THE HERD - Hour 3 - The 49ers might have a QB decision, Sean McVay blames himself, Tomorrow's Headlines Today, Eric Mangini

Summary

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The Herd with Colin Cowherd – Hour 3

Episode Date: October 3, 2025
Main Theme: QB Decisions, Coaching Pressures, Turnover Trends & NFL Week 5 Storylines
Host: Colin Cowherd with Jason McIntyre
Main Guest: Eric Mangini (former NFL Head Coach)

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Episode Overview

This episode of The Herd dives into high-stakes quarterback decisions—especially for the San Francisco 49ers—as well as broader NFL dynamics including the impact of injuries, ball security, coaching self-blame, and the evolution of special teams and kickers. Eric Mangini joins to provide coaching insights, and the crew rounds out the hour with “Tomorrow’s Headlines Today,” forecasting the upcoming NFL weekend’s juiciest matchups.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Special Teams, Turnovers, & Ball Security

[02:35–04:43]

• Jason McIntyre starts by spotlighting the “killer” role of special teams in crucial Niners games, shifting focus to fumbles and the coaching philosophy behind “ball security is job security” (a Belichick mantra).
• Eric Mangini’s coaching perspective:
  • Praises defensive efforts in forcing fumbles (“an unbelievable defensive play” – 03:22).
  • Details the routine tracking of “ball disruption,” encompassing forced fumbles, interceptions, batted balls, and altered throws.
  • On fumble streaks: “Fumbles can come in bunches…it's the same thing with interceptions. Jacksonville’s benefited more than anybody from turnovers this season.” (03:55)
  • Coaching rule: If issues persist, “you do either have to bench a guy or move on from a guy.” (04:35)

2. Coaching Through Adversity & Injury

[04:43–06:41]

• Jason highlights the Niners’ injury crisis, asking Mangini about coaching when “you’re missing eight starters.”
• Mangini: Shares a story of coaching patchwork defenses to unlikely wins—citing times he started free agents and even a linebacker at safety:
  • “Sometimes they don't know what they don't know. And sometimes, human nature takes over. The Rams felt like they were going to beat up on the 49ers...then suddenly, you're in a game.” (05:40)
  • Emphasizes the perils of “letdown” games, using Green Bay’s recent stumbles as an example.

3. Managing Star Receivers & Locker Room Dynamics

[06:41–08:14]

• Jason asks about managing disgruntled stars (A.J. Brown, Eagles).
• Mangini:
  • Notes tension can simmer even during team success, referencing A.J. Brown reading on the sidelines and cryptic tweets.
  • Advice: “You try to get them involved early...build it into the script...lets a little bit of the pressure out of the pot.” (07:57)
  • Warns that pressure boils over, especially after a loss.

4. Rookie QBs: Progressions and Game Planning

[08:14–10:39]

• Highlights Giants rookie QB Jackson Dart, intentional conservative game plans—especially in a second start where opponents adjust.
• Mangini:
  • Praises the team’s “burst of energy and attitude” brought by young QBs and running backs.
  • Warns of rookie habits like seeking contact (“He’s not sliding. He’s looking for contact, and that’s not great for quarterbacks.” – 10:25)

5. Aaron Rodgers: Adaptation and Grading Systems

[10:39–13:00]

• Jason defends Aaron Rodgers’ checkdown-heavy style, noting PFF grades can penalize safe play.
• Mangini:
  • Cautions that outside grading systems sometimes miss situational context.
  • “That grade for Aaron is not accurate…his completion percentage is the best it's been since his last MVP year.” (11:51)
  • Praises Rodgers for “not making it about himself...he’s happy with being a Steeler, and he’s fitting into that culture.” (12:22)

6. Bill Belichick: Struggling in College Football?

[13:00–15:31]

• Debate: Can NFL lifers thrive in college coaching?
• Mangini:
  • Asserts Belichick is a poor fit—especially as a recruiter: “He’s never evaluated high school players…even in college, that wasn’t his strength.” (14:09)
  • Highlights need to “recruit your own guys all season long…you better keep them there.” (15:03)
  • Predicts this will be a tough adjustment for Belichick.

7. 49ers’ Looming QB Dilemma

[15:31–16:43]

• Jason: Mac Jones is winning as a Niners backup—how hard to pivot back to Brock Purdy?
• Mangini:
  • If Purdy is hurt, keep him out longer to let Mac play (“a soft way of sitting him”). But “you can’t sit him for Mac Jones...You just paid him all the money!” (16:15)

8. Football Banter, Picks & Light Moments

[16:43–17:27]

• Fun college trivia about Kendrick Bourne.
• Friendly wager on Yankees–Blue Jays series; Mangini’s brother-in-law is the Blue Jays’ president.
• “My brother in law is the president of the Blue Jays so I’m a die (hard) Blue Jays fan.” – Eric Mangini (17:11)

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Tomorrow's Headlines Today & Rapid-Fire NFL Storylines

[32:14–41:44]

Previewed Games and Predicted Headlines

• Broncos at Eagles:

  • “Hooked on Bonix: Bronco quarterback spells trouble for Philly.” (Colin, 32:57)
  • “I think the Broncos come out on top...Eagles and oh, oh my goodness, just how good are they on Monday morning?” (33:49)

• Raiders at Colts:

  • “Raiders of the Loss Arc: Indiana Jones digs up a dub.” (34:01)
  • Major O-line trouble for the Raiders: “I think the Colts kind of dominate the line of scrimmage.” (34:35)

• Giants at Saints:

  • “Dart Spreading the News: Jerseys half off on ebay.” (35:10)
  • Saints prepared, Giants’ QB play questionable.

• Texans at Ravens:

  • “Nico’d and Dimed: Texans keep Ravens from vaulting.” (36:27)
  • Heavy Ravens injuries, Texans “win handily…good spot for birthday boy CJ Stroud.” (37:15)

• Dolphins at Panthers:

  • “A Chan Reaction: No Hill, all spill vs Panthers.” (37:51)
  • Alludes to Tyreek Hill’s absence and a possible upset by the Panthers.

• Cowboys at Jets:

  • “That’s All Folk, and here’s the kicker, it ain’t Aubrey: Nick Folk and the Jets coming out on top.” (39:01)
  • Jets: “only team in the NFL with zero takeaways this season.” (39:24)
  • “I think all the winless teams, Jets, Titans and Saints, are going to be live to win on Sunday.” (39:44)

• Bonus Banter:

  • C.J. Stroud (Texans QB) on turning 24 and “feeling old”: “I’m not like fully in my grown man body all the way yet...I feel like I’m getting old.” (21:36)
  • Dialogue about the rise of long field goals—kickers as analogues to NBA “logo threes” (26:13).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Eric Mangini on defensive coaching:
  • "We would practice ball security and, and ball disruption. That's something you actually coach...where it's not just forced fumbles, it's interceptions, it's batted balls, it's altered throws, it's all these different things.” (03:30)
• On Brock Purdy vs. Mac Jones:
  • “You can’t sit him for Mac Jones...You just paid him all the money!” (16:15)
• CJ Stroud on aging as a 24-year-old QB:
  • “I feel like I’m getting old. So I’m not, I’m not as quick as I used to be.” (21:36)
• On NFL kickers evolving:
  • “They’re almost like original Terminators now. And they got the T2000s up and they're kicking now 60s and 70 yard [field goals].” – Todd Bowles (24:40)
• Mangini on Belichick recruiting:
  • “I would never describe Bill as a great recruiter by any stretch...he’s never evaluated high school players, which is a totally different beast." (13:59)
• On rookie QB energy:
  • “You can build on his energy, you can build on his enthusiasm...” (Mangini on Jackson Dart and Giants rookie energy, 09:22)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:35] Special teams & ball security (Mangini on coaching turnovers)
• [04:43] Coaching with depleted rosters
• [06:41] Managing star WR (A.J. Brown) drama
• [08:14] Giants rookie QB Jackson Dart’s first start
• [10:39] Aaron Rodgers’ adaptation and grading offense by context
• [13:00] Belichick’s college coaching struggles
• [15:31] 49ers’ QB controversy: Mac Jones vs. Brock Purdy
• [21:19] CJ Stroud’s ‘aging’ comments & QB health
• [24:07] Field goals & the evolution of NFL kickers (Todd Bowles comment)
• [32:14] Tomorrow’s Headlines Today—NFL Week 5 predictions

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Tone and Takeaway

The episode combines classic Herd energy: provocative opinions, coaching insider knowledge, and playful banter, especially when Colin and Jason riff on predictions and football quirks. Eric Mangini’s insights anchor the show in real-world coaching realities—whether talking about player psychology, strategic adjustments, or the pressure of working with depleted lineups.

Essentially, this episode is a high-energy roundtable on how adversity shapes teams and careers—plus a rapid rundown of who’s on upset alert this NFL Sunday.

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Transcript

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Jason McIntyre]

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[Jason McIntyre]

Thanks for listening to the Heard podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports radio at 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. Now let's get this party started.

[Show Announcer]

You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.

[Jason McIntyre]

It is. It's just special teams are such a killer. Last week it hurt the Niners. Last night it helped win it for the Niners. Eric Mangini. I'm sure he's had Sundays. It just drives a coach crazy. You know, I talked about to Julian Edelman about the Patriots had this long 78 year stretch where they just didn't fumble the ball. You're seeing more of it. Guys are punching the ball out now. Edelman said ball security is job security is what Bill Belichick always preached. What do you do if you got somebody like, you know, they drafted Blake Corum in the third round and it looks like this, it's not going to work. What do you do as a coach? Sometimes you need a running back, but they just. You don't trust them. What do you do?

[Eric Mangini]

Yeah, I think it's a little unfair. On the fumble last night on the goal line. I thought that was an unbelievable defensive play. I thought that was really an outstanding defensive play. So that's a little bit tough. We would practice ball security and, and ball disruption. That's something you actually coach a term called ball disruption, where it's not just forced fumbles, it's interceptions, it's batted balls, it's altered throws, it's all these different things. And we would track it during practice. So we had one of those old school scoreboards that you'd see it like a JV basketball game up on the lift. And in between each period we could see who was winning in terms of all those different categories because it was an everyday point of emphasis. And unfortunately, fumbles can, can. Can come in bunches and guys can get the equivalent of the yips. Runners sometimes get a little bit like that. Hopefully they recover. And usually they do recover if they don't have a history of ball security problems. But it's the same thing with interceptions. Sometimes they come in bunches. Jacksonville's benefited more than anybody from turnovers this season. So it's a constant point of emphasis. And if it becomes too much of a consistent problem, then you do either have to bench a guy or move on from a guy.

[Jason McIntyre]

You know, I thought, I mean, Kyle Shanahan goes on the road, he's missing eight to 10 guys. Forget the Hufanga. Greenlaw went to Denver. It was going to be hard enough defensively. Now everybody but Fred Warner's hurt. That's incredible. When you. Did you ever go into a game and you're missing eight starters and yet you've got to be positive, Eric. You have to sell it to the team. Deep down you've got concerns. But did you ever have a game like that when you're going in with eight backups and the team actually rises to the moment knowing everybody has to. To play a little bit over themselves?

[Eric Mangini]

Yeah, and I give Robert Sale a lot of credit. I think he's Doing a really, a great job. And there were those two moments in that game last night where they make the play on the goal line, they force the fumble on the goal line, and then they have the fourth and one stop. And that's a. That is those guys rising up, up to the moment. And I've had situations like that where you go in a game and you're. You're way behind the eight ball. We had Troy Brown starting at one corner. We had a free agent cornerback starting at the other corner. We had a linebacker who had to play safety for us just because he was the fastest player we had available, and we ended up winning the game. And sometimes that happens, and sometimes it's because they don't know what they don't know. And there's that component of it and there's the other component of it, which I think leaked into last night, where human nature takes. Takes over. And I would imagine the Rams felt like they were going to beat up on the 49ers just like everybody else did. And when that happens, suddenly you're in a game, and suddenly a team that shouldn't beat you does, and it's affected. Now, Green Bay, for two weeks in a row, right? They have the tie against Dallas, they lose against the Browns, you're fighting. You're fighting that let down, that natural human element of we're going to kill them. And then the other team that doesn't agree with you and decides to give you a game and ends up winning.

[Jason McIntyre]

Crazy. So when you have a little bit of an issue with a star player, A.J. brown, who's been pretty good about it, and Jalen Hurts, who is, you know, he's. He's an adult. He's not going to babysit anybody. He's not going to apologize. They're four. No. And in this league, that is really all that matters. But when you have a dynamic like that, when a star receiver is not getting the ball, do you let the players just work it out? Do you have to intervene? What do you do with it?

[Eric Mangini]

Well, what's. What's hard about the A.J. brown situation? Remember, he didn't take that book out and read on the sideline till the playoffs last year.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah.

[Eric Mangini]

So that. That was percolating for a long time. And then even after they won the super bowl, he put out that tweet about saying, I thought I'd be more satisfied with it, but I'm not. Now we're in week four, and he's. He's sending out tweets. Luckily, they have Been winning. Otherwise the heat on this would be turned up that much more than it is right now. And when you look at Philly, it's not like Saquon Barkley is running the ball great to where you could point to, hey, we're getting, we're having so much success running the ball. That's why we can survive not passing the ball very well. And with AJ it's not going to get better. It's going to get worse. It's going to get much worse with the first loss. And when you have players like that, you try to get them involved early. You try to build it into the script where they're the primary read multiple times. So you get them one or two plays so that it kind of. It lets a little bit of the pressure out of the pot.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah. So last week, Jackson Dart got a start. And I thought the game plan was very intentional. Okay, we're going to do six or seven plays. Jackson's going to run. It's going to take a little bit of the pressure off him. I don't want him throwing 40 times a game. So I thought it was a really smart intentional game plan. Also, the, the D line for the Giants is excellent. And the Chargers were all beat up on the offensive line. It wasn't going to be a shootout. It was going to be a low scoring game. And I really thought Brian Dabel did a great job. Like, guys, we're just going to keep this game between the 30s. We're going to design six to eight runs. We're going to give him some easy throws. But now, now it's the second start with no Malik neighbors. And the Saints can prepare for it with no Malik neighbors. So in your life as a coach, start one is not start two is not start three. We see quarterbacks. Mac Jones, he's out of the league. I mean, literally, he's been benched. Now he's starting in three. And oh, what, what, what did you take from Jackson Dart. Would you take from it and go, okay, I can build on blank.

[Eric Mangini]

Well, you can build on his energy, you can build on his enthusiasm. And between him and Skedibo, they both have that, that same sort of young, defiant, angry. We're not impressed with the fact that you guys are veterans and we're rookies. We're going to put our mark on the game. And the Giants organizationally needed an element of that. They got beat down last year. They, they came out with Russell Wilson, which, which made complete sense because you don't want to start the rookie Right away. But, but that was a little bit, a little bit more of the same outside of, you know, the one great game that he had. So, so to, to get this sort of burst of energy and also burst of attitude. I think the team desperately needed that. And Brian's not afraid to use Jackson's ability to run the ball. He ran the ball 10 times last game. He only had 13 completions. He'd like to limit the sacks. He had the five sacks. But you're going to, you're going to try to continue to emphasize the strengths. You're going to try to also make sure he doesn't put himself in harm's way too much because there's an element of he's not sliding. He, he's, he's looking for contact and that's not great. Quarterbacks.

[Jason McIntyre]

So Aaron Rodgers, I have defended Aaron Rodgers six times this week. It's a personal record.

[Eric Mangini]

Wow, that is a personal record for you.

[Jason McIntyre]

I know. And you know, he leaves the country and maybe I don't feel the pressure. I don't know. So. But I said, I said you brought him in.

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[Jason McIntyre]

He's taken a lot of snaps and he's very lowly graded according to like, pff. And my take is yeah, because he's not throwing the ball down the field. And they really ding you for that. And my take is not all teams, you should throw the ball down the field. But the first thing I look for when he got there was can he and DK Metcalf connect? Clearly it works. They've had multiple back shoulder throws. And I think Aaron, like last week against Minnesota, Eric, I think he watched the game the first couple series and he's like, oh, they can't block us. I don't need to take any risks. They're not moving the ball against us. And I thought it was really smart of Aaron to go, if I have to check down stuff 20 at 24, I'm not putting us in harm's way. We can just win the field position. We're going to win this game. Your take on, he has a low grade. He's not taking risks. I'm watching him and I'm like, that's exactly what you would do if you had this defense.

[Eric Mangini]

Yeah. I think PFF does a great job trying to grade everybody. I do think there are some, some misses grading wise because they don't know what the assignments are. And that that grade for, for Aaron is, is not accurate. And when you look at his stats, his completion percentage is the best it's been since his last MVP year. His quarterback rating is the best it's been since. Since that point. I know it's early in the season, but. But he's doing a lot of good things. And the best thing he's doing for me, Colin, is he's not making it about himself.

[Jason McIntyre]

That's right.

[Eric Mangini]

Aaron Rodgers is not on the marquee. He's happy with being a Steeler, and he's fitting into that culture. And that culture has won for a long time. It hasn't won at the level that they wanted to, but he does give them that chance. As long as he's willing to be part of it and not have a lot of pushback between him and Arthur Smith, let that relationship continue to be a positive thing instead of a negative thing. And yeah, I've been impressed not just with the way that Aaron's played, but with the way that Aaron hasn't made it. About Aaron.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah, that's part of it. Finally. I don't know if you've noticed, but Belichick is not doing well.

[Eric Mangini]

And I didn't notice that.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah, the. I have always had this theory that certain guys were built like Jon Gruden and Rex Ryan would have been good college coaches. They had a good line of BS that could be funny, telegenic. And that Parcells and Belichick, that they're not built for pro. They're not built for college football. The last thing they. They're pro guys. Charlie Weiss, to me, was a pro guy. You. As I told you once, Brian and AD Call me years ago, and I said, you should hire Mangini. He could work with both. But when I watch Belichick, my take is he's just not a great college fit. It's just not what he is. Everybody thinks NFL guy can work in college. And I'm like, no. Jimmy Johnson had a big personality and Pete Carroll's got a big personality and big energy. College is its own specific business. Your thoughts?

[Eric Mangini]

Yeah, I think you're absolutely right. And it's gravitating more towards. Towards pro football, but it's not there yet. And he didn't go to a school that. That one is one of the marquee schools where you just walk in and you've got the cachet of Alabama or something like that. He has to rebuild it and he's. I would never describe Bill as a great recruiter by any stretch of the nation. Like, that's not. That's not his thing. And as an evaluator, he spent 40 plus years watching college players. He's never evaluated high school players, which is a totally different beast. And even in evaluating college players, that really wasn't his strength. His best strength was evaluating pro players and bringing in free agents and replenishing the team that way. He had a lot more hits than misses there. So the combination of this being something he's not been exposed to and then having to compete against the guys that are great in someone's, in someone's living room, it's. It's going to be really hard for him. Then the other part, Colin, you've got to recruit your own guys all season long because they can leave. So it's not like pro football where they're under contract. You can be as harsh as you want to be, and they're there. You, you better keep them there, the good ones, especially once they're in the building. And, and I don't know how he's going to do that. And, and I don't. I doubt he's going to do it very well.

[Jason McIntyre]

I gotta ask you one more question. Let's pivot back to San Francisco. Mac Jones is three zero and he played great last night. Let's say goes four zero. Look at their schedule. Let's say goes five and. Oh, I mean, seriously. And he's playing at this level with backups. How hard is it to pivot back to Brock Purdy?

[Eric Mangini]

Well, judging by the way that he got beat up last night, I don't know if he's going to last till five. No, because he took some, some pretty significant hits. It does make it more complicated, but that, that formula changed dramatically once you paid Brock Purdy all the money that you paid him. Like you, you, you can't sit him for, for Mac Jones. You just can't do it, even if he's five. And oh, now what you can do is you can give him a lot more time than you would normally give a starter to heal from an injury. And that's a, that's sort of a soft way of sitting him and a soft way of continuing to let Mac Jones play without it being the type of thing where, hey, we, we just gave this guy close to what, a quarter of a billion dollars or whatever the crazy number was. And now we're going to put him on the bench, be bad business.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah, I mean, Mac was spinning it last night. Kendrick Bourne, you know, you know where Kendrick went to college?

[Eric Mangini]

Where's that?

[Jason McIntyre]

The Harvard of the Palouse? Eastern Washington University.

[Eric Mangini]

I've heard great things about that place. And Colin, I hear your you're got a little beat down on Toronto going in this next series. I'm taking the Blue Jays. We might have to put dinner on it or something else.

[Jason McIntyre]

Wow.

[Eric Mangini]

Yeah my dinner. My brother in law is the president of the Blue Jays so I'm a die Blue Jays fan.

[Jason McIntyre]

Totally understandable.

[Eric Mangini]

I am a die hard. Yeah so we have dinner or you you pick something out. But at the end of the day I think it's going to be Blue Jays.

[Jason McIntyre]

Okay, I'll take the Yankees. You got a deal.

[Show Announcer]

Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio.

[Colin Cowherd]

Hey this is Jason McIntyre. Join me every weekday morning on my podcast Straight fire with Jason McIntyre. This isn't your typical sports pod, pushing the same tired narratives down your throat every day. Straight Fire gives you honest opinions on all the biggest sports headlines, accurate stats to help you win big at the sportsbook, and all the best guesses. Do yourself a favor and listen to Straight fire with Jason McIntyre on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Jason McIntyre]

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[Jason McIntyre]

J Max got his picks at the end of our Friday show. Here he is right now with the news.

[Eric Mangini]

No, no, no, no.

[Jason McIntyre]

Turn on the news.

[Show Announcer]

This is the Herd Line news.

[Colin Cowherd]

All right, Colin, let's get started with the Houston Texans and their quarterback, C.J. stroud. I want to call him young, but he turns 24 years old today and I think you're going to be surprised to hear that he's starting to feel his age a little bit.

[CJ Stroud]

I'm not like fully in my grown man body all the way yet. You know, I'm still growing every, like every year and I just think like I gotta just continue to be hard on myself about not only just lifting weights, but eating the right foods. Like that's been a big thing too. So yeah, that, that's just a thing where I think the explosiveness comes from, like being better on my diet. I feel like I'm getting old. So I got, I'm not, I'm not as quick as I used to be. I was watching my high school stuff a couple days ago. I was, I was like 180 when I was rolling. But not no more. But yeah, I try to just be better with that stuff so I can run fast.

[Jason McIntyre]

He's only 24 years old. Isn't that unbelievable?

[Colin Cowherd]

And he's saying I'm starting to feel old because I gotta watch my diet. Well, I mean, listen, I like CJ Stroud, but go ahead.

[Jason McIntyre]

I can remember being behind a drive through Taco Bell. I was in Vegas. And Andre Agassi had just won a major tournament. He'd won a major and he had a Hummer. Those were cars. And he was ahead of me in the drive thru. I'm like, what are the chances that I'm a sportscaster. He's on raggedy. He's right ahead of me at Taco Bell and he just won a tournament. And I was thinking he's like 25 years old or something at the time. Like, of course you can eat like that. You can just fly through. I mean, the guy probably burned 30,000 calories over a week at the US Open. But it's like as a pro athlete, I'm, you know, people are on you to eat, right? But at 24 years old in that Houston weather, I'm sure C.J. stroud can get away with an occasional Big Mac.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, yeah, I agree. But Colin, listen, if we're being honest, he does not look like the same quarterback that he was as a rookie. Now, I don't know if it's scheme or what, but he just doesn't, you know, as the kids like to say, right now he's buns. He's just not playing well. The touchdowns aren't there, the mobility is not there. You go back and look at his rookie tape, Colin. It was like, oh, what do we have here? This guy looks like a superstar. I haven't seen it. Any theories as to why the 24 year olds all of a sudden struggle?

[Jason McIntyre]

Last two years, bad O line play. Give. Give Jared Goff his comp coming out was Jared Goff. Give Jared Goff bad online, see what he looks like. This is not Lamar Jackson. This is, this is not runaround guy. That's not what he is. He's closer to Jared Goff than he is Patrick Mahomes in terms of stylistically. So he needs a clean pocket. Yeah, and he's. The last two years it's been brutal. Rough one.

[Colin Cowherd]

Let's move on. Colin, we're going to talk about long range field goals in the NFL. It's weird. Kickers are hitting from 50 plus like it's nothing. I saw Joel Pinero last night hit from 59. I was like, no.

[Jason McIntyre]

Shot he made was Eddie Pinero. 59. Could have been 70.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, it's like the consistency is not really there. Anyway, earlier this week, Vic said the reason behind the jump is due to teams getting the kicking balls ahead of week one and using throughout the season. However, Todd Bowles has a different theory.

[Todd Bowles]

They're coming out of college that way. Now it Used to be the 50 something yard kickers were, they're almost like original Terminators now. And they got the T 2000s up and they're kicking now 60s and 70 yard or so. It seems to be the wave. They're either going for it on fourth down or they're kicking 65, 70y now. They make it awfully hard. So, you know, as defensive coaches, you have that problem in the league right now.

[Jason McIntyre]

Can I throw my theory out?

[Colin Cowherd]

Please do.

[Jason McIntyre]

Look at the salaries of kickers. They've gone up and I think there's a lot of young soccer players in America, far more soccer players. And I think young people tend to set trends and do things that older people don't see. And I think in the last seven to eight to nine years, a lot of these young soccer players and a lot of, a lot of these young guys that kick in college have really started to take up weight training and really take it seriously and think to themselves, I can be a millionaire, I can get 10 year NFL pension. I think as it's paid better. I think young people have always set our style trends, sometimes our political trends and our sports trends. And I think young people have looked at this position and think, me, I don't have to get tackled and I can make millions of dollars a year. And I mean the kickers never were, you know, I mean, also look at this with the new kickoff rules. I mean you're, you're two first downs away from kicking a field goal. So they're getting more opportunities at it.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, you remember Mark Mosley, won like.

[Jason McIntyre]

An mvp Washington, of course.

[Colin Cowherd]

He was like a straight on three kicker. Number three, the single bar helmet. I was like a young guy.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah, he was great.

[Colin Cowherd]

It's weird, that's like gone. By the way, in the NBA, Steph Curry has kind of revolutionized these logo threes. They're nothing. Anybody can hit logo threes now 10 years ago, nobody's hitting them. Now it's Curry, Dame, LeBron, everybody, Luka. I wonder if there's something similar. Hey, everybody's just getting better at their job. Is that possible?

[Jason McIntyre]

No, I mean, it's just, you know, it's, I think the culture now, they make more money, they're, they're asked to kick longer field goals. Soccer is a much bigger deal the last 10 to 15 years in this country. And you know, young people see opportunity just like we did, just they see an opening in the economy and it's like, I can kick and make a lot of money and it's great. I mean, it's just crazy. Pinero last night, I'm, like, hammered it. Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

By the way, Buck Seahawks, we have just have word. Bucky Irving officially will not play this weekend for Tampa. He was phenomenal last year.

[Jason McIntyre]

I agree. They should rest him for this week. Absolutely.

[Colin Cowherd]

No Mike Evans, no Bucky Irving, and three defenders, including Jamel Dean, one of their top corners. All out looking good for your pick. Final story is the Browns announced that Dylan Gabriel will be starting against the Vikings in London early Sunday morning. And Dylan Gabriel had. I guess he's been following your analogies. Here's here.

[Jason McIntyre]

Here we go.

[Colin Cowherd]

On his starting this week.

[Dylan Gabriel]

You know, I got a text from a good buddy of mine, and he sent me a picture of a fire station list. The. The obvious, right? Like, doors are open, garage doors are open. Like, things are ready to go. And, like, they're just waiting on that phone call to, like, respond surgically and like, just what a great representation of, like, the job I had and being ready for that moment. And I think, you know, I smile because it's like a moment you prep for. You wait for the perfect time. You know, you're gonna wait a whole lifetime. So for me, I'm just. I've always been ready for every moment.

[Jason McIntyre]

Can you imagine your first NFL start? It's hard not to root for him.

[Colin Cowherd]

I will.

[Jason McIntyre]

I will root for Dylan Gabriel.

[Colin Cowherd]

I'll say this. An Oregon guy came up with this stat on our staff. Dylan Gabriel's family will not be at his first career start because they don't have passports. They will not according to our Oregon guy. He will. Dylan Gabriel's family will not be his first.

[Jason McIntyre]

Bummer.

[Colin Cowherd]

That is a huge bummer. I'm rooting for him. I think the Browns win this outright. Just, you know, I think we're in the same way.

[Jason McIntyre]

So do I. I didn't. I'm going to. You know what? I'll get up and watch it. How about that? It doesn't look very appetizing. Viking steelers was a fun watch. I want to. I want to see Cleveland and I want to see Dylan Gabriel crush.

[Colin Cowherd]

Are you sure after a full Saturday of college football and four baseball games, you're going to be able to wake up?

[Jason McIntyre]

Well, butt crack of dawn, especially baseball. Baseball games are good this weekend. Dylan Gabriel. Way to go. Good luck, Kid J. Mac with the news.

[Show Announcer]

Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by the herd lie news.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

And we'll have Jason's picks to round.

[Jason McIntyre]

Out our Friday show next.

[Show Announcer]

Be sure to catch live editions of the herd. Weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific during.

[Jason McIntyre]

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[Colin Cowherd]

The Fox Super 6 NFL challenge, download the Fox Sports app and enter For a free shot to win your share of $10,000. One of the questions is which QB will have the most passing yards this week we got Dak against my Jets, Daniel Jones versus the Raiders, Justin Herbert versus the Commanders, or Jared Goff versus the Bengals.

[Jason McIntyre]

Dak against the jets because I think Jared Goff's team will run the football. All right, J. Mac, it is week five of the NFL. You did have a winning week. So did I last week. Let's end our Friday in good fashion. We call it tomorrow's headlines. Today we predict the outcome outcomes. What will the headlines be? Let's start Broncos at the Eagles.

[Colin Cowherd]

Fascinating game in Philly. Eagles are 4 0, but all their games have been one score games. The headline from Broncos Eagles will be hooked on Bonix Bronco quarterback spells trouble for Philly. You've heard of Hooked on Phonics? I think Bo Nicks has a big one here. Colin, remember Broncos number one pass blocking offensive line in the league through four games he's had time. He's just missed a few passes. And to just drill down real quickly on the Eagles. I, I, I know it's sacrilegious to say it like Saquon Barkley's not having a good season, doesn't have the juice. I think he's at like three yards per carry. Yeah, it just hasn't happened. And all of a sudden if the Broncos defense can win the line of scrimmage, I think they got a shot to win this one. I like a low scoring game and I think the Broncos come out on top. And I think you're talking about the Eagles and oh, oh my goodness, just how good are they on Monday morning?

[Jason McIntyre]

Tomorrow's headlines today, Raiders Colts. I hope you're leaning in the home field direction.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, you know, I think we're something like 86% when we both agree on picks. The headline for Colts Raiders will be Raiders of the loss arc. Indiana Jones digs up a dub. How about this, Colin? The Colts were six and a half. It's up to seven and I just looked this up. So Colton Miller of the Raiders, remember off all pro left tackle. He's out. So who's his backup, you ask? This gentleman named Stone Forsythe. Sounds like an adult film star. He had four snaps this season and oh, by the way, the last two years he's played as a backup. He's been awful. I think this is a major problem. I think the Colts kind of dominate the line of scrimmage.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Same.

[Colin Cowherd]

I don't think Ashton Genti is going to have the running lanes he did against the Bears. Um, Geno Smith, we know he's kind of on. Are they going to pull him watch because of those bad interceptions last week. And I think at some point, you know, you, you're there, I'm there. But I think America has to agree like the Colts are kind of good. Like Daniel Jones is a new guy. Shane Steichen is dealing. Tyler Warren, I saw one poll. He's the early leader for rookie of the year. Like he, he's playing great. Jonathan Taylor going nuts. I like the Colts here.

[Jason McIntyre]

Tomorrow's headlines today. Hold your nose for this one. Won't be great. TV Giants and the Saints.

[Colin Cowherd]

Come on, you're watching this. It's football. It's amazing. Spencer Rattler Owen, 10 in his career. How about this one? The headline for Saints Giants will be dart spreading the news. Jerseys half off on ebay. I'm sorry to rip the Giants here. Colin let's be real. Jackson dart was not great last last week against the Chargers. He had a great scripted drive. No denying that. He had a couple good scrambles on third down. The Saints will be ready. They'll be fine. I didn't see it from the Giants. They took over off Herbert interceptions twice inside the 10. They got handed 10 points. This is a Saints team other than that Seattle blowout. Colin they were frisky against Arizona. They fought the 49ers tooth and nail. They covered against the Bills. They threw a big scare into Josh Allen. If you're looking for props or you know any of this fantasy stuff. Kendra Miller, keep an eye on the running back for the Saints. Remember what Hampton did last week for the Chargers? I think he had like a buck fifty. Keep an eye on Miller going loose. I think the Saints win this outright. Just for the record, they're favored by two and a half. The Saints, the winless Saints are favored. Somebody knows something.

[Jason McIntyre]

Tomorrow's headlines today, Texans Ravens, another injury plagued team that would be favored if healthy. What do you think?

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, had that injury stuff go for us last night. Not very good. However, it's really bleak in Baltimore. The headline for Texans Ravens will be Nico'd and dimed. Texans keep Ravens from vaulting. I have the Texans winning this handily. You know when they went when they started 03. Colin I thought it was season over and then they look sloppy for a half against the Titans before pulling away. But I just look at this injury report. I can't get over it. There could be as many as nine Pro Bowlers for the Ravens Pro bowls from last year out this weekend. Seeing Kyle Hamilton, not practicing, I mean he's your chess piece defensively again. I do think your guy Woody Marks, you've been crowing about him for a little bit. He had a great game against the Titans. He's clearly solidified himself as the number.

[Jason McIntyre]

One back, good player.

[Colin Cowherd]

And Baltimore can't stop anybody on the ground. I mean we thought they were great. The Lions went in there. Montgomery went for like a buck 25 and we saw what the Bills did in the opener. So I think Houston in a get right spot for birthday boy CJ Stroud. I like Nico Collins matchup against a bad Baltimore secondary. Give me the Texans. And what are we doing if The Ravens are 1 and 4 with the Rams who are going to be angry because they just lost next week.

[Jason McIntyre]

Two more to go. Tomorrow's headlines today. He's not taking aesthetic beauties. Dolphins at the Panthers. I almost took. I think the Panthers are interesting here. Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

So I've already bet on who who we are. We're on Spencer Rattler. We're on Daniel Jones. It's about to get spicy. The headline for Dolphins Panthers will be a Chan reaction. No Hill all spill versus Panthers giving Bryce Young at home. Colin. So they, they go on the road last week after that Falcons win against the Patriots, they get smashed by like 25 points. Now they get to go home again. Remember what they did to Atlanta? Shut them out. Secondary shutdown Michael Penix. Why can't they do that to the Dolphins who don't have Tyreek Hill? And I watch that Dolphins team because I'm a Jets guy. I'm a glutton for punishment. Miami was not good Monday, were they? The jets just kept fumbling. There were five fumbles in that game, Colin. Guess who recovered all of them. Miami. They are a lucky team. Mike McDaniels on borrowed time. I think the Panthers, despite no Chuba Hubbard in this one, that's not great news.

[Jason McIntyre]

By the way.

[Colin Cowherd]

Rico Dowdell, however you say his name, he's going to be the guy. Hopefully he can get it done. Give me the Panthers at home.

[Jason McIntyre]

And finally tomorrow's headlines today. Now I think this is going to be wildly entertaining because the Cowboys defense is dreadful, but they're banged up, they're on the road. I kind of like the Jets. What say you?

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, Cowboys were on the field for 79 plays defensively last week. Overtime game, full quarter, exciting game against the packers. And now you got to play the Jets. The headline from the Meadowlands or MetLife will be that's all Folk. And here's the kicker, it ain't Aubrey. Give me Nick Folk and the jets coming out on top. Colin, amazing stat for you. The jets, the only team in the NFL with zero takeaways this season. Boy, do they miss Robert Salah. Zero takeaways, that's crazy. And oh, by the way, they lead the NFL with six fumbles. Just tighten it up a little bit. I think Aaron Glenn gets Justin Fields to kind of cook against this soft Dallas zone. And I like the jets to win this one outright. And if you're scoring at home, Colin, I think all of the winless teams, Jets, Titans and Saints are going to be live to win on Sunday.

[Jason McIntyre]

I mean, last week we had favorites. Buffalo struggled, Green Bay tied, Chargers, then last night Rams.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yep.

[Jason McIntyre]

So it's. It. Listen, it goes back and forth. First couple of weeks it was the favorites. Yeah. This week I like some dogs. I, I didn't. The one game I really like when the number was six, six and a half is the Colts. That was the one I really liked. And then the rest, like I could see Bo Nicks coughing it up against Philadelphia. But again, when you give me three and a half against the team that protects their quarterback and gets after years. That's why I think Denver wins this week. I don't, I don't see a ton of upsets. I'm with you. I think again it's two and a half, three points. I think the jets and the Saints win. So I do think it's a, it's an ugly weekend. I'm going to take the Saints and Spencer Rattler to get his first one. He's been okay. I mean he doesn't have much to work with. Nothing to work with.

[Colin Cowherd]

I mean he's been better than Aaron Rodgers according to Pff. That being said, Colin, let me ask you. Bengals got smashed by the Vikings, their blitz happy defense and then couldn't move the football against the Broncos. They stepped down now to face the lions. They're getting 10 at home. Can I interest you in the Bengals with Chase and Higgins, Browning, Chuck and Duck like he's used to. I think this game could be spicy. I just don't know if the Bengals can get a stop because the defense is so atrocious.

[Jason McIntyre]

No, you can't interest me in that. I mean there's something I, I think a game we haven't talked about which is Jaden Daniels is coming back. So it's, it's two elite quarterbacks. Jaden Daniels taking on Justin Herbert. But that that would have been last year, a marquee game. But they're, you know, the Chargers are so banged out, we've stopped talking about them and Jaden Daniels has been banged up. I, I think, you know, you're getting a I, I look for games where you got two star quarterbacks, Jaden Daniels and Justin Herbert. That game's on Fox in the late afternoon. That, that, that's, those are two of the top seven, eight quarterbacks in the league. I can't wait.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, it's Sunday. I mean, listen, this is October. It's sit in front your tv, pig out and enjoy sports. We got it pretty good, Colin.

[Jason McIntyre]

Well, yeah, we do. And some great baseball series. I'll be watching some Mariners, Seattle Mariners. Get used to saying that around a while. During the Major League Baseball postseason, Strauss made history as the first brand ever on the helmets. Family owned since 1948, Strauss makes workwear built to perform. Smart pocket design, real comfort and durability you can trust from grit to glory. Gear up [e-mail] that's s t r a u s s.com people talk a lot about athletes performance, but what about your own? QuestHealth.com can help you understand where your health stands. With Quest, you can buy your own lab tests online, no doctor visit required. Quest has a huge selection of lab tests for everything from fitness to heart health and more. Just buy a test online and visit a nearby Quest location for sample collection. You'll get fast results online and for a limited time, you can save on select lab tests. At questhealth.com use the code herd10 at.

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