The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Prime Cuts – “Cowboys A ‘Dak Injury’ Away From Disaster, Winning Season For Bears? LIV Tour’s Top Golfers”

Date: August 23, 2025
Host: Colin Cowherd
Guests: Football Analyst (Brian Schottenheimer), Professional Golfer (possibly Cameron Smith)

Episode Overview

This episode of "The Herd with Colin Cowherd" dives deep into three major topics:

• The precarious state of the Dallas Cowboys heading into the new season, analyzing their roster, coaching, and dependency on Dak Prescott.
• An in-depth, game-by-game prediction of the Chicago Bears 2025 season and what would constitute “success” for their rebuilding squad.
• A candid conversation with a top LIV Tour golfer about the current and future state of golf, the international growth of the game, and what it’s like to compete with the circuit’s most recognizable stars.

The conversations are candid, heavily opinionated, and anchored in Colin’s trademark blend of skepticism and insight.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Cowboys in Crisis: Coaching, Roster, and Reality

Cowboys' Season Outlook & Mike McCarthy Debate

• Colin expresses strong pessimism about Dallas, citing their declining roster, weak O-line, lack of standout running backs, and overreliance on Dak Prescott.
• Quote: “I think the Cowboys are going to shit the bed week one. I think it's going to be a disastrous season... It's going to be very Dak Prescott dependent, which is not good.” (02:00)
• However, he notes McCarthy's consistent 12-win seasons and wonders if McCarthy’s reputation is underappreciated or if he’s simply a placeholder for Jerry Jones’ ego-driven approach to hiring.

Ownership & The "Coaches Don't Matter" Philosophy

• The hosts argue that Jerry Jones does not respect the head coach role, often hiring men in positions where they feel indebted to him. They point to the lack of serious credentials among recent Dallas coaching hires.
• Quote (Colin): “The coaches. Jerry doesn't respect the coaching position, and which is really weird considering Jerry usually has a pretty good sense of valuations... it's just remarkable to me that in the most important sport for coaching, football, where the league has gotten much more sophisticated... Jerry's going the other way, which is coaches don't matter.” (06:20)
• The credibility gap for Brian Schottenheimer, now in a major head coaching role, is highlighted as a major organizational risk.
• Quote (Brian): “Brian Schottenheimer's his head coach. I'm not as down on the... Cowboys roster... but... if the coach is over his head, this is a sport where... it can get ugly and it can get ugly fast.” (08:06)

The “One Injury Away” Problem

• The consensus: Dallas is a “Dak injury” away from total collapse. The roster lacks depth at key positions, and an untested coach heightens collapse risk.

2. NFC East Dynamics and Giants Hype

• The Giants’ defensive line is lauded as being among the NFL’s best; they could overwhelm Dallas, particularly given Dallas’s O-line issues.
• Quote (Colin): “Say what you want about the Giants, that defensive line... I think the Giants D line could overwhelm the Cowboys... There are some teams in this league and the Giants are one of those teams. I actually think they're a quarterback away.” (09:18)
• Philadelphia and LA Rams also receive praise for their defensive units.

3. College Football Playoff Expansion

• Brief detour into college football: Colin reports rumors of a 24- or 28-team playoff. He supports more big games for TV but questions the value as smaller teams remain overmatched against “blue blood” programs.
• Quote (Colin): “Football is a sport of attrition. So the little guy has no chance in a 20 [to] 18 tournament to ever win, like, a third straight game against the bigger, deeper roster.” (12:48)
• Brian expresses worry about lower-tier teams making the field; blowouts are likely with deeper expansion.

4. Chicago Bears 2025 Season: Game-by-Game Predictions

Bears' Schedule Breakdown (15:00–18:50)

• Format: Colin lists each matchup; Brian quickly picks win/loss. Key insights into Chicago’s strengths, roadblocks, and NFC North adversaries.
• Highlights:
  • Split with Green Bay expected.
  • Likely losses versus Detroit (on the road), Ravens, Eagles, 49ers.
  • Wins predicted against Minnesota (home), Dallas (home), Saints, Bengals, Steelers, Browns, Lions (home).
  • Notable upset potential: Giants could surprise the Bears.

Will 9–8 Mean Success in Chicago?

• Colin and Brian agree that 9–8 (or even 8–9) is a real achievement for a rebuild after years of futility and a new coach/QB regime.
• Quote (Colin): “They're a 9 and 8 football team and they're out of the playoffs. And my question to you is, will you deem that a success at nine and eight... If Caleb looks like a top 12 quarterback... Do you think it's a successful season?” (18:02)
• Brian: “1,000%. They just fired the entire coaching staff. They drafted 10th overall. They, they have been losing for years straight. 9 and 8 in that division... That means you play important football the entire season. That is 1 million percent a win.” (18:51–19:10)
• Discussion continues around the difference, culturally and emotionally, between 8–9 and 9–8: one feels like progress, the other mediocrity.

5. International Growth of Golf & Insights from a LIV Pro

Guest: Top LIV Golfer, likely Cameron Smith (26:17–34:14)

Early Ambitions and U.S. Golf Scene

• Growing up, the U.S. PGA Tour was the goal due to concentration of top players and “the only option” for success.
• Quote: “Of course, that's where I wanted to be. But that... was because all the best players were playing there and it was really the only place you could play. Yeah. So absolutely. I wanted to... be in the US Play on the PGA Tour and, you know, be the best golfer I could be.” (26:17)

First Encounters with Golf Idols

• “Starstruck” by Jason Day during early PGA Tour events; illustrates the massive skill gap new pros feel on arrival.
• Quote: “He was probably the first guy that I spent a fair bit of time around and went, wow, this guy is so much better than me. I've got so much work to do.” (27:04)

Which Region Has the Brightest Future?

• Praises Asia as a region on the brink of a golf explosion: world-class courses, facilities, and eager young players.
• Quote: “I would say for sure, in the next... 10, 20 years, that's the place I'd look to... Where I think the most good golfers are going to come out of... but I think we'll see the biggest influx in Asia for sure.” (28:58)

Quickfire Descriptions: The Game’s Greats

• Jon Rahm: A “fighter” and “incredibly consistent... when you're in contention with him, it feels like you have to do everything perfect to beat him.” (30:07)

• Phil Mickelson: “A crazy golfer... He kind of hits it everywhere and, like, gets it done. He's definitely a, a momentum guy.” (31:15)

• Rory McIlroy: “[The] most impressive driver... I don't think anyone could ever be better than him off the tee again. He can be very dominant when he's on, I feel like he's very, very tough to beat.” (32:12)

• Bryson DeChambeau: “He can be intimidating again. He can get the driver going as well... Some... times he's, you know, 70, 80, 90 yards ahead of you and it's pretty demoralizing, to be honest.” (33:57)

• Confirms rumors that DeChambeau and Koepka have reconciled.

• Quote (Colin): “He looks like a football player, and he's got a crazy personality... Can you confirm that [Bryson and Brooks] now speak – they're okay?”

• Golfer: “Oh, yeah. Yeah, they're okay.” (33:13)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Cowboys’ existential risk:
  “What if Dak rolled an ankle? All of a sudden you're like, oh my God, here we go... If they're an injury or two away from being a disaster.” – Brian Schottenheimer (04:37)
• On the Bears and Caleb Williams:
  “If Ben Johnson and Caleb cut the sacks in half... But they're a 9 and 8 football team and Caleb looks like a top 12 quarterback, maybe number 12. Do you think it's a successful season?” – Colin (18:02)
  “1,000%. ...That is 1 million percent a win.” – Brian Schottenheimer (18:51)
• On golf’s future:
  “For sure, in the Next, you know, 10, 20 years, that's the place I'd look to... Asia... where I think the most good golfers are going to come out of.” – Cameron Smith (?) (29:15)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Cowboys Analysis & McCarthy Debate: 01:37–08:40
• Giants Defense & NFC East Talk: 09:18–12:15
• College Football Playoff Expansion: 12:15–14:57
• Bears Game-By-Game Predictions: 14:57–18:50
• Defining a Successful Bears Season: 18:02–20:55
• LIV Tour Golfer Interview Begins: 26:17
  • PGA Tour ambitions & Jason Day: 26:17–28:11
  • Future of Asian Golf: 28:58–29:53
  • Describing Jon Rahm, Phil Mickelson, Rory, Bryson: 30:07–33:57

Summary Table: Bears 2025 Predicted Record

| Week | Opponent | Prediction | |--------------|-------------------------|------------| | 1 | Vikings | Win | | 2 | @ Lions | Loss | | 3 | Cowboys | Win | | 4 | @ Raiders | Win | | 5 | @ Commanders | Loss | | 6 | Saints | Win | | 7 | @ Ravens | Loss | | 8 | @ Bengals | Win | | 9 | Giants | Loss | | 10 | @ Vikings | Loss | | 11 | Steelers | Win | | 12 | @ Eagles | Loss | | 13 | @ Packers | Loss | | 14 | Browns | Win | | 15 | Packers | Win | | 16 | @ 49ers | Loss | | 17 | Lions | Win |

Predicted Season: 8–9 or 9–8, just out of playoff contention.

Tone and Flow

The episode carries a typically candid, conversational, and occasionally irreverent tone familiar to Cowherd’s audience. It weaves between serious analysis, speculative debate, and relaxed story-sharing, particularly in the LIV golfer segment. Colin’s skeptical outlook on Dallas and his pragmatic optimism about the Bears contrast with his guest’s occasionally more measured takes.

Conclusion

Whether dissecting the Cowboys' precarious fate, speculating about the Bears’ future, or celebrating golf’s international stars, this episode is packed with sharp insights, honest assessments, and a few memorable laughs. Even for non-listeners, this summary captures the essential arguments, judgments, and colorful moments that make "The Herd with Colin Cowherd" a must for sports fans craving more than just box scores.