NFL Week 8 Picks And Preview, The Brewers Win The WS, Bears Are All In + Robert Lewandowski In Studio

Summary of NFL Week 8 Picks And Preview, The Brewers Win The WS, Bears Are All In + Robert Lewandowski In Studio

by Barstool Sports

3h 7m•October 30, 2026
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Overview of Pardon My Take — NFL Week 8 Picks, Brewers’ World Series Win, Bears Trade for Jeffrey Simmons, and Robert Lewandowski

This episode covered a packed sports weekend: the Milwaukee Brewers winning their first World Series, the Bears going all-in with a blockbuster trade for Jeffrey Simmons, a full NFL Week 8 preview and picks segment, and a wide-ranging in-studio interview with soccer superstar Robert Lewandowski. The show also included reactions to Thursday Night Football, a few spicy NFL media/culture takes, and the weekly Halloween “Fire Fest” costume reveal.

Milwaukee Brewers Win Their First World Series

The opening segment celebrated the Brewers’ championship run, with the hosts calling them a wire-to-wire dominant team:

  • Finished with 103 regular-season wins and went 11-2 in the postseason
  • Allowed no more than four runs in any playoff game
  • The bullpen was praised as historically great, with a 1.38 ERA
  • The team’s style was described as relentless, aggressive, and mentally exhausting for opponents

Why the Brewers won

  • They forced mistakes by constantly putting pressure on defenses and pitchers
  • They were unusually deep, young, and balanced
  • The hosts highlighted how they played “the right way” and how hard they were to beat

Notable Brewers talk

  • Christian Yelich was singled out as a longtime face of the franchise and now a champion
  • William Contreras was praised as the World Series MVP
  • The hosts joked that the Brewers were also “cool” because of stories about players smoking cigarettes before games
  • Milwaukee fans were congratulated for finally getting their title after years of heartbreak

Bears Go All In for Jeffrey Simmons

The big NFL roster news was the Bears acquiring Jeffrey Simmons from the Titans in exchange for their 2026 and 2027 first-round picks.

The case for the move

  • Simmons is viewed as a top-tier interior defensive lineman
  • The Bears had a clear weakness in run defense, and Simmons instantly fixes it
  • Big Cat argued that the Bears would have spent first-round picks on defensive line help anyway
  • The trade fits the idea of going all-in while Caleb Williams is on his rookie deal

The skepticism

  • It’s expensive
  • The long-term value depends on whether the Bears turn this into a Super Bowl window
  • The hosts acknowledged the usual “fleeced” discourse but still liked the move

NFL Week 8 Preview and Picks

The episode spent a big chunk of time breaking down the Week 8 slate, with the hosts debating lines, matchups, and coaching tendencies.

Biggest games and takeaways

Ravens at Bills

  • Seen as the crown jewel of the week
  • Lamar Jackson was expected to play
  • The Ravens were described as a put-up-or-shut-up team in a loaded AFC
  • Buffalo’s offense was praised for scoring in bunches, but its defense remains vulnerable

Vikings at Lions

  • A big matchup of contrasting strengths
  • The Vikings’ defense is elite, but their offense has struggled
  • The Lions were expected to handle Brian Flores’ blitz-heavy approach better than most teams
  • The hosts referenced a past Christmas game where Minnesota’s defense totally overwhelmed Detroit

Titans at Bengals

  • The Titans’ Jeffrey Simmons trade was read as a sign they may be preparing to rebuild
  • The Bengals were expected to win comfortably
  • Cam Ward’s early career struggles were discussed, including a funny comparison to Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s stats

Jets at Raiders

  • Mentioned as a Geno Smith revenge game
  • The hosts debated whether the Jets or Raiders can still build a real winning culture
  • Aaron Glenn’s comments about how hard it is to call a defense and manage a game were discussed

Browns at Steelers

  • The Steelers were viewed as more legitimate than in recent years
  • Aaron Rodgers, DK Metcalf, and the offense were seen as improved
  • The Browns’ weird knack for narrow late wins was noted, but the Steelers were the pick

Falcons at Buccaneers

  • Baker Mayfield revenge angle
  • The hosts started to cool on Tampa because of Todd Bowles and inconsistency
  • The Falcons were viewed as a live underdog

Colts at Jaguars

  • Hank made the case for the Colts as a hungry-dog type pick
  • The hosts noted the Colts haven’t won in Jacksonville since 2014
  • The Jaguars were still seen as a solid, overlooked team off a bye

Patriots at Dolphins

  • The Patriots were expected to win, but Miami at home was still seen as tricky
  • Drake May’s recent improvement was emphasized
  • The Dolphins’ win last week made the spot less dangerous for New England

Chargers at Rams

  • The Chargers were called a bummer team
  • Their offense was criticized as nonfunctional
  • The Rams were favored, with Devante Adams’ injury timeline looking better than expected

Chiefs at Broncos

  • The biggest afternoon game
  • The Broncos were the favorite pick because of their defense and Bo Nix mobility
  • The hosts also had a long discussion about the Chiefs signing Justin Tucker, which they interpreted as both bizarre and strategic

Eagles at Commanders

  • The hosts agreed it was a weak Sunday Night Football matchup on paper
  • Jalen Hurts and Jayden Daniels were the only things keeping it interesting
  • There was a side discussion about whether the Eagles would ever consider firing Nick Sirianni if things keep going badly

Notable betting/pick themes

  • Several picks leaned toward overs in big-matchup games
  • The hosts consistently backed teams with strong defenses or obvious revenge angles
  • There was a recurring theme of “don’t overreact to one week, but also this team is who they are”

Thursday Night Football and NFL Culture Talk

The Packers-Panthers game sparked a bunch of side discussion:

  • Bryce Young was under heavy pressure and looked overwhelmed for stretches
  • Christian Watson leaving in an ambulance and then returning was described as straight-up WWE-like
  • Josh Jacobs’ handcuff celebration drew criticism because of his domestic violence arrest history
  • Billy Napier at Florida was called chaotic and deeply frustrating to watch

Bigger-picture NFL discussion

The crew also debated:

  • Player safety vs. the league adding more games
  • Whether 17 games is already too many
  • The possibility that the NFL keeps expanding into more days of the week, which the hosts don’t love

Robert Lewandowski Interview

The in-studio interview with Robert Lewandowski was a major highlight. He was upbeat, thoughtful, and surprisingly funny throughout.

Career highlights

  • He has scored 700+ senior goals
  • His favorite goal was the famous five goals in nine minutes game
  • He explained that he was so locked in during that game he barely processed what he had done afterward

Background and mindset

  • He talked about being a late bloomer compared to modern prospects
  • He opened up about losing his father at 16 and how that shaped his drive
  • He said he had to build his career without the kind of role models many young players get

What makes him different

  • He emphasized discipline, mentality, and staying humble
  • He said he doesn’t need external validation to know his own value
  • He talked about penalties as a test of mental strength more than technical ability

Life in Chicago and MLS

  • He said he loves Chicago, the people, and the city’s sports culture
  • He’s impressed by the fans and the amount of support he’s received
  • He said he wants to experience more Chicago sports, including Bulls and Blackhawks games
  • He views the Fire’s playoff push as the right moment to “be the man”

Fun bits from the interview

  • He said his wife, a karate champion, could absolutely kick his ass if needed
  • He discussed how he adapted to different languages and locker rooms across Europe
  • He said his favorite stadiums include Camp Nou, Allianz Arena, Santiago Bernabéu, and Warsaw’s national stadium
  • He clarified that his “dessert timing” comments were misunderstood in past media coverage

Fire Fest of the Week / Halloween Costumes

The episode ended with the annual costume bit, and the costumes were a mix of great and low-effort:

  • Memes won the bit for the day as Lord Farquaad
  • PFT dressed as Madison Beer / Justin Herbert
  • Max was a medieval pawn
  • Big Cat was The Flash
  • Hank was Korn
  • Zach was late/sick but back in the mix

Other funny bits

  • Jerry O’Connell submitted a chaotic Halloween-themed video, including “poop lettuce” jokes
  • There was a long-running joke about a UConn men’s basketball urinal that Big Cat bought for $4,000, supposedly used by Jim Calhoun and Dan Hurley
  • The crew debated whether it should be installed in the studio or whether that was a complete disaster waiting to happen

Bottom Line

This episode was a classic PMT mix of:

  • championship celebration
  • NFL betting and overreaction theater
  • a huge trade reaction
  • a genuinely strong guest interview
  • and the usual absurd side bits that turn into running jokes

The Brewers segment had the most emotional weight, the Bears trade had the biggest football implications, and the Lewandowski interview was the most substantive one-on-one conversation.