The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Hour 1: An End of an Era in Pittsburgh, Placing the Blame for Eagles Loss

Date: January 13, 2026
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts and The Volume

Episode Overview

In this episode, Colin Cowherd tackles two major NFL storylines:

• The Pittsburgh Steelers’ persistent mediocrity and the need for a franchise reset.
• Accountability for the Philadelphia Eagles’ offensive collapse, focusing on coaching and leadership more than the players.

Colin delivers strong opinions on league trends, coaching hierarchies, and the traits needed for organizational success, all while illustrating how teams like the Steelers and Eagles have either stagnated or self-sabotaged.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Stuck in a Mediocrity Loop

Main Points:

• Inept Playoff Performance:
  The Steelers’ offense was historically bad in their playoff loss, despite Houston giving them chances with turnovers.
• Over-investment in Defense:
  Pittsburgh’s obsession with defense and loyalty to tradition is holding them back, especially in today’s offense-first NFL.
• Lack of Future at QB and Offense:
  No young quarterback, an aging roster, and little urgency to change puts the franchise behind more progressive teams.

Key Insights & Quotes:

• “The truth, once the playoffs arrive, always reveals itself. You can't trust the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Pittsburgh Steelers are Sears department store.”
  — Colin Cowherd (00:45)

• “It's not just about not winning a playoff game for nine years. I went and looked at Mike Tomlin's last 13 playoff games. There's six blowout losses. In fact, in their last seven playoff games, they have not led for a single snap in the second half in any of them. The games aren't that competitive.”
  — Colin Cowherd (02:23)

• “They’ve become so consumed with stability, loyalty... And they've been become so consumed with stability, loyalty. Hey, at least we're not Cleveland. Yeah, but either are the Chiefs, the Rams or the Niners. And they take swings.”
  — Colin Cowherd (01:38)

• “I suggested, remember this couple of years ago...move T.J. Watt for two first round picks. Pittsburgh's like, nah, we're going to make him the highest paid non quarterback in the league. Few more injuries, T.J. Watt now. Oh, and five in playoff games. You're grabbing on to the wrong stuff, spending way too much money on defense.”
  — Colin Cowherd (04:22)

• “I'm not asking for anybody to be fired here. It's not my thing. ...Baltimore is flexible. Understands offense, spends on offense, drafts and develops. They're trying new stuff and new coordinators, new things. I never feel like Baltimore's outdated.”
  — Colin Cowherd (05:10)

Pittsburgh’s Mindset is Outdated:

• “The NFL is now smarter, shrewder and more offensive. The league isn't what it used to be, but the Steelers are.”
  — Colin Cowherd (07:11)

• “The last nine Super Bowl champs, nine for nine, have top 10 offenses. The Steelers once again this year, 26th on offense. ...Pittsburgh needs to cross one. It's. It's time to change the way you're doing business.”
  — Colin Cowherd (08:04)

Aaron Rodgers’ Postgame Comments
(Note: The transcript mistakenly interchanges Aaron Rodgers—the real Aaron Rodgers—with a Pittsburgh player. The comments attributed to "Aaron" appear to be from their actual quarterback. Contextually, the episode makes sense within Cowherd’s satirical or retrospective lens.)

• “Mike T's had more success and damn near anybody in the league, you know, from. For the last 19, 20 years. ...When you have the right guy and the culture is right, you don't think about making a change.”
  — “Aaron” (06:45)

Eagles’ Collapse: Who Deserves the Blame?

Main Points:

• Players or Coaches? Eagles legend Jason Kelce blamed the players for their playoff loss, but Colin believes the responsibility falls on management and coaching.
• Offensive Identity Crisis: The Eagles’ offense has lacked identity and direction all season, which Colin attributes to coaching changes and poor management.
• Risk Aversion Hurts Offense: Colin criticizes the coaching emphasis on “avoiding turnovers” at the expense of offensive creativity and risk-taking.

Key Quotes and Moments:

• “When a department in your company is in a death spiral, it's on management. ...These same expensive guys last year were crushing it because they had Kellen Moore who went to the Saints.”
  — Colin Cowherd (12:32)

• “My take on Philadelphia all year is what is the offense? I don't know. Half to half.”
  — Colin Cowherd (13:23)

• “Offense is about creativity, ingenuity and risk. You can't, you can't be paralyzed by ‘can't turn it over.’ ...The year Stafford won the Super Bowl, he led the NFL in picks and Peyton Manning ...led over seven years, the league in picks.”
  — Colin Cowherd (15:09)

• “With all that talent. That's not. Don't blame the employees. That's on management. A head coach is basically your CEO. The coordinators are department heads.”
  — Colin Cowherd (16:31)

Notable Timestamps – "Quick Hits"

• 00:45 – Colin’s opening criticism of Steelers’ offensive woes and playoff futility.
• 06:45 – Aaron (Steelers QB) defends Mike Tomlin; Colin juxtaposes Baltimore’s flexibility with Pittsburgh’s inertia.
• 08:04 – Colin’s argument that the NFL has moved on from defense-first, loyalty-at-all-costs models.
• 12:25 – Colin pushes back on blaming Eagles’ players, points at management (Kelce vs. Colin).
• 13:50 – Matt Hasselbeck on the Eagles’ offensive identity crisis.
• 14:21 – Colin underscores importance of a clear plan and accountability—attributes lacking in Philly.
• 15:09 – Critique of risk aversion; turnovers can be acceptable in pursuit of offensive productivity.
• 16:31 – Emphasis on leadership structure—the CEO (head coach) and department heads (coordinators).

NFL Trends: Young GMs, Coach Quality, and Organizational Aggression

• Colin highlights the league's shift to younger, more aggressive GMs who aren’t afraid to make bold moves (e.g., Howie Roseman, Les Snead). This approach sets apart franchises that remain contenders year after year.

Quarterbacks Under Scrutiny

• Brief commentary on C.J. Stroud’s struggles and Herbert’s tough game amid poor offensive line play (17:00–21:23).
• Colin defends both, noting that extending plays and taking risks are preferable to playing it overly safe.

Coaching Market & Openings

• Discussion of John Harbaugh reportedly being the Giants’ top target, with Atlanta and the Giants compared as possible destinations (22:16–26:36).
• Both teams have advantages, but the presence of a franchise quarterback (“Jackson Dart”) and the need for a culture change make the Giants job attractive.

Competitive Culture: Petty Helps

• Colin argues that “petty” competitive drive and rivalry building—exemplified by Ben Johnson’s anti-Packers rhetoric—are essential ingredients for successful teams (29:41–31:12).
• Historic and contemporary examples: Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Jim Harbaugh, Pete Carroll.

Herd Hierarchy Tease – It’s About the Coaches, Not the QBs

• 31:12–35:23
  Colin previews his take: This year’s NFL playoff field proves elite coaching is more valuable than elite quarterbacking.

  • “All eight of those coaches, by the way, if you combine their winning percentage, it's 61% higher than Bill Walsh.”
  • “Be very careful firing a guy who's the leading candidate in the coaching pool.”

• Matt Hasselbeck: “Josh Allen’s the MVP if we’re talking about pure value, not whose team had the best stats or record.” (35:23)

NBA Aside: Lakers’ Problems are Organizational, Not Coaching

• Colin breaks down the Lakers’ blowout loss and attributes their woes to outdated roster construction and an under-resourced front office rather than coaching (38:44–41:52).
• “Probably a bad sign when your best three point shooter is the coach. Unless J.J. Redick’s going to pull a late Bill Russell and go player-coach, they don’t have enough shooters.”
  — Colin Cowherd (39:35)

Conclusion

This episode is a classic Cowherd blend of big-picture trends and micro-level analysis:

• The Steelers need to brave a new direction, embracing offensive investment and quarterback urgency.
• The Eagles’ collapse reflects a coaching problem, not a player problem.
• Organizational risk-taking, great coaching, and cultural edge are the real secrets to winning in today’s NFL.

Notable Quotes

(with timestamps)

• “The NFL is now smarter, shrewder and more offensive. The league isn't what it used to be, but the Steelers are.”
  — Colin Cowherd (07:11)

• “With all that talent. That's not. Don't blame the employees. That's on management. A head coach is basically your CEO. The coordinators are department heads.”
  — Colin Cowherd (16:31)

• “All eight of those coaches, by the way, if you combine their winning percentage, it's 61% higher than Bill Walsh.”
  — Colin Cowherd (32:21)

• “So if it takes a little hate to get there. Whatever. Whatever it takes to galvanize.”
  — Colin Cowherd (30:42)

For more in the “Herd Hierarchy” and NFL playoff breakdowns, stay tuned for Hour 2.