PTI (Pardon the Interruption) – NFL Week 8 Reactions
Date: October 27, 2025
Hosts: Tony Kornheiser & Michael Wilbon
Theme: Fast-paced analysis and spirited debate of the NFL’s Week 8 action, major college football shakeups, and World Series preview, delivered with the iconic PTI mix of wit, rivalry, and big-picture perspective.
Episode Overview
Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon bring their signature back-and-forth to a jam-packed slate of sports storylines, focusing on:
- Noteworthy individual NFL Week 8 performances
- The fall of LSU coach Brian Kelly and broader college football chaos
- World Series turning points and team weaknesses
- Quick hits on NBA injury news and other major results across sports
NFL Week 8: Standout Performances
(Starts ~00:53)
Key Players & Debate:
- Jordan Love (Green Bay Packers): Completed 20 straight passes, led the Packers to a comeback win against the Steelers, outshining former Packer Aaron Rodgers.
- Drake May (New England Patriots): Threw for 282 yards, 3 TDs, securing Patriots’ fifth straight win.
- Bo Nix (Denver Broncos): 4 TD passes, leading Denver to 44 points versus Dallas.
- Jonathan Taylor (Indianapolis Colts): 153 yards on 12 carries, 2 rushing TDs, 1 receiving TD as the Colts trounced the Titans.
Tony & Wilbon's Takes:
- Wilbon on Most Impressive:
“Jonathan Taylor is my runner up... But I’m gonna go with Love... I rooted for the Cheeseheads. Cause I would rather anybody on God’s earth win a game than Aaron Rodgers.” [01:44] - Kornheiser:
“When a running back does that, in a pass-happy era… I concentrate on that. He made that impossibly great 80-yard run… He now has 12 touchdowns in 8 games. 63 touchdowns in 75 games. Here’s the list of people ahead: Jim Brown, Emmitt Smith, LaDainian Tomlinson, and Adrian Peterson.” [04:20] - Wilbon on Taylor:
“He could have played in that era where every good team was... And I just loved it that Aaron Rodgers had to settle for a hug and a goodbye.” [01:44, 02:55]
Notable Quote:
“When you complete 20 in a row, you’re down two scores and you play like [Love] did—he was so unflappable and made every throw. They seemed effortless.” – Wilbon [02:32]
Discussion Points:
- This year’s rookie QB class (May, Nix, Caleb Williams, Jaden Daniels, Michael Penix Jr., JJ McCarthy) is one for the ages.
- The resurgence of the running back with Jonathan Taylor’s historic comparison.
College Football: LSU Fires Brian Kelly
(Starts ~04:55)
Context:
- Brian Kelly fired after a 24-point home loss to #3 Texas A&M
- LSU is 5-3, Kelly's overall record 34-14, with $54 million left on his deal
Tony & Wilbon's Takes:
- Kornheiser:
“We are witnessing a 100-year flood. We’ve never seen anything like this before... Objectively, this is a failure. On a very personal level, it’s a significant failure.” [05:24, 06:01] - Wilbon:
“He was so arrogant about it… going to a place where he could win a title. Do you think the rest of us are fools? And he sort of got what was coming.” [06:37] - Kornheiser:
“He left specifically to go to LSU to win a national championship… and he promised... Will they have lost three games this year? He has never been in the playoffs. So this is a real failure.” [06:16]
Broader Takeaway:
- Widespread firings (Gundy, Franklin, Napier, plus UCLA, VT, Arkansas, Oregon State) have created an unprecedented climate of instability among college coaches.
- Wilbon: “LSU, like so many other schools, are led by administrators and boosters who are so damn arrogant themselves… they think it’s their birthright.” [07:00]
Notable Quote:
“This was the arrogance of pride.” – Kornheiser [08:12]
MLB World Series: Dodgers vs. Blue Jays
(Starts ~08:24)
Context:
- Series tied 1-1; Game 3 is in LA (Glasnow vs. Scherzer)
- Dodgers won with pitching, Jays with batting
Key Points:
- Tony: Dodgers bullpen is their Achilles heel. Dave Roberts’ “circle of trust” consists of only Sasaki and Trinen [09:37].
- Wilbon: If the Dodgers can’t get 7-9 innings from their starters, their postseason bullpen ERA (5.3) spells trouble [09:20].
- Tony: “The top of the Dodger order—with three Hall of Famers—is now batting .239 in the playoffs. They’ve got to be better than that.” [11:00]
- Wilbon: “As long as the Dodgers can have a starting pitcher out there... but if they have to go to a bullpen... they're going down.” [09:20]
Notable Exchange:
“I think it’s a long series because we are watching two completely opposite teams—and that’s fine... Toronto can hit. Toronto fouls a lot of pitches off. They go deep into counts.” – Kornheiser [10:34]
Mail Time: Big NFL Wins & College Football Shocks
(Starts ~13:09)
“Biggest win for a struggling team: Jets, Ravens, or Dolphins?”
- Wilbon & Tony: Both agree the answer is Ravens.
Wilbon: “The Ravens are the only team we’ll talk about beyond today... The Ravens understood: this is a playoff game. We have to win it.” [13:20] Tony: “To win a game without Lamar, to beat a pretty good team [the Bears], that’s a huge boost to the team... Had they lost, I’d have said they were done.” [14:51]
Most Compelling College Football Result (Non-LSU)
- Kornheiser:
- Alabama’s late win at South Carolina [15:26]
- Indiana’s 50-point rout of UCLA (“does not take its foot off the gas with [Kurt] Signetti”) [15:55]
- Wilbon:
- Shouts out Vandy’s record 7-1 start and Georgia Tech’s win over Notre Dame [16:17]
- Pick: BYU over Utah—undefeated, sets up major test vs. Texas Tech [16:33]
Quick Hits & Notable Moments
(Throughout, 18:00–25:00)
- Happy Birthday Rick Carlisle (Pacers): Stories about his pivotal yet unheralded role at Virginia and rise as NBA coach [20:18]
- David Freese Anniversary (Cardinals 2011): “Better than the Bambino”—Freese’s legendary postseason run [21:59]
- Injury Updates:
- Cam Scatterboo (Giants RB): Out for the season; cited as an emotional loss for the Giants [22:33]
- Malik Nabers & Daniel Jones: Giants’ season at a crossroads
- In Memoriam:
- Nick Mangold (Jets center): Praised as an ironman and beloved teammate [23:14]
- NBA Injuries:
- Luka out at least a week; Anthony Edwards out two weeks. Bigger loss: Luka, per Wilbon [23:53]
- Upcoming NFL Picks:
- Chiefs expected to roll at home vs. Commanders [24:55]
- “Go, girl. Put it on me.” – Wilbon with playful sign off [25:11]
Notable Quotes & Banter
On NFL Standouts:
“All the quarterbacks were uniformly good. Love did what I expected. He rose to the moment. He is that good.” – Kornheiser [03:00]
“[Taylor] has 12 touchdowns in 8 games. He has 63 touchdowns in 75 games… Jim Brown, Emmitt Smith, LaDainian Tomlinson, and Adrian Peterson [are above him].” – Kornheiser [04:21]
On Coaching Carousels:
“We are witnessing a 100-year flood. We’ve never seen anything like this before.” – Kornheiser [05:24]
“This was the arrogance of pride.” – Kornheiser [08:12]
On World Series:
“The Achilles heel of the Dodgers is their bullpen.” – Kornheiser [09:37]
“As long as the Dodgers can have a starting pitcher out there… but if they have to go to a bullpen whose Postseason ERA is 5.3, they're going down.” – Wilbon [09:20]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- NFL Recap & Individual Performances: 00:53 – 04:53
- College Football: Brian Kelly Fired: 04:55 – 08:12
- World Series Preview/Trouble Spots: 08:24 – 11:06
- Mail Time – NFL/College Recap & Surprises: 13:09 – 17:23
- Happy Time / Anniversary / Injuries / Final NBA & NFL Notes: 20:18 – End
PTI Original Tone in a Nutshell
Lively, irreverent, sharp, and deeply knowledgeable.
“I rooted for the Cheeseheads. Cause I would rather anybody on God’s earth win a game than Aaron Rodgers.” – Wilbon [02:10]
“What do you think this is from? Tea and honey? Screaming at football, not at the family.” – Wilbon [11:35]
For the Busy Sports Fan
This episode nails the swirl of storylines defining late October: historic NFL QB performances, the pitfalls of modern college coaching, and October baseball tension—delivered with PTI’s trademark blend of humor, rivalry, and unsparing honesty. If you missed it, you missed some great stats, a few jabs at Aaron Rodgers and Brian Kelly, and sharp X's and O's on why bullpens might decide the World Series.