Headed to the Meadowlands as a huge favorite and with two quick and supremely important games with Pittsburgh and Houston before Christmas day, Luke Jones and Nestor discuss the playoff path of the Baltimore Ravens and the “Super Bowl or bust” mantra that is starting to feel fleeting with five losses.
Nestor Aparicio and Luke Jones discussed the Baltimore Ravens’ playoff hopes and upcoming games. They highlighted the Ravens’ 15-point favorite status against the Giants and emphasized the importance of winning four consecutive games to secure a strong playoff position. They noted the Ravens’ defensive and offensive challenges, including the offensive line and kicker issues. They compared the Ravens’ situation to previous Super Bowl runs, noting the need for health and consistency. They also discussed the AFC landscape, emphasizing the importance of the upcoming games against the Steelers and Texans, and the potential playoff matchups with teams like Kansas City and Buffalo.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
Ravens playoffs, Super Bowl hopes, bye week, Maryland crab cake tour, Jiffy Lube multi care, 15-point favorite, national TV, Steelers game, bad teams, Kansas City issues, AFC landscape, Ravens health, short week, division title
SPEAKERS
Luke Jones, Nestor Aparicio
8
Nestor Aparicio 00:01
Welcome home. We are W, N, S T, am 1570 tasks in Baltimore and Baltimore positive. We are through the bye week. Up on the holidays. We are doing Maryland crab cake tour stop several times this week and next, where faith leaves on Wednesday. We are at amicis next Tuesday the 17th, and we’re going to be on the Wednesday the 18th, doing our traditional send off with Costas and I get crab Imperial for the holidays. It makes me feel very, very royal. Our friends at the Maryland lottery giving us the Raven scratch offs to give away. I will have these also our friends at Jiffy Lube multi care, not only powering me up, but powering Luke back and forth to Raven’s training camp this week, where he didn’t have to go so much last week. And I mean, if Deontay Johnson doesn’t have to go into the game, Luke doesn’t have to go to the office, um, you don’t even have to go to New Jersey this weekend if you don’t want to. I I hear they bury Jimmy Hoffa there. Just a long story. I had to explain that to somebody a couple weeks ago about the meadow lands. But dude, they’re a 15 point favorite. As the week started, I watched the competition in the league over the weekend. I watched the Browns roll out the ball, and I said to my wife, still is going to win 3413 today in this one. That’s what I said there when it began. And then I saw Jim Schwartz with a little piss and vinegar, and I thought, Well, maybe not 34 maybe just 27 um. But nonetheless, for me, with watching football all weekend long and Thanksgiving and it feels like the Ravens haven’t played in a while. Feels like I’ve watched a lot of football games since the last time they played, and now it’s about to change. Where the ravens are going to get back in the hot seat and be on national TV and play and be on Christmas night. The Steelers have to play Christmas afternoon as well, and the Steelers played the Eagles this week, so we’re just going to roll the ball out and the Ravens are going to win in New Jersey. I know that. And then where are the Steelers? Where are the bills? After what happened to them? And a very entertaining game over the weekend, but entertaining football for the most part, but it felt a little thin to me, because they’re just a piss pot full of three and 10 teams. There are a lot of really bad, bad teams in the NFL right now as we turn the corner on, looking for coaches, looking for quarterbacks, looking for leadership, looking for fans, in some cases, yeah.
Luke Jones 02:14
And what was funny, I think the game that I didn’t sit here and watch it, I was just seeing it on red zone. The game that might have been the most lopsided was 40 Niners bears, which, I mean, you look at everything that’s happened with the 40 Niners and McCaffrey being out, and their backup, running back being out, and the bears just having changed coaches. And, I mean, the 40 Niners just spanked them so but yeah, you look around the league, and we always talk about this during the bye week or anytime the Ravens aren’t playing on a Sunday, you get a chance to to kind of survey. You get a chance to see, okay, who’s really good, who’s good right now, who’s going through something right now. And, I mean, you just look at the landscape of the AFC in general. I mean, Kansas City wins again on Sunday night. Not an impressive fashion, right? I mean, think there’s still questions about their offensive line and whether they have enough explosiveness in their offense. I mean, they scored 19 points. They win on a Doink with their what their third string kicker hits it off the upright, it goes in. That was on the heels of how they miraculously beat Denver with the block Field Goal A couple weeks ago. I mean, it’s just, it’s It’s just strange, right? I mean, this chiefs team is far from dominant. When you see 12 and one, you think, Wow, that’s a great, great, great, great football team, and they’re great through the lens of reputation, right? Because they’ve won Super Bowls, but they eyeball test wise, do not impress you. I mean, even their defense, which was good on Sunday night, has had its issues of late. I mean, I think that’s kind of been the understated part of what’s been going on with Kansas City, despite the fact that they’ve been winning. Their defense hasn’t played as well the last five, six weeks. But you know, you look at that, you look at Buffalo, who offensively looks great on Sunday in LA, but all the Rams scored 44 and they couldn’t stop Bucha nakua, so they fall two games behind Kansas City. So it’s looking more and more like the chiefs and arrowhead being you know, the spot that you need to go through to get to a Super Bowl in the AFC, which isn’t shocking, but I think you look at all these teams, if you’re the ravens, you kind of say, hey, you know what? We’ve got our own issues. But these teams have issues too. These teams have areas that they’re not as good and things that they could be better in. And you know, to me, even though you didn’t get a lot of help in the standings, you know, other than, I guess the Chargers losing you still kind of come out of the weekend and say, hey, it’s all sitting right there for us, you know, to your point,
Nestor Aparicio 04:49
thank you. Brian Billick, yeah, right, exactly. But
Luke Jones 04:52
8it’s, it’s the truth. I mean, it’s, it’s the absolute truth. Go up to New York and absolutely take care of just an app up. Completely dreadful giants team. This might be the worst team they played all year. And that’s saying something, considering they played the Raiders, and they played
Nestor Aparicio 05:08
good about yourself, too. If you go up there, you play well. And, you know, get the offense going, get the defense going, get some stats. It’s a tune off the Johnson, oh, he’s not playing. But get guys the ball. You know what I mean a little bit. Yeah, it look tomorrow off the field at halftime. Maybe they can’t
Luke Jones 05:25
express it this way. They can’t think of it this way, but we can, because we’re not playing right? This is a tune up for them, right? This is coming out of the bye week. Knock the rust off. You know, any, any, anything you’re tweaking lineup wise or usage wise, or playbook wise, you get a chance to see it against the hapless giants, because, you know it’s go time after that. You know you’re going to be on a short week after that, and then you’re going to be on a really short week after that, and you need to win those games, right? I mean, they, they can’t afford to drop any if they want to win the division. I mean, they have to, they have to win out, and they need help. I mean, it’s that simple. So, you know, I
Nestor Aparicio 06:05
was watching again, just said that my wife, how they gonna win four games in a row? I mean, like, I, you know, like, they’re got to, if they win four games in a row, they will be the team nobody wants to play in January and a lot of based on how they look next Saturday against the Steelers and then the Houston game. I mean this back to back, I can’t begin to express especially if you have older players. I’m talking for Ronnie Stanley, I’m talking about and even for roquan At this point, guys and buy, yeah, this, this buy helped and but they’re about to go through it and to me, whatever they can do on Sunday, whatever the spread is at 15, it might be 13. I mean, it’s, it’s outrageous, 15 point spread, right? Like, that’s just very un NFL, right? I mean, it shows how uncompetitive that the giants are, you know. Oh, they’re awful. I mean, it’s like rice playing, you know, University of Texas or something like that. Crazy, but getting out of the game unscathed. We talk so much about their health and where they are at this point, and then really getting ready for the game of the year, right? The Steelers game is the first playoff game, because that either sets you on a pathway to have to go on the road or to maybe pull something off on stupid Thanksgiving kind of rest to have to go down to Houston, Pittsburgh has to play too, you know, one o’clock, you know, so like what these players are put through, and things that you and I as if we were their mommies, daddies, agents, doctors, we we don’t like these Thursday games. It’ll sanction any of this. The ravens are about to get rolled, rollered into it, and not just rollered into it. National TV, two really good teams, road game on the second end holidays, families, all the stuff that goes on with the holidays and having to perform at a level that they’re capable of, I guess. I mean, I guess the defense is capable of being better. I don’t. I you know, that’s against which quarterback, right, as I would say, and I would also say for the offense again, against which pass rusher, against which elite defense are you going to see? And I saw Tony Romo this weekend snuck in, and this happened in the pregame. And because you’re a special media guy, you miss a lot of the pre games, and you get to sit and watch it this weekend. But Romo snuck in. He thought the Steelers were going to win the Super Bowl. He said, I think the Steelers are going to win the Super Bowl. And really, yeah, he snuck that in. Yeah, yeah. He snuck that in. That’s Sarah. I thought about it for a minute. I’m thinking, why do you think that? What would make you think that? And I would think Super Bowl quarterback, head coach, who knows what he’s doing, defense that comes every week and like, maybe a running game may, I don’t know, and trying to get Pickens back on the field and figure all that out. But there is a point for me, where I’m looking for a balanced team. I like balanced teams. I don’t like what the bills have been up and down, and I like them in the snow and 12 degrees at home. And that might be where they are, although they stumble down the mountain going out to LA and fall behind by three touchdowns. But the positioning of where the ravens are right now, not so good, but better than it was before. Har balls brother lost on Sunday night to the chiefs. I mean, had a chance to win that game. The kick at the end. It’s crazy, right? But for me, going to Houston and playing a playoff game first week of January, winnable. To your point, there’ll be a favorite Christmas. I mean, unless they lose by 14 points of the Steelers, I don’t, or there’s a catastrophic problem, right? Um, but this is really treacherous. Right now, at eight and five, dude, they weren’t supposed they’re not on schedule. They were supposed to be 10 and three right now, right? They’re not on schedule. And you. Because they’re not on schedule, it’s going to throw off the rest of the schedule. I mean, already they can’t be the one. They can barely win the division. They can’t really be the two. So they’d have to go to Buffalo. They’d have to, even though they beat the pants off of Buffalo, they’re not going to be in a position to activate a tie breaker. So all that being said, their pathway to this thing that you said eight more weeks of football for the ravens, navigating that I look at all these teams and say, but over any specific great thing, but on a week by week basis, to think that this team, this defense, Lamar, who doesn’t like the cold. I mean, just I saw, we always talked about it with Juan Soto signing, about where you sign you and I did 20 minutes on Mets, Yankees, and where you want to be. Lamar should have played someplace where the weather was better. Just I see the way they wrap them in a in a blanket for 12 seconds in timeouts when it’s 42 degrees out. And I just, I, I don’t like anything about the way this is set up for them. I must say that if I were writing a column this week, I’d say, Yeah, John, you’re going to win another Super Bowl. Sure you are. Go prove it, and if you do, I’ll be sitting there ready to write purple ring three with you, if you think you’re going to Houston, Buffalo and Kansas City and winning back to back to back with this particular team right now, unless somebody’s got the flu, like on the other side I’m talking about or something really weird happens with the weather. And we used to have the kicker that could handle that. Now the Steelers have the best kicker in the sport. So there is a point for me where I look at it and I’m not writing them off, but if I had to write them. I would have to write them off and not in because the way I look at it, I don’t like the body of work. I love them on any given Sunday. I really, really do. I mean, I to your point, I had shots on two weeks ago. It’s about the greatest offensive ever. And the defense is getting a little better. And a Tucker can still kick it six, easy to straighten it out. They can all of that could happen in the same way that Jackson holiday can win rookie of the year next year. Adley could get his head screwed on right. They could sign court. It’s all this ifs and buts and candies and nuts, but this is not cut time for them, not just going to the Giants this week, but getting out of this game, getting Lamar off the field, getting people off their feet, getting guys the right bags of fluids, like all of that. That’s going to go into winning four games in a row here over the next three, four weeks?
8Luke Jones 12:27
Yeah. I mean, look, it’s never easy to win four games in a row, but they won five games in a row earlier this year, right? I mean, we’ve seen this team go on that kind of run, and I’ll say this, look, you want them
Nestor Aparicio 12:36
to win eight games in a row to win the Super Bowl, is what you’re saying. That’s exactly what you just said. I
Luke Jones 12:41
mean, when you put it that way, I mean, no one’s good enough to win the Super Bowl. What I mean, like,
Nestor Aparicio 12:47
8I don’t know, chiefs, all they do is win, win, win, and all we do is wake up and say how they could have a should have a might have lost, and they don’t,
Luke Jones 12:54
but, but my but you’re framing, but you’re framing it in a way that makes it sound like it’s impossible for any team to do it. Someone’s going to do it.
Nestor Aparicio 13:03
I want now this team, I’m watching this team. I’m saying someone’s going to do it. Their offensive line, the kicker, the offensive line, second year. But, but wait
Luke Jones 13:13
you just, you were just pumping up Kansas City. Have you seen their offensive line? The hopes is running for his life every single week. I know that they’re figuring out ways to win, but you’re, you’re really going to sit here and say with supreme confidence that that’s sustainable more so than the Ravens offensive line issues. I
8Nestor Aparicio 13:29
mean, I’m just ravens are going to get there january 20. I don’t disagree with you. I’ve looked up and said yes, in any given Sunday the ravens are absolutely might be better than most of these teams, but like, they haven’t been able to go out there and lay that meat on the wagon on Sunday afternoons, and now they’re gonna have to do a short box against a couple of playoffs. Okay, next couple, but
Luke Jones 13:50
you keep saying the short box Pittsburgh has to do the same exact thing. Have you seen what the Steelers schedule is the next three weeks? Do you know who they play Sunday Billy? They go to Philadelphia. So eagles are going to be favored in that game, and should be. Now Pittsburgh might win, because it’s the NFL, right? Ravens will host Pittsburgh after that. Who’s going to be favored in that game? Ravens are going to be favored in that game now, they got to beat the Steelers. I’m sitting here just hey, I’m the one who picked him to lose in Pittsburgh a few weeks back. So, you know, I’m not sitting here with it, with any level
Nestor Aparicio 14:24
of eagles are five point favorite, by the way, because everybody’s gambling, so I have to throw as they
Luke Jones 14:29
8should be, as they should be. They’re a better team. That doesn’t mean they’re going to win on Sunday, but they’re a better team. But my point with this is, I hear what you’re saying about this run that the ravens are about to go on, but Pittsburgh is going on the same thing. Who does Pittsburgh play after the Ravens? They host Kansas City there? There is a very plausible scenario. It’s quite plausible. Not saying likely plausible means it’s it can happen. They absolutely could lose. Three in a row, and the Ravens could absolutely win three in a row, or the Ravens could lose two of the next three. They’re not going to lose to the Giants. That’s my lock of the week. If they lose to the Giants, then yeah, forget all this, forget forget all talk about January and all that. If they lose to the Giants, then shame on them, because the giants are terrible. But, but my point with this is, look at just see how this is going to play out. I mean, Pittsburgh, look, they’re two games up. They deserve to be in first place. If they beat the Ravens in two weeks, they’re going to be Division champions, and they deserve it. And the Ravens deserve to go on the road for however long their January runs going to be. But my point is in looking at this and looking at the run the ravens are about to embark on. Pittsburgh’s got got it too, but what they have going for them is they’ve afforded themselves a cushion. So, yeah, they can afford to slip up once and still be okay. You know, they could slip up twice. Think of
Nestor Aparicio 15:57
them, by the way, given Pittsburgh, where they are, and given what they’re about to do. To your point, they have it. They have to play the earlier game, after playing us right, and they have to play the chiefs in the earlier game, Christmas Day. So um, and they very well might be better than the chiefs, like as a collective unit. To your point, they might beat the chiefs. She’s she’s got to worry about going in there at all cocky with one loss and whatever. But they’re, you know, the NFL schedule Gods feel like they sort of know what’s going on when they play, right? They don’t ever know what’s going with the Jets, right, right, you know what? But this is going to be a fun couple weeks to watch football too. Oh, no, question me excited. You’re getting me lubed
Luke Jones 16:38
up. No, this, there’s, there are a lot of outcomes. Here is my point. Now, we know the Ravens aren’t gonna be the number one seed. Highly unlikely they’re gonna be number two. I mean, if buffalo goes in the tank, which, look, they lost Sunday, but Josh Allen was
Nestor Aparicio 16:52
damn patriots, man. I mean, I’m looking at they, they better not lose their jets, right? That’s what I’m looking at the end of this season, their schedule. It’s like, wow. So
8Luke Jones 17:00
my point here is the Ravens. I mean, they’re looking at at best one home game, and then they’re going to be going on the road, which, by the way, is they’ve, they’ve done that path in the past to win two Super Bowls. So it’s not impossible.
Nestor Aparicio 17:14
Lamar Jackson has never done that to though for me, okay, Joe Flacco had never done it until he did it once, right? I
Luke Jones 17:21
mean, you know, I hear you, but same thing said about Josh Allen and anyone that’s not Patrick mahomes and I’ll you made the comment about classifying Russell Wilson as a Super Bowl winning quarterback in 2024 Yes, I realize he did it 11 years ago. That’s like talking about Joe Flacco in the present day. Oh, he’s a Super Bowl MVP, yes, an eternity ago, Russell Wilson’s not that guy anymore, although he’s been better than he was the last couple years, playing well enough. He’s playing well enough. I, I Romo saying that he thinks I I don’t see that. I don’t see them as a Super Bowl winning, like Super Bowl caliber team, if they are, then look, hats off to them. But I, I think, I
Nestor Aparicio 18:06
8think their defense is going to travel in in January a little bit and and if the offense doesn’t kick the ball around, you know, there’s a responsibility about Russell Wilson and keeping the ball, and I know that they can’t do but he could still throw the ball. And like how well he throws the ball, he’s throwing
Luke Jones 18:24
a decent deep ball. And look, they didn’t have Pickens on Sunday. Look, I again, I picked him to beat the Ravens a couple weeks ago. The Ravens have this block until they until it’s not a thing anymore. It’s a thing, you know, they’ve lost two minds to Pittsburgh, right? And look, a lot of those were garbage, you know, a couple were Garbage Time games where the Ravens sat Lamar, you know, he didn’t play in some of the games. So I get all that, but still, too much, right? Still have to beat them, but, but, but again, you look at, you look at that team, you look at the run they have to, they’re about to embark on ravens, you know, have their own stretch of three games in the 11 days. So, you know? But my point is, I mean, there’s still four games. Is still a lot of time, you know, it’s, it’s not quite a quarter of a season anymore, because, you know, you’ve got the 17 game schedule now, but it’s close to that, you know. I mean, think about it in baseball terms. You know, we’re, we’re embarking on having about 40 games to go in a baseball season. That’s still a lot of time, you know. So through that lens, a lot can happen here. And you know, that’s where Kansas City, for as much as you look at their issues, you know, their offensive line, their defense Sunday night, not withstanding, their defense not being as good as they had been the first two months of the season, or as good as they were last year. I think, I think that might be the sticking point for them, more so than anything, with their offense at this point. You know, for them to three peat, you know, for them to get to a Super Bowl again. You know, buffalo, their offense looks great. The defense, you know, I mean, look the Ram. Have some great talent, but the rams are seven and six, you know. I mean, they’re not, they’re not a week by week Juggernaut, you know, even like they were a couple years ago. So point is, with this, all these teams have flaws, including the Ravens. So let’s see, see what happens coming out of the bye week. I mean, handle your business against the Giants. To your point. I think it would behoove them if they can be in a position where they can get out of that game relatively cleanly, maybe even a little bit early, with some of your best best of your best players, knowing that you’re going to have a quick turnaround, then the host Pittsburgh in six days, and then an even quicker turnaround the game after that. So that’s part of this. But you know, Pittsburgh’s gonna be in the same in the same boat. As far as these, you know, this, three games in 11 days, Kansas City is similar boat. You know, Houston, same deal. I mean, they the league deliberately did that schedule wise. So you’re not going to have like this, you know, patently unfair advantage for one team or the other in these matchups, other than just the home or away factor. So, you know, it’s wild. I mean, you think about Christmas Day, that’s two, a little over two weeks away, as you and I are talking in real time right now, things could be drastically different, like the Ravens could be in first place in Pittsburgh’s the wild card, or the division could be over, and we’re just talking about the Ravens. Okay, which wild card seat Are you going to get? You know, and hold on to it. Make sure that just shows how important the Pittsburgh game is. Oh, it’s, it’s huge. I mean, think about it. I mean, it’s regardless of what happens on, like this coming Sunday. So obviously, Pittsburgh’s going to Philly tough matchup for them, ravens, not so much in terms of the matchup on paper, you know, playing the Giants, but if Pittsburgh wins that game, I mean, they’re Division champions, right? I mean, they’d have the tie breaker, they’d be up two with two to play. I mean, the division’s over. Then, you know, Pittsburgh would clinch. Or you could be talking about if the Ravens win the next two, and Pittsburgh drops one in Philly, and then the Ravens beat them. Then you could be talking about Christmas Day, where the Ravens would be a chiefs win, win, and a Ravens win away from being in first place and being in a position where they could lock
Nestor Aparicio 22:16
up the division, we’re gonna find out who’s good, aren’t we? I mean, we’re gonna find that out here. I mean,
Luke Jones 22:20
they’re both good, but who’s who’s
8Nestor Aparicio 22:21
better, right? I
Luke Jones 22:22
mean, who’s, who’s who’s equipped to handle this, right? I mean, to your point, and look, I I’ve almost been breaking my own rule here, because I’ve been sitting here being disparaging about the Kansas City Chiefs, not in the way that I’m saying that they can’t three peat or anything like that. I’m saying it in a way that all these teams have some warts, right? None of these teams in the AFC do you look at and say, oh my gosh, who’s going to who the heck’s going to beat them? I mean, because you know they’re they all have vulnerabilities, including buffalo, which buffalo? I think, until Sunday, they were feeling like the team that maybe was truly the best in terms of talent. Every
Nestor Aparicio 23:00
two weeks, a team coming to lions, you know? I
Luke Jones 23:03
8mean, the lions still feel that way in the NFC. I mean, I think the Lions have earned that in the in the NFC. But, you know, I think if you’re sitting there in the AFC right now, you’re not worried about the lions right now, you know, two months from now, maybe you know if you’re meeting them in New Orleans, but, but yeah. I mean, you just look at this. And so much of this is going to be about attrition. You know, whether we’re talking about who’s staying the healthiest or just in the case of who can navigate this challenging schedule, you know that that these four teams, you know, specifically, you know, put buffalo aside for a moment because they’re not involved in the Christmas Day thing. But you know these other four teams that we’re talking about Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Kansas City, Houston. Who’s going to navigate that? I mean, right now, the Texans feel like the weak link out of those four, but you know, they’re still sitting there leading their division. So it’s not like they’re out of it. It’s not like they can’t come out of their own by week with some answers and and looking better than they’ve looked recently.
Nestor Aparicio 23:57
But how many three and 10 teams are going to be involved in the circles of all of this before it’s all over with that you don’t get tripped up and lose a game you shouldn’t lose. And the Steelers, with the browns on Sunday being an example, or the bills going out to LA and tripping up there and finding themselves vulnerable to losing the two seed and and really, now not in place to be a one, which is, would have really helped them, yeah,
Luke Jones 24:26
whatever. And especially since they had beaten Kansas City. So you know, the tie breaker is tougher for them. I mean, keep in mind, we haven’t mentioned it because, again, we’ve kind of been focused on ravens, Pittsburgh and Kansas City, just because they’re, they’re the chiefs, but the bills go to Detroit on Sunday. So I mean, boy, there’s gonna be a lot of talk about that being a potential Super Bowl preview. So, you know, good match up there. But you know, then you look at them after that, and they have you, as you mentioned, New England comes into Buffalo. And then after after that, they have the Jets, I mean, in the dolphins at the end. Yeah. So, I mean. Um, you know, week 18. I mean, the dolphins are, I think that the dolphins are interesting in this. And from the standpoint of, if tua never gets concussed and doesn’t miss that extensive period of time, they’d be in the lot. They’d be in the playoff race right now. I mean, they’re that, they’re good enough for that at least. So, so they’re that’s interesting, at least for the end of the season, but
Nestor Aparicio 25:22
they’re a good, bad team, as you like to say, or a bad, good team. Yeah, yeah. I mean, again. Well, actually, I’m
8Luke Jones 25:29
looking at Buffalo goes to Foxboro week 18, looking at it. So you know that’s they should win. It’s not the patriots of old. So, but for Buffalo, this is a big This Sunday is a massive game for them in terms of trying to keep alive, wanting to be the number one seed. I mean, because, you know, Kansas City could drop a couple games here. I mean, it’s possible, right? I mean, it’s well, although we’ve been saying that all year, and they have one loss, right? Despite the fact that they don’t blow anyone out. So, you
Nestor Aparicio 25:57
know, what’s interesting is that, you know, the whole, like Kirk Cousins thing and where Sam darnold is, and I saw Derek Carr, you know, take that, that hand injury went down, is brutal. He hit the grounds. My wife saw that the first she’s like, Ah, I can’t look at that like we saw it live was going on because we sat around watch football all day. And I have the same vibe that you that like even the teams, like the Ravens that feel or the bills that feel good, but feel like championship stock the league is such like you, like the lions right now, Tony Romo, like the Steelers on Sunday. You know, everybody can have a flavor, but there’s no real flavor here. And the part is, are you going to go to Kansas City and be Patrick my homes in January? Because that’s still what’s dictated. As much as you don’t like them, they’re going to have a week off, and they’re going to power themselves. And Steve Spagnola is going to get ready for Lamar, get ready for whomever is coming in, hard balls brothers slapping around is going to get a chance to go to Pittsburgher, Houston and or Buffalo and have a game. And it feels like Denver. It just feels like a separation of how bad the bad teams are. Yeah, it’s December 10, and we’re sitting here in the playoffs. Are kind of like set for teams. I mean, there’s not a real now. It’s who’s gonna play who and where. And if the where is buffalo or the where is Kansas City, that’s not a good one. Even Pittsburgh, it’s not a good where. Sure, look, I’m
Luke Jones 27:17
not, I’m not sitting here championing that. I’m not sitting here saying, Oh, that piece of cake. I don’t care how buffalo looked the other night. Now, right? See,
Nestor Aparicio 27:26
8I don’t see Josh Allen getting off the bus in week two of the playoffs and saying, you know, that’s not, that’s not really where you want to be. 14 degrees
Luke Jones 27:33
in Buffalo, win or loss, how Josh Allen looked in that game. I mean, he had six touchdowns. I mean, that’s that, right? I mean, that’s why. I mean, for me, I you know, in this league right now, and apologies to Joe burrow, because he’s playing at that level, but the rest of his team is not. So he’s not even in this conversation, because he’s not going to be in the playoffs. But for me, I look at Lamar and Josh Allen, and then obviously Patrick mahomes has been the gold standards for six years now. You know, Lamar and Josh Allen are both having better years than Patrick mahomes, but like those three, like, those are the guys, right? I mean, those are the guys right now, but Allen and Lamar are both chasing mahomes. And for all the talk, and I just spent time talking about the Chiefs vulnerabilities. I will also say this because I was also the guy last year. When, not you, but think about that Christmas day game when they the Raiders had what, two defensive touchdowns in that game, and they beat them on Christmas day. You know, that afternoon, everyone was ready to say, the chiefs are going to they’re going to get bounced in the first round. They’re going to be done. And then we know what happened. I will say this, whatever vulnerability you think the Chiefs have right now, and there are plenty of people that will try to talk themselves into the Chiefs not being the favorite still. And look, I they’re still the Chiefs period, point blank, end of discussion. They’re still the chiefs. I still view them much more favorably right now than I did at that point on last Christmas, when, you know they were losing games left and right at the end of that season, and suddenly, you know, they weren’t the number one seed, and you know, they hosted a first round game, and then they’re going on the road after that. I mean, to your point, whatever vulnerabilities they have on their O line, or the fact that their defense on secondary has been a little more leaky. You know, they’ve had some injuries there, and they’re going to have home field, and they’re most likely, obviously, because buffalo is now two games behind them even, and they’re going to have with that. They’re going to have a week to figure it out, and everyone else is going to in the meantime, everyone else can be beaten each
Nestor Aparicio 29:39
other up Kansas City’s pathway at this point, if they can continue to hang in and again triple games they got, yeah. I mean, you know, their pathway is sitting around and watching everybody else beat each other up, waiting around for the worst winner, which is probably the Chargers or Houston or whatever, winning that game, and then waiting on who. Whoever’s left Pittsburgh, Buffalo ball, pick one of them. That’s their pathway. Dude. That’s way different pathway than any other case you’re gonna make for whatever Lamar is going to go through the next three weeks trying to get through Pittsburgh and win the division and or once you win, even if you get a home game in Pittsburgh, has to come here, or Denver comes here, whatever. And I, you know, I the Ravens feel differently to me if they win a couple of games here, you know, not, not the Giants game, but yeah, Pittsburgh, go down to Houston and win Christmas night we open the champagne and say, hey, you know, now, then I’ll be writing there a contender for right. Now, that’s fair for right now, they played their themselves and their pro obvious problems, defense, O, line, kicker, just all of it. You know, consistency in the general penalties, like all of the problems of their their headline problems, back in coverage, lack of pass rush, like all of those things in a box, I look at them right now, and it is incumbent upon me, if I were betting on it, opining about it, to say, I’m not plot. I’m not plot. They they’ve played down based on their health, based on their talent, based on their promise, and not just based on the record last year and what they did or didn’t do against the chiefs. Just they added Derrick Henry, they fortified the coaching. They’ve been a little bit suspect on the defensive side and play calling and whatnot. Lamar has gotten better in play calling and getting them out of plays at the line of scrimmage. So there’s a lot of storylines, but the real storyline is they’ve lost too much this year.
Luke Jones 31:45
Fair, fair. I mean, again, you can sum it up as good, not great. I mean, that’s eight and five, right? I mean, that’s, that’s kind of the definition of eight. Eight and five is a good record. Eight and five, excellent shape to make the playoffs, whether it’s gonna be wild card or division or division winner. So all that’s right there. I mean, we acknowledge that, but, yeah, they’ve got to show they can become great. And when we say that, that doesn’t mean for three quarters against the team and then
8Nestor Aparicio 32:13
it’s going to win the Super Bowl at this point, and you’ve already belched against the raiders and the browns and whatnot, you better damn sight. Beat the Steelers and be impressive in doing it. And I mean, no penalties, run the body.
Luke Jones 32:27
I don’t care what it just win.
Nestor Aparicio 32:29
Just I want to see the operation. I want to see the kicker kick. I want to see mistakes that made all that. And then on shorter rest, go down to Houston and show that you get that you’re going to find a way to win on the road? Sure, and that’s fair, yeah, I mean, and that’s what’s in front of them. 15 point favorite this week. He is Luke Jones. He’s ballpark Luke,
Luke Jones 32:49
8um, one last thing, yeah, sure. Because, because you mentioned it. Look, once upon a time, the Ravens had a path to a Super Bowl to go on the road against two of the five greatest quarterbacks in the history of the NFL, in Denver against Peyton Manning and in Foxboro against Tom Brady. They were underdogs in those games, and let me see what happens so and at that point, at this point, right now, you know, early flag was planking mid December, everything was an absolute mess, and no one thought they were going to do a darn thing other than maybe win one game in the first round and then be done. So
Nestor Aparicio 33:27
12 years ago, huh? It’s been 12 years ago.
Luke Jones 33:31
It’s crazy, right? Yeah, in some ways it feels like 12 years. In some ways it feels like yesterday. So, I mean, it’s but we’ll see. I mean, hey, I said it tongue in cheek. I’ll continue to say it maybe for this team, for the Lamar Jackson era Ravens. Maybe it was always meant to be a path that’s not the number one seed and unconventional point differential and all that, you know, all these things that said that they’re the greatest thing since sliced bread. Maybe it is the year that people doubt them a little bit, and then suddenly they do put it all together, or we’re going to be talking about the same thing in the off season for months, because that’s what we talk about, because this team hasn’t broken through. But hey, Buffalo is in the same boat. You know, the same things being said. You know, Josh Allen’s the the MVP favorite right now, it looks like and but everyone there, hey, you got to beat Patrick mahomes in Kansas City. And they know that. Ravens know that, but going out and doing it, that’s a different story. So we’ll see how this plays out. But hey, four games left, there’s still a lot of football to really determine what this is going to look like once we get to that second week in January.
Nestor Aparicio 34:33
Any knuckleheads out there think Luke doesn’t know what he’s talking about. He guaranteed me that the Orioles were not going to sign Juan Soto and he was right about it. So he is Baltimore, Luke. You can find him anywhere. The Ravens might be here this week. They’re up in Jersey. They are two touchdown plus 15 points to man, we’ll get these points spreads crazy, but that really speaks to how they feel about drew lock. Uh, these days, and I can’t wait to see that video of him dancing on the sideline as a as a Denver Bronco and rapping and whatnot. Uh, we will be rapping all week long with our friends on the Maryland crab cake tour. We’re going to be at Faith Lee’s on Wednesday with our Raven scratch offs. I’m running low Roz. I need new scratch offs. Hope to have them for each on Tuesday the 17th, and then we’re going to be Acosta’s on the 18th. It’s all brought to you by the Mary. You by the Maryland lottery, in conjunction with our friends at Jiffy Lube multi care. Also our 26th anniversary underway, 26 oysters, 26 days, 26 ways. That is brought to you by our friends at curio wellness and foreign doctor. And they have big time holiday things going on and sales happening as well. And last but never least, liberty, pure solutions. One 800 clean water. They keep my water clean, as well as my water bottle safe and fresh, and my shower is nice and clean. And, yeah, just if you have well water, you need treatment. And these folks know what they’re doing, so that’s why my skin looks so beautiful. 800 clean water is the way to find liberty, pure solutions. It is the holidays. We’re always looking for solutions around here. You can always email me Ness at Baltimore positive.com if the Orioles are going to sign Corbin burns or not, they’re not going to sign Juan Soto I know that, but any breaking news happens first the W, N, S, T, tech services back up and running, and better than ever. It is brought to you by Cole roofing and Gordian energy. He’s Luke. I’m Nestor, baseball, football. Great conversations. Dan Rodricks. We had a great, great time at Gertrude. We talked about the Feast of the Seven Fishes and holiday dining and sauerkraut and kibasa, which is always on my menu this time of the year, as well as we were at Cocos last week as well with Marcella and eggnog. Had Thomas wrote some Zeke’s coffee on he gave me a bunch of coffee. Big appreciation. You know, I love me some royal farms. Really nice. Take care of some local coffee. People get some dark roads, some royal blue. So I’m appreciative of that. And just for Sagan and Nick the Greek, we had a lot of fun. We talked about some great things. And Derek bungen from Jay Moore also joined us. So you’ll be hearing a lot of conversations around here, getting together with a whole bunch of friends of fasc week and amicis and CASAS next week. As we get ready for the holidays, we get ready for football. We get ready for baseball, winter meetings as well, and a new government to take over as well. We talking about that as well. I am Nestor. We are W NST am 1570 Towson, Baltimore, and we never stopped talking Baltimore positive, even during a bye week. You.
