The Herd with Colin Cowherd

What’s Wright - Rams-Seahawks Battle for 1 Seed, Lamar’s LAST SHOT, Jaguars Super Bowl Caliber?

Host: Nick Wright (with Damani) | Date: December 19, 2025 | Episode 405

Episode Overview

This engaging episode, featuring Nick Wright and his co-host Damani, dives deep into the NFL's biggest stories heading into the holidays. The main themes revolve around critical late-season clashes with immense playoff implications: the Rams-Seahawks battle for NFC supremacy, the pressure facing Lamar Jackson and the Ravens, and whether the Jaguars have the recipe for a Super Bowl run. Throughout the show, Nick blends stats-driven analysis, spicy takes, and candid moments, maintaining his signature brash, self-aware tone.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Personal Notes and NBA Straight to Voicemail Segment

Starts at 03:44

• Parenting Reflection: Nick opens with a light-hearted parenting aside, celebrating Damani's financial stability and savoring small fatherhood victories.
• NBA Cup / Spurs & Wembanyama:
  • Nick shares “three NBA Cup takes,” expressing relief the Thunder could finally lose, but shows skepticism about Victor Wembanyama’s comments on “ethical basketball.”

    “I don’t need to be talked down to or lectured about ethical basketball from a 20-year-old French kid who’s never won anything.” — Nick Wright (07:43)

  • He wants to see “Wemby…accomplish literally anything before he’s telling us about sophisticated offenses.”

2. NFL Quick Hitters:

“Straight to Voicemail” presented by Boost Mobile — 08:43-15:21

• Tua Tagovailoa Benching & Future:
  • Nick lays out the financial conundrum for Miami, believing Tua’s time as an NFL starter could be over due to his contract, unique playstyle, durability questions, and lack of backup appeal.

    “The one trait you really need in a backup quarterback is durability...there’s a reason [Tua]’s in a very specific situation.” — Nick Wright (13:34)

  • Wonders whether Tua “will be interested in playing for $4 million” after making so much.
• Nick’s Recent Award:
  • Won “Best Debate Personality” from Awful Announcing, reflecting on his career goals, humility, and competitiveness with Stephen A. Smith.

3. Main Event: Rams-Seahawks Preview

Begins 18:12

Stakes:

• Rams vs. Seahawks — winner is likely the NFC’s #1 seed.
• A Rams win nearly eliminates Seattle from anything but a wild card.

Key Storylines:

• Sam Darnold's Reputation on the Line:
  • Darnold must deliver in a high-leverage spot; the national narrative is waiting for him to “go pumpkin.”

    “If Darnold plays poorly tonight, absolutely no one will believe in the Seahawks.” — Nick Wright (21:12)

  • However, a strong showing could “stamp Seattle as a real Super Bowl contender.”
  • Seattle’s defense has been stellar; recent points allowed show their dominance.

Picks & MVP Race:

• Nick leans Rams (“because I don’t trust Darnold”), citing better QB play and value.
• Matthew Stafford as MVP front-runner:
  • A monster game could lock the award up.

    “His numbers this year are stunning...37 touchdowns, 5 picks, 112 rating. If they win, that’s MVP.” — Nick Wright (24:07)

4. AFC Turmoil: Lamar’s Sickness, Patriots, AFC Playoff Field

Starts 30:03

• AFC Upheaval:
  • Major turnover; “not a full-blown changing of the guard, but a weird year.”
  • Most 2024 12-win teams are struggling or out.
• Lamar Jackson’s Illness and Ravens’ Ceiling:
  • Nick is bluntly critical about Lamar’s repeated absences due to illness.

    “This is gonna sound bad...can’t get sick every year and miss work. Just can’t.” — Nick Wright (33:04)

  • Nick questions if any other QB would get this leeway, citing it’s “every year the guy is sick.”
  • Skeptical if a healthy Ravens squad is truly back; sacks, lack of offensive firepower are concerns.
• Patriots’ Legitimacy Test:
  • If Patriots lose two playoff “dress rehearsals” (Bills & then Ravens), Nick drops them into “awesome season, something to build on, but not a real contender.”

    “If you fall to 1-3 against teams above .500...that’s not the mark of a contender.” — Nick Wright (38:34)

  • Harbaugh's future in Baltimore is in question if they miss the postseason.

5. NFC North Chess - Bears, Packers & Playoff Pressure

Begins 40:48

• Caleb Williams vs. Jordan Love:
  • Nick slightly prefers Love for experience, but recognizes Caleb’s upside and progress.
  • Emphasizes how “the Bears are peaking” but a loss could trigger a devastating slide out of the playoffs, with key games left vs. 49ers and Lions.
  • The NFC North playoff picture is “just chaos” — all three top teams could win or miss the playoffs depending on outcomes.

6. Jaguars Super Bowl Outlook & AFC Hierarchy

Starts 52:34

• Jaguars at Denver — AFC Game of the Week:
  • If Jaguars handle Denver, Nick sees them as “super alive” for the 1 seed, with a favorable finishing schedule.
  • Trevor Lawrence’s hot streak post-Thanksgiving: “10 touchdowns, no picks…scoring 35 a game.”

    “Don’t know why it took Trevor this long for it to click…but now, he’s been awesome.” — Nick Wright (56:10)

  • Notes Liam Cohen’s influence as OC, Jags’ strong wins, and that most losses were against quality opponents.
  • Warns a loss reopens the door for Houston to snatch the division.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Wembanyama’s NBA pontificating:

  “Call me a Neanderthal, I think a slightly more tactically correct thing for the Spurs might be get Wemby the ball more so he can, at 7'6", dunk on people a bit more.” — Nick Wright (08:03)

• On Tua’s NFL future post-benching:

  “Will he be interested in playing for $4 million? ...I think it’s on the board that he’s done.” — Nick Wright (12:14)

• On Lamar Jackson’s repeated absences:

  “Gotta grow up, man. Can’t get sick every year and miss work. Just can’t.” — Nick Wright (33:04)

• On Nick’s own media standing:

  “If you asked 100 sports fans, ‘who’s the biggest sports talk guy,’ … maybe I come in second.” — Nick Wright (15:06)

• Regarding the Rams/Seahawks clash:

  “Can Darnold play a high-level game in a high-leverage spot and really stamp Seattle as a legitimate, A-list Super Bowl contender?” — Nick Wright (22:52)

• On the wild NFC North playoff race:

  “It’s just chaos — all three could win the division or miss the playoffs.” — Nick Wright (45:53)

• On Jaguars outlook:

  “If Jags go to Denver and win...you have to open up the possibility: could they come out the AFC for the Super Bowl?” — (56:10)

• On betting Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua:

  “If this is a real boxing match, I’d put every dollar I have on Anthony Joshua minus 800.” — Nick Wright (62:04)

Timestamps & Segment Highlights

• 03:44 — Parenting and life/finance lessons
• 07:43 — NBA Cup, Wemby, & critique
• 08:43–15:21 — NFL “Straight to Voicemail” segment: Tua’s career, Nick’s award
• 18:12 — Rams-Seahawks high-stakes preview
• 24:07 — Stafford MVP talk
• 30:03 — AFC shakeup, Lamar’s health, Ravens vs. Patriots
• 40:48 — Bears-Packers, NFC North playoff math
• 52:34 — Jaguars-Denver, Jags’ Super Bowl path
• 60:34 — Rapid fire/Listener Q&A, Jake Paul vs Anthony Joshua fight betting
• 64:32 — Chargers/Herbert playoff discussion

Tone & Flow

Nick Wright’s voice is assertive, sometimes brash, but always data-driven and self-aware. He’s candid about his own “hot takes,” both owning his misses (especially about Denver and the Raiders) and standing by controversial opinions (as with Lamar Jackson and Tua). Damani provides chemistry and balance: sometimes pushing back, often teeing Nick up with smart follow-ups.

Final Takeaways

This holiday-season episode delivers classic Wright energy—mixing league-altering NFL analysis with personal narrative, a reality check on coaching and QB futures, and sharp takes on playoff scenarios. If you want to know what really matters going into the NFL’s penultimate week, who to trust in tight MVP and playoff races, and which QB rooms and coaches are feeling the heat, this is a must-listen.