January 2, 2026 • 30 mins
Mark takes your calls ahead of Steelers and Ravens and welcomes Tim Benz to the show for his thoughts on the game.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the Mark Madden Show. I'm old too, but
still in my prime. Four one two three three three
wxdx the number to call. Get your calls in now
for calls on the fifteens. I want to know who
will be the hero if the Steelers win this game
against Baltimore acrosh on Sunday. Who will be the hero
if the Steelers win? As I talked about before with
(00:24):
Tom regarding Rogers, consider the stats. All his numbers are
like all time lows for Rogers since he became a starter,
worse even than his numbers for the Jets last year.
And I respect Rogers's guile. I certainly used that word
enough this year when referring to Rogers, and that guyle
(00:45):
won some games for a while. Gile, let's all smile, uh.
But the more Rogers got his hooks into the game
plan and his hooks into the depth chart, the worst
everything gots. We've probably overrated Rogers all year. Mostly He's
Russell Wilson Part two. No better, may be worse. It's
(01:08):
a failed experiment, and really winning Sunday won't change that.
For it not to be a failed experiment, he has
to win at least one playoff game because that was
the purpose of bringing him in. And yeah, Metcalf suspended,
blah blah blah. You is still going to be Cleveland.
As I keep saying, if they blow it and miss
(01:29):
the playoffs by losing to Baltimore on Sunday, it won't
be because they lost to Baltimore on Sunday. It'll be
because they lost to Cleveland last Sunday. Wonder how long
it'll take the crowd to chant fire Tomlin. Actually I
might suggest a different word that begins with F for
that chance the number to call again eight three to three,
(01:54):
four one two wxdx. I keep coming back to this,
keep coming back to this, This frigging on Sunday. It's exciting,
but it shouldn't matter. They should be home and dry,
having won at Cleveland. Rogers and cam and Ramsey should
be sitting wad as well, instead of forcing himself in there,
yanking the needle, the knife, the ice pick, whatever it is,
(02:18):
out of his lung and having to play this game
when it should be meaningless.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
They should have won at Cleveland.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
This game Sunday night should be at one o'clock and
we should be looking forward to the playoffs for sure,
and you should be wearing your hats and T shirts
having spent far too much money at shop dot Steelers
dot com.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
We run the North.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
And right below where it would say we run the North,
and this applies if they win Sunday, right below where
it says we run the North, it should say by
default in real small letters. But instead of that, instead
of having beaten Cleveland, instead of them having clinched North
in a playoff spot. Instead it's a five car pile
(03:04):
up against Baltimore in the cold. And even if they win,
I'm not sure what it leads to, because to me,
a win provides nothing but camouflage because this is an
old average football team and a bad organization. I bet
the game plan is all wrong, as is tradition by now.
(03:27):
Even if they win this game and don't win a
playoff game, heck, even if they win a playoff game,
it's a season that feels just like the last how
many with no real promise. I remember when the one
guy down the dial was saying, this team's a dark
hole super Bowl contender, Well, what do you think now?
Speaker 2 (03:45):
It never was, and you know.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
What, it ain't gonna be anytime soon, Same as it
ever was this season just feels the same as the
last eight to nine to ten. However, many and conventional
wisdom among the stooges, marks and citizens is, hey, just
win this game. Playoffs hasz a, YadA, YadA, Just win
this game. If you win this game, what happened to
(04:08):
Cleveland doesn't matter. Just win this game. But a win,
like I said, just conceals problems. Then again, I'm not
sure a loss change is anything. They're just gonna run
it back, and that is the most frustrating thing about
all of this.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
You'll see next year when they just run it back.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
I would bet they bring back Aaron Rodgers no matter
what happens Sunday at forty three. If they do, it's
gonna be Hello Alan Lazard, because he ain't gonna let
control of this go control of the offense, the game plan,
the playbook, the depth chart. He will sink his hooks
in even deeper. And that sucks. Although it is refreshing
(04:47):
to see Rogers bark at Tomlin and Tom was scared
the death of Aaron Rodgers. The whole organization scared of Tomlin.
But now Tom was scared the death of Aaron Rodgers.
If I knew for sure what irony meant. I would
think it's that. No, I do know, but you don't.
I'd changed both coordinators, but they won't. Well on fire,
(05:08):
Tom but I know they won't. I changed both coordinators.
I don't know, maybe as a sacrificial lamb. You know,
Brian Flores, the defensive coordinator of Minnesota who was here
for a year, is some some you know job to
keep him employed because he was in that lawsuit against
the NFL. But they should have kept him as the
defensive coordinator and got rid of tear Austin Well. Flores
(05:31):
is out of contract at Minnesota, but they're optimistic about
signing him back up an a why would he want
to come back to Pittsburgh And b tom On won't
hire Flores because he's a guy who might be his
successor as head coach, and that's not just indigenous to
tom Win. Coaches don't like to hire the guy who
(05:52):
would take their job if the head coach got fired.
I'll be honest, and you guys are gonna give me
crap for saying that I wouldn't bring back to Kaitlin
zacharias Metcalf.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
I wouldn't.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
Instead, they re guaranteed the guarantees he voided, which, like
I said, it's a bad organization, a soft organization. I
bet they don't pick up Rodert Jones's fifth year that option,
and maybe they shouldn't, but they got him next year anyway.
But it wouldn't shock me if they see Dylan Cook
(06:28):
as a starter, even if Jones is back, because he'd
be cheap in the long run, and their marks what a.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
Great story he played here small.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
Didn't get whatever, and he played a couple of good
games and now he can start. And you know what,
there's a bunch of dopes that think that too. As
I mentioned earlier, a big factor on Sunday is the
crowd at Akershore. It's gonna be like a sociological experiment.
(07:04):
I mean, my god, the division in the playoffs on
the line. Eight twenty pm kickoff gonna be cold out
and maybe worse, gonna be drunk on and maybe worse.
I do believe the crowd will start on supportive, but
it won't take a lot to make them turn nasty,
and I do mean nasty.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Yikes.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
It might go from fire tom Win to another word
that begins with F and F renegade for sure. It
could be Mondo nuts So and I'm telling you I
am there for it.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
So I want to know.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
Who you think the hero is gonna be if the
Steelers win. I don't want to know what you think
of the Steelers locker room. The players voting Kenneth Gainwell
as the team MVP. They pick the number two running
back as the team MVP, and you know what, they
might be right, and if they are right, boy, this
ain't a good team. But again, the tradition of never
picking a white quarterback is MVP, and it ain't a
(07:59):
race thing. It's a white quarterback thing. Maybe it's a
just they didn't like Ben type of thing. But he
only won Team MVP once and he's like the arguably
the best quarterback, one of the best players, the architect
of two Super Bowls wins.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
But I don't know. I mean TJ.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
Watt White, he won it five times. I can't figure
that one because he's he's an ass. I know they
didn't like Ben, but TJ. Watt they I mean, yeah,
I don't know. Jim Teacher one O.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
Five, thank you for making my day?
Speaker 2 (08:32):
Yeah what you said?
Speaker 1 (08:34):
The exit one O five nine I'm really mad about
the USA Olympic Hockey roster. But I'm rooting for Sid,
rooting for Canada, so maybe I shouldn't care. But like
Tom and I talked about, they left Jason Robertson off
from Dallas. He's number two in the NHL among top
(08:54):
Ustbourn scorers. They left the five of the top ten
Usbourne goers left off Wlayne Hudson, uh left off Cole Kawfield.
Just went for big and slow, although they don't think
it's slow. Brought Nelson F Brock, Nelson, Seth Jones F
Seth Jones. But now it's time for calls on the fifteens,
(09:17):
which still isn't sponsored. If it was a segment on
the DV Morning Show would be let's go to Scooch
and Hope, Well scoot your own with double m.
Speaker 4 (09:27):
What what up? Mine? Hey, this isn't really a sexy pick,
but for MVP Sunday, I think it has to be
Derek Harmon. I mean they are a completely different run
stopping team. In the five games he's missed, they've allowed
about one to sixty five a game, and when he's
in there, they allow about eighty six when he didn't
play against Baltimore. At Baltimore, they led up two twenty,
(09:48):
So it really is unbelievable how much of a different
team they are when he's in the lineup.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
You're totally correct, Scooch, bit you'd agree that Derrick Henry's
a whole different ballgame, and I think you'd agree it's
gonna take a group effort. Don't get me wrong. I
think if they're gonna win, Harmon has to play a
big role.
Speaker 4 (10:07):
Maybe so, but I thought Gibbs and Montgomery were a
different animal too, and with Harmon in there, I still
can't believe they held those two to like twenty yards.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Yeah, you're talking, you're talking about You're talking about Henry
being a power runner who's better equipped to deal with
Harmon's bulk.
Speaker 5 (10:24):
Very true, Very true.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
I'm not I'm not talking you out of its, Scooch.
I think that's a very likely pick. I just think
to stop Derek Henry, it's gonna take a village. Let's
go to Paul. Paul, you're on double m Hey, Mark,
what happens if the game ends in a tie?
Speaker 2 (10:42):
Steelers make the playoffs?
Speaker 5 (10:44):
Do they?
Speaker 2 (10:45):
Yep?
Speaker 6 (10:46):
Okay, my pick would be Chris bos Well, he's not.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
Really a football player. But but go ahead tell me why.
I mean, how many points is he gonna have to score?
Speaker 6 (10:55):
Well, he's probably going to be making the winning the game,
Chris bog Will.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
Yeah, boy, that's the slippery slope in cold and weather
potentially like that Sunday night. But yeah, maybe, And don't
forget he just missed a big kick it at Cleveland
and missed another one before that. Uh, not that he's slumping,
but he misses so few kicks. Yeah, maybe it's fair
to say he is slumping, but you still got to
trust him and to you.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
Let's go to Dave Dan Tan, Dave, you're on with
double M.
Speaker 5 (11:26):
Good day, sir, I said, good day. Okay. I really
hope that Rodgers comes back next year, and I'll tell
you why, because he needs another year to create a
big enough disaster that we'll make Tomlin finally give up
and leave.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
No, Tom and I could give up and leave.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
And if if he's ever gonna give up and leave,
it'll be after they lose Sunday to Baltimore, if they lose,
because this would be the ultimate I don't want to
say choke job, because it's a very short collapse. But
like I keep saying, if they missed the playoffs, it'll
be because they lost to Cleveland, not because they lose
this Sunday against Baltimore.
Speaker 5 (12:06):
Yeah, that Aaron Rodgers has gotten the Super Bowl winning
coach and Mike McCarthy fired. So it's our only hope
is that he creates the big enough disaster.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
Yeah, I heard you the first time, but they're just
not going to fire tom when Tomalin would have to
walk away. Now Art could encourage him to walk away,
but if Tomin says I'm staying, it's like Joe Paterno
at Penn State. They tried to fire him, he just
said no till till the last time, when well, we
all know what happened. Then thank you for the call.
Eight three three four one two w XDX. Up next,
(12:39):
we're gonna talk to Tim bens uh. I guess we
could talk about the college football playoffs at some point.
Bit I watched some of the games. I will say
any of the football is an incredible story, the best
story in college football, the best story in college sports,
best story in college football and college sports. For years,
(13:02):
Signetti has done wonders. He should stay there forever I
bet he does. He's an absolute legend there and he
did it like overnight. Like Tom and I were talking
about before, if Indiana can do it, why can't Pick
And the answer to that is pitt has Paton Ardouzian,
Indiana has Kurse Signetti, and we got Justin Brazo from
(13:25):
the Penguin's going to be joining us sometime later today.
Tim Ben's next Charlie Batch the top of the hour,
one oh five to nine.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
This is Chris Bruce Ard. Here's what's trending from the
iHeart Sports Network presented by Discover. The NHL will hold
the southernmost game in their history tonight. That's when the
Rangers face the Panthers. It's the Winter Classic from Miami.
Former Pittsburgh area hockey standouts J. T.
Speaker 7 (13:46):
Miller and Vincent Projec They were named today the team
USA's roster for the Winter Olympics. And over to college basketball,
it rolls on tonight NTLD West Virginia visiting third Rand
Iowa State, and Robert Morris visits Detroit Mercy.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
I'm Scott David's.
Speaker 1 (14:02):
How you like it Now be Exit one.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
Some news from the Steelers. TJ.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
Watt talked to media, said he's definitely gonna play, didn't
say how much, said he was going to lay off
the dry needing for a while. And Uh because of
frozen conditions in the stands at Ack for sure. Uh,
stadium workers were throwing rock salt throughout the stands. So
(14:31):
rock salt up your ass on Sunday night. That cost
extra in Vegas. Joining me now to talk about Steelers
Ravens from the tributes, Tim Benz, Tim Uh, if the
Steelers win, who's the hero who's got to come through
the most?
Speaker 6 (14:47):
I think that if you're looking at the biggest aspect
that they've got to overcome, it's probably the choice to
make when it comes to the quarterback running the football,
likely Lamar Jackson or the running back in Derrick Henry.
And that means the outside linebackers, when they've been good
at making those decisions, they've contained those two guys. When
(15:11):
they've struggled and guessed wrong, that's when the Ravens have
run all over them. So I'll say it's the outside linebackers,
and then by extension, maybe the two guys in the interior,
likely Harvin and Cam Hayward. But whatever collection through the
snapcount the data distribute, I'll say the outside linebacking corp. Yes,
that does include t J. Watt.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
If you're the Ravens, what you just run right at
TJ Watt to test dot, you know, if he's all
the way back.
Speaker 6 (15:37):
Yeah, and to that extent, I don't think they'll use
him as much as they normally do, especially in a
game against the Ravens. TJ is shown to be when
he's been physically right, very good at scraping down the
line of scrimmage backside pursued on run plays. It's been
more of an issue when he has been run directly at,
as you suggest, So I think that would be their
(15:58):
primary focus and object. But you know, part of their
guessing game that they work so well, especially against the Steelers,
is making you think that Jackson might go one way,
he goes to the other, and Henry Vice versus. So
it's always going to be a bit of a guessing
game when he played Baltimore in that context, Can.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
The Steelers fix their offense, you know, between the Cleveland
game and Sunday night with Metcalf still suspended or does
it basically have to be the same thing at Cleveland
is at Cleveland and they hope it works better.
Speaker 6 (16:28):
I think it's more the latter. I don't think the
wide receiver position is fixable. I think one thing that
can be fixed about it, though, is using Friarmuth as
more a primary pass catching target than a secondary one.
We've been saying that for a while, even before Metcalf
got hurt, that he should have been more of the
focal point of the passing game, maybe the next guy
(16:48):
after Metcalf, and that was very rarely the case. But
I do know this mark. Every time Mike Comminis tried
to pay a compliment to frier Mouth when people have
been asking where is he? Why was he the only
effective in this game or that game? How come you
guys don't use him more, he always relates it back
to how often they're facing zone defenses. And he didn't
(17:10):
directly say this about Friar Youth, but when he was
doing his opening monologue about this is where the Ravens
are good, this is where the Ravens are good, he
very quickly pointed out that they've gotten away from as
much man demand as they are playing against the Steelers,
and they're playing a lot more zone. So if you
connect his thoughts, even though he didn't do it directly
for us, and why when I directly asked him about it.
You would think that fray told be more of a
(17:31):
target because the Ravens are playing a lot more zone
than they did when they saw the Steelers a few
weeks ago.
Speaker 1 (17:36):
I hope that's true, but ultimately it's up to Rogers,
and I think Rogers is determined to make MBS and
Scottie Miller into his anointed receivers. I like the cow idea,
lots of play action and target mouth and JOHNU, but
I just don't see Rogers doing that. I think Rogers
has assumed total control of the offense, and I think
Rogers is the one guy Tom Win's scared of.
Speaker 6 (17:59):
He's also one of the few guys, more so even
than Tomlin that hates to admit when he's wrong and
is stubborn and won't admit when he is wrong. And
I even wonder if that's.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
The minute he talked about that outcast gimmick. He was
determined to prove the outcast were the heroes exactly.
Speaker 6 (18:15):
He just he wants the narrative to live up to
the way he wants it written, So I even think
Mark that might apply to what his decision is after
this season. The way he's talking right now, you know
this whole thing about I wouldn't have felt like I
had fulfilled my entire career. There would have been a
hole in my career if I didn't do something like
(18:35):
this and have played here looking back on it, you know,
and I think for as much as people might say
it wasn't worth getting him, if they take a step back,
finished with just nine wins and don't make the playoffs,
that might embolden him all the more to say he
wants to come back next year, when if he asks
for a lot more money to do it, it won't
be worth it this year it probably is because of
(18:58):
what he's making.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
Why wouldn't bring him back regardless? I think he's grandpa
game manager nothing more right now, and I think he
has too much influence on the game plan and depth chart.
And as I've said repeatedly and especially true with Cleveland,
the Steelers don't run the ball enough, not even when
it works, and maybe especially when it works, Rogers just
wants to throw. And we talk about how smart he
(19:20):
is at the line checking down, He checks down too
often to passing and always gets out of running.
Speaker 6 (19:26):
And that was really indicative, I thought, by way of
looking at five and a half yards per carry for
the running backs and only three point of sorry four
point three yards per attempt throwing the football. It was
so much incumbent on their passing game to get rid
of the ball quickly because they didn't want him getting hit,
particularly by Miles Garrett, that it minimized anything they could
(19:48):
do throwing the ball, where I thought they had their
full menu of running plays. And for as good as
that defense is marked from Cleveland, it's not like most
teams walk out of a stadium not scoring a to
down against him. They only did that once before the Steelers.
There was only one other game I believe it was
against Miami where they didn't give up a touchdown. And
for pittsfordh to not score against the last place team,
(20:10):
to not score a touchdown against the last place team,
I don't care how good Miles Garrett is and what
you thought of their front seven. You've got to do
better than that.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
Yeah, I don't care.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
The DKs out either did not score a touchdown is inexcusable.
Like I said a moment ago when the run was working,
and they just stopped doing it. We're talking to Tim Bens.
He's brought to you by Calusy Chevrolet, serving the Pittsburgh
area for one hundred and seven years. How much will
Watt play? He spoke today, said he's going to play,
didn't say how much.
Speaker 2 (20:39):
What do you suspect?
Speaker 6 (20:41):
I don't think it'll be the full usual snap count
and snap load for him. I think they feel more
comfortable using Jack Sawyer than they did a month ago.
You know, the variable might be how healthy and how
good is Herbig. You know, Herbig had the chance for
the one big splash play that could turn to no
pick six, but he dropped it. And he hasn't quite
(21:02):
looked the same since his handstring injury, missing a game
than playing and without much impact against Cleveland. I think
Highsmith's gonna have to be the star of a bunch,
and I think Sawyer is gonna have to dance the call.
And he didn't get enough snaps, I thought against Baltimore
the last time where you have a run base team,
and he's supposed to be a guy who's fairly good
at sitting the edge and having more of a stout
(21:23):
presence against the run. So I think all those factors
will limit Watt to maybe seventy sixty percent of what
you know, two thirds of the way of what he
normally does, and he can the game for the Steelers,
but certainly not a full snap countload.
Speaker 1 (21:37):
Yeah, I feel like like he's less effective against well,
I shouldn't say that he's he's gotten really good against
the run. He's added that to his game, and full
credit him for growing as a player, But given this injury,
and given like you said, a likely limited amount of snaps,
I don't figure that he's a big part of the
game plan to stop Henry. If I were Baltimore, I'd
(21:59):
run hen We write at what I think jack Sore
might actually be a better fit for what we expect.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
Baltimore to do.
Speaker 1 (22:07):
But that said, Tim, is there really a strategy to
stop Derrick Henry besides getting a lead and making them throw.
Speaker 6 (22:15):
That's the greatest strategy you can have is to try
to get out early and make Harbaugh outthink himself. I
think it's more likely that Harbaugh gets himself and gets
his team away from what they do well than it
is that Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson don't do a
good job against the Steelers. Like I think it's more
likely that the narrative negatively for Baltimore should they lose
(22:38):
this game is about what decisions Harbaugh made and not
how badly or you know, or how well that those
two stars in the offensive backfield perform. Like you know,
I look at their track record throughout the season, and
it's kind of funny. It's not like it was Josh
Allen and Justin Fields and Jackson and Justin Herbert, all
good running backs that skewered them with their own statistics,
(23:00):
But it was accounting for them and game planning and
worrying about them that allowed guys like Henry kamani Vedal,
James Cook, and Breis Hall to all go for ninety
five or more yards roughly in those games against the Steelers.
I think it was some sort of gross total of
one hundred and ninety two yards total rushing yards on
(23:22):
average for those four teams that had the ability to
split between a mobile running back and a good mobile
quarterback and a good running back. The Steelers just have
trouble accounting for those two things at once in the
rush defense game. Whereas if you've got a good running back,
but an immobile quarterback. They've actually been pretty decent against
teams like that this season stopping the run.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
The thing with Lamar is and he obviously is going
to play, says he is.
Speaker 1 (23:47):
I still can't help but wonder if it would be
better to have Huntley in there at one hundred percent
than Lamar at whatever percent he's at, let's say seventy
five or whatever. I will say with Huntley, you know,
he's not as good, but you can use the same game,
and I think you focus more on Henry, which for
this game I would lean on him a lot more
than Lamar.
Speaker 6 (24:08):
Yeah. I think that was part of the reason why
they were so successful against green Bay is that having
Huntley there limited their package and limited their thought pattern
as to how much they were gonna throw and how
much they were gonna let the quarterback run.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
And Green Bay didn't really want to play anyway. The
game had no meaning for them, so Henry was going
to break down their will.
Speaker 6 (24:26):
And you know, I believe Huntley had like what sixty
yards rushing seventy yards rushing himself, so when he did
run the ball, he did it effectively and aided to
that huge run total. But I see your point. It's
just that if you decide to not go against Lamar
or go with Lamar and he's healthy, you're gonna hear
about it the entire offseason. And the other thing is
if they do get behind and they do need to
(24:48):
throw a little bit, if they need a two minute drill,
or if they need to comeback, Lamar is definitely more
likely to give that to you that Huntley is.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
No no. I agree that once Lamar said he was
okay to play, Harbor head no choice but to play.
And again, the notion that Baltimore could mangle its game
plan by having an embarrassment of weapons, that's no knock
on Lamar, that's a knock on on John Harbaugh. Now,
if the Steelers lose and miss the playoffs, will will
(25:18):
change be a foot or will they just run it back.
Speaker 6 (25:22):
I think the Steelers will run it back. I don't
know about Baltimore. I think they would be more inclined
to make it change because I don't think that the
Shoti is as wed to the notion of having to
stay with the same coach. I think he likes Harball,
trusts Harrball, wants to keep Harball, but he'll know one
enough is enough a lot sooner than our running the
second will and especially Mark because he doesn't have the
(25:44):
option Harbaugh, I'm talking about to say, well, I don't
have a quarterback. You know, Tomlin can keep saying that,
even though he's the one that has wanted to bring
in the quarterbacks that have been there and now currently
as a Hall of Famer, So you know there's an
irony there. Sure, but I would expect that it would
take multiple consecutive losing seasons before Rooney said it's time
(26:05):
for a change with Tomlin.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
Well, yeah, I kind of laugh when people are currently saying,
like like Schefter, et cetera, that you know, if they
lose to Baltimore, this could be when Tomlin walks away.
If he's ever going to Well, the fact remains that
he's never going to, and it certainly would not be
at the team's behest. It would be at least framed
as a Tomlin decision in order for everybody to save face.
(26:29):
What's your take on gain while getting Team MVP the
number two running back, it keeps in the tradition of
not giving it to the white quarterback.
Speaker 6 (26:38):
Yeah, I mean, would you have given it to Rodgers.
Is that what you're saying.
Speaker 1 (26:41):
I don't think there's an MVP on the fricking team tim.
I might have given it to Heismith, but he missed
a lot of games. I might have given it to
Ramsey for being the glue. I might have given it
to Joey Porter Junior after that tweet by Williamson that
he has a lot of touchdown in fourteen and forty
four snaps the longest streak in the by.
Speaker 6 (27:00):
Twice week, especially if Lamar is capable of starting and
playing and doing everything, because when he throws, he's gonna
want to throw the Flowers and Matt might have tweeted
this out as well. I know it's in his stat
pack for the week that Zave Flowers has six hundred
and sixty five more receiving yards than any other pass
(27:22):
catcher for the Ravens. So that has to be Joey
Porter's guy, and he has to do well against him.
As far as the MVP, I guess it has to
be gain well. For a lot of the reasons you
brought up, there just hasn't hasn't been a guy who's
been good enough, often enough, healthy enough for the whole
season to have earned it more than him. And you know,
(27:43):
I'll frame it in the way that you did about
the whole embarrassment of Rich's thing, that it's no knock
on those players themselves if they lose, it's more on
the coach. This might be indicative of the coach and
what his thumb print is on the roster. If his
most valuable player is a guy that Philadelphia wanting to
more to back up seek one Barkley that's saying something and.
Speaker 1 (28:03):
Wills that don't know what the vote really is. Because
Tom Win CONTs to vote, it's basically a Tom Win award.
And whether he listens to what the players say via
their vote, I don't think he always does.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
By the way, Tim, here's a great sound.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
I just see Gainwell said he was not surprised to
be named Steelers' MVP. Boy, it's hard to be fumble
when you know, hard to be humble, rather with his
a Freudian slip. Hard to be humble when you never
started for Philadelphia? Tim, who wins.
Speaker 6 (28:30):
If Jackson plays in his healthy twenty to sixteen Baltimore
is my call?
Speaker 1 (28:34):
What if Jackson doesn't play or he plays at like
seventy five.
Speaker 6 (28:37):
Percent, Steelers sixteen to ten.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
See, I like Baltimore regardless, although Harbaugh could blow it.
Speaker 1 (28:48):
He could, you know, I think himself as you've said,
But I think Baltimore coming into the game with the momentum,
the adrenaline of having been dead and buried and let
off the mat, that is a very special kind of adrenaline,
that second chance adrenaline.
Speaker 6 (29:04):
And I wonder if there's a corollary effect on the
other side with the Steelers, you know, who might get
out there in two degree whether or whatever it's going
to be, with rock salt in the seats like you
were laying out before I came on and said, you
know what, weren't we supposed to be like off this week?
Wasn't this game supposed to not matter? Shouldn't we be
thinking about the Chargers or the Texans or the Bills again?
(29:26):
Like you know, I wonder if that I'll slap them
in the face at about eight nineteen pm, Tim, if.
Speaker 1 (29:31):
I had to get out there and the cold and
the rock salt and the drunk, never mind core hilary effect,
I might have a coronary effect. And I have already
had one of those, Tim, great stuff enjoy the game, all.
Speaker 6 (29:42):
Right, Mark, Thanks, we'll talk during the podcast next day.
Speaker 1 (29:45):
That's Tim Ben's I do a podcast with him every
Sunday night and a Facebook live broadcast with him every
Monday morning with trib Live dot com. Don't forget you
can watch the game with me at the All Star
Sports Bar and Grill at Soft Point and Joy Steelers
Altamont with the super Genius Sunday kickoff at eight twenty
(30:05):
pm at the All Star Sports Bar and Grill at
South Point. We got Charlie Batch at the top of
the hour, and we got Penguins winger Justin Brazo later
on in the four o'clock hour. I'm Mark Madden one
oh five nine. It's The Woody Show weekday morning six
to ten on one oh five nine
Speaker 5 (30:23):
The ex This hour, The Mark Maddin Show is brought
to you by but Light Browley served as Shiloh Clayton
bor on mywa Wash
This is the Mark Madden Show. I'm old too, but
still in my prime. Four one two three three three
wxdx the number to call. Get your calls in now
for calls on the fifteens. I want to know who
will be the hero if the Steelers win this game
against Baltimore acrosh on Sunday. Who will be the hero
if the Steelers win? As I talked about before with
(00:24):
Tom regarding Rogers, consider the stats. All his numbers are
like all time lows for Rogers since he became a starter,
worse even than his numbers for the Jets last year.
And I respect Rogers's guile. I certainly used that word
enough this year when referring to Rogers, and that guyle
(00:45):
won some games for a while. Gile, let's all smile, uh.
But the more Rogers got his hooks into the game
plan and his hooks into the depth chart, the worst
everything gots. We've probably overrated Rogers all year. Mostly He's
Russell Wilson Part two. No better, may be worse. It's
(01:08):
a failed experiment, and really winning Sunday won't change that.
For it not to be a failed experiment, he has
to win at least one playoff game because that was
the purpose of bringing him in. And yeah, Metcalf suspended,
blah blah blah. You is still going to be Cleveland.
As I keep saying, if they blow it and miss
(01:29):
the playoffs by losing to Baltimore on Sunday, it won't
be because they lost to Baltimore on Sunday. It'll be
because they lost to Cleveland last Sunday. Wonder how long
it'll take the crowd to chant fire Tomlin. Actually I
might suggest a different word that begins with F for
that chance the number to call again eight three to three,
(01:54):
four one two wxdx. I keep coming back to this,
keep coming back to this, This frigging on Sunday. It's exciting,
but it shouldn't matter. They should be home and dry,
having won at Cleveland. Rogers and cam and Ramsey should
be sitting wad as well, instead of forcing himself in there,
yanking the needle, the knife, the ice pick, whatever it is,
(02:18):
out of his lung and having to play this game
when it should be meaningless.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
They should have won at Cleveland.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
This game Sunday night should be at one o'clock and
we should be looking forward to the playoffs for sure,
and you should be wearing your hats and T shirts
having spent far too much money at shop dot Steelers
dot com.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
We run the North.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
And right below where it would say we run the North,
and this applies if they win Sunday, right below where
it says we run the North, it should say by
default in real small letters. But instead of that, instead
of having beaten Cleveland, instead of them having clinched North
in a playoff spot. Instead it's a five car pile
(03:04):
up against Baltimore in the cold. And even if they win,
I'm not sure what it leads to, because to me,
a win provides nothing but camouflage because this is an
old average football team and a bad organization. I bet
the game plan is all wrong, as is tradition by now.
(03:27):
Even if they win this game and don't win a
playoff game, heck, even if they win a playoff game,
it's a season that feels just like the last how
many with no real promise. I remember when the one
guy down the dial was saying, this team's a dark
hole super Bowl contender, Well, what do you think now?
Speaker 2 (03:45):
It never was, and you know.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
What, it ain't gonna be anytime soon, Same as it
ever was this season just feels the same as the
last eight to nine to ten. However, many and conventional
wisdom among the stooges, marks and citizens is, hey, just
win this game. Playoffs hasz a, YadA, YadA, Just win
this game. If you win this game, what happened to
(04:08):
Cleveland doesn't matter. Just win this game. But a win,
like I said, just conceals problems. Then again, I'm not
sure a loss change is anything. They're just gonna run
it back, and that is the most frustrating thing about
all of this.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
You'll see next year when they just run it back.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
I would bet they bring back Aaron Rodgers no matter
what happens Sunday at forty three. If they do, it's
gonna be Hello Alan Lazard, because he ain't gonna let
control of this go control of the offense, the game plan,
the playbook, the depth chart. He will sink his hooks
in even deeper. And that sucks. Although it is refreshing
(04:47):
to see Rogers bark at Tomlin and Tom was scared
the death of Aaron Rodgers. The whole organization scared of Tomlin.
But now Tom was scared the death of Aaron Rodgers.
If I knew for sure what irony meant. I would
think it's that. No, I do know, but you don't.
I'd changed both coordinators, but they won't. Well on fire,
(05:08):
Tom but I know they won't. I changed both coordinators.
I don't know, maybe as a sacrificial lamb. You know,
Brian Flores, the defensive coordinator of Minnesota who was here
for a year, is some some you know job to
keep him employed because he was in that lawsuit against
the NFL. But they should have kept him as the
defensive coordinator and got rid of tear Austin Well. Flores
(05:31):
is out of contract at Minnesota, but they're optimistic about
signing him back up an a why would he want
to come back to Pittsburgh And b tom On won't
hire Flores because he's a guy who might be his
successor as head coach, and that's not just indigenous to
tom Win. Coaches don't like to hire the guy who
(05:52):
would take their job if the head coach got fired.
I'll be honest, and you guys are gonna give me
crap for saying that I wouldn't bring back to Kaitlin
zacharias Metcalf.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
I wouldn't.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
Instead, they re guaranteed the guarantees he voided, which, like
I said, it's a bad organization, a soft organization. I
bet they don't pick up Rodert Jones's fifth year that option,
and maybe they shouldn't, but they got him next year anyway.
But it wouldn't shock me if they see Dylan Cook
(06:28):
as a starter, even if Jones is back, because he'd
be cheap in the long run, and their marks what a.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
Great story he played here small.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
Didn't get whatever, and he played a couple of good
games and now he can start. And you know what,
there's a bunch of dopes that think that too. As
I mentioned earlier, a big factor on Sunday is the
crowd at Akershore. It's gonna be like a sociological experiment.
(07:04):
I mean, my god, the division in the playoffs on
the line. Eight twenty pm kickoff gonna be cold out
and maybe worse, gonna be drunk on and maybe worse.
I do believe the crowd will start on supportive, but
it won't take a lot to make them turn nasty,
and I do mean nasty.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Yikes.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
It might go from fire tom Win to another word
that begins with F and F renegade for sure. It
could be Mondo nuts So and I'm telling you I
am there for it.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
So I want to know.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
Who you think the hero is gonna be if the
Steelers win. I don't want to know what you think
of the Steelers locker room. The players voting Kenneth Gainwell
as the team MVP. They pick the number two running
back as the team MVP, and you know what, they
might be right, and if they are right, boy, this
ain't a good team. But again, the tradition of never
picking a white quarterback is MVP, and it ain't a
(07:59):
race thing. It's a white quarterback thing. Maybe it's a
just they didn't like Ben type of thing. But he
only won Team MVP once and he's like the arguably
the best quarterback, one of the best players, the architect
of two Super Bowls wins.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
But I don't know. I mean TJ.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
Watt White, he won it five times. I can't figure
that one because he's he's an ass. I know they
didn't like Ben, but TJ. Watt they I mean, yeah,
I don't know. Jim Teacher one O.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
Five, thank you for making my day?
Speaker 2 (08:32):
Yeah what you said?
Speaker 1 (08:34):
The exit one O five nine I'm really mad about
the USA Olympic Hockey roster. But I'm rooting for Sid,
rooting for Canada, so maybe I shouldn't care. But like
Tom and I talked about, they left Jason Robertson off
from Dallas. He's number two in the NHL among top
(08:54):
Ustbourn scorers. They left the five of the top ten
Usbourne goers left off Wlayne Hudson, uh left off Cole Kawfield.
Just went for big and slow, although they don't think
it's slow. Brought Nelson F Brock, Nelson, Seth Jones F
Seth Jones. But now it's time for calls on the fifteens,
(09:17):
which still isn't sponsored. If it was a segment on
the DV Morning Show would be let's go to Scooch
and Hope, Well scoot your own with double m.
Speaker 4 (09:27):
What what up? Mine? Hey, this isn't really a sexy pick,
but for MVP Sunday, I think it has to be
Derek Harmon. I mean they are a completely different run
stopping team. In the five games he's missed, they've allowed
about one to sixty five a game, and when he's
in there, they allow about eighty six when he didn't
play against Baltimore. At Baltimore, they led up two twenty,
(09:48):
So it really is unbelievable how much of a different
team they are when he's in the lineup.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
You're totally correct, Scooch, bit you'd agree that Derrick Henry's
a whole different ballgame, and I think you'd agree it's
gonna take a group effort. Don't get me wrong. I
think if they're gonna win, Harmon has to play a
big role.
Speaker 4 (10:07):
Maybe so, but I thought Gibbs and Montgomery were a
different animal too, and with Harmon in there, I still
can't believe they held those two to like twenty yards.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Yeah, you're talking, you're talking about You're talking about Henry
being a power runner who's better equipped to deal with
Harmon's bulk.
Speaker 5 (10:24):
Very true, Very true.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
I'm not I'm not talking you out of its, Scooch.
I think that's a very likely pick. I just think
to stop Derek Henry, it's gonna take a village. Let's
go to Paul. Paul, you're on double m Hey, Mark,
what happens if the game ends in a tie?
Speaker 2 (10:42):
Steelers make the playoffs?
Speaker 5 (10:44):
Do they?
Speaker 2 (10:45):
Yep?
Speaker 6 (10:46):
Okay, my pick would be Chris bos Well, he's not.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
Really a football player. But but go ahead tell me why.
I mean, how many points is he gonna have to score?
Speaker 6 (10:55):
Well, he's probably going to be making the winning the game,
Chris bog Will.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
Yeah, boy, that's the slippery slope in cold and weather
potentially like that Sunday night. But yeah, maybe, And don't
forget he just missed a big kick it at Cleveland
and missed another one before that. Uh, not that he's slumping,
but he misses so few kicks. Yeah, maybe it's fair
to say he is slumping, but you still got to
trust him and to you.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
Let's go to Dave Dan Tan, Dave, you're on with
double M.
Speaker 5 (11:26):
Good day, sir, I said, good day. Okay. I really
hope that Rodgers comes back next year, and I'll tell
you why, because he needs another year to create a
big enough disaster that we'll make Tomlin finally give up
and leave.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
No, Tom and I could give up and leave.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
And if if he's ever gonna give up and leave,
it'll be after they lose Sunday to Baltimore, if they lose,
because this would be the ultimate I don't want to
say choke job, because it's a very short collapse. But
like I keep saying, if they missed the playoffs, it'll
be because they lost to Cleveland, not because they lose
this Sunday against Baltimore.
Speaker 5 (12:06):
Yeah, that Aaron Rodgers has gotten the Super Bowl winning
coach and Mike McCarthy fired. So it's our only hope
is that he creates the big enough disaster.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
Yeah, I heard you the first time, but they're just
not going to fire tom when Tomalin would have to
walk away. Now Art could encourage him to walk away,
but if Tomin says I'm staying, it's like Joe Paterno
at Penn State. They tried to fire him, he just
said no till till the last time, when well, we
all know what happened. Then thank you for the call.
Eight three three four one two w XDX. Up next,
(12:39):
we're gonna talk to Tim bens uh. I guess we
could talk about the college football playoffs at some point.
Bit I watched some of the games. I will say
any of the football is an incredible story, the best
story in college football, the best story in college sports,
best story in college football and college sports. For years,
(13:02):
Signetti has done wonders. He should stay there forever I
bet he does. He's an absolute legend there and he
did it like overnight. Like Tom and I were talking
about before, if Indiana can do it, why can't Pick
And the answer to that is pitt has Paton Ardouzian,
Indiana has Kurse Signetti, and we got Justin Brazo from
(13:25):
the Penguin's going to be joining us sometime later today.
Tim Ben's next Charlie Batch the top of the hour,
one oh five to nine.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
This is Chris Bruce Ard. Here's what's trending from the
iHeart Sports Network presented by Discover. The NHL will hold
the southernmost game in their history tonight. That's when the
Rangers face the Panthers. It's the Winter Classic from Miami.
Former Pittsburgh area hockey standouts J. T.
Speaker 7 (13:46):
Miller and Vincent Projec They were named today the team
USA's roster for the Winter Olympics. And over to college basketball,
it rolls on tonight NTLD West Virginia visiting third Rand
Iowa State, and Robert Morris visits Detroit Mercy.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
I'm Scott David's.
Speaker 1 (14:02):
How you like it Now be Exit one.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
Some news from the Steelers. TJ.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
Watt talked to media, said he's definitely gonna play, didn't
say how much, said he was going to lay off
the dry needing for a while. And Uh because of
frozen conditions in the stands at Ack for sure. Uh,
stadium workers were throwing rock salt throughout the stands. So
(14:31):
rock salt up your ass on Sunday night. That cost
extra in Vegas. Joining me now to talk about Steelers
Ravens from the tributes, Tim Benz, Tim Uh, if the
Steelers win, who's the hero who's got to come through
the most?
Speaker 6 (14:47):
I think that if you're looking at the biggest aspect
that they've got to overcome, it's probably the choice to
make when it comes to the quarterback running the football,
likely Lamar Jackson or the running back in Derrick Henry.
And that means the outside linebackers, when they've been good
at making those decisions, they've contained those two guys. When
(15:11):
they've struggled and guessed wrong, that's when the Ravens have
run all over them. So I'll say it's the outside linebackers,
and then by extension, maybe the two guys in the interior,
likely Harvin and Cam Hayward. But whatever collection through the
snapcount the data distribute, I'll say the outside linebacking corp. Yes,
that does include t J. Watt.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
If you're the Ravens, what you just run right at
TJ Watt to test dot, you know, if he's all
the way back.
Speaker 6 (15:37):
Yeah, and to that extent, I don't think they'll use
him as much as they normally do, especially in a
game against the Ravens. TJ is shown to be when
he's been physically right, very good at scraping down the
line of scrimmage backside pursued on run plays. It's been
more of an issue when he has been run directly at,
as you suggest, So I think that would be their
(15:58):
primary focus and object. But you know, part of their
guessing game that they work so well, especially against the Steelers,
is making you think that Jackson might go one way,
he goes to the other, and Henry Vice versus. So
it's always going to be a bit of a guessing
game when he played Baltimore in that context, Can.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
The Steelers fix their offense, you know, between the Cleveland
game and Sunday night with Metcalf still suspended or does
it basically have to be the same thing at Cleveland
is at Cleveland and they hope it works better.
Speaker 6 (16:28):
I think it's more the latter. I don't think the
wide receiver position is fixable. I think one thing that
can be fixed about it, though, is using Friarmuth as
more a primary pass catching target than a secondary one.
We've been saying that for a while, even before Metcalf
got hurt, that he should have been more of the
focal point of the passing game, maybe the next guy
(16:48):
after Metcalf, and that was very rarely the case. But
I do know this mark. Every time Mike Comminis tried
to pay a compliment to frier Mouth when people have
been asking where is he? Why was he the only
effective in this game or that game? How come you
guys don't use him more, he always relates it back
to how often they're facing zone defenses. And he didn't
(17:10):
directly say this about Friar Youth, but when he was
doing his opening monologue about this is where the Ravens
are good, this is where the Ravens are good, he
very quickly pointed out that they've gotten away from as
much man demand as they are playing against the Steelers,
and they're playing a lot more zone. So if you
connect his thoughts, even though he didn't do it directly
for us, and why when I directly asked him about it.
You would think that fray told be more of a
(17:31):
target because the Ravens are playing a lot more zone
than they did when they saw the Steelers a few
weeks ago.
Speaker 1 (17:36):
I hope that's true, but ultimately it's up to Rogers,
and I think Rogers is determined to make MBS and
Scottie Miller into his anointed receivers. I like the cow idea,
lots of play action and target mouth and JOHNU, but
I just don't see Rogers doing that. I think Rogers
has assumed total control of the offense, and I think
Rogers is the one guy Tom Win's scared of.
Speaker 6 (17:59):
He's also one of the few guys, more so even
than Tomlin that hates to admit when he's wrong and
is stubborn and won't admit when he is wrong. And
I even wonder if that's.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
The minute he talked about that outcast gimmick. He was
determined to prove the outcast were the heroes exactly.
Speaker 6 (18:15):
He just he wants the narrative to live up to
the way he wants it written, So I even think
Mark that might apply to what his decision is after
this season. The way he's talking right now, you know
this whole thing about I wouldn't have felt like I
had fulfilled my entire career. There would have been a
hole in my career if I didn't do something like
(18:35):
this and have played here looking back on it, you know,
and I think for as much as people might say
it wasn't worth getting him, if they take a step back,
finished with just nine wins and don't make the playoffs,
that might embolden him all the more to say he
wants to come back next year, when if he asks
for a lot more money to do it, it won't
be worth it this year it probably is because of
(18:58):
what he's making.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
Why wouldn't bring him back regardless? I think he's grandpa
game manager nothing more right now, and I think he
has too much influence on the game plan and depth chart.
And as I've said repeatedly and especially true with Cleveland,
the Steelers don't run the ball enough, not even when
it works, and maybe especially when it works, Rogers just
wants to throw. And we talk about how smart he
(19:20):
is at the line checking down, He checks down too
often to passing and always gets out of running.
Speaker 6 (19:26):
And that was really indicative, I thought, by way of
looking at five and a half yards per carry for
the running backs and only three point of sorry four
point three yards per attempt throwing the football. It was
so much incumbent on their passing game to get rid
of the ball quickly because they didn't want him getting hit,
particularly by Miles Garrett, that it minimized anything they could
(19:48):
do throwing the ball, where I thought they had their
full menu of running plays. And for as good as
that defense is marked from Cleveland, it's not like most
teams walk out of a stadium not scoring a to
down against him. They only did that once before the Steelers.
There was only one other game I believe it was
against Miami where they didn't give up a touchdown. And
for pittsfordh to not score against the last place team,
(20:10):
to not score a touchdown against the last place team,
I don't care how good Miles Garrett is and what
you thought of their front seven. You've got to do
better than that.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
Yeah, I don't care.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
The DKs out either did not score a touchdown is inexcusable.
Like I said a moment ago when the run was working,
and they just stopped doing it. We're talking to Tim Bens.
He's brought to you by Calusy Chevrolet, serving the Pittsburgh
area for one hundred and seven years. How much will
Watt play? He spoke today, said he's going to play,
didn't say how much.
Speaker 2 (20:39):
What do you suspect?
Speaker 6 (20:41):
I don't think it'll be the full usual snap count
and snap load for him. I think they feel more
comfortable using Jack Sawyer than they did a month ago.
You know, the variable might be how healthy and how
good is Herbig. You know, Herbig had the chance for
the one big splash play that could turn to no
pick six, but he dropped it. And he hasn't quite
(21:02):
looked the same since his handstring injury, missing a game
than playing and without much impact against Cleveland. I think
Highsmith's gonna have to be the star of a bunch,
and I think Sawyer is gonna have to dance the call.
And he didn't get enough snaps, I thought against Baltimore
the last time where you have a run base team,
and he's supposed to be a guy who's fairly good
at sitting the edge and having more of a stout
(21:23):
presence against the run. So I think all those factors
will limit Watt to maybe seventy sixty percent of what
you know, two thirds of the way of what he
normally does, and he can the game for the Steelers,
but certainly not a full snap countload.
Speaker 1 (21:37):
Yeah, I feel like like he's less effective against well,
I shouldn't say that he's he's gotten really good against
the run. He's added that to his game, and full
credit him for growing as a player, But given this injury,
and given like you said, a likely limited amount of snaps,
I don't figure that he's a big part of the
game plan to stop Henry. If I were Baltimore, I'd
(21:59):
run hen We write at what I think jack Sore
might actually be a better fit for what we expect.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
Baltimore to do.
Speaker 1 (22:07):
But that said, Tim, is there really a strategy to
stop Derrick Henry besides getting a lead and making them throw.
Speaker 6 (22:15):
That's the greatest strategy you can have is to try
to get out early and make Harbaugh outthink himself. I
think it's more likely that Harbaugh gets himself and gets
his team away from what they do well than it
is that Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson don't do a
good job against the Steelers. Like I think it's more
likely that the narrative negatively for Baltimore should they lose
(22:38):
this game is about what decisions Harbaugh made and not
how badly or you know, or how well that those
two stars in the offensive backfield perform. Like you know,
I look at their track record throughout the season, and
it's kind of funny. It's not like it was Josh
Allen and Justin Fields and Jackson and Justin Herbert, all
good running backs that skewered them with their own statistics,
(23:00):
But it was accounting for them and game planning and
worrying about them that allowed guys like Henry kamani Vedal,
James Cook, and Breis Hall to all go for ninety
five or more yards roughly in those games against the Steelers.
I think it was some sort of gross total of
one hundred and ninety two yards total rushing yards on
(23:22):
average for those four teams that had the ability to
split between a mobile running back and a good mobile
quarterback and a good running back. The Steelers just have
trouble accounting for those two things at once in the
rush defense game. Whereas if you've got a good running back,
but an immobile quarterback. They've actually been pretty decent against
teams like that this season stopping the run.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
The thing with Lamar is and he obviously is going
to play, says he is.
Speaker 1 (23:47):
I still can't help but wonder if it would be
better to have Huntley in there at one hundred percent
than Lamar at whatever percent he's at, let's say seventy
five or whatever. I will say with Huntley, you know,
he's not as good, but you can use the same game,
and I think you focus more on Henry, which for
this game I would lean on him a lot more
than Lamar.
Speaker 6 (24:08):
Yeah. I think that was part of the reason why
they were so successful against green Bay is that having
Huntley there limited their package and limited their thought pattern
as to how much they were gonna throw and how
much they were gonna let the quarterback run.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
And Green Bay didn't really want to play anyway. The
game had no meaning for them, so Henry was going
to break down their will.
Speaker 6 (24:26):
And you know, I believe Huntley had like what sixty
yards rushing seventy yards rushing himself, so when he did
run the ball, he did it effectively and aided to
that huge run total. But I see your point. It's
just that if you decide to not go against Lamar
or go with Lamar and he's healthy, you're gonna hear
about it the entire offseason. And the other thing is
if they do get behind and they do need to
(24:48):
throw a little bit, if they need a two minute drill,
or if they need to comeback, Lamar is definitely more
likely to give that to you that Huntley is.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
No no. I agree that once Lamar said he was
okay to play, Harbor head no choice but to play.
And again, the notion that Baltimore could mangle its game
plan by having an embarrassment of weapons, that's no knock
on Lamar, that's a knock on on John Harbaugh. Now,
if the Steelers lose and miss the playoffs, will will
(25:18):
change be a foot or will they just run it back.
Speaker 6 (25:22):
I think the Steelers will run it back. I don't
know about Baltimore. I think they would be more inclined
to make it change because I don't think that the
Shoti is as wed to the notion of having to
stay with the same coach. I think he likes Harball,
trusts Harrball, wants to keep Harball, but he'll know one
enough is enough a lot sooner than our running the
second will and especially Mark because he doesn't have the
(25:44):
option Harbaugh, I'm talking about to say, well, I don't
have a quarterback. You know, Tomlin can keep saying that,
even though he's the one that has wanted to bring
in the quarterbacks that have been there and now currently
as a Hall of Famer, So you know there's an
irony there. Sure, but I would expect that it would
take multiple consecutive losing seasons before Rooney said it's time
(26:05):
for a change with Tomlin.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
Well, yeah, I kind of laugh when people are currently saying,
like like Schefter, et cetera, that you know, if they
lose to Baltimore, this could be when Tomlin walks away.
If he's ever going to Well, the fact remains that
he's never going to, and it certainly would not be
at the team's behest. It would be at least framed
as a Tomlin decision in order for everybody to save face.
(26:29):
What's your take on gain while getting Team MVP the
number two running back, it keeps in the tradition of
not giving it to the white quarterback.
Speaker 6 (26:38):
Yeah, I mean, would you have given it to Rodgers.
Is that what you're saying.
Speaker 1 (26:41):
I don't think there's an MVP on the fricking team tim.
I might have given it to Heismith, but he missed
a lot of games. I might have given it to
Ramsey for being the glue. I might have given it
to Joey Porter Junior after that tweet by Williamson that
he has a lot of touchdown in fourteen and forty
four snaps the longest streak in the by.
Speaker 6 (27:00):
Twice week, especially if Lamar is capable of starting and
playing and doing everything, because when he throws, he's gonna
want to throw the Flowers and Matt might have tweeted
this out as well. I know it's in his stat
pack for the week that Zave Flowers has six hundred
and sixty five more receiving yards than any other pass
(27:22):
catcher for the Ravens. So that has to be Joey
Porter's guy, and he has to do well against him.
As far as the MVP, I guess it has to
be gain well. For a lot of the reasons you
brought up, there just hasn't hasn't been a guy who's
been good enough, often enough, healthy enough for the whole
season to have earned it more than him. And you know,
(27:43):
I'll frame it in the way that you did about
the whole embarrassment of Rich's thing, that it's no knock
on those players themselves if they lose, it's more on
the coach. This might be indicative of the coach and
what his thumb print is on the roster. If his
most valuable player is a guy that Philadelphia wanting to
more to back up seek one Barkley that's saying something and.
Speaker 1 (28:03):
Wills that don't know what the vote really is. Because
Tom Win CONTs to vote, it's basically a Tom Win award.
And whether he listens to what the players say via
their vote, I don't think he always does.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
By the way, Tim, here's a great sound.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
I just see Gainwell said he was not surprised to
be named Steelers' MVP. Boy, it's hard to be fumble
when you know, hard to be humble, rather with his
a Freudian slip. Hard to be humble when you never
started for Philadelphia? Tim, who wins.
Speaker 6 (28:30):
If Jackson plays in his healthy twenty to sixteen Baltimore
is my call?
Speaker 1 (28:34):
What if Jackson doesn't play or he plays at like
seventy five.
Speaker 6 (28:37):
Percent, Steelers sixteen to ten.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
See, I like Baltimore regardless, although Harbaugh could blow it.
Speaker 1 (28:48):
He could, you know, I think himself as you've said,
But I think Baltimore coming into the game with the momentum,
the adrenaline of having been dead and buried and let
off the mat, that is a very special kind of adrenaline,
that second chance adrenaline.
Speaker 6 (29:04):
And I wonder if there's a corollary effect on the
other side with the Steelers, you know, who might get
out there in two degree whether or whatever it's going
to be, with rock salt in the seats like you
were laying out before I came on and said, you
know what, weren't we supposed to be like off this week?
Wasn't this game supposed to not matter? Shouldn't we be
thinking about the Chargers or the Texans or the Bills again?
(29:26):
Like you know, I wonder if that I'll slap them
in the face at about eight nineteen pm, Tim, if.
Speaker 1 (29:31):
I had to get out there and the cold and
the rock salt and the drunk, never mind core hilary effect,
I might have a coronary effect. And I have already
had one of those, Tim, great stuff enjoy the game, all.
Speaker 6 (29:42):
Right, Mark, Thanks, we'll talk during the podcast next day.
Speaker 1 (29:45):
That's Tim Ben's I do a podcast with him every
Sunday night and a Facebook live broadcast with him every
Monday morning with trib Live dot com. Don't forget you
can watch the game with me at the All Star
Sports Bar and Grill at Soft Point and Joy Steelers
Altamont with the super Genius Sunday kickoff at eight twenty
(30:05):
pm at the All Star Sports Bar and Grill at
South Point. We got Charlie Batch at the top of
the hour, and we got Penguins winger Justin Brazo later
on in the four o'clock hour. I'm Mark Madden one
oh five nine. It's The Woody Show weekday morning six
to ten on one oh five nine
Speaker 5 (30:23):
The ex This hour, The Mark Maddin Show is brought
to you by but Light Browley served as Shiloh Clayton
bor on mywa Wash
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