Colin Cowherd Podcast Prime Cuts - Harbaugh Sends A Message, Sean Payton Has “Fixed” The Broncos, Lamar Jackson’s Accuracy, Lions Legit, Sharp or Square

the top? Appear so? But you can't convince me a nineteen ninety four rule that none of you knew is suddenly embezzlement and forfeit wins and fire the coach. The other thing that jumped out to me is find me the great college football coaches that have been and pristine. Want to go back and look at some of the methods of Bear Bryant or Barry Switzer or would he Hayes Jimmy Johnson was polarizing Blunkeye fans, Urban Meyer, really great coach Nick Saban. They wear people out, they're tough.

I mean Pete Carroll one of the great college football coaches. Ever when he left there was all sorts of NCUBA issues around the program. So I'm not looking for pristine Okay. In the NFL, coaches have to deal with wacko, impulsive, ego infested owners. And in college football you got to deal with needy donors Los Angeles phone book, thick, nc doublea handbook. You have to deal with seventeen hours of practice.

Kids are emotional, They come from all different backgrounds. I think Jim Harball, you see his coaches crying on the sideline in riches. Coaches in which is players elevates young people's lives, and I think that's such an important part of college football, coaching, basketball, men's, women's, whatever, it is enriching their lives. But if you're looking for pristine, wrong business. Our churches aren't pristine, Okay. Wall Street's not, Silicon Valley's not.

College sports is not a lot of handouts, Folks. For years and years they were paying players. Now they are legally right. That's why it's so balanced now because not just the SEC is paying players. The idea that Jim Harbaugh is the bad guy in all this, all of this is laughable to me. And I also thought about this. The Big Ten sees itself as like, you know, either the most important conference. Certainly, I'd argue it is because it's located right in the middle of the country, massive

tradition filled universities, Penn State, Michigan, Ohio State, Wisconsin. But it's really become a two team conference. Penn State doesn't win these kind of games. It's Michigan and Ohio State.

And I think Big Ten fans think by adding Michigan, Washington, Oregon, USCUCLA, they look at the South California schools and then they look at Washington and Oregon is sort of like Oregon plus Michigan State ish plus no. Right now, Washington and Oregon have as good at coaches as maybe they've ever had, and they are Ohio State. You're adding two Ohio states to the conference. I don't think Big Ten fans get this.

Every time Washington has had an elite coach, Don James National title, Rick neuheizel one Rose Bulls, Chris Peterson got to the playoff, Caitlin de Bores. When's the last time they lost on like a sixteen to seventeen game winning

street same for Oregon since Phil Knight got involved. Mike Bolotti with Jeff Headford number two in the country, Mike Bolotti with Chip Kelly blewe people out Chip Kelly, Mark Helfridge get to a Natty, and right now with Dan Lanning, I think there's an argument that Oregon's the second team in the country to Michigan. They're in that Georgia, Alabama, Oregon Texas class. In my opinion, i'd take him against Texas and Alabama, not sure what against Georgia, but it

would be close. So the Big Ten. Maybe it's the perfect time for Jim Harbaugh exit if he wins a national championship or even if he doesn't. But the truth is for him to continue to win when he's not on the sidelines. It shows the formidable culture that he's built. Running and just running in the second half, to me, was a sign to the conference that we will do it our way, that Michigan football, power football, regardless of I'm on the sidelines, will prevail. I wish Maryland and

Ohio State the best of luck. But listen, man, if you're looking for pristine, you gotta be kidding yourself. I mean Buckeye fans slow down on Pristine, Woody Hayes smacking a player during a game, love Urbinmeier, all sorts of noise, Urban was there, Jim Harball's not the bad guy. Hey, we all make mistakes again. Jimmy Johnson polarizing, Barry Switzer, Pete Carroll, lou Holts. These are not These are not perfect jobs or perfect men. But I loved, I loved.

I don't generally root in these games. I just like a good TV product. I loved not only that Michigan won Hardball one, but how they won. I think what you're seeing with Denver is a really well coached team. As Sean Payton was asked to fix Russell, he has I mean Russell Tonight twenty four to twenty nine, couple of touchdowns, multiple laterals, couple of huge long drives late in the game. You got to give Russell Wilson credit

for that. They don't have a star receiver, Courtland Sutton, Jerry Judy Mims, no stars, tight ends, Okay, no stars. You know a couple of nice running backs. Williams I think is a good young running back off an injury. No stars, p Ryan good backup. There's no real stars on the offense, and Russell Wilson's probably about seventy five to eighty percent of what he was. Didn't quite have the speed, the twitchiness or the juice, but he still makes really good decisions. He doesn't make a lot of

big mistakes. He plays with himself. Sean Payton has centered the ship. He was asked to fix Russell Wilson. He has. I think this is about what Russell Wilson is now if they had an elite deep threat. I think Jerry Judy's always been disappointing, very fast. The old line's not great, so Russell's not going to have very rarely a lot of time to throw. Tonight he had a nineteen yard

completion to Jerry Judy on that play. He had great protection by and large, though Russell is getting the ball out very quickly because it's not a great offensive line. Mcglinchy's been kind of not a bust, but he's been in suboptimal acquisition at right tackle. So but I mean, Russell Wilson had thirty six thirty seven minutes time of possession. Sean Peyton has fixed Russell Wilson to the level he can be fixed relative to what he has to work with the defense. It was a mess early. They moved

off a couple of older players, one Randy Gregory. They're playing younger players. It's not a great unit, but they keep things in front of them, don't let cheap touchdowns over the top. They don't make a ton of mistakes. They had a lot of penallies tonight, but not a lot of turnovers. Buffalo was a mess meanwhile, and so I think Peyton was in charge of fix the culture, fix the quarterback, get the roster as right as you possibly can. And I think he's done it.

time of possession, you know. Buffalo, on the other hand, I wrote this down just in the first half, fumble, interception, three drops, no run game, and Buffalo trailed twelve eight at half. At home, they were just not prepared to play. So I look at a Buffalo team that has a superstar quarterback, a really star wide receiver, a couple of star defensive linemen, and at home felt like they were I mean, let's be honest. There's an old saying you lose more games and then you win in the NFL.

Buffalo lost that thing tonight. Who is the quarterback? Last couple of drives, didn't make any mistakes, kept picking up third downs. I mean, Russell Wilson was eight for nineteen on the road third down against the defensive coach Sean McDermott. Good defensive front, pretty good. So you know, if you want to know what coaching looks like, it's not just

the coaches. To get to the playoffs Denver, Sean Payton was asked to fix the coaching staff, fix Russell Wilson, fix the culture, and in the middle of a season, fix the defense. He's done all four Denver relative to their talent, is okay? Listen, the smartest guys in the NFL miss all the time during drafts, and I didn't know what Lamar Jackson was going to be. I really didn't know. I don't think anybody did. That's why virtually everybody passed on him, and the Baltimore Ravens got him

at the end of the first round. I mean, as good as Russell Wilson was in his prime, everybody passed on him, including Seattle a couple of times. Everybody passed on Brady five times and six in many instances. So there's no great valor in saying, you know, well, you were wrong on a quarterback. Everybody's wrong. The best gms in the history of the league are wrong. But you know it became very evident, very quickly with Lamar Jackson when he started Week eleven of year one. He was

really a unique talent. And I say this all the time, and I would say this. I argued with Jason McIntyre today about Brock Purty. Every great quarterback in my life there is something that is special, and which Brock Purtty there's not. He throws a good ball, not a great ball. There's no wow with Lamar Jackson. I don't get the critics. I just I don't. I don't get it when you watch him He had a couple of plays in the first half. One in the second half it was incompletely

He threw a ball deep into the end zone. It was caught, but out of the end zone. His escapability, his ability to move to his left or is right and keep his eyes down field, his ability to throw accurately deep when he's running. Lamar Jackson just doesn't play the game like anybody else. And you know when he first broke into the league, the knock was, well, he doesn't play well from behind. For the record, almost nobody does.

You know, outside of Pat Mahomes, almost nobody has a winning record playing from behind if they've played, you know, at least fifty starts in their career. And now the knock is, well, he can't. He can't keep a lead, so we know he can play from behind. I can't hold a lead. He can hold a lead. A lot of that's on the defense. You know, his turnovers are up this year. He can be frenetic, he can play

a little bit too fast. But just ask yourself Herbert size wow, arm strength wow, josh Allen Mahomes, Burrow's accuracy. If your quarterback doesn't have any wow. That was the knock on c J. Stroud. He's big enough. He was accurate, but it was sort of his comp was Jared Goff, and I had said with Goff and I still say it, there's not a lot of juice with Jared Goff, but he's really good. And that's c J. Stroud. His it is at his ability to see the field very quickly,

recognize and throw the ball accurately. Burrow and c J. Stroud have the same wow, and it's the ability to accurately throw a football from forty five yards in with dead eye accuracy. That wow. Drew Brees as wow was accuracy like through a tire from thirty yards, you know, regularly over and over and over. Your WOW doesn't have

to be size or speed or arm strength. It can be just Drew Brees, Joe Burrow, c J. Stroud accuracy that there's just not that many people can just drop a ball over linebackers in front of safeties twenty eight yards on a dime every time. But Lamar's just jumps off the television set. Like when I watch him, I'm like, yeah, I didn't know how it would work. But if you're still denying it, I don't know what you're watching the guys won seventy eight percent of his games. This is

the first year he's had good receivers. He's got a good tight end, but he's had running back injuries and O line injuries and Ronnie Stanley, and I think the guy's just incredibly special. In the NBA, the games can change in an instant, but no matter how the action unfold. Do you know that DraftKings Sportsbook has you covered? This week? New customers can score one hundred and fifty dollars instantly in bonus bets by just betting five bucks on basketball.

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one of our faves, John Middlecoff joining us. So let's start with something that I know irritates the hell out of both of us. The Chargers gave up five hundred and thirty three yards and about eight and a half yards of play to Jared Goff and the lines, who, by the way, were off a bye. I thought it was my favorite bet of the week. It was a push. It was at minus one Monday, but by Friday I get blazing five. I got minus three. But listen, this

is not an easy team to defend. Although Baltimore did it they were off a bye, but the ease in which Detroit scored quickly in the second half Derwin James, and I say this all the time when I watch a coach, do your players get better? We tend to think that good players in the NFL like they're set, like they can't be coached. Derwin James between between the penalties getting beat and all, obviously he can be sporadic in terms of availability. I don't think Derwin James. I

wouldn't resign him. I mean, I like him, but I wouldn't pay a safety that anymore what you have to pay Herbert. I am just it's John. At some point we have to acknowledge. I like Jared Goff. I like this on line, They're not eight and a half yards of play good right.

football knowledge. Understanding every yard, every landmark, where everyone's supposed to be, what you're supposed to do against this, If this happens, do your players know?

game what happened against the Jacks. They had an enormous lead and then blown coverage, blown coverage, and listen, most guys aren't Deon Sanders, Durell, Reeves, dvs are there. They get plays made on them. Football is hard, but when no one's around you, that's the problem with USC's defense the last couple of years, Like there's not even a

soul around. This can't be normal, you know, And I think that's the Brandon Staley ultimately his undoing because Herbert today had a little bit of a muscle flex Like this is the reason I'm one hundred and seventy hundred and eighty million dollars. Quarterback Keenan Allen's been fantastic this season. Clearly playing injured, you can't have a quarterback at that level.

new offense. So I was happy to see that happen. Yeah, and I think, you know, people can believe what they want about quarterbacks. I mean, Jordan Love had two picks today, lost and people will say, oh, he made some great throws, you know, justin Herbert was throwing dimes all over the field. Loses and people will say he's overrated. I felt today, I mean, the Spanos family and Tom Telesco have been frustrated.

I mean, I could tell you that that with some of what's gone on, great disappointment and the money spent on the defense and the inability for it to make stops. But I thought today I thought, I mean, Herbert march down the field, doesn't have Mike Williams, doesn't have that offensive line. I thought he was stupendous. It's funny I told you this. Obviously there's a communication. We don't think Brandon and Staley's a dumb guy. There's a communication gap

between brand that and the players. When you get Mike Vrabel, Dan Campbell and Andy Reid and Mike Tomlin, there's almost a physical presence, or with Pete Carroll, John Harbaugh sort of a legendary presence. They they're like almost brands. With Brandon Staley, he's a smart guy. Is he willing to confront a player? He's a smaller guy. Is he willing

to confront a player. Is he willing to bark? Is he willing to use willing to use volume, because I don't understand how you can have veteran players and older expensive defense in the wrong spot. Is he willing to call players out? And by the way, Vrabel is Tomlin is Pete is Harbaugh? Is that part of this whole thing is connecting. I mean, I know guys Greg Olsen told me Pete Carroll's meetings, you didn't make a sound. There was reverence to Pete, Andy Reid. He will bark

at Mahomes, He's intimidating, you know, Spolstra Kerr. These guys will snip, they'll get after you. Staley to me is sort of this intellectual. Do players respect him? They may know he's smart, But a lot of times, John, I've had bosses they're smart. It doesn't connect with me. And that's what I wonder that.

the whole building. And you bring up Steve Kerr, think think how Steve is perceived on the outside, very progressive, liberal, outspoken, feels like he resonates with a certain crowd.

can get on their great graces. And he was good at that, so I and that was the phony element I saw it, and with the San Franco Giants with Gabeler, because ultimately, if you win or lose, who cares what they think about you. That's what you're paid there to do. And he's just struggled at that. And now you know, this year's been hanging on by a thread. And when

you have this quarterback. There's a couple of players I think that are pretty polarizing who are pretty good, Trevor Lawrence and Justin Herbert, and I think, oh, I got a couple of texts today about Trevor Lawrence are like, yeah, you know, there's some intangible stuff I wish he had a little more of.

so impressive. He had a bad pick, very much like Andrew Luck shrugged it off, had zero effect, very short memory. And listen, we all know Burls great. But I gotta tell you something. When I watched C. J. Stroud, that was a real moment. That is a better roster on the road. Bad pick bounced back, marched down the field with no time left. Now, if Boyd could catch, maybe it's a different outcome. But I gotta tell you, John, I looked at him, so it's funny his comp was

Jared Goff with a little more mobility. Well if I told you, you know, if you think about that, that's like, well, hell if GoF had mobility, maybe like a top eight quarterback.

most guys can't consistently do it. This guy does it with the East and let's face it with a Thursday night game with Bryce on display. And this when I got out of football and went to radio, started to go into a lot of baseball games and basketball games.

only in November. The Texans wouldn't even pick up their phone call if they try to do a trade, And how would Carolina not have a redo on that?

their conference. Alabama's great even during their run, LSU, Georgia stacked, Texas and m didn't have the coach stacked Ohio State faces one game a year and they out recruit historically Michigan that they're even so c J. Stroud five star tackle a lot of time, five star receivers, heartline recruits better than anybody in the country at wide receiver. So there's a reason Ohio State it's not USC similar Matt Lioner,

it barely got touched in college. There is a reason it's not really living an NFL experience.

guys that will play. So then you head on Tank Dell. So I will say CJ's got a little better talent that I think. I think Houston's pretty got some juice, don't you think a little bit?

and we've watched I think fairly. Even though Russell over the last three weeks has been better because they've established a run game under Payton, he's lost his juice. It's just it's just the bottom line is when you're that small in this league, it doesn't take as many hits. Christ I saw Cam Newton Ben age thirty three, You're like, whoa, that doesn't look anything like it than at twenty nine. So it's like Ben got old fast, Cam got old fast.

Josh Allen's got about three more years of this. Yeah, and he's he's for sure and he's six six, two sixty. So I do think with Bryce and your point on Kyler is right. Kyle, for the record, Kyler's been banged up several times. Kyler did not want to run in the playoff game, like you know, five ten guys don't want to run. Sharper Square. Chad Millman, CEEO Action Network. I actually this week love the lines and I love

dogs everywhere. This week I'm going I'm going value shopping because I've been heavy on the favorites for about a month. It's done me. Okay, you ready to go.

to bet them. People who don't know anything about football want to bet on the Lions the same way they used to want to bet in the Patriots, the same way they used to want to bet on the Packers, the same way they still want to bet on the Cowboys. Right, So there was inflation. That's why the wise guys came in and took the ten, and took the nine, and took the eight, and now it's down to seven and a half. That's number one. Number two. Divisional matchups. Divisional

matchups favor the road team. They favor the underdog. So when you get that, then diagram, you want to bet the road underdog. It's a lot of divisional matchups this week. This is when the wise guys spoted right away.

it's a cute story. Well it's more than that. Josh Dobbs is effective, he's accurate, justin Jefferson could come back. They have an excellent offensive coach. I like their personal A lot two and a half is too much, I think. I think Minnesota is a real team. The Josh job thing. He's more mobile now than Russell. He's accurate. They have better weapons too. I know the numbers telling me to bet Denver. I'm gonna take Minnesota plus two and a half sharper square square.

are winning in surprising ways. The public came in on Minnesota, the wise guys came in on Denver. So what you're saying about Josh Jobs is totally accurate. But look at what Denver has done. Denver has won three games in a row. After that devastating loss to the Chiefs on a Thursday night, Russell Wilson had fewer than one hundred

yards passing. He had two picks. That was following up a week in which they lost to the Jets, in which the game was clinched by Russell Wilson scrambling and then forcing his own fumble by knocking the ball out of his hand with his own leg and the Jets pick it up and run it back for a touchdown. Since then, they've completely retooled, not just this defense, which has been considerably better, but Russell Wilson. In this offense. They get him into a position to make a decision faster.

They were snapping the ball with ten seconds or less too often. Now they're not doing that. Even saw it last week against the Bills. They weren't game changing plays, except they were plays that didn't cause Denver to lose yardage and lose momentum. It was a simple pass under the first quarter. Russell Wilson second and one looks down the field instead of scrambling, instead of trying to find someone deep, he just dumps it off right first down.

Very next play, pass rush is coming up both sides, the middle of the field opens, Russell Wilson doesn't hesitate, sprints for ten yards. Russell Wilson has eighteen touchdown passes, second in the league behind Tua. Four interceptions, second fewest, seventh best rated passer against the rush according to PFF. They're a better team right now.

before they come out. I'm like three. I'm like seven Buffalo fires, a coach inspired. Everybody's backs against the wall. The country's bailed on them, the cities on their ass. I'm taking Buffalo minus seven here sharper square.

Except nobody wants to back Zach Wilson. They just can't find it within themselves to back this quarterback at this number, no matter how big it is. Meanwhile, Josh Allen historically in this spot at home, when Josh Allen wins, he covers that isn't the story this year, right, It's been a lot more of a struggle. There's zero consensus on this colin Like, you're not going to find any wise guy who's like, oh my god, I love Josh Allen at minus seven. There are games where they do like

big favorites. This week, you're on your own on this one. There's nobody who's like, yeah, I got it, there's value on this one. Don't forget whise. Guys like to bet where they think they have an edge. They do not have an on the field edge against this number.

is Patrick Mahomes. This isn't hyperbole. Virtually unbeatable in November December, virtually unbeatable as a favorite of three or less. Andy Reid great off the buy like we're talking about. We're talking about bucking incredibly strong historical trends. You and I can make an executive decision on this. I'm with you. I think the Eagles are going to cover, but we're not going to find a ton of support from the betting community that is consensus on this. There are games

where we're going to get consensus. They same one of them.

numbers now like minus thirteen and a half. I would take the huge favorite Sharper square one hundred percent.

get better. Maybe one day they'll be competitive with more higher caliber teams. But they blow out bad teams. Look at that Carolina and Gain. Remember it, Carolina was up by fourteen. You're like, oh my god, they got a shot before halftime. It was thirty five fourteen.