The Dan Patrick Show – Hour 1: "The Best vs. The Worst in The NFL"

Date: December 24, 2025
Host: Steve Covino & Rich Davis (in for Dan Patrick)
Podcast Network: iHeartPodcasts / Dan Patrick Podcast Network

Episode Overview

This Christmas Eve episode, hosted by Covino and Rich, fills in for Dan Patrick and delivers a lively, humorous breakdown of the NFL's best and worst teams as the playoff picture sharpens. With an emphasis on strength of schedule and playoff positioning, the hosts debate whether teams' records are legitimate or inflated due to easy schedules. The hour also features talk on sports traditions (corny vs. cool), brief baseball hot takes, some NBA chatter, and a playful, participatory vibe for holiday listeners.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Opening Banter & Setting the Scene (02:44–06:16)

• Covino checks in from Idaho (for a "sweet potato in my pants contest"?), while Rich jokes about crazy Southern California weather.
• Lighthearted holiday greetings and playful jabs about Christmas attire and weather small talk.
• Reminder that Covino and Rich are filling in for Dan Patrick and simulcasting on YouTube.

NFL’s "Best vs. Worst": Strength of Schedule Debate (06:16–22:44)

The “Stink” at the Bottom & Playoff-Clinchers at the Top

• Rich Davis: “We have an abundance of stink this year... a lot of parity in the league, but there’s also a lot of stink and a lot of double-digit win teams.” (06:49)
• Bottom teams: Jets, Browns, Titans, Raiders, Giants, Cardinals – all with abysmal records.
• “Some teams are going to F up their own draft picks.” (07:21)

Who Has the Easiest Path? Playoff Contenders & Weak Schedules (08:28–12:00)

• Danny G provides the meme: teams with easiest schedules—49ers, Chargers, Bears, Broncos, Patriots—are all in the playoffs.

• Breakdown (with emphasis on 49ers):

  • 5. 49ers: “Their strength of schedule? A .458 winning percentage.” (10:09)
  • 4. Chargers
  • 3. Bears
  • 2. Broncos
  • 1. Patriots: “Their opponents have an under .400 winning percentage, .391. So the weakest schedules in the AFC...” (11:48)

• Steve Covino: “If you’re beating a bunch of tomato cans... have you really been battle tested?” (11:22)

• Two truths: Winning who’s on your schedule, but have you really been tested?

• The luck of an easy schedule, comparing to NCAA brackets: “Are you going to blame them for having a little luck on their side?” (15:34)

• Rich: “If you’re a single guy and you go to a bar and every other guy there is a loser and you go home with some hot girl, is it really you or your competition was weak ass?” (16:13)

Soft Contenders? A Legit Critique

• Much skepticism about top teams—49ers, Bears, Broncos, Patriots—getting questioned in sports media for not being "for real" due to cupcake schedules.
• Covino: “Two things can be true. They have a weak schedule… but yes, it does matter” (16:38), reiterating that strength of schedule shouldn’t be dismissed.
• Danny G: Points out preseason expectations—schedules that looked tough in August turned out to be a cakewalk when those teams underperformed.

Parity & Predicting Playoff Success (21:01–22:44)

• The comparison to Jake Paul facing real fighters: “That’s a common sentiment overall in sports… who you compete against matters.” (20:37)
• Covino: “Billy Madison was a great dodgeball player... because he was playing against kindergarteners.” (19:59)
• Rich: “You can only play who’s on your schedule. That is… a sentiment that we’ve talked about for years.” (14:41)

The 49ers’ Fortunate Setup & Homefield Advantage (29:07–32:07)

• Rich’s Stat: “The 49ers might not have to leave the Bay Area until August... If the 49ers win, they don’t have to leave the bay until next season.” (29:07–30:22)
• Explains the scenario: Niners clinch top seed, all playoffs go through San Francisco, and the Super Bowl is in SF this year.
• Covino: “The 11 and 4 49ers have everything going for them because not only strength of schedule and not having to leave for a while…” (31:01)
• Wrestling quotable: “What Randy Macho Man Savage said rings true: The cream rises to the top regardless.” (30:43)

Playful Banter: Sports Legitimacy & Traditions (32:07–43:14)

Baseball Tangent

• Quick detour: Rich teases but refutes rumors of defecting from Mets to Dodgers.
• Commentary on the Mets’ “liquidation” and the loss of star players: “The Mets are like the crappy ex-girlfriend that didn’t tickle his... you know, like the Mets never appreciated Pete Alonso and I’m a Mets fan.” (34:44)

Sports Traditions—“Cool or Corny?” (36:16–43:14)

• Leading into discussion of a new NBA tradition with the Spurs and Wemby.
• Covino draws the line between “organic” and “forced” traditions:
  • “Traditions, I think, are supposed to happen organically. Or has every tradition as we know it been forced in some sort of way?” (36:16)
  • Examples rapid-fire: Rally Monkey (corny but cool for some), Sacramento “Light the Beam” (not really catching on), Lambeau Leap (organic, thus cool), Cheeseheads (cheesy/lame).
• Rich: “If they put the Macarena at a wedding, that's when Covino dips away to get a drink. I’m the guy... Let’s do it.” (38:22)

The New Spurs Tradition: Wembanyama Leads the Crowd (46:49–48:54)

[Clip at 46:59]

Wemby introduces a new postgame cheer:

• Invites fans to follow the “Jackals” – raising arms and using a unique clap/chant.

• Danny G: “They stole that from the Vikings.”

• Covino: “It feels a little corny... some traditions are cool, some are corny, some take time, dude.”

• Rich: “I think Wemby... this is the next chapter in San Antonio Spurs history. We pay respect to the legends... but yeah, this is a new era. I think it’s cool, man.” (49:37)

• Covino: “I don’t want to hate on the guy... I feel like a hint of corny.” (49:45)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Rich Davis: “We have an abundance of stink this year... there’s also a lot of stink and a lot of double-digit win teams.” (06:49)
• Steve Covino: “If you're beating a bunch of tomato cans... have you really been battle tested?” (11:22)
• Covino: “Billy Madison was a great dodgeball player... because he was playing against kindergarteners.” (19:59)
• Rich Davis: “You can only play who’s on your schedule. That is... a sentiment that we've talked about for years.” (14:41)
• Wemby: “Everybody, arms up in the air. Spread your arms and do just like the Jackals.” (47:01)
• Covino: “Some traditions are cool, some are corny, some take time, dude... It’s like when you hear a song for the first time, people like, do you like it? Well, sometimes it takes a minute to grow on you.” (48:07)
• Rich: “I think Wemby... this is the next chapter in San Antonio Spurs history. ...I think it’s cool, man.” (49:37)

Important Timestamps

• 02:44 – Covino and Rich begin main show after ads/intro
• 06:16 – NFL “stink” and playoff team breakdown
• 08:28 – Top five teams with the weakest schedules; all in playoff contention
• 15:34 – NCAA/bracket analogy: “Having luck on your side”
• 19:59 – Billy Madison/kid competition analogy
• 29:07 – Rich’s 49ers homefield advantage stat
• 36:16 – Start “cool or corny” sports tradition discussion
• 46:59 – Spurs’ Wemby introduces new tradition (audio clip)
• 49:37 – Rich: “This is a new era” for the Spurs
• 50:22 – Wrap-up tease for next hour

Tone & Flow

The hosts blend sharp sports analysis with playful banter and regular self-deprecation. They juxtapose “serious” debates about sports legitimacy with irreverent analogies and a running joke about how “cool or corny” traditions matter. Listener engagement is encouraged, creating a community feel even as they riff on news and trends.

Summary for the Uninitiated

If you missed this hour, Covino and Rich delivered an engaging sports talk holiday special, dissecting whether the NFL’s top teams are legit or just lucky, all through the lens of strength of schedule stats (with a side of zingers and pop culture). They used the 49ers as a prime example of how an easy schedule can shape narratives, debated the authenticity of new and old sports traditions, and offered quick detours into baseball and NBA news. Most importantly, they kept things light, interactive, and holiday-minded—which is their gift to Dan Patrick’s loyal audience.