The Herd with Colin Cowherd — 3 & Out: Reaction to Drake Maye & Patriots BIG TIME WIN vs. Justin Fields & Jets on TNF

Release Date: November 14, 2025
Hosts: John Middlekauff (with guest Stuckey)
Podcast Network: iHeartPodcasts and The Volume

Episode Overview

This episode of the "3 & Out" podcast, hosted by John Middlekauff with guest analyst Stuckey, dives deep into the New England Patriots’ big Thursday Night Football win over the New York Jets. The show centers on the resurgence of the Patriots organization, the rapid progress of rookie quarterback Drake Maye, and the ongoing dysfunction of the Jets. The episode also features a broader NFL week preview from a gambling perspective, and closes with quick hits on college football and betting.

Main Topics & Discussion Points

1. Patriots’ Dominance: Drake Maye’s Impressive Performance

[02:50–30:29]

• New Regime in New England: Middlekauff credits the Patriots’ turnaround to the hiring of head coach Mike Vrabel and bringing back offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. Their synergy has built a stable infrastructure for success.

  • "They're nine and two, their quarterback looks sweet, their head coach is a badass with a mustache and they're rolling." (Middlekauff, 02:50)

• Drake Maye’s Ascension: Maye is praised for his poise, accuracy, and deep ball. Patriots' organizational confidence in him is validated as other teams (Giants, Vikings) tried and failed to trade up for Maye.

  • "I was blown away... his accuracy is elite. If his accuracy is going to be elite when he's six foot four and a half, 225, 230 pounds, moves really well, throws an awesome deep ball... how's he not going to be a consistent like high end top five quarterback?" (Middlekauff, 24:33)

• Josh McDaniels’ OC Role: Now deemed unhireable as a head coach, McDaniels’ strength as an offensive coordinator is considered a huge asset.

  • "If you are going to be a lifetime number two, there are certain industries where that pays a lot of money... Josh McDaniels, who was making a ton of money before he took the Raider job, this is a great gig. He's destined to be a number two, which is awesome because he's great at it." (Middlekauff, 12:43)

• The Patriots' Culture & Roster Construction: Parallels are drawn to the classic Patriots dynasty: undervalued defensive players, stable culture, ownership support, and player-friendly environment.

  • "They have eight guys that play on defense, some starters and other rotational guys who have been cut once upon a time in their career... That is classic Bill Belichick." (Middlekauff, 16:57)

• Comparison With Brady Era: Maye’s early skepticism and rapid rise are likened to Tom Brady’s initial trajectory, with the acknowledgment that Maye brings physical tools reminiscent of modern quarterback elites.

Notable Quote

• "If the Patriots were a stock for the next five years, you could allocate a lot of your 401k on them because... their upside is really, really high."
  —John Middlekauff (30:00)

2. Jets’ Dysfunction and QB Dilemma

[31:45–45:21]

• The Myth of "Just Draft a Quarterback": Middlekauff rails against the narrative that picking a top QB will fix everything, highlighting former Jets picks (Sam Darnold) and current Jets starter Justin Fields’ struggles due to organizational chaos.

  • "Structure and infrastructure matter so much at quarterback. The Jets literally drafted Sam Darnold... their problem was they never have the structure around a guy...” (31:51)

• Failure to Support Fields: The Jets, under coach Aaron Glenn, are faulted for misusing Fields’ skillset and not building an offense around his strengths.

  • "He's not a pocket quarterback and they are asking him to play... that's not his strength... they are doing him zero favors." (35:51)

• Front Office Critique: John stresses that GM's, not owners, should be accountable for franchise decisions and bad trades.

  • "The owner bears no responsibility to that. It was the GM's idea.” (38:41)

Notable Quote

• "I just think the Jets have no clue what they're doing... You can tell me they're going to draft Ty Simpson, Fernando Mendoza, you pick the quarterback—pick the young quarterback in two years, I will bet against that guy."
  —John Middlekauff (37:29)

3. NFL Landscape: Parity, Boring Football, and Playoff Picture

[50:49–62:37]

• Quality Concerns in the NFL: Stuckey and John express overall disappointment in the offensive quality and competitiveness of the 2025 season.

  • "The NFL this year has been like, the most boring it's ever been for me... there's a lot of bad teams." —Stuckey (52:14)

• Playoff Race: Several teams are written off, while others (Chiefs, Packers, Eagles, Bills) have significant offensive flaws.

• Gambling Angle: Many games are seen as hard to bet because of offensive inconsistency and unpredictable coaching decisions.

4. Deep-Dive: Week 11 NFL Betting Preview & Analysis

[62:37–109:45]

• Game-by-Game Handicapping:

  • Bills vs. Bucs: Tampa Bay battered, questions about Buffalo’s motivation and form, under is the preferred bet. (Stuckey, 66:35)
  • 49ers/Arizona, Seahawks/Rams: Injury concerns for key teams, quarterback rust, questions on defense, and value in the betting lines.
  • Lions/Eagles Sunday Night: Dan Campbell's impact, the Eagles’ O-line woes, and the unpredictability of both offenses.
  • Chiefs/Broncos: Defensive injuries for Denver and persistent issues with Bo Nix; set up as a vital Chiefs bounce-back spot.
  • Vikings/Bears: Minnesota’s defense is the “best unit on the field”; skepticism remains on both quarterbacks but trusts Flores’ defense to stifle Caleb Williams.

• Money Quotes

  • "The NFL is a cyclical league and it's cat and mouse, you know... now offenses are going a little heavier and throwing out of that.” —Stuckey (84:21)

5. College Football Quick Hits

[116:07–123:46]

• Oklahoma vs. Alabama: Oklahoma needs the game more, Alabama's run-game issues could be decisive.

  • "Oklahoma's found a bit of a rushing attack. Mobile quarterbacks can give Alabama problems. It's an interesting spot in that Alabama's revenge from last year..." —Stuckey (116:14)

• Texas vs. Georgia: Questions on Arch Manning’s improvement, Georgia’s sack numbers way down, but still a coaching-adjustment team.

  • "Georgia had 13 sacks in two games against Texas [last year]... Georgia has 11 total sacks this year. That's crazy." —John Middlekauff (119:54)

• Cleveland Browns Home Field Stat:

  • "Browns at home: 13 and 8 against the spread; on the road: 5 and 17. That's worse than the Titans who never cover." —Stuckey (121:17)

Additional Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "If you are a good coach, you dramatically improve when you're fired. Hell, I’ve been fired twice..." —Middlekauff (08:12)
• "Drake Maye was a player that not only the Patriots refused to trade. The Giants… tried to trade for him, offered a ton. They were told no." —Middlekauff (15:03)
• "We saw two organizations going in opposite directions tonight. I don't care if the Jets have 20 first round picks… You don't win if you have absolutely no clue when it comes to the quarterback." —Middlekauff (37:29)

Key Timestamps

• [02:50] — Patriots Big Picture, hiring of Vrabel/McDaniels, franchise stability.
• [10:15] — Parallels between Maye and Brady, drafting philosophy, culture talk.
• [16:57] — Patriots’ defense: drawing from Belichick's playbook, undervalued players.
• [24:33] — In-depth breakdown of Drake Maye’s skill set and performance.
• [31:45] — Jets’ organizational dysfunction and failed QB support.
• [35:51] — Justin Fields' usage and ongoing mistakes in offensive structure.
• [37:29] — "Just draft a quarterback" myth & systemic issues with Jets.
• [52:14] — Stuckey on overall lack of compelling NFL games this season.
• [62:37] — Start of Week 11 NFL game previews and betting breakdowns.
• [116:07] — Shift to major CFB matchups and betting angles.
• [121:17] — Browns home/road performance stat.

Tone & Style

Middlekauff maintains his trademark opinionated and conversational tone backed by insider perspective and personal anecdotes. Stuckey brings a data-driven, gambling-focused viewpoint, with quick-fire stats and purposeful skepticism about narratives and conventional wisdom. The banter is engaging and relatable for NFL fans and bettors alike.

Takeaways

• The Patriots are “back,” with a strong structural foundation, a precocious quarterback, and an unambitious but effective OC.
• The Jets remain mired in dysfunction, unable to develop QBs due to consistent instability and mismanagement.
• This NFL season is viewed as “boring” due to parity at the bottom of the league and plodding offenses—even the best teams have clear flaws.
• Betting recommendations hinge on injury reports, current team form rather than reputation, and a healthy skepticism of teams with inflated records but weak infrastructure.
• In college football, matchups like Oklahoma/Alabama and Texas/Georgia hinge on coaching adjustments and critical weaknesses, more so than legacy or preseason hype.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This episode delivers an in-depth, unsparing look at the renewed Patriots dynasty, skewers the perpetual failure of the Jets, and offers no-nonsense gambling advice for NFL and CFB slates. If you want sharp, honest analysis about what actually drives success and failure in pro football—with a healthy amount of betting insight—this is a must-listen.