Overview of Pardon My Take’s NFL Week 3 Recap
Barstool Sports’ Pardon My Take spent this episode recapping every major NFL Week 3 storyline, led by their trademark “Fastest 2 Minutes” bit and a deep dive into a wild Sunday slate. The big themes were Drake Maye’s turnover problems, the Jaguars blowing out the Patriots, the Commanders upsetting the Seahawks with Marcus Mariota, the Ravens surviving the Cowboys on a last-second field goal, and the continued chaos around teams like the Chargers, Texans, Bucs, and Dolphins. They also previewed Monday Night Football, touched on playoff baseball, and ended with their recurring “Who’s Back of the Week” segment.
Biggest NFL Takeaways
Drake Maye, the Patriots, and the “yips” conversation
- The most sustained segment of the show centered on Drake Maye’s rough start and whether he’s dealing with the yips.
- The hosts pointed out his extreme turnover issues and framed his play as a serious concern, not just bad luck.
- The Patriots’ offense was described as one of the worst in the league through three games, and they joked that Maye may need to “look in the mirror” and reset mentally.
- The Jaguars’ defense was credited for completely overwhelming New England, while Trevor Lawrence and Liam Coen were praised for a strong, efficient performance.
The Chargers remain the Chargers
- The Chargers losing to the Bills was treated as the clearest example of a team sabotaging itself.
- Even with Buffalo coughing up five turnovers, the Chargers still found ways to lose.
- The hosts repeatedly returned to the idea that the Chargers just keep “charging” in self-destructive fashion, no matter the regime.
The Commanders beat the Seahawks with Marcus Mariota
- Washington’s win over Seattle was framed as a big “streak-ending” victory.
- The hosts loved how the Commanders played opportunistic football, forced turnovers, and leaned on Marcus Mariota and a strong defense.
- There was a long discussion about whether the team looked more connected with Mariota than with Jaden Daniels, though they ultimately leaned toward Daniels still being the long-term guy.
- Sonny Styles and Washington’s defense drew strong praise.
Ravens-Cowboys delivered late-game chaos
- The Ravens’ win over Dallas in Brazil was one of the most dramatic games of the day.
- The Cowboys were criticized heavily for terrible clock management late in the game.
- Baltimore’s final drive, capped by a last-second field goal setup, was viewed as a classic Lamar-style escape.
- The hosts were especially annoyed that Dallas stopped the clock too early and left Baltimore too much time.
Other Game Recaps and Notes
AFC North brawl: Steelers over Bengals
- Pittsburgh’s offense looked much better than it had in recent weeks.
- Aaron Rodgers and Jalen Warren were praised for helping the Steelers start fast.
- Cincinnati was said to have lost the game largely because of special teams mistakes:
- roughing the kicker
- a muffed punt
- The Bengals’ defense didn’t look as sharp as in prior weeks, but the hosts still felt Cincinnati could have won if not for those mistakes.
Browns beat the Panthers
- Cleveland’s defense was a major talking point.
- The hosts liked how the Browns controlled the game and forced Carolina into difficult situations.
- They also discussed Deshaun Watson’s ability to manage the game and deliver late.
- A notable stat was that the Browns are now being discussed as a possible first-place team in the AFC North by tiebreaker/sequence logic.
Lions beat the Jets
- Jahmyr Gibbs was singled out as one of the most explosive players in football.
- The Jets’ defense was unable to tackle him, and Detroit continued its trend of putting up exactly 31 points.
- Geno Smith and the Jets’ passing game had some bright moments, but New York’s defense and special teams again fell apart late.
Texans-Colts and the “panic” level in Houston
- The Colts’ win over the Texans was described as ugly but important.
- Houston’s offense still looks stuck, even with a strong defense.
- The hosts said it may be time for the Texans to stop “fucking around” and start playing with urgency.
- They also discussed how hard it is to come back from an 0-3 start, even if the Texans have done it before.
Bills over Chargers
- Buffalo’s sloppy, turnover-filled game was a classic “Bills clunker.”
- Even so, Josh Allen and James Cook did enough late to win.
- The Chargers were once again described as a team that can’t get out of its own way.
- The hosts were not fans of Buffalo’s uniforms and joked they are not “point-scoring” uniforms.
49ers over Cardinals
- San Francisco’s offense was described as nearly perfect.
- Brock Purdy was praised for playing with elite-level confidence and rhythm.
- The 49ers’ offense had almost no negative plays, which impressed the hosts.
- Arizona’s young pieces were acknowledged, but the Cardinals were still treated as an incomplete team.
Vikings over Bucs
- Minnesota’s defense, led by Brian Flores, was described as ferocious.
- The Bucs’ offense was basically held in check all day, with the hosts saying Baker Mayfield was under constant pressure.
- Tampa Bay’s 0-3 start was called especially surprising.
- They noted that Todd Bowles jokingly pointed out the Bucs were only one game out of first despite the ugly start.
Raiders over Saints
- The Raiders were portrayed as one of the most fun surprises of the season so far.
- Geno Smith / Brock Bowers / the offense overall drew praise for being creative and dangerous.
- The Saints were criticized for collapsing in the fourth quarter with a series of turnovers.
- The hosts noted that Las Vegas has already matched last year’s win total.
Giants over Titans
- This was a low-scoring, ugly, weather-soaked game.
- Jameis Winston got the win and had classic Jameis-style quotes about “forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead.”
- The Titans’ offense, and especially Cam Ward, got dragged hard for being extremely sloppy and ineffective.
- The hosts suggested the Titans may need to seriously rethink their QB situation.
Dolphins-Chiefs
- Kansas City improved to 3-0 and looked like a true contender again.
- The Dolphins were more competitive than expected, but still not close to winning.
- The Chiefs’ ability to win while not playing their best was highlighted as a sign of how good they are.
- The hosts also emphasized how dangerous it is when Travis Kelce looks like his old self again.
Around the Sports World
Baseball and playoff talk
- The show briefly covered playoff baseball and noted that the postseason is arriving with multiple Barstool teams in the mix.
- They also talked about Justin Verlander’s farewell moment and Max Scherzer’s emotional ending to the regular season.
- The hosts enjoyed the old-school feel of those final starts and the idea of veteran pitchers getting one last moment.
“Who’s Back of the Week”
The closing segment covered a mix of returning stories and stars:
- USA / Team USA golf after a strong Presidents Cup showing
- Their internal home run leaderboard, with Hank finishing first
- Steph Curry staying with the Warriors
- Jalen Brunson hosting SNL
- Chet Holmgren bulking up in the offseason
- A broader vibe that the NBA and baseball storylines are warming up as football season takes over
Final Takeaway
This episode was a classic Pardon My Take NFL recap: part serious analysis, part chaos, part jokes. The clearest football takeaways were:
- Drake Maye is in real trouble
- The Chargers are still the Chargers
- The Commanders and Ravens delivered huge, dramatic wins
- The Chiefs, 49ers, and Raiders look legitimately dangerous
- The Texans, Bucs, and Dolphins are already in uncomfortable territory
They ended the episode looking ahead to Bears-Eagles on Monday Night Football, with a lot of concern, a lot of jokes, and the usual Barstool-style certainty that the NFL is already completely insane three weeks in.