it has in.

1:12 A long time. It's like the NFL, games are close.

1:14 Games are very close. Situational awareness matters. Clock management matters. End of half situations. Third down is becoming very important. And then something no one ever really brings up, but you remember a couple of years ago, we changed how we were operating the game clock in college football.

1:31 And And it runs more now.

1:33 And that started to limit possessions. And then teams started not being able to stack their rosters with depth. So they thought, you know what, we should probably limit the possessions and snaps that we're taking so that we don't have wear and tear and attrition on our rosters. And what that's done is, you know, a few years ago, I would expect 13 to 15 possessions per game. Well, now you're getting about, you know, nine to 11 possessions.

1:57 And by the way, and that gives the underdogs more of a shot.

2:01 Correct.

2:01 Correct.

2:02 And it also makes turnovers mean more. Just the value of a turnover means more. A failed fourth down, all of those things. So special teams are mattering now. And what you're starting to see is the coaches that really understand all of those things can build a culture, and get the team to play the game that is in front of them, those are the.

2:22 Ones having success.

2:22 This is one of the things that I talked about with Kurt Cignetti, and I think this is one of his superpowers. Kurt Cignetti coaches the game in front of him and not the narratives around him as good as anybody in college football. Think about the different ways that they have approached and won football games over the last even four and five weeks, running the ball against Northwestern, throwing the RPO against Nebraska. Ohio State became a drop back game. They almost came back and won that game.

2:47 And then on.

2:48 Saturday, he's got a quarterback that can't throw. He's got an injured arm. And so he just thought to himself, OK, why don't we just hand the ball off and win with defense?

2:55 And they did it.

2:56 You know, so again, I think there are a lot of coaches we see it. In particular with the big brands, and I think Texas falls into this, maybe some Ohio State-Michigan games as well, where coaches start to fight narrative. And they go, well, we need to win, but we need to win a very certain way. And Kurt Cignetti doesn't do that.

3:11 The only time I ever didn't like Ryan Day as a coach, because I think he's great. was when he played Harbaugh and he was trying to prove a point. I can out-physical them. It's like, bro, you got four NFL receivers.

3:23 Throw the ball.

3:24 Well, and maybe none more obvious than the year that Michigan had Mason Grant and Kenneth Grant and Mason Graham. Those two great defensive tackles. And Ohio State kept trying.

3:38 To be like, well, we need to outrush them. That was the year I'm like, guys, go uptown. Okay, so I thought Sark would work at USC. I thought Lane Kiffin would work. I thought Lincoln Riley would work. I was over three. Now I, that's definitive. You say Lincoln is, listen, they could be Ohio state and, but they would lose to Indiana and it's not a playoff team. So I think Daniel Jeremiah said this, I think it was on his social account and it's, it's, uh, I think it was the most succinct way to say it.

4:10 It's not that you lose.

4:12 It's when year after year, you're losing the same way. They remain a poor tackling team. They're poor on the road. Um, They do lack a certain physicality that UCLA has developed.

4:23 In seven weeks.

4:24 That's right.

4:25 So my take is I missed on this. Did you think it would end... or at least look like this, it's not over yet, did you think it would look like this?

4:33 Well, I think it's premature to say end. Now, I don't think that they're a playoff team, but I don't know if that means that they're going to move on from Lincoln. I think that's a different discussion. For this team this year, which had a lot of promise and a lot of talent, and even to his own admission, he was pointing to this team and this year as like, no, this is the year that we're going to pop, and it doesn't seem to be coming to fruition.

4:56 I can....

4:57 I can understand the Oregon loss, even at home. And I know that Oregon has since not fallen off the cliff, but.

5:06 They lose that game.

5:07 This last weekend at Wisconsin, however, this is the one I'm looking at, and I'm like, I'm sorry, your lowest offensive output with Maiava.

5:15 Off an extra week of prep.

5:17 They were off a bye week and literally could not run the ball, special teams gaffes, and Maiava had his worst start.

5:26 It was and there was no answers. You know, Wisconsin did a great job on defense. This is an elite defense for Wisconsin. One of the better defenses, certainly in the Big Ten, maybe even in the entire country.

5:36 Certainly.

5:36 But they were bringing a lot of pressure. And what that was doing is it was forcing the back to be in pass protection. And USC never adjusted, never adjusted. So what ended up happening is you saw a lot of downfield routes. There wasn't a lot of short routes that were bumping those wide receivers. And they never like, for instance, scat protect. This is one of many answers that you could have. Scat protect means that the running back's not in protection. He's just going to run his route, which forces the linebacker who's blitzing to decide, am I going to cover him in man coverage? Am I going to continue on the blitz to the quarterback? And you at least put a defender in conflict and maybe give

6:08 Maiava a bit of an out to protect himself. We didn't see that much. So as shocked as anything in the game was the fact that Lincoln, who I really value as an offensive coach, didn't provide Jade Maiava with many answers with what they were getting from the defensive pressure of Wisconsin.

6:24 You know, there's a lot of talk about arts transferring and Texas. I think when I, and I always thought I always liked Tark personally, Tark personally. But one thing that's definitive with Sark, his teams are uneven. Terrible first half against Ohio State. Great first half against Ole Miss. You never get four quarters.

6:44 Yeah, inconsistent.

6:47 When I watch Cignetti's team, first snap to last.

6:51 They play the same way.

6:51 Same way.

6:53 I always think kind of Mario Cristobal, same thing. Like physical first snap, physical last snap. With big play capabilities offensively. I feel like I get the same team. With Sarkis all over the map. I can't explain it. We want to blame Arch. But I do think there's an issue here where Texas, I've said this. If 8, 9, and 10 is the ceiling, boy, Texas is good. It's the 1 through 4 that I think they're the anti-Indiana. How do you explain another weird, uneven performance?

7:27 I think it boils down to identity. I think as a coach, it's incumbent upon you And by the way, you can layer this philosophy. I could be talking about Michigan. I could be talking about Texas right now. We happen to be talking about Texas. As a coach, you have to understand and really evaluate what your team does well and what your team does poorly. And you've got to take what you do well and you've got to build upon that. And you take what you do poorly and you throw it out. That's what really good coaches do.

7:55 They evolve during the course of the season. The Seahawks look a little bit different this year than they did last year. You know, like good coaches do that. Kurt Cignetti, he's adjusting every game, playing the game in front of them. And it seems like there are times where Texas wants so badly to be the big play quarterback-driven offense. And it's like the whole offense is going through Arch. And they're much better when that's not the case.

8:19 Listen.

8:21 We see this in the NFL.

8:22 If you throw, and these are pro quarterbacks, if you throw over 40 times this year, they're like 4-37.

8:27 Yeah, you're going to get beat. Just run. And for the record, Arch is Archie. He's not Eli and Peyton. He's Archie. He's a super, super mobile, clever athlete.

8:38 And he gives you flashes. Arch, in a lot of ways, mirrors the team. Really high ceiling. When Texas looks good, man, they look great. really, really good and dominant. When Arch looks good and he's hanging in the pocket and throwing down the field to Ryan Wingo and Coleman and those, he looks really good. But the problem is that the floor is really low, to take the draft terminology. And so when it doesn't look good, it looks really bad.

9:02 And it's the same thing with Texas. They make too many mistakes and penalties. But when they decide to run the football... And they've got that good defense out there. One, running the football simplifies a lot of things offensively. You don't tend to have as many penalties when you're trying to sit there and run the football. And they were dominant.

9:21 So all of a sudden, everyone on my podcast, I say all of a sudden.

9:25 It's one of these things. It's all of a sudden.

9:28 Texas leans into the run game. Once it's tied, they looked incredible in the fourth quarter. And what is that offense? It's a non-arch-centric offense. It's running the football. It's playing great defense.

9:41 We've been on this for three weeks.

9:43 Arch should be a complimentary athletic piece to a strong run game with the best left tackle in college football.

9:50 And then you go back and you think to yourself, well, why did we love Sark in the first place? 2020 Alabama, that's exactly what he did in 2020 at Alabama. Yes, they were explosive. And yes, Devontae won the Heisman. But they could run it with Najee Harris. They had a great offensive line. And Mack Jones was there to operate what was there to be operated. Run the football, take shots when they're there. When Texas does that, they've got as high of.

10:16 A ceiling as anybody in the sport.

10:17 The.

10:19 It just cracks me up. Kentucky's great.

10:23 UCLA. I said this earlier. It's one thing if you and your brother are competitive.

10:30 You're competitive, right? You love each other, but you're competitive.

10:32 I have an older brother, yeah.

10:34 It's one thing if he's successful, but it's another if he moves next to you and you see it every day. What makes USC really, really have to confront this is that UCLA, and they did it two games in, has created the consistency of physicality, winning on the road, toughness that USC has been trying to create for five years.

10:59 UCLA is what USC fans are dying for. We don't have to be the flashiest. Be tough, be physical, like Pete's teams. Have NFL linebackers, good O-line, D-line, and run the ball. USC still can't do it. It's not that hard. It's hard, but it's not that hard to turn it around.

11:15 So both of these entities, USC and Texas. When it's good, it's good. When it's not, it's not. So what is that? Inconsistency.

11:25 I think you can make a strong argument that the days of the head coach play caller are over. I think you can make a strong argument.

11:35 I've had.

11:37 Lengthy conversations with Ryan Day about this.

11:40 He was a terrific play caller.

11:42 One of the.

11:43 Best in the sport. And he gave it up.

11:45 Why?

11:46 Because he knew that the entirety of the team would never be as good as it could possibly be or as consistent as it could possibly be if he was narrowly focused on the offense as the head coach. Now we're looking at Sark and Lincoln Riley who retained the play calling. You could throw Lane Kiffin in this at LSU.

12:04 Why is it up and down? It's great and then it's not.

12:08 Why?

12:09 Why is that?

12:09 Why does the defense play so sporadic from week to week? Well, you could make an argument it's because the head coach is not setting the standard for the entire program every single day. The grade coaches always set the standard. This is what made Nick Saban Nick Saban. The standard was so high, and it wasn't moving for everybody. It didn't matter if you were a corner, which he was kind of a defensive backs coach at heart from his age.

12:33 It didn't matter if you were the offensive guard. It didn't matter if you were the long snapper. The standard was the standard. But when the coach is so narrowly focused, like looking through a straw at one element in game planning, how can you retain the standard over the entire program?

12:46 You can't.

12:47 I think in today's day and age of college football with NIL and transfer portal and roster building and everything that goes into it, and now you've got parity and anybody can beat anybody on any given weekend, consistency and a premium is put on the standard across your program and And I think that those are the things that they're going to have to deal with is that decision.

13:07 I grew up with a guy named Don James that coached Washington.

13:10 Don coached the coaches.

13:13 That's right.

13:14 Jimmy Johnson coached the coaches. They call them walk around.

13:17 Kurt Cignetti.

13:18 Kurt Cignetti coaches the coaches. Then the coaches deal with the players. And I think that's always been the way to do it personally.

13:26 But I think you're right now more than ever. If you're tied to the play sheet.

13:31 And by the way, we've seen this for like 20 years, 25 years. I think Osborne still called the plays for Nebraska in the mid-90s.

13:40 They only had four plays. That's right.

13:41 And it was a different era. And then I'm thinking, I think Jimbo called the plays for Florida State. I think Jimbo calling the plays is the last play caller to win a national championship. I mean, now we're going on 12 years. We're over a decade. I'm pretty sure that's the case.

13:58 By the way, I'm not.

14:00 When I say it's over for Lincoln Riley, that's not sourced, but I always feel here's when it's over in any relationship. If somebody handed Jen Cohn a $ 55 million check, she'd make the move.

14:14 Not today.

14:15 If you went to my wife and said, okay, here's a number you can get out, and she says yes.

14:24 Then it's over.

14:26 When you have a strong relationship, there isn't a number.

14:30 In my household, Colin, if Sarah's handed $ 100 million, I don't think you're going to leave.

14:37 But I'm saying with Marcus Freeman, you could go to Notre Dame, $ 100 million. They're not interested. Mario Cristobal at Miami. Kurt Cignetti, $ 200 million.

14:46 We're not interested.

14:47 If there is a check that can be granted or given to somebody, and you're like, I'll take it, then a relationship, it's just a matter of time.

14:56 I think that that's correct.

14:57 I think if there was a check out there.

14:59 Whether it happens or not, the sentiment might be there. I think USC with Lincoln Riley has moved into the, we would accept a check if it was offered.

15:08 So what's the check for Florida State?

15:11 Norvell?

15:12 They take like a McDonald's gift certificate.

15:13 I was going to say coupons at this point.

15:16 Boy, that was.

15:17 We were rough there. Is this your top 10 class? Let me look at it.

15:20 I don't know what you're looking at. I can't see it.

15:22 Miami, Ohio.

15:23 I kind of agree with all this. I think it's... Did you say.

15:26 Miami of Ohio? Oh, Miami, then Ohio. I was going to say, I don't think I had Miami of Ohio in there. So I had Miami up at top. Benso looks really good. Their schedule is just, you know, like they're not being tested.

15:37 We know that.

15:38 I think Miami's playing Notre Dame for the natty. I believe that today.

15:41 I think that they could. I think the winner of that game... If Miami wins that, they're going to be the number one seed. I think Indiana probably gets to the Big Ten championship game. If they win it, they're going to have a great chance to be the number one overall seed again.

15:54 In the playoff.

15:56 Kentucky's got a tough stretch coming down. Watch out for Texas. I think that they're an interesting one. Let me just throw this out there.

16:06 Group of six... participant, watch out for Oregon State.

16:11 Yeah, they have a great quarterback and a great receiver.

16:13 That's right, and they play Boise State in the regular season, and they're probably going to rematch with Boise as well in the Pac-12 championship game. I think the winner of that championship game probably is going to be the group of six participants, but Boise State's like 115th in pass defense, and Oregon State's the number one team in the country throwing the football. By the way, that quarterback for Oregon State, now the receiver has already said he's coming back.

16:35 That quarterback's going to get some offers.

16:38 That quarterback is like, well, hold on a second.

16:42 Listen, you strike when the iron's hot, go Oregon State, but that kid's going to get his ATM, his bank account's going to get some offers.

16:50 Well, again, so it's circumstantial. If someone puts a check in front of him and it's like his loyalty only goes so far.

16:56 Our friendship is beyond money.

16:58 This one, I agree.

16:59 There's no amount anyone could pay me to not do this.

17:04 All right.

17:05 I'm kidding. You kid because you care. That's right. Good to see you, brother. Good to see you.

17:09 Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays at noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the iHeartRadio app.

17:19 Welcome to Football Doesn't Lie.

17:21 Hi, I'm Bill Parcells.

17:23 And I'm Catherine Zazzora.

17:25 I have a lot of experience in the game of football, Catherine.

17:28 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.

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17:58 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.

18:15 Because once you understand what's going on inside the mind of the coaches, you'll understand more about the whole game.

18:21 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. I never owned a team.

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18:43 Turn on the news.

18:45 This is the Herdline News.

18:47 How about the New York Giants? Can we talk about Cam Scadaboo, who got one of the weakest flags, I thought, this season for lowering his shoulder.

18:53 On this play right here? You don't see that.

18:56 I mean, he just trucked him. I mean, the guy got run over, and that's a flag?

19:00 I don't know, Colin.

19:02 John Harbaugh was asked about the call, and here's his reaction.

19:06 You have to run low. You have to run low to protect the football. You have to run low to protect your body. You can't run there and give tacklers your chest. So when you run low, your head's down there, too. You can't move your head off your shoulders. It's a physical impossibility. But his pads are down there low. He runs low to the ground. That's a good thing.

19:25 That's football.

19:26 That's the way you're supposed to run. That's how you protect yourself and the football.

19:31 Yeah, you know, listen, there are concerns.

19:34 They're trying to take some of the physicality out of football, and players are getting stronger, and there's more and more injuries.

19:40 I think I will say this. Mike Evans, a guy like that.

19:46 My take is Mike Evans will be available down the stretch and in the playoffs for the niners if you go to the end of seasons over the last 10 years by and large kansas city was missing a left tackle uh both left tackles for a super bowl that's that's rare generally the seahawks last year and the patriots You may miss one starter with injuries. I think that people say, well, you're taking the physicality out of football.

20:11 It will never happen.

20:13 Well, I think this is more of a safety thing, right?

20:16 If you look, he literally uses his head as a battering ram, which is not safe for your neck.

20:20 And, you know, that's major. So they want you lowering your shoulder. What you're trying to do is football. We want our kids to play as they age. You don't want to start at eight. You want to be closer to 14. You also want less hitting at practice, college or pro. You put in, I mean, football is always going to be physical. What you want to eliminate is the unnecessary stuff. Quarterbacks, knees, head to head. Like when I hear people complain, oh, football is less physical. It will never change. Because remember, as you're trying to implement rules to make it safer, players are getting bigger, stronger, and faster. You watch that Seattle defense, go ask Kansas City if the game's losing physicality. Like, they're pounding them

21:01 for three and a half hours.

21:01 If you look across the course of NFL history, you can't find a player with the dimensions and speed of Aminwari. He is a unicorn out there, and it's like, I don't know, it just feels unsafe. Let me just add this, Colin. According to reports right now, the Giants just put Tracy, their other running back, on IR. with a hamstring. They cut Najee Harris. I guess he said something out of pocket.

21:23 So now they're basically down to Scataboo, who has some issues with Harbaugh, and Devin Singletary.

21:28 Well, that's a great, first of all, that's a good complementary set of backs. But is that third running back, and I'm just supposition here, but my take is this is a classic move by the Giants. The Giants are in first place. Running back's got a little tweak. Let's get him out of action for four weeks, because you're trying to now, when you're in first place... the conversations are different than third or fourth place. Third or fourth place teams for the next two weeks, they're talking trade deadline.

21:53 Teams that are winning are talking adding people and maybe what's the most violent position, like running back offensively. Let's not risk anything. A guy's got a little, it's like in baseball, June injury, sit. So I think, I don't know the intensity of the injury, but when you watch the Giants play, it is very clear that three-headed running game is a real benefit to J.J.

22:19 McCarthy.

22:19 If they go into the playoffs with three healthy backs, New York Giants could be a handful. I'm telling you, they pushed the Texans around.

22:28 So they got a bye, then they got the eagle.

22:31 That's a win. That is a win.

22:32 Then Washington, that might be a win. Jacksonville's a loss. This is crazy. The Giants are probably going to host a playoff game.

22:39 Absolutely.

22:39 I don't know why you think that's crazy. When I see a team, I see like 10 elite players.

22:43 Well, because you could have Chicago, Seattle, or the Rams going to play them. And they're going to beat the Giants down badly.

22:49 You would trust the Rams playing the Giants the way the Giants play.

22:53 With Abdul Carter.

22:53 I would put my kid's trust fund if they had one on the line.

22:56 With Abdul Carter.

22:57 Oh, no.

22:58 Abdul Carter.

22:58 And Kayvon Thibodeau off the edge against 38-year-old Matt Stafford.

23:04 I'm going to say two words.

23:05 J.J.

23:05 McCarthy. Well, is Miles Garrett going to be available?

23:09 It doesn't really matter. He may have just moved.

23:11 Back to Cleveland. I haven't seen it.

23:13 Stop. Come on.

23:14 Giants are not a threat in the postseason.

23:15 All right.

23:17 Let's move on. Oh, my God. You know why he likes the Giants? Because that was your preseason prediction.

23:22 I really I mean, the idea that you're on your third quarterback and in first place.

23:28 All right, let's go to Miles Garrett, who has not played since week one. He's been on IR. Everybody's waiting for him to return. They got a big game against the Chargers here at SoFi Sunday. McVay added that he's unsure when Garrett will return to practice.

23:42 That's weird.

23:44 That's to me.

23:45 He doesn't know when he's going to return to practice?

23:47 They were talking about him maybe getting back last week, but he hasn't returned to practice yet.

23:51 That's not great.

23:55 I mean, they're playing the long game, but unfortunately, they're behind the eight ball.

23:58 Whether it's Miles Garrett or Lamar Jackson, I'm not into mystery with my star players.

24:03 They're getting treated like NBA guys. When the coach is like, I don't have any idea.

24:08 You're the coach. You're Sean McVay.

24:09 I mean, look at the next three games before the bye. You could probably coast in with three wins there. Chargers, winless, Washington cross country.

24:18 Green Bay at home.

24:20 Green Bay's not great.

24:22 Let me just count the wins here.

24:24 Chargers 4, Washington 5, Arizona 6, Green Bay 7.

24:29 They'll be 7-4.

24:30 They host the Chiefs short week. They're fresh out of the bye. We don't even know if Rasheed Rice will be back at that point. You know Miles Garrett will be suited up.

24:39 I would love to play Seattle now, not wait until Charbonnet and Price are healthy.

24:43 No.

24:44 I love this. You're back on Seattle. What are you going to do with Bear Seattle this week?

24:49 They just handed Andy Reid his most humiliating loss in half a decade.

24:53 What do you mean back on Seattle?

24:54 We knew the Chiefs were a little fraudulent. Anyways, let's go to Seattle for the final story. JSN. Colin, I was not aware of this. So apparently the numbers have been crunched. And as of now, entering week eight, JSN is on pace to break the single season record for receiving yards. Calvin Johnson set it with 1,964 yards. JSN currently on pace for 2,100 yards. I will say we knew he was good. Nobody thought he would be this good this quickly, except Seattle.

25:26 Did they take the Steelers for a ride?

25:29 Like the Chiefs cornerback is good. Delane, the rookie. He could not hang with JSN. I mean, JSN is getting open against anyone.

25:35 He's the closest thing. Now I'm just saying stylistically. He's the closest thing I've seen to Jerry Rice. Never slows down. Same speed, in and out of the breaks, great hands, separation. He is the closest thing. Now, Calvin Johnson and Randy Moss are just different players. But I'm talking JSN. For people that didn't see Jerry Rice play, that's kind of what it looked like. Now, people think Jerry Rice was a burner.

26:01 No, he wasn't.

26:03 And JSN's not a burner. That reminds me of what... And, of course, Darnold is Joe Montana. He's just got a couple more Super Bowls to get. So, I'm telling you right now, JSN is.

26:15 A popular comp right now is Antonio Brown frame-wise. On the field only. Brown with the Steelers was unbelievable.

26:23 Okay, this.

26:25 there is a reason Seattle signed JSN early. Why?

26:29 He's the anti-Antonio Brown.

26:30 Yes, yes, off the field. But as a player, I mean, Brown had like four of the best wide receiving years in, I mean, his numbers are unparalleled, but you're right. He's a knucklehead, so he messed it up. But, uh, I can't see why you know the game plan is, hey, can we stop him? Well, he's great. Can we just stop him?

26:47 Well, it's just easy.

26:48 How can you not figure that out?

26:50 Well, it's hard.

26:51 These defensive coordinators sleep in the office to figure it out. Nobody can figure it out.

26:56 So our staff looked at the MVP numbers. There has not been an MVP ever for a wide receiver. Jerry Rice came in second in 95. Somewhere right now, I think it's DK, plus 8,000. Colin, I'll just argue it. If the Seahawks are the number one seed in the NFC and JSN hits 2,000 yards, I can see him winning the MVP award.

27:16 Let's just remind the audience that the Seahawks traded for Quentin Nelson today. Three words. Size your rings. I'm telling you, that is a great get. Sam Darnold now.

27:33 He needs more help.

27:34 Charbonnet's coming back. Price is coming back. We know what Sam is. The defense is great. Special teams are great. O-line now is even greater. JSN's great. The question is, can you get Darnold to play with legitimate play action?

27:50 When he does, last year happens.

27:52 Or are we going to see the guy, the one who turns into a pumpkin in the red zone?

27:58 For years and years, I've tried to be not a homer. You know what?

28:01 I am trading in my USC stock. I'm just going to be a Seahawks homer. They are so well run. How do you not love how smartly constructed and run? It's like if you're in Milwaukee, it's not just the Brewers. They do everything well. Seattle does everything well. Listen, you're a good investor.

28:18 You're buying at the top of the market off a primetime win over Andy Reid and Mahomes. And now they get, oh, I'm all in on Seattle.

28:25 You know what I bought yesterday as well? More NVIDIA.

28:28 More NVIDIA, yeah. Top of the markets.

28:30 Seahawks, NVIDIA. Give daddy more in his portfolio. Jay Mack with the news.

28:36 Well, that's the news.

28:38 And thanks for stopping by.

28:39 The Herdline News.

28:40 You cannot buy enough goodness. I mean, I've said that for years.

28:44 It's the Herd.

28:46 Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays at noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific.

28:52 Well, the herd hierarchy today had the Seattle Seahawks at number one. And I said, don't drop Kansas City too far. Sometimes you go in and face the Seahawks and they just look different.

29:03 They sound different. They feel different.

29:05 And it was just one of those games where they couldn't run the ball. I don't like Kansas City's wide receiving court. So I said, like, I didn't drop Kansas City a couple of spots that was it I still have them ahead of Buffalo sometimes Seattle's done this to really good teams you go up to Seattle Bears by the way are headed up to Seattle it can go sideways fast and here's Nick on the Chiefs loss.

29:30 Kansas City looked bad and Patrick didn't play well and all of it but I agree with you wholeheartedly that that was more about a rested almost desperate, certainly needed the win. Seahawks team saying we are not losing again at home on Sunday night football than it was about everything that's wrong with Kansas City. They probably need to add a receiver. Maybe they follow Seattle's lead. They traded for a guy, a great player in Quentin Nelson today.

30:01 Maybe the Chiefs follow that in the next couple of weeks.

30:04 I do think you have to, if you're in the NFC and their division, LA doesn't have the cap room, I don't believe, but I think San Francisco has to consider adding something because Seattle just strengthened their offensive line because they nailed the Gray-Zabel pick, and at Seattle, they nail all their picks. I kind of look right now.

30:25 I've got a Gray-Zabel at one guard. I've got Charles Cross, who's out but will come back. Abraham, the right tackle, is excellent. Now you've got Quentin Nelson. So it kind of guarantees more play-action passing and run-game success for Sam Darnold. That's why I put Seattle number one. That was before the Quentin Nelson move. I think that the three best teams when mostly healthy in this league are all NFC teams.

30:49 I think it's Seattle, I think it's San Francisco, and I think it's Chicago. I think there's a lot of AFC girth. You get four down, your New Englands, your Kansas Cities, your Buffaloes, your Denvers. And it's gone back and forth through the years.

31:04 I think the top of the NFC just looks different. Chicago.

31:08 Youth, coaching, speed, quarterback play. Seattle looks different. And I wouldn't go crazy on the Niners. They get a bye. They come out of the bye with a couple of games, two or three in which they'll be heavily favored. So the NFC right now is the superior conference. We could put the herd hierarchy up again. And I think the middle and the back end of it, I mean, listen, it's a deep league. Jacksonville did not make, or Minnesota, neither won. I can't put Minnesota in there with that offense.

31:39 I don't care if they're 6-0. If they went to 9-0, I guess you're kind of trapped. But I think the top of the league is pretty easy to spot. And then by about, I don't think the Seahawks Niners Bears, I think the Seahawks are the only, now that they've added Quentin Nelson, I think they're a flawless team. I think San Francisco's age is a real flaw. I think the Bears need an edge rusher. I think New England needs to be more dynamic offensively. Kansas City needs another receiver.

32:08 Bills need another cornerback. Lions could use another somebody on the defensive front. Broncos need a better offense early in the game. rams may at nine me eventually could be the fourth best team in the league i mean i i i watch the rams and i'm like if miles garrett comes back they have their bullpen they have their closer um cincinnati's second half against the ravens was like nothing i mean it was seven on seven high school quarterback receiver drill all right world series can we get history from the brewers i'll say it now