The Herd with Colin Cowherd: Hour 1 – September 22, 2025

"The Bears finally win, the Rams need more help, Harbaugh and Herbert are the perfect combo"

Episode Overview

On this episode of The Herd, Colin Cowherd and Jason McIntyre break down an exceptionally unpredictable NFL Sunday, highlighting several key storylines: the Chicago Bears’ long-awaited offensive breakthrough, the Rams’ matchup problems against the Eagles, the growing partnership between Jim Harbaugh and Justin Herbert with the Chargers, and major storylines involving the Packers, Giants, Chiefs, and more. The episode hones in on stand-out performances, coaching adjustments, and the state of several franchises as early-season trends start to clarify.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. A Historic NFL Sunday – Unpredictability at Every Turn

• Seven games featured game-winning scores in the last three minutes—a first in 48 years.
• Colin’s reflection: “That was easily in my adult life, the weirdest Sunday.” (03:15)
• Teams blew huge leads—example: Tampa Bay nearly blew a 23–6 lead to the Jets.

2. Chicago Bears' Breakthrough: Caleb Williams & Ben Johnson Find Rhythm

[03:34 – 07:29, 40:29 – 42:57]

• The Bears, under new head coach Ben Johnson and rookie QB Caleb Williams, finally show signs of life, beating Dallas.
• Key observations:
  • Harmony and rhythm on offense: "They finally found a rhythm. We've been waiting for that." (03:34)
  • Creative play-calling: 8 different players got touches, balanced run and pass (28 pass, 29 rush).
  • No sacks allowed, improved third down efficiency, effective screen and trick plays.
• Caleb’s growth: Still prone to short, inaccurate throws due to mechanics or nerves, which "drives Ben Johnson crazy," but displays a "power arm" and "remarkable athleticism." (04:50)
• Dallas’s defensive woes: “Dallas is bad…Matt Eberflus got completely worked by the guy that replaced him.” (05:14)
• Coach Ben Johnson’s comment: “Good things happen when you’re playing hard, you’re playing physical, and you’re playing for the guy next to you.” (07:01)
• Schedule looking up: Raiders next (winnable), then bye; upcoming games feature potential wins.
• Colin on the Bears’ offense: “I mean the Bears have a lot of offensive talent. 8th youngest offense in the league and that includes Caleb Williams...They got players, a lot of players on the offensive side.” (40:29)
• Multiple playmakers (Roma Dunze, Luther Burden, Colston Loveland): “Roma Dunze is becoming a star.” (41:30)
  • “When you watch Chicago play…you don’t know where it’s going with this team. They got players…” (41:55)
• Potential roster moves: As Rome Odunze emerges, Colin raises the prospect of trading DJ Moore at the deadline.

3. Rams’ Collapse & Eagles’ Adjustments: A.J. Brown and the Eagles’ D-Line Dominate

[07:29 – 14:40]

• Rams led the Eagles by 19 points but lost after big halftime adjustments by Philly.
• Mismatch issues:
  • Rams’ undersized corners are no match for A.J. Brown: “He was just tossing guys like croutons in a salad bowl.” (09:19)
  • Rams’ inability to block Eagles’ elite interior D-linemen (Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis) led to multiple blocked kicks and failed 4th-and-1 opportunities.
• Colin’s analysis: “The Rams do not match up with Philadelphia in those two spots.” (10:39)
  • Suggests Rams must address CB position at trade deadline to contend.
  • Surprised Rams didn’t draft a big physical corner: “It was a surprise the Rams didn’t draft a corner. I mean, that was one of their draft needs.” (14:40)
• A.J. Brown postgame quote: “Let your killers do their thing, you know, and play fast and play aggressive. We have a lot of good players…I feel like you should just let us go.” (11:54)

4. Chargers’ Resilience: Harbaugh & Herbert as Perfect Combo

[19:37 – 22:57]

• Chargers overcome adversity—injuries, tough schedule, extreme pass rush pressure—to beat Denver.
• Justin Herbert’s toughness: “He got hit 14 times…The most a Charger quarterback has been hit in 20 years.” (20:44)
  • Herbert pressured on over half his 49 throws.
  • Leads NFL with 310 yards passing/game.
• Harbaugh’s leadership: “The greatest coach in the history of football, Jim Harbaugh, pulled him through.” (21:34)
• Perfect personality match: “If you went to a lab to create a quarterback, it would be Herbert…None are better than Herbert and Harbaugh. A love story that's going to keep going for the next decade.” (21:52)
• Harbaugh on Herbert: “There’s almost something about him…his competitive fire just motivates him even more...he's one of one that I’ve ever seen at the quarterback position.” (22:19)

5. Other Notable Team & Player Storylines

[24:18 – 34:47]

• Packers’ tough loss to Cleveland:
  • Blew a 10–0 lead; costly late turnovers.
  • Michael Parsons: “It happens to the best teams…It’s that hard to win...when you lose, your [sic] sucks.” (24:56)
  • Jordan Love made “amateur hour” mistakes, struggled under pressure.
  • Colin: “I can’t punish Green Bay that much…this could very well be a blip.” (25:57)
• Giants’ offensive misery:
  • Russell Wilson benched after poor play; Giants crowd booed.
  • Daniel Jones thriving with Colts, amplifying Giants’ QB woes.
  • Brian Daboll: “I’d be booing too, to be honest with you.” (28:04)
• Chiefs’ offense regressing, relying on defense:
  • “The Chiefs are unwatchable. Just FYI to folks, final story Colin.” (29:32)
  • Cam Gotta Boo most entertaining offensive player; offense is “below the New York Jets” (43:35)
  • Colin: “The Chiefs offense feels a lot like an old pitcher that’s lost about five miles an hour off his fastball.” (43:10)
• Baker Mayfield’s late-game heroics for the Bucs:
  • Three straight game-winning drives.
  • "All he does is win games in the final seconds…This guy is clutch, man.” (29:34)
  • Baker on beating the Jets and Panthers: “It's also their D-coordinator was the one that cut me in Carolina. So a lot of stuff was personal today.” (30:13)
  • Colin on Baker: “He is such a good fit in Tampa…He has moved himself consistently into the top 10 quarterbacks in this league.” (30:39)
• Steelers’ “winning ugly”:
  • Outplayed by New England, only won due to Patriots' mistakes.
  • “Pittsburgh did not win yesterday. New England lost the game. New England was the better team.” (31:40)
  • Mike Tomlin: “When you take the ball away, man, you get all seven points...You better stay the course in an effort to do it.” (34:24)
  • Colin: “I feel like I’ve been watching the exact same Steelers team for five years…” (34:47)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Colin Cowherd:
  • “Seven games had winning scores in the last three minutes. That's the most in 48 years. And most went the opposite way of how you thought they would end up.” (02:55)
  • “I don't need a win, progress, advancement…Can you show me rhythm outside of the first drive? So that was abundantly clear. They found some of that—imperfect, but they found it.” (04:13)
  • "You can have Simon and Garfunkel. I will take Herbert and Harbaugh…A love story that's going to keep going for the next decade." (22:57)
  • “I’m not in the credit business… I’m in the honesty business.” (31:40)
  • On the Chiefs: “It is a water pistol with these guys.” (44:17)
• Ben Johnson (Bears HC): “Good things happen when you’re playing hard, you’re playing physical, and you’re playing for the guy next to you.” (07:01)
• A.J. Brown (Eagles WR): “You can feel like we’re being conservative and I don’t think it should be like that. Let your killers do their thing… play aggressive.” (11:54)
• Jim Harbaugh (Chargers HC): “[Herbert]…There’s something, his competitive fire, it just motivates him even more…He’s one of one that I’ve ever seen at the quarterback position.” (22:19)
• Michael Parsons (Packers): “It happens to the best teams...It’s that hard to win...when you lose, your [sic] sucks.” (24:56)
• Brian Daboll (Giants HC): “I’d be booing too, to be honest with you.” (28:04)
• Baker Mayfield (Bucs QB): “A lot of stuff was personal today.” (30:14)
• Mike Tomlin (Steelers HC): “When you take the ball away, man, you get all seven points...You better stay the course in an effort to do it.” (34:24)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Topic | |:-------------:|-----------------------------------------------------------| | 03:14 | The wild NFL Sunday setup, Bears-Cowboys game intro | | 03:34–07:29 | Bears’ offensive breakthrough, Dallas’ defensive collapse | | 07:29–14:40 | Rams-Eagles review, matchups, trade needs | | 19:37–22:57 | Chargers' gritty win, Harbaugh-Herbert partnership | | 24:18–29:10 | Packers’ and Browns’ late-game drama, quarterback talk | | 29:10–31:22 | Baker Mayfield’s heroics for Tampa Bay | | 31:22–35:30 | Steelers' ugly win, Patriots’ collapse, Tomlin/Vrabel | | 40:29–42:57 | Bears’ roster talent and trade possibilities | | 43:10–46:20 | Chiefs’ offensive struggles, AFC landscape |

Episode Tone & Style

• Opinionated, fast-paced, and often humorous, with Colin providing strong, sometimes blunt takes.
• Frequent use of memorable analogies ("tossing guys like croutons in a salad bowl", “water pistol offense”).
• Detailed breakdowns paired with quick-hitting wit and occasional light ribbing between Colin and JMac.

Summary Takeaway

If you missed this episode, you missed Colin Cowherd in top form—unraveling the chaos of one of the wildest NFL Sundays in memory. He celebrates the Bears’ offensive awakening, calls out the Rams' and Chiefs' flaws, gushes about the Herbert-Harbaugh union, and delivers pointed honesty about franchises who won ugly. For NFL fans wanting sharp analysis—with no sugarcoating—this hour sets the tone for an unpredictable season ahead.