During his playing days, Ryan Fitzpatrick was known as a gunslinger, unafraid to push the ball downfield and take shots. As an analyst, he appears to have that same mentality.
Sometimes Fitzpatrick made throws he wished he could take back, throwing 169 interceptions during his NFL career. As an analyst, there are some takes he wishes he could take back, too.
Fitzpatrick eviscerated Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix after the team's 17-14 win last Thursday over the Seattle Seahawks on Prime Video's "Thursday Night Football" but said he regretted one remark from his rant.
"The line about being disrespectful to the quarterback position, it boiled over, and that’s the one phrase I wish I could have taken back, because I think my criticism was fair," Fitzpatrick said during a recent episode of "Fitz and Whit."
"I don’t think the effort and the competitiveness that he’s shown in the past, I don’t think he was showing that at the end of the game. That is somewhere I usually don’t go, but that’s what I felt."
The 17-year NFL veteran stood by his scathing criticism, saying Nix was not playing competitive football and that something appears to be wrong with the Broncos quarterback.
"Something’s going on with him. I don’t know what it is," Fitzpatrick said. "You watched C.J. Stroud and Trevor Lawrence in that game at Wembley, going toe to toe, one after another. Even Aaron Rodgers and Jalon Daniels in the fourth quarter. You had Josh Allen and Kirk Cousins, and you had Jacoby Brissett, and you had Matthew Stafford just going at it. That’s the type of competitiveness that the quarterback position deserves."
Despite the Broncos defeating the Seahawks and Sam Darnold throwing two interceptions, Fitzpatrick chose to focus on Nix in his postgame analysis.
"I don’t want to talk about Sam Darnold’s two interceptions because, look, playing quarterback is hard, and there are a lot of things that you can’t control," Fitzpatrick said. "But there are things you can control, and when you decide to turn it down, maybe that’s what really bothered me."
Former Broncos star Aqib Talib defended Nix and questioned Fitzpatrick's playing credentials to discredit his criticism. Fitzpatrick playfully responded to Talib in a video Sunday but did not fully address his criticism of Nix until appearing on his podcast.
'Nightcaps' is a daily column that catches you up on the biggest sports, news, and culture stories you may have missed while pretending to do work at your desk. It runs Monday-Friday on OutKick.com.
Another October Hump Day is here, folks. This is No. 3 of the month, with just one left. Before you know it, we'll all be basting turkeys and hanging lights.
It goes fast. Soak it all in. Don't take a single day for granted, because we're in the final stages of the greatest month of the year.
World Series on deck. NBA is back. Midweek college football is hitting on all cylinders at the moment. Hockey in full swing. The NFL is currently sending teams to Paris for reasons I still can't figure out.
Just an amazing time to be alive right now if you're a sports fan. It doesn't get much better than this.
Let's roll.
Welcome to a Hump Day Nightcaps — the one where the Neyland Stadium crowd last weekend had Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer seeing GHOSTS in the fourth quarter.
What else? I've got Danica Patrick back on the campaign trail, Tiffani Amber Thiessen gives her Halloween costume a test drive, and a hypothetical college football question worth your time today.
Sound good? Good!
OK, grab you your favorite Back to the Future movie to celebrate Back to the Future Day, and settle in for a Hump Day 'Cap!
It appears Neyland Stadium got to Kalen DeBoer
That's right. Today is the day any Back to the Future fan worth his or her salt knows like the back of their hand.
October 21 (2015). They thought we'd have flying cars back in the '80s when they made this movie, and, to be fair, we're getting closer.
Did y'all see what Elon cooked up over the weekend? The ROADSTER!
Yeah, we're not far off! About 11 years later than Doc McFly envisioned, but still, not bad.
As for the franchise itself ... I've said for years that Back to the Future is one of the greatest trilogies of all time. That's right — all time. It's also one of those rare ones where the middle movie is the best of the three. That's hard to do. It's rare. And BTTF pulled it off all those years ago.
Impressive. What a dynasty.
OK, let's get this class started with another dynasty that, sadly, feels a bit old in 2026: The Alabama Crimson Tide.
A hypothetical worth discussing
Amazing. Poor Kalen DeBoer. He looked just miserable last weekend in Knoxville, and that video — coupled with the apparent record the Vols broke — makes it even worse.
As for the decibel record itself ... Tennessee claims it now owns the highest on record at 130.3. Some folks on the internet aren't so sure. I've seen fans point to the LSU-'Bama game in 2022 at 133, and some random Nebraska game in 1992 at 133.6.
The Vols, however, maintain last Saturday's third-down sack tops 'em all. From the official release:
No crowd pops were louder than during a huge sequence in the third quarter with the Vols leading 19-10. Defensive end Tyree Weathersby recorded a sack on second down with 3:56 remaining in the stanza. The ensuing play, the Crimson Tide committed a delay of game penalty that made it third-and-16.
Neyland Stadium experienced 130.3 decibels (dBA peak) on field level for a noise event that lasted seven seconds during that sequence, which was the highest scientifically verified decibel crowd event in college football history. Alabama was called for a false start one play later.
For what it's worth, the highest decibel level for any sporting event on record took place at a Monday Night Football game at Arrowhead Stadium back in 2014, according to the folks over at earpeace.com.True story.
Argue away!
And when you're done debating that, take a look at this little hypothetical question making the internet rounds today and tell me where you land:
Danica, Tiff Ann & Happy Anniversary to this legend!
So, for me, this one is insanely easy ...
It's Kirby Smart at Nebraska, right? Feel like Kirby would turn Nebraska into a powerhouse in Year 1. Two years tops. I don't even think Matt Rhule is a good coach, and he somehow has Nebraska at 5-2 right now (should be 6-1, maybe 7-0).
As for the others ...
Curt Cignetti at Missouri would be No. 2, followed by ... Marcus Freeman at Michigan? I don't know. The rest of that list looks like a disaster to me. Lincoln Riley at Texas would just be Sark 2.0. Ryan Day at Northwestern would be hilarious, and Deion Sanders at USC would be the most entertaining, but also the most combustible.
Anyway, let me know! Zach.Dean@OutKick.com.
OK, let's rapid-fire this Hump Day class into a big Hump Day night. First up? It's officially election SZN, which means Danica Patrick is back on the Trump Train.
Choo-choo!
"I wish you could all have just 5 minutes with @potus! He is so easy to talk to and SO fun to listen to! He’s a great story teller… funny and obviously interesting. He is also very curious what your opinion is pertaining to any topic. And of course he is really into sports, which I love!" Patrick said in her post, which included several pictures from the 2024 elections featuring Trump and the ex-NASCAR star.
Anyone else here beyond exhausted by all the election stuff? It's just brutal. I got 7 phone calls/texts this morning alone from candidates asking A) for money, or B) for me to "take a short survey" so they could see where things stand.
There are signs EVERYWHERE in my town right now. Everywhere. On every street corner. In front of every store. Below every stoplight.
And don't get me started on the commercials. Goodness gracious, the commercials. It's nonstop. If I have to see Byron Donalds shoot hoops with his kids one more time, I'm going to lose it.
You're gonna win Florida, Byron. I promise! Give us a break!!
Next? On the way out, I'd be remiss if I didn't take a minute and wish a happy 15-year anniversary to what I consider one of the pivotal moments in the history of college football ...
Pure cinema. Man, I miss the Pac-12 After Dark. What an amazing time that was. We had it all, and now it's basically reduced to nothing.
The fake ref in that video? He goes by Jacen Lankow — an Arizona alum who is now a household name in Tucson.
From Tucson.com, which chronicled the event in real time:
With four seconds left before halftime and the Wildcats leading 42-7, Lankow — a UA senior — ran onto the field dressed as a game official, whistled a play dead, yelled "ball, ball, ball," attempted to grab the football from the umpire — and then bolted from midfield to the north end zone while simultaneously ripping his costume off to reveal a Speedo.
This was a Halloween prank from the then-senior. He bought a ref outfit from the costume store across the street. He counterfeited an all-access field pass using Microsoft Paint.
In case you couldn't tell by the 14,000 signs on every street corner in your town, or the never-ending commercials, or the non-stop phone calls and texts from X-candidate saying "We need your help!" and begging for "one more donation" ...
We're in the thick of it. We've got two weeks until the midterms, and it's all hands on deck in both parties right now. Everyone is on edge. We're all on pins and needles with Nov. 3 less than two weeks away, and that includes ... Danica Patrick?
Danica Patrick!
One of Donald Trump's biggest supporters from 2024, Danica has dusted off the old campaign firesuit and put the pedal to the floor for the president ahead of next month's elections.
Patrick, 44, posted a lengthy Instagram message about Trump late Tuesday night, calling on Americans to vote so the president could "make the most of the last half of his presidency."
Take a look:
Danica Patrick is taking us to the election season checkers
"I wish you could all have just 5 minutes with @potus! He is so easy to talk to and SO fun to listen to! He’s a great story teller… funny and obviously interesting. He is also very curious what your opinion is pertaining to any topic. And of course he is really into sports, which I love!" Patrick said in her post, which included several pictures from the 2024 elections featuring Trump and the ex-NASCAR star.
"There will never be another Donald J. Trump! He not only loves his country deeply but delivers intelligence, leadership, entertainment and humor all day long.
"Our job was done with the election 2 years ago. Big shifts take time and we have to keep showing up! Let’s help him and his amazing staff make the most of the last half of his presidency by getting out there and voting in 2 weeks! Keeping the house and senate ensure this rational and patriotic momentum keeps going!!!!!!"
We're two weeks out, and, right on cue, the big guns are being called in for one final push. The memo went out like the bat signal, and Danica promptly — and swiftly — took action.
Look, I hate election stuff. HATE it. I'm so tired of the Byron Donalds and David Jolly commercials down here in Florida, I can't even begin to express it. It's exhausting. My mailbox is literally overflowing with "letters" from candidates — most of whom I don't even know.
But, this is also par for the course. I've lived through enough of these in my life that I know what to expect. We're gonna be inundated with stuff like this for the next 13 days, and then, just like that, it'll stop. We'll go from 100 back to 0 in the blink of an eye.
Welcome to Screencaps, "America's Best Daily Column," as named by the readers. Screencaps, which publishes seven-days-a-week, is a mix of sports, pop culture, and emails from sane readers from around the world. This column isn't for the coastal elites. Give us a week to steal your heart. Our track record is pretty good. Let's have some fun.
My old buddy Warren Sapp is at it again
Hours after a video surfaced of Sage Steele telling a story about how hard it was to deal with Warren during his playing days, this video surfaces from over the weekend.
The Florida State guy clearly thinks that Warren might be a softy old NFL guy who would let him under the umbrella during a pregame interaction. WRONG.
The guy is wearing FSU gear.
If you're looking for a wholesome fan interaction, Sapp IS NOT THE GUY. You've been warned.
Warren Sapp is looking for a confrontation pretty much every second of every day of his life. There has been a confrontation on an airplane. There have been confrontations with police. With public officials. He kicks over end zone pylons on purpose, or did when he was employed by Deion Sanders. And then there was the time when he wanted me fired/virtually killed.
Warren kept me on the phone one afternoon in 2023. On that call, he threatened to have me fired. At one point, I drew him into a Laurel & Hardy wordplay bit that was completely ridiculous. I need to dig up that audio clip so my kids can hear their dad at work.
I'll say it again: Stay clear of Warren.
Is it CTE? Based on the stories that keep coming out, this is just who Sapp is and has been for decades. I just hope he doesn't start calling me today and yelling about this post. I don't have the time, Warren.
The LIBS are furious, like usual, with Danica Patrick for having the audacity to ride around in The Beast with President Trump
"I wish you could all have just 5 minutes with @potus! He is so easy to talk to and SO fun to listen to! He’s a great storyteller … funny and obviously interesting. He is also very curious what your opinion is pertaining to any topic. And of course he is really into sports, which I love!" Danica wrote Tuesday night on Instagram.
In the middle of the night, Katie Couric fired up her Instagram account to comment, "Ugh."
That would be the same Katie Couric who fawned over disgusting AI robot Jennifer Welch days after Welch said Charlie Kirk "justified" his own murder. "So proud of what you've built here… using your voices and talking about important things and raising a little hell," Katie, who turns 70 in January, told Welch during a podcast appearance.
Our dear old Katie, who used to wake us up every morning with her cheery smile, is now nothing more than a miserable LIB Boomer who comments on Danica Patrick's Instagram posts in the middle of the night.
• Jake asks: What type of food do you think is nearly impossible to screw up? For instance, I've never had a bad Chinese meal, so that would be my pick.
Kinsey: I couldn't come up with anything off the top of my head this morning, so I turned to Screencaps Jr. and his instant response was, "Hot dogs."
Screencaps the III said it's hard to screw up "salad."
• Jake W., a different Jake, writes in on the MNF booth:The big thing I noticed watching the pregame spiel for MNF was Buck kept calling Troy 'man' and Troy did not reciprocate at all.
• Steve C. emails: I along with several others don't like the announcers on TV. I sync my TV to the radio broadcast and it works great. Better descriptions and better announcers.
Kinsey: I'm all ears. Is there a way to easily sync NFL radio broadcasts with TV broadcasts? I thought radio broadcasts were ahead of TV broadcasts, especially streaming services. I need someone to walk me through your syncing process.
I'm not a bronzer expert, but I have to say Tim McGraw went a little heavy here
Combining that spray tan along with that suit was quite a choice. And why don't these people ever spray tan their hands. Tim's face looks like a Spalding basketball and his left hand looks like he's spent a winter in Duluth, Minnesota.
I'm starting to feel bad for the legendary Ohio company, but I tried to tell them
At this point, I need to write a letter to senior management at Wendy's PLEADING WITH THEM to bring back at least ONE Wendy's Superbar as a feel-good marketing play. The PR pain needs to end before it's too late.
Did I think Wendy's would totally die off when I made my death prediction 3-4 years ago? No, but I saw what I saw. Now here we are.
It's time for the suits in Dublin, OH to change the death narrative and it starts with a national Wendy's Superbar campaign. I might even have to go down to meet with these guys before it's all over.
Do they have any idea the goodwill just ONE Superbar would create? Are you kidding me? There are no other fast-food brands doing food bars. BRING IT BACK!
And that is it this morning. The sun is out. There was a chemical explosion in north Toledo this morning, but it can't ruin the blue skies 10 miles south. My plan today is to actually go suck down some of this pure Ohio air here in a few hours.
Former NASCAR and IndyCar racer Danica Patrick is expected to fly with President Donald Trump to his rally in Kansas on Monday, Breitbart News learned exclusively.
Seven US senators from both parties said the Trump administration's decision to authorize Russian diesel imports conflicts with a 2022 law banning Russian energy imports and accused it of failing to consult Congress, in a statement on 11 October.
The dispute comes as the war with Iran drives up US fuel prices, which US President Donald Trump has blamed on Ukraine's strikes on Russian refineries. Trump says Russian supplies will help bring prices down, while lawmakers warn that purchases could provide Moscow with revenue to continue its war against Ukraine.
The senators—Republicans Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Thom Tillis, and John Curtis, and Democrats Jeanne Shaheen, Richard Blumenthal, and Ron Wyden—called on the administration to reverse course, saying the US should not provide Russian President Vladimir Putin with “a financial lifeline.”
What the 2022 law requires before the ban can end
The law, signed on 8 April 2022, allows the president to end the import ban only after submitting a certification to Congress. The certification must find that Russia has agreed to pull out its forces and stop the fighting on terms Ukraine's free and independent government accepts, no longer poses an immediate threat of attack to any NATO member, and recognizes Ukrainians' right to pick their own government.
The law also requires consultation with four congressional committees and a report at least 45 days before certification. The termination takes effect 90 days after certification unless a joint resolution of disapproval is enacted into law during that period. The senators allege the administration failed to meet the consultation and reporting requirements. Their statement does not establish whether a certification has been submitted.
Treasury’s license cites sanctions rules, not the 2022 law
The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control issued General License No. 135 on 9 October, authorizing certain transactions involving Russian-origin diesel that would otherwise be restricted under US sanctions regulations. It runs until 7 April 2027 and cites sanctions regulations, not the 2022 import-ban law.
Explore further
EU blacklists 1,569 Russian arms suppliers and their bosses in its biggest sanctions round ever, as Trump eases up on Moscow
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended the deal on Fox News on 11 October, saying the administration would proceed under existing legal authority. He said lawmakers who argued that either the earlier law or the current Lindsey Graham sanctions law prohibited the deal were wrong, and argued the agreement would lower prices, Reuters reported.
How much diesel Trump says Russia will supply
Trump said on Truth Social that Russia would immediately supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel to US and global markets, followed by 500,000 tons in November and 1 million tons after that. He said Russia would deliver another 3 million tons “within a short period of time,” depending on the condition of its diesel refineries. The promised volumes have not been independently verified.
Russia partially lifted its diesel export ban on 10 October, allowing 500,000 tons onto the global market at this stage, the Russian government said, according to state news agency TASS.
A House bill to block Russian oil purchases
Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick plans to introduce the Ronald Reagan Peace Through Strength Act to block Russian oil purchases and use a discharge petition to force a House vote, Axios reported. The procedure can force consideration of a bill if 218 House members sign. Republican Rep. Don Bacon said he would support the bill and called Trump's decision a serious mistake, according to Ukrainska Pravda.
Barrasso defends the deal. Zelenskyy calls it an investment in war
On CBS's Face the Nation on 11 October, Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, a Republican from Wyoming, called the deal “another point of leverage” for Trump to use against Putin. Asked whether the decision violated US law, Barrasso said the president was balancing competing priorities and had to make tough decisions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram on 9 October:
“Allowing Russia to sell petroleum products is an investment in a war that must be ended, not prolonged.”
Trump also expects Ukraine to stop striking Russian refineries under his proposed energy ceasefire, a White House official told Axios. Zelenskyy said Kyiv would halt such strikes if Moscow did the same.
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