The Dan Patrick Show – Hour 2 – “Dead Men Talking,” with Chris Collinsworth

Date: August 25, 2025
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts and Dan Patrick Podcast Network
Episode Focus:

• Misadventures in digital memorials (keeping and texting numbers of deceased contacts)
• NFL and college football stories as the season nears
• Deep-dive interview with Chris Collinsworth (Sunday Night Football analyst): QB development, offensive innovation, and the upcoming Eagles vs. Cowboys game

Episode Overview

Hour two of The Dan Patrick Show blends humor, audience engagement, and football insight. The crew debates the oddities of maintaining (and even texting) the phone numbers of deceased friends or family, drawing a flood of caller stories and strong opinions. A highlight is Dan’s extended, freewheeling interview with NBC’s Chris Collinsworth, covering rookie QBs, evolving NFL offenses, and franchise strategy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Poll Questions: "Dead Men Talking" Phone Habits

• [03:49–04:14] The show’s poll:

  • Do you keep the numbers of people who have passed away on your phone?
    • 76% say yes
  • Is texting a deceased person’s number to say hello healthy?
    • 77% say no

• Conversation Highlights:

  • Most of the crew admits to keeping numbers, though Dan’s story about texting a passed friend and receiving a reply (from the deceased’s son) triggers laughs and awkwardness.

    • Quote (Dan, 04:49): “I text somebody who had passed away and his son had the phone and his son text me back... I get a message back, ‘thanks.’ And then I find out later that he wasn't sure what to say back to me because he didn't want me to think, like, Tom's texting me from wherever.”

  • The topic devolves into Todd’s attempts to psychoanalyze closure, leading to Dan’s hilarious pushback.

    • Quote (Dan, 07:18): “We're not doing this. We're not doing this. I told you what I do.”
    • Quote (Paulie, 07:42): (reading social posts) “This person said, ‘I have several voicemails from my dad; miss you, Pop.’ So now that guy's reaching out to his dad through our Twitter.”

• [09:00] Callers validate Dan’s approach, sharing stories about keeping numbers as memorials.

2. Best and Worst of the Weekend (Audience Calls and Rapid-Fire Sports Talk)

• [09:42, 10:53, 12:02] Listeners call in with their "Best and Worst" moments:

  • Morgan in Maryland: Adorable story about his 4-year-old son embarrassing the family during a fishing tournament.
  • Matt in South Bend: Coordination for the upcoming USC vs. Notre Dame tailgate.
  • Dustin in Alabama: Shout out to Alabama QB Riley Leonard and a jab at Auburn for self-proclaimed titles, referencing sports media “self-claiming” awards in jest.

• Dan Patrick to callers:

  • Quote (10:41): “Four. I thought if you're going to say he's 12, then maybe we have an issue there.”

• [13:39–14:56] Quickfire college football history debate (Auburn’s “self-claimed” titles), Scott Van Pelt’s satirical award claim, presidential interventions in championship designations.

3. Comedy Interludes & Running Gags

• Todd's Word Count: The Danettes roast Todd for getting lost in his own explanations.
  • Quote (Paulie, 06:51): “Have you ever heard of the phrase putting your foot in your mouth? Yeah, that was an example of it, Todd.”
  • Cone of Silence and Gong Bits: Physical comedy with malfunctioning office props, gongs, and the infamous “cone of silence” come into play, poking fun at their own show rituals.
    • Quote (Dan, 17:14): “If you're watching on Peacock. Here goes Todd. ... Man. It's not working, Todd. Sorry.”

4. Feature Interview: Chris Collinsworth on NFL, QBs, and Eagles vs. Cowboys

Timestamps: [24:29–42:24]

A. Life as a Pro Bowler, Howard Cosell Anecdote

• Collinsworth recalls the Pro Bowl’s former physicality and stakes.
  • Quote (Chris, 24:43): “People got ripped... if you won, you got 10 grand, if you lost, you got 5 grand and you lost money on the week.”
• Shares a hilarious, slightly humiliating moment in Speedos with Mark Gastineau and banter with Cosell.
  • Quote (Chris, 26:22): “...I looked over at Gastonau, looked down at myself…‘Howard, I’ve never felt so humiliated in my entire life.’”

B. Rookie Quarterbacks – Challenges and Lessons

• Big Issue: Holding onto the ball too long, college habits don’t translate.
  • Quote (Chris, 27:50): “Shador Sanders was a really good player in college football when he got the ball out of his hands...when he got it out in under 2.5 seconds, that guy could really play.”
• NFL demands quick, rhythmic passing—don’t emulate Mahomes/Josh Allen improvisation unless you’re them.

C. Coaching and Developing Young QBs

• Teaching quick reads: Some coaches use a 2.5 second horn in practice to train throw-timing.
  • Quote (Chris, 29:29): “I've seen them blow a horn at 2.5 seconds... all you’re doing is inviting more pressure [if you hold it].”

D. NFL Contract/Business Side (Micah Parsons Situation)

• Warns about players negotiating with owners—an uneven matchup; Jerry Jones knows how to leverage player comments about “taking less.”
  • Quote (Chris, 32:27): “There is no way I’m letting Micah Parsons anywhere near Jerry Jones. ...Those guys are trained killers, right? I mean, they are billionaires. They know how to negotiate deals.”

E. Quarterback Rankings: Where does Jalen Hurts fit?

• Hurts’ path is unique: Benched at Alabama, transfers, second-round “reach,” now tremendous leader and red-zone specialist for Eagles.
  • Quote (Chris, 34:41): “He’s probably the most serious minded football player I’ve ever met…he is all in for his teammates.”
  • Quote (Chris, 35:41): “The game starts in two situations: red zone and short yards. What does this guy do better than anybody else?...He scores touchdowns and converts third downs…”

F. Adapting NFL Offenses to QBs

• NFL now builds offenses for their QBs (cites Cam, Mahomes, Allen, Lamar).
  • Quote (Chris, 37:08): “Now it feels like you’re catering your offense... We want to cater our offense to your strengths.”
• Lamar as a case study—a franchise built the offense for Lamar Jackson’s skill set (contrasting with era where QBs had to fit the system).

G. Team to Watch: Chicago Bears

• Most curious about the Bears, Caleb Williams’ NFL transition, Ben Johnson’s challenge in installing a more traditional/pro-style offense for a shotgun-bred QB.
  • Quote (Chris, 38:41): “Ben Johnson’s a really good coach. He’s got a really talented quarterback... I just—it'll be interesting to see whether Caleb can become an under center quarterback.”

H. Tradition v. Shotgun (Quarterbacking Techniques)

• Fewer QBs know how to play under center—the obsession with shotgun begins in high school and 7-on-7s.
  • Quote (Chris, 41:05): “I think it’s what they know…they've gotten used to [the shotgun]. What they can't do is the reverse: drop back and get themselves set.”

5. Final Sports Riffing: Stats, Little League, Weekends

• [47:36–51:20] Crew shares "Best/Worst" sports moments: Maria Sharapova’s Hall of Fame induction, adult tackle leagues, UNLV RB Jet Thomas, the Little League World Series, and a tutorial on what an actuary does.

  • Quote (Dan, 50:57): “I just thought it was like it. It had to do with mathematical stuff…when you look at potential losses and gains.”
  • Quote (Paulie, 51:32): “Actuaries use math, statistics and financial theory to analyze economic risk and uncertainty...”

• Historic pitching stats for Paul Skeens; the show’s affection for random sports facts and unsung heroes continues.

Notable Quotes

• Dan Patrick, on accidental posthumous texts:
  "You actually get a text message from somebody who's passed away their phone and it just said, 'thanks.' Could have been an emoji. I would appreciate a good emoji from somebody who's passed away." (04:49)

• Chris Collinsworth, on NFL negotiations:
  "Those guys are trained killers, right? I mean, they are billionaires. They know how to negotiate deals." (32:27)

• Chris Collinsworth, on Jalen Hurts:
  "He's probably the most serious minded football player I've ever met...He scores touchdowns and he converts third downs. Some of them with his arm, some of them with his legs, some of them with just sheer power or...his audibles." (34:41, 35:41)

• Dan Patrick, on college football history warping into modern sports debates:
  "Didn't one year President Nixon declare Texas the national champ? Could you see President Trump, you know, doing that? Yes, I saw where he is trying to get Roger Clemens in the hall of fame." (14:30)

Important Timestamps

• [03:49] – Poll Questions: Keeping (and texting) deceased contacts
• [09:00–13:01] – Best and Worst of the Weekend calls
• [24:29–42:24] – Chris Collinsworth Interview
  • [26:22] – Speedo/Superstars story
  • [27:50, 29:29] – Rookie QB analysis/coaching
  • [32:27] – Negotiating with Jerry Jones/Micah Parsons
  • [34:41–35:41] – Jalen Hurts' mentality/red zone skills
  • [37:08] – Offensive innovation
  • [38:41] – Bears and Caleb Williams
• [47:36–51:20] – Best/Worst of the Weekend, Little League, actuary explanation

Tone & Style

The hour blends signature DP Show humor and irreverence (dead-men-talking, gongs, anti-therapy rants), easy rapport among the Danettes, and crisp NFL insight from Collinsworth. Quips, sarcastic rejoinders, and “dad radio” authenticity abound.

Who Should Listen?

• Sports fans craving football analysis with character and wit
• Listeners curious about NFL quarterback development
• Anyone who’s ever wondered if it’s weird to keep—or text—a deceased loved one’s phone number
• Fans of Chris Collinsworth and offbeat sports radio banter