jayen returned to full practice in Thursday's practice after limited work on Wednesday Herz injured his left knee during last Sunday's divisional round win over the Rams but never came out of that game now Commander's defensive coordinator Joe wit had this to say about defending a banged up hurt if he's going to run the ball and if the coordinator makes a decision for him to run the ball we're going to treat him like a running back and we're going to hit him that way you know so that's that's their decision if they want to get him
hit the way that that that he gets hit if they they don't they'll keep the pocket okay I need to give a little disclaimer for the audience uh that's Ryan Clark's best friend best brother RC's best friend that is my brother and and Cam Newton knows this better than anybody his daddy is Joe wit senior yeah a Auburn guy and so he know that the wits don't play yeah for sure absolutely Steph what was your reaction to that sound I loved it I loved it I I never met the man I want to meet the
man I love it you know what he did well we can make that happen clearly because because you see here's the deal y'all you know and again cam RC y'all know this a gazillion times better than me football is not just physical it's psychological it's mental what you did was not that this is cuz Jaylen Herz is a stud you know he's is a stud athlete he ain't scared or anything like that but you do want to give somebody cause to pause if you can actually make that happen you want to let them know oh
we coming for you you better stay in that damn pocket you want to be protected you step out of that pocket we going to treat you like a running back we going to hit you like a running back remember that pain felt last week remember that it's more that remember how you got concussed when you showed up at FedEx the nation near the nation's capital weeks ago and we beat y'all because you had to get out of the game remember that he's reminding you of the possibilities the detrimental possibilities that come associated with the hazard
of your occupation that is what he did and I'm I'm like I love it there's nothing illegal about it there's nothing unethical about it a matter of fact damn it is admirable it's a beautiful thing we've been talking about Jada Daniel d d Jada Daniels all week long all playoff long because of the way that he's been playing this is the first time we've sat up there think about this we're having a conversation right now about the command the commander defense because of that man that man said look for it expect it understand we coming
for it and that means you got to have this cuz they going to do it I love it love it I love it r no because there's a there's a way you do it within the rules that with Jaylen herz's injury is more impactful and and I'm going say this because I'm sitting across from from him when you walked into the stadium and you saw Cam Newton on the field and you say okay when he run I got to find my win right you got you got to figure out what's what where my angle going
to be and no I didn't have I had had loose screws so it didn't really matter to me but that's how it works with jayen Herz now jayen Herz is a normal human right jayen Herz looks like a running back when he runs the ball but he got a bum wheel so every time I approach him I'm telling him right now I'm hitting you on the thigh board I'm shooting that kneecap and I know for the rest of the world they're like oh my God Ryan Clark why why would you do that don't you want
to protect your brother all my brothers wear my colors on that day that's hard I'm hunting everybody who is in a different helmet I'm everybody that's in a different Jersey and I'm hunt you in the way that you don't want to be hunted and so what Jo wit is doing is he's putting the disclaimer out there cuz see I know him personally he's actually not an oversharer but in this case he wants jayen Herz to know it who else does he want to know it Kell Moore right he wants Kell Moore to know that what's
going on in our locker room what's going on in our meeting room is I'm telling my players hey if he runs this football past this line of Gage you treat him like he saquan Barkley it ain't no friends right it ain't no get backs and so I can't wait to see the chess match between those two blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah every time I would hear somebody make a a threat understand this he's still a quarterback he still can slide so that I would I would tell coach Mike schula one of
my favorite coaches also with Ken dorsy I would tell him being a quarterback you have an opportunity to always be the hammer and it's not even being the nail because if I feel like I'm going up against a matchup that I can't win I'm gonna slide there's not another position in sports that I felt like I'm GNA run up with somebody and say oh this a DB oh I'm gonna give it to him him but if it's something that I say okay I have to protect myself I'm gonna slide these words from from uh coach
Whit is is is cool but realistically we're still talking about a quarterback so if he runs I've never seen you know jayen Herz play Reckless when when running the football now is he injured is he does he have an ailment yes but from a quarterback understanding how you run the football as a runner even if it's a designated run for you you can still slide cam here's the other thing though too though every you know there there there's a different Cam Newton right there's the Cam Newton that says there's the first quarter it's the first
quarter it's eight minutes I don't really I don't I don't need this win I got five boom it's gonna be second and five there's going to be a point where you need a win and when Cam Newton needed a win that's when this came out for sure will jayen Herz mentally be able to say okay this is a play I got to go do this understanding the approach of the defense yeah I I look I I you got some Stephen yes yes Cam because see cam cam this one of them moments brother you understand where
you know you just you know you you just a little tonee you just look man you look in the mirror you see you yeah you feel that way most quarterbacks hear from a coach with and they gonna be like oh damn you know what I'm saying I mean I then you got got heart though that was like you a't ping I know he I know he do I know he do but Dam he ain't Superman you understand saying all I'm trying to say to you is this the brother Ben this is this is this year
this is in the last few weeks he's been concussed and he's got and and he's been hampered Moby with his KN in the last three weeks and and what and what and what coach Whit is saying and I don't think people are really picking up on this I'm surprised y'all didn't mention this he's not just saying that to make him hesitant to make him think essentially what you doing is you saying you better stay your ass in the pocket yeah why do you say that and why are you saying that cuz you want when he
gets out because you believe that'll make it easy for y'all if he's in the pocket throwing it as opposed to running it so again all of those things play a role why they going to do that they wouldn't be doing that if they thought that he was an elite thrower that could kill him with his arm they doing it they messing with him real quick cam what that FAS you if you heard another coach say that no not him Molly I'm just asking him as the quarterback what the mentality would be but but on the
damn television screen even for jayen Herz Jaylen Herz squats the world he's monster he going to be scared the the real competition is who can squat more sequ or Jay Herz he can't now if I'm hearing right now that I'm hearing that I'm saying to him it's a chess play they want you to stay in the pocket what it is and understanding okay Coach I see what you're trying to do but it's not going to work can somebody get Cam a bigger box too now there a bigger box man whole shoulders out you act like
we haven't we're not around professional athletes every day for the last 20 years like Cam's big but I mean cam no one talks about I'm telling you we've been around everybody NBA players everyone all they do is talk about your size like everyone off camera I know but it's constant where the Eagles enter the conference Championship round as the favorites to hoist Lombardi trophy according to ESPN B and ESPN analytics with the Bills and Chiefs not that far behind though the Eagles are currently favored due to their perceived easier path to the Super Bowl many
have their faith in a team out of the afcc so two of the best quarterback squaring off in the NFL and Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen we've talked about it at nauseum cam is the AFC Championship winner the clear favorite to win it all yeah I mean I've said this people don't like to hear it but I I'm doing the service to all journalism by choosing a side the win's coming out of AFC I'm not going to toal line and say this okay think about a matchup the bills have to play the Philadelphia Eagles I'm
going with the bills the bills have to play Washington commer I'm going with the bills okay the Chiefs play the Philadelphia going with the Chiefs the Chiefs have to play watch going with the Chiefs yeah so that's my theory behind the whole thing it's not emotional I'm just going by what the statistics and what the favorites you know in in matchups look like to me yeah and I think I got okay go ahead goad well listen I'm G say this to you the media don't need no favors from UK we we we know we we
we all we all right trying to help the journalistic world you know here's theal ISC World need favors he doing us a favor I don't think it's the foro conclusion that Kansas City or Buffalo wins the Super Bowl I think the Philadelphia F the Philadelphia Eagles locked and loaded completely healthy with a defense that's got a two-e break that goes into the Super Bowl I think the Philadelphia Eagles can beat both of them if they get past watch I mean jayen Daniel just something special I'm just you know you you get get he's got you
a little bit nervous but do I believe that the Philadelphia Eagles with the way saquin Barkley is playing with what AJ Brown and G and Devonte Smith are capable of with that offensive line that's plugging holes for you as wide as Broadway on a Sunday morning do I think that that team can beat a buffalo or a Kansas City and win the Super Bowl championship yes I do you know what you know what I love about you Stephen A I'm going to say what I love about you man you are good on TV you know
why cuz no matter what the question is you know how how to twist it up and entangle it up and answer a way that make it sound like you answered the question but you didn't really answer the question Chang the question in your answer I answer the question the question is the clear favorite we say it's a foro conclusion that they don't have to play game he did no no he said if the Buffalo Bills play the Eagles the bills are the favorite he said if the Buffalo Bills play the commanders the bills are the
favorite hello he said the same thing about the so okay question here's a question for you Stephen A it's the Friday before the Super Bowl you're sitting in the fridge quarter with me and Cam and Molly and everybody who gonna be on the show and we ask the Philadelphia Eagles or the Kansas City chief Chiefs of the Buffalo Bills who you picking Stephen A I'mma pick the Philadelphia Eagles off for Buffalo I don't know if I'm gonna pick him up okay I I can't wait then well I can't wait and we gonna hold you to
it cause I and by the way and by the way I forgot he's taking the I forgot we gotta go to New Orleans oh dinner on you bro I thank you remind me at me but it's it's you know what I'm saying on my screen you're handling the reservations I got you handle it all I can do all thats that's all that's just want cam always got a caveat that's it freaking quarterbacks man what I'm saying but I'll say this you talk about matchups the biggest thing about football in today's sport is matchups there's nobody
who can really match up with Travis Kelce in the NFC make me believe that Philadelphia who the commander who that's that's all I'm saying it's not it's Travis Kelce as great as he is he ain't winning the Super Bowl right I'm just being honest like he's not going to be the player to win it is going to be part of who wins it I think and Cam I can't believe you missed this being one of the best quarterbacks of your era I just the bottom line is I love Jaden Daniels Jayden Daniels is family right
I love jayen Herz great player was right there toe and toe and neck and neck with Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl when they played but the truth of the matter is when we look at Buffalo's quarterback and we look at Kansas City's quarterbacks we say we want those two guys quarter back in our teams over the other two and then when it gets into Super Bowls we start at that position straight up and I think right now that's why I'd pick both of those teams over the other two teams but it doesn't mean like
you say Stephen A it's not a forgo conclusion but y'all should have put in the y'all should have put in the little header thing on the thing on the bottom of the screen it's a foro conclusion that the AFC team beats the NFC team two words you're the executive producer two two two words executive privilege oh my gosh I'm G to be honest with you I'm just thinking about what we're eating in New Orleans uh essay would you honest a very honest statement on your part Molly that's exactly what you're thinking about let's go facts
I am I don't skip meals yeah yes Cafe Duman there's probably better spots too but yeah uh essay I feel like I can answer this question for him quo the question is would you rather root for a dynasty or an underdog and I'm going to say you are a front runner all day and you're going to root for a dynasty cuz I remember correctly when we fill out brackets for March Madness he goes all chalk and he picked the Chiefs to win it all over the summer so Stephen A are you more of the underdog
guy or the dynasty guy you know what it depends on it depends on the franchise if it's the Yankees all day every day you say if it's the Patriots hell no I wasn't interested you see what I'm saying I I mean you know they talk about Pat fatigue just like they talk about well see see the Lakers I don't mind that cuz that that that that that that's Southern California that's La that's where I'm at right now I mean this is where you want to be in Megan June I the weather out there if I
have to choose between LA and Utah no but what if Miami was a dynasty you think I'm gonna have a problem with that not at all so it's all about the franchise whatever the franchise it's not about front runner or underd so now we pick we pick teams based on their weather social life yeah yeah absolutely he does welcome to First Take R see I've done that for 20 years apologize I'm not apologizing for it I done that for 20 years I will openly admit my wish list is about my social life in May and
June I can't stand going to a boring ass City in May and June I'm gonna say this when when it comes to the the dynasty versus Underdog thing I think think it matters who the people are involved there are there are people who become and who are extremely gracious winners and and even in winning their humility in winning the the way that they go about their jobs continues to make you root for them right like I'm saying like outside of teams that you like or people that you like this is where this is where P
pivot RC comes out and he shows his range and he shows his heart you just made it heart fell the and you got think and with the underdog right with the underdog it's like that that dude that's been scrapping and scraping and you've been rooting for him then you want to see him shine you want to see him get the glob and so I think it matters cam don't even need to answer this question we all know that if he had if Atlanta could be a dynasty that brother listen I don't even think the world
will be ready if Atlanta get a franchise that's like ah ah it' be to this point think about it like this okay would you consider Molly yeah Golden State to be a real franchise before Steph cerr like a real dynast a dynasty they a dynasty they were a dynasty in their time before yeah but that was before our time like for I feel like for what I mean we're all whatever but Kansas City it was until it was until yeah Steph and and the big three and the whole and they went same thing for Kansas
City in my era on Lifetime other than that it was just the Patriot right so but but that's the perfect example that's that's a an organization that's a human let's go talk about the human Steph Curry that went from Underdog right and then he became part of a dynasty yeah and the thing and this is this would be my opinion I actually I met Draymond I really like Draymond Draymond right draymond's a good dude but I would I would I would venture to say the people that people support the Golden State Dynasty based on the
fact still that they still like Steph Curry and the people who don't don't like Draymond Green yeah one other point you I just thought about this I gotta admit this crowds matter y'all you go see a gold a Golden State Warriors game I know you got to go to the new arena in San Francisco I get that but the Oracle in Oakland have y'all been to a game there I never been there let me tell you something it was special now as much as I I ain't because the Bay Area annoys me because it's like
the weather's like New York weather except the taxes are higher it just annoyed me right but when you went to the Oracle a lot of hell I'm telling y'all right now with Steph and Clay doing their thing it's it's it's very very few experiences I've had in my life that has eclipsed going to watch a Golden State Warriors game at the Oracle is First Take a dynasty absolutely hello absolutely absolutely absolutely ratings and revenue baby April April will Mark 13 consecutive years we have been the number one sports show in the morning you damn right
we we a dynasty but by the way I say that humbly because you know humility is my middle name that's that's actually humility humility is not you don't even have hes I actually try to like read that in the show like what but the thing the the thing about a dynasty and and what makes this a dynasty and what what makes people polarizing is this right think about Floyd Mayweather and how things shifted for him it shifted to the point that people tuned in because half of them wanted to see him win but they still
remember pretty boy and then the other half wanted to see him lose Stephen A has created something where no matter what like Kanye has this lyric in the song and it's one of my favorite lyrics She said everybody feel a way about yay but at least they feel something that's what the best and the greatest do they make you feel some sort of emotion no matter what way it is so you lock in yeah yeah like especially annoyed a lot of the time yeah I don't think St people I AC I'm talking about my own
experience far bid I I mean I don't I think I actually think I'm a very lovable guy don't tell anybody don't tell anybody we got to hide that okay but I don't mind being annoying from time to time it works for me it does okay we'll leave it there guys gojoy go go to Starbucks we G we we gonna puff on some cigars at your Club sh can when I get down in the ATL again we gonna do that you know what I'm saying shout out to sh bring us Le the air everybody got their
own fix [Music]
