The Herd with Colin Cowherd: Hour 2 – Chiefs’ Struggles, Jalen Hurts Locker Room Drama, NFL Film Study with Greg Cosell, and QB Talk

Date: November 20, 2025
Podcast: The Herd with Colin Cowherd (iHeartPodcasts / The Volume)

Episode Overview

In this episode, Colin Cowherd breaks down the latest NFL storylines with a particular focus on the Kansas City Chiefs' struggling offense, Jalen Hurts' locker room reputation, and quarterback performance across the league. NFL Films’ veteran Greg Cosell joins for an in-depth film analysis on key QBs and teams. The hour closes with Colin and Phil Sims previewing top games, discussing weather impacts on playoff races, and evaluating breakout quarterback prospects.

Key Segments & Highlights

1. Jalen Hurts Locker Room Rumors & Eagles’ Offensive Simplicity

Timestamps: 01:13–06:30

• Background: Reporter Derek Gunn claims Jalen Hurts isn't "the most popular guy" in the Eagles locker room, and leans into his own groove instead of being a "rah rah" teammate.
• Colin's Angle: Not every QB needs to be the most popular; sometimes envy is part of the job due to attention and financial disparity. Cites Baker Mayfield and Russell Wilson comparisons (03:15).
• Hurts Responds:
  • “I never run away from holding myself accountable… I put my energy and my focus on trying to go out there and do my best and trying to learn, trying to build, trying to take in the things that I can to improve.” — Jalen Hurts, (04:39)
• Greg Cosell’s Film Take:
  • Observes Philly’s passing offense is “elementary and remedial in their concepts. They don’t do a lot.” — (05:31)
  • Compares lack of complexity to Ben Johnson (Lions), Sean McVay (Rams), and Kyle Shanahan (49ers) offenses.

2. QB Film Study: Brock Purdy, Sam Darnold, & Drake Maye

Timestamps: 06:30–11:06

Brock Purdy:

• Greg Cosell: “He has a much more aggressive mindset throwing the football. He’ll push the ball down the field ... he sees the game a little more aggressively.” (06:53)
• Highlights Purdy’s at-the-line checks and willingness to attack.

Sam Darnold:

• Colin: Draws parallel to Andrew Luck’s recklessness and resilience after interceptions (07:45).
• Greg Cosell: Dissects Darnold’s four-pick game; two were especially bad, but Darnold is “not shy” and keeps slinging it, which Cosell calls a “positive trait.”
  • “After an interception, he’s not shy. He just comes back and he’s going to throw the football.” (08:37)

Drake Maye:

• Colin: Surprised at Maye’s accuracy and poise.
• Cosell: “When you watch his tape, you see a very calm, composed, calculated player who knows where to go with the football. His ball location has been really, really precise.” (10:10)
• Doesn't see any glaring weaknesses but acknowledges every young QB will have a bad outing eventually.

3. Chiefs’ Offensive Issues – Is it All about the O-Line?

Timestamps: 12:38–14:34

• Colin: Posits that Mahomes’ struggles stem mainly from poor tackle play, especially with interior lineman Tuney missing: “He doesn’t trust the O-line. Is it that simple?” (12:38)
• Greg Cosell: Offers a broader perspective, noting KC hasn’t been a high-scoring team in the last two years. This year, “defense on third down...has not been as good,” which increases pressure on Mahomes and the offense. Reliance on low-percentage, out-of-structure plays is riskier when defense isn’t bailing them out.
  • “Those are hard plays to always count on every single week.” (13:17)

4. State of the NFC – Dallas, Philly, Rams, Detroit

Timestamps: 14:34–19:02

Dallas:

• Colin: Sees promise if they nail upcoming defensive draft picks, especially after seeing recent games with a healthy defense getting pressure (15:13).
• Cosell: Sees the Dallas-Philly game as about Dallas offense vs. Eagles D; zone in on receiver/corner matchups and O-line concerns, especially “Jalen Phillips–Terrence Steele matchup” (16:06).

Rams:

• Colin: Notes the Rams have collected young, speedy defenders, but their offense “stalls” sometimes, possibly due to Stafford’s limited mobility (17:09).
• Cosell: Credits McVay’s creativity, but points out recent heavy usage of three-TE sets. Run game has been inconsistent, which could explain periodic offensive lulls. (18:00)

5. Allen vs. Houston, Kansas City’s Playoff Hopes

Timestamps: 19:02–22:46

• Colin: Asks how Josh Allen matches up with an active Houston D.
• Cosell: “Josh Allen is the most gifted quarterback in the league… But they've struggled at times this year… playing within structure.” (19:23)
  • Breaks down a play where Allen ignores an open third-down receiver, improvises, and still hits a long touchdown—embodies both why he's special and why the offense can be inconsistent.
  • “I'm always fascinated by these plays, Colin, because what I wonder more than anything when I see plays like this is when they have their meeting on Monday, what do they say to him in the meeting?” (21:54)

6. QB of the Future: Fernando Mendoza’s NFL Prospect Hype

Timestamps: 30:32–34:48

• Colin: Mendoza is “the one quarterback in the draft that is a franchise changer... I think he's really good. I think he's smart, he's big.” (31:40)
• Phil Sims: Says Mendoza is “legitimately” a genius—pursuing his second graduate degree and completing internships. Wonders if “a nerd like this fits in an NFL locker room,” but ultimately loves his intelligence (32:43).
• Colin: “I feel like I get Andrew Luck without the reckless. That's what I feel like I'm watching.” (33:26)

7. NFL Weather Forecast – Playoff Implications and Team Prospects

Timestamps: 44:27–51:00

Colin (as “Sky Banister”):

• Gives playful yet insightful "forecasts" for playoff-bound teams:
  • Bills: “Unseasonably warm weather ahead... heating up down the stretch” (44:53)
  • Steelers: “Stormy, flash floods. Are they a flash in the pan?” (45:19)
  • Ravens: “Clear skies... winning streaks despite Lamar missing practice” (45:41)
  • Chiefs: “Partly cloudy... their season comes down to this week on the road against the Colts” (46:09)
  • Broncos: “Clear skies... playoff picnic basket already made” (46:48)
  • Chargers: “Stormy... backups everywhere in the O line” (47:22)
  • Eagles: “Always sunny in Philadelphia... couple of tough games, but they match up well” (47:48)
  • Lions: “A lot of gray... six of their seven remaining games are indoors—benefits this quarterback” (48:18)
  • Packers: “Doesn't look gouda... can’t run the football in cold weather” (48:57)
  • Bears: “Stormy... hazardous winds ahead that could blow their playoff chances” (49:35)

8. Chiefs’ Decline: Chris Jones and the Pass Rush

Timestamps: 51:01–53:05

• Phil Sims: Emphasizes that the Chiefs are now “scoreboard watching” due to competition from the Texans and Jags.
• Colin: Calls out Chris Jones’ decline: “Chris Jones is not the player he was a year and a half ago... It’s the reality of Chris Jones. Great player, very good player last year. Next year is the last year with guaranteed money. You probably got to rip the Band-Aid off.” (52:07)
• Argues that losing elite pass rushers is harder to overcome than any other position aside from QB/LT/WR.

9. NFL Week 12 Storylines, Must-Watch Games

Timestamps: 53:49–55:10

• Colin: “The NFL has the ability to create great games out of games that don't appear to be interesting matchups.” (53:49)
• Highlights the stakes of Chiefs-Colts, Jaguars-Cardinals, Steelers-Bears; the Dallas-Philly game noted as a top game of the week.

Notable Quotes

• “I never run away from holding myself accountable… I put my energy and focus on trying to go out there and do my best.” — Jalen Hurts (04:39)
• “In their pass game in particular, the one thing you definitely see is that it's rather elementary and remedial in their concepts… They're rather basic and simplistic for the NFL.” — Greg Cosell (05:31)
• “He [Purdy] is far more aggressive throwing the football… sees the game a little more aggressively.” — Greg Cosell (06:53)
• “After an interception, he's not shy. He just comes back and he's going to throw the football. I think that's a positive trait in the quarterback.” — Greg Cosell (08:37)
• “[Drake Maye’s] ball location has been really, really precise. That's something that is often overlooked.” — Greg Cosell (10:10)
• “He doesn't trust the O-line. Is it that simple?” — Colin Cowherd on Mahomes (12:38)
• “They've not been a high-scoring offense... That's not a knock on Mahomes as a player... But one thing that has changed this year is the defense on third down has not been as good... that puts a little more burden on your offense.” — Greg Cosell (13:17)
• “I think he [Mendoza] is the one quarterback in the draft that is a franchise changer… This kid was great at Cal with Cal players. He's great at Indiana with Indiana players...” — Colin Cowherd (31:40)
• “This is a literal genius, Colin… his offseason isn't throwing to wide receivers in Miami. He's doing business school in the offseason.” — Phil Sims on Fernando Mendoza (32:43)
• “I feel like I get Andrew Luck without the reckless… this good… Andrew Luck had Stanford teammates—lot of three star guys at Stanford. It's not like Indiana's five star guys.” — Colin Cowherd (33:26)

Episode Takeaways

• Chiefs’ Woes: Go deeper than O-line issues; a declining defense is putting unusual pressure on Mahomes, exposing limitations when forced out of structure.
• Eagles Uncertainty: Simpler offensive schemes and murmurs about Hurts’ leadership style, but performance has remained steady.
• QB Evaluations: Greg Cosell provides nuanced, tape-based breakdowns of Purdy’s aggression, Darnold’s resilience, and Drake Maye’s remarkable ball placement.
• Prospect Spotlight: Fernado Mendoza emerges as a rare blend of brains and arm talent, drawing Andrew Luck comparisons.
• Playoff Pathways: Team weather "forecasts" provide a humorous yet insightful examination of late-season strengths, with run game and defensive health taking on outsized importance as winter hits.
• Week 12 Watch: Unexpected games carry major playoff implications—Dallas-Philly is the headliner, but Colts-Chiefs and others should not be overlooked.

For Listeners

This episode is a must-listen for anyone following the evolving NFL playoff picture, QB development, or the weekly chess match across the league. Colin, Greg, and Phil bring sharp film study, historical context, and signature banter—making it both informative and entertaining for fans who want to go beyond the box score.