Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Episode: The Super Bowl is set, thoughts on the AFC/NFC Championship games
Date: January 26, 2026
Host: Colin Cowherd (with Jason McIntyre)

Episode Overview

Colin Cowherd breaks down an astonishing NFL Championship weekend that features headline-grabbing stories out of the NFC and AFC: Sam Darnold's remarkable journey to the Super Bowl with Seattle, New England’s gritty rise under Mike Vrabel, and a pair of competitive, defensively-built teams that mirror each other. The conversation features analysis, storytelling, and pointed opinions on key games, coaching moves, and player narratives—all delivered in trademark Herd style.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Sam Darnold Redemption: Seahawks into the Super Bowl

• Darnold’s “Unbelievable Journey” ([01:00])

  • Colin marvels at Sam Darnold’s rise: “Slinging Sammy D in a Super Bowl. Say that 10 times, say it a hundred times. Sam Darnold proved two things. Number one, everybody takes a different path. Some kids get great parents, some kids get the New York Jets. It just takes longer for a lot of people. And the second thing, if you believe in yourself, don’t listen to the noise, don’t listen to the doubters.” ([01:20])
  • Darnold praised for toughness (playing hurt), athleticism, and risk-taking.
  • On the biggest downs (3rd down), Darnold was “brilliant,” with a 142 passer rating, 6-for-9 conversions, and no turnovers for the 3rd straight game.
  • “Maybe he’s not surgical. He was on third down, and Stafford was 0 for 6.” ([02:29])
  • General manager John Schneider told Colin: “‘God, I love Sam. Why do people just bash him so much?’ It’s so much easier to pile on…[but] much harder to support people who had a bumpy first few years.” ([03:30])
  • Darnold’s performance: 346 yards, 25 of 36, 128 rating—“For the third straight game, no interceptions. No turnovers.”

• Seahawks’ Overcoming Adversity

  • Missing a key running back (Charbonnet), inferior O-line vs Rams’ front—Darnold carried the offense.
  • Darnold “had the best game of his career against the one team that had his number and the one defensive coordinator.” ([04:50])
  • Quote from Seahawks Head Coach: “Can’t talk about the game without talking about our quarterback. I mean, he just shut a lot of people up tonight. So I’m really happy for him.” ([05:21])

2. The Patriots’ Toughness & Road to Super Bowl

• Patriots Survive in Blizzard, Coaching Impresses ([07:00])

  • New England wins tough blizzard game in Denver—no turnovers, just one penalty, excellent on third down.
  • “These teams, Seattle and New England, are actually very similar...both unbelievably good on the road.” ([08:21])
  • Robert Kraft’s bold ownership moves: firing Belichick, then Mayo, to get Vrabel (“That’s rough. You have to admit you’re wrong.”)
  • Mike Vrabel on Drake May: “Leadership is every day, not just today.” May threw for 80 yards but limited mistakes.
  • Vrabel Postgame Quote: “I can’t tell you how proud I am to be associated with these guys and this organization...I’m a lucky head coach.” ([11:30])

• Historical Context & Super Bowl Matchup

  • “What is that, the 11th Super Bowl for Robert Kraft?” ([12:09])
  • Colin hammers the point: New England “way better than everybody thinks,” thanks to free agency, rookies, and coaching.
  • “Coaching travels. So does toughness and defense.”
  • The two best road teams in the NFL—Seattle and New England—made the Super Bowl.

3. Mirrored Teams: Seahawks vs Patriots

• Both teams feature:
  • Young, athletic, downfield-attacking QBs (Darnold, Drake May)
  • Defensive coaches, great secondaries, pass rush abilities
  • Offensive lines considered the main “weakness,” but no gaping holes elsewhere
  • “Mirror image of each other...these rosters, the Rams have holes like—Seattle doesn’t have a hole.” ([13:07])

4. The Rams’ Painful Loss & Sean McVay’s Reflections

• Rams’ Special Teams/Cornerback Weakness Was Costly

  • “In the NFL, the coaching so good, you don’t have to be great everywhere, but you can’t be bad anywhere.” ([19:08])
  • Rams’ high end talent (Stafford, Adams, Puka, etc.)—but special teams and corners lost them the game.
  • Matt Stafford’s historic line: “First quarterback to throw for 350 yards, 3 touchdowns, have no turnovers and lose a playoff start.”

• Sean McVay’s Postgame Quote ([21:56])

  • “I love our group...It’s a couple of critical errors that ended up costing us. But love this team. It’s one of my all time favorites. I’m pretty numb...thought we’d be on the podium, and we weren’t.”

• Play Call Critique

  • McVay: “They kind of lucked into having two guys peel on Kyron right there...a fortuitous bust by them.” ([31:32])
  • Colin on McVay’s honesty: “You can’t ask questions to competitors...and expect these plastic synthetic answers. They’re raw. These guys are raw. They’re beaten.” ([31:49])

5. Broncos’ Missed Opportunity & Sean Payton’s Gamble

• Broncos went for it on fourth down early—backup Jarrett Stidham rolled out, failed.
  • Jason: “Colin, under no circumstances should they have gone for that. You take the points, you go up 10-nothing.” ([23:46])
  • Sean Payton: “Felt like, man, we had momentum to get up 14...Let’s be aggressive. There’s always regrets.” ([24:26], [48:44])
  • Colin: “If you can go up 10-nothing and my defense...10-nothing felt like 20-nothing.” ([25:57])
  • Weather became a huge factor—Denver couldn’t move the ball after the blizzard started.

6. Super Bowl Storylines & The Underdog Effect

• Seattle is a 5-point favorite; Colin expects a close game, but underscores New England's psychological edge:
  • “Patriots are going to hear for two weeks they're going to get rolled by the Seahawks. Huge advantage.”
  • “When you take young people and tell them ‘no, you're going to get embarrassed,’ stuff kicks in. Vrabel is going to play media clips over and over.” ([33:31])
  • “Patriot dynasty started as a 14 point underdog to the ‘Greatest Show on Turf’...Same damn story. This is only a five-point underdog.”
• Christian Gonzalez on Being Underdogs: ([37:42])
  • “We get that chip on our shoulder. I mean, it’s cool. It’s great if you want to count us out, because, you know, we’re just going to go out there and show what we can do.”

7. Other Noteworthy Moments

• Stefon Diggs’ First Super Bowl Trip: Emotional interview post-game ([28:28])
  • “We got a hell of a team, bro. We fought long and hard...No apologies for our success, no excuses for our failures.”
• Steelers Hire Mike McCarthy:
  • “To me, he’s the offensive version of Mike Tomlin...They’ll win a bunch of games...but you always kind of feel like the other guys get better on the details, a little more buttoned up.” ([43:33])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Soundbites

- Colin on Darnold’s Path ([01:20])

“Some kids get great parents, some kids get the New York Jets. It just takes longer for a lot of people.”

- Seahawks Head Coach on Darnold ([05:21])

“He just shut a lot of people up tonight. So I’m really happy for him. Every time they went and scored again, he came back, made some big time throws...The guy barely practiced all week, you know, just really happy for him. He deserves it.”

- Mike Vrabel after AFC win ([11:30])

“I can’t tell you how proud I am to be associated with these guys and this organization. I want to thank Robert and Jonathan. Love our quarterback. I love our football team. I love our staff. I’m a lucky head coach.”

- Sean McVay postgame ([21:56])

“Love this team. It’s one of my all time favorites. I’m pretty numb...thought we’d be on the podium, and we weren’t.”

- McVay on pivotal play ([31:32])

“They kind of lucked into having two guys peel on Kyron right there. I know that that can’t be part of their design. So it’s a fortuitous bust by them.”

- Christian Gonzalez, Patriots CB ([37:42])

“We get that chip on our shoulder. It’s cool. It’s great if you want to count us out, because, you know, we’re just going to go out there and show what we can do.”

Important Segment Timestamps

• Sam Darnold’s story, Seahawks-Rams analysis: 01:00–08:00
• Patriots’ blizzard win, Vrabel’s leadership: 08:00–13:00
• Darnold vs Patriots’ draft class, Super Bowl outlook: 13:00–15:00
• Rams’ loss, McVay postgame reflections: 19:08–22:29
• Broncos’ botched 4th down, Payton/Colin analysis: 23:46–28:15
• Christian Gonzalez on underdog mindset: 37:42
• Steelers/McCarthy coaching move commentary: 43:33–48:44

Episode Summary

Colin Cowherd and Jason McIntyre deliver sharp analysis on NFC and AFC Championship Games, celebrate Sam Darnold’s remarkable persistence, and highlight the Patriots’ dogged, defense-first resurgence under Mike Vrabel. The hosts emphasize the “no-weakness” builds of both Super Bowl teams, dissect coaching decisions (McVay's gutsy play calls, Payton’s risk in a blizzard), and point to psychological warfare (underdog effect) as a real Super Bowl factor. The discussion is rich with memorable quotes, strategic breakdowns, and context for the upcoming Seahawks-Patriots clash.