THE HERD - Hour 1 - Seahawks vs Rams tonight, building the right roster, Allen vs Mahomes, Joel Klatt

Summary

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The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Hour 1 – Seahawks vs Rams Tonight, Building the Right Roster, Allen vs Mahomes, and the Landscape of College Football (with Joel Klatt)
Date: December 18, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this energetic hour of The Herd, Colin takes a hard look at bold decision-making in NFL franchise building, using the Seahawks and Rams as his case studies ahead of their Thursday night matchup. He examines the consequences and intricacies of blockbuster moves, with particular focus on the Rams' trade for Matthew Stafford and the Seahawks' pivot away from beloved figures. The discussion expands to league-wide conversations on quarterback evaluation, the overvaluing of “coolness” in quarterback hierarchy debates (Allen vs. Mahomes), and the challenges teams face in the draft era of NIL. Joel Klatt joins to provide depth on college football’s biggest playoff questions, the portal and NIL’s impact, and coach speculation around blue blood programs.

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Key Discussion Points

1. Seahawks vs Rams: Fortune Favors the Bold

(03:32–09:16)

• Bold Front-Office Moves:
  Colin highlights the Rams’ stunning decision years ago to swap a still-in-his-prime Jared Goff (a recent Super Bowl QB) for Detroit’s Matthew Stafford, who had never won a playoff game despite great stats in Detroit alongside Calvin Johnson.

  “That is a big front and center swing by Les Snead and Sean McVay. And it's the kind of move...you put your face on your op. No troll, not anonymous. Right out in front… Fortune favors the bold.” — Colin Cowherd, 07:18

• Parallel with the Seahawks:
  Seattle’s own big swings: GM John Schneider firing beloved Pete Carroll after a winning season, hiring yet another defensive-minded coach in Mike Macdonald, and ignoring the criticism to acquire Sam Darnold as their projected starter.

  “John Snyder...fired [Carroll] off a winning season…the most popular coach or manager in Seattle maybe ever fired him.” — Colin Cowherd, 06:23

• Takeaway:
  The context for tonight’s matchup isn’t just roster strength—it's which team’s front office had the guts to make risky, paradigm-shifting decisions. Both are “fortune favors the bold” organizations.

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2. Quarterback Rankings: Allen vs. Mahomes and the Weight of “Cool”

(09:42–14:50)

• Challenging Mahomes’ Throne:
  Colin calls out the NFL media and fans for being slow to recognize shifts at the top, drawing parallels to how Tom Brady was often overlooked for being “uncool”:

  “It always ticked me off that the minute another quarterback who was elite had a great year...they were better than Brady…Because Tom, stylistically, was harder to fall in love with.” — Colin Cowherd, 10:01

• Allen Outplaying Mahomes:
  Citing production and context, Cowherd asserts that, output-wise, Josh Allen has surpassed Patrick Mahomes over the last two years, even without the benefit of championship hardware or elite receivers.

  “The last two years, Mahomes is not even in Josh Allen's league. It ain't close...Josh is bigger and stronger…Allen's number two [in passer rating in 2nd half/OT], Mahomes is 24th.” — Colin Cowherd, 11:59

• Style Bias in Football:
  Despite football’s reputation for substance, “coolness” shades perception, and many remain reluctant to crown Allen for not fitting the archetype.

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3. Dallas Cowboys’ Crucial Offseason & Defensive Failures

(18:40–23:13)

• Defensive Woes Spotlighted by Jerry Jones:
  Dallas is dead last in pass defense, a surprising failure for a roster with good pieces. Jerry Jones openly questions the defensive coaching and forthrightly acknowledges offseason urgency.

  “I think if we could have gotten this defense in better shape earlier…we could be sitting here with the kind of wins that would have not had us in this tight spot.” — Jerry Jones, as quoted by Colin, 21:55

• Multiple Pressures at Once:

  • Dak Prescott: Aging, entering final prime years, history of surgeries.
  • Draft Capital: Two first-rounders for the first time since 2008.
  • Coach Carousel: Facing possibility of 4th DC in 4 years and need to secure top coaching after passing on previous candidates.

• Warning for the Future:
  The 2025 offseason is the most crucial Dallas has faced in a decade, especially given a tougher schedule and young, dynamic QBs landing elsewhere in the NFC.

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4. News Roundtable with J. Mack, Greg Cosell, and Joel Klatt

(23:13–31:02)

a) Eagles’ Strategic Saving of Jalen Hurts’ Rushing

• (23:45–25:30)
• Analyst Greg Olson and Colin Cowherd note that Philly has intentionally limited Hurts’ runs until late in the season, copying Buffalo’s approach with Allen.
• Saving dangerous QB runs for “got to have it” moments—expect more designed runs in key games.

“Jalen Hurts in the gun as a designed runner is a huge weapon for the Eagles...The smart way...is distribute early, run late.” — Colin Cowherd, 24:05 & 24:54

b) Bears’ Offensive Turnaround

• (26:01–27:25)
• Chicago coach Ben Johnson's O-line focus compared to McVay’s earliest move in LA.
• “The real secret sauce to the Bears is Jonah Dahlman and Tuney…there are major openings, guard, center guard for this offense.” — Colin Cowherd, 26:45

c) 49ers’ Playoff Push and Purdy’s Return

• (28:23–30:56)
• Brock Purdy is FINALLY 100% healthy, says the crew.
• If Seattle wins tonight, betting implications shift: San Francisco could still slide into the #1 NFC seed.

“This team is dangerous offensively…Keep an eye on the Niners in the Super Bowl. Niners, Buffalo. Can I sell you on that? Brock Purdy versus Josh Allen.” — Greg Cosell, 30:39

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5. The NFL Draft & New Realities of NIL

(31:05–39:52)

• Giants and the Mendoza Decision:

  • Colin lays out the Giants’ looming challenge if they secure the #1 pick: Draft generational QB Fernando Mendoza or keep Jackson Dart (who has had a strong rookie year).
  • NIL changes draft dynamics: “There's a scarcity of quarterbacks…because they can make 4 or 5 million in college.”

• Valuing Jackson Dart:

  • Despite injury concerns (“always in the blue tent”), Dart has impressed, likened to a young Herbert.

  • His trade value is much higher due to the dearth of NFL-ready QBs in this NIL era.

    “Now…NIL quarterbacks in college securing the bag…it makes Jackson Dart way, way, way more valuable than he would be otherwise.” — Colin Cowherd, 32:21

• Tom Brady on Mendoza:

  “I love everything about his game. Certainly his leadership is what stands out to me.” — Tom Brady, as quoted by Colin, 35:22

• Bottom Line:

  • Giants, and other less dynamic organizations, might lack the nerve to trade Dart for a legendary prospect, yet boldness is needed.
  • Mendoza “is an easy guy to scout...it's a very pro style offense…Big kid, smart kid, great story.”

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6. Joel Klatt on College Football Playoff, NIL, and Coaching Carousel

(41:57–50:39)

a) NIL and QBs Staying in School

• “You can probably make a similar amount [as a top-20 pick] in college and then increase your draft stock to get up there into the top end of the first round...” — Joel Klatt, 42:14
• NCAA experience, reps, and not rushing to the NFL increases draft value and long-term potential.

b) Evaluating Indiana’s Upside in the Playoff

• Their defense is national-title caliber; QB Mendoza plays his best late in games.
• “Clearly one of the two or three best teams in the nation. And I'll be very surprised if they're not in the semifinals. And I'll be pretty surprised if they're not playing for a national championship.” — Joel Klatt, 44:02

c) Oklahoma vs. Alabama, Playoff Atmosphere

• Oklahoma’s pass rush and defensive strength give them the edge.
• “They're elite in two of three areas…offensively they struggle...But I'm going to go with environment, I'm going to go with defense. And because of that, I think Oklahoma wins.” — Joel Klatt, 47:01
• Anticipates an electric home playoff crowd: “…the palace on the Prairie is going to be one of the great environments.”

d) Michigan Head Coaching Search

• Michigan’s job remains “one of the premier jobs in the country,” but administrative uncertainty complicates the hire.
• Top candidates: Kalen DeBoer, Jeff Brohm.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On NFL Quarterbacks & Perception:

  “Cool matters a lot in basketball's culture, not nearly as much in the football culture. But Josh Allen's pretty cool, too. And Brady stacking trophies, that's pretty, pretty cool, too.” — Colin Cowherd, 13:22

• On Coaching Boldness:

  “It’s a lot more courage front and center. No troll, not anonymous. Right out in front.” — Colin Cowherd, 07:59

• On College Football Environment:

  “I’m getting goosebumps thinking about the environment…they’ve been waiting for this…Norman is going to be on fire. And because of that, it’s going to be tough for Alabama to win.” — Joel Klatt, 47:46

• Fun Aside:

  “Tomorrow is blazing five day picks—we’re locked in by Wednesday, I already bought three jet skis. That’s how I feel.” — Colin Cowherd, 51:20

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Important Segment Timestamps

• Seahawks vs Rams, Aggressive Franchise Moves: 03:32–09:16
• Allen vs. Mahomes, "Coolness" in QB Debates: 09:42–14:50
• Cowboys’ Defensive Failures & Offseason Outlook: 18:40–23:13
• Eagles, Bears, 49ers News Blitz: 23:13–31:02
• Giants’ Draft Conundrum, Jackson Dart vs. Mendoza: 31:05–39:52
• Joel Klatt on Playoff, NIL, Coaching Carousel: 41:57–50:39

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Tone and Style

Cowherd’s signature blend of sharp analysis and playful irreverence shapes the hour ("I already bought three jet skis"). The conversation is brisk, skeptical of consensus thinking, and ultimately celebrates smart, courageous decision-making—whether in the NFL front office, the draft room, or the college football coaching ranks.

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For Listeners

This episode is a must if you want to understand not only tonight’s Rams vs. Seahawks game but also the big-picture NFL and CFB storylines—how organizations change their futures with daring moves, the evolving quarterbacks market, and why boldness at the top of a franchise (or program) matters more than ever.

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Transcript

[Colin Cowherd]

This is an iHeart podcast.

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[Colin Cowherd]

The NBA on Prime is back tomorrow.

[Joel Klatt]

With another thrilling doubleheader.

[Colin Cowherd]

It tips off with Tyrese Maxey and the Sixers taking on Jalen Brunson in the Knicks at the Garden. Then SGA and the Thunder. Visit Anthony Edwards and the T Wolves. If you're not a Prime member, just sign up for a 30 day free trial. The Sixers and Knicks the Thunder and.

[Joel Klatt]

T Wolves Coverage starts at 6:30pm Eastern only on Prime.

[Colin Cowherd]

Restrictions apply. See Amazon.com Amazon prime for details. 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. 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 free at wasabi.com, wasabi Hot Cloud Storage proud partner of the Volume Podcast Network everybody has goals, and every goal starts with an assist, whether it's on the field or off. That's why Halion is teaming up with US Soccer to launch for the Assist. It's a new campaign that celebrates those everyday acts of support that help people achieve their goals. As the makers of trusted brands like Advil, Centrum, Tum, Sensodyne and Voltaren, Halion knows how to support everyday wellness goals. To learn more, go to helionassist.com thanks for listening to the Herd 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.

[Richard Sherman]

Now let's get this party started.

[Colin Cowherd]

You're listening to Fox Sports Radio, one of the games of the year. Tonight, Rams at the Seahawks. We're live on a Thursday. Greg Cosell, an hour from now, it's the Herd. Wherever you may be, however you may be listening, thanks for making us part of your day. College Football playoff starts Friday. Joel klatt today, Todd McShay on the very real, very real reality for the New York Giants. They'll have the number one pick and may have to decide between Jackson Dart and Fernando Mendoza. You know what side I'm on. I want to, I want to start the show with this is J. Mack and I front and center every day. We put our face on our op. The Internet is mostly about Captain Hindsight's afgs after the fact. Geniuses, everybody. So smart after the fact. But I want to talk about Rams, Seahawks. I want you to think about this because it feels so obvious. What I'm going to say right now feels so obvious. I mean, you guys knew it would work. The Rams had a Pro bowl quarterback in Jared Goff, who'd been to a.

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Super bowl.

[Colin Cowherd]

Just entering his prime. And Sean McVeigh said, you know, I'm going to give up two first round picks. I'm going to pay Jared Goff's salary and the new guy's salary. And I want Matt Stafford with a losing record in Detroit, who in 12 years had never won a playoff game, had only made it three times and was.03 and I'm going to let you look at the numbers of Matt Stafford. They're totally unremarkable. And that's with the second greatest receiving talent I've ever seen behind Randy Moss in Calvin Johnson. So he had the ultimate number one receiver. He was 74 and 90, completed 62% of his throws, his passer rating in the 80s and did not have a 2 to 1 touchdown to interception ratio with Calvin Johnson. And Sean McVay is like, yeah, I'm going to pay his salary. I'm going to pay Jared Goff's salary. Stafford's had the, you know what beat out of him for 12 years. Never won a playoff game. Goff just made the Super Bowl. Yeah, let's pull the trigger on that. That is a big front and center swing by Les need and Sean McVay. And it's the kind of move first year in. I mean, Stafford still led the NFL interceptions. He and McVeigh were trying to figure it out as the season was going on. So it's easy now to go. I knew this thing would be money. Dude had never won a playoff game. Average quarterbacks in average franchises in 12 years will win a playoff game. And it's the same with John Snyder. The Seattle gm, Pete Carroll, very popular in Seattle. Two Super Bowls, had a trophy. Beloved had just had another winning season and John Snyder fired him of a winning season. The most popular coach or manager in Seattle maybe ever fired him. And John Snyder also with Sam Darnold erupting in those games, remember against the Rams and against the Lions, everybody was like, that's who Darnold is. That's who Sammy is. Stay away. And Snyder goes, no, I'm going to pay him pretty good money. We're going to go with Sam Darnold. So the Stafford move looks brilliant today. You thought he was going to at this age. What is he, 37? This is what it was going to look like after getting the, you know what kicked out of him in Detroit. 74 and 90. 12 years, no play. I'm going to pay for Goff and Stafford and two first picks. Golf was really good. I saw golf go toe to toe in LA and beat Mahomes. Remember that game, Coliseum. So that's a lot more courage front and center. No troll, not anonymous. Right out in front. And John Snyder, Pete Carroll was beloved in Seattle. People moved on from Russell Wilson and moved on from Pete. Fired him. Seattle gets better. And not only does he fire Pete Carroll off winning season, he hires another defensive coordinator, Mike McDonald. You would think you'd be like, okay, the old defensive guy. League's pivoting to offense. John, you got to get an offensive guy. He's like, no, I'm going to go defense again. And I think tonight Sean McVay is arguably the best coach in the league and I think Mike McDonald is the defensive Sean McVay. But this game tonight is about big swings, doing unpopular things, things people scratch their head on. Acquiring turnover prone Sam Darnold, hiring another defensive coach, firing Pete of a winning season. You're going to pay for Stafford and golf. 12 years no playoff wins 03 Fortune favors the bold. I don't know who wins tonight, but I know Matt Stafford. At his age. These Thursday night games are tough.

[Joel Klatt]

Physically, I mean, I think that's the most difficult part, especially this late in the season. You know, going into our, what is it, our 15th game we'll be playing then you got 14 under the belt and then trying to turn around and play in a couple days is tough, especially for somebody as old as I am. So that's, that's the biggest thing. Obviously you got a great opponent that we're playing in a tough environment as well. That not to be discounted, but for personally, for me, it's physically, it's probably the toughest part.

[Colin Cowherd]

Two great rosters, great coaches and great GMs too. So Patrick Mahomes, they are estimating now in quotations, ballpark rehab is going to take nine months. He'll be back sometime in September to play again. The league is better with Mahomes. He's one of the all time talents. But I was thinking about this this morning, taking the train into work. That's who I am, a rugged sportscaster. So when Tom Brady was in his prime, it always ticked me off that the minute another quarterback who was elite had a great year or year and a half run, they were better than Brady. Remember when Aaron Rodgers wins the Super bowl in 2010, 2011, he's the MVP. And suddenly there was a chorus of fans and media saying, Aaron's better. And I'm like, Brady's got three Super Bowls and counting and two MVPs. What are you talking about? No, Aaron. Aaron is the man. Okay, I don't agree with that. And then when Peyton Manning, when he won the super bowl in Denver and was named the MVP, remember that year he beat Brady in the playoffs? 2015. And I love Peyton Manning, top five quarterback ever. Everybody was like, he's got Tommy's number. He is. You know what, let's be honest about it. He Changed the league, not Brady. I'm like, brady's got four Super Bowls and counting. Because Tom, stylistically, was harder to fall in love with. Even Belichick had a crush on second round pick Jimmy Garoppolo for about two, three years. I remember reading an article by, or a book by Seth Wickersham, great writer. And there were anonymous sources in the building saying, well, it's a lot of system. It's the system. You know, a lot of guys could win here in Foxborough. It wasn't until Brady went to Tampa with a.500 Buccaneers, won a title with Aryans, that everybody finally acknowledged that day as he's drinking margaritas and almost threw the trophy into the pond. Everybody went, yeah, it was Tommy, not Belichick. And so I do think style drives the NBA discussion, but it matters in the NFL, too. Aaron looks cooler. Elway was always better than Marino, but Marino looked cooler. And Patrick Mahomes, he's kind of cool. And that's why we have so much reluctance to acknowledge the clear and absolute truth. The last two years, Mahomes is not even in Josh Allen's league. It ain't close. Josh is bigger and stronger. I'll throw the numbers on the screen. If you go to passer rating in the second half and overtime in the last two years, Allen's number two, Mahomes, is 24th. And by the way, Mahomes has better receiving targets. The Bills receivers stink. They play in worse weather, believe it or not, than Kansas City. They have a defensive coach, not Andy Reid. The last two years, one guy is significantly bigger, stronger, more productive than the other. But we like Mahomes and we like Aaron and we love Marino. It looks cool. And cool matters a lot in basketball's culture, not nearly as much in the football culture. But Josh Allen's pretty cool, too. And Brady stacking trophies, that's pretty, pretty cool, too. I just appreciate that Sean McDermott, a defensive guy with a smile on his face, realizes what he has. Want to pull up the family scrapbook and we can just sit down and kind of kumbaya and just page through every one of Josh's days and the journey here. Some of the things he's done are unprecedented in terms of what a quarterback has been able to accomplish over the years and the ways he's done it and the way he, and most importantly right now is leading our football team. And I know some of you will say, Colin, the reason we're reluctant is all those trophies. Exactly the reason that it used to drive me nuts, that people wouldn't give Brady his flowers because he had all the trophies too and you were more than willing to say Aaron's it, Peyton's the guy. So don't give me the trophy argument. You never use that with Brady because Brady didn't play cool football. But he's the best pre snap quarterback arguably ever, the best post snap quarterback ever, the best cold weather thrower ever, the smartest quarterback ever, the best clutch quarterback ever. Right now the best football player in the world is in Buffalo and it's not particularly close. A lot of stuff today. Greg Cosell, Joel Clatt I think I've switched my pick. I think I like Oklahoma over Alabama. I know I've gone back and forth on that puppy. Can't wait for Friday. 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 Cavino and Rich from Fox Sports Radio. Now, in addition to hearing us live weekdays from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2.

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[Colin Cowherd]

YouTube channel for the show. Yup, that's right. You can now watch Covino and rich live on YouTube every day. All you got to do Search COVINO and RICH FSR on YouTube again go.

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[Colin Cowherd]

Check us out on YouTube. Subscribe. Hit that thumbs up icon and comment away.

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Greg Cosell]

This is the Herd line news. All right, let's bust right into it. Jalen Hurts and the Eagles coming off a big win over the Raiders. Jalen Hurts is running a little bit more. We touched on this, Colin. It seems like they're getting more quarterback design runs and if you remember, the Buffalo Bills have done this with Allen and saved them for the high leverage games late in the season. Well, Greg Olson was on the call for Raiders Eagles last week and he was getting a bird's eye view of Hertz's game and he thinks there's going to be a lot more hurts running in the near future.

[Joel Klatt]

Outside of last week's game, they've been saving it.

[Colin Cowherd]

They haven't really done it at all.

[Joel Klatt]

I mean going into last week's game there was not real heavy volume at in any way critical moments of the game.

[Colin Cowherd]

Fresh get fresh set of downs, convert in the red zone, gotta have it moments. Jalen Hurts in the gun as a designed runner is a huge weapon for the Eagles. Yeah, sometimes it's hard. Sean Payton's been better when Bo Nix is allowed to run. Like sometimes the running quarterback frees up everything.

[Greg Cosell]

Yeah, I totally miss this in the handicap because we've called this on Allen the last couple years. It's very clear his trend is don't run a lot early in the season unless you play The Chiefs and you got to have it, or the Ravens save it for the end. You don't want your body to break down. And I just wonder, hearing Olson, is the same thing going to be true with Hertz? This is kind of a. This is kind of a big game for them against Washington. I see some people out there advocating for the commanders. I don't get it. If the Eagles win this, Colin Dallas is done, season over. You've got two weeks to, like, rest up every lane. Johnson, we don't need to rush you back. Like, I think this is a big game for Philly. I think they show well here.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. And I. I do think there, you know, there's some analytic proof that the smart way to do it in this league is distribute early, but for the big, active quarterbacks, move late. I've noticed this with Justin Herbert against the Eagles and against the Chiefs. Like, Justin, we know you're banged up. We need first downs. We have to beat these teams. And you put it out there. I mean, that's. That's the advantage to having a, you know, a durable quarterback is we're going to ask more of you. When the weather gets bad, we can't throw down the field as accurately. That's the end. The O lines are all beat up in November and December. That's why the quarterbacks, the superstars get paid. The Herberts and the Allens and Jalen Hurts get paid.

[Greg Cosell]

And if you want to see just how bad the numbers have been, Hertz has career lows. Colin, in rushes per game, rushing yards per game, and rushing touchdowns since he became a starter. That's glaring. So you want to know what's wrong with the offense they're saving? Jalen hurts.

[Colin Cowherd]

Damn it.

[Greg Cosell]

I can't believe we missed this earlier in the year. All right, let's move on to the Chicago Bears against the Packers. It's a humongous rematch from two weeks ago. Very impressive win for the packers, but they are up against it this week. Look at the line, Colin. Bears favored by one and a half.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Greg Cosell]

Here's LaFleur talking about Ben Johnson and how he's turned things around in Chicago.

[Colin Cowherd]

I think he's done a great job of putting the quarterback in a lot of great positions, and then the quarterback's gone out there and executed. So I think their run game's been definitely a catalyst for the offense in terms of what they've been able to do. They do a great job with both those backs. I think the offensive line, they come off the ball, they're Physical. They've upgraded obviously the talent there and then they got weapons on the perimeter. Yeah, I mean, I don't forget the first thing Ben Johnson did. This was the first thing McVay did with LA. Got Andrew Whitworth left tackle from Cincinnati. Cheap Cincinnati. What is, what's the first thing Ben Johnson did? Drew Dahlman, Joe Tunney, Jonah Jackson didn't want people at Caleb Williams feet all the. Meanwhile, Pete Carroll once again Raiders lowest rated offensive line. These defensive coaches can struggle with that stuff. The offensive guys, you know, Sean Payton and Denver completely recalibrated the Denver O line in one off season. Ben did it. I think the real secret sauce to the Bears is Jonah Dahlman and Tuney. They're. When you watch the highlights of the Bears, there are holes like these aren't crevices. There are major openings, guard, center guard for this offense.

[Greg Cosell]

I'm looking at the packers injury report. Colin. It ain't good. I mean, Josh Jacobs still banged up. They lost their right tackle, Evan Zach Tom, their safety who leads the team and picks Evan Williams. He's hurt. Listen, I don't, I think I love calling Bear. I'm with you, but I, I don't want to go overboard. This could be like a 30 to 10 type beat down where the crowd's going wild and everybody's like, we can go to the NFC Championship.

[Colin Cowherd]

Is this the biggest game, Is this the biggest NFL game in Chicago in a decade? Well, there's probably been a playoff game in the last five, six years.

[Greg Cosell]

Cutler playoff game. That was the last Bears playoff. No, they had one more recently with Trubisky and they had the double doink. Remember that one?

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Oh, yeah.

[Greg Cosell]

I forget who it was against.

[Colin Cowherd]

This is the biggest regular season game in a long time in Chicago for sure.

[Greg Cosell]

What's the weather going to be like there?

[Colin Cowherd]

I haven't. Beautiful. Sunny. 75.

[Greg Cosell]

75.

[Colin Cowherd]

Okay, don't, don't, don't go to weather maps and the radar when you live here. It's today. It's balmy.

[Greg Cosell]

Balmy. Okay, sure. Final story, Colin. Oh, let's go to the 49ers. Things are looking good for Brock Purdy. Man, we used to call him Brocktober. I mean, remember, because October was his month now, I mean, we can't play with December, but Brock Purdy's on fire. 49ers have won four straight since he returned from that bad, gruesome toe injury. Remember all the Mac Jones nonsense that's put to bed? Here's Juwan Jennings talking about how much the team missed Purdy when he was out.

[Colin Cowherd]

It means a lot, man, to have to have him back 100% healthy. Obviously just a game breaker. That's where Box is at his best under the lights and, you know, whatever brought Brave to the table, we try to, you know, match it. Yeah, no, he gives them a component. I mean, he's, he moves. And in fairness, I said, remember when he had the three pick game against Carolina on Monday night? I said, timeout. He's not healthy. Oh, the ball just floated. When I watched him this week, ball, head, zip, he moved. Well, I think it's fair to say this is the first. Last week was the first time all year I'm like, okay, that's. He's 100% healthy now. He looked, he looked great last weekend. He looked absolutely fantastic.

[Greg Cosell]

So remember last week I had mentioned to you, if you think the Bills are going to beat the Patriots, bet the Bills to go to the super bowl, win the afc. So my call this week, if you think tonight Seattle beats the Rams, you need to bet the 49ers to win the NFC. Colin, if Seattle wins this game tonight, knocks the Rams out of the number one, San Fran can move up with that Week 18 game against Seattle at home. By the way, they already beat Seattle. San Fran would win the division and the number one seed. Now I know that's a lot to wrap your head around, but if Seattle wins tonight, keep an eye on San Fran to get the number one seed in the nfc. I know that sounds comical. They have no defensive players, they can't stop the run against the freaking Titans. But I'm just. This team is dangerous offensively. Juwan Jennings, healthy. Kittle healthy. McCaffrey healthy. Can I say on the Niners, are.

[Colin Cowherd]

You sure the Niners with no pass rush can go to Indy and slow down the Philip Rivers train?

[Greg Cosell]

Yes, I'm certain of that.

[Colin Cowherd]

Okay.

[Greg Cosell]

High scoring game. I think, I think the Colts move the ball. Colts defense is a joke right now. They got all their quarterbacks are hurt. I mean, I don't care about what they did against Darnold in Seattle. I think San Fran wins that. Keep an eye on the Niners in the Super Bowl. Niners, Buffalo. Can I sell you on that? Brock Purdy versus Josh Allen.

[Colin Cowherd]

No, you can't. Okay, J. Mac with the news. Well, that's the news.

[Greg Cosell]

And thanks for stopping the herd lie.

[Colin Cowherd]

News like there are certain organizations in sports, if they're given an opportunity to do something smart, you trust they will. You know, the Spurs, Oklahoma City, in the NBA and then there are organizations where they have an opportunity to show a little courage and to be really smart. You really think it's a coin flip if they can figure out the obvious stuff? So Fernando Mendoza is going to be the number one pick in the draft. Especially now that the NIL is keeping college kids in school. There's a scarcity of quarterbacks and minimum five, probably seven teams in the first 12 picks need a quarterback. And the quarterbacks outside of Mendoza, they're all staying in college because they can make 4 or 5 million in college. So the nil is a pain in the butt, at least short term in the NFL. So what happens if the Giants get the number one pick? The smart thing to do, but it would take some courage is you draft Mendoza and you absolutely move Jackson Dart. Yeah. Because of NIL quarterbacks in college securing the bag. It makes Jackson Dart way, way, way more valuable than he would be otherwise. If Dante Moore is coming out, Jaden Mahava is coming out, if all these guys are coming out, okay, what's the market for Jackson Dart now? I will say and I think credit goes to Lane Kiffin and Charlie Weiss who both work with Jackson Dart. He's had a very, very good mature rookie year. Go look at his numbers. Without a number one receiver, number one running back or a great tight end, they're very solid. 62 and a half percent completion percentage. That's not bad. Passer rating almost 93 touchdown to inter. Total touchdown interception ratio 20 to 4. That's got a Caleb Williams feel to it. So he has been better than I thought. I thought he was a mid second round guy. Charlie Weiss texted me and said, colin, he's better than you think. He's right. He's been very compelling. But Mendoza is a much bigger, better prospect and you could now because of nil get a hull for Jackson Dart. You don't think Arizona is going to go with Jackson Dart? Don't have to pay him for years. You don't think the Raiders would be interested? There's only one Mendoza and if the Giants are the worst team, it's going to take courage. New York media's loud a lot now. Now people could say it's an easy decision because Jackson Dart, Colin, he is always in the blue tent. Let me defend Jackson Dart on that a little. They don't have a great O line. He's a very confident kid and he moves. Maybe not as well as Bo Nix, but the kid's an athlete. Drake may also a big athlete. He got caught a couple of times in the blue tent his first year. And then Vrabel became his coach and said, stop that. So I'm going to give him a little pass on the aggressiveness and the blue tent. But if you don't think the Raiders, Dolphins, Cleveland, Jets, Colts, Atlanta, Arizona would not be interested in Jackson Dart, you're nuts. He's done a very good job. I mean, he's a good looking kid, he's confident, face of the franchise, west coast kid. Go to Vegas, go to Arizona. So I'm gonna defend him a little on the blue tent stuff. He's a rookie. The game is real fast. He's gotten whacked a couple of times. Justin Herbert, I love him. Justin Herbert's first two years in the league. Justin Herbert was a 4:2 college graduate, smart kid, would put a shoulder down and try to run over linebackers. Harbaugh became his coach. He doesn't do that anymore. So I'm going to defend Jackson Dart. A little aggressive, but the kid's really talented. And so. But my question is, you know, certain organizations and certain GMs would make that move. Do you think the Giants would, I don't know, Saquon Barkley move? You think they would? Here's Tom Brady on Fernando Mendoza Sunday. I love everything about his game. Certainly his leadership is what stands out to me.

[Joel Klatt]

It's his relatability to his teammates. And he's overcome a lot of things in his career.

[Colin Cowherd]

He's a Miami kid, went to Cal, to Indiana and then you go to a program that hasn't won anything. Yeah.

[Greg Cosell]

In forever.

[Joel Klatt]

And what he's done this season was so impressive.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, I think he's a really, really kind of a Trevor Lawrence feel like. I mean, Trevor Lawrence had Clemson players, both have good coaches, Dabo Sweeney and Kurt Signetti. But it's. That's a good prospect. The kid is grateful. Humble, large, great arm. And on the road at Penn State and against Ohio State, those final drives, I mean that's. And I told you this, I have talked to an NFL head coach, an offensive guy who all of you respect, who told me he's an easy guy to scout because Indiana runs so many pro sets. It's a very pro style offense with a lot of the offense it is. So he's an easy guy to evaluate. You know, when Mahomes came out of Texas Tech, the take was, God, the kid's incredibly talented, but that's not an NFL offense. Now the smart people knew he was really, really good, Brett Veach and all those guys. But this kid's an easier kid to scout. Plays in the Big Ten. Pro style offense and just good arm, big kid, smart kid. Great story. The Giants get the number one pick. The easy thing to do is just say we're keeping our guy. We love our guy. Just you better hope you don't have to play Fernando Mendoza twice a year or even once a year. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific.

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[Colin Cowherd]

More at applecard.com PCs powered by Snapdragon X Elite processors are made to go the distance with blazing fast performance. Next level efficiency. Snapdragon processors are built to tackle it all, from highlight reel editing to intense player research, making it all feel effortless. And with multi day battery life, you got true freedom all right without being tethered to an outlet. So from long video calls to all day fantasy drafts, your laptop stays ready so you can be at the top of your game. It's the kind of performance your lifestyle demands. So make sure your next PC is powered by Snapdragon. Learn more at snapdragon.com laptops snapdragon the heart of your PC battery life varies significantly based on devices, setup, usage and other factors. Well, we've said the NIL has become a pain in the butt for NFL teams that need a quarterback. Jaden Mava, 64230 USC he's staying in at college. Dante Moore may Arch Manning, who I don't think is ready for the NFL, but he's staying in college. Ty Simpson may stay at Alabama and whether or not they'd succeed in the NFL, it's an option. You can sell hope to your fans. If you draft one of them, you can load up your roster because you're not paying him anything for four or five years. So it makes Fernando Mendoza even that much more valuable. And he was valuable if they all came out. Joel Klatt, the voice of college football at fox, is joining us live. You know, it is interesting. The NIL is fascinating. There's so many things, so many tentacles of it. One of the things I like is that it pays kids before they go pro so they get a sense of kind of responsibility with money. I don't like going from borrowing money for pizza in college to a millionaire. It's a, you know, so I like that. I think it protects the kids that gets them ready for the NFL. The other thing is Jaden Mava for another year in college. I'm like, wow, he's going to be a heck of a prospect. What do you, let's just take this, let's, let's talk about all these guys. Ty Simpson, Jaden Myava, if I recall you all, you like them all staying. You think they all need even Dante Moore another year, right?

[Joel Klatt]

Yeah, I do. Like, listen, you make a financial argument and I think that that argument is very sound. You know, they can make, you know, over $3 million to stay in college. And Colin, I don't think that any of these guys are guaranteed to be a top, top 15 pick. You know, based on the evaluation, you never know how the process is going to go. And if you're in the back end of the first round or even the, let's say even the early half of the second round, yes, it's a lot of money, but the organization is not going to be as completely invested in you as you would be in the top end of the first round. And, and so my argument would be that like the contract that you sign if you weren't a top end first round draft pick is, is great, there's no doubt. But in terms of next year, you can probably make a similar amount in college and then increase your draft stock to get up there into the top end of the first round. And experience plays a part of that. I've talked that length on this program countless times about how I think one of the biggest prerequisites to NFL success is college experience and the amount of reps that you need. The guys that win Super Bowls get to their second contracts generally have started over 30 times. Well, Dante Moore and Ty Simpson and these guys like Arch Manning, they haven't done that yet. And so not only do they need more time to develop on the field, but now financially it's, it's not as prohibitive, you know, for them to stay and not go to the NFL and not get that contract.

[Colin Cowherd]

So I think even despite beating Ohio State, and maybe I'm guilty of this, everybody's like, well, Ohio State will win a rematch, Georgia's better. And it's like if coaching and quarterback matters, Indiana's got easily the best quarterback and arguably the best coach, there are not a lot of guys above Signetti, what he's doing in Indiana. Not to say they don't have a good roster, but they don't have a Georgia roster yet or an Ohio State roster. Would you be shocked? Are we undervaluing Indiana, because it's like, well, that was their Super Bowl. You watch the game. I mean, how do you view them going forward?

[Joel Klatt]

Clearly one of the two or three best teams in the, in the nation. And I'll be very surprised if they're not in the semifinals. And I'll be pretty surprised if they're not playing for a national championship. And, and a lot of that has to do with their quarterback. Yes. And their coach, obviously, but it's also their defense. You know, in this day and age in college football, think about what's happened in the last four years. Call in the last four national champions. Three of them have had the number one defense in the country. And, and, and Georgia's second national championship, they had the fourth ranked defense in the country. So every one of these defenses, Georgia, Geor, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, they've had a top five defense. That's what I think makes Indiana so good. You saw it in the last 40 minutes of the Big Ten championship game when they prevented Ohio State from scoring. That is an excellent defense led by one of the best coordinators in the entire country and Brian Haynes. And when you couple that with a quarterback that plays best when his, when his best is needed, late in games with wide receivers that can win in contested areas like Elijah Surratt, like, you got a team that can win the national championship. So I'll be very surprised if Indiana is not there. In the end, I think that Ohio State and Georgia are going to play in the semifinal and the winner of that game is going to face Indiana in the national championship.

[Colin Cowherd]

So I've watched Oklahoma beat Alabama the last two years. Why am I supposed to believe Alabama with no run games going to go to Norman and win the third time? I think I like Oklahoma close. I love Alabama's coach and wide receiver talent. They can't run the ball. You can move the ball on them. Where, where do you stand on that game?

[Joel Klatt]

Well, everything that you just said is right. And, and the location does not favor Alabama in particular when Oklahoma's got one of the best pass rushes in the entire sport. You know, Oklahoma has 41 sacks that that's tied for the most in college football with Texas A and M. Now they're going to be at home against a team that, let's face it, has not protected their quarterback all that great in big situations. Florida State got after him. Georgia just got of Ty Simpson. So you would assume at least that Oklahoma is going to be able to present a rush on Ty Simpson. Here's the thing that I think finally stalls out. The idea that Oklahoma has a big advantage is that Oklahoma offensively has just done nothing in the back half of the year. They are. Do you remember a few years ago when you had the whole like, Iowa is the fake idea of college football?

[Colin Cowherd]

I do remember that, yes. Yes.

[Joel Klatt]

Okay, so. And I defended Iowa. So this is going to, this is going to sound like a knock. I don't mean it to be a knock. I think that Oklahoma is elite in two of three areas of their team. And offensively they struggle and they struggle mightily driving the football down the field. They struggle trying to score points. So in that sense, they're very similar to Iowa. Colin. Like this is an Iowa team. They have to build into field position. They've got to win the special teams. Brent Venables has got to have a great defensive game plan. And I think that's what gives people pause in terms of like, well, Oklahoma should win this game. Listen, I'm going to go with environment. I'm going to go with defense. And because of that, I think Oklahoma wins. I do think it's going to be a close game. And I would also say this, you know, uniquely, because you've been a Lincoln Riley supporter and defender and obviously you loved his, his move to usc. Well, you know, exactly. And I think uniquely how burned those fans at Oklahoma felt and the vitriol that they, that they gave towards the situation. Well, think about it now. They have been waiting as a fan base for this moment ever since that Sunday morning when Lincoln Riley walked himself to la. And because of that, I think that the palace on the Prairie is going to be one of the great environments that we've ever seen. I think that they've been waiting for this. They brought one of their own home and Brent Venables and, and they're back on a stage in which they feel like they are born to be at. Rightfully at which is this is Oklahoma one of the great storied programs in the history of our sport. I'm getting goosebumps thinking about the environment that, that that place is going to be. I think Norman is going to be on fire. And because of that, it's going to be tough for Alabama to win.

[Colin Cowherd]

About a minute and a half left. Michigan. Great job. Blue blood. Top five ever. Penn State stumbled into Matt Campbell, which would have been a great hire if they'd have hired him. An hour after James Franklin was let go, they kind of locked into a great coach. Where are we at on Michigan right now?

[Joel Klatt]

So I think two things real quickly I think that the, the internal query or investigation into the, the athletic department, its practices and its culture are going to hold things up from a coaching search standpoint because no coach is going to want to be hired by a guy that's not going to be there. So they want to make sure that Ward Manual and the administration is still there. That being said, I think a lot of it depends on Friday night. I think that if Alabama loses, there's a, there's a pathway to Kalyn DeBoer going to Michigan. And I think that the other name that I would be looking out for is Jeff Braum, who's at Louisville, which is his alma mater. But Jeff Braum is a winner and he's done a nice job in Michigan is Michigan. You know, I know he's at his alma mater, but Michigan is one of the premier jobs in the country.

[Colin Cowherd]

Oh, it's a great job. It's just an unbelievable job.

[Joel Klatt]

And they've got a lot of, they've got a lot of support, they've got a lot of money behind that. They've got a really young and talented roster. That's a top 10 team next year. Just remember that, you know, that's a preseason top 10 team can retain all that talent.

[Colin Cowherd]

I walk in with Bryce Underwood. I mean, give me a break.

[Joel Klatt]

And Andrew Marsh and Jordan Marshall and three red shirt freshmen and starting on the offensive line and all those young guys in the secondary. And I mean, like, they're going to be very good next year.

[Colin Cowherd]

All right, Joel, I'm going to pick Miami to upset A and m. Give me one 30 seconds. Give me an upset. I'm going to take Miami. Carson back. Upset. Close field goal.

[Joel Klatt]

I can't give you an upset. I can't give you an upset. The home teams last year all won these first round playoff games all by double digits. I don't, I don't trust Carson Beckham, Mario Crystal Ball on the road in a huge game in a big environment. I just don't. That game's going to come down to turnovers. Whatever. Quarterback plays clean. Beck and Miami can't run the football. Cassius Howell, the great pass rusher for A and M, is going to play well. I don't think that there's an upset this weekend. At first, oh, you was getting a point and a half, but now I think it actually swung to OU favored. So because of that, I'm taking ou. I'm taking A and M Ole Miss in Oregon this weekend. All right.

[Colin Cowherd]

Good seeing you, buddy.

[Joel Klatt]

You as well, man. Hey, it's great to see you and if I don't talk to you before next week, Merry Christmas and I hope you have a great holiday.

[Colin Cowherd]

Same to you and your beautiful family. Joel Clatt, thank you very much.

[Joel Klatt]

Appreciate it bud.

[Colin Cowherd]

Greg Cosell joins us next hour. Todd McShay, love having him on. He's going to be joining us in the last hour. That that Fernando Mendoza. It's I'll tell you I said this yesterday. J Mac drop a hundy on Texas Tech winning the whole thing. Nobody's talking about them. Is it plus 880 or plus 800? I don't know if they're gonna win the whole thing. I watched them twice both against byu. Maybe it was a favorable matchup, but they went and bought a bunch of NFL guys and nobody is talking about the number four seed in the tournament. Throw it out there. Tomorrow is blazing. Five day picks were locked in by Wednesday I already bought three jet skis. That's how I feel.

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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.com disclosures this.

[Joel Klatt]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Colin Cowherd]

Store hours vary by location. What a matchup we got, y'.

[Joel Klatt]

All.

[Colin Cowherd]

This is that classic HBCU vibe. Non stop action. The band is rocking and the crowd lit chant. Echo drum beat everybody showing that school pride. A 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. As you see, can 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.

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[Colin Cowherd]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.