October 17, 2025 • 52 mins
What year is it??? Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco just torched the Pittsburgh Steelers defense en route to a Thursday Night Football victory, but even the losing QB Aaron Rodgers turned back the clock and showed flashes of his former self. Gregg Rosenthal and Nick Shook recap one of the most nostalgic, memorable nights in recent NFL history, where two titans of the quarterback position battled it out in prime time. From the Bengals prospects as a playoff contender to serious defensive worries for the Steelers, the NFL Daily duo has you covered on every major storyline from TNF. Plus, Gregg and Shook clarify 16 teams — 8 from each conference — that they believe could make it to the Super Bowl in February.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Rogers catches the shotgun.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Snap.
Speaker 3 (00:03):
Now, He'll run around, allow.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
His receivers to get downfield, and he launches it into
the end zone and it is broken up incomplete. No
knocked the way by djiv And the Bengals have knocked
out the Steelers on Thursday Night by the final score
of thirty three to thirty one.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
The af SEED.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
North gets tighter and the Bengals outlook gets brighter with
a tremendous closing finish and a game winning field goal
with seven seconds to go.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Oh, great call there by Dan Horde, and you could hurt.
Hear a little tackling from Dave Lapham in the background.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
W c K.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Why on a magical night for football in Ohio? I
said it when Joe Flacco and Aaron Rodgers trade Lake
back and forth all night, And it ends on a
night that Mike Tomlin was right. He should have been
mad about them trading for Joe Flacco on a night
(01:12):
that paying two wide receivers all the money looked smart. Yes,
the Bengals kept hope alive in the AFC North and
the Thursday night problems for Mike Tomlin continued, Shookie, you
must have been getting flashbacks Joe Flacco on Thursday Night
Football having a moment, and yes, an AFC North crowd
(01:34):
chanting for Joe Flacco like they were in Cleveland just
a couple of years ago.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
Yeah, this time around happened in the opposite corner of
the state. I mean that arm is still live and
Joe Flacco, he's got the wisdom of nearly two decades
in the NFL and he's using at his full disposal.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
And luckily the Bengals and the beneficiaries.
Speaker 4 (01:52):
Luckily because it takes an AFC North race that was
frankly starting to get pretty boring, makes it a little
more interesting now with an upset like.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
This, absolutely does. And we didn't go with the game
winning field goal call at the end because by then
it was anti climactic. It was really the Flacco throw
to t Higgins once again picking on Jalen Ramsey, man
to man coverage throughout the first half, Jamar Chase just
(02:19):
abusing Ramsey mostly Darius Slay. At some point. They switched
the zone for most of the second half, at least
on Chase. But Flacco saw his other number one B
receiver on the sideline and he made what was ultimately
the game winning play.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
Chase, one of three receivers out to the right. Flacco
is ready catches the shotgun snap blitz coming.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Flacco throws a fade and it.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Is caning inside the ten and going into a slide
his T Higgins. That's brilliant, Patty run into the end zone.
It would have been a touchdown. We all would have
been excited, but it would have left plenty of time
for Rogers to answer. By going down, he forces the
Steelers to call another time out.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
Total dime there by Flacco and a great heady play
by T. Higgins. The attention shook will rightfully be on
Jamar Chase on a night where he caught sixteen passes
for one hundred and sixty one yards in a touchdown.
But they do not win this game without a couple
really great contested catches by T. Higgins who winds up
(03:25):
going six for ninety six and a touchdown of his own,
and then a classy, you know, stylish way to finish
it there with the slide. I'm liking these game ending
slides in big moments like Justin Herbert had.
Speaker 4 (03:39):
Yeah, if we could just take this knowledge, this football
IQ and apply it to the guys crossing the goal
line and dropping the football before they crossed the goal line.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
We beat live in a much better world.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
But yes, everybody's going to focus on that slide, and
rightfully so.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Because it was a great play.
Speaker 4 (03:52):
It was a great decision made by t Higgins when
he had the glory of a touchdown right in front
of him. But what I think is the most astonishing
result from tonight, and we saw it in multiple occasions,
mostly with Jamar Chase, but also on that throw with Higgins,
is the understanding that Joe Flacco has with these two
top receivers after being with the Bengals for ten days.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Like this is why Zach Taylor was all.
Speaker 4 (04:14):
On board with going and getting Joe Flacco because he
knew that there were other replacements out there who might,
you know, make him a little bit better and be
a better option than Jake Browning, but none had the
experience and the ability to get on the same page
with his with the players that they invested in in
T Higgins and Jamar Chase like Joe Flacco. And it
makes all the world's worth of sense now and also
(04:35):
makes us understand why Mike Tomlin was so angry, so
pissed off and Andrew Ferry for making that trade.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
It's funny because if you kind of think about that comment,
it almost is prematurely showing some fear. Yeah. I'm not
not that like that has any reason to do with
what happened here, but it kind of showed ball Knower's no.
And if you go back and watch that Brown film,
and a lot of people who I really respect in
the industry, we're like, look, Joe Flacco was a mess.
(05:03):
What are you talking about this year? Watch him in Cleveland,
like he's not the old guy, and yes, under pressure,
those plays were over in Cleveland. But when I watched
that Brown's offense earlier this season, I did not think
Joe Flacco was the problem, and actually he spun it
pretty well on a lot of plays. It is damning
to the Browns how bad they look compared to how
good the Bengals loo. But let's focus on the Bengals
(05:25):
for now. We can get back to that later. What
I will say about Flacco is he wasn't under a
lot of pressure tonight. Zach Taylor has done a good
job play calling, and you saw it start in the
second half of last week's game, more under center runs,
more under center throws, and ultimately he was getting the
ball out quickly but not sacrificing the ability to make
(05:46):
some big plays that the pressure from the pass rus
started to come for the Steelers in the fourth quarter
in some third and long situations, But until then, they
really did a good job game planning. And I always
get on Zach Taylor, so you got to give him
the I think they've adjusted this offense and they looked
better overall. Chase Brown ran the ball much better in
this game too. It was a complete offensive performance against
(06:09):
a Steelers defense that came into this game on a high. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
I think Zach Taylor picked and choose his spots really
really well, like where he decided to Like there were
situations where we're leaning on the run game that obviously,
you know, unlocked their offense was being able to get
Chase Brown going. Now, Chase Brown too some patient running,
ripping off chunk plays that absolutely bounced out the offense,
which was completely absent in the previous six games that
(06:33):
they'd played this year, and really the last four.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
Games once Joe Burrow went down.
Speaker 4 (06:37):
That was part one of it, but part two of
it was the fact that they were able to mix
up their play calling. It was a lot of quick throws.
Average time to throw for Joe flacot to night was
two point four to four seconds.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
That's quick. That's very fast.
Speaker 4 (06:50):
And they understand that Flacco is kind of like built
like Tom Brady in which he can has all that
wealth of knowledge, can make this pre snap decisions and
once that comes open, he's going.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
To fire that.
Speaker 4 (06:59):
He threw two time sam passes like that where he
read the coverage they ran, I think it was it
was no offense through coverage, and they basically created some
traffic to get him open quick throw. Another quick throw
in the goal line earlier as well for a touchdown.
So that was another part of it. But the other
part of it was when they were able to get
that done, it bought them time to occasionally get a
longer developing play. None of this happens without Joe Flacco
(07:20):
having Jamar Chase at his disposal. In Madden terms, he's
spamming Jamar Chase. He's just repeatedly throwing to the same
button over and over and over again because he knows
he can trust him to get open and he learned
in that Packers game last week, that Chase is going
to make those contested catches that most everybody else is
not going to make, the unbelievable ones, because he had
two against the Packers, and he was just as good tonight.
(07:41):
So that all of these things combined allowed it empowered
Zach Taylor to call the game as he wanted. They
don't get there, though, without without the running game, absolutely
do not get there, because then the Steelers can play coverage,
and if anything, it's short passing and nothing more. There
was one sequence in the second half where I thought
they got a little conservative and I got a little
frustrated with them, and it was the passes, the trying
to run a swing pass to Chase Brown, trying to
(08:03):
get a quick little bubble out to the outside. Otherwise,
an expertly called game one of Zach Taylor's finest performances
as a play caller with the Bengals.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
And you got to give even more credit, of course,
to Flacco. I haven't said his numbers. They're ridiculous. Thirty
one for forty seven for three hundred and forty two
yards in three touchdowns. Of those forty seven attempts, thirty
three of them went to Tee and Chase, and football
can get as complicated as you wanted to get. But
(08:34):
if you boil it down and you have two of
the best contested catch receivers in the league, find a
way to give him a chance. Because I know, again
Tea's numbers weren't as crazy, but man, that fingertip catch
that he had, like picking the ball up off the
ground in the first half of that game, Like, that's
a play that you just don't have many guys are
(08:54):
strong enough to make. And then of course Chase just
on those slants over and over, and then when they
started to play the slant to his back shoulder or
on the fade, just every type of pass. It didn't
all have to be deep down the field. It was
ninety four yards of yak and I thought you were
gonna say when they got conservative there in the second half.
(09:17):
The drive you didn't like was actually their second to
last drive where they did wind up punting the ball
back to the Steelers, and that was the drive where
they did go away from the run. There was also
a holding call on a running play in the second
half that was big, So that's just a problem. But
they kind of let Flaco just drop back every down
(09:37):
and that got him in trouble and we shouldn't have
taken this long. But man, this was one of the
best offensive performances one of the games of the year
for the Bengals. To note that, Yeah, Aaron Rodgers was
awesome tonight too. I actually think the box score does
him a disservice quote unquote only two hundred and forty
nine yards and he does end up with two interceptions.
(09:59):
One of them was just on a fantastic defensive play
where DJ Turner just rips the ball out of DK
Metcalf's hand. So you can't put that one on Aaron Rodgers.
That was just an awesome play by a cornerback who
is putting together a potential Pro Bowl type of season.
That is how good DJ Turner has been the last
couple of weeks. He has been absolutely fantastic, and he
(10:22):
had an injury but then came back to the game
for the end of it. He's been great. The other
interception was absolutely on Rogers, and maybe in a game
where there were so few offensive mistakes like that was
a difference maker. But man, I am gonna remember that
piss missile from Aaron Rodgers in the fourth quarter to
take the lead. The Steelers are trailing by two scorers
(10:43):
throughout most of the second half. They're down thirty to
twenty four. Rodgers gets the ball back with a chance
to drive the field, needing a touchdown to take the lead.
And this is what happens. I think the thirty two
yard line of his scooters. Rogers gets a snap back,
pressure coming, deluge.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
It fire sound field talkback fire roam Carbo, question of
the left sideline, the twenty.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
The ten, the five touchdown Carbo one o'claim sixty eight yards,
Rogers with the late magic, the Steelers.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
With the tie right now, pending the extra point for Boswell.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
That's Rob King on w DV E. Tell me what
you saw on that play.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
Nixon absolute k house in the back end.
Speaker 4 (11:30):
I mean, the coverage was completely busted almost from the start.
They look like they're in like a six look, and
then Geno Stone just gets completely.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
So what's a six looks out there?
Speaker 4 (11:40):
One half of the field is somebody's in a deep half,
and then the other half of the field they're in deep quarters.
So you have three deep guys, but the deep part
of the field is not evenly distributed among the three,
and on the quarter side, Geno Stone just gets completely lost,
almost like he forgets his assignment, drives down, leaves this
seam open to Pat Fryermuth. Rogers spots it as soon
as he breaks the pocket and gets out wide and
(12:02):
immediately rips a pass right down the scene to Friarmuth
and he does the rest. And it is so fitting
that an offense coordinated by Arthur Smith saw three different
tight ends score touchdowns tonight. You had Darnell Washington with
a score, John Us Smith with the score, and Pat
Fryermouth with the most important score for the Steelers on
the night there. It is just perfect for this team,
how they're constructed, who directs them, but it all fits
(12:25):
perfectly with Aaron Rodgers, who is capable of finding that
and getting that ball there on time. When he threw that,
I went, oh, But as he stepped up to rip it,
I saw it open prime vision again, the best way
to watch the game. So I see it open up,
and as soon as he winds it throw, I just go, oh, God,
courage throw. Here we go and it was right there.
He put it right on him.
Speaker 3 (12:45):
So glad you mentioned the Prime Vision angle on that.
It's just so fun to watch on Thursday nights because
I think if you watch the TV copy of that,
you think blown coverage by Gino Stone, who, once I
looked at the dots, I think just got overly concerned
about DK Metcalfe and thought it was going there. And
that's the gravity of what DK metcalf brings, but just
(13:07):
a mental mistake from Gino Stone. And I think Ravens
fans were looking at that plane and be like, I
remember that Genus Stone. I know he had all those
interceptions that one year, but there were a whole lot
of plays like that that he had to gamble on
to get those Internet.
Speaker 4 (13:18):
That wasn't the only example of that, though. The Bengals
in a similar situation in which and it was often
in situations in which they were worried about the opposing
team just converting the first down where the safety's got aggressive.
Steelers had a safety drive down. Andre Yoshovask goes down
the field, breaks coverage, beats Darius Slay downfield, and Joe
Flacco puts on and I know this was the Unk
Bowl and everything else, the Icy Hot Bowl, whatever you
(13:40):
wanted to call it, but both of those guys still
have fantastic arms, and those two throws, the one that
Rogers hit to Friarmuth and the one that Flacco hit
to Yoshavas, showed that they can still spit it.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
Great call. Unk Bowl, by the way, created a little
bit of a disagreement online whether white guys can be
or not. It's not up for me to decide. But
here's what this was. It was two over forty quarterbacks
just reminding you of what they were when they were
(14:14):
at their absolute best and reminding you, at least on
a play to play basis for that one play for instance,
for Rogers, there's no difference. I mean, he spun out
of a little bit of pressure, and yes it was
a busted coverage by the Bengals, but he spun to
his left. That is not an easy throw to make,
(14:36):
and watching it on that overhead camera, you know how
much velocity, and he knew how much velocity he still
needed to get on a rope to get it there.
I know that there's eight ten, whatever the number is,
Like young whipper snappers in the NFL that could probably
put the velocity on that throw to make it happen.
(14:58):
Aaron Rodgers and the old but Aaron Rodgers is still
one of those guys. And I was so excited about
making that point I actually ripped out a wire from
my camera and we had to stop down. But through
the magic of editing, our listeners will none be the wiser.
We still got it. And I'm in my forties. They're
making me feel young tonight, Nick.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
Schuck, Yeah me too.
Speaker 4 (15:20):
It was good I stopped considering agent sports because I'm
at that point where in my age where a lot
of guys are retiring that like played when I played,
So there was a standout linebacker I here remember his
name right now he's playing with the Browns and he retired, Oh,
Jordan Hicks. Jordan Hicks called it a career and he
was in my class in high school. So it's like, yeah,
all right, I'm getting to that point. But it's really
(15:42):
fun to see guys because you know, we saw Tom
Brady do it forever, but most guys don't do it forever.
Aaron Rodgers for the last couple of years has not
looked like Aaron Rodgers. Now he is looking like him again,
even in a loss.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
Yeah, I think flack O' and Rogers share that the
play falls apart when there's pressure, far more than when
they were younger. It's almost like the play is almost
a little bit older, just over. But they can make
up for it with play calling and with smarts about
(16:16):
when and where to go with the football. And even
though the Steelers lost, I think offensively, they have to
be excited about the direction of the team. Really nice
night for Jalen Warren, who goes way over one hundred yards.
The Bengals defense had no answer really for the jumbo
package that the Steelers had. And the jumbo package is,
(16:40):
you know, six offensive linemen plus Darnell Washington, who they
said on the broadcast is over three hundred pounds. I
think it was Ross Tucker actually on Westwood One I
heard say like a good deal over three hundred pounds
and might be transitioning to tackle one day and have
adjacent peters like track. So like their offense I think
(17:04):
has made strides. Are you concerned a little bit about
the Steelers defense after tonight?
Speaker 4 (17:11):
I have issues with both sides of the ball, one
with approach and the other with I don't know, personnel.
Speaker 2 (17:18):
I'll start offensively.
Speaker 4 (17:19):
Even though you asked about defense, because I think that
they gave the Bengals a break.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
For a lot of this game.
Speaker 4 (17:24):
Talked about how getting the ball out quick for Joe
Flacco was very beneficial for them.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
They had to do that. They have an offensive line
they can't trust TJ.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
Watt, Alex Heismith, Nick Herbagger on that other side, Cam
Hayward's on the other side.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
You got to get the ball out quick.
Speaker 4 (17:36):
You cannot subject Joe Flacco to the hits that the
Steelers would bring to him. Just ask Dylan Gabriel how
that went right. The Steelers didn't need to do what
they did. Now, Aaron Rodgers time to throw ended up
being closer to three second was like two point nine
to two or something like that. But there were a
lot of instances in which they were getting the ball
out quickly when they did not need to. That Bengals
pass rush was nonexistent, and yet they gave the secondary
(17:58):
a break in a lot of this game. If you're
watching on YouTube, you're seing a little bit of a
montage here. You have you have Rogers extending a play here.
This is what they should have done more of. Now,
obviously he's improvising when he throws that touchdown.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
Yeah, seconds eight point six seconds on that first touchdown throw.
I thought it was going to be a long night
after we saw that. Yes, this team has no juice.
Speaker 4 (18:17):
Because they have no pass rush. Trey Hendrickson is not
out there like this. This is what You're not going
to ask him to improvise the replay, but you gotta
give him longer dropbacks, and on certain plays I felt
like he predetermined throws. The interception that he threw, he
saw one on one, but there was a safety of
the top.
Speaker 2 (18:31):
He threw it in a double coverage gets picked off.
So I think that they need to go back to
the drawing board and kind of acknowledge it.
Speaker 4 (18:35):
Hey, even though it's good to get the ball out quickly,
we need to understand the weaknesses of our opposing defenses.
They didn't capitalize them, and that allowed the Bengals to
stay in the game. But I'm probably more concerned with
their defense because there is money in that group. Jalen
Ramsey got cooked all night, Darius Slade did not look good.
Their safeties weren't the best overall. Over like the course
of the game, this is a defense that, like last year,
(18:57):
is not playing up to expectation has past weeks. Did
not tonight, in a game that felt like a guarantee
that they were going to feast on an offense that
had struggled mightily. Say for when they added Joe Flacco
and kind of gave the Packers a game last week.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
They did not do that.
Speaker 4 (19:11):
They gave up long passes, They let Jamar Chase eat
all night, all night. They let t Higgins catch a
pass that sets him up for the game winning field goal.
This is unacceptable for them. This is not who their
identity is. They have way too much money invested in
that defense to play like this, So they need to
figure some things out on that side of the ball.
Speaker 3 (19:27):
Yeah, Like why is the best pass rusher in the
league according to pass rush win rate and to my
eyes just simply a top five pass rusher period? Nick
Herbig on the bench so much in this scheme, like
they couldn't figure out how to get him in there.
And then you saw late Cam Hayward and what you know,
(19:47):
combine on a sack and that leads to the Steelers
at the Bengals punting. But they ran third eighteen and
they had a give up play, which I didn't even love.
I'm like the way Jamar Chase is playing, I would
get Joe Flacco a chance third in eighteen. But the
drive before that too, Nick Herbig was lined up inside
a TJ. Watt on a pass rush and they've been
(20:09):
doing that more often. I've been noticing where he's an
inside rusher, which they never do with Wat or Heismith,
and it's really been effective. And he won immediately. And
that was a play where the conversation in the booth
is all about was it a pass interference or not?
And they didn't call it. Flacco through it to the sideline.
But I thought Herbig won that play ultimately because Flacco,
(20:32):
if he sees color flash, he is just throwing that ball.
And Herbig won right away. But that was too rare, obviously,
on a night where the Bengals for the most part
went up and down the field. That's a really interesting
point that you make about not adjusting.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
I guess it was driving me mad.
Speaker 4 (20:51):
There was a sequence I think it was right after
the Bengals settled for a field goal in the fourth quarter.
It may have been a little bit earlier where they're
like bubbles and I'm just like, what are you doing
like it works on occasion. That's fine, you keep them honest,
but you don't need to do that. So that's something
that they definitely need to go back and evaluate and
they'll probably wish that they hadn't done it.
Speaker 3 (21:12):
Yeah, that is a criticism I think for Mike Tomlin's
entire tenure, and it's continued into today and Steelers fans
are so mad that they lost this game and like
Tomlins lost it this you know, it's like to another
Tomlin game, like he always loses these games as a
heavy favorite. It's in the division, it's Thursday night football.
(21:34):
These things happen. That's I think that's overreacting, but I
think it is a fair criticism that they're not a
nimble coaching staff. In the game they or even between weeks,
they kind of do what they do. It makes them
a little predictable. And it's tough for me to criticize
anything they did on offense tonight because ultimately, you have
nine drives and you put up thirty one points and
(21:57):
that includes two interceptions, so so you know, one of
them was a great defensive play, but that's what it
required tonight, and ultimately you didn't lose a shootout to
Joe Burrow. You lost the shootout to Joe Flacco with
a chance to win the division. Essentially, they all but
add the division on ice if they win this game.
That's that's pretty disappointing to lose that sort of shootout.
(22:19):
You want to be able to win a shootout in
that scenario. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (22:22):
Yeah, it's the other Joe Cool that you lost to,
and this one's gonna sting for a little bit for them.
I also, you know, when we had our little technical
issue there, I took a second to look at the
Steelers schedule, just because losses like this they can be
good for teams that get off the hot starts because
it keeps them honest. But if you review the games
they've won so far, they beat the Jets in Week
one and that shootout, Right, we know what the Jets are.
Speaker 2 (22:42):
Now. They lose the Seahawks, in which the Seahawks were
just the better team.
Speaker 4 (22:45):
They beat the Patriots primarily because they forced enough takeaways
on defense to win that game, Like that was a
very winnable game for the Patriots, Right. They beat Carson
Wetz and the Vikings in Dublin, and they beat the
lowly Browns. Now they lose to the Bengals, that four
and two record does not look nearly as strong as
it would without diving into that schedule, and things get tougher.
You get the Packers, Colts, Chargers in another rematch with
(23:07):
the Bengals, this time in Pittsburgh, all in the next month.
So this is gonna have to be one of those
games that may have come at the perfect time because
it kind of makes you come circle to wagons and
figure out, all right, maybe we're not as good as
we thought.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
We got some things we got to fix, but it.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
Comes at the perfect time for us. Shooky, because I
want teams to be alive. So before this masterpiece of
a game happened, I thought it was gonna be a
bit of a dud. And so we have a whole
other segment for the listeners, and it's how many teams
could we realistically see in the Super Bowl? And it
(23:42):
was inspired a little bit by the Steelers and inspired
more by this season where there's so many teams in
the middle of the NFL that it really feels like
anything's possible, And I'm like, could I see the Steelers
in the super Bowl? We'll get to that in a
little bit. But what I like that this game did
was it kept a division more alive. Yeah, and actually
(24:02):
it keeps the Bengals more alive. You had Joe Burrow
on the sideline and he looks so sad. He looked
like Emo Joe Burrow, Bobona's killing his haircut.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
Yea, his hair wasn't even good.
Speaker 3 (24:17):
I mean it's it's not great, and he just seems
so sad. And I thought, of all the accomplishments that
Flacco had tonight, shook making Joe Burrow smile from ear
to ear on the sideline was maybe Flacco's greatest achievement
late in the game, Like, yeah, Burrow just perked him.
Speaker 4 (24:34):
Up, because if you think about it, Joe Burrow said
he was feeling better than ever going into the season.
He's got his top two guys under contract, That drama's
behind him, He's got his own contract. All that's behind him.
Speaker 3 (24:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (24:48):
They know their defense is going to have to overachieve
to be competent, but they believe in the firepower that
they had offensively. And then we two week two, he
gets knocked out with a c various injury and you
can't help but think as he's in the darkness of
rehab watching his team just lay egg after egg after
(25:08):
egg that he's sitting there wondering, God, would be so
different if I could just be on the field right now,
and probably feels guilty for not being there for his guys.
So to see Joe Flacco, the guy who saved the
Browns two years ago, come into Cincinnati and save him again, Oh,
it had to be such a relief for him. And
finally he could watch his teammates enjoy success and not
(25:30):
feel like all the blame is on.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
Him, and the season's alive. At two to five and
with the Steelers ahead, it's a race to six. This
is gonna be my rallying cry for the Bengals from
now on. Get to six wins without Burrow. If you
can get to six wins, and I'm projecting and doing
the math and the timelines, a Burrow return roughly in
(25:56):
mid December, So if you can get to six wins
by then, you maybe what would you be? You'd be
you know, six and eight at like six and seven
at worst, something like that. If you can get to
six and six or six and seven or whatever, it's
gonna be five and seven. Just just keep them in
(26:20):
it to give Burrow a chance to come in for
the last four to five games and win them all
down the stretch or stay at five hundred. It's possible.
You just mentioned the Browns, all right, let's get to
just a very quick Browns angle. Yeah, because yes, everyone
was reminded. I think of a couple of TNF games.
Number one the Flaco game a couple of years ago,
when he led them to a playoff berth that was
(26:42):
pretty sweet on TNF and they're chanting Flacco's name just
like they were. Wasn't as loud, but at the beginning
of that last drive they were chanting Flacco's name. Also,
you know last year there was a great Browns game
on TNF by the way, in the snow that you
went to.
Speaker 2 (26:57):
Yeah, that was a classic.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
But watching Flacco in this system the last six quarters,
because he was great in the second half two against
the Packers, a really good defense, it just makes the
Browns look even worse. Like it does reminds you how
tough it is right now for Dylan Gabriel or if
should Sanders ever plays Shad Sanders like just just fighting
(27:19):
so hard uphill and now look what Joe Flacco can
do supported not even by a great offensive line or
anything obviously great weapons around him.
Speaker 4 (27:27):
Yeah, it must be weird for Joe Flacco to join
the team that he should have beaten in Week one.
Like he played well enough in that game the two
pisi threw where basically bobbles and drops right into the
hands of Bengals defenders, like he played very well. Uh,
and then from there things got worse in Cleveland. The
offensive line broke down, they lost their tackles, They couldn't
protect him. Flacco is not mobile. He could not break
(27:48):
the pocket. And I know I'm saying Flacco is not
mobile on a night in which he took his own
read option around the left side for a first down,
which was if you threw a thousand plays on the wall,
that would be the last play I'd picked that the
Bengals would call.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
Why it was a Galaxy brain call. But like, he
couldn't move.
Speaker 4 (28:06):
And the most damning part of it for the Browns
is the fact that Flacco looks ten times.
Speaker 2 (28:11):
Better with good receivers. That's all.
Speaker 4 (28:14):
It took good receivers the Browns, Jerry Judy dropping passes
over and over again when Flacco hits him in his hands,
started in Week one continue throughout the rest of his tenure.
Defenses eventually came to the point where they were like,
we don't have to worry about them hurting us in
the passing game because those guys aren't going to catch
the ball anyway. All we have to do is stop
the run and pin their ears back on third and long.
Get after Flacco because we know he can't move. That
(28:35):
is a losing scenario. And the Browns benching of Joe
Flacco was justified because of their weaknesses everywhere else. But
that is not to criticize Joe Flacco, because clearly he
still has it. It's just that's how bad the situation
is in Cleveland.
Speaker 3 (28:50):
The offensive line like they have to play and we
don't want this to be a Brown's discussion, so we'll
move on afterwards. But yeah, the offensive line is so bad,
and it's the differ difference, I think between a mediocre
offensive line, which is what the Bengals have. But that's
it's kind of all you need. It's all you like
want in the end is just to not have your
offensive line kill you. And Browns have the most expensive
(29:12):
offensive line in the league. Yeah, a ton of resources
and it absolutely kills their team.
Speaker 4 (29:17):
There is one big difference too, like I still see
people wearing Flaco T shirts even though after they traded him.
One difference between two years ago and now. In his
time with the Browns, they had a Marii Cooper two
years ago, Amari Cooper who could still catch the ball.
He was Joe Flaccos Jumar Chase for most of that season.
They don't have that receiver anymore. That was the big difference.
Speaker 3 (29:37):
They don't And you know what, one member of the
media for the Steelers also won't have bow boy his
nipples as untiful and un.
Speaker 2 (29:52):
Unaltered.
Speaker 3 (29:54):
Unaltered would be the way. I don't know if you
saw this, but yeah, yeah, A low radio guy Andrew
Philipponi I believe is his name, on ninety three zero
point seven. The fan said that the Steelers had, you know,
no chance that they would lose this game and he
would get his nipples pierced without any painkiller I believe,
(30:16):
or any medication beforehand if they lost this game, and
he at the end of the night he sent the
picture of his Harry nipples, which I did not need
to see and say like this is the last time,
you know, say goodbye to these sweet babies? Is he?
Speaker 4 (30:31):
Is he getting both? Is he getting a hoop? Is
he getting a bar? These are the details and in
fact live stream the piercing it.
Speaker 3 (30:38):
So I'm not gonna watch, but it's good. Honestly, I
feel like I've a anoid almost giving him so much
attention because he is someone who is a radio guy there,
who's always looking to get attention, has had so many
wrong reports about the Steelers over the years. But yeah,
he should be shamed for saying one of those stupid
things he said, no way the Steelers lose tonight. In fact,
(31:01):
they'll get my nipples pierced with no numbing agents if
they lose to the Bungles. It ain't happening. Well, you
know what it happened. So what football is about? You know?
Of course, you would rather have a career where you
just have sustained, like really high level play, not because
that's what you can control, but as much fun as
(31:26):
Philip Rivers, for instance, had, and he might be going
to the Hall of Fame. Man Joe Flacco has strung
together a collection of moments, the greatest one being, of
of course, one of the greatest Super Bowl performances I
think of all time, and certainly one of the greatest
postseason performances. But he's also just had nights. A lot
(31:47):
of them have come against Mike Tomlin and the Steelers.
One of them came for your Browns. I don't think
he had one for the Jets. That's just how bad
the Jets are.
Speaker 2 (31:57):
For the you know, the Broncos.
Speaker 3 (32:00):
Nights like tonight, That's that's what life is like, not
just career. It's like he's not going to the Hall
of Fame someday, but damn like, we're never gonna forget
Joe Flacco. It's one of the reasons why I hate
the quote, like, well, if you can't you tell the
story of football without him, he deserve you know, he's
gonna be in.
Speaker 2 (32:17):
The Hall of Fame.
Speaker 3 (32:17):
No, you can put him in the Hall of Fun sure, sure,
because like he's given us a lot. I didn't know
if we would have another one, but he gave us
another one tonight.
Speaker 2 (32:28):
Yeah, I love it.
Speaker 4 (32:29):
I mean, he's a great guy for it to happen
to you know, he's a classic, just a happy dad
and a good husband who can still sling the rock
and can still get calls from teams.
Speaker 2 (32:37):
Get off of his couch. He did that two years ago.
He's been on team since.
Speaker 4 (32:41):
Then make a drive down across the state, cram the
offense while he's driving, well, while somebody's driving him down
to Cincinnati, and go out and deliver in prime time.
Speaker 3 (32:51):
I love it. I mean, we had collected so many
highlights from this game, and yet they almost feel secondary.
The one funny moment that I don't want to forget, though,
is just Aaron Rodgers cussing out Jayalen Horn early in
the game on what appeared to be a flea flicker
that was not supposed to be a flee flicker, which,
(33:14):
judging by the reaction of Rogers like I believe him.
He was so surprised to get the ball back and
he yells, what are you doing? What the eff are
you doing? And then according to pretty expert lip readers,
I think he just says, that was not supposed to
be a flea flicker. So shout out to Aaron Rodgers
for being aware enough in the moment to catch that
(33:35):
ball and then throw it into the ground.
Speaker 4 (33:36):
He gets like surprised by the ball and just that
how do you mess up that play call like a
Fleet flicker play call has got to be pretty unique.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
But right, that's what I was like.
Speaker 3 (33:47):
Is there a chance Rogers is the one that messed
that up? And he forgot and just in the moment,
like lost his head because like, I don't know, how
would a running back think to do that? And everyone
else is blocking the play? Who who really knows? What
a night? And yeah, you mentioned the inflexibility from the Steelers.
I just checked while you were chatting, and they were
(34:08):
in man coverage almost fifty percent tonight yep, in the
year twenty twenty five.
Speaker 2 (34:14):
Yep.
Speaker 4 (34:14):
And that is how you get toasted by a premier
route runner like Jamar Chase to the tune of sixteen catches.
Speaker 2 (34:20):
Yeah, great fantasy night for Jamar.
Speaker 3 (34:22):
It feels like, yeah, unreal, yea, all the people that
thought the T Higgins and Jamar Chase fantasy seasons were over,
Joe Flacco has come to save them. Like the Bengals,
The Bengers are at three and four, like they were
the worst team in football for a month straight and
yet they are at three and four, and yeah, the
(34:43):
Steelers fall to four and two. I'm looking at a
schedule that has their preseason, right, I don't need that. Okay,
let's take a quick break. We're gonna come back and
we're gonna talk about what teams we think could make
the super Bowl. We'll see if you're in sort on
the Stealers. Change back on NFL Daily, getting ready for
(35:08):
a segment that I thought we were going to use
after like a fifteen to twenty minute recap of a
boring game. I was watching the game first half with
Daniel Jeremiah and he's like, this game is a snoozer,
and then yeah, somewhere around the mid second quarter, it
just all went crazy. That's the great thing about the NFL.
Like these games are long, they can change so many
(35:29):
different times. In my conception of this show change, so
the idea shook. It's simple, what teams can we imagine
in the super Bowl? The way that this season has gone,
it really seems to have opened up the canopy to
more teams. And since the Steelers are who inspired me,
I'll start with their with them, can you imagine this
(35:50):
team in the super Bowl?
Speaker 4 (35:52):
They weren't on my list before this game, and they're
still not on my list or and I feel very vindicated.
I feel like, my take is pretty five here because
I am concerned about their defense and I feel as
though they've played a relatively soft schedule. It was funny
they threw up a graphic during the game and it
said showed the AFC North and it was one to
oh one and oh one to know and then the
Browns at bottom nine three, and I'm like, well, they
(36:13):
all beat the Browns like they haven't even played any
division games yet.
Speaker 2 (36:16):
This is only the Steelers second division game. They haven't
been tested yet.
Speaker 4 (36:19):
I need to see them tested legitimately before I can
put them in there. Yes, four and one was great,
four and two doesn't look as strong after this loss.
I have questions about them. But if you win the division,
you're in the play you're in the playoffs, and you're
in the race. But right now I'm not seeing them
in the Steelers in the super Bowl.
Speaker 3 (36:35):
Okay, And it's just can We're not saying likely, We're
just like, would we be totally shocked? All right, we won't.
We won't put the Steelers down. I gotta say, coming
into tonight, maybe I was falling for what had been
a relatively easy schedule, But thinking about tonight, they also
it's a short week on the road. They quietly the
Browns deserve a little bit of an assist here that
(36:56):
they had the Steelers defense somehow on the field for
eighty playslast week. That fourth quarter took forever.
Speaker 2 (37:02):
Some of the starters were out in the late stages.
Speaker 3 (37:03):
But yeah, yeah, but like I saw, Patrick Queen, if
you count the penalties, was on the field for eighty
two snaps last week, like there were some of the
Steelers that were out there for a ton of snaps. Anyways,
I shouldn't move so far off my priors. Can I
really see Aaron Rodgers winning three playoff games or getting
a buy like? No, I can't, So let's stay in
(37:26):
the division. Can Are the Bengals a team that you
think can make the Super Bowl? Now, in this scenario,
Flacco would have to keep it afloat long enough for
Joe Burrow to make it happen.
Speaker 4 (37:37):
I'm gonna say no as well, just because Burrow's return
is going to be so late in the season. You
think about rest versus rust, Well, it's rehabbing versus rust.
And I'm just as good as he is, and he's fantastic.
It just diminishes my belief in them.
Speaker 3 (37:51):
Well, here's the thing, Joe Flacco didn't fix the defense.
I know they didn't have Trey Hendrickson. Tonight should have
mentioned that right at the top. That's amazing to get
a win without, Hey, Trey Hendrickson. He's not going to
solve everything. It's a bad defense. It's not great in
terms of their kicking game on special teams, they're giving
up like long kick returns all the time. I agree,
I don't think they can make the super Bowl. But
the fact that Joe Burrow, you know, is their quarterback,
(38:14):
it's tough to cross them out. The Browns are obviously
a cross out. They can't even make the playoffs, and
the Ravens are the other team in this division. I
think they can still make the super Bowl.
Speaker 4 (38:24):
I divided my teams into sections. I have five teams
that I definitely believe can make the Super Bowl. I
have one where I just need a p AFC. No,
this is overall, this is just make it.
Speaker 3 (38:33):
Man. I'm a hater, and I have a.
Speaker 2 (38:37):
Chunk of teams.
Speaker 4 (38:38):
I have a chunk of teams that I just have
a thing or two that need to be answered. And
the Ravens, for me, just need to get healthy. If
they get healthy, they can turn everything around. So I
could see them in the Super Bowl.
Speaker 3 (38:49):
Then they're written down that they This is supposed to
be a big tent exercise. And I'm thinking about the
seasons back in the day, like when the Packers made
it as a sixty, when the Cardinals made it after
losing two games by like thirty points in December. We
used to have more seasons, or at least there was
(39:09):
a little stretch there where you'd see some lower seeded
surprising teams.
Speaker 2 (39:14):
The Giants.
Speaker 3 (39:15):
Yeah, the Giants twice making it without having good rate,
Like it feels like one of those sort of seasons.
So keep that in mind. Okay, we're writing down the Ravens.
Man AFC North teams are not going to be happy
that we wrote down the Ravens and not the Steelers
of the Bengals. All right, af C East. Can you
see the Patriots in the Super Bowl?
Speaker 4 (39:35):
Not at this point, but I love their trajectory, and God,
what a story would be if Mike Rable got to
the Super Bowl in year one.
Speaker 3 (39:41):
Drake May two thousand and one Patriots, there's more unlikely
team than that to make the Super Bowl.
Speaker 2 (39:48):
They had a great defense.
Speaker 4 (39:50):
I mean, all I can say is Drake may Is,
he's in my top ten and QB and IC he
continues to rise. I think he's up to number seven
right now. And if he if he stays on this path,
they're in the conversation for almost anything. It's just at
this point right now, I can't envision them there just yet.
Speaker 3 (40:06):
You know, can can you win a division and you
have a home game, you got a chance. Yeah, all right,
We're not gonna write down the Patriots just because I
don't want to jinx anything. The Bills I think are
an obvious yes, despite how rough they are, Like right
now on defense, we're talking projection. You gotta imagine it's
a long season, shook. There is a scenario where the
Buffalo Bills make the Super Bowl.
Speaker 4 (40:24):
Come on, you could have said that over the last
five years too. I just think they're frauds personally. I
don't know if they're going to fix their defense. I
know they're missing a couple of guys, but.
Speaker 3 (40:33):
It's can, it's can, come on, Come with me, come with.
Speaker 4 (40:36):
Me, Okay, all right, So I'm not putting my life
you're a If they're frauds. Okay, I'll say both they can,
but they're not going to.
Speaker 3 (40:43):
Well, of course, only one team from each conference are
going to the idea of this exercise like who has
a legitimate chance. Obviously we're crossing out the Dolphins and
the Jets. We don't need to discuss that. Let's go
to the South where we cross out the Titans for sure.
Between the Texans, Jaguars and the Colts. How many teams
(41:07):
do you think can make the Super Bowl? I want
you to expand your your list of five teams in
the NFL, because to me, it's like it's like ten
to twelve.
Speaker 4 (41:17):
Come on me, all right, okay, all right, I will
two of those three can?
Speaker 2 (41:21):
Two of those three can?
Speaker 4 (41:23):
I want to find cracks in the Colts, and I
just can't so far. And until they show me that
they have cracks in them, I'm going to continue to say, yeah,
they have a shot. I have some concerns about their defense.
I think they need to go get another corner. But
as they're playing right now, they're looking like one of
the best teams in the NFL.
Speaker 3 (41:43):
Okay, who is the other one?
Speaker 4 (41:45):
Then it's going to surprise you. It's the Houston Texans
because at the defense, defense travels and CJ. Strouds had
a couple of really great games. And I know you
have to consider the opponent, but if they can continue
this momentum that they've built because they look a little
more organized offensively, and the offensive line has been playing better,
and if they get Joe Mixon back eventually that would
be a nice little boost for them as well, then
(42:07):
I could see them putting it together because that defense
is good and that defense will travel.
Speaker 3 (42:14):
Jaguars are a tougher case. I agree with you on
everything you said for both of those and I think
the thing to remember fans, the NFL season is so long.
These teams are going to change identities. Many of the
teams we just talk about are gonna look completely different
for completely different reasons of strength and weaknesses than we
think in six weeks, and then they'll change again in
(42:35):
four weeks. But who has like enough to either get
them in position and then ultimately the talent at the
end of the day. That's why it's why I don't
I don't mind crossing off the Bengals because ultimately I
think their defensive problems are personnel and they just will
never be able to get over that. I don't think
(42:56):
it's crazy to write down the Jags. They got a lot,
They got a lot of potential aspects to their team
that could come together. Overall, I like the coaching, I
like the running game. I certainly have doubts about Trevor Lawrence.
I've seen crazier quarterbacks make it to a Super Bowl,
but I'm writing them down. Sorry, no one in the
(43:18):
West going to the West. The Chiefs are an obvious Yes,
I know three and three, but what are we talking
about here? The Raiders are an obvious crossout, So that
leaves the Broncos and the Chargers. Can either of those
teams make the Super Bowl.
Speaker 4 (43:35):
The Chargers are only going to be able to get
one of their tackles back, but it would be a
big boost for them.
Speaker 2 (43:40):
They've lost time.
Speaker 3 (43:41):
Might be this week. Joe All is practicing as we're taping.
Both Khalil Mack and Joe All have a chance. They're
playing on Thursday Night Football. I tried to get some
intel and it seems like Mac is maybe more likely
to play this week than Alt, especially with the Thursday
night game coming up for the Chargers. But that's good
good that you know both of them might be back
(44:02):
on the field.
Speaker 4 (44:02):
So I hope he's wearing a giant elbow brace too,
because I thought that might have been a season ender
when he suffered that injury.
Speaker 2 (44:07):
So that's great, NAIs.
Speaker 4 (44:09):
I think that they are going to have to continue
to try to manage this running back situation until we
get Hampton back. But they have enough talent receiver, and
I think overall, like the culture is taking effect. It's
just that right now they're like grinding out games because
this is all they can do offensively.
Speaker 2 (44:24):
So yes, I could see them getting there.
Speaker 3 (44:26):
And I'm gonna say yes for the Broncos too, because again,
even though I wasn't that high on the Broncos coming
into the year, I have a little bit of doubt
about Joe Nick bo Nicks. It's been a long week.
I just think they have enough that if everything came together,
they fit my criteria. Yeah, great defensive line obviously, very
(44:49):
good defense overall, a very good offensive line, great play caller.
And my point is I'm making a big ten. I
really think a lot of teams have a chance this year.
Doesn't mean we won't be watching the Chiefs in the
Super Bowl like that could happen. But I just think
more teams than before in the last handful of years,
(45:11):
where it's been dominated in the AFC by these quarterbacks
with enough backing behind them. I just think there's more
teams this year. So in the AFC, I've written down
the Chargers, Broncos, Bill's, Ravens, Chiefs, Colts, Texans, and Jags.
That's a lot of AFC teams. I love it. There's
eight and yeah, Patriots fans, Steelers fans, Bengals fans, they're
(45:33):
not going to be happy that we didn't leave them out. Okay,
that we left them out. Okay, let's go to the
NFC quickly. NFC obviously, you know the Giants. It's hard
to imagine. Cowboys. You know, I love Dak, but it's
hard to imagine. Do you think the Commanders and the
Eagles could make it?
Speaker 4 (45:52):
Eagles could definitely make it if they could figure out
their own drama, Like it feels like the junior high
lunch table with this team right now, but.
Speaker 2 (45:58):
They are talented enough.
Speaker 4 (46:00):
Losses on defense are more glaring than I thought they
would be, but ultimately I still think if they get healthy,
they're going to make a run and they'll be there,
or they'll have a chance to be there. Commanders, Jade
Daniels is back, and as long as he's back, I
have a lot of belief in them. And get Terry
McLaurin back, they're going to be in a pretty good spot.
That defense is old and kind of slow and not
(46:20):
very resilient, but when you got Jade and Daniels, you
always have a shot.
Speaker 2 (46:23):
So I could see both of them making a run.
Speaker 3 (46:25):
Yeah. The criterion the NFC is different. It's interesting because
it's not top heavy, but I don't think you're going
to sneak through the NFC playoffs night.
Speaker 2 (46:34):
I think four of my five teams were NFC teams.
Speaker 3 (46:36):
Yeah, so the Commanders are a tough one for me
because I like a lot of the things that they've done.
I'll write them down.
Speaker 4 (46:44):
Though.
Speaker 3 (46:44):
I think we should qualify this as this is how
big a tent. I want show a second if the
actual Super Bowl winner or participants, because it's just making
the super Bowl. If it does not include if the
super Bowl includes a team that we did not list tonight,
we should have to get our nipples.
Speaker 2 (47:03):
Piers.
Speaker 3 (47:04):
I'm not gonna do that.
Speaker 2 (47:05):
Put one on the line.
Speaker 3 (47:07):
You know, but that's like, that's the type of big
ten I'm asking for. It's just just a possibility, Like
would you really put your nipples on the line saying
that the Bengals wouldn't make the Super Bowl? I might
be afraid of Joe Burrow, you never know. I'm ready
(47:27):
to cross off the Bears, even though they're having a
good season. I just think that's if they won a
playoff game, that'd be unreal. I just can't imagine them
winning three. I kind of doubt you disagree there. So
let's go to the other three teams. Packers seem like
an obvious yes, and that leaves, you know, the Vikings
(47:47):
and the Lions. The Lions feel like an obvious yes.
What do you think about the Vikings?
Speaker 2 (47:53):
Yeah, Lions are an obvious yes.
Speaker 4 (47:54):
I feel like we don't know who the Vikings are
because they haven't had their quarterback since the start of
the season. And yes, he's a essentially a pseudo rookie,
like a rookie by default. But until they get JJ
McCarthy back, that's when we start to really evaluate. I
think that they've gotten better than they were last year,
and obviously the record doesn't show it, but there is
a lot of potential lurking beneath the surface that could
(48:17):
come through in the second half of this tear.
Speaker 3 (48:18):
You want to write down the vikings, Yes, okay, I'll
go along with you, because I'd like for them to
get more in the mix. It's a little hard for
me to imagine with the way their quarterback play is
right now. But I certainly would have said the same
on the day that Carson Wentz went out for the
season for the eleven and two Eagles back in twenty seventeen.
(48:39):
In fact, I did say it on the route, and
I think we all talked about it on the Around
the NFL podcast, and a handful of weeks later, Nick
Foles outdueled Tom Brady in one of the tom Brady's
best performances in the Super Bowl. So they could round
into form at quarterback eventually, and then they have a
lot of other stuff. I agree. In the NFC South,
it's a bridge too far, obviously for the Saints and
(49:01):
the Panthers. Sorry Panthers fans. If you guys get a
seven seed, you know, throw a parade. But we're talking
about the Super Bowl. Can the Falcons make it I
think we'd both agree the Bucks are an obvious yes
that they could make the Super Bowl.
Speaker 4 (49:13):
I don't think the Falcons didn't make it, but I
think they're on the right path because they've they've competed
with some of the tougher teams that they've faced so far.
I feel like this is a team that maybe runs
out of gas because they're a little too one dimensional.
But I love where they are from last year this year,
they're on a great path.
Speaker 3 (49:28):
I've seen crazier Super Bowl teams than the Falcons. But
I will go back to what I just said about
the NFC. I don't think anyone's slipping through there. So
you put the Falcons in the AFC.
Speaker 2 (49:40):
I give them a.
Speaker 3 (49:42):
Fighting chance to get to the conference championship at least
or something crazy. I do think that defense has going
to have to show that it can be this good
all season. It sometimes a team that's so well schemed up,
you know, teams catch up with them. We'll see the
Vikings have been scheming it up for a couple of years.
Definitely writing down the Bucks, it's obvious that they're contenders
this year, and then how many teams are you going
(50:03):
with out of the West. The Cardinals are to me
an obvious no, and so who are you saying a
yes too?
Speaker 4 (50:09):
For the other three teams, Seattle Seahawks are the first
one on my list. They just look like a closer
thing to a complete team. I would also like to
put the Rams on that list. I think it's going
to be more challenging for them. I am not going
to put the forty nine ers on the list because
despite them getting to this point, with all these injuries
(50:30):
that they've suffered, in Kyle Shanahan's ability to squeeze the
most juice out of that fruit, I just think it's
gonna be too much to overcome.
Speaker 3 (50:37):
Totally agree. If Nick Bosa and Fred Warner were healthy,
obviously they're in the mix. I think Kyle Shannan could
be a problem for a lot of teams, including the
Falcons this weekend and find his way to playing for
the NFC West title in week eighteen or something like
that's on the table. A four seed or a six seed.
(50:58):
I just don't think you're going to be able to
make the Super Bowl without those horses. And I think
the Seahawks and Rams to me are pretty obvious because
I think the upside for both teams are sky high.
So in the NFC we wound up going with the Packers, Lions, Eagles, Commanders, Vikings, Bucks, Seahawks,
and Rams, which means we went with eight teams in
the NFC and eight teams in the AFC. Is that right?
Speaker 2 (51:23):
That's too many?
Speaker 3 (51:24):
It's not. That's the point, and that's the headline, sixteen
teams that can make the super Bowl in Santa Clara.
I don't think that's a crazy take on a night
where Joe Flacco showed us anything as possible. Shookie, we
did it. You killed it. As always love doing shows
(51:44):
with you. We're going to be doing them in primetime
all season long, and next time you will hear me,
it will be with Cynthia Freeland from the podcast Studio
and we will be doing our week seven hits. The
train was on rolling year
Rogers catches the shotgun.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Snap.
Speaker 3 (00:03):
Now, He'll run around, allow.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
His receivers to get downfield, and he launches it into
the end zone and it is broken up incomplete. No
knocked the way by djiv And the Bengals have knocked
out the Steelers on Thursday Night by the final score
of thirty three to thirty one.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
The af SEED.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
North gets tighter and the Bengals outlook gets brighter with
a tremendous closing finish and a game winning field goal
with seven seconds to go.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Oh, great call there by Dan Horde, and you could hurt.
Hear a little tackling from Dave Lapham in the background.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
W c K.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Why on a magical night for football in Ohio? I
said it when Joe Flacco and Aaron Rodgers trade Lake
back and forth all night, And it ends on a
night that Mike Tomlin was right. He should have been
mad about them trading for Joe Flacco on a night
(01:12):
that paying two wide receivers all the money looked smart. Yes,
the Bengals kept hope alive in the AFC North and
the Thursday night problems for Mike Tomlin continued, Shookie, you
must have been getting flashbacks Joe Flacco on Thursday Night
Football having a moment, and yes, an AFC North crowd
(01:34):
chanting for Joe Flacco like they were in Cleveland just
a couple of years ago.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
Yeah, this time around happened in the opposite corner of
the state. I mean that arm is still live and
Joe Flacco, he's got the wisdom of nearly two decades
in the NFL and he's using at his full disposal.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
And luckily the Bengals and the beneficiaries.
Speaker 4 (01:52):
Luckily because it takes an AFC North race that was
frankly starting to get pretty boring, makes it a little
more interesting now with an upset like.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
This, absolutely does. And we didn't go with the game
winning field goal call at the end because by then
it was anti climactic. It was really the Flacco throw
to t Higgins once again picking on Jalen Ramsey, man
to man coverage throughout the first half, Jamar Chase just
(02:19):
abusing Ramsey mostly Darius Slay. At some point. They switched
the zone for most of the second half, at least
on Chase. But Flacco saw his other number one B
receiver on the sideline and he made what was ultimately
the game winning play.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
Chase, one of three receivers out to the right. Flacco
is ready catches the shotgun snap blitz coming.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Flacco throws a fade and it.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Is caning inside the ten and going into a slide
his T Higgins. That's brilliant, Patty run into the end zone.
It would have been a touchdown. We all would have
been excited, but it would have left plenty of time
for Rogers to answer. By going down, he forces the
Steelers to call another time out.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
Total dime there by Flacco and a great heady play
by T. Higgins. The attention shook will rightfully be on
Jamar Chase on a night where he caught sixteen passes
for one hundred and sixty one yards in a touchdown.
But they do not win this game without a couple
really great contested catches by T. Higgins who winds up
(03:25):
going six for ninety six and a touchdown of his own,
and then a classy, you know, stylish way to finish
it there with the slide. I'm liking these game ending
slides in big moments like Justin Herbert had.
Speaker 4 (03:39):
Yeah, if we could just take this knowledge, this football
IQ and apply it to the guys crossing the goal
line and dropping the football before they crossed the goal line.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
We beat live in a much better world.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
But yes, everybody's going to focus on that slide, and
rightfully so.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Because it was a great play.
Speaker 4 (03:52):
It was a great decision made by t Higgins when
he had the glory of a touchdown right in front
of him. But what I think is the most astonishing
result from tonight, and we saw it in multiple occasions,
mostly with Jamar Chase, but also on that throw with Higgins,
is the understanding that Joe Flacco has with these two
top receivers after being with the Bengals for ten days.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Like this is why Zach Taylor was all.
Speaker 4 (04:14):
On board with going and getting Joe Flacco because he
knew that there were other replacements out there who might,
you know, make him a little bit better and be
a better option than Jake Browning, but none had the
experience and the ability to get on the same page
with his with the players that they invested in in
T Higgins and Jamar Chase like Joe Flacco. And it
makes all the world's worth of sense now and also
(04:35):
makes us understand why Mike Tomlin was so angry, so
pissed off and Andrew Ferry for making that trade.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
It's funny because if you kind of think about that comment,
it almost is prematurely showing some fear. Yeah. I'm not
not that like that has any reason to do with
what happened here, but it kind of showed ball Knower's no.
And if you go back and watch that Brown film,
and a lot of people who I really respect in
the industry, we're like, look, Joe Flacco was a mess.
(05:03):
What are you talking about this year? Watch him in Cleveland,
like he's not the old guy, and yes, under pressure,
those plays were over in Cleveland. But when I watched
that Brown's offense earlier this season, I did not think
Joe Flacco was the problem, and actually he spun it
pretty well on a lot of plays. It is damning
to the Browns how bad they look compared to how
good the Bengals loo. But let's focus on the Bengals
(05:25):
for now. We can get back to that later. What
I will say about Flacco is he wasn't under a
lot of pressure tonight. Zach Taylor has done a good
job play calling, and you saw it start in the
second half of last week's game, more under center runs,
more under center throws, and ultimately he was getting the
ball out quickly but not sacrificing the ability to make
(05:46):
some big plays that the pressure from the pass rus
started to come for the Steelers in the fourth quarter
in some third and long situations, But until then, they
really did a good job game planning. And I always
get on Zach Taylor, so you got to give him
the I think they've adjusted this offense and they looked
better overall. Chase Brown ran the ball much better in
this game too. It was a complete offensive performance against
(06:09):
a Steelers defense that came into this game on a high. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
I think Zach Taylor picked and choose his spots really
really well, like where he decided to Like there were
situations where we're leaning on the run game that obviously,
you know, unlocked their offense was being able to get
Chase Brown going. Now, Chase Brown too some patient running,
ripping off chunk plays that absolutely bounced out the offense,
which was completely absent in the previous six games that
(06:33):
they'd played this year, and really the last four.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
Games once Joe Burrow went down.
Speaker 4 (06:37):
That was part one of it, but part two of
it was the fact that they were able to mix
up their play calling. It was a lot of quick throws.
Average time to throw for Joe flacot to night was
two point four to four seconds.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
That's quick. That's very fast.
Speaker 4 (06:50):
And they understand that Flacco is kind of like built
like Tom Brady in which he can has all that
wealth of knowledge, can make this pre snap decisions and
once that comes open, he's going.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
To fire that.
Speaker 4 (06:59):
He threw two time sam passes like that where he
read the coverage they ran, I think it was it
was no offense through coverage, and they basically created some
traffic to get him open quick throw. Another quick throw
in the goal line earlier as well for a touchdown.
So that was another part of it. But the other
part of it was when they were able to get
that done, it bought them time to occasionally get a
longer developing play. None of this happens without Joe Flacco
(07:20):
having Jamar Chase at his disposal. In Madden terms, he's
spamming Jamar Chase. He's just repeatedly throwing to the same
button over and over and over again because he knows
he can trust him to get open and he learned
in that Packers game last week, that Chase is going
to make those contested catches that most everybody else is
not going to make, the unbelievable ones, because he had
two against the Packers, and he was just as good tonight.
(07:41):
So that all of these things combined allowed it empowered
Zach Taylor to call the game as he wanted. They
don't get there, though, without without the running game, absolutely
do not get there, because then the Steelers can play coverage,
and if anything, it's short passing and nothing more. There
was one sequence in the second half where I thought
they got a little conservative and I got a little
frustrated with them, and it was the passes, the trying
to run a swing pass to Chase Brown, trying to
(08:03):
get a quick little bubble out to the outside. Otherwise,
an expertly called game one of Zach Taylor's finest performances
as a play caller with the Bengals.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
And you got to give even more credit, of course,
to Flacco. I haven't said his numbers. They're ridiculous. Thirty
one for forty seven for three hundred and forty two
yards in three touchdowns. Of those forty seven attempts, thirty
three of them went to Tee and Chase, and football
can get as complicated as you wanted to get. But
(08:34):
if you boil it down and you have two of
the best contested catch receivers in the league, find a
way to give him a chance. Because I know, again
Tea's numbers weren't as crazy, but man, that fingertip catch
that he had, like picking the ball up off the
ground in the first half of that game, Like, that's
a play that you just don't have many guys are
(08:54):
strong enough to make. And then of course Chase just
on those slants over and over, and then when they
started to play the slant to his back shoulder or
on the fade, just every type of pass. It didn't
all have to be deep down the field. It was
ninety four yards of yak and I thought you were
gonna say when they got conservative there in the second half.
(09:17):
The drive you didn't like was actually their second to
last drive where they did wind up punting the ball
back to the Steelers, and that was the drive where
they did go away from the run. There was also
a holding call on a running play in the second
half that was big, So that's just a problem. But
they kind of let Flaco just drop back every down
(09:37):
and that got him in trouble and we shouldn't have
taken this long. But man, this was one of the
best offensive performances one of the games of the year
for the Bengals. To note that, Yeah, Aaron Rodgers was
awesome tonight too. I actually think the box score does
him a disservice quote unquote only two hundred and forty
nine yards and he does end up with two interceptions.
(09:59):
One of them was just on a fantastic defensive play
where DJ Turner just rips the ball out of DK
Metcalf's hand. So you can't put that one on Aaron Rodgers.
That was just an awesome play by a cornerback who
is putting together a potential Pro Bowl type of season.
That is how good DJ Turner has been the last
couple of weeks. He has been absolutely fantastic, and he
(10:22):
had an injury but then came back to the game
for the end of it. He's been great. The other
interception was absolutely on Rogers, and maybe in a game
where there were so few offensive mistakes like that was
a difference maker. But man, I am gonna remember that
piss missile from Aaron Rodgers in the fourth quarter to
take the lead. The Steelers are trailing by two scorers
(10:43):
throughout most of the second half. They're down thirty to
twenty four. Rodgers gets the ball back with a chance
to drive the field, needing a touchdown to take the lead.
And this is what happens. I think the thirty two
yard line of his scooters. Rogers gets a snap back,
pressure coming, deluge.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
It fire sound field talkback fire roam Carbo, question of
the left sideline, the twenty.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
The ten, the five touchdown Carbo one o'claim sixty eight yards,
Rogers with the late magic, the Steelers.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
With the tie right now, pending the extra point for Boswell.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
That's Rob King on w DV E. Tell me what
you saw on that play.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
Nixon absolute k house in the back end.
Speaker 4 (11:30):
I mean, the coverage was completely busted almost from the start.
They look like they're in like a six look, and
then Geno Stone just gets completely.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
So what's a six looks out there?
Speaker 4 (11:40):
One half of the field is somebody's in a deep half,
and then the other half of the field they're in deep quarters.
So you have three deep guys, but the deep part
of the field is not evenly distributed among the three,
and on the quarter side, Geno Stone just gets completely lost,
almost like he forgets his assignment, drives down, leaves this
seam open to Pat Fryermuth. Rogers spots it as soon
as he breaks the pocket and gets out wide and
(12:02):
immediately rips a pass right down the scene to Friarmuth
and he does the rest. And it is so fitting
that an offense coordinated by Arthur Smith saw three different
tight ends score touchdowns tonight. You had Darnell Washington with
a score, John Us Smith with the score, and Pat
Fryermouth with the most important score for the Steelers on
the night there. It is just perfect for this team,
how they're constructed, who directs them, but it all fits
(12:25):
perfectly with Aaron Rodgers, who is capable of finding that
and getting that ball there on time. When he threw that,
I went, oh, But as he stepped up to rip it,
I saw it open prime vision again, the best way
to watch the game. So I see it open up,
and as soon as he winds it throw, I just go, oh, God,
courage throw. Here we go and it was right there.
He put it right on him.
Speaker 3 (12:45):
So glad you mentioned the Prime Vision angle on that.
It's just so fun to watch on Thursday nights because
I think if you watch the TV copy of that,
you think blown coverage by Gino Stone, who, once I
looked at the dots, I think just got overly concerned
about DK Metcalfe and thought it was going there. And
that's the gravity of what DK metcalf brings, but just
(13:07):
a mental mistake from Gino Stone. And I think Ravens
fans were looking at that plane and be like, I
remember that Genus Stone. I know he had all those
interceptions that one year, but there were a whole lot
of plays like that that he had to gamble on
to get those Internet.
Speaker 4 (13:18):
That wasn't the only example of that, though. The Bengals
in a similar situation in which and it was often
in situations in which they were worried about the opposing
team just converting the first down where the safety's got aggressive.
Steelers had a safety drive down. Andre Yoshovask goes down
the field, breaks coverage, beats Darius Slay downfield, and Joe
Flacco puts on and I know this was the Unk
Bowl and everything else, the Icy Hot Bowl, whatever you
(13:40):
wanted to call it, but both of those guys still
have fantastic arms, and those two throws, the one that
Rogers hit to Friarmuth and the one that Flacco hit
to Yoshavas, showed that they can still spit it.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
Great call. Unk Bowl, by the way, created a little
bit of a disagreement online whether white guys can be
or not. It's not up for me to decide. But
here's what this was. It was two over forty quarterbacks
just reminding you of what they were when they were
(14:14):
at their absolute best and reminding you, at least on
a play to play basis for that one play for instance,
for Rogers, there's no difference. I mean, he spun out
of a little bit of pressure, and yes it was
a busted coverage by the Bengals, but he spun to
his left. That is not an easy throw to make,
(14:36):
and watching it on that overhead camera, you know how
much velocity, and he knew how much velocity he still
needed to get on a rope to get it there.
I know that there's eight ten, whatever the number is,
Like young whipper snappers in the NFL that could probably
put the velocity on that throw to make it happen.
(14:58):
Aaron Rodgers and the old but Aaron Rodgers is still
one of those guys. And I was so excited about
making that point I actually ripped out a wire from
my camera and we had to stop down. But through
the magic of editing, our listeners will none be the wiser.
We still got it. And I'm in my forties. They're
making me feel young tonight, Nick.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
Schuck, Yeah me too.
Speaker 4 (15:20):
It was good I stopped considering agent sports because I'm
at that point where in my age where a lot
of guys are retiring that like played when I played,
So there was a standout linebacker I here remember his
name right now he's playing with the Browns and he retired, Oh,
Jordan Hicks. Jordan Hicks called it a career and he
was in my class in high school. So it's like, yeah,
all right, I'm getting to that point. But it's really
(15:42):
fun to see guys because you know, we saw Tom
Brady do it forever, but most guys don't do it forever.
Aaron Rodgers for the last couple of years has not
looked like Aaron Rodgers. Now he is looking like him again,
even in a loss.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
Yeah, I think flack O' and Rogers share that the
play falls apart when there's pressure, far more than when
they were younger. It's almost like the play is almost
a little bit older, just over. But they can make
up for it with play calling and with smarts about
(16:16):
when and where to go with the football. And even
though the Steelers lost, I think offensively, they have to
be excited about the direction of the team. Really nice
night for Jalen Warren, who goes way over one hundred yards.
The Bengals defense had no answer really for the jumbo
package that the Steelers had. And the jumbo package is,
(16:40):
you know, six offensive linemen plus Darnell Washington, who they
said on the broadcast is over three hundred pounds. I
think it was Ross Tucker actually on Westwood One I
heard say like a good deal over three hundred pounds
and might be transitioning to tackle one day and have
adjacent peters like track. So like their offense I think
(17:04):
has made strides. Are you concerned a little bit about
the Steelers defense after tonight?
Speaker 4 (17:11):
I have issues with both sides of the ball, one
with approach and the other with I don't know, personnel.
Speaker 2 (17:18):
I'll start offensively.
Speaker 4 (17:19):
Even though you asked about defense, because I think that
they gave the Bengals a break.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
For a lot of this game.
Speaker 4 (17:24):
Talked about how getting the ball out quick for Joe
Flacco was very beneficial for them.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
They had to do that. They have an offensive line
they can't trust TJ.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
Watt, Alex Heismith, Nick Herbagger on that other side, Cam
Hayward's on the other side.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
You got to get the ball out quick.
Speaker 4 (17:36):
You cannot subject Joe Flacco to the hits that the
Steelers would bring to him. Just ask Dylan Gabriel how
that went right. The Steelers didn't need to do what
they did. Now, Aaron Rodgers time to throw ended up
being closer to three second was like two point nine
to two or something like that. But there were a
lot of instances in which they were getting the ball
out quickly when they did not need to. That Bengals
pass rush was nonexistent, and yet they gave the secondary
(17:58):
a break in a lot of this game. If you're
watching on YouTube, you're seing a little bit of a
montage here. You have you have Rogers extending a play here.
This is what they should have done more of. Now,
obviously he's improvising when he throws that touchdown.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
Yeah, seconds eight point six seconds on that first touchdown throw.
I thought it was going to be a long night
after we saw that. Yes, this team has no juice.
Speaker 4 (18:17):
Because they have no pass rush. Trey Hendrickson is not
out there like this. This is what You're not going
to ask him to improvise the replay, but you gotta
give him longer dropbacks, and on certain plays I felt
like he predetermined throws. The interception that he threw, he
saw one on one, but there was a safety of
the top.
Speaker 2 (18:31):
He threw it in a double coverage gets picked off.
So I think that they need to go back to
the drawing board and kind of acknowledge it.
Speaker 4 (18:35):
Hey, even though it's good to get the ball out quickly,
we need to understand the weaknesses of our opposing defenses.
They didn't capitalize them, and that allowed the Bengals to
stay in the game. But I'm probably more concerned with
their defense because there is money in that group. Jalen
Ramsey got cooked all night, Darius Slade did not look good.
Their safeties weren't the best overall. Over like the course
of the game, this is a defense that, like last year,
(18:57):
is not playing up to expectation has past weeks. Did
not tonight, in a game that felt like a guarantee
that they were going to feast on an offense that
had struggled mightily. Say for when they added Joe Flacco
and kind of gave the Packers a game last week.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
They did not do that.
Speaker 4 (19:11):
They gave up long passes, They let Jamar Chase eat
all night, all night. They let t Higgins catch a
pass that sets him up for the game winning field goal.
This is unacceptable for them. This is not who their
identity is. They have way too much money invested in
that defense to play like this, So they need to
figure some things out on that side of the ball.
Speaker 3 (19:27):
Yeah, Like why is the best pass rusher in the
league according to pass rush win rate and to my
eyes just simply a top five pass rusher period? Nick
Herbig on the bench so much in this scheme, like
they couldn't figure out how to get him in there.
And then you saw late Cam Hayward and what you know,
(19:47):
combine on a sack and that leads to the Steelers
at the Bengals punting. But they ran third eighteen and
they had a give up play, which I didn't even love.
I'm like the way Jamar Chase is playing, I would
get Joe Flacco a chance third in eighteen. But the
drive before that too, Nick Herbig was lined up inside
a TJ. Watt on a pass rush and they've been
(20:09):
doing that more often. I've been noticing where he's an
inside rusher, which they never do with Wat or Heismith,
and it's really been effective. And he won immediately. And
that was a play where the conversation in the booth
is all about was it a pass interference or not?
And they didn't call it. Flacco through it to the sideline.
But I thought Herbig won that play ultimately because Flacco,
(20:32):
if he sees color flash, he is just throwing that ball.
And Herbig won right away. But that was too rare, obviously,
on a night where the Bengals for the most part
went up and down the field. That's a really interesting
point that you make about not adjusting.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
I guess it was driving me mad.
Speaker 4 (20:51):
There was a sequence I think it was right after
the Bengals settled for a field goal in the fourth quarter.
It may have been a little bit earlier where they're
like bubbles and I'm just like, what are you doing
like it works on occasion. That's fine, you keep them honest,
but you don't need to do that. So that's something
that they definitely need to go back and evaluate and
they'll probably wish that they hadn't done it.
Speaker 3 (21:12):
Yeah, that is a criticism I think for Mike Tomlin's
entire tenure, and it's continued into today and Steelers fans
are so mad that they lost this game and like
Tomlins lost it this you know, it's like to another
Tomlin game, like he always loses these games as a
heavy favorite. It's in the division, it's Thursday night football.
(21:34):
These things happen. That's I think that's overreacting, but I
think it is a fair criticism that they're not a
nimble coaching staff. In the game they or even between weeks,
they kind of do what they do. It makes them
a little predictable. And it's tough for me to criticize
anything they did on offense tonight because ultimately, you have
nine drives and you put up thirty one points and
(21:57):
that includes two interceptions, so so you know, one of
them was a great defensive play, but that's what it
required tonight, and ultimately you didn't lose a shootout to
Joe Burrow. You lost the shootout to Joe Flacco with
a chance to win the division. Essentially, they all but
add the division on ice if they win this game.
That's that's pretty disappointing to lose that sort of shootout.
(22:19):
You want to be able to win a shootout in
that scenario. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (22:22):
Yeah, it's the other Joe Cool that you lost to,
and this one's gonna sting for a little bit for them.
I also, you know, when we had our little technical
issue there, I took a second to look at the
Steelers schedule, just because losses like this they can be
good for teams that get off the hot starts because
it keeps them honest. But if you review the games
they've won so far, they beat the Jets in Week
one and that shootout, Right, we know what the Jets are.
Speaker 2 (22:42):
Now. They lose the Seahawks, in which the Seahawks were
just the better team.
Speaker 4 (22:45):
They beat the Patriots primarily because they forced enough takeaways
on defense to win that game, Like that was a
very winnable game for the Patriots, Right. They beat Carson
Wetz and the Vikings in Dublin, and they beat the
lowly Browns. Now they lose to the Bengals, that four
and two record does not look nearly as strong as
it would without diving into that schedule, and things get tougher.
You get the Packers, Colts, Chargers in another rematch with
(23:07):
the Bengals, this time in Pittsburgh, all in the next month.
So this is gonna have to be one of those
games that may have come at the perfect time because
it kind of makes you come circle to wagons and
figure out, all right, maybe we're not as good as
we thought.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
We got some things we got to fix, but it.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
Comes at the perfect time for us. Shooky, because I
want teams to be alive. So before this masterpiece of
a game happened, I thought it was gonna be a
bit of a dud. And so we have a whole
other segment for the listeners, and it's how many teams
could we realistically see in the Super Bowl? And it
(23:42):
was inspired a little bit by the Steelers and inspired
more by this season where there's so many teams in
the middle of the NFL that it really feels like
anything's possible, And I'm like, could I see the Steelers
in the super Bowl? We'll get to that in a
little bit. But what I like that this game did
was it kept a division more alive. Yeah, and actually
(24:02):
it keeps the Bengals more alive. You had Joe Burrow
on the sideline and he looks so sad. He looked
like Emo Joe Burrow, Bobona's killing his haircut.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
Yea, his hair wasn't even good.
Speaker 3 (24:17):
I mean it's it's not great, and he just seems
so sad. And I thought, of all the accomplishments that
Flacco had tonight, shook making Joe Burrow smile from ear
to ear on the sideline was maybe Flacco's greatest achievement
late in the game, Like, yeah, Burrow just perked him.
Speaker 4 (24:34):
Up, because if you think about it, Joe Burrow said
he was feeling better than ever going into the season.
He's got his top two guys under contract, That drama's
behind him, He's got his own contract. All that's behind him.
Speaker 3 (24:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (24:48):
They know their defense is going to have to overachieve
to be competent, but they believe in the firepower that
they had offensively. And then we two week two, he
gets knocked out with a c various injury and you
can't help but think as he's in the darkness of
rehab watching his team just lay egg after egg after
(25:08):
egg that he's sitting there wondering, God, would be so
different if I could just be on the field right now,
and probably feels guilty for not being there for his guys.
So to see Joe Flacco, the guy who saved the
Browns two years ago, come into Cincinnati and save him again, Oh,
it had to be such a relief for him. And
finally he could watch his teammates enjoy success and not
(25:30):
feel like all the blame is on.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
Him, and the season's alive. At two to five and
with the Steelers ahead, it's a race to six. This
is gonna be my rallying cry for the Bengals from
now on. Get to six wins without Burrow. If you
can get to six wins, and I'm projecting and doing
the math and the timelines, a Burrow return roughly in
(25:56):
mid December, So if you can get to six wins
by then, you maybe what would you be? You'd be
you know, six and eight at like six and seven
at worst, something like that. If you can get to
six and six or six and seven or whatever, it's
gonna be five and seven. Just just keep them in
(26:20):
it to give Burrow a chance to come in for
the last four to five games and win them all
down the stretch or stay at five hundred. It's possible.
You just mentioned the Browns, all right, let's get to
just a very quick Browns angle. Yeah, because yes, everyone
was reminded. I think of a couple of TNF games.
Number one the Flaco game a couple of years ago,
when he led them to a playoff berth that was
(26:42):
pretty sweet on TNF and they're chanting Flacco's name just
like they were. Wasn't as loud, but at the beginning
of that last drive they were chanting Flacco's name. Also,
you know last year there was a great Browns game
on TNF by the way, in the snow that you
went to.
Speaker 2 (26:57):
Yeah, that was a classic.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
But watching Flacco in this system the last six quarters,
because he was great in the second half two against
the Packers, a really good defense, it just makes the
Browns look even worse. Like it does reminds you how
tough it is right now for Dylan Gabriel or if
should Sanders ever plays Shad Sanders like just just fighting
(27:19):
so hard uphill and now look what Joe Flacco can
do supported not even by a great offensive line or
anything obviously great weapons around him.
Speaker 4 (27:27):
Yeah, it must be weird for Joe Flacco to join
the team that he should have beaten in Week one.
Like he played well enough in that game the two
pisi threw where basically bobbles and drops right into the
hands of Bengals defenders, like he played very well. Uh,
and then from there things got worse in Cleveland. The
offensive line broke down, they lost their tackles, They couldn't
protect him. Flacco is not mobile. He could not break
(27:48):
the pocket. And I know I'm saying Flacco is not
mobile on a night in which he took his own
read option around the left side for a first down,
which was if you threw a thousand plays on the wall,
that would be the last play I'd picked that the
Bengals would call.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
Why it was a Galaxy brain call. But like, he
couldn't move.
Speaker 4 (28:06):
And the most damning part of it for the Browns
is the fact that Flacco looks ten times.
Speaker 2 (28:11):
Better with good receivers. That's all.
Speaker 4 (28:14):
It took good receivers the Browns, Jerry Judy dropping passes
over and over again when Flacco hits him in his hands,
started in Week one continue throughout the rest of his tenure.
Defenses eventually came to the point where they were like,
we don't have to worry about them hurting us in
the passing game because those guys aren't going to catch
the ball anyway. All we have to do is stop
the run and pin their ears back on third and long.
Get after Flacco because we know he can't move. That
(28:35):
is a losing scenario. And the Browns benching of Joe
Flacco was justified because of their weaknesses everywhere else. But
that is not to criticize Joe Flacco, because clearly he
still has it. It's just that's how bad the situation
is in Cleveland.
Speaker 3 (28:50):
The offensive line like they have to play and we
don't want this to be a Brown's discussion, so we'll
move on afterwards. But yeah, the offensive line is so bad,
and it's the differ difference, I think between a mediocre
offensive line, which is what the Bengals have. But that's
it's kind of all you need. It's all you like
want in the end is just to not have your
offensive line kill you. And Browns have the most expensive
(29:12):
offensive line in the league. Yeah, a ton of resources
and it absolutely kills their team.
Speaker 4 (29:17):
There is one big difference too, like I still see
people wearing Flaco T shirts even though after they traded him.
One difference between two years ago and now. In his
time with the Browns, they had a Marii Cooper two
years ago, Amari Cooper who could still catch the ball.
He was Joe Flaccos Jumar Chase for most of that season.
They don't have that receiver anymore. That was the big difference.
Speaker 3 (29:37):
They don't And you know what, one member of the
media for the Steelers also won't have bow boy his
nipples as untiful and un.
Speaker 2 (29:52):
Unaltered.
Speaker 3 (29:54):
Unaltered would be the way. I don't know if you
saw this, but yeah, yeah, A low radio guy Andrew
Philipponi I believe is his name, on ninety three zero
point seven. The fan said that the Steelers had, you know,
no chance that they would lose this game and he
would get his nipples pierced without any painkiller I believe,
(30:16):
or any medication beforehand if they lost this game, and
he at the end of the night he sent the
picture of his Harry nipples, which I did not need
to see and say like this is the last time,
you know, say goodbye to these sweet babies? Is he?
Speaker 4 (30:31):
Is he getting both? Is he getting a hoop? Is
he getting a bar? These are the details and in
fact live stream the piercing it.
Speaker 3 (30:38):
So I'm not gonna watch, but it's good. Honestly, I
feel like I've a anoid almost giving him so much
attention because he is someone who is a radio guy there,
who's always looking to get attention, has had so many
wrong reports about the Steelers over the years. But yeah,
he should be shamed for saying one of those stupid
things he said, no way the Steelers lose tonight. In fact,
(31:01):
they'll get my nipples pierced with no numbing agents if
they lose to the Bungles. It ain't happening. Well, you
know what it happened. So what football is about? You know?
Of course, you would rather have a career where you
just have sustained, like really high level play, not because
that's what you can control, but as much fun as
(31:26):
Philip Rivers, for instance, had, and he might be going
to the Hall of Fame. Man Joe Flacco has strung
together a collection of moments, the greatest one being, of
of course, one of the greatest Super Bowl performances I
think of all time, and certainly one of the greatest
postseason performances. But he's also just had nights. A lot
(31:47):
of them have come against Mike Tomlin and the Steelers.
One of them came for your Browns. I don't think
he had one for the Jets. That's just how bad
the Jets are.
Speaker 2 (31:57):
For the you know, the Broncos.
Speaker 3 (32:00):
Nights like tonight, That's that's what life is like, not
just career. It's like he's not going to the Hall
of Fame someday, but damn like, we're never gonna forget
Joe Flacco. It's one of the reasons why I hate
the quote, like, well, if you can't you tell the
story of football without him, he deserve you know, he's
gonna be in.
Speaker 2 (32:17):
The Hall of Fame.
Speaker 3 (32:17):
No, you can put him in the Hall of Fun sure, sure,
because like he's given us a lot. I didn't know
if we would have another one, but he gave us
another one tonight.
Speaker 2 (32:28):
Yeah, I love it.
Speaker 4 (32:29):
I mean, he's a great guy for it to happen
to you know, he's a classic, just a happy dad
and a good husband who can still sling the rock
and can still get calls from teams.
Speaker 2 (32:37):
Get off of his couch. He did that two years ago.
He's been on team since.
Speaker 4 (32:41):
Then make a drive down across the state, cram the
offense while he's driving, well, while somebody's driving him down
to Cincinnati, and go out and deliver in prime time.
Speaker 3 (32:51):
I love it. I mean, we had collected so many
highlights from this game, and yet they almost feel secondary.
The one funny moment that I don't want to forget, though,
is just Aaron Rodgers cussing out Jayalen Horn early in
the game on what appeared to be a flea flicker
that was not supposed to be a flee flicker, which,
(33:14):
judging by the reaction of Rogers like I believe him.
He was so surprised to get the ball back and
he yells, what are you doing? What the eff are
you doing? And then according to pretty expert lip readers,
I think he just says, that was not supposed to
be a flea flicker. So shout out to Aaron Rodgers
for being aware enough in the moment to catch that
(33:35):
ball and then throw it into the ground.
Speaker 4 (33:36):
He gets like surprised by the ball and just that
how do you mess up that play call like a
Fleet flicker play call has got to be pretty unique.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
But right, that's what I was like.
Speaker 3 (33:47):
Is there a chance Rogers is the one that messed
that up? And he forgot and just in the moment,
like lost his head because like, I don't know, how
would a running back think to do that? And everyone
else is blocking the play? Who who really knows? What
a night? And yeah, you mentioned the inflexibility from the Steelers.
I just checked while you were chatting, and they were
(34:08):
in man coverage almost fifty percent tonight yep, in the
year twenty twenty five.
Speaker 2 (34:14):
Yep.
Speaker 4 (34:14):
And that is how you get toasted by a premier
route runner like Jamar Chase to the tune of sixteen catches.
Speaker 2 (34:20):
Yeah, great fantasy night for Jamar.
Speaker 3 (34:22):
It feels like, yeah, unreal, yea, all the people that
thought the T Higgins and Jamar Chase fantasy seasons were over,
Joe Flacco has come to save them. Like the Bengals,
The Bengers are at three and four, like they were
the worst team in football for a month straight and
yet they are at three and four, and yeah, the
(34:43):
Steelers fall to four and two. I'm looking at a
schedule that has their preseason, right, I don't need that. Okay,
let's take a quick break. We're gonna come back and
we're gonna talk about what teams we think could make
the super Bowl. We'll see if you're in sort on
the Stealers. Change back on NFL Daily, getting ready for
(35:08):
a segment that I thought we were going to use
after like a fifteen to twenty minute recap of a
boring game. I was watching the game first half with
Daniel Jeremiah and he's like, this game is a snoozer,
and then yeah, somewhere around the mid second quarter, it
just all went crazy. That's the great thing about the NFL.
Like these games are long, they can change so many
(35:29):
different times. In my conception of this show change, so
the idea shook. It's simple, what teams can we imagine
in the super Bowl? The way that this season has gone,
it really seems to have opened up the canopy to
more teams. And since the Steelers are who inspired me,
I'll start with their with them, can you imagine this
(35:50):
team in the super Bowl?
Speaker 4 (35:52):
They weren't on my list before this game, and they're
still not on my list or and I feel very vindicated.
I feel like, my take is pretty five here because
I am concerned about their defense and I feel as
though they've played a relatively soft schedule. It was funny
they threw up a graphic during the game and it
said showed the AFC North and it was one to
oh one and oh one to know and then the
Browns at bottom nine three, and I'm like, well, they
(36:13):
all beat the Browns like they haven't even played any
division games yet.
Speaker 2 (36:16):
This is only the Steelers second division game. They haven't
been tested yet.
Speaker 4 (36:19):
I need to see them tested legitimately before I can
put them in there. Yes, four and one was great,
four and two doesn't look as strong after this loss.
I have questions about them. But if you win the division,
you're in the play you're in the playoffs, and you're
in the race. But right now I'm not seeing them
in the Steelers in the super Bowl.
Speaker 3 (36:35):
Okay, And it's just can We're not saying likely, We're
just like, would we be totally shocked? All right, we won't.
We won't put the Steelers down. I gotta say, coming
into tonight, maybe I was falling for what had been
a relatively easy schedule, But thinking about tonight, they also
it's a short week on the road. They quietly the
Browns deserve a little bit of an assist here that
(36:56):
they had the Steelers defense somehow on the field for
eighty playslast week. That fourth quarter took forever.
Speaker 2 (37:02):
Some of the starters were out in the late stages.
Speaker 3 (37:03):
But yeah, yeah, but like I saw, Patrick Queen, if
you count the penalties, was on the field for eighty
two snaps last week, like there were some of the
Steelers that were out there for a ton of snaps. Anyways,
I shouldn't move so far off my priors. Can I
really see Aaron Rodgers winning three playoff games or getting
a buy like? No, I can't, So let's stay in
(37:26):
the division. Can Are the Bengals a team that you
think can make the Super Bowl? Now, in this scenario,
Flacco would have to keep it afloat long enough for
Joe Burrow to make it happen.
Speaker 4 (37:37):
I'm gonna say no as well, just because Burrow's return
is going to be so late in the season. You
think about rest versus rust, Well, it's rehabbing versus rust.
And I'm just as good as he is, and he's fantastic.
It just diminishes my belief in them.
Speaker 3 (37:51):
Well, here's the thing, Joe Flacco didn't fix the defense.
I know they didn't have Trey Hendrickson. Tonight should have
mentioned that right at the top. That's amazing to get
a win without, Hey, Trey Hendrickson. He's not going to
solve everything. It's a bad defense. It's not great in
terms of their kicking game on special teams, they're giving
up like long kick returns all the time. I agree,
I don't think they can make the super Bowl. But
the fact that Joe Burrow, you know, is their quarterback,
(38:14):
it's tough to cross them out. The Browns are obviously
a cross out. They can't even make the playoffs, and
the Ravens are the other team in this division. I
think they can still make the super Bowl.
Speaker 4 (38:24):
I divided my teams into sections. I have five teams
that I definitely believe can make the Super Bowl. I
have one where I just need a p AFC. No,
this is overall, this is just make it.
Speaker 3 (38:33):
Man. I'm a hater, and I have a.
Speaker 2 (38:37):
Chunk of teams.
Speaker 4 (38:38):
I have a chunk of teams that I just have
a thing or two that need to be answered. And
the Ravens, for me, just need to get healthy. If
they get healthy, they can turn everything around. So I
could see them in the Super Bowl.
Speaker 3 (38:49):
Then they're written down that they This is supposed to
be a big tent exercise. And I'm thinking about the
seasons back in the day, like when the Packers made
it as a sixty, when the Cardinals made it after
losing two games by like thirty points in December. We
used to have more seasons, or at least there was
(39:09):
a little stretch there where you'd see some lower seeded
surprising teams.
Speaker 2 (39:14):
The Giants.
Speaker 3 (39:15):
Yeah, the Giants twice making it without having good rate,
Like it feels like one of those sort of seasons.
So keep that in mind. Okay, we're writing down the Ravens.
Man AFC North teams are not going to be happy
that we wrote down the Ravens and not the Steelers
of the Bengals. All right, af C East. Can you
see the Patriots in the Super Bowl?
Speaker 4 (39:35):
Not at this point, but I love their trajectory, and God,
what a story would be if Mike Rable got to
the Super Bowl in year one.
Speaker 3 (39:41):
Drake May two thousand and one Patriots, there's more unlikely
team than that to make the Super Bowl.
Speaker 2 (39:48):
They had a great defense.
Speaker 4 (39:50):
I mean, all I can say is Drake may Is,
he's in my top ten and QB and IC he
continues to rise. I think he's up to number seven
right now. And if he if he stays on this path,
they're in the conversation for almost anything. It's just at
this point right now, I can't envision them there just yet.
Speaker 3 (40:06):
You know, can can you win a division and you
have a home game, you got a chance. Yeah, all right,
We're not gonna write down the Patriots just because I
don't want to jinx anything. The Bills I think are
an obvious yes, despite how rough they are, Like right
now on defense, we're talking projection. You gotta imagine it's
a long season, shook. There is a scenario where the
Buffalo Bills make the Super Bowl.
Speaker 4 (40:24):
Come on, you could have said that over the last
five years too. I just think they're frauds personally. I
don't know if they're going to fix their defense. I
know they're missing a couple of guys, but.
Speaker 3 (40:33):
It's can, it's can, come on, Come with me, come with.
Speaker 4 (40:36):
Me, Okay, all right, So I'm not putting my life
you're a If they're frauds. Okay, I'll say both they can,
but they're not going to.
Speaker 3 (40:43):
Well, of course, only one team from each conference are
going to the idea of this exercise like who has
a legitimate chance. Obviously we're crossing out the Dolphins and
the Jets. We don't need to discuss that. Let's go
to the South where we cross out the Titans for sure.
Between the Texans, Jaguars and the Colts. How many teams
(41:07):
do you think can make the Super Bowl? I want
you to expand your your list of five teams in
the NFL, because to me, it's like it's like ten
to twelve.
Speaker 4 (41:17):
Come on me, all right, okay, all right, I will
two of those three can?
Speaker 2 (41:21):
Two of those three can?
Speaker 4 (41:23):
I want to find cracks in the Colts, and I
just can't so far. And until they show me that
they have cracks in them, I'm going to continue to say, yeah,
they have a shot. I have some concerns about their defense.
I think they need to go get another corner. But
as they're playing right now, they're looking like one of
the best teams in the NFL.
Speaker 3 (41:43):
Okay, who is the other one?
Speaker 4 (41:45):
Then it's going to surprise you. It's the Houston Texans
because at the defense, defense travels and CJ. Strouds had
a couple of really great games. And I know you
have to consider the opponent, but if they can continue
this momentum that they've built because they look a little
more organized offensively, and the offensive line has been playing better,
and if they get Joe Mixon back eventually that would
be a nice little boost for them as well, then
(42:07):
I could see them putting it together because that defense
is good and that defense will travel.
Speaker 3 (42:14):
Jaguars are a tougher case. I agree with you on
everything you said for both of those and I think
the thing to remember fans, the NFL season is so long.
These teams are going to change identities. Many of the
teams we just talk about are gonna look completely different
for completely different reasons of strength and weaknesses than we
think in six weeks, and then they'll change again in
(42:35):
four weeks. But who has like enough to either get
them in position and then ultimately the talent at the
end of the day. That's why it's why I don't
I don't mind crossing off the Bengals because ultimately I
think their defensive problems are personnel and they just will
never be able to get over that. I don't think
(42:56):
it's crazy to write down the Jags. They got a lot,
They got a lot of potential aspects to their team
that could come together. Overall, I like the coaching, I
like the running game. I certainly have doubts about Trevor Lawrence.
I've seen crazier quarterbacks make it to a Super Bowl,
but I'm writing them down. Sorry, no one in the
(43:18):
West going to the West. The Chiefs are an obvious Yes,
I know three and three, but what are we talking
about here? The Raiders are an obvious crossout, So that
leaves the Broncos and the Chargers. Can either of those
teams make the Super Bowl.
Speaker 4 (43:35):
The Chargers are only going to be able to get
one of their tackles back, but it would be a
big boost for them.
Speaker 2 (43:40):
They've lost time.
Speaker 3 (43:41):
Might be this week. Joe All is practicing as we're taping.
Both Khalil Mack and Joe All have a chance. They're
playing on Thursday Night Football. I tried to get some
intel and it seems like Mac is maybe more likely
to play this week than Alt, especially with the Thursday
night game coming up for the Chargers. But that's good
good that you know both of them might be back
(44:02):
on the field.
Speaker 4 (44:02):
So I hope he's wearing a giant elbow brace too,
because I thought that might have been a season ender
when he suffered that injury.
Speaker 2 (44:07):
So that's great, NAIs.
Speaker 4 (44:09):
I think that they are going to have to continue
to try to manage this running back situation until we
get Hampton back. But they have enough talent receiver, and
I think overall, like the culture is taking effect. It's
just that right now they're like grinding out games because
this is all they can do offensively.
Speaker 2 (44:24):
So yes, I could see them getting there.
Speaker 3 (44:26):
And I'm gonna say yes for the Broncos too, because again,
even though I wasn't that high on the Broncos coming
into the year, I have a little bit of doubt
about Joe Nick bo Nicks. It's been a long week.
I just think they have enough that if everything came together,
they fit my criteria. Yeah, great defensive line obviously, very
(44:49):
good defense overall, a very good offensive line, great play caller.
And my point is I'm making a big ten. I
really think a lot of teams have a chance this year.
Doesn't mean we won't be watching the Chiefs in the
Super Bowl like that could happen. But I just think
more teams than before in the last handful of years,
(45:11):
where it's been dominated in the AFC by these quarterbacks
with enough backing behind them. I just think there's more
teams this year. So in the AFC, I've written down
the Chargers, Broncos, Bill's, Ravens, Chiefs, Colts, Texans, and Jags.
That's a lot of AFC teams. I love it. There's
eight and yeah, Patriots fans, Steelers fans, Bengals fans, they're
(45:33):
not going to be happy that we didn't leave them out. Okay,
that we left them out. Okay, let's go to the
NFC quickly. NFC obviously, you know the Giants. It's hard
to imagine. Cowboys. You know, I love Dak, but it's
hard to imagine. Do you think the Commanders and the
Eagles could make it?
Speaker 4 (45:52):
Eagles could definitely make it if they could figure out
their own drama, Like it feels like the junior high
lunch table with this team right now, but.
Speaker 2 (45:58):
They are talented enough.
Speaker 4 (46:00):
Losses on defense are more glaring than I thought they
would be, but ultimately I still think if they get healthy,
they're going to make a run and they'll be there,
or they'll have a chance to be there. Commanders, Jade
Daniels is back, and as long as he's back, I
have a lot of belief in them. And get Terry
McLaurin back, they're going to be in a pretty good spot.
That defense is old and kind of slow and not
(46:20):
very resilient, but when you got Jade and Daniels, you
always have a shot.
Speaker 2 (46:23):
So I could see both of them making a run.
Speaker 3 (46:25):
Yeah. The criterion the NFC is different. It's interesting because
it's not top heavy, but I don't think you're going
to sneak through the NFC playoffs night.
Speaker 2 (46:34):
I think four of my five teams were NFC teams.
Speaker 3 (46:36):
Yeah, so the Commanders are a tough one for me
because I like a lot of the things that they've done.
I'll write them down.
Speaker 4 (46:44):
Though.
Speaker 3 (46:44):
I think we should qualify this as this is how
big a tent. I want show a second if the
actual Super Bowl winner or participants, because it's just making
the super Bowl. If it does not include if the
super Bowl includes a team that we did not list tonight,
we should have to get our nipples.
Speaker 2 (47:03):
Piers.
Speaker 3 (47:04):
I'm not gonna do that.
Speaker 2 (47:05):
Put one on the line.
Speaker 3 (47:07):
You know, but that's like, that's the type of big
ten I'm asking for. It's just just a possibility, Like
would you really put your nipples on the line saying
that the Bengals wouldn't make the Super Bowl? I might
be afraid of Joe Burrow, you never know. I'm ready
(47:27):
to cross off the Bears, even though they're having a
good season. I just think that's if they won a
playoff game, that'd be unreal. I just can't imagine them
winning three. I kind of doubt you disagree there. So
let's go to the other three teams. Packers seem like
an obvious yes, and that leaves, you know, the Vikings
(47:47):
and the Lions. The Lions feel like an obvious yes.
What do you think about the Vikings?
Speaker 2 (47:53):
Yeah, Lions are an obvious yes.
Speaker 4 (47:54):
I feel like we don't know who the Vikings are
because they haven't had their quarterback since the start of
the season. And yes, he's a essentially a pseudo rookie,
like a rookie by default. But until they get JJ
McCarthy back, that's when we start to really evaluate. I
think that they've gotten better than they were last year,
and obviously the record doesn't show it, but there is
a lot of potential lurking beneath the surface that could
(48:17):
come through in the second half of this tear.
Speaker 3 (48:18):
You want to write down the vikings, Yes, okay, I'll
go along with you, because I'd like for them to
get more in the mix. It's a little hard for
me to imagine with the way their quarterback play is
right now. But I certainly would have said the same
on the day that Carson Wentz went out for the
season for the eleven and two Eagles back in twenty seventeen.
(48:39):
In fact, I did say it on the route, and
I think we all talked about it on the Around
the NFL podcast, and a handful of weeks later, Nick
Foles outdueled Tom Brady in one of the tom Brady's
best performances in the Super Bowl. So they could round
into form at quarterback eventually, and then they have a
lot of other stuff. I agree. In the NFC South,
it's a bridge too far, obviously for the Saints and
(49:01):
the Panthers. Sorry Panthers fans. If you guys get a
seven seed, you know, throw a parade. But we're talking
about the Super Bowl. Can the Falcons make it I
think we'd both agree the Bucks are an obvious yes
that they could make the Super Bowl.
Speaker 4 (49:13):
I don't think the Falcons didn't make it, but I
think they're on the right path because they've they've competed
with some of the tougher teams that they've faced so far.
I feel like this is a team that maybe runs
out of gas because they're a little too one dimensional.
But I love where they are from last year this year,
they're on a great path.
Speaker 3 (49:28):
I've seen crazier Super Bowl teams than the Falcons. But
I will go back to what I just said about
the NFC. I don't think anyone's slipping through there. So
you put the Falcons in the AFC.
Speaker 2 (49:40):
I give them a.
Speaker 3 (49:42):
Fighting chance to get to the conference championship at least
or something crazy. I do think that defense has going
to have to show that it can be this good
all season. It sometimes a team that's so well schemed up,
you know, teams catch up with them. We'll see the
Vikings have been scheming it up for a couple of years.
Definitely writing down the Bucks, it's obvious that they're contenders
this year, and then how many teams are you going
(50:03):
with out of the West. The Cardinals are to me
an obvious no, and so who are you saying a
yes too?
Speaker 4 (50:09):
For the other three teams, Seattle Seahawks are the first
one on my list. They just look like a closer
thing to a complete team. I would also like to
put the Rams on that list. I think it's going
to be more challenging for them. I am not going
to put the forty nine ers on the list because
despite them getting to this point, with all these injuries
(50:30):
that they've suffered, in Kyle Shanahan's ability to squeeze the
most juice out of that fruit, I just think it's
gonna be too much to overcome.
Speaker 3 (50:37):
Totally agree. If Nick Bosa and Fred Warner were healthy,
obviously they're in the mix. I think Kyle Shannan could
be a problem for a lot of teams, including the
Falcons this weekend and find his way to playing for
the NFC West title in week eighteen or something like
that's on the table. A four seed or a six seed.
(50:58):
I just don't think you're going to be able to
make the Super Bowl without those horses. And I think
the Seahawks and Rams to me are pretty obvious because
I think the upside for both teams are sky high.
So in the NFC we wound up going with the Packers, Lions, Eagles, Commanders, Vikings, Bucks, Seahawks,
and Rams, which means we went with eight teams in
the NFC and eight teams in the AFC. Is that right?
Speaker 2 (51:23):
That's too many?
Speaker 3 (51:24):
It's not. That's the point, and that's the headline, sixteen
teams that can make the super Bowl in Santa Clara.
I don't think that's a crazy take on a night
where Joe Flacco showed us anything as possible. Shookie, we
did it. You killed it. As always love doing shows
(51:44):
with you. We're going to be doing them in primetime
all season long, and next time you will hear me,
it will be with Cynthia Freeland from the podcast Studio
and we will be doing our week seven hits. The
train was on rolling year
Host
Gregg Rosenthal
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