The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Hour 2 – New Herd Hierarchy, the Fall of the Bills and Packers, Nick Wright
Date: November 11, 2025
Guests: Nick Wright, Jason McIntyre

Episode Overview

In this episode, Colin Cowherd unveils his updated "Herd Hierarchy" for NFL teams, dives into the struggles of the Green Bay Packers and Buffalo Bills, and welcomes Fox Sports’ Nick Wright for a spirited, nuanced debate about quarterback tiers, coaching futures, and NFL identity crises. The trio—Colin, Nick, and Jason McIntyre—navigate controversy around Sam Darnold’s ascendance, LeBron’s future role with the Lakers, and the Giants’ coaching carousel, balancing sharp takes with banter and signature Herd humor.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Opening Remarks and Packers’ Struggles

Timestamps: 00:00–04:46

• Colin opens reflecting on a dismal Packers performance: “What a mess that was last night. 0–0 at half. Green Bay is just lost. They don’t know what they are. Run the ball. LaFleur loves to run the ball...It’s a weird offense with no rhythm.” (02:35)
• A depleted wide receiver room compounds things—Colin is flummoxed as Bo Melton, a converted corner, drops a key 4th down pass: “Why are you targeting a cornerback on 4th and 9?” (04:32)

2. The Herd Hierarchy – Top 10 NFL Teams

Timestamps: 04:46–11:29

• Colin methodically unveils his top 10:
  • #10 Indianapolis Colts: Best run game, “the real deal” but limited by Daniel Jones’ turnovers and a ceiling despite Jonathan Taylor’s insane yards-after-contact numbers.
  • #9 Los Angeles Chargers: “Justin Herbert’s unbelievable,” overcoming the worst pass blocking seen by Colin, yet excelling on third downs.
  • #8 Detroit Lions: Consistency, road prowess for Goff—Colin questions Campbell’s situational decisions.
  • #7 Baltimore Ravens: Not caring about record, “Lamar’s teams average 30 points a game.”
  • #6 Denver Broncos: Winning isn’t sustainable via constant comebacks. Defense, O-line, coaching keep them afloat.
  • #5 Kansas City Chiefs: Shrug off so-so run game; “When has Mahomes ever had a great one?”
  • #4 Philadelphia Eagles: Four road wins vs. winning teams; “They don’t turn it over, great in the red zone.”
  • #3 New England Patriots: No #1 receiver, young QB, “five and oh on the road,” “just watching a great coach, a great, emerging quarterback.”
  • #2 Seattle Seahawks: Elite defense, “No faster defense in the league.” Sam Darnold has “the weirdest turnovers,” but the unit is loaded.
  • #1 Los Angeles Rams: Superior efficiency, minimal penalties or turnovers; lauded for their completeness.
• Colin on Buffalo: “Everyone wants me to put Buffalo in…I can’t.” (11:29)

3. The State and Identity of the Bills and Packers

Timestamps: 11:29–13:53

• The show pivots to why Buffalo is out of the top 10.
  • Jason: “Could you really pick Daniel Jones over Josh Allen in a playoff game?” (12:06)
  • Nick: “The Bills can’t stop the run. The Colts are the best run team. Josh [Allen] is gonna watch the game from the sidelines.” (12:08)
• Concerns about Denver: “Bo Nix is not good. That’s a big problem in Denver.” (12:56)
• Nick and Jason discuss the Broncos’ tricky window: “You can’t keep these guys for very long…windows are like 18 months in this league.” (13:35)

4. Sam Darnold’s Emergence and ‘Victory Lap’

Timestamps: 13:53–16:13

• Jason jests about Colin’s long-standing faith in Sam Darnold, likening the payoff to a Supreme Court-level vindication: “As if in five years, bill is passed and wearing your hat backwards is illegal…” (14:20)
• Colin: “I always knew that Shanahan loved him…a lot of the Darnold thing was everybody I know likes him.” Cites a GM comparing Darnold to Andrew Luck: “Darnold’s like 79% Andrew Luck.” (15:15)

5. Quarterback Tiers—What Separates Good from Great

Timestamps: 16:13–20:14

• Colin’s insight: “You really do see the gap between the top five or six guys and good guys. Mahomes wins with no run game. Good QBs like Love and Hurts—they need help.” (16:35)
• Jason: Argues Hurts is a “winner,” albeit “hard to evaluate” due to inconsistency, while Love “is a very talented player who has not harnessed the talent.” (17:46)
• Possible LaFleur hot seat? Jason was “shocked” by Athletic report suggesting it. (18:50)

6. Giants Coaching Drama and Futures

Timestamps: 20:14–23:29

• Colin: “I believe in the substitute teacher theory. Midseason firings bump a team, but then reality sets in.”
• Jason unpacks Dable’s record decline—going 13–38 in his last 50 games, with “four double-digit fourth quarter meltdowns” (21:24).
• Discusses a scenario in which Brian Dable could reunite with Josh Allen in Buffalo if McDermott is fired: “I think there is a scenario where this actually works out really well for Dable.” (23:00)

7. NBA Tangent—LeBron’s Future and Lakers Without Him

Timestamps: 23:29–28:19

• Nick (riffing on Chris Broussard): On NBA stars, “Your game is your game. Westbrook’s game is his game…LeBron at 41, Luka is now a much better offensive player. It’s beautiful ball.” (23:29)
• Jason and Nick debate if the Lakers actually benefit when LeBron is sitting, and if LeBron’s return will hurt the team’s offensive flow.
  • Jason: “I think this is the game one: LeBron didn’t clap enough. People panicked. Game seven: he’s all into it. The fact that the Lakers are playing this well without LeBron only speaks to that… they could be dangerous.” (25:40)
  • Nick: “This offense is beautiful to watch right now. It won’t be as beautiful because LeBron needs the ball. He’s not an off-ball player...your game is your game.” (28:19)

8. Seattle vs. Rams – The Real NFC Power?

Timestamps: 29:21–32:07

• Colin, Nick, and Jason debate the importance of the Seahawks–Rams matchup.
  • Colin: “Rams are a more efficient version of Seattle.”
  • Nick: “Seattle is better on the road...they’re tucked up in the northwest. They’re good.” (31:33)
  • Jason: “Seattle hasn’t beaten a top 15 quarterback yet. Now they face the MVP favorite [Rams]. This is a wake-up call.” (30:45)
• Colin acknowledges that while Seattle’s record is impressive, the quality of wins remains questionable.

9. Wrap-up/Closing Thoughts on NFL Identity

Timestamps: 53:22–55:44

• Colin underscores the value of “identity” for NFL teams:
  • “What’s Green Bay’s identity? Offensively, they have none. And Buffalo can’t stop the run…Every team on that list, I know their strengths and their liabilities. Buffalo just has a great quarterback. Green Bay has a really good roster. I just don’t feel I have any identity with the Buffalo Bills. And that’s my knock.” (53:22)
  • On choosing the Colts over Buffalo in a hypothetical playoff: “Colts would run for 200 yards, and Josh Allen would be having an uneven game watching from the sidelines.”
  • “When you lose, you’re in a slump, you have injuries, you gotta know what to go back to.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Packers confusion:
  “Why are you targeting a cornerback on 4th and 9? I was perplexed by the offense.” — Colin Cowherd (04:32)
• On Bills’ playoff prospects:
  “The Bills can’t stop the run. The Colts are the best run team. Josh [Allen] is gonna watch that game from the sidelines…they’re gonna get dominated, time of possession.” — Nick Wright (12:08)
• On Sam Darnold’s vindication:
  “There is no greater victory lap imaginable for you than the fact that Sam Darnold might be the starting quarterback for the best team in football.” — Jason McIntyre to Colin (14:20)
• On quarterback tiers:
  “When you take the run game away from Mahomes and Herbert, who cares? When you take it away from good quarterbacks—Baker, Jordan [Love], Hurts—they don’t win as much.” — Colin Cowherd (16:35)
• On Brian Dable’s firing:
  “Brian Dable in his first nine games as Giants head coach went 7-2. After that, he went 13-38 in his final 50ish games as a head coach. That will get you fired.” — Jason McIntyre (21:24)
• On the Lakers with/without LeBron:
  “I just suggested it needs to be considered that some of the ascension is the ball movement, the spacing. It’s Luka’s team. I don’t want LeBron taking the ball.” — Nick Wright (26:16)
• On NFL identity:
  “I can’t put you in the top 10 if you don’t have an identity through 60% of the season.” — Colin Cowherd (53:24)
• On NFL reality:
  “You can say, ‘Who have they beaten?’ This league, there’s a lot of 500 teams … you can always use the argument, well, who have they beaten? But [Seattle is] a weird turnover from being 8-1.” — Colin Cowherd (30:08)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Packers’ malaise & wide receiver issues: 00:00–04:46
• Herd Hierarchy rundown: 04:46–11:29
• Bills/Colts playoff hypothetical & Buffalo’s struggles: 11:29–13:53
• Bo Nix’s ceiling and Broncos’ window: 13:13–13:53
• Darnold’s transformation & coaching futures: 13:53–16:13
• QB greatness tiers: 16:13–20:14
• Giants’ coaching debate: 20:14–23:29
• LeBron/Lakers, team identity without star: 23:29–28:19
• Seahawks–Rams stakes: 29:21–32:07
• NFL identity and closing reflections: 53:22–55:44

Tone and Style

The episode is classic Herd: opinionated, conversational, by turns analytical and playful, with sharp jabs at underperforming teams but always grounded by Cowherd’s overarching quest for clarity in “team identity.” Nick Wright and Jason McIntyre bring their own distinct flavors—Nick’s measured bravado and Jason’s probing skepticism—yielding spirited debates punctuated by laughter and a sense of sports talk as high-wire act.