The Herd with Colin Cowherd: "What's Wright – NFL Week 9 Reaction" (Nov 5, 2025)

Episode Focus:
This episode, guest-hosted by Bill and his co-host Damanze, dives deep into the key takeaways from NFL Week 9, with special attention on the Buffalo Bills' victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, the Dallas Cowboys’ devastating loss to the Cardinals, and major storylines and surprises across the league at the midseason mark. There’s also a dose of MLB World Series emotion, NBA talk (especially on Bronny James), and a series of rapid-fire reactions to the most notable games and moments of the week.

Main Topics & Structure

1. World Series Recap: Dodgers defeat Blue Jays

• [07:32–14:14]
  • Bill mourns the Blue Jays’ “all-time gutting” loss in Game 7, marveling at the heartbreak in a series loaded with missed opportunities for Toronto.
  • Quote:
    "That is as haunting of a series loss as I think you will ever see in sports... That is as gutting a championship series loss as you will ever see." (Bill, 12:25)
  • Blue Jays' odds for next season are given context (15:01).
  • Remark on huge television audience: "26 million people watched Game 7, Dodgers-Blue Jays in America. More than 50% higher than the NBA Finals!" (15:09)
  • Bill praises the excitement and quality of the MLB playoffs this year.

2. NFL Week 9 Main Event: Bills Beat Chiefs

• [20:11–28:36]

A. Chiefs' Struggles and Bills' Performance

• Bills credited with an “outstanding defensive performance,” stifling Patrick Mahomes to his worst completion percentage ever.
• Josh Allen “played great,” and the run game was effective.
• Bill's View:
  "Not only did they keep up with Kansas City, they dominated most of that game. And Josh played great and Patrick played really shaky." (Bill, 20:44)

B. Playoff Implications (Chiefs' Path Forward)

• Bill does not panic about the Chiefs’ season or playoff chances:
  • "This does not change my opinion 1% about what a Chiefs-Bills playoff game could look like... The playoffs don’t start today. They have eight more games to play." (Bill, 22:37)
• Discussion of how missing key starters (offensive line, running back Isaiah Pacheco) played a role, forecasting healthier playoff rematches.
• Chiefs’ schedule softens up in the 2nd half (“quarterbacks they face soften up” [27:28])
• Chiefs projected to finish 12–5 and still win the division.

C. Big Picture AFC Playoff Conversation

• "I don't really know... doesn't seem like there's going to be any soft spots in the AFC playoffs." (24:28)
• Chiefs “still the Super Bowl favorites” for Vegas; AFC playoff seeding will be a dogfight.

D. Notable Sideline Animations

• Mahomes’ sideline “antics” compared to Josh Allen’s flopping to draw penalties.
  • "The best flopper in the league for five years has been Josh. It’s not even close." (Bill, 30:19)
  • Suggestion: Whiplash head motions = mandatory concussion tent check. (30:27–31:24)

3. Cowboys COLLAPSE vs Cardinals & NFL Trade Deadline

• [37:32–41:44]

A. Cowboys’ Season Devolves

• “Cowboys are done. They have had plenty of opportunities to not be done... after the Raiders game in two weeks...Eagles, Chiefs, Lions. They’re finished.”
• Recent trade (for LB Logan Wilson) highlighted not as hope, but as a signal of futility.
• Bill: “They should be sellers, not buyers.” (37:49)

B. Cardinals’ QB Room Future

• Jacoby Brissett outperforms Kyler Murray; Murray's Arizona future questioned.
• “Kyler’s not going to be on the Cardinals next year."
• Potential landing spots for Murray: Jets, Steelers, Browns, Raiders.

4. Bronny James/NBA Update & Media Critique

• [41:54–48:02]

• Bill calls out earlier media overreaction about nepotism and Bronny’s selection by the Lakers.

• "Bronny James has been a slightly above average late second round pick. The folks that used him as a cudgel because they hate LeBron should be embarrassed." (Bill, 47:03)

• Notes Bronny’s positive, if quiet, contributions in crunch time with the Lakers.

5. NFL Week 9 Surprises & Developments

• [48:40–53:11]

A. Colts vs Steelers

• Water “finding its level” for both teams: Colts offense coming back to earth, Steelers defense regressing back up toward expectations.

B. Packers Lose to Panthers

• Ominous stat: Only 4 wins, with 5 losses and a tie, as a touchdown-plus favorite in last 10—team tends to overlook weak opponents (52:34).

C. Playoff Picture

• NFC playoff chase is fierce: “Somebody’s going to be left without a chair.”

D. Notable Injuries

• Losses: Joe Alt (Chargers), Tucker Kraft (Packers) called "massive injuries."

6. Midseason Recap / Biggest Surprises and Misses

• [60:04–66:54]

• Colts top Bill’s list as his most major preseason miss:
  "The Colts would be the biggest one. I said I thought they could get the number one pick. Instead, you know, right now they're the number one seed." (Bill, 60:22)

• Cincinnati’s defense is “dreadful”—their problems run deeper than just Burrow’s injury.

• Other personal preseason corrections:

  • “I did not see this season from hell potential for Baltimore, and I didn’t see Pittsburgh’s weak link being its defense.”
  • On Rams and Bucs: “I think I had a Bucs-Rams NFC Championship Game, and I feel good about that right now. But the Rams are a little better than I thought they would be.” (62:36)
  • Matt Stafford is Bill’s “league MVP” at this moment [62:54].

7. Seasons from Hell: Ranking the NFL’s Disaster Teams

• [63:08–66:54]
• Top disaster: Washington Commanders—piled resources in and lost Jaden Daniels to a devastating injury.
  "If you're a Washington fan, deep down, you're like, man, is this guy just going to be an injury concern his whole career?" (Bill, 64:19)
• Cincinnati comes second: not “one offseason” away from contending; their defense needs a complete overhaul.

8. Category Four: “Right, But Don’t Want to Be Right”

• [67:42–68:25]
  • New show inside joke, courtesy of Damanze: Predictions you’re right about, but take no pleasure in.

9. Quick Hitters: Game-by-Game Lightning Reactions

• [68:29–74:45]
  • Ravens 28, Dolphins 6: Lamar “was awesome again,” but Dolphins squandered chances.
  • 49ers 34, Giants 24: “Kyle Shanahan’s masterpiece. Even I didn’t think he could get this out of Mac Jones.”
  • Chargers 27, Titans 20: WR Joe Walt’s injury “devastating”; playoff spot may come down to Herbert vs. The Prince.
  • Vikings 27, Lions 24: “Shocker”; Flores “made Goff look uncomfortable”; not panicking about Lions.
  • Patriots 24, Falcons 23: “Patriots are legit. Good team. They’ve now won six in a row.”
  • Broncos 18, Texans 15: Broncos D “awesome”; Texans “on life support.”
  • Bears 47, Bengals 42: Caleb Williams “was awesome”; Bears “huge win.”
  • Rams 34, Saints 10: “Rams annihilated the Saints”; limited viewing due to focusing on Chiefs-Bills.
  • Seahawks 38, Commanders 14: “Seahawks are a legit good to really good team. Darnold’s been awesome. JSN fantastic.”

Listener Q&A Highlights

• [74:45–77:13]

• Heartfelt thank-yous from international listeners.

• On Joe Flacco's play and Joe Burrow ratings:
  "When you see Joe Flacco fresh out the nursing home start throwing for 322 and 2 TDs a game, it at least gives you a little pause about are we giving Joe Cool just a touch too much credit?"

• Positive surprise: The Panthers' 5–4 record and being in a divisional tie with the Chiefs.

Memorable Quotes

• "The folks that used [Bronny James] as a cudgel because they hate LeBron should be embarrassed." (Bill, 47:03)
• "Chiefs are still Super Bowl favorites because they’re the best team." (Bill, 23:32)
• "Cowboys are done... after Raiders, Eagles, Chiefs, Lions—they’re finished." (39:19)
• "Kyler [Murray]'s not going to be on the Cardinals next year... he’s too small." (Bill, 40:39)
• "Category Four. Right, but I don’t want to be. And if I’m proven right, I can’t take a victory lap." (Bill, 68:13)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• World Series Gut Punch: 07:32–14:14
• Bills vs. Chiefs In-Depth: 20:11–28:36
• Cowboys Collapse/Trade Market: 37:32–41:44
• Bronny James Media Discourse: 41:54–48:02
• Colts-Steelers & Packers-Panthers: 48:40–53:11
• Midseason Surprises/Misses: 60:04–66:54
• Disaster Seasons Ranking: 63:08–66:54
• Quick Hitters: 68:29–74:45

Final Thoughts

Dynamic and energetic, this week’s “What’s Wright” episode delivers a whirlwind of informed NFL debate, sneakily insightful stats, and a dash of humility about preseason takes gone awry. With a side of NBA and MLB emotion, Bill and Damanze keep the tone candid, conversational, and quick-hitting, loaded with memorable one-liners and breakdowns that make sense even for a non-watcher.

Perfect for: NFL fans looking for sharp, honest takes on Week 9’s chaos, plus bonus baseball heartbreak and a reality check for NBA hot takes—served up with humor and relatability.