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Speaker 1: Your tunes about Drive on your twenty four to seven

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Speaker 1: home of the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.

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Speaker 2: Good afternoon, Steelers Nation. It's the Drive on the Steelers

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Speaker 2: Audio Network. West Shooler and Matt Williamson with you here

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Speaker 2: on a snowy Tuesday in western Pennsylvania.

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Speaker 3: It's blustery out there, man, it's not great.

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Speaker 4: I still haven't quite warmed up. Yeah, you.

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Speaker 3: Still got your coat on. I've been in here.

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Speaker 2: For a little while due to some Mike Tomlin press

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Speaker 2: conference responsibilities. But yes, this is a start the car

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Speaker 2: and layer up type day here for sure, as we

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Speaker 2: get close to the end of twenty twenty five and

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Speaker 2: the new year, and of course week eighteen with that

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Speaker 2: Matt Today Tuesday, of course, Mike Tomlin's weekly Tuesday press conference.

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Speaker 3: Yea, where we kind of always begin with just the

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Speaker 3: news of the day today, if.

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Speaker 4: You will, great place to start.

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Speaker 2: And we typically begin with the injury updates. Is that

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Speaker 2: is I think the most pertinent thing from these press

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Speaker 2: conferences on a week to week stance. There's obviously exceptions

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Speaker 2: to that at certain times, but I think in general

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Speaker 2: the injury updates are really what you're looking for there

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Speaker 2: from Mike Tomlin every Tuesday afternoon. Darnell Washington already had

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Speaker 2: surgery on his broken arm and has been ruled out. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: And and there was a you know, there was a

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Speaker 2: kind of a follow up question about if you guys

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Speaker 2: win the division, you go into the playoffs, is he

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Speaker 2: out for sure?

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Speaker 3: The whole way?

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Speaker 2: Any anyway he could come back, and you know, Mike

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Speaker 2: Tomlin basically replied, like, we've got a one game season

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Speaker 2: right now and he's out for that.

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Speaker 3: So but I would I mean, I think you're right.

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Speaker 2: Aside from a deep run into February, I don't see

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Speaker 2: any situation where you're yes, I would think, yeah, where you're.

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Speaker 4: An extra week in between there. Maybe it's a four

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Speaker 4: week er or something like that.

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Speaker 3: Right, and that's still what six, six or seven weeks away?

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Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, but we can jump off that bridge. Will

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Speaker 4: we come to it?

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Speaker 3: Exactly exactly right? I think?

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Speaker 2: Unfortunately, Well, you're certainly not going to see Darnell here

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Speaker 2: in week eighteen this weekend, and barring a miracle, probably

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Speaker 2: not going to see him again. Even if the Steelers

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Speaker 2: were to go on a deep run.

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Speaker 3: That's a quick.

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Speaker 2: Turnaround for a broken arm, and especially for a young

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Speaker 2: guy that you want to make sure he has a

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Speaker 2: not a speedy recovery, a full recovery. One of those

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Speaker 2: things that Max Stark's always you know, differentiates between like

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Speaker 2: that's a maxism. I say that before, but he always says,

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Speaker 2: I don't. I would never like it when people would

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Speaker 2: wish me a speedy recovery. That's not what I'm after.

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Speaker 2: I'm after a full recovery. It's like I'd rather take

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Speaker 2: a few extra weeks, few extra days, few extra months, whatever,

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Speaker 2: if it's going to be a full recovery getting back

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Speaker 2: to where I need to be. And hopefully for Darnell

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Speaker 2: Washington that's the case. But we do know that he

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Speaker 2: will not play on Sunday.

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Speaker 4: I think it goes out saying but I mean just injuries,

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Speaker 4: just late in the year, you got to think about

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Speaker 4: next year, broken army, don't.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, it's not an achilles or you know something a

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Speaker 2: torn peck that's gonna really linger for a long time. Yeah, sure, right.

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Speaker 2: That's the good news is that while it stinks for

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Speaker 2: for this weekend and potentially into the playoffs, nothing that's

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Speaker 2: gonna hinder not a potential Patrick Mahomes or Daniel Jones

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Speaker 2: Michael Parsons, you know, loom into next year. So that's

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Speaker 2: the Darnel Washington News that we kind of had an

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Speaker 2: idea of, but is.

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Speaker 3: Confirmed playing this week, no, I mean and and Mike.

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Speaker 2: Tomlin stated that he had a broken arm Sunday after

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Speaker 2: the game, so I think that the writing was on

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Speaker 2: the wall in that regard. Other than that, though, Matt

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Speaker 2: I would say mostly optimistic, mostly glassed half full reports,

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Speaker 2: which is good, particularly centering around TJ Watt, where Mike

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Speaker 2: Tomlin said he's more optimistic this week about TJ.

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Speaker 3: But they'll have to see how he practices. Now. Remember

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Speaker 3: he did get a couple of practices in at the

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Speaker 3: end of last week. Yeah, that's one of those.

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Speaker 2: I'll really be looking tomorrow Wednesday's practice report.

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Speaker 3: Is he full? Is he limited? Because if he's full.

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Speaker 4: Tomorrow limited, But if we get full tomorrow, let's go.

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Speaker 3: Then it's like, let's go. I'm with you.

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Speaker 2: I would guess limited tomorrow and then maybe Thursday is

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Speaker 2: the day that you start to see if he's if

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Speaker 2: he's full, But there was certainly a where the last

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Speaker 2: couple of weeks, you know, it's it's been pretty definitive

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Speaker 2: that TJ. Wasn't going to play. Yeah, yeah, Now it

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Speaker 2: seems like there's some real optimism that this this could

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Speaker 2: be the week.

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Speaker 4: So folks, I mean this probably also goes without saying,

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Speaker 4: but these injury stuff now it's this is the playoffs. Yeah,

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Speaker 4: I mean, you know what I mean. It's not like

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Speaker 4: there's a lot of times this course of the year

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Speaker 4: that every team does like, well, we'll give him one

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Speaker 4: more week, you know, not because oh we know we

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Speaker 4: can beat the Browns or the Bears or whatever. It's

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Speaker 4: just it's a long season. Now, it's do or not.

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Speaker 3: You know, this is the prequel to the postseason.

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Speaker 4: It's probably true, lamar. I mean, yes, if it went

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Speaker 4: in doubt, they're they're gonna go.

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Speaker 3: You lose this one.

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Speaker 2: There is no tomorrow, so I gotta think TJ is

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Speaker 2: gonna want to get out there for that. But again, optimistic,

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Speaker 2: but we'll see how he practices throughout the week. And

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Speaker 2: then uh, he labeled Calvin Austin Brand, James Pierre and

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Speaker 2: Isaac Sayamalu another I mean, all four valuable important contributor

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Speaker 2: were missed.

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Speaker 3: As definitely having a chance to go this weekend.

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Speaker 4: Again, Pierre Eccles Seamalu Calston.

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Speaker 3: Yep.

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Speaker 4: I didn't think you missed Austin as much as you did,

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Speaker 4: but I wouldn't mind having at least having that option,

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Speaker 4: no doubt, back pocket, no game. Yeah. Yeah, So those

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Speaker 4: they replaced Seamali, well, he's had a good year.

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Speaker 2: They did, but I think you want some more stability

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Speaker 2: back in that secondary where you can let Ramsey stay

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Speaker 2: at safety and do it.

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Speaker 4: I don't want Ramsey in the nickel, not because he's

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Speaker 4: not good at it, but I love him at safety.

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Speaker 2: And it meant it really felt like the brown This

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Speaker 2: was something that we didn't Maybe we could talk about

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Speaker 2: this a little bit more if we do a Tuesday

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Speaker 2: rewind today, But it really felt like those first two

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Speaker 2: series where the Browns went field goal touchdown. Yeah, they're

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Speaker 2: only points of the game until the very end.

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Speaker 1: Uh.

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Speaker 2: It felt like they were going after the Steelers' safeties

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Speaker 2: on that drive, some middle of the field intermediate stuff.

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Speaker 4: Yeah. And I just think Clark's lack of footspeed gets

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Speaker 4: exposed over and over. I think he becomes a tart.

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Speaker 4: Him and Malie Harrison are two guys to play a

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Speaker 4: fair amount that I think it arget it in coverage

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Speaker 4: on purpose, you know.

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Speaker 2: Yes, MALIEK. Harrison also optimistic. Mike Tomlins said that he'll

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Speaker 2: be able to play with a bone bruise. He'll be

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Speaker 2: limited early.

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Speaker 4: In the week. Okay, I know you did anything going on.

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Speaker 3: So that's that's kind of ad that's the skinny of it.

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Speaker 2: Darnell out TJ and the other four optimistic definitely have

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Speaker 2: a chance, and it sounds like Malik Harrison will be

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Speaker 2: will be available.

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Speaker 4: To I wonder and I'm not being critical because they lost,

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Speaker 4: because I would have done the exact same thing last

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Speaker 4: week at this time. But I wonder, Pierre eccles Ciamalu Austin,

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Speaker 4: if last week was a playoff game, if they had

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Speaker 4: played sure, you know what I mean, sure, And I

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Speaker 4: would not have played them if they were on the

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Speaker 4: friends last week.

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Speaker 2: Completely agree, completely agree, And that's a that's a great

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Speaker 2: that's a great, uh, you know. Observation to throw in

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Speaker 2: there is that you didn't know until late Saturday night

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Speaker 2: if Sunday's game in Cleveland mattered for you.

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Speaker 4: Right exactly.

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Speaker 2: So I wonder if there was some with the with

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Speaker 2: the cams and the Ramsey's and the Rogers. Will wait

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Speaker 2: and see, but with these guys, guys that are truly

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Speaker 2: game time decisions.

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Speaker 3: They were gonna we're gonna air on.

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Speaker 4: These things on Thursday and Friday, you know. I mean,

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Speaker 4: I'm sure some people going, well, yeah, I've been if

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Speaker 4: you had had him out there, maybe you win and

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Speaker 4: it goes you know, yeah, but that's the risk you take,

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Speaker 4: you know, right, I would have done the exact same

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Speaker 4: thing on Friday or whatever last week.

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Speaker 2: Yes, yes, I'm I am. I am with you on

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Speaker 2: that one. So that's kind of what we know there

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Speaker 2: from the from the injury department. One other, one other

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Speaker 2: kind of moment that stood out to me that you know,

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Speaker 2: I was sitting in here in the in the studio

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Speaker 2: with our with our buddy Justin Miller. Uh during Yeah,

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Speaker 2: because I do the intro, which is just like two

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Speaker 2: or three minutes by myself kind of tap dance until

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Speaker 2: coach takes the podium.

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Speaker 4: Waiting for the come out.

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Speaker 2: Yes, which is which is which is typically difficult radio

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Speaker 2: because you're like, what topic do I want to get into?

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Speaker 2: But he's pretty he's pretty pomped with like one O

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Speaker 2: two one or twelve O two, twelve oh three, So

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Speaker 2: it's usually it's usually a quick two or three minutes,

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Speaker 2: but then do Lack and I do the wrap up

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Speaker 2: show for for twenty thirty minutes. So we're sitting in

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Speaker 2: here and Mike Tomlin's taking questions and he gets asked,

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Speaker 2: you know, if you thought about how you know this

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Speaker 2: is possible that this could be the last game of

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Speaker 2: Aaron Rodgers' career and reflected upon all, you know, what

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Speaker 2: he's meant to the organization and this team this year,

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Speaker 2: And Mike Tomin was kind of like, no, I didn't

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Speaker 2: didn't really think about that, And I believe that. I

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Speaker 2: think they're also hyper focused mind.

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Speaker 3: I'm sure right, yeah, absolutely.

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Speaker 4: Try coss Cam's mind and people that might be considering

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Speaker 4: your tire.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, but that was just that was one of those

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Speaker 2: Justin and I both kind of looked at each other

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Speaker 2: and did you know that face of like, yeah, I

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Speaker 2: didn't really think about that. But if things don't go

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Speaker 2: your wayte Sunday Night and Aaron, this is it, Like

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Speaker 2: it could be the last time you see one of

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Speaker 2: the greatest quarterbacks ever, four time MVP, super Bowl Champion,

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Speaker 2: future Hall of Famer, all those things. This could be

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Speaker 2: the last dance, or at least the prequel to the

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Speaker 2: last dance here. It's kind of a final stretch.

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Speaker 4: Some of these amazing players in any sport have kind

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Speaker 4: of a farewell tour, and that hasn't been the case

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Speaker 4: with Rogers. You know, he hasn't flat out and announced

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Speaker 4: I'm done.

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Speaker 3: He also kind of strikes me as the guy I

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Speaker 3: don't know if he would want that, I don't know, Yeah,

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Speaker 3: who knows.

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Speaker 2: And maybe if he was still playing for the Packers' story,

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Speaker 2: Like I think that's what Bend's last year.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, I was just.

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Speaker 2: Gonna say that's that's what factored into that, you know.

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Speaker 2: Like I I remember when Kobe Bryant announced that he

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Speaker 2: was retiring before his last year, and it was like

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Speaker 2: every NBA stadium he went to, they gave him a

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Speaker 2: gift or like fan base was waiting there to clap

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Speaker 2: for him and everything.

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Speaker 4: But I think like Kareem aldul Jabbard had that same thing.

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Speaker 4: I was he was yet younger, but some of them

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Speaker 4: gave him this gigantic rocking chair built just for him.

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Speaker 4: You know, it's seven to two or whatever, you know,

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Speaker 4: that kind of stuff.

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Speaker 2: Right, Yes, I think it's a little different when it's

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Speaker 2: like one you're a one helmet one Jersey, however you

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Speaker 2: want to label a guy. It feels like that finality

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Speaker 2: is a little more highlighted, a little more under the

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Speaker 2: spotlight when it's been with with just one organization, just

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Speaker 2: one team or franchise.

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Speaker 4: But he's only Ben Steeler one year, that too, and

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Speaker 4: he doesn't coming back or not. No, nobody knows those things.

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Speaker 4: I don't think it. Maybe yeah I don't, but.

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Speaker 3: I'm sure in his mind he knows which way he's leaning. Yeah, yeah, yeah,

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Speaker 3: But I think there's also a.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm sure he doesn't want to make that decision

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Speaker 2: until there's true finality of this year. Let's get away

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Speaker 2: from it for a little bit of time, see how

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Speaker 2: it feels.

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Speaker 3: Who knows.

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Speaker 2: Maybe in his mind he's like, this is definitely it.

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Speaker 2: Maybe in his mind he's like, I would definitely like

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Speaker 2: to try and play again in twenty six, Like.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, my body feels a month from now or whatever.

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Speaker 2: But I'm sure, yes, I'm sure from his standpoint, there's

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Speaker 2: definitely that no matter what happens, I'm not going to

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Speaker 2: make a knee jerk reaction. Don't want to take a

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Speaker 2: little time to really think about it. Get away from

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Speaker 2: the season. The emotions all that stuff a little bit,

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Speaker 2: and like you said, maybe see how I feel a

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Speaker 2: couple weeks removed from this thing. But yeah, that was

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Speaker 2: just one of those that kind of, yeah, made us

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Speaker 2: perk up in here, like, oh, this could be it.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, this could be this could be it for one

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Speaker 3: of the greatest of all time.

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Speaker 4: So I would imagine, like on the broadcast, if it's

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Speaker 4: apparent late in the fourth quarter that Sears are gonna

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Speaker 4: lose the game, they'll be talking about that a lot.

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Speaker 2: I would imagine absolutely, Yeah, yeah, right right, that's a

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Speaker 2: great point. Yeah, and it'll be the it'll be what

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Speaker 2: it'll be the the NBC crew doing the game. So yeah,

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Speaker 2: oh that'll be interesting.

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Speaker 4: Late fourth quarter type of note.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, that's almost one of those. Like I wish Aikman

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Speaker 2: was on the broadcast for this. I feel like Akman

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Speaker 2: would handle that really well.

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Speaker 4: Like former quarterback time.

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Speaker 3: Yeah.

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Speaker 2: But speaking of which, from a Hall of Fame quarterback Aikman,

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Speaker 2: a future Hall of Fame Aaron Rodgers, Matt we do

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Speaker 2: know also News of the Day today the finalist for

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Speaker 2: the twenty twenty six Pro Football Hall of Fame Modern Era. Yes, yes, yes,

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Speaker 2: so the other coaches contributors senior candidates that includes el

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Speaker 2: C Greenwood, includes Bill Belichick, a couple other names that

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Speaker 2: is still that will be announced with all of these

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Speaker 2: guys in February at the it's like the NFL Honors

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Speaker 2: or whatever, you know, right before the Super Bowl when

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Speaker 2: they give out m VP and DC Player of the

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Speaker 2: Year and all that stuff. So no new news in

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Speaker 2: that regard and in el C Greenwood and some of

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Speaker 2: the other people that we had been monitoring. But the

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Speaker 2: semi finalist, which was.

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Speaker 3: What twenty five? Was it twenty five or fifth?

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Speaker 4: Fifteen? Does that sound right?

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Speaker 2: There's eighteen eighteen okay, sorry, there's fifteen. You are right, okay,

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Speaker 2: So twenty I think it's twenty five, goes down to fifteen.

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Speaker 4: And then that'll go. The finalists will be between three

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Speaker 4: and five. It's usually almost always five, yes, at most

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Speaker 4: five of these guys most yes.

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Speaker 3: But I got a feeling this is definitely gonna be

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Speaker 3: a loaded year.

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Speaker 2: I think so too, because your finalists, I mean, there's

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Speaker 2: a couple slam dunk guys like Drew Brees and Larry Fitzgerald,

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Speaker 2: Willie Anderson, Jarry Evans, Frank Gore, Tory Holt, Luke Keikley,

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Speaker 2: Eli Manning, Terrell Suggs, our brother, Dale's favorite player ever,

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Speaker 2: Adam Vinteri, Reggie Wayne, Kevin Williams, Jason Witten, Darren Woodson,

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Speaker 2: and Marshall Yonda. Those are your fifteen finalists, Matt, I

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Speaker 2: saw on Twitter you said Larry Breese, Keithley, Whitton, and

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Speaker 2: Yonder are your five.

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Speaker 4: They would be my five. I think, well, let's start

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Speaker 4: about the first second. I think Eli will go this

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Speaker 4: year or next. Yes, he would not.

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Speaker 2: Because he was he was a finalist last year. Yes, yes,

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Speaker 2: so he'll go sooner rather than later.

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Speaker 4: Yes, I don't think he's a Hall of Fame player.

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Speaker 4: I would not vote for him. These are my five,

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Speaker 4: not my predictions. But if I were to predict, I

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Speaker 4: bet he gets in. I also, and Dale and I

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Speaker 4: both hated this. I bet Vinitarry gets in some.

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Speaker 3: Year someday, but I don't. I don't think he'll be

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Speaker 3: a first ballot, but.

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Speaker 4: Something now I hope. I definitely would not vote for him,

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Speaker 4: maybe last on my list, Like I can't imagine putting

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Speaker 4: him in ahead of Jarry Evans, who I also don't

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Speaker 4: think will go. But like a guard that plays every game,

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Speaker 4: I mean.

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Speaker 3: We've had this debate before.

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Speaker 2: I think Vinitary is a unique case because again, that

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Speaker 2: whole it's very difficult to talk about the history of

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Speaker 2: the league and not bring him up a couple of times.

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Speaker 2: But I also completely agree with everything what you're saying

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Speaker 2: as opposed to a Tory hold or Adam Viniti.

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Speaker 3: That's an every Yeah.

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Speaker 4: Tucker amazing only kicker of late that I think is

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Speaker 4: a Hall of Famer. So again, the two first year guys,

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Speaker 4: Breeze and Larry, who's gonna fight on?

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Speaker 2: I think I think that's like you walk up to

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Speaker 2: the podium and you go Larry Fitzgerald and everyone goes.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, kind of like the Troy Paula Malu. Yeah,

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Speaker 3: I don't even waste a bunch of time on this.

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Speaker 4: I thought was right there in that same I was.

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Speaker 3: Kind of shocked he didn't get in as a first ballot,

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Speaker 3: so he's.

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Speaker 4: Like next if I were to tier them, So he's

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Speaker 4: in his own tier for me and.

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Speaker 2: Him, Larry Breese, Keickley kind of in their own yes,

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Speaker 2: Like if those three don't get in, I'll be shocked.

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Speaker 4: I'll be shocked. But it's kind of offensive to me

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Speaker 4: that didn't go last completely agrees. I didn't think that

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Speaker 4: was a great class.

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Speaker 3: I think he might be the best linebacker of the

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Speaker 3: twenty first century.

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Speaker 4: Yes, I do too. Witten would be next for me,

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Speaker 4: is solid Gates went last year. I think they're comparable.

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Speaker 4: I don't think they're quite Kelsey or Gonzalez, but they're

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Speaker 4: a tier two all time great tight end. It's pretty good. Yeah, absolutely,

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Speaker 4: his compilation numbers are phenomenal.

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Speaker 2: Like probably not deserving of being a first ballot guy,

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Speaker 2: but absolutely shouldn't have to wait too long.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, he walks the walk, I mean he has I

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Speaker 4: mean he is a numbers all that. And then my

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Speaker 4: last pick Kate was a tough one where it came

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Speaker 4: down to the two Baltimore Bird. He's actually total coincidence

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Speaker 4: this week.

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Speaker 3: And all you went with Yondo over Suggs.

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Speaker 4: I went with Yondo over Suggs. Now Suggs would be

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Speaker 4: an easier case. I would hate to be you know

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Speaker 4: what Dale did for a year and have to be like,

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Speaker 4: try to get a guard in what are you talking?

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Speaker 4: You know, what are you talking about? But I mean

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Speaker 4: Yonder was as good as anyone for ten twelve years

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Speaker 4: or whatever. Height of his powers, not a no brainer.

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Speaker 4: I mean, he's not Larry Allen or one of those

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Speaker 4: type of guys, but I think he's also a here

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Speaker 4: two Hall of Fame guard.

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Speaker 2: I'm with you on the big three, and then after that,

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Speaker 2: I think we might differ a little bit.

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Speaker 3: I've got I need.

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Speaker 2: I think Suggs should be in He's what sixth all

371
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Speaker 2: time in sacks and NFL history something like that.

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Speaker 3: It's definitely he's on the top ten.

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Speaker 2: And I just think for me when it comes to

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Speaker 2: the splitting hairs, it's like, were you and if yes,

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Speaker 2: for how long considered perhaps the best at what.

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Speaker 3: You do in the league.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't know Yonda has that claim. At least

378
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Speaker 2: I don't know if Jason Witten has that claim, because

379
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Speaker 2: he was always probably not. He was always kind of

380
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Speaker 2: like the the second or third or fourth best tight

381
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Speaker 2: end in the league, which is.

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Speaker 4: A lot of second team yeah pros, Yes.

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Speaker 5: You know what I mean.

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Speaker 2: Whereas Suggs for three four five years was perhaps the

385
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Speaker 2: most vicious, most feared guy coming off the edge in

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Speaker 2: the league.

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Speaker 3: It was like him and Debo.

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Speaker 2: That to me gives Suggs a little bit of an edge,

389
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Speaker 2: and then my fifth would either be yonda or I

390
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Speaker 2: keep thinking like.

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Speaker 3: Tory Holt has to get in. I know, if you

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Speaker 3: go back and look at Tory Holt, Bruce is in.

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Speaker 4: I think he's better than Bruce.

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Speaker 2: For a ten year stretch, Tory Holt led the league

395
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Speaker 2: in receiving, led the league and receiving receptions and receiving yards.

396
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Speaker 2: He was on the All Decade team, He won.

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Speaker 3: A Super Bowl.

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Speaker 2: He had eight straight thousand yard seasons, six straight thirteen

399
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Speaker 2: hundred yard seasons. Yeah, and I know they were the

400
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Speaker 2: greatest show on turf and they were little ahead of

401
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Speaker 2: their time.

402
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Speaker 4: But this he had a lot to do with it.

403
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Speaker 2: He had a ton to do with it and still

404
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Speaker 2: had a Hall of Fame running back. And I know,

405
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Speaker 2: a Hall of Fame quarterback, a bunch of great stuff

406
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Speaker 2: around him. But when you just again, when you look

407
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Speaker 2: at the resume on paper, his is like his is

408
00:17:17,480 --> 00:17:22,119
Speaker 2: just absolutely ridiculous in terms of his numbers. You know,

409
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Speaker 2: again in an era that's wasn't necessarily the most pass

410
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Speaker 2: happy in NFL history.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, but I love having these conversations.

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Speaker 4: I know, I know, I mean, I think I'm guilty

413
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Speaker 4: of this. I bet voters are guilty of this, and

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Speaker 4: it wouldn't bother me at all if he got in

415
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Speaker 4: overwitting over either one of the ravens I mentioned, I

416
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Speaker 4: would totally understand it, because, as you can imagine, I've

417
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Speaker 4: been doing this for years and when it gets sound

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Speaker 4: to this point, I've someone inevitably has said pick your

419
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Speaker 4: five or whatever, and I've often picked Holt, you know,

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Speaker 4: because he's been it seems like he's.

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Speaker 3: Up every year. Seventh year.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, half of the time that he's been eligible, he's

423
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Speaker 4: been one of my five. So I get it happened

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Speaker 4: to like, I mean, this year happens to have this

425
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Speaker 4: year's two guys right at the top that have to go.

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Speaker 4: Not every year has that no brainer.

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Speaker 3: I think it's eval.

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Speaker 4: But but no, I got no problem with it at all.

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Speaker 4: There are some wide outs like Steve Smith, who isn't

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Speaker 4: on this list. He's up every year, Reggie.

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Speaker 3: Wayne Reggie is a finalist.

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Speaker 4: That there's that tier of receiver that I think cancel

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Speaker 4: each other out a little bit. But I would take

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Speaker 4: Holts slightly over those names I just mentioned, slightly over

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Speaker 4: hinz Ward and the fact, I mean it's not his fault,

436
00:18:33,320 --> 00:18:37,119
Speaker 4: but his teammate went before him is you know, Swan Stallworth, Bruce.

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Speaker 4: I thought Holt is a better player than Bruce, you know,

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Speaker 4: so I shocked me that Bruce went.

439
00:18:42,240 --> 00:18:43,200
Speaker 3: I hatter numbers too.

440
00:18:43,320 --> 00:18:45,520
Speaker 2: If you're if you're just looking on a pure, you know,

441
00:18:45,560 --> 00:18:47,080
Speaker 2: statistical basis.

442
00:18:47,560 --> 00:18:49,120
Speaker 3: But this is fun. It'll be a lot of fun

443
00:18:49,160 --> 00:18:49,400
Speaker 3: to say.

444
00:18:49,400 --> 00:18:51,600
Speaker 2: I mean, this will be something that we'll revisit, what

445
00:18:51,760 --> 00:18:54,000
Speaker 2: six weeks or seven weeks from now, leading up to

446
00:18:54,040 --> 00:18:56,520
Speaker 2: the super Bowl whenever this class gets announced, along with

447
00:18:56,800 --> 00:19:00,680
Speaker 2: the contributors, the coaches, the senior finalists, which hopefully we'll

448
00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:02,200
Speaker 2: include our guy, Elsie Greenwood.

449
00:19:02,280 --> 00:19:02,880
Speaker 4: Yeah, that'd be great.

450
00:19:02,920 --> 00:19:04,760
Speaker 2: But yeah, this is this is a really strong group.

451
00:19:05,640 --> 00:19:07,160
Speaker 2: But I think the one thing you and I both

452
00:19:07,200 --> 00:19:10,840
Speaker 2: agree on is Larry Breeze, Keikley. Yes, those three. It

453
00:19:10,880 --> 00:19:11,360
Speaker 2: feels like.

454
00:19:11,320 --> 00:19:11,719
Speaker 3: Half the day.

455
00:19:11,760 --> 00:19:13,760
Speaker 4: It'll anger me if Keighley doesn't go.

456
00:19:13,760 --> 00:19:15,320
Speaker 3: If they make him wait to a third year, that

457
00:19:15,400 --> 00:19:17,040
Speaker 3: will I'll be like, like, what are we do watching?

458
00:19:17,160 --> 00:19:18,600
Speaker 4: What do we do? What are we doing? Right?

459
00:19:18,680 --> 00:19:22,040
Speaker 2: I mean, like, I guess technically when I said best

460
00:19:22,240 --> 00:19:24,400
Speaker 2: you know, off ball linebacker of the twenty first century,

461
00:19:24,400 --> 00:19:26,199
Speaker 2: I guess you have to include ray Lewis in that

462
00:19:26,600 --> 00:19:28,680
Speaker 2: because of how long his career went, but he was

463
00:19:28,760 --> 00:19:29,880
Speaker 2: drafted in like ninety six.

464
00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:31,000
Speaker 3: Was yeah, y Lewis.

465
00:19:31,280 --> 00:19:32,879
Speaker 4: I mean I would just go, like, who's been the

466
00:19:32,920 --> 00:19:34,160
Speaker 4: best at that position?

467
00:19:34,320 --> 00:19:35,280
Speaker 3: Tim or Patrick Willis?

468
00:19:35,320 --> 00:19:38,159
Speaker 4: I would say Lewis handed at the keek Lee, you

469
00:19:38,320 --> 00:19:40,880
Speaker 4: handed it the Warner. And there might be little gaps in, yeah,

470
00:19:40,960 --> 00:19:43,080
Speaker 4: but like who was clearly the best?

471
00:19:43,200 --> 00:19:45,159
Speaker 3: Bobby Wagner deserves the shower in there.

472
00:19:45,080 --> 00:19:47,880
Speaker 4: Right behind Willis, I think, is right behind you know, right.

473
00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:49,840
Speaker 4: I mean they're great players. I got no problem them

474
00:19:49,880 --> 00:19:53,080
Speaker 4: being Hall of Famers, But who's number one? For a

475
00:19:53,119 --> 00:19:57,240
Speaker 4: big stretch? It was Keigley, Now it's Warner, it was Lewis.

476
00:19:56,800 --> 00:19:57,359
Speaker 3: Totally right.

477
00:19:57,440 --> 00:20:00,879
Speaker 2: Yeah, and even like ray Lewis and Willis, look at

478
00:20:00,880 --> 00:20:03,040
Speaker 2: those defenses that they played on and what those guys

479
00:20:03,080 --> 00:20:03,760
Speaker 2: had around them.

480
00:20:03,880 --> 00:20:05,240
Speaker 3: Yeah, fellow Hall of famers.

481
00:20:05,560 --> 00:20:07,639
Speaker 2: I mean, Suggs is going to get in eventually, and

482
00:20:07,880 --> 00:20:10,159
Speaker 2: like ray Lewis is going to have multiple teammates on

483
00:20:10,200 --> 00:20:11,719
Speaker 2: his side of the ball that were in the Hall

484
00:20:11,760 --> 00:20:14,159
Speaker 2: of Fame as well. Whereas Luke Keigley, I mean he

485
00:20:14,280 --> 00:20:16,800
Speaker 2: was he was the straw stir in that drink. He

486
00:20:17,200 --> 00:20:19,680
Speaker 2: had some good teammates, certainly in Carolina, but I don't

487
00:20:19,680 --> 00:20:22,080
Speaker 2: think he was on defenses as loaded as that Willis

488
00:20:22,160 --> 00:20:25,680
Speaker 2: Niners defense or is that ray Lewis Ravens defense.

489
00:20:25,440 --> 00:20:27,399
Speaker 4: Historically good one yeah, and the other thing about the

490
00:20:27,440 --> 00:20:30,080
Speaker 4: ray Lewis defense, and hey, this is just good work

491
00:20:30,119 --> 00:20:33,000
Speaker 4: by the Ravens and Steelers did it for Lambert with

492
00:20:33,080 --> 00:20:35,760
Speaker 4: Green and Holmes, I mean like to have Sarah Goosa

493
00:20:35,880 --> 00:20:38,879
Speaker 4: and Adams totally. I mean their whole job is just

494
00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:41,320
Speaker 4: let Ray run and hit. You know, when you get Ray,

495
00:20:41,359 --> 00:20:44,000
Speaker 4: it's like, let's just put the two biggest beefiest guys.

496
00:20:44,320 --> 00:20:48,040
Speaker 4: If I could eat a four blocks laugh. Ever, ever,

497
00:20:48,320 --> 00:20:49,880
Speaker 4: he had that advantage for sure.

498
00:20:50,119 --> 00:20:51,399
Speaker 3: Absolutely absolutely.

499
00:20:51,680 --> 00:20:54,080
Speaker 2: So there's your your kind of news of the day here.

500
00:20:54,119 --> 00:20:55,760
Speaker 2: As we get rolling, I want to take a little

501
00:20:55,800 --> 00:20:58,919
Speaker 2: bit of a look at the playoff scenarios when we return.

502
00:20:59,200 --> 00:21:00,680
Speaker 2: We're also going to talk to our buddy Chris A.

503
00:21:00,720 --> 00:21:03,159
Speaker 2: Dampski here in the first hour of the program. So

504
00:21:03,240 --> 00:21:05,120
Speaker 2: plenty to get to as we roll along. Just getting started.

505
00:21:05,160 --> 00:21:07,440
Speaker 2: Wes Huler, Matt Williamson. It's the Drive on Steelers Nation

506
00:21:07,560 --> 00:21:11,320
Speaker 2: Radio on the Steelers Audio Network, your tuned.

507
00:21:11,040 --> 00:21:13,480
Speaker 1: About drive on your twenty four to seven home of

508
00:21:13,520 --> 00:21:15,960
Speaker 1: the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.

509
00:21:25,800 --> 00:21:27,800
Speaker 2: Back on the drive into the phone lines, we go

510
00:21:27,960 --> 00:21:30,680
Speaker 2: to talk to our partner in crime, Chris sa Dampski,

511
00:21:30,760 --> 00:21:33,040
Speaker 2: of course covers the Steelers for the trib and co

512
00:21:33,119 --> 00:21:35,160
Speaker 2: host of the Steelers Blitz with our buddy Tom op

513
00:21:35,160 --> 00:21:35,760
Speaker 2: from and Buzz.

514
00:21:35,760 --> 00:21:38,760
Speaker 3: Thank you for taking the time as always, and.

515
00:21:40,160 --> 00:21:43,480
Speaker 2: You know, just got to ask you kind of about

516
00:21:43,480 --> 00:21:46,080
Speaker 2: the mood in the locker room in Cleveland. You have

517
00:21:46,160 --> 00:21:48,520
Speaker 2: been covering the team for over a decade, You've been

518
00:21:48,520 --> 00:21:51,359
Speaker 2: in a lot of victorious locker rooms, You've covered plenty

519
00:21:51,400 --> 00:21:54,359
Speaker 2: of defeats as well. What was that atmosphere like, what

520
00:21:54,440 --> 00:21:56,280
Speaker 2: was that mood like? Was it one of the more

521
00:21:56,720 --> 00:21:59,960
Speaker 2: I don't know, kind of kind of jaded and dejected

522
00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:03,040
Speaker 2: did postgame locker rooms that you've been a part of,

523
00:22:03,119 --> 00:22:06,320
Speaker 2: or was it maybe you know, surprisingly still a group

524
00:22:06,359 --> 00:22:07,959
Speaker 2: that that sees light at the end of the tunnel.

525
00:22:09,680 --> 00:22:12,399
Speaker 5: Yeah, And regards to the fact that it was such

526
00:22:12,440 --> 00:22:15,440
Speaker 5: a misopportunity and it was such a bad team, really

527
00:22:15,440 --> 00:22:17,240
Speaker 5: would face it to the three win team they lost

528
00:22:17,240 --> 00:22:20,760
Speaker 5: too with the factor facts and in terms of they

529
00:22:20,760 --> 00:22:23,480
Speaker 5: you know, they lost the AFC North the chance to

530
00:22:23,520 --> 00:22:24,919
Speaker 5: win it. The hats and T shirts are there, and

531
00:22:24,960 --> 00:22:26,840
Speaker 5: it's happened and repeated thing now the last couple of

532
00:22:26,920 --> 00:22:29,160
Speaker 5: years that hat and T shirts on here. I really

533
00:22:29,160 --> 00:22:30,560
Speaker 5: wanted to get down there and see if they had

534
00:22:30,600 --> 00:22:32,920
Speaker 5: like the bin or something ready to go outside the room.

535
00:22:32,960 --> 00:22:34,760
Speaker 5: And as soon as that's worked out, they they went

536
00:22:34,800 --> 00:22:36,760
Speaker 5: away real fast or something, you know, whether it's something

537
00:22:36,800 --> 00:22:41,119
Speaker 5: like that. But I think they know did they have

538
00:22:41,440 --> 00:22:43,840
Speaker 5: They had an opportunity, of course, to win it again

539
00:22:44,280 --> 00:22:46,240
Speaker 5: or to win it on the field the next week.

540
00:22:46,359 --> 00:22:49,119
Speaker 5: So it wasn't as if the season ended. So I've

541
00:22:49,160 --> 00:22:51,680
Speaker 5: definitely in terms of that mood, but you're what you're referencing,

542
00:22:51,720 --> 00:22:55,600
Speaker 5: there been in more dejected rooms than than was on

543
00:22:55,680 --> 00:22:58,520
Speaker 5: Sunday evening. I they know everything still in front of them,

544
00:22:58,920 --> 00:23:00,919
Speaker 5: you know, obviously they wanted to get done. Obviously there

545
00:23:00,960 --> 00:23:02,720
Speaker 5: was regret that they didn't get done. It wasn't any

546
00:23:02,760 --> 00:23:05,600
Speaker 5: any means, you know. It definitely was a down room

547
00:23:05,640 --> 00:23:08,760
Speaker 5: for sure. But I do think considering they still got

548
00:23:08,800 --> 00:23:11,360
Speaker 5: another shot here that they removed their margin for air

549
00:23:11,480 --> 00:23:13,399
Speaker 5: was unfortunate. They could have a week off and all that,

550
00:23:13,480 --> 00:23:16,359
Speaker 5: and I get it, but they realized that too. But

551
00:23:16,400 --> 00:23:18,720
Speaker 5: at the same time, they know that we'll all be

552
00:23:18,760 --> 00:23:20,840
Speaker 5: forgotten if they win Sunday night. No one really cared

553
00:23:20,840 --> 00:23:23,600
Speaker 5: that they didn't beat Cleveland this past Sunday.

554
00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:26,159
Speaker 4: This is kind of an unanswerable question, but Wes and

555
00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:27,879
Speaker 4: I were just talking about it in light of the

556
00:23:28,359 --> 00:23:33,160
Speaker 4: Tomlin press conference. But you get the impression that Watt, Ciamalu,

557
00:23:33,400 --> 00:23:39,080
Speaker 4: Austin Eccoles, Pierre maybe would have given it a go

558
00:23:39,760 --> 00:23:42,399
Speaker 4: if this week was last week, if it was do

559
00:23:42,560 --> 00:23:45,560
Speaker 4: or die, and if it was true playoff situation. Do

560
00:23:45,600 --> 00:23:47,320
Speaker 4: you think they were borderline last week?

561
00:23:48,600 --> 00:23:52,159
Speaker 5: Yeah, I mean obviously, I mean, Wat's the headliner there

562
00:23:52,200 --> 00:23:54,080
Speaker 5: forth because of the player he is, and because of

563
00:23:54,119 --> 00:23:57,600
Speaker 5: his you know, his ailment is so unique too, so

564
00:23:58,080 --> 00:24:00,480
Speaker 5: you do kind of you would think that, you know,

565
00:24:00,520 --> 00:24:05,199
Speaker 5: maybe a more a more dramatic snap count restriction. Who

566
00:24:05,240 --> 00:24:06,600
Speaker 5: would have went this past week if it was a

567
00:24:06,600 --> 00:24:09,560
Speaker 5: playoff game or you like to think that, right, And

568
00:24:09,600 --> 00:24:12,639
Speaker 5: that's not base anything. I know for sure they even know,

569
00:24:12,800 --> 00:24:14,960
Speaker 5: But I mean, if you practiced all three days and

570
00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:18,040
Speaker 5: it was limited and everything, you would think that if

571
00:24:18,040 --> 00:24:20,480
Speaker 5: it was a must win game at that point or

572
00:24:20,480 --> 00:24:23,320
Speaker 5: a playoff game, that he probably would have been in uniform.

573
00:24:23,359 --> 00:24:24,280
Speaker 5: And you know, whether.

574
00:24:24,480 --> 00:24:25,639
Speaker 3: They have to, you know, whatever.

575
00:24:25,680 --> 00:24:28,399
Speaker 5: It could be ten snaps, twelve snaps, twenty snaps, whatever,

576
00:24:28,440 --> 00:24:30,880
Speaker 5: it would be limited a little bit more, and then

577
00:24:30,960 --> 00:24:33,000
Speaker 5: you would think, then by everything went okay, then this

578
00:24:33,160 --> 00:24:35,200
Speaker 5: then whatever this week would be. Then if it was

579
00:24:35,320 --> 00:24:37,639
Speaker 5: the second round, the playoffs or whatever the sympothetical what

580
00:24:37,680 --> 00:24:40,679
Speaker 5: we're saying, he'd play more. So, yeah, you'd have to.

581
00:24:41,080 --> 00:24:42,919
Speaker 5: You'd think if he went through all three practices, if

582
00:24:42,920 --> 00:24:45,200
Speaker 5: he would have something where he went full Thursday maybe

583
00:24:45,200 --> 00:24:48,120
Speaker 5: and went half or limited on Friday, or he went

584
00:24:48,200 --> 00:24:51,520
Speaker 5: you know, Wednesday and then Sat Thursday, there'd be evidence

585
00:24:51,560 --> 00:24:54,840
Speaker 5: then that there was a you know, set back or

586
00:24:54,880 --> 00:24:56,920
Speaker 5: some some reason he didn't feel comfortable, they didn't feel

587
00:24:56,920 --> 00:24:59,520
Speaker 5: comfortable with it. But the fact he went all three days,

588
00:24:59,840 --> 00:25:03,320
Speaker 5: you would think that, you know, borrowing something else happening,

589
00:25:03,320 --> 00:25:05,480
Speaker 5: which I guess is always a possibility you're doing something

590
00:25:05,520 --> 00:25:09,080
Speaker 5: so unique like this, you know, injury, that he would

591
00:25:09,080 --> 00:25:10,840
Speaker 5: give it a shot. And yeah, I don't. I mean,

592
00:25:10,880 --> 00:25:12,560
Speaker 5: the Pierre thing is one of those sticks out to

593
00:25:12,560 --> 00:25:14,480
Speaker 5: me because it's lasted so long and lingered so long

594
00:25:14,520 --> 00:25:18,040
Speaker 5: at this point, I don't know, like the impression it's

595
00:25:18,080 --> 00:25:22,800
Speaker 5: three games now, right, I'm gonna run together. I thought.

596
00:25:24,280 --> 00:25:25,000
Speaker 4: That's a long time.

597
00:25:26,080 --> 00:25:29,880
Speaker 5: So it's well, he he also has a I think

598
00:25:29,920 --> 00:25:31,840
Speaker 5: that it's no longer concussion with him. He has a

599
00:25:31,840 --> 00:25:36,439
Speaker 5: calf injuries. So I don't think that it's not a

600
00:25:36,440 --> 00:25:38,320
Speaker 5: concussion that that would at least I don't say that

601
00:25:38,400 --> 00:25:40,320
Speaker 5: makes sense. But you know, those things can can be

602
00:25:40,520 --> 00:25:42,840
Speaker 5: as they are. So's he's listed as a calf now.

603
00:25:42,880 --> 00:25:45,200
Speaker 5: And and I hadn't impression the first week that he

604
00:25:45,400 --> 00:25:47,680
Speaker 5: you know, is a you know question more in the week,

605
00:25:47,680 --> 00:25:49,800
Speaker 5: you know, And I know he wasn't officially, but I

606
00:25:49,800 --> 00:25:51,640
Speaker 5: don't know what's going on with that one for sure.

607
00:25:51,720 --> 00:25:55,280
Speaker 5: And yeah, obviously, hey, it's all hands on deck, right

608
00:25:55,320 --> 00:25:57,560
Speaker 5: and there's no sense, uh you know, if somebody has

609
00:25:57,720 --> 00:25:59,480
Speaker 5: a soft tissue something that you know, we don't want

610
00:25:59,480 --> 00:26:01,120
Speaker 5: to reaggree you will give him next to were always

611
00:26:01,200 --> 00:26:04,760
Speaker 5: not going to do that, right, So anybody that could play,

612
00:26:04,800 --> 00:26:08,040
Speaker 5: although it's been you know, again, there's somebody like little

613
00:26:08,080 --> 00:26:10,320
Speaker 5: hidden stories this season and this I mean every season,

614
00:26:10,320 --> 00:26:12,320
Speaker 5: I guess is in the NFL or with the Steelers,

615
00:26:12,359 --> 00:26:14,560
Speaker 5: seems like there's so many things that happened. But you

616
00:26:14,560 --> 00:26:17,000
Speaker 5: know it's not day. Samuel Junior, a guy who's a

617
00:26:17,200 --> 00:26:19,199
Speaker 5: you know, the fact they have it'sotday Samuel when he's

618
00:26:19,200 --> 00:26:22,359
Speaker 5: starting for them, and we don't notice some in a

619
00:26:22,359 --> 00:26:24,520
Speaker 5: bad way anyway for two weeks now it might be

620
00:26:24,520 --> 00:26:26,680
Speaker 5: a long term fixture in this team. Is it's kind

621
00:26:26,680 --> 00:26:28,439
Speaker 5: of a buried story and everything else going on, but

622
00:26:28,480 --> 00:26:29,920
Speaker 5: in fact they have him. It's kind of like it,

623
00:26:30,359 --> 00:26:32,760
Speaker 5: you know, to remove the urgency to worry about whether

624
00:26:32,760 --> 00:26:35,480
Speaker 5: Pierre can get back right, no doubt.

625
00:26:35,600 --> 00:26:38,560
Speaker 2: And you know, sticking along those lines, Chris, how are

626
00:26:38,560 --> 00:26:41,960
Speaker 2: we feeling about t J. Watts chances for Sunday Night?

627
00:26:42,840 --> 00:26:44,440
Speaker 2: You know, the last couple of weeks, I think pretty

628
00:26:44,480 --> 00:26:47,880
Speaker 2: quickly it's been shot down that he would have much

629
00:26:47,880 --> 00:26:50,840
Speaker 2: of a chance of being involved. But this week, today,

630
00:26:50,960 --> 00:26:55,040
Speaker 2: earlier today, a much more optimistic Mike Tomlin. I'm gonna

631
00:26:55,080 --> 00:26:57,119
Speaker 2: have to wait and see how he practices, but that

632
00:26:57,119 --> 00:27:02,040
Speaker 2: there's optimism there. Does this feel like what could be

633
00:27:02,080 --> 00:27:04,320
Speaker 2: the return of TJ. Watt? I mean, let's face it,

634
00:27:04,359 --> 00:27:06,199
Speaker 2: this would be the perfect time to get a boost

635
00:27:06,240 --> 00:27:07,200
Speaker 2: like that in that locker room.

636
00:27:08,720 --> 00:27:11,400
Speaker 5: Yeah, you would think. I mean, if he's been whatever

637
00:27:11,880 --> 00:27:14,560
Speaker 5: medical type clearances to be on a practice field, and

638
00:27:14,680 --> 00:27:17,560
Speaker 5: I know there's a huge difference, especially a December practice

639
00:27:17,960 --> 00:27:20,760
Speaker 5: and compared to a playoff football game obviously in terms

640
00:27:20,800 --> 00:27:22,320
Speaker 5: of contact and all that. And they're not going to

641
00:27:22,680 --> 00:27:25,040
Speaker 5: have any contact this week, I'm sure, and practices, so

642
00:27:25,080 --> 00:27:27,439
Speaker 5: it's a little there's you know, there's unknowns there, but

643
00:27:27,480 --> 00:27:30,960
Speaker 5: you think if he's on the field, there's I don't

644
00:27:30,960 --> 00:27:33,600
Speaker 5: know what degree, there's probably sure there's some degree of

645
00:27:33,640 --> 00:27:35,840
Speaker 5: whatever what TD is comfortable with. Right when you get

646
00:27:35,840 --> 00:27:38,320
Speaker 5: to this point with this type of ailment, and you know,

647
00:27:38,880 --> 00:27:41,200
Speaker 5: with him the competitor, he isn't really any competitor in an

648
00:27:41,240 --> 00:27:43,520
Speaker 5: NFL player would be a playoff game or virtual playoff

649
00:27:43,520 --> 00:27:46,719
Speaker 5: game like this that he would go now, So I'd

650
00:27:46,800 --> 00:27:50,000
Speaker 5: be you know, barring something happening or some kind of

651
00:27:50,040 --> 00:27:52,240
Speaker 5: setback over the next few days, I'd be surprised for sure.

652
00:27:52,240 --> 00:27:54,760
Speaker 5: If he's not a go on Sunday. Then the biggest

653
00:27:54,800 --> 00:27:58,159
Speaker 5: question is whether it's how restricted he is, right, I

654
00:27:58,160 --> 00:27:59,640
Speaker 5: don't think he'll be out there plenty eighty five percent

655
00:27:59,640 --> 00:28:01,320
Speaker 5: of snap so he's played, you know, I don't think

656
00:28:01,359 --> 00:28:04,080
Speaker 5: it would be something like that. Maybe half, maybe quarter

657
00:28:04,200 --> 00:28:06,600
Speaker 5: maybe you know, when the first quarter, you're the first half,

658
00:28:06,640 --> 00:28:09,160
Speaker 5: you're you're doing you know, every other series or something,

659
00:28:09,160 --> 00:28:11,520
Speaker 5: and if he's stelling okay and he's stealing you know, conditioning,

660
00:28:11,520 --> 00:28:13,439
Speaker 5: everything feels all right. Maybe you know your tight game.

661
00:28:13,480 --> 00:28:15,119
Speaker 5: Maybe he plays more than the stretch. I don't know,

662
00:28:15,160 --> 00:28:18,320
Speaker 5: but something like that. But yeah, at this point you

663
00:28:18,359 --> 00:28:21,119
Speaker 5: would think that everything appears as if you know that

664
00:28:21,400 --> 00:28:23,520
Speaker 5: there's a there's an optimism and a and a belief

665
00:28:23,560 --> 00:28:25,960
Speaker 5: that that he would probably come back in a game

666
00:28:26,040 --> 00:28:27,520
Speaker 5: like this one. Obviously so much as.

667
00:28:27,480 --> 00:28:30,480
Speaker 4: Online as you were talking there, it kind of dawned

668
00:28:30,520 --> 00:28:32,600
Speaker 4: on me. It's like, Okay, if you're gonna have him

669
00:28:32,600 --> 00:28:35,920
Speaker 4: on a pitch count, the easy thing is say wow,

670
00:28:36,040 --> 00:28:39,960
Speaker 4: third downs, passing downs watts out there. But in this

671
00:28:40,040 --> 00:28:44,120
Speaker 4: game and considering the herbig factor, I might do the opposite,

672
00:28:44,200 --> 00:28:46,200
Speaker 4: you know, I want him being the guy set in

673
00:28:46,240 --> 00:28:50,040
Speaker 4: the edge against Henry or maybe Lamar. To me, as

674
00:28:50,040 --> 00:28:52,360
Speaker 4: great as he is a pass rusher, his value would

675
00:28:52,400 --> 00:28:53,280
Speaker 4: be on early down.

676
00:28:55,040 --> 00:28:57,480
Speaker 5: Yeah, it's kind of strange, but you're making a lot

677
00:28:57,520 --> 00:28:57,800
Speaker 5: of sense.

678
00:28:57,960 --> 00:28:59,760
Speaker 4: He's one of the best all time pass rushers ever

679
00:29:00,240 --> 00:29:02,840
Speaker 4: I'm talking about, right, you know.

680
00:29:03,280 --> 00:29:05,200
Speaker 5: Yeah, yeah, I mean how many guys you've seen it.

681
00:29:05,320 --> 00:29:07,680
Speaker 5: I mean Von Miller played four or five years. Just

682
00:29:07,680 --> 00:29:09,680
Speaker 5: coming in on thirty, you know, and you would think

683
00:29:09,720 --> 00:29:11,520
Speaker 5: TJ if you wanted to, I mean, you know, four

684
00:29:11,600 --> 00:29:12,600
Speaker 5: or five years when not if you do that, f

685
00:29:12,680 --> 00:29:16,080
Speaker 5: until he's forty probably comes into play, A doesn't snaps

686
00:29:16,160 --> 00:29:18,080
Speaker 5: or whatever, And it would be a little opposite in

687
00:29:18,080 --> 00:29:20,000
Speaker 5: this case. But it's a very unique team. Obviously, the

688
00:29:20,040 --> 00:29:23,520
Speaker 5: Ravens run the ballmore than anybody anyway, and assuming as

689
00:29:23,560 --> 00:29:25,120
Speaker 5: the backup, they just won a game and scored a

690
00:29:25,160 --> 00:29:27,160
Speaker 5: lot of points by what they complete ten passes? Is

691
00:29:27,160 --> 00:29:29,760
Speaker 5: that right? I believe Huntley completed ten passes.

692
00:29:29,440 --> 00:29:31,520
Speaker 4: Pretty obvious what their game plan was, you.

693
00:29:31,480 --> 00:29:35,120
Speaker 5: Know, yes, exactly, and we saw what their game plan

694
00:29:35,200 --> 00:29:37,080
Speaker 5: was against the steven How the Steelers have put together

695
00:29:37,600 --> 00:29:40,560
Speaker 5: what three good games on rushing defense since. But at

696
00:29:40,600 --> 00:29:42,320
Speaker 5: the same time, you know that, I mean, it was

697
00:29:42,400 --> 00:29:44,360
Speaker 5: less than a month ago this team. If you're Baltimore,

698
00:29:44,400 --> 00:29:46,000
Speaker 5: you're thinking, we just ran two hundred and forty yards

699
00:29:46,000 --> 00:29:48,840
Speaker 5: on them or whatever it was, you know, three weeks ago,

700
00:29:48,880 --> 00:29:51,640
Speaker 5: four weeks ago. So I imagine that's going to be the plan.

701
00:29:51,880 --> 00:29:55,239
Speaker 5: And you're right in terms of TJ being I mean,

702
00:29:55,280 --> 00:29:57,880
Speaker 5: if your terms are talking about run defense, he'd probably

703
00:29:57,920 --> 00:30:01,120
Speaker 5: you'd pick TJ over her big at that point. I

704
00:30:01,120 --> 00:30:03,520
Speaker 5: mean high Smiths O good enough that. I mean, then

705
00:30:03,600 --> 00:30:06,000
Speaker 5: you know Sawyer obviously is what you kind of want

706
00:30:06,040 --> 00:30:08,320
Speaker 5: them to be that too, So yeah, it's kind of interesting.

707
00:30:08,320 --> 00:30:09,959
Speaker 5: And then you kind of have her big as more

708
00:30:09,960 --> 00:30:12,920
Speaker 5: of the t off guy. So that's that's an interesting

709
00:30:12,920 --> 00:30:14,720
Speaker 5: way to look at it. And yeah, makes some sense

710
00:30:14,760 --> 00:30:15,480
Speaker 5: in some way.

711
00:30:15,320 --> 00:30:19,240
Speaker 3: And reverse I don't Yeah.

712
00:30:18,840 --> 00:30:20,760
Speaker 5: And I don't know if there's again the whole is

713
00:30:20,760 --> 00:30:25,440
Speaker 5: it such a unique injury and the ailment that I mean,

714
00:30:26,080 --> 00:30:28,160
Speaker 5: I guess you can't overthink it, right, I'd say, well,

715
00:30:28,200 --> 00:30:30,720
Speaker 5: the physical run defense is more physical, But I mean

716
00:30:30,760 --> 00:30:32,680
Speaker 5: if you're playing an NFL football game, right, I mean

717
00:30:32,680 --> 00:30:35,360
Speaker 5: there's you can't be picking and choosing and say, well,

718
00:30:35,400 --> 00:30:37,239
Speaker 5: this play might be more physical, he might get hurt

719
00:30:37,240 --> 00:30:38,800
Speaker 5: of you know, a displayer, this type of player, what

720
00:30:38,920 --> 00:30:42,040
Speaker 5: we play, it's it's gonna happen anyway. So maybe there

721
00:30:42,080 --> 00:30:43,160
Speaker 5: is something to that for sure.

722
00:30:44,080 --> 00:30:47,560
Speaker 2: The proverbial car crash on every single play in a

723
00:30:47,760 --> 00:30:51,760
Speaker 2: given NFL game, Chris, the last one that I've got

724
00:30:51,800 --> 00:30:54,320
Speaker 2: for you. We know DK Metcalf's not walking through that

725
00:30:54,360 --> 00:30:57,640
Speaker 2: door Sunday. We know Darnell Washington not going to be available.

726
00:30:57,680 --> 00:30:57,960
Speaker 3: Either.

727
00:30:58,560 --> 00:31:00,000
Speaker 2: I feel like I've asked you this for three or

728
00:31:00,080 --> 00:31:02,960
Speaker 2: four straight weeks now, and maybe it's just because you're

729
00:31:03,000 --> 00:31:05,760
Speaker 2: a Penn Stater just like he is. But is this

730
00:31:05,800 --> 00:31:09,280
Speaker 2: the week that we finally unleash the asur As our

731
00:31:09,280 --> 00:31:12,440
Speaker 2: guy Craig Wolfley would have said, Is the mouth gonna

732
00:31:12,480 --> 00:31:16,000
Speaker 2: be looth on Sunday night football against the Ravens?

733
00:31:16,520 --> 00:31:16,680
Speaker 5: Oh?

734
00:31:16,800 --> 00:31:18,320
Speaker 4: I love it. That was actually gonna be my last

735
00:31:18,360 --> 00:31:20,320
Speaker 4: question too, And I was gonna throw in John who

736
00:31:20,320 --> 00:31:21,960
Speaker 4: in the running backs? I mean, where do you think

737
00:31:21,960 --> 00:31:22,920
Speaker 4: the targets are going to go?

738
00:31:24,320 --> 00:31:27,400
Speaker 5: Yeah? One of the craziest things about Sunday's game was

739
00:31:27,400 --> 00:31:30,920
Speaker 5: that what the Gainwell wasn't thrown the ball more? Yeah,

740
00:31:31,680 --> 00:31:34,040
Speaker 5: you would have thought that that was everything about that game.

741
00:31:34,120 --> 00:31:37,200
Speaker 5: To swist screen, Gainwell gets sixteen targets and eleven catches

742
00:31:37,240 --> 00:31:39,320
Speaker 5: for you know, it might not beat them many yards overall,

743
00:31:39,360 --> 00:31:40,640
Speaker 5: but at least a third, you know, get a couple

744
00:31:40,640 --> 00:31:42,840
Speaker 5: of thirty and fours or whatever it might be, you know,

745
00:31:43,160 --> 00:31:45,080
Speaker 5: key plays like that, and he didn't get as many

746
00:31:45,400 --> 00:31:49,800
Speaker 5: targets and obviously everybody saw the Really, to be honest,

747
00:31:49,800 --> 00:31:52,240
Speaker 5: the one drive that moved the ball game was the

748
00:31:52,280 --> 00:31:54,960
Speaker 5: final two minutes there, and that was largely on the

749
00:31:55,000 --> 00:31:57,600
Speaker 5: back of two big passes over the middle to Pat

750
00:31:57,600 --> 00:32:00,000
Speaker 5: fire Youth, and he didn't have any at that point,

751
00:32:00,040 --> 00:32:02,200
Speaker 5: I don't say any choices. They still got obviously three

752
00:32:02,200 --> 00:32:05,000
Speaker 5: tight ends on the roster without Darnaut and then they

753
00:32:05,040 --> 00:32:07,640
Speaker 5: have the Jumpbo tight end too. But I mean, what's

754
00:32:07,720 --> 00:32:10,640
Speaker 5: let's face right, right, the passing game wasn't working doing

755
00:32:10,720 --> 00:32:13,520
Speaker 5: very much at all that game. So whatever you think

756
00:32:13,520 --> 00:32:16,640
Speaker 5: of MVS or feeling, and I mean, that's on the

757
00:32:16,680 --> 00:32:18,760
Speaker 5: resume right now, that's what That's what happened the first

758
00:32:18,760 --> 00:32:20,440
Speaker 5: week they went out there with with that group. And

759
00:32:20,440 --> 00:32:22,800
Speaker 5: we'll see if Austin comes back or not. And I

760
00:32:22,800 --> 00:32:25,440
Speaker 5: mean fire muth in terms of well, I was gonna

761
00:32:25,480 --> 00:32:26,800
Speaker 5: say he's the best. He doesn't have the best resume

762
00:32:26,880 --> 00:32:28,600
Speaker 5: of Stevelens, but in all pro but you know, at

763
00:32:28,600 --> 00:32:31,040
Speaker 5: this point of their careers, right, he has the highest profile.

764
00:32:31,040 --> 00:32:34,600
Speaker 5: He's your highest pedigree in twenty twenty five pass catcher

765
00:32:34,640 --> 00:32:36,320
Speaker 5: you have. I guess you could say John who too

766
00:32:36,360 --> 00:32:39,640
Speaker 5: in turn in that sense, but those two guys, and

767
00:32:39,920 --> 00:32:43,680
Speaker 5: you're right, and it's HiT's wild like John who has

768
00:32:43,680 --> 00:32:46,280
Speaker 5: so many catches in so few yards it's like, what

769
00:32:46,280 --> 00:32:49,120
Speaker 5: do you finished with five for eighteen this game? This

770
00:32:49,200 --> 00:32:51,880
Speaker 5: pass game, It's just like they give him the ball, like,

771
00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:54,920
Speaker 5: but they're not really using him. As they talked about

772
00:32:54,960 --> 00:32:56,520
Speaker 5: her in camp, the big thing was like, Oh, this guy,

773
00:32:56,560 --> 00:32:58,160
Speaker 5: we're gonna put him up the seam. He's gonna make

774
00:32:58,160 --> 00:33:00,440
Speaker 5: some plays, and they they don't even try to do it.

775
00:33:00,440 --> 00:33:02,280
Speaker 5: I don't that. I don't know what's going on with

776
00:33:02,320 --> 00:33:05,000
Speaker 5: that whole situation with him throughout the year, or whether

777
00:33:05,040 --> 00:33:06,480
Speaker 5: he just doesn't have it they don't believe it or

778
00:33:06,520 --> 00:33:08,160
Speaker 5: what why that isn't.

779
00:33:07,960 --> 00:33:09,960
Speaker 4: But it seems like he runs very.

780
00:33:12,720 --> 00:33:15,200
Speaker 5: Yeah, and they get them the ball every game, but

781
00:33:15,360 --> 00:33:17,240
Speaker 5: always like rate the line of scrimmage or behind the

782
00:33:17,240 --> 00:33:18,240
Speaker 5: line of scrimmage or.

783
00:33:18,240 --> 00:33:20,640
Speaker 4: After two yards on the field, and yeah, just stretch

784
00:33:20,680 --> 00:33:21,040
Speaker 4: a field.

785
00:33:21,320 --> 00:33:23,600
Speaker 5: I don't understand that for sure, but h but anyway,

786
00:33:23,640 --> 00:33:25,280
Speaker 5: when you have a wide receiver's cord, and we'll see

787
00:33:25,280 --> 00:33:28,240
Speaker 5: if AOSTU comes back that it puts up sixty total

788
00:33:28,320 --> 00:33:30,320
Speaker 5: yards in a game combined between the four or five

789
00:33:30,360 --> 00:33:32,680
Speaker 5: of them, you're probably gotta go a different route to

790
00:33:32,720 --> 00:33:34,880
Speaker 5: the next game for how you're gonna move your passing game.

791
00:33:34,920 --> 00:33:37,280
Speaker 5: And yeah, I mean fire myth. Maybe this would be his.

792
00:33:37,680 --> 00:33:40,440
Speaker 5: But maybe if you just pretend have everybody, pretend that

793
00:33:40,520 --> 00:33:43,080
Speaker 5: the Ravens or the Bengals paint them all like orange

794
00:33:43,080 --> 00:33:44,920
Speaker 5: and black, and then you have Pat Fried much just

795
00:33:45,000 --> 00:33:46,520
Speaker 5: go off and get like you know, twelve catches for

796
00:33:46,560 --> 00:33:47,480
Speaker 5: one hundred and seventy yards.

797
00:33:48,040 --> 00:33:49,240
Speaker 3: Get the guns and rowses.

798
00:33:49,800 --> 00:33:54,520
Speaker 2: You know where you are. Yeah, patr is gonna score

799
00:33:54,760 --> 00:33:58,080
Speaker 2: three times and have three hundred yards. Chris Danski great

800
00:33:58,120 --> 00:34:00,880
Speaker 2: stuff is always uh co hosted the Steelers Blitz with Tom.

801
00:34:00,880 --> 00:34:02,560
Speaker 2: Make sure you're checking him out at noon here on

802
00:34:02,560 --> 00:34:04,640
Speaker 2: the Steelers Audio Network of course, reading his work in

803
00:34:04,680 --> 00:34:07,280
Speaker 2: the trip in the trib part of me Buzz.

804
00:34:07,280 --> 00:34:08,880
Speaker 3: Thanks for the time as always, partner. We'll talk to

805
00:34:08,880 --> 00:34:09,200
Speaker 3: you soon.

806
00:34:10,239 --> 00:34:11,319
Speaker 5: Happen New year to you all.

807
00:34:11,680 --> 00:34:14,400
Speaker 3: Oh, hold on, hold on, hold on, let me redo that.

808
00:34:14,640 --> 00:34:16,960
Speaker 4: Oh okay, okay, Chris A.

809
00:34:17,000 --> 00:34:18,920
Speaker 2: Danski, thanks for the time. Make sure you're listening to

810
00:34:19,000 --> 00:34:21,319
Speaker 2: him on the on the Steelers Blitz at noon with

811
00:34:21,400 --> 00:34:24,120
Speaker 2: Tom Opperman and reading his work in the trib and Chris,

812
00:34:24,160 --> 00:34:26,120
Speaker 2: thanks a lot. We'll talk to you next year.

813
00:34:26,360 --> 00:34:27,160
Speaker 4: Okay.

814
00:34:27,160 --> 00:34:28,239
Speaker 5: Oh there you go.

815
00:34:28,880 --> 00:34:32,280
Speaker 3: I'm sorry, I'm sorry, take care of buzz.

816
00:34:32,280 --> 00:34:34,799
Speaker 2: Thanks dude. We will see you next year. I got Yeah,

817
00:34:34,800 --> 00:34:37,760
Speaker 2: I didn't do that to Rob King yesterday either. I'm slacking.

818
00:34:38,400 --> 00:34:39,719
Speaker 4: The older I get, the more I do is for

819
00:34:39,760 --> 00:34:42,360
Speaker 4: a living New Year's This week isn't even like anything

820
00:34:42,520 --> 00:34:43,160
Speaker 4: different for me?

821
00:34:43,320 --> 00:34:46,080
Speaker 3: Absolutely, yeah, absolutely, I'm with you. I'm with you on that.

822
00:34:46,200 --> 00:34:48,239
Speaker 2: And I am trying to lean into the dad jokes

823
00:34:48,280 --> 00:34:49,880
Speaker 2: cause I get more and more into my into my

824
00:34:50,000 --> 00:34:52,600
Speaker 2: dad era. But you're right, naturally they'll come naturally. Just

825
00:34:52,600 --> 00:34:55,440
Speaker 2: don't force it, just let it happen. When we come

826
00:34:55,480 --> 00:34:57,279
Speaker 2: back on the other side, let's start we kind of

827
00:34:57,280 --> 00:34:59,160
Speaker 2: switched things up there and went with a damski in

828
00:34:59,200 --> 00:35:02,640
Speaker 2: the second segment. Let's get back into some playoff clenching

829
00:35:02,680 --> 00:35:05,839
Speaker 2: scenarios and playoff pictures and that type of thing. When

830
00:35:05,840 --> 00:35:07,800
Speaker 2: we return to close down the first hour, Wes Sheeler

831
00:35:07,800 --> 00:35:10,120
Speaker 2: Matt Williams and it's the Drive on Steelers Nation Radio

832
00:35:10,400 --> 00:35:11,640
Speaker 2: on the Steelers Audio Network.

833
00:35:12,080 --> 00:35:14,760
Speaker 1: Your tune's about Drive on your twenty four to seven

834
00:35:14,840 --> 00:35:17,680
Speaker 1: home of the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.

835
00:35:32,000 --> 00:35:35,239
Speaker 2: Good final segment here of the first hour, and let's

836
00:35:35,280 --> 00:35:38,000
Speaker 2: start taking a look at the playoff picture here.

837
00:35:38,040 --> 00:35:39,960
Speaker 3: Of course, this is week eighteen, and Matt.

838
00:35:39,800 --> 00:35:45,440
Speaker 2: I unfortunately, at least from a content perspective, certainly from

839
00:35:45,480 --> 00:35:48,560
Speaker 2: the NFL's perspective, there's not a ton up in the

840
00:35:48,600 --> 00:35:54,560
Speaker 2: air heading out. It is very uncharacteristically already settled a

841
00:35:54,560 --> 00:35:57,040
Speaker 2: lot of the playoff picture in both conferences.

842
00:35:57,440 --> 00:36:00,200
Speaker 4: I mean, we know what six teams are going and

843
00:36:00,200 --> 00:36:02,279
Speaker 4: and then the other ones that win the NFC South

844
00:36:02,280 --> 00:36:04,480
Speaker 4: and AFC North are going to be the four seat exactly.

845
00:36:04,520 --> 00:36:07,839
Speaker 4: That's set in stone. So what is kind of I

846
00:36:07,840 --> 00:36:09,840
Speaker 4: think the NFL is not happy about that. I mean,

847
00:36:09,880 --> 00:36:12,520
Speaker 4: they're much rather be ten teams alive, like the Colts

848
00:36:12,560 --> 00:36:16,000
Speaker 4: and Chiefs and some teams.

849
00:36:16,080 --> 00:36:18,319
Speaker 3: Well, I guess are the lines still alive? Technically they

850
00:36:19,160 --> 00:36:19,440
Speaker 3: are done.

851
00:36:19,480 --> 00:36:21,279
Speaker 4: They're done. I mean, so there's not even a team

852
00:36:21,280 --> 00:36:24,600
Speaker 4: that can sneak in that's not a division winner. I

853
00:36:24,640 --> 00:36:28,400
Speaker 4: do think it's interesting, and you know, we're reaching a

854
00:36:28,400 --> 00:36:32,279
Speaker 4: little bit compared to other years. But Herbert got shut down.

855
00:36:32,400 --> 00:36:34,839
Speaker 4: Who else? You know, some of these teams you could

856
00:36:34,880 --> 00:36:38,160
Speaker 4: have a a half dozen on one hand, twelve and

857
00:36:38,160 --> 00:36:40,360
Speaker 4: the other whatever that says saying I missed that screwed

858
00:36:40,360 --> 00:36:44,359
Speaker 4: it up. But yeah, yeah, should we should we go

859
00:36:44,440 --> 00:36:46,560
Speaker 4: strong this week? Or should we shut everybody down? And

860
00:36:46,800 --> 00:36:49,160
Speaker 4: just accept our fate and see what happens, you know.

861
00:36:49,200 --> 00:36:51,520
Speaker 2: And that is the Chargers are kind of shutting down.

862
00:36:51,520 --> 00:36:52,680
Speaker 2: At least they.

863
00:36:52,440 --> 00:36:53,279
Speaker 4: Seem like the first one.

864
00:36:53,360 --> 00:36:55,960
Speaker 2: The first The most important part of that, for those

865
00:36:56,000 --> 00:36:58,080
Speaker 2: who haven't heard, it's already been announced by the other

866
00:36:58,120 --> 00:37:02,600
Speaker 2: Harbor Jim, that Herbert will not play Sunday in Denver.

867
00:37:03,040 --> 00:37:05,000
Speaker 2: Denver wins. That they lock up the first seed in

868
00:37:05,040 --> 00:37:07,320
Speaker 2: the first round by Chargers.

869
00:37:06,960 --> 00:37:09,000
Speaker 3: Lose, that they could.

870
00:37:08,640 --> 00:37:10,880
Speaker 2: If the Bills and the Texans and the Jags and

871
00:37:10,880 --> 00:37:12,640
Speaker 2: everybody tell it takes care of care of business, the

872
00:37:12,680 --> 00:37:14,399
Speaker 2: Chargers could drop all the way to the seventh seed.

873
00:37:15,040 --> 00:37:18,239
Speaker 2: So right now it's lined up that the Bills would

874
00:37:18,280 --> 00:37:20,360
Speaker 2: be the seventh seed, they go would go to New England.

875
00:37:20,719 --> 00:37:22,759
Speaker 2: The Chargers would be the sixth seed, they would go

876
00:37:22,800 --> 00:37:25,520
Speaker 2: to Jacksonville, Houston the five seed, they would go to

877
00:37:25,520 --> 00:37:28,560
Speaker 2: Pittsburgh or Baltimore. But if the Chargers lose and the

878
00:37:28,600 --> 00:37:30,920
Speaker 2: Bills win, they would flip flop. The Chargers would now

879
00:37:30,920 --> 00:37:34,360
Speaker 2: be the seventh seed who would go to New England,

880
00:37:34,360 --> 00:37:36,960
Speaker 2: and the Bills would avoid that divisional rematch and they

881
00:37:36,960 --> 00:37:41,080
Speaker 2: would go actually south to Jacksonville instead. So again a

882
00:37:41,080 --> 00:37:42,360
Speaker 2: lot of seating.

883
00:37:41,960 --> 00:37:44,600
Speaker 3: Implications, who's playing who and.

884
00:37:44,560 --> 00:37:46,960
Speaker 2: All that exactly right, And I think that's a smart

885
00:37:47,000 --> 00:37:47,880
Speaker 2: move for the Chargers.

886
00:37:48,920 --> 00:37:51,480
Speaker 4: You've clinched.

887
00:37:51,840 --> 00:37:54,120
Speaker 2: Is there really a huge difference between going to New

888
00:37:54,160 --> 00:37:57,960
Speaker 2: England or Jacksonville Road?

889
00:37:58,000 --> 00:37:59,120
Speaker 3: You know you're going on the road.

890
00:37:59,280 --> 00:38:01,400
Speaker 4: I don't think one of these is way scarier than

891
00:38:01,440 --> 00:38:05,080
Speaker 4: the other, or you know all that, all those three things.

892
00:38:06,719 --> 00:38:11,560
Speaker 4: One note with the first seed, the Patriots, if they

893
00:38:11,600 --> 00:38:12,520
Speaker 4: win and Denver.

894
00:38:12,320 --> 00:38:13,719
Speaker 3: Loses, they would flip flop.

895
00:38:13,719 --> 00:38:16,040
Speaker 4: They flip flop. But it is Denver's gonna playing against

896
00:38:16,040 --> 00:38:19,399
Speaker 4: Trey Lance. Yes, and that doesn't mean it's unwinnable. But

897
00:38:19,760 --> 00:38:23,560
Speaker 4: if you're Denver, you test anybody, Yeah, because then you

898
00:38:23,600 --> 00:38:27,880
Speaker 4: get maybe if the fourth quarter rolls around and you're

899
00:38:27,960 --> 00:38:31,480
Speaker 4: up two or three touchdowns or some people yeah, or

900
00:38:31,520 --> 00:38:32,279
Speaker 4: anybody banged up.

901
00:38:32,320 --> 00:38:33,520
Speaker 2: But I think you're right. You look at if you're

902
00:38:33,560 --> 00:38:34,920
Speaker 2: Denver and you're like, let's go take care of business

903
00:38:34,960 --> 00:38:35,319
Speaker 2: and then we.

904
00:38:35,320 --> 00:38:37,239
Speaker 4: Beat these guys up, and if we pull them off.

905
00:38:37,120 --> 00:38:39,520
Speaker 3: For the feet up for the week, that'd be great. Yeah.

906
00:38:40,000 --> 00:38:44,319
Speaker 4: I wanted to comment that I'm impressed because sometimes they

907
00:38:44,360 --> 00:38:48,280
Speaker 4: screw this up. The NFL has New England and Denver

908
00:38:48,360 --> 00:38:50,640
Speaker 4: playing in the same time slot. So it's not like

909
00:38:50,640 --> 00:38:52,560
Speaker 4: we already know you want like I hate, I hate

910
00:38:52,560 --> 00:38:55,200
Speaker 4: when they do those things. It's it's easier said than done. Sometimes,

911
00:38:55,200 --> 00:38:58,920
Speaker 4: But so they would both be playing hard at the

912
00:38:58,920 --> 00:39:03,680
Speaker 4: same time. Yes, I absolutely would have shut down Herbert.

913
00:39:03,760 --> 00:39:06,840
Speaker 4: I mean he's taken such a beating, like on average,

914
00:39:06,840 --> 00:39:11,759
Speaker 4: he's under pressure, got a broken left hand, right, I

915
00:39:11,760 --> 00:39:13,799
Speaker 4: mean he's got like this paddle on his hands. Still,

916
00:39:13,880 --> 00:39:18,320
Speaker 4: that's obviously a problem. He's way too important. And here's

917
00:39:18,360 --> 00:39:20,840
Speaker 4: the interesting one though, I would shut down Josh Allen.

918
00:39:22,160 --> 00:39:24,239
Speaker 4: He has this foot that I think is worse than

919
00:39:24,239 --> 00:39:27,880
Speaker 4: people think. There's I guess he went for X rays

920
00:39:27,920 --> 00:39:31,080
Speaker 4: after the game, but nobody's saying what it's like. And

921
00:39:31,160 --> 00:39:35,560
Speaker 4: I just think Herbert's in this category. But there's one

922
00:39:35,640 --> 00:39:38,600
Speaker 4: nuclear weapon in the AFC and the Bills have it,

923
00:39:39,120 --> 00:39:41,040
Speaker 4: and he has to be healthier. You got no chance.

924
00:39:41,440 --> 00:39:45,000
Speaker 4: And for me, the Chargers are similar, like, I can't

925
00:39:45,040 --> 00:39:47,720
Speaker 4: let this guy get in harm's way. In week eighteen,

926
00:39:48,560 --> 00:39:52,759
Speaker 4: they're both fighting something substantial. That's obvious. Allan hasn't been

927
00:39:52,800 --> 00:39:55,919
Speaker 4: himself for the last couple of weeks. If it means

928
00:39:55,920 --> 00:39:59,560
Speaker 4: you end up going to Pittsburgh or Jacksonville or Baltimore

929
00:39:59,640 --> 00:40:02,120
Speaker 4: or what ever. I don't care. All I care about

930
00:40:02,160 --> 00:40:04,080
Speaker 4: is I have that guy the best he could be.

931
00:40:04,200 --> 00:40:07,279
Speaker 4: That's my only chance to win it all.

932
00:40:07,480 --> 00:40:09,719
Speaker 2: I think that that makes a ton of sense. I

933
00:40:09,760 --> 00:40:11,480
Speaker 2: know that that makes a ton of sense. I think

934
00:40:11,480 --> 00:40:13,520
Speaker 2: I brought this up to you maybe yesterday. But I

935
00:40:13,560 --> 00:40:16,480
Speaker 2: wonder how much the last game of Orchard Park factors

936
00:40:16,520 --> 00:40:19,480
Speaker 2: into what Buffalo does. And I know that that's it

937
00:40:19,480 --> 00:40:24,520
Speaker 2: shouldn't it shouldn't. But they're humans. It's an emotional you know.

938
00:40:24,760 --> 00:40:27,719
Speaker 4: The owner might say it matters to me. You know,

939
00:40:27,800 --> 00:40:28,400
Speaker 4: it's a great call.

940
00:40:28,520 --> 00:40:31,200
Speaker 2: Sean McDermott might say it matters to me. Josh Allen

941
00:40:31,320 --> 00:40:32,719
Speaker 2: might say it it matters to me.

942
00:40:32,800 --> 00:40:35,560
Speaker 4: It probably matters all three of them. But the smart

943
00:40:35,600 --> 00:40:36,480
Speaker 4: thing is, don't.

944
00:40:36,239 --> 00:40:40,440
Speaker 2: Play the The bigger goal is the super Bowl. Yeah, yeah, certainly,

945
00:40:41,239 --> 00:40:43,399
Speaker 2: or maybe you know, Josh Allen gets the first gig,

946
00:40:43,440 --> 00:40:45,680
Speaker 2: gets two series to start the game or something like that,

947
00:40:45,760 --> 00:40:47,719
Speaker 2: and you're up ten to nothing on the Jets. But

948
00:40:48,040 --> 00:40:51,479
Speaker 2: I beat the Jets with Trubisky certainly could certainly could.

949
00:40:51,520 --> 00:40:54,000
Speaker 4: But then I mean again, I I don't plan on

950
00:40:54,040 --> 00:40:56,760
Speaker 4: going on this wormhole too, d. But if you set Alan,

951
00:40:56,960 --> 00:40:59,920
Speaker 4: are you seit and Cook? You like, I'm not setting Ye,

952
00:41:00,000 --> 00:41:02,480
Speaker 4: I'm not sitting my own line. I'm putting Tchubisky out

953
00:41:02,520 --> 00:41:05,799
Speaker 4: there against a really bad Jets team. But Cook, to

954
00:41:05,840 --> 00:41:07,640
Speaker 4: me would be another one that'd be like, man, he's

955
00:41:07,680 --> 00:41:09,560
Speaker 4: taking a beating over the I need him.

956
00:41:09,440 --> 00:41:11,920
Speaker 3: Fresh, I need him fresh. Yeah, I think so.

957
00:41:12,239 --> 00:41:13,600
Speaker 4: I think so. It's both of them.

958
00:41:13,800 --> 00:41:16,400
Speaker 2: It's it's a you know for teams like the Chargers

959
00:41:16,400 --> 00:41:18,120
Speaker 2: and the Bills, like, yeah, you're seeing.

960
00:41:17,840 --> 00:41:21,640
Speaker 4: The Chargers sit everybody too. I'm sitting like Khalil ma.

961
00:41:21,840 --> 00:41:25,400
Speaker 2: I'm sitting anyone who's who's remotely banged up or is

962
00:41:25,560 --> 00:41:28,000
Speaker 2: just a Khalil mack long in the tooth.

963
00:41:28,080 --> 00:41:29,640
Speaker 3: Let's let's give this guy an extra week.

964
00:41:29,840 --> 00:41:31,279
Speaker 4: That might be a total sit down. The more I

965
00:41:31,320 --> 00:41:34,080
Speaker 4: think through that one, because Buffalo, you'd still like to win,

966
00:41:34,120 --> 00:41:36,200
Speaker 4: and you like your chances against the Jets.

967
00:41:36,280 --> 00:41:37,239
Speaker 3: Yeah, ooh man.

968
00:41:37,280 --> 00:41:40,560
Speaker 2: As we're having this conversation right now, the NFL is

969
00:41:40,560 --> 00:41:44,720
Speaker 2: having these same conversations very begrudgingly.

970
00:41:44,360 --> 00:41:46,440
Speaker 4: Exactly, and like not to match all the teams that

971
00:41:46,480 --> 00:41:47,799
Speaker 4: don't matter they're playing each other.

972
00:41:49,320 --> 00:41:52,359
Speaker 2: Again, we're not naive if the Bills sit everybody, and

973
00:41:52,840 --> 00:41:55,360
Speaker 2: the Chargers sit everybody, and the Texans and the Jags

974
00:41:55,440 --> 00:41:58,120
Speaker 2: sit some people. And the NFL executives are going to

975
00:41:58,160 --> 00:42:01,319
Speaker 2: be meeting in March and April going how do we

976
00:42:01,360 --> 00:42:05,600
Speaker 2: prevent this from happening again. We already expanded the regular

977
00:42:05,640 --> 00:42:08,560
Speaker 2: season to give people more opportunities. We already expanded the

978
00:42:08,560 --> 00:42:10,680
Speaker 2: playoffs to get an extra team in on each conference.

979
00:42:10,960 --> 00:42:13,160
Speaker 3: We can't have these dead week eighteens. And I know

980
00:42:13,239 --> 00:42:15,680
Speaker 3: it's such an anomaly, but they don't. They don't look

981
00:42:15,719 --> 00:42:17,120
Speaker 3: at it like that. They look at it like we

982
00:42:17,120 --> 00:42:18,360
Speaker 3: can't let this happen again.

983
00:42:19,520 --> 00:42:21,520
Speaker 4: Right, And I think the answer is, like you said,

984
00:42:21,520 --> 00:42:22,279
Speaker 4: it's a one off.

985
00:42:23,040 --> 00:42:26,959
Speaker 2: That's the answer. But quite often billion dollar businesses don't.

986
00:42:27,280 --> 00:42:31,120
Speaker 2: Don't just accept that's a one off. That doesn't protect

987
00:42:31,160 --> 00:42:31,839
Speaker 2: the bottom line.

988
00:42:31,920 --> 00:42:33,799
Speaker 4: I mean, there's no Thursday Night football this week, there's

989
00:42:33,800 --> 00:42:35,120
Speaker 4: no Monday Night football this week.

990
00:42:35,280 --> 00:42:39,840
Speaker 2: You know, it's a very good point, wild one on

991
00:42:39,920 --> 00:42:41,800
Speaker 2: last night's Monday Night Football conclusion.

992
00:42:41,840 --> 00:42:46,360
Speaker 3: Maybe Saturday night Saturdays are yes, at least meaningful.

993
00:42:46,440 --> 00:42:48,879
Speaker 4: I'm just thinking about eyes on the game this week.

994
00:42:49,160 --> 00:42:50,520
Speaker 3: I completely agree.

995
00:42:51,440 --> 00:42:53,640
Speaker 4: And college football's got some good stuff against you.

996
00:42:53,719 --> 00:42:59,040
Speaker 2: Wednesday Thursday. Certainly. Uh, the NFC, same scenarios. Six teams

997
00:42:59,040 --> 00:43:02,240
Speaker 2: have clenched, seating stuff up for grabs. In one division

998
00:43:02,239 --> 00:43:04,120
Speaker 2: title that will be contested head to head, of course,

999
00:43:04,160 --> 00:43:06,960
Speaker 2: the Carolina Panthers at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That'll be

1000
00:43:07,000 --> 00:43:10,239
Speaker 2: the Saturday four thirty game. Carolina is the one who

1001
00:43:10,239 --> 00:43:14,320
Speaker 2: could tie and still advance. Oh okay, so the Bucks

1002
00:43:15,040 --> 00:43:19,960
Speaker 2: need to win Carolina win or tie. But other than that,

1003
00:43:20,680 --> 00:43:23,200
Speaker 2: San Francisco and Seattle will play for the one seed

1004
00:43:23,320 --> 00:43:25,800
Speaker 2: Sunday or Saturday night part of me at eight o'clock.

1005
00:43:27,160 --> 00:43:31,160
Speaker 2: But other than that, Bears, Rams, Eagles, Packers all clinched.

1006
00:43:31,760 --> 00:43:35,239
Speaker 4: So the way I understand it is the Bears and

1007
00:43:35,320 --> 00:43:37,200
Speaker 4: Eagles are going to be two and three or three

1008
00:43:37,200 --> 00:43:39,799
Speaker 4: and two, Yes, and you know, yes, would you care?

1009
00:43:40,880 --> 00:43:41,759
Speaker 4: I don't think i'd care.

1010
00:43:43,200 --> 00:43:43,399
Speaker 3: No.

1011
00:43:43,920 --> 00:43:45,560
Speaker 2: I wouldn't want to be the four seed because I

1012
00:43:45,560 --> 00:43:47,359
Speaker 2: wouldn't want to have to play the Rams.

1013
00:43:48,160 --> 00:43:49,759
Speaker 4: Right, But I don't even know that the Rams are

1014
00:43:49,760 --> 00:43:50,399
Speaker 4: going to be the five.

1015
00:43:50,480 --> 00:43:53,320
Speaker 3: Now, that's like they lost. Because they did lose.

1016
00:43:53,520 --> 00:43:56,640
Speaker 4: I think the loser of Niners Seattle becomes the.

1017
00:43:56,680 --> 00:43:59,160
Speaker 2: Five, you're right, and then the Rams would be the

1018
00:43:59,400 --> 00:44:01,759
Speaker 2: So that's why Packers.

1019
00:44:01,960 --> 00:44:04,759
Speaker 4: I want to play the Packers. So if you're two,

1020
00:44:04,800 --> 00:44:06,000
Speaker 4: you get to play the Packer. You get to play

1021
00:44:06,040 --> 00:44:08,360
Speaker 4: the Packers, But if you're three, you probably get the Rams.

1022
00:44:08,960 --> 00:44:11,640
Speaker 4: Those are like my favorite and least favorite teams to play.

1023
00:44:11,800 --> 00:44:15,120
Speaker 4: So if I'm the Bears and Eagles, do I go

1024
00:44:15,360 --> 00:44:19,600
Speaker 4: strong just for that or not? That's a perplexing one

1025
00:44:19,640 --> 00:44:19,840
Speaker 4: to me.

1026
00:44:19,960 --> 00:44:22,200
Speaker 3: That that is a perplexing one. I think if hackers

1027
00:44:22,239 --> 00:44:24,560
Speaker 3: look very vulnerable, very much.

1028
00:44:24,600 --> 00:44:24,680
Speaker 5: So.

1029
00:44:24,840 --> 00:44:26,960
Speaker 2: Yeah, if I'm the Bears, I want to keep winning.

1030
00:44:27,160 --> 00:44:29,160
Speaker 2: I want to keep my momentum going. I want to

1031
00:44:29,200 --> 00:44:31,319
Speaker 2: keep this upward trajectory. I don't want to hit the

1032
00:44:31,360 --> 00:44:34,239
Speaker 2: pause button if I'm Chicago. If I'm the Eagles, I'm

1033
00:44:34,239 --> 00:44:36,800
Speaker 2: more willing to hit the pause button. If I'm the Rams,

1034
00:44:36,800 --> 00:44:38,600
Speaker 2: I'm more willing to hit the pause button because I've

1035
00:44:38,600 --> 00:44:41,360
Speaker 2: been there. Like, yeah, you get what I'm saying. For Chicago,

1036
00:44:41,440 --> 00:44:46,600
Speaker 2: it's like all those guys, guys for the Eagles were

1037
00:44:46,840 --> 00:44:47,319
Speaker 2: just there.

1038
00:44:47,480 --> 00:44:51,320
Speaker 4: Yeah. None of these Bears as constructed went together, of course,

1039
00:44:51,640 --> 00:44:52,960
Speaker 4: you know. I mean, Tony's been there.

1040
00:44:52,960 --> 00:44:54,760
Speaker 2: But I mean, like, and this is Ben Johnson's first

1041
00:44:54,760 --> 00:44:57,160
Speaker 2: crack at this, it's Williams first crack at this.

1042
00:44:57,560 --> 00:45:00,200
Speaker 4: So the other thing you didn't mention, but is in

1043
00:45:00,239 --> 00:45:02,440
Speaker 4: Stone too. The Packers are definitely seven.

1044
00:45:02,719 --> 00:45:05,759
Speaker 3: Yes, yes, I'm glad you mentioned that they are definitely seven.

1045
00:45:05,800 --> 00:45:07,920
Speaker 4: Whoever two is now, I think it's the Bears. If

1046
00:45:07,920 --> 00:45:10,879
Speaker 4: you win, you get the Packers, which I don't think

1047
00:45:10,920 --> 00:45:12,640
Speaker 4: you care about. I mean, I don't know there is

1048
00:45:12,640 --> 00:45:13,680
Speaker 4: a rivalry Bears.

1049
00:45:13,640 --> 00:45:16,680
Speaker 2: I want the Packers of like, yeah, let's let's I mean,

1050
00:45:16,719 --> 00:45:20,359
Speaker 2: I would plan we get these guys. Yeah, let's plan

1051
00:45:20,480 --> 00:45:23,200
Speaker 2: our flag and the No, that's the one. If I'm

1052
00:45:23,200 --> 00:45:25,520
Speaker 2: a division champion in the NFC, I'm trying to avoid

1053
00:45:25,560 --> 00:45:28,560
Speaker 2: the Rams. Yes, I would rather have anybody else. I'd

1054
00:45:28,640 --> 00:45:30,719
Speaker 2: rather have the Niners. I'd rather have the Seahawks. I'd

1055
00:45:30,800 --> 00:45:31,600
Speaker 2: rather have the Packers.

1056
00:45:31,920 --> 00:45:34,200
Speaker 4: So I don't know if the Rams I should know,

1057
00:45:34,239 --> 00:45:35,960
Speaker 4: I don't know. If they're set in Stone is the

1058
00:45:36,000 --> 00:45:39,080
Speaker 4: sixth seed? There might have to be some weird stuff

1059
00:45:39,080 --> 00:45:39,520
Speaker 4: that happen.

1060
00:45:39,680 --> 00:45:40,600
Speaker 3: Yeah, that's a good question.

1061
00:45:41,400 --> 00:45:44,880
Speaker 4: But McVeigh said today he's playing everyone, which I didn't understand.

1062
00:45:45,719 --> 00:45:47,000
Speaker 3: Yeah, I don't understand that either.

1063
00:45:47,080 --> 00:45:49,080
Speaker 4: I mean, I know, like DeVante Adams won't play. But

1064
00:45:49,200 --> 00:45:50,800
Speaker 4: I guess maybe they only play a series.

1065
00:45:50,880 --> 00:45:53,480
Speaker 2: I mean in that Yeah, we're gonna play everyone. Okay,

1066
00:45:53,520 --> 00:45:55,520
Speaker 2: they play they're out.

1067
00:45:56,560 --> 00:45:58,120
Speaker 4: Yeah, Yeah, that's possibility.

1068
00:45:58,160 --> 00:46:00,440
Speaker 2: That certainly is a possibility. But I think there locked

1069
00:46:00,440 --> 00:46:03,680
Speaker 2: into the five. I don't think they can catch the

1070
00:46:03,760 --> 00:46:05,240
Speaker 2: Niners of the Seahawks.

1071
00:46:05,160 --> 00:46:08,840
Speaker 4: And got in the six. Sorry, yes, I keep I

1072
00:46:08,840 --> 00:46:10,799
Speaker 4: don't think they can. I think the loser of the

1073
00:46:10,920 --> 00:46:15,240
Speaker 4: NINERWK is five. I know it's not a set in stone,

1074
00:46:15,239 --> 00:46:18,920
Speaker 4: but that's like ninety there's there's a chance with weird

1075
00:46:19,040 --> 00:46:22,880
Speaker 4: ties that they that Seattle and the Rams like the

1076
00:46:22,880 --> 00:46:25,440
Speaker 4: third tiebreaker. I went through this with on my other podcast,

1077
00:46:25,480 --> 00:46:25,920
Speaker 4: and it's.

1078
00:46:25,800 --> 00:46:30,319
Speaker 2: Like it's basically yes, so the Rams the Rams can

1079
00:46:30,400 --> 00:46:34,759
Speaker 2: only be the five or six seed if Seattle loses.

1080
00:46:34,880 --> 00:46:39,000
Speaker 4: I think the Rams have a tiebreaker over them, like

1081
00:46:39,040 --> 00:46:43,360
Speaker 4: the third tiebreaker like strength of opponent or something some crazy.

1082
00:46:45,360 --> 00:46:48,280
Speaker 4: But all in all, things are pretty set in the NFC.

1083
00:46:48,520 --> 00:46:49,080
Speaker 3: Pretty set.

1084
00:46:49,200 --> 00:46:51,839
Speaker 4: I mean Niner Seahawks turns into a real big game.

1085
00:46:52,120 --> 00:46:57,560
Speaker 2: Yes, just for for seating and by yes, yes and

1086
00:46:57,640 --> 00:46:58,640
Speaker 2: so yeah, I.

1087
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Speaker 4: Mean I'm the Prayers are Eagles. I don't want to

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Speaker 4: play any of the NFC West teams. No, I would

1089
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Speaker 4: love the Yeah, I think that no matter who you are,

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Speaker 4: I think you want to go to the South leader

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00:47:08,560 --> 00:47:09,560
Speaker 4: or you want the Packers.

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Speaker 2: I think that's the that's the strategy as we stand

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00:47:12,840 --> 00:47:15,480
Speaker 2: here today. Certainly hour in the books, another hour ago.

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Speaker 2: Let's take a look at some power rankings, some updated

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00:47:18,680 --> 00:47:22,480
Speaker 2: draft scenarios, and and uh and orders to run by

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Speaker 2: here an hour number two plenty to get to as

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Speaker 2: we roll along on the drive, Euler Williamson, it's the

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Speaker 2: Steelers Audio Network.