January 9, 2026 • 42 mins
Mark is joined by Charlie Batch to talk Steelers and Texans. Mr Friday Afternoon makes his picks and ASK MARK ANYTHING!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Steelers in Houston Monday night, joining us not to talk
about it. Former Steelers quarterback. You hear him on the
postgame show. You hear him on his great podcast with
former Steeler Trey Essex.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
It's Charlie Batch.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Charlie, what do you expect from Aaron Rodgers on Monday night?
It's a cliched question, but boy, he's gotta be at
the top of his game.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
I figure, yeah, he really is, and he's been playing phenomenal.
Speaker 4 (00:24):
But for me, in this game here, because of the
strength of that Texans defense, they have to figure out
a way to get that running game going.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
To now get that play action going.
Speaker 4 (00:34):
I know that's something that'll harp on a lot, but
it's going to be tough for him to drop back
deliver the football without that running game going.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Charlie, I'll be even more dramatic. I think if they
don't establish the running game and he just drops back
after drop back after drop back, he gonna get hurt
because they pressure and they hit in those edge rushers.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
I mean, it's better than any defense in that regard.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
I don't think the Steelers have a choice.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
I understand that, but you know, when.
Speaker 4 (01:00):
You look at they're able to get to the quarterback
without blitzing, and that's that that's the challenge that is
created there. And ultimately, you know, sometime when they bring
the blitz, you know it's going to be one of
the man and man coverage on the back end. But
with this Texan defensey'll allow you to confuse you to
that point because of the pass rushers. But to your point,
there's no way in his game that he can continue
to drop back and drop back without getting pressured a lot.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
Have there been times this year he's got rid of
the ball too early to avoid being hit. Does he
need to to take a hit to make a play
in this game more often?
Speaker 4 (01:32):
Yeah, he's been doing that. I mean he's getting the
ball out of his hands quickly. But again you have
you know, your receivers have to get that run after
catch and that's something that they got better better at.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
The second half of the season.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
But I think ultimately, when you're seeing everything unfold, we
don't know what DK is doing. You would assume that
he's going to be in great physical condition. But again,
how is that Texans defense going to now, you know,
defend DK. Are they going to put their best defender
Stingley on him or are they going to rotate average
to him now to make sure there's always a safety
over top of him and put Stingley on maybe a
(02:05):
Calvin Austen or whoever the other receiver is out there.
So I think that and that question is going to
be answered in the first couple series.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
And we got to know too that Lasted or their
other cornerback is very good as well.
Speaker 4 (02:15):
Right, absolutely, And that's the part where you just don't
know if they're going to play zone again, but you
just gonna be hard to play. You know, if I'm them,
I would not play one on one cover the DK
because you know there's going to be a fifty to
fifty ball down the field and he's probably going to
complete one of those passes. But to minimize that is
just a matter of trying to remove him completely out
of the game and say to yourself, can Calvin Austen
(02:38):
do this again? Can you know, somebody else in that
receiver group do something in this.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
Game that's going to be impactful?
Speaker 4 (02:45):
And again, that's going to be something that's going to
be fairly early to see.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
How about the offensive line match up against Houston's edge
rushers in particular, how will Dylan Cook and and Troy
Fatanu do. I mean I would put them one on
one a lot just to free up you know, weapons
like the extra offensive lineman doubling with a tight end,
the chipping, I mean the chipping against Cleveland Charlie took
Kenneth Gainwell right out of the.
Speaker 4 (03:09):
Offense correct And I don't think they can go back
to that format because again, could Gainwell leads this team
or receptions. And if they know that game Will is
gonna be that guy's gonna chip. You better believe they're
gonna continue to maybe rush a linebacker to keep him
in on pass protection and not allow him to beat
you in the past the passing game. So if I'm
if the Steelers at this particular, boy, and this is
(03:29):
the only thing that I think that Aaron Rodgers can
do is use that snap count as a weapon, and
if he can do that, maybe he keeps that pass
rush off balanced deer. But Troy Fontana, I'm not worried
about him. I think he's gonna be okay there. Dylan Cook,
I think they're gonna now say prove it you're the
young guy on his team on.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
This roster fourth tackle. You go out here and see.
Speaker 4 (03:51):
So I think they're gonna now figure out what that
one on one matchups and how the Steelers look to
protect Dylan Cooked on that left side.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
See I think, Charlie, you hit the nail right on
the head in the beginning of this conversation. I think
they got to run the ball. And that's not just
to open up the pass either. I think they can
run the ball on this team.
Speaker 4 (04:08):
No, I agree with you, they can, but they will
they commit to it because when you get to this
point of the season, when you know there's no tomorrow.
If the running game doesn't get going early, that's when
you tend to have conversations on the sideline and say,
you want to know what Just give me no huddle, Hey,
put me spread out, and if the running game is there,
then I can check to the run versus just completely
dedicating yourself to the run.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
There.
Speaker 4 (04:29):
So again, I think a lot of that unfolds on
how this game shapes out in.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
The first quarter.
Speaker 4 (04:35):
I know there's a lot of talk on the Steelers
being outscored in the first quarter, but that is going
to be critical because that will ultimately determine what the
game plan is in that second and third quarter.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
Well, Charlie, that leads nicely into what I was going
to bring up next. The Steelers have been outscored badly
early in their last five playoff games and have never
managed to come back, losing all five of those.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
Why does that happen? It happens so consistently with this team.
Speaker 4 (04:58):
Yeah, it does, and I know there, you know there's
different ways and different meanings and why it happened. But
I think for them defensively, and a lot of teams
have taken the ball first and they just went right
down the field and scored on that defense. So this
is going to be critical for that defense to go
out there. You know, you would love a three and out,
but if you can at some point, maybe you know,
six plays to force a punt to give your offense
(05:18):
an opportunity to go down the field and score. And
that's assuming that the Steelers win the coin toss and defer.
But if you're Aaron Rodgers in this particular game, I
would want to take the ball first and now potentially give.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
Us the lead and allow your defense to play with
that lead.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
We're talking to Charlie Batch, former Steelers quarterback here on
one oh five ninety X Charlie, I'm finding this game
really hard to handicap.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
I'm vacillating.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
I think it's going to be low scoring, which we'll
give both teams a chance. And I also look at
certain trends, like I don't think Houston's O line is
necessarily very good, but they've all had no sacks in
the last three games and only won in the game
before that.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
You see what I mean.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
It's is it trends or is it is it what
the personnel indicates should happen.
Speaker 4 (06:03):
Now, it's personnel as far as indicating on all of
those things. But I think ultimately, you know, I'm with you.
I kind of lean towards the direction of maybe a
low scoring game. But I think for whatever reason, there's
going to be a couple of scores that happen, mainly
in that second half that now will get the score
over the twenties. And I think whoever gets to twenty
five well first, will win this game. That's just true
(06:23):
of how I truly feel in this particular game.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
But again, you know, there's going to.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
Be that jockey that just match going between these two,
and I think ultimately somebody is going to have to
make it play in a special teams game to now
get that hitting yard is to allow an offense a
shorter field.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
No, you're right on the money with that.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
And really we can compare it to the Baltimore game, Charlie,
because that game was just an all out rock fight
for thirty minutes and then it almost kind of magically
opened up in the second half. And all it takes
is a player too to open a gay up game up.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
Correct, that is it.
Speaker 4 (06:55):
And you know, both of these quarterbacks are mobile, they
can't extend plays defensively. For the Steelers, they now have
to cover a little bit longer because of what Lamar
Jackson did. Some of those plays that he made that
was purely Lamar Jackson making plays on that defense. They
were there initially, but that it's a play broke down.
Then that's whenever receivers were able to get open. So,
(07:17):
because you put that on the film, the defense of
the Steelers is going to have to correct that because
there are going to be certain formations the Texans are
going to want to see, Hey, did you correct those mistakes?
And if you didn't, you'll see that formation a little
bit more what's your.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
Take on CJ.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
Stroud right now in his third year in the NFL, Charlie,
they don't necessarily ask him to do a ton, but
he has a decent deep arm and when called upon,
he can catch up Canny.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
He really can.
Speaker 4 (07:41):
I mean, he had a great first year, second year
was kind of up and down, but when you go
into your third year, they want to see him take
that next step.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
He's trying to do that.
Speaker 4 (07:50):
But again, you don't have to take as many chances
down the field because you had that defense. And ultimately,
if you're the Texans coach, you say, hey, if there's
one thing to be aggressive down the field, but if
you're earn a ball over, don't allow it to be
a picked six or defensive score with not allowing your
defense to get on the field. So these are things
that they're going to want to see. It wouldn't surprise
me if they become aggressive and try to push the
(08:11):
ball down the field because there has been some leakage
on the back end of that second theary there that
they've given up those big plays. So I'm really unsure
is how they're going to approach Seed Scroud.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
But I'm a big fan of him.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
Now, we talked about the tangible stuff of Metcalf's return earlier.
What about the intangibles, Charlie. If I'm DK, I would
feel like I owe one of the Steelers, even though
they made the playoffs in his absence, that lost to Cleveland,
made all the old guys play against Baltimore and it
would have been better had they not. Do you think
DK's gonna come out Not that he ever comes out undetermined,
(08:45):
but you know what I mean, I feel like he
owes the Steelers one.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
Yeah, he does, and he feels bad.
Speaker 4 (08:51):
I m I haven't had a chance to talk to him,
but that just me putting myself into a situation. But
I think, you know, because of this homebaing, however, fans
going to be receptive of him. You know, if he
goes out there for whatever reason he's not as sharp,
you drop one early or the boober is going to
come out, you know.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
Four DK, I don't know, we don't know that.
Speaker 4 (09:07):
Particular issue, but I just I'm just afraid that he
you know, I would cautioning him to say, don't do
too much play within the game and don't try to
go out there and make the big play. If the
big play is not there. Just do your job, and
I think if he does that, that's going to allow
this offense to go back because one of the things
that you know in his game, he's an underrated blocker
in that run game. And that's why I keep put
(09:29):
pushing back to that run game. That's where your run
start to go from five yards to ten yards to
fifteen because your receivers are blocking down the field.
Speaker 3 (09:36):
So he's going to be wired in. I can't wait
to see.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
Him in that vein. What about TJ.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
Watt, who's never won a playoff game, He's only had
one sack in the four playoff games. He's going to
be championed at the bit, but by the same token,
he's still recovering from that lung problem.
Speaker 4 (09:51):
Yeah, he actually played, but he actually did better than
I expected going in because I ever thought they were
going to be.
Speaker 1 (09:55):
On a bigger pitch count than what he wass Baltimore
and played more.
Speaker 4 (09:59):
Really absolutely, and he was there, so I would expect that,
but I probably you know, I promise you with then internally,
especially your leaders of that team, you've had conversations about, Hey,
I just want to win a playoff game. Hey, I
just want the playoff success. So internally those guys are
talking about it. Maybe a small group, but it won't
to be the larger group. But they understand the circumstances
at hand, and they feel very confident. They're excited about
(10:22):
Aaron Rodgers being here. And if you look back outside
of Ben not being here, I think TJ really looks
at this and say, man, we have a shot here
in this AFC, because they don't really feel like anybody
else is a threat.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
Charlie, I know I shouldn't be worried about Chris Boswell,
but he's missed a kick in each of his last
three games.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
What's your fear level like with him on a big kick?
Speaker 4 (10:43):
Yeah, I'm not concerned about about Chris at all. I mean,
this guy has a complete confidence. I did have a
chance to see him earlier in the week. He was
little even kill all the way through and I know,
you know as it came out the kick was partially
blocked and he missed it. But either way, you missed it.
And when that's to be continued to be the narrative.
If the game was on the line and he was
sitting there at a fifty two to fifty five yard
(11:05):
kick at Acta Sure Stadium to win the game. I
have complete confidence as Boss is going to get it done.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
Yeah, yeah, so do I. But in that vein, though, Charlie,
it's could be a weird game. Because Houston has kicked
forty eight field goals. I sometimes think the Steelers relay
on field goals too much. Houston kicked the most field
goals in the league by like seven or eight field goals,
And again that trickles back to what both coaches emphasize
and the possibility of a low scoring game.
Speaker 4 (11:31):
You're right on that, and I think that's one of
the ones field goals are not going to win this game.
You have to get into the end zone, and yes,
the field goals are there, but that just lets me
know that the game could be potentially close all the
way through if you're not able to separate yourself with
the field goals. So they're comfortable with it, but again,
we haven't had somebody there that can consistently block a
field goals, so you know you're going to get those opportunities.
(11:52):
Maybe somebody steps up and maybe get a block and
maybe take some points off the board for the Texans who.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
Do you like, Charlie. Like I keep saying, I'm flip flopping.
Speaker 4 (12:01):
I'm flip flopping, but you know, this time of year,
I gotta go with the Steelers that you know, everybody's
talking about the Texans nine to nine game winning streak,
but the Steelers are hot too.
Speaker 3 (12:10):
They're won four of the last five. So I'm kind
of getting.
Speaker 4 (12:13):
Those vibes that I think that they're going to get
it done because it's home. They're going to give these fans,
the actorsuer Stadium, the opportunity to make it impact in
the game when that Houston offense is on the field.
Speaker 3 (12:23):
So I'm going with the Steelers in this one.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
Charlie, great stuff, fantastic insight. We'll do it again next
week and enjoy the game.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
I appreciate it. Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
That's the great Charlie Batch, former Steelers quarterback.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
You can hear him on the postgame show on DV
and also he does a podcast with Trey Essex that
is excellent.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:42):
I do keep flip flopping, but boy, that Chris sim SoundBite.
Speaker 5 (12:48):
I like.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
Read the transcript. I was afraid to listen to it
though I really want to hear this. Okay, get your
calls in for calls on the fifteens eight three three
four one two w XDX eight three three four one
two w xdx. We got mister Friday after with his
picks at the bottom of the hour. He went two
and three this past week, so he's kind of flashing
(13:12):
back into his pan. What five nine the X our
twenty twenty six. I heard radio Music Awards are coming.
Speaker 5 (13:20):
To Fox right from Los Angeles.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
There is day Mark's twenty six music.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
First Longs to get start, But thanks for.
Speaker 3 (13:28):
Coming the X at one oh five nine.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
We talked briefly earlier that Chad O Cho Sinko says
that during his first two years with the Cincinnati Bengals
that he lived at the I don't know it was
at the stadium or the practice facility.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
He must have been the practice.
Speaker 1 (13:46):
Facility because he would be like the first to get
there in the last league, except he never left. He
characterized himself as really cheap and able to spend money,
and if you think about it, at an NFL team's
facil you.
Speaker 5 (14:00):
Could live there.
Speaker 1 (14:02):
They got the leisure rooms with the big screen TVs,
the games and stuff. They got the huge locker room, bathroom,
facilities with showers and whatnot, all the hygiene.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
Products you could want, gratis.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
I don't think there's probably beds there, but there's you know,
big couches for sure.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
You could do it. You could do it, nobody would notice.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
When I worked at the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, there was
a part time guy there who lived like, slept in
the in the library like where they kept the clippings
from the old papers back before the internet thing, and
they had microfilm stuff like that. But you could do
it that. That was an amusing story.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
You know. I've been kind of I don't know who
I'm going to pick right now.
Speaker 1 (14:50):
I'm leaning toward Houston because of that Chris sim SoundBite
about how Rogers will be overwhelmed by that pass rush,
and I think he may well be. I think Aaron
Rodgers has to determine in his mind that he's willing
to get hit to make plays, because he's very rarely
done that this year. And I don't blame him, but
this is different. You're playing a team that's better than you.
You're playing a team that has an hillatious pass rush,
(15:13):
so it's got to be all hands on deck. And
that includes the forty two year olds got to take risk,
no risk it, no biscuit. But I was laughing when
Cam Hayward talked about how he wanted Aaron Rodgers to
walk off the field with him and Tom win every
game and citing the tradition. There ain't no tradition here,
not for you guys. You ain't mean Joe Green, you
(15:35):
ain't Ben Roethlisberger, You're not Troy Polamalu, You're not Terry Bradshaw.
If you want to glom onto stuff that happened years
before you got here, that doesn't say much about what
you've done since you did get here. So I don't
care who walks off the freaking field with who unless
you do it Monday night after a playoff game tradition
like this team still has effing tradition. You gotta be
(15:57):
effing kidding me, f tradition and win a playoff game.
And Aaron Rodgers said two moments have defined that he
made the right decision. I'd prefer a third moment that'd
be winning a playoff game. And Rogers said there were
two moments. Then he didn't really say the moments. I mean,
(16:18):
looking at what he did say, he liked the feeling,
whatever that means, and he liked Latrobe. Okay, great, shut
up and win a playoff game. Let's go to Nick. Nick,
you're on with double M.
Speaker 6 (16:33):
Hey, Mark, you might think I'm crazy, But one thing
I'm concerned about is the Houston running game, simply because
I'm afraid the Steelers may not take it as seriously
as they should and pass dictates. Look at the Jets
running game was awful, and so was the Bengals, but
against the Steelers, they really crap the bed. Worrying so
much on any passing.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
I don't think Houston realies on anything or person in
particular offensively, other than Nco Collins being their number one target.
But they have another decent target too. But it's not
like Strad throws the ball a ton.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
I mean at that point you buy a ton.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
I mean I think they have a balanced offense, which
the Steelers do not.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
By the way.
Speaker 6 (17:14):
Yeah, I'm afraid that it's going to open up on
the run portion of the side, which is then going
to really kill the Steelers when it comes to them
having to adjust and the pass opens up.
Speaker 5 (17:24):
That's my concern, Brov.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
I have a million concerns and I'm sure you do too.
But the biggest concern is that Rogers can hang in
there and take risk.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
To make a play, take a hit to make a play.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
He's not been willing to do that all year, if
we're being honest, wasn't willing to do it.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
Like the Cleveland game the LA game, you know, when.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
He's under pressure, he gets very antsy and after a
while gets the booboo face. I don't say he quits,
but I gotta be honest. That Cleveland game looked like
he quit. The LA game looked like he quit. But
then again, I can't say that because he rallied the
team to almost the game time touchdown against Cleveland.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (18:02):
I don't have the faith in Aaron Rodgers at forty
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up next, we'll talk to mister Friday afternoon and get
his picks.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
It's the mark Man Show one oh five ninety.
Speaker 7 (19:21):
X from the one oh five ninety X Weather Center.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
This report is Spider. What if they were assless chaps?
Would that help it all?
Speaker 1 (19:30):
If they want d X At one O five nine,
his hot streak is over. He's flashing back into his pan.
He went two and three last week, but he remains
a very creditable fifty five and forty four on the season.
Here with the Football Picks, it is, mister Friday afternoon,
(19:51):
Mister Friday Afternoon, you've kind of I don't want to
say slump.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
Two and three, I mean, not brutal, but what's gone wrong?
Speaker 1 (19:57):
You're not like what you were when you had that
twenty game winning streak.
Speaker 5 (20:04):
Well, it's when the in the end of the season
is kind of always difficult because you never know, uh,
who's going to play, the motivations, the scoreboard watching.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
You do know all that I expect.
Speaker 5 (20:21):
However, I did take Tennessee, Okay, and their quarterback got
injured on the play where he rushed in for a
touchdown to take a seven nothing lead, so they had
to put the back back the quarterback in the rest of.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
The I don't see what going that.
Speaker 5 (20:35):
That happens excellent point. No, no, But but you asked,
you asked me, what what happens? That's a valid excuse
while lost to play.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
I probably I'm not excuse.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
Probably you're exactly wouldn't you just said you're not making
excuses then presented.
Speaker 5 (20:49):
But it's a valid But it's a valid excuse.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
Right, Well, I'd like maybe I should make the question
more direct. I left it a little more ambiguous. Uh,
the question is why do you suck again?
Speaker 5 (20:59):
Are there our own sucky kid?
Speaker 2 (21:01):
Okay? Fair enough?
Speaker 5 (21:02):
Three two and three? Respectable?
Speaker 2 (21:05):
Not really, it's losing money.
Speaker 5 (21:08):
Yeah, but I won a game. Okay, I want two games.
Speaker 1 (21:12):
Let's let's go to the if you look at it,
if you look at it.
Speaker 5 (21:15):
From a positive standpoint, I wont two games. Well from
that standpoint, yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
You only won one. You only won the super Collider.
Speaker 5 (21:24):
Oh I thought I won the Daily Double. No, don't, don't.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
Try to mask your failure with sound effects. I gave
you credit. You're incredible. You you are a creditable fifty
five and forty four.
Speaker 5 (21:37):
Okay. Going into the playoffs, were are we going to
spend the wheels?
Speaker 2 (21:42):
Don't play that, don't play that. Uh, I don't know.
I haven't made up my mind yet. Do you think
we should?
Speaker 5 (21:49):
Yeah? I think we should spend the wheel I stop.
Speaker 1 (21:51):
Stop, Okay, let me think about it. Uh, let's let's
do the Steeler game first. Who do you got Steelers
in Houston? It's Monday night.
Speaker 5 (22:00):
Very exciting, isn't it I've got hot news and inside
information on this game. Oh god, So my sources okay,
you know, in the gaming community, there's a lot of
people that are credible sources, sources, But go ahead, okay.
My sources has told me that the Steelers are prepared
(22:22):
to fire Mike Mike uh, what's his name? Tom?
Speaker 1 (22:28):
Okay, so you forgot the name and you expect me
to believe that whatever you're about to go.
Speaker 5 (22:33):
I just had a brain brain crant there. They're they're
ready to fire Mike Tomins. So they're they're, they're they're
they're preparing to lose this game, okay, and they're going
to hire John Harbaugh and Mike Tomlin is going to
go coach the Ravens. Okay, the deal is already in place.
(22:55):
As a matter of fact, one of the underground sports.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
That's a hard application on your pot.
Speaker 5 (23:01):
No, no, no, that's absolutely true. Well, my sources are
telling me this is true, and when it comes to fruition,
you're gonna be apologize it to me and you're gonna
an HR might get involved.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
No, no, no, I already talked to HR.
Speaker 5 (23:12):
They said it's okay, okay, that's fine, But what's gonna happen,
is is uh, they're gonna they're flipping teams. So John
Harbor is gonna become the Steelers coach, My Tom was
gonna become the Ravers coach. And actually one of one
of my one of my local sports books here they
actually have a line out already for the game next
year was the first game they play against each other's
(23:33):
already line out.
Speaker 1 (23:34):
The first game when Tom Win coaches Baltimore against Tarball
coaching Pittsburgh.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
There's already a lineup.
Speaker 5 (23:39):
What is the line under?
Speaker 1 (23:43):
Okay, well that that that kind of figures okay in
this game.
Speaker 5 (23:46):
Yeah, so nice tonight you can see it. It makes sense.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
Yeah, yeah, it really does make sense.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
Okay, Pittsburgh is a three and a half poet underdog
at home Monday night.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
Who do you got?
Speaker 5 (23:58):
Okay, they're gonna lose, but the I'm not gonna lose
by more than three because you know, the the Steelers
season is playing out exactly as we talked about before
the season started. They finished one game over five hundred,
they won the division, or two they finish they won
the division.
Speaker 1 (24:18):
The most rudimentary fact, why should we try him out?
Speaker 5 (24:22):
Time out? They went into the last game where they
they possibly if they would have lost, they would have
finished one game over five hundred. Basically, they they barely
got in. They're the number four seed, okay, uh, and
they're they're playing against the team that's got the best
defensive football. Now they're lucky because they have a chance
to cover this game because they're on Monday Night football.
They win the best Monday Night football teams and in.
Speaker 2 (24:43):
The wins on Monday Night football.
Speaker 5 (24:46):
Correct. They're not gonna win this one though. Okay, they're
gonna lose by three on a field goal from Kyne Fairburn, Fairbarn,
whatever the guy's name is. He's going to kick a field.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
His name, he didn't know Tom Wins name. You don't know,
the Steelers didn't.
Speaker 5 (25:00):
It's a difficult name to pronounce.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
No, it's fair Burn. It's easy to pronounce.
Speaker 5 (25:05):
Oh, fair fair Barn was fair Barn.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
Okay, anyway, let's get past that. Three and a half and.
Speaker 5 (25:12):
Half yeah, yeah, yeah, okay. So it's gonna be both.
It's gonna be win win. They're gonna get eliminated from
the playoffs. Tom is gonna get fired because's gonna go
to Baltimore and we've got the under in the first
game that they played me. You're already already better underwater,
just under, it's just under. It's under you already.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
And then and then pick yeah that available is under.
Speaker 5 (25:32):
Yeah it was your doubt.
Speaker 2 (25:35):
Okay, what's the lock of the week?
Speaker 5 (25:38):
The lock of the week this week of Well, here's
some tough games. We're gonna take the Packers against the Bears.
They've owned they've owned the Bears for ever. The Bears
got lucky to beat them last wons. Okay, so uh yeah,
they're gonna they're gonna get the revenge and they're gonna
(25:59):
beat them in a uh, they're gonna beat them in cover.
Speaker 1 (26:02):
Where did you yell at something from from from Scarface?
Speaker 2 (26:06):
I was I was doing slapside.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
What what context was there for you yelling revenga?
Speaker 5 (26:13):
Because it's it's a revenge game.
Speaker 2 (26:16):
Okay, Okay, I got you? Then good that that's actually
a good one.
Speaker 5 (26:19):
It's revenge game. It's a revenge game, venga.
Speaker 2 (26:23):
Okay, that's enough, all right?
Speaker 1 (26:26):
Okay, So Green Bay minus one and a half, now
it's time to pick the daily double.
Speaker 5 (26:34):
It's a tough one, but we're going to go down
South to Jacksonville and we're going to uh oh boy,
it's a tough sick.
Speaker 1 (26:46):
Did you know Tony Kann has appointed himself offensive coordinator
for Jacksonville for this game?
Speaker 5 (26:51):
Oh really? Yes, Okay, I'm changing my mind. Taking Buffalo
Buffalo pick them. Uh, this is the ticket is made
the zero doubt.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
It's not picking Buffalo is minus one.
Speaker 5 (27:05):
Okay, I'm still making a zero down.
Speaker 1 (27:08):
Okay, So so the picks are that's the daily double
Buffalo giving one, the lock of the weekes Green Bay
giving a point and a half, and the Steelers are
your pick, getting three and a half.
Speaker 2 (27:21):
Now I'm gonna allow you right now to make it.
Speaker 5 (27:24):
Are we gonna spin the wheel? Well?
Speaker 1 (27:26):
Stop, stop not until I say, uh, why should we?
Speaker 2 (27:31):
I mean, give me, give me a compelling argument.
Speaker 5 (27:36):
Because uh, there's this, there's there's six games, all right,
we should we should have another game to pick where
we spin the wheel.
Speaker 2 (27:45):
Okay, at least at least Tom didn't play it there. Okay,
here's the thing.
Speaker 5 (27:48):
You don't even really but why don't you want to
spin the wheel?
Speaker 1 (27:52):
Spin the wheel is contingent on, not an additional game.
Speaker 2 (27:57):
It's we do it for one of the already picked games.
Speaker 1 (27:59):
If you'll recall, and then whatever the wheel stops on,
it is assigned a multiplier for you know, times three
times five times ten as I recall.
Speaker 5 (28:10):
Correct?
Speaker 1 (28:11):
Okay, so so uh okay, we can use the sound effect.
Now I have decided to spin the wheel. Now refresh
my memory. Here, do we pick the super collider before
or we spin the wheel?
Speaker 5 (28:27):
H From my memory? I think I think the main
event the final pick was spin the wheel.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
Okay, so I picked the super collider first, correct? Okay?
Now now I make this pick knowing you hate the Steelers.
Speaker 5 (28:47):
I don't hate the Steelers. You do?
Speaker 2 (28:49):
You do hate that?
Speaker 1 (28:50):
You just said they were gonna lose though you said
they would cover, but lose because.
Speaker 2 (28:53):
You hate them.
Speaker 5 (28:54):
Yeah, but we're gonna get John Harbaugh.
Speaker 2 (28:56):
Who's we.
Speaker 5 (28:58):
The Steelers?
Speaker 2 (29:00):
They're not your team? You hate the Steelers?
Speaker 5 (29:04):
No, you said, I do you hate the Steelers? I don't,
And you're and you're deflecting off of me to putue
a project the year that you don't hate the steel What.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
Are you talking about? Okay?
Speaker 1 (29:14):
By way of proving how much I love the Steelers
and you hate them, I am picking the Steelers as
the Super Collider.
Speaker 5 (29:21):
All right, let's spin the wheel.
Speaker 2 (29:25):
That's the sound effect.
Speaker 1 (29:26):
We're not actually spinning the wheel yet. Okay, now on
my queue, let's do it. Let's spin the wheel. You
know what that that doesn't count because I forgot to
say what game we were spinning the wheel for?
Speaker 5 (29:42):
Correct? You didn't take the correct You needn't pick the game.
Speaker 2 (29:46):
Do you ever feel like we should just stop doing
this segment?
Speaker 5 (29:49):
No, what we should do is let me talk to
my fans.
Speaker 2 (29:53):
Okay, we got Mike from South Park. Mike, you're on
mister Friday Afternoon.
Speaker 8 (29:57):
Hey, mister Friday Afternoon and one of your biggest fans.
I saw a video online of you being removed from
the Raiders stadium.
Speaker 6 (30:04):
Because your huge bugle beak nose was blocking everybody for
you in the section.
Speaker 8 (30:08):
Was that real or was that artificial intelligence?
Speaker 5 (30:11):
That had to been AI? I think it was Grock.
Speaker 1 (30:15):
Thank you for the call, but that that would be
the first time you've ever been linked with intelligence, though
artificial or otherwise.
Speaker 5 (30:22):
Well, that's sol fabrication of your part.
Speaker 1 (30:25):
Okay, I am designating. Let's see, should I go Super
Collider daily double.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
For the last of the week.
Speaker 1 (30:36):
I'm gonna I'm gonna spin the wheel on the super collider.
Speaker 5 (30:41):
Oh boy, that's.
Speaker 2 (30:42):
The side effect. But I'm gonna say it. Now, spin
the wheel.
Speaker 1 (30:53):
It is times five Sony Steelers game is now worth
ten points.
Speaker 5 (31:02):
Wow. And you know what the best thing about that is.
Speaker 2 (31:05):
It could it could go on.
Speaker 1 (31:06):
You could go under five hundred on the year based
on your insistence of using spin the wheel.
Speaker 5 (31:11):
Correct correct however, however, Okay, it's a Steeler game and
I had inside information on this, all right, and.
Speaker 1 (31:24):
Kakamaning story about the coaches switching teams.
Speaker 5 (31:28):
Well, you'll see when it comes to fruition. But the
best part about that pick that we that it's the
super collider and that we spun the wheel, that we
stood just spin the wheel, is that the game was
made with zero doubt.
Speaker 1 (31:45):
Yeah, you just want to get the sound effects out
there to mask your stupidity.
Speaker 5 (31:51):
Well see that as may be, the picks are still
made with zero doubt.
Speaker 1 (31:57):
It's time to ask mark anything dial eight three, assuming
anyone's left listening, which I DoPT. But now eight three
three four one two wxdx eight three three four one
two wxdx. That's a three three four one two wxdx.
Or leave a talkback via the microphone icon thatt the
iHeartMedia app, and you can also use our secret backdoor
(32:21):
number with Lube that gets you on the air right
away and penetrates deeply. Wait what four one two three
three three WXDX.
Speaker 7 (32:32):
It's time to submit your questions for Ask Mark Anything.
Use your free iHeartRadio app and tap the microphone icon
to send your questions to the super genius instantly.
Speaker 9 (32:45):
Tomorrow afternoon, the Pens go head to head against the Flames.
Game time is three thirty. Our coverage starts at two thirty.
Listen to every game and the best Pens coverage on
your home at the Pittsburgh Penguins one oh five nine DX.
Speaker 1 (33:00):
It's Mark Madden here for Heinz Verified Playoff Football in
Pittsburgh clus for Wings. New York Dolls popping ad in
there today because it would have been the seventy sixth
birthday today of David Johanson, the dolls lead singer. I
remember the kid seeing the Dolls like on Don Kursher's
rock concert with all the glitter and you know, they
(33:21):
did a lot of draggy type costuming and just had this.
I mean, they were the original punks. So good for
a kid to see that. Wow, what a wake up called,
just how you could do things different and still do
them real good. So wish David was still around. He
passed away less than a year ago. But yeah, just
(33:44):
the New York Dolls, the frick in New York Dolls
man and Jimmy Page eighty second birthday today, good music
day here on the show. I think Houston might win.
Monday night, though, the Baltimore Ravens interviewed Kevin Stefanski for
their vacant head coaching position. Contradicting mister Friday Afternoon's report
that Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh would be switching jobs
(34:06):
next year, Miami hired John Eric Sullivan, the longtime Green
Bay assistant GM, to be their new GM.
Speaker 2 (34:15):
You can see where that's going, don't you.
Speaker 1 (34:19):
They're going to bring in Malik Willis to be the
quarterback put two on the paid o mind list, even
though they still owe him an awful lot of money.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
And a lot of dead cap.
Speaker 1 (34:30):
And I think Harba is going to go there because
having done reasonably well with Lamar, although not winning a
Super Bowl, you would think that Harbaugh coaching Malik Willis
would be a good fit. Again, contrary to what mister
Friday Afternoon is predicting regarding Harbaugh's future.
Speaker 2 (34:48):
If you're just.
Speaker 1 (34:48):
Tuning in, the picks are the Steelers plus three and
a half. That is both the super collider, that is
both the there you go and the spin the wheel bonus,
so that is worth ten points.
Speaker 2 (35:08):
The daily double.
Speaker 1 (35:11):
Is Buffalo minus one, and the lock of the week
is Green Bay minus a point and a half. Let's
go to sewn Seawan. Ask Mark anything, Shawn, You're on
the air. Okay, Shawn's not there. Let's go to a talkback.
Speaker 3 (35:35):
Are you afraid to die.
Speaker 2 (35:39):
At this point? Unwelcome it. Let's go to another talkback.
Speaker 10 (35:44):
Hey, Mark, I was just wondering if you saw the
fiasco with the Saint Louis Blues where Jim Montgomery wanted
to pull Bennington and the backup goalie was literally hiding
in the tunnel.
Speaker 11 (35:58):
It was all over the internet.
Speaker 1 (35:59):
Well Benning to refuse to come out correct and the
backup goalie wanted no part of it. Yeap, Benington's an ass,
but he won the Four Nations for Canada. He won
a Stanley Cup for Saint Louis. I don't think he's
a very good goalie, but as somebody I talked to,
who may or may not be Canada's captain at the Olympics, said,
(36:21):
he's capable of picking up his game dramatically in big situations.
So that's why he's gonna gonna be the Olympic goalie
for Canada. Let's go now to our good friend, always
a pleasure to talk to the Hebrew Hammer Hammer yak Shamash.
Speaker 8 (36:39):
Happy New year Mark. Hey, not only a four days
still parts of four days to dissect.
Speaker 5 (36:47):
The Steelers game.
Speaker 1 (36:49):
We've been dissecting it NonStop all week.
Speaker 8 (36:53):
Yeah, we still and we still have more than a
half a week to do. So don't you think the
next matchup will be best?
Speaker 2 (37:00):
My god, that's Chargers.
Speaker 1 (37:02):
Okay, So we have four days or parts thereof till
the next game, and you want to figure out who
they play next?
Speaker 8 (37:07):
Yeah, let's look ahead. I mean, obviously the Texas can't
play in the cold and the Monday night football thing,
so it's a foregone conclusion. Let's focus on the next week.
Speaker 2 (37:17):
Do you think they're gonna win?
Speaker 8 (37:21):
I cited again the Monday night streak and the cold weather.
Let us focus on the next week.
Speaker 1 (37:27):
So everything you're sighting is totally intangible and should almost
no way be applied to the predicting the result.
Speaker 2 (37:34):
But you want to move ahead anyway? Is that correct?
I just want to I'd like to move ahead. Okay? Good?
Who would I rather they play?
Speaker 1 (37:41):
I mean you know that I don't care, but I
mean they they I mean, if everybody pulled the upset,
that play the LA Chargers. Right, No, they play. If
everybody pulled the upset, the play Buffalo.
Speaker 2 (37:51):
Yikes.
Speaker 8 (37:53):
Yeah, that's what I mean. It's it's it's fun to
look ahead.
Speaker 2 (37:57):
Oh I'm having a blast.
Speaker 8 (38:00):
But they'll be better prepared for Buffalo this time. They're
a new team.
Speaker 1 (38:03):
That's your cue. That's a WAMMI. He made less sense
than usual. Let's go to a talk back.
Speaker 5 (38:13):
Mark.
Speaker 11 (38:13):
If Gina continues to play at a point per game pace,
would you allow him to come back for another year.
Let's say Brad Marshawn money around four point five to
five million.
Speaker 3 (38:26):
What do you think?
Speaker 1 (38:27):
I don't bring Geno back no matter what, cause Kendall's
got to be the number two center and you can't
block them. If Gino plays wing, then it's a forty
year old wing who's not very fast, and that doesn't
keep with what they're trying to do either. But I
bet they bring him back. Let's go to Mike. Mike
ask Mark anything.
Speaker 5 (38:46):
He's super genius. I questioned, if Probin wins this game Monday,
does he stay in Pittsburgh or would you still like
to see him go?
Speaker 1 (38:56):
I'd fire no matter what. I think it's stale. I
don't think it's building to anything. I think it's an
old quarterback a play dot coach. Uh, DK's a bust.
Ramsey is too old. Uh Cam, although cam boy Cam's
done great this year, but will he be better next year?
Speaker 2 (39:15):
A year older?
Speaker 1 (39:15):
I I just think they're painting themselves into a four
and thirteen corner, uh, either either next year or the
year after. But then again, maybe that's exactly what they
need to be. But no, I would not bring Tomlin back.
Let's go to ed Ed you're on with Mark?
Speaker 5 (39:31):
Hey, Mark, have you ever seen David Johansson?
Speaker 6 (39:35):
No?
Speaker 1 (39:35):
I never saw him perform, which is I mean the
dolls were barely together.
Speaker 2 (39:41):
And then oh that but that was but that wasn't
with David. That was with just Sylvain. Sylvain.
Speaker 5 (39:46):
Oh, I think Buster Pointdexter.
Speaker 2 (39:50):
Well, that was that's a different story. What was Dave?
David wasn't with the dolls at Heartwood Acres?
Speaker 5 (39:55):
Was he?
Speaker 6 (39:56):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (39:56):
I guess he was.
Speaker 5 (39:57):
No, he was playing. He was buster Point.
Speaker 2 (39:59):
We interested buster Point Dexter.
Speaker 9 (40:01):
That was.
Speaker 5 (40:02):
That's that's David Johnson.
Speaker 1 (40:03):
I know it is, but I have no interest in
David doing his cabaret act as I bet. I bet
it was, But I never saw the dolls, never saw David.
Short answer, thank you for the call. By the way,
now I'm thinking we had Sylvain Sylvain on the show
from the New York Dolls when he brought a version
of the dolls to Pittsburgh, and was that at Heartward Acres.
Speaker 2 (40:26):
That's a while back. You think David would have been there.
Speaker 1 (40:28):
Why didn't I go, especially having had Sylvain on the show,
Because I'm a jerk off.
Speaker 2 (40:32):
That's why.
Speaker 1 (40:33):
By the way, a new Black Crows music out and
they're doing a tour this summer and I have yet
to figure out where I'll be seeing them. Let's go
to uh, Starky, Starky, you're on with Double M Double.
Speaker 5 (40:47):
How you doing great? So I understand that you're a
big Emerson Lake and Palmer fan.
Speaker 2 (40:53):
That's that's not true. I thought I thought I thought
it was.
Speaker 1 (40:59):
I mean, I'm a Keith Emerson was a great keyboard player,
color Palmer's a great drummer. But I just I thought
that was like overblown artsy, fartsy, more hype than substance.
I went to see them one time. Remember Cozy Powell
filled in. It was Emerson, Lake and Powell, and he's
one of my favorite drummers ever. And I like Cozy's work.
But yeah, I'm not anti. I don't hate. If you
(41:20):
like them, I get it, but I'm just not a fan.
Speaker 5 (41:23):
Okay. Well, I was gonna say they're definitely better than Sticks, right,
I mean, come on.
Speaker 2 (41:27):
Well, in my country, have a saying.
Speaker 5 (41:30):
Sticks.
Speaker 2 (41:31):
Thank you for the call.
Speaker 1 (41:33):
Okay, I forgot to put a list together, and I'm
doing that a lot lately because I'm old and have
bad memory. But I'll figure out something in the next
couple seconds and call. Keep calling. Make the rest of
this easy for me. Hebrew Hammer said something really depressing.
We've still got parts of four days before the Steelers play.
Speaker 2 (41:53):
This hype is insufferable, but don't worry win or lose.
Speaker 1 (41:58):
They'll have we'll have the tradition of Tomlin, Rogers and
Cam walking off the field together.
Speaker 2 (42:05):
Oh you know what, I'll put Cam on the list,
even though he has had a good season,
Steelers in Houston Monday night, joining us not to talk
about it. Former Steelers quarterback. You hear him on the
postgame show. You hear him on his great podcast with
former Steeler Trey Essex.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
It's Charlie Batch.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Charlie, what do you expect from Aaron Rodgers on Monday night?
It's a cliched question, but boy, he's gotta be at
the top of his game.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
I figure, yeah, he really is, and he's been playing phenomenal.
Speaker 4 (00:24):
But for me, in this game here, because of the
strength of that Texans defense, they have to figure out
a way to get that running game going.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
To now get that play action going.
Speaker 4 (00:34):
I know that's something that'll harp on a lot, but
it's going to be tough for him to drop back
deliver the football without that running game going.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Charlie, I'll be even more dramatic. I think if they
don't establish the running game and he just drops back
after drop back after drop back, he gonna get hurt
because they pressure and they hit in those edge rushers.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
I mean, it's better than any defense in that regard.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
I don't think the Steelers have a choice.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
I understand that, but you know, when.
Speaker 4 (01:00):
You look at they're able to get to the quarterback
without blitzing, and that's that that's the challenge that is
created there. And ultimately, you know, sometime when they bring
the blitz, you know it's going to be one of
the man and man coverage on the back end. But
with this Texan defensey'll allow you to confuse you to
that point because of the pass rushers. But to your point,
there's no way in his game that he can continue
to drop back and drop back without getting pressured a lot.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
Have there been times this year he's got rid of
the ball too early to avoid being hit. Does he
need to to take a hit to make a play
in this game more often?
Speaker 4 (01:32):
Yeah, he's been doing that. I mean he's getting the
ball out of his hands quickly. But again you have
you know, your receivers have to get that run after
catch and that's something that they got better better at.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
The second half of the season.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
But I think ultimately, when you're seeing everything unfold, we
don't know what DK is doing. You would assume that
he's going to be in great physical condition. But again,
how is that Texans defense going to now, you know,
defend DK. Are they going to put their best defender
Stingley on him or are they going to rotate average
to him now to make sure there's always a safety
over top of him and put Stingley on maybe a
(02:05):
Calvin Austen or whoever the other receiver is out there.
So I think that and that question is going to
be answered in the first couple series.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
And we got to know too that Lasted or their
other cornerback is very good as well.
Speaker 4 (02:15):
Right, absolutely, And that's the part where you just don't
know if they're going to play zone again, but you
just gonna be hard to play. You know, if I'm them,
I would not play one on one cover the DK
because you know there's going to be a fifty to
fifty ball down the field and he's probably going to
complete one of those passes. But to minimize that is
just a matter of trying to remove him completely out
of the game and say to yourself, can Calvin Austen
(02:38):
do this again? Can you know, somebody else in that
receiver group do something in this.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
Game that's going to be impactful?
Speaker 4 (02:45):
And again, that's going to be something that's going to
be fairly early to see.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
How about the offensive line match up against Houston's edge
rushers in particular, how will Dylan Cook and and Troy
Fatanu do. I mean I would put them one on
one a lot just to free up you know, weapons
like the extra offensive lineman doubling with a tight end,
the chipping, I mean the chipping against Cleveland Charlie took
Kenneth Gainwell right out of the.
Speaker 4 (03:09):
Offense correct And I don't think they can go back
to that format because again, could Gainwell leads this team
or receptions. And if they know that game Will is
gonna be that guy's gonna chip. You better believe they're
gonna continue to maybe rush a linebacker to keep him
in on pass protection and not allow him to beat
you in the past the passing game. So if I'm
if the Steelers at this particular, boy, and this is
(03:29):
the only thing that I think that Aaron Rodgers can
do is use that snap count as a weapon, and
if he can do that, maybe he keeps that pass
rush off balanced deer. But Troy Fontana, I'm not worried
about him. I think he's gonna be okay there. Dylan Cook,
I think they're gonna now say prove it you're the
young guy on his team on.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
This roster fourth tackle. You go out here and see.
Speaker 4 (03:51):
So I think they're gonna now figure out what that
one on one matchups and how the Steelers look to
protect Dylan Cooked on that left side.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
See I think, Charlie, you hit the nail right on
the head in the beginning of this conversation. I think
they got to run the ball. And that's not just
to open up the pass either. I think they can
run the ball on this team.
Speaker 4 (04:08):
No, I agree with you, they can, but they will
they commit to it because when you get to this
point of the season, when you know there's no tomorrow.
If the running game doesn't get going early, that's when
you tend to have conversations on the sideline and say,
you want to know what Just give me no huddle, Hey,
put me spread out, and if the running game is there,
then I can check to the run versus just completely
dedicating yourself to the run.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
There.
Speaker 4 (04:29):
So again, I think a lot of that unfolds on
how this game shapes out in.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
The first quarter.
Speaker 4 (04:35):
I know there's a lot of talk on the Steelers
being outscored in the first quarter, but that is going
to be critical because that will ultimately determine what the
game plan is in that second and third quarter.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
Well, Charlie, that leads nicely into what I was going
to bring up next. The Steelers have been outscored badly
early in their last five playoff games and have never
managed to come back, losing all five of those.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
Why does that happen? It happens so consistently with this team.
Speaker 4 (04:58):
Yeah, it does, and I know there, you know there's
different ways and different meanings and why it happened. But
I think for them defensively, and a lot of teams
have taken the ball first and they just went right
down the field and scored on that defense. So this
is going to be critical for that defense to go
out there. You know, you would love a three and out,
but if you can at some point, maybe you know,
six plays to force a punt to give your offense
(05:18):
an opportunity to go down the field and score. And
that's assuming that the Steelers win the coin toss and defer.
But if you're Aaron Rodgers in this particular game, I
would want to take the ball first and now potentially give.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
Us the lead and allow your defense to play with
that lead.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
We're talking to Charlie Batch, former Steelers quarterback here on
one oh five ninety X Charlie, I'm finding this game
really hard to handicap.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
I'm vacillating.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
I think it's going to be low scoring, which we'll
give both teams a chance. And I also look at
certain trends, like I don't think Houston's O line is
necessarily very good, but they've all had no sacks in
the last three games and only won in the game
before that.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
You see what I mean.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
It's is it trends or is it is it what
the personnel indicates should happen.
Speaker 4 (06:03):
Now, it's personnel as far as indicating on all of
those things. But I think ultimately, you know, I'm with you.
I kind of lean towards the direction of maybe a
low scoring game. But I think for whatever reason, there's
going to be a couple of scores that happen, mainly
in that second half that now will get the score
over the twenties. And I think whoever gets to twenty
five well first, will win this game. That's just true
(06:23):
of how I truly feel in this particular game.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
But again, you know, there's going to.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
Be that jockey that just match going between these two,
and I think ultimately somebody is going to have to
make it play in a special teams game to now
get that hitting yard is to allow an offense a
shorter field.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
No, you're right on the money with that.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
And really we can compare it to the Baltimore game, Charlie,
because that game was just an all out rock fight
for thirty minutes and then it almost kind of magically
opened up in the second half. And all it takes
is a player too to open a gay up game up.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
Correct, that is it.
Speaker 4 (06:55):
And you know, both of these quarterbacks are mobile, they
can't extend plays defensively. For the Steelers, they now have
to cover a little bit longer because of what Lamar
Jackson did. Some of those plays that he made that
was purely Lamar Jackson making plays on that defense. They
were there initially, but that it's a play broke down.
Then that's whenever receivers were able to get open. So,
(07:17):
because you put that on the film, the defense of
the Steelers is going to have to correct that because
there are going to be certain formations the Texans are
going to want to see, Hey, did you correct those mistakes?
And if you didn't, you'll see that formation a little
bit more what's your.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
Take on CJ.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
Stroud right now in his third year in the NFL, Charlie,
they don't necessarily ask him to do a ton, but
he has a decent deep arm and when called upon,
he can catch up Canny.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
He really can.
Speaker 4 (07:41):
I mean, he had a great first year, second year
was kind of up and down, but when you go
into your third year, they want to see him take
that next step.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
He's trying to do that.
Speaker 4 (07:50):
But again, you don't have to take as many chances
down the field because you had that defense. And ultimately,
if you're the Texans coach, you say, hey, if there's
one thing to be aggressive down the field, but if
you're earn a ball over, don't allow it to be
a picked six or defensive score with not allowing your
defense to get on the field. So these are things
that they're going to want to see. It wouldn't surprise
me if they become aggressive and try to push the
(08:11):
ball down the field because there has been some leakage
on the back end of that second theary there that
they've given up those big plays. So I'm really unsure
is how they're going to approach Seed Scroud.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
But I'm a big fan of him.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
Now, we talked about the tangible stuff of Metcalf's return earlier.
What about the intangibles, Charlie. If I'm DK, I would
feel like I owe one of the Steelers, even though
they made the playoffs in his absence, that lost to Cleveland,
made all the old guys play against Baltimore and it
would have been better had they not. Do you think
DK's gonna come out Not that he ever comes out undetermined,
(08:45):
but you know what I mean, I feel like he
owes the Steelers one.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
Yeah, he does, and he feels bad.
Speaker 4 (08:51):
I m I haven't had a chance to talk to him,
but that just me putting myself into a situation. But
I think, you know, because of this homebaing, however, fans
going to be receptive of him. You know, if he
goes out there for whatever reason he's not as sharp,
you drop one early or the boober is going to
come out, you know.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
Four DK, I don't know, we don't know that.
Speaker 4 (09:07):
Particular issue, but I just I'm just afraid that he
you know, I would cautioning him to say, don't do
too much play within the game and don't try to
go out there and make the big play. If the
big play is not there. Just do your job, and
I think if he does that, that's going to allow
this offense to go back because one of the things
that you know in his game, he's an underrated blocker
in that run game. And that's why I keep put
(09:29):
pushing back to that run game. That's where your run
start to go from five yards to ten yards to
fifteen because your receivers are blocking down the field.
Speaker 3 (09:36):
So he's going to be wired in. I can't wait
to see.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
Him in that vein. What about TJ.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
Watt, who's never won a playoff game, He's only had
one sack in the four playoff games. He's going to
be championed at the bit, but by the same token,
he's still recovering from that lung problem.
Speaker 4 (09:51):
Yeah, he actually played, but he actually did better than
I expected going in because I ever thought they were
going to be.
Speaker 1 (09:55):
On a bigger pitch count than what he wass Baltimore
and played more.
Speaker 4 (09:59):
Really absolutely, and he was there, so I would expect that,
but I probably you know, I promise you with then internally,
especially your leaders of that team, you've had conversations about, Hey,
I just want to win a playoff game. Hey, I
just want the playoff success. So internally those guys are
talking about it. Maybe a small group, but it won't
to be the larger group. But they understand the circumstances
at hand, and they feel very confident. They're excited about
(10:22):
Aaron Rodgers being here. And if you look back outside
of Ben not being here, I think TJ really looks
at this and say, man, we have a shot here
in this AFC, because they don't really feel like anybody
else is a threat.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
Charlie, I know I shouldn't be worried about Chris Boswell,
but he's missed a kick in each of his last
three games.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
What's your fear level like with him on a big kick?
Speaker 4 (10:43):
Yeah, I'm not concerned about about Chris at all. I mean,
this guy has a complete confidence. I did have a
chance to see him earlier in the week. He was
little even kill all the way through and I know,
you know as it came out the kick was partially
blocked and he missed it. But either way, you missed it.
And when that's to be continued to be the narrative.
If the game was on the line and he was
sitting there at a fifty two to fifty five yard
(11:05):
kick at Acta Sure Stadium to win the game. I
have complete confidence as Boss is going to get it done.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
Yeah, yeah, so do I. But in that vein, though, Charlie,
it's could be a weird game. Because Houston has kicked
forty eight field goals. I sometimes think the Steelers relay
on field goals too much. Houston kicked the most field
goals in the league by like seven or eight field goals,
And again that trickles back to what both coaches emphasize
and the possibility of a low scoring game.
Speaker 4 (11:31):
You're right on that, and I think that's one of
the ones field goals are not going to win this game.
You have to get into the end zone, and yes,
the field goals are there, but that just lets me
know that the game could be potentially close all the
way through if you're not able to separate yourself with
the field goals. So they're comfortable with it, but again,
we haven't had somebody there that can consistently block a
field goals, so you know you're going to get those opportunities.
(11:52):
Maybe somebody steps up and maybe get a block and
maybe take some points off the board for the Texans who.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
Do you like, Charlie. Like I keep saying, I'm flip flopping.
Speaker 4 (12:01):
I'm flip flopping, but you know, this time of year,
I gotta go with the Steelers that you know, everybody's
talking about the Texans nine to nine game winning streak,
but the Steelers are hot too.
Speaker 3 (12:10):
They're won four of the last five. So I'm kind
of getting.
Speaker 4 (12:13):
Those vibes that I think that they're going to get
it done because it's home. They're going to give these fans,
the actorsuer Stadium, the opportunity to make it impact in
the game when that Houston offense is on the field.
Speaker 3 (12:23):
So I'm going with the Steelers in this one.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
Charlie, great stuff, fantastic insight. We'll do it again next
week and enjoy the game.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
I appreciate it. Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
That's the great Charlie Batch, former Steelers quarterback.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
You can hear him on the postgame show on DV
and also he does a podcast with Trey Essex that
is excellent.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:42):
I do keep flip flopping, but boy, that Chris sim SoundBite.
Speaker 5 (12:48):
I like.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
Read the transcript. I was afraid to listen to it
though I really want to hear this. Okay, get your
calls in for calls on the fifteens eight three three
four one two w XDX eight three three four one
two w xdx. We got mister Friday after with his
picks at the bottom of the hour. He went two
and three this past week, so he's kind of flashing
(13:12):
back into his pan. What five nine the X our
twenty twenty six. I heard radio Music Awards are coming.
Speaker 5 (13:20):
To Fox right from Los Angeles.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
There is day Mark's twenty six music.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
First Longs to get start, But thanks for.
Speaker 3 (13:28):
Coming the X at one oh five nine.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
We talked briefly earlier that Chad O Cho Sinko says
that during his first two years with the Cincinnati Bengals
that he lived at the I don't know it was
at the stadium or the practice facility.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
He must have been the practice.
Speaker 1 (13:46):
Facility because he would be like the first to get
there in the last league, except he never left. He
characterized himself as really cheap and able to spend money,
and if you think about it, at an NFL team's
facil you.
Speaker 5 (14:00):
Could live there.
Speaker 1 (14:02):
They got the leisure rooms with the big screen TVs,
the games and stuff. They got the huge locker room, bathroom,
facilities with showers and whatnot, all the hygiene.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
Products you could want, gratis.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
I don't think there's probably beds there, but there's you know,
big couches for sure.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
You could do it. You could do it, nobody would notice.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
When I worked at the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, there was
a part time guy there who lived like, slept in
the in the library like where they kept the clippings
from the old papers back before the internet thing, and
they had microfilm stuff like that. But you could do
it that. That was an amusing story.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
You know. I've been kind of I don't know who
I'm going to pick right now.
Speaker 1 (14:50):
I'm leaning toward Houston because of that Chris sim SoundBite
about how Rogers will be overwhelmed by that pass rush,
and I think he may well be. I think Aaron
Rodgers has to determine in his mind that he's willing
to get hit to make plays, because he's very rarely
done that this year. And I don't blame him, but
this is different. You're playing a team that's better than you.
You're playing a team that has an hillatious pass rush,
(15:13):
so it's got to be all hands on deck. And
that includes the forty two year olds got to take risk,
no risk it, no biscuit. But I was laughing when
Cam Hayward talked about how he wanted Aaron Rodgers to
walk off the field with him and Tom win every
game and citing the tradition. There ain't no tradition here,
not for you guys. You ain't mean Joe Green, you
(15:35):
ain't Ben Roethlisberger, You're not Troy Polamalu, You're not Terry Bradshaw.
If you want to glom onto stuff that happened years
before you got here, that doesn't say much about what
you've done since you did get here. So I don't
care who walks off the freaking field with who unless
you do it Monday night after a playoff game tradition
like this team still has effing tradition. You gotta be
(15:57):
effing kidding me, f tradition and win a playoff game.
And Aaron Rodgers said two moments have defined that he
made the right decision. I'd prefer a third moment that'd
be winning a playoff game. And Rogers said there were
two moments. Then he didn't really say the moments. I mean,
(16:18):
looking at what he did say, he liked the feeling,
whatever that means, and he liked Latrobe. Okay, great, shut
up and win a playoff game. Let's go to Nick. Nick,
you're on with double M.
Speaker 6 (16:33):
Hey, Mark, you might think I'm crazy, But one thing
I'm concerned about is the Houston running game, simply because
I'm afraid the Steelers may not take it as seriously
as they should and pass dictates. Look at the Jets
running game was awful, and so was the Bengals, but
against the Steelers, they really crap the bed. Worrying so
much on any passing.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
I don't think Houston realies on anything or person in
particular offensively, other than Nco Collins being their number one target.
But they have another decent target too. But it's not
like Strad throws the ball a ton.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
I mean at that point you buy a ton.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
I mean I think they have a balanced offense, which
the Steelers do not.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
By the way.
Speaker 6 (17:14):
Yeah, I'm afraid that it's going to open up on
the run portion of the side, which is then going
to really kill the Steelers when it comes to them
having to adjust and the pass opens up.
Speaker 5 (17:24):
That's my concern, Brov.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
I have a million concerns and I'm sure you do too.
But the biggest concern is that Rogers can hang in
there and take risk.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
To make a play, take a hit to make a play.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
He's not been willing to do that all year, if
we're being honest, wasn't willing to do it.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
Like the Cleveland game the LA game, you know, when.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
He's under pressure, he gets very antsy and after a
while gets the booboo face. I don't say he quits,
but I gotta be honest. That Cleveland game looked like
he quit. The LA game looked like he quit. But
then again, I can't say that because he rallied the
team to almost the game time touchdown against Cleveland.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (18:02):
I don't have the faith in Aaron Rodgers at forty
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up next, we'll talk to mister Friday afternoon and get
his picks.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
It's the mark Man Show one oh five ninety.
Speaker 7 (19:21):
X from the one oh five ninety X Weather Center.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
This report is Spider. What if they were assless chaps?
Would that help it all?
Speaker 1 (19:30):
If they want d X At one O five nine,
his hot streak is over. He's flashing back into his pan.
He went two and three last week, but he remains
a very creditable fifty five and forty four on the season.
Here with the Football Picks, it is, mister Friday afternoon,
(19:51):
Mister Friday Afternoon, you've kind of I don't want to
say slump.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
Two and three, I mean, not brutal, but what's gone wrong?
Speaker 1 (19:57):
You're not like what you were when you had that
twenty game winning streak.
Speaker 5 (20:04):
Well, it's when the in the end of the season
is kind of always difficult because you never know, uh,
who's going to play, the motivations, the scoreboard watching.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
You do know all that I expect.
Speaker 5 (20:21):
However, I did take Tennessee, Okay, and their quarterback got
injured on the play where he rushed in for a
touchdown to take a seven nothing lead, so they had
to put the back back the quarterback in the rest of.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
The I don't see what going that.
Speaker 5 (20:35):
That happens excellent point. No, no, But but you asked,
you asked me, what what happens? That's a valid excuse
while lost to play.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
I probably I'm not excuse.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
Probably you're exactly wouldn't you just said you're not making
excuses then presented.
Speaker 5 (20:49):
But it's a valid But it's a valid excuse.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
Right, Well, I'd like maybe I should make the question
more direct. I left it a little more ambiguous. Uh,
the question is why do you suck again?
Speaker 5 (20:59):
Are there our own sucky kid?
Speaker 2 (21:01):
Okay? Fair enough?
Speaker 5 (21:02):
Three two and three? Respectable?
Speaker 2 (21:05):
Not really, it's losing money.
Speaker 5 (21:08):
Yeah, but I won a game. Okay, I want two games.
Speaker 1 (21:12):
Let's let's go to the if you look at it,
if you look at it.
Speaker 5 (21:15):
From a positive standpoint, I wont two games. Well from
that standpoint, yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
You only won one. You only won the super Collider.
Speaker 5 (21:24):
Oh I thought I won the Daily Double. No, don't, don't.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
Try to mask your failure with sound effects. I gave
you credit. You're incredible. You you are a creditable fifty
five and forty four.
Speaker 5 (21:37):
Okay. Going into the playoffs, were are we going to
spend the wheels?
Speaker 2 (21:42):
Don't play that, don't play that. Uh, I don't know.
I haven't made up my mind yet. Do you think
we should?
Speaker 5 (21:49):
Yeah? I think we should spend the wheel I stop.
Speaker 1 (21:51):
Stop, Okay, let me think about it. Uh, let's let's
do the Steeler game first. Who do you got Steelers
in Houston? It's Monday night.
Speaker 5 (22:00):
Very exciting, isn't it I've got hot news and inside
information on this game. Oh god, So my sources okay,
you know, in the gaming community, there's a lot of
people that are credible sources, sources, But go ahead, okay.
My sources has told me that the Steelers are prepared
(22:22):
to fire Mike Mike uh, what's his name? Tom?
Speaker 1 (22:28):
Okay, so you forgot the name and you expect me
to believe that whatever you're about to go.
Speaker 5 (22:33):
I just had a brain brain crant there. They're they're
ready to fire Mike Tomins. So they're they're, they're they're
they're preparing to lose this game, okay, and they're going
to hire John Harbaugh and Mike Tomlin is going to
go coach the Ravens. Okay, the deal is already in place.
(22:55):
As a matter of fact, one of the underground sports.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
That's a hard application on your pot.
Speaker 5 (23:01):
No, no, no, that's absolutely true. Well, my sources are
telling me this is true, and when it comes to fruition,
you're gonna be apologize it to me and you're gonna
an HR might get involved.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
No, no, no, I already talked to HR.
Speaker 5 (23:12):
They said it's okay, okay, that's fine, But what's gonna happen,
is is uh, they're gonna they're flipping teams. So John
Harbor is gonna become the Steelers coach, My Tom was
gonna become the Ravers coach. And actually one of one
of my one of my local sports books here they
actually have a line out already for the game next
year was the first game they play against each other's
(23:33):
already line out.
Speaker 1 (23:34):
The first game when Tom Win coaches Baltimore against Tarball
coaching Pittsburgh.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
There's already a lineup.
Speaker 5 (23:39):
What is the line under?
Speaker 1 (23:43):
Okay, well that that that kind of figures okay in
this game.
Speaker 5 (23:46):
Yeah, so nice tonight you can see it. It makes sense.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
Yeah, yeah, it really does make sense.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
Okay, Pittsburgh is a three and a half poet underdog
at home Monday night.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
Who do you got?
Speaker 5 (23:58):
Okay, they're gonna lose, but the I'm not gonna lose
by more than three because you know, the the Steelers
season is playing out exactly as we talked about before
the season started. They finished one game over five hundred,
they won the division, or two they finish they won
the division.
Speaker 1 (24:18):
The most rudimentary fact, why should we try him out?
Speaker 5 (24:22):
Time out? They went into the last game where they
they possibly if they would have lost, they would have
finished one game over five hundred. Basically, they they barely
got in. They're the number four seed, okay, uh, and
they're they're playing against the team that's got the best
defensive football. Now they're lucky because they have a chance
to cover this game because they're on Monday Night football.
They win the best Monday Night football teams and in.
Speaker 2 (24:43):
The wins on Monday Night football.
Speaker 5 (24:46):
Correct. They're not gonna win this one though. Okay, they're
gonna lose by three on a field goal from Kyne Fairburn, Fairbarn,
whatever the guy's name is. He's going to kick a field.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
His name, he didn't know Tom Wins name. You don't know,
the Steelers didn't.
Speaker 5 (25:00):
It's a difficult name to pronounce.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
No, it's fair Burn. It's easy to pronounce.
Speaker 5 (25:05):
Oh, fair fair Barn was fair Barn.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
Okay, anyway, let's get past that. Three and a half and.
Speaker 5 (25:12):
Half yeah, yeah, yeah, okay. So it's gonna be both.
It's gonna be win win. They're gonna get eliminated from
the playoffs. Tom is gonna get fired because's gonna go
to Baltimore and we've got the under in the first
game that they played me. You're already already better underwater,
just under, it's just under. It's under you already.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
And then and then pick yeah that available is under.
Speaker 5 (25:32):
Yeah it was your doubt.
Speaker 2 (25:35):
Okay, what's the lock of the week?
Speaker 5 (25:38):
The lock of the week this week of Well, here's
some tough games. We're gonna take the Packers against the Bears.
They've owned they've owned the Bears for ever. The Bears
got lucky to beat them last wons. Okay, so uh yeah,
they're gonna they're gonna get the revenge and they're gonna
(25:59):
beat them in a uh, they're gonna beat them in cover.
Speaker 1 (26:02):
Where did you yell at something from from from Scarface?
Speaker 2 (26:06):
I was I was doing slapside.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
What what context was there for you yelling revenga?
Speaker 5 (26:13):
Because it's it's a revenge game.
Speaker 2 (26:16):
Okay, Okay, I got you? Then good that that's actually
a good one.
Speaker 5 (26:19):
It's revenge game. It's a revenge game, venga.
Speaker 2 (26:23):
Okay, that's enough, all right?
Speaker 1 (26:26):
Okay, So Green Bay minus one and a half, now
it's time to pick the daily double.
Speaker 5 (26:34):
It's a tough one, but we're going to go down
South to Jacksonville and we're going to uh oh boy,
it's a tough sick.
Speaker 1 (26:46):
Did you know Tony Kann has appointed himself offensive coordinator
for Jacksonville for this game?
Speaker 5 (26:51):
Oh really? Yes, Okay, I'm changing my mind. Taking Buffalo
Buffalo pick them. Uh, this is the ticket is made
the zero doubt.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
It's not picking Buffalo is minus one.
Speaker 5 (27:05):
Okay, I'm still making a zero down.
Speaker 1 (27:08):
Okay, So so the picks are that's the daily double
Buffalo giving one, the lock of the weekes Green Bay
giving a point and a half, and the Steelers are
your pick, getting three and a half.
Speaker 2 (27:21):
Now I'm gonna allow you right now to make it.
Speaker 5 (27:24):
Are we gonna spin the wheel? Well?
Speaker 1 (27:26):
Stop, stop not until I say, uh, why should we?
Speaker 2 (27:31):
I mean, give me, give me a compelling argument.
Speaker 5 (27:36):
Because uh, there's this, there's there's six games, all right,
we should we should have another game to pick where
we spin the wheel.
Speaker 2 (27:45):
Okay, at least at least Tom didn't play it there. Okay,
here's the thing.
Speaker 5 (27:48):
You don't even really but why don't you want to
spin the wheel?
Speaker 1 (27:52):
Spin the wheel is contingent on, not an additional game.
Speaker 2 (27:57):
It's we do it for one of the already picked games.
Speaker 1 (27:59):
If you'll recall, and then whatever the wheel stops on,
it is assigned a multiplier for you know, times three
times five times ten as I recall.
Speaker 5 (28:10):
Correct?
Speaker 1 (28:11):
Okay, so so uh okay, we can use the sound effect.
Now I have decided to spin the wheel. Now refresh
my memory. Here, do we pick the super collider before
or we spin the wheel?
Speaker 5 (28:27):
H From my memory? I think I think the main
event the final pick was spin the wheel.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
Okay, so I picked the super collider first, correct? Okay?
Now now I make this pick knowing you hate the Steelers.
Speaker 5 (28:47):
I don't hate the Steelers. You do?
Speaker 2 (28:49):
You do hate that?
Speaker 1 (28:50):
You just said they were gonna lose though you said
they would cover, but lose because.
Speaker 2 (28:53):
You hate them.
Speaker 5 (28:54):
Yeah, but we're gonna get John Harbaugh.
Speaker 2 (28:56):
Who's we.
Speaker 5 (28:58):
The Steelers?
Speaker 2 (29:00):
They're not your team? You hate the Steelers?
Speaker 5 (29:04):
No, you said, I do you hate the Steelers? I don't,
And you're and you're deflecting off of me to putue
a project the year that you don't hate the steel What.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
Are you talking about? Okay?
Speaker 1 (29:14):
By way of proving how much I love the Steelers
and you hate them, I am picking the Steelers as
the Super Collider.
Speaker 5 (29:21):
All right, let's spin the wheel.
Speaker 2 (29:25):
That's the sound effect.
Speaker 1 (29:26):
We're not actually spinning the wheel yet. Okay, now on
my queue, let's do it. Let's spin the wheel. You
know what that that doesn't count because I forgot to
say what game we were spinning the wheel for?
Speaker 5 (29:42):
Correct? You didn't take the correct You needn't pick the game.
Speaker 2 (29:46):
Do you ever feel like we should just stop doing
this segment?
Speaker 5 (29:49):
No, what we should do is let me talk to
my fans.
Speaker 2 (29:53):
Okay, we got Mike from South Park. Mike, you're on
mister Friday Afternoon.
Speaker 8 (29:57):
Hey, mister Friday Afternoon and one of your biggest fans.
I saw a video online of you being removed from
the Raiders stadium.
Speaker 6 (30:04):
Because your huge bugle beak nose was blocking everybody for
you in the section.
Speaker 8 (30:08):
Was that real or was that artificial intelligence?
Speaker 5 (30:11):
That had to been AI? I think it was Grock.
Speaker 1 (30:15):
Thank you for the call, but that that would be
the first time you've ever been linked with intelligence, though
artificial or otherwise.
Speaker 5 (30:22):
Well, that's sol fabrication of your part.
Speaker 1 (30:25):
Okay, I am designating. Let's see, should I go Super
Collider daily double.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
For the last of the week.
Speaker 1 (30:36):
I'm gonna I'm gonna spin the wheel on the super collider.
Speaker 5 (30:41):
Oh boy, that's.
Speaker 2 (30:42):
The side effect. But I'm gonna say it. Now, spin
the wheel.
Speaker 1 (30:53):
It is times five Sony Steelers game is now worth
ten points.
Speaker 5 (31:02):
Wow. And you know what the best thing about that is.
Speaker 2 (31:05):
It could it could go on.
Speaker 1 (31:06):
You could go under five hundred on the year based
on your insistence of using spin the wheel.
Speaker 5 (31:11):
Correct correct however, however, Okay, it's a Steeler game and
I had inside information on this, all right, and.
Speaker 1 (31:24):
Kakamaning story about the coaches switching teams.
Speaker 5 (31:28):
Well, you'll see when it comes to fruition. But the
best part about that pick that we that it's the
super collider and that we spun the wheel, that we
stood just spin the wheel, is that the game was
made with zero doubt.
Speaker 1 (31:45):
Yeah, you just want to get the sound effects out
there to mask your stupidity.
Speaker 5 (31:51):
Well see that as may be, the picks are still
made with zero doubt.
Speaker 1 (31:57):
It's time to ask mark anything dial eight three, assuming
anyone's left listening, which I DoPT. But now eight three
three four one two wxdx eight three three four one
two wxdx. That's a three three four one two wxdx.
Or leave a talkback via the microphone icon thatt the
iHeartMedia app, and you can also use our secret backdoor
(32:21):
number with Lube that gets you on the air right
away and penetrates deeply. Wait what four one two three
three three WXDX.
Speaker 7 (32:32):
It's time to submit your questions for Ask Mark Anything.
Use your free iHeartRadio app and tap the microphone icon
to send your questions to the super genius instantly.
Speaker 9 (32:45):
Tomorrow afternoon, the Pens go head to head against the Flames.
Game time is three thirty. Our coverage starts at two thirty.
Listen to every game and the best Pens coverage on
your home at the Pittsburgh Penguins one oh five nine DX.
Speaker 1 (33:00):
It's Mark Madden here for Heinz Verified Playoff Football in
Pittsburgh clus for Wings. New York Dolls popping ad in
there today because it would have been the seventy sixth
birthday today of David Johanson, the dolls lead singer. I
remember the kid seeing the Dolls like on Don Kursher's
rock concert with all the glitter and you know, they
(33:21):
did a lot of draggy type costuming and just had this.
I mean, they were the original punks. So good for
a kid to see that. Wow, what a wake up called,
just how you could do things different and still do
them real good. So wish David was still around. He
passed away less than a year ago. But yeah, just
(33:44):
the New York Dolls, the frick in New York Dolls
man and Jimmy Page eighty second birthday today, good music
day here on the show. I think Houston might win.
Monday night, though, the Baltimore Ravens interviewed Kevin Stefanski for
their vacant head coaching position. Contradicting mister Friday Afternoon's report
that Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh would be switching jobs
(34:06):
next year, Miami hired John Eric Sullivan, the longtime Green
Bay assistant GM, to be their new GM.
Speaker 2 (34:15):
You can see where that's going, don't you.
Speaker 1 (34:19):
They're going to bring in Malik Willis to be the
quarterback put two on the paid o mind list, even
though they still owe him an awful lot of money.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
And a lot of dead cap.
Speaker 1 (34:30):
And I think Harba is going to go there because
having done reasonably well with Lamar, although not winning a
Super Bowl, you would think that Harbaugh coaching Malik Willis
would be a good fit. Again, contrary to what mister
Friday Afternoon is predicting regarding Harbaugh's future.
Speaker 2 (34:48):
If you're just.
Speaker 1 (34:48):
Tuning in, the picks are the Steelers plus three and
a half. That is both the super collider, that is
both the there you go and the spin the wheel bonus,
so that is worth ten points.
Speaker 2 (35:08):
The daily double.
Speaker 1 (35:11):
Is Buffalo minus one, and the lock of the week
is Green Bay minus a point and a half. Let's
go to sewn Seawan. Ask Mark anything, Shawn, You're on
the air. Okay, Shawn's not there. Let's go to a talkback.
Speaker 3 (35:35):
Are you afraid to die.
Speaker 2 (35:39):
At this point? Unwelcome it. Let's go to another talkback.
Speaker 10 (35:44):
Hey, Mark, I was just wondering if you saw the
fiasco with the Saint Louis Blues where Jim Montgomery wanted
to pull Bennington and the backup goalie was literally hiding
in the tunnel.
Speaker 11 (35:58):
It was all over the internet.
Speaker 1 (35:59):
Well Benning to refuse to come out correct and the
backup goalie wanted no part of it. Yeap, Benington's an ass,
but he won the Four Nations for Canada. He won
a Stanley Cup for Saint Louis. I don't think he's
a very good goalie, but as somebody I talked to,
who may or may not be Canada's captain at the Olympics, said,
(36:21):
he's capable of picking up his game dramatically in big situations.
So that's why he's gonna gonna be the Olympic goalie
for Canada. Let's go now to our good friend, always
a pleasure to talk to the Hebrew Hammer Hammer yak Shamash.
Speaker 8 (36:39):
Happy New year Mark. Hey, not only a four days
still parts of four days to dissect.
Speaker 5 (36:47):
The Steelers game.
Speaker 1 (36:49):
We've been dissecting it NonStop all week.
Speaker 8 (36:53):
Yeah, we still and we still have more than a
half a week to do. So don't you think the
next matchup will be best?
Speaker 2 (37:00):
My god, that's Chargers.
Speaker 1 (37:02):
Okay, So we have four days or parts thereof till
the next game, and you want to figure out who
they play next?
Speaker 8 (37:07):
Yeah, let's look ahead. I mean, obviously the Texas can't
play in the cold and the Monday night football thing,
so it's a foregone conclusion. Let's focus on the next week.
Speaker 2 (37:17):
Do you think they're gonna win?
Speaker 8 (37:21):
I cited again the Monday night streak and the cold weather.
Let us focus on the next week.
Speaker 1 (37:27):
So everything you're sighting is totally intangible and should almost
no way be applied to the predicting the result.
Speaker 2 (37:34):
But you want to move ahead anyway? Is that correct?
I just want to I'd like to move ahead. Okay? Good?
Who would I rather they play?
Speaker 1 (37:41):
I mean you know that I don't care, but I
mean they they I mean, if everybody pulled the upset,
that play the LA Chargers. Right, No, they play. If
everybody pulled the upset, the play Buffalo.
Speaker 2 (37:51):
Yikes.
Speaker 8 (37:53):
Yeah, that's what I mean. It's it's it's fun to
look ahead.
Speaker 2 (37:57):
Oh I'm having a blast.
Speaker 8 (38:00):
But they'll be better prepared for Buffalo this time. They're
a new team.
Speaker 1 (38:03):
That's your cue. That's a WAMMI. He made less sense
than usual. Let's go to a talk back.
Speaker 5 (38:13):
Mark.
Speaker 11 (38:13):
If Gina continues to play at a point per game pace,
would you allow him to come back for another year.
Let's say Brad Marshawn money around four point five to
five million.
Speaker 3 (38:26):
What do you think?
Speaker 1 (38:27):
I don't bring Geno back no matter what, cause Kendall's
got to be the number two center and you can't
block them. If Gino plays wing, then it's a forty
year old wing who's not very fast, and that doesn't
keep with what they're trying to do either. But I
bet they bring him back. Let's go to Mike. Mike
ask Mark anything.
Speaker 5 (38:46):
He's super genius. I questioned, if Probin wins this game Monday,
does he stay in Pittsburgh or would you still like
to see him go?
Speaker 1 (38:56):
I'd fire no matter what. I think it's stale. I
don't think it's building to anything. I think it's an
old quarterback a play dot coach. Uh, DK's a bust.
Ramsey is too old. Uh Cam, although cam boy Cam's
done great this year, but will he be better next year?
Speaker 2 (39:15):
A year older?
Speaker 1 (39:15):
I I just think they're painting themselves into a four
and thirteen corner, uh, either either next year or the
year after. But then again, maybe that's exactly what they
need to be. But no, I would not bring Tomlin back.
Let's go to ed Ed you're on with Mark?
Speaker 5 (39:31):
Hey, Mark, have you ever seen David Johansson?
Speaker 6 (39:35):
No?
Speaker 1 (39:35):
I never saw him perform, which is I mean the
dolls were barely together.
Speaker 2 (39:41):
And then oh that but that was but that wasn't
with David. That was with just Sylvain. Sylvain.
Speaker 5 (39:46):
Oh, I think Buster Pointdexter.
Speaker 2 (39:50):
Well, that was that's a different story. What was Dave?
David wasn't with the dolls at Heartwood Acres?
Speaker 5 (39:55):
Was he?
Speaker 6 (39:56):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (39:56):
I guess he was.
Speaker 5 (39:57):
No, he was playing. He was buster Point.
Speaker 2 (39:59):
We interested buster Point Dexter.
Speaker 9 (40:01):
That was.
Speaker 5 (40:02):
That's that's David Johnson.
Speaker 1 (40:03):
I know it is, but I have no interest in
David doing his cabaret act as I bet. I bet
it was, But I never saw the dolls, never saw David.
Short answer, thank you for the call. By the way,
now I'm thinking we had Sylvain Sylvain on the show
from the New York Dolls when he brought a version
of the dolls to Pittsburgh, and was that at Heartward Acres.
Speaker 2 (40:26):
That's a while back. You think David would have been there.
Speaker 1 (40:28):
Why didn't I go, especially having had Sylvain on the show,
Because I'm a jerk off.
Speaker 2 (40:32):
That's why.
Speaker 1 (40:33):
By the way, a new Black Crows music out and
they're doing a tour this summer and I have yet
to figure out where I'll be seeing them. Let's go
to uh, Starky, Starky, you're on with Double M Double.
Speaker 5 (40:47):
How you doing great? So I understand that you're a
big Emerson Lake and Palmer fan.
Speaker 2 (40:53):
That's that's not true. I thought I thought I thought
it was.
Speaker 1 (40:59):
I mean, I'm a Keith Emerson was a great keyboard player,
color Palmer's a great drummer. But I just I thought
that was like overblown artsy, fartsy, more hype than substance.
I went to see them one time. Remember Cozy Powell
filled in. It was Emerson, Lake and Powell, and he's
one of my favorite drummers ever. And I like Cozy's work.
But yeah, I'm not anti. I don't hate. If you
(41:20):
like them, I get it, but I'm just not a fan.
Speaker 5 (41:23):
Okay. Well, I was gonna say they're definitely better than Sticks, right,
I mean, come on.
Speaker 2 (41:27):
Well, in my country, have a saying.
Speaker 5 (41:30):
Sticks.
Speaker 2 (41:31):
Thank you for the call.
Speaker 1 (41:33):
Okay, I forgot to put a list together, and I'm
doing that a lot lately because I'm old and have
bad memory. But I'll figure out something in the next
couple seconds and call. Keep calling. Make the rest of
this easy for me. Hebrew Hammer said something really depressing.
We've still got parts of four days before the Steelers play.
Speaker 2 (41:53):
This hype is insufferable, but don't worry win or lose.
Speaker 1 (41:58):
They'll have we'll have the tradition of Tomlin, Rogers and
Cam walking off the field together.
Speaker 2 (42:05):
Oh you know what, I'll put Cam on the list,
even though he has had a good season,
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