PTI - Are the Patriots the Real Deal?

Episode Date: November 14, 2025

Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser discuss Patriots/Jets, Judge and Ohtani/MVP, Chiefs/Broncos, Seahawks/Rams, Lions/Eagles, and Alabama/Georgia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, sports fans, the ESPN app has all of ESPN all in one place. The ESPN app is your home to thousands of live events, ESPN shows, and originals across every ESPN network and service. And now you can check if you already have ESPN Unlimited as part of your TV package for no additional calls. Visit activate.esPN.com to learn how to access your account or sign up, then start streaming in the ESPN app. It's all of ESPN all in one place. Sign up or activate now. But I'm Michael Love. I'm Tony. I'm told this National Spicy Guacamole Day.

I'm Tony Kornheiser. Spicy guacamole. That's my account name on OnlyFans. Guacamole something I would never touch. Never touch quack. Not a quack. I'm not a guacamole guy. I'm also not an Onlyfans guy.

But I think the kids are laughing at that one. Yeah. I think that was funny for the kids. I hope so. Welcome to PTI, boy. I'm going to PTI, boys and girls in today's episode, Aaron Judge and Shohei, repeat his MVP's the Chiefs face a potential must win in Alabama and Georgia, try not to get upset. But we begin today with New England winning their eighth game in a row last night as they

comfortably beat the Wobie Gone Jets, 27 or 14. Drake May, a potential MVP, completed his first 11 passes. He finished 25 or 34 for 281 yards, a touchdown, and no interceptions. The Patriots 9 and 2 record is the best in the NFL. Wilbon, how highly do you think of Drake May and the Patriots? Highly, Tony, highly. I'm not at the top. I don't have them sort of number one in my Wilbaum power rankings

just because of strength of schedule. College football, college sports, not the only place you need you can have strength of schedule. And by the way, they got a couple of impressive wins against Tampa and Buffalo. So it's not like the Patriots are without. Like, for instance, just by comparison, my bears are without. They've only beaten bad teams in their six wins. The Patriots have two impressive wins in their eight.

So, Tony, I got them up there. There's some NFC teams I have above them, notably, you know, Detroit, Philadelphia, Seattle, the Rams. I have all four of those NFC teams, and we'll get back to those later. As you know, I have them above the Patriots. and I have Jonathan Taylor above Drake May. Through no fault of Drake Mays, he's been as good as he can be in the time he needs to be. So I have them trending upward, but not at the top.

So I watched half the game last night. There's no reason to watch any more than a half when the jets are playing because they're just not going to be competitive. But I was very impressed with Drake May. He was very calm in the pocket. He didn't throw the ball 100 miles an hour. He seemed to float it most of the time, but it always reached the receiver,

and the receiver was always open. And you look at the Patriots right now, 9 and 2. You know, they have responded so well to Mike Rable. I've got some notes here. They look disciplined. They look prepared. They look like they pay attention in practice, and they're able to do something in the game.

Mike, they were eight-eat-a-old. and 26 the last two years with Bill Belichick and Gerard Mayo. They're nine and two now. That's Mike Rable. They're going to make the playoffs. They're likely going to win their division. Yeah. Right?

I mean, what do I got here? I mean, here's what they have left, right? They have one more game with Buffalo. They have one game with Baltimore. Those are hard. But after that, it's pretty much cake. They got Cincinnati, the Giants, the Jets, and the Dolphins. So I got them at least 13 and 4.

They were four and 13 the last two years, Mike. It's a stunning turnaround because it's unexpected as is Indianapolis's turnaround. Tony, you mentioned there's two ways that you have to look at both ways. It is cake. And my problem or the issue I have is, it's cake. And they've had cake before most of the schedule now.

Now, I do believe, Tom, beat the bad teams. You want to get better, and I believe in it all adage, win first, then you get good. So the Patriots are doing this. They're not the only team in the league doing it, but we're going to get to a point where they're going to play those better teams, and I'm curious to see what's going to happen in.

And yeah, Vrable's doing a hell of a job. Let's move to Aaron, Judge, and Shohei, winning back-to-back. Judge edged out Cal Raleigh, the big dumper, for American League MVP while Shoah won the National League Award unanimously again. It's the second straight year these two have been so honored, which Judge now winning three MVP's in his career and Otani four all unanimously. Tone, it says to you what?

All right, if you want to have a sandwich or something, I'm going to take some time here and just go ahead and eat. I was watching the reveal of the American League MVP live last night on the MLB Network. They had put up a statistical comparison of Mickey Mantle and Roger Marison, in 1961 when Maris broke Ruth's record. Maris had beaten Mantle in home runs and RBI,

and Mantle had beaten him in every other statistical category. Maris won the MVP, I think, because the number 60 and 61 at that point were incredibly magical. It was the same this year. Roley had beaten Judge in home runs and RBI, and Judge had beaten him in everything else. But Judge won this year, and what this actually says to me

is that the voters here, The baseball people who vote are not romantic English literature majors like I was. And they looked at these numbers hard, and they saw judges OPS, and they saw how many home runs he had, while leading all of baseball in batting average. And they said, we don't see stuff like this all the time, so we're voting for him. Otani, as you said, he won unanimously. He's got four unanimous. Nobody else ever has more than one.

I think what this vote says is to people like you originally who were skeptical of him. because you talked about Babe Ruth all the time. I still do. This is saying, Otani has put in more time pitching and hitting in the same year than Ruth ever did. And they looked at his numbers and they said, what are we talking about here? We've got people on this show, Buster Only and Tim Kirchardt. And they've said, nobody's ever done this in the history of baseball.

That would presumably include Babe Ruth. Mike, I know you love the old-time hitters and you will list Ted Williams and Willie Mays all the time and so will I. These two are there. These two are all-timers now, Mike. Now, I'm not an English major either, and I would have voted for Cal Raleigh. Catcher. Because Catcher trumps all those other things

that Judge did better. Not only do I not have any problem with anybody voting for Judge, I understand it. And it's a worthy vote. That's a worthy discussion. Raleigh and Judge. One guy catches.

That's tremendously harder than anything else that anybody does on a baseball field voters and their stats be damned. Now, Mike? Showing. I think it's possible with Rawley. I think that the number 60, when we've seen guys go over 70, isn't as magical anymore.

And we saw Judge go over 60 a couple years ago. Then if it's not magical, then it doesn't matter anymore. And I'm just looking at Judge and Raleigh and what they did this year. One guy thought, just like you talk about one guy pitching. Judge catch, Judge squat behind the plate and take any of those 90 mile per hour crazy breaking pitches of people? No, no, no, no.

I love Judge. I love him. Not Raleigh's season. It's not. And if I'm looking at Shohei, there's nothing to say, but you tip the cap. That's all you do. Let's move to one of the most glamorous NFL games

of the weekend, Kansas City, at Denver. Denver is two and a half games ahead of Kansas City in division, and they are three and a half point underdogs at home Denver is for this game. Yesterday on this show, Booger McFarlane said Sunday's game against the Broncos is a must win for the Chiefs. Will Bond, do you agree?

Tony, I'm moving that direction. I'm agreeing more and more. Like early in the week when people start talking about this matchup, or last week since Kansas City had a buy, I thought, okay, this is just exaggeration. They can still get hot. They can win their last

six games. They could lose this one. And that is still true. But Tony, they've got to climb over a lot of people. And it wouldn't just be Denver and the division title would sort of be out of play because they still got to deal with the Chargers, right? In their own division. So

they're in play. The Steelers could be in play if you have Baltimore winning that division or Baltimore if you have the Steelers winning the division. Buffalo's in play if you have New England winning division, which I think we both do. So there are a lot of teams. in the AFC that all of a sudden are between Kansas City and a spot.

And so if it's not an absolute must, it's damn near. I don't think it's a must game because I don't think it's necessary for Kansas City to win that division. They need to find a path to the playoffs, though. Yeah. They need to find how that's going to work. It would be a lot easier if they beat Denver. But as you say, even if they beat Denver, they are still behind. the Chargers and Denver in the division.

They are an experienced veteran team. It's not going to bother them to go on the road in the playoffs. It's not curtains for them if they go on the road in the playoffs. But let's look at what they got. I think they have to get to 10, Mike. I think they have to get to 10. I'm going to assume for the sake of argument they lose this and they're 5 and 5. And I never thought the Chiefs would be 5 and 5.

1 and 1, 2 and 2, not 5 and 5. But here's what they got. Coming up, home indie at Dallas, home Houston, home chargers at times. Titans, home Denver, and at Raiders. I think they beat the Raiders. I think they beat Dallas. I think they beat Tennessee. They still need two more.

So it's got to come from home Houston, home Denver, home Indy, home charges. You think they can do it? Yeah. That's why I'm leaning, Tony. And so only two of those are homecoming opponents. So five of the last seven, they're going to be favorite. And you and I are going to sit there on a Friday afternoon and say, the chiefs are going to get this game.

We're going to believe that. Yes. But it would be an easier path if they want. win this game against Denver, but it's so hard to win. This is okay, but Kansas City's coming off a buy. Yeah. Andy Reed's lifetime record coming off a by is 22 and 4. That's great. And six and one with Mahomes.

So I do think they're going to win this game. But Denver, at Denver. But I don't think it's a must. I don't think it's a must. At Denver's also hard. It's tough. Yes, yes. They're a really good team, and we're going to watch.

A lot of football this weekend. Let's take a break. Still to come. Seahawks Rams is the highest profile game of the weekend, but as Lions Eagles, the more compelling one. And Alabama and Georgia both take on tough SEC opponents Saturday. Who's more likely to lose? Tossup next.

Wilbon, what if Shohei had not left the American League, and every year he's up against Judge for MVP? Who wins? Who wins? They split. People get voter fatigue, right? Oh, so somebody else sneaks here? It's time for toss-up.

Two men enter. one man leaves finishes the show, then flips on the TV to watch football for the next 54 consecutive hours. What's first? Toss up more intriguing game on Sunday, Seahawks Rams or Lions Eagles. Okay, so we've now dispensed with Kansas City in Denver, and now we have these two games, a fabulous slate of games this weekend. I think you and I will agree, Mike, that these four teams look like the top four teams in the NFC right now.

This feels like the short list to me. It's a coin flip to me as to which game is more important, more intriguing, more whatever you want to put in there. But I will say Philadelphia and Detroit because of the drama that's going on with A.J. Brown and Philadelphia, and because of the lesser swirl, but a swirl nonetheless in Detroit, where Dan Campbell is now calling plays. And the fact that Detroit has lost three games, which is more than I thought they would lose by this point. Philadelphia is the defending Super Bowl champion. So to me, the team that wins this game would ascend to number one in the NFC. But the other game is really just as good.

It's just as good. So I'm going to surprise you. And look, I have more personal interest in that game because the lions and bears are tied for first place in the division. And there is a scenario which the Bears could win in Minnesota and Detroit lose in Philly. And the Bears, of all people, wind up in first place alone Monday, Monday, morning in the division, but that that's crazy. I'm going to take the game out west

because Tony, the game out west, not the game in Philly, the game out west has two guys higher on the list of MVP candidates. Neither replacing Jonathan Taylor for us. But when you look at the quarterback since Seattle and Los Angeles

and the way they got those teams playing and the Seahawks, Tony, are so much fun to watch because they are going down the field, Sam Donald is putting it down there like Terry Bradshaw, a comparison to nobody under 60, and our listening audience understands two OGs like us get it. I'm excited to see that game

because it's sort of a throwback, even though it's Seattle and Los Angeles, and who would think they'd be involved in that. It's more of a throwback to the old AFL than it is to the NFL. Yes, it is. All right, what's next? What's next? Toss up more likely to fall tomorrow.

number four Alabama or number five, Georgia? I don't think either is likely to fall, but the game says I have to pick one. So I will say Georgia, because I think that Texas is better than Oklahoma this year. I think they beat Oklahoma. Let me get the score here, 236 in that Red River game, right? But let me just digress for a moment.

These are the exact games we wanted when in 2003 the SEC stole Texas and Oklahoma, from what I like to call the Big Eight. We wanted to see these. We wanted to see at Georgia, at Alabama, right? I mean, that's what everybody wanted. How do you judge how good the Big Eight was?

You take the two best teams historically, Texas and Oklahoma, and you put them against Georgia and Alabama, right? This is it. Georgia and Alabama have won five of the last 10 national championships. So this is referendum weekend. Buckle up, everybody. Tony, it is, but they seem,

like they're sort of intruders to me. They're big-time programs with national championship hardware in the cabinets in their stadiums. I know because I've been there and seen it. But you know what they seem like? Remember when Bob Foster was the lightweight, he was like 191 pounds, and he'd step up

and he would try to fight like Ali, and you would say, no, no, no, no, no, this is not that. That's what this is to me. Texas and Oklahoma, they're punching up in their weight class or attempting to, particularly when they're between the hedges or they're in Tuscaloosa, which is where they are respectively. To answer the question, I think Alabama may be a little bit more pressed by Oklahoma than Georgia by Texas.

I'm playing a hunch like you. Okay. I'm glad these games are like they're the main events at 3.30 and primetime after I watch Northwestern. Upset Michigan shocked the world on Big Noon. we're going to get to those SEC games and I'll be ready. It's so great. You've mentioned the Bears

five times and that Northwestern makes me happy. That's it. Hail to the victor. It's me. Let's take one last break still to come. Are the Niners making the right move by starting Brock Purdy over Mac Jones? And Wemby and the Spurs get a second chance to beat Steph Curry and the dubs. That's a nice little rematch.

Small pushback. Small pushback. Texas was number one at the beginning of the season. Yeah, I didn't believe that. one at the beginning of season. I don't believe that. Okay, but. And I know you didn't need them. But they were number one.

It's not like they're intruders or interlopers. Happy time, people. Happy 54th birthday Michael Lewis. I hear you. The author Michael Lewis? No, but like the author, this Michael Lewis was born in New Orleans. This one was nicknamed the Beer Man because he drove a beer truck before making the NFL. This one was first team all pro as a returner in 2002 for the Saints.

That year Lewis set in every. NFL record for combined kick and punt return yardage with 2,432, including returning one punt and two kickoffs for touchdowns. He also played some wide receiver with the Saints, catching 28 passes averaging 19.8 yards per catch there. But the big thing is that Lewis never played high school or college football. Unbelievable. He played flag football, indoor football, arena league and NFL Europe football, and the Saints

signed him. And now he's in their Hall of Fame. But he didn't write money ball. other Michael Lewis did. Yeah, but I have a picture with this Michael Lewis, not the one who wrote Moneyball. Tony, doesn't that speak to some superior scouting on behalf of the Saints' talent department to find him without there? No tape of college or high school?

Absolutely. Great job of scouting. Right. Didn't go to the combine because he didn't play in college. That's right. Happy anniversary Dick Butkus. This is now posthumous. But on this day, 54 years ago, the bear's legendary linebacker was on the first.

for a Chicago extra point attempt. When the snap went high over the holder Bobby Douglas's head, Douglas gathered the ball, avoided a swarm of Washington defenders, and in true Bears quarterback fashion, heaved a prayer into the left corner of the end zone that Butkus managed to catch. That one point was the ultimate difference in a 16 to 15 win for Chicago. In a career that made him one of the greatest defensive players of all time,

Butkus had two extra points, one safety, and one touchdown for 10 offensive points. Tony, the sables of NFL films wrote two things that I will remember always. The autumn wind is a raider, and I know you love that. And any other one was about Dick Bucking is saying he authored the most sustained work of devastation ever committed on any field of sport, anywhere, any time. I knew Dick Butkus and I was afraid of him. As a grown 80-year-old man, he looked like he could take you out anytime.

51 the best. Happy trails to the existing MLS calendar. The American Soccer League has voted to switch to a summer to spring regular season, just like a real big boy league. MLS currently plays from February to November, leaving it at odds with the rest of the international community. This switch is backed by FIFA

and will take effect in 2007, which MLS hopes will help it capitalize on increased soccer fervor following the 2006 World Cup in North Carolina. America. Tell fill the switchover gap, MLS will hold a four-month mini-season from February through May of 2007 with a full MLS Cup at stake. Tony, I know this excite you the way it aligns now. Everybody will be right out there late August, all the leagues across the world. You can really get your spirit up about this, can't

you? One correction. Texas is never actually in the big ace, big eight. They were in the Southwest Conference and a Big 12, but you knew what I meant. Yes, I did. We got no time. 49ers plan to start Brock Purdy at the Card. Does that make sense to you? He's healthy, yes. Jalen Brunton, the Knicks, not so much.

Day to day with that ankle sprain, though out to that against the heat, your thoughts. I told you that two days ago, all those stories we talked about, that would be the most important one. Steph Curry and Under Armour ending their 12-year partnership. Are you surprised? Not exactly. I've been keeping up with that.

It's sort of disheartening, though. It really is. College Hoops tomorrow, number 7, BYU, versus number three, Yukon on the men's side. Number two, South Carolina against number eight USC on the women's. More intriguing. YWU. Yukon, Juji Watkins, not playing this year. Last one, Warriors and Spurs for the second time in three days. Will the Warriors win again?

No, I think Winby and Castle and the boys are out for a little. We're out of time. We will try to do better the next time. I'm Tony Kornheiser. I'm Mike Wilbon. Have a great weekend, knuckleheads.