HR 2 - Outside Linebacker Trio, Around NFL

Chris and Tom talk about a positive they saw from the Steelers defense, wonder if Rodgers is starting to show his age, and take a look around the NFL.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
Chris.

Speaker 2 (00:06):
We opened the show today talking about how they're O
for three now on Primetime Football lost Thursday Night, so
Amazon Prime, oh for one, and now they're oh and
two on NBC Sunday Night Football. You looked us up
at the break their record on CBS.

Speaker 1 (00:21):
They are four and oh feed on CBS. They're also
one and o an NFL network the Morning Game.

Speaker 2 (00:26):
That's right.

Speaker 1 (00:27):
So and here's the good news, right, so they're oh
and two on NBC, oh and one on It on
Prime Networks, on Video on one on Fox. So the
good news is they're four to oh on CBS. Is
that seven in their final away games are on CBS,
that's right there, you go, it's the Dolphins game, right yeah,
the Monday night game against and Mike.

Speaker 2 (00:45):
Comin never loses at home on Monday night for you go.
So I think it's games.

Speaker 1 (00:50):
I think it's c b ES c BBS, a's ZBES.
I go with JJ Watt. So I think that there's
a mepotism going themes right there almost positive because they
are always I can't without I want to go back
and verifive hundred percent. But yes, I'm sure because yeah,
I know they did the new England game for sure.
They did the Indianapolis game for sure, the Cleveland game,

(01:13):
they did Jets game for sure.

Speaker 2 (01:15):
Did the Jets game apps, I can't remember. I don't
think they did the Cleveland game, right, Maybe they did,
I don't think that.

Speaker 1 (01:21):
Well, so you get jag wasn't pretty funny when TJ
get asked if you've blown a kiss to his brother?
You see the media we said it was hise'.

Speaker 2 (01:31):
I know we're going to get Nanson Bill's game. I mean,
that's just match, that's a match made in Heavin and it.

Speaker 1 (01:36):
Probably get twenty five.

Speaker 2 (01:37):
We'll probably get Nanson Roma for that Lions game too,
So I hope those.

Speaker 1 (01:40):
Those are both for twenty five. So one pm CBS. Now,
I guess I should say the six of the final
seven because the week's eighteen now is always Tbay. They'll
end up Saturday because the Steelers always play the Saturday
week eighteen because the Steeers are always fighting for a
playoff spot and Baltimore is always fighting for them for
the North. Yeah, yeah, that's so that'll be on four
o'clock on whatever network does this game. Maybe Yeah, let

(02:02):
me see there you go and probably go and Nance
will probably do the four o'clock game month of the
Sunday that week.

Speaker 2 (02:08):
So there you go, all right. Thus concludes an impromptu
segment called useless analysis that means absolutely nothing. Uh, let's
get to some real analysis that means something.

Speaker 1 (02:18):
Evan Washberg the key to the Steelers successful.

Speaker 2 (02:22):
The Steelers they see that hair on the sidelines and
they're motivating.

Speaker 1 (02:25):
Like, that's Richie want No, it's not Richie Walsh. It's
better I'm kidding or am I the defense?

Speaker 2 (02:34):
What they did. One of the things that they did
they did that I really really liked was their usage
of the three outside linebackers at the same time. And
the play that I think really illustrates just how badass
this can be was hot one of high Smith's sacks.
Herbig and Watt are on the left side of the

(02:56):
Steelers defense. On this play, Highsmith's on the right, Herbing
and Water next to each other. Watt has his hands
in the dirt. Herbig is kind of standing up and
he's kind of like walking around. Then as Herbert's going
through kind of his reads and maybe checking into something
at the line of scrimmage, Herbert runs up, puts his
hand in the dirt, next to what. I'm like, Oh god,
it's on. I was getting so excited on the TV screen.

(03:17):
I was like, oh my god, here we go. They
both win. Their pass rush forces Herbert to move up
into the right and high Smith comes completely across the
line rushing from the right side and swallows him whole man.
That is what I'm talking about when it comes to
that three outside linebacker usage and having all three of

(03:39):
them on the field, that is the epitome of what
the vision should be. Because that was awesome pass rush.
It was chaotic, it had Herbert flustered, and you finished
it off with a big sack and it was a
crunching sack too. I mean you saw that full fifty
six just envelop him and slam him into the dirt.
The release eight, it looks like eight plays.

Speaker 1 (04:01):
Just doing the math that there were three outside linebackers
on the field. More so, you wonder what the percentage
was and how many passing downs. Without looking at the
film and parsing every single play, probably third, you would
hope you would think that that was you know, third
and six and beyond is anytime there's a third and
third and five and beyond or even third and four
if you want to whatever a third down whenever it's

(04:23):
more than when you're sure it's not going to be
a running player almost it is surely going to be
a passing play. You can almost to pull that every time.
And I say that all with you know, Kellanu. I
don't know who that necessarily always is at the expense of,
but you would think it's generally gonna be in Benton's
Benton's actually turning into a little pass rush. Although his
sack it's almost like the assisted sack where he gets
the whole sack and talk about half sacks or whatever.

(04:45):
But Peyton Wilson kind of almost caused the Kanye Benton
sack by flushing him up in the pocket a little bit.
But Kana finished the play and that's good to see.
It's good to see him get that production the pass rush,
and it's something that's been missing. But yeah, everybody knows
every talked about. I mean, I think nationally some of
the analytics people and things, and you see the numbers
for her Big and where they're at in terms of

(05:07):
his past rush win rate and all that, and where
he's grades all that that. You got to get them
on the field in passing situations. You're not gonna take
you know, your Hall of Fame talent. You're not gonna
take TJ. Wat off the field and voluntarily too often.
Alex had multiple sacks two games and like I said,
so this is part of the solution to that is
to do that, and they're obviously done it a lot
more if they've done it these these past couple of
games and everybody's been healthy. That's part of the problem too,

(05:28):
is high Smith missed some time, Herbig's missed some time.
Kind of odd that TJ. Watt after the past few
years here, he's been the one that's on the field
every single game so far. But yeah, using that like
to see that creativity, it seems like how many times
and again they're only doing it eight snaps and if
if you can point out a play that's a pretty good,
you know, you get a couple splash plays out of it.

(05:49):
It's not a coincidence. And we've seen it before. We
knew that it would make fun of the Jack Sawaar
sack being the being a t J. Watt creation by
having two Vige rushers on the same side. So we
can concite all these top of our head and they're
not doing it that often. That means it's a pretty
high percentage that's working.

Speaker 2 (06:06):
Forty two percent of the snaps is still too low
for Nick Herbig in this game. For me, it's not bad,
but it could be higher. You could have eaten into
Highsmith's workload a little bit more, although he had two sacks,
so it's really hard to say that. Maybe you could
eat into Watt's workload a little bit more. He did
have the sack light in the game, and he had
a pass defense, but there were just too many stretches
where it was like nineties just not doing anything. And

(06:29):
Chris I think this happens too often with him. We
see matchups where it's like, oh my god, they're on
their third string left tackle, they're on their third string
right tackle. The Steelers pass rush is going to dominate,
and you frame it from this aspect where you're almost like,
are you under the impression that the other team doesn't

(06:53):
know that their tackle suck too? Like that the Chargers
are just gonna go out there and be like, well,
there's nothing we can do about it. You have to
be like Jonathan Ogden today, go out there and protect
our quarterback. From the greatest pass rusher this era may
have ever seen. And I lost it a little bit
there on the dramatics. I don't know, it got away

(07:13):
from me.

Speaker 1 (07:14):
A little bit. Ah.

Speaker 2 (07:16):
Yeah, I enjoyed it, but they obviously paid way attention
to him, Chips, doubles, triples, and I think sometimes what
happens is we see these mismatches that should be so
overwhelming in the favor of the Steelers that we overlook
the fact that the other team's just gonna scheme it
up around that they're going to say, we're gonna make

(07:37):
sure by every means necessary that we're rolling Herbert away
from ninety. We're chipping him all the time, We're doubling
him all the time. And that played out again against
the Chargers, where he was just quieted through the majority
of that football game by just a massive amount of
attention being paid to him. And high Smith was able
to eat because of it, her big hats moments because

(07:57):
of it. Other guys were able to get home because
of it. But their goal was clearly to slow ninety down,
and that was a success for Harbaugh, Greg Roman and
that Chargers offense.

Speaker 1 (08:07):
It comes down to it. It's similar and I guess
it's almost literally the same. You know, it's the same church,
different puke type of thing where you have the the
short passing game is one of the ways they're counteracting
opponents are counteracting t J. Watt and the seewarers pass
rush in general, the sewars ed rushers in general as well.
And that's you're right, other players that eat. You talked

(08:30):
about the multi sac game Betaneta sack that was kind
of caused by Peyton Wilson. If they are devoting those resources, right,
I don't say that's what you want, but if they're
they're taking either an eligible receiver away to make sure
with it on chip or at least limiting that eligible receiver,
if you're taking an extra blocker away so that he's
not available to block the other side, or if you're

(08:52):
devoting that many resources, I would say that's what you
wanted a defense, But that's what you could take advantage of, right,
If they are doing that much to stop TJ? What
and they be dumb onto right to that's what he
do eleaite guys as they do. We had a discussion
lead into the Packers game. What you do with Michael
Parsons you do it every week, whoever the elite pass

(09:12):
rusher is on a given team. There should be ways
that you can benefit, you exploit, you're limiting your you're
making the other team's offense limit itself in a certain way,
and you should be able to reap the benefits. And again,
I don't know, You're right the defense need to make
more splash. But overall still, I mean, the defense wasn't
the massive problem.

Speaker 2 (09:31):
No, it was not. And that's enough positivity for now.
Let's get to what was the massive route on the
offensive side of the ball. Why am I looking at
this snap count chart, Chris, and why is Darnell Washington
now the third tight end? What happened there? And furthermore,
you can tell just by the snapcount chart how many
times they were in the jumbo package because they were

(09:52):
doing the Andres Pete sub in for Spencer Anderson, who
was the starting left guard for Isaac Camaler sus Spencer
Anderson could then bump outside and play his normal role
in the jumbo package. And just saying that out loud
right now, that sounds complicated. Huh, maybe we should have
just thrown Calvin Anderson out there in the jumbo package
and let Spencer Anderson stay where he was. But andres
Pede only had eight snaps in this game, so that

(10:14):
means they only did the jumbo package truly eight times.
In this game, Darnell was out snapped by Friar Muth
and John new Smith. That shows you that they weren't
in the jumbo package as much as they should have been.
They ran the ball five yards of carry with their
starting running back. Overall as a team, it was four
point eight yards a clip. Why weren't you in the
jumbo package like eighty billion times? Why aren't you just
leaning into that almost especially when the game broke out

(10:36):
into a rock fight to start, Like Mike Tom should
have been licking his chops at that point. He should
have been like, oh my god, A Harbaugh is engaging
me in a game that is five to three right now,
this is like a dream come true. Why wouldn't you
just be for lack of a better word, Navy football
and just put the beef out there and just run
and run and run in your jumbo package that has
become such a calling card for you. I don't get that.

(10:59):
Was it because the Ciamalu injury that you're just like, well,
we want to abandon that. We don't feel good throwing
Pete out there, then don't throw Pete out there. Try
throwing Calvin Anderson out there. Or maybe just maybe try
throwing Pete out there as the tackle eligible. Pete's play
tackle in the past, maybe have him report eligible so
you don't have to keep moving Spencer Anderson from left
guard to the jumbo spot back to left guard. Keep

(11:19):
the starting five intact on that offensive line. You're not,
you know, shuffling deck chairs so much. I don't know
what the answer is, but the solution better be more
jumbo package moving forward, because it's one of the only
things that you do well. And Matt Williamson has said
this countless times. He's a big fan of unicorn stuff.
You know, things that other offensive coordinators don't see on

(11:40):
a week to week basis, And they don't see, you know,
a jumbo package and thirteen personnel like the Steelers employ
on a week to week basis. This is something that
gives them a bit of a headache as they prepare
for Steelers Week. It's something unique that they have to
deal with. Well, the Chargers only had to deal with
it eight times.

Speaker 1 (11:56):
Yeah, I felt like that was a over thinking it.
I think, you know, I guess.

Speaker 2 (12:02):
The old they know that. I know that, they know
that I know that I love this Jumbo package, so
they're gonna take it away. So I'm not going to
give them the Jumbo pack.

Speaker 1 (12:10):
Yeah, just say, oh, we we're gonna limit ourselves. And
I do think that Spencer and we could talk about
Spencer Anderson. I don't know if it necessary. I don't
see the arrow. I don't think it's eliminated. But the
arrow is pointing at least at best sideways in terms
of it being a long term guard after after this,
after this game, at least there in terms of at
least where you're at the moment of it. But I

(12:31):
do think he is I think he moves better. I
think he is a good Jumbo guy. Like they put
him in motion, put him in the backfield, things like that,
So I think they are sort of enamored with that.
And I could I could see the logic in, you know,
Kylvin Anderson won't be able to move. It can't do
the things that Spencer Anderson can do. But you do
it eight unit, eight snaps. I mean, I guess there's

(12:51):
been games, you've done it more than that, maybe get
up to a dozen snaps or so, but two for
those eight snaps or even a dozen snaps to downgrade
yourself in terms of what you could do in the
the downgrade your offensive line, the continuity of it. Right,
there's a reason why to this day we're in this
era of load management. Right, defensive lineman shuffle in and out.

(13:13):
Every other position shuffles in and out. People take practices off,
games off or whatever. There's a reason why the offensive
line for every team, and assuming they're healthy, plays every
single snap of every single game. Okay, we would have
been if there was a reason to sub them in
and out, they'd be doing it by now, right.

Speaker 2 (13:29):
I think that's fair to say. I think might be
if you had like stuff, you know, if it was
like a bullpen guy, right, like this guy's good at
long yardage situations and past protection. So let's suthackle specialists now.

Speaker 1 (13:40):
So I think there had there is something for continuity.
And I think it's kind of awkward to be your
left guard one snap and he's a different left guard
the next step. Then the other left guard comes back
up the next step.

Speaker 2 (13:49):
I think like overthinking it Proderick Jones, who were trying
to simplify this as much as possible as he's doing. Okay,
now in his transition to left tackle, let's not rock
the boat too.

Speaker 1 (13:59):
Yeah, you're you're trying, Yeah, Brodericks, who you're really turn
this offensive line the one you want to kind of
foster the most and protect the most to some level,
but also sort of foster's development and taking away as
the veter I mean say them, although you can't help
that he gets hurt, of course, but but to be
shuffling in and out, I think for the just to
have the extra little advantage whatever you think Spencer Anderson is, Like,

(14:19):
I'm sure Calvin Anderson obviously he is a natural tackle
unlike Spencer, so he could do the blocking part of
the jumbo. So how many times were we even having
Spence Anderson go in motion or line up in the
backfield to run a damn route or catch a pass?

Speaker 2 (14:31):
Right?

Speaker 1 (14:32):
I mean, that's happening so infrequently that I think you're
kind of overthinking it by saying we're gonna summing the
left guarded out so we have our best jumbo tight
end out there. Right, That's the reason they did it. Right,
But Spencer Anderson they think, and they're probably right the
best at that job. But that's also like marginally better.
How much better is that really helping you at the
expense of having this revolving door left guard? It just

(14:52):
seems like eh. And you know, I mean, I guess
you could say that lack of say, I'm all the
most veteran guard, that was part of the reason this
it definitely the shakiest offensive line effort in the past.
You know, a month would say, four or five games maybe,
and I don't think that's a coincidence. So, but then
the Darnell Washington thing, I wanted to get to that
for real quick. Here the three games span starting in
Dublin where it was the Vikings, Browns and Bengals games.

(15:14):
You played seventy eight percent of the snaps over those
three games, and that's the point where you're like, Okay,
there's a new tight end one in town. Right, just
one question and there shouldn't be any looking back really,
but to be honest.

Speaker 2 (15:24):
And it's inconsistent since then except for last night.

Speaker 1 (15:27):
Yeah, so yeah, he's so last night the last three
games and fifty four snaps and last night he was
forty eight forty eight percent of the snaps in that game.
So and then even the seven targets of the last
three games and five catches for Donah Washington only seven targets,
and then three games before that was thirteen targets and
eleven catches. And of course he had a touchdown in
that Bengals game, because everybody had touched down the Bengals game.

(15:47):
Every tight end in the world had touched on the
Bengals game. I think that Mark Brunner, Carson Winer's dad
came out, came out from yeah, from the scouting the
scout round, and the Bengals safety's had no chance covering
him at that point. But it, Yeah, the Darnhall watched it.
I didn't even I don't know why I didn't pick
up on that. I've looked over that that he I
made note of it, the tight end snapshare, but I
didn't really think about Darnell being third, which just really

(16:10):
kind of makes you scratch your head right now in
terms of so especially whenever you're that again, if you're
that enamored with using the jumbo tight end, you have
a real, live, breathing, jumbo literal tight end who was jumbo.
It was the size of an offensive lineman that could
be out there a lot more. And it's showing the
ability to make plays. And it was a nice but

(16:31):
it's only one. It was a nice catch. Actually, he
made a nice, nice, little fifteen yard play, especially in
a game when those were fifteen yard play was a
definite relative explosive play for the Steelers last night.

Speaker 2 (16:41):
Now, before we get to break here, Chris So, I
need to ask you this, are you a little concerned
about Aaron Rodgers kind of showing his age a little
bit and starting maybe to fade a bit. This was
put together by Tommy Jaggy.

Speaker 1 (16:53):
Jaggy yag got to figure out this guy's last name
because he puts together a ton of great stats.

Speaker 2 (16:59):
Aaron Rodgers stats plummeted in his last four games. Week seven,
two hundred and forty nine yards seven point three yards
per attenpt, four touchdowns. Week eight, two hundred nineteen yards
six point one yards per attempt, two touchdowns, Week nine
two hundred and three yards, five point eight yards per
attempt one touchdown. Week ten one hundred and sixty one
yards five point two yards per attempt one touchdown. His

(17:21):
passer rating has gone from one oh three point seven
in Week seven to one oh one point five to
ninety five point three to fifty point six against the Chargers.
Disturbing trend. I'm not going to lie. Uh, that is
not the quarterback exactly turning into a spring chicken as
the season gets into the cold, dreary dog days Thanksgiving

(17:42):
right around the corner.

Speaker 1 (17:44):
By the eye test, certainly now that that four game
stretch began with the with the Cincinnati game, right, yes,
so yes, that was the game where I was like, Wow,
he could move as well as almost I would say
he can't run, he's not fast, but in terms of
moving into the pocket, I was like, he can move
as well as almost anything the league. Then that game
in the second he felt like you did not feel
that at all. Watching last night's game, he thought that

(18:05):
was a big liability was his. He had the one
where he but then he think threw a bad pass.
I can't remember now. It was in the second quarter,
I believe. I don't know if it was the the
DK one down the sideline.

Speaker 2 (18:16):
You know. But he pointed out that he never has
played well in California, like he's always had trouble going
out to Cali and that's where he's from obviously and
having success, and you know, I think about, like think
about all those times this Packers and Niners would do
battle back when he was, you know, winning the MVPs,
trying to get to a super Bowl again, like he
would just he would get flattened by them almost every time.

(18:37):
And then they finally got it in Lambeau and that
was supposed to be like the finally we got San
fran here and they lost like ten to three. He
couldn't get the ball on the end zone? Did you
take it his?

Speaker 1 (18:46):
I saw Brooke Pryor connected the dots. You think he
was thinking next level When somebody asked him, this is
this could be your last game in California? He said
southern California. They're like, well, yeah, southern California. Do you
think he was referencing the Super Bowls in northern California
this year?

Speaker 2 (18:58):
Oh?

Speaker 1 (18:59):
I want because he he wouldn't be surprised if he's
the kind of guy that like has that mindset, tells himself,
we're going to the super Bowl.

Speaker 2 (19:05):
And so it's proven that I'm not going.

Speaker 1 (19:06):
Because because the question or whoever the reporter was was
sort of taken aback by yeah, other California s Yeah,
southern California. And I told that schedule that like, wait, yeah,
they're not yeah, they're not playing the forty nine ers,
or they're well there's no runners anymore.

Speaker 2 (19:18):
We're going to San France.

Speaker 1 (19:19):
Yeah, yeah, so northern. So I don't know if he
was thinking that or not, but I thought it was
whatever is notable, And I mean probably probably it's like
not the time, Aaron, you know what I'm saying. But
I like the confidence, but maybe not at that moment
didn't come off.

Speaker 2 (19:32):
But I do like wonder, you know, as great as
he has been in his career, like he is a
human being and like that always gets lost in translations
when it comes to these guys. But like, that's an
emotional moment, right because it is probably your last game
in California and you probably had some family there that
you still talk to at the stadium. And again, I

(19:56):
wonder if there was a little bit of a kind
of letting the moment become a little too big for
him in that yeah, I want and this is a quarterback.
Let's point it out. It's only been to one Super Bowl,
so it's not like there hasn't been a track record
of a moment becoming too big for him.

Speaker 1 (20:10):
And you know what I had never made the connection
until seeing that or last night, was that I'm not
saying this is the by any means the only reason
he came.

Speaker 2 (20:18):
Back this year.

Speaker 1 (20:19):
But he could have retired, but he probably would probably
his head like, oh I can the last game I
could theoretically play could be a super Bowl in my
home state, home state, your home you know area of region.

Speaker 2 (20:29):
Yeah, he's close to San France. Yeah, yeah, so that
that I.

Speaker 1 (20:32):
Don't know if that's so. He probably is hyper aware
that the super I mean because anything else, you know,
somethings happened in New Year, like the draft. We're all
gonna top of the draft being in Pittsburgh AND's on
our mind a lot, So that might be part of
what he uh, but at this thought it was it
was just notable kind of I guess neat or something.
Although again, not the best time to be talking about
balls probably.

Speaker 2 (20:50):
But all right, let's take a break from the Steelers talk.
We'll look around the league. Unfortunately, we can't take a
break from the Steelers talk because I just remembered we
have to talk about the Ravens and how they are
closing the gap on the AFC North. Oh my gosh,
here they come. They are in the rearview mirror. The
object is a lot closer than they appear. He's Chris Adamski.
I'm Tom Opferman. It's the Steeers Boots on Steelers Nation Radio,

(21:11):
part of the Steelers Audio Network. It was a pretty
picture perfect Sunday if you are a resident of the
four to one A Baltimore, Maryland, that's exactly how you
needed to draw it up. Huh. You go out and
you beat the Vikings on the road. Chris, I thought

(21:33):
that was kind of their last real test before December seventh,
welcoming the Steelers to Baltimore for their first meeting. Now
they get Browns, Jets, and Bengals. Two of those games
are at home, and the Steelers games at home too,
so they get after they're on the road this week,
then they're at home for three straight games, Jets, Bangles,
and then that Steelers game. So that was going to

(21:56):
be their stiffest resistance going into Minnesota, and they handled them.
And Lamar Jackson didn't play that great, but their defense
once again held a team to under twenty points. That
side of the ball is starting to turn a corner,
and that's what you should really be concerned about. I
always knew they'd be able to score and they'd be
fine when Lamar Jackson got healthy again, But I was

(22:18):
always saying, they'll have to score thirty five to forty points.
With the way that this defense has been playing, well,
that's not been the case. This defense has really looked
to turn a corner, just like it did last year
where it started abysmally and then really came on strong
down the stretch. So it was exactly as you drew
it up. If you're Baltimore, get your win and then
your coach's brother goes out and does you a favor

(22:40):
on Sunday Night Football and beats the Steelers, you're a
game back in the division now. And if you're the Steelers,
I mean you as a team, you know, you don't
gulp and worry about it and go rut row. But
like as us watching it from afar, the fan base
can't help but feel a little bit of the nerves,
a little bit of the cold sweats start to come
in to play. See in you know, just that one

(23:01):
game back in the standings and you still got two
to play against them.

Speaker 1 (23:04):
It was only what October twelfth, October nineteenth, October twelfth,
that's right, the Steelers had a three and a half
game lead. So it's only November tenth right now, right,
So I guess you could even say lead into the
the Thursday night so October, going into Cincinnati that afternoon
Cincinnati have a lead against the Bengals in that game,
could have extended your lead to that point over the Ravens.

(23:27):
What the four games at that point, and it was
still three and a half at that point, and to
see that, you know, not not evaporade yet, but obviously
go to that saying the Ravens ConTroll the areun destiny.
They play the Steelers twice, and it is wild the
Ravens play this game in Cleveland this week and then
they only play one more time on the road until
after Christmas. Like I know, I know, we have decorations

(23:50):
up everywhere, and they all the other commercials are Christmas commercials.
But Christmas isn't that close to think that they're gonna
be that much at home. And only that they're at home,
they're at home against the Bengals in.

Speaker 2 (24:00):
The Jets the Bengals games Thanksgiving Night. Oh okay, so
how interested is Cincinnati going.

Speaker 1 (24:04):
To be in that game? That's right?

Speaker 2 (24:05):
Well, yeah, although that is Joe Flacco returning to M
and T Banks.

Speaker 1 (24:09):
So is he played a game there? He's had to
play a game.

Speaker 2 (24:11):
I think he went in there with Cleveland, right, he
would almost have to you magic, Yeah.

Speaker 1 (24:15):
All the teams you play, yeah, but still so. And
then the Steelers are the game after that they have.
That's I think the Steelers have the Ravens on long
breast then too, if you think it that way. The
old ten day but the mini bye week and into that.

Speaker 2 (24:27):
Did the Ravens play the Browns at Baltimore earlier in
the season? Was that game in Baltimore? Yes, okay, there
you go. There was Flacco's return to M and T Bank.
Two Flacco returns to M and T Bank Stadium this year.
What a treat for Baltimore fans.

Speaker 1 (24:40):
Look at that, Look at that and there probably well
you'll probably get two wins at it, and.

Speaker 2 (24:45):
They'll probably crush them both. Yes.

Speaker 1 (24:47):
Time.

Speaker 2 (24:48):
Although the Bengals were talking about like your resistance to
the Ravens before that Steelers game. The Bengals probably offer
up the most resistance on that Thanksgiving night game. They
just score a lot of.

Speaker 1 (24:56):
Points out right. Yeah, the Bengals, as bad as they
are defensive, they're they're still a scary because they're good
enough offensively that that you are.

Speaker 2 (25:05):
They scary as we're trying to get the six and
four in.

Speaker 1 (25:08):
That's what I even thought about this is we're doing
just the tow right now I'm doing in the context
of their the next Steelers apponder here how you know
they are scary, but even that, think about the Ravens.
Put a forty one on the Browns A good the
Browns defense is for all them, you know, laugh all
out the Browns. They are.

Speaker 2 (25:21):
Yeah, it's not easy to do forty.

Speaker 1 (25:23):
One, but they only had two hundred and forty two
yards that game going back to September regardless. Yeah, the Ravens,
which is the Ravens are a problem as a you predicted,
everybody predicted. But I was like, come on, really now,
this isn't gonna happen. And here they are there, damn.
And I hate when I'm right, and they just look
like I say, the old Ravens, but they look like
they are who we thought they were.

Speaker 2 (25:43):
They kind of do look a little old Ravens ish now.
The thing is, the schedule has softened up so much
that even though they look like the old Ravens, we
haven't seen them truly tested yet. Probably won't till that
Steelers game. And they got the Patriots and the Packers
on the back end of their schedule. The statement for
them heading into the playoffs I think is going to
be at Lambeau. I think they're gonna go into the
Green Bay. I think that's the penultimate week of the

(26:04):
season and they're just gonna smack up the Packers a
little bit and they're gonna be like, hey, AFC, have
fun coming to Baltimore in the first round. And I
would not be welcoming. If you're like the Patriots or
the Broncos or the Colts are one of these teams
that looks like they're gonna be the top three seeds,
I would not be happy to see the old Ravens
swandering in, swaggering in on divisional round weekend. They do

(26:26):
finish up as much whatever the Ravens schedule gets tough
down the stretch for them again.

Speaker 1 (26:30):
I mean, you know, they gotta go to Cincinnati again,
we're talking about that, and then New England, Green Bay, Pittsburgh.

Speaker 2 (26:36):
At Pittsburgh so and akreen Bay too, right, yeah, akreen Bay. Yeah.
So they're on the road twice to finish the three
or the four.

Speaker 1 (26:41):
Yeah, on the road twice against you know, playoff coliber teams.
Hopefully let's see where they're at. But yeah, it's not
a way and there maybe the divisions on the line
going into the last game, and you know especially but yeah,
they could be New England Green Bay back to back
after right around Christmas. Straddling Christmas is something to I mean,
you'll know, yes, we'll know about how much the Ravens

(27:01):
are back, certainly obviously by then.

Speaker 2 (27:03):
But now let me ask you this, we're worried a
little bit about the North. If you're the Steelers and
you have to be their game back, it's real. Now,
Howard's the AFCB as far as where they kind of
stack into their that big playoff picture, because like I'm sorry,
like Colts, Broncos, Patriots, they're all having really good years.
You're gonna pick them to beat the Ravens in a

(27:24):
playoff game, like you're gonna pick those three logos to
beat Lamar Jackson in the Ravens. I'll pick the Chiefs
to beat the Ravens. I'll pick the Bills to beat
the Ravens. I'll pick the Old Reliables to beat the Ravens.
But those three teams, I don't know. They strike me
as teams that are just like not happy to be
their teams, but teams that are like, oh, we're here,
this is pretty cool. We're actually expected to go on
to run a little bit, and Baltimore is just gonna

(27:46):
be like, we've been doing this for like four or
five years.

Speaker 1 (27:48):
Let's think about this. That okay, well, all right, In
terms of the updated odds, Oh, they're a heavy favorite
now to win the Norse.

Speaker 2 (27:55):
Yeah, the North. But yeah, yeah, they are heavy.

Speaker 1 (27:58):
I guess I'll bring that up since since you, as
you asked, i'm looking at when i'm looking at now,
they are minus two seventy the women in the North
and the Steers are plus two eighty.

Speaker 2 (28:06):
That is crazy.

Speaker 1 (28:07):
That is crazy, I thought. I'm actually kind of surprised
they are still only the fourth pick. But they're four
and five again in the math, They're still gonna make the.

Speaker 2 (28:14):
Fourth favorite to win the AFC right now.

Speaker 1 (28:15):
Yea, the fourth favorite there, the top three day they
have they have better odds in the thing about that
they how many games. But behind there the Patriots. They
have better odds than the eight and two Pats. Yes,
the Pats are plus eight hundred what I'm looking at now.
I love that because where the Broncos. The Broncos also
eight and two and plus.

Speaker 2 (28:29):
I love that because I can't open my social media
feeds right now without seeing people tell me how great
the Patriots are. And look, it was a great statement win.
And we'll get to that in a second. But I
don't think they're Super Bowl contenders yet. So it's funny
to see that the Ravens have better odds than they do.
And I would take like I said, I would take
the Ravens over the Patriots right now in Gelette, in
m and T, anywhere on the moon, you could play
the game anywhere, and I would take the Ravens.

Speaker 1 (28:48):
It's just but even if you say I thought maybe
they may be the third pick in the AFC right now,
they're the fourth pick. But even at that, two of
the top four picks in the AFC right now are
out of the playoffs as they started today, which.

Speaker 2 (28:58):
Is kind of kind of shows the recent the Ravens
and the Chiefs.

Speaker 1 (29:01):
Ravens and the Chiefs right now the favorite. Right now,
the Chiefs are the Chiefs are the favorite.

Speaker 2 (29:06):
That's ridiculous.

Speaker 1 (29:06):
The Chiefs are the eight seed right now, not in
the players they started today, and they are a pretty
significant favorite.

Speaker 2 (29:11):
So then does it go Colts number two?

Speaker 1 (29:13):
It actually goes Bills, but they're real close. Bills plus four, six,
then plus four.

Speaker 2 (29:17):
So they're starting to buy. Vegas is at least starting
to believe in one of those surprise teams Denver into
your New England.

Speaker 1 (29:23):
Yeah, I mean Indy, They mean, well we can get
into that game. I guess some I don't know what.
I still feel less confident even after this past Sunday,
yesterday's game, and oh I.

Speaker 2 (29:35):
Was actually impressed with Indy.

Speaker 1 (29:37):
Yeah, I don't know.

Speaker 2 (29:39):
Yeah, but it's in Berlin and you scored a ton
of points and your offense got sunned by the Steelers
the week before, so you needed a bounce. I guess
I get it. I just I guess I'm basic it off.
I feel Daniel Jones is good again, which you needed
him to not be a pumpkin.

Speaker 1 (29:53):
Yeah, for a couple of weeks it is so. But yeah,
the Chiefs are so two of the top four. And
think about Baltimore's four and five into these five and four. Man,
the Steelers have lower odds than the Texans and Jaguars.

Speaker 2 (30:04):
Okay, that's ridiculous. The Texans is crazy talk right there.

Speaker 1 (30:07):
Yeah, Texans. Texans are actually one, two, three, four five
the seventh pick right now, the Jags.

Speaker 2 (30:13):
And the Texans being ahead of the Steelers is a
little wacky. Yeah, that's too much. You've gone too far, Vegas.

Speaker 1 (30:19):
You can still put money on the Titans, THEFC and
the Jets if you wanted to do you when you
click on that, does a box come up that says
are you sure you want to do this?

Speaker 2 (30:26):
And then when you click yes, it sends you directly
to a gambling help. We are not making this, but
you need help now. The Titans, all right, we talked
about the Colts. They started the festivities on Sunday beating
the Falcons in overtime in Berlin, a rare good international
game where it's very high scoring and the teams are
going back and forth. Jonathan Taylor ran for two hundred

(30:48):
and forty four yards on thirty two carries. He had
three touchdowns. That really shines a positive light on what
the Steelers did just a week prior. We talked all
week long abot how impressive it was that they kind
of stopped Jonathan Taylor, were the first team to do
so this year. And then he must have been really
pissed off about getting stopped because there was a little

(31:09):
bit of like a sliver of hope for like a
James Cook right when it came to offensive player of
the year for a Jackson Smith and Jigba when it
came to offensive player of the year, because oh finally
Taylor slowed down. He was like, nope, no, I'm going
for two hundred and forty four yards in this next game.
He was unbelievable to watch. But the most important part
of that Colts win, Chris I just mentioned it was
Daniel Jones was very good. Again. They needed him to

(31:29):
play good football. If you played a stinker of a
football game once again, they were gonna be going, oh no,
we just traded two first round picks, went kind of
all in around this guy as our future quarterback, and
he might stink again, and.

Speaker 1 (31:40):
It would be like Sam Donald last er only eight
weeks earlier, to take your season almost where your quarterback
turns into a pumpkin. Although Donald this year we get into.

Speaker 2 (31:49):
The MVP year.

Speaker 1 (31:50):
Yeah, but yeah, that the Colts, I still don't you know, now,
I'm gonna have the internal bias that I saw them
with my own eyes just look, yeah, or at least
the quarterback for sure. So I'm gonna be gonna be
harder for me to buy into the Colts is because
I'm gonna have that bias and be baked into me
no matter what.

Speaker 2 (32:07):
I just saw.

Speaker 1 (32:09):
The Jones looked as bad as like a you know,
name your middling quarterback during that game, some of those
you know, the six turnovers, he he was responsible five
turnover himself, right, But that being said, yeah, I don't
know where, but it's yeah, the fact that the Ravens
and Chiefs, I mean, where were they at one in
three and one and five is what they bought them out? Yeah, respectively,

(32:29):
And here they are coming and they're back amongst the
favorites in the conference.

Speaker 2 (32:34):
The Bears, what are they? There's six and three? I
know that, but they are just such a tough eval
I don't respect them. I don't think they're very good.
But they're six and three and the Steelers have to
go to Chicago in a couple of weeks that you know,
record wise says it's a tricky game and Steelers are
never really good in Chicago. Why am I not intimidated

(32:55):
by the Bears though, Chris, Like, what is it about
them that I'm just not buying into yet? Yeah?

Speaker 1 (33:00):
Because I feel the same way, and and instinctively I
want to say, I don't like believing Caleb Williams, but
they keep winning these games and come like he he
keeps keeps coming back, coming back all these games, they
keep they keep showing good intangibles by winning these games,
come back games late. I mean one thing, if they
had the record, I'm like, eh, I don't know still

(33:22):
because I wouldn't believe in them to win a big game.
But everything this season points to the fact. I mean,
it's a big game, but big moments, right, They've been clutch,
They've been.

Speaker 2 (33:30):
Which is not Bears. Yeah, exactly.

Speaker 1 (33:32):
So I don't know if I'm just am I just
holding a bias from the past on them, or what.
But I want to see because how many I feel
like every week now the Bears come back to win
a game in the fourth quarter when they went dead.

Speaker 2 (33:42):
I mean you look at the box score in the
second quarter or the third quarter and you're like, wow,
they stink they're gonna loseing the Giants at home, and
then you wake up or not wake up. But we
checked like at four thirty and you're like, they won.

Speaker 1 (33:52):
Yeah, And the Bengals game was certainly like that. That
was the epitome of that. And with the Washington game
they came back in one night. Yeah, they can't. They
were down in the fourth quurt. That's at least three
wins now that they won. They were not in the
fourth quarter and come back and won. So you have to,
I guess respect them that they're you have to a
little bit, yeah, that they have a good record and
they're showing, you know, that intangible quality that I didn't

(34:14):
think they had in them. The Raiders game, they came
back and one that now it's the Raiders.

Speaker 2 (34:17):
We can say that.

Speaker 1 (34:18):
But again, that's four wins. They were now in the
fourth quarter, so they're you know, I guess you gotta believe.

Speaker 2 (34:25):
Although I will say this, it was a good coaching higher.
I mean, Ben Johnson has clearly changed that culture and
has this team playing respectable football now, Like even if
the ra Bears don't make the playoffs this year and
they kind of stumble a little bit, they're a respectable
team now, you know what I mean. They're They're a
team that you can't just completely sleep on and say
they're the Bears. You know, that's cute. They'll lose like
ten straight that that won't happen.

Speaker 1 (34:44):
And if they were in maybe if they were in
the ASC, I just the problem is.

Speaker 2 (34:47):
That they're in a deep deep in NFC and they're
in arguably the best conference or the best division in
the NFC.

Speaker 1 (34:53):
Yeah, So I don't know if it's although you know,
the forty nine ers might be so right now, the
Bears would make the playoffs and the sturt to day
and maybe they can't snag that at seven.

Speaker 2 (35:00):
He because it looks like that.

Speaker 1 (35:01):
I keep saying that there's a good seven teams in
the NFC, but I'm counting the forty nine ers in
that I kind of feel like it.

Speaker 2 (35:06):
It kind of looks like it might come down to
just Bears Niners racing for that last spot, right.

Speaker 1 (35:10):
Yeah, because I mean, come on, Carolina showed who they were. Yeah,
we talked about being skeptical, and then Dallas is just
too far out. Yeah, Minnesota, Minnesota is just I don't know. Yeah,
I guess Vikings could still rally. That's the one team.
And you know what you said that Week seventeen Bears
at forty nine ers, So that could that could be.
That could be like a set of Oh, it's a

(35:31):
night game as it is, it's already a Sunday night game.

Speaker 2 (35:33):
It looks like. And then Week eighteen Bears in lines
Monday for the NFC North.

Speaker 1 (35:40):
Dream shot.

Speaker 2 (35:40):
Oh, whoa, you're trying to slide that pass me. But
you have the same call a timeout, I need a
t O. But you have the same record as the Lions. Right,
you're right, but I mean what that alit? It? Quickly
you're like, I don't believe in the Bears. Almost said
you're like drinking with.

Speaker 1 (35:53):
The with the division.

Speaker 2 (35:54):
You're Ron Burgundy drinking the Miller highlight right now. Yes,
Jackson Dart is being evaluated for a concussion.

Speaker 1 (36:02):
Now.

Speaker 2 (36:02):
That is his fourth time that he's being evaluated for
a concussion in its week ten, and he didn't start until.

Speaker 3 (36:07):
Week six or five or whatever. If we say it loud,
it's just too many concussions. And it's what's crazy is
is it's not crazy. I guess it's one of those
situations where their their debut as a tandem. This Skataboo
Dart were like they're gonna get themselves killed, like they're
fun to watch, and they all literally the one that's

(36:27):
off for the season, the other one has a concussion
every single week he played.

Speaker 2 (36:29):
It is weird, though, Skataboo, you thought his brain was
just going to turn to pudding and like his helmet
would be dented and then like there would literally be
like I he'd forget his name and his injury was
just such a flat yeah break.

Speaker 1 (36:40):
But it was Dart.

Speaker 2 (36:42):
He plays every single snap like he wants to get
into a three car pile up.

Speaker 1 (36:46):
Did you tell me Gruden show?

Speaker 2 (36:48):
Yes, I was just going to bring that up. I
watched the John Grew quarterback camp. But this was brought
back to my attention after Dart's first game when he
was getting killed. And remember there was a blue tent
moment where Dable ended up getting fined because he went
into the blue tent and be like get this guy
back out here in the NFL was like, whoa coach,
You do not ever do that again. We're taking money
out of your pocket right now. The underlying supply on

(37:09):
all that is like Russell Wilson is so bad. Like
this guy, Oh my god, please, I don't care.

Speaker 1 (37:15):
If he has one limb anyway, please, I'm sorry to
interrupt you, but no time. Back to Pittsburgh some mouth.

Speaker 2 (37:20):
Yeah, but like so like the concussion problems, Gruden was
all over it. He was like, you know, you just
why don't you go down? Why don't you go to bounds?
And Dart was like, I'm a plus one player, a
plus two player. Every time I hit, I fall forward,
I get two yards. And Grood was like, oh that's cool,
not anymore, You're not. Someone needs to get that out
of his game. I love his athleticism. But look at
Herbert's a perfect example. Do you remember the big run

(37:42):
that Herbert had. He really only had one against the Steelers,
but he stepped up in the face of pressure and
got Joey Porter Junior was in man and he was
following a drag route, and then Herbert just snuck right
behind him. Porter couldn't turn and change the momentum in time.
Herbert ran for like fifteen yards. Chris, he slid immediately,
like like a pop slide, right up, handed the ball
right to the RAF like once he was in the
open field. His mind was only hot, how far can

(38:05):
I push this before I have to slide. It's all
about the slide for me. Dart would have put his
head down, would have tried to blow through people. So
he's got to fix that from his game. We're gonna
keep talking about some NFL action from week ten when
we come back. Got a big one from Monday Night
Football Tonight as well that we'll get into. It's Chris
Damski and Tom Opferman on the Steelers Blitz on Steelers
Nation Radio, part of the Steelers Audio Network. I am

(38:36):
so bad at picking games. It's really kind of funny
how bad I am. I went on in three this week. Okay,
I didn't win a single freaking game this week. And
do you remember when I made the picks. I was like,
I'm gonna go with the Bills minus eight and a
half because you know, I just need to get one.

(38:57):
I just need to get one in the wind calm.
I'm gonna go with some Juggernauts. They're going to dominate.
I went with the Colts minus six and a half.
Of course they went by six, so I lose on
the hook. And then I took our Pittsburgh Steelers to
go out there and do the damn thing against the
Chargers on Sunday Night football, and that blew up in
my face. I'm zero for three. You went one for two.
You're not much better. Your only win was those Giants,

(39:20):
and you covered by the hook because they were getting
four and a half points. But you lost the Bills
game with me, and you lost the Vikings game against
the Baltimorens. Couldn't cover the four and a half points
that the Vikings were getting. You're thirteen and seventeen. I'm
ten and twenty. If it wasn't so damn funny, I
would retire the pick segment. I hope you're fading us

(39:40):
because you're making a ton of money. If you are,
wow that you add those up.

Speaker 1 (39:44):
So what are we doing? Twenty three and twenty seven?

Speaker 2 (39:47):
You're asking me what to do math right now? The
guy who can't make a pick to save his life.
Thirty How did the Bills lose to the Dolphins thirty
to thirteen.

Speaker 1 (39:57):
I don't know that's you know, you want to talk
about like you.

Speaker 2 (40:00):
Lose, you I lose, my bet, you only win by three,
you sweat one out on the road against the division rival. Whatever. Yeah,
you the Dolphins looked like you, and you looked like
the Dolphins in that game.

Speaker 1 (40:13):
And the Dolphins, I mean they had just coming off
of trade downline where they were clear wave the white
flag on the season, right, you sent Phillips to Philly
and it's just in it's I'll give them credit because
they have you know, there's been a couple of games
out with the Dolphins this season. We're like, Okay, they're
still fighting and they're they're fighting for their coach. I guess,
and you know he's he hasn't. There's I guess some reason.

(40:34):
What did they do they beat they blew out the
Falcons that game, any type of thing where we thought
the Falcons and.

Speaker 2 (40:39):
Somebody did get fired. Chris Greer and like, players have
relationships with GM, you know what I mean.

Speaker 1 (40:43):
So this is a guy that's not in the building
asking them how they're doing, asking them, how's the wife,
how's the kids, how's your knee?

Speaker 2 (40:48):
All that stuff. You know what I mean. So there's
a little bit of a like, ah, we just got
a guy fired, So there's a little bit of pride
there probably, But you're the freaking Bills. You shouldn't lose
to the Dolphins.

Speaker 1 (40:56):
I mean, that's obviously the bigger we're talking here about that,
and and we've kind of wondered, and everybody's wondering, like
where are the Bills this year? And just that that
that sort of just you know, you just don't feel
I mean, because remember they start out four and oh,
and they beat the beat Baltimore back like there's like
two face Baltimore now where it's like Baltimore can't play defense,
Baltimore can play defense. It's like they're two different teams.

(41:17):
So I don't want to say it doesn't it doesn't count.
But like the every year down the Ravens in September,
it can't can't stop anybody. So you score forty one points,
win that game, and probably then you beat then you
go Jets. Well I just gonna say Dolphins, Jets, Dolphins,
Saints to go to four and oh, and then then
you lose that Monday night game or Sunday night game
to New England, you lose a Monday night game to Atlanta,
write yourself by blowing out Carolina, who's just nuts, and

(41:41):
then you beat Kansas City, and but it's just like,
I don't know, you're watching the Bills all year and
they're supposed to be the favorite, and you know how
just if you're a Buffalo fan or part of the organization,
all this is so like, uh, it doesn't It's like,
what is there meaninglessness to this regular season? You know,
because you know you're gonna be just They could go
fifth team two for sixteen o one, it wouldn't matter, right,

(42:02):
So they got to get to the play I guess
maybe that's part of it. Maybe they're thinking, we'll just
get to the playoffs. And but you can't just turn
it on then, right, No.

Speaker 2 (42:09):
You can't un listen If the Bills don't win a
super Bowl with Josh Allen in this window and then
the Patriots open up another window and win a super
Bowl and win their seventh I mean, I gotta do
wellness checks for everybody in Buffalo. Last time Buffalo sports, right,
I gotta just call I gotta start getting out of
phone book and doing cold calls on Buffalo area codes
and just being like you okay, like are you all right?

(42:29):
Like no, seriously, I just want to talk, like do
you want to talk to me? Like do you want
to vent? Do you want to just talk about anything?
Because like, I could not imagine having to see that
evil empire rise up again around you without you getting anything.
You didn't even get your e Walk celebration. You didn't
even get to have your forest moon on indoor party. Like,
and they're back already. It didn't Yeah, and they are
kind of back Chris perspective. Yeah, they are coming back.

(42:51):
Huge statement against Tampa. If they could have the MVP,
it could happen. I think they're going to win the
East now, I don't know if that means they'll win
the Super Bowl to.

Speaker 1 (43:00):
The s war talking math at dis point, right, they
got a what a game and a half lead, yep,
and they have the tiebreaker as of now, and they
get the Bills at you lette, and now they probably actually,
you know what, they probably even more of a tie
breaker because now that the Bills lost the division game.
I don't think New England's lost the Miami or to Jets.

Speaker 2 (43:16):
They have not, so they did lose to the Raiders, though,
I will never not let that go that this is
a team that lost to the Raiders. Now you'll counter
with the weak ones a liar, and you'll kind of
put my own words against me there. But I don't
want to see the Patriots rise up either. I know
I'm not a Bills fan, but I don't want to
see them back to being great. So like I got
a hold on something, because they look really good.

Speaker 1 (43:35):
I mean, and there's the other thing. They're eight and
two and left it so they already have eight wins
banked obviously, and you have that's two more to go
to gain. If Jets Bengals, Giants, Jets, Dolphins, you have
five the now even if you laid egg twice, right,
I mean you had to eleven wins. That was not
even try. Like, there's no way they're gonna not win
more than three of those five.

Speaker 2 (43:54):
They probably look like a twelve and five team.

Speaker 1 (43:56):
And then and you do got to their you know,
to the to the opposite side that they have the
Bills in the raven So we'll know both in December
mid December. You know how real they are then, But
they're gonna roll out of bed and have eleven wins, right, so.

Speaker 2 (44:08):
They're in the playoffs.

Speaker 1 (44:09):
Yeah, so Buffalo, That's what I'm getting at here is
Buffalo hod he has six wins.

Speaker 2 (44:13):
Now right, they got to find four? Are five something?

Speaker 1 (44:15):
Yeah? Negative play Tampa. They're at Houston. It's all of
a sudden, looks looks pretty sneaky. I mean, they're at
New England. They got the Eagles still on the schedule,
and they they're at the Steelers. Come on, tough game.

Speaker 2 (44:25):
Well that one they're gonna raise.

Speaker 1 (44:27):
But so it just both math and schedule wise. No
matter what you think of the Bills, no matter what
you think of the Patriots, it's not looking real good.
I don't know what the I'm gonna look at that
division odds since.

Speaker 2 (44:36):
All you can do in this Seahawks and Rams, they
kind of separated themselves when it came to that NFC
West race, the Rams blowing out the Niners, getting a
little revenge for the game that the Niners beat the
Rams in LA earlier this year. Cardinals stink.

Speaker 1 (44:50):
So it's not like impressive that you beat the Cardinals,
but it is impressive when you beat them forty four
to twenty seven or forty four to twenty two, and isn't.

Speaker 2 (44:57):
Brother when DeMarcus Lawrence scores two touchdowns. DeMarcus Lawrence has
as many had as many touchdowns in the game yesterday
as Justin Jefferson has all season.

Speaker 1 (45:06):
Like you you're gonna get put one of those. I
couldn't think which way to go with it or looking.

Speaker 2 (45:09):
Up so fast. Seahawks made a huge statement. Rams made
a huge statement. And guess who plays this week? Chris
Seattle and La. You want to talk about a fun
game to watch? That one, sure is. That's a four
oh five kickoff. The Lions were really mad at the
Commanders for what happened last year, so they went into
Washington and beat them forty four to twenty two. They
were really mean about it. Tonight's game. We got the Eagles,

(45:31):
we got the Pack. I bet the Pack win this game.
This is just who the Packers are. They show up
for big games.

Speaker 1 (45:37):
They'll lose the SATs next.

Speaker 2 (45:38):
Yeah, they're kids. They like candy. These games are candy
to them. But when it's serious business, when you got
to eat your vegetables and you got to beat the
Panthers on a boring one o'clock kickoff, they never do it.
Is they got the Giants next week?

Speaker 1 (45:49):
That would be yes, very Packards beat the Eagles to
night and then lose the Giants next week, that would
be Is.

Speaker 2 (45:54):
It in New York? It is in New York?

Speaker 1 (45:56):
There you go there.

Speaker 2 (45:57):
They're not gonna want to eat their vegetables. These kids
just want candy. They want their Sunday night football, they
want their Monday night FOOTBA against Marque opponents.

Speaker 1 (46:04):
And just to follow up, since I said I know
everybody's dying to hear, yes, close us out with this.
New England is a minus two forty favorite to win
the division.

Speaker 2 (46:12):
Though. Yeah, that's almost as favorite as the Ravens, who
are four five.

Speaker 1 (46:15):
It's right, Buffalo plus one ninety. And it's weird because
think about that, Buffalo is a plus one ninety. I'm
pretty significant underdog to win their division, but it's still
the number two pick in the conference.

Speaker 2 (46:26):
The Ravens are four and five, Yes, and they are
more of a favorite to win their division than the
eight and two Patriots. Think about that.

Speaker 1 (46:35):
I think about that. Yeah, it's a it's a weird
time to be alive, Tom And uh, well, man, why.

Speaker 2 (46:43):
Don't we just end it there with some existential thoughts
from you there. It's a weird time to be alive. Yes,
we'll stop with that Tom and press conference tomorrow, so
there will be no Steelers Blitz. Chris Adamski will grill
Mike Tomlin though, as he always does. Yes, you like
the Weber grill in there.

Speaker 1 (46:59):
I finally it's the bottom of this. Although now the
key showed Williams thing because will he keep his job
now that he muffed a punch?

Speaker 2 (47:04):
Ah?

Speaker 1 (47:04):
Yes, your big special, all this other stuff everybody wants
to know about. I'm going to open up the Prescotte
after the Chargers game. That's what's on everybody's mind. So
please be the hero that we deserve.

Speaker 2 (47:16):
Listen to Tom tomorrow, Chris and I'll be back on
Wednesday for another edition of Steelers Blitz on Steeers Nation Radio,
a part of the Steelers Audio Network.