The Herd with Colin Cowherd — 3 & Out: Bo Nix & Broncos CRUSH Bengals, Tua Leads Dolphins to MNF Win vs. Jets

Date: September 30, 2025
Host: John Middlekauff
Podcast: The Herd with Colin Cowherd / 3 & Out, The Volume & iHeartPodcasts

Main Theme / Purpose

A reaction episode to the NFL Monday Night Football doubleheader, focusing on the Denver Broncos' dominant win over the Cincinnati Bengals and the Miami Dolphins outlasting the New York Jets. Host John Middlekauff discusses the quality of the games, major injuries, team trajectories, and takes listener mailbag questions on broader NFL topics.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. NFL Monday Night Doubleheader Critique

• Main Take: John Middlekauff is highly critical of the NFL’s decision to schedule weak, uneven doubleheaders—especially with bad teams, stale matchups, and injury-ridden rosters.
• On Broncos/Bengals: The Bengals without Joe Burrow are "just unwatchable," (05:40) and facing the Broncos’ talented defensive front only made the night more lopsided.
• On Jets/Dolphins: “That game deserves to be probably at 7:00am Eastern time on a Sunday,” (06:40) with both teams offering little entertainment and no real primetime value.
• Media/Streaming Commentary: Middlekauff predicts more fragmented broadcasts in the future (Amazon, Peacock, etc.) and worries about consumer fatigue: “It is so difficult now to watch sports. You gotta sign up for these 75 things.” (09:35)

2. Team and Player Breakdown

a. Jets and Dolphins: Dysfunction and Frustration

• Miami Dolphins: Only shine against subpar opponents; Middlekauff observes, "When they play good teams, they get shellacked." (22:30)
• Tyreek Hill’s Injury: A gruesome knee dislocation (17:54), initially looking career threatening—“You could see his leg pointing the other way. I assumed that his, like, ankle shattered and his foot was pointing... that's game, season, career ender.”
• Jets Culture: The hopelessness is palpable. “Same old Jets. It's not going to change.” (13:30), with the host suggesting they're organizationally cursed.

b. Bengals Collapse & Broncos’ Limited Takeaways

• Bengals Offensive Line Disaster: Without Burrow, Jake Browning is left to “just get killed,” and the line is so bad “if Jake Browning had been Tua, with his concussion history, you would have had to remove Tua from the game.” (27:10)
• Denver’s Win: Defensive front dominated (“their defense ran around practice dummies,” 31:30), but Middlekauff says he “doesn't know what to take away from the night” since the opposition offered so little. Bo Nix shows arm strength and flashes “but let's see against a real team.” (33:10)

3. Wider NFL Talk: Defensive Play, O-line Woes, Star Payments

• O-Line Epidemic: Most teams have bad lines; it’s “welcome to the NFL.” (54:10) College offenses are making things worse by under-developing linemen.
• Star Contracts: On Micah Parson’s massive deal in Dallas: “If you’re going to go all in on him ... he’s got to have 15 to 20 sacks and be one of the best players in the league.” (01:23:00)
• Ravens’ & Vikings’ Troubles: Injury-riddled Ravens “have absolutely no shot” on D (01:01:40). Vikings’ rebuilt O-line is "one of the worst in the league."

4. Fan Mailbag Highlights

• Jackson Dart’s Debut: “Solid first start, right? ... But I think statistically it's not going to be a great year and they're not going to win many games.” (48:10)
• Colts Playoff Hopes: “The Colts have been a quarterback away from being a good team...feels like they are really good right now.” (01:08:35)
• NFL Overtime Rules: On ties: “It is fucking dumb for a game to end in a tie...I’d have no problem with college football overtime rules.” (01:37:42)
• Special Teams Madness: “Field goals getting blocked, PATs ... there are three guys right there to block this thing.” (01:47:50)
• Taunting & Celebration Penalties: “I do not understand the over regulation of this stuff...this is football, this isn't the library.” (01:14:20)
• Sign-stealing Drama: On Robert Saleh’s feud: “The sign stealing stuff is just a stupid comment…what are you going to do, fight the guy?” (01:18:10)

5. Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “The NFL doubleheader is a joke.” — John Middlekauff (05:10)
• “The Jets, they got no quarterback, they got no hope...you could argue get rid of every single human on the team except Garrett Wilson.” (17:10)
• “I would defend the NFL...you get an injury and all of a sudden you gotta watch Jake Browning.” (23:24)
• “Bo Nix has a pretty big arm...there’s no takeaway from that.” (33:10)
• On future NFL scheduling: “There is going to be a 6:30am Pacific Standard Time kickoff starting week two...they are just going to create inventory out of thin air.” (11:30)
• On defensive performance: “Vic Fangio's been a good defensive coordinator...you give Vic Fangio me and you, you can't overcome personnel.” (01:05:25)
• “You want to flex on an opponent, like, give me this...this isn't the library.” (01:14:20)

6. Timestamps of Important Segments

• NFL Doubleheader Rant: 05:10 – 13:50
• Jets & Dolphins Analysis: 13:30 – 22:00
• Tyreek Hill Injury Discussion: 17:54
• Bengals/Broncos Takeaways: 23:24 – 33:40
• Bo Nix Assessment: 33:10 – 34:00
• O-Line & League Trends: 54:10 – 55:25
• Mailbag (wide topics): 48:10 – 01:57:00

Summary Flow & Tone

The episode is blunt, irreverent, and direct, with Middlekauff venting his frustration at low-quality primetime football, institutional NFL flaws, and the consequences of injuries on scheduling and competition. Listener questions are handled candidly, with quick pivots between specifics (player evaluations, positional concerns) and broader commentary (“welcome to the league”). The tone is sometimes cynical, regularly humorous, and always opinion driven.

In Short

For fans who missed these Monday Night Football games, rest easy—you didn’t miss much except “a joke” of a doubleheader. Injuries have decimated teams, stars like Tyreek Hill are down, and both the Bengals and Jets look lost. The Broncos handled business, but there’s little to conclude from such lopsided contests. Around the league, poor O-lines, overhyped stars, disciplinary overreach, and special teams disasters dominate both headlines and Middlekauff’s mailbag. The NFL, he suggests, is at a crossroads—caught between maximizing inventory and preserving the quality and accessibility that make it America’s game.