PMT DB
PMT DB
Taylor Heinicke on the Commanders, Blake Bortles, and Going Full Send
Hank is finally at peace. After years of being a loyal soldier, Tom Brady officially thanked the Barstool Sports account in his retirement video, which Hank is naturally taking as a personal shout-out. While Hank is basking in the glory of the G.O.A.T., the rest of the crew is split up as the Drive to 405 is officially underway. PFT, Billy, and Bubba are currently navigating the icy roads on their way to Los Angeles, though Billy’s approach to winter driving left the rest of the crew a little concerned.
Billy FootballYou can safely drive 70-80 MPH on icy highways as long as the road is straight
Thankfully, a lot of the highways going out into the south are straight... once we hit Ohio, which was mostly straight highway, you can still carry 70 to 80 miles per hour safely. Whereas going around the corners, we had to go like 50 miles. So with this ice, the big thing will be stopping. Not many two people are on the roads, so no one's going to stop short in front of us. So as long as we just cruise, we're going to make awesome time.
While the travelers deal with Skyline Chili-induced stomach issues and Billy’s "high school lifting playlists," Big Cat and Hank caught up on the massive Brian Flores lawsuit. The allegations against Stephen Ross are particularly wild, with the claim that he offered $100,000 per loss to tank the season. PFT thinks this might be the one thing that actually forces an owner's hand.
PFT CommenterThe NFL will force Stephen Ross to sell the Dolphins because match-fixing is the only thing owners will actually vote a peer out for
I think that they're going to force him [Stephen Ross] to sell the team. I think this is the only way that an owner could be forced to sell. Because owners have so many skeletons in their closet that they're never going to vote another guy out... But when you start involving like changing the outcomes of games and bribing coaches... I feel like this is a great excuse for owners to try to sell the team or try to vote them out.
The Washington Commanders Era
The Washington Football Team is officially the Washington Commanders, and the reaction was exactly what you’d expect. PFT is already leaning into the "Commies" nickname, while Hank is worried about the inevitable "Comrag" jokes. Big Cat, however, thinks the initial outrage is just part of the process and will fade the second a ball is kicked.
Big CatThe Washington Commanders name won't matter once the season starts
The team name, I think I said it on Wednesday's show, but, like, people get mad about it for 24 hours. No one, like, will remember it, care. Then football will be back, and we'll be like, who cares? It's not going to be – I don't think it makes or breaks anything.
PFT had a slightly more creative suggestion for the team's branding, specifically regarding the mascot. Since Joe Biden has a dog named Major, it seems like a missed opportunity not to have a literal biting animal on the sidelines.
PFT CommenterMajor Biden should be the animal mascot for the Washington Commanders
I'm hoping that since we're the commanders, which is the name of one of Joe Biden's dogs, the good one, Major Biden becomes the animal mascot. That'd be awesome to have him just patrolling the sidelines, biting the opponent, pissing and shitting all over himself. That's what I want.
Taylor Heinicke Joins the Show
Starting quarterback Taylor Heinicke joined us to talk about his wild ride from sleeping on his sister’s couch to starting a playoff game against Tom Brady. He’s the ultimate "fuck it" quarterback, and he leaned into that reputation when discussing his playstyle. PFT is a massive fan of the way Heinicke just lets it rip, regardless of the situation.
PFT CommenterTaylor Heinicke will continue to be successful because of his reckless, aggressive play style
You're never out of it when Taylor Heinicke is in the game... You have a very high fuck it quotient where you can see some bad shit out there, you can make a bad play, but the very next series you're going to go out there and you're going to do something equally as reckless. And usually it turns out good... You can't pick and choose when you're going to be aggressive. You're aggressive all the time, which I loved watching this year.
Heinicke shared some incredible behind-the-scenes stories, including how Blake Bortles technically saved his career. Because the Broncos' QB room got wiped out by COVID, Washington signed Heinicke as a "quarantine QB" just in case they faced a similar fate. He also addressed the concerns about his size and whether he can hold up over a 17-game stretch.
Taylor HeinickeI proved I am durable enough to be an NFL starting quarterback
The big thing for me this past year was the big question mark was, is he durable enough to get through a whole season? And I think I checked that box off this year, and that was huge for me.
One of the biggest weapons Heinicke had this year was Terry McLaurin. While Heinicke is a humble guy, he didn't hold back when talking about just how elite his top target is.
PFT CommenterTerry McLaurin is easily a top 10 receiver in the NFL
I think that Terry McLaurin is easily a top 10 receiver in the NFL. Some of the catches that he was making this year were just unreal. The guy doesn't drop balls. It's insane.
Fyre Fest and Road Trip Realities
The travelers checked in from Cincinnati, where they had a lunch that will likely haunt the truck for the next thousand miles. Billy, a noted connoisseur of free food and high-calorie supplements, gave a glowing review of the local delicacy.
Billy FootballFresh Skyline Chili is absolute gas and tastes like Mediterranean food
Skyline is actually fire... Didn't have Skyline from Cincinnati before. I had it from the cans and I didn't really like it. Got some fresh Skyline. It's absolute gas. It kind of tastes like Mediterranean food. Literally. Like the chili gives off like – hero [gyro] vibes.
Big Cat’s Fyre Fest involved the absolute chaos of ACC officiating, specifically regarding the Louisville game. He’s ready to start a class action lawsuit for gamblers everywhere who have been victimized by bad calls.
Big CatThe ACC is rigged and the referees are bullshit
Also, my Fyre Fest is the ACC refs are fucking bullshit. ACC's rigged. I'm going to get an investigation. What they did to Louisville on Tuesday night will not stand. So I stand with Louisville and all the people who are angry about that game.
We’ll see if the truck actually makes it to LA without Billy trying to lift the barbell he stashed in the back while going 80 MPH on an icy straightaway.
