Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd – What’s Wright: NFL Week 14 Reaction

Host: Nick Wright (with Damanze)
Date: December 10, 2025
Episode Theme:
A wide-ranging and candid breakdown of a chaotic NFL Week 14, with Nick Wright reacting in real time to the Kansas City Chiefs’ collapse, the Eagles and Bills’ playoff scenarios, AFC/NFC power shifts, and the Shédeur Sanders drama. Includes deep dives on NFL legacies, playoff math, and coaching controversies, all with Nick’s blend of humor, frustration, and data-backed analysis.

Episode Overview

This episode unfolds as a reflection on seismic shifts in the NFL landscape, focusing on the fall from grace of perennial powers like the Chiefs and Eagles, the “now or never” moment for the Bills, legitimacy questions for Lamar Jackson’s Ravens, and spicy drama around Browns rookie QB Shedeur Sanders. The tone is raw, introspective, and occasionally sardonic, as Nick comes to grips with the Chiefs’ plight and examines how NFL narratives are rewritten in real time.

Key Topics and Discussion Points

1. Chiefs “Falling Apart” – Season Postmortem

Timestamps: 02:55 — 43:09

• Chiefs’ Playoff Path:

  • Must win out (Chargers, Titans, Broncos, Raiders) AND get specific losses from the Chargers and Colts, a scenario Nick calls “possible but not reliable.”
  • “They have to go 4-0... and when I lay it out that way, it doesn’t seem impossible... Problem is this: the Chiefs are not a reliable team right now.” (13:07)

• What Went Wrong:

  • Special teams failures, situational coaching (calls out Andy Reid), and offensive sputters compound week after week.
  • “They lost Sunday night. For 10 different reasons and they were all little microcosms for what’s happened all season long… It’s a collective failure.” (14:13)
  • Highlights Mahomes’ struggles—missed deep balls, costly turnovers—but reserves ultimate blame for systemic issues.

• Leadership and Excuses:

  • Nick refuses to blame refs or luck: “I’m not blaming the refs... Bad calls happen... I’m not saying this is actually deep down a great team. They’re not.” (22:46)

• Legacy Perspective: Mahomes vs. Brady

  • Detailed statistical comparison of their first eight seasons as starters, arguing Mahomes still holds the edge despite this year’s collapse.
  • “Even when missing the playoffs this year, if they do, Patrick Mahomes, by any metric ... has had the greatest first eight years as a starter... of any player in league history.” (32:15)
  • Acknowledges that Mahomes, to challenge Brady as the GOAT, must amass even more early accomplishments as future longevity is unlikely.

2. Playoff Pressure Shifts: Bills’ “Now or Never”

Timestamps: 48:57 — 55:53

• AFC Title “Window”:

  • With KC and Baltimore faltering, the Bills have a golden opportunity and “must make the Super Bowl.”
  • “If they walk into the playoffs and the Ravens aren’t there and Joe Burrow’s not there and Patrick Mahomes isn’t there… They have to come out of it.” (49:48)

• Bills Playoff History:

  • Recites the Bills’ string of heartbreaking playoff exits to Mahomes and Burrow; sees this year as a clear path.
  • “It would be a catastrophe for Buffalo to not make the Super Bowl.” (51:58)
  • Nick names them his current AFC pick. “Nobody wants to play them. Wild is pretending like he’s not scared. He’s petrified.” (51:31)

• NFC Chaos:

  • Notes that nearly every 12-win team from last year is now in crisis or out of the playoff picture—underscoring league unpredictability.

3. Eagles’ Collapse & Jalen Hurts Problem

Timestamps: 56:04 — 61:00

• Eagles’ Meltdown:

  • After a disastrous game for Hurts (“He threw four yesterday... including first and ten in overtime, inside the red zone, and he makes a hero play and they lose the game because of it.” (57:42)), serious questions arise about his future.
  • Nick suggests the “Jalen Hurts problem” is about decision-making—he’s not trusting himself, undermining the offense.
  • Draws a comparison to Russell Wilson’s Seahawks: “The comp for Jalen Hurts and this era of Eagles football is Russell Wilson and the Legion of Boom Seahawks.” (59:27)

• Locker Room Dynamics:

  • Points to unease and coded messaging from teammates and staff. References the “positivity rabbit” in the locker room as evidence of a team struggling for cohesion.

4. AFC North Drama: Ravens & Steelers

Timestamps: 65:49 — 70:56

• Ravens Spiral:
  • Loss to the Steelers and ref controversy (“I agree with you that you guys got screwed on that call. But that’s not the problem for Baltimore. The problem for Baltimore is they're not good and Lamar is playing terribly.” (68:24))
  • Criticizes Lamar’s late-game management and the team’s lack of any complete performance.

5. Shedeur Sanders & Browns Drama

Timestamps: 70:56 — 78:43

• Shédeur’s Performance and Conspiracy Talk:
  • Impressed with rookie QB Shedeur Sanders’ play, but slams Browns coach Kevin Stefanski for a baffling two-point conversion call that reignited “they’re sabotaging Shédeur” rumors.
  • “That was quite simply one of the dumbest coaching decisions I’ve ever seen in my life... that was the only way you add to the noise surrounding the dumb conspiracies with Shedeur.” (74:10; 75:00)
  • “Don’t attribute to malice what can be attributed to stupidity... I don’t think it necessarily has to be deeper than that.” (76:40)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Chiefs collapse:

• “There is no silver lining to this chief season. But the only way that I’ll be able to survive it is I might turn into the next few months a world class hater. I’m just letting everyone know.” (04:09 — Nick Wright)

On Bills’ urgency:

• “The Bills have to make the Super Bowl this year. It’s not even — that’s not a hot take. That’s not complex. It is...” (49:38 — Nick Wright)

On Mahomes vs. Brady perspective:

• “Even with this year included, Patrick’s first eight years by any way you cut it... outstripped Tom’s first eight years.” (37:53 — Nick Wright)

On Eagles QB question:

• “The Eagles have a Jalen Hurts problem... He, for some reason, does not trust himself on quick decisions. And because of that, the offense does not function properly.” (57:10 — Nick Wright)

On Browns’ Shedeur drama:

• “That was quite simply one of the dumbest coaching decisions I’ve ever seen in my life... The knock-on effect of the — they were finally going to have a week with minimal outside noise... and then after leading a 14 point comeback... you called the single worst two-point conversion anyone’s called in the NFL all year.” (74:10 – 76:11 — Nick Wright)

Additional Highlights and Analysis

Rapid Fire Game Thoughts (79:22 onward)

• Lions beat Cowboys 44-30 (79:22): “Cowboys not dead yet—Philly controls the division.”
• Packers 28, Bears 21: “Great game...Jordan Love awesome. Caleb flashes, but not quite there.”
• Saints 24, Bucs 20: “My Bucs...on shaky ground and Baker’s been shaky for a month.”
• Seahawks 37, Falcons 9: “Seahawks defense unbelievable...Kirk Cousins had no shot.”
• Jags 36, Colts 19: “Jags are legit...Colts’ last month, franchise-altering disaster.”
• Rams 45, Cardinals 17: “The Rams are juggernauts right now, just blowing people out.”
• Broncos 24, Raiders 17: “Story is the craziest backdoor cover and overhit of the NFL season.”
• Vikings 31, Commanders 0: “Brutal season for Commanders fans.”
• Dolphins 34, Jets 10: “Dolphins, same record as Chiefs, but need miracles to reach playoffs.”

Conclusion & Outlook

Nick frames the episode as a reckoning for the league’s elites and a “now or never” moment for the Bills. With the Chiefs' playoff hopes hanging by a thread, Nick oscillates between resignation and a flicker of hope, while defending Mahomes’ long-term legacy. He doesn’t shy from criticism—of Andy Reid, of Stefanski, of Hurts—and engages in self-aware sports talk that’s candid about fan emotion.

Final thought:
Hope flickers for some, despair arrives for others, but the story of the 2025 NFL season is far from over—especially if, as Nick teases, “they pull me back in with a win Sunday against the Chargers.” (43:09)

For more detailed NFL insights or drama breakdowns, this episode is a must-listen for fans and skeptics alike.

Notable Segment Timestamps for Quick Reference

• 02:55 – Chiefs out of contention; setting new tone for the show
• 11:00 – Breaking down the Chiefs’ path and where it’s gone wrong
• 32:05 – Mahomes vs. Brady legacy (in depth)
• 48:57 – AFC title picture, Bills’ moment
• 56:04 – Eagles' crisis and Jalen Hurts debate
• 65:49 – Ravens/Steelers fallout
• 70:56 – Shedeur Sanders/Browns controversy
• 79:22 – Speed round: rest of NFL Week 14
• 84:54 – Soccer tournament betting picks, closing notes