Overview of Pardon My Take — NFL Week 5 Picks, Baseball Playoffs, Anthony Rizzo, and Fyre Fest
This episode mixed a full Week 5 NFL preview with reactions to the Buccaneers getting their first win, a deep dive into the MLB postseason, a strong interview with Anthony Rizzo ahead of the Chicago Marathon, and the return of Fyre Fest of the Week. The biggest themes were the Cowboys’ defensive collapse, belief in the Bears and Jaguars as rising teams, and a lot of October baseball talk centered on the Dodgers, Brewers, Rays, Yankees, and the White Sox/Guardians series.
NFL Recap: Buccaneers Beat the Cowboys, and the Cowboys’ Defense Is a Problem
The show opened with a long breakdown of the Bucs’ Thursday night win over the Cowboys.
Key takeaways
- Tampa Bay got its first win of the season, and the hosts felt that the season suddenly has life again.
- The Bucs’ backup QB played well enough to keep the offense moving:
- quick release
- no turnovers
- smart, efficient decision-making
- Bucky Irving was a major difference-maker with explosive runs and nonstop effort.
- The Cowboys defense was heavily criticized:
- bad tackling
- poor angles
- inability to get off the field
- bottom-of-the-league-level run defense
- Dak Prescott had a bad game compared with his early-season MVP-level play.
Coaching and game-management notes
- Todd Bowles was praised and mocked at the same time for his classic indecision on fourth down.
- The crew repeatedly joked that Bowles looks like he’s doing math in his head and then hoping someone else tells him what to do.
- The Cowboys’ loss also led to survivor-pool pain for Hank and others.
Playoff Baseball: Dodgers, Brewers, Rays, Yankees, and More
The baseball segment was a big part of the show, with the crew discussing multiple playoff series and team-building philosophies.
Yankees and Rays
- The Yankees were called “a joke” after another sloppy postseason performance.
- The crew said the Yankees keep cycling through the same flaws:
- bad defense
- errors in big moments
- no real roster change even after repeated October failures
- The Rays were praised for doing a lot with very little:
- strong coaching
- smart organizational structure
- disciplined, pressure-heavy baseball
Dodgers and Braves
- The Dodgers were described as unstoppable in October because their lineup keeps producing clutch hits from top to bottom.
- The Braves were ripped for their offense, especially their inability to hit with runners in scoring position.
- One stat that stood out:
- Atlanta was 1-for-23 with runners in scoring position against the Dodgers in the series.
Brewers
- The Brewers were framed as one of the two best teams in baseball.
- Their brand:
- speed
- pressure on the bases
- strong bullpen
- clean defense
- The crew viewed Dodgers vs. Brewers as an elite NLCS matchup.
White Sox / Guardians
- That series was still alive and moving to a Game 5.
- The White Sox were praised for:
- great atmosphere
- blackout look at home
- strong team energy
- José Ramírez was singled out for finally showing up in the last two games.
- There was also a fun side note about Sam Antonacci getting hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
Anthony Rizzo Interview: Marathon Training, Cubs Memories, and Hitting Insights
Anthony Rizzo came in for a really good conversation.
Why he’s running the Chicago Marathon
- Rizzo explained that he decided to run the marathon for:
- the challenge
- charity/foundation fundraising
- the 10-year anniversary of the Cubs’ 2016 title
- He joked that one of the best parts of marathon training is being able to tell people you’re running one.
- He’s leaning into the “runner” identity now, even though it’s clearly not his natural habitat.
Cubs memories and 2016
- He talked about:
- the weight of the Cubs’ “curse” narrative
- the moment it only really felt real to him after Rajai Davis’ home run
- how special the team chemistry was in 2016
- He said the 2016 team genuinely loved each other and spent tons of time together off the field.
- He also mentioned stories from the championship run that he hadn’t fully appreciated in the moment, like:
- Miguel Montero pinch-hitting after an epidural
- Mike Montgomery closing things out with curveballs despite never being a huge curveball guy
Hitting and pitching tips
Rizzo gave really good insight into how hitters think:
- Tipping pitches matters a lot
- He said hitters are constantly looking for tiny tells:
- glove positioning
- hand movement
- mouth movement
- body language
- He explained that great hitters are always making little daily tweaks.
- He estimated hitters make 50–70 small adjustments over the course of a season.
Other fun bits
- He talked about:
- having the Chicago Marathon bib number tied to his Cubs number
- the myth that former champions never pay for drinks
- his go-to Publix chicken tender sub order
- Max also chimed in on being hit by pitches, leading to a funny side conversation about baseball pain tolerance and plate discipline.
Week 5 NFL Preview and Picks
The crew went game by game through the Week 5 slate.
Best storyline games
- Eagles vs. Jaguars in London
- Max had fully swung back into believing in the Eagles, even with the team’s “soft rebuild” narrative.
- The Jaguars were praised as one of the league’s most legitimate teams.
- Bears vs. Packers
- A major rivalry game with a lot of confidence in the Bears’ offense, but some nervousness about the road environment.
- They liked the Bears’ coaching and offensive structure under Ben Johnson.
- Texans vs. Titans
- The Titans were viewed as a bummer.
- The Texans were expected to handle business.
- Bengals vs. Dolphins
- The Dolphins were treated as a “young, bad but improving” team.
- Miami’s defense and effort were noted as positives.
- Patriots vs. Raiders
- The Patriots’ Drake Maye stat was discussed: he’s never lost as a big favorite.
- The Raiders were labeled one of the more surprising teams.
- Colts vs. Steelers
- The Steelers were the side the crew liked more, largely because the Colts’ road spot after London felt messy.
- Giants vs. Commanders
- All eyes were on Jayden Daniels’ elbow injury and whether he could handle handoffs and hits.
- Broncos vs. Chargers
- Sean Payton is now back in the play-calling mix.
- The Chargers’ offensive line injuries were a major concern.
- Lions vs. Cardinals
- The Lions were viewed as explosive but still scary to back because of their awful defense.
- 49ers vs. Seahawks
- One of the best games of the weekend.
- The 49ers were seen as potentially elite, and Brock Purdy was entering MVP conversation.
Official pick highlights
- PFT: Rams -3, Chargers +3.5, Texans/Titans under, Falcons -3, Bengals/Dolphins under, Patriots -3.5
- Zach: Browns/Jets over, Eagles +7.5
- Memes: Bears -2.5, Browns/Jets under, Jaguars/Eagles under
- Parlay picks: George Kittle, RJ Harvey, Bijan Robinson
Fyre Fest of the Week
The closing segment was a pretty classic chaos dump.
Main complaints and bits
- PFT apologized for calling Chef Donnie a cheater at golf
- He said he regretted saying it and wanted to walk it back.
- Zach’s fire fest was his apartment/shower having strange water issues:
- water coming in from “up top”
- then a second leak from the right side
- very “someone else’s water in my shower” energy
- They also revisited the Glenn Tapewatch drama:
- Glenn posted another intense video
- took shots at Hank and PFT
- doubled down on the “tape never lies” bit
- The crew then drifted into more golf-rules discourse and regular-guy golf etiquette debates.
Bottom Line
This episode was a strong mix of:
- NFL reaction to a huge Bucs-Cowboys game
- baseball playoff analysis with real insight into October baseball
- a very good Anthony Rizzo interview
- and the usual blend of petty rivalries, running jokes, and internet-personality nonsense in Fyre Fest
The biggest football themes were:
- the Bucs may be back
- the Cowboys’ defense is a real problem
- the Bears, Jaguars, and 49ers are teams they increasingly trust
- and the Ravens without Lamar are a much different conversation than the Ravens with him