The Herd with Colin Cowherd – 3 & Out with John Middlekauff

Episode Date: September 15, 2025
Main Theme:
Comprehensive reactions and analysis of the NFL’s Sunday Night Football (Vikings vs. Falcons), the Eagles’ win over the Chiefs, and the state of several top franchises including the Bengals, Bears, Cowboys, and Lions.

Episode Overview

John Middlekauff hosts this episode of "3 & Out" with his immediate reactions to a lackluster Sunday night showing by the Minnesota Vikings and rookie JJ McCarthy, the Atlanta Falcons’ win, injury news impacting the Bengals, and broader implications around the Bears, Lions, Cowboys, and Chiefs. The episode is built around candid, up-to-the-minute NFL insights with a focus on quarterback struggles, franchise direction, and key game takeaways.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Sunday Night Football: Vikings (6) vs. Falcons (22)

[02:49] – [20:51]

• JJ McCarthy’s Struggles
  • Middlekauff opens bluntly: “He was atrocious at home against Atlanta… The Atlanta Falcons win 22 to 6.” [02:49]
  • McCarthy had a strong finish last week but regressed badly this week: “We have now eight quarters of film... and seven of those he has been one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL.” [06:50]
  • Notable mistakes:
    • Missed a throw to Jefferson on a long third down.
    • Overthrew Naylor on a key opportunity (“tried to throw like a rope and he overthrew him by 5, 6 yards. It wasn’t even close.”) [07:55]
  • Middlekauff’s concern: “His accuracy is really concerning now… balls are just missing left and right.” [10:00]
  • Playing environment and expectations: “They have an incredible home field environment... and they just were deflated as the game went on.” [11:22]
  • The roster outside QB is “excellent” but offensive line depth is an issue.
  • “You cannot be one of the better teams in modern day football... if your quarterback play is below average.” [15:55]
  • “Is J.J. McCarthy any good? ... if you’re a betting man, you’d have to go like, we got some problems.” [19:30]
• Atlanta’s Offense
  • Michael Penix Jr. was conservative: “I’m a huge Michael Penix fan… now you’re watching him... a lot of dink and dunk.” [12:18]
  • Bijan Robinson praised as “as talented of a player as there is in the NFL.” [13:05]
  • Falcons still “not really the most fun team to watch... they would be near the bottom [of watchability].” [13:30]

Quote: “JJ was atrocious. Like it felt like he had no control over the ball. He’s throwing them low, he’s throwing them high. He threw an awful pick. His accuracy is really concerning now.” — John Middlekauff [10:00]

2. Bengals Season in Jeopardy: Joe Burrow’s Injury

[43:47] – [46:51]

• Burrow reportedly suffers severe turf toe, may require season-ending surgery.
• Middlekauff is blunt: “If he gets surgery and it’s a three-plus month situation, like his season’s over, the Bengals’ season is over.” [43:54]
• Stark drop-off to backup QB Jake Browning, despite Browning’s improvement.
• The Bengals invested heavily in skill positions for a Burrow-led team—without him, there’s simply “no chance.”
• Bengals’ medical handling questioned: “Wouldn’t you want to buy a cart… for a guy you just gave like $300 million to, instead of making him put weight on his turf toe?” [45:15]

Quote: “Your season ends before it even starts. I can’t even imagine being a Bengal fan if it does become official this week that he’s got to get the surgery and he’s out for three months, aka the year.” — John Middlekauff [44:46]

3. Chiefs Fall to 0–2 After Losing to Eagles

[46:56] – [53:26]

• Kansas City’s defense “was awesome,” but offensive playmakers are missing.
• Travis Kelce had a costly drop, Mahomes “was making some plays,” but margins remain razor-thin.
• Rashee Rice is suspended; Worthy is not healthy; Hollywood Brown a rare bright spot.
• “Not much else that hasn’t been said about the Chiefs for, oh, and two. I think for the first time since 2014.”
• Chiefs’ season may be a grind—Middlekauff predicts a possible “10 and 7” year due to breaks not going their way.
• Eagles praised for toughness: “Their physicality, defensively, they’re just going to be well-coached.”
• Hurts isn’t stat-padding, but “he does make some winning plays throughout that you kind of got to be a little football nerdy” to appreciate. [52:52]
• The notorious Eagles “tush push” (QB sneak) remains “boring” but “inevitable.”
• Tom Brady’s evolution as a broadcaster briefly noted: “I thought this is a much easier listen in 2025.” [53:04]

Quote: “Their defense was awesome... Mahomes was making some plays... if they go 10 and 7... that’s a good win [for the Eagles], you don’t apologize.” — John Middlekauff [48:30 – 49:38]

4. The Bears’ Dysfunction and Caleb Williams' Struggles

[23:34] – [41:04]

• Critique of Chicago’s front office:
  • “Ryan Poles has now drafted 34 players and 26 have played more than one season. None have made the Pro Bowl.” [25:07]
  • “He has objectively been a horrendous general manager.” [25:19]
  • Ownership (“the McCaskeys”) and Kevin Warren’s leadership are both called outdated and weak.
• Caleb Williams hype vs. NFL reality:
  • “If you would have tweeted a year ago... that Caleb Williams wasn’t going to be a good NFL player... you would have been called the village fucking idiot. Yet a year later, universally we all go, the guy stinks.” [28:44]
  • Failure to do due diligence in the draft (only one QB brought in).
• Coaching and scheme issues:
  • Ben Johnson compared to a strict movie director; Williams “doesn’t memorize the lines, he just ad libs. And sometimes it’s really good, but most of the time it’s not.” [30:56]
• Ben Johnson’s decision to take the job is questioned; harsh on-field reality in Chicago.

Quote: “They are an embarrassment. They really are. And if I hear one more time about all this talent... The Lions have a lot of talent and they beat the shit out of these guys. It honestly wasn’t even a fair fight.” — John Middlekauff [33:38]

5. Lions' Resurgence and Modern Identity

[34:02] – [36:42]

• The Lions “throughout the entire internet era were a poverty franchise. They just always lost… not in the NFL but all of sports.” [34:22]
• But under new GM/coach tandem, they're drafting well and are “well put together.”

6. Cowboys-Giants Wild Ending and Analytical Deep Dive

[38:29] – [41:04]

• Cowboys kicker hits a massive game-winner; defense and zone landmarks analyzed.
• Middlekauff notes: “Sometimes in football you gotta go throwback to like when you were at recess or when you were in high school and just play the game.” [39:59]
• Explosive play-calling and George Pickens’ role highlighted.
• Brian Schottenheimer credited for early offensive success: “Through two weeks, the offense looks really good, looks really explosive.” [41:01]

7. Preseason College Football Rankings Rant

[53:26] – [59:24]

• Middlekauff rails against the value/validity of preseason college football rankings.
• “Preseason rankings...should just throw them in the trash. They should not exist.” [55:33]
• Early season evidence is all that matters; the transfer portal makes predictions meaningless.
• College football should take cues from the NFL, where “it doesn’t fucking matter” until games are played.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On JJ McCarthy’s accuracy: “I just need you to complete the fucking pass. And he couldn’t do it.” [10:45]
• On modern NFL team-building: “You cannot be one of the better teams in modern day football... our quarterback didn’t matter, are done.” [15:55]
• On the state of the Bengals: “Your season ends before it even starts... your season just ends. And that's the brutal part about football, is other positions can go down... But your season doesn't end the moment your quarterback goes down.” [44:46]
• On the Eagles’ “tush push”: “It is a boring play to watch because... it feels like an inevitability in a sport that is completely not inevitable.” [51:54]
• On preseason CFB rankings: "Preseason rankings, we should just throw them in the trash. They should not exist." [55:33]

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Topic | Timestamp | |-------------------------------------------|---------------| | JJ McCarthy & Vikings-Falcons SNF recap | 02:49–20:51 | | Bears dysfunction and Caleb Williams | 23:34–41:04 | | Cowboys vs. Giants, ending/analysis | 38:29–41:04 | | Bengals’ Joe Burrow injury fallout | 43:47–46:51 | | Chiefs-Eagles, KC offensive issues | 46:56–53:26 | | College Football preseason rankings rant | 53:26–59:24 |

Overall Tone and Takeaways

Middlekauff delivers blunt, irreverent, and informed analysis, mixing deep football knowledge with unabashed fan-like frustration. He oscillates between clinical break-downs ("He tried to throw like a rope and he overthrew him by 5, 6 yards. It wasn’t even close" [07:55]) and visceral reactions ("They beat the shit out of these guys. It honestly wasn’t even a fair fight" [33:38]). The theme running through the episode is the crucial nature of QB play in the modern NFL, with JJ McCarthy’s struggles emblematic of a larger, league-wide reality.

Conclusion

This episode serves as a rapid, unfiltered reality check for fans and teams characterized by uneven quarterback play, questionable organizational choices, and how the smallest margins in the NFL can change a season’s trajectory. Middlekauff’s biggest takeaway: It’s a production-based league, and you either execute or you’re left behind—narrative be damned.