Overreaction Monday: Rich Talks Chargers, Titans, Red Sox, HR Derby, World Cup & Wimbledon

Chris came into Overreaction Monday as a married man, and the room wanted to know if that had softened him. It had not. "Some things are different," he said. "But some things never change."

His first take went straight at the Chargers. "Justin Herbert is the most overrated quarterback in the NFL."

The trigger was Jeremy Fowler's annual list, built from conversations with execs, scouts and coaches, which had just released its quarterback rankings. Chris pointed out that Drake Maye went from completely unranked to eighth.

Rich rejected the premise. Herbert's skill level "is still so off the charts," he said. "He just hasn't put it together at the most important time." Chris preferred the wins test. Rich understood the results test, but offered a compromise: Herbert has maybe one more year of his physical attributes carrying him into the top 10. Chris said he'd buy that.

"I don't think he is overrated," Rich said. "He's just really, really, really good without any of the results to go with it." And Rich thinks that's about to change. He believes the Chargers are set up in a way Herbert hasn't been, with Mike McDaniel and the others they've put together making for a better offensive team. He also reminded everyone that Herbert lost both of his all-world tackles last year. Rich called the Texans-Chargers game and remembered it vividly. "Guy had 2 seconds. Two. It felt like somebody's in his lap."

The next football take went to Tennessee. Chris said TJ was right about Tyjae Spears and the Titans, then went further: "10 plus wins for the Titans."

Rich had a fresh data point. He sat next to Robert Saleh on Saturday night at a Nate Bargatze performance, where Ray Romano also got up. Saleh is excited, Rich said, but he was going to pump the brakes. The room noted nobody knows what the Colts will be, and Jacksonville could have been a one-hit wonder. Rich loves the addition of Brian Daboll and thinks Tennessee has better offensive weapons around Spears now that they took Carnell Tate. Still, "to just suddenly say they're going to be a double-digit win team, that's a tall order right now." Chris countered that one or two teams always come out of nowhere. "This could be it."

Then Chris got to his team. "The Red Sox are the best team in the American League." After some clarification, the window was the last month: 17 and 5 in the last 22 games. Rich, the Yankees fan, needled him about how this is the second straight year Boston fans went from "we're done, firing our manager" to something good coming out of nowhere. Last year it was "trading Rafael Devers, what are we doing?"

Chris told Rich he couldn't name two players on the team. Rich went with Jim Rice and Carlton Fisk, before grudgingly allowing Abreu and Yoshida from the screen.

On the Home Run Derby, Chris predicted a non-Phillie would win, with no Bryce Harper or Schwarber involved. Rich took Ben Rice and liked the new format more than some critics, since it keeps hitters fresh instead of tired from swinging for three straight minutes. He also floated a what's more likely: a Yankee or a Red Sox winning that night.

World Cup next. Chris said the stars have been showing out and a Mbappé versus Messi final feels destined. Rich didn't see that as an overreaction at all, since France versus Argentina seemed to be what the odds favored and "everybody thinks that FIFA wants it." Rich also reminded Chris that he had called England winning it all, for a reason only this show would offer: what bigger comeback than England winning in America's 250th year? "Payback for 1776."

The next one drew real pushback. Chris said American fans need to accept that the U.S. men's team will never be a top eight team in the world. "They care about soccer more in all of these other countries than we care about anything else here," he said. Rich refused. "Never say never. Not in sports, you can't do it."

The last take was tennis. Jannik Sinner won Wimbledon again, back to back, and Chris said he'll finish his career with more majors than Alcaraz. Rich immediately made it about his own long running mission. "Oh, so you think I should start talking about getting a point off of Sinner?" He's not giving up on Alcaraz, who he said has just been hurt this year. "I'm still gunning for him. He may be trying to hide from me."

"He's ducking you," came the reply. Which, frankly, is the only explanation that makes sense.