The Herd with Colin Cowherd - "Baker For MVP, Jets Coaching Worst Ever? James Franklin FIRED, Steelers Will Win AFC North"

Date: October 13, 2025
Guests: John Middlekauff (Host of "Three and Out", former NFL scout)
Main Theme:
A high-energy rundown of the NFL’s latest Sunday slate with a focus on breakout quarterbacks (notably Baker Mayfield’s MVP campaign), dysfunction in the Jets’ organization, coaching hot seats (notably James Franklin’s firing at Penn State), and why the Steelers are best positioned to capture the AFC North. Cowherd and Middlekauff blend detailed game breakdowns with big-picture debates on QB value, leadership culture, and coaching changes shaping both the NFL and college football.

Episode Overview

Colin and John dive into NFL week analysis, centering on the MVP-level play of Baker Mayfield, the alarming state of the New York Jets coaching staff, the sacking of Penn State’s James Franklin, and why the Steelers are in pole position for the AFC North. The hosts leverage real-time reactions, insider knowledge, and big questions about team-building, leadership, and QB value.

Key Segment Summaries & Timestamps

1. Baker Mayfield’s Meteoric Rise: From Reject to MVP Favorite

[00:56-10:30]

• Tampa Bay 30, San Francisco 19: Despite no Evans, Godwin, or Bucky Irving, Baker leads a battered roster to victory. Colin strongly advocates for Baker's MVP candidacy, noting his resilience and “magical” plays, e.g. a critical scramble:
  • “I think Baker has to be your MVP at this point ... Tampa’s in the Bay and winning. I think they’re as good as anybody in the league right now.” (Colin, [03:43])
• John highlights Baker’s dramatic development into a “weekly top-10 quarterback”, comparing his swagger to Favre and declaring him “one of the best players in the league” regardless of MVP voting. He notes the improved outlook despite preseason odds (25:1, now 8:1):
  • “He’s just playing at an elite level. I would imagine he’ll continue to rise.” (John, [04:51])
• The guys compare Baker's calm maturity to his “bravado” days, attributing some growth to being disregarded by Cleveland and Carolina. John points out:
  • “Any human worth their salt uses motivation and as you mature, you don’t let it show as much. That’s a good example with Baker.” (John, [08:59])

Notable Quote

• “They used to call me cocky, abrasive, and now they say moxie and dog.” (John citing Baker, [08:59])
• Colin: “That stuff... is jet fuel for Baker.” ([08:12])

2. San Francisco’s Injury Plague: An Unsolvable Crisis

[05:19-07:19]

• John details the crippling injury toll: $277M in guaranteed money lost to IR (including Fred Warner and George Kittle), lamenting the 49ers' horrible luck and inability to recover when key players are absent week-to-week.
• Colin reinforces SF’s bad injury history, describing their receiving corps as “never healthy”.

Notable Moment

• “I’ve never seen anything like this... The constant, just guys’ careers are altered.” (John, [06:20])

3. The Jets: ‘Worst-Coached Team I’ve Ever Seen’

[13:03-16:33]

• Colin launches into a scathing critique of the New York Jets’ on-field disasters, headlined by dubious coaching decisions (a botched fake punt, wasted two-minute opportunities, misuse of Justin Fields), claiming:
  • “The Jets may be the worst-coached team I’ve ever seen.” ([13:03])
• He analogizes failed former coaches (“Rich Kotite, Freddie Kitchens”) and proclaims the Jets “officially the worst franchise in the league.”
• John broadens the criticism to GM decisions (overpaying Justin Fields, Sauce Gardner), likening the franchise to the dysfunctional Raiders of years past.

Memorable Moment

• "My interpretation is the Jets can't do anything right. They are officially the worst franchise in the league." (Colin, [14:09])

4. Bo Nix & Denver: Potential and Frustration

[16:33-19:32]

• Colin ranks the 2024 QB draft class, sliding Bo Nix toward the lower end after another inconsistent half. He praises Denver’s roster as top five but suggests Bo Nix isn’t using his legs enough and doesn't have adequate touch deep.
• John agrees, saying Nix needs to scramble more and that Sean Payton is likely “frustrated” but lauds Denver’s defense and playoff chances given their easy schedule.

5. Steelers: The AFC North’s New Standard Bearer

[24:39-33:23]

• Colin celebrates Aaron Rodgers’ efficient play as Pittsburgh beats the Browns, noting how his intelligence and accuracy have finally pulled the Steelers’ talented parts into “a real offense with rhythm.”
  • “They just felt like players the last six years. Now they feel like a real offense with rhythm.” (Colin, [26:21])
• John points out that Rodgers, though less mobile, is now able to “play within himself”, and credits the defense's increasing physicality.
• Both agree that the Steelers’ organizational structure and Tomlin’s baseline competency will keep them competitive: “they’re going to win like nine or 10 games.”

Notable Quote

• “The bottom of this league is awful. Tennessee is awful. The Jets are absolutely awful. ... But you watch Pittsburgh ... they're just so functional.” (Colin, [29:42])

6. Dolphins vs Chargers: The Limits of Tua and Organizational Culture

[33:23-42:29]

• Colin contrasts Justin Herbert’s heroics (winning depleted on the road) with Tua’s limitations and Miami’s internal dysfunction (players missing meetings, questionable discipline under Mike McDaniel).
  • “When you watch Herbert juxtaposed with Tua today... Tua’s throwing pick after pick, and guys are bouncing off Herbert.” (Colin, [39:37])
• John details how Miami’s mismanagement (tiny receivers, poor O-line, lack of backup QB) makes Tua’s job impossible.

Memorable Moment

• “They don’t know what they’re doing... If Tua is your quarterback, you have to have a good backup. You also have to have good protection.” (Colin, [39:37])

7. What True "Alpha" Leadership Looks Like in Coaching

[42:29-45:58]

• Colin and John analyze the importance of a coach’s physical presence and command—Vrabel, Tomlin, Campbell (“they’re alphas")—contrasted with McDaniel’s approach, which they criticize as lacking authority with players.
  • “Have you ever stood next to Dan Campbell or Mike Vrabel? These are huge men ... there’s a physical component to them.” (Colin, [42:29])

Notable Quote

• “Saying the physical component in life doesn’t matter is laughable. If you’re saying it doesn’t, you’re probably five-five.” (Colin, [44:58])

8. Dallas & Carolina: Dak’s Renaissance, the Value of Mediocre QBs

[49:15-54:47]

• Colin praises Dak Prescott’s recent stretch (10 TDs, no picks), and George Pickens’ value as a steal WR. He emphasizes how teams cling to “middle-of-the-pack” QBs like Bryce Young just to stay functional.
  • “If you have an A quarterback, A-minus or B, you can win every Sunday. And that’s with Dak Prescott.” (Colin, [53:39])
• John echoes that most teams fear being terrible at QB and will overextend to avoid it: “Bryce will get paid ... everyone will fall out of their chair.”

9. Draft Philosophy & Dallas' Future

[54:47-57:52]

• The Cowboys’ Micah Parsons trade is debated; Colin says the team is looking long-term with two first-round picks, likely focusing on defense in a loaded draft.
• John uses the Raiders/Khalil Mack trade as a caution: draft quality matters more than just stockpiling picks.

10. Seattle, Trevor Lawrence & The QB as Culture-Maker

[58:59-66:06]

• Seattle wins its ninth straight road game, leading both hosts to tout the team's culture and depth. Mike McDonald’s “10–1 on the road” record is called “insane” ([60:27]).
• They lament Trevor Lawrence’s inability to “set the culture” or command accountability among teammates, despite his toughness.

Notable Quote

• “Part of being one of the great prospects ... at quarterback is not just physical attributes. It’s bringing everything to the table... That’s just never going to be Trevor Lawrence’s thing.” (John, [64:34])

11. Drake May, the Patriots & the Value of Confidence

[66:06-70:50]

• Both praise Drake May, New England's rookie QB, for rapidly growing confidence and mobility; John stresses the importance of self-belief for young QBs.
• Modern NFL QBs, says John, are now required to move—immobile prototypical QBs are going extinct.

12. James Franklin Fired at Penn State: The Coaching Dominoes

[74:59-83:59]

• Colin lays out the context: Franklin, despite previous success, was ousted after close losses and a lack of “big program” identity. He warns of the “interim coach” trap—but John says Penn State had “no choice”; the team quit on Franklin and blue-chip recruits were bailing.
  • “I think you had to... the team quit on him.” (John, [76:53])
• Both discuss the “impossible” economics of big-college football and coaching buyouts, which now give boosters/media outsized sway.

Memorable Moment

• "James Franklin's a good looking guy with high energy. He'll go into broadcasting and probably be a great fit ..." (Colin, [83:59])

13. USC’s Statement Win over Michigan & The Meaning of Culture

[83:59-91:45]

• USC physically dominates Michigan in a 31-13 win with a walk-on RB, underlining that Lincoln Riley’s offense can still “look like old USC”. Colin doubts their matchups vs. Notre Dame, but sees hope.
• The pair agree the Big Ten is now “must-see TV"; Colin praises Riley for getting more out of less, but questions whether he—or Franklin—can “build a culture.”

14. Monday Night Preview — Washington vs. Chicago

[91:54-end]

• Colin likes Washington at home ("wild, loud environment"). John takes the Bears and the points, arguing bye-week adjustments will help a young team.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “The Jets may be the worst-coached team I’ve ever seen.” (Colin, [13:03])
• “If you have an A quarterback... you can win every Sunday.” (Colin, [53:39])
• “Saying the physical component in life doesn’t matter is laughable. If you’re saying it doesn’t, you’re probably five-five.” (Colin, [44:58])
• “He looks like, I don’t know, Amon-Ra St. Brown or something. He’s a dominant player.” (John, on USC WR Lemon, [87:04])
• “James Franklin's a good looking guy with high energy. He'll go into broadcasting and probably be a great fit ..." (Colin, [83:59])

Overall Takeaways

• Baker Mayfield’s resurgence is real; he’s playing at an MVP level and fueling the Bucs through adversity, silencing doubts rooted in his rocky past.
• The Jets and Dolphins stand as cautionary tales of organizational dysfunction, poor leadership, and mismatched team-building, underscoring why coaching “alpha” matters and why QB success depends as much on context as talent.
• Steelers’ stability and coaching are a separator in a crumbling AFC North, with Rodgers' veteran smarts finally unlocking that potential.
• College football's coaching carousel, from James Franklin’s firing to Lincoln Riley’s high-stakes wins, shows the enormous pressures, economics, and risks that come with managing blue-blood programs.
• Strategic take: The NFL (and big college) is about health, culture, and margins—plus the unifying force and accountability a real “alpha” QB or coach creates.

For anyone who missed this episode, the conversation is essential listening for in-depth, opinionated NFL (and some CFB) analysis, big on personality and full of lessons about quarterbacking, coaching, and organizational leadership.