Overview of Pardon My Take
This episode of Pardon My Take is a classic Friday mix of NFL Week 6 picks and preview, playoff baseball celebration, and a long interview with Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. The crew opens with the Milwaukee Brewers sweeping the Dodgers to reach their first World Series since 1982, then pivots into ugly Thursday Night Football, Jalen Hurts’ blood clot diagnosis, college football playoff expansion backlash, and a full slate of game previews. Florio adds league-wide context on injuries, scandals, broadcasting rumors, and why he thinks the NFL remains as dysfunctional as ever.
Biggest Sports Headlines
Brewers eliminate the Dodgers
- The Brewers swept Los Angeles to advance to the World Series for the first time in 43 years.
- The crew praised Milwaukee’s:
- discipline at the plate
- bullpen depth
- analytics-driven front office
- “do everything right” style of play
- Jake Bauers was singled out as the series MVP for huge, momentum-changing at-bats against top Dodgers pitching.
- The Dodgers were criticized for looking flat, joyless, and not fully embracing the moment.
Broncos beat Seahawks in an ugly Thursday night game
- Denver won despite poor quarterback play from both sides.
- Key takeaway: Bo Nix looked bad, and the Broncos’ offense could barely move the ball.
- Sam Darnold was also poor, especially with bad throws in key moments.
- The Broncos’ defense was credited with carrying the game:
- 5 sacks
- strong interior pressure
- excellent tackling
- The crew joked that Denver won despite the offense, not because of it.
Jalen Hurts injury update
- Hurts was revealed to have a blood clot, and Tanner McKee is expected to start if Hurts misses time.
- The crew emphasized that this is a serious medical issue first, football issue second.
- They also discussed how weird the injury reporting process is and how much the public doesn’t know until after the fact.
NFL Week 6 Preview: Main Themes
The Eagles without Hurts
- The Eagles’ offense suddenly becomes much shakier without Hurts.
- The panel expects the defense to keep Philly competitive, but the offense is a major concern.
- There was a lot of talk about the Eagles’ roller-coaster quarters:
- great 2nd quarter
- poor 3rd and 4th quarters
- The crew debated the controversial kickoff decision at the end of last week’s game and partially walked back how harsh they were on Nick Sirianni.
Bears vs. Falcons
- A very nervous Bears segment centered on Caleb Williams’ health.
- The Bears need Caleb back to have any hope of playing their style of football.
- The defense is not as strong as last year, and the group worries Atlanta could run all over Chicago.
Ravens vs. Browns
- They liked the Browns as a classic “weird Cleveland game” team.
- There was discussion of the Browns’ defense, the Ravens’ talent, and how division games in Cleveland often get strange.
- The Browns were viewed as a possible cover, especially at home.
Titans, Colts, Jets, Patriots, Saints, Giants, Panthers, Steelers, Bucs, Chargers, Chiefs, Bills, Raiders, Cowboys, Packers
- The episode moved game-by-game through the slate.
- Main recurring ideas:
- Colts = a “grocery stick” team, good enough to beat bad teams and lose to good ones.
- Titans = disastrous, with Cam Ward struggling and Robert Saleh defending a broken situation.
- Jets-Patriots = lots of numbers supporting New England’s improved defense.
- Giants-Saints = Jameis Winston generated lots of optimism and jokes.
- Panthers-Eagles = everyone wanted to see Saquon and A.J. Brown statuses before locking in a pick.
- Steelers-Bucs = low-confidence, low-total game.
- Chargers-Chiefs = the crew sees this as desperation time for Los Angeles.
- Bills-Raiders = the Raiders need to show they can beat a real team.
- Cowboys-Packers = the over felt like the clearest angle.
Mike Florio Interview Highlights
25 years of PFT
- Florio is celebrating 25 years of ProFootballTalk.
- He explained that the site started as a small, cheap hobby project and survived because he kept grinding.
- He joked that if the horse dies, he’ll either fall off or die on top of it.
League dysfunction, injuries, and NFL secrecy
- Florio emphasized that the NFL still operates with a lot of hidden information, especially around injuries.
- He discussed the Sunday Ticket blackout issue and said fans are still being shortchanged despite paying for access.
- He also argued that if the NFL were more transparent, bettors and fans would have a fairer picture.
Tyreek Hill, Josh Jacobs, and league discipline
- Florio said Tyreek Hill’s situation is too messy for a simple football comeback right now.
- He also explained why Josh Jacobs’ off-field legal situation could keep him sidelined until the league sees more information.
- The key point: the NFL hates uncertainty, especially with conduct policy issues.
Broadcast booth predictions
- Florio was asked, “gun to your head” style, about future broadcasting moves.
- His biggest calls:
- Travis Kelce is a strong candidate to join a top broadcast booth
- Tony Romo may have called his last NFL game in the top booth
- Sean McVay could eventually move into TV if he ever leaves coaching
- He sees a lot of future movement in the booth landscape as CBS, ESPN, and Amazon all compete.
Vikings, 49ers, and Brian Flores
- Florio thinks the 49ers are excellent but vulnerable if injuries keep piling up.
- He also gave the classic tortured-Vikings prediction:
- Minnesota can win the division
- maybe the No. 1 seed
- and then still find a heartbreaking way to lose in the NFC title game
- On Brian Flores, he suggested the ongoing lawsuit makes an NFL head-coaching return unlikely in the near term.
Titans and bad ownership
- Florio blamed NFL chaos on ownership dysfunction.
- He said bad organizations do bad things, and Tennessee fits that pattern.
- He used the Titans, Browns, Cardinals, Jets, and Dolphins as examples of teams where ownership instability infects everything.
Non-Football Bits and Running Jokes
College football expansion backlash
- The crew ripped the move to a 24-team playoff, calling it another money grab that weakens the regular season.
- They argued the sport is being “ruined” by constant expansion.
- They floated the idea of stronger non-conference scheduling as the only possible silver lining.
The Glenn parody segment
- There was an extended Glenn-style rant mocking bad clock management, hot-take culture, and self-important football commentary.
- It was intentionally absurd and ran as a long parody bit.
Fire fest of the week
- PFT’s was losing his wallet.
- Max complained about:
- phone battery degradation
- too many apps
- beard dandruff on a black shirt
- Zach’s fire fest was thinking there was a bat in his apartment and spiraling for hours.
- Memes’ complaint was about “pocket watching” and being asked to care too much about others’ money.
Notable Picks Mentioned
- The crew made their usual Friday picks, with several notable lean-ins:
- Chargers +8.5
- Rams/Cardinals over
- Browns +5.5
- Cowboys/Packers over
- Commanders +7.5
- Bills/Raiders under
- A few picks were tied to injury reports and late-week availability, especially for the Eagles and Bears.
Bottom Line
This episode was equal parts football breakdown, league gossip, and classic PMT chaos. The biggest real-world takeaways were the Brewers’ World Series run, concern over Jalen Hurts’ health, and the ugly truth about how much the NFL still hides from fans. Florio’s interview was especially strong for anyone who wants league-business context behind the week’s biggest stories.