THE HERD - Hour 1 - Another great win for the Broncos, Bo Nix is an elite QB, it's time for the Chiefs to rebuild

Summary

---

The Herd with Colin Cowherd — Hour 1: Dec. 15, 2025

"Another great win for the Broncos, Bo Nix is an elite QB, it's time for the Chiefs to rebuild"

---

Episode Overview

In this packed Monday episode, Colin Cowherd dives headfirst into a wild NFL weekend, spotlighting the Denver Broncos’ improbable surge, the emergence of Bo Nix as a top-tier quarterback, and why the Kansas City Chiefs’ dynasty may be at a crossroads. Colin analyzes huge injuries, surging teams like the Bears, the challenges facing perennial contenders such as Dallas, and the subtle excellence of the Rams and 49ers. The episode is layered with incisive quarterback takes, coaching insights, and pointed analogies, all buoyed by Colin’s trademark candor and wit.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Denver Broncos & Bo Nix’s Emergence

[03:30–08:00]

• Stop Doubting the Broncos:
  Colin opens asserting Denver and Chicago have been written off too long. The Broncos, he says, "don't have the right feel or look," but are proving critics wrong through grit and consistent late-game heroics.

• Bo Nix’s Breakout Performance:
  Nix, quarterbacking against an elite Green Bay defense, was brilliant — athletic, clever, and “never gets sacked.” Sean Payton, Denver’s coach, has been touting Nix to Colin as a star for years:

  “Sean Payton has been texting me for two years. I got myself a star.” — Colin Cowherd, [04:20]

  • Statistics & Context:

    • Only QB in two years to throw four TDs to four different receivers against Green Bay.
    • 8-for-12 on fourth down, top-five in wins and TDs.
    • Has as many game-winning drives as half Denver’s victories.
    • Outplayed elite defensive coordinators this season.

  • Comparisons:

    • "He reminds me of a right-handed Steve Young. Way, way more athletic than anybody gives him credit for." — Colin Cowherd, [05:30]
    • Addresses skepticism: "I don't know what he needs to do to impress people." — [05:54]

  • Coach’s Take: Payton lauded Nix’s love of the game, calling his energy “contagious.” [07:52]

---

2. Kansas City Chiefs: Time to Rebuild?

[09:00–15:00]

• Declining Fortunes:
  Devastated by a Patrick Mahomes ACL tear, Kansas City’s broader issues are evident even without injuries. Colin spells out a familiar trajectory for dynasties—roster aging, bottom-of-round draft picks, and struggling to find new stars.

  "They have had a ton of success, but they're struggling to develop new characters... Small Hulk isn't working quite like they thought.” — Colin Cowherd, [10:45]

  • Aging Core:
    Travis Kelce’s "eight, nine surgeries in, and he's got one foot out the retirement door." — [11:01]

  • Personnel Holes:

    • Too many key players aging or hurt.
    • Team is already over the salary cap for next year.
    • Rebuilding, not just retooling, is necessary.

  • Reality Check:
    Chiefs are only 16th in scoring over the past few years despite Mahomes' brilliance, revealing how much elite coaching and quarterbacking masked bigger roster problems. [12:55]

  • Co-host JMac questions Andy Reid’s appetite for a rebuild:
    “Does he want to stick around for a long rebuild? They’ve got like half the roster probably getting turned over.” — [14:18]

---

3. Chicago Bears’ Arrival

[20:26–24:50]

• Changing the NFC Narrative:
  The Bears, led by Caleb Williams, “check too many boxes not to be a team capable of getting to a conference championship."

  • Strengths:

    • Great in cold weather.
    • Consistently win the turnover battle.
    • Balanced, dynamic offense (their 1st top-5 offense since 1977).
    • Ben Johnson hailed as the best new HC hire since Sean McVay.

  • Colin's Take:

    • “They're not terrible anywhere.” — [21:03]
    • “They rebuilt the interior of the O-line. That's what Chicago did. Impressive.” — [22:57]

  • Coach’s Mindset:
    Postgame, the locker room was focused on not being satisfied with 10 wins:

    “We're on to the next one. 10's great, but it's not enough.” — Bears’ coach, [23:49]

---

4. Around the League: Eagles, Rams, Lions, and 49ers

[25:08–33:32]

Philadelphia Eagles: Jalen Hurts’ Bounce Back

• LB Nakobe Dean:

  “I wouldn't want another quarterback... he can't do no wrong in my eyes.” — [25:38]

• Colin: “I almost look at Raider games as they don't count… but they're easily the most talented team in their division.” — [25:51]
• Eagles expected to grab the 3 seed, viewed as a strong NFC contender.

Rams Outgun the Lions

• Colin: “Rams will make a lot of defenses look like this… they’re stacked.” — [28:22]
• Dan Campbell, Lions head coach, after a blown lead:

  “Do not go numb to the losing... now you have firsthand knowledge of what the top of the NFC looks like. That’s them. We’re not there right now.” — [27:49]

49ers and Brock Purdy Quietly Dominate

• Colin (on Niners' coaching): “Coaching staff of the year in the NFL.” — [31:09]
• On Purdy:

  “He is second in NFL history in passer rating, second in NFL history in yards per attempt, and fourth in NFL history in completion percent [through first 50 starts].” — [33:18]

• Concerns persist about their run defense, but their offense can keep them in games.

---

5. Quarterback Mastery & Aging Veterans

[33:32–38:00]

• Philip Rivers’ Return:
  Rivers led a disciplined, efficient pocket passing attack for the Colts, displaying the virtues of veteran savviness over raw athleticism.

  “If you master the pocket, if you've seen every defense, you’re going to be okay.” — Colin Cowherd, [35:16]

  Rivers:

  "If I can stay healthy, I feel good... but the catch is we gotta win." — [36:18]

• Tom Brady’s Perspective:
  On trusting veteran QBs pre-snap:

  “Teams that have a great advantage going forward are the ones with the older quarterbacks who the coaches do give them the autonomy to say, ‘Whatever you see out there, you can change the play. We trust you.’” — Tom Brady, [37:11]

• Lessons:
  Colin illustrates “winning from the pocket” and pre-snap reads as critical for long-term QB success.

---

6. Coaching: The Real NFL X-Factor

[42:28–48:50]

• Coaching Can Transform a Franchise

  • Chicago and Denver's turnarounds are all about hiring the right leader (Ben Johnson, Sean Payton).
  • NBA and MLB have structural barriers, but "football is magic when you get coach + QB right."

• Dallas Cowboys’ Coaching Mediocrity

  • Jerry Jones’ reluctance to spend big on elite coaches has kept the Cowboys from reaching their ceiling.

    “It’s time to spend 12 to 15 million on a coach… The world has changed. Never has a coach been more valuable.” — Colin Cowherd, [46:45]

  • Contrasts with franchises that empowered genius coaches and saw transformation (Harbaugh/Chargers, Payton/Broncos, McVay/Rams).

---

7. Rapid Fire: Injuries, Other Storylines & Closing Notes

[49:45–51:16]

• Critical Injuries:

  • Mahomes’ torn ACL (9-month rehab), Micah Parsons’ non-contact injury, and their massive impact on contenders.
  • Packers lose Micah Parsons and Christian Watson in one game—offense went stagnant after.

• Coaching Carousel Teasers:

  • Albert Breer to join later; possible coaching changes looming.

• Playoff Watch:

  • Dolphins still "pesky."
  • Chicago and Denver are peer comparisons as dangerous, surging NFC/AFC wild cards.

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Bo Nix:

  • “He reminds me of a right-handed Steve Young. Way, way more athletic than anybody gives him credit for.” — Colin Cowherd, [05:30]
  • “The thing about him is like... he loves playing, you know, and so that's contagious.” — Sean Payton (via Colin), [07:52]

• On the Chiefs' Outlook:

  • "It's hard to take away grandpa's keys when he's the only guy in town that's got a ride." — Colin Cowherd, [11:22]
  • “I think it's more of a rebuild than people think. JMac, you were right on that from the very beginning... I had them as a wild card team.” — [14:00]

• On Rams/Lions:
  “Rams will make a lot of defenses look like this… they’re stacked.” — Colin Cowherd, [28:22]

• On Coaching:

  • "It is remarkable to watch JJ McCarthy now from three to four weeks ago… The play calling was excellent, situational football at its best." — Colin Cowherd, [46:45]
  • “Never has a coach been more valuable. And all you have to do is go look at Chicago.” — [48:25]

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Bo Nix/Broncos Analysis: 03:30–08:00
• Chiefs Dynasty/Rebuild: 09:00–15:00
• Chicago Bears’ Rise: 20:26–24:50
• Around the NFC/Eagles-Rams-Lions-49ers: 25:08–33:32
• QB Play, Rivers & Brady’s Insight: 33:32–38:00
• Coaching Value, Cowboys’ Ceiling: 42:28–48:50
• Injuries, Playoff Picture, Closing Notes: 49:45–51:16

---

Conclusion

Hour 1 of The Herd is a testament to why Colin Cowherd remains one of sports radio’s most incisive and entertaining voices. Dense with quarterback talk, coaching philosophy, and sharp analogies, this episode is a whirlwind tour through the NFL landscape as the playoff race heats up and the balance of power begins to shift. If you’re an NFL fan, this is essential listening—and for everyone else, this summary has you more than covered.

Transcript

[Colin Cowherd]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Remember when people were nice? When we could occasionally stop fighting and come together? Well, here's some good news. The Ripple Effect is here. Hosted by comedian Jenna Kim Jones. It's a show about how powerful it is when we reach out to one another. It's the perfect weekly proof that goodness isn't gone. The Ripple Effect is more than a podcast. It's a reminder that you can start a ripple that changes everything. Listen to the ripple effect on iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Alienware's biggest sale of the season lets you unleash peak performance at Black Friday savings. Prices start at 899.99 on select Alienware PCs like the groundbreaking Alienware 16 Aurora gaming laptop, taking performance to the next level with Intel Core processors. Plus, you can save on all the latest accessories and displays like the Alienware 32.4K OLED gaming monitor. Visit alienware.com deals before these limited time savings end, I'm Colin Coward from the Herd Whether you're a seasoned small business owner or thinking about getting started, you'll definitely want to check out season four of Mind the Business Small business Success stories for My Heart Media's Ruby Studio and Inuit QuickBooks. In the latest season, hosts Austin Hencwitz and Jenise Torres are talking to self starters about the ins and outs of entrepreneurship and how QuickBooks helps you to get more done in less time. You don't want to miss it. Listen to Mind the Business small business success stories on the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. PCs powered by Snapdragon X Elite processors are made to go the distance with blazing fast performance, next level efficiency and multi day battery life. Snapdragon processors are built to tackle it all, from highlight reel editing to intense player research so you can be at the top of your game wherever the day takes you. Learn [e-mail] laptops snapdragon the heart of your PC battery life varies significantly based on device settings, usage and other factors. You know that feeling when you come home late from work and the puppy dog eyes just pierce right through your soul? Yeah, we've all been there, right? Pet parent guilt is real. And you know what? It's completely normal. That's exactly why Hill's Pet Nutrition exists. They understand that being a pet parent means being human. Hill Science led nutrition helps you give more love than humanly possible, whether it's those long work days or trying to balance attention between, you know, multiple pets Hill's pet Nutrition gets it because, hey, you're only human.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly JMac or another analyst)]

There's Hills.

[Colin Cowherd]

Science does more. If you're ready to let go of the guilt, find the right [e-mail] iheart hillspet.com iheart thanks for listening to the Herd podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio and noon to 3 Eastern, 9am to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the [e-mail] or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. Now let's get to this party started. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Here we go. It is a Monday, a very, very busy Monday. Half dozen ugly blowouts, but some defining moments with the top players and the top teams. We're live in Chicago. It's the Herd, one hour from now. Where Colin was right, where Colin was wrong. There's a lot of both. Let's start with. There are certain teams that are good all year, but people, they don't have the right feel or the the right look. They're winning a lot of close games. I think people have finally come to terms with two teams in the NFL. The Bears and the Denver Broncos. You may want to stop doubting the Denver Broncos. This Green Bay defense, elite. Jeff Halfley, defensive coordinator, elite, and Bo Nixon. Sean Payton carved up this Green Bay defense. He's athletic, he's clever, he's deceptive, he doesn't get sacked. Sean Payton has been texting me for two years. I got myself a star. The headline here can't just be packers lose Watson and Micah Parsons. Yeah, it's awful. Jeff Halfley in the last two years has faced CJ Stroud, Golf Hertz, Matt Stafford, Bo Nix in the last two years is the only quarterback Green Bay's defense has faced that's thrown four touchdown passes to four different wide receivers. So too many people I said this last week have just sort of made up their mind on Bo Nix. I think he reminds me of a right handed Steve Young. He is way, way more athletic than anybody gives him credit for. Dad was a coach. Never get sacked. Never get sacked. I've said this about Caleb Williams doesn't throw money picks. Bo Nicks never gets sacked. And since didn't fit in the NFL, he's 22 and nine with more touchdown passes in that span than Matt Stafford. Okay. And Sean Payton. And remember this? Bo Nixon. A division with great defensive coordinators like Jesse Minter and Steve Spagnola. So Denver was down Nine in the third quarter. And they needed Bo Nix, the second year quarterback from Oregon to be a star. And that's exactly what Bo Nix was. Three long drives, playmaking, rolling left, rolling right. Deceptive. Big time. Throws up the sideline. Great. On fourth down again, 8 for 12. Throwing downfield. That's always been the knock. Well, I didn't throw the ball down the field. Did yesterday against arguably the best defense he's faced all year. I don't know what he needs to do to impress people. I don't know what it is. I mean, a lot of times it's first impressions in his first month in the NFL. And I know he's not the biggest guy, didn't have the biggest arm his first month. Five weeks in the NFL, little choppy, get over it. He's really, really good. Well, he wouldn't be that good without Sean Payton. Well, Troy Aikman wouldn't have been that good without Jimmy Johnson. Marino maybe not that good without Don Shula. I mean every great court. Tom Brady probably wouldn't win all those rings without Belichick early in his career. You got to get over that. The kid is top five in wins, top six and total touchdowns. And he's third in drop backs. They're not babysitting. This is not Big Ben. Early years in the NFL. Whole playbook, motions, sets, 40 throws in a really good defensive coordinator division. So the Denver roster is excellent. We know that the coach is excellent. The only question has been, well, what do you do with Bo Nix? Well, you know he has 27 touchdowns. You know who else does? Drake May, in my opinion. Drake May was talked about a week ago as the MVP candidate. Bo Nix, you're not sure about. I don't know what I watched yesterday. It's time to be sure. Add this. Exactly 50% of the wins Denver's wins have come on a game winning drive from Bo Nixon. So I don't know how you define that. The it quality. He is really good when he's got to be really good. And here is Sean Payton on his young quarterback star. The thing about him is like.

[Dan Campbell]

He.

[Colin Cowherd]

Loves playing, you know, and so that's contagious.

[Jerry Jones]

And.

[Colin Cowherd]

That'S, that's a really good trait.

[Player or Coach (locker room speaker, possibly a Bears or Colts player)]

For a player at his position.

[Colin Cowherd]

And his teammates feel that. For Green Bay it's just one of those years. Kraft gets hurt. Christian Watson, who's been banged up since he entered the league. Micah Parsons, non contact injury. Green Bay still good, but it's hard to lose those kind of players. Two in one afternoon and be playing in a conference championship. There's no question. Good coach, good quarterback. But I mean, yesterday was a game I thought there and I thought, you know what? This Green Bay has been in a lot of games like this, and they had a great first half. But Denver and they've done this. How many times they've done it this year? 8 or 9, where they just start the second half mid third quarter and they take over games. Got to stop doubting the Broncos. All right, well, Patrick Mahomes, torn acl. That's horrible news. A lot of stars got hurt yesterday. But even before that, this year didn't feel right for the Chiefs, and the year didn't necessarily feel right for Patrick Mahomes yesterday. Justin Herbert was clearly the best quarterback on the field, and Mahomes and Andy Reid and Chris Jones and Travis Kelsey kind of feels like they all got really old really fast. And it's hard when you draft at the end of rounds. They'll finally, finally draft near the top of a draft, and that's a big advantage. You can move down if you want, accumulate other picks. Drafting for years and years and years and years at the bottom of rounds is really hard. You know, that's why the Rams will go out and get a Devonte Adams. You got to go sometimes and buy elite players because it's hard to get them in the draft. So Kansas City feels a little similar to Disney in the Marvel movies. They have had a ton of success, but they're trying to. They're struggling to develop new characters. That's the way I'd put it. They just don't have enough elite players. It's. Don't blame the coaches. Small hulk isn't. Isn't working quite like they thought. I mean, here's where Kansas City is as a franchise. Travis Kelsey's eight, nine surgeries in, and he's their most productive pass catcher. And he's got one foot out the retirement door. I mean, that's where. That's where Kansas City is right now. And you start looking at the Rams roster and the Eagles roster and, and, you know, bounce around the league, Denver's roster. And I said this, the reason most dynasties last isn't just because you got a great player, a great coach and a great gm. It's because your division. Nick Saban in the sec, nobody else could get the coach right. The minute Texas came in and Kirby Smart went to Georgia, Nick Saban and Bama didn't look quite as dominant. Sean Payton in division, Justin Herbert in division. Jim Harbaugh Jesse Minter, Bo Nix. It just feels different. I mean Travis Kelce is 36 years old, nine surgeries in foot through the retirement door and he's our most dependable guy. And I know it's hard to take away grandpa's keys when he's the only guy in town that's got a ride, right. Like he's going to drive everybody around. But it's. This is the reality of what it is. It's not pretty. And I've said this for the last three weeks, I've asked every guest rebuild or retool? I think it's more of a rebuild. I mean their second best player or best player is a center. They got a really good corner. Mahomes now surgery. I think it's a bit of a rebuild now. The good news is they're getting more draft picks up near the top of rounds. I wouldn't be surprised now if they, some of the older guys maybe take a seat, rest a little bit, catch their breath if you know what I mean. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge. And they keep that draft pick moving up. That's what they need. That's what it feels like. But here's the thing. It hasn't felt right the last three seasons. They're 16th in scoring and 17th in yards per play. This has been happening for years. But the coaching was so good, the homes was so special that it kind of like even though even Vegas doesn't know what to do with him yesterday they were a 4 1/2 point favorite. Chargers were the better team with a better quarterback. And here is Chris Jones finding out after the game they're out of the playoff race.

[Player or Coach (locker room speaker, possibly a Bears or Colts player)]

We're all competitors here, especially me, you know, especially with so much at state. It was tough. I think the score was 13 and 13 or 13 and 10. So still have fighting chance. Are we out of the playoffs? We are. Okay.

[Colin Cowherd]

You kind of knew when they let Joe Tuney go, couldn't afford and went to the Bears.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly JMac or another analyst)]

Been great.

[Colin Cowherd]

And they had to rely on a rookie left tackle. It was going to be bumpy. But going back to what I said about the reason, you know, like Brady dominates his division because the jets were a circus, the Bills were a circus and the Dolphins were never great. Well, Josh Allen arrives in the division. It doesn't look the same. So Mahomes this year 0 for 3 against the Chargers in Denver. 0 for 3. It's a whole different ballgame. Like I said, you get the great coat. Kirby Smart now goes to Georgia. Oh, here comes Texas. Texas A&M's got big money. It just feels LeBron dominated the east for years because it mostly stunk out west. It doesn't quite feel the same. So I think if I was Kansas City, I'd give the old guys a day off. I try to secure that top seven eight pick, rebuild quickly. Right now, Kansas City at 11. Rams have the Atlanta pick. That almost seems unfair. They're 10 with their stacked roster. But this thing is, we've been kind of convincing ourselves. Even the guys in the desert, desert Vegas have been convincing themselves. You know, they're not that far off. I think it's more of a rebuild than people think. J. Mac, you were right on that. From the very beginning I had him as a wild card team. You didn't think they were a playoff team. But I thought yesterday a great example of before the injury, Herbert was out playing Mahomes and that's with backup left tackle. So it's just a reality. This dynasty thing is really, really hard.

[Co-host or Analyst (possibly JMac or another analyst)]

Yeah, they had a great run and it's over. And I think the real question, Colin, is, and I think you alluded to it, okay, so you got a bunch of old guys. Let's say Kelsey retires and they move off Chris Jones. What about Andy Reid? How is he sticking around for a long rebuild? Because this is probably not like you said last week, hey, we got a little touch ups here and there. They've got like half the roster probably getting turned over. If you look at their salary cap, Colin, it's not pretty yet.

[Colin Cowherd]

Next year I think they have the, I think they're second most over the cap of any team now. You can readjust stuff. You know, you do what you can to manipulate the cap in the NFL, but this, this happens. And, and that's why it's always been a marvel that Brady and Belichick went 20 years and kept winning the division. But a lot of that was, let's be fair, they moved Peyton Manning and the Colts out of that division. Right. The Colts were, could have been in that division for years. Tom would not have dominated to that level. And that's not a knock on him. When you have dynasties that last. Remember the Seahawk dynasty felt like, oh, oh, it's gonna be. Well then Harbaugh moved into the division and all of a sudden it's like, oh, Seattle and San Francisco, it's Ali Frazier middle of the ring. Like these are two heavyweights. So I, I just think it. Everybody keeps saying retool, write down their top seven players, then go write down the Rams, Eagles, Ravens. You start Broncos, Broncos, Lions. Their top seven players. You got Pro Bowlers at seven. Yeah.

[Co-host or Analyst (possibly JMac or another analyst)]

By the way, quick fix. I saw Kyle Pitts on Thursday night. Absolutely dominate, right? You know he's a potential free agent and he has not had a great run in Atlanta. Kyle Pitts taking over for Travis Kelce. There's one. There's a freebie for you. Chiefs. Go get him.

[Colin Cowherd]

Go get him off one great Thursday game. I think I'll save my money. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio app. Hey is Kavino and Rich from Fox Sports Radio. Now, in addition to hearing us live weekdays from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, we're excited to announce a brand new YouTube channel for the show. Yep, that's right. You can now watch Covino and rich live on YouTube every day. All you got to do Search kovino and rich fsr on YouTube again. Go to YouTube. Search covinoenrich fsr. Check us out on YouTube. Subscribe, hit that thumbs up icon and comment away. With no fees or minimums on checking accounts, it's no wonder the Capital One bank guy is so passionate about banking. With Capital One. If he were here, he wouldn't just tell you about no fees or minimums. He'd also talk about how most Capital One cafes are open seven days a week to assist with your banking needs. Yep, even on weekends, it's pretty much all he talks about. In a good way. What's in your wallet? Terms apply. See capital1.com bank capital1NA member, FDIC.

[IBM Ad Voice]

So you're telling me that the AI that's meant to make everyone's job easier to manage just adds more to manage? On top of the thousands of apps the IT department already manages? Funny how that works. Any business can add AI. IBM helps you scale and manage AI to change how you do business. Let's create Smile to business IBM.

[Coca Cola Ad Voice]

What a matchup we got, y'.

[Dan Campbell]

All.

[Coca Cola Ad Voice]

This is that classic HBCU vibe. Non stop action. The band is rocking and the crowd lit. Chance echo drum beat everybody. Showing that school pride. Game like this. Yeah, it calls for an ice cold Coca Cola. Ah, crisp and refreshing. That's a game changer right there. Yeah, that table always hits the right note. Just like the band at halftime. And just like that, we're back at it. Passionate fans, school colors everywhere. And in ice cold Coca Cola. That's a winning combo no matter the sport no matter the yard. Everybody knows fan work is thirsty work. So grab a Coca Cola and keep that HBCU pride going.

[Colin Cowherd]

Hi, it's Colin.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly JMac or another analyst)]

I've been around long enough to know quality when I see it. Or in this case, when I taste it. Tito's Handmade vodka. Good stuff. No flash, no gimmicks. Smooth, clean tasting, made the right way. Okay. I like things that are built to last. A great team, a well run organization. Same goes for my vodka, Tito's. Made in Austin, Texas. Real care, attention to detail, distinct, crisp taste. I was just telling my wife the other day, Tito's is the one vodka. It has a completely distinct taste. Been my go to for years, so I like to keep it simple. Tito's soda, one lime, lot of ice, refreshing, easy. Summer, winter, spring. Totally versatile. Always works.

[Colin Cowherd]

Listen, baseball season's here.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly JMac or another analyst)]

Your team's going to play 162 games. A perfect time to kick back with some Tito's. It's what I pour. You should too. Distilled and bottled by 5th Generation Inc. Austin, Texas. 40% alcohol by volume. Savor responsibly. Innovation is what gets your business to the big leagues. And Wasabi is designed to give every business a shot at competition. Break free from skyrocketing storage costs, unpredictable egress fees from old and top heavy legacy providers. You know the big guys. Wasabi is the world's hottest cloud storage company and the go to provider for professional and collegiate sports teams and leagues around the world. And here's why. Innovation from Wasabi's AI enabled intelligent media storage, Wasabi Air to the industry's only cloud storage service. With triple protection against cybercriminals, data deletion and ransomware. Wasabi has taken the lead in big league data storage. Remember, Wasabi is up to 80% less than the other guys and doesn't charge a cent for businesses to access their own data. Wasabi is another championship story. Check them out [e-mail], wasabi Hot Cloud Storage. Proud partner of the Volume Podcast network.

[Colin Cowherd]

Welcome back. Colin, right? Colin, wrong. Top of the hour. Much like the Denver Broncos, people didn't quite know what to make of the Chicago Bears. I mean they were winning but close against a lot of average opponents. Well, yeah, I know Cleveland's average, but 31 to 3 off a very emotional game against Green Bay. Chicago just checks too many boxes not to be a team that couldn't possibly make the NFC championship. They're great in cold weather. Sort of matters in the NFL. Playoffs are in January. They constantly Win the turnover battle. Offensive coach, dynamic quarterback. They can run the ball and dominate time of possession. I don't even know how this was a touchdown pass. May have been the pass of the season by Caleb Williams. They're good on third down. There are certain boxes. You don't have to be great everywhere to make a conference championship. You can't be terrible anywhere. And they're not. They're not terrible anywhere. That turnover battle, that ability to run the ball and play, keep away from other quarterbacks like a Matt Stafford and he sits on the bench and watches it. This is not a mirage. It took a while like it did with Denver, but these two quarterbacks, Bo Nix and Caleb Williams, and I've been comparing them for about a month now, you see a lot of the same stuff. Big time playmaking, excellent in key spots. This is the first time since 1977, first time since 1977 the Bears have had a top five offense. That was the longest streak in the NFL. And I said about a year ago, I don't mind celebrating. The 85 bears, stop replicating it. Modernize, step up, be current. And they are. Yesterday was an easy chance to take your foot off the gas. Big favorite, lousy Browns at home, really cold. Instead, they were efficient and balanced. They would. No turnovers. Three out of four in the red zone. And I think it's really hard. I've said this. Ben Johnson is the best first time head coaching hire since Sean McVeigh. And I was in LA when McVay got hired. The Bears last year were a wreck. The Rams with Jeff Fisher were a mess. And this guy just. It's very difficult to develop a young quarterback and simultaneously win games. And that's what they're doing. And we've seen it. They were bad operationally about 12 weeks ago. I mean, they've cut down on that. Not a lot of penalties, balanced, no turnovers. Win the turnover battle. And if this is a city that loves its defense, like Pittsburgh, they want to spend money on defense. You know, young kids got money, wants to spend it on candy. They want to spend it on pass rushers and corners and linebackers and safeties. And instead they rebuilt the interior of the O line. That's what Chicago did. So this is impressive. They checked too many boxes not to be a team capable of getting to a conference championship. And here's the coach after.

[Player or Coach (locker room speaker, possibly a Bears or Colts player)]

I think we got a really good big picture view of where we are and where we're going and what we need to do in the here and the now. Does winning 10 games mean anything to you?

[Co-host or Analyst (possibly JMac or another analyst)]

Not really.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly JMac or another analyst)]

We're just.

[Player or Coach (locker room speaker, possibly a Bears or Colts player)]

We're on to the next one. You know, it's 10. 10's great, but it's not enough.

[Colin Cowherd]

So much in this sport, we talk about it all the time is attrition. Yesterday, Green Bay suffered really gutting losses. Chicago's healthy. DJ Moore, very important that he and Caleb had a good Sunday because they sometimes body language didn't feel great at the end of that Green Bay game. But I, it's. It was funny yesterday. I woke up In Chicago, it's 4 degrees, and I'm like, well, it's not windy. They'll be fine. They won't be affected by the weather. I mean, it's just impressive. There are a handful of teams in this league that are really spectacularly well coached, and the Chicago Bears are one of them. And here's the scene in the locker room after. Good, better, bad. Never let it rest. Good gets better. You better get better.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly JMac or another analyst)]

Get better.

[Colin Cowherd]

Three. One, two, three. I'm telling you, they checked the boxes to me. J. Mac with the news. No, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the Herdline news.

[Co-host or Analyst (possibly JMac or another analyst)]

Well, let's go to the Philadelphia Eagles. Colin Jalen Hurts was spectacular against the Raiders in a 310 romp. 200 total yard, 214 total yards, three touchdowns. But interestingly, we found a good quote from Nicobe Dean, the great linebacker on the Eagles. He said this about Jalen Hurts. I wouldn't want another quarterback. You see a guy that takes so much criticism in every aspect, but comes in with the same resolve to me, he can't do no wrong in my eyes. And listen, that's a very good point, that this is a Super bowl mvp, couple bad games.

[Colin Cowherd]

Oh, he's garbage.

[Co-host or Analyst (possibly JMac or another analyst)]

Let's trade him. Should we bench him? And then he bounces back against the Raiders. It's good to hear someone in that locker room sticking up for QB1.

[Colin Cowherd]

It is hard. I almost look at Raider games is they don't count. I don't know what to do. I mean, it is Cincinnati yesterday looked like they almost quit. Ravens players saying first series of the game like they weren't ready to play. Listen, it's a nice win. You take it. They're easily the most talented team in the division. And you just get ready for January.

[Co-host or Analyst (possibly JMac or another analyst)]

Well, we could take some positives. Reheartz was running more than he had for like the last like eight weeks. I think he had 39 yards on the ground. Yeah, like to see that. Now it's against the Zone. The Raiders play a terrible zone defense, so, you know, he's able to find his spots. So overall I thought it was a great win for the Eagles. The Dallas loss coupled with the Eagles win. Eagles are going to the playoffs. They're probably going to get the three seed, right?

[Co-host or Guest (possibly JMac or another analyst)]

Yeah.

[Co-host or Analyst (possibly JMac or another analyst)]

Tampa or Carolina will get the four. So I like the Eagles. As long as the matchup. Here we go. I would probably Eagles against that Sam Darnold in Philly. I'm sorry. I would take the Eagles in that game. Colin, against the Niners. Niners defense is not great. The Titans kind of move the ball.

[Colin Cowherd]

Oh, they did.

[Co-host or Analyst (possibly JMac or another analyst)]

And I think the Packers. I, I don't want to talk. I'm sad about the Packers. I think they're done. I don't think they can make a legit run. So I think the Eagles are back to being a contender in the nfc. Yeah, I think the Rams. Right. Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

And I, and I, I, I just, I think we're going to see those Seahawks and the Rams on Thursday. You're going to see, to me, the two deepest rosters outside of Philadelphia in the nfc. So I really do believe this. I think the top of the NFC for the first time in like 5 years is better than the top of the AFC.

[Co-host or Analyst (possibly JMac or another analyst)]

Without question.

[Colin Cowherd]

Without question.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly JMac or another analyst)]

Totally agree.

[Co-host or Analyst (possibly JMac or another analyst)]

Next story. Let's, let's stick in the NFC and go to that Rams Lions game.

[Colin Cowherd]

Man.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly JMac or another analyst)]

Wow.

[Co-host or Analyst (possibly JMac or another analyst)]

Lions are up 2414, right? I'm like, oh, Rams in trouble. And then the second half happened and Dan Campbell and everybody in Detroit was just shocked. They couldn't do anything in the second half. Colin, here's Dan Campbell talking about how nobody should accept this loss.

[Dan Campbell]

Don't go numb when you get these losses, you know, the win, lose, win, lose. Like, we got to get out of that rut and it can't be. Okay, well, we'll just like it should. It should burn at you, you know, it should eat you up. And do not go numb to the losing. Now we know, you know now you have firsthand knowledge of what, you know, what probably the top of the NFC looks like right now. That's. That's them, you know, and so now you know, you know what it looks like, you know what it is. And we're not there right now. Doesn't mean we can't be. But now we know what it looks like.

[Colin Cowherd]

Listen, that was a really good swing. I think what happened in that game is what we sort of thought would, which is they couldn't make stops over the course of 12 or 13 drives. They had a pretty good scheme initially, and then the floodgates opened, even without Devonte Adams. I also think the Rams are going to make a lot of defenses look like this. If you're a little banged up on the defensive end, Rams will expose you. I mean, they're tight ends, they're receivers, they're running backs. The interior O line is unbelievable. So I just think losing to the Rams and giving up 30 points, it's. I mean, you saw yesterday, you'd never know when Stafford lets go of that ball, you never know who's going to catch it. They're stacked.

[Co-host or Analyst (possibly JMac or another analyst)]

I was impressed. The Rams, it looked like at halftime they brought a safety closer to the line of scrimmage and went with a single high to try to disrupt the short passing game. Amaranth St. Brown was just lighting him up. I mean, Jameson Williams, that Rams secondary. Colin is a bit of a problem. I mean, this is a few weeks in a row now and that.

[Colin Cowherd]

And that should worry you because in the end, when you're. That's like a bad bullpen in baseball, you can dominate the game for eight innings and it gets leaky. The Rams will go in and dominate a lot of teams, but you'll be holding on for dear life because they are. I think they're talented at safety, but they're going to draft the corner they should have last year. You know, they brought in the kid from D.C. forbes. Forbes. You try to get a. Yeah. So I just think there are no perfect teams with a salary cap. And when you're paying your quarterback big money, there are no perfect teams. They are weak on the back end.

[Co-host or Analyst (possibly JMac or another analyst)]

And we should talk about the Devonte Adams hamstring. Still no word on how long he's going to be out. I don't know if it's a couple of weeks a month. Hamstrings are tricky. Colin, the soft tissue, it's dicey. They're not going to have him probably against Seattle this week.

[Colin Cowherd]

He's probably back for the playoffs. I think you probably. They have enough depth offensively, especially at tight end. And running back Blake Corum is starting to pop a little bit. Oh, he looks good. He looks really quick. So I. I think you can get away without devonte for three weeks, but you'll need him in the postseason.

[Co-host or Analyst (possibly JMac or another analyst)]

Yeah. Listen, it's not victory lap Monday, but two guys on this show did call the Lions pullback after losing Ben Johnson, and we were taking heat for it the first month of the season. Right. But for six weeks, reality set in Detroit. You got to fix that offensive coordinator spot. Final story. Colin. Let's go to my guy, Brock Purdy. A spectacular performance. I mean, downright heroic. Purdy was just masterful. 339 total yards, three tutties. Niners scored on their first five possessions and dispatched the Titans. It listen, they're a quiet 10 and 4 and I think not, not a lot being talked about. The Niners because of all the injuries.

[Colin Cowherd]

Coaching staff of the year in the NFL.

[Co-host or Analyst (possibly JMac or another analyst)]

Yeah, I mean, listen, let's be real. When you lose Kittle, they, they lost Purdy for like half the season.

[Colin Cowherd]

Warner, Warner, Bosa.

[Co-host or Analyst (possibly JMac or another analyst)]

How are they doing this?

[Colin Cowherd]

No, it's just great, coach. I mean, you, I watched last night, Minnesota and Dallas, what Minnesota's offensive coaches have done to J.J. mcCarthy in three to four weeks. I mean, he looked like a complete bust. And last night he's playing with a ton of confidence. It's like, well, he didn't just learn how to throw. That's coaching San Francisco, this staff, if they gave out coaching staff of the year, considering the injuries, it goes to the Niners.

[Co-host or Analyst (possibly JMac or another analyst)]

I saw a stat that is troubling for Salah's defense is that Tennessee had one of their best success rates on the ground all season. Yeah, I mean, listen, what's the ceiling for the Niners if they can't stop the run of Tennessee? Like I, I, there are some concerns on my end with the Niners. Their offense though, they're going to keep them in playoff games, right?

[Colin Cowherd]

Oh, I, yeah, I mean, they're, they feel like a team capable of winning a playoff game. The race.

[Co-host or Analyst (possibly JMac or another analyst)]

Can they get to the Super Bowl?

[Colin Cowherd]

No, I don't think they can get to the conference championship with that defense. Remember, when you go to the playoffs, you're facing the best coaches. That, that's not what Tennessee has. You're facing the very best coach. I mean, yesterday, here's Kansas City reeling has to win. Oh, Jim Harbaugh shows up with Herbert and Jesse Minner. They can't move the ball again. So again, the playoffs just look different. Young teams get nervous. I mean, Caleb Williams first playoff game. It's going to feel different. So, and that's why people say, well, what about Denver? Let me tell you something. Denver's got an advantage. It's called the altitude. And Sean Payton in the playoffs. So the playoffs though, it, well, actually.

[Co-host or Analyst (possibly JMac or another analyst)]

That'S a great point. Niners, Bears in the playoffs. I'm riding with the Niners in that one.

[Colin Cowherd]

No, I'm riding with the Bears.

[Co-host or Analyst (possibly JMac or another analyst)]

Quick stat. Brock Purdy, our staff Built. Yes, built. A graphic for Brock Purdy. Colin. Through his first 50 starts, he is second in NFL history, NFL history in passer rating, second in NFL history in yards per attempt and fourth in NFL history in completion percent.

[Colin Cowherd]

He looked great yesterday. He looked 50 starts.

[Co-host or Analyst (possibly JMac or another analyst)]

That's not just yesterday. 50 starts. 5 0. My friend Patrick Mahomes. I, I don't know where he is on here. I, I don't know where Bo Nicks is. Not sniffing top 10 on this stuff. My guy.

[Colin Cowherd]

JMac with the news. Well, that's the news and thanks for stopping by the herd lie news. When you never rely on athleticism, right. And you're an old quarterback and you come back and you're a little less athletic. What's it mean? I mean they've done stud on people who are born blind and they have a greater heightened sense of smell and, and touch and feel because they have to. So Philip Rivers has always been really good pre snap. The thing Tom Brady always talks about. Tom's always like, you can get yourself out of mistakes before the ball is snapped because you know what's coming. So Philip Rivers, I said this on last week's show. I said, what if he's just like the old Philip Rivers? He can still throw it. He was the least athletic quarterback in the league when he left. Well, I watched yesterday. Pre snap toughness, accuracy. I mean, I don't know. He's fine. Maybe he'll, maybe he'll be tired next week. Won't, won't get a nap in before the game. I don't know. He looked fine to me despite the fact there were nine field goals in that game. And let's be honest, let's be fair about this. Sam Darnold did have the game winning drive. Sam Darnold didn't throw an interception. Seattle came in with a super conservative game plan. We talked about that last week. Seattle didn't want to give Philip Rivers a win. They were conservative. No, you know, no big risks. Seattle didn't have a lot of penalties. They were very efficient, very bland, very vanilla. And Seattle won the game. But the whole Philip Rivers thing, I mean he got rid of the ball quickly. He got the offense into the right spot so much. This is what Tom Brady has been banging on for two years on Fox. So much of this sport for quarterbacks isn't running around. You gotta win from the pocket and you gotta win before the ball is snapped. That's what he did. He kept him on track. I've said I like their roster, their O line, give him time to throw. So I thought it was. I mean, again, if there are certain professional athletes, if they don't rely on athleticism. I saw Kirk Cousins last week on Thursday was chopping it up. I saw Brady at 44. Stafford couldn't even practice in camp because of a bad back. If you're, if you master the pocket, if you're, if you've seen every defense, you're. You're going to be okay. And here's Philip Rivers after a pretty. I mean, he didn't throw for a lot of yards, but it was a pretty impressive performance.

[Player or Coach (locker room speaker, possibly a Bears or Colts player)]

It was a blast. It was a blast. But obviously the emotions now are. Disappointment, right? Disappointment. I, you know, I'm. This isn't about me. You know, we had a team that was scrapping like crazy to try to stay alive and get into postseason. If I can stay healthy, like, I feel good, you know, and we. It's going to get better as we go. But the catch in that is we got to win. It doesn't really matter if it's getting better as we go if we don't win, because it's going to be over in three weeks.

[Colin Cowherd]

And this is something again that we spent. And listen, I love that Bo Nix and Caleb Williams are athletic. I think in your first three years in the league is you're learning defenses. If you can augment your pocket stuff, picking first downs up with your legs, that's great. But by like late year three or year four or five in this league, you got to be good from the pocket. You got to be good pre snap if you want to hoist trophies. Here's Tom Brady on that.

[Tom Brady]

We just exploited the weak parts of defense. And the problem in the NFL today is guys aren't doing that. Guys aren't being developed through college, and then when they get to the pro, they're so far behind that the coach feels like, okay, I need to control this game from the sideline. So the teams that I think have a great advantage going forward are the ones with the older quarterbacks who the coaches do give them the autonomy to say, okay, whatever you see out there, you can change the play. You can get us in the right play. We trust you.

[Colin Cowherd]

And that's exactly what the Colts did yesterday. It was, you know, considering there were nine field goals, I. It was ping pong at the end. I found that to be wildly entertaining game. Seattle came in, only allowed one sack, you know, not a lot of penalties. Darnold didn't throw a pick. You knew Seattle was going to come in with the Rams on deck Thursday, not unveil the playbook, try to stay healthy, run it a lot. Lot of completions get out of this game with no injuries and that's what Seattle did. But I thought it was great. Colin right? Colin wrong. Top of the hour. Albert Brear stops by. We may have some coaching changes this week or next. The latest on the Dallas Cowboys as well. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific. With no fees or minimums on checking accounts, it's no wonder the Capital One bank guy is so passionate about banking with Capital One. If he were here, he wouldn't just tell you about no fees or minimums. He'd also talk about how most Capital One cafes are open seven days a week to assist with your banking needs. Yep, even on weekends it's pretty much all he talks about. In a good way. What's in your wallet? Terms apply. See capital1.com bank capital1NA member, FDIC.

[IBM Ad Voice]

So you're telling me that the AI that's meant to make everyone's job easier to manage just adds more to manage? On top of the thousands of apps the IT department already manages? Funny how that works. Any business can add AI. IBM helps you scale and manage AI to change how you do business. Let's create Smile to Business IBM.

[Coca Cola Ad Voice]

What a matchup we got, y'.

[Dan Campbell]

All.

[Coca Cola Ad Voice]

This is that classic HBCU vibe. Non stop action. The band is rocking and the crowd lit. Chance, echo drum beat everybody showing that school pride. Game like this. Yeah, it calls for an ice cold Coca Cola. Ah, crisp and refreshing. That's a game changer right there. Yeah, that taste always hits the right note. Just like the band at halftime. And just like that, we're back at it. Passionate fans, school colors everywhere and an ice cold Coca Cola. That's a winning combo. No matter the sport, no matter the yard. Everybody knows fan work is thirsty work. So grab a Coca Cola and keep that HBCU pride going.

[Colin Cowherd]

Hi, it's Colin.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly JMac or another analyst)]

I've been around long enough to know quality when I see it. Or in this case, when I taste it. Tito's Handmade Vodka. Good stuff. No flash, no gimmick. Smooth, clean tasting. Made the right way.

[Colin Cowherd]

Okay.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly JMac or another analyst)]

I like things that are built to last. A great team, a well run organization. Same goes for my vodka, Tito's. Made in Austin, Texas. Real care, attention to detail, distinct crisp taste. I was just telling my wife the other day, Tito's is the one vodka. It has a completely distinct taste. Been my go to for years. So I like to keep it simple. Tito's Soda, one lime, lot of ice. Refreshing, easy Summer, winter, spring. Totally versatile. Always works.

[Colin Cowherd]

Listen, baseball season's here.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly JMac or another analyst)]

Your team's gonna play 162 games. A perfect time to kick back with some Tito's. It's what I pour. You should too. Distilled and bottled by 50 Generation Inc. Austin, Texas. 40% alcohol by volume. Savor responsibly. Innovation is what gets your business to the big leagues and Wasabi is designed to give every business a shot at competition. Break free from skyrocketing storage costs, unpredictable egress fees from old and top heavy legacy providers. You know the big guys. Wasabi is the world's hottest cloud storage company and the go to provider for professional and collegiate sports teams and leagues around the world. And here's why.

[Colin Cowherd]

Innovation.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly JMac or another analyst)]

From Wasabi's AI enabled intelligent media storage, Wasabi Air to the industry's only cloud storage service with triple protection against cybercriminals, data deletion and ransomware, Wasabi has taken the lead in big league data storage. Remember, Wasabi is up to 80% less than the other guys and doesn't charge a cent for businesses to access their own data. Wasabi is another championship story. Check them out [e-mail], wasabi Hot Cloud Storage, proud partner of the Voluum Podcast Network.

[Co-host or Analyst (possibly JMac or another analyst)]

What's better than a Saturday? How about a Super Saturday with an NFL doubleheader? First it's Eagles versus Commanders. Then the packers take on the Bears for control of the NFC North. Pregame coverage begins at 4pm Eastern on Fox.

[Colin Cowherd]

I've compared Denver and the Bears a lot where nobody quite believes them. They both have young quarterbacks in year two that are hyper athletic. It is amazing. One of the great things about the NFL that you can't really do this in the NBA because players that come into the NBA through the draft, you know, they're usually not quite ready to be dominant. Also, a coach has limitations in basketball. Ben Johnson has no limitations. College football coaches. Kurt Signetti has made Indiana power. And so one of the great things about football, college or pro, if you get the right coach. I mean, think about this. Chicago Bears have been mostly lost offensively since the mid-70s and now they're excellent. Like it just takes the coach and hopefully you get a good quarterback, preferably young, so you can afford other great players on the roster. But it is, it's kind of magic. In baseball, there's limitations based on how much your owner is going to spend. In basketball, there's limitations that drafts a bunch of 19, 20 year old kids not ready to dominate. It's amazing when you look at Chicago last year in Chicago this year, it's like two different franchises. Get the coach right, get the staff right, elevate the young quarterback, spend some money in the right places, interior, O line. I mean you, you look at Denver and Chicago a month ago we were like, oh no, I don't know. I buy both. All right, Dallas loses last night. They had extra time to prepare, so they were inexcusably awful on third down. And there's very, there's a handful of coaching staffs in this league where you've got a great head coach and one all star coordinator. New England Rams, San Francisco, Green Bay, Chicago. I think Minnesota is one of those.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly JMac or another analyst)]

Teams.

[Colin Cowherd]

We don't think Eberfluss and Schottenheimer. Jerry's always gone cheap on coaches. He's never truly respected coaches, you know, like, like Parcels and Jimmy Johnson. Those guys wouldn't pander to Jerry Jones and they left and they're both all time coaches. So you know, it's been some Chan Gailey and Brian schottenheimer, I'm Mike McCarthy, had a super bowl, but I feel like The Cowboys are 6, 7 and 1. The over under in Vegas was like 7, 7 and a half macro. This is what they are. They've got one win over a winning team. Philadelphia, which has been hot and cold and can't quite find their way. I think what you watched last night was elite coaching in Minnesota. J.J. mcCarthy was, I mean lost a month ago. Looked like an absolute first round bust. That kid is now playing with so much confidence now. You know, I don't think the coaching staff in Minnesota love that dance, but he is playing with a ton of confidence. That's coaching. J.J. mcCarthy didn't just learn how to throw a football. We've talked about it. Coaching is like 40% in this sport. But a great coordinator. Robert Sal in San Francisco, what a year he's having. And I just thought on display last night was what a great staff can do to a struggling quarterback and what a mediocre staff can do when you have a quarterback as good as Dak Prescott. Extra rest, nice weapons. Dallas was awful on third down. Wasn't good situationally. So I mean Sean Payton gets empowered by his owner. Right. Like you hope the best owners want a head coach to be a leader of an organization. It feels like Jerry wants his coach to be an employee of his organization. And So I think 6, 7 and 1. It's what they are. Here's Jerry after.

[Jerry Jones]

We certainly didn't think we'd be here in this kind of shape with three games to go and have be behind the eight ball the way we are. It's very disappointing. I'm really obviously very disappointed for our fans. I'm disappointed for these players. I didn't expect that. I thought we could come out here and on both sides of the ball make a better accounting of ourselves. Minnesota did the best job out there today on both sides of the ball.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. So it, it's, it's time to spend 12 to 15 million on a coach. I mean think of what a mess Jim Harbaugh inherited with the Chargers. They were, I mean that Brandon Staley, they had a totally broken culture. Two to three weeks later, players are talking about, oh, it's a new day. Look at what Sean Payton inherited. That cap hit from hell in Denver. Like it. The reality with NFL coaching like Matt LaFleur a month ago had a broken offense. You gotta fix stuff in two weeks. You don't get an offseason. And offensive coaches are really good at it. It is remarkable to watch JJ McCarthy now from three to four weeks ago, I mean it was done. It looked like Jared Goff's rookie year. You're like, oh, this ain't gonna work at all. So I thought he played. I mean to me it wasn't the arm strength. He just played with confidence. He played like he had a really good coach in his ear. Slowly, patiently dialing up the right things that he would be good at. The play calling was excellent situational football at its best. So yeah, I do think you just get to a point. We've said this for years. The Lakers were a mom and pop shop. Finally the bus family sold. It feels different. The new owners aren't beholden to LeBron. It's Lucas team. And I feel the Cowboys little insular. Mom and pop shop. I've liked a lot of the deals they have done. The Quinn and Williams deal I like. But, but you got to spend money on a coach. Look around right now what Vrabel did. Now people could say Vrabel lost yesterday. New England still honestly in a rebuild. Their offensive lines missing a couple starters. Their whole line in the second half couldn't do anything. It's not a knock on Brian Schottenheimer. He wasn't a candidate to be head coach for 14 years. And eventually in the NFL. Week 14, week 15, week 60, the truth comes out and there's just too many great coaching staffs. Especially in the nfc, the Bears, the Vikings, the Rams, the Niners, Seattle. It's just the standard is way up here and I just don't feel like Jerry is willing to spend big money and empower a Harbaugh, a variable, a Sean Payton. I mean, Never forget Mike McCarthy had this job and walked away on his terms. When you almost never see that in the NFL where a coach making eight figures is like, I'm out. You got a good quarterback, got a star receiver, got a star edge rusher, I'm out. So I think it's fair to say it's time to step up. The world has changed. You got this has never been a coach, has never been more valuable. And all you have to do is go look at Chicago. J. Mac. Colin right? Colin wrong. Next hour, some devastating injuries.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly JMac or another analyst)]

Obviously.

[Colin Cowherd]

Mahomes, that's probably about a nine month rehab. Micah Parsons, a non contact injury. That's tough because he felt like that was one of the better trades. Green Bay doesn't make a lot of those big trades. They don't do that a lot. So it was a bit of a dice roll. They gave up a couple of first round picks.

[Co-host or Analyst (possibly JMac or another analyst)]

They can't get pressure without him.

[Colin Cowherd]

Colin.

[Co-host or Analyst (possibly JMac or another analyst)]

I mean and offensively without Watson, they had 55 yards from the early third quarter when he went out. I mean they were up 2314 with the ball. Jalen hurts, tries to throw a bomb. It's not Jalen Hurts.

[Colin Cowherd]

Jordan love.

[Co-host or Analyst (possibly JMac or another analyst)]

Jordan love. Sorry. And Sir Tan intercepts it and lands on Watson. Yeah, their offense did nothing the rest of the way and no pressure without Micah. I think they're cooked tonight.

[Colin Cowherd]

Dolphins Steelers I think Miami's going to be pesky. The Finns suddenly like that cold weather some coaching changes in the offing power to next PCs powered by Snapdragon X Elite processors are made to go the distance with blazing fast performance, next level efficiency and multi day battery life. Snapdragon processors are built to tackle it all from highlight reel editing to intense player research so you can be at the top of your game wherever the day takes you. Learn [e-mail] laptops Snapdragon the heart of your PC. Battery life varies significantly based on device settings, usage and other factors.

[Public Investing Ad Voice]

Support for the show comes from public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index. With AI it all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year. You can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like EFTs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors llc. SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not investment recommendation or advice. Complete Disclosures available at public.comDisclosures People Talk.

[Colin Cowherd]

A lot about athletes performance, but what about your own? QuestHealth.com can help you understand where your health stands. With Quest you can buy your own lab tests online, no doctor visit required. Quest has a huge selection of lab tests for everything from fitness to heart, health and more. Just buy a test online and visit a nearby Quest location for sample collection. You'll get fast results online and for a limited time you can save on select lab [e-mail] use the code herd10 at checkout.

[Co-host or Guest (possibly JMac or another analyst)]

Terms apply. Wasabi is purpose built to free your business from skyrocketing storage costs and fees from the big guys. Wasabi is the go to provider for professional and collegiate sports teams around the world. Check out Wasabi's AI enabled intelligent media storage Wasabi Air to the industry's only cloud storage service with triple protection against cybercriminals. Wasabi driving innovation in data storage for up to 80% less than the other guys. Try for [e-mail] or Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage, proud partner of the Volume Podcast Network.

[Colin Cowherd]

Hi there Colin Coward. You don't need to spend a thousand bucks to drink the best bourbon in the world. The folks over at Green river are proving that Green Rivers Weeded Bourbon was just named Best Bourbon in the World at the prestigious 2025 New York World Spirit Competition. They beat out bottles 10 times the price. It's 90 proof, full of peppery spice s' mores and honey grain. The best part? Only 36 bucks. That's it. Head over to greenriverwhiskey.com learn more a product of Green River Distilling Co. Owensboro, Kentucky. Please drink responsibly. This is an I Heart Podcast. Guaranteed human.