The Herd with Colin Cowherd – Hour 1 Summary

Episode Date: December 29, 2025
Main Theme:
Colin breaks down the thrilling Bears vs. Niners game, discusses the state of the Chicago Bears and their defense, analyzes Brock Purdy’s rise in San Francisco, assesses Aaron Glenn’s struggles as Jets head coach, and covers major NFL storylines from the weekend, including quarterbacks’ performance and coaching job security.

1. Bears vs. Niners: Game of the Year

(Timestamp: 03:00 – 09:00)

• Opening Thoughts:

  • Colin calls the Bears vs. 49ers matchup “the best NFL game of the year—A+++" and one of the highest levels of football seen late in the season.
  • Both teams showcased elite play-calling: Ben Johnson (Bears), Kyle Shanahan (49ers).
  • “900 yards of offense. Both were great on third down, great in the red zone. Efficient, smart play calling, young quarterbacks being the beneficiary.” (Colin, 03:54)

• Brock Purdy’s Performance:

  • Played without star starters (Kittle, Trent Williams, Aiyuk). Despite missing weapons, he attacked the Bears relentlessly with poise and mobility.
  • “Last night he was the driver of the offense. I thought he was fantastic.” (Colin, 06:03)
  • Colin compares Purdy’s recent play to the MVP-level Matt Ryan season for Shanahan, saying, “This is the best quarterback play in the last month that Kyle Shanahan’s ever received.”
  • Addresses Purdy’s pick-six: “Brady threw pick-sixes in Super Bowls he’s won… You can win a Super Bowl with this quarterback play.” (Colin, 05:11)
  • Quote (Shanahan): “Brock had a hell of a game… made some huge plays in this game… was an assassin out there throughout the whole day.” (08:07)

• San Francisco’s Resilience:

  • Missing All-Pro talent but still racked up 42 points.
  • “You don’t have Kittle, you don’t have Trent Williams. You’re dropping 42 points. That’s pretty impressive.” (Colin, 07:45)

2. Bears’ Takeaways: Rising Offense, Passive Defense

(Timestamp: 09:15 – 13:55)

• Caleb Williams’ Growth:

  • Colin lauds Caleb’s “excellent” play: “No sacks, no picks. Ben Johnson’s play calling—outstanding. What’s new?” (Colin, 11:42)
  • Improved third and fourth down execution; not taking negative sacks in back-to-back games.
  • “Caleb’s fine… Coachable, loves his coach. The offense for the Bears is stacked. It is going to be a handful against every team they play.” (Colin, 12:56)

• Defensive Concerns:

  • “My only issue with the Bears is—San Francisco’s defense isn’t good… Chicago’s got some high-end defensive players. What were they doing?” (10:35)
  • Bears’ defense “felt very passive”—Purdy had the second-most time to throw in his career.
  • “In Chicago’s five losses, they are surrendering 35 points a game. That’s worse than Cincinnati and they’ve got better defensive talent than Cincinnati.” (Colin, 11:20)
  • Bears’ priorities in the draft are now clear: linebackers and an edge rusher.

• Big Picture:

  • Despite the loss, “If I’d have told you you were going to lose last night but it was going to be a wild shootout and you would have the ball at the two yard line—you would take that loss over any loss this year.” (Colin, 13:28)
  • “I’m not sure anybody right now is beating the Niners in the Bay. This offense just is crazy good.” (13:37)

3. Odds Talk & Quick Preview: Seahawks at Niners

(Timestamp: 13:59 – 15:55)

• Vegas Line Move:

  • Jason McIntyre and Colin guess the line for Seattle at San Francisco.
  • Jason: “Seattle is favored in San Francisco by one… the line has flipped.” (14:17)
  • Colin: “When Brock is comfortable, forget it… Seattle’s going to speed up everything.” (14:29)
  • “The sharp money—all on Seattle.” (Jason, 15:54)

• Key Point:

  • Potential impact of Trent Williams’ injury and Seattle’s stronger pass rush.
  • Brock Purdy’s tendencies when rushed: can get aggressive/reckless when “speed up the game.”

4. Around the NFL: Key Takeaways

Bills vs. Eagles – 20:20 onward
(Selected timestamp: 20:20 – 25:15)

• Buffalo Falling Short:
  • Colin supports the decision to go for two: “Superstar quarterback, momentum, great play-calling—I have no problem with it.” (20:21)
  • “More disturbing to me… you were being shut out at home with Josh Allen with six minutes left.” (20:37)
  • Puzzles over Philly’s inconsistent halves—“only team in the league that can have these stinkeroo halves and win all those games… speaks organizationally to how well they draft and accumulate talent.” (23:14)

5. Coaching Spotlight: Aaron Glenn and the Jets’ Struggles

(Timestamp: 42:51 – 47:02)

• Head Coach Challenges:

  • Colin’s coaching philosophy: “You can see great or awful very quickly. I don’t think you need years to see.” (42:51)
  • Aaron Glenn’s Jets defense: 34 TDs allowed, zero interceptions—“How can you not have an interception on the season?” (47:02)
  • “You gotta get your side of the ball right. They have one of the worst pass rushes in the league… He cannot get his side of the ball right. He's not a head coach.” (44:02)
  • On Glenn’s postgame: “Somebody got in his ear that’s close to him and said… if it’s effort, you’ll get fired.” (47:02)

• Comparison to Dan Campbell and Jim Harbaugh:

  • Even in Campbell’s losing first year, Detroit was “relentless, aggressive… you could see the tone, the culture.” (44:58)
  • With Glenn, “What are the Jets hanging their hat on?”

6. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Brock Purdy’s Progression:

  • “He’s not just stabilizing, he’s elevating… this is the healthiest, best Brock Purdy we’ve ever seen.” (06:50)

• On Caleb Williams:

  • “He’s coachable. I think he loves his coach. And I think Ben Johnson… they didn’t play great offense early… but overall, I think if you’re a Chicago Bear fan… that offense for the Bears is stacked.” (12:49)

• On Coaching Hires:

  • “You don’t need years. You watch all those music shows, you can tell in 15 seconds—you hear a couple lyrics, a little melody, you’re like, yeah, that’s not hireable.” (42:55)

7. Additional NFL Storylines

(Selected across timestamps 25:30 – 41:45)

• Malik Willis’ Rebirth:

  • Shines for Green Bay after struggling in Tennessee; Colin warns context matters, “If you put Brock Purdy in Pittsburgh, he would [not] look like this…” (26:34)
  • Landing spots and coaching are “overwhelmingly” decisive for young QBs’ success. (27:47)

• Texans, Chargers, Patriots, Colts:

  • Houston’s elite defense especially on the road (30:48).
  • Justin Herbert still “the best quarterback on the field” even as Chargers likely underdogs in playoff opener.
  • Philip Rivers’ Colts cameo ends; questions ahead for Indianapolis front office after missing playoffs (32:06 – 34:01).

• Cleveland Browns & Pittsburgh Steelers:

  • Colin marvels at Cleveland’s turnaround, but slams Pittsburgh’s seven seasons with a bottom-10 offense, asking “Who is [Aaron Rodgers] supposed to throw to?” (34:01 – 38:23)

8. Quick Hits & College Football

• Marcus Freeman Rumors:
  • Notre Dame coach shuts down Giants rumors—Colin argues Notre Dame is a top-tier job with unique advantages and better long-term security than NFL gigs (47:48 – ~52:50).

Episode Takeaways

• The Bears–Niners game showcased two ascending quarterbacks and top-level coaching, but also exposed the Bears’ soft defense and raised questions about Ben Johnson’s defensive staff.
• Colin believes Brock Purdy has moved from “passenger to driver” for the Niners offense and could win a Super Bowl at this level.
• Coaching matters more than ever: whether it’s Aaron Glenn’s shortcomings, context for Malik Willis, or positional fits throughout the league.
• Young quarterbacks thrive—or fail—based on system, coaching, and support, not just raw talent.
• No patience for prolonged head coaching experiments if the basics (like defense or culture) aren’t immediately visible.
• The episode maintains Colin’s sharp, conversational, and sometimes provocative tone.

For newcomers:
This episode is a strong mix of tactical football analysis, rapid-fire NFL news, and insider perspectives on coaching and young quarterback development. Colin’s takes are direct, supported by stats and anecdotes, and always willing to challenge the conventional wisdom.