The Steelers are in the way again…

The stakes for both franchises are huge in this week’s Pittsburgh at Baltimore match up for first place in the AFC North. Luke Jones and Nestor discuss the fate of loser of Steelers and Ravens and the mad dash of the NFL playoff picture as we await Lamar Jackson hosting Aaron Rodgers. There’s a lot of football left…

Nestor Aparicio and Luke Jones discussed the critical upcoming games for the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers, emphasizing the importance of Lamar Jackson’s health and the offensive and defensive lines’ performance. They highlighted the Ravens’ recent struggles, including a 24-22 loss to the Bengals, and the Steelers’ 38-35 loss to the Bills. Both teams are tied at 6-6 in the AFC North. The conversation also touched on the broader AFC playoff race, the potential for upsets, and the psychological impact of recent losses on the teams. They noted the importance of the upcoming Ravens-Steelers game and the potential for significant changes in coaching and team dynamics if either team falters.

Maryland Crab Cake Tour and Holiday Plans

• Nestor Aparicio discusses the Maryland crab cake tour, mentioning stops at Costa simonium and Gertrudes.
• Nestor talks about adding a show on the 19th at Gertrudes and mentions the involvement of GBMC.
• Nestor humorously educates listeners about the importance of colonoscopies, especially during the holidays.
• Nestor shares his excitement about enjoying the last piece of pumpkin pie and mentions his upcoming shows.

Concerns for Lamar Jackson and the Ravens

• Nestor Aparicio raises concerns about Lamar Jackson’s health and performance, emphasizing the need for him to be MVP caliber.
• Luke Jones agrees, highlighting the importance of the offensive and defensive lines for Lamar’s success.
• Luke discusses the struggles of the offensive line, including pass protection and run blocking.
• Both Nestor and Luke acknowledge the need for better play from the offensive and defensive lines to support Lamar.

Offensive and Defensive Line Performance

• Luke Jones elaborates on the issues with the offensive line, mentioning specific players like Ronnie Stanley and Bradley Bozeman.
• Luke discusses the impact of the defensive line, noting the addition of Draymond Jones and the performance of players like Van Noy.
• Nestor and Luke agree that the offensive and defensive lines need to improve significantly for the Ravens to succeed.
• Luke emphasizes the importance of not being in third and long situations to avoid pressure on the quarterback.

Comparison of AFC and NFC Teams

• Nestor Aparicio and Luke Jones discuss the strength of the NFC compared to the AFC, mentioning teams like the Rams, Seahawks, and Bills.
• Nestor questions when to believe in certain quarterbacks, mentioning players like Burrow, Mahomes, and Stafford.
• Luke and Nestor talk about the pedigree of quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, and Patrick Mahomes.
• Both agree that the AFC playoff race is wide open, with many teams having their deficiencies.

Playoff Scenarios and Team Performance

• Nestor and Luke discuss the playoff scenarios for various AFC teams, including the Ravens, Steelers, and Bengals.
• Luke highlights the importance of winning out for teams like Kansas City to secure a playoff spot.
• Nestor mentions the potential for upsets and the importance of winning the last game of the season.
• Both agree that the AFC playoff race is highly competitive, with many teams having a chance to make it to the playoffs.

Impact of Coaching and Team Dynamics

• Nestor and Luke discuss the potential impact of coaching changes, mentioning Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh.
• Luke talks about the importance of team dynamics and the mental state of players after recent losses.
• Nestor mentions the potential for changes in the Steelers’ coaching staff if they continue to struggle.
• Both agree that the next few weeks will be crucial for both the Ravens and Steelers in terms of their playoff chances.

Fan Reactions and Stadium Atmosphere

• Nestor and Luke discuss the reactions of fans at the Ravens and Steelers games, mentioning the booing of coaches and players.
• Nestor talks about the importance of fan support and the impact of a negative stadium atmosphere on team performance.
• Luke mentions the importance of home-field advantage and the impact of a supportive crowd on players.
• Both agree that the next game between the Ravens and Steelers will be crucial for both teams in terms of fan reactions and stadium atmosphere.

Potential for Upsets and Wild Card Scenarios

• Nestor and Luke discuss the potential for upsets in the AFC playoff race, mentioning teams like the Bengals and Colts.
• Luke talks about the importance of winning the last game of the season to secure a playoff spot.
• Nestor mentions the potential for wild card scenarios, with multiple teams having a chance to make it to the playoffs.
• Both agree that the AFC playoff race is highly competitive, with many teams having a chance to make it to the playoffs.

Final Thoughts on the Ravens and Steelers

• Nestor and Luke discuss the final thoughts on the Ravens and Steelers, mentioning the importance of the next game.
• Luke talks about the importance of bouncing back from recent losses and the mental state of players.
• Nestor mentions the potential for changes in the coaching staff and the importance of winning the next game.
• Both agree that the next game between the Ravens and Steelers will be crucial for both teams in terms of their playoff chances.

Upcoming Maryland Crab Cake Tour Stops

• Nestor Aparicio promotes the upcoming stops of the Maryland crab cake tour, mentioning specific locations and dates.
• Nestor talks about the involvement of the Maryland lottery and GBMC in the tour.
• Nestor mentions the importance of supporting local businesses and the fun of the tour.
• Both agree that the tour is a great way to promote Maryland crab cakes and support local businesses.

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

Ravens, Steelers, Lamar Jackson, offensive line, defensive line, AFC playoffs, Super Bowl, Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, Joe Burrow, Drake May, Kansas City, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Baltimore.

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SPEAKERS

Luke Jones, Nestor Aparicio

Nestor Aparicio  00:01

Hey, welcome home. We are W, N, S T am 1570 Towson, Baltimore. We’re Baltimore positive and positively, taking the Maryland crab cake tour out on the road. I was over at Costa simonium the other day. We’re going to go there for a couple of Super Bowl but for the holidays, there’s only one him. For The Holidays, I’ll be in Dundalk with Gina shock on the 18th. We’re revving this thing up with the Maryland lottery. Have Raven scratch offs. I’m gonna get me some candy cane scented. I gotta throw a note to Roz. We’re doing five shows. We thought we’re doing four. We’ve added gertrudes on the 19th. Our friends at GBMC on board for the holidays. I’m trying to educate everyone. When Dad’s home, granddad’s home, Uncle Luke’s home, that maybe give me the elbow and get your sister side checking say, hey, it’s colonoscopy. So that’s going to be my little message to everybody now that I’ve had the bejesus scared out of me. And then there’s football, which has kept us entertained. I have this. This is the last piece of pumpkin pie I have, and in the whole joint, Luke, so I’m going to enjoy some pumpkin pie. But I sort of curiously left a dangler in our last segment about the ravens and Lamar and Pittsburgh week and Aaron Rodgers and Mason, Rudolph and wherever both of these franchises are and getting booed. Fans are mad, and they’re pissed at the coaches, and like all of that, number one concern for the Ravens over the body over the next five weeks, it’s got to be lamar’s health and his ability to play well, take care of the ball, deliver the ball, be an MVP caliber quarterback. I mean, that’s what it takes to win a Super Bowl like especially when you’re six and six, it can’t just be slopping around and be okay, and the running game okay. It has to be way better than what we’ve seen it be recently. And we’re all believe Lamar is capable of that. So that part of it aside. If that goes well, what concerns you next? Luke Jones, line

Luke Jones  02:13

of scrimmage, on both sides of the ball. I mean, it’s it’s really no different than what we’ve been talking about with the offensive line all year, and with the defensive line since namdi Mata BK went on IR and we knew he was going to be out for the year. I mean, it’s it’s still, that it’s still, and obviously that that ties in with lamar’s health and lamar’s ability to be at his absolute best. And you know, that’s not to give Lamar a pass in that way, Lamar has to be better. There’s no question about that. We haven’t seen a good version of Lamar Jackson for a while now. You know, we certainly haven’t seen the MVP version of Lamar for a long while at this point in time. But how much of that is impacted by the play of the offensive line, it’s huge. I mean, they have to be able to run block, they have to be able to pass protect. You need to do everything you can to not be in third and long. Not that any offense wants to be in third and long, but when you’re a team that is not great when it comes to pass protection, you need to be in a position to not be in third and long. You want to be in third and manageable. You want to be in third and five. You know, third and six. If you’re much more than that, then it’s no you’re throwing and then the defense can pin its ears back. And then you’re wondering if Foley is going to hold up and Voorhees is going to hold up, or Emory Jones at left guard. And, you know, we’ve seen Ronnie Stanley at times have his struggles this year. We’ve seen rosengarden not have a great sophomore year after a promising rookie campaign. So it’s still that and on the flip side, as much as we had talked about the pass rush looking better over the last three, four games, you know, the the addition of Draymond Jones, Mike Green at time, you know, before he tweaked his ankle a couple weeks ago, but he’s had some better performances. We’ve seen van Noy. You know, we had seen van Noy show up a little bit more than we had seen most of the season.

Nestor Aparicio  04:09

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Well, it was the thing about oway being gone and then Draymond Jones coming in and immediately being noticed in a way, right, right?

Luke Jones  04:18

But on Thursday night that took a step back. You know, they got, I think, I feel like they got some pressure on burrow early, and then that went away, and obviously he gets the ball out quickly, right? So, but that’s what it really comes back to for me. I just if we’re looking at this team, not just in terms of what it’s going to take to make the playoffs, right? Because we know this is a bad division. We know Pittsburgh is not good either. We know they certainly have their deficiencies. But if we’re, if we’re looking at this in the big picture, you know, getting to January and what’s most going to derail their ability to make a long run. Yes, Lamar is number one in terms of his health and in terms of Lamar just needing to be better. But, you know, and that’s everyone’s that if that’s not your number one, then you’re wrong. I mean, like, that’s just, I mean, I hate to be so flippant about it, but that’s, you know, it’s a captain obvious thing. You need your quarterback to be right, and clearly he hasn’t been right. But beyond that, yeah, it’s tough for me to look at this offensive line. It’s tough for me to look at this defensive line and feel confident that they’re going to put together three or four games in a row to get to a Super Bowl, right and have any chance of winning. I mean, frankly, I mean, you just kind of look at the state of the NFC versus the AFC right now. I mean, I think the NFC has, I think the rams are great. Sunday’s result aside, I think Seattle is really good. Concerns about Sam darnold side right, knowing his history, like it’s hilarious, even the very best teams in either conference, other than the Rams, I feel like there’s a Yeah, but, I mean, I just feel that way about everyone.

Nestor Aparicio  06:00

But when do you believe in a quarterback? I mean, hertz went and won the Super Bowl a right? So like, when do you believe in a quarterback? Or when do you stop believing in a quarterback burrow mahomes, because of the cast around them? Um, Herbert, same thing. Who’s gonna have a hand surgery now, right? Or believing in Bo Nix, or believing in Drake May, or believing in Daniel Jones, or believing in Trevor Lawrence, right, who had all the pedigree in the world, like Stafford, like golf, right until they actually like Donald, who was a lottery pick. You know, these guys were lottery picks. We always forget Lamar wasn’t. I never forget that Brock Purdy wasn’t. And we was dancing in Cleveland. It was very clear that, you know, he danced like a guy that did not have first round money, for sure, but I, but I would say, for the pedigree of quarterback, and thinking about it as though Lamar, Josh Allen, Patrick mahomes, Matt Stafford, I’ll give you. Matt Stafford, I’ll he, he now is going in the hall. He’s going all freaking, all the fame. So what you know, like, certainly, based on the way and and Aaron Rodgers, who’s going to the Hall of Fame, right in a different way. I don’t know what to say about any of these guys, because warts on the older guys, for sure, warts on the best players, because of their cast, absolutely. Warts on well, they’re not even warts. They’re not even like pimples. I mean, I don’t know what to make of Drake may or any. I’ve never seen him play a game in January. You know, I’ve never seen them go hot seat, hot seat 13 and 414, and three and be a one seed, sit and file their nails for a week and then come back and have the foghorn blow in New England, and have Lamar Jackson show up, or have and Derek Henry or have, I don’t know, pick your poison. Patrick mahomes, Josh Allen, somebody’s going to show up there, and they’re going to have to put big boy panties on and play like Mike Vrabel wants them to play. I’m not convinced of them. Or certainly not Denver, after taking Marcus, Mario TA to the to the to the distance and almost losing by, you know, Inky, you know, an inch it right? So I look at all of this as a wide open tournament, and it makes for a really fun conversation in regard to who’s better, who’s best, because the Rams got their ass kicked, and you called them a great team.

Luke Jones  08:44

I mean, I don’t know if I’d say they got their butts kicked, but they lost. Sure they lost, but at the same time, what’s our, what’s our? What’s the threshold here? I mean, like 2007 undefeated patriots, right?

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Nestor Aparicio  08:56

I mean, but I don’t know what the threshold is when Carolina is good enough to win a game, you know, like when the my Miami Dolphins came up and bloody and nose, you know, like in any given week, we thought the bears was like a kick over game. And now, I haven’t even mentioned Caleb Williams. I haven’t mentioned the bears. And they’re, they’re the toast of the world right now, right there. I don’t know where the money is in Vegas, by the way. Who do they think would that bet on all this? Who do they think is going to win the Super Bowl? Because I don’t. I this is a quite a field race right now, is it not? Yeah.

Luke Jones  09:33

I mean, who knows we’re gonna see. I mean, and that’s not me necessarily feeling great that the ravens are going to do it or anything like that, because the ravens, to me, feel like a mediocre football team. But that said, I mean, just look at the AFC playoff standings right now. The playoff picture, you go right down the list. Bo Nix, hey, at times he makes some great plays, and then he does some other things where you say, What the heck was that? I mean, he had the interception on Sunday night football. Ball, where, what to Bobby Wagner. I think it was Wagner right linebacker, right over the middle of the field. None of his guys were around like he just, it looks like he threw it right to him. You have Drake May, who has played at a very high level, honestly. Right now, if you’re asking me to size it up as it stands right now, with Kansas City out and buffalo being the seven seed and having their issues, and kind of going down the list of these other teams that don’t have the, you know, Premier MVP level quarterback, at least yet, even though Drake May’s got a chance to be MVP, I suppose, even though I still think it’s Stafford’s award to lose at this point in time. But you know, he’s the one that it kind of feels like it could be him that, said, is his supporting cast around him good enough, right? That’s not a great Patriots defense as much as we think of raybel And look, Rabel has done a great job with that team. But statistically, that’s not a defense where you look at them and say, Oh my gosh. Like, that’s a fantastic defense.

Nestor Aparicio  10:59

Well, right off the bat, whoever the one seed is, they get a week down, and then they get to sit at home. So there’s a lot of reason and no super teams coming in. I mean, and we keep looking at the Ravens because of the skill position players, because of the payroll and the pedigree and and the Hall of Famers that are on the team. We keep looking at them as something different in the way that if you looked at Pittsburgh as Aaron Rodgers, Cam award, TJ watt, Jalen Ramsey, you know DK Metcalf’s reputation. I don’t know about productivity, but you take the star players, and you’d say Kansas City doesn’t have enough of them around mahomes and Chris Jones on the other side of the ball and whatever spagnolo can draw up in the dirt. But I I still don’t think you want to see the Chiefs getting off the bus in Baltimore after nine and eight Ravens. Team slaps here to three and two and wins by the skin of their Pittsburgh, and they’re going to have to go to Pittsburgh to do that, by the way, too. That’s another gig here, right? So whatever you think this week is, you think it’s no good. You have to win the last one too. They’re gonna be bye weeks and week 18 around here. So the notion that any of these teams that Josh Allen gets off the bus is a wild card here, January, 10 or 12th, whenever that game is, and that’s what you draw. And New England sitting at home for a week, and they’re going to get the Chargers or so. I don’t I’m making that up, but they’re going to have a much different path. I mean, whoever that one seat is, Denver, Chicago, New England. There’s going to be a lot of reasons to like a team that’s won 13 or 14 games, right? Just in general, right?

Luke Jones  12:49

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I mean, it, for me, it’s not even that they won 13 or 14 games, it’s that they don’t have to play in the first round. I mean, it’s, there’s one let you have one fewer. You know that your path is shorter. I mean, it’s just that simple, you know? Think about it. It’s a math problem, right? Think about whatever your odds are to win any game when you eliminate a game, and basically, you know what, what a first round by really means is, congratulations, there’s your wild card round win. That’s what it means. That’s really what it means. Yes, their home field advantage and a week to rest and all that. But you are not put in peril for a 60 minute football game with a ball that is not perfectly round, that bounces in weird ways and weird things happen, not to mention injuries. Sure. I mean, so that that’s the that’s always been the biggest advantage. It’s not home field advantage. It’s not your crowd. Yes, those things help, but it’s always been that you don’t have to play that extra game. And it’s the same thing that you and I talked about this a couple years ago when the Orioles got bounced into in the Division Series. And so much debate about baseball, and obviously, baseball is a little bit of a different animal. But humor me for a moment. Anyone listening. The idea is you don’t have to subject yourself to a best of three, where you have a bad 24 hours, literally, and can be done whether you’re playing home or away in that scenario. So you’ll always take the buy. You’ll always take the trip to the next round, regardless of what that means, or momentum, or all these different things that Talking Heads talk about. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist, but in many cases, we overstate and overrate those kind of things. So that’s what it comes down to. But yeah, I mean, put it this way, if you’re Denver, if you’re New England, if you’re Jacksonville, if you’re the chargers, if you’re the colt, like any of these teams, and obviously not all these teams are going to be playing a going to be playing a home playoff game. None of those teams want to see Kansas City coming to town if Kansas City makes it to the playoffs, which, by the way, is a big if,

Nestor Aparicio  14:53

well, there’s a lot, that’s my let’s go down this road,

Luke Jones  14:56

but, but if they do, hold on, if they do. So you’re talking about a Kansas City team that probably has had to win out to go 11 and six to assure themselves of a wild card. Or maybe they’ve been afforded one loss. Maybe they’re they can have one losses, but I don’t think so. They don’t have a great tiebreaker profile. So, but the point is, if they get in, no one, no one wants to see them, including buffalo, who has beaten them plenty of times in the regular season, but can’t beat them in the playoffs. If you’re the ravens, you certainly don’t want to see Kansas City coming to town. And let’s face it, they won’t admit it, they don’t want to see buffalo coming to town, because Buffalo has beaten them twice in the playoffs. And for these other teams, and I will say this, and this is not me even saying that I think the ravens are a great football team, or even a good football team, because I don’t because I don’t think they are right now. I mean, they just aren’t. They’re six and six you are what your record says you are. But those teams, those upstarts, are very nervous of the idea of Lamar Jackson coming in to their building. Just knowing what he is capable of, whether he’s doing that right now or not, is not the point. It’s what he’s capable of. And yes, you know, the skeptics will say, well, the Ravens aren’t, aren’t the same team in January. And I get that, but I’m talking about a collection of teams that have, don’t, don’t even have the January failures. They have nothing in January because they haven’t been there. So yeah, that’s kind of what the pecking order still looks like. And of course, you know, if you want to throw the miraculous scenario of Joe burrow, but I mean, obviously, if, if the Bengals make it, that means the Ravens aren’t right. So then it, then it becomes a moot point as far as Lamar, but yeah, these other teams. I mean, look, could this be Drake May, could Drake may be Tom Brady in his second year, and they win the Super Bowl, or at least get to the Super Bowl. Sure? Why not? I mean, I’m gonna, I’m gonna give you a whole bunch of Sure. Why not in the A, F, C, right now, especially if you’re talking about Kansas City not making it, if they make it, which means that they’ve had a heck of a final month. Then I think even them being on the road, you perceive them way differently than everyone else, and they’ve earned that for the last seven years. I just think that’s really

Nestor Aparicio  17:07

gonna have to earn it to get themselves in. And that would be that would be the case for the Steelers, for the ravens, certainly for the Bengals, for any of the teams that make it. And this is where I want to sort of draw the line and say, if we were BS in about this over pizza like when Mark Messina was living with me 30 years ago. We put it up on the blackboard, you know, and say, you know, all right, these teams are in. I feel like the I feel like Steve Kornacki, you know. All right, Denver, New England, you know, they’re in some combination of Indianapolis, the Texans or Jacksonville, somebody will emerge there as a division champion. And the old seats, the Kansas City, buffalo, Baltimore seats that are always there and usually a rung down. There’s one for Pittsburgh, or whatever you know, the next level of never for the Raiders, or, you know, for the Jets now, you know, but for the other teams that some, I mean, even the browns, have snuck in two years ago. So as far as those shares go, and the notion that buffalo, Baltimore and Kansas City, two or three of them throw Pittsburgh in. Two or three of them aren’t going, especially if the Denver’s in the New England’s hold tight. And are there kind of thought the Colts were going to be that. But you know, that remains to be seen. A lot of football left, five weeks left throughout for all these teams to say who’s looking good right now? The Bears, the Bengals, you know, who could be a team that can win four out of five, because they have the best quarterback in the league. I don’t say that about Joe burrow, but I’ll take him, and that’s no offense to mahomes.

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Luke Jones  18:55

Lamar, Josh Allen, I still think you’re nuts to take him over. Mahomes is one, and then it’s everyone else. All right. Anyway, go ahead, I know you like bro. Look, bro is great.

Nestor Aparicio  19:06

I’m not. I just think he also has tools. I think he also has a disguise. He throws the ball to or better than everybody else. So you know, even when the offensive line stinks, if you can get rid of the ball, sure, 810, times a game, he can, he can do enough to but I just, I

Luke Jones  19:21

mean, I don’t know, coming off a

Nestor Aparicio  19:22

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week where they got their ass kicked in here on Thanksgiving, and the Bengals came in and ate the turkey. So, I mean, it’s okay for me to say burrow was better right here, right now, because he is, and he was, and I guess this is where I play the game for you, especially during Pittsburgh, Baltimore week, because this is where I really want to get at it with you about it, because you’ve sat down there, you know, I don’t give them money anymore, sort of famously my PSL, the whole Chad steel. You can look it up on the internet, but you’re there watching the stadium absolutely empty out, the Pittsburgh thing and the fire Tomlin thing and the renegade thing that we talked about earlier that. I’m sure they’ll be taking calls over on the fan about that all week. But I want to play this out, because at some point there’s going to be an end to Tomlin, and at some point there’s going to be an end to horrible and at some point there’s going to be an end to Lamar here as a 50 or $60 million quarterback, to say in the way that there was an end for Joe Flacco and Pittsburgh has no grand plan, right? I mean, the real there’s no plan. Aaron Rodgers is old and bloodied and left wrist in a cast this week and all of that. But it is a really interesting time for all of these years you and I have gotten together and to say that the Ravens have gotten their noses bloodied this year would be an understatement. And, oh, by the way, go to my columnist at Baltimore positive, I can still make a case for them winning the Super Bowl for all the reasons that we just talked about the mediocrity of everywhere. And in the end of the day, if Lamar heals up and gets right, they’ve got Superman and they’ve got Derek Henry, and they’ve got D hop, and they’ve got roquan, and they, you know, they’ve have assets, the genius of John Harbaugh, whatever that would, the value of that would be. But zay flowers, they have matchup issues. I mean, in a lot of matchups. I mean, I saw the case being made on the flagship Sunday night, late into Sunday night. I love you, Pete, but that if zay flowers doesn’t get the push and Isaiah likely in the end zone, the Ravens win the game going away. And we’re not even talking about Joe burrow this week being anything, or we’re not talking about Lamar stinking because he hit Isaiah likely on a touchdown pass, they got taken away from him, and say flowers they take away from him. And so I hope that that’s not what they’re preaching inside the building this week, not that they lost the game by three touchdowns, because that’s the way it kind of worked out. But there, there is a case to be made here that for whatever team here doesn’t make the playoffs, and by the way, you just say Kansas City is not making the playoffs, right or No, no, but like as I as it goes, right

Luke Jones  22:15

there, the odds are very much

Nestor Aparicio  22:17

against them. As it goes, the more Jacksonville stacks wins, they get to get in. If they get the 10, and you get the nine, they get in. That’s the way it is. So like all of these seats at the banquet that are being held, you know, and the lowly AFC north, where nine wins, probably is going to get it done. Probably is going to get it done at this point, I would say, you would say. And I’ll throw Cincinnati into the hat with that too. Nine wins is probably going to get it done. I think form one’s a heavy load for any of the five, four ones as heavy for the ravens and the Steelers is five, and always for the Bengals at this point. But somebody’s going to earn in, if they get to 10 wins, they’ve earned it. Earned like they’ve if they, if any of these teams get to 10 wins, they’re on a streak. They’re four and one, you know, they they’re playing. That means that the Ravens would have beaten Green Bay, New England, who would have done something? If they get to 10 wins, if the Ravens get the 10 wins, they’ve done something. And we will be talking about them, and they’ll be deodorized as Buffalo marches in here, or Jacksonville Mar you know, whoever it would be marches in here, they’ll be deodorized because they will have won 10 games, and we will they’ll have some piece of tape, even if it’s just good fortune and turnovers, and they play a snow game and the ball squirted the right way against Green Bay, that they would have won these games, even Green Bay doesn’t try, like they would have won games. That’s something that even last week, when they won five in a row, three in a row, in a row, we were like, Yeah, I know more about football than you know. Like, then what? Then beating the Jets in that sort of fashion, to think that. And you know enough about trench work, and I know enough about trench work, and we’re having Aaron shots on this week talking about trench work this week, to know that it’s never good there. There’s never nothing dominant there. So it’s hard for everything else to look dominant when the O line, D line, aren’t dominant in any way, and they’re getting beaten more than they’re winning in general, in on every down a distance, across the board, across the game tape that being said, somebody’s getting their feelings hurt, there’s going to be some shake up. I mean, fans screaming the fire of the coach and walking out and here, I mean, the owners watched. They played five home games, right? I mean, and three of them have been absolute empty out, and I heard the president of the team speak. I paid $100 for this wisdom. So I want to share it. I. Sashi, when asked what the concerns and the number one complaint about the Ravens in this is a days where people paid money to be here, Sports Business Journal, he talked about traffic getting home, that everyone’s concerned about getting home after the game. And I’m thinking to myself, and I’m watching Sunday night football, and they’re playing ads. Buy tickets, plenty of tickets available. Come see your Ravens. I’m thinking to myself, civic temperature ain’t Great. Certainly ain’t going to be great here at Baltimore. Positive for me and how I’ve been treated my family, people. I know the Justin Tucker thing that rubbed tugged me the wrong way. Sorry, but I would just say for that, for these franchise booing renegade dude, right? And this is not all right. This is me being a dick. I’m going to be a dick for a minute, this bar stool crowd that they’ve and the gambling crowd and the tail Great. I’m going to be drunk crowd and all of my 50 something friends who were the good fans who built my radio station and came to the barn for autographs and were into the team, into the game, into the Civic thing of that stands for Baltimore, and I love it and all that. I don’t know where the Gen Next thing is, with their participation and women in flag football and gambling and just things that did not exist 30 years ago in my generation. What compels people to come to the stadium, cheer hard, spend a lot of money, not yell, Fire the coach, not be prompted week after week after week on the scoreboard as to when to be loud and when not to be loud, and what time they want to get home, and when they’re on their phones and all of that, like the experiential part that the owners want. I mean, I saw there was a video going around this week, incidentally, about a couple of kids in the front row at the ravens, where they now have televisions. Apparent it looks like, um, like a gambling console in Vegas, like a down on the field where the band used to be. I like, I haven’t been in the state. Chad hasn’t given me the tour. Neither is Sashi, by the way. Maybe the traffic was too bad getting out. I don’t know, but I saw that they have like these televisions, and people were watching like cartoons down there instead of like watching the game. And I’m thinking to myself for these franchises, Baltimore and Pittsburgh. I’m talking Bradshaw, Unitas, Flacco, Jerome Bettis, like Roethlisberger, all of it. Not making the playoffs is going to be a real problem. You know what? I mean, like, it’s going to be a problem in regard to coaching, in regard to what the hell’s happening here, especially in Pittsburgh where, like, there looks like there’s no plan on the quarterback thing there at all, right? And here, the plan on the quarterback thing is, well, Lamar is, what’s his cap number, 70, something. What is it 70?

Luke Jones  28:17

I think it’s like 70. I mean 71 extension, yeah. I mean,

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Nestor Aparicio  28:21

like, and it gets expensive, and, and do you believe, or do you not believe? Where are we? All of that, and I’m not saying they, they’re not going to believe in Lamar, but do they believe in John? Do they do? They believe in Ronnie Stanley? Do they do? They believe in Marlon Humphrey. I mean, probably not, right, but where they are as a franchise, in picking up the pieces. If somehow the Ravens go two and three and don’t make the playoffs, or the Bengals somehow catch fire and beat them again next week, and you know, then we go into Christmas, where the Ravens have New England Green Bay, but Pittsburgh, you know, and and to your point, they better beat the Steelers this week. Dude, like it’s huge, but if they beat the Steelers, might be the end for Tomlin. Might be an earthquake in that franchise, given the age of some of their veteran guys as well. So there’s tectonic plate shifting this week. They’re in this game, and they’re going to see each other with all the stones on the line five weeks from now and be more bloodied, more beaten up, more tired, more atrophied. I know one thing, both of these teams will have less players on the field when they get together the first week of January. Get his will. It’s that time of year. I for all the things I’ve said, this is there’s huge stakes for the franchises when really bad things happen, like this team that’s supposed to go to the Super Bowl that doesn’t make the playoffs, or Mike Tomlin in year 17, when they’re booing Renegade. That’s what’s at stake for his football team and for Aaron Rodgers career, at the end of his career. Year. That’s what’s at stake for those cats over the next five weeks. Man, big game. Big game this week.

Luke Jones  30:06

Sure, sure. I mean, especially for Pittsburgh. I mean, they haven’t even won a playoff game in almost a decade now. I mean, what 2016 was the

Nestor Aparicio  30:14

last time you see especially for Pittsburgh. But if the stadium empties out and they’re sick and the Ravens are six and seven, big game for the Ravens too, like on this, it would really be a record.

Luke Jones  30:22

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I didn’t say it wasn’t a big game for the Raven. I’m saying especially for Pittsburgh. Who’s done? I mean, yes, the Ravens have a lack of January success. They have zero January success over the last nine years. I mean, they haven’t gotten to an AFC title game, at least like the Ravens did a couple years ago. And that’s not to say the ravens, like, I’m okay with their lack of January success. Point is, I think it’s a little more extreme on the Pittsburgh side with that. That said, Yeah, I think for me, and you know, look, a lot of the off the field stuff, you’re talking about ownership, you’re talking about front office, you’re talking about business, you’re talking about a lot beyond just what’s on the field, but strictly in terms of what’s on the field after the way both of these teams played in week 13. Man, what is under the hood? What is between the ears right now? Now, the Ravens Look, I don’t want to overreact to the fact that, yeah, they have gone they’ve won five of their last six. Understanding, it also hasn’t been a murderer’s row of opponents, right, as much as the bear. I mean, heck, the best win over that stretch was against the bears, with Tyler Huntley playing quarterback, right? Which, I don’t know what that really says, other than, hey, good for the defense, good for Tyler Huntley and the bears, I think, have continued to get better since then, right So, but when you lose a game in the fashion in which they lost on Thursday night, knowing how much work you had put in, how much of a grind it’s been just to get back to six and five like they were, I am curious Now to see how they respond to that, because it’s always that case, right? Especially when you start when you’re talking I mean, this is December football, right? We’re into the month of December now, and we’ve talked about this team a lot when it comes to January, but this is also a team that went through one in five early in the season, and we know how that felt at that point in time and the questions you’re asking at that point in time. And yeah, to their credit, they they climbed up off the mat. Hasn’t been pretty, hasn’t been dominant, hasn’t been impressive, right? I mean, it’s funny, someone asked me this question over the weekend, at what point have the Ravens looked their very best? It’s still the first three and a half quarters of the Buffalo game in week one, right? I mean, they have not looked that dominant for most of a game, until the, of course, the last five seven minutes of that game, but they have not looked like that since then. Is that? Are they ever going to find that again, at least in this season. You know, we’re into December already, but for me, how do you respond to Thursday night? Do you bounce back? And hey, there’s a lousy five turnover performance. It could have gone differently. It didn’t. We didn’t play well enough Period. End of story. We have to be better. And you go back to work and you compartmentalize, and you know, 24 hour rule, 48 hour rule, whatever. Right, it was a long weekend,

Nestor Aparicio  33:28

but watching the Steelers play on Sunday makes everybody around here feel a little better because, like, that was a hold your beer, like, just both of them, so this week all the way around, and then know that they’re playing for the division. And it’s one step on a climb for both of these franchises that look to be beleaguered. Somebody’s going to have to win. Somebody’s going to have to outlast, not just this week, this month, the next time they play next month. You know, two points for the schedule makers in Roger’s office for, uh, putting this together, right? Like, the day the schedule came out, we looked at this and said, I wonder if Rogers will be on the field at all, you know, Wonder what it’ll look like. Wonder if Hayward and watt will be healthy. I wonder how Lamar will look. I mean, there’s no thought in the world that we thought the Ravens would be six and six. We just didn’t. We just didn’t. And so the whole thing stacks disappointment on disappointment that even when they get back to 500 get over 500 and I write columns like, hey, they can still win the Super Bowl, and they can because they have the talent. But if the talent to win the Super Bowl ends the season eight and nine, or nine and eight and outside the tournament, because the Steelers somehow find a kick to win a game or find something, or Lamar is still isn’t right, or maybe. Jason Rudolph comes in and does enough not to screw up, or, I don’t know, but I don’t just a dangerous week dude. It’s really a weird thing to have them play on Thanksgiving get their ass kicked to the Bengals. This is not the way you and I were plotting my eggnog holiday adventure last week, you know, like, I just thought this. I thought the script was turning in some sort of a different way. And you and I are convinced, having watched all this football, that when the offensive line stinks and the defensive line stinks and the quarterback skimpy and the operations not great, it and turnovers, just this is not where you want to be, and certainly where Pittsburgh is, but on Pittsburgh sports radio today, and it’ll be just as bad be worse, right? Worse, but that’s

Luke Jones  35:50

Go ahead. The difference is, you know, and I don’t use these terms too, you know? I try not to use these kind of terms too lightly, because, and I don’t mean it to be personal, even if it is Pittsburgh, the other manhood snatched from them on Sunday. I mean, Buffalo absolutely dominated them. Physically dominated them. That is a different kind of loss than five turnovers committed, right? Five turnovers committed. And look, I I detest there’s a segment of this fan base, and I think every team does it. Now, I don’t know if it’s a social media thing. I don’t know if it’s a

Nestor Aparicio  36:26

thing where you don’t want to I think it’s a young person. So

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Luke Jones  36:29

I just think I completely hate how whenever the Ravens lose, oh, they beat themselves. Now, have they had some games over the last five, six years where they beat themselves? Sure, I will absolutely say there have been some games like that. I don’t think that’s been a big part of the problem this year, specifically. Do they? I think they beat themselves. He fumbled every week, the first in the Buffalo game. But Detroit beat them. Kansas City beat them. Houston and LA, like, okay, the Ravens were really injured, but they were beaten in those games, right? You know what? Because what’s the implication when you say you beat yourself? You’re not crediting your opponent in any way, right? You’re saying, Oh, and you

Nestor Aparicio  37:14

giving us because you’re 14 or 18 points in the fourth quarter and blowing big leads. So I’m not. I’m not a guy that sits here and blames the ref, or we shot ourselves in the foot or whatever. How about we weren’t good enough? Sure, sure, you know,

Luke Jones  37:29

but and the Ravens were not good enough on Thursday night. But if you’re asking me, which one is more difficult to turn the page from committing five turnovers

Nestor Aparicio  37:39

8

or and having two touchdowns kind of right at the goal line from Isaiah likely, and flowers that would have made the game smell a whole lot better.

Luke Jones  37:47

I, you know, it’s funny, but it changed the game. I still say that the flowers offensive pass interference. Look, do I think he do? I think that ended up being really ticky tack. Yeah. But I would also say, when I watched that in real time from the press box. I thought, oh, that’s offensive pass interference. When you put your arm up like that, and you’re on the outside and the refer and the officials right there, they’re going to call it. I mean, it just, it wasn’t smart in this and by the way, and I even looked at this because I rewatched the game and everything, the difference there compared to when Jamar Chase caught the deep ball. Go back and look at that, he got a nudge on Marlon Humphrey. That was it was one of those veteran savvy kind of plays that I actually think he gained more, way more of an advantage doing that than what flowers did on the long touch.

Nestor Aparicio  38:36

I think Hopkins almost on every play. Hopkins is a magician.

Luke Jones  38:40

But the point is, with that, like, as a tactician, that was an error by zay flowers, because you’re going to it, it certainly looked like you can in real time. It absolutely looked like you pushed off.

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Nestor Aparicio  38:50

But that’s not even zay flowers game, right? That that long ball like thing. I mean, he’s more grabbing around, but that’s, I’m just saying, part of that is him not being able to win battles physically. It’s not his game up in the air in that way to hand check, you know, his party. I need

Luke Jones  39:13

to do it. So, I mean, he’s got the speed, right? I mean, he doesn’t really need to be physical, and

Nestor Aparicio  39:17

that’s just on the ball. Dude. Just watch the ball. So anyway, right? Well, yeah,

Luke Jones  39:21

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to go back to the greater point here, talking about the ravens and the Steelers, I think it is, it should. I emphasize should, because, hey, I thought they should have won on Thursday night. Going into the game, I picked them the win, right? So who knows, all bets are off at this point. But if you’re asking me, which is easier to recover or which should be easier to move past, it should be the five turnover game compared to the mental and physical beating that the bear or that the bills gave Pittsburgh in their home stadium on Sunday, knowing that the bills were I mean, think about this, the bills were playing without Ronnie Stanley and Roger Rosengarten. I mean, that’s what we’re talking about here. Like they played without their two tackles, and they still ran the heck out of the football against the Steelers, knowing that buffalo wanted to do that, and they still couldn’t stop it. That is as taxing mentally as, I think, any kind of loss you can have, other than if you you know, lose your starting quarterback lose three other start like, you know, other than injuries, right? Which clearly make up take a massive toll if you’re losing some of your best players. So that’s where I do. I question both these teams right now, what’s under the hood, what’s what’s in between the ears? Where’s your manhood, right? Now and again, I’m talking in football context, right? I mean, so it’s gonna be interesting to see how these teams bounce back, if they bounce back. I mean, Pittsburgh, you know, we talked about this late last year, and we saw it firsthand with the Ravens beating them twice. I don’t say this lightly, but I think we both know, and a lot of people looked at how the Steelers played late in the season last year. They kind of quit if they weren’t the Steelers, if that wasn’t Mike Tomlin, if it was just a faceless, nameless opponent, and you just watched how they played, they look like a team that kind of quit like that, like they lost their they lost their mojo completely at the end of the year last year. And some of that is just, hey, the Ravens were better than them. They lost to Kansas City on Christmas. Kansas City is better than them, right?

Nestor Aparicio  41:24

But, well, I can’t imagine the Ravens going up to Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh finishing the year one and four, and the Ravens beating their ass in January and and booing Renegade. I mean, the Ravens have a chance to dance on their grave five weeks from now, and they’re Bumblebee outfits and like so that’s what I’m saying. And the Steelers have the ability to do that to the Ravens as well, sure that if this week goes the wrong way for the ravens, and then the Ravens have to go see Joe burrow, they have to see Drake May. They have to get on a plane and go to Green Bay and the dead of winter, Christmas week, and then they got to go to Pittsburgh. And they got to win. They lose this week. They got to win. Kind of all of them, sort of, kind of like we’re getting there, especially Cincinnati starts to win a little bit. So I and who knows, right? I don’t, I know they have a quarterback in a while. I I know they just won. I don’t need to make a case for Cincinnati anymore that there might be a different team they were a month ago. And the same way that the ravens are a different team than they were all these teams. I mean, you talk about Pittsburgh losing their mojo, or Buffalo trying to find it in their running game. I mean, Buffalo put the ball on the ground and in, you know, strange fumble, and then he still came back and ran it up there, just, you know, just dusted off and said, Give me the ball. Kind of Earl Campbell ish for me, but I would just say, for these franchises, I just want to start that fire or the tectonic plates of saying. And here you go. I’ll leave you on this, Luke as well. Of all, we were going to talk more about this all week. It’s, it’s Pittsburgh week. What are we going to do talk about Oriole, right? Yeah, maybe we will. Maybe we’ll talk about a real trades or real signings. But for me, if the ravens are up like 14 with two minutes left to go, I hope you know, and I know that Bob poppick is in a battle. And he used to be the guy that played music, and I’m not sure that he is anymore, because I don’t come down there anymore, but he was my friend. I played a lot of rock and roll. He would play tape requests for me, he said, What rush song you want to hear today during the game, he played limelight for me, or something, you know. So my heart to him. But if they could play renegade here for our fans,

Luke Jones  43:34

that would be, that would be hilarious, like, you know,

Nestor Aparicio  43:39

and for me, you just laughed out loud, and that, that heinous sort of, I hear David Modell, I just like David would love that, you know. So if you want to honor David, you want to honor me, who’s been, you know, sequestered. I’m sequestered. Nestor, been a bad boy. Yeah, that’s a good I just think it’s a good idea.

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Luke Jones  44:03

What do you think? No, I mean, I don’t think there’s any way they’ll do it. Don’t boo

Nestor Aparicio  44:07

Tommy Shaw, we don’t boo Tommy Shaw. I don’t, I don’t think it’s an angel.

Luke Jones  44:11

Because I, you know, I think it’s one of those cases where, you know, all history aside. I do think the organizations respect each other, and I just feel like they wouldn’t do that. But, man, that would be a, be a heck of a troll job, that’s for sure. I’ve, Hey, I’ve minced no words about it. Like, look, I’ve been to pits, you know, we’ve been to Pittsburgh plenty of times when, when it’s a good game and, and things are, you know, I dare I say things are going well for the home team Boy, that when renegade comes on, that that’s a pretty, pretty awesome atmosphere, just objectively speaking,

Nestor Aparicio  44:49

8

but that’s a Ray Lewis moment, yeah, yeah, it is.

Luke Jones  44:52

So, I mean, I, I’d say the same thing about the, you know, I mean, Seven Nation Army. I mean it’s, I know, yeah.

Nestor Aparicio  45:00

Not, you know John Allen, and I he’s doing a show. It’s not white. I gotta understand Jack White better. I need somebody to explain Jack.

Luke Jones  45:08

But so many, so many teams use that. And, I mean, I know that became kind of the Ravens thing, you know,

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Nestor Aparicio  45:14

for the, yeah, 2012 team. But now I’m done with it. You hear that everywhere? It’s gonna give me a fine doing that. They got Draymond Jones a fine That

Luke Jones  45:22

was crazy. I did like his joke on social media. He’s like, my kids aren’t gonna have Christmas presents now, but, yeah, you know. But I’ll leave you the just my final thought, Where are the both these teams mentally? What’s under the hood at this point, when they both in different ways? And again, I still think the way Pittsburgh was embarrassed is a different animal psychologically than what happened to the Ravens on Thursday night. But how are they going to respond? Well, these teams bounce back, or is this the beginning of one, or I don’t know, maybe both of them do go in the tank, and maybe Cincinnati steals the division, right? I mean, it’s not likely, but, you know, I am going to be interested to see how these teams bounce back, because, boy, Thanksgiving weekend was not good for either of these two teams that, yes, are tied for first place in the AFC north. Amazingly, at six and six, I

Nestor Aparicio  46:14

might have been the best 45 minutes of radio. I’ve done well today, but we’re trying to make it better. I’m doing a Maryland crab cake Tour presented by our friends at the Maryland lottery. I’ll have Raven scratch offs as well as the candy cane. I’m really I want my bag to smell like pepper. I want to smell the way Santa smelled at East Point mall before the penguins were there the Maryland lottery and our partners at GBMC who have kept me alive and healthy. Thank you, Dr oscari and everybody over. GBMC put this out on the road. Five Maryland crab cake tour stops coming up, beginning next Wednesday, at fadeleys, at Lexington market, shipping for the holidays. Order your favorite crab cakes, Costas, fadeleys, Cocos, they all ship, and they’re all delicious, and they’re every pits my sponsors against each other, except my sponsors, who all are the nicest people on Earth, and don’t want any of that. So order from all of them. They’re delicious. Stop by visit for the holidays. Pick them up there. There you go. And come see me. We’re fake these next Wednesday, we’re deepest squalies in Canton, doing the Feast of the Seven Fishes on Thursday morning, as well as the Feast of the Seven sausages. And then Friday, we’re going to be doing the show at honeys, which I love Asian food. I think they’ve they’ve added me, by the way, Luke. They said, is that good looking? Luke Jones guy, coming to Hale Thorpe next Friday. So I haven’t promised you out, but they did ask about you. The word has gotten out on you on the internet at Baltimore, Luke, so, but they have, like, pan fried dumplings and Asian delicious beef and broccoli. So I’m gonna have the crab thing that they do there, the crab pretzel thing that they do there in the dip. That’s cool. And also, the following week, we’re going to be at Costas on the 18th, and this is where, like, I get a lot of rock and roll questions for for John Allen and Gina shock. I, like, I’ve been making a list because I went to this Cameron Crowe thing and Eddie Vedder, and I got a question in with Eddie Vedder and Cameron Crowe and Sheryl Crow that, like, I love talking ravens, and we’re about to do Orioles, but I like talking rock and roll. And rock and roll means something to me, so I’m having some fun with that. So on the 18th, Little Rock and Roll Christmas in Dundalk, come on down on we’ll be at Costas. On the 18th and the 19th, we’re going to go uptown to the arts. I’m going to have Dan Rodricks and my cousin by marriage, John shields. I don’t know. Maybe you could talk John Waters into coming over just one time. John Waters on the show. I want John Waters for Christmas. John Waters, maybe if I say his name right, I could get him out. He’s Luke. I’m Nestor. We’re having fun. It’s it’s Pittsburgh week around here, and the Orioles are doing stuff, spending Mr. Rubenstein’s money. We’re Baltimore positive. Stay with us.