With Mahomes and Burrow eliminated, AFC will find QB youngbloods in January

As the upstart New England Patriots come to Baltimore, it’s not lost on Luke Jones and Nestor that it’s probably the first of many battles with MVP candidate Drake Maye. The AFC playoffs will include some new faces and old places as the changing tides of the Super Bowl race crystalize through the holidays with big games ahead.

Nestor Aparicio and Luke Jones discussed the Baltimore Ravens’ recent performance and upcoming games against the New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers. They highlighted the Ravens’ improvement from a 6-7 record to 7-7, noting the importance of the upcoming games for playoff positioning. They praised the defense for its recent rebound and the offense for its improved running game. They also mentioned the impact of injuries to key players like Micah Parsons and Patrick Mahomes on the AFC playoff picture. The conversation concluded with plans for the Maryland crab cake tour and holiday events.

Ravens’ Upcoming Games and Holiday Plans

• Nestor Aparicio discusses the upcoming games against the New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers, highlighting the importance of these matches.
• Nestor mentions various holiday activities, including the Maryland crab cake tour, a holiday party at Costas, and a visit to Gertrude’s with family and friends.
• The conversation touches on the Ravens’ potential playoff activities in early 2026, with a focus on the team’s progress and recent wins.
• Nestor and Luke Jones discuss the impact of injuries to key players like Micah Parsons and Patrick Mahomes on the AFC playoff picture.

Ravens’ Recent Performance and Playoff Hopes

• Luke Jones reflects on the Ravens’ recent performance, noting the team’s improvement from a 6-7 record to a 7-7 record.
• The discussion includes the importance of the upcoming games against the Patriots and Packers, and the potential impact on the AFC North and playoff standings.
• Luke highlights the Ravens’ recent win against the Bengals and the importance of maintaining momentum.
• The conversation covers the challenges of playing in the NFL during the holiday season and the potential distractions it brings.

AFC Playoff Picture and Key Players

• Nestor and Luke discuss the current state of the AFC playoff picture, mentioning key players like Josh Allen, Aaron Rodgers, and Joe Burrow.
• The conversation includes speculation about which teams have the best chances of making a deep run in the playoffs.
• Luke notes the importance of the Ravens’ upcoming game against the Patriots, emphasizing the need for a win to solidify their playoff position.
• The discussion touches on the Ravens’ offense and defense, with a focus on the team’s running game and the performance of players like Derrick Henry and Keaton Mitchell.

Patriots’ Recent Performance and Upcoming Game

• Nestor and Luke discuss the Patriots’ recent performance, including their loss to the Bills and the impact of that loss on their confidence.
• The conversation highlights the importance of the upcoming game against the Ravens and the potential impact on the AFC East standings.
• Luke notes the Patriots’ recent wins against teams like Miami, Carolina, and New Orleans, and the challenges they face in their remaining games.
• The discussion includes speculation about the Patriots’ ability to respond to their recent loss and the potential impact on their playoff chances.

Ravens’ Health and Injuries

• Luke Jones discusses the Ravens’ current health situation, noting the importance of key players like Lamar Jackson and Teddy Buchanan.
• The conversation includes a discussion about the impact of injuries on the team’s performance and the need for players to stay healthy.
• Luke highlights the importance of the Ravens’ upcoming game against the Patriots and the need for the team to perform well to solidify their playoff position.
• The discussion touches on the Ravens’ recent wins and the importance of maintaining momentum as they prepare for the playoffs.

Ravens’ Offensive and Defensive Performance

• Luke Jones discusses the Ravens’ offensive and defensive performance, noting the team’s recent success in running the ball and playing solid defense.
• The conversation includes a discussion about the importance of the Ravens’ running game and the performance of players like Derrick Henry and Keaton Mitchell.
• Luke highlights the need for the Ravens’ offense to improve its consistency and the importance of the team’s defense in maintaining momentum.
• The discussion touches on the Ravens’ recent wins and the importance of continuing to perform well as they prepare for the playoffs.

Impact of Key Injuries on the AFC Playoff Picture

• Nestor and Luke discuss the impact of key injuries on the AFC playoff picture, including the injuries to Patrick Mahomes and Micah Parsons.
• The conversation includes speculation about the potential impact of these injuries on the Ravens’ upcoming games and the AFC North standings.
• Luke notes the importance of the Ravens’ upcoming game against the Patriots and the need for the team to perform well to solidify their playoff position.
• The discussion touches on the potential impact of these injuries on other teams in the AFC and the importance of staying healthy as the playoffs approach.

Ravens’ Playoff Scenarios and Potential Matchups

• Nestor and Luke discuss the potential playoff scenarios for the Ravens, including the importance of winning their remaining games to secure a playoff spot.
• The conversation includes speculation about potential matchups in the playoffs and the importance of the Ravens’ performance in their upcoming games.
• Luke notes the importance of the Ravens’ upcoming game against the Patriots and the need for the team to perform well to solidify their playoff position.
• The discussion touches on the potential impact of these games on the AFC North standings and the importance of staying focused as the playoffs approach.

Ravens’ Coaching and Team Dynamics

• Nestor and Luke discuss the impact of the Ravens’ coaching staff on the team’s performance and the importance of maintaining team cohesion.
• The conversation includes a discussion about the importance of the Ravens’ coaching staff in guiding the team through the playoffs.
• Luke notes the importance of the Ravens’ upcoming game against the Patriots and the need for the team to perform well to solidify their playoff position.
• The discussion touches on the potential impact of the coaching staff on the team’s performance and the importance of maintaining team cohesion as the playoffs approach.

Ravens’ Future Prospects and Playoff Preparation

• Nestor and Luke discuss the Ravens’ future prospects and the importance of preparing for the playoffs.
• The conversation includes speculation about the potential impact of the Ravens’ upcoming games on their playoff chances.
• Luke notes the importance of the Ravens’ upcoming game against the Patriots and the need for the team to perform well to solidify their playoff position.
• The discussion touches on the potential impact of these games on the AFC North standings and the importance of staying focused as the playoffs approach.

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

Ravens, Patriots, playoffs, AFC, Lamar Jackson, defense, offense, injuries, Micah Parsons, Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Derrick Henry, Keaton Mitchell, Christmas, Green Bay.

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SPEAKERS

Luke Jones, Nestor Aparicio

Nestor Aparicio  00:02

Welcome home. We are W, N, S, T. Am 1570 Towson, Baltimore. We are Baltimore, positive, happy holidays. Everybody celebrating this week, getting out, doing things, shoveling out, warming up, doing all the things we need to do here this week, as the New England Patriots come to town on a Sunday evening, and then the Ravens go next Saturday night to Green Bay. We will be doing the Maryland crab cake tour on Thursday at Costas in Dundalk with Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, Gina Schock, John Allen’s coming over. My whole Dundalk routine will be on display on Thursday. Come get a crab cake. Come celebrate for the holidays. Get a little eggnog. Get a scratch off from the Maryland lottery. May have ravens scratch ups. I have a handful of these left, but I’m gonna have those candy cane cash, smelly, delicious. I’m gonna have some peppermint sticks with me too. I think Friday we’re gonna be at gertrude’s to be MA with Dan Rodricks, amongst others, including my cousin John shields. And then next Monday, we’re gonna finish things up for the crab cake tour for the year on the 22nd at Planet Fitness and Timonium. I’m going to import a Costas crab cake from across the street, and we’re going to have a hoot nanny and wear funny glasses and funny hats and get ready. 2026 right around the corner. Ravens might be playing some playoff activities in the early part of 2026 they certainly be playing in the early part of 2026 in Pittsburgh, where Luke will be dragged up to the confluence with Jens, not for another showdown matchup, but all things being said, Great weekend of progress for the ravens, just in a general sense, not that you want to see Micah Parsons get injured. Not that you want to see New England get knocked off and feel a little more human, or even see buffalo sort of come on a little bit. But, you know, 24 nothing shut a team out cold day quarterback selfie, the Buchanan thing aside, getting healthier in a lot of ways, you know, arrows pointed up for the Ravens right now Luke in a crowded but untested field now that Patrick mahomes has an ACL injury and is out of the tournament. Yeah.

Luke Jones  02:10

I mean, you said it and I wrote about it at Baltimore positive.com I said it in the closing moments of Sunday’s game. I mean, it’s heartening. It’s the arrows pointing upward. I’m, I’m not forgetting all the everything that went wrong that had the Ravens at six and seven when they woke up in Cincinnati on Sunday morning. But seven and seven sure beats six and eight. And then you’re, then you’re thinking, what is like, what’s going to happen here? Are they going to win another game? Are there going to be wholesale changes? Like you’re, you’re thinking more in those terms than writing yourself. And now you’re looking ahead to Sunday night and looking at what’s going to be a pretty crazy Christmas week. I mean, I was just kind of looking at it. You play the 21st you have Christmas and all that goes with that for anybody, right, the holiday season, and how that even for in the NFL that can, or call it a distraction, because it’s a holiday that most people enjoy and everything. But you have that, and then you have a short week, you’re going to Green Bay Saturday night that wow. I mean, you kind of look at that six day period where you say, Man, this could be really good. And boy, then we are talking all about January and the possibilities and all that, or it could be not so good. And then you’re kind of looking at the scoreboard and hoping and hoping and hoping that Pittsburgh’s losing and all that. So this a big week coming up. I mean, this is and but what else can you ask for, right? Especially when they’re one in five, right? You just wanted, I’m surprised. I’ll be the one that points out you were the one who said way back when that you thought they’d be seven and seven, and I said it at the time that you’d like to be a little better than that, knowing that you have these last three games, and the challenge that pertains to these last three games, but hey, you’ll take it especially on the heels of Back to Back division home losses. So big work for them to get the win on Sunday in Cincinnati, we get it. The Bengals are not very good, but Joe burrow is really good tomorrow. Chase is really good, right? And and the Bengals took care of them in Baltimore a couple weeks ago. So good to see them not just return the favor, but steady their footing a little bit as it pertains to the division, and, yeah, as it pertains to trying to size up whatever this playoff field is going to look like in the A, F, C, where there are good teams. You know, I don’t want to sit here and say that no one’s good, because I think that’s disingenuous too, 14 games into a season. But as you said, there isn’t that heavy weight that’s established. You know, whether you’re thinking of Kansas City in recent years or going back to the Patriots with Tom Brady all

Nestor Aparicio  04:52

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those years? Well, you know what? It depends which week you ask me, right? Like Bo Nick survived this week and Drake may didn’t in line. Mars still here. Josh Allen looks like Josh Allen all of a sudden. And I don’t know about the chargers, I don’t know about the Jaguars, you seem to like the Texans, right? So the Colts, you can’t like them because of Philip Rivers. But that was a great story, though. It was like seeing Babe Ruth come back or something. It was crazy.

Luke Jones  05:18

It really was crazy. Hey, I will say this. And I obviously, I did watch a whole lot of that game, and I had red zone on, but he made one big throw to get them in position for that long field goal to go ahead. I mean, they couldn’t protect the lead. But, I mean, it’s just crazy. It makes my brain hurt like I feel like I’m in like a time warp or something, when we’re talking about these young quarterbacks, you know, Josh Allen and Lamar are kind of the more at this point, the more veteran ones in that group, so to speak. And Aaron Rodgers, right? It’s tough, like, you know, you still think of Aaron Rodgers,

Nestor Aparicio  05:52

one of these guys is going to be in the Super Bowl for the A, F, C now, and it’s not going to be Patrick mahomes, and it’s not going to be Joe burrow, to your

Luke Jones  05:59

point, yeah. And, I mean, burrow did it once. I mean, you know, but he did

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Nestor Aparicio  06:04

it once. Lamar did it once, it’d be a big deal. I

Luke Jones  06:07

mean, I Oh, sure, of course, although you know, if we’re gonna talk about it in those terms. I mean, Aaron Rodgers, if Pittsburgh’s in then maybe he will, like, I I still, I will still say this, and I

Nestor Aparicio  06:22

say down on Pittsburgh till you have to drive five hours home, and they’re in the playoffs, and the Ravens aren’t, oh,

Luke Jones  06:27

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I’ll still be down on them in terms of their chances of making a deep run. Then, then that’ll just be more that like the Ravens. Just completely to

Nestor Aparicio  06:34

your point, if the Ravens get in, people are going to believe they can go on a deep run. THE GAMBLERS have believed in them all. Yeah.

Luke Jones  06:39

I mean, the gamblers. I think I joked with you last week. I mean, the Ravens will be a three point favorite in the Super Bowl if they’re sitting on their couch. I mean, that’s how much the gamblers have loved the Ravens this year. But, I mean, we’re gonna see how this plays out. And I liked what I saw Sunday. It was heartening, it was encouraging. It was, I mean, the defense with a big rebound from the last couple weeks, and they finally did it against a darn good quarterback, whether he had a really bad day or not. They clearly played a huge part in that. And you know, they their their offense. It’s still searching for consistency, start to finish, right? It’s not the juggernaut of last year or two years ago, or 2019 in terms of boat racing these teams and putting 40 plus points on the board every week. But it was better. And you know, the thing that I liked about Sunday’s game, you know, the second half was, you know, they score. Obviously, they scored the two touchdowns late in the second quarter. I they made me look smart, because I when they come out in their opening drive of the second half, after they get the stop, when Cincinnati’s first drive, you know, coming out of halftime, I made a point. You’d like to think the Ravens could start to lean on them with their running game, and they were able to do it. Now, they didn’t finish off drives, right? I mean, they’re still talking about the red zone and still not being quite as fine as you’d like them to be, and quite as precise as you’d like them to be, but they were able to run the football. I mean, such a weird game. I mentioned this in our previous segment. I mean, they ran 40 plays in this game. I mean, normally, when you hear that like, go back to week five, when they were embarrassed by the Texans, when the Ravens were so injured in that game and had no shot, because, you know, you looked at the state of their defense, and no Lamar Jackson on offense, Stanley didn’t play in that game, and they ran 40 plays against the Texans. And like when you typically think of something like that, when you’re losing the time of possession, two to one, normally, that means you’re losing, right? And so, like, it’s clear, Cincinnati tried to play this ball control, methodical style, and I think the weather certainly had something to do with that, but the pub told Zach, Zach Taylor that that they were going to run 40 plays. He’d have been real happy with that, right? But, but but the problem is they ran 71 with the average 4.2 per play, right? I mean, there’s being methodical, but you have to be productive in the process of being methodical, and that’s where the Bengals, yeah, they ran the ball Okay. In the first half, they didn’t run the ball at all in the second half, even though they kept trying to do it. So it was weird. Some of the things they tried to do was strange. But you know, when the Ravens have been struggling this year, we’ve said the same thing about the Ravens coaching staff, right? And played,

Nestor Aparicio  09:29

but when it came to nut cut time, they failed miserably. Yes, about and the Ravens made plays. They didn’t catch the ball. The other kid in the corner of the end zone had a touchdown, right? So, like, you know, T Higgins, just all the way around. They had some opportunity. You know, they ran a lot of plays. They ran successful plays. They moved the sticks. They got, you know, they got on the other side of the field several times. Yeah, didn’t urinate a drop,

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Luke Jones  09:55

yeah, oh, I mean. And ultimately, you need your best players to make big plays. Joe burrow came up small in that game, and even though he had 132 receiving yards and 10 catches, Jamar Chase came up small in that game overall, especially with a couple of the missed opportunities earlier in the game. So whereas on the flip side, you look at the ravens, okay, zay flowers drops a pass that leads to a pick, comes back and catches a touchdown, right? Lamar Jackson made some really good throws in that ball game. Had the check on the, you know, checked into the play on the rash and Ali touchdown, you know, they ran the ball well, right? I mean, love seeing Keaton Mitchell continue to get chunk plays, right? Love seeing Derrick Henry find some chunk plays as the game went on, right? There haven’t been a ton of those from Derek, Henry, as we’ve kind of talked about. I mean, their their running game has been so inconsistent. The volume wise, it’s looked fine, right? I mean, I think they were third in the NFL and rushing yards per game going into the week, but we know from a success rate standpoint, it’s been more up and down. They’ve had their they’ve had their good plays, but then they have their minus one on first and 10, two yards on second and 10, right, and then they get into third and long as a result. So, you know, they they seem to be able to avoid that. You know, they only had 7/3 downs. I mean, it’s not like they had a ton of third down conversions. I mean, they were two for seven. But on the flip side, going back to my comment about Cincinnati, they were three for 15 on third down. I mean, first of all, they’re in third down 15 times. That’s part of the problem. And second of all, I mean, they just didn’t convert. So again, that’s where you tip your cap to the complimentary way the Ravens were able to play despite not getting a ton of plays on offense. But their defense was that good, and their offense took advantage of their opportunities, not perfectly, but they, you know, they scored two touchdowns late in the first half. And as I joked at the time, Hey, you don’t need to have a great red zone offense if you score from outside the 20. And they were able to do that twice. So good to see them get a couple explode, you know, some explosive plays. You know, Brian Billick famously talked about that with the Ravens. 25 years ago, they were able to get that they had a couple runs of 20 plus yards. And, you know, Hopkins had the 32 yard catch. Ali the touchdown, say flowers, a 28 yard touchdown. So, you know, they they had their share of 20 plus yard plays. And you do that even when you only run 40 plays, you know you’re going to give yourself a chance to win. And certainly the Ravens did that.

Nestor Aparicio  12:27

He is Luke Jones. He is Baltimore. Luke. We out around this week any updates on injuries and what the Buchanan thing? Very unfortunate. If you’re on the wnsd tech service, you get these things first brought to you by Cole roofing and Gordian energy, more healthy than some teams, and certainly the Micah Parsons thing around the corner, large the mahomes injury. In addition, you have an insult injury and elimination all in the same weekend for fresh blood in the AFC and then figuring out, what are the Chargers? What are the Jaguars? What are the Texans? We can make fun of the Colts. Here come the bills, let alone what the Broncos are and what the Patriots represent this week. So you’re going to get to see that, you know, you win five games in a row against the Jets and the browns and beat up on the, you know, Tyrod Taylor and whatnot. This is a different kind of thing with Drake May and certainly from where they were in blowing a two touchdown lead at home against the division rival in the snow, it wasn’t the best look for the Patriots, but it does feel like they’re young and it’s all new for them. And this is a big thing for them to come down here and beat Lamar Derek Henry and stop the run. And, you know, having some Ra from their loss to the bills that they start to spiral a little bit if they falter this week. So big game. NFL knows what it’s doing, flexing this one, right?

Luke Jones  13:59

Oh, no doubt, I think I’d started saying saying to you, like, four or five weeks ago, I thought this game would be flex, because I think the original one was Cincinnati, Miami, right? I mean, so, so there you go. But interesting football game, and by the way, it wasn’t a two touchdown lead. They were up 21 nothing in that game. Now, granted, it was, it was the second quarter, but, boy, you do that at home. I think any team that’s in that position very much you’re intrigued to see. How are they going to respond to this? And look, you don’t get to be 11 and three without being a good football team. Are the patriots like Tom Brady dominant, 2007 kind of patriots? No, I don’t think they’re anything like that, but Drake Mays played at a really high level, even if he didn’t have the best day on Sunday. And you know, you pile up those kind of wins. And keep in mind, Mike fravel is a heck of a good football coach, right? Derek Henry be the first to tell you that. So it’s going to be interesting to see how they respond. In that regard, they are. A young team, but they have a head coach who has put this young team in a position to have the kind of belief and to be in position to win the games that they’ve been in of where they were leading the conference until the last, what, the last week or so so that said, go look at their schedule, as much as I’ve talked about the Raven schedule and trying to, you know, not, not do cartwheels about the five game winning streak. Go look at their wins right now. Miami, Carolina, Okay, that looks better Carolina is okay, better than we thought they were. At least they won at Buffalo. So that’s their massive win at New Orleans, Tennessee, Cleveland, Atlanta, at Tampa Bay, which, a month ago, felt way more impressive than it feels now, with the Buccaneers reeling and spiraling and then the Jets the Bengals and the Giants, so they’re a team that’s very much not just in terms of rebounding from losing on Sunday and blowing a 21 nothing lead, but this is very much an opportunity for them, an opportunity that they had On Sunday, and look like they were going to do it until they fall apart. Now they’re in a position where they can say, we go to Baltimore. We beat the Ravens. We put them behind the eight ball as they’re trying to win their division. And all is forgiven after you lost to the to the bills, which you know they’re they’re still leading in that division, but they need to win, right, so they don’t have to go on the road more week one. So, so, you know, it’s funny. I saw it was one of the talking heads in the it might have, might have, actually, I think it was CBS, their post game. I think in between the early and the late slate might have been Matt Ryan. Actually, he made the comment that that loss for the Patriots might actually be good for them, from the standpoint of they had that long winning streak, and now this allows them to recalibrate, refocus. They’re not smelling themselves in the way that they probably were when they’re 11 and two and haven’t lost a game since week three. So from that standpoint, maybe it’s not good for the ravens, but hey, this is an opportunity to beat a team with not just a winning record, but a very high winning percentage, and it’s a chance to win a home game, which we know the Ravens have not been good at home this year, which is weird to think about, but it’s just the reality. And you know, we’ve kind of talked about it a little bit in passing, but having these prime time games where you’re playing a Sunday night game then a Saturday night game, and let’s face it, if you had to put money on it right now, there’s probably a decent chance that that pits that Pittsburgh game in week 18, if it means something that’s probably going to be in prime time. So you kind of look at this and say, well, prime time, national stage. What does that kind of sound like? Well, it sounds like what the postseason could be if you’re making it, you know, if you get in so

Nestor Aparicio  17:56

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they’re gonna be a lot of bright lights shining around here, whatever point they get eliminated, or they win the Super Bowl, right? Sure, whatever that is, prime time, prime time, prime time. And out they lose to the Steelers. They’re out. They get their ass kicked to it. Next three weeks, they go in shame, whatever it is, it’s going to happen in front of the whole world, yeah, and and, or they get that home game here, and then we either go on a magic carpet ride, or they get beaten buffalo, or they get beat in New England, or they get Yeah, whatever is good, but it’s they’re not going to get beaten to Kansas City, and Kansas City is not going to come in and beat them. No. Taylor Swift, for you. Luke Jones, sorry, buddy.

Luke Jones  18:35

Yeah. Okay, but yeah. I mean, it’s again, I have a tough time thinking when you

Nestor Aparicio  18:41

got the January with Taylor, I didn’t get to two years ago, right?

Luke Jones  18:45

She didn’t. No one in the media got close to her, at least I don’t think so. I mean, maybe some people that were field after the game. Oh, but I wasn’t. I was I was doing the post game press conference. Was it sitting there watching the Chiefs raise the trophy. I was talking to the ravens, blowing it right.

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Nestor Aparicio  19:05

But no, I mean, coming back, that’s my point. You sure opportunity. You had your chance. Sure, sure. So she’s done. He’s done. He might be done, huh? Kelsey?

Luke Jones  19:15

Kelsey, oh no. I mean, it’s obviously they were going to be out of it with another loss. But you know, now trying

Nestor Aparicio  19:22

to talk his brother come back in a snapping two weeks ago. Now, look at Philip Rivers, right? Are you old enough to remember Palmer’s come back? No, no. You were like a baby. You were like, No,

Luke Jones  19:33

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that was what that was spring training, 1991 wasn’t it? Yeah, you were cute. I remember that. Yeah, it didn’t go, Well, go well, yeah, I was, although that was what, I mean, that was seven years, right? I mean, Hall of Fame, yeah, yeah. So now it’s no think about this. This is wild, like this would have broke someone happening. No wait, just wait, this would have broken someone’s brain if four months ago. So go back. Back to August, and someone had told you that Philip Rivers would be playing December games for a chance to go to the playoffs, and Patrick mahomes would not be. I mean, like, think about that. I mean, that’s funny on that. That’s crazy pills kind of stuff, right there. I mean, like, it’s wild, but I mean, it just, it speaks to how weird the year has been. And look, it doesn’t mean I’m ready to, you know, book, book, my plane ticket to the Super Bowl. You know, I this team still has flaws, and I want to see more. I’m not beating the Bengals in deciding fashion is I need, I need to see more. I do, but you beat the Patriots on Sunday night, then, yeah, I think you’re going to have the entire League’s attention at that point in time, right? You know, good win on Sunday, no doubt about that, right? Great performance by the defense they they beat a good quarterback, and also they check boxes. To your point, I agree with that, but for me to really say, All right, now, now this thing’s starting to roll. No go. Beat New England. Sunday night, you’re home. I mean, you don’t have to go. You’re you’re hosting them. So you do that. Then, yeah, then we start to look at this thing and say, All right, now, got to make sure you take care of the division. You got to get in first, and you see what happens with do or with Pittsburgh the next few weeks. But, but, yeah, I mean, you’re feeling that much better. But, I mean, it’s just, it’s a crazy year. It really is. I mean, it’s, you know, what we thought this, this conference, what the league was going to be a few months ago. And you know, New England or Kansas City is completely out New England and Denver at the top of the conference, you know, on the NFC side, you know, maybe not quite as crazy there, but still some unusual things happening. I mean, Carolina playing meaningful games, albeit losing on Sunday, the Buccaneers, who, back in September, I remember people talking about Baker Mayfield being MVP of the league, and the Buccaneers have just crashed and burned here over the last

Nestor Aparicio  22:06

month, lot of big leads evaporating like there. I mean, the Ravens had that problem early in the year. You know how bad you feel when you’re the Patriots coming in and you blew the lead that they blew last weekend. And to my point about this Patriot thing, how do you think the ravens are going to play? You think the ravens are going to be representative this week? I think they’re they’re going to produce some veteran Ness that the Patriots don’t have right now and that the Packers might not really have without Michael Parsons, two weeks from now that Vegas loves the ravens, the Ravens were the darlings in the beginning of the year, and yeah, they’ve scuffled, and they had health and this and that. But you know, the version of the Ravens I saw on Sundays, the one you don’t want to see, the one where the defense is stingy and opportunistic and that, you know, and and the offense gets enough done to wow you in 40 plays and score 24 points and throw a shot out and and even in the cold, make that sort of thing happen. For me, beating New England on Sunday night would really open the door for the bills to be a home team in January. And that’s an interesting role for the ravens to play. Same thing for the bears if they were to beat the Packers, right? Or, you know, just in a general sense for that, what’s going on in the NFC the ravens are going to be a big straw stirring the drink here, one way or another. They’re either going to play Pittsburgh into the playoffs by losing and not being very good, or, you know, this is going to be a massive effect these next three hours of football for the Ravens because they’re all playoff games.

Luke Jones  23:43

Yeah, yeah, sure, sure. I mean, I don’t disagree with that. I mean, yeah. I mean, if you can shut out your opponent, sure. I mean, I’ll take that defense, right. But also reminded, Bengals are four and 10 for a reason also, and a lot of bad things beyond missing Joe burrow over the course of the season. So, but yeah, I mean this is, this is an opportunity for the ravens to not just win another game, not just stay right there in the A, F, C, north. But I mean this, this is the statement win that they haven’t had. Sunday was great. It was encouraging. It was heartening, but it was still a four and 10 football team. They beat. You beat the team that’s got three losses all year long. And suddenly, now the to your point, the Patriots, you know, then you’re starting to wonder about them, and what that means for the bills, potentially, and all that. And can you avoid the bills in the in the first round? I mean, I, I think you’d much rather try to, even if you have to go to Buffalo, I think you try to try to delay that match up as much as you can, right, if you’re going to think in those terms, right, that long, long term. I mean, they better not be thinking about anything like that. I mean, they’re, they’re, they’re a long way off from worrying about that. They need to try to win on Sunday and. See what happens with the Steelers in their games. So, I mean, it’s, you know, it’s, this is fun. I mean, from where they were a week ago at this time, and how cruddy that felt, and complaining about officiating and just feeling like maybe it’s not your year. I mean, it’s why I was so interested to see how they were going to come out on Sunday. I had my doubts if they were going to get off the mat. I had my doubts that they were going to go through the motions, and that would have opened up even more conversation about the coaching staff, and do you need to make harsher changes and all that. So, you know, you win. You at the very least, you hold that off right? In the same way that the Steelers, you know, Mike Tomlin winning in Baltimore last Sunday, that calmed some of the talk, at least for a couple days about his future, right? So, you know, when you’re a 500 team, I mean, that’s, that’s the space you’re living in, right? I mean, the Ravens aren’t 11 and three right? Now, you know, they’re, they’re a mediocre football team when it comes to looking at your record, and you’re on the outside, in the out, on the outside looking in in terms of your playoff standing and all that. So they’ve got work to do. But, yeah, you feel, you feel good about what happened Sunday, and New England’s not feeling so good. And at the same time, it’s a week to week League, right? I mean, we saw the Bengals come into Baltimore and kind of handle the Ravens. You know, five turnovers had a huge part in doing that, but they beat them by, what, 18.2 weeks later in Cincinnati, the Ravens beat them by four scores, or, you know, 24 points, you know, I guess three scores technically. So, you know, I mean, it’s, it’s a week to week League. That’s why you can’t ride these big waves, right? You know, you can’t me being as down as I was on the Ravens last week was not just because of the Pittsburgh game. It was because of the Cincinnati game prior to that, and it was because they’re six and seven, because they can’t beat a good team, right? I mean, it was all that. It was months in the making of feeling that way. So they rebounded. That was good to see. But they’re, you know, to your point, they’re bad. Hour of football, you know, three hours, an hour of play, 60 minutes, however you want to describe it, you know, they’re bad. 60 minutes away from feeling lousy about this team again. So, you know, that’s just kind of where they are right now. So you just got to win. To your point, it’s kind of, it’s not a playoff game, because they’re not in a position where, if they lose, they’re eliminated. But you have to have that kind of mindset, and you can’t be looking too far ahead, and you can’t be worried about scenarios. You can’t be worried about what Pittsburgh is doing that week, you know, until you get to week 18, you know. So you just it’s all about the Patriots. And I think this is going to be a really fascinating matchup, you know, I not going to sit here and say that, Oh well, the ravens, you know, the Patriots aren’t that good. Yada yada yada, you know, look what happened on Sunday. On the flip side, yeah, there are some questions about Drake may on this stage now, as we’re getting into not December or early December, we’re now getting into late December, right? There’s questions about him. There’s questions about any of these quarterbacks who haven’t been here before. There’s questions about the ravens and Lamar Jackson, maybe, maybe not in December so much, but they haven’t been in a position where they’ve had to win to play their way into the playoffs in December. It’s been in the past. It’s been, what is your seating going to be? Right? I mean, are you playing for home field advantage? Are you playing for the number two or the number three seed? Yeah, so this is, this is different territory for them as well. So, you know, looking at it through that lens, yeah, I still have questions about this football team, even in those terms, let alone talking about if and when they’re playing in January. And, you know, can they break through? But they’ve got to, they’ve got to get to that point first, and obviously playing the Patriots on Sunday night. I mean, that’s it’s gonna be a big part of the journey, one way or the other. To your point, it’s gonna be quite pivotal as it pertains to not just the AFC north, but also the AFC East.

Nestor Aparicio  29:12

Well, the Micah Parsons thing two weeks from now, not getting after our quarterback. That’s huge changing thing that’s happened that makes that game look it’s still Lambo, it’s Christmas. Oh, it’s still a tough game. I mean, the Packers were a good team the last couple years with that, but that’s 40 plays, maybe 60 plays where you don’t have to worry about

8

Luke Jones  29:35

him, sure, and but I’ll also remind that the Ravens offensive line has had their issues, even against teams that don’t have a miles Garrett or Mike, Micah Parsons, so but yeah, I mean, that’s and for them. I mean, it’ll be interesting to see how they I think when you lose a player of that magnitude, there’s always a question of, how are you going to respond, especially that following week? Are you feeling? Sorry for yourself. How do you adjust schematically? Right? I mean, when, when you have Micah Parsons lining up, you know? And he’s a guy who moves around, and Raven can do different things, Kyle Hamilton off the field, yeah? So, I mean that that’s and, and I’ll also say this because you brought this up, and I want to at least throw this out there. It’s man, it’s a reminder of how quickly this league can change. I mean, I know Kansas City was already just about down the drain when mahomes tears his ACL late in that game on Sunday. But you look at, you know, you look at the Packers, I’m not going to sit here and say they can’t win the Super Bowl without you know, because no player other than the franchise quarterback for any team is truly that, but boy, it really lowered their odds, right? It really lowered their chances of making that kind of run. But it’s just a reminder of like, you’re one play away from having your season completely sunk. And that’s where I’ll go back to. You know, as much as gone has gone wrong for the ravens, and yes, they’ve dealt with their share of early season injuries, and they lose they lose Mata BK for the year. Lamar has been less than 100% for most of the season, but for the most part, the lineup they’re going to trot out there on Sunday Night Mostly looks like what they had in Buffalo on Sunday night. You know, Sunday night football in week one, teams that can say that are the teams that tend to have the best chance to win. I mean, that’s yeah, some teams overcome injuries, and I’m not saying that. You know that it’s a prerequisite for winning the Super Bowl, but that’s why I was so disappointed in their season ending the way it did last year, because of how healthy they were last year. This year, they haven’t stayed that healthy. But you look at them, they’re mostly intact right now. And the biggest factor, and this is more than how the defense played Sunday or running the ball with Derrick Henry or Keith Mitch or anything, we’ve seen it now for a couple weeks, I think we are seeing a what looks like a healthier version of Lamar Jackson. Is he playing like the MVP? Is he playing like and running like he was when he was 23 years old? No, but he looks way better than he did against the Jets and the browns and the Vikings back in November. I mean, he looks a lot better than that. So that’s encouraging. I mean, that’s because he doesn’t need to run 15 times a game in January for them to make a deep run, but you need to at least believe he can, right? And the guy that we were seeing moving around a month ago didn’t look like you know, I don’t think teams were I think teams were getting to the point where they weren’t really respecting that anymore. I think we’ve seen him run around enough these last couple games that I think teams are going to have to start respecting that a little bit more. And you hope that leads to even more room and more opportunities for Derek Henry and keep giving the ball to Keaton Mitchell. I’ve I really like what I’ve seen from Keaton Mitchell, and it’s kind of a weird start to the season for him. He kind of was banged up in training camp. He was a healthy scratch the first month, fans kept asking, what’s going on media we were asking, Why is he inactive on game day? So, you know, he wasn’t until October that they, you know, kind of let him out of the garage, so to speak. But you know, I’m not saying he’s 100% back to pre injury form, but we’re seeing, you see the explosiveness off the edge, and it’s a change of pace, and it’s just a different look than Derek Henry. And, you know, not, not to, I don’t need to see them split carries evenly, or anything like that. Not saying that, but he definitely gives them, you know, gives defense is a different look, and I think that’s something that helps their running game. As I’ve said that their running game isn’t as consistently dominant as it’s been in the past, you know. So having Keaton Mitchell, you know, that had this scare against the Steelers last week, which, you know, ended up being way more of a scare than an injury. So that was good to see. But, you know, it’s just another playmaker to add to this, and I still think they need to get more consistency in their passing game. I’m still going to say that, but clearly that, you know, this is a team that right now, and you know, even going back to their winning streak a few weeks back, you know, their defense doing more have, you know, doing some heavier lifting and running the ball and hoping that you can get that play action really going in a way that hasn’t really been there to the degree that they’ve liked in 2025

Nestor Aparicio  34:30

he is Luke Jones. He is Baltimore, Luke. If you are on our wnst tech service, you’ll get all the breaking news injuries. First, the unfortunate injury to Teddy Buchanan. Luke will be monitoring all that as we get ready for the New England Patriots gains been flexed out this Sunday night, which helps me, because I have a holiday party to attend on Sunday. But a lot of holiday parties around here, a lot of fun. We’re going to be doing the Maryland crab cake tour on Thursday, kind of my holiday party at Costas. Then we’re going to be a gertrudes with family and John shields and Dan Rodricks on Friday or. We’re at the BMA. God, they have great food there. I can’t wait to get there. And then Monday, we’re going to be at Planet Fitness. I’ll be working it off with my friends in the Ohana group as we get ready for New Year’s 2026 and Christmas, and let’s see Kwanzaa Hanukkah, New Year’s Festivus, Green Bay, all those things will be happening next week. For this week, it’s New England and Pete Alonso. Pete Alonso is a Baltimore Oriole. Luke was down at the warehouse. We’re gonna talk some more about that. This week, we’ve had such great guests. We did the show at honeys and althorp last week. We were at faidley’s last week, just getting around town and talking to some awesome people, a lot of fun stuff up at Baltimore positive, if you haven’t seen it yet, it’s coming soon, including some great holiday trimmings for some delicious kielbasa who would eat polish. Kielbasa made by an Italian guy, probably me, because I was at the pasquale’s last week. We’re Baltimore positive. Stay with us. You.