Colin Cowherd Podcast - Reaction to Rams-Bears, Texans-Patriots, Bills-Broncos & 49ers-Seahawks

All right, next hour we’re off and running: Rams 20, Bears 17 in overtime. Between Caleb’s back‑corner laser to extend it and Stafford’s dime to win it, those were the two best throws I’ve seen this postseason, and the Rams were spotless—one flag, no turnovers, no drops.

The Bears felt like a real contender, not a cute story—their defense hit, covered, and held up in that brutal cold. For the Rams, that’s a full organizational win in weather you can’t rehearse in Los Angeles, and their toughness showed up at every position.

Caleb had the picks, but he’s more comfortable in the pocket than three months ago, and his receivers let him down a few times. Chicago’s back end is talented, but the Rams’ front seven is better, and they played a cleaner game with three timely drives.

Ben Johnson didn’t lean into Caleb’s legs enough, especially in short yardage where a QB power or movement could’ve flipped downs. The layups need to be a touch more accurate if he wants the full elite package.

The Bears actually won most of the stats, but penalties and turnovers swung it, and that sideline catch was just too good to take away. The Rams rarely beat themselves; that’s why they’re so hard to knock out.

I came away more impressed with the Bears in a loss than in some comebacks. In that cold, take the early field goal when it’s there—bank points.

Tip the cap to Puka and Kyren for ball security against a strip‑happy defense. With Seattle’s rest, home field, and special teams edge, they’ll likely be a slight favorite.

McVay got conservative after last week’s block; that run on third and long telegraphed the punt. I’d have thrown to avoid that whole situation.

Big picture, the Bears have leveled up; they just ran into an error‑free team. That’s how the Rams beat Seattle in one meeting too—cleaner football.

Whoever wins the NFC title should be the Super Bowl favorite, and they’ve earned that status.

No doubt.

The Bears were must‑watch all year, and Caleb’s late‑game playmaking in the cold looked like vintage far‑end‑of‑game magic.

Chicago can draft almost all defense and you can see where—edge, safety, corner, box help. The Rams’ tight ends produced and the Bears’ DBs made some huge PBUs in key spots.

With Loveland and Burden featured, they could flip one wideout for defensive capital and keep Kmet steady in the mix.

Given the cold, what the Rams did—no drops, no penalties, no giveaways—was rare and impressive. That was a classic in harsh weather.

New England 28, Houston 16: five takeaways and a top‑to‑bottom reset with the new staff, a strong draft, real development, and smart spending. Drake May is a pocket guy who can move, the roster has no glaring hole, and Will Anderson was a monster.

Defensively they already had pieces, and now they’ve got an old‑school, unfazed toughness again. The cold wrecked ball security across the board, and McDaniels’ experience showed up.

McDaniels’ ecosystem fits pocket QBs, and May slots right in. Pay Will Anderson, but with Stroud’s recent slide, coaching and cold matter—don’t rush that extension.

I couldn’t extend Stroud now; he’s a touch passer who’s still learning the cold. Let next year play out before handing over a massive deal.

It even felt bench‑worthy at half; that’s not extension energy.

Denver 33, Buffalo 30 in OT: slow‑mo made that end‑zone play look clearer than it was—live, the ball’s loose until it hits the ground and then it’s a wrestling match. Denver won the scrum; they got it right.

The rulebook is a maze and the review felt rushed, but the bigger problem was Buffalo’s turnovers and thin weaponry in high‑leverage spots.

They’ve got an elite QB and not enough around him, and the front office hasn’t been aggressive enough on difference‑makers.

Exactly—when you have that quarterback, you win on the margins with bold moves and mid‑round hits; they haven’t stacked enough of those.

With Bo Nix out, Stidham’s competent, and Denver still hit both deep shots that mattered. On the night they had the better coach, cleaner QB play, and more juice outside.

In the clutch, Bo and Caleb played like top‑tier guys; sometimes you have to let playmakers be playmakers.

Macro lesson: pivot fast off mistakes. Denver and New England moved decisively and sped up their rebuilds.

Seattle 41, San Francisco 6: they choked the run, sped up Purdy, and let Darnold manage in a low‑risk lane with elite special teams.

They’re the 2019 Niners blueprint—dominant defense, controlled passing, and Mike Macdonald’s a schematic wizard while Kubiak keeps it on schedule.

John Schneider is the best personnel eye in the league; they built a young, cheap, flexible defense and bully on special teams.

They never bottomed out—just nailed picks in the teens and pivoted to Sam at the right price. If he stays under twenty attempts and avoids turnovers, they can win by margins.

Philly was a roster mismatch; speed Brock up and he looks ordinary, and McCaffrey couldn’t dent that front.

Coaching carousel: John Harbaugh to the Giants, Stefanski to Atlanta, and Pittsburgh’s slow play risks a fourth choice. The Giants needed a culture builder; add a right tackle, a corner, and a tight end and they’re interesting—best coach in the division on day one.

Harbaugh’s a perfect New York fit—boss energy that plays there—but be careful with giving too much personnel control; pair him with a strong evaluator.

Joe Shane’s been competent outside the Barkley saga, and the division’s coaching isn’t exactly McVay‑Shanahan level. Harbaugh’s edge matters.

Watch Washington circle Mike Tomlin; that owner likes splash and Ben Johnson already balked. Dan Quinn’s a good dude, but he’s mid.

He’s mid. The Volume.