Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Hour 3 – November 18, 2025
Guest: Mark Schlereth

Overview

This episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd dives deep into the latest NFL storylines, with a heavy focus on the resurgence and legitimacy of the Denver Broncos defense, the development and challenges facing both new and veteran quarterbacks (particularly Bo Nix, JJ McCarthy, and Sam Darnold), as well as an assessment of Kansas City’s decline and Seattle’s playoff potential. Three-time Super Bowl champ and Fox Sports NFL analyst Mark Schlereth joins Colin for an insightful and candid discussion, blending expert analysis with insider locker room perspective.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Broncos' Defensive Dominance and Bo Nix’s Development

(03:59 – 07:24)

• Trust in Bo Nix: Colin highlights Bo Nix’s workload and trust placed in him by Broncos coach Sean Payton, likening it to the "full playbook" given to exceptional rookies like Andrew Luck.

  • Colin: "Sean Payton has basically done what Andrew Luck felt with Bruce Arians. Here’s the whole playbook. Go for it. That’s hard... To me, that’s a real thing." (04:24)

• Championship Window Logic: Mark Schlereth praises Sean Payton’s approach—not simplifying the offense, even with penalties—because developing Nix under maximum pressure is about preparing for postseason success, not just scraping by in the regular season.

  • Mark Schlereth: "If I simplify, then I’m not developing. If I simplify, I’m doing disservice to my football team... I’m going to load it on my quarterback. He’s going to play in gun because I think this is the best way for us to have a championship run." (06:00)

2. Quarterback Recklessness: Luck, Darnold, and Risk-Taking

(07:24 – 10:24)

• Interceptions and Greatness: Colin argues that most "great" QBs (Elway, Manning, Farve, Luck) took risks and threw double-digit interceptions. He defends the occasional recklessness:

  • Colin: "Generally the great ones, the Namath, Farve, John Elway—you threw double-digit picks. And I’ve always defended: I want my quarterbacks to take risks." (07:35)

• Darnold’s Path & Confidence: Schlereth explains Darnold’s career ups and downs: from a dysfunctional Jets start to showing flashes in Carolina and now being urged in Seattle just to "not press," because the rest of his game and the team are strong.

  • Mark Schlereth: "Sometimes you get to the point where you’re trying to press, where you’re trying to earn... Ultimately, for Sam Darnold, you just got to say, dude, you earned this thing, man. Just don’t turn the ball over." (09:26)

3. JJ McCarthy: Toolset and Inaccuracy Issues

(10:24 – 13:15)

• Locker Room Realism: Cowherd and Schlereth discuss how players know when a QB "isn’t it." Regarding McCarthy, Schlereth notes accuracy issues and being "sped up" in the pocket, comparing his anxiety to the smoothness of Tom Brady’s pocket presence.
  • Mark Schlereth: "When I watch [McCarthy]... It’s usually going to the right place... It is just inaccurate at times... There are just too many throws that are just off-target throws." (11:24)
  • On Brady: "He’s the best scrambler I’ve ever seen that never left the pocket...it never looked, you know, rushed." (12:20)

4. Kansas City’s Struggles & Travis Kelce’s Role

(19:22 – 21:22)

• KC’s Close Games Flip: The Chiefs aren’t winning close games anymore. Schlereth says the team is "just a little bit off" despite Mahomes and Reid still inspiring locker room respect.
  • Mark Schlereth: "Something’s off, Colin. They don’t look like the same football team. Now, listen, at 5–5, could I see them fighting their way back into the playoffs? Absolutely. Will they be dangerous? Yeah...but they’re just a little bit off right now." (20:24)

5. Broncos’ Playoff Matchups: Who Should They Fear?

(21:22 – 22:37)

• Buffalo Concerns: Schlereth identifies Buffalo as the team that "concerns me the most" for Denver due to the unpredictable, "Superman mentality" of Josh Allen—even though that seldom wins championships, it can bounce a team in any single playoff game.
  • Mark Schlereth: "It’s just the overall Superman mentality nature...with Josh Allen...It certainly can bounce you out of a playoff game. Without question." (21:52)

6. Jamar Chase Spitting Incident

(23:20 – 24:48)

• Consequences & Criticism: The hosts discuss Jamar Chase’s spitting incident and the NFL’s response. Colin is baffled by the lack of player self-control.
  • Guest Analyst: "This is like the third one of these this season in the NFL...Chase spat at him. Obviously the NFL decided to suspend him for one game." (23:24)
  • Colin: "I don’t get it. What drives you to do that?" (24:08)

7. Shedeur Sanders’ Readiness and QB Reps Debate

(24:48 – 28:39)

• Not Making Excuses for Young QBs: Colin and the crew criticize excuses being made for Shedeur Sanders (lack of first-team reps) and compare it to other backup QBs who’ve succeeded with minimal preparation.
  • Colin: "Being a backup quarterback means you often don’t...Tom Brady would not give his backups first team reps...If you can play, you can play." (26:30)
  • Guest Analyst: "Josh Dobbs won a game in the NFL, threw for 350 yards without a practice." (27:08)

8. LeBron James’ Return and Lakers Fit

(29:07 – 30:43)

• Team Dynamics: Discussion about LeBron James’ season debut and how his presence might affect the Lakers, particularly with on-ball-heavy players like Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
  • Colin: "There is duplication...It’s not that LeBron will make the team worse, but it’ll look different." (30:04)

9. Sam Darnold vs. Andrew Luck: Recklessness, Records & Resilience

(36:43 – 44:53)

• Statistical Parallels: Cowherd and the panel revisit Darnold’s career, likening his style and streaks to Andrew Luck, particularly around risk-taking and mental resilience after mistakes.

  • Colin: "Andrew Luck...best quarterback prospect I’d ever seen since John Elway...If you go back and look at Luck, he’s an all-time talent that got knocked out of the game physically. And yet if you look at Sam’s numbers...a lot of them are the same." (38:42)
  • Colin: "The ultimate confidence is you throw a pick six, you throw a bad pick or two and you don’t care. That’s the confidence, almost delusion, that a great quarterback needs." (44:24)

• Playoff Road Test Concerns: While Darnold’s confidence is praised, questions remain about his ability to win big games on the road, outdoors, against tough defenses.

  • Guest Analyst: "If they don’t win the division...he’s got to go outdoors to Green Bay, God forbid Chicago, I don’t like his chances." (43:16)
  • Colin (responds): "I never worry about the outdoors with Sam...What I worry about Sam is they lead a game and Sam gets sped up..." (43:41)

10. Seattle Seahawks: Underdog to Watch

(45:06 – 47:44)

• Playoff Dark Horse: The crew argues that Seattle, with a clear identity and toughness on the road, could surprise in the playoffs, potentially more dangerous than Green Bay.
  • Colin: "You do not want to play Seattle in the playoffs. They’ll probably be an underdog...Seattle’s the best road team in the league." (45:34)
  • Colin: "I’m saying Seattle has an absolute identity. What is Green Bay offensively? Their coach doesn’t know. Seattle, you know what Seattle is." (47:25)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• "If I simplify, I’m not developing [Bo Nix]. If I simplify, I’m doing disservice to my football team. So I’m going to put us in a tough position. I am not going to pare down the offense...I’m going to load it on my quarterback."
  — Mark Schlereth (06:00)

• "Generally, the great ones... threw double-digit picks. And I’ve always defended: I want my quarterbacks to take risks."
  — Colin Cowherd (07:35)

• "There are times when you’re trying to press...Just don’t turn the ball over."
  — Mark Schlereth on Sam Darnold (09:26)

• "He’s the best scrambler I’ve ever seen that never left the pocket... and it allowed [Brady] to throw with unbelievable accuracy."
  — Mark Schlereth on Tom Brady (12:20)

• "Something’s off, Colin. They don’t look like the same football team...[but] they’re just a little bit off right now."
  — Mark Schlereth on the Kansas City Chiefs (20:24)

• "That’s the confidence, almost delusion, that a great quarterback needs."
  — Colin Cowherd on QB mentality after interceptions (44:24)

• "You do not want to play Seattle in the playoffs...Seattle’s the best road team in the league."
  — Colin Cowherd (45:34)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Broncos/Bo Nix Discussion: 03:59 – 07:24
• Risk-Taking QBs, Darnold/Luck: 07:24 – 10:24; revisited 36:43 – 44:53
• JJ McCarthy’s Problems: 10:24 – 13:15
• Chiefs’ Decline & Kelce: 19:22 – 21:22
• Broncos Playoff Fears (Buffalo): 21:22 – 22:37
• Jamar Chase Incident: 23:20 – 24:48
• Shedeur Sanders, QB Reps: 24:48 – 28:39
• LeBron Lakers Dynamic: 29:07 – 30:43
• Seattle Seahawks as Playoff Threat: 45:06 – 47:44

Conclusion

This episode provides a strategic, inside-the-locker-room look at the NFL from quarterback mentalities to playoff team identities, blended with the signature mix of stats, history, and in-the-moment reactions that define The Herd. Mark Schlereth’s insights pair with Cowherd’s provocative takes, making it essential listening for anyone wanting to understand the season’s shifting power dynamics—especially why the Broncos and Seahawks deserve closer looks, and why the Chiefs and several prominent QBs have more questions than answers right now.