The Herd with Colin Cowherd: What's Wright – Chiefs-Bills 10, Lamar RETURNS, Bo-Liever in Broncos? (with Nick Wright)

Episode 385 | Date: October 31, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Nick Wright and co-host Damanza (with Demon) break down the NFL’s biggest stories going into Week 9, focusing on the highly-anticipated Chiefs vs. Bills matchup—essentially a Mahomes vs. Josh Allen round 10—plus Lamar Jackson’s return for the Ravens, Bo Nix and the Broncos' sudden rise, and midseason MVP talk. The episode is characteristically lively and rich with opinion, humor, and a few hot takes, all while maintaining an analytic edge.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

World Series & Shohei Ohtani’s Playoff Prowess (02:00–08:30)

• Dodgers’ World Series struggles: Brief opening discussion about the Dodgers being down to the Blue Jays. Nick’s “hottest take” is simply, “The Blue Jays are better.” (02:54)
• Shohei Ohtani’s postseason: Nick marvels that Ohtani put together “the two greatest games anyone has ever played in the history of playoff baseball,” but notes his performance outside those games has been “brutal.” The crew debates if Ohtani’s postseason helps or hurts his “Boat” (Best of All Time) case. (03:15–05:17)
  • Quote: “Aside from that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?” — Nick Wright (05:02)
• Yamamoto’s World Series MVP Odds: They consider the potential for pitcher Yamamoto to be World Series MVP if the Dodgers turn it around. (05:40–08:00)

Chiefs vs. Bills: The “Annual Bills Super Bowl” (09:15–22:15)

• Game Setup: The Bills face the Chiefs at home—billed as “the annual Bills Super Bowl” since it’s the regular season game they circle every year. Both teams are banged up with key injuries—Ed Oliver out for Buffalo, starting LT Josh Simmons out for Kansas City. (09:16–09:36)
• Defensive Focus: Both teams’ abilities to generate a pass rush and slow down opposing offenses is highlighted as more central than the Mahomes vs. Allen narrative itself.
• The Quarterback “Rivalry”: Nick expresses skepticism of framing Mahomes vs. Allen as Brady-Manning 2.0.
  • “People so badly want it to be Brady-Peyton, and it has just been nothing like Brady-Peyton. And it’s maddening to me.” — Nick Wright (19:22)
  • He compares it instead to Jordan-Ewing or LeBron vs. Toronto: one side always comes up short in the biggest moments.
  • Quote: “[The] Chiefs celebrate. … That’s just what’s happened.” — Nick Wright (21:36)
• Rivalry Stats: Mahomes consistently prevails in the postseason; Allen and the Bills have often looked like favorites in the regular season but fallen short at crunch time.
• MVP Implications: The crew examines how this game could affect the MVP race but notes that it won’t make or break anyone’s candidacy. Mahomes and Allen’s cases are both “shaky” midseason due to team records and individual stats. (22:17–25:39)

MVP Race Breakdown (22:17–26:30)

• Statistical Midpoint: Nick lists his current top five MVP candidates if voting happened at midseason: “Drake May, Stafford, Taylor, Baker, and Patrick [Mahomes].” Josh Allen doesn’t make the cut due to a drop in performance after a hot start.
  • Quote: “Right now, if we were talking NFL MVP ... Drake has a better case. Jonathan Taylor … Matthew Stafford.” — Nick Wright (24:12)
• Jalen Hurts: Mentioned as unique with impressive efficiency but fewer yards, making his MVP case unusual.

Playoff and Division Scenarios (26:56–32:05)

• Chiefs and Bills in unfamiliar territory: For the first time since both QBs arrived, neither team leads their division ahead of their regular season matchup, raising the stakes for both and making the outcome pivotal for playoff seeding.
  • “Neither one of them ever has been a wild card.” — Nick Wright (28:26)
• Wild Card Concerns: Both teams don’t want to be finishing as wild cards, signaling they have to “go all out.” A Chiefs loss could see them drop to 7th seed; a Bills loss could boost New England’s control of their division.

Ravens Update: Lamar Returns & Playoff Math (35:03–41:32)

• Lamar Jackson’s Return: Ravens are 2–5, but the AFC North is wide open—eight wins may be enough to clinch the division.
  • Ravens' improved defense is key, but Ravens and their rivals all have significant issues.
• Must-Win Mentality: Every game is now crucial for Baltimore. A softer upcoming schedule could see them climb to 6–5 with divisional games remaining. (36:53–38:43)
• Potential Playoff Picture: If favorites win, a wild-card Buffalo or Chiefs could travel to face a sub-10-win Ravens team in the first round, leading to unpredictable AFC matchups.

Broncos “Bo-liever” Segment: Bo Nix and Denver’s Stock (42:09–45:23)

• Broncos Defense & Bo Nix’s Emergence: Nick reiterates his preseason prediction that Denver could start 6–2 and feels vindicated. The Broncos now lead the league in sacks and allow the fewest.
  • “Bo Nix has been awesome the last five quarters … If he plays anywhere close to that level, that team’s awesome.” — Nick Wright (43:30)
• Upcoming Houston Test: Nick calls Broncos-Texans a real test for Bo Nix against a strong defense.
• Vegas “No Respect”: Broncos still underdog to Houston despite good form—Nick notes Vegas is skeptical.

AFC Playoff Fork-in-the-Road: Houston Texans (45:23–46:33)

• Houston Win/Loss Scenarios: Houston, with dominant wins and frustrating losses, must beat the Broncos to stay credible as a playoff contender.

MVP Race Revisited: The Patriot Case (46:33–49:53)

• Drake May’s Rise: Nick puts Drake May in the top three for MVP, along with Mahomes and Allen—year two is “not too early to be awesome.”
• Patriots Disrespected?: Pats have a deceptively strong record (soft schedule), but Nick calls them "the third most dangerous team in the AFC" behind Chiefs and Bills. Their statement games are few—most of the season will see them as heavy favorites against weak opponents.

NFC North Update: Vikings & Lions (52:58–55:16)

• J.J. McCarthy Thrown In: McCarthy starts for the Vikings vs. Lions (coming off a bye). Nick is pessimistic, expecting Detroit to dominate, and sees the Vikings season unraveling.
• Vikings’ Problems: Loss of Carson Wentz, lack of signature wins, and routine underperformance spotlighted.

Halloween “Scariest” NFL Bits (55:16–56:54)

• Scariest Team: Non-Chiefs answer is the Packers, if Jordan Love stays hot.
• Scariest Player: Excluding Mahomes, Jonathan Taylor, due to his home-run capability.
• Scariest Trade: Patriots dealing for A.J. Brown, giving Drake May a legit WR1.

Listener Questions (56:54–end)

• Why not attend World Series & Chiefs-Bills in person? “That would have been sick…I legit need like Fox security [in Buffalo].” — Nick Wright (57:00–57:20)
• Chiefs trade deadline wishlist: Nick wants the Chiefs to call about Camara or add a defensive lineman, especially after a key injury (57:32).
• Is passer rating overrated now?
  • Nick explains that modern offensive styles inflate passer ratings, making cross-era comparisons flawed: “High completion percentage, low mistake, but not a lot of boom plays is kind of a hack for passer rating.” (58:12)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Bills-Chiefs & Mahomes/Allen:
  "People so badly want it to be Brady-Peyton, and it has just been nothing like Brady-Peyton. And it’s maddening to me.” — Nick Wright (19:22)
• On Shohei Ohtani’s postseason narrative:
  "Aside from that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?" — Nick Wright (05:02)
• On Denver’s defense and Bo Nix:
  “Bo Nix has been awesome the last five quarters … If he plays anywhere close to that level, that team’s awesome.” — Nick Wright (43:30)
• On the midseason MVP race:
  "Right now, if we were talking NFL MVP ... Drake has a better case. Jonathan Taylor … Matthew Stafford." — Nick Wright (24:12)
• Halloween Scariest Team (Non-Chiefs):
  “The scariest non-Chiefs team in the NFL right now is the Packers. … Their ceiling is crazy high.” — Nick Wright (55:38)

Key Timestamps for Segments

• Dodgers/World Series & Ohtani Talk: 02:00–08:30
• Chiefs-Bills/Rivalry & MVP Race: 09:15–26:30
• Playoff Seeding Scenarios: 26:56–32:05
• Ravens Update/Lamar Returns: 35:03–41:32
• Broncos, Bo Nix & Denver Stock: 42:09–45:23
• Texans’ Playoff Fork in Road: 45:23–46:33
• Patriots & Drake May as MVP: 46:33–49:53
• Vikings-Lions/JJ McCarthy: 52:58–55:16
• Halloween “Scary” NFL Picks: 55:16–56:54
• Listener Q&A, Trade Deadline, Passer Rating: 56:54–end

Takeaway

This episode typifies Nick Wright’s blend of sharp analysis and humor, with a focus on how narratives around quarterbacks and teams are shaped (and sometimes mistaken) by recency bias and the thirst for historic rivalries. The Mahomes-Allen saga and midseason MVP debate are contextualized within broader league dynamics, while the Broncos’ rise and Ravens’ playoff hopes illustrate how quickly fortunes can shift in the NFL. The hosts keep it lively and accessible—perfect for both die-hard viewers tracking every snap and casual fans seeking the pulse of the league.