The Pat McAfee Show 2.0 Ep. 1461 — FIRST 15: NFL Week 13 Recap (Dec 1, 2025)

Episode Overview

Pat McAfee and his crew (A.J. Hawk, the Toxic Table, Tone Digs, Tony Pauline, and others) kick off the week with their signature “First 15” segment: fifteen minutes jam-packed with their top five storylines from NFL Week 13. The conversation is unpredictable, energetic, and peppered with serious breakdowns, fan frustration, wild stats, and plenty of signature McAfee banter. This Monday, the main focus is the unraveling of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the rise of AFC contenders, top catches, upset victories, and the state of the ultra-competitive AFC South.

Major Discussion Points

1. Steelers Meltdown: “The Jig is Up” (00:38–14:53)

- Theme: Fan Revolt & Franchise Stagnation

• Renegade Gets Booed: The Pittsburgh tradition of playing "Renegade" at home games is met with fan boos, signaling a low point for the franchise.

  • Quote: “They're booing Renegade in Pittsburgh… that's a time art tradition…The entire city goes crazy. Babies at McGee’s Women's Hospital...are standing up in their little things, doing the dance…That is what Pittsburgh's about.” — Pat McAfee (01:31)

• Steelers’ Second-Half Collapses: Steelers lose to top teams by double digits after leading at halftime. Fans are cold, frustrated, and plenty vocal.

• Unified Fan Frustration: Fans launch coordinated chants for firings, akin to the “Fire Canada” trend throughout the city and even at unrelated events.

  • Quote: “Once Yinzers find something they’re all unified upon and they’ve given up, they’re gonna let that be heard a lot.” — Pat McAfee (03:32)
  • Quote: “Nine years without a playoff win is absurd. Three playoff wins in thirteen years is absurd.” — EJ (05:25)

• Player/Coach Disconnect: Locker room issues—players not showing up to meetings, defenses running the same plays and getting exposed. Notable ex-players commenting on Steelers’ predictability.

• Debate on Tomlin: Respect for Coach Tomlin nationwide; but locally, voice grown stale. "Sometimes the voice just runs dry in the locker room." — EJ (05:45)

• Defensive Collapse: The tough, physical Steelers identity is lost—now run over by opposing offenses.

  • Quote: “You almost…gotta be embarrassed… you got TJ Watt, Cam Hayward, Jalen Ramsey, Patrick… hall of fame type names.” — Tony Pauline (08:49)

- Key Stats:

• Worst rushing margin at home since 1955 (+191 rush yards for Bills, vs PIT)
• 21 straight seasons without a losing record…but fans want playoff wins.
• Pittsburgh fans “sick of the winning season shit.”

- Memorable Moments/Tone:

• Pat’s blend of humor and real concern for “Yinzer” misery.
• Tone Digs not placing Steelers helmet on his desk (symbolically giving up).

2. AFC’s Domination: Rising Young Quarterbacks (14:53–18:18)

- Theme: Two 10-Win AFC Juggernauts

• Denver Broncos & Patriots Surge: Both teams sit atop AFC with 10 wins, Broncos as close-game kings.
• Bo Nix, Drake Maye, Caleb Williams: The future is now—rookie QBs posting wild records, major part of team success.
  • Quote: “Their defense is good enough to win them a Super Bowl.” — Conman (16:00)

- Key Stat: Bo Nix, Drake May, Caleb Williams are “26-1 in their last 9 weeks combined.”

3. Big Catches, Bad Days: Individual Brilliance, Team Losses (18:18–22:58)

- Theme: Highlight Catches in Losing Efforts

• Chiefs, Cowboys Debate: Chiefs lose despite Hollywood Brown’s highlight, Cowboys catch fire.
• OBJ, Puka Nacua, Burks: One-handed, prime-time grabs evoke OBJ-like flashbacks but can't flip results.
  • Quote: “If you're team loses, we don't care about the dance...” — Pat McAfee (19:02)
  • Memorable Play: Burks one-hander from Mariota, Puka Nacua’s circus catch.

4. Underdog Week: “The Dogs Were Barking” (22:58–30:29)

- Theme: Thanksgiving & Holiday Upsets; Parity is King

• 9–2 Against the Spread: First 11 games of the week, major upsets—7 underdogs won outright.

• Carolina Panthers Rise: Win again as big underdogs; defense making game-changing plays.

  • Quote: “It's any given Sunday in this league. …The NFL…when it comes to parity, we're right up there.” — Tony Pauline (23:22)

• Chicago Bears Thrash Eagles: Ben Johnson’s team runs wild, sets season records versus Philadelphia.

  • Quote: “Every time you look in the locker room… these people like each other. The culture… is a winning culture, right?” — Pat McAfee (27:30)

- Memorable Moment:

• Ben Johnson (Bears coach) rewards city with shirtless celebration, guaranteeing free hot dogs for Chicago.

- Wider Franchises Discussion:

• “Go get your coach”—Hard-ass, accountability-driven cultures with results, not just personality.
• Ownership boldness: Similarities to Patriots moving on from Belichick.

5. AFC South Chaos: It Just Means More (32:22–39:41)

- Theme: The Division Race is Wild, and the Colts Have Problems

• Titans Collapse; Vrabel’s Departure: “Could potentially be the worst team ever” — EJ (32:53)
• Analysis of Division Race: All teams still play key divisional games; Colts injury crisis, Texans surging.
• Pat Laments Colts’ Dramas: QB injury (fractured fibula), officiating woes, Texans always outperforming in Indy.
  • Quote: “I think you can...the yinzers are a group that will kill for you…flipside, we’re done with you, need you, you go ahead and take a walk…” — Pat McAfee (10:23)

- Ref Grievance: Angry segment on blown calls benefiting Texans vs. Colts.

• “This is a delay game...then we get a phantom defensive pass interference call…The ref is literally standing right behind it.” — Pat McAfee (35:01)

Injury Roundup with Adam Schefter (39:15–46:03)

- Daniel Jones’ Fibula: Hairline fracture, limiting his lateral movement and offensive design for the Colts.

• Quote: “Obviously he's full participant in practice. Obviously he's going to play, but obviously he's not going to play the same way...” — Adam Schefter (39:15)

- Sauce Gardner: Avoids Achilles, has calf injury—likely out at least a month.

- Amon-Ra St. Brown & Lions Injuries: High ankle sprain, pushing to play Thursday, but several key weapons (Laporta, Ragnow) are out.

- Justin Herbert: Undergoes surgery for broken left hand, intent on playing next Monday, unclear if ligaments are involved.

- Tone of Discussion: Mixture of medical detail and football “tough guy” culture.

• Quote re: Herbert: “That guy’s a warrior… He’s going to try to play next Monday night…” — Adam Schefter (45:23)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “They're booing Renegade in Pittsburgh... that's a time art tradition… That is what Pittsburgh's about.” — Pat McAfee (01:31)
• “Nine years without a playoff win is absurd. Three playoff wins in thirteen years is absurd.” — EJ (05:25)
• “They're a team that can beat you in any way on the offense and defensive side. 10, two, nine straight victories.” — Conman (16:00)
• “If you're team loses, we don't care about the dance...” — Pat McAfee (19:02)
• “It's any given Sunday in this league. …The NFL…when it comes to parity, we're right up there.” — Tony Pauline (23:22)
• “Every time you look in the locker room… these people like each other. The culture… is a winning culture, right?” — Pat McAfee (27:30)
• “I think you can...the yinzers are a group that will kill for you…flipside, we’re done with you, need you, you go ahead and take a walk.” — Pat McAfee (10:23)
• “That guy’s a warrior… He’s going to try to play next Monday night…” — Adam Schefter (45:23)

Segment Timestamps (MM:SS)

• [00:38] Headline #5: Steelers Meltdown & Renegade Booed
• [05:08] Fan Boiling Point & Locker Room Issues
• [08:49] Steelers Defensive Identity Lost
• [14:53] Headline #4: AFC’s 10-Win Teams (Broncos/Patriots)
• [19:02] Headline #3: Big Catches, Bad Days (OBJ, Puka, Burks, etc.)
• [22:58] Headline #2: Week of the Underdog — Upset City (Thanksgiving, Panthers, Bears)
• [27:30] Ben Johnson’s Bears Culture & Hot Dog Moment
• [32:22] Headline #1: AFC South Showdown — Colts’ Injury Nightmare
• [35:01] Ref Rant: Blown Calls in Colts-Texans
• [39:15] Injury Roundup w/ Adam Schefter (Jones, Sauce, St. Brown, Herbert, etc.)
• [45:23] Justin Herbert Update (Surgery, Warrior Mentality)

Character, Tone, & Energy

• Signature McAfee Blend: High-energy, irreverent, heartfelt, bringing laughter into deep fan pain.
• Pittsburgh Authentically Represented: Segment a therapy session for Steelers fans.
• Debates Are Passionate: “Yinzers” culture, locker room accountability, NFL parity, and the necessity of bold owner decisions.
• Playful Jabs: From one-handed catches to fake panther AI graphics and rants about referees—never a dull moment.

Listener Takeaway

Even if you missed the games, this episode delivers the emotional story of NFL Week 13: fan heartbreak in Pittsburgh, the exhilarating rise of underdog teams, the hope of young QBs, and unfiltered commentary on the game's biggest storylines. All with timestamps so you can revisit what matters most.