As the Ravens prepare for a gauntlet of tough teams through the holidays and into the New Year, Luke Jones and Nestor discuss the biggest concerns on both sides of the ball as the schedule gets more treacherous through holidays for the AFC North leaders seeking the No. 1 overall seed.
SUMMARY KEYWORDSravens, talking, week, play, rams, ronnie stanley, years, tackle, point, season, injuries, lamar, team, game, mark andrews, super bowl, football team, marlon humphrey, rest, baltimoreSPEAKERSNestor J. Aparicio, Luke Jones Nestor J. Aparicio 00:01Welcome back, WN S T tassel Baltimore and Baltimore positive we’re positively getting up on this rams game this week we have winter meetings going on the Orioles might actually do something who knows, maybe like sign a lease or something. We’re gonna get Tom kelser former Maryland stadium authority Chairman when he feels a little better this week to do the stadium for dummies and Maryland stadium authority situation and all that going on. But it all sort of ties together with John Angelos and in competency and we’ll figure out how this sub this month plays out from baseball but certainly from a football perspective, or we got the Rams coming in this week. Lots of exciting stuff. We spent the weekend on the couch and we’re gonna be doing the Maryland crabcake tour. I have all these new scratch offs I have all the holiday scratch off the OH SNAP scented tickets as well as the peppermint payout multiplier. And the unwrapped the cash will be giving all of these away at the State Fair. This Tuesday. We’re going to be at Farr and daughter and curio wellness next Friday the 15th we’re going to be wise markets Christmas week. And then at fate Lee’s later on. We had a heck of a week last week. I’m still a little worn out man I did all day Wednesday. At Coco’s Thursday we were over at the BMA and Gertrude just had a good I got relatives I don’t even know I had. So I that’s a whole story unto itself, about how John shields from gertrudes and I are actually related for real. And that happened on Thursday as well as some crabcakes and then on Friday up at Hollywood casino in Perry Ville. You’ll hear all of that including a really nice turn for our friends at Chesapeake feline Association up in Cecil County to talk about cats. And Amy Brennan, who’s a Steelers fan who runs Hollywood casino in Perryville. had some fun with her and Troy Polamalu as well. Luke Jones joins us now to discuss Well, nothing that happened for the Ravens this weekend. No arrests, no jurisprudence, no injuries that we know about no freak accidents that we need to be aware of yet. Just nice and calm and no media round just the way chats deal and John horrible like the Rams however, did have to go play football game, we had a chance to watch them play against Joe Flacco. We’ve already done a whole dissertation on Joe Flacco past, current and future. But here come the rams and your comms. Look, whatever the rest of the schedule is. And wherever we are with Ronnie Stanley and Marlon Humphrey and these injuries we’ve had, and really where they are to buckle their chin straps here and go get a number one seed now that the Chiefs have backed up, teams are getting out of the way a little bit. The Bengals aren’t a thing anymore, that bills don’t feel to be a thing. I will say it’s their division. But certainly they can do a lot to impress folks the next five weeks, and certainly for Lamar Jackson, who’s won one playoff game in five years, to stay healthy, to get there to host games, to maybe have a pie to maybe play home games. All of that sits here. But so does a hell of a gauntlet of five teams. No Luke Jones 02:45question about it. I mean, you just said it. And Brian Billick said it for years when the Ravens would be in this position. I mean, everything is sitting right there for them. But when you look at the state of the conference, certainly we’ve talked about the division, I mean, they better at least win the division. I mean, let’s let’s put it that way. I mean, if you don’t get the number one seed, so be it. But if you don’t win the division, then something has gone really wrong over this last month of the season. So that that said, everything is right there. And they’ve got a golden opportunity here. They’ve got a really good football team. Let’s acknowledge that as well. I mean, there are questions about this football team. But are they fatal flaw type questions as much as just things that they can improve upon? Can they get better in the passing game? No question about it. Is their passing game bad? Far from it? You know, defensively? I mean, is the run defense as legendary as it’s been with some of their best defenses in franchise history? No. Is the run defense a problem? No, I wouldn’t really say that up there issues are relative. So that’s where, you know, you have a pretty darn good football team, and they’ve got a chance to be great, but they have to be great over this last month of the season where the schedule is not going to be easy. Now, to your point. I mean, the Rams look at how they played over their last three games. The Rams who are suddenly they’re in the NFC wildcard race right now. I mean, they’re in the thick of it. And I don’t know if they’re a favorite to secure one of the wildcard spots, but they certainly have a chance and they’re playing some good football and they still have Matthew Stafford and they still have Aaron Donald and they still have Cooper cup. Poker Nuku, who is had this historic season for a fifth round rookie wide receiver. They’ve got talented players on both sides of the football. So even this game, which of the five you look at as the easiest remaining game on paper, when I say easy, everyone knows what I mean by that. But certainly it’s not a lay up in the sense that you’ve got to go out there and start fast. You don’t want to give a team like the Rams a chance to stay in the ballgame because they have Matthew Stafford, you know, they have a quarterback and a team with plenty of players left from that Super Bowl winner a couple years ago. So It’s I mean, this is a Ravens team that needs to be ready at to your point. With the bye week a chance to rest up, we’ll see where Ronnie Stanley is, we’ll see where Marlon Humphrey is. We’ll see if Tyus Bowser becomes a factor at some point here over the last month of the season, although certainly you’re not holding your breath at this point in time. But overall, this is a pretty healthy football team. But it was a team that certainly needed some rest. And that’s where I thought it was interesting to see John Harbaugh, in the aftermath of the win over the charges. And I don’t think you and I touched on this early last week when we talked about what they did out in LA. John Harbaugh, let them go from that point. I mean, there were some players who my understanding is they scattered and didn’t even go back to Owings Mills. And, you know, hardball decided to do that. The latest by this team has had since 2001. So kind of uncharted territory as at least for a hardball lead ravens team, but it’s absolutely a team that you could tell was ready for arrest. I mean, they, they did what they needed to do against the Chargers. But was it their best performance? No. And I think some of that is this entire football team. This was a tire team that had been at it for what, three months without a break, and with a lot of travel mixed in there. So I think once you get to the bye week, and you’re in a relatively good state of health, like the ravens are in at this point in time, that’s when you love having a late by. I mean, back in May, when the schedule comes out, you’re kind of you’re worried if you’re gonna make it to the bye week intact, so to speak, because you just know how this can go. And we know how it’s gone for the Ravens in recent years, with some of the litany of injuries that they’ve had in a couple of these seasons, but they’re, they’re in relatively good shape. I mean, yeah, you’d love to have Mark Andrews, right. You’d love to have JK Dobbins, although that feels like two years ago, yeah, at this point in time when you lost him. But, you know, overall, you’ve got most of what you envision this football team being you have most of it intact. And you know, it’s a credit to being a little bit healthier, and also a credit to some of the veterans that they brought in, like EJ Davey on clowny like a Kyle van Noy, like an Arthur Mallette, who joined them right around the start of training camp. So maybe not quite as much extreme with him. But I mean, they’re, they’re in really good position, Nestor. And yeah, we’re going to talk about January and not just Lamar, but this entire football team. I mean, Justin Tucker is the only one left from the Super Bowl. 11 years ago, John Harbaugh has only won two playoff games and Super Bowl 47. So it’s all of them. It’s not just Lamar Jackson. It’s this entire era, John Nestor J. Aparicio 07:44Harbaugh was won two playoff games in 10 years that will get you fired most places. Luke Jones 07:48Well, I mean, now, he that also hasn’t included foreign 13 seasons or anything Nestor J. Aparicio 07:55like how many Mike Tomlin has won or Sean Payton, one in New Orleans, or mia bella checks one a lot, right? I mean, I’m just thinking of how many of these other tenured coaches that have been around a long time to say they have something to prove or, I mean, with John, this is about doing it with Lamar. And then for Lamar, this is about Lamar doing it, period, and staying healthy. I mean, I, I I still go to this. We’ve had Lamar healthy around this time, every year at around this time, things go awry. I mean, there’s nothing looking at Cincinnati, or even looking at Jalen hertz going in the tent and breaking your brother in law’s hard on Sunday night, that when that happens for your franchise, no matter what your record is, I don’t you you can’t overcome that. So I don’t think it can be stated enough. They keeping Lamar healthy, especially now that they’re in this catbird seat, that you can’t have him get injured doing something. ill advised whatever that would mean because it’s big, it’s the NFL anything can happen. But trying to I know a bubble wrap him but but he’s got to be upright. And that’s so fundamental, as we talk about Ronnie Stanley and Marlon Humphrey and Mark Andrews and who’s going to run the ball and, and all those other issues and some of the aches and pains of last week and I know you talked to Dennis at length about it, you know, some time off helps, they’d still have a couple days off before they really get back after it and put a game plan in and do the things they’re going to do here this week. The health of the team looking around the league at other injuries and other situations to say, what are they missing? I mean, the ravens are missing a lot. And still, that’s a lot of salary. You’re talking about Mark Andrews, you’re talking about Ronnie Stanley and Marlon Humphrey not being on the field in any one game, let alone for the duration and that obviously won’t be the case with Marlon Humphrey, he’s going to come back with Ronnie Stanley and I heard you and Dennis talk in length as I was driving up the Hollywood casino on Friday. Just okay, he’s healthy comes back and plays you know is even a mess. pedaling left tackle. I mean, how are they going to run the ball against good teams? And that’s going to be something we’re going to see the next five weeks. Luke Jones 10:06Well, yeah, I mean, the Ronnie Stanley thing is huge because of what you just said. I mean, you’re talking about keeping Lamar Jackson upright while he’s your he’s your left tackle, right. He’s protecting the blind side, whether you’re talking about a mobile quarterback like Lamar or a statue like a 38 year old Joe Flacco, your left tackle is important, right? Maybe left tackles not quite as important if you’re to a tongue of Allah, because he’s left handed. But the point is, the points there. And that’s certainly a big question mark for them. I mean, look, I admire the fact that Ronnie Stanley got back after only a one week absence when he hurt his right knee for the second time against against Cleveland. But we have not seen a version of Ronnie Stanley that looks. Any I mean, forget about 2019. He hasn’t been as good as he was last year when he came back from the ankle, which obviously he had missed the better part of two seasons. So that’s a big question. I mean, that’s a big question for this team Super Bowl hopes? That is a big question for their long term roster planning in terms of getting into the offseason. And where Stanley is, from a cap standpoint, where this roster is knowing that you have a $260 million quarterback, that’s just the reality of, you know, a different kind of challenge from a roster building standpoint, all the free agents that they have. So there’s a lot that they need to find out from Ronnie Stanley here. And first and foremost, he needs to play at a higher level just for the ravens to maximize their Superbowl hopes. That doesn’t. I mean, look, they’re nine and three with him playing the way he has in him missing time as it is. So to sit here and say that that’s the fatal flaw, you know, that’d be a reach. But that certainly improves their chances if they can get a better version of Stanley. So you hope the bye week helped him with his knee? I mean, the ankle hasn’t necessarily been a specific issue on a week to week basis in terms of his status, but in the big picture sense of what kind of player Stanley is in 2023? Yeah, that’s part of it, too. So that’s, yeah, that’s a huge question mark for them. I mean, it’s one thing to talk about Mark Andrews, who is out until, you know, best case scenario, is he back for the AFC Championship? Could he go back? You know, could he make it back for the Super Bowl? I mean, who knows? I mean, that’s a complete unknown. That’s why, by the way, the ravens are one of the teams mentioned in this Zach Ertz conversation, you know, as far as him being let go by Arizona, and you know, we’ll see where he ultimately winds up. But in the case of Ronnie Stanley, you’re paying him a lot of money. He’s got two more years left on his deal. And the fact that it’s even asked, in fact that the, the fact that the question is even posed of is Ronnie Stanley, still clearly the better option over Patrick Macquarie? And look, Patrick mCherry. hasn’t played that well at left tackle this year when he’s filled in. But the fact that that’s even a question shows you how big of a problem it is, in terms of what Ronnie Stanley is being paid, compared to what kind of performance he’s giving you at this point in time. So by the way, somebody Nestor J. Aparicio 13:09over the weekend said to me, Hey, who was that big guy that was on the Super Bowl. I can’t remember. He came in and he played tech, and we won the Super Bowl. And I’m like, oh, Brian McKinney to like, yeah, I met him in Costas, with your mother that like 10 years ago. And I’m like, you know, there’s no Brian and Kenny coming down here. But when you think about Joe Flacco winning that Super Bowl 10 years ago, and this left tackle came in from the sky and you know, really tribute to Ozzie Newsome and to constant and I guess at that time, probably what Joe Ortiz was doing college at that time, probably George kookiness, but pro personnel scouting and finding players that are available. Hey, hats off to the browser, finding a real quarterback to go out there and play for a couple of weeks do that. That is part of it. But we haven’t been on that. And I heard you and Dennis go at it. at length about Ronnie Stanley dead money. June 1 Next year, what’s going to happen? And look, we’re a real Super Bowl race here. But they’re gonna go as this offensive line goes. And I remember when Ronnie Stanley got hurt four years ago, turned to my wife. When I lived downtown and said they can’t win the Superbowl without that guy. And I felt that way then. I don’t know why I don’t I think Lamar is a better player. Now. I know you you find that amazing that I would say that because he’s a better player than he was. Lamar sits in the pocket. Lamar reads defenses, Lamar, this isn’t what it was four years ago. So from a running perspective. I think they could have a different left tackle from a protection standpoint of having and Lamar is not a statue back in the pocket. But sometimes he gets strep. I would feel better against quality pass rushers. And I think if you talk about Khalil Mac last week, talking about Errol Donald this week, and what’s going to happen there and teams that have a special weapon teams that have a special player that they can. TJ watt who also got injured over the right. So different playing TJ watt against the Steelers and Ronnie Stanley having to deal with that 40 5060 snaps than whatever it’s not and the matchups are going to make the fights here the rest of the way, but I am concerned about one game wrecker one sure Davian clowny. On the other side, one TJ watt on the other side. Both of those guys have wrecked the Ravens at various points when they were both with the Texans destroying games. I’m worried about that, in regard to Ronnie Stanley, or the half assed version of him or an injured version of him or Patrick MC. Whenever the left tackle is it’s not Brian McKinney coming in motivated and it’s certainly not Ronnie Stanley on draft day that that’s not what their left tackle situation is going to be the next five weeks by week playoffs Super Bowl however far they go. They don’t have as good an offensive line situation as they had in the summer as we thought they had. Luke Jones 16:06Yeah, and specifically it’s tackle I mean, we’re so the difference now with where the ravens are in 2023. Compared to as you mentioned, 2021 Stanley. Two days after he signs the extension hurts his ankle, and it’s done and come to find out it’d be done for the better part of the next two full seasons. But they’re better at center. Tyler Linder balm is way better at center than skoura or Macquarie or anyone else they had filling in at this Bradley Bozeman beat so they’re better. They’re they’re better at right guard than they were back in 2020. Remember, that was the first year without Jana? And they they didn’t have an answer there. So so you’re better at center. You’re better at right guard, left guard John Simpson has been up and down. That’s what you expected, right? I mean, he was supposed to be the weak link on this starting offensive line. And he’s been good at times. He’s been bad at times. So but the big question mark is not just Stanley, but also Morgan, Moses at right tackle and not that Morgan Moses. I think he’s had a solid season. But he’s also dealing with a shoulder slash PEC issue that you hope to by week helped. But is it going to hold up for the for the remainder of the season? So I mean, it’s a big question for them. It’s why, you know, that’s why the mark Andrews thing, you know, it adds another layer to that and adds another layer to whether Patrick McCain or not Patrick McHenry, Patrick Ricard needs to be on the field more in terms of pass protection. But if he’s staying in and pass protection, and you have to use six man protections, then you have one less one fewer guy out in pass routes, and that can make a difference there. So, again, you know, this isn’t not talking about them being on the brink of catastrophe here as it pertains to their operation. But in terms of wanting to make it better, or to your point, when you’re going up against an elite pass rusher at some point. I mean, we won’t be talking about it in January until they’re potentially if they make to the Super Bowl, but look at that San Francisco front that they’re going to face on Christmas night, you know, this offensive line gonna be ready to handle that, you know, that’s a question mark. So you know, the one thing I will say, and you made mention of Bryant McKinney, Bryan McKinney was rode the pine for most of 2012 right remember, he came in in 2011 during training camp, and he had a really good season as their starting left tackle 2012 He was on the bench and they had or at left tackle that osemele A at right tackle and they made the switch for the for the playoffs. And they got four really good games from Brian McKinney. So it through that lens. That’s where you hope that okay, the by week, chance for Stanley to rest chance for him to get right be fresh. Can he play the out the rest of the season? And that’s not to say that I’m suggesting we’re going to see a return to 2019 form. But can the Ravens get a better version of Ronnie Stanley down the stretch? If they do, then, boy, I liked this Team Super Bowl chances even more if you can get better play out of your left tackle who we know has been a great player in the past. Can he at least be better than he’s been? Which you use the description? Yeah, he’s been a middling left tackle, you know, and at times, he’s been worse than that, you know, and some of these games. So I think health is a big part of that. But problem is, it’s only won by week. So he’s got five games, it’s gonna come back, they have five more games to go in the regular season. And then you’re hoping you’re playing at least three, depending on whether you’re the number one seat or not, you know, three or four games in January and early February. So they still have a long way to go on that front. So they are going to have to, you’re going to need better tackle play. You know, there’s no doubt about that. And, like you’re not going up against Khalil Mack or TJ watt every week. But certainly there are potent pass rushers that they’re going to encounter down the stretch and they’re going to encounter come January So that’s where you hope to by week does help him a little bit, get that knee a little bit stronger, get the ankle a little bit stronger. And he can be a better version because, again, they do they need 2019 level Ronnie Stanley to win a Super Bowl. No. But they need a better version than what they’ve had. Because you said it when you have these elite pass rushers coming from the blind side for throw out the injury risk, throw that out, just the potential for a strip sack, you know, a critical turnover. And we know even though Lamar has cleaned up the ball security in recent weeks, it’s been better. I think we know that. That is that has been something that has been a little bit of an issue. So you don’t want to be playing a close game. And there’s seven minutes to go and you’ve got a chance to put together a drive to go ahead and in a playoff game or even just one of these late season games when they’re jockeying for the number one seed and and Stanley gets beaten. And Lamar gets the ball strip from his Blindside. I mean, yeah, that’s how you lose. That’s how you get knocked out in January. You know, sometimes it comes down to one play. I mean, think back to the last time they were in the divisional round. Lamar throws the pick six and buffalo. I mean, they were that game. That was a 14 point swing there, he threw that at the goal line. So you know, sometimes it comes down to one play. So yeah, you want a left tackle that can give you a little more consistent play. So, so many questions in terms of the rest of this year, but also the big picture. And you know, if you’re Ronnie Stanley, I mean, gotta be better. I mean, he has not played anywhere close to a $20 million tackle. If he can play like at least, let’s say a $12 million left tackle the rest of the way. I think that would help the ravens and go such a long way to improving their Superbowl chances. Well, that’s why Nestor J. Aparicio 21:41I brought up Brian McKinney I brought Brian McEntee because he was this true lash. And I think to your point, there will be another left tackle on this football team next September, no matter how Ronnie Stanley plays just because of a reliability, a number. And I know there’s a cap hit. I mean, there’s going to be free agency and there’s going to be a draft, there’s going to be all that. But what else concerns you. I mean, I as well as the defense has played, they better get Humphrey back on the field. And as well as the defense is played, somebody else is going to get hurt. That’s going to happen in the next five weeks as well. And I know we should all be a little concerned about the silver part of all of these guys, whoever they are that the elders, the Zeit, Lers the Mozes, the OB jays, the not ro Quan necessarily plays a rough and tumble game. But I think the end of the year, and you talk about fatigue, you thought talking about the Biwi just older players, I mean, how clowny is played how van Noy is played, they’re going to need that kind of productivity out of their veteran players. And the rest is good. And but there is no more rest. Unless they earn it. They they might get a week off in January, they get a chance to go around that. But this is where everybody’s tired. And everybody’s beaten up. And their silver committee, including talker who study home needs to make field goals on cold, wet gray days. Luke Jones 23:02Yeah, no doubt about it. And look, I mean, what you just presented. I mean, that’s every team, right? So this isn’t a knock on the Ravens. It’s just the reality of a 17 game schedule, as opposed to 16. And, and having an expanded playoff field as well, here over the last few years. I mean, there’s just the gauntlet is more challenging than it was even five years ago in that regard. So, you know, I’ll give you a great example. And not that I am predicting this to happen. But Jamie on clowny and I wrote about him at Baltimore positive.com over the over the bye week and the fact that he kind of mastered a pass rushing move. Chuck Smith talked about this over the bye week and you know how that’s made such a difference for him. But I’ll remind everyone and this is an example this is not a prediction, but Justin Houston at this time last year, we were talking about him potentially making the Pro Bowl we were talking about him being a slam dunk because I think he had eight and a half or nine sacks or something like that at the bye week, you know if somewhere along there. And we were talking Okay, he’s gonna be their first double digit sack guy since Terrell Suggs. What happened the rest of the way for for Justin Houston. He faded out he was not much of a factor the rest of the way and now he’s four years older than Jadeveon Clowney, you know he was four years older than you Davian clowny is now so but the example stands the point stands to what you were alluding to that. Yeah, you got to keep these older guys fresh for the stretch run. You want to keep them fresh for January. That’s why clowny you need to continue to keep him on a pitch count. You don’t want to push him too hard. Odell Beckham is a great example of this. Beckham. Arguably you look at his last three games have been his best three games as a raven. They’ve also been his smallest snack counts. Now they’ve kept him on more of a pitch count. Now some of that’s been out of necessity because the shoulder has been a factor for him over the last couple games, but The point stands that I think it Odell Beckham playing 2025 30 snaps is going to be more effective than a Beckham trying to play 60 or 65. Now come the divisional round or the AFC Championship or whatever that could be a different conversation at that point in the season. But in terms of trying to keep some of these veteran players, some of these guys with injury histories fresh, yeah, John Harbaugh has got to be thinking about that you have to think in those terms with some of these veteran players. So, you know, that’s but that’s no different than, you know, that’s no different than Kansas City talking about, you know, how they’re handling their veterans or anyone left it in that that’s going to be a legitimate Super Bowl contender in either conference. So it’s a war of attrition. And Sunday was another reminder that as we saw more players going down with injuries, even quarterbacks going down with injuries. But, you know, the ravens are in a great spot in the sense of most of their concerns, you know, even the Stanley situation. These are all still very relative compared to some of the fatal flaws that you look at with some other playoff hopefuls. I mean, we’ve talked at length about the browns, what about the Steelers? I mean, can he pick it now? I was hurt. I mean, people talked about some of the Ravens bad losses the last couple years. And I’m not saying this to pick on Mike Tomlin but I’m kind of picking on Mike Tomlin here. When if the Ravens had a loss like the Steelers had to the Louis Cardinals at home on Sunday, what was the last time the Ravens lost a football game like that? To a team like that? I mean, you struggle to kind of think about when that last happened. They Nestor J. Aparicio 26:37haven’t been behind for more than five year literally. Exactly, exactly. Luke Jones 26:42I mean, that’s the thing. They haven’t trailed by two scores all season. So you know, and that’s not to say that that’s the standard. And that means Oh, you’re you’re destined to win the Super Bowl, but it just speaks to, even when this team, yeah, they’ve lacked some consistency. And they, they had the three losses that they have that were so frustrating. But by and large, they’ve come out and they’ve played good to really good football every single week, even if they don’t do it for a full 60 minutes. What Pittsburgh did on Sunday. I mean, they’re a team that’s currently in the playoff field. They look horrendous. I mean, even their defense, say what you want about losing Kenny Pickett and whatever, however good he is, or not good, whatever. You know, that’s a debate that will, will continue. But what about the Pittsburgh defense in that game? I mean, what what was that? So you look at teams like that, relative to questions that the Ravens have. And I get it talked about Ronnie Stanley, I have questions about this passing game without Mark Andrews the rest of the way. I mean, there’s no doubt about that. Now, when that could, that could be something that could cost them come January, there’s no doubt but still, relatively speaking, when you have a defense, as great as this defense has been. And you have an offense that yeah, it’s still chasing consistency with its passing game. But it’s still a good, really good offense. I mean, the numbers bear that out, go look where they rank, statistically, you know, they’re not a an elite passing game. But they’ve been a good passing game. They’ve had an elite running game. You know, they have a quarterback who is in the MVP conversation, regardless of where you want to rank Lamar right now. And by the way, that MVP race, who knows right now, I mean, it’s totally wide open. I mean, Dak Prescott, might be the current front runner, which I don’t put any stock in that right now. You know, given where the Cowboys typically, you know, where they are and what they’re going to be the rest of the year. Who knows. But, you know, they’ve got so much going for them that even these couple questions that they do have in there important questions. There’s no doubt about that. But I’ll still take those questions compared to what most teams even most contenders in the NFL are dealing with right now. The ravens are in a really good spot, and you hope this late by is going to pay some dividends for them in terms of getting guys healthy. But also, to your point, these veteran players, you can speak to this way better than I can because I just followed it from afar, but in 2000 when the Ravens had that late bye week. How big was that for Tony Siragusa and Rob Burnett and some of the other gray beards, Rod woods and Shannon Sharpe. I mean you think about some of the older players on that team. They had such a late by that Yeah, it took them forever to get to that point. But on the other side of that they were ready to roll and I think if you’re a Ravens fan you’re hoping that you see something similar for this team the rest of the way having this December by Nestor J. Aparicio 29:27here’s Luke Jones. He is Baltimore Luke we are we’re done with the by man we didn’t have any by week. I use the by week last week to go crazy given away lottery tickets yet scratch off winners. We did crab cake tours. I still got two crab cakes in the refrigerator. Man gertrudes John shields I’m related to John shields crazy Luke story but you know my son and you know my daughter in law, so I was going to gertrudes my don’t give me the relation on this because you had to like a married sister to a guy who’s sort of like a brother. or law and what his parents are to you? I don’t know. But my daughter in law my son’s wife’s mother is cousins with John shields, which makes my daughter in law cousins with John shields to nobody mentioned this to me or if they did, they certainly didn’t say I got somebody with a crab cake. So my my keep wanting to say my mother in law, it’s my daughter in law’s mother. Right? So my Facebook, John shields is my cousin, say hello to him over Gertrude. Now, John’s had like cookbooks been on TV, celebrity chef, all that. So I went over there and I’m like, we’re related. I don’t even know this. So we’re gonna be back at gertrudes on Friday, because Dan Rodricks is gonna be doing his show Baltimore. You have no idea. We had a long chat with Dan about that, as well as stadia issues. We had Odette Ramos on council woman over gertrudes that was on Thursday, Friday, we were up in Hollywood casino at Perryville had some great guests up there. Amy Brennan joined us as well as Christian Horton. I don’t know how my picks were this weekend. They they stunk I’ve even done the math on it. Patrick mahomes JALEN Hertz. I mean, come on, man. He can’t bet on a favorite in this damn league in December. What good are they? But nonetheless on Wednesday we were Coco’s had received had Ron Cassie on as well. Talking about stadia talking about baseball, Luke will be monitoring all things baseball winter meetings this week, as a lot of our pals are in Nashville, covering all that Luke’s gonna be out next minutes covering all things ravens and rams as we get into reports out for you on the WNS D tech service brought to you by Coons, Baltimore, Ford, lots and lots of great conversations this week here. No by week no time for any of that. The Maryland lottery, sponsoring our crabcake toward getting us back out on the road on on Tuesday. We’ll be at State Fair in the morning, joined by Bill Cole and Dennis Colossus. Then on next Friday we’re going to be a curio and foreign data that’s the 15th we’re going to be at wise markets Christmas week and then at fade Lee’s it likes in the market just after that look for you with this rams game and concerns for the team and where they are we went with through injuries and styles making fights a little bit here right like whether it’s the Rams game this week, Jacksonville. We’ll see them on Monday night football as well. And then this craziness toward the holiday of this 40 Niners game, where we saw the 40 Niners Eagles become the game of the year, on Sunday afternoon, there Christmas night. I mean, the Ravens won a pair of games here and hold their water and they’re 11 and three and whatever San Francisco is going to be coming Christmas and I kind of crime that not that I’m looking over the hill because they better take care of the rams and they have another trip down to Jacksonville. It can be a mess. But that that that 40 Niners game, and then the dolphins game after that, because looks like the dolphins are going to win every week to leading up to that. They’re they’re going to play some really big games with big audiences. And you know, Sunday night football Monday Night Football, Christmas night football, they got all that going on, they’re going to be a true spotlight. They’re gonna play as a favorite now that the Chiefs thing, right, literally. Luke Jones 33:04Yeah, well, I mean, the chiefs don’t stink. But I mean, you look at their remaining schedule. I mean, like you said, they should beat the Rams. I’m not talking about a turn saying that I mean, the Rams rams are playing better football the last few weeks, but better win that game. Because to your point, it doesn’t get any easier after that. And I look at that 40 Niners game on Christmas night, if the Ravens do what they should, what you feel like they’re capable of doing these next couple games. And same with San Francisco. I mean, everyone’s gonna be talking about that as a potential Superbowl preview. But back in 2019, the Ravens played the 40 Niners in Baltimore, I mean, that was talked, talked about in the same way, you know, a Super Bowl preview kind of matchup, but yeah, I mean, there are no layups left. I mean, there aren’t I mean, even week 18 I mean, who the heck knows what’s gonna happen? What’s gonna happen with Kenny Pickett and the Steelers and all that, but it’s, it’s certainly it, they’re going to earn it. If we’re talking about the ravens, I’ve made this point may have made it to you last week, but I certainly made it to Dennis. If we’re talking about the Ravens come July 11. And they’re off and they’re enjoying a bye week. There, they’re gonna have earned it because this is not going to be an easy schedule. And I think you’re hoping in the same way we talked about the by, you’re hoping that this late season schedule, and the fact that they’re gonna have to keep winning because Kansas City lost suicide on Sunday night. Chiefs aren’t going anywhere, Miami at this point, whether how much you’re believing in them because of how soft their schedule has been in terms of the games that they’ve actually won. They’re still going to be right there. Jacksonville is going to be right there. So they’re gonna have to keep winning. So with that in mind, and with the schedule that they have left and the tough opponents they’re going to face. You’re hoping that this is a team that come mid January when the playoffs start. You’re hoping that they They’re feeling pretty battle tested at that point, you know, especially, I mean, my goodness, if you can go to San Francisco and Christmas night and win a game like that, you shouldn’t be scared to do anything. Come January, you should be scared about any scenario, including going to Kansas City at that point in time. So, but if you win that game, you’re probably in a really good shot chance you’ll have to go to Kansas City if you win. Yeah, probably. So you know, I mean, it’s goes back to what we said at the beginning of our conversation. I mean, it is all sitting right there for them. They are in such great position, right. Brian Nestor J. Aparicio 35:33Billick, I just see my channel pillock. When I hear from you. It’s true. Luke Jones 35:37I mean, it’s where they are right now. I mean, that it is all right there. They can accomplish everything they want to accomplish, and but they’ve got to go out and do it. And it’s not gonna be easy. They got to stay healthy. I mean, they’re relevant, you know, Andrews injury aside. They’re pretty healthy overall, right now, considering it’s December. I mean, no one’s 100%. I mean, we know that, but they’re in pretty decent shape, far better than a couple years ago. I mean, that’s stating the obvious there. So, but they’ve got to go out and do it, and they’ve got to play good football, and they’ve got it. Hopefully, the coaching staff found some ways to find a little more consistency, specifically on the offensive side of the ball. Defensively, I don’t have a lot to say, but just keep doing what you’ve been doing. I mean, it’s been that great. Just about every single week, save for a quarter here and there. So, you know, just go out and it’s time to take care of business. And if you do that, you’ve got a heck of a chance to be the number one seed and, you know, have some fun come January. I mean, that’s that’s what this is all about. Here’s Luke Nestor J. Aparicio 36:39Jones. He is Baltimore. Luke, he’ll be in Owings Mills. All week long. We’re gonna be monitoring all things, baseball winter meetings around here as well. If you’re on the WNS, D SEC service, brought to you by Coons, Baltimore fort, you will get all the injury reports or early crabcake tours out on the road. You want to peppermint pay, I give people choices up and it’s funny, I have these Oh, snap. You can smell them. They get the peppermint. Sort of can smell it and then the unwrap the cash and I would hold off see which one do you want. Everybody wanted a different one. We had a bunch of winners up in Hollywood casino on Friday. We hope to have more state fair this week. And certainly for you if you want to join us at foreign data next Friday the 15th We’re gonna be there in the afternoon as well. Also brought to you by window nation and our friends at Jiffy Lube. Multi care. Big week around here. Lots going on. Lots of great interviews we did last week on the crabcake tour including more stuff this week as we get ready for the rams and we cross our fingers for Blake Snell signing in the Orioles to spend some of that money Make It Rain that we’ve given him and maybe sign a lease. I am Nestor. We are WNS da and 1570 continuing 25 years of full disgust with everything regarding the Angelo’s family. We are Baltimore positive stay with us
