The Herd with Colin Cowherd: "3 & Out - Justin Herbert & Chargers get HUGE WIN on MNF vs. Jalen Hurts & Eagles"

Date: December 9, 2025
Host: John Middlekoff (The Volume)

Episode Overview

This episode, hosted by John Middlekoff, dives deeply into the Chargers’ improbable Monday Night Football win over the Eagles—a gritty, turnover-laden contest that raises alarm bells for Philadelphia and pokes at the raw edges of their offensive identity and coaching. Middlekoff also covers Philip Rivers’ surprising NFL workout, key quarterback storylines, Heisman chatter, and a loaded listener mailbag.

Main Theme

A wild MNF in which a battered Chargers squad (now 9-4) outlasted the unraveling Eagles (now 8-5), exposing significant concerns about Philadelphia’s coaching, offensive priorities, and identity. Middlekoff goes deep on why the loss matters, what’s wrong with the Eagles, Harbaugh’s influence on the Chargers, and the emergent quarterback drama across the league.

Detailed Breakdown

1. Chargers vs. Eagles: Monday Night Football Breakdown

Chargers Grit Out Ugly Win

• The Chargers, decimated by injuries (including Justin Herbert playing with a broken, bleeding hand and missing multiple offensive linemen), managed to win “an ugly game with a million turnovers” (03:18).
• The Eagles, on the other hand, “deserved to lose” with a lack of offensive rhythm, no clear identity, and Jalen Hurts’ four-interception debacle.
• “The Chargers are 9 and 4. Somehow win a game with no o-line, a quarterback with a broken hand who was throwing the ball all over the place. Million turnovers, ugly game, but they come out victorious. And the Eagles...got major, major problems and are leaking serious oil.” — John Middlekoff [03:18]

Eagles’ Offensive Identity Crisis

• Middlekoff criticizes Philadelphia’s lack of commitment to the run and unwise overreliance on the pass, especially when Hurts was clearly off and Barkley was effective.
• “How does Saquon Barkley only have 20 carries? You essentially played five quarters of football. How does Saquon...in a game like this, not get ridden like Secretariat?” — John Middlekoff [07:40]
• AJ Brown is called out for critical drops and his high-profile, ball-demanding persona not matching his play: “He had an awful drop that led to a field goal that tied the game. He had a play in the corner of the end zone that probably ends the game...and he dropped the ball.” [05:41]

Play-Calling & Coaching Scrutiny

• Eagles seem desperate to prove Hurts is an elite passer, ignoring his running threat and the run game in general.
• “When you don’t have an identity, when you have a play-caller who was under this much scrutiny, when you're trying to prove to the world that you’re something you’re not... that's just not how the Eagles have really operated.” [11:45]
• Critique of the OC (Kevin Patullo) and Sirianni; expects potentially bold moves (“be a little surprised if we wake up and the offensive coordinator has been fired… we have seen teams, late in a season…make a move.”) [17:47]

Eagles Defensive Standout—But Offense Undoes It

• Eagles’ defense “was awesome, the linebacker play tonight…Nolan Smith flying around, Jalen Phillips flying around, Jordan Davis making plays, Cooper DeJean locked up Lad McConkey like he was Deion Sanders.”
• “They had seven sacks. It felt like they had 20 sacks… Herbert’s lucky Jalen Carter didn’t play in this game or he literally might have died on the field.” [15:26]

Playoff Outlook

• Middlekoff predicts both the Eagles and Chargers are "one-and-done" playoff teams: “Neither one of these teams are doing anything in the playoffs.” [15:01]

2. Justin Herbert’s Toughness, Chargers' Coaching Edge

Herbert’s Grit & Harbaugh’s Influence

• Praises Herbert for playing (and running!) with a broken hand and bleeding elbow, while Eagles remain stubbornly wedded to off-rhythm passing.
• “Herbert’s an elite athlete...a great thrower of the ball, but it was like, ‘we gotta do what we gotta do to win.’” [09:30]
• Chargers, under Jim Harbaugh, are seen as forging a real, tough identity—even if their offense looks ugly: “That’s why coaching matters… Jim Harbaugh’s teams, there’s a toughness, there’s an identity.” [29:40]

Skepticism Despite Record

• “I have no clue how [the Chargers] are 9-4. They can’t protect the quarterback...Everything is down the field, especially with the Chargers. It’s like, guys, you cannot protect against this Georgia and Alabama front.” [28:15]
• Keys to Harbaugh culture: Pulling out “games out of their ass,” playing to their limitations, and being fearless—even if sometimes reckless.

3. Quarterback News & Rivers’ Odd Comeback

Philip Rivers—Grandpa QB?

• Philip Rivers, turning 44 and a grandfather, is working out for the Colts.
• “Let me repeat, he is a grandfather. So Philip Rivers will conduct a workout tomorrow with the Indianapolis Colts… there is no way on God’s green earth that Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, or Drew Brees aren’t a little jealous.” [31:23]
• Colts’ personnel and front office are in shambles; Middlekoff critiques recent “desperate” moves by GM Chris Ballard, trading for Daniel Jones, and the general roster-building logic. [33:57 - 39:44]

Quarterback Moves Elsewhere

• Shadour Sanders becomes a starter; Fernando Mendoza is a Heisman favorite and possible #1 NFL draft pick.
• Criticism of Cleveland’s eval process (Dylan Gabriel over Shadour, Gabriel is not an NFL player): “That’s like malpractice. That just can't happen.” [41:48]

4. Heisman & College Football Talk

Heisman Finalists & Mendoza Phenomenon

• Debates the final Heisman list, with Julian Sayin (Ohio State) criticized as less deserving on talent.
• Fernando Mendoza hailed as the most important player in Indiana football history. Praises his big-game composure and transfer portal story:

  “I think Fernando Mendoza…is going to win the Heisman, he’s going to be the most important football player in the history of Indiana football—obviously, I mean, led them to the number one overall seed, winning the Heisman.” [47:16]

Cultural Shifts and Coaching in CFB

• Calls out Ryan Day (Ohio State) for conservative decisions and getting outcoached by Kirk Signetti and Indiana:

  “I think he's a tad bit overrated...there's a little insecurity and scaredness to the guy where there's just not with Signetti.” [65:30]

5. Mailbag: Listener Questions (Selected Highlights)

Mac Jones as Backup, QB Depth, and Colts’ QB Problems [54:31-59:19]

• Discusses trade value, durability questions, and the irrationality of Colts’ roster moves.

Audience Questions: CFB Realignment and WSU’s Future [59:19-63:22]

• Candid, empathetic take: “No big name head coach…is coming to Washington State…You guys got screwed and you got left behind…There is no catching up. You’re done.”
• Suggests best path is to dominate the non-Power 4 landscape, mirrors advice from his own media career transitions.

Timeout & Clock Management in the NFL [77:22-81:07]

• “Any use of a second timeout in a close game has to be game defining importance all the time…To me, it is extremely important to not waste any of them in the third quarter.”
• Explains why on-field pressure, chaos often makes timeout mistakes inevitable despite clear theory.

Mike Tomlin’s Legacy If Under .500? [81:14]

• “It impacts Aaron Rodgers’ legacy: zero. The only Tomlin thing it has is like, that's kind of his defining attribute right now...what he really hangs his hat on is teams never go under .500.”

Coaching, Cal, and Tosh Lupoi Hire [83:15-88:31]

• Highly praises Cal’s strategic moves, the value of local passion and “talent acquisition,” and sees hope for a rebuilding program.

6. Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the Eagles’ Identity Problem:
  “When you have a play-caller who was under this much scrutiny, when you're trying to prove to the world that you’re something you’re not... that's just not how the Eagles have really operated.” — John Middlekoff [11:45]

• On Herbert’s Toughness vs. Eagles’ Passivity:
  “Justin Herbert's out there, he has a broken fucking hand...they are just calling quarterback keepers, and it’s working. Why? Herbert’s an elite athlete... Do what you gotta do to win.” — John Middlekoff [09:30]

• On Coaching Taboos and Analytic Mistakes:
  “I understand the Eagles are a very analytically driven organization and I just, I can't get behind when you have a player that great with a quarterback struggling that much to continue to just try to ride them until the wheels fall off and ultimately lost the game doing what? Passing the ball?” [14:03]

• On Philadelphia's Playoff Chances:
  “Neither one of these teams are doing anything in the playoffs...a one-and-done operation.” [15:01]

• On the Philip Rivers Workout & Aging QBs:
  “There is no way on God’s green earth that Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, or Drew Brees aren’t a little jealous… I think he would fly there just to get the sweat in.” [31:23]

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Time | Segment/Highlight | |----------|---------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:18 | Chargers-Eagles MNF recap; Eagles’ issues surface | | 05:41 | Breakdowns of Jalen Hurts, AJ Brown, Eagles’ offensive failings | | 09:30 | Justin Herbert’s toughness, contrast with Eagles’ play-calling | | 15:01 | Playoff outlook — "one and done" for both teams | | 17:47 | Calls for potential OC firing in Philly, defensive highlights | | 28:15 | Chargers’ improbable season, Harbaugh’s toughness | | 31:23 | Philip Rivers’ NFL return, Colts’ desperation | | 41:48 | Browns’ QB evaluation failures—Gabriel over Shadour | | 47:16 | Heisman storylines; Fernando Mendoza’s rise | | 54:31 | Mailbag: Mac Jones, backup QBs, Colts' issues | | 59:19 | Mailbag: WSU’s future after realignment | | 77:22 | Mailbag: Timeout and clock management philosophy in NFL | | 81:14 | Mailbag: Tomlin’s legacy if under .500 | | 83:15 | Mailbag: Cal’s hire of Tosh Lupoi, coach impact |

Summary/Tone

The episode is direct, sharp, bluntly critical, and often dryly funny—Middlekoff skewers coaching gaffes and front-office follies with vivid analogies (“ride him like Secretariat!”), while also expressing respect for true toughness (Herbert/Harbaugh) and a healthy skepticism of football’s conventional wisdom and media narratives. He peppers in contextual stories and answers a wide range of listener questions with candid, informed perspective.

For listeners, this episode is a rich, energetic, and occasionally ruthless dissection of an ugly Chargers/Eagles clash, the implications for both teams’ futures, and the broader landscape of NFL and college football quarterback turmoil, coaching trends, and playoff machinations.