January 5, 2026 • 39 mins
Mark and Tommy Radio talk all about the Steelers big win over the Ravens with just a little Penguins sprinkled in, as they are on a 5 game winning streak as well.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Joining me now was Tommy Radio, and Tom I knew
Loop was gonna miss their rookie kicker at the death.
That's a lot of pressure, and obviously Akershure is a
very tough stadium to kick it.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
I was not as confident that Loop was gonna miss.
I thought he was gonna nail it. I thought the
Steelers were gonna blow it. The defense was gonna fold
on that last drive.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Well, really, the special teams folded on that defense, and
special teams did. The Steelers just went anyway, and golly,
the only thing that propped them up was Rogers and
even not him till the second half.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Kickers are just so good right now in the NFL
that anytime they're within fifty, I just feel like it's
almost automatic.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
And Loop was perfect from it to him.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Last miss inside of fifty all year long, and he
missed it bad, oh bad, But like what ten fifteen feet?
That was a pressure to tell as soon as he
kicked it that he missed.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Total pressure, job right, like just a total push of
the football. The loud the stadium was crazy loud all night.
It was a great crowd, and you're right, the swirling
winds of Akroshurre Stadium.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
That's a tough place to kick in. First time ever
doing it.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
I was a bit surprised the crowd didn't turn when
the Ravens got up ten niil. They got a little quiet,
but didn't really turn.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
No, they didn't. No, no fire Tom one chance, nothing
like that.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
And you know Boswell missed the pat But if he
didn't drill that fifty seven yard or to make it
ten to three and give the Steelers somewhat of a.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
Pulse, still gonna make the panty, of course, of course.
But I got technically blocked, but he did not hit
the kick properly.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
I didn't see it get blocked. I don't know why.
I said.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
Somebody got like a fingertip on It looks just like
a classic slice in the in the stat Well, maybe
he sliced it into a block.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
That makes sense, Or like a fingertip caused the spin
to happen that made it slice or something like that.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
I just I just didn't see a block. It just
looked like a miss to me.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
Somebody, well, technically he hooked it, okay, whide left right?
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Yes, rightight? Because gambling has prohibited a.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Bushwood, Sir, and I never slice how great was Rogers
on that last drive. Six play, sixty five yards eighty
five seconds. Made it look easy. Now the defender that
the quarterback didn't fall on the Austin touched, i'n that
fell slipped like, you know, lost his footing for a second,
and Austin ran right past him. I'm surprised that Rogers
(02:12):
remembered who Austin was after all this time.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Austin did hit him with a nice little shimmy move there,
but boy, it did look like he slipped, so you
got to take advantage of that, and Rogers did. He
was unbelievable in that fourth quarter on that last drive.
I mean, it looked like a guy that maybe had
to come to Jesus moment in the locker room and
said quietly to himself, it's gonna be my last thirty
minutes of football. Let's not go out, you know with
(02:35):
a whimper, being the old man and game manager.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
Or maybe did all kinds of drugs and that took
the program up. Little Yawuaksky. Yeah, I don't know, but
he was great though. And what made it weird that
drive the last two drash for the Steelers really is
that Rogers was pretty bad in the first half and
so was Lamar. But staying with Lamar Jackson, how about
those two long touchdowns to Flowers? Where was the coverage there?
(02:59):
As you mentioned early, I thought the Steelers defense was
very haphazard.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
The coverage breakdowns on the Flowers touchdowns are just egregious.
First of all, the fact that Patrick Queen was in
coverage on one of them, It's just absurd. How does
that even happen. I I'm sure something where like he
got passed off or it wasn't supposed to happen, that
wasn't the intent, but whatever, it just can't end up
that way where six is covering Za Flowers, fastest player
on the field, and then Jalen Ramsey looked like his
(03:23):
controller got unplugged on the other z A Flowers one,
like he just was stuck there for a second.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
Every time something bad happened to the Steelers when they
were defending, Jalen Ramsey, number five was at the scene
of the crime.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
You know who was not all game twenty four again.
You never saw Joey Porter Junior like put a foot wrong.
Now he got a defensive holding that didn't get accepted
on one of the touchdowns to day Flowers, but he
feel good like he was not to blame. It all
can be on Flowers in those.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
If we extrapolate the voting to the entire season, we
do it today.
Speaker 3 (03:55):
He's their defensive MVP.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
Yeah he is, you know, because Ramsey just played himself
right out of that with his blown coverages. I don't
know if they blew the coverage or he just got beat,
but again, he was always at the scene of the crime.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
I don't want to take anything away from Rogers Mark
from what you were saying, but we have to also
acknowledge that the Ravens are a very easy defense to
play great against as a quarterback.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
They don't get any pressure.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
And when Kyle had no pressure, no pressure pressure Kyle
Hamilton when he went out, it's easy to attack the downfield.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
Now, yeah, I when he went on, I said, boy,
that's gonna turn the game in Pittsburgh's favor. And as
much as anything that was a factor, I will give
Ramsey a little bit of a of a pass, not totally,
but a little bit on the first touchdown to the
Flowers because I thought Jackson was sacked.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
He like two guys had him and he.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
Got free, and and you know, he only rushed for
nine yards, but he he did do some good things
with his escapability.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Yeah, and I think Collinsworth said something too where it
looked like Ramsey was playing that to be a short pass,
if anything at all, Like he was ready to just
stick Flowers right there at the sticks to try to
stop him short of the line. Like that's what collins
Worth Threid was when he was playing it. So you
could find a way to excuse slightly what happened to Ramsey.
But I just thought he was awful the entire game,
and I thought the defense was offul the entire game.
(05:08):
I mean the first half. Both teams were awful on
both sides of the ball. But I don't get what's
happened to that Steeler defense.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
Tom It made a few plays like the Watt deflected interception,
but it's never really come good all season.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
And let the Ravens drive at the end yesterday.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
In the Likely catch that set Loop up for what
should have been the game winning field goal. As a safety,
Rams He's got to get over there and knock that
ball away or knock Likely's head off once again.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
Steene of the crowd completely missed on that one.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
So yeah, it was a weak performance at the end
from the defense, but there were individuals on that defense
that played incredible games. I mean, starting with ninety seven
up front, he was the best player on the field.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
Yeah, I thought the best player on the field on
defense for Pittsburgh was Cam Hayward. And he's really probably
been for all his whining about his money before the season,
he's been their most consistent defensive play all year long,
and again yesterday, He's not in a glory position, but
he gets a lot down. The boy he always gets
them arms up and Lamar has that kind of half
(06:07):
past three quarter throwing motion sometime, and that's right in
Cam's wheelhouse.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
No doubt.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
And he just he's throwing their interior offensive line around
and he was doing that too last week against the Browns.
He's been doing that for about a good month now,
where he's just completely single handedly blowing up the line
of scrimmage. He probably is gonna get a first team
All Pro nod this year. If not, he'll be on
the second team, which is unbelievable at age thirty six,
and he leads all interior defensive lineman and snaps.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
That's crazy.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
I can't wait for Cam to make All Pro and
remind all of us he's outperformed as contract.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
Oh he will. Here's one thing I.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
Didn't get though, and this is taking nothing away from Rogers,
but Rodgers is clearly out there to throw the ball
and check out of run plays to throw the ball
more forty seven passes, twenty four rushing attempts. I don't
feel like the Steelers ran the ball enough, and I
think they're gonna have to run the ball more to
beat Houston.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
It's funny you're saying that because I have Twitter pulled
up right now and there's a play that's playing right
now on my feed where Rogers literally just it should
have been a handoff to gain well it's literally like
a two inch pass. So he gets a little credit
for a pass there, Like, why aren't you just handing
that off? I don't want to say he's stat padding,
but it's kind of hard to say he's nuts sometimes.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
Did you see the play where Rogers went to run
and kind of chick it out? Yes, yeah, he did
check it out. Absolutely, he would have gotten that first
down or gotten close to it. He was Superman at
the end, but right then he was Clark Kent.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
How about the twenty yard run later in the game.
I mean there was no one even in his vicinity,
but still to be able to run twenty yards at
that age, it's impressive.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
I can't even walk twenty yards at my age. That's
tom Off from an um Mark Mann one oh five nine.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
It's the Woody Show. We did the notion that Tomlin has.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
Helped his legacy by winning yesterday, and then he deserves
more respect than he has been getting, particularly here in Pittsburgh.
It is running wild, brother. But last night's game, I mean,
let's be honest, the Steelers invented a playoff game by
losing a Cleveland.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
And then won and now they move on to the
real playoffs.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
And last night was dramatic, but the end result of
winning that game is the same as if you'd wanted
Cleveland and you could arrested all the old guys like Rogers.
Maybe this is better for Rodgers' legacy because he has
won last game winning drive. If things don't go good
next week against Houston and then he retires, which could happen,
(08:30):
but I think he'll be back and the Steelers will
bring him back even though they should not. You had
a priest on the field before the game sprinkling holy water.
That's embarrassing and to me, sacrilegious. I'm not a man
of faith, but if there is a God, I think
he would have bigger concerns than a freaking football game.
(08:52):
That said, I knew that rookie kicker for Baltimore was
going to miss at the end.
Speaker 3 (08:57):
I was at the All Star Sports Bar and Grill,
South Point.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
And I said loudly a couple of times, he gonna miss,
he gonna miss, and he did. It just felt preordained.
And now these Stillers host Houston Monday night at after Sure.
I don't like a Monday night playoff game. I hate
night football games in general.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
Uh, Tom, how can the Steelers beat Houston? Uh?
Speaker 1 (09:28):
You get dk back, But that's a fearsome defense in
Stroud ain't bad at quarterback.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
What do you think?
Speaker 2 (09:34):
Yeah? You know, in a lot of ways, I think
this is like the worst matchup that the Steelers could
get right now. Houston's on fire, the defense is good
enough to win the super Bowl.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
And you're right about Stroud. He's a good quarterback.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
But I can also talk myself into the Steelers making
this a football game too, because.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
The Texans don't over extend themselves offensively correct. They don't
go out there to put games away. Their their top
rusher had like seven hundred yards. They do what I
would call a star receiver strod only through nineteen touchdown passes.
Their team is totally based on defense. It's very Tomlin esk.
Demiko Ryans is a defensive minded coach like tomlin uh
(10:15):
and Ryans could and probably will get sucked into a
rock fight by Tom, and.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
I think probably wants to.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
I think Demiko Ryans thinks he's gonna rock fight his
way through this tournament and get to the AFC Championship.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
Is the one team where he shouldn't try that, as
they could play into their hands.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
It's a team that he doesn't need to slow down
offensively via a rock fight. They're slow enough on their own,
thank you very much, Rodgers. He had two good drives.
That was just a fraction of the game and it
won the game. But they really didn't too much offensively
at all against the Ravens defense that gets no pressure
and isn't hard to move the ball against.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
But I think Ryan's welcomes that game. I really do
on Monday.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
So as far as how the Steelers beat them, it
takes coming up with that huge splash play turnover and
then once you get it, Rogers putting it in the
end zone getting seven points off of it.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
That might be the difference in a game like that.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
I kept waiting for the big mistake to decide the
game last night, and maybe the Baltimore dB slipping on
the Austin touchdown was that.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
Maybe Ramsey getting burned all the time. There's too many
mistakes that the side of the game.
Speaker 1 (11:17):
But then the Kickers just just stole the spot by
mangling each of their last kicks up again.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
It was just a really odd game.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
And I still feel and I think I've made this
clear already, Tom, I still feel like the Steelers got
to win a playoff game, but the Citizens and Stooge
is at least some percentage thereof probably feel like they
already did.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
I'm right there with you, Mark, I really hate this
vibe right now off like the Steelers are playing with
house money. I don't get that at all. Great win,
It's awesome that you won the AFC North. You've positioned
yourself better than you did last year. But the goal
all along was to end the drought, to win a
playoff game, to not end your season on wild card weekend,
play in the divisional und weekend. And I just don't
(11:58):
get why people are kind of like, well, you know,
whatever happens in Houston happens against Houston.
Speaker 3 (12:02):
The Steelers won the division. What a great year already
a success, you know, Tom.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
People always think I want the Steelers to lose, and
I don't. And Proof of the Pudding has already booked
the viewing party for Monday night at Pittsburgh Brewing Company
the brewery in Creighton, and they have the biggest big
screen TV ever.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
I'll be there for the.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
Penguin game Sunday at five the Steeler game Monday night.
So come watch everything with me all the way live
this screen. It's bigger than my ego. Tom, Think about
that for a second. So the point is, when the
Steelers win, I get more money. I don't want to
know loose. I just I just don't take them winning
a playoff game they manufactured as seriously as some of
(12:43):
you out there.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
I can't even imagine the number you could draw if
they get to the super Bowl to host of Pittsburgh
Steelers Mark Madden's super Bowl watch party.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
Oh my god.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
Well, you know when I when I was supposed to
go to the super Bowl in six, the Jerome Beta
super Bowl in Detroit, I had a heart attack. Biggest
regret there was not that I missed the game. Who
cares about the freaking game I missed. Jenna Jamison had
a super Bowl party and Tim Ben's got to go instead.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
You'd have to stay back in this one though. You
couldn't go to the super Bowl parties.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
It's too much of an opportunity for a capitalist like
yourself to make a ton of money on it.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
I have no interest in going to a super Bowl ever.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
Again, the only way I would go private jet, door
to door, every single place you could go at the
super Bowl, including to the game itself. Wimo waiting outside
the press door when I left, or whatever door, the
private suite door.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
But that's just not gonna happen.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
It's fun to dream, but it's also not gonna happen
that the Steelers are going to go on some miracle
run here and get to the super Bowl. But they
could be Houston, and that should be the goal right now,
But you're so right. It already feels like the goalpost
seven move and the goal has been accomplished by winning
Week eighteen against the Ravens and the de facto playoff game.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
Do you feel that that win satisfied certain optics? And
it definitely means Tom whin is back, which I think
he would have been anyway, but now I think that
makes it easy, and I think that Rogers is also
back if he wants to save.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
Getting absolutely flattened by the Texans, which we just said
we don't think is going to happen. To find flattened
like you lose thirty five to three. I mean, like
it's just not even close. Their defense completely obliterates you.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
And the only way that'll happen is if there's some
big turnovers by the Steelers' offense, like like scoop and
score pick six, stuff.
Speaker 3 (14:18):
Like that, and that could happen to good defense.
Speaker 1 (14:20):
But one thing that's gonna happen is pressure, and Rogers
didn't deal well with the pressure. Cleveland applied, Baltimore applied
no pressure yesterday.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
Houston gonna come after it.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
Yeah, absolutely, that's gonna be a huge factor in this game.
And are the Steelers going to overcompensate against that pressure,
I e. Keep Kenneth Gainwell into chip against some of
these pass rushers instead of using him as your best receiver,
which you did last night against the Ravens.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
He was your leading receiver and he was great.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
See, people are probably you know, dumping all over me
out there in the first you know, half hour of
the show. And by the way, as I've often said, Tom,
there's never been a better time to not listen to
this program. But because I wouldn't bring Rogers back, and
they probably think I sound like the stupidest mf or
on the planet because I don't think it's a good idea.
And he played real good yesterday in the second half
(15:10):
and they did make the playoffs, just like Rust did
last year. But Rogers has had some bad games too.
Four I can think of all loss is real bad games,
and he's gonna be forty three. But I can also
see why they would bring him back because the philosophy
of win now for the old guys will not change them.
Guys are still coming back, They're going to be older.
(15:32):
The philosophy is there to win now even if they can't.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
I think everybody's a lock to come back now. If
Rogers wants to come back, yes, the job is there
for him to be the quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers again,
even if they beat the Texans. Though you've pointed this
out already, you know this isn't a team that's building
towards stuff like with years of success down the road
now and this is a good first step here getting
into the playoffs, a division chance.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
Correct, all of.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
Their seasons now and their playoff f starting with you
know this game against Houston Monday night. It are self contained,
one stands alone, right, and so when you look at
it through that correct lens, you gotta make DAFCY championship game, right,
Like forget just winning a playoff game, like you got
to get to the final four here, you got to
get to a game away from the super Bowl. When
you're looking at it like that, every season is just
(16:17):
that's your approach.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
I don't think that's achievable for this game either, But
that's what the goal.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
I mean, But I understand what the goal is. The
goal isn't to win a super Bowl. The goal is
to just hang around and get a playoff game and
try to get lucky.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
I mean, how can you look at the way they.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
Run this team and assemble the roster and conclude anything else.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
Yeah, And it is so funny how people were so
ready for change, I mean right up until Tyler Luke
missed the field goal, Like they were ready to leave
that stadium firing Tomlin last night until he missed the
field goal. And that was kind of the vibe leading
into that game, like, we lose this game, change has
to happen, It's time, it's time.
Speaker 3 (16:55):
You're being a Debbie Donner.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
Sorry but I but I am too, And I honestly
I feel bad a little bit because that was such
a spectacular game. It was so much fun to watch,
and the outcome was bizarre with the kickers soiling the
bed in tandem, but still extremely entertaining.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
I'm going to be down with them, Mark, because of
the house money thing. What you have pointed out that
people think it's a satisfied season already that they have succeeded.
You have to win this playoff game. You're at home.
Houston is not a high flying offense. This is winnable.
Get the job done. Don't be satisfied by just winning
the AFC North and farting out in the first round again.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
Garrett Broke watched sack record Tom. I thought he celebrated
too much. I know that they stink and it's all
he's got, but I think he went overboard, like they
stopped the game. He was like dancing in the locker room.
And then Strayhan complained, was it tongue in cheek? I
heard it, I couldn't tell. He said that Garrett has
(17:51):
the seventeen game record and that Strahan has the sixteen
game record, implying that's the real record.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
With everything that people say tongue in cheek, there's some
truth too.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
I thought he was ribbing on the square, as we
said in wrestling, meaning hey.
Speaker 3 (18:04):
He means it.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
Yeah, And I kind of feel Straighthan on that. But
he loses a lot of his luster because of far
of giving himself up before the sacks.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
Straight yeah, right, like once he got down with football,
nobody in media has ever done more with less talent
besides Pat McAfee, and and it just like if you
look through history, Deacon Jones had like a billion sacks
before they started keeping me Joe, Like there's a there's
an unofficial comp in nineteen sixty seven in a fourteen
(18:32):
game season, he had twenty six sacks, and one year
Reggie White had twenty one sacks. That was let's see
nineteen eighty seven, and those were twelve games.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
He missed four due to injury.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
Yeah, I mean, I definitely like to look at things
through that, and you have to weigh it that way.
But unfortunately for Deacon Jones, we didn't keep sacks back then,
which is weird. I don't know why people weren't keeping
sack back then. It seems like it's a very basic
statistic that you would come up with. But Miles Garrett's
the sack king far as the celebration is concerned, stopping
the game to acknowledge it at a visiting stadium in Cincinnati.
Speaker 3 (19:06):
I didn't know that he was going to get that.
Jack Taylor got irritated, the Cincinnati coach by it. I'm
Surprisedzak Taylor kept his job today. Did you see that
that he survived?
Speaker 4 (19:13):
Like day?
Speaker 2 (19:15):
Who got fired Pete Carroll, Kevin got fired. Falcon's head
coach got fired yesterday? Yeah? Yeah, Cardinals head coach got
fired today. Jonathan Gannon. I think Raheem Morris actually a
pretty good coach, and they didn't quit like they won
four street games. They technically were in for first place
in that division. Were three way tigh, I'd.
Speaker 1 (19:32):
Fired Tom Win and bring in Kevin Stefanski. I'd fired
Tom Win, bring in Raheem Morris. Okay, we'll talk a
little bit about the Penguins and being on a five
game win streak, But how can you not just run
the table talking Steelers today?
Speaker 3 (19:47):
Uh? And if you don't know, well you do know,
Oh you didn't know.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
It's going to be Monday night, Steelers hosting Houston, and
I'll be watching the game at the Pittsburgh Brewing Company
Giant big the big screen TV you've ever seen, ever seen,
and it's Iron City and me what could possibly be
more Pittsburgh one, five nine The X.
Speaker 4 (20:10):
Thursday Night, the Pens take on the Devils. Game time
is seven. Our coverage starts at six here every game
and the best coverage right here on your Home of
the Pens five nine.
Speaker 3 (20:22):
The X, Rob king here.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
Staying connected to your Steelers has never been easier.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
Tune into steel.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
We talked a little bit ago about Garrett breaking the
sack record, and I said he celebrated too much.
Speaker 3 (20:38):
But I don't blame him. That's all we got.
Speaker 1 (20:40):
I mean, it's a hopeless situation in Cleveland, and I
got a tweet after he broke while all he has
is the sack record and money.
Speaker 3 (20:48):
Well, what more does TJ. Watt have?
Speaker 1 (20:51):
Oh, well, Garrett prioritizes sacks. Well, what about TJ.
Speaker 3 (20:54):
Watt?
Speaker 1 (20:56):
Garrett has one playoff win, tj Wt none, and Garrett
beat TJ Watt. Well, Cleveland beat Pittsburgh. To be more accurate,
I saw a quote from Farmouth he was glad to
win the division for coach t unquote because of Tomlin
being on the hot seat. I guess whether real or
imagined or how much? Yeah, I guess keep mediocrity around forever,
(21:20):
that's a choice. Penguins have won five in a row,
kind of got lost in the shuffle of Steele Ermania.
The only a lot twelve shots at Detroit on Saturday,
that's an all time low in a road game allowed
by the Penguins. And then the Penguins got forty two
shots on goal at Columbus yesterday and rallied from four
to one down to win and overtime five to four.
Speaker 3 (21:42):
By the way, when it was four to one.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
I tweeted, this game is still winnable, and it was,
and they did because Coombus ain't that good in the
Penguins were playing better than the score indicated. Sid scored
in overtime. Who else on the backhand? How else on
a breakaway? Hot Lumbus let that happen. Sid is an alien.
(22:03):
It's hard to fathom or describe what he's doing at
thirty eight. And now the Penguins are in the first
wild card and four points out of first place and
six points out of last place, So it's gonna be
crazy all year long. Tom, I think it was good
for the Penguins to be on the good end of
a comeback, just to know that they can for confidence,
(22:27):
because their confidence took a big hit when they blew
all those leads.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
Yeah, And to be honest, I know you just said
there's only six points separating the Penguins in the bottom
of the conference in Columbus. But Columbus is a bad
hockey team. They are worse hockey team than the Penguins.
They I know, it's the second end of a back
to back on the road, and maybe the Penguins were
due for that, And YadA YadA. You couldn't drop points
against Columbus in that spot. So I'm so glad they
ripped back from four to one, tied the game. I
(22:51):
was gonna be happy with them just bleeding out that point,
but Sid decided to go ahead and get both of
them anyway.
Speaker 1 (22:55):
Yeah, and Carlson made a great pass and when the
Penguins change, the guy didn't keep his eye on which
part of the bench did was coming off of, and
it let him get that step to get behind the guy.
I'm glad they could make the playoffs, but it's becoming
more of a veteran team, which I don't like. Gachari's
(23:15):
doing a lot and good for him. Scored a big
goal yesterday, but it doesn't feel like moving forward. It
just feels like scrambling to get in the playoffs, like
another team in town.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
It does feel like that in a lot of ways.
But I still think you see the progress happening with
the kids, and that's encouraging. Like Kendall was awesome against
the Red Wings.
Speaker 3 (23:35):
They scratched McGroarty. I know Quivenen scored though when they
put him back in the lineup.
Speaker 4 (23:40):
Yah.
Speaker 3 (23:41):
Kids in their first year in the NHL need a break.
I am cognizant of that.
Speaker 2 (23:45):
But at the same time, you know you have a
lot of time off right now. You're off today, tomorrow
and Wednesday before you are home against New Jersey. You know,
maybe read the schedule a little bit and use one
of those scratches when it gets clogged up. More like,
you could have probably afforded to play McGroarty and he
would have had a reset just naturally if.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
You want to make the playoffs, you know, as opposed
to rebuilding, call it morishof. I know they want to
leave him in the miners to develop the whole year,
but why should he be the one oasis of development
in a season that has suddenly and clearly changed priority
to making the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (24:17):
Now.
Speaker 1 (24:17):
Morrishov has struggled a bit lately in Wilkesbury, got pulled
a couple of times, but he's the best goalie in
the system.
Speaker 3 (24:23):
And Shilloff sucks hill Offs is so bad.
Speaker 2 (24:25):
I would honestly rather see if Bloomquest would come up
and do it more of a rotation with Skinner before
I want to see Shilov still be in the net.
Speaker 3 (24:30):
But Marshov's the answer you got to bring.
Speaker 1 (24:32):
Here I have people in the organization tell me that
Morrishoff right now is the best goal in the organization,
So get him up here. If indeed you have switched
your priority to trying to get a playoff spot, and you've.
Speaker 2 (24:43):
Seen him a couple of times already this year, there's
no evidence that would indicate that, you know, he would
completely collapse developmentally. By being a part of a tandem
with Skinner at the NHL level for the rest of
the year.
Speaker 1 (24:53):
It for sure be better than shill offfs that, you know,
Like I said, if you've changed priority, then you call
him up in as far as sid I mean, he's
an alien, like I said, he's got a seven game
point streak now, three multi point games in a row,
and he is just flying.
Speaker 3 (25:11):
He is like a rocket out there.
Speaker 2 (25:13):
At what point, mark does the pressure shift on the
Penguins where they got to make the playoffs?
Speaker 3 (25:18):
Like full stop?
Speaker 2 (25:19):
I know there's still six points between them and the
bottom of the East, but like you don't want to
be ninth, you don't want to be tenth, and they're
flirting with that badly. So your point with Mushov and said,
being an alien, he's never gonna let.
Speaker 3 (25:29):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
What do you mean, by god it do you mean
in terms of there being consequences if they do or don't.
I I just think making the playoffs would be its
own reward and not would would not I mean it wouldn't.
Speaker 3 (25:39):
Result in changes. No, no, no, I'm not saying that, but
it would just be an.
Speaker 1 (25:44):
I think what you're trying to get at is the
worst thing to do would be to finish, Yes, you know,
in the first spot out of the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (25:49):
Or the second spot, And it looks like you're circling
that right now. So make sure you're in that playoff spot.
Call Mushov up and to the point of falling out
of the playoff spot and going the other way. As
you've referenced Sid being an alien a couple times in
this segment, he's just not gonna let you do that.
Speaker 3 (26:04):
He's on pace for forty eight goals this year. I
just saw a.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
Tweet, why are you guys talking about hockey? Well, because
we talk about hockey. I like hockey. By my way,
would talk hockey and the Penguins old goddamn day. And
like I said, there's never been a better time to not.
Speaker 2 (26:16):
Listen Pittsburgh's not happy that the Penguins won five straight
games or three wins away from just completely erasing an
eight game losing streak.
Speaker 3 (26:23):
That doesn't make Pittsburgh sports fans happy at all. Pittsburgh sucks.
You know.
Speaker 1 (26:26):
You know who played pretty good mostly in the game
of Teacher was the new guy. Chinnikov scored That goalie
looks pretty good. Now, I will say maybe it's new
guy energy. You see that all the time, and not
least in hockey where a guy comes in wants to
make an impression. In Chinnikov's case, probably relieved to get
out of what was a bad situation for him with
the gorky coach at Columbus who didn't like him. So
(26:49):
so I'm not, you know, putting too much stock into
it being a long term thing just yet.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
But I like what we've seen from the kiss and
he energized Kendalla McGroarty when he skated with them at
first and then.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
Kind and then Chinikov fits is off the breakaway. My god,
what a great moment that was in that Detroit game.
Speaker 2 (27:04):
And then Kendall and Chinnikov and Columbus's game against with
Koiven in so you know, Chinnikov rotating in with the
kids on that third line. It's it's worked really well.
It's helped the kids out tremendously so far. But it's
been two games.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
Tom, I I do want to get back to steelersn't Ravens.
For second. Henry only got twenty carries? Was that enough?
Speaker 1 (27:23):
Lamar did have very good passing numbers, and I can't
fault Lamar because he did rally them. But but you know,
the game plan wasn't quite what I expected, and I
would have liked seen Henry get more carries from a Baltimore.
Speaker 3 (27:35):
Perspective, Yeah, I would too.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
There were so many times throughout that game that I
was seeing the backup in and the backup getting carries
on like third and short situations or just you know,
last game of the year. You should not be veering
away from Henry even a little bit. So I was
surprised that he only got twenty carries. That being said,
I mean, the Ravens went out there and executed a
(27:57):
game plan that should have won them the game if
the Cacker makes a forty four yard field goal. So
it's hard to say, you know that, Harbaugh, you know
pulled one of his Harbaugh master classes of blowing it
because they ran for one hundred and thirty seven yards.
Speaker 3 (28:11):
Jackson played like an MVP in big moments.
Speaker 1 (28:13):
Well, Lamar's twenty eight. I think he came into the
league when he was twenty. He's been around quite a
little long time. It feels like he's just not gonna win.
A part of it's his fault. Part of it just
because it's in their DNA now of box. Things like
we saw at the end of the game last night.
If it wouldn't have been a kicker missing, I don't know,
if somebody would have fumbled, they would have. They always
find a way to screw up and lose.
Speaker 3 (28:32):
They really do. So it's it's hard.
Speaker 2 (28:34):
I don't want to pull the plug jest yet on him.
He's so good, but it's it's hard to say that
he's going to break through and win. It just it
seems like that franchise just is going to get in
their own way all the time.
Speaker 1 (28:43):
I just saw another tweet that that you know, not
we but in general that people aren't giving Calmon enough respect. Hey,
I don't feel like Tom was brilliant last night. I
think if they would have lost, he would have absorbed
a lot of blame. I don't feel like anybody was
extremely praiseworthy but Rogers, and even that, just what he
did at the.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
End, Rogers was extremely praise. Whors he Hayward was just
as extremely praiseworthy on defense. He controlled the entire game
defensively for the Steelers. No, there were some other players
that had, you know, big time moments. But again, stop
taking the victory lap. Nothing really has been accomplished yet. Sure,
you won the AFC North and you beat your rival,
you have got to win this playoff game.
Speaker 3 (29:21):
You know.
Speaker 1 (29:21):
It's funny if you went through all the people locally
on Twitter praising Tomlin, like you can see the narrative
like for each like his history of how he props
him up, why he props him up being under the ten.
Speaker 3 (29:36):
It's just I don't know. I don't know. I just
if that's what floats their boat, but I wouldn't do it. Okay,
so they lose on Monday, what's different. I'm a truther,
I'm a factor.
Speaker 2 (29:45):
What's different? If they lose one factory, that's a factor. No,
it's not a sayer of truth. Yeah, but the factor
means you were a factor in something. I'm thinking fact r.
I'm pretty sure that's not a word. But you know
what I'm saying, like they lose Monday, exact spot that
you are in the last year. What I'm saying, so
you had no progress and we're gonna say we should
give tom On credit.
Speaker 3 (30:05):
It's been the same thing for me years.
Speaker 1 (30:08):
All Aaron Rodgers has done is the exact same thing
Russell Wilson did last year, same record and everything.
Speaker 3 (30:16):
It's gotta be a decent day, a mix of sun
and clock.
Speaker 1 (30:24):
Thanks to Senderova, Shendrovich and Fisherman for sponsoring the first.
Speaker 3 (30:27):
Hour of this program every day. Now let's go to
Tommy Radio because he's got the trifecta.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
People aren't gonna like this trifecta today, Mark, There's so
there's so much you're gonna love it. There's so much
optimism that has to do with the Steelers.
Speaker 3 (30:41):
But I know that's not good rated or preface something
by saying you're not gonna like this. I mean I
do it all the time, trust me, you want to.
I'm gonna establish Star.
Speaker 2 (30:48):
These are three things that I took away Star. I said, yes,
you are that the established star. These are three things
that I took away though from that game that were
just they were bad for the Steelers, and I'm worried
about them moving forward for this game against the Texans.
Number three is Chris Boswell. Yeah, I know it might
have gotten blocked that pat, But that's three straight games
now that he's missed a kick. What's going on? Actually
(31:08):
during a break here, I watched it again on YouTube.
He did indeed hook it into a block. He mishit
the kick, Yeah, it was on him.
Speaker 3 (31:16):
I think. So there is concern with Chris Boswell.
Speaker 2 (31:19):
I still trot him out there for a fifty five
yard or if you have to against Houston. I don't hesitate.
I'm not there yet, but you're thinking about it a
little bit. It's not as automatic you got to do it.
You know why I didn't say he wouldn't do it.
Speaker 1 (31:28):
Because you don't have the offense to take what has
been your biggest point producer out of the mix.
Speaker 3 (31:34):
Just not as automatic as it used. Do you think
he shanked it on purpose that he? Yes? I do too.
You know who would know? Sterrator Number two is Ramsey?
I mean just Wolf.
Speaker 2 (31:44):
I mean, what a terrible performance from him in that game,
burned by Flowers, burned by Likely. It's like, no matter
who he tried to cover, he just got burned by.
Speaker 1 (31:52):
And yeah he was. He was there on the two
touchdowns and the likely catch game right all over the way.
I gotta tell you that likely cast and the throw
by Jack. So that was a thing of beauty.
Speaker 3 (32:02):
It was. I mean, you still got to make the play.
Speaker 2 (32:04):
You're Jalen Ramsey, You're supposed to be this great safety.
Now make the transition. You stabilize the back end of
the Steelers defense. Go make a play there and win
the win the game, win the division for the Steelers.
But the number one thing worried so far time, the
number one thing I'm full of concern, even more concern coming.
Oh god, they still did not commit to running the
damn football in this game.
Speaker 3 (32:24):
That's Rogers. It's maddening. Yeah, what were the numbers, I
said him a minute ago.
Speaker 2 (32:28):
They ran it what twenty seven times to the pass
of forty four forty seven passes, twenty four rounds. I
had it backwards there, twenty four runs, forty seven passes,
and every time you handed the ball off to Warren,
it seemed like he made something happen in that game.
At one point he was averaging close to six yards
of carry. That came down a little bit as the
game wore on, but he was effective every time.
Speaker 3 (32:50):
They just get away from it way too much. You
can't do that against Houston.
Speaker 2 (32:54):
If Rogers stands back to pass in the pocket against
the Texans, he'll get sacked fifteen times.
Speaker 3 (32:58):
That's the trifecta.
Speaker 1 (32:59):
Brought this by Danny's patron, Hogy's family owned and operator
since nineteen sixty.
Speaker 3 (33:04):
That's Standy's on Root eighty eight and Bethel Park.
Speaker 1 (33:06):
Tell them, you know, it's a great debate that you're
gonna see all over the national media like ESPN, the
chat shows, the debate shows, but you won't here in Pittsburgh.
Is you got the NFC South champ finished under five hundred.
Speaker 3 (33:22):
That's Carolina at eight and nine.
Speaker 1 (33:23):
They play the La Rams at twelve and five, the
number one wild card, and the game is at Carolina
because Carolina won the division and the usual suspects are bleeding.
Speaker 3 (33:32):
Oh that's wrong. An eight and nine teams shouldn't get
a home game.
Speaker 1 (33:35):
Well, of course they should because they won their division
in them as the rules if the eight and nine
team is so rotten, then the twelve and five teams
should have no problem winning. And if you don't want
division winners to automatically get the home game, then the
divisions mean nothing and don't have them no more. AFC
North football. To be said, with great gravitas, AFC North football.
Speaker 3 (33:59):
I mean, could the NFC South champ beat the Brons
in Cleveland because the Steelers couldn't but in Pittsburgh. Again,
I took a long time to get to this conclusion.
Speaker 1 (34:10):
Tom, nobody will bitch because the ten and seven Steelers,
champions of the AFC North, are hosting Houston, who were
twelve and five. Ain't nobody saying that's unfair?
Speaker 2 (34:21):
Yeah, even though the Houston Texans are two games better
than the Steelers. You're absolutely correct when it comes to
the division.
Speaker 3 (34:26):
Take.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
If someone would say, sure, abolished divisions, just see them
one through seven, then you got me, all right, Fine,
then if you want to do it that way, do
it that way. But I have a feeling that most
of the people that you gripe about this and say
the Panthers shouldn't host that game would then also be like, oh,
you can't abolish divisions.
Speaker 3 (34:41):
Are you kidding me?
Speaker 2 (34:42):
There's so much tradition with these rivalries and playing these
teams twice.
Speaker 3 (34:44):
That's stupid. You can't have it both ways.
Speaker 2 (34:47):
The division has to mean something, and what you said
is the most true thing. If the Panthers are eight
to nine and as crappy as people think, the Rams
will have no problem going in there and stomping them.
But five weeks ago the Rams went to Carolina and
lost by three, so it might not be as easy
as it looks.
Speaker 1 (35:02):
How about Sam Donald in Seattle? They got the number
one seed, right.
Speaker 2 (35:06):
He's the only quarterback in NFL history aside from Tom Brady,
to win fourteen games and back to back regular seasons.
And they did get the number one seed, number one
overall seed.
Speaker 3 (35:14):
Yeah, because they beat Seattle. That's how they Wait, No,
they beat San Francisco right right now, Saran Fran asked
to play on the road. It's not far. It's not fair.
It's not fair, yo.
Speaker 1 (35:23):
If you want to win now, the Stealers should have
got Sam Donald for like a three year deal whatever overpay?
Speaker 3 (35:29):
I mean, yeah, what does Seattle give him?
Speaker 2 (35:30):
I don't like sixty millions? So it was like close
to the Baker Mayfield deal that he got in Tampa Bville.
What three years something like that. I'll look it up
for sure, But you overpay for a guy like that.
Why would Sam Donald want to come to the Pittsburgh though, Mark,
I'll take your line. Why would he want to come
here and play for no? Given the choice between there
in Seattle.
Speaker 1 (35:46):
Yeah, but I mean he's a better quarterback than Grandpa
game manager. I I'm not going back on that label
because Rogers had a couple of good drives at the
end of the game last night.
Speaker 2 (35:54):
Yeah, Sam Donald signed through twenty twenty seven, made about
two year deal there. Cap hit annually, he's about thirty
three point nine million, that's what mean your twenty twenty seven?
That would be two more years. I'm sorry, Yeah, two
more years. Thirty three million was his cap hit this
coming season. Not that much money for him.
Speaker 1 (36:11):
You know what for a quarterback, Well, they didn't know
he'd win fourteen games two years in a row. But
for a legitimate top of the line, like he's top
even before this year. I know he was a journeyman
before he had the great year at Minnesota, and part
of that I thought was because Kevin O'Connell, the Minnesota coach,
is such a great offensive mind. But apparently they know
what they're doing in Seattle too, Like, yeah, they in retrospect.
Speaker 3 (36:35):
They got to bargain.
Speaker 1 (36:35):
I mean, you would pay that to any quarterback if
you could win your fourteen games.
Speaker 2 (36:39):
He's just got to get it done now in the playoffs.
He's got to get to at least the NFC Championship
game and win a playoff game.
Speaker 3 (36:44):
He is his last step.
Speaker 1 (36:45):
I hate to pressure him, like saying this year is
useless if he doesn't do that, because I know Minnesota
flamed that early last year.
Speaker 3 (36:51):
But here's a guy whose career was thought to be
dead and buried.
Speaker 1 (36:56):
He played for how many teams, and now he's one
of two quarterbacks, like you said, only him and Tom
Brady have won fourteen games two years in a row.
So while I think it would certainly burnish his legacy further,
if indeed a guy like Sam Darnold has a legacy
at all, you know, to win a playoff game, I'm
not going to crucify the guy if he don't, because
he's achieved far more than than I ever thought possible.
(37:17):
I agree, he's already a success story. I agree with
you there, but he has an opportunity to take it
to a whole other level, to kind of, you know,
become bigger than what we could have ever imagined he'd
become after his flameout in the Jets, if he wins
a playoff game, if he accomplishes that, Now is your
super Bowl favorite in the NFC? In the NFC, yep,
I kind of like because that's where the big boys play.
Speaker 3 (37:37):
I kind of like the Eagles. I kind of think
their defense is just so dumb much funny they play,
they play who are they playing the first round?
Speaker 2 (37:44):
The Niners. It's unbelievable. It's such a heavyweight fight in
the first round. San Franz going to Philly. Yeah, well,
whenever that might win the Super Bowl.
Speaker 1 (37:51):
It looked like they might play the Rams, Yeah, because
they've beaten the Rams a bunch of times.
Speaker 3 (37:56):
But I think the Eagles are gonna get killed by
Sam do you think?
Speaker 4 (38:00):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (38:00):
I don't know if their defense will allow them to
get killed. Their defense is point it's one of the
best in football. So you're pick to win, pick one
team in the NFC. One team to win in the NFC.
I'll pick the Eagles. I'll say they go back to
the Super Bowl. I'm gonna pick Seattle. I think the
brat will trust Darnold. I want to pick the Rams.
They've been playing some crappy football, like.
Speaker 1 (38:19):
Oh, so you know what now that I said, I
think the bracket will fall for them if the Eagles.
Speaker 3 (38:24):
Wait, the Eagles are seeded above. They won the division.
Speaker 2 (38:26):
Eagles are the three seed right now. Okay, the Bears
are the two seeds. What.
Speaker 3 (38:31):
I wouldn't mind playing the Bears in any playoff game,
just first time there. Caleb Williams still, you know. I mean,
he's in the big time, but it's one thing to
have the season he had in another win.
Speaker 2 (38:40):
Playoff game and they drew green Bay. I mean, you
want to talk about that logo coming into your stadium
right away. I think you don't kill green Bay. They should,
but green Bay owns the Chicago Bear. Did you think
green Bay might move on from Matt Lafleur. I think
that would be pretty drastic of a move. I think
he's a pretty solid coach, but he's having some struggles
winning in the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (38:57):
Getting over that hump. I'd fire Tom and hire him.
So many you want to fire.
Speaker 1 (39:03):
Fired Tom and har Stefanski at Hard Lafleur, who the
other guy said he Morris for he Morris.
Speaker 3 (39:08):
That's too far. Morris is too far.
Speaker 1 (39:10):
If I thought Pete Carroll's oxygen wouldn't give out.
Speaker 3 (39:14):
Fired Tom wanted and hire him one oh five ninety
x
Joining me now was Tommy Radio, and Tom I knew
Loop was gonna miss their rookie kicker at the death.
That's a lot of pressure, and obviously Akershure is a
very tough stadium to kick it.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
I was not as confident that Loop was gonna miss.
I thought he was gonna nail it. I thought the
Steelers were gonna blow it. The defense was gonna fold
on that last drive.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Well, really, the special teams folded on that defense, and
special teams did. The Steelers just went anyway, and golly,
the only thing that propped them up was Rogers and
even not him till the second half.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Kickers are just so good right now in the NFL
that anytime they're within fifty, I just feel like it's
almost automatic.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
And Loop was perfect from it to him.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Last miss inside of fifty all year long, and he
missed it bad, oh bad, But like what ten fifteen feet?
That was a pressure to tell as soon as he
kicked it that he missed.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Total pressure, job right, like just a total push of
the football. The loud the stadium was crazy loud all night.
It was a great crowd, and you're right, the swirling
winds of Akroshurre Stadium.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
That's a tough place to kick in. First time ever
doing it.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
I was a bit surprised the crowd didn't turn when
the Ravens got up ten niil. They got a little quiet,
but didn't really turn.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
No, they didn't. No, no fire Tom one chance, nothing
like that.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
And you know Boswell missed the pat But if he
didn't drill that fifty seven yard or to make it
ten to three and give the Steelers somewhat of a.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
Pulse, still gonna make the panty, of course, of course.
But I got technically blocked, but he did not hit
the kick properly.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
I didn't see it get blocked. I don't know why.
I said.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
Somebody got like a fingertip on It looks just like
a classic slice in the in the stat Well, maybe
he sliced it into a block.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
That makes sense, Or like a fingertip caused the spin
to happen that made it slice or something like that.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
I just I just didn't see a block. It just
looked like a miss to me.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
Somebody, well, technically he hooked it, okay, whide left right?
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Yes, rightight? Because gambling has prohibited a.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Bushwood, Sir, and I never slice how great was Rogers
on that last drive. Six play, sixty five yards eighty
five seconds. Made it look easy. Now the defender that
the quarterback didn't fall on the Austin touched, i'n that
fell slipped like, you know, lost his footing for a second,
and Austin ran right past him. I'm surprised that Rogers
(02:12):
remembered who Austin was after all this time.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Austin did hit him with a nice little shimmy move there,
but boy, it did look like he slipped, so you
got to take advantage of that, and Rogers did. He
was unbelievable in that fourth quarter on that last drive.
I mean, it looked like a guy that maybe had
to come to Jesus moment in the locker room and
said quietly to himself, it's gonna be my last thirty
minutes of football. Let's not go out, you know with
(02:35):
a whimper, being the old man and game manager.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
Or maybe did all kinds of drugs and that took
the program up. Little Yawuaksky. Yeah, I don't know, but
he was great though. And what made it weird that
drive the last two drash for the Steelers really is
that Rogers was pretty bad in the first half and
so was Lamar. But staying with Lamar Jackson, how about
those two long touchdowns to Flowers? Where was the coverage there?
(02:59):
As you mentioned early, I thought the Steelers defense was
very haphazard.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
The coverage breakdowns on the Flowers touchdowns are just egregious.
First of all, the fact that Patrick Queen was in
coverage on one of them, It's just absurd. How does
that even happen. I I'm sure something where like he
got passed off or it wasn't supposed to happen, that
wasn't the intent, but whatever, it just can't end up
that way where six is covering Za Flowers, fastest player
on the field, and then Jalen Ramsey looked like his
(03:23):
controller got unplugged on the other z A Flowers one,
like he just was stuck there for a second.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
Every time something bad happened to the Steelers when they
were defending, Jalen Ramsey, number five was at the scene
of the crime.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
You know who was not all game twenty four again.
You never saw Joey Porter Junior like put a foot wrong.
Now he got a defensive holding that didn't get accepted
on one of the touchdowns to day Flowers, but he
feel good like he was not to blame. It all
can be on Flowers in those.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
If we extrapolate the voting to the entire season, we
do it today.
Speaker 3 (03:55):
He's their defensive MVP.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
Yeah he is, you know, because Ramsey just played himself
right out of that with his blown coverages. I don't
know if they blew the coverage or he just got beat,
but again, he was always at the scene of the crime.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
I don't want to take anything away from Rogers Mark
from what you were saying, but we have to also
acknowledge that the Ravens are a very easy defense to
play great against as a quarterback.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
They don't get any pressure.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
And when Kyle had no pressure, no pressure pressure Kyle
Hamilton when he went out, it's easy to attack the downfield.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
Now, yeah, I when he went on, I said, boy,
that's gonna turn the game in Pittsburgh's favor. And as
much as anything that was a factor, I will give
Ramsey a little bit of a of a pass, not totally,
but a little bit on the first touchdown to the
Flowers because I thought Jackson was sacked.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
He like two guys had him and he.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
Got free, and and you know, he only rushed for
nine yards, but he he did do some good things
with his escapability.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Yeah, and I think Collinsworth said something too where it
looked like Ramsey was playing that to be a short pass,
if anything at all, Like he was ready to just
stick Flowers right there at the sticks to try to
stop him short of the line. Like that's what collins
Worth Threid was when he was playing it. So you
could find a way to excuse slightly what happened to Ramsey.
But I just thought he was awful the entire game,
and I thought the defense was offul the entire game.
(05:08):
I mean the first half. Both teams were awful on
both sides of the ball. But I don't get what's
happened to that Steeler defense.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
Tom It made a few plays like the Watt deflected interception,
but it's never really come good all season.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
And let the Ravens drive at the end yesterday.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
In the Likely catch that set Loop up for what
should have been the game winning field goal. As a safety,
Rams He's got to get over there and knock that
ball away or knock Likely's head off once again.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
Steene of the crowd completely missed on that one.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
So yeah, it was a weak performance at the end
from the defense, but there were individuals on that defense
that played incredible games. I mean, starting with ninety seven
up front, he was the best player on the field.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
Yeah, I thought the best player on the field on
defense for Pittsburgh was Cam Hayward. And he's really probably
been for all his whining about his money before the season,
he's been their most consistent defensive play all year long,
and again yesterday, He's not in a glory position, but
he gets a lot down. The boy he always gets
them arms up and Lamar has that kind of half
(06:07):
past three quarter throwing motion sometime, and that's right in
Cam's wheelhouse.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
No doubt.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
And he just he's throwing their interior offensive line around
and he was doing that too last week against the Browns.
He's been doing that for about a good month now,
where he's just completely single handedly blowing up the line
of scrimmage. He probably is gonna get a first team
All Pro nod this year. If not, he'll be on
the second team, which is unbelievable at age thirty six,
and he leads all interior defensive lineman and snaps.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
That's crazy.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
I can't wait for Cam to make All Pro and
remind all of us he's outperformed as contract.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
Oh he will. Here's one thing I.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
Didn't get though, and this is taking nothing away from Rogers,
but Rodgers is clearly out there to throw the ball
and check out of run plays to throw the ball
more forty seven passes, twenty four rushing attempts. I don't
feel like the Steelers ran the ball enough, and I
think they're gonna have to run the ball more to
beat Houston.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
It's funny you're saying that because I have Twitter pulled
up right now and there's a play that's playing right
now on my feed where Rogers literally just it should
have been a handoff to gain well it's literally like
a two inch pass. So he gets a little credit
for a pass there, Like, why aren't you just handing
that off? I don't want to say he's stat padding,
but it's kind of hard to say he's nuts sometimes.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
Did you see the play where Rogers went to run
and kind of chick it out? Yes, yeah, he did
check it out. Absolutely, he would have gotten that first
down or gotten close to it. He was Superman at
the end, but right then he was Clark Kent.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
How about the twenty yard run later in the game.
I mean there was no one even in his vicinity,
but still to be able to run twenty yards at
that age, it's impressive.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
I can't even walk twenty yards at my age. That's
tom Off from an um Mark Mann one oh five nine.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
It's the Woody Show. We did the notion that Tomlin has.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
Helped his legacy by winning yesterday, and then he deserves
more respect than he has been getting, particularly here in Pittsburgh.
It is running wild, brother. But last night's game, I mean,
let's be honest, the Steelers invented a playoff game by
losing a Cleveland.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
And then won and now they move on to the
real playoffs.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
And last night was dramatic, but the end result of
winning that game is the same as if you'd wanted
Cleveland and you could arrested all the old guys like Rogers.
Maybe this is better for Rodgers' legacy because he has
won last game winning drive. If things don't go good
next week against Houston and then he retires, which could happen,
(08:30):
but I think he'll be back and the Steelers will
bring him back even though they should not. You had
a priest on the field before the game sprinkling holy water.
That's embarrassing and to me, sacrilegious. I'm not a man
of faith, but if there is a God, I think
he would have bigger concerns than a freaking football game.
(08:52):
That said, I knew that rookie kicker for Baltimore was
going to miss at the end.
Speaker 3 (08:57):
I was at the All Star Sports Bar and Grill,
South Point.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
And I said loudly a couple of times, he gonna miss,
he gonna miss, and he did. It just felt preordained.
And now these Stillers host Houston Monday night at after Sure.
I don't like a Monday night playoff game. I hate
night football games in general.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
Uh, Tom, how can the Steelers beat Houston? Uh?
Speaker 1 (09:28):
You get dk back, But that's a fearsome defense in
Stroud ain't bad at quarterback.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
What do you think?
Speaker 2 (09:34):
Yeah? You know, in a lot of ways, I think
this is like the worst matchup that the Steelers could
get right now. Houston's on fire, the defense is good
enough to win the super Bowl.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
And you're right about Stroud. He's a good quarterback.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
But I can also talk myself into the Steelers making
this a football game too, because.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
The Texans don't over extend themselves offensively correct. They don't
go out there to put games away. Their their top
rusher had like seven hundred yards. They do what I
would call a star receiver strod only through nineteen touchdown passes.
Their team is totally based on defense. It's very Tomlin esk.
Demiko Ryans is a defensive minded coach like tomlin uh
(10:15):
and Ryans could and probably will get sucked into a
rock fight by Tom, and.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
I think probably wants to.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
I think Demiko Ryans thinks he's gonna rock fight his
way through this tournament and get to the AFC Championship.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
Is the one team where he shouldn't try that, as
they could play into their hands.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
It's a team that he doesn't need to slow down
offensively via a rock fight. They're slow enough on their own,
thank you very much, Rodgers. He had two good drives.
That was just a fraction of the game and it
won the game. But they really didn't too much offensively
at all against the Ravens defense that gets no pressure
and isn't hard to move the ball against.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
But I think Ryan's welcomes that game. I really do
on Monday.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
So as far as how the Steelers beat them, it
takes coming up with that huge splash play turnover and
then once you get it, Rogers putting it in the
end zone getting seven points off of it.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
That might be the difference in a game like that.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
I kept waiting for the big mistake to decide the
game last night, and maybe the Baltimore dB slipping on
the Austin touchdown was that.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
Maybe Ramsey getting burned all the time. There's too many
mistakes that the side of the game.
Speaker 1 (11:17):
But then the Kickers just just stole the spot by
mangling each of their last kicks up again.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
It was just a really odd game.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
And I still feel and I think I've made this
clear already, Tom, I still feel like the Steelers got
to win a playoff game, but the Citizens and Stooge
is at least some percentage thereof probably feel like they
already did.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
I'm right there with you, Mark, I really hate this
vibe right now off like the Steelers are playing with
house money. I don't get that at all. Great win,
It's awesome that you won the AFC North. You've positioned
yourself better than you did last year. But the goal
all along was to end the drought, to win a
playoff game, to not end your season on wild card weekend,
play in the divisional und weekend. And I just don't
(11:58):
get why people are kind of like, well, you know,
whatever happens in Houston happens against Houston.
Speaker 3 (12:02):
The Steelers won the division. What a great year already
a success, you know, Tom.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
People always think I want the Steelers to lose, and
I don't. And Proof of the Pudding has already booked
the viewing party for Monday night at Pittsburgh Brewing Company
the brewery in Creighton, and they have the biggest big
screen TV ever.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
I'll be there for the.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
Penguin game Sunday at five the Steeler game Monday night.
So come watch everything with me all the way live
this screen. It's bigger than my ego. Tom, Think about
that for a second. So the point is, when the
Steelers win, I get more money. I don't want to
know loose. I just I just don't take them winning
a playoff game they manufactured as seriously as some of
(12:43):
you out there.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
I can't even imagine the number you could draw if
they get to the super Bowl to host of Pittsburgh
Steelers Mark Madden's super Bowl watch party.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
Oh my god.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
Well, you know when I when I was supposed to
go to the super Bowl in six, the Jerome Beta
super Bowl in Detroit, I had a heart attack. Biggest
regret there was not that I missed the game. Who
cares about the freaking game I missed. Jenna Jamison had
a super Bowl party and Tim Ben's got to go instead.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
You'd have to stay back in this one though. You
couldn't go to the super Bowl parties.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
It's too much of an opportunity for a capitalist like
yourself to make a ton of money on it.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
I have no interest in going to a super Bowl ever.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
Again, the only way I would go private jet, door
to door, every single place you could go at the
super Bowl, including to the game itself. Wimo waiting outside
the press door when I left, or whatever door, the
private suite door.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
But that's just not gonna happen.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
It's fun to dream, but it's also not gonna happen
that the Steelers are going to go on some miracle
run here and get to the super Bowl. But they
could be Houston, and that should be the goal right now,
But you're so right. It already feels like the goalpost
seven move and the goal has been accomplished by winning
Week eighteen against the Ravens and the de facto playoff game.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
Do you feel that that win satisfied certain optics? And
it definitely means Tom whin is back, which I think
he would have been anyway, but now I think that
makes it easy, and I think that Rogers is also
back if he wants to save.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
Getting absolutely flattened by the Texans, which we just said
we don't think is going to happen. To find flattened
like you lose thirty five to three. I mean, like
it's just not even close. Their defense completely obliterates you.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
And the only way that'll happen is if there's some
big turnovers by the Steelers' offense, like like scoop and
score pick six, stuff.
Speaker 3 (14:18):
Like that, and that could happen to good defense.
Speaker 1 (14:20):
But one thing that's gonna happen is pressure, and Rogers
didn't deal well with the pressure. Cleveland applied, Baltimore applied
no pressure yesterday.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
Houston gonna come after it.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
Yeah, absolutely, that's gonna be a huge factor in this game.
And are the Steelers going to overcompensate against that pressure,
I e. Keep Kenneth Gainwell into chip against some of
these pass rushers instead of using him as your best receiver,
which you did last night against the Ravens.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
He was your leading receiver and he was great.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
See, people are probably you know, dumping all over me
out there in the first you know, half hour of
the show. And by the way, as I've often said, Tom,
there's never been a better time to not listen to
this program. But because I wouldn't bring Rogers back, and
they probably think I sound like the stupidest mf or
on the planet because I don't think it's a good idea.
And he played real good yesterday in the second half
(15:10):
and they did make the playoffs, just like Rust did
last year. But Rogers has had some bad games too.
Four I can think of all loss is real bad games,
and he's gonna be forty three. But I can also
see why they would bring him back because the philosophy
of win now for the old guys will not change them.
Guys are still coming back, They're going to be older.
(15:32):
The philosophy is there to win now even if they can't.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
I think everybody's a lock to come back now. If
Rogers wants to come back, yes, the job is there
for him to be the quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers again,
even if they beat the Texans. Though you've pointed this
out already, you know this isn't a team that's building
towards stuff like with years of success down the road
now and this is a good first step here getting
into the playoffs, a division chance.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
Correct, all of.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
Their seasons now and their playoff f starting with you
know this game against Houston Monday night. It are self contained,
one stands alone, right, and so when you look at
it through that correct lens, you gotta make DAFCY championship game, right,
Like forget just winning a playoff game, like you got
to get to the final four here, you got to
get to a game away from the super Bowl. When
you're looking at it like that, every season is just
(16:17):
that's your approach.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
I don't think that's achievable for this game either, But
that's what the goal.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
I mean, But I understand what the goal is. The
goal isn't to win a super Bowl. The goal is
to just hang around and get a playoff game and
try to get lucky.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
I mean, how can you look at the way they.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
Run this team and assemble the roster and conclude anything else.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
Yeah, And it is so funny how people were so
ready for change, I mean right up until Tyler Luke
missed the field goal, Like they were ready to leave
that stadium firing Tomlin last night until he missed the
field goal. And that was kind of the vibe leading
into that game, like, we lose this game, change has
to happen, It's time, it's time.
Speaker 3 (16:55):
You're being a Debbie Donner.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
Sorry but I but I am too, And I honestly
I feel bad a little bit because that was such
a spectacular game. It was so much fun to watch,
and the outcome was bizarre with the kickers soiling the
bed in tandem, but still extremely entertaining.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
I'm going to be down with them, Mark, because of
the house money thing. What you have pointed out that
people think it's a satisfied season already that they have succeeded.
You have to win this playoff game. You're at home.
Houston is not a high flying offense. This is winnable.
Get the job done. Don't be satisfied by just winning
the AFC North and farting out in the first round again.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
Garrett Broke watched sack record Tom. I thought he celebrated
too much. I know that they stink and it's all
he's got, but I think he went overboard, like they
stopped the game. He was like dancing in the locker room.
And then Strayhan complained, was it tongue in cheek? I
heard it, I couldn't tell. He said that Garrett has
(17:51):
the seventeen game record and that Strahan has the sixteen
game record, implying that's the real record.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
With everything that people say tongue in cheek, there's some
truth too.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
I thought he was ribbing on the square, as we
said in wrestling, meaning hey.
Speaker 3 (18:04):
He means it.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
Yeah, And I kind of feel Straighthan on that. But
he loses a lot of his luster because of far
of giving himself up before the sacks.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
Straight yeah, right, like once he got down with football,
nobody in media has ever done more with less talent
besides Pat McAfee, and and it just like if you
look through history, Deacon Jones had like a billion sacks
before they started keeping me Joe, Like there's a there's
an unofficial comp in nineteen sixty seven in a fourteen
(18:32):
game season, he had twenty six sacks, and one year
Reggie White had twenty one sacks. That was let's see
nineteen eighty seven, and those were twelve games.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
He missed four due to injury.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
Yeah, I mean, I definitely like to look at things
through that, and you have to weigh it that way.
But unfortunately for Deacon Jones, we didn't keep sacks back then,
which is weird. I don't know why people weren't keeping
sack back then. It seems like it's a very basic
statistic that you would come up with. But Miles Garrett's
the sack king far as the celebration is concerned, stopping
the game to acknowledge it at a visiting stadium in Cincinnati.
Speaker 3 (19:06):
I didn't know that he was going to get that.
Jack Taylor got irritated, the Cincinnati coach by it. I'm
Surprisedzak Taylor kept his job today. Did you see that
that he survived?
Speaker 4 (19:13):
Like day?
Speaker 2 (19:15):
Who got fired Pete Carroll, Kevin got fired. Falcon's head
coach got fired yesterday? Yeah? Yeah, Cardinals head coach got
fired today. Jonathan Gannon. I think Raheem Morris actually a
pretty good coach, and they didn't quit like they won
four street games. They technically were in for first place
in that division. Were three way tigh, I'd.
Speaker 1 (19:32):
Fired Tom Win and bring in Kevin Stefanski. I'd fired
Tom Win, bring in Raheem Morris. Okay, we'll talk a
little bit about the Penguins and being on a five
game win streak, But how can you not just run
the table talking Steelers today?
Speaker 3 (19:47):
Uh? And if you don't know, well you do know,
Oh you didn't know.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
It's going to be Monday night, Steelers hosting Houston, and
I'll be watching the game at the Pittsburgh Brewing Company
Giant big the big screen TV you've ever seen, ever seen,
and it's Iron City and me what could possibly be
more Pittsburgh one, five nine The X.
Speaker 4 (20:10):
Thursday Night, the Pens take on the Devils. Game time
is seven. Our coverage starts at six here every game
and the best coverage right here on your Home of
the Pens five nine.
Speaker 3 (20:22):
The X, Rob king here.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
Staying connected to your Steelers has never been easier.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
Tune into steel.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
We talked a little bit ago about Garrett breaking the
sack record, and I said he celebrated too much.
Speaker 3 (20:38):
But I don't blame him. That's all we got.
Speaker 1 (20:40):
I mean, it's a hopeless situation in Cleveland, and I
got a tweet after he broke while all he has
is the sack record and money.
Speaker 3 (20:48):
Well, what more does TJ. Watt have?
Speaker 1 (20:51):
Oh, well, Garrett prioritizes sacks. Well, what about TJ.
Speaker 3 (20:54):
Watt?
Speaker 1 (20:56):
Garrett has one playoff win, tj Wt none, and Garrett
beat TJ Watt. Well, Cleveland beat Pittsburgh. To be more accurate,
I saw a quote from Farmouth he was glad to
win the division for coach t unquote because of Tomlin
being on the hot seat. I guess whether real or
imagined or how much? Yeah, I guess keep mediocrity around forever,
(21:20):
that's a choice. Penguins have won five in a row,
kind of got lost in the shuffle of Steele Ermania.
The only a lot twelve shots at Detroit on Saturday,
that's an all time low in a road game allowed
by the Penguins. And then the Penguins got forty two
shots on goal at Columbus yesterday and rallied from four
to one down to win and overtime five to four.
Speaker 3 (21:42):
By the way, when it was four to one.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
I tweeted, this game is still winnable, and it was,
and they did because Coombus ain't that good in the
Penguins were playing better than the score indicated. Sid scored
in overtime. Who else on the backhand? How else on
a breakaway? Hot Lumbus let that happen. Sid is an alien.
(22:03):
It's hard to fathom or describe what he's doing at
thirty eight. And now the Penguins are in the first
wild card and four points out of first place and
six points out of last place, So it's gonna be
crazy all year long. Tom, I think it was good
for the Penguins to be on the good end of
a comeback, just to know that they can for confidence,
(22:27):
because their confidence took a big hit when they blew
all those leads.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
Yeah, And to be honest, I know you just said
there's only six points separating the Penguins in the bottom
of the conference in Columbus. But Columbus is a bad
hockey team. They are worse hockey team than the Penguins.
They I know, it's the second end of a back
to back on the road, and maybe the Penguins were
due for that, And YadA YadA. You couldn't drop points
against Columbus in that spot. So I'm so glad they
ripped back from four to one, tied the game. I
(22:51):
was gonna be happy with them just bleeding out that point,
but Sid decided to go ahead and get both of
them anyway.
Speaker 1 (22:55):
Yeah, and Carlson made a great pass and when the
Penguins change, the guy didn't keep his eye on which
part of the bench did was coming off of, and
it let him get that step to get behind the guy.
I'm glad they could make the playoffs, but it's becoming
more of a veteran team, which I don't like. Gachari's
(23:15):
doing a lot and good for him. Scored a big
goal yesterday, but it doesn't feel like moving forward. It
just feels like scrambling to get in the playoffs, like
another team in town.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
It does feel like that in a lot of ways.
But I still think you see the progress happening with
the kids, and that's encouraging. Like Kendall was awesome against
the Red Wings.
Speaker 3 (23:35):
They scratched McGroarty. I know Quivenen scored though when they
put him back in the lineup.
Speaker 4 (23:40):
Yah.
Speaker 3 (23:41):
Kids in their first year in the NHL need a break.
I am cognizant of that.
Speaker 2 (23:45):
But at the same time, you know you have a
lot of time off right now. You're off today, tomorrow
and Wednesday before you are home against New Jersey. You know,
maybe read the schedule a little bit and use one
of those scratches when it gets clogged up. More like,
you could have probably afforded to play McGroarty and he
would have had a reset just naturally if.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
You want to make the playoffs, you know, as opposed
to rebuilding, call it morishof. I know they want to
leave him in the miners to develop the whole year,
but why should he be the one oasis of development
in a season that has suddenly and clearly changed priority
to making the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (24:17):
Now.
Speaker 1 (24:17):
Morrishov has struggled a bit lately in Wilkesbury, got pulled
a couple of times, but he's the best goalie in
the system.
Speaker 3 (24:23):
And Shilloff sucks hill Offs is so bad.
Speaker 2 (24:25):
I would honestly rather see if Bloomquest would come up
and do it more of a rotation with Skinner before
I want to see Shilov still be in the net.
Speaker 3 (24:30):
But Marshov's the answer you got to bring.
Speaker 1 (24:32):
Here I have people in the organization tell me that
Morrishoff right now is the best goal in the organization,
So get him up here. If indeed you have switched
your priority to trying to get a playoff spot, and you've.
Speaker 2 (24:43):
Seen him a couple of times already this year, there's
no evidence that would indicate that, you know, he would
completely collapse developmentally. By being a part of a tandem
with Skinner at the NHL level for the rest of
the year.
Speaker 1 (24:53):
It for sure be better than shill offfs that, you know,
Like I said, if you've changed priority, then you call
him up in as far as sid I mean, he's
an alien, like I said, he's got a seven game
point streak now, three multi point games in a row,
and he is just flying.
Speaker 3 (25:11):
He is like a rocket out there.
Speaker 2 (25:13):
At what point, mark does the pressure shift on the
Penguins where they got to make the playoffs?
Speaker 3 (25:18):
Like full stop?
Speaker 2 (25:19):
I know there's still six points between them and the
bottom of the East, but like you don't want to
be ninth, you don't want to be tenth, and they're
flirting with that badly. So your point with Mushov and said,
being an alien, he's never gonna let.
Speaker 3 (25:29):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
What do you mean, by god it do you mean
in terms of there being consequences if they do or don't.
I I just think making the playoffs would be its
own reward and not would would not I mean it wouldn't.
Speaker 3 (25:39):
Result in changes. No, no, no, I'm not saying that, but
it would just be an.
Speaker 1 (25:44):
I think what you're trying to get at is the
worst thing to do would be to finish, Yes, you know,
in the first spot out of the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (25:49):
Or the second spot, And it looks like you're circling
that right now. So make sure you're in that playoff spot.
Call Mushov up and to the point of falling out
of the playoff spot and going the other way. As
you've referenced Sid being an alien a couple times in
this segment, he's just not gonna let you do that.
Speaker 3 (26:04):
He's on pace for forty eight goals this year. I
just saw a.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
Tweet, why are you guys talking about hockey? Well, because
we talk about hockey. I like hockey. By my way,
would talk hockey and the Penguins old goddamn day. And
like I said, there's never been a better time to not.
Speaker 2 (26:16):
Listen Pittsburgh's not happy that the Penguins won five straight
games or three wins away from just completely erasing an
eight game losing streak.
Speaker 3 (26:23):
That doesn't make Pittsburgh sports fans happy at all. Pittsburgh sucks.
You know.
Speaker 1 (26:26):
You know who played pretty good mostly in the game
of Teacher was the new guy. Chinnikov scored That goalie
looks pretty good. Now, I will say maybe it's new
guy energy. You see that all the time, and not
least in hockey where a guy comes in wants to
make an impression. In Chinnikov's case, probably relieved to get
out of what was a bad situation for him with
the gorky coach at Columbus who didn't like him. So
(26:49):
so I'm not, you know, putting too much stock into
it being a long term thing just yet.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
But I like what we've seen from the kiss and
he energized Kendalla McGroarty when he skated with them at
first and then.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
Kind and then Chinikov fits is off the breakaway. My god,
what a great moment that was in that Detroit game.
Speaker 2 (27:04):
And then Kendall and Chinnikov and Columbus's game against with
Koiven in so you know, Chinnikov rotating in with the
kids on that third line. It's it's worked really well.
It's helped the kids out tremendously so far. But it's
been two games.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
Tom, I I do want to get back to steelersn't Ravens.
For second. Henry only got twenty carries? Was that enough?
Speaker 1 (27:23):
Lamar did have very good passing numbers, and I can't
fault Lamar because he did rally them. But but you know,
the game plan wasn't quite what I expected, and I
would have liked seen Henry get more carries from a Baltimore.
Speaker 3 (27:35):
Perspective, Yeah, I would too.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
There were so many times throughout that game that I
was seeing the backup in and the backup getting carries
on like third and short situations or just you know,
last game of the year. You should not be veering
away from Henry even a little bit. So I was
surprised that he only got twenty carries. That being said,
I mean, the Ravens went out there and executed a
(27:57):
game plan that should have won them the game if
the Cacker makes a forty four yard field goal. So
it's hard to say, you know that, Harbaugh, you know
pulled one of his Harbaugh master classes of blowing it
because they ran for one hundred and thirty seven yards.
Speaker 3 (28:11):
Jackson played like an MVP in big moments.
Speaker 1 (28:13):
Well, Lamar's twenty eight. I think he came into the
league when he was twenty. He's been around quite a
little long time. It feels like he's just not gonna win.
A part of it's his fault. Part of it just
because it's in their DNA now of box. Things like
we saw at the end of the game last night.
If it wouldn't have been a kicker missing, I don't know,
if somebody would have fumbled, they would have. They always
find a way to screw up and lose.
Speaker 3 (28:32):
They really do. So it's it's hard.
Speaker 2 (28:34):
I don't want to pull the plug jest yet on him.
He's so good, but it's it's hard to say that
he's going to break through and win. It just it
seems like that franchise just is going to get in
their own way all the time.
Speaker 1 (28:43):
I just saw another tweet that that you know, not
we but in general that people aren't giving Calmon enough respect. Hey,
I don't feel like Tom was brilliant last night. I
think if they would have lost, he would have absorbed
a lot of blame. I don't feel like anybody was
extremely praiseworthy but Rogers, and even that, just what he
did at the.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
End, Rogers was extremely praise. Whors he Hayward was just
as extremely praiseworthy on defense. He controlled the entire game
defensively for the Steelers. No, there were some other players
that had, you know, big time moments. But again, stop
taking the victory lap. Nothing really has been accomplished yet. Sure,
you won the AFC North and you beat your rival,
you have got to win this playoff game.
Speaker 3 (29:21):
You know.
Speaker 1 (29:21):
It's funny if you went through all the people locally
on Twitter praising Tomlin, like you can see the narrative
like for each like his history of how he props
him up, why he props him up being under the ten.
Speaker 3 (29:36):
It's just I don't know. I don't know. I just
if that's what floats their boat, but I wouldn't do it. Okay,
so they lose on Monday, what's different. I'm a truther,
I'm a factor.
Speaker 2 (29:45):
What's different? If they lose one factory, that's a factor. No,
it's not a sayer of truth. Yeah, but the factor
means you were a factor in something. I'm thinking fact r.
I'm pretty sure that's not a word. But you know
what I'm saying, like they lose Monday, exact spot that
you are in the last year. What I'm saying, so
you had no progress and we're gonna say we should
give tom On credit.
Speaker 3 (30:05):
It's been the same thing for me years.
Speaker 1 (30:08):
All Aaron Rodgers has done is the exact same thing
Russell Wilson did last year, same record and everything.
Speaker 3 (30:16):
It's gotta be a decent day, a mix of sun
and clock.
Speaker 1 (30:24):
Thanks to Senderova, Shendrovich and Fisherman for sponsoring the first.
Speaker 3 (30:27):
Hour of this program every day. Now let's go to
Tommy Radio because he's got the trifecta.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
People aren't gonna like this trifecta today, Mark, There's so
there's so much you're gonna love it. There's so much
optimism that has to do with the Steelers.
Speaker 3 (30:41):
But I know that's not good rated or preface something
by saying you're not gonna like this. I mean I
do it all the time, trust me, you want to.
I'm gonna establish Star.
Speaker 2 (30:48):
These are three things that I took away Star. I said, yes,
you are that the established star. These are three things
that I took away though from that game that were
just they were bad for the Steelers, and I'm worried
about them moving forward for this game against the Texans.
Number three is Chris Boswell. Yeah, I know it might
have gotten blocked that pat, But that's three straight games
now that he's missed a kick. What's going on? Actually
(31:08):
during a break here, I watched it again on YouTube.
He did indeed hook it into a block. He mishit
the kick, Yeah, it was on him.
Speaker 3 (31:16):
I think. So there is concern with Chris Boswell.
Speaker 2 (31:19):
I still trot him out there for a fifty five
yard or if you have to against Houston. I don't hesitate.
I'm not there yet, but you're thinking about it a
little bit. It's not as automatic you got to do it.
You know why I didn't say he wouldn't do it.
Speaker 1 (31:28):
Because you don't have the offense to take what has
been your biggest point producer out of the mix.
Speaker 3 (31:34):
Just not as automatic as it used. Do you think
he shanked it on purpose that he? Yes? I do too.
You know who would know? Sterrator Number two is Ramsey?
I mean just Wolf.
Speaker 2 (31:44):
I mean, what a terrible performance from him in that game,
burned by Flowers, burned by Likely. It's like, no matter
who he tried to cover, he just got burned by.
Speaker 1 (31:52):
And yeah he was. He was there on the two
touchdowns and the likely catch game right all over the way.
I gotta tell you that likely cast and the throw
by Jack. So that was a thing of beauty.
Speaker 3 (32:02):
It was. I mean, you still got to make the play.
Speaker 2 (32:04):
You're Jalen Ramsey, You're supposed to be this great safety.
Now make the transition. You stabilize the back end of
the Steelers defense. Go make a play there and win
the win the game, win the division for the Steelers.
But the number one thing worried so far time, the
number one thing I'm full of concern, even more concern coming.
Oh god, they still did not commit to running the
damn football in this game.
Speaker 3 (32:24):
That's Rogers. It's maddening. Yeah, what were the numbers, I
said him a minute ago.
Speaker 2 (32:28):
They ran it what twenty seven times to the pass
of forty four forty seven passes, twenty four rounds. I
had it backwards there, twenty four runs, forty seven passes,
and every time you handed the ball off to Warren,
it seemed like he made something happen in that game.
At one point he was averaging close to six yards
of carry. That came down a little bit as the
game wore on, but he was effective every time.
Speaker 3 (32:50):
They just get away from it way too much. You
can't do that against Houston.
Speaker 2 (32:54):
If Rogers stands back to pass in the pocket against
the Texans, he'll get sacked fifteen times.
Speaker 3 (32:58):
That's the trifecta.
Speaker 1 (32:59):
Brought this by Danny's patron, Hogy's family owned and operator
since nineteen sixty.
Speaker 3 (33:04):
That's Standy's on Root eighty eight and Bethel Park.
Speaker 1 (33:06):
Tell them, you know, it's a great debate that you're
gonna see all over the national media like ESPN, the
chat shows, the debate shows, but you won't here in Pittsburgh.
Is you got the NFC South champ finished under five hundred.
Speaker 3 (33:22):
That's Carolina at eight and nine.
Speaker 1 (33:23):
They play the La Rams at twelve and five, the
number one wild card, and the game is at Carolina
because Carolina won the division and the usual suspects are bleeding.
Speaker 3 (33:32):
Oh that's wrong. An eight and nine teams shouldn't get
a home game.
Speaker 1 (33:35):
Well, of course they should because they won their division
in them as the rules if the eight and nine
team is so rotten, then the twelve and five teams
should have no problem winning. And if you don't want
division winners to automatically get the home game, then the
divisions mean nothing and don't have them no more. AFC
North football. To be said, with great gravitas, AFC North football.
Speaker 3 (33:59):
I mean, could the NFC South champ beat the Brons
in Cleveland because the Steelers couldn't but in Pittsburgh. Again,
I took a long time to get to this conclusion.
Speaker 1 (34:10):
Tom, nobody will bitch because the ten and seven Steelers,
champions of the AFC North, are hosting Houston, who were
twelve and five. Ain't nobody saying that's unfair?
Speaker 2 (34:21):
Yeah, even though the Houston Texans are two games better
than the Steelers. You're absolutely correct when it comes to
the division.
Speaker 3 (34:26):
Take.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
If someone would say, sure, abolished divisions, just see them
one through seven, then you got me, all right, Fine,
then if you want to do it that way, do
it that way. But I have a feeling that most
of the people that you gripe about this and say
the Panthers shouldn't host that game would then also be like, oh,
you can't abolish divisions.
Speaker 3 (34:41):
Are you kidding me?
Speaker 2 (34:42):
There's so much tradition with these rivalries and playing these
teams twice.
Speaker 3 (34:44):
That's stupid. You can't have it both ways.
Speaker 2 (34:47):
The division has to mean something, and what you said
is the most true thing. If the Panthers are eight
to nine and as crappy as people think, the Rams
will have no problem going in there and stomping them.
But five weeks ago the Rams went to Carolina and
lost by three, so it might not be as easy
as it looks.
Speaker 1 (35:02):
How about Sam Donald in Seattle? They got the number
one seed, right.
Speaker 2 (35:06):
He's the only quarterback in NFL history aside from Tom Brady,
to win fourteen games and back to back regular seasons.
And they did get the number one seed, number one
overall seed.
Speaker 3 (35:14):
Yeah, because they beat Seattle. That's how they Wait, No,
they beat San Francisco right right now, Saran Fran asked
to play on the road. It's not far. It's not fair.
It's not fair, yo.
Speaker 1 (35:23):
If you want to win now, the Stealers should have
got Sam Donald for like a three year deal whatever overpay?
Speaker 3 (35:29):
I mean, yeah, what does Seattle give him?
Speaker 2 (35:30):
I don't like sixty millions? So it was like close
to the Baker Mayfield deal that he got in Tampa Bville.
What three years something like that. I'll look it up
for sure, But you overpay for a guy like that.
Why would Sam Donald want to come to the Pittsburgh though, Mark,
I'll take your line. Why would he want to come
here and play for no? Given the choice between there
in Seattle.
Speaker 1 (35:46):
Yeah, but I mean he's a better quarterback than Grandpa
game manager. I I'm not going back on that label
because Rogers had a couple of good drives at the
end of the game last night.
Speaker 2 (35:54):
Yeah, Sam Donald signed through twenty twenty seven, made about
two year deal there. Cap hit annually, he's about thirty
three point nine million, that's what mean your twenty twenty seven?
That would be two more years. I'm sorry, Yeah, two
more years. Thirty three million was his cap hit this
coming season. Not that much money for him.
Speaker 1 (36:11):
You know what for a quarterback, Well, they didn't know
he'd win fourteen games two years in a row. But
for a legitimate top of the line, like he's top
even before this year. I know he was a journeyman
before he had the great year at Minnesota, and part
of that I thought was because Kevin O'Connell, the Minnesota coach,
is such a great offensive mind. But apparently they know
what they're doing in Seattle too, Like, yeah, they in retrospect.
Speaker 3 (36:35):
They got to bargain.
Speaker 1 (36:35):
I mean, you would pay that to any quarterback if
you could win your fourteen games.
Speaker 2 (36:39):
He's just got to get it done now in the playoffs.
He's got to get to at least the NFC Championship
game and win a playoff game.
Speaker 3 (36:44):
He is his last step.
Speaker 1 (36:45):
I hate to pressure him, like saying this year is
useless if he doesn't do that, because I know Minnesota
flamed that early last year.
Speaker 3 (36:51):
But here's a guy whose career was thought to be
dead and buried.
Speaker 1 (36:56):
He played for how many teams, and now he's one
of two quarterbacks, like you said, only him and Tom
Brady have won fourteen games two years in a row.
So while I think it would certainly burnish his legacy further,
if indeed a guy like Sam Darnold has a legacy
at all, you know, to win a playoff game, I'm
not going to crucify the guy if he don't, because
he's achieved far more than than I ever thought possible.
(37:17):
I agree, he's already a success story. I agree with
you there, but he has an opportunity to take it
to a whole other level, to kind of, you know,
become bigger than what we could have ever imagined he'd
become after his flameout in the Jets, if he wins
a playoff game, if he accomplishes that, Now is your
super Bowl favorite in the NFC? In the NFC, yep,
I kind of like because that's where the big boys play.
Speaker 3 (37:37):
I kind of like the Eagles. I kind of think
their defense is just so dumb much funny they play,
they play who are they playing the first round?
Speaker 2 (37:44):
The Niners. It's unbelievable. It's such a heavyweight fight in
the first round. San Franz going to Philly. Yeah, well,
whenever that might win the Super Bowl.
Speaker 1 (37:51):
It looked like they might play the Rams, Yeah, because
they've beaten the Rams a bunch of times.
Speaker 3 (37:56):
But I think the Eagles are gonna get killed by
Sam do you think?
Speaker 4 (38:00):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (38:00):
I don't know if their defense will allow them to
get killed. Their defense is point it's one of the
best in football. So you're pick to win, pick one
team in the NFC. One team to win in the NFC.
I'll pick the Eagles. I'll say they go back to
the Super Bowl. I'm gonna pick Seattle. I think the
brat will trust Darnold. I want to pick the Rams.
They've been playing some crappy football, like.
Speaker 1 (38:19):
Oh, so you know what now that I said, I
think the bracket will fall for them if the Eagles.
Speaker 3 (38:24):
Wait, the Eagles are seeded above. They won the division.
Speaker 2 (38:26):
Eagles are the three seed right now. Okay, the Bears
are the two seeds. What.
Speaker 3 (38:31):
I wouldn't mind playing the Bears in any playoff game,
just first time there. Caleb Williams still, you know. I mean,
he's in the big time, but it's one thing to
have the season he had in another win.
Speaker 2 (38:40):
Playoff game and they drew green Bay. I mean, you
want to talk about that logo coming into your stadium
right away. I think you don't kill green Bay. They should,
but green Bay owns the Chicago Bear. Did you think
green Bay might move on from Matt Lafleur. I think
that would be pretty drastic of a move. I think
he's a pretty solid coach, but he's having some struggles
winning in the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (38:57):
Getting over that hump. I'd fire Tom and hire him.
So many you want to fire.
Speaker 1 (39:03):
Fired Tom and har Stefanski at Hard Lafleur, who the
other guy said he Morris for he Morris.
Speaker 3 (39:08):
That's too far. Morris is too far.
Speaker 1 (39:10):
If I thought Pete Carroll's oxygen wouldn't give out.
Speaker 3 (39:14):
Fired Tom wanted and hire him one oh five ninety
x
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