The Pat McAfee Show 2.0 – Episode 1443

"FIRST 15: NFL Week 9 Recap" (November 3, 2025)

Episode Overview

Pat McAfee, with co-hosts AJ Hawk, The Toxic Table, and Tone Digs, delivers a rapid-fire, energetic, and insider take on the wildest stories of NFL Week 9. This “First 15” segment (which, in classic McAfee style, runs nearly 45 minutes) recaps the most notable games, shocking upsets, escalating injuries, and standout performances from Sunday, peppered with jokes, unfiltered banter, and expert insight into what's driving the current NFL landscape.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. NFL Rebounds from a Lousy Week (00:00–01:32)

• Recap of Week 9: NFL bounced back in a big way after "a historically ass weekend" in Week 8 (only one one-score game), delivering nine one-score games out of twelve.
• "The NFL found its fastball... What a week. What a slate." – Pat (01:31)
• The show frames this as evidence of why the NFL remains compelling, despite critics' claims it was “turning into soccer.”

2. Bengals vs. Bears – Caleb Williams’ Heroics (01:32–06:11)

• Game Recap: Bengals mount a comeback only for Chicago and rookie QB Caleb Williams to steal it at the end.
  • Onside kick drama: Bengals recover away after Bears error.
  • Joey Burrow (“Joey Flack” as affectionately termed) drives the Bengals, but maybe “too fast."
  • Caleb Williams, with one timeout and 50 seconds, runs a breathtaking two-minute drill.
  • Rookie TE Colston Lavin catches the game-winning TD after being left wide open.
• Quote:
  • "Caleb marches down the field, third and 10... Scrambling, doing some Caleb shit. This man walked in to the NFL with the ability to electrify. People were calling him maybe the next Mahomes. Had we seen it yet? No." – Pat (02:35)
  • "Big day for Colston Lavin. That’s a good culture-building win for the Chicago Bears." – Pat (05:41)

3. Panthers Shock Packers – Bryce Young Clutch (06:11–09:19)

• Game Recap: Panthers upset Green Bay at Lambeau with a walk-off field goal. Bryce Young compared to “the Steph Curry of the draft” for his dramatic late-game playmaking.
  • Rico Dowdell and unsportsmanlike penalty drama.
  • Panthers rookie kicker Ryan Fitzgerald hits the game-winner.
• Quotes:
  • "Ty might be the best player to ever play football." – Pat, joking about Dowdell (08:15)
  • "Every Packers fan knew there was a 0% chance he was going to miss that." – Ty (08:48)
• Special Teams issues continue to haunt both teams.

4. Vikings Upset Lions – JJ McCarthy’s Moment (09:19–11:51)

• Greenhorn JJ McCarthy leads the Vikings to a major upset:
  • Big fourth-quarter throws despite earlier inaccuracies.
  • Locker room loves him for his leadership and energy.
  • "If he takes the trajectory Josh Allen took in the off season... holy shit, that might be the best draft class of all time." – Pat (10:19)
• Context: Nine-plus point underdogs (Carolina, Minnesota) both won this week after being 0-10 in Weeks 1–8.

5. Jaguars Survive Raiders – Cam Little’s Monster Kick (11:51–14:16)

• Overtime drama: Jags edge out Raiders, who go for two in OT and fail, ensuring an outright result rather than a tie.
• Notable Kicker Moment: Jacksonville’s Cam Little nails a 68-yard field goal—a new regulation record.
• Expert Note: Current rule changes allow kickers to bring in “their own balls,” possibly leading to a surge in super-long attempts—“everybody’s just assuming a 70-yarder is on the way.” (13:35)

6. Wave of High-Profile Injuries (14:16–15:51)

• A "brutal" week for injuries to NFL star players:
  • Joe Alt (Chargers), Travis Hunter, Jaden Daniels (elbow dislocation), Tucker Kraft (knee), CJ Stroud (concussion), Marshon Lattimore, Luke McCaffrey (collarbone), and others.
  • The crew despises injuries—“We hate them, hate them.” (15:49)
• Theme: The volatility of NFL fortunes, often decided by health rather than talent.

7. NFC West Ascendant (15:51–22:47)

• Rams, 49ers, and Seahawks all flex as legit contenders. Cardinals excluded for now as their Monday night result is pending.
• Rams: Matthew Stafford playing at an MVP level, making everyone look good, especially WR Puka Nacua and Devonte Adams.
  • "Stafford looks the way he looks and is still doing what he's doing—insane." – Pat (16:46)
  • "When they're down there, the Rams do: Devontae get open." (17:21)
• 49ers: Mac Jones steps in at QB with the offense rolling, but defense dinged up.
• Seahawks: Sam Darnold (ex-Vikings) playing efficiently, unlocking rookie WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
  • "This Seahawks team is very special." – Pat (21:33)
• "They're being an elementary team,"—Commanders fans on Seattle (22:31)

8. Bills Hammer the Chiefs – Physicality and Mahomes’ Woes (22:47–24:57)

• Game Recap: Bills dominate up front, punishing Mahomes and keeping the Chiefs in check.
• "That Bills team beat the hell out of Patrick Mahomes. There was like a string of three, four straight plays where he was just taking huge shots." – Pat (23:29)
• Stats (from Hembo):
  • Mahomes: 44% completions (career low), 13.1 avg depth of target (career high), 444 air yards, only 69 YAC.
  • He was hit a career-high 15 times.

9. AFC Time Warp: Throwback Leaders (24:57–28:13)

• The AFC top seeds mirror those from 2014: Colts, Patriots, Broncos, Steelers.
  • "The Colts still number one. Let's make sure we understand that.” – Pat (25:28)
• Denver Broncos: With head coach Sean Payton, Will Lutz kicks a walk-off winner—Payton’s unwavering faith in Lutz is highlighted, referencing past Saints’ clutch kicks.
• Playoff wild cards are seen as scarier than ever. “The AFC buy this year might be the most important buy the AFC has had in a long time.” – AJ Hawk (27:51)

10. Injury Deep-Dive with Adam Schefter (28:13–36:06)

• Jaden Daniels: "It's possible his season is over. The whole thing was troubling. You never want to see a player like that go down." – Adam Schefter (29:05–30:31)
• Tucker Kraft: Torn ACL—“just brutal… maybe the best tight end in the game right now… unbelievable.” – Schefter (31:08)
• Travis Hunter: Placed on IR, could be “a while” until his return.
• Joe Alt: Ankle injury now requires surgery; likely out longer than last stint.
  • “Where do the Chargers go get an offensive tackle? You can’t find them." – Schefter (35:12)
• Theme: Star injuries threaten to derail team seasons more than any schematic flaw or in-game mistake.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "What a drive by Caleb Williams. Now a lot of people are going to say that Bengals defense is ass." – Pat (03:12)
• "Can't leave Caleb that much time because he has the number—the first tight end drafted—right there down the middle. Good for Colston Lavin." – Pat (05:35)
• On Cam Little’s kick: "This dude Little hits big ass balls. I mean, he is so incredibly impressive." – Pat (12:42)
• "Big day for Colston Lavin. Especially videos coming out of training camp... It's very cool. That's a good culture-building win for the Chicago Bears." – Pat (05:43)
• "Football’s a tough game. That’s why the Patriots winning for 20-plus years is so crazy to think about." – Pat (34:51)

Useful Timestamps for Key Segments

• NFL Rebounds & Week Setup: 00:00–01:32
• Bengals-Bears Endgame & Caleb Williams: 01:32–06:11
• Panthers-Packers Walk-Off & Bryce Young: 06:11–09:19
• Vikings Stun Lions/JJ McCarthy: 09:19–11:51
• Jags-Raiders OT/Cam Little 68-Yarder: 11:51–14:16
• Injury Roundup: 14:16–15:51
• NFC West Rundown: 15:51–22:47
• Bills Dominate Chiefs: 22:47–24:57
• AFC Throwback Leaders: 24:57–28:13
• Adam Schefter Injury Analysis: 28:13–36:06

Summary Tone & Style

As always, Pat leads the loud, passionate, unfiltered conversation—mixing deep-dive football nuance with hilarious analogies and sideline stories. Every host brings humor and insight, but especially vivid is the palpable energy around rookie QBs, injury fallout, surprise upsets, and the “never a dull moment” unpredictability of the 2025 NFL season.

If you missed this episode, you’ll come away up to speed on every major game, jaw-dropper kick, heartbreaking injury, and shifting league narrative—plus you’ll get a dose of McAfee’s signature locker-room reverence (and irreverence) for “the game of football.”