December 4, 2025 • 28 mins
Tom Opferman of The Blitz on SNR joins Jacob and Ed to discuss the similarities between the Steelers and Ravens, the necessity of the pass rush getting pressure on Lamar Jackson, and how much can the Steelers juice out of Aaron Rodgers for the last five games of the season.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
Back here at the Steelers Standard. I am at Troop
joined by Jacob Brecht here on Steelers Nation Radio, part
of the Steelers Audio Network. It is now time for
our Steelers Spotlight segment. For the second time in the
last month. We welcome in the original og as I
like to call it, the host of the Standard, and
now the current host of the Blitz here on SNR
(00:25):
is our good friend Tom Offerman. Tom, welcome back to
the Standard.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
It's great to be back, guys.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
I had to come back and take my victory laps
six and six Ravens six and six Steelers.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
How about that?
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Huh, Calesterer Betts just a man calling two teams records
out what five weeks before it actually happened.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Talk about Nostra Thomas.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
Well, not only that, but I've been telling everyone that
you called it before the season even started, that that
story just keeps getting more and more legs on it.
I said, Tom called this when they when the Steelers
were one and one on the season. He said they're
going to be six and six. No, you called it
when they were what six games into the.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Season, four two, two and five Ravens or something like that.
It was when the Ravens.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
You know, Lamar came back, they started to seem like
they were getting to turn the corner a little bit,
like I could start to smell it, you know, coming
on for them.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
And then on the.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
Other side of the equation, the Steelers just were kind
of meh, and they still are kind of stuck in
that men malaise right now. So yeah, I mean, I
really don't think it was that hard to see coming.
It kind of felt like these were two teams that
were going to be heading in different directions come that
December seventh game, which is this weekend, and lit and
Behold it's exactly how it played out.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Now. What I will say though, ed is.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
I thought the Ravens would be, you know, screaming to
six and six and look really good, doing so right,
and the Steelers would kind of be, you know, teetering
on mediocrity and kind of trying to find their way. Well,
the Ravens are also teetering on mediocrity and still trying
to find their way and haven't exactly looked that great either.
So you know, this isn't a case of a six
and six team that's on the uprise six teams on
(01:55):
the down these teams are probably exactly where they should
be record wise based on how they've played this year.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
I would agree with you when you made that call
six and six, and I looked at Jacob and I
both looked at the schedule for the Ravens and the Steelers,
and we both kind of nodded our heads and said,
very real possibility. But I don't think the path the
six and six for both, as you just said, feels
the way I thought it would. For the Ravens. Again,
it's been bumpy to six and six. For the Steelers,
(02:20):
it's been extremely bumpy, especially these last few weeks. And
I think that's the difference going into this game in
Baltimore on Sunday. You'd feel a bit better about it
if you're in Steeler Nation. If these were close, competitive
games with the and I know the Bears loss was
it came down to the last drive they had an opportunity,
but let's face it, that was a game that they
lost in the second half to now the top team
in the NFC, and last week against the Bills in
(02:42):
the second half was just pure ugly. One of the
ugliest halfs we've seen really dating back to the wild
card game in that first quarter against the Browns back
in the COVID year.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
Oh yeah, it was.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
You don't want to ever say something's rock bottom because
it could get worse, I guess, but it looked really bad.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
It was so tough.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
I'm sure you struggled with this on your to to
really find takeaways. Yeah, the positive from that game and
say hey, they can build off of this for Baltimore.
They can build off of that for Baltimore, like offensively, defensively,
you know, even from an individual players standpoint, like Brandon
Echols played well, you know what I mean, Like you're
really trying to stretch to find guys that really were.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
Good contributors to see them all.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
The interior of the offensive line, I guess was okay,
although McCormick got worked by Bosa on the biggest play
of the game, the strip sack of Aaron Rodgers or
the scoop score by Benford. So yeah, it's just so
tough to find the positives. But as I said today
on the Blitz, you gotta get on Baltimore early. Yeah,
because everything that you just described ed the Ravens are
feeling to a degree as well, they're feeling kind of like, Oh,
(03:41):
what's going on here?
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Like, why isn't things clicking? Lamar's back.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
Our defense is healthy for the most part. Why can't
we get things rolling in the right direction? Why don't
we feel good about the state of our team? Because
despite stacking the wins against the Browns and the Jets,
they didn't look good doing it. They didn't go out
there and dominate from start to finish they wanted to.
And then the boogeyman, Joe Burrow showed up on Thanksgiving
night and really took it to a team that has been,
(04:06):
you know, messing around, playing with their food too much.
You can't play with their food against the quarterback like that, right,
So get on these Ravens early. It'll make you feel good,
get your mojo back as far as the team is concerned,
and you can put the pressure, the onus of the
pressure on them.
Speaker 4 (04:21):
This isn't the same Ravens scene that we saw the
last two times who faced off against not at all.
Speaker 5 (04:25):
It's it's I mean, the defense is still pretty bad.
Speaker 4 (04:28):
It's not the Only thing you can say is it's
not as bad as it was last year. You remember
they had like the worst passing attack. Her passing defense
in the league last year, I think it's still like
bottom five, and overall their defense is like bottom five,
bottom ten in terms of performance. But offensively especially, this
is nowhere near the juggernaut it was last year or
(04:49):
even the year before when Lamar got his second MVP.
Speaker 5 (04:52):
They have not clicked. I mean it's kind of ironic.
Speaker 4 (04:54):
I mean, of course, or Air Rodgers, Lamar Jackson was
dealing with injuries. But you remember that of a stretch
they had to open up their schedule Buffalo on the road,
Detroit on the road against Kansas City, Houston, the Rams, Chicago,
who we know now is a legitimate team. All those
teams to open the season, you remember they started off
one to five. That's when their offense was clicking. Ever since,
(05:16):
Lamar has come back, though clearly that injury has really
hindered him. I guess, like you were saying, Tom, there
wasn't a lot to take away that was good from
the Buffalo game.
Speaker 5 (05:25):
You say, it can't get much worse.
Speaker 4 (05:27):
But what can you realistically look at from the tape
of the game and say, well, they can do better.
I think the only reason you can have optimism is
to say this Ravens offense is not up to par
with the Bills offense, and this Ravens defense overall isn't
as strong. I know the Bills passing defense is elite,
but their rushing defense really struggled and the Sewers kind
(05:48):
of failed to take advantage of that. But overall, there's
opportunities to attack the Ravens on both sides of the football.
So I guess that would be your biggest optimism or
I rather opt mystic outlook on this game.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
Yeah, you don't want to be in that spot where
your your biggest source of optimism is will they stink?
Speaker 5 (06:06):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (06:06):
Right, right, that's right.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
That is kind of where you're at.
Speaker 5 (06:08):
Right is the state of the Steelers.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
Yeah, and the Ravens are kind of suffering from a
lot of the similar things that the Steelers are suffering
from this year, and a main one being they can't
sync up complimentary football. You were getting to that, Jacob
at the beginning of the season. They're going through that
gauntlet of a schedule. Lamar Jackson looks like the MVP.
I mean, he's thrown for three four touchdown passes a
game he had before he got injured. The best passer
(06:32):
rating in football by a good bit. He was like
one hundred and forty three or something like that. So
he was playing at an elite level and the offense
was clicking. Defense couldn't stop anybody. Now Lamar gets hurt,
he comes back, defense all of a sudden starts to
figure things out. They're one of the better defenses if
you ignore last week's game against the Bengals. They're one
(06:53):
of the better defenses in football since Week six. But
the offense, to your point, since Lamar has come back,
hasn't able to meet them, hasn't been able to provide
that compliment to that defense. And you know, even though
they gave up thirty four points to the Bengals on Thanksgiving,
they did a really good job trying to bail that
offense out as much as they could defensively. Think about
(07:14):
how many field goals they held the Bengals to twelve
seven at the halftime in that game. It was close,
and the Ravens just kept giving the ball back to Cincinnati. Eventually,
Joe Burrow is gonna break through. He's gonna get it
into the end zone a couple times. But kudos to
that defense for at least to have Hey, we held
a lot. Our offense just never was able to catch
up and pay the compliment to us. And you knew
(07:35):
you were gonna have to score points eventually against those guys,
especially if you're turning the ball over like you are,
so they can't sync up. And that's kind of what
the Steelers' problem's been. Offense has shown up to some games.
Defense sells them out. Defense shows up to games offense
can't get anything going.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
We're talking with Tom Offerman, the host of the Blitz
that you can hear each and every day here on SNR.
Tom Lamar Jackson, you talked about his struggles this year,
only one rushing touchdown the entire sea in his yardage
is down as well when it comes to rushing the football,
and the Steelers have actually played very well against Lamar
over the years up until last year in the last
two games, the last regular season game in Baltimore last year,
(08:11):
not the last regular season, last regular season game they
played them in Baltimore, losing, yeah, and then the wild
card game. But Lamar is three to five versus the
Steelers in eight career regular season games, averaging just one
hundred and sixty two yards passing ten touchdowns, his nine interceptions,
the most against any NFL team so far in his
career four hundred and eleven total rushing yards in nine games,
(08:32):
including that playoff game. Eighty one of those four to
eleven came in that playoff game last year. No rushing
touchdowns against the Steelers. They've done a nice job, and
I think a lot of it has to do with
the speed of the seven in the box, especially the linebackers.
They've really done a nice job containing him. But one
thing Jacob and I talked about in our last segment
was this Jalen Ramsey I think needs to be a
(08:53):
spy this week on Lamar. They need to play him up.
The Ravens defensively do that with Kyle Hamilton. They've done
it throughout this year. They've played him a lot up
pretty much how the Steeers. You used that with Troy
Paulamalu this week. Do you need Ramsey to play more up?
But if you do that, you also are giving up
now your safety trying to protect the pass.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
So they have had great success against Lamar and the
Ravens in the past, save the most recent two matchups.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
I think a lot of that has to do with
their speed. Like you said, it also has to do
with the way they rush them.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
It's not just try to beat your left tackle and
get home as fast as you can. You kind of
try to corral him into that pocket. You tried to
force him to throw the football in the past. I mean,
he's great throwing the football to but you tried to
make sure he didn't hurt you with his legs and
you were great at it.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
So what did the Ravens do. We're gonna go get
King Henry.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
We're gonna go hand it off to him forty times
against the Steelers.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
First game against the Ravens last year in Pittsburgh.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
Remember Henry he fumbled on the first round game and
then they ignored him away from Bill Henry and everybody
was kind of like, why did what?
Speaker 4 (09:55):
This is a Harbaugh thing. It's it's the similarities between
Harbor and Tomlin. They just kind of overthink.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
Well more specifically, it's like, we went out to get
Henry to beat this team that has Lamar and our number,
and we just played into their hand.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
Again. We didn't use Henry. They learned from it.
Speaker 3 (10:11):
Game in Baltimore, it was a heavy dose of Henry
wild Card game. It was a heavy dose of it.
Just ask Minka Fitzpatrick how heavy that dose of Henry
was getting stiff armed into the dirt. Five hundred and
nineteen combined rushing yards in those last two games. Now,
like you said, Lamar had eighty one in the wild
card game, but Henry had well over one hundred in
that playoff game. So you know, you're right, there's something
(10:34):
to what the Steelers do against Lamar, and sure Jalen
Ramsey could definitely factor into that, but I'm worried that
they found the answer with Derrick Henry, and you're just
going to see another healthy dosage of Henry like you
saw with Cook and the Buffalo Bills and the other
thing with Ramsey. You're right if Lamar was at full health,
(10:55):
but he's not running right now, you don't have to
worry about as much. Exactly nineteen yards on average over
his past five games since returning from injury, and for
the first time in his career for three straight games
he's failed to eclipse thirty yards rushing the football, So
he's not as much of a factor in this game. Now, look,
I say that out loud, and he's he's gonna feel better.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
He'll rush for one hundred.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
Yards the way this season's gone, right.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
And another I'll throw another Lamars. That I get.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
Tim Benz pointed this out last land on our Countdown
to Show, Countdown to Show, Countdown to Kickoff Show. He
has not rushed for over one hundred yards since Week
one of last season against the Kansas City Chiefs. Now,
that's extremely surprising this year.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
I get it. He's hurt, you know.
Speaker 3 (11:36):
Yeah, last year he was an MVP, right, and to
be honest with you, if he hadn't won two already.
Speaker 4 (11:42):
Kind of deserving. He was better than Josh Allen, will
give you that point.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
Yeah, So he had an MVP top type season only
rushing for one hundred yards. Once you think of him
as just rolling out of bed and rushing for it.
I think, just to find a reason why that was
the case, he was so great at throwing the football.
He's become so great at throwing the football. He's one
of the most elite passers in the league.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
He didn't have to run anymore. What used to be
a fifteen yard run for Lamar is now a thirty
yard pass to a Flowers.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
Yeah, he's gotten better throwing the football.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
No question, And I want to give him his flowers
there a lot because he was slandered right as a
prospect a running back. Napoleon specifically always like to throw
his name out there because he was terrible with his analysis. Well,
he has become a top five passer sure in this league,
and I always like to give him the credit he deserves.
Speaker 4 (12:29):
And they getting him better pass options. They drafted Dave Flowers,
who's been a hit. They just re signed Mark Andrews,
who's been arguably his best pass catching Like.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
That move though he's just a little too old for me.
Speaker 5 (12:40):
Yeah, well it's a safety.
Speaker 4 (12:42):
I mean, like that chemistry, we know it's there just
the same year, right, despite that that key drop on
fourth down or was.
Speaker 5 (12:48):
The two point conversion against Buffalo?
Speaker 3 (12:50):
Funny they kind of forgot about that. I see a
bunch of Ravens fans celebrating this extension. I mean, you
were selling the guy.
Speaker 4 (12:54):
Out right to get him out out of Baltimore last year.
But still, I mean, like you said, Tom, he's becoming
more reliant on his passing. I'm wanna get back to
the pass rushing go against him. It seemed to be
the game plan for the Steelers was always just send
TJ at Lamar no matter what, just get him in
the backfield, rattle him up, hit him. And then what
(13:15):
changed in the playoff game was it seemed like TJ
was just targeting whoever was the supposed ball carrier you
thought was gonna need a ballcarrier. Every time he went
for Lamar, Derek Henry got the ball. Every time he
went for Henry. It seemed like Lamar took the ball
into his own hands. Do the Steelers need to get
back to just saying TJ and high Smith and now
Nick Herbig, who's equally involved with a pass rush, just
(13:38):
get to Lamar. Everyone else can kind of cover Henry
if you get to Lamar. Absolutely, they have to hit
Lamar every time. That's that is a great point.
Speaker 3 (13:46):
That is one of the key factors that they have
had success with Lamar. And Gus Edwards takes those handoffs.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
JK.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
Dobbins takes those handoffs. They don't care it it's getting
put in the dirt because you open yourself to that
as a quarterback. If you're gonna run these read options,
allowed to get plasted into the dirt, you're a runner.
You're at the mess point trying to run the football.
So yes, Wat high Smith, herbig anyone hit number eight,
every play, every chance you get. But the worry then
(14:15):
is also and I think what helped the Ravens is
it's not Edwards or Dobbins that they're handing the bombs
to anymore. Lamar is gonna take those hits and he's
gonna get beat up. Well, Henry rushes for one hundred
and fifty yards.
Speaker 4 (14:24):
And no more Derek Hart. We soon know Derek Harmon
this week. We know no Derek Harr r Zac, we
know no Derek Harmon this week. So you're relying on
Cam Hayward, You're relying on ya Ya Block, You're lying
on KB and the linebackers who we've known.
Speaker 5 (14:37):
Even though Pac Queen.
Speaker 4 (14:38):
I think we can all agree, had a great start
to the season, has pretty has declined in his performance
the last couple of weeks, especially. I don't know if
I feel comfortable relying on that group of guys to
stop King Henry. If you're sending TJ and the outside
guys only at Lamar.
Speaker 3 (14:56):
No, absolutely, I mean it's an all hands on deck
effort here against this Ravens offense. And you know I
know you really focus on Lamar so much, but I
keep just getting gravitated towards Henry when it comes to
my plan of attack in this game.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
And he's a.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
Beast and he's not having a year that like is
you know, front and center in everybody's minds, Like he's
not an offensive player of the year conversations. He's not
thought of as King Henry this year. I feel like
people are thinking he's there might be just like this weird.
I don't want to say of this like narrative that
he's almost washed up, but people are kind of accepting
like he's not what he once was, and that's probably true.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
He's seventh in the league rusher.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
He averages four point seven yards per carry his nine
hundred and thirty years. There's a great chance, not a
good chance, a great chance he will eclipse a thousand
yards on the season against the.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
Steelers on Sunday in Week fourteen.
Speaker 3 (15:47):
He's like he has ten plus touchdowns already on the
ground this year, Like, okay, fine by Derrick Henry King
Henry standards. Yes, he's slowing down a bit, He's still
a top five running back.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
In football, and where he gets a lot of those
numbers is when you get that type of size running
back moving.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
He's so fast for that size.
Speaker 1 (16:04):
Yeah he gets he gets two, three yards into your
defense look out and gosh forbid he gets into that
secondary because if he does, no one's bringing him down.
Speaker 3 (16:12):
Well, you know, James Cook said after the Bills game,
we were attacking the Steelers corners. They are terrible at tackling,
and okay, you know what every running plan is to
attack the cornerbacks. They want to get to the outside,
they want to get to the secondary. But safeties in
corners just they what we see them do to Darnell Washington.
You know from our side of things, that's been happening
(16:33):
to Derek Henry for years and years and years in
this league. They just bounce off of the dude, he
takes him for rides.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
Man. Now he has started to fumble the ball a
little bit more than he.
Speaker 5 (16:42):
Used to in the beginning of the year. He's he's
gotten better this season has gone out. But in the
beginning of.
Speaker 3 (16:46):
The aar with like three you can get it out
now where that used to just be like forgetting He's
always gonna hold on the.
Speaker 4 (16:50):
Yeah, I mean, like we said in the game last year,
the first matchup in Pittsburgh last year, Pete Wilson forces
that fumble. It was at his first fumble. I think
he had lost since the beginning of the prior the beginnings.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
We're talking with Tom Offerman, host of the Blitz here
on SNR. Tom, we have about ten minutes left with you.
I want to talk to you about Aaron Rodgers. Jacob
and I have talked about this throughout the week, his
last five games two and three. I'll take you back
to the Packers game two hundred and nineteen yards passing,
two touchdowns, no interceptions. The following week versus the Colts
two hundred and three yards passing Chargers one sixty one,
(17:21):
one of his worst of the year, one hundred and
sixteen against Cincinnati, but gets hurt Buffalo one hundred and
seventeen last week. Passing yards has decreased every game the
last five games. What is the solution for Rogers. One
thing I've been talking about all week long is they
have to start figuring out what can they get out
of Aaron Rodgers these last five games. I think it's
(17:42):
one that he is to get rid of the football
quickly and if nothing's there. Just throw the football away,
play for another possession. Going three and out is not
the worst thing in the world. Play the field position.
What you can't do is what he's been doing, going
back in the pocket, dancing around, taking time out, making
bad throws for interception, and worshyet getting sacked or fumbling
(18:02):
the football way.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
I mean, how do you fix it?
Speaker 3 (18:05):
You try to recruit Indiana Jones and his dad to
find the Holy Grail and drink from the fountain, you
know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
Like he's just old man.
Speaker 3 (18:13):
This is kind of what you could have seen coming
at the beginning of the year. You're worried at the
beginning of the year, like you just laid it out.
Like he's just kind of getting progressively worse because he's hurting,
you know what I mean, Like his elbow hurts a
little bit more.
Speaker 5 (18:26):
December. He just turned forty two. Yeah, what yesterday?
Speaker 3 (18:30):
His nose is I don't think it's officially broken, but
it's not healthy. I mean, it's pumped up still when
you see him talking from the hit he took to Bosh,
which by the way, was a penalty. We don't have
to go down that road, I'm sure you already did.
You can't put your weight on the quarterback did but whatever,
Ye no sour grapes here. But anyway, he's just old,
and I think that that's a legitimate worry. And then
as far as like his effectiveness is concerned for this game,
(18:53):
how could you not be worried after what you saw
against the Bills, Like there's.
Speaker 5 (18:57):
Chills against the charge in that second half of that game.
Speaker 3 (18:59):
You're talking abot the Bills, and specifically because of the
wrist injury and because of the cast, like there was
clearly a hindrance to how compact if he could be,
and they weren't going under center, which takes a lot
away from your running.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
It's just big.
Speaker 3 (19:12):
So I'm not saying that I would not play Aaron
Rodgers or I wouldn't have played Aaron Rodgers because Rudolph
isn't impressing as much as I really hoped he would
have not again as a backup, not at all. But
it's not great to have to go to Rogers in
this capacity. Even the handoffs from the pistol and the
shotgun were awkward, like he had to kind of shovel
(19:32):
him out sometimes.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
He definitely couldn't go to the opposite side of that risk.
Speaker 3 (19:35):
So things are not perfect for him right now, and
that's a huge problem. But again I think I'd rather
play him than the other options.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
But can you squeeze something left out of him in
these last five games and make a push to win
the AFC North and get into the playoffs?
Speaker 5 (19:48):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (19:48):
Of course, is there a path there? Because I think
you got to look at the current state of Aaron Rodgers.
He's not going to go back in the pocket, sit
there like Tom Brady did in the latter years of
his career and light you up. I think it's gotta
be quick passes Tom and if nothing, if nobody's home,
get rid of it and play for another down, play
for another possession.
Speaker 3 (20:05):
Well, they can obviously get into the playoffs and win
the division still because of you know six and six.
Everything is in front of you right now. Just go
beat the Ravens and it all kind of fixes itself
for you. With Rogers, Yeah, I mean, you got it's
got almost it has to be that stuff. There's no
option to do anything but the quick stuff. But they
got to use the middle of the field like they
(20:25):
just can't treat that like it's completely toxic that unlocks
your tight ends, which the usage of them has been
such a baffling thing this year.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
So it does have to be quick.
Speaker 3 (20:38):
It does have to kind of be getting back to
what was successful early in the season. But they also
got to find some new elements to that offense, and
they got to find them fast. They got to find
some more explosiveness. And a best friend of.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
An aging quarterback, best friend of any quarterback is a
strong running game. Start leaning on that more.
Speaker 3 (20:56):
Wow, we talked about the other favorable matchup, like I'm
a broken record on the shows every week. The Ravens
rush defenses worse than yours. They're not the worst in
the league, and there's no Mattabuque anymore this year.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
So run it at that defensive front.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
Control the time of possession, yeah.
Speaker 4 (21:12):
I mean it's hard to do so when you remember
they held the ball for only eighteen minutes last.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
Rock bottom in that department. Yeah, and they're the.
Speaker 4 (21:20):
Last in the league in general and sure yeah, last
in league in time of possession, first in the league
in three and outray.
Speaker 5 (21:25):
It's just it's not an efficient offense.
Speaker 4 (21:27):
I mean, when you when you are are unable to
control the football.
Speaker 5 (21:32):
It's a pretty easy recipe to lose that football game.
Speaker 3 (21:34):
I did see a stat from Matt Williamson that said
the Ravens allow drives to continue at a very favorable clip.
So there's gonna be minimal resistance as far as going
three and out as concerned in this one, don't allow
the Ravens a weakness that they've had on defense all
year to become a strength out of nowhere.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
Because you're so inept.
Speaker 1 (21:53):
Tom, let's end with this. Let's look at the final
five games. Your Tom, what nickname would Tom because it
kind of sounds like Thomas Thomas. I like that.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
I think we'll go down.
Speaker 1 (22:06):
Well, let's put on your no stremis hat. You know
you got this this this beanie on today, which I
can appreciate being a bald guy. You're not bald, though,
you don't need to do that, so the old head.
So the final five, the final five games, the path
to the ABC North and a playoff push definitely is
at least three wins, maybe four. But when we're thinking
(22:26):
nine and eight.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
Maybe, I mean four gets you in locks.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
I think so too. If you get to ten, you're
going I think so too. So let's get your prediction.
Speaker 5 (22:33):
I think ten is kind of a fool's gold at
that point.
Speaker 1 (22:37):
Four out of five out of five. Uh, and we're
gonna have we have you in every other week now
we have wes on the off weeks that you're not here,
but we'll do this game with you. So we'll continue
to track this as we go at Ravens this week.
Win or loss.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
I feel like they're gonna lose.
Speaker 1 (22:51):
Yeah, Okay, Now you got the Dolphins on Monday Night,
which by the way, has not been flexed out of
There was a rumor that it could be.
Speaker 2 (22:56):
It's not going to be the Dolphins irrelevant now, especially if.
Speaker 1 (22:59):
Not at this point would have had to it. By
this point they.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
Beat the Jets, the Dolphins will still kind of be
in it.
Speaker 3 (23:03):
I said, this was the easiest win to pick on
the Steelers schedule in May, Dolphins coming up here on
Monday night football in the cold. So I'll give the
Steelers a win there, Okay.
Speaker 4 (23:11):
And even though they've gotten better and still a win,
it's still a way. And then you go to the
Lions at Detroit, who has been struggling.
Speaker 5 (23:18):
They're not that impressive.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
I think they're going to lose tonight.
Speaker 4 (23:21):
Oh really, because even though the Dallas even has gotten better,
that this could be a get right game for that
offense and Detroit.
Speaker 3 (23:27):
But Dallas gonna score too, So I think Dallas could
get them to night and that could be a kill
shot for them.
Speaker 2 (23:32):
I think. I think that's Detroit.
Speaker 4 (23:34):
Detroy is out of the playoffs right now. So you
still think they lose this game against Detroit.
Speaker 5 (23:39):
Idea Okay?
Speaker 1 (23:40):
Then at Cleveland, which this is one of the worst
Browns team in recent memory. However, I lost three straight
in Cleveland.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
They'll win in Cleveland, and those are Thursday night games. Really,
they'll win in Cleve.
Speaker 5 (23:50):
You think, because it's a Sunday afternoon.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
Not that shocking, Jacob that I said win, I mean
that beat.
Speaker 5 (23:55):
I mean Miles Garrett against this offensive.
Speaker 3 (23:59):
Or Dylan Gabriel or is it Deshaun Watson who's starting
to practice now?
Speaker 1 (24:02):
Jacob and I have been nervous all season long about
this game in Cleveland.
Speaker 3 (24:05):
It should be nervous about it's going to be close.
But they'll win that game in Cleveland. It'll be close.
It'll be like thirteen at six or thirteen to seven.
Speaker 1 (24:11):
So now you're at eight and eight there's a lot
on the line going in this Ravens games. One is
Mike Tomlins never losing season. That narrative is out there.
Number two is that's probably the Ravens due because they
have going into that game. Jacob.
Speaker 4 (24:24):
We talked about this Patriots and Packers, so Bengals again,
Steelers twice for that matter. The Ravens don't play an
easy game from now on, so.
Speaker 1 (24:32):
Good chance that both teams are in the same spot
they are now at that point eight and eight, playing
for the division titles. It's gonna be a little worse too,
So maybe the Steelers wrest their guys. They've clinched it,
they've wrapped it up.
Speaker 3 (24:45):
I like to say, you win that game at home
and hold Serve and split the series and get to
nine and eight and win the division. It's tough to
feel as unconfident as I do though in saying that,
But that's where I'll go right now. That's where my
gut is right now. So I guess they get to
nine and eight. I guess that in the division.
Speaker 2 (25:00):
But you gotta look up for Joe Burrow.
Speaker 4 (25:04):
What shot do you get them? Because they have a
pretty easy schedule moving forward. They the Browns at home,
they the Ravens at home. I think they have the
Cardinals thrown in there.
Speaker 3 (25:11):
They win at Buffalo this Sunday, Right, that's it really
look out for the Bengals. And if the right now
and if the Bengals go nine and eight and the
Steelers go nine and eight and it plays out like
I just did, Bengals would win the tiebreaker over the
Steelers with a five and one division record to the
Steelers four and two.
Speaker 4 (25:27):
Division right head to head their one and one and
you really want that game back on Thursday night.
Speaker 5 (25:31):
I mean, it's it's critical, but I was saying, I'm.
Speaker 3 (25:34):
Saying the Bengals want those Bears and Jets games. Think
about where they'd be with just one more win.
Speaker 4 (25:38):
And it just wrap up Colston Loveland and the Bears game.
You don't lose to the then under rather winless Jets.
Speaker 1 (25:46):
It's what's worse not getting in the playoffs at nine
and eight and then hey, another non losing season here, right,
how many years in a row? Or letting the Bengals
go on to win this division In that scenario, I
think it's it's the Bengals part. I mean, wow, but
give credit the Cincinnati if they they rode the story nuts.
Speaker 5 (26:05):
Tom.
Speaker 4 (26:05):
We talked about Sorry, we talked about this last season,
you and I the Joe Burrow playoff or I'm sorry,
MVP contention because he didn't get any You kind of
had to remove him from that equation.
Speaker 5 (26:17):
If the season goes away.
Speaker 4 (26:18):
We just laid out where the Bengals run the table
and they get to the division winner, they get to
five and one in the division record, they get to
the playoffs.
Speaker 5 (26:27):
Did he miss too much time to be considered for MVP?
Speaker 3 (26:30):
It's so wide open this year though, right that that's
going in his favor.
Speaker 5 (26:33):
It was Matt Safford, but then he had that really bad.
Speaker 2 (26:37):
Day in Stafford.
Speaker 3 (26:38):
It seems to be those two guys are becoming the
front runners and they're passing the ball back and forth.
It's kind of ripe for Alan Burrow to come up
from the outside on him and kind of puts some
pressure on those two guys.
Speaker 5 (26:50):
I'm nervous about Joe.
Speaker 3 (26:52):
I'm a little nervous about Joe too, but I think
Allen actually finishes him off this weekend.
Speaker 2 (26:56):
Although eight nine could win the North too, So.
Speaker 4 (26:58):
We talked we talk about that because There's only been
like what four or five teams.
Speaker 3 (27:01):
That hold out hope that Alan does the job in Buffalo,
keeps going on their trajectory here and kind of finishes
off the bangles.
Speaker 2 (27:10):
We think, but I'm.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
Nervous about it. You never beaten Joe. I'm nervous about Tom.
We know you're a busy guy. Thank you for taking
some time out this week.
Speaker 2 (27:18):
I'm going to talk to us.
Speaker 1 (27:19):
You can hear Tom to kick things off this Sunday
here on the Steelers Audio Network Steelers Nation Radio Kickoff Show.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
At nine nine o'clock. I'm Matt Williamson nine am.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
Make sure you check it out. It's it's a great
show to get your warmed up while you're drinking your
coffee getting ready for your football Sunday. Listen to Tom
and Matt preview the upcoming NFL week and the.
Speaker 2 (27:39):
Steelers RAVENSNK getting ready to go and.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
Old man, I'm old find enemy lines here. I start
with my coffee first, and then I then I could pivot.
Speaker 3 (27:50):
God speed to the Steeler fans heading down to the
Baltimore M and T Bank Stadium this weekend.
Speaker 1 (27:55):
I've done that. I've done that twice. Oh good, Lord,
I've done that twice and and and I tell you
it's it's been fun. It's been fun. Especially when I
had my bettest jersey on in the early two thousands,
I got some stuff thrown at me. Probably it was
almost it was almost. Tom Offerman, thank you. Can hear
Tom Steeler pregame on Sunday starting at nine am, and
also each and every day here on SNR on the Blitz.
(28:18):
And this is gonna do it for this segment here
on the Steelers Standard. I'm met true. He's Jacob Brect
here on Steelers Nation Radio and part of the Steelers
Audio Network.
Back here at the Steelers Standard. I am at Troop
joined by Jacob Brecht here on Steelers Nation Radio, part
of the Steelers Audio Network. It is now time for
our Steelers Spotlight segment. For the second time in the
last month. We welcome in the original og as I
like to call it, the host of the Standard, and
now the current host of the Blitz here on SNR
(00:25):
is our good friend Tom Offerman. Tom, welcome back to
the Standard.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
It's great to be back, guys.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
I had to come back and take my victory laps
six and six Ravens six and six Steelers.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
How about that?
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Huh, Calesterer Betts just a man calling two teams records
out what five weeks before it actually happened.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Talk about Nostra Thomas.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
Well, not only that, but I've been telling everyone that
you called it before the season even started, that that
story just keeps getting more and more legs on it.
I said, Tom called this when they when the Steelers
were one and one on the season. He said they're
going to be six and six. No, you called it
when they were what six games into the.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Season, four two, two and five Ravens or something like that.
It was when the Ravens.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
You know, Lamar came back, they started to seem like
they were getting to turn the corner a little bit,
like I could start to smell it, you know, coming
on for them.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
And then on the.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
Other side of the equation, the Steelers just were kind
of meh, and they still are kind of stuck in
that men malaise right now. So yeah, I mean, I
really don't think it was that hard to see coming.
It kind of felt like these were two teams that
were going to be heading in different directions come that
December seventh game, which is this weekend, and lit and
Behold it's exactly how it played out.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Now. What I will say though, ed is.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
I thought the Ravens would be, you know, screaming to
six and six and look really good, doing so right,
and the Steelers would kind of be, you know, teetering
on mediocrity and kind of trying to find their way. Well,
the Ravens are also teetering on mediocrity and still trying
to find their way and haven't exactly looked that great either.
So you know, this isn't a case of a six
and six team that's on the uprise six teams on
(01:55):
the down these teams are probably exactly where they should
be record wise based on how they've played this year.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
I would agree with you when you made that call
six and six, and I looked at Jacob and I
both looked at the schedule for the Ravens and the Steelers,
and we both kind of nodded our heads and said,
very real possibility. But I don't think the path the
six and six for both, as you just said, feels
the way I thought it would. For the Ravens. Again,
it's been bumpy to six and six. For the Steelers,
(02:20):
it's been extremely bumpy, especially these last few weeks. And
I think that's the difference going into this game in
Baltimore on Sunday. You'd feel a bit better about it
if you're in Steeler Nation. If these were close, competitive
games with the and I know the Bears loss was
it came down to the last drive they had an opportunity,
but let's face it, that was a game that they
lost in the second half to now the top team
in the NFC, and last week against the Bills in
(02:42):
the second half was just pure ugly. One of the
ugliest halfs we've seen really dating back to the wild
card game in that first quarter against the Browns back
in the COVID year.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
Oh yeah, it was.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
You don't want to ever say something's rock bottom because
it could get worse, I guess, but it looked really bad.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
It was so tough.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
I'm sure you struggled with this on your to to
really find takeaways. Yeah, the positive from that game and
say hey, they can build off of this for Baltimore.
They can build off of that for Baltimore, like offensively, defensively,
you know, even from an individual players standpoint, like Brandon
Echols played well, you know what I mean, Like you're
really trying to stretch to find guys that really were.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
Good contributors to see them all.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
The interior of the offensive line, I guess was okay,
although McCormick got worked by Bosa on the biggest play
of the game, the strip sack of Aaron Rodgers or
the scoop score by Benford. So yeah, it's just so
tough to find the positives. But as I said today
on the Blitz, you gotta get on Baltimore early. Yeah,
because everything that you just described ed the Ravens are
feeling to a degree as well, they're feeling kind of like, Oh,
(03:41):
what's going on here?
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Like, why isn't things clicking? Lamar's back.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
Our defense is healthy for the most part. Why can't
we get things rolling in the right direction? Why don't
we feel good about the state of our team? Because
despite stacking the wins against the Browns and the Jets,
they didn't look good doing it. They didn't go out
there and dominate from start to finish they wanted to.
And then the boogeyman, Joe Burrow showed up on Thanksgiving
night and really took it to a team that has been,
(04:06):
you know, messing around, playing with their food too much.
You can't play with their food against the quarterback like that, right,
So get on these Ravens early. It'll make you feel good,
get your mojo back as far as the team is concerned,
and you can put the pressure, the onus of the
pressure on them.
Speaker 4 (04:21):
This isn't the same Ravens scene that we saw the
last two times who faced off against not at all.
Speaker 5 (04:25):
It's it's I mean, the defense is still pretty bad.
Speaker 4 (04:28):
It's not the Only thing you can say is it's
not as bad as it was last year. You remember
they had like the worst passing attack. Her passing defense
in the league last year, I think it's still like
bottom five, and overall their defense is like bottom five,
bottom ten in terms of performance. But offensively especially, this
is nowhere near the juggernaut it was last year or
(04:49):
even the year before when Lamar got his second MVP.
Speaker 5 (04:52):
They have not clicked. I mean it's kind of ironic.
Speaker 4 (04:54):
I mean, of course, or Air Rodgers, Lamar Jackson was
dealing with injuries. But you remember that of a stretch
they had to open up their schedule Buffalo on the road,
Detroit on the road against Kansas City, Houston, the Rams, Chicago,
who we know now is a legitimate team. All those
teams to open the season, you remember they started off
one to five. That's when their offense was clicking. Ever since,
(05:16):
Lamar has come back, though clearly that injury has really
hindered him. I guess, like you were saying, Tom, there
wasn't a lot to take away that was good from
the Buffalo game.
Speaker 5 (05:25):
You say, it can't get much worse.
Speaker 4 (05:27):
But what can you realistically look at from the tape
of the game and say, well, they can do better.
I think the only reason you can have optimism is
to say this Ravens offense is not up to par
with the Bills offense, and this Ravens defense overall isn't
as strong. I know the Bills passing defense is elite,
but their rushing defense really struggled and the Sewers kind
(05:48):
of failed to take advantage of that. But overall, there's
opportunities to attack the Ravens on both sides of the football.
So I guess that would be your biggest optimism or
I rather opt mystic outlook on this game.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
Yeah, you don't want to be in that spot where
your your biggest source of optimism is will they stink?
Speaker 5 (06:06):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (06:06):
Right, right, that's right.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
That is kind of where you're at.
Speaker 5 (06:08):
Right is the state of the Steelers.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
Yeah, and the Ravens are kind of suffering from a
lot of the similar things that the Steelers are suffering
from this year, and a main one being they can't
sync up complimentary football. You were getting to that, Jacob
at the beginning of the season. They're going through that
gauntlet of a schedule. Lamar Jackson looks like the MVP.
I mean, he's thrown for three four touchdown passes a
game he had before he got injured. The best passer
(06:32):
rating in football by a good bit. He was like
one hundred and forty three or something like that. So
he was playing at an elite level and the offense
was clicking. Defense couldn't stop anybody. Now Lamar gets hurt,
he comes back, defense all of a sudden starts to
figure things out. They're one of the better defenses if
you ignore last week's game against the Bengals. They're one
(06:53):
of the better defenses in football since Week six. But
the offense, to your point, since Lamar has come back,
hasn't able to meet them, hasn't been able to provide
that compliment to that defense. And you know, even though
they gave up thirty four points to the Bengals on Thanksgiving,
they did a really good job trying to bail that
offense out as much as they could defensively. Think about
(07:14):
how many field goals they held the Bengals to twelve
seven at the halftime in that game. It was close,
and the Ravens just kept giving the ball back to Cincinnati. Eventually,
Joe Burrow is gonna break through. He's gonna get it
into the end zone a couple times. But kudos to
that defense for at least to have Hey, we held
a lot. Our offense just never was able to catch
up and pay the compliment to us. And you knew
(07:35):
you were gonna have to score points eventually against those guys,
especially if you're turning the ball over like you are,
so they can't sync up. And that's kind of what
the Steelers' problem's been. Offense has shown up to some games.
Defense sells them out. Defense shows up to games offense
can't get anything going.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
We're talking with Tom Offerman, the host of the Blitz
that you can hear each and every day here on SNR.
Tom Lamar Jackson, you talked about his struggles this year,
only one rushing touchdown the entire sea in his yardage
is down as well when it comes to rushing the football,
and the Steelers have actually played very well against Lamar
over the years up until last year in the last
two games, the last regular season game in Baltimore last year,
(08:11):
not the last regular season, last regular season game they
played them in Baltimore, losing, yeah, and then the wild
card game. But Lamar is three to five versus the
Steelers in eight career regular season games, averaging just one
hundred and sixty two yards passing ten touchdowns, his nine interceptions,
the most against any NFL team so far in his
career four hundred and eleven total rushing yards in nine games,
(08:32):
including that playoff game. Eighty one of those four to
eleven came in that playoff game last year. No rushing
touchdowns against the Steelers. They've done a nice job, and
I think a lot of it has to do with
the speed of the seven in the box, especially the linebackers.
They've really done a nice job containing him. But one
thing Jacob and I talked about in our last segment
was this Jalen Ramsey I think needs to be a
(08:53):
spy this week on Lamar. They need to play him up.
The Ravens defensively do that with Kyle Hamilton. They've done
it throughout this year. They've played him a lot up
pretty much how the Steeers. You used that with Troy
Paulamalu this week. Do you need Ramsey to play more up?
But if you do that, you also are giving up
now your safety trying to protect the pass.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
So they have had great success against Lamar and the
Ravens in the past, save the most recent two matchups.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
I think a lot of that has to do with
their speed. Like you said, it also has to do
with the way they rush them.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
It's not just try to beat your left tackle and
get home as fast as you can. You kind of
try to corral him into that pocket. You tried to
force him to throw the football in the past. I mean,
he's great throwing the football to but you tried to
make sure he didn't hurt you with his legs and
you were great at it.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
So what did the Ravens do. We're gonna go get
King Henry.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
We're gonna go hand it off to him forty times
against the Steelers.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
First game against the Ravens last year in Pittsburgh.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
Remember Henry he fumbled on the first round game and
then they ignored him away from Bill Henry and everybody
was kind of like, why did what?
Speaker 4 (09:55):
This is a Harbaugh thing. It's it's the similarities between
Harbor and Tomlin. They just kind of overthink.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
Well more specifically, it's like, we went out to get
Henry to beat this team that has Lamar and our number,
and we just played into their hand.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
Again. We didn't use Henry. They learned from it.
Speaker 3 (10:11):
Game in Baltimore, it was a heavy dose of Henry
wild Card game. It was a heavy dose of it.
Just ask Minka Fitzpatrick how heavy that dose of Henry
was getting stiff armed into the dirt. Five hundred and
nineteen combined rushing yards in those last two games. Now,
like you said, Lamar had eighty one in the wild
card game, but Henry had well over one hundred in
that playoff game. So you know, you're right, there's something
(10:34):
to what the Steelers do against Lamar, and sure Jalen
Ramsey could definitely factor into that, but I'm worried that
they found the answer with Derrick Henry, and you're just
going to see another healthy dosage of Henry like you
saw with Cook and the Buffalo Bills and the other
thing with Ramsey. You're right if Lamar was at full health,
(10:55):
but he's not running right now, you don't have to
worry about as much. Exactly nineteen yards on average over
his past five games since returning from injury, and for
the first time in his career for three straight games
he's failed to eclipse thirty yards rushing the football, So
he's not as much of a factor in this game. Now, look,
I say that out loud, and he's he's gonna feel better.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
He'll rush for one hundred.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
Yards the way this season's gone, right.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
And another I'll throw another Lamars. That I get.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
Tim Benz pointed this out last land on our Countdown
to Show, Countdown to Show, Countdown to Kickoff Show. He
has not rushed for over one hundred yards since Week
one of last season against the Kansas City Chiefs. Now,
that's extremely surprising this year.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
I get it. He's hurt, you know.
Speaker 3 (11:36):
Yeah, last year he was an MVP, right, and to
be honest with you, if he hadn't won two already.
Speaker 4 (11:42):
Kind of deserving. He was better than Josh Allen, will
give you that point.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
Yeah, So he had an MVP top type season only
rushing for one hundred yards. Once you think of him
as just rolling out of bed and rushing for it.
I think, just to find a reason why that was
the case, he was so great at throwing the football.
He's become so great at throwing the football. He's one
of the most elite passers in the league.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
He didn't have to run anymore. What used to be
a fifteen yard run for Lamar is now a thirty
yard pass to a Flowers.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
Yeah, he's gotten better throwing the football.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
No question, And I want to give him his flowers
there a lot because he was slandered right as a
prospect a running back. Napoleon specifically always like to throw
his name out there because he was terrible with his analysis. Well,
he has become a top five passer sure in this league,
and I always like to give him the credit he deserves.
Speaker 4 (12:29):
And they getting him better pass options. They drafted Dave Flowers,
who's been a hit. They just re signed Mark Andrews,
who's been arguably his best pass catching Like.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
That move though he's just a little too old for me.
Speaker 5 (12:40):
Yeah, well it's a safety.
Speaker 4 (12:42):
I mean, like that chemistry, we know it's there just
the same year, right, despite that that key drop on
fourth down or was.
Speaker 5 (12:48):
The two point conversion against Buffalo?
Speaker 3 (12:50):
Funny they kind of forgot about that. I see a
bunch of Ravens fans celebrating this extension. I mean, you
were selling the guy.
Speaker 4 (12:54):
Out right to get him out out of Baltimore last year.
But still, I mean, like you said, Tom, he's becoming
more reliant on his passing. I'm wanna get back to
the pass rushing go against him. It seemed to be
the game plan for the Steelers was always just send
TJ at Lamar no matter what, just get him in
the backfield, rattle him up, hit him. And then what
(13:15):
changed in the playoff game was it seemed like TJ
was just targeting whoever was the supposed ball carrier you
thought was gonna need a ballcarrier. Every time he went
for Lamar, Derek Henry got the ball. Every time he
went for Henry. It seemed like Lamar took the ball
into his own hands. Do the Steelers need to get
back to just saying TJ and high Smith and now
Nick Herbig, who's equally involved with a pass rush, just
(13:38):
get to Lamar. Everyone else can kind of cover Henry
if you get to Lamar. Absolutely, they have to hit
Lamar every time. That's that is a great point.
Speaker 3 (13:46):
That is one of the key factors that they have
had success with Lamar. And Gus Edwards takes those handoffs.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
JK.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
Dobbins takes those handoffs. They don't care it it's getting
put in the dirt because you open yourself to that
as a quarterback. If you're gonna run these read options,
allowed to get plasted into the dirt, you're a runner.
You're at the mess point trying to run the football.
So yes, Wat high Smith, herbig anyone hit number eight,
every play, every chance you get. But the worry then
(14:15):
is also and I think what helped the Ravens is
it's not Edwards or Dobbins that they're handing the bombs
to anymore. Lamar is gonna take those hits and he's
gonna get beat up. Well, Henry rushes for one hundred
and fifty yards.
Speaker 4 (14:24):
And no more Derek Hart. We soon know Derek Harmon
this week. We know no Derek Harr r Zac, we
know no Derek Harmon this week. So you're relying on
Cam Hayward, You're relying on ya Ya Block, You're lying
on KB and the linebackers who we've known.
Speaker 5 (14:37):
Even though Pac Queen.
Speaker 4 (14:38):
I think we can all agree, had a great start
to the season, has pretty has declined in his performance
the last couple of weeks, especially. I don't know if
I feel comfortable relying on that group of guys to
stop King Henry. If you're sending TJ and the outside
guys only at Lamar.
Speaker 3 (14:56):
No, absolutely, I mean it's an all hands on deck
effort here against this Ravens offense. And you know I
know you really focus on Lamar so much, but I
keep just getting gravitated towards Henry when it comes to
my plan of attack in this game.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
And he's a.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
Beast and he's not having a year that like is
you know, front and center in everybody's minds, Like he's
not an offensive player of the year conversations. He's not
thought of as King Henry this year. I feel like
people are thinking he's there might be just like this weird.
I don't want to say of this like narrative that
he's almost washed up, but people are kind of accepting
like he's not what he once was, and that's probably true.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
He's seventh in the league rusher.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
He averages four point seven yards per carry his nine
hundred and thirty years. There's a great chance, not a
good chance, a great chance he will eclipse a thousand
yards on the season against the.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
Steelers on Sunday in Week fourteen.
Speaker 3 (15:47):
He's like he has ten plus touchdowns already on the
ground this year, Like, okay, fine by Derrick Henry King
Henry standards. Yes, he's slowing down a bit, He's still
a top five running back.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
In football, and where he gets a lot of those
numbers is when you get that type of size running
back moving.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
He's so fast for that size.
Speaker 1 (16:04):
Yeah he gets he gets two, three yards into your
defense look out and gosh forbid he gets into that
secondary because if he does, no one's bringing him down.
Speaker 3 (16:12):
Well, you know, James Cook said after the Bills game,
we were attacking the Steelers corners. They are terrible at tackling,
and okay, you know what every running plan is to
attack the cornerbacks. They want to get to the outside,
they want to get to the secondary. But safeties in
corners just they what we see them do to Darnell Washington.
You know from our side of things, that's been happening
(16:33):
to Derek Henry for years and years and years in
this league. They just bounce off of the dude, he
takes him for rides.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
Man. Now he has started to fumble the ball a
little bit more than he.
Speaker 5 (16:42):
Used to in the beginning of the year. He's he's
gotten better this season has gone out. But in the
beginning of.
Speaker 3 (16:46):
The aar with like three you can get it out
now where that used to just be like forgetting He's
always gonna hold on the.
Speaker 4 (16:50):
Yeah, I mean, like we said in the game last year,
the first matchup in Pittsburgh last year, Pete Wilson forces
that fumble. It was at his first fumble. I think
he had lost since the beginning of the prior the beginnings.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
We're talking with Tom Offerman, host of the Blitz here
on SNR. Tom, we have about ten minutes left with you.
I want to talk to you about Aaron Rodgers. Jacob
and I have talked about this throughout the week, his
last five games two and three. I'll take you back
to the Packers game two hundred and nineteen yards passing,
two touchdowns, no interceptions. The following week versus the Colts
two hundred and three yards passing Chargers one sixty one,
(17:21):
one of his worst of the year, one hundred and
sixteen against Cincinnati, but gets hurt Buffalo one hundred and
seventeen last week. Passing yards has decreased every game the
last five games. What is the solution for Rogers. One
thing I've been talking about all week long is they
have to start figuring out what can they get out
of Aaron Rodgers these last five games. I think it's
(17:42):
one that he is to get rid of the football
quickly and if nothing's there. Just throw the football away,
play for another possession. Going three and out is not
the worst thing in the world. Play the field position.
What you can't do is what he's been doing, going
back in the pocket, dancing around, taking time out, making
bad throws for interception, and worshyet getting sacked or fumbling
(18:02):
the football way.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
I mean, how do you fix it?
Speaker 3 (18:05):
You try to recruit Indiana Jones and his dad to
find the Holy Grail and drink from the fountain, you
know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
Like he's just old man.
Speaker 3 (18:13):
This is kind of what you could have seen coming
at the beginning of the year. You're worried at the
beginning of the year, like you just laid it out.
Like he's just kind of getting progressively worse because he's hurting,
you know what I mean, Like his elbow hurts a
little bit more.
Speaker 5 (18:26):
December. He just turned forty two. Yeah, what yesterday?
Speaker 3 (18:30):
His nose is I don't think it's officially broken, but
it's not healthy. I mean, it's pumped up still when
you see him talking from the hit he took to Bosh,
which by the way, was a penalty. We don't have
to go down that road, I'm sure you already did.
You can't put your weight on the quarterback did but whatever,
Ye no sour grapes here. But anyway, he's just old,
and I think that that's a legitimate worry. And then
as far as like his effectiveness is concerned for this game,
(18:53):
how could you not be worried after what you saw
against the Bills, Like there's.
Speaker 5 (18:57):
Chills against the charge in that second half of that game.
Speaker 3 (18:59):
You're talking abot the Bills, and specifically because of the
wrist injury and because of the cast, like there was
clearly a hindrance to how compact if he could be,
and they weren't going under center, which takes a lot
away from your running.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
It's just big.
Speaker 3 (19:12):
So I'm not saying that I would not play Aaron
Rodgers or I wouldn't have played Aaron Rodgers because Rudolph
isn't impressing as much as I really hoped he would
have not again as a backup, not at all. But
it's not great to have to go to Rogers in
this capacity. Even the handoffs from the pistol and the
shotgun were awkward, like he had to kind of shovel
(19:32):
him out sometimes.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
He definitely couldn't go to the opposite side of that risk.
Speaker 3 (19:35):
So things are not perfect for him right now, and
that's a huge problem. But again I think I'd rather
play him than the other options.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
But can you squeeze something left out of him in
these last five games and make a push to win
the AFC North and get into the playoffs?
Speaker 5 (19:48):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (19:48):
Of course, is there a path there? Because I think
you got to look at the current state of Aaron Rodgers.
He's not going to go back in the pocket, sit
there like Tom Brady did in the latter years of
his career and light you up. I think it's gotta
be quick passes Tom and if nothing, if nobody's home,
get rid of it and play for another down, play
for another possession.
Speaker 3 (20:05):
Well, they can obviously get into the playoffs and win
the division still because of you know six and six.
Everything is in front of you right now. Just go
beat the Ravens and it all kind of fixes itself
for you. With Rogers, Yeah, I mean, you got it's
got almost it has to be that stuff. There's no
option to do anything but the quick stuff. But they
got to use the middle of the field like they
(20:25):
just can't treat that like it's completely toxic that unlocks
your tight ends, which the usage of them has been
such a baffling thing this year.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
So it does have to be quick.
Speaker 3 (20:38):
It does have to kind of be getting back to
what was successful early in the season. But they also
got to find some new elements to that offense, and
they got to find them fast. They got to find
some more explosiveness. And a best friend of.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
An aging quarterback, best friend of any quarterback is a
strong running game. Start leaning on that more.
Speaker 3 (20:56):
Wow, we talked about the other favorable matchup, like I'm
a broken record on the shows every week. The Ravens
rush defenses worse than yours. They're not the worst in
the league, and there's no Mattabuque anymore this year.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
So run it at that defensive front.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
Control the time of possession, yeah.
Speaker 4 (21:12):
I mean it's hard to do so when you remember
they held the ball for only eighteen minutes last.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
Rock bottom in that department. Yeah, and they're the.
Speaker 4 (21:20):
Last in the league in general and sure yeah, last
in league in time of possession, first in the league
in three and outray.
Speaker 5 (21:25):
It's just it's not an efficient offense.
Speaker 4 (21:27):
I mean, when you when you are are unable to
control the football.
Speaker 5 (21:32):
It's a pretty easy recipe to lose that football game.
Speaker 3 (21:34):
I did see a stat from Matt Williamson that said
the Ravens allow drives to continue at a very favorable clip.
So there's gonna be minimal resistance as far as going
three and out as concerned in this one, don't allow
the Ravens a weakness that they've had on defense all
year to become a strength out of nowhere.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
Because you're so inept.
Speaker 1 (21:53):
Tom, let's end with this. Let's look at the final
five games. Your Tom, what nickname would Tom because it
kind of sounds like Thomas Thomas. I like that.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
I think we'll go down.
Speaker 1 (22:06):
Well, let's put on your no stremis hat. You know
you got this this this beanie on today, which I
can appreciate being a bald guy. You're not bald, though,
you don't need to do that, so the old head.
So the final five, the final five games, the path
to the ABC North and a playoff push definitely is
at least three wins, maybe four. But when we're thinking
(22:26):
nine and eight.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
Maybe, I mean four gets you in locks.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
I think so too. If you get to ten, you're
going I think so too. So let's get your prediction.
Speaker 5 (22:33):
I think ten is kind of a fool's gold at
that point.
Speaker 1 (22:37):
Four out of five out of five. Uh, and we're
gonna have we have you in every other week now
we have wes on the off weeks that you're not here,
but we'll do this game with you. So we'll continue
to track this as we go at Ravens this week.
Win or loss.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
I feel like they're gonna lose.
Speaker 1 (22:51):
Yeah, Okay, Now you got the Dolphins on Monday Night,
which by the way, has not been flexed out of
There was a rumor that it could be.
Speaker 2 (22:56):
It's not going to be the Dolphins irrelevant now, especially if.
Speaker 1 (22:59):
Not at this point would have had to it. By
this point they.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
Beat the Jets, the Dolphins will still kind of be
in it.
Speaker 3 (23:03):
I said, this was the easiest win to pick on
the Steelers schedule in May, Dolphins coming up here on
Monday night football in the cold. So I'll give the
Steelers a win there, Okay.
Speaker 4 (23:11):
And even though they've gotten better and still a win,
it's still a way. And then you go to the
Lions at Detroit, who has been struggling.
Speaker 5 (23:18):
They're not that impressive.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
I think they're going to lose tonight.
Speaker 4 (23:21):
Oh really, because even though the Dallas even has gotten better,
that this could be a get right game for that
offense and Detroit.
Speaker 3 (23:27):
But Dallas gonna score too, So I think Dallas could
get them to night and that could be a kill
shot for them.
Speaker 2 (23:32):
I think. I think that's Detroit.
Speaker 4 (23:34):
Detroy is out of the playoffs right now. So you
still think they lose this game against Detroit.
Speaker 5 (23:39):
Idea Okay?
Speaker 1 (23:40):
Then at Cleveland, which this is one of the worst
Browns team in recent memory. However, I lost three straight
in Cleveland.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
They'll win in Cleveland, and those are Thursday night games. Really,
they'll win in Cleve.
Speaker 5 (23:50):
You think, because it's a Sunday afternoon.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
Not that shocking, Jacob that I said win, I mean
that beat.
Speaker 5 (23:55):
I mean Miles Garrett against this offensive.
Speaker 3 (23:59):
Or Dylan Gabriel or is it Deshaun Watson who's starting
to practice now?
Speaker 1 (24:02):
Jacob and I have been nervous all season long about
this game in Cleveland.
Speaker 3 (24:05):
It should be nervous about it's going to be close.
But they'll win that game in Cleveland. It'll be close.
It'll be like thirteen at six or thirteen to seven.
Speaker 1 (24:11):
So now you're at eight and eight there's a lot
on the line going in this Ravens games. One is
Mike Tomlins never losing season. That narrative is out there.
Number two is that's probably the Ravens due because they
have going into that game. Jacob.
Speaker 4 (24:24):
We talked about this Patriots and Packers, so Bengals again,
Steelers twice for that matter. The Ravens don't play an
easy game from now on, so.
Speaker 1 (24:32):
Good chance that both teams are in the same spot
they are now at that point eight and eight, playing
for the division titles. It's gonna be a little worse too,
So maybe the Steelers wrest their guys. They've clinched it,
they've wrapped it up.
Speaker 3 (24:45):
I like to say, you win that game at home
and hold Serve and split the series and get to
nine and eight and win the division. It's tough to
feel as unconfident as I do though in saying that,
But that's where I'll go right now. That's where my
gut is right now. So I guess they get to
nine and eight. I guess that in the division.
Speaker 2 (25:00):
But you gotta look up for Joe Burrow.
Speaker 4 (25:04):
What shot do you get them? Because they have a
pretty easy schedule moving forward. They the Browns at home,
they the Ravens at home. I think they have the
Cardinals thrown in there.
Speaker 3 (25:11):
They win at Buffalo this Sunday, Right, that's it really
look out for the Bengals. And if the right now
and if the Bengals go nine and eight and the
Steelers go nine and eight and it plays out like
I just did, Bengals would win the tiebreaker over the
Steelers with a five and one division record to the
Steelers four and two.
Speaker 4 (25:27):
Division right head to head their one and one and
you really want that game back on Thursday night.
Speaker 5 (25:31):
I mean, it's it's critical, but I was saying, I'm.
Speaker 3 (25:34):
Saying the Bengals want those Bears and Jets games. Think
about where they'd be with just one more win.
Speaker 4 (25:38):
And it just wrap up Colston Loveland and the Bears game.
You don't lose to the then under rather winless Jets.
Speaker 1 (25:46):
It's what's worse not getting in the playoffs at nine
and eight and then hey, another non losing season here, right,
how many years in a row? Or letting the Bengals
go on to win this division In that scenario, I
think it's it's the Bengals part. I mean, wow, but
give credit the Cincinnati if they they rode the story nuts.
Speaker 5 (26:05):
Tom.
Speaker 4 (26:05):
We talked about Sorry, we talked about this last season,
you and I the Joe Burrow playoff or I'm sorry,
MVP contention because he didn't get any You kind of
had to remove him from that equation.
Speaker 5 (26:17):
If the season goes away.
Speaker 4 (26:18):
We just laid out where the Bengals run the table
and they get to the division winner, they get to
five and one in the division record, they get to
the playoffs.
Speaker 5 (26:27):
Did he miss too much time to be considered for MVP?
Speaker 3 (26:30):
It's so wide open this year though, right that that's
going in his favor.
Speaker 5 (26:33):
It was Matt Safford, but then he had that really bad.
Speaker 2 (26:37):
Day in Stafford.
Speaker 3 (26:38):
It seems to be those two guys are becoming the
front runners and they're passing the ball back and forth.
It's kind of ripe for Alan Burrow to come up
from the outside on him and kind of puts some
pressure on those two guys.
Speaker 5 (26:50):
I'm nervous about Joe.
Speaker 3 (26:52):
I'm a little nervous about Joe too, but I think
Allen actually finishes him off this weekend.
Speaker 2 (26:56):
Although eight nine could win the North too, So.
Speaker 4 (26:58):
We talked we talk about that because There's only been
like what four or five teams.
Speaker 3 (27:01):
That hold out hope that Alan does the job in Buffalo,
keeps going on their trajectory here and kind of finishes
off the bangles.
Speaker 2 (27:10):
We think, but I'm.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
Nervous about it. You never beaten Joe. I'm nervous about Tom.
We know you're a busy guy. Thank you for taking
some time out this week.
Speaker 2 (27:18):
I'm going to talk to us.
Speaker 1 (27:19):
You can hear Tom to kick things off this Sunday
here on the Steelers Audio Network Steelers Nation Radio Kickoff Show.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
At nine nine o'clock. I'm Matt Williamson nine am.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
Make sure you check it out. It's it's a great
show to get your warmed up while you're drinking your
coffee getting ready for your football Sunday. Listen to Tom
and Matt preview the upcoming NFL week and the.
Speaker 2 (27:39):
Steelers RAVENSNK getting ready to go and.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
Old man, I'm old find enemy lines here. I start
with my coffee first, and then I then I could pivot.
Speaker 3 (27:50):
God speed to the Steeler fans heading down to the
Baltimore M and T Bank Stadium this weekend.
Speaker 1 (27:55):
I've done that. I've done that twice. Oh good, Lord,
I've done that twice and and and I tell you
it's it's been fun. It's been fun. Especially when I
had my bettest jersey on in the early two thousands,
I got some stuff thrown at me. Probably it was
almost it was almost. Tom Offerman, thank you. Can hear
Tom Steeler pregame on Sunday starting at nine am, and
also each and every day here on SNR on the Blitz.
(28:18):
And this is gonna do it for this segment here
on the Steelers Standard. I'm met true. He's Jacob Brect
here on Steelers Nation Radio and part of the Steelers
Audio Network.
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