Colin Cowherd Podcast Prime Cuts - Draymond Green, Tommy DeVito, Bills Playoff-Bound?, Sharp or Square

my life. But I don't have the you know, the relentless, boundless energy I did when I was twenty four years old, where I could go play basketball, pick up basketball, rip my ankle up, and then two days later be out playing again, have a ski accident. Next day, I'm on the slopes. Things take longer to heal. You get into your fifties and shit breaks right. But I think the advantage to having perspective is I just don't get worked

up very much. And because I've seen everything seven times, like when Elon Musk took over X and Twitter now X and people freaked out. Take a deep breath. It's going to take six to nine months to figure it out. I don't think the user experience is quite as good as it was, but I filter out what I don't want. It's not the end of the world. I'm not going to rush to threads and protest. That seems so juvenile

and so childish to me. Take a deep breath. If you're spending that much time on X, probably need to get a life anyway. If you have strong, defiant opinions about a social media app, maybe get off the social media app. I see it all the time with President Biden. Oh, he's the worst, the best, He's neither. He's not the best president, he's not the worst. On the stock market's over thirty seven thousand, right, inflation down, gas prices down

in most of the country, unemployments under four percent. There's a lot of manufacturing jobs that have bounced back. We're through COVID. I don't think Biden's the best president. I don't think he's the worst. Age is a concern again. I just I'm not outraged by the stuff I read. You know, when bud Light put somebody on the can, a transgender person on a can, people freaked out. My takeaway was, well, I don't think coming off real men

of genius to that was the smartest marketing plan. But I didn't lose sleep over it because I don't necessarily care who's on a can of beer. And I'm married with kids, and you know, pretty strong, thriving business here at the volume, and I work on TV and radio. I think people who overreact to stuff are bored or they need attention, and there are things to get worked up about. We know that, but I just didn't happen to me very often. When I saw the Draymond Green

flailing punch, my takeaway was, go YouTube Bill Lamber. You can't believe he was tackling people during the finals, not Tuesday games, Wednesday games. Dennis Rodman YouTube him, but literally didn't show up to playoff games, went to Vegas to hang out. Michael Jordan had to fly out there and get him. Is that? I remember the nineteen seventies NBA fights, empty arenas, the horrible ownership groups from Donald Sterling to Ted Stepien. I don't like what Draymond Green did, and

he deserved to be suspended indefinitely. Is fine, He'll get help deal with some counseling. His agent, Rich Paul and Clutch Sports will help him navigate that. But I know Draymond. He's a terrific employee. He's a hard worker, he's an excellent podcaster. He's thoughtful and very, very reflective, and I've never thought he mails it in. He's been a good teammate. I think he's the second most important warrior to Steph Curry catalyst. He's been a great teammate. There doesn't have

to get along with everybody. Kobe didn't get along with everybody. Michael Jordan didn't get along with everybody. Michael Jordan punched the teammate. So it's not that I'm supporting Draymond just because he works at the volume. My feeling is when you have perspective and you've watched Lambert and you've watched Dennis Rodman, and you see Draymon and Lambier and Draymond are more talented, better offensive players obviously than Dennis Rodman.

But it's just perspective. You know, he's not let's take a deep breath here. He's not selling drugs to kids. He's not a shady politician. He's not selling weapons to inappropriate people. It's a sports suspension based on a very physical player who is kind of I would call him a disruptive player and it's sort of like hockey enforcers. Through the years, there's been a lot of hockey enforcers, and it's difficult, and it messed with a lot of guys heads and a lot of guys who are hockey

enforcers protecting a great player on their hockey team. We're medicating themselves through any means possible off an alcohol. And I think when you are Dennis or Draymond or Bill Lambier and you're kind of an enforcer that you go to the arena every night, you're going to guard the best player of your size. You're going to have to get in his head. You're going to have to be physical. It's different than going out ball handling and hitting threes.

It's a big difficult task for hockey enforcers and basketball disruptors. So I'm always a little lenient understanding that every team needs a tough guy, every team needs an enforcer, and it's really hard. It's hard to do it. Sounds like in football, not all positions are same, not all positions require the same focus or attention. It's much easier to be a running back in a cornerback right out of college of the pros, and it is a left tackle

or a quarterback or a signal calling Mike linebacker. There are a certain position that are just harder and they demand more from the athlete. So I think one of the things I like about being in this business a long time is I don't tend to initially overreact to stuff. When Shohei Otani signed and he deferred ninety percent of his contractor more, well, it's legal, and he did it so he can play with better players. And to manipulate the California tax system, people all over California do that.

Live sixty five sixty percent of the time in another state Florida, Nevada, Washington state no state taxes, and then live some of the time in California. Nobody had a problem with the Yankees dominating the Hot Stove League twenty years ago in the Yes network that was making at the time four hundred million dollars, had a decided advantage on every other regional or local cable network, and the Yankees bought whoever they wanted to. Nobody was outraged by that.

It was celebrated. So I think one of the things I know a lot of people in the media, and I respect a lot of people in the media and trust a lot, but the constant reaction to everything. A lot of people in my space pedal outrage. I don't. I think my content is smart enough and thoughtful enough that I can lay it out there. I don't have to try to gear up anybody and freak out anybody. I do not pedal outrage. I'm just not upset. Very often.

I take a deep breath, I watch what happens. I give you perspective on how it lands for me, but I don't need to. I'm not selling that now. For some people, their internet business is their business. Again. I have a TV show, I have a radio show, I have my own company. Revenue's fine. I don't need to pedal anything for growth. Everything's growing organically. But I mean, if you're attracted to that stuff, you're probably not listening to me anyway, because I'm not selling conspiracy theories and

I'm not selling outrage. Draymond Green is a basketball suspension and he's going to get right. He's been a great employee at the Volume and again, incredibly reflective guy, willing to take criticism, willing to be coached. But you know, I've seen enforcers and disruptors in sports, and it's a it's a big lift, it's a hard ask, and there's a lot of turbulence. There's a lot of There's been a lot of great, great moments in Draymond's career. There's been some bumpy ones and this is a bumpy one.

But I want to talk about Tommy DeVito. So you know, great high school player from the area, little college star, right, Tommy DeVito does not succeed if he has a defensive coach. Okay, now Seahawks with a backup quarterback, Steelers with a backup quarterback, New England with a backup quarterback, and until this weekend, the Jets with backup quarterbacks. A complete s show defensive coaches.

Yet Atlanta with a backup, Indianapolis with a backup, Cleveland with Joe Flacco, the Giants with Tommy DeVito, all offensive coaches remain viable. There is no question defensive coaches can win football games if they've got a good quarterback. But when you urgently have to make it up in the middle of a season, you get a backup quarterback. I do not think defensive coaches are equipped to handle it. It is not a coincidence that eleven of the fourteen

current playoff teams have offensive coaches. That is not a coincidence. It is also not a coincidence that the three most improved offenses in the National Football League in the second half of the season are the Rams, the Broncos, and the Green Bay Packers, all offensive coaches. Come on, it's not a coincidence. Tommy DeVito, you give him, Mike Tomlin. I mean, look at the Steelers. They have Mitched trib

Ski as a backup. Mitch Trubisky made the playoffs twice in Chicago, not a well run organization with offensive coach Matt Naggy who got fired. Okay, made the playoffs twice. Aaron Rodgers was in his prime in that division and Mitch Trubisky. They had a good defense, but Kirk Cousins was in his prime, Aaron Rodgers in his prime, Matt Stafford was in that division at the time close to his prime, and Mitchell frickin' Trubisky made the playoffs twice.

He goes to Pittsburgh, disaster, unwatchable, can't get first downs. It's not luck, it's not What Brian Dabole is doing is on the fly coaching up a young talented kid that's got some mobility. De Vito's not real big, doesn't have a big arm, but he can move. And I think this is just you have to think long and hard.

If you're the Patriots and you hire a new coach, or you're the Raiders, We'll see what they do there with Antonio Pierce Chicago, if they hire a new coach Tampa, if they hire a new coach, man, you really got to think twice about hiring a defensive guy. This is Tommy DeVito is not talented enough to move that offense up and down the field off a pretty talented Green Bay defense with a defensive coach. I know I've been banging on this forever, but I'm a huge Day Bowl fan.

I mean, look at Buffalo. They have no offense. It's regressed terribly. I mean, what happened to to Von Diggs, What happened to Gabe Davis. They don't throw the ball down the field anymore. With the strongest arm in the league. Josh Allen, Sean McDermott, defensive coach. All right, enough, nice win for the Giants. I thought that game. You know, sometimes sports gives you gifts. I mean like when you watched you know, Buffalo Kansas City, you would expect that

would be a good game. You know, we occasionally get games we know they're going to be good, and they're good. But when you go into this game tonight and I'm thinking, oh, I want to watch Miami ug and I'm thinking, just Jordan Love, Tommy DeVito, give me something, here, give me something. I was entertained for three and a half hours. How about that way to go pasta fazoul for everybody? You know.

I was watching the Cowboys and listen, they've played the kind of schedule where they've had several blowout wins, most at home, and so when you have a blowout win, you know, the snap count for some of your starters is lower. You can rest guys, whereas Philadelphia just looks tired. I thought Dallas tonight looked fast and fresh. And they've had a lot of their players, stars and starters that could rest second half and later in games this year, and there is something to be said about a heavy

snap count. So you start looking at philadel I thought they'd really show up tonight. It'd be a very, very physical kind of a twenty four to twenty game. But you know, they've played the Cowboys in Kansas City and then San Francisco and then Buffalo and the Cowboys again, those are tough matchups. Those are grueling, physical matchups. There's

no Carolina in there, there's no New York Giants. Your defense doesn't get to face the Jets, whereas the Cowboys have half a dozen games like that this year, and so it does matter, and so I think it's just fatigue. I think tonight Philadelphia looked old and tired and Dallas looked young, fast and fresh. And right now at this point in the season, they're a better team than Dallas. But the Eagles schedule lightens up. They get the Seahawks. I think it's next Monday, so they get an extra

day off. They need it. But you know, I was thinking watching that game. So one of the Cowboy players that had a very good night was Stefan Gilmore and they only used a fifth round pick to get him. And so you know it's when they went out and spent a fifth round pick on Stefan Gilmore, I thought it was a good move. Gilmourson passed his prime, but still, you know, in big spots against big receivers, really smart player,

been around, knows how to manipulate it, create fumbles. So a fifth round pick has about fifteen percent chance of you know, fifteen eighteen percent chance of even making the league. And it's interesting. I've always thought if I was a GM and I could go get a really good player on a good team, I wouldn't waste it. Or if it was a position of need, I would make a lot of moves like that. All right, Welcome in Colin

Cowherd alongside John Middlecoff, former NFL scout. He has a podcast for the volume called three and Out, very popular podcast. We do this YouTube live becomes a podcast for the volume Sports. And let's start with the kind of the game of the day, which is in the early windows,

which is Buffalo holding on to be Kansas City. Some coaching malpractice down the stretch by Sean McDermott, who did not have a good week when a story leaked that he did a couple of years ago a pregame speech to incentivize his team with some nine to eleven references without going into detail that were horrible and embarrassing. And you know, everybody makes mistakes. I get it, but when I watched the end of the game and him throwing the ball and not bleeding the clock out, and maybe

that's maybe that's a defensive coach not respecting offense. But to do that in Kansas City against Mahomes was like time out. Sean. I know the nine to eleven story was a bad week. I know you're off. I just couldn't believe what I was watching. Now they get away with it, But when you have a coach on the hot seat and you're a GM or a owner, you look for these moments sometimes to go how do we pull the ripcord on this? Like, how do we get

out of it? I honestly thought, if they lost that game, John, maybe this is hyperbolic, you could have made a decision upstairs. End of the year, we're getting rid of him.

worked with him as well. From a character standpoint, I always thought like his character was pristine, high level guy. Now, I think some of the tight defensive stuff, you can't argue that, But some of the stuff that you know, at least in my experience and other people that I know, said that wasn't the guy that they were ever around. I'm not talking about Buffalo. I can't speak to the I'm just saying in my experience, but today, I mean, he is just so dependent on this quarterback pulling plays

out of his ass. I mean that play when he scrambled to his left through it to the Latavious who ended up fumbling. I know they got a little lucky that they recovered the ball because it went out of bounce, but that play sums up the Josh Allen experience like no one else in the NFL. Can even do that, and obviously his ability to run, you know with a violent naturist. He's just a unique player.

can be elevated by coaches. What you're watching is a defensive coach who cannot create a run game today, didn't roll the ball down the field virtually at all. Josh Allen is carrying this franchise. It's a little bit like what's happening to the Chargers. The difference is Josh Allen's better than than Justin Herbert. Yeah, but I mean I'm to the point now where I feel sorry that the prime year and he's probably got three prime years left

because he's getting the hell beat out of him. Josh Allen has about three prime years left, and then he's gonna be big Ben and Cam. He's gonna hit about thirty two and start aging.

for dear left. They've played in that same game ten times this year, they've just for the first time lost a lot of them. Obviously, they play Dallas next week, but I'm not buying that because a lot of people are gonna say if they get in, watch out, Like I don't know, I do not see it with this time.

I don't too much going on because the just because you win a game like this, which is important for their playoff chances, I don't think it changes kind of the the talk around, the coach, the franchise, everything that's going on, right. I mean, he was there was a microscope on him coming into the season, and then obviously they're they're going to struggle to get the nine wins. So I think this franchise, it's just in a very very weird spot right now.

that I think you have to strongly consider. So the athletes, all athletes in all sports are getting bigger, stronger, and better. Right, and defensive linemen have always been more physically gifted and athletic than offensive linemen, with the rare exception of a Trent Williams or just an elite all time left tackle. So as they get more talented, the defensive athletes and our receivers and our corners. Everybody's getting better. Offensive linemen, however,

are the least athletic of all the athletes on the field. Therefore, quarterbacks are getting hit more and getting hit with more velocity and violence. Therefore, backup quarterbacks are playing at a higher percentage. Therefore, backup quarterback is a position that will never be paid a lot because of the salary cap. But if you look at what is happening in the NFL now, it is not a coincidence. Let me give you teams that have struggled with backups England, Pittsburgh, briefly, Chicago, Seattle,

all defensive coaches. Here's teams flourishing with backup quarterbacks Indy, Cleveland, Atlanta doing okay, Minnesota one a game quarterback did not have a practice. Last year. McVeigh with Baker won with one practice. So the point being fifty to fifty five quarterbacks this point forward are going to play annually and you cannot pay a backup. There's limitations on it. Eleven or fourteen current playoff teams have offensive coaches, and the

bubble teams Denver the Rams have offensive coaches. Going forward, you really have to strongly consider drafting a quarterback, fifth, sixth, seventh round almost every year, and realize that even if you have a legendary defensive coach Tomlin, Bellacheck, Pete Carroll, absolute limitations. A defensive coach can win with a star quarterback, but if his quarterback position is disrupted in season, bad spiraling, worse, offensive coaches have a greater sensibility cannot only win. Flacco

first start looked more than capable. And so my theory is offensive coaches have to be a higher and quarterbacks have to be drafted now almost annually you have to keep three on the roster. And so it was one of my takes on one of the reasons I've done something this year in my gambling chat that I've never done. I'm taking favorites, and a lot of these bets are what quarterback do I like more and who's his coach? So with that, one of my favorite bets this week

is Clevelands. I think it's now three against the Bears. So it's a defensive coach going to a team that's a very good defensive team at home. But I believe Flacco will make incremental growth weekly with an offensive coach, whereas I think justin fields is to some degree going to be what he is. His growth has been long in a slower process. I love Cleveland minus three. This week, I think Flacco will take another leap first start to second to third. Sharper square that was last.

quarterbacks off the street. Because I don't think anybody enjoys game planning and scheming and the chess match of offensive football more than Kyle Shanhan. I don't think there's anybody better at it. It's why the forty nine ers always get so much respect from professional betters, because they know

Kyle shann is so good at scheming. And your point about offensive coaches is that when you have an offensive line that is going to have less athletic players, and you know you are going to have a quarterback that needs to play when he is ill prepared or not as good as a starting quarterback. You need to know how to scheme offensive plays. Agree with everything you're saying one hundred percent. You couldn't have picked a worst game

the Bears and the Bird zones. To try to make your point, you are so wrong on this side, it's frightening. The Bears are the side in this game. The Bears

are the side to win this game. And I think what you're getting here is the inflation on the Browns and the value of their defense, which is very banged up right now, and you're getting how well Kevin Stefanski has coached this team through a myriad of injuries and kept them in the hunt for the title in their division, even though they are basically down to four to fifth

six stringers on their interior offensive line. The Bears, meanwhile, since Week nine EPA per play expected points allowed per play, they're sixth in the league. The Browns twenty fifth in the league. Like, this is a defense in the Browns that is getting consistently worse, and a defense in the Bears that is getting consistently better since they got Montes sweat, They're running defense, their rushing defense consistently better now becoming a dominant force for them, and that might be the

only strength the Browns had. I am not buying Joe Flacco and the glorious story that happened last week against the Jaguars. That was a fluke. That is not going to happen again. That was why you fade the Browns this week. And also Justin Fields, I'll tell you this right now, this is going to be the most fascinating four weeks in a generation for the Chicago Bears or Chicago Bears fans. Justin Fields is playing for a new contract in Chicago, a new coach in Chicago, if that

is what happens next year. He is playing for the next coach he plays for, if the Bears decide to trade him, whatever the case is, Justin Fields is playing for something over the next four weeks. And since the buy, he has been making better decisions, faster decisions, and showing he knows how to play the quarterback much much better than we thought he did prior to his injury.

and travel. I think it's pretty tough. I think this just feels like a spot. You know that number. I love four fours my favorite number. I see it. I take the favorites. I like four better than minus four and a half. I think the Lions is a side sharper square.

to Chicago. But look in those two losses, six turnovers two of ten on fourth downs in their two losses. Like Dan Campbell likes to go for it. When it works, we think he's a genius. When it doesn't work, it puts them in more difficult positions. We saw it against the Bears last week. One thing I think, one thing I think is really important for them, Frank Ragnow their center is expected to be back. I do think that's incredibly important for their rushing game with Jamier Gibb David Montgomery.

When they are both playing well and they can provide sort of the impetus for that offense to give Jared Goff more opportunities, then I think they're a much better team than the Broncos. And don't forget the Broncos. Look, they are living on fourth down luck. They are living on turnovers plus fifteen in the turnover margin during their sort of winning streak the past few weeks. Don't forget Jared Goff, most profitable quarterback in a dome the past

twenty years. I am not ready to sell this Detroit Lions team, and I love the Broncos. I want to cash a Broncos over eight and a half season wins ticket, But I don't think this is the red spot for them. Neither do the Wise guys.

I think this home spot get the Cowboys in chilli Weather off their spot a little out of rhythm, Sharper square like the Bills.

according to Pro Football Focus. And also, don't forget they had to replace Matt Mlano, who is their best defensive player. It takes time for the backups to come in, get used to the scheme, get used to playing every down, get used to playing with their other teammates. This defense. While they gave up thirty seven points to the Eagles, they are improving. I think they're becoming a little bit more well rounded. I agree with you, it's going to

be fascinating the next four weeks. They got the Cowboys, they got the Chargers, They're going to end the season with the Dolphins. Right now, the Buffalo Bills plus depending on where you look, three hundred to win the AFC East, Josh Allen twenty to one to win MVP. I know everybody's saying Dak Prescott has this MVP thing locked up. I would not be surprised if Josh Allen and the Bills run the table and they make the playoffs and

he wins the AFC East. He'll end the year with a freak load of touchdowns, possibly leave the league in touchdown passes, leave the league in total touchdowns. He might be a nice, little tasty long shot bet right now for MVP.

they will. I think they're a really well coached team, but nobody that offense is still kind of dinged up. I mean they're really doing it off great coaching scheme and Cooper cups not fully healthy. Stafford show signs that occasionally he's grabbing something every time off the field, Tyler Higbee's not healthy. So I like the Rams to win, but six and a half is way too many points for me. Sharper square, So.

They're off the by like you just said. I look at this though, and I tell you this Commander's defense is truly terrible, and they are. They are really terrible. And like they had what I call what we call like the dead cat bounce. Right. So in finance, when like a stock is doing terribly and all of a sudden it has a nice little blip, like a moment of clarity, right, that's the dead cat bounce. Because it's

really kind of a crappy stock. This is a crappy team that after they traded away basically their entire defense and Chase Young and Montes sweat. They went on the road, they beat the Patriots. Everyone's like, oh, maybe this team has a little more moxy than we thought. They've basically been blown out in every game since then, right, and so, including at home by the Dolphins. They got blown out

by the Cowboys. They have looked bad. They got beat by the Giants, right, and this is when like before Tommy DeVito and like the magic of being Italian in North Jersey. So it's a bad team and their defense is the worst in the league at giving up passes of twenty yards or more. Cooper Cup I think he's playing amazing right now. What he did against the Ravens was awesome. Pooka Nakua has been final and making fantastic catches. I don't know that anyone in Washington can guard them.

And by the way, Karen Williams has been amazing since he came back from his injury.

places home field is still three points. And I think Seattle's a desperate team that has actually lost but played pretty darn good in the last couple of weeks. And Philadelphia is reeling defensively, They're not running Jalen Hurts as much. It's an offense that hasn't solved their issues. And we've watched three or four games in a row. They have not had a great offensive game for four quarters this season. Seattle's tough. Wendy Rainey, I'm gonna take the Hawks plus four.

Sharper square, Yeah, sharp.

He had a couple of brilliant passes in the end zone. One got knocked down, one was just a foot the receiver couldn't get his foot down before they did eventually score. I think they're playing with confidence. I think they're young, they'll bounce back. They don't know what they don't know, and it was a Monday night football game where they went in off beating the Chiefs, so they kind of got into their fields a little bit. They went it as a favorite, and it's like, no, no, no, no, that's

not what you are. Now they come home, I like a minus three. Talk me into it.

And you're right about the Giants last week. That was the smash spot. That was the easiest money that we have bet all season. Never in doubt, never a concern like that was just you know, Jordan Love going on the road is nearly a touchdown favorite in prime time. You're not betting on that at this point in his career. Going home. I agree with you. This has been a much better coach team. The second half of the year,

he has looked much better. The challenge is that Baker Mayfield all season long has been keeping his team in games. He's playing terribly in moments of every game and keeping them in games and keeping the cover alive in every single game. It happened against the Eagles earlier in the year, and then we saw it again with the Falcons. He had played horrible and in that final drive, I think

he had five incompletions. It was like five incompletions in a few runs, and then all of a sudden, he hits Chris Godwin with a perfect tear drop pass on the sideline that gets them close to the end zone, and then he makes a perfect throw into the end zone to win that game. The beauty of Baker Mayfield is that he's always been a guy who just plays with a massive amount of courage and does not care about what happened before. And I feel like that's when

the Bucks have been doing all season long. So to me, it's scary to bet against them when they're not playing a really, really good team that is just so much better than them, And I don't think the Packers are that much better than them.