Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Episode: What's Wright – Best Of – Ravens FIRE John Harbaugh, Top 5 NFL Playoff Storylines + Wild Card Predictions | Nick Wright
Date: January 11, 2026
Host: Nick Wright (with Damanze)

Main Theme

This episode centers on the fallout from the Baltimore Ravens' elimination at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the breaking news that longtime head coach John Harbaugh has been fired, and what it means for franchise star Lamar Jackson. Nick Wright dives deep into Baltimore's decade of heartbreak, offers fresh takes on NFL Wild Card matchups, and ranks the top five playoff storylines for this postseason.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Ravens' Decade of Heartbreak

(Starts ~01:50)

• Heartbreak Timeline: Nick meticulously details the Ravens' last ten seasons, painting a picture of persistent postseason pain—close losses, cruel fate, and a string of "stomach punches."
  • Notable seasons:
    • 2016: Lost division to Steelers on last-second play.
    • 2017: Knocked out by Bengals’ miracle TD.
    • 2019: #1 seed, Lamar MVP, upset by Titans.
    • 2020-2025: Themes of injuries, heartbreaking turnovers, and special teams disasters.
• "That is nine out of ten years of utter heartbreak." (Nick Wright, 12:57)
• Empathy for Ravens Fans: Nick expresses genuine sympathy for how much Baltimore fans have endured.
• John Harbaugh’s Status: Wright questions why Harbaugh remained coach any longer:
  “Even if that's not his fault, there's too much scar tissue at this point and it sure feels like a change needs to be made.” (13:46)

2. Breaking Down Lamar Jackson’s Play

(~12:40 – 16:00)

• First three quarters against the Steelers, Lamar was flat ("5 of 10 for 67 yards"), but in the fourth quarter, he gave "the best quarter of his life."
• Wright highlights two huge plays: escape-and-throw for a long TD to Zay Flowers and a perfect fourth-and-seven conversion.
• Balanced Critique:
  “It'd be ridiculous to pin the loss on Lamar, but...it would also be ridiculous to give him credit for coming through in a game that they lost.” (16:39)
• Multiple recent playoff exits have ended with Lamar rallying the team late, but never quite able to finish the comeback.

3. Ravens’ Decision-Making & John Harbaugh's Firing

(26:50)

• News Break: Damanze confirms Harbaugh's firing after 18 seasons, 12 postseason runs, and a Super Bowl.
• Nick’s Insight:
  “Their ability to ensure Lamar was a Raven for life...was going to be kneecapped had they kept Harbaugh. So they didn’t. So they move on.” (29:07)
• On the Coaching Market: Wright notes Harbaugh could have his pick of jobs but might wait to see if high-profile teams (Eagles, Bills, Packers) have openings; also floats Cincinnati as a wild “what if.”

4. The Lamar Jackson Conundrum

(34:28)

• Changing everything for Lamar: coordinators, head coach, personnel.
• Shocking Stat:
  “In the last five years, Lamar Jackson and always injured brittle Joe Burrow have played the exact same amount of games.” (35:53)
• With more stability ahead, Wright says Jackson has to deliver and, crucially, be available.

5. Top 5 NFL Playoff Storylines

(39:10)

1. Can Josh Allen Break Through?
   • Is this the year the Bills—without the Mahomes/Burrow "boogeymen"—can finally win the AFC?
   • “Most interesting story about these NFL playoffs: is this the year Josh Allen breaks through.” (39:24)
   • Wright ranks Allen's playoff push as THE headline.
2. Year Two Quarterbacks – Will Any Make a Run?
   • Can Caleb Williams (Bears), Drake Maye (Patriots), or Bo Nix (Broncos) dramatically shake up the QB hierarchy?
   • “If Drake May and the Patriots make the Super Bowl…then it becomes undeniable if Caleb puts it all together, God forbid, if Bo Nix wins two playoff games…” (43:37)
3. Aaron Rodgers’ Redemption/Run with Steelers:
   • What if Rodgers goes on a run? Would a Super Bowl remold his legacy (even just a deep playoff run)? (44:59)
   • “Regular season wise he’s a top three quarterback of all time.” (45:04)
4. Will the Eagles Repeat?
   • No one’s talking about Philly, but back-to-back Super Bowls would force a new dynasty conversation. (46:09)
   • “If they win this year, in nine years, they went to four Super Bowls, won three.” (47:22)
5. Which NFC West Juggernaut Will Deliver?
   • Rams vs. Seahawks: which gets hot and replicates their regular season dominance? (47:32)
   • “I am not dismissing at all the very real possibility of the Seattle Seahawks winning the Super Bowl.” (48:40)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Baltimore’s pain:
  “That is nine out of 10 years of utter heartbreak. And the one year that was not included in the heartbreak was getting just annihilated in a playoff game. Lamar's rookie season. That is torture.” (12:57, Nick Wright)
• On Lamar and Harbaugh:
  "I'd almost always pick the player over the coach. It doesn't seem like they have any interest in moving on from Lamar, so I just assumed they knew they had to move on from Harbaugh." (21:03, Nick Wright)
• Damanze stunned by Lamar-Burrow stat:
  “No...That is an insane stat.” (35:53-35:58, Damanze)
  “The Lamar stat is stunning, isn’t it? Because we look at Burrow as injuries always out.” (36:00, Nick Wright)
• On the coaching market:
  “For Philadelphia, it might sound harsh. Sirianni is literally the defending Super bowl champion, but Howie Roseman and Jeffrey Laurie have never cared about being harsh… If they think they can get better, they will move on from somebody.” (31:38, Nick Wright)

Wild Card Round Game Breakdown & Predictions

(52:21 – 67:46) Nick and Damanze go head-to-head, picking every Wild Card game:

• Rams (-10.5) vs. Carolina
  • Nick: Rams (“Carolina...not only the worst team that made the playoffs, I don’t think they’re a good team.” 55:24)
  • Damanze: Carolina, taking the points
• Chicago (+1) vs. Green Bay
  • Both: Bears
• Jacksonville (+1) vs. Buffalo
  • Nick: Jaguars (“I think Jacksonville is the more well-rounded team…” 58:27)
  • Damanze: Bills
• San Francisco (+4.5) at Philly
  • Both: 49ers
• Chargers (+4) at New England
  • Both: Chargers with the points, but Nick expects a Pats win by a slim margin.
• Pittsburgh (+3) vs. Houston
  • Both: Steelers—Nick cites Tomlin’s legendary Monday night home record.
    • “Mike Tomlin at home getting points, I just gotta, I gotta be on that side of it.” (67:03)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Ravens heartbreak timeline: 01:50 – 14:44
• Breaking down Harbaugh's firing: 26:50 – 33:57
• Lamar/Burrow durability stat: 35:53 – 37:01
• Top 5 playoff storylines countdown: 39:10 – 48:50
• Wild Card picks: 52:09 – 67:46

Tone and Style

Nick Wright’s tone throughout is passionate, analytical, and a mix of empathetic (especially toward Ravens fans) and opinionated — classic for his style on "The Herd." The dialogue with Damanze is comedic and candid, especially during their picks.

Conclusion

This episode gives a thorough post-mortem on the Ravens’ collapse and the end of the Harbaugh era, presents thought-provoking questions about Lamar Jackson’s future and legacy, and sets the stage with sharp analysis and predictions for Wild Card weekend. Whether you're a Ravens fan grieving, a playoff junkie, or just after sharp NFL insight, this is a can’t-miss episode of “What’s Wright.”