Colin Cowherd Podcast - Shorthanded 49ers STUN Eagles, Josh Allen Is ALL-TIME Great, Caleb Looks Like Elway, SEC Dominance Is OVER

Four-for-four playoff weekend, and it was a reminder the league’s just fine without the usual headliners. San Francisco outlasted Philadelphia 23 to 19 despite injuries and two Purdy picks, and to me it exposed how coordinator-dependent the Eagles are compared to Shanahan’s clear offensive identity.

That was one of the worst playoff losses you’ll see. The Niners lost their best player early to an Achilles and never blinked, while Philly got two Purdy interceptions and turned them into only three points. If you talk and get paid like a star, you have to deliver; Purdy did late, and that’s mental toughness.

Purdy shakes off mistakes like a veteran, and the scripted open plus that perfectly-timed trick shot to Jennings were master-class moments. In the wind, he still outplayed Hurts, whose late misses showed the limits of his pocket game.

Kyle’s old-school run mindset travels in January, and that’s a big edge over Philly’s setup. Purdy will use his legs when it matters; Hurts refused to, and swapping OCs won’t fix that if he won’t lean into his superpower.

This felt cultural too. AJ’s sideline heat and effort questions, a defense that kept them alive, and an offense without a throughline; that’s on Sirianni and his staff.

They should’ve moved AJ at the deadline if the vibe was broken. Given who the Niners were missing, this was one of Kyle’s best wins and a brutal Eagles exit.

Would Howie chase a Harbaugh type? I doubt he wants that power tug-of-war; a Stefanski profile feels more likely.

And the OC seat is getting loud in Philly. That will only intensify.

Looking ahead, Niners at Seattle and Rams at Chicago both feel like live-dog spots. I’d wait on San Francisco’s injury report and weather, but those Bears points in that cold are tempting.

Both the Bears and Niners are on house money, but losing Kittle’s heartbeat makes Seattle a tough draw. I would not fade Chicago’s mojo in that building.

Bills-Jags was a Josh Allen show. He got dinged, carried almost all their offense, and won on the road; I’m not crowning the AFC off that, but his talent is on a different tier.

Jacksonville’s good, but Trevor was shaky and they went pass-heavy while ripping runs. Buffalo bet on Allen’s legs and power sneaks, and I might’ve bled clock before that late score, but he dragged them there anyway.

I didn’t think the Jags were bad; they ran into a star. McDermott’s early plan stood out, and I never fully trusted Jacksonville all year.

With today’s rules you need high-sixties accuracy, and Trevor isn’t there. Swap quarterbacks and the Jags cruise.

I probably overvalued Trevor since Clemson. He’s good, not elite, and Caleb brings far more horsepower even if he’s streaky.

Chicago over Green Bay was Caleb’s fourth-quarter stamp. He checked the winning boxes late, and the gap between him and Love was obvious.

That layered fourth-and-long throw and all the off-script magic show the ceiling. Love is a solid rhythm passer, but he can’t match that avalanche.

LaFleur won the script, but the second half is players making plays, and Caleb separated. Don’t overreact in Green Bay; LaFleur would get hired instantly.

Bears have a real shot vs the Rams. Stafford will give you one, their corners are targetable for Dunze, Burton, and Loveland, and Caleb’s off-script creates a second play on every snap.

The Rams feel off. Verse isn’t taking over, the defense underwhelms, and while Puka and Kupp are problems, that cold crowd is a weapon.

Bryce Young looks like a quality bridge. Pick up the option and keep it team-friendly rather than going big.

Two years around the low-thirties makes sense. He’s an admirable outlier at that size, but not a franchise-price guy.

Travel and no Kittle point to Seattle grinding San Francisco down after halftime. I’d lean Niners early, Seattle late.

These rematches tighten. If the Niners keep it weird and close at the break, they’ve done their job.

College note to close: the Big Ten money wave has flipped the map. Indiana, Ohio State, Oregon, and Michigan feel like national powers with real NIL fuel, while the SEC outside Texas and Texas A and M can’t outspend that depth.

Alumni scale is the cheat code. Big Ten schools and places like Texas Tech, Miami, and Notre Dame are tapping serious donor networks, and even Cal and Stanford are leveraging heavyweight Rolodexes.

Bottom line, the cash and the coaches have shifted. I’m hearing about big NIL for a top ACC wideout to a Big Ten program, and it matches what we’re seeing.

Quick note, Three and Out lands on Netflix starting tomorrow. Audio stays the same.

Hard Rock pick to wrap: I’m on the Steelers Monday night because of Tomlin and Houston’s red zone stalls. See you next time.