THE HERD – HOUR 1 – 49ers SMASH Rams | Josh Allen vs Texans Defense | Cowboys NOT Contenders

0:00This is an I Heart Podcast. Guaranteed Human. The entire draft room groans because you just took the guy they wanted. There's no better feeling than crushing your fantasy football league. I'm JJ Zacharyson, host of the award-winning Late Round Podcast. Before your draft, our players to target and players to avoid episodes tell you exactly who to circle and who to cross off. Listen to the Late Round Fantasy Football Podcast on the I Heart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. College football will hijack your weekend, ruin your sleep and break your heart.

1:06And that's why we make the Sullivan-verbal College football show. I'm Ty Hildenbrand. He's Dan Rubenstein. Every week we preview the games that matter in the storylines that are going to ignite your group chat. And you can join us in the aftermath as we react to what happened in the past year. And you can join us in the aftermath as we react to what happened, why it matters, and how the sport went completely bonkers yet again. Listen to the Solid Verbal College football show on the I Heart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Mike Am. And I'm Trevor Sikama. And together, we host the NFL Fantasy Football Show. Are you ready to dominate your fantasy league this season? Because if you aren't locked in with us on the NFL Fantasy Football Show, you're already playing from behind. Whether you're a first-time player or a grizzled vet chasing another championship, we give you the advantage and the confidence you need to make every move count. Listen to the NFL Fantasy Football Show on the I Heart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

2:10Thanks for listening to The Heard Podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on FoxBorge Radio and Noon to three Eastern 9AM to Noon Pacific. Find your local station for The Heard at FoxBorgeRadio.com or stream us live every day on the I Heart radio app by searching FoxBorge Radio or FSR. Ah, it is our first Friday of the football season. And Jay Mac is bouncing off the walls after Lollab. Love, pretty. Welcome in. It's The Heard, wherever you may be, however you may be listening. Thanks for making us part of your day. Here's something I bet you don't come. Including the playoffs where the Rams got to the NFC championship. What is the Rams record in their last 10 games?

3:13It's five and five with a losing road record. Five and five with losses to Atlanta and the Panthers. Listen, the Rams have a great coach. The Rams had the MVP at quarterback. The Rams are really good, but they have stinkers. And last night they were awful. Here's what my eyes saw. The Niners played with a chip on their shoulder. They were more intentional. They had great energy. They were incredibly physical. And all they heard all off season was Rams. Super Bowl favorites. Super team. And they're like, Hey guys, we won 12 games last year too. And when the Niners are healthy when green laws healthy and Warner's healthy and Christian McCaffrey's healthy and Trent Williams is and Bosa is and Fred Warner is. They're they're really, really good. Let's be honest. The season. I don't know because of their health last night was not the season last night was one game. And they were unbelievably dominant. Listen, Mike Evans is great, but he only played eight games last year. He's 33 Christian McCaffrey's a Hall of Famer second best running back. I've ever seen maybe third.

4:22He had 413 touches last year. Every time he has a big touch year. The next year he's injured. The question isn't whether Shanahan's great Bosa's great Warner's great. These guys are all Hall of Famers. Kittles great Trent Williams best left tackle arguably in the last decade. It's not a question if the Niners are good. And September. I don't know if you know this September since 2020. San Francisco. That's their best month. They're 14 and seven. That's their best point differential month. Do you know what their worst month is January. Why? Because they're all beat up. That's why they're always hurt practice games. Kyle Shanahan has built a physical culture that take. I mean, they will go into Philadelphia and punch the Eagles physically in the mouth. They punched the Rams in the mouth. One of the reasons they're always hurt is because Shanahan. And Shanahan's dad and John Lynch was one of the toughest most physical safeties. They have built a culture on. Smacking you right in the forehead. Their run game is physical. Their wide receivers are physical.

5:31Samuels is a truck. He'll run you over. That's why they're so great when they're healthy in September and so average later in the season last year they beat the Seahawks in week one. Then they played the Seahawks twice in January and lost by a combined 54 to nine. They couldn't score touchdown because nobody was nobody was healthy. And the Seahawks were young and healthy. So it's not what was I shocked that they beat the Rams. No, wasn't shocked. Was I surprised it was 27 to seven and wasn't remotely competitive. Listen, I like the idea of flying in winning, getting out. But the truth is this morning it looks like the Niners, they embraced Australia. The Aussies embraced the Niners. That's awesome. They took the chefs over. They took the cooks over. They took the doctors over. They took families over. They embraced it and the Aussies embraced them. The stadium was all nine or fans. And it looked like they had the answers to the test.

6:32They played with a total chip on their shoulder. And I watched that game last night. First of all, doesn't football look great in the morning sun. It was like 10 30 over there. It looks so beautiful. And I woke up this morning wanting to book flights to Australia. You know, with all those into a commercial shots and out of a commercial shots in the pregame show. I'm like, I know Australia is beautiful. But I was literally on Google Maps last night looking at all the cliffs and all the ocean shots, what an unbelievable country. But we know San Francisco is good. Kill is going to make the Hall of Fame. Warner is both is Trent is McCaffrey is D-Ball won't. But there are Sundays that he plays like a Hall of Famer. And I'll get to Brock Perty in a second. But it's not that San Francisco is not great. But Seattle and the Rams in division are younger and deeper and young guys don't get hurt as much. So the Niners have always had a game of thrones feel to them. And what do I mean by that? Great early, very, very good in the middle, disappointing late. And some of your favorite characters won't make it at the end. That's what they are. So am I surprised they won a little 27 to seven. Rams weren't even even at half time when the score was low.

7:46You're like Rams had one big play to Puka. They had no offense. They had no rhythm. Here was Kyle Shanahan on the Uber impressive physical nature of that win. It was a great week took us a couple days to kind of get our mind right. But you know our hotel, the city, just the whole organization with bringing everything the cooks, everything. It felt like home once we got here. I'm glad the guys went on and played like that too. I always knew what day was. I was trying to show how confusing it was comparing it to people at home. But I learned the days when we got here. We're one ahead. Now I'm ready to go back back into the future. Okay, Sean McVeigh in the Rams. Let's talk that McVeigh in my opinion is arguably the best coach in the league with Andy Reid. Sean Peyton Shanahan, Jimmy Goldrides, Mike McDonald. But Shanahan has given McVeigh fits. McVeigh is seven and 12 against Shanahan. So McVeigh is the culture builder. Very high floor high ceiling. Shanahan is the mad scientist staring at the play sheet.

8:55He is the better play designer. He in my opinion is the better play collar one of my criticisms of Shanahan sometimes when he's trailing late in games, he won't get off the play sheet. Shanahan will blow everything up at halftime if he has to. But McVeigh has had problems with Shanahan. And last night there was no rhythm. It wasn't very intentional. There was no juice at all. And maybe all the critics of flying in game flying out were right probably were. But the Rams between their coaching and their D line and their quarterback play and their weapons. They're built for the long haul and they're young. So they'll mostly be healthy. But last night, Sean McVeigh got worked and Sean McVeigh knows he got worked. But again, it's week one last year. The C.OX and Patriots who ended up in the Super Bowl not only lost week one. They lost at home in week one and ended up in the Super Bowl. So nobody's playing starters McVeigh started this like seven eight nine years ago. He won't play any starters in the preseason. And when you have an old quarterback, maybe you should because pretty look fantastic. But they lay the neck. They had no juice. They had no energy.

10:01I'll be honest with you. They weren't very physical. The defensive line for the Rams was irrelevant. The linebackers and safeties for the Niners. It jumped through the television. They were so physical. And when you build a culture like McVeigh does, he builds a great culture. Very, very high floor nine years eight winning seasons. Shadahans had four losing seasons because he demands so much from his team physically. That a lot of times by the end of the year, Shadahans teams just fall apart. They just can't take the pounding in the way they play. So he's had up and down season. You know, with McVeigh, you kind of get a good team every year. So, but I thought last night the critics, you know, I was wrong and the people that said fly in, do it fly out. Wrong. I mean, I know now it's weird because last year in the middle of a season, the Rams played maybe their most perfect player. Maybe their most perfect football game against the Jaguars in London, a 10 and a half hour flight. And they again flew in, played, gotten a flight, flew black to LA.

11:06It was perfect. And I think that's a big reason why they did that in Melbourne. They're like, we've done this in London. It's 70% of the flight and we played our best game of the year. But, I mean, who knows? I know this. The Rams looked tired. The Rams didn't have any energy. The Niners did. I'm not selling my Rams stock. But this is why the NFL is king. Nobody plays starters in the preseason. Most of the good teams don't, especially your older players. You don't know what you're going to get in week one. I don't think anybody. I mean, the line was three points. I don't, I don't think anybody is shocked by the outcome. But 27 to seven. That was a butt kicking. And I'll get the Brock party in a second. But I mean, it, it's, it was funny. It was funny. As I'm watching the game last night in the first half, you just forget how many Hall of Famers the Niners have. I mean, the Rams have a bunch of good players. Miles Garrett will be a Hall of Famer. Matt Stafford. I would guess will be a Hall of Famer. Oh, all right. You look at the Niners. They got like seven of them. I mean, Warner's a Hall of Famer. I mean, it's, you just forget watching them.

12:15How good San Francisco's roster is. The only question is how much of it will be around by Christmas. So here's McVan the loss. This is a humbling day for us. And this will define us only if we allow it to. And today was one of those days. And, you know, I always look inside out. I didn't do good enough job getting us ready to go. There were some opportunities where maybe the game could have flipped, but they deserve the win. They were ready to go and make no excuses. And, you know, whether you want to say it's about travel, whatever. We just weren't good enough in that window. I didn't coach good enough and, and we'll look at it and we'll move forward. And that's where we're at right now. Yeah. This team lost to Atlanta and the Panthers last year in Colossia Carolina twice. They are even one healthy. It's a little bit of an inigma sometimes, especially on the road. You don't get the same team. And then they can be brilliant. But J Mac, I think the one thing that really was clear. Two things were obvious. That crowd was all red and they were rooting for the Niners and they love the fact. I thought about this.

13:20Should Roger Gidele, if we're going to play overseas, there should be a rule that you ingratiate yourself to the country you're playing in. It's not really that cool to just fly in, play like a business trip. San Francisco made so many fans over in Australia. I mean, listen, when Manchester United comes over to the United States, you know, fans want to watch the game and meet the star. So I think I was sitting watch the game thinking, look at what San Francisco has done not only for themselves, but for the league. Maybe there's a rule like, hey guys, if we're going to, if we're going to send you overseas, you got to go for a few days. Can I thought that was one of the obvious things that it really paid off for the league and the Niners. The second thing that jumped out. I think I think you saw this is they were so physical. Yeah. I mean, the Niners, they're running backs, Debo, they're linebacker. The Rams defensive front. I mean, there was a couple of pressures, but pretty, he kind of controlled it. I mean, kind of controlled the game.

14:21He did. I mean, I will say, Colin, this was 17, seven Rams at the one yard line. Yes. Yeah. And it could have been a, you know, a few gold game heading into the fourth quarter. So people are crushing the Rams. I think it's a little closer. I didn't love the fourth and one play call from it. They, what was that? Stafford on a QB sneak. They instantly had the stats. He was like, Oh, for two last year. Why are you doing that at the goal line? Well, I think this is a really interesting thought because when they did that. My take was because they were literally at the half yard line. I thought Stafford six, two, they'll do it. They have a good old line. My question is, did they trust the run meal Blake, Corum and Kyron Williams, Blake's a smaller running back. Yeah. And the way they were, their front seven was so dominant and physical last night. Is I, I thought McVeigh was probably thinking to himself, let's just make it quick. I don't. The last thing I want to do is give that defensive front a chance to knock us backwards. I mean, again, those staffers got back problems. Why don't you just put you

15:21got five tight ends on the roster, right? But what are the tight ends in their toast push? You can get a half yard. I thought that was a curious play call by McVeigh to put your 38 year old quarterback. No, I think back issues like. No, very weird. Yeah, but by the way, here's Miles Garrett, who was invisible last night. Here was Miles Garrett on his performance. This was a worse version of myself that I've put out there. Now I've got to be better. I got to find a find a way to recover and get back to the player. I know I can't be and I've shown that I've been before. When I was out there, I was a little bit more focused on myself and trying to stay healthy. Then know what they were doing. And that showed I wasn't who I needed to be. No for my team. Okay, we got Sean Payton, Urban Meyer, Eric Mangini, a summer saying he wasn't 100% whatever he was. He did not play well. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in New N Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the I Heart Radio app. Hey, is Cabino and Rift from Fox Sports Radio?

16:21Now in addition to hearing us live weekdays for 5 to 7 p.m. Eastern 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 Cabino and Rich live on YouTube every day. All you got to do, search Cabino and Rich FSR on YouTube. Again, go to YouTube, search Cabino and Rich 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 nine months. I survived 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. You just remember this low taunting voice next to my ear saying shut up. Don't say 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 stories 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.

17:49If your bookshelf and your for you page are equally important to your personality, welcome home. This is pros society, the weekly podcasts, that's part book club, part group chat for thought daughters, pop culture, obsessives and anyone who thinks pride and prejudice and love island to serve 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 society on the I Heart Radio app, Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. See you between the pages. Hi, this is highly breakman, Angel Jaretana, Jeremy Colhane, Patrick McDonald and we're the hosts of the artists on artists on artists on artists podcast.

18:57The improvised character comedy podcast were each week a new panel of artists discuss their craft. Join us for a panel of wellness influencers. What I try to do is foe journal. I don't know if you guys heard of foe journaling. Yeah, it's reading. It's called reading. So you're so we don't like to use that word anymore. Okay, a panel of New Yorker cartoonists. Have you guys done Terry Gross's Peloton class? No, I've been dying to. I'm so sorry. I'm seeing a reading of Sudako in the Pousin Thousand Paper Cranes by Audrement Donald at the Wonderland Bookstore. That's crazy. I went to the Wonderland Bookstore yesterday and I heard Nora Jones do a reading of zero dark 30. No way. Patrick of the last bookstore though. Kim Kertroll is reading the guitar tabs of yesterday. A panel of Eurovision participants and we do a little Halloween sometimes. Does the Pope dress up? He, he winks on Halloween. It's right up next to the microphone. I hear you get the elbows here. The eyelashes hate each other. You never seen Italy so quiet as when the Pope gets up to wink on Halloween.

20:01Listen to artists on artists on artists on the I heard radio app Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Is there an epidemic against literature? More specifically, Black literature. Our books are being banned, scanned by AI and destroyed. I'm Jackwee's Peace Thomas and on this season of the Black Lit podcast. We're outside asking some of the custodians of our stories, teachers and our modern day writers. Why? They don't want a whole bunch of little elevators, Malcolm X's and Martin Luther King's on the round. They want to build children who have no empathy. That's really the ultimate goal. We want books that don't make white kids feel bad. So is the war on literacy and information or our ability to connect? Well people with a know how sexy reading is and how fun they could be and not always associated with education. It could be in a state. It could be entertainment and that is the beauty of reading. It can be all of those things and considering this is Black reading month.

21:03The only real question is what are you reading next? Listen to Black Lit from the Black Effect podcast network on our I Heart Radio app Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. So let's talk Brock Pertie. I know what you think Colin. You don't like Brock Pertie. I think he's fine. I think it really helps to have Christian McAfry. I think it really helps to have the best play designer arguably with Sean, Peyton, and Annie Read and the League. But he's very talented. Super smart kid. My number one takeaway on Brock Pertie last night is he finally found his number one receiver. He's had the deal with Debo's injuries and kiddos injuries and Brandon Iyuk's immaturity. It's never been linear and Brock Pertie's gotten hurt. This receiving core is veterans to Marcus Robinson and Kiddell and Mike Evans and and and and and and Debo. You know, they got a young kid. They got in the second round. But it's a group of experienced professional wide receivers. Hell, Christian McAfry are running back not only led the Niners and catches last year. He led by a mile.

22:07It was a Scotch tape wide receiver room. So Mike Evans is easily the most talented wide receiver that Brock Pertie's ever had. And he was looking for him all night. Six of his seven targets were on third down. He was looking for his puka for his Jamar chase for his armor on St. Brown. He's got his guy. So you know, and the Niners, I've been saying this, they keep overdrafting wide receivers to find their guy. And finally they said, let's just go, let's go buy one. The guy in Tampa who's going to make the Hall of Fame. Brock Pertie's passer rating last night when targeting Mike Evans, 135. So and I'll defend Pertie on that. Now when Shanahan gets a dominant receiver when he had Julio Jones. Remember when he had Julio Jones Jones was leading the league and everything when he had Andre Johnson. Andre Johnson was leading the league and everything. So Shanahan's trying to find his guy.

23:08And he did a great job. The Niners did get you know, Joanne Jennings later rounds making them a good serviceable plus player. But when you watch Mike Evans and Brock Pertie, it's like, you know, Stafford Stafford's got his puka. You know, and the great quarterbacks. I mean, you can go back to Joe Montana had Jerry Rice and Eggman had Michael Irvin and, you know, Brady had his grunk and then he had his Edelman quarterbacks need their security blankets. Even the great ones they got there. Who's their guy? I watched that last night and I'm like, man, what if Brock Pertie would have had Mike Evans five years ago? Maybe out of fall in love with him five years ago because I'm watching older Mike Evans at 33. And that is exactly where Pertie's going. And Kittle was healthy and McCaffrey was healthy and Debos in great shape was. Yeah, he is locked on Mike Evans, which he should be. And this is where Brock Pertie deserves a lot of respect and we got to be fair with Pertie. His career has not been linear. He's been hurt. The downside to plan was Shanahan. The upside is you get Shanahan's brilliance. The downside is the team's always banged up.

24:13So, you know, whereas, you know, Jamar Chase always feels pretty available most of the time for Joe Burrow's career. And Justin Jefferson, he's always there for the Vikings and Larry Fitzgerald was always there for the Arizona Cardinals and Michael Irvin was always there for the you know, pretty wakes up every Sunday. It's like, okay, who do I got this Sunday? Who's available? Who's a grown up? Who's a veteran? Who's an adult? So it's not always been easy for him. But I thought last night you got the full Brock Pertie experience using his legs, using his brain. He's always been aggressive. And Garoppolo was never aggressive. You know, Brock likes to throw the ball down the field. He didn't have a huge arm, but he's got a good enough arm. He likes to sling it. He's going to throw guys open. He's going to take some risks. You know, I've always said I'm not that bothered by interceptions. I'm really not. I want my guys throwing the ball down the field. It's why I like Sam Darnold. I love Dandru luck. I don't care. Pretty throw some picks. I like that he's aggressive. I think that run shows you he's got a little wiggle. He's a little more athletic than people give him credit for as Jay Mac knows.

25:13As, you know, a smaller guy, you guys always get overlooked. So it's very good for Brock Pertie. And here's Shanahan on Mike Evans in the offense. I love calling plays from Mike. I mean, Mike's been great here. I mean, today was my first time doing it with him, but I mean, I think he has already did on third down. I mean, we've watched Mike do that for his whole career. I've just never been on the team with him. So I mean, he did that to us a ton when I was in Atlanta. You know, Mike is as good as any receiver who's played down there. Yeah, I mean, if you're a Niners fan, you're waking up this morning and you are like, can I get 15 games out of Mike Evans? Because if you do then Brock Pertie's going to be a pro-boulder. And I know Jay Mac doesn't like pro-boulders, but that's a pro-boulder quarterback with Mike Evans. I mean, Mike is six, five, great hands, strong runs legitimate routes, doesn't drop stuff. I mean, here in the corners, a great example. This is good coverage. That is excellent coverage. Touchdown. Jay Mac with the news. No, no, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the Herd Line news.

26:18Gosh, I love this show during football season. Let's get started with some good news. You like the Brock Pertie with the ring. I'm going to sidestep all those barbs that you fired up. I'm sidestep. Take in the high road. Just kidding. I'll be back to it later. Let's go to the chiefs Patrick Mahomes. He is going to start on Monday night against Denver. Andy Reed has confirmed it's official. Yesterday, Mahomes spoke to the media about his return to the field and he will not play with any limitations. You got to go out there and be yourself. I've built up the strength. I've built up all the days of rehabs. That can be myself. I'm not going to keep myself out of harm's way. I always will. I try to take big hits and stuff like that. But I'm a competitor. I signed up for this and I'm going to go out there and play football. I think that's how I've always rolled no matter what it is. That's how I'll probably roll the rest of my career. Undrafted left tackle first career NFL start against Denver's Pass rush. Not great. Is this going to make the blazing five? I am curious because I don't know all the blazing five.

27:20I know a couple. But I mean, this is a game. I know you don't like to pick Monday night because we could do this. I told you I'm staying away from Cowboys. Giant. I just want to watch it. I'm I think they're both going to be better. Just listen, last year, I didn't want to do a blazing five because you don't know. Nobody plays any starters. I'm guessing. I'm totally guessing what's going to happen. And some of us are guessing others of us. I'm not like guessing. But listen, I think my home's is going to be fine. I'm mostly curious. Like you said, how does that offensive line hold up? Vince Joseph will have some stuff cooked up. And by the way, I think Bonix, I would not be surprised at Bonix. By the way, he's been great against Magnolo. It is career. We'll have some numbers a little later. I think I think Denver wins this game in Arrowhead. And she started one. I feel the same way. I like Denver in this spot. All right, let's go to Philadelphia Eagles hosting the Washington commanders and so much talk this off season. Comment about how Nick Cereyani and Jalen Hertz could be their last run together in Philly. Well, reports now indicate the team doesn't view this season as make a break. And they will be both returning next season.

28:24Now some Eagles writers are surprised because remember, we've been here and go. Hertz on the hot seat. Can't throw over the middle to small blah, blah, blah. Super bowl MVP. Jalen Hertz, that is. I don't know. Listen, if they go six and 11 Cereyani's toast, obviously, nobody has them doing that. The line has ticked up here. Four and a half to now five and a half. Five is a dead number. So it's not it's not that if you look at the Eagles, they've had a pretty good off season. Like they upgraded offensive coordinator. AJ Brown drama is out of the building. Say what you want. Hold on. Time out. What do you mean upgraded offensive coordinate? Many and has never called place like he is at an upgrade. Well, it was it was a mess last year. I'm guessing it will be better than that. And we got to be honest about AJ Brown. The numbers are clear. When they targeted him fewer than seven times, they were 13 and oh, he became a distraction. I think he's great, but he became a distraction. So I have them winning the division. I think they're going to bounce back. I still think they're roster. I think Debon Tay Smith, who never gets credit for being one of the NFL's

29:29best third down receivers. He is a great third down target. I think Philadelphia rolls in week one. Yeah, you know, I'll have some stuff later. This game did make headlines. You know, remember tomorrow's headlines today. Your favorite segment on show. I have some concerns, but I'm kind of largely with your niggles. And listen, Super Bowl MVP, Jalen Hertz. He could have a big season loading as they, like you said, addition by subtraction, perhaps with AJ Brown. I like the Eagles a lot. All right, to college football, Colin, listen tomorrow, folks, listen, there's a big weekend of football. And tomorrow we get one of the biggest games of the season. Ohio State at Texas. It is a 730 Eastern kickoff. Ryan Day talked to the media about how huge this game is when it comes to the college football playoff rankings. Where are we? You know, where where's this group right now? And what you know, we want to prove where we are right now. It's an important game for a lot of reasons. You know, we have our goals and one of the goals to win the national championship. We know that.

30:30And so there's no question that this is an important game. First off to get there, you know, because this is not the same as ball state, you know, when the CFP looks at it. So that's important. Then the other part of it is the seating in the end. So, you know, we all know that this is a non-conference game that is going to have a major impact when you look at last year that with the impact this game had on Texas. That's just a reality. But yeah, I'll tell you, can you imagine this is wedding season? Can you imagine people who have a wedding tomorrow and can't watch this game? What do you mean? How is this wedding scene? I thought spring was wedding season. Spring rains all the time that everybody's all the influencers and the hipsters are getting married now in September and early October. Dummies. Can you imagine missing this game for that? This is going to be the best college football game. It's going to be unbelievable. Yeah. I like Texas here. I'm actually starting to think this could be a double digit win for the long horns. I don't want to go overboard. You know, Sark's had some letdowns. I will just say there's some stuff I'm reading. I think Texas, I don't want to say blowout, but like a 31-14. Oh, come on. Maybe a late late lead touchdown.

31:34Nobody's beating Ryan Day 31-14. Yeah, 24 hours ago. If I said, yeah, Niners 27-7 over the Rams. Nobody's beating the super Rams by 20. Ohio State, may I think it's I think it's 27-26-28-27. No blowout. Okay. I got long horns. You got who? I got the long horns, but I think it's a I think it's I mean, think about last year. I mean, these two teams, I mean, even though it was kind of an ugly game, you were watching NFL guys. These were quarterbacks who had like no starts under their belt practically last year, right? And they remember neither one. It's a loser. I think pressure is all on Texas major. Big to end there's a World War Sark just, you know, just calls a terrible game. But, you know, Collins, we're going to be hanging out together next week. I might make like five bets with you today. So I get a stick dinner every night. You know, you got the wife out of the picture next week. Now the boys are hanging out, huh? You got any stick dinner plans, buddy? All of the stick dinner with you. Okay. All right. I'm ready.

32:37Jay Mac for the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. So, you know, I go back to LA about six weeks a year, five weeks a year in work. I live in Chicago now. And people have made the accusation, egregiously, that I talk more bears than I ever have. And my, my criticism or my pushback is, yeah, they're good now. They're fun to watch now. It's not my responsibility to talk about your team. It's your team's responsibility to be interesting. The bears are a fun watch. I mean, didn't they lead the NFL last year in like six or seven come from behind wins under two men? They're a great watch. And one of the reasons primarily great quarterback talent and a great coach, offensively Ben Johnson. But I saw a headline this morning. Chicago has its next Michael Jordan and Caleb Williams. At least that's the hope. And my take is, okay. I mean, they're both amazing talents, but let's not forget how Michael Jordan's early career went. He couldn't win a playoff series without Pippin.

33:40The Celtics dragged him. The pistons pushed him around. Yeah. Long road. For Caleb Williams success is hard. And if you criticize Caleb in Chicago or question him, people get really, really defensive. And it's like guys, you've been so pitiful for so long offensively. Bear fans are starving. And Caleb's like the, the first good meal in 20 years. Take a deep breath. Success is hard. Drake may got to a super bowl. Do you watch him two nights ago? He was awful in the fourth quarter. Matt Stafford last night was awful. This is not the NBA where nobody plays defense really until the postseason. It's hard. Okay. Caleb last year, his completion percentage went down from 62 to 58%. His passer rating was lower than CJ Stroud. And you guys all think he's a bust. CJ, not Caleb. So and the NFC North is the best

34:46division in football. That's not even arguable. So like this is going to be, this is going to be, and remember this, Caleb's completion percentage and went down. And that is with Ben Johnson and excellent wide receiver and tight end target. And a pretty damn good ol' line. So this is a, you know, everybody, everybody thinks never forget. Everybody talks about Naviti as worth a trillion dollars. I went and looked this morning. 1996, Naviti needed five million dollars to avoid bankruptcy. Life's hard. Apple got in real trouble when Steve Jobs left. Stuff's hard. Michael Jordan getting pushed around by the pistons. Everybody remain. You watch sports center and you think Michael Jordan? Did he ever miss a shot? Michael Jordan early couldn't win a playoff series without Pippin. T-Mates didn't like him. Michael Jordan late in DC. T-Mates hated him. And he was rolling through coaches until he found. And I'm not saying he's got the best player of all time. It's not what I'm saying. It is hard. You know, so MJ, you know, nobody remembers the early stuff. And I

35:55watched a Billy Joel documentary about a year ago. Guys was bankrupt and you're like, God, his life was a mess. I mean, he's finally got it all right about 55 years old. So I like Caleb Williams a lot, but the division's great. He's got to get more accurate, more consistently. You know, I do think Luther Burton, I think, uh, Colston, Loveland, I mean, listen, Ryan Poles has hit some home runs drafting. I think Roma Dundays going to pop this year. They've done a really good job drafting skill people. But there's a lot of story to write here with Caleb Williams. There is a lot of story to write here. And I think there are times Ben Johnson gets frustrated with him because he's so gifted. Sometimes he goes off script and the reason he does, because it works so often. But it's the talent around him gets better. He needs to go off script a little more intentionally. Russell Wilson was good at that in his prime. He's going off script that looks like an ad lib, but it's not totally an ad lib. Russell kind of knew where he was going.

36:59And Russell is not as explosive as Caleb, but um, I think he's going to be great. I think he, by the end of the year, he's going to be a top five or six quarterback. I think next to Josh Allen, he has more horsepower than any quarterbacks, but in this legal most sense, L way or merino, I think he's an unbelievable talent. But bare fans lighten up. This stuff is hard. I live through the Michael Jordan early years getting boat race by the pistons. And I saw him play for the Wizards live twice. It was ugly. Here is Caleb this week on Getting Ready for Year 3. It's exciting. You know, you get to the end of training camp and you're you're fighting the urge to want to get to this point of the year. And so, you know, you're excited to be here. And, you know, it all matters now. Everything we did, everything we're going to do, you know, in that field out here, is going to matter on game day. And so we got to, you know, things aren't right. We got to fix it. And, you know, things are right. We got to maintain it.

38:01He's good at the podium. He's got a lot of Jordan love. Where every time I hear him talk, he's good in the podium. teammates like him. Big whip moves well, big arm. But, um, I mean, just think of how well run, how well the Packers draft in the last couple of years. There are, they're like, they're the last guys getting in like it is. This league is so to practice is hard in football. Just practice is hard. Blazing five today, top of the hour. It's the herd. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in New N Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. 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 them. I'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.

39:05Every 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 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. If you're a bookshelf and you're a 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 island 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

40:09so 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 iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. See you between the pages. A panel of New Yorker cartoonists. Have you guys done Terry Gross's Peloton class?

41:12No! I've been dying too. I'm so sorry. I'm seeing a reading of Sudako in the Pousin Thousand Paper Cranes by Audrement Donald at the Wonderland bookstore. 14. That's crazy. I went to the Wonderland bookstore yesterday and I heard Nora Jones do a reading of Zero Dark 30. No way. I have to come to the last bookstore though. Kim Katrol is reading the guitar tabs of yesterday. A panel of Eurovision participants. And we do a little Halloween sometimes. Does the Pope dress up? He winks on Halloween. It's right up next to the microphone. I hear you get the elbows here, the eyelashes hate each other. You never seen it least so quiet as when the Pope gets up to wink on Halloween. Listen to artists on artists on artists on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Is there an epidemic against literature? More specifically, Black literature. Our books are being banned, scanned by AI, and destroyed. I'm Jacquise P. Thomas and on this season of the Black Lit podcast, we're outside asking some of the custodians of our

42:17stories, teachers, and our modern day writers why? They don't want a whole bunch of little elevators, smock them access and Martin Luther King's on the round. They want to build children who have no empathy. That's really the ultimate goal. We want books that don't make white kids feel bad. So is the war on literacy and affirmation or our ability to connect? Well, people who know how sexy reading is, then how fun they could be, and not always associated with education. They could be in a state, they could be entertainment. And that is the beauty of reading. It can be all of those things. And considering this is Black Reading Month, the only real question is, what are you reading next? Listen to Black Lit from the Black Effect Podcast Network on our iHeart Radio app Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcast. Fox College Football Friday begins, brings an SEC Big 12 Clash to Lawrence as 25th ranked Missouri takes on Kansas. It's prime time. It's big time. It's Fox College Football Friday

43:22under the lights tonight at eight Eastern on Fox. I like those Friday Night Fox games. I like them. It's so, I mean, we are so lucky to do this for a living. I am forever grateful for the start of football season. It just makes life so much fun. I'll tell you, I have the Buffalo Bills making the Super Bowl. And yet, I think they're in trouble this weekend. Like I don't make too much of the first couple of games of the season, blazing five top of the hour. But I think what's fascinating about Buffalo, I think they would break a Super Bowl record. I think everybody in the world wants Buffalo, you know, except their rivals. I think, I mean, can you imagine a lion's Buffalo Bills Super Bowl? If you would have even said that 10 years ago, everybody would have laughed. But here's what's most interesting. They fired their defensive coach. They fired their defensive expert. And they hired a guy in the building, Josh Allen's buddy to run the team. The problem is I know the offense is good. The last six years, they have the number one total offense and the number one scoring offense by a mile.

44:27They can't stop anybody. And they let go of the guy who, by the way, had a reputation. I mean, Sean McDermott was the defensive guy in the last six years in playoff elimination games. The Bills surrender 33 points in those losses. And they got rid of the defensive guy. I'm not saying it's a bad move. I'm not. I thought it was time. But I don't know what Joe bread. He's going to be. But I don't worry about their offense. They got a great left tackle, a great running back, great tie to end great wide receiver, great quarterback. I don't worry about their offense. If it pulls back 10% they're fine. I think what it comes down to is Brandon Bean is their general manager. I think he gets beat up more than he should. And the last two years, Buffalo has drafted more defensive players than anybody in the NFL. And so the question is, did Brandon Bean draft guys that can play? So they've they've had 12 draft picks in the last two years on the defensive side. And I think they should because I think their offense is set. They went and got DJ Moore. I think their offense is elite. Not just Josh. I think running back left tackle tied ends receivers. They

45:29got a slot guy from Boise State. They got DJ Moore. I love their offense. But their offense didn't need help. But I think they're kind of take us. We got to hire somebody that kind of gets Josh beginning to end day one from Sunday to Sunday night from Sunday morning. We got to find a guy that gets him. But but the interesting thing for this Brandon Bean, the pressure's on now for him. Did those guys you draft can they play? Because that's their issue. Josh getting better is not the issue. Here is Josh on Joe Brady getting his NFL coaching debut against the great Dmitco Ryan to the Texans defense. Getting the guys ready to go that's his main priority and you know he's extremely excited just like he is when he was the offensive coordinator in the quarterback coach here. He's been extremely confident. He's got you know this little self Florida swagger to him. He cares about the game of football. He understands it and he just loves what he does.

46:29Yeah, the NFL did them no favors. Giving Joe Brady one of the great coaches in the NFL to Miko Ryan's within. Pass Rosh that can obliterate good offensive lines. They took the Rams to the wood shed last year. So that is a rough opener for Joe Brady. I've got Buffalo in the Super Bowl. I don't have great conviction with it because it's week one and I don't have great. I didn't have great conviction on the C.O.X. Patriots making the Super Bowl last year. In fact, they had no idea that would happen. Okay. So the other game of note that people are talking about obviously Cowboys giants, which has mostly been unwatchable. Dallas has dominated it for the last decade. Here's what I know that hasn't changed with the Cowboys. Jerry Jones talks too much in medals. Brian Shottenheimer's not a top 10 coach and they can't beat playoff teams regularly. Number one five and one last year and they get too many penalties last year, the year before,

47:30the year before same Cowboys. Here's what I know with a New York Giants. That's the same. I don't necessarily love their front office. I don't trust Malik neighbor's health. He may not play week one and Jackson Dart folks. This is his style. He's a little reckless. If he's not, it doesn't work. He's a confident kid that plays with a ton of swagger. He moves. He's athletic. He's going to get banged up. You're going to see him in the blue tent. That's who he is. But for the first time in a long time, I actually like both of these teams. I don't love them. The Cowboys didn't beat good teams last year. I love the Giants coach. I love their rush ends. I actually think their draft class was really exceptional. And I like that. I've said this about the Cowboys. If you take their top 10 players and write them down, they got 10 great players and a couple of Hall of Famers. I mean, Dax is going to get Hall of Fame votes. CD Lam is going to get Hall of Fame votes. They

48:34got some dudes. Some of them you don't know because they're offensive linemen. They got dudes. But so it's week one. Let me just give you who I think are teams in and around my Super Bowl bubble. These are not Super Bowl teams because I don't believe people go from living with their parents to running the video. Let's just get a job, stable employment and get a job promotion. Like that's what I'm looking at here. Can both guys? Can the Cowboys and Giants make the playoffs? Can they win a road playoff game because the Eagles are going to win the division? That would be if the Giants could make the playoffs and win a road playoff game, I would take that today. They're not they don't they're not the Lions. That's not what they are. They don't have Philadelphia's roster. Give me a break or Philadelphia's winning momentum. That's not who they are. They're not the sea hawks. They're not the Niners or Rams right now. If these teams could win a playoff game and it would have to be a road playoff game because I think the division's going to

49:36beat themselves up. I would take that today. Here is my Super Bowl bubble. I do this about four times during the season. So let's do it today. Here it is. I always have about six to seven teams in it. For the radio audience, I've got the Eagles, the Bills, the Lions, the Rams, the Chargers, the Broncos and the sea hawks in the Super Bowl bubble. Now I know what you're saying. Why not the Niners because I just told you the Niners are great in September. It's an old brittle roster. I do have the Niners, the Texans, the Bengals, the Ravens and the Bears hovering outside. Again, just because the Niners beat the Rams, this is called a Super Bowl bubble, not a week one bubble. So I think over the course of the next 15 to 16 weeks, the Rams will age very, very well. And I worry about the Niners age and physical style of play. But so total teams here. I've got one,

50:38two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10, 11, 12, 12 teams. And that's one of the great strengths of the NFL that could get in a Super Bowl. I do not have Kansas City. Why? I think they have a major left tackle issue on their hands. And if Kenneth Walker goes down like last year, you're talking about old Travis Kelsey, no running game and an offensive line where I don't know who's starting at left tackle. That doesn't mean I think the chiefs will be bad. I don't see them right now, maybe Monday night changes everything. I do not see them as a Super Bowl team. I see them as a borderline fighting for a playoff team. But 14 teams make the playoffs. There's never 14 teams entering the playoffs that can win the Super Bowl. They're not, they're not nine teams that can get to the Super Bowl. So here's Dak this week talking about going up against John Harbond, sunny night football. These obviously play coached a lot of winning teams. So to me, you expect a game to go into the fourth quarter. And you know, it's kind of our message. You can't win in those first three. So

51:39be ready and do whatever it takes to go get it in the fourth. And many times you're playing a good coach like that and has winning history. You've got to be ready for it. All right. I'm staying away on this. I like the Giants, but Dallas has, and I think that plays to the Giants favor. Dallas has dominated this series. Dak has eaten against the commanders and the Giants in his career. It's like when Big Ben, when the Browns and the Bangle stunk, I mean, at some point I felt like Big Ben was like 30 and three against those team. Dak has dominated the commanders and the Giants. So, you know, they should be favored and they are favored. I think it's close. I think it's 24, 23 years. So I'll stay away from it on my blazing five, which is around the corner. Boy, J-Mac is just bouncing in that chair. He's got a he's got a Brock bounce in that chair. That's good. That is good. The entire draft room groans because you just took the guy they wanted. There's no better

52:44feeling than crushing your fantasy football league. I'm JJ Zacharyson, host of the award-winning late-round podcast. Before your draft, our players to target and players to avoid episodes tell you exactly who to circle and who to cross off. Listen to the late-round fantasy football podcast and the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. The new NFL season is here and you should be listening to NFL Daily as we march along to Superbowl 61. It is in the name NFL Daily. You'll have fresh content in your feed every day, all season long. That game winning drive, maybe it's Herbert, maybe it's Gino, maybe it's my homes, we'll have the highlights. If Fernando Mendoza or any of those rookies are balling out, we'll break down the tape, join me, Greg Rosenthal, and an all-star cast of co-hosts as we preview and recap every game. Listen to NFL Daily on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Whether you're a seasoned NFL fan or new to the game, there's one place to keep up with

53:47all of it. The league's newest podcast, the NFL report hosted by me, Andrew Sassiliano. It is your home for everything football, breaking news, expert analysis, game picks, and here from your favorite players too. Join me and an all-star cast of experts for everything you need to know from around the league. Get new episodes of the NFL report Monday through Friday, all season long. Listen to the NFL report podcast on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. College football will hijack your weekend, ruin your sleep and break your heart. And that's why we make the Sullivan-Verbal College football show. I'm Ty Hildenbrand. He's Dan Rubenstein. Every week we preview the games that matter in the storylines that are going to ignite your group chat. And you can join us in the aftermath as we react to what happened, why it matters, and how the sport went completely bonkers yet again. Listen to the Solid Verbal College football show on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.