The Herd with Colin Cowherd Podcast Prime Cuts

Episode: Chiefs Dynasty Over? Buckeyes All-Time Defense? Seahawks SCARY Good Roster, J.J. McCarthy Looks Lost
Date: November 22, 2025
Host: John Middlekauff (guest hosting for Colin) with panel: Josh, Doug, various football analysts

Episode Overview

This episode of "The Herd" dives deep into the pivotal football stories of the week, putting a sharp lens on the state of NFL dynasties (especially the Kansas City Chiefs), defensive greatness at both the college and pro levels, and quarterback trajectories and troubles—from Bo Nix and J.J. McCarthy, to the standout play of Caleb Williams. There’s also a college football focus, particularly on Ohio State’s potentially generational defense and the ever-complicated challenge of success at traditional powerhouses like USC.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Broncos vs. Chiefs: Shifting the AFC Balance?

[02:40–17:13]

• Broncos (9-2) defeat Chiefs (now a .500 team):
  • Kansas City struggles in close games—compared to last year’s 11-0 or 12-0 mark in one-score games, now 0-5.
  • Bo Nix's composure, especially in the final drive, stands out:
    • "That final drive was huge... three enormous passes." (Josh, 05:30)
    • Emphasized Nix’s ability to avoid sacks and manage clutch moments.
  • Chiefs' roster depth and financial realities:
    • Massive contracts for Mahomes, Kelce, and Jones create squeezes.
    • "The margins get really skinny when you pay Kelsey, Jones, Mahomes..." (John, 09:59)
    • Drafting late every round limits access to elite young talent.
    • "You're picking at the end at 60, so the pressure... is really, really high." (Josh, 11:31)
  • Denver’s turnaround under Payton and Vance Joseph:
    • Defense from 70-point low to "potential all-time defense... might break the sacks record." (Josh, 08:08)
    • Resilience in player development and game management.
  • Chiefs' dynasty comparison:
    • "Before the season, I said the dynasty's over. They'll make the playoffs... but you just can't keep doing it." (John, 14:01)

2. Defensive Showcases: Rams, Seahawks & League-Wide Trends

[17:13–25:10]

• Rams 21, Seahawks 19:
  • Rams' defense keeps Seattle out of the end zone despite 4 Darnold INTs.
    • "If Seattle wins this game, I don't think Sean McVay could have slept all week. You can't pick a guy off four times and lose." (Josh, 20:00)
  • Seattle’s athletic QB play vs. Stafford’s game-manager limitations.
    • "With Darnold, you dominate time of possession. With Stafford or Goff, you do not get a second play." (John, 19:43)
  • Analysis of matchups:
    • Coach Chris Shula seems to have Sam Darnold's number.
    • "Chris Shula... has just come—it's like a matchup thing... Chris Shula vs. Sam Darnold." (Josh, 20:46)
  • Clean, disciplined Rams football as a winning formula.
    • "Last two weeks, the Rams are the cleanest team in the league... no penalties, no turnovers..." (John, 22:53)

3. Quarterback Watch: J.J. McCarthy, Caleb Williams, and Coaching Philosophies

[30:55–36:42]

• Chicago 19, Minnesota 17: (Caleb Williams vs. J.J. McCarthy)
  • Praise for Caleb’s playmaking with both arm and legs, but some Bears wins feel lucky.
    • "Caleb Williams' legs aren't luck. He's a cleanup hitter." (John, 31:44)
    • "That had to be a 110 MPH fastball... hardest ball thrown today in the NFL." (Josh, 32:03 re: pass to DJ Moore)
  • Vikings' J.J. McCarthy struggles:
    • "He looks nervous... after a second pick, he had a couple of really bad drives." (John, 32:18)
    • "Complete train wreck... balls are flying all over the map... not even close." (Josh, 33:34)
    • Coach O'Connell calling risky deep routes rather than supporting the rookie.
      • "He's insisting on pushing the ball downfield and it’s blowing up in his face." (Josh, 36:18)
• Offensive philosophies:
  • Comparing Ben Johnson (Bears OC) vs. Kevin O'Connell (Vikings HC) approaches.
  • The need for coaches to make life easier for young QBs.

4. 49ers Dominate Despite Injuries & College Coaching Pipeline

[36:42–43:28]

• San Francisco 41, Arizona 22:
  • Despite injuries to stars (Fred Warner with a cast, Bosa rehabbing), Niners offense cruises.
    • "Their offense feels a lot different when you put Ricky Piersol with Jennings, Kittle, and McCaffrey." (Josh, 37:53)
    • "How many coaches besides Andy Reid could you just say, yeah, you'll just win 10 or 11 games with banged up Purdy and Mac Jones?" (Josh, 38:39)
  • Franchise-defining impact of Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle.
    • "Those guys are just Hall of Fame players... guys you can lean on." (Josh, 43:02)
  • On the importance of elite coaching, both for X’s & O’s and talent development.

5. USC & Oregon: Evaluating Elite College Football Jobs and Realities

[43:28–54:32]

• Oregon’s rise (thanks to Phil Knight) and the USC challenge:
  • "Oregon now mostly gets as good a players as anybody in the West Coast. This is an awful matchup for USC." (John, 44:08)
  • Distraction and donor engagement in LA a real issue.
    • "It's hard to galvanize Los Angeles like the Dodgers do, the Lakers do... money gets splintered." (John, 48:06)
    • "Go to Miami, go to LA, just ask—does this feel different? It SLAPS you in the face when you go out there." (Doug, 52:11)
• The college football "Mount Rushmore" jobs:
  • Consensus top jobs: Georgia, LSU, Ohio State, Texas, Texas A&M.
    • "If you promised me alignment at LSU, I'd put LSU right up there. Ohio State has zero problem going into South Florida." (Doug, 51:17)
• Shifting NIL dynamics and competitive balance.

6. Ohio State’s All-Time Defense and the Evolution of Dominance

[57:18–66:00]

• Comparing all-time college defenses:
  • Steve Ettman's Huskies, Pete Carroll’s USC, Saban’s Bama, Kirby Smart’s Georgia squads, now Ohio State 2025.
    • "Ohio State has an advantage none of those had... now you just go buy the best corner if you’re Ohio State." (John, 59:37)
    • “The windows to complete passes are Sunday windows... they've got two players who could go top five.” (John, 59:57)
• Staffing decisions and the Matt Patricia hire:
  • "Ryan Day needed to fill that DC role... Matt Patricia wasn't on anyone's list. You see why." (Doug, 61:16)
    • Stresses the power of savvy hiring at a top program.
• How to beat such elite defenses:
  • Only off-script, transcendent QB play (Manziel, Cam, Deshaun Watson, Josh Allen) seems to disrupt these defenses.
    • "The way to beat great defensive teams in college: off-script and you force them to take risks." (John, 64:34)
    • "Short of that happening, Ohio State's going to win the national championship." (Doug, 62:54)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Bo Nix’s big-game composure:
  • "He doesn't take sacks. He can move the Chains with his legs. He's really good in these big fourth quarter drives." (John, 04:22)
• Defensive coaching as a team’s backbone:
  • "They have a potential all-time defense. They might break the sacks record." (Josh, 08:08)
• On Seahawks roster:
  • "Seattle’s roster is actually more complete... Rams have a little bit of a secondary concern." (John, 22:19)
• On JJ McCarthy’s play:
  • "He looks nervous... he’s a bit in his head. It’s hard for me to unsee it." (John, 32:18)
  • "Complete train wreck... balls flying all over the map." (Josh, 33:34)
• NFL’s young coaching cohort:
  • "I don't think there's ever been this many good young coaches." (John, 39:41)
• On Ohio State’s defensive prowess:
  • "Their defense looks better [than last year’s title team]. I don't know how that even happens." (Doug, 60:31)
  • "Short of an insane performance, Ohio State's going to win the national championship." (Doug, 62:54)

Timestamps of Key Segments

• [02:40]—Broncos-Chiefs analysis, Bo Nix's growth
• [09:29]—Inside the Broncos' turnaround and Nix's mental state
• [14:01]—Chiefs dynasty: scheduled to fade?
• [20:00]—Rams-Seahawks, Shula’s ‘ownership’ of Darnold
• [30:55]—Bears-Vikings & JJ McCarthy’s problematic development
• [36:42]—49ers resilience with injuries, McCaffrey & Kittle’s franchise value
• [43:28]—College football: NIL realities at Oregon and USC’s unique challenge
• [57:18]—Ohio State’s defense in historical context
• [62:54]—How to beat a generational defense in modern college football

Overall Tone and Takeaways

The episode mixes sharp, sometimes cutting analysis ("JJ McCarthy... train wreck," "you just can't keep doing it with these salary caps") with deep football nerdery and inside-baseball talk about what separates good teams and programs from great ones. There’s a healthy skepticism about overreacting to quarterback stats, a deep appreciation for chess-master coaches, and an acknowledgment that both NFL and college landscapes are being rapidly reshaped by economics, personalities, and NIL money.

This is the pod episode for listeners who want to know what’s really going on underneath the box scores—on the field, on the sidelines, and in the boardrooms.