Overview of PMS 2.0 1657
Pat McAfee and AJ Hawk opened with a wide-ranging Week 8 NFL recap centered on the league’s chaos, unpredictability, and the few teams starting to establish identities. The episode blended game breakdowns, Adam Schefter’s trade-deadline reporting, Dan Orlovsky’s film-based analysis and Monday Night Football preview, and the usual mix of overreactions, humor, and chaos from the crew. The biggest themes were the rise of Pittsburgh, Denver, Detroit, Jacksonville, and New England, the collapse of the Colts/Cowboys/Chargers/Ravens situations, and the sense that college football and the NFL both feel wide open.
Biggest NFL Week 8 Takeaways
Steelers look like a real contender
- Pittsburgh beat Cleveland in a physical, intimidating win.
- The Steelers are:
- running the ball well,
- stopping the run at an elite level,
- and getting huge production from T.J. Watt and the defense.
- Aaron Rodgers looked comfortable and energized in Pittsburgh.
- The group repeatedly suggested the Steelers have the look of a serious January team.
Broncos keep finding ways to win
- Denver beat Kansas City in another dramatic one-score game.
- Bo Nix continues to be clutch late, with the crew calling him the league’s most reliable “late-game” quarterback right now.
- The Broncos’ defense came up huge at the goal line to seal the win.
- Denver’s ability to win close games has become a defining trait, even if it’s stressful to watch.
Patriots are no longer a joke
- New England’s win over Miami was framed as a major signal that the rebuild is ahead of schedule.
- Drake Maye was praised for his mobility, big-play ability, and late-game takeover.
- The Patriots were short-handed at receiver but still found explosive answers.
- AJ and the crew argued New England likely won’t be bad for the next decade-plus.
Lions’ offense is back, but the Jack Campbell injury stunned everyone
- Detroit beat Minnesota in a hard-fought win that looked like “old Lions” football again.
- Jahmyr Gibbs was the star offensively, and Jared Goff kept making high-level throws.
- The offensive line looked dominant in the fourth quarter.
- The mood turned serious after Jack Campbell’s scary injury.
- Schefter later reported Campbell was resting and recovering in a local hospital, with preliminary indications being positive.
- The crew emphasized how violent the sport is and how quickly routine contact can turn catastrophic.
Jaguars may be the real deal
- Jacksonville demolished Indianapolis.
- The Colts were described as flat, lifeless, and culturally broken.
- The Jags have now turned into one of the AFC’s most dangerous teams.
- Trevor Lawrence’s growth under Liam Coen got major praise.
Cardinals pulled off one of the wildest comebacks of the day
- Arizona came back on Dallas with Gardner Minshew at quarterback.
- Minshew’s “folklore” and chaos-factor were celebrated.
- The Cowboys’ collapse was used as another example of their broken culture.
- Arizona’s ability to keep fighting against the odds became a major talking point.
Bengals offense is outrageous
- Joe Burrow had a historic passing performance and looked nearly unstoppable.
- The panel agreed Cincinnati’s pass game is built to win shootouts.
- The Bengals were portrayed as the NFL’s most sustainable “pass-first” offensive model.
Falcons/Bucs was pure weather football
- Tampa won without completing a pass.
- The game was used as proof that the league still has room for old-school, run-heavy chaos.
- The crew repeatedly called it absurd and hilarious in equal measure.
Adam Schefter: Trade Deadline and Injury News
Jonathan Taylor and the Colts
- Schefter said all options are on the table for Jonathan Taylor.
- Other Colts names discussed as possible trade candidates:
- Josh Downs
- Grover Stewart
- After Indianapolis traded away other core players, Schefter said teams are calling and the Colts are listening.
- He stressed that nothing is final yet, but Indianapolis is clearly in a fluid, open-for-business phase.
Trade targets and potential fits
Schefter mentioned or discussed possible interest in:
- Jonathan Taylor — Packers, Vikings, Broncos, Seahawks among the teams checking in
- Breece Hall — logical fallback if Taylor moves elsewhere
- Brian Thomas Jr.
- Josh Sweat
- Khalil Mack
- Budda Baker
- Jadeveon Clowney
Quarterback situations
- Ravens: Schefter said Baltimore has to add a quarterback if Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley are unavailable.
- Vikings: he did not sound convinced that a QB trade is likely, but said Minnesota’s offense clearly needs a jolt.
- Kirk Cousins: Schefter said he does not expect a trade from the Raiders.
- Chargers: he said a reset is coming if things keep going sideways, though he doesn’t expect Jim Harbaugh to be the first name on the chopping block.
Eagles and Chargers hot-seat talk
- Schefter said the Chargers and Eagles are both under pressure after ugly stretches.
- He did not think Nick Sirianni or Harbaugh are immediate firings, but both situations are getting more uncomfortable by the week.
Dan Orlovsky’s Film-Study Breakdown
Dan joined for a long second-hour segment and gave detailed football analysis, especially on tonight’s Seahawks-Bears matchup and the state of the league.
Seahawks vs. Bears
- Dan likes Seattle at home.
- Key matchup:
- Chicago’s offense creates a lot of yards after the catch
- Seattle’s defense is elite at preventing YAC
- He noted:
- Seattle’s defense is one of the best in the NFL
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba is nearly impossible to cover
- Seattle wants to run the ball and use multiple tight ends
- He said the Bears can win if they control the spacing game, but Seattle has the better defensive structure.
Bo Nix and Denver
- Dan said Bo Nix is the NFL’s most clutch quarterback right now.
- He believes Nix is more of a reactor than a thinker, which helps in two-minute situations.
- He praised Sean Payton for:
- using a fullback,
- more 22 personnel,
- more four-by-one sets,
- and getting the offense back to last year’s best version.
- He also credited Denver’s defensive backs for winning the game on the goal line.
Ravens without Lamar
- Dan said Baltimore’s season is effectively over if Lamar Jackson misses significant time.
- He was skeptical about the roster and line play even if the Ravens add another quarterback.
- He said the situation is delicate because of Lamar’s injuries and contract implications.
Colts and Jaguars
- Dan said Jacksonville is a legit team and that Indianapolis’ collapse was as much about bad culture as bad play.
- He praised Liam Coen for unlocking Trevor Lawrence.
- He noted Lawrence’s confidence and aggression have changed the entire offense.
Bengals are sustainable
- Dan strongly defended Cincinnati’s pass-heavy style.
- He said the Burrow/Chase/Pass Catcher model is sustainable because:
- the offensive line is better than in past years,
- Burrow is getting the ball out quickly,
- and the pass-catching depth is elite.
- He called the Bengals’ passing game “teach tape.”
Vikings offense needs a structural fix
- Dan said Minnesota’s offense has been the worst drive-by-drive unit in football since Sam Darnold left.
- He argued the current quarterback situation does not fit Kevin O’Connell’s offense.
- His bigger point: the issue is not just one quarterback — the offense itself is not functioning at the level people expect.
Chiefs concerns
- Dan said Kansas City’s receiver production is too low to win another Super Bowl as currently constructed.
- His main concern: the passing game outside of RBs and TEs is not doing enough.
- He said the Chiefs likely need to add a real receiver at the deadline.
Monday Night Football Preview: Bears vs. Seahawks
What the crew liked
- Seattle is favored at home, and most of the panel leaned Seahawks.
- Concerns/advantages discussed:
- Seattle weather and noise
- the Seahawks’ defense
- Sam Darnold’s command
- Chicago’s explosive passing concepts
- Caleb Williams’ ability to create
Picks
- Dan Orlovsky: Seahawks
- AJ Hawk: Seahawks -3
- Boston Connor: Seahawks
- Ty Schmidt: Bears +3
- Tone: Seahawks
Other Major Sports Notes
College football
- The first CFP rankings were looming, and the crew repeatedly asked: “Who is actually great?”
- They noted:
- Miami is undefeated
- Indiana keeps winning in dramatic fashion
- South Carolina is surging
- Wake Forest is rolling
- The overall point: there is no clear dominant team yet.
WNBA and NBA
- The crew briefly celebrated the Golden State Valkyries winning the WNBA title.
- NBA talk centered on how strong the league looks even with injuries.
- Luka Dončić got a big shoutout for another ridiculous all-around game.
Notable Themes and Quotes
Repeated ideas
- “Football is absurd.”
- “Pound the rock” remains a major league-wide trend.
- One-score games are defining the season.
- No one really knows who the true Super Bowl favorites are yet.
Bigger football philosophy
- AJ and Dan both emphasized that:
- running the ball still matters,
- defensive line play still matters,
- and late-game execution often reveals what kind of team you really are.
Final Takeaway
Week 8 reinforced that the NFL feels more open than ever:
- Pittsburgh, Denver, Detroit, Jacksonville, New England, and Cincinnati all looked like teams trending upward.
- Indianapolis, Dallas, the Chargers, and Baltimore looked far more unstable.
- The trade deadline could reshape several teams, especially with rumors around Jonathan Taylor and other impact players.
- Monday night’s Bears-Seahawks game was framed as another major test in a season where the line between contender and pretender keeps changing every week.