Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Episode Date: September 5, 2025
Hour 2 Highlights: Colin's Blazin' 5 Picks, Dak Prescott’s Performance, Matt Hasselbeck Interview

Episode Overview

In this hour, Colin Cowherd dives into his signature Blazin' 5 NFL picks to kick off the new season, analyzes the Cowboys vs. Eagles Thursday night game (with a keen focus on Dak Prescott’s much-debated performance), and is joined by former NFL quarterback Matt Hasselbeck for an insightful breakdown of quarterback play, coaching trends, and locker room culture around the league. The discussion is lively, candid, and peppered with classic Cowherd wit and layered football analysis—the perfect primer for NFL opening weekend.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Thursday Night Football Recap: Cowboys vs. Eagles

[03:50]

• Philadelphia’s Drama & Resilience: Colin notes the “emotional” nature of the Eagles, observing how post-rain delay, Philly made the “bigger plays” to edge out Dallas.
• Dak Prescott’s Calm Command: Colin credits Dak’s poise and leadership—“if he’s healthy and playing, they’re going to be in a lot of games” (04:17).
• Takeaway: Both teams showed flashes, but the Eagles’ experience and ability to handle adversity prevailed.

2. Colin’s Blazin’ 5 NFL Picks: Week 1

[04:29 - 09:54]

• Giants (+6.5) at Commanders: “I think the Giants could be the play.” Colin leans on the Giants’ knack for close games and doubts Washington’s defense.
  • Prediction: Commanders 27–23 (Giants cover)
• Jets (+3) vs. Steelers: “The Jets roster is good. ... The wrong team’s getting points here.” He likes the home underdog outright, questioning the Steelers' roster turnover.
  • Prediction: Jets win outright, 24–20
• Seahawks (+points) vs. 49ers: Touts Seattle’s strong home record and improved run game, downplays banged-up SF roster.
  • Prediction: Seahawks 24–23
• Packers vs. Lions: “Young team entering their prime ... I like Green Bay here.” Colin underlines Jordan Love’s finish to last season and Lions’ loss of coordinators.
  • Prediction: Packers 28–24
• Texans at Rams (Under 43.5): “Both teams have O-line issues ... Rams defensive front is filthy and getting better.”
  • Prediction: Rams win a low-scoring game; take the under

Notable Quote:

“Money line, baby.” – Colin, on the Jets pick (06:23)

3. Fantasy Impact & Missing Stars:

[09:54]

• J.Mac stresses over Christian McCaffrey's injury status, which could have ripple effects for both fantasy managers and the 49ers' offense.

4. Matt Hasselbeck Joins the Show

[10:30 - 22:12]

On Dak Prescott’s Performance

[11:10]

• Hasselbeck: “He looked like a guy that was in command, in control. ... Going up and down the sidelines, dapping up each one of his teammates ... reminding me what Bill Russell was like when he was on the Celtics.”
• Colin adds: Dak’s stoicism and leadership are standing out at a new level this season.

On Star Receivers Being Ignored

[12:35]

• A.J. Brown’s Lack of Targets: Colin voices concern; Hasselbeck explains how even great coaches sometimes neglect to script touches for top receivers, sharing a Jerry Rice anecdote about needing to feel part of the game.
  • “As a quarterback ... it’s important. When you have a star receiver, you gotta include them. ... That was a miss last night.” (13:07)

On Rain Delays and Team Composure

[13:48]

• Colin: “I thought it benefited Philadelphia.”
• Hasselbeck agrees: “A team that’s been there ... it felt like a really long halftime at a Super Bowl. ... Eagles: ‘So what? Now what?’ mindset.”

On Early-Season Struggles – Burrow & Bengals

[15:30]

• Hasselbeck: Training camp structure and lack of live tackling can expose teams week one; Cincinnati has struggled with this.

On International Games (Brazil, London, etc.)

[16:48] – [18:35]

• Hasselbeck (shared from experience): These are a grind—tough on players, staff, and equipment—but “Chiefs are used to it, just water off a duck’s back.”
• Belief in the Chiefs: “A lot of people, including you Colin, are sleeping on this Chiefs team. I think this is the most talented team they’ve had in a while.” (17:51)

On Integrating New Stars (Micah Parsons, Green Bay)

[19:04]

• Hasselbeck: Expect the Packers to have a “small package for him [Parsons] on third down,” presenting headaches for opposing offenses due to unpredictability.

On Seattle Seahawks & Home Advantage

[20:50]

• Colin: The Seahawks’ post-bye improvements and home-field edge against SF.
• Hasselbeck: “Brock Purdy doesn’t seem phased ... McDonald’s been great. ... I’m buying Seattle this year.” (21:44)

5. Debate on Rookie QBs (Caleb Williams, CJ Stroud) and Bears Outlook

[28:38 - 34:34]

• Concerns over Caleb Williams’ adaptation and ability to process quickly in NFL game speed.
  • Colin: “If he could throw for 4,000 yards, it would be the first time it’s ever happened to the Bears.” (29:30)
  • J. Mac questions: “Can Caleb Williams process, read, and react in two seconds?”
  • Colin: “We’ll see.” (31:04)
• CJ Stroud vs. Jalen Hurts:
  • Colin: “Stroud spins as good a ball as almost anyone in the league ... that puppy comes out fast and accurate.” (33:26)

6. Locker Room Culture & Franchise Stability

[34:34 - 36:59]

• Discussion of NFL agents ranking Cowboys and Bengals as unstable franchises.

• Micah Parsons on Packers vs. Cowboys Locker Rooms:

  • “I came in Tuesday for treatment, and I saw almost every guy in the locker room. ... They just want to be around each other, hang out, and that’s important.” (35:01, quoted by Hasselbeck and Colin)

• Colin on the trade: “Packers got a really good player. ... Dallas will have flexibility. ... Micah’s fine.” (36:00)

7. Deep Dive: Wide Receiver Value in Today’s NFL

[44:13 – 48:19]

• Colin’s stance: WRs are a luxury position—great to have, but, “of all the positions the last 20 years, receivers is the biggest first-round bust ... It’s an ego position.”
• “Get your receivers in the third, fourth, fifth, sixth rounds.”
• Emphasizes the unsung value of tight ends and chess-piece RBs (“George Kittle is your best receiver. ... McCaffrey your second-best.”)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Dak’s Leadership:

  “Going up and down the sidelines, dapping up each one of his teammates ... reminded me of Bill Russell on the Celtics.”
  — Matt Hasselbeck (11:10)

• Cowherd’s Blazin’ Jets Pick:

  “Money line, baby.” (06:23)

• On Involving Star WRs:

  “I’d love to feel a part of this game.”
  — Jerry Rice to Hasselbeck, quoted (13:08)

• On Chiefs ‘Dynasty Confidence’:

  “Kansas City has got sort of that built-in confidence ... like the Warriors’ title run.”
  — Colin (48:42)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 03:50 – Opening reactions to Cowboys/Eagles
• 04:29 – 09:54 – Colin’s Blazin’ 5 NFL picks and analysis
• 11:10 – 14:49 – Matt Hasselbeck on Dak, AJ Brown, impact of rain delay
• 15:30 – 18:35 – Early Bengals struggles, International games, Hasselbeck’s Chiefs optimism
• 20:50 – 22:12 – Seahawks analysis and NFC West picks
• 28:38 – 31:07 – Debate on Caleb Williams, Bears QBs
• 34:34 – 37:07 – Locker room culture, Micah Parsons, franchise stability
• 44:13 – 48:19 – Wide receiver positional value, Eagles WRs
• 48:19 – 52:49 – Chiefs-Chargers preview, AFC West competition

Tone & Style

The conversational exchanges balance thoughtful football analytics with the familiar humor and frankness of Colin Cowherd and his guests. The tone is energetic, insightful, and slightly irreverent—perfect for fans wanting both information and entertainment.

Useful for Listeners Who Missed It

This hour arms listeners with a strong sense of NFL week one storylines, betting angles (with reasoning), takeaways from Thursday night’s clash, and expert insight from a former quarterback’s perspective. Key debates around Dak Prescott’s evolution, the importance of WRs, and which rookies will rise or stumble are provided with enough context to track league narratives, even if you missed the live broadcast.