THE HERD - Hour 3 - NFL playoff predictions, Tomorrow's headlines today, Greg Cosell

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Episode: THE HERD - Hour 3 - NFL playoff predictions, Tomorrow's headlines today, Greg Cosell
Date: January 15, 2026

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Overview

This episode of The Herd dives deep into the upcoming NFL playoff matchups with detailed film breakdowns and predictions. Colin Cowherd and longtime NFL analyst Greg Cosell examine tactical adjustments, player matchups, and key concerns for each contending team. J. Mac offers bold headline picks for every game, and the crew debates the trajectory of star players and the impact of defensive units in the postseason.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Bears-Rams: Chicago’s Second-Half Turnaround & Defensive Adjustments

• Defensive Shift Was Key: Greg Cosell credits Chicago's defensive adjustments, specifically an increase in pressure, led by Dennis Allen, as the catalyst for their comeback against Green Bay.
  • “Dennis Allen really increased his pressure quotient... It started on the first play of the third quarter with a double corner blitz.” (02:23, Cosell)
• Caleb Williams’ Heroics: Highlighted the pivotal 4th-and-7 play where Williams' improvisational throw kept Chicago alive.
  • “That was just Caleb Williams making one of those absolutely special plays.” (03:36, Cosell)
• Rams’ Weaknesses Exposed: Cosell focuses on LA’s vulnerable cornerbacks, exposing a potential Achilles’ heel vs. Chicago’s offense in cold weather.
  • “The area of weakness for the Rams are their corners... If Kayla Williams goes off for 340 passing yards against those corners, that would not surprise me at all.” (04:12, Cosell)

San Francisco-Seattle: Line Play, Schematics, and Matchups

• Niners’ Offensive Struggles Against Physical Fronts: Cosell notes San Francisco's lack of offensive rhythm when physically overmatched, referencing their Week 18 loss to Seattle.
  • “When they played Seattle Week 18, the 49ers only ran 42 offensive plays... they never had a chance to develop an offensive rhythm.” (05:30, Cosell)
• Seattle’s Defensive Strength—Tackles & Scheme: Emphasizes Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy's impact at DT; Seattle's two-high safety structure keeps big plays in check.
  • “It is really hard to run the ball inside against this defense... Murphy is phenomenal stalemating and defeating double teams.” (07:26, Cosell)

Buffalo-Denver: Josh Allen’s Evolution & Denver’s Defensive Challenges

• Allen’s “Surgical” Game: Cosell lauds Josh Allen’s poised, pocket-based performance against Jacksonville.
  • “It wasn’t the Josh Allen Superman Show… so I thought this was one of the best games that he’s played.” (08:37, Cosell)
• Denver’s Man Coverage Risks: Denver is noted for their pressure-heavy and man-oriented defense, which Buffalo might exploit with tight end matchups due to shallow WR depth. Cosell suggests targeting Kincaid and Knox as key strategies.

Houston-New England: Texans’ Dominant Defense vs. Drake May

• Texans’ “Line Up and Play” Style: Compared to the Legion of Boom, Houston doesn’t rely heavily on blitzes; their front four can disrupt offenses while keeping seven in coverage.
  • “They rush four, they play with seven in coverage... What they often dictate with offenses is that you have to keep a back and or a tight end to protect.” (13:06, Cosell)
• Edge Matchup: Will Anderson lining up against rookie LT Will Campbell is flagged as a potential pressure point.
• Drake May’s Growth: Significant improvement in pocket toughness and subtle movement inside a collapsing pocket.
  • “He makes late in the down throws from the pocket with bodies around him.” (14:38, Cosell)
• Big Play Analysis: Cosell breaks down May's clutch TD throw to Hunter Henry, underlining May’s refined skills in movement and touch.
  • “This is an unbelievable throw… the throw is so good with firm touch… staying calm, eyes downfield.” (16:42, Cosell)

Defensive Advantages and Turnovers

• Houston & Seattle—Forgiving Defenses for Imperfect Offense: Both teams’ defenses can cover mistakes like turnovers; allows their offenses to take risks and still win low-scoring games.
  • “When you have a dominating defense, you don’t have to be perfect.” (19:45, Cowherd)
• Houston’s Defense vs. Scrambling QBs: J. Max notes Houston has allowed the fewest rushing TDs to QBs and rarely lets QBs beat them on the ground. May’s mobility will be tested.

Rams-Bears & Matchup Dynamics

• Rams’ Vertical Attack vs. Bears’ Secondary: J. Max and Colin point to Stafford’s deep ball capabilities against a Bears defense that struggles with vertical threats.
  • “Best deep ball thrower in the league in Matt Stafford… Bears gave up the second most deep ball touchdowns in the league.” (34:18, J. Max)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “The key play in the entire game… was that fourth and seven play. And that was just Caleb Williams making one of those absolutely special plays.”
  Greg Cosell, 03:36
• “This was not a game where [Josh Allen] ran around and made Josh Allen plays. He made some great throws, but they were from the pocket.”
  Greg Cosell, 08:37
• “They rush four, they play with seven in coverage… they’re not a heavy blitz team… because they’re so good up front.”
  Greg Cosell, 13:06
• “Drake May stands there… has excellent pocket movement… moving a little bit to his right, a little bit to his left. He’s really, really good at that.”
  Greg Cosell, 14:38
• “When you have a dominating defense, you don’t have to be perfect. In fact, you can be, you can make mistakes.”
  Colin Cowherd, 19:45

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Tomorrow's Headlines Today: J. Mac’s Predictions

(Timestamps reflect the block in which each headline was presented)

[29:43] - Bills at Broncos

• Headline: “Bo bumps into mafia boss.”
• Call: Bills win a low-scoring game (17-16), Allen makes the difference despite WR injuries.

[31:30] - San Fran at Seattle

• Headline: “Seattle Death do Us Part. One that got away makes them pay.”
• Call: Seahawks to edge Niners, citing matchup advantages on defensive line.

[32:32] - Texans at Patriots

• Headline: “Parting of the Strouds. Old playoff Persona left behind.”
• Call: Texans will win outright; Houston’s secondary and defense will challenge May’s progress.

[33:42] - Rams at Bears

• Headline: “The cold man in the sea. Hot routes, warm reads. Old man Matthew Stafford delivers.”
• Call: Rams to thrive with Stafford’s deep passing game, overmatched Bears secondary.

[34:54] - Miami vs. Indiana (NCAA)

• Headline: “2 1/2 Mendozas. The U loses all its sheen.”
• Call: Indiana wins, Miami keeps it close, take the points with Hurricanes (+8.5).

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Additional Insights

On NFL Draft & Player Development

• Discussion on the challenges and upside of two-way players like Travis Hunter. Colin and the crew debate whether Hunter’s value is maximized by focusing on one side of the ball in the NFL.
  • “I just think it’s very hard to bounce between offensive and defensive meeting rooms. Pick a lane.” (23:01, Cowherd)

On New England's Fast Track

• Colin is surprised by New England’s rapid rise, still views them as mid-rebuild but exceeding expectations by reaching conference championship contention.

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Chicago vs. Rams discussion: 01:45 – 05:06
• San Francisco vs. Seattle breakdown: 05:06 – 08:11
• Buffalo vs. Denver analysis: 08:11 – 12:46
• Houston vs. New England preview: 12:46 – 17:39
• Defensive value and turnovers: 19:45 – 21:48
• Travis Hunter & Draft trades: 22:35 – 24:26
• Tomorrow’s Headlines Today/Major Picks: 29:43 – 36:11

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Conclusion

This dense, dynamic episode covers every angle of the upcoming playoff games, from schematic matchups and individual development to emotional “headline” predictions. The episode blends Cosell’s granular film analysis and in-depth football knowledge with Cowherd and J. Mac’s sharp prognostication, offering both the how and the why behind each pick.

Listeners walk away with tactical details, key player matchups to watch, and a strong sense of which teams have the edge heading into a pivotal NFL playoff weekend.

Transcript

[Greg Cosell]

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Qualifying credit required. Thanks for listening to the Herd podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports radio and noon to 3 Eastern, 9am to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the [e-mail] or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR.

[Greg Cosell]

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[Colin Cowherd]

You're listening to Fox Sports radio.

[Greg Cosell]

Down.

[Colin Cowherd]

To eight, four games, two Saturday and two Sunday. Greg Cosell, 46 years at NFL Films. He's seen it all. And we're going to start with Bears hosting the Rams on a frigid night in Chicago. So let's let's talk Chicago. What did they change in their approach from the first half where they got, I mean they could not stop anything and struggled moving the ball and finding rhythm. And then in the second half, specifically the fourth, it's a different game. What did they change in their approach against the Packers?

[Greg Cosell]

I thought Colin, the bigger change came on the defensive side of the ball. To be honest, I thought Dennis Allen really increased his pressure quotient. It started on the third, on the first play of the third quarter where he went with a double corner blitz and he did a lot more of these pressure concepts in the second half and we saw the result there. The packers had what A number of three and outs. So to me, that set the stage for the game. And what happened in the fourth quarter, when you talk about offense, offense to me is very interesting because obviously we know what happened on that 4th and 7 completion by Caleb Williams, which was as good an improvisational throw as you'll ever see. But then there were other plays where you look at it and say nothing special happened other than the packers did not execute well on defense. There was a third and 10 play, I think, on the second touchdown drive in the fourth quarter where the packers forced a check down to Kyle Menonge and. And it was third and 10 and they just couldn't tackle him. And it went for 22 yards. So, you know, plays like that. But I obviously the. The key play in the entire game in terms of allowing the Bears to win was that fourth and seven play. And that was just Caleb Williams making one of those absolutely special plays. Because if that doesn't happen, it's not likely they win the game. But I thought in terms of the tactics and schematics of the game, more was done on the defensive side of the ball that changed that game.

[Colin Cowherd]

So I'm watching Carolina give the Rams trouble for the second time and part of me thinks it's a bad matchup. They have big boundary receivers. Maybe that's it. Yeah, I just look at that matchup and I'm like, something's not right with the Rams. Their defense, their defense feels like it's out of sync. What does it say? What's the film say?

[Greg Cosell]

You know, one thing I've learned over the years, Colin, and I know you would agree with this, you've watched football for a long time. When a team has a weakness or an that's not a strength, anytime that gets exposed. It could happen in the regular season, but it's more likely to happen in the playoffs against better teams that can be exposed anytime. And the area of weakness for the Rams are their corners. And that's one thing that could definitely be a problem against the Bears. We know that. Will it be a problem? We don't know. But if it is a problem, it wouldn't surprise me at all. And that is the weakness in their defense. So if they lose this game because. And again, I don't know how weather will affect the ability to throw the ball, but if it doesn't affect the ability to throw the ball and Kayla Williams goes off for 340 passing yards against those corners, that would not surprise me at all.

[Colin Cowherd]

San Francisco, Seattle. Yeah, I thought. I thought the first Drive was majestic. I thought it was absolutely beautiful. Did it. Did the Niners do anything different against Philadelphia? I mean, it's Shanahan, so it's all symphonic. It all kind of works. It's just so.

[Greg Cosell]

Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

Just amazing that they can lose Kittle and still do what they do. Did they do anything different against Philadelphia?

[Greg Cosell]

Well, they did a couple of things that they don't normally do that just happened to happen in the game, starting with the second play when he hit DeMarcus Robinson for 61 yards. And then obviously they called that reverse touchdown, which as I'm sure you recall, was the same play they ran in the super bowl against the Chiefs a few years ago. And then he hit Jennings late in the game, later in the game for a long completion. But, you know, to me, I think it's more instructive to look back at Week 18 when these two teams played. Now, I don't think this game will play out exactly the same way, but that was a game in which the Niners on both sides of the ball, Colin. Were physically handled. Kyle Shanahan, for the most part, as you know, he's not a one play kind of coach. He doesn't think, you know, even though he called this particular play that we're looking at. And that's because they were really struggling to run the ball, which has been the case now for the last two weeks. He called this play to see if he could just generate some kind of offense, but they've not been able to run the ball. But for the most part, Kyle is kind of a four quarter coach. He builds off plays so he needs to run plays. When they played Seattle Week 18, the 49ers only ran 42 offensive plays. That's unheard of in an NFL game. So they never had a chance to. To sort of develop an offensive rhythm and develop pace and tempo because when they're at their best, it's not that they're a big play offense, they're not driving the ball down the field, but they tend to control the way the game is played. And that did not happen against Seattle. And it'll be interesting to see how this plays out. They got physically handled. You know, you look at this game and you think, gee, could that happen again? It could, I guess. I'd be surprised if it does. And I'm certainly not saying San Francisco is going to win, but they need to be able to control the game with their offense.

[Colin Cowherd]

Is there a Seattle unit on either side that really matches up with San Francisco?

[Greg Cosell]

Well, the defense for Seattle. I think the two players that do not get enough credit at all for Seattle's defense are their two defensive tackles, Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy. Because it is really hard to run the ball inside against this defense. Those guys can win. Yeah, these guys can win one on one matchups. Murphy is phenomenal stalemating and defeating double teams. So it's very, very difficult to run the ball. And plus the other thing about Seattle, and this is a Mike McDonald feature of his defenses is everything starts with a too high safety structure and they kind of play top down. Even when they pressure, they play two safeties on the back end. So it's very hard to get over the top of them.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, there it when you watch the Texans defense and the Seahawks defense, it does feel sometimes they're playing with an extra man. You even if you fool them. Yeah, you don't have a lot of space. They they're closing speed, their length, their speed is remarkable. So Buffalo and Denver. Yeah, let's just talk Josh, what did you think? What did the film tell you on Josh against the Jags?

[Greg Cosell]

Thought it was one of the best games I've ever seen him play because it was surgical and methodical. It wasn't the Josh Allen Superman Show. It was Josh Allen throwing the ball from the pocket, controlling the game. None of us know exactly what a quarterback does at the line of scrimmage, although a lot of people like to assume they do. But it looked like he was doing a lot of things that controlled the game and I thought that he was just absolutely surgical. Colin this was not a game where he ran around and made Josh Allen plays. He made some great throws, but they were from the pocket. So I thought this was one of the best games. Given that he played on the road against a very good defense, I thought it was one of the best games that he's played.

[Colin Cowherd]

Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio FS1 and the iHeartRadio app. Fox Sports Radio is taking over YouTube and you can be a part of it. Pay attention. Just go to YouTube and search Fox Sports Radio. Hit that subscribe button and smash that notification bell and catch all the videos from your favorite shows. Two pros and a cup of Joe, Dan Patrick, Colin Cowherd, Doug Gottlieb, Kavino and Rich the Odd Couple with Rob Parker and Kelvin Washington, the Jason Smith show with Mike Harmon and the Ben Maller Show. Fox sports radio on YouTube. Subscribe hit that thumbs up icon and comment away the new year brings new health goals and wealth goals. Protecting your identity is an important step. Your info is in endless places that could expose you to identity theft leading to lost funds. LifeLock monitors millions of data points per second. If your identity is stolen, LifeLock's restoration specialist will fix it, guaranteed or your money back. Resolve to make identity, health and wealth part of your new year's goals. With LifeLock, save up to 40% your first year. Visit LifeLock.com sports terms apply everyone deserves to be connected. That's why T Mobile and US Cellular are joining forces. Switch to T Mobile and save up to 20% versus Verizon by getting built in benefits they leave out. Check the math@t mobile.com switch and now T mobile is in US cellular stores. Savings versus Comparable Verizon plans plus the cost of optional benefits, plan features and.

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[Greg Cosell]

Well, I think Denver gives most offenses problems because they're very, very good. And I think that, you know, again, without being in the head of Joe Brady, I think one of the things you really have to try to do through the use of personnel and formations is get Kincaid and Knox matched on linebackers and safeties. Now obviously Vance Joseph, this is not his first rodeo. He knows that well, but I think that's what you have to try to do. Now, two defining features of Vance Joseph's defense are they pressure and they play a lot of man coverage. Now keep in mind, and I know it was a year ago, but coaches tend to coach against coaches because they know their schematics. These teams played and it was in Buffalo, but they played in the wild card game last year and that was a game where the tight ends Kincaid and Knox were a factor. So again, Joe Brady knows more than I do about how to do all that. But I think that's what you have to try to get done in this game. Given the lack of, you know, I don't want to say a lack of quality, but the lack certainly the lack of depth at the wide receiver position for the Bills.

[Colin Cowherd]

Okay, the Houston defense is a handful. The longest Steeler drive in the second half was 23 yards. Now, new England's got some interesting wide receivers. Hunter, Henry, a couple of backs that are pretty good, not a dominant O line. Do you worry about Drake may a kid in this defense?

[Greg Cosell]

Yeah, this is a really tough defense now, relatively speaking. Colin, this is not a super complex defense. In many ways you could almost. Even though schematically they're different in many ways they're reminiscent of the Legion of Boom in that they kind of line up and they play because they're so good. They predominantly in pure pass situations, Rush 4. They're not a heavy blitz team and actually they're not a great blitzing team when they do blitz. But they rush four, they play with seven in coverage and because they're so good up front and obviously Hunter and Anderson on the edge, but they're very good inside as well. What they often dictate with offenses is that you have to keep a back and or a tight end to protect. And if you do that, you end up sending out three wide receivers and they have seven in coverage. Now, just one quick point. One thing I noticed watching the tape last week was how often Will Anderson, who rarely did this during the regular season, lined up on the right side of the defense. The left side of the offense. Okay. And one thing that the tape showed in the Patriots game, Will Campbell struggled a bit last week at left tackle trying to block Khalil Mack and Oway for the Chargers. So I'm really looking forward to seeing if the Texans do that with Anderson and match him up against Campbell. That will be a very interesting matchup to see if the Patriots feel that they have to give Will Campbell help.

[Colin Cowherd]

Where's Drake may improve the most last year to this year?

[Greg Cosell]

Oh, I would say in every area. But the thing that stands out to me that goes beyond numbers is just his pocket toughness. You know, he's not a quarterback that looks to leave the pocket, Colin. He stays there and he allows the offense to work. He allows the passing game to work. So what that means is, is he makes late in the down Throws from the pocket with bodies around him when the pocket gets squeezed. That's becoming a lost trait in quarterbacks because as you know, so many more quarterbacks starting at a young age are really athletic players. So what happens is, is the second they perceive any kind of pressure, they, they flee the pocket. Drake Mays stands there. He has excellent pocket movement, you know, moving a little bit to his right, a little bit to his left. He's really, really good at that.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. What's your big play of the week? Isn't it Drake May?

[Greg Cosell]

Yeah, it's Drake May. So let's get to it. This is actually a good example, but I love this play and this play is really interesting. It was the touchdown pass he threw last week to Hunter Henry. So we can take a look at it right now because this was, I think later in the game and this is just a beautiful throw. But there's so many elements to this play. The first element of course is you're going to see May under center, which by the way, they do a good amount of. But the other thing Here is the 6o line personnel and that's something they do some of, not a ton. Believe it or not, the Texans do the most. So what you're going to see now is Hunter Henry is actually going to motion across the formation. Now what they're going to get from the Chargers here is a five man pressure. So you see him move across the formation. So now he's just inside of Kyle Williams and you're going to get a five man pressure concept from the Chargers here and the route concept, it's only going to be a two man route concept to the left side of the formation. You're going to get Kyle Williams on a sail route and you're going to get Henry on a corner route. Now one of the things that I thought was really interesting about this play and one reason I'm sure Mike Vrabel really liked Travion Henderson is he's a very good pass protector. He struggled early in the season, but here he does a really nice job on Henley and he gets him off his feet. So now if we go back to the routes, you're going to see that Williams lifts the corner so Henry can run his corner out into a void. And this is an unbelievable throw. And the reason it's a great throw is because Derwin James recognizes the route concept and there's a void there. But Derwin James does an unbelievable job of sinking with depth and almost makes a play here. But the throw is so good with Firm touch. It's a touch throw, really. It's not an arm strength throw, it's a touch throw. And we talk about pocket movement. Great example of it. Just sliding a little to his left, staying calm, eyes downfield, little things like that. The subtleties and the disciplined craft element of the position is something that Drake May is really refined at for a second year.

[Colin Cowherd]

NFL quarterback Greg Cosell, 46 years, NFL Films, as always, appreciate the breakdowns, Greg.

[Greg Cosell]

Thanks, Colin. Appreciate it.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, the. You know, it's interesting how they stagger the games. San Francisco, Seattle. Saturday, that is. That is prime time. Saturday is as good as the NFL gets. I think it's a really close game through three quarters. I think Seattle's going to come in little more conservative game plan. They're at home, they're favored. They're healthier, better roster. They think they can wear down San Francisco. Don't need a lot of exotics, don't need a lot of risks. San Francisco wants that ball. They're going to take that coin flip if they win it. They want to score first. Quiet that wild crowd. Take some big shots, couple of exotics, some different looks. They know, they know they got to take more chances to beat Seattle. Roster construction, roster health. Right now, I think notable, notable edge, the defensive line for Seattle. Everybody would start across the board. I mean, AK if you took the best five defensive linemen between the Niners and the Seahawks, Seahawks could have five of five, of four or five. I mean, there, there. That, that is a gap. J. Mac with the news. No, no, no, no.

[Greg Cosell]

Turn on the news.

[J. Max]

This is the Herdline news. All right, let's start with the Houston Texans defense. It is formidable.

[Colin Cowherd]

We love them.

[J. Max]

They're going up against an MVP candidate. I don't think May will win it. I think Stafford will, but May's been pretty damn good. He was okay against the Chargers. Here's Demiko. Ryan's talking about his defense and how they can corral young Drake May.

[Greg Cosell]

He can sling the ball very well, right? Really good passer. He can hit all three levels of the field.

[Colin Cowherd]

One thing I'm seeing this year is as his athleticism and how he's able.

[Greg Cosell]

To escape the pocket.

[Colin Cowherd]

That's really, you know, shown to be something unique to him where he can.

[Greg Cosell]

He can throw the football wherever he wants it.

[Colin Cowherd]

Really great placement, great accuracy, does a.

[Greg Cosell]

Great job throwing the deep ball.

[Colin Cowherd]

And they'll try to hit a ton of explosive shots. The way his, his ability to escape the pocket is what we have to.

[Greg Cosell]

Be aware of this, this Time around.

[Colin Cowherd]

One thing, Houston has a big advantage over almost every other team in the playoffs. They can cough the ball up three times. Their defense protects them. I mean, C.J. stroud did not have a good game against the Cedars. They can lose the turnover battle and their defense bails them out. Seattle's a little bit like that too. Seattle. And when you have a dominating defense, you don't have to be perfect. In fact, you can be, you can make mistakes. And I mean Houston really offensively struggled against Pittsburgh on the road. It didn't matter, blew him out. So that's the thing when you go up to New England now, New England I think has much more firepower offensively. They have a younger quarterback that can move. Unlike Aaron, they have better wide receiver targets. Hunter Henry is a really nice tight end. Maybe not a star, but he's really, really good. But I think this Houston team, they can play real imperfect football. Homer away. It's just hard to get into the end zone. It's just hard in that congested space.

[J. Max]

To Demico Ryan's point against about Drake May. Remember he had that huge scramble right before the half against the Chargers.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yes.

[J. Max]

For like 40. I asked our staff, hey, do we have any numbers on the Houston Texans defense against quarterbacks who like to scramble? Wouldn't you know it? Houston's given up one rushing touchdown to a quarterback all season. Tied for fewest in the league. And also team opposing quarterbacks don't really run against them. 52 rush attempts, that, that's one of the lowest numbers in the league. Collins. Last week Aaron Rodgers was a sitting duck, right. He, he, he can't go anywhere. May can and I do. Want, do you have to, do you have to spy May? Because he's a cerebral quarterback. He's not going to force anything.

[Colin Cowherd]

Right.

[J. Max]

There's a playoffs, you know, and I risking interceptions against Stingley and I think.

[Colin Cowherd]

I just think it's a really low scoring game. I mean if you told me it was 17, 13, I mean I think it's going to be. I think that that game feels cold. Low scoring, two opportunistic defenses. One offense has more firepower. New England one defense is just the length. And again, why is Seattle so good? A big component of it. Unbelievable. Drafting four straight years. Why is Houston so good? Defensively they've nailed their top draft picks. They have just crushed in the draft on the defensive side, on the concussion.

[J. Max]

Front, it looks like Christian Gonzalez could go. Nico Collins. No way. I don't see no shot of that. And that really Hurts because can you expect Christian Kirk to deliver a turn back the clock game? I mean, I don't personally see that. I don't know where C.J. stroud goes. Who's the guy? The young kid, Higgins.

[Colin Cowherd]

Lots of Woody Marks. Geez.

[J. Max]

Wow. Heavy dosage of Woody Marks. Okay, counting on a rookie in a big road game in the playoffs, let's move on to Jacksonville. Colin, they had a great season. Went to the playoffs. Tough loss against Josh Allen. What can you do? Interestingly, Travis Hunter was injured and missed half the season. Here's Jags GM James Gladstone talking about how Travis Hunter is progressing and what they expect from him in the future.

[Greg Cosell]

We still expect him to play on both sides of the ball. The steps that he was taken by the midpoint of the season really made.

[Colin Cowherd]

Us feel good about what the back.

[Greg Cosell]

Half of the year was going to.

[Colin Cowherd]

Be on both sides of the ball and what that impact was going to look like.

[Greg Cosell]

Being a feature point on offense and impact player on defense.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, I don't know. Pick a side. I like offense. What they're, you know, with Jacoby Myers, Brian Thomas, Parker Washington.

[J. Max]

Man, that guy, boy.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, he's six rounder. That gets been electric. I mean they may, they may look at it and think, I mean I just think it's very hard to bounce between offensive and defensive meeting rooms. I think it's tough. I think, you know, pick a lane a little bit. I would rather have my best players offensively. But I will say this, I mean I, I don't think you can star on both sides. I think you can be okay on both sides. But this isn't college football. The Big 12 where everybody, you line up again, you're better. Athletically, he's really talented. But I, I, I still contend it's an offensive league. That's where I'd put it.

[J. Max]

So it's interesting. He was the second pick. The Browns had the second pick. Jags traded up to two to get a receiver. Now technically it's not for a receiver, but it's for receiver, DB.

[Greg Cosell]

Yeah.

[J. Max]

So you can spin this forward. Colin 2026. Who has a second pick? My jets. I don't see people like, oh, we'll just trade down like Travis, like, like the Browns did with the Travis Hunter deal. I'm like, first of all, that wasn't considered a great deal, was it? To trade up for a receiver. I don't, I don't think, I think that was kind of panned. And now it's like, is there someone like a Hunter at two the jets could entice someone to trade up for. I don't see it, do you?

[Colin Cowherd]

Oh, I, you know, I, I think in the top five or six picks, there's you. You take phone calls. It's just somebody could call the jets and say, listen, we want to move three spots. We'll just give you a fifth round pick. The jets could move that pick. It's. What are you willing to move it for?

[Greg Cosell]

You.

[Colin Cowherd]

You're going to get calls. But everybody's trying to, you know, they're, they're, they're lowballing you on picks. If the Jet, if the jets have, I mean, the jets have multiple needs. If the jets had, like the Giants have a needle, I can see the Giants not moving down. And like, we need the offensive tackle from Miami. The Giants have an absolute need because they have rush ends, a receiver, a back, a quarterback. The jets have a million needs. So I could see the jets saying, we're going to trade down six spots and get another third round pick. That's not a bad idea for the Jets.

[J. Max]

Listen, it kind of worked for the Jags. They, you know, they traded up, but kind of worked for the Browns too. They just don't have a quarterback.

[Colin Cowherd]

Final story.

[J. Max]

Colin. We've had a bit of a podcast gate situation this week in the NBA. Remember, Austin Reeves has kind of been ripped a little bit by Rich Paul, the agent for LeBron. Yeah, well, LeBron was asked about it this week and he said that Rich Paul is his own man. And then Rich Paul then went on a podcast and now he's chiming in on this nonsense. Here we go. He understands when this is not like a podcast playground.

[Greg Cosell]

We're in a content business.

[J. Max]

And after you get done saying all these different terms, just end it with business. I'm a businessman first. This is a business. So this is my business, just like he has his business. I think it's, I think it's a.

[Greg Cosell]

Respectful.

[J. Max]

Behavior that we have towards one another. Yeah, don't get me started on this guy, Colin. It's almost like he realizes, hey, LeBron's in his final year. That was my golden ticket. LeBron bales after this year. What do I got? You know, clutch sports will kind of sort of fall apart when LeBron is no longer there.

[Greg Cosell]

I.

[Colin Cowherd]

Clutch sports will be fun.

[J. Max]

It'll be there. But you take a look at his client list. Starting to dry up a little bit, Mr. Cowherd. So now you got, you got this guy. Oh, let me jump into the podcast space and fire off some hot takes get people talking. You know how that law that lasts. Give the guy a couple months, let's see if he's coming up with content round the clock. These guys aren't capable of it and I don't like what he's doing. Austin Reeves There was a report that Austin Reeves agent went up to Rich Paul last game and they had a I don't want to use the word confrontation, but they had a talk, shall we say, about him going after hey, we need to trade Austin Reeves, bro. Settle down, Rich. Settle down. I know that's your guy you're in with with clutch and LeBron and rich don't like what I'm hearing.

[Colin Cowherd]

J Mac with the news well, that's the news and thanks for stopping by the Herd line News J Max picks next on a Thursday. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific. Everyone deserves to be connected. That's why T Mobile and US Cellular are joining forces. Switch to T Mobile and save up to 20% versus Verizon by getting built in benefits they leave out. Check the math@t mobile.com switch and now T Mobile is in US cellular stores. Savings versus Comparable Verizon plans plus the cost of optional benefits, plan features and.

[Greg Cosell]

Taxes and fees vary. Savings with three plus lines include third.

[Colin Cowherd]

Line free via monthly bill credits.

[Greg Cosell]

Credit stop if you cancel any lines.

[Colin Cowherd]

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[J. Max]

J. Mac yeah, well, we actually added a fifth. We're going to do the Natty as well because I need to round it out and I need to bounce back after last week's 1 and 4. So Buffalo visits Denver rematch from last year in the playoffs. Colin, remember, pretty good start for Bo Nicks. Then it went south quickly. The headline this weekend for Buffalo Denver will be Nick. Excuse me. Bo bumps into mafia boss. And that would be one Josh Allen. Listen, picking a side here is tough. I did bet the under. I don't think we'll see a lot of points, but ultimately I got a ride with my guy, Josh Allen. He's fun to watch. Colin, I'll just say this. They have three healthy wide receivers right now going into this game. That's it. And one of them is Keon Coleman, who was a healthy scratch multiple times this year. The other is Brandon Cooks, who's 32 and joined the team like 10 weeks ago. However, why, Jason, why are you betting Buffalo here again? I just don't know what what to make of this Bo Nick situation. I know you love him and you love Peyton. Colin, I was doing some digging. So did you know Peyton and McDermott, they have a history going back to the NFC south when the New Orleans was playing Carolina many times. And wouldn't you know it, McDermott has a history of bottling up Drew Brees. He knows how to play that too. High shell, clog the middle of the field. Keep everything in front of you. And historically, Peyton has not excelled against McDermott's defenses. This Ed Oliver situation is big. Will he return for Buffalo? He's been practicing this week. That would be huge because their run defense is leaky. I do expect Josh Allen to kind of put on the Superman cape. Buffalo's defense is good, but it's not great. Did you notice last year in the playoff game? So Vance Joseph loves to play. Heavy, man. Heavy blitz. He was worried about Josh Allen, so they went a little more zone and spied Josh Allen. He still had a bunch of yards on the ground. I don't think they can stop him. I'll go low 17. 16. Buffalo or thereabouts.

[Colin Cowherd]

Wow. Tomorrow's headlines. Today, Seattle a big home favorite. What say you?

[J. Max]

You know, us gamblers, sometimes we get in trouble going with our heart over our head. Colin, I'm not making that mistake here. The headline for San Fran at Seattle will be Seattle Death do Us Part. One that got away makes them pay. I'm sorry. I got the Seahawks here, Colin. I can't. I just. I cannot make a case for my guy, Brock Purdy. I think the Purdy Shanahan combo, like you said, can keep it interesting and close, but, man, I just don't know what this defense. We saw this game two weeks ago. They couldn't do a damn thing. Now Seattle couldn't either. And I do think there's a world where your. Where your boy Sam Darnold kind of vomits all over himself and is rattled in his playoff game. McDonald's first playoff game as a head coach. He's a great coach. I read an article about him, about how he's such a smart, intelligent human being. I love those guys. I. I think San Fran keeps it close. I'll take Seattle in a.

[Greg Cosell]

In.

[J. Max]

In a close one.

[Colin Cowherd]

Tomorrow's headlines. Today, Texans in that defense in New England against the Patriots. What do you got?

[J. Max]

Well, I won against the Patriots and their fans. Let me know about it. Anything different this week? The headline for Houston at New England will be Parting of the Strouds Old playoff Persona left behind. Oh, yeah. C.J. stroud, baby. I'm rocking with the Texans. Listen, they came through for me Monday. It took a little while, but they finally got there. Yes, there's a concern about Stroud, but, Colin, I. Look at this Houston defense. They match up great against the Patriots. I mean, again, Stingley on the outside, Lassiter. These are elite cornerbacks.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yep.

[J. Max]

Petrie in the secondary. They don't give up much. The one thing is this Drake Mays scrambling ability. I did just come up with a stat. He had the most scrambles in the NFL. More scrambles than Josh Allen Herbert. And that's where they have to watch him now. I'll say this. You know, watching Houston a lot this year, those guys are headhunters, okay? The linebackers, the safeties. May better get down or we're looking at something dicey. And I do think there's some numbers that show Woody Marks as you said and the running backs out of the backfield have given the Patriots problems. Yeah, I like the Texas to win this outright.

[Colin Cowherd]

Tomorrow's headlines today, the Sunday nighter Rams at the Bears. One for the ages here potentially.

[J. Max]

Yeah, I hear you're going to be there with like two winter jackets, four scarves. Yeah, it should be a cold one. I don't know what the Bears could do to win this. The headline for Rams Bears will be the cold man in the sea. Hot routes, warm reads. Old man Matthew Stafford delivers. Colin, we're talking about the best deep ball thrower in the league in Matt Stafford. I know Drake May was great. It's Stafford with two awesome receivers playing against the defense that gave up the second most deep ball touchdowns in the league.

[Colin Cowherd]

And their best linebacker.

[J. Max]

Yeah, they just hemorrhage stuff on the back end. Colin, unbelievably, Dallas gave up the Most deep ball TDs. Dallas who we laugh at. The Bears were second. Okay. And you're like you said the linebacker out. I think the Rams score at will here if you want to get exotic. Their team total is 26 and a half points.

[Colin Cowherd]

I would take the over. I would take the over on that.

[J. Max]

I just. Listen, Caleb is magical charm season. I know Bears fans love when we pick against them. I don't see the Rams blowing this. If McVeigh blows it, that would be a shocker.

[Colin Cowherd]

Rams over under 26. That's interesting.

[J. Max]

Yeah, all they have to do is score 27 points. I mean that's happening, right?

[Colin Cowherd]

Finally headline for Monday, the natty Miami against number one Indiana.

[J. Max]

Colin, you know this line was five and a half and it soared up to eight and a half. We don't see that normally.

[Colin Cowherd]

No.

[J. Max]

So the headline for Hoosiers Hurricanes will be 2 1/2 Mendozas. The U loses all its sheen. I'm sorry, Miami, I don't think you get it done here. Indiana has to be the side. They're going to win this. Now interestingly, Colin, there's some numbers that show and I think Klatt talked about this. This Miami defense is going to keep it close. Do not expect another blowout like that Alabama game like that Oregon game. By the way, the Oregon game was weird. Did you see that they had three touchdown drives under 20 yards because Dante Moore kept turning it over. There was the block punt. This will not be a blowout. Miami will keep it close. How about this stat. Three playoff games. Miami has given up 75 carries. One explosive in 75. That's it. You can't really run on this team. So I'm curious how Mendoza handles the pressure. You got two pros coming off the edges. This is going to be a great game. I think it's a lot closer than the experts think that eight and a half. You got to take the points with the Hurricanes, but I think Indiana wins a title. And congrats to Mendoza, who goes to the Raiders then, where he's not winning.

[Colin Cowherd]

Anything for a decade, when Nico Collins missed a game against the Niners earlier this year. It's very interesting. C.J. stroud, Houston won. C.J. stroud was 30 of 39. So I like Stroud. And.

[Greg Cosell]

And I.

[Colin Cowherd]

He was a little out of sorts against Pittsburgh, but I think he's like Herbert. You know, we keep waiting for this massive playoff success, but both CJ Stroud and Herbert just the. The way the ball comes off their hand, they're really accurate. Both have had offensive line issues. Both have had kind of receivers can't stay healthy issues.

[Greg Cosell]

I think.

[Colin Cowherd]

C.J. that New England game, like, it's like a little bit of a magic carpet ride for New England. You're like, you know, when. When does it. Because I really still. I really believe of all these teams in the playoff, one of them is still in a rebuild. New England.

[J. Max]

Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

I still think they need offensive line help, another tight end. Like, not that they're in a total rebuild because they had so much free agent money, but I still think. I mean, it's his. Vrabels got one draft behind him. I think they need more depth. I think they need another tight end. I think they need help on the offensive side. I think they probably need another corner. The whole league does.

[J. Max]

Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

So, I mean, everybody else, I feel like they should be here. I think new. I thought New England was going to be the most improved team in the league. Item as a wild card team, them winning this weekend, being in the conference championship, way more than I thought. That's. That projects way faster turnaround. All right. Great stuff. Tom Brady was amazing. We'll put him on the podcast. Joel Klattmann, Greg Cosell, J. Max picks. It's the hurt.

[Greg Cosell]

This is an I heart podcast. Guaranteed human.