Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Episode: THE HERD - Hour 1 - Packers Look Dominant, Caleb Williams' Timeline, Trouble In Miami?
Date: September 12, 2025
Host: Colin Cowherd (with J. Mac)
Production: iHeartPodcasts and The Volume

Main Theme / Purpose

This episode dives into the most pressing NFL storylines from Week 1 and the beginning of Week 2, focusing on:

• The Green Bay Packers' emergence as a dominant and youthful force
• The timeline for judging QB Caleb Williams in Chicago
• Cultural instability and warning signs for the Miami Dolphins
• Additional discussion of coaching, QB development, AFC/NFC matchups, and the evolving NFL landscape

Cowherd’s hallmark is combining keen football analysis with cultural and organizational observations, and this episode is no exception—it's packed with his signature takes, direct comparisons, and honest, sometimes biting, commentary.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Green Bay Packers: Fastest and Most Impressive Team?

• Green Bay’s Dominance
  • The Packers put on another dominant performance despite some sloppiness (10 penalties, backup O-linemen) and are “hands down the most impressive team” in the NFL through two weeks.
  • They’ve shut down last season’s No. 1 and No. 2 most efficient offenses, dominating for three quarters each game. (04:00)
  • “It jumps off a TV, does it not? This team is good. Essentially the first two games… they gave up nothing.” (Colin, 02:00)
• Team Speed and Depth
  • The Packers are the youngest team in the league but fly everywhere—tight ends, wide receivers, defensive ends, and even Jordan Love (“their quarterback can run”).
  • Multiple Green Bay receivers and tight ends run over 19mph—no other team matches that combination of youth, talent, and speed, and crucially, they’re not paying them star-money.
    • “Terry McLaurin of Washington alone makes 10 million more than the entire wide receiver and tight end group for the Packers.” (Colin, 06:00)
• Culture and Organization
  • Green Bay’s lack of a traditional owner, patient fan base, and manageable local media allow for rare patience—e.g., letting Jordan Love sit for three years.
  • “That’s when you can give up first-round picks. What do they need?” (Colin, 07:15)
• On Jordan Love
  • Love is a risk-taker, more like Favre than Rodgers, but hasn’t had a turnover in 9 straight regular season games—because he’s getting the ball to the speed group and letting them do the rest (11:30).
  • Sizable upside because they aren’t burdened by big contracts; only Love and Micah Parsons are major investments.
• Quote – Jordan Love on Offense:
  • “We got a really good offense and we’ve been talking about, you know, the sky’s the limit…so many playmakers. We’re really deep on offense…just got to find ways to go out there and execute against good defenses like them.” (Jordan Love, 14:10)

2. Green Bay vs. Miami: Stability vs. Flash

• Miami’s Culture in Question
  • Miami held a players-only meeting after Week 1—a red flag (15:00).
  • Cowherd contrasts Green Bay’s “patience and stability” with Miami’s “shortcuts, flash, and lack of organizational bedrock.”
• City Culture Reflected in Sports
  • “Teams tend to embody the culture of the city…Miami’s always been a flashy town. But their only sustained football success has come through toughness, defense, and consistency.”
  • Miami’s previous “fastest team in NFL” title was bought (“they did it through a trade and had to pay a fortune”); Green Bay developed theirs.
• Cowherd’s Take: “There’s an old saying, speed kills. You know what really kills? Bad GM’ing, bad coaching, lack of culture. It makes even the fastest guys slower.” (Colin, 17:35)
• Quote – Tua on the Player-Only Meeting:
  • “A lot of it has to do with communication…from the performance that I put out there, obviously it starts with me, but with those guys, communicating…our expectation…move forward from that…It’s a long season ahead.” (Tua Tagovailoa, 19:15)
• Basketball Analogy:
  • Miami’s Heat culture is defense, toughness; flashy play comes second.

3. Caleb Williams’ Timeline and QB Development

• Tom Brady’s Take on QB Evaluation
  • Is it fair to judge a young QB like Caleb Williams by Thanksgiving of his second year?
  • Brady: “There’s a lot of people who have no idea what they’re doing when they’re tasked with coaching a quarterback or calling an offense…After Thanksgiving, your second year, they’re going, man, this guy just can’t play anymore.”
  • Coaching matters immensely—only a handful of NFL teams are equipped to get the most out of QBs (“quarterback development circle of trust”: Chiefs, Chargers, Broncos, Packers, 49ers, Rams, Vikings) (23:40)
• Environment Over Talent
  • Some players will succeed anywhere due to rare skills; for most, scheme and coaching are make-or-break.
  • Even talented QBs can be set up to fail by instability or poor coaching; Brady has repeated this on the show multiple times.
• Caleb Williams’ Situation
  • Cowherd says the Bears situation for Williams is much improved with Ben Johnson and an upgraded O-line and weapons: “If he doesn’t succeed, it’s not on the organization. They’ve given him a fair chance now.” (32:10)
  • “It is the most, by a mile…important position in the entire sport, and about a seventh of the league…I trust with it.” (Colin, 34:30)

4. NFL Viewership and the Power of Football

• NFL’s National Pull
  • Cowherd shares behind-the-scenes perspective: football is the only sport that’s truly national and must-drive content for a national audience (51:30).
  • NFL viewership is up, with Week 1 pulling “massive” numbers.
  • Other sports (MLB, NBA) are regional or highlight-driven; only the NFL reliably gets Americans off social media and into live TV.
  • “Red Zone” works because it’s the NFL, not just the format or the host.

5. Concerns about the Kansas City Chiefs’ Offense

• Chiefs No Longer “Wow”?
  • The Chiefs’ offense is pedestrian by all advanced stats—23rd in rushing, 27th in big plays, 18th in red zone scoring—despite Mahomes and Andy Reid (46:10).
  • “Trust your eyes. They’re not a very good offensive football team…the Chiefs, Mahomes and Reid, it’s not the same show.” (Colin, 47:05)
• Brady on Mahomes’ Burden (48:00)
  • “It takes someone like Patrick Mahomes to kind of have that Mahomes magic and pull the rabbit out of his hat in order to keep his team in the game.”
  • “You can watch his feet—he doesn't trust (his offensive line).” (Colin, referencing Greg Cosell’s previous analysis)

6. News & Notable Matchups

• Seahawks vs Steelers (Aaron Rodgers)
  • Discussion of Aaron Rodgers: Stats may mislead; PFF had him as the 5th lowest graded QB in Week 1.
  • “Aaron is not going to go four touchdowns and no picks and have that time to throw…He’s not a top-10 interesting QB in 2025.” (Colin/J. Mac, 37:30)
  • Rising QBs (Jordan Love, Dak) are more watchable.
• Monday Night: Chargers vs Raiders
  • Pete Carroll Jim Harbaugh rivalry: both praised for aging well and their football passion (40:30).
• Giants’ Russell Wilson Struggles
  • Wilson expresses confidence but Cowherd is skeptical—“what he’s lost is elusiveness…he was never an elite pocket guy.” (Colin, 43:15)
  • Hall of Fame status debated (“No” from Cowherd and J. Mac).

7. Packers, Sophomore Slumps, and NFL Upsets

• Sophomore slumps are overblown—Jaden Daniels shouldn’t face one due to his temperament.
• Green Bay is “the fastest team in the league” and overwhelming on defense (56:30).
• Every week sees upsets, but some things from Week 1 will prove true (Packers’ speed, Steelers’ defense will bounce back, Chiefs’ struggles are real).

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On the Packers:
  • “It jumps off a TV, does it not? This team is good…Their tight ends run, their defensive ends run well, they’re wide receivers, their quarterback can run and the spacing and speed is on display.” (Colin, 03:00)
• About Miami’s Red Flag:
  • “The fact they had a players only meeting after the first week is a danger sign…Miami’s just not good at [details and development].” (Colin, 15:25)
• On Culture and Stability:
  • “This is the difference between, you know, structure and stability and shortcuts.” (Colin, 18:05)
• Tom Brady on QB Coaching:
  • “There’s a lot of people who have no idea what they’re doing when they’re tasked with coaching a quarterback or calling an offense…they go, ‘Alright, bud, here you go. Figure it out.’” (Tom Brady via Colin, 23:50)
• On Chiefs Offense:
  • “Trust your eyes. They’re not a very good offensive football team…if Mahomes and Andy Reid can’t do better than 18th in red zone efficiency…” (Colin, 46:10)
• On NFL National Urgency:
  • “[NFL] is the only thing in this country that transcends all of it and can get people away from their phones. It’s politics…and the NFL, not even sports. The NFL.” (Colin, 52:00)

Important Segment Timestamps

• Packers Analysis & Culture: 02:30–14:30
• Green Bay vs Miami, Culture Comparison: 14:30–19:30
• Caleb Williams/Brady QB Analysis: 23:30–34:30
• NFL as National Sport/Red Zone: 51:00–54:30
• Chiefs Offensive Troubles: 46:00–50:00
• News Rundown (Rodgers, Seahawks, Chargers, Giants, etc.): 35:00–45:00

Tone & Style

• Colin Cowherd’s style remains incisive, conversational, and highly opinionated, often drawing big-picture connections between on-field events, team/organizational culture, and broader trends in sports and society.
• There’s a mix of stats-driven analysis, anecdotal insights, and frank (“brutally honest”) assessments, both positive (Packers) and negative (Dolphins, Chiefs, Giants, even Rodgers).
• J. Mac provides co-host banter and gently challenges points, but largely affirms Cowherd’s takes.

Summary Conclusion

This episode is essential listening for anyone seeking a rapid, insightful read on where the NFL’s biggest stories stand heading into Week 2. Colin Cowherd sets the agenda with his belief in Green Bay’s ascendance, skepticism about Miami and Kansas City, and continued emphasis on the immense importance of organizational culture, QB development, and proper coaching. The episode features plenty of memorable quotes, audio from rising stars (Jordan Love, Tua), and a blueprint for how to evaluate teams and quarterbacks across the contemporary NFL—in under an hour.