Pardon My Take — NFL Week 15 Recap

Episode Date: December 15, 2025
Hosts: Big Cat & PFT Commenter (Barstool Sports)

Episode Overview

In this episode, Big Cat and PFT Commenter break down the wildness that was NFL Week 15. The hosts dig into enormous comebacks, seismic upsets, catastrophic injuries, and what these developments mean for the NFL playoff picture. This episode also covers the Kansas City Chiefs’ shock elimination, the Buffalo Bills’ historic comeback, the growing MVP debates, and a very heated, hilarious look at fan pain, gambling frustrations, and divisional beefs.

Fastest Two Minutes: Week 15 Recap

Timestamps: 02:50 – 10:22

• Game-by-Game Recap:
  • Bears 31, Browns 3: Caleb Williams (Bears) shines; DJ Moore has two TDs; Browns’ Shador Sanders throws three picks.
  • Chargers 16, Chiefs 13: Patrick Mahomes exits with a torn ACL; Chiefs eliminated from playoffs for the first time since 2014.
  • Patriots 31, Bills 35: Wild comeback. Patriots led 21–0 at the half; Josh Allen orchestrates five straight touchdown drives.
  • Ravens 24, Bengals 0: Complete shutout; Bengals offense implodes.
  • Rams 41, Lions 34: Matthew Stafford and Puka Nakua dismantle Detroit; Rams clinch playoff spot.
  • Jaguars 48, Jets 20: Trevor Lawrence accounts for six total TDs; Jets defense unravels.
  • Eagles 31, Raiders 0: Total domination; Raiders are barely an NFL team.
  • Seahawks 15, Colts 13: Myers' six FG bombs win it for Seattle; Phil Rivers returns but looks his age.
  • Commanders 29, Giants 21: Mariota efficient, offense rebounds.

Memorable Line:
"They were up 21–0 at home… home teams that were up 21–0 were 61–0 until today."
—Big Cat on the Patriots collapse to the Bills (12:28)

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Bills Historic Comeback Over Patriots

Timestamps: 11:30 – 31:10

• Patriots led 21-0 at home; Josh Allen orchestrated an epic second-half comeback with 5 straight touchdowns.

• Debate over whether officiating played a role; Patriots fans and Barstool’s Nicholas Fasoli furious about officiating.

• “If you wanna blame the refs, there’s a way to do it…”
  —Big Cat, setting up PFT’s complaints about questionable pass interference calls (15:04)

• Drake May’s development: "Hopefully it’s a good loss… something to build on."
  —PFT Commenter (15:04)

• Division & MVP Stakes:

  • Patriots drop their first game in 11 after a bye; the AFC East race is now tight.
  • “If you take Josh Allen off the Bills and replace him with any other QB, they're a bad team.”
    —Big Cat (30:55)

• Fan Dynamics:

  • Running thread about the pain of losing and the ritual of grief, trolling, and whispered taunts among the crew.

2. Kansas City Chiefs Eliminated, Mahomes’ Season-Ending Injury

Timestamps: 32:02 – 44:07

• Chiefs are eliminated from playoffs for first time since 2014; Mahomes tears ACL, faces surgery.

• Massive end of an era: 7 straight AFC title games, 5 Super Bowls, 3 wins.

• “This is the first playoff since 1998 without Brady, Manning, or Mahomes.”
  —Big Cat (40:55)

• Chiefs haters get no satisfaction due to Mahomes’ injury—“It just doesn’t feel right to celebrate.”

• Chargers praised as the NFL’s “number one ball team”:
  "There’s a difference between a great team and a ball team; Chargers are a ball team."
  —Dan (38:11)

3. Ravens Shut Out Bengals, Bengals' Dysfunction Intensifies

Timestamps: 45:55 – 50:41

• Bengals meltdown: Burrow’s worst start-to-finish shutout, questions about Zach Taylor's future.

• Joe Burrow’s candid quote:
  "No team would have won with me as their quarterback today."
  —Joe Burrow (referenced by Big Cat, 46:28)

• Florio and fans rage about unshoveled snow in the stadium crowd.

4. Destiny Shifts in NFC: Bears, Rams, Seahawks

Timestamps: 51:11 – 67:19

• Bears’ complete game:

  • Caleb Williams shines in cold weather; defense stifles Shador Sanders and Browns.
  • “If you want to be a good team, you’ve got to beat the shit out of bad teams... and that’s exactly what the Bears did.”
    —Big Cat (54:28)

• Rams surge to NFC's top seed:

  • Stafford & Puka Nakua lethal combo; defense tightens in 2nd half.
  • "Rams control their own destiny for the 1-seed now."
    —Big Cat (93:34)

• Seahawks clutch out a win:

  • Philip Rivers returns for Colts: "He put his whole ass into every throw."
    —Dan (97:23)

5. Raiders are the NFL’s Worst Team

Timestamps: 60:16 – 67:20

• Eagles dominate, but Max refuses to get excited:
  "It's the fucking Raiders. I'm not going to think everything is fixed."
  —Max (63:57)

• Stat-of-the-day: Raiders manage 75 total yards in a full game.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the Chiefs run ending:
  “The NFL is way more fun when Mahomes is playing. It kind of took the joy out of it for all the Chiefs haters.”
  —Big Cat (34:01)

• On fans turning on each other:
  “You would have rather us touched you? I did not touch Max.”
  —Big Cat & PFT, riffing on how to act in gambling pain (20:44)

• Ball Team Discourse:
  "Chargers have got to be the number one ball team. There’s a difference between a great football team and a ball team. They just fight for everything."
  —Big Cat (38:36)

• On Raiders ineptitude:
  "Today’s Raiders are the worst. The Raiders had 75 yards. That’s so hard to do."
  —Big Cat (60:56)

Major Injury & Playoff Updates

• Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs) tears ACL, eliminated from playoffs.

  • “He is— which sucks a lot.” —Big Cat (32:17)
  • Changing AFC landscape: No Mahomes or Chiefs; first time since '98 w/o Brady/Peyton/Mahomes in playoffs.

• Micah Parsons (Packers): Fears of a serious knee injury, shifts NFC power.

• Christian Watson (Packers): Sent to hospital during rough loss.

MVP, Coach of the Year, and Awards Talk

• MVP Discussion:

  • Josh Allen’s odds surge after comeback; Stafford remains betting favorite.
  • “He’s -300 right now on DraftKings… Josh Allen’s at +550.”
    —Big Cat & PFT (23:56–24:07)

• COY Discussion:

  • Candidates: Liam Coen (Jaguars), Ben Johnson (Bears), Vrabel (Patriots), Shanahan (49ers); “It’s always the new guy who overperforms.”
    —Big Cat (92:10)

Power Rankings & Playoff Picture (as of Week 15)

• AFC:

  • Jaguars lead AFC South
  • Broncos sit at the 1-seed
  • Patriots/Bills fighting for East, with tiebreakers still in play
  • Chiefs: Eliminated
  • Bengals: Eliminated

• NFC:

  • Rams control own destiny for #1 seed
  • Seahawks, Niners, Lions, Bears all jostling for wild card spots
  • "Someone good in the NFC is going to miss the playoffs."
    —Big Cat (91:03)

Who’s Back of the Week (Highlight)

• JOHN CENA – "Retires" after last WWE match, but skepticism reigns: “He’ll be back within a calendar year.”
  —PFT (132:45)
• THE HEISMAN TROPHY – Mendoza (Indiana) wins; the pod recaps a wild college football season and transfer portal fallout.
• NBA in-season Tourney (“NBA Cup”) – Wemby and the Spurs stun OKC.

Listener's Guide – Key Segments & Timestamps

• Fastest 2 Minutes (game-by-game): 02:50–10:22
• Bills-Patriots comeback fallout: 11:30–31:10
• Chiefs eliminated, Mahomes injury: 32:02–44:07
• Bengals shutout, AFC playoff drama: 45:55–50:41
• Full reactions to Rams, Bears, NFC swings: 51:11–67:19
• Who’s Back of the Week: 132:44–143:44

Tone and Energy

The hosts are as lively, humorous, and pointed as ever—plenty of sarcasm, pain, and catharsis. Their natural chemistry shines brightest when riffing about their own teams’ fortunes and how football pain forges (or breaks) bonds among friends.

Themes: Fandom pain, schadenfreude, sports chaos, betting woes, MVP narratives, and playoff hope/despair.

Summary

NFL Week 15 delivered true chaos, upsets, and major injuries that will reverberate through the postseason. Pardon My Take brings their trademark blend of sharp analysis, ridiculous humor, and authentic (if rowdy) sports fandom to every game and major story. If you missed Week 15, this episode is the loud, honest, and eminently re-listenable guide you need.

Memorable Episode Moment:
"He put his whole ass into every throw." — Dan, on 44-year-old Philip Rivers returning to start at QB for the Colts, encapsulating both the absurdity and joy of this NFL season. (97:23)

[Episode skips introduction ads, sampling, and full outro segments as instructed. Only core content is reflected above.]