Colin Cowherd Podcast - Darnold Is Super Bowl Bound, Sean Payton’s Huge Mistake, NFC Is The Superior Conference, Mike McCarthy Lands Steelers Job

Christian Gonzalez iced New England’s 10 to 7 rock fight, and then we got a Sunday night classic. Seattle 31, Rams 27 felt like a title bout—haymakers all night, Darnold brilliant, Stafford blazing. One red-zone miss on fourth and four and a muffed punt swung it; the Rams’ lingering special-teams leak finally cost them.

If you told me Darnold would throw three scores and flirt with 350, I’d have guessed a Seattle win—and he delivered in a career-spot. Stafford was sensational too, but on that late third-and-four into fourth-and-four, he had a shot to let his guy make a play and didn’t; in a game this clean, that hesitation loomed large.

I thought the Rams’ front—Verse, Young, Turner, Ford, Fisk—would crack Seattle’s line and force the big mistake. Instead, the protection held up and Ken Walker was electric, slipping tackles like a jazz soloist all game.

Seattle still wants to run it, even when the air stats pop. Darnold won the day by eating a few bootside sacks instead of throwing the hero ball pick; those negative plays were smarter than turnovers in a game decided by the punt gaffe and that taunting call that gifted Seattle points.

Since he sat in Carolina and got the job back, Darnold’s quietly stacked wins across four teams and coordinators. He’s more explosive than surgical, and that’s fine—especially with New England’s shaky line up next, where Seattle’s defense and noise travel.

If he plays three hours like this, Seattle’s a wrap because they can also win when he throws for a buck twenty. He’s not pinpoint like prime Peyton, but today he was plenty accurate and never put it in harm’s way.

He’s doing this with an oblique issue and without Charbonnet. The Rams showed how potent they are by picking on Witherspoon at times; that’s how high-level the matchup was.

Seattle still can’t check Puka consistently, and with Devonte back rolling, those two stress anyone.

It was inches. If Colby Parkinson squeezes that slightly tipped ball, the ending might flip. The Kupp ground-juggle also reignites the eternal what’s-a-catch mess. Big picture, Darnold crossed a line tonight—he carried them when Stafford couldn’t be stopped for stretches.

How many of the solid tier guys—Dak, Purdy, Hurts, Cousins—have posted this in this spot? Schneider looks smart for the deal, Kupp had a proud moment after they steered the money to Devonte, and Seattle’s roster is stacked with a rising staff. Number one seed, division champs, and I don’t see many picking New England here.

The only below-average unit in the Super Bowl is the Pats’ offensive line, and they’re walking into another pass-rush wave. The Rams’ best showed up—Stafford, Puka, Devonte, the rush—and Seattle still won, which tells you plenty about the Hawks.

Special teams and depth matter, and Seattle’s built that while the Rams have had to patch it. One free seven points was the margin.

On Denver–New England, I’d have taken the points to go up ten with a backup in a game trending ugly. Playoff math changes in bad weather—bank the field goal.

This early-game aggressiveness craze backfires in cold, low-scoring AFC grinders. Scripted first drives lie; as the wind and snow hit, Stidham unraveled while May’s legs became the edge, and Vrabel’s team stacked another gritty road scalp.

If Bo Nix had gone, I might’ve leaned Denver, but the Super Bowl stories are terrific: Kraft, Vrabel, Drake May’s rise versus Darnold’s redemption. And Schneider keeps hitting on athletes—he rarely misses.

They bet big on JSN and moved off DK to feature him, and it paid all year. Vrabel could become the first to win a ring there as a player and as the head coach; his situational mastery showed again through a tough playoff gauntlet.

His clock and timeout work are top-tier—he squeezes edges everywhere.

Quick pivot: Mike McCarthy to the Steelers feels on-brand. He’ll win, set a looser offensive tone, and in marquee matchups you may still feel a coaching gap, but Pittsburgh loves Pittsburgh and stability.

The Rooneys refuse to tank, so McCarthy’s floor—compete yearly—fits. It’s his first stop without a set quarterback, the market’s thin, and while a younger reset made sense, their DNA is steady, not scorched earth.

They need to move money from defense to offense, draft a wave of cheap defenders, and mirror what Seattle, the Rams, and Kansas City do—pay the quarterback and a few offensive pillars, keep the D young.

McCarthy’s brand lags his resume, which resembles Tomlin’s and even Harbaugh’s in places. It’s still a blue-blood job in a brutal division, and he’s coached three flagship franchises now.

Tomlin and McCarthy are both above-average head coaches. I wanted a bolder swing, but the Rooneys value identity and durability, and that’s exactly what they hired.