Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd – 3 & Out

Episode: Who should be the MVP, What's going on in GB, Belichick to the Giants?
Date: November 12, 2025
Host: John Middlekauff (3 & Out is a flagship NFL show under The Volume/iHeart umbrella)

Overview

This episode is a classic "Mailbag" edition recorded by John Middlekauff after Monday Night Football. John fields questions from listeners on Instagram DMs, diving deep into the NFL's hottest storylines: MVP candidates, what's ailing the Green Bay Packers, the viability of Bill Belichick to the New York Giants, head coach trades, owner involvement, and more. In his signature candid, humorous, and unsparing style, John offers unvarnished opinions and plenty of behind-the-scenes NFL context.

"We had me and Colin every Sunday, we had a Sunday night podcast. We had a Monday night reaction…"
(03:11)

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. NFL MVP Race: Who’s Actually In the Running?

[03:10 – 07:15]

• The listener suggests Drake May (Patriots rookie QB) and Jonathan Taylor (Colts RB) as their MVP frontrunners.
• John discusses the perennially QB-centric nature of the MVP award but acknowledges Jonathan Taylor’s dominance as making him a “Heisman”-style MVP winner if the NFL had one.
  • "If we removed the word MVP and said it's the NFL Heisman Trophy, Jonathan Taylor would win." (04:51)
• Considers other QBs in the mix: Sam Darnold (Seattle), Matthew Stafford (Rams), and the impact of wideout Davante Adams.
  • “Stafford — he's been elite. He looks fantastic. Adding Devante Adams has been huge.” (04:22)
• Patriots fans should feel confident, having moved quickly from Tom Brady to identifying more talented QBs (even referencing Mac Jones’ surprising impact in San Francisco).
  • “You had 20 years of Brady and a couple years later you now have this.” (05:08)
• Ultimately, John says he’d vote for Jonathan Taylor but doubts the NFL will ever switch its MVP thinking away from QBs.

2. Running Back Hypothetical: Consistency vs. Efficiency

[07:15 – 08:15]

• Listener poses a scenario: Would you rather have a RB who always gets 100 yards per game or any run gets exactly 2 yards per carry?
• John humorously but firmly picks the 100-yard guy, noting 2 ypc is simply not viable and would get a back cut.
  • “If you average 2 yards a carry, you’re going to get cut. I can’t run you four times; you don’t even get me a first down.” (07:36)

3. Military Appreciation/Folds of Honor Shoutout

[08:16 – 09:46]

• Listener thanks John for giving attention to military causes.
• John shares personal family military history (WWII, Vietnam, and the Folds of Honor guest), emphasizing how much military service means to him.
  • “Where I come from, people like that are considered certified badasses…my dad was pretty old school home. So we had some like Tom Coughlin, like rules, being early is late.” (09:00)

4. Kalyn DeBoer’s Coaching Star: Most Underrated in College Football?

[09:47 – 11:17]

• Listener submits DeBoer's extraordinary stats at the University of Washington (and previously), such as 8–1 vs. top-10 opponents.
• John is effusive in agreement, praising DeBoer as “kicking ass and taking it.”
  • “You put him and Grub together and you give them a functional quarterback, it’s fucking on like Donkey Kong.” (10:22)
• Notes that DeBoer’s success is even wilder considering the lack of five-star recruits and sustaining excellence when moving to the SEC.
• Points to DeBoer’s preference for QB types and how the right fit elevated his programs.

5. Should Owners Be More “Hands-On”? (Colts Example)

[11:18 – 14:11]

• Conversation about Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon and her increased sideline involvement raises the question: Do “hands-on” owners help?
• John finds it amusing but mostly inconsequential:
  • “The reason the Colts are winning this year…is they have a good quarterback. She’s not calling the plays. She’s not running practice…” (12:14)
• Good ownership is leaving the actual football to coaches and GMs; winning or losing is a function of finding the right players and making smart coaching decisions.
• Points to the Browns — "For as awful as the Browns have been, if they had Patrick Mahomes, they'd be good." (13:30)
• Uses recent Packers and Cowboys playoff losses to argue: Politics or meddling isn’t why teams lose — it’s the football stuff.

6. Why Aren’t Coaches Traded More Often?

[14:12 – 16:12]

• Only rare examples: Jon Gruden and Sean Payton.
• The main reason? Teams don’t want to let great coaches leave. Trades usually come when a coach wants out, not because teams are eager to deal them.
  • “If you have Sean Payton or Gruden back in his prime, the team doesn’t want the guy to leave…” (15:03)
• An off-season scenario with Mike Tomlin as a Giants target is floated, but John thinks it’s largely hypothetical.

7. Possible Coaching Changes: Bills, Falcons, Packers, Giants, and the NFL Coaching Market

[16:13 – 36:00]

• Bills’ Head Coach Dilemma:
  • Sean McDermott has been a strong coach but post–“13 second game” trust is waning. John is reluctant about replacing him with Kevin Stefanski or Brian Daboll.
    • “You cannot fire Sean McDermott for Kevin Stefanski. Like, that just can't happen.” (17:41)
    • Notes that Dayball and McDermott didn’t get along.
  • Cautions that there aren’t strong candidates available in this coaching cycle — especially compared to last year.
• Green Bay Packers’ Coaching Situation:
  • Multiple questions about whether Jeff Hafley, current Packers defensive coordinator, should be promoted if LaFleur is fired.
  • John: “It would be risky. He’s proven good with defense, but head coach is different.” (26:18)
  • Packers historically prefer offensive-leaning head coaches.
• Bill Belichick to Giants — Would It Happen?
  • John says: "Zero percent chance." (32:44)
  • Not just football: off-field drama, including stories about Belichick’s much younger girlfriend, makes him too toxic for Giants ownership.
    • "Giants ain't with that. Bill and his relationship…does not work in the NFL." (34:28)
• Falcons Coaching Carousel and Glaring Shortage of Elite Candidates:
  • Several jobs likely to be open (Steelers, Packers, Giants, Cardinals, Titans).
  • There aren’t many “can’t-miss” options this cycle.
    • “There aren't that many coaches to go around.” (36:22)
• Coordinator Pipeline vs. Previous Years:
  • Unlike previous years (when sharp minds like Ben Johnson were available), this market is much more mediocre.
  • Discusses the randomness of highly touted offensive minds and the risk/reward of cycling through unproven coaches.

8. Chargers and Justin Herbert: Excuses or Just Bad Luck?

[38:20 – 40:00]

• Tackles the “Justin Herbert gets too much slack” debate: Is it coaching, O-line injuries, or is Herbert just not winning the big games?
• John says context matters: injuries pile up, defenses struggle, coaching chaos.
  • “I just think some of these debates never end until a guy quits…he’s going to get nitpicked, fair or not.” (39:06)

9. Packers’ Playcalling & Offensive Issues

[45:10 – 48:50]

• Why is Green Bay’s offense so dysfunctional?
  • Listeners note the lack of a quick passing game with Jordan Love under center.
  • John says this ultimately falls on the coach, not the QB:
    • “You can call a play that does not have any go routes or deep posts — you can call four slants, four outs. You’re calling it!” (46:07)
  • Emphasizes that Love is not yet Peyton Manning; LaFleur must better cater the offense to QB’s strengths.

10. Eagles, NFC Favorites, and the State of the Conference

[45:10 – 46:25]

• Question: Are the Eagles still the top dogs?
  • John praises the Eagles’ defense and playmakers, but says the run game (previously dominant) has taken a step back due to O-line health.
    • “Interior guard-center-guard isn’t as good…But they still got Devonte Smith, AJ Brown, Dallas Goedert.” (45:29)
  • Seattle is a serious threat; predicting playoff outcomes will depend on QB performance and clutch play.
  • Drama (LaFleur, Dayball) is acknowledged as always a big NFL subplot, but games themselves still drive attention in-season.

11. Who Gets More Frustrated: Packers Fans or Steelers Fans?

[51:55 – 54:56]

• Comparing the current frustrations for both historically strong franchises.
• “Green Bay's had this nucleus…they’re better than the Packers. They curb-stomped the Steelers.”
• Steelers fans at least accept that their talent is lacking; after the “worst losses of the season”, Packers fans are in unfamiliar territory.
  • “How did we just suck overnight? What has happened to us the last couple of weeks?” (54:26)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On MVP Voting:
  "To me, Drake May, his ceiling is the MVP award. I'm just not even talking this season. I'm just saying where you should feel great if you're a Patriot fan..." (05:08)

• On Owners and Winning:
  "If you have good players and good coaches and a good quarterback, you're going to be pretty good, whether the owner's a pain in the ass or not." (13:12)

• On Belichick’s Instability:
  "After the last nine months...I have a very difficult time seeing Giants ownership get in bed with Jordan Hudson." (33:00)

• On Eagles’ Playmakers:
  "They still got Devonte Smith, they still got A.J. Brown, they still got Dallas Goddard. Hell, even last night Saquon had the big play." (45:30)

• On Packers Fans’ Frustrations:
  "This year feels like it's really getting away from them." (54:41)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 03:01 — Episode intro, mailbag format
• 03:10 – 07:15 — NFL MVP debate
• 08:16 – 09:46 — Military/Folds of Honor personal segment
• 09:47 – 11:17 — Kalyn DeBoer & coaching greatness
• 11:18 – 14:11 — Owners on the sideline
• 14:12 – 16:12 — Why aren't coaches traded?
• 16:13 – 36:00 — Bills/Coaching market/Falcons/Belichick
• 38:20 – 40:00 — Herbert/Chargers “Excuse” segment
• 45:10 – 48:50 — Packers offensive woes
• 45:10 – 46:25 — Are the Eagles still NFC favorites?
• 51:55 – 54:56 — Packers vs. Steelers: Frustration Olympics
• 54:56 – End — Closing thoughts, appreciation for listeners

Tone & Style

John Middlekauff is opinionated, direct, unfiltered, and often humorous. The tone throughout is that of a knowledgeable insider who doesn’t mince words about NFL decisions, hype, or backroom dynamics.

This episode is especially valuable for listeners interested in the layers behind coaching changes, the why of NFL MVP biases, what’s infecting great franchises like Green Bay, and how front office drama often pales in comparison to the simple need for better players and smarter playcalling.