THE HERD | Colin Cowherd’s WILD TOP 10 NFL TEAMS, Broncos RISE, Eagles DROP, Chiefs DROP

THE HERD | Colin Cowherd’s WILD TOP 10 NFL TEAMS, Broncos RISE, Eagles DROP, Chiefs DROP

number 10. Okay, listen. I got to put the Bears in here. Eight- one over their last nine games. Their defense leads the NFL in interceptions and takeaways. They have 24 takeaways. I don’t think they’re a great defensive team, but they take advant when the ball’s in the air, they fight for it. They’re also the second best rush team. Offense number six. I I don’t think Ben Johnson and Caleb are a finished product. This team wins close games. Same thing I say about Denver. There is value in that. Chiefs did it last year. I think teams that win close games are tight locker rooms. Bears at 10. Number nine, the Ravens. Obviously, Lamar Jackson is not 100%. Brock Pretty last night, no velocity, toe injury. He won’t say anything. Lamar won’t say anything. Fifth straight win. Their defense right now since week seven is the number one defense in the league. They’re not pretty. They’re out of rhythm. They’re a little broken offensively. I always say I put Baltimore in the top 10 because I just respect the culture, the ownership, the coach, the front office. I don’t know how good they are, but they make the list. Number eight, Green Bay. Here’s what’s weird. For the first time in forever, it’s just a defensive story. Their offense is conservative. Their defense is excellent. At home, opponents score 13 points a game. That’s the best home defense in the league. They’ve held opponents under 20 points in four straight games. They have a pass rush. Um, their offense does not give it away. This is rare. It’s a boring Green Bay Packer team led by their defense. Okay. And we look at all these offensive receivers and all these stars and we’re like, “Oh, I don’t understand it.” It’s just a different Packer team. But it’s a good one. They’re eight. Number seven, the Lions. Third game with 200 plus rushing yards. Jamir Gibbs is like fired out out of a cannon. The guy’s unbelievable. Their defense though. Major problem. They give up chunk play. They gave up 10 catches of over 20 yards to Jameus Winston. Um but they can control the game. They’ve got a home run hitter in the back field. They’ve got a culture creator and an accurate thrower. They’re an unimpressive and uninspiring. Not as good as last year. Number seven. Number six, the Chiefs. Listen, lead the NFL in yards per game. It’s not pretty. Yeah, they could have been five and six, but they held the Colts to season lows in points, total yards, and first downs. They’re good at home. Uh they’re not as good on the road because they’re not a great team, but they’re a good team. And they’re one of four teams to rank top 10. Only four in the league. Top 10 in all major four major categories. Scoring offense, total offense, scoring defense, total defense. Well coached, smartly quarterback. I have him at six. Number five, one inch behind Philadelphia, which like Baltimore has a broken offense. Jaylen Herz attended 30 attempted 39 throws against the Cowboys. That’s about double what people in Philadelphia are comfortable with. Nine of their 11 games have been decided by one score, but I can’t hold it against them cuz that was the case with Kansas City last year. They have a culture. They’ve got athletes. I trust them in big spots. They just had a disastrous second half against a hot Cowboy offense. Lamb Pickings Dak five. Number four, Seattle. The one team I would not want to play in the playoffs. Young, confident, aggressive, great on the road. Seattle highest rush percentage in the league. Uh and they love to throw the ball down the field and I number three in point differential. They’re going to go in as a wildcard team and they’ll be the only wildcard team that honestly I mean I I I would argue their roster could be better than the team that wins the division. They’re a little more mistakrone than the Rams, but I have them at four. Number three, the Patriots played like crap and won on the road. That’s pretty good. The offensive line now, it’s a little banged up, but they’ve only allowed three sacks over the last three games. They just don’t have a fundamental flaw. If they score 20 points, they’re 10 and0. Best record in the NFL. I think Josh McDaniel, offensive coordinator, once again, quietly, just like with Brady, is really, I mean, he is he’s the Wizard of Oz behind the curtain for this offense. They just call and perform a really smart offensive game plan every Sunday. Number two, Denver. Here’s why. There are certain stats you can’t ignore. They lead the NFL with a plus 36 sack differential. They have the number one ranked offensive line. They allow 4.4 yards of play, easily the best in the league. They get four and a half sacks a game. now way too many penalties, more than any in the league. I could see them beating themselves. They have terrible halves and are inconsistent. But there are stats in this league that tell me you’re going to win multiple playoff games. Oh yeah, they got a Hall of Fame level head coach. Number one. I I mean, honestly, the Rams, they’re number one in everything. Seven of their nine wins have come against teams with winning records. They’re blowing people out. Tampa’s not a bad team. They scored 31 in the first half. They don’t turn it over. They never get penalized. They take leads. Number one scoring offense. Number one scoring defense during this six-game stretch. Let me tell you something. Nate Landman, the inside linebacker, stole him from Atlanta. Devonte Adams, free agent, stole him. I mean, it it’s just incredible what they’ve done. I mean, they went and got the the the corner from Washington, Forbes. He looks like a number one corner. What an off season of acquisitions for very reasonable prices. Um, there we go. There we go. Colin Coward’s heard hierarchy. Um, okay. Um, we got such juicy games coming up. Packers, Lions, uh, Chiefs, Cowboys, uh, Bears, Eagles. We we we got some interesting games that are have the potential to really mess this whole thing up. Uh right now, um I think I’m going to do things slightly differently. Um going into uh going into uh going through this right now, uh a lot of times I kind of rearrange them kind of how I see fit. And I kind of just things I just see things a little differently right now um in terms of of how I’m how I’m viewing these teams because we do keep getting we keep inching closer and closer and closer to the true uh meaningful games down this stretch and into the playoffs. So, I want to go through these 10 teams and uh look at the what could limit them from truly reaching their their utmost potential of of being a Super Bowl contender, being the top team in the NFL and winning it all. And to start with the Bears, it’s it’s Caleb Williams. It’s how great and can consistent Caleb Williams be. Um the defense is not otherworldly. Um, the offense has been great. Uh, I think Ben Johnson has been awesome. Uh, Caleb has been incredibly successful. But can he take that step forward? He’s still leaving a lot of throws on the table that could really transform this offense to just being a dominant offense and then it doesn’t matter what the defense is doing. Uh, with Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Raven, it is the Lamar Jackson. Can Lamar get back to who he has been right uh in the past because he’s just he’s not that quarterback in this moment of time uh again because he’s banged up for whatever reason. He’s just he’s just not playing that way. And I know we can blame like you know there’s some uh concerns about the O line or this or that. That’s all fine and well and good, but Lamar Jackson right now in 2025 just does not feel right. Uh does not feel elusive. does not feel like he is the quarterback that we know him to be. Um, if he’s still just kind of playing into his level of health and he can get right over these next few weeks, well then, you know, then the Ravens can remind us back to who they had been uh in the past. the Green Bay Packers, it’s it’s a different one for me because they they you know they they’re they’re dealing with injuries like they kind of dealt with last year and uh their defense has been great, but their offense to me right now doesn’t have some easy fix. uh there’s concerns about the O line and they can struggle to run the ball at times and you but like now you it’s not like you can say you know like some of the arguments around the Green Bay Packers is like you know essentially just unccort Jordan Love let him just throw all over the field let him be him and it’s just like right now um especially when you remove someone who I think is was the ultimate uh piece for them in Tucker Craft it’s like removing Kelsey from Patrick Mahomes in his prime and it’s just like it’s it’s just not an easy solution. ution right there. So, I’ll put it on Matt Laflur. Matt Laflur then is the limiting factor. Again, when I say limiting, I I mean like in terms of like what if they can unlock something, then the sky’s is the limit. And so, it’s like what can Matt Laflur do to get this offense going in uh in a smoother, more consistent direction. Uh and then that leads me to the Detroit Lions. It’s it’s coaching. It’s it’s absolutely coaching both coordinators on both sides of the ball. Um offense and defense. It’s just like, can your coordinators get settled? Can they call a great game against a great team, against a great defense, you know, against a great defense, against a great offense? Like, that has not really fully been proven quite yet. Um, a lot of the juice is there. Yeah, the O line is not performing as it has uh in the past, but you still have tremendous pieces to work with. Tremendous pieces to work with. What can you do to to kind of unlock this? The Kansas City Chiefs um can their magic their limiting factor is their magic. Uh and I don’t mean it in the typical fashion of like, oh, the Kansas City cheats voodoo magic, Taylor Swift magic, or whatever. It’s just over these last couple of years, they relied so much obviously on winning these close games. And it’s both a skill and there’s still a lot of luck involved. Anytime you win a close game, you can just point to so many various moments when it could have gone in the opposite direction. It’s not always about execution. It’s not always about because like here the Chiefs are not winning all those close games and you could be like, well, does that mean they just don’t know? Does that mean Mahomes and Andy and Spags aren’t good enough? No. I compare it very much to basketball where some games Steph Curry he goes one for nine from the three and other times he goes eight for 12. It’s like did Steph Curry just choke? Did Steph Curry just forget how to shoot? No. It’s just you know and when I say luck here I’m saying just like the universal luck. It was like it was lucky that he was so on that night and was shooting 8 for 12. And it was unlucky that it was like ah it’s just one of those games he went 1 for8 like he’s you’re not going to just always shoot elite game after game after game. It just is what it is. You know, when if if Steph Curry goes to the free throw line in the NBA finals of game seven, uh, and he and he and he goes, you know, he misses a free throw, he didn’t choke. It wasn’t the moment that got to him. It was just unlucky that he needed to miss a free throw because he can’t shoot 100%. And it was unlucky in that moment of time he missed the free throw. Just is what it is. It’s how it happens. Um, and that’s what I look at a lot of times, uh, these close games where it’s just like, you know, it was lucky that Daniel Jones and the Indianapolis Colts couldn’t put together anything down that stretch. Uh, it’s not to say that the Kansas City Chiefs didn’t, you know, put themselves in a position to win that game. That’s not what I’m saying either. But it was like it was fortunate that like Daniel Jones couldn’t quite make a throw here or there, right? it was like, you know, um, but they took away, uh, Jonathan Taylor, etc., etc. So, to be clear, it’s like I’m not saying that they’re just lucky, but it’s the same thing what I would be saying right now with the Warriors going into game seven. It’s just like they keep winning all these games by one point or they’re losing by one point, they’re winning by one point, they’re losing by one point. I’m like, who’s going to win game seven? It’s like, it’s going to be luck, man. Is Steph Curry on or not? Right? Is he having an awesome shooting night? Does he does he have a first quarter where he’s three for three, you know, three for three, three for four from the three-point line? Like, it’s just the basketball gods. And that’s to me is what’s either going to help the Kansas City Chiefs or hurt the Kansas City Chiefs. Uh the Philadelphia Eagles, it’s 1,000% um offensive coaching right there. Um we can also talk about the O line as well. That is a problem, too. But I’ve seen them be able to overcome some of those issues through quarters and halves and whatnot. And it’s just like the the bodies are there. Although the O line has not been what it was, it’s just I still zoom in to coaching as solving that problem. Uh and and finding ways through it. Um I just think they’re they’re it’s it is interesting because you do have two schools of thought right now of like is it predictability? Is it this? Is it that? And Greg Cosell was very much like stop, you know, he got mad that people said that this offense is predictable. And he’s like, well, it was predictable last year and it didn’t matter. And it’s like, yeah, because their O line was able to bully people. Uh, and you know, they their their guy got, you know, they were able to just be like, yeah, we you know what we want to do, but you can’t stop us, right? Like that was their mentality. And it’s like that can’t work forever. You need coaching to put yourself in a good position. Shawn McVey is not predictable. Uh Andy Reid is not predictable. So, you know, it’s it’s not about just being um predictable and saying, you know, we do whatever we want. Like, it’s just can’t have that mentality forever. And so, I put it on coaching. If they can get um you know, the coordinating and the play calling right for the Philadelphia Eagles, then the sky is the limit. And then you got Sam Darnold uh and uh the Seattle Seahawks. I mean, this team is legit. This team is great. This team is fast, physical, well coached, well organized, great play calling on both sides of the ball. Uh offense and defense is united. Uh it just all comes down to Sam Darnold. You know, I think Sam Darnold’s been elite this year. I think Sam Darnold has been awesome. Top quarterback in the NFL over these last couple of years, but it will still all fall on the shoulders of Sam Darnold, right? I I He still does have that question mark of can you handle it? Can you handle it? um where do you go from here? Um and so it’s just it’s all square on the shoulders of Sam Darnold, but slightly on the side, I then do put McDonald and Kubak to understand in some of these games, it’s like help your quarterback out, make things easier for him. Uh we’ve we’ve seen that when the when the when the pressure gets to him, and I don’t mean the the pressure of the moment, but the pressure of the defense is getting to him, that we we need to help support him. we need to we we we need to find ways through this a little bit more smoothly. Uh and so I I I put that you know that that is where even a defensive head coach has a lot to offer as Tom Brady talked about how him and Bill Bich would meet weekly every single week and Bill Bich would be like this is how I would beat you. This is how I would beat you. This is how I would make you a terrible quarterback. Uh and it was just you know iron sharpening iron. Uh so that that can go a long way. but then also Clint Kubak um with his play calling and and uh game plans to to kind of relieve that burden as well. But it still is all on the shoulders of Sam Darnold. Uh and similarly with Drake May uh and the Patriots, he’s been special. He’s been different. He’s been awesome. Uh can you just maintain that? Can you maintain being that special quarterback like we saw Jaden Daniels uh throughout the season last year into the playoffs, etc. like you, it’s all on your shoulders. If Jane Daniels wavered for even a second, if he just had a rookie moment for a second, you’re not you’re not getting to the NFC Championship game. Um, and it will be the same thing from my viewpoint with the Patriots. Uh, it’s like you do have that chance to get to the AFC Championship game and beyond, but it will 100% still be on the shoulders of Drake May having to be wise, you know, uh, you know, wise ahead of ahead. can’t think of the expression right now but uh you know wise beyond his years you know he has to already be playing like a seasoned veteran right show that maturity show that you can handle the moment show that you can overcome any adversity in the biggest moments right like we we haven’t seen that because the season hasn’t called for that quite yet uh and quite frankly it can only happen down the stretch in December and into January right and even February maybe so uh that that’s you know Patriots fans know that better than anyone They know that better than any other current fan base in the NFL. Uh, and then you have the Denver Broncos. Again, this this little stretch right now is is all quarterback ccentric. Uh, it is. It’s Bo Knicks. Bo Knicks, Bo Knicks, Bo Knicks, Bo Knicks, Bo Knicks, Bo Knicks. Um, if Bo Knicks can elevate, if Boa Knicks can take that true step forward, um, if last week really unlocked something, uh, you know, when he played the Kansas City Chiefs, can you continue that? Can you continue to make the big time throws? Can you get this offense rolling? Um, you know, if if Bo Knicks, let’s say Bicks, and I’m not saying he is, but let’s just say he’s been playing as a C quarterback right now. Don’t get lost on the on the on the grade itself. But if he’s been playing as a C quarterback, if he can now just go up to a B quarterback, this team is elite. This team is a juggernaut. This team is exhausting. The only thing that could stop this team is injuries and the football gods. Like you just if you just get a little bit elevation, a grade higher. I mean, it’s it’s just this defense is legit. This O line is legit. I think the the receivers are good enough. They’ve had a lot of drops, but like if if Bo Knicks can elevate just a little bit more, doesn’t matter. It does not matter. Uh the passing attack will be uh threatening. Bo Knicks with his legs opens up the run game. It’ll just it’ll just be threatening. And again, you’ll be able to get the leads and then have your defense just be able to say, “Great, we got the lead. We’re getting after you now.” Like, it’s just you have the possibility for some real separation there. And then it’s on the shoulders of Stafford health, you know, because Stafford has been elite. Stafford has been special. Can he maintain this through the the length of the season? Uh, you know, he’s he hasn’t taken a lot of hits. He’s been um comfortable a lot throughout the course of this season. So, you know, there’s no strong sense that he’s going to start to run out of steam or anything like that. Um, but, you know, old quarterbacks once it starts to get cold, like things change, things get a little weird as Stafford has shown and learned himself. But to me, it’s really just uh can he continue to stay healthy? Um can he continue to stay upright? If he is healthy, uh if he’s not kind of starting to run out of steam a little bit just because he is a little bit older and now you’re getting later into the season and he’s just a little bit more banged up and now it is a little bit more cold, etc., etc. Um you know, obviously the sky is the absolute limit for Stafford and this Rams team. So that’s just the way I’m looking at this, you know, at this kind of thing right now. Um, I don’t have the strongest desire to be like, well, clearly the Lions should be ahead of this or the Eagles are too low. They should be ahead of the Patriot. I just I don’t know. I just it’s just not the way how I’m looking at it right now in this immediate moment. I just see I look at a list like this and I go, what is holding back the Bears? What is holding back the Ravens, the Packers, the Lions, the Chiefs, the Eagles? You know, it’s like what what what can stop them? What team is playing great right now and winning, but like what what could hold them back? what what could cause them to trip up and so just the way I decided to do it this time around. Got to mix it up. Got to mix it up. It’s the holidays. Those are just my thoughts. I’d absolutely love to hear yours. What do you guys all think about Colin Cowardd’s herd hierarchy? Um how do you feel about the order? How do you feel about all the um limiting factors for each of these 10 teams that I kind of went through? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. I read every single comment. So whether you agree with me or disagree with me, either way, let’s get in some discussions. Let’s get in some fights, but ultimately let’s just have some fun. And please do consider subscribing. 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THE HERD | Colin Cowherd’s WILD TOP 10 NFL TEAMS, Broncos RISE, Eagles DROP, Chiefs DROP
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