The Screenplay Podcast — Week 8 Recap
Hosts Evan Grenus and Andrew Novak opened with a special segment on Andrew’s five-shot victory at
the Vedanta World Mexico Open before diving into a loaded Week 8 slate: the Bears statement win over
the Seahawks, a coordinator firing in Carolina, another improbable Broncos comeback, a Cowboys
collapse, serious questions about Lamar Jackson’s future in Baltimore, updated power rankings, fantasy
boom/bust recaps, Week 9 starts and sits, betting picks, and a Survivor Pool still deadlocked at two.
Andrew’s Big Week: A Win at the Vidanta World Mexico Open
Andrew Novak closed with a five-shot victory at 25-under par in Puerto Vallarta, a tournament scoring
record, to become a multiple-time PGA Tour winner. He described a disciplined final round built around
avoiding mistakes rather than chasing the lead, highlighted by three straight birdies on 12, 13, and 14 that
pushed his cushion to six shots, plus a clutch par save on 15 after a poor tee shot. He said he mostly
avoided the leaderboard most of the day, only checking in a few times to make sure no one was making a
run, and found out the Lions had beaten the Vikings — without knowing the score — from a caddie on the
range who turned out to be a Vikings fan. After the win, he tossed golf balls into the crowd, none of which
were caught, which both hosts joked was a very “Jordan Love” moment. He’s taking this week off before
playing the RSM Classic, part of a push for a top-50 world ranking by year’s end and a return trip to the
Masters.
NFL Week 8 Recap
Bears 34, Seahawks 17 (Monday Night)
Chicago’s win over the league’s No. 1-ranked team doubled as a changing of the guard atop the power
rankings. New trade addition Jeffrey Simmons (acquired from Tennessee for two first-round picks) tied for
the team lead in tackles and added a sack, and Seattle’s offense averaged just 3 yards per play with him
on the field versus 13 yards per play when he was off it. D’Andre Swift carried 27 times for 69 yards and 3
touchdowns, a performance both hosts compared to David Montgomery’s Week 1 workload. Seattle also
lost Leonard Williams to injury for a stretch of the game, and Sam Darnold threw another late interception,
continuing a turnover trend both hosts said makes backup Drew Lock’s far lower turnover and sack rate
worth a real conversation.
Packers 27, Panthers 19 (Thursday Night)
Carolina fired defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero during the loss, a move both hosts called overdue given
years of poor defensive play, even though the Panthers top two cornerbacks were out and a rookie
corner left this game hurt as well. Bryce Young threw for 209 yards with a touchdown and an interception
(23 of 41) behind what both hosts called the worst pass-blocking offensive line in the NFL, with Carolina
getting pressure allowed on three- and four-man rushes. Both hosts said Young is playing better than the
box score shows and said any new contract talks will likely hinge on whether he’s willing to sign below
market value given the current roster around him. Carolina (3-4) still leads a weak NFC South; Green Bay
improved to 5-3.
Broncos 28, Chiefs 24
Denver won its 15th straight one-score game dating back across seasons, improving to 6-2 and the top of
the AFC West, aided by 11 Kansas City penalties for 105 yards. Rookie running back Emmett Johnson
had a huge receiving day for the Chiefs (5 catches, 128 yards, a touchdown) and Rashee Rice chipped in
a touchdown of his own, but kicker Harrison Butker continues to struggle (5-for-9 over his last three
games plus a missed extra point), prompting Kansas City to add Justin Tucker to the practice squad as a
potential replacement. Both hosts noted Denver’s remaining schedule — Panthers, a bye, Raiders,
Steelers, Dolphins, Jets, Raiders again — sets up a likely run to around 11 wins, while the Chiefs also
have a soft stretch (Jets, Falcons, Cardinals) ahead in the division race.
Other News: Cowboys Collapse, Lamar Jackson’s Future in Question
Dallas blew a 24-10 fourth-quarter lead and lost 33-30 in overtime to Arizona and backup quarterback
Gardner Minshew, extending the Cardinals strange mastery over the Cowboys at home. Both hosts were
sharply critical of the organization’s coaching and direction, with Evan arguing the front office prefers a
coaching staff that won’t challenge its authority over one capable of winning. In Baltimore, Lamar
Jackson’s season-ending injury adds pressure to an offseason decision point: he carries an $84 million
cap hit, holds no-trade and no-franchise-tag clauses, and is 9-9 as a starter over his last 18 games, all
while the Ravens (4-4) have also lost former head coach John Harbaugh, who left for the Giants. Both
hosts ultimately expect Baltimore to work out a new deal with Jackson rather than trade him, given how
difficult it is for a franchise to replace a true starting quarterback.
NFC South Check-In
Carolina (3-4) leads a bottom-heavy division over Tampa Bay (3-5), Atlanta (3-5), and New Orleans (2-5),
with the Buccaneers given the best playoff odds at 38% to Carolina’s 33%. Both hosts picked Tampa Bay
to win the division behind what they called the best roster in the NFC South, a suddenly committed run
game, and the NFL’s 29th-easiest remaining schedule.
Screenplay Podcast Power Rankings — Week 9
1. Chicago Bears (6-2) 2. San Francisco 49ers (off a bye) 3. Buffalo Bills (6-1) 4. Denver Broncos (6-2)
5. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-2) 6. Seattle Seahawks (4-4) 7. Detroit Lions (5-2) 8. New England Patriots
(5-3) 9. Kansas City Chiefs (5-2) 10. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2)
Andrew pushed back hard on leaving Cincinnati (11th) out of the top ten, arguing Joe Burrow’s Bengals
are a top-five-or-six team and comparable to Detroit; Evan countered that the Bengals nearly lost in
overtime to a 2-7 Tennessee team and held his ranking, with the Rams, Vikings, and Giants rounding out
his 12-14.
Fantasy Football: Week 8 Boom and Bust
Boomed: Joe Burrow (460 yards, 5 total touchdowns), Tony Pollard (roughly 140 total yards, 2
touchdowns), Tyler Allgeier (190 total yards, 2 touchdowns, pulled from one lineup right before kickoff),
Bhayshul Tuten (30 points, 2 touchdowns, in the breakout game both hosts called last week), Tee Higgins
(37.5 points, 64 combined over his last two games), Michael Wilson (26.8 points), and Emmett Johnson
(25 points, 5 catches, 128 yards, a touchdown). On the bust side — the hosts recurring “All Cheeks
Team” — Zay Flowers (zero points amid the Ravens' quarterback injuries), Parker Washington (one catch
for 16 yards on five targets, a repeat issue when Jacksonville blows teams out early), AJ Brown (didnt
play), and Trey Tucker and Omar Cooper Jr. (both zero points in the same matchup). A driving-rain
Thursday game between Tampa Bay and Atlanta also produced almost nothing for fantasy pass-catchers
on either side.
Week 9 Fantasy Football Starts
Kyle Pitts (vs. a Bengals defense that struggles against tight ends, in Madrid), Keenan Allen (vs. Dallas,
in what should be a pass-heavy, garbage-time-friendly script), Trey Tucker (vs. San Francisco, doubling
down after a quiet week), Aaron Jones (vs. a Bills defense that allows the most receiving targets to
running backs in the NFL), Greg Dulcich (vs. a Lions defense that struggles against tight ends), and
Demario Douglas (vs. Green Bay, in a thin Patriots receiver room).
Week 9 Fantasy Football Sits
Derrick Henry (vs. a stout Jacksonville run defense, with Baltimore likely trailing and abandoning the run),
Tyler Allgeier (vs. Seattle's elite run defense), Ladd McConkey (vs. Houston, with the Chargers passing
game struggling), Jameson Williams (vs. a Miami defense that ranks fourth against fantasy wide
receivers), Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker (vs. a strong Denver pass defense and pass rush), and DJ
Moore (vs. a tough Minnesota pass rush).
Week 9 NFL Betting Picks
Evan is 11-11-2 on the season (53.7% all-time); Andrew is 10-14 (54.54% all-time).
Andrew’s picks: Jaguars −10 vs. Ravens (Thursday); Texans −4.5 at Chargers; Raiders +10 at 49ers.
Evan’s picks: Raiders +10 at 49ers; Cowboys −6 vs. Colts; Eagles +3.5 vs Giants.
Screenplay Podcast Survivor Pool Update
The pool remains deadlocked at two entrants out of 200 who started, with both surviving picks hitting in
Week 8 — one with the Patriots, the other with the Jaguars. Both advance to Week 9 with $250 still on
the line.
Listen to the Full Episode
New episodes of The Screenplay Podcast drop every Wednesday at 8 a.m. wherever you stream
podcasts, hosted by Evan Grenus and PGA Tour winner Andrew Novak, running from now through the
Super Bowl. The show is also now livestreaming Monday Night Football on YouTube with a live
scoreboard overlay. A full written recap with fantasy starts/sits, bets, and more is also posted to the site’s
blog every week.