The Pat McAfee Show 2.0 #1457 - NFL Week 12 Preview/Picks, TNF Recap, Dan Lanning, Bo Nix, Stanford Steve & AJ Hawk

Date: November 21, 2025
Host: Pat McAfee & Crew: AJ Hawk, Tone Digs, The Toxic Table (Con Man, Ty, others)
Guests: Dan Lanning (Oregon Head Coach), Bo Nix (Denver Broncos QB), Stanford Steve

Episode Overview

This episode is a lively Friday roundtable covering:

• NFL Week 12 preview and picks
• Recap of Thursday Night Football (Texans vs. Bills)
• Deep dive into the Houston Texans’ resurgence and AFC South
• Extended interviews with Oregon coach Dan Lanning and Broncos rookie QB Bo Nix—broadcast from picturesque (if foggy) Eugene, Oregon ahead of Ducks vs. USC
• Mascot hijinks, crowd energy, college football environment & playoff talk
• Stanford Steve joins for college football insights, picks, and a look at the week's top games

The tone is high-energy, humorous, and heavily football-focused, with the cast blending irreverence with breakdowns that only NFL/CFB insiders can provide.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Eugene, Oregon Vibes & College GameDay Setup

• Pat opens live from Eugene, marveling at the Oregon scenery and “football fog.”
• Anticipation for Oregon vs. USC—a College Football Playoff (CFP) impact game.
• Pat: "The fog kind of covers up the beauty a little bit... But it has set the stage for a wonderful weekend here in Oregon. A wonderful weekend of ball. I can't wait for that." (00:19)

2. Thursday Night Football Recap: Texans vs. Bills

• Show opens with extensive TNF breakdown (Texans' stifling D, Bills' struggles)
• Pat’s “Texans +6” gut feel cashes; crew analyzes why Houston isn’t getting respect.
• Houston's D, led by Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter, sacked Josh Allen a career-high 8 times.
• Crowd at NRG described as a weapon—the Amazon Prime broadcast criticized for not maximizing crowd audio.
• “The unstoppable object [Josh Allen] has had problems in Houston. Houston has a solution.” – Pat (06:04)
• Davis "Money" Mills—unexpected backup performance, possibly worthy of starting elsewhere.
• AJ praises the "Terminator" energy of Houston’s defensive line.
• AJ: “I love how they run to the ball… They were absolutely relentless.” (09:42)

3. AFC South on the Rise?

• Pat argues the AFC South is “the new powerhouse”—Jacksonville Jaguars are “back,” Texans are for real, Colts (Pat’s homer pick) “best team in football.”
• Buffalo’s culture questioned—are Bills legit contenders or lost after back-to-back setbacks?

4. Betting Recap

• Public overwhelmingly on the Bills; sportsbook takes another "against the public" win.
• Under cashes—low scoring after a fast start.
• Pat’s “hot hand” intuition, but only confident picking the Colts this weekend. Plenty of laughs about good betting “feels” and how fleeting they are. (13:37)

5. Mascot Madness

• Extended (and hilarious) riff on NFL mascots—Texans’ Toro gets love: “Toro brings the heat every single time. There's nothing like sneaking a nutshot on a tailgating Bills fan.” – Con Man (21:35)
• Oregon’s Duck: Doc’s politics, bloopers, and why he’s not as “real” as NFL mascots.
• Ducks, Jaguars’ Jaxson de Ville, and Colts’ Blue also praised for unique flair.

6. Interview: Dan Lanning, Oregon Head Coach

Starts ~22:34

• Discusses the "blessing" of a high-stakes, late-season matchup vs. USC.
• Team identity: “Relentless in all phases... want to drag you to deep water and choke you out.” (26:33)
• Developing a program around adaptability—winning both on the ground and through the air, deploying multiple personnel/tight end sets.
• Handling adversity—"strength in numbers," next man up.
• Leadership, tattoos, superstitions, sideline attire ("no rain gear"), and his direct, approachable coaching style.
• Stresses self-motivation: “Just the opportunity. It’s not about a person, just getting to do what I do every day.” (35:26)
• “Oregon sells itself—hour and a half from the coast, an hour to the mountains, focus on football without distractions.” (27:44)
• Lanning’s name isn’t getting brought up for other jobs—openly committed to Oregon and shares how he manages “the business of college football.”
• Interludes with cast’s comedic impressions and grilling about mascots, jawlines, and sideline rain gear.

7. Interview: Bo Nix, Denver Broncos QB (Former Oregon QB)

Starts ~40:08

• Drops in during Lanning’s segment; great rapport; “I’d run it back with Lanning any day.”
• Draft process: Nix details his bond with Sean Payton—felt instant connection, joined by QB coach Davis Webb for deep film sessions pre-draft.
• NFL transition: “Experience in college only helps. The NFL is its own challenge, but starting so much in college can only prepare you more.” (46:52)
• Broncos’ locker room: close-knit, young, unified; importance of defense, finishing close games.
• Takes on mobility in today's NFL: “Everyone has to move now… The days of the pure pocket passer are behind us.” (50:02)
• Pat: "My happiness comes from NFL football… You guys need to stop taking hits!" (50:02)
• On criticism and the "bunker mentality": “We know what it’s like to lose close games... This year we believe we can win them. We don’t get caught up in the outside noise.” (54:00)
• Predicts Oregon’s game: “Ducks win 31-17.” – Bo Nix (56:39)

8. College Football Picks, Rankings, and Playoff Talk

• Stanford Steve joins—breaks down Oregon vs. USC, Oklahoma vs. Missouri, and previews FCS rivalry (Montana St. vs. Montana).
• Debates college football playoff top 10; Alabama “getting penalized” for early-season losses.
• Eye test vs. resume—committee’s logic is ever-shifting.
• Stanford Steve makes the case for Notre Dame RB Jeremiah Love for Heisman—citing schedule, performance.
• Lane Kiffin rumors: humorous speculation about yoga classes, dribbling golf balls, and wild coaching carousel drama (Ole Miss, LSU, Florida).

9. NFL Week 12 Picks Segment

Starts ~108:36

• Pat and AJ run through every NFL Sunday/Monday game, giving picks with ad-libs and banter.
• Monitor line movement, injuries, and public betting history.
• Notable moments:
  • Lions after a loss “are a lock.”
  • Ongoing jokes about the Patriots, Steelers, and Colts.
  • AJ’s vote of confidence in his Packers; Pat takes Vikings.
  • Both skeptical of massive point spreads (Ravens, Seahawks, etc.).
  • Critics and memes recapped; Steelers “and the under” get the Stanford Steve stamp.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Pat (on Thursday night):
  “The Texans defense... number one in the entire NFL... They got dogs all over the field. Josh Allen sacked eight times, the most in his career... You get that defense with that crowd in a primetime game? That's going to be a weapon for sure.” (03:42–04:26)

• AJ Hawk (Texans D):
  “It looked like two Terminators coming out to kill people... If you get penetration, good luck." (09:42)

• Dan Lanning (Team identity):
  “We're a team that plays for each other. I hope you see love and connection... the kind of team that wants to drag you to deep water and choke you out.” (26:33)

• Bo Nix (NFL experience):
  “Playing as much as you can in college is only going to help a collegiate athlete... You learn from experience and see defenses over and over. It's not a bad thing." (46:52)

• Pat (Direct to new-gen QBs):
  “You need to stop taking hits... My happiness comes from NFL football, and you assholes... need to just—not be as alpha all the time, okay? Get your ass out of bounds, or get down.” (50:02)

• On Mascots:
  "There's nothing like sneaking a nutshot on a tailgating Bills fan." – Con Man (21:35)
  "Toro is doing pretty good. Saw him also have a great sign... 'How about Mills Mafia?' He was on it." – Pat (20:45)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp Start | Notable Features | |------------------------------- | :------------- | -------------------------------------- | | Opening, Eugene/Atmosphere | 00:00 | Football fog, GameDay preview | | TNF Recap, Texans vs. Bills | 00:19 | Betting talk, defense breakdown | | Mascot Madness | 19:51 | Toro's antics, Duck debating | | Dan Lanning Interview | 22:34 | Team identity, leadership questions | | Bo Nix Interview | 40:08 | Draft process, NFL transition | | College Football with Stanford Steve | 83:19 | Oregon-USC, CFP talk, Heisman debate | | NFL Week 12 Picks | 108:36 | Rapid-fire betting picks, banter |

Episode Highlights & Energy

• The show is a seamless blend of sharp, in-depth football talk and lighthearted antics (mascots, sideline banter, tattoo tales, jawline jokes).
• The roundtable is unfiltered—authentic football opinions, lots of crosstalk, and laugh-out-loud moments.
• Interviews with Dan Lanning and Bo Nix are raw, insightful, and fun, giving a rare view into program culture and the NFL/CFB intersection.
• Betting angles are woven through, with the crew referencing public action, line moves, and their own superstitions and intuitions.
• Stanford Steve’s FCS, CFP, and coaching carousel insights add a deeper layer for hardcore fans.

Summary Flow & Utility

For listeners who missed the episode:

• You get all the main football storylines of the week, plenty of context for Oregon-USC, and inside-the-helmet perspective on big NFL games.
• The show balances entertainment with expert analysis, highlighted by candid interviews with major CFB and NFL figures.
• The banter is accessible, and the genuine camaraderie between crew and guests makes it easy to follow key takeaways—especially which teams are trending, which coaches are real, and which mascots are worth bandwagoning.
• The picks segment leaves fans both better informed and thoroughly entertained.

If you want one sports podcast episode this football weekend, this is the one.

Key Quote for the Whole Episode:
"It's football season—let's all ball out." – Pat McAfee (58:49)