We once again await saga of Lamar status against Steelers: “As the ankle turns…”

What happened between Wednesday and Thursday when the Ravens’ two-time MVP quarterback didn’t make it onto the field but made it onto the injury report? Luke Jones and Nestor discuss the ankle of Lamar Jackson and his ability to lead Baltimore against the Steelers while the franchise celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Super Bowl XXXV champs all weekend in Charm City.

Nestor Aparicio and Luke Jones discussed the upcoming Pittsburgh game, focusing on Lamar Jackson’s ankle injury. Despite a Thanksgiving loss to Cincinnati, Jackson appeared better physically. However, he was limited in practice, raising concerns about his effectiveness. The Ravens’ offense has struggled, with no passing or rushing touchdowns in the last three games. The defense, which has improved, will be crucial against Pittsburgh. The conversation also touched on the Ravens’ 2000 Super Bowl win, highlighting memorable moments and the team’s impact on Baltimore.

Lamar Jackson’s Injury and Practice Concerns

• Nestor Aparicio and Luke Jones discuss the upcoming Pittsburgh game and Lamar Jackson’s injury status.
• Luke Jones mentions the Thanksgiving night loss to Cincinnati and the silver lining of Lamar Jackson looking better physically.
• John Harbaugh’s comments after Wednesday’s practice are discussed, indicating Lamar’s limited participation.
• Luke Jones notes the absence of tape on Lamar’s ankles during practice, which could be a positive sign.
• Nestor Aparicio and Luke Jones debate the impact of Lamar’s injury on his performance and the team’s chances against Pittsburgh.

Lamar Jackson’s Mechanics and Past Injuries

• Nestor Aparicio and Luke Jones discuss Lamar Jackson’s mechanics and how they might be affected by his injuries.
• Luke Jones references Steve McNair’s extensive injury history to illustrate the challenges Lamar faces.
• Nestor Aparicio talks about the importance of mechanics in quarterback play, using Joe Flacco as an example.
• The conversation shifts to the high quality of NFL players and the small margin between success and failure.
• Nestor Aparicio and Luke Jones reminisce about various Ravens quarterbacks and their performances.

Impact of Lamar Jackson’s Injury on the Team

• Nestor Aparicio expresses concern about Lamar Jackson’s ability to play effectively with his current injuries.
• Luke Jones emphasizes the importance of the running game and the offensive line in supporting Lamar.
• The discussion includes the need for other players, like Derrick Henry and Todd Monkton, to step up.
• Nestor Aparicio and Luke Jones debate the team’s chances of winning without a fully healthy Lamar Jackson.
• The conversation highlights the importance of practice and reps for Lamar’s performance and confidence.

Ravens Defense and Pittsburgh Offense

• Luke Jones shifts the focus to the Ravens defense and their potential impact on the Pittsburgh offense.
• The Ravens defense is compared to the Steelers defense, with a focus on their recent performances.
• Nate Wiggins’ potential return to the defense is discussed, along with the absence of Namdi Mbukwe.
• The conversation touches on the Steelers’ struggles with long passes and the Ravens’ ability to shut down the Steelers’ offense.
• Nestor Aparicio and Luke Jones discuss the importance of the defense in a potential win for the Ravens.

Lamar Jackson’s Turnovers and Protecting the Ball

• Nestor Aparicio and Luke Jones discuss Lamar Jackson’s recent turnovers and their impact on the team’s performance.
• Luke Jones points out specific turnovers, like the fumble at the end of the first half against Cincinnati.
• The conversation includes the need for Lamar to protect the ball better, especially with his current injuries.
• Nestor Aparicio and Luke Jones debate the reasons behind Lamar’s turnovers, including his physical condition.
• The discussion emphasizes the importance of Lamar’s decision-making and accuracy in critical situations.

Ravens Offensive Struggles and Running Game

• Nestor Aparicio and Luke Jones discuss the Ravens’ offensive struggles and the need for a better running game.
• The conversation includes the importance of staying out of second and third down situations.
• Luke Jones highlights the success rate of the running game and the need for more consistent performance.
• Nestor Aparicio and Luke Jones debate the impact of Lamar’s injuries on the running game and the team’s overall performance.
• The discussion emphasizes the need for a balanced offense to support Lamar and the defense.

Super Bowl 35 Reunion and Memories

• Nestor Aparicio and Luke Jones reminisce about the 2000 Ravens team and their journey to winning Super Bowl 35.
• Nestor Aparicio shares personal memories of attending games and being part of the team’s success.
• Luke Jones reflects on the significance of the 2000 Ravens as his first hometown team to win a championship.
• The conversation includes memories of specific plays and moments that defined the team’s success.
• Nestor Aparicio and Luke Jones discuss the impact of the 2000 Ravens on their lives and the city of Baltimore.

Reflections on the 2000 Ravens Legacy

• Nestor Aparicio and Luke Jones discuss the lasting impact of the 2000 Ravens on the city and its fans.
• The conversation includes the importance of celebrating the team’s legacy and the players’ contributions.
• Nestor Aparicio shares personal stories of meeting and interacting with players from the 2000 Ravens team.
• Luke Jones reflects on the significance of the 2000 Ravens in shaping the city’s sports culture.
• The discussion emphasizes the importance of remembering and honoring the team’s achievements.

Preparing for the Pittsburgh Game

• Nestor Aparicio and Luke Jones discuss their preparations for the upcoming Pittsburgh game.
• The conversation includes strategies for dealing with Lamar Jackson’s injury and the team’s performance.
• Nestor Aparicio and Luke Jones debate the importance of practice and reps for Lamar’s performance.
• The discussion includes the need for other players to step up and support Lamar in his current condition.
• Nestor Aparicio and Luke Jones emphasize the importance of staying focused and prepared for the game.

Final Thoughts and Predictions

• Nestor Aparicio and Luke Jones share their final thoughts and predictions for the Pittsburgh game.
• The conversation includes the importance of the defense and the running game in the team’s success.
• Nestor Aparicio and Luke Jones discuss the potential impact of Lamar Jackson’s injury on the team’s chances.
• The discussion emphasizes the need for a balanced offense and strong defense to win the game.
• Nestor Aparicio and Luke Jones conclude with their hopes for a successful outcome and a strong performance from the team.

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

Lamar Jackson, ankle injury, Pittsburgh game, Super Bowl 35, Ravens defense, Steelers offense, practice limitations, quarterback mechanics, running game, offensive line, turnovers, injury report, game management, team performance, fan expectations.

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SPEAKERS

Luke Jones, Nestor Aparicio

Nestor Aparicio  00:01

Welcome home. We are W, N, S, T, am 1570 Towson, Baltimore. We are Baltimore, positive, positively into Pittsburgh week. And, you know, Luke and I get together on like Monday and sometimes Tuesday, and most of the time Thursday, and usually we’re like, Well, if there’s nothing else, you know, it’s the game, and we talk about enough is going to change between Wednesday and Thursday and Friday and the injury reports, and I’ll be out doing a Maryland crab cake tour next week. I’m doing six Maryland crab cake tour stops in about nine or 10 days. It’s crazy 11 days, but either way, it’s a lot. I’m going to be filled up for the holidays full of eggnog, and I don’t know, Luke six and six versus six and six, they suck a lot. We suck less. They suck more. Is Lamar playing?

Luke Jones  00:52

I think so. But one of the things that we talked about as disappointing, as awful, as ugly as the Thanksgiving night loss was to Cincinnati. If there was a silver lining you looked at the fact that, despite the way he played, overall, he survived Mars, seemed to look better physically, right? The few times he took off, it at least looked better than it did against the Jets. It looked better than it did against Cleveland, right? So you’re you’re thinking that you’re thinking, Okay, the other side of a Thursday game, you get the mini buy. You get a long weekend off. You’re hoping that leads to him being able to practice. And on Wednesday, he was out there, he was on the practice field. And you’re thinking, Okay, this is going according to plan. Hopefully he at least has this week where he’s not dealing with too much. You’re hoping he looks better. But then, lo and behold, after Wednesday’s practice, John Harbaugh was asked, it was a softball question, right? I didn’t ask it, but he was asked, Hey, how great was it to have Lamar out there for the first practice of the week? We know that it had been about a month since that had happened, and at the time, we hadn’t known that the injury report had come out yet, or that we had, you know, it hadn’t come out yet. We weren’t we didn’t know that Lamar was going to be listed as limited. And I did think at the time it was a little odd that John was in a little more upbeat, you know, his quote was, I’m not sure exactly the level of help. Probably, yes, it’s always good to get a couple days rest. Probably for everybody, that’s a positive in that sense, Dot. Dot.

Nestor Aparicio  02:18

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Dot. Once he starts dancing, you

Luke Jones  02:20

know, yeah, and let me be clear, this isn’t, I’m not saying this

Nestor Aparicio  02:25

to my audience. No one gives better har ball than Luke Jones reading the tea leaves. So I’ll just say that

Luke Jones  02:31

this, this was the line though, that just, it sounded a little odd. It’s good. It’s good to have him out there doing what he did today, and it’s a plus. So at the time, we thought Lamar was going to be following John to the podium. Right? Typically, he talks on Wednesdays before the last month, where he’s missed Wednesday practices. Well, his Wednesday podium session got postponed. They said he was getting treatment. That’s happened before. That’s not completely unheard of, but you’re thinking, Oh, I thought this was going to be a normal Wednesday. Then about an hour later, two hours later, the injury report comes out, and he’s listed as limited. So you’re saying, okay, got treatment. It’s listed as the ankle. One thing I’ll point out that I hadn’t noticed, but another reporter had noticed, during Wednesday’s practice, when he was out there, his ankles weren’t taped up, which they had been taped up for the last few weeks. So that was another sign of something positive. Well, then he’s not out there on Thursday. Let me be clear. I still think he’s playing. Assuming he does, Mike Tomlin, I would think, right? I mean, so the gamblers who have them at five and I think, yeah, the line was six and a half. I’ve seen it at five and a half. But if, if he weren’t going to play, you’d see that fall to two or something like that, right? I mean, that that’s what you’d be seeing with that, because we saw that with the Bears game, with all the injury report fiasco.

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Nestor Aparicio  03:47

But Aaron Schott said this about it this week, about him being able to plant, like, why re watching it? The throwing, all the throwing, was off because there’s something wrong with his feet, yeah. Like, like, so I’m just throwing that out in the middle of this, because I took it as a come by that, like, Well, you didn’t throw the ball well last week. And critics would say, well, he never did throw the ball well, that’s BS. So, you know,

Luke Jones  04:18

go ahead, but, but I would say with that one, we don’t know which, which ankle. I mean, at this point, it might be both ankles, right? I mean, it might be, might have a toe issue on one foot.

Nestor Aparicio  04:29

I want to come play ankles, t’s and knees and toes with your your nieces, and what’s that game I haven’t played that. I haven’t, I don’t have little girls, you know, but, or little boys at this point, but ankle, knees, and that’s a stretching game, right? It was like a warm up before we went to play.

Luke Jones  04:44

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What I always think back to is, if you recall, I think it was Sports Illustrated. Remember Steve McNair before he came to the ravens, when he was with the Titans, there was like a diagram of all the different injuries he had had in Tennessee. And like, it was just like his entire butt was like an. Operation episode, right? Yeah, but, but the point I wanted to make about Lamar as it pertains to what Aaron said, and look that that’s a fair point, and it very well could be part of this at the same time as great of a passer as he’s become, relative to what the perception was of him early in his career, he’s never been the guy that you’d say has the most flawless mechanics. It doesn’t do it the most conventional way, right?

Nestor Aparicio  05:24

Drop that one is mechanics fall apart. It’s probably not going to be real helpful for him, for anybody, that’s fair, literally, there’s a couple of Brett farves and a couple of frantar, you know, I mean, but for the most part, mechanics are what has allowed Joe, Joe Flacco, to still be able to do this and throw over 500 yards, a couple shots, right? Like, no question.

Luke Jones  05:42

I mean that look as much as we talk about pro athletes in certain ways, right? The great players, the good players, the average guys, just a guy backups, and then the guys that we say stink, right? We know, in reality, the guys that stink in the NFL are still such a high quality elite athlete compared to the everyday person, right? But at the same time, it’s a reminder that the margin of error is actually pretty small from being great and being one of those guys that stinks, right? Because these guys are

Nestor Aparicio  06:14

already, you know, just stick to the Ravens while we’re at it, right? Chris Redmond’s coming to town this week. Kyle bowler, I’m thinking about all the quarterbacks we’ve stony cases. The guys look good getting off the bus, guys that could throw the ball to the moon, guys like Eric Zaire, who couldn’t throw the ball too far, but was thought to be able to perceive things and read things quickly and be a good like all of those guys were really good at college. Really good. Heisman good in the case of Chris Redmond, right, like so and when they got to the pros, they were either, in Chris Redmond case, a nice backup for a long, long time and or an injury happened, or just the game got too fast. If you’re Kyle bowler, I think you know what I mean. I don’t think he I don’t think he could, I don’t think he could perceive things fast enough to be able to play the game the way that you needed to play the the way that Steve McNair was playing the game at that moment, having done it for 10 years and was falling apart, and could do it 10 times better than than he could at that moment, right? And then there’s all of these. How good was Lamar a couple of years ago because of the running game, and this is where I’m going to get flippant on Lamar, is to say I don’t like hurt Lamar. I don’t like hurt anybody quarterback wise. I don’t like hurt Aaron Rodgers with a broken left hand trying to take snaps under center or shotgun or pistol, whatever they’re going to be in. I don’t like injured anything, right? But the reality of the league, for me is I don’t like injured legs on Lamar Jackson, that is a very, very that’s like a hamstring on a goalie, you know, you know, like to me, it’s just not it changes him too much to make him what you need him to be in order for him To be effective. And that goes for passing, running, evading, avoiding, on your mind what you can and can’t do while you’re trying to process all of this at a level that to your point, the margin between him and Snoop Huntley is athletes, if they’re just running and shooting hoops or whatever, and the difference between playing that position and making $50 million and being a guy who’s, I don’t know, that 80th best quarterback in the world, and Snoop Huntley, and the difference between that and what that’s going to look like, it’s all you got to do is watch the league every week, and also the help around Jackson Dart versus Drake May at this point with these young guys, it’s such a I don’t know, man, it’s like a singer singing out of tune, or guitar players, the greatest guitar player in the world, but having one string that’s a little off. He ain’t Eddie Van Halen anymore. He’s Eddie. What’s his name? You know what I mean? And I don’t It’s not disparaging to Lamar, but it really speaks to the value of his speed, his wheels, in addition to the rest of it.

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Luke Jones  09:04

Yeah, no question. And I think to kind of just sum it up, because we don’t want to belabor the point too much, because if he’s practicing Friday, and I mean, he may not even be listed on the final

Nestor Aparicio  09:14

practicing on Friday, it speaks to how he’s going to play on Sunday. The point I was healthy, right?

Luke Jones  09:18

That’s the point I was trying to make. And I think that’s what’s discouraging about this, not just for Sunday’s game against Pittsburgh, but for the rest of the year. I think the hope not that anyone thought he was going to be 100% no no injuries, no health concerns whatsoever, but the hope was that this mini buy coming off the Thursday game, that was his last chance to get as close to 100% as he was going to be able to be the rest of the year, and what we’ve seen instead is a week where he’s practiced less than he had been practicing the previous few weeks.

Nestor Aparicio  09:48

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So for the biggest game of the year, yeah, yeah. And this is the biggest game of the year, because it’s their division game to this point shortly. I mean, no question, I don’t know that we’re feeling that around here. We’re like smelling all. So get their ass kicked by three touch every time. But, but i Listen, man, the Steelers feel like they can’t win when I talk to anybody. I mean, like, literally, like, it feels like they’re so bad, boo and Renegade fire Tomlin making rumors up about Tomlin on the internet, like all of that that’s going on for them. It feels like they’re incapable of coming in here and winning on Sunday. And I’m I’m playing the tongue. I disagree on that too. Yeah. I mean, all you have

Luke Jones  10:30

to do is look at how the Ravens have played over the last month. I mean, they barely beat the Jets at home, right? I mean, they Cleveland, yes, Cleveland has a

Nestor Aparicio  10:37

really good this is the biggest game of the year. Then I stand on that, right? Like losing this with this really bad

Luke Jones  10:43

to this point. I mean, if they lose this, the season’s not over. Because, again, that’s where you go back to, is pits like do you? Is Pittsburg going to run the table if they beat the Ravens on Sunday? No, I don’t think so. But at the same time, you ask the question, can the Ravens run the table? It has a tougher schedule. The Ravens, exactly. So, yeah, yeah, it’s very important. There’s no doubt about that. I’m not disputing that whatsoever, but, but for me, I think the disappointment as we’re going into Sunday’s game is the idea that you were hoping that this week, this week at least, would be a respite for the concerns about lamar’s health, right? The idea that maybe he wouldn’t have been on the injury report at all this week, right? He’s gonna get hit, he’s gonna get banged up and like, he’s gonna be sore, and he’s probably gonna miss a couple more practices the rest of the way.

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Nestor Aparicio  11:29

But he’s not hurt quite, quote, unquote

Luke Jones  11:32

hurt, yeah, so hurt. I mean, he’s, he’s banged up. I mean, look, you and I talked a lot about the Ravens injury report during the Bears game, right? And everything that happened there, and the league finding them, and whether it’s tap on the wrist or

Nestor Aparicio  11:45

that’s where I stand on this when he goes out there, because in the old days, I would say maybe this is hardball gamesmanship, dude. They need to practice. They got their ass kicked last but they need to practice. So like, on top of all of this, one of the reasons I think they haven’t been very good, is he hasn’t practiced. So I, you know, I keep going back to all of this and say, Look, man, and you know, no disrespect to our military leader, who’s an ass clown, who should be under a prison with his code reds, like Jack Nicholson, but dude, this is a code red. This is a code red. This is Pittsburgh week. They’re on Death Watch in Pittsburgh, and your quarterback hasn’t practiced.

Luke Jones  12:29

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Yeah, yeah. I mean, and that’s coming off

Nestor Aparicio  12:32

Trent Dilfer coming to town, maybe he can. Okay, let’s get Trent Dilfer out. It banks.

Luke Jones  12:37

I love, I love Trenton and Tony banks, but I didn’t love how the quarterback play looked back in 2025 years later, you know, unless you have that defense behind them, but, but no, I mean, that’s again, that’s what’s kind of discouraging here, because you’re hoping that this was going to be the most rejuvenated version of Lamar health wise, that you were going to get The rest of the year, and you’re hoping, okay, maybe he can, you know, he can practice fully all week. Maybe he’s not even on the injury report at least this week.

Nestor Aparicio  13:08

Is he capable of playing on Sunday and running the ball seven times for 84 yards? No, I don’t know. I would say no, sure. So that takes everything that made them special, like literally, for all the time they were in addition to Marshall yonder and Ronnie Stanley before he was broken and Linder bomb before, like, before even Derek Henry got here. And I thought we were just gonna run to Santa Clara and we’d be on our third Super Bowl run at this point, if they would have traded for, like, I’m a it’s amazing how people think that I’m down on the team. I’m down you know what? I’m down on, and this is where it’s going to get chippy with you and me. I’m down on their integrity. I’m down on I don’t know what to believe. You don’t know what to believe. You know they’re willing. They’re not willing to lie to you. They’d rather lie to you. They would rather scheme something up and lie than ever, ever be transparent about anything that literally, that is Chad steel and John Harbaugh and my witness of this over two decades from the outside, while you’re sitting in the Little Kevin Byrne press box and I’m out boozing it up with all the Super Bowl 35 guys this weekend, which I fully plan on doing and enjoying myself, Because this used to be a whole lot of fun when I put those pictures up at the bar, and this was a whole lot of fun this guessing and their nefariousness, in addition to Justin Tucker and everything else that makes them untrustworthy, like literally untrustworthy Sashi brown untrustworthy. I don’t trust anything. So pile that on top of gambling. Lamar, the line, the Steelers, gamesmanship or whatever, but they need to practice. This isn’t gamesmanship. This is and whatever they’re doing, it feels like they’re not being forthcoming, right? You know, in an injury report. Kind of way about, like, where he really is, because you and I are sitting here throwing darts and trying to read hard balls lies, literally trying to figure out what lie he’s trying to tell us and what they want us to say today about he’s going to be fine. He’s going to be in there on Sunday. I mean, he’s not capable of throwing for 300 yards and running for 80 yards in this football game. Now, whether that is a detriment or not, but that’s very obvious as we sit here 48 hours out recording this, and whether he plays or doesn’t play whatever lie they’re going to tell a Friday night, whatever the gamblers are going to think on Saturday or Sunday, whatever the words going to be when the when the announcers get here, or somebody’s going to send a text to Schefter and he’s going to say, Lamar is out, right? You’re going to send an NSD text brought to you by Cole roofing and Gordian, like, that’s what’s going to happen here the next 48 hours, because you can’t trust what they say. They don’t really want you to know anything. And people are gambling on it, and Mike Thomas building the defense for it. And you and I are on the radio talking about it, and Dominique Foxworth will be talking about it today, and Ryan Clark and Rex and sexy Rexy, although I’ll be getting together on Sunday and doing it, is Lamar playing? That’s the ball game, dude, right? I mean, I I know I’ve done a lot of yappering here today, but like, I’m waking up and thinking, if I’m taking phone calls over at the fan today, is Lamar playing? And I’m thinking to myself, I don’t know, because they’re not honest. And, like, read the tea leaves. You show up at one o’clock, bet on it. Then bet on it. 1259, when you see eight walk out there and, you know, do what Clem Florio used to do at the race track. How’s he walking? He’s got tape on, you know, like, how’s he look getting off the bus? What’s he wearing? What peaks is he what’s his fit? You know, like, that’s what’s that’s what all this is about. But as Marvin always taught me, you know, what’s really about? The whistle blows, and can you go do it or not? Right?

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Luke Jones  16:50

And that’s, and that’s, and that’s where my focus is. Look in in defense of them, with everything you just said the last few weeks, when he hasn’t practiced on Wednesday, he’s come back Thursday and Friday, and he’s practiced fully, and he hasn’t been listed on the game status. They haven’t, they haven’t played around and listed him as questionable, like he hasn’t carried one so you knew he was going to play Sunday. But it goes back to that last point, the question of, when you kick off, when he’s on the field, what does it look like? And that’s the big question for me, if you’re asking me, 48 hours out, as you and I are speaking in real time, do I think he’s going to play? Yes, I do think he’s going to play, but how effective is he going to look? And that’s where the disappointment is is for for me, where you were hoping, with this extra rest, the silver lining of looking a little bit better against Cincinnati, physically, when he took off and run and was running a few times. It looked better than it had the previous couple weeks. But now you have a week where he practiced on a limited basis, which means he didn’t take all of his reps. On Wednesday, he didn’t practice at all on Thursday. And I, you know, some people will point to the fact Jason Tatum that the Celtics star was out at they were in DC, and, you know,

Nestor Aparicio  18:01

he was out at the race, a lot of dapping. There’s a lot of tapping going. But my point with that is, there was never used that word on the radio about fit either. So I use Fit and DAP, yeah, which is gonna help me with AI. It’s gonna make me look cool. So, but

Luke Jones  18:15

it was also a reminder that guys in their 40s and 50s aren’t supposed to be using words like that, because we just don’t sound cool when we say it. But no, but there was, there was video and a photo of Lamar with him. So no, does that mean he’s fine? No, of course, not, but, but it’s at least confirmation for me that this wasn’t like a catastrophic injury that he suffered Wednesday that they’re trying to keep under wraps. You know, did he? Did he turn his ankle? Did he get stepped on? Whatever it is, kept him out of practice Thursday. We’re going to see what this looks like. We’ll see if he’s listed on the injury report. I’m guessing. I’m expecting him to play Sunday. But it goes back to the same question, and it goes back to the last three games. Lamar Jackson, not a single passing or crushing touchdown the last three games. First time in his career that he’s gone three straight

Nestor Aparicio  19:01

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passing thing. I don’t even want to hear that stat man Isaiah likely screwed that up. So I know it didn’t count, and I’m not making colleges, so yeah, but

Luke Jones  19:10

it just speaks to how difficult it’s been for this offense across the board, right? Because of that, right? You need it. You know, you have a diminished version of Lamar Jackson right now, and this, this plays in perfectly of what we need to see Sunday against Pittsburgh. You know, you have a diminished version of Lamar, right? You know, this isn’t the guy you can expect to throw five touchdowns or take off and run for 120 yards in the way that we’ve seen him do some of that in both of those things, in some games, right? Where he’s

Nestor Aparicio  19:38

say out loud, being a jerk. What good is he to me now, he’s just a game manager, and hey, if that’s what it is, but I listen talking about his wheels and his hamstring and his knee and ankles, knees and toes, talking about the injury report, talking about horrible lying about at the Bears game, all of that, I would say to you, man to man, over the last seven or eight weeks of this injury. That there has been a point in my mind that I think of him in a Madden way, where it’s like, All right, so he can’t run, but at least he can pass, right? And at least he’s, you know, I don’t know. I think it’s affected the whole part of it, right, like it’s not just, well, the runnings taken away. He can just be a game manager and pass I think, I think it’s a lot of off kilter. It’s really, you know, he hasn’t practiced. And I talked to Marvin about that this week too, about the value of practice and why it’s important to coaches, and why it’s important to just the confidence level of when you go out there, that you’ve done it, not we’re getting off the bus. And I haven’t talked to Lamar in 10 days, and he’s been in the, you know, the treatment, or whatever it is, and now we’re going to go out there, and the real Steelers are showing up, and it’s 38 degrees and the winds blowing, you know, I mean, and it’s the hardest thing in the world to do, right? You know, you’ve been down on the field. I’ve been down on the field. We watch it, we marvel at it, and I just think it’s, it’s too hard to do, and I don’t, I don’t know it affected my confidence level on not just this week, but to your point, the rest of the way. And I think the little body of work, the more I analyze it and talk to smart people about it and what’s been wrong with it, especially as it regards to Tyler Linder bombs money or Isaiah likely is money or Rashad Bateman season, or any of that. It’s just maybe it’s just not going to happen for them this year, right? You know what I mean? Like, literally, right? Yeah, but, but to go

Luke Jones  21:32

back to the point I was trying to make, because I think it’s really pertinent, and you, you’re the one who sparked it. That’s why everyone else on that offense needs to play better, right? You can’t have Isaiah likely doing what he did against the Bengals on Thursday, last Thursday night. You need your offensive line to block as well as it’s capable of blocking. You need Derrick Henry to be at his absolute best. You need Todd Monckton to be calling plays at the most optimal level he can find with a diminished version of Lamar Jackson, you need all of those things. And the one thing I will say, Yes, fine. If Lamar is not sharp throwing the ball, if Lamar is not able to take off and run 15 times in the way that when he’s in his prime and fully healthy, he has that capability, he certainly has to protect the ball better. That’s like, that’s a non negotiable part of this. So you look at it through that lens, and that’s where you bring it back to Sunday and Pittsburgh and what happened to them last Sunday in their home stadium. And the question is, can this ravens offense with Derek Henry, who is one of the greatest running backs of all time, the guy that you were clamoring for them to sign two years ago. You may put the jersey on. I got it right here. I’ll put them, but I’m just saying, if he’s truly that special, then that should be part of the solution to overcome a diminished Lamar Jackson, right? Because if none of those guys can do this, then what the Lamar you know, the the p1 top Lamar fans say about this team being a one man team, then they’re right. You know, if they’re,

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Nestor Aparicio  23:06

if they can’t do anything, run the ball. The ball. Run the ball.

Luke Jones  23:10

Yeah, no question. So if that’s what it takes, and you have to run 200 you know, run for over 200 yards, and Lamar is handing the ball off, and, you know, maybe takes off a couple times. Just to give you a, you know, give Pittsburgh something to think about, then so be it. And if that means more Keaton Mitchell mixed in, then do it right? So whatever you have to do to win a football game, because, look, Pittsburgh’s giving up rushing yards, and they’re not going to have Derek Harmon and, you know, TJ watts, a little banged up, although he practiced fully, you know, I fully expect him to go, but he’s got a toe issue.

Nestor Aparicio  23:44

Well, he won a tone for last week, right? That was an absolute embarrassment. And by the way, I better say this to you, you and I like we issue the gambling bits, because you can get that anywhere. And it’s all puja anyway, but the line on this and Lamar being injured, and you didn’t you put me on a spot, didn’t you just didn’t you drill me down to do you like him to win or not? Didn’t you give me that laser goes ago? Yeah, you gave me that. And I’m like, I like the game to be close, and I think it’ll be way close. And I think if you’re a gambler on this, and you’re thinking five and a half or six and a half, because Lamar, Lamar, Lamar, Lamar. Like, that’s that’s got to go out the window when he hasn’t been on the practice field properly this week. Like, I don’t, I don’t. My expectations are much lower with with Lamar not being able to practice. I mean, like I wasn’t considering that on Monday in the way that you and I discussed the game earlier in the week or even the rest of the season, as far as where their ceiling would be. I guess we were just more optimistic about that kind of an injury, because like planning his feet and throwing the football and taping up his ankles and all that stuff, I I don’t know that’s that’s not you. That’s not the horse that won 15 games. Could be. It’s just not horse. It’s a different we’re talking about a different thing here, in a different to me, a different level of expectation out of them, even on Sunday. But let’s

Luke Jones  25:11

8

also we’re completely overlooking the best unit on either team right now, and it’s the Ravens defense. Now, that doesn’t mean it’s the 2000 defense, which will be celebrating this weekend with the Super Bowl 35 team in town and and being recognized during the game and all of that. But that’s for me, that’s where we focused on Lamar. We’ve talked about Derek, Henry, we’ve talked about the running game. We’ve talked about Pittsburgh giving up 250 yards on the ground last week. But let’s look at this ravens defense against the Pittsburgh offense. And yeah, you look at the raw season long numbers, those defenses look fairly comparable, right? Because we know how horrendous the Ravens defense was through the first six weeks of the season, that defense has been much better now. They had a disappointing second half against Cincinnati. There’s no question about that. They also were on the field the entire first half because they kept turning the ball over right, and that has an impact that takes a toll. So I do look at this ravens defense, which, by the way, Nate Wiggins is practicing, looks like he’s going to play, but, you know, looks like they’ll have their full complement of defensive players, other than namdi matabique, and you know, a couple tavius Robinson WON’T BE READY, even though he started practicing this week. So that’s where you look at this thing, and you say, and this is where it does get a little more throwback when you’re talking Raven Steelers. Because let’s face it, 20 years ago, 25 years ago, these offenses weren’t leading the way in this rivalry. It was the two defenses right and and who was going to completely shut down the other side. And who was going to be the team that could manage a touchdown and a field goal, or maybe a touchdown and a couple field goals, and you win 13 to 10. How many times have we seen those games? Not recently, but in the past? Oh, there

Nestor Aparicio  26:53

was a steel curtain. And then there’s my boys coming back to town this weekend. Let me remind everybody the greatest defense in history the NFL so this weekend, right?

Luke Jones  27:01

So, so again, this goes back to the point I made a couple weeks ago, or a couple weeks ago, a couple minutes ago, where you say, Okay, we all acknowledge it Lamar. We’re expecting another week of him being diminished, right? Because he’s practiced even less this week than he had in previous weeks. So you need your running game to step up. You need your offensive line to step up and on the other side of the ball, you need this defense to continue playing the way it has, mostly for the last six weeks or so, which has been, you know, I don’t know, I wouldn’t say the best in the NFL. They certainly haven’t gone against a juggernaut slate of opponents in that way, but they certainly have played at a much higher level. You know, whether it’s a top five or a top 10 kind of defense. Because you look at this Pittsburgh offense, I saw a crazy stat. I can’t remember who it was off the top of my head, but it was talking about the last time that the Steelers had complete, completed a pass that was 20 plus air yards. You know, as far as Rogers throwing the ball downfield, it’s been, like, a month. It’s not to say they won’t take a shot, but it speaks to how underneath, how short dink and dunk kind of passing this offense, or their offense has been, and that plays into the Raven’s hands. Why? Because you have Kyle Hamilton playing where he’s been playing. So that’s where I look at this thing and say, Okay, no, I don’t have a lot of confidence in what Lamar is going to look like based off of another week of missed practice time and another ailment and more concerns about just how he’s looked for the last month in general. So defense, you guys have been playing better. Everyone’s been singing your praises, as far as the changes you’ve made. Right go out and shut down that Pittsburgh offense, you know, like you let them throw the ball over your head or anything like that. You know, someone falls down and DK Metcalf shakes loose for a 70 yard touchdown. That’s how we’ve seen the Ravens lose to the Steelers.

Nestor Aparicio  28:55

This is another thing about five turnovers last week with a Gympie Lamar, we now figure out that he might have been gimpier than we even thought, and just because he could run to the sideline and get away from a D lineman, there was contact. He didn’t want that that crazy giving the ball away at the three yard line. I mean, I cost the points like I I don’t put those on injury like at some point in time, like he’s not the mummy man. No, no, no. I’m just saying it changes the sloppiness in the official like, I just sharp. You can’t be sharp when you get a sore throat. Are you sharp on the radio? I know I’m not, you know? I mean, when I’m hung over, I’m not sharp when I think that doesn’t mean that doesn’t mean I’m going to drive my car into a ditch either, right? I mean, like, I understand if you’re sore I understand if you can’t run, but like, he’s got to protect the ball. I mean, those were bad turnovers. Those weren’t, you know, like, and I’ll go back to bad turnovers, maybe because he’s not right, yeah, you know, I mean, like that, that, and that is not, it’s not crazy to think he’s a lot more concerned about protecting himself in that moment. The human part of I. Got to protect my ankle more than the ball, literally,

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Luke Jones  30:03

at the same time, though, you look at his, his fumble at the end of the first half. I mean, that was a pump fake that wasn’t, that wasn’t him getting hit, that wasn’t pulling it down, yeah, I mean, and, and you looked at he was asked about it, and he thought that there was, you know, someone drop it into coverage, a Tampa, two guys wide open over the middle. I mean, like, just throw the ball that right there. Watching that on the all 22 told me he’s not he’s not seeing the field and feeling confident in how he plays quarterback, as a passer, just as a processor,

Nestor Aparicio  30:34

when he was great, he

Luke Jones  30:35

makes that play. I mean, he Todd monk had echoed what, what Greg Roman always said For all the talk about Lamar and perception and people that say he can’t do this or can’t do that, coming out of college, you know, from an early point in his career, Greg Roman said, Lamar Jackson sees the field really well. He absolutely does. Now. Doesn’t mean that the past is always perfect, right? Doesn’t mean he always makes the perfect decision, but he says in terms of his vision, that he sees guys get open and he can get throw it to guys in Windows that other quarterbacks don’t even see, let alone try to do it

Nestor Aparicio  31:11

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so on his best day, right? You know, really, but it speaks what made him an

Luke Jones  31:18

MVP, right? No question. But it speaks to a player’s clock. It speaks to missing practice time. It speaks to, yeah, you’re not feeling right physically. It speaks to not getting the reps with your guys on the field, as many reps as you’ve been getting because you’ve been missing practice. Also speaks

Nestor Aparicio  31:31

your confidence level when you got your ass kicked last week and you haven’t been on the field this week, all these guys are gonna get off the bus on Monday, Sunday morning and cross your fingers and, you know, go win one for the Gipper, you know, which is, sounds great, makes a nice movie and all that. But it’s really hard to

Luke Jones  31:46

do Sure, sure, that’s why I said, I mean, the rest of this football team needs to step up. And if they can’t, then the people that are the biggest Lamar fans that you know, give him all the glory. And look, he deserves a lot of glory. He’s this team’s best player. He’s a franchise quarterback. All that. But the people that try to say that the ravens are a one man team, if the rest of these guys can’t rise up a little bit, then maybe, maybe those critics who’ve said those things over the years, maybe they’re right.

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Nestor Aparicio  32:14

But in third and long, they got to get they got it. He’s got to get deliver the ball. And the reason they’re going to be in third long is because they don’t run the ball well the ball

Luke Jones  32:21

well, first well, and that’s and that is where I come back to look. I get it. The raw numbers tell you this is the fifth best rushing attack in the NFL. The yards per carry tells you this is a very good and let me be clear, I’m not saying this running rushing attack is bad. That would be hyperbole. However, when you look at success rate, I think they’re 24th in the NFL. And what that means is, for all of the times you’re waiting for Derek Henry to pop a long run, for Keaton Mitchell to pop a long run, you’re getting a lot of no gain on first and 10, one yard on second and 10, three yards on second and 10. You know, you’re getting a lot of runs like that, where it’s leaving you in second and long and third and long, which obviously it’s not conducive for any passing game, but especially when you have a quarterback who’s not 100% and you have an offensive line that doesn’t protect well, so they need to be able to run the football more successfully and more consistently. That is the key for them a spec, not just against Pittsburgh, but moving forward the rest of the way, they’ve got to stay out of second and third and long, especially with Lamar being in the state that he’s in right now and that that’s not to say that Lamar can’t play better over the course of the of the last five games. That doesn’t mean that he’s going to continue to be as lousy as he was against Cincinnati. But man, you need, you need some factors that make you feel confident that the trend line is going to start going back up again. And that’s where we go back to the fact that he’s missed more practice time this week than he had in previous weeks, and that’s coming off of extra rest and and that, for me, is what’s disheartening here. You know you were hoping maybe, maybe this would be the week that he’d be not 100% but way closer to 100% than he’s been in a while. And that’s just not the case. So you know, we’re going to see how this plays out again. If you’re asking me the to ask, you know, whether I expect him to be out there Sunday. Still, I do you know, because I don’t think whatever he’s dealing with that popped up Wednesday into Thursday is necessarily a major concern. That said, if in a few hours in real time, and you’re checking out Baltimore, positive.com, and you’re seeing the final tech service, baby, and you’re seeing Lamar didn’t practice on Friday, and he’s listed as questionable, then I reserve the right to revisit by expectation that’ll be crazy, right?

Nestor Aparicio  34:40

He didn’t practice all week, and they’re going to they’re going to call him questionable for that. That is the gamesmanship that he would love to play with. My time.

Luke Jones  34:47

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Can be at the at this at the same time. Did you watch Thursday night football? I’m on Raw. St Brown didn’t practice at all for the Lions this week because he sprained his ankle last Thursday on Thanksgiving, he played, and he had 90 plus receiving year. Card so it can be done. It’s, you know, all these teams are going to use gamesmanship when they can. They just are right, and no matter how anyone else feels about it, that’s your own risk. Sure, no question. But at the same time, if he doesn’t practice on Friday either, and we’re talking about him barely seeing the practice field at your own risk, man, that it’s hard to feel too confident about that. Even if you’re you’re pretty down on the Steelers, which I am. But as I said to you the other day, everybody’s

Nestor Aparicio  35:32

down on the Steelers. That’s all the more reason to just think they’re gonna roll the ball out on Sunday, and it’s not

Luke Jones  35:36

gonna roll out. But I don’t, I don’t think there are that many people that feel that way. Though you can be down on the Steelers while acknowledging you’re also down on the Ravens. And that’s where I am, right? I said to you the other day, I don’t have a whole lot of belief in the Ravens. I have even less belief in the Steelers, and that’s why, as of now, and I’m

Nestor Aparicio  35:53

working under these you were talking eight and nine winning a division a day ago.

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Luke Jones  35:57

I mean, I don’t know if it’ll be eight nine, but man, I think more and more like nine and eight I feel like is, I feel like that’s it, and that’s where it’s kind of wild that Cincinnati still has a prayer in that regard, although, you know, if they lose this week, they’re already under that target line, so Well,

Nestor Aparicio  36:13

only Bo Derek was a perfect 10. So that’s that is true, but he’s Luke Jones. He’s Baltimore. You got you done? Yeah? Because you you want to rest. We got a football game on Sunday. We’re going to get after this. And I got, I got purple Ray met. Do you have anything you want to say about Super 35 because this is more going to be your opportunity. Maybe on Monday, we talk a little bit about it, but like, there’s a game to talk about. I shared pictures, and I just kind of handpicked a couple of pictures that I felt like I hadn’t put on Facebook before, or ones that I hadn’t shared a whole lot or hadn’t shared because, like, the whiskey Joe’s thing, I put a lot of that stuff up. Scunnies in those pictures, Bobby Nick people that were very near and dear to me, and they’re gone, and it’s been 25 years, and goose is gone, and, you know, I saw Chuck Evans, and just pictures of people and guys that have lost a lot of weight, like Mike Flynn just looks a lot differently now, right? Or guys that are Peter Boulware, or guys that have gotten aged and look a little different in one way, or Shannon sharp, who went on to be TV guy, or whatever, just all of it for me, I don’t know. Maybe it’s because I’ve met my AI clone. It’s just all dreamy to me and like it happened to me. I was in all of it. I was a part of all of it. I wrote a book on it, the parade, the video, all of that. I don’t it feels like a lifetime ago. I mean, it really does to me, and I don’t know if it does to you, because you’re kind of a young guy and a kid and like all that, but I just, yeah, I mean, I can still get weepy about it, because it was such a beautiful thing. Yeah.

Luke Jones  37:41

I mean, for me, I’ve talked about this a lot with the Orioles, you know, I was an infant. I was a newborn infant the last time they won the World Series. I mean, the 2000 ravens, that was the first team that I grew up with that wasn’t like a team that, you know, okay, like, I like many kids as a 10 or 11 year old, like the San Francisco 40 Niners. What? Baltimore didn’t, literally didn’t have a team at that point. Yeah, you’re 1718, when they won the woman, I was a senior in high school. I was 17 years old. I mean it, wow. So that was truly my first hometown team celebration. And it’s funny, did you go to the plane? I did. I did. My dad and I went, it pouring down rain, dude,

Nestor Aparicio  38:23

8

I should show the video that. Flynn, where were you in the pub rally?

Luke Jones  38:27

I mean, we were, we were close to City Hall. Honestly, it’s one of those things. It’s funny you mentioned, you made mention of how it feels like a lifetime ago, because there are certain elements of that that feel like it might have been 40 years ago, like, even longer. Talking about Trent differs being like, I have, I have next to no memory of the parade, other than it was pouring down rain, like it was fun, but I don’t have any. And part of it was probably we weren’t that close to the stage. Like, to be able to, we couldn’t hear very well all that, but it was still fun. But there are other elements, like, I can remember, you know, I’ve said this to you, remember, during the pandemic, I did my top ravens regular season moments. And for me, number one, you know, regular season Not, not the Mile High miracle, but regular season number one for me was always Tony banks, to Shannon sharp, to beat Jacksonville, and because that was the game that put made the Ravens a

Nestor Aparicio  39:21

legitimate and other way. W NST went back on the air the next day, which was like, just an amazing like, then they went to Super Bowl 12 weeks later.

Luke Jones  39:29

But that moment there for me that feels like that was five years ago, like it’s still like, I can I was actually at the game. I was, well, what was funny for me? I was, you know, that was my senior year of high school. I played football. I played football. I had a stress fracture in my foot. I was in a walking boot, so I was in the upper deck with my dad, and you know, I was, I was able to, it was a walking but I wasn’t. I was off crutches at that point in time. But I remember, I hopped up in the air, and then thought like, oh, I probably shouldn’t have done that. You know, when, when Shannon sharp catches the touchdown. But I think back. To this. And I shared this sentiment with my brother in law back when the Eagles won in 17 the Nick Foles year, because that was the first, you know, that was their first Super Bowl, the first championship, you know, because he’s he loves He likes baseball, he likes basketball, but like football. I mean, it’s United States, right? I mean, football’s King in this country. But I said to him at the time, because this was also coming off of five years after the Ravens had won their second and obviously I was in the media then, felt different, but it still was special to me, obviously, getting a chance to cover the Ravens in New Orleans. You know, we we were there. But I said to him at the time, I said, Look, man, I got to attend the Ravens Super Bowl in New Orleans five years ago. You know, this was 17 and I got to see that. I mean, heck, I got a picture standing in the podium where Joe Flacco was holding up the trophy, right? I said to him, no matter how amazing that experience was for me personally, I said that still didn’t compare to how it felt to watch the 2000 Ravens. I said to him, the Eagles could win five more Super Bowls in your lifetime. I said, this one will be the absolute best, the most special. And that’s where I kind of you

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Nestor Aparicio  41:10

that 2000 cry dude, because boys, those are my guys. I mean, I think it’s that was such a special time. They helped build my career. They’re the reason you’re on the radio right now. Like literally, there was that literally, but, but also I in our David, but it was a special, special people.

Luke Jones  41:27

But I think so much for, like, my generation, who, you know, I was a baby when the Colts left town, and I was just about 13 years old when the Ravens played there for I was a month away from my 13th birthday, what a gift for you is right around the time they took the team away from me, but I just, but I just think in those terms, I think about discussions I had with my dad or my grandparents, like, would we ever get a team? Like, you know, is it gonna be the Bengals? It’s gonna be the bucks or the Cardinals? You know, all that discussion expansion, and to think that in a very short period of time, Baltimore went from not having a team at all to having that team. And that’s just an incredible story for everyone. You know, whether you know, whether you had a chance to be as close to it as you were, and as close to it as I am today.

Nestor Aparicio  42:13

Jack still never had that. Carolina never had that. St Louis never had that. And they want a special loss.

Luke Jones  42:18

8

It’s special. I mean, it really is special. And that’s where, again, it will never be the same in that way, not that it won’t be special for some little kid if Lamar Jackson, at some point, wins a Super Bowl here in the next few years, or the next great ravens quarterback 15 years from now, wins a Super Bowl, that it won’t be special for some 10 year old then. But when it’s when it’s that first one, the first one that you as a hometown fan experience. I mean, that’s that’s different. I mean, it really is. I mean,

Nestor Aparicio  42:47

you make me think all the moments like, you know, I mean, like you had that moment. It’s the journey though. I mean, it really is, to me, the moment corny, but it’s true. And I was there for, you know, I mean, given signs out at the Denver game and then the the Tennessee game, to me, the Eddie George Ray Lewis play the Anthony Mitchell block. I was with Kevin Eck in the Super Bowl that year. I mean, when they beat the right I mean, I was in the upper direction in Nashville with my best friend who was with me. We went to colts, cowboys and chargers games with Danny white, played with Dan Fouts, played his dad, mom. They went to colts games. My dad and I went to colts games in 8182 our friendship. We went to 79 and 83 World Series games together, right? So we’re in the upper deck in Nashville at that game, and when Ray took that ball, we were on the side where the press box was, I also saw the home run throwback game there. So when I think of weird games, he ran it so clean. I got into that this week about what because I attended the drive game. He just thinks that’s the wildest thing ever, because he has a ticket stub from it. You know, I’m like, Hey, I was at that game. You weren’t what you brought, you know, like, What other things did you have you done alone? You know, a lot of crazy stuff I’ve done, but nothing that meant more to me than as a fan, than when Ray Lewis was running into my eyes in front of me, and Kevin Eck and I grabbed each other and shook each other up, and we were shaking each other up and down as Ray was running, and it was very clear no one was catching him, and we’re yelling, and I can’t say this on the radio, we’re going to happen Super Bowl. And this is in Nashville, and, like, we still had to fly to Oakland, and there was a whole new they’re gonna beat the Raiders. There was a whole thing going on that week, you know. And then we went to Oakland, and Ray Bachman was my dog there. So Ray and I hung out. I had a girlfriend that lived in Nashville at the time who was there was a part of that, and she’s in all the pictures with me at Whiskey Joe’s and whatnot. Stacy Keebler was our intern and helped us sell shirts and like just that, those weekends and that week leading up to the Super Bowl at the Tampa Convention Center, and we had. Had our radio station there. Bob Haney was there. Mark Messina, Bobby Nick they, they all hosted radio. I have pictures of Don Shula sitting and talking to Bob Haney. I have pictures of Stacey Keebler sitting and talking to Don Shula on my air. So, I mean, I just, I have all of these memories, and then my national show that week. It was insane. Because, like, everybody came by Jim Kelly and Phil Sims and Kurt Warner and just it was, it was outrageous. But I’m with you, like the night in Tampa and the game itself, and all of the memories of like Stokely catching the ball in front of me, those aren’t the first things I think of, you know, I mean, the first thing, I think I was Eddie George, like, to me that was, that was

Luke Jones  45:47

the moment. See, I think of two other plays. I think of Shannon sharpe’s touchdown against Denver, you know, the home playoff game, because that was the first, I mean, that was the first time the Ravens had been in the playoffs, right? I mean, that’s their first postseason game. It’s in Baltimore. I wasn’t there. I’m sitting at home, but you know Shannon catches it on a deflection. And we both know Shannon Sharpe was not very fast at that point in his career, and he runs down the sideline for a touchdown. It was cold that day, and Brian greasy stinks, yeah, so you had that play, and then for me, as much as everyone, and look, I’m not You’re not wrong. And no one, I’m not saying anyone else is wrong. I mean, Ray Lewis taking the ball away from Eddie George is the is the play that everyone remembers. I have the Anthony Mitchell blocked field goal return. Is the play for me before that, where I’m just like, they’re going to the Super Bowl. Like, this is two weeks in a row now, because I was talking about the Shannon play the previous week, where the ball has just bounced in a ridiculous way in their favor, where you just say, not only is this defense unstoppable, but they also have the horseshoe up there, you know what, right now, that you just like you just knew it. You felt it. It’s funny. You mentioned, you know, how the Super Bowl felt. Look. It was. I was laughing all week, the perception. And it’s funny, as a 17 year old, he didn’t know anything, but I knew enough about the Ravens defense to say Raiders aren’t gonna be able to no one’s run on the Ravens all year long. The Raiders aren’t going to be able to do it. So you knew what. They were going to win that game, and then once they got to the Super Bowl. I mean, that was the party, right? Everyone else you know, national media giants, fans the rest of the league who hated the Ravens because of Ray Lewis or Billick or whatever they could think what they thought. There wasn’t a Ravens fan who had any doubt in their mind that the Ravens were going to beat the giants that day. So that day was a party like, and it wasn’t even like, it wasn’t arrogant. There were a lot of

Nestor Aparicio  47:36

Giants fans in the streets of Tampa that were convinced that the ravens,

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Luke Jones  47:39

it was just confidence. You just knew, like I and then the great NFL films footage of Billick, you know, before the game, you know, the miked up, they don’t know how fast we are, right? Like all those different comments

Nestor Aparicio  47:53

I had a moment. Marvin and I watched film together at the Hyatt west shore in in the underneath that they were staging the players in a ballroom, and they had literally a film. Was Film, film, 2001 Marvin put the film up of the giants playing the Eagles, the Vikings. They freight trained the Vikings. It wasn’t even like good film 41 he’s like, I can’t even watch this film. He was paying more attention to the Philadelphia film, which was the week before, and we sat in there, and I’ll never forget it, man, and if I can emulate it, the lights went down, and he looked at me, and he’s like, they have no idea how fast we are gonna kick their ass. He literally said that. He lit just like that his eye. All I could see in the room was his eyes. And he’s like, no idea how fast we are. We’re gonna kick their ass. Yeah? And I’m like, That’s it. So, I mean, you making me talk to all these memories, man, you get me primed off from my boys eating some crabs over Costas

Luke Jones  48:57

I saw, you know, I went to a handful of games that year. You know, we didn’t have season tickets. We didn’t have

Nestor Aparicio  49:02

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didn’t have a whole San Diego game. Was legendary. Were you there for that? I wasn’t there clinch day. That was awesome. That was an awesome memory. I was the last game I went to that season was a Jets game one, and I might have gone to mothers after that. That night made a whole other memory. But that was a whole thing. I the last game I went to that season was, was the Jets game on Christmas Eve. And, you know, Jermaine Lewis that the two returns. I mean, that was actually the crazy day that Vinnie threw all over the field on them. But, you know, I have a picture of Vinnie and I on the field that day. And I have a picture. He mentioned, Anthony Mitchell, Bobby Nick, you know, I would always get the star of the game at the barn the next night, right? Because I was always, yeah, I remember the road, right? So Anthony Mitchell, who I knew really well, was the star of the game, right? And we’re going to Oakland, so I’m trying to get the star of the game out, and the city’s on fire. And like, to your point, everything we’re talking about, like nobody had experienced anything like that here. We didn’t have three years earlier, right? So, and the. Team we had was no good, and there was a perception they’d never be any good, right? And we had Trent Dover as a quarterback, right? And our and our linebacker was in a jumpsuit eight months earlier jail, sure. Like, I mean, all the background of all of this, and art was perceived as a, you know, a clown by all these people. He’ll build a league. And so I Mitchell was coming off the field in Nashville, in that corner, and I was there, and I’m actually wearing Zubaz, not Zubaz, the the the hunting gear, the camouflage purple camera, my dad had a pair of those purple camo pants, and Bobby Nick took a picture from up in the out, looking down over where the where the tunnel was, of me grabbing Anthony to come on the show. And he’s got two pictures he took of me the late great Bobby Nick, one of me talking to Mitchell and saying, were you coming on the show tomorrow? And then Bobby yelled at me, and I did like a flock bird. And he has a picture of me doing like a flock bird. I have the wildest pictures that I never look at these things. You know what I mean? It’s 25 years later, but this is a weekend to celebrate, and I hope that the fans have some level of reverence for these players when you know whatever the score is at halftime, whatever they’re doing, I don’t know what they’re doing to honor these guys, or what videos they’ll show of Ray, or whether ray will dance, or like, how and Ray’s had a tragedy in his life since the last time I’ve seen him with his boy. And, you know, it’s just, um, yeah, they lost goose too. So there’s going to be a little, there’s gonna be something, be a lot missing in these parties. Yeah, no question. I went to all these reunions over all these years. And you know, Goose being in the middle of the room was, I mean, I had dinner at Ruth Chris, the last reunion we had here with seven or eight guys, and we all piled in, and we all went drinking and but goose was with us. And if goose isn’t in the room, the whole experience was different. You know what I mean?

Luke Jones  52:00

Yeah, yeah, I mean. But that’s also why it’s important to gather and to celebrate those things, because we all get older, right? We’re all going to die one day, like breaking news, right? So it’s important to you know, not that you live in

Nestor Aparicio  52:14

the past, why I’m creating my clone so I never, I never die,

Luke Jones  52:17

but it’s important to to enjoy that and remember where you came from, and that’s where, you know, I don’t know if my nieces are going to be big in the football as they get older, but I’ll certainly tell them stories.

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Nestor Aparicio  52:29

They’re going to be Eagles fans, aren’t they? Oh, oh, man, probably we got to go now. I gotta take a break. Now, just to press the hell out of you, Luke is here. I’m here. The Raven Super Bowl champs are here. I don’t know if Lamar is going to be here. Check the wnst tech service. You’ll find out, brought to you by cold roofing and Gordon energy. I’ll have a good time at the game, man. All right, definitely. Hey, tell anybody the fellas that I don’t get to see because Chad steel threw me out, tell them fist bump all them, and tell them you work for me because they love me. Sounds and they’ll love you because they love me. I’m Nestor. We’re W NSTA in 1570 Towson, Baltimore, no one listens. Everyone hears you.