The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Hour 1 – Change is Coming in Miami, Something Rotten in Minnesota & Chiefs-Bills Preview
Date: October 31, 2025
Podcast: The Herd with Colin Cowherd – iHeartPodcasts and The Volume

Episode Overview

In this packed hour, Colin Cowherd reacts to breaking news out of Miami as the Dolphins initiate a franchise reset, firing their GM after another blowout loss to Baltimore. He proposes bold moves for Miami’s future and dives deep on quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s limitations. Colin and J. Mac debate the ever-widening chasm between top AFC contenders ahead of the Chiefs-Bills showdown, and examine what’s gone wrong in Minnesota—making pointed observations about NFL leadership, roster construction, and the unrelenting importance of quarterback play.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Miami Dolphins Overhaul: Breaking News & Colin’s Prescription

(03:00 – 17:20)

• News: Dolphins fire GM Chris Greer after getting “thumped” by the Ravens; Mike McDaniel retained as coach until the season’s end.
• Colin’s View:
  • Applauds not appointing an interim coach: “Don’t put an interim guy in who reels off 4 or 5 wins and everybody goes, ‘Oh, hire the interim.’”
  • Miami needs more than just offensive innovation—they lack “an alpha” and real culture. He repeatedly refers to the Dolphins’ performance as “empty calories.”
  • Proposed Solution:
    • Go after Lane Kiffin as head coach in the offseason for his SEC connections, offensive IQ, and CEO experience:

      “Take a big swing. Lane Kiffin, take a big swing.” (06:30)

    • Kiffin’s SEC quarterback expertise is critical in a draft full of SEC QB prospects, and he can pick his GM.
    • Warns AGAINST letting a “substitute teacher” (interim coach) effect fool the team, referencing the Raiders’ Antonio Pierce.
  • Critiques the longstanding GM structure and failure to support Tua with an elite O-line or backup:

    “Half of these GMs liked Tua more than Justin Herbert! … When Justin Herbert walks into a room — 6’6”, good looking, strapping guy … Tua walks in and it’s like, are you working accounting?” (09:15)

Notable Quotes

• “Mike McDaniel’s a great offensive coach. … Come on. I’ll get to Tua later. Here’s why you go hire Lane Kiffin: Number one offense in college football last several years … Nobody knows the SEC quarterbacks better than the current best offensive coach.” (05:30)
• “Miami’s got a smart guy in the building. They got no culture. … It’s empty calories.” (06:03)
• "Don't lose the innovation—with Lane Kiffin, you keep the innovation. But you get an alpha. He played the position. He’s a guy’s guy.” (07:00)
• “In the AFC, what are we doing? … Tua in the AFC?!” (11:50)

2. Tua Tagovailoa’s Limitations & Why Miami’s QB Search Must Start Now

(43:35 – 49:20)

• Colin points to a game-ending drive as representative of Tua’s shortcomings: no escapability, limited arm, doesn’t trust the O-line, and freezes or "quits" when the play breaks down.
• Criticizes Tua’s cold-weather performance (4–13 under 60°F):

  "He was from Hawaii, he played at Bama, now he’s in Miami. He doesn’t like the cold weather." (46:00)

• Suggests the Dolphins’ solution should copy Denver: move off Tua, eat the dead cap if necessary, but draft the right QB in the first round and reset the franchise.
• Tua on the play before halftime:

  “You’re trying to buy as much time to allow those guys to get down there, and then for yourself as well … if the pocket allowed, then I was going to be able to launch one. But, you know, it happens.” (48:35)

Notable Quotes

• “He’s a small quarterback without a big arm with no escapability. … That play doesn’t look like that if Lamar, Josh [Allen], or Mahomes are the quarterback.” (44:05)
• "I saw two different times he had zero touchdowns, three picks, 100 passing yards … He didn’t want to get hit. He was letting go of that ball: ‘Get me out of here!’" (45:00)
• "You gotta be a big, tough alpha in the AFC." (46:40)

3. AFC Heavyweights: Chiefs-Bills Preview

(17:30 – 29:45; 80:20 – 89:00)

• Rivalry History: Mahomes and Allen have played 9 times (Mahomes 5 wins, Allen 4 wins).
• Both QBs entered small markets with similar backgrounds and have established themselves as the two most gifted QBs in the NFL—“perhaps ever.”
• Emphasizes the difference is coaching:
  • Andy Reid (KC) vs. Sean McDermott (BUF)

    “If Josh Allen gets Andy Reid and Mahomes gets McDermott, they both win a ton. But somebody else has the trophies.”

• Kansas City is Colin’s pick for Sunday—better late-game execution, offensive innovation:

  “They beat you late. … When the weather gets colder, the minutiae matters a ton. Situational football is the key to all of it. … That’s what the NFL is—December football.” (23:00)

• Forecasts a high scoring affair (“about a touchdown” margin), but stresses the importance of run games in keeping Mahomes off the field.

Top 10 Players in Bills-Chiefs (85:01)

• #10. Joey Bosa (BUF) — Sacks, QB hits
• #9. Drew Tranquil (KC) — Elite efficiency
• #8. Rashee Rice (KC) — Explosive young WR
• #7. Dion Dawkins (BUF) — LT, zero hits allowed
• #6. Travis Kelce (KC) — Still elite
• #5. Chris Jones (KC) — Interior D-line force
• #4. James Cook (BUF) — RB, record rushing
• #3. Creed Humphrey (KC) — Best center in the game
• #2. Josh Allen (BUF)
• #1. Patrick Mahomes (KC)
  Edge: 6 Chiefs, 4 Bills.

Notable Quotes

• “Mahomes and Reid do not beat you in the opening drive. They beat you late.” (22:15)
• “When the weather’s warm, Tua looks like a Pro Bowler. … That’s not what the NFL is.” (23:40)
• “Whoever has the majority of the 10 best players wins the game. That’s been the rule going forward.” (26:00)

4. Minnesota Vikings: ‘Something Rotten’ & The Quarterback Principle

(56:45 – 66:50)

• Comparing the Vikings to Last Year’s Colts:
  • The roster, coach, and resources are there—but they look incompetent because they lack a “stake” (a/k/a, a real starting quarterback).
  • “The Minnesota Vikings this year are the Indianapolis Colts last year … The steak stinks? Bad experience. Doesn’t matter what else is good—steak is always the most important thing.” (58:10)
  • Minnesota under the microscope simply because they’re missing a QB; with J.J. McCarthy developing, their future hinges on his progress.
  • “Don’t go cheap on your quarterback. … Pay for the right steak, pay for the right quarterback.” (59:40)

5. Lions, Giants, Cowboys, and Leadership in the NFL

(50:00 – 56:45)

• Cowboys: Jerry Jones’ priorities questioned after public comments about a $100 billion gas opportunity.
  • “The guy’s a billionaire. He’s not as focused on the Cowboys as he’d want you to think. Otherwise, they’d be better.” (51:50)
  • Praises Dak Prescott for being a “cooler,” keeping the temperature down in the Dallas circus.
• Giants: J. Mac admits he was wrong on Jackson Dart. Robert Saleh calls Dart “uber-talented.” (54:05)
• Lions-Vikings Preview: Detroit’s D-line matches up well with MIN’s depleted O-line.

  “If you don’t get the quarterback right, everybody looks stupid in the NFL. These are great coaching staffs.” (56:30)

6. The New AFC Reality: Cold Weather and Building for December

(89:10 – 94:00)

• With the addition of Drake Maye in New England, and the surges of Baltimore, Buffalo, and Kansas City, all the AFC heavyweights will demand QBs who can win in the cold.
• Dolphins must change their draft philosophy—SEC warm-weather QBs may not work. Lane Kiffin’s experience recruiting and playing against these QBs is essential.

  “Every single big game in the AFC will be in awful weather. … There are guys more equipped to throw in lousy weather, and that’s what you have to have.” (91:30) “This is why I always said this about Tom Brady … best crappy weather thrower I’ve ever seen.” (92:00)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments with Timestamps

• On Dolphins’ Situation:

  "Miami’s got a smart guy in the building. They got no culture. … It’s empty calories." — Colin (06:03)

• On Tua:

  “He’s a small quarterback without a big arm with no escapability. … That play doesn’t look like that if Lamar, Josh [Allen], or Mahomes are the quarterback." — Colin (44:05)

• On Roster Construction:

  "If you don’t get the quarterback right, everybody looks stupid in the NFL." — Colin (56:30)

• On Andy Reid:

  “I just think Andy in those circumstances—4th down, big 3rd down, red zone stuff— that’s where these games are decided.” — Colin (81:40)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Miami Dolphins Rebuild, Lane Kiffin Push: 03:00 – 17:20
• Chiefs vs. Bills Preview: 17:30 – 29:45, 80:20 – 89:00
• Tua’s Limitations & AFC QB Realities: 43:35 – 49:20; 89:10 – 94:00
• Cowboys, Giants, Lions, & NFL Leadership: 50:00 – 56:45
• Minnesota’s QB Problem: 56:45 – 66:50

Summary Takeaway

This hour covers breaking franchise news, the existential issues facing both Miami and Minnesota, and sets the scene for one of the NFL’s premier matchups. Colin argues you cannot win in today’s NFL without presence—either in the coach or at quarterback. GMs, coaches, even great rosters are rendered useless without the right leader under center, especially in the cold, hard reality of AFC football. And as the league’s balance of power shifts, teams like Miami must recalibrate not just for skill, but for resilience and the elements ahead.