The Herd with Colin Cowherd – Hour 2: Herd Hierarchy, Chiefs Concerns, and the Lakers Controversy

Date: December 9, 2025
Host: Colin Cowherd
Guest: Nick Wright

Episode Overview

In this dynamic hour, Colin unveils his latest Herd Hierarchy NFL rankings, explores bubbling concerns with the Kansas City Chiefs' direction, and hosts Nick Wright for a spirited discussion on top NFL and NBA stories, including a brewing controversy with the Los Angeles Lakers. The hour is packed with sharp insights into playoff races, quarterback evaluations, and front-office intrigue in both football and basketball.

Key Segment Breakdown

1. Herd Hierarchy – Top 10 NFL Teams (03:52–11:35)

Colin runs through his current top 10 NFL teams, providing analysis, context, and his trademark “trust factor” commentary for each. Teams are evaluated on recent performance, roster health, and playoff potential.

• #10: Buffalo Bills

  • Strengths: Josh Allen’s top form, high offensive ceiling
  • Weaknesses: Too dependent on Allen; turnover and run defense issues
  • “I think right now the best quarterback in the world, not the most decorated, but the best is Josh Allen. But there’s too many questions for me.” (05:16)

• #9: Los Angeles Chargers

  • Noted for success in prime time and resilience despite injuries; praised for strong pass defense and coaching.

• #8: San Francisco 49ers

  • Confusing profile: Top scoring defense since Week 11, but skepticism remains about their personnel and reliance on key players.

• #7: Houston Texans

  • “Their offense can worry me. I do like C.J. Stroud. They have played the fourth hardest schedule in the league. So they are battle tested.” (07:00)

• #6: Chicago Bears

  • Higher turnover differential and dynamic play from Caleb Williams highlighted, but poor yards-per-play defense makes Colin wary.

• #5: Seattle Seahawks / #4: Denver Broncos

  • Both praised for offensive/defensive line play and coaching; Broncos slightly ahead due to experience.

• #3: Green Bay Packers

  • “Best third down offense tied for the fewest giveaways. They’re a very smart, clean young team.” (09:11)

• #2: New England Patriots

  • 10–0, but schedule softness noted.

• #1: Los Angeles Rams

  • “Devante Adams a steal… Puka Nakua averaging the most receiving yards per game in NFL history. This feels like the most complete team in the league.” (10:02)
  • Notably, Philadelphia is left out due to coaching and “if” quarterback concerns.

2. Chiefs Are On The Brink: A Candid Conversation with Nick Wright (11:35–17:46)

Nick joins to dissect the Chiefs’ slump and draw parallels with other NFL dynasties.

Eagles & Jalen Hurts Comedown

• Nick: “You can’t be the quarterback who might be limited but always wins and never turns the ball over and then have a three game losing streak because you keep turning the ball over. Like that doesn’t work.” (11:43)
• Draws comparison between Jalen Hurts and Russell Wilson's tenure in Seattle, citing locker room disconnect and concerning trends.

Chiefs’ Problems, Not Just Bad Luck

• Nick: “At the highest leverage moments of these games, they’ve been at their worst.” (15:17)
• Goes through key moments; says the margin for error has evaporated.

Dynasty Cycle Comparison

• Nick: “Brady, who Mahomes is always compared to… over the next three years, the Patriots won zero playoff games and got blown out in the playoffs... Mahomes,... right now they look like they’re going to miss the playoffs... The Chiefs right now for the first time in the Mahomes era are not a great team.” (17:02)

3. Justin Herbert & Quarterback Evaluation (18:00–20:41)

Colin and Nick debate the value of Justin Herbert’s resilience versus the “stat sheet” discourse.

• Colin on Herbert: “Herbert has an atrocious O line...they’re in a division with the reigning super bowl dynasty and Sean Payton...Even you last night watching Herbert 9 and 4, weren’t you a little impressed with him?” (18:00)

• Nick’s Frustration:

  • Criticizes shifting standards around Herbert, arguing you have to “pick a lane” in quarterback evaluation.
  • “I think despite a horrible stat line, he was really impressive yesterday...But the folks who for years have been the biggest Justin Herbert defenders...are gonna. Now with yesterday, they’ll be like, yeah, I understand he had a passer rating of 40 and threw a bunch of turnovers, but, man, the guy sure knows how to win, doesn’t he? Like, you gotta pick the lane here.” (19:34)

4. Shador Sanders, Browns Conspiracy, & Coaching Decisions (20:41–23:39)

A quick debate on narratives around Shador Sanders, Browns controversy, and Kevin Stefanski’s coaching:

• Colin: “I understood the Tebow delusion. He was winning...With Shador, it’s almost like the trend 6 and 7...He’s not winning. He seems like a nice enough kid...I don’t get the animosity toward Stefanski. What am I missing?” (20:41)

• Nick:

  • Rebukes conspiracy theories; attributes Browns’ turmoil to classic organizational dysfunction.
  • “Don’t assign to malice what can be explained to stupidity. I don’t think it takes a conspiracy to get to where we’ve gotten with the Browns handling of the quarterback position." (21:31)
  • Dissects Stefanski’s controversial two-point conversion, calling it an “awful decision.”

5. College Football Playoff – Expansion & Selection Debates (23:39–28:19)

• Colin: Argues Miami deserved playoff spot over Notre Dame due to on-field result.
• Nick: Champions the 12-team expansion, citing this year’s parity as the ideal case for a broader field.
  • “The entire purpose of the playoff is to make sure A&M on up…have a chance to compete for a national championship...The playoff was not created to make sure the 10th best team in the nation can have a chance to win the national championship.” (25:02, 25:55)
• Country Club Theory (Colin): The more you expand, the more subjective the complaints (“I make more than him…”).

6. NFL News Updates: Rivers, Colts, and Rams Ascendant (35:32–39:44)

• Philip Rivers’ Return: Noted for comic effect—a 44-year-old signed to the Colts’ practice squad due to injuries; skepticism over his potential impact.
• Rams’ Domination: Praised for resiliency, depth, and health; coach Sean McVay’s quote:

  “This is a player-led team...We got a lot of really great leaders in that locker room.” (39:44)

7. Lakers’ Controversy: Rich Paul's Comments & The Austin Reaves Debate (40:31–53:07)

Rich Paul’s Candid Assessment

• Rich Paul (via podcast): “I personally don’t think the Lakers are good enough to be contenders right now. Not right now...I don’t think they have enough to get to the Western Conference Final.” (41:01)

In-Studio Reactions

• JMac: Alarmed at the public airing of doubts, sees it as pressure for a roster shakeup:

  “The Lakers love Austin Reaves. They love him. They don’t want to trade him...But the reality is, this is not what you need when you’re 17–6 and second in the west. This is now a diversion. This is all the Lakers are going to be asked about.” (42:23)

• Colin: Rationalizes Paul’s critique; warns against being fooled by regular season success:

  “Rich Paul is saying, don’t be fooled by records...The Lakers are built to come into town and beat you because they have three great play initiators, but they’ve got holes in the roster. And I appreciate anybody who isn’t a fanboy.” (43:12)

Austin Reaves’ Role & Future Questions

• Clip Played: Suggests Reaves is a “sixth man” on a championship team, likely to be exposed deep in the postseason.

  • “Playoffs in the NBA. They swallow the whistle. So you can bully Austin Reeves. He’s not a super long player...You can bully him. He’s not that strong...Austin was not a great playoff guy.” (51:53)

• Debate on LeBron’s Future:

  • JMac suggests Rich Paul’s comments as a LeBron strategy to engineer a bigger move/Giannis trade.
  • JMac: “This is to me, them getting ahead of that and trying to prolong his career by bringing in Giannis and moving Austin. I don’t like that. That’s a dirty game.” (53:03)
  • Colin: “It’s the game.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Josh Allen:

  • “I think right now the best quarterback in the world, not the most decorated, but the best is Josh Allen.” (05:16)

• On Chiefs’ struggles:

  • “At the highest leverage moments of these games, they’ve been at their worst.” (15:17)

• Rich Paul’s Lakers assessment:

  • “I personally don’t think the Lakers are good enough to be contenders right now.” (41:01)

• On the nature of sports evaluation:

  • “Don’t assign to malice what can be explained to stupidity.” (21:31)

Key Timestamps

• 03:52 – Herd Hierarchy Top 10 countdown begins
• 11:35 – Nick Wright joins: Eagles, Buffalo, Chiefs analysis
• 18:00 – Herbert discussion and QB narratives
• 20:41 – Shador Sanders and Browns conspiracy
• 23:39 – College football playoff and playoff expansion debate
• 35:32 – NFL news: Rivers to Colts, Rams statement win
• 40:31 – Lakers controversy: Rich Paul’s comments dissected
• 49:51 – Austin Reaves’ role and Lakers’ playoff prospects discussed
• 53:07 – Segment wraps, looking ahead to hour three

Tone & Style

The hour is lively, analytical, and laden with both sharp critiques and playful jabs. Colin keeps a macro perspective, while Nick Wright dives deep into narratives and patterns, unafraid to challenge consensus views. The dialogue is rapid-fire, opinionated, and often tongue-in-cheek.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This hour covers the NFL’s playoff landscape, the Kansas City Chiefs on the ropes, quarterback myth-making, college football’s shifting playoff, and a new round of Laker drama – all with the typical wit, candor, and sarcasm you expect from Colin and Nick. The segment offers a mixture of insider analysis, macro-level sports commentary, and sharp behind-the-scenes speculation, especially regarding the Lakers. Notable for its directness and willingness to wade into controversy, this episode is a must-listen for fans eager to understand not just what’s happening, but why it matters.