The Herd with Colin Cowherd – Hour 1 Summary

Date: October 8, 2025
Podcast: The Herd with Colin Cowherd
Host: Colin Cowherd (with J-Mac)

Episode Overview

This episode of The Herd spotlights pivotal Major League Baseball playoff action—especially Aaron Judge’s signature moment for the Yankees—and questions the myth and value of players-only meetings in professional sports. Colin also examines the strengths of the Seattle Mariners and Yankees, discusses quarterback-receiver drama in Philadelphia, and dives into current NFL storylines, including the AFC North chaos, the Steelers’ resilience, issues with the Chiefs, and a surprising defense of Jared Goff’s Hall of Fame credentials.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Aaron Judge’s Defining Playoff Moment

(Starts ~06:10)

• The Yankees entered game three down 0–2, with their starting pitching outmatched by Toronto’s MLB-leading offense.
• Yankee starter Carlos Rodón, despite 18 regular season wins, was shelled again (“six runs, two and a third” [07:40]), continuing a trend: “Jays are batting .430 against the Yankee starters. I don’t think you can win a series like this. Forget the bullpens.”
• Aaron Judge’s pivotal at-bat: In the 4th, with two on and two strikes, Judge smacked a critical home run to tie the game.
• Judge, post-game:

  “You never know. I never had one like that right at the foul pole. You know, thankfully the ghost kind of took that one over and kept it fair for us.” — Aaron Judge ([09:53])

• The Yankees’ offense came alive (Jazz Chisholm also homered), and the bullpen delivered “6 1/3 scoreless” to finally steady the team.
• Colin: “Last night was about Aaron Judge having a signature moment.” ([09:13])

2. Players-Only Meetings – Do They Ever Work?

(Starts ~11:48)

• Colin is deeply skeptical of the effectiveness of players-only meetings, calling most of them “just lunch. If it lasts longer than that, you’re in trouble.”
• He points to the Eagles’ recent meeting among Saquon Barkley, AJ Brown, and Jalen Hurts—it lasted two hours.
• Colin:

  “My takeaway on this is Jalen Hurts is a great quarterback…but he’s going to struggle throughout his career with wide receivers because he’s not really that guy…they’re trying to change their offense to appease A.J. Brown. And you saw it last week…” ([13:00])

• He argues Philadelphia is targeting Brown so much that it’s disrupting their offensive rhythm:

  “In the last four weeks, AJ Brown…the star receiver, has as many targets, believe it or not, as Justin Jefferson.”

• Teams built around non-traditional quarterbacks (like Hurts) often face drama with star receivers, whereas “traditional” QBs (Brady, Manning, Mayfield) don’t.
• Concludes that Philadelphia’s issues are more about a “coaching crisis” and lack of offensive continuity than locker room divides.

3. Toronto Yankees Series & Momentum in Baseball

(17:50–20:20+)

• Toronto’s strategy (“bullpen game”) puts pressure on a shaky Yankees rotation.
• Colin questions whether momentum is real in baseball: “Momentum is only the next day’s starting pitcher.”
• The Blue Jays have pummeled Yankees pitching: “The Yankees starting pitching against the Blue Jays—the ERA is 16. Toronto’s hitting .439…and the Yankees have surrendered four home runs.”
• Series is unpredictable; judge’s moment could be a spark, but Toronto’s offense remains overpowering.

4. Seattle Mariners: Baseball’s “Quiet Contender”

(20:35–25:30)

• Mariners are one win from the ALCS despite having the 15th highest payroll.
• Key pieces:
  • Eugenio Suárez, acquired in a deadline bidding war, delivers power.
  • Cal Raleigh, home run–hitting catcher (“could be MVP”).
  • Bullpen anchored by elite closer Andrés Muñoz.
• Colin describes the Mariners as “a very young team with a bright future,” complete and balanced, unlike “uneven” big-spending teams like the Yankees.
• He highlights Seattle’s travel challenges as a reason major free agents avoid them.
• Quote:

  “But I’m not sure they’ve had a team this balanced—maybe ever.” ([24:32])

5. NFL Roundup & Analysis

a. AFC North and Steelers’ Luck

(Starts ~28:35)

• Headlines the Steelers are first in a decimated division as other QBs (Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson) are injured.
• Calls Steelers “not a great team…but they’re winning games,” attributing success to organizational culture and Mike Tomlin’s motivational style—but warns their strong starts fade due to lack of late-season schematic strength.

  “I do think over the course of a season that plays well early, but players tune it out late.” ([33:43])

b. Chicago Bears vs. Washington Commanders Preview

(~36:00)

• Revisits last year's infamous Bears-Commanders hail mary and discusses team outlooks for the matchup.
• Colin and J-Mac favor the Commanders, citing improved health and second-year QB Jaden Daniels.

c. Kansas City Chiefs’ Growing Pains

(~39:00+)

• Mahomes acknowledges,

  “We kind of crush ourselves with penalties and mistakes and interceptions and fumbles or whatever that is. … We’ve lost too many games already.” — Patrick Mahomes ([39:05])

• Colin points to the impact of paying a QB big money: requires youth/cheapness elsewhere, leading to miscues like special teams penalties.
• One-score games: “There’s a randomness,” but also a coaching edge to winning close games—Andy Reid’s prowess is cited.

6. Quarterback Development & Arch Manning Discourse

(52:00+)

• Colin reacts to a harsh media article on Texas’ QB Arch Manning:

  “Whoever wrote this story does not follow high school football recruiting. I would say 50% of the five-star quarterbacks … aren’t half as good as Arch Manning.”

• Explains it’s typical for highly-touted QBs to face challenges, need development, or transfer. Points to a long list of five-stars with “mixed results.”
• Quote:

  “If you think it’s hard for NFL teams to figure out what quarterbacks are good at 22–23, try doing it when they’re 17–18…Calling [Arch] a flop or a bust—you’re not watching high school football recruiting. It just happens constantly. It’s really, really hard.” ([56:50])

• Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian, on Arch Manning post-loss:

  “I found out he’s a tough dude… He stood in there and he showed a lot of contact courage, taking hits, delivering the ball.… He battled until the very end.” ([57:55])

7. Bonus: Jared Goff Hall of Fame Pitch

(Final 10 mins, ~63:00-end)

• Colin makes an impassioned (and controversial) case for Jared Goff as a future Hall of Famer:

  “Jared Goff’s gonna be a Hall of Famer. Absolutely going to be a Hall of Famer. No question. He plays in rhythm, he plays in structure, he got great genetics.… He’s like Kirk Cousins with a much better arm. He’s Matt Ryan with a much better arm.” ([64:45])

• Points to Goff’s durability, statistical production, and role in helping coordinators get head coaching jobs.
• “Style doesn’t matter [in football]. You can be a Hall of Famer and never win a playoff game, but in the NFL, you can’t. You gotta win playoff games.”

Notable Quotes

• Colin on Aaron Judge’s homer:

  “Last night was about Aaron Judge having a signature moment.” ([09:13])

• Aaron Judge postgame, on the fair/foul drama:

  “Thankfully the ghost kind of took that one over and kept it fair for us. That was a nice one.” ([09:53])

• Colin on players-only meetings:

  “Players only meetings are called lunch. If it lasts longer than that, you’re in trouble.” ([12:00])

• Jalen Hurts, on the Eagles team meeting:

  “That’s just us talking about the collective… talking about how we move forward as a team so we continue to find ways to win games. It’s really just teammates being teammates.” ([15:30])

• Colin on Arch Manning expectations:

  “Calling him a flop or a bust… you’re not watching high school football recruiting. It just happens constantly. It’s really, really hard.” ([56:50])

• Colin’s boldest take of the hour:

  “Jared Goff’s gonna be a Hall of Famer. Absolutely going to be a Hall of Famer. No question. … He’s elite, super accurate, no ego.” ([64:45])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Aaron Judge’s playoff moment: 06:10–11:30
• Players-only meetings skepticism: 11:48–16:50
• Yankees vs. Blue Jays, bullpen analysis: 17:50–20:20
• Seattle Mariners discussion: 20:35–25:30
• AFC North/Steelers analysis: 28:35–33:43
• Bears vs. Commanders preview: 36:00–39:00
• Kansas City Chiefs breakdown: 39:00–43:00
• Arch Manning & five-star QB reality: 52:00–59:30
• Jared Goff Hall of Fame argument: 63:00–end

Memorable Moments

• Aaron Judge’s clutch home run, “ghosts” of Yankee Stadium referenced.
• Colin’s takedown of the “players-only meeting” trope, poking fun at the NFL’s overreliance on intra-player drama.
• Surprise positivity for the low-payroll, balanced Mariners.
• Hot take: Jared Goff as a future Hall of Famer.

Conclusion

This episode delivers Colin’s signature blend of sharp sports analysis, humor, and bold takes. The first hour is anchored by playoff baseball drama and skepticism of conventional sports narratives (players-only meetings, five-star QB recruiting sure things). Listeners will walk away understanding not just the state of these sports stories, but the larger cultural and organizational forces at play behind them.

Recommended for: Fans of baseball and football looking for high-level perspective, sports hot takes, and Colin’s wit.