The Herd with Colin Cowherd: Hour 1 – Ben Johnson Is Missed in Detroit, the Broncos Will Be Fine Under Sean Payton

Date: December 4, 2025
Host: Colin Cowherd
Guest Analyst: Bruce Feldman

Episode Overview

In this episode of The Herd, Colin Cowherd dives into the NFL's hottest topics: the fallout for the Detroit Lions after the loss of offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, why he believes the Denver Broncos’ recent string of close wins is sustainable under Sean Payton, and broader conversations about NFL coaching, sustainable success, and the state of professional and college sports. Colin is joined by Bruce Feldman to analyze headlines, including playoff logistics, powerhouse NFL storylines, and notable college football developments.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Dallas vs. Detroit Preview: Trends and Coaching Make the Difference

• Dallas (Cowboys) on the Rise: Both Colin and JMac are confident the Cowboys will win comfortably against the Lions, citing team health, trending performance, and confidence.
  • “I think Dallas wins by a touchdown or more tonight. I think a lot of the NFL is trends and which way you’re headed. I think Dallas is headed in the right direction.” (Colin, 03:52)
• Lions Player Talent vs. Coaching Loss: While the Lions have strong personnel, Colin attributes their step back not to injuries or players, but the loss of Ben Johnson, their former offensive coordinator now coaching the Bears.
  • “You want to know why Detroit’s not as good? They lost Ben Johnson, the offensive coordinator. Now he’s the coach of the Bears and the Bears are looking down at the Lions. That’s it.” (Colin, 04:14)
• Historical Examples: Comparing Ben Johnson’s departure to pivotal leadership changes at companies like Nike (Phil Knight) and Apple (Steve Jobs), he asserts you "can't replace brilliance."
  • “It's really impossible to replace brilliance… You just can't replace McVay and Shanahan on a staff. Arguably the two best coaches in the league after Andy Reid and I'll die on this hill.” (Colin, 05:30)

2. The Broncos: Winning Close Games Is a Sign of Good Coaching

• Is Denver’s Success Sustainable? Colin strongly refutes the notion that the Broncos’ string of close victories is a fluke. He points to the coaching acumen of Sean Payton, likening the approach to the Belichick-era Patriots and Andy Reid teams.
  • “People are basically saying what Denver is doing is not sustainable. You can't keep winning in the fourth quarter like Denver's doing. And I would say no, that's absolutely sustainable.” (Colin, 07:07)
• Winning by Details: He draws attention to the way teams like New England won consistently by mastering details: minimizing fumbles, excelling on special teams, and situational coaching.
  • “It’s absolutely coaching and details… Fewest sacks allowed. That’s coaching. Third-down defense. Red zone defense. That’s situational coaching.” (Colin, 08:44)
• Data on Close Games: The coaches with the best records in one-score games are all offensive-minded. Colin considers close-game wins to build character and unity, while “winning by blowouts, that’s not sustainable.”
  • “Being good on third down offensively, not getting sacked a lot. That's coaching, that’s sustainable.” (Colin, 11:39)
• Sean Payton’s Motivational Style:
  • “I hate losing more than anything, like in the world. And so I think fear of failure is a very significant motivating factor from a detail standpoint. And, you know, there's nothing that's too small, that's not significant…” (Sean Payton, 11:55)

3. Contested Narratives: Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss

• Colin weighs in on the emotional fallout at Ole Miss after Lane Kiffin’s departure to LSU, stressing perspective and the unreliability of emotionally charged narratives.
  • “Ole Miss got dumped and they're angry. And you could argue they have a right to be angry. But I don't suddenly believe everything Ole Miss players and the athletic director and the boosters and the donors are saying.” (Colin, 20:36)
• Joel Klatt adds that while Kiffin’s move is understandable, the manner has consequences for credibility.
  • “He did leave those players high and dry. That's going to hurt his credibility moving forward.” (Joel Klatt via Colin, 23:22)
• Colin sums up: focus on what's ahead, not bitterness.

4. NFL/College Football News Roundup (25:00–32:20)

• Shedeur Sanders vs. Cam Ward (25:00):
  • Colin: “Cam Ward’s a much greater talent. I think Shedeur Sanders is a more fascinating story… I like Cleveland.” (25:04)
  • Bruce jokes about betting trust in Browns covering with Shedeur Sanders.
• Josh Allen’s Rushing Record (26:43):
  • Discussion of Allen’s place among running backs for rushing scores, and the importance of QB durability.
  • “Durability is a huge thing. Eli Manning, Brett Favre, Tom Brady. Durability is a huge thing.” (Colin, 28:28)
• College Football Playoff Snub Drama:
  • Marcus Freeman (Notre Dame) frustrated at Alabama leapfrogging them. Discussion about lack of logical consistency in selection, and debate over big programs vs. statistical fairness.
  • “When you get to the final 12 teams, nobody wins a national championship that doesn’t recruit at an elite level. So why are we trying to fool ourselves…?” (Colin, 29:40)
  • “Why can't they just do that?” (Bruce Feldman, on playoff logic, 30:55)

5. NBA: Giannis, Milwaukee, and the Value of Flexibility (32:24–40:30)

• Milwaukee’s Dilemma: Giannis and his agent are discussing his future as the Bucks face relevance and flexibility issues.
  • “They don’t control any of their first-round picks until I think it’s 2031 and they’re going to be paying Damian Lillard $20 million a year for the next four or five years. They're in a bad spot in Milwaukee, they're not relevant in the East.” (Colin, 33:36)
• Comparing Franchise Mindsets:
  • “The Green Bay Packers... have moved off icons... Milwaukee now... terrified to acknowledge that.” (Colin, 32:48)
• Rise of College Talent and NBA Draft Value:
  • The NIL is keeping more top talent in college, improving NBA draft depth, and making picks more valuable.
  • “Over the last two to three years, have you noticed how good the NBA draft’s getting? Why? Because guys like Zach Edey are staying one more year in college because of NIL.” (Colin, 34:46)
• Should Bucks Trade Giannis?
  • Colin advocates for a reset: “With Giannis you could get four first-round picks and in an improved draft. I would give up four first round picks.” (36:18)
• OKC as Trade Partner:
  • They discuss potential packages for Giannis to OKC, debating roster construction and strategic risk-taking.
  • “I would trade my third-best player for Giannis.” (Colin, 39:59)

6. Baseball’s Salary Cap Debate and Health of the Sport (45:48–50:24)

• Salary Cap Argument: Colin sides with Dodgers manager Dave Roberts in opposing restrictions at the top unless there’s a floor for low-spending teams.
  • “If you’re going to kind of suppress spending at the top, I think that you got to raise the floor to make those bottom feeders spend money too.” (Dave Roberts, 46:28)
• Big vs. Small Market Success: LA’s deferments are noted, but the sport thrives due to smart franchise operation and big-swinging brands, not just money.
  • “Baseball is on fire because of Rob Manfred’s changes, because the big markets are crushing, and because it’s not as lopsided as you want to believe it is. There’s a lot of small market stories doing really well.”* (Colin, 48:17)

7. College Football and NIL Effects (50:24–52:50)

• NIL Impact: Colin highlights how the NIL has leveled the playing field, with schools like USC, Oregon, and Notre Dame thriving over “traditional” SEC dominance.
  • “I predicted when the NIL happened… SEC will still be very good, but it won’t be as dominant.” (Colin, 50:24)
• Changing Booster Power: Big Ten programs benefit from deeper-pocketed boosters ("car maker" vs. "car dealer" analogy).
• Vanderbilt as a Surprise Power:
  • “Vandy is the heady school in the South… They're pretty good. Everybody thought the NIL would squish the little guy. It's hurt the big guy.” (Colin, 52:44)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• On the importance of coaching over personnel:
  “It’s really impossible to replace brilliance." (Colin, 04:35)
• On details winning in the NFL:
  “Highly organized people don't need wide margins.” (Colin, 12:09)
• Bruce Feldman’s playoff snark:
  “They're beating bad teams in close games… This is like Davis Mills, okay? This is the Raiders 10-7 at home.” (Bruce, 14:06)
• On trading Giannis and franchise flexibility:
  “The smartest people I've ever met in any industry… flexibility. They crave flexibility.” (Colin, 36:18)
• Colin's analogy on NIL's impact in the SEC:
  “Alabama territory, your number two or three booster can be a car dealer. In the Big Ten, it's a car maker.” (Colin, 51:17)

Timeline of Key Segments

| Timestamp | Topic/Segment | |-----------|---------------| | 03:37 | Cowboys vs. Lions, importance of coaching (Ben Johnson argument) | | 07:07 | Broncos’ close wins and why it’s sustainable | | 12:09 | Value of coaching, close margins, Sean Payton soundbite | | 19:42 | Lane Kiffin/Ole Miss narrative reliability | | 24:35 | NFL/CFB headlines—Shedeur Sanders, Josh Allen, CFB Playoff rankings | | 32:24 | Bucks/Giannis trade speculation, NBA draft value, flexibility | | 45:48 | MLB salary cap debate, big vs. small market success | | 50:24 | NIL and college football landscape shift |

Conclusion

In summation, Colin Cowherd leverages current headlines to reinforce his philosophies about sports: that coaching and operational details drive lasting success, franchise flexibility is critical, and that emotional reactions are rarely reliable indicators of long-term outcomes. The episode offers a multilayered critique of trends in the NFL, NBA, MLB, and college football, punctuated by bold opinions, entertaining analogies, and a distinctively “Herd” perspective.