Best of The Herd

Man, do we have a Monday show, baby—Chicago’s buzzing and I’m glad Philly’s out because the postseason is about the sharpest coaches and the steadiest quarterbacks, and the Niners had both while the Eagles had neither.

From the scripted opener to that perfectly timed reverse pass, San Francisco was creative and resourceful despite stars going down, while Philly looked stale, short on answers, and stuck in the mud with a quarterback who struggles in the pocket.

I was proud of our guys for grinding through a tough one, especially with new linebackers playing the whole game, and I loved how Brock shook off the picks and worked through his reads to lead the last drive into the end zone.

I’ve got to be consistent on turnovers—what matters is how you respond, and Purdy on the road, without Kittle and under pressure, answered with big throws when it counted.

On the Bears and Caleb Williams, I’m done nitpicking the misses because the fourth quarter is a different sport with him—he’s the rare talent who bends the rules with ceiling plays that drown out the flaws.

That late sideline dart with defenders draped on the receiver was one of the wildest throws I’ve ever seen, the kind that makes you laugh and shake your head.

It was a bloodbath betting weekend, and my Packers friends are livid—Jordan Love was cooking early, then it all slipped away late.

Green Bay still drafts and develops at a high level, and once Matthew Golden is healthy he looks like a future star in that room.

Where I was right and wrong: Shanahan and Salah ran a master class; Buffalo keeps winning because there’s nothing like Josh Allen; Sirianni feels coordinator-dependent and the Eagles fade after halftime; Herbert needs to own some of the playoff struggles; Stefanski would have been a hot hire the second he hit the market; the Harbaugh firing blindsided me; I called Miami versus Indiana and the SEC looks light on top-end depth right now.

Matt, how are the Bears so good playing from behind—is there more to it than a special quarterback?

Some of it is playground ball and some of it is mindset, and Ben Johnson set that in August with lessons like the 28 to three film session so this group plays unfazed down the stretch.

People want to fire LaFleur after the collapse, but it’s hard to win in January with a young roster and limited free agency draw—what do you see?

He’s a very good coach, the fundamentals dipped a bit, and locking him in while keeping Jeff Hafley in the building gives them a real shot to pop with another offseason.

Back to the Niners—injuries everywhere and yet they found answers all night; what stood out?

Kittle is the heartbeat and when he went out they pivoted to a backs-centric plan with Juszczyk and McCaffrey, then stole one with Jauan Jennings’ arm, which is classic Shanahan focusing on what they can still do.

I don’t know what Philly’s offense is—do you?

Repeating plays is fine, but identity matters and it has to run through Saquon and that front’s physicality instead of pretending they’re something they’re not.

With Josh Allen, the second half feels freer—how much is scheme versus letting him do his thing?

Defenses play him differently, he probes early, then puts the cape on once he figures out the plan, and this is a huge opening in the conference.

Seahawks at Niners worries me for Seattle after a bye—could rust meet a desperate, aggressive opponent?

They practice hard enough to come out sharp, but I’d expect Shanahan to empty the trick-play drawer in a third meeting.

Rams at Bears feels volatile—Chicago’s banged up but loaded with skill, and the Rams defense has sprung leaks; who has the edge?

Los Angeles is tougher up front than people admit and losing the Bears’ left tackle is big, but both quarterbacks can close so no lead feels safe.

Buffalo heads to Denver and I actually like the Bills staying in rhythm—any concern with the Broncos off a week?

Denver will be locked in, Vance Joseph’s disguises are a bear, and Josh will need a deep study week, but the Bills have a real window right now.

Steelers or Texans tonight—I always worry about Pittsburgh’s offense, then Tomlin’s defense flips the field anyway.

If the Steelers avoid leaning on empty sets, I like them; if not, Houston’s defense can dictate terms.

Tomlin on Monday night is money, and there’s a little magic to it—Matt, great seeing you as always.