Colin Cowherd Podcast Prime Cuts - Rams Overachieving, Philly Shouldn’t Panic, Bills Hitting Their Stride, Sharp or Square

They can do little tweaks with their quarterback and their offense. An offensive culture, I think always has a bit of an advantage on a short week, especially if you're playing at home. And McVeigh is six and one in these spots now seven and one. And also I don't think Dennis Allen's a very good coach. The last two weeks

I've watched mcy work Ron rivera of the Commanders. Commanders late game situational football was embarrassing, and I thought Dennis Allen's halftime move right before half was a swing and a miss. So you know, I go on and on about this, but May is having an unbelievable year. If you watch all the motions and all the shifting and all the manipulation on virtually every play, Saints lineup. They don't use motion. I mean most of the time they don't use motion. They line up. They don't put the

defense in conflict. It's much easier for a defense to just line up, see what you're doing, and go. The Rams are using shifts and motions and these multiple sets where you've got three receivers, jumbo sets. It puts a lot of conflict and a lot of decision making. Throw in some motion. The Niners with Kyle Shanahan lead the league in motion, along with Miami with an offensive coach, and the Rams that offensive coach. It is checkers and

chess and McVeagh, McDaniel, Andy Reid, Shanahan. It's a different looking sport. I mean it's a different looking sport. So and mcveay's had his way two and oh against defensive coach Pete Carroll one to oh against Ron Rivera want to know, against Dennis Allen, two and oh against Arizona. He lost earlier in the year when the Rams were kind of beat up to Mike Tomlin, the Steelers but since Thanksgiving, Matt Stafford fourteen touchdowns, one pick and a

passer rating of over one fourteen. And I think, you know, one of the things that jumps out to me is that mcvah and less Need the GM really work hand in hand, and that's really really important. I remember when Jim Harball was with the Niners with Trent and Balkey, and they couldn't stand each other. And there's some situations in the NFL where the gms and the coaches aren't close. Mickey Loomis and Sean Payton when they were in New

Orleans were best friends. Really matters. But you know, less Need and mc mcvay's got a great sense for offense. They find Puka Nakua in the fifth round, and they also go, get here's a prime example of an offensive culture. So dots and the interior offensive lineman for the Rams, they pick him up in a trade on the interior the online from the Steelers. Steelers weren't going to start Dotson the guard. He's now the fourth highest redded guard in the NFL with Sean McVay. Steelers weren't going to

start him. So and I go on and on about this, but McVeigh is the preparation, the in game management, and I think a lot of times that the media beats up on coaches for some clock stuff late in games. It's fast moving, it's fluid. Nobody's perfect. But I'll take the offensive guys over the defensive guys every time. And I also think one of the advantages the Rams have because they don't have good special teams. They're not a super Bowl team in my opinion. They're a team that

can go. They'll probably end up getting into the playoffs and facing Detroit in Detroit, and I would probably take the Lions. They have more experience, they have a dominant offensive line. Jared Goff is very good at home when he gets on his spot and not rushed, and the Rams pass rush can be a little hit and miss. Their special teams aren't good, their secondaries Young got torched over the top a couple of times tonight first half

and second half. That's what Rams games are. But they've scored at least twenty seven points, I think, in four straight games. And I thought they should have beaten the Ravens. It was a go either way game, but we'd seen other teams in the NFC go out to Baltimore, Detroit and Seattle and get smoked. The Rams went out there and went toe to toe with Baltimore, a really good football team. So I just think you're looking at a Rams team that has made over the last six weeks.

They are a completely different football team. A lot of it is on offense. Their special teams weren't good early, are not good now. Their secondary is okay, it's okay now. It's the offensive improvement. Guys have gotten healthy. Stafford's getting time to throw, Kyra and Williams the running back, small guy but very powerful, shifty, and mcveigh's offense is really a ball control offense. You know, you think McVeigh, you know you think these offensive coaches. You know it's big,

over the top plays. It really isn't with McVeigh. He was at his best when Gurley was in his prime, and now Williams in his prime. That's really when he's at his best when he can rely on a fifteen to eighteen carry running back. And also Cooper Cup's a big receiver. Puka Nakup is a big receiver. He uses those highly effectively. So it is all rolling for the Rams. Now they're hot. It was a coaching mismatch. They get a scheduling break and they feel like a playoff team.

You know, Philadelphia, the Eagles really remind me of the Kansas City Chiefs. I still think they're a really good football team. They've just had a brutal schedule. They can't catch a break. There's some fatigue. They're not very good in the back end of their defense, and they find themselves. They're going to make the playoffs because of Dallas's lost. They got a break there. They're gonna make the playoffs. And outside of San Francisco, I think they could win

every single game. I mean, I watched them play the Rams earlier this year, pushed them around in Los Angeles. I've watched them play the Cowboys twice. They match up fine Detroit. If Detroit had to go on the road to Philadelphia, I'd take Philadelphia Jared Goff on the road cold, whether or not the same quarterback. So I think Philadelphia's fine. You know, it's recency biased. They just lost again. They look cooked. They're not a great team. Kansas City's not

a great team. I mean the Kadarius Tony if they were a great team, wouldn't get on the field again.

the business gets worse over time. You saw that with Brandon Staley and the Chargers. They got worse every week. They opened the season nearly beating Miami, looked really interesting, and then a poorly run business gets bet Washington. The Commanders with Ron Rivera, they were a viable team seven weeks ago. They just get worse. It feels like every week you can see some of these defensive coaches they

feel Jurassic. They're out of touch. You know. Meanwhile, you've got Shane Steichen taking Gardner Minshew and beating the Steelers. You've got Sean McVay. I think Sean McVay right now, week to week is doing the best job of coaching in the entire league really outplayed the Commanders from the very beginning. And you just saw a classic, young, smart, progressive offensive head coach just getting better offensively every week.

It's amazing. He takes a rookie Puka Nakua, he takes Kyron Williams, who's now like the third best offensive player in the league behind Tyreek Hill and Christian McCaffrey. Folks, that's coaching. Coaching is get the most out of your players. And here in Los Angeles, nobody got less than Brandon Staley, and nobody gets more than Sean McVay. The job he

has done this year is absolutely remarkable. He is squeezing every ounce out of a defense that's Aaron Donald and kids, and an offense which is guys mostly Stafford Cup, Tyler Higbee, probably Rob Hanstein didn't play today, the right tackle a little bit out of their prime, and then kids kyn Williams and Puka Nakua. It is a marvel to watch the Rams play. And I know I live in Los Angeles and you're thinking, oh, Colin, you're going overboard. This team was picked to win five games in Vegas, and

they have an opportunity to win ten. All right, everybody, welcome in. It's the Colin Coward Podcast. You know who I am, I hope by this point in my life. And this is John Middlecoff three and out podcast at the volume you see him all the time on our digital stuff accounts and a former NFL scout. We start with the obvious one. I did like Buffalo to win. I do think this this league week to week. It

depends on the spot you're in. I think San Francisco is unique in where their bad game is still good enough, you know, to go to Cleveland and almost win if they hit field goals. But most of the teams in this league have just bad Sundays. They're off a big win, they're you know, they're This was a spot for Buffalo. James Cook now is becoming a real part of this offense.

But today you gotta give them their ceiling. I mean, they have a couple wins this year that Miami win early in the season. Miami's pretty good. That game against Dallas today, like their ceiling is pretty high. When they're on obviously playing at home, the division is still open, like the division is not set. Miami schedule is very hard. They played Dallas, they play the Ravens, then they finished

with Buffalo. You look at buffalo schedule, at the Chargers, who mailed that thing in the Pats, and then they finished, like we said, with Miami. Listen, they've kind of reeled me back in because today was as much about Josh Allen just going Lebron James or Steph Curry. It was more the defense annihilated McCarthy's offense. And like you said, the run game. What has Buffalo always lacked. It's they've never had a run back beside Josh, Well, if you can get a guy, you don't need him to get

one hundred and eighty yards every game. But if you can rely on an individual to be one hundred yard a game guy in cold weather games, hard not to like Buffalo and look at him a little differently after the last sixty minutes, right right, you know.

energy player. There's always Pittsburgh always had a star receiver on the outside. They draft and developed receivers better than Buffalo. But this is what this is really what they remind me of. This is a big Ben's Steeler team with a defensive coach, defensive culture that has enough offensive pieces to win. And I when I watch them today, I'm like, not everybody peaks at the right time. Rams are a totally different team than six weeks ago. Don't even look

like the same team. I mean, that's a dangerous team. Now they're blowing people out. So I do you buy my bills? Look like a Steeler comp Ben Josh Allen defensive coach where they're very, very energized running back.

And this is where you got to give McDermott and Josh and some of the guys internally some credit. They handled it. They kept you know, kind of the train on the tracks a little lucky. However, you want to look at last week it played out they won the game, and today they beat the living shit out of the Cowboys. And that was Listen, a lot of people were betting

on the Bills. It's another thing to be up thirty to three, and the Cowboys struggled to get over one hundred yards of offense with five minutes left to go in the game. I don't think anyone saw that. And that's kind of a rough reflection on Dallas that, you know, the Eagles, obviously, the story today changed. The defensive coordinators, guys are sick, they're working through some stuff. But how's that team going to go on the road and beat

the Niners? Because you want to take Dallas seriously as this NFC contender, this team to go to the Super Bowl, and then you watch a game like today, you're.

Last week we were so locked in at seven o'clock, I was doing dishes because like it was like I was done, it was over, and it just it felt lovely.

pass rush capabilities against Mason Rudolph. And don't think like, all right, we're going from Kenny Pikett to Mitch Trubisky to Mason Rudolph. He's been all the same. They're all the same, They're the same quarterback. And then you just mentioned the most important thing. Mike Tomlin. Mike Tomlin as a dog, most profitable coach the past twenty years. Mike Tomlin as a dog at home, Mike Tomlin as a dog in the division, Mike Tomlin as a dog late in the year, Mike Tomlin as a dog off a

loss of more than seven like every category. It starts at sixty percent and gets up to ninety percent. No joke against the spread. So yes, the wise guys, they're going to be on the steers.

So you want to get them at the plus number. But for all the reasons you said like, there are a lot of trends that will back up the idea that when you are a team that has been blown out and then you are going on the road again as an underdog, you are the team that people should be backing. So in agreement so far, two for two Kyle Cowhert.

in lousy weather. We've had huge rain through southern California. It's all moving into the mountains Denver, Colorado over the next two to three days. Patriots plus seven sharper square.

They're playing bad quarterbacks and getting turnovers. So what are they getting they're getting I would argue Bailey Zapi is not a good quarterback in bad weather, in altitude, in a hostile situation. This is Taylor made to be a turnover masterpiece for the Denver Broncos. Look at what happened last week with the Chiefs, Right, the Patriots were in position to keep that game close. They come out of

the locker room. Bailey Zappy second throw he's rolling out, throws it directly to a Chiefs defensive back, like doesn't even There's not even a Patriots receiver there. And that is going to happen two or three times in a game, and a couple of those times, at least one of those times, the Broncos are going to catch the ball, and that's going to be the way the game changes. I would not be comfortable betting the Patriots in the spot. I would bet the under though.

I'm taking the points all day here. I think it's a good game. I like the Niners. Five and a half seems almost disrespectful. Sharper square.

So in my heart of hearts, what I'm hoping for is Christian McCaffrey is dominant and that the Niners win the game, and that the next two weeks it's just a coronation for Christian McCaffrey, and I win my Christian McCaffrey twenty five to one MVP bet. The problem is that everything you just said, Lamar Jackson against the NFC, that's not a sort of quirky to take sixteen and one anomaly. It's because there's nobody like Lamar Jackson that these NFC teams can prepare when they are playing him

number two. There are like some concerns. I haven't seen the injury reports from today, but look, i'msted and Hargrave on the defensive line for the Niners when they were missing last week, the Cardinals gained nearly four hundred yards, right, and they kept it close. So, and we also don't know about Leonore is he going to be playing in the defensive backfield. When he started to play that defensive backfield was much better. So I do think there are

some concerns. But I generally think the wise guys are looking at this and saying, the public is so high in the Niners. And there are reasons to be high in the Niners. Right. They are undefeated when Deebo Samuel and Trent Williams are playing, and they are beating teams by double digits, they are a legit team. I do believe the Niners will win the Super Bowl, and I do believe we will look back on this team and think it is historically great for the past generation. With

the combination of Kyle Shanahan. Who you think this? I think this. A lot of people who cover football think this. He's a brilliant coach who has had bad injury luck and not exactly the perfect people for what is an incredible system. And I think he has that. He's had luck on his side for health. But I think this week the Ravens are probably going to be the sharp side.

of control the offense. I know they're a favorite. I tend to like dogs, but CJ. Bethard is an average, average backup. I'm gonna take the Buck Sharper square.

He was twenty one of twenty eight north of three hundred yards, four touchdowns and all season long, the wise guys have been backing the Bucks, and the Bucks have been one of those teams where for three quarters they're amazing, but there'll be four or five drives in the game where Mike Evans drops a ball or Baker throws a pick, and like it just puts the game a little bit out of reach for them. But they've generally played really, really well. So I can't fault you for liking Baker

in this spot. It's a scary spot because you're also backing Baker after he was just as good as he's ever been. I know, but we see j Bether. Yeah, you're taking a short home favorite.

to four and a half. I have been betting best quarterback in games. But I think ibra Flus is coaching for his job. I don't think Arizona's guy's coaching for a job. I think Justin Field is playing for his job. Oh, this is a this is a big game, a Dome team going to crappy weather. It'll be it won't be a blizzard. The weather is kind of unseasonably mild in the Midwest. But I think the urgency and intensity here. Also remember last year how teams after they played the Niners,

like all lost. We're not tracking it this year as much, and the numbers aren't the same, but when you play, when you play San Francisco, there are repercussions. They're a really physical team. I think Arizona played spirited football. It's a really bad roster. The Bears aren't a bad roster. I want to take Chicago Sharper square a square.

I think that as a Bears fan, we saw what we saw last week against the Browns in that second half where just Fields was like seven of nineteen for sixty yards, and that offense was not able to execute, And at some point that's on the quarterback and his inability to find the right receivers and so, and on the coach for coaching a defense that gave up the game to Joe Flacco and had a ten point lead. There's a stat that we had that we were talking

about on the Favorites podcast. The Bears, I think this season, or of only the last two seasons, have had ten point leads in the fourth quarter six times. They're three and three. Everybody else in the league the past two seasons something like ninety three and one. Literally, it's like a ninety three percent win rate. So there's a lot of issues with that Bears team. I think that what we got in the Cardinals is a team that is

just always going to be undervalued. And I don't think if you look at the market, there's going to be any professional better who says, oh yeah, I'm comfortable betting the Bears is more than a field goal favorite, which is why the line moved down. Also, don't get Kyler Murray against the spread on the road fifteen and five. So you're talking about a guy who was very good at covering the spread, and by the way, he also covered it last weekend that number was bouncing around. So

I like what. I like what Kyler Murray can do here? All right?

But also you've got to think about the teams they've beaten during the streak that they've been on have not been very good. And now, if you want to talk about a coach who is coaching for his job, you're talking about Arthur Smith, and he's putting Taylor Heineke back in there. Also, because the Colts defense is just trash,

like they can't really stop the run. They were good before Grover Stewart on his ped suspension, they haven't been good since they're in the middle of transitioning that defense. It's just not a very good defense, so I think. And also the Falcons offensive line, which was really injured. They had many players who were out or questionable heading into the game against the Panthers back at home on turf, Arthur Smith is gonna have to be as creative as he possibly can to keep this team in the hunt.

I like the Falcons here. There's one more that I like, probably not worth your time. It's a corner TV game. Are you ready? Tennessee Titans plus two and a half.

in these exact spots. So yeah, the wise guys are digging themselves. Some Tennessee Titans.