The Herd with Colin Cowherd – Hour 2 Summary (February 9, 2026)

Overview

This episode dives deep into Super Bowl fallout and NFL trends, focusing on the Seattle Seahawks' dominant victory, the New England Patriots’ offensive challenges, elite defensive play, and the legacy-building quarterback storylines. Colin walks through his weekly "Where Colin Was Right & Wrong" segment, breaks down coaching approaches, hosts former Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck for sharp analysis, and explores pressing roster questions, all with his signature candid, opinionated style.

Key Segments & Discussion Points

Seahawks Super Bowl Dominance and Sam Darnold’s Redemption

[02:33 - 04:09]

• Seahawks celebrated a Super Bowl win, surprising many with their margin of victory.
• Colin’s Faith in Darnold: "Quarterback is about traits. Arm size, mobility, toughness, humility…I always ask people in the league…and the smart people always said he just needs the right fit…Way to go, Sam.” (Colin Cowherd, [04:09])

Where Colin Was Right & Wrong – Super Bowl Takeaways

[04:09 - 09:05]

• Patriots' Offensive Line: Poor run-blocking was expected; they had only 42 yards rushing by running backs.
  • “New England would not be able to run the ball...Drake May had to throw it 34-35 times or more...” (Colin, [04:22])
• Seattle’s Turnover Issues: When Seahawks play clean, they're almost unbeatable—"They were 9-0 in games with no turnovers." (Colin, [07:06])
• Christian Gonzalez: Underestimated in pre-game player rankings; made pivotal plays for New England.
• The Defensive Coaching Renaissance: Defensive coaches made a comeback, with Mike Macdonald’s Super Bowl approach getting special praise.
• Devin Witherspoon Shines: Called the best corner in football; led players in QB hits.

Matt Hasselbeck Joins – On-field Perspective & Seahawks Analysis

[09:05 - 16:43]

• New England Defense’s Grit But Fatigue: Seahawks field dominance didn’t translate early to touchdowns, but Patriots’ defense wore down from repeated short possessions.
• Seattle’s Defensive Blueprint:
  • Uncharacteristic blitzing disturbed the Patriots. “Usually we’re not going to be a blitz-repeating team, but if you don’t prove that you have an answer for it, we’re bringing it again...” (Matt Hasselbeck, [11:25])
  • Devin Witherspoon’s versatility as a corner and blitzer was pivotal.
• Complimentary Football & Offense:
  • Young Patriots offense couldn’t stay on field, undermining an experienced defense.
  • Seahawks used "load management" with Kenneth Walker to maximize playoff performance.
• Coaching Staff Changes and Impacts:
  • Hasselbeck worries about the potential loss of offensive coordinator Clint Kubiak to the Raiders:

  “Who’s he taking with him?...You better hope that you don’t let him poach the people you need.” (Matt Hasselbeck, [16:43])

Quarterback Command and the Darnold Arc

[16:43 - 19:09]

• “Game Manager” vs “Game Commander”:

  “I use the word game commander. Like, you’re in command…Brady was the best at that. He was in command of it.” (Matt Hasselbeck, [17:35])

• Darnold’s playoff run underscored the importance of being secure in his role—“You don’t need to do that with us. You’re our guy…” (Matt Hasselbeck, [18:23])
• Locker room value of unselfish, confident QB play.

Patriots Offense Breakdown and Drake May’s Trouble

[19:09 - 21:17]

• Drake May’s Issues: Looked uncomfortable and possibly unhealthy; O-line struggled to handle Seattle's pressure.
• Lack of creative play-calling; no “trick plays” or adaptation versus dominant defense.

  “If you’re mismatched with a great defense…you gotta manufacture something exotic…It just wasn’t there for me.” (Matt Hasselbeck, [20:16])

Hallmarks of Seattle’s Defense & Quarterback Growth

[21:17 - 22:51]

• Unique about Seattle: can get pressure with just four, have elite athleticism in the secondary, and strong special teams—"not a lot of holes".
• Advice to young QBs: Study veteran signal-callers’ poise, vision, and rapid processing.

Gameplan Critiques & Patriots Coaching History

[24:41 - 26:46]

• Critique of Patriots’ conservative, repetitive offense—issues with lack of tight end involvement (Hunter Henry), not enough gadget plays.
• “You have to get Seattle in some space…Tight ends, bubble screens, trick plays, reverses, gadgets…” (Colin Cowherd, [26:06])
• Historical trend: New England’s inability to score first-quarter Super Bowl TDs under Josh McDaniels.

Seahawks’ Offseason Questions – Staying Hungry After a Title

[14:27; 27:18]

• On Kenneth Walker’s future: “Walker’s not a pass catcher, Matt, and he’s not a great blocker. He’s a little one-dimensional…but he’s unbelievable at that one dimension. Do you stay with him?” (Colin, [14:50])
• Kubiak’s departure may force Seattle to pay Walker to avoid excessive system chaos.

Notable Quotes

• "Quarterback is about traits. Arm size, mobility, toughness, humility…I never wavered on Sam because he just needed the right fit." (Colin Cowherd, [04:09])
• "Usually we’re not going to be a blitz-repeating team, but if you don’t prove that you have an answer…we’re bringing it again." (Matt Hasselbeck, [11:25])
• "When you know you’re the guy, you don’t care if you throw for 198 yards and win the game." (Matt Hasselbeck, [18:23])
• "Seattle has the ability to get great pressure with only four. That’s the definition of a great defense." (Colin Cowherd, [21:17])
• "You gotta remember why you got hired…because of who he was as a defensive coordinator, as a defensive play caller." (Matt Hasselbeck, [11:09])

Other Memorable Moments

• Fun at the After-Party: Hasselbeck describes the Seattle postgame party energy (“I made it for Ludacris and T-Pain…I was very impressed to see Kenneth Walker at the MVP presentation in his green suit.” [23:10])
• Draft Philosophy: Seahawks’ sustained success credited to “unbelievable hit rate” in the last four drafts.
• Future Outlook: Conversation pivots to the challenge of staying competitive amid rumored coaching exodus and key player free agencies.

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Seattle’s Super Bowl and Darnold’s performance: [02:33–04:09]
• Where Colin Was Right & Wrong: [04:09–09:05]
• Matt Hasselbeck joins & Seahawks on-field insight: [09:05–16:43]
• Darnold’s playoff run & ‘game commander’ discussion: [16:43–19:09]
• Patriots offense woes with Drake May: [19:09–21:17]
• Overall Seahawks defense and QB lessons: [21:17–22:51]
• On coaching staff changes and team future: [14:27; 27:18]
• Gameplan critiques & Patriots’ conservative history: [24:41–26:46]

Tone & Style

• Colin Cowherd: Thoughtful, candid, not afraid to double down on his pre-season takes, quick with analogies and big-picture thinking.
• Matt Hasselbeck: Experienced, honest, bringing an insider’s perspective; reflective on what drives team and player success.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode:

This episode contextualized Seattle’s Super Bowl victory as the result of sharp management, defensive ingenuity, and Sam Darnold’s resilience. It scrutinized the Patriots’ limitations, celebrated defensive standouts (especially Devin Witherspoon and Christian Gonzalez), and questioned how championship teams sustain hunger. Insights from Matt Hasselbeck gave depth to postgame realities: coaching turnover threats, locker room belief in quarterbacks, and the intricate chess match of NFL strategy. If you want to understand how the Seahawks built this title—and what’s coming next—this episode offers a front-row seat.