Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Episode: THE HERD - Hour 2 - New Herd Hierarchy, the Chiefs Are Back, Buffalo Bills Might Need a Change, Nick Wright
Date: October 14, 2025
Host: Colin Cowherd with Jason McIntyre
Featured Guest: Nick Wright

Episode Overview

This episode revolves around Colin Cowherd unveiling his latest “Herd Hierarchy” NFL rankings, deep-dives into standout teams like the Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos, and Buffalo Bills, and analyzes quarterback performances—including Baker Mayfield’s resurgence and ongoing questions about Bo Nix and other young QBs. With Nick Wright joining for key segments, the discussion also touches on culture-building in the NFL, the evolution of coaching, big college football stories, and the implications of analytics in sports strategy.

1. The New Herd Hierarchy: Top 10 NFL Teams

[00:31–11:15]

Colin breaks down his updated top-10 NFL teams, factoring in team health, recent performances, and ceiling:

• #10 New England Patriots:
  “Easiest NFL schedule going forward. Drake May leads, ranks top 5 in completion percentage, passing yards, big plays and passer rating.”
  • Defensive boost with the return of CB Christian Gonzalez.
• #9 Pittsburgh Steelers:
  • Don’t turn the ball over, take it away, second least-penalized, big/tall receiving corps.
• #8 Indianapolis Colts:
  • “Scoring on 62.5% of drives… Best O-line, fewest sacks allowed.”
  • Daniel Jones completing 71% of passes.
• #7 Green Bay Packers:
  • Young team, best third-down offense, can’t run against them, Jordan Love compared to Brett Favre.
• #6 Seattle Seahawks:
  • Lead the NFL in yards per play, Sam Darnold now top-rated by PFF.
• #5 Philadelphia Eagles:
  • Struggling offense, outgained in every game, but personnel keeps them here.
• #4 Detroit Lions:
  • “Four games with 34-plus points. What Kansas City did to them, nobody else could.”
• #3 Denver Broncos:
  • “Best offensive line and getting after the quarterback. Their O-line and D-line make them interesting against KC.”
• #2 Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
  • Baker Mayfield as MVP candidate, missing top four receivers yet keep winning resiliently.
• #1 Kansas City Chiefs:
  • “Suffocating defensively… second most efficient offense… played Detroit with no penalties, one punt.”

Memorable Quote:

“I don’t want to hear about injuries. They physically stopped Lamar [Jackson]. Lamar was completely… not only in his head, he didn’t have any space.” — Colin, [10:25]

2. Are the Chiefs Back? Nick Wright’s Analysis

[11:16–13:21]

• Nick Wright agrees: “Starting next week, KC will have the best receiving core since Tyreek Hill. For the first time in three years, Patrick [Mahomes] trusts his O-line.”
• Praises GM Brett Veach’s moves to shore up the line, rookie Jalen Moore at left tackle.
• On Denver’s rise:
  “Nick Bonito might be the best defensive player in football right now… O-line is excellent. But can you be #3 with Bo Nix playing poorly week in, week out?”
• Skeptical Denver could have won last week against any team other than “the Jets and Brian Callahan Titans.”

Notable Quote:

“Sean Payton schemes guys open 3–5 times a game, then Bo Knicks misses them by 5 yards.” — Nick Wright, [12:16]

3. Should the Buffalo Bills Make a Change?

[13:21–16:48]

Coaching Ceiling:

• Jason asks if Sean McDermott is Buffalo’s Mark Jackson—good, but not the conductor to maximize a superstar QB.

Nick Wright’s Historical Context:

• “Every QB/coach combo that’s won a Super Bowl together did it within 5 years. McDermott/Allen and Harbaugh/Lamar are in year 8… history says they’ll need to make a change to get over the hump.”
• Josh Allen: Nick acknowledges Josh as “the second best QB in football,” but points out recent letdowns:
  “People seem hesitant to say, hey, Josh, last two weeks you got outplayed by Drake May and Michael Penix. That shouldn’t happen.”

Quote:

“The Bills’ biggest issue last night was with the offense, and that to me is more on Josh than anyone else.” — Nick Wright, [16:44]

4. The Chicago Bears’ Turnaround and Rookie QB Talk

[16:48–20:11]

• Jason: Bears are “a touchdown per game better” with cleaner performances—no self-inflicted disasters.
• Nick:
  “They’ve eliminated the nonsense… just run the ball and don’t turn it over.”
  • Last two wins were razor-thin, but crucial for playoff tiebreakers.
  • Caleb Williams hasn’t “played great yet… but Ben Johnson is slowly building up the playbook.”
  • Rookie QB landscape evolving—“Consensus can shift quickly, from Caleb to Jaden to Drake May.”

Quote:

“If Caleb Williams had mishandled a snap into a fumble with four minutes left, we’d be killing him… have to be measured and fair with expectations.” — Nick Wright, [18:57]

5. Baker Mayfield’s MVP Case and Career Resurgence

[20:11–24:16]

• Jason: “I just thought [drafting Baker #1] was a reach… not a great fit in Cleveland. But now, he’s grown up.”
• Nick:
  • Attributes change to Baker’s personal growth, better understanding of limitations, and improved leadership:
    “He’s a true alpha, those guys love him… leads from the front, one of the toughest guys.”
  • Contrasts Baker’s team-first style with Tua’s more divisive dynamic in Miami.
  • Celebrates Mayfield’s arc from walk-on to Heisman, #1 pick, cut, and now MVP front-runner.

Quote:

“To me, it is the opposite of the dynamic I feel between Tua and his teammates. [Baker] builds guys up.” — Nick Wright, [22:30]
“They could go into the playoffs 13-4… This can absolutely be a Super Bowl team. And he absolutely can be the MVP of the league.” — Nick Wright, [24:05]

6. Culture Building in NFL Coaching

[26:53–29:53]

• Discussion on Miami Dolphins’ head coach Mike McDaniel and his ability to build a winning culture vs. more traditional alpha coaches like Mike Vrabel, Jim Harbaugh, Sean McVay.
• Colin: “He’s not looking senatorial at the podium… maybe not a general, more a lieutenant.”
• Jason: Importance of instant culture-building and command, not just X-and-O savvy.

7. College Football Coaching Carousel and NIL Era

[29:53–33:42]

• Penn State coaching search, Matt Rhule rumors, comparison to James Franklin record.
• Jason and Colin argue NIL money now trumps facilities in recruiting and program building.
• Jason: “Rule would not be my choice at Penn State… Signetti would be a guy I’d look at.”

8. Defensive Stars & Denver’s Edge

[34:00–35:31]

• Focus on Denver’s Nick Bonito: league-leading 8 sacks, becoming a Defensive Player of the Year candidate.
• Bo Nix struggles: Deep-ball inaccuracy limits Denver’s offensive ceiling, despite their defensive dominance.

9. Analytics—Use and Abuse (Baseball Example)

[38:02–47:08]

• Colin critiques the over-reliance on analytics, referencing the Dodgers’ decision to pull Blake Snell in Game 1 of a playoff series.
• Advocates trusting players—“Let a guy on a heater just go… Performance should outweigh the equation.”

10. Noteworthy Quotes

• On KC’s Dominance:

  “Kansas City looks like Kansas City three years ago.” — Colin, [11:03]

• On Denver’s O-Line:

  “They are the best in the league at protecting their quarterback and the best in the league at getting after yours.” — Colin, [08:11]

• On the Bills’ Stagnation:

  “History tells us for either of those teams to get over the hump, they probably will need to at some point make a change.” — Nick Wright, [14:37]

• On Baker’s Leadership:

  “A true alpha and those guys love him… it gives everyone more confidence and makes everyone play better.” — Nick Wright, [22:11]

• On Tua’s Leadership:

  “It feels like Tua’s teammates are waiting for him to throw them under the bus… I think that has a real negative impact.” — Nick Wright, [22:24]

Key Segment Timestamps

| Segment | Timestamps | |----------------------------------------------------|----------------| | Herd Hierarchy Breakdown (Top 10 Teams) | 00:31–11:15 | | Chiefs’ Resurgence & O-Line Improvements (Nick) | 11:16–13:21 | | Buffalo Bills, McDermott, and Allen’s Ceiling | 13:21–16:48 | | Chicago Bears’ Progress & Rookie QBs | 16:48–20:11 | | Baker Mayfield’s MVP Run & Career | 20:11–24:16 | | Culture Building in NFL Coaching | 26:53–29:53 | | College Football, NIL, Matt Rhule/Penn State | 29:53–33:42 | | Defensive Edge: Nick Bonito/Broncos/Bo Nix | 34:00–35:31 | | Analytics Critique: Dodgers Playoff Decision | 38:02–47:08 |

Conclusion

This episode delivers a lively, layered, and insight-filled journey through the NFL’s power structure, the dynamics of quarterback confidence and leadership, coaching ceilings, and the subtle art of team building—not just with talent, but with culture and adaptability. Colin’s rankings prompt deep dives with Nick Wright and Jason, with the crew always circling back to what separates “good stories” from “great players” and “good coaches” from “game changers.” Football fans looking for smart, context-rich commentary will find this hour a must-listen.