The Herd with Colin Cowherd – What’s Wright with Nick Wright, Ep. 391
Episode Date: November 14, 2025
Host: Nick Wright
Theme: Breaking Down Lakers’ Blowout, NFL’s Biggest Week, and AJ Brown/Eagles Drama
Episode Overview
This episode, hosted solo by Nick Wright, dives into the NBA’s most shocking results of the week, the ongoing drama with A.J. Brown and the Eagles, and analyzes Week 11’s pivotal NFL matchups. With a blend of stats, sharp takes, and signature irreverence, Nick highlights why perception around players like LeBron remains bizarre, what makes the Thunder and Chiefs so elite (and challenged), and airs out concerns in Philly’s offense.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. NBA Roundup: Thunder Steamroll Lakers & Jokic Dominates (03:22–15:55)
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Thunder Humiliate Lakers:
- Thunder crush Lakers 121-92, moving to 12-1.
- Nick ponders the absurdity of suggesting the Thunder could be worse once All-NBA Jalen Williams returns:
- “That sounded incredibly dumb, right? ... How can adding a great player who we have seen with those guys play great, how can that be bad?” (05:10)
- Draws parallel to similar, widely embraced takes when LeBron James was set to return for the Lakers:
- “So insane. ... There are so many takes that exist around LeBron that if they existed around any other player, would be laughed out of the room.” (06:40)
- Reality check: Lakers and Thunder are “not close at all” in quality, with Thunder in “a different class than everyone else.” (08:45)
- Notes quirky NBA scheduling: Thunder and Nuggets don’t meet until February—a four-game clash packed late in season.
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Nikola Jokic’s "Broken Metrics” Night:
- Joker drops 55—the Clippers’ starters combine for just 54.
- Rips faulty advanced metrics that label Jokic as “almost twice as good defensively by that metric as Wimby”:
- “If your formula spits out that Nikola Jokic is twice the defender as Victor Wembanyama, you should shutter the formula.” (04:42)
- Respect for Jokic: “Joker’s the best player in the world... but some of those advanced metrics are just broken.” (05:00)
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Steph, Wemby, and Bay Area Response:
- Steph Curry “puts the cape on” for 46; Warriors down Spurs.
- Wemby has “a triple double but also eight turnovers.”
- Warriors show resolve after unrest; draw contrast with Lakers’ limp performance.
Notable Quote
“There are so many takes out there that exist around LeBron that if they existed around any other player would be laughed out of the room. ... Just so insane.”
— Nick Wright (06:40)
2. NFL Week 11: Crucial Showdowns & Mahomes vs. Denver (19:35–34:04)
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Best Weekend of the NFL Season:
- Slate features “games where both teams have major playoff implications”:
- “Bucks-Bills, Chargers-Jags, Seahawks-Rams, Chiefs-Broncos, Lions-Eagles.”
- Bemoans lack of Monday Night flex.
- Slate features “games where both teams have major playoff implications”:
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Chiefs at Broncos—Mahomes’ Record and the Real Test:
- Mahomes is 13-1 vs. Denver; best winning % with at least 10 games vs any opponent this century.
- Emphasizes most games have been tight—Denver’s defense has always challenged Mahomes.
- Keys for KC:
- Protect Mahomes vs. elite pass rush.
- Play conservatively, avoid turnovers, control AFC West destiny.
- “For the Chiefs, a AFC West championship elimination-ish game.” (22:25)
- Denver’s issue: Elite team in every way “except for the most important by far which is quality quarterback.” (21:23)
- If KC loses, “they are now just trying to secure a playoff berth.”
- “It is a must-win for Kansas City when it comes to their chance of winning the AFC West.” (24:15)
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AFC Playoff Race Outlook:
- Patriots likely #1 seed if they hold serve; “the real fight should be for the two seed."
- Patriots’ fate: even losing toughest two remaining might leave them 13-4—enough for #1 seed.
- Forecasts complex tiebreakers, warns Chiefs or Broncos could slide fast if things go sideways.
Notable Quote
“It’s the best winning percentage with at least 10 games played against a single opponent this century in the NFL. ... What is relevant to me is this: Patrick Mahomes has played Denver 14 times in his career and he’s 13 and one.”
— Nick Wright (20:10)
3. Seahawks vs. Rams & the Stafford MVP Arc (37:44–45:42)
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Ramifications for NFC West:
- Seahawks and Rams possibly “the two best teams in football”—both odd records (8-1 combined away, just 6-3 at home).
- Game “wildly important and also maybe not important at all”: Could decide NFC West or just shuffle two top seeds.
- Notes for the 1-seed, “one of these teams is going to have to sweep the other.” (38:50)
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Stafford’s Hall of Fame & MVP Case:
- Stafford’s numbers would put him in the top-10 all-time, but lacks All-Pros and an MVP.
- Believes a Super Bowl plus MVP win “punches his Hall of Fame ticket.”
- “If Stafford wins the MVP, he punches his hall of Fame ticket.” (41:32)
- Stafford is on fire: “25 touchdowns, two interceptions, a 115 rating. Just a banana banana season from Stafford.” (43:01)
- Storyline: A big win over Seattle would vault him into “great, great position” in the MVP race.
4. Eagles, A.J. Brown, and the League’s Most Puzzling Offense (45:42–55:51)
- A.J. Brown "Drama" vs. Real Offensive Issues:
- Many downplay Brown’s Twitch rants (“Things are not going well ... drop me on your fantasy team”) as noise, but Nick believes Eagles’ offense fundamentally not right.
- “A.J. Brown is not wrong ... his concern that this offense is not functioning properly is totally correct. Totally correct.” (50:17)
- Cites stats: Eagles’ third-and-long runs, lack of involvement for A.J., Saquon’s ineffective year.
- “Their inability out of a bye ... to get A.J. Brown involved is inexplicable.” (49:30)
- “They have the highest rate of running the ball on third and long of any team in 25 years, which are just give-up plays.” (50:48)
- Bold prediction: Expects A.J. Brown to be gone after the season (“A.J. Brown is going to be a New England Patriot a year from now.”) (52:15)
5. Other Key NFL Games: Stakes and Vibes (59:33–71:09)
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Bucks vs. Bills
- For Tampa: vibes and 1-seed shot, for Bills: “already down to 15% to win the division” – loss would be major blow.
- Bills need a “Josh Allen A-plus clean game.”
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Lions vs. Eagles:
- “Despite winning games, the Eagles cannot stay out of their own way.”
- “Vibes wise this is important. ... It feels like amongst the fans there’s already a lot of discontent.” (01:01:15)
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Chargers vs. Jags:
- Jags can control wild AFC tiebreakers with a win.
- Chiefs could be on the outside of the playoff race even with a win depending on this outcome.
Notable Quotes & Moments
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On LeBron & Narrative Bias:
- “Will the Lakers be better or worse when LeBron James Senior comes in and starts taking some of the minutes that are currently going to LeBron James Jr. People talked about it!” (06:06)
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On Bad Metrics in the NBA:
- “If your formula spits out that Nikola Jokic is twice the defender as Victor Wembanyama, you should shutter the formula.” (04:40)
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On the AFC Playoff Picture:
- “It is a must-win for Kansas City when it comes to their chance of winning the AFC West. It is not a must-win when it comes to their chance of making the playoffs, but the AFC... really hard to handicap right now from a seeding perspective.” (24:14)
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On the Eagles’ Offense:
- “It is inexplicable. Their inability out of a Bye ... to get A.J. Brown involved is inexplicable. ... It is indefensible.” (49:30)
- “They have the highest rate of running the ball on third and long of any team in 25 years ... really, they’re give-up plays.” (50:44)
Timestamps for Important Segments
| Timestamp | Segment | Key Focus | |-----------|----------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:22 | NBA recap | Thunder’s blowout of Lakers, Jokic’s huge night, Steph’s 46, advanced stat critique. | | 15:55 | Sponsor Break | — | | 19:35 | NFL Week 11 Preview | Chiefs-Broncos history, Mahomes analysis, playoff stakes. | | 37:44 | Seahawks-Rams & Stafford story | NFC West importance, Stafford’s MVP/Hall of Fame case. | | 45:42 | Eagles/A.J. Brown/Offense Issues | Why Eagles (despite wins) are “off” and A.J. Brown trade prediction. | | 59:33 | Bucks/Bills/Jags/Chargers | Playoff implications, Bills/Bucs drama, AFC tiebreakers. | | 71:09 | Outro/Sponsor | — |
Final Thoughts
Nick Wright’s solo run delivers trademark humor, sharp skepticism of groupthink (especially with LeBron and “advanced metrics” takes), and thorough, passionate breakdowns of both NBA and NFL landscapes. His takes are wide-ranging but always rooted in stats and logic, whether debunking bad narratives, projecting playoff brackets, or demanding answers from Philly’s play-callers. A thoroughly listenable blend of sports insight and personality.
