The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Episode: 3 & Out – Massive Mailbag: Are the Packers for REAL? What's the Future for the 49ers?
Date: September 13, 2025
Host: Dan Orlovsky (on The Volume/iHeartPodcasts)

Episode Overview

This episode is a lively, unscripted “mailbag” session, where Dan Orlovsky answers listener questions on key NFL topics and delivers sharp insights about standout teams, franchise futures, and the evolving nature of football strategy. Major discussions center on the Green Bay Packers’ long-term trajectory, the San Francisco 49ers’ quarterback situation, and trends reshaping the NFL’s landscape. Dan’s frank, conversational tone and storytelling style keep the football talk dynamic and relatable for fans at all levels.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy’s Debut & Rookie QB Assessments

[03:11 – 08:12]

• Listener Q: What did you make of J.J. McCarthy’s first game?
• Dan argues that you learn the most about a player when things aren’t going well; praises McCarthy’s performance despite adversity.
• "The eye test, the ball placement, the ball, the arm strength, clearly the mobility. But the one thing you never know about a player, especially at quarterback... is the intangible level of mental and physical toughness."
  — Dan Orlovsky [05:15]
• Calls McCarthy’s second-half rebound “impressive”; wonders how far he can take it this season.
• Discusses NFL “rookie” designation and thinks McCarthy should be considered a rookie, given his prior inactivity due to injury.

2. Green Bay Packers: Sustainability & Ed Policy's Role

[08:12 – 10:51]

• Listener Q: With Ed Policy taking over as president, are the Packers the new "team of the future"?
• Dan says little will change: “They've been really good for 30 years. I don't think anything's going to change.”
• Acknowledges the Packers’ playoff and Super Bowl record could be better—notes only one Super Bowl win in the “Internet era.”
• “The same infrastructure, the same mindset of the GM has a lot of juice... It's a very, very impressive operation.”
  — Dan Orlovsky [10:37]
• Bottom line: Packers’ success is built on stability, not just front-office leadership changes.

3. Rams Defense: Under-the-Radar Elite?

[10:51 – 13:08]

• Listener Q: Is the Rams’ defense getting enough love?
• Dan highlights how a top-tier defensive line elevates a whole unit, even with young or replaceable players elsewhere.
• “If you just have an elite defensive line, it’s going to be hard for your defense to not be good.”
  — Dan Orlovsky [11:52]
• Notes stats: heavy pressure on opposing QBs (e.g., over 40% of C.J. Stroud’s dropbacks).
• Credits McVay for the offense but says the D-line is making a real impact, especially as young talent (like Verse) emerges.

4. Dominant (and Outdated) NFL Trends

[13:08 – 16:50]

• Listener Q: What’s an NFL trend we’ll look back on and find laughable in 10 years?
• Dan: “Every quarterback’s a mobile quarterback” now. Gone are the days when that was rare.
• “To me, the 4th-and-2 thing became a product of that—way better, more mobile quarterbacks.”
  — Dan Orlovsky [14:50]
• Discusses changes in offense: easier for QBs, defenses penalized for hard hits, more aggressiveness on fourth down.
• Points out the financial undervaluing of tight ends in today’s market despite their expanded offensive role.

5. Defensive Head Coaches & Super Bowl Prospects

[16:50 – 21:01]

• Listener Q: Will defensive head coaches (like Ravens’ Harbaugh, Bills’ McDermott) ever break through for another Super Bowl?
• Dan says Ravens could win if Lamar Jackson gets hot; Bills have a harder road because their defense is less complete.
• “You can never, ever win a championship in football... if your defense isn’t good. And that’s the thing I always get back to with the Bills.”
  — Dan Orlovsky [18:39]
• Still, both teams are among the only 6-7 true contenders this season.

6. San Francisco 49ers: Brock Purdy’s Injury & Mac Jones as Backup

[23:20 – 29:53]

• Listener Q: Can the 49ers stay competitive with Purdy out and Mac Jones as quarterback?
• Dan sees the schedule as manageable. Saints, Jags, Cards, Rams—“should come out of it at least 500.”
• “Mac Jones needs to play like Jimmy Garoppolo lite for them to be in competition. Am I crazy? Their defense was excellent last week.”
  — Dan Orlovsky [24:21]
• Calls Purdy “a pretty big badass to be the last pick in the draft and to be as good as he is.”
• Emphasizes rarity of late-round QB stars; lists that almost all top QBs in the league were first-rounders.
• If the schedule were tougher, Dan says, “they would be in major trouble... but this schedule’s pretty easy.”

7. The Pressures of Being a Young Coordinator (Eagles OC Case)

[29:53 – 33:03]

• Listener Q: Thoughts on the Eagles OC 'throwing the O-line under the bus'?
• Dan can’t find the exact incident but provides broader perspective: first-time play-callers can stumble in the media spotlight.
• “It’s a pretty dramatic shift from just being like, ‘what are you doing?’... to... ‘I have a press conference in 10 minutes.’”
  — Dan Orlovsky [31:35]
• Stresses the higher stress, scrutiny, and pitfalls coordinators face, especially in passion-filled markets like Philly.
• Admits small media gaffes can explode into controversies, urges patience for first-year play-callers.

8. Jalen Hurts: Elite or “Boring” Winner?

[33:03 – 37:22]

• Dan responds to why some fans still don’t view Hurts as a true top-5 QB.
• Hurts is credited for toughness, leadership, and big games—but Dan says his play can be a “roller coaster.”
• “Sometimes Jalen Hurts... he can have games where you’re like, what’s going on? And that’s a little different than the other guys in the top five.”
  — Dan Orlovsky [36:08]
• Argues Hurts’ “tush push” ability is unique, but “sometimes he’s just a boring player. And some boring works.”
• Concludes: Not every star QB is flashy, but being effective and dependable is just as valuable.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You learn more about a guy... when they struggled than when they're having success.”
  — Dan Orlovsky, on evaluating J.J. McCarthy [03:38]
• “If you just have an elite defensive line, it's going to be hard for your defense to not be good.”
  — Dan Orlovsky [11:52]
• “You can never, ever win a championship... if your defense isn’t good. And that’s the thing I always get back to with the Bills.”
  — Dan Orlovsky [18:39]
• “It’s a pretty dramatic shift... first time they become a coordinator... it’s a balance of the pressure these guys are under, especially in a place like Philadelphia.”
  — Dan Orlovsky [31:35]
• “Sometimes he’s just a boring player. And some boring works... not everything that’s not glamorous matters.”
  — Dan Orlovsky, about Jalen Hurts [36:50]

Timestamps of Key Segments

• 03:11 — Mailbag kickoff: J.J. McCarthy’s debut and rookie QBs
• 08:12 — Packers’ outlook under Ed Policy; franchise stability
• 10:51 — Rams’ defense and the impact of their D-line
• 13:08 — NFL trends: mobile QBs, offensive innovation, tight end underpayment
• 16:50 — Can coaches with defensive backgrounds still win Super Bowls?
• 23:20 — 49ers’ future with Purdy out, Mac Jones’ role, strength of schedule
• 29:53 — The reality of being a first-time coordinator (Eagles OC discussion)
• 33:03 — Jalen Hurts: evaluating “boring” versus “elite” QB play

Episode Takeaways

• The Packers’ “machine” status is about deep-rooted organizational competence, not just who’s in the president’s seat.
• The Rams’ defense is quietly rising; a dominant defensive line makes everything easier.
• The NFL is now the realm of the mobile quarterback—immobile passers like Goff are a dying breed.
• Trends in football evolve fast, and today’s certainties (like undervaluing tight ends and devaluing running backs) may look foolish a decade from now.
• First time offensive and defensive coordinators face enormous, often-overlooked pressure—especially in media-intense markets.
• Jalen Hurts doesn’t always look like an elite QB, but his wins (and unique skills like the tush push) speak for themselves.

(Summary skips all non-content ads and promos. Main focus: listener Q&A, deep-dive analysis, and candid host perspective on top NFL storylines.)