The Herd with Colin Cowherd – Hour 2

Date: December 26, 2025
Episode Theme: Post-Christmas NFL Recap, Week 17 Blazin' 5 Picks, and Debates about the Giants' QB Future

Episode Overview

This episode of The Herd zeroes in on late-season NFL narratives: playoff pushes, teams confronting quarterback dilemmas, and under-current storylines that could reshape rosters for next year. Colin’s “Blazin’ 5” picks anchor the show, but the hour’s real energy emerges from incisive debates on organizational direction—featuring a sharp conversation on whether the Giants should swap Jackson Dart for Fernando Mendoza and broader introspection on the state of franchises like the Lions, Bills, Broncos, and more.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The State of the Chiefs Dynasty & Travis Kelce Retirement Hints

Timestamps: 03:11–04:09

• Colin reacts to the previous night's Chiefs game, hinting that this could be Travis Kelce’s last year and reflecting on how dynasties fade:
  • “You can see when you watch Kansas City…this is what happens to dynasties. The old guys look really old and it’s just sort of a sad trombone and you start losing all those close games instead of winning them.” (Colin, 03:13)
  • Emphasizes it's better to have been a dynasty and faded than never have been great.

2. Week 17 "Blazin’ 5" Picks and Rationale

Timestamps: 04:09–09:29

• Colin shares his picks, highlighting his confidence in underdogs this week.
• Major Picks:
  • Texans (+2.5) over Chargers: Texans clinch playoff with a win; their defense is “dominating even on the road."
  • Panthers (+7) vs. Seahawks: Panthers at home fighting for division; Bryce Young has 6 TDs and no picks last 3 games.
  • Eagles (+2.5) at Bills: Believes Eagles win turnover battles and O-line health trending up.
  • Bears (+3) at 49ers: Bears get the nod due to big-play offense and the Niners’ weak defensive stats.
  • Cardinals/Bengals OVER 53.5: Projects a shootout due to two bad, banged-up defenses.

Memorable Blazin’ 5 quote:

• “Four underdogs. I have not done that once this year.” (Colin, 08:48)

3. The Denver Broncos' Resilience and Perceptions

Timestamps: 09:29–10:19

• Colin and Eric Mangini discuss Denver's ability to win close games—viewing late-game victories as a strength, not a weakness.
  • Mangini: “To me that’s a strength that shows character…that’s going to be a strength in the playoffs, their ability to know if we’re behind, we can figure out a way to come back.” (Eric Mangini, 09:55)

4. Lions' Late-Season Collapse and Coordinator/OL Issues

Timestamps: 10:20–12:20

• Mangini and Colin debate how much the Lions’ struggles are due to injuries versus losing great offensive minds/coordinators.
• Notable issues:
  • Six turnovers in latest loss.
  • 15 rushing yards in previous game, labeled “inexcusable” regardless of O-line injuries.

Quote:

• “There’s not 15 yards only in rushing of injuries on the offensive line. That part is going to have to be addressed…” (Mangini, 11:37)

5. Bills’ Super Bowl Window – Now or Never?

Timestamps: 12:20–14:15

• Discussion about the rare opportunity for Buffalo with many AFC rivals depleted/aging.
  • “This is the year…No Mahomes, maybe no Lamar, no Burrow…This is the year to win.” (Colin, 12:40)
  • Mangini: “You’ve got the one remaining superhero left in the AFC. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect a deep run—and ideally a Super Bowl run—with all those other guys sitting home.” (13:13)

6. The Lamar Jackson Conundrum

Timestamps: 14:15–16:42

• Colin unpacks rumors about Lamar Jackson’s personality/clashes in Baltimore and asks Mangini if it reduces his value.
• Mangini is unmoved: “If I’m the Ravens, I’m not moving on from Lamar Jackson. What did he do the last time…he was the MVP…the next year.” (Mangini, 15:25)
• For teams like the Jets or Raiders, Mangini says: “Yeah, you go get Lamar Jackson if you can…because it gives you such a better chance to win.”

7. Giants’ QB Dilemma: Jackson Dart vs. Fernando Mendoza

Timestamps: 16:42–18:59, 46:35–53:57

• Colin argues the Giants must explore every option, including drafting Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza.
  • Mendoza is “bigger, much more accurate, a much better prospect” than Dart, despite Dart being “fun to watch” and a “gamer.”
  • Suggests trading Dart could net crucial picks, which could help rebuild around Mendoza.
  • “I think when you’re bad, you have to consider everything. I like Jackson. He’s better than I thought. But…Mendoza is putting up better numbers.” (Colin, 18:08)
• Mangini agrees: “Yeah, Dart’s done some good things. But I don’t know if he’s made a strong enough case saying, yeah, this is our franchise quarterback.” (Mangini, 49:15)

Heated sub-debate:

• Should Giants keep both QBs for competition, or avoid a media circus and commit to the higher-upside prospect?
  • “You don’t want in New York City a quarterback battle.” (Colin, 24:02)
  • “The fanbase loves Dart…he’s like the new Jeremy Lin.” (B, 24:08)

8. Quarterback Metrics: Explosive Plays vs. Efficiency

Timestamps: 18:59–21:46

• Examining the tradeoffs between completion percentage and big-play upside.
• “If you told me [Caleb Williams] is a career 60% guy with all this horsepower, I think I can live with it.” (Colin, 20:08)
• Mangini: “If we’re talking about 60, 61, it’s not that far off. And you have the upside of the big plays…you can live with that.” (20:21)

Humorous aside:

• “I can’t fix a tire on the car, but I’m really good in the fourth quarter.” (Colin, 21:52)

9. NFL Roster Management Lessons from Denver's Non-Rebuild

Timestamps: 28:23–32:51

• Colin credits Sean Payton for improving in-place personnel given severe cap/draft constraints.
  • “He took a guy like Quinn Miners…now arguably the best guard in the league since Sean Payton arrived.”

10. News Segment Highlights (J-Mac/Colin banter)

Timestamps: 33:26–41:37

• Detroit Lions:
  • Detroit’s regression is scrutinized. Six turnovers and loss of center Frank Ragnow cited as pivotal.
  • “The most underrated position in this sport is center…It’s the anchor.” (Colin, 35:51)
• Nikola Jokic’s Historic NBA Performance:
  • “He’s absolutely the most skilled center in the history of the league.” (Colin, 37:44)
• Toughest NFL QB Debate:
  • Fred Warner calls Joe Burrow the toughest QB. Colin says Burrow is the “best third and fourth down thrower;” J-Mac leans Josh Allen for pure toughness.

11. Giants’ Draft Possibilities and Final QB Assessment

Timestamps: 46:35–53:57

• Colin lays out the Giants' options: stick with Dart, trade for draft capital and Mendoza, or even trade down in the draft for a deeper, future QB class.
  • “The idea that you could get a better quarterback, certainly a better quarterback prospect…that’s not debatable.”
  • “You have to consider Mendoza as a pick and I think trading down is something that may make a lot of sense.” (Colin, 52:51)

Notable Quotes

• On dynasties aging out: “It’s better to have been in a dynasty and faded away than to never have been in a dynasty.” (Colin, 03:15)
• On Bills’ chance: “You’ve got the one remaining superhero left in the AFC.” (Mangini, 13:13)
• On Giants’ QB purgatory: “When you’ve been bad for a decade, you have to consider everything.” (Colin, 16:42)
• On Jackson Dart’s appeal: “He’s excited the fanbase after he came in for Russell Wilson, who kind of put the fanbase to sleep. It wasn’t a high bar…” (Mangini, 49:15)
• On offensive line importance: “The most underrated position in this sport is center…It’s the anchor.” (Colin, 35:51)
• On Jokic: “He is absolutely the most skilled center in the history of the league.” (Colin, 37:44)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|-------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:11 | Reflection on Chiefs/Kelce and dynasty decline | | 04:09 | Week 17 “Blazin’ 5” breakdown | | 09:29 | Broncos’ late-game identity (with Mangini) | | 10:20 | Detroit Lions’ offensive downfall & coordinator concerns | | 12:20 | Bills’ Super Bowl opportunity in weakened AFC | | 14:15 | The Lamar Jackson controversy and trade value | | 16:42 | Giants: Weighing Jackson Dart vs. Mendoza (debate begins) | | 18:59 | Completion percentage vs. explosiveness (Caleb Williams talk) | | 28:23 | Broncos’ “non-rebuild” success with Sean Payton | | 33:26 | News: Lions’ collapse, Jokic’s NBA feat, QB toughness rankings | | 46:35 | Giants’ draft path options and final QB thoughts | | 52:41 | Discussion: trade-down as a Giants strategy considered |

Conclusion & Episode Takeaways

This hour of The Herd delivered a classic mix of Colin's confident picks, sharp NFL takes, and a vivid boardroom-level debate about the future for the Giants at quarterback. Highlighted by honesty about organizational failures, calculated optimism for select franchises, and candid skepticism of media and fan tunnel vision, the show offers the kind of smart, fast-moving sports talk that characterizes Cowherd’s best work.

Listeners walk away with strong angles on Week 17 action, a deeper understanding of roster-building quandaries, and thought-provoking questions about how franchises should weigh “fan favorite” QBs against long-term upside.