The Pat McAfee Show – PMS 2.0 1399: BA Day
Date: September 2, 2025
Special Guests: Bruce Arians, Joe Montana, Peter Schrager, Darius Butler, AJ Hawk, The Toxic Table, Tone Digs
Main Theme & Episode Overview
This episode celebrates the official start of football season and features a packed roundtable of football legends and analysts. With just two days until the NFL’s first kickoff, Pat McAfee welcomes the debut of “BA Day” – Bruce Arians’ new weekly segment where the Super Bowl–winning coach offers his unvarnished takes. Joe Montana drops in to talk Niners, Peter Schrager breaks down NFL narratives, and the whole crew digests news from the NFL and college football, focusing notably on the Dallas Cowboys' ongoing drama and college football’s opening weekend.
McAfee and his ensemble cast leverage their deep football knowledge and irreverent energy, bouncing from Cowboys front office intrigue to on-field Xs & Os (with live video breakdowns), the new landscape of college football, personnel moves, and the business of winning. From roundtable debate on the Micah Parsons saga to candid reflections on evolving coaching, leadership, and sports media, PMS 2.0 1399 is packed with laughs, strong opinions, and a whirlwind of NFL and college takes.
Key Segments & Discussion Points
1. Football Season Begins: NFL Storylines & the Arrival of BA Day
[00:00–02:39]
- Pat McAfee hypes the return of football, the season opener (Eagles vs. Cowboys), and the excitement of launching "BA Day"—weekly segments with Bruce Arians.
- Arians’ Career Montage: Introduced as a three-time Super Bowl champ, known for stories and "the greatest club thrower of all time" on the golf course; BA warmly recalls his history and style (“club in the pond” tales at Greatwaters).
Notable Quote
“This year will be a fun one. Have you looked forward to what the season's going to be… Tuesday you're setting our thoughts and narratives for everything.” — Pat McAfee [02:06]
2. Cowboys Drama: The Micah Parsons Negotiation & Dallas’ Super Bowl Hopes
[03:35–13:01]
- Recap of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones’ public spat with Micah Parsons’ agent David Mulugheta regarding the “stick it up your ass” comment.
- Arians and crew discuss the messiness of contract negotiations becoming public—a modern development—and how money heals some wounds but not all relationships.
- Extended debate on whether the Cowboys, with all their distractions and “business first” approach, can win a Super Bowl in the current NFL landscape.
Notable Quotes
“I've seen a few [negotiations] get really hot, and then owners pay the fine when they don't show up. But never like this. Not this public. These things never used to get this public.” — Bruce Arians [06:39]
"Bygones can be bygones when the money flies, you know, but those feelings never go away. It’s hard to reshape that relationship.” — Bruce Arians [08:06]
3. Dallas as a Football Spectacle vs. Winning Culture
[13:01–18:00]
- The table debates whether the relentless spectacle, “VIP practice viewers,” and business built by Jerry Jones have become the very reason the Cowboys can’t win, despite elite talent.
- Arians: “Distractions” are the operative word, and modern players are different—more brand-driven, with football often not the central focus.
Notable Quotes
“A lot of distractions, man. I’m just saying, it’s a lot of distractions.” — Pat McAfee [12:53]
“Today's days, the guys are different... they’re always looking for that next opportunity to sell my brand.” — Bruce Arians [13:01]
4. North Carolina vs. TCU: The Bill Belichick College Era Begins
[17:28–27:40]
- Recap of UNC vs. TCU, where Belichick’s Tar Heels laid an egg after a dominant opening drive.
- Darius Butler and BA break down the realities of coaching transitions, the challenge of building a roster from scratch, and honest post-game messaging.
- Arians: “Players win games, coaches lose games”—even Belichick is nothing without talent. College recruiting “bags” chat and NIL era cynicism included.
Notable Quotes
“You gotta have players. Coaches don’t get to play... If you ain't got no players, you ain't got no chance.” — Bruce Arians [23:27]
“Honesty. You gotta be honest with the guys… We can't get our ass kicked up front like they kicked our ass.” — Bruce Arians [26:00]
5. Joe Montana Joins: NFL Storylines, QB Tiers, and Niners Outlook
[30:48–44:55]
- Montana discusses his new whiskey partnership and the Niners’ season.
- Brock Purdy: Montana likes his poise and decision-making.
- On the cyclical nature of the NFL moving back toward “power football.”
- Montana’s personal QB rankings (excluding Purdy): Josh Allen (“the guy in Buffalo”), Joe Burrow, and Justin Herbert (“the guy in the Chargers”), with an honorable mention for Jalen Hurts.
Notable Quotes
“Usually when you start making mistakes, you’re out of your comfort zone… what I really like to do is get hit early. That wasn’t happening. I didn’t get into the flow until a 300 pounder lands on you.” — Joe Montana, on big game comebacks [40:43]
“I think I’d take the guy in Buffalo, Josh Allen… and Joe Burrow… and the guy with the Chargers, Herbert. I like the way they all play.” — Joe Montana [43:00]
- Arians: “I thought he might have thrown Mahomes in there. I think I would have if he was younger; but also, these guys in today’s league probably play forever.”
6. "B.S. or No B.S. with B.A."
[47:52–50:13]
- New weekly rapid-fire segment for Arians to declare if hot takes are “BS or no BS.”
- Is Micah Parsons worth two first-round picks?
“No bullshit, brother. He’s the best game wrecker in the game.” - Is Brian Schottenheimer a good head coach because dad was?
“Total BS. He’ll be a good coach because he’s himself – an offensive mind. Completely different than his dad.” - Is Tom Brady right that Aaron Rodgers is the best thrower of all time?
“A little BS. Danny Marino spun it better. Johnny Unitas for me.”
- Is Micah Parsons worth two first-round picks?
7. NFL & College Xs & Os with B.A.
[139:20–141:23 & 141:57–145:50]
- Arians lays out how spread offenses and up-tempo systems have simplified QB reads, which creates a challenging transition to the NFL.
- Video breakdown: Patricia’s Ohio State defense confuses Arch Manning by showing Cover 0 pre-snap, rotating post-snap—NFL-level disguise in college.
- Arians: Coaching young QBs is radically different; “you have to teach them how to huddle, how to call plays, how to use a cadence.”
Notable Quotes
"Guys were never reading post snap anymore... Everything was pre snap." — Arians [139:35]
“You got two seconds to figure out where this ball’s going. You don’t see it in your first three steps, you’re throwing it to the wrong guy.” — Arians [140:08]
8. NFL Outlook: Rams, Niners, and AFC/NFC Predictions with Peter Schrager
[81:15–99:44]
- Schrager likes the “reloaded Rams” and Niners as contenders in a competitive NFC West.
- High on Matthew Stafford’s health and WR tandem (now with Davante Adams).
- Thinks both Niners and Rams can win 11+ games, Packers defense is now “unblockable” after the Micah Parsons trade.
- AFC talk: caution about the Denver Broncos “hype machine.” There’s always a surprise team (maybe Dolphins or Panthers this year).
Notable Quotes
“Jerry Jones can make the Parsons trade because he doesn’t answer to anyone... He’s 82. He wanted to make the trade, so he did.” — Schrager [86:59]
“I think the Rams are superior... can go 11, 12 wins... I think the Packers, Vikings, and Lions could all be playoff teams this year.” — Schrager [99:22]
9. Analytics, 4th Down Decisions, and Coaching Philosophy
[125:31–128:28]
- Arians rants against “analytics” ruling out field goals and glamorizing every 4th down attempt.
- "Football is not baseball": momentum, player matchups, injuries matter and aren't captured by stats.
- “Coaches get blamed for going with the numbers, but it doesn’t tell you if your right guard can block Ndamukong Suh.”
10. BA’s Coaching Career Stories: Adapting, Substitutions & Bear Bryant
[161:13–164:51]
- Arians reminisces about his days under Bear Bryant at Alabama:
- Bryant personally managed substitutions for waves of players (“66 players played every game”), used hockey line-style rotation, trusted even the 3rd/4th string to set up drives for the starters.
- Football’s cyclical nature, shout outs to the wishbone’s historic role.
Memorable Moments & Quotes
- "Honesty. You gotta be honest with the guys. Look, this is what we did good. This is what we did bad. We did a lot of bad."
— Bruce Arians [26:00] on coaching after a blowout. - "Players win games, coaches lose games."
— Bruce Arians [23:38] on what makes a difference at every level. - "Analytics don’t believe in momentum. They’re talking about numbers, not blocking and tackling.”
— Bruce Arians [128:44] on the limitations of football analytics. - "Today's days, the guys are different, all right? They're not wired like the old guys used to be... this is a totally different new era.”
— Bruce Arians [13:01] - “Joe Montana saw me make some plays, complimented it. That’s huge for me.”
— Pat McAfee [35:00], giddy after Montana shouts out his highlights.
Timestamps by Segment
| Segment | Start Time |
|---------------------------------------------|--------------|
| Football Excitement / Cowboys Drama | 00:00 |
| Micah Parsons Trade/Bruce Arians Intro | 02:00 |
| Cowboys Business Culture Dissected | 10:00 |
| UNC/TCU Recap: Bill Belichick in College | 17:28 |
| BA on Moving from NFL/Coaching Challenges | 26:00 |
| Joe Montana Interview | 30:48 |
| BA’s “BS or No BS” Hot Takes | 47:52 |
| Schrager’s NFL Predictions | 81:15 |
| In-Depth: College Coaching, QB Development | 139:20 |
| BA’s Bear Bryant Stories | 161:13 |
| Show Wrap-Up / BA on Substitutions & Legacy | 183:28 |
Flow & Tone
The episode is irreverent, fast-paced, and packed with insider anecdotes. McAfee guides the conversation with humor and bluntness, allowing guests—especially Arians—to deliver blunt, unfiltered football wisdom. Everyone in the room is an ex-pro, current insider, or diehard fan, producing a rapport that mixes sharp football insight with locker room banter. The episode oscillates between football nerdery (film breakdowns, contract analysis) and witty, often self-deprecating debate about the game's evolution and the cultures of various teams.
Episode Takeaways
- Bruce Arians emerges as the pillar of candor, blending wild stories with coaching truths that cut through modern media noise.
- The Cowboys’ approach, once innovative, is now the source of endless distraction—a self-inflicted wound that may keep them from another Super Bowl.
- College football’s chaos—realignment, NIL, defensive innovation, coaching legends like Belichick jumping in—signals an unprecedented era.
- QB evaluation and development is more complex than ever (“never ran a huddle, never called a play, never used a cadence”).
- The NFL’s next tier of superstars, as chosen by their peers (Mahomes, Lamar, Saquon, etc.), continues to shift as the league embraces youth, versatility, and power football.
- The human side of football—trust, authenticity, the ability to lead—is as important as ever, and no data will ever fully capture it.
This episode sets the tone for a new football year, balancing nostalgia, skepticism, and relentless optimism, with a rotating panel of all-stars delivering the truths only insiders (with nothing left to prove) will say on air.