November 7, 2025 • 41 mins
Mark and tommy Radio talk about the Penguins win over the Caps, Sid and some Steelers Chargers as well
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
Sidney Crosby's thirty eights. Born on eight seven eighty seven,
He's thirty eight, and he's the NHL leader in goals,
just two points behind in points. He's captaining a kind
of bummy roster to the best record in the league
(00:26):
so far, and he's thirty eight.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Thirty eights.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Forget about the stats, forget about the record. Watch Sidney
Crosby play. At thirty eight. He's everywhere two hundred feet.
Don Lowe in traffic back checks the slot.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
At thirty eights.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
He's still got that acceleration through the neutral zone. He
makes the other team back up, he makes the fans
stand up, and he's thirty eight. Nobody in hockey, and
I can't think of well, I mean Brady, but that's different.
Nobody in hockey, for sure, has ever played like this
at thirties.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
And by that I.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Mean nobody, nobody at thirty eights. I never thought I'd
think that Sidney Crosby might be might wind up being
thought of as the best hockey player ever.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
And that's still Mario.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
But Crosby is making an argument because he's played just
about the same way at the same level for twenty
one years and still is at thirty eight's. Don't take
this for granted. Acknowledge him. Sidney Crosby is a whirlwind
(01:48):
with graying hair that he should absolutely die and absolutely
will nots.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
This is the Mark Madden Show. Don't forget.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
You can watch the Stealer game with me at Sidelines
Beer House in Siwickly on Sunday kickoff at eight twenty.
Got a lot of stuff to give away, a lot
of wings to eat, a lot of beer to drink.
That's doublem with the Steeler watch party Sunday night at
Sidelines Beer House in Siwickly. The Penguins are by far
(02:19):
the most interesting sports story in Pittsburgh right now.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
I mean Steelers.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
It's gonna wind up same old, same old with the
Penguins that might yet too, having missed the playoffs the
last three years, but look at it right now, look.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
At the standings right now.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
And last night they dodged a major bullet because that
game had the stench of death for a second after
blowing a three goal lead again second time in four
games in four days, two games four days, but special
teams building up two great pks in the third and
then Rusty scored on the power play. I can't get
(02:55):
over see it, can't get over it. Forget the stats
and two goals last night nine four and two. Shid
is everywhere at thirty eight all over the ice, this
burst from Sid and Gino two and maybe even Eric Carlson.
I'm convinced it's the young guys and probably energizing the
(03:19):
whole roster. Probably the good start due to the young guys,
even though the stars are at the top of the stats.
And how about Kindle directing traffic on the power play
and telling Carlson where to go?
Speaker 2 (03:33):
And Carlson did, I laughed at loud.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
Penguins three for five on the power play, lead the
league in conversion percentage at thirty nine. Most coaches lean
towards the veteran, but Raquel when he comes back. Kendall's
got to stay on the number one power play. He
is playing so well with the man advantage. He is
(03:56):
giving MWS zero choice. Like I said, playing thirty nine percent.
Kendall and Sid are the big catalysts, but Market and
Carlson are also playing great with the man advantage.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
And Rusty got the winner last night on.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
The PP with a cross ice feed coming from Evgeni Malkin.
Now the question is hot kindledoo five on five playing
on Sid's line on the wing, he was a little
bit far away from Sid, needed to get closer in
(04:34):
the offensive zone.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
But in the neutral zone and off the.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
Rush, Uh played great. I think that that line's going
to stay together, mainly because it's got no choice. Hollander, Now,
I mean Raquel's out for I think five more weeks.
Halland and now out for three months some kind of
blood caught situation in his leg. But anyway, it's just
it's just a great, great story. Are the Penguins and
(05:03):
they play at New Jersey twelve thirty start time tomorrow
here all the actual right here on the X. Then
back at home against LA on Sunday night.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
And by the.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
Way, just because they won doesn't mean they should not
have started morrishoff. And let's even say they do acquies
some slight bit, the showbiz starts Shill offs the second
straight game in Jersey tomorrow and put morishoff in at
home on Sunday against LA. Okay, that's great, but it's
a NFL Sunday and the Steelers play that night. That's
(05:37):
gonna be their lowest crowd of the year. If Mews
sticks to his goaltending rotation, Morishoff won be his home
debut until November twenty. First, that's a Friday against Nashville.
I'm sorry, against Minnesota, and that's assuming Jari isn't back
(05:57):
by then.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Probably won't be.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
But what if he is, Morishoff will come and go
and the fans will never get a.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Chance to see him play at home.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
So it was absolutely still even though the Penguins won
a bad move to not stop Morrishov last night.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
I talked to Andy cot To, the goal tennant coach.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
He gave no comment when I asked him why more
Shot didn't play, And when I asked him who decided
that more Shot didn't play? Andy laughed, But I sense
that those involved in the process might have disagreed. Let's
keep talking hockey. Let's bring on Tommy Radio. Tom your
(06:41):
thoughts on the way Sid's playing. The two goals last night,
leads the league in goals, leads the league in power
play goals, him playing five on five with Kindle, him
being everywhere all over the ice all the time.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
At thirty eight. It's incredible. It really is incredible. But
it's not that surprising. Maybe it's surprising that he's leading
the league in goals and he's doing it at this level.
But you always knew his game was going to age
gracefully if he could stay healthy, and just.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
If he could stay healthy.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
If like, even though he is a conditioning freak, other
guys who are conditioning freaks is have their bodies break
down before they turn thirty eight.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
What you said and you're open about how he just
in the neutral zones still has that burst, still has
that speed, that explosion get the people on their feet, Like,
that's unbelievable, maybe the most unbelievable part of what he's
doing at age thirty eight to still have that kind
of wow factor in his game.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Yeah, and uh, and that line's playing great. I think
that Kindall does need to I mean, Sid Todd Gensel
how to play with them by getting close doing those
shortgiven gos Don Low, Kindle can do that. He just
has to figure it out. And I think he's a
quick study on everything else. Why would this be any
more difficult.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
For Ben Kindall?
Speaker 1 (07:54):
So uh? I also like that Tommy Novak fit in
good on the market line. I mean, he's not real
top six, but any port in the storm, and at
least he did okay. I love Manta another goal going
to the net, just you know, getting in there and
bowling everybody over and the puck lines up in the back,
So full credit to him. The fourth line don't suck
even with the chariot, and still don't suck.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Now.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
The third line, I thought Heinen did okay, but boy,
this Villy coyven Nanita goal badly.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
That's what I was going to ask you about today,
was what you think Danton Heinen in that third line
did last night, because that's the big concern with Kendall
going up the city.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
It was good enough.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
That leaves a hole though there potentially, so if he
can just kind of steady that and make the third
line still effective, then are you're good.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
As much as I.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Think Kendall's best position is center for this team right now,
he serves the cause better even maybe when you know
everybody's healthy, maybe Heinen's the third line center period. Maybe
Kendall serves the cause better at wing because on since
wing he's productive, He's not going to be productive as
a third line center, not with the guy he's playing with.
(09:01):
So maybe this season until they you know, get a
few more better guys, or Drew Cloyvenan you know, finds himself.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
Maybe Kindle wing is the way to go. Just say it.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
Yeah, if everybody comes back healthy, though, that bumps Raquel
to what the third line or would you break up
the Monsters with brassers getting healthy.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
It would depend on whether I think that that monster
line with with Malkin, Mantha and Brazil.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
I think Braso is not going to keep it up. Yeah,
blod he never has.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
Mantha's you know, had a couple of twenty plus goal seasons,
but I don't believe in Braso nearly as much. So
it would depend in terms of who plays on Sid's line.
It depends on who I think would be more productive
on that line, Raquel or Kindle. And I'm honestly not sure.
People say Raquel's a thirty goal scorer because he did
it last year, Well, he hasn't done it that often.
(09:51):
And I think Kendall has much better upside obviously at eighteen.
Speaker 3 (09:55):
And you said, I think either earlier this week or
last week, that Sid's got to keep scoring. He's got
a hunt for goals this year. This team needs a
big time goal scorer. Sid's got to be in Kendall
can be that playmaking wing setting Sid up for goals
as opposed to you know, Raquel being the wing. Sid said,
so you kind of.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
Like exercise that Marner and Matthew's little bit right Toronto. Yeah,
so yeah, I mean I would. I mean, Kendall's doing
a great job there. I sense that Raquel will go
back with Sid when the time comes, but at least,
at least on a team that has almost no depth,
some options are starting to materialize.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
And if that does happen, Mark, I don't think you're
going to be that upset about it if Rikel goes
back to Sid's line, because then you get the monsters
on the second line, and then you probably have your
kid line of coiven In centered by Kendall, and then you.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
Have my my.
Speaker 4 (10:43):
My.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
Either approval or disdain for that will depend on if
Covid is fine about score goals and if mcgroarty's you know,
one hundred percent and able to play like we hope
you can play. That said, I am hardly giving up
on Covid in uh. You know, I think he's a
really talented hockey player and I think he'll be Okay,
I just think right now he's kind of battling himself
(11:05):
because don't forget he had a bunch of helpers last
year but didn't score a goal.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
Right still looking for his first NHL goal.
Speaker 3 (11:10):
Do you think he's a case of Once he just
finds that one, it could potentially be a Floodgate situation.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
Not necessarily, but I think he'll relax and just play better,
better hockey.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
Right now, he's really kind of flailing.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
Off, being to stick a little tight. Just I need
he knows in his head, I need to find my
first goal, and that's never a good place to be.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
Well, nobody wants to not find their first goal.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
So so okay, uh, you can follow me on Twitter
at mark man X.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
Seven out last night. That was kind of kind of cool.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
I mean, Washington fans boosting that, and the crowd's going
to be, you know, Depth Valley when the Kings visit
on an NFL Sunday before the Steelers play. But the Penguins,
you know, unless they've been you know, the Stanley Cup Penguins.
I was going to say the Crosby and his prime
Penguins been his prime started when he was eighteen, and
it's still going on today, but I don't know. I'm
(12:03):
still really mad they didn't play morishoff. Really happy about
the result last night. Talked to Kindle, good kid makes
me feel old. Ran into sin when we were both
leaving the arena. That was fun.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
Always great to get an audience with the with the man.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
But uh, and he's a different cat man when it's
one on one in private, not like in a media scrum.
Not that he's bad with the media scrum, but just
like I said, a different cat I mean that, not
in a bad way either way, but in a good
way one on one. Uh.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
And people, how about this?
Speaker 1 (12:33):
People are wearing Kindle jerseys already today at practice. Josh
Gtsov put a tweet at some guy in the stands
were in a Kindle jersey. And I've always said somebody
wearing somebody else's name in number is kind of creepy.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
But the guy was like twice as old as Kindle.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
All right, Uh, we're gonna talk about football at some
point maybe, but I think we know.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
I don't care. I shouldn't say that, not loud.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
But the Peng wasn't the best story in Time, the
best story in Ton, But we got some great sound
about Steelers and Chargers. One thing that we're overlooking. We're
talking about all the Chalgers there. Their lines beat up
altsop blah blah blah. Their defense is really badass. It's
a bunch of no names. They got guys like Khalil Mack,
who's kind of washed. But they ranked six and overall
(13:21):
defense third against the pass. So the Steelers had better
freaking be able to run the ball or at least
not abandoned it, you know, at the drop of a hat.
One O five ninety X, It's the Woody Show Show
a six, precocious and full of wonderment.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
On one O five nine d X. People are freaking
out over this year sold out.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
Six presented by Capitol Welcome.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
Towns a big.
Speaker 5 (13:51):
It's the Mark Man on one O five nine d X.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
We'd to the Steelers in just a little bit, but
right now we're talking Penguins.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
That game last night with.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
Tommy Radio tom they blew the three nil lead in
the third at Toronto and lost. Last night they blew
a three nil lead and we're tied three to three
at theater mission. How bad could things have gone if
they had lost again last night after having led three zip.
Speaker 3 (14:25):
I think it could have gone real bad. I would
have started to believe that, you know, the bottom was
going to fall out from the Penguins and they're going
to start to act like the team we thought they'd
be at the beginning of the year. And it was
a mirage in the month of October. But then they didn't.
They bounced back. They had a really good third period.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
Well the two big p ks. Connor Doer like did
Yeoman's duty on the penalty kill. I can't believe the
contributions that. I mean, Tommy Novak could yesterday as well. Yeah,
earned the empty neck goal.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
For those contributions, yeah, I'm not sure you can count
on that.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
You know that often but from those guys, yeah right,
But you know, I mean they're one of the reasons
you look at this team and not think it's going anywhere.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
I mean, i mean, somebody got to play.
Speaker 3 (15:05):
Don't you think there's like kind of a symbiotic relationship
where you've always said, like, the older guys are drawing
from the veteran are drawing from the young players. But
then when the older guys are playing to the level
they are too, the younger guys are like we got
to keep up. We don't want to let send Gino down.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
Yeah, but I'm not sure we're frankly not very good.
Talents like Doer and Novak and Shae and Watherspoon figure
into that, and Shane Watherspoon are doing incredible is top
four defense, but which they are.
Speaker 3 (15:30):
Not the defense though in general it has some rough
patches through games. Mark, I mean she loves in the
second period, I mean, there was just nothing that guy
could do. I mean, it was awful for him. I'm
starting to feel bad a little light in another pinball
goal though, which you know what I'm saying, though, I
mean like he was just well no, it's like this
is you know, one oh one. But they allowed four
goals in ten minutes at Toronto Monday. They allowed three
(15:53):
goals in ten minutes last night. They need to work
on that. And a big part of it is when
they get a lead. YOI wrote this in this column.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
When they get a lead, they turned to the Harlem
Globe Trotters.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
They start to play like they used to, like drop
passes coming through the neutral zone and they just gotta
shake that permanently because they're not that kind of team now.
Speaker 3 (16:11):
Didn't you think that that was starting to show signs
of being shaken off at the beginning of the year,
like they were playing in the Dan Muse structure. You
think that that's another thing that this.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
No, I think I think it showed up every game
where they had a lead, like, I think it showed up.
Remember remember they kept they kept conceding to Florida when
they won down there again. Yeah, I think I think
we saw what I'm talking about in that game as well.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
I don't think that that's what Dan Muse wants to
have happened. I don't think he wants them to turn
to the Harlem globe. No, I'm real sure it's so Hopefully,
hopefully they can figure that out and tighten it up
and play more of his style.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
Remember I said yesterday that even though he didn't show
it in in preseason, that maybe Ryan Graves in a
more defensive, systematic method of play like Dan Mws wants
as supposed to Sullivan, not as much activation or pinching
by the defenseman, you know, picking your spots, that Graves
might be better.
Speaker 2 (16:59):
I was wrong.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
He was awful. Heinen was okay. You know, it was
the third center we talked about that a bit earlier,
but I keep coming back to how great Sid played
at thirty eight, And I mean this, Tom, what do
you think. I don't think I'll ever concede that he's
the best player ever. I think that'll always be Mario.
(17:21):
And I've always said the top three that you could
never subtract from and move somebody up into is Mario
or in Gretzki. But Sid is giving me cause to wonder,
because again, nobody's ever played like this at thirty eight,
and I'm not so sure that somebody's not gonna say
that he's the best player ever.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
At some point.
Speaker 3 (17:41):
Let's forget about Mario he's number one. Let's talk about
Gretzky and talk about Sid compared to Gretzki. If Sid
can get to two thousand points as a modern day
player and play into his forties, not at this level,
but say this year, next year at this level, and
then the drop off is minimal, I mean people will
default obviously too. I'll look at all the points scored.
Come on, you gotta give it to Gretzky. But I
(18:02):
mean in a different era.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
But I mean, Gret's had this vision for the game,
this anticipation.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
His passing skills were sublime.
Speaker 3 (18:10):
I mean everything you're saying is Sid too, though not
like gret No, I mean no, not like Gretz. Okay,
well then said we'll catch him then.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
But well, I mean, I mean, but then again, Sid
plays two hundred feet, Sid plays don low. Sid hits
the corners, you know, I mean Gretz, I mean if
he came back into his defensive zoners because it was lost.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
I mean the same with Mario.
Speaker 1 (18:28):
Now that didn't apply to either in the playoffs when
they you know, played much, especially Mario Mario. I mean
it turned out that when he wanted to be, he
was one of the best defensive centers in the game.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
Who knew.
Speaker 3 (18:39):
Yeah, and I think, yo, I hope he's listening. Yo,
He tweeted out. I think when Sid not last night,
but earlier this week. It took Gretz what to get
his ninth or whatever goal. It was almost the entire
season at age thirty eight, and Sid didn't like the
first ten games like whatever, easy stuff.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
Oh no, when you when you're compared, okay, Sid's like,
for sure miles better thirty eight year old player out, No,
he's the best thirty eight year old player ever period,
and he probably was the best thirty seven year old. Yeah,
I'm not sure how far we go back, but like
Mario was retired at thirty eight, or like retired young
because of his bad knee, and they didn't have the
capabilities surgically then, and Gretz was just an empty jersey.
(19:17):
Well I shouldn't say that because he had a bunch
of helpers, but he was no threat to score.
Speaker 3 (19:22):
Now, Gordy had sixty five points when he was aged
thirty eight, twenty five goals. That was nineteen sixty six
sixty seven.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
Yeah, I just know, I mean, he was great.
Speaker 3 (19:33):
But no, well, Sid's gonna have more than those points too.
He's gonna have more than sixty five points.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
As much as we like the romanticize Gordy, I mean,
Gordy elbowed people in the face and broke their nose
and they would joke about years later how it was great,
Oh Gordy with the elbows. Yeah, I was in the
hospital for ten days. But Gordy's not a class with Sid.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
He's not.
Speaker 3 (19:53):
No, I'm with you that Sid is a nailed on
top five player right now. He's probably number four in
my book right now, and I think he he can
creep into that top three conversation if he keeps playing
like this, and again if he gets to two thousand points.
I mean, that's an unbelievable milestone.
Speaker 1 (20:08):
You know what's amazing is that Sid is tied for the
league leaguing goals and he always I mean Sid will
never say it lot he hates the Flyers, but we
know he hates the Flyers.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
And Cutter Goatier from Anaheim is tied with Sid.
Speaker 1 (20:20):
And he's the guy who got drafted by the Flyers
and said, nope, I'm not playing there.
Speaker 3 (20:24):
It's perfect.
Speaker 2 (20:25):
Or did he just tell them not to draft them.
I'm not sure.
Speaker 3 (20:27):
And you know what else is great, Mark, The Flyers
are just good enough that I think they're gonna finish
in the mushy middle. There's no threat for McKenna to
be a Philadelphia Flyer. That's glorious.
Speaker 2 (20:36):
Well talk has him playing better.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
I mean, he can't get Mitchkoff going though, and Mitchkoff
has to be their best player.
Speaker 2 (20:41):
He's the only eye with the capability.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
Well, I mean that's not turning off Konetski, but I've
always felt he's.
Speaker 2 (20:46):
Like forget him.
Speaker 3 (20:47):
I hate him.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
He's okay, he's pretty good. I hate him.
Speaker 3 (20:50):
He's a villain for sure. In this fire.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
Victoria is kind of fading.
Speaker 3 (20:54):
When it comes to Mitchkoff. There's a lot of talk
about him just not coming into camp in shape right,
like he's kind of had to play himself into shape
throughout the season. That's been the frustration.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
You know what would have really benefited him as if
the Russians would be in the Olympics, because because he.
Speaker 3 (21:09):
Would go over there and he would train and all
that suff.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
He would have been more ready for the season because
he would have been trying to make that team. That's
why you give Gino a lot of credit. And Gino
if he can keep this up. Even if he can't,
but that rest for the Olympics, that's gonna do him.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
A world of good. On the other side, I do
although it sucks that they're not.
Speaker 1 (21:26):
You know what sucks to it sucks that the cowardly
bitch ass hockey media, especially those cowardly bitch ass punks
at the Athletic No offense Josh uh just just won't
make a deal out of that because they Oh Russian Ukraine,
what a terrible thing. How can we let these guys
play if there's a war, I'll tell you how, because
war in sport should not be related. Politics and sports
(21:49):
should not be related. I mean, is Fifam Ben the
bar Israel?
Speaker 2 (21:53):
You know?
Speaker 1 (21:53):
I mean, I just I think, where do you stop?
You can't be selective. But that's what dopes like the
the thought the social police for the athletic wants.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
There's a precedence too, where you just take the flag
off their jerseys. You say, you're not representing. I heard
they don't want to do that. Why I don't know,
but I heard they don't want to do that.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
That's so dumb. You're robbing, Malkin, you're robbing. I'm just
telling talking about guys like Malcot and Ovens. They don't
want to do that. No, the players don't want to
do it.
Speaker 3 (22:18):
That's okay, okay, Well, you know what, do you want
to play in the Olympics or not? If it comes
down to that.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
No, I disagree. I think they should just be able
to play as Russia. I mean, put it this way,
if we looked at all the atrocities this great nation
of ours is perpetrated on the African American and the
Native American our metal count would be way down, way down. Tom.
I'm going to talk a bit about this this football
game coming up. You know, I go back and forth.
(22:46):
You know, if they win, they're in good shape, though,
aren't they. Because Baltimore plays Minnesota. Minnesota, that's a losable games,
that's a losible game.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
I think it's their last kind of losable game before
that Steelers game, because then it's like Browns, Jets, Bengles,
They're going to run it up on.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
McCarthy had a good game when they when they wanted Detroit,
he did. You know what, you know, it sucks. And
this applies to coyven in two, you know, in a
much lesser and less visible in terms of the sporting public.
But whenever, like a heralded young guy plays bad for
a while, Oh he sucks, he's a buss blah blah blah.
Sometimes it takes time. I think McCarthy's gonna be a
good quarterback. I still think they should have franchised Donald
(23:21):
for this year.
Speaker 3 (23:22):
It's such an up. Donald's a perfect gut of reference too.
When it comes to that kind of mindset. He sucks,
he's nothing get rid of him. New York. There's nothing
you're gonna get out of him now he's an MVP candidate.
Speaker 1 (23:32):
You sense there's some kind of collusion, and I can't
think why it would be, but there's some kind of
collusion to not use the franchise tag in the NFL
because nobody ever does it. And that situation with Donald
that was the perfect, you know spot for Minnesota to
do that with a quarterback you wanted to hold on
to for one more year to try to make the
most out of the you know, ready to win team
(23:52):
you had while you transition to the young guy.
Speaker 3 (23:55):
Is the collusion just a result though, if they don't
want to hear these players bitching and moaning, like why
the owners callude to take away their greatest asset.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
It never stopped them before. But you're right, I'll put
it this way. I know that's why TJ.
Speaker 2 (24:08):
Watt too much for too long, and they just don't
want to hear him whin that's what.
Speaker 1 (24:12):
And they didn't want the fan backlash who think the
player like, you know what's funny? Usually, like in a
situation with starting moreshoff. The Penguins fans, especially the social media,
they agree with everything the club wants, especially younger fans,
because younger fans are younger people. They just there's such sheep.
They think they're not with their sheep. They just agree
with authority while pretending they rebel against authority. But they
(24:35):
just they're so stupid. They they contradict themselves constantly. But
but if it comes down to a dispute between club
and player, they take the player's side, because in the
case of the TJ. Watt thing, nobody has an Art
Rooney the second jersey.
Speaker 2 (24:53):
They have a lot of number ninety TJ. Wat jerseys.
Speaker 3 (24:55):
Do you think that what happened with Le'Veon Bell spooks
some teams off too when it came to the franchise
tag and him just holding out an entire season like that,
But that should also be a cautionary tale for players
to add.
Speaker 1 (25:05):
Oh, I think that situation more than anything, Tom was
a cautionary tale for Leon be for.
Speaker 3 (25:09):
The players too in the future, like, hey, you sit
out a year of NFL football, it's tough to get
back on.
Speaker 1 (25:15):
All right, No moment, We're going to talk a bit
more about that Baltimore Minnesota game, because I think that's
a big spot for the Steelers.
Speaker 2 (25:21):
A Mark Mann one O five to nine.
Speaker 4 (25:24):
Tomorrow afternoon, the Pens take on the Devils. Game time
is twelve thirty. Our coverage starts at eleven thirty. Listen
to every game and the best Pens coverage on your
home at the Pittsburgh Penguins five nine b X. We're
adding another show to the Ex's concert calendar.
Speaker 3 (25:43):
Oh they are Green Drudge Age two.
Speaker 2 (25:48):
Big weekend.
Speaker 1 (25:50):
I got my Steelers watch party Sunday night at Sidelines
Berross and Swickly. I got my ball hockey tournament at
Murray's sport Zone starting tonight and running through the weekend.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
We got Liverpool at Man City. Yikes.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
Then again we killed Madrid well one nil, but we
badly played him that Sunday as well. And you got
the River Hounds hosting a Eastern Conference semifinal game Saturday.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
Night at high Mark.
Speaker 1 (26:19):
We got Beato Edrich from that team joining us in
the five o'clock hour. But besides the Steeler game, another
game of interest locally in the NFL as Baltimore plays
at Minnesota on Sunday. Baltimore's three and five Minnesota's four
and four, and the Vikings got that huge win at
Detroit last week and maybe JJ McCarthy's coming on from
(26:41):
Minnesota the young quarterback. Like I said a moment ago,
when the young guys stumbles, you don't say he's a bust.
It just takes some diuys longer. Hopefully that's the case
with Lilly Cloyvenan, the Penguin young Finnish swinger. Minnesota is
a four point dog and that kind of surprises me.
(27:01):
With the Vikes being at home, it's a losable game
for the Ravens and the Steelers need to maintain their
two game cushion on to Baltimore US and lengthen it
if possible, because the Steelers will not rally in the
second half of the season and win the division.
Speaker 2 (27:21):
If the race tightens up, the Steelers have the.
Speaker 1 (27:23):
Lead in the division, then you keep it, make it
as big as possible, and grind the second half of
the season out. If the Steelers increase their lead from
two games to three this weekend by beating LA and
Baltimore loses at Minnesota, they're gonna win the division. Tom
(27:44):
Baltimore is minus one forty to win the AFC North.
The Steelers are plus one forty. That's on bet Parks
Vegas is certainly steadfast with favoring Baltimore, aren't they, And bet.
Speaker 3 (27:54):
Parks they really are. And even when you look at
the Ravens Vikings game, Vegas really loves the Ravens there too,
favoring them by four and a half on the road
against the team that's five hundred. So yeah, they're just
enamored by Baltimore. I kind of still see where they're
coming from, though, Like I still kind of lean towards
them winning the division. But regardless of what happens between
(28:15):
the Ravens and the Vikings Mark, if the Steelers beat
the Chargers, I think they set themselves up gloriously to
at least hold the Ravens off. They can just earn
a split between the Ravens there and then take care
of this against the team they're supposed to they should
win the North. So this week's game, Sunday's game is huge.
Speaker 1 (28:30):
Well, Baltimore's won two in a row now, and like
you said earlier, this game at Minnesota is like probably
the last truly losable game for the Ravens, Like they'll
be favored in every game.
Speaker 3 (28:43):
The rest of the way, don't you think, Well, last
losable game until they meet the Steelers first. But they
do have the Patriots and the Packers later in the season.
Speaker 2 (28:49):
But where is the December seventh game at the day
that will live in infamy.
Speaker 3 (28:53):
It's in Baltimore.
Speaker 2 (28:54):
Baltimore will be favorite for that game. In that game
for sure.
Speaker 1 (28:56):
No matter what, you matter, what happens between now and then,
Baltimore or will be favored.
Speaker 2 (29:01):
But Baltimore.
Speaker 1 (29:01):
They won two in a ronof just starting one and five.
And to me, the big thing about their perceived renaissance
is their defense has allowed thirty nine points total in
the last three games, and that's after doing just horribly
to start the season on route to that one in
(29:21):
five start, and especially that defense playing much better in
the round.
Speaker 3 (29:25):
That's the scariest part is that the Ravens seem to
have figured it out on the defensive side of the ball.
Because Lamar, before he got hurt, was playing unbelievably at quarterback.
And I knew he was gonna come back this year.
I knew he'd be great. I knew the offense would
be fine. It was that defense maybe would be the
bogie that you know, they'd have to score thirty eight
to forty points a game, and they just weren't going
to be able to do that. But if that defense
(29:46):
starts to come around, I mean, it doesn't even have
to be a great defense, it just has to be adequate.
Hold team's like twenty to twenty five points, and that
offense will take care of the rest. Well.
Speaker 1 (29:53):
Van Noy, who's pretty good for Baltimore on that defense.
He talked about the pass coverage in pass rush sinking
up that each has to help the other, and you
look at the Steelers, that's certainly the case there too.
In today's NFL top you one hundred percent need covered
sacks because the quarterbacks get rid of the ball so quick.
And that's why I want the Steelers to play more
(30:16):
press man, especially with Porter, to just just make the
quarterback hold onto the ball a bit longer. I'm not
saying that TJ. Watt should never go sack because the
quarterback gets rid of the ball quicker, but let's at
least try to make them hold onto it.
Speaker 3 (30:31):
And I completely agree with that tactic when you look
at an approach against the Chargers this week, mark because
don't you just think they're gonna quick game the Steelers?
What else are they going to do without their offensive line,
it's gonna be max protection. It's gonna be get the
ball out quick. You gotta go press man on those
receivers so Herbert can't just catch the snap and throw
a quick slant like Flacco was kind of doing to
you in that Cincinnati game.
Speaker 1 (30:54):
I still think Watt has to line up in different
spots along the defensive line, like Micah Parson in Green
Bay and Miles Garrett Cleveland going wide so much just
feeds into the quarterback using that quick release and running
away from what.
Speaker 2 (31:09):
And doing all the things they do to try to
neutralize what.
Speaker 1 (31:12):
Because when you're making forty one million, I always go
back to what Mario said, I make the most. I
got to do the most what being chipped double teamed
the other team running away from him. That's not a
good enough excuse for him not putting up numbers. And
I don't know why he's so against it. Oh why
because he's a conceited meathead who looks at Parsons and
(31:32):
Garrett changing their games as admitting a weakness and I
can just do it my way because I'm better than them.
Speaker 3 (31:38):
No, it's a strength to change your game. It's a strength.
To adapt.
Speaker 2 (31:41):
But you don't think that's what he's thinking.
Speaker 3 (31:43):
I'm sure you're right, But maybe he should take a
page out of his own teammate, Jalen Ramsey's book and notice, Hey,
he's transitioning to safety right now. He is embracing that
and moving around on this defense. It's paying off. It
might extend his career. Maybe I can be a much
greater impactful player more consistently in the latter's age of
my career if I let my coaches move me around
a little bit, put me in advantageous matchups.
Speaker 1 (32:04):
Uh. Did you see Kenny Pickett played last night in
that game between Denver and the Las Vegas Raiders.
Speaker 3 (32:09):
I didn't see it. I found out today. What's amazing.
So he's got pass oh for one this year and
he came in earlier this year and fumbled a snap.
I mean, just a perfect Kenny Pickett season.
Speaker 2 (32:20):
I don't know. I wasn't Josh Show.
Speaker 1 (32:22):
We had the game on his computer screen, but I
wasn't watching closely and honestly didn't care enough to check
out exactly what happened. But I guess Gino Smith got
hurt and Picket when went in. But then I mean,
did he come back out? We should look that up
because I sound dumb when I talk out of my
ass about something. But I kind of assumed that Gino
Smith got hurt. Pickett went in threw a pass and
(32:42):
they said, ah, wait, Gino, you're not that hurt. Get
back in there.
Speaker 3 (32:45):
Shoot him up again and make sure he goes completely numb.
Get him out there. But for real, how bad is
Kenny Pickett when the Raiders suck as bad as they have?
Gino Smith has sucked all year, and Pete Carroll will
not go to him, no chance, under no circumstances. Picket
starter game for me?
Speaker 2 (33:01):
Well, I want to I.
Speaker 1 (33:02):
Want to talk about Kenny Pickett in a very frank
manner as I have before. And you're a Pit fan,
so you gotta, you know, take it and Barrett and
Grin tom Bits. But Kenny Pickett never should have been
a first round pick. Kenny Pickett probably was never good
enough to even play in the NFL at all. Look
at this bum, He's a bum. He's an ef and bum.
Don't smirk at me like that. I'll jump across this
console and choke you. Kenny Pickett, uh never should have
(33:25):
been drafted the first round. Only one team wanted to.
Only one guy with that team, Tomlin wanted to. He's
a journeyman, Tom, He's he's still within the parameters chronologically
of his first contract. He's with his fourth team. He's
an absolute effing bum. He should be embarrassed, ashamed of himself.
Speaker 3 (33:45):
I'm not disagreeing with you, except for he probably should
have been drafted, like fifth, sixth round something like that.
Speaker 1 (33:51):
He should have been a free agent. He should be
able to Steelers practice squad right now. But he won
an ACC championship. Mark throwing him throw. It's a pretend conference.
Nobody gives a frig about that. He should be on
the practice squad right now. Pickett should throwing balls to
Marquez Valdez Scantling. By the way, did you see there's
a report that he's gonna go right on the active
roster and get.
Speaker 2 (34:11):
A helmet on Sunday.
Speaker 3 (34:12):
What's that about? I mean Rogers, this whole song and
Dan Rogers, he's on the practice squad. I'm not gonna
talk about him.
Speaker 1 (34:16):
Well, you heard Valdez Scantling sitting right next to Rogers
saying this guy wanted to be here for how long?
Speaker 2 (34:21):
Which begs the question, why didn't you get here sooner?
Speaker 1 (34:23):
Right? I mean Rogers. If Rogers wants him to dress,
he will dress. Not the Rogers is to the naked.
I thrown his weight around that much. Since you know
in that vein you know roster wise, depth chart wise,
since arriving with the team. Let me ask you this.
If Valdez Scantley does get a helmet, who doesn't.
Speaker 3 (34:44):
Probably would have to be like Roman Wilson.
Speaker 2 (34:47):
Right, even though that's absurd.
Speaker 3 (34:49):
His Coronic's gonna get one because of his role in
the run game, right, and because he's just a tough receiver.
You win like Pursuda.
Speaker 1 (34:55):
I mean, I love Pursuda and he knows more about
football than I do, but he likes do you win? No,
it was Kobali. Kabali said, you win with guys like
Skoronik win. What what did he win?
Speaker 3 (35:05):
Who do he ever beat?
Speaker 2 (35:06):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (35:07):
But Skarroonic's gonna stay on the field. He's before before
the Steel I can tell you until he won a
super Bowl. Because the ninth receiver, I should know that.
I have no idea. It wasn't following Ben Scaronick's career closely.
Speaker 1 (35:17):
Yeah, Like that's that's where this show's probably gone south.
Tom and I didn't care about the game last night,
so I'm not sure why pick it went in and
out of the game.
Speaker 2 (35:25):
I don't care about Ben's Kroonick's career.
Speaker 3 (35:27):
I don't know where he was. Yeah, go ahead, he
was a RAM for three years.
Speaker 2 (35:30):
Oh did he win there?
Speaker 3 (35:31):
He did win. He's a super Bowl champion.
Speaker 1 (35:34):
Well, it's like Kabali said, you win with guys like
Ben's karonik Uh. Last night was was Pittsburgh Knight at
the Penguins game, and they had all the Pittsburgh mascots
there except for Danny Smith.
Speaker 5 (35:46):
One O five nine one as your shot at X
Drug Cash see what I did there thirteen times a
day nine pm. The X will give you the keyword
at the top of every album. Enterady w x D
and you could win one thousand dollars.
Speaker 2 (36:03):
With that much money, you can buy like ten coffees.
You know what.
Speaker 5 (36:06):
I was homeschooled. I'm not good at mouth. Listen all
day for your chance. Has some extra cash on one
oh five nine the X.
Speaker 3 (36:15):
From the Dollar Energy Fund Weather Center. This report is
sponsored by Flynn's Tire and Auto Service.
Speaker 1 (36:21):
Closing out the week with occasional rain today high in
the low sixties, clearing skies overnight.
Speaker 5 (36:26):
Come Dude Free Show on one DX.
Speaker 1 (36:33):
The pregame show brought to us by our good friend Shanderovia,
Shandorovitch and Fishman, the personal injury experts.
Speaker 2 (36:39):
They got your back, not your wallet.
Speaker 1 (36:41):
Uh. Last night was Pittsburgh Night at the Penguins game,
which makes me wonder what the other nights are. Because
the team's from Pittsburgh and all the home games are
in Pittsburgh.
Speaker 2 (36:49):
You can't really have safe Meadville Night.
Speaker 1 (36:51):
But the mascot's rotten for Steely mcbeam the river Hound.
I think his name's Ammo, the Pirate Parrot. The perogis,
of course Iceberg. That's his home turf. The Parogies were
at the River Hins playoff game last week and they
were right in front of me Don below. When I
was in Tofi's owner's box, Tuffy Shallenberger and I started
telling you you're part of a con, you're helping not
(37:13):
in cheat the city, and they I don't think you
can flip me off with those big hands, Tom. I
think they're frozen that.
Speaker 3 (37:18):
Way, right, yeah, right, But they're probably doing it inside
the costume. I would love that to carry over to
actual Pirates games, though. Could you imagine if there was
just some acid being thrown at the Perogies when they
get on the field.
Speaker 2 (37:27):
Like boom Gone too Far acid?
Speaker 1 (37:30):
I was just heckling, what do we got from the
trifecta brought to us by Danny's Peas and Hogies, which
is great on Root eighty eight in Bethel Park.
Speaker 3 (37:37):
For today's trifector, Mark, I've got three things that the
Steelers better do against the Chargers. They should be embarrassed
Monday morning if they fail. Number three, they got to
pick off Herbert. They got to force turnovers. The Chargers
have given the ball up twelve times this year, that's
third most in the NFL. And Herbert's thrown eight picks
this year. That's third most by any quarterback in the NFL. Now,
he don't care about throwing picks, but you got to
(37:59):
take of that. You gotta capitalize, grab a couple and
overs off of him.
Speaker 1 (38:02):
I agree, but here's my disclaimer. They had no turnovers,
no sacks against Green Bay. They can't rely on turnovers
and sacks. I mean, you should get some every game,
but their best chance is getting a quantity of one
or the other or both like they did this past week,
and that's just not always going to happen.
Speaker 3 (38:22):
It's not, but they have to rely on that. That's
the makeup of their defense.
Speaker 2 (38:25):
And that's why they're probably not going that far.
Speaker 3 (38:28):
Number two, you mentioned how great the Chargers defense is
as far as pass defense is concerned, but you can
get them on the ground. They give up four point
eight yards per carry. Only five defenses are better, and
they give up an explosive run rate of eight percent.
Only three defenses are better there, So you better be
able to run the football. Good thing. The Steelers ran
for one point seven yards per carry last week.
Speaker 1 (38:47):
Well, you can't abandon the run, even if you do
have a rough time of it. It was only one
point seven yards per carry. And I still think they
abandoned it too early.
Speaker 3 (38:55):
I think so too. And then Green Bay especially, they
abandoned the run. They had a lead coming out of
halftime with the ball, Warren got three carries in the
second half.
Speaker 1 (39:01):
Well, that that's the thing. Well, they had to lead
this past week against Indy.
Speaker 3 (39:05):
They could insult run. Yeah, I mean it was a
game in Indy that was begging you to run and
kill the club.
Speaker 1 (39:11):
And I think even though I've been up and down
and I've said lately he's been improving, I don't think
Warren's number one back because that offensive line is improved
by Leaps and Bot absolutely, and Warren's still not getting
enough done.
Speaker 3 (39:21):
He took a big step back last week's disappointing but
number one that Chargers depleted offensive line, the Joe Alt effect.
They're one and two without Joe Alt five and both
their starting tackles and one of their bathrooms correct done.
Both their starting tackles are now done for the year.
They lost Slater at the beginning of the season. Now
Alts done. They need Dan Moore Junior. They should get
on the phone with the Titans.
Speaker 2 (39:40):
Tennessee to late Tennessee's like one win, right.
Speaker 3 (39:42):
Yeah, it's too late. They should have traded for you.
Speaker 2 (39:44):
Dan Moore Junior. He really has helped them.
Speaker 3 (39:46):
But you got a feast. You've got to get pressure
on Herbert and that's kind of twofold because they're gonna
get the ball out quick. So your corners they better
be pressing and they better get sticky in coverage on
those defense on those wide receivers.
Speaker 1 (39:57):
I've been saying both on Twitter and he that the
big thing with the Charges is they played tough, hard
nosed football.
Speaker 2 (40:03):
They punching him up.
Speaker 1 (40:04):
Yeah, and Pittsburgh prided themselves on the Steelers being that way. However,
a false narrative that's grown to be so then they
responded to me.
Speaker 2 (40:12):
Well, that's not that big of no, you got to
play football.
Speaker 1 (40:14):
Come on.
Speaker 3 (40:14):
You know what I could see happening too. The Steelers
totally sucking against the run again, and that is just
giving the Chargers a life raft if they can run
the ball and not have to worry about Chargers, yes,
and not have to worry about Herbert dropping back and
passing too much. And that's Herbert running too. By the way,
He's the leading rusher as far as quarterbacks are concerned
this year. That's a problem.
Speaker 2 (40:32):
Do you know?
Speaker 1 (40:32):
I covered Jim Harbaugh for an entire week once when
he was the Colts quarterback. The year the Steelers beat
Indy in the AFC Championship Game and went to the
Super Bowl Foster Dallas as the Post Gazette then, and
the Post Cazette sent me to Kansas City to cover
the the Indye Kansas City game, which Indy pulled an upset.
So I went to Indianapolis and it was snowing like
(40:54):
crazy there, like I could barely get from the motel
to the Colts practice facility. But I wrote stories about
the Colts every day. And Harbaugh for a guy who's
kind of a dig very forthcoming and easy to work with,
and even easier to work with. The Colts head coach
then was a former Steeler quarterback Ted Marchibroda, who when
I told I was from Pittsburgh, kind of really warmed up.
Speaker 2 (41:13):
He was like this likable old guy. And it's one
of those deals.
Speaker 1 (41:16):
Where I think because Harbaugh saw his coach like was
okay with me, he was maybe more okay with me,
but they were both great to work with.
Speaker 3 (41:26):
Harma almost pulled that off too, that Hail Mary at
the end of the game looked like he almost caught
that in the end zone.
Speaker 1 (41:31):
It's like when Nicky six liked me with Motley Cruze
back when because I was friends with Pete Way, the
bass player was wasted in UFO and NICKI idolized Pete
and then I got Nicky drugs and that was even
you know, a bigger deal to him one oh five
to ninety X
Sidney Crosby's thirty eights. Born on eight seven eighty seven,
He's thirty eight, and he's the NHL leader in goals,
just two points behind in points. He's captaining a kind
of bummy roster to the best record in the league
(00:26):
so far, and he's thirty eight.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Thirty eights.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Forget about the stats, forget about the record. Watch Sidney
Crosby play. At thirty eight. He's everywhere two hundred feet.
Don Lowe in traffic back checks the slot.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
At thirty eights.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
He's still got that acceleration through the neutral zone. He
makes the other team back up, he makes the fans
stand up, and he's thirty eight. Nobody in hockey, and
I can't think of well, I mean Brady, but that's different.
Nobody in hockey, for sure, has ever played like this
at thirties.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
And by that I.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Mean nobody, nobody at thirty eights. I never thought I'd
think that Sidney Crosby might be might wind up being
thought of as the best hockey player ever.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
And that's still Mario.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
But Crosby is making an argument because he's played just
about the same way at the same level for twenty
one years and still is at thirty eight's. Don't take
this for granted. Acknowledge him. Sidney Crosby is a whirlwind
(01:48):
with graying hair that he should absolutely die and absolutely
will nots.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
This is the Mark Madden Show. Don't forget.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
You can watch the Stealer game with me at Sidelines
Beer House in Siwickly on Sunday kickoff at eight twenty.
Got a lot of stuff to give away, a lot
of wings to eat, a lot of beer to drink.
That's doublem with the Steeler watch party Sunday night at
Sidelines Beer House in Siwickly. The Penguins are by far
(02:19):
the most interesting sports story in Pittsburgh right now.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
I mean Steelers.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
It's gonna wind up same old, same old with the
Penguins that might yet too, having missed the playoffs the
last three years, but look at it right now, look.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
At the standings right now.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
And last night they dodged a major bullet because that
game had the stench of death for a second after
blowing a three goal lead again second time in four
games in four days, two games four days, but special
teams building up two great pks in the third and
then Rusty scored on the power play. I can't get
(02:55):
over see it, can't get over it. Forget the stats
and two goals last night nine four and two. Shid
is everywhere at thirty eight all over the ice, this
burst from Sid and Gino two and maybe even Eric Carlson.
I'm convinced it's the young guys and probably energizing the
(03:19):
whole roster. Probably the good start due to the young guys,
even though the stars are at the top of the stats.
And how about Kindle directing traffic on the power play
and telling Carlson where to go?
Speaker 2 (03:33):
And Carlson did, I laughed at loud.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
Penguins three for five on the power play, lead the
league in conversion percentage at thirty nine. Most coaches lean
towards the veteran, but Raquel when he comes back. Kendall's
got to stay on the number one power play. He
is playing so well with the man advantage. He is
(03:56):
giving MWS zero choice. Like I said, playing thirty nine percent.
Kendall and Sid are the big catalysts, but Market and
Carlson are also playing great with the man advantage.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
And Rusty got the winner last night on.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
The PP with a cross ice feed coming from Evgeni Malkin.
Now the question is hot kindledoo five on five playing
on Sid's line on the wing, he was a little
bit far away from Sid, needed to get closer in
(04:34):
the offensive zone.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
But in the neutral zone and off the.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
Rush, Uh played great. I think that that line's going
to stay together, mainly because it's got no choice. Hollander, Now,
I mean Raquel's out for I think five more weeks.
Halland and now out for three months some kind of
blood caught situation in his leg. But anyway, it's just
it's just a great, great story. Are the Penguins and
(05:03):
they play at New Jersey twelve thirty start time tomorrow
here all the actual right here on the X. Then
back at home against LA on Sunday night.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
And by the.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
Way, just because they won doesn't mean they should not
have started morrishoff. And let's even say they do acquies
some slight bit, the showbiz starts Shill offs the second
straight game in Jersey tomorrow and put morishoff in at
home on Sunday against LA. Okay, that's great, but it's
a NFL Sunday and the Steelers play that night. That's
(05:37):
gonna be their lowest crowd of the year. If Mews
sticks to his goaltending rotation, Morishoff won be his home
debut until November twenty. First, that's a Friday against Nashville.
I'm sorry, against Minnesota, and that's assuming Jari isn't back
(05:57):
by then.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Probably won't be.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
But what if he is, Morishoff will come and go
and the fans will never get a.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Chance to see him play at home.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
So it was absolutely still even though the Penguins won
a bad move to not stop Morrishov last night.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
I talked to Andy cot To, the goal tennant coach.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
He gave no comment when I asked him why more
Shot didn't play, And when I asked him who decided
that more Shot didn't play? Andy laughed, But I sense
that those involved in the process might have disagreed. Let's
keep talking hockey. Let's bring on Tommy Radio. Tom your
(06:41):
thoughts on the way Sid's playing. The two goals last night,
leads the league in goals, leads the league in power
play goals, him playing five on five with Kindle, him
being everywhere all over the ice all the time.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
At thirty eight. It's incredible. It really is incredible. But
it's not that surprising. Maybe it's surprising that he's leading
the league in goals and he's doing it at this level.
But you always knew his game was going to age
gracefully if he could stay healthy, and just.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
If he could stay healthy.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
If like, even though he is a conditioning freak, other
guys who are conditioning freaks is have their bodies break
down before they turn thirty eight.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
What you said and you're open about how he just
in the neutral zones still has that burst, still has
that speed, that explosion get the people on their feet, Like,
that's unbelievable, maybe the most unbelievable part of what he's
doing at age thirty eight to still have that kind
of wow factor in his game.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Yeah, and uh, and that line's playing great. I think
that Kindall does need to I mean, Sid Todd Gensel
how to play with them by getting close doing those
shortgiven gos Don Low, Kindle can do that. He just
has to figure it out. And I think he's a
quick study on everything else. Why would this be any
more difficult.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
For Ben Kindall?
Speaker 1 (07:54):
So uh? I also like that Tommy Novak fit in
good on the market line. I mean, he's not real
top six, but any port in the storm, and at
least he did okay. I love Manta another goal going
to the net, just you know, getting in there and
bowling everybody over and the puck lines up in the back,
So full credit to him. The fourth line don't suck
even with the chariot, and still don't suck.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Now.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
The third line, I thought Heinen did okay, but boy,
this Villy coyven Nanita goal badly.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
That's what I was going to ask you about today,
was what you think Danton Heinen in that third line
did last night, because that's the big concern with Kendall
going up the city.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
It was good enough.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
That leaves a hole though there potentially, so if he
can just kind of steady that and make the third
line still effective, then are you're good.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
As much as I.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Think Kendall's best position is center for this team right now,
he serves the cause better even maybe when you know
everybody's healthy, maybe Heinen's the third line center period. Maybe
Kendall serves the cause better at wing because on since
wing he's productive, He's not going to be productive as
a third line center, not with the guy he's playing with.
(09:01):
So maybe this season until they you know, get a
few more better guys, or Drew Cloyvenan you know, finds himself.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
Maybe Kindle wing is the way to go. Just say it.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
Yeah, if everybody comes back healthy, though, that bumps Raquel
to what the third line or would you break up
the Monsters with brassers getting healthy.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
It would depend on whether I think that that monster
line with with Malkin, Mantha and Brazil.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
I think Braso is not going to keep it up. Yeah,
blod he never has.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
Mantha's you know, had a couple of twenty plus goal seasons,
but I don't believe in Braso nearly as much. So
it would depend in terms of who plays on Sid's line.
It depends on who I think would be more productive
on that line, Raquel or Kindle. And I'm honestly not sure.
People say Raquel's a thirty goal scorer because he did
it last year, Well, he hasn't done it that often.
(09:51):
And I think Kendall has much better upside obviously at eighteen.
Speaker 3 (09:55):
And you said, I think either earlier this week or
last week, that Sid's got to keep scoring. He's got
a hunt for goals this year. This team needs a
big time goal scorer. Sid's got to be in Kendall
can be that playmaking wing setting Sid up for goals
as opposed to you know, Raquel being the wing. Sid said,
so you kind of.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
Like exercise that Marner and Matthew's little bit right Toronto. Yeah,
so yeah, I mean I would. I mean, Kendall's doing
a great job there. I sense that Raquel will go
back with Sid when the time comes, but at least,
at least on a team that has almost no depth,
some options are starting to materialize.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
And if that does happen, Mark, I don't think you're
going to be that upset about it if Rikel goes
back to Sid's line, because then you get the monsters
on the second line, and then you probably have your
kid line of coiven In centered by Kendall, and then you.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
Have my my.
Speaker 4 (10:43):
My.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
Either approval or disdain for that will depend on if
Covid is fine about score goals and if mcgroarty's you know,
one hundred percent and able to play like we hope
you can play. That said, I am hardly giving up
on Covid in uh. You know, I think he's a
really talented hockey player and I think he'll be Okay,
I just think right now he's kind of battling himself
(11:05):
because don't forget he had a bunch of helpers last
year but didn't score a goal.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
Right still looking for his first NHL goal.
Speaker 3 (11:10):
Do you think he's a case of Once he just
finds that one, it could potentially be a Floodgate situation.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
Not necessarily, but I think he'll relax and just play better,
better hockey.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
Right now, he's really kind of flailing.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
Off, being to stick a little tight. Just I need
he knows in his head, I need to find my
first goal, and that's never a good place to be.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
Well, nobody wants to not find their first goal.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
So so okay, uh, you can follow me on Twitter
at mark man X.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
Seven out last night. That was kind of kind of cool.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
I mean, Washington fans boosting that, and the crowd's going
to be, you know, Depth Valley when the Kings visit
on an NFL Sunday before the Steelers play. But the Penguins,
you know, unless they've been you know, the Stanley Cup Penguins.
I was going to say the Crosby and his prime
Penguins been his prime started when he was eighteen, and
it's still going on today, but I don't know. I'm
(12:03):
still really mad they didn't play morishoff. Really happy about
the result last night. Talked to Kindle, good kid makes
me feel old. Ran into sin when we were both
leaving the arena. That was fun.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
Always great to get an audience with the with the man.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
But uh, and he's a different cat man when it's
one on one in private, not like in a media scrum.
Not that he's bad with the media scrum, but just
like I said, a different cat I mean that, not
in a bad way either way, but in a good
way one on one. Uh.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
And people, how about this?
Speaker 1 (12:33):
People are wearing Kindle jerseys already today at practice. Josh
Gtsov put a tweet at some guy in the stands
were in a Kindle jersey. And I've always said somebody
wearing somebody else's name in number is kind of creepy.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
But the guy was like twice as old as Kindle.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
All right, Uh, we're gonna talk about football at some
point maybe, but I think we know.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
I don't care. I shouldn't say that, not loud.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
But the Peng wasn't the best story in Time, the
best story in Ton, But we got some great sound
about Steelers and Chargers. One thing that we're overlooking. We're
talking about all the Chalgers there. Their lines beat up
altsop blah blah blah. Their defense is really badass. It's
a bunch of no names. They got guys like Khalil Mack,
who's kind of washed. But they ranked six and overall
(13:21):
defense third against the pass. So the Steelers had better
freaking be able to run the ball or at least
not abandoned it, you know, at the drop of a hat.
One O five ninety X, It's the Woody Show Show
a six, precocious and full of wonderment.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
On one O five nine d X. People are freaking
out over this year sold out.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
Six presented by Capitol Welcome.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
Towns a big.
Speaker 5 (13:51):
It's the Mark Man on one O five nine d X.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
We'd to the Steelers in just a little bit, but
right now we're talking Penguins.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
That game last night with.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
Tommy Radio tom they blew the three nil lead in
the third at Toronto and lost. Last night they blew
a three nil lead and we're tied three to three
at theater mission. How bad could things have gone if
they had lost again last night after having led three zip.
Speaker 3 (14:25):
I think it could have gone real bad. I would
have started to believe that, you know, the bottom was
going to fall out from the Penguins and they're going
to start to act like the team we thought they'd
be at the beginning of the year. And it was
a mirage in the month of October. But then they didn't.
They bounced back. They had a really good third period.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
Well the two big p ks. Connor Doer like did
Yeoman's duty on the penalty kill. I can't believe the
contributions that. I mean, Tommy Novak could yesterday as well. Yeah,
earned the empty neck goal.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
For those contributions, yeah, I'm not sure you can count
on that.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
You know that often but from those guys, yeah right,
But you know, I mean they're one of the reasons
you look at this team and not think it's going anywhere.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
I mean, i mean, somebody got to play.
Speaker 3 (15:05):
Don't you think there's like kind of a symbiotic relationship
where you've always said, like, the older guys are drawing
from the veteran are drawing from the young players. But
then when the older guys are playing to the level
they are too, the younger guys are like we got
to keep up. We don't want to let send Gino down.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
Yeah, but I'm not sure we're frankly not very good.
Talents like Doer and Novak and Shae and Watherspoon figure
into that, and Shane Watherspoon are doing incredible is top
four defense, but which they are.
Speaker 3 (15:30):
Not the defense though in general it has some rough
patches through games. Mark, I mean she loves in the
second period, I mean, there was just nothing that guy
could do. I mean, it was awful for him. I'm
starting to feel bad a little light in another pinball
goal though, which you know what I'm saying, though, I
mean like he was just well no, it's like this
is you know, one oh one. But they allowed four
goals in ten minutes at Toronto Monday. They allowed three
(15:53):
goals in ten minutes last night. They need to work
on that. And a big part of it is when
they get a lead. YOI wrote this in this column.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
When they get a lead, they turned to the Harlem
Globe Trotters.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
They start to play like they used to, like drop
passes coming through the neutral zone and they just gotta
shake that permanently because they're not that kind of team now.
Speaker 3 (16:11):
Didn't you think that that was starting to show signs
of being shaken off at the beginning of the year,
like they were playing in the Dan Muse structure. You
think that that's another thing that this.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
No, I think I think it showed up every game
where they had a lead, like, I think it showed up.
Remember remember they kept they kept conceding to Florida when
they won down there again. Yeah, I think I think
we saw what I'm talking about in that game as well.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
I don't think that that's what Dan Muse wants to
have happened. I don't think he wants them to turn
to the Harlem globe. No, I'm real sure it's so Hopefully,
hopefully they can figure that out and tighten it up
and play more of his style.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
Remember I said yesterday that even though he didn't show
it in in preseason, that maybe Ryan Graves in a
more defensive, systematic method of play like Dan Mws wants
as supposed to Sullivan, not as much activation or pinching
by the defenseman, you know, picking your spots, that Graves
might be better.
Speaker 2 (16:59):
I was wrong.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
He was awful. Heinen was okay. You know, it was
the third center we talked about that a bit earlier,
but I keep coming back to how great Sid played
at thirty eight, And I mean this, Tom, what do
you think. I don't think I'll ever concede that he's
the best player ever. I think that'll always be Mario.
(17:21):
And I've always said the top three that you could
never subtract from and move somebody up into is Mario
or in Gretzki. But Sid is giving me cause to wonder,
because again, nobody's ever played like this at thirty eight,
and I'm not so sure that somebody's not gonna say
that he's the best player ever.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
At some point.
Speaker 3 (17:41):
Let's forget about Mario he's number one. Let's talk about
Gretzky and talk about Sid compared to Gretzki. If Sid
can get to two thousand points as a modern day
player and play into his forties, not at this level,
but say this year, next year at this level, and
then the drop off is minimal, I mean people will
default obviously too. I'll look at all the points scored.
Come on, you gotta give it to Gretzky. But I
(18:02):
mean in a different era.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
But I mean, Gret's had this vision for the game,
this anticipation.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
His passing skills were sublime.
Speaker 3 (18:10):
I mean everything you're saying is Sid too, though not
like gret No, I mean no, not like Gretz. Okay,
well then said we'll catch him then.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
But well, I mean, I mean, but then again, Sid
plays two hundred feet, Sid plays don low. Sid hits
the corners, you know, I mean Gretz, I mean if
he came back into his defensive zoners because it was lost.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
I mean the same with Mario.
Speaker 1 (18:28):
Now that didn't apply to either in the playoffs when
they you know, played much, especially Mario Mario. I mean
it turned out that when he wanted to be, he
was one of the best defensive centers in the game.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
Who knew.
Speaker 3 (18:39):
Yeah, and I think, yo, I hope he's listening. Yo,
He tweeted out. I think when Sid not last night,
but earlier this week. It took Gretz what to get
his ninth or whatever goal. It was almost the entire
season at age thirty eight, and Sid didn't like the
first ten games like whatever, easy stuff.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
Oh no, when you when you're compared, okay, Sid's like,
for sure miles better thirty eight year old player out, No,
he's the best thirty eight year old player ever period,
and he probably was the best thirty seven year old. Yeah,
I'm not sure how far we go back, but like
Mario was retired at thirty eight, or like retired young
because of his bad knee, and they didn't have the
capabilities surgically then, and Gretz was just an empty jersey.
(19:17):
Well I shouldn't say that because he had a bunch
of helpers, but he was no threat to score.
Speaker 3 (19:22):
Now, Gordy had sixty five points when he was aged
thirty eight, twenty five goals. That was nineteen sixty six
sixty seven.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
Yeah, I just know, I mean, he was great.
Speaker 3 (19:33):
But no, well, Sid's gonna have more than those points too.
He's gonna have more than sixty five points.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
As much as we like the romanticize Gordy, I mean,
Gordy elbowed people in the face and broke their nose
and they would joke about years later how it was great,
Oh Gordy with the elbows. Yeah, I was in the
hospital for ten days. But Gordy's not a class with Sid.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
He's not.
Speaker 3 (19:53):
No, I'm with you that Sid is a nailed on
top five player right now. He's probably number four in
my book right now, and I think he he can
creep into that top three conversation if he keeps playing
like this, and again if he gets to two thousand points.
I mean, that's an unbelievable milestone.
Speaker 1 (20:08):
You know what's amazing is that Sid is tied for the
league leaguing goals and he always I mean Sid will
never say it lot he hates the Flyers, but we
know he hates the Flyers.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
And Cutter Goatier from Anaheim is tied with Sid.
Speaker 1 (20:20):
And he's the guy who got drafted by the Flyers
and said, nope, I'm not playing there.
Speaker 3 (20:24):
It's perfect.
Speaker 2 (20:25):
Or did he just tell them not to draft them.
I'm not sure.
Speaker 3 (20:27):
And you know what else is great, Mark, The Flyers
are just good enough that I think they're gonna finish
in the mushy middle. There's no threat for McKenna to
be a Philadelphia Flyer. That's glorious.
Speaker 2 (20:36):
Well talk has him playing better.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
I mean, he can't get Mitchkoff going though, and Mitchkoff
has to be their best player.
Speaker 2 (20:41):
He's the only eye with the capability.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
Well, I mean that's not turning off Konetski, but I've
always felt he's.
Speaker 2 (20:46):
Like forget him.
Speaker 3 (20:47):
I hate him.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
He's okay, he's pretty good. I hate him.
Speaker 3 (20:50):
He's a villain for sure. In this fire.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
Victoria is kind of fading.
Speaker 3 (20:54):
When it comes to Mitchkoff. There's a lot of talk
about him just not coming into camp in shape right,
like he's kind of had to play himself into shape
throughout the season. That's been the frustration.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
You know what would have really benefited him as if
the Russians would be in the Olympics, because because he.
Speaker 3 (21:09):
Would go over there and he would train and all
that suff.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
He would have been more ready for the season because
he would have been trying to make that team. That's
why you give Gino a lot of credit. And Gino
if he can keep this up. Even if he can't,
but that rest for the Olympics, that's gonna do him.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
A world of good. On the other side, I do
although it sucks that they're not.
Speaker 1 (21:26):
You know what sucks to it sucks that the cowardly
bitch ass hockey media, especially those cowardly bitch ass punks
at the Athletic No offense Josh uh just just won't
make a deal out of that because they Oh Russian Ukraine,
what a terrible thing. How can we let these guys
play if there's a war, I'll tell you how, because
war in sport should not be related. Politics and sports
(21:49):
should not be related. I mean, is Fifam Ben the
bar Israel?
Speaker 2 (21:53):
You know?
Speaker 1 (21:53):
I mean, I just I think, where do you stop?
You can't be selective. But that's what dopes like the
the thought the social police for the athletic wants.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
There's a precedence too, where you just take the flag
off their jerseys. You say, you're not representing. I heard
they don't want to do that. Why I don't know,
but I heard they don't want to do that.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
That's so dumb. You're robbing, Malkin, you're robbing. I'm just
telling talking about guys like Malcot and Ovens. They don't
want to do that. No, the players don't want to
do it.
Speaker 3 (22:18):
That's okay, okay, Well, you know what, do you want
to play in the Olympics or not? If it comes
down to that.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
No, I disagree. I think they should just be able
to play as Russia. I mean, put it this way,
if we looked at all the atrocities this great nation
of ours is perpetrated on the African American and the
Native American our metal count would be way down, way down. Tom.
I'm going to talk a bit about this this football
game coming up. You know, I go back and forth.
(22:46):
You know, if they win, they're in good shape, though,
aren't they. Because Baltimore plays Minnesota. Minnesota, that's a losable games,
that's a losible game.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
I think it's their last kind of losable game before
that Steelers game, because then it's like Browns, Jets, Bengles,
They're going to run it up on.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
McCarthy had a good game when they when they wanted Detroit,
he did. You know what, you know, it sucks. And
this applies to coyven in two, you know, in a
much lesser and less visible in terms of the sporting public.
But whenever, like a heralded young guy plays bad for
a while, Oh he sucks, he's a buss blah blah blah.
Sometimes it takes time. I think McCarthy's gonna be a
good quarterback. I still think they should have franchised Donald
(23:21):
for this year.
Speaker 3 (23:22):
It's such an up. Donald's a perfect gut of reference too.
When it comes to that kind of mindset. He sucks,
he's nothing get rid of him. New York. There's nothing
you're gonna get out of him now he's an MVP candidate.
Speaker 1 (23:32):
You sense there's some kind of collusion, and I can't
think why it would be, but there's some kind of
collusion to not use the franchise tag in the NFL
because nobody ever does it. And that situation with Donald
that was the perfect, you know spot for Minnesota to
do that with a quarterback you wanted to hold on
to for one more year to try to make the
most out of the you know, ready to win team
(23:52):
you had while you transition to the young guy.
Speaker 3 (23:55):
Is the collusion just a result though, if they don't
want to hear these players bitching and moaning, like why
the owners callude to take away their greatest asset.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
It never stopped them before. But you're right, I'll put
it this way. I know that's why TJ.
Speaker 2 (24:08):
Watt too much for too long, and they just don't
want to hear him whin that's what.
Speaker 1 (24:12):
And they didn't want the fan backlash who think the
player like, you know what's funny? Usually, like in a
situation with starting moreshoff. The Penguins fans, especially the social media,
they agree with everything the club wants, especially younger fans,
because younger fans are younger people. They just there's such sheep.
They think they're not with their sheep. They just agree
with authority while pretending they rebel against authority. But they
(24:35):
just they're so stupid. They they contradict themselves constantly. But
but if it comes down to a dispute between club
and player, they take the player's side, because in the
case of the TJ. Watt thing, nobody has an Art
Rooney the second jersey.
Speaker 2 (24:53):
They have a lot of number ninety TJ. Wat jerseys.
Speaker 3 (24:55):
Do you think that what happened with Le'Veon Bell spooks
some teams off too when it came to the franchise
tag and him just holding out an entire season like that,
But that should also be a cautionary tale for players
to add.
Speaker 1 (25:05):
Oh, I think that situation more than anything, Tom was
a cautionary tale for Leon be for.
Speaker 3 (25:09):
The players too in the future, like, hey, you sit
out a year of NFL football, it's tough to get
back on.
Speaker 1 (25:15):
All right, No moment, We're going to talk a bit
more about that Baltimore Minnesota game, because I think that's
a big spot for the Steelers.
Speaker 2 (25:21):
A Mark Mann one O five to nine.
Speaker 4 (25:24):
Tomorrow afternoon, the Pens take on the Devils. Game time
is twelve thirty. Our coverage starts at eleven thirty. Listen
to every game and the best Pens coverage on your
home at the Pittsburgh Penguins five nine b X. We're
adding another show to the Ex's concert calendar.
Speaker 3 (25:43):
Oh they are Green Drudge Age two.
Speaker 2 (25:48):
Big weekend.
Speaker 1 (25:50):
I got my Steelers watch party Sunday night at Sidelines
Berross and Swickly. I got my ball hockey tournament at
Murray's sport Zone starting tonight and running through the weekend.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
We got Liverpool at Man City. Yikes.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
Then again we killed Madrid well one nil, but we
badly played him that Sunday as well. And you got
the River Hounds hosting a Eastern Conference semifinal game Saturday.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
Night at high Mark.
Speaker 1 (26:19):
We got Beato Edrich from that team joining us in
the five o'clock hour. But besides the Steeler game, another
game of interest locally in the NFL as Baltimore plays
at Minnesota on Sunday. Baltimore's three and five Minnesota's four
and four, and the Vikings got that huge win at
Detroit last week and maybe JJ McCarthy's coming on from
(26:41):
Minnesota the young quarterback. Like I said a moment ago,
when the young guys stumbles, you don't say he's a bust.
It just takes some diuys longer. Hopefully that's the case
with Lilly Cloyvenan, the Penguin young Finnish swinger. Minnesota is
a four point dog and that kind of surprises me.
(27:01):
With the Vikes being at home, it's a losable game
for the Ravens and the Steelers need to maintain their
two game cushion on to Baltimore US and lengthen it
if possible, because the Steelers will not rally in the
second half of the season and win the division.
Speaker 2 (27:21):
If the race tightens up, the Steelers have the.
Speaker 1 (27:23):
Lead in the division, then you keep it, make it
as big as possible, and grind the second half of
the season out. If the Steelers increase their lead from
two games to three this weekend by beating LA and
Baltimore loses at Minnesota, they're gonna win the division. Tom
(27:44):
Baltimore is minus one forty to win the AFC North.
The Steelers are plus one forty. That's on bet Parks
Vegas is certainly steadfast with favoring Baltimore, aren't they, And bet.
Speaker 3 (27:54):
Parks they really are. And even when you look at
the Ravens Vikings game, Vegas really loves the Ravens there too,
favoring them by four and a half on the road
against the team that's five hundred. So yeah, they're just
enamored by Baltimore. I kind of still see where they're
coming from, though, Like I still kind of lean towards
them winning the division. But regardless of what happens between
(28:15):
the Ravens and the Vikings Mark, if the Steelers beat
the Chargers, I think they set themselves up gloriously to
at least hold the Ravens off. They can just earn
a split between the Ravens there and then take care
of this against the team they're supposed to they should
win the North. So this week's game, Sunday's game is huge.
Speaker 1 (28:30):
Well, Baltimore's won two in a row now, and like
you said earlier, this game at Minnesota is like probably
the last truly losable game for the Ravens, Like they'll
be favored in every game.
Speaker 3 (28:43):
The rest of the way, don't you think, Well, last
losable game until they meet the Steelers first. But they
do have the Patriots and the Packers later in the season.
Speaker 2 (28:49):
But where is the December seventh game at the day
that will live in infamy.
Speaker 3 (28:53):
It's in Baltimore.
Speaker 2 (28:54):
Baltimore will be favorite for that game. In that game
for sure.
Speaker 1 (28:56):
No matter what, you matter, what happens between now and then,
Baltimore or will be favored.
Speaker 2 (29:01):
But Baltimore.
Speaker 1 (29:01):
They won two in a ronof just starting one and five.
And to me, the big thing about their perceived renaissance
is their defense has allowed thirty nine points total in
the last three games, and that's after doing just horribly
to start the season on route to that one in
(29:21):
five start, and especially that defense playing much better in
the round.
Speaker 3 (29:25):
That's the scariest part is that the Ravens seem to
have figured it out on the defensive side of the ball.
Because Lamar, before he got hurt, was playing unbelievably at quarterback.
And I knew he was gonna come back this year.
I knew he'd be great. I knew the offense would
be fine. It was that defense maybe would be the
bogie that you know, they'd have to score thirty eight
to forty points a game, and they just weren't going
to be able to do that. But if that defense
(29:46):
starts to come around, I mean, it doesn't even have
to be a great defense, it just has to be adequate.
Hold team's like twenty to twenty five points, and that
offense will take care of the rest. Well.
Speaker 1 (29:53):
Van Noy, who's pretty good for Baltimore on that defense.
He talked about the pass coverage in pass rush sinking
up that each has to help the other, and you
look at the Steelers, that's certainly the case there too.
In today's NFL top you one hundred percent need covered
sacks because the quarterbacks get rid of the ball so quick.
And that's why I want the Steelers to play more
(30:16):
press man, especially with Porter, to just just make the
quarterback hold onto the ball a bit longer. I'm not
saying that TJ. Watt should never go sack because the
quarterback gets rid of the ball quicker, but let's at
least try to make them hold onto it.
Speaker 3 (30:31):
And I completely agree with that tactic when you look
at an approach against the Chargers this week, mark because
don't you just think they're gonna quick game the Steelers?
What else are they going to do without their offensive line,
it's gonna be max protection. It's gonna be get the
ball out quick. You gotta go press man on those
receivers so Herbert can't just catch the snap and throw
a quick slant like Flacco was kind of doing to
you in that Cincinnati game.
Speaker 1 (30:54):
I still think Watt has to line up in different
spots along the defensive line, like Micah Parson in Green
Bay and Miles Garrett Cleveland going wide so much just
feeds into the quarterback using that quick release and running
away from what.
Speaker 2 (31:09):
And doing all the things they do to try to
neutralize what.
Speaker 1 (31:12):
Because when you're making forty one million, I always go
back to what Mario said, I make the most. I
got to do the most what being chipped double teamed
the other team running away from him. That's not a
good enough excuse for him not putting up numbers. And
I don't know why he's so against it. Oh why
because he's a conceited meathead who looks at Parsons and
(31:32):
Garrett changing their games as admitting a weakness and I
can just do it my way because I'm better than them.
Speaker 3 (31:38):
No, it's a strength to change your game. It's a strength.
To adapt.
Speaker 2 (31:41):
But you don't think that's what he's thinking.
Speaker 3 (31:43):
I'm sure you're right, But maybe he should take a
page out of his own teammate, Jalen Ramsey's book and notice, Hey,
he's transitioning to safety right now. He is embracing that
and moving around on this defense. It's paying off. It
might extend his career. Maybe I can be a much
greater impactful player more consistently in the latter's age of
my career if I let my coaches move me around
a little bit, put me in advantageous matchups.
Speaker 1 (32:04):
Uh. Did you see Kenny Pickett played last night in
that game between Denver and the Las Vegas Raiders.
Speaker 3 (32:09):
I didn't see it. I found out today. What's amazing.
So he's got pass oh for one this year and
he came in earlier this year and fumbled a snap.
I mean, just a perfect Kenny Pickett season.
Speaker 2 (32:20):
I don't know. I wasn't Josh Show.
Speaker 1 (32:22):
We had the game on his computer screen, but I
wasn't watching closely and honestly didn't care enough to check
out exactly what happened. But I guess Gino Smith got
hurt and Picket when went in. But then I mean,
did he come back out? We should look that up
because I sound dumb when I talk out of my
ass about something. But I kind of assumed that Gino
Smith got hurt. Pickett went in threw a pass and
(32:42):
they said, ah, wait, Gino, you're not that hurt. Get
back in there.
Speaker 3 (32:45):
Shoot him up again and make sure he goes completely numb.
Get him out there. But for real, how bad is
Kenny Pickett when the Raiders suck as bad as they have?
Gino Smith has sucked all year, and Pete Carroll will
not go to him, no chance, under no circumstances. Picket
starter game for me?
Speaker 2 (33:01):
Well, I want to I.
Speaker 1 (33:02):
Want to talk about Kenny Pickett in a very frank
manner as I have before. And you're a Pit fan,
so you gotta, you know, take it and Barrett and
Grin tom Bits. But Kenny Pickett never should have been
a first round pick. Kenny Pickett probably was never good
enough to even play in the NFL at all. Look
at this bum, He's a bum. He's an ef and bum.
Don't smirk at me like that. I'll jump across this
console and choke you. Kenny Pickett, uh never should have
(33:25):
been drafted the first round. Only one team wanted to.
Only one guy with that team, Tomlin wanted to. He's
a journeyman, Tom, He's he's still within the parameters chronologically
of his first contract. He's with his fourth team. He's
an absolute effing bum. He should be embarrassed, ashamed of himself.
Speaker 3 (33:45):
I'm not disagreeing with you, except for he probably should
have been drafted, like fifth, sixth round something like that.
Speaker 1 (33:51):
He should have been a free agent. He should be
able to Steelers practice squad right now. But he won
an ACC championship. Mark throwing him throw. It's a pretend conference.
Nobody gives a frig about that. He should be on
the practice squad right now. Pickett should throwing balls to
Marquez Valdez Scantling. By the way, did you see there's
a report that he's gonna go right on the active
roster and get.
Speaker 2 (34:11):
A helmet on Sunday.
Speaker 3 (34:12):
What's that about? I mean Rogers, this whole song and
Dan Rogers, he's on the practice squad. I'm not gonna
talk about him.
Speaker 1 (34:16):
Well, you heard Valdez Scantling sitting right next to Rogers
saying this guy wanted to be here for how long?
Speaker 2 (34:21):
Which begs the question, why didn't you get here sooner?
Speaker 1 (34:23):
Right? I mean Rogers. If Rogers wants him to dress,
he will dress. Not the Rogers is to the naked.
I thrown his weight around that much. Since you know
in that vein you know roster wise, depth chart wise,
since arriving with the team. Let me ask you this.
If Valdez Scantley does get a helmet, who doesn't.
Speaker 3 (34:44):
Probably would have to be like Roman Wilson.
Speaker 2 (34:47):
Right, even though that's absurd.
Speaker 3 (34:49):
His Coronic's gonna get one because of his role in
the run game, right, and because he's just a tough receiver.
You win like Pursuda.
Speaker 1 (34:55):
I mean, I love Pursuda and he knows more about
football than I do, but he likes do you win? No,
it was Kobali. Kabali said, you win with guys like
Skoronik win. What what did he win?
Speaker 3 (35:05):
Who do he ever beat?
Speaker 2 (35:06):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (35:07):
But Skarroonic's gonna stay on the field. He's before before
the Steel I can tell you until he won a
super Bowl. Because the ninth receiver, I should know that.
I have no idea. It wasn't following Ben Scaronick's career closely.
Speaker 1 (35:17):
Yeah, Like that's that's where this show's probably gone south.
Tom and I didn't care about the game last night,
so I'm not sure why pick it went in and
out of the game.
Speaker 2 (35:25):
I don't care about Ben's Kroonick's career.
Speaker 3 (35:27):
I don't know where he was. Yeah, go ahead, he
was a RAM for three years.
Speaker 2 (35:30):
Oh did he win there?
Speaker 3 (35:31):
He did win. He's a super Bowl champion.
Speaker 1 (35:34):
Well, it's like Kabali said, you win with guys like
Ben's karonik Uh. Last night was was Pittsburgh Knight at
the Penguins game, and they had all the Pittsburgh mascots
there except for Danny Smith.
Speaker 5 (35:46):
One O five nine one as your shot at X
Drug Cash see what I did there thirteen times a
day nine pm. The X will give you the keyword
at the top of every album. Enterady w x D
and you could win one thousand dollars.
Speaker 2 (36:03):
With that much money, you can buy like ten coffees.
You know what.
Speaker 5 (36:06):
I was homeschooled. I'm not good at mouth. Listen all
day for your chance. Has some extra cash on one
oh five nine the X.
Speaker 3 (36:15):
From the Dollar Energy Fund Weather Center. This report is
sponsored by Flynn's Tire and Auto Service.
Speaker 1 (36:21):
Closing out the week with occasional rain today high in
the low sixties, clearing skies overnight.
Speaker 5 (36:26):
Come Dude Free Show on one DX.
Speaker 1 (36:33):
The pregame show brought to us by our good friend Shanderovia,
Shandorovitch and Fishman, the personal injury experts.
Speaker 2 (36:39):
They got your back, not your wallet.
Speaker 1 (36:41):
Uh. Last night was Pittsburgh Night at the Penguins game,
which makes me wonder what the other nights are. Because
the team's from Pittsburgh and all the home games are
in Pittsburgh.
Speaker 2 (36:49):
You can't really have safe Meadville Night.
Speaker 1 (36:51):
But the mascot's rotten for Steely mcbeam the river Hound.
I think his name's Ammo, the Pirate Parrot. The perogis,
of course Iceberg. That's his home turf. The Parogies were
at the River Hins playoff game last week and they
were right in front of me Don below. When I
was in Tofi's owner's box, Tuffy Shallenberger and I started
telling you you're part of a con, you're helping not
(37:13):
in cheat the city, and they I don't think you
can flip me off with those big hands, Tom. I
think they're frozen that.
Speaker 3 (37:18):
Way, right, yeah, right, But they're probably doing it inside
the costume. I would love that to carry over to
actual Pirates games, though. Could you imagine if there was
just some acid being thrown at the Perogies when they
get on the field.
Speaker 2 (37:27):
Like boom Gone too Far acid?
Speaker 1 (37:30):
I was just heckling, what do we got from the
trifecta brought to us by Danny's Peas and Hogies, which
is great on Root eighty eight in Bethel Park.
Speaker 3 (37:37):
For today's trifector, Mark, I've got three things that the
Steelers better do against the Chargers. They should be embarrassed
Monday morning if they fail. Number three, they got to
pick off Herbert. They got to force turnovers. The Chargers
have given the ball up twelve times this year, that's
third most in the NFL. And Herbert's thrown eight picks
this year. That's third most by any quarterback in the NFL. Now,
he don't care about throwing picks, but you got to
(37:59):
take of that. You gotta capitalize, grab a couple and
overs off of him.
Speaker 1 (38:02):
I agree, but here's my disclaimer. They had no turnovers,
no sacks against Green Bay. They can't rely on turnovers
and sacks. I mean, you should get some every game,
but their best chance is getting a quantity of one
or the other or both like they did this past week,
and that's just not always going to happen.
Speaker 3 (38:22):
It's not, but they have to rely on that. That's
the makeup of their defense.
Speaker 2 (38:25):
And that's why they're probably not going that far.
Speaker 3 (38:28):
Number two, you mentioned how great the Chargers defense is
as far as pass defense is concerned, but you can
get them on the ground. They give up four point
eight yards per carry. Only five defenses are better, and
they give up an explosive run rate of eight percent.
Only three defenses are better there, So you better be
able to run the football. Good thing. The Steelers ran
for one point seven yards per carry last week.
Speaker 1 (38:47):
Well, you can't abandon the run, even if you do
have a rough time of it. It was only one
point seven yards per carry. And I still think they
abandoned it too early.
Speaker 3 (38:55):
I think so too. And then Green Bay especially, they
abandoned the run. They had a lead coming out of
halftime with the ball, Warren got three carries in the
second half.
Speaker 1 (39:01):
Well, that that's the thing. Well, they had to lead
this past week against Indy.
Speaker 3 (39:05):
They could insult run. Yeah, I mean it was a
game in Indy that was begging you to run and
kill the club.
Speaker 1 (39:11):
And I think even though I've been up and down
and I've said lately he's been improving, I don't think
Warren's number one back because that offensive line is improved
by Leaps and Bot absolutely, and Warren's still not getting
enough done.
Speaker 3 (39:21):
He took a big step back last week's disappointing but
number one that Chargers depleted offensive line, the Joe Alt effect.
They're one and two without Joe Alt five and both
their starting tackles and one of their bathrooms correct done.
Both their starting tackles are now done for the year.
They lost Slater at the beginning of the season. Now
Alts done. They need Dan Moore Junior. They should get
on the phone with the Titans.
Speaker 2 (39:40):
Tennessee to late Tennessee's like one win, right.
Speaker 3 (39:42):
Yeah, it's too late. They should have traded for you.
Speaker 2 (39:44):
Dan Moore Junior. He really has helped them.
Speaker 3 (39:46):
But you got a feast. You've got to get pressure
on Herbert and that's kind of twofold because they're gonna
get the ball out quick. So your corners they better
be pressing and they better get sticky in coverage on
those defense on those wide receivers.
Speaker 1 (39:57):
I've been saying both on Twitter and he that the
big thing with the Charges is they played tough, hard
nosed football.
Speaker 2 (40:03):
They punching him up.
Speaker 1 (40:04):
Yeah, and Pittsburgh prided themselves on the Steelers being that way. However,
a false narrative that's grown to be so then they
responded to me.
Speaker 2 (40:12):
Well, that's not that big of no, you got to
play football.
Speaker 1 (40:14):
Come on.
Speaker 3 (40:14):
You know what I could see happening too. The Steelers
totally sucking against the run again, and that is just
giving the Chargers a life raft if they can run
the ball and not have to worry about Chargers, yes,
and not have to worry about Herbert dropping back and
passing too much. And that's Herbert running too. By the way,
He's the leading rusher as far as quarterbacks are concerned
this year. That's a problem.
Speaker 2 (40:32):
Do you know?
Speaker 1 (40:32):
I covered Jim Harbaugh for an entire week once when
he was the Colts quarterback. The year the Steelers beat
Indy in the AFC Championship Game and went to the
Super Bowl Foster Dallas as the Post Gazette then, and
the Post Cazette sent me to Kansas City to cover
the the Indye Kansas City game, which Indy pulled an upset.
So I went to Indianapolis and it was snowing like
(40:54):
crazy there, like I could barely get from the motel
to the Colts practice facility. But I wrote stories about
the Colts every day. And Harbaugh for a guy who's
kind of a dig very forthcoming and easy to work with,
and even easier to work with. The Colts head coach
then was a former Steeler quarterback Ted Marchibroda, who when
I told I was from Pittsburgh, kind of really warmed up.
Speaker 2 (41:13):
He was like this likable old guy. And it's one
of those deals.
Speaker 1 (41:16):
Where I think because Harbaugh saw his coach like was
okay with me, he was maybe more okay with me,
but they were both great to work with.
Speaker 3 (41:26):
Harma almost pulled that off too, that Hail Mary at
the end of the game looked like he almost caught
that in the end zone.
Speaker 1 (41:31):
It's like when Nicky six liked me with Motley Cruze
back when because I was friends with Pete Way, the
bass player was wasted in UFO and NICKI idolized Pete
and then I got Nicky drugs and that was even
you know, a bigger deal to him one oh five
to ninety X
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