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PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

The 'soft benching' of J.J. McCarthy in Minnesota has clearly worked

Do we think maybe it was still a soft benching and the soft— No, I think we should double down. Say the soft benching worked. It worked. Yeah. No, I'm a soft benching guy now. Listen, I'm gonna trust what [Kevin O'Connell] does. He's a quarterback whisperer. He's soft benched and he was right.

McCarthy did not play in 2024 due to injury, but in the context of this 2025 transcript, he is active and winning games. The effectiveness of the 'soft benching' is inherently subjective.

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Win
Nov 3, 2025
#9097
Big CatBig Cat

The Bears' culture has shifted under Ben Johnson; they finally win games they used to lose

The Bears never win that game. And they, something is different with Ben Johnson. ... more than anything it's Ben Johnson because that's a game The Bears would lose. The Bears would quit in a, in a dire situation. And they just kept on, they got, got off the mat. ... it really just comes down to like, the culture has shifted with Ben Johnson where the, the team looks like they're not gonna give up in situations where they would've given up in the past.

The Bears went 11-6, won the NFC North, and made the playoffs for the first time since 2020, winning a wild card game. Ben Johnson transformed the culture in his first season.
Open
Nov 3, 2025
#28623
Big CatBig Cat

The Steelers are a dangerous team if Aaron Rodgers has a top-tier defense behind him

The Steelers offense is not fixed in any way. ... But if Aaron Rodgers, if he has a really good defense, that is a dangerous team. So you just gotta still be a really good defense.

This is an ongoing evaluation of team potential for the 2025 season.
Open
Nov 3, 2025·Picks
#28624
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

I'm 'Falcons heavy' and taking the points (+6.5) against the Colts in Berlin

Gotta take the Falcons. Gotta take the Falcons. I'm Falcons heavy. Yeah. It's my play of the week actually. [The line is] Colts minus six and a half.

Outcome of the 2025 Berlin game is unknown.

More from PFT Commenter

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Open
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

Winter is officially over and next week will be golf weather

I think it's the official end of winter. Winter's done. Next week it's gonna be 60. Get the golf shoes out, get the shorts out. We made it another year of winter in Chicago.

This is a short-term weather prediction that would be resolvable within a week of the episode date.
Open
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

Nebraska will finally get their first NCAA tournament win this year

I do think this is the year Nebraska gets their win. I think they have to. They're gonna be like minus 300 in the first round, minus 400. They gotta win.

Nebraska's first-round game in the 2026 tournament will determine if this is correct.
Loss
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

If Tom Izzo makes this year's Final Four, I will admit I was wrong about him being overrated for the last 10 years.

I think it just feels like it's Izzo. He's gonna go out in the Final Four. He's gonna get there. This is for whether or not he's overrated or not. I will admit that I was wrong. I had 10 years of being wrong about Tom Izzo if they make it to this Final Four.

Michigan State did not make the Final Four in 2026, meaning PFT did not have to retract his take.

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