NFL Week 5 Recap, QB Injury Concerns, WNBA Finals Venue Chaos, MLB/NASCAR Playoff Updates + Week 6 Picks

Host Jeremy Essary recaps a chaotic NFL Week 5 with notable results including Buccaneers over Cowboys, Jaguars edging Eagles in London, Giants-Commanders ending in an overtime tie, Texans earning their first win vs Titans, Vikings staying 5-0, Patriots blowing out the Raiders behind Drake May, Packers routing the Bears, Broncos keeping the Chargers winless, 49ers beating Seahawks amid sideline/ejection controversy and a disputed fourth-down spot, and Falcons losing in OT after a Tua interception; Bills-Rams is previewed for Monday night. He then lists numerous QB injuries from last season and this year, arguing many are lower-body related and criticizing designed QB runs while warning against the NFL over-correcting with more QB-protection rules. In the WNBA, the Dream and Valkyries sweep into the Finals, but Atlanta lacks a confirmed venue because State Farm Arena is booked. MLB updates set LCS matchups Dodgers-Brewers and Rays-Guardians after Cleveland’s 0-2 comeback, and NASCAR notes Lane Riggs’ Truck win and Chase Briscoe’s Cup win tightening points. He closes with Week 6 picks, highlighting Jags’ travel advantage in England and predicting Seahawks, Patriots, Panthers, Steelers, Ravens, Falcons, Saints, Titans, Chiefs, Rams, Bills, Cowboys, and 49ers.

NFL Week 4 Recap & Week 5 Picks, Plus WNBA Controversy, MLB and NASCAR Playoffs

Host Jeremy Essary recaps a busy sports week, noting NFL Week 4 prediction success (12–3 with Monday pending) and highlighting results including Browns over Steelers, Cowboys over Texans, Bears over Jets, Patriots’ upset of the Bills, Jaguars’ strong defense vs Bengals, Giants over Cardinals, Ravens over Titans, Rams over Eagles amid Jalen Hurts concussion-protocol controversy, Packers over winless Buccaneers, Chiefs over Raiders with concern over Kirk Cousins’ 52 attempts, 49ers over Broncos, Seahawks over winless Chargers, and Lions–Panthers plus Falcons–Saints pending. He discusses WNBA playoffs, praising Liberty over Lynx and Dream advancing, Valkyries beating Wings, and condemning an A’ja Wilson fan-altercation non-ejection as hypocrisy. He updates MLB series and NASCAR standings (Briscoe win; five races left), then makes NFL Week 5 picks including Cowboys, Jaguars (in England), Giants, Jets, Colts, Titans upset, Vikings, Patriots, Bengals, Bears, Broncos, Cardinals upset, Seahawks over 49ers, Ravens, and Rams over Bills.

MLB Playoff Predictions, NASCAR Kansas Recap, and NFL Week 4 Picks on the Recliner Ref Show

Host Jeremy Essary opens by noting unpredictable early sports results and updates Bears QB Caleb Williams’ injury status as a factor in upcoming NFL picks. He previews the MLB playoffs (Sept. 29–Oct. 31), noting the Diamondbacks missed out and Houston edged Texas, then predicts Braves over Phillies, Padres over Cubs, White Sox over Astros, and Yankees over Red Sox; he also reviews broadcast platforms (Peacock for wild cards, TBS/Fox for later rounds, Fox for the World Series) and projects Milwaukee and Tampa Bay as key contenders, with conditional World Series outcomes involving Milwaukee, Tampa, Cleveland, or the Yankees. He briefly flags ongoing MLS, WNBA, NHL changes, and NASCAR playoffs, recapping Kansas wins by Caden Honeycutt (Trucks) and Kyle Larson (Cup). He closes with NFL Week 4 predictions, including Steelers, Colts, Cowboys, Bears, Bills, Jaguars, Cardinals, Ravens, Rams, Packers, Vikings, Chiefs, 49ers, Seahawks, Panthers, and Falcons, and suggests several teams may be “done” or face coaching changes.

WNBA 2026 Playoff Preview: Bracket Breakdown, Officiating Concerns, and Finals Prediction

Jeremy Essary previews the 2026 WNBA playoffs, recaps late-season seeding shifts, and critiques the league’s top-eight, conference-agnostic playoff format and its best-of-3/5/7 series structure. He notes major league growth in viewership, revenue, travel (private jets), and expansion to 18 teams by 2030, plus a 50-game schedule starting in 2027, while arguing officiating has become inconsistent and overly physical, citing frequent flagrants and technicals. He discusses commissioner Cathy Engelbert retiring after 2026 and raises a controversy about former NBA players potentially entering the WNBA under inclusive participation rules. Essary predicts first-round winners Minnesota over New York, Atlanta over Washington, Golden State over Dallas (with upset potential), and Las Vegas over Indiana, then Minnesota and Las Vegas reaching the finals, ultimately picking the Aces to win if Minnesota’s rookie Olivia Miles’ scoring drops.

NFL Week 2 Recap and Week 3 Picks, Plus MLB/WMBA Playoff Races and NASCAR Bristol Fight

Host Jeremy Essary recaps NFL Week 2 results and his picks, highlighting Chiefs over Broncos 31-10, Bills’ strong start, Bengals over Texans, Packers over Jets in OT, Saints’ major upset of Ravens 24-17, Eagles’ first win in 35 years at Tennessee, Vikings over Bears 9-3 in bad weather, Browns over Buccaneers 23-19, Patriots over Steelers 20-3 on a Rodgers fumble return TD, Panthers over Falcons, Raiders’ upset of winless Chargers, Broncos over Jaguars 20-13, Cowboys over Commanders with Daniels injured, 49ers’ dominant win over Dolphins, and Seahawks over Cardinals with a backup QB. He argues against designated QB run plays. He previews MLB playoff races (Guardians atop White Sox; Rangers/Astros, Blue Jays/White Sox, and NL wild-card chase with Diamondbacks path via Rockies/Padres), WNBA seeding uncertainty, USA women’s softball wins in Oklahoma City, MLS updates, and NASCAR Bristol drama including a Blaney–Hocevar fight, Logano’s Cup win, and Truck Series pit trouble for Lane Riggs as Jake Garcia wins. He gives Week 3 NFL picks, including Rams over Giants, Packers, Bengals, Patriots, Giants, Seahawks, Lions, Panthers, Chiefs, Bills, Texans, 49ers, Vikings, Saints, Ravens over Cowboys in Brazil, and Broncos over Rams.

One Week Down: NFL Upsets, Week 2 Predictions & Sports Around the World

NFL Week 1 is officially in the books, and Jeremy is back in the recliner to break down the wins, losses, surprises, and standout performances from around the league. He recaps all the Week 1 action before looking ahead to Week 2 and making his picks, including a Monday night matchup between the Broncos and Chiefs.

Then it’s time to get out of the recliner and take a trip around the sports world. Jeremy checks in on the MLB pennant races as the regular season winds down, looks at the WNBA playoff picture, and previews the Men’s 10-Ball World Championship in Vietnam.

He also catches up on the latest from cycling, basketball, tennis, softball, MLS, golf, and NASCAR, including a breakdown of how the NASCAR playoff system actually works and where the Cup and Truck Series stand heading into Bristol.

Plus, NHL preseason hockey is almost here!

Football may be taking center stage, but there’s a whole lot happening in sports right now. Grab your favorite seat and join Jeremy for another week of The Recliner Ref.

All-Things Sports Preview and NFL Season Predictions (AFC/NFC + Week 1 Picks)

Host Jeremy Essary introduces the “Recliner Ref” podcast as a broad, conversational sports show covering the major U.S. leagues plus NASCAR series, golf (including LIV), soccer, softball/Little League, rodeo/PBR, tennis, X Games, Olympics, FIFA, and other competitions like poker, bowling, pool, pickleball, and motocross.

He opens with NFL season predictions, noting his referee background and asking for patience with officials. In the AFC, he projects playoff contenders including the Patriots, Bills, Ravens, Texans, Jaguars, Broncos, and Chiefs, with Chargers/Colts/Bengals in contention and pessimism about the Browns. In the NFC, he favors Cowboys to win the East with Eagles also in, expects Bears to improve, likes the Buccaneers, predicts Seahawks and Rams as key West teams, and criticizes an unusual schedule (including overseas games). He ends with Week 1 game picks and plans to expand coverage in future episodes.