December 9, 2025 • 47 mins
Matt and Wes take a look around the league at the current playoff picture, and who might have a hard time making a push into the playoffs. The guys also break down the weekly power rankings around the NFL.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Your twos about drive on your twenty four to seven
home of the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Good evening, Steelers Nation, and how we do it? Well,
that's good us too. Our number two here of the
drive as we roll along on this Tuesday, and it
is time now to take a look at the playoff
race across the National Football League. Matt a little more
clarity after last night's Monday night football clash in so Far,
(00:36):
where the Chargers in overtime defeated the Eagles twenty two
to nineteen. A little bit of an ugly one from
the standpoint of just a lot of turnovers and mistakes
by Philadelphia.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Took three turnovers on one play.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Three turnovers on one play, two Hurts and one by
the Chargers defender Jalen Hurts had an interception and a
fumble on the same play. That's impressive to do as
a quarterback in the National Football League, I tell you.
And yeah, So it's brings into some clarity That Chargers
win changes a lot. I don't know if it affects
(01:14):
the Steelers that much, because I had this conversation with
Rob King this morning. I filled in for Max On
in the locker room so you know, listen, you do
you do more shows than you do, more shows than
who's the people in Vegas? The two dudes more shows
(01:35):
than singed and Roy dang it, butchered my own joke,
and you know, Kinger was like, oh, that's a that's
you know, you would have from a Steelers standpoint, you
would have liked to have seen the Chargers lose. And
I was like, yeah, I get it in theory. I
was like, but it's it feels like the North or
nothing for the Steelers and the Ravens, especially after last night.
(01:56):
But I'm more convinced of that than ever.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
See how I think in fact things is on Sunday night,
after watching the Chiefs lose to Houston a good game,
I tweeted out my seven AFC prediction teams and I
included the Chiefs, and I knew that that was kind
of out on a limb, you know.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
The other ones were, who'd you have out besides the
Colts Chargers?
Speaker 3 (02:22):
Okay, And that's short of going this. My logic was,
I think the cults are about ready to crash and burn,
and I think they're crashed and now they're setting themselves
on fire. They're crashing and burning.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
They might need one more win just to not have
a losing record this season, and I'm not sure they'll
get it.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
Insane, I mean, like their schedule post by they're on
a three game losing streetfom is brutal or now they're
on'll have a quarterback and Rivers.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
And Seattle in San Francisco and Houston and Jacksonville.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
And TV sentence a tweet by J. J. Watt the
Rivers and Stikeen. I've been back and forth talking plays
that the Rivers installed this offense on, you know, so
he's gonna be on up of the offense for his
high school team but whatever. I don't know. I never
had a problem with him mentally, but he's not gonna
save their season and they're on the outside looking at already,
(03:09):
so they need something to go their way anyway. So
my logic with putting the Chiefs in was, Okay, I
think the Colts are going to get out of their way,
which correct, Yes, I thought the Chargers would get out
of their way because I don't think they can block anybody,
which I was right about that part. Last night, you
seven sacks and Herbert was a superhero run Life out there,
(03:31):
justin you do something. I know you got a broken
left wing there, paw, but so what you just have
to do it because we can't block anybody. But because
the Chargers won, I think that's all they need. But
I think the Chiefs are now dead. I mean, so
that pretty much narrows it down to seven. And I
don't I mean Ravens or Steelers is still up for debate. Yeah,
(03:56):
in terms of who's going to go and the seatings,
they are still up for debate. But just because I
think the Steelers have a chance to get in or
I have a very good chance to get in, I
think the Chargers winning is good because I don't want
my homes in.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
I completely agree, right right.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
There's no way I want my homes in.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Completely agree. And the Chargers winning is good because they
have a tiebreaker over Buffalo. And I would much rather
the Chargers come to Pittsburgh in January than Josh Allen
and the Bills.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
Yeah, I would think the North winner is going to
be the four seed.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Yes, oh absolutely, I mean unless Jacksonville. Jacksonville schedule isn't terrible.
The rest of them, they're playing pretty well and they
go two and two they've got eleven wins. The Steelers, yeah,
aren't getting I mean it's the Steelers win. I have
to win out to get eleven wins.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
Your prize for winning division is probably, oh, you get
the host, Josh Allen, you know, that's not so great.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
It's not what I want. That's That's where I was
going with it too. Was I would much, much, much,
much much rather welcome the Chargers to town than the
Buffalo Bills.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
Agreed, you played them both.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
Houston different conversation, because yes, you'd have some weather benefits
in your favor that you wouldn't have against Buffalo. But
I think they have the best defense in the NFL
and are one of the better teams in the league
right now.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
Yeah, I think they're playing the best of those three teams.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
So it feels like Chiefs Cionora, Colts Cionora, and it
just comes down to Texans, Bills, Chargers for those seven
six five, you know, five six seven wild card seats,
and then Steelers got to hold off the Ravens one
from the north in terms of Pittsburgh or Baltimore.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
So do we are we pretty confident Jacksonville wins the South?
Then Houston could catch them, could catch them. Yeah, yeah, okay, yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
And Houston beat them the first time.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
So if Houston I would mind Jacksonville coming to town,
that might be my pick if we get anybody that
total choice.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
Right, Yes, I would rather have Jacksonville or the Chargers
much more than the bills of the Texans A thousand
per thousand percent, not even close.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
What I find it crazy that I you would not
have convinced me in June or July is that Burrow,
Lamar and Mahomes aren't in the AFC playoffs. Dude, Wild
what are we talking about here?
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Wild? Yeah, that's looking like it's going to be the case.
I mean, I mean, Mahome or it. Baltimore still has
something to say about it. In Kansas City, while one
foot's in the grave, they're still not completely cooked yet.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
A lot to them.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
You're You're absolutely right, Baltimore. Kansas City, who were kind
of the two sexiest AFC picks coming into this season,
could both miss you throw in the third unicorn quarterback
in Cincinnati, I mean, Josh Allen could be kind of
that only proverbial Tier one guys sophomore Drake May and
(06:36):
Bo Nicks. You could have career up and down Trevor Lawrence,
although I will say Herbert has Herbert right next to those.
He's kind of in that next tier with Matthew Stafford.
So maybe and maybe that's his real opportunity to level
up and show something in the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
But they have no lineman. They still I mean, I
can't imagine them going for it.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
All and they're not getting Joe Aalt.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
Back for a year. I think the thing.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Yeah, that's man, that's so unfortunate for them because you're
looking at it right now and you're like, if we
just had Slater and all, we would feel good about
our chances with anybody. Yeah, And that is, you know,
quite often the difference. So Jacksonville has the division, has
the division lead over the Texans and the Colts by game.
(07:22):
So they're the three seed at nine and four Steelers
at seven and six Chargers the tiebreaker over the Bills.
So that's five LA, six, Buffalo, seven Houston. Yeah, I mean,
Colts and Chiefs are on life support. And for the Ravens,
you have a clear.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
Pathang Miami needs like a miracle, absolutely miracle.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
Yeah, I mean, yeah, only four teams have been mathematically
eliminated in the AFC. But Cincinnati, Miami real, real, real
long shot. And then if you're Kansas City, you need
a million and one things to go your way. If
you're Baltimore, there's at least a clear path for Baltimore.
It's that we probably have to win out.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
I think we. I'm really confident who the six are
going to be and the AFC North champ. Yes, you know,
I don't.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
Know exactly right right, right right now, I would feel
very confident put playing that lottery ticket of those six,
those six Denver, New England, Jacksonville, Chargers, Buffalo and Houston
and then which now the Steelers have the upper upper hand,
the advantage to get to I think, like.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
The shows, how important that last game huge.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
Absolutely massive. So that's the playoff picture in the a
f C, like on the nf clear and clear. But
the NFC.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
I feel bad for the Lions, so bad for the
Lion right like they're a good team. Like I don't
feel bad for the Chiefs, not because they've had so
much success lately. That that too, but right now, right
they don't look like a playoff team. The Lions look
like a playoff team, you know, like they could win
the Super Bowl. They get it. They're really good. They're
not lesser than they've been in recent years. They're just
(09:00):
kind of in a mathematical crunch.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
But if the playoffs started today, the Lions would be
the first ones out. Despite being eight and five, they
would be the first ones out.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
So they need help.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
In the NFC, they need help. They do rams the
one seed at ten and three. Green Bay just on
their heels at nine to three and one. The Eagles
still in that third seed at eight and five despite
that loss, because.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
Win the division, right.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
They would need a colossal collapse, and even then the
Cowboys would have to be perfect the rest of the way.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
Almost seems like the Eagles are guaranteed the three seed.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
It feels feels that way unless you know, Tampa Carolina
wins out or something like that.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
But they've been bad. I mean, Tampa's been bad. They're
almost like the North where they're I feel like the
South winner is just going to be the four seed,
whoever that.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
Is, and get mauled by the Seahawks in the first round,
right right, in all likelihood, because the ten wins, Seahawks
are slotted into that five seed. The Niners at nine
and four in the sixth seed, and then now the
Bears one game ahead of the Lions in the seventh seed.
That's wild though. The Bears go from uh having the
tie breaker to the first seed now to the last team.
(10:08):
They were the one seed a week ago with the
tie breakers. Now they're the seventh seed and trying to
hold off the Lions.
Speaker 3 (10:13):
Life because of that game Man San fran was the
eight and they go to the six just by sitting
at home on a bye and they knew they were
going to It didn't matter who won. They were going
to be six.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
Or they were going to Yes, because they have a
tie breaker there.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
They have an easy schedule to those three teams. When
the West are going going, they're in and that buy
could do good things for the Niners.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
It comes down to the Bears are going Bear, Yeah, Bears, Lions, Packers.
One of those teams is going to get left at home.
Speaker 3 (10:42):
And I think the Lion's unfortunate. I mean, I think
the Lions are probably better than the Bears. Maybe the
Bears fall on their face a little bit, but they're
not bad.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
They still play the last week of the season.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
That could be for the last spot.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
That sounds like Sunday Night Football Week E team at
your field. Winner goes to the playoffs, loser goes home.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
Yeah good, I'm sold to Tampa just locks things up either.
I don't know really either they're kind of falling apart.
Baker's all banged.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
Up, and Caroline is coming off their bye week. Maybe
they've got some rejuvenated life. Wouldn't that be something If
the Panthers won the division and hosted a playoff game,
that might be that would be a fantastic story for them.
But for right now, and I think you and I
said this, we did this exercise like a month ago.
We were looking at both both conferences and we were like,
(11:31):
there's gonna be a good team on each side that
gets left out.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
Yeah yeah, because you were looking at it at that.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
Point and you were like, okay, like Chiefs Texans.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
At that point, Texans were in a lot of.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
Where it was like one of these teams is gonna
get left out. Now it's probably the Colts, the Ravens,
the Chiefs who were fine, But you're not feeling as
good about those teams as you were.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
I feel like the right teams are going.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
Same, you know, whereas in the NFC, there is going
to be a good team who gets left at home, right,
whether it's the Bears and the Lions. I think it's
going to come down to those two. The Bears are
nine and four right now and still realistically could not
make the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
Pretty crazy, which is pretty pretty crazy, and you consider
how strong the Seahawks and the Niners have been kind
of clamping down those five and six spots.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
That doesn't leave a lot of table scraps for everybody else.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
And Seattle could still win the division. I mean they
still play the Rams again, right, yeah, absolutely. If anyone
would have predicted Chiefs Lion super Bowl in the preseason, nobody.
We're bad, not like, oh yeah, that sounds a right.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
Right, Ravens Lions, right right right.
Speaker 3 (12:33):
And it's not the they could easily be on the
outside looking at But the Lions the one. I feel
bad for us, Like you played like a playoff team.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
Yes, yeah, they've navigated a lot of injuries and stuff
this year too, and that first place, tough schedule, and
you're you're right, like they're weird. They could miss the playoffs,
but if they make it, man, I would not want.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
To be no, they could beat anybody.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
I would not want to be the Green Bay Packers
and have the two seed to welcome the Lions to
Lambeau in January. No Chase, exactly right, No chance would
I want to do that.
Speaker 3 (13:00):
Yeah, that's like a one and a half point spread.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
Right, exactly right. And so there we go. That's kind
of the playoff picture as we sit here today, not
a lot clearer staring down Week fifteen. Last night made
things much more clear, at least on the AFC side.
So if the Chargers would have lost, then.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
It's like I got a handful.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
You've got a handful of eight and five teams, and
it all comes down to time breakers, and Kansas City
is still alive, and maybe even Baltimore feels more alive
at that point, whereas now it is starting starting to
get very narrow, starting to get very narrow. Just four
teams eliminated in the AFC, although I think we'll add
another one or two after this week. Just five teams
(13:43):
mathematically eliminated in the NFC. Falcons, Cards, Saints, Commis, and
g Men.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
Vikings are still alive.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
Vikings are still alive technically mathematically at five and eight.
But if they lose one more.
Speaker 3 (13:57):
I think.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Would be close would be cyn or it. But if
you look at it right now, in the NFC, there's
only six teams of the losing record. That's pretty five
and pretty impressive as in the AFC, where there's one, two, three, four, five, six, seven,
eight teams with a losing record. In the AFC, it's
gonna be a lot of fun to keep an eye
on this. We will obviously continue to do that as
(14:19):
we roll on down the track. But there's your playoff
picture outlook for week fifteen. When we return. Let's get
into some week fifteen power rankings. Ooh nice, where the
Steelers had did they move in jockey position? Where some
of the other biggest risers and follers here? As we
get closer and closer to January, we'll discuss all that
when we return. On the other side. West Yeuler, Matt Williamson,
(14:40):
it's the Drive on Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers
Audio Network, your tunes.
Speaker 1 (14:48):
About drive on your twenty four to seven home of
the black and Goal. Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
Back on the drive here as it's time to get
to our Tuesday power rankings, and there's not much change
at the bottom of the order here as people can expect.
I'm sure thirty second the Raiders, thirty first the Titans,
as they kind of have been all year. The Titans
did get a win, actually they won, but staying at
(15:27):
that thirty first spot, I don't hate that. I mean
I might have them, like ahead of the Giants. I
might have him ahead of the Browns who they just beat.
Speaker 3 (15:35):
Yeah, I mean again, we're kind of splitting hairs. I
think the Raiders are clearly thirty ten.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
I think the Raiders are absolutely fair.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
I don't think they'll win again, and they're miserable.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
Not great in Viva Las Vegas. And yeah, the Titans,
I mean again, they they're in a nice spot heading.
I know that sounds funny for a two and eleven team,
but right, You've got the quarterback, you've got a couple
things to build on. You got you gotta find the coach,
You've got to have a good offseason. You're gonna be
in petition position to potentially trade down a few spots
in the draft if you want to, and pick up
some extra capital.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
Yeah, these bottom feeding teams and what I'm finding interesting here.
On December ninth, my dad's birthday.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Happy birthday, Nice, Happy birthday, Pops.
Speaker 3 (16:14):
The Giants currently have the first overall pick, and I
think the Titans have two. I'm not sure if they do.
Are the Raiders, but neither one of them will draft
the quarterback. I mean, either way, no matter where the
Titans and Giants land, they're not going to take a quarterback.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
Correct.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
The Raiders absolutely should could you know? Whatever?
Speaker 2 (16:35):
Giants won? Raiders two, Titans three. Okay, Brown's four, So.
Speaker 3 (16:39):
I don't think the Raiders will. Raiders could get to one.
I don't think they'll go past three because I don't
think they'll win again.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
I think they're really and they would definitely draft the quarterback.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
I would think so. I would think so oho, they
need everything that poor guy would be in trouble. But anyway,
what I do find interesting about these bottom teams, i'mure're
don't bring up the Saints here soon. Is Dart and
war Or locked in his starters. I'm open to the
idea that Shador and especially Shock could convince their team
(17:09):
to give me one more year, right like, at least,
especially if this quarterback class is not blowing their doors
off and Mendoza's in Vegas or whatever. It's like, I'm
wanna take a risk on another or should I build
the nest and run it back with one of these
guys in their second season. I think that's a possibility.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
It's a fair question to ask. And uh, I gotta
tell you what, Mendoz it might be the right quarterback
for Vegas to draft. He seems very mature, very head
on straight. I don't think you have to worry about
him in that city, in the Vegas nightlife. He seems
like he's got other he seems like he's got other
interests in life giants. Trying to paint a nicer way
(17:55):
to say it, but yes, he seems like.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
Kirk Cousin comparisons in terms of like personality.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
He seems like a Kirk Cousins level dork, right, And
I mean that affectionately. I got no problem, sure, but
I would much rather have him be that than have
him be you know, have him be Johnny Manziel exactly exactly.
Speaker 3 (18:13):
Now, this is a conversation for the off season, but
my Indiana buddy, it was right after they won they
interviewed him. I'm like, I'm not sure he's a door
And I knew that going in but he's at and
I said something like, I would much rather have Joe
Burrow leading my NFL team than this guy's personality.
Speaker 2 (18:32):
I agree with.
Speaker 3 (18:32):
I think he bit my head off because it's Indiana
Hoosiers just one. He's a grad, you know, and he
doesn't one here any.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
Say, don't let Jacob Wrect here you talk like that
about his Hoosiers.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
And I don't know any of the people, but in general,
I'd rather have Joe Namath or Joe Burrow, you know,
like the coolest students have the coolest.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
Guy in the room. Giants check in at number thirty.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
Fine, fine, yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:54):
I mean they just you know, I know what to
make on at this point. I don't what to make
of them at this point. It's a good way to
put it. Twenty nine the Cleveland Browns, they drop a
spot after losing.
Speaker 3 (19:06):
The offense life. At least they're getting a lot from
the rookie class Fannin and Junkins.
Speaker 2 (19:11):
They are, and again hopefully like as Steelers fans. I
know this sounds funny, but root for or to play
well down the stretch. I think so, yeah, because if
they want to run it back with him in twenty
twenty six. That's one more option quarterback option that would
be on the table for the Steelers come April. Number
twenty eight. The j e t s just Jess Jets
after getting demolished. But they might be down there in basement.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
Yes, they might be as bad as anyone, Like they
got no quarterback. I mean, yeah, again, they're playing Brady Cook.
I mean that was a bad I'd rather play Brady Quinn. Yes,
that was bad. And they played as poorly as the
Raiders or anybody.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
This week they got man handled at home by the Dolphins.
Speaker 3 (19:53):
Yeah, mcames over in the first quarter, and you know,
apparently a Chan could have came back.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
I'm just gonna say, right, ninety two yards seven carries,
I think it was before they took him out of
the game. That's like Madden numbers number twenty seven. The
Arizona Cardinals tenth loss in eleven games. I continue to
think they're a little too high in these rankings, but
I also they're probably a little bit better than the
Jets and the Raiders and the Titans.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
They've shut a lot of guys down too.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
Yeah, they're bad, but they're not like weapons grade bad
like some of THESEUS like.
Speaker 3 (20:23):
I wouldn't mind taking that team over and try to
rebuild it as opposed to some of these others like
the Raiders. Correct, Yeah, but they do have a quarterback issue.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
And that they do. And Kyler Murray will not return
this season. We already knew that as of last week.
I'd be shocked if we see him start another game
in his career or even be active for another game
in his career. For the Air of the Cardinals, the
commis the Washington Commanders checking in at twenty seven fast too.
Speaker 3 (20:52):
He's gotta shut out by the Vikes.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
Got shut out by the Vikings. Zach Ertz an ugly
Aco injury.
Speaker 3 (20:58):
Yeah, it could be a career ender.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
Third time in like the last month or two that
Jaydon Daniels has left the game with an injury, Like,
what are we doing here?
Speaker 3 (21:05):
Right? What are we doing here? Right? And they're old
in terms of like building for next year other than
the quarterback.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
You and I both July August training camp time we talked.
We did. We did like a segment or an hour
one day where we did, like, pick a couple teams
that are gonna rise this year. Yeah, pick a couple
teams that are gonna fall this year.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
They were the obvious follower for me.
Speaker 2 (21:26):
They were they were I think both of our answer
and I think I still might have picked them to
go to the playoffs. And you were like, I think
they'll be right on that eight seven line.
Speaker 3 (21:34):
I thought they'd be around five hundred.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
Like I think I said that they'll go nine and
eight or ten and seven and find a way to
squeak in. But man, this is this is a real
this is a real step back. I we I think
even you and I who thought they would take a
step back this year didn't think it was gonna be
this dress.
Speaker 3 (21:49):
Now and some of its quarterback injury. But it's more
than that. I mean, the defense is so old yeah again.
And the thing is they misevaluated themselves, and I saw
that one coming mile away, Like we're a tunsol and
debo away from winning the super Bowl. We were a
final fourteen, that's all we need. Like you were lucky
at the fut fortunate.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
Yeah, you had a lot fall right for you last year.
Speaker 3 (22:09):
Lex Principal, Yeah, had a lot fall right for you
last year, and it all came shattering out right.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
The Saints get a surprise win over Tampa and they
moved five spots to twenty five. Tyler Shuck keep doing
your thing, dude. Keep the Saints out of the quarterback market.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
Yeah, I guess that's where they belong. I guess they're
ahead of Arizona in Washington.
Speaker 2 (22:33):
I tell you what, you were banging the drum for
Tyler Shuck back in combine and draft season.
Speaker 3 (22:37):
And I mean, considering you used an early second round
pick on an old quarterback, you might want to see
one more season from the guy, you know.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
Yeah, Falcons check in at number twenty four. Uh, they're
gonna finish double digit losses. They don't have a first
round pick.
Speaker 3 (22:55):
Yeah, it's not a.
Speaker 2 (22:56):
Lot to hang your hat on there. Bjhon Robinson is great. Uh.
Jalen Walker I think might win Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Speaker 3 (23:03):
I'm really impressed with them.
Speaker 2 (23:04):
But they do not have a lot to It's not
a copleet in total Raiders situation, but it's pretty close.
Speaker 3 (23:10):
The problem with them big picture is if Pennix isn't it,
you're screwed because you don't know a first I mean,
how do you go get the next quarterback? Can you
have so much money invested in cousins.
Speaker 2 (23:23):
You can't bring in like a Kyler Murray or someone
like that when you already have all that money tied
up in it.
Speaker 3 (23:27):
So you've got an expensive quarterback room and you might
and you have a lot in a first round pick,
and you might not have a quarterback. Like that's a
double miss. At least when they took Panix, which I
didn't understand the time, I'm like, well, one of the
two will be a give at least give them a
serviceable quarterback for the next three four years. Maybe not,
maybe not.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
And when you combine that with not a ton of
cap flexibility and not a first round pick.
Speaker 3 (23:50):
Right, so you'reating the twenty twenty eight draft to get
your guy Purgatory. That's brutal.
Speaker 2 (23:57):
And by that point, Bijon's going to be pushing thirty Yeah, right, right, right,
what Drake London looked like? Yeah, Cincinnati Bengals check in
at twenty three, Matt, the impossible better than that? The
impossible playoff dream is dead. But I think I'm with you.
I think they're better than that. I think they're better
than the Vikings who are ahead of them. I think
they might be better than Kansas City at this point,
if the Bengals played Kansas City this weekend, I don't know.
Speaker 3 (24:20):
I think they're the best team the AFC North right now.
I mean, I'm kind of but I mean I thought
the Steelers and Ravens were pretty equal. I mean, the Bengals,
I'm glad that they have a couple of losses because
they could be scary. I mean, they battled the Bills
to the very end.
Speaker 2 (24:35):
I'm glad that. I'm glad the Steelers don't have to
see them down the stretch.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
Right right, right, right now, I think Bengals are fifteenth
best team the league or thirteenth best in the league
right now.
Speaker 2 (24:45):
Twenty second is the Minnesota Vikings up a few spots
after one.
Speaker 3 (24:50):
Another interesting quarterback situations. McCarthy can it was.
Speaker 2 (24:54):
His best performance? Yeah, he's another one. You love it
if the Vikings were like, you know what, we're running
it back with McCarthy for one, look good to nine,
Come on.
Speaker 3 (25:01):
Nine, finish the season strong, do that the rest of
the year, and then maybe they'll just like throw a
some brisette looking guy at yah, you know, as opposed
to being in the market. Kyler Murray.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
Yeah, yeah, I love how that's become a thing now
to make fun of quarterbacks across the NFL when they
have Have you seen this when they have bad performances,
is to photoshop them into a JJ McCarthy jersey. Oh
really like because that that whole like you know meme
that everyone was making fun of them like they were
doing photoshopping Jalen Hurts and the JJ McCarthy's jersey. Oh
(25:35):
boy was he ever. I think a lot of the
people that have been screaming about how he's been the
problem in Philadelphia this year starting to feel bad about themselves.
Speaker 3 (25:44):
A little bit.
Speaker 2 (25:44):
We'll get to there in a minute. Dolphins at twenty one,
I think i'd have them them way higher. They've won
five of their last six.
Speaker 3 (25:51):
They'd be favored against sixteen teams right now. Yeah, I
mean they're playing good football, Like I think.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
I have them above the Kansas City Chiefs who check
in at twenty.
Speaker 3 (25:58):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yes, it's a you're all pretty close,
to be honest, since he Chiefs in Miami.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
I think so. I think I take them all over
the Vikings right now. So yeah, despite the Vikings commanding
win against the Commanders Cowboys checking at nineteen, they dropped
three spots after the loss of Detroit.
Speaker 3 (26:17):
These teams have all been playing pretty well. I mean,
I know they lost to the Lions, but Detroit I thought,
or I thought Dallas was one of the best teams
league going into that game.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
They've all got their clear cut flaws. Oh yeah, they're
all also very dangerous, and if they flip that switch
at the right time, can can put up a lot
of points.
Speaker 3 (26:32):
And all of them could be much higher next year.
You know, good good off season, you know good.
Speaker 2 (26:38):
Absolutely absolutely staying at number eighteen off their bye week.
It's the Carolina Panthers seven and six, got some help
from the Saints, and that's going to make for an interesting,
interesting month of November there in the NFC South.
Speaker 3 (26:51):
I hate say it this way, but I'm not sure Tampa, Carolina,
Baltimore or Pittsburgh is better than Dallas, Cincinnatiami a city.
I mean, they're all in the same bucket to me,
And like, how well are you playing right now? Tampa's
not playing very well, no, you know at all. Baltimore
is not playing very well.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
No.
Speaker 3 (27:11):
I mean, Steelers are a little bit better than those teams.
I mean, but they weren't playing great going into Baltimore.
Speaker 2 (27:17):
You know, it's a tough kind of you got to
go only as good as your recent performances.
Speaker 3 (27:23):
I look at Power rang these aren't lifetime achieving awards.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
No, they're absolutely not. And Tampa Bay checks in at
seventeen after I mean at one.
Speaker 3 (27:30):
Point there a dog against Miami right now, yes, yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 2 (27:35):
They're a dog against pretty much city, pretty much in
everybody who's in the same playoff picture. I think they
would probably be a dog against.
Speaker 3 (27:41):
I would pick Dallas over them.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
Maybe the Colts they would be favored against.
Speaker 3 (27:44):
Yeah, but the cult s would be lower than all.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
The cults are. We still haven't gotten to them. They
should know.
Speaker 3 (27:48):
It's a gutsy move. As a power ranker, I've been
a power ranker, but I would have them below like
the Bengals right now as currently constructed a quarterback. They
don't have a quarterback.
Speaker 2 (27:57):
They just signed a forty four year old right who
hasn't played it, who's a semi finalist for the Hall
of Fame. Because it's been that long since day.
Speaker 3 (28:03):
We have the best roster in the league, but then
on a quarterback, So that doesn't mean you're the Wherever
they're at we haven't mentioned yet. They're too high.
Speaker 2 (28:09):
Sixteen stuff have mentioned him yet? Sixteen Baltimore Ravens. Okay,
I mean, but I would have Baltimore ahead of India.
Speaker 3 (28:16):
I don't.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
I think I would. Oh, I would do Indie check.
Speaker 3 (28:19):
You have been mentioned ten minutes ago.
Speaker 2 (28:21):
They checked in at fifteen.
Speaker 3 (28:24):
Okay, falling like a stone though. I mean that's they
don't have quarterback. You gotta rank this how they are today,
even I mean Rivers.
Speaker 2 (28:32):
They just signed a guide to the practice squad that
hasn't taken an NFL snap since January of twenty twenty one.
Speaker 3 (28:38):
Oh so, I want to say this earlier when we
were talking about Rivers. The Colts are in a really
tough predicament too, no first round pick, so they trade
for Gardner, Sauce Gardner and for two first so they
only won this year or next. And one of the
happiest person people when that happens is Daniel Jones's agent,
because now.
Speaker 2 (28:58):
He's like, I'm getting paid.
Speaker 3 (29:00):
I got the Colts over Barrel. They are going to
resign my guy who's playing well. They think they can
win it all with Sauce. They pushed their chips in.
They don't have resources to go get another quarterback. They're
gonna pay Daniel Jones what I tell them to pay
Daniel Jones? Okay, And I think the Colts knew that
the second they made the trade. Of course they did.
(29:20):
But then he's gonna be ready for next year. So
now what you do? I mean, like you.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
Pushed all your til Halloween of next year, right.
Speaker 3 (29:29):
I mean, what's the answer now? I mean like you
pushed all your chips in and it came up snake eyes.
It couldn't have gone worse.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
There isn't snake bad luck. Isn't snake eyes good or no?
Speaker 3 (29:41):
I don't know, We'll check back whatever. Right, you put
all on black and came up red.
Speaker 2 (29:45):
Yes, I know that's like you've got snake bitten. Maybe
is the bad luck? I listen. I don't think there's
any one right way to do business, or everybody would
do it. I've told I know, in the few months
that we've been doing the show regularly together. I know
I've said this a couple of times. There's no perfect
defensive scheme in the NFL, or everybody would run it.
(30:08):
There's no perfect You have to operate like the rams
and be super aggressive, or you have to operate like
the Steelers the Bengals and be more traditional, like they're.
Speaker 3 (30:16):
Every quarterback should shit their first year. You know, like
there's different.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
There's no perfect way to do it or else everybody
would do it that way. But man, if you can
think back to like just a month and a half ago,
when the Colts are on top of the world, yeah,
and made those huge moves at the trade deadline, and
everyone was like, see, this is what you do. You
go after it and you go get them.
Speaker 3 (30:36):
And look at the Cults so much and.
Speaker 2 (30:37):
They're striking while the iron's hot and all that stuff.
Speaker 3 (30:40):
It's kind of like we just talked about the Washington
I mean, that's how they treated their off seasons, like
I'm sauce away from being the best team in the league.
I mean the Chiefs aren't sauce away from being the
best team. You know, like, you gotta be pretty darn
good to be like a player away to be like,
now we're the favorite, and.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
There's an alternate universe where the Colts have better health luck,
right and they're ten and three right now. Yeah, and
you know, the seed and hosting playoff games and winning
the division but the other side of that and why
you don't see.
Speaker 3 (31:13):
I think more quarterback stability. It'd be different if you
had Josh Allen and he's on a ten year contract
or whatever.
Speaker 2 (31:21):
And who bring sauce in? Who cares? Because this window
is going to be wide open for the next guy.
Speaker 3 (31:25):
I'm always going to elevate, right, They didn't have the
quarterback situation.
Speaker 2 (31:28):
As much as I'm guilty of it too, like sometimes
sitting there and pulling my hair out and going, come on, Steelers,
why aren't you doing more? Why aren't you being more aggressive?
Why aren't you pushing more chips into the center of
the table. It's much easier to say that, and then
you see someone like the Colts get get absolutely burned here,
and even the Eagles. The Eagles pushed a lot of
chips into the center of the table at the deadline,
and they've gone backwards since then. There's exactly there's there's
(31:52):
no perfect way to do it, or else everybody would.
Speaker 3 (31:55):
I mean the theme with Steelers about to play did
it when they traded for Tyreek and Ramsey and they
went all in on a bunch of dudes and it
didn't go up.
Speaker 2 (32:01):
They haven't even won a playoff. I've only been once,
I think, and haven't won a playoff game. Steelers checking
at fourteen, up six spots. I think it's about right. Fourteen.
I think it's about right. If you'd have him a
spot lower, I wouldn't fight you. If you have a
spot or two higher, I wouldn't fight you. But I
think this is about right. Yeah, here's gonna be fourteen
teams that make the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (32:18):
It's the neighborhood right now.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
If the playoffs started today, the Steelers would be in,
but they'd have the worst record of all the fourteen
teams in the playoffs. So I think that's about right.
Speaker 3 (32:27):
Okay, I'm fine with it.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
They'd be the only seven win team, you know, and
there'd be a couple of six. Oh that's not true.
Tampa Bay, Tampa Bay, Tampa or Tampa as well. Eagles
checking at thirteen, down three spots.
Speaker 3 (32:40):
The offense is troublesome, boy, is it ever? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (32:43):
And the quarterback was very interceptions for Jalen Hurts plus
a fumble turnover. I mean they even had Saquon doing
more Saquon type things and it wasn't enough.
Speaker 3 (32:53):
Right, Saquon and aj Brown look like the last year
version of those guys, and it still wasn't enough. The
defense was great.
Speaker 2 (32:59):
And there's a lot of organizations that it seems like
even when the faces and the characters change, some underlying
themes are always there. And for Philadelphia, and you know what,
I was on the inside for three years. It's it.
They are jeckal and hide like that. Everything is either
(33:22):
perfect on the up and up. We are one of
the best teams in the league. We got a really
good chance to win the Super Bowl. Yeah, or it's
this thing is an inch away from falling off the
face of the earth and Imploding's funny the last verstability there. Yeah,
there's never plateauing. It's either arrow way pointed through the
roof or arrow pointed down like the Tower.
Speaker 3 (33:41):
Of Terror extremes. And what's funny is the last two
years they saw both and one of them they won
the Super Bowl, and one they lost, like their last
six games, got eliminated and got blown out right.
Speaker 2 (33:51):
Right right, And I'm leaning towards this one looking more
like twenty twenty three than twenty twenty four.
Speaker 3 (33:58):
I tend to agree.
Speaker 2 (34:00):
Chargers up to twelve up three spots after me.
Speaker 3 (34:04):
I guess they just beat Philly, and you could argue
that both of them are better than the Steelers. But
I don't know that they're favorite against Miami or Dallas
or you know.
Speaker 2 (34:13):
It's fair. Number eleven, this might be too low for me.
It's the Houston Texans.
Speaker 3 (34:17):
Oh, they would be way higher. They'd be like fourth
for me. I think they're the best team in the AFC.
Speaker 2 (34:22):
Their defense got.
Speaker 3 (34:23):
Toy to rank them that way in a power rank. Yeah,
I think I think they beat Denver, New England right now.
Speaker 2 (34:29):
They are the If you asked me if the Steelers
are playing a playoff game this weekend, and the team
that you wouldn't want coming to Agrostar Stadium, I still
think Buffalo would be my answer, just because of Josh Allen.
But the Texans would probably be number two. Number ten
the Detroit Lions number ten on this list, but currently
out of the playoffs that belong. Yeah, that's the NFC man.
(34:51):
Number nine is the Jacksonville Jaguars. I might have Detroit
and Houston ahead of them, but I don't hate. I
think this is about the right are area for Jacksonville.
At nine.
Speaker 3 (35:01):
I've been comparing Jacksonville in Chicago a lot lately. New coach,
first overall quarterback.
Speaker 2 (35:07):
Little head of schedule.
Speaker 3 (35:08):
You have not won much in the last ten years
or so, but the second half of the seasons was
a lot better than the first. They're starting to figure
things out.
Speaker 2 (35:15):
They're still a little lobbly, but just make the playoffs
and everything to lose.
Speaker 3 (35:19):
A playoff game, but getting the playoffs is still ahead
of schedule.
Speaker 2 (35:22):
You know, get that experience for your and your coaching staff.
The quarterback number eight off the bye week, not moving
at all. The Niners. I think that's fine. Fine, yeah,
good bye week for them and Carolina at the right time.
The Bears dropped just one spot to seven after falling
to the Packers.
Speaker 3 (35:40):
Okay, hey, I don't know if the Bears are better
than the Lions, but they're in a better spot six.
Speaker 2 (35:46):
Moving up these last couple of weeks the Buffalo Bills.
Speaker 3 (35:49):
I suppose two nice wins in a row. I think
nice wins in a row.
Speaker 2 (35:54):
Josh Allen is doing some more Josh Allen things.
Speaker 3 (35:56):
He looks like the best player in the league right now.
Speaker 2 (35:58):
They can, you know, they can on the ball well.
And yeah, there's still some concerns there that they've got
a lot of superheroes to offset those concerns. Number five
the Green Bay Packers.
Speaker 3 (36:08):
I'm a believer.
Speaker 2 (36:09):
I'm a believer too. I think they're back in that
in that super Bowl conversation. Yeah, number four off there
bye week not doing any movement. Is the New England
Patriots ten straight wins into the bye week, Good time
to have it for them.
Speaker 3 (36:22):
We could fight about New England versus Denver, but I
understand why they're the top two in the AOC. I
think Houston's better than both, but I know I'm on
a limb there.
Speaker 2 (36:31):
Yeah, in terms of form right now, but when you're
eleven and two, it's tough to argue against. And the
Broncos do check in at number three, not the you know,
most convincing performance, but crazy victory against the Raiders keeps
the Bronco Broncos at number three, and then actually no
change in the entire top five. Packers stay at five,
(36:53):
Patriots at four, Broncos at three, Seahawks at two, and
Rams at one.
Speaker 3 (36:58):
Yeah out of Rams one, Seattle too.
Speaker 2 (37:00):
I think so I might even have the Packers out
of the Broncos and the Patriots. But I under again.
I mean those are eleven win teams. I get it.
Speaker 3 (37:09):
My top four would be Rams, Seahawks, Packers, Texans. I
know that's a little spicy at four. That's why I
went forty.
Speaker 2 (37:22):
I completely agree with your top three. I don't know
who my fourth would be. I would consider the Texans.
Speaker 3 (37:27):
I don't think it's the Eagles.
Speaker 2 (37:28):
No, No. I might consider the Buffalo Bills then yeah,
but I get.
Speaker 3 (37:34):
The Patriots and Broncos deserve respect. I mean the records
are strong, but I don't know if they're when.
Speaker 2 (37:40):
I mean, they still got a lot to proof.
Speaker 3 (37:42):
They still go a lot to show me, right, I
mean there's not a lot of experience a quarterback between
those two teams.
Speaker 2 (37:46):
They say, still got a lot a lot to proof.
Let's get to our final break of the day here.
When we come back, we'll close down with some fantasy
football conversation here on the Drive, West Shouler, Matt Williamson.
It's Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network, your tunes.
Speaker 1 (38:03):
About Drive on your twenty four to seven home of
the Black and Gold Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (38:19):
Final segment here of the Drive on a Tuesday, and
I gotta just be completely honest with everybody. Matt had
a dorito issue earlier in the show.
Speaker 3 (38:27):
Yeah, got me right in the right spot.
Speaker 2 (38:29):
I've still got some peanut butter from my Race's cup
stuck to the roof of my mouth. You know, I
do love the Race's cup. That's the one downside that
peanut butter. That peanut butter can linger, which from the
taste palette is outstanding. Oh yeah, when you're supposed to
be hosting a radio show and coming back from commercial break.
Speaker 3 (38:43):
Not the ideal choice, not as much, just a little
bit filling. The nice about the reci cup. You get
a little bit of nourishment in there and a little
bit of like get you through the two hour show.
Speaker 2 (38:52):
Oh no, doubt well. Pep in your step pairs really
well with coffee too, for whatever reason. Yeah, good with
the chocolate and the peanut butter combination. Coffee is a
is a good one, real quick, Matt AFC playoff percentages
just wanted to go over this with you. Broncos greater
than ninety nine percent, Patriots greater than ninety nine percent,
(39:12):
Jags ninety seven percent for Jacksonville.
Speaker 3 (39:15):
Are we have like clinch week, like Miami and Denver
win away from getting that.
Speaker 2 (39:21):
Check Markland and Denver. You mean, yeah, I believe, I
believe so yeah, Okay, yes, yes, Because if they both win,
they would be one hundred percent locks to make it.
Speaker 3 (39:30):
We're gonna start seeing clinches and you sure are.
Speaker 2 (39:33):
Yeah, a little Jags ninety seven percent chance to make it. Incredible.
Speaker 3 (39:37):
I didn't quite see that coming. I thought they were
a five hundred tight team.
Speaker 2 (39:40):
Same same, Steelers sixty six percent chance. If they beat
Miami this Monday, it goes all the way up to
seventy four and even with a loss, they still have
a fifty seven percent chance.
Speaker 3 (39:52):
And I don't think if they lose the Lions, like
if you play with those stimulators, I don't think it
hardly hurts them at all.
Speaker 2 (39:57):
Especially if they were to take care of business at
home on Monday.
Speaker 3 (39:59):
Agains, I am right, right, right.
Speaker 2 (40:02):
Chargers seventy six percent chance, huge win last night, huge
win last night. Bill's ninety six percent chance. I think
that makes sense if you look at their schedule the
rest of the way. It's not a cake walk, but
it's not incredibly done. They have the Patriots this weekend,
they have the Jets still and then yeah, they have
the Jets and maybe one other other one, the Styah difficult,
(40:22):
and then the Texans eighty seven percent.
Speaker 1 (40:24):
Matt.
Speaker 2 (40:24):
I mean a few weeks ago we were doing this
and they had like a twenty three percent chance to
make the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (40:29):
I'm so proud of myself. I put a couple of
bucks on they're going to represent the AFC in the
Super Bowl, and they were like twenty three percent chance
of making the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (40:36):
Probably still get decent return on that, but not to
the same effect that you did a few right, right right.
Speaker 3 (40:41):
That's and I'm not even sure they'd be my pick, but.
Speaker 2 (40:43):
That's for sure.
Speaker 3 (40:44):
I thought they could.
Speaker 2 (40:45):
Colts just a thirty two percent chance to make the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (40:49):
I'd take the under two say, I don't know how
much they account for the quarterback. I don't know how
the math would factor in if Daniel Jones was healthy.
Verse asking Philip Rivers to come out of retirement.
Speaker 2 (40:59):
Sure, Ravens just thirty three percent chance, Chiefs ten persons.
Speaker 3 (41:05):
People haven't figured that out. Really, one is Steelers plus Ravens.
They make it ninety nine because there's still an outside chance.
Speaker 2 (41:14):
The Bengals are technically not eliminated.
Speaker 3 (41:16):
Yeah, Steelers have two thirds of a chance. The Ravens
have a third of chance.
Speaker 2 (41:20):
Makes sense, yeah, at this point, and it's it's pretty
cut and dry in the NFC. The Lions have a
fifty percent chance. That's better than I thought at making
the playoffs. I wonder what all they need do they?
Is it?
Speaker 3 (41:35):
They are the eight seed now, so they must need Yes,
I'm trying. Maybe they need the Bears to lose out
and they have a tough schedule.
Speaker 2 (41:41):
You have to play the Rams this weekend.
Speaker 3 (41:43):
Lins do yeah, and then they lose that game, they
they're probably down to like twenty five thirty percent.
Speaker 2 (41:49):
If they lose, they're down to forty percent. If they win,
up to seventy two. But if they lose, down to
just forty.
Speaker 3 (41:54):
Percent, winnable game for them.
Speaker 2 (41:56):
What helps the Lions is they have that final Week
eighteen clash with the Bears. So as long as they
can stay within one game, they're gonna have a chance.
Speaker 3 (42:03):
And the Bears could lose a few.
Speaker 2 (42:05):
The Bears could could lose a few. Panthers twenty nine
percent chance, Wow, Bucks seventy one. I'm surprised that's I
don't think.
Speaker 3 (42:14):
They've played each other yet. I still I still think
they have two out of three Carolina and Tampa. That's
how they do, and I think that's like that matters.
Speaker 2 (42:23):
Oh man, So they Bucks host the Falcons Thursday, Thursday
Night Football. Then ah, Carolina, sorry buddies. They get the
arrest advantage for Carolina the next week.
Speaker 3 (42:34):
And that's the one in Carolina. Yeah, which you'd want
for Tampa if you're for the one away, you'd rather
the rest advantage for that one.
Speaker 2 (42:40):
Absolutely. Uh. Then the then the Tampa goes to Miami
and which.
Speaker 3 (42:44):
I don't think matters at all. I think it does
like zero effect on their chance AFC.
Speaker 2 (42:48):
Yeah right, and then Panthers that final.
Speaker 3 (42:50):
So that final pretty fun.
Speaker 2 (42:51):
The NFL is good at this stuff.
Speaker 3 (42:53):
Man.
Speaker 2 (42:53):
That final week, Steelers Ravens could be win and in
loser goes home Bears, pack or part of me Bears
lots could be winning in loser goes home, Panthers, Bucks
could be win and in loser goes home.
Speaker 3 (43:06):
So if we go back a week, Packers Bears were
matched up for two out of three weeks, Yes, with
massive implications. Yes, Steelers Ravens are matched up for two
out of five weeks with massive implications and Panthers Bucks
are matched up two out of three weeks with all
everything on the lot. Like, I'm not even sure losing
(43:28):
Thursday Night to Atlanta even hurts them that bad. Like
if somebody sweeps, they win the division.
Speaker 2 (43:32):
Like you and I have kind of laid this out, man,
the NFL has really figured out how to how to
capture everybody hook line and sinker. Yeah, week eighteen, those
games could all be you know, winners in loser goes home.
You'll also have la at Denver week eighteen, which could
have number one seed implications, which could have Chargers playoff
(43:53):
can implication.
Speaker 3 (43:54):
I can't imagine anybody's resting in that game or anything
like that.
Speaker 2 (43:57):
I don't think so. I don't think so. Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Seattle,
San Francisco could have could have playoff seating implications in
Week eighteen. Carolina, Tampa, bay Man, Indy and Houston could
be a could be a big one there as well.
Speaker 3 (44:11):
There's Carolina Tampa. Thing's pretty fun though, to the last
three or against each other.
Speaker 2 (44:15):
Yes, yes, indeed, so that's kind of the uh cheating
up that that that's where we're at, you know, from
from that standpoint, Uh, Matt in lieu of because we
only have like two or three minutes here in lieu
of fantasy football conversation right now. I wanted to run
this by you Vegas odds odds on MVP favorites currently, Okay.
Speaker 3 (44:39):
Okay, I bet there's two ahead of everybody else.
Speaker 2 (44:41):
Number one is Matthew Stafford, May number two, May number two,
Josh Allen number three, Jordan Love next tier, Dak Prescott
number five.
Speaker 3 (44:53):
Damn he can't win it.
Speaker 2 (44:55):
I mean just his team's not kid. But Matthew Stafford
is the bett favorite. Drake may isn't terribly far behind him,
and then Jordan Love and Josh Allen are a little
bit longer shots, but not.
Speaker 3 (45:08):
Allen's covered on strong though.
Speaker 2 (45:10):
And you know how this is. It's much like the
Heisman Trophy and some of these things. What you do
at the end of the the final quarter of the
season has weighted much more heavily than what you do
in September.
Speaker 3 (45:20):
Snow games against Burrow, and he's a madman.
Speaker 2 (45:24):
Nobody, nobody ever won an MVP in September. If that
would have been the case, it would have been Baker
Mayfield or Daniel Jones. You know, yeah, yeah, yeah, No
one ever won a Heisman Trophy in September. It's what
you do in those final three or four games. That's
that is certainly much.
Speaker 3 (45:37):
Wait, Miles Garrett's a defensive MVP by a mile. Yes,
I don't even know who.
Speaker 2 (45:42):
You would want to get to that, huh, because you
always like talking about you love Miles Garrett. There's TV
all right, He's not too locked in to give us
a smile over there. The way that Caleb Williams loves
taking sacks is the way that Matt williamsons Miles Garrett.
I've got more tweets about Matt Williamson and his love
for Miles Garrett.
Speaker 3 (46:01):
I think that he stinks.
Speaker 2 (46:05):
Here's what Here's what NFL dot com has for Miles Garrett.
Final verdict, no brainer for Defensive Player of the Year.
That's where it ends.
Speaker 3 (46:14):
I wonder if he didn't play another game, if he
wins it. I think the answer is probably yes. Twenty sacks.
Speaker 2 (46:19):
Twenty sacks. The record reminder that Strayhan and TJ share
is twenty two and a half with so he needs
three and four games to break it. Two and a
half in four games.
Speaker 3 (46:31):
To tie it, pretty good chance of doing it. I
wonder who too is. I mean even it doesn't even
matter because they have no chance. Yeah, and I'm I
wouldn't even know if thought of my head.
Speaker 2 (46:41):
Yeah, and I don't see here because they literally have
they literally just have Miles Garrett listed no Brainer Defensive
Player of the Year. That's where it ends.
Speaker 3 (46:51):
That's that's where he's at, right.
Speaker 2 (46:53):
That's if it comes down to him, if he still
doesn't have that record. When the when the Steelers roll
in the Cleveland after Christmas, I want I want Darnell
Washington and Spencer Anderson on his side of the line
of scrimmage every single play. Loaded up Baby.
Speaker 3 (47:10):
Ninety is active. Put wad in there to block them.
Speaker 2 (47:15):
DJ one Miles to break your records. Get out there
and stop him.
Speaker 3 (47:18):
Bro right, hold them, drag him down, bite him whatever
you do.
Speaker 2 (47:21):
Right, Dan Campbell, bite some kneecaps, and let's get out
of here with zero sacks for that guy. Fun show today.
Thanks to Chris Danski for joining us, Thanks to Nathan
for producing. Big shout out as always to our video producer,
TV mister Tyler V for keeping us handsome and crisp
on the YouTube side of things. For Matt Williamson, I'm
(47:42):
west Yuhler. Take care. Everybody will talk to you tomorrow.
As always, you know where to find us. It's on
your twenty four to seven home of the Black and Gold.
It's Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio netw
Your twos about drive on your twenty four to seven
home of the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Good evening, Steelers Nation, and how we do it? Well,
that's good us too. Our number two here of the
drive as we roll along on this Tuesday, and it
is time now to take a look at the playoff
race across the National Football League. Matt a little more
clarity after last night's Monday night football clash in so Far,
(00:36):
where the Chargers in overtime defeated the Eagles twenty two
to nineteen. A little bit of an ugly one from
the standpoint of just a lot of turnovers and mistakes
by Philadelphia.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Took three turnovers on one play.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Three turnovers on one play, two Hurts and one by
the Chargers defender Jalen Hurts had an interception and a
fumble on the same play. That's impressive to do as
a quarterback in the National Football League, I tell you.
And yeah, So it's brings into some clarity That Chargers
win changes a lot. I don't know if it affects
(01:14):
the Steelers that much, because I had this conversation with
Rob King this morning. I filled in for Max On
in the locker room so you know, listen, you do
you do more shows than you do, more shows than
who's the people in Vegas? The two dudes more shows
(01:35):
than singed and Roy dang it, butchered my own joke,
and you know, Kinger was like, oh, that's a that's
you know, you would have from a Steelers standpoint, you
would have liked to have seen the Chargers lose. And
I was like, yeah, I get it in theory. I
was like, but it's it feels like the North or
nothing for the Steelers and the Ravens, especially after last night.
(01:56):
But I'm more convinced of that than ever.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
See how I think in fact things is on Sunday night,
after watching the Chiefs lose to Houston a good game,
I tweeted out my seven AFC prediction teams and I
included the Chiefs, and I knew that that was kind
of out on a limb, you know.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
The other ones were, who'd you have out besides the
Colts Chargers?
Speaker 3 (02:22):
Okay, And that's short of going this. My logic was,
I think the cults are about ready to crash and burn,
and I think they're crashed and now they're setting themselves
on fire. They're crashing and burning.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
They might need one more win just to not have
a losing record this season, and I'm not sure they'll
get it.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
Insane, I mean, like their schedule post by they're on
a three game losing streetfom is brutal or now they're
on'll have a quarterback and Rivers.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
And Seattle in San Francisco and Houston and Jacksonville.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
And TV sentence a tweet by J. J. Watt the
Rivers and Stikeen. I've been back and forth talking plays
that the Rivers installed this offense on, you know, so
he's gonna be on up of the offense for his
high school team but whatever. I don't know. I never
had a problem with him mentally, but he's not gonna
save their season and they're on the outside looking at already,
(03:09):
so they need something to go their way anyway. So
my logic with putting the Chiefs in was, Okay, I
think the Colts are going to get out of their way,
which correct, Yes, I thought the Chargers would get out
of their way because I don't think they can block anybody,
which I was right about that part. Last night, you
seven sacks and Herbert was a superhero run Life out there,
(03:31):
justin you do something. I know you got a broken
left wing there, paw, but so what you just have
to do it because we can't block anybody. But because
the Chargers won, I think that's all they need. But
I think the Chiefs are now dead. I mean, so
that pretty much narrows it down to seven. And I
don't I mean Ravens or Steelers is still up for debate. Yeah,
(03:56):
in terms of who's going to go and the seatings,
they are still up for debate. But just because I
think the Steelers have a chance to get in or
I have a very good chance to get in, I
think the Chargers winning is good because I don't want
my homes in.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
I completely agree, right right.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
There's no way I want my homes in.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Completely agree. And the Chargers winning is good because they
have a tiebreaker over Buffalo. And I would much rather
the Chargers come to Pittsburgh in January than Josh Allen
and the Bills.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
Yeah, I would think the North winner is going to
be the four seed.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Yes, oh absolutely, I mean unless Jacksonville. Jacksonville schedule isn't terrible.
The rest of them, they're playing pretty well and they
go two and two they've got eleven wins. The Steelers, yeah,
aren't getting I mean it's the Steelers win. I have
to win out to get eleven wins.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
Your prize for winning division is probably, oh, you get
the host, Josh Allen, you know, that's not so great.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
It's not what I want. That's That's where I was
going with it too. Was I would much, much, much,
much much rather welcome the Chargers to town than the
Buffalo Bills.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
Agreed, you played them both.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
Houston different conversation, because yes, you'd have some weather benefits
in your favor that you wouldn't have against Buffalo. But
I think they have the best defense in the NFL
and are one of the better teams in the league
right now.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
Yeah, I think they're playing the best of those three teams.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
So it feels like Chiefs Cionora, Colts Cionora, and it
just comes down to Texans, Bills, Chargers for those seven
six five, you know, five six seven wild card seats,
and then Steelers got to hold off the Ravens one
from the north in terms of Pittsburgh or Baltimore.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
So do we are we pretty confident Jacksonville wins the South?
Then Houston could catch them, could catch them. Yeah, yeah, okay, yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
And Houston beat them the first time.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
So if Houston I would mind Jacksonville coming to town,
that might be my pick if we get anybody that
total choice.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
Right, Yes, I would rather have Jacksonville or the Chargers
much more than the bills of the Texans A thousand
per thousand percent, not even close.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
What I find it crazy that I you would not
have convinced me in June or July is that Burrow,
Lamar and Mahomes aren't in the AFC playoffs. Dude, Wild
what are we talking about here?
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Wild? Yeah, that's looking like it's going to be the case.
I mean, I mean, Mahome or it. Baltimore still has
something to say about it. In Kansas City, while one
foot's in the grave, they're still not completely cooked yet.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
A lot to them.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
You're You're absolutely right, Baltimore. Kansas City, who were kind
of the two sexiest AFC picks coming into this season,
could both miss you throw in the third unicorn quarterback
in Cincinnati, I mean, Josh Allen could be kind of
that only proverbial Tier one guys sophomore Drake May and
(06:36):
Bo Nicks. You could have career up and down Trevor Lawrence,
although I will say Herbert has Herbert right next to those.
He's kind of in that next tier with Matthew Stafford.
So maybe and maybe that's his real opportunity to level
up and show something in the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
But they have no lineman. They still I mean, I
can't imagine them going for it.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
All and they're not getting Joe Aalt.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
Back for a year. I think the thing.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Yeah, that's man, that's so unfortunate for them because you're
looking at it right now and you're like, if we
just had Slater and all, we would feel good about
our chances with anybody. Yeah, And that is, you know,
quite often the difference. So Jacksonville has the division, has
the division lead over the Texans and the Colts by game.
(07:22):
So they're the three seed at nine and four Steelers
at seven and six Chargers the tiebreaker over the Bills.
So that's five LA, six, Buffalo, seven Houston. Yeah, I mean,
Colts and Chiefs are on life support. And for the Ravens,
you have a clear.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
Pathang Miami needs like a miracle, absolutely miracle.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
Yeah, I mean, yeah, only four teams have been mathematically
eliminated in the AFC. But Cincinnati, Miami real, real, real
long shot. And then if you're Kansas City, you need
a million and one things to go your way. If
you're Baltimore, there's at least a clear path for Baltimore.
It's that we probably have to win out.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
I think we. I'm really confident who the six are
going to be and the AFC North champ. Yes, you know,
I don't.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
Know exactly right right, right right now, I would feel
very confident put playing that lottery ticket of those six,
those six Denver, New England, Jacksonville, Chargers, Buffalo and Houston
and then which now the Steelers have the upper upper hand,
the advantage to get to I think, like.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
The shows, how important that last game huge.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
Absolutely massive. So that's the playoff picture in the a
f C, like on the nf clear and clear. But
the NFC.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
I feel bad for the Lions, so bad for the
Lion right like they're a good team. Like I don't
feel bad for the Chiefs, not because they've had so
much success lately. That that too, but right now, right
they don't look like a playoff team. The Lions look
like a playoff team, you know, like they could win
the Super Bowl. They get it. They're really good. They're
not lesser than they've been in recent years. They're just
(09:00):
kind of in a mathematical crunch.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
But if the playoffs started today, the Lions would be
the first ones out. Despite being eight and five, they
would be the first ones out.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
So they need help.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
In the NFC, they need help. They do rams the
one seed at ten and three. Green Bay just on
their heels at nine to three and one. The Eagles
still in that third seed at eight and five despite
that loss, because.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
Win the division, right.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
They would need a colossal collapse, and even then the
Cowboys would have to be perfect the rest of the way.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
Almost seems like the Eagles are guaranteed the three seed.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
It feels feels that way unless you know, Tampa Carolina
wins out or something like that.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
But they've been bad. I mean, Tampa's been bad. They're
almost like the North where they're I feel like the
South winner is just going to be the four seed,
whoever that.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
Is, and get mauled by the Seahawks in the first round,
right right, in all likelihood, because the ten wins, Seahawks
are slotted into that five seed. The Niners at nine
and four in the sixth seed, and then now the
Bears one game ahead of the Lions in the seventh seed.
That's wild though. The Bears go from uh having the
tie breaker to the first seed now to the last team.
(10:08):
They were the one seed a week ago with the
tie breakers. Now they're the seventh seed and trying to
hold off the Lions.
Speaker 3 (10:13):
Life because of that game Man San fran was the
eight and they go to the six just by sitting
at home on a bye and they knew they were
going to It didn't matter who won. They were going
to be six.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
Or they were going to Yes, because they have a
tie breaker there.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
They have an easy schedule to those three teams. When
the West are going going, they're in and that buy
could do good things for the Niners.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
It comes down to the Bears are going Bear, Yeah, Bears, Lions, Packers.
One of those teams is going to get left at home.
Speaker 3 (10:42):
And I think the Lion's unfortunate. I mean, I think
the Lions are probably better than the Bears. Maybe the
Bears fall on their face a little bit, but they're
not bad.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
They still play the last week of the season.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
That could be for the last spot.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
That sounds like Sunday Night Football Week E team at
your field. Winner goes to the playoffs, loser goes home.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
Yeah good, I'm sold to Tampa just locks things up either.
I don't know really either they're kind of falling apart.
Baker's all banged.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
Up, and Caroline is coming off their bye week. Maybe
they've got some rejuvenated life. Wouldn't that be something If
the Panthers won the division and hosted a playoff game,
that might be that would be a fantastic story for them.
But for right now, and I think you and I
said this, we did this exercise like a month ago.
We were looking at both both conferences and we were like,
(11:31):
there's gonna be a good team on each side that
gets left out.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
Yeah yeah, because you were looking at it at that.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
Point and you were like, okay, like Chiefs Texans.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
At that point, Texans were in a lot of.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
Where it was like one of these teams is gonna
get left out. Now it's probably the Colts, the Ravens,
the Chiefs who were fine, But you're not feeling as
good about those teams as you were.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
I feel like the right teams are going.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
Same, you know, whereas in the NFC, there is going
to be a good team who gets left at home, right,
whether it's the Bears and the Lions. I think it's
going to come down to those two. The Bears are
nine and four right now and still realistically could not
make the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
Pretty crazy, which is pretty pretty crazy, and you consider
how strong the Seahawks and the Niners have been kind
of clamping down those five and six spots.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
That doesn't leave a lot of table scraps for everybody else.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
And Seattle could still win the division. I mean they
still play the Rams again, right, yeah, absolutely. If anyone
would have predicted Chiefs Lion super Bowl in the preseason, nobody.
We're bad, not like, oh yeah, that sounds a right.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
Right, Ravens Lions, right right right.
Speaker 3 (12:33):
And it's not the they could easily be on the
outside looking at But the Lions the one. I feel
bad for us, Like you played like a playoff team.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
Yes, yeah, they've navigated a lot of injuries and stuff
this year too, and that first place, tough schedule, and
you're you're right, like they're weird. They could miss the playoffs,
but if they make it, man, I would not want.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
To be no, they could beat anybody.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
I would not want to be the Green Bay Packers
and have the two seed to welcome the Lions to
Lambeau in January. No Chase, exactly right, No chance would
I want to do that.
Speaker 3 (13:00):
Yeah, that's like a one and a half point spread.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
Right, exactly right. And so there we go. That's kind
of the playoff picture as we sit here today, not
a lot clearer staring down Week fifteen. Last night made
things much more clear, at least on the AFC side.
So if the Chargers would have lost, then.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
It's like I got a handful.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
You've got a handful of eight and five teams, and
it all comes down to time breakers, and Kansas City
is still alive, and maybe even Baltimore feels more alive
at that point, whereas now it is starting starting to
get very narrow, starting to get very narrow. Just four
teams eliminated in the AFC, although I think we'll add
another one or two after this week. Just five teams
(13:43):
mathematically eliminated in the NFC. Falcons, Cards, Saints, Commis, and
g Men.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
Vikings are still alive.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
Vikings are still alive technically mathematically at five and eight.
But if they lose one more.
Speaker 3 (13:57):
I think.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Would be close would be cyn or it. But if
you look at it right now, in the NFC, there's
only six teams of the losing record. That's pretty five
and pretty impressive as in the AFC, where there's one, two, three, four, five, six, seven,
eight teams with a losing record. In the AFC, it's
gonna be a lot of fun to keep an eye
on this. We will obviously continue to do that as
(14:19):
we roll on down the track. But there's your playoff
picture outlook for week fifteen. When we return. Let's get
into some week fifteen power rankings. Ooh nice, where the
Steelers had did they move in jockey position? Where some
of the other biggest risers and follers here? As we
get closer and closer to January, we'll discuss all that
when we return. On the other side. West Yeuler, Matt Williamson,
(14:40):
it's the Drive on Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers
Audio Network, your tunes.
Speaker 1 (14:48):
About drive on your twenty four to seven home of
the black and Goal. Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
Back on the drive here as it's time to get
to our Tuesday power rankings, and there's not much change
at the bottom of the order here as people can expect.
I'm sure thirty second the Raiders, thirty first the Titans,
as they kind of have been all year. The Titans
did get a win, actually they won, but staying at
(15:27):
that thirty first spot, I don't hate that. I mean
I might have them, like ahead of the Giants. I
might have him ahead of the Browns who they just beat.
Speaker 3 (15:35):
Yeah, I mean again, we're kind of splitting hairs. I
think the Raiders are clearly thirty ten.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
I think the Raiders are absolutely fair.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
I don't think they'll win again, and they're miserable.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
Not great in Viva Las Vegas. And yeah, the Titans,
I mean again, they they're in a nice spot heading.
I know that sounds funny for a two and eleven team,
but right, You've got the quarterback, you've got a couple
things to build on. You got you gotta find the coach,
You've got to have a good offseason. You're gonna be
in petition position to potentially trade down a few spots
in the draft if you want to, and pick up
some extra capital.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
Yeah, these bottom feeding teams and what I'm finding interesting here.
On December ninth, my dad's birthday.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Happy birthday, Nice, Happy birthday, Pops.
Speaker 3 (16:14):
The Giants currently have the first overall pick, and I
think the Titans have two. I'm not sure if they do.
Are the Raiders, but neither one of them will draft
the quarterback. I mean, either way, no matter where the
Titans and Giants land, they're not going to take a quarterback.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
Correct.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
The Raiders absolutely should could you know? Whatever?
Speaker 2 (16:35):
Giants won? Raiders two, Titans three. Okay, Brown's four, So.
Speaker 3 (16:39):
I don't think the Raiders will. Raiders could get to one.
I don't think they'll go past three because I don't
think they'll win again.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
I think they're really and they would definitely draft the quarterback.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
I would think so. I would think so oho, they
need everything that poor guy would be in trouble. But anyway,
what I do find interesting about these bottom teams, i'mure're
don't bring up the Saints here soon. Is Dart and
war Or locked in his starters. I'm open to the
idea that Shador and especially Shock could convince their team
(17:09):
to give me one more year, right like, at least,
especially if this quarterback class is not blowing their doors
off and Mendoza's in Vegas or whatever. It's like, I'm
wanna take a risk on another or should I build
the nest and run it back with one of these
guys in their second season. I think that's a possibility.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
It's a fair question to ask. And uh, I gotta
tell you what, Mendoz it might be the right quarterback
for Vegas to draft. He seems very mature, very head
on straight. I don't think you have to worry about
him in that city, in the Vegas nightlife. He seems
like he's got other he seems like he's got other
interests in life giants. Trying to paint a nicer way
(17:55):
to say it, but yes, he seems like.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
Kirk Cousin comparisons in terms of like personality.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
He seems like a Kirk Cousins level dork, right, And
I mean that affectionately. I got no problem, sure, but
I would much rather have him be that than have
him be you know, have him be Johnny Manziel exactly exactly.
Speaker 3 (18:13):
Now, this is a conversation for the off season, but
my Indiana buddy, it was right after they won they
interviewed him. I'm like, I'm not sure he's a door
And I knew that going in but he's at and
I said something like, I would much rather have Joe
Burrow leading my NFL team than this guy's personality.
Speaker 2 (18:32):
I agree with.
Speaker 3 (18:32):
I think he bit my head off because it's Indiana
Hoosiers just one. He's a grad, you know, and he
doesn't one here any.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
Say, don't let Jacob Wrect here you talk like that
about his Hoosiers.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
And I don't know any of the people, but in general,
I'd rather have Joe Namath or Joe Burrow, you know,
like the coolest students have the coolest.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
Guy in the room. Giants check in at number thirty.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
Fine, fine, yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:54):
I mean they just you know, I know what to
make on at this point. I don't what to make
of them at this point. It's a good way to
put it. Twenty nine the Cleveland Browns, they drop a
spot after losing.
Speaker 3 (19:06):
The offense life. At least they're getting a lot from
the rookie class Fannin and Junkins.
Speaker 2 (19:11):
They are, and again hopefully like as Steelers fans. I
know this sounds funny, but root for or to play
well down the stretch. I think so, yeah, because if
they want to run it back with him in twenty
twenty six. That's one more option quarterback option that would
be on the table for the Steelers come April. Number
twenty eight. The j e t s just Jess Jets
after getting demolished. But they might be down there in basement.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
Yes, they might be as bad as anyone, Like they
got no quarterback. I mean, yeah, again, they're playing Brady Cook.
I mean that was a bad I'd rather play Brady Quinn. Yes,
that was bad. And they played as poorly as the
Raiders or anybody.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
This week they got man handled at home by the Dolphins.
Speaker 3 (19:53):
Yeah, mcames over in the first quarter, and you know,
apparently a Chan could have came back.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
I'm just gonna say, right, ninety two yards seven carries,
I think it was before they took him out of
the game. That's like Madden numbers number twenty seven. The
Arizona Cardinals tenth loss in eleven games. I continue to
think they're a little too high in these rankings, but
I also they're probably a little bit better than the
Jets and the Raiders and the Titans.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
They've shut a lot of guys down too.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
Yeah, they're bad, but they're not like weapons grade bad
like some of THESEUS like.
Speaker 3 (20:23):
I wouldn't mind taking that team over and try to
rebuild it as opposed to some of these others like
the Raiders. Correct, Yeah, but they do have a quarterback issue.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
And that they do. And Kyler Murray will not return
this season. We already knew that as of last week.
I'd be shocked if we see him start another game
in his career or even be active for another game
in his career. For the Air of the Cardinals, the
commis the Washington Commanders checking in at twenty seven fast too.
Speaker 3 (20:52):
He's gotta shut out by the Vikes.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
Got shut out by the Vikings. Zach Ertz an ugly
Aco injury.
Speaker 3 (20:58):
Yeah, it could be a career ender.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
Third time in like the last month or two that
Jaydon Daniels has left the game with an injury, Like,
what are we doing here?
Speaker 3 (21:05):
Right? What are we doing here? Right? And they're old
in terms of like building for next year other than
the quarterback.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
You and I both July August training camp time we talked.
We did. We did like a segment or an hour
one day where we did, like, pick a couple teams
that are gonna rise this year. Yeah, pick a couple
teams that are gonna fall this year.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
They were the obvious follower for me.
Speaker 2 (21:26):
They were they were I think both of our answer
and I think I still might have picked them to
go to the playoffs. And you were like, I think
they'll be right on that eight seven line.
Speaker 3 (21:34):
I thought they'd be around five hundred.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
Like I think I said that they'll go nine and
eight or ten and seven and find a way to
squeak in. But man, this is this is a real
this is a real step back. I we I think
even you and I who thought they would take a
step back this year didn't think it was gonna be
this dress.
Speaker 3 (21:49):
Now and some of its quarterback injury. But it's more
than that. I mean, the defense is so old yeah again.
And the thing is they misevaluated themselves, and I saw
that one coming mile away, Like we're a tunsol and
debo away from winning the super Bowl. We were a
final fourteen, that's all we need. Like you were lucky
at the fut fortunate.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
Yeah, you had a lot fall right for you last year.
Speaker 3 (22:09):
Lex Principal, Yeah, had a lot fall right for you
last year, and it all came shattering out right.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
The Saints get a surprise win over Tampa and they
moved five spots to twenty five. Tyler Shuck keep doing
your thing, dude. Keep the Saints out of the quarterback market.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
Yeah, I guess that's where they belong. I guess they're
ahead of Arizona in Washington.
Speaker 2 (22:33):
I tell you what, you were banging the drum for
Tyler Shuck back in combine and draft season.
Speaker 3 (22:37):
And I mean, considering you used an early second round
pick on an old quarterback, you might want to see
one more season from the guy, you know.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
Yeah, Falcons check in at number twenty four. Uh, they're
gonna finish double digit losses. They don't have a first
round pick.
Speaker 3 (22:55):
Yeah, it's not a.
Speaker 2 (22:56):
Lot to hang your hat on there. Bjhon Robinson is great. Uh.
Jalen Walker I think might win Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Speaker 3 (23:03):
I'm really impressed with them.
Speaker 2 (23:04):
But they do not have a lot to It's not
a copleet in total Raiders situation, but it's pretty close.
Speaker 3 (23:10):
The problem with them big picture is if Pennix isn't it,
you're screwed because you don't know a first I mean,
how do you go get the next quarterback? Can you
have so much money invested in cousins.
Speaker 2 (23:23):
You can't bring in like a Kyler Murray or someone
like that when you already have all that money tied
up in it.
Speaker 3 (23:27):
So you've got an expensive quarterback room and you might
and you have a lot in a first round pick,
and you might not have a quarterback. Like that's a
double miss. At least when they took Panix, which I
didn't understand the time, I'm like, well, one of the
two will be a give at least give them a
serviceable quarterback for the next three four years. Maybe not,
maybe not.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
And when you combine that with not a ton of
cap flexibility and not a first round pick.
Speaker 3 (23:50):
Right, so you'reating the twenty twenty eight draft to get
your guy Purgatory. That's brutal.
Speaker 2 (23:57):
And by that point, Bijon's going to be pushing thirty Yeah, right, right, right,
what Drake London looked like? Yeah, Cincinnati Bengals check in
at twenty three, Matt, the impossible better than that? The
impossible playoff dream is dead. But I think I'm with you.
I think they're better than that. I think they're better
than the Vikings who are ahead of them. I think
they might be better than Kansas City at this point,
if the Bengals played Kansas City this weekend, I don't know.
Speaker 3 (24:20):
I think they're the best team the AFC North right now.
I mean, I'm kind of but I mean I thought
the Steelers and Ravens were pretty equal. I mean, the Bengals,
I'm glad that they have a couple of losses because
they could be scary. I mean, they battled the Bills
to the very end.
Speaker 2 (24:35):
I'm glad that. I'm glad the Steelers don't have to
see them down the stretch.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
Right right, right, right now, I think Bengals are fifteenth
best team the league or thirteenth best in the league
right now.
Speaker 2 (24:45):
Twenty second is the Minnesota Vikings up a few spots
after one.
Speaker 3 (24:50):
Another interesting quarterback situations. McCarthy can it was.
Speaker 2 (24:54):
His best performance? Yeah, he's another one. You love it
if the Vikings were like, you know what, we're running
it back with McCarthy for one, look good to nine,
Come on.
Speaker 3 (25:01):
Nine, finish the season strong, do that the rest of
the year, and then maybe they'll just like throw a
some brisette looking guy at yah, you know, as opposed
to being in the market. Kyler Murray.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
Yeah, yeah, I love how that's become a thing now
to make fun of quarterbacks across the NFL when they
have Have you seen this when they have bad performances,
is to photoshop them into a JJ McCarthy jersey. Oh
really like because that that whole like you know meme
that everyone was making fun of them like they were
doing photoshopping Jalen Hurts and the JJ McCarthy's jersey. Oh
(25:35):
boy was he ever. I think a lot of the
people that have been screaming about how he's been the
problem in Philadelphia this year starting to feel bad about themselves.
Speaker 3 (25:44):
A little bit.
Speaker 2 (25:44):
We'll get to there in a minute. Dolphins at twenty one,
I think i'd have them them way higher. They've won
five of their last six.
Speaker 3 (25:51):
They'd be favored against sixteen teams right now. Yeah, I
mean they're playing good football, Like I think.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
I have them above the Kansas City Chiefs who check
in at twenty.
Speaker 3 (25:58):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yes, it's a you're all pretty close,
to be honest, since he Chiefs in Miami.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
I think so. I think I take them all over
the Vikings right now. So yeah, despite the Vikings commanding
win against the Commanders Cowboys checking at nineteen, they dropped
three spots after the loss of Detroit.
Speaker 3 (26:17):
These teams have all been playing pretty well. I mean,
I know they lost to the Lions, but Detroit I thought,
or I thought Dallas was one of the best teams
league going into that game.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
They've all got their clear cut flaws. Oh yeah, they're
all also very dangerous, and if they flip that switch
at the right time, can can put up a lot
of points.
Speaker 3 (26:32):
And all of them could be much higher next year.
You know, good good off season, you know good.
Speaker 2 (26:38):
Absolutely absolutely staying at number eighteen off their bye week.
It's the Carolina Panthers seven and six, got some help
from the Saints, and that's going to make for an interesting,
interesting month of November there in the NFC South.
Speaker 3 (26:51):
I hate say it this way, but I'm not sure Tampa, Carolina,
Baltimore or Pittsburgh is better than Dallas, Cincinnatiami a city.
I mean, they're all in the same bucket to me,
And like, how well are you playing right now? Tampa's
not playing very well, no, you know at all. Baltimore
is not playing very well.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
No.
Speaker 3 (27:11):
I mean, Steelers are a little bit better than those teams.
I mean, but they weren't playing great going into Baltimore.
Speaker 2 (27:17):
You know, it's a tough kind of you got to
go only as good as your recent performances.
Speaker 3 (27:23):
I look at Power rang these aren't lifetime achieving awards.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
No, they're absolutely not. And Tampa Bay checks in at
seventeen after I mean at one.
Speaker 3 (27:30):
Point there a dog against Miami right now, yes, yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 2 (27:35):
They're a dog against pretty much city, pretty much in
everybody who's in the same playoff picture. I think they
would probably be a dog against.
Speaker 3 (27:41):
I would pick Dallas over them.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
Maybe the Colts they would be favored against.
Speaker 3 (27:44):
Yeah, but the cult s would be lower than all.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
The cults are. We still haven't gotten to them. They
should know.
Speaker 3 (27:48):
It's a gutsy move. As a power ranker, I've been
a power ranker, but I would have them below like
the Bengals right now as currently constructed a quarterback. They
don't have a quarterback.
Speaker 2 (27:57):
They just signed a forty four year old right who
hasn't played it, who's a semi finalist for the Hall
of Fame. Because it's been that long since day.
Speaker 3 (28:03):
We have the best roster in the league, but then
on a quarterback, So that doesn't mean you're the Wherever
they're at we haven't mentioned yet. They're too high.
Speaker 2 (28:09):
Sixteen stuff have mentioned him yet? Sixteen Baltimore Ravens. Okay,
I mean, but I would have Baltimore ahead of India.
Speaker 3 (28:16):
I don't.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
I think I would. Oh, I would do Indie check.
Speaker 3 (28:19):
You have been mentioned ten minutes ago.
Speaker 2 (28:21):
They checked in at fifteen.
Speaker 3 (28:24):
Okay, falling like a stone though. I mean that's they
don't have quarterback. You gotta rank this how they are today,
even I mean Rivers.
Speaker 2 (28:32):
They just signed a guide to the practice squad that
hasn't taken an NFL snap since January of twenty twenty one.
Speaker 3 (28:38):
Oh so, I want to say this earlier when we
were talking about Rivers. The Colts are in a really
tough predicament too, no first round pick, so they trade
for Gardner, Sauce Gardner and for two first so they
only won this year or next. And one of the
happiest person people when that happens is Daniel Jones's agent,
because now.
Speaker 2 (28:58):
He's like, I'm getting paid.
Speaker 3 (29:00):
I got the Colts over Barrel. They are going to
resign my guy who's playing well. They think they can
win it all with Sauce. They pushed their chips in.
They don't have resources to go get another quarterback. They're
gonna pay Daniel Jones what I tell them to pay
Daniel Jones? Okay, And I think the Colts knew that
the second they made the trade. Of course they did.
(29:20):
But then he's gonna be ready for next year. So
now what you do? I mean, like you.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
Pushed all your til Halloween of next year, right.
Speaker 3 (29:29):
I mean, what's the answer now? I mean like you
pushed all your chips in and it came up snake eyes.
It couldn't have gone worse.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
There isn't snake bad luck. Isn't snake eyes good or no?
Speaker 3 (29:41):
I don't know, We'll check back whatever. Right, you put
all on black and came up red.
Speaker 2 (29:45):
Yes, I know that's like you've got snake bitten. Maybe
is the bad luck? I listen. I don't think there's
any one right way to do business, or everybody would
do it. I've told I know, in the few months
that we've been doing the show regularly together. I know
I've said this a couple of times. There's no perfect
defensive scheme in the NFL, or everybody would run it.
(30:08):
There's no perfect You have to operate like the rams
and be super aggressive, or you have to operate like
the Steelers the Bengals and be more traditional, like they're.
Speaker 3 (30:16):
Every quarterback should shit their first year. You know, like
there's different.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
There's no perfect way to do it or else everybody
would do it that way. But man, if you can
think back to like just a month and a half ago,
when the Colts are on top of the world, yeah,
and made those huge moves at the trade deadline, and
everyone was like, see, this is what you do. You
go after it and you go get them.
Speaker 3 (30:36):
And look at the Cults so much and.
Speaker 2 (30:37):
They're striking while the iron's hot and all that stuff.
Speaker 3 (30:40):
It's kind of like we just talked about the Washington
I mean, that's how they treated their off seasons, like
I'm sauce away from being the best team in the league.
I mean the Chiefs aren't sauce away from being the
best team. You know, like, you gotta be pretty darn
good to be like a player away to be like,
now we're the favorite, and.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
There's an alternate universe where the Colts have better health luck,
right and they're ten and three right now. Yeah, and
you know, the seed and hosting playoff games and winning
the division but the other side of that and why
you don't see.
Speaker 3 (31:13):
I think more quarterback stability. It'd be different if you
had Josh Allen and he's on a ten year contract
or whatever.
Speaker 2 (31:21):
And who bring sauce in? Who cares? Because this window
is going to be wide open for the next guy.
Speaker 3 (31:25):
I'm always going to elevate, right, They didn't have the
quarterback situation.
Speaker 2 (31:28):
As much as I'm guilty of it too, like sometimes
sitting there and pulling my hair out and going, come on, Steelers,
why aren't you doing more? Why aren't you being more aggressive?
Why aren't you pushing more chips into the center of
the table. It's much easier to say that, and then
you see someone like the Colts get get absolutely burned here,
and even the Eagles. The Eagles pushed a lot of
chips into the center of the table at the deadline,
and they've gone backwards since then. There's exactly there's there's
(31:52):
no perfect way to do it, or else everybody would.
Speaker 3 (31:55):
I mean the theme with Steelers about to play did
it when they traded for Tyreek and Ramsey and they
went all in on a bunch of dudes and it
didn't go up.
Speaker 2 (32:01):
They haven't even won a playoff. I've only been once,
I think, and haven't won a playoff game. Steelers checking
at fourteen, up six spots. I think it's about right. Fourteen.
I think it's about right. If you'd have him a
spot lower, I wouldn't fight you. If you have a
spot or two higher, I wouldn't fight you. But I
think this is about right. Yeah, here's gonna be fourteen
teams that make the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (32:18):
It's the neighborhood right now.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
If the playoffs started today, the Steelers would be in,
but they'd have the worst record of all the fourteen
teams in the playoffs. So I think that's about right.
Speaker 3 (32:27):
Okay, I'm fine with it.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
They'd be the only seven win team, you know, and
there'd be a couple of six. Oh that's not true.
Tampa Bay, Tampa Bay, Tampa or Tampa as well. Eagles
checking at thirteen, down three spots.
Speaker 3 (32:40):
The offense is troublesome, boy, is it ever? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (32:43):
And the quarterback was very interceptions for Jalen Hurts plus
a fumble turnover. I mean they even had Saquon doing
more Saquon type things and it wasn't enough.
Speaker 3 (32:53):
Right, Saquon and aj Brown look like the last year
version of those guys, and it still wasn't enough. The
defense was great.
Speaker 2 (32:59):
And there's a lot of organizations that it seems like
even when the faces and the characters change, some underlying
themes are always there. And for Philadelphia, and you know what,
I was on the inside for three years. It's it.
They are jeckal and hide like that. Everything is either
(33:22):
perfect on the up and up. We are one of
the best teams in the league. We got a really
good chance to win the Super Bowl. Yeah, or it's
this thing is an inch away from falling off the
face of the earth and Imploding's funny the last verstability there. Yeah,
there's never plateauing. It's either arrow way pointed through the
roof or arrow pointed down like the Tower.
Speaker 3 (33:41):
Of Terror extremes. And what's funny is the last two
years they saw both and one of them they won
the Super Bowl, and one they lost, like their last
six games, got eliminated and got blown out right.
Speaker 2 (33:51):
Right right, And I'm leaning towards this one looking more
like twenty twenty three than twenty twenty four.
Speaker 3 (33:58):
I tend to agree.
Speaker 2 (34:00):
Chargers up to twelve up three spots after me.
Speaker 3 (34:04):
I guess they just beat Philly, and you could argue
that both of them are better than the Steelers. But
I don't know that they're favorite against Miami or Dallas
or you know.
Speaker 2 (34:13):
It's fair. Number eleven, this might be too low for me.
It's the Houston Texans.
Speaker 3 (34:17):
Oh, they would be way higher. They'd be like fourth
for me. I think they're the best team in the AFC.
Speaker 2 (34:22):
Their defense got.
Speaker 3 (34:23):
Toy to rank them that way in a power rank. Yeah,
I think I think they beat Denver, New England right now.
Speaker 2 (34:29):
They are the If you asked me if the Steelers
are playing a playoff game this weekend, and the team
that you wouldn't want coming to Agrostar Stadium, I still
think Buffalo would be my answer, just because of Josh Allen.
But the Texans would probably be number two. Number ten
the Detroit Lions number ten on this list, but currently
out of the playoffs that belong. Yeah, that's the NFC man.
(34:51):
Number nine is the Jacksonville Jaguars. I might have Detroit
and Houston ahead of them, but I don't hate. I
think this is about the right are area for Jacksonville.
At nine.
Speaker 3 (35:01):
I've been comparing Jacksonville in Chicago a lot lately. New coach,
first overall quarterback.
Speaker 2 (35:07):
Little head of schedule.
Speaker 3 (35:08):
You have not won much in the last ten years
or so, but the second half of the seasons was
a lot better than the first. They're starting to figure
things out.
Speaker 2 (35:15):
They're still a little lobbly, but just make the playoffs
and everything to lose.
Speaker 3 (35:19):
A playoff game, but getting the playoffs is still ahead
of schedule.
Speaker 2 (35:22):
You know, get that experience for your and your coaching staff.
The quarterback number eight off the bye week, not moving
at all. The Niners. I think that's fine. Fine, yeah,
good bye week for them and Carolina at the right time.
The Bears dropped just one spot to seven after falling
to the Packers.
Speaker 3 (35:40):
Okay, hey, I don't know if the Bears are better
than the Lions, but they're in a better spot six.
Speaker 2 (35:46):
Moving up these last couple of weeks the Buffalo Bills.
Speaker 3 (35:49):
I suppose two nice wins in a row. I think
nice wins in a row.
Speaker 2 (35:54):
Josh Allen is doing some more Josh Allen things.
Speaker 3 (35:56):
He looks like the best player in the league right now.
Speaker 2 (35:58):
They can, you know, they can on the ball well.
And yeah, there's still some concerns there that they've got
a lot of superheroes to offset those concerns. Number five
the Green Bay Packers.
Speaker 3 (36:08):
I'm a believer.
Speaker 2 (36:09):
I'm a believer too. I think they're back in that
in that super Bowl conversation. Yeah, number four off there
bye week not doing any movement. Is the New England
Patriots ten straight wins into the bye week, Good time
to have it for them.
Speaker 3 (36:22):
We could fight about New England versus Denver, but I
understand why they're the top two in the AOC. I
think Houston's better than both, but I know I'm on
a limb there.
Speaker 2 (36:31):
Yeah, in terms of form right now, but when you're
eleven and two, it's tough to argue against. And the
Broncos do check in at number three, not the you know,
most convincing performance, but crazy victory against the Raiders keeps
the Bronco Broncos at number three, and then actually no
change in the entire top five. Packers stay at five,
(36:53):
Patriots at four, Broncos at three, Seahawks at two, and
Rams at one.
Speaker 3 (36:58):
Yeah out of Rams one, Seattle too.
Speaker 2 (37:00):
I think so I might even have the Packers out
of the Broncos and the Patriots. But I under again.
I mean those are eleven win teams. I get it.
Speaker 3 (37:09):
My top four would be Rams, Seahawks, Packers, Texans. I
know that's a little spicy at four. That's why I
went forty.
Speaker 2 (37:22):
I completely agree with your top three. I don't know
who my fourth would be. I would consider the Texans.
Speaker 3 (37:27):
I don't think it's the Eagles.
Speaker 2 (37:28):
No, No. I might consider the Buffalo Bills then yeah,
but I get.
Speaker 3 (37:34):
The Patriots and Broncos deserve respect. I mean the records
are strong, but I don't know if they're when.
Speaker 2 (37:40):
I mean, they still got a lot to proof.
Speaker 3 (37:42):
They still go a lot to show me, right, I
mean there's not a lot of experience a quarterback between
those two teams.
Speaker 2 (37:46):
They say, still got a lot a lot to proof.
Let's get to our final break of the day here.
When we come back, we'll close down with some fantasy
football conversation here on the Drive, West Shouler, Matt Williamson.
It's Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network, your tunes.
Speaker 1 (38:03):
About Drive on your twenty four to seven home of
the Black and Gold Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (38:19):
Final segment here of the Drive on a Tuesday, and
I gotta just be completely honest with everybody. Matt had
a dorito issue earlier in the show.
Speaker 3 (38:27):
Yeah, got me right in the right spot.
Speaker 2 (38:29):
I've still got some peanut butter from my Race's cup
stuck to the roof of my mouth. You know, I
do love the Race's cup. That's the one downside that
peanut butter. That peanut butter can linger, which from the
taste palette is outstanding. Oh yeah, when you're supposed to
be hosting a radio show and coming back from commercial break.
Speaker 3 (38:43):
Not the ideal choice, not as much, just a little
bit filling. The nice about the reci cup. You get
a little bit of nourishment in there and a little
bit of like get you through the two hour show.
Speaker 2 (38:52):
Oh no, doubt well. Pep in your step pairs really
well with coffee too, for whatever reason. Yeah, good with
the chocolate and the peanut butter combination. Coffee is a
is a good one, real quick, Matt AFC playoff percentages
just wanted to go over this with you. Broncos greater
than ninety nine percent, Patriots greater than ninety nine percent,
(39:12):
Jags ninety seven percent for Jacksonville.
Speaker 3 (39:15):
Are we have like clinch week, like Miami and Denver
win away from getting that.
Speaker 2 (39:21):
Check Markland and Denver. You mean, yeah, I believe, I
believe so yeah, Okay, yes, yes, Because if they both win,
they would be one hundred percent locks to make it.
Speaker 3 (39:30):
We're gonna start seeing clinches and you sure are.
Speaker 2 (39:33):
Yeah, a little Jags ninety seven percent chance to make it. Incredible.
Speaker 3 (39:37):
I didn't quite see that coming. I thought they were
a five hundred tight team.
Speaker 2 (39:40):
Same same, Steelers sixty six percent chance. If they beat
Miami this Monday, it goes all the way up to
seventy four and even with a loss, they still have
a fifty seven percent chance.
Speaker 3 (39:52):
And I don't think if they lose the Lions, like
if you play with those stimulators, I don't think it
hardly hurts them at all.
Speaker 2 (39:57):
Especially if they were to take care of business at
home on Monday.
Speaker 3 (39:59):
Agains, I am right, right, right.
Speaker 2 (40:02):
Chargers seventy six percent chance, huge win last night, huge
win last night. Bill's ninety six percent chance. I think
that makes sense if you look at their schedule the
rest of the way. It's not a cake walk, but
it's not incredibly done. They have the Patriots this weekend,
they have the Jets still and then yeah, they have
the Jets and maybe one other other one, the Styah difficult,
(40:22):
and then the Texans eighty seven percent.
Speaker 1 (40:24):
Matt.
Speaker 2 (40:24):
I mean a few weeks ago we were doing this
and they had like a twenty three percent chance to
make the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (40:29):
I'm so proud of myself. I put a couple of
bucks on they're going to represent the AFC in the
Super Bowl, and they were like twenty three percent chance
of making the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (40:36):
Probably still get decent return on that, but not to
the same effect that you did a few right, right right.
Speaker 3 (40:41):
That's and I'm not even sure they'd be my pick, but.
Speaker 2 (40:43):
That's for sure.
Speaker 3 (40:44):
I thought they could.
Speaker 2 (40:45):
Colts just a thirty two percent chance to make the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (40:49):
I'd take the under two say, I don't know how
much they account for the quarterback. I don't know how
the math would factor in if Daniel Jones was healthy.
Verse asking Philip Rivers to come out of retirement.
Speaker 2 (40:59):
Sure, Ravens just thirty three percent chance, Chiefs ten persons.
Speaker 3 (41:05):
People haven't figured that out. Really, one is Steelers plus Ravens.
They make it ninety nine because there's still an outside chance.
Speaker 2 (41:14):
The Bengals are technically not eliminated.
Speaker 3 (41:16):
Yeah, Steelers have two thirds of a chance. The Ravens
have a third of chance.
Speaker 2 (41:20):
Makes sense, yeah, at this point, and it's it's pretty
cut and dry in the NFC. The Lions have a
fifty percent chance. That's better than I thought at making
the playoffs. I wonder what all they need do they?
Is it?
Speaker 3 (41:35):
They are the eight seed now, so they must need Yes,
I'm trying. Maybe they need the Bears to lose out
and they have a tough schedule.
Speaker 2 (41:41):
You have to play the Rams this weekend.
Speaker 3 (41:43):
Lins do yeah, and then they lose that game, they
they're probably down to like twenty five thirty percent.
Speaker 2 (41:49):
If they lose, they're down to forty percent. If they win,
up to seventy two. But if they lose, down to
just forty.
Speaker 3 (41:54):
Percent, winnable game for them.
Speaker 2 (41:56):
What helps the Lions is they have that final Week
eighteen clash with the Bears. So as long as they
can stay within one game, they're gonna have a chance.
Speaker 3 (42:03):
And the Bears could lose a few.
Speaker 2 (42:05):
The Bears could could lose a few. Panthers twenty nine
percent chance, Wow, Bucks seventy one. I'm surprised that's I
don't think.
Speaker 3 (42:14):
They've played each other yet. I still I still think
they have two out of three Carolina and Tampa. That's
how they do, and I think that's like that matters.
Speaker 2 (42:23):
Oh man, So they Bucks host the Falcons Thursday, Thursday
Night Football. Then ah, Carolina, sorry buddies. They get the
arrest advantage for Carolina the next week.
Speaker 3 (42:34):
And that's the one in Carolina. Yeah, which you'd want
for Tampa if you're for the one away, you'd rather
the rest advantage for that one.
Speaker 2 (42:40):
Absolutely. Uh. Then the then the Tampa goes to Miami
and which.
Speaker 3 (42:44):
I don't think matters at all. I think it does
like zero effect on their chance AFC.
Speaker 2 (42:48):
Yeah right, and then Panthers that final.
Speaker 3 (42:50):
So that final pretty fun.
Speaker 2 (42:51):
The NFL is good at this stuff.
Speaker 3 (42:53):
Man.
Speaker 2 (42:53):
That final week, Steelers Ravens could be win and in
loser goes home Bears, pack or part of me Bears
lots could be winning in loser goes home, Panthers, Bucks
could be win and in loser goes home.
Speaker 3 (43:06):
So if we go back a week, Packers Bears were
matched up for two out of three weeks, Yes, with
massive implications. Yes, Steelers Ravens are matched up for two
out of five weeks with massive implications and Panthers Bucks
are matched up two out of three weeks with all
everything on the lot. Like, I'm not even sure losing
(43:28):
Thursday Night to Atlanta even hurts them that bad. Like
if somebody sweeps, they win the division.
Speaker 2 (43:32):
Like you and I have kind of laid this out, man,
the NFL has really figured out how to how to
capture everybody hook line and sinker. Yeah, week eighteen, those
games could all be you know, winners in loser goes home.
You'll also have la at Denver week eighteen, which could
have number one seed implications, which could have Chargers playoff
(43:53):
can implication.
Speaker 3 (43:54):
I can't imagine anybody's resting in that game or anything
like that.
Speaker 2 (43:57):
I don't think so. I don't think so. Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Seattle,
San Francisco could have could have playoff seating implications in
Week eighteen. Carolina, Tampa, bay Man, Indy and Houston could
be a could be a big one there as well.
Speaker 3 (44:11):
There's Carolina Tampa. Thing's pretty fun though, to the last
three or against each other.
Speaker 2 (44:15):
Yes, yes, indeed, so that's kind of the uh cheating
up that that that's where we're at, you know, from
from that standpoint, Uh, Matt in lieu of because we
only have like two or three minutes here in lieu
of fantasy football conversation right now. I wanted to run
this by you Vegas odds odds on MVP favorites currently, Okay.
Speaker 3 (44:39):
Okay, I bet there's two ahead of everybody else.
Speaker 2 (44:41):
Number one is Matthew Stafford, May number two, May number two,
Josh Allen number three, Jordan Love next tier, Dak Prescott
number five.
Speaker 3 (44:53):
Damn he can't win it.
Speaker 2 (44:55):
I mean just his team's not kid. But Matthew Stafford
is the bett favorite. Drake may isn't terribly far behind him,
and then Jordan Love and Josh Allen are a little
bit longer shots, but not.
Speaker 3 (45:08):
Allen's covered on strong though.
Speaker 2 (45:10):
And you know how this is. It's much like the
Heisman Trophy and some of these things. What you do
at the end of the the final quarter of the
season has weighted much more heavily than what you do
in September.
Speaker 3 (45:20):
Snow games against Burrow, and he's a madman.
Speaker 2 (45:24):
Nobody, nobody ever won an MVP in September. If that
would have been the case, it would have been Baker
Mayfield or Daniel Jones. You know, yeah, yeah, yeah, No
one ever won a Heisman Trophy in September. It's what
you do in those final three or four games. That's
that is certainly much.
Speaker 3 (45:37):
Wait, Miles Garrett's a defensive MVP by a mile. Yes,
I don't even know who.
Speaker 2 (45:42):
You would want to get to that, huh, because you
always like talking about you love Miles Garrett. There's TV
all right, He's not too locked in to give us
a smile over there. The way that Caleb Williams loves
taking sacks is the way that Matt williamsons Miles Garrett.
I've got more tweets about Matt Williamson and his love
for Miles Garrett.
Speaker 3 (46:01):
I think that he stinks.
Speaker 2 (46:05):
Here's what Here's what NFL dot com has for Miles Garrett.
Final verdict, no brainer for Defensive Player of the Year.
That's where it ends.
Speaker 3 (46:14):
I wonder if he didn't play another game, if he
wins it. I think the answer is probably yes. Twenty sacks.
Speaker 2 (46:19):
Twenty sacks. The record reminder that Strayhan and TJ share
is twenty two and a half with so he needs
three and four games to break it. Two and a
half in four games.
Speaker 3 (46:31):
To tie it, pretty good chance of doing it. I
wonder who too is. I mean even it doesn't even
matter because they have no chance. Yeah, and I'm I
wouldn't even know if thought of my head.
Speaker 2 (46:41):
Yeah, and I don't see here because they literally have
they literally just have Miles Garrett listed no Brainer Defensive
Player of the Year. That's where it ends.
Speaker 3 (46:51):
That's that's where he's at, right.
Speaker 2 (46:53):
That's if it comes down to him, if he still
doesn't have that record. When the when the Steelers roll
in the Cleveland after Christmas, I want I want Darnell
Washington and Spencer Anderson on his side of the line
of scrimmage every single play. Loaded up Baby.
Speaker 3 (47:10):
Ninety is active. Put wad in there to block them.
Speaker 2 (47:15):
DJ one Miles to break your records. Get out there
and stop him.
Speaker 3 (47:18):
Bro right, hold them, drag him down, bite him whatever
you do.
Speaker 2 (47:21):
Right, Dan Campbell, bite some kneecaps, and let's get out
of here with zero sacks for that guy. Fun show today.
Thanks to Chris Danski for joining us, Thanks to Nathan
for producing. Big shout out as always to our video producer,
TV mister Tyler V for keeping us handsome and crisp
on the YouTube side of things. For Matt Williamson, I'm
(47:42):
west Yuhler. Take care. Everybody will talk to you tomorrow.
As always, you know where to find us. It's on
your twenty four to seven home of the Black and Gold.
It's Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio netw
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