Overview of The Bill Simmons Podcast
Bill Simmons and Cousin Sal spent most of the episode breaking down a chaotic Week 7 in the NFL, where several supposed contenders looked shaky and a few surprise teams kept building momentum. They debated the Chiefs’ loss in Seattle, the Browns’ weirdly alive playoff case, the Ravens’ second-half meltdowns, the Jets being officially crossed off, and the Giants’ eye-opening win over Houston. Later, they hit “Guess the Lines,” reacted to the early NBA season, and closed with a very entertaining Parent Corner.
NFL Week 7 Takeaways
Chiefs, Seahawks, and the AFC picture
- The Chiefs’ loss to Seattle felt like the kind of normal-but-annoying regular-season outcome that still leaves Kansas City in a good place.
- Simmons and Sal both think Kansas City is still a playoff team, but they raised some concern about the offensive line and whether Denver can stay in the AFC West race.
- The broader AFC discussion centered on how open the conference feels beyond Buffalo and New England, with Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and Baltimore fighting for the remaining spots.
Browns: still alive in a weird way
- Cleveland’s schedule is so favorable that Simmons thinks they might really be a playoff contender.
- Deshaun Watson remains frustrating to watch overall, but he keeps producing late-game drives that make the Browns hard to dismiss.
- They joked that Watson is like a restaurant with bad appetizers and entrees but elite desserts.
Ravens: second-half collapse machine
- Baltimore’s loss to Cincinnati became another example of its alarming second-half issues.
- Simmons noted the Ravens’ repeated blown leads and questioned how many times Lamar Jackson can disappear for long stretches.
- Even with the collapse, he still isn’t fully ready to write Baltimore off because of their talent and the time they still have left.
Steelers, Bengals, and the “soft schedule” debate
- Pittsburgh continues to quietly bank wins, helped by a strong defense and a surprisingly workable Aaron Rodgers.
- Cincinnati’s win over Baltimore was framed as Joe Burrow “rope-a-doping” everyone after a rough first half.
- The two guys spent a lot of time on which of Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Baltimore they’d keep as playoff teams.
Vikings, Colts, and the J.J./Dart quarterback mess
- Minnesota beat Indianapolis, but the real issue was the odd situation around the Vikings’ QB decisions and the apparent emergence of a young quarterback elsewhere.
- Simmons argued that the Vikings’ “QB whisperer” reputation took a hit because their handling of the situation looks bad in retrospect.
- The Colts’ offense remains bland, and Daniel Jones was again a topic of skepticism despite Shane Steichen’s support.
Giants stun Houston
- The Giants’ win over the Texans was one of the most impressive results of the day.
- Simmons praised the Giants’ pass rush, their defensive effort, and the way they handled a talented Houston team.
- He also loved the way the Giants used their personnel, especially in the run game and on short-yardage situations.
- Jameis Winston, Tyron Tracy, and Cam Skattebo came up as part of the Giants’ chaotic but effective offensive identity.
- The win made the Giants look like a legitimate NFC East factor rather than a fluke.
Jets officially crossed off
- Simmons and Sal crossed the Jets off the list of teams they’re taking seriously.
- The reasons: poor late-game execution, no interceptions, and the sense that the team still doesn’t have a clear path forward.
- They also joked about Aaron Glenn’s optimism vs. the ugly reality of the results.
Lions-Packers, Rams-Raiders, Bucs-Panthers, Niners-Falcons
- Lions-Packers was one of the ugliest high-profile games of the day, with bad officiating, missed kicks, and a costly Dan Campbell fourth-down gamble.
- The Rams looked like a smart, well-balanced team against the Raiders, who continue to stumble.
- Tampa Bay crushed Carolina, and Baker Mayfield barely needed to throw to win.
- San Francisco’s loss to Atlanta was treated more like a weird blip than a warning sign.
Guess the Lines Highlights
Best games discussed
- Packers vs. Panthers: Simmons didn’t want to touch it.
- Broncos vs. Chiefs: Denver got respect, but Simmons still leaned Chiefs.
- Cowboys vs. Cardinals: Dallas was priced as a fairly solid favorite.
- Jets vs. Raiders: both hosts were low on both teams.
- Bengals vs. Titans: Cincinnati was expected to be a double-digit favorite.
- Patriots vs. Dolphins: a familiar trap-game feeling for New England.
- Ravens vs. Bills: viewed as one of the marquee games of the week.
- Eagles vs. Commanders: one of the tougher lines to pin down.
- Seahawks vs. Bears: a sneaky-good Monday night matchup, with both teams looking more credible than expected.
Season-long betting themes
- Simmons and Sal keep circling back to how weird the NFL season feels.
- There are a lot of teams they want to bet against, but not many they fully trust.
- Several lines reflected how hard it is to separate true contenders from paper contenders right now.
NBA Notes
Jalen Williams injury is a major Thunder blow
- The biggest basketball topic was Jalen Williams’ scary ankle injury in the Thunder game.
- Simmons compared it to the Gordon Hayward injury in terms of how much it could alter a season.
- He emphasized that Williams may not have been OKC’s best player, but he was probably their hardest player to replace.
- The injury meaningfully changes the Thunder’s title outlook and may force them to explore a trade.
Early-season overreactions
- Simmons pushed back on the usual early-season NBA panic.
- He said some takes are premature, especially so early in the year.
- He sees:
- Oklahoma City as still a top-tier team, even with the injury
- Houston as genuinely good
- Golden State as in real trouble
- Miami as bad, but not necessarily doomed
Knicks and other contenders
- Simmons said the Knicks are fine despite an 0-3 start.
- He doesn’t think the early-season struggles should be overread.
- He also noted that the league is deep and that a lot of teams are still finding their identities.
Parent Corner
Jack’s 5:25 a.m. Steelers ritual
- Cousin Sal told a great story about his son Jack waking up before dawn to bike to a Steelers bar in town to watch the game.
- Sal was annoyed at first, then realized Jack’s obsession with football probably came from him.
- The segment turned into a surprisingly sweet reflection on raising a sports fan.
The dog cake disaster
- Sal’s wife made the family dog Murph a birthday cake.
- Murph later left multiple poops in Sal’s office, leading to a full “nightmare on poop street” cleanup.
- The running joke was that the birthday cake may have triggered the whole mess.
Notable Announcements
- Simmons plugged the live Rewatchables episode for A Nightmare on Elm Street with Chris Ryan and Van Lathan.
- He also mentioned the show would be back live on Netflix after the upcoming Sunday night game.
Main Takeaways
- The NFL feels unusually wide open, with few teams inspiring full confidence.
- The Browns, Steelers, and even the Giants are lingering in the playoff conversation.
- The Ravens’ second-half issues are becoming a real storyline.
- The Jets are out.
- Jalen Williams’ injury could be one of the season’s defining NBA moments already.