The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Prime Cuts – NFL Wild Card Round Preview, Top NFL Head Coaches, Lamar Jackson’s Decline

Date: January 10, 2026
Podcast: The Herd with Colin Cowherd (iHeartPodcasts and The Volume)

Episode Overview

This fast-paced episode of The Colin Cowherd Podcast focuses on the coming NFL Wild Card round, the hottest coaches in pro football, and a deeper dive into the current and future state of Lamar Jackson. With plenty of spirited debate and in-depth breakdowns, Colin and his guests (notably Danny Parkins, with analysis from other NFL analysts) mix big-picture NFL trends with sharp, game-specific observations.

NFL Wild Card Round Preview

AFC Playoff Picture

• Buffalo Bills at Jacksonville Jaguars

  • Jacksonville as Underdog
    • Colin expresses surprise that the Jaguars are home underdogs despite winning eight straight and having great momentum.
    • "For them to be at home as an underdog to me feels incredibly disrespectful." – Colin (01:18)
    • Consensus: Both Colin and guest (John) like the Jaguars, with strong home performance and Trevor Lawrence’s steady play as reasons.

• Houston Texans Watch

  • High praise for Texans: Defensive-minded coaching with DeMeco Ryans and DB play. C.J. Stroud’s playoff poise.
  • “The one team I would not want to play is the Texans… if they win that game, they are like the Jags. I mean you could argue two teams that are going to surprise nobody if they're sitting in there in the AFC with a chance to win the conference is the Jags and the Texans.” – John (06:03)

• Denver and Home-Field Advantage

  • Discussion on whether a "bye" week is actually good for young, athletic teams like Denver and Seattle.
  • Weather and altitude in Denver cited as a legitimate X factor: “Denver clearly is one. The altitude and the crowd is just elite.” – John (08:45)
  • Concerns over Bo Nix’s confidence, with praise for Drake May’s "swag" by John (10:15).

NFC Playoff Picture

• Rams at Panthers

  • Concerns over Rams’ slow starts and dependency on non-mobile quarterbacks like Stafford.
  • “You see it with Goff, you see it with Kirk Cousins, and you see it With Stafford, when you do not have a mobile quarterback... you can't roll the pocket.” – Colin (13:25)
  • Injuries, particularly to Devonte, affect their offensive potency.

• 49ers at Eagles

  • Key injuries for the Niners (Ricky Pearsall, Trent Williams) could swing the tight contest.
  • Colin points to Philly’s ability to pressure Brock Purdy and the Niners’ struggles against elite defenses.
  • John describes the Niners as a team that “proved they're like an NBA team that wants to play in the 120s or 130s… and their defense is really, really bad.” – John (19:08)
  • Both agree that Philadelphia has more talent, but there are trust issues with the Eagles.

• Bears vs. Packers

  • Chicago seen as surprisingly built for bad weather: strong run game, O-line, star rookie QB Caleb Williams.
  • “The lousy weather benefits the Bears because they have one of the best run games. The packers run game isn't as good.” – Colin (28:28)
  • Danny Parkins, as a Chicagoan, gives a fan’s perspective: “I have not been this excited to go to an NFL game since I was like a child... I'm so excited for this game. I had to be there.” (33:11)
  • Guests agree: Bears are favorites, but Packers are a "live dog" given history.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Jacksonville as AFC Threat:
  • “If they are able to slay that dragon, I could see the Jags win the AFC for sure.” – John (03:49)
• Concerns over Non-mobile QBs:
  • “When you have golf, when you have Stafford, when you have cousins, if the play that's designed doesn't work, it can get sideways. It can be an ugly loss.” – Colin (13:25)
• Chicago Weather Philosophy:
  • “He built this team to play in crappy weather. This is an excellent crappy weather team. For the record, so is Philadelphia.” – Colin (34:05)
• Fan Perspective:
  • “I've never seen the Bears have a better quarterback than the packers my whole life. So the idea that like this game could be like the beginning of the rivalry being real… I'm so excited for this game.” – Danny Parkins (32:50)
• Lamar Jackson’s Future:
  • “Athletic quarterbacks age faster. That's not disputable... Old guys, Aaron, Stafford, Brady, don't. You can play into your four.” – Colin (41:52)
  • “He doesn't just drop back and pass it like Matt Stafford and he never will. And so as that athleticism wanes, how much is his passing efficiency going to wane? And my guess is a significant amount.” – Danny (42:16)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• AFC Wild Card Breakdown (Chargers, Bills, Jags, Texans): 00:50–08:45
• NFC Wild Card & Coaching Analysis (Rams, Panthers, Eagles, Niners, Bears, Packers): 10:34–34:05
• Chicago’s Home Field, Fan Experience: 28:28–33:35
• Discussion on Weather-Built Teams and Organizational Building: 33:35–36:19
• Lamar Jackson and John Harbaugh Situation: 39:05–46:10
• Ranking Top NFL Head Coaches: 46:10–54:50

Deep Dive: Lamar Jackson & the Ravens’ Future

• Lamar’s Longevity and Playstyle

  • Colin questions Lamar’s trajectory, suggesting he’s less slippery and more “tackleable” than a few years ago.
  • Danny Parkins: “I would not want to be tied to Lamar for his 30s. But... you'd be thrilled [with] age 29, 30, 31, 32 seasons.” (41:54–42:15)
  • Both agree Baltimore is still a top-tier job, but the HC hire needs to mesh with an aging dual-threat QB.

• Harbaugh Departure Take

  • John Harbaugh’s long tenure means the locker room and operations will need recalibrating for whoever comes next.
  • “They need somebody that works with Lamar as he ages.” – Colin (46:10)

Head Coach Rankings (excluding Andy Reid)

Colin and Danny’s Joint Exploration:

1. Sean McVay
2. Jim Harbaugh or Kyle Shanahan (debated order)
3. Shanahan or Harbaugh
4. Sean Payton
5. Mike Vrabel
6. Mike McDonald (noted as a defensive genius)
7. Ben Johnson (rising fast in reputation)
8. DeMeco Ryans
9. Mike Tomlin (noted for sustained excellence)

• Interesting debates on why Shanahan lacks second-half comebacks and why Vrabel gets so much credit.
• “We reached the point of the list where you're going to at least get me to start making some arguments for my guy [Ben Johnson].” – Danny (49:08)
• Discussion of surging coordinators like Liam Cohen and how rising stars impact franchise trajectories.

Overall Takeaways & Tone

• The tone is energetic, opinionated, and playful, mixing sharp football analysis with conversational tangents (especially in coach rankings and fan experiences).
• Both established and up-and-coming teams can go deep into the playoffs, especially those built to win in adverse conditions.
• Coaching remains a separator, with offensive minds trending up but defensive wizards (McDonald, Ryans) drawing new attention.
• Quarterback play — particularly the value and aging arc of dual-threats like Lamar — remains a key theme.

For Listeners in a Hurry

• Jacksonville and Chicago are the “best bets” for Wild Card upsets due to home-field and physical advantages.
• Don’t underestimate Houston as a wild card with dangerous defensive schemes and playoff-ready mentality.
• Lamar Jackson’s best years may be closing, with Baltimore’s coaching hire needing to balance culture and maximizing a dual-threat QB.
• Coaching landscape is deeper than ever, with stars on both sides of the ball and a fascinating debate over who sits atop the league.

End of Summary