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Void
Big CatBig Cat

C.J. Stroud has the best rookie season ever for a quarterback

I think the conversation might end with [Stroud] is the best rookie season in its totality in the NFL. ... led him to the Playoffs. This is, and who knows, I mean, they, they're probably, although I'm thinking back to it, like they played the Ravens, I think week one. ... and now winning a Playoff game as a rookie quarterback. I think [Stroud] might be it.

Subjective historical debate, though Stroud's 2023 season is widely considered one of the top 3-5 QB rookie seasons ever by EPA and efficiency metrics.

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Void
Jan 15, 2024
#20172
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

You got the full Joe Flacco experience — elite stretches where he can throw it a mile, then he just quits after the first quarter; that's Baldinger's cat

You got the full Joe Flacco experience because the old debate on whether or not he's elite goes back to Joe having games and stretches where he's just like, oh, this guy can throw the football a mile. And then he'll have a game like this where he just pretty much quits after the first quarter. And it's like, okay, it's not here today. I'm not elite today, but my eliteness will come back. It's Baldinger's cat — being elite and not elite at the same time.

PFT delivers the definitive Baldinger's cat take after the Browns' 45-14 wild card loss to the Texans, exemplifying the 'not elite today' side.
Push
Jan 15, 2024
#25441
Big CatBig Cat

The Texans are officially 'next up' and will be a powerhouse that the rest of the AFC has to deal with for the next decade

The Texans are next up. I think that's officially happened. We'll see how the rest of the Playoffs go for them. But the conversation is now when you talk about the AFC and it's [Joe] Burrow and it's [Josh] Allen and it's [Patrick] Mahomes, it's [Lamar Jackson], C.J. Stroud and the Texans and how good they are. This quickly is insane. ... you're gonna have to deal with the Texans.

The Texans followed up their 2023 success by winning the AFC South again in 2024 and remaining a top contender, though they haven't yet surpassed the Chiefs or Ravens.
Open
Jan 15, 2024
#12021
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

C.J. Stroud needs to win at least three Super Bowls or his career will be a disappointment

I think now it's our responsibility as media figures to set some unrealistic expectations. ... How many Super Bowls can he win in order for his career to not be a disappointment? ... You gotta get three or else you suck or else this or else you should have been bad from the get go. But you were so good at the start. Now you have to get three Super Bowls.

He's jokingly setting a bar that is nearly impossible for any QB to meet.

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Win
Big CatBig Cat

Michigan was definitively the better team in the National Championship and it never felt like UConn was in danger of winning.

Michigan was the better team. We all saw it. It never felt like [the game] was in danger. Like the only moment that I was like, oh, UConn might have a chance, was when there was like maybe five and a half minutes left and Mullens missed that three to cut it to four.

The episode presents Michigan winning the 2026 National Championship as a fact within the show's timeline.
Void
Big CatBig Cat

Michigan was the best team all year — outside of Duke, who would have won the championship by a lot

They were the best team. They were the best team all year outside of Duke. 'Cause that actually was my other big takeaway — Duke just completely, Duke beat this Michigan team a month and a half ago.

Subjective comparison of team quality. Duke did beat Michigan during the regular season in 2025-26.
Open
Big CatBig Cat

Danny Hurley is 18-1 against the spread in his last four NCAA tournaments, which is insane

Danny Hurley remains 18 and one in the last four tournaments against the spread. How insane is that? Furman is the only one that they didn't cover. That was the first round this year.

This is a factual claim about Hurley's ATS record over the last four NCAA tournaments. Based on UConn's remarkable tournament run, this is plausible and presented as a known stat. Cannot fully verify exact record but the claim is stated as fact.

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