PMS 2.0 1450 - Watt Wednesday, Matthew and Brady Tkachuk, In the Trenches with AQ Shipley, Everything DB with Darius Butler, Stanford Steve, & AJ Hawk

Summary of PMS 2.0 1450 - Watt Wednesday, Matthew and Brady Tkachuk, In the Trenches with AQ Shipley, Everything DB with Darius Butler, Stanford Steve, & AJ Hawk

by Pat McAfee, ESPN

3h 52m•November 12, 2025
Listen to Episode

Overview of PMS 2.0 1450 - Watt Wednesday, Matthew and Brady Tkachuk, In the Trenches with AQ Shipley, Everything DB with Darius Butler, Stanford Steve, & AJ Hawk

Pat McAfee’s PMS 2.0 (episode 1450) — aired Wednesday, Nov 12, 2025 — is a wide-ranging, fast-paced show covering Veterans Day at Parris Island, major NFL and college-football news, hockey/entertainment announcements, and deep film-room breakdowns. Guests include AQ Shipley, AJ Hawk, J.J. Watt, Stanford Steve, Matthew & Brady Kachuk (promo for their new podcast “Wingmen”), Darius Butler and many ESPN voices. The show mixes breaking headlines (Giants coaching changes, starting QBs, Joe Burrow’s return window), CFP bracket analysis, in-depth Xs & Os, and human-interest moments from Veterans Day.

Guests & segments (quick reference)

  • Opening: Pat’s recap of Veterans Day broadcast from Parris Island (special tributes, military presence, VIPs).
  • Guest highlights:
    • AQ Shipley — in-studio NFL/line trenches analysis and “In the Trenches” segment.
    • Matthew & Brady Kachuk — announce new podcast “Wingmen” (debut Nov 13; weekly Wednesday episodes).
    • J.J. Watt — guest and contributor; film-room/guest commentary.
    • Stanford Steve — college football/CFP discussion.
    • AJ Hawk — college/NFL perspective.
    • Darius Butler — “Everything DB” film breakdowns (good D / bad D).
  • Other contributors: Hembo, Ty, Conman, Tone, and regular McAfee crew commentary.

Major NFL news covered

  • Brian Daboll (NY Giants) fired — strong discussion about whether Daboll could move to a college job (Penn State frequently mentioned because of a photo of Daboll in a Penn State hoodie and family ties).
    • Guests debated Daboll’s fit at Penn State: pros (offensive track record under Saban/Belichick trees, quarterback development), cons (NFL record, NIL/recruiting questions).
  • New York Giants expected to start Jameis Winston vs. Packers (breaking by Schefter/Jordan Raanan). Reactions mixed: entertainment value, competitiveness, chemistry with interim staff.
  • Joe Burrow — Bengals opened his designated-to-return window from IR; talk about whether to activate him given offensive-line and defensive struggles and turf-toe concerns.
  • Bengals defense historically poor (points allowed), roster/strategy criticism.
  • Travis Hunter (Jaguars) — rookie put on IR with LCL injury; debate about two-way usage and long-term plan (focus on WR vs. CB).
  • Jared Goff & Lions drama — fights, NFL discipline (Deron Payne suspended), social media controversies (NFL Films clip backlash).
  • J.J. Watt contributed commentary and reactions to multiple storylines.
  • Other notes: Jared Goff interview anecdotes, Bengals/Browns updates, and general NFL roster/coach churn.

College football / CFP coverage (key points)

  • CFP projected 12-team bracket (committee’s newest ranking discussed):
    • Top 5 unchanged: Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M, Alabama, Georgia (as presented).
    • Texas Tech jumped Ole Miss after their BYU upset; Oregon/Notre Dame moved up; BYU dropped.
    • Miami is listed in the projected 12 (as ACC slot) despite a difficult path to an ACC championship — committee effectively treated them as ACC champion for projection purposes.
  • Crucial upcoming weekends: major games that could reshuffle the bracket — Texas vs. Georgia, Oklahoma/Bama, and others; committee scenarios could create controversy (conference champions vs. at-large slots).
  • Heavy talk on coaching openings: Daboll linked to Penn State in conversation; LSU/Florida coaching searches also mentioned.
  • Stanford Steve, AJ Hawk and others emphasized the importance of the final weeks and how late losses/wins dramatically reshape the field.

Hockey & entertainment

  • Matthew & Brady Kachuk announced a new podcast “Wingmen” (Wave Sports & Entertainment) — debuting Nov 13, weekly Wednesday episodes. Discussion included:
    • Their motivation: longtime FaceTimes turned into paid podcast; desire to grow hockey’s audience and personality-access.
    • Topics: hockey culture, Olympics, personal stories (both played for Team USA in recent events), Matt’s recovery and return timeline.
  • NHL culture notes: debates about revealing player personalities, toughness anecdotes (Zdeno Chara story), and positive spin about hockey’s accessibility.
  • Wave/“Wingmen” seen as a growth tool for hockey content.

In the Trenches — AQ Shipley (film-room takeaways)

AQ’s film breakdowns focused on recent NFL tape and defensive/offensive line play:

  • Defensive coaching praise: Mike Macdonald (Seahawks) called a “madman” for imaginative pressure packages — confusion for OLs, disguised rushes.
  • DeMarcus Lawrence (Seahawks?) and timely defensive punches — examples of pressure creating turnovers/TDs.
  • Top-performing offensive lines (week 10 highlights):
    • Colts — strong run game (Jonathan Taylor big plays), combo/power blocking (Quenton Nelson, Mo Alie-Cox highlighted).
    • Lions — zone/trap efficiency (Laporta, Gibbs big game).
    • Seahawks — OL and fullback re-integration (Olu, rookie Zabel impact).
    • Patriots and Bears also mentioned for steps forward.
  • Tyler Warren (Colts) singled out as a game-changer (Rookie-of-the-year conversation) — big catches, physicality, and impact as a secondary blocker/fullback package.

Everything DB — Darius Butler (defensive film highlights)

  • Key turnovers and coverage plays:
    • Emmanuel Forbes tipped/PD on a Mac Jones attempt vs Rams — timely ball disruption.
    • Marlon Humphrey’s interception vs Vikings — textbook coverage, staying over top on Justin Jefferson and making the play.
    • Derrick Stingley Jr. undercut PBU — physical, confident playmaking at corner.
    • Rashid Shaheed and WR playmaking — route-running, body control and finishing at the catch point.
  • Themes: technique, ball awareness, finishing through the catch, and importance of effort after turnovers.

Notable human-interest moments & show flavor

  • Veterans Day at Parris Island: show recapped being onsite for the Marines’ ceremonies, emotional scenes (We Make Marines sign, Iwo Jima statue), accolades for military, and logistical notes on booking the broadcast with top sports commissioners and a surprise presidential call-in (content drew both praise and controversy).
  • Pat’s recurring sign-off: “Be a friend — tell a friend something nice. It might change their life.”
  • Kachuk brothers: personal takes on Olympics and representing Team USA; Matt recovering/injury status; brothers’ chemistry and plans for “Wingmen.”
  • J.J. Watt and AJ Hawk contributed both color and Xs & Os energy; mutual appreciation for troops expressed.

Notable quotes & quick highlights

  • “Football is absolutely magical.” — Pat McAfee (tone-setting).
  • AQ on Macdonald: “This guy is a madman” — praise for defensive creativity.
  • On Brian Daboll to Penn State: several guests called it a potential “home run” hire given his offensive pedigree.
  • On Jameis Winston start: “Electrifying — you’ll at least have an interesting post-game.” — guests on entertainment value.
  • Travis Hunter injury note: consensus that his long-term future is extremely promising, but two-way NFL duties are a massive challenge — many advised focusing one side (offense) long-term.

Action items / what to watch next

  • College football weekend — critical games that could re-order CFP:
    • Texas vs Georgia, Oklahoma vs Alabama, Notre Dame @ Pitt, Texas Tech remaining schedule (UCF, West Virginia) — any upset will ripple through bracket.
  • NFL:
    • Giants @ Packers (Jameis Winston starting) — watch for offensive sparks / locker-room energy.
    • Bengals — monitor Joe Burrow’s activation window and whether ownership opts to play him given OL/defensive limitations.
    • Travis Hunter — follow recovery and whether he transitions to single-side focus.
    • Lions @ Eagles Sunday night — benchmarks for Dan Campbell calling plays vs. Ben Johnson, and Dan’s new play-calling experiments.
  • Hockey: Wingmen podcast (Matthew & Brady Kachuk) — debut Nov 13; Olympics talk (U.S. interest/high excitement).
  • Film-room follow-ups: rewatch AQ Shipley’s OL/DL breakdowns for teams mentioned (Colts, Seahawks, Patriots, Lions).

If you want a one-line TL;DR:

  • Major NFL shakeups (Daboll fired; Jameis starting; Burrow return window), CFP bracket movement (Texas Tech jump, Miami slotted), Travis Hunter’s rookie season cut short by LCL injury, new Kachuk “Wingmen” podcast debuts tomorrow, and detailed film-room analysis from AQ Shipley and Darius Butler on which lines and DBs are impacting games now.