PMS 2.0 1630 - Watt Wednesday with JJ Watt, Jason McCourty, Pete Thamel, Everything DB with Darius Butler, In the Trenches with AQ Shipley, & AJ Hawk

Summary of PMS 2.0 1630 - Watt Wednesday with JJ Watt, Jason McCourty, Pete Thamel, Everything DB with Darius Butler, In the Trenches with AQ Shipley, & AJ Hawk

by Pat McAfee, ESPN

3h 30m•September 23, 2026
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Overview of PMS 2.0 1630 on ESPN

This episode was a wide-ranging Week 2 NFL conversation wrapped in the usual Pat McAfee chaos: J.J. Watt joined for Watt Wednesday ahead of the first NFL game in Brazil, the crew broke down the early-season identity of multiple teams, and the show leaned hard into film study with Darius Butler’s “Everything DB”, AQ Shipley’s “In the Trenches”, and a new “Shite Division” ranking for the league’s worst teams. The overarching theme was that the NFL is already delivering chaos, injuries, surprising defenses, and a lot of overreactions—some justified, some not.

Biggest NFL Takeaways

The league feels wide open already

  • The crew repeatedly emphasized that the NFL is a week-to-week league and that Week 2 showed how quickly narratives can flip.
  • Early offensive explosions cooled off in Week 2, and several teams are still trying to establish a real identity.
  • The biggest recurring lesson: depth, continuity, and coaching matter more than ever.

Quarterback health is already shaping the season

  • The show spent a lot of time on injuries and quarterback instability:
    • Caleb Williams left with a hamstring injury, and the crew debated whether his emotional reaction was more about pain or frustration.
    • Jackson Dart is now done for the season after knee surgery, crushing Giants momentum.
    • Kyler Murray vs. Carson Wentz was a major topic in Minnesota, where Wentz is 2-0 and Kyler’s role remains a long-term question.
    • The Giants also came up in trade speculation, with the crew discussing how hard it is to plug in a new QB midseason.

Some “bad” teams may be better than expected

  • The Atlanta Falcons were crowned the week’s worst team in the “Shite Division.”
  • The Dolphins and Chargers joined them, while the Bucs were added after losing to one of last week’s shite teams.
  • The Colts narrowly avoided the worst-tier label because their loss to the Chiefs was considered a moral victory.

Watt Wednesday with J.J. Watt

Brazil trip preview

  • J.J. Watt joined to preview the Ravens vs. Cowboys game in Brazil, which he’ll call for CBS with Jim Nantz.
  • He talked about:
    • The long travel and time-zone management
    • Rain concerns and field conditions
    • Staying in the hotel and avoiding risky travel
    • The idea of doing a red-eye, sleeping on the plane, and waking up ready to work
    • Food recommendations, including Brazilian steakhouse and picanha

Travel and broadcast life

  • J.J. said he’d be comfortable because CBS’s top booth travels well and has a good setup.
  • He also joked about bringing a portable fan, sound machine, eye mask, and magnesium to optimize sleep.

Ravens-Cowboys preview

  • The crew discussed how Derrick Henry should be heavily featured against a shaky Cowboys run defense.
  • They also broke down Dallas’ defensive issues, especially communication and stopping the run.
  • J.J. stressed that run game and defense travel, especially in international games.

Team and Player Storylines

Brock Purdy and the 49ers

  • Brock Purdy was repeatedly called the MVP through two weeks.
  • The offense has been absurdly efficient, and the crew loved how he has handled the system and made throws under pressure.
  • Devontae Adams was highlighted as a major weapon in the Rams offense, with the group praising the veteran QB/WR chemistry.

Josh Allen and the Bills

  • Josh Allen was described as an alien who keeps keeping Buffalo alive.
  • The Bills’ offense was praised for both passing and running game flexibility.
  • Their line was especially celebrated for dominating with repeated looks and heavy run schemes.

Seahawks momentum

  • Seattle’s receivers and offense, especially Jaxon Smith-Njigba, got major love.
  • The crew loved the Seahawks’ culture from Hard Knocks and praised their ability to execute in big moments.
  • Their defense also made key plays, especially on third down.

Bengals defense is legit

  • The Bengals were highlighted as one of the biggest early surprises.
  • The defensive makeover was credited to personnel additions and a more aggressive style.
  • They were specifically praised for shutting down the Texans’ run game and being fast, physical, and disruptive.

Patriots, Vikings, Rams, and Bills OL were top-five in pass/run game execution

  • The Patriots were praised for a gritty run-game plan and a strong showing up front.
  • The Vikings got credit for their run game and reinforcements on the offensive line.
  • The Rams were recognized for edge-capturing run blocks and strong zone concepts.
  • The Bills were crowned the best offensive line of Week 2.

“In the Trenches” with AQ Shipley

Top 5 offensive lines of Week 2

AQ Shipley broke down the week’s best offensive lines:

  1. Buffalo Bills

    • Repeated the same run looks and bullied defenses with duo concepts.
    • The line’s consistency and physicality stood out.

  2. Seattle Seahawks

    • Massive holes in the run game.
    • Fullback usage and split-zone concepts were huge.
    • The line kept winning at the point of attack.

  3. Los Angeles Rams

    • Great edge-setting and tight-end help in the run game.
    • The offensive line and run scheme were in sync.

  4. Minnesota Vikings

    • Strong run blocking, especially with Christian Darrisaw back.

  5. New England Patriots

    • Old-school, physical run game.
    • Strong buy-in from the whole offense, including fullback and tight-end usage.

O-line continuity matters

  • AQ and AJ Hawk talked about how good offensive lines depend on:
    • Continuity
    • Having quality backups
    • Playing guys at their actual positions
    • Avoiding constant reshuffling

Packers line concerns

  • AQ called out the Packers for too much rotating and moving players around the line.
  • He made the case that stability matters more than constantly trying to find the “perfect” five.

“Everything DB” with Darius Butler

Good D of the week

Darius Butler highlighted several defensive plays as examples of elite “good D”:

  • Browns vs. Baker Mayfield

    • Pre-snap disguise fooled Baker into a bad throw.
    • The Browns’ secondary and communication were praised.

  • Broncos vs. Jaguars

    • Riley Moss made a smart, athletic interception by sinking into coverage and reading Trevor Lawrence’s intent.

  • Devin Lloyd and the Jaguars

    • Butler praised Lloyd’s patience, range, and ability to force turnovers.
    • The discussion centered on how small quarterback windows are and how a slight hesitation can create an interception.

  • Seahawks vs. Patriots

    • Julian Love’s interception on Jacoby Brissett was called an absurd catch and a great example of QB pressure plus deep coverage discipline.

Key defensive themes

  • Pre-snap disguise matters.
  • Quarterbacks are often throwing to anticipation rather than open windows.
  • Good defense is about disguising, timing, leverage, and finishing the play.

The “Shite Division”

Week 2 shite teams

The show’s satirical relegation-style ranking featured:

  • Atlanta Falcons at the top of the “shite” list
  • Miami Dolphins
  • Los Angeles Chargers
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Special note on the Colts

  • Indianapolis got a pass this week thanks to their close loss to the Chiefs, which the crew kept calling a moral victory.

Why it works

  • The bit is modeled after soccer-style promotion/relegation.
  • The crew loved how the rankings force them to re-evaluate bad teams every week.

The “Situational Report” with Darius Butler

Third down = JSN time

Butler’s weekly film segment focused on Jaxon Smith-Njigba and why he’s dominating on third down.

  • JSN was shown winning from the slot and the outside.
  • The Cardinals were criticized for poor adjustments and bad leverage.
  • Drew Lock was praised for making strong throws under pressure.
  • The Seahawks’ third-down success was framed as a combination of:
    • Great receiver play
    • Good quarterback decision-making
    • Strong protection
    • Smart play-calling

The Universe Ball bit

A silly, superstitious moment

  • The crew shot various balls toward a hoop as a joke about avoiding injuries for the rest of the season.
  • The baseball going in was treated like a sign from the universe.
  • The segment was mostly comedy, but it fit the show’s ongoing theme of trying to protect quarterbacks and reduce injuries.

Closing notes

Community and milestone shoutout

  • The crew shouted out the audience and noted the show’s YouTube channel passed 3 million subscribers.
  • The chat got a big thank-you, and the hosts repeatedly credited the audience for the show’s growth.

Final vibe

  • The episode blended serious football analysis with trademark chaos, jokes, and self-awareness.
  • The main message: football is back, the league is unpredictable, and every week already matters.