It’s Pittsburgh Week and nothing feels normal

The battle for first place in the AFC North feels like a race to the bottom. Who looked worse over Thanksgiving weekend: the Pittsburgh Steelers or the Baltimore Ravens? Luke Jones and Nestor discuss their current sad states of mediocrity – or worse – as another rivalry game comes with different stakes and perhaps a different ceiling in January.

Nestor Aparicio and Luke Jones discussed the upcoming Steelers-Ravens game, expressing concern over both teams’ mediocre performances. They highlighted the Ravens’ recent struggles, including a 5-turnover loss to the Bengals, and the Steelers’ poor showing against Buffalo. Luke noted the Ravens’ need to run the ball effectively, given Aaron Rodgers’ wrist injury and the Steelers’ defensive issues. They also mentioned the importance of winning to stay in playoff contention, with the Ravens currently at 6-6 and the Steelers at 5-7. The conversation also touched on the broader NFL landscape and the potential for other teams to make playoff runs.

• [ ] @Nestor Aparicio – Attend the upcoming crab cake events at Faidley’s, Honey’s, Gertrude’s, and Dundalk.
• [ ] Think about the number one concern regarding the Ravens.

Crab Cake Season and Holiday Plans

• Nestor Aparicio discusses the increase in crab cake events from four to five, thanks to John Shields’ kitchen at Gertrude.
• Nestor mentions a new commercial with holiday music by Dave Shining and a new photo on social media.
• Nestor talks about the holiday season, including football games watched over the weekend and his love for holiday treats like eggnog and eggnog ice cream.
• Nestor thanks GBMC for keeping him healthy through the holidays and mentions a future discussion with Dr. Scary about cancer awareness.

Weekend NFL Recap

• Nestor and Luke Jones discuss the wacky weekend in the NFL, including the Ravens’ loss to the Chiefs and the Lions’ performance on Thanksgiving.
• Luke questions the greatness and playoff potential of various NFL teams, including the Patriots, Broncos, Colts, and Bears.
• Luke highlights the Ravens’ win against the Bears during the bye week, which has aged well given the Bears’ current position.
• Nestor and Luke discuss the mediocrity of the Ravens and the Steelers, with Luke expressing concern about the Ravens’ ability to win on Sunday.

Steelers’ Struggles and Injuries

• Luke points out the Steelers’ inability to stop the run, especially against Buffalo, and their compromised offensive line.
• Luke discusses the impact of Aaron Rodgers’ wrist injury on the Steelers’ offense, including his inability to take snaps under center.
• Nestor and Luke talk about the Steelers’ lack of downfield pass catching talent and the potential for Mason Rudolph to be a better option.
• Luke mentions the Steelers’ defensive issues, including the absence of Derek Harmon, and compares their current state to previous seasons.

Ravens’ Offensive and Defensive Performance

• Nestor and Luke discuss the Ravens’ offensive performance, including Lamar Jackson’s struggles and the need to run the ball effectively.
• Luke highlights the Ravens’ defense’s improved performance and the potential for the offense to get back on track.
• Nestor and Luke talk about the importance of winning the upcoming game against the Steelers and the challenges the Ravens face in their remaining games.
• Luke mentions the Ravens’ remaining schedule, including games against the Patriots, Green Bay, and the Bengals, and the need to win at least three out of their last five games.

Steelers’ Fan Reactions and Coaching Issues

• Nestor and Luke discuss the Steelers’ fan reactions, including booing Renegade and the team’s overall dissatisfaction.
• Luke mentions the Steelers’ coaching issues, including Mike Tomlin’s body language and the need for better game management.
• Nestor and Luke talk about the Ravens’ need to protect the football and avoid turning it over multiple times in the upcoming game.
• Luke emphasizes the importance of running the ball effectively against the Steelers and the potential for the Ravens to win if they can control the game.

Ravens’ Health and Future Games

• Nestor and Luke discuss the health issues affecting the Ravens, including Lamar Jackson’s foot and other players’ injuries.
• Luke mentions the importance of the upcoming game against the Steelers and the need for the Ravens to win to stay in the playoff race.
• Nestor and Luke talk about the Ravens’ remaining games and the potential for the team to make a playoff run if they can win key games.
• Luke highlights the importance of the Ravens’ defense and the need for the offense to improve to secure a playoff spot.

Ravens’ Playoff Prospects and Division Standings

• Nestor and Luke discuss the Ravens’ playoff prospects, including their chances of winning the division and making the playoffs.
• Luke mentions the Bengals’ potential to play spoiler and the importance of the Ravens’ remaining games against the Steelers and other teams.
• Nestor and Luke talk about the Ravens’ chances of sweeping the Steelers and the potential for the team to win at least three out of their last five games.
• Luke emphasizes the importance of the Ravens’ head-to-head games against the Steelers and the need for the team to win these games to secure a playoff spot.

Ravens’ Offensive Strategy and Player Performance

• Nestor and Luke discuss the Ravens’ offensive strategy, including the need to run the ball effectively and the importance of Lamar Jackson’s performance.
• Luke highlights the Ravens’ talented skill players, including Derrick Henry and the need for the offense to perform well to win games.
• Nestor and Luke talk about the importance of the Ravens’ offensive line and the need for better game management to secure wins.
• Luke mentions the potential for the Ravens to improve their performance and the importance of the team’s remaining games to secure a playoff spot.

Steelers’ Offensive and Defensive Issues

• Nestor and Luke discuss the Steelers’ offensive and defensive issues, including their struggles to stop the run and the impact of Aaron Rodgers’ injury.
• Luke mentions the Steelers’ lack of downfield pass catching talent and the need for better game management to win games.
• Nestor and Luke talk about the Steelers’ defensive issues, including the absence of key players and the need for better performance to win games.
• Luke emphasizes the importance of the Steelers’ remaining games and the need for the team to improve their performance to secure a playoff spot.

Ravens’ Playoff Odds and Division Standings

• Nestor and Luke discuss the Ravens’ playoff odds and their chances of winning the division, including the importance of their remaining games.
• Luke mentions the Bengals’ potential to play spoiler and the importance of the Ravens’ head-to-head games against the Steelers.
• Nestor and Luke talk about the Ravens’ chances of sweeping the Steelers and the potential for the team to win at least three out of their last five games.
• Luke emphasizes the importance of the Ravens’ performance in their remaining games to secure a playoff spot and the need for better game management to win games.

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

Ravens, Steelers, Lamar Jackson, Aaron Rodgers, playoffs, turnovers, offensive line, defense, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, NFL, football, injuries, coaching.

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SPEAKERS

Nestor Aparicio, Luke Jones

Nestor Aparicio  00:01

Welcome home. We are W, N, S, T, am 1570 Towson, Baltimore. We’re Baltimore positive. We’re positively into the crab cake season. And you know, I thought we were just doing four crab cake events in December. We’re now doing five, because cousin John shields, cheffy to the stars has opened his kitchen at Gertrude. Be doing that on the 19th it’s brought to you by the Maryland lottery. I’ll have Raven scratch offs to give away. Also going to make a new commercial around here for the holidays. I’m going to get Dave shining to put some holiday music together. Not all my stuff is going to be aI generated, including my new photo out on social media. We’re through Thanksgiving and we’re now into December. We’re into the holiday season. It’s Pittsburgh week around here. My thanks to our friends at GBMC for keeping me healthy through the holidays too. We’re going to be doing some more. I got to get Dr scary back on to talk about like cancer and stuff that happens to men like me that scared the bejesus out of me last weekend. So Luke is here. We had a weekend of leftovers, pumpkin pie, dude, I’m a freaking Cookie Monster, man, like I can’t stop eating cookies, and I got fresh eggnog, and I got eggnog ice cream, and all the things, my most favorite things, like the Dean Martin song, or whatever it is. And then there was football all weekend long, whether it was watching the Eagles and the bears on Friday afternoon, sure that’d be pretty good game. Interesting, where the bears are interesting, where the Patriots are interesting, where the Broncos are as hard as they had to fight the commanders and then and the bills, in the Steelers, and then just sort of everything else about another wacky weekend at the National Football League that really began with the ravens and the Chiefs laying big time to end the lions laying turds on Thanksgiving day.

Luke Jones  01:54

Yeah, I come out of the weekend kind of asking the same question I’ve been asking for a while, who’s great in the NFL, who’s good in the NFL, who is in position to make the playoffs, but isn’t really good. And I feel like every week I you know, a couple teams maybe confirm your priors, but then you feel differently. And I’ve said for a while now, of the ravens, you know, you think back to the bye week, and coming out of the bye week, and Lamar wasn’t quite ready, and the Chicago Bears are coming to town. That win continues to age very, very well, right? I mean, the bears come out of the weekend with the number one seed almost inexplicably, right? I mean, I think everyone agreed they were better, but going into

Nestor Aparicio  02:41

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these teams, dude. I mean, I sell me on the Patriots or the Broncos or the Colts or the bears. I mean, you’re not selling me on them right now. You’re just not the

Luke Jones  02:52

team that you could have sold me on the most was the LA Rams, and they go to Carolina and they lose against the Panthers. Team. That’s decent, at least, right, but, but not hardly great.

Nestor Aparicio  03:02

So Viking should have marched Fran Tarkington out there, or something Tommy Kramer. I mean, whatever that was, that was a disgrace. I mean,

Luke Jones  03:10

yeah, so, so, to bring it back to the ravens, I mean, to your point, I certainly don’t believe in the Ravens at this point in time. I mean, I don’t. I think this is a very mediocre football team. But that said, there’s no prerequisite that you have to be great, or even in this case, good, to make

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Nestor Aparicio  03:27

the playoffs. Who’s mediocre, the team they’re playing this week?

Luke Jones  03:30

I’m not sure Pittsburgh’s even mediocre. And that’s where I look at this thing, and say, You better win on Sunday. I know it’s Raven Steelers. And look, that’s not me saying that they’re that it’s a guarantee they’re going to win, let’s be clear. But I think the ravens are mediocre. I think Pittsburgh might stink at this point.

Nestor Aparicio  03:46

Well, JJ watts, not out there and stuff, right? And Rogers could play with a broken arm and, like, I don’t know, man, the whole PB, do they stunk on Sunday

Luke Jones  03:56

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to me, it really comes back to the fact that, I mean, they can’t stop the run. I mean, that was atrocious. Buffalo. You knew buffalo wanted to run the football. One, that’s the best thing that they do at this point in time. Two, they’re missing both starting tackles, so their offensive line is very much compromised, and you’re trying not to put Josh Allen in too much of a compromised position. And so Pittsburgh knew it, and they couldn’t stop it. It reminded me very much of what Pittsburgh looked like late last year, where the Ravens ran all over them at will, not just in that late regular season game, but certainly in the playoff game. So you look at that, you look at Rogers, I’ll say this, and this has nothing to do with, I mean, any dislike for Rogers or anything like that, just strictly with his wrist right now and playing with that splint, that soft cast, whatever you want to call it, it’s very clear he’s not taking snaps under center. I think that compromises, that limits their running game. Not to say that he plays under center all the time, because he doesn’t. He plays shotgun quite a bit. I think. Probably more more in shotgun than under center. But if you can’t be under center at all, that compromises what you want to how you want to run the football, and it certainly compromises your play action ability. I’ll say this, and I don’t say this with any high thoughts about Mason Rudolph. I’m not so sure Mason Rudolph is not the better option for them right now, given Rogers his wrist. But regardless, he was bad. They lack downfield pass catching talent. You know, they have DK Metcalf, and after that, it’s kind of not much. So, man, I look at this thing and let me be clear, me saying all this. It doesn’t mean that I feel better about the Ravens. It’s but by default, I kind of do.

Nestor Aparicio  05:44

I JJ Watt, was limping around. TJ, TJ, watt, excuse me, was limping around. I think it looked, it looked, I don’t get,

Luke Jones  05:52

I didn’t get the sense. I didn’t hear anything after the game that that was overly serious,

Nestor Aparicio  05:55

just losing his mind. I mean, I mean

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Luke Jones  05:58

that was kind of ugly. I mean Hayward and Josh Allen going back and forth. I saw a clip that someone had posted that Hayward said something not very flattering about him. I don’t know it’s the heat of heat of the moment, but, but yeah, I mean, you look at them, he said that Alan kicked him. Okay, yeah. And look, I’m not, I’m not, I’m not disputing that Alan didn’t do any but the fact is, talking about two high profile players and kind of going back and forth. I mean, that was kind of ugly. But, I mean,

Nestor Aparicio  06:27

well, the post game, you know, and I’m having will graves on, and I think he was the one that pissed off Rogers. I think he was the one that pissed off Tomlin, you know, asking about being booed and fire Mike Tomlin and all that kind of stuff. I mean, hey, look, one thing I didn’t even point out about the Raven just going back to where they were, Thursday night, dude, that place emptied out on Thursday night. And, I mean, Steve bishati has watched that place empty, tired, fire, horrible. We stink. You know, ticket prices are depressed here the baseball team, I can’t even they’ve had. We’ll get into the relief pitcher. But how the fans feel about the team, not how I feel about Peter Angelos or ever felt about Pete, but like, boy, oh boy. Just really weird times with fans and teams and fatigue, and this week with Tomlin and har ball. I mean, how many matchups for them now? 1718, years together, that’s 36 plus play. You know, 40 times they’ve met in these games. You know, going back to tripping Jacoby Jones, for crying out loud. Like, you know, it is amazing with these franchises, towers on TV, Bill it’s out to pasture, playing golf, doing what he was doing right now, raising grandkids out in Columbus. And these two guys are still here and under fire, and I can’t imagine if the Ravens somehow had five turnovers against the Steelers and lose 31 to 14 to the Steelers and the things empty to the Steelers. I don’t know, man and the Steelers fans are no better at this point because they’ve been longer without winning than we have. You know, we’ve had parades around here to kind of rub it into all of you, yinz, and not from the confluence, but what a weird week for Raven Steelers, right? Because one of these teams gonna win the division ain’t gonna be the Bengals, you know? So one of these teams gonna host a playoff game, I don’t know which one, one of these teams got to find some level of good fortune, and with the Ravens having to play New England Green Bay. Maybe the Steelers are the good fortune. Maybe they’re the browns. Right now, we just don’t

Luke Jones  08:46

know it well. I mean, that’s what’s kind of funny. When you look at the remaining five games and understanding Joe burrow is back and you’re going to Cincinnati, I kind of look at these two Pittsburgh games and look again, I’ll echo what I said in the aftermath of that debacle on Thursday night, all bets are off, in terms of me making assumptions, right? I mean, they had won five in a row. They were back in first place. You’re feeling good short week. You look at the recent history of AFC North Thursday night road teams. I mean, they never win when, when it’s a inter division matchup on a Thursday night. The road team has hardly ever won, and not only did the Ravens lose, but they lost by three scores and they committed five turnovers, right? So that’s the caveat here. But I mean, Pittsburgh, look the Ravens on paper, still when you look at their offense, right? I mean, the defense has played better. They didn’t play well in the second half on Thursday night, but we’ve seen the defense play better. I’m not saying that means they’re the 2000 ravens or the oh three, or the oh six or the 2011 or even like the 2018 and 19 ravens in that way, but the defense has played better, and the offense still has. Lamar Jackson. And still has all these talented skill players, still has Derrick Henry, right? So you can at least picture the offense getting back on track at some point. I’m not saying it’s going to happen, but you can picture that. I have a tough time picturing that for Pittsburgh at this point, because Aaron Rodgers is at the end. He’s hurt their pass catching. You know, there’s their collection of skill players is very much lacking. Their offensive line is not bad, but when they have a quarterback now who can’t play under center and you have to run out of shotgun and pistol, it really changes the dynamics of how you want to run the football. That’s where I just look at that of these remaining five games, and let me be clear, I don’t have a high degree of confidence that the ravens are going to sweep them or necessarily, but of these five games, at this point, I feel like I’d rather play Pittsburgh than even going to Cincinnati, or certainly going to Green Bay, right, or even playing the Patriots in Baltimore, which is a game that I feel like is going to end up being flexed the Sunday night football. I mean, I’d be kind of surprised if it isn’t, but we’ll see. We’ll find that out here in the not too distant future. But you just, you look at Pittsburgh, and boy, that’s a mess. I mean, maybe they’ll get Derek Harmon back, who has been pretty, pretty big for their you know, he’s their rookie defensive tackle. He’s been really good for their run defense, and he was missing Sunday’s game, maybe that made a bigger impact than anyone thought. But, man, it’s we’ve talked about this. We talked about this a lot early in the season. We talked about this last year, in the first half of the season, when the Ravens had their defensive issues and woes that got Marcus Williams benched and Eddie Jackson waved and, you know, Dean peas comes in all that, right? I mean, the Ravens have dealt with plenty of that the last two seasons, but to see Pittsburgh’s defense just get pushed around to that degree. I mean, it’s jarring, just like it’s been jarring when the Ravens defense has struggled to the degree it has the last couple years. It just feels very unafc North, like, right? I mean, it just it feels very out of character for a Pittsburgh team in the same way it felt out of character for a Ravens team. So this is very much a man up kind of week again, just because we’re sitting here burying the Steelers on, you know, the aftermath of their late Sunday afternoon loss, and just the embarrassing second half at home. I mean, you talked about some of the post game questions and the fans booing. Their fans booed renegade coming over the loudspeakers. Like anyone who’s been to Heinz Field or actor stadium, or whatever it’s called in this you know that that’s, you know, begrudgingly, even though you’re not a Steelers fan, that’s a pretty cool kind of thing they

Nestor Aparicio  12:41

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have, Tommy Shaw ever do to these people, you know, but

Luke Jones  12:45

my, my pastor from my church, who’s, who’s a Pittsburgh fan, I’ve mentioned that over the years, sent me the actual video of renegade coming on and the fans rest. They were fed up. They didn’t want to hear it because they knew. I mean, they were already cooked at that point. I think they were down two scores already in the fourth quarter when they played.

Nestor Aparicio  13:07

I don’t know if the caps do unleash the fury when they’re losing five two with two minutes left. It’s one of those things where

Luke Jones  13:15

I feel for the stadium worker that decides that, because you kind of say, well, if we’re going to make a comeback, we need it right now, but if it’s already over, then we feel like we’re kind of making a mockery of it. So, but it just

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Nestor Aparicio  13:28

means John Belushi is out there saying it ain’t over till we say it’s over, it’s two minute warning, and you’re down three touchdowns.

Luke Jones  13:34

But then you realize you just said the Germans bomb Pearl Harbor, right? So, I mean, like, so it’s just it. Both these teams right now are in such a bad place. But I think if you’re asking me to handicap it right now, I’m still, I think Aaron

Nestor Aparicio  13:52

Rodgers right. I mean, like he can’t do it, and

13:56

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I don’t know where Lamar

Nestor Aparicio  13:57

is in all of this, by

Luke Jones  13:59

the way, Aaron, it’s not like Aaron Rodgers was trending in that great of a direction even before he hurt the wrist. So, but to your point, I mean, Lamar Jackson’s coming off of, you know, the worst game and the worst three game stretch he’s had in at least a few years. I mean, that’s how bad it’s been for him.

Nestor Aparicio  14:16

So who, at least he’s not in the post game saying guys aren’t practicing the right way, and I’m throwing the ball. I mean, at the end of the day, Lamar is not throwing the ball well, and that’s, hey, that’s where it’s at, right? I mean, that they, as JAWS, would say, the eye in the sky does not lie, sure, but in the case of where they are, and you saying, Joe burrow, give me Joe burrow and chase, and if they can get Higgins back from the concussion two weeks from now, whatever, like they were the they would be the three best players on the field watching that Steelers bills game. I mean, like, literally, that’s on the field, and the bills are a mess with their tackles, and everybody’s hurt in the Ravens case. And. You know, I know we have some issues with Kyle Hamilton and even Marlon Humphrey and the health of Lamar and

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Luke Jones  15:08

with the foot now

Nestor Aparicio  15:08

Wiggins, right? And, you know, there’s some health issues. But boys, I look around. I mean, Herbert broke his left hand, right? It with with the chargers, so I don’t know. Maybe it does set up for bonics or Drake may to be in Santa Clara when the Super Bowl happens, and representing the AFC, maybe that’s, this is a year well, that will happen, and one, if not all, of Alan, mahomes and and Jackson will will not be in the playoffs. I, I feel like the bills are the best shot to get in at this point, but also the ravens, given where the Steelers are, but the Ravens need to win some freaking games, right? Like, two and three years not going to get it done. I don’t think. But I don’t know, the Steelers might be one in four and the Bengals might be five, and, oh, I don’t know.

Luke Jones  15:56

I will say this and look, this isn’t anything new, because we were talking about this back when they were one and five, and you’re kind of looking at the division and look, I mean, even then, when Pittsburgh got off to a good start, but at no point this season has anyone said the Pittsburgh Steelers look like Super Bowl contenders, right? At no point this season has anyone said they look like a team that could make a deep run in January. I mean, they just haven’t looked that way. I mean, the Ravens had all the preseason hype, right? But even at one, when the Ravens were one in five, even then

Nestor Aparicio  16:26

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ravens got a pass at one and five because A, the defense stunk so bad that it had to get better. B, everybody was hurt. So there was a thought back then that the Ravens were still going to win the division, even when it looked hopeless to the betting community, the betting community went all in on that five games in a row they won. I don’t know what that parlay when I got you, Johnny, but I would say for me, the the notion that this is a two horse race, the Bengals were the best team this weekend.

Luke Jones  17:00

Yeah, they were, it’s going to be amazing for Pitts or for Cincinnati to most likely, look back and look they still have, I think ESPN analytics. I saw Jameson posted it on social late Sunday night in the aftermath of that Pittsburgh loss. I think the analytics, and again, this is for conversation purposes. These aren’t these numbers aren’t meant to be gone. I know where you’re

Nestor Aparicio  17:26

going with this, and let me just plug the fact that Aaron Schott is coming on on Wednesday, all

Luke Jones  17:30

right, and we’ll see the DVO a playoff odds and all that. So the ravens, They have at 58% Pittsburgh at 35% the bank was at 7% Cincinnati is I’d be shocked if they win their last five right? I mean, I know their defense. I mean, they manned up and give them all the credit in the world. Their defense played well against the Ravens. They deserve that credit. They beat the Ravens. They beat them pretty soundly, right? I mean, it’s just that.

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Nestor Aparicio  17:55

I think if Joe burrow gets any protection and they can run to the chases, can run the ball a little bit and get open. They’re gonna, he’s gonna be good for 2427 points like they’re against pedestrian defenses.

Luke Jones  18:08

Now is they need to be better than that, but they might give up 41 right? I mean, that happened to them, unless they get five turnovers Well, right? Well, and you can’t, you’re not going to get five turnovers every week. You might get two, but you’re not gonna get five every week, right? So, but I think what’s wild is Cincinnati is going and look they they can still play spoiler. I mean, they’re the ravens are gonna go there next week, right? I mean, so and Cincinnati plays buffalo this coming week, so they’re gonna have an opportunity to really play spoiler, if nothing else, but they are going to look back at what happened to them about a month ago, when Joe Flacco was playing well for them and their offense was scoring points, and what happened to them, they lost to the jets and they lost to the bears in a collapse kind of fashion, right where it’s just inexplicable, and I get it, The bears are the bears are the number one seed in the NFC right now and but those were two games where they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. And just imagine right now if they were sitting at six and six right now. And we know everything you know. Every time you have an event in a game, it changes what’s going to happen after that. But if the ravens, the Steelers and the Bengals were all sitting at six and six right now, I’m not so sure, especially when you consider the remaining schedule, I think I probably pick Cincinnati, but they’re not and they’re four and eight, and the idea that they have to win out just to get to nine and eight that that makes it far fetched, but they can still, they beat the Ravens again. And then we’re talking about the ravens, you know, or can they sweep Pittsburgh? What’s going to happen when Drake may comes into town with the Patriots, although their offensive line, you know, has taken some hits, you know, with their with some injuries and going to Green Bay. I mean, man, it’s tough picture in the Ravens winning four out of five at this point. Can we say that much at least? I mean, I don’t think, I don’t think that’s being Debbie Downer saying that. I think that’s looking at this team with just what they’ve looked like for most of the season, quite frankly. So man, I think nine and eight probably wins this division at this point in time. So can you get to nine and eight? Can Can you win three out of your last five? The key there, and this is where this, again, brings it back to this Sunday. And then what’s going to happen in week 18? It’s going to come down to these two head to heads. I mean, it just is, if you can sweep Pittsburgh, if you can sweep Pittsburgh. I’m not so sure how much the as long as you don’t lose the other three. And then you’re talking about being, you know, being in a position where you’re eight and nine, if you sweep Pittsburgh, you kind of, I mean, I feel like it would be like 98% 99% whatever it would right? So, I mean, it just comes down to these head to heads. And look, I don’t feel great about what I saw whatsoever on Thursday night, and I still don’t 345, days later, but in comparison to seeing what Pittsburgh did on Sunday, I don’t know if I’d feel better, like, relatively speaking, I guess, just comparing the performances, but just where Pittsburgh is right now with their quarterback situation, and a quarterback who it’s not playing very well, like Lamar, but is also, you know, has a very distinct, you know, cast, or whatever, that can’t allow him to play under center. I mean, that’s a, that’s a big thing right there. That’s changing fundamentally, how you try to run the ball, how you try to, you know, run play action. And that’s why I said, I’m not so sure that Mason Rudolph wouldn’t be slightly, slightly, then the

Nestor Aparicio  21:52

center snaps the ball into the ground, right? I mean, and look, I mean, that’s not, I mean, their operation wasn’t good, but tomlin’s body language, he didn’t he doesn’t look healthy and Spry to me, I haven’t talked to him in several months.

Luke Jones  22:11

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Think, think about it, the ravens and look, I don’t want to make this sound like it’s too positive, because their offense, there was very little to take away that was positive, but I will say this, they at least moved the ball on Thursday night. I mean, they committed five turnovers. And obviously, you do that, you’re going to get beat. I mean, it’s you’re just not going to survive that. But they at least move the ball. And there were some flat like Isaiah likely actually was productive, right? I mean, and made some plays right

Nestor Aparicio  22:40

on down to the hairline, right?

Luke Jones  22:43

But Pittsburgh didn’t even have that on Sunday. I mean, they just, they didn’t move the ball, they didn’t do anything, right? I mean, that was, it was sickly, right?

Nestor Aparicio  22:52

Game. Well, guys, good, but Right, much like Breece Hall, I mean, like, he’s, they have these interesting like, sort of Ray ricey, Dave megandy, kind of, you know, fast shifty dudes in the league, there’s some interesting running backs in the league that I see play week after,

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Luke Jones  23:11

you know, Jaylen Warren and gain, well, are a good combo,

Nestor Aparicio  23:14

but keep Mitchell for our offense. You know, I mean, like that, but they,

Luke Jones  23:19

I mean buffalo, if there’s something that’s been talked about about the buffalo defense all year, besides, you know, losing it Oliver and the injuries they’ve had, they haven’t been able to stop the run and Pittsburgh, they couldn’t run the ball nearly to the degree that they needed to against them. So what are they going to do then? I mean, you see what they have to do when they’re behind. I mean, they can’t throw the ball at all. So that’s where you look at this thing and say it this Sunday, talking about the home game, right? I mean, forget about week 18. That’s still, you know, we’re still talking a month away until that happens, but you better win on Sunday, because that that’s a Pittsburgh team that is not very good. I get it. The Ravens aren’t very good right now, but I see a pat at least. I see a path for the Ravens being better, whereas Pittsburgh at this point, short of them forcing three turnovers, which they’re they’re apt to do so you better take care of the football better. You certainly needed to have gotten it out of your system last Thursday night, right? If you fumble the ball four times again, then, yeah, you’re going to get beat, and it’s going to be one of those same old Raven Steelers games of recent years that have just been frustrating, because over the bulk of lamar’s career, the Ravens have absolutely been better than the Steelers. I don’t think there’s any disputing that, but when they played head to head, they’ve turned the ball over, and crazy things have happened. Until late last

Nestor Aparicio  24:38

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record against a Steelers, somebody put that up. It’s like, horrible, right?

Luke Jones  24:41

Not great. But the last two times they played, there was a different story, right? They ran the ball. It Pittsburgh or Buffalo gave you such a an obvious script of what you need to do, run the freaking football. I mean, I can’t be any more. And, you know. Me, I’m not the guy that says that you run it 45 times a game to get to the Super Bowl, because that’s not how it works in the modern NFL. But to win Sunday’s game, run the freaking football if you can’t. Well, I mean, okay, well, we’ll see what happens then. But I mean, Buffalo ran all over them. All over them.

Nestor Aparicio  25:22

Well, you saw the post game where Watts said, like, they ran the same play,

Luke Jones  25:27

running the same place, right? I mean, there was nothing. It wasn’t this exotic scheme or anything like that. It’s not like they lined up in Wildcat or like anything crazy. They’re running the ball. Now, James Cook is a heck of a back, but Derrick Henry still is right. I mean, what? Whether he’s as as great as he was last year, or not, he it’s not washed up. You know, he’s not incapable. But can their offensive line, and can Todd Monckton and can the entire operation sit there and say, We need to go do this to win a football game, or do they, are they not able to run in early down situations, and then they get in second and long and third and long, and then then it becomes a little more okay. What’s your passing game going to look like? Because it hasn’t looked very good for a while now, and Lamar Jackson, as we know, is coming off of a really bad game. And it’s not to say that they won’t be able to do it, but you’d like to just take a cue from Buffalo. I mean, they ran 51 times for 250 yards, 249 yards. And Josh Allen threw 23 times at 123 yards. I mean, that wasn’t a game that’s going to get Josh Allen M, V, P consideration, not that he’s in in that running right now. Anyway, you know, in the same way Lamar is not, but it had nothing to do with gaudy numbers or flashy highlights or anything like that. They did what they needed to do to win a football game, and they did a heck of a job doing it. So that’s where I look at this thing and say, Can this ravens offensive line, can this ravens offense line up and do a similar thing? I mean, it’s you’d like to think you can. And, like I said, maybe, maybe Derek Harmon is back for the Steelers with that front and he makes a little bit of a difference. But, I mean, he’s not, we’re not talking about a Hall of Famer. He’s a rookie, you know, like he’s been good for them, but you can’t tell me that that’s the only reason that that happened to them. I mean, that’s there’s very much what’s under the hood conversation about them that feels very similar to what happened to Pittsburgh late last year. So we’re going to find out. But at the same time, we’re talking about a Ravens team coming off of a loss to, you know, it’s one thing to lose to the bills, right? But to lose to the Bengals, who have had one of the worst defenses of the last few decades. Statistically, you know, if you look at DVO a and, you know, not just stat, but yardage points allowed go down the list, you know? I mean, it’s ugly that and the Ravens played like that against that group. Then, yeah, there’s, there’s going to be plenty to prove on Sunday, and plenty to prove over these last five games. So it’s wild to talk in these terms. It really is. I mean, you think about what this game means Sunday, and it’s two teams that are tied for first place, but then you look at it, and they’re both six and six, and you’re just saying, I mean, like, what is this? I mean, it’s, it’s very bizarro kind of territory, but someone’s going to win, and to your point, someone’s going to win the division, and barring a miraculous sequence of events, it’s not going to be Cincinnati at this point, despite the Bengals having a chance to really make an impact here these next couple of weeks, but someone’s going to win. So if you’re the ravens, you need to try to put aside what happened last Thursday night and move past it, learn from it. Be a little more deliberate in terms of protecting the football. You certainly can’t turn it over five times. You know, you turn it over two or three times against Pittsburgh, that that gives a Steelers team that is not equipped to play from behind, gives them a chance to do what they want to do. So that’s going to be the challenge. So it’s, you know, we’re going to see how it plays out. They better win. But am I through the moon? You know, over the moon, confident that they’re going to of course not. Well, they have to

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Nestor Aparicio  29:05

start looking like a good team, or a capable team against other capable teams. And that’s not this. Take anything away from five wins in a row, because I can beat them up about one in five, and I can praise him about five and one, because that’s been the season for them. And it’s like a seesaw. But part of the seesaw is it’s not like they look great one week and crappy another week they look crappy. A lot of weeks in ordinary. In some weeks, they don’t look excellent at any point and they don’t look healthy, they don’t look crisp, they don’t look like they’ve practiced. I mean, that’s going to be interesting thing this week. Lamar, whether to practice on Wednesday, Thursday. The weather, it’s gonna be cold as hell this week. So just a lot of things going on that including two old, tired coaches who’ve got $100 million in the bank and are perceived to be hauled a pretty good but not lately, and certainly have not had January success lately at. All, either one of them, you’d say Tomlin hasn’t had a quarterback. I don’t know what our boss excuses. Figure that out. But Luke is here. He’s Baltimore. We got plenty more to talk about. I Luke, here’s your homework. I want you to think about this. What everybody in the audience think about this? What’s the number one thing you’re concerned about? And I that would be a great question that I had that relationship with Brian Billick for so long, where I would literally like that was always the first thing I’d say to him, What’s number one this week, Coach, what are you worried the most about when we when we would talk privately, and he’d say, oh, you know, race, health, this, that whatever my this, my quarterback, whatever, there’s always something lamar’s health. That’s got to be one and one A and 1b and 1c but just in a general sense of what’s going to make the whole thing better, and what’s going to lead this to the four and one or three and two, I’ve lowered my bar at this point. I’m not lowering my bar for the Maryland crab cake tour. We have five locations we’re hitting beginning faidleys Next Wednesday, we’re doing three in a row next week, we’re going to be at deepest squalies in the morning. On Thursday, Friday, we’re going to be at honeys in halethorpe, then the following Thursday, Dundalk. It cost us, and then I found out, like gertrudes wants me back. They love me over at the BMA. It’s because John’s my cousin. So we’re gonna be Gertrude at the BMA, and Dan Rodricks is coming out. We’re not related, but he’s kind of my Portuguese cousin. So we’re looking forward to that. He’s doing his 1966 production views at least one reference to Luis Aparicio in the 1966 play. I’m gonna have to, you know he made like, I may have to do that like product placement for my show. It’s all brought to you by the Maryland lottery and our friends at GBMC for keeping me healthy, getting us on the road. I will have Raven scratch offs to give away. We’re also doing a cup of Super Bowl. So if you’re asking, hey, when you come back to Cocos, when you come back to Pizza John’s, I see Luke’s hat making me you go to Pizza John’s right now, as long as it’s not the longest, it’s not, oh, you can’t go on Monday, but you can go any other day, go to Pizza John’s. So I always want a double provolone cheese steak with fried onions and mushrooms on a day when I can’t have it, but that’s okay. Little blondies will be waiting for me. Little chef salad that that’ll be happening on Tuesday. Supreme pizza this week. For me, it keeps me nice and warm. He is Luke. I am Nestor. We got plenty of football and we got a new relief pitcher in town. We’re gonna talk about that more. We’re Baltimore positive. Stay with us. We’re.