The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Hour 3 – How Dave Roberts Handles the Pitching Staff and Practicing Patience with Aaron Glenn
Date: October 15, 2025
Guests: Eric Mangini, Jay (Producer)

Episode Overview

In this episode, Colin is joined by former NFL coach Eric Mangini to discuss a variety of current sports headlines, including managing young quarterbacks in the NFL, the unique pressures on coaches, and the strategies of MLB managers—specifically Dave Roberts’ approach with the Dodgers' pitching staff. The conversation also ventures into NFL coaching patience (with a spotlight on Aaron Glenn), speculative college coaching moves, and a dash of NBA preseason analysis. Colin holds his signature tone: insightful, opinionated, and often humorous, weaving personal insights with broader league observations.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Young Quarterbacks: Progress, Pitfalls & Coaching (03:39 - 09:33)

• Drake Maye’s Progress

  • Colin wonders if even Mike Vrabel is surprised by Drake Maye’s rapid development.
    • Eric Mangini draws a parallel with Sam Darnold:
      • "I thought he looked a lot like Sam Darnold coming out of college...The progress that he's made is substantial. And I think he's got a chance to continue with it just based off that combination of him, Josh [McDaniels], and Vrabel." (04:04-05:03)

• Caleb Williams’ NFL Transition

  • Colin’s concerns: “Consistent accuracy, still a problem, and playing within structure.” (05:03-05:45)
  • Mangini notes improvements, especially in sacks taken, and the growing confidence in both Williams and his teammates.
    • Notable: "The encouraging thing to me this year is his sacks have come way down...every game that he continues to play with Ben Johnson, Ben Johnson gets to know him better..." (05:45-06:46)
  • Mangini sees reasons for Chicago Bears fans to be optimistic.

• Bo Nix’s Deep Ball Struggles & Sean Payton’s Patience

  • Colin points out body language and deep ball issues: “You’ve had 20 starts. What do you do when you realize your quarterback may have a hole you can’t fix?” (07:13-07:59)
  • Mangini reflects on Sean Payton’s adjustment after working with Drew Brees, and the necessity of patience and a running game for Bo Nix:
    • "Sean wants to be able to do all those same things offensively, but he's got a guy that has limitation. And it's not just the physical limitations, but it's an experience limitation." (07:59-08:48)

2. The Coach’s Seat: NFL Patience and the Risk of Change (09:33 - 16:46)

• Buffalo Bills and Sean McDermott’s Job Security

  • Colin shares Nick Wright’s stat: Win with your star quarterback in the first five years, or it’s unlikely to happen.
    • "They get expensive, they get beat up...Now with a hard cap...you gotta make when the making's good." (09:33-10:42)
  • Mangini doubts Buffalo’s ready for a coaching change but sees cracks: “Josh Allen, you feel like you gotta be Superman...But when you're sitting on the sideline and they're running up and down the field...that's what hurts Josh Allen.” (10:56-12:07)

• Baker Mayfield’s Surprising Growth

  • Mangini admits his surprise:
    • "I felt like [Baker] was a lot of arrogance early on...It's not arrogance anymore. It's confidence. And that, to me, is different, and it resonates." (12:15-13:04)
  • He warns of Baker's physical risk-taking style, questioning its sustainability.

• Patience with Young Coaches: The Aaron Glenn Conversation

  • Colin probes how quickly owners should fire coaches, referencing Glenn after some poor end-game decisions.
  • Mangini advises patience if a coach can show vision, values, and progress:
    • "If you can show the ownership how the vision is, you're moving towards that...then ownership can...be patient." (14:19-15:48)
    • Adds the need for humility and adaptability for young coaches.

3. Coaching in a Media Pressure Cooker & Lessons from New York (15:48 - 16:46)

• Colin describes NYC/Philly/Boston media as combative, influencing even passive coaches to become more aggressive.
• “If you have a game like that, you can't go up and sit in front of the media and lecture them...They've been watching a lot of football for a lot of years and they’re really knowledgeable.” (16:22-16:46)

4. MLB Managerial Decisions: Dave Roberts & Trust in Pitching (33:11 - 38:42)

• Dodgers’ Pitching Management in the Playoffs

  • Colin critiques Roberts’ decision to pull Blake Snell in Game 1 despite dominance, prioritizing “today over setting up your bullpen” (36:00-37:04)
  • Contrasts that with leave decisions in Game 2 with Yamamoto, observing situations are circumstantial.

• Roberts’ Player-Friendly Style

  • Colin supports player-friendly managers in MLB due to the long season: “I would rather lose a game on loyalty...That’ll play well.” (38:42-39:15)
  • Uses an anecdote: “Jimmy Rollins...It takes one guy to ruin a clubhouse.”

• Dave Roberts on Yamamoto:

  • “He feels that he’s the best option. And so I think for me that just gives me that confidence...” – Dave Roberts (38:12)

5. College Football Coaching Carousel Talk (22:03 - 25:00)

• Marcus Freeman Rumors
  • Producer Jay and Colin agree Marcus Freeman won’t consider Penn State; next logical step is an NFL gig.
    • “It’s almost disrespectful to Notre Dame because I think Notre Dame’s a better program...Freeman’s next stop is an NFL job.” (22:38-24:34)
  • Colin notes Notre Dame as one of the few “perfect” programs but the job’s intensity can wear out any coach.

6. NBA Preseason & Team Leadership Chat (25:00 - 27:30)

• Praise for “Skinny Luka” Doncic, who looked dominant in preseason.
  • “This is now skinny Luka...ball centric Luka. And at this point, I’m okay with that.” (25:52-26:54)
• Extends to LeBron’s transition to more off-ball play due to Luka’s ascendance.

7. NFL Playoff Predictions and the Importance of Run Defense (27:30 - 30:20)

• KC Chiefs outside the playoff picture—discussing the oddity.
  • “No Joe Burrow, no Lamar Jackson, no Patrick Mahomes...I don’t know that the NFL is ready for a postseason like that.” (27:57-28:05)
• Colin skeptical of Buffalo’s defense: “This run defense is horrible for Buffalo...the worst thing you can have when you have a great quarterback is a bad run defense.” (29:22-30:06)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On coaching in tough cities:
  • “The New York, Philly, Boston media, it’s...you gotta have teeth, you gotta have bite.” – Colin Cowherd (13:18-14:19)
• On Dave Roberts vs. MLB Analytics:
  • "Analytics basically wants you after the 6th inning, they want you to go to the bullpen. But postseason baseball is different. There’s jobs on the line, there’s so much money on the line..." – Colin Cowherd (37:04-38:12)
• On sticking with loyal managers:
  • “I would rather lose a game on loyalty. I think that'll play well... I think Aaron Boone and Dave Roberts tend to be very, very hospitable and trust-my-guy managers.” – Colin Cowherd (38:42-39:15)
• Baker Mayfield’s transformation:
  • “It’s not arrogance anymore. It’s confidence. And that, to me, is different, and it resonates.” – Eric Mangini (12:15-13:04)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Young QBs in the NFL & Coaching Strategy: 03:39 – 09:33
• Bills/McDermott/Allen, Coach Patience: 09:33 – 16:46
• MLB – Dave Roberts’ Pitching Style: 33:11 – 39:15
• College Football Coaching Moves: 22:03 – 25:00
• NBA Preseason – Luka & LeBron: 25:00 – 27:30
• NFL Playoff Scenarios & Run Defense: 27:30 – 30:20

Tone & Final Thoughts

Colin and Mangini deliver their takes with a mix of candor, wit, and hard-earned insight, drawing connections between player psychology, coach management styles, and the often-unforgiving nature of both pro sports and the media landscape. Their analysis is rich with knowledge from having been in the trenches, making this episode especially valuable for anyone wanting a deeper read on why managers and coaches make the pivotal, and often second-guessed, choices that can define a season.