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All quiet on the coaching carousel, and that's going to be for a little while. This is the game that some of these teams are going to get into or maybe already in. You're waiting for Aaron Glenn, the defensive coordinator of the Lions, and you're waiting for Ben Johnson, the offensive coordinator for the Lions. They're probably both getting jobs this upcoming season, but you have to wait. They're still in the playoffs and probably going to be in
the playoffs for a few more weeks. Maybe they're going to a super Bowl. Therefore, if you're bringing in people to interview and you're holding out help that you may get one of these two and that may hold up maybe hiring somebody else, or maybe you do go and hire somebody else. You don't wait. You know, the Raiders I think have the inside track with Ben Johnson, Certainly all indications point towards that, and Aaron Glenn with the Jets. So if you're the Saints, the Bears, like said some
of the cowboys, like what are you waiting for? Who are you waiting for? And are you holding out false hope that these guys might be there. I'm going to imagine that Jerry Jones is looking at Ben Johnson because he probably wants that offense, that excitement. You know, maybe this will help Dak Prescott. You know, if he helped Jared Goff, he should be able to help Dak Prescott.
But what if you don't get him? Did you fire or let Mike McCarthy walk and really not having a plan be And I know the betting favorite is Deon Sanders. I just don't know if that's a real story. And look, maybe it is. Maybe Jerry is going to get Dion. He does like those shiny objects. Look at who I brought in. But I just don't get that feeling. And I don't get that feeling from Dion either. I could see Jerry doing it. I don't know if Dion feels like that's the right place or maybe the right time
for him to go and coach in the NFL. But that's why it's kind of quiet.
Now.
You haven't heard too much Mike McCarthy interviewing with the Bears. The Bears have interviewed. I would feel bad if I was a candidate and I didn't get it. Interviewed by the Bears. Hey, Han, did the Bears call today?
No?
All right, well let me know if they do. Ready for my zoom call here. But that's kind of the reason why it's a little bit quiet. You know what else is quiet? The Chiefs are going for a three P. And I don't know if there's Chiefs fatigue, but it certainly feels that that way. And I know every commercial you see or every other commercial you see, it's Mahomes, it's Andy Reid, it's you know, Travis Kelcey Kelsey's podcast, Taylor's Swift. I get it. But let's not lose sight
of what they're doing or trying to do. It's never been done before. It's an Oh, by the way, they're going for a three P. And it feels after a while and it is fatigue, like we have voter fatigue, Like there's there's no way Joker is going to win another MVP because they'll be voter fatigue. And you know, we had this same feeling with Golden State years ago. It's like, oh God, can somebody knock off at Golden State. We get, you know, a fan fatigue, voter fatigue, and
I think we have Chiefs fatigue. Right now, where you go, do we really care? They have this Saturday afternoon game against the Texans. If this was New England with Brady and Belichick, I can't imagine they would open up the divisional round of the playoffs at home in a four thirty afternoon start against the Texans. Now, this says a lot about the Texans. Apparently, it's like they're in all right, we got to put them on TV. You know, maybe True TV. We could put them on, Yes, PAULI.
If you look at the NFL schedule this weekend, Texans Chiefs feel like an opening band at a big concert festival. They're on the secondary stage at four pm, and Ravens Bills feels like the headliner.
Yeah, it's like Coachella and then you're going to open up. But here's the Chiefs. Oh, by the way, and you know, we're ready to annoint Patrick Mahomes pretty soon as the best quarterback of all time, Travis Kelcey hall of Famer, Andy Reid hall of Famer and going for a threepeat. And it's sort of like s and maybe the Chiefs like this that maybe they're not being focused. You know, we're focused on what we're focused on Lamar Jackson, maybe another MVP. Can he get to the Super Bowl? How
about the Lions? Maybe this is the year for the Lions. Hey, you don't want to play the Rams. The Eagles might be the most balanced team. And we keep talking about everybody except for the defending champs, the two time defending champs. And look, maybe you'll tell me if you call in each seven to seven three DP show if you do have that Chiefs fatigue? Why because even when they lost one game and then you know, they lost to Denver at the end of the season, but even when they're
fifteen and one, did we talked about they're lucky. You're not going to be able to play this way in the postseason like we're almost waiting, hoping, or at least you get that feeling from people that, no, not the Chiefs again. But if you have Buffalo and you have Baltimore and they make it to the Super Bowl, I think people would be thrilled. NFL fans would be thrilled if one of those two teams was there. And maybe not because you're rooting for them as much as you
don't want the Chiefs. Oh gosh, here we go again.
Yeah, Paul and I did see some people on social media this weekend when it was Texans at Chiefs. Even though the Texans had a great week last week, it feels like the Chiefs path got easier. Either the Ravens or Bills will be gone. They don't have to face one of those two teams.
Yeah, all right, well come up with the pole question.
Yes, Marvin, this might be a Texans thing. So I just looked up divisional playoffs Patriots versus Texans. It was on US Saturday. You're you're fourteenth, twenty seventeen. They played on a Saturday afternoon. Wow, so it might be the Texans sections. Okay, that's a good good research there, thank you. Uh see, what's pole question for the first town?
Uh well, let's see.
We could start with game you are most looking forward to watching this weekend. That's not Ravens Bills.
Oh okay, we're taking them off the board.
You got to take that right off the I mean, that's the best game of the weekend for sure. Okay, but you have Texas Chiefs, Commander's Lions, Rams Eagles, Oh yeah, those are those are all pretty good. I would say I would put Rams Eagles towards the top of that. But Commander's Lions is it.
Yes, that to me seems like that's the the marquee matchup and that's a that's a Saturday night game. But it feels like, you know, it's still Ravens in the Bills because of those two quarterbacks, and we keep waiting
for one of these guys to win a big game. Now, Josh Allen is won a few more big games the playoffs then Lamar has, But it feels like that when we're all tied up with who's gonna win, and you know, is that gonna be the MVP game that you were Whoever wins, you're gonna go, yep, they should be the MVP even though it's a regular season award. It feels like we're attaching a whole lot to that matchup with these two. Yeah, Paulie, it does.
Feel like Commander's Lions is great because it's two great stories. The Lions, everyone kind of roots for them, even if you don't love them or grow up on them. And Jayden Daniels and the Commanders, like you said a couple of weeks ago, he made them likable, you know, Notre Dame's now likable because of Marcus Freeman and whatever. But the commander's being likable. That's been a long time coming.
Yeah, it's a great story. I don't think you root against either one of these teams unless you're in the NFC East and you don't like Washington. But this is not This is not your typical Washington team that you wouldn't like. I think the fact that they got out of out from underneath Dan Snyder's stink. The Lions are still likable. But that could change though, you know if they win the Super Bowl and then Dan Campbell's doing
all these commercials. You know, Jake from State Farm is there with Dan Campbell and they're biting kneecaps or whatever. But Jared Goff, Jared Goff does an insurance commercial and this is the only thing I've ever seen him in, and it's a woman whose last name is the same as his. Is that that Goff insurance company? Marvin the law firm, law firm?
Yeah?
Okay, okay? Now is that is he related to this woman? Because I see the signs where he's standing next to her, and he's got kind of a generic football jersey. I mean, it's not one of those Hey, you're on State Farm. It's yeah, I'm with a law firm and it just so happens. It's the woman who I think runs the law firm has the same last neet. I don't know if he's related to her. Yes, Tod, Yeah, it's Brooke Goff.
The billboards all over the place. You did stuff with Mike Tyson and other celebrity types. It's got quite a racket going.
Okay, thank you, Tod.
This first hour brought to you by seems to be a legitimate business.
Yeah, duskew negative when you say racket.
Who's very successful. This commercial is.
All over TV. She is a lawyer.
I'd rather not get sued for calling her a crook.
What kind of racket you're running here? This first hour brought to you by Rapid Radios, official walkie talkie of The Dan Patrick Show, offering national LTE coverage, no subscriptions ever. A great alternative for kids or parents. Go to Rapid radios dot com for sixty percent off and free shipping. Big Game coming up tonight. It's a rematch. You want new blood, you got it. It's the Cabs and Thunder. So we're in the middle of January. At what point
do you go, all right, I guess they're legitimate. You know, I said that the Rockets were going to be the surprise team in the West starting this season, and they're second in the West right now. But you might be going, all right, they're twenty seven in twelve. Well, considering that they lost at least sixty games the previous three seasons, this seems like a pretty good turnaround for the Houston Rockets twenty seven and twelve. But the Cabs in the East,
you probably still say, well, I take the Celtics. Or if you say, oh, the Thunder now, I don't know who else you would go. You might say, can the Rockets be the best team? Who else in the West? Where you go, they're going to be formidable? You know, Golden State. I thought maybe they make a trade here at some point. But you start to look at some of these teams and you go, how many teams can win the championship this year? You know, Miami with their
mess with Jimmy Butler, the Bucks. It feels like we're either in or out, you know, depending on the week. I did watch Wen Banyama again last night. Oh my goodness, he's spectacular. How he didn't win Defensive Player of the Year. Last year, I am I and stunned. Stunned Jah Moran had a dunk over Wemban Yama. Now it didn't count, but it was it's going to count for something. I mean, that is a poster if you see it, and Ja Moran is going up against Wemban Yama and he dunks.
But it didn't count. It did count for me when I watched it, because I can't erase it from my memory bank.
Yes, Marvin, So I was gonna ask that question last night when I saw the dunk. All right, so play the day. I'm thinking it's that. I know it didn't count, but we don't do play the day that county. It's just play the day period.
Right, Yeah. Yeah, But wemban Yama he had thirteen points, twelve rebounds, and he had eight block shots.
Who stand of a day?
Stan a day, a day, stan out a day. This is the stuff she'd span Melissa Etheridge. There stat of the Day brought to you by a Panini America. Wimbin Yama is he's just figuring this thing out and it is remarkable. I know, I know, I keep throwing verbal bouquets at him and you know, he's just he's young and is still figuring out the game, and that's what's scary. You see him do things and you go, that's not normal,
that's not normal. Both ends of the floor. He's probably the best two way player in the NBA in my opinion. Now you might have somebody else, Marvin, you might suggest somebody else, But if I look at what he does on the defensive end, I don't think there's anybody who can guard the top of the key and in the paint at the same time, and he does that. I mean he's averaging twenty seven a game. Yes, Marv, actually, DP,
I completely agree with you. I don't really think it's as far as the best two way player in the game.
But my question is when do people start hating him year four, year five, if he doesn't want to start winning championships.
Because we've done this with other people too.
I don't think we're there yet. And he's in San Antonio, so he's not featured, he's not on commercial like, he hasn't gotten to the point of being an irritant. It's I mean, the reason why people had a problem with the Spurs usually because Greg Popovich. You know, he was gruff, but that was it. Like Tim Duncan, what did you dislike him for being boring? Boringly great? And people did. They're like, oh god, the spurs that get It's weird how we don't embrace I grew up when you had dynasties,
but I don't think we like dynasties anymore. You know, you don't want that one team where you go, that's the team to beat. It's like you want new blood in the constantly. You know, we had Patriot fatigue, but it was Patriot greatness that was right in front of us. Or if you're watching and you're watching tennis, not him again, not her again, But like, we shouldn't lose sight of
greatness that's there. You may not like it because they beat your team, but if you don't have a dog in the fight, just to appreciate what the Chiefs have been doing and replaceable parts, that's what's amazing. It's really really difficult for a variety of reasons to stay this good for this amount of time. Yeah, Paul, I saw an article a few years ago. I think it was Sports Business Journal or one of those Forbes. Leagues do
best when there's dynasties. They get the best ratings when there's dynasties, the Bulls, the Warriors NFL Baseball, because it makes it easy for the average fan or casual fan to consume the sport. They don't have to relearn the stars or relearn the teams. Said, it's actually worse when there's a new title winner every year, whatever major sports
there is. Yeah, because you're now aware, you're familiar with these players, with this team, with this coach, and therefore you can watch a game and either be fascinated by watching them or be rooting against them.
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Media that's Covino and Rich. He is Chris Collinsworth who used to be quick. He used to be fast. Collinsworth used to be fast. That was a long, long time ago. How fast do you think you could run a forty yard dash?
Last time I ran a forty yard dash, my kid got me in the backyard. So we were talking about it. So they were claiming they could beat me, right, and I said, no way. They were like, they're a teenagers. So this is probably fifteen years ago, and so we lined it up, we had time prials, we had the whole thing, and I just I literally warmed up for a half an hour because I hadn't sprinted forever, right, warmed up for a half an hour, came out there.
I made it thirty eight and a half yards before I pulled my hamstring.
So I have no idea.
I fell across the line. It was the worst moment of all time, but I was only one and a half yards away from having an official time for you, So I have no idea.
Is speed more important than quickness as far as being a wide receiver.
I think there's both, you know. I think there's people that Randy Moss obviously could just run by you. Some of these big guys, Arrell Owens, I always thought I didn't know what his forty yard dash time was, but it didn't matter. You know, the forty yard dash really comes down to the first ten yards whoever is the quickest getting off. So a lot of times the smaller receivers can get off the line of scrimmage in that
first ten yards and a great time. But what I see out of the league is that a lot of these long legged six four six ' five guys that can build up speed. What really matters is when you hit the jets around twenty five yards, you know, when you make your move and you're close and now you've got to run by those guys. And that's when some of the real stars of the league really emerge, because then it's just like, So that's my support for the tall receivers in the league.
But how do you explain Cooper Cup and Puka Nakua, who aren't for four guys but they're extremely successful.
Well, I think Cooper is and I love watching him run and I can't believe I was so stupid. I never thought of any of this stuff when I was playing. But he does a little triple move that is just awesome. So it's like dunt dun duhn, and then the dbs
just get frozen. So it's not like he's there fearing him running past him as much is they have no idea which one of these Isaac Curtis could do that a little bit, Dan, you remember him, my old teammate, and he had this thing that he got from Paul Warfield. And it's interesting that I couldn't I didn't do it well, but and seeing Cooper and now he's teaching at the PUKA. But Pooka, for the most part, I think is a
fullback playing wide receiver. You know when you watch the Rams play, how many early downs start with they just get him the ball in the flat and he runs over somebody in the second and three and so. But he's he's a tremendous, tremendous player in both those guys. The magic of that team has always been the play action, the run game, the bootlegs off of it. But the
ability of those two guys to make key blocks. I'm just going back and watching the first Rams Eagles game and a lot of the big plays that they had in the running game came from those two guys blocking.
Okay, how do the Rams win this game?
I think they can. Matthew Stafford has to be great. He just has to be great. I mean he is. He can handle anything. He's not going to get hit. He's not going to let these guys just beat on him. Now, they did get him a couple of times, but haven Stein wasn't playing right tackle. It was McClendon last time. But he's tremendous getting the ball out of his hands and not having the Kobe Dean.
Is will hurt Philadelphia.
He really flashed in that first game, a couple of big tackles for losses and big hits on the quarterback. He ran over Kyron Williams one time on a pass rush, so they'll miss him. But it wouldn't surprise me at all to see this thing come down to a lot of man coverage on the back end. I mean, there's just no way that they can let the Eagles just overpower them again with Saquon Barkley, right, So that means you got to get up, got to try and stuff the run.
You just got to be able to get after.
Their run game, and whatever happens in the passing game happens in the passing game.
It feels like every year there's a surprise in the divisional round. So if that's the case, give me the surprise this weekend.
Yeah, honestly, I probably would have said our game. And I think that people, and rightfully so, look at the Eagles as a team that very prominent and could easily win a Super Bowl. And it's the kind of team that I like to If I build a football team, I would build the Philadelphia Eagles. I would build power on the offensive line. I would build power on the defensive line. Some of these big guys, Jalen Carter's unbelievable. I don't know that people give him enough credit for
what he does. He draws double teams from every team every single time, and if you single.
Block, he blows you away.
That all being said, I think what we saw out of the Rams last week gives them a chance because they really were able to play manned coverage against a very good Vikings passing game, which surprised me a little bit. They've really grown in the secondary on the back end with what they've been able to do, and Matthew Stafford has the ability to offset a pass rush. He has the ability with his brain, with his experience to not
give up those big plays. Now, having said that, the last two series that I watched of this first game between these two, they took sacks and they couldn't block those guys inside. So it's you know, but I do think when you have a veteran quarterback that has the ability to dictate a game, not get hit, not give up big sacks, and not throw interceptions, that it does give you a.
Chance, is it?
Mandatory that when the Texans make the playoffs, they must play the first game in the playoffs as early on Saturday afternoon as possible.
Apparently so the ESPN game we used to call it back in the day. But you know, the Texans were impressive last week. I mean, there's just you just have to say what it is when when they when they get it going, especially on the defensive side, you know they have the ability to go get your quarterback. And the problem is that, I mean, short of Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs just not liking all this time off. And I can't imagine a veteran team wouldn't.
But maybe they're just not razor sharp. But I've been to so many Andy Reid practices over the years. These guys practice hard. I mean, it's not like when you when they get time off. It's not like they're flipflops walking around like the forty nine ers used to do when they were whipping our butts all the time. But they come out there and they are practicing and they're getting after it. So generally there's a reason why Andy's teams do fine after buys.
It feels like here's a team that could go for a three peet, but I think it's being under sold. I think there is Chiefs fatigue with the media that you know, if you look at the storylines, Chris, we're talking about anything but the chief Now, granted it's the divisional round against the Texans, but we're focusing on the lines Jayden Daniels, Josh Allen, you know versus Lamar Jackson. Like, we're going out of our way to make sure that
we're talking about anything but the Kansas City Chiefs. Why is that.
Because they've converted into a defensive team, not that they aren't capable, but when't we all like we're overwhelmed watching the Kansas City Chiefs. It was because Tyreek Hill and company and they were taking the top off and they're throwing bombs and mahomes.
Was you know, it was just insane.
They were scoring points all over the place and it's really not what they are right now, and they are still fully capable of doing that. But they got the fifteen and one this year because of the way they played defense. And honestly, it was the same thing yesterday or last year that they really just played great defense. Chris Jones and company in there those guys, they win the game on the defensive side. And then we remember Mahomes making a player Kelsey making a play at the
end of the game and scoring a touchdown. And but you go back to that Ravens championship game last year. I mean, it was a fistfight. It was a violent, violent football game. And I think that's what's missed out of this when you watch Kansas City where people talk about him, is you know, Philadelphia I consider a violent football team. I think Kansas City is too. They've got that interior wall inside with those great center and two guards.
Physically can come off the ball, and defensively, I think they're as good as anybody in the league.
We're talking to Chris collins Worth, NBC Sunday Night Football analyst, and he'll be on the call with Mike Treco Melissa Stark. That will be Sunday at three. It's the Rams in the Eagles. Who has more to gain in Buffalo between Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen.
Who I think that Josh has at least played well in really big playoff games. I mean the fact that they lost that game to Kansas City that year when he makes that brilliant comeback and with twenty seconds left or whatever it was, Mahomes comes back. That really wasn't on him, right, Lamar's coming off a year in which probably wins the MVP again. I don't know how that vote's just trying to read the tea leaves of some
of that stuff. But it could be his third MVP and the only thing he has not done is tear it up in the postseason. And so you're sitting there and as a coach, what do you tell him? It's like, do you tell them, all, right, Lamar, let's put the ball in your hands, let's go.
You just be the man.
Or do you just say, hey, Lamar, just do what you've done right, We've got King Henry. Let's be patient, let's do this. Don't feel like you've got to take it in your own hands, you know. So it's kind of a quand read. So I'm going to say, Lamar, I think as great as he has been in the regular season, he kind of needs to stamp it a little bit with a Super Bowl championship. In this team, they're fully capable.
More valuable off season edition Derek can He or Saquon Barklay.
I think Saquon Derrick Henry has been really good, and he's got the compliment of Lamar, but Squon has the complement of this offensive line. And it's one of the things that I really I mean, it's it's so I played receiver. I've played every position in the NFL basically at one time or another, but I started as an offensive lineman. But this really highlights the the what this offensive line has been over the years, right, I mean, this has been a dominant force for the Philadelphia Eagles.
It was when they won the championship, it is now if they win another championship, it'll be for that same reason. Offensive and defensive lines.
And I.
Think that Saquon behind this group has really just shown what they have been able to do over the years. And if they win, it'll be Saquan running the ball. I think they're a very good passing team, but if they win, it'll be because they overpower teams the rest.
Of the way.
Why is Mike McCarthy out of the job in Dallas?
I gotta say that one surprised me a little bit.
You know, if he had won so three out of four years he won twelve games, right, maybe he didn't. He couldn't beat the forty nine ers in the playoffs, and that's what it was. Unfortunately, the decision year was the year that he didn't win twelve games in Dallas.
So and Jerry Jones, I don't know.
I just keep watching this Deon Sanders thing, you know, and you go, okay, I mean, you know, Dion's done great in Colorado. He's you know, this is a We've got a new age of football. We're seeing much more of a college kind of football game happening.
Quarterbacks, that Ron, all this stuff.
Maybe Dion's the perfect new age head coach too. But that whole thing is that whole dynamic now is getting really really really interesting.
So what are you going to think?
It's real? Chris? You think that Dione possibly to the Cowboys is real?
I think anything with the Cowboys is possible. I mean, come on, how many times do we watch this show? And it is a show. I mean it is when you're you walk in that facility, you walk in that stadium, and the cheerleaders, and I mean from the moment you arrive in Dallas, you understand it's not a football team.
It is a show.
And the ring master is Jerry Jones and whatever whatever he really leaves sells more tickets to the show and creates more wins, So you sell more tickets to the show. He's going to do it. Do I think Dion can do it? I do, but I'm not sure. But I got to be honest. You know, there's a reason Lamar Jackson was the last player picked in the first round. There were thirty one other teams that weren't sure that he was going to be able to do what he's doing.
So I'm not saying that Dion can't. We just haven't seen a former player go coach a couple of years in college football and go be head coach of the Cowboys and find a way to make it work with Jerry is the ring leader. So it's everybody that I know that's ever been head coach of the Cowboys. They'll tell you it's different. You know, It's it's not like being in Green Bay. Is not like being you know, it's different. There's more to being the head coach in Dallas and being the head coach.
Fill in the blank, justin Herbert is blank.
Extremely talented. I didn't think that they had enough this year. I was actually impressed that. I mean, they went out in a terrible way for him. You know, that was not a good performance by him at all in the playoffs. But I think they've set the table a little bit. You know, they've established what Horrball wants them to be. They need help a receiver. They just don't have enough right now to be able to do really what they want.
They're not going to They can't go compete with the Philadelphia Eagles of the world, you know, and just go bang heads in there. So year one take them to the playoffs. Yeah, I think it's successful, and I do think he'll come back. I think it was a bad performance.
Before I let you go, Al Michaels joining us, Al, would you give Chris a little taste of maybe what they used to share? Jackson drives back there and there he goes, Chris, we did that to Al Seaton did his al Michael's in person personation and Al goes, do I sound like he didn't like it, But now whenever you hear him and there he goes.
He has a great way of changing gears and and dumb it and he's.
Just about out of Josh m maringos.
We all steal from each other, right, I mean, I take the best of you and whoever al and you incorporated in a little bit and everything you do.
Have fun this weekend. Thank you, Chris. Good to talk to you, man.
Be short. Catch the live edition of The Dan Patrick Show weekdays at nine am Eastern six am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio w APP.
I saw a tweet from Ed Werder and of course always reading Ed Werders tweets, and had something to do with the Cowboys. Ed is a cowboy insider for w FAA TV in Dallas, had to do with Dion, had to do with Jerry Jones, and maybe maybe this is actually in the on deck circling could happen, and Ed Werder kind of enough to join us. So you piqued my interest with this, So explain what your tweet was all about.
That was my one and only interest in tweeting Dan was to get your attention, Thank you, and to have an opportunity to make a long awaited guest appearance on the show. If you want to play golf again, let me know. Yeah, I've I've been obviously following the Cowboys, you know, for a long time. But you know, certainly throughout this season and extending that coverage through the dismissal of Mike McCarthy, which I think surprised a lot of people, even those of us who covered the team on a
regular basis. And you know, when you start configuring a list of potential candidates to be the next head coach only in Dallas do you have to make sure to include Dion Sanders and Jason Witten former you know Cowboys tight end great who Jerry is enamored with, who has only coached at the high school level. Regarding Dion, obviously we know that he has not yet formally interviewed for the job.
The Cowboys have.
Extended invitations to Leslie Frazier and Robert Salah to be the first two to interview formerly for the job. But Dion told Adam Schefter the other day that Jerry Jones reached out to him and they discussed the job, and everything I continue to be told Dan is that Jerry is interested. It was described to me as he's enamored with the idea. Obviously, It's hard to imagine any coaching candidate who could create more interest, someone that Jerry could more sell to the fan base here which needs to
happen and make Jerry more money than Dion Sanders. I mean, he won a Super Bowl here as a player. So there are also people around Dion who tell me that he's being urged by his supporters in Colorado to take the job, and that they believe if Jerry ever does offer him the job, that he will take. That he has an extension to remain at Colorado on his desk that he hasn't even looked at as he considers these
other possibilities. But you know, I mean, there are also people close to Dion who tell me they don't see it happening, but they've seen things happen with Jerry Jones that they didn't expect to happen before. And he did hire Barry Switzer, so you can't rule anything out. He's the most unpredictable owner in the NFL on any subject, especially this one.
But do you think that Jerry Jones had somebody in mind when he was willing to let Mike McCarthy leave.
I assume that Jerry's done this enough times. This is his eighth time that he knows before you let somebody who has some value it has proven himself to the degree. You know, Mike McCarthy has as a head coach in this league with two different franchises that you're sure you're going to get somebody who you think is going to do a better job.
Yeah, I man for some reason. And I was talking to Tim Callishaw, of course he covers the Cowboys, and he said Dion was treating this as if he was offered the job.
Like.
His response was, Hey, I'm honored or humboled or whatever, but I got work to do as if he was getting the job offer. And then I thought, well, maybe is Jerry doing Dion a favor by Hey, maybe we have some interest here and that helps him even more with that extension at Colorado. But you think this is real, This is something that could happen.
I think it has merit, and I think when we're talking about Jerry and Dion, you always have to be wary of how this conversation could benefit each of them, and it certainly does. But I think there is a
possibility of it happening. I mean, Dion apparently told Adam Schefter that he doesn't need to use the Cowboys's leverage to get what he wants at Colorado, that he's him, and there's probably a lot of truth in that, given the effect he's had on that program and the attention he's brought to it and the money that's been dedicated to the program since then. But yeah, and I think a key figure if this were to go very far,
would be Mike Zimmer. You know, Mike Zimmer was a defensive coordinator here this most recent season under Mike McCarthy, coached under five head coaches in Dallas, and he has not decided what he's going to do in terms of whether he wants to continue coaching or not. I think a lot of that is dependent upon what direction Jerry decides to go in hiring the next head coach.
And he would.
Certainly, almost certainly Dan be a part of it if Dion Sanders is the coach, because Mike is very close to Dion. He coached him when he was here. He was close, so close to his program at Jackson State and then at Colorado that there were people speculating that Zimmer was going to be the defensive coordinator of Colorado. That never happened, but Zimmer made it clear during the season when we spoke to him that he does frequently still speak to Deon Sanders, So I'm sure he would
be heavily involved in that. And it's interesting that he has made no mention or or offered no decision on his future.
Okay, but we've talked about Jerry and he hires coaches that are submissive and malleable, and that's not Dion. So is Jerry finally maybe coming around to that I need to have somebody be a head coach, act like a head coach and not be looking over their shoulder constantly.
Well, do you think that Jerry would think that there's not room for him to influence Dion Sanders, who's never coached at the NFL level, on how he' views his best route to being successful. I think Jerry would see this as a very a very positive opportunity for him
to influence the way Dion Sanders coaches Jerry's football team. Now, was interesting that during the season, when Jerry was first asked about Dion, you know, he praised him as one of his favorite players of all time and you know his competitiveness that he brought to the team, but he also sort of dismissed his value as a head coach in the NFL because he said, what Dion offers, Now, that's most attractive and most influences his success at CU at the college level is his ability to record, and
that's not going to be a significant part of his success in the NFL should he opt to coach in the NFL. And that's true, I mean, he could influence free agents, but the Cowboys have not been heavily involved in free agency in recent years, to their own detriment. Quite honestly. You know, they were the last team to sign a player four out of the last five years.
So it was interesting to me that Jerry thought that was the most unique ability Dion possessed and that it would not be a significant factor in whether he succeeded at the NFL level.
Did Mike McCarthy want out?
That's not the sense I got. I mean, when the season ended, he was unequivocal and very public about the fact that his goal in the next few days was to remain in Dallas. He said he had made an investment in Dallas, the Cowboys had made an investment in him.
I think his.
Family wanted to be here. I sincerely think Mike McCarthy wanted it, expected it to work out, And I don't know that we fully understand the real reasons.
It did great to talk to you always, ed Thank you. Thanks. An Edwarder covers the Cowboys for WFAA TV in Dallas. He's Drome Bett. Jerome bettis the Hall of Fame running back, won a Super Bowl and a former running back out of Notre Dame nineteen ninety three draft. I believe do you see your jersey behind me?
I see it. I love it. I love That's all school right there.
That's rams Jerome Bettis.
Yeah, that's where.
Do you want that? Bet? Do you want that? Bet?
No?
Hey, I appreciate you displaying it proudly. I appreciate that.
How many jerseys do you have? Do you collect jerseys?
I do have? I do have some. Yeah, I've got I've got a few. But but what I did was I collected them as I was playing from different players. You know, we would trade jerseys and stuff like that. So I didn't do much like buying jerseys or anything like that. It were all given to me at one time or another.
All right, give me an idea of who you have what jerseys?
I mean, my I guess my pride and enjoy would be uh, Jim Brown. I mean, I didn't play with him, but he you know, he signed it and everything for me. Marshall fall I'm trying to think Barry Sanders. It was a lot of running backs as I think about it. But the problem is I don't have them displayed. My wife didn't let me put any of my jerseys up in the house, so I so wait.
Wait, wait that house bus you them here.
Here's what you got to understand. It's some battles that's not worth fighting. And you you gotta know I'm smart enough to know that was not a fight that I was willing to put out a lot of capital on.
Okay, but do you have defensive players that you swamp jerseys with?
No, I've got. I swapped. I swapped with Erlacker, his shoes, our shoes. Like in the last one of the last playoff games, we we traded shoes. So that was pretty unique. But it was one of those one time things. I didn't do that very often.
All righty, let's start with your alma mater. What do you expect to happen on Monday night.
I expect to be a very close game. I think a lot of people will think it's gonna be a blowouts. I don't. I don't see that being the case. I think when you look at the teams that Ohio State struggled with, the team that had a lot of physicality, and I think that's what Notre Dame brings to the table, physicality at the point of attack. They're going to run
the football, They're going to be physical on defense. Now, I will say we're at a bit of a disadvantage because you know, our best defensive lineman he's he got hurt, you know, in the first playoff game, and so we don't We're not as strong as we were up front.
That's a little bit of an issue. But you know, we we played them a couple of years ago, and you know, back to back years or one and after the other, and they were competitive football games, right We lost there at the end of both games, and so it tells you that we can play with them. That's not the issue. The key is we can't give up big plays on defense, and we have to create some big plays on offense. I don't see us going eighty
yards down the field every single drive. So we've got to open it up offense up a little bit and throw it down the field and be successful.
You're going to the game?
Yes, definitely. It's in Atlanta, and I live in Atlanta, so there's no way I would not be at that one.
And is your son going to Notre Dame?
My son is en road, Yes, so he's a he's a mid year freshman, so he We literally just dropped him off last weekend Notre Dame, so we're real excited for him.
Did you cry when you dropped him off?
No? I didn't cry when I dropped him off. Fortunately for us, his big sister she goes to Notre Dame as well, so it gave us a sense of well, gave me a sense of comfort knowing that his big sister was there on campus. And my wife, on the other hand, she left a day or so after me, so there was some crying. I do understand.
Uh. And that apartment he's Jerome bettis Hall of Fame running back. The running back is back bus. What happened in the NFL, See, let.
Me tell you what happened it running back never left. The problem was you couldn't find those franchise running backs. And let me tell you why. So in college they changed the game in the sense of they went to these four wide receivers, and they went to this smaller back so they can go laterally down you know, all the running in colleges later it's nothing downhill. So they went to little bitty small running backs. The problem is the NFL doesn't want little bitty small running backs. They
still want power football downhill. And at some point you couldn't find the running backs right if they're not coming from five or six schools, you know, the Georgia's, Alabama's, the SEC schools, maybe Wisconsin, Notre Dame every now and then maybe at Ohio State or Michigan running back. But outside of that, you're not getting running backs from all over the country like you used to. And so as a result, the NFL had to go to say, you
know what, we'll figure it out. We'll go with these guys who can We'll get four guys who can do what one guy could do. And that's what kind of happened that and you start having to pay your tight end and the second receiver, and that money has to come from somewhere. So they say, you know what, since we can't find the franchise running back, let's pay these other guys and if we find one, great if we don't.
We don't which running back is more prominent in his team's success, Derrick Henry or Saquon Barkley.
Oh, that's a good question. That's a great question. I would have to say Saquon Barkley because we have seen what the Baltimore offense can do without Henry. It's not as explosive, but they are darn good without them, right so, and they've they've gotten to the same level of success. Now when you look at Philly, they're not as good as they've been in the past. If you take sat Kuon Barkley off of that football team, I don't know if they make the playoffs because they're just not clicking
from a passing game perspective. And so with that being said, if you don't have sa Quon Barker there, they don't have. I don't think a chance.
Is Derrick Henry a Hall of Famer.
Not a question about it. He's what he's been able to do over the years that he's been able to been in the NFL. I believe he's Hall of Fame worthy. Uh So, I don't know what that looks like, but I do believe he has a all of the characteristics if his if his career ended tomorrow, I think he definitely would be in the Hall of Fame.
What's wrong with your Steelers? Ah?
I think they haven't been able to offensively get it figured out. They need a second receiver, a big time receiver. They don't have one on the other side of George Pickens.
Uh.
They've got to figure out about George Pickens in terms of can he uh be the player that they need him to be right on the field, off the field, all those things.
Uh.
And so I think they have to sit down with him and and and get get that figured out. I think also you got to figure out the quarterback position. I think Russell is a good quarter back for the time, but I think the problem is he's not a long term solution to the issue. They have got to figure out a long term solution at the quarterback position. And a lot of you hear a lot of talking heads speaking about the coach and this and that. You in
the NFL, we've seen this now. This record is not you know new if you do not have a quarterback in the NFL, you are not going to win in the playoffs. That is a That's what we know for sure, and right now the Stellers have gone through this window of time where they've been trying to figure out the quarterback situation and they have failed. They have not gotten it right. So I think that's what they got to
figure out. I think if you put Russell in the position where he's got two really good receivers, a really good offensive line, a good running back, he can be successful. But to ask Russell Wilson to carry this football team on his back at the quarterback position, I think it's unfair to him at the stage in his career.
Yeah, but Bussy, I got to put some of this on Mike Tomlin that, yeah, you get to the playoffs, he's helping try to get a quarterback. I don't think it like he's powerful in that organization. So Mike's involved in this. So if you're involved, like you can say, we got to get a quarterback, well, I got to blame. Put some of the blame on Tomlin that you haven't found a quarterback.
Well, here's what you have to do. If Tomlin was picking all the players, I would say, Okay, another piece in this puzzle is you have to commit resources, right, and so that means you've got to give up a couple first round picks. Right. Well, the Steelers, the draft is very instrumental in how they build their football team.
So this is not a head coach decision in terms of what they will have to do in terms of draft capital to go up and get a quarter Now, maybe they haven't seen a quarterback that it's worth you know, packaging and mortgaging the future on. And I get that that may be the case, but I believe because of I mean, they're prisoner of coach tomlins success because they don't they have to lose the season. They're picking anywhere
from eighteen to twenty five to twenty seven. You're not going to get a quarterback there, right, And so because in the last seventeen years or whatever it is, they have been there, that's where they're drafting. So they've got to make a fundamental decision on how do we get the quarterback in there. The one year when I was there that everything fell apart, and I think it was probably the only year that we were, you know, under five hundred with coach Kywer it was six and ten.
We got we got Ben that year, right, And so you don't get that's the situation you're not able to get that quarterback. And so I think at the end of the day, there has to be some high level discussions on aren't we willing to commit multiple first round
picks to go get the quarterback that we need. Now they're trying to get players that have gone from team to team, and for the most part, some of these guys, their careers are more behind them than ahead of them, right, And you're not going to solve the problem with that type of scenario. You can, you can get from year to year, but it's not sustainable at the quarterback position. And that's the difficult, difficult part of the scenario that the stealers are in.
It's Ben Roethlisberger still the best quarterback in Pittsburgh.
That's a good one. No, I definitely don't believe. So I know he's still throwing it. He's still throwing it to his kids in the backyard, But I don't know. I don't know if we can put him out of a target and go for it.
Uh have fun on Monday night there, and uh good to good to catch up with you again, Bussy.
Hey, thank you man, And you could have had any jersey you wanted at that spot you put mine. I'm honored, thank you so much. I appreciate you