December 9, 2025 • 46 mins
King and Uhler are joined by Bob Labriola to chat the state of the team and the guys continue to go around the league highlighting news and notes and more playoff possibilities with 4 regulare season games left.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
This is in the locker room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio, presented by your neighborhood Forward Store.
The F one fifty is the official truck of the
Pittsburgh Steelers and by Steelers Pro Shop. Get it direct
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dot Steelers dot com.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
That is the signal that we have joined the power
our Optimist Prime breezing down the highway, honking the horn
and Optimist Prime. A guy who's our own Optimist Prime.
The main man, the man who is behind the Mike
Tomlin show that does those questions for It's the editor
of Steelers Digest, the man who if you ask, he
(00:55):
will answer. And that is the one and the only
Bob Labla, not the not the Max Stark's introduction Labs.
I wanted to come a little short of that because
Max is not with us today for the program.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
You did fine, though, okay, you no? I mean sometimes
Max kind of almost makes it uncomfortable a little bit
how he keeps going on and on. You know, I mean,
you no. My wife doesn't talk to talk about me
like that, so you know, I understand.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
H Labs. Big win for the Steelers on Sunday in Baltimore,
And you know, I just think for for Steelers fans,
this is an opportunity to sort of you know, and
I know that work still needs to be done and
you're trying to get to the playoffs, and you're not
only trying to get to the playoffs, trying to get
there and win games and hopefully get on a roll.
(01:54):
But that's one to be savored, I think always for
Steelers fans. There's another matchup coming up at the end
of the sear I mean, this one was important. I
suspect that game in Pittsburgh on the last weekend of
the season. I suspect that's going to be important as well.
But before we run off and talk about the Dolphins
and other things, this is one that you there's nation
(02:16):
should be enjoying, don't you think.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
Oh absolutely? I mean, you know, if you don't hate
the Ravens, what's the point. No, I mean you know
that I agree, And there's you know, everybody, there's those
kind of kind of those kinds of rivalry slash. I
hate things in every sport. You know, you can list
(02:41):
them all, you know, different, you know, depending on what
sport it is, who the teams are and you know,
I really believe that in those particular sports, those particular rivalries. Uh.
You know, they always say, you know that you can
throw the records out when these two teams play, and
a lot of time times that's just a cliche. But
(03:03):
with Steelers Ravens, historically these teams have been you know,
towards the top of the division. You know, it was
the AFC Central for a while and now it's the
AFC North. And even before that, you know, I always
make this point, before the Ravens were the Ravens, they
(03:23):
were the Browns, and you know that was that that wrote.
That one started in nineteen fifty when the Browns were
admitted to the NFL. So yeah, there's there's a lot
of history here. Everybody has their stories or their tales
of woe depending on the outcome of the game. And
(03:45):
you know, Mike Tollman first used this, you know, back
in the early twenty and tens. He described these two
teams as two trains one track, right, And when you
think about the way the games are played, you can
kind of you close your eyes for a second and
envision that collision two trains streaming steaming at each other
(04:12):
and colliding head to head, and that reminds me of
Steelers Ravens in a lot of different ways.
Speaker 4 (04:19):
Yeah, and Labs, you did a great job last week
of talking about how you can trace a lot of
the NFL player safety initiatives back to the AFC Championship
game between these teams and what would have been what
January of two thousand and nine, that two thousand and
eight season, but in early two thousand and nine, that
playoff game. It was another physical one on Sunday in Baltimore.
(04:41):
Certainly a lot of injuries, a lot of guys being
banged up on both sides of the ball. Both quarterbacks
came into the game banged up, and Labs a lot
to like about that win on both sides of the ball.
But for me, it's really hard not to start with
I think perhaps maybe the finest game we've seen from
Aaron Rodgers the Black and Gold, and with that a
(05:02):
real resurgence from DK Metcalf.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
Yeah, I mean that the Aaron Rodgers thing. To me,
there were a lot of other players who turned in
great performances, Guys who were, you know, athletically heroic in
terms of what they were willing to do guys came
coming back from injury, all of that stuff. But what
(05:26):
really gave me hope for the future of this season
and this team in it was the play of the quarterback.
I mean, this is the best quarterback play, you know,
the Steelers have had by far since Ben Roethlisberger was here.
And you know it started on the game's first play,
(05:48):
and you know, Aaron Rodgers gives the Steelers that you know,
there's I've always said this, there's a difference between playing
quarterback and being the quarterback, and Aaron Rodgers was both
on Sunday. And let me give you this to two
quick examples. It was in the first quarter, I believe, uh,
(06:13):
there was a play along the sideline. It was initially
ruled a completed pass by the Steelers for a first down,
and Rogers knew what was going to happen, and he's
hustling the team up to the line to get the
snap off. Arthur smith sends in some substitutes that gave
(06:33):
John Harbaugh time to challenge the play, which he did,
and it was overturned and you could on television anyway,
which is how I watched road games. Now, Rogers was
honked off.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Oh, you can see it in person too. But you
could see it in person, believe me.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
Correct, he was right, he was. He was not happy.
But then later after the pass to Jalen Warren for
the touchdown, where the call play door two guys wide open,
you know, Friarmouth was wide open all by himself. Warren
(07:11):
was wide open by himself, but closer to the line
of scrimmage. And in that situation, I thought Aaron Rodgers
did the right thing. He took the safer throw. You know,
it doesn't You don't have to try and throw a
thirty yards downfield to a guy when you can just
throw it like ten feet and achieve the same result.
And when he's running down the field to help celebrate
(07:33):
in the end zone, he turned to the Steeler sideline
and pointed, I'm assuming it was that Arthur Smith and
like a little fist bump or something. Great call.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
And so.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
You like that, because first of all, he was right
about let me get the you know, let me do
this when I see, when I can see something, when
I can see you around the corner, what's going to happen?
Trust me, you know, I'm not trying to usurp any
authority or anything, just let me do this, and he's
hanked off when you don't. But then when you do
(08:07):
something good, he's the first person to say, yeah, you
did a great job. And that's what, to me, what
being a quarterback is. Sometimes there's some criticisms that are justified, players, coaches, whatever. Uh,
that's what a quarterback does. Fiery leader and all that stuff.
(08:28):
I mean, you can you know all the cliches you can,
you can find them all about that kind of thing.
But then when that guy also is a cheerleader when
it's warranted, then that makes him, in my opinion, the
leader that you need from that position. Okay, and he
not only played well, but he was he was being
(08:50):
the kind of quarterback that you need to win games
at this time of the season. And it gives me
real hope moving forward because I'll tell you you up,
if Aaron Rodgers puts up twenty five plus points in
every game with no turnovers, I'll take my chances because
(09:11):
I'll look around the AFC right now and I don't
see anybody that's scary. I'm not put it in any
Super Bowl runs or any of that stuff, but I'm
just saying, if this guy is going to play like this,
you got a chance, and every game you're.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
In I totally agree with you. And by the way,
nine straight games in which the two thors have won
when they have not committed a turnover, So that doesn't
mean they necessarily won the turnover battle. They just didn't
turn the ball over, and they didn't turn the ball over.
And this one they won the turnover battle, won nothing,
and they won the game. And I think too. You know,
(09:46):
I'm trying, Bob to figure this team out, and I'm
hoping that in the month of December we will see more,
well less of the things that concern me more than
things that I like to see, like Aaron Rodgers playing
the way he played there, you know, the pressure and
the you know, high Smith coming up with a key
(10:07):
sack and some of these other things. The numbers have
been confounding to me. You know, how you can have
I can be one of two teams to have thirty
or more sacks and twenty or more turnovers and your
defense has struggled to keep teams off the scoreboard, and
the other team that's in that category is second in
the league in points per game. You know, how does
that happen. Well, it happens because you're lacking in other statistics.
(10:29):
There have been wide swings for this ye other statistically.
But I also think some of that is because Mike
Tomlin doesn't care about that stuff. He just he just
wants he he coaches each game to win that game.
And I don't know if there's a particular style that
this team can be that we can point to and say, Aha,
(10:51):
it's a running team. Aha, it's a throwing team. Aha,
it's a team that stops to run. Aha, it's a
team that pressures the passer. I don't know what the
identity is other than at seven and six, and you know, hopefully,
you know, some things will get smoothed out a little
bit in this month, but right now you're in good position.
And I don't I just don't think those statistical things
(11:12):
that I want to take comfort in and probably other
fans do, are that important to the Steelers.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
No, And I would agree with you. I mean, I
remember in a year or two ago talking to Mike
Tumlin for his radio show about identity, a team's identity,
and I'm paraphrasing what he meant, but what he what
he said was that you know, an identity. If you
have a hard and fast identity, all that makes you
(11:40):
is predictable to your opponents. Right, So you know there's
because in the NFL, you know, I really believe if
one team wants to stop another team from doing something
on a particular down, you know we're going to run
the ball here, they can stop it. If if that's
(12:03):
what you're going to do and everybody knows you're going
to do it, uh, I think it lowers your chances
of success, whatever that might be. So I get that,
you know, in that respect, and I agree with you
in terms of you know that kind of thing. I
don't know that he wants to be identified as something.
(12:26):
Now you want to be physical, you know those kinds
of things are that are to me core values of
the sport. That's one thing. But in terms of you know,
we're a blitzing team, we're a running offense, we're whatever
it might be, I don't know that you want to
have that kind of reputation that opponents can count on
(12:49):
in some critical situations and then maybe try and them
try to be able to stop you based on your
quote quote identity. So yeah, I think identity is something
that maybe fans in the media like a lot more
than football coaches do, or at least the football coaches
(13:12):
who are willing to admit it do, because even the Ravens,
you know, you would think that if you're a Ravens fan,
you want your identity to be you know, we run
Derrick Henry. I thought they could have run him a
whole lot more often on Sunday, but they didn't, And
(13:34):
so I think that that kind of makes him more
effective when you do do it, because if you if
you know Derrick Henry's coming up the middle on this play,
that's probably your best chance to stop it.
Speaker 5 (13:53):
Well, said Labs.
Speaker 4 (13:55):
I was reading your You're Asked and Answered this morning,
and you kind of let off with a question about
that Isaiah likely touchdown that was then overturned after the review.
And I think your last sentence here was very fitting.
You said, and I quote my opinion is that NFL
officiating is inconsistent and arbitrary, but never sinister end quote.
(14:17):
And I again, I think that's a perfect sentence, a
perfect way to describe it. My question for you that
maybe is cynical, but as honest, is the NFL really
have a desire to fix this. I mean, it was
what eight years ago since the Jesse James play. It
was five years before that. The big controversy in this
Seattle Seahawks Green Bay Packers game. I know officiating is
(14:41):
never going to be perfect, but it seems like almost
every week we come back to one of these was
it a catch? Was it not a catch? So much
gray area, specifically in that department. Is there anything they
can do? Will there be anything they can do?
Speaker 3 (14:57):
I mean, I have my theory and it's it's it
has no chance band replay because because that's the problem.
You slow something down frame by frame, then you can
call anything you want. Did the ball move? You know?
Speaker 2 (15:19):
I means agree.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
That when you have these high definition cameras that can
you know, go frame by frame. I don't think there's
ever been a throw and a catch where the ball
never moved if you slow it down enough and get
enough angles and then you know, you know, the rule
book reads as if it's written by lawyers and politicians,
(15:40):
where when fans ask me, what's the rule say? And
I always say, it doesn't matter what the rules say,
it matters how it's interpreted by that particular individual in
that particular situation. You know, what is complete to catch?
What does make a football move? Can anybody tell me
what that? I mean? There is no, It's not like
(16:01):
two and two is four, you know, that's the the
problem is two plus two and the answer is four.
And it's always that. But it's not in this because uh,
it's it's open for interpretation and you know, replay, assist
and you know all this stuff that they have again
(16:24):
this is my opinion. All it's doing is layer adding
more layers of human elements into it. And humans are
inherently not perfect. You know, more replay, more replay. Everybody
wants more replay, you know, play Maden. If that's what
you like, do no, seriously, get your get your console
(16:47):
and the joystick and the and the players do whatever
you want them to do. Uh, because you're running it,
you know, as some you know, uh, over overseeing all deity,
but that these are real people. And you know, you
watch watch highlights old NFL films and stuff, you know,
(17:07):
and I watch games from the sixties or seventies or whatever,
and there will be a guy carrying the ball towards
the goal line and there's a pile up and he
kind of falls and did he when did his knee
go down?
Speaker 2 (17:20):
And where was the ball.
Speaker 3 (17:21):
And all that stuff. Back then, they just raised their arms.
Touchdown or wasn't a touchdown? And that was it. You
line up for the next play. I mean, now that
review it to death. To death, imagine imagine the immaculate reception,
Imagine the Lord. I mean it would still be that'd
(17:41):
still be looking at it and what's gonna happen. You know,
somebody's gonna make a decision, and then that's it. I
was with the guy on the field make the decision
and then it's over with.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
Yeah, and I was throwing this. I wish they would
simplify the rules. You know, one of the things it
used to be. And there was a judgment call about
whether the guy would have gotten two feet down had
you not shoved him out of bounds. And now they
just said, you know what, you get shoved out of bounds,
it's not a catch. I just think two feet down.
That was the standard when when we were growing up labs.
(18:14):
Two feet down is possession. This whole notion of the
of the football move like it's like I joke with
people and and Wes has heard me say this. You know,
I don't applaud my dog unless she catches the tennis ball,
gets all four paws down and makes a K nine move.
And what does that even mean? What does that mean?
It doesn't mean any just two feet down in possession, simplify.
(18:37):
There's a bunch of rules I'd like to see changed.
Defenseless receiver. I don't think that's gonna be changed. I'd
like to see that changed. I think two feet down
with just two feet down, and then if you have
to get to the ground, fine. I mean, did Aaron
Rodgers survive the ground? I don't know what does that mean?
Survive the ground? He got up, so I guess he
survived the ground. I don't know. I wish they would.
(19:00):
I wish they would simplify it. I just wanted to
ask you, though. One more thing is regards to Steelers.
I talked about how Mike Tomlin tries to manage a game,
doesn't care about the stats, manage it to win the game.
I think one other thing that is a little bit
of an undercurrent of moves that the Steelers make and
can make. When you have stability, you don't feel the
(19:24):
need to quote unquote protect somebody. Hey, let's protect the
GM by keeping this guy in the roster, for example.
And I think of that when I look at the
corners for the Steelers and the moves they've made, some
of those out of necessity. Jalen Ramsey moving to safety
Ecoles and James Pierre. First of all, kudos to both
those guys for stepping up when needed. But also, you know,
(19:47):
there's no pressure on the Steelers to keep a guy
because he was a third round draft choice, you know
what I'm saying, or not make some of these moves.
Stability gives you the freedom to make the moves you
think are best to improve your team, whether that comes
in the off season or during the season.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
Yeah. And you know, but Dan Rooney used to call
those moves that you make for other reasons, put put
that one in the PR budget exactly exactly. Someone would
sign a free agent. Wowk wow. That would look at
that free agent signing, you know, did it actually make
the team better or did it just energize the fan
(20:26):
base for a short time in March. He would always say,
put that one in the PR budget. So yeah, that's
that's kind of been a I think a Rooney family
business model for decades, and yeah, it gives you the
(20:48):
freedom or the belief in what you're doing. Is you know,
is it in the best interest of the team to
try and win games? And there are there are, there
are thousands of different variations of things that you know,
do they pass that test, you know, whatever, whatever it
(21:09):
might be. And one of my favorites for ask an answer,
since you know West brought this up, is why don't
they put in Will Howard now to see what he
can do? Okay, now you ask yourself, is that in
the best interests of the team trying to win games? Now?
It is not, so you don't do it. And it's
(21:34):
and I again, I don't I fear that I'm I
come off as I am as if I am criticizing
Will Howard and I'm not. I'm just criticizing the that
mindset or that thought process or you know, I think
fans a lot of times in media they just want to,
you know, let's see what that is or they're curious. Uh,
(21:56):
and then when when it doesn't work or blow up
blows up in the team's face, then they just go
on with their real life.
Speaker 2 (22:02):
Yes, they can step aside, exactly right. No ramifications here.
Speaker 3 (22:06):
No accountability either, you know. I mean all the people
who were torturing me about what are they doing with
that old man at quarterback? I don't hear anything from
them now. And everybody who thought signing Aaron Rodgers was
a bad idea, raise your hand. Nobody has their hand up.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
I could tell you something. My hand ain't up because
I never thought it was a bad idea. Now we'll see, right, ultimately, ultimately, Labs,
we'll see on all this stuff. Right, the proof will
the proof will ultimately be in the pudding, and hopefully
that putting. I don't want to see that pudding completed
till February. But we'll see between now and then what happens,
(22:54):
we ask, he answers. He is the great Bob Labriola,
joining us today in the locker room. Last. Thank you
very much, my friend, appreciate it and look forward to
seeing you on Monday night.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
Okay, Fall's take care.
Speaker 5 (23:06):
Thanks Libs.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
He's Bob Abriola. That's Wes Euler. I'm Rob King, and
you are in the locker room, presented by your neighborhood
Ford Store and the Steelers Pro Shop. I see this
Nation Radio a part of the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (23:27):
This is in the locker Room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio, presented by your neighborhood Ford Store.
The F one fifty is the official truck of.
Speaker 6 (23:38):
The Pittsburgh Steelers and by Steelers Pro Shop. Get it
direct from the team at the Steelers Pro Shop at
shop dot Steelers dot com.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
And we think we free with us in the locker
room today. We thank Wes Euler for filling in for
Max Starks. As always, we thank Justin Miller the Dulcet
Tones behind the ninety s. It's one nighttime DJ record
Spinnings stufflebus King. I guess she's not really not really
spinning records anymore, are you?
Speaker 5 (24:10):
But it still sounds cool.
Speaker 2 (24:11):
Yeah, it's good, fun, good. So we're going around the NFL,
and we want to thank Bob Labriola. By the way,
Tuesdays with Labs are presented by UPMC, the official healthcare
provider and health plan of the Pittsburgh Steelers. We're also
continuing to go around the NFL. So here's what we've
done so far, and we're pretty much keeping this to
the to the AFC, we had New England. We think
(24:32):
they're gonna win a minimum of twelve, Buffalo a minimum
of eleven. So when you think that the most games
the Steelers could win is eleven, that is one wildcard
team taken out in our estimation with Buffalo, because Buffalo
beat the Steelers head to head. So if it came
to that, of course the students wouldn't be if they're
(24:53):
a wild card, they would have fewer than eleven wins anyway. Sure,
so that's so that that's out. The South, we have
Jacksonville with twelve. It's amazing for you to say that,
Houston with eleven. Again, these are minimum expectations. These teams
could certainly have more. And we have Indianapolis with nine. Yes,
(25:14):
so I don't think Indianapolis. I don't believe they're going
to be a factor as we met.
Speaker 4 (25:18):
I think they're going to be the one left out
king er idea, which is crazy from seven to one
and eight and two to missing the playoffs, but I
think that's gonna happen.
Speaker 2 (25:26):
I agree. And then we get to the West. Now,
how the West has won and we have Denver at
eleven and two. They've won ten in a row. Here's
their schedule and it is rough. I mean, this is
a rough it's not. Maybe Indianapolis had the with a
seven games left for Indianapolis, that was a tough stretch,
(25:47):
But this is a tough stretch. Both they and the
Chargers have a rough stretch. By the way, hard to
know whether to root for, Uh, you know the Chiefs
this weekend or do you know you're Houston or the Chargers.
Last night? We were all any Steelers fan wanted them
to lose because they've got a difficult schedule coming too.
(26:07):
But the Eagles just gifted him that game last night.
So here is Denver. Denver is green Bay at home, tough,
Jacksonville at home, tough at Kansas City, we'll see, but
tough Chargers at home. Ooh, now three of the four
(26:29):
are at home, but that is difficult.
Speaker 5 (26:32):
The Patriots really might get the one seed.
Speaker 2 (26:34):
Huh, well, we have the Patriots only winning one for sure.
I think out of that group, I.
Speaker 4 (26:40):
Think the Broncos schedule is tougher than New England's, though
the rest of the way it is.
Speaker 2 (26:45):
I mean, New England's got two tough ones here against
the Bills and at Baltimore. But Denver, and by the way,
you know, if they win against Buffalo. It's a big
emotional win. They go into the Ravens on Sunday night.
It doesn't mean that much for him, yes, as much. Correct,
I don't like that. I don't want that. I want
that game to mean a lot for them.
Speaker 5 (27:04):
Same. I'm with you on that one. I'm with you
on that one.
Speaker 2 (27:08):
So Denver, Green Bay, Jacksonville, k c LA. There are
three of the four at home. We have to give
them a minimum of one win there, right, I.
Speaker 5 (27:20):
Would think so.
Speaker 4 (27:21):
I would say in all likelihood they probably split, right,
but I would be shocked if they didn't get at
least one.
Speaker 1 (27:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
Right, So we're trying to get this sussed out again
for best advantage for the Steelers and how things are
gonna shake out, and just kind of underscoring what's going
on here in the AFC. So the Chargers also difficult schedule,
which is why, man, would I have loved if they
were eight and five. I would have loved them to be.
Speaker 4 (27:46):
I agree, But I also king er as we suss
this out. As you say, I think the Steelers win
the North or nothing, you know, Like I just I
think that's where they're at, particularly when you consider to
me last night would have met more if the Steelers
had the tiebreaker over the Chargers, but the Chargers beat
the Steelers had the head, which basically means they have
like a you know, you can't even finish with the
(28:07):
same record as them.
Speaker 5 (28:08):
You have to be better.
Speaker 2 (28:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (28:11):
Sure, in theory last night, if they're an eight win team,
it's still a possibility. But I just I feel like
it's the North or nothing for the Steelers and the Ravens,
and I think the North is going to be a
one playoff representative this year.
Speaker 2 (28:24):
I really think that last night's outcome, and this is
part of the reason we're doing this exercise. I think
last night's outcome is that's why that's almost the assurance
that that's the way it's going to be. Yeah, because
if the Chargers were eight and five, listen to this schedule.
Speaker 5 (28:43):
They got it tough too.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
At Kansas City, Okay, you could see that being eight
beaten six, right at Dallas Ooh, you could see that
being eight and seven right Houston at home, you could
see that being eight and eight at Denver.
Speaker 5 (29:01):
Wo Denver, who's probably gonna be playing for the one seed. Still,
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
How many wins to give the Chargers right now, who
wins more?
Speaker 5 (29:11):
The rest of the way, the Colts are the Chargers.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
I mean that is a they and Denver have just
got a brutal schedule. And by the way, if you're wondering,
did the Charger to the do the Chiefs still have
a puncher's chance to get back into this thing? Yes?
I think they would need. I believe they would need
(29:34):
the Chargers to falter. They might even need the Chargers
to lose out.
Speaker 4 (29:38):
I was gonna say, because Kinger. A big key in
all this is the Chargers are four and h in
their division. Yes, so that's a massive, massive tie breaker
for them. They're also seven and two in the AFC,
whereas the Chiefs are one and two in the division,
three and five in the conference. Kind of like what
I was just saying, Like Kansas City is gonna have
to finish a game better than the Chargers.
Speaker 2 (29:57):
Right it is. I think the next thing up would
be the common opponents, uh would be common opponents before
the before the conference matchup.
Speaker 5 (30:06):
I believe you are correct.
Speaker 2 (30:08):
Okay, so but I'm not positive on that. So now
you'd have to look at how did the Chiefs and
Chargers fair against their common opponents. Again, that's where you're like, Okay, man,
let's let's let's play a couple more games and figure
it out. I would say this that you know, had
the Chargers lost the Chiefs, they're like to me, they're like,
(30:28):
you know, ladder day Mike Tyson, right not not? You know,
the record showed that Mike wasn't very good at the
end of.
Speaker 5 (30:36):
His a haymaker everyone.
Speaker 2 (30:38):
But you're still waiting. You're still sitting forward waiting for that, right,
knowing that what he's capable of, because you've seen it.
I still think the Chiefs. So the Chiefs are they
have the Chargers at home, Okay, I could see them
winning that game. They're at Tennessee.
Speaker 5 (30:56):
Okay, they better win that game.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
Right, They're eight and seven. Now they've got Denver at
home in what would loom? Could loom is a very
big game for They can't reel in Denver, but that
could be a very big game for them, right.
Speaker 4 (31:10):
Oh sure, but it could still be very big for
Denver in terms of the uh sure, the first round.
Speaker 2 (31:15):
By but you got them at home and you're the Chiefs,
and if you're the Chiefs, you're winding up at Las Vegas.
I would not be shocked if the Chiefs finished this
season with a four game winning streak and went ten
and seven and something happened and they just squeezed their
way into the playoffs.
Speaker 4 (31:32):
For that to happen, though, let's consider the Colts out
and Kansas City has the tiebreaker over Indianapolis as well,
so for that to happen, they would have to either
surpass the eight and five Texans, nine and four Bills,
or nine and four Chargers. I don't think I'd be
shocked if Buffalo only wins one more game, so let's
take them out of the equation. They get to at
(31:53):
least eleven wins. We think that leaves the Chargers, who
have a tough schedule, and the Texans, who have a
tough schedule.
Speaker 5 (31:59):
But again, the Chiefs aren't going to have.
Speaker 4 (32:00):
A tiebreaker over either of those teams, so they would
almost need Houston to only win one more game or
the Chargers to lose out. And I'm not saying those
things are impossible, but they need to go four to zero,
and they need to get like cosmic seismic amount of
help too, dude to their lack of tiebreaker scenarios.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
I can't see it happening with Houston, right, I can't
see it happening with Houston. Now I could have seen
it happening with LA. I could have seen, yes, Yes,
But the win last night again gifted to them by
the Eagles, I think that puts the Chiefs on the outside.
I could have a.
Speaker 4 (32:39):
Big, big detriment to Kansas City last night, certainly.
Speaker 2 (32:42):
I think they could have finished ten and seven, and
I think LA could have finished nine and eight if
they had not won that game. Agreed, And this game,
this game coming up is still you know, at Kansas City,
still important. The Chiefs still have to play as a
desperate team with a chance. But I mean, imagine if
that was an eight and five team and now you're
(33:04):
the Chargers and you're only a game up on Kansas City. Yeah,
and you've got a brutal schedule. I mean, you know
if for Kansas City, for the playout right, for Kansas City,
they would wind up with an even record in the division,
and then you'd have to go to these other tie breakers.
So again, I don't know where they stand with the
other tie breakers. This is not a Kansas City Chiefs
or LA Chargers show. I'm not going to dive into that,
(33:27):
but I think that what this exercise has done is
circle us back to where your premise at the beginning.
It's win the division for this Steelers or you're likely
not going to make the playoffs.
Speaker 4 (33:38):
I think that becomes clearer and clearer by the day, Kinger,
and you're in a good position to do so. Now
that's the good news. You've got the upper hand, you've
got the upper leg, and go take care of business,
which is much easier said than done, of course. But
Baltimore's got some tough games the rest of the way.
They've got some injury concerns the rest of the way.
(33:58):
But it's yeah, I think think, barring something absolutely insane,
these last four weeks, it's the North or nothing for
the Steelers and the Ravens, and then there's a lot
of a lot of tie breakers that are gonna play
into whoever gets that final seven seed in the wildcard.
But it's it's crazy right now, king Er, because you know,
you could probably count out the Miami Dolphins. I'm about
(34:22):
ready to you know, you could you can count out
the Bengals. I'm about ready to count out the Chiefs honestly.
But right now in the AFC, only four teams are
mathematically eliminated from the postseason, the Raiders, the Titans, the Browns,
and the Jets, one in each division. That for being
in the middle of December week fifteen on the horizon
here is nuts. It's exactly what the NFL wanted with
(34:43):
the extra seventeenth game, with the extra wildcard spot.
Speaker 5 (34:47):
You keep so many more teams.
Speaker 4 (34:49):
In the conversation, in the past, Miami and Kansas City
would be out of this thing if we were still
sixteen games and six six playoff teams instead non instead,
now they're not.
Speaker 5 (34:59):
They got plenty of to play for.
Speaker 4 (35:00):
You sell more tickets, you sell more merchandise, you sell
more parking, you sell more concessions and drinks and all
that stuff, more eyeballs on the TV sets.
Speaker 5 (35:08):
It really is.
Speaker 4 (35:09):
I mean, just four teams in the AFC are mathematically
eliminated this late into the season. That has been a
brilliant employ by the NFL and worked out exactly how
they wanted it to when they expanded that regular season
and expanded the postseason.
Speaker 2 (35:24):
He's west Youuther, I'm rob King. We want to remind
you can gear up with the latest game. They necessities
hit the official Students Pro shops. Get the latest sideline apparel, jerseys,
terrible towels, authentic memorabilia and custom exclusives you can only
find directly from the team. Visit one of the official
Students Pro shops located at Akroscher Stadium, Grove City Premium
Outlets or Tanger out Let's, or gear up online at
(35:45):
shop dot Studs dot com. Get it direct from the
team at the Studish Pro Shop at Shop dot Stealers
dot com. How did the public perception, the national perception
of the Students change with their victory over the Ravens, Well,
it changed significantly for one outlet and not that significantly
for another. We will explain when we continue in the
(36:06):
Locker Room presented by your neighborhood Fords Store and the
Students Pro Shop on Steelers Nation Radio, a part of
the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (36:18):
This is in the Locker Room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio presented by your neighborhood Ford Store.
The F one point fifty is the official truck of
the Pittsburgh Steelers and by Steelers Pro Shop. Get it
direct from the team at the Steelers Pro Shop at
Shop dot Steelers dot com.
Speaker 2 (36:40):
And we thank Wes Euler for filling in for us
today for Max starksportch you can hear Wes and the Drive.
We are getting ready for the Mike Tomlin press conference
coming up in just a few minutes. The guys will
be breaking down the Mike Tomlin Press conference talking about
Wes and Matt later today on the Drive. Big injury
news coming up. Injury updates for the Steelers. Banged up
(37:00):
heading into Baltimore, certainly banged up during the game taking
on a Dolphins team. I think the expectation is eight
Chan who left that game against the Jets the Dolphins
win over the Jets their fourth consecutive victory, will be
healthy and ready to go. So leading up to that,
our last exercise for today, as we've spent a lot
of this show going around the NFL, is the weekly
(37:25):
power rankings. So we usually look at the athletic ESPN
and NFL dot Com and I will just let you
know Wes that the top six teams not necessarily in
the same order, but the top six teams in all
outlets are the same. They all have the RAMS number
one RAMS Patriots, Seattle, Denver, Green Bay, Buffalo. All six
(37:50):
teams are the same, then things get interesting. I mean,
I've got a.
Speaker 5 (37:54):
Little I've got a little beef there.
Speaker 4 (37:56):
But if well I would have I would have the
the Rams, the Seahawks, and maybe the Packers ahead of
the Broncos and the Patriots.
Speaker 5 (38:08):
But again that's splitting here.
Speaker 2 (38:10):
Don't talk to Max about that. He doesn't like the
lack of AFC love, no, man.
Speaker 4 (38:14):
Okay, I think the Rams and the Seahawks. I would
certainly have the Rams one and the Seahawks two.
Speaker 5 (38:19):
After that. I think everything's a fair debate.
Speaker 4 (38:21):
But hey, you know, maybe Max is just he's getting
a little he's getting little jump scare from the from
his sec boys, you know, not being the Kings on
the block anymore.
Speaker 2 (38:30):
So. NFL dot com has the Bears, the forty nine Ers,
the Jaguars, and the Lions.
Speaker 4 (38:38):
Okay, okay, Bears, forty nine Ers, Jaguars, Lions, Lions.
Speaker 5 (38:42):
Don't hate that. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (38:44):
The ESPN has the forty nine Ers, the Jaguars, the Eagles,
the Bears.
Speaker 5 (38:52):
Eagles too high at this point.
Speaker 2 (38:54):
And the and the Athletic has the forty nine Ers,
the Lions, the Texans and the Bears. So some wide swings, right,
wild swing. I like the Texans. I like the Texans
being up in there. I'm not gonna lie. I think
they I agree. I agree. ESPN has the Texans ranked twelfth,
(39:15):
which I think is too low. The NFL dot Com
has him ranked eleventh, which I think is also too low.
And you know, then then, look, there's a lot of
jumble of different teams. But you know what team I
want to get to, I sure do, so I'm going
to go in reverse order here of where they're ranked.
(39:37):
So the Athletic had the Steelers ranked twentieth going into
this week. Okay, they've been stumbling. They're six and six.
They've always been the lowest ranked division leader all year long.
All right, I get it.
Speaker 5 (39:49):
They lost two straight games.
Speaker 2 (39:50):
Yeah, they have them moving up three spots from twenty
to seventeen.
Speaker 5 (39:58):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (39:58):
At the moment, Pittsburgh is to host Buffalo in the
first round of the playoffs, so Las Vegas odds makers
are likely to set that line as the Bills minus
roughly a billion. The Steelers have finished between ten and
seven and eight and eight for seven straight season. There,
barreling toward the same mediocrity this year, after being outgained
(40:19):
by the Ravens by more than one hundred yards, yet
still somehow winning the game. Not the most flattering right
up of our Pittsburgh Steelers. Sure, okay, so let us
now go to NFL dot Com. They have the Steelers
moving from twenty up six spots to fourteen. Okay, I
(40:40):
think that's a little more accurate. I agree, what a
difference a week made. Mike Tomlins future in Pittsburgh was
in question. This might be I for Aaron Rodgers and
the Steelers were cooked until they went out and beat
the Ravens Baltimore. Rodgers came out like a man in
a mission. He didn't complete a pass of twenty plus
air yards in the entire month of November, but he
had on three of them against the Ravens. He granted
the offense out of team in the fourth quarter and
(41:01):
the defense started cracking, allowing the Ravens to score on
four straight drives. But they were terrific in the red zone,
holding the Ravens to two field goals and turning them
over on downs in that area of the field. With
Alex high Smith's sack deepense to this territory, endering it,
ending it. Pittsburgh is now stolen the momento back in
the AFC North, which would be Tomlin's eighth division title.
(41:21):
If they can hang on stolen it. I think they
earned it. But that's okay.
Speaker 4 (41:26):
Yeah, they didn't slide down the chimney like the Grinch
in the middle of the night.
Speaker 2 (41:31):
Poor cindylu who she had a chance to end it,
but she was only she was Alex. He's no more
than two. I don't really know how old she was.
We just know she was no more than two.
Speaker 5 (41:41):
Alex high Smith carved the roast beast.
Speaker 2 (41:44):
Yes, the roast beast.
Speaker 3 (41:46):
So uh.
Speaker 2 (41:48):
The ESPN rankings. ESPN had them twenty first. They also
have them fourteenth, so I think that's I don't really
have an equibbal with that. I really haven't had an
equibble with where the Steelers are ranked because I don't
really you know, your perceptions are your perceptions, right. I
(42:10):
think I've been more bullish and higher on the Steelers
than most, to be perfectly honest, and I think that,
you know, but the fourteenth ranking, okay, that's fine, I think.
Question Yeah, see what happens, right, See what happens from.
Speaker 5 (42:24):
There, fourteen teams get into the playoffs.
Speaker 4 (42:27):
If the playoffs started right now, with the playoff picture,
I'm almost positive I should have probably double checked this.
But the Steelers would have the worst record of the
teams in the postseason right now, Yes they would. Texans
would be eight and five with the wild card in
the NFC nine and four. The Bears are the seven
seed right now. So yeah, so if the playoffs started today,
(42:48):
the Steelers would be in, but they would have the
worst record of the teams in the playoffs. I think
fourteen's about right. Fourteen teams go to the playoffs. That
that makes sense.
Speaker 2 (42:56):
That puts you as the lowest ranked of the playoff teams.
Speaker 5 (43:00):
Which is fine.
Speaker 4 (43:01):
And maybe we could argue the way the Eagles are
playing and some and the Chargers are banged up right
now and some things like that, But I again, I
think that that's about If you had the Steelers at twelve,
I wouldn't fight you. If you had them at fifteen,
I probably wouldn't fight you. But I think I think
that's about right.
Speaker 2 (43:16):
Yep. And then you know, when you think about what's
ahead of them, right, you still have you know, it's
been a while since you've had a win, and I
do think I mean a win of you know, of
one that people are like, well, look at that win.
I do think that if you beat Miami and you
(43:39):
beat Detroit, the narrative may change on who you are
and how good you are.
Speaker 5 (43:45):
And these narratives Detroit one big time.
Speaker 2 (43:47):
Yeah, yeah, these narratives always change. Right, where are you? Like,
if you beat the Dolphins and you're fourteenth in the
power rankings and seventeenth in the power rankings, you're probably
thirteenth in the power rankings and fifteenth in the power rankings. Right,
it's not going to move the needle a lot. I
would think Detroit. Detroit would probably move the needle through
(44:09):
this Steelers again, for what it's worth, which really isn't
that much.
Speaker 4 (44:13):
If you win these next two Kinger against a Miami
team that I think is now respected across the National
Football League. They're not feared, they're not favored, they're not
going to the playoffs in all likelihood, but they're a
respected team that has certainly turned their season around and
deserves some credit, you know, for being what five and
one in their last six games?
Speaker 5 (44:33):
I believe it is.
Speaker 4 (44:34):
And then of course Detroit, who doesn't seem isn't quite
the same beast that they've been in the past, that
they would actually be out of the playoffs today if
it started, but is still a well respected and thought
of as a contending team across the league. You beat
those two and then Cleveland, you know, post Christmas, heading
into that last week against Baltimore, I think you would
(44:56):
be in the top ten or maybe pretty close, maybe
ten or eleven. You get two out of the three.
It would probably depend on which ones that's right. But yeah,
from this standpoint, I think it can only be up
for the Steelers, if that makes sense. Like, even if
they lose to the Dolphins, unless they get blown out,
I don't think you drop them very far, but you don't,
(45:17):
you know, you maybe drop them one or two spots,
the same as if they were to win, you maybe
bump them up one or two spots. But that Detroit
one kind of the one to circle, I think in
terms of this conversation.
Speaker 2 (45:27):
Yeah, just in terms of that conversation. But again, the
big conversation is coming up in just about five minutes
or so. That's the Mike Tomlin press conference. He's gonna
get you caught up on all the injuries, the state
of this team coming as the state of the team
coming out of this game against the Ravens and ahead
of the game against Miami on Monday night in Pittsburgh.
(45:47):
Wes Uther, thanks very much for filling in for Max today,
my friend, you're the best, and having jo Kaween thanks
for having me. We'll do He's wes Uther are thanks
also to Justin Milber the controls in our iHeart studio.
I'm rob King. Thanks of course as always to you.
As Maxwell returned tomorrow, I'm sure he would be thanking
you as well for being with us in the locker
(46:07):
room presented by you Neighborhood. Ford's joined the Steelers Pro
Shop on Steelers Nation Radio, a part of the Steelers
Audio Network.
This is in the locker room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio, presented by your neighborhood Forward Store.
The F one fifty is the official truck of the
Pittsburgh Steelers and by Steelers Pro Shop. Get it direct
from the team at the Steelers Pro Shop at shop
dot Steelers dot com.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
That is the signal that we have joined the power
our Optimist Prime breezing down the highway, honking the horn
and Optimist Prime. A guy who's our own Optimist Prime.
The main man, the man who is behind the Mike
Tomlin show that does those questions for It's the editor
of Steelers Digest, the man who if you ask, he
(00:55):
will answer. And that is the one and the only
Bob Labla, not the not the Max Stark's introduction Labs.
I wanted to come a little short of that because
Max is not with us today for the program.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
You did fine, though, okay, you no? I mean sometimes
Max kind of almost makes it uncomfortable a little bit
how he keeps going on and on. You know, I mean,
you no. My wife doesn't talk to talk about me
like that, so you know, I understand.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
H Labs. Big win for the Steelers on Sunday in Baltimore,
And you know, I just think for for Steelers fans,
this is an opportunity to sort of you know, and
I know that work still needs to be done and
you're trying to get to the playoffs, and you're not
only trying to get to the playoffs, trying to get
there and win games and hopefully get on a roll.
(01:54):
But that's one to be savored, I think always for
Steelers fans. There's another matchup coming up at the end
of the sear I mean, this one was important. I
suspect that game in Pittsburgh on the last weekend of
the season. I suspect that's going to be important as well.
But before we run off and talk about the Dolphins
and other things, this is one that you there's nation
(02:16):
should be enjoying, don't you think.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
Oh absolutely? I mean, you know, if you don't hate
the Ravens, what's the point. No, I mean you know
that I agree, And there's you know, everybody, there's those
kind of kind of those kinds of rivalry slash. I
hate things in every sport. You know, you can list
(02:41):
them all, you know, different, you know, depending on what
sport it is, who the teams are and you know,
I really believe that in those particular sports, those particular rivalries. Uh.
You know, they always say, you know that you can
throw the records out when these two teams play, and
a lot of time times that's just a cliche. But
(03:03):
with Steelers Ravens, historically these teams have been you know,
towards the top of the division. You know, it was
the AFC Central for a while and now it's the
AFC North. And even before that, you know, I always
make this point, before the Ravens were the Ravens, they
(03:23):
were the Browns, and you know that was that that wrote.
That one started in nineteen fifty when the Browns were
admitted to the NFL. So yeah, there's there's a lot
of history here. Everybody has their stories or their tales
of woe depending on the outcome of the game. And
(03:45):
you know, Mike Tollman first used this, you know, back
in the early twenty and tens. He described these two
teams as two trains one track, right, And when you
think about the way the games are played, you can
kind of you close your eyes for a second and
envision that collision two trains streaming steaming at each other
(04:12):
and colliding head to head, and that reminds me of
Steelers Ravens in a lot of different ways.
Speaker 4 (04:19):
Yeah, and Labs, you did a great job last week
of talking about how you can trace a lot of
the NFL player safety initiatives back to the AFC Championship
game between these teams and what would have been what
January of two thousand and nine, that two thousand and
eight season, but in early two thousand and nine, that
playoff game. It was another physical one on Sunday in Baltimore.
(04:41):
Certainly a lot of injuries, a lot of guys being
banged up on both sides of the ball. Both quarterbacks
came into the game banged up, and Labs a lot
to like about that win on both sides of the ball.
But for me, it's really hard not to start with
I think perhaps maybe the finest game we've seen from
Aaron Rodgers the Black and Gold, and with that a
(05:02):
real resurgence from DK Metcalf.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
Yeah, I mean that the Aaron Rodgers thing. To me,
there were a lot of other players who turned in
great performances, Guys who were, you know, athletically heroic in
terms of what they were willing to do guys came
coming back from injury, all of that stuff. But what
(05:26):
really gave me hope for the future of this season
and this team in it was the play of the quarterback.
I mean, this is the best quarterback play, you know,
the Steelers have had by far since Ben Roethlisberger was here.
And you know it started on the game's first play,
(05:48):
and you know, Aaron Rodgers gives the Steelers that you know,
there's I've always said this, there's a difference between playing
quarterback and being the quarterback, and Aaron Rodgers was both
on Sunday. And let me give you this to two
quick examples. It was in the first quarter, I believe, uh,
(06:13):
there was a play along the sideline. It was initially
ruled a completed pass by the Steelers for a first down,
and Rogers knew what was going to happen, and he's
hustling the team up to the line to get the
snap off. Arthur smith sends in some substitutes that gave
(06:33):
John Harbaugh time to challenge the play, which he did,
and it was overturned and you could on television anyway,
which is how I watched road games. Now, Rogers was
honked off.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Oh, you can see it in person too. But you
could see it in person, believe me.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
Correct, he was right, he was. He was not happy.
But then later after the pass to Jalen Warren for
the touchdown, where the call play door two guys wide open,
you know, Friarmouth was wide open all by himself. Warren
(07:11):
was wide open by himself, but closer to the line
of scrimmage. And in that situation, I thought Aaron Rodgers
did the right thing. He took the safer throw. You know,
it doesn't You don't have to try and throw a
thirty yards downfield to a guy when you can just
throw it like ten feet and achieve the same result.
And when he's running down the field to help celebrate
(07:33):
in the end zone, he turned to the Steeler sideline
and pointed, I'm assuming it was that Arthur Smith and
like a little fist bump or something. Great call.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
And so.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
You like that, because first of all, he was right
about let me get the you know, let me do
this when I see, when I can see something, when
I can see you around the corner, what's going to happen?
Trust me, you know, I'm not trying to usurp any
authority or anything, just let me do this, and he's
hanked off when you don't. But then when you do
(08:07):
something good, he's the first person to say, yeah, you
did a great job. And that's what, to me, what
being a quarterback is. Sometimes there's some criticisms that are justified, players, coaches, whatever. Uh,
that's what a quarterback does. Fiery leader and all that stuff.
(08:28):
I mean, you can you know all the cliches you can,
you can find them all about that kind of thing.
But then when that guy also is a cheerleader when
it's warranted, then that makes him, in my opinion, the
leader that you need from that position. Okay, and he
not only played well, but he was he was being
(08:50):
the kind of quarterback that you need to win games
at this time of the season. And it gives me
real hope moving forward because I'll tell you you up,
if Aaron Rodgers puts up twenty five plus points in
every game with no turnovers, I'll take my chances because
(09:11):
I'll look around the AFC right now and I don't
see anybody that's scary. I'm not put it in any
Super Bowl runs or any of that stuff, but I'm
just saying, if this guy is going to play like this,
you got a chance, and every game you're.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
In I totally agree with you. And by the way,
nine straight games in which the two thors have won
when they have not committed a turnover, So that doesn't
mean they necessarily won the turnover battle. They just didn't
turn the ball over, and they didn't turn the ball over.
And this one they won the turnover battle, won nothing,
and they won the game. And I think too. You know,
(09:46):
I'm trying, Bob to figure this team out, and I'm
hoping that in the month of December we will see more,
well less of the things that concern me more than
things that I like to see, like Aaron Rodgers playing
the way he played there, you know, the pressure and
the you know, high Smith coming up with a key
(10:07):
sack and some of these other things. The numbers have
been confounding to me. You know, how you can have
I can be one of two teams to have thirty
or more sacks and twenty or more turnovers and your
defense has struggled to keep teams off the scoreboard, and
the other team that's in that category is second in
the league in points per game. You know, how does
that happen. Well, it happens because you're lacking in other statistics.
(10:29):
There have been wide swings for this ye other statistically.
But I also think some of that is because Mike
Tomlin doesn't care about that stuff. He just he just
wants he he coaches each game to win that game.
And I don't know if there's a particular style that
this team can be that we can point to and say, Aha,
(10:51):
it's a running team. Aha, it's a throwing team. Aha,
it's a team that stops to run. Aha, it's a
team that pressures the passer. I don't know what the
identity is other than at seven and six, and you know, hopefully,
you know, some things will get smoothed out a little
bit in this month, but right now you're in good position.
And I don't I just don't think those statistical things
(11:12):
that I want to take comfort in and probably other
fans do, are that important to the Steelers.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
No, And I would agree with you. I mean, I
remember in a year or two ago talking to Mike
Tumlin for his radio show about identity, a team's identity,
and I'm paraphrasing what he meant, but what he what
he said was that you know, an identity. If you
have a hard and fast identity, all that makes you
(11:40):
is predictable to your opponents. Right, So you know there's
because in the NFL, you know, I really believe if
one team wants to stop another team from doing something
on a particular down, you know we're going to run
the ball here, they can stop it. If if that's
(12:03):
what you're going to do and everybody knows you're going
to do it, uh, I think it lowers your chances
of success, whatever that might be. So I get that,
you know, in that respect, and I agree with you
in terms of you know that kind of thing. I
don't know that he wants to be identified as something.
(12:26):
Now you want to be physical, you know those kinds
of things are that are to me core values of
the sport. That's one thing. But in terms of you know,
we're a blitzing team, we're a running offense, we're whatever
it might be, I don't know that you want to
have that kind of reputation that opponents can count on
(12:49):
in some critical situations and then maybe try and them
try to be able to stop you based on your
quote quote identity. So yeah, I think identity is something
that maybe fans in the media like a lot more
than football coaches do, or at least the football coaches
(13:12):
who are willing to admit it do, because even the Ravens,
you know, you would think that if you're a Ravens fan,
you want your identity to be you know, we run
Derrick Henry. I thought they could have run him a
whole lot more often on Sunday, but they didn't, And
(13:34):
so I think that that kind of makes him more
effective when you do do it, because if you if
you know Derrick Henry's coming up the middle on this play,
that's probably your best chance to stop it.
Speaker 5 (13:53):
Well, said Labs.
Speaker 4 (13:55):
I was reading your You're Asked and Answered this morning,
and you kind of let off with a question about
that Isaiah likely touchdown that was then overturned after the review.
And I think your last sentence here was very fitting.
You said, and I quote my opinion is that NFL
officiating is inconsistent and arbitrary, but never sinister end quote.
(14:17):
And I again, I think that's a perfect sentence, a
perfect way to describe it. My question for you that
maybe is cynical, but as honest, is the NFL really
have a desire to fix this. I mean, it was
what eight years ago since the Jesse James play. It
was five years before that. The big controversy in this
Seattle Seahawks Green Bay Packers game. I know officiating is
(14:41):
never going to be perfect, but it seems like almost
every week we come back to one of these was
it a catch? Was it not a catch? So much
gray area, specifically in that department. Is there anything they
can do? Will there be anything they can do?
Speaker 3 (14:57):
I mean, I have my theory and it's it's it
has no chance band replay because because that's the problem.
You slow something down frame by frame, then you can
call anything you want. Did the ball move? You know?
Speaker 2 (15:19):
I means agree.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
That when you have these high definition cameras that can
you know, go frame by frame. I don't think there's
ever been a throw and a catch where the ball
never moved if you slow it down enough and get
enough angles and then you know, you know, the rule
book reads as if it's written by lawyers and politicians,
(15:40):
where when fans ask me, what's the rule say? And
I always say, it doesn't matter what the rules say,
it matters how it's interpreted by that particular individual in
that particular situation. You know, what is complete to catch?
What does make a football move? Can anybody tell me
what that? I mean? There is no, It's not like
(16:01):
two and two is four, you know, that's the the
problem is two plus two and the answer is four.
And it's always that. But it's not in this because uh,
it's it's open for interpretation and you know, replay, assist
and you know all this stuff that they have again
(16:24):
this is my opinion. All it's doing is layer adding
more layers of human elements into it. And humans are
inherently not perfect. You know, more replay, more replay. Everybody
wants more replay, you know, play Maden. If that's what
you like, do no, seriously, get your get your console
(16:47):
and the joystick and the and the players do whatever
you want them to do. Uh, because you're running it,
you know, as some you know, uh, over overseeing all deity,
but that these are real people. And you know, you
watch watch highlights old NFL films and stuff, you know,
(17:07):
and I watch games from the sixties or seventies or whatever,
and there will be a guy carrying the ball towards
the goal line and there's a pile up and he
kind of falls and did he when did his knee
go down?
Speaker 2 (17:20):
And where was the ball.
Speaker 3 (17:21):
And all that stuff. Back then, they just raised their arms.
Touchdown or wasn't a touchdown? And that was it. You
line up for the next play. I mean, now that
review it to death. To death, imagine imagine the immaculate reception,
Imagine the Lord. I mean it would still be that'd
(17:41):
still be looking at it and what's gonna happen. You know,
somebody's gonna make a decision, and then that's it. I
was with the guy on the field make the decision
and then it's over with.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
Yeah, and I was throwing this. I wish they would
simplify the rules. You know, one of the things it
used to be. And there was a judgment call about
whether the guy would have gotten two feet down had
you not shoved him out of bounds. And now they
just said, you know what, you get shoved out of bounds,
it's not a catch. I just think two feet down.
That was the standard when when we were growing up labs.
(18:14):
Two feet down is possession. This whole notion of the
of the football move like it's like I joke with
people and and Wes has heard me say this. You know,
I don't applaud my dog unless she catches the tennis ball,
gets all four paws down and makes a K nine move.
And what does that even mean? What does that mean?
It doesn't mean any just two feet down in possession, simplify.
(18:37):
There's a bunch of rules I'd like to see changed.
Defenseless receiver. I don't think that's gonna be changed. I'd
like to see that changed. I think two feet down
with just two feet down, and then if you have
to get to the ground, fine. I mean, did Aaron
Rodgers survive the ground? I don't know what does that mean?
Survive the ground? He got up, so I guess he
survived the ground. I don't know. I wish they would.
(19:00):
I wish they would simplify it. I just wanted to
ask you, though. One more thing is regards to Steelers.
I talked about how Mike Tomlin tries to manage a game,
doesn't care about the stats, manage it to win the game.
I think one other thing that is a little bit
of an undercurrent of moves that the Steelers make and
can make. When you have stability, you don't feel the
(19:24):
need to quote unquote protect somebody. Hey, let's protect the
GM by keeping this guy in the roster, for example.
And I think of that when I look at the
corners for the Steelers and the moves they've made, some
of those out of necessity. Jalen Ramsey moving to safety
Ecoles and James Pierre. First of all, kudos to both
those guys for stepping up when needed. But also, you know,
(19:47):
there's no pressure on the Steelers to keep a guy
because he was a third round draft choice, you know
what I'm saying, or not make some of these moves.
Stability gives you the freedom to make the moves you
think are best to improve your team, whether that comes
in the off season or during the season.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
Yeah. And you know, but Dan Rooney used to call
those moves that you make for other reasons, put put
that one in the PR budget exactly exactly. Someone would
sign a free agent. Wowk wow. That would look at
that free agent signing, you know, did it actually make
the team better or did it just energize the fan
(20:26):
base for a short time in March. He would always say,
put that one in the PR budget. So yeah, that's
that's kind of been a I think a Rooney family
business model for decades, and yeah, it gives you the
(20:48):
freedom or the belief in what you're doing. Is you know,
is it in the best interest of the team to
try and win games? And there are there are, there
are thousands of different variations of things that you know,
do they pass that test, you know, whatever, whatever it
(21:09):
might be. And one of my favorites for ask an answer,
since you know West brought this up, is why don't
they put in Will Howard now to see what he
can do? Okay, now you ask yourself, is that in
the best interests of the team trying to win games? Now?
It is not, so you don't do it. And it's
(21:34):
and I again, I don't I fear that I'm I
come off as I am as if I am criticizing
Will Howard and I'm not. I'm just criticizing the that
mindset or that thought process or you know, I think
fans a lot of times in media they just want to,
you know, let's see what that is or they're curious. Uh,
(21:56):
and then when when it doesn't work or blow up
blows up in the team's face, then they just go
on with their real life.
Speaker 2 (22:02):
Yes, they can step aside, exactly right. No ramifications here.
Speaker 3 (22:06):
No accountability either, you know. I mean all the people
who were torturing me about what are they doing with
that old man at quarterback? I don't hear anything from
them now. And everybody who thought signing Aaron Rodgers was
a bad idea, raise your hand. Nobody has their hand up.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
I could tell you something. My hand ain't up because
I never thought it was a bad idea. Now we'll see, right, ultimately, ultimately, Labs,
we'll see on all this stuff. Right, the proof will
the proof will ultimately be in the pudding, and hopefully
that putting. I don't want to see that pudding completed
till February. But we'll see between now and then what happens,
(22:54):
we ask, he answers. He is the great Bob Labriola,
joining us today in the locker room. Last. Thank you
very much, my friend, appreciate it and look forward to
seeing you on Monday night.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
Okay, Fall's take care.
Speaker 5 (23:06):
Thanks Libs.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
He's Bob Abriola. That's Wes Euler. I'm Rob King, and
you are in the locker room, presented by your neighborhood
Ford Store and the Steelers Pro Shop. I see this
Nation Radio a part of the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (23:27):
This is in the locker Room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio, presented by your neighborhood Ford Store.
The F one fifty is the official truck of.
Speaker 6 (23:38):
The Pittsburgh Steelers and by Steelers Pro Shop. Get it
direct from the team at the Steelers Pro Shop at
shop dot Steelers dot com.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
And we think we free with us in the locker
room today. We thank Wes Euler for filling in for
Max Starks. As always, we thank Justin Miller the Dulcet
Tones behind the ninety s. It's one nighttime DJ record
Spinnings stufflebus King. I guess she's not really not really
spinning records anymore, are you?
Speaker 5 (24:10):
But it still sounds cool.
Speaker 2 (24:11):
Yeah, it's good, fun, good. So we're going around the NFL,
and we want to thank Bob Labriola. By the way,
Tuesdays with Labs are presented by UPMC, the official healthcare
provider and health plan of the Pittsburgh Steelers. We're also
continuing to go around the NFL. So here's what we've
done so far, and we're pretty much keeping this to
the to the AFC, we had New England. We think
(24:32):
they're gonna win a minimum of twelve, Buffalo a minimum
of eleven. So when you think that the most games
the Steelers could win is eleven, that is one wildcard
team taken out in our estimation with Buffalo, because Buffalo
beat the Steelers head to head. So if it came
to that, of course the students wouldn't be if they're
(24:53):
a wild card, they would have fewer than eleven wins anyway. Sure,
so that's so that that's out. The South, we have
Jacksonville with twelve. It's amazing for you to say that,
Houston with eleven. Again, these are minimum expectations. These teams
could certainly have more. And we have Indianapolis with nine. Yes,
(25:14):
so I don't think Indianapolis. I don't believe they're going
to be a factor as we met.
Speaker 4 (25:18):
I think they're going to be the one left out
king er idea, which is crazy from seven to one
and eight and two to missing the playoffs, but I
think that's gonna happen.
Speaker 2 (25:26):
I agree. And then we get to the West. Now,
how the West has won and we have Denver at
eleven and two. They've won ten in a row. Here's
their schedule and it is rough. I mean, this is
a rough it's not. Maybe Indianapolis had the with a
seven games left for Indianapolis, that was a tough stretch,
(25:47):
But this is a tough stretch. Both they and the
Chargers have a rough stretch. By the way, hard to
know whether to root for, Uh, you know the Chiefs
this weekend or do you know you're Houston or the Chargers.
Last night? We were all any Steelers fan wanted them
to lose because they've got a difficult schedule coming too.
(26:07):
But the Eagles just gifted him that game last night.
So here is Denver. Denver is green Bay at home, tough,
Jacksonville at home, tough at Kansas City, we'll see, but
tough Chargers at home. Ooh, now three of the four
(26:29):
are at home, but that is difficult.
Speaker 5 (26:32):
The Patriots really might get the one seed.
Speaker 2 (26:34):
Huh, well, we have the Patriots only winning one for sure.
I think out of that group, I.
Speaker 4 (26:40):
Think the Broncos schedule is tougher than New England's, though
the rest of the way it is.
Speaker 2 (26:45):
I mean, New England's got two tough ones here against
the Bills and at Baltimore. But Denver, and by the way,
you know, if they win against Buffalo. It's a big
emotional win. They go into the Ravens on Sunday night.
It doesn't mean that much for him, yes, as much. Correct,
I don't like that. I don't want that. I want
that game to mean a lot for them.
Speaker 5 (27:04):
Same. I'm with you on that one. I'm with you
on that one.
Speaker 2 (27:08):
So Denver, Green Bay, Jacksonville, k c LA. There are
three of the four at home. We have to give
them a minimum of one win there, right, I.
Speaker 5 (27:20):
Would think so.
Speaker 4 (27:21):
I would say in all likelihood they probably split, right,
but I would be shocked if they didn't get at
least one.
Speaker 1 (27:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
Right, So we're trying to get this sussed out again
for best advantage for the Steelers and how things are
gonna shake out, and just kind of underscoring what's going
on here in the AFC. So the Chargers also difficult schedule,
which is why, man, would I have loved if they
were eight and five. I would have loved them to be.
Speaker 4 (27:46):
I agree, But I also king er as we suss
this out. As you say, I think the Steelers win
the North or nothing, you know, Like I just I
think that's where they're at, particularly when you consider to
me last night would have met more if the Steelers
had the tiebreaker over the Chargers, but the Chargers beat
the Steelers had the head, which basically means they have
like a you know, you can't even finish with the
(28:07):
same record as them.
Speaker 5 (28:08):
You have to be better.
Speaker 2 (28:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (28:11):
Sure, in theory last night, if they're an eight win team,
it's still a possibility. But I just I feel like
it's the North or nothing for the Steelers and the Ravens,
and I think the North is going to be a
one playoff representative this year.
Speaker 2 (28:24):
I really think that last night's outcome, and this is
part of the reason we're doing this exercise. I think
last night's outcome is that's why that's almost the assurance
that that's the way it's going to be. Yeah, because
if the Chargers were eight and five, listen to this schedule.
Speaker 5 (28:43):
They got it tough too.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
At Kansas City, Okay, you could see that being eight
beaten six, right at Dallas Ooh, you could see that
being eight and seven right Houston at home, you could
see that being eight and eight at Denver.
Speaker 5 (29:01):
Wo Denver, who's probably gonna be playing for the one seed. Still,
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
How many wins to give the Chargers right now, who
wins more?
Speaker 5 (29:11):
The rest of the way, the Colts are the Chargers.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
I mean that is a they and Denver have just
got a brutal schedule. And by the way, if you're wondering,
did the Charger to the do the Chiefs still have
a puncher's chance to get back into this thing? Yes?
I think they would need. I believe they would need
(29:34):
the Chargers to falter. They might even need the Chargers
to lose out.
Speaker 4 (29:38):
I was gonna say, because Kinger. A big key in
all this is the Chargers are four and h in
their division. Yes, so that's a massive, massive tie breaker
for them. They're also seven and two in the AFC,
whereas the Chiefs are one and two in the division,
three and five in the conference. Kind of like what
I was just saying, Like Kansas City is gonna have
to finish a game better than the Chargers.
Speaker 2 (29:57):
Right it is. I think the next thing up would
be the common opponents, uh would be common opponents before
the before the conference matchup.
Speaker 5 (30:06):
I believe you are correct.
Speaker 2 (30:08):
Okay, so but I'm not positive on that. So now
you'd have to look at how did the Chiefs and
Chargers fair against their common opponents. Again, that's where you're like, Okay, man,
let's let's let's play a couple more games and figure
it out. I would say this that you know, had
the Chargers lost the Chiefs, they're like to me, they're like,
(30:28):
you know, ladder day Mike Tyson, right not not? You know,
the record showed that Mike wasn't very good at the
end of.
Speaker 5 (30:36):
His a haymaker everyone.
Speaker 2 (30:38):
But you're still waiting. You're still sitting forward waiting for that, right,
knowing that what he's capable of, because you've seen it.
I still think the Chiefs. So the Chiefs are they
have the Chargers at home, Okay, I could see them
winning that game. They're at Tennessee.
Speaker 5 (30:56):
Okay, they better win that game.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
Right, They're eight and seven. Now they've got Denver at
home in what would loom? Could loom is a very
big game for They can't reel in Denver, but that
could be a very big game for them, right.
Speaker 4 (31:10):
Oh sure, but it could still be very big for
Denver in terms of the uh sure, the first round.
Speaker 2 (31:15):
By but you got them at home and you're the Chiefs,
and if you're the Chiefs, you're winding up at Las Vegas.
I would not be shocked if the Chiefs finished this
season with a four game winning streak and went ten
and seven and something happened and they just squeezed their
way into the playoffs.
Speaker 4 (31:32):
For that to happen, though, let's consider the Colts out
and Kansas City has the tiebreaker over Indianapolis as well,
so for that to happen, they would have to either
surpass the eight and five Texans, nine and four Bills,
or nine and four Chargers. I don't think I'd be
shocked if Buffalo only wins one more game, so let's
take them out of the equation. They get to at
(31:53):
least eleven wins. We think that leaves the Chargers, who
have a tough schedule, and the Texans, who have a
tough schedule.
Speaker 5 (31:59):
But again, the Chiefs aren't going to have.
Speaker 4 (32:00):
A tiebreaker over either of those teams, so they would
almost need Houston to only win one more game or
the Chargers to lose out. And I'm not saying those
things are impossible, but they need to go four to zero,
and they need to get like cosmic seismic amount of
help too, dude to their lack of tiebreaker scenarios.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
I can't see it happening with Houston, right, I can't
see it happening with Houston. Now I could have seen
it happening with LA. I could have seen, yes, Yes,
But the win last night again gifted to them by
the Eagles, I think that puts the Chiefs on the outside.
I could have a.
Speaker 4 (32:39):
Big, big detriment to Kansas City last night, certainly.
Speaker 2 (32:42):
I think they could have finished ten and seven, and
I think LA could have finished nine and eight if
they had not won that game. Agreed, And this game,
this game coming up is still you know, at Kansas City,
still important. The Chiefs still have to play as a
desperate team with a chance. But I mean, imagine if
that was an eight and five team and now you're
(33:04):
the Chargers and you're only a game up on Kansas City. Yeah,
and you've got a brutal schedule. I mean, you know
if for Kansas City, for the playout right, for Kansas City,
they would wind up with an even record in the division,
and then you'd have to go to these other tie breakers.
So again, I don't know where they stand with the
other tie breakers. This is not a Kansas City Chiefs
or LA Chargers show. I'm not going to dive into that,
(33:27):
but I think that what this exercise has done is
circle us back to where your premise at the beginning.
It's win the division for this Steelers or you're likely
not going to make the playoffs.
Speaker 4 (33:38):
I think that becomes clearer and clearer by the day, Kinger,
and you're in a good position to do so. Now
that's the good news. You've got the upper hand, you've
got the upper leg, and go take care of business,
which is much easier said than done, of course. But
Baltimore's got some tough games the rest of the way.
They've got some injury concerns the rest of the way.
(33:58):
But it's yeah, I think think, barring something absolutely insane,
these last four weeks, it's the North or nothing for
the Steelers and the Ravens, and then there's a lot
of a lot of tie breakers that are gonna play
into whoever gets that final seven seed in the wildcard.
But it's it's crazy right now, king Er, because you know,
you could probably count out the Miami Dolphins. I'm about
(34:22):
ready to you know, you could you can count out
the Bengals. I'm about ready to count out the Chiefs honestly.
But right now in the AFC, only four teams are
mathematically eliminated from the postseason, the Raiders, the Titans, the Browns,
and the Jets, one in each division. That for being
in the middle of December week fifteen on the horizon
here is nuts. It's exactly what the NFL wanted with
(34:43):
the extra seventeenth game, with the extra wildcard spot.
Speaker 5 (34:47):
You keep so many more teams.
Speaker 4 (34:49):
In the conversation, in the past, Miami and Kansas City
would be out of this thing if we were still
sixteen games and six six playoff teams instead non instead,
now they're not.
Speaker 5 (34:59):
They got plenty of to play for.
Speaker 4 (35:00):
You sell more tickets, you sell more merchandise, you sell
more parking, you sell more concessions and drinks and all
that stuff, more eyeballs on the TV sets.
Speaker 5 (35:08):
It really is.
Speaker 4 (35:09):
I mean, just four teams in the AFC are mathematically
eliminated this late into the season. That has been a
brilliant employ by the NFL and worked out exactly how
they wanted it to when they expanded that regular season
and expanded the postseason.
Speaker 2 (35:24):
He's west Youuther, I'm rob King. We want to remind
you can gear up with the latest game. They necessities
hit the official Students Pro shops. Get the latest sideline apparel, jerseys,
terrible towels, authentic memorabilia and custom exclusives you can only
find directly from the team. Visit one of the official
Students Pro shops located at Akroscher Stadium, Grove City Premium
Outlets or Tanger out Let's, or gear up online at
(35:45):
shop dot Studs dot com. Get it direct from the
team at the Studish Pro Shop at Shop dot Stealers
dot com. How did the public perception, the national perception
of the Students change with their victory over the Ravens, Well,
it changed significantly for one outlet and not that significantly
for another. We will explain when we continue in the
(36:06):
Locker Room presented by your neighborhood Fords Store and the
Students Pro Shop on Steelers Nation Radio, a part of
the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (36:18):
This is in the Locker Room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio presented by your neighborhood Ford Store.
The F one point fifty is the official truck of
the Pittsburgh Steelers and by Steelers Pro Shop. Get it
direct from the team at the Steelers Pro Shop at
Shop dot Steelers dot com.
Speaker 2 (36:40):
And we thank Wes Euler for filling in for us
today for Max starksportch you can hear Wes and the Drive.
We are getting ready for the Mike Tomlin press conference
coming up in just a few minutes. The guys will
be breaking down the Mike Tomlin Press conference talking about
Wes and Matt later today on the Drive. Big injury
news coming up. Injury updates for the Steelers. Banged up
(37:00):
heading into Baltimore, certainly banged up during the game taking
on a Dolphins team. I think the expectation is eight
Chan who left that game against the Jets the Dolphins
win over the Jets their fourth consecutive victory, will be
healthy and ready to go. So leading up to that,
our last exercise for today, as we've spent a lot
of this show going around the NFL, is the weekly
(37:25):
power rankings. So we usually look at the athletic ESPN
and NFL dot Com and I will just let you
know Wes that the top six teams not necessarily in
the same order, but the top six teams in all
outlets are the same. They all have the RAMS number
one RAMS Patriots, Seattle, Denver, Green Bay, Buffalo. All six
(37:50):
teams are the same, then things get interesting. I mean,
I've got a.
Speaker 5 (37:54):
Little I've got a little beef there.
Speaker 4 (37:56):
But if well I would have I would have the
the Rams, the Seahawks, and maybe the Packers ahead of
the Broncos and the Patriots.
Speaker 5 (38:08):
But again that's splitting here.
Speaker 2 (38:10):
Don't talk to Max about that. He doesn't like the
lack of AFC love, no, man.
Speaker 4 (38:14):
Okay, I think the Rams and the Seahawks. I would
certainly have the Rams one and the Seahawks two.
Speaker 5 (38:19):
After that. I think everything's a fair debate.
Speaker 4 (38:21):
But hey, you know, maybe Max is just he's getting
a little he's getting little jump scare from the from
his sec boys, you know, not being the Kings on
the block anymore.
Speaker 2 (38:30):
So. NFL dot com has the Bears, the forty nine Ers,
the Jaguars, and the Lions.
Speaker 4 (38:38):
Okay, okay, Bears, forty nine Ers, Jaguars, Lions, Lions.
Speaker 5 (38:42):
Don't hate that. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (38:44):
The ESPN has the forty nine Ers, the Jaguars, the Eagles,
the Bears.
Speaker 5 (38:52):
Eagles too high at this point.
Speaker 2 (38:54):
And the and the Athletic has the forty nine Ers,
the Lions, the Texans and the Bears. So some wide swings, right,
wild swing. I like the Texans. I like the Texans
being up in there. I'm not gonna lie. I think
they I agree. I agree. ESPN has the Texans ranked twelfth,
(39:15):
which I think is too low. The NFL dot Com
has him ranked eleventh, which I think is also too low.
And you know, then then, look, there's a lot of
jumble of different teams. But you know what team I
want to get to, I sure do, so I'm going
to go in reverse order here of where they're ranked.
(39:37):
So the Athletic had the Steelers ranked twentieth going into
this week. Okay, they've been stumbling. They're six and six.
They've always been the lowest ranked division leader all year long.
All right, I get it.
Speaker 5 (39:49):
They lost two straight games.
Speaker 2 (39:50):
Yeah, they have them moving up three spots from twenty
to seventeen.
Speaker 5 (39:58):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (39:58):
At the moment, Pittsburgh is to host Buffalo in the
first round of the playoffs, so Las Vegas odds makers
are likely to set that line as the Bills minus
roughly a billion. The Steelers have finished between ten and
seven and eight and eight for seven straight season. There,
barreling toward the same mediocrity this year, after being outgained
(40:19):
by the Ravens by more than one hundred yards, yet
still somehow winning the game. Not the most flattering right
up of our Pittsburgh Steelers. Sure, okay, so let us
now go to NFL dot Com. They have the Steelers
moving from twenty up six spots to fourteen. Okay, I
(40:40):
think that's a little more accurate. I agree, what a
difference a week made. Mike Tomlins future in Pittsburgh was
in question. This might be I for Aaron Rodgers and
the Steelers were cooked until they went out and beat
the Ravens Baltimore. Rodgers came out like a man in
a mission. He didn't complete a pass of twenty plus
air yards in the entire month of November, but he
had on three of them against the Ravens. He granted
the offense out of team in the fourth quarter and
(41:01):
the defense started cracking, allowing the Ravens to score on
four straight drives. But they were terrific in the red zone,
holding the Ravens to two field goals and turning them
over on downs in that area of the field. With
Alex high Smith's sack deepense to this territory, endering it,
ending it. Pittsburgh is now stolen the momento back in
the AFC North, which would be Tomlin's eighth division title.
(41:21):
If they can hang on stolen it. I think they
earned it. But that's okay.
Speaker 4 (41:26):
Yeah, they didn't slide down the chimney like the Grinch
in the middle of the night.
Speaker 2 (41:31):
Poor cindylu who she had a chance to end it,
but she was only she was Alex. He's no more
than two. I don't really know how old she was.
We just know she was no more than two.
Speaker 5 (41:41):
Alex high Smith carved the roast beast.
Speaker 2 (41:44):
Yes, the roast beast.
Speaker 3 (41:46):
So uh.
Speaker 2 (41:48):
The ESPN rankings. ESPN had them twenty first. They also
have them fourteenth, so I think that's I don't really
have an equibbal with that. I really haven't had an
equibble with where the Steelers are ranked because I don't
really you know, your perceptions are your perceptions, right. I
(42:10):
think I've been more bullish and higher on the Steelers
than most, to be perfectly honest, and I think that,
you know, but the fourteenth ranking, okay, that's fine, I think.
Question Yeah, see what happens, right, See what happens from.
Speaker 5 (42:24):
There, fourteen teams get into the playoffs.
Speaker 4 (42:27):
If the playoffs started right now, with the playoff picture,
I'm almost positive I should have probably double checked this.
But the Steelers would have the worst record of the
teams in the postseason right now, Yes they would. Texans
would be eight and five with the wild card in
the NFC nine and four. The Bears are the seven
seed right now. So yeah, so if the playoffs started today,
(42:48):
the Steelers would be in, but they would have the
worst record of the teams in the playoffs. I think
fourteen's about right. Fourteen teams go to the playoffs. That
that makes sense.
Speaker 2 (42:56):
That puts you as the lowest ranked of the playoff teams.
Speaker 5 (43:00):
Which is fine.
Speaker 4 (43:01):
And maybe we could argue the way the Eagles are
playing and some and the Chargers are banged up right
now and some things like that, But I again, I
think that that's about If you had the Steelers at twelve,
I wouldn't fight you. If you had them at fifteen,
I probably wouldn't fight you. But I think I think
that's about right.
Speaker 2 (43:16):
Yep. And then you know, when you think about what's
ahead of them, right, you still have you know, it's
been a while since you've had a win, and I
do think I mean a win of you know, of
one that people are like, well, look at that win.
I do think that if you beat Miami and you
(43:39):
beat Detroit, the narrative may change on who you are
and how good you are.
Speaker 5 (43:45):
And these narratives Detroit one big time.
Speaker 2 (43:47):
Yeah, yeah, these narratives always change. Right, where are you? Like,
if you beat the Dolphins and you're fourteenth in the
power rankings and seventeenth in the power rankings, you're probably
thirteenth in the power rankings and fifteenth in the power rankings. Right,
it's not going to move the needle a lot. I
would think Detroit. Detroit would probably move the needle through
(44:09):
this Steelers again, for what it's worth, which really isn't
that much.
Speaker 4 (44:13):
If you win these next two Kinger against a Miami
team that I think is now respected across the National
Football League. They're not feared, they're not favored, they're not
going to the playoffs in all likelihood, but they're a
respected team that has certainly turned their season around and
deserves some credit, you know, for being what five and
one in their last six games?
Speaker 5 (44:33):
I believe it is.
Speaker 4 (44:34):
And then of course Detroit, who doesn't seem isn't quite
the same beast that they've been in the past, that
they would actually be out of the playoffs today if
it started, but is still a well respected and thought
of as a contending team across the league. You beat
those two and then Cleveland, you know, post Christmas, heading
into that last week against Baltimore, I think you would
(44:56):
be in the top ten or maybe pretty close, maybe
ten or eleven. You get two out of the three.
It would probably depend on which ones that's right. But yeah,
from this standpoint, I think it can only be up
for the Steelers, if that makes sense. Like, even if
they lose to the Dolphins, unless they get blown out,
I don't think you drop them very far, but you don't,
(45:17):
you know, you maybe drop them one or two spots,
the same as if they were to win, you maybe
bump them up one or two spots. But that Detroit
one kind of the one to circle, I think in
terms of this conversation.
Speaker 2 (45:27):
Yeah, just in terms of that conversation. But again, the
big conversation is coming up in just about five minutes
or so. That's the Mike Tomlin press conference. He's gonna
get you caught up on all the injuries, the state
of this team coming as the state of the team
coming out of this game against the Ravens and ahead
of the game against Miami on Monday night in Pittsburgh.
(45:47):
Wes Uther, thanks very much for filling in for Max today,
my friend, you're the best, and having jo Kaween thanks
for having me. We'll do He's wes Uther are thanks
also to Justin Milber the controls in our iHeart studio.
I'm rob King. Thanks of course as always to you.
As Maxwell returned tomorrow, I'm sure he would be thanking
you as well for being with us in the locker
(46:07):
room presented by you Neighborhood. Ford's joined the Steelers Pro
Shop on Steelers Nation Radio, a part of the Steelers
Audio Network.
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