October 15, 2025 • 30 mins
Which Steelers are the statistical leaders through six weeks, and Ed and Jacob rank their top ten teams heading into the seventh week of the season.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
The Steelers Bengals Thursday Night football.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Just a little over what thirty six hours away, right, Jacob,
If I do my math.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
Right, a little under thirty six hours, thirty six hours
from now, will be done.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
There you go, so we'll know if the Steelers are
still yeah, there you go. Only a one lost team
in the NFL thirty six hours from now. It is
the Steelers Standard. With Ed Troup and Jacob Bret on
the Steelers Nation Radio part of the Steelers Audio Network,
it is time for our steel Digits of the week
as we look at the Steelers and the NFL leaders,
as well as getting into our power rankings here so
(00:40):
far as we head into week seven, we'll start with
the Pittsburgh Steelers stat leaders and really, Jacob, no surprises
across the board after the game this past week against
the Browns. Everyone kind of stays at the top of
the leader board, including Aaron Rodgers, who has now completed
sixty eight percent of his passes on the season, ninety
five of one hundred and thirty eight for over a
thousand yard, So he's now a thousand yard passer here
(01:02):
in twenty twenty five. One thousand yards twenty one actually
to be exact, one zero two to one, and he
has ten touchdown passes, three interceptions, and he's been sacked
nine times. Rushing wise, Jalen Warren leads the running back
room fifty four carries one hundred and eighty four yards,
averaging three point four yards per carry. No touchdowns on
the ground yet Kenny Gainwell one hundred and seventy six
(01:25):
yards on forty one carries, averaging four point three yards,
and he has three touchdowns on the year. Only three
rushing touchdowns for the Steelers so far the season, and
all three have come from Kenny Gamewell and Caleb Johnson.
Just around things out, fourteen carries thirty six yards. Receiving wise,
DK Metcalf at the top of the leader board as
he has nineteen catches on thirty one targets three hundred
(01:47):
and fifty six yards, averaging eighteen point seven yards per reception,
and four touchdowns. As we said, four straight games with
touchdown receptions for DK Metcalf, and those are the numbers
that the Steelers want to see and that's the reason
why they him in this past offseason. Number two in
the receiving room is Jalen Warren. He's still near the
entire area. He was at the top for the first
couple of weeks. He has fourteen on fourteen targets, has
(02:11):
thirteen catches for one hundred and fifty three yards in
a touchdown. Calvin Austin he's been out. He is third
with one hundred and thirty nine yards on seventeen targets,
ten receptions for two touchdowns. The only other touchdowns for
the Steelers in the receiving room. John Smith at the
tight end position has won Ben scronick from Week one
against the Jets and Connor Hayward, who just had the
touchdown this past week. Your thoughts on the offense so
(02:32):
far through five games.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
It's not perfect, but it's winning right, and their scoring
points and that's something that they've really struggled to do.
You remember how much they struggled, even though when Russell
Wilson came in for Justin Fields, it was a little
breadth of fresh air and that the offense got going.
Remember they scored thirty seven points against the Bengal or
I'm sorry, the Jets and Russ's first game, and then
(02:55):
they scored i think what thirty eight points against the
Bengals a couple of weeks later in Cincinnati, nonetheless, but
really after that they really struggled to get the ball
in the end zone and just moving the ball at all. Really,
they scored forty four points against the Bengals, so even
more of an accomplishment there. But you know, we all
(03:16):
know how much they struggled to put up points and
move the ball down the field effectively down the stretch
when they lost four in a row, and then of
course the fifth game being in the playoffs against Baltimore.
So the offense isn't, like I said, isn't perfect, but
it's getting the job done. It's winning football games. It's
(03:37):
clearly doing more than enough compared.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
To years past.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Looking at defensive leaders, Patrick Queen has the most tackles
with forty four total, Peyton Wilson forty two, Onon thorn
Hill thirty two, Chuck Clark with twenty five, TJ. Watt
with twenty four, Deshaun Elliott with twenty and Jalen Ramsey
with twenty. Then a bunch well you can go Slay
Hey Word Sawyer, Cole Holcom, Brandon Eckles, Nick Herbig and
(04:03):
Alex Highsmith all in double digits for total tackles so
far this season. Sackwise, the Steelers have done very well
through the first five games. Twenty total excuse me, twenty
total sacks so far this season, Nick Herbig four point
five is your leader.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
TJ.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Watt with three point five, Derek Harmon with two, Jalen
Ramsey with two, one point five for Keanu Benton, Alex
Highsmith with one point five, and then Cam Hayward, Jack Sawyer,
Deshaun Elliott, Patrick Queen Peyton Wilson each with one sacks
so far this year. But twenty sacks through five games played. Hey,
that's four sacks a game. That's not too bad, you know,
it's funny. Twenty sacks, as you said, through five games
(04:40):
is pretty good. The only and they're second in the
league right now. Do you know who's first? Oh, boy, Cleveland,
it's not it's Denver. You're gonna throw me off. And
so so the Steelers are in second place with twenty.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
The Broncos are in first place with thirty. Wow, but
that also comes at the helm or app in the
wake of them having a nine sack performance on Justin
Fields and the Jets in London. So that was clearly
a little boost for them in those numbers. But getting
back to the Steelers first point, you made Patrick Queen
(05:13):
leading the team in tackles.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
That's what you want.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
You want your starting inside linebacker to be your leading
tackler because he's all over the field for you in
the backfield, in the middle, not allowing people to get
behind him. That's what you want to see. At a
pac Queen loving his season so far. And then the sacks.
As I mentioned in our first episode today, the Steelers
are tied with the Denver Broncos for the most players
(05:37):
on the team with at least one sack registered, which
is great to see. Right, It's not just all coming
from TJ and high Smith and Cam. You're seeing everyone
get involved, which is great. You're seeing guys like Jalen
Ramsay in the secondary produce multiple sacks. You're seeing the
rookie Derek Harmon producing multiple sacks. All of your outside
(05:58):
linebackers all three Nick her Big Sorry, TJ. Watt, Jack
Sawyer and and Alex Heismith. All four guys have at
least one sack registered. That's great. Patrick Queen, we know
has a sack registered. I believe Peyton Wilson got into
the backfield one time he did, so, yeah, it's it's
it's great to see everyone get involved.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
And of course Jalen Ramsey with two as well. Out
of that secondary, so tackle for losses. Nick Herbig leads
the room with six, TJ. Watt with five, Patrick Queen
with five, Peyton Wilson with five, Jack Sawyer with two,
and Jalen Ramsey with two. Then a bunch of others
with at least one so far this season.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Steelers.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
From an interception standpoint, in that secondary, you have multiple
players with one each. You got five interceptions on the season,
and five different Steelers with interceptions.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
TJ.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Watt, Nick Herbig, Deshaun Elliott, Jalen Ramsey, Brandon Eckles all
with interceptions so far this season. Then fumble recoveries on
the defense, same story. There five fumble recoveries so far
this season with TJ. Watt, Jabrill Peppers, and Scronic on
special teams Peyton Wilson, Darius Slay and Keanu Benton so
far this season. Excuse me not Benton, just Slay, Wilson,
(07:08):
Scronick and Pepper's and Watt. Or you're five with fumble
recoveries so far this year. Steelers still one of the
top in the league when it comes to turnover differential.
Continue to do a great job there. As far as
team stats go, I just want to highlight just a
couple of quick things, Jacob. It is third down conversion
so far this year for the Steelers. They are clipping
at a thirty eight percent clip and on defense that's
(07:31):
now down to forty percent.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
So earlier in the year.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
Offense still not great at thirty eight percent. That needs
to get better. You know, you want to see him
fifty sixty percent on third down if they can. But
on defense, they were giving up fifty to sixty percent
on third down. Now that's down to forty percent each week.
That's getting better. They're getting off the field, Yeah, it's
getting better.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
And I think, as we've said so many times since Sunday,
that's been the narrative of the season. You've seen tangible
improvements across the board for this team, and that's exactly
what you need out of your defense. You need to
see tangible improvements and that's what they're.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
Doing Steelers as well.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Twenty nine penalties now on the season, an average of
just thirty eight yards per game in penalty yardage.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
You said twenty nine on the season, twenty nine. Well,
you know what that would.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
Be without Sunday's performance. It would be only nineteen in
four games, which is much better than twenty nine and five.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
They came in as one of the least penaltized teams
going into this past week. But yeah, had a tough
time with that. But the yardage isn't too bad again,
only averaging thirty eight yards and penalty yards per game,
and a lot that has to do with what you
just said, Jacob, with being very well, doing very well
in that category before this last this past Sunday opponents
meanwhile averaging fifty two yards per game with penalty yardage. Now,
(08:47):
final team stat a time of possession, Steelers averaging twenty
seven minutes per game and thirty two of their opponents. Again,
you want to see that switch as well. They've lost
a lot of time of possesion. They didn't this past
week against the Browns, they won time of possession, but
they've they struggled through that throughout the first few games
of the season, not having the ball as much as
their opponents.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
But it's just something to watch as we move forward.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
Let's look at NFL stat leaders, Jacob, Each and every week,
I always get you to guess the leader, and then
I'll let you know who it is.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
Offensive leaders.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
First, in the passing game, who's ther top ranked quarterback?
You think as far as most passing yards yards? I
always leaned towards Daniel Jones, and based off your reaction,
that's not the case again this week.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
He was though.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Up until this week, I think he's not even the
top five. Now I'll give you a hint.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
He was in Detroit.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
Yeah it was a matt Stafford. Yeah, pretty easy hint
you gave me. There was the layup, man.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
I gotta throw you a bone, my man.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
All right, Matthew Stafford from the Rams number one, six
and eighty four yards passing. Dak is second with a
little over sixteen hundred. Sam Darnold third, Baker Mayfield number four,
and Drake Mann from New England is a top five passer.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
He has just over fifteen hundred yards. But yeah, Stafford
is your leader. I'll tell you what though of that
crew right now.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
If I were to cast a vote, MIAMVP vote would
be without a doubt for Baker Mayfield.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
Oh yeah, we talked about that last week, and then
he backed it up again this past Sunday.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Yeah, did you see that run he had on third down? Yes?
Speaker 2 (10:18):
I did bait in the game. I mean that is
just vintage Baker guy. Guys a, he's a playmaker. We
didn't like him when he was in Cleveland, but.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
Yeah, but he's fun to watch now passing.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
Uh so, passing leader as we said Matthew Stafford going
into week seven rushing wise, who you think.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
Your leader is? Is it so? Jonathan Taylor? I've been
on that one. Yeah, I got that one.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
He's pretty much been the staple as the top rusher
so far this season, each and every week six oh three.
Right now, James Colk is number two with five thirty seven.
Robinson from Atlanta is third, by John with four hundred
and eighty four tore up on Monday night the other
night against against one hundred and eighty two or so. Yeah,
and including that eighty yard touchdown run to the house.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
Jamante William my guy in Dallas four hundred and seventy
six is fourth, and uh Donnell from Carolina will he
go to battle?
Speaker 1 (11:07):
He had that big revenge game against Dallas.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
Yeah, he's now on the number five leading rusher with
four hundred and seventy two receiving wise, So this is
an easy one simply because I know through the passing
leader it's got to be Puka, right.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
Puka is number two? Oh, he's number two now. He
was the leader for a while.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
He's a six hundred and sixteen number one man, Jackson
Smith and Jigba Okay from Seattle.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
I give him some respect. Nine hundred and ninety six
yards passing number three, Oh man, I mean that's not no.
I just ruined your d Is it is it?
Speaker 2 (11:42):
Igbuca Tampa bay Nuka, who's now banged up, by the way,
he's number four with four hundred and sixty nine, And
I'll give you the fifth one.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
Then you can guess the third one.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
Jamar Chase, who will see Tomorrow night with the Bengals,
is fifth with four hundred and six.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
So is it Jefferson in third? It's not like I said,
I'm gonna ruin your day. George Dickens, Oh man, that's
tough Pickens. That's tough.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
Pillow Swallow five hundred and twenty five yards receiving is
now third.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
In the NFL.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
I mean we knew we knew with Dak just a
young quarterback, that that was possible, that was going to
be a good connection, and that's what it turned out
to be.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
Defensive leaders, Jordan Brooks leads the NFL with defensive tackles
with sixty six total tackles. Bobby Wagner from the Commanders
is second with sixty five, and Sherwood of the Jets,
who we saw in Week one, is third with sixty
sacks on the season.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
Your guy from Denver leading the way with eight sacks.
You called that early in the season. You like that guy.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
He is number one with eight sacks so far this year.
Byron Young from the Rams is second with seven point five,
and Brian Burns from the Giants who they picked up
a couple of seasons ago, is third with seven sack
sacks on the year. Interceptions wise, dere or excuse me,
Devin Lloyd does say Derek Devin Lloyd four intersee options
for the Jacksonville Jaguars is your leader through the first
(13:03):
five weeks of the season. So yeah, I think, uh,
not too many surprises for NFL statistical leaders through the
first six weeks. Usual names that you see at the
top of each and every list, Jacob, but a couple
of surprises here there. Pickens is definitely one for the
number three wide receiver in the NFL. H Let's go
to our NFL Power rankings for week seven with Jacob
(13:25):
and I run into it.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
Do you have the acronym ready? I do not every.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
Week, and now I can't find my pen to write
it down like I try to write down every week
out the three outside looking at it that didn't quite
just make it.
Speaker 1 (13:37):
Oh, you're so close. It's getting close.
Speaker 3 (13:39):
Jdq MTC, the teams that just didn't quite make the cut.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
Let's do this. I like yours though.
Speaker 3 (13:45):
You kind of combined the teams on the outside that
just didn't quite make it.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
That's that's a fun one. That's a good combo. So
jd q MTZ MTC just didn't quite make the cut.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
There you go. Now we got it. I'm writing a
doubt and I'll just cheat.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
You've written and down I feel like every week, and
we always come back the next week and it's not
there in your notes anymore.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
I just I just for some reason, it gets deleted. Okay,
let's start with our first three teams. Yeah, you wanna
go first, or you want to have me go.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
You go first? How about that? So number eleven, this
is where I have the Denver Broncos.
Speaker 3 (14:18):
Number twelve I got the Pats, and number thirteen I
had the Jags who lost to Seattle.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
So you go Broncos Jags. No, Broncos Pats pasts Jags Jags.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
Yeah, okay, all right, I'm looking at eleven twelve and
that eleven twelve, thirteen.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
Okay, So mine are eleven the Seattle Seahawks, Okay, at
four and two.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
Number twelve the San Francisco forty nine er. Wow, even
though they just lost.
Speaker 3 (14:47):
Oh my gosh, they're they're linebacker forgetting his name, oh,
Fred Warner for the season.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
Warner.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
Yeah, along with everyone else. They lose Fred Warner this week.
They are so banged up. It's just they are ready
to crumble and fall. It's it's ironic that the only
guy who's still upright is Christian McCaffrey, who's.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
Down every year. Right, Yeah, it is very ironic that
he is still the still he's one of the running
backs in football right now is doubt. I mean, when
he's healthy, I mean he should be Chargers LA Chargers
are my thirteenth team. At four and two on the
season out looking so you have the Broncos, Pats, and Jags.
I have the Seahawks, forty nine, Ers, and Chargers all
on the outside looking at all.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
Right, your number ten team, let's go it number ten
for me or the l A Rams, who are four
and two on the season. So I'm going to Rams
and my number ten spot. I have the l A. Rams. Look,
we've never gotten them right right from the beginning. We haven't.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
So there's a first time for everything. Yeah, I like
the Rams at number ten. You know, they're a tough
team to figure out. They've been a little bit up
and down at ye, no feign too, But I've watched
the Rams a lot.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
They've been on TV a lot this year. Yeah, I
mean LA.
Speaker 2 (15:54):
Team, you know it's it's it's bound to happen. I
feel like I've watched like four out of their six games.
League loves showing on SOFI Stadium.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
That's why. That's another good point.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
But yeah, like you said, they haven't really been able
to string together wins. They started off two to zero,
but ever since they've lost one one to one, lost
one one one.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
And the Eagles game was close that they lost.
Speaker 3 (16:13):
Yeah, sure, but they've again they have not been able
to keep wins consistent. They have a chance this week
in London against the Jags. That's another team that we
both have near the top ten. But London games are
always weird, right, I mean, you thought last week the
Denver Broncos should have torn through the Jets, and the
(16:34):
Jets were driving with the clock running out, So I
don't know where to I have no idea what to
predict for That game should be a close one, but
the Rams need to get on track with sacking wins consecutively.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
I feel like the international early games on Sunday, and
the Stewers of course just played one in Dublin are
always weird to figure out, right, Like.
Speaker 3 (16:55):
I said, you know, you thought the Jets, who were
zero and five coming in should have been blown out
by den That wasn't the case. The Jets had the
shot at the end of the game, they couldn't get
it done. But yeah, like I think you're absolutely right.
I mean the week before that, right when it was
Minnesota against Cleveland, you thought Minnesota was gonna run through Cleveland.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
That wasn't the case. Cleveland played a close game.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
Number nine on my list, the Denver Broncos. Okay for
four and two season? Are we two for two?
Speaker 1 (17:20):
No? The Broncos in my number eleven. Oh that's right.
You did.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
You get them looking out so I'm not too far off.
Just two more spaces up.
Speaker 1 (17:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
I like the Broncos, who have now won three straight.
They've beaten the Bengals, Eagles, and Jets. Jets game was
close though they had to pull that one out the end.
The Jets almost got their first one of the season.
That was a close one. But you know, you look
at their next handful of games. They got the Giants
at home, they got the Cowboys at home, two games
in which they should win, and then they go to
Houston to face the Texans, and then they got.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
The Raiders at home. And yeah, Chiefs, that should be four.
Speaker 3 (17:50):
That's a that's a really good should before before you
get to the Chiefs game, which will be pivotal.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
Four out of the next five games at home.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
Yeah, that's also a huge, huge asset to them, huge
helped them all right. My number nineteen, this were the
Green Bay Packers. The pack are starting, you know after
that weird two and oh to then two and oh
and one to two and one and one, I'm sorry,
and two and one to two and one and one.
Speaker 1 (18:15):
Start.
Speaker 3 (18:16):
They got to win, which they needed desperately, but it
wasn't a pretty win, right. I mean, you would have
thought with the Bengals traveling with Joe Flacco playing his
first game coming over to the team midweek, with that
defense being really beaten down and just completely ineffective, you
would have thought the final score of that game should
have been forty to nothing. But the Bengals got into
within a one score game. Remember they got to within
(18:37):
a six point game late in the fourth quarter. It
wasn't until the last second, or not last second, but
late game field goal that really put it out of
out of reach for the Bengals. The Packers still need
to kind of get right to me, I know they're
three and one to run. That sounds good, but they
still need that true get right game.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
Let me jump out of this this top ten list
real quick second. Play Devil's Advocate with you before the
start of the season. Were you more concerned about the
Packers than you are now coming here to Akuschuore Stadium
next week?
Speaker 1 (19:08):
After this Bengals game, I was more concerned about them
at the start of the season at me too, too, same.
I actually like the Steelers now a little bit more
because that's a good team.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
It's a it's a good game, I know, I think
it's a I think I picked them to lose.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
I believe you picked them to win.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
Yeah, how about that now now again, I'm jumping all
over the place now with the with the audience. But
we both picked them to lose against Cincinnati this week.
Speaker 1 (19:32):
Yeah, but that was under the assumption Joe Burrow was
gonna be playing.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
Right, Yeah, exactly, We'll go with that. But yeah, also
just Thursday nights on the road. Right again, we'll talk
about it more tomorrow, we'll scout the Bengals and get
you ready for Thursday night football. Okay, back to the list.
Number eight for me are the New England Patriots at
four and two for me. They've won three straight, beating
the Panthers, winning at Buffalo and now at the Saints.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
They're on a roll.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
Their last loss was against our Pittsburgh Steelers twenty one
to fourteen.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
They've won three in a row. They're a dangerous team.
They're looking looking they're looking real. Drake may is looking good.
Mike Rabel. We knew Raves was a good coach when
he was in Tennessee. You remember he got them to
the number one overall seed one year, and.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
You got to think, if they don't turn the ball
over as much as he did against the Steelers that day, sure, yeah,
they win that game when they were a five to
one team. They're knocking right on the doorstep. Who do
you got who at number eight?
Speaker 1 (20:23):
For you?
Speaker 3 (20:23):
My number eight? I had the Kansas City Chiefs. I
think they had their best win of the year against Detroit.
I know they played Baltimore earlier this year, but you
remember Baltimore was really struggling and that was the game
that Lamar Jackson got hurt in and their defense just
led up thirty seven points the Baltimore defense allowed on
(20:44):
Kansas City. So I think this win was a much
better win just to have under their belt because Detroit
right now is so much more respected across the board,
and it's a good way to come back from that
loss they had against Jacksonville. It's crazy to think that
if they had beaten Jacksonville last week, which they were
very close to doing so, they would have been they
would have been on a four game win streak. They'd
(21:04):
have been four and two, incident three and three, and
I think they'd have been much higher on both of
our lists.
Speaker 1 (21:09):
I had a tough time with the Chiefs this week. Yeah,
and I had them.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
I was flirting with them on my top three looking
on your JD q NTC now that I wrote it down, Uh,
just on the outside looking in list, and I couldn't
put them there.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
I want the three and three record, I'm sure is
scaring you.
Speaker 2 (21:26):
But man, they're they're on a roll and they just
won't go away after losing, after losing their first two,
they've won three out of their last four. And then
looking ahead of their schedule, they play the Raiders, which
should be an easy win. They played the Commanders who
just lost to Cleave or I'm sorry, Chicago, so that
would be a win. They played Buffalo on the road,
they played Denver on the road, so they got some tests.
(21:47):
But these next two weeks the Chiefs should win and
get back to over five hundred.
Speaker 1 (21:51):
We didn't.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
We didn't get to our hot takes for the overall NFL.
We did our ten terrible takes last segment with the Steelers,
but one of the NFL one was, well, the chief
be in the top sea conversation by the end of
the season, and I think they will be.
Speaker 1 (22:03):
Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
I mean, given the rest of the AFC seeing how
Buffalo has struggled the last two weeks.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
Yeah, they're like it's like Brady and the Patriots, It's inevitable.
Speaker 3 (22:11):
I saw a great meme on Twitter saying that with
the Colts, Chargers, Patriots, and Steelers all in first place
in their respected divisions, someone said, man, if you were
a nostalgic for the early two thousands with Peyton Manning,
Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger and Philip Rivers leading their teams,
this is the season for you because you now have
(22:32):
all those teams at top of their division once again,
and they're.
Speaker 1 (22:34):
Back in the mix.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
Okay, looking down our list at number seven, that the
team that fell the most for me this week. Okay,
the Philadelphia Eagles at four to two. I have a
numbers drop.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
Huge drop. I think I had them at with two
or three the last couple of weeks. I don't know.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
I think the Eagles have not looked good these last
two games, you know, losing the this this past week
as I jumbled to try to get their schedule to
pop up here on my screen, Jacob, me two more seconds.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
I got it for you.
Speaker 3 (23:01):
So they play you're saying their past schedule, but they
have coming up. They got at Minnesota, which won't be easy.
Then they got the Giants against the revenge game. Good job,
by the way, you know how much I love to
give the NFL Scheduling Committee their prop So good job
for the for that committee for scheduling the Eagles and
Giants to play two out of three weeks. Obviously that's
what you want to see. Then they play a Green
(23:23):
Bay versus Detroit at Dallas. It's not gonna get much easier.
Speaker 2 (23:27):
Yeah, and then a getting back to back losses against
the Broncos at home, and then the Giants last week
thirty four to seventeen.
Speaker 1 (23:34):
So yeah, they dropped. They dropped the most on my
list of number seven.
Speaker 3 (23:37):
How about you number seven for me? This is where
I had the Seattle Seahawks. I think the Seahawks are legit.
I know they had a tough loss, but a good
game played two weeks ago against the Bucks. But look
how they bounce back this week against another tough opponent
in the Jaguars.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
I think that was a good statement win for the Jags.
Speaker 3 (23:54):
Remember that game was on the road for the Seahawks,
so they're showing that they can win on the road.
They're showing that they can not just get deterred by
one loss. They turned things around very quickly. They're now
two to zero following a loss this year, so that's
always a good sign to see. I think the Seahawks
are legitimate. I think right now, given the state of
the inconsistent Rams, how bad the Cardinals are, and how
(24:17):
injured the Niners are, the Seahawks could easily be the
favorite to win that division.
Speaker 1 (24:21):
I told you I struggled with the Chiefs. The Seahawks
were another team I struggled with it.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
I haven't at number eleven, just on the outside looking in,
but I had them in my top ten several times
before I bounced them out, So I'm with you right now.
Like they played tough against Tampa Bay, they played tough
against San Francisco, who's a two loss team.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
Tampa Bay's a one loss team. They beat the Steelers,
who were one loss team, and they beat the Jacks,
who are only a two loss team. So they have
a really good schedule so far. They've They've done very
well for a very difficult schedule so far.
Speaker 1 (24:50):
Number six on my list. Another big drop the Buffalo Bills. Yeah,
I'm sure. Yeah, four and two.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
And you know, I was gonna text you Monday night
because you called it. You said the Falcons. We're both
talking about the other day about the Falcons giving them
a good game, let alone. Now they beat them twenty
four to fourteen, and I thought they beat them. I
watched most of that pretty handedly. The Bills looked lost
to me the last two games against the Patriots at
home and against the Falcons. They are reeling right now
after a four to ozh start, and again there are
four wins that they had. They barely beat the Ravens.
(25:18):
They took care of the Jets Dolphins by ten. That
was a close game throughout. In the Saints game, you
know against the Saints was the thirty one to nineteen,
but I believe the Saints were in that game for
a good portion. So they have not really played as
strong as we typically have seen Buffalo in the past.
But I will say this, here's my disclaimer. Just like
the Chiefs, Josh Allen and the Bills just won't go away.
Speaker 1 (25:38):
Now they won't.
Speaker 3 (25:39):
My number six team is you're not gonna like it
is the Pittsburgh Steelers. I know, with the record being
four and one, it's impressive, but I just think right
now you still have to respect those those top four
teams that we had the last couple of weeks. So
I got the Steelers a number six, but they're moving up.
They're slowly approaching that top five.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
You're really gonna fall off your seat when I get
you this way, I'm sure due to time. Let's go
with our top five unto roll. Okay, so my five,
number five, the Detroit Lions at four and two. Number four,
the Green Bay Packers at three to one and one.
Number three, the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Speaker 1 (26:16):
Yeah, that's that's not terrible.
Speaker 3 (26:18):
I know I've given you grief for ranking them high
in the week's past, but they're four and one.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
They're the number two seed in the AFC right now.
I mean I'm looking at one loss teams. So that
that's my top four, and I'll give you my last two.
Then i'll give you my reasoning behind all of them.
Colts number two at five to one, the Tampa Bay Bucks,
and you're boy Baker, Mayfield number one at five and one.
So I go Bucks, Colts, Steelers, Packers, and Lions from
my top five. And again I'm looking at all the
(26:45):
one loss teams and trying to rank them based on
what I've seen so far.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
Those are those are the five one loss teams, right yep?
So far?
Speaker 2 (26:53):
Yeah, because the Packers have the tie, so there's one one,
right yep.
Speaker 3 (26:57):
How about you your top five? Okay, So I kind
of went. I stayed traditional here. I put the Colts
at five, the Eagles at four, the Bills at three,
the Lions at two, and the Bucks similar to you,
at number one.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
I have to be impressed with the Bucks.
Speaker 3 (27:13):
But the Lions, Eagles, and Bills all losing this week
was really surprising. The Eagles losing that Thursday night game
against the Vision rival in New York, the Bills, as
you just mentioned, losing that Monday night game on the
road against Atlanta, and then the Lions losing this past
week against that Chiefs the Chiefs, which is why I
put the Chiefs back into my top ten, and then
(27:33):
I have the Colts at five simply because I think
that still those four teams, the Bucks, the Lions, the Bills,
and the Eagles. Are you going to be, you know,
the top teams come the end of the year. I
think what the Colts are doing right now is great,
and the Steelers being at number six, you have to
respect them, especially they went I think I don't think
they'll get as much credit as they should if they
(27:55):
end up winning this game on the road. I think
a lot of people will say, oh, Sue, angles are
without Joe Burrow, you should have won this game. But
you and I both know how difficult this will be
situation wise. So I think the Steelers won't get as
much credit. But I do think if they win this game,
potentially they could sneak into that top five.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
For me, I feel a little more uneasy about this
game tomorrow night because Joe Flacco's here, and just because
of his history against the Steelers and you saw him
got like I said, he got to within six points
against the Packers on the road. He slings the football round,
and he can throw deep, and with those receivers with
Jamar Chase and t Higgins, and you have a quarterback
that can sling it deep. That's my concern, But I
do I will say this, We'll get into more of
(28:33):
this tomorrow here on the show on the Standard when
we preview the Thursday night matchup. The Steelers are better
positioned this year than they have in a long time
with their secondary definitely yeah, and Jalen Ramsey a big party.
So I do feel better about that park going to
tomorrow night, which I think could tip the cart back
into the Steelers Fember.
Speaker 3 (28:50):
You remember, you remember that game one in Cincinnati when
the Steelers jumped out to that what thirteen to nothing
or fourteen to say, in lead with Mitch Trubisky at quarterback.
You remember the reason they won that game was because
of Mega Fitzpatrick. Remember he had that early pick six, Yeah,
and then he blocked the extra point that sent the
game into the overtime.
Speaker 2 (29:09):
You know you mentioned Cincinnati earlier. That's a great city.
I'm not a big Bengals or Reds fan, but it's
a cool city.
Speaker 1 (29:16):
I enjoy it.
Speaker 3 (29:17):
I met these friends later in life and they've become
some of my closest friends today. And whenever I go,
I try to go in the summertime, we'll go to
a Reds game. It's not as nice of a ballpark
as P and C, but it's in a good spot
in the city where you can kind of play in
your day around it, you can go out after it.
Speaker 1 (29:35):
Yeah, it's a good city.
Speaker 2 (29:36):
We've been to Cincinnati twice in the last I think
three or four years. On our way out, I think
the Indianapolis. Y. Yeah, you got through Cincinnati. We've stopped
by to see both the brown or Browns Bengals facility
and as you mentioned, the Reds well, because.
Speaker 3 (29:49):
If you told me, you told me you and your
sons are trying to hit all thirty two NFL stadiums.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
We have twenty down about ten again, pretty dang good
considering your boys are. How old there, fourteen and eleven.
Speaker 2 (30:01):
Yeah, I mean that's that's most than than most people
seen in a lifetime. And really it's just the West
there's yeah, yeah, the eighteen, the eight of them out
when we got the Broncos, we actually were in Denver.
Speaker 1 (30:11):
That's a great place, Denver. I've never seen Mile High,
but I've been to Denver and I love it.
Speaker 2 (30:15):
And Denver's a great place Male High as well as
the Rockies facility too. Sure on tomorrows show, Jacob and
I will get you ready for Thursday night football will
be heavy on Bengals Steelers tomorrow, so make sure you
tune in as we get you set four Week seven
for the Pittsburgh Steelers on thursday Night Football. This is
the standard with Ed Troop and Jacob Wrecked on Steelers
(30:36):
Nation Radio, part of the Steelers Audio Network
The Steelers Bengals Thursday Night football.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Just a little over what thirty six hours away, right, Jacob,
If I do my math.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
Right, a little under thirty six hours, thirty six hours
from now, will be done.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
There you go, so we'll know if the Steelers are
still yeah, there you go. Only a one lost team
in the NFL thirty six hours from now. It is
the Steelers Standard. With Ed Troup and Jacob Bret on
the Steelers Nation Radio part of the Steelers Audio Network,
it is time for our steel Digits of the week
as we look at the Steelers and the NFL leaders,
as well as getting into our power rankings here so
(00:40):
far as we head into week seven, we'll start with
the Pittsburgh Steelers stat leaders and really, Jacob, no surprises
across the board after the game this past week against
the Browns. Everyone kind of stays at the top of
the leader board, including Aaron Rodgers, who has now completed
sixty eight percent of his passes on the season, ninety
five of one hundred and thirty eight for over a
thousand yard, So he's now a thousand yard passer here
(01:02):
in twenty twenty five. One thousand yards twenty one actually
to be exact, one zero two to one, and he
has ten touchdown passes, three interceptions, and he's been sacked
nine times. Rushing wise, Jalen Warren leads the running back
room fifty four carries one hundred and eighty four yards,
averaging three point four yards per carry. No touchdowns on
the ground yet Kenny Gainwell one hundred and seventy six
(01:25):
yards on forty one carries, averaging four point three yards,
and he has three touchdowns on the year. Only three
rushing touchdowns for the Steelers so far the season, and
all three have come from Kenny Gamewell and Caleb Johnson.
Just around things out, fourteen carries thirty six yards. Receiving wise,
DK Metcalf at the top of the leader board as
he has nineteen catches on thirty one targets three hundred
(01:47):
and fifty six yards, averaging eighteen point seven yards per reception,
and four touchdowns. As we said, four straight games with
touchdown receptions for DK Metcalf, and those are the numbers
that the Steelers want to see and that's the reason
why they him in this past offseason. Number two in
the receiving room is Jalen Warren. He's still near the
entire area. He was at the top for the first
couple of weeks. He has fourteen on fourteen targets, has
(02:11):
thirteen catches for one hundred and fifty three yards in
a touchdown. Calvin Austin he's been out. He is third
with one hundred and thirty nine yards on seventeen targets,
ten receptions for two touchdowns. The only other touchdowns for
the Steelers in the receiving room. John Smith at the
tight end position has won Ben scronick from Week one
against the Jets and Connor Hayward, who just had the
touchdown this past week. Your thoughts on the offense so
(02:32):
far through five games.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
It's not perfect, but it's winning right, and their scoring
points and that's something that they've really struggled to do.
You remember how much they struggled, even though when Russell
Wilson came in for Justin Fields, it was a little
breadth of fresh air and that the offense got going.
Remember they scored thirty seven points against the Bengal or
I'm sorry, the Jets and Russ's first game, and then
(02:55):
they scored i think what thirty eight points against the
Bengals a couple of weeks later in Cincinnati, nonetheless, but
really after that they really struggled to get the ball
in the end zone and just moving the ball at all. Really,
they scored forty four points against the Bengals, so even
more of an accomplishment there. But you know, we all
(03:16):
know how much they struggled to put up points and
move the ball down the field effectively down the stretch
when they lost four in a row, and then of
course the fifth game being in the playoffs against Baltimore.
So the offense isn't, like I said, isn't perfect, but
it's getting the job done. It's winning football games. It's
(03:37):
clearly doing more than enough compared.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
To years past.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Looking at defensive leaders, Patrick Queen has the most tackles
with forty four total, Peyton Wilson forty two, Onon thorn
Hill thirty two, Chuck Clark with twenty five, TJ. Watt
with twenty four, Deshaun Elliott with twenty and Jalen Ramsey
with twenty. Then a bunch well you can go Slay
Hey Word Sawyer, Cole Holcom, Brandon Eckles, Nick Herbig and
(04:03):
Alex Highsmith all in double digits for total tackles so
far this season. Sackwise, the Steelers have done very well
through the first five games. Twenty total excuse me, twenty
total sacks so far this season, Nick Herbig four point
five is your leader.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
TJ.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Watt with three point five, Derek Harmon with two, Jalen
Ramsey with two, one point five for Keanu Benton, Alex
Highsmith with one point five, and then Cam Hayward, Jack Sawyer,
Deshaun Elliott, Patrick Queen Peyton Wilson each with one sacks
so far this year. But twenty sacks through five games played. Hey,
that's four sacks a game. That's not too bad, you know,
it's funny. Twenty sacks, as you said, through five games
(04:40):
is pretty good. The only and they're second in the
league right now. Do you know who's first? Oh, boy, Cleveland,
it's not it's Denver. You're gonna throw me off. And
so so the Steelers are in second place with twenty.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
The Broncos are in first place with thirty. Wow, but
that also comes at the helm or app in the
wake of them having a nine sack performance on Justin
Fields and the Jets in London. So that was clearly
a little boost for them in those numbers. But getting
back to the Steelers first point, you made Patrick Queen
(05:13):
leading the team in tackles.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
That's what you want.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
You want your starting inside linebacker to be your leading
tackler because he's all over the field for you in
the backfield, in the middle, not allowing people to get
behind him. That's what you want to see. At a
pac Queen loving his season so far. And then the sacks.
As I mentioned in our first episode today, the Steelers
are tied with the Denver Broncos for the most players
(05:37):
on the team with at least one sack registered, which
is great to see. Right, It's not just all coming
from TJ and high Smith and Cam. You're seeing everyone
get involved, which is great. You're seeing guys like Jalen
Ramsay in the secondary produce multiple sacks. You're seeing the
rookie Derek Harmon producing multiple sacks. All of your outside
(05:58):
linebackers all three Nick her Big Sorry, TJ. Watt, Jack
Sawyer and and Alex Heismith. All four guys have at
least one sack registered. That's great. Patrick Queen, we know
has a sack registered. I believe Peyton Wilson got into
the backfield one time he did, so, yeah, it's it's
it's great to see everyone get involved.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
And of course Jalen Ramsey with two as well. Out
of that secondary, so tackle for losses. Nick Herbig leads
the room with six, TJ. Watt with five, Patrick Queen
with five, Peyton Wilson with five, Jack Sawyer with two,
and Jalen Ramsey with two. Then a bunch of others
with at least one so far this season.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Steelers.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
From an interception standpoint, in that secondary, you have multiple
players with one each. You got five interceptions on the season,
and five different Steelers with interceptions.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
TJ.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Watt, Nick Herbig, Deshaun Elliott, Jalen Ramsey, Brandon Eckles all
with interceptions so far this season. Then fumble recoveries on
the defense, same story. There five fumble recoveries so far
this season with TJ. Watt, Jabrill Peppers, and Scronic on
special teams Peyton Wilson, Darius Slay and Keanu Benton so
far this season. Excuse me not Benton, just Slay, Wilson,
(07:08):
Scronick and Pepper's and Watt. Or you're five with fumble
recoveries so far this year. Steelers still one of the
top in the league when it comes to turnover differential.
Continue to do a great job there. As far as
team stats go, I just want to highlight just a
couple of quick things, Jacob. It is third down conversion
so far this year for the Steelers. They are clipping
at a thirty eight percent clip and on defense that's
(07:31):
now down to forty percent.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
So earlier in the year.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
Offense still not great at thirty eight percent. That needs
to get better. You know, you want to see him
fifty sixty percent on third down if they can. But
on defense, they were giving up fifty to sixty percent
on third down. Now that's down to forty percent each week.
That's getting better. They're getting off the field, Yeah, it's
getting better.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
And I think, as we've said so many times since Sunday,
that's been the narrative of the season. You've seen tangible
improvements across the board for this team, and that's exactly
what you need out of your defense. You need to
see tangible improvements and that's what they're.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
Doing Steelers as well.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Twenty nine penalties now on the season, an average of
just thirty eight yards per game in penalty yardage.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
You said twenty nine on the season, twenty nine. Well,
you know what that would.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
Be without Sunday's performance. It would be only nineteen in
four games, which is much better than twenty nine and five.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
They came in as one of the least penaltized teams
going into this past week. But yeah, had a tough
time with that. But the yardage isn't too bad again,
only averaging thirty eight yards and penalty yards per game,
and a lot that has to do with what you
just said, Jacob, with being very well, doing very well
in that category before this last this past Sunday opponents
meanwhile averaging fifty two yards per game with penalty yardage. Now,
(08:47):
final team stat a time of possession, Steelers averaging twenty
seven minutes per game and thirty two of their opponents. Again,
you want to see that switch as well. They've lost
a lot of time of possesion. They didn't this past
week against the Browns, they won time of possession, but
they've they struggled through that throughout the first few games
of the season, not having the ball as much as
their opponents.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
But it's just something to watch as we move forward.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
Let's look at NFL stat leaders, Jacob, Each and every week,
I always get you to guess the leader, and then
I'll let you know who it is.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
Offensive leaders.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
First, in the passing game, who's ther top ranked quarterback?
You think as far as most passing yards yards? I
always leaned towards Daniel Jones, and based off your reaction,
that's not the case again this week.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
He was though.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Up until this week, I think he's not even the
top five. Now I'll give you a hint.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
He was in Detroit.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
Yeah it was a matt Stafford. Yeah, pretty easy hint
you gave me. There was the layup, man.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
I gotta throw you a bone, my man.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
All right, Matthew Stafford from the Rams number one, six
and eighty four yards passing. Dak is second with a
little over sixteen hundred. Sam Darnold third, Baker Mayfield number four,
and Drake Mann from New England is a top five passer.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
He has just over fifteen hundred yards. But yeah, Stafford
is your leader. I'll tell you what though of that
crew right now.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
If I were to cast a vote, MIAMVP vote would
be without a doubt for Baker Mayfield.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
Oh yeah, we talked about that last week, and then
he backed it up again this past Sunday.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Yeah, did you see that run he had on third down? Yes?
Speaker 2 (10:18):
I did bait in the game. I mean that is
just vintage Baker guy. Guys a, he's a playmaker. We
didn't like him when he was in Cleveland, but.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
Yeah, but he's fun to watch now passing.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
Uh so, passing leader as we said Matthew Stafford going
into week seven rushing wise, who you think.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
Your leader is? Is it so? Jonathan Taylor? I've been
on that one. Yeah, I got that one.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
He's pretty much been the staple as the top rusher
so far this season, each and every week six oh three.
Right now, James Colk is number two with five thirty seven.
Robinson from Atlanta is third, by John with four hundred
and eighty four tore up on Monday night the other
night against against one hundred and eighty two or so. Yeah,
and including that eighty yard touchdown run to the house.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
Jamante William my guy in Dallas four hundred and seventy
six is fourth, and uh Donnell from Carolina will he
go to battle?
Speaker 1 (11:07):
He had that big revenge game against Dallas.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
Yeah, he's now on the number five leading rusher with
four hundred and seventy two receiving wise, So this is
an easy one simply because I know through the passing
leader it's got to be Puka, right.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
Puka is number two? Oh, he's number two now. He
was the leader for a while.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
He's a six hundred and sixteen number one man, Jackson
Smith and Jigba Okay from Seattle.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
I give him some respect. Nine hundred and ninety six
yards passing number three, Oh man, I mean that's not no.
I just ruined your d Is it is it?
Speaker 2 (11:42):
Igbuca Tampa bay Nuka, who's now banged up, by the way,
he's number four with four hundred and sixty nine, And
I'll give you the fifth one.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
Then you can guess the third one.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
Jamar Chase, who will see Tomorrow night with the Bengals,
is fifth with four hundred and six.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
So is it Jefferson in third? It's not like I said,
I'm gonna ruin your day. George Dickens, Oh man, that's
tough Pickens. That's tough.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
Pillow Swallow five hundred and twenty five yards receiving is
now third.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
In the NFL.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
I mean we knew we knew with Dak just a
young quarterback, that that was possible, that was going to
be a good connection, and that's what it turned out
to be.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
Defensive leaders, Jordan Brooks leads the NFL with defensive tackles
with sixty six total tackles. Bobby Wagner from the Commanders
is second with sixty five, and Sherwood of the Jets,
who we saw in Week one, is third with sixty
sacks on the season.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
Your guy from Denver leading the way with eight sacks.
You called that early in the season. You like that guy.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
He is number one with eight sacks so far this year.
Byron Young from the Rams is second with seven point five,
and Brian Burns from the Giants who they picked up
a couple of seasons ago, is third with seven sack
sacks on the year. Interceptions wise, dere or excuse me,
Devin Lloyd does say Derek Devin Lloyd four intersee options
for the Jacksonville Jaguars is your leader through the first
(13:03):
five weeks of the season. So yeah, I think, uh,
not too many surprises for NFL statistical leaders through the
first six weeks. Usual names that you see at the
top of each and every list, Jacob, but a couple
of surprises here there. Pickens is definitely one for the
number three wide receiver in the NFL. H Let's go
to our NFL Power rankings for week seven with Jacob
(13:25):
and I run into it.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
Do you have the acronym ready? I do not every.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
Week, and now I can't find my pen to write
it down like I try to write down every week
out the three outside looking at it that didn't quite
just make it.
Speaker 1 (13:37):
Oh, you're so close. It's getting close.
Speaker 3 (13:39):
Jdq MTC, the teams that just didn't quite make the cut.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
Let's do this. I like yours though.
Speaker 3 (13:45):
You kind of combined the teams on the outside that
just didn't quite make it.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
That's that's a fun one. That's a good combo. So
jd q MTZ MTC just didn't quite make the cut.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
There you go. Now we got it. I'm writing a
doubt and I'll just cheat.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
You've written and down I feel like every week, and
we always come back the next week and it's not
there in your notes anymore.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
I just I just for some reason, it gets deleted. Okay,
let's start with our first three teams. Yeah, you wanna
go first, or you want to have me go.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
You go first? How about that? So number eleven, this
is where I have the Denver Broncos.
Speaker 3 (14:18):
Number twelve I got the Pats, and number thirteen I
had the Jags who lost to Seattle.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
So you go Broncos Jags. No, Broncos Pats pasts Jags Jags.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
Yeah, okay, all right, I'm looking at eleven twelve and
that eleven twelve, thirteen.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
Okay, So mine are eleven the Seattle Seahawks, Okay, at
four and two.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
Number twelve the San Francisco forty nine er. Wow, even
though they just lost.
Speaker 3 (14:47):
Oh my gosh, they're they're linebacker forgetting his name, oh,
Fred Warner for the season.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
Warner.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
Yeah, along with everyone else. They lose Fred Warner this week.
They are so banged up. It's just they are ready
to crumble and fall. It's it's ironic that the only
guy who's still upright is Christian McCaffrey, who's.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
Down every year. Right, Yeah, it is very ironic that
he is still the still he's one of the running
backs in football right now is doubt. I mean, when
he's healthy, I mean he should be Chargers LA Chargers
are my thirteenth team. At four and two on the
season out looking so you have the Broncos, Pats, and Jags.
I have the Seahawks, forty nine, Ers, and Chargers all
on the outside looking at all.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
Right, your number ten team, let's go it number ten
for me or the l A Rams, who are four
and two on the season. So I'm going to Rams
and my number ten spot. I have the l A. Rams. Look,
we've never gotten them right right from the beginning. We haven't.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
So there's a first time for everything. Yeah, I like
the Rams at number ten. You know, they're a tough
team to figure out. They've been a little bit up
and down at ye, no feign too, But I've watched
the Rams a lot.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
They've been on TV a lot this year. Yeah, I
mean LA.
Speaker 2 (15:54):
Team, you know it's it's it's bound to happen. I
feel like I've watched like four out of their six games.
League loves showing on SOFI Stadium.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
That's why. That's another good point.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
But yeah, like you said, they haven't really been able
to string together wins. They started off two to zero,
but ever since they've lost one one to one, lost
one one one.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
And the Eagles game was close that they lost.
Speaker 3 (16:13):
Yeah, sure, but they've again they have not been able
to keep wins consistent. They have a chance this week
in London against the Jags. That's another team that we
both have near the top ten. But London games are
always weird, right, I mean, you thought last week the
Denver Broncos should have torn through the Jets, and the
(16:34):
Jets were driving with the clock running out, So I
don't know where to I have no idea what to
predict for That game should be a close one, but
the Rams need to get on track with sacking wins consecutively.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
I feel like the international early games on Sunday, and
the Stewers of course just played one in Dublin are
always weird to figure out, right, Like.
Speaker 3 (16:55):
I said, you know, you thought the Jets, who were
zero and five coming in should have been blown out
by den That wasn't the case. The Jets had the
shot at the end of the game, they couldn't get
it done. But yeah, like I think you're absolutely right.
I mean the week before that, right when it was
Minnesota against Cleveland, you thought Minnesota was gonna run through Cleveland.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
That wasn't the case. Cleveland played a close game.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
Number nine on my list, the Denver Broncos. Okay for
four and two season? Are we two for two?
Speaker 1 (17:20):
No? The Broncos in my number eleven. Oh that's right.
You did.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
You get them looking out so I'm not too far off.
Just two more spaces up.
Speaker 1 (17:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
I like the Broncos, who have now won three straight.
They've beaten the Bengals, Eagles, and Jets. Jets game was
close though they had to pull that one out the end.
The Jets almost got their first one of the season.
That was a close one. But you know, you look
at their next handful of games. They got the Giants
at home, they got the Cowboys at home, two games
in which they should win, and then they go to
Houston to face the Texans, and then they got.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
The Raiders at home. And yeah, Chiefs, that should be four.
Speaker 3 (17:50):
That's a that's a really good should before before you
get to the Chiefs game, which will be pivotal.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
Four out of the next five games at home.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
Yeah, that's also a huge, huge asset to them, huge
helped them all right. My number nineteen, this were the
Green Bay Packers. The pack are starting, you know after
that weird two and oh to then two and oh
and one to two and one and one, I'm sorry,
and two and one to two and one and one.
Speaker 1 (18:15):
Start.
Speaker 3 (18:16):
They got to win, which they needed desperately, but it
wasn't a pretty win, right. I mean, you would have
thought with the Bengals traveling with Joe Flacco playing his
first game coming over to the team midweek, with that
defense being really beaten down and just completely ineffective, you
would have thought the final score of that game should
have been forty to nothing. But the Bengals got into
within a one score game. Remember they got to within
(18:37):
a six point game late in the fourth quarter. It
wasn't until the last second, or not last second, but
late game field goal that really put it out of
out of reach for the Bengals. The Packers still need
to kind of get right to me, I know they're
three and one to run. That sounds good, but they
still need that true get right game.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
Let me jump out of this this top ten list
real quick second. Play Devil's Advocate with you before the
start of the season. Were you more concerned about the
Packers than you are now coming here to Akuschuore Stadium
next week?
Speaker 1 (19:08):
After this Bengals game, I was more concerned about them
at the start of the season at me too, too, same.
I actually like the Steelers now a little bit more
because that's a good team.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
It's a it's a good game, I know, I think
it's a I think I picked them to lose.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
I believe you picked them to win.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
Yeah, how about that now now again, I'm jumping all
over the place now with the with the audience. But
we both picked them to lose against Cincinnati this week.
Speaker 1 (19:32):
Yeah, but that was under the assumption Joe Burrow was
gonna be playing.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
Right, Yeah, exactly, We'll go with that. But yeah, also
just Thursday nights on the road. Right again, we'll talk
about it more tomorrow, we'll scout the Bengals and get
you ready for Thursday night football. Okay, back to the list.
Number eight for me are the New England Patriots at
four and two for me. They've won three straight, beating
the Panthers, winning at Buffalo and now at the Saints.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
They're on a roll.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
Their last loss was against our Pittsburgh Steelers twenty one
to fourteen.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
They've won three in a row. They're a dangerous team.
They're looking looking they're looking real. Drake may is looking good.
Mike Rabel. We knew Raves was a good coach when
he was in Tennessee. You remember he got them to
the number one overall seed one year, and.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
You got to think, if they don't turn the ball
over as much as he did against the Steelers that day, sure, yeah,
they win that game when they were a five to
one team. They're knocking right on the doorstep. Who do
you got who at number eight?
Speaker 1 (20:23):
For you?
Speaker 3 (20:23):
My number eight? I had the Kansas City Chiefs. I
think they had their best win of the year against Detroit.
I know they played Baltimore earlier this year, but you
remember Baltimore was really struggling and that was the game
that Lamar Jackson got hurt in and their defense just
led up thirty seven points the Baltimore defense allowed on
(20:44):
Kansas City. So I think this win was a much
better win just to have under their belt because Detroit
right now is so much more respected across the board,
and it's a good way to come back from that
loss they had against Jacksonville. It's crazy to think that
if they had beaten Jacksonville last week, which they were
very close to doing so, they would have been they
would have been on a four game win streak. They'd
(21:04):
have been four and two, incident three and three, and
I think they'd have been much higher on both of
our lists.
Speaker 1 (21:09):
I had a tough time with the Chiefs this week. Yeah,
and I had them.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
I was flirting with them on my top three looking
on your JD q NTC now that I wrote it down, Uh,
just on the outside looking in list, and I couldn't
put them there.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
I want the three and three record, I'm sure is
scaring you.
Speaker 2 (21:26):
But man, they're they're on a roll and they just
won't go away after losing, after losing their first two,
they've won three out of their last four. And then
looking ahead of their schedule, they play the Raiders, which
should be an easy win. They played the Commanders who
just lost to Cleave or I'm sorry, Chicago, so that
would be a win. They played Buffalo on the road,
they played Denver on the road, so they got some tests.
(21:47):
But these next two weeks the Chiefs should win and
get back to over five hundred.
Speaker 1 (21:51):
We didn't.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
We didn't get to our hot takes for the overall NFL.
We did our ten terrible takes last segment with the Steelers,
but one of the NFL one was, well, the chief
be in the top sea conversation by the end of
the season, and I think they will be.
Speaker 1 (22:03):
Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
I mean, given the rest of the AFC seeing how
Buffalo has struggled the last two weeks.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
Yeah, they're like it's like Brady and the Patriots, It's inevitable.
Speaker 3 (22:11):
I saw a great meme on Twitter saying that with
the Colts, Chargers, Patriots, and Steelers all in first place
in their respected divisions, someone said, man, if you were
a nostalgic for the early two thousands with Peyton Manning,
Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger and Philip Rivers leading their teams,
this is the season for you because you now have
(22:32):
all those teams at top of their division once again,
and they're.
Speaker 1 (22:34):
Back in the mix.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
Okay, looking down our list at number seven, that the
team that fell the most for me this week. Okay,
the Philadelphia Eagles at four to two. I have a
numbers drop.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
Huge drop. I think I had them at with two
or three the last couple of weeks. I don't know.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
I think the Eagles have not looked good these last
two games, you know, losing the this this past week
as I jumbled to try to get their schedule to
pop up here on my screen, Jacob, me two more seconds.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
I got it for you.
Speaker 3 (23:01):
So they play you're saying their past schedule, but they
have coming up. They got at Minnesota, which won't be easy.
Then they got the Giants against the revenge game. Good job,
by the way, you know how much I love to
give the NFL Scheduling Committee their prop So good job
for the for that committee for scheduling the Eagles and
Giants to play two out of three weeks. Obviously that's
what you want to see. Then they play a Green
(23:23):
Bay versus Detroit at Dallas. It's not gonna get much easier.
Speaker 2 (23:27):
Yeah, and then a getting back to back losses against
the Broncos at home, and then the Giants last week
thirty four to seventeen.
Speaker 1 (23:34):
So yeah, they dropped. They dropped the most on my
list of number seven.
Speaker 3 (23:37):
How about you number seven for me? This is where
I had the Seattle Seahawks. I think the Seahawks are legit.
I know they had a tough loss, but a good
game played two weeks ago against the Bucks. But look
how they bounce back this week against another tough opponent
in the Jaguars.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
I think that was a good statement win for the Jags.
Speaker 3 (23:54):
Remember that game was on the road for the Seahawks,
so they're showing that they can win on the road.
They're showing that they can not just get deterred by
one loss. They turned things around very quickly. They're now
two to zero following a loss this year, so that's
always a good sign to see. I think the Seahawks
are legitimate. I think right now, given the state of
the inconsistent Rams, how bad the Cardinals are, and how
(24:17):
injured the Niners are, the Seahawks could easily be the
favorite to win that division.
Speaker 1 (24:21):
I told you I struggled with the Chiefs. The Seahawks
were another team I struggled with it.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
I haven't at number eleven, just on the outside looking in,
but I had them in my top ten several times
before I bounced them out, So I'm with you right now.
Like they played tough against Tampa Bay, they played tough
against San Francisco, who's a two loss team.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
Tampa Bay's a one loss team. They beat the Steelers,
who were one loss team, and they beat the Jacks,
who are only a two loss team. So they have
a really good schedule so far. They've They've done very
well for a very difficult schedule so far.
Speaker 1 (24:50):
Number six on my list. Another big drop the Buffalo Bills. Yeah,
I'm sure. Yeah, four and two.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
And you know, I was gonna text you Monday night
because you called it. You said the Falcons. We're both
talking about the other day about the Falcons giving them
a good game, let alone. Now they beat them twenty
four to fourteen, and I thought they beat them. I
watched most of that pretty handedly. The Bills looked lost
to me the last two games against the Patriots at
home and against the Falcons. They are reeling right now
after a four to ozh start, and again there are
four wins that they had. They barely beat the Ravens.
(25:18):
They took care of the Jets Dolphins by ten. That
was a close game throughout. In the Saints game, you
know against the Saints was the thirty one to nineteen,
but I believe the Saints were in that game for
a good portion. So they have not really played as
strong as we typically have seen Buffalo in the past.
But I will say this, here's my disclaimer. Just like
the Chiefs, Josh Allen and the Bills just won't go away.
Speaker 1 (25:38):
Now they won't.
Speaker 3 (25:39):
My number six team is you're not gonna like it
is the Pittsburgh Steelers. I know, with the record being
four and one, it's impressive, but I just think right
now you still have to respect those those top four
teams that we had the last couple of weeks. So
I got the Steelers a number six, but they're moving up.
They're slowly approaching that top five.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
You're really gonna fall off your seat when I get
you this way, I'm sure due to time. Let's go
with our top five unto roll. Okay, so my five,
number five, the Detroit Lions at four and two. Number four,
the Green Bay Packers at three to one and one.
Number three, the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Speaker 1 (26:16):
Yeah, that's that's not terrible.
Speaker 3 (26:18):
I know I've given you grief for ranking them high
in the week's past, but they're four and one.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
They're the number two seed in the AFC right now.
I mean I'm looking at one loss teams. So that
that's my top four, and I'll give you my last two.
Then i'll give you my reasoning behind all of them.
Colts number two at five to one, the Tampa Bay Bucks,
and you're boy Baker, Mayfield number one at five and one.
So I go Bucks, Colts, Steelers, Packers, and Lions from
my top five. And again I'm looking at all the
(26:45):
one loss teams and trying to rank them based on
what I've seen so far.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
Those are those are the five one loss teams, right yep?
So far?
Speaker 2 (26:53):
Yeah, because the Packers have the tie, so there's one one,
right yep.
Speaker 3 (26:57):
How about you your top five? Okay, So I kind
of went. I stayed traditional here. I put the Colts
at five, the Eagles at four, the Bills at three,
the Lions at two, and the Bucks similar to you,
at number one.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
I have to be impressed with the Bucks.
Speaker 3 (27:13):
But the Lions, Eagles, and Bills all losing this week
was really surprising. The Eagles losing that Thursday night game
against the Vision rival in New York, the Bills, as
you just mentioned, losing that Monday night game on the
road against Atlanta, and then the Lions losing this past
week against that Chiefs the Chiefs, which is why I
put the Chiefs back into my top ten, and then
(27:33):
I have the Colts at five simply because I think
that still those four teams, the Bucks, the Lions, the Bills,
and the Eagles. Are you going to be, you know,
the top teams come the end of the year. I
think what the Colts are doing right now is great,
and the Steelers being at number six, you have to
respect them, especially they went I think I don't think
they'll get as much credit as they should if they
(27:55):
end up winning this game on the road. I think
a lot of people will say, oh, Sue, angles are
without Joe Burrow, you should have won this game. But
you and I both know how difficult this will be
situation wise. So I think the Steelers won't get as
much credit. But I do think if they win this game,
potentially they could sneak into that top five.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
For me, I feel a little more uneasy about this
game tomorrow night because Joe Flacco's here, and just because
of his history against the Steelers and you saw him
got like I said, he got to within six points
against the Packers on the road. He slings the football round,
and he can throw deep, and with those receivers with
Jamar Chase and t Higgins, and you have a quarterback
that can sling it deep. That's my concern, But I
do I will say this, We'll get into more of
(28:33):
this tomorrow here on the show on the Standard when
we preview the Thursday night matchup. The Steelers are better
positioned this year than they have in a long time
with their secondary definitely yeah, and Jalen Ramsey a big party.
So I do feel better about that park going to
tomorrow night, which I think could tip the cart back
into the Steelers Fember.
Speaker 3 (28:50):
You remember, you remember that game one in Cincinnati when
the Steelers jumped out to that what thirteen to nothing
or fourteen to say, in lead with Mitch Trubisky at quarterback.
You remember the reason they won that game was because
of Mega Fitzpatrick. Remember he had that early pick six, Yeah,
and then he blocked the extra point that sent the
game into the overtime.
Speaker 2 (29:09):
You know you mentioned Cincinnati earlier. That's a great city.
I'm not a big Bengals or Reds fan, but it's
a cool city.
Speaker 1 (29:16):
I enjoy it.
Speaker 3 (29:17):
I met these friends later in life and they've become
some of my closest friends today. And whenever I go,
I try to go in the summertime, we'll go to
a Reds game. It's not as nice of a ballpark
as P and C, but it's in a good spot
in the city where you can kind of play in
your day around it, you can go out after it.
Speaker 1 (29:35):
Yeah, it's a good city.
Speaker 2 (29:36):
We've been to Cincinnati twice in the last I think
three or four years. On our way out, I think
the Indianapolis. Y. Yeah, you got through Cincinnati. We've stopped
by to see both the brown or Browns Bengals facility
and as you mentioned, the Reds well, because.
Speaker 3 (29:49):
If you told me, you told me you and your
sons are trying to hit all thirty two NFL stadiums.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
We have twenty down about ten again, pretty dang good
considering your boys are. How old there, fourteen and eleven.
Speaker 2 (30:01):
Yeah, I mean that's that's most than than most people
seen in a lifetime. And really it's just the West
there's yeah, yeah, the eighteen, the eight of them out
when we got the Broncos, we actually were in Denver.
Speaker 1 (30:11):
That's a great place, Denver. I've never seen Mile High,
but I've been to Denver and I love it.
Speaker 2 (30:15):
And Denver's a great place Male High as well as
the Rockies facility too. Sure on tomorrows show, Jacob and
I will get you ready for Thursday night football will
be heavy on Bengals Steelers tomorrow, so make sure you
tune in as we get you set four Week seven
for the Pittsburgh Steelers on thursday Night Football. This is
the standard with Ed Troop and Jacob Wrecked on Steelers
(30:36):
Nation Radio, part of the Steelers Audio Network
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist
It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com