January 7, 2025 • 24 mins
Matt Williamson and Tom Opferman discuss the Steelers upcoming matchup with the Ravens in the Wild Card Round of the NFL Playoffs.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
We got some work to do.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
This is the Advanced Scout with Tom Opferman and Mac Williamson.
Speaker 3 (00:07):
The Steelers losing streak reached four games with the lost
of Cincinnati last Saturday, but none of that matters. It's
all in the rear view year because the playoffs start
this Saturday, Steelers against the Baltimore Ravens, number six seed
versus the number three seed and Matt as I mentioned
Steelers coming off that four game losing streak heading into
the playoffs, maybe you could make the case that they're
(00:28):
one of, if not the weakest.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Team in the AFC field.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Could you make a case that the team they're playing
is the strongest team.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
In the I could definitely make that case.
Speaker 4 (00:36):
I mean, one of the advanced metrics on roll into
dva U Street football siders. The Ravens were their number
one team this year, and I can totally understand it
because they have a lot of talent, they're well coached,
the offense is really hard to play against, although I
think this A Flowers.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Thing is an issue for them.
Speaker 4 (00:55):
Defense has gotten a lot figured out too, so I
think they're one of the elite teams.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Let me skip ahead on the ze Flowers saying real quick,
we'll talk more about that when we get to the
Ravens offense. But when you say that's issue or potentially
a bigger issue than it might be right now for them,
do you mean in this game against the Steelers or
for aspirations to go in a running.
Speaker 4 (01:13):
I was really looking for looking at the Steelers' perspective
in particular, but probably both. It does sound like he's
weak to week, but I don't think he's gonna play
this week, and my thoughts are if he's out, I'm
putting Porter on Bateman alone, and that that actually favors
the Steelers. And we've seen so many of these really
good teams attack the Steelers in like two point five
(01:34):
seconds or less. Get it out, Get it out.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
That's zay.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
I mean, that's getting the ball weapon when it comes
to that.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
Now, the reason why I led you in with that
statement that they might be the best team in the
AFC field is because of this stat that you gave
me in your stat pack. They have a five to
twenty average strength of victory and it's the highest of
any playoff team AFC, and that NFC it's the only
mark actually of any team in the playoffs that is
above four to seventy five. Ye as a winning percentage
is concerned. There were seven to three againstoff teams this year,
and their average margin of victory is fourteen point nine.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
It's fifth highest in football.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
Yeah, they have some big wins against good teams.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
And furthermore, they've produced sixty three more more first downs
than they allow. They have ninety five more rushing first
downs than they allow. They produce one point seven more
passing yards per attempt, fourteen more passing touchdowns than anybody
that they play, thirty more sacks than they allow, and
twenty eight more rushing yards than they allowed. That's two
point two more rushing yards per attempt than they allow
(02:26):
in ninety one point nine total yards per game. They
rack up then they give up. I mean, that's a
dominating football team.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
That second bullet point.
Speaker 4 (02:34):
As I'm typing it and doing the research like I
always do that for these opponents, I go to ESPN
and it has all their numbers of what they've done
against what they've you know, given up. It's just one
after another and they're all dominants can be like as
you've just read that bulletpoint, like did they ever lose?
Speaker 2 (02:52):
I know, it's it's crazy that they're twelve and five. Honestly,
you know they lost the Raiders from the right.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
In baseball, when you look at standings, they do this
new thing now where it's like expected win loss and
they can kind of say, you know what, this team's overachieving,
this team's underachieving. If that was the thing in the NFL.
I bet you they'd be like fourteen to three instead of.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
Twelve y yeah, something under achieving.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
They have underachieved.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
And as I'm reading through the stat pack and especially
looking at their offense, there's only one team that really
compares or beats them in any category in Detroit.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
Everyone else.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
Detroit and Baltimore. Detroit and Baltimore in every single stat
that matters. It's a prolific offense. It's a prolific team
that you're going up against. One thing that's shocking to
me reading your pack too, is Steeers have turned the
ball over in ten straight games, but they still have
a better turnover ratio or excuse me, only the Bills
have a better turnover ratio than the Steelers plus sixteen.
Right now, after that ten game streak of constantly turning it.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
Over, and that's absolutely a massive key.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
I mean, we talk about this every week with these guys,
but turnovers, special teams, and penalties all do favor the
Steelers in this game, and.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
Those are things I want to favor me if I'm
an underdog.
Speaker 4 (04:00):
Absolutely, you know, muddy it up. I mean, it could
be a snow game, it could be a weather game.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
And is that advantage of Baltimore more though?
Speaker 1 (04:07):
I think, I mean, it's Henry and he exactly at home.
Speaker 4 (04:10):
I mean I would say so, but I was going
to say that Baltimore just doesn't take the ball away much,
you know, like Lamar doesn't throw picks.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
They do fumble.
Speaker 4 (04:19):
Henry and especially Lamar have some fumbles, but they don't
throw picks.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
But they don't have the takeaways.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
No, they're plus six and turnover differential, but they only
have seventeen takeaways, so most of that plus six is protecting.
Speaker 4 (04:30):
And they have a ton of sacks. You would think
sax leyed to turnovers and it hasn't for them.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
Henry fumbled the ball the first time that the Steelers,
but that was like the first fumble he had in
three years or something crazy like that.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
And I don't think he's fumbled. Excuse me, it's the
first fumble he's lost in a long long because he
does cough it up.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
Eventually, but he usually gets their ball lock bounces right
to a Raven Titan. But that was the first time
in a long time that actually went the other way.
He hasn't had one go the other way since then.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
So they're just really good at protecting the football.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
Whereas the Steelers play sixteen is all because of the
thirty three takeaways that they exactly is the one.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
That's and they don't throw a field didn't either.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
Nominally, yeah, absolutely turning it over.
Speaker 4 (05:08):
Yeah, I mean that's been been part of the losing
streak real quick though, and Lamar last game aside against
the Steelers, he does turn the ball over a lot
in the playoffs and against Pittsburgh.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
But that's that's the thing that's interesting me about this
is what kind of boogeyman is hanging over the Ravens
head more?
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Is it the.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
Steelers one right because they kind of exercised that demon,
I know, with a big win against them four weeks ago.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
Or is the playoff thing? And I think it's the
playoff thing that's kind of.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
I think there's a lot more pressure on Baltimore.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
Yes, And that's the thing I think Steelers fans should
be kind of hoping to see.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
And it would be.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Great if the Steelers could score a touchdown on their
first drive to kind of maybe accelerator worries. But it's
not the Steelers so much as it's the playoff atmosphere.
And if they're down seven to nothing or ten to
three going in a halftime and Lamar has a couple
of turnovers, they're like, it's the playoffs again, the typical
Baltimore Ravens thing, and the fans would start to get
a little uneasy in the stands.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
So I think that's the one that's kind of hanging
over the more. Is this the.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
Overall pressure of the playoffs, not just the Steelers kind
of have your number?
Speaker 4 (06:10):
You know, like Lamar a going in the Steeler game.
Why do the Steelers have your number? Why this shoers
every number? Blah blah blah, And then he throws that
pick the Manka and all of a sudden, it's like,
oh man, you know, like are we going down this road?
And you know this week he's just gonna hear, why
aren't you having more playoff success? You know, like, yep,
this get that monkey off your back type of thing.
And if you could combine combound the two, maybe you
(06:32):
have something there.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
I mean, I'm not saying the Steers are gonna win.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
Well cook reminder of the series history for you guys.
This will be their fifth postseason meeting all time in
the playoffs. The Steelers have lost just once to the
Baltimore Ravens, but that was the last time they met
ten years ago in the wild card round in twenty fourteen.
This fantastic rivalry started in nineteen ninety six when the
Ravens joined the NFL. Since then, Pittsburgh leads overall thirty
six to twenty six, including the four playoff matchup wins.
(06:55):
Pittsburgh won six of the seven excuse me, the four
playoff matchups that have been played so far, three of
them going to Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh won six of the first
seven meetings. They've also won eight of the last ten,
but Baltimore won most recently. We all remember thirty four
to seventeen at home in Week sixteen. Mike Tomlin is
now twenty two and seventeen against the Ravens all time.
Harbaugh is now sixteen and twenty one against Pittsburgh. Tomlin
(07:16):
and Harbaugh's thirty seven meetings is the second most behind
or between head coaches all time. In Baltimore, the Steelers
are fifteen and fourteen, but have won four of the
past five and six of the past eight.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
In the Ravens building the Ravens offense and.
Speaker 4 (07:31):
Then the one thing I heard today too is I'm
almost certain this is true that Harbaugh and Tomlin now
will be the second most playoff meeting behind Madden and
nol Ever. Oh wow, I didn't know that until just
a couple minutes.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
That's great little.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
History, and I get there. Ravens offense is I think
the identity of the team. But I mean the Ravens historically,
they're like us. Their identity is on the defense side
of the The secondary had been lacking for them this year, man,
let's start on that side of the ball, and let's
start with the second It's improved dramatically.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Wait, is it simply.
Speaker 3 (08:04):
Moving Kyle Hamilton back to more of the Minka roll
and moving Humphrey back into the slaughter?
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Am I making it too?
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Year?
Speaker 4 (08:09):
I think it's a lot of things. So I think
Dean Peas has kind of stepped up as the adult
in the room.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
As a defensive.
Speaker 4 (08:16):
Staff, they lost a lot of so he's a big
right now. Basically, yeah, he's the old man in the
room where a bunch of guys were kind of over
their head. The Humphrey in two corners will be outside.
But then he goes a slot. It makes him a
lot stronger.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
There.
Speaker 4 (08:30):
They were counting on Marcus Williams to be their deep
middle and he frankly.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
Just fell off a cliff on the bench. Now, yeah,
he sometimes I doesn't even get to active. So Hamilton
filled in there.
Speaker 4 (08:39):
Simpson the queen replacement, also was disappointing. So they've made
three or four changes. But the whole key is maybe
because of the changes they used to blow so many
coverages and have communication errors that that's really fallen off
in the last four or five weeks since the Steelers.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
You think Dean PE's has a lot to do with that.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
I would assume, I would assume.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
And Nate Wagans has started to play well too.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
Yeah, he's started to understand. Yeah. Yeah, it looks like.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
Another example of DPS coming in and being an adult
in the room and helping to yet this young guy
develop a little bit better. Absolutely, the Ravens defense allows
five point two yards per play for the season, but
that's just four point five over their past three games.
Over the past seven weeks, the Ravens defense has allowed
just fifteen point four points per game.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
That's league best over that stretch.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
Yeah, it's bad news for the Steelers obviously in the
immediate seat, but it's bad news for the AFC playoff
picture because.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
That's the only thing that is leading to this team underachieving.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
What was going on the defensive side of the ball
and what was going on in special teams with Justin Tucker.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
In penalties penalties, Yeah right, but defense has been great. Yeah,
now it's down the stretch.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
Tucker hasn't been missing field goals anymore, and the offense
is when it always.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
Has such the thing.
Speaker 4 (09:45):
I mean, you well said, you know, the offense is
really strong, it's really hard to play against pass or run.
They have two phenomenal players and no real weaknesses. But
the defense goes from a liability to one of the
best defense in the league.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
I mean, that's the big change.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
Yeah, and it really was one of the best defenses
of the league until you got to that secondary. All
year long, run defense was fantastic. They were still getting
after the quarterback as well. It was just the secondary
was abysmal. But when it's communication stuff and just a
lot of drastically blown coverages, I guess that can be fixed.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
Absolutely.
Speaker 4 (10:13):
I mean, Stevens and Wiggins and Humphrey, I mean, that's
not a bad trio Corners. Hamilton's a star, you know
what I mean.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
So the Steelers one hundred and nineteen passing yards per
game is only higher than five offenses. Baltimore is limited
opposing passers to two hundred and twenty three yards or
fewer in seven of their last eight games, which includes
a pair of games against the Steelers. Wilson has four
hundred and twenty two passing yards in the two games
against Baltimore, so just a little under that average of
two twenty three for Russell Wilson in his meetings. But
(10:39):
two twenty three yards allowed against opposing passers is really good,
especially when the rest of your defenses as great as
Baltimore's is. Steelers struggling in the passing game.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
Man.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
I hate to say this because we're on the Steelers
audio network. Yeah, a van scout here. But if you
took the logos off of these helmets, it just did
Team A versus Team B. The matchup is very, very
poor for Pitts. Yes, there is a raven logo on
that side of the helmet.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
You get the little mystique of the rivalry going on.
You've owned them and ten in the past twelve or
whatever it is. Yeah, so you got that going.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
For it, and that's that's real. Absolutely, there's a.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
Reason why people keep talking about divisional matchups are such
a tricky thing in playoffs.
Speaker 4 (11:16):
I mean, it's pretty rare that you get that third game.
Steelers only had twelve of them in their career and
they're ten and two.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
They're in their history.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
What's it going to take for the Steelers offense to
score on their opening drive in this game?
Speaker 2 (11:27):
Because I do, like I said, to open up Vah,
I think it's so. I mean, it's key. It was
key eight weeks ago.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
From Yeah, of course, now you have to do it.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
We're talking about it now and.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
The crowd and make him think a little bit like
I said, like, oh, it's the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
We're down seven to nothing, and it's the Steelers, Like,
what's going on here? This is in Baltimore football. You
need them to start having that mindset early, I know.
Speaker 4 (11:49):
And the streak of not scoring touchdowns on the opening
drive is up to nineteen games and that's just back.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
Last year, back to last year, right, any idea of why.
Speaker 4 (12:00):
I mean, it's easy to say, boy, you're not prepping
well enough during the week. I mean it's not a
lack and by that, I don't mean like they're not trying,
they're not practicing, but I mean it feels like they
don't have a great grasp of what the opponent comes
out and does because they do adjust well throughout the game.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
It does feel that way because like they.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
They've drive the field goals.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
They know this is a trend too.
Speaker 3 (12:20):
Yeah, they know that starting early and scoring touchdowns early
is a big deal, especially with the way that they
want to play football. So you know that they're trying
their ass off to figure out how they can fix this.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:29):
I think you're right. They just don't have a real
good sense of what other teams are doing.
Speaker 4 (12:33):
I think the other thing is semi by design though, too,
and it worked great when they were winning and it
works terrible when you're losing it, as this sport often
is is. I think they were pretty content to realize
they're going to go that they're not going to knock
anyone out.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
It's going to be a full twelve round fight.
Speaker 4 (12:49):
So if we punt the early in the game, but
land a lot of body blows in the run game
and you know, three yard runs turn into six yard
runs in the fourth quarter, which was happening when they
were winning. I think that that was part of the plan.
But it might be time to deviate from that plan
and throw the ball a little more first down, you.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
Know, amen to that.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
They definitely need to get a little more creative on
first down. Very predictable, I think early in drives. Who
do you think is going to see George Pickens? Do
you think there's going to be a lot of Kyle
Hamilton shading over to that side of the field.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
Yeah, I would imagine all explosions.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
I would imagine. But I also think you might see
more Mike Williams this week.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
What do you think is going on with Pickens?
Speaker 3 (13:30):
Because I understand, you know, off the field stuff whatever,
and the stuff in the silence, but he has three
or fewer catches in three consecutive games.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
They're just not getting him the ball.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
Enough and it seems to be in his head.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
And the drop dropping for sure, really really bad.
Speaker 4 (13:44):
And I hate to say it, but I don't think
they can win this game without him being great.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
Oh, I mean not even being Okay, No.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
I need, I need.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
I know he's done this before, but I need it's
not consistent enough. Eight catches, one hundred and twenty five yards.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
Yeah, real wide receiver one yeah. Type of stat line.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
Ripping up single coverage every time you get it, you know.
Speaker 3 (14:04):
Well, another big problem with the passing game for the
Steelers of late during this losing streak is Russ is
just getting sacked way too much. And I think it's
a little bit of both. I think it's the offensive
line and I think it is Russell Wilson. It's just
in his nature to hold onto the ball and get
sacked a lot. Steelers passers have been sacked on eight
point nine percent of their dropbacks. That's fifth highest percentage
in the league. And as I mentioned before, you know
bad matchup if you just look at teammate versus Team B.
(14:26):
That definitely applies when it comes to this category because
Baltimore is fifty four sacks this year, that is the
second most in the NFL, and eighteen different defensive players
ever quartered a sack. Van Neut leads the way with
twelve and a half, followed bya with ten. I think
Matta Bukates around there too, but that's a lot of
different guys getting a sack. And they sack opposing quarterbacks
(14:46):
on seven point seven percent of their dropbacks, which is
tied for fourth best.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
I mean they're getting a ton of pressure on quarterbacks.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
They are without great pass rushers.
Speaker 4 (14:54):
I mean it's really impressive and that, like you said,
take the logos off.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
That does not well. The ball is gonna have to
come out.
Speaker 3 (15:02):
And the Ravens allow the fewest rushing yards per game
at sixty three point eight. To the running back position,
they surrender just three point six yards per carry, which
is best in the league. In nineteen point eight percent
of carries against the Ravens go for zero or negative yardage.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
You have to pass the ball against them the only way.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
You can have to play very well.
Speaker 3 (15:18):
Now, this Baltimore offense is the scary side of the
ball for them. They are at six point eight yards.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
But when you look at the offense, it's walk in
the park.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
Lars unbelievable.
Speaker 3 (15:33):
Baltimore produced six point seven yards per play against the
Steelers defense in Week sixteen. The Steelers give up five
point four yards per play for the year, but it's
five point nine over their last three games. And it's
no secret what the Ravens want to do. They're throwing
the ball or shooting running the ball. No, sorry, they're
throwing the ball at a lower percentage than everybody in
(15:53):
the league except for the Philadelphia Evens. Forty seven point
five percent of the time, Ravens are going to be
throwing the football, So it's a run for offense.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
It's very successful at running the football.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
With that being said, though, Matt, they also lead the
league with an eight point one yards per pass attempt,
so when they do pass, it's explosive and it's down
the field.
Speaker 4 (16:09):
Yeah, and he's become an exceptional pocket passer. These aren't
just you know, broken plays him run around and you know,
do magic. I mean, he is very good within the
structure of the offense. Yeah, they run the ball extremely well, obviously,
but some of that's too because they get leads and
they they choke out. You know, you can't get down
heavy on these guys.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
Baltimore is producing four hundred and twenty four point nine
yards per game. Not only is that best in the league,
but it is fifteen point four yards more than the
second place Detroit Lions. The Ravens convert a set of
downs into a new set of downs or a touchdown
at a seventy nine percent clip. Only the Detroit Lions
are better, and only the Detroit Lions have more touchdowns
with sixty eight scored than the Ravens offense at sixty
(16:51):
two sixty eight to sixty two.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
The Lions have scored a ton of touchdowns this season.
Raves have scored a ton of touchdowns as well. Though, Yeah,
it's just the Ravens and the Lions.
Speaker 3 (17:00):
Every offensive statistic goes into one of those two teams favor.
And you mentioned Lamar Jackson becoming that good as far
as a passer is concerned. He's the first quarterback in
league history with four thousand plus passing yards, nine hundred
plus rushing yards, and forty plus touchdowns, and his forty
one to four touchdown to interception ratio was the best
since noted running back Aaron Rodgers, it's twenty five to
(17:21):
two in twenty eighteen. Yeah, like he's putting up numbers
like Brady and Rodgers. That might be the take that
has aged like milk more than any saying, Oh, it's
just a running back, running back playing quarterback.
Speaker 2 (17:31):
Player Roger what a spreeze, Brady Manning. These are the
company that Lamar keeps with all of his statistics.
Speaker 4 (17:37):
To be honest with you, if he never ran the
ball once this year, he'd be in the MVP conversation.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
Just on passing them.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
Yeah. I mean they might not win it. I mean,
but he'd be in the conversation.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
That makes me lean towards him winning it this year,
right right.
Speaker 3 (17:50):
I think I've been on Josh Allen's train for a
lot this season, but Lamar's kind of just punched me
into submission and been like, I think I'm already too good.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
He's I think Lamar has been the better pass of
the two burrow.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
He's the better runner too, probably been Allen, I think
he is.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
I think so too. I mean they're different, a.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
Different style, but I mean Lamar's got more yardage than
Allen does through the ground.
Speaker 4 (18:11):
The argument is, I think that Henry is really helps him,
you know what I mean?
Speaker 3 (18:17):
Whereas I saw that argument to one Pro bowler on
Allen's offense, and it's Dean Dawkins's tackle. Yeah, yeah, And
there's like seven Pro bowlers on the Ravens offense. Lineman
running a kind of help tight end Andrews likely, but
at the same time, but he's turning the I mean,
it's stuff that no one's done before in the league's history.
(18:39):
Just under forty two percent of Jackson's attempts have resulted
in first downs or touchdowns. That's the second highest percentage
in the league, and his average pass produced eight point
eight yards.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
That is the highest in the league.
Speaker 3 (18:50):
On only dropbacks that resulted in a target or sack.
Jackson's eight point two average also led the league. He's
accounted for multiple touchdown passes in ten of his last
eleven games in thirteen of his last fifteen games.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
And bad news for the Steelers.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
They're giving up the seventh most passing yards per game
two hundred and forty four point two two quarterbacks and
have allowed multiple passing touchdowns in five of their last
six games. It just goes on and on, putting three
against Lamar Jackson in Week sixteen.
Speaker 4 (19:13):
It just goes on and on. The stats are really
really impressive on that side of the ball.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
Mark Andrews, you've caught him. I mean, we're going to
get a head of second Andrews.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
You call him, his will be Yeah.
Speaker 3 (19:25):
He's got a touchdown in six straight games, eleven touchdowns
over his past twelve games.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
So I mean he is the He's the one that's
got the nose for the end zone.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
He does.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
If you want to put any kind of touchdown score
a prop bet down, Andrews is a really good call.
Speaker 1 (19:38):
Really good call.
Speaker 4 (19:39):
Now, I do think if Porter's on Bateman, I might
put Minka on Andrews a lot. And they have done that,
do that third down, red zones type stuff. It's just
the ripple effect of not having Zay there.
Speaker 3 (19:51):
Now, he did all this talk about Lamar Jackson and
how impressive he is, and with all that being said, Matt,
I think my strategy on defense in this game would
be make Lamar beat me as we does that, don't
let Henry beat you, because we just saw Henry beat
you last time. And it's not like Lamaro at a
bad game against.
Speaker 1 (20:05):
The team, but he wasn't asked to do a time going.
Speaker 3 (20:08):
Nuts against you, where as Henry did go nuts against you.
Had one hundred and sixty two yards when the teams
met last time.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
It's not in here.
Speaker 3 (20:15):
I don't know if you remember off the top of
your head the exact number the explosive plays that he
had against It was the season high for any running
back of the NFL.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
It might still be at this point.
Speaker 5 (20:23):
Trump Gay was just ten fifteen yard gains over and
over and over again. Top way to go down this
season clinch Derrick Henry becoming the first player in NFL
history with multiple seasons with nineteen hundred plus rushing yards.
He had nineteen hundred and twenty one in his first
season as a Raven. He's also the first player in
NFL history with eighteen hundred plus rushing yards and fifteen
(20:44):
plus rushing touchdowns in multiple season, and he's now tied
with Jim Brown for six all time with one hundred
and six rushing touchdowns, and he needs just four more
to tie Walter Payton, which he will undoubtedly get next
year as long as no crazy injury happens to him.
Speaker 1 (20:57):
So the historic stuff is pretty Cooley talking.
Speaker 3 (20:59):
About all time quarterback already. Yep, and you're talking about
a first bout Hall of Fame running back.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
And they're both playing as what.
Speaker 4 (21:05):
Labar's just the best of his career and I didn't
see Henry aging his fine wine as he has.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
I mean, he's been phenomenal.
Speaker 3 (21:12):
And I think one of the most impressive things about
Henry is one thousand, one and thirty seven yards after
first contact.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
That led the NFL. It's the fourth time in his
career he's the first five thousand yards after contact.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
It's a thousand yard rusher after someone puts a little
you know, stick to him, grabs him by the legs,
and he brushes him off, stiff arms him into the ground.
Speaker 4 (21:31):
Like I'm not picking on nausea, but you know, it's
a big deal that Nausey got to one thousand yards
four years in a row every year to start his career.
That's that's he's one of the only people in history
Henry does it after contact.
Speaker 1 (21:44):
It's crazy.
Speaker 2 (21:46):
He almost had a thousand yards before contact too, right, Oh,
by the way, before thousand.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
They're both phenomenal. Yeah, big goals for.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
Here's some key matchups for you. They're both quarterback related.
Speaker 3 (21:54):
It's that time of year, Matt. It's about the quarterback
when you get to this time of year. Ravens quarterback,
Lamar Jackson, Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen. What do you think
about Patrick Queen season?
Speaker 2 (22:04):
Overall? I think slow starting, but coming on pretty well.
Speaker 4 (22:06):
Yeah, I'd say good, not great. Yeah, you know, I
think it's a quality signing. His speed shows up. He's
not the most physical guy in the world, but that's
what he was, and you know they needed that speed
in the middle.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
Of field, no question.
Speaker 3 (22:19):
I think it showed up big time against Jayden Daniels
in that game against Washington. It hasn't really shown up
that much against Lamar because they don't Lamar is not
he has requiring them to do that and you're just
going to throw the ball from the pocket or handed
to my guy Derek Henry.
Speaker 4 (22:31):
He's kind of why I picked that one too, because
it might be Queen might have to have a real
big game here if they try to take away Henry
and Lamar's carrying the ball a lot.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
You know, that just triggered my memory. You brought this
up on the Mark Mannen Show. One thing he thought
Lamar did really well in Week sixteen was you know
the race Steelers strategy against him is key on him
and all the him.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
He absorbed all those hits. He waited for a long time.
Speaker 3 (22:51):
He took all those hits, and then there were huge
holes for Derek Henry to just rumble through.
Speaker 4 (22:56):
And I like your point too, like can't just go
back and run it back, you know, like let's let's
make Lamar right now.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
Yeah. Yeah, they can't let him get rolling.
Speaker 2 (23:04):
And then Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson versus quick.
Speaker 4 (23:07):
On Henry that if by chance he doesn't play on
third downs, you know, so there have been games where
his snap counts not as high as you would think,
but you got to get him right and off third
and six, he's not out.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
There an offense that's gaining about seven yards a game lately,
got to.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
Get or playing from behind.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
And Matt, it's the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (23:28):
If it's third and one, hard boss putting him out
there to get the run, I would think, and then
I would hold more than one.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
Yes and Steels.
Speaker 3 (23:35):
Quarterback Russell Wilson versus Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton is our
last matchup.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
Russell Wilson's got to avoid turnovers.
Speaker 3 (23:41):
He's got to find explosive plays without risking interceptions. It's
been such a big problem with this offense in the
past couple weeks, lack of explosions and turning.
Speaker 2 (23:49):
The ball over.
Speaker 3 (23:51):
Cayle Hamilton can turn you over, and he's also going
to be a pretty big I would say reason if
the Raves are successful that they keep a lid on
George Pickens.
Speaker 4 (24:00):
I would think he's very much leaning picking his way.
He's dealing with a small injury too, though.
Speaker 3 (24:03):
Hamilton kick off eight pm on Saturday night, Steelers and
the Ravens. Matt's on pregame with Tim Benz at four o'clock,
six o'clocks Towers Audio Network with Labs Jerry and Mike Persuda,
and then we kick it all off at eight o'clock.
Speaker 2 (24:17):
Steelers trying to end a five game losing.
Speaker 3 (24:21):
Streak when it comes to playoff football. So hopefully Matt
will be back next week.
Speaker 2 (24:25):
So hopefully we get do this again in about the
division round. It not another great year, We'll
Speaker 3 (24:29):
Do it next year for Matt Williamson on Tom Ofreman
and this has been the advanced Scout
We got some work to do.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
This is the Advanced Scout with Tom Opferman and Mac Williamson.
Speaker 3 (00:07):
The Steelers losing streak reached four games with the lost
of Cincinnati last Saturday, but none of that matters. It's
all in the rear view year because the playoffs start
this Saturday, Steelers against the Baltimore Ravens, number six seed
versus the number three seed and Matt as I mentioned
Steelers coming off that four game losing streak heading into
the playoffs, maybe you could make the case that they're
(00:28):
one of, if not the weakest.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Team in the AFC field.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Could you make a case that the team they're playing
is the strongest team.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
In the I could definitely make that case.
Speaker 4 (00:36):
I mean, one of the advanced metrics on roll into
dva U Street football siders. The Ravens were their number
one team this year, and I can totally understand it
because they have a lot of talent, they're well coached,
the offense is really hard to play against, although I
think this A Flowers.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Thing is an issue for them.
Speaker 4 (00:55):
Defense has gotten a lot figured out too, so I
think they're one of the elite teams.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Let me skip ahead on the ze Flowers saying real quick,
we'll talk more about that when we get to the
Ravens offense. But when you say that's issue or potentially
a bigger issue than it might be right now for them,
do you mean in this game against the Steelers or
for aspirations to go in a running.
Speaker 4 (01:13):
I was really looking for looking at the Steelers' perspective
in particular, but probably both. It does sound like he's
weak to week, but I don't think he's gonna play
this week, and my thoughts are if he's out, I'm
putting Porter on Bateman alone, and that that actually favors
the Steelers. And we've seen so many of these really
good teams attack the Steelers in like two point five
(01:34):
seconds or less. Get it out, Get it out.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
That's zay.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
I mean, that's getting the ball weapon when it comes
to that.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
Now, the reason why I led you in with that
statement that they might be the best team in the
AFC field is because of this stat that you gave
me in your stat pack. They have a five to
twenty average strength of victory and it's the highest of
any playoff team AFC, and that NFC it's the only
mark actually of any team in the playoffs that is
above four to seventy five. Ye as a winning percentage
is concerned. There were seven to three againstoff teams this year,
and their average margin of victory is fourteen point nine.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
It's fifth highest in football.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
Yeah, they have some big wins against good teams.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
And furthermore, they've produced sixty three more more first downs
than they allow. They have ninety five more rushing first
downs than they allow. They produce one point seven more
passing yards per attempt, fourteen more passing touchdowns than anybody
that they play, thirty more sacks than they allow, and
twenty eight more rushing yards than they allowed. That's two
point two more rushing yards per attempt than they allow
(02:26):
in ninety one point nine total yards per game. They
rack up then they give up. I mean, that's a
dominating football team.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
That second bullet point.
Speaker 4 (02:34):
As I'm typing it and doing the research like I
always do that for these opponents, I go to ESPN
and it has all their numbers of what they've done
against what they've you know, given up. It's just one
after another and they're all dominants can be like as
you've just read that bulletpoint, like did they ever lose?
Speaker 2 (02:52):
I know, it's it's crazy that they're twelve and five. Honestly,
you know they lost the Raiders from the right.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
In baseball, when you look at standings, they do this
new thing now where it's like expected win loss and
they can kind of say, you know what, this team's overachieving,
this team's underachieving. If that was the thing in the NFL.
I bet you they'd be like fourteen to three instead of.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
Twelve y yeah, something under achieving.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
They have underachieved.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
And as I'm reading through the stat pack and especially
looking at their offense, there's only one team that really
compares or beats them in any category in Detroit.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
Everyone else.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
Detroit and Baltimore. Detroit and Baltimore in every single stat
that matters. It's a prolific offense. It's a prolific team
that you're going up against. One thing that's shocking to
me reading your pack too, is Steeers have turned the
ball over in ten straight games, but they still have
a better turnover ratio or excuse me, only the Bills
have a better turnover ratio than the Steelers plus sixteen.
Right now, after that ten game streak of constantly turning it.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
Over, and that's absolutely a massive key.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
I mean, we talk about this every week with these guys,
but turnovers, special teams, and penalties all do favor the
Steelers in this game, and.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
Those are things I want to favor me if I'm
an underdog.
Speaker 4 (04:00):
Absolutely, you know, muddy it up. I mean, it could
be a snow game, it could be a weather game.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
And is that advantage of Baltimore more though?
Speaker 1 (04:07):
I think, I mean, it's Henry and he exactly at home.
Speaker 4 (04:10):
I mean I would say so, but I was going
to say that Baltimore just doesn't take the ball away much,
you know, like Lamar doesn't throw picks.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
They do fumble.
Speaker 4 (04:19):
Henry and especially Lamar have some fumbles, but they don't
throw picks.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
But they don't have the takeaways.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
No, they're plus six and turnover differential, but they only
have seventeen takeaways, so most of that plus six is protecting.
Speaker 4 (04:30):
And they have a ton of sacks. You would think
sax leyed to turnovers and it hasn't for them.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
Henry fumbled the ball the first time that the Steelers,
but that was like the first fumble he had in
three years or something crazy like that.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
And I don't think he's fumbled. Excuse me, it's the
first fumble he's lost in a long long because he
does cough it up.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
Eventually, but he usually gets their ball lock bounces right
to a Raven Titan. But that was the first time
in a long time that actually went the other way.
He hasn't had one go the other way since then.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
So they're just really good at protecting the football.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
Whereas the Steelers play sixteen is all because of the
thirty three takeaways that they exactly is the one.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
That's and they don't throw a field didn't either.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
Nominally, yeah, absolutely turning it over.
Speaker 4 (05:08):
Yeah, I mean that's been been part of the losing
streak real quick though, and Lamar last game aside against
the Steelers, he does turn the ball over a lot
in the playoffs and against Pittsburgh.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
But that's that's the thing that's interesting me about this
is what kind of boogeyman is hanging over the Ravens
head more?
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Is it the.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
Steelers one right because they kind of exercised that demon,
I know, with a big win against them four weeks ago.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
Or is the playoff thing? And I think it's the
playoff thing that's kind of.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
I think there's a lot more pressure on Baltimore.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
Yes, And that's the thing I think Steelers fans should
be kind of hoping to see.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
And it would be.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Great if the Steelers could score a touchdown on their
first drive to kind of maybe accelerator worries. But it's
not the Steelers so much as it's the playoff atmosphere.
And if they're down seven to nothing or ten to
three going in a halftime and Lamar has a couple
of turnovers, they're like, it's the playoffs again, the typical
Baltimore Ravens thing, and the fans would start to get
a little uneasy in the stands.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
So I think that's the one that's kind of hanging
over the more. Is this the.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
Overall pressure of the playoffs, not just the Steelers kind
of have your number?
Speaker 4 (06:10):
You know, like Lamar a going in the Steeler game.
Why do the Steelers have your number? Why this shoers
every number? Blah blah blah, And then he throws that
pick the Manka and all of a sudden, it's like,
oh man, you know, like are we going down this road?
And you know this week he's just gonna hear, why
aren't you having more playoff success? You know, like, yep,
this get that monkey off your back type of thing.
And if you could combine combound the two, maybe you
(06:32):
have something there.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
I mean, I'm not saying the Steers are gonna win.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
Well cook reminder of the series history for you guys.
This will be their fifth postseason meeting all time in
the playoffs. The Steelers have lost just once to the
Baltimore Ravens, but that was the last time they met
ten years ago in the wild card round in twenty fourteen.
This fantastic rivalry started in nineteen ninety six when the
Ravens joined the NFL. Since then, Pittsburgh leads overall thirty
six to twenty six, including the four playoff matchup wins.
(06:55):
Pittsburgh won six of the seven excuse me, the four
playoff matchups that have been played so far, three of
them going to Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh won six of the first
seven meetings. They've also won eight of the last ten,
but Baltimore won most recently. We all remember thirty four
to seventeen at home in Week sixteen. Mike Tomlin is
now twenty two and seventeen against the Ravens all time.
Harbaugh is now sixteen and twenty one against Pittsburgh. Tomlin
(07:16):
and Harbaugh's thirty seven meetings is the second most behind
or between head coaches all time. In Baltimore, the Steelers
are fifteen and fourteen, but have won four of the
past five and six of the past eight.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
In the Ravens building the Ravens offense and.
Speaker 4 (07:31):
Then the one thing I heard today too is I'm
almost certain this is true that Harbaugh and Tomlin now
will be the second most playoff meeting behind Madden and
nol Ever. Oh wow, I didn't know that until just
a couple minutes.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
That's great little.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
History, and I get there. Ravens offense is I think
the identity of the team. But I mean the Ravens historically,
they're like us. Their identity is on the defense side
of the The secondary had been lacking for them this year, man,
let's start on that side of the ball, and let's
start with the second It's improved dramatically.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Wait, is it simply.
Speaker 3 (08:04):
Moving Kyle Hamilton back to more of the Minka roll
and moving Humphrey back into the slaughter?
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Am I making it too?
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Year?
Speaker 4 (08:09):
I think it's a lot of things. So I think
Dean Peas has kind of stepped up as the adult
in the room.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
As a defensive.
Speaker 4 (08:16):
Staff, they lost a lot of so he's a big
right now. Basically, yeah, he's the old man in the
room where a bunch of guys were kind of over
their head. The Humphrey in two corners will be outside.
But then he goes a slot. It makes him a
lot stronger.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
There.
Speaker 4 (08:30):
They were counting on Marcus Williams to be their deep
middle and he frankly.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
Just fell off a cliff on the bench. Now, yeah,
he sometimes I doesn't even get to active. So Hamilton
filled in there.
Speaker 4 (08:39):
Simpson the queen replacement, also was disappointing. So they've made
three or four changes. But the whole key is maybe
because of the changes they used to blow so many
coverages and have communication errors that that's really fallen off
in the last four or five weeks since the Steelers.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
You think Dean PE's has a lot to do with that.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
I would assume, I would assume.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
And Nate Wagans has started to play well too.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
Yeah, he's started to understand. Yeah. Yeah, it looks like.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
Another example of DPS coming in and being an adult
in the room and helping to yet this young guy
develop a little bit better. Absolutely, the Ravens defense allows
five point two yards per play for the season, but
that's just four point five over their past three games.
Over the past seven weeks, the Ravens defense has allowed
just fifteen point four points per game.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
That's league best over that stretch.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
Yeah, it's bad news for the Steelers obviously in the
immediate seat, but it's bad news for the AFC playoff
picture because.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
That's the only thing that is leading to this team underachieving.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
What was going on the defensive side of the ball
and what was going on in special teams with Justin Tucker.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
In penalties penalties, Yeah right, but defense has been great. Yeah,
now it's down the stretch.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
Tucker hasn't been missing field goals anymore, and the offense
is when it always.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
Has such the thing.
Speaker 4 (09:45):
I mean, you well said, you know, the offense is
really strong, it's really hard to play against pass or run.
They have two phenomenal players and no real weaknesses. But
the defense goes from a liability to one of the
best defense in the league.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
I mean, that's the big change.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
Yeah, and it really was one of the best defenses
of the league until you got to that secondary. All
year long, run defense was fantastic. They were still getting
after the quarterback as well. It was just the secondary
was abysmal. But when it's communication stuff and just a
lot of drastically blown coverages, I guess that can be fixed.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
Absolutely.
Speaker 4 (10:13):
I mean, Stevens and Wiggins and Humphrey, I mean, that's
not a bad trio Corners. Hamilton's a star, you know
what I mean.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
So the Steelers one hundred and nineteen passing yards per
game is only higher than five offenses. Baltimore is limited
opposing passers to two hundred and twenty three yards or
fewer in seven of their last eight games, which includes
a pair of games against the Steelers. Wilson has four
hundred and twenty two passing yards in the two games
against Baltimore, so just a little under that average of
two twenty three for Russell Wilson in his meetings. But
(10:39):
two twenty three yards allowed against opposing passers is really good,
especially when the rest of your defenses as great as
Baltimore's is. Steelers struggling in the passing game.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
Man.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
I hate to say this because we're on the Steelers
audio network. Yeah, a van scout here. But if you
took the logos off of these helmets, it just did
Team A versus Team B. The matchup is very, very
poor for Pitts. Yes, there is a raven logo on
that side of the helmet.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
You get the little mystique of the rivalry going on.
You've owned them and ten in the past twelve or
whatever it is. Yeah, so you got that going.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
For it, and that's that's real. Absolutely, there's a.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
Reason why people keep talking about divisional matchups are such
a tricky thing in playoffs.
Speaker 4 (11:16):
I mean, it's pretty rare that you get that third game.
Steelers only had twelve of them in their career and
they're ten and two.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
They're in their history.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
What's it going to take for the Steelers offense to
score on their opening drive in this game?
Speaker 2 (11:27):
Because I do, like I said, to open up Vah,
I think it's so. I mean, it's key. It was
key eight weeks ago.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
From Yeah, of course, now you have to do it.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
We're talking about it now and.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
The crowd and make him think a little bit like
I said, like, oh, it's the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
We're down seven to nothing, and it's the Steelers, Like,
what's going on here? This is in Baltimore football. You
need them to start having that mindset early, I know.
Speaker 4 (11:49):
And the streak of not scoring touchdowns on the opening
drive is up to nineteen games and that's just back.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
Last year, back to last year, right, any idea of why.
Speaker 4 (12:00):
I mean, it's easy to say, boy, you're not prepping
well enough during the week. I mean it's not a
lack and by that, I don't mean like they're not trying,
they're not practicing, but I mean it feels like they
don't have a great grasp of what the opponent comes
out and does because they do adjust well throughout the game.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
It does feel that way because like they.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
They've drive the field goals.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
They know this is a trend too.
Speaker 3 (12:20):
Yeah, they know that starting early and scoring touchdowns early
is a big deal, especially with the way that they
want to play football. So you know that they're trying
their ass off to figure out how they can fix this.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:29):
I think you're right. They just don't have a real
good sense of what other teams are doing.
Speaker 4 (12:33):
I think the other thing is semi by design though, too,
and it worked great when they were winning and it
works terrible when you're losing it, as this sport often
is is. I think they were pretty content to realize
they're going to go that they're not going to knock
anyone out.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
It's going to be a full twelve round fight.
Speaker 4 (12:49):
So if we punt the early in the game, but
land a lot of body blows in the run game
and you know, three yard runs turn into six yard
runs in the fourth quarter, which was happening when they
were winning. I think that that was part of the plan.
But it might be time to deviate from that plan
and throw the ball a little more first down, you.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
Know, amen to that.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
They definitely need to get a little more creative on
first down. Very predictable, I think early in drives. Who
do you think is going to see George Pickens? Do
you think there's going to be a lot of Kyle
Hamilton shading over to that side of the field.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
Yeah, I would imagine all explosions.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
I would imagine. But I also think you might see
more Mike Williams this week.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
What do you think is going on with Pickens?
Speaker 3 (13:30):
Because I understand, you know, off the field stuff whatever,
and the stuff in the silence, but he has three
or fewer catches in three consecutive games.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
They're just not getting him the ball.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
Enough and it seems to be in his head.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
And the drop dropping for sure, really really bad.
Speaker 4 (13:44):
And I hate to say it, but I don't think
they can win this game without him being great.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
Oh, I mean not even being Okay, No.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
I need, I need.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
I know he's done this before, but I need it's
not consistent enough. Eight catches, one hundred and twenty five yards.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
Yeah, real wide receiver one yeah. Type of stat line.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
Ripping up single coverage every time you get it, you know.
Speaker 3 (14:04):
Well, another big problem with the passing game for the
Steelers of late during this losing streak is Russ is
just getting sacked way too much. And I think it's
a little bit of both. I think it's the offensive
line and I think it is Russell Wilson. It's just
in his nature to hold onto the ball and get
sacked a lot. Steelers passers have been sacked on eight
point nine percent of their dropbacks. That's fifth highest percentage
in the league. And as I mentioned before, you know
bad matchup if you just look at teammate versus Team B.
(14:26):
That definitely applies when it comes to this category because
Baltimore is fifty four sacks this year, that is the
second most in the NFL, and eighteen different defensive players
ever quartered a sack. Van Neut leads the way with
twelve and a half, followed bya with ten. I think
Matta Bukates around there too, but that's a lot of
different guys getting a sack. And they sack opposing quarterbacks
(14:46):
on seven point seven percent of their dropbacks, which is
tied for fourth best.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
I mean they're getting a ton of pressure on quarterbacks.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
They are without great pass rushers.
Speaker 4 (14:54):
I mean it's really impressive and that, like you said,
take the logos off.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
That does not well. The ball is gonna have to
come out.
Speaker 3 (15:02):
And the Ravens allow the fewest rushing yards per game
at sixty three point eight. To the running back position,
they surrender just three point six yards per carry, which
is best in the league. In nineteen point eight percent
of carries against the Ravens go for zero or negative yardage.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
You have to pass the ball against them the only way.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
You can have to play very well.
Speaker 3 (15:18):
Now, this Baltimore offense is the scary side of the
ball for them. They are at six point eight yards.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
But when you look at the offense, it's walk in
the park.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
Lars unbelievable.
Speaker 3 (15:33):
Baltimore produced six point seven yards per play against the
Steelers defense in Week sixteen. The Steelers give up five
point four yards per play for the year, but it's
five point nine over their last three games. And it's
no secret what the Ravens want to do. They're throwing
the ball or shooting running the ball. No, sorry, they're
throwing the ball at a lower percentage than everybody in
(15:53):
the league except for the Philadelphia Evens. Forty seven point
five percent of the time, Ravens are going to be
throwing the football, So it's a run for offense.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
It's very successful at running the football.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
With that being said, though, Matt, they also lead the
league with an eight point one yards per pass attempt,
so when they do pass, it's explosive and it's down
the field.
Speaker 4 (16:09):
Yeah, and he's become an exceptional pocket passer. These aren't
just you know, broken plays him run around and you know,
do magic. I mean, he is very good within the
structure of the offense. Yeah, they run the ball extremely well, obviously,
but some of that's too because they get leads and
they they choke out. You know, you can't get down
heavy on these guys.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
Baltimore is producing four hundred and twenty four point nine
yards per game. Not only is that best in the league,
but it is fifteen point four yards more than the
second place Detroit Lions. The Ravens convert a set of
downs into a new set of downs or a touchdown
at a seventy nine percent clip. Only the Detroit Lions
are better, and only the Detroit Lions have more touchdowns
with sixty eight scored than the Ravens offense at sixty
(16:51):
two sixty eight to sixty two.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
The Lions have scored a ton of touchdowns this season.
Raves have scored a ton of touchdowns as well. Though, Yeah,
it's just the Ravens and the Lions.
Speaker 3 (17:00):
Every offensive statistic goes into one of those two teams favor.
And you mentioned Lamar Jackson becoming that good as far
as a passer is concerned. He's the first quarterback in
league history with four thousand plus passing yards, nine hundred
plus rushing yards, and forty plus touchdowns, and his forty
one to four touchdown to interception ratio was the best
since noted running back Aaron Rodgers, it's twenty five to
(17:21):
two in twenty eighteen. Yeah, like he's putting up numbers
like Brady and Rodgers. That might be the take that
has aged like milk more than any saying, Oh, it's
just a running back, running back playing quarterback.
Speaker 2 (17:31):
Player Roger what a spreeze, Brady Manning. These are the
company that Lamar keeps with all of his statistics.
Speaker 4 (17:37):
To be honest with you, if he never ran the
ball once this year, he'd be in the MVP conversation.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
Just on passing them.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
Yeah. I mean they might not win it. I mean,
but he'd be in the conversation.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
That makes me lean towards him winning it this year,
right right.
Speaker 3 (17:50):
I think I've been on Josh Allen's train for a
lot this season, but Lamar's kind of just punched me
into submission and been like, I think I'm already too good.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
He's I think Lamar has been the better pass of
the two burrow.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
He's the better runner too, probably been Allen, I think
he is.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
I think so too. I mean they're different, a.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
Different style, but I mean Lamar's got more yardage than
Allen does through the ground.
Speaker 4 (18:11):
The argument is, I think that Henry is really helps him,
you know what I mean?
Speaker 3 (18:17):
Whereas I saw that argument to one Pro bowler on
Allen's offense, and it's Dean Dawkins's tackle. Yeah, yeah, And
there's like seven Pro bowlers on the Ravens offense. Lineman
running a kind of help tight end Andrews likely, but
at the same time, but he's turning the I mean,
it's stuff that no one's done before in the league's history.
(18:39):
Just under forty two percent of Jackson's attempts have resulted
in first downs or touchdowns. That's the second highest percentage
in the league, and his average pass produced eight point
eight yards.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
That is the highest in the league.
Speaker 3 (18:50):
On only dropbacks that resulted in a target or sack.
Jackson's eight point two average also led the league. He's
accounted for multiple touchdown passes in ten of his last
eleven games in thirteen of his last fifteen games.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
And bad news for the Steelers.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
They're giving up the seventh most passing yards per game
two hundred and forty four point two two quarterbacks and
have allowed multiple passing touchdowns in five of their last
six games. It just goes on and on, putting three
against Lamar Jackson in Week sixteen.
Speaker 4 (19:13):
It just goes on and on. The stats are really
really impressive on that side of the ball.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
Mark Andrews, you've caught him. I mean, we're going to
get a head of second Andrews.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
You call him, his will be Yeah.
Speaker 3 (19:25):
He's got a touchdown in six straight games, eleven touchdowns
over his past twelve games.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
So I mean he is the He's the one that's
got the nose for the end zone.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
He does.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
If you want to put any kind of touchdown score
a prop bet down, Andrews is a really good call.
Speaker 1 (19:38):
Really good call.
Speaker 4 (19:39):
Now, I do think if Porter's on Bateman, I might
put Minka on Andrews a lot. And they have done that,
do that third down, red zones type stuff. It's just
the ripple effect of not having Zay there.
Speaker 3 (19:51):
Now, he did all this talk about Lamar Jackson and
how impressive he is, and with all that being said, Matt,
I think my strategy on defense in this game would
be make Lamar beat me as we does that, don't
let Henry beat you, because we just saw Henry beat
you last time. And it's not like Lamaro at a
bad game against.
Speaker 1 (20:05):
The team, but he wasn't asked to do a time going.
Speaker 3 (20:08):
Nuts against you, where as Henry did go nuts against you.
Had one hundred and sixty two yards when the teams
met last time.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
It's not in here.
Speaker 3 (20:15):
I don't know if you remember off the top of
your head the exact number the explosive plays that he
had against It was the season high for any running
back of the NFL.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
It might still be at this point.
Speaker 5 (20:23):
Trump Gay was just ten fifteen yard gains over and
over and over again. Top way to go down this
season clinch Derrick Henry becoming the first player in NFL
history with multiple seasons with nineteen hundred plus rushing yards.
He had nineteen hundred and twenty one in his first
season as a Raven. He's also the first player in
NFL history with eighteen hundred plus rushing yards and fifteen
(20:44):
plus rushing touchdowns in multiple season, and he's now tied
with Jim Brown for six all time with one hundred
and six rushing touchdowns, and he needs just four more
to tie Walter Payton, which he will undoubtedly get next
year as long as no crazy injury happens to him.
Speaker 1 (20:57):
So the historic stuff is pretty Cooley talking.
Speaker 3 (20:59):
About all time quarterback already. Yep, and you're talking about
a first bout Hall of Fame running back.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
And they're both playing as what.
Speaker 4 (21:05):
Labar's just the best of his career and I didn't
see Henry aging his fine wine as he has.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
I mean, he's been phenomenal.
Speaker 3 (21:12):
And I think one of the most impressive things about
Henry is one thousand, one and thirty seven yards after
first contact.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
That led the NFL. It's the fourth time in his
career he's the first five thousand yards after contact.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
It's a thousand yard rusher after someone puts a little
you know, stick to him, grabs him by the legs,
and he brushes him off, stiff arms him into the ground.
Speaker 4 (21:31):
Like I'm not picking on nausea, but you know, it's
a big deal that Nausey got to one thousand yards
four years in a row every year to start his career.
That's that's he's one of the only people in history
Henry does it after contact.
Speaker 1 (21:44):
It's crazy.
Speaker 2 (21:46):
He almost had a thousand yards before contact too, right, Oh,
by the way, before thousand.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
They're both phenomenal. Yeah, big goals for.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
Here's some key matchups for you. They're both quarterback related.
Speaker 3 (21:54):
It's that time of year, Matt. It's about the quarterback
when you get to this time of year. Ravens quarterback,
Lamar Jackson, Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen. What do you think
about Patrick Queen season?
Speaker 2 (22:04):
Overall? I think slow starting, but coming on pretty well.
Speaker 4 (22:06):
Yeah, I'd say good, not great. Yeah, you know, I
think it's a quality signing. His speed shows up. He's
not the most physical guy in the world, but that's
what he was, and you know they needed that speed
in the middle.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
Of field, no question.
Speaker 3 (22:19):
I think it showed up big time against Jayden Daniels
in that game against Washington. It hasn't really shown up
that much against Lamar because they don't Lamar is not
he has requiring them to do that and you're just
going to throw the ball from the pocket or handed
to my guy Derek Henry.
Speaker 4 (22:31):
He's kind of why I picked that one too, because
it might be Queen might have to have a real
big game here if they try to take away Henry
and Lamar's carrying the ball a lot.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
You know, that just triggered my memory. You brought this
up on the Mark Mannen Show. One thing he thought
Lamar did really well in Week sixteen was you know
the race Steelers strategy against him is key on him
and all the him.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
He absorbed all those hits. He waited for a long time.
Speaker 3 (22:51):
He took all those hits, and then there were huge
holes for Derek Henry to just rumble through.
Speaker 4 (22:56):
And I like your point too, like can't just go
back and run it back, you know, like let's let's
make Lamar right now.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
Yeah. Yeah, they can't let him get rolling.
Speaker 2 (23:04):
And then Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson versus quick.
Speaker 4 (23:07):
On Henry that if by chance he doesn't play on
third downs, you know, so there have been games where
his snap counts not as high as you would think,
but you got to get him right and off third
and six, he's not out.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
There an offense that's gaining about seven yards a game lately,
got to.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
Get or playing from behind.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
And Matt, it's the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (23:28):
If it's third and one, hard boss putting him out
there to get the run, I would think, and then
I would hold more than one.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
Yes and Steels.
Speaker 3 (23:35):
Quarterback Russell Wilson versus Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton is our
last matchup.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
Russell Wilson's got to avoid turnovers.
Speaker 3 (23:41):
He's got to find explosive plays without risking interceptions. It's
been such a big problem with this offense in the
past couple weeks, lack of explosions and turning.
Speaker 2 (23:49):
The ball over.
Speaker 3 (23:51):
Cayle Hamilton can turn you over, and he's also going
to be a pretty big I would say reason if
the Raves are successful that they keep a lid on
George Pickens.
Speaker 4 (24:00):
I would think he's very much leaning picking his way.
He's dealing with a small injury too, though.
Speaker 3 (24:03):
Hamilton kick off eight pm on Saturday night, Steelers and
the Ravens. Matt's on pregame with Tim Benz at four o'clock,
six o'clocks Towers Audio Network with Labs Jerry and Mike Persuda,
and then we kick it all off at eight o'clock.
Speaker 2 (24:17):
Steelers trying to end a five game losing.
Speaker 3 (24:21):
Streak when it comes to playoff football. So hopefully Matt
will be back next week.
Speaker 2 (24:25):
So hopefully we get do this again in about the
division round. It not another great year, We'll
Speaker 3 (24:29):
Do it next year for Matt Williamson on Tom Ofreman
and this has been the advanced Scout
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