The Best of The Dan Patrick Show

0:00This is an I Heart Podcast. Guaranteed Human. On the new podcast, Solita, we share the messy reality of traveling alone as a woman. I can wait four hours for the next bus or this random dude is offering me a ride on his motorcycle. I choose option B. I'm Julie Pinero and I travel by myself because it's a rare space where I can say yes without asking anyone else first. I'm on a mission to reclaim the word Solita, trading the pity for possibility. Listen to Solita on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. I survived nine months in captivity and I've spent my life exploring how other people survive what should have destroyed them. I'm Elizabeth Smart and these are the survivor files. Every week I'm with survivors who live through the unthinkable. Abducted, stalked, controlled and nearly silenced.

1:00These are stories about what it takes to make it out alive. Listen to the survivor files with Elizabeth Smart on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Why are you dealing with listening to harm, strong and getting on demand? We're not boring. Lot of news is boring and tedious and depressing and makes you angry. You don't want to live your life like that. Hey, I'm Jack Armstrong. He's Joe Getty. We're Armstrong and Getty. We try to bring you the truth and help you figure out this crazy modern world. How about something about a comedic tone? What? We have a winner? Yes. Listen to Armstrong and Getty on demand on the I Heart Radio app. Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. On Big Lives, we take a single cultural icon. People like Jane Fonda, George Michael, Little Richard. And we pull apart the story behind the image, discovering forgotten interviews that change exactly how we see these giants of our culture. We're here for the messy, the brilliant, the human version of our heroes.

2:00I'm your mental joe chi. At Kai Wright. And this is Big Lives. Listen to Big Lives on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Brett Coleman and I'm Trevor Sikama. If you love football and want to understand what's really happening on the field, check out our show NFL Pro. Every week we break down the biggest plays, trends and matchups using exclusive next-gen stats, insights and NFL content you will not find anywhere else. Whether you're new to football, a fantasy football fanag, or a diehard fan, NFL Pro will help you analyze the game like a pro. Listen to NFL Pro on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. You are listening to the Dan Patrick's show on Fox Sports Radio. I don't think it's a surprise, but maybe there's an element of shock that yes, Aaron Donald is coming back. I think we were kind of waiting to see what kind of money the Rams could free up. This is what I don't understand.

3:02And Chris Sims from Pro Football talk will join us in about 20 minutes. How did the Rams just have $20 million laying around? Did they go through the seat cushions there? At so far, I'll be damn, we got $20 million here for Aaron Donald. The incentives to make $30 million. How do you have that money just kind of hanging around there in a 401k mutual fund? Something, but he's going to get $20 million. And I was curious, and we're still trying to find this out. The Rams are prohibitive favorites. They are plus 500 to win the Super Bowl, followed by the bills and ravens at plus 1,000. Probably the chiefs a few years ago, maybe similar favorites going into a season, but the Rams overwhelming favorites, they're over under is 11 and a half. Now, they play in a tough division, obviously, with San Francisco and Seattle. But I think most people would probably go for the over there with the Rams,

4:05which would have me go for the under, but the odds to win the Super Bowl plus 500, winning the NFC plus 290 to win the division minus 105. Aaron Donald defensive player of the year odds plus 5,000, has a better chance to win the comeback player of the year at plus 750. Here is Aaron Donald on why he's coming back. Ben here, a big part of this team potentially doing something special. That's what it's about. I think the Super Bowl being back at Sofa kind of site you too, but it's a long process to even get to that point. You can't jump past the process and the ground that you got to go through to get to that. Obviously, that's the end goal you want to do. But I'm just present, and I'm here, and I'm glad to be here. And I'm just going to work, get myself what I need to be. Earn my position wherever that is and whatever my role is. And just do that at a high level.

5:07How would you like to be the guy who is in his position right now? And Aaron Donald has to earn his position. I'm looking at this Rams defensive line. So Aaron Donald, Miles Garrett had 23 sacks last season. Kobe Turner had seven sacks. Byron Young had 12 sacks last season. Brandon Fisk had 11 and a half sacks in two years at defensive tackle. There's no excuse to not getting to the quarterback there with the Rams. Here is the Rams head coach Sean McVeigh. Good to be able to get Aaron back into the mix. He and I obviously you guys know how close we are. And there's been a lot of dialogue that we've had. And excited to be able to just take it a day at a time. There's I'm not going to talk about, you know, any sort of plans. It's going to be a day at a time for us. What does that mean for Australia? You know, the first step was, all right, if you're coming back, let's let's do that. Let's get you out on the practice field. Let's get you acclimated to your teammates to your coaches. And then we'll see what that ramp up period looks like.

6:07Whether or not he's available or whether or not we think it's best to be able to play him in Australia. And I think the best way to do it is take it one day at a time. But we're obviously excited to be able to have him back. Yeah. And I go back to a Daniel Jeremiah said last week. He said, I can't see Aaron Donald playing. If he comes back, he's not going to be playing in Australia. I don't need him in September. I need him in December, January, February. I need home field advantage. That's at so far. Super Bowl would be played there. I don't know how many snaps. I'd have him on a snap count. Let him go in their situational. He only wants to play home games. Or you only want him to play home games. Whatever it is to make sure that the bottom line, the end goal is when the Super Bowl. Here are some other favorites that were better, bigger favorites. Now, Kansas City in 2024 was plus 500. 2021, Kansas City was plus 450. 2020, Kansas City plus 450. New England, New England in 2019, plus 400.

7:11New England, 2017, plus 275. I'm looking at New England in 07 was plus 250. So, they're prohibitive favorites, but out of that grouping, I mean, nobody has been a better, bigger favorite than New England was at plus 250. That was 07. The Packers in 97 plus 250. Green Bay in 1998 plus 250. And San Francisco in 1996 plus 250. Shadow the day. Runt you by Penini America. Yes, Paul. How do you think the Seattle Seahawks feel about the signing and the coverage they've gotten or not gotten this month?

8:14Well, they can't do anything about the signing. And the coverage, if I'm Seattle, I'm like, fine, I don't care. Let the Rams be up there. Kansas City be up there. The Eagles up there. Patriots. Cowboys. Seattle won and Seattle was the best team in the NFL last year from start to finish both sides of the ball. Seattle's probably saying, all right, that's okay. If you can be an underdog is defending Super Bowl champs, they are. Yes, Dylan. Yeah, if you're in their division, you actually want everyone to just talk about how great the Rams are, how they're going to win the Super Bowl, etc, etc. Are the Rams a team you root against, though? Like Kansas City, the Patriots, certain teams you've rooted against. Cowboys, you've rooted against. Maybe the Eagles, I mean, I don't find them polarizing. But it feels like are the Rams villains?

9:17I don't know. They're just a smart organization. They do it right. You make the trade to get Matthew Stafford. You give up golf, you're giving up first round picks, and it worked. Now, Aaron Donald's been retired for a couple of years. You swing a trade for Miles Garrett. Because you got Miles Garrett, in my opinion, you opened Aaron Donald's eyes to, I don't have to be the focal point. Maybe I'm not the one getting double teamed. Hey, this might be fun to go against one guy instead of two or three. They've done a great job. Now, you got to navigate the Pukinakua situation. So, and you got a great coach, you got, I mean, defense. You're winning games because of defense this year. And you got a Hall of Fame quarterback, very good running back. Wide receivers, but you know, once again, 22 at well doesn't excite me too much, but that might be insurance if Pukinakua gets suspended.

10:23Yes, Paulie. I think the Rams are root forable if that's a phrase. Like, I want to see Miles Garrett play in relevant football games at some point in his career. He's played in three postseason games, ironically like Mike Trout played in three postseason games. First ballot guys, but I want to see him play in January. But I don't know if the football world goes, you know, I'd like to see him play in the playoffs. I don't think that we're that generous charitable that we're like, you know, like Mike Trout. Okay, I get it. You know, three games in your entire career. First ballot Hall of Famer. Then we're like, all right, be nice if you got a chance to play in a meaningful playoff series. But I never once said, now I didn't say, well, it'd be nice if he got out of Cleveland and be able to play in meaningful games. Because if you're in Cleveland, it's like, okay, you'll see highlights. Now you're watching entire games. And that'll be the difference. People will watch Miles Garrett for an entire game.

11:24Speaking of which, because it was week zero, everybody is going Gaga over Carolina's win against TCU. Now granted TCU, that's a few years ago. They were in the national title game. So they went nine and four, nine and four, five and seven, I think the last three years. It's in Dublin. Okay. You won the game, but it's a standalone game and you might have watched the entire game. And you're going all situational football, bellichag mastermind. He's going to draw him off. I'm, I'm yelling, don't jump. Don't jump. They jumped. If I know it, how do you, how do you go to the line of scrimmage if you're TCU? And you've been told probably 50 times in the huddle, don't jump. Don't jump. Don't jump. And then you have the defensive tackle jump. That's it. But did I think Bill Bellichag coached a masterful game? No, but it's better than a loss. So that's all. There's no style points here.

12:30They're not going to be a 10 win team. They still look shaky on offense. They did play really good defense, but you're playing TCU in Dublin. I'm going to go to the line and slow down just a little bit. I hate to be a buzzkill, but I'm being a buzzkill. It was a nice win considering who they are, what they've been, and what happened last year. Yes, Paul. I just got this from Fritzi. Actually about an hour ago. Will Bill Bellichag be Dublin, his win total? Dublin, his win total. Thank you. Thank you, Paul. I didn't need the second. That's a Todd. Thank you. Yes, Marvin. I'm with you. I don't want to overreact, but also the sign of a bad team is you celebrating when you get a team to jump off sides. The way they were jumping up and down, when TCU jumped off sides for them to seal the victory, I was like, this might be five wins at best for this team. You know, I'm going to get Todd a bloop on that. Considering he's probably

13:33getting ready for major surgery, but he's thinking about the audience. Yes, Dylan. You would think that Todd might be a little loopy from whatever drugs. They put him on to knock him out. That's still just sound like this as usual. But they don't give me any drugs until they knock you down. Maybe he's already done. It is just a finger. I mean, they can't take that long. No, but they put him under. Yeah, but he might be awake now after being under. No, I don't think the surgery is over yet. No, I don't think so. But that picture of him in his hospital bed, and he's got the shower cap on his well. He was texting me over the weekend. I said, don't you have a wife? Leave me alone. It's not major surgery because he want to know if I'd had surgery. I said, Todd, I'm a game of operation. I've had more surgeries than the entire room combined. He goes, I know, but when you go under, like they make sure you're out, right? I go,

14:35yes, they're not going to operate on you. If you're still awake, unless you ask, I was asked with one of my knee surgeries, do you want to watch? They were going to numb me from the waist down. And I said, no, and this doctor couldn't believe that I didn't want to watch the surgery of them. It was micro fracture surgery. So they were taking like a drill going into my knee, into the bone. I go, no, he goes, well, make a tape of it for you. Yes, Dylan. Yeah, I would watch maybe someone else get knee surgery. I don't want to watch it be done on me. No, I don't want to watch somebody else. Well, I'm not like clamoring for that. But I was saying, I'd be more inclined if they're like, hey, do you want to see us do it on this guy? Then do you want to watch your own knee? No, me none. No, don't need to. But there, these doctors are like fascinated with this. Hey, what if I just numb you? You got to watch. I go, no, and he goes,

15:42we have a nice screen right here. I could put it right here and I go, no, no. Watching childbirth is enough and that's not even on me. Be sure to catch the live edition of the Dan Patrick show, weekdays at 9 a.m. Eastern 6 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio in the I Heart Radio app. Hey, it's Kovino and Rift from Fox Sports Radio. Now, in addition to hearing us live weekdays for 5 to 7 p.m. Eastern 2 to 4 Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, we're excited to announce a brand new YouTube channel for the show. Yep, that's right. You can now watch Kovino Enriched Live on YouTube every day. All you got to do, search Kovino Enrich FSR on YouTube. Again, go to YouTube, search Kovino Enrich FSR. Check us out on YouTube, subscribe, hit that thumbs up icon, and comment away. When I was 14 years old, I was kidnapped and health captive for 9 months. I survived and I've spent my life exploring how other people survive what should have destroyed them.

16:45I'm Elizabeth Smart and these are the survivor files. I just remember this low taunting voice next to my ear saying, shut up, don't say anything. Every week, I'm with survivors who lived through the unthinkable. I knew if he woke up without a doubt, he was going to hurt me. I started feeling that someone at the end of my bed and I just started screaming. They are abducted, stocked, controlled, and nearly silenced, but these aren't stories about what's taken from them. Their stories about what it takes to make it out alive. Listen to the survivor files with Elizabeth Smart on the iHeart Radio app Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. On the new podcast, Solita, we share the messy reality of traveling alone as a woman. I can wait 4 hours for the next bus or this random dude is offering me a ride on his motorcycle. I choose option B. I'm Julie Piñero and I travel by myself

17:48because it's a rare space where I can say yes without asking anyone else first. I'm on a mission to reclaim the word Solita, trading the pity for possibility. Every time I tried to be alone, I kept meeting people and they were like, you smiled at us, not a lot of people smile around here. It's when you're alone that you're most receptive to the world as it is and not the lies you're sold about it. It can be a time where you push your limits, change your mind, or wake up to a new version of yourself. So whether you're a solo travel veteran or you're too nervous to book your first trip, I hope you listen to Solita on the iHeart Radio app Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. If you're bookshelf and you're for you page are equally important to your personality, welcome home. This is Pro's Society, the weekly podcast that's part book club, part group chat for thought daughters, pop culture obsessives, and anyone who thinks pride and prejudice and love

18:48island deserve the same level of discourse. I'm Eli Rallo and every week we're connecting the dots between books, the internet, and the conversations everyone can't stop having. I'm going to have to look up this story. I'm obsessed. From bestselling authors and your favorite book talk creators to the latest pop culture moments, nothing is off the table. It's like if you can hide some real messages inside compelling characters and that is the Trojan horse, whether you're looking for literary deep dives, smart pop culture conversations, or a community of readers who love to think a little too much, you're in the right place. Listen to Pro's Society on the iHeart Radio app Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. See you between the pages. That call was really pivotal for me. Hey, it's Emily Tish Sussman and this season on She Pivots, the podcast where women share bold career moves and personal turning points that changed everything. I sit down with culture shifting women who share their pivots like Para Olympian Alley Truett. I was like I'm a man

19:50out from a shark attack. There's no way in 11 months I'm making the Verilandics. Advocate Elizabeth Smart. I still feel that drive that I can still make a difference so I'm going to keep going. Celebrity chef Carla Hall was that scary to walk away from such a stable career after just two years? No, I was more afraid of being unhappy than I was broke and in a dead and job that I didn't enjoy. An feminist legend, Gloria Steinem. All of us were trying to express women's real lives. We need a meeting place of our own and if I can contribute to that, I'd like to maintain that and leave this house for that purpose. Listen to She Pivots on the iHeart Radio app Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. On big lives, we take a single cultural icon. People like Jane Fonda, George Michael, Richard Pryor, and we pull apart the story behind the image. And we do this by digging through the BBC's vast archive. We're talking iconic moments in broadcast history. I'm not just a boxer, I'm educating, I can talk all week on the millions of subjects.

20:55And forgotten interviews that change how we see these giants of our culture. Well, if changing the system from the ground up is revolutionary, then I'm revolutionary. We're here for the messy, the brilliant, the human version of our heroes. And when I go on stage, I like to dress as slutty as possible because it makes me dance better for some reason. I'm Emmanuel Jochi. I'm Kai Wright. And this is Big Lives. Listen to Big Lives on the iHeart Radio app Apple podcasts or wherever you get podcasts. Chris Sims, pro football talk live co-host, his podcast is entitled Unbutton. NBC sports college football and was okay. Help me understand how the Rams had $20 million just kind of hanging around there waiting for Aaron Donald. Yeah, well, I think they had a finagle a few things, right? But they had the they had money left over regardless. I think that going into yesterday, what was it? Maybe $15, $16 million below the salary cap there? So that was the big question all along.

22:01Was was was Aaron Donald going to come back and go, Nope, just give me the $30 million that I'm supposed to get and we'll go from there. That's where I was always like, I'm interested to see how this contract thing goes down. But obviously they got it right. They got some very easy. If you're on the 53 man roster, he gets big bonuses each week that way. And then add it on top of that, the bonuses, right? If they get to the playoffs and the Super Bowl, which is all very realistic, to where he could possibly make 30 million. It's not the most far-fetched incentive one year contract I've ever seen. That's for sure. How would you use him? I would take it slow at first. One thing I learned in my days working for New England in the short term I was there is that we would have weeks, right? And you remember this like Grunkowski had like the, I don't know, some metal thing in his wrist or whatever, right? And one of his bionic injury moments. And I remember he came back and I was like, oh, gosh, he practiced this week. He's in a play. And

23:04oh, he's not going to play. Oh, all right. Next week. All right. Practice all week. Look pretty good. I guess he's going to, oh, no, he's not going to play. Bill was great at making sure the guys were ready and in game shape, not just throwing him out there because he's available again. And I hope hopefully they take the same approach. I'm surprised it took him this long to get into training camp because I would have thought he'd want to get into some of the combat of situations and just feel and get his body into football shape that way. I think first game, you know, 15, 25 snaps on big passing downs. That's what I would envision. But who knows, he is such a freak of nature. Maybe he's capable of more. I, if I send him to Australia, I send him on a vacation. He's not playing. I just say, you know, him and the family, you want to go over and root on the team and have some fun here. But I don't, I don't want him playing. No, no, the problem is, is I don't think you're going to be able to stop him from playing if he thinks he feels good and is ready to go this week. But, but yeah, you got to be careful. You know,

24:06I know he feels great and everything's trending in the right direction. But as he said in his press conference yesterday, I still haven't done 11 on 11 football. And you know, you can run the ladder and go around the loops and lift all the weights you want. But that first time, you're going to take a pulling guard on Dan, you know, and hit him and then put your body in some awkward wrestling position and then try to get him off. That's the next piece of the puzzle he's got to get in shape for. Feel how he responds the next day and go from there. And yeah, that's, you know, I'm kind of with you. It is not ready, ready, ready. Don't even risk it. But if he does play, I don't think it'll be a ton of just be some situations. All right. It's a quarterback. You go to the line of scrimmage. You more concerned with Aaron Donald or Miles Garrett. Well, right now, Miles Garrett, I think that's the other thing that's so crazy about this. I think if it was really just about anybody else in the history of football, I go, wait, defense attack, oh, 35 years old, hasn't played in two years. I've never seen this before. I got to believe it to see it to really think it's going to be top notch. There's a little of that thought. But because it's Aaron Donald,

25:10and we know he stayed in shape and he's a psycho about his body anyways and all that. If there's one guy that can kind of do this, it would be him. But I can tell you just from texting with my friends in the NFL and everybody, I think everybody's a little like, can he really do this? Is he really going to be that good? And if he is that good, can he stay healthy? Would taken two years off? And that's going to be something everybody's going to be watching for. It was cut down day yesterday. Were you cut in your career? Yeah, I was. I was cut, you know, two different times really. You know, once I lost my spleen and then, you know, I had that year where I had a year to get healthy, but the bucks cut me to try to trade me into the very last second. Then they cut me. And then I got cut in Denver by Josh McDaniels as well. And and Tennessee in my last year of my career. So yeah, I've been cut many times. Okay. But how do you how do you get cut? Like what? Yeah, well, okay. Well, it's it could be. So Tampa Tampa, I knew they didn't want to keep me

26:10and all that. And they were moving on. And I marked Dominic the old GM there. I remember him calling me and being like, Hey, Lake, we got a few teams that have been calling about you. So we're going to kind of see we might be able to trade you. But if we don't trade you, you know, we'll call you back and we'll probably have to release you at the end of the day. So that was that one. Denver, I had no idea. I was in the locker room that day. And I saw the guy that was going around getting people that were cut. It was the first day back of the off season. And I knew there might be trouble with my price tag, my age and all of that. And all the sudden I turned around and that damn bastard that goes around and cuts people. He was at my locker and I was like, Oh, man, really? I was like, damn. And that that one hurt. That definitely did. So that's kind of how it goes down. It's not something you really want to see or or feel or deal with. You can't fight back. Can you? No, you can't fight back. And you know, the worst part about it too was with Josh McDaniel. I was there in Denver. You know, he of course, such a great offensive mind. And I wanted some of my play sheets and things that I had in the playbook. And damn, they acted like it was NASA and the

27:14CIA. And they're nope, nope, you're not giving this a no. And I was like, come on. I was like, what can I just go talk to Josh? I just want to keep this and this. I might coach one day. And you know, they were like, no, no, you'll have to deal with that some other time. Get the hell out of the building. He's Chris Sims, pro football talk live co-host that precedes this show on peacock. Help me understand the J. J. McCarthy. Like, hey, let's celebrate. You made the 53 man roster. Well, that's a big, big fall from a guy a couple of years ago. You're taking and he's going to be your, you know, franchise quarterback. Right. No, things aren't looking good. That's second preseason game was, you know, alarming to a degree because all the things that we wondered whether he fixed or polished up and got better at playing the position. Can he throw the ball with touch? Can he throw with anticipation? You know, can he, can he stay healthy? Ganged up his ankle in that game a little bit. And we saw that game where we saw bad decisions, late throws, wide open guys where I don't

28:16know, we, we threw it so hard that the guy couldn't even catch it or it wasn't even in their stratosphere because he threw it so hard. He lost control of it. So yeah, they keep them because quarterbacks are such a big asset as we know. But yeah, it does feel like is he really the backup, is Carson, when's the backup? Are they both kind of the backup? We'll see where it goes, but he certainly hasn't done anything to make us feel like, gosh, he's the future of Minnesota. Everybody gets caught up in arms strength. And I find it overrated because of the number of passes that are probably 15 yards or less. Now you got to throw to the numbers. I know all of that. But I want to know, do you have touch and can you put it where you need to put it? Yeah, I would start there because Will Levis is out of a job. JJ McCarthy's holding on and everybody talks about boy, they got arms strength there. Joe Milton might have the strongest arm in the NFL. Sure. I want to know if you can play the position. I hear you. That's that's that's number one. That's important. But I will say again,

29:17when you go through your great quarterbacks of the history of the sport or the ones right now, really other than Drew Breeze and maybe Joe Montana, the arms are exceptional. And I know what you're saying, playing the positions, the number one thing where you want it to really meet up is go, wait, can the guy throw his fastball and make power throws and still control the football? Right? That's what we like Josh Allen when he came out, we go, damn, he can throw it through a brick wall. But I'm not sure I'll hit the brick wall sometimes. And then he refined it and fixed mechanics and you saw that and then he started to go, wow, he can throw lasers and put it anywhere he wants. And that's the special ones. But you're right. I'm with you. I mean, if you give me one of the other, I want the guy that can play first, but your special ones, they do have those type of arms that I think sometimes not not even myself in the general public gives credit to those maybe four or five throws a game that my homes are Allen or Lamar make because their arm is so powerful.

30:18And those can be difference making type throws or plays in the football game. How do you think the Seattle Seahawks feel today? Like a little bit like the forgotten team like, oh gosh, yeah, hey, the Rams are going to win the Super Bowl. Do you hear that guys? I'm sure they're a little chippy about it. Probably kind of, like, you know, liking the fact that they're looked at as the underdogs right now. But hey, this is this is a real rivalry. I mean, we know that division's crazy. And I mean, no, just respect to New England, who's phenomenal team last year and all that. But I don't think you would disagree. I mean, last year, they felt like the Rams were the second best team in the NFL. It felt like if they went to the Super Bowl, they would have beat the Patriots as well. They had the Seahawks on the ropes or, you know, in the first half of that NFC championship game. So, you know, they're a chippy group up there. They're damn good. And we shouldn't forget about them. That's for sure. What is the number one question you have going into this season? Oh, the number one question I have going into this season. All right. So,

31:23you know, that's a good one. And I haven't had anybody pose that to me. I think here's my number one question. How good is the Kansas City Chiefs going to be? I think that's a real like, I don't think as I have to end this week, I'm going to pick teams that go to the playoffs and do my playoff I don't think I'm willing to pick the Kansas City Chiefs to go to the playoffs. I don't. I mean, I'm certainly going to pick them third in the AFC as I see West as I sit here right now. So, that to me, you know, it's not that it's a big question. It just feels so weird and odd and rare because it's one of the greatest quarterbacks we've ever seen. They've been at the top of the mountain for so long. And I do think they're kind of rebuilding their team on the fly here after an underwhelming year last year. And I just, I'm just not sure about them this year. And I don't see it on paper to go, oh, yeah, I think there's something here. They might make a real run at this thing. I saw reports that Patrick Mahomes is going to run less. I don't know how you do that mentally. When you go back to pass and there's the rush and I just don't know if you go, oh, that's right.

32:28I'm not allowed to run. Like when you get back there, it's progressions. I'll go there, there, okay, now I have to take off. Lamar Jackson said that he didn't run as much as he normally does. He was banged up. But I don't know how you do that in the moment as quick as the game is that you go, no, not going to run. That's going to be something he has to adjust to. I think you'll see some plays that are ugly and week one because his mind's going to go, wait, I'm going to get out of here and get out of trouble. But his body's going to go, wait, wait, you're not that fast and you can't move that well right now. And he might, you might see plays where he kind of gets out of the pocket and all of a sudden he's like, oh gosh, I can't get away from this guy. I just got to throw it away or throw it at the feet of somebody. I wouldn't be surprised if you saw a whole lot of plays like that at first. But I do think it will start to click and he'll start to realize, wait, I can't always do it with my playmaking extending the play. I'm going to just have to know, hey, where's my hot route? Where's my quick throw? If somebody gets through the line of scrimmage, he's going to have to think like us,

33:29most of us normal quarterbacks used to have to think where we couldn't just go, oh, wait, oh, yeah, this guy isn't open. I'll just sit back here and move around and make some time and and buy some time before it throws some laser. So he's going to have to be a normal guy that way. But as you know, and as we all know, he's a Jim Rat. He's a junkie. And I think he will adjust pretty quickly. Why will this, could this, will this be the Buffalo Bills year? Oh, well, you're talking to the wrong guy, okay? Because I don't think it will be their year. All right. To me, the Buffalo Bills have been overrated for quite some time. You know, I didn't, I do not think they should have fired Sean McDermott. That would be the first thing. And anybody that knows me or listens to me, I always say it. I mean, they're in the window. It feels, and you and I have had this conversation, very John L. Weiish, where I go, wait, the team, you know, there's good. And, but we're going to put him in the Super Bowl window. Why is that? Oh, because the quarterback is the best player in the NFL right now. And I just look at it. Hey, I like DJ Moore. Are they going to get a new coach energy

34:33bump with a guy that was already there and part of the, the regime is, is I don't know about that. And I still come away. And it's compared to the most of the top teams in football. I go, if we walk down the street in New York City, Dan, and I asked, you know, Johnny on 52nd and 5th and go, Hey, who's the best player on the bill's defense? I think you'd get a lot of, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, well, hold on. Um, uh, oh, we think of that head. Oliver guy. Uh, and so that to me is says a lot right there. And yeah, I don't look at them as a Super Bowl team, Dan. Your team Ravens, right? Yeah. I'm team Ravens. I like them. Yeah, I definitely do. There's potential there for sure. But yeah, I do like them. Is that your Super Bowl pick? Oh, no, it's not my Super Bowl pick. And I don't know what I'm, I'm going to do yet. I mean, I, are you falling in love with the chargers? I, I, I, listen, I think the chargers, I will say this. Don't do it. Though I'm not going to do it. But I do think that there, if it's really about that offensive line. And if they can just

35:35stay healthy, I do think I would put them maybe on the short list at the bottom of that short list of teams that I think are in the Super Bowl window. I do that. Uh, it's hard not to like the Rams. The NFC is so wide open. Philadelphia, of course, still has the talent to do that and be in the Super Bowl. Detroit, I still think it could come out of nowhere here. Not like they're coming out of nowhere and being that game. Uh, I, I gotta, we have me back next week. And I'll tell you who I think is going to go to the Super Bowl. I'm not sure yet. Are you buying into the Cowboys? I, I think the Cowboys are a playoff caliber team. I do like, like, there's no question about the offense. So that's not even a thing. Well, wait a minute. Playoff team and playoff caliber are different. Yeah. No, I think they're a playoff team. Okay. Right. That's, I'll just say that. I think they are. And I think they've done enough on that defensive side of the ball and then having a new decordinator down there from Philadelphia and a different scheme that, yes, I look at them to be a playoff team. The giants in their division, they are what you said. Playoff caliber. I'm not sure I'm going to

36:38put them into playoffs, but I do look at it and go, ooh, I wouldn't be shocked if we're here in mid-December going, hey, if the giants win their last two, they're going to go to the playoffs. I would not be shocked by that. Great to talk to you. We'll have you on next week to get your Super Bowl pick. Hey, I like that. Thanks. Hey, one thing. Make sure you tell those jerks. I said I, especially that fritzy jerk, all right. He's out having major surgery today. Oh my gosh. Well, I would feel bad if it weren't for him, but I hope he's okay. All right. Well, you did lose his spleen. Yeah. Yeah. So I know about major surgery, but you didn't, you don't need it, do you? Obviously not. I'm sitting here talking to you. So I made it, but yeah, he's not getting his spleen removed. I mean, I was texting with him last night. He didn't tell me he was going to get major surgery. Well, he had finger surgery. You're having finger surgery. What? All right. So, let's reclassify what we just said. Did you say major surgery? He thinks it's major surgery because they put him under. Oh my gosh. I'm, I'm, have me back next week when he's here so

37:43we can really discuss this. You almost died on a football field. Yes. I almost died on a football field. The fact that I didn't make the NFL top 10, gutsyous performances over some of those people that made that list. I want to go. They took out part of your gut. Exactly. Exactly. You mean I come back player of the year? I didn't win Jack Italy crap. Not even Tampa Bay wanted to give me anything because they were so scared to be legally liable. They didn't even want to act like I came back from anything there either. You lost it. Do you have another spleen? No, I don't have another spleen. My spleen is in the trash somewhere in Tampa, Florida. It's gone. Thank you, Chris. See you, man. That's Chris Sims. Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk line up in the nation. Catch all of our shows at Fox Sports Radio dot com. And within the I Heart Radio app search FSR to listen live. When I was 14 years old, I was kidnapped and health captive for nine months. I survived and I've spent my life exploring how other people survive what should have destroyed

38:49them. I'm Elizabeth Smart and these are the survivor files. You just remember this low taunting voice next to my ear saying shut up. Don't play anything. Every week, I'm with survivors who live through the unthinkable. I knew if he woke up without a doubt, he was going to hurt me. I started feeling that there was someone at the end of my bed and I just started screaming. They are abducted, stalked, controlled and nearly silenced. But these aren't stories about what's taken from them. Their story is about what it takes to make it out alive. Listen to the survivor files with the Elizabeth Smart on the I Heart Radio app Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. On the new podcast, Solita, we share the messy reality of traveling alone as a woman. I can wait four hours for the next bus or this random dude is offering me a ride on his motorcycle. I chose

39:50I'm Julie Pinieto and I travel by myself because it's a rare space where I can say yes without asking anyone else first. I'm on a mission to reclaim the word Solita, trading the pity for possibility. Every time I try to be alone, I kept meeting people and they were like, you smiled at us, not a lot of people smile around here. It's when you're alone that you're most receptive to the world as it is and not the lies you're sold about it. It can be a time where you push your limits, change your mind or wake up to a new version of yourself. So whether you're a solo travel veteran or you're too nervous to book your first trip, I hope you listen to Solita on the I Heart Radio app, Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. If you're a bookshelf and you're for you page are equally important to your personality, welcome home. This is Pros Society, the weekly podcast that's part book club, part group chat for thought daughters, pop culture obsessives and anyone who thinks pride and prejudice and love island

40:54deserve the same level of discourse. I'm Eli Rallo and every week we're connecting the dots between books, the internet and the conversations everyone can't stop having. I'm going to have to look up this story. I'm obsessed. From bestselling authors and your favorite book talk creators to the latest pop culture moments, nothing is off the table. So like if you can hide some real messages inside compelling characters and that is the Trojan horse, whether you're looking for literary deep dives, smart pop culture conversations or a community of readers who love to think a little too much, you're in the right place. Listen to Pros Society on the I Heart Radio app, Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. See you between the pages. That call was really pivotal for me. Hey, it's Emily Tish Sussman and this season on She Pivots, the podcast where women share bold career moves and personal turning points that changed everything. I sit down with culture shifting women who share their pivots like Para Olympian Alley Truett. I was like I'm a month out from a

41:56shark attack. There's no way in 11 months I'm making the very long text advocate Elizabeth smart. I still feel that drive that I can still make a difference. So I'm going to keep going. Celebrity chef Carla Hall was that scary to walk away from such a stable career after those two years? No, I was more afraid of being unhappy than I was broke and in a dead and job that I didn't enjoy. And feminist legend, Gloria Steinem. All of us were trying to express women's real lives. We need a meeting place of our own and if I can contribute to that, I'd like to maintain that and leave this house for that purpose. Listen to She Pivots on the I Heart Radio app, Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. On big lives, we take a single cultural icon. People like Jane Fonda, George Michael, Richard Pryor, and we pull apart the story behind the image. And we do this by digging through the BBC's vast archive. We're talking iconic moments in broadcast history. I'm not just a boxer, I'm educating, I can talk all week on

42:59millions of subjects. And forgotten interviews that change how we see these giants of our culture. Well, if changing the system from the ground up is revolutionary, then I'm revolutionary. We're here for the messy, the brilliant, the human version of our heroes. And when I go on stage, I like to dress as slutty as possible because it makes me dance better for some reason. I'm Emmanuel Jochi. I'm Kai Wright. And this is Big Lives. Listen to Big Lives on the I Heart Radio app, Apple podcasts or wherever you get podcasts. College football ramps up a little bit more than week zero. Joel Klad teams up with Gus Johnson, Jenny Taft and Fox Sports, Big noon Saturday, starting this Saturday, Indiana hosting North Texas. And then following Saturday, it'll be Oklahoma and Michigan. Good to see again, Joel. Help us not overreact to North Carolina, winning against TCU. Well, I think a small bit of overreaction may be appropriate, only because of how well they

44:07played on the defensive side. And the way that they adjusted in that game after the first three series, you know, TCU scores 10 points. And then from that point on, I thought that the defense for you and C played excellent. They didn't allow explosive plays. They largely shut down the run game. And if they can just do that, they'll be more competitive than they were a year ago. You know, yes, this might not be Kurt Sigmetti at Indiana the first year going, you know, 10 and two or 11 and one and getting into the college football playoff. But this is going to be a more competitive team. Remember, this exact same game a year ago was a blowout. TCU hammered North Carolina. And so that growth, I think, provides a fair bit of optimism that this team under Bill Bollacek is going to be more competitive from the four and eight version that we saw a year ago. I think that they still struggled offensively. The lack of run game is concerning to say the least. But if they can continue to play that way defensively, they'll at least be in games.

45:10And I think with a guy that's instilling the type of situational football and you would think the discipline, they could possibly win some of those games. And maybe they can be a bowl team. They only had three penalties, Dan. And so those things are I'm optimistic about. And if there's something to overreact about, it's like, okay, this team's probably going to be in a lot of one possession games during the course of the year. More pressure this year. I know it's going to sound strange here, but Lane Kiffin or Davo Sweeney. Man, you know, Dan Davo doesn't Davo just have enough in the tank, right? I mean, like he's one national championships at Clemson. Meanwhile, Lane Kiffin, you know, Lane Kiffin makes one of the more selfish moves in the history of college football. And I'm not blaming him for it, but it was. It was just call it what it was, leaving Ole Miss in the middle of their playoff run. And now he's at the center of this eligibility

46:12controversy, which is a mess. And they spent upwards of $45 million on the roster, all that money to get him. And you look at the expectations at LSU. And I personally think that it's not about at LSU. I go, we just want to be competitive. No, no, you've got to go compete for SEC titles. You've got to go to the playoff. You've got to win games in the playoff. I don't know if that's the expectation of Clemson fans right now. I think that they would love that certainly. But if they look around and they really look at their roster and they look at what happened a year ago, I don't know if that level of expectation is there for the Tigers. So more pressure, I would say, is on Lane. Now, not necessarily for his job right away, because it's an exorbitant fee to try to get away from him. But just in the sense of expectation and pressure, I think Lane is under more of it than Davos Swini, who at this point is he's kind of a legend in the seat. It's going to be his decision, whatever happens. What about Lincoln Riley on that pressure seat?

47:18Yeah, I think there's a lot of pressure on Lincoln Riley in particular, because he has brought that on himself in a lot of ways by stating how good this team is and stating this is my best team. So he's ramped up those expectations, which he's confident. I think you could see that on Saturday. That was a very different USC team than we saw even a couple of years ago. They had a really good team with Caleb Williams. We all know that. But it was largely because of the brilliance of Caleb Williams running around, creating big plays. It was a splashy USC offense that relied on big plays. It could run a little bit and they did not play very good defense. This was a lot different than that, at least for the first three quarters. They were methodical long drives throughout the entirety of that first half. Great two-minute series. They didn't rely on big plays. Their longest play was 33 yards. Only two of their plays went over 20. It was sustained line of scrimmage dominance, which is different than what we've seen for USC in the last few years.

48:19Then their defense in the first three quarters was excellent. That game was not a 42-26 game. They thoroughly dominated. It's 35-3. That's more sustainable, in particular with a big 10 schedule. They don't have a lot of tests early until Oregon comes to town. We'll see what happens then. I was optimistic for USC based on what happened on Saturday in the Coliseum, even if there wasn't a lot of people in the stands. Is that a big deal? You've spent enough time out here in California. I hate doing this. I'm from Colorado. I'm a college football guy. I like to see the stadiums full. I love the fan bases that show up no matter what. No matter what the weather is, what time of year it is, no matter the opponent and they show up. There are a lot of fan bases like that. It doesn't matter who Ohio State plays. There's 105,000. Michigan's same deal. You could say the same for a lot of the teams down in the

49:20SEC who have tremendous support. USC is just not that way because LA is not that way. I don't think it's indicative of the wider support that they get. I live in Orange County, South of Los Angeles. I can tell you everybody is talking about USC. I think it's over 90 degrees and in LA when it's over 90 degrees, it might as well be 150. No one does anything. You should see when it rains out here. It's like a blizzard in the East Coast. No one drives when it rains. You can call us on the West Coast fair weather and that might be accurate. But I wasn't concerned necessarily with the lack of fans and the stands in a week, zero game when it's in the Coliseum. It had to feel like it was 105 degrees. Talking to Joe Klatt, Fox Sports Lead football analyst. He has the game coming up this weekend. Indiana hosting, North Texas. When do we get a scheduling czar in college football? Gosh, I hope soon. I really hope soon. I do know, having conversations with the people that

50:24are in the room for the playoff expansion, right? The conversation about the playoff structure. Part of that playoff expansion will be a scheduling agreement with the SEC in the big 10. So that's what everyone's driving to because they know that the expansion 12 and specifically the structure and the criteria or lack thereof that the committee uses to put teams into the college football playoff. There is no incentive to play a difficult game. Ask Texas from a year ago. They get beat by Ohio State in the first week of the season and that essentially keeps them out of the college football playoff as a 9 and 3 regular season team. So no incentive to play a big game. So you have to do one of two things. You either have to mandate those games and schedule the games for the teams or you have to change the criteria the way that you select the college football playoff teams. If they do expand to 24, I think that there's going to be some appetite of the coaches

51:27that say to themselves, okay, well, we can we can suffer that loss. We're willing to play that game. But more than that, there will be a scheduling agreement between those two conferences and probably the other two power four conferences as well where they're playing nine conference games and at least at a minimum a tenth or that extra game against the power four team and some of them multiple power four opponents. And I do think that that scheduling agreement will be as you suggest kind of a czar, it'll go on an annual basis based on where you finish the year ago. So we'll have the best teams playing each other. It won't just be, hey, you know, Rutgers is playing Georgia. Okay, that's a big 10 SEC matchup, but it's not the matchup we necessarily want to see. No disrespect to Rutgers, even though I'm sure they'll take it. It would be pod A pod B pod C based on where you finish that and those matchups would would basically form the spring prior to the season. And so I'm anticipating that and I'm excited for that. And that's one of the reasons why I've been a proponent of the expansion of the playoff. I'm looking at the latest draft Kings odds.

52:31They've got Ohio State and Notre Dame co favorites to win the national title, but they're going to take different routes to get there because Ohio State's got a tough schedule. Yeah, Notre Dame does not. So why do you think that they would be co favorites feels like Notre Dame has a pretty easy path to get certainly to the playoffs and be able to host a playoff game or so. I mean, absolutely. I mean, the two paths Notre Dame might as well be on a freshly paid four lane highway with no traffic. They've got like an escort in front of them with this schedule. You know, they will be in the college football playoff. I think that this is a nod to the consistency that Ohio State has brought over the course of decades. They win 10 games rolling out of bed. Now, this schedule is the most difficult schedule they will have ever faced. They've got to go on the road to Texas, which is one of the more talented teams in the country. They've got to go on the road to Iowa on the road to Indiana. They have to host Oregon.

53:35They've got the Michigan game, obviously. They've got to go to USC. USC was undefeated in the Coliseum a year ago. So it's a incredibly difficult schedule. I think that there is a nod to Ohio State because all of us believe that they will navigate that and get themselves into the playoff. What did they prove two years ago? It doesn't matter if they have a buy. They can host a game, be the eight seed and go on and win the national championship. They've also got what I believe is a more playoff ready roster this year. I know that sounds crazy, maybe not defensively, but their offensive line is more experience and should be better. Their failure last year really was short yardage. They probably beat in the end if they can execute on a fourth and one. That lack of short yardage quality really affected them a year ago. I think that should be different this year. But it's a tip of the cap to Ohio State, which has become largely along with Georgia, the most consistent program in college football. I've had a couple of different former quarterbacks,

54:39Brady Quinn, most recently. I said, I'm going to make you the GM of the Arizona Cardinals. You're going to have the first pick in the draft next year. Who you take it? Man. He said CJ Carr. I think I would say CJ Carr as well. We'll see how the season plays out. I think right now I would have a really tough decision between Dante Moran and CJ Carr. I think CJ Carr is the prototypical NFL quarterback. I think that's where things can get lost in translation is at the NFL level, you still have to own the game from the pocket. I know some guys are doing it a little bit differently. Yes, it helps. Is it great when you can do all the extra things? Yes, but the prerequisite, the algebra one of quarterback play is owning the game and controlling the game from the pocket in particular and big moments, two minute, they're down. He looks like he can do that. Now Dante Moran is an excellent player. We'll see how arch plays this year. I thought he was excellent at the end of the year last year, but I think my decision

55:43right now, he forced me to pick right now. It would be CJ Carr. A little side note right now. My middle son Sam, who's 12 years old, when he was six and began flag football, they just named him. It was like the one of these NFL leagues. He was the Cardinals. He's become a massive Cardinals fan. Damn, I can't, like, I can't understand. And I keep telling him, I'm like, him and you know, like I'm from Denver. We can root for the Broncos. They were right there in the A.V. He's like, no, I'm a Cardinals fan. I'm taking them to the Cardinals Chargers opener this year. And he is dying for a quarterback. He's like, tell me they're going to get a quarterback. So he's going to love this clip right here, just dreaming of a guy like CJ Carr. I had a source tell me that Notre Dame was so in on CJ Carr that they were told if they backed off Dante Moore, that CJ Carr would commit to Notre Dame. And Notre Dame backed off Dante Moore. So they waited for CJ Carr. So well, I think they made a good decision. Isn't it interesting, by the way? Well,

56:50I mean, Dante's a great player. It's not like one has flamed out and the other is succeeding. I think both of them could have or would have succeeded in particular last year with the way that they ran the football. But isn't it interesting? And you know, for for for about a decade, Notre Dame was really good under Brian Kelly. Really good. You know, 10 wins. And all of us started to believe this narrative that there was some sort of ceiling on Notre Dame. Like, yeah, you know, they're good, but you can't really win it there. I think it's it's amazing what Marcus Freeman has done to level up Notre Dame back to the point where they are recruiting in the top five in college football. They are a destination. And maybe this is a product of the current structure of our sport and and the dollars that they have and the support that they have through NIL and even the transfer portal. But just a tip of the cap to Marcus Freeman, I think he's done an incredible job. I hope he stays in college football longer. I doubt he's going to stay in college football for a long period of

57:53time because I think the NFL is going to come calling. They came calling a year ago and he stayed. But man, he's done an incredible job. If I gave Brian Kelly a do over. Does he not use the fake accent? So it's one of two decisions, Dan. Is it does he not go to LSU and just stays there at Notre Dame? Or does he go and and not use the fake accent? Because the fake accent that the basketball game was really like, I mean, was it not the clear sign? Like this is not going to work. You know, I don't know if this is man. The fake accent was a rough look and then he did the dance with the recruit. And it's like, oh, it was, you know, every gin zeer was what do they say? cringe. They're probably going to cringe that I use the word cringe, but man, that that did not work out. Tell Gus we said hello and thanks for joining us. I appreciate your time, Dan. Have a good day, bud. That's Joe clap. On the new podcast, Solita, we share the messy reality of

58:58traveling alone as a woman. I can wait four hours for the next bus or this random dude is offering me a ride on his motorcycle. I choose option B. I'm Julie Pinero and I travel by myself because it's a rare space where I can say yes without asking anyone else first. I'm on a mission to reclaim the word Solita, trading the pity for possibility. Listen to Solita on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I survived nine months in captivity and I've spent my life exploring how other people survive what should have destroyed them. I'm Elizabeth Smart and these are the survivor files. Every week, I'm with survivors who live through the unthinkable, abducted, stalked, controlled and nearly silenced. These are stories about what it takes to make it out alive. Listen to the survivor files with Elizabeth Smart on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Why are you dealing with listening to

1:00:03Armstrong and getting on demand? We're not boring. Lot of news is boring and tedious and depressing and makes you angry. You don't want to live your life like that. Hey, I'm Jack Armstrong. He's Joe Getty. We're Armstrong and Getty. We try to bring you the truth and help you figure out this crazy modern world about something about a comedic tone. We have a winner. Yes. Listen to Armstrong and Getty on demand on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Brett Coleman and I'm Trevor Sikama. If you love football and want to understand what's really happening on the field, check out our show NFL Pro. Every week, we break down the biggest plays, trends, and matchups using exclusive next-gen stats, insights and NFL content you will not find anywhere else. Whether you're new to football, a fantasy football fanag, or a diehard fan, NFL Pro will help you analyze the game like a pro. Listen to NFL Pro on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On Big Lives, we take a single cultural icon.

1:01:06People like Jane Fonda, George Michael, Little Richard. And we pull apart the story behind the image, discovering forgotten interviews that change exactly how we see these giants of our culture. We're here for the messy, the brilliant, the human version of our heroes. Ivy-Manel Jochi, At Kai Wright, and this is Big Lives. Listen to Big Lives on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed Human.