THE HERD - Hour 1 - Fans are turning on Mike Tomlin, Lane Kiffin chooses LSU, Ben Johnson is the difference in Chicago

Summary

The Herd with Colin Cowherd – Hour 1 (Dec 1, 2025)

Main Theme:
This episode delves into the evolving landscape of NFL coaching and team identity, exploring why fans are turning on Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh, the significance of Lane Kiffin’s move to LSU, the rapid transformation of the Bears under Ben Johnson, and broader football trends.

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Episode Overview

Colin Cowherd discusses the stagnation of defensive-minded, long-tenured coaches like Mike Tomlin, the drama and implications of Lane Kiffin leaving Ole Miss for LSU, and how offensive innovation is changing franchises like the Bears. Key moments feature blunt analysis, notable fan reactions, and timely discussion about NFL and college football power shifts.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Pittsburgh Steelers & the Mike Tomlin Backlash

• Fan frustration is boiling over: Steelers fans chanted “Fire Mike Tomlin” as the Bills dominated Pittsburgh.
• Colin’s critique: The Steelers have been stuck in a cycle—above .500 but lacking real progression, consistently suffering from weak offense, an O-line "in crisis," and an overpaid, underperforming defense.
• Defensive legacy outdated: Colin argues that veteran defensive-minded coaches (Tomlin, Carroll, Belichick, Rivera) are no longer suited to today’s offense-driven NFL.
  • "The guy in charge, Mike Tomlin, is tone deaf to offense. NFL head coaches have gotten younger, smarter and more offensive." (04:36)
• TJ Watt’s comments possibly shade Tomlin:
  • "I've never seen a team run the same play as much as they ran it tonight and have as much success as they had. I'm out of words for it... right now we don't have a kick ass defensive group." – TJ Watt (07:37)
• Colin’s bottom line: Steelers’ issues are systemic and reflect a need for offensive innovation; it’s not just roster, but leadership, that must evolve.

2. Coaching Trends: Offensive Minds Rise

• Offensive coaches like Sean Payton, Ben Johnson, Sean McVay, and Kyle Shanahan are “younger, smarter, more current.”
• Colin asserts: "Offensive coaches can fix problems in season. Defensive guys feel like they need an off season." (05:34)
• Comparison with younger defensive minds: Demeko Ryans and Mike McDonald are “young, current, aggressive—different from the old guard.”

3. Lane Kiffin Leaves Ole Miss for LSU

• Lane Kiffin's move: Kiffin leaving for LSU is painted as college football’s “attention economy” at work—star presence trumps tradition and stability.
  • “Say what you want about Kiffin, you don’t have to like him ... Kiffin, the LSU, they feel big.” (10:26)
• Perspective for Ole Miss fans: Kiffin’s departure is painful, but his tenure raised the program to heights unseen in decades.
  • “If I told you four years ago, Lane Kiffin's gonna burn you at the end. But it'll make you the number one offense...You'd have taken it on the spot. You date the supermodel, she dumps you. You knew it was coming.” (11:10)
• College football’s volatility: The sport is chaotic, unregulated, and prone to drama—like “bitcoin” or the “wild, wild west,” per Colin.
• Kiffin’s own words on his exit:
  • “This was a very challenging, difficult day...I just totally wish the team the best of luck, wish that I was coaching, but understand..." – Lane Kiffin (13:26)
• Colin defends Kiffin, warning against sentimentality in a business built on constant change.

4. Chicago Bears Turnaround Under Ben Johnson

• Rapid transformation: Ben Johnson's arrival redefines the Bears' identity—tough, physical, and committed to running the ball.
  • "Ben Johnson has been in Chicago less than a year. They already have an identity." (07:58)
• Statistical leaps: Last year’s Bears ranked 29th in big plays; this year, they're top 2. Defense is #1 in takeaways, #2 in rushing defense.
• Coaching DNA: Colin stresses that great coaches create structure and squeeze the most from the roster: “Getting the right coach does not guarantee Super Bowls…But it does guarantee an identity.” (23:54)
• On QB development & toughness: “All good coaches are tough and demanding on quarterbacks.”
• Ben Johnson’s approach: Hard on Caleb Williams (“no pandering”) and demands focus, discipline, and physicality.

5. NFL Week Reactions & Notable Games

• Chargers/Herbert: Despite injuries, L.A. remains tough under Harbaugh (“good coaching does that; toughness seeps through the roster”).
• Broncos: Sean Payton’s team survives close games, underscoring that good coaches consistently find ways to win: “It’s no coincidence that Sean Payton and Ben Johnson win all these close games…” (30:17)
• Packers/Lions: Jordan Love praised for clutch performance and rapid in-season offensive fixes by coach Matt LaFleur.
  • “Green Bay's offense was broken three weeks ago... What did their young offensive coach do? He fixed it in season. Pittsburgh can't do that.” (33:39)

6. Wider NFL & College Football Trends

• Teams like Philadelphia are exposed for their schematic stagnation (“Nick Sirianni feels almost like a defensive coach—brute strength over tweaking”).
• Young offensive minds adjust quickly, while old-school coaches lag.
• Lane Kiffin and conference realignment foreshadow major shifts in college football’s landscape.
• Jerry Jones’ bold trades—like moving off Micah Parsons—highlight the NFL as a business of flexibility, not sentimentality.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Colin on Tomlin & Older Defensive Coaches:
  "NFL head coaches have gotten younger, smarter and more offensive. And these older defensive guys… They feel outdated." (04:36)
• TJ Watt’s Frustration:
  "I've never seen a team run the same play as much as they ran it tonight and have as much success as they had." (07:37)
• Colin on Kiffin's Move:
  "You date the supermodel, she dumps you. You knew it was coming." (11:10)
• Lane Kiffin on Leaving:
  "This was a very challenging, difficult day... I just totally wish the team the best of luck, wish that I was coaching, but understand..." (13:26)
• Colin on Ben Johnson & Coaching Impact:
  "Getting the right coach does not guarantee Super Bowls…But it does guarantee an identity." (23:54)
• Caleb Williams (Bears QB) on Mindset:
  "Every single game that we play... is to make a statement. That's just another game for us, you know, focus on being 1 and 0 each week." (25:50)

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Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• Steelers Fan Backlash & Tomlin Critique: 02:50–07:15
• TJ Watt’s Candid Comments: 07:37
• Rise of Offensive Coaches: 04:36–06:51
• Lane Kiffin to LSU & Ole Miss Reflection: 10:26–16:22
• Lane Kiffin’s Exit Statement: 13:26–14:03
• Ben Johnson and Bears Identity Shift: 21:47–26:19
• Caleb Williams Post-Game Thoughts: 25:50
• Packers' In-Season Offensive Fix: 33:39–34:50
• Colin’s Jerry Jones/Dallas Analysis: 41:51–49:00
• Colin on Philadelphia’s Identity Crisis: 49:00–52:06

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Summary Table: Main Themes

| Segment / Topic | Time | Main Takeaway | |-----------------------------------|----------|--------------------------------------------------------------| | Steelers/Tomlin | 02:50 | Fan unrest, outdated defensive coaching, need for offense | | Offensive Coaching Trend | 04:36 | Youth, adaptability, problem-solving in season | | Lane Kiffin to LSU | 10:26 | Big move, attention economy, Ole Miss pains | | Kiffin’s Exit Statement | 13:26 | Handling the breakup with respect, college football chaos | | Bears/Ben Johnson | 21:47 | Quick culture shift, running game, tough-minded QB coaching | | Packers Offense Fix | 33:39 | Young coaches quickly fix schematic issues | | Cowboys/Jerry Jones Flexibility | 41:51 | Trading stars for infrastructure, bold GM moves | | Eagles’ Offensive Issues | 49:00 | Stagnation, lack of midseason adjustment, scheme critique |

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Conclusion

This hour of The Herd takes a sweeping look at football’s power dynamics—on the field and the sidelines. From Pittsburgh’s cries for change under Mike Tomlin, to the seismic Lane Kiffin coaching move, to the Bears’ rapid development under Ben Johnson, Colin Cowherd argues that modern football belongs to bold, adaptive, and offensively-minded coaches. The show’s tone is candid, a blend of humor, real talk, and pointed critique, packed with memorable lines and sharp insight for any sports fan.

Transcript

[Announcer]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Colin Cowherd]

Thanks for listening to the Heard podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio at 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 this party started. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Oh, it is going to be a Monday for the ages. What a last four days we had. We're live, we're in Chicago. It's the Herd. Wherever you may be, however you may be listening, thanks for making us part of your day. You got a lot of choices out there, Sark. Steve Sarkeesian stopped by. Urban Meyer stops by. Lane. Kevin's going to lsu. What do we make of the Bears? What do we make of Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh? Let's not waste any time. One hour from now where Colin was right, where Colin was wrong. So you heard that chance, potentially. Did you hear the chance in Pittsburgh as the Bills were rolling over the Steelers fire Mike Tomlin, Chance and I feel like the last eight years the Steelers are the exact same team. They'll finish slightly above.500. They'll have a bottom 10 defense. They'll be better early than November, December and January. And the quarterback plays limited because they can't run the football. And the O line is always in crisis. That's what they are. You can keep running through quarterbacks and left tackles and wide receivers and drama and running backs coordinators. Doesn't matter. The guy in charge, Mike Tomlin, is tone deaf to offense. NFL head coaches have gotten younger, smarter and more offensive. And these older defensive guys, Pete Carroll, Bill Belichick, Mike Tomlin, Ron Rivera, Lovey Smith, they feel outdated. And I said this, Aaron Rodgers, go to Minnesota or retire. You're just stepping into Tomlin's quicksand. And I would, I would have no problem hiring Mike Tomlin, say, in Miami to stabilize the Dolphins. I think he'd be a really good fit there. But look around the league right now. Who's the number one seed in the afc? Sean Payton, offensive coach. The Jaguars never deliver. Oh, wait, now they're going to win their division potentially. Liam Cohen, offensive coach Sean McVeigh is number two seed in the NFC. You know who number one is? Offensive coach Ben Johnson. I would argue Kyle Shanahan's done a better job coaching than anybody outside of Mike Frable this year. Another offensive coach. Offensive coaches are younger, they're smarter, they're more current. And I said this last week, offensive coaches can fix problems in the season. Defensive guys feel like they need an off season and I'm sorry, but on defense, they're old. The Steelers are expensive. Darius Slade, Jalen Ramsey, they're past their prime. They're paying a fortune for it. They got gray beards on offense and on defense they took a defensive tackle instead of Jackson Dart. What are you doing? Again, no urgency. This is a criticism I said about Pete Carroll. Geno Smith's not good enough. Ron Rivera said, I got Sam Howell, not good enough. Aaron Rodgers, don't blame him. Look around the league, the rules have changed. These old defensive guys, I don't have a problem with the Miko Ryan's, Mike McDonald, they're young, they're current, they're aggressive. I mean, McDonald took over for Pete Carroll. An hour later. The team was better with the same players. So the last six Super Bowls have featured head coaches with an offensive background. Doesn't mean you have to hire them. But yesterday, finally, finally the fan said enough. I mean, you hold Buffalo to three points in half and you get rolled and we don't even like Buffalo this year. We don't even know what to make a Buffalo this year. Here was a stoic and an honest Mike Tomlin after.

[Interviewer/Reporter]

It's an awful performance by us, but it's us. We didn't do a lot well tonight. Obviously.

[Co-host/Analyst]

Mike, did you have a sense for how restlessly frustrating the crowd was to them?

[Interviewer/Reporter]

I don't know how restless and frustrated I was. And so I assume they were in the same state we were in. Man, I share their frustration tonight. Man, we didn't do enough. That's just reality of it.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. The defense has been the highest paid for four years. It's not elite. Come on now. And this is not just me or the media or the fans. We don't even think Buffalo's creative. Here's TJ Watt sounding like a shot at Tomlin. The staff after the game, we need.

[Interviewer/Reporter]

To find ways to be able to make plays. And I mean, I've never seen a team run the same play as much as they ran it tonight and have as much success as they had. I mean, I'm out of, I'm out of words for it. We talk about the talent that we have, we talk about everything that we have. But right now we don't have a kick ass defensive group. And that's all that I can speak on.

[Colin Cowherd]

I mean, you gotta have a. Ben Johnson has been in Chicago less than a year. They already have an identity. Tough, physical, run the ball on offense. How many years are we going to watch the Steelers struggle to figure out how to run the football. Ben Johnson's done it in 12, 13 weeks. Mike Vrabel, still in a rebuild, has got that defense playing its butt off and not paying much for it. He can't figure out the defense like it just doesn't work anymore. I'd hire him, maybe in Miami. Doesn't mean he's not a good coach and wouldn't fit other places. But between this ownership group, the great GM who left the. The coach who feels tone deaf to offense, the fans have finally come to the realization that we have for about three years. This is not good enough. It's just not good enough. And Ole Miss wasn't good enough for Lane Kiffin. Say what you want about Kiffin, you don't have to like him. Harbaught of Michigan, Kiffin, the lsu, they feel big. Harbaugh was controversial for years. Kiffin's going to be controversial every four weeks. This is great for college football. There's an attention economy in college football. Dion did it at Colorado, put eyes on the program. He's just not the coach, given his. And this is not lsu. Much better program than Colorado. And I say this to all the bitter people in Mississippi. I understand you're hurt, but would you have signed up for this exit when Kiffin got there? You've been irrelevant forever. I don't think. I think last time you won an SEC championship was in the 60s. Anytime you're good, you have a Manning quarterback. Archer, Eli, if I'd have told you four years ago, Lane Kiffin's gonna burn you at the end. But it'll make you the number one offense. It'll be the best Ole Miss football team ever. Stadium's packed. Everybody in the country is looking at you. You'll feel proud to be a Mississippian and an Ole Miss fan. He'll leave you. It'll be ugly. You'd have taken it on the spot. You date the supermodel, she dumped you. You knew it was coming. I mean, you were cheating with Hugh Freeze years ago. So you played the game in college football. You were paying people when you weren't supposed to pay people. Don't get too precious. Ole Miss, your history was Hugh Freeze. You supported him. Ncaa. Outrageous. Nick Saban stopped recruiting in Mississippi with Hugh Freeze because they were just buying players. So you played the game before, and this is the game. It's an 8 billion dollar industry. I have complained for years about college football. It's boxing. Bob Arum, Don King made a fortune. And a handful of boxers did but it was unregulated. That's why Dana White shows up in the ufc, dominates boxing. It's organized, it's got a CEO, right? It's an unregulated. It's. I said last week, it's bitcoin. You buy it, you better know it's turbulent and you're going to get scorched, you're going to have bad days. And that's college football. I don't love, I don't love leaving before the playoffs, but college football's calendar's always been weird. And college football has put up no boundaries or regulations on this. So the last 50 years, Ole Miss five times has had a 10 win season. Kiffin gave you three. And he gave you your only 11 win regular season. Okay, so. And you got busted for cheating years ago with Hugh Freeze, Houston Nut or Ed Orgeron. I can go through the coaches. Nobody wins there. Kiffin, not only one, he won big. And the SEC has always had one rule, always eat or be eaten. This was bound to happen. And you don't have to like Kiffin and you don't have to like the way it looks, but he's a ladder climber and a lot of coaches are. And I get it. Nick Saban, get out of here at Bama. USC fired him on a tarmac. Lane Kiffin's reality is Al Davis fired him. Weirdly, USC fired him. Strangely, you think he's losing sleep. And if you didn't know that going in, that's a you problem. Now this, this ridiculous comment that Lane Kiffin should be allowed to coach at Ole Miss, having the LSU job, that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. So I don't blame Ole Miss for moving off him. I mean, that's just ridiculous. People that say that on other networks. You've heard of relegation in the English Premier League, you should be relegated as an on air talent. If you're arguing that, I mean, that's just ridiculous. That's not going to happen. I'm rooting for Ole Miss in the playoffs. Selfishly, I wanted to watch Lane Kiffin. I wanted to see it. I don't think they're as good as most teams, but I think they could potentially beat Notre Dame. They're not beating Ohio State. I don't think anybody's beaten Ohio State. But come on, man. College football, it's like a weird black market economy. They don't have a CEO, they don't have a president. The old wild, wild west in the 1800s when you used to have territorial governors. That's what you have in college football. They're called conference commissioners. All they care about is themselves. Here was Lane Kiffin after.

[Interviewer/Reporter]

This was a very challenging, difficult day. You know, we went through a lot last night with Keith Carter trying to figure out a way, you know, to make this playoff, you know, run, work and be able to coach the team. And at the end of the day, that's his decision, and I totally respect that. I understand that decision. And, you know, so I just totally wish the team the best of luck, wish that I was coaching, but understand that it was very challenging position for him and the chancellor to be in and totally respect that. So, you know, just really, really hope they play really well and go win the national championship.

[Colin Cowherd]

Good job by Marty Smith there. Hey, listen, this idea that Kiffin's trying to wreck the program. Have any of you guys ever gotten a great job? Because when you do, you take three or four people from your great job to the next job. It didn't take the entire staff. He's not trying to wreck the program. He's not rooting against Ole Miss. But he's now the coach of what many coaches perceive as. As the best job in college football, or at least top three. The reaction at that little airport in Oxford, though, I got to admit, let's play it sound up is pretty funny. I'm sorry that I could watch that on a loop. I'm sorry, but it's always remarkable to me when people get into relationships with people who have a clear id, who have a clear brand. And I know Lane. I always got along with him fine. He's not for everybody. I think he's grown up. But you'd have taken him if I'd have told you he's going to burn you in the end. But it'll be four years of bliss. You'll be the number one offense in college football. Everybody will be talking about you. You're going to make the College Football Playoff. You'd have signed up for it in a heartbeat. It just ended up like bitcoin acquisitions. Bumpy. You feel burned, unregulated. That's what it is. Don't buy the coin if you don't like the outcome potential. So I. Hey, and Ole Miss, you know you're not going to let him keep coaching there and have another job at lsu. That dumb. All right, J. Mac, we got Ben Johnson and the Chicago Bears. Are they going to run the nfc? How about this weekend slate of games? Bears, Packers, Thursday's Lions, Cowboys, even the Jags. Colts is interesting. I mean, it worked out perfectly. The TV games coming up starting Thursday are the best of the year.

[Co-host/Analyst]

Yeah, and you got college football obviously getting crazy. Besides linkifin, I'm sure you saw Pat Fitzgerald headed to Michigan State. That's a whole home run higher. I mean, just an awesome weekend in sports. Hope you had a good Thanksgiving. Mine was spectacular.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yep, same here. Sunday night after the conference championships. What I which I don't think are going to last very long. I don't think you need them anymore. They're going to put out the College Football Playoff. I thought Notre Dame was in over Miami for sure. Then I watched Miami hammer Pittsburgh and now I'm not sure. At least Miami can say we got a great win over Notre Dame. Notre Dame can say we've got a we beat usc. I'm telling you, it's going to be razor thin. You just got to keep watching the games. Sark showing up later so is Urban Meyer. 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, it's Rob Parker and Kelvin Washington from the Odd Couple on Fox Sports Radio.

[Interviewer/Reporter]

And in addition to hearing us live weeknights from 7 to 10pm Eastern on Fox Sports Radio, we are excited to announce brand new YouTube channel for the show.

[Colin Cowherd]

That's right, you can now watch the Odd couple live on YouTube every day.

[Interviewer/Reporter]

All you got to do search Odd Couple FSR on YouTube again.

[Colin Cowherd]

YouTube. Just search Odd Couple FSR.

[Interviewer/Reporter]

Check us out on YouTube and subscribe.

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Colin Cowherd]

You know, I was just trying to figure out what to do when a coach is wearing his hat on backwards in a locker room. Now I've got to process a coach taking his shirt off in the locker room. But I gotta be honest, after the Bears went to Philly and hammer the Eagles, I kind of like that, too. Here's Ben Johnson.

[Interviewer/Reporter]

It right.

[Colin Cowherd]

I gotta be honest, I may start doing this after the morning meeting. I kind of like it. I mean, it doesn't take that long. When you get the right head coach. You get a Mike Vrabel, you get a Sean Payton, you get a Ben Johnson, you get a Liam Cohen. It doesn't take that long. There's so much mediocrity in so many industries. Excellence rises and it looks different. Here's all I know. Last year, The Bears were 29th in big plays with the same quarterback. D.J. moore. Yeah, had that too. Now they're second. My bad. First, they've gotten better at everything. Getting the right coach does not guarantee Super Bowls. Most reasonable people understand that. But it does guarantee an identity. The Patriots have one, the Bears have one, the Jags have one. It guarantees you'll get the most. You'll squeeze the most out of your roster. This is largely last year's roster with a better guard, center guard combo up front. Yet the defense now is number one in takeaways, number two in rushing. It's not like DeAndre Swift wasn't there last year. It just doesn't take that long. And you'll find a common thread with the really good coaches. They're hard on their players. Sean Payton's hard on Bonix. No pandering. Ben Johnson's hard on Caleb. No pandering. All the friendly. The friendly guy down in Miami, I think he seemed like a great guy. Is. I don't need hugs and pandering and kisses and rainbows and birds chirping. Be hard on your star young quarterback. Be hard on everybody. Demand attention. You guys get an off season, right? You get Mondays off, sometimes Tuesday. Practice games, 2 hours, 3. Be focused and that's what Chicago is. Not only the big picture stuff, they're just better at at what their roster allows them to be better at. And I'll tell you, this Bears team is built for December and January because they can run the ball. A lot of these teams, I don't know if Jacksonville, maybe they are some of these teams, I don't know if they're built for December and January. The Bears are. And it's Ben Johnson. You know, you think defensive coaches are the tough guys. Shanahan, Ben Johnson, they love to run the football. I mean, they played Philadelphia. Philly has Saquon Barkley. They ran it 17 times. These guys ran it 47. So Ben Johnson is one of these new young coaches. He wants to get physical. It's an identity, it's a toughness. It's bled on over to the defense. And Caleb Williams, Ben doesn't like that. He only completes 58% of his throws, but he doesn't throw picks, and he's no longer getting sacked. And those are two great qualities for a young quarterback. So this, this Bears team, when they were coming back and they were beating the Giants, was a cool story. Going to Philly and hammering the Eagles is something well above a good story. And here's Caleb on the W. Every.

[Interviewer/Reporter]

Single game that, that, that we want to play and that we play, it's. It is to make a statement. And that's just another game for us, you know, focus on being 1 and O each week. And, you know, we keep, we keep doing that. We keep focusing on what's inside, the noise inside of the building. Honestly, it doesn't, you know, the, the statements and, and all of that, all of that, you know, is more, more of the outside noise, more of kind of stuff for y' all to kind of talk about and, you know, the analysts and all the whoever to talk about. And so, you know, we'll. We'll keep focusing on ourselves.

[Colin Cowherd]

Again, not hard to identify. Good coaching and all good coaches are tough and demanding on quarterbacks. They may say nice things to the press, but you watch the body language. You watch Ben Johnson on the sideline. He's demanding. But, you know, when people say, well, they didn't have a lot to work with. We're dealing with injuries. What Kyle Shanahan and Harbaugh are doing with injuries. I don't even know how the Chargers can run the ball at the worst rated O line in football. I don't know how the Niners can stop anybody. The whole team's beat up defensively great coaching. You can identify it quickly. It is tough and demanding. And Ben Johnson, he feels like the best hire in the NFL since Sean McVeigh. He really does. J. Mac with the news.

[Interviewer/Reporter]

No, no, no. Turn on the news.

[Colin Cowherd]

This is the hard line news.

[Co-host/Analyst]

All right, let's go from great news for the Bears to not great news for the Chargers. Colin, L.A. got the win over the Raiders, but Jim Harbaugh broke the news yesterday. Justin Herbert broke, suffered a fracture in his left hand. It's really unclear how bad this is, but he's getting surgery today. Yeah, okay. Now, he did come in, finish the game, threw a touchdown pass. He doesn't even know if he's out next week.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Okay.

[Co-host/Analyst]

That's how tough this Harbaugh Herbert combo is. Like, they both think, like, okay, he might play against the Eagles, which is a tall order. If not, it would be Trey Lance. For what it's worth, a buddy of mine was at dinner last night after the Chargers game and ran into Herbert and his smoke show of a girlfriend. People were coming up to Herbert. He was in good spirits. So, I mean, I'm going to go ahead and just say I have no idea if he's going to play. Chargers did look dangerous, Colin last night.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, again, it's another offensive coach who remember Chicago. Remember the operational problems they had in the first two weeks. They've cleaned them up in season. Remember how bad opening drives had been for Denver or they cleaned them up in season. I mean, they, Harbaugh and Kyle Shanahan are putting out a masterclass. They should not be able to run the ball at all. Their offensive line is a disaster. Lowest rated in the sport. But this is what good coaching does there. Once you have toughness, even if you're J. Mac, even if you lose stars, toughness seeps. Right? It's all through the roster. You can win a lot of love, a lot of games, missing stars or beat up if you're resilient and tough. This is a sport of big, strong, physical men, and I think they're just willing their way to a win.

[Co-host/Analyst]

It's a good point about the offensive line. Remember the Bills yesterday? Right? No tackles and they rushed for like 200 and some odd yards against the Steelers. So running the ball's huge. Now, this is a nugget going forward. So Vidal, the. The backup who really had not done anything last season, he was good yesterday. Had a long touchdown run. They should get Hampton back next week. You, we know what this team is going to be in January. They're running Hampton and Vidal down your throat. And if they get a lead, Justin Herbert on third down last night. Colin 12 of 13. It's easy passes, nothing deep, nothing risky. This team is scary if they get an early lead on you. I like the Chargers a lot. Let's go to the next story. And with Sunday Night Football on paper, kind of a weak game, but it turned out to be kind of interesting. Wild until the end. It goes to overtime and the Broncos get super lucky as Nick Bonito bats down what should have been a walk in touchdown for Jeremy Nichols in Washington. Mariota didn't totally read it well, didn't lob it up high enough. Here's Sean Payton after the game when he was asked about escaping.

[Interviewer/Reporter]

I'm sure both teams, when we look.

[Colin Cowherd]

At the film probably did some things.

[Interviewer/Reporter]

We didn't want to do. But those guys.

[Colin Cowherd]

Came out and fought hard.

[Interviewer/Reporter]

So did our guys. And you know, we made a play at the end. That was the difference. We don't escape.

[Colin Cowherd]

We won.

[Interviewer/Reporter]

The journey of a good team season involves games like this and, and then you believe that you can do it again.

[Colin Cowherd]

Let me, let me defend Denver here.

[Announcer]

Okay?

[Colin Cowherd]

All right, let's hear it now. The season, 17 games. So we all acknowledge the first game of the year doesn't even matter. Raiders beat the Patriots, you start playing. Well, a great example is the rams. Stafford had 30 touchdowns and two picks. Do you think he was going to end up with 40 touchdowns and three picks? Eventually you travel out east, you get caught flat footed. Carolina has to win off a Niners loss and all of a sudden the Rams defense doesn't have a ton of energy and you're. Denver won the game, okay? Denver is a number one seed. They're not going to play with the same intensity. All those guys know Washington's on a backup quarterback when you have a 17 game season. This is not college football, as you well know, where you have advantages with athletes. These are all pro players. And so I'm watching that game. It could have gone either way. But I'll tell you, I don't think it's a coincidence that Sean Payton and Ben Johnson win all these close games or Andy Reid did last year. They are very good at several things. They were just bad defensively by their standards last night. The Rams were bad yesterday by their standards. Bryce Young, 15, 20.

[Co-host/Analyst]

Yeah, I mean, listen, the one score, games eight and two, you saw the stat on the screen five and oh, when trailing in the fourth, we can say that's intestinal fortitude and toughness and smarts well, you know what? The Chiefs last year, unbelievable. In one score game. This year, wouldn't you know it, they can't win any of them. They're really struggling in one score games. So this stuff kind of goes back and forth. You have to admit the ball is bouncing their way a lot.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yes.

[Co-host/Analyst]

And Colin, I cannot wait to see who they play. If they get the two seed. I think we think with the Patriots will probably be the one because of the schedule.

[Colin Cowherd]

If they play Buffalo, I'm taking Denver. I'm taking.

[Co-host/Analyst]

We'll be head to head on that one. If they play the. Could they play the Ravens? I don't know if the Ravens could. Could get the wild card because that division's kind of wonky right now. We'll see. I don't know if the Chiefs play Denver. Round three, are you taking Denver? I just, I think we need to pump the brakes on how dominant this team is. Enjoy it while it lasts. I see you grinning. You know the story here, like this is not a great football team.

[Colin Cowherd]

I mean, everybody keeps telling me the Bears aren't that good and the Broncos aren't that good. They keep winning.

[Co-host/Analyst]

They do. They do. They are. Let the good times roll.

[Colin Cowherd]

Right.

[Co-host/Analyst]

Final story. Colin, let's go back to Thanksgiving. You know, we totally nailed this game on Friday or on Wednesday. Sorry. Packers would beat the Lions, Jordan Love would be incredible. Christian Watson would be amazing. But what I didn't anticipate was these high leverage downs. Green Bay, two touchdowns on fourth down.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Co-host/Analyst]

Meanwhile, the Lions, they just cannot get this fourth down thing right. All of a sudden. And here's Dan Campbell. Well, no, actually here's Jordan Love talking about the excitement about the packers win.

[Interviewer/Reporter]

I think be able to go out there on fourth down and execute and make some big time plays is really the difference in that game right there. So, you know, that's what it comes down to is just going out there executing and those got to have it plays. And we made plays tonight. Everybody. I mean, we're staying aggressive. You know, we got a chance to go out there and ice the game, you know, not even give them a chance to get the ball back. And we stayed aggressive and I love it. We made plays right there.

[Colin Cowherd]

Let me say this, Green Bay's offense was broken three weeks ago. It was. We both said it's broken. What did their young offensive coach do? He fixed it in season. Pittsburgh can't do that. So. And the other thing I'm taking in this game is, and there were some really weak officiating Both sides.

[Co-host/Analyst]

It was an issue all weekend.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, Green Bay. I'm not. Green Bay deserves to win. But it's funny, if I told you there was this quarterback in Green Bay, tall, athletic, big arm, highly aggressive, never throws picks, you'd be like, whoa. Can people finally acknowledge Jordan Love's really talented to go into that environment? I mean, every trait I like, everything he does. I like when you get upside and he doesn't throw a lot of picks. I mean, I think the kid is. You got to give Green Bay credit. When he came out of Utah State, he did not have a good final year in college. And my. My sources were totally mixed on him. They were like, some just were not into it. Way reckless, way loose. This kid has been called, coached hard, coached fairly. He is a tremendous player.

[Co-host/Analyst]

Yeah, there's a stat that the gamblers like EPA per play. Jordan Love is the number one quarterback in that, by some margin, over Drake.

[Colin Cowherd]

Man, tell people what that means.

[Co-host/Analyst]

Well, I expected points added for every single play. Grade, every single play. And Jordan Love, I know it's no risk. It no biscuit sometimes with him. But Colin, if you look at the numbers, he is shredding when it matters most. And I will add this, they did lose Tucker Kraft, obviously, that's a big, huge loss. Hey, by the way, you know who's coming back? Matthew Golden. You know who else is coming back? Jaden Reed. And Christian Watson looks healthy. Colin, this offense, I. I said it Wednesday. I was like, listen, if you think the packers can go to the super bowl, bet them.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Now.

[Co-host/Analyst]

I think they're the best team in the nfc. I know that sounds crazy, but that defense, did you see the. Detroit had 10 plays stopped at the line of scrimmage or behind it. Micah Parsons and those stunts. Now losing Wyatt, their defensive tackle, that's a big loss because he's excellent. But I do think Green Bay, you know, if you. If you look like you think you have the Rams still coming out of the nfc, right?

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, I mean, I, I don't take anything from the loss yesterday. I think Green Bay three weeks ago, I think we both said on the air their offense is broken. But these young offensive coaches do a much better job of fixing things than these old defensive coaches. And I thought that was an impressive win. Again, I thought it was an egregiously officiated game, not great. But I'm not going to say that's why they won. There were. I mean, at one point, somebody grabbed. I think it was Christian Watson's arm was grabbed and they didn't call it. It was blatant miss by the officials staring at it. So I Green Bay is a really well coached, smartly quarterbacked team that added the guy they needed to an elite pass rusher because what Green Bay's been leading games in the fourth quarter for 30 years. Rarely have that Reggie White closed wins. This is another guy. Micah closes the door. He's there. Mariano Rivera, he'll close out a lead. You know with you need 12 pitches left. Yeah.

[Co-host/Analyst]

Real quick on the Lions, Colin. It looks like they're probably going to miss the playoffs. We said in the offseason losing Ben Johnson would be massive. We look like idiots for like seven weeks. How about now? We weren't wrong. We were just early. I'm just telling you. Lions Amon Ross St. Brown's going to be out a couple of weeks now.

[Colin Cowherd]

Who? Who?

[Co-host/Analyst]

They were thrown to a guy who played lacrosse I think six months ago. I don't know what's going on with the Lions. They're in trouble if they can't run the ball.

[Colin Cowherd]

J Mac with the news well, that's the news and thanks for stopping by. The Herd lie news first of all, Philadelphia circling the drain. The Dallas Cowboys. I think we all have to write apology letters to Jerry Jones. We'll talk about that next. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific. Breaking not everything's terrible. We repeat, not everything is terrible. The Ripple Effect is proof that the Internet hasn't ruined humanity entirely. Hosted by Jenna Kim Jones, it's funny and uplifting. Podcast spotlights the quiet, powerful ways people still choose good. Each episode features real stories of kindness, of barbers changing more than just their clients. Haircut of the secret life, of leftover hotel soap, of vending machines that dispense just the help somebody needs, like magic. If you're tired of outrage, if your thumbs are sore from doom scrolling, or if you just need a reason to smile again, this podcast is your new favorite Scroll Break. It's heartfelt, hopeful, a gentle reminder. Goodness is still out there. Surprisingly contagious too. So put down your phone, pick up your faith in humanity and join Jenna for the Ripple Effect. 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.

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[Announcer]

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[Colin Cowherd]

Hi, it's Colin.

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[Colin Cowherd]

Listen, baseball season's here.

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[Co-host/Analyst]

Saturday, for the first time in conference history, number one and number two collide in the Big Ten title game. Heisman hopefuls collide as Julian saenza leads number one Ohio State against Fernando Mendoza and number two Indiana. Coverage begins Saturday, 6:30 Eastern on Fox.

[Colin Cowherd]

Let me ask you this something about this game. Let me ask you. Ohio State doesn't need to win. I'm honestly, they just played Michigan. I don't think they'll have a letdown. But the game could mean more to Indiana. I don't think conference championships are going to be around long. I think the playoff eliminates the need. We both know Indiana and Ohio State are top 12 teams. It we know it. It's the one's got a great offense, one's got a great defense and a pretty good offense. So I like that game. I'm going to watch it. I'm really interested. But you know, I look at that and I think to myself, I think Ohio State's better. And if Ohio State hadn't played Michigan, I think they, they'd win maybe convincingly. But it's, it's a college football now has changed a lot. It's a lot closer to the NFL where not every game at the end of the season matters if you've already qualified for the playoffs. I'm fascinated the Hooers in Ohio State, but beating Michigan, that's the key to it. And they did okay. Sometimes you sell a nice house, really nice house, and you buy another house because it fits your family. Now the people who bought your old nice house, they really needed that house more than you did. And it doesn't mean you don't respect them or, or that you didn't like the house. But they're just different times in a family's life, not having kids. You can live one place now. You got a bunch of kids, you got to live in a good school district. That to me was always the Micah Parsons trade. Dallas love Micah, but the players around him weren't good enough. And Jerry Jones needed flexibility. I said this during the Micah trade and I felt like I was on an island. Yes, it's good for Green Bay. It's great for Dallas, too. They got the infrastructure, the house they needed for their family. They were atrocious defensively and Egregiously bad against the run. And signing Micah wasn't going to. It wasn't going to save that or change that. But getting Quinn and Williams and Kenny Clark and still two first round picks. They have flexibility and are now a really good defense. With DeMarvi and overshone healthy, they're still top two in the NFL in pressures without Micah and now they're great against the run. The Cowboys are a better football team without Micah. Doesn't mean you don't love the house. It didn't provide what you needed in the moment. Green Bay is a team with a powerful offense that needed a closer. Micah was great for him and is great and Micah's still a great player. But Dallas wasn't leading a lot of games because they couldn't stop the run. And Jerry Jones, you know, it's funny, if you took out the teams and you took out the names of the people involved and you just said, there's this general manager, he stole this star receiver for a third round pick. Yeah, he's like a pro Bowler. And he got Quinn and Williams, Kenny Clark, he took this atrocious defense and made it excellent and he still got two first round picks. You'd be like, who was it, Howie Roseman? No, it's Jerry Jones. You just don't like Jerry. Jerry Jones was on radio this week saying how badly he wanted Quinn and Williams. Then of the jets before the deal was made. Actually tried to trade actually for Williams. I wanted A and Parsons for Williams. A1 and Parsons for Williams. About that much of Williams. And he's showing you what he can do for a defense. So, you know, it's just funny. Jerry took a lot of heat. Remember he said to the Wall street journal, there's 100 billion present value with gas out there. And that's why I'm talking to you on the telephone rather than trying to fix our defense. Took a lot of heat for that. Well, people freaked out. But it looks like Jerry Jones being distracted and neglected, neglecting the Cowboys. He fixed the defense and made $100 billion in natural gas. You know, I mean, we gotta be fair in this business, Jerry. To me, for years it was becoming kind of mom and pop. But the George Pickens deal, the Quinn and Williams deal, it takes guts to move off Micah, who was beloved by fans. But they're a better team without Micah because dealmakers need flexibility. This is a team that couldn't pay $8 million to get Derek Henry a couple years ago. Dealmakers. Jeff Bezos at Amazon doesn't need More money. He needs flexibility. Elon Musk doesn't need more money. Flexibility. That's Jerry. Jerry's got plenty of money. What Jerry needed was the ability, cap space to make moves and improve the entire roster. And they have done that. This was a bad run defense. Now it's excellent. Your eyes are not deceiving you. They beat Kansas City. They were the better team than Kansas City. All right, Philadelphia is a mess and a talented mess, but the Bears beat him in Philly and they don't have any identity right now. The Eagles offense with a good old line, tight end, star receiver Saquon Barkley. Jalen hurts yards per game, 24th, third down percentage near the bottom of the league, three and out percentage worst in the league. Punts tied for 29th. So. And they didn't just get ugly in the last couple weeks. They've been completely uneven. Since the first week. They have had an offensive identity crisis for about 75 to 80% of Nick Ceriani's tenure. So, and I've said this about Nick Ceriani, he's not an elite scheme coach like Dan Campbell in Detroit. You can argue he's a good culture coach. He's good in the locker room, although that sometimes sounds like she's got a great personality. But he's not a great scheme coach. So it's much harder for him than it is like a McVeigh, a Shanahan, a Ben Johnson or a Matt LaFleur to fix something in season. He did it that one year because he just gave up the play calling to a really good coach who now leads the Colts, Shane Steichen. But it does feel like an unsolvable problem because part of being a great coach is constantly tweaking. Chargers lose both offensive tackles. Niners lose Fred Warner, Bosa in their first round pick. It's not just August to January. You have to constantly tweak. And we've seen these issues since week one and they're not tweaking them because they can't. The GM has shown an ability in an off season to tweak. It's interesting. I think Nick Ceriani feels almost like a defensive coach. It's about brute strength. Be aggressive, have a vibe, be tough. What they need is tweaking. Green Bay three weeks ago, broken offense, Green Bay now Super bowl contender. You gotta constantly tweak. It's been since week one, it's been a mess. So I just look around this league right now and it's very rare when you can get a coach like Ben Johnson, who is not only a CEO and a culture builder, but good with schematics. That's McVay Shanahan. I think Vrabel's pretty good at that, but there's no easy answer. Everybody wants them to move off. The offensive coordinator. He's not McVeigh. Who's calling plays? Who? Here's Nick Ceriani. We're not changing the play caller, but we will evaluate everything. I have confidence in the entire group. Again, I know it will keep coming back to Kevin, but again, if I thought it was one thing, then you make those changes. Obviously, it's a lot of different things.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

But, yeah, I don't think it is.

[Colin Cowherd]

The, you know, Kevin. I'll give you an example. Remember when the Rams earlier this season, Puka Nakua got banged up and they had all sorts of injuries. They literally mid season went to 13 personnel. Let's play three tight ends, caught everybody off guard. That's tweaking. That is modern coaching. So in lafleur solving a broken offense, that's real coaching. God. The Bears early in this season couldn't get the basics down, the operational stuff they do now. So the Eagles are 0 4. When Saquon Barkley gets 13 carries or fewer, they face the Bears. Chicago runs at 47 times. Eagles run at 17 with that whole line. So I don't. I don't think these are solvable. Maybe, you know, I love the defense and there are teams that are just better on one side of the ball than the other. But this, the. This league, the coaching is younger, it's smarter, and you got to be a little bit of a psychologist and a therapist and a. A doctor that makes home visits got problems to solve. And this has been around since week one. They still can't solve it. So, J. Mac, people keep talking about how good is Denver and Chicago. Here's my question. How good's Philadelphia if they can't solve their offense?

[Co-host/Analyst]

Yeah, yeah. I think you mentioned this before. Some teams peak early. Did the Eagles maybe peak a little bit early? I saw a weird stat that since Nakobe Dean, their good linebacker from Georgia came back, Jihad Campbell, who has been unbelievable this season, is barely playing. He didn't play one defensive snap against the Bears who ran the ball down their throat. And I'm like, you know, that maybe they, you know, they're just going through a tough transitional time. I think they'll be okay. They're still a dangerous team, obviously with hurts and that defense. But you're right, that was a bad eye.

[Colin Cowherd]

Opening loss all right Matt Hasselbeck Colin Right Colin Wrong. Both Steve Sarkeesian and Urban Meyer stopped by. Big story of the and you could have argued. Lane Kiffin Kind of blowing up the sec going to LSU. How are you now? 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. People talk 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.

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Colin Cowherd]

Hi, it's Colin.

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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. Tito's made in Austin, Texas. Real attention to detail. 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.

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[Announcer]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Colin Cowherd]

Guaranteed Human.