The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Episode: The Bills looked dominant, a major problem for the Dolphins, Caleb Williams needs to improve (Hour 1)
Date: September 19, 2025
Host: Colin Cowherd | Co-host: J. Mac

Episode Overview

In this episode, Colin Cowherd delivers strong takes on the Buffalo Bills' dominance behind a new, disciplined Josh Allen, questions the Miami Dolphins’ investment in Tua Tagovailoa, and sets the bar for improvement with the Bears' young quarterback, Caleb Williams. The episode is marked by Cowherd’s signature mix of football analysis, quarterback elitism, and colorful analogies, creating an engaging and insightful hour for NFL fans.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Historical Evolution of Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills

(Starts ~06:00)

Colin opens by declaring that we may be witnessing history in real time with Josh Allen’s transformation.

• Bills' Dominance:

  • Buffalo scored 31 points against Miami with no turnovers, becoming just the second team in league history to start a season with three straight 30+ point, 0 turnover games.
  • Allen’s development: “Through hard work and coaching, he’s eliminated his only flaw—recklessness.” (08:30)
  • Since the start of last season: 48 touchdowns, 8 giveaways. The Bills have not lost a turnover battle in 25 games.

• Historical Comparison:

  • Colin cites quarterbacks like Brett Favre, Andrew Luck, Eli Manning, and Matt Stafford—all great but never fully worked the gunslinger mentality out of their game.
  • With Allen, “You get all the upside and none of the downside.” (11:00)
  • Recent 12-game stretch: 30 TDs, 1 interception.

• Allen’s Maturity and Play Style Shift:

  • Josh Allen is no longer the reckless physical marvel—now he’s an efficient, controlled operator.
  • “He is so mature now. He is so thoughtful, so paced. But you still get the big engine,” notes Colin. (12:35)

• Quoted: Josh Allen’s Postgame Comment (13:25)

  "There's obviously times throughout games where the situation dictates you put the pedal down a little bit, and there are times where it's, ‘Hey, just relax.’ Just being prepared for any situation." — Josh Allen

• Super Bowl Outlook:

  • Colin: “This is a Super Bowl team. I don’t love their defense, but what you’re seeing now feels like a Super Bowl-winning team. Smart horsepower without the mistakes.” (15:20)

2. The Dolphins’ Dilemma and the Size Debate with Tua Tagovailoa

(Starts ~17:25)

• Miami’s Cap and Tua’s Ceiling:

  • Dolphins have a higher cap number committed to Tua than the Bills do to Josh Allen over the next four years.
  • Colin revisits the NFL's “size doesn’t matter” phase for quarterbacks and argues it’s coming to an end.
  • “Russell Wilson, Johnny Manziel, Tua, Bryce Young, Kyler Murray… How are they all doing?” (18:10)
  • Except for Drew Brees (“the outlier”), smaller QBs haven’t had sustained greatness.

• Tua vs. Allen:

  • “Every time I watch them on the same field, I’m going to take the bigger, stronger guy.”
  • Tua’s record vs. winning teams: 10–20.

• Intercepted by Reality:

  • On Tua’s game-sealing interception:
    • Tua (quoted): “I thought I was in rhythm… had some color in my face, trying to maneuver the throw… The linebacker made a great play.” (21:55)
    • Colin: “It was thrown right to [the linebacker] because he didn’t see him. That was not a great play.”

• J. Mac’s Defense of Tua (23:00):

  • Breaks down the play: Tua had “zero time to analyze anything” due to a poor right guard and pressure up the middle.
  • “His offensive line has been terrible every year he’s been in Miami. Awful.”

• Colin’s Counterpoint:

  • Other big QBs—Burrow, Mahomes—have thrived behind bad lines. Tua, as a smaller QB, simply requires more ideal circumstances to succeed.

3. Quarterback Elitism & NFL Trends

(Starts ~32:50; revisited at 56:05)

• Colin’s Stand on QB Traits:

  • Proudly self-identifies as a “quarterback elitist,” favoring size, durability, and arm strength.
  • Ducks the small QB debate: "There are traits I like. Dak Prescott? He doesn’t have the biggest arm or size, but he’s mentally tough in the NFL's most scrutinized role." (56:10)

• Dak Prescott Appreciation:

  • “Dak is the kid in the family that gets ignored because he's never needy, never doing the wrong thing. All Dak does... is give you 30 touchdowns, 10 picks, and a 98 passer rating.” (58:55)
  • Praises Dak for enduring "toxicity" and constant change around him in Dallas while consistently producing.

• Troy Aikman’s Take (59:55):

  • Aikman: “There's nothing I'd rather see than him [Dak] go on and win a Super Bowl... because he's that type of guy and he represents the organization and our city so well.”

4. Caleb Williams & Bears: “Must Perform” Time

(Starts ~34:00)

• Colin's Grading System:

  • If you’re on “academic probation” (poor early play), you don’t need all A’s the next time out, but you must improve focus and consistency.
  • Bears’ young QB starting strong then falling apart: “6 for 24 on third and fourth down after the first drive. That’s terrible.” (35:24)
  • “This weekend for Caleb Williams, it’s not a must-win game, but it’s a must-perform game.”

• Key Area for Improvement:

  • “Not about wins or passing yards… I wanted one thing: reduction of sacks and hits. Just get rid of the ball more quickly.” (36:18)
  • Williams is holding the ball too long (3.28 seconds), a league-worst.

• Bears Offensive Coach Ben Johnson (37:45):

  “His approach to the game right now is what it needs to be... Eventually these results will start speaking for themselves.” — Ben Johnson

• Colin’s Ultimatum:

  • “Through two weeks, you’re on academic probation. I got to see a little more than tapping the keg with all the boys at Senior Froggies.” (39:50)

5. Mahomes vs Allen: Who’s the Best Right Now?

(Starts ~41:00)

• Chiefs’ Struggles:

  • Patrick Mahomes is “not playing at a top 10 quarterback level... Right now, Josh is the best quarterback in this league. That’s not even close.” (43:10)
  • Chiefs offense is stagnant: “Most consecutive games with fewer than 30 points... Chiefs are in the same category as the Raiders, the Saints, the Jags.” (46:05)

• Perspective:

  • “Trust the numbers over your emotions. Right now, Mahomes is not playing good football. The last year and a half, Josh is the best quarterback.” (45:00)
  • Brief digression into how even Tom Brady wasn’t always the best QB at every stage, invoking the idea that “best all-time” and “best right now” can be different things.

6. Around the League: Rams/Eagles & Marcus Mariota News

(Starts ~48:40)

• Rams at Eagles Preview:

  • Rams defense possibly “the best in the league”; public betting heavily on the Rams.

• Marcus Mariota to Start for Washington:

  • Washington starting Mariota vs the Raiders; expects the defense to step up, but doubts the Commanders’ offense will be as potent without Jaden Daniels.

• Quarterback “Almost” Hall of Fame:

  • Quick aside: “Ryan Fitzpatrick... is the only quarterback in league history with three straight 400-yard games. He could play, just not at a franchise level.” (50:30)
  • Comparison of Mariota vs Winston: “I’d maybe lean Mariota because I think he won a playoff game. Marcus Mariota has a very good reputation... just never built to be a franchise guy.”

7. The “Revenant” Metaphor: Allen’s Oscar Moment

(Starts ~62:30)

• Josh Allen as Leonardo DiCaprio:

  • Colin draws a colorful analogy, comparing Allen to DiCaprio: Both highly talented, but had to evolve to finally win the highest prize.

  • “Allen’s ‘Revenant’ moment is coming—my Super Bowl pick is Buffalo.” (64:25)

  • Allen’s Postgame Reflection:

    “Still a lot to learn, a lot to grow… But guys are stepping up and making big time plays. I got to keep finding ways to win football games.” — Josh Allen (65:00)

• NFL’s Current QB Climate:

  • Observes that almost all top QBs (Allen, Mahomes, Hurts, etc.) are not just great players, but great people.
  • “Could Josh Allen be more likable? Or Jalen Hurts? Or Dak Prescott? ...The NFL superstar players are such likable, relatable, cool guys. Congrats to the kids, congrats to the parents.” (67:20)

• Allen’s Historical Streak:

  • “You may never see 30 touchdowns, one pick in a 12-game stretch ever in what’s considered the better conference—the AFC.” (69:10)

Most Notable Quotes

• Colin, on Josh Allen’s Evolution:

  “To have all this horsepower and yet be willing to put on restrictor plates is insane. You are watching history. This makes absolutely no sense.” (11:15)

• Colin, Quarterback Size Debate:

  “There’s a reason boxing and UFC have weight categories. It’s nothing against Tua—but don’t tell me size doesn’t matter." (20:35)

• J. Mac, Defending Tua:

  “His offensive line has been terrible every year he’s been in Miami. Awful. Go look at their rankings.” (23:30)

• Colin, on Dak Prescott:

  “Dak has become one of the mentally strongest players in this league... as he's aged, not only do I totally respect him, I'm starting to appreciate him.” (59:25)

• Troy Aikman on Dak:

  “There's nothing I'd rather see than see him go on and win a Super Bowl... because he's that type of guy and he represents the organization and our city so well.” (59:55)

• Colin, on Allen as DiCaprio/‘Revenant’:

  “Josh Allen—my Super Bowl prediction is that Super Bowl 60 will be his ‘Revenant.’ It will be his moment." (64:05)

Notable Timestamps

• 06:00 — Start of Josh Allen/Bills analysis
• 13:25 — Josh Allen’s postgame quote
• 15:20 — Bills as a Super Bowl team
• 17:25 — Tua Tagovailoa & Dolphins’ future
• 21:55 — Tua’s explanation of his interception
• 23:00 — J. Mac defends Tua
• 34:00 — Caleb Williams and Bears
• 37:45 — Ben Johnson on Williams
• 41:00 — Chiefs/Mahomes vs. Allen debate
• 45:00 — Colin: Trust numbers, not emotions on Mahomes vs Allen
• 56:05 — Colin’s “quarterback elitist” take, Dak Prescott praise
• 62:30 — “Revenant” analogy, Allen’s next level
• 65:00 — Josh Allen on continual improvement
• 69:10 — Allen’s historic touchdown-to-interception stretch

Memorable Moments

• Colin’s analogy of Josh Allen to a “V12 engine that decides to go electric—no one does that!” (11:30)
• Comparing Tua’s interception to not seeing a linebacker because of years of playing in Hawaii and college—“He didn’t see him, that’s not a great play.” (22:25)
• “Through two weeks you’re on academic probation. I got to see more than tapping the keg with all the boys at Senior Froggies.” — On Bears’ QB and accountability (39:50)
• “Dak is the executor-of-the-will kid—never needs attention, always does the job, often overlooked.” (59:00)
• Use of “Revenant” to capture Allen’s evolution and anticipation of his Super Bowl coronation (64:05)

Final Notes

• Strong themes: Value of discipline over raw talent (Allen), the importance of physical traits in quarterbacks (size debate), and the overlooked mental toughness and stability in players like Dak Prescott.
• Tone & Style: Blunt, witty, analogy-heavy, at times irreverent, always rooted in football details and numbers.
• Useful for NFL fans: This hour delivers an opinionated but evidence-based assessment of where the league’s elite QBs stand and why, signaling where team success and failure may hinge in the coming month.

For a deeper dive, you can catch the full episode or tune in weekdays to The Herd for Colin Cowherd’s latest takes on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and iHeartRadio.