Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd — "What's Wright - Chiefs in CRISIS MODE after Cowboys UPSET, Bear EXPOSE Eagles, Lane Kiffin to LSU"

Date: December 3, 2025
Host: Nick Wright
Co-Host: Damanze
Podcast: The Herd with Colin Cowherd (iHeartPodcasts & The Volume)

Overview

This episode of "What's Wright" finds Nick Wright and co-host Damanze diving deep into the NFL's chaotic playoff races, with a focus on the Kansas City Chiefs’ crisis, the surging Dallas Cowboys, and the Chicago Bears’ unexpected NFC dominance. The show also covers Lane Kiffin’s move to LSU, the Philadelphia Eagles' unraveling, NBA context on the all-time scoring record, and closes with some candid new-dad reflections from Damanze. The tone is candid, opinionated, and loaded with statistical insight and memorable analogies.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction & Personal Updates (03:01-04:26)

• Nick welcomes Damanze back, congratulating him on the birth of his first child.
• Light banter about navigating LAX post-Thanksgiving and a friendly ask for audience engagement, inviting questions for Damanze as a new parent for the end-of-show Q&A.

2. Chiefs in Crisis Mode (06:32-23:00)

State of the Chiefs:

• Chiefs are 6–6, two games out of the wild card, and lacking key tiebreakers.
• Wright’s concern: “The only way they guarantee themselves a spot in the playoffs is by winning out... The problem is getting in is going to be very difficult because of those tiebreakers they don’t have.” (Nick Wright, 06:54)
• The AFC is wide open, but Kansas City faces significant defensive issues, especially on third and long.
• Defensive stats: 4th worst third-and-long defense, 4th fewest sacks, 6th fewest forced turnovers.

Turnaround Prospects:

• A five-game winning streak is needed, but defensive lapses make that unlikely.
• Notable injuries: Rookie LT Josh Simmons out (possibly for the season) after a freak injury.
• Tough upcoming opponents, starting with Houston’s strong pass rush.

Trade Deadline Decision-Making:

• Damanze asks if the Chiefs missed a trade deadline fix; Nick says no obvious big-move options existed, noting almost trading for Breece Hall.

Playoff Math & Margins:

• Chiefs have lost multiple games after fourth-quarter Mahomes comebacks—a rare and troubling trend.
• “Three times this year... Mahomes has led a fourth-quarter comeback to take the lead and they lost the game anyway. ...the third blown fourth quarter comeback for Tom Brady in his career came in year 15. ...It's happened three times this season [for the Chiefs].” (Nick Wright, 15:12)

Outlook:

• If KC does make the playoffs, it’ll be via a massive winning streak—and likely as momentum favorites.
• Path depends on collapses by teams ahead of them (especially the Colts), but "The only way to be sure they get in is to win all five." (Nick Wright, 23:00)

3. Cowboys’ Playoff Hopes after Stunning Chiefs (29:29-40:39)

Cowboys Momentum & Playoff Math:

• Cowboys beat KC, now 6–5–1. Dak confidently leads, but only a 24% chance (per The Athletic) to make playoffs due to tiebreakers and the competitive NFC.
• “Right now [the Cowboys] are one of the best teams in the league because that offense has been great. ...But I don’t think they’re going to be able to catch the teams in front of them.” (Nick Wright, 29:51)

Barriers:

• One loss probably eliminates them; they must likely win out.
• The NFC features multiple likely 11-win teams; Dallas maxes out at 11–5–1.
• Upcoming schedule is “softish” but includes critical contests, especially with Detroit.
• “Is that team going to win eight in a row? ...I do think if they were to get in this is as dangerous of a Cowboys team as we've had.” (Nick Wright, 34:12)

Dak Prescott’s MVP Buzz:

• Dak compared to Burrow’s previous campaign—worthy of MVP ballot consideration, not of winning.
• “Dak is having the Joe Burrow season from a year ago and Joe Burrow got plenty of MVP buzz... that to me is where Dak is right now.” (Nick Wright, 34:12)

4. Bears Expose Eagles; Philly's Identity Crisis (46:05-51:22)

Chicago’s Surprise and Philadelphia’s Problems:

• Nick is more shocked by the Bears as the NFC one-seed than Philly’s struggle, but is most concerned about the Eagles’ lack of offensive identity given their talent.
• “You cannot have an offense that goes three and out more than any offense in the last decade...with this much talent on the offense. And it is just inexplicable to me...” (Nick Wright, 46:26)
• Disconnect between star WR A.J. Brown’s performance and overall team success.
• Nick doesn't trust HC Nick Sirianni, positing that if the Eagles collapse, his job may not survive: “Howie Roseman has fired better coaches than Nick Sirianni... If Philly collapses again, I’d be very nervous if I were Sirianni.” (Nick Wright, 48:07)
• The offense is the most expensive in NFL history but looks "directionless."

5. Lane Kiffin Jumps to LSU—A Media & Choices Commentary (51:25-63:11)

Kiffin’s Move and the ‘Responsibility of Choice’:

• Nick contextualizes Lane Kiffin’s jump from Ole Miss to LSU as a decision between two excellent options.
• Protests of sadness from Kiffin or media described as disingenuous: “...You’re not allowed to be sad about the choice if you’re the one that’s making the choice.” (Nick Wright, 52:00)
• Laments coverage that blames ‘the calendar’ for adult decisions: “The amount of otherwise smart people blaming a grownup’s decision on an inanimate object. This object is the calendar. ...We remove agency from choices adults make?” (Nick Wright, 59:36)
• Takes aim at media conflicts due to agency/business overlap but concludes Kiffin did what was best for Kiffin—no deeper justification needed.

6. NBA: Context on Giannis and the All-Time Scoring Record (64:02-71:00)

• Nick riffs on Giannis's offhand comment about reaching the NBA scoring record, running the math to demonstrate its near-impossibility.
• “Giannis is literally...not halfway there. He just got to 21,000. LeBron is at 42,000 and change... He’d need to average 50 points a game for five years to almost get there.” (Nick Wright, 66:43)
• Even with 30 PPG for nine years at full health, Giannis would still just barely reach LeBron’s current total if LeBron stopped today.
• “Just stop dreaming. ...You have to somehow be the youngest guy to do everything and the oldest guy to do everything...” (Nick Wright, 71:00)

7. NFL Quick Hits & Hall of Fame Talk (76:43-82:40)

• Preview of an extraordinary, crowded Hall of Fame class (locks: Brees and Fitzgerald; many strong holdover candidates).
• Rapid recap of NFL results—highlighting the Packers' ceiling, concerns about the Ravens/Lamar Jackson, Stafford’s cooled MVP run, and teams on the verge of collapse (Colts).
• Notes quirks in the NFL, like the rare “pick two” on a two-point attempt in Dolphins-Saints.

8. New Dad Q&A: Damanze on Fatherhood (84:03-87:48)

Listener Questions:

• Favorite new parent moments: “Looking into her eyes... just being responsible for some other human.” (Damanze, 84:48)
• Surprisingly easy aspects: Co-sleeping and soothing her with simple tricks (like running water).
• What they’ve binged: Finished "Snowfall," started "The Wire" (finding it slow), planning "The Sopranos."

Nick’s Parenting Wisdom:
"Every age is the best age. Every single age is the best and just for different reasons..."

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Chiefs’ Crisis:
  "The only way they guarantee themselves a spot in the playoffs is by winning out... It's very difficult to trust this team to win five straight because, quite simply, they can't get off the field."
  — Nick Wright (06:54)

• On Defensive Lapses:
  "Three times this year, Mahomes has led a fourth-quarter comeback to take the lead and they lost the game anyway... The margins are that thin."
  — Nick Wright (15:12)

• On Lane Kiffin’s LS move:
  "You’re not allowed to be sad about the choice if you’re the one that's making the choice... Lane Kiffin did what he thought was the best for Lane Kiffin and was able to."
  — Nick Wright (52:00, 63:11)

• On NBA Scoring Records:
  "If Giannis plays 80 games a year for the next nine years and averages 30 points per game in each and every year, he'll almost have the scoring record if LeBron never scores again... Just stop dreaming."
  — Nick Wright (70:00)

• Damanze on New Parenthood:
  "Honestly, the most surreal thing is looking into her eyes... that's my favorite part."
  — Damanze (85:04)

Segment Timestamps

| Section | Time | |----------------------------------------|----------------| | Intro & New Dad Banter | 03:01–04:26 | | Chiefs Playoff Crisis | 06:32–23:00 | | Cowboys Playoff Math | 29:29–40:39 | | Bears’ Rise/Eagles’ Problems | 46:05–51:22 | | Lane Kiffin to LSU (media commentary) | 51:25–63:11 | | NBA: Giannis/LeBron Scoring Context | 64:02–71:00 | | NFL Quick Hits & HOF Preview | 76:43–82:40 | | Listener Q&A: Damanze on Parenting | 84:03–87:48 |

Closing Thoughts

Nick Wright’s passionate engagement and Damanze’s energy make for a dynamic, insightful episode filled with nuanced playoff analysis, cultural commentary, and personal stories. Especially impactful was Nick's reflection on choice and responsibility in the Kiffin segment, and the real-life warmth of the new-parent Q&A.

Perfect for listeners who want:

• Deep NFL playoff scenarios breakdowns
• Honest and humorous critiques on sports media narratives
• Real-life parenting reflections from a sports insider
• A mix of hard stats, personal anecdotes, and spicy takes