The Herd with Colin Cowherd — Prime Cuts (October 18, 2025)

Podcast: The Herd with Colin Cowherd
Episode: Colin Cowherd Podcast Prime Cuts - Bills FLOP On MNF, Baker For MVP? Dolphins Disaster, Should Cowboys Hire Belichick?
Date: October 18, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode is a roundup of the week’s biggest NFL stories, featuring Colin’s trademark no-nonsense takes and rapid-fire analysis. Topics include the Chicago Bears’ rare road win, the Buffalo Bills’ decline, Baker Mayfield’s MVP campaign, the Dolphins’ dysfunction, the disaster-class Jets, and a longer dive with Matt Moseley into the Dallas Cowboys’ future—including the spicy question: Should Jerry Jones hire Bill Belichick?

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Bears Edge Commanders: Road Win Rarity, Caleb’s Growth, and O-Line Impact

Segment Start: [04:30]

• Rare Chicago Success: Bears beat Commanders 25-24, not a typical Bears road game win. Offensive line and DeAndre Swift shine.
• Quarterback Report: Caleb Williams was "good enough," still not as precise as some peers, but avoided big mistakes, which made the difference.

  “Caleb Williams was good enough. Still misses too many throws you got to make in the NFL consistently, he's not as accurate as Jaden Daniels. But he didn't make that big mistake or two that Jaden Daniels did.” — Colin [04:58]

• Defense's Big Moments: Defense created turnovers, with Montez Sweat forcing a key fumble.
• Coaching & Energy: Ben Johnson’s play-calling praised, Bears “came out hair on fire… hats off to the staff” for a major first-half energy boost.

Memorable Moment:

“That's about as good an effort on the road for the Bears offensive line. I mean, they haven't had a lot of them.” — Colin [06:27]

Other Notes:

• Bears’ struggles with penalties and third downs noted, but “you just take the win.”
• Chicago’s improved first quarter scoring—a signal they’re turning a historical weakness.
• Critique of officiating: “When it comes to officiating, stuff is either clear and definitive, or don't blow the whistle.” — Colin [09:50]

2. Buffalo Bills Slipping: Lack of Playmakers, Comfort for Opponents, McDermott’s Ceiling

Segment Start: [14:43]

• Falcons Upset Bills: Atlanta’s offense looks “comfortable” as Penix shreds Buffalo’s defense, “no real playmakers.”
• Buffalo’s Regression:

  “Sean McDermott has had Josh Allen for all these years and there's always a hole in the team… Mike Vrabel walks in, they're already in first place.” — Colin [16:17]

• Roster Lacking Firepower: Not enough weapons on the perimeter; pass rush and secondary described as “average.”
• Comparisons: Andy Reid adapts to roster challenges, McDermott doesn’t. Calls out Buffalo’s window as possibly closed.
• Worry for Bills Fans:

  “Buffalo outside of Josh Allen does not look intimidating. Their perimeter weapons—average. The secondary—average. Pass rush is kind of hit and miss…” — Colin [17:10]

• Big Picture: Buffalo might not even be a top-10 team right now.

3. Baker Mayfield = NFL MVP?! Niners' Injury Nightmare

Segment Start: [20:32]

• Baker’s MVP Case: Baker Mayfield leads injury-riddled Bucs to key win over San Francisco despite missing top receivers.

  “I think Baker has to be your MVP at this point… he had a magical, emotional, magical scramble for a first down.” — Colin [20:55]

• Rise from Adversity: Discussed how Baker’s journey—from being cut to MVP talk—reflects resilience and “farvee” moxie.
• San Francisco's Crisis: Niners beset by injuries (Fred Warner, George Kittle, Brock Purdy, Nick Bosa), massive guaranteed money “not playing right now.”

  “You just can't overcome that, Colin. … Careers are altered, not like, ‘hey, he rolled an ankle or dinged an elbow.’” — Co-host [23:56]

• Discussion: Is the Niners’ long injury history just bad luck, or a systemic issue?

4. Jets & Broncos: Coaching Catastrophes, Fields’ Failures

Segment Start: [27:47]

• Denver Squeaks Past Jets:

  “I think the Jets are the worst coached team in the league and I feel bad, but there are coaches… it's just too big of an assignment. My interpretation is the Jets can't do anything right.” — Colin [29:08]

• Front Office Misfires: Investing big in Justin Fields and others called “insanity.” Offensive line crumbling, coaching sharpness questioned.
• Fields’ Limitations: Lacks poise in the pocket and can’t overcome bad coaching; constant poor decisions and deep drops lead to sacks.

5. The State of Young NFL QBs — Who’s Rising, Who’s Falling?

Segment Start: [32:26]

• 2024 Draft Class Tiering:
  • Jaden Daniels #1, Drake Maye #2 (“He looks good”), Bo Nix (“bad halves”) #3, Caleb Williams on his heels, Michael Penix #5 but with upside.
• Bo Nix Assessment: “Exceptional under 8-10 yards, very accurate… but he missed a couple of deep balls. He does not throw the deep ball particularly well.” — Colin [33:26]
• Sean Payton’s QB Dilemma: Private frustration with Nix’s reluctance to run; offense doesn’t fit Bo’s best traits.

6. QB Traits Matter: Herbert Lifts Chargers, Tua Sinks Dolphins

Segment Start: [36:09]

• Herbert Outduels Tua: Herbert–depleted roster, on the road, under pressure–pulls out a game-winning drive.

  “This is why traits matter… smaller quarterbacks … Tua doesn’t escape that. Brock Purdy doesn’t escape that. It’s just one of those things…” — Colin [37:11]

• Miami Dysfunction:

  “People are missing meetings, people are late… holy crap, Tua’s calling out Mike McDaniel.” — Colin [38:33]

• Tua’s Limitations: Multiple picks, below-average arm strength, can’t carry the team. Herbert is “tractor, not trailer.”
• Organizational Failure: Lack of team identity, respect issues for Mike McDaniel, absentee discipline.

  “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, good pass pro. They've never done a good job with that.” — Colin [42:14]

• Baker/Herbert vs Tua: “If you wondered the difference between the haves and the have-not quarterbacks… Herbert and Baker on the road win games with almost 40% of their starters missing.” — Colin [42:25]
• On Leadership:

  “Mike McDaniel… doesn’t look like a guy that’s going to walk up in front of a room and command respect from a bunch of 55 guys that average 6’4”, 220.” — Colin [45:20]

7. Cowboys Deep-Dive with Matt Moseley: Offense Clicking, Defense Collapsing, Belichick as Future Coach?

Segment Start: [51:18]

• Schottenheimer’s Offense Shines: Despite missing CeeDee, the offense is “cooking”—30 points/game, Dak playing most comfortably ever.

  “This is probably the best Dak’s ever played…they're scoring 30 points a game and they had one hiccup.” — Matt Moseley [52:30]

• Defensive Woes: Defense “horrific,” no path forward, lack of impact linebackers and corners playing out of position.
• Big-picture Roster Stuff: Jerry has financial wiggle room after recent trades; can (and maybe must) rebuild defense in the upcoming draft.

  “I think Dallas is going to take those first two draft picks, they're going to upgrade their defense. They'll have money to buy another playmaker.” — Colin [54:29]

• Belichick in Dallas?:
  • Colin floats the wild idea of Bill Belichick to Cowboys if Schottenheimer leaves.

    “Is that nuts? It only…” — Colin [61:27]

  • Moseley pushes back—culture fit is bad, Jerry wouldn’t want the conflict.

    “Jerry likes having a good time too much to put up with having a bad time to have a good time.” — Matt Moseley [62:58]

• Dallas Coaching Carousel: Past coordinator failures, likely to see their third DC in three years.
• QB Legacy Comparison: Cowboys—20 years of standout QB play, just like Packers, but nothing to show for it.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Baker’s Resurgence:

  “They used to call me cocky, abrasive, and now they say moxie and dog. Well, Baker… you definitely feel a little more calm. And also you're out of a chaotic situation.” — Co-host [26:17]

• On Organizational Identity:

  “When you start a company, you have to have an identity. What are we? What aren’t we? Let’s stop chasing this. We’re not this. We are this.” — Colin [42:14]

• On Mike McDaniel’s Leadership:

  “If you walked into Google, looks like some guy that would be … But you’re walking up in front of 6’7”, 325 pound alphas.” — Colin [45:20]

• Summing Up the Cowboys' Defensive Crisis:

  “They don't have anybody who's playing safety… They don't have a linebacker that can make a tackle. … It's bad. This makes Rob Ryan look almost like he knows what he's doing.” — Matt Moseley [58:35]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Bears win, O-line, Caleb Williams assessment: [04:30] – [13:15]
• Bills-Falcons, Buffalo’s decline: [14:43] – [19:23]
• Baker Mayfield MVP talk, 49ers injuries: [20:32] – [27:18]
• Jets, Broncos, Justin Fields failings: [27:47] – [32:26]
• Young QBs state-of-the-union (Daniels, Maye, Nix, Caleb, Penix): [32:26] – [36:09]
• Herbert vs Tua, Dolphins culture collapse: [36:09] – [47:28]
• Cowboys deep-dive with Matt Moseley: [51:18] – [65:01]
• Should Cowboys hire Belichick debate: [61:27] – [64:22]

Final Takeaway

This episode delivers a comprehensive and highly opinionated look at the NFL’s biggest headlines, with Colin Cowherd dissecting quarterback narratives, exposing organizational dysfunction, and painting the Cowboys’ future as simultaneously hopeful and fraught. Memorable insights include calls for patience in Chicago, alarm over Buffalo’s waning window, and genuine praise for Baker Mayfield, who has gone from “cast off” to MVP contender. The show’s tone is direct, energetic, and not shy about strong critiques—a must-listen for fans seeking sharp NFL analysis.