The Pat McAfee Show 2.0, Episode 1446 — Summary

Date: November 6, 2025
Host: Pat McAfee
Featured Guests: Kirk Herbstreit, SMU HC Rhett Lashlee, Ohio State HC Ryan Day, Texas A&M HC Mike Elko, Nebraska HC Matt Rhule, AJ Hawk, Tony Dungy, Ty Schmidt, others

Overview

This jam-packed episode sets the stage for NFL Week 10, with a special focus on the Thursday Night Football (TNF) matchup between the Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders. Pat and the crew break down NFL storylines, analyze college football's playoff landscape, and welcome several top college coaches to “feel the beat” of their respective programs. The show blends deep football insight, humor, behind-the-scenes stories, and some unexpected, very McAfee-style detours.

NFL Week 10 & TNF Preview

Broncos vs. Raiders: The State of Both Teams

• Broncos (Favorites, -8.5/+9.5):

  • Sean Payton hand-picked the job for the resources and support—including the richest ownership in the league (Walton family).
  • Defense is historic in sack/pressure rate; offense led by rookie Bo Nix, whom Payton “couldn’t have drafted faster.” (01:20)
  • “Eight and a half point favorites on a Thursday night game in the division is obviously a big, big, big swing, but this Denver Broncos team is certainly capable of blowing out this Raiders team.” — Pat McAfee (03:31)
  • Continuing to develop identity post-Russell Wilson, big expectations.

• Raiders (Underdogs):

  • Massive overhaul: Tom Brady as owner, Pete Carroll as HC, Chip Kelly as OC, Geno Smith at QB; Max Crosby & Brock Bowers are stars.
  • Yet: “It feels like the Raiders just kind of lose. … They're almost just spinning their wheels until they actually find who they're going to go with for the next, you know, 10 years or so.” — AJ Hawk (15:10)
  • O-line and pass pro remain glaring weaknesses.

Key Stats (from Hembo):

• Geno Smith’s sack rate 7.8% (NFL avg 6.6%), pressured into sacks at 29.2% (NFL avg 21%). Broncos D sack rate 11.3% (highest since '06), pressure-to-sack rate 30.1% (highest since 2022 Eagles). (12:47)

Memorable Quotes:

• “This team’s defense, outrageous… this team’s going to win the Super Bowl. That’s what everybody was saying coming into the year.” — Pat (01:20)
• "You have to be good … they're almost just spinning their wheels until they actually find who they're going to go with for the next, you know, 10 years or so." — AJ Hawk (14:35)

[12:15] Ty Schmidt: “66% of the money is on the Broncos … they have been the much better team… I’m not surprised.”

Kirk Herbstreit Joins (19:36)

(Voice of TNF and college football)

• Sheds light on both the Broncos and Raiders from production meetings.
• “Denver, they're in a one possession game every single week ... This defense is real. And by the way, this is all with Pat Surtain, probably the top corner in the league, on IR.” (21:50)
• Praises Nick Bonito and Jonathan Cooper (Broncos pass rush), Zach Allen inside.
• “Internally, the hope with the Raiders, with Pete and Chip, is you guys have no idea how big of a piece to the puzzle [Brock Bowers] is…” (21:50)

TNF Trend:

• First 5-6 games were wild, last two were blowouts. “We’re hoping for a good one.” (24:44)

College Football Coaches—"Feel the Beat" Segment

[70:34] SMU — Coach Rhett Lashlee

• Fresh off a 2-year extension.
• SMU’s resurgence thanks to aligned support, Dallas recruiting, and Power 4 transition.
• “We’ve proven this year we can beat anybody and we can lose to anybody.” (72:56)
• Only one ACC loss; big Miami win, must win out for ACC title shot.
• Shifted from a run-first (Brashard Smith era) to a more pass-heavy approach with QB Kevin Jennings. Still values balance.

[79:03] Ohio State — Coach Ryan Day

• Reigning champs, #1 team, Heisman favorite QB (Julian Sayin), historic Matt Patricia defense.
• “You just cannot get comfortable and we cannot get bored with just the same old thing over and over again.” (80:23)
• Praises “Bloody Tuesday” practices for building toughness (83:43).
• On Julian Sayin: “His command of the offense and his confidence... I just like this command of the offense and his confidence right now.” (90:22)
• On lack of attention: “We haven't won anything yet. We haven't done a thing yet.” (91:57)
• Matt Patricia’s system is “a lot of fun” for smart defensive players: “He’s got that pencil and he’s coming up with new stuff … but the players are the ones that have to put it on the field.” (87:46)

[94:24] Texas A&M — Coach Mike Elko

• #3 in the country, undefeated in SEC, major defensive turnaround, highly-prized since Duke.
• “Undefeated in the SEC ... Marcel Reed has truly become the dual threat kid we knew he could be.” (96:32)
• On his label as a ‘defensive genius’: “We've had some weeks where we've played consistently really, really well … I still think we're trying to put it all together.” (99:35)
• Annoyed by nitpicking media: “Let’s just take a step back and let's enjoy the fact that we're winning.” (102:49)
• College Football Playoff committee gave them a #3 spot due to defensive stats, but Elko feels the team is peaking at the right time.

[147:36] Nebraska — Coach Matt Rhule

• Fresh off a 3rd loss and devastating QB injury (Dylan’s broken fibula).
• “You get into coaching and you want to have all these amazing moments, but these are the moments where you earn your stripes.” (148:13)
• Emphasizes program culture: “If you want to be taken seriously nationally … you need moments like this and you need to come through.”
• On new QB: “I'm with TJ. My goal this week is to be the best coach I can be for this freshman quarterback … and these guys that bust their tails for me.” (151:08)
• On playoff implications: “I care about no one else other than us.” (154:22)

Additional NFL & Sports Topics

AFC & NFC Playoff Races

• BA (Bruce Arians) predicts all four NFC North teams may make playoffs — potential historic first (40:45).
• Discussion on Ravens being healthy and favorites to win AFC North; Kirk Herbstreit, a Bengals fan, voices pessimism about Cincinnati.

Fun, Shenanigans, & Notable Moments

• [08:03]: Pat’s night out in Nashville, stories about baseball players, hanging with Logan Webb and David Ross (“Grandpa Rossi”).
• [33:45]: Hilarious sidebar about oil tycoon (Cody Campbell), random Texas trivia, and Pat’s imagined future in oil.
• Rapid-fire pop culture and sports memorabilia bits (hockey, goalies hiding pucks in their pants, Ovechkin's 900th goal).
• [126:00+]: Unexpected breaking news—McAfee Show staffer Bailey (“Bill”) has a car crash into his house, prompting a live on-the-scene FaceTime update from Mitt.
• [119:10]: “Debone” stories (crew member’s country music fandom, post-show McDonald’s run, hijinks in the office).

Quotes & Timestamp Highlights

• Pat on Broncos–Raiders TNF:
  “Eight and a half point favorites on a Thursday night game in the division is obviously a big, big, big swing, but this Denver Broncos team is certainly capable of blowing out this Raiders team.” (03:31)

• Kirk Herbstreit on Broncos D:
  “I don’t know if Nick Bonito and Jonathan Cooper … get the love they deserve. They’re probably playing at this point the season, the best tandem of any NFL pass rush.” (21:50)

• Ryan Day on keeping focus
  “You just cannot get comfortable and we cannot get bored with just the same old thing over and over again.” (80:23)

• Mike Elko on expectations:
  “There’s obviously a burden when you come in here. … If we spent that amount of money to make the change and you’re the guy that we picked, we’re kind of expecting results.” (101:33)

• Matt Rhule on adversity:
  “You get into coaching and you want to have all these amazing moments, but these are the moments where you earn your stripes.” (148:13)

• On Julian Sayin (OH St. QB):
  “When he decides to pull the trigger, man, that dude, he's got a live arm. It's fun to watch.” — AJ Hawk (91:19)

• Elko on media, perspective:
  “Let's just take a step back and let's enjoy the fact that we're winning and let's not just focus on the play in the second quarter that we didn't do the right way.” (102:49)

Picks & Betting Segment

• [140:42] 66% of money on Broncos for TNF.
• Pat and AJ both lean Denver, but discuss stats/narrative-driven concerns about divisional blowouts and past primetime struggles.
• Last-minute switch—a “Universe Ball” flip has Pat wavering then re-committing to Denver with the spread.

College Football Landscape & Playoff Talk

• CFP committee’s reasoning for rankings (defensive stats as separators).
• Discussion: Is Ohio State's dominance underappreciated due to lack of national conversation?
• Elko and Rhule both highlight how much parity and challenge goes into each win ("it’s hard to win!")
• Extended talk about the impact of NIL/revenue sharing in college programs, and the business side of CFB in 2025.

Conclusion

This edition of The Pat McAfee Show delivers its classic cocktail: razor-sharp football analysis, candid interviews, and unpredictable tangents. The episode provides an inside look—direct from coaches—at the best teams in college football, a thorough setup for TNF, and a healthy dose of the irreverent, lived-in humor that makes McAfee’s show unique. Whether you're a diehard for the X’s and O’s or just want a laugh with sports talk, this episode brings it.

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00–03:45: Pat’s opening monologue, TNF/odds setup, Broncos & Raiders overview
• 12:14–16:44: Raiders reality check, AFC West landscape
• 19:36–28:45: Kirk Herbstreit on TNF, inside info from the broadcast booth, Broncos defense deep dive
• 70:34–77:14: Rhett Lashley (SMU) interview
• 79:03–93:16: Ryan Day (Ohio State) interview
• 94:24–107:45: Mike Elko (Texas A&M) interview
• 147:36–162:11: Matt Rhule (Nebraska) interview

Memorable Moment:
A staff member ("Bill") races out mid-show after a car crashes into his house, prompting a live on-location FaceTime report, underscoring the show’s “anything can happen” ethos.

If you missed the episode, this summary covers the major storylines, expert analysis, and enough of the signature McAfee energy and insights to carry you through the biggest news in football this week.