Colin Cowherd Podcast - Jags SNAP Broncos Streak, College Football Playoff, Bears STUN Packers In OT, Steelers Win In WILD Finish

All right, welcome in. Wild finish in Detroit. Pittsburgh survives 29 to 24 after a late touchdown gets erased for offensive pass interference. They ran the game for long stretches, Detroit woke up late, and the officials ultimately nailed the key call.

If you told me that score before kickoff, I’d have leaned Lions because Jared Goff’s line screamed shootout. Instead, Pittsburgh gashed them on the ground, hit two huge runs, and controlled the flow. They finally have a grown-up at quarterback who manages the game and calms the offense, something they’ve missed since late Big Ben.

They’ve had talent, but no offensive voice for years. Now they’re nine and six with a formula that can travel. You do not need fireworks if your defense is real and your quarterback keeps you out of bad plays. He’s cautious at times, but he doesn’t hand the ball away, and he works the tight ends and backs.

Cleveland is next, then Baltimore. If T.J. Watt returns with fresh legs, that’s a jolt. I would not be shocked if they beat the Chargers in a home playoff game. It will be a slugfest and a good first-round watch.

Still feels like their recent teams: tough, winning record, but light on postseason juice. The Chargers have the better receivers, a sharper play-caller in Harbaugh, and Herbert is the better quarterback. January raises the difficulty level.

By the way, Pittsburgh was a big underdog. That was not billed as a coin flip, and they were up double digits late. Context matters.

Chargers 34, Dallas 17. That was in-season development on display. The receiver room we worried about now looks deep, Herbert wasn’t sacked, and they grind out wins. Eleven and four with that offensive line is a coaching job.

It’s one of Harbaugh’s best pro seasons. Herbert’s combining top-end tools with veteran processing, and Jesse Minter has that defense humming. You can count the quarterbacks better than Herbert on one hand, and he’s still ascending mentally.

Herbert was nearly perfect, and Dallas again showed the same organizational blind spot. Jerry Jones talks about value but won’t pay elite coaching prices. The roster is good enough, but if you skimp on staff, you cap your ceiling.

Philly is the opposite. They spend for coordinators when needed. Jerry likes the spotlight and avoids hiring a headliner who would share it. That choice shows up in January.

The Jaguars hammered Denver in Denver, 34 to 20. Trevor Lawrence looks like the prospect we expected. They simplified reads, cleaned up the turnovers, and he’s been on a heater. Denver felt a bit flat after a string of close ones, but Jacksonville is the good team no one wants to discuss. You buying them?

I am. Denver had something to lock up, and Jacksonville still took control. Lawrence has stacked touchdowns with his arm and legs, and that defense has dudes all over it. Parker Washington is popping, ETN is a problem, and the staff has unlocked the group. It’s not crazy to talk about a run.

Minnesota edged the Giants 16 to 13. Two potential defensive scores were wiped out by an offsides penalty. JJ McCarthy got hurt, and they clearly didn’t trust Jackson Dart to throw it. Brian Flores owns New York’s offense. If the Giants land the top pick, do they consider Fernando Mendoza over Dart? Today felt like a no-confidence plan.

They’re in chaos. Dart takes unnecessary hits and lacks pocket awareness, but it’s hard to judge him fairly in this mess. His deal is movable, a new staff could reset, and nothing should be off the table. JJ’s availability is a real worry too.

Whiskey Business. Eagles 29, Washington 18. That looked like the 2024 version of their offense, with Hurts running and Saquon chewing yards. Is that real or just the Commanders being a turnstile?

Mostly the opponent. The quarterback sneak isn’t the cheat code it was, but the Eagles still have star power and a defense that can carry stretches. Expect a weird playoff ride with droughts on offense and late-game stress.

The NFC is deeper. Chicago beat Green Bay 22 to 16 in overtime. Cairo Santos drilled three long ones in the wind. Malik Willis looked playable, and the Packers controlled most of it but let go late. You can win short term with him while Love heals.

That was a gut punch. Willis came in cold to a nasty environment and handled it, and Green Bay’s defense had a great plan until the collapse. A rare successful onside kick flipped the game.

On Chicago’s side, Caleb Williams has improved almost everything but pure accuracy. He and DJ Moore keep delivering late, and the front office deserves credit for a string of smart additions. They’re volatile enough to bow out early or catch fire.

Caleb’s late-game control in the cold was big-time. Conditioning, poise, and timely runs stood out. That tying drive was more about discipline and processing than hero throws.

He’s always had that crisis gear. He can miss a layup, then drill the throw that breaks your back. He’s thick, sturdy, and hard to knock off his spot.

Use his legs on purpose at times. He’s explosive to the sticks and smart about avoiding shots. Way better athlete than he gets credit for.

Keep an eye on Puka Nacua in Los Angeles. He’s been banged up, the noise is growing, and McVay won’t tolerate distractions. If they draft a receiver high, that’s a signal.

The talent is special, but your circle matters. The Rams won’t hand out a massive deal if the maintenance continues. They’ve shown they’ll move on and find another producer.

College ball: Alabama rallied from down seventeen against Oklahoma and Miami won at A and M. Both validated their spots. The early round had ugly mismatches with small schools, but the committee mostly got it right aside from JMU and Tulane.

Those bids created lopsided games. The schedules aren’t comparable. Give the little guys their own bracket and keep this one for big-boy rosters.

The final eight feels right: Texas Tech versus Oregon, Indiana versus Alabama, Georgia versus Ole Miss, and Miami versus Ohio State. Alabama is built to chase games, Indiana is more balanced, and Miami-Ohio State feels like a grinder.

Bama’s a live dog, even with Indiana’s great season and some key injuries to monitor. Oregon and Texas Tech both look like title threats, and you can feel Oregon’s urgency. The NIL money gap is real and shows up now.

Hard Rock Bet pick: Niners minus five over the Colts. Phillip Rivers is limited downfield, Purdy looks fully healthy, and Shanahan’s plan is humming.

San Francisco will choke off the underneath stuff and dare deep shots. I like the Niners by a touchdown with multiple scoring drives.

John Middlekauff, three and out, always fun. Good job. See you.