THE HERD - Hour 1 - The Chiefs dynasty might be over, Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson still having issues

Summary

The Herd with Colin Cowherd – Hour 1 (September 15, 2025)

Episode Overview

In this lively episode, Colin Cowherd and guest Rob Parker dive into the biggest narratives from the NFL’s second week. The core of the show wrestles with the end of the Kansas City Chiefs’ dynasty, the ongoing struggles with new Bears QB Caleb Williams and coach Ben Johnson, and the performances and futures of several young quarterbacks, including Dak Prescott’s renaissance, the Bengals’ crisis, and J.J. McCarthy’s rocky start. The hour is dense with candid sports analysis, sharp critiques, and signature Cowherd candor.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Are the Chiefs’ Dynasty Days Over?

[03:38-07:45]

• State of the Chiefs: Colin asserts that after watching the Philadelphia Eagles defeat Kansas City, it's clear the Chiefs’ dynasty is likely done. Philadelphia, while not always pretty on offense, dominates physically and leans into their strengths, something the Chiefs lack.

  • “The dynasty days of Kansas City, they're over. ... The 12 best players, nine are probably Eagles.” – Colin Cowherd [03:38]

• Chiefs’ Weaknesses: Offense runs solely through Patrick Mahomes, who continues to be their leading rusher due to lack of run game and diminished weaponry.

  • “Patrick Mahomes to the Chiefs offense is like the Apple store at the local mall. It's the only thing keeping the lights on.” – Colin [04:33]
  • Travis Kelce isn’t performing up to his usual standard, and other playmakers have been injured or underwhelming.

• Eagles’ Identity: Philadelphia may not be aesthetically pleasing, but their dominance in short-yardage situations and physicality set them apart.

  • “I've never seen a team in my entire life in the NFL that's better at getting a yard or two or three or four. Sometimes it's bad TV, it's ugly, but it's just who they are.” – Colin [03:55]

• Summary: Chiefs are well-coached but lack a true offensive identity or firepower outside of Mahomes, making Philadelphia the stronger contender.

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2. Troubles in Chicago: Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson

[08:38-12:25]

• Mismatched Philosophies: Colin points out a fundamental mismatch between Caleb Williams’ improvisational style and head coach Ben Johnson’s preference for structure and timing.

  • “I don't think it works. The coach is a timing coach who loves structure and Caleb likes to ad lib.” – Colin [08:47]

• Performance Splits: When Williams operates within the scripted opening drives, he excels (131 passer rating), but once off-script, his efficiency drops dramatically (76 passer rating).

  • “The further this quarterback gets away from from the play script, the worse he is. He's like a a studio musician having to go live or a standup comedian who's totally reliant on joke writers.” – Colin [09:20]

• Concerns About Composure and Fit: Colin questions Williams’ anticipation, accuracy, and composure, comparing him unfavorably to other top QBs, suggesting a poor long-term fit with Johnson’s system.

  • “I don't think this marriage is going to work. I think Caleb may work somewhere, but this head coach did not draft this quarterback, so how loyal is he going to be?” – Colin [10:09]

• Bears Organizational Issues: Colin criticizes the Bears’ front office track record and hints at possible short leashes and future quarterback changes.

• Ben Johnson’s Perspective:

  • “We have a lot of prideful guys. We're two games into the season, and so I think they're just as disappointed as the coaching staff is. ... the good teams I've been on, they find a way to respond.” – Ben Johnson [11:55]

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3. Dak Prescott's Renaissance and Dallas Cowboys Analysis

[18:01-23:37]

• Dak’s Remarkable Form: Dak Prescott is rejuvenated post-surgery, showing improved movement, energy, and velocity.

  • “I don't know who Dak Prescott surgeon was. The guy rejuvenated Dak Prescott. He has looked unbelievable.” – Colin [18:25]
  • Beat the Giants (again), marking 14 straight victories over New York.

• Stability Despite Chaos: Praise for Dak’s poise amid Dallas’s “noisy” environment, contrasting with former distractions around the team.

  • “Dak just shows up and works.” – Colin [18:45]

• Cowboys’ Outlook: Dallas could use their two first-round picks to rebuild their defense, considering their current offensive strength and need to match up with the Eagles.

• Dak’s Own Words:

  • “Last year, not running, I think that just took a toll ... this whole off season recovery process, it was about getting back to who I am, my game.” – Dak Prescott [20:08]

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4. Rapid-Fire News Breakdown with Rob Parker (“Herdline News”)

[24:00-31:51]

Bengals Lose Burrow, Jake Browning Steps In

• Burrow Out: Joe Burrow is out for three months due to a toe injury.
  • “Cincy did get the win yesterday because backup Jake Browning ... looked solid ... but this is just devastating.” – Rob Parker [24:34]
• Offensive Line Woes: Jokes about the team's inability to protect their QB: “There's 100 million obese people in the country and the Bengals can't find five of them to block and save Joe Burrow.” – Rob [24:52]

Aaron Rodgers Criticized for Blaming Teammates

• Rodgers, now with Pittsburgh, calls out WR Calvin Austin after an end-zone pick.
  • “This is on brand for Aaron Rodgers.” – Rob [25:27]
  • “This is Pittsburgh has struggled with their run game for seven years ... Even the post game pressers are already sounding like the Jets.” – Colin [26:11]

Steelers’ Problems Continue

• “It doesn't matter if it's week two. By week two, you have to be good at something.” – Colin [28:28]
• Steelers’ defense is failing despite high spending, causing Parker to predict: “Steelers are not going to the playoffs. They're not. This is not a good football team. And Rodgers is going to be cooked after this year. People are going to be sick of him by Halloween.” – Rob [29:19]

Broncos’ Painful Loss

• Denver blows a late lead in a game they “had to have,” with special teams mistakes and turnovers costing them a critical early win.
  • “If I could say cuss words on this show, I would.” – Rob [29:53]
  • “They gave it away ... that was a Denver game. But Indy made one mistake and it didn't cost him. Denver made three and it cost him the game.” – Colin [30:53]

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5. Quarterback Class Progress Report

[31:58-51:29]

J.J. McCarthy's Struggles

• Underwhelming Debut: McCarthy’s stats are poor: in seven of his eight quarters, he’s thrown no TDs for three INTs and seems “overwhelmed.”

  • “In seven of eight quarters, J.J. McCarthy looks utterly overwhelmed. The body language from his coach. He looks like a quarterback that never had to carry a team or play from behind. Oh, wait, that was his college resume at Michigan.” – Colin [32:00]
  • “He looks like one of those Survivor contestants by week three. The hair's disheveled, he looks tired, he hasn't slept well ...” – Colin [34:37]

• Cowherd’s QB Grades:

  • J.J McCarthy – Incomplete
  • Jaden Daniels – A
  • Bo Nix – B
  • Michael Penix – C+/B
  • Drake Maye – C
  • Caleb Williams – Plus athleticism, “but it's not working with Ben Johnson.”

Coach Kevin O’Connell’s Take

• Defensive of McCarthy, noting adversity and a need for coaching improvement but acknowledges the poor performance.
  • “It's going to be easy to try to put the microscope on JJ ... but I thought he also, when we did move it, I thought he made some throws.” – O’Connell [35:12]

Quarterback and Roster Construction Theories

• Minnesota Vikings have hedged their bets with other QBs (Daniel Jones, Sam Darnold), knowing McCarthy may not be ready.
  • “They had Daniel Jones in the building. ... Why? What you watched last night and for seven of the eight quarters is the why – he's not ready yet.” – Colin [47:23]

Cam Ward’s Tough Start

• Facing two top defenses (Denver and Rams), Ward is “psychologically” feeling the pressure; decision-making is affected but Colin is still optimistic about Ward.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• Colin on Chiefs’ decline:
  “Patrick Mahomes to the Chiefs offense is like the Apple store at the local mall. It's the only thing keeping the lights on.” [04:33]

• Colin on Caleb Williams & Ben Johnson:
  “He's like a news anchor and the teleprompter goes down. Oops.” [10:34]

• Dak Prescott on getting back to running:
  “It was about getting back to who I am, my game, understanding how much the legs are a part of my game.” [20:08]

• Rob Parker on Bengals’ offensive line issues:
  “There's 100 million obese people in the country and the Bengals can't find five of them to block and save Joe Burrow.” [24:52]

• Colin on McCarthy's struggles:
  “He looks like one of those Survivor contestants by week three. The hair's disheveled, he looks tired, he hasn't slept well ...” [34:37]

• Colin on NFL’s QB learning curve:
  “By the time you get into the NFL... I'm not going to give you 20 starts for me to have a definitive opinion. So I need more from JJ McCarthy.” [47:12]

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Important Segment Timestamps

• Chiefs vs. Eagles Analysis – End of the Chiefs?
  [03:38–07:45]

• Caleb Williams/Ben Johnson Dynamic & Bears Woes
  [08:38–12:25]

• Dak Prescott & Dallas Cowboys Review
  [18:01–23:37]

• Rapid NFL News (Burrow Injury/Rodgers Critique/Broncos Loss)
  [24:00–31:51]

• Quarterback Class Check-In (McCarthy, Daniels, Nix, Penix, Maye, Ward)
  [31:58–51:29]

---

Episode Tone

Opinionated, candid, and quick-witted—Colin and Rob deliver strong stances and aren’t afraid to be blunt, while still rooting their takes in performance analysis and NFL context. The conversation is fast-paced, full of memorable analogies, and not shy about calling out organizational dysfunction.

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For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

• Chiefs’ window as an NFL dynasty appears to be closing, while the Eagles increasingly lean into an ugly but effective brand of winning football.
• The Chicago Bears’ rookie/coach pairing is fundamentally at odds and sparks early doubts about Caleb Williams’ fit and future in Chicago.
• Dak Prescott looks revitalized, Cowboys may yet be contenders if the defense improves.
• Major news on quarterback injury and performance around the league, with doubts around Bengals’ prospects, Steelers’ structure, and Broncos’ blown chances.
• The class of young NFL quarterbacks faces wildly different trajectories—some encouraging (Daniels, Nix), some concerning (McCarthy, Williams’ fit).

This summary gives a comprehensive snapshot of the crucial topics and bold opinions featured in the first hour of this episode.

Transcript

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Weekday on Fox Sports Radio and noon to 3 Eastern, 9am to noon Pacific.

[Colin Cowherd]

Find your local station for the herd atfox sports radio.com 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. All right, it is a Monday in September. It doesn't get Much better than this. We are live. It's the herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be watching or listening, we appreciate you stopping by. Lots of options. One hour from now, where Colin was right, where Colin was wrong, there's a lot of both. I'll be bitter about that Denver Broncos loss for the next six months. That hurt. Matt Hasselbeck and Mark Schlareth both stopped by today. J. Mac so I don't like to make definitive statements after the first couple weeks, but there are some things. What do they say? Two is a tre. There are some things that we've seen before and they're resurfacing. So I am ready for three hours of volcanic opinions. Are you ready to roll? Yeah.

[Rob Parker]

Colin, I don't know about you, but I'm feeling owing to little Taylor Swift to start the show.

[Colin Cowherd]

All right, here's what I know. Watching the Eagles in Kansas City. Two things. Philadelphia is, I guess, beatable, but it's not easy. And the dynasty days of Kansas City, they're over. They could be good this year, maybe have some very good Sundays. But I watched that game last night between the Eagles and the Chiefs. The 12 best players, nine are probably Eagles. Even when the score was 1010 at half at Arrowhead, you kind of felt like Philadelphia, you know, they'd figure out a way to squish you and grind it out. And they do that a lot. I've never seen a team in my entire life in the NFL that's better at getting a yard or two or three or four. Sometimes it's bad tv. It's ugly, but it's just who they are. They're big, they're tough, they're physical and hurts. And Saquon in the offensive line and the tight ends. The Eagles are four and oh, since last season, passing for under 100 yards. That's my favorite stat about the Eagles. In fact, it's almost like passing gets in the way of Philadelphia's offensive rhythm. A.J. brown yesterday, he had five catches for 27 yards. This is what Philadelphia does. The hallmark of Philadelphia, they know what they are. They aesthetically can be ugly. The tush push, they created it. They're going to fight for it. It may get banned. They don't care. It's bad tv. They probably jump off sides a little, but it's what they are. A tough, physical team, pound for pound, the strongest offense in the league. They're not a perfect team. They probably are not designed to play from way behind. But I mean, ask yourself this morning, what is Kansas City really leaning into. I mean, Patrick Mahomes and a good defense can win you some games, but I feel like Patrick Mahomes to the Chiefs offense is like the Apple store at the local mall. It's the only thing keeping the lights on. I mean there's just. Travis Kelsey hasn't played well. He got Xavier Worthy injured. He dropped that touchdown. It wasn't the easiest catch, but it really solved the game. So they're going to get better when Xavier Worthy comes back and Rashid Rice and I predicted they would be a wild card team. They got lucky yesterday because Denver in their division gave a game away. But I mean I'm looking at their offensive line. They don't have a run game. They what definitively are they they're well coached and well coordinated and Mahomes is really talented. But three straight games, Patrick Mahomes has led them in rushing. So Philadelphia is beatable. I mean there's a reason. I mean what is that? The 16th straight win. When Jalen Hurt starts and finishes a game, they, they just kind of plot and ugly it up and they lean on you and they're more physical and they're really talented. I mean the good news for the Chiefs, the New York Giants are next. Worthy should be coming back, but this was predictable regression. And there is no question when you watch Philadelphia, they know what they are. They lean into what they are. They just seemingly get better at what they are. And here's their coach and Mahomes after.

[Various NFL Coaches/Players]

Our job, especially you know, early in the season is, and what I've said constantly a team is find a way to win, take pride in winning any way that you possibly can. Work to get better throughout the week. Repeat, repeat, repeat. When you come off a season like we came off last year, I think the expectation is that you're going to be, you're going to pick up right where you left off. There's steps to this, right. There's steps for all the teams that are playing right now and there's steps to get better.

[Colin Cowherd]

We played two good football teams and made mistakes and big moments, stuff that we're not used to doing.

[Various NFL Coaches/Players]

But I think we're coming together as a team, man.

[Colin Cowherd]

I mean when you deal with adversity.

[Various NFL Coaches/Players]

It'S about how you deal with it. And obviously this isn't how we wanted to start, but how are we going to respond? So I'm excited for the next few weeks to see, see who wants to be challenged and how we can get.

[Colin Cowherd]

Back and really get after it again. They got kind of Lucky, either the Raiders or the Chargers will lose tonight in their division and Denver gave away a game yesterday. So again, if you're going to lose, this was the Sunday to lose. But I think the regression regression is fairly obvious. You could see it coming. The roster does not, especially on offense, look special and without Worthy, who Travis Kelce admitted on his podcast he injured. There's just, it's a BB gun compared to Philadelphia. There's just not a lot to work with. Very average. Doesn't take a football guru to figure it out. Okay, Chicago Bears it's not about time to panic. It's about time to realize what you are. Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams. I don't think it works. The coach is a timing coach who loves structure and Caleb likes to ad lib. In fact, the two opening drives when Caleb does play within structure so far this season, the two bear opening drives, Caleb has 131 passer rating. Every other drive after that, his passer rating is 76. Caleb runs to escape like Mahomes hurts Lamar. They run but keep their head up. Looking downfield, Caleb's off to the races. So we know that Ben Johnson's play design works because the first two opening drives, they're two for two or two touchdowns. But the further this quarterback gets away from from the play script, the worse he is. He's like a a studio musician having to go live or a standup comedian who's totally reliant on joke writers. He his style in this league is not a timing style. And this coach craves it. This coach craves structure. So is Kyle Shanahan. Caleb wouldn't work with Kyle Shanahan. Maybe there's a coach it works with. I don't think it's Ben Johnson. There are two or three components to quarterbacking in this league. You don't have to be big, you don't have to be super mobile. Jared Goff isn't. But there are two or three things you have to do in this league. You have to be consistently accurate. You just have to be getting Jared Goff can't run. He's consistently accurate. Caleb's not. And you have to be an anticipation thrower. You have to see stuff before it's wide open. And he doesn't. It also helps if you have composure. I don't think he does. He's like the news anchor and the teleprompter goes down. Oops. You know, I mean I, I don't think this marriage is going to work. I think Caleb may work somewhere, but this Head coach did not draft this quarterback, so how loyal is he going to be? And this general manager, by the way, is 3 and 17 since he took over the job and is yet to draft a pro. Boulder. And this general man, I've already told you, don't love the ownership. The front office has always been squirrely. I like the coach. I think the quarterback's talented. But this general manager, 3 and 17 against his division, no Pro Bowlers drafted. So I think it's too weak upstairs to overcome what you see. I mean, there are certain franchises that can't get out of their way. The jets, you can keep replacing the coach and the coordinators and the quarterback and the Cleveland Browns, I think the Bears have fallen into this. I think they've fallen into it. I just don't think this marriage works. That doesn't mean people get divorced and they find the love of their life. Caleb's really talented, and Ben is a structured, timing coach, but together, they don't complement each other. They just don't. The coach wants this, and this player is capable of doing this, and it doesn't mesh. Now, JJ McCarthy may just be overwhelmed. I don't think Caleb is necessarily overwhelmed, not physically. He's an insane athlete with a huge arm. But this is a marriage. They don't complement each other. Here's the coach.

[Various NFL Coaches/Players]

We have a lot of prideful guys. We're two games into the season, and so I think they're just as disappointed as the coaching staff is. And we're committed to getting this thing right. I have a lot of belief in them. We have leaders, we have captains. I mean, when you're around this league long enough, these games happen. And it doesn't feel any better when it. When it happens. But the good teams I've been on, they find a way to respond. It's not demoralizing at all. It's not demoralizing at all. We got to play better. Simple as that.

[Colin Cowherd]

And what's really most disturbing is when they're on script, it works. Two for two, two touchdowns, looks excellent. But you can't script the entire game. And that's why, because Ben Johnson, he inherited Caleb Williams. Remember how complimentary he was of Tyson Bagen in the preseason, the backup, and they signed him into a contract. Oh, he's sharp as attack. Boy, he's had a great camp. I mean, how many games can you go with it? Now, again, Cowboys are coming up. That defense isn't very good. The Raiders are coming up. They've got a buy coming up. And this is not a season we thought they were a Super bowl team. It was the season that you gotta figure out this quarterback. But boy, I don't think I'm, I don't think I'm way out there saying this. There's certain things you can see quickly, right? And I, I just think this is a coach that craves structure and timing and a quarterback that likes to ad lib. And something's gotta change fast. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and.

[Rob Parker]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Colin Cowherd]

Welcome back Colin Wright. Colin Wrong top of the hour. We'll give you an update and her line news on Joe Burrow. So the Dallas Cowboys in overtime beat the New York Giants. That is Dax 14th straight win over the New York Giants. So the Giants have had multiple coaches, GMs, quarterbacks, old linemen, and they all lose to Dak. That's the way it works And I don't know who Dak Prescott surgeon was. The guy rejuvenated Dak Prescott. He has looked unbelievable. His movement, his energy, he was great yesterday. This is his third straight head coach. Jason Garrett, Mike McCarthy and Brian Schottnheimer, all offensive coaches. I'll give you that third straight offensive coach he's produced with. And I've never thought he's the prettiest runner or the greatest thrower, that he's a real smart adult. And there's a lot of noise in Dallas. You got a noisy owner and DEZ Bryant was noisy and Zeke was noisy and Micah was noisy and got his own podcast and Dak just shows up and works. But I really thought coming into this season, after his second surgery, my take was well, when they traded Micah, I thought, I get it. Next year's a great quarterback draft class. They have two first rounders through two weeks. Whoever the surgeon was, Dak looks rejuvenated. His movement, his energy, planting his foot. It's like he's got better velocity on the ball. Dak's been unbelievable. And I mean, I, I, the game went to overtime and Russell Wilson had one of his best days in Seattle. But Russell Wilson in overtime made the big mistake with that really awful deep ball interception. Yep. This was and again, you can only go to the same play how many straight times. And Russell had a great game. But Dak in overtime not only made the big throws, but he scrambled in overtime, used his legs, and that sealed the opportunity to win it with a field goal. And here it is. And here's Dak after the overtime W.

[Various NFL Coaches/Players]

Last year, not running, I think that just took a toll on honestly, that's.

[Colin Cowherd]

Why I got hurt.

[Various NFL Coaches/Players]

Right. I wasn't running. And then all one game, I decided, let's start running. And my body wasn't ready for it, I guess. And that's where that injury came from. And so just from this whole off season recovery process, it was about getting back to who I am, my game, understanding how much the legs are a part of my game. And in a moment like that, to be able to bring him out and use him and seal the game was awesome.

[Colin Cowherd]

Back to his Mississippi State career, the feeling was Dak did not throw the prettiest football. Dan Mullen as head coach is like, we never thought that's what he was. We thought he was tough and resilient and he moved well and he was a great leader and he always was. But he's moving as well as he's moved. He's Planning the foot. His velocity is improved. I think Dak Prescott looked unbelievable. And I, and I really thought with a Micah trade, I got it. My take was they can go get the next Micah and they can get out from under this salary. If they can somebody Dak will have a market. No, they've got their, they got their quarterback. If this Dak can stay healthy next year, they're going to have two first round picks. And I know the packers for the next year. It's like the Shaq and Kobe trade. The Lakers got rid of Shaq and they were going to get beat for a year because he went to Miami and Miami won the title. Miami was ready to win a title, but the real smart move was moving off, distracted, out of shape Shaq and keeping Kobe. But for a year you got beat up by the press. Oh, how'd you let go of Shaq? I feel the same thing. Mike is a perfect fit in Green Bay. And until April in the draft, it's going to look like Green Bay dominated the trade. But the way Dax playing now, you got your quarterback. You, you have your quarterback. You got two first round picks. You could use those to leverage and get seconds and third and fourth. Because right now Dallas does not have the personnel defensively to compete. Their offensive personnel is pretty solid. It's solid. CD Lamb's great guy on the other side's fine. Tyler Smith o lines a stud. Javante Williams pretty good. Tight ends, okay, capable and Dak. But they got to rebuild the defense and you can do that with two first round picks. But I think the takeaway, Dax run. Dax legs set up the game winning field goal 46 to try and win this thriller. Aubrey got it into overtime and now wins it. What a ball game. Cowboys and ot. And remember, what is the strength of the New York Giants? Their defense. Like we know their defense is good and we know Dallas's offense is good. Well, they went toe to toe. Five lead changes in the fourth quarter, but Dak goes 38 of 52. There may not be another quarterback in the league when you're forced to throw 52 times. Bad things happen for even good quarterbacks. The Philadelphia Eagles with Jalen Hurts after the buy said, we want to throw about 23 times. Dak threw over double that and bad things did not happen against an elite defensive front. So I you have got to be blown away by Dak in the second half. His energy, his legs, his movement. Dallas isn't a great team, but my takeaway coming into this season was get first round picks if you got to move Micah. You got to get the quarterback right on a better deal. Dak looked worth every penny yesterday. J. Mack with the news.

[Various NFL Coaches/Players]

No, no, no.

[Colin Cowherd]

Turn on the news.

[Various NFL Coaches/Players]

This is the Herd line.

[Colin Cowherd]

News has Dak is the number two quarterback in the league. And I'll tell you this. You watched Mahomes against the Eagles and you watched Dak against the Eagles. Dak looked better. He did. He was. He was moving around. I mean, I don't know what his 40 time was before the surgery and I don't know who his surgeon is, but he looks. I mean, he looks like rookie Dak. That's what he looks like.

[Rob Parker]

They look like the Bengals from last year. All offense, zero defense. And let's get started with those Bengals. Colin, they are two and. Oh, right, you should be cheering. But Joe Burrow is officially done for three months due to a toe injury. He is getting surgery today and they're expecting him back in mid December. Cincy did get the win yesterday because backup Jake Browning, your guy from Washington, who was pretty damn good two years ago, looked solid again. Listen, I know he threw three interceptions, but Jake Browning looked capable and led them on the game winning 92 yard touchdown drive in the final fight.

[Colin Cowherd]

If you're Cincinnati. Do you not. We've talked about this before. Next year in the draft, second, third, fourth round. Do you not have to draft a quarterback?

[Rob Parker]

I don't know. I mean, you got your backup and Jake Browning. Why don't you just draft offensive linemen? I saw a lot of memes going around about, you know, there's 100 million obese people in the country and the Bengals can't find five of them to block and save Joe Burrow. The dude's running for his life in the pocket. It's terrible.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Rob Parker]

And Colin, like, this is just devastating. You know Burrows, one of the top four quarterbacks in the league.

[Colin Cowherd]

Oh, yeah.

[Rob Parker]

And now we're out of him for three months. And I'm sorry. As good as Jake Browning has been.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, it's not.

[Rob Parker]

He's not. He's not getting me to a tv. Okay. Am I still betting the games? Of course. I'm going to be fading him this week, but this is just crappy news for the Bengals, man.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yep. No question.

[Rob Parker]

Let's move on to the next story. And that is Aaron Rodgers.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yes.

[Rob Parker]

He was not great this week and he actually did something he's done many times in his career. Called out a teammate after a bad end zone interception. He called out his wide receiver, Calvin Austin. And I Didn't like this. I don't think you did. I don't think anybody did. But this is on brand for Aaron Rodgers.

[Various NFL Coaches/Players]

Cal is the best kid ever, but he probably should have just stayed in the flat there. He knows it. I mean, or he was kind of stealing it from Pat or just catch it, put it away, square it to sound. But Cal's the best kid and you know, it sucks because he's such a great kid, but unfortunately that whole sequence, you know, took points off the board.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, I made a prediction when Aaron went to the Steelers. I said, it's going to be like the Jets. Little mistakes will cost you wins. You will not have a run game. Your protection will be hit and miss. It'll be a defensive culture. And you just won't be on having the ability to make great throws in the red zone. He's got a beautiful touch. He made one of those to DK Metcalf. I mean, Aaron's always been great. Flick of the wrist, red zone, beautiful touch. But it does feel a little like the jets, especially after the game when he calls out a teammate. It's like this is Pittsburgh has struggled with their run game for seven years. They average. I mean, this is. They have and they've drafted well on the offensive line. They can't get it right. They've had multiple offensive coordinators. But this is the jets. Hit and miss protection, can't run the ball. Defensive culture. Even the post game pressers are already sounding like the Jets. Are they not?

[Rob Parker]

Yeah, it's bad stuff for Rodgers. Colin, big picture. Okay. The Steelers have faced Justin Fields, who had the greatest game of his career. And then Sam Darnold yesterday. Yeah, Those are not two top 10 quarterbacks. The Seahawks had 395 yards of offense, 6.2 yards per play. You just said they love defense. This is Steelers calling card. The defense stinks. They were outscored in the second half 243 by Seattle at home. That does not happen. And this is my Tomlin teams, man.

[Colin Cowherd]

Most expensive defense, I believe for the fourth straight year. So we know special teams aren't great. We saw that gaffe. Yeah, they can't run the ball. I mean, this is on Mike Tomlin. They are bad defensively and have paid a few fortune for defense. I mean, it'd be one thing if your defense was great. You couldn't run the football and you were like, well, we spent a lot of money on defense. What are they doing? Well now the special teams had a high school gaffe. They didn't know Basic rules.

[Rob Parker]

And, and that's. You mentioned it. They, they, they don't have a run game, so they draft the kid out of Iowa, the running back. He's had, I think two carries all season so far. They put him on special teams and he doesn't know the rule like they, you know, Mike Tomlin is Mr. Buttoned Up.

[Colin Cowherd]

Right.

[Rob Parker]

They just feel totally like a mess. And Steelers fans were all coming after me last week. We beat your jets guys. You got lucky with the jets fumble on special teams. Now you get your butts kicked in the second half against Seattle.

[Colin Cowherd]

It doesn't matter if it's week two. By week two, you have to be good at something.

[Rob Parker]

Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

You have to be able to hang your hat on something. You don't have to play perfect football. I mean, I mean, Denver is struggling, right? They could be 02. They're one and one. But I will say offensively, Denver's got speed in the perimeter and they've got weapons and Bonex throwing it and they keep the pace up. They make mistakes. But you gotta have something, even if you're 02, to hang your hat on. I don't know what Pittsburgh can hang their hat on now.

[Rob Parker]

Colin. They have not faced a good quarterback yet. Here are the quarterbacks they face coming up. J.J. mcCarthy, Joe Flacco and Jake Browning. They basically the Steelers. They caught a major. I'm sorry, Pittsburgh Steelers play the Patriots this week. Drake May, then McCarthy.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Rob Parker]

They still have not faced any good.

[Colin Cowherd]

Quarterbacks and they won't face Joe Burrow in week seven.

[Rob Parker]

They catch a major break.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yep.

[Rob Parker]

However, look at the second half of the schedule. Jordan Love, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Jared Goff. I'm just telling people, Steelers are not going to the playoffs. They're not. This is not a good football team. And Rodgers is going to be cooked after this year. People are going to be sick of him by Halloween.

[Colin Cowherd]

Final story.

[Rob Parker]

Colin. Let's go to the Denver Broncos. Listen, we could do an hour on this game. Oh, you and I both had the Broncos. I will, I will go to my grave saying that with the right side, this guy misses a 60 yard field goal. They call this terrible flag. If I could say cuss words on this show, I would. And they get 15 yards.

[Colin Cowherd]

15.

[Rob Parker]

And the guy makes a 45 yarder after the game. Sean Payton had this to say about the leverage call.

[Colin Cowherd]

Obviously a disappointing loss. We, we did a lot of things late in that game to keep us from winning. It'll be painful to watch that film. And yet, you know, we'll we'll get the corrections made. They gave it away. I mean, they. J.K. dobbins spiking a ball, a tight end with a dumb mistake. They gave him a second look at a field goal. By the way, for the record, Shane Steichen is a great play call. Yes, but his play calling at the end of regulation was abysmal. Chain. And I kept thinking, there's got to be a trick play. There's got to be a misdirection. He ran the ball into the line three times, setting his kicker up for like a 58 yarder. It's like, what are you doing? That's not what your kicker can do. So the first kick goes wide right and is short. So, Shane, you know the difference between being a head coach and a coordinator? I thought, I mean, Shane Steichen really whiffed on his play calling at the end of the game and the Broncos bailed him out. That was a Denver game. But I mean, Indy made one mistake and it didn't cost him. Denver made three and it cost him the game.

[Rob Parker]

So, by the way, the Broncos, this is. I know people want to say it's just one loss. No, no, no, no, no. Colin, with the Chiefs 0 and 2, you've got to bank wins right now. Okay, this, this was huge for Denver. They needed to go to 2 0. They had two fourth quarter possessions. Knicks threw an awful, awful interception when they were in field goal range. And the kicker hits the upright up from 42. They can't lose that game. They could be up two on Kansas City tonight. Chargers, Raiders, we'll talk about it later. Whoever wins is up two games on the Chiefs in the division that is enormous this early. Denver, just disappointing.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yep. J. Mac on the news. Well, that's the news.

[Rob Parker]

And thanks for stopping by the Herd line news.

[Colin Cowherd]

I always said this. If you, if you were a real estate agent and you were trying to sell me and say, hey, I want to be a real estate agent, I would say, how long have you been a real estate agent? And if you said 10 years, I'd say, okay, take out your worst year and take out your best year. Everybody sells a mansion because you know the owner and you have friends of a friends and your parents knew him. Give me the other eight years. Take out your bad and your good. And so a lot of times you'll see a young quarterback have a terrible quarter, but also have an amazing quarter. Take those out. You know, what are you. So in seven of eight quarters, J.J. mcCarthy has played, he has a passer rating of 37. He also has one quarter when he looked like Joe Montana. So I'm going to take that one out. I mean, in seven of eight quarters, no touchdowns, three picks. I mean, Caleb Williams may look out of control and wild in seven of eight quarters. J.J. mcCarthy looks utterly overwhelmed. The body language from his coach. He looks like a quarterback that never had to carry a team or play from behind. Oh, wait, that was his college resume at Michigan. And why I said, coming into the season of all the first round quarterbacks, I didn't get J.J. mcCarthy. Now, I may have missed on Caleb Williams too, but I didn't get J.J. mcCarthy. I think he's struggling to see the field. I think he's holding on to the ball too long. And there's a big difference between managing Michigan when you're the quarterback under Jim Harbaugh and being a quarterback in the NFL where sometimes you got to carry a battle line or mismatches. You gotta have vision, be anticipatory, get rid of the ball. Quick decisions with punitive results if you don't get it right. And I'm watching last night, and again he had an unbelievable fourth quarter against Chicago, who we now know is pretty bad. But I don't know, when I watched J.J. mcCarthy, this was my fear, is that he played for Harbaugh. They had a game in which he didn't throw a pass in the second half. He always had the lead. He'd make one or two nice throws. You got to make one or two nice throws a drive in the NFL. One or two nice throws, a drive. So, I mean, honestly, he looks like one of those Survivor contestants by week three. The hair's disheveled, he looks tired, he hasn't slept well, he's losing weight. Like just nothing feels right here. And again, good kid, works hard. Everybody talks about his leadership. One of the things I am almost turned off by when people say, well, he's got it. Well, what is it that, that, that everybody had it under Jim Harbaugh, he was like Steve Spurrier when he coached Florida. All the quarterbacks were great. They all had it. You got to give me traits. Big arm mobility, thick body, whatever it is, anticipatory thrower. I, I mean, he's got an A plus head coach, he's got an A plus Justin Jefferson. And seven of eight quarters, he just looks lost. So I'm, I'm not sure even Kevin o' Connell can fix it. And I. They call him the tall Sean McVeigh. I don't know what to do with This I know he's only played eight quarters but seven of them he looks overwhelmed. And here's his coach after he's got.

[Various NFL Coaches/Players]

A coach better, specifically me. Our team will handle the adversity that is now right at our, you know, right at our feet. It's going to be easy to try to put the microscope on JJ and there's certainly some plays, some throws, some things that I'm sure he would love to, you know, get another op ed but I thought he also, when we.

[Colin Cowherd]

Did move it, you know, I thought.

[Various NFL Coaches/Players]

He made some throws.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, he makes some throws. You have to be able to make some throws. As a first round draft pick. If I had to hand out grades for all these quarterbacks on the draft class a couple of years ago, I think I would give JJ McCarthy an incomplete. Obviously Jaden Daniels is an A. Bo Nix to me is a solid B. I think Penix is going to work. I would give Pennix a C plus, Drake May a C. I don't think Drake may quite has the pocket awareness of Michael Penix. I think Michael Penix is pretty good. Drake may has some talent but Penix is more aware in the pocket. Caleb Williams has horsepower. I'll give him a plus on the D. J.J. mcCarthy to me is really incomplete. He's got eight quarters. Seven atrocious. I, I again. Kevin O'. Connell. Justin Jefferson. The protection wasn't good last night, but that was rough. That, that was a rough watch. Coming up next, Mac Jones. No. George Kittle. No. Brandon Iuk. But you know what? The Niners quarterback had Kyle Shanahan. That's next. That's the Herd. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd. Weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific.

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[Colin Cowherd]

Cool.

[Podcast Advertiser/Host]

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[Colin Cowherd]

So we said this for years and years about Kyle Shanahan. He made Matt Schaub a Pro Bowler, had a winning record with Brian Hoyer, made Jimmy Garoppolo almost a Super bowl winning quarterback. But he got him there and with a lead against Mahomes in the fourth quarter. And he pulled some magic yesterday with Mac Jones. Mac Jones threw the ball 39 times on the road. Christian McCaffrey only had 12, 13 carries. Like it was a big ask. And Mac Jones was great. Three touchdowns, no picks, 280 yards, 113 passer rating. He asked him to throw almost 40 times on the road. There's no George Kittle. There's no Brandon Aiuk. Where do these tight ends come from? That was a big ask. And I'll say this. The good news for San Francisco, they now have two quarterbacks that work. One's probably overpaid and one's absolutely underpaid. But this is what Kyle Shanahan does. That's why I always said with Brock Purdy, Brock's better than Mac Jones. I'm not denying that. Is he 265 million better because you go on the road with no Kittle, no Brandon Aiyuk. I know it's the Saints, but it's an NFL team. You ask him to throw 39 times. Mac Jones has a below average NFL body. He's not a great athlete. He's got an average NFL arm and that was a big ask and he was really good. And the rival LA Rams do a very good job of separating performance from circumstance. I don't think the Niners do. I think the Rams do. That's why the Rams will let go to Jared Goff and Todd Gurley or Cooper cup or Jalen Ramsey. They know that Sean McVay elevates every B player to an A player or a C player to a BB minus player. And so does Shanahan. But sometimes they struggle. San Francisco struggles separating performance from circumstance. And I think A lot of Brock Purdy's success is circumstantial. It's because of Shanahan and yesterday proves it. I mean, Mac Jones is not. He could be one of the worst NFL athletes at quarterback. He does not have a big arm. 39 throws, 113 passer rating. And that was his best game as a pro. Mac Jones, best game as a pro. So I'm not saying he's Brock Purdy. He's not. But Brock Purdy's dinged up again and Shanahan's playbook might as well be called quarterback for dummies. It's impossible not to figure out, you know, and I just watched that yesterday and boy, you got to feel good if you're a Niner fan. You have two guys now, one of them you're paying nothing that can run your system. Even if it's Luke Farrell, no relation to Will. I mean, I don't know. Luke Farrell I thought got drafted by Jacksonville. I thought, I don't know. Here's Shanahan after.

[Various NFL Coaches/Players]

I thought Mack played real well. We had a number of things we had to change up. It was a big deal. There's some juice there early in the game, especially with Kittle out. Just the stuff we had to do with other tight ends. So we were scrambling there for a little bit, trying to figure some things out that he handled the situation well. Thought he'd the deliver ball real well. Obviously wouldn't like to have that fumble back. Hopefully we can get rid of it a little earlier. I didn't. It didn't look like anyone was really open though. But he did, I thought he did a hell of job.

[Colin Cowherd]

So here we are in week two and the Niners have a quarterback issue. Pretty keeps getting hurt and then they have a quarterback solution. Mac Jones is really good and I want to put up, I want to put up that quarterback grade. And remember, I've only got a couple of. I've only got a couple of games with JJ McCarthy so his grade is incomplete. Although one more stinker and he may be on academic probation. So my report card on the quarterback so far is I think panics is going to work. I think he gets rid of the ball quick. He's got power behind his arms. You know, left handed athletes, they could be golfers, they could be basketball players. Left handed athletes always look better. So if you look at that report card for the quarterbacks, Jaden Daniels is an A. It absolutely works. Bo Nicks works too. You could say, well, it's Sean Payton. Well, Sean Payton's not retiring anytime soon. So Bo Nix's reality is he is B plus. And for the record, Denver has done very well drafting receivers. Franklin can play and Marvin Mims can play. So they got another kid they just took from Illinois in the third round. So they've got all sorts of receivers. And I'm not even talking about Cortland Sutton, Michael Panick, C plus. He's probably higher than that. I don't have a lot to work with, but Michael Penix gets rid of that ball so fast. Super accurate. I really like what I've seen. I think Drake May's got talent. I just, I don't think he has the pocket awareness of Michael Pennix yet. Now Michael Pennix also played at Indiana, he played at Washington. He's got a ton of starts with really good coaches. But I think Pennix is a hit. I think he'll be in the B category in about two weeks. Drake's a C, Caleb's got talent. That's not it. I mean he can run, he's got a huge arm, but it's not working with Ben Johnson. In fact, I think Ben Johnson and Michael Penix would be a great fit. A timing coach with a timing quick release. Quarterback J.J. mcCarthy. I just, I got seven bad quarters, one great, one incomplete. Here's J.J. after the loss at home last night.

[Various NFL Coaches/Players]

We got to do a better job as an offense, just operating, playing, you know, one play at a time and everyone executing their job, all 11 of us. But yeah, this is unfortunate but I know we have a great, you know, character culture locker room that we're going to respond from this and we're going to learn and get better and bounce back next week.

[Colin Cowherd]

You know, a lot of it is you have to trust your eyes when you watch Michael Penix last night. Under control, big kid, smooth thrower, quick release balls, accurate. Trust your eyes. If you watch J.J. mcCarthy, even with a great coach and Justin Jefferson kind of feels overwhelmed. Well, that's probably because he is, you can sense nervous, right? You can see it. And I, I again, I don't have a lot to work with so I'm going to watch three or four or five more starts. But I, I have, I have been on this for years is by the time you get into the NFL, if you started or been in a college program three years to be a great quarterback at Michigan, you were probably a starter for two to three years in high school. You've had seven on seven summer camps. You've had personal coaching. I'm not Going to give you, you know, 20 starts for me to have a definitive opinion. So I need more from J.J. mcCarthy. But remember Minnesota. J. Mac, you remember this. There were Aaron Rodger rumors. They did want to re sign Sam Darnold, but Seattle is willing to pay more. They had Daniel Jones in the building. Right. Like they they. So we kept asking all last season, why did they bring Daniel Jones aboard? I mean they've already got Sam Darnold. Where are these Aaron Rodger whispers coming from? Well, now you can see it. J.J. mcCarthy may work, but they have a roster with a left tackle and Justin Jefferson and Brian Flores make it a head coaching job in a year. So Minnesota's built right now to win because Green Bay is also the youngest team in the NFL. So if you're going to catch Green Bay, this could be the last year to do it right. So if you're, if you're Minnesota, you've got this coordinator who could get a head job. You've got a left tackle coming off an injury that don't last forever. This is a written. Green Bay is great, but super young still. So you want. That's why you had Daniel Jones in the building, who Kevin o' Connell likes and Steichen is winning with. You had Darnold in the building. They tried to resign him. Well, all of that was happening and you and I kept asking why. What you watched last night and for seven of the eight quarters is the why he's not ready yet.

[Rob Parker]

I would say yes. Totally agree with your entire sentiment. That being said, Colin, this is as you know, a week to week league. Do you know who JJ McCarthy faces next week at home? The Cincinnati Bengals. They have no defense, nothing resembling a defense whatsoever. I believe McCarthy will come out and have a lot of success next week. I think he. And we're going to change the narrative a little. However, like you said, no left tackle. Derrisal was out. Their center suffered a concussion. So he's down two starting offensive linemen. He's in his second career start. I mean Bo Nix wasn't great last year early. Jaden Daniels tried a little while.

[Colin Cowherd]

That's right.

[Rob Parker]

I think we got to pump the brakes a little. By the way, two prime time starts for McCarthy. So he's getting very scrutinized on Monday Night Football and Sunday next week he's in the, you know, the one o', clock, buried in the deck. He's going to carve up the Bengals. Vikings will win. And I think we'll be like, all right, maybe it's okay.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, I mean, that's why I said it's an incomplete. Give me another six to seven starts. But in seven of the eight quarters, his passer rating is 37.

[Rob Parker]

Not great.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. So Caleb Williams looks wild and out of control. I don't necessarily think he's always overwhelmed. Some plays he is, but he looks wild and out of control. J.J. looks, he looks small. He looks a little. The lights are too bright. So you just let it keep going. I will say after two weeks, you know, there's always this sense you can't overreact. And I agree. Especially if you have young quarterbacks. They will develop. Cam Ward's going to get better again. Cam yesterday faced Rams relentless edge pressure. Jared Verse and Byron Young ate those Tennessee Titan tackles.

[Rob Parker]

Yeah, I think the Rams had like six tackles for loss and like five. They were living in the backfield. So like you said, Ward has faced two of the top, like seven defenses.

[Colin Cowherd]

Cam's going to be good.

[Rob Parker]

Oh, yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

But you can see, and this is the reality of a young quarterback, he's get. He gets beat up against Denver and now he's getting beat up on the Rams. And you can see Cam Ward. Psychologically, he's running backwards. He's losing trust and his protection. So Cam Ward's planned South Florida is different than playing the Broncos and playing the Rams front. He's arguably played the two best fronts, pass rushing fronts, Denver and the Rams in the league. And you can see how it affects Cam Ward. After two games, balls coming out quicker, he's running backwards, he's running right, he's throwing left like this. The psychology of taking a beating takes its toll. I think Cam Ward's going to be really, really good this week.

[Rob Parker]

Cam Ward hosting the Colts in Tennessee. Everybody loves the Colts. They're favored by three on the road. I think I'm going back to the well with the Titans.

[Colin Cowherd]

I lost with them yesterday. Colin right. Colin wrong. Hour two on a Monday.

[Podcast Advertiser/Host]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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