The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Colin Cowherd Podcast - INSTANT REACTION: Bears Walk Off Commanders, Falcons STUN Bills, Blake Snell Powers Dodgers To Win

Episode Date: October 14, 2025

Colin gives his instant reaction to the Monday Night Football doubleheader and the Dodgers win over the Brewers. He starts with the Bears beating the Commanders on a walk off field goal and argues the Bears came away with multiple positives, including a solid performance from Caleb Williams, a strong run game and an opportunistic defense that gave the Bears a W in a game they typically lose (3:00). He moves to the Falcons dominating the Bills behind a huge performance by Bijan Robinson. He highlights some major issues for the Bills including a weak pass rush, being too dependent on Josh Allen, and an ascending Patriots team that’s now in first place in the AFC East (10:30).  Finally, he breaks down the Dodgers 2-1 win over the Brewers in a game dominated by Blake Snell, despite Shohei Ohtani’s bat going cold in the postseason and a shaky bullpen (16:15).  All lines provided by hardrock.bet (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements.) Follow Colin and The Volume on Twitter for the latest content and updates!  #VolumeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Instant reaction. Listen, the Bears won 25-24. It's a road win for the Chicago Bears, and they just don't do that very much. So they beat the Raiders on the road, right, with a block kick. And they beat Washington despite a 3-0 turnover advantage. They needed a Jake Moody 38-yard field goal to win. I mean, here's all the positives. The Bears' offensive line did a great job tonight, creating massive running lanes for D'Andre Swift.

DeAndre Swift was the star of the show, had over 160 total yards, could have been about 170 and a touchdown. You know, Caleb Williams was good enough. Still misses too many throws you got to make in the NFL consistently. He's not as accurate as Jaden Daniels, but he didn't make that big mistake or two that Jaden Daniels did. including that late fumble where Washington was going for the win. And you know what I mean? That's the NFL. You can't make mistakes.

These three, four, five minute left, these big drives, that's the game. Justin Herbert makes a big play or Baker Mayfield makes a big play, and you win these games. When a quarterback like Jaden Daniels gets a bad handle, you lose those games. And the Bears defense pounced on it. Montez Sweat created a fumble early, getting a big hand in there and punching the ball out. So I thought overall there were so many positives.

Again, this is a franchise that can't went on the road that hasn't had a quarterback throw for 4,000 yards. And to go on the road, the Bears had much better energy in this game, especially in the first half. I mean, Chicago came out, 13-0 league, totally dialed in. You know, you're disappointed because you're settling for field goals. You go on the road, big spot, standalone game. Bears don't win these games. That's not a game the Bears win. So you just take it.

You take the 25-24 win. You know, Jake Moody has a kick blocked. Otherwise, you'd kind of thought it was, you know, most of the time, 38 yards, you're like, it's good, but, you know, he kicked a ball, low, very low directory, and it got blocked. And Jake Moody's history in San Francisco was at best spotty. So there's a lot of drama at the end. But there's so many good things to take out of this.

The run game, there were huge, huge holes all night. I thought Ben Johnson's play-calling a couple of really nice screens dialed up in crucial situations. Bears had too many penalties. Bears weren't great on third down, but it's the road. You know, again, Ben and Caleb have played together, you know, have six games together. You're winning. I mean, just you won the game. And, you know, it was Washington that made the crucial mistakes, the crucial, you know, red zone pick. the fumble. It was Washington making those mistakes. Jaden Daniels almost pulled it out. He's a tremendous player.

Accurate. He's just kind of a naturally accurate. Drake May's got that. Drake May is just a naturally accurate throw over the football. Justin Herbert has that. And some guys do. And some guys labor over it a little bit more. Mahomes is largely very accurate.

Not everybody is. It takes work for some guys. They've got to get their mechanics cleaned up. But you just get so much. horsepower and so much talent with Caleb that, you know, he's going to be a 64% completion guy. Maybe he's not going to be a 68% completion guy. But he made some nice throws over the middle of the field, which is tough for young quarterbacks. But I was just kind of blown away by the first half energy of the Bears, three turnovers advantage, really aggressive defense. And what can you say about

the offensive line. That's about as good an effort on the road for the Bears' offensive line. I mean, it just, they haven't had a lot of them. But, you know, they went and got Tuni and Drew Dolman and Jonah Jackson, and it felt like it's starting to pay dividends. It feels like that offensive line. They spent some real money on it. You know, my rule in the NFL is find your quarterback, hire a great coach, find your quarterback, and protect your quarterback. Then eventually, go get a defensive lineman that disrupts theirs. Overall, I just thought, you just, you can't gripe too much. Roadwin, bears, better energy, better consistent run game, fewer mistakes, you can live with the penalties. Again, some of the operational stuff,

it was better. How about that? I've used that word a lot. You just take it. You don't, you don't worry about the margins too much. You know, you watch the NFL. I watch the NFL. They're just those games, like Denver was awful against the Jets. They won. Fly home from London. Great. Now you get to go home and play the New York Giants. Take it. You just take it. Seattle should have wrapped up their game with Jacksonville earlier. They didn't. They won. Five-hour flight home. Thanks for flying United. So that's going to be a nice Bears flight home. The other thing about Chicago this year, you know, with Matt Eberfluse, they just, couldn't score in the first quarter.

And I think now, and like if you take a lead in the NFL, I don't know what the number is. I think it's like 63%, 65%, the team that scores first wins. And, you know, they're just a much better opening drive team. They're a much better first quarter team. They're not playing from behind. And I felt like this entire game, Chicago deserved to win. I mean, what was that hokey call?

where the left tackle, he was lined up too far back. I mean, that felt, that's a weak call. I mean, to me, when it comes to officiating, stuff is either clear and definitive or don't blow the whistle. It's absolute, it's clear, it's definitive, or don't blow it. When you're looking at a still shot or a replay, and the replay official for ESPN can't decipher it, can't figure it out, just save it. just get out of the way of the game.

So I think you, you know, I'm looking over all my notes here for the Bears. I'd like to see a little bit more Loveland and Luther Burden. I kind of feel like they're lost in the offense. DJ Moorg got looks, but he got banged up. You know, it's just one of those things. You know, Burden and Loveland are young, and Caleb knows, you know, he knows his guys. You know, he's familiar with some of these older players. So there's a lot of moving parts here.

You've got a couple of rookies. you've got new offensive lineman, you got a new coach. You know, I think we just have to, you've got to kind of accept, like there's just a lot of moving parts for the bears. The bi-week helped. I mean, I think you saw the by-week the advantage of it with an offensive coach. Just big, big bears energy. I mean, they really give Ben Johnson and the staff credit.

They came out hair on fire, helmets on fire, and the Bears win 25 to 24. Jake Moody, who knew? So the Atlanta Falcons in the game finish before the Bears' Commanders game was finished, beat Buffalo 24 to 14. You know, my takeaway is Buffalo's defense doesn't have a playmaker. Michael Pennix looked comfortable. I mean, 20 of 32, 250 yards. Bejohn Robinson averaged nine yards of carry. Drake London had 10 catches, a touchdown, 16 yards a catch.

Bottom line, when you come into a game and you were looking for Pennix to be comfortable, was, Drake London to have a big night was, Bejohn Robinson to deliver a couple big plays, did. Buffalo's got two problems. Mike Vrable has been coaching the Patriots in six games. He's already in first place. What does that tell you? Sean McDermott has had Josh Allen for all these years. and there's always a hole in the team.

I mean, McDermott's solid. But, I mean, Mike Vrabel, with Drake May, who's still sort of refining his craft, walk in, they're already in first place. And I just feel like Michael Penix was comfortable. Drake May, back-to-back losses. He was comfortable. So, and you know, when you pay the quarterback big money,

you have to, you're going to have weaknesses. But Andy Reed tends to solve and find ways to solve the weaknesses. I mean, Sean McDermott, you know, outside of the opening drive, they don't have enough of a receiving arsenal, you know? They just don't. Again, they fall behind after the opening drive, the offense sputters. Josh Allen has a couple of turnovers.

They're not generating things on the perimeter. Their pass rush is hit and miss. Now, Mike Penix looks like, Michael Pennix looks like another. hit for a young quarterback. He throws a beautiful ball. I always said he was a bigger, stronger Tua, just a bigger, stronger arm, helps that he's playing in a dome. I mean, I, you know, it's easier to quarterback for a young quarterback to be in, you know, dome weather or warm weather than cold weather. But panics with time to throw, dialed it up tonight. I mean, Drake London was doing whatever he wanted to do. Bejohn Robinson had that huge

longest run from scrimmage this year. So I just, I mean, listen, I always have a rule. Turn the sound off and watch the game. Buffalo, outside of Josh Allen, does not look intimidating. Their perimeter weapons, average, the secondary average pass rush is kind of hit and miss. And, you know, I'm watching guys like Sean McVeigh and Kyle Shanahan, like Kyle Shanahan's lost almost all his major weapons and they're winning or going toe to toe with Tampa. and I'm watching Jim Harbaugh

with a third string running back and three offensive linemen go on the road and win late. And here's Sean McDermott going down to quirky, inconsistent Atlanta, and the Falcons offensively kind of did what they wanted to. I mean, you know the game plan was get it to Drake London

and let's get Bijon Robinson cooking. Let me look at the total yards for the Falcons here. The Falcons had 443 yards, 6.7 yards of play, 22 first downs. win time of possession. I mean, even Josh Allen and the bills had more penalties than young Michael Pennex. So, I mean, I think there's these markets that, you know, like a Pittsburgh or a Buffalo, they don't like firing their coaches.

You know, they're loyal, sometimes to a fault. But, you know, it creates continuity, and that's always a pretty good thing. You don't want to be the Jets and the Giants running through GMs and coaches, I guess. But I watch Buffalo after watching. in Kansas City the last couple of weeks. Buffalo's not competing with Kansas City. Kansas City's offense, once they get Rishie Rice back, I mean, they're scoring 31 a game now against, you know, competition.

I mean, Detroit is a really good football team up and down the field. Buffalo's not stopping that. I mean, just turn the sound down and watch Buffalo. Take out Josh Allen. There's not enough weapons, and now they're losing to good teams. New England's a good team. New England feels like a playoff team. Lost at home.

you know, Atlanta may not be a playoff team. Almost had 500 yards. Totally. Michael Pennix was totally comfortable. So, I mean, these windows, you know, there was about a two or three year window with Buffalo when they were, you know, they were paying Josh, but they still had a pretty good secondary. And maybe it's closed. But they just, they don't look like Kansas City. They don't have the roster, Detroit or Philadelphia.

I don't know. If I was a Buffalo Bills fan, new stadium will be cool, but it feels like Mike Vrable and the Patriots in six games have taken back the division. I mean, that's discouraging, is it not? Again, Sean McDermott's capable.

But I just kind of feel like Andy Reid does a much better job to solve the offensive line issues or the run game issues or the wide receiver issues, the entire league is about solving problems. Because of the salary cap, nobody's got a perfect team.

And when you get a perfect roster like Philadelphia, you don't get the offensive coordinator right. I mean, there is no perfect team in this league. You know, the 70 Steelers were a perfect team. Joe Montana's Niners, not a lot of holes. Everybody's got an issue. Everybody does. Buffalo just, I mean, are they a top 10 team right now?

I'm not sure if they are. I'm really not sure if they are. So the Dodgers hold on for a two-one win over Milwaukee. First of all, there was a play, a base running air by the Dodgers in the fourth inning that is hard to describe. You have to watch the highlights on YouTube. So the Dodgers did almost everything to give this thing away. Blake Snell, if he didn't watch, went eight innings, faced the minimum 24 batters, 10 strikeouts.

He was sensational. Milwaukee was completely bewildered, totally baffled. They just weren't even, they weren't getting good contact. And here were the Dodgers, base running blunder in the fourth. Bullpen, you know, Roki Sasaki struggled. He struggled with control. So they go to Blake Ternan and, you know, base is loaded. Thank God the Brewers swung on a pitch way out of the strike zone to seal the 2-1 win.

But we've talked about this with the Dodgers. is, I was thinking about this, L.A.'s depth is absolutely insane. Shohay Otani is one for 20 since the start of the National League Divisional Series against the Phillies, and now the Brewers. So the Phillies and Brewers are really good teams. I mean, you got everybody, Freddie Freeman had a night tonight. Blake Snell had a night. So those were really important Dodgers the night. Freddie Freeman, who has such a great postseason history, and then Blake Snell, who was masterful. I mean, that's as good as you can pitch. road, game one.

Shohei Otani is one for 20 against the Phillies and the Brewers. How many teams can take their $700 million star who goes one for 20 and be four and one against the Brewers and the Phillies? It just, it shows you there in just absolutely incredible depth. And Rokisazaki is a sensational, is it 23 or 24-year-old right-hander for the Dodgers? He came in. He was going to be a starter. They moved him to the bullpen, had an injury, and throws absolute gas. But he just couldn't really get, he just didn't have great control.

He didn't have his great stuff tonight. And he got in big trouble. So they yank him and they go to the bullpen again for the second time to just get three outs. Blake Snell's perfect for eight. They need two pitchers in the ninth and they escape. I mean, that's how it feels like. I tweeted this. There's not a screenwriter in L.A.

that could create more drama than the Dodgers bullpen. Every, you've got to go in with two and three run leads. It's just always, always a white knuckler. But, you know, the Dodgers, like tonight it was Blake Snell and Freddie Freeman, you know, and that's what you have to do in the postseason. You can't rely on one guy. That's the Yankees issue, where it's very much about Aaron Judge. You know, can Max Fried.

win a couple of games. I mean, they're very dependent on a couple of guys, very dependent on the home run. Dodgers aren't. And it's going to be a great series. Milwaukee's, I mean, Milwaukee, I think they use six different pitchers tonight. You know, they, Dodgers were getting contact all night.

I mean, Dodgers felt like you were waiting for the Dodgers to break this thing open. You know, to the credit of the brewers, they just kept holding on, sent out different arms, would escape innings, a base running blunder by the Dodgers. So a great sports night. In review, Buffalo does not look like a team capable of even getting to a conference championship. The Dodgers, all their games were dramatic.

On a night that Blake Snell was as good as any pitcher since Don Larson, it was dramatic. It came down to the final out. And Chicago won a road game. I mean, you can't, you can't. even criticize it. It wasn't pretty, the Bears won a road game. A primetime road game. And they score first and they take leads and they ran the ball and then running lanes. And they made big, big defensive plays. Not everything is art.

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In Indiana, if you or somebody you know has a problem, wants help, call 1-800-9 with it. Gambling problem. Call 1-800 gambler, Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee. Hey, guys, it's us and the Jonas brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick. And guess what?

We created our own podcast called, Hey, Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We have the first people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions. Well, sick and tired is a strong way. to put it, but, you know, tired and sick.

Tired and sick. Listen to Hey Jonas on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano.

It's our favorite time of the year on our podcast point game, the playoffs. We're digging into the biggest surprises of the season. And I'm looking back on some of my greatest playoff moments. If we didn't talk ever again, I was part of you. You just understood. That's how personal it got. Wow. Then after that game seven, Marquis keep coming to him.

He's like, you know, I love. love you, dog. You know, it's all love. This was just playoffs. This was just basketball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Every family has its secrets. But what happens when you discover that your dad has been living a double life? That is not the look of an innocent man. Is everyone lying to me about who they are? I felt such desperation. I felt it was what I had to do. Listen to Deep Cover the Family Man on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, it's Edwin Castro, also known as Castro 1021.

And I'm Kunky, his best friend and business manager. And we've got a new show called The 1021 Podcast. I'm taking you behind the scenes on how I became one of Twitch's most popular streamers. We also love sports. And with the World Cup right around the corner, we'll be breaking down the biggest storylines ahead of the big tournament here in the USA. Listen to the 1021 podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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