The Pat McAfee Show 2.0 | Episode 1429 Summary (October 14, 2025)

“BA Day with Bruce Arians, MNF Doubleheader Recap, Peter Schrager, Dan Orlovsky, Darius Butler, & AJ Hawk”

Episode Overview

This BA Day episode showcases Pat McAfee and the crew (AJ Hawk, Boston Conner, Ty Schmidt, Darius Butler), joined by Bruce Arians (“BA”), with a lineup of guests, including Peter Schrager and Dan Orlovsky. The show dives deep into Monday Night Football’s doubleheader, the resurgence of the Patriots, the volatility of the AFC East, the rise of Drake May and the Bears, the Atlanta Falcons’ breakout, and some passionate, comedic moments about NFL officiating, coaching firings, and cultural fits in football. True to form, the show combines expert football analysis, unfiltered reactions, trademark banter, and rich storytelling.

Main Themes & Segments

1. MNFi Doubleheader Recap & Fallout
2. AFC East Turmoil (Patriots Rise, Bills’ Slide)
3. Atlanta Falcons: Legit or Mirage?
4. Chicago Bears & The Ben Johnson/Caleb Williams Project
5. Bruce Arians' Segment: “BS or No BS with BA”
6. Coaching Hot Seats & NFL Culture Fits
7. NFL Referee Rants & Calls for Accountability
8. Player, Coach & GM Spotlights
9. Miscellaneous: College Football Look-Ahead, Baseball Oddities, Thunderdome Antics

Key Discussion Points with Timestamps

1. MNF Doubleheader Deep Dive

• (02:16–13:43)
  • Bears 24, Commanders 21: Chicago’s turnaround; Caleb Williams and coach Ben Johnson praised for evolving chemistry and structure. Ben Johnson's offensive innovation and player accountability highlighted as keys to the streaking Bears.
    • Quote – Pat McAfee: "[Ben Johnson] the more we learn about him: badass dog, accountability driven... you need to do this, you need to do this. Caleb... will he ever be able to buy in?" (04:08)
    • Bruce Arians: "He's got a chance to be the first Bears 4000 yard passer ever. That's hard to believe." (05:24)
    • Officiating gripes from Bears fans discussed: some missed calls, but overall "a pretty good call" on the most controversial one.
  • Falcons 31, Bills 14: Atlanta dominates, Bills slide. Falcons defense blitzing Allen at historic rates, offense explosive with Bijan Robinson setting the tone.
    • AJ Hawk: "Four sacks, that's his [Allen's] most since 2023... 18.7 QBR – that's his lowest since 2019." (10:02)

2. AFC East Vibes

• (00:40–02:15; 13:43–21:02)
  • Patriots on the rise ("all the receipts from the past six years are coming out"), especially as division rivals falter.
  • Drake May and Patriots coach Mike Vrabel receive plaudits for internal culture and on-field turnaround.
    • Bruce Arians: "Drake May is playing lights out... Vrabel right now to me is the AFC Coach of the Year." (18:39)
  • Bills’ struggles analyzed: missing defensive pieces (notably Matt Milano), schematic inflexibility, lacking playmakers. Arians calls for defensive/organizational change.
    • Bruce Arians: "They gotta get out of this 4-2-5... you can't win that way." (14:51, 17:39)

3. Atlanta Falcons: Validation & Credit

• (07:14–14:17)
  • Terry Fontenot (GM) and Raheem Morris (HC) credited for assembling a top-tier defense and making bold moves (Pennix pick, Kirk Cousins contract).
  • Bijan Robinson’s emergence as center of the offense; Arians draws Marshall Faulk comps.
    • Bruce Arians: "He's more Marshall Faulk... he could have played wide receiver for anybody." (41:52)

4. BS or No BS with BA (Bruce Arians)

• (14:17–24:09)
  • BA weighs in on topical statements:
    1. Bills in more trouble than the Eagles – "No BS." Bills have real systemic issues.
    2. Patriots are all the way back – "No BS." May and Vrabel lauded.
    3. Trading an experienced QB (Flacco) to a divisional rival is smart – "Total BS." Praises old school, keep the arms-length philosophy.
    • "What are you thinking?... That is just treason." (25:31, 26:11)
    4. If you draft a QB #1 overall, you're gonna get fired – "No BS." Points to lack of patience and continuity, using Peyton/Colts as an outlier.
    • "Six out of the last eight have gotten their asses fired the first year..." (29:37)

5. Coaching Hot Seats & NFL Culture

• (34:15–53:40) with Peter Schrager
  • Inside the Tennessee Titans mess: instability, lack of leadership, "too many suits," and why experienced coach fits (see: Mike McCarthy) matter in volatile programs.
    • Arians: "I'm going to the veteran [coach]."
  • National implications of in-season firing; not everyone will want the Titans' job considering the internal chaos.

6. NFL Officiating Rants

• Sprinkled throughout, esp. (06:04–07:14; 170:13–174:49)
  • Pat and team take aim at Monday Night Football’s rules analyst and general NFL officiating inconsistency.
    • Pat: "This guy stinks as the rules official... He needs to get better." (06:19)

7. Notable Player/Coach/GM Spotlights

• Drake May (Patriots), Ben Johnson/Caleb Williams (Bears), Bijan Robinson (Falcons), Josh Allen (Bills), Terry Fontenot (Falcons GM), Baker Mayfield (Bucs).
• Game Balls:
  • AFC: Patrick Mahomes – "Everybody's writing them off. Last three games, they're averaging 30 points..." (98:37)
  • NFC: Bijan Robinson – "Probably the most electric player in the league right now." (95:58)

8. Other Notables & Fun Bits

• Pronunciation debates ("Bijan" vs. "Bichon") clarified via player video & Dan Orlovsky banter (62:23–67:10)
  • Bijan Robinson (quoted): "I say Bijan, but my mom's like, why do you say it like that?...I don't really care how it's said." (65:59)
• Colts-Bears-Vikings QB tier talk, future of JJ McCarthy/Kevin O’Connell in Minnesota.
• Legendary teammates tales (Frank Gore, Jacoby Brissett).
• Refs as “the only billion dollar industry where part time people make the decisions” – Arians, 174:44
• Local sports talk roast of Myles Garrett (Tony Rizzo sound bite).
• Desert vs. lake golf talk with Arians.
• Thunderdome hijinks: new office “U ball” game recap and chaos (161:36–169:46).

9. College Football & MLB Playoff Sidenotes

• (112:45–114:11; 151:23–158:56)
  • College football glancing ahead (Georgia/Ole Miss, USC/Notre Dame) with Tone Digs.
  • Wild MLB play (Brewers/Dodgers sequence: first ever 8-6-2 double play in a playoff) quickly recapped for non-baseball-watching NFL fans.

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• Pat McAfee (02:01): “Any time the Patriots do something great, and then the Bills do something bad, I think we're going to see that [Boston Connor in full Patriots fit] going forward.”
• Bruce Arians (14:51): "[Bills' defense]... they've got to get out of this.425. I mean, they're giving up the most explosive plays...You can't win that way."
• Dan Orlovsky (64:54): “I honestly don't to this day know how to pronounce his name. I'm not trying to be B. John.”
• Pat McAfee (25:52): "[To BA]... you just threw him a little bit of a lifeline. We should be looking out for that in the division. How do you feel about the entire situation?"
• AJ Hawk (59:40): “Shout out to my Bears and my Falcons. We are so good. The Unders knew we are so boom. You wanted overs. I mean, I actually won.”
• Bruce Arians (174:44): "The only billion dollar industry where part time people make the decisions."
• Peter Schrager (40:28): “[Raheem Morris]... ‘Shrags, you don’t get it. Number seven, is the greatest player I’ve ever coached... he’s in that conversation, and he’s the best player in football.’”

Segment Highlights & Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | Highlights | |-----------|----------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:00 | Opening, AFC East Vibes; Patriot resurgence | Patriots rising, Bills loss; Drake May hype. | | 02:16 | Monday Night Football Recaps | Bears’ new chemistry; Falcons stifle Bills. | | 14:17 | “BS or No BS with BA” Segment | Bruce Arians hits on hot takes: Bills, Patriots, coach firings. | | 34:15 | Coaching Culture & Fit, Peter Schrager joins | Titans’ dysfunction, hot seat waves, why some jobs aren't desirable. | | 41:52 | Bijan as centerpiece, running back as rare offensive center | Marshall Faulk comps. | | 62:23 | Bijan Robinson name debate | Video evidence – "Bijan" vs. "Bichon". | | 95:46 | Bruce Arians’ Game Balls | Mahomes (AFC), Bijan (NFC). | | 170:13 | Referee Rants | Complaints about consistency, union power, part-timers in billion $ biz. | | 112:45 | CFB Weekend Preview (Tone Digs) | Georgia/Ole Miss, Bama/Tennessee, USC/Notre Dame, Big 12 Holy War. | | 151:23 | MLB Oddities | 8-6-2 double play; focus on NFL > MLB for the crew. | | 161:36 | Thunderdome "U ball" hijinks | D-Bone and D-Butt's world championship, office banter. |

Final Thoughts & Tone

Unfiltered, highly energetic, and deeply informed by both insider perspective and fandom, this episode exemplifies the singular culture of The Pat McAfee Show. Bruce Arians’ weekly visit anchors the football talk with gravitas, while Peter Schrager and Dan Orlovsky bring boots-on-the-ground and coaching booth expertise. McAfee’s crew balances sharp, technical football banter, personalized team takes, and self-aware comedic jabs (at themselves, officiating, local radio, and sports media at large).

Long story short:

• A major MNF doubleheader sets off sweeping conversations about turning points for several franchises (Bears, Falcons, Patriots, Bills);
• The AFC East is in flux and full of pettiness;
• Falcons and Bijan Robinson are getting their overdue respect;
• NFL officiating is driving everyone mad, especially with the union details spilled by Arians;
• Coaching jobs, especially in Tennessee, are now viewed with major skepticism given "suit" involvement;
• Plus some local radio gold and office antics that make The Pat McAfee Show a one-of-a-kind listen.

Team on three!

Pat McAfee: “Be a friend. Tell a friend something nice. It might change your life.” (181:26)