NFL Week 5 Picks And Preview, The Bucs Are On The Board, Anthony Rizzo In Studio + Fyre Fest

Episode Overview

• NFL Week 4 Recap & Week 5 Contenders vs. Pretenders: Hosts Dan "Big Cat" Katz, PFT Commenter, and producers Hank Lockwood, Max Dolente, Zac, and Memes (under parent company Barstool Sports) break down the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Thursday Night Football upset over the Dallas Cowboys before previewing every NFL Week 5 matchup, analyzing major roster moves (the Eagles' soft rebuild), coaching changes (Sean Payton and DeMeco Ryans), and quarterback injuries.
• MLB Postseason & Live Sports Landscape: The crew reacts to the ongoing MLB playoffs—including the Rays eliminating the Yankees, the Dodgers beating the Braves, the Brewers advancing to the NLCS, and the Guardians forcing a Game 5 against the White Sox—while tracking live action at the PGA Tour's Baycurrent Classic in Japan.
• Interview with World Series Champion Anthony Rizzo: Former Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo joins the studio ahead of running the Chicago Marathon to discuss the evolution of modern MLB pitching velocity, pitch-tipping strategies, the art of getting hit by pitches, behind-the-scenes stories from the 2016 Cubs championship and 2024 World Series, and his charitable foundation.
• Picks, Parlays & Fyre Fest of the Week: The episode concludes with the crew's official Week 5 betting spreads, totals, and touchdown parlays, followed by personal "Fyre Fest" grievances—including PFT's apology to Chef Donny, Big Cat's high-fiber diet mishaps, a "Glenn Tape Watch" parody video, and Zac's flooding apartment—before the Lottery Ball draw.

Key Concepts

• Disclosed Sponsors, Business Ties & Affiliations: The show is produced under parent media company Barstool Sports. Title sponsor DraftKings Sportsbook is promoted with promo code TAKE (spend $5, get $150 in bonus rewards within 14 days, live in all 50 states). Other disclosed sponsors include Pepsi / Pepsi Zero Sugar (promoted for tailgating and game days), Reese's ("Picks and Previews" sponsor and Official Candy Partner of Barstool Sports), TickPick (visible studio signage and promo code PMT20 for $20 off a first order of $200 or more), Twisted Tea (5% alcohol Party Pack: Original, Half & Half, Raspberry, Peach), Chevy Silverado (presenting sponsor of the Anthony Rizzo interview for the 2026 Chevy Silverado), Rhoback (promo code TAKE for 20% off first purchase), BlueChew (BlueChew Gold, promo code PMT to buy 2 months, get the 3rd free, plus 10% off and free overnight shipping on the first order), and paid advertisement Morgan & Morgan (forthepeople.com/pmt or dial #LAW / #529). Contributor Jersey Jerry plugs his Prime Video show The Stream From Hell and Big Cat's Amazon coffee brand Stella Blue Coffee. Big Cat cites "my friends at Sports Info Solutions" (SIS) for NFL data and discloses his personal friendship with Anthony Rizzo. PFT discloses membership in "Glenn Tape Watch's" "Hut Hut Hike" program. Rizzo discloses roles as an NBC MLB analyst, co-host of the Ross and Rizzo Unfiltered podcast (formerly Lovable Reunion with David Ross), founder of the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation (partnered with Bank of America for the Chicago Marathon), and former sponsor of Chicago 16-inch softball team "Tony's Kids."
• Buccaneers vs. Cowboys Recap & Coaching Decisions: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won their first game of the season outright as 8.5-point underdogs against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday Night Football (after covering a 3.5-point spread the prior week in a 3-point loss to Green Bay, contrary to viral tweets claiming a 13-game non-covering streak). Replacing injured QB Baker Mayfield, Jayden Daniels refilled producer Zac's "hope tank" from 5% to 75%. Tampa Bay possessed the ball for 40 minutes, went 7-for-13 on third down, and recorded their longest drive by time since 2007 in the first quarter. PFT criticizes Bucs coach Todd Bowles for passing up a field goal that would have put them up 17 points to go for it on 4th down and failing, contrasting it with Bears coach Ben Johnson kicking a field goal on 4th-and-4 in the red zone last week to go up 17. Dallas's loss eliminated 9 of the 15 remaining players in Big Cat's Survivor Pool. The Cowboys defense is allowing an NFL-worst 6.4 yards per play and 168.8 rushing yards per game—second-worst in franchise history behind their 1960 inaugural season (186.8). Despite this, the Philadelphia Eagles are NFC East favorites at +130 odds.
• MLB Postseason Breakdown & Proposed Rule Changes: In the ALDS, the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the New York Yankees (where singer Dua Lipa sat next to "Marlins Man"), while the Guardians defeated the White Sox 9–5 in Game 4 to force a Saturday Game 5 (concurrent with the PGA Tour's Baycurrent Classic in Japan, where Max Homa birdied 3 straight holes to reach 7th place; Max Dolente also bet the White Sox at -105 during the recording). In Cleveland's Game 4 win, White Sox player Sam Antonacci was hit by a pitch in the butt with the bases loaded for an RBI in a second straight game, Guardians third baseman José Ramírez went 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs and a 2-run homer to make it 3–2, starter Parker Messick lasted roughly 2 innings (with 6 or 7 strikeouts) as Cleveland used 8 pitchers, and Gavin Williams (who had 11 strikeouts in Game 1) pitched the 9th inning in relief ahead of his scheduled Game 5 start. In the NL, the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS; Dodgers hitters Kiké Hernández (17), Max Muncy (19, 7th all-time), and Freddie Freeman are all in the top 20 of MLB all-time postseason home runs. In Wednesday's game, Atlanta pulled starter Tyler Mahle after 85 pitches despite him allowing only one unearned run in the 2nd inning, and the Braves went 1-for-23 with runners in scoring position—the second-worst RISP average in postseason history behind the 1966 World Series Dodgers (0-for-22). The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Padres 3–1 to earn home-field advantage against the Dodgers in the NLCS; since PFT and Arian Foster threw out the first pitch on June 6, 2025 (when Milwaukee was 34–29), the Brewers are an MLB-best 172–102. Big Cat and PFT also discuss proposed MLB changes: a 154-game season, top seeds picking playoff opponents, and a 7-game Division Series.
• Eagles' Soft Rebuild & London Matchup vs. Jaguars: Heading into London where the Jaguars (-7.5, O/U 41.5) are playing back-to-back games as the designated home team in two different stadiums (with the Eagles flying out Friday), Max hedges that Philadelphia hasn't been a 7.5-point underdog since roughly 8 years ago. The Eagles are executing an early reload: GM Howie Roseman spent 2022 1st and 2nd round picks on A.J. Brown and center Cam Jurgens, won a 2024 Super Bowl, and flipped both (Jurgens to the Ravens for a 2028 2nd-rounder; Brown previously for a 2028 1st-rounder) ahead of a potential 2028 exit from Jalen Hurts' contract. With right tackle Lane Johnson and RB Saquon Barkley hurt/out and Landon Dickerson returning from IR soon, Drew Kendall replaces Jurgens (having performed better statistically over the last two years), and Willie Lampkin—Philadelphia's shortest offensive lineman in 68 years, nicknamed a "bowling ball of knives"—starts at left guard. For Jacksonville, rookie Travis Hunter looks like a shutdown cornerback playing exclusively on defense under coach Liam Coen.
• Early Window NFL Week 5 Dynamics (Bears/Packers, Texans/Titans, Bengals/Dolphins):
• Bears (-1.5) at Packers (+1.5), O/U 45.5: Chicago is favored at Lambeau Field for the first time since Week 1 of 2006 (a Super Bowl season). With Caleb Williams injured, coach Ben Johnson put both Case Keenum and Tyson Bagent on the field for one play as a "passing of the torch" after media reported Bagent would start. Big Cat hedges on Chicago's offense sustaining success once opponents get tape on the backup QBs, noting the Bears defense has only faced Geno Smith, Carson Wentz, and Jalen Hurts, while RB Kyle Monangai's status is uncertain with turf toe.
• Texans (-7.5, up from -6.5) vs. Titans (+7.5), O/U 38.5: Houston WR Tank Dell may return, and coach DeMeco Ryans is taking back defensive play-calling after CeeDee Lamb's massive catch total last week. Titans coach Robert Saleh claimed "I think anything is achievable" regarding an 0–4 team making the playoffs, while The Weather Channel tweeted "No thanks" to a meme suggesting the game be flexed to their network. All 3 of Titans QB Cam Ward's touchdown passes this season occurred in garbage time (down 20 with 2:42 left vs. Jets; down 12 with 5:35 left vs. Giants; down 14 with 1:12 left vs. Ravens).
• Bengals (-6.5 / -7) at Dolphins (+6.5 at +100), O/U 42.5: Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase is listed as "uncertain" in concussion protocol for a game in Miami featuring a 91°F forecast (104°F RealFeel). Despite signing a $60 million QB and hiring a new coach, Miami lost 24–10 to the Chiefs last week (trailing 17–10 entering the 4th quarter) and is the first team since the 2019 Dolphins to score 14 or fewer points in each of their first 4 games.
• Early Window Contenders & Anomalies (Raiders/Patriots, Vikings/Saints, Browns/Jets, Colts/Steelers):
• Raiders (+3.5) at Patriots (-3.5), O/U 45.5: Patriots QB Drake Maye is 12–0 in his career as a 3+ point favorite (best in the Super Bowl era), while Raiders QB Kirk Cousins and coach Klint Kubiak have scored 26+ points in all 4 games. Citing SIS data, Big Cat notes New England ranks bottom 3 in zone rushing success rate against a top-10 Raiders run defense, with RB Rhamondre Stevenson possibly out and WR Mack Hollins out injured. Hank presents an X/Twitter graph showing the Patriots played the NFL's hardest 4-week schedule with the easiest remaining slate, while the Bills' wins came against teams with a 2–10 combined record—though Hank hedges the graph is confusing to explain verbally and PFT notes 4–0 teams mathematically hand 4 losses to opponents.
• Vikings (-2.5) at Saints (+2.5), O/U 41.5: Undefeated Minnesota (4–0) just signed WR Odell Beckham Jr. (wearing J.J. McCarthy's old #9). While Brian Flores's defense blitzes ~80% of the time, the Kyler Murray-led offense is dead last (32nd) in yards per play. PFT hedges the offense "should, in theory, get better," while Big Cat doubts it, noting Kevin O'Connell's Vikings have failed to score a touchdown in 9 games compared to just 4 times across 8 seasons under Mike Zimmer. Under Kellen Moore and QB Tyler Shough, New Orleans is 1–9 against the first-half spread at home since last season.
• Browns (+1.5) at Jets (-1.5), O/U 39.5: Despite Cleveland's 3–1 start and Deshaun Watson playing well after two Achilles injuries (similar to 49ers TE George Kittle playing dominantly less than 9 months after a torn Achilles), the Jets are favored, making a Browns "trap game" mathematically impossible. The Jets' social media account tweeted a flex emoji graphic bragging about RB Braelon Allen having "4 plays, 26 yards" while trailing in the 3rd quarter, though Memes notes New York expects "the cavalry" back next week (AD Mitchell from a broken finger, Omar Cooper, Breece Hall, and their starting left guard).
• Colts (+2.5) at Steelers (-2.5), O/U 44.5: Following a brief mention by Hank that LIV Golf's CEO projected LIV as a billion-dollar company with $100 million teams, the crew previews Daniel Jones's Colts returning from England with no bye week to face a Pittsburgh team where coach Mike McCarthy and QB Aaron Rodgers (backed up by Will Howard and 6'5", 245-pound Drew Allar) are publicly sniping. The Colts are 2–14 all-time in Pittsburgh, with Peyton Manning in 2008 being the only Colts QB in the Super Bowl era to win there. However, PFT reveals teams playing immediately after an international game with no bye week are 27–21, outperforming teams that take a post-international bye (36–39–1).
• Afternoon Slate & Sunday Night Football (Giants/Commanders, Broncos/Chargers, Lions/Cardinals, 49ers/Seahawks, Ravens/Falcons):
• Giants at Commanders (-3.5, O/U 41.5): PFT hedges that Jayden Daniels's braced left elbow will still be very painful when straightening to hand off to the right, recalling Arian Foster's Macrodosing story about Tennessee QB Erik Ainge hurting his finger, handing off backhanded on the first play against Florida, fumbling, and losing. PFT notes Jameis Winston has historically "owned" Washington, and Commanders WR Terry McLaurin's status is unknown after hurting his quad in Friday practice before the London game.
• Broncos at Chargers (+3.5, O/U 41.5): In a 3-game afternoon slate, Denver (27th in scoring offense, 17th in scoring defense) saw Sean Payton take full control of play-calling after a roughly 4-hour "collaborative effort" with OC Davis Webb (though Big Cat later jokes Payton is "collaborating" again, and PFT hedges whether the struggles are on Webb or QB Bo Nix, plus hedges he doesn't think Denver has covered any of its last 5 divisional games). Big Cat hedges the Chargers might start 4 rookie offensive linemen. PFT and Memes note Matthew Stafford is the only QB in NFL history with more passing yards without a playoff win in his first 100 starts than Justin Herbert (prompting Big Cat and PFT to note they are 3 years older than Stafford, though younger than 41-year-old kicker Nick Folk, born in 1984).
• Lions (-5.5) at Cardinals, O/U 54.5: PFT hedges Lions DB Brian Branch "might be practicing," but Detroit's defense ranks last in every category: points, yards, passing yards, 3rd down (52.8% allowed), 4th down (5-for-5, 100% allowed), and first downs allowed (113 in 4 games; second-worst is 96). However, Jared Goff has won 9 straight against Arizona (wearing black alternate uniforms). PFT explains Cardinals QB Jacoby Brissett gets endless NFL opportunities because Bill Parcells was his high school best friend and mentor, eating breakfast with him several times a week.
• 49ers at Seahawks (-3, O/U 45.5): Featuring the #1 offense vs. #1 defense in DVOA, Big Cat and PFT agree 49ers QB Brock Purdy (0 sacks taken this year) is the current NFL MVP. While PFT jokes former Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker won Super Bowl MVP and raised Seattle's franchise sale price by "$100 million or more," Big Cat reports Seattle passed on signing veteran RB Joe Mixon to their practice squad after a physical. Big Cat reads unverified rumors from Bills Mafia creator "Wyatt's World" and "Algo Stellar" claiming Mixon shot himself in the foot/blew his toe off (termed a "degenerate foot issue" by doctors), explicitly hedging it is "not a credible source" and "just a rumor... not actually real I don't think."
• Ravens (+3.5, corrected to +3) at Falcons, O/U 43.5: With Lamar Jackson out a couple of weeks with a mid-ankle sprain, Tyler "Snoop" Huntley starts against Atlanta (wearing red jerseys and black pants). Traded Ravens OL Cam Jurgens is in concussion protocol and won't debut until next week. Big Cat praises Falcons rookie Harold Perkins Jr. (LSU) as a "home run pick." PFT notes Baltimore drafted current Falcons TE Hayden Hurst ahead of Jackson, while Falcons OL Jake Matthews makes his 200th consecutive start (practicing today alongside Za'Darius Smith after estimated DNPs yesterday). Big Cat lists the 200+ consecutive starts club: Brett Favre (297), Jim Marshall (270), Philip Rivers (243), Bill Romanowski (243), Bruce Matthews (Jake's dad), London Fletcher (whom PFT notes matches Ray Lewis's tackle stats, except Lewis has 2 Super Bowls and "1 obstruction of justice charge" to Fletcher's 1 ring), Ronde Barber (215), Eli Manning (210), Peyton Manning (208), and punter Jeff Feagles. Ahead of the interview, PFT notes on TickPick that Alexander Ovechkin announced his retirement, with the cheapest ticket to his final Capitals home game at $671.
• Anthony Rizzo on Marathon Training, Modern Pitching & Hitting Psychology: Running the Chicago Marathon for his foundation and the 10-year anniversary of the 2016 World Series (wearing bib #4416 arranged by Bank of America, inspired by his wife Emily running the NY Marathon), Rizzo notes he runs 3–10 miles at a ~9-minute pace, though he was so desperate at mile 17 of a 20-mile NY training run that he drank a Coca-Cola from a hot dog cart despite disliking Coke. He debunks the myth that 2016 Cubs eat free in Chicago, keeping the receipt from his very first post-World Series restaurant dinner where he only got a 20% discount. Evaluating the playoffs, where the Dodgers are the only remaining big-market team (alongside the White Sox, Guardians, Rays, and Brewers), Rizzo notes LA's banged-up pitching relies on Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Tarik Skubal, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto while Max Muncy bats 6th or 8th and Kiké Hernández hits like a blend of "Shohei, Aaron Judge, and Babe Ruth." He praises Milwaukee's fundamentals (bunting, speed, bullpen, Jackson Chourio, William Contreras) and the Rays (who struck out only twice against Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler and turned average Orioles reliever Bryan Baker into an elite closer), citing the league adage that struggling pitchers go to the Rays to get fixed while struggling hitters go to the Dodgers. Rizzo reveals Schlittler was tipping pitches in the Wild Card against Boston, explaining that hunting tipped pitches (glove/mouth movements, splitter grip) and catcher setups (like a Reds teammate yelling "Come on Rizz" when the catcher set up inside early) allowed him to eliminate the changeup and gear up for fastballs while seeing breaking balls pop. Discussing Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski ("Miz"), who throws 103–105 mph with MLB's highest extension alongside a 92 mph slider and 90 mph changeup (a 15 mph differential dropping into the 80s), Rizzo notes the hardest pitch he faced was 102–103 mph, explaining that sharp breaking balls off 97–100 mph first-inning velocity—not velocity alone—make modern pitching unhittable for him today. Because hitters fail 70–80% of the time, veterans make 50 to 70 subtle swing adjustments a season (citing Kris Bryant and Freddy Peralta's increased changeup usage after leaving the Mets/Rays as examples of organizational belief and tweaks).
• The Art of the HBP, World Series Lore & Fyre Fest: Rizzo hasn't swung at live pitching since Game 5 of the 2024 World Series, admitting he lied to teams going into the 2025 offseason that he was hitting while working out. After Max notes he was 12th in at-bats at Hofstra but 2nd in hit-by-pitches, Rizzo notes he is the #1 left-handed hitter in MLB history in career HBPs (despite accidentally swinging at 5 pitches that hit him per year, and explaining on a replay with umpire D.J. Reyburn that lefties must brace for impact rather than bail on inside lefty sliders in case they break over the plate). His hardest HBP was a 98 mph Aroldis Chapman fastball to the forearm in a 17-inning April 2017 game (X-rays were negative; he stayed in and hit a double). Rizzo used HBP strategically: crowding the plate and moving closer after being hit, while faking anger against division rivals early in games because umpires wouldn't let a pitcher hit the #3 hitter twice, forcing timid pitches over the middle. Recalling Game 5 of the 2024 World Series (where he played with two broken fingers/knuckles requiring multiple numbing injections per game), Rizzo explains Gerrit Cole was gassed at the end of his pitch count and failed to cover first base on a weird spinning grounder. Reflecting on the Cubs (who PFT notes wore pinstripes before dropping them two years before the Yankees adopted them permanently), Rizzo shares stories from his reunion podcast: Miguel Montero hitting his 2016 NLCS grand slam off Joe Blanton the same day he got a back epidural, and Mike Montgomery throwing two curveballs for the final out of Game 7 in the 10th inning despite a lifelong dynamic with his dad of never throwing a curveball for a strike. Rizzo admits he believed the billy goat curse was real when Rajai Davis hit his Game 7 home run (and reveals Theo Epstein once stopped Rizzo's dad from bringing a live goat into Wrigley Field), compares the current White Sox chemistry (quoting Sean Burke on picking a team of friends) to the 2015–2016 Cubs partying at Stanley's and Jon Lester's house with an unshowered Eddie Vedder, praises the vertical atmosphere at last night's White Sox playoff game, and shares his Publix sub order (un-toasted chicken tender sub on white bread, mayo on both sides, yellow American cheese, lettuce, onions, salt, pepper, oregano). In Fyre Fest, PFT apologizes for slandering "Chef Donny" as a golf cheater ahead of an upcoming 9-hole video; Big Cat laments pooping 6 times a day from eating Frosted Mini-Wheats and Shredded Wheats; PFT plays a 3-minute "Glenn Tape Watch" parody video (which took 6–7 hours to edit until 2:30 AM due to an audio filter making him sound "stereotypically Asian") mocking the Bills and Drake Maye ("Drake Me") for running over an elderly sideline staffer; Zac details his shower ceiling leaking from upstairs and yellowing water flooding his washing machine wall; and the crew misses on Lottery Ball draws 31 (guessing 10, 3, 80, 61, 8, 44) and 73 (guessing 86, 69, 15).

Quotes

• At 0:04:12 - "I don't think he's ever made the correct decision on whether to go for it or not. That's one of the cases where like old conservative Todd would have done a good job just kicking a field goal, go up by 17 points." - PFT Commenter criticizing Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles's fourth-down decision-making against the Cowboys.
• At 0:11:33 - "The Cowboys are allowing 6.4 yards per play, worst in the NFL. The most rush yards per game allowed in Dallas Cowboys history, the first was in their inaugural season of 1960, 186.8, second place is this year, 168.8." - PFT Commenter illustrating the historic collapse of the Dallas Cowboys' defense.
• At 0:23:51 - "The Braves had 23 opportunities with runners in scoring position against the Dodgers. How many hits did they get? One. One for 23. It's the second-worst batting average with runners in scoring position in a postseason series in MLB history behind only the Dodgers in the 1966 World Series who were 0 for 22." - Big Cat highlighting the offensive futility that cost Atlanta the NLDS.
• At 0:38:03 - "Howie Roseman spent a 2022 first and second rounder on A.J. Brown and Cam Jurgens. They won a Super Bowl, key pieces to a Super Bowl in 2024, then he flipped them for a first and second rounder in the 2028 NFL Draft. That's good business." - Big Cat explaining how the Philadelphia Eagles are managing their roster asset lifecycle.
• At 0:46:13 - "Hank, do you know the last time that the Bears were favored at Lambeau Field? It's 2006. It was, I believe, Week 1 of 2006, and that year, what did the Bears do? Went to the Super Bowl." - PFT Commenter contextualizing the betting line for Bears vs. Packers.
• At 0:56:30 - "Cam Ward, he has three touchdown passes this season. His three touchdown passes this season: when he was down 20 with 2:42 left versus the Jets, when they were down 12 with 5:35 left versus the Giants, and when they were down 14 with 1:12 left against the Ravens." - Big Cat breaking down how every touchdown thrown by the Titans quarterback has occurred in garbage time.
• At 1:02:38 - "Drake Maye never lost as a three-point or more favorite. 12 and 0." - Hank Lockwood sharing a Super Bowl-era betting trend ahead of the Patriots' matchup with the Raiders.
• At 1:16:10 - "Mike Vrabel then defended Efton Chism and said, 'For a guy that's been on 18 teams,' talking about C.J. Gardner-Johnson, 'eight teams in four years, I mean, I guess he knows the drill.'" - Big Cat recounting Mike Vrabel's media jab at C.J. Gardner-Johnson.
• At 1:19:01 - "So Mike Zimmer coached the Vikings for eight seasons. How many times in those eight seasons did he have a game where, a regular season game where they did not score a touchdown? Four. Four times in eight seasons. How many times has Kevin O'Connell had his Vikings teams not score a touchdown? Nine." - Big Cat pointing out a counterintuitive offensive stat for the 4–0 Vikings.
• At 1:32:35 - "The teams that play the week after an international game with no bye are 27 and 21. And the teams that take the bye coming back from international games, 36, 39, and 1." - PFT Commenter revealing that skipping the post-Europe bye week actually correlates with a better win record.
• At 1:33:32 - "Like kind of seriously, if you hand off to your right as a quarterback, you use your left arm. The brace he's going to be wearing is going to theoretically keep it in place and prevent it from popping out, but straightening it, I think is probably still going to be very painful." - PFT Commenter hedging on how Jayden Daniels's elbow injury will impact Washington's run game.
• At 1:45:40 - "They're last in every category, and so points per game, yards per game, passing yards per game, third down defense, fourth down defense. Their third down defense, they're giving up a first down 52.8% of the time, and they are 100% of the time when a team has gone for fourth down, they're five for five, have gotten it." - Big Cat detailing the statistical collapse of the Detroit Lions' defense.
• At 2:12:37 - "I'm not kidding, literally our first dinner we went to after we won the World Series, I still have the receipt, I won't call the restaurant out, they gave me just like a 20% discount." - Anthony Rizzo debunking the myth that 2016 Chicago Cubs players never pay for meals in Chicago.
• At 2:16:52 - "If I knew it wasn't a changeup versus a righty, that's a whole different game plan I have. So if he does something fastball, slider, and then he does something, I know it's not a changeup, I can gear up for the fastball and see the slider or curveball pop." - Anthony Rizzo teaching how pitch-tipping and pitch elimination simplify a hitter's timing window.
• At 2:18:44 - "It's the breaking stuff that's so much harder to hit. It's just so much sharper and that's why you see guys looking like just idiots swinging sometimes because you're up there playing defense sometimes on offense." - Anthony Rizzo explaining why speed differentials and sharp breaking pitches, rather than raw 105 mph velocity alone, dominate modern hitters.
• At 2:21:56 - "It's almost like a known thing in the league: if you're a struggling pitcher, you want to get to the Rays organization, they'll fix you. And if you're a struggling hitter, you want to go to the Dodgers organization, they'll fix you." - Anthony Rizzo sharing an inside-baseball adage on player development.
• At 2:22:41 - "I'd probably say, this might sound crazy, like 50 to 70. I mean you're always tweaking, right? Like you're always messing with things, your hands don't feel right, it's, you're just always trying to get that feel as a hitter." - Anthony Rizzo estimating the number of mechanical swing adjustments a veteran MLB player makes over a single season.
• At 2:29:00 - "Especially versus division rivals, if they hit me early in the game, they can't hit me again, right? You can't hit the three-hole hitter twice. So I would pretend to be annoyed if they hit me early, I'd be like, 'What the fuck?' you know? It was all a show." - Anthony Rizzo explaining how he weaponized getting hit by pitches to claim the inner half of the plate.
• At 2:30:44 - "Everyone knows me, notoriously I make the pitchers go over because the one time you need them to get there, they don't cover. And it was just a weird spinning ball, so, and I had two broken knuckles on top of that." - Anthony Rizzo breaking down the infamous fifth-inning miscommunication with Gerrit Cole in Game 5 of the 2024 World Series.
• At 2:38:16 - "When Rajai Davis hit that home run, I was sitting there at first base and I go, 'This fucking curse is real.' Like, what the hell happened, right?" - Anthony Rizzo recalling his exact mindset during the eighth inning of Game 7 of the 2016 World Series.

Takeaways

• Fade the "International Jet Lag" Narrative in NFL Betting: Do not automatically bet against NFL teams returning from Europe without a bye week (such as the Colts against the Steelers in Week 5); historical data shows teams playing immediately with no bye go 27–21 straight up, outperforming teams that take a bye week upon returning (36–39–1).
• Beware of Early-Season Strength-of-Schedule Graphs: Avoid relying on 4-week opponent winning percentage charts to evaluate teams like the Patriots or Bills, as undefeated 4–0 teams mathematically hand four losses to their schedule, artificially depressing their opponents' combined records.
• Evaluate Roster Rebuilds Through Asset Lifecycles: Follow the Eagles' blueprint under Howie Roseman by willingness to trade away championship core players (like A.J. Brown and Cam Jurgens) a year or two early to recoup future first- and second-round draft capital before a quarterback's contract window resets.
• Factor Quarterback Mechanics Into Injury Handicapping: When evaluating a quarterback playing through an non-throwing arm injury (like Jayden Daniels's left elbow brace), assess how the injury impacts the physical extension required to hand the ball off to the opposite side of the formation.
• Simplify Hitting by Eliminating One Pitch Type: Rather than trying to guess every pitch against 100+ mph velocity, study pitcher tells (glove height, mouth movement) and catcher setups to rule out just one pitch (such as the changeup), allowing you to time the fastball and react to breaking balls.
• Use Psychological Gamesmanship to Control the Strike Zone: Hitters who crowd the plate can turn an early hit-by-pitch into an advantage by feigning anger; knowing umpires will not allow a pitcher to hit a middle-of-the-order batter twice without ejection forces pitchers to throw timidly over the middle of the plate on subsequent at-bats.
• Focus on Process Over Outcomes in High-Failure Environments: Because even elite baseball hitters fail 70% to 80% of the time, survive slumps by detaching from results and focusing strictly on daily mechanical feel (making 50 to 70 micro-adjustments a year) and putting yourself in a position to succeed.
• Drill Routine Fundamentals to Prevent High-Leverage Fatigue Errors: First basemen should consistently force pitchers to cover first base on routine grounders all season so the muscle memory holds up when a pitcher is exhausted at the end of their pitch count in a high-stakes moment.
• Consider Crew Spread and Total Picks for Week 5: Reference the hosts' official selections when building Week 5 cards: Big Cat on Rams -3 and Jaguars/Eagles Under 41.5 ("The Lunder"); PFT on Patriots -3.5 and Bengals/Dolphins Under 42.5; Hank on Chargers +3.5, Browns/Jets Under, and his "Hungry Dog" underdogs (Giants, Chargers, and Colts or Packers); Max on Texans/Titans Under 38.5 and Eagles +7.5 (with a lean toward Jets); Zac on Lions/Cardinals Over 54.5 and Browns/Jets Over; and Memes on Falcons -3 and Bears -2.5.
• Track the PMT Touchdown Parlay: Combine George Kittle (Max's pick), RJ Harvey (Hank's pick), and Bijan Robinson (PFT's pick) for the crew's weekly anytime touchdown parlay.
• Monitor Weather and Offensive Futility Trends for Totals: Target unders in games featuring extreme weather or historic offensive struggles, such as Browns/Jets in bad weather, Texans/Titans (where Cam Ward has zero non-garbage-time touchdowns), or Bengals/Dolphins (where Miami has scored 14 or fewer points in four straight games amidst a 104°F RealFeel forecast).
• Moderate High-Fiber Cereal Intake: Avoid overconsuming high-fiber cereals like Frosted Mini-Wheats and Shredded Wheats as a quick health fix, which Big Cat warns can lead to severe digestive disruption (six bathroom trips a day).