A Rams Blame Game, Indy in Purgatory, the Pack’s Back, OJ’s Helper, Aikman Vs. Buck, the Slapper, and Guess the Lines With Cousin Sal

Summary of A Rams Blame Game, Indy in Purgatory, the Pack’s Back, OJ’s Helper, Aikman Vs. Buck, the Slapper, and Guess the Lines With Cousin Sal

by The Ringer

1h 59m•October 19, 2026
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Overview of The Bill Simmons Podcast with Cousin Sal

Bill Simmons and Cousin Sal spend most of this episode recapping a wild Week 6 in the NFL, with a heavy focus on the Cowboys’ ugly loss to the Packers, the mess in Indianapolis, the Jets’ ongoing dysfunction, and a few teams that may already be drifting toward “cross-off” status. They also work through the weekly “Guess the Lines” segment, hit on some NBA preseason chatter, and end with a very funny parent corner about grocery-store suspicion, aging parents and TV habits, and a dog-versus-coyote showdown.

Week 6 NFL Recap: Biggest Storylines

Cowboys get embarrassed by the Packers

  • Dallas’ offense was mocked as passive, shaky, and almost afraid to function.
  • Bill and Sal both hammered:
    • the Cowboys’ lack of pass rush,
    • bad offensive line play,
    • and the questionable roster-building around Jerry Jones.
  • The Packers were praised for:
    • strong cornerback play,
    • a revived pass rush,
    • and Jordan Love continuing to look like an MVP-caliber quarterback.

Colts lose a brutal one and the panic starts

  • Indianapolis’ loss to Tennessee became one of the episode’s biggest overreactions, but in a good way: both hosts were furious.
  • They ripped:
    • Daniel Jones’ play,
    • the pass protection,
    • the coaching,
    • and Chris Ballard’s long-term record as GM.
  • The crowd booing the GM was treated as a sign that the Colts may be nearing a full reset.

Jets vs. Patriots: another frustrating tease

  • The Jets were debated as a possible “cross-off” team.
  • Bill argued that the Jets actually outplayed New England in stretches, but still found ways to waste opportunities.
  • Sal pushed the case that New England deserved credit, especially with young QB Drake Maye playing well.
  • The conversation centered on how the Jets keep underachieving on both sides of the ball.

Rams collapse against Arizona

  • Sean McVay took a major beating in the discussion.
  • Bill and Sal both thought the Rams outplayed Arizona for much of the game and still lost it through:
    • bad clock management,
    • poor play-calling,
    • a disastrous special teams situation,
    • and late-game decision-making.
  • There was real concern about Matthew Stafford, who still flashes elite throws but is looking more inconsistent.

Texans and Jaguars deliver the best London game

  • The London matchup between Houston and Jacksonville was one of the day’s best games.
  • C.J. Stroud was praised for carrying the Texans’ offense.
  • Bill noted that the Texans still look like a playoff-caliber team despite the record.
  • Brian Thomas Jr. was mostly shut down, and Houston’s defense remains a concern.

Chiefs survive, Chargers remain a disaster

  • Kansas City did not look spectacular, but the Chiefs kept winning.
  • Justin Herbert and the Chargers got crushed again:
    • too many sacks,
    • too many giveaways,
    • too many stalled drives,
    • and almost no confidence in the offense.
  • The hosts joked that the Chargers have become unwatchable, and that someone may get fired soon.

Steelers, Bucs, Browns, and other weird outcomes

  • The Steelers’ comeback over Tampa was framed as another classic Steelers win over a team that should have had them.
  • Aaron Rodgers was praised for finishing better than he started.
  • The Browns’ ugly win over Baltimore was described as another “how did that happen?” game, with the usual Deshaun Watson criticism and a lot of jokes about the team somehow being 4–2 despite bad metrics.
  • The Saints-Giants comeback was a surprise burst of life from New York, with the implication that the Giants may have found their next QB answer.
  • The Bears were highlighted for a strong Caleb Williams performance.
  • The Panthers were viewed more positively than their record suggests, while the Eagles were criticized for another inconsistent, sloppy game.

Betting, Cross-Offs, and “Guess the Lines”

Cross-off list debate

  • The show revisits the recurring “cross-off” idea: teams that are already fading from relevance.
  • The main candidates discussed were:
    • Jets
    • Colts
    • Eagles
    • Buccaneers
  • Indianapolis drew the strongest “cross-off” energy after the Tennessee loss, but Sal pushed back and made a case for the Jets being the more obvious dead-end team.

“Guess the Lines” highlights

  • The segment covered a full slate of Week 7 NFL lines.
  • A few of the notable takes:
    • Bears looked underpriced early.
    • Steelers-Saints in Paris was treated as a strange neutral-site game with little confidence in the Saints.
    • Vikings-Colts and Texans-Giants were discussed as likely teasing spots.
    • Rams-Raiders, Panthers-Bucs, and Bengals-Ravens all got detailed treatment.
  • The overall vibe: Bill felt the books were still underrating or overreacting to several teams, and Sal was constantly trying to find value in ugly matchups.

Non-NFL Topics and Media Tangents

Aikman vs. Buck / announcer drama

  • Bill and Sal riffed on the idea that Troy Aikman may be on the outs at ESPN.
  • They debated whether Joe Buck and Aikman are still a great combo and who would replace whom in the booth.
  • There was also a funny hypothetical about Sean McVay vs. Aikman in a “cage match” for a broadcast chair.

Jason Garrett is now “the Slapper”

  • A listener email joked that Jason Garrett’s best role is no longer “the Clapper,” but “the Slapper” — the guy who just slaps the desk and agrees with whoever is talking.
  • Bill liked the bit and kept the joke alive.

O.J. Simpson discussion

  • The episode briefly detoured into a discussion of an O.J. Simpson piece and the possibility that he had help disposing of evidence.
  • Bill treated it as one more bizarre chapter in a story that never really dies.

Parent Corner

Bill’s son gets accused of shoplifting

  • Bill told a story about his son being accused of shoplifting at a grocery store.
  • The funniest part was the description of how he looked:
    • Hawaiian shirt,
    • bright sunglasses,
    • giant school bag,
    • and an overall suspicious vibe.
  • The kid was eventually cleared, but Bill’s takeaway was basically: help yourself out by not looking like a walking suspect.

Bill’s dad and the procedural TV marathon

  • Bill’s father visited and binge-watched hours of network procedurals:
    • the Chicago shows,
    • FBI-related shows,
    • NCIS,
    • Law & Order,
    • and more.
  • Bill noted that his father’s TV tastes have drifted toward the comfort-food end of the spectrum, which made him wonder whether that same shift is coming for him.

Murph the dog vs. the coyote

  • Bill also shared a story about his dog Murph, who once actually ran at a coyote in the backyard.
  • The joke was that Murph is now permanently on alert and still suspicious of coyotes.
  • It was a classic Bill anecdote: part family story, part absurd animal showdown.

Main Takeaways

  • Week 6 was a chaos-heavy NFL slate with several teams looking either fraudulent or on the brink.
  • The Cowboys, Colts, Jets, Rams, Chargers, and a few others all got roasted for different reasons.
  • The Packers and Chiefs were treated as legitimate contenders.
  • C.J. Stroud and Caleb Williams were among the week’s brighter QB spots.
  • The episode balanced football analysis with the usual Bill-and-Sal mix of betting, broadcasting gossip, family stories, and random comedy detours.