Overview of PMS 2.0 1455 — Watt Wednesday (Pat McAfee, 11/19/2025)
This episode is a wide-ranging, fast-paced edition of Pat McAfee’s show focused on Week 11 NFL takeaways, college football coaching movement, and feature interviews. Major guests included AQ Shipley (In the Trenches), James Franklin (new Virginia Tech head coach), Jeremiah Love (Notre Dame RB), Darius Butler (Everything DB), AJ Hawk and J.J. Watt. Topics covered: Brock Purdy’s return and 49ers offense, NFL Week 11 film takeaways, the James Franklin Virginia Tech hire and early plans, Jeremiah Love’s character and Notre Dame role, CFP controversy, roughing-the-passer/ref consistency, NFLPA facility “report card” dispute, and AQ’s Top 5 offensive lines of Week 11.
Main segments & guests
- Opening/banter with the “Toxic Table,” Darius Butler and AQ Shipley joining.
- AQ Shipley — Week 11 film takeaways (Purdy, Trey Henderson, Josh Allen, Josh Allen/Josh Allen-related commentary, Josh Allen/Bills, Josh Allen historic day).
- James Franklin — long sit-down on becoming Virginia Tech head coach: staffing, transfer portal strategy, recruiting, expectations and timeline.
- Jeremiah Love — interview about his Notre Dame role, emotional growth, leadership, and on-field style.
- Darius Butler — Everything DB notes and defensive highlights from Week 11.
- AQ Shipley — “In the Trenches” Top 5 offensive lines of Week 11.
- AJ Hawk and J.J. Watt — NFL conversation (roughing the passer penalties, international NFL games, NFLPA/report-card debate).
- CFP committee / playoff ranking reaction and the new CFP promo video.
- Several recurring bits: pro-ads, humorous banter, and fan/pop-culture sidelights.
Key takeaways
NFL — Week 11 film/league takeaways
- Brock Purdy (San Francisco): Looks closer to fully healthy and in command; Purdy–Kittle connection restored. Shanahan’s scheme (shifts/motions, getting leverage) continues to amplify their offense.
- 49ers offense vs. Cardinals illustrated how motion and personnel (21/12/13 packages) create favorable matchups (Kittle, McCaffrey, Juszczyk).
- Josh Allen (Bills): Historic performance week — electrifying both as passer and rusher. Bills remain elite offensively but run-defense is a concern for deep playoff hopes.
- Chiefs: 5–5 at the moment; still dangerous but need a significant midseason run (speculation: must win 6 of 7).
- Patriots/Titans/Coaching churn: Discussion on Vrabel and organizational instability (and fan/internet overreaction to early-season records).
- Backup QB dynamics: Shedeur Sanders named starter for the Browns this week — highlights how difficult and fragile the backup-to-starter jump can be midseason.
- Roughing-the-passer penalties remain inconsistent; defenders, commentators, and former players (J.J. Watt, AJ Hawk) expressed frustration at unclear enforcement and how it affects tackling.
College Football & Coaching
- James Franklin to Virginia Tech: Franklin emphasized being aggressive from day one, balancing high-school recruiting with portal picks, evaluating staff and roster, and restoring culture. He highlighted the advantage of early hire timing and institutional investment.
- CFP committee controversy: New chair Hunter Jurczyk’s early explanation of rankings (e.g., Notre Dame vs Miami) prompted social-media backlash; hosts criticized lack of transparency and inconsistent messaging.
- CFP promo/12-to-1 song: The show reacted to an extended CFP promo video released that the hosts found surprising and entertaining.
Players & Interviews
- Jeremiah Love (Notre Dame RB): Candid interview about maturity, emotional growth, leadership, and his desire to “leave a legacy of greatness.” He emphasized team-first mentality and steady improvement; Notre Dame’s running-back room chemistry praised.
- On-field notes: Trey Hendon (Patriots) emerging with multiple TDs; Kyron Williams and Rams scheme adjustments; Miami’s offensive line and run game unexpectedly highlighted as Week 11 top performer.
Governance / Labor / Facilities
- NFL v. NFLPA “report cards”: League filed grievance over NFLPA’s player-voted facilities report cards — NFL wants voting transparency, while players and some hosts argued the reports are a needed public check on infrastructure and player treatment. Owners with poor grades pushed back; hosts argued for transparency and public pressure to spur improvements.
AQ Shipley — Top Week 11 film takeaways (high-level)
- Conductor Purdy: Purdy’s timing/placement and the Shanahan offense’s use of motion made the Niners dominant.
- Trey Hendon (Henderson?) breakout: showed situational awareness and red-zone savvy.
- Josh Allen: elite, near-historic performance; Bills offense still elite but defensive issues must be solved.
- Josh Allen / Bills vs. run defense issues: Bill’s run defense is a vulnerability despite explosive offense.
- Josh Allen vs. Rams: (Note: AQ’s segment covered many game clips and mechanics — heavy emphasis on scheme/leveraging motion.)
AQ Shipley — In the Trenches: Top 5 offensive lines (Week 11)
(Shipley’s ranked list and reasons)
- Miami Dolphins — scheme, consistent run-game execution, physicality across front, and use of versatile blocking concepts.
- Jacksonville Jaguars — powerful run-blocking and effective schemes to create lanes; cohesive unit.
- Los Angeles Rams — thoughtful scheme changes (13 personnel, tight end-as-fullback) that open multiple plays off one look.
- San Francisco 49ers — run-game excellence when healthy (McCaffrey inclusion, Shanahan scheme, Trent Williams impact).
- Baltimore Ravens — strong run game (Ricard’s return noted), creative use of blocks/wham concepts.
(Shipley emphasized that scheme and play-calling often magnify an O-line’s performance, not just raw talent.)
Darius Butler / Everything DB — Defensive highlights
- Chicago Bears: turnover machine — teams converting takeaways into points; the Bears’ takeaways and turnover margin are leading the league.
- Denver Broncos and Seattle/L.A. Rams both displayed strong pressure concepts and coverage punches; strip / interception plays calculated from pressure + coverage reads.
- Miami CB Jack Jones emerged in OT with a big play and is being appreciated for ball skills and film-study instincts.
James Franklin (Full interview — summary)
- Background: Franklin framed his Penn State tenure with pride; stressed learning experiences and success there.
- Early steps at Virginia Tech: arrived early to recruit, evaluate staff, and assess roster; plans to respect existing staff while assembling a staff that fits his system.
- Transfer portal approach: wants a balanced model — a core of high-school recruits plus strategic portal additions that can help immediately; warned against being portal-only.
- Timeline: aggressive day-one mentality, but realistic about need to assess roster and staff; aims to build long-term sustainable success.
- Culture & branding: excited about Enter Sandman atmosphere and the fan base; Franklin sees a strong institutional commitment and believes in building with resources Virginia Tech has committed.
Notable Franklin phrase: “We’re going to be aggressive from day one… we’re not going to put ceilings on who and what we can be.”
Jeremiah Love (Full interview — summary)
- Role & style: physical runner who’s focused, team-first; asked to lead the backfield and help inspire others.
- Mental/emotional evolution: said as a kid he felt less emotion; has matured, now experiences more and channels that in preparation and leadership.
- Legacy: wants to be remembered as someone who “never gave up,” inspired others, and competed for teammates.
- Film/skill notes: patient, explosive, capable of big home-run plays (cited long touchdown that helped Notre Dame’s championship run last year).
Notable Love phrase: “I want people to think of a guy who never gave up… played for my team… and inspired people through his play.”
Governance & officiating issues discussed
- Roughing-the-passer consistency: former defenders and players (J.J. Watt, AJ Hawk) criticized ambiguity and inconsistent calls; called “driving-the-quarterback” enforcement unclear and hard to officiate fairly.
- NFL/NFLPA report-card dispute: league grievance seeks voting transparency; hosts argued report cards served to force improvement and public accountability on facilities and player care.
- CFP Committee decisions: complaints about changing criteria week-to-week and lack of personable communication from chair led to fan outrage — hosts want clarity/transparency.
Notable quotes / lines
- James Franklin: “We’re going to be very aggressive from day one… we’re not going to put ceilings on who and what we can be.”
- AQ Shipley on Purdy: “Conductor Purdy — full steam ahead.”
- Jeremiah Love: “I want people to think of a guy who never gave up… I use losses as lessons.”
- J.J. Watt / AJ Hawk: frustrated summary on roughing-the-passer inconsistency — reflected a broader retired-player critique.
Action items / what to watch next
- Games to watch (as discussed/recommended): Chiefs vs. Colts (big test for Chiefs), Bills vs. Texans (tough matchup vs stout Texans defense), plus Thursday night’s matchup headlines. (Check local schedule for exact dates/times.)
- College watchlist: Virginia Tech under James Franklin (schemes/staff choices in offseason), Notre Dame & Jeremiah Love — physicality and Heisman buzz.
- Keep an eye on league governance: NFL/NFLPA report-card grievance developments; CFP committee communications and ranking transparency.
- Film study pointers (for viewers): watch Shanahan’s use of motion and 21/12 personnel; notice how teams use tight ends/fullbacks as mismatches in modern zone/run schemes.
Episode tone & extras
- Fast-moving, opinionated episode mixing film room analysis, heartfelt coach/player interviews, and hot-take culture pieces (CFP ranking drama, viral CFP video). Heavy use of clip breakdowns and studio banter — a blend of film nerding and entertainment.
- Recurring humor and in-studio bits (CFP song, pets, wardrobe jokes) round out the show.
If you want a deeper breakdown of any single segment (James Franklin interview, AQ’s film notes on a specific team, or Jeremiah Love’s film traits), I can produce a focused summary on that one topic.