Rockets Lose Again... Texans vs Steelers MNF Wildcard Tonight!

Rockets Lose Again... Texans vs Steelers MNF Wildcard Tonight!

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the Matt Thomas Show with Ross ten oh.

Speaker 2 (00:09):
One in Htown.

Speaker 3 (00:10):
Hello, and welcome in to a Monday.

Speaker 4 (00:13):
Edition of The Matt Thomas Show with Ross without Matt Thomas.
On a Monday night football playoff edition of the show.

Speaker 5 (00:32):
Oh Baby, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It's the Houston Texans versus
the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football.

Speaker 4 (00:46):
The first one to ten points wins tonight, and the
frozen tundraw of the Pittsburgh and whatever bank is sponsoring
the field now, because it's not called Heinz Field.

Speaker 3 (00:59):
Anymore, I'll still call it Hies.

Speaker 4 (01:01):
The turf is horrible, the winds are swirling. It's gonna
be a short passing game from Aaron Rodgers. Who can
throw the most screens? Who can kick the most field goals?

Speaker 3 (01:15):
It's the first to thirteen points wins.

Speaker 4 (01:18):
It's Monday Night Football Wild Card Edition.

Speaker 1 (01:23):
Welcome into the booth.

Speaker 6 (01:24):
Chris Gordy joined alongside Ross vere Allen Ross. We got
a big win here tonight. It is the Texans versus
the Steelers. Let's check in with Jonathan Allen, who's down
on the field. Jonathan, how cold is it down there?

Speaker 7 (01:35):
Man?

Speaker 8 (01:35):
It's Cilly, I need a code, they'll come down here
see a little bit of flakes.

Speaker 3 (01:38):
But I think we can do all right. Thanks for that,
Jonathan Windy right.

Speaker 4 (01:44):
Yes, it's a colder than the bedroom of the Thomas
household down here in Pittsburgh.

Speaker 1 (01:53):
Why did that?

Speaker 4 (01:54):
Hey, welcome into the Matt Thomas show with Ross without
Matt Thomas. Jonathan like that one. Oh he's out of
town a lot, that's all all right. Matt Thomas his
bed hit the pillow about four forty six. He took
the time out to text both of us. Thankfully, I
had my notifications off, Jonathan. I hope you weren't woking

(02:15):
in the middle of the night by Matt Thomas texting
us that he is. He was home telling us wishing
us a good show. We appreciate him and we might
hear from him later. I want to hear from him.

Speaker 3 (02:25):
What's going on?

Speaker 4 (02:25):
Did you hear this rocket stuff? Okay, a lot of
stuff to lay on. Just a second here. They didn't
have a hotel in Sacramento. Oh wow, and they had
to stay in San Francisco. Is George Costando's Costanza the
assistant to the traveling secretary for the Houston Rockets, what
happened there and who was there.

Speaker 6 (02:41):
In that area last summer. It's a good little truck
truck from yes, for people who don't know.

Speaker 4 (02:48):
Per the CBA, the Rockets and every NBA team has
to stay in a certain level of hotel. I think
it's like four diamond plus or whatever it is, so
certain cities own have a certain amount. This has happened
to them in like New Orleans, there's only like twoe
or two qualifying hotels, so if they're booked up, they've
had to say in Baton Rouge. So I've heard of
this before, and a lot of people nationally don't understand

(03:11):
that that's part of the CBA. They're like, why don't
they stay at the Radison, Why don't they stay at
the the Hampton and is nice in Sacramento? They can't,
even though there should be some kind of like caveat
where the team can vote that it's okay if they
want to stay in Sacramento. Anyways, part of the CBA. Apparently,
the Rockets, who lost last night in Sacramento desperately need
some home games, didn't have a hotel there and they

(03:33):
had to stay in San Francisco. But Anyways, Texans and
Steelers tonight on Monday Night football. That will be the
big focus here on the Matt Thomas Show with Ross.
Chris Gordy is hanging out. I appreciate him. We'll have
Adam Clinton along the way as well. I'll be flying
solo for a bit. We got Jonathan Allen, we got
the news at noon. We've got to tell the truth.

(03:53):
We have a lot of stuff to get to. We
also want you at seven one three two one two
five seven ninety seven one three two one two five
seven ninety is the phone number. If you'd like to
get in. You can send tweets to at sports RV
and at Chris Gordy. You can also follow me on
Instagram at sports RV as well. So a big wild

(04:14):
card weekend will conclude tonight with the Houston Texans taking
on the Pittsburgh Steelers. If you are looking at the
odds makers, which I love to do, give you an
idea of how things can go. Opened up about Texans
three and a half. That hook is gone, meaning some
money floating in on the Pittsburgh Steelers and the total
continues to get lower.

Speaker 3 (04:33):
Gordy, this is sad.

Speaker 4 (04:35):
It went from thirty nine and a half to thirty
nine to now thirty eight and a half. That means
they're thinking the first team to twenty is going to
win this game.

Speaker 3 (04:44):
And that kind of feels about right.

Speaker 4 (04:46):
I'm not expecting a whole lot of explosive offensive fireworks
in the game tonight.

Speaker 3 (04:50):
Yeah, It's.

Speaker 6 (04:53):
Look, the Steelers run the football pretty decently, so you
got to think that they are gonna wanna, you know,
play ball control, keep the chains moving. Although what that
last game they played, they kind of, you know, the
offense had some some firepower, almost out of necessity. That
was against the Ravens, but they had some big pass

(05:13):
plays late in that game, so it kind of, I mean,
it was it was a drag you in the muck.
What was that game? It was like ten to three
at halftime Baltimore and then thirteen going to the fourth quarter,
and then there was a bunch of touchdowns in the
fourth quarter. So uh, and Rogers kind of started to
air it out. But it's funny, I talked about this
all last week. When you look at the Steelers and

(05:35):
their offense, it's it's very much Kenneth Gainwell and Jalen
Warren in the backfield, and Warren was almost a thousand
yard rusher this year.

Speaker 3 (05:44):
He had a nice season.

Speaker 6 (05:47):
But look look at the receptions for their receiving corps.

Speaker 3 (05:52):
They're number one. The guy who leads n I guess
Jalen Warren.

Speaker 6 (05:56):
No, Kennedy Gaywell, Kenneth Gaine won seventy three catches. The
next with fifty nine is DK Metcalf, third after No.
After DK Metcalf, there ain't a wide receiver. For a while,
it's Patrie.

Speaker 3 (06:10):
Other time it's.

Speaker 6 (06:11):
Jalen Warren with forty, it's Johnny Smith with thirty eight,
and Darnel Washington, who's we know is hurt with thirty
one catches like they are a I don't want to call.

Speaker 3 (06:21):
Him dink and dunk because I think that's overused. It
is a very safe dump it off.

Speaker 6 (06:28):
It's funny because we talk about Aaron Rodgers and I
had so many people I did a radio show a
few days ago and they were like, oh, I'm going
with over under five and a half sacks to the
Texans defense, and said, look, while the Texans defense does
get sacks, go look at Aaron Rodgers this year. He
does not get sacked very much. Aaron Rodgers, if Will
Anderson Jr. Has a hand on him, he will throw

(06:48):
the ball in the dirt and take the roughing or
the the inttentional grounding call over giving you the benefit
of the sack like he is that he did it
against Miles Garrett. Well, Miles Garrett was chasing the recD.
He's like, are you getting the sack?

Speaker 4 (07:02):
He's like, I'm not about to be on NFL films
for the next thirty years.

Speaker 1 (07:05):
Okay.

Speaker 3 (07:06):
I think Aaron Rodgers is acutely aware of that, Like
you don't care, You'll take that.

Speaker 6 (07:12):
But I'm just saying, like, if you think this is
a night where Danil Harner and Will Anderson Junior gonna
multiple sacks, you may only sack him once or twice.

Speaker 3 (07:18):
Yeah, we was gonna he's gonna dump it.

Speaker 4 (07:20):
We are on the same page there, and that's gonna
lead me to what we'll talk about, like big keys
to the game. What we're looking for things to key
on watching the Texans versus Steelers game tonight, and that
is gonna be the the short passing game and things
that tie in with that. So I was reading yesterday
Aaron Rodgers has the second lowest average depth of target,

(07:42):
meaning how far is he throwing down the field. His
average depth of target is the second lowest in football.
The only guy lower than him Dylan Gabriel, the Cleveland
of the Cleveland Browns, the rookie who just played a
couple of games, and obviously they want to work a
short passing game. So as far as guys who have
started all season long, Aaron Rodgers has the lowest depth

(08:03):
of target. As you mentioned, it's gonna be a lot
of checkdowns. It's gonna be a lot of short passing game.
They're gonna not let this, try their best not to
let the pass rush get going and get humming. If
they're able to stay on schedule with run, it's gonna
be a war of attrition. They are gonna you don't
want to use the word dink and dunk, but that
what it is. That's what it is. They're not gonna
be looking for a bunch of chunk plays. The explosive

(08:25):
plays have been an issue for the Houston Texans, but
I just don't expect a whole lot of it outside
of the stray play action shot here or there.

Speaker 3 (08:33):
They are gonna try to eat up clock.

Speaker 4 (08:35):
They're gonna try to just incrementally work their way down
the field because that's the only way that they can
do it against this Texans defense. So I think the
thirty eight and a half total is apt. I think
it's gonna go under that. I just don't think there's
gonna be a whole lot of scoring. But I also
don't think at the end of the day, without explosive plays,

(08:56):
the Steelers are going to be able to you know,
chip and walk their way down the field. Eventually on
a third down, they're gonna get stopped and have to kick,
whether it be a punter or field goal. I just
don't see many passways to the Steelers scoring points against
this Texans defense.

Speaker 6 (09:13):
I'm not worried about the time, Like, I think the
Texans defense is going to do their job. Yeah, whether
Texans win tonight, ross comes down to simply CJ Strout,
I mean, does this in the offensive line? Like, but
if you told me right now this offense scores twenty four,
you feel pretty good about a win.

Speaker 3 (09:30):
Absolutely. If this offense scores twenty do you feel good
about it all?

Speaker 4 (09:34):
I feel better, not better, but I feel good, but
not as good as twenty four.

Speaker 6 (09:38):
If this offense scores seventeen, I actually feel decent but
not great.

Speaker 3 (09:43):
If this offense scores thirteen.

Speaker 4 (09:44):
Thirteen were in a gray area, they could win thirteen
to ten. But I don't think that's gonna happen. Of
what this offense needs to do. And that's the funny
thing about football, and that's why the league has so
much parody, and that's why all these games come down
to one score. At what you just mentioned, thirteen to twenty,
I'm feeling much more confident. That's one touchdown, that's one
drive finished in the red zone, a cup or two

(10:09):
field goals. I'm feeling so much over now I'm saying no,
I'm saying that two. Going from basically thirteen to nineteen
or whatever, my confidence level goes up from one score.
So just give enough Texans offense to let this defense.

Speaker 3 (10:24):
Cook do its thing.

Speaker 4 (10:26):
And if you can even get up early like they
did against the Chargers to where they're really off the
schedule and you're really having them press and Arthur Smith
have to call plays where they're looking for shots down
the field against this defense and they can pin their
ears back, then you're really in a good spot. So
if you can get an early lead and then really
let the defense cook. Then I think they're gonna steamroll.

(10:49):
So don't turn the ball over always number one in
an NFL game. Don't give them the short fields. Let
the defense do his thing. Texans are going to win
this football game. I called it last week. I'm gonna
stick with that. Twenty four to thirteen Texans win tonight.
What is your prediction? What are things you are keying
in on tonight Monday Night football Texans versus the Pittsburgh Steelers.

(11:10):
Seven one three two one two five seven ninety. The
phone number if you want to get in seven one
three two one two five seven ninety. You can also
send tweets to at sports RV. We're gonna be with
you until two o'clock. It is the Matt Thomas Show
with Ross without Matt Thomas. We got to tell the truth.
Coming up, we got the news at noon, and of
course Big Texans preview. We can talk a little bit
about the Houston Rockets and how we we're gonna make

(11:32):
time for you Rockets. I know it's playoff Monday, but
you've been disappointing and we got to air it out
with the Rockets, who have now lost four of their
last five games. So a ton of stuff to get
to with you for four hours here on Sports Talk
seven ninety It's seven one three two one two five
seven ninety ten twenty one of the am Here on

(11:54):
Sports Talk seven ninety Welcome back to Matt Toms Show
with Ross. Matt Tom out as he was traveling late
night with the Houston Rockets, as it was not a
happy flight. They went on the road for two games
against Portland in a game against the Sacramento Kings, two
teams with losing records. The Kings were eight and thirty

(12:16):
and on a seven game losing streak, and the Rockets
didn't score more than one hundred five points on the
whole trip, and in the last five games they haven't
scored more than one hundred five points all four, four
out of five of those.

Speaker 3 (12:29):
What the offense, it's like, all it's katie some of men.

Speaker 4 (12:35):
I mean alprynching Gun was just working his way back
from an ankle injury. I mean he had nineteen points,
but on twenty shots. That's not good for anyone, and
it's certainly not good for a big man. So they
need like they need like a week off because they've
been traveling so much. They've played thirteen games at home
in twenty three games. I think it is on the road,

(12:56):
which is the biggest split or tied for the biggest
split in NBA history. So I mean that that's a
bit of an excuse, but emyodka is not accepting that
for an excuse. And it's been some ugly, ugly basketball,
like we talked about the Texans, and not a whole
lot of points scored because the defense is good and
the offense has been bad. That's kind of what we've
been seeing from the Houston Rockets.

Speaker 6 (13:16):
What sucks you get you come home for a five
game homestand but three of those five teams you play
are all among the four best teams in the West.

Speaker 3 (13:25):
I think maybe that's good.

Speaker 4 (13:27):
Maybe on the road in the West Coast and the
Pacific time zone against the Kings, they get oh discombobulated.
On the home floor against the Oklahoma City Thunder, maybe
they can show up because like.

Speaker 6 (13:37):
The Rockets always struggle, like even in the James Harden years,
feels like they always would struggle on those extended West
Coast road trips.

Speaker 3 (13:44):
Yeah, I think that's that's just part of it.

Speaker 1 (13:46):
And the time zone.

Speaker 4 (13:48):
We have em a Dooka on every week, and he's
talked about especially the young players, like learning about long
road trips and taking care of yourself. And I'm not
saying they're going out every night and getting crazy or whatever,
but hardly something something mate right because they just don't
look good. They don't look like they have their legs.
But the problem is they don't get two days off
I don't think until February, so they're playing every other

(14:10):
day for the next month, even though they're getting a
bunch of home games and they're playing some backs to
backs mixed in as well. I think they have one
coming up this Thursday Friday. So where's the light at
the end of the tunnel. We shall see. Maybe we'll
just say the All Star break can't get here fast enough,
especially since they're being carried by a thirty seven year
old who is among like the top four or five

(14:31):
in minutes played per game, night in, night out in
the entire NBA. All right, seven to one, three, two
one two, five, seven ninety is the phone number you
want to get in seven to one three two one
two five seven ninety. We're asking for your prediction on
the Houston Texans versus the Steelers game. I didn't ask
you what what what you got? As far as the
score tonight Texans Steelers.

Speaker 6 (14:51):
Yeah, I think it's I think it's low scoring. I
think it's something like a twenty to seventeen type.

Speaker 4 (14:56):
Twenty to seventeen. I said, twenty four to two thirteen.
That's still an under. We both have thirty seven points.
I think this bad boy goes under. But I just
I'm not saying steamroll because the Texans don't have the
offense to steamroll. But as long as you're not turning
the ball over like crazy, having a million procedural penalties,
Oh no, the Texans can do all these things. Why
am I even getting think of this?

Speaker 3 (15:17):
But Z crowd's gonna bring it. As long as they
don't shoot themselves in the foot, they're going to I
believe they win this game by double digits.

Speaker 6 (15:27):
Let's let's talk this out real quick. It's temps in
Pittsburgh right now. It is currently thirty degrees. Okay, it's
gonna warm up the.

Speaker 3 (15:34):
Thirty thirty six. It's hot.

Speaker 6 (15:36):
If I kick off and it will be down to
thirty four and dropping a win around eight to nine
miles per hour.

Speaker 3 (15:42):
So that's gonna be too bad.

Speaker 6 (15:44):
That's nothing zero percent precipitation, so there'll be no snow.
It's just gonna be cold as hell and you just
need layers.

Speaker 4 (15:51):
Yeah, they'll be fine. It was twenty seven degrees when
they won in Kansas City earlier this year. I'm not
worried about it. Steelers fans that were all in my mentions.
We're talking, they're not gonna come up here, like, I'm
not that.

Speaker 1 (16:03):
Worried about it.

Speaker 6 (16:03):
Let me give you another X factor. Okay, since early November,
Kaymi Fairburn has only missed one field goal.

Speaker 3 (16:12):
Okay, since then, he is he went.

Speaker 6 (16:16):
He went uh three for three against Buffalo, two for
two against Indy, two for two against k C, four
five against Arizona. That was his one miss, three for
three against the Raiders, two for two against the Chargers,
and a six for six in the winner.

Speaker 2 (16:33):
Of the Volts.

Speaker 3 (16:34):
Yeah, he's there. Texans offensive MVP this year, is there?
He absolutely, He's their player player of the year. Not
on defense.

Speaker 4 (16:43):
Yeah, So Kymie Fairburn is gonna be kicking on. He's
gonna have a sore foot after this one too. You
also have two of that. This is why. I think
it's an easy under You have the two most conservative
coaches in terms of win probability thrown out the window
from kicking the ball when they should be going for it.
So they're gonna be kicking. They're going to play it
close to the vest. It's a playoff game. They're both

(17:03):
gonna want to win with the run game, not make mistakes,
not give the ball away. And this is going to
be a low scoring game. It's not going to be
a knockdown, drag out entertainment fest. It's going to be
the Texans winning probably. I mean, I've said twenty four
to thirteen, but I think at least late it's going
to be a one score game and the Texans are
going to get the victory. Bonnie Joe says, Steelers twenty three,

(17:25):
Texans nineteen. You can send your predictions in at sports RV.
I don't like that, Bonni Joe, uh seven one seven
ninety four your phone calls. You can also send it
at Sports RV at Chris Gordy as well. Terry on
the north side on the phone lines, what's up Terry?

Speaker 9 (17:43):
Hey, guys, I'm a ten o'clocker.

Speaker 4 (17:45):
So shout out to you, Terry, but tell tell ten
of your closest friends, Terry.

Speaker 10 (17:51):
All right, I'll do that.

Speaker 9 (17:53):
Imlong the Rockets, you know, they just watching them this season,
it definitely appears that they are somehow worse off offensively
with Durant on the team. And I love Durant, but
even even I May himself said they're depending on him

(18:14):
too much. I don't know how many minutes he's averaging
a night, but one, it looked like he's playing too much.
And two, even when Hakim was in his prime, I
remember a lot of the players on the team at
that time standing around watching him toot the ball. And
it appears that this team has the same issue with Durant,

(18:36):
you know, and they're depending on him way too much.
And that's That's not a knock against.

Speaker 1 (18:41):
Him at all.

Speaker 9 (18:43):
I mean, he's a great player, but I just never
would have imagined I would be sitting here, you know,
at this point in the season, after they acquired Durant,
saying this team doesn't look good offensively at all.

Speaker 4 (18:57):
Yeah, well, there's no it's been a bad run, Terry.
But for the season, they were the number one offense.
Before this bad stretch, they were the number one offense
in basketball and then alprin schin Gun went down. That's
another thing you have to remember is when he Adoka
said that Alprin shin Gun wasn't playing and he is,
as you know, one of the better big man offense
initiators in basketball. So he's back into the fold. Now

(19:20):
it's going to be a little bit more of both
of those guys and with some I mean Thompson sprinkled in.
The offense is still good. Last year they were thirteenth
in offensive raiding even with this bad swoon. This year
they're fourth, so they're still much better than where they
were last year. And it has been a bad stretch
for four to five games with alprinching Gun missing, but

(19:41):
with everyone healthy, this offense is still much better.

Speaker 7 (19:47):
Yeah.

Speaker 9 (19:47):
I mean, I don't want to be right about it,
and I believe you on the stats.

Speaker 3 (19:54):
I'm not making them up, I promise.

Speaker 9 (19:57):
Yeah, it's just such a bad look over the last
I don't know if it seems like a few weeks
now that they they've just looked really poor. And you
know when you when you have an email himself saying
they're depending on him too much.

Speaker 11 (20:11):
Yeah, you know what once once.

Speaker 9 (20:14):
ALTI gets gets back into his rhythm. It feels like
they need to rest urant more because yeah, I don't know,
I don't know how many minutes he's averaging, but it's
it looks like a lot.

Speaker 3 (20:28):
It is. It is a lot.

Speaker 4 (20:29):
As of last week, we we I mean I asked
coach u Dooka about this directly last week about uh
Amen Thompson I think was second in minutes. I don't
know what the updated numbers are, but this was as
of last Thursday when we had coach on uh and
Men Thompson was second in minutes per game in the
NBA and Kevin Durant was fourth. And they do want
to wrest Kevin Durant. But they've been missing Dorian Finney Smith.

(20:49):
Now Tarry Easton is back out with an ankle injury
and Dorrian Phinny Smith's comes back. He's been on a
minute restriction. They in coach U Doka sometimes to a he.

Speaker 3 (21:01):
Wants to win.

Speaker 4 (21:01):
You want a coach who wants to win, but he
wants to win so badly that he will sacrifice the
long term for the short term. And he knows it,
he knows he shouldn't do it, and that's anybody in
anything in life.

Speaker 3 (21:13):
He's such.

Speaker 4 (21:14):
He's so competitively driven that he keeps Grant in there
for longer stretches because he wants to win the game
in front of him. He Medoka is a winner and
he wants to win, so that that's the way that
he's going to play it, and he knows it can
be to the detriment. And yet Amen Thompson's second in
minis per game, Kevin Durant still fourth. He doesn't want

(21:34):
it to go that way. But you're missing offensive initiators,
and when Alprin Shingun goes out, you know you're not
gonna run a bunch offense through your Barismith Junior. Amen
Thompson can score some. You can start some offense with
him some, but he doesn't have enough of a jump
shot to be an an elite. I just keep using
the term offensive initiator or floor gen or whatever. You're like,

(21:55):
set starter. We're gonna run through this guy. You can
run some through him into but it's better to run
through Kevin Durant. It's better to run through Alt brynshing Gun.
He's been missing some time. You're not gonna run stuff
through I don't know Tarry Easton or Aaron Holliday or
Javarsmith Junior, as I said, or I don't know Steven Adams.
You're just not gonna do that with those guys. You've

(22:16):
only got a handful even in the NBA, of guys
who you want to run offenses through. And when you're
missing one of them, and Kevin Durant is the only
one left, you're you're gonna be at a deficit. It's
to be tough to be offensive offensively effective. These last
three losses very simple to me.

Speaker 6 (22:34):
Twenty two percent, twenty three percent, twenty three percent, that's
what you shot from three.

Speaker 4 (22:39):
Inst and a lot of wide open looks. Even the
win against Folis wasn't good. And I believe the loss
against the Mavericks the fourth loss among them, and these
last five they were under twenty five percent from three.
So it's been a historically bad stretch from three for
five games. Rockets need to get better, for sure. It
is a make or miss league, and we're talking about
literally last night was the worse as far as the

(23:01):
point differential, but literally any one of those games against
the Suns, if they make one or two more threes,
I'm sorry, it's not Suns. The Portland trail Blazers completely
changes the complexion of those games. I predict, I predict
this is a bad rut. The team is on and
in a month or two months, we're not talking about this.
We're gonna be like, hey, remember that horrible stretch in

(23:22):
December they went on. I mean, what the heck was that?
And they're gonna get out of this. But certainly being
in the thick of it does it make it any easier.
It's not fun basketball to watch. It's not good basketball
right now with all the misses from three as you mentioned. Gordy,
All right, Chris Gordy is here. My name is Ross Vireea.
You're a listening to that TAMAS show with Ross. We
got rocket stuff to get to. We got text and

(23:44):
stuff to get to. We see those you on hold.
We want to talk about both of those things. I
think I've done a good job of not bringing up
the Texas Long Horns portal so far in the show,
but that will be addressed at some point as well.
Hook them Horns. Baby, we got a home for Breggy. Spin, Baby, Spin,
we got a home for Breggie. I mean, we got
to a ton of stuff to get to here on
a Monday and anything you guys want to get to
seven one three two one two five seven ninety the

(24:05):
phone number seven one three two one two five seven ninety.

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Speaker 3 (28:06):
All right, went way long.

Speaker 4 (28:10):
In the last segment, so we'll be quick here a
couple on hold, we'll get you coming up at eleven o'clock. Gordy,
I want this from you. I will give mine. I'll
give you a hint. It ties into what we talked
about in the first segment. The number one key to
the Texans winning tonight, and that's outside the obviously, don't
turn the ball over.

Speaker 6 (28:28):
Yeah no, bleep, Sherlock. Gotta protect the football. Gotta convert first,
you know, convert third down? No dumb penalties, yeah no bleep.
No holdings?

Speaker 3 (28:39):
No, please?

Speaker 4 (28:39):
Can we not get false starts? Can we gotta get
like false starts and illegal formations are the ones that
really chat me when it comes from the Texans. Turnover
read the rule book, Nick Kyley and the Houston Texans
formte legally no illegal formations anyways, but outside of the
the captain obvious stuff. Although actually, now that I think
about it, maybe you'll help me if this is a

(29:00):
captain obvious thing. But it ties into what we were
talking about with uh with the dink and dunk offense
of the Pittsburgh Steelers that's coming up at eleven o'clock.

Speaker 3 (29:09):
We'll give our number one keys.

Speaker 4 (29:10):
We also want to hear from you score predictions and
how do the Texans win tonight against the Steelers on
the road as three point favorites seven one three two
one two five seven ninety. The phone number seven one
three two one two five seven ninety. Randy has been
holding longest we go in terms of longest waits go ahead.

Speaker 19 (29:28):
Randy, Hey, good morning, guys, Yop still have are y'all
still are y'all still high on Stroud? Because I haven't
heard things like I've conceded that we have to win
this game with Phil goals and running the ball.

Speaker 4 (29:41):
Yeah, Well this is yeah, it's it's a difficult situation
for him with no run game and a in a
porous offensive line.

Speaker 3 (29:49):
But also he's.

Speaker 4 (29:51):
Not the first quarterback in histories had who've had to
dealt with the deal with that. I'm not ready to say,
you know, the Texans need to get rid of him
or anything, but where we are from after his rookie year,
what he was looking like he was a franchise quarterback
who could overcome all of these things and be great.
Certainly not as good are feeling as strong about c J.

Speaker 3 (30:12):
Stroud. Can c J.

Speaker 4 (30:13):
Shroud go out there and win this game, absolutely, but
I'm just not planning on it, Randy.

Speaker 11 (30:18):
Right, I like that.

Speaker 19 (30:19):
So I'm glad because I feel like every time I
hear the show, y'all were very high on Stroud and
the guy just doesn't.

Speaker 11 (30:23):
He makes about two or three good throws a game.
I mean, they are great throws, but that's.

Speaker 19 (30:27):
The rest of throws at the receiver's feet over their
head behind him. I don't think he processes the defense
fast enough. As soon as his first progression is done,
he's done.

Speaker 11 (30:36):
Like that's it.

Speaker 19 (30:37):
He's either getting sacked, committing the intentional grounding or he's
he's just guard.

Speaker 11 (30:41):
I mean, I don't I don't know. I'm not high
on the guy.

Speaker 19 (30:43):
I think he's a very nice guy, but I just
don't think he's a good football player.

Speaker 11 (30:47):
Anyway, he's a good football player.

Speaker 19 (30:49):
I just felt like this show so he is as
good or a little better than meals, but there's not
a lot of daylight.

Speaker 11 (30:55):
Between him like we used to think.

Speaker 4 (30:56):
Okay, don't go with as good as I didn't think
you were going to finish that sentence with Davis Mills, Randy.

Speaker 3 (31:00):
Come on, now, he's great, man.

Speaker 4 (31:03):
He's almost as good as Davis Mills, Randy, come on now.

Speaker 3 (31:06):
His quarterbacks.

Speaker 6 (31:09):
That's probably worried he's a top twenty quarterback in the NFL,
but I would say twenty.

Speaker 3 (31:15):
I'm going top fifteen. I'm going top fifteen, all right,
come on.

Speaker 19 (31:19):
So NFL has him ranked fourteenth, So I agree he's
the middle of the road guy. Uh So I agree
with that, But okay, cool, I mean, I'm happy. I
just I'm just really worried that we're gonna we're gonna
pay this guy and we're gonna be stuck.

Speaker 11 (31:31):
With him when he hasn't done enough.

Speaker 3 (31:32):
For a contract in my opinion, I got you, Randy
looked at right now.

Speaker 4 (31:38):
We've talked about this some and look they're they're the
book is not written on CJ.

Speaker 3 (31:42):
Stroud.

Speaker 4 (31:44):
I know we want to do that and say that
it's done. He's done, and that's we're reactionary society after
the rookie year and I was.

Speaker 3 (31:51):
I was on the on the c J.

Speaker 4 (31:52):
Stroud train. This guy is the greatest things in sliced bread.
Look at all these passes he's making and all that stuff,
and where's the aggression been? Well, he had Joe Mixon
as a dynamic running back. The offensive line wasn't great,
but it was much better than what it has been
the last couple of years. So the question is can
you win with c J.

Speaker 3 (32:07):
Shroud?

Speaker 4 (32:08):
The answer is yes, you can win a Super Bowl
with Jalen Hurts. What did Jalen Hurts look like when
Lane Johnson was hurt all year and Saquon Barkley looked
way older and longer in the tooth, and the offensive
weapons weren't there. Dallas Goddard was heard here and there,
aj Brown was hurt here and there that.

Speaker 3 (32:24):
The Eagles don't look good.

Speaker 4 (32:26):
So yeah, is he I'll give you another example, the
hallowed name of Patrick Mahomes. Patrick Mahomes hasn't looked great
the last two years. If I plopped you out of
a spaceship and you've only watched Patrick Mahomes the last
two years, you're thinking this guy is just okay. And
of course I'm not saying c J. Stroud is Pat Mahomes.
I'm saying situations matter and can help. If the situation

(32:50):
is good, you can win with c. J.

Speaker 3 (32:52):
Shroud.

Speaker 4 (32:53):
Unfortunately, he's just not looking good enough to overcome that.
Lamar Jackson is another name we can point to. Josh
Allen hasn't got it done now, even though they had
a good win over the Jaguars of the weekend. Like
it's we have to look at the whole forest rather
than the what we're looking at at CJ.

Speaker 3 (33:08):
Shroud.

Speaker 4 (33:08):
The offense hasn't been good, but you're talking about a
first time play caller. You're talking about a bad offensive line,
and you're talking about Woody Marks and Jawar Jordan and
British Brooks and Nick Chubb as your running game.

Speaker 3 (33:22):
It hasn't been ideal. Could c J.

Speaker 4 (33:24):
Stroud be better? Absolutely? Does he have to be better? Absolutely?
But the organization the last couple of years, the favors
they've done, the favors have been few and far between.

Speaker 6 (33:37):
The two of his last three games, he has thrown
for under two hundred yards and his completion percentage in
the last three games is about sixty percent.

Speaker 4 (33:50):
Yeah, everywhere you look, he's around like fifteenth to twentieth
as far as EPA Pro Football Grade. Various rankings websites
which I checked regularly, like people have him around like
fifteen to twenty.

Speaker 6 (34:02):
One touchdown pass against the Raiders, two touchdown passes against
the Chargers, one touchdown pass against them.

Speaker 3 (34:08):
There's two deep balls.

Speaker 4 (34:09):
That's where the Texans offense has been better with the
I mean, how much is that as far as you know,
being pulled up by just those two giant plays against
the Los Angeles Chargers and then basically running on first
down the rest of the game. It's he can make plays.
And as Randy said, there're two three times a game
where you say, oh my god, this kid is special.

(34:30):
But then there's two three times a game where you say,
what the heck was he thinking? What the heck is
he doing? How is he a excuse me? Third year,
a third year, a guy who's not a veteran. You're
not calling him a veteran at this point, but in
his third year, who has been starting the entire time
making a play like that. So yeah, that maybe tells
me that we have a third year of a sample

(34:52):
size and he is not going to be a lead
of elite. But as I said, Lamar Jackson, two time MVP,
didn't look great with a pretty good.

Speaker 3 (35:00):
Team around him. But he was also banged up, but
so was CJ. Stroud.

Speaker 4 (35:03):
He had the concussion and I'm and maybe to some
I sound like I'm making excuses, but I think he
is good and you can win with him. And if
that is true, generally the track record in the NFL
is that you are not going to be let go.
You are going to be paid, and then they're going
to figure it out, because what's.

Speaker 3 (35:21):
Your alternative.

Speaker 4 (35:23):
Trying to sign Mac Jones and see if he's something
going for I don't even know who else is it
going to be available on the free agent market. Kirk
Cousin just reworked his deal. I mean this, you want
to Sam Darnold type signing from the Minnesota Vikings. He's
gonna get signed.

Speaker 6 (35:38):
Yeah, I mean, but it's it does make you kind
of pump the brakes a little bit from a standpoint
of breaking the bank.

Speaker 4 (35:45):
I'm not going to have to right exactly. I'm not
going to be dancing in the street when they pay CJ.

Speaker 3 (35:49):
Shroud.

Speaker 4 (35:49):
I'm gonna be like, this is my this you know what.
We can actually pre record my reaction to the CJ.
Shroud extension right now. Well, look, there's some question marks,
the situation could be better, but you can win with CJ. Stroud,
So I understand why the Texans made the deal. Boom,
That's what I'm gonna say. All right, quick break Here
on the Matt Thomas Show with Ross, Chris Gordy is
hanging out thanks to him. It is a wild card

(36:13):
Monday night here in Houston, but of course in Pittsburgh.
Seven one three two one two five seven ninety. If
you want to get in those on you a hold,
we will get to you. Seven to one three two
one two five seven ninety tweets at Sports RV and
Chris Gordy, we got to tell the truth coming up
at eleven thirty and at eleven o'clock. My number one key,
Chris Gordy's number one key for Texans victory tonight into Pittsburgh.

(36:36):
It's all coming up here on the Matt Thomas Show
with Ross here on Sports Talk seven ninety. All right,
y'all are getting in with the calls, which I appreciate,
so we will get you on. I promise here on
the Matt Thomas Show with Ross.

Speaker 3 (36:52):
Matt is out for the moment.

Speaker 4 (36:54):
He will be back tomorrow traveling with the Rockets, Chris
Gordy hanging out. We'll have Adam planning hanging out as well.
Number one key to victory. And now, I guess the
more I think about it, the more it sounds like
I am doing a Captain obvious take. So we'll see
coming up at eleven o'clock, you guys could crush me
or not. We'll see. We're gonna give that coming up
at eleven. We have to tell the truth at eleven

(37:15):
thirty as well. And you guys on the phone seven
one three two one two five seven ninety, the phone
number seven one three two one two five seven ninety,
keeping it going in terms of the longest wait, Wesley in
Lake Charles, what's up Wesley?

Speaker 11 (37:27):
Hey, Jefferiing, how are you guys doing today?

Speaker 3 (37:30):
Doing great, Wes. What's up?

Speaker 11 (37:32):
Yeah? I have a couple of questions.

Speaker 19 (37:34):
First, I call it about the Rockets, but you know,
he got on a CJ Strawp topic, so I'll start there.
It seems like ever since CJ got hit in Denver
and get hurt, I mean, I guess, you know, I
guess the Broncos and got hurt, he don't want to
run anymore, and it's kind of a detriment to the offense.
He mis makes a lot of bad throws because he
seems like, you know, he's just too scared.

Speaker 11 (37:52):
To run the ball now.

Speaker 4 (37:54):
But AnyWho, I think he's also slow though, Wesley like
he is, he is remarkably slower than you would then
like even his rookie year feels like he doesn't move well.

Speaker 19 (38:03):
Well I understand that, No, I understand that, but just
just to you know, go forward to slide down four
yards down the field. It's you know, a second and
six is better than a second ten.

Speaker 1 (38:13):
You know.

Speaker 19 (38:13):
It's just been the big difference that I've seen in
him this year. He's just don't want, don't want to
take off and run the run. You know, you don't
have to be a Blazer.

Speaker 4 (38:21):
No, Yeah, he's I mean he's done it a couple
of times. Yeah, but I've seen him even like running
for the sideline. I'm like, what I thought I hit
the pause in. I thought I hit the slow motion,
but no, my TV, it's yeah. So yeah, I think
he does want to. I think they tell him to
be a pocket guy because he has gotten into some
issues trying to get so I think that's coached into him.

(38:42):
And also I think just as a practical matter, he's
not very good on the run. Like if you remember
that play where he was, uh, he can throw rolling
very well, but running I just I'm I'm not feeling
like I need a bunch to c CJ. Stroud going
down the field a bunch more.

Speaker 19 (38:58):
No, I'm not saying pool up, yosh about get a
threat there, like, you know, just go for four yards
and fall down. You know, the old old Arian Foster
what he would do. He'd run and jump, you know,
four for three or four yards every time. I hate
him anyway, But get back on the get back on
the rockets.

Speaker 11 (39:13):
You know.

Speaker 19 (39:14):
You know it seems like there's a dip issue.

Speaker 7 (39:18):
You know.

Speaker 19 (39:19):
Uh, two problems that I see. One Steven Adams, he
uh how can you how can you be in the
league for you know, ten ten plus years. They can't
make a five foot jump shot?

Speaker 4 (39:31):
You know that they can make a five foot jump
shot six ft when it gets questionable.

Speaker 11 (39:36):
I'm not sure. I'm not sure.

Speaker 19 (39:38):
I'll watch every game and me too. He's five ft
more away from the from the basket. He's like, they
don't even bought about guarding.

Speaker 3 (39:44):
Yeah, I gets a little dicey.

Speaker 19 (39:48):
Yeah yeah, but you know, I honestly, you know, the
issue was depth. I would give anything to have Jalen
Green and Dylan Brooks back. I hope you Dylan Green
over Kevin Durant. These long stretches hold on, you know,
is proved to what Yeah, well hear me out. All
the Rockets have a better record than they did last year,
and they.

Speaker 11 (40:05):
Have a worse record than they did last year.

Speaker 4 (40:06):
I think at this point, I think it's worse. But
a couple of games ago it was the same.

Speaker 11 (40:11):
Okay, Oh yeah, it's a depth issue.

Speaker 19 (40:13):
You know, Kevin Durant, keep you playing all these minutes?
You know they have no death you know, you know,
would you rather have you know, Aman Thompson or Dylan
Brooks run?

Speaker 11 (40:21):
You know at a guard spot.

Speaker 19 (40:22):
You rather have Ben Thompson, you know, on a wing
or something, right, you know, you know, in Jalen Green,
is this explosive and not to have it anymore to
compliment the other pieces that they have, you know, great,
you know, it's just frustrating to what to watch him play,
you know, Jail Green, he's what twenty two years old?
And you know, you know, I'm not saying, you know,
Jalen Green's a better ball player. Durant's not what I'm saying.

(40:44):
I'm talking about the future and and just youth, you know,
and have the more energy in these in these tough
road stretches, because that depth is curious issue because when
it was when Alfi Alpi's out, it's it's fatally obvious,
you know.

Speaker 11 (40:58):
The Steve Adams is this just a body?

Speaker 19 (41:01):
Clint Capella, I don't know how he's on a roster,
you know, he's just because he's a big guy, you know.
But I'll give you anything to have Jaalien Brooks and
a healthy Jaillien Green going forward, all right at this point.

Speaker 11 (41:13):
And I really think it'd be a better off situation.

Speaker 3 (41:15):
All right, Wesley, thanks a lot, appreciate it.

Speaker 4 (41:17):
Look, look the record is not as good, but the
point differential is better, the net rating is better, the
offense is better, the defense is going to be better.
I still think overall, this is a better team than
last year with those guys. So I understand it has
not been pretty. They've lost for the last five. They
haven't been scoring for five games. The three point three

(41:38):
pointers haven't been gone down. But I think if we
just take a deep breath and let them continue to
play and now healthier with Alprinschin goomback, we're going to
see them turn this thing around. I do truly believe
that in my heart. But thank you Wesley in Lake
Charles whole. Things are going great out there, all right,
real quick before we hit the top of the r
let's get data. Sneak in David here before we get

(42:00):
to our Texans predictions and talk coming up at eleven
o'clock ahead.

Speaker 11 (42:03):
David, David, and how you doing?

Speaker 1 (42:05):
Russy doing great? David?

Speaker 3 (42:07):
What you got, yes, sir, yes, sir.

Speaker 17 (42:10):
I want to talk about your audience and I was
hearing a little bit about uh C J. Stroud and
the Houston Texans. They have some doubts with the CE
Jay Stroud winning this game tonight. Before I do that,
I want to talk a little Rockets, if I.

Speaker 3 (42:25):
May go ahead, quick Rockets.

Speaker 1 (42:28):
I mean, their.

Speaker 17 (42:29):
Problem is that it's not really a depth depth issue.
It's a uh player issue.

Speaker 11 (42:37):
It's player issue.

Speaker 17 (42:38):
And except for Katie and except for Shanghutin, the rest
of the.

Speaker 11 (42:44):
Team is lackadaical.

Speaker 17 (42:46):
They they they're not focused, and they when they're not focused,
they're they're off, They're they're shot to off, They're not rebounding,
they're not uh scoring, they're not assisting drops. The rest
of the team is not doing their part. So basically,
in my opinion, they need to trade for somebody. I

(43:08):
know who is they gonna trade for? Where they gonna
trade for? But the Rackets before the trading deadline. The
Rackets need to trade for someone.

Speaker 11 (43:16):
I don't care who it is. They need to make
a trade.

Speaker 4 (43:19):
I got you, David, all right, we gotta get you
to put you on hold. But thank you for making
the call because we are hitting the top of the hour.
I'm not gonna call them lackadays ago, but I mean,
you may dooka kind of reflected what you were talking about,
especially when alprynching Gooon going down like, Hey, we can't
rely on a thirty seven year old. He goes down
and the whole team goes to bleep. Uh, everybody, everybody
has to play better, whether it is Jabari Smith, Junior,

(43:42):
Amn Thompson, Dorian Finney Smith. Hopefully he can come off
the minutes restriction soon. Josha Koge isn't looking as good
as he was when he was starting and playing more.
Reed Shepherd is good, but uh, he's been somewhat up
and down as of late. And you're albrynching Goon is
a huge myss. We're talking about an All star level player.
You still should have beat the Sacramento Kingks because he

(44:04):
was back and the Kings aren't very good. But I
understand why we're down on the Rockets right now. But
I still believe with the coaching and the players, they're
going to be able to turn this ship around. It'd
be nice to get some taste off if they don't
have any coming in the next month, so we'll see
how it plays out. They have played more road games

(44:25):
than home over this short stretch of the season, tied
with any team in nb A history, and I understand
it hasn't been a lot of good teams they've been
losing to.

Speaker 3 (44:37):
But it matters.

Speaker 4 (44:39):
It matters, all right, quick break here top of the hour.
Those of you on hold, we will get to you.
I promise we will talk. Some Texans coming up at
the top of the hour, we have to tell the truth.
Coming up at eleven thirty. Chris Gordy's hanging out Jonathan
Allen as well.

Speaker 1 (44:52):
Is the Mat Thomas Show with Ross.

Speaker 4 (45:04):
Power number two of The Matt Thomas Show with Ross
without Matt Thomas. Chris Gordy is here hanging out ros
Viria with you Jonathan Allen as well. Those you and hold,
I per promise we will get to you. Seven to
one three two one two five seven ninety is the
phone number. Seven one three two one two five seven ninety.

(45:25):
We've been talking some Rockets basketball, unfortunately shining a light
on them because they've lost four of their last five games.

Speaker 3 (45:31):
And if not for that game winner against Kevin Durant
on Monday.

Speaker 4 (45:34):
Last Monday a week ago against the Phoenix Suns, goodness
knows how that game could have turned around, or it
turned out, I should say, but they shot yeah, twenty
four percent from three in the game they lost against
the Mavericks. They shot under twenty five percent from three
in the three games that they have now lost in
a row, and even in that win against the Phoenix
Suns last Monday, they shot twenty four percent from three,

(45:57):
So they the numbers have regressed. And it's funny how
it works, because all year long, I'm like, hey, they're
not gonna shoot number one. They're not gonna shoot be
number one in the NBA shooting from three all year long.
But man, this regression has smacked them hard for five games.
Hopefully those numbers can come back up, Water can find

(46:18):
its level because they are now settling back in back
home for a whopping five game home stand.

Speaker 3 (46:24):
The team that has played.

Speaker 4 (46:25):
More road games than any other in the NBA getting
some time at home, starting tomorrow with a matchup against
the Chicago Bulls. Seven o'clock tip here on a sports
talk seven ninety seven one three two one two five
seven ninety is the phone number if you want to
get in seven one three two one two five seven ninety.
Let's go to a victor in league city holding longest.

Speaker 3 (46:46):
What's up Victor?

Speaker 20 (46:48):
Hey, guys, Tonight the Texans win if Demico lets them
play inside the red zone the Demico. Every time the
Tests getting the red zone, he sticks out his hand
and he.

Speaker 1 (47:03):
Goes, let's get three.

Speaker 20 (47:04):
Let's get three instead of going for that fourth and
one or fourth in inches. And I think if you
let some lose. When the Texas came to the red zone,
they will, they will win. And as far as the scored,
just to throw one out there, I'll take to Texas
twenty to seventeen, from twenty to seventeen.

Speaker 4 (47:24):
Twenty to seventeen. All right, thanks, Victor. I have some
bad news for Victor. Damiko Rans is not gonna be
aggressive and let it loose tonight. I mean maybe if
it's like the Buffalo Bills and you've got to score
points against Josh Allen, but you're going up against again
Aaron Rodgers.

Speaker 3 (47:42):
We appreciate not striking fear.

Speaker 4 (47:43):
Maybe I'll have egg on my face and they're gonna
score thirty five against the Texans defense.

Speaker 3 (47:47):
Ain't happening.

Speaker 4 (47:49):
They're gonna play close to the vest. They're gonna play Unfortunately,
Dimiko Ryans. It's kind of in his DNA that we've
seen from him as three years and has as a
head coach, is he plays not to lose more than
he plays to win.

Speaker 3 (47:59):
But also, I mean they're on a nine game winning streak,
so it's tough to argue against. Yeah. I'll be curious
to see how they play it too.

Speaker 6 (48:07):
If I don't know, man, it wouldn't shock me though,
if they come out and they're doing like a bunch
of trick plays. Long Yeah, well, well, I think defensively
third and longs you you will see blitz like a
p tree or somebody's coming coming after Edon Rodgers to
make him have to make that quick decision.

Speaker 4 (48:27):
Yeah, he he has certainly struggled under pressure all season long,
or they they have is really it changes the complexion
of every quarterback, but especially Aaron Rodgers, who's so lacking
in mobility and really weapons. Once though, you get the
pressure rate up on him, it's it's been a struggle
for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and that leads me into my
number one key to victory for the Houston Texans. We

(48:52):
talked about the low average depth of target, We talked
about the checkdowns, We talked about how there's not going
to be necessarily a whole lot of time and pressure.
So what happens when you have you have screens, you
have checkdowns, you have short slants. What do you have
to do to mitigate those plays from becoming explosive. You
have to be a sure tackling team. And we have

(49:13):
seen a couple times this season where there has been
some leaky tackling, and normally it's been when Aziza al
Shaher has been missing some time. So maybe that's not
necessarily something I should have to worry about, but I
feel like a few times the Achilles Heel, with this
Texans defense, which is so good and so aggressive, there
have been games where they're missing tackles all over the place.

(49:35):
It happened a couple times in that Bills game where
they were able to score even though they ended up
winning that game.

Speaker 3 (49:40):
That's what I'm worried about.

Speaker 4 (49:41):
Whether you get Kenneth Gainwell or Jalen Warren or I
mean occasionally DK Metcalf is not going to be extremely
good wiggling out in space or anything like that. But
he's big and strong and tacklers can bounce off of him.
So if they are throwing a seven yard route to
DK Metcalf and he breaks the initial tack and he's
able to turn that into a game of fifteen or twenty.

(50:02):
That's where I think you could run into some trouble.
So I want to see very sure tackling from the
Houston Texans tonight against the Steelers.

Speaker 3 (50:10):
Yeah.

Speaker 6 (50:11):
I mean that's that's key. They haven't really been a
team that's missed a bunch of tackles.

Speaker 4 (50:15):
The share up there hasn't been a ton, But I
feel like that when they the defense has looked most vulnerable,
I think that's when they've had issues. I would say
in that Jaguars game, they were missing a lot of tackles,
In the Bills game, in a couple of games where
they have given up some points here and there, I
think they've had some issues with miss tackles.

Speaker 3 (50:30):
Well, how about the Raiders game against ashontill ash.

Speaker 4 (50:34):
Gent they missed a couple of tackles and let him
get loose. Yeah, that's a good one too. I just
see you look, it happens right. Nobody makes one hundred
percent of their tackles.

Speaker 3 (50:41):
But some of those games. Think of the big games
where they were most focused.

Speaker 6 (50:45):
Bill's game, they hold the Bills at nineteen, fundamentally sound
the game up the Big James.

Speaker 4 (50:51):
I didn't have Big James Cook run. They missed a
couple of tackles.

Speaker 3 (50:54):
That was but that was really the that's only big play.

Speaker 4 (50:56):
But they explosive have been a problem, some somewhat of
a problem for them to last several weeks, and I
think the mistackles can contribute to that.

Speaker 6 (51:02):
The game up in Indy, you were super focused, held
them to thirteen or held them the sixteen. The game
in Kansas City, you're super focused. It held them to ten.
Like I just I think you're gonna get that focused.
This is the Chargers game two a few weeks ago.
They're super focused, they hold them to just sixteen. I
think you're gonna get that super focused defense, you know

(51:24):
what I mean, Like, forget forget the meaningless season finale
against Indy, forget the stupid game against the Raiders. Like
the big games in recent weeks when they've needed to
be focused, you get that eight plus effort from the defense.

Speaker 4 (51:40):
I think you're gonna get it right. And we're nitpicking
at this point. I mean they get a great pressure rate.
They're normally very good. They're good in coverage, they're good
at pass rushing, they're good. The linebackers are good getting downhill,
stopping the run. So at this point we are just nitpicking.
They've been about average with six yards after the catch
allout all season long. So for a defense this elite
to be average, that's something. I guess that that's where

(52:01):
I find a nitpick. So that is something too, because,
as I said, if this defense is not turning over
the ball, I didn't want to go don't turn the
ball over. That's captain obvious football stuff. Obviously, if they're
having short fields and giving up points that way, it's
going to be at the detriment of the Texans. But
I think in this short passing game where we know

(52:22):
there's gonna be a bunch of checkdowns and short routes,
make the sure tackles, don't allow a five yard catch
to turn into a fifteen yard catch, and they're gonna
win this game.

Speaker 3 (52:31):
I do have to vent on something textan social media.

Speaker 21 (52:35):
Do you.

Speaker 3 (52:37):
Okay?

Speaker 1 (52:37):
You no?

Speaker 4 (52:37):
Yeah, let's do it that next next break. I want
to hear this, but real quick, Jonathan, your key to
victory for the Houston Texans.

Speaker 19 (52:45):
Uh.

Speaker 3 (52:45):
I think everything you got are saying is correct.

Speaker 8 (52:47):
But I would feel and just after watching especially the
Chargers game, and how confident the entire team special teams
was getting that those explosives plays off the start of
the first quarter in the second quarter. I feel like
that explosive exposiveness needs to be happening if we want,
if they want to just to control the game, yeah,

(53:10):
or mitigate Steelers off explosive places, just because our defense
got it.

Speaker 3 (53:15):
We know we have that anchor, right, we have that anchor.

Speaker 8 (53:19):
Getting that offense that confidence early on and knowing they
can get that play downfield, even if it's just a
post down for twenty yards, getting uh in field goal
range and getting back to fairband. That's what that needs
to happen, because you can't just sit there and let
see j I'm back and further back in position in
yardage and just sit there. He's not gonna say we
can't really rely on him right now. He hasn't showed

(53:40):
us that he can do it, and maybe after this
game we will. But yeah, I think going out there
first and ten, getting that fifteen yards is the perfect
thing to keep that offense going and get that defense
where they need to be and like, all right, we
got this.

Speaker 3 (53:52):
We're in a game.

Speaker 4 (53:54):
Yeah, all right, there you go. Jonathan's key to victory
is the explosive plays. Uh, Chris Gordy.

Speaker 6 (54:02):
Man, I I think this is key to Texans winning. Yes,
I think at least at least one turnover. If not
to I think yeah, okay, forcing the turnovers that'd be nice.
Derek Steeling picks are always fun, all right, forcing the turnovers.

Speaker 3 (54:19):
I'm going with sure tackling. What say you?

Speaker 4 (54:21):
Jonathan's going with the explosive plays? Seven one three two five,
seven ninety is a phone number. We have to tell
the truth coming up at eleven thirty. Couple on hold.
I promise we'll get you in the next segment as well.
Here on Sports Talk seven ninety with you until two o'clock.
It is the Matt Thomas Show with Ross. Y'all are

(54:44):
getting in on the phone lines. Want to talk some
Texans football. That makes me happy. Big game tonight, A
must win game for the Houston Texans tonight, that is right,
a must win game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday
Date Night football. Seven one three, two five, seven ninety
is the phone number here on the Matt Thomas Show

(55:05):
with Ross with Matt out Gordy hanging out until the
top of this hour. Then we'll have Adam Clinton coming
in at one o'clock. I'll be flying solo at noon
where Jonathan Allen will bring us the news at noon.
Jonathan Allen will bring us the news at noon. I ha,
now I am Jonathan knows this. My attention to detail,
I mean, God bless Matt Thomas. He does a good

(55:26):
job running the show, finding segments, setting things up. My
attention to detail is just not there. So when he
goes out, it's like it's like the subteber.

Speaker 3 (55:34):
You'll get there.

Speaker 4 (55:35):
Yeah, I'm seventeen years in the business. One day, dude,
is today. I think my anniversary is coming up. Actually,
of congratulations, I got hired on I think January thirteen
ish of two thousand and nine.

Speaker 1 (55:49):
Wow.

Speaker 4 (55:51):
Yeah, I know I'm gonna throw up too. All right, anyways,
hang it out here, can I do my gripe? Yes,
that's right, thank you. See I forgot the tease, so normal.

Speaker 3 (56:00):
I'm okay with with these.

Speaker 6 (56:02):
I don't like to I think most teams do a
good social job on social media, the young kids that
get in.

Speaker 3 (56:09):
I will say this though, Ross, when we have had
cases of a.

Speaker 6 (56:14):
Of an Astros afternoon playoff game, what's the typical thing
you do of social media have.

Speaker 3 (56:19):
The easy go to I know what you're doing.

Speaker 4 (56:21):
You're gonna say it's the the excuse, Yes, absence, excuse,
so the excuse blah blah blah.

Speaker 3 (56:27):
So the textans social media just post a little while ago.

Speaker 6 (56:30):
It is a screenshot of a letter says from the
desk of Texas Houston Texans admin. Dear blank, please excuse
blank from work today. We fully understand how important showing
up being productive blah blah blah. Ross the kickoff is
seven fifteen tonight.

Speaker 3 (56:47):
I feel like this the.

Speaker 6 (56:48):
Work excuse letter should only be reserved for daytime games.

Speaker 4 (56:54):
Well, so you brought this up and then I saw it,
but I didn't want to read it because I wanted
to have a natural reaction to what you said.

Speaker 3 (57:00):
So here's my natural reaction.

Speaker 4 (57:02):
What the hell are they doing they're asking I thought
when you said that they were going to do that,
that they would be asking for like the day off
tomorrow right so that they can plan, they can party,
they can get fully invested, stay up late and sleep in.
I thought that you were going to be complaining and
I'll be like, Oh, that's not that big of a deal.
They're asking for a half off day day off today.

Speaker 6 (57:22):
It says we need all fans locked in for the
entirety of the game. This is not a small ask.
This is the same priority. First off, it is not
a home game. It is on the road in Pittsburgh,
all right, I just not traveling to the game. You've
left if you're doing that. I just hatched to theory.

Speaker 3 (57:36):
Believe me or not.

Speaker 4 (57:37):
Hannah called this down because the Texans admin has been
doing like all these young like anime references. This is this,
screams to me. This is a boomer this call came in.
I'm sorry, this is a this should.

Speaker 3 (57:54):
Half a day.

Speaker 4 (57:55):
Yeah, this is this is me typing out social team.
I think it would be really cool if we sit
on a cute excuse letter for our game tonight. Get
right on this and see see me immediately. Yeah, this
came from this is boomer stuff right here.

Speaker 3 (58:10):
I'm sorry. Somebody called in this and this was canteen
central kick.

Speaker 6 (58:15):
I just feel like, even if you work till five
some people in the city after work till five thirty,
you can get off at five point thirty, sitting an
hour's traffic getting home, and still be home with plenty
of time to get ready for your Texans game.

Speaker 3 (58:31):
Yeah, yeah, there's got to be some boomer in the organization.
In the graphic. We got y'all handshake, Yeah, we got you. Okay,
you know what. Hannah wrote this.

Speaker 4 (58:41):
Hannah McNair wrote this, There's no doubt in my mind,
or at least somebody who works.

Speaker 3 (58:45):
For her, Yila commits we need one for tomorrow. Hey,
it's the game. She tries.

Speaker 4 (58:51):
She tries to be their friend too, because it's always
a woman in these social media Quite frankly, they're much
more creative and better at these social media things than us.
It's it's every social team that I know of the team,
it's women. So anyways, hey girls, she's trying to be cool.
Hey girls, Oh my god, I get I was clocking
the tea that this needs to be We need an
excuse absence.

Speaker 3 (59:09):
That's what she did. It was Hannah McNair. I figured
it out.

Speaker 6 (59:11):
I've seen a lot of and a lot of people
are fired up. I mean people are like, I'm sitting
at work, I can't even I can't even focus. I'm
so ready for a night. Other guy said, thanks, admin up,
but I'm unemployed, won't need it. Another guy said, real
ones took the day off today like me, So that's stupid.

Speaker 3 (59:24):
Be interesting the day of tomorrow. Hello, what are we
talking about? The game will end at ten thirty, ten
forty five?

Speaker 4 (59:31):
Yeah, maybe you got a party till it missed me
at least at least two when they win.

Speaker 6 (59:34):
Yeah, like if you're one of those people that goes
out to a sports bar. Yeah, yeah, I get home
till after eleven.

Speaker 4 (59:38):
Yeah, I'll play for it, plan for a safe right
at home. By the way, all right, seven one three,
seven ninety is the phone number. Let's keep it rolling
with Sammy. Next up on the phones. What's up Sammy?

Speaker 7 (59:51):
Hey, guys, how's it going?

Speaker 1 (59:52):
Love the show?

Speaker 3 (59:54):
Thank you.

Speaker 1 (59:55):
I haven't heard it.

Speaker 22 (59:56):
I haven't heard anybody bringing this up, but I heard
it on the weekend of football.

Speaker 23 (01:00:04):
Three game shows or hefton shows.

Speaker 7 (01:00:05):
But Fittsburgh Steelers have not lost a Monday night football
game at home since nineteen ninety one, and their current
win streak is at twenty three games in a row.

Speaker 3 (01:00:18):
Yes, that has been mention that. Yeah, I've heard it
mentioned here. Quite frankly.

Speaker 4 (01:00:24):
I don't want to go Clark Gable on you, but
quite frankly, my dear I don't give a damn. Kevin
O'Donnell is not playing. Ben Roethlisberger is not playing in
this game. I don't even know Charlie Batch, whoever we
can go to, they're not playing in Hines Ward is
not in this game, like I understand that.

Speaker 3 (01:00:43):
But the matchup is about tonight.

Speaker 4 (01:00:45):
This is the twenty twenty five now twenty twenty six
Houston Texans, their fifty three man roster. You're going up
against the team that you are better than. Those previous
results don't matter to me for the matchup tonight.

Speaker 1 (01:01:00):
Good answer, thank you, all.

Speaker 4 (01:01:02):
Right, thanks a lot, Sammy, I appreciate it. Seven one,
seven ninety go ahead.

Speaker 6 (01:01:07):
When you think of Monday football, though it's the pre schedule,
the game's pre scheduled before the season on a Monday
night where it's the beginning, and then this is a
playoff game, it's you can call it Monday football because
it's technically being played on Monday night.

Speaker 3 (01:01:19):
But to me, it's this is a playoff game. It doesn't.

Speaker 4 (01:01:21):
This doesn't have the all the moniker of oh, yes,
Monday night football. Yeah, I meant Neil O'Donnell, not Kevin O'Donnell.

Speaker 3 (01:01:28):
But anyway. Uh, yeah, it's it doesn't bother me at
all walking through that door.

Speaker 4 (01:01:36):
Yeah, he certainly is not all right. Terry Branch while
he was in ninety one, he wasn't there in ninety one.
But uh, touchdown, Tommy Maddox is not walking through that door.
Tommy Maddox. What are the crappy quarterbacks of that? They've
had a lot of oh, so many bad ones. I
mean we can go to Kinny Pickett and even the
recent ones. It's been a bad run Mitchell Trubisky. But yeah,
I is a cool stat but it has no impact
or bearing on this game tonight. Biscuit is holding longest

(01:01:59):
now on the phone line.

Speaker 3 (01:02:00):
What's a biscuit?

Speaker 22 (01:02:01):
Hey, what's up my brothers? And first of all, that
Monday night thing to me? If you like me lord beverages.

Speaker 3 (01:02:08):
Say they do for a low Yeah, exact way you want, biscuit,
You know what I mean.

Speaker 11 (01:02:13):
So it's because I like the situations like that.

Speaker 1 (01:02:16):
Man.

Speaker 11 (01:02:17):
Uh, let me let me say this.

Speaker 22 (01:02:18):
Man, you had to call a few callers back talking
about the Rockets and him thinking they're better.

Speaker 11 (01:02:24):
Uh, they were better last year than this year.

Speaker 22 (01:02:27):
And to some extent he may be right. In regular season,
but they're they're they're looking for the playoffs, right, And
so that's why Durant is here, and he's here for
the playoffs. He's not here for the regular season. And
you you already said it, man if I don't think
fans quite realize it, but there's very few teams in NBA.

Speaker 1 (01:02:46):
That are over five hundred on the road, right.

Speaker 22 (01:02:50):
It's most of the teams in the NBA are under fire.
So it does make a difference if you've played more
road games and home games. So when the schedule twists
back their way is gonna even out, you know what
I'm saying, some Rockets will be probably better off than
they were last year, barring you know, injuries or whatever.

Speaker 11 (01:03:08):
That's my take on it.

Speaker 22 (01:03:09):
And to me, it's not about the regular season. It's
about the playoffs. And then my lastly, I think the
key to the game is hitting Aaron Rodgers. I watched
a lot of Pittsburgh games this year because my buddy's
Felis fans whatever. And to me, the Stellers offenses like
boom or busts. You know, some games they're good and

(01:03:29):
some games they're real, real bad. They don't have kind
of no in between, but the key denominators in the game.
When Aaron Rodgers gets hit early and often, it just
goes bad real quick because he's one of those types
of guys that's gonna start pointing at people and cursing
people out, and you know, and it goes down here.
So hit Rogers early and often. Texans twenty to ten.

Speaker 3 (01:03:52):
Yeah, appreciated biscuit.

Speaker 1 (01:03:54):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:03:55):
So I mentioned there has been a significant drop off
when it comes to pressures, but also in terms of
time to throw, Steelers are third fastest in the NFL. Dolphins,
by the way first because think of all the checkdowns
and dinks and dunks. They do same similar thing with
the Steelers, so they're third fastest time to throw, and
they allow the lowest pressure rate. That's because they're doing

(01:04:16):
a bunch of short area passing games. So they're gonna
try to do that even more. I'm sure tonight to
make sure as much as possible that Texans pass rush
is not a factor.

Speaker 3 (01:04:28):
So they're gonna have to stay on schedule.

Speaker 4 (01:04:30):
So the Texans are gonna have to keep them on
off schedule, I should say so, second and longs, third
and longs where they have to throw because that's where
they're going to run into trouble and that's where this
Texan defense is gonna start some havocs.

Speaker 3 (01:04:41):
So I mean nothing, Dimico Ryans doesn't know. Stop the run,
keep them.

Speaker 4 (01:04:45):
Off schedule, create tackles for losses, pressure sacks, all that
type of stuff. Don't let them just eat up the
clock and compress the game because they're not the better team.
The Steelers aren't. The Texans are favored on the road
for a reason. They are the better team, and the
shorter the game is with the fewest fewer possessions, the
better chance the Steelers are gonna have.

Speaker 6 (01:05:06):
It feels weird these two teams met was last year
in like the preseason. It just feels like they'll always
play the Steelers like every year.

Speaker 4 (01:05:16):
Also, they were playing the Bill. They're playing the Bills
again next year. But I think, yeah, it depends on
the play schedule, right YEA. For example, remember when it
was Peyton Manning and Tom Brady they played every single year.
It felt like it was because they played first play
schedules and they were always in first place together. So yeah,
I guess it can kind of be weird runs of
schedule if you end up in the same place.

Speaker 3 (01:05:35):
Then you play the AFC team every single year. Yeah,
it's it's gonna be it's gonna be a fun one.

Speaker 6 (01:05:42):
I just you know again that fan, don't ever underestimate
that the home field advantage. I didn't take stock how
many how many road teams won this weekend in the playoffs.

Speaker 4 (01:05:53):
The Bills won on the road, the Rams won on
the road. There was a close one close, Jonathan, but
you didn't no cigars, sir.

Speaker 3 (01:05:59):
I was fine with that.

Speaker 6 (01:06:02):
I knew you were gonna call victory on that came
back to win at home. Patriots forty nine ers one
on the road.

Speaker 1 (01:06:09):
Yeah.

Speaker 6 (01:06:09):
So three of the one, two, three, four, five. Three
of the five playoff games so far the road team
has won.

Speaker 3 (01:06:16):
About to be four. What's up? So four of six?

Speaker 1 (01:06:19):
Yeah?

Speaker 4 (01:06:20):
All right, quick break here on The Matt Thomas Show
with Ross. When we come back, Chris, we will get
to you and then we will go to to tell
the truth here on Sports Talk seven einety The Matt
Thomas Show with Ross. I never know why.

Speaker 3 (01:06:53):
Bothered song there?

Speaker 4 (01:06:54):
Oh yeah, well I said no songs before nineteen seventy
six with Matt Thomas out. But this is the theme
of the segment. Okay, let's do this quickly, folks. To
tell the truth, guys, I am only going to believe one.

Speaker 3 (01:07:12):
Of these opinions. You only believe one of these opinions.
I will go to four.

Speaker 4 (01:07:17):
You will tell me which one I believe. Let me
go ahead and market on the document so we will
be able to see Gordy.

Speaker 3 (01:07:23):
All right, Big weekend. We haven't really talked about it.
You can do.

Speaker 4 (01:07:28):
We go to do a full segment on this in
the news at noon. Big weekend for the Texas Longhorns.
In the portal, they landed Cam Coleman. They landed Hollywood Smothers,
which is that's one of the greatest names in college football,
Hollywood's mothers.

Speaker 3 (01:07:43):
They're keeping relief.

Speaker 22 (01:07:46):
Brown.

Speaker 3 (01:07:47):
I was gonna say, Brown, I was thank you. I tuned.

Speaker 4 (01:07:49):
I turned to my sec college football expert. They're gonna
have the number one portal class. They're all in on
ours mannings last year, which they should be if the
Long Orange do.

Speaker 3 (01:08:01):
At least.

Speaker 4 (01:08:03):
And this hurts me because I'm gonna have to go
basically on what Matt Thomas was talking about. We got
in a big argument about massive disappointment and long Horns.
If they do not make at least the semifinals with
this team and where they are, huge disappointment, massive disappointment.
I'm not saying Sarks should be fired or anything like that,
but at least the semifinals for the long Horns. Otherwise,

(01:08:24):
this twenty twenty six season coming up is a massive disappointment,
all right. Moving along, the Rockets have been terrible. They
have lost four of the last five games. Their aggression
has come with the three pointers. But it's gonna turn.
They're gonna be home for five games now. Three of

(01:08:45):
them are against tough opponents. I understand. They also have
matchups against the Chicago Bulls in there, and then I
think there is one more that is close to a gimme.
I guess I should have pulled this out. Orleans, New Orleans.
They're at home for games. They're gonna settle in. They're
gonna I'm saying they're probably gonna go four and one,

(01:09:06):
but at the very least, at a minimum, they will
not go worse than three and two on this home stand.
They're coming home, baby. The three pointers have to start
falling eventually. At the very least, the Rockets are going
three and two on this five game home stand. Moving
on to the NFL at large, the forty nine Ers

(01:09:29):
have been a great story. They won on a road
against the Philadelphia Eagles, although that was a one score
game and could have gone either way. They lost George
Kittle at halftime of this game. The attrition is too much.
No Fred Warner, no Nick Bosa, no George Kittle, it's
too much. Brock Purty is good, but going on the
road against a rested Seahawks team the twelfth man environment,

(01:09:51):
how good that defense has been?

Speaker 3 (01:09:54):
Dvoa has the Seahawks.

Speaker 4 (01:09:55):
It's the number one defense in football, even though I
would argue it's the Texans. They have them at number two.
But you're they're going on the road with no George Kittle.
Kyle Shanahan is a magic man. But the attrition is
too much. Niners are seven point dogs in this game.
I think it's even more attack on a field goal
to that. Niners lose by ten, maybe even more to
the Seahawks this weekend, who are arrested, ready to go

(01:10:19):
against a road and travel weary forty nine Ers Team
opinion number four. All Right, I've said this this week,
this last week, this reinforced it. Even though the Bills
beat the Jaguars. Texans beat the Steelers tonight. I'm sticking
with by double digits the Patriots. I ain't scared. It's

(01:10:43):
not the Chargers. They're gonna beat them on the road.
The Texans will host the Buffalo Bills, who beat the
Deep from Denver Broncos is the AFC Championship Game. The
matchup is set in my mind. The Texans will host
the Buffalo bill in the AFC Championship Game. And that's

(01:11:03):
my fourth opinion. I only believe one, Jonathan and Gordy.
If the Longhorns don't at least make the Simmis massive
disappointment of a season in twenty twenty six, Rockets will
go in minimum three and two on this homestand probably
four and one.

Speaker 3 (01:11:20):
Attrition is too much.

Speaker 4 (01:11:21):
Niners lose by ten to the Seahawks, and I believe
the AFC Championship Game will be the Buffalo Bills visiting
NRG Stadium for the AFC Championship Game.

Speaker 3 (01:11:34):
You go first, Jonathan, we'll talk it out.

Speaker 4 (01:11:36):
Uh.

Speaker 8 (01:11:38):
Well, the first one I don't believe at all, because
Ross has already got on Sam massive disappointment about these coaches.

Speaker 3 (01:11:45):
Damn, this was before the number one portal class. What
were they this year? They were like three? No, I'm
not sure, honestly, No, I wouldn't that high. Uh, Honestly.

Speaker 8 (01:11:57):
The one I'm trusting is you do believe the right
because they could come back. You have a lot of
faith in the Rockets three and two. They could lose
to okay See in Minnesota and still go three and two.
So I'm leaning towards them.

Speaker 11 (01:12:08):
The two.

Speaker 3 (01:12:08):
I was leaning towards that as well.

Speaker 6 (01:12:10):
The Niners with no chance at to see Seattle, come on,
it's a divisional rivalry that they'll have a chance.

Speaker 3 (01:12:17):
Texans hosting a sccho Look.

Speaker 6 (01:12:20):
You could say the Steelers Texas beat the Steelers tonight
by double ditches.

Speaker 3 (01:12:23):
I'll buy that.

Speaker 6 (01:12:24):
But then just glossing over they're gonna beat New England
and host the SC championship game. That feels like a
road too far. So I'm gonna say no on that one.
I mean, it is easy to just say yes with
all these big additions, sark if you don't make the Semis,
but if they make at least a playoff game and win,
it's not a total disappointment. So I'll probably go with

(01:12:44):
the Rockets, even though it's it seems a little bit
of a stretch to go. They should go three and
two with three really good teams, but it is at home,
and yeah, you struggle on the road. I'll go with
the Rockets, all right. You're right, both of you on
the Longhorns. One massive disappointment is an overstatement. As you said, Gordy,

(01:13:07):
it could be a situation where they have a very
tough schedule next year, they go to LSU, they host
Ohio State. They could literally lose two games, win a
playoff game, not make the Simmis. It would be a disappointment,
but a massive disappointment is a little much because everybody
else is getting in the arms race in the portal
as well.

Speaker 4 (01:13:24):
But I still have high hopes for the Longhorns this season. Yes,
you both didn't even give any credence to the Niners one.

Speaker 3 (01:13:30):
That's a shame.

Speaker 4 (01:13:31):
But I do think the Seahawks are gonna win by
about seven. That's where the line is. Ten is too much.
Kyle Shanahan is a magician who knows what's gonna happen
division Riley. As you said, mister Gordy, I can't guarantee
the Rockets are going three to two minimum. I wanted

(01:13:52):
to go three and two minimum. I wanted to believe that.
I was typing that out. You know, sometimes I'm like,
do I believe that?

Speaker 21 (01:13:58):
No?

Speaker 3 (01:13:58):
I don't want them to go three and two minimum.

Speaker 2 (01:14:02):
Have you seen this basketball team in the last five games.

Speaker 13 (01:14:05):
It's on the road.

Speaker 3 (01:14:07):
Yeah, but they're not getting days off.

Speaker 4 (01:14:09):
If they had a day, literally, one more day off anywhere,
if they had two days off anywhere on this homestand
I would feel better.

Speaker 3 (01:14:14):
But it's every other night with a back to back
on Thursday Friday.

Speaker 4 (01:14:17):
I think they will go three and two. But saying
that that, I'm guaranteeing minimum three and two. No, I
can't get with dad.

Speaker 3 (01:14:24):
I have to stick with my guns.

Speaker 4 (01:14:26):
I think the Texans win tonight, and I think they
win a close one against the New England Patriots. I
think the Bills beat the Broncos. All three of those outcomes,
I could whiff on all three of them. Well, I
can't wiff on all three of them. Actually, I could
whiff on at least the first two. Starting tonight against
the Steelers.

Speaker 3 (01:14:42):
I feel in my.

Speaker 4 (01:14:43):
Heart battle Red Ross feels it the Texans are hosting
the Buffalo Bills.

Speaker 3 (01:14:50):
There's my exes. I marked it. I marked it. It
just feels a step too far.

Speaker 4 (01:14:54):
I know it feels crazy, but I'm doubling down. Baby,
come at me, Steelers bros. I need to check how
many bookmarks I have on that Steelers tweet. It was
up to like sixty last week. I mean, somehow ended
up in the for U Tab's win to the night
and you know what, you guys are nasty? How many
people with the personal attacks? Let me see nine hundred

(01:15:15):
and ninety one likes? Okay, no, it's some people want
to unbookmarked it. It's only fifty four book marks now.
So my declaration that the Houston Texans are making the
AFC Championship have the Steelers.

Speaker 3 (01:15:27):
Still never finished below of five hundred. Mike Tomlin, I.

Speaker 4 (01:15:30):
Think that's true. He's a miracle worker. Honestly, pretty I
don't think he look. I think there's something to be
said for the leader of men coach because Mike Vrabel,
Mike Tomlin, I mean John Harball. These are guys we
don't think of like as defensive or offensive wizards. But
there's something to be said for guys who are well prepared,
get their plays, to play hard, and aren't afraid in

(01:15:52):
the moment to make tough coaching decisions. We all want
the defensive or offensive wizard when it comes to like
the Kyle Shanahans and the Andy Reids. But these leader
of men type of guys, we can see them be successful,
especially with the right coordinators in place. All right, that
is tell the truth those of you in hold. I
promise that Chris, you are next. You guys want to
get in. Seven one three two one two five seven

(01:16:12):
ninety is the phone number. News at noon coming up
as well. Adam Clinton coming up at one o'clock. Right now,
Chris Cordy continues to hang out. We are talking about
the Steelers and the Texans Rockets in the bad run.
They have been on all kinds of stuff. Anything you
want to get to seven one three two one two
five seven ninety seven one three two one two five seven.

Speaker 24 (01:16:29):
Ninety eleven fifty in the am here on Sports Talk
seven ninety.

Speaker 4 (01:16:47):
Roz view Rea with you on the Matt Thomas Show
with Ross where they have the News at noon coming
up at noon. We got a lot of stuff to
get to. We've been talking to some Texans big matchup
with the Steelers tonight. We've been talking some rockets lost
for the last five college football all that good stuff.
Seven to one three two one two five seven ninety
is the phone number. Seven one three two one two
five seven ninety. I guess we do have to use

(01:17:08):
you as a college football resource since you are here,
Gordy mister locked on sec himself, Sam Levitt. Now LSU Tigers,
how are we feeling about them LSU Tigers.

Speaker 3 (01:17:19):
Yeah, it's a big get.

Speaker 6 (01:17:19):
I mean LSU had, as of two days ago, had
zero scholarship quarterbacks on their roster.

Speaker 3 (01:17:25):
So, oh you want to get up from that.

Speaker 6 (01:17:27):
They picked up the kid from Elon Landon Clark yesterday
and now they get the number one UH prospect in
the portal.

Speaker 3 (01:17:34):
I still find it. I mean, look, I like Sam Levit.

Speaker 6 (01:17:36):
I think he's good, but they've they've held steadfast and
he is the number one overall player in the transfer portal.
I just I think that's a little high. He's coming
off a list Frank injury that apparently's going to hamper
him through the spring, so he's not gonna be ready
to take you know, reps and all that I think
that's Elsh just brought in nine new wide receivers. Nice

(01:17:57):
something to be said about.

Speaker 3 (01:17:58):
Do they know you can only start eleven plays, a new.

Speaker 6 (01:18:01):
Quarterback, with a new O line and all new receivers
and you're not gonna be able to practice all spring.
I think there's there should be a little bit concerned there,
but go ahead, But yeah, I mean that that was
the big news of the week of the of the day.
The big news of the weekend was Texas adding wide
receiver Cam Coleman, who was hands down the number one

(01:18:21):
wide receiver in the portal. They had Hollywood Smothers who
had already the NC State running back who had already
committed to Bama, but flipped I guess had not signed
yet with Bama and flipped the Texas and Texas are
already signed for Leake Brown, one of the other top
running back from It was funny I was looking at
to pick a pick of Sam Levitt was handing the

(01:18:43):
ball off to the league Brown at Arizona State. Now
now one is the Texas running back and one is
the LG quarterback. But no big big weekend for Sark.
Texas was losing a lot of portal pieces or or
like they were. They were in on portal pieces, but
they were missing a lot of them. So finally they
somebody with money stepped up and said pay whatever you

(01:19:04):
want for camp call.

Speaker 1 (01:19:05):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:19:05):
Well I think they were losing the portal pieces because
they were kind of basically told, Hey, we're gonna we're
going to be go heading, we're going to be getting
these guys, we're going to be targeting these guys.

Speaker 3 (01:19:13):
I think one lesson one led.

Speaker 11 (01:19:14):
To the other.

Speaker 3 (01:19:15):
Yeah.

Speaker 6 (01:19:16):
I also think the teams are being look just because
you have twenty million in revenue share.

Speaker 3 (01:19:21):
Keep in mind that is to spend on all sports.

Speaker 6 (01:19:25):
Most of the SEC teams that have that twenty million
revenue share that they can pay players, they're allocating anywhere
from thirteen to fifteen million for football. So if you're
giving a kid a million of that, I mean, that's
that's a huge percentage of your cap already. So that's
where a lot of kids are coming through with the
secondary nil deals. You know, Texas calls such and such

(01:19:48):
car dealership and goes, hey, can you spot a million
of this kid, We'll get you advertising and all that. Yeah,
you know, so there's ways around it right now, and
people are pushing back. I mean, that's this is going
to be a very interesting things. See how this is
rained in in the in the coming year to two.
Because lear Field and play Fly and a lot of
these broadcast rights teams, they were trying to figure out

(01:20:11):
ways to circumvent like, hey, why don't we sign the
kid to an endorsement deal and then when we go
sell sponsorship for Coca Cola, we'll use that player, and
so we'll pay him off that And so they're they're
basically they came out with a thing yesterday saying, look,
you can say you're gonna try to pay the kid
do that, but you can't guarantee four million dollars.

Speaker 19 (01:20:29):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:20:29):
Oh so Kawhi Leonard and Steve Balmer think that's a
good idea. Yeah, it's Look, it's you open Pandora's box.

Speaker 6 (01:20:37):
You gotta you gotta think teams people are gonna try
to find ways to work around the rules.

Speaker 4 (01:20:43):
I have something crazy to say, Why can't they What
do you mean why can't they? Why can't they say
we're gonna tie it into those sponsorships as long as
they as long as the money gets paid and it's
above board and Coca Cola wants to give that money,
and they want to pay that money to the kid.

Speaker 6 (01:20:56):
What's the problem, Well, Ross Eller just got a whole
piece on it, but basically saying, like lear Field, it's
it's kind of a conflict of interest too there, like
we're your broadcast partner. We can't be the pitch man
for helping you bring recruits in. You know, it's crazy,
it's a very it's a very weird time.

Speaker 4 (01:21:18):
It's crazy out there. All right, Let's get Chris. Chris
has been holding very patiently. Appreciate you, Chris, Thanks for
the time. The floor is yours.

Speaker 23 (01:21:26):
Hey, what's up, Ross?

Speaker 11 (01:21:27):
What's so guarding?

Speaker 9 (01:21:30):
Hey?

Speaker 23 (01:21:31):
Man, Ross, I'm gonna have to I'm gonna have to
go with you on your fourth your fourth uh, your
fourth option.

Speaker 3 (01:21:39):
Let's go, baby.

Speaker 23 (01:21:39):
I text my I was I texted my my friends.
I was in a group chat yesterday and I text
him that right before all the game started. And I'll say, man,
I just had the feeling that the technics, I mean,
the technics got to be battle tested, so they got
to go on the road, right, So they got to
go on the road, and it's I think it's better
for them to be battle tested, and I think the

(01:22:00):
Bills will be the Broncos, and the Texans will beat
the Patriots will be the Patriots next round. I say,
now they're gonna holt Aca. That's just my feeling, that's
my good feeling. I was gonna stick with that. But
as far as key key to winning tonight, in my opinion,
in my opinion, and this is just what I feel,
I think it's gonna come down to Nick Katy. And

(01:22:22):
the reason why I say that, the reason obviously, you know,
I think Nick Kelly is probably gonna open up the
playbook even more for uh, for a lot of trick
plays and all that stuff. And the reason why I
say that is because when I saw the Chargers team,
they score those two tenchtoumes real quick in the first quarter,
and I'm like, I'll say to myselfing like, dude, we'sus

(01:22:45):
been all all year, Like I haven't seen y'all play
like that all year, Like y'all just being miniocres, you
know what I mean. Like it's just, you know, everybody
kept on saying like all the Texans offense, it is
what it is, that's just what that's just the identity.
But I think that Nick Hayley is probably saving the
best live and I think they're probably just gonna throw

(01:23:06):
off everybody in the playoffs, and maybe the other teams
are probably be like, damn, like, okay, how do we
adjustice this?

Speaker 11 (01:23:11):
What are they gonna do?

Speaker 8 (01:23:12):
Now?

Speaker 23 (01:23:13):
You know what I mean? Because you know, that's just
my opinion and that's what I feel, and you know
I could be wrong, But as far as if they
if this, if they open that playbook open or for CJ.
Seawan that offensive line, I think they're gonna join the
joint in on the defense.

Speaker 11 (01:23:29):
That's just just elite.

Speaker 23 (01:23:31):
I think they're gonna come in be explosive. That's just
what I feel, my opinion. And if that's and if
it sticks like that to where I feel I want to,
I would say twenty seven thirteen. I might just bump
it up to maybe a thirty to seventeen, so mu's
around there. But that's what I feel, and I'm just
gonna go with my good feeling. And uh, I think

(01:23:54):
it's gonna come down to Nick Cayley opening it up
and then everybody's gonna be like, dang, what is this
all year? You know what I mean? Okay, Oh, that's
just my opinion, and I hang up and I listen
to y'all's opinions on that.

Speaker 4 (01:24:05):
All right, Thanks a lot, Chris, I appreciate it. I
think thirty points is going to be a little bit
much unless they're really forcing some turnovers. And I think
a lot of times Nick Kayley doesn't open it up because,
I mean, that's just the philosophy of this philosophy of
this football team led by Dimico Ryans is not to
be just airing the ball out fifty to sixty times.
They want to win a defense, they want to establish

(01:24:26):
a run, they want to go with the short passing game.
They don't want to turn the ball over, and normally
that doesn't happen late in games. Early a little bit,
it was happening, of course, going down the field against
the Chargers, but then every drive after that there was
a short pass for four yards, and then every drive
after that was a run on first down, so they
don't normally hide and run away. I think it'll be

(01:24:49):
kind of a one score ish game. Texans score late
and it'll be a twenty four to thirteen victory. That's
kind of what I'm feeling. Twenty four to thirteen thirteen. Okay,
so you don't think it's gonna be close? What did
we what did we say earlier? Though?

Speaker 3 (01:25:01):
The total thirty eight and a half.

Speaker 6 (01:25:04):
The road teams that won Rams snuck by by a
field goal, Bill snuck it out by a field goal,
forty nine.

Speaker 3 (01:25:12):
Ers pulled it out by four.

Speaker 6 (01:25:15):
So if the Texans win by nine ross, that would
be the biggest margin of victory for a road team
this weekend.

Speaker 3 (01:25:22):
It could happen, That's what I'm predicting. My predictions are
wrong every week, so we'll see.

Speaker 6 (01:25:27):
I think it comes down in the water. If those
all those the three road teams that pulled it out
came down to this.

Speaker 4 (01:25:32):
I think it was close in the fourth quarter, Texans
going to touchdown a pull away and then maybe even
like a turnover while the while Aaron Rodgers at the
end of this game, if he's having to press and
throw the ball, he's getting sacked, he might be turning
the ball over and then that's where the Texans kind
of get that winning margin.

Speaker 3 (01:25:47):
That's just my gut feeling. Well, look, id love we
see I'd love to be in bed at ten thirty
with not sweating out.

Speaker 4 (01:25:53):
Anything, all right, Thank you Gordy for hanging out first
couple hours.

Speaker 3 (01:25:56):
Appreciate you.

Speaker 4 (01:25:57):
We got Adam Clinton coming up in the one o'clock hour, Mac.

Speaker 3 (01:25:59):
I see you on hold.

Speaker 4 (01:26:00):
This is basically the solo hour, which means it's me
and you guys. So you guys want to interact, you
can co host for a couple of minutes. Seven to
one three two one two five seven ninety is the
phone number seven one three two one two five seven ninety.
Quick break here when we come back the news at noon?
Where is Jonathan Allen?

Speaker 1 (01:26:18):
Is the Matt Thomas Show with Ross?

Speaker 8 (01:26:32):
Yeah, you cannot say that you and this for you
did not have nothing left to pool?

Speaker 4 (01:26:38):
Nah, this for meato. I'm the second.

Speaker 3 (01:26:45):
To night on ABC and ESPN.

Speaker 4 (01:26:50):
It's the Houston Texans visiting the Pittsburgh Steelers and the
wild card action third two degrees tonight of the frozen
Tundras in Pittsburgh and whatever the hell they're calling hinz
Field these days? Will the old rickety bones of Aaron
Rodgers be able to bear this cold? And the Texans

(01:27:14):
ferocious pass rush featuring Daniel Hunter and Will Anderson Second
and first team All Pros, respectively, which coach will blink first?

Speaker 3 (01:27:26):
Which one can punt and kick field goals to win more?

Speaker 4 (01:27:30):
Who will be more conservative? The first to sixteen points
wins tonight at Pittsburgh. It's the wild card on Monday nights.
Welcome into our number three of the Mat Thamas Show
with Ross here on Sports Talk seven ninety. A couple
of stumbles, you know, that's what you get for improving Ross.

(01:27:53):
Jonathan Allen is here. Chris Gordy thanks to him for
hanging out for the first couple of hours. Hour number three.
Adam excuse me four, I should say Adam Clinton will
be hanging hanging out Mac.

Speaker 3 (01:28:04):
I see you on hold. We'll get to you in
just a minute.

Speaker 4 (01:28:06):
Phone lines are open at seven one three two one
two five seven ninety. But now we gotta get to
the news at noon with the one and only Jonathan Allen.
How was your weekend, Jonathan? You know it was relaxing
Boston football man, and you watch the Golden Globes. No, actually,
nobody else did either, so not a big watch on

(01:28:30):
YouTube on Yeah, maybe you'll catch it.

Speaker 3 (01:28:31):
Maybe you'll catch it like Timothy Shallome one big.

Speaker 4 (01:28:35):
You know, I have some discussion that we'll get that
on oh I like that. Okay, to tell the truth
on Timothy shallamey overrated? Are you saying no, I'm not
saying that.

Speaker 3 (01:28:44):
I'm not saying that. I just watched the movie Yester Saturday.
Are you supreme? Yes, always good, we'll get. I want
to watch it. No, we'll get. I'll go, I'll bring
it down here. You know, I want to actually.

Speaker 4 (01:28:54):
Watch it either. I don't have time to day. I
want to watch it this week because I think it's
out of theaters this week. Yes, so, yeah, you need
to Maybe I'll go Wednesday. Cats remind me when this
next segment, I'll be all right.

Speaker 3 (01:29:03):
All right, Sorry, go ahead. What's what's on the news
at noon? Let's just get it out the way.

Speaker 8 (01:29:08):
Rockets have lost the last four or five fall into
the Sacramento Kings one eleven to ninety eight, and sorry
auson being out on ankle day to day as well.

Speaker 3 (01:29:20):
It's not looking too hot Ross, it's not.

Speaker 4 (01:29:22):
I want to I'm curious because the last the game
against the Portland Trailblazers, Matt Thomas, it sounded like somebody
shot his dog on the final call. Dude, let me
let me hear the final call here.

Speaker 25 (01:29:31):
I got got it men, Thompson will walk it across
at tomline eight seconds left, Amn splits the rings to
his left or Jabari Smith that just pounds the basketball
and uttered.

Speaker 3 (01:29:44):
Social appointment.

Speaker 25 (01:29:45):
Final score tonight here from the Golden Line Center, New Sacramento.

Speaker 3 (01:29:50):
The Kings one eleven. They're rockets ninety eight.

Speaker 4 (01:29:53):
I don't want to get I don't want to a
habit of this, but yeah, here's the one from Portland
on Friday where they were up thirteen going into the
fourth and completely ca colapsed one.

Speaker 25 (01:30:01):
O five eight seconds left and the rocket is turning
over on the inbound. That's gonna throw rible things out,
So Soca will grab it.

Speaker 3 (01:30:09):
Time will go off and the Blazers beat the Rocket.
And I just found out my dog gotta run over.
It's not good. I can't imagine that were that's that's
not good. I mean, I want that. I want to
say I do agree with email man.

Speaker 8 (01:30:22):
I felt like the young guys are now just kind
of just riding the coat to the KD and he's
thirty seven.

Speaker 4 (01:30:29):
Many Hey, they're missing wide open threes. They were the
number one three point shooting team that wasn't gonna help
hold all season long, they've played twenty three on the
road and thirteen at the home, the biggest thirty six
games split tied for in NBA history.

Speaker 3 (01:30:45):
I understand. It's ugly.

Speaker 4 (01:30:47):
It's not fun. It's not thrilling. They're gonna be okay,
well we have to sit there, Okay.

Speaker 2 (01:30:56):
But they're okay, this is gonna be fun something.

Speaker 3 (01:30:59):
Yeah, am I trying to convince myself it sounds like it.
Oh no, we'll see what else is going on.

Speaker 8 (01:31:05):
All right, let's bring it to the Texans real quick.
They were released some pass rusher Dale Taylor because they
wanted to activate rookie safety safety. Excuse me, Jalen reed today.
Wonderful he was healthy now, but they've had it to
waivers and claimed to be he wants to be on
a playoff team, you know, but so they just released

(01:31:25):
him today before the game. If you haven't caught what
happened last weekend, real quick, Bills beat the Jags. Who
would have thought? Patriots beat the Chargers. Okay, Bear's takedown,
Packers forty nine takedown. Eagles and Rams beat the Panthers.
Exciting NFL game. I'm excited. If it's not, man, I'm
just ready to go.

Speaker 4 (01:31:43):
Yeah, full practices pretty much across the board for the
Houston Texans, Jawar Jordan is going to be out for
the game. Jalen Reed, who was activated, as you said,
is listed as questionable, but eric Ante nursery with a
full practice. Same thing for Kamari Lassiter, Denico Autry, Titus Howard.
So looks like it's going to be a mostly full

(01:32:03):
strength Houston Texans squad tonight at Pittsburgh in the wild
card matchup, which should be some fun stuff. All right,
we do have a ton of other stuff to get to, Jonathan,
but you know, I'll give me one more.

Speaker 3 (01:32:14):
Actually, I was fine this so much instant transfer portal stuff.

Speaker 4 (01:32:17):
I just wanted to bring up Pokemon hoards, Baby Spin,
the Baby Spin.

Speaker 8 (01:32:22):
Nor Longhorns. I just wanted to point out Nebraska's QB
went to Orgon after this. I can't say his last name,
Daniel Dylan, the one that wants to be Yeah, the
Patrick Mahomes rereencard to organize. Sam Levin went to LSU
this morning. So there's some stuff. Of course, we got
the ut transfers, but you know.

Speaker 4 (01:32:41):
Yeah, uh, Cam Coleman, they got Hollywood's hollywoods mothers running
back was committed to Alabama. Now coming to Texas, they
got two great running backs. They need to still address
the interior of the offensive line. But I'm feeling pretty
darn good about the Longhorns. And I mean, look, if
you're see gets is number one in the portal, you're

(01:33:01):
not gonna feel bad about it. So sorry, All right,
quick break here on the Matt Thomas Show with Ross,
I'm flying solos. You guys want to get in my
key to victory number one for the Houston Texans because
low average depth of target for Aaron Rodgers all season long,
second worst in the NFL only to Dylan Gabriel. That
means short passing, That means checkdowns. That means you must

(01:33:24):
tackle when you meet them. Don't let that five yard
game turn into a fifteen yard game.

Speaker 7 (01:33:30):
Gain.

Speaker 3 (01:33:30):
What is your number one key.

Speaker 4 (01:33:32):
For the Texans against the Steelers besides the obvious don't
turn the ball over, score more points, stuff like that.
So something a little bit more nuanced in the second layer,
as it were, that you think is the key to
a Texans victory tonight and a score prediction as well.

Speaker 3 (01:33:47):
I've got twenty four to thirteen.

Speaker 1 (01:33:48):
What say you?

Speaker 11 (01:33:49):
Seven?

Speaker 4 (01:33:49):
To one three two point two five seven ninety is
the phone number seven to one three two one two
five is seven ninety. The Matt Thomas Show with Ross
without Matt Thomas continues after.

Speaker 3 (01:33:58):
This short break battle Red Ross just call him twenty
four to thirteen.

Speaker 1 (01:34:14):
What say you?

Speaker 4 (01:34:15):
Seven one three two one two five seven to ninety
The phone number seven one three two one two five
seven ninety mentioned in the last segment Full practices for
I mean, just just every key piece right now. That
was on the injury report earlier in the week. For
the Texans, Juwar Jordan is going to be missed. That

(01:34:38):
is unfortunate. You're down to Woody Marks and Nick Chubb
run game hasn't been great all season. You would like
to get something going there. Not really super confident that
that is going to be something They're going to be
able to goo. So I think maybe I am focusing
a little bit too much on the defensive advantage. Steelers
have a good defense and the Text have a great defense.

(01:35:03):
Texans have a average to worse offense. Steelers have probably
about an average offense. So could it all equal out?
Vegas on makers say it's going to be close three
point favorites are the Houston Texans, so we'll see how
it plays out tonight on Monday Night Football. Of course,
we'll get your first and best reaction here on Sports

(01:35:24):
Talk seven ninety. We don't have to be biased. We
don't have Texans overlords listening to our programming. We'll shoot
you straight here on Sports Talk seven to ninety. The
best Texans coverage in town seven one three two one
two five seven ninety is the phone number. As I mentioned,
Mac in Paarland has been holding patiently, So Mac, go ahead.

Speaker 3 (01:35:41):
The floor is yours.

Speaker 7 (01:35:44):
Hey.

Speaker 26 (01:35:45):
I think that it's going to be another maddeningly close game.
I think we'll listen. I'm not much of a score projector,
so I'm not going to do that. But I'd like
to see him run right at TJSUH Watts, just to
see if he really is covered as well as they say.

Speaker 3 (01:36:02):
Will you get them tired? Test that punctured lung?

Speaker 1 (01:36:05):
Yeah?

Speaker 19 (01:36:06):
I like that.

Speaker 3 (01:36:07):
Okay.

Speaker 26 (01:36:10):
As far as college football playoffs in Texas and what's
an accessful year for them, I think anybody who gets
an automatic bid should be should be say they've had
a successful year. Once you're in too many bizarre things
can happen, like it turns out that the number ten
seed Miami, there's really no shame in losing them because

(01:36:32):
they're a really good team.

Speaker 3 (01:36:34):
Right yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:36:34):
I think the more you add in games from going
from two to four to twelve, that's the more variance
you're going to get. Especially in the college game where
the players aren't necessarily as skilled. You're gonna get more
mistakes in terms of penalties, turnovers, stuff like that. You're
gonna end up with with a lot of variants. And
then of course we can go to the great example
of the team, the field of the one and done

(01:36:56):
field of sixty four in basketball tells you any can
happen in any given matchup, and it can happen in football.
So the day and age of where the absolute best
team wins every single year, I think is gone. You
will have some years where the best team does win,
but in a twelve team playoff, that's gonna be more
and more difficult every year. It's gonna be somewhat of

(01:37:16):
a crapshoot. You have to limit your mistakes and you
have to get hot at the right time. But it
certainly is fun and entertaining, especially getting some different blood
in there to where now you have you had a
Miami ole, miss Oregon in Indiana and the Simmis, and
now it's Miami and Indiana. Miami hasn't won a championship
since two thousand and one. And I'm gonna guess out loud,

(01:37:40):
I guess I should know this. I don't think the
Indiana Hoosiers have ever won a football championship.

Speaker 26 (01:37:46):
That is correct, therefore their due.

Speaker 4 (01:37:48):
Yeah, they are a little overdue, and well, they are
the better team and we'll see what happens in that
final matchup. So it's certainly fun. I think Indiana would
probably have a pretty good claim of being the best
team in college football, going against what I was saying.
But and they are eight and a half point favorites
in this game. But yeah, in all time dominant performance
so far this season from Indiana, We'll see what happens

(01:38:09):
in the finals.

Speaker 26 (01:38:09):
MAC So work excuses for people for the night's game. Yes,
so the brisket smokers have already called in sick. Most
of the rest of the football watching population can enjoy
a game unless they've got a fully stocked cooler of

(01:38:29):
cheap beer and our cooking burgers, dogs smoking ribs, et cetera,
et cetera. So I would think anybody has to be
off at two o'clock to really get it going, don't you.

Speaker 1 (01:38:40):
Yeah?

Speaker 4 (01:38:40):
I guess so mech Thanks thanks a lot. I appreciate
you making the call. As we're referencing the Texans asking
for a half day for people to get ready for
the Monday night football game tonight, you should be asking
for the half day to come in late tomorrow because
you're going to party hard after the Texans win.

Speaker 3 (01:38:59):
But I digress.

Speaker 4 (01:39:00):
All right, seven one, three, two two five, seven ninety
is the phone number. Let's keep it going here on
the phone lines in terms of longest wait. Scott in
River Oaks, you're next up.

Speaker 7 (01:39:09):
What's going on?

Speaker 27 (01:39:10):
Ross?

Speaker 1 (01:39:12):
So I was calling.

Speaker 27 (01:39:13):
I heard your your take that you you know, your
prediction as of right now is that not only are
we going to win tonight, but that you you think
we're gonna end up posting Buffalo and the AFC Championship game. Yes,
I hope I agree with I mean, I agree with you.
After watching uh Buffalo in Jacksonville yesterday, Josh Allen looked

(01:39:35):
absolutely phenomenal. And you know not that we have any
sympathy for Jacksonville, but I think we got extremely lucky
that those two teams had to play each other in
the first round. I mean, Jacksonville looked great. That was
just a really really great football game. Overall, Jacksonville is
really really good. They I wouldn't wanted to have to
go play in Jacksonville at any pointment either, and I'm

(01:39:55):
glad that we have to get to put off Buffalo
even even now, just for one round and get hopefully
played them in the AFC Championship game. I think, you know,
when we talk about tonight's game, know, the NFL is
really weak two weeks, so you can't put too much
stock of this team looked good against one week and
or they look sloppy, So that means that's how the

(01:40:16):
game is going to play out the following week. So
I say that to say to caveat that by saying,
I do think how we look tonight matters. Obviously, getting
the win is the most important thing, and I don't
really think there's a scenario in which our defense doesn't
look good because the only real way to beat our
defense all season long has been if you have some
type of mobile quarterback, which obviously the Steelers don't have,

(01:40:39):
but on the offensive side of the ball, if we,
you know, really just keep the game close, because we
are unable to score any points at all, I think
that is going to be a level of concern moving forward.
Even into a place like New England, Drake may probably
will be able to get at least twenty points against
our defense, and on the road in that vironment, which

(01:41:01):
will be coming into a short week, would be tough.
So I'm really our offense needs to show even more
than just media, more than just taking care of the ball.
If we're going to be serious about getting to a
super Bowl, they have to be able at some point
to put the ball into the end zone, score in
a critical spot when the game counts.

Speaker 7 (01:41:23):
So that's what I'm looking forward to, and I.

Speaker 27 (01:41:25):
How our offense looks, because even if they if they
don't look good and we still find a way to win,
which I think we would be more than capable of
beating New England, and even if not New England beating
Buffalo at some point the Chickens will come home to roost.
If our offense doesn't find a way to play play
at a higher level.

Speaker 4 (01:41:43):
Yeah, absolutely, Scott that's what they're going to have to do.
And that's that's why the Texans aren't on an all
time dominant team. Literally, if they had a great offense,
they'd be we will be talking about them marching towards
the Super Bowl with ease. And that's just not, unfortunately,
the way it is, and that's not normally how it
is in the in the NFL, we can holes into
every team, especially in the AFC who's left into the playoffs.

(01:42:04):
So what happened if the Texans get off schedule. Let's say, yeah,
you give a field goal up to Pittsburgh on the
first drive, and then the Texans first drive, they turned
the ball over short field for the Steelers, they get
a touchdown, You're down ten to nothing. That's when I
would be hitting the panic button because I am worried
about this offense when they are down and when they

(01:42:27):
need to come back and when you have to win
and you have to get points with them. Now, it worked,
and it happened with Davis Mills in that Jacksonville game
in early November, and they just haven't scored a whole
lot of points since then. I mean, they looked ugly
in that Davis Mills game against Tennessee. Following that, they

(01:42:48):
were able to beat the Bills twenty three to nineteen
in the game after that, but Davis only had one
hundred and fifty three yards. And then it's been these
have been in their point totals twenty twenty forty against Arizona,
which is good, then twenty three twenty and then thirty
eight in a weird.

Speaker 3 (01:43:02):
Game against Indian in Indiana.

Speaker 4 (01:43:04):
So generally around twenty to twenty three points as of
late has been their sweet spot. So you can't afford,
you can ill afford to get off schedule, and that
that does give me some worry because if things don't
go according to plan, which does happen in the NFL,
can you win? Can you come back from from ten
to thirteen, even fourteen points down, because you're gonna have

(01:43:27):
to at some point in the playoffs in all likelihood
unless this defense is gonna shut everyone down and you're
never gonna make any mistakes. That's a pathway to victory
as well. But but I would say planning on everything
to always go your way.

Speaker 3 (01:43:42):
Is a fool's plan.

Speaker 4 (01:43:44):
So we'll see, all right, quick break here bottom of
the AAR are those you want to get in, you
can seven one three two one two five seven ninety
is the phone number seven one three two one two
five seven ninety Textans taking on the Pittsburgh Steelers tonight
Monday night football. It is a wild card Monday. We're
talking about it here. It's the Talk seven to nighty.

(01:44:15):
All right, y'all want to get in and talk some
Texans football.

Speaker 11 (01:44:19):
I'm with it.

Speaker 3 (01:44:20):
Let's do it. The NFL playoffs, baby, doesn't get much
better than this.

Speaker 4 (01:44:25):
Well, okay, it does get much better if a potential
matchup doesn't have a vage total of thirty eight and
a half, which is very low. But bess Texans football.
We've been seeing it all year. Generally for the most part,
comes down to one drive, one play.

Speaker 24 (01:44:40):
I mean, just.

Speaker 4 (01:44:43):
Nervous, is all get out. Can we rely on the offense?
Can we run on the defense? Can the defense make
one more stop? We've seen so many one score games
for the Texans and they've been able to win. It
has been frustrating at times, you know, getting up fourteen
nothing on. The Chargers did hang on tight to win
that game twenty to sixteen. The Raiders game was frustrating.

(01:45:05):
Chiefs game was close to the end. I mean, it's
it's Texans football Bills game. Remember how they almost blew
that game at the end. Yeah, it's it's probably going
to be more of the same tonight. My twenty four
to thirteen score includes a late score for the Houston
Texans in order to get to that double digit spread.

(01:45:25):
Seven on three two point two five seven ninety is
the phone number. Wow, you guys are getting in on
the phone lines wanting to talk some Texans football.

Speaker 11 (01:45:32):
I love it.

Speaker 3 (01:45:33):
Let's keep it rolling, Caso, you're next up.

Speaker 21 (01:45:36):
Hey, Ross, what's going on, mister America?

Speaker 3 (01:45:39):
I'm doing well? What do you got?

Speaker 10 (01:45:41):
All right?

Speaker 11 (01:45:42):
So I was listening to a podcast.

Speaker 21 (01:45:45):
I was listening to the Bill Simmons podcast, and they
were talking about this Monday night game and the score
of this game is going to sound like a pre
World War two date. It's going to be like nineteen
to thirteen, yeen too ten something, some crazy low number score.
And I think that favors the Texans defense obviously. But

(01:46:09):
they also brought up the fact that the Texans are
I think like oh and two on Monday's Monday games
this year, and like owen one or oh and two
on Monday playoff games. I want to feel and sound confident,
but we've known this Texans team that we've grown to
love and hate so much that they always end up

(01:46:30):
shooting themselves in the foot somehow. If it's mostly on
the offense, if we do get a low scoring game
like a nineteen or thirteen, what is going to be
your key takeaways from a Texans win and all?

Speaker 4 (01:46:42):
Yeah, I mean, listen, thanks, that'd be It's almost expected
at this point. I mean you said they're talking about it.
In the Bill Simmons podcast, we mentioned the Vegas total
is thirty eight and a half this weekend.

Speaker 3 (01:46:51):
I mean as the lowest on the board by far.

Speaker 4 (01:46:54):
I don't have the I think everyone else is at
least like forty four and a half.

Speaker 3 (01:46:58):
I think was like the second lowest total this weekend.

Speaker 4 (01:47:01):
I'll give you the ones in the divisional round forty
six and a half, forty five and a half, Like
it's gonna fifty one and a half rams bears, that's
the you're in Vegas total. Maybe I'm throwing too many
numbers at you. Vegas totals don't mean everything, but that's
gonna give you. That should give you an idea. Cause general,
if ten games are played in the Vegas spread, they're
gonna all on average be around there.

Speaker 3 (01:47:25):
You can get the outliers, you can win over overs
and unders.

Speaker 4 (01:47:29):
But I checked like week fourteen, it was something like
fifty point five percent overs and unders, and it was
the same thing for spreads. They're pretty good in the total.
They can get individual games wrong, but they don't normally
miss a whole lot. So this is going to be,
in all likelihood a very low scoring game. And if
it's not, it's gonna be because of turnovers and pick
sixes and and maybe a special teams touchdown or something

(01:47:52):
like that.

Speaker 3 (01:47:52):
So that's what you have to limit.

Speaker 4 (01:47:54):
You always want to say football one on one, don't
turn the ball over, don't give away special teams touchdowns.
But this, especially in a matchup or points are gonna
be at a premium. It's almost like talking about a
pitcher's duel in baseball, like, hey man, you're going up
against it's Trek scoobl versus Hunter Brown.

Speaker 3 (01:48:11):
Runs are gonna be a premium.

Speaker 4 (01:48:13):
So you can get one guy on and and you know,
hit one end of the gap and get up one nothing,
it's gonna be huge, and then the reverse is true.
If you give up a pick six, if you give
up short fields, if you give up special teams touchdowns,
it's gonna be that much more detrimental because you do
not have the weapons to get in an arms race

(01:48:34):
with anybody.

Speaker 3 (01:48:36):
So I do expect a lower scoring game.

Speaker 4 (01:48:40):
My twenty four to thirteen is the under at thirty seven,
and I kind of would be a little surprised if
it goes over. But as I said, things can happen
with special teams touchdowns, turnovers and all that type of stuff.
It's gonna be a knockdown, drag them out, slobber knocker.
You also add into the factor of two conservative coaches,
arguably two of the most conservative coaches in football, who

(01:49:03):
want to win with their defense, who don't want to
take a whole lot of chances, and they want to
trust their guys. Yeah you want to trust uh, you
know High Smith and T. J. Watt and Cam Hayward.
Yeah you want to trust Daniel Hunter and Will Anderson
Junior and Derek Stingley and Colacer and Patriot cetera. Yeah,
you're gonna you're the one win win with those guys.

(01:49:24):
They're dogs. Both have really good defenses. Texans are great
and elite Steelers defense is really good against an offense
that's not in the Houston Texans seven one three two
one two five seven ninety of the phone number Manuel
holding longest.

Speaker 3 (01:49:40):
What's up, Manuel?

Speaker 7 (01:49:42):
What's up? Man?

Speaker 28 (01:49:43):
Hello? Hello, Dan Houston. My prediction is Texas is gonna
win it. Twenty four sixteen Rogers and Bisbury, they're gonna
run the chuck and duck offense. Rodger's gonna chuck chuck
them bar into two point five seconds and then for
his life. That's my comment.

Speaker 7 (01:50:03):
I appreciate y'all.

Speaker 17 (01:50:05):
I'll have a great night and it's gonna be a
great game.

Speaker 28 (01:50:08):
Thank you.

Speaker 4 (01:50:14):
I'm trying it, okay. I'm trying to be funny because
he called me Matt. I'm trying to This is a
little secret, guys, I'm trying to be funny. He called
me Matt, and I have all these Matt drops, So
I was gonna try to like play some Matt drops
and have a funny back and forth with him and
be hilarious.

Speaker 3 (01:50:26):
But our computer's freezing.

Speaker 4 (01:50:27):
So seven one three, two one two five seven ninety.

Speaker 3 (01:50:32):
The phone number complains about putting a little dabble sauce
on somebody's me.

Speaker 7 (01:50:35):
I did what.

Speaker 4 (01:50:41):
See this was gonna be funny, but this hold us
again twenty nine, twenty eight, twenty eight.

Speaker 3 (01:50:46):
Yeah, he's still in that range. He still can't get it.
See this is gonna be funny with the.

Speaker 4 (01:50:53):
Caller who called me Matt, but our computer froze. Oh well,
and what are you gonna do?

Speaker 3 (01:50:58):
All right?

Speaker 20 (01:50:58):
Uh?

Speaker 4 (01:51:01):
I mean he doesn't like normal suck. He super sucks,
all right. Seven one three two one two five seven
ninety is the phone number. I don't even here with Manuel.
What was Manuel saying, Jonathan, I was trying to get
these drops up and I thought it was gonna be
clever and funny and like quick on the draw.

Speaker 3 (01:51:14):
But I wasn't because the computer froze. Yeah, guys.

Speaker 7 (01:51:18):
Editing.

Speaker 4 (01:51:19):
Oh that's okay, Manuel, I'm sure it was a fantastic
Oh you know what man?

Speaker 10 (01:51:22):
That was.

Speaker 4 (01:51:23):
That was the call of today, Manuel. I really appreciate you.
Good perspective on the Houston Texans, and thank you. I
will just stick with my guns. Think it's going to
be a closer game till late Texans score late twenty
four to thirteen.

Speaker 3 (01:51:36):
They get the victory. Aaron Rodgers, I do there.

Speaker 4 (01:51:39):
If I'm talking about a couple things that worry me,
it could be this deed, the Steelers defense against a
what has been at times hapless Texans offense. You know,
I talked about the thing that they have to do.
Things that worry me would be this Texans offense. Of course,
another thing that worries me is that with his back
against the wall and coming up in must win situations

(01:52:00):
or drives at the end of games. Aaron Rodgers, it
feels like has been pretty good. I don't have numbers
back that up, but just like a gut feeling, there's
been a number of times where it's late in the
game he needs to come up with a drive to win,
and he's been able to do that several times for
this Pittsburgh Steelers team that did win their division and
did win ten games. So I'm not calling like a

(01:52:20):
cakewalk it's gonna be thirty one to three Texans or
anything like that. But a little worried about the Rogers
mystique and how intelligent and clutch he has been in
his career, and definitely worried about this Texans offense.

Speaker 3 (01:52:32):
Sputtering if I said if.

Speaker 4 (01:52:33):
We come here tomorrow, and I opened the show and
I kind of come with you hat in hand and
say I was wrong. Texans lost this defense. This Steelers
defense kept them from scoring any points. That wouldn't be crazy,
that wouldn't be the wildest thing that ever happened. But
I think they're going to do enough, and I think
they're gonna get the dub. Aaron Rodgers, making his twelfth

(01:53:04):
post season appearance, tied for the third most in NFL history.
I don't think that means twelfth game. That means that's
got to mean twelfth season that he's made. The postseason
is what they're gonna mean by that.

Speaker 3 (01:53:21):
Legendary career forty two years old.

Speaker 4 (01:53:25):
Generally you don't get the ride off into the sunset
moment with the all time greats, and I don't think
it's gonna happen tonight in Pittsburgh. But it feels like,
you know, in those moments, you're like, I'm being way
too confident about this. Something bad's gonna happen. So I'm
getting those creeping thoughts in my subconscious. But you know what,
shut up, subconscious, Texans are gonna win. Let's go seven
one three, two one two five seven ninety is the

(01:53:48):
phone number seven one three two one two five seven.

Speaker 3 (01:53:51):
Nighty, Jimmy in Tomball holding longest, what's up? James?

Speaker 29 (01:53:56):
I enjoying the Sports RV show and Ross Wick mask gone. Hey, guys,
you've got to just cast Sports of because Matt never
cause it the sports or the mass with Ross whenever
You're gone.

Speaker 3 (01:54:07):
Wait, he doesn't say Ross at all.

Speaker 27 (01:54:10):
Well, it's the show.

Speaker 29 (01:54:11):
He never says that the sport. You know, the show
was ros and half the time he doesn't even say
with when you're gone though, anyway, I got it. Would
you rather scenarios anyway?

Speaker 3 (01:54:21):
Okay?

Speaker 29 (01:54:22):
And one picking one doesn't mean you're here, happened, cannot happen.
It just means you're only guaranteed one from now. Yeah,
they can't end. Uh, the Texans playoffs run. You can
either be guaranteed through the offense.

Speaker 4 (01:54:39):
Our phones are messing up, Jimmy. I was trying to
let it roll. You're obvious. It sounds like, okay, this
is our phone system. We have web based phones, and
sometimes the web isn't great. You sound like you're using
a helium balloon. But I tried to let it ride
because it wasn't skipping that bad, but then it started
skipping really badly, So.

Speaker 3 (01:54:56):
Hopefully we can get it working. Let's try Kyle, Kyle,
what's up?

Speaker 7 (01:55:03):
How's going wrong?

Speaker 10 (01:55:03):
I thanks for taking my call. Thank you just wanted
to call. I have a couple questions on how you
think it'll go tonight.

Speaker 22 (01:55:11):
First one is.

Speaker 10 (01:55:14):
Jalen Ramsey. Who do you think they're going to put
him up against on our receiving corps. I'm assuming Nico Collins, but.

Speaker 4 (01:55:21):
They're just playing him more at safety. I think it
might be Michael Poor. I mean, Joey Porter Jr. Has
Been I don't know if they've been shadowing this year
if you want me to answer honestly, but Joey Porter
Junior in the past is shadowed and they have a
couple of good corners, so I don't know exactly if
they're gonna be going into shadow coverage. And they've been
trying to play Jalen Ramsey at safety at this point
in his career.

Speaker 7 (01:55:43):
Gotcha.

Speaker 10 (01:55:43):
And then my second question was just as far as
their defense goes, do you think we'll try more of
a run attack or pass attack primarily tonight or where
do you think they're most.

Speaker 4 (01:55:55):
Vulnerable at who is most more vulnerable, sorry, the Texans
of the series the Steelers defense.

Speaker 10 (01:56:01):
Do you think they're more vulnerable against the run or
the pass?

Speaker 4 (01:56:05):
Yeah, I would try to go after that interior a
little bit more, even though Cam Hayward is pretty good
in there. They go with the four to three with
the outside linebackers and high Smith is good and we
know what TJ.

Speaker 3 (01:56:14):
Wat can do.

Speaker 4 (01:56:15):
But unfortunately interior running is not necessarily the strength of
the Houston Texans.

Speaker 3 (01:56:20):
But I would like to get a little bit of
a short.

Speaker 4 (01:56:24):
Passing game, maybe the occasional and even early like you
did in the Chargers game.

Speaker 3 (01:56:30):
Play action, that's where I think they've been good. They've
been working that in.

Speaker 4 (01:56:33):
Nick Kayley has done a good job second half of
the season going with more motion, going with more play action,
kind of maybe either taking the training wheels off himself
or the personnel in the offense. So they're just gonna
have to to get creative in those ways, because I
don't think they're just gonna be lining up and taking
care of business against the Steelers, and in third and

(01:56:54):
long situations, I'm gonna be really fearful that CJ. Stroud
is gonna be able to be a fan. So I
would say probably interior running. There was a previous caller
who mentioned it.

Speaker 3 (01:57:04):
Running at TJ.

Speaker 4 (01:57:05):
Watt, trying to get him tired, testing that punctured lung
that he had, stuff like that, and maybe getting out
on the edge and trying to find something there.

Speaker 3 (01:57:12):
I just don't know that.

Speaker 4 (01:57:13):
I feel like, certainly not Nick Chubb, maybe to a
more of an extent what he marks are those types
of running backs. I just think it's it's gonna be
tough for the Texans to be effective, and so more
of a short passing game with Nico Collins, maybe a
couple of creative end rounds, play action stuff like that
to try to get try to get this offense a
couple of explosive plays and get enough points on the board.

Speaker 10 (01:57:38):
Yeah, I completely agree with you.

Speaker 3 (01:57:39):
I appreciate it. Go Texans, Yes, sir, thanks Kyle, appreciate you.
Go Texans. That's what I'm saying. Battle Red Ross is
here for you.

Speaker 4 (01:57:48):
So yeah, maybe in the run game, Patrick Queen isn't
having a grade of a season as he was earlier
in his career when he was with the Ravens. They
do have a pretty good secondary. James Pierre, that's the
guy I couldn't think of the other cornerback, and Joey
Porter Junior has been, I mean, over the past couple
of years, pretty good, and they'd like to use him

(01:58:09):
in some shadow coverages. I don't know that they're gonna
do that. Like I said, honestly, I haven't been in
tune enough with the Steelers defense. I'm gonna guess that
they're not doing shadow coverage and nobody's gonna get shadowed.
If it were, you would go with Nico Collins. You
try to mitigate his effectiveness as much as possible, but
I want them to try to run maybe a couple

(01:58:31):
of early play actions, get some dump off to Dalton Schultz,
get the chains moving. Nico Collin, I mean, Nico Collins
can is great in all three levels. He's good in
the short area passing game, he's good in the middle
passing game, and you can toss it to him deep.
That's why he's one of the best offensive threats at
the wide receiver position in all of football. That's what
I would love to see the Houston Texans do tonight.

(01:58:53):
Not expecting a high flying offense, not expecting fifty to
sixty pass attempts if CJ.

Speaker 3 (01:58:58):
Stroud throws the ball, probably more than forty times.

Speaker 4 (01:59:00):
Things have gone way off schedule for the Texans, so
they're going to try to establish the run with Woody Mark.

Speaker 3 (01:59:06):
So I think it's good, but I also.

Speaker 4 (01:59:08):
Don't think it is this huge dynamic threat that it
has opposing defensive coordinators quaking in their boots.

Speaker 3 (01:59:15):
That's just not how it is.

Speaker 4 (01:59:16):
All right, quick break here on the Matt Thomas Show
with Ross. You know what, I was supposed to text
Adam Clanton to remind him to come in, and I forgot.
Will Adam Clinton be here at the start of the
next hour? Find out next The seven one three two
one two five seven ninety is the phone number if
you want to get in and talk about the Texans
and their matchup. We also been talking about the Rockets,

(01:59:38):
college football, other stuff, but Texans is the big one
taking on the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night football. Seven
to one three two one two five seven ninety.

Speaker 1 (01:59:47):
Four is the Matt Thomas Show with Ross.

Speaker 4 (02:00:01):
Our number four of The Matt Thomas Show with Ross
without Matt Thomas supposed to be with Adam Clanton. Uh Yeah,
I forgot to send him in a reminder text, so
you can blame me.

Speaker 3 (02:00:17):
That one's on me. Look, I gotta look at the mirror.
I gotta do better.

Speaker 20 (02:00:20):
Uh.

Speaker 3 (02:00:20):
I don't know when Adam Clan will.

Speaker 4 (02:00:22):
Be Oh my goodness, gracious, speak of the devil, and
he shall appear.

Speaker 3 (02:00:27):
He's walking in. Let him get ready, hang out.

Speaker 1 (02:00:29):
I got him.

Speaker 3 (02:00:30):
Yeah, I got a crispy little He's in Texans bumber
jacketing off. That is a nice jacket.

Speaker 4 (02:00:34):
Matt Thomas would make fun of you for that jacket,
but I'm gonna tell you that's a nice jacket. O.
Let's get spicy on a Monday, all right, Welcome in
our number four, The Matt Thomas Show with Ross. Adam
Clinton is in the building. Give him a minute to
settle his affairs. Seven one three two one two five
seven ninety is the phone number if you would like
to get in. Seven one three two one two five

(02:00:58):
seven ninety. We have talking been talking a little bit
about the Rockets losing four of their last five games,
including probably the most embarrassing of the lot, the eight
win Sacramento Kings. At the time eight wins, they were
on a seven game losing streak. You got Alprinschin goonback.
They were fourteen and a half point favorites in that game,
and they lost now five straight games. At least, I

(02:01:20):
guess I can go back further into the archives, at
least shooting under thirty percent from three point land. They
have unfortunately regressed hard now coming home for a five
game homestand starting tomorrow with a matchup against the Chicago Bulls.
Of course, a lot of our focus has been on
highlighting the Houston Texans taking on the Pittsburgh Steelers the

(02:01:40):
Monday night football game on wild Card weekend. Low total
thirty eight and a half, Texans holding as three point
favorites at least that I see right now. We've been
talking about a couple of topics on this Adam Clinton
as far as rather than the obvious don't turn the
ball over, stuff like dad, something that you're going to
be keying on for this game. And then a score

(02:02:02):
prediction I have gone with because of the low average
depth of target with Aaron Rodgers second lowest in football
to only Dylan Gabriel.

Speaker 3 (02:02:10):
They like checkdowns, they like short passing game.

Speaker 4 (02:02:12):
That is a good idea also for them to try
to mitigate this Houston Texans pass rush, so they are
going to be doing that. So don't let the screens
turn into big games. Don't let the five yards slant
turn into a fifteen to twenty yard game.

Speaker 3 (02:02:26):
So good tackling.

Speaker 4 (02:02:27):
I think is very important for the Texans to not
allow explosive plays tonight, and then I'm going with twenty
four to thirteen late score gives Texans the twenty fourth,
three to thirteen victory.

Speaker 3 (02:02:38):
You're fairly confident in the Texans, Yes, I am. I
feel good. I think the Steelers are frauds. I just do.

Speaker 30 (02:02:43):
Yeah, well, I'll tell you what not to gimmick infringe
on you. Oh oh, I feel like it was. I
don't want to call it fraud weekend, but I will
call it validation of me calling people in the NFL
fraud weekend.

Speaker 3 (02:03:00):
Off the tongue. That's a little wordy. Yeah, we can
work shop, we can workshop that.

Speaker 30 (02:03:05):
I love that that Trevor Lawrence is home, and I
love it's because he threw an interception to seal his fate.

Speaker 1 (02:03:13):
I love that.

Speaker 30 (02:03:16):
In the pantheon of AFC powerhouses this year, last night's
game ruined what would have been a perfect wild Card
weekend as far as Saturday and Sunday.

Speaker 3 (02:03:28):
Oh, you wanted the Patriots to lose, Well, it wasn't
so much. Well, I don't.

Speaker 30 (02:03:32):
The thing is, I don't look at them like I
look at Jacksonville. I look at Drake May. I don't
want to call him a rookie quarterback because he's not.
But it is his first foray into the postseason, and
I mean, look look at what that look go happened
to the Colts this year. All season long, we were like,
all right, maybe they're good? Are they really this good?
Daniel Jones is beating up on a bunch of sisters

(02:03:53):
of the poor? And then they started playing real teams
with real defense. Well any fractus tibby our way towards achilles?

Speaker 7 (02:03:59):
Uh?

Speaker 3 (02:03:59):
I think both, yeah, but they did both.

Speaker 4 (02:04:01):
I don't know's it's hard to keep track. Tibio fracture
and achilles never hurt anybody. Well, actually I did hurt Dance.

Speaker 3 (02:04:06):
It hurt him.

Speaker 30 (02:04:07):
I just feel like, you know, as this season has
progressed in this weird, weird year where there's no Ravens
in the postseason, and they fired John Harbaugh. Nobody saw
that coming at the beginning of the year and in
a year where, by the way, did you miss the
Chiefs all weekend long? I didn't didn't think about him once.
And that's the NFL's like, that's their secret sauce. If

(02:04:29):
you will, you can just the machine just keeps on churning.
You know, even Patrick Mahomes and his Kermit the Frog
press conferences and Travis Kelsey's stupid touchdown dances. Everybody's just
moving right along without him.

Speaker 4 (02:04:40):
But Uh, I will hate in your heart within three
minutes of this. Honestly, if we talk about the Rockets
this hour, I might lose my get. We covered like
three things that you hate already in like three minutes.
By the way, good good tweet from uh Rockets Show
twenty one. Uh oh is Clinton wearing a Texans letterman jacket?
Those those no work out for the Texans, So it's close.

(02:05:01):
It's not really a Texans letter I mean it's got
the concept, okay, so uh yeah. But the Chargers, their
offensive line, they just had no shot. I think I
saw it was like thirty of thirty one dropbacks. My
last Herbert was pressured on what's your name?

Speaker 30 (02:05:14):
Uh, it's uh, it's sports MT No, I think it's
the last thing I tweeted last night.

Speaker 3 (02:05:22):
It's about the Chargers. Herbert's line was terrible. CJ.

Speaker 4 (02:05:25):
Stroud regressed. One of them is still looking for his
playoff win, but has constantly put it near the top
of the QB list by national blowhards continue to make
excuses for him. The other one will play in Pittsburgh tomorrow.

Speaker 30 (02:05:35):
I mean, I'm watching that game last night, and sure what,
deep down you're kind of rooting for the Chargers because
it means the Texans are going to host a game
next weekend if they win again, you know, against the
Steelers tonight, because that's what that would have been the scenario.
They would have hosted the Bills at NRG Stadium. And
but that's you know, the Chargers line was bad. But like,

(02:05:56):
at what point is it.

Speaker 4 (02:05:59):
Going to be some sort of is this is a
little bit on Justin Herbert some self culpability that I mean,
look that that's true, because if he's gonna be like,
I'm not saying that CJ.

Speaker 30 (02:06:08):
Stroud is like a top five quarterback, No, but either
constantly should you He's constantly below Justin Herbert on these lists,
and Justin Herbert is Tracy McGrady.

Speaker 3 (02:06:19):
He's not even James Hardy.

Speaker 30 (02:06:21):
You can't even get out of the first round a
bunch of regular season stats, and then he just absolutely
turtles in the post.

Speaker 4 (02:06:28):
I think definitely we lose sight of the fact that
it's a team game in the NFL more than any
other Yeah, I mean, which is funny to me because
it has more start twenty two starters, is more than
any other major American sport. But that's yeah, we still
put it all on one nut. That's why I bring
up CJ. CJ regressed.

Speaker 1 (02:06:45):
CJ.

Speaker 30 (02:06:46):
Nobody's by the way, nobody's gonna do the same thing
to Oh gosh, I'm drawing a blank on the Commi's
quarterback that had the amazing Daniels. Nobody's gonna do that
to Jayden Daniels this offseason. You know why, because he
lucked out and got hurt his second year. CJ got
hurt his second year too, but it wasn't that extended.
He wasn't constantly in and out of the lineup. That's

(02:07:06):
gonna save his bacon. As far as the narrative goes, too,
CJ was so good as rookie year.

Speaker 3 (02:07:11):
That in a way.

Speaker 30 (02:07:12):
It's almost like he got penalized for his own lofty
self standard.

Speaker 4 (02:07:16):
Yeah, that's for sure. And I will also say this,
I mean we brought these names earlier when Chris Gordy
was on.

Speaker 3 (02:07:23):
As far as how good has Pat Mahomes looked for
the last two years, how good of any of the Chiefs?

Speaker 4 (02:07:29):
How good is look we're talking. You mentioned Lamar Jackson
and John Harball getting fired, and who saw that coming?

Speaker 1 (02:07:33):
Now?

Speaker 4 (02:07:34):
Lamar Jackson was banged up a lot of the season, yep.
But he played thirteen games for them. I think he
was six and seven. He was bad when he was
out there. They had a losing record with him starting.
I don't know how many I'd have to pull up
how many games he finished. But the bottom line is
Lamar Jackson is two time MVP. Do you think he's
a dynamic, all time fun and will be I think
by the end of his career an all time great quarterback?

Speaker 1 (02:07:55):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (02:07:55):
Hall of famer.

Speaker 4 (02:07:56):
Do you think two MVPs is on the track of
a Hall of Famer?

Speaker 1 (02:07:59):
Yeah?

Speaker 30 (02:08:00):
And I'm not saying I'm not saying to choose sides here.
I'm not even saying I agree with or disagree with this,
but like there's some people that would have you believe
that the Ravens got rid of the wrong guy. But
then I don't know how you get rid of Yeah,
but I don't know how you get rid of, you know,
Lamar Jackson, like John Harbaugh or an.

Speaker 3 (02:08:20):
Idiot playoff record before him.

Speaker 30 (02:08:22):
Yes, with Joe Flacco the majority of that time, yes
he had a winning playoff record, right, but yeah, again
we're going with the quarterback wins stat.

Speaker 3 (02:08:30):
I mean, have the contextualizing some of that.

Speaker 4 (02:08:32):
How much he did play poorly in some of those games,
did Lamar Jackson, But quarterbacks have played poorly. Peyton Manning
was terrible for the twenty fifteen Broncos and they won
the Super Bowl, So it all gets it all gets contextualized.
But I will say both things can be true. C J.
Stroud can play better and he doesn't have a whole
lot to work around him. The interior, I mean ed

(02:08:53):
Ingram has been good, but the rest of the offensive
line has been.

Speaker 3 (02:08:56):
Hurt and or spotty. You've had your preseason.

Speaker 4 (02:09:00):
If I'd have said they're their their last season, in
the last game of the year, their leading rusher was
British Brooks Now. Of course that was because of the
injury replacements. But Jawar Jordan, who's now hurt, not even
gonna be in this game coming out of nowhere. Nick
Chubb and and what he marks, who's been just a
guy you've had no run game. What did he have
his his first season when he was so successful.

Speaker 3 (02:09:21):
Joe Mixon was one of the probably five best running
backs in the AFC.

Speaker 30 (02:09:25):
By the way, we've still not gotten a clear story
on what happened with Joe Mixon, and there's lots of
interesting stuff floating around it.

Speaker 3 (02:09:31):
It's got to be something bad.

Speaker 4 (02:09:33):
It's gonna he flipped the jet ski or of that
rumor that Matt brought up abou him shoot himself on
the foot.

Speaker 3 (02:09:37):
I don't think that's true. That's the one I've heard.

Speaker 4 (02:09:39):
Okay, well that even if that, it's got to be
it's something off the bingo board. It's it's when if
you're injury, if your injury ideas are got hurt in
the training room, drop the weight on his foot, go
off the being I'm going to the field.

Speaker 30 (02:09:53):
Teams in the NFL don't handle an injury situation situation
like this the way the Houston.

Speaker 4 (02:09:57):
Astros would, right, we know nothing, something would have come
out if it was a regular oh you know what.

Speaker 3 (02:10:04):
He was running on the beach and he tore his aid.
By the way, if he.

Speaker 30 (02:10:07):
Did shoot himself in the foot, and I'm not saying
he did, but if that is indeed what happened, or
it's something nefarious like that, good on the Texans for
not letting that out.

Speaker 4 (02:10:16):
He's not nefarious. He's cleaning his gun and made a mistake.
Cleaning his gun is what they say. It went never mind.
I'm not even gonna go there is something.

Speaker 30 (02:10:27):
No, that's just something that a lot of cops will
say about other cops who end it. Well, he was
cleaning his gun to kind of clean up the narrative
after the fact. All right, Gyral Dark, there didn't it.

Speaker 4 (02:10:40):
It doesn't either putting whether he shot himself in the
foot or he flipped the jet ski, whatever he did.
He's off this team washing his monster trail. Had a
bad offensive line. I mean, Jayden Higgins is coming along
and playing a little bit better. Dalton Schultz has been
looking good. But who's been getting on the ball.

Speaker 3 (02:10:53):
It's been CJ. Stroud.

Speaker 4 (02:10:54):
Nico Collins is a dynamic threat for sure, but the
offensive line has not been good and the running game
is not existent. So I will say both can be true.
The situation needs to be better for him and he
needs to play better. Yeah, listen, there's no doubt about it.
He's the only one that can, I guess, you know,
get the criticism off his back. And there's no better

(02:11:16):
time or bigger stage to do it than under the
lights in Pittsburgh against a Rod. I get this feeling
like when I watched this, Say, for the example, the
Texas Longhorns, they had for a couple of years a
championship caliber winning defense, but they didn't The offense wasn't there,
and these things change. And it's really similar these days
in the NFL. With the salary cap, you can't keep

(02:11:38):
Will Anderson and Daniel Hunter and Derek Stingley and Kabari
Laster and Jalen Petrie on this defense forever. So like
these instead of graduation, it's free agents. By the way,
long Horns offense got really better over the weekend, Yes
they did, but you don't. What I'm saying is you
don't want to waste an all time Texans defense that
can This is a Super Bowl caliber winning defense right winning,

(02:12:00):
right right now.

Speaker 30 (02:12:01):
And by the way, Ian Rador's doing his best to
talk about how that's gonna happen because of money, you
don't want to hold Yes, this this defense, the Beatles
is gonna break up, Champagne whatever.

Speaker 4 (02:12:09):
He okay, like they're all gonna split off and to
do their own thing. Yeah, okay.

Speaker 30 (02:12:14):
Uh, I don't think CJ is gonna take less on
his first big deal like Tom Brady did a year
after year after year either just to keep these guys together.

Speaker 3 (02:12:21):
Now, this defense is gonna break up.

Speaker 4 (02:12:22):
And I don't know who Ringo Star is, but anyways, uh,
it can't stay together forever. And so remember the quote
from JJ Watt were talking to Jashaun Watson. We wasted
your great year, man because the defense was terrible. Deshaun
Watson was having all time season. This is legion of
boom and Seattle. He was a very short window, very
short everywhere is how's the window in Kansas City looking

(02:12:42):
right now? And the way they're doing it, how's the
window in Baltimore looking right now? You gotta seize the moment.

Speaker 30 (02:12:48):
The way Kansas City somehow kind of bucked the trend
is kind of kicking the can down the road by
restructuring and restructuring and restructuring mahomes is five hundred million
dollar contract, and and.

Speaker 3 (02:12:59):
And eventually the chickens come home to roost.

Speaker 4 (02:13:01):
So it would be nice if somehow a switch could
flip and this offense could be not all time elite,
but good enough to at least get them to.

Speaker 30 (02:13:11):
The Texans are gonna have to win like the two
thousand Ravens basically not that bad.

Speaker 3 (02:13:16):
Why well, that's how they First of all, they had
a better run game. Jamal Lewis, that's sure. I forgot
about him. He was on that team, right, I pretty sure?
I think. So you're going way back, you're going all right.

Speaker 4 (02:13:27):
We'll only do a deep dive on the text on
the twenty six years back on the twenty dumb Sorry,
the two thousand Ravens Full offense breakdown coming up next.

Speaker 3 (02:13:36):
Adam colaanted is hanging out. I appreciate him.

Speaker 4 (02:13:39):
Ros virial with you phone lines open, you want to
get in your one key that's not captain obvious to
victory for the Houston Texans and a score prediction seven
to one, three two one two five seven ninety seven
to one. Three, two, one, two, five, seven, nineties one,
twenty one Sports Talk seven ninety final hour of The

(02:14:02):
Matt Thomas Show with Ross. Matt Thomas will be back tomorrow.
He's resting, or maybe he's up now, who knows. I
do want the dirt from him. What's the deal about
this report about them not having a hotel room?

Speaker 21 (02:14:13):
Do you?

Speaker 20 (02:14:14):
Uh?

Speaker 4 (02:14:14):
You're a Rockets insider as well, mister Clinton, about the
Rockets not having a hotel in Sacramento having to stay
in San Francisco and that also hurting their travel. Wait,
so they played two games in Portland, had to go
to San Francisco, which is way further down the West
Coast than fly back up to Sacramento.

Speaker 3 (02:14:31):
I guess so, huh, that's what Mark Spears was saying.

Speaker 1 (02:14:34):
I believe that way.

Speaker 4 (02:14:37):
They blew a thirteen point lead, and there I guess
that wasn't thirteen on a.

Speaker 3 (02:14:41):
Second and then thirteen.

Speaker 4 (02:14:41):
It was on Friday, going to the fourth quarter down
thirteen and you go one for seventeen from three.

Speaker 30 (02:14:48):
He may there's a there's somebody that we both know
that likes to text me during Rockets games about what
he wants he may to do to these guys.

Speaker 4 (02:14:57):
He might he might have body slam Jabari's junior after
the game. He wants to do way he wants to
do way worse things. It's like very volatile, but I like,
I get it, and there's only it's kind of like
I don't think is in any.

Speaker 3 (02:15:12):
Danger of quote losing luck, rumor no, that kind of stuff.

Speaker 30 (02:15:14):
But like there's only so much he and in this
case direct I mean, we've saw we've all seen the
video now of Kevin Durant throwing his water bottle down.

Speaker 3 (02:15:22):
Come on, man, come on, I love it. You know
what I love about that? You got to clean that up.

Speaker 4 (02:15:26):
You know I love is Suns fans chiming into that. See,
I told you he's not a leader. Like, calm down.

Speaker 30 (02:15:33):
You guys are zero and three against him this year.
You can probably just sit this conversation out.

Speaker 4 (02:15:37):
Well, they're ahead of the rockets and the standings right now.

Speaker 3 (02:15:40):
As of like last night. Now, so it took you
until mid January to do it, but the bottom line
is there.

Speaker 4 (02:15:46):
Hey, but congrats on Jalen Green playing his like third
game this year. He's about to oh okay, yeah, like
because Suns fans came after me after he had his
first big My fans are the last people that you
be talking. I didn't know that they even existed, and
they were all very angry with me because Jalen Green
made all those threes and I made a meme I
don't know if his first game with the Suns, yes,

(02:16:07):
which it was basically, I put Suns fans are here,
and it was the cycle of Jalen Green makes his threes,
Jalen Green's the best misses.

Speaker 3 (02:16:13):
His threes get Jalen Green on this team.

Speaker 30 (02:16:15):
That's the funniest part of that. And I'm not like,
I'm not anti Jalen Well, actually yeah I am. I'm
anti Jayalen Green. I just didn't they weren't going to
do anything with him. They don't even he has He's
played so few minutes, not games, minutes that they haven't
even begun to experience the Jalen Green experience where he
does that, and then he goes like a week scoring

(02:16:37):
two five, seven points, and then you're like, WHOA, what's
this guy's problem?

Speaker 4 (02:16:42):
Where was the guy from the other night who scored
thirty seven? A consistent three point shot that's gonna be fine,
But otherwise I just don't know, I mean extremely athletic.
His Jalen Green. I've said this when he was here.
Jalen Green's highlight reel as good as anybody's in the NBA.
When he problem is when he disappears, right, when he's engaged,
right or whatever you call it. All Right, we've been talking. Oh,
I was gonna break down. It was Jamal Lewis on

(02:17:05):
the Ravens. They also had old man Priest Holmes. Oh yeah,
that's you know, that's where running back that die. He
was only twenty seven then, but I think his star
faded fast in the NFL.

Speaker 30 (02:17:15):
Running backs with a little tread on the tires. They
go to, Wait, Priest Holmes, I'm an idiot. After Kansas
City though, right, it.

Speaker 4 (02:17:23):
Was before Kansas City. Yeah, they drafted him. I forgot
about that. And then Priest Holmes really came into his
own and had his big years with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Speaker 3 (02:17:30):
So they didn't want to pay him. Yeah, I guess not.
They had Jamal Lewis at the time. I think they
were paying him.

Speaker 4 (02:17:35):
But anyways, yeah, they had I mean Shannon Sharp, godja
Ismail home Man.

Speaker 3 (02:17:42):
I forgot about these guys. Brandon Stokely was on that
team anyways.

Speaker 4 (02:17:46):
Uh, this offense, yeah, I'm not gonna call it first
of all, do Yeah, they're their defense isn't two thousand
ravens good, but it's the next tier of that, and
their offense needs to it just needs to be good
and they can make the Super Bowl's that simple.

Speaker 3 (02:18:05):
I I'm curious as to whether or not.

Speaker 30 (02:18:12):
Jalen Knowle gets out there on the offense tonight and
does because my thing is Nico. We all know what
Nico Collins can do. I've listened to you a little
bit on the way in, like he's he's all world everything,
He's you know, you want him out there as many
plays as possible and all that kind of stuff. Uh,
And yeah, CJ needs to get rid of the ball
tonight because this just and the Steelers also have formidable

(02:18:35):
pass rushers. But like, wouldn't you just put a guy
like that wherever and just say go, let's just take
advantage of your speed. Let's just see what we can
do to bust whatever coverage they're trying, and just I
mean put another wrinkle in that. I know that sounds
like overly simplistic and like what they should have been

(02:18:56):
doing all season long with the guy they drafted.

Speaker 4 (02:18:58):
It's easy to say, hey, go Getocollins ten to twelve
targets every single game or fifteen or whatever it is.

Speaker 3 (02:19:04):
But the other flip side of that is the Steelers
know that. Well I'm talking about Noel.

Speaker 4 (02:19:09):
Okay, Jalen no get a couple. I'm sorry, because he's
the he's the burner, like the kid is so fat.
They get him a couple into a rounds something like that.
Get him on the field, get him in space, give him.

Speaker 30 (02:19:19):
The targets you've been attempting to give to Christian Kirk,
which has been a disaster.

Speaker 4 (02:19:23):
We obviously know from his how proficient he has as
a return man that he's good in space.

Speaker 3 (02:19:28):
Yeah, I would like a few looks for for Jalen Nolan.
That makes sense.

Speaker 30 (02:19:31):
Who's to say that's not the determining factor in a
game like this where he's talking about it being a
baseball score, right.

Speaker 4 (02:19:37):
Well, you exactly, when you have the total of thirty
eight and a half points are at a premium. That's
giving them up and that's also scoring them. So if
you are able to get a touchdown as you mentioned,
or even a chunk play, even thirty thirty five forty
yards off of one play to get you from midfield
into a goal to to goal situation.

Speaker 3 (02:19:52):
That's huge.

Speaker 8 (02:19:52):
You know.

Speaker 30 (02:19:52):
What I do wonder about tonight is that a lot
of times this season And I'm not saying that they
are trying to do this, but it has worked. Have
we seen, like say, the Texans, like the Steelers win
the toss tonight and they defer, so the Texans get
the ball first and instead of going three and out
or whatever they do one of their patented we just
chewed up twelve of the fifteen minutes of the quarter

(02:20:13):
drives where they inevitably of course kick a field goal
because you know, we can't have nice things here. But like,
if they're doing that, well, that's fifteen minutes closer to
advancing and if you could just eke out enough. But
I would like them to, like, you know, instead of
getting those threes, why don't you mess around and get
sevens instead tonight? Or six is in that case, Like

(02:20:36):
why not make it easy on yourself for a change. Yeah,
I think that that's part of the game plan. I
think if we.

Speaker 4 (02:20:44):
Recorded either of Mike Tomlin and Demico Ryans's like pregame
speech to their like in the meeting rooms with their
coaches and players. We could play it for the other
team too, Yeah, establish the run, short passing game, don't
turn the ball over, don't make me stakes. We're gonna
play it close to the vest. We're going to try
to compress and shorten the game and win with our defense.

Speaker 30 (02:21:06):
Does Aaron Rodgers's brain scare you at all in this game?

Speaker 4 (02:21:12):
Meaning how open mind TV is after the ayahuasca trip.
Not not that, Okay, a different part of his brain. Sorry,
this is the frontal what do you call it? Yeah, well,
just the part where he is the crafty veteran. He's
forty one, he's little, never been able to like run around. Yes,
I would say the against the defense like the Texans.
He's never shied away from the big moment.

Speaker 3 (02:21:31):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (02:21:31):
There are multiple times this year where they needed a
big drive from him and he's come through and he's
not to lunch. He is very smart. He is very intelligent.
He bets on himself. That means he's willing to make
throws into tight windows. He's an all time great. He's
a Hall of famer. So yes, it's a hall of famer.
Who's forty two years old, and this could be his
last gasp. And you want to keep you want to

(02:21:52):
extinguish any semblance of a walking off into the sunset moment.
But I am part of me in the back of
my head a little scared of that. He's got a
very jill Antana Chiefs situation. Don't say that in Houston,
of course, that was here in Houston. That was here
in the Dome, which they still haven't figured out a
way to use it yet. And I believe Marcus Allen
is their second string running back tonight the Steelers. Why'd

(02:22:15):
you bring upon?

Speaker 7 (02:22:16):
Oh?

Speaker 4 (02:22:17):
Here we go TI to the OJ Simpsons.

Speaker 3 (02:22:18):
Here we show that because he was on that Chiefs team.
I wasn't thinking about OJ twenty four to seven like you.

Speaker 4 (02:22:24):
Adam was on the Coles team too, right, that may
Or may not have gotten her killed now along with Ron,
I can do it.

Speaker 3 (02:22:34):
I can do it.

Speaker 4 (02:22:34):
Anything took thirty minutes, I was, honestly, honestly, that's some
kind of record at this point.

Speaker 3 (02:22:41):
May Or may not have been there that Now, all right,
soon as we see you on hole, we'll get to you.

Speaker 4 (02:22:44):
We gotta take a bottom of the Rulers uh, I
mean she wrote about it in the diary. Well the
chiefs rode Marcus Allen Hard in that game, and well
we don't have to mention what else happened.

Speaker 3 (02:22:57):
All right?

Speaker 4 (02:22:57):
Quick break here on the Matt Thomas Show with Ross.
You made me you were you know what, you always
in such mind in my business over here, and you
brought up out of trouble since the first time I
got written up at this station. But I digress that.
Yes it was I didn't make the joke. Quick break here. Yeah,
you're setting it on a platter for me, though it
is your fault. All right, quick break here on the
Mat tom Show with Ross. Adam Clinton is here against

(02:23:20):
my better judgment with you until two o'clock.

Speaker 3 (02:23:22):
Here on the Mat Thomas Show with Ross, are all
eyes on CJ Shroud.

Speaker 4 (02:23:38):
Tonight Ken Houston as they take on the Pittsburgh Steelers.
This is really just pandering to you, Adam Clanton.

Speaker 3 (02:23:52):
Tell me this.

Speaker 4 (02:23:54):
When you watched the Diddy documentary, I did not. Are
you serious?

Speaker 3 (02:23:59):
Right now? Why?

Speaker 4 (02:24:01):
Few of all people really why We'll be five good reasons.
A big part of it is basically he had Tupac killed.

Speaker 3 (02:24:13):
I mean it was the gangster he got in a
fistfight with in the in the Vegas Hotel. Orlando.

Speaker 30 (02:24:18):
Anderson's uncle was keify D, who was in a roundabout
way promised a bunch of money that he and no
one else close to the situation ever saw a Bye
puff Daddy.

Speaker 3 (02:24:29):
He did?

Speaker 4 (02:24:29):
He Sean Combs interesting, the Predator, the baby oil King.

Speaker 30 (02:24:34):
Should I keep going? That's that's enough for me. I
just thought that aspect of how much you like Tupac,
you would? How did you not see this yet? It's
about nineties, rap.

Speaker 3 (02:24:45):
I haven't made the time.

Speaker 30 (02:24:46):
Oh my gosh, very busy, like I don't even know
you anymore? What he got going on in your world
right now? That's keeping you so busy? Just life, Yeah, just.

Speaker 3 (02:24:55):
Breaking down tape, getting ready for playoffs, stuff like that.

Speaker 11 (02:25:01):
All right.

Speaker 3 (02:25:01):
Two reasons to play that.

Speaker 4 (02:25:03):
Number One, Adam Clinton loves Tupac, and I am pandering
thanking him for sitting in here for this hour of
the show.

Speaker 3 (02:25:09):
I do appreciate him.

Speaker 4 (02:25:11):
Number two, the Orioles giving away a Tupac bobble head
at their game on May eighth versus the Athletics.

Speaker 3 (02:25:17):
Will you be there at them?

Speaker 21 (02:25:19):
No?

Speaker 30 (02:25:20):
I try to avoid Baltimore and cities like it. Although
I had been to Camden Yards before. It's beautiful.

Speaker 4 (02:25:27):
So you're saying, I can't picture you roling ninety two
Camden Yards on May eighth to pick up a Tupac bobblehead.
I'll give you a billion dollars if you can guess
the last time I was in Baltimore.

Speaker 3 (02:25:37):
What year it was? Uh, two thousand and eight? You
were only off by ten years. Nineteen ninety eight.

Speaker 4 (02:25:45):
Yeah, okay, like cal Ripken was in the lineup that day.
Oh okay, but that was for the Nationals of Science.

Speaker 3 (02:25:51):
Fair, right.

Speaker 30 (02:25:52):
No, it's a long story of why I was up there.
But you know it's only like what fo or five
minutes away from No, No, I was. I was in
high school at the time, was my I was traveling
with my parents for and okay, so my science for
a guess wasn't that off? No, But you know it's funny.
Nineteen ninety eight was when all the Monica Lewinsky stuff
was happening, and we you know, DC is only like
forty five minutes away from Baltimore.

Speaker 3 (02:26:13):
Okay, so we tried to get to the old office.

Speaker 30 (02:26:15):
Well that's back you know, pre nine to eleven where
you could actually take a tour of the White House.
You wanted to tour the cigar shop. Well, so we
are going through the White House on the tour. It's
me my family and my mom and dad and my
sister who's four years younger than me at the time,
and I'm a junior in high school.

Speaker 4 (02:26:29):
And somewhere in the background you heard, oh, well no,
I go, I said to my dad, with my mom
completely in earshop.

Speaker 3 (02:26:35):
I was like, that's totally where it happened, you know.

Speaker 30 (02:26:38):
And I was being a little bit more colorful, and
I started doing Bill Clinton impressions, and my mom was
just mortified. Ah, I did not have sexual relationships. Supposedly
the room where the cigar thing happened. All right, So
let's move on. It's the merch shop now. When people
come to the old Boss taking on, they give them
T shirts and I tell them that's.

Speaker 3 (02:26:56):
Where the cigar was.

Speaker 4 (02:26:57):
Taking on. The Pittsburgh Steelers tonight Monday night football. All
are are all eyes going to be on the C. J. Stroud,
probably Aaron Rodgers. But this this is a big I
don't want to call it. Legacies on the line and
stuff like that, but you can really help a lot
of the all season narratives of poor offense, bad running game,
Nick Cayley, play calling, CJ. Stroud, not Bill, for the moment,

(02:27:19):
et cetera, et cetera, et cetera, for better or worse.
Playoff success has more gravity than anything else.

Speaker 3 (02:27:26):
So it's a big game tonight for c. J. Stroud.

Speaker 30 (02:27:28):
Let me ask you this, is there a chance, like
going into the weekend. You looked at that first game,
right Rams Panthers, uh.

Speaker 4 (02:27:37):
Huh, and it looked awful on paper, looked lopsided, looked
I don't know, Jonathan predicted the Panthers upset.

Speaker 3 (02:27:44):
He was close.

Speaker 1 (02:27:44):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (02:27:45):
But but and that's the thing. To get to that
close upset.

Speaker 30 (02:27:50):
You you had a shootout basically by the letter of
the law, you know, the final scoreboard or whatever. Nobody thought.
I don't think anybody thought that many points was gonna
be put up. What's the opposite of a shootout?

Speaker 3 (02:28:02):
A string?

Speaker 30 (02:28:03):
Well, is there a way that this game ends up
bucking that trend? Everybody thinks it's going to be low scoring.
Everybody thinks it's gonna be grinded out. Really though, I mean,
even the weather, all of this stuff comes into play
and like tonight it's gonna be what like mid thirties,
it's gonna feel like high twenties.

Speaker 3 (02:28:20):
H Clear, I.

Speaker 4 (02:28:22):
Think if that happens, it's via special teams scores. What
about defensive defensive scores. I don't think both teams are
putting up five hundred yards like, I don't think that.
I don't think there's a lot of volatility in the
total yards in this game. There can be volatility in
this in the score fluctuating up and down.

Speaker 30 (02:28:41):
But I I just don't see it. Serious question. If
Aaron Rodgers threw a pick six, would you pass out?
I would I wouldn't pass out. I just for like
in a bit of joy, oh and like it just
just faint. It would just be like, oh, he really
is on the way out, this is it, this is
his last game, that kind of thing. But in the
text defenses they I'll tell you what. If I were

(02:29:03):
a Rodgers and I was forty one years old and
I was trying to like keep my career on life support,
I wouldn't want forty two.

Speaker 4 (02:29:10):
I wouldn't want to look up and see Will Anderson
Junior and Nil Hunter. Yeah, he turned forty two. He's
forty two.

Speaker 30 (02:29:17):
I just don't want like last year against the Chiefs,
in this kind of environment, you like you were able
to you being Patrick Mahomes, was able to offset what
they do get obviously penalties called in your favor. Like,
I don't want it to be another situation where it's
third and long and Will Anderson gets to him and no,

(02:29:39):
he hit him in the face mask with a pinky,
so that's first down.

Speaker 4 (02:29:42):
Yeah, get off the field. So those are the things
that are gonna happen. They're gonna be in the Steelers favor.

Speaker 3 (02:29:48):
But I don't know.

Speaker 4 (02:29:49):
I just feel like if if game conditions are very
very normal, if they play ten games, I do just
to feel like the Texans wins seven of them.

Speaker 3 (02:29:56):
This could be one of the three for the Steelers tonight.
We'll see. But maybe I'm too supremely confident.

Speaker 4 (02:30:01):
But I just a combination of this Texans defense and
feeling like the Steelers have kind of been I don't
want to say sleepwalking, but skating through the season. I
think the Texans are the better team and should win
SUPs real quick before we get to a break.

Speaker 3 (02:30:15):
What's up?

Speaker 7 (02:30:16):
Oh man, can you get me after the break, because man,
two of you my favorite, y'all know that.

Speaker 4 (02:30:22):
Yes, yeah, great taste. Well, go ahead and take your time.
I mean we'll give you, We'll give you some time.

Speaker 11 (02:30:27):
Go ahead, all right, I'll go through a past.

Speaker 7 (02:30:30):
So first of all, man, wouldn't it be serendipitous in
one season to be case a case Baltimore, Baltimore exercise
the ghosts of Houston sports past Pittsburgh and then go
to New England and give them double rods, oh.

Speaker 3 (02:30:45):
Like the war pass.

Speaker 4 (02:30:46):
And then maybe Buffalo like the Texans are settling all
family business like Michael corleone for them and the Titans.

Speaker 7 (02:30:52):
Yeah, hey listen like they say, rinch do. And you
know what, we're the landlord with the twelve gay shotgun
and we're ready to go up and bust some stee
with hiss if you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 3 (02:31:01):
On the field.

Speaker 7 (02:31:02):
On the field anyways, So I will say this man,
two things. One on the game itself, if you look
at the last six weeks for both, it favors the
Texans in terms of offense and defense. Last week, Pittsburgh
giving up thirty yards or about to receptions to Flowers
on a Jackson's ground ble. I can see a bootleg
to Higgins or Noel or Miko to open up, and then.

Speaker 11 (02:31:25):
Another one later. I see that happening.

Speaker 7 (02:31:27):
But the most important thing, man, I'm sure y'all go
seeing this in the city. I don't know if you
can feel the vibe in the electric but man like
it has been helped us all. If they, if they,
if the Texans find a way to finish this, and
I love, we love the Astros, but just for this
game alone, man, I've never seen like so much energy
for this squad. It's like it's like everybody's waiting for

(02:31:47):
and it's like, come on, man, finish. So I'll finished
my call with this. In the movie The Rock, Sean
Connery said to Nicholas KG, your best winners always wind
about their best you know, winners go winers, Winers wind
about their best. Winners go home and do the prom, queen,
And so you know what this super Bowl is our
prom queen. And Heuston was ready to come home and

(02:32:08):
do the business.

Speaker 20 (02:32:09):
All right.

Speaker 1 (02:32:09):
I love you guys.

Speaker 7 (02:32:10):
In the words of Madi from the Past, rock me.

Speaker 1 (02:32:13):
I'm out.

Speaker 4 (02:32:15):
That's like an old school gym room call. All right,
Thank you soups. We all were hit the Adam Clinton
a Bingo card. If you bust that one out too.
What else are we've got to know?

Speaker 3 (02:32:24):
Ja reference? We've talked about Tupac.

Speaker 4 (02:32:26):
There's one more segment. You know what we gotta do,
Jeffrey Dahmer, No, uh oh I do? Can we bump
back with it?

Speaker 3 (02:32:33):
Are you serious? Come on?

Speaker 1 (02:32:34):
Man?

Speaker 2 (02:32:35):
THATSI?

Speaker 4 (02:32:36):
I want to hear the bass line cut into the vocals.
I think the baseline's cutting into the vocals were unbelievable.
When please play You Got the Touch, my greatest hit.

Speaker 3 (02:32:46):
Yeah, this boy ready, Nick, let's go. I can't wait.

Speaker 30 (02:32:49):
I can't wait to see John c Riley running in
place in a tracksuit. Oh man, all right, quick break
here on that note?

Speaker 3 (02:32:57):
Is really foxy? Oh yeah? His mom was mean to him.
All right, we're gonna yeah.

Speaker 4 (02:33:08):
She had her own insecurities, she had alcohol of That
movie was all about That movie was all about family.

Speaker 3 (02:33:14):
I thought it was about pornography in the seventies. No,
it's about family.

Speaker 4 (02:33:21):
Because eventually he found his own family because his mother
didn't love him, his father was distant, and he he
found his family finally with Jack and Amber. You know,
what my family with Amber, You're a big, bright, shining star. No, no, no, no,
that's way too. One of my favorites. Yeah, I was
born ready, Nicholas go, that's good too.

Speaker 30 (02:33:40):
But I liked when the girl O Deed and the
doctor or the colonel came in and he goes, she's
dead and he goes, oh do you think so?

Speaker 3 (02:33:48):
Doctor? That's my favorite one.

Speaker 4 (02:33:50):
Okay, I thought we might want to think about getting
some better bleep, wouldn't you?

Speaker 3 (02:33:53):
That's another? Yeah, Mom, say you're my mom. I don't
want to leave this room. This is your fault.

Speaker 4 (02:34:00):
We're taking a break, all right, damn you. Adam Clanton,
thank you. You've got me on track, and it's you
know what. You shouldn't feel proud because it's not. It's
not difficult to get me off track. All right, quick
break here on the Matt Thomas Show, with Ros's final
segment coming up.

Speaker 31 (02:34:13):
Okay, yeah, I was born righty, Nick, let's go man,
Derek Diigler demo, You Got the Touch takes seven, David.

Speaker 2 (02:34:30):
You got the Touch, You got the power?

Speaker 1 (02:34:38):
Wait for it?

Speaker 4 (02:34:43):
What color is John c Riley's track suiting the scene?

Speaker 1 (02:34:47):
White white?

Speaker 4 (02:34:52):
Didn't Burt Reynolds win the Academy Award for Best Supporting
Actor in this.

Speaker 3 (02:34:56):
Movie, he's nominated. I don't think he's won.

Speaker 32 (02:35:02):
What do you think a roller roller girl? She's really foxy. Oh, Nick,
the producer is wearing white. That's why that was in
my head.

Speaker 3 (02:35:13):
He's wearing red, isn't it or is it blue?

Speaker 11 (02:35:15):
I'm pulling it up.

Speaker 3 (02:35:21):
It's gray and red with a headband.

Speaker 11 (02:35:24):
Oh man, not really.

Speaker 1 (02:35:25):
Maybe it sounds bounced to me.

Speaker 18 (02:35:28):
Yeah, it's definitely taken away from my vocal.

Speaker 2 (02:35:31):
Just to take the base time and bring up the vocals.

Speaker 21 (02:35:33):
Okay, let's do it.

Speaker 11 (02:35:34):
Nick, you heard him.

Speaker 4 (02:35:40):
Man, it's been way too long since I've seen that movie.
I actually watched it a few months ago. Somebody I
knew hadn't seen it before, and I, you uh, made
sure that that was part of their education vernacular. Heather
Graham and her prime a couple of intermissions.

Speaker 1 (02:35:59):
But you know, wow, a long time.

Speaker 30 (02:36:05):
Who is the actual real life you know, the one
that kept running around on William H.

Speaker 3 (02:36:11):
Macy Oh, Nina Hartley.

Speaker 4 (02:36:16):
Yes, the first scene in the middle of the cul
de sac, at the end of the driveway. It's a
great film. Why are we talking about Boogie Nights out
of Planton well, because we have nineteen ninety seven. Paul
Thomas Anderssen Paul a powerhouse film, his second film.

Speaker 3 (02:36:38):
I mean it won a bunch of awards.

Speaker 4 (02:36:39):
It was a great I mean as well, and to me,
Paul Thomas Anderson's Ode to Martin Scorsese. A lot of
the fastest tracking camera, a lot of the long tracking shots.
It's basically you would call it a rip off or
an ode. Is very very score sasey ask but funny,
great acting, great cast, Philip Seymour Hoffman. I mean Julian
Moore soundtrack has banger after being track. So that's the

(02:37:03):
first song of the film which I played that. Actually,
you know what I should show it to. There is
a uh there was a very good comparison thing I saw.
I was on YouTuber somewhere. It was like Paul Thomas
Anderson's Scorsese influences and how the same of the similar
shots from like Goodfella's Raging Bowl.

Speaker 30 (02:37:18):
In other words, next time I fill in, we'll have
to play the amber Wave scene with the l where
she asked her to be your mom.

Speaker 3 (02:37:24):
We're not doing that, is what is your problem?

Speaker 4 (02:37:26):
I could just say You're my Mom, and my Mom
came out twenty nine years ago at this point.

Speaker 3 (02:37:31):
Here's still upon it here, it's awesome.

Speaker 4 (02:37:36):
It came out on September eleventh, nineteen ninety seven, too soon,
ninety seven.

Speaker 3 (02:37:41):
Well, four years later, the world was changed, wasn't there a.

Speaker 4 (02:37:47):
Wasn't jay Z's album the head of the album that
was supposed to come out like our September eleventh, two
thousand and.

Speaker 3 (02:37:51):
One, earth around there? Shah Yeah. Anyways, Clinton, you've done
it again.

Speaker 4 (02:37:57):
Texans Steelers score prediction Ory, save that from my show.

Speaker 3 (02:38:02):
Nobody's listening.

Speaker 1 (02:38:03):
It's fine.

Speaker 4 (02:38:05):
We're talking about just whisper it five fifty five, four
hours from now. You're doing it five fifty five. Well,
we always wait till the last time.

Speaker 3 (02:38:11):
Oh my god. If it's a different audience in four hours,
give me the score.

Speaker 4 (02:38:15):
I don't know.

Speaker 3 (02:38:16):
I gotta think about it. I gotta marinate for four
more hours. All right.

Speaker 30 (02:38:19):
How much different it is from my twenty four to thirteen.
I think it's so that's eleven point spread. I think
it's a little bit going to be tighter than that.
Fraudsters seelers are fraudsters.

Speaker 4 (02:38:31):
Yeah, no, they are.

Speaker 3 (02:38:32):
I'll tell you this.

Speaker 4 (02:38:33):
Hey, look, the last team I put on fraud alert
was last year the Lakers. I was correct, I put
the Eagles on fraud alert. How did that go this weekend?
It's just saying all fraud weekends, all the frauds have
been exposed. But also at the end of the day,
you can call every I can call all thirty two
teams a fraud, and I'm going to be right about
every single team but one.

Speaker 30 (02:38:49):
But I'll tell you this, it would be poetic if
they've got to walk it off with a kick in
those swirling winds and Kayami gets it done.

Speaker 3 (02:38:57):
Oh, I'll say, and they miss like the ray Man did.
What are you sure you do here?

Speaker 4 (02:39:01):
They shouldn't even be in the playoffs? Yeah, frankly so,
John Harbaugh would be employed right now. All right, we're
gonna take a well, now we're gonna take a break.

Speaker 3 (02:39:08):
We'ren in the show. You are bye. Thanks for hanging out, Clint.
I really appreciate it. Thanks for having me. We're I
know we're shorthanded.

Speaker 30 (02:39:15):
And I heard you text message at one oh one, yeah,
reminding you to come up here for a one o'clock start.

Speaker 4 (02:39:22):
Yeah, you're welcome. It's good thing I happened to be
in the elevator. You're welcome, all right, that's gonna do
it for the show. Thanks to Chris Gordy for hanging out.
Thanks to Jonathan Allen for producing the whole time. You
guys were all stars on the phone. I appreciate, especially
when the Matt's out. Appreciate you all though. Thanks called
Listen tweeted all that good stuff. I'll talk to you
tomorrow at ten am. Texans twenty four to thirteen. Tell
your friends, tell your neighbors hear more about it. Coming

(02:39:43):
up with Adam watchstart and Adam Clinton. They're the eighteen
Karin' Sportsox at ninety