The Herd with Colin Cowherd — January 19, 2026

Episode: Colin Cowherd Podcast - Reaction to Rams-Bears, Texans-Patriots, Bills-Broncos & 49ers-Seahawks

Episode Overview

Colin Cowherd is joined by John Middlekauff to break down a packed divisional playoff weekend in the NFL. The show dives deep into four marquee matchups—Rams-Bears, Texans-Patriots, Bills-Broncos, and 49ers-Seahawks—bringing sharp analysis, measured hot takes, and future-facing insights about coaching, rosters, quarterbacks, and franchise trajectories. The episode is a fast-paced journey through key games, pivotal moments, and big-picture implications, all in Cowherd’s signature, opinion-driven style, with Middlekauff’s scouting nuance.

Game-by-Game Analysis & Key Discussion Points

1. Rams 20, Bears 17 (OT): Grit, Clean Football, and Quarterback Evolution

Timestamps: 02:55 – 20:26

Discussion Highlights:

• Rams “Organizational Win” in Adverse Weather

  • The Rams, a team based in sunny L.A., had to practice indoors and still went into 7-degree weather and played almost mistake-free football.
  • “There’s no way to prep when you practice in Los Angeles…Sean McVay was asked, ‘I don’t control the weather here. I can’t press a button and have us practice outside...’” —John Middlekauff (04:21)

• Caleb Williams’ Growth, Limitations of Chicago’s Scheme

  • Colin and John agree that while Caleb Williams threw picks, he made throws only a handful of NFL QBs could execute (“outside of Josh Allen, I can’t think of any current player that could make that throw.” —Colin, 06:32).
  • Criticism of Ben Johnson (Bears OC) for not utilizing Caleb’s legs enough: “Why not run a quarterback power for Caleb or at least get him on the move? He’s the best ad libber right now in the league.” —John Middlekauff (08:21)

• Rams' Clean Execution, Staff and Roster Construction

  • The Rams had only one penalty, no turnovers, and no dropped passes (02:55–06:21).
  • “They just don’t get penalized. …It’s not…rigged stuff, I always laugh because the Devonte [Adams play], I was sitting there watching on the couch, I’m like, ‘You can’t take that catch away from him.’” —Colin Cowherd (10:04).

• Chicago’s Defensive Improvement and Future Outlook

  • The Bears, after historically shaky years, now have an enviable offensive personnel and clear path to draft defensive help.
  • “The Bears don’t need a single offensive player…they could take every draft pick and just go, ‘Hey, defensive end, let’s get a younger safety, corner, edge rusher.’” —Colin Cowherd (17:46)

Notable Quotes / Memorable Moments:

• “Caleb's got the picks, and so you would look at the night and go, oh, what a bad night for Caleb. But beyond that one throw he made to send it into overtime…outside of Josh Allen, I can't think of any current player that could make that throw.” —Colin Cowherd (06:21)
• “Stafford, when he has time, is hitting layups with his eyes closed.” —John Middlekauff (09:23)

2. New England Patriots 28, Houston Texans 16: Culture Reset in Foxboro

Timestamps: 25:15 – 36:07

Discussion Highlights:

• Patriots’ Rebuild and Coaching Shift Yields Immediate Results

  • Mike Vrabel and Josh McDaniels credited for instilling toughness, player development (Bourdet, Drake May).
  • “When you go from a coach who's really not a coach to Mike Vrabel and Josh McDaniels. My take is that's three wins.” —Colin Cowherd (25:29)

• Houston’s C.J. Stroud Falters in the Weather

  • Cold weather and fumble issues derailed Stroud; compared to “touch passers” like Jared Goff (33:15). Houston’s offense undone by mistakes.
  • “There was at one point early in the third quarter there were eight turnovers. I text [a] couple people...Is this a good game or a bad game? Because I'm entertained but I don't know.” —John Middlekauff (29:48)

• Will Anderson and Defensive Dominance

  • Will Anderson’s disruptive play a rare bright spot for Houston: “He's the second best edge rusher in the last seven, eight years...just unblockable.” —Colin Cowherd (27:55)

• Coaching and Quarterback Extensions

  • Debate over when to extend Stroud: “You can't pay because the going rate...guys like CJ Stroud, hang up on that. So they start at like 150, 160. …I think he's playing out next year…” —John Middlekauff (35:20)

Notable Quotes / Memorable Moments:

• “There's a grit and toughness that reminded me of the Patriot teams of the 20-year dynasty. Just the way it looked. Unfazed by anything that happened.” —John Middlekauff (28:32)
• “CJ Stroud...he's a touch passer...it doesn't really work [in the cold].” —John Middlekauff (33:15)

3. Denver Broncos 33, Buffalo Bills 30 (OT): Controversy, Roster Reality, and Franchise Philosophy

Timestamps: 36:07 – 47:57

Discussion Highlights:

• The Game-Defining Fumble/Catch Controversy

  • Cowherd describes how replay increased confusion on the final play: “Slow motion usually creates clarity. I would argue this is one of the rare instances slow motion created confusion...” (36:07–37:30)
  • Middlekauff: “By the letter of the law, they got it right...It felt very rushed.” (37:30)

• Bills’ Roster Limitations & Coaching Debate

  • “They have three elite players, all on offense...Josh Allen’s best teammate, James Cook, led running backs in fumbles. That’s his best teammate.” —Colin Cowherd (38:47)
  • Debating if McDermott or the GM is most at fault for wasted Allen years, with both expressing the need for a more aggressive front office.

• Bo Nix Shines, Denver’s Rebuild Philosophy

  • “Lost in all of this is that Bo Nix was 2 for 2 on two, big deep ball, home run, touchdown throws. …Bonix was more efficient.” —Colin Cowherd (44:16)
  • “If you make a mistake [at QB], move off it quickly… New England in, I believe a rebuild year, is going to make the AFC championship.” —Colin Cowherd (45:56)

Notable Quotes / Memorable Moments:

• “We were getting into a weird space, John, where it felt like Mahomes, Allen, Lamar, like you were getting into a space where it felt like you had to have a superstar quarterback to get in. The takeaway now is no, get a young, talented quarterback, Caleb Williams...stafford’s now the only expensive guy left.” —Colin Cowherd (47:18)
• “When you pay a lot of money for these quarterbacks...Denver and Kansas City just have less wiggle room to make moves” —John Middlekauff (48:44)

4. Seattle Seahawks 41, San Francisco 49ers 6: Defensive Masterclass

Timestamps: 53:23 – 60:59

Discussion Highlights:

• Defensive Blueprint, Personnel Home Runs

  • Seattle held a Shanahan team under 7 points for only the fourth time in 163 games—and two of those came at the Seahawks’ hands (53:23).
  • “Seattle’s got great special teams...I don’t see a hole in Seattle, do you?” —Colin Cowherd (54:21)

• Historical Comparison: 2019 49ers

  • John compares this Seahawks squad to Shanahan/Sala’s 2019 Niners, dominant run game, elite defense, limited-pass demand on the QB.

• Roster Construction: Aggressive, Not Rebuilding

  • John Schneider (GM) praised for building through mid-round picks: “Seattle never bottomed out…he just got impact Pro Bowl guys with those couple picks.” —John Middlekauff (58:45)

• Outlook for Sam Darnold and System QBs

  • “If Sam Darnold, which, let’s face it, he led the league in turnovers during the season...If they can play in games where they’re not even throwing it 20 times a game, they might blow out the next two teams they play.” —John Middlekauff (59:37)

Notable Quotes / Memorable Moments:

• “Their quarterback completed 12 passes for 120 yards…as long as you don’t turn the ball over, they’re going to win the Super Bowl. If their defense is going to play like that, they’re going to win the Super Bowl.” —John Middlekauff (54:37)
• “Seattle’s the opposite [of the Steelers]. They hit on their draft picks. It’s young, cheap, flexible, and allows them to, you know, go out and get Rashid Saheed and…probably the best special teams left in the playoffs.” —Colin Cowherd (57:06)

Coaching Carousel & Franchise Futures

Timestamps: 60:59 – 73:26

• NY Giants Hire John Harbaugh: Perfect Fit?

  • “They don’t need a schematic guy…they need a culture changer. …Harbaugh, to me, is what they needed. Successful culture builder. Good staff builder.” —Colin Cowherd (63:23)

• The Importance of Power Structure

  • John & Colin discuss the risk of coaches having excess personnel power (“be very careful…sometimes they…do something that maybe he would regret in two years that he didn’t have to do in Baltimore…” —John Middlekauff, 67:51)

• NFC East & AFC North Realignment: Coaches’ Impact

  • NFC East could become “the Harbaugh division.” Steelers at risk of being left behind in an arms race for head coaches.

• Prediction: Mike Tomlin to Commanders?

  • “I think what you can see with Washington come from a mile away is Mike Tomlin…” —John Middlekauff (70:38)

Key Overarching Themes and Insights

• Rosters, Not Just QBs, Win in the Playoffs. The most successful teams aren’t just about star QBs—they’re deep, mistake-free, and “win at the margins.”
• Aggressive GMs Matter. Repeated criticism for Buffalo’s management, praise for John Schneider (Seattle), Les Snead (Rams), Howie Roseman (Eagles).
• Coaching Trees and Staffs Shape Franchises. Consistent note about how defensive-minded or culture-first head coaches (Vrabel, Harbaugh) can reset organizations, if the power balance with GMs is right.
• Quarterback Evolution. Modern young QBs (Caleb Williams, C.J. Stroud, Bo Nix) have game-changing tools but must be used correctly within flexible, adaptive schemes.
• Weather as the Great Equalizer. Games in freezing temperatures truly test physicality and discipline, often favoring teams with a “Patriot-like” old-school DNA.

Notable Quotes (with Timestamps and Attribution)

• "Caleb's got the picks, and so you would look at the night and go, oh, what a bad night for Caleb. But beyond that one throw he made to send it into overtime…outside of Josh Allen, I can't think of any current player that could make that throw."

  • Colin Cowherd (06:21)

• "Stafford, when he has time, is hitting layups with his eyes closed."

  • John Middlekauff (09:23)

• "Slow motion usually creates clarity. I would argue this is one of the rare instances slow motion created confusion..."

  • Colin Cowherd (36:07)

• "Their quarterback completed 12 passes for 120 yards…as long as you don’t turn the ball over, they’re going to win the Super Bowl."

  • John Middlekauff (54:37)

• "Seattle’s the opposite [of the Steelers]. They hit on their draft picks. It’s young, cheap, flexible, and allows them to...probably the best special teams left in the playoffs.”

  • Colin Cowherd (57:06)

• "They don’t need a schematic guy…they need a culture changer. …Harbaugh, to me, is what they needed."

  • Colin Cowherd (63:23)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Rams-Bears Deep Dive: 02:55 – 20:26
• Patriots-Texans Analysis: 25:15 – 36:07
• Broncos-Bills Drama: 36:07 – 47:57
• Seahawks-49ers Recap: 53:23 – 60:59
• Coaching Carousel / Franchise Futures: 60:59 – 73:26

This summary captures the sharp, engaging style of the episode while highlighting the standout moments, strategic insights, and quotable lines for listeners who want the essence of The Herd’s playoff week reaction.