PMT DB
PMT DB
Frank Caliendo, Pete Prisco, and Championship Weekend Preview
Championship Sunday is finally upon us, and the air is thick with the scent of frozen Gatorade and prop bets. Big Cat and PFT are gearing up for a weekend that features the legendary Tom Brady traveling to the frozen tundra of Arrowhead and the battle of the Seans down in the Bayou. While PFT is still recovering from the physical and emotional toll of wearing a suit for 14 straight days, the focus remains on whether Patrick Mahomes can handle the Belichick brain trust.
AFC Championship: The Brady-Sanchez Connection
Big Cat and PFT start by breaking down the Patriots visiting Kansas City. While the world is obsessed with the Arctic blast, the real story might be the history on the line for Tom Brady. It’s not about the rings this time; it’s about reaching the rarified air of the Sanchize.
Big CatIf Tom Brady wins on the road Sunday, he will tie Mark Sanchez for road playoff wins
If Tom Brady wins on Sunday in Kansas City, he will finally tie Mark Sanchez for road playoff wins. That is elite company. The elitist.
As for the actual football, Big Cat is skeptical that the MVP favorite can pitch a shutout against the greatest defensive mind in history. He's looking for that one specific Mahomes mistake that turns the tide.
Big CatPatrick Mahomes has to play a perfect game for the Chiefs to win
[Mahomes] has to basically play his perfect game for the Chiefs to win, and I don't think he's going to play his perfect game... Patrick Mahomes is going to throw an interception that everyone's going to be like, what was that?
When it comes to the betting window, Big Cat is zigging while the rest of the world zags toward a shootout. He thinks the Patriots will try to turn this into a ball-control slog to keep the Chiefs' weapons off the field.
Big CatI'm taking the under 56 in the Patriots-Chiefs game
I'm going to take the under, 56... I like the under because I also think the Patriots are going to basically say, Patrick Mahomes, go ahead, beat us.
PFT, on the other hand, is officially a believer in the TB12 revenge tour after Julian Edelman essentially threatened the entire general public.
PFT CommenterI'm picking the Patriots to beat the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game
My pick, I'm going to take the Patriots. I'm taking them. Julian Edelman convinced me when he said, don't bet against this.
NFC Championship: The Dome and Destiny
The Rams heading into New Orleans presents a different set of problems. It’s loud, it’s fast, and Drew Brees just turned 40. Big Cat thinks the Rams are going to go full Big Ten and try to run the ball down the Saints' throats, leading to another defensive battle.
Big CatI'm taking the under in the Rams-Saints game
I also actually kind of like the under in this game [Rams-Saints] because I do think the Rams are going to run the ball, run the ball, run the ball.
However, PFT is leaning into the narrative. There is something about the Saints winning it all in the backyard of their biggest rivals that feels too scripted to ignore.
PFT CommenterThe Saints are a team of destiny to win the Super Bowl in Atlanta
Saints, to me, feel like a team of destiny. The destiny word just changed me... It's the ultimate Sean Payton move to go into Atlanta and win a Super Bowl in Atlanta's hometown. Destiny, Dome, Saints.
In a moment of gambling clarity, Big Cat offered a strategy for the listeners: both games simply cannot be high-scoring tracks. It’s a mathematical impossibility in his eyes.
Big CatBoth Championship Sunday games cannot go over
Both these games cannot go over. It just can't happen. It's like the championship Sunday... 56-57, take the under in the first game. If it doesn't hit, take the under in the second game. If it does hit, walk away.
Naturally, PFT ignored all logic and decided to root for points in the Superdome because life is too short to root for punts.
PFT CommenterI'm taking the over in the Rams-Saints game
Trust me, when I say that I'm taking the over, I have absolutely zero stats or information to back me up. This is a major fuck it move. I'm just saying fuck it and I'm taking the over.
Pete Prisco Grinds the Tape
CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco joined the show to provide the actual football analysis that Big Cat and PFT usually avoid. Prisco, who claims to watch 20 hours of film a week, came out firing with some bold road-team predictions.
Pete PriscoThe Patriots will win at Arrowhead and the Rams will win at New Orleans
I think both games will be lower scoring than expected, and I think both road teams are winning. I think the Rams are going to go in there and pound the Saints on the ground... [and] I think [the Patriots are] winning the game. I think they're going in the Arrowhead and winning.
Prisco expects a heavy dose of Todd Gurley, especially after the Rams kept him relatively fresh during the Divisional Round. He thinks Wade Phillips has a plan to let the superstar back run wild.
Pete PriscoTodd Gurley will get many more carries than last week and run wild against the Saints
I think [Gurley] is going to get many more carries than he did a week ago, and he's going to run wild this weekend.
On the defensive side, Prisco is circling Marcus Peters as the potential weak link. He expects Sean Payton to bait the aggressive corner into a massive mistake early.
Pete PriscoMarcus Peters is ripe to get beat by a double move early in the NFC Championship Game
You know what else [Marcus Peters] is ripe for early? Double move. Yeah, he's going to... because, you know, he'll try and jump it... and he'll throw the top on him.
Beyond the weekend, Prisco gave some insight into the upcoming draft and the future of the Jaguars' quarterback room. He isn't sold on the Kyler Murray hype train leaving the station too early.
Pete PriscoKyler Murray will be drafted after the 10th pick in the 2019 NFL Draft
[Kyler Murray will be drafted] After [the 10th pick]. 20th, 25, somewhere in there... I think, you know, this kid is in the same situation [as Lamar Jackson].
As for the BOAT, Prisco delivered the news that PFT was dreading to hear about Blake Bortles' future in Jacksonville.
Pete PriscoBlake Bortles will be a backup somewhere next season
[Blake Bortles] is gone. They're cutting him... He'll be a backup somewhere... and then get some chance to start eventually.
Frank Caliendo and Jim Rome Cubed
Frank Caliendo made his return to the studio, and it didn't take long for things to get weird. The highlight was undoubtedly the first-ever "Jim Rome Cubed," where Frank, PFT, and Devlin all channeled their inner Van Smack simultaneously. It was a cacophony of "glossy," "clones," and "racks" that probably should have summoned the real Jim Rome like a poltergeist. Frank also delivered a dramatic reading of Ray Allen’s infamous "I'm getting there" tweet in various voices, proving some things never truly die on the internet.
Man Card and New Vocabulary
In the post-interview segments, Kyrie Irving found himself in the crosshairs for the crime of being a mature adult and apologizing to a former teammate. PFT wasn't having it.
PFT CommenterKyrie Irving loses his man card for apologizing to LeBron James
Taking [Kyrie Irving's] man card because he apologized. He apologized to LeBron... and then he also told the press all about it and made sure that it was a big deal about how he called and apologized.
Big Cat also took some time to address the city of Louisville for their choice of honors for Muhammad Ali. While Ali is the GOAT, Big Cat thinks they might have done him dirty.
Big CatNaming an airport after someone is actually a terrible honor
The fact that the greatest honor is to be named after an airport sucks... Because everybody hates going there. It's the worst place to go to. And you're like, oh, great. This airport's named after you? Awesome. This sucks.
Finally, Hank tried to contribute to the English language. After wishing Frank Caliendo a happy birthday a few days early, he decided that "belated" needed an opposite.
HankPrelated is the new word for wishing someone an early birthday
When you want to wish someone a happy early birthday, say happy prelated. Because his birthday is Saturday... People are with people whose birthdays are like the next day, next week, whatever, and you don't want to say happy early birthday.
Just remember, if you paint a room five million times, you aren't just a DIY enthusiast, you're a prisoner of your own creation.
